"Jesus In Capernaum"

Palsy was a type of paralysis, leaving the man helpless. He was brought to Jesus by believing friends, and Christ answered their faith by healing the man. But He did far more: He also forgave his sins! "The Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins." Christ's critics accused Him of blasphemy, proving they did not accept His Kingship and His Sonship.


The Scribes and Pharisees were starting to look for reasons to accuse and oppose Christ. When Matthew held a dinner for Christ and invited his "sinner friends", the Pharisees attended to cause trouble. But in this passage Christ pictures Himself as a physician to heal sinful hearts and bring joy to men's lives. Many Christians today think that our task is to open the church doors and invite sinners to come to us; but Jesus instructs us to go to lost men with message of the Gospel. There is a danger that "SEPARATION" becomes "ISOLATION" and we fail to contact needy men and women for Christ.


The woman with issue of blood had faith and was willing to humble herself at His feet. The physicians of the world could not heal her, so she came to the Great Physician, Jesus.


In Matthew 9:23-24 we see, instead of Christ merely healing the girl, He raised her from the dead. Imagine, sinners laughing at Jesus! This proves that the girl was really dead, otherwise they would not have laughed at Christ. We must always expect the world to laugh at us as we seek to raise sinners from the dead. (Eph. 2:1-10)


SEE THE DEMONSTRATION: He touches her and speaks to her and she comes back to life. Christ raised three people from the dead, about whom we have full accounts in the Bible: A little girl (here), a young man (Luke 7:11-16), and an old man (John 11). Death is a picture of spiritual death (Eph. 2:1 and John 5:24-25). Sin reaches different degrees of decay. The little girl had just died, the young man was dead perhaps a day, and Lazarus had been entombed four days. The "moral sinner" is like the little girl, there is no decay, but there is still death. The "immoral sinner" is like Lazarus: his sin smells. All three were raised by the power of the Word, a picture of John 5:24.


THE BLIND MEN How these men came to be blind, I do not know. It may have been from disease, from birth, or an accident. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, they acknowledged Jesus as the Son of David, and followed Him into the house. Jesus asked if they had faith, and, because they did, He healed them. Remember in Matthew 8:10 the centurion had great faith, but the disciples in the storm had little faith (8:26). The faith of his friends saved the palsied man (9:2), and the faith of the woman healed her (9:22), Jairus' faith was tested by the delay along the road, and the blind men had their faith rewarded.


These miracles caused a great stir: "It was never so seen in Israel." Christ presented Himself and proved His Kingship. But the religious leaders rejected Him and even accused Him of being in the same league with Satan! One day in the future Israel will receive a false Christ who WILL be empowered by Satan (John 5:43).


Notice that Jesus did not argue with, but rather went to help those people who would not receive Him. He preached "the Gospel of the Kingdom", which means He was still offering Himself to the nation as their King. Later, He sent His disciples out to preach the same Gospel, and perform the same miracles(10:5-8).


The multitudes today are still in need of the Shepherd. Only Christ can lead them and feed them. (Ezek. 34) Christ pictured Himself as a Shepherd and as a Harvester, Lord of the Harvest. The harvest is HIS (verse 38) and we must obey Him if the souls are going to be won. SEE John 4:31-38 for a parallel teaching.