A Third Group of Miracles Matthew 9:18-34

1. A Third Group of MiraclesMatthew 9:18-34 Acts of Deliverance: Woman with a hemorrhage Young girl dead Two men blind Man unable to speak A leper is cleansed 8:1-4 A centurion’s servant is healed 8:5-13 Jesus heals two demon-possessed men 8:28-34 Jesus heals a paralytic 9:1-8 ESV Matthew 11:4 And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.

2. Two Healings in One Story ESV Matthew 9:18 ¶ While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live." 19 And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. 20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, 21 for she said to herself, "If I only touch his garment, I will be made well." 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well. 23 And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24 he said, "Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. 25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went through all that district. While Jesus was at the tax collector’s banquet, an aristocratic person (synagogue ruler?) approaches Jesus and does homage at the feet of Jesus.

3. Two Healings in One Story • Possibly a menstrual disorder and thus came under the purity regulations of Lev. 15:19-33. It was not only a physical discomfort but also a social stigma of being unclean. Her public ostracism would probably extend to her private life: • No marriage, if this condition was from puberty. • If married, then possibly was divorced: no sex and thus no children. • There would have been economic consequences: unclean, so unable to earn a sustainable living; no husband or children for long term support. 19 And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. 20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, 21 for she said to herself, "If I only touch his garment, I will be made well." 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well. ESV Leviticus 15:25 ¶ "If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness. As in the days of her impurity, she shall be unclean. 26 Every bed on which she lies, all the days of her discharge, shall be to her as the bed of her impurity. And everything on which she sits shall be unclean, as in the uncleanness of her menstrual impurity. 27 And whoever touches these things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. ESV Leviticus 18:19 ¶ "You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual uncleanness.

4. Two Healings in One Story • “the fringe of his garment” Jesus was wearing a garment with tassels. The tassels are to remind the Jew of obedience to the law; they were on the four corners of the garment and were normally three or four fingers in length. • “came up behind him” probably from shyness because of her uncleanness that she would be passing on to Jesus when she touches him, and the years of being ostracized. • The woman’s reaching out to touch Jesus’ garment was her moment of faith; by touching his garment she was demonstrating her faith. • No crowds or even disciples are mentioned; the focus is on Jesus and the woman. Jesus looks into her heart and knows what she is doing; he encourages her faith and gives her healing. • We have here a paradigm of faith: it is active and it is risk-taking. And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, 21 for she said to herself, "If I only touch his garment, I will be made well." 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well.

5. Mourning was an important part of the funeral process; mourners were hired to express grief with wailing and crying. “and Jesus saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly.” Mark 5:38 Two Healings in One Story 23 And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24 he said, "Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. 25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went through all that district. Wars of the Jews 3:437 insomuch that the lamentation did not cease in the city before the thirtieth day; and a great many hired mourners, with their pipes, who should begin the melancholy dirges for them. Mishnah, Ketuboth 4:4, “Rabbi Judah says: ‘Even the poorest in Israel shall hire not less than two flutes and one wailing woman.’ “ In this unit we see a very poor woman and a respected, well-to-do man both seeking help from Jesus.

6. Two Healings in One Story • Why does Jesus say that the girl was not dead but only sleeping? Death was not the final word for Jesus! Jesus is not denying the reality of her death but finality of her death. Jesus sees this death differently than do human beings: “Before you, she is dead, but before me, she sleeps.” This was not a resurrection but a resuscitation. 23 And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24 he said, "Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. 25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went through all that district.

7. Two Blind Men See • “Have mercy on us…” compare 9:13/ Jesus is about to practice again what he has been preaching, i.e. God desires mercy. Their approach to Jesus for mercy is also their initial act of faith. They understood their need and dependence on Jesus’ kindness; they also “recognized” Jesus as God’s Messiah. • “Son of David” here is the first occurrence of the title in Matthew, though the foundation for such a title has already be laid in chapter 1. The title will be used 6 more times in Matthew. It is a messianic title; the Messiah will be a son of David or from the Davidic family line. • “when he entered the house…” this could be to express the secrecy that Jesus desired in performing this healing. Was this Jesus’ house (4:13) in Capernaum? • “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”This is the first and in Matthew the only time that faith is set forth as a condition for healing. The centurion voluntarily declared his faith in Jesus’ authority to heal, as did also the leper; the official in 9:18 also expressed his faith in Jesus’ ability to heal his daughter, as did the woman who touched his garment. ESV Matthew 9:27 ¶ And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." 28 When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord." 29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it done to you." 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, "See that no one knows about it." 31 But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

8. Two Blind Men See • The blind men’s enthusiasm over their new sight could not be restrained; obedience to Jesus was not yet an established characteristic of their faith. But even so, their testimony shows the impossibility of stifling the incredibly good news of God’s work in Jesus. • There are messianic associations to Jesus’ miracles. According to the OT the coming messianic age would be a time of healing to the blind; interestingly, there are no records of a blind person being healed in OT. And Jesus sternly warned them, "See that no one knows about it." 31 But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.

9. Old Testament Promise • ESV Isaiah 35:4 Say to those who have an anxious heart, "Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you." 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;

10. Jesus Heals A Demonically Induced Mute • “mute” the Greek word can mean both deaf and/or mute; a person deaf from birth, of course, could not speak. • “And the crowds marveled” They missed the deeper dimension and power of Jesus’ miracles to change their own lives. • “He cast out demons by the prince of demons.” The Pharisees later make the same accusation: “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 12:24 They are then warned of the danger of such an accusation. They do not deny Jesus’ power, but question its source. ESV Matthew 9:32 ¶ As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. 33 And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, "Never was anything like this seen in Israel." 34 But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the prince of demons.“

11. Two Responses • Jesus was Israel’s Messiah, but a Messiah quite unlike anything they were expecting; he was so imbued with the power of God that he could even raise the dead. • The miracles of Jesus should have been seen as signs of God’s activity in Jesus’ ministry, but it only confirmed to others that another power or spirit was at work in Jesus. This is not the way God works! • Why could they not see that God was doing something unique in Israel through the word and work of Jesus? And how might we avoid the same pitfall? And the crowds marveled, saying, "Never was anything like this seen in Israel." 34 But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the prince of demons.“

12. Why the Miracles in Chapter 8-9? These miracle stories point to the power and authority of Jesus over nature, disease, illness, the spirit world, and even death. For those who could see, this was the age of fulfillment which the OT scriptures promised.