Lesson Nine (Chapter 9)
Healing, Forgiving, Teaching
“Your throne, O G-d, is forever and ever; a scepter [shebet] of righteousness [tzadak] is the scepter [shebet] of Your Kingdom. You love righteousness [tzadak] and hate wickedness; therefore G-d, Your G-d, has anointed [maschach] You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions. All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia, out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad.”
Isaiah 45:6-8
Introduction
- Last week we saw the first of the 10 miracles in chapters 8 and 9. We saw a clear connection between the state of tamei [fragmented, unclean] and Yeshua's purposefully healing.
- We saw that Yeshua's excursion into Gentile territory was not meant as an introduction of the Kingdom message to Gentiles – instead it appears to be some sort of “notice” to the powers of darkness that the Kingdom was at hand.
The Paralytic
- Matt 9:1-8: Healed, and sins forgiven. This is the point of this miracle.
- Forgiving sins was seen as usurping the authority of G-d.
- Lev 17:11; Heb 9:22: For all time, there has never been remission of sin without the shedding of blood.
- Gal 3:8; John 8:56-58: All the righteous of the ages have their sins atoned for in the same way: through faith, by the blood of the Eternal Lamb.
The “Sick” – Mercy and Not Sacrifice
- Matt 9:9-10: Was Yeshua saying that only the “sinners” were sick, or was He being ironic?
- Hosea 5:13-15: Ephraim and Judah (i.e. Israel) is sick, and does not know it. They depend upon others instead of G-d.
- G-d waits for their acknowledgement of their condition.
- Hosea 6:1-6: Healing for them.
- What was lacking? They did not acknowledge that they were in need of healing. They did not understand that they did not have relationship.
- Hosea 6:3: The key to understanding Yeshua's issue with some of the Pharisees: They needed to pursue “knowledge of HaShem” – i.e. they needed a relationship with G-d.
- From the account of the paralytic, was sacrifice needed? What was the meaning of the riddle: “I desire mercy and not sacrifice”?
Talmidim and Wineskins
- Matt 9:14-17: Question: why talmidim did not fast like John’s disciples? Answer: There is never to be fasting when with the Bridegroom. The parables that follow must always be remembered as part of the answer to the question.
- The 2 paired parables: Garment in need of patching; wineskins.
- Double parables are used to find connective parts, and to derive a single point.
- Garment(s), wineskins = talmidim [disciples]
- Patch, wine = teaching, approach to Scripture
- Old garment, old wineskins = those previously steeped in tradition etc.
- New garment, new wineskins = those not learned or trained by others.
- New wine = the Word, explained by the Author – old over time.
- Singular meaning = in time, these men would fast, and be seen as learned. For now, they were “clean slates” for the Master to write upon.
- Luke 5:39; Acts 4:13: The “old wine” is better – Torah lived out by those trained by the Master.
Healing in His Kanafot [Wings]
- Matt 9:20-22: Woman with flow of blood for 12 years, healed.
- Lev 15:25-31: She was tamei [fragmented, separated, unclean]. Excluded from the Tabernacle/Temple – and others.
- Touched the “hem”. The kanaf was the “hem” of the long over- garment now called a tallit.
- Num 15:37-39: Tzitzit [fringes] on the kanafot of their garments – the remind them of the commandments of G-d. Blue thread a picture of Messiah. The entire purpose of this outer garment was to hold the tzitzit. They were a visible reminder the wearer, and to each other, of G-d’s commands – to guard their eyes.
- Mal 4:2: Healing in His kanafot.
The Girl Who Was Dead
- Matt 9:18-26: The man asked Yeshua not only to come into his house, but to lay hands upon his dead daughter.
- Num 19:11-14: To enter the house made all who entered tamei for 7 days. Yeshua going with the man was quite an act of mercy and love for a Rabbi.
- Not only does He enter the house, he touches the girl.
- When do you think she was raised?
The 2 Blind Men, and the Demonized Mute
- Matt 9:27-31: Two Blind men – healed by Yeshua's touch. Called Him “Son of David”. Told not to tell anyone.
- 9:32-33: Cast out demon from a mute? Pharisees’ conclude that this must be something bad, since they are unfamiliar with it.
The “Gospel of the Kingdom”
- Matt 9:35-36: Yeshua was teaching, preaching, and healing.
- Motivated by compassion for them: they were like sheep without a shepherd (Jer 23:1-2).
- “Gospel of the Kingdom”. The Kingdom message: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”
- Ps 45:6-8: Out of the “Ivory palaces” – the King had come, with a scepter of righteousness – calling them to repent, and obey.
Summary
- Yeshua saw that the people were lost and confused. He challenged them to turn back to G-d’s ways – no matter what their “shepherds” did.
- Yeshua's message is the same for us: Repent. We must continue to live lives of repentance, because the King is to rule our lives now – and will physically return soon.