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The Bible describes Christians using the following words: sun, stars, lights, Mount Zion, Lebanon, treasure, jewels, gold, vessels of gold and silver, stones of a crown, lively stones, babes, little children, obedient children, members of a body, soldiers, runners in a race, wrestlers, good servants, strangers and pilgrims, sheep, lambs, caves of the stallions, eagles, doves, thirsty deer, good fish, dew and showers, watered gardens, unfailing springs, vines, branches of the vine, pomegranates, good figs, lilies, willows by the water-courses, trees planted by rivers, cedars in Lebanon, palm-trees, corn, wheat, salt, overcomers, children of God, those with white robes, brethren, and saints. These are not words that the world is using to describe Christians these days. Jesus warned us that such would occur. Just as angels rejoice when a person is saved, we have been told to rejoice when we suffer for Him! Suffering is part of this life for the Christian who is committed to following Jesus. That was the message that Jesus sent to His disciples before He sent them out on their first mission.

Background

In our last study, Jesus sent the disciples out in pairs to minister in the towns and villages of Galilee and Judea. They were to heal people and preach about the kingdom of God. They were to go with minimal supplies and depend upon God to meet their needs. I have wondered how Jesus would react to those today who do not want to minister for Him unless they are able to have at least a middle class income. Jesus and the disciples were not wealthy. Jesus’ disciples did not take very much with them. One would think that if they had little, surely God would have blessed them and their ministry by giving them a great response. Jesus also warned them that their message would be rejected and that they would be persecuted and insulted. It is difficult sometimes when strangers reject the good news about Jesus; but when family members reject us, that is even worse. Yet Jesus warned His disciples that even family members would reject them. Under circumstances like that, who would want to follow Jesus? Yet, the disciples did. That is a mark of a true disciple.

Yet, Jesus was not encouraging them to seek persecution or to remain if they encountered any. They were told to flee or escape if persecution occurred. Jesus encouraged them to flee, if possible. That was clear. There is no virtue in suffering for Jesus when one can escape it. It is stupid to remain and intentionally suffer.

Not Above The Teacher

This study is a continuation of the last one. This is part two. Having warned them that persecution would come, Jesus now tells them that they should always expect to suffer for Him. Why would they think otherwise? Listen to Jesus,

A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household! Matthew 10:24-25 (NASB)

Jesus’ illustration is simple. It is about one person who has a lesser position than another person such as the disciple and teacher relationship. The disciple or learner does not know more than the teacher. It is in that sense that one is in a lesser position. One knows less and the other knows more. We all understand that the disciple is not above the teacher in that sense. In the teaching process, the goal of the disciple or student is to learn what the teacher knows. That is, it is “enough” for the disciple or student to become like the teacher. The Greek word that Jesus uses for “enough” is arketos. It means “sufficient” or “satisfaction.” That is, it is sufficient when the disciple knows what the teacher knows. That is the goal of education.

Then Jesus added, “If they called Me a devil, why not you?” Since the disciple is not above the teacher, why should the disciple expect to be treated better? One would expect that the teacher would receive honors and recognition for his knowledge and what he advocates but not the student. So if the teacher is maligned, insulted, and called a devil, why should the student expect to be treated better? The answer is obvious. The disciple should not expect better treatment.

Even though Christians are called many beautiful names in the scriptures, a true disciple will suffer in this life when he or she follows God. One sign or indicator that people are following God is that they will suffer. Many in the world do not consider Christians to be beautiful. Instead the world views us as problems. The same was true of Jesus and His disciples.

How did the disciples respond to Jesus’ words? It appears that they responded with fear since Jesus encouraged them not to be fearful. It is possible that Jesus just anticipated the obvious response. But if I had been there and listening, I believe that I would have been very concerned and apprehensive. So Jesus said,

Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Matthew 10:26 (NASB)

Jesus will repeat “do not fear” again in verses 28 and 31. He encouraged them not to fear criticism and false accusations. The Pharisees had already slandered Him and committed the unpardonable sin by declaring that Jesus’ miracles, signs, and wonders were performed by demonic power. They had called Jesus a devil. Believers should not fear the false accusations, because the truth will eventually be revealed. The motives and lies of their accusers will become known eventually.

We should have great concern only about criticisms that are justified. Our true reputation will eventually become known. Some of us are slandered in the Christian community and within the church unfairly. For some the truth may not become known until they stand before the throne of God, but it will become known.

