1548 | MattheW 9:9
The Calling of Matthew
9:9-13pp— Mk 2:14-17; Lk 5:27-32
9
As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Mat thew sit ting at the tax col lec tor’ s booth.“ Fol low me,” he told him, and Mat thew got up and fol lowed him.
10
While Jesus was hav ing din ner at Mat thew’ s house, many tax col lec tors and sin ners came and ate with him and his dis ci ples. 11 When the Phar i sees saw this, they asked his dis ci ples,“ Why does your teach er eat with tax col lec tors and sin ners?”
12
On hear ing this, Jesus said,“ It is not the healthy who need a doc tor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means:‘ I de sire mer cy, not sac ri fice.’ a For I have not come to call the righ teous, but sin ners.”
Jesus Questioned About Fasting
9:14-17pp— Mk 2:18-22; Lk 5:33-39
14
Then John’ s dis ci ples came and asked him,“ How is it that we and the Phar i sees fast of ten, but your dis ci ples do not fast?”
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Jesus an swered,“ How can the guests of the bride groom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bride groom will be tak en from them; then they will fast. a
13 Hosea 6:6
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“ No one sews a patch of un shrunk cloth on an old gar ment, for the patch will pull away from the gar ment, mak ing the tear worse. 17 Nei ther do peo ple pour new wine into old wine skins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wine skins will be ru ined. No, they pour new wine into new wine skins, and both are pre served.”
Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman
9:18-26pp— Mk 5:22-43; Lk 8:41-56
18
While he was say ing this, a syn a gogue lead er came and knelt be fore him and said,“ My daugh ter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his dis ci ples.
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Just then a wom an who had been sub ject to bleed ing for twelve years came up be hind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21 She said to her self,“ If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”
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Jesus turned and saw her.“ Take heart, daughter,” he said,“ your faith has healed you.” And the wom an was healed at that mo ment.
23
When Jesus en tered the syn a gogue lead er’ s
9:9 – 17 Jesus calls Matthew to be his disciple and responds to questions about the validity of his ministry.
9:9 tax collector’ s booth See 5:46 and note. Matthew This Gospel is attributed to Matthew, who is called Levi in other Gospel accounts( Mk 2:14; Lk 5:27). It was not uncommon for first-century Jews to have more than one name. 9:11 Pharisees See note on Jn 1:24. 9:12 the healthy Jesus’ answer might be a simple analogy. It also could reflect the cultural assumption that disease was associated with sin( compare Mt 8:16 – 17; 9:1 – 8). 9:13 go and learn A common formula used by rabbis to direct their followers toward a particular passage in the Scriptures. Jesus’ use of this formula might be a subtle jab at the Pharisees, who are not his disciples and represent the learned of Jewish society. Because they have failed to properly understand the spirit of the law, Jesus treats these experts as beginners. I desire mercy, not sacrifice Jesus is quoting Hos 6:6, which critiques Israel for focusing on the letter of the law while ignoring its spirit. God desires his people’ s faithfulness and steadfast love more than their ritual observances. the righteous Refers to people who are perceived as being righ teous. According to Jesus, true righ teous ness involves showing mercy toward outcasts. 9:14 John’ s disciples Refers to disciples of John the Baptist( Mt 3). fast John’ s disciples likely are referring to a voluntary practice of fasting twice a week as an act of religious piety( compare Lk 18:12). Jews fasted corporately on the Day of Atonement, and they fasted privately for various reasons. Jesus and his disciples likely would have participated in such fasting. 9:15 when the bridegroom will be taken Alludes to Jesus’ crucifixion. The bridegroom in the metaphor is Jesus, and the guests are his disciples.
9:16 unshrunk cloth Refers to new cloth that has not been washed or treated. 9:17 new wine Unfermented wine. wineskins Leather pouches used for storing wine. Old wineskins have already been stretched to capacity by the fermentation process. If unfermented wine is placed in these skins, the gases produced by fermentation can cause them to explode. Conversely, new skins have not been stretched and are slightly elastic. During fermentation, new skins expand to accommodate the pressure from the gases and do not burst. See the infographic“ A Winepress in Ancient Israel” on p. 1157.
9:18 – 26 Jesus has already displayed his authority over sickness, nature, evil spiritual powers and sin; now he demonstrates authority over death. All three Synoptic Gospels( Matthew, Mark, Luke) report this episode, and all three interrupt it with the report of Jesus healing a woman( compare Mk 5:21 – 43; Lk 8:40 – 56).
9:18 a synagogue leader Mark and Luke identify this man as Jairus, a synagogue official( Mk 5:22; Lk 8:41). 9:20 subject to bleeding for twelve years Depending on the nature of her ailment, the woman might have been ceremonially unclean during the entire 12-year span( see Lev 15:25 – 30). In this case, her condition was not only a physical problem, but a social and religious problem as well. Anyone who associated closely with her would have become unclean, too. 9:21 If I only touch his cloak She believed that even Jesus’ clothes contained some of his miraculous powers. 9:22 daughter A term of endearment( compare Mt 9:2). your faith has healed you Jesus often cites a person’ s faith as the impetus for healing( compare 8:13; 9:29; 15:28). 9:23 When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’ s house The narrative shifts back to the situation of