Matthew 9:1-8 Exegetical the Gospel of Matthew

¶ … Matthew 9:1-8 Exegetical

The Gospel of Matthew is often called the most 'Jewish' of the Gospels, because it begins with noting Jesus' connection to the Davidic line of kings. This connection is used as a testimony to Jesus' spiritual authority and leadership. The Gospel presents Jesus as a fulfillment of Davidic prophesy. While all of the Gospels contain this theme to some degree, in Matthew it is particularly manifest. As exemplified in the Sermon on the Mount, one of the most notable features of the Gospel, Matthew is a document that often features Jesus as a preacher and a teacher, or a 'rabbi,' above all else. "We also assume that the evangelist [Matthew] is a Jewish-Christian. And his community, while certainly including a Gentile presence and engaging in a Gentile mission, is predominantly Jewish-Christian. That community seems to stand within the broader Jewish community despite a bitter polemic with the parent group" (Deutsch 1990: 14). Those who deny Jesus are seen as betraying the essential nature of the Jewish Messiah. There is no suggestion that Jesus is beginning a new faith or a new ministry, and the stress is upon disagreements between Jewish community members.

The Gospel of Matthew is heavily dependent upon the earlier Gospel of Mark as an original source, in terms of how it structures its narrative. "Matthew absorbs not only the plot and structure of Mark, but also its basic theological concerns, such as the rejection of Jesus in Israel, the mission to the Gentiles, the cross, and the role of suffering in discipleship. Matthew's Gospel is also a transformation of Mark's Gospel" in which Jesus as the personification of the greatest aspects of Jewish history is at the forefront (Luz: 2004: 125). The themes of the redemption of the spirit and how Jesus' miracles are used to exemplify higher spiritual truth as well as evidence of Jesus' role on earth are exemplified in one incident in Matthew 9:1-8, in which Jesus heals a paralyzed man.

In the Gospel, Jesus is often presented as a teacher, giving instruction and disseminating wisdom to his disciples and followers, some of whom understand him, others of whom do not. In the story of the paralyzed man, Jesus uses the incident to teach about the fact that honoring the spirit is more important and more difficult than honoring the flesh. Jesus first forgives the paralyzed man his sins; then he tells him to rise and walk. "For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" -- he then said to the paralytic -- 'Rise, pick up your bed and go home.' And he rose and went home" (Matthew 9:5-8).

In this passage, Jesus acts as a healer, accomplishing a medical miracle. But he stresses that what is miraculous is the ability to absolve sins, not the ability to change the material world. The language Jesus uses suggests that however real and however remarkable the miracle of enabling the paralytic to walk may be, those who truly understand his ministry will marvel at the fact that their sins can be forgiven, not that the transient, material, corporal body can be temporarily redeemed from paralysis. The flesh is finite, but the spirit is eternal, and just as Jesus dies in the flesh but is resurrected once again, the human soul is eternal as well, provided people believe in Christ. Jesus calls himself by many appellations over the course of the Gospels, but in this instance Jesus specifically uses the phrase 'Son of Man' to underline his connection to humanity.

This healing miracle changes the material world as a method of teaching, not as a way of showing the greatness of Jesus. However, what is interesting is that it is Jesus' statement that he forgives the sins of the man, and that he has the ability to forgive sins in general that draws the ire of others in Jesus' community. "Matthew did not picture his community as a part of the universal church, which is to face the last judgment at the end of time. Instead, he understood himself to be a member of a devoted group of Jesus' followers opposed to the hostile Jewish parent group" installed in power at that time (Luomanen 1998: 478). "And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, 'This man is blaspheming.' But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, 'Why do you think evil in your hearts?'" (Matthew 9: 3-4).

Given Jesus' language when he says "or which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'?" It might be assumed that he was honored as a great healer (Matthew 9:5). But Jesus wanted to make those witnessing the act to understand what the healing meant, that it was not merely a parlor trick like turning water into wine, but that it was imbued with great spiritual significance. The incident in Matthew becomes a dramatization of Jesus' assertion of his authority to forgive sins, and also the anger and jealousy of those persons who deny his capacity to do so. This once again underlines the 'Jewish' nature of the Gospel of Matthew, as the healing of the paralytic becomes a proving-ground of Jesus' core identity, and the battle between Jesus and other members of his faith.

Healing is a very important theme in all of Jesus' miracles (the resurrection of Lazarus being the most famous." "There are twenty-eight miracles recorded in the first gospel. Of these, eight are general statements of healing and twenty are specific stories of miracles. Of these, six are 'nature' miracles and fourteen are accounts of healing" (Baxter 2004: 38). Israel is portrayed as needing a new shepherd, guide, and healer, and the fact that Jesus can heal confirms Jesus as the Son of David as well as the Son of God and thus capable of healing the spiritual sins of his people. "After the birth and infancy narratives which first establish Jesus as the royal Son of David, the [Davidic] title does not appear again until the so called 'miracle' (Baxter 2004: 29). The Son of David is the healer of Israel, healing which is manifested in Jesus' healing of the bodies of the sick and the body politic of Israel. Jesus also assumes the role of the Son of God who can heal the spiritual sins of all human beings. The Gospel of Matthew makes the case that Jesus can wear both mantles simultaneously, that he is not the Son only of God but also of the Holy line of Israel: "Son of David is David's Lord because of his unique relationship to God (which has already been delineated by the Evangelist): Christ is also the Son of God: (Baxter 2004: 41).