Matthew 9:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven."

NIV: Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven."

NASB: And they brought to Him a paralyzed man lying on a stretcher. And seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man who was paralyzed, 'Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.'

CSB: Just then some men brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. Seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, "Have courage, son, your sins are forgiven."

NLT: Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, 'Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.'

KJV: And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

NKJV: Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”

Here, again, Jesus reveals how deeply He cares about the trusting belief of those who come to Him for help. He is impressed by the faith of the people who brought their paralyzed friend. We know from Mark (Mark 2:1–12) and Luke (Luke 5:17–26) that these friends went to extremes to get the man in front of Jesus. The house Jesus was in was packed with people listening to Him teach. The friends climbed up on the house, removed some of the roof, and lowered their friend, still on his bed, down through the hole to put him in front of Jesus (Mark 2:4).

Jesus, responding to their faith, tells the man to "take heart." This is from the Greek root term tharseō, the same word used when Jesus reassured the disciples as He walked on water (Mark 6:50) and when encouraging believers to endure under persecution (John 16:33). The reason for this remark is probably related to the next thing Jesus mentions: the man's sins.

This is unusual among all the reports of Jesus' healings. Instead of healing the man immediately, Jesus first addresses his sin. That suggests that in this case, the man's physical condition was connected to his personal sinful choices. Christ's suggestion that the man "take heart" might have been a way of addressing his shame or embarrassment. Of course, sin is not the immediate cause of every injury or illness (John 9:1–3). This time, though, Jesus recognized the man's sin as a more urgent need than his paralysis.

As expected, this statement is met with controversy from the local religious leaders.

Matthew 9:1–8 finds Jesus teaching in a crowded house. The friends of a paralyzed man bring him to see Jesus. The gospel of Mark indicates that the crowd is massive, so the men make a hole in the roof and lower him down on his bed (Mark 2:3–4). Jesus tells the man his sins are forgiven. Some scribes in the room call this blasphemy. Jesus, though, demonstrates that He has the authority on earth to forgive sins by showing that He has the authority to tell the paralyzed man to stand up and walk home. The man does exactly that.

Matthew 9 continues to show how Jesus authenticated His claims to be the Messiah by powerful miracles of healing and casting out demons. He heals a paralyzed man after telling the man his sins are forgiven. He calls Matthew to follow Him and eats dinner with Matthew and other tax collectors. He answers questions from Pharisees and others. A woman who touches His cloak is healed from a 12–year illness, and Jesus raises a dead girl back to life. He restores sight to blind men and speech to one who is demon oppressed. He is filled with compassion for the crowds.

Matthew 9 follows the same pattern of Matthew 8, showing through miraculous works of healing that Jesus is truly the Messiah. Christ forgives the sins of a paralyzed man and heals him. He calls Matthew to follow Him and eats with tax collectors and sinners. A woman is healed by touching His garment and a dead girl is given life by the touch of His hand. Two blind men see, and Jesus casts out a demon, restoring speech to its victim. Finally, Jesus declares that the harvest is plentiful and tells His followers to pray for workers. Chapter 10 builds on this compassion as Jesus commissions the Twelve to go and deliver His gospel to the people.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.