The Cure For Fear

Then Jesus encouraged them to be aggressive. Instead of being fearful, they should shout the truth about the kingdom and about Jesus from the mountain top.

What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. Matthew 10:27 (NASB)

Nothing spoken in secret was to be hidden. What they heard from Jesus in a whisper or in the darkness, they were to declare to the world from the roofs of buildings. Instead of being fearful, they were to be bold.

Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:28 (NASB)

Proverbs 29:25 and Ephesians 6:6 echo Jesus’ statements,

The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. Proverbs 29:25 (NASB)

. . . not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers . . . Ephesians 6:6 (NASB)

We should not fear men, but God. That is the message. Jesus’ point is that the cure for fear is to trust God and be aggressively bold. Yes, persecution will follow, but it will come anyway if we are true disciples. Our problem is that we seek the approval of others more than the approval of God. We must remember that God cares for us and loves us!

Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31 (NASB)

When we decided to believe in Him, we started following Him. We entered a spiritual war zone. Now we must fight or be defeated. What else should we expect when light and darkness collide? Christians are children of the Light. He called us to follow Him. He knows that we will be persecuted. We should expect to suffer. We should not fear nor be surprised when it comes.

Penalty of Denial

Some will flee persecution by denying Him. So Jesus added this,

Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 10:32-33 (NASB)

The point of this verse is that if we tell others about Him, Jesus will talk about us before God the Father; otherwise, He will not. Why should we expect to be treated any better? If we deny Him, then He will deny us. The Greek word translated as “deny” has the sense or meaning of “disowning, or renouncing.” 1 John 2:23 tells us that those who deny Jesus actually never belonged to Him. They were never Christians.

Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. 1 John 2:23 (NASB)

The ones who speak about Jesus are the true Christians.

Today, some Christians do not out and out reject Jesus; they just never talk about Him. They are afraid or indifferent. Lifestyle evangelism has been encouraged by many over the years. Those who teach that Christians should practice lifestyle evangelism say a believer’s life captures the attention of non-Christians and leads them to Jesus Christ. They believe that we do not need to say anything about God to a person until that person asks about our life and our faith. They say we should “carefully” present Jesus Christ to them. But lifestyle evangelism has weaknesses. In fact, lifestyle evangelism is contrary to Jesus’ teachings in this passage. Instead of being quiet, we are supposed to shout from the house tops and tell others about what we have heard. In fact, those who continually refuse to confront the world or tell others about Jesus may not belong to God at all (1 John 2:15-16).

Do you think that evangelism should avoid all and every form of conflict and tension? If so, listen to Jesus’ next words,

Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. Matthew 10:34-36 (NASB)

As we have already seen, conflict and tension were common throughout Jesus’ ministry. Jesus’ point is that if the teacher encountered conflict, tension, insults, and rejection, why should a follower think that he or she should escape? Jesus expects you to tell others about Him. He knows that conflict will come to the faithful believer who engages the world. He sends us into the world knowing that conflict will occur. Jesus did not come to bring peace. Some families will be divided. The question is, “Are you following Jesus?”

He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. Matthew 10:37 (NASB)

Take Up Your Cross

Jesus expects us to be willing to deny ourselves and to be willing to suffer for Him. That is the message in Jesus’ next statement.

And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 10:38-39 (NASB)

One who takes up Jesus’ cross may encounter suffering, insult, persecution, self-denial, self-abandonment, and death for Him. One who takes up the cross is one who is intentionally willing to yield his entire being to Jesus. It is the ultimate in willing, sacrificial service for Jesus. Jesus is looking for those who will call Him Master and prove He is their Master by their lives. Are you willing to shout from the housetop to the world declaring the good news about Jesus? Is Jesus truly your Lord and Master? Or, are Jesus’ words just nice thoughts?

I imagine that the disciples were thinking after hearing these statements that if after being bold and suffering, many people responded positively, that Jesus would praise them for their faithful ministry. But Jesus surprised them when He said that those who responded to them had actually responded positively to Him and to God the Father,

He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. . . Matthew 10:40 (NASB)

It is a warning not to seek the praise and a following from those to whom we minister. The point is that God has given us the joy of sharing in His work. We are His messengers and He allows us to share in the results.

