They Got That Right

Matthew 9: Enlarging the Harvest (5)

Pray Psalm 29.1, 2.
Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones,
Give unto the LORD glory and strength.
Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name;
Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

Sing Psalm 29.1, 2.
Toulon: I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art
Give praise to God, you children of the earth! 
Tell of His strength, proclaim His glorious worth!    
Give to the LORD the glory due His Name!
Worship in holiness; His grace proclaim!

Read Matthew 9.1-34; meditate on verse 27-34.
Meditate on the question, “Do you believe that…”

Prepare.
1. How many ways do we see the power of Jesus at work in these verses?

2. How did people respond to Jesus’ good works?

Meditate.I want to start at the end of this passage, with the Pharisees getting something right. First, though, let’s remember Caiaphas, the high priest, who said to his colleagues concerning Jesus, “‘You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish’” (Jn. 11.49. 50). Of course, we know what Caiaphas was thinking. But John hastens to add, “Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad” (Jn. 11.51, 52). Caiaphas got that right in spite of himself.

Well, so did the Pharisees in Matthew 9.34. Of course, they intended to refer to Beelzebub, which they will do again in Matthew 12.22ff. But the fact of the matter is that, yes, Jesus did cast out demons by the ruler of the demons, because He is the Ruler of the demons! And also of physical bodies, blind eyes, and mute tongues. He is the Lord of everything and Ruler over all! 

Again we see the interaction of grace and faith, as Jesus healed the two blind men in response to their crying out to Him and believing He could heal them. Their faith didn’t go very deep, however. Jesus commanded them to keep quiet about this, but they—in excitement and joy—blabbed it all around. They should have obeyed Jesus, submitting their affections to His Word. But, like many of us at times, we let our feelings run us around, rather than rest on the plain teaching of God’s Word.

In the healing of the demoniac, we see faith and grace at work in a different way. Here there is no indication of faith on the part of the demoniac. There is faith shown by those who brought the man to Jesus, and that was enough to engage the healing grace of the Lord on the man’s behalf. The people are amazed and marvel at the wonders they’ve seen; but the Pharisees have a different “explanation”. Blind, malicious, and wrong-believing as they were, they still got it right.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
Since we are talking about getting questions right, let’s look at the two blind men.
Indeed, their intense faith caused them to be a bit overly-ever-present. 
Perhaps we might even opine today that they were a bit “cringe.”
They were everywhere.
They followed Jesus outside, then when He went inside someone’s home, 
they followed Him there, too.

But then Jesus, Who had surely noticed them, finally turned His full attention to them.
Their cry and request to Him had been, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” 
Have mercy and heal us.
So His question to them was, 
“Do you believe that I AM able to do this?”
And there ever-so right answer? “Yes, Lord.” (Matt. 9.27, 28).

Then in affirmation of their correct response, He healed them saying, 
“According to your faith let it be to you” (Matt. 9.29).

These two blind men must have been educated in the Old Testament Scriptures, 
as they referred to Jesus as the “Son of David.”
And they were quick to believe that This One, prophesied so fully about, 
could do exactly what God said He would do.

“I the LORD have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; 
I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles, 
to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, 
those who sit in darkness from the prison house. 
I AM the LORD, that is My Name; 
and My glory I will not give to another, 
nor My praise to carved images. 
Behold, the former things have come to pass, 
and new things I declare; 
before they spring forth I tell you of them” (Is. 42.6-9).

They had been told beforehand, and now they believed—their working faith the evidence.

We have access to the Old and New Scriptures—we see how the promises and prophecies have been fulfilled. Daily as we seek to know more of God in His Word, we are faced with the same question Jesus asked the two blind men: “Do you believe that I AM able to do this?”
Whatever it is—Do we believe that He is able?

“…our God Whom we serve is able to deliver us …” (Dan. 3.17).
“Now to Him Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, 
according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus 
to all generation, forever and ever” (Eph. 3.20, 21).
“Now to Him Who is able to keep you from stumbling, 
and to present you faultless before the Presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 
to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, 
dominion and power, both now and forever” (Jude 24, 25).

Do you believe I AM able? Yes, LORD, I believe. 
And in so answering, I got it right!

Reflect.
1. Faith and trusting in Jesus is always right. Explain.

2. What can we do to help make sure we will be in the right in all we do?

3. How does it happen that believers begin to stray from what is right? How can you guard against that?

Christ’s cures strike at the root, and remove the effect by taking away the cause; they open the lips, by breaking Satan’s power in the soul. Nothing can convince those who are under the power of pride. They will believe anything, however false or absurd, rather than the Holy Scriptures; thus they show the enmity of their hearts against a holy God. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Matthew 9.33-34

Pray Psalm 29.3-11.
Look ahead at the things before you today, and thank the Lord Jesus that He is sovereign over them all. Seek His blessings and peace for everything you do today.

Sing Psalm 29.3-11.
Toulon: I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art
Over the waters, over thunder’s roll,
God’s voice creation’s mighty pow’rs controls!
Cedars collapse at His majestic Word.
Nations are shaken by our mighty LORD!

God speaks and lightning streaks across the sky;
by His decree He shakes the desert dry.
Speak, LORD, and life to beasts and men is giv’n.
Forests dissolve, and glory rings in heav’n.

Sovereign, the LORD sat o’er the raging flood;
sovereign forever rules our gracious God!
God will His people bless with strength and peace:
LORD, may Your holy Word to us increase!

T. M. and Susie Moore

If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).

We invite you to join us in ReThinking Church. We explain further at our ReThinking Church page, here.

Other columns of interest: This week: The Read Moore podcast continues readings from our book, The Kingdom Turn. Our Crosfigell teaching letter presses ahead in a series on the state of the Church in Europe at the time of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column addresses the question, “How to Church?” Check out our other excellent writers. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.