Matthew 9:29 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.”

NIV: Then he touched their eyes and said, 'According to your faith let it be done to you';

NASB: Then He touched their eyes, saying, 'It shall be done for you according to your faith.'

CSB: Then he touched their eyes, saying, "Let it be done for you according to your faith."

NLT: Then he touched their eyes and said, 'Because of your faith, it will happen.'

KJV: Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

NKJV: Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.”

A pair of blind men have recognized that Jesus is the Messiah, referring to Him by the name Son of David. They have asked Him to have mercy on them, meaning that they want to receive their sight (Matthew 9:27). Jesus, waiting until He is inside with them, asked if they truly believed in His power to heal—and they responded with an enthusiastic "yes" (Matthew 9:28). Jesus cares deeply that those He heals believe He can heal them.

Now Jesus touches their blind eyes and tells them that their faith is the trigger for their miraculous restoration. It's important to understand that these men are not healing themselves, nor is the healing power coming from their faith, itself. The men are healed "according to" their faith, not "by the power of" their belief.

It is Christ's power—the power of God—that restores their sight. Their faith contributes to their healing to the extent that their faith is in Jesus and nothing else. Because He is the object of their faith, they will be healed by Him.

Matthew 9:27–34 describes the healing of two blind men and one mute man. The blind men follow Jesus in the crowd, crying out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David." They believe Jesus is the Messiah and that He can make them see. Jesus does so, but they disobey His command not to tell anyone. Next, a demon-oppressed man is brought to Jesus. The demon has made the man unable to speak. Jesus casts out the demon, and the man starts talking. The crowds marvel at this, but the Pharisees decide Jesus' power over demons comes from Satan.

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.

Accessed 4/29/2024 12:17:55 PM