Conclusion

Jesus’ words have been very serious. He calls us to tell others about Himself. He calls us to serve Him without expecting to be rich or famous. He expects us to tell our families, friends, and strangers about Himself. He knows that we will suffer in a variety of ways. He encourages us not to be afraid by trusting Him and being bold. If necessary, we should be willing to die as He did. My friend, the days are coming when persecution will become worse. Jesus encouraged the disciples and He encourages us by promising rewards,

He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever in the name of a disciple gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward. Matthew 10:41-42 (NASB)

Jesus refers to three situations: helping a prophet, helping a righteous man, and helping a “little one.” In each case, Jesus promises a different reward for different conduct. This suggests that God has different rewards for many different things that we do, including the ministry of His Word to others. Anything that we do for another will be returned to us in some form of reward.

God is not an ogre who does not care about His own. He will reward us for the faithful service which He has asked of us.

Thus did Jesus teach that every kind of dedicated action is blessed by His Father, and no sacrifice for Him will ever be made in vain. At the conclusion of a life for service would come “pay day,” when the Lord’s servants would be rewarded for their consecrated efforts. These promises would be a great incentive to serve faithfully, but there is reason to believe that the greatest motivating power in the lives of everyone was not the promise of future rewards, but their overwhelming love for the Master who had commissioned them to minster for Him. Every true servant will gladly exclaim, “If He rewards me, that will be wonderful; if He does not, I’ll do it anyway – just for His sake.”¹

References:

1. Ivor Powell. Matthew’s Majestic Gospel. Kregel Publications. 1986. p. 204., modified

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After Jesus was rejected at Nazareth, He started on a tour of the cities and villages in the region of Galilee. It had been Jesus’ pattern from the beginning of His ministry to teach, preach, and heal, raise the dead, and cast out demons everywhere He went. His typical pattern had been to enter a synagogue on Sunday, proclaim the good news about the kingdom, and then heal. Sometimes the people responded; on other occasions they objected to His ministry. We do not read about the people singing or giving money prior to His messages. We do not read about Jesus giving a prayer prior to speaking or healing. The gospels and the secular records say nothing, except that He healed and preached. Whatever else Jesus may have done as part of His ministry, it is clear that the Holy Spirit considered it to be of less importance. This is a significant contrast to the typical Christian worship service today. Jesus’ emphasis was on the teaching of scripture and healing. Everything else was secondary.

Touring The Region

Our study (Matthew 9:35-38) begins with Matthew’s summarizing Jesus’ actions,

Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness. Matthew 9:35 (NASB)

As we have already said in addition to preaching, Jesus healed the people of every kind of disease and sickness. The Greek word for “disease” refers to the causes of disease: bacteria, viruses, or hereditary abnormalities. The Greek word for “sickness” refers to the side effects of the diseases, such as fever, fatigue, or sinus problems. Together we understand that when Jesus cared for a person, He took care of the entire person. He healed everything!

Jesus cared for the entire person – the spiritual and physical. The next verse in Matthew reveals that Jesus had a shepherd’s heart for the people.

Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9:36 (NASB)

Here we are told that the people were distressed and “dispirited.” The Greek word for “dispirited” has the idea of “put down.” That is the people were discouraged, distressed, disheartened, and disappointed. Yes, the people had religious leaders, such as the Pharisees and Sadducees, but they were not good shepherds. If we look at the Old Testament, we discover that God had rejected many of the Jewish priests and so called prophets who had lived before them. Most of the priests and prophets were either serving themselves or seeking the approval of the people. Here is our first statement from God in Jeremiah,

The priests did not say, ‘Where is the LORD?’ and those who handle the law did not know Me . . . Jeremiah 2:8 (NASB)

God declares that the Old Testament priests did not know Him and did not know the scriptures about which they so confidently spoke. Just imagine someone “speaking for the Lord” and being uniformed about the passage they were teaching. Unfortunately, this often occurs today!

Then only three chapters later, God adds this rebuke to the prophets and the priests,

An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule on their own authority; and My people love it so! Jeremiah 5:30-31 (NASB)

This is an incredible statement. The so-called prophets were lying to the people and pretending that God had spoken to them. The priests were acting like benevolent dictators or “lording it over the people,” and everyone liked it. What a rebuke! What does it reveal about the people? Both the religious leaders and the people in the congregation were wrong – all of them!

Then eighteen chapters later God adds another to His charges against them,

“For both prophet and priest are polluted; even in My house I have found their wickedness,” declares the LORD. Jeremiah 23:11 (NASB)

Here we discover that the religious leaders were in sin, and they were sinning in God’s house. Today we would say that they sinned in the church.

