by David Groendyk
I’ll confess, sometimes it’s hard for me to read the Gospels. Not because they’re not gospel-centered or soul-refreshing or Christ-exalting, but because when I get to passages like Matthew 8 and 9, it’s hard to see a rhyme or reason for why these handful of stories are grouped the way they are. In my ESV Bible, I’ve got seven different headers in Matthew 9 alone. My control-seeking and organized-obsessed brain wants to find some connection between these seven different stories. Why are these stories all together in this one place? Why does Matthew put them here?
A bird’s-eye overview of this chapter shows who Jesus is, why he came to earth, and what we are called to do in response. He is all-powerful and able to forgive sins as only God can do (vv. 1–8), he is the long-awaited Messiah-King and Son of David who would deliver his people (vv. 14–17, 27–31), he comes to call sinners to repentance and belief in the gospel (vv. 9–13), he comes to restore all things and defeat death itself (vv. 18–26, 32–34), and he sends us out into the world to spread his good news (vv. 35–38). Never had anything or anyone like this been seen before in Israel or the whole world.
There’s certainly a lot we could look at this in chapter. One point is tied to Pastor Lawrence’s devotional yesterday. It’s tempting to look for God to keep working wonderful miracles and unprecedented healings today. But even in the Gospels, miracles were not what the people were supposed to focus on. In fact, Jesus often warns people not to look for signs (see Matthew 16:4 or John 4:48). Notice as you’re reading through Matthew (or any of the other Gospels) how preaching and teaching are never far behind miracles and healing. You’ll often find them together. In vv. 1–8, Jesus heals forgives the paralytic before even considering healing him. In vv. 18–26, faith is highlighted as being the agent that brings about healing (it’s even clearer in Mark’s account). In vv. 27–31, Jesus confirms the blind men’s trust in him as the Son of David before restoring their sight. In v. 35, Jesus goes about proclaiming and healing. Any encouragement, any exhortation, any wisdom, any power that we may be looking for, we can find it in his Word. Go to his Word often.
Another interesting point is the reaction the healed and/or forgiven sinners have to Jesus. It’s celebration-leading-to-mission! Particularly, I’m thinking of Matthew and the blind men. What’s the first thing Matthew records after his own conversion experience in v. 9? He throws a party! It’s a little more apparent in Luke 5, but Matthew (also known as Levi) puts on a great feast for Jesus after he’s called to follow him, and Matthew invites all of his sinner friends to join. Why? Because after Matthew has the eyes of his heart enlightened to the truth about Jesus, he wants his friends to know Christ too. He says, “Look who I’ve just found! You’ve got to hear about this man!” It’s a celebration with the intent of bringing others into the joy. I do this all the time with Michigan State sports. When Kirk Cousins threw a hail Mary to beat Wisconsin in 2011, I ran up and down my friend’s dorm hallway looking for someone to hug. When Kyler Ellsworth stopped the Stanford running back on 4th and 1 to win the Rose Bowl in 2014, I immediately took to Facebook to spread the news. When Jalen Watts-Jackson returned a blocked punt for a touchdown to beat Michigan in 2015, I was stupidly jumping up and down in the middle of a restaurant in Mississippi, wondering why no one else cared at how great this was. We all try to lead people to the things that give us the most joy. What is that for you? Do you bring people into the joy of knowing Christ?
The blind men have much the same reaction. They spread the fame of Jesus by word of mouth. They have been so overwhelmed at what Jesus did for them, they’re bursting at the seams. This idea of mission is where Jesus ends this chapter and begins the next one. We are all called to respond to this gospel of Jesus not just by believing, receiving, and resting on Christ, but we are called to go out. All of us, if we call ourselves Christians, are to be laborers, pray for laborers, and send out laborers. No believer, if he or she rightly understands this gospel, keeps it to himself. As John Piper famously puts it, “Go, send, or disobey.” Because Christ’s glory is greater than anything else.
Pray today that you would be enthralled with Christ the same way these forgiven believers were. And pray that it would lead you to spread the gospel.