Later in Malachi, God says that the priests did not teach the truth,

For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by the instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi,” says the LORD of hosts. Malachi 2:7-8 (NASB)

They did not attempt to teach God’s truth. They used the scriptures for their own purposes. They were supposed to warn the people to stop sinning, but they didn’t. They were to teach about the whole character of God and not just a one-sided picture of God. Today some only teach that “God is love” and not much else. The goal as preachers is not to reform society, to rebuke the people for offensive conduct, to attempt to transform the leadership team, nor to exclusively encourage the people. God’s purpose for His priests and shepherds was to call attention to the people’s sin and to teach what God has said in the scriptures.

What a picture! These “spiritual leaders” were not godly shepherds nor men who were close to God. They were in the ministry for themselves. So when the Holy Spirit says that the people were like sheep without a shepherd, this was not new. It had been this way for a long time, and the Pharisees and Sadducees were only continuing the practice. But Jesus taught the truth. Jesus was holy. Jesus was a godly shepherd since He was God Himself. Jesus healed the people. He had compassion for the people. Ultimately, because He taught the truth, the religious leaders wanted to murder Him.

Cry Of His Heart

The next two verses give us a another view of Jesus’ heart,

Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38 (NASB)

This is a strong passage. We understand that the harvest is great, but is it obvious that the harvest is enormous and the number of workers is exceedingly small? We have seen Jesus’ compassion in His actions. Now we can hear Jesus’ compassion for the people. We hear the need.

Jesus encourages us to “beseech” God the Father to send out workers. The actual meaning of the Greek word that is translated as “beseech” may surprise you. It actually has the idea of “pleading, begging, or ‘Please Lord'” And the Greek word translated as “send out” workers has the idea of “force out” or “drive out.” It is the same word that has been used for casting our demons. Taken together, we discover that Jesus encouraged the disciples to plead with God the Father to force workers out into the harvest. I do not know about you, but is it hard to pray this prayer without feeling obligated to go out into the harvest yourself! How does one plead with God to send workers and not feel obligated to go?

Our Responsibility

Are you ready to go? Why do you or I need to go? The answer is given to us in the following passage.

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Romans 10:17 (NASB)

Since one must believe and accept Jesus as Lord, Savior and God in order to be forgiven and find peace with God, workers are needed to communicate the truth of the Bible. That is, one must hear and be told the truth before one can believe or have faith.

After a person has spoken the truth, then the Word of God has been unleashed to perform its work. The apostle Paul tells us under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit the words contained in the Bible are the words of God. Once they are spoken, they will perform a work in the mind and heart of the hearer.

For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NASB)

God has called the workers of the harvest to plant and water. We are not responsible for the result. We are only responsible for planting and watering.

I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 (NASB)

God the Father through the Holy Spirit causes the growth. We are “planters” and “waterers.” God produces the result. It is our responsibility to share the Word of God.

Here are four key verses that we can give someone. Or, put another way, use these verses to plant and water,

. . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God . . . Romans 3:23 (NASB)

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NASB)

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NASB)

And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12 (NASB)

The first two passages tell us that each of us has sinned and deserves spiritual death, We have offended God by our evil behavior. As a result, we stand as sinners before a holy God. The message is difficult, but it is the truth. It is God’s message! He wants all to know. We can tell others lovingly or with indifference. Let’s tell them with love.

The second and third passages reveal that our sins will be forgiven if we believe in Jesus Christ and accept His death on the cross as payment for the penalty required by God for our sins. We must believe that He is God, our Savior and Lord. To the ancient Jews, to believe “in someone” implied that one believed everything about them. Since Jesus was God, the Messiah, our Savior, and our Lord, one who believes in Jesus believes that He was all of these. True faith will willingly submit to Him.

The last verse reveals that there is no other God who can forgive sins, only Jesus Christ. In fact, there is no other God, according to the God of the Bible.

And there is no other God besides Me,
A righteous God and a Savior;
There is none except Me. Isaiah 45:21b (NASB)

This means that there is only one God – Jesus Christ. Are you willing to plant and water?

Conclusion

On occasions, God allows us to see some of the fruit of our labors – some of the fruit of our planting and watering. There is no greater joy than to know that God has used us in some special way. On occasions, God allows me to see some of the fruit of my labors. For example, within the past year a woman sent the following note to NeverThirsty.org,

I would like to thank you for this lesson. I truly enjoyed it. I would greatly appreciate further lessons sent to me, for my heart’s desire is to grow in my relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. About the lesson, I used to be rocky soil. But praise God, I now am good soil.

It was a blessing. Such notes only come on occasion as God chooses. Sometimes, we also receive negative comments. On such occasions we praise God for the opportunity to suffer insults and rebukes for Him. God has asked us to present the good news about Jesus Christ even though some do not believe that it is good news.

God wants us to boldly plant and water. The following is a great example of a bold follower of Jesus. It is a true life story,

Jack Cooper in Dallas is an ophthalmologist. Instead of the trite “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country” flip chart [that is] standard for eye examinations, he made one that says, “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life:” He would do his cataract surgery, giving his patients eyesight again. Then when they would come in for a checkup, he would say, “Let’s see how you’re doing.” He would have them read, “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life:’ “Wow! I can read! ‘God loves me and has a wonderful plan for my … What does this mean?”¹

Then the doctor had the privilege and opportunity to share the good news about Jesus Christ.

I would encourage you to plead with God the Father to force workers out into the Harvest. Are you willing to be one of those who will plant and water?

References:

1. Howard G. Hendricks. Say It with Love.

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The life of Christ is painted differently in each of the four gospels. The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are arranged differently and each contains some material that is unique to the individual book. For example, the gospel of Luke is chronological (Luke 1:3-4), but the gospel of Matthew is arranged topically. By comparing Matthew to Luke and Mark, we discover that Matthew has grouped most of the events in a different order so that he could paint a unique picture of Jesus as the Messiah (Matthew 1:1). Forty-two percent of Matthew is unique and cannot be found in the other three books. The material that is unique to Mark, Luke, and John is 7 percent, 59 percent, and 92 percent, respectively. Any study of the life of Christ that focuses on only one book will miss a lot of information from the other gospels. Therefore, in this study series of the Life of Christ, we are harmonizing all of the gospels. That is, we are putting all of the accounts from the four gospels in chronological order so that we can gain a better understanding of the life of Christ. For example, in Matthew 12:22-45, we discovered that the Pharisees had accused Jesus of performing miracles and wonders by demonic power. In response, Jesus had warned them not to commit the unpardonable sin. Now if we reorder the accounts in Matthew, we discover that Matthew 9:27-34 actually occurs chronologically after Matthew 12:22-45 even though it appears earlier in the book. This is an important point. That is, Matthew 12:22-45 has already occurred before this study which is about Matthew 9:27-34.

Background

When the Pharisees had blasphemed claiming that Jesus was not performing His miracles and wonders by the Holy Spirit, Jesus rebuked them and warned them of the consequences. Later Jesus surprised the crowd by telling them that anyone who does the will of God is His mother, brother, or sister (Matthew 12:46-50). Jesus’ point was that those who are in opposition do not belong to God’s family. Those who believe will honor, respect, obey, and follow God. Then Jesus shared the kingdom parables (Matthew 13). After escaping the crowds, He calmed a sea storm in order to rescue the disciples (Matthew 8:23-27). Next, Jesus expelled “legions” of demons from two men (Matthew 8:28-34), healed a woman with a flow of blood, and raised Jairus’ daughter (Matthew 9:18-26).

The parables explained the reason for the conflict with the religious leaders and the promise of an eternal future with God. Calming the sea proved that Jesus was God to His disciples, and the demons echoed that truth by calling Him the “Son of God.” When the woman with the flow of blood was healed, we discovered that power would flow from Him in the process of healing; and when Jesus raised the dead, it proved He was more than a mortal man. Now we will discover another claim that is unique to the gospel of Matthew.

On the pulpit of a great church, the Church of the Open Door, formerly located in downtown Los Angeles, California in the United States of America, there was a sign in the pulpit that preachers of the Christian faith saw when they approached to preach. The sign read, “Sir, we would see Jesus.” The message was that the congregation was not interested in “seeing” the speaker, nor were they interested in just an intellectual study of the Bible. That is also the goal of our studies. So far, we have seen Jesus in our studies. We have discovered God. He came and walked among us for a brief period of time. His name was Jesus and His actions proved His deity. This study is another glimpse of His majesty, grace, and power, and it occurred in the ancient city of Capernaum.

Two Blind Men

This study begins in the gospel of Matthew after Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead and left his home. We are told that two blind men started following Jesus when He left the house.

As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” Matthew 9:27 (NASB)

These men called Jesus “Son of David.” The expression was a Jewish term which referred to the Messiah. Earlier, Jesus had declared that He was the Messiah to the woman at the well.

The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.” John 4:25-26 (NASB)

The same message was communicated in a synagogue in Nazareth on a Sabbath morning (Luke 4:16-22). On that occasion, the people became angry because they did not believe Jesus was the Messiah. Jesus had quoted Isaiah 6:2, a passage that spoke of the Messiah, and then told them that He was the fulfillment of that prophecy. Isaiah 35:5-6 also described the Messiah,

Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. Isaiah 35:5-6 (NASB)

Jesus had quoted this passage to John the Baptist’s disciples as proof that He was the promised one – the Messiah (Matthew 11:5). Somehow these two blind men had discovered, knew, and believed that Jesus was their Messiah. They believed because of the testimony of others!

But how did these men find Jesus? We do not know. Were they brought by others to Jesus? If you were blind, how would you have found Jesus? How would you have felt? If you were blind how would you know which direction to move in order to find Jesus? The answer is obvious. You would not know which way to move, except by listening or having someone guiding you. When they heard that Jesus had passed by them, they started following and shouting loudly, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” The Greek phrase translated as “crying out” starts with krazo. It means “to cry out loudly.” That is, they were shouting in order to be heard above the noise of the crowd. But Jesus did not stop. He kept on walking. Why did Jesus not stop? We will discover in the next verse that apparently He wanted to heal the men in a more private setting and wanted them to follow.

The Healing

When Jesus reached the house of Peter, the two blind men walked in after Him. Then Jesus stopped and asked them a question.

When He entered the house, the blind men came up to Him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Matthew 9:28 (NASB)

His question was simple and the men’s response was simple, “Yes!” They believed that Jesus could heal them. These men may have been physically blind, but they had great spiritual sight. They knew that He was the Messiah and they believed He could heal them. So they came!

Then He touched their eyes, saying, “It shall be done to you according to your faith.” Matthew 9:29 (NASB)

Some have taught that faith is required in order to be healed. But as we discovered in the last study, Jesus healed on occasions when people were dead or demon-possessed. Dead people do not have faith, and demon possessed people do not have faith. Jesus healed many times when faith was not required. But those who came to Him for healing would have had at least some faith, or they would not have come to Him. Why would anyone come if he or she did not believe He could heal?

If we review every passage in the gospels that refers to healing, we find an amazing truth. First, eighty-six percent of all passages that refer to faith in conjunction with healing, refer to people who have already come to faith in Jesus. That is, they were believers in Jesus Christ. Here are a few obvious examples,

And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” Matthew 9:2 (NASB)

And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” Luke 7:50 (NASB)

Many times the passages reveal that the one being healed already believed in Him, because he or she called Jesus the “Son of David.” They believed that He was the Messiah (Matthew 9:27-29; Mark 10:48, 52) and healing followed.

Maybe one of the clearest examples is the time that Jesus healed ten lepers. Even though all ten lepers were healed, only one remained to thank Jesus. Now consider what Jesus said to him,

Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.” Luke 17:17-19 (NASB)

Why is this man unique? If he is unique because he believed in Jesus, then why were the other men healed? It is obvious that the other nine men believed that Jesus could heal them or they would not have sought Him. They asked Jesus to heal them because they believed He could. In that sense, their faith enabled them to be healed.

In the remaining fourteen percent of the references to faith and healing, Jesus simply referred to the fact that they had faith or that they believed. There is no clear evidence that faith or belief was the activating ingredient for their healing (Matthew 8:10; Luke 7:9).

In fact, God wants every Christian to believe in Him and to live by faith (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38). God expects us to trust confidently Him for the things that we request (Mark 11:24; James 1:5-6). Faith is expected when we ask God for anything. If we are not sure He can answer our request, then we should not ask. Why ask if we are not sure He can fulfill our request? Yet, we cannot expect that He will grant our every wish. We must not forget the following passage which the Holy Spirit wrote,

This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. 1 John 5:14-15 (NASB)

Our requests may not be according to His will and sometimes we may ask with wrong motives (James 4:2-3). So sometimes His answer to our prayer is, “No!”

Eyes Opened

After Jesus touched the eyes of these two blind men, they could see.

And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them: “See that no one knows about this!” Matthew 9:30 (NASB)

The ancient writer Hillary wrote these insightful words,

The blind men saw because they believed; they did not believe because they saw.¹

It is amazing that Jesus told them not to tell others. Surely, Jesus knew that people would discover that the men were no longer blind. We will discover in the next two verses that people were already present. So why did Jesus ask them not to talk about the healing? It appears that Jesus did not want these people to conclude that He was the Messiah yet. Eventually, the healing would become known. But the two men did not cooperate. They told everyone anyway.

But they went out and spread the news about Him throughout all that land. Matthew 9:31 (NASB)

Another Demon Expelled

As soon as the two men left, a demon-possessed man was brought to Jesus.

As they were going out, a mute, demon-possessed man was brought to Him.” Matthew 9:32 (NASB)

The New American Standard Bible  says that the man was “mute,” but the Greek word for “mute” is kophos. It can actually mean “mute” or “deaf” and sometimes it referred to both at the same time. Therefore, it is very possible that the man was both deaf and mute. The next verse implies that at least he was not able to speak. Then Jesus healed him.

After the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke; and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” Matthew 9:33 (NASB)

The crowd could not believe what they had witnessed. They had never seen anything like this before in Israel. The Greek actually says, “Never!”

Second Blasphemous Rejection

Now we discover that some religious leaders are present. They had been there all the time, listening and watching. Previously the Pharisees had accused Jesus of performing miracles by demonic power (Matthew 12:22-45). But after seeing this miracle and hearing the response of the crowd, they did it again.

But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons.” Matthew 9:34 (NASB)

This is just an incredible response after Jesus had just recently cast out “legions” of demons, raised the dead, healed two blind men and now this demon-possessed man. The religious leaders did not deny that Jesus did the miracles; they just had another explanation. They twisted the facts in an attempt to keep the people from following Jesus as the Messiah. They were religious politicians without integrity. They did not care about the truth, because they were jealous of Jesus (Matthew 27:18; Mark 15:10). Envy may be one of the most common problems in the church today.

When the people started responding, and as Jesus’ popularity increased, the religious leaders “went to war” against Jesus. They slandered His character repeatedly. A dear friend commented once that every time he asked a certain layman in the church to preach, he found jealously in his heart toward that individual. He said that he would worry about what others thought of the man’s speaking ability and compare the layman’s ability to his own. It was always a humbling experience for the pastor. My friend responded with integrity and honored the Lord by realizing that God has uniquely gifted all of us for the benefit of Christians.

But the Jewish religious leaders did not respond that way. Because of their envy they forcefully confronted Jesus on numerous occasions and if necessary would lie about Him. Their goal was to ruin Jesus’ reputation and cast doubt on His credibility. Ultimately, they had Him murdered.

Conclusion

The goal in the Christian life is to give honor to every believer. God has given each believer to the body of Christ for a purpose – to edify others (1 Corinthians 12:12-25). The goal of edification is to make us spiritually mature (Ephesians 4:11-16; Colossians 1:28). In Hebrews 10:24-25 we are told that we need to provoke one another to love and good deeds. We are to be models of godliness and spiritual maturity so that others will know how to become fathers in the faith (Hebrews 6:11-12; 13:7; 1 John 2:12-14). That is, there is no place for envy within the church.

Besides, envy is a sin and it displeases God. If the Pharisees had been spiritually mature, they would have supported Jesus and given Him honor. But they did not do that, and the result is recorded in the passages of the Bible and in the documents of ancient writers. They killed Him! Unfortunately, today some followers of Jesus Christ are being slandered and “killed” in a figurative sense. But God has called us to be men and women of peace. The true test of a man or woman of God is his or her willingness to allow another believer whom God is clearly blessing to take his or her ministry.

Ron Dunn tells a story about a woman who had been teaching an adult Sunday School class for many years. In his illustration he states that the leaders of the church had decided that it is time for another person to begin teaching the class. But when the woman was told that she would no longer be teaching, she was extremely disappointed. Her inner attitude was wrong. Then Ron made the point that her response revealed whom she was really serving – herself. She was more concerned about herself than the need to disciple and train another Bible teacher. In the same way, God has called us to train or disciple other men and women to carry on the ministry. Envy should never be a problem in the Christian life. Our goal should be to make disciples for the glory of the Lord.

References:

1. Hilary of Potiers. On Matthew.

Comments or Questions?