Matthew Chapter Nine
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
[Text parallels Mark 2:3-12 and Luke 5:18-26]
9:1 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. 2 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.” 3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” 4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 6 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.” 7 And he rose and went home. 8 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
Leaving the land of the Gadarenes, Jesus gets in a boat to cross the lake back to Capernaum. When He arrives, He is met by some loyal friends of a paralytic who brought the paralyzed man to Jesus in his bed. When Jesus saw their faith (possibly due to the effort required to get the man there, in Mark’s and Like’s accounts of this event state that due to crowds they had to lower the paralytic through a hole in the roof), He said, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” This is an interesting response as this proclamation was undoubtedly not what the friends and the paralytic wanted to hear (although many believed that afflictions were the direct result as punishment of sin in their lives). Jesus was using this opportunity to demonstrate that He had authority in both the physical and spiritual realms. In addition to physical healing,[1] many Old Testament prophecies pertaining to the Messiah included the forgiveness of sin and redemption (see Isaiah 33:24; 40:1-2; 43:25; 44:21-22; 53:6-12; Jeremiah 50:20).
When the scribes heard Jesus state that the paralytic’s sins were forgiven, they were shocked. The text notes that some of them were thinking that Jesus just blasphemed by speaking on behalf of God. This is the first time the Greek word ‘blasphēmei’[2] appears in the New Testament, it is a transliterated word that refers to in this context speaking irreverently concerning God, to damage His reputation, to slander or to speak evil of God. Jesus essentially asks the question, is it easier to say something or to do something? Since there is no way for any human to assess if a person’s sin has been forgiven, Jesus uses the physical healing of the paralytic to demonstrate His supernatural authority. Being God Himself, Jesus knew their thoughts and asked them, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” In simple terms, Jesus did not ‘fit’ into their worldview of what the Messiah would be like, so instead of seeking the truth from God, they found Jesus nothing more than a man guilty of blaspheme. They allowed their tradition to dictate their judgment and rejected the Messiah due to those presuppositions.
Jesus told the paralytic to rise and take his bed home, which he did. The crowds that witnessed responded with fear (Greek ‘ephobēthēsan’,[3] whose root word ‘phóbos’[4] has two primary applications in the Bible, one as being frightened, terrified or afraid, the other application to morally fear, to have reverence, to honor, in this scenario both applications could apply) and yet they glorified God, recognizing that such authority could only come from Him, even if they still didn’t understand who Jesus was.
Jesus Calls Matthew to be a Disciple
[Text parallels Mark 2:14-17 and Luke 5:27-32]
9:9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
When Jesus walked by a tax booth in Capernaum, He saw a tax collector name Matthew (called Levi in Mark’s account) and called on the man to follow Him (Greek ‘akolouthei’,[5] meaning to attend, to accompany, to follow a teacher). Apparently without delay Matthew stood up and began to follow Jesus.
9:10 And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
We read in both Mark’s account (see Mark 2:15) and Luke’s account (see Luke 5:29) that Jesus was at the house of Matthew, where he prepared a great feast for Jesus and fellow tax-collectors. Some believe that Matthew wanted to present Jesus to his friends, who, due to their occupation would be social outcasts and religious misfits, making this undoubtedly a gathering of ungodly people. They were reclining at a table with Jesus enjoying a meal together. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked Jesus’ disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” A rhetorical question, as they have already judged their behavior. Jesus overhears and responds with a statement that not only illuminates their total misunderstanding of God, it encapsulates the very message of the gospel. He makes the logical statement that people that are healthy have no need for a doctor, but those that are sick are the ones who need help. He then instructs them to learn what the phrase quoted from Hosea 6:6, “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,” means (referred to again and partially answered later in Matthew 12:7-8). Jesus was calling their attention to their legalism, He came to offer salvation to sinners, those that understood they could never be righteous enough to be saved, not those that sought righteousness on their own.
Considerations
This event exemplifies the nature of the Pharisees. Their literal belief of Exodus 19:6, “You shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation,” led them to seek righteousness and to remain ceremonially clean at all times, not just in or around the Temple.
The Pharisees held, to the contrary, that even outside of the Temple, in one’s own home, one had to follow the laws of cultic purity in the only circumstance in which they might effectively apply, namely, at the table. They therefore held you must eat secular food, that is, ordinary, everyday meals, in a state of cultic purity as if you were a Temple priest. The Pharisees thus arrogated to themselves—and to all Jews equally—the status of the Temple priests and did the things which priests must do on account of that status. The table of every Jew in his home was seen to be like the table of the Lord in the Jerusalem Temple.[6]
As a result they saw themselves as a form of watchdog for the people of Israel. Even though the construction of homes were very different and much less private as they are typically today, the Pharisees nonetheless were following close enough to ask Jesus’ disciples, who were also at Matthew’s feast, about His behavior. They may have taken Jesus’ previous statement, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20) as a personal assault against them, which would have encouraged them to counter with a campaign of exposing any sin or hypocrisy of Jesus or His disciples.
Why Tax-Collectors Were Loathed
Most people don’t like to pay taxes, but what if the tax collector went out of their way to make sure that you were paying everything that was owed? Would that bother you? If you are starting to get red-faced or otherwise might be getting angry, then perhaps you can feel for those in the Roman Empire during Jesus’ ministry. Alfred Edersheim (1825-1889) a Biblical scholar and researcher wrote the following brief description of the Roman tax system and the people that collected the various taxes:
The Romans had a peculiar way of levying these taxes—not directly, but indirectly—which kept the treasury quite safe, whatever harm it might inflict on the taxpayer, while at the same time it threw upon him the whole cost of the collection. Senators and magistrates were prohibited from engaging in business or trade; but the highest order, the equestrian, was largely composed of great capitalists. These Roman knights formed joint-stock companies, which bought at public auction the revenues of a province at a fixed price, generally for five years. The board had its chairman, or magister, and its offices at Rome. These were the real Publicani, or publicans, who often underlet certain of the taxes. The Publicani, or those who held from them, employed either slaves or some of the lower classes in the country as tax-gatherers—the publicans of the New Testament. Similarly, all other imposts were farmed and collected; some of them being very onerous, and amounting to an ad valorem duty of two and a half, of five, and in articles of luxury even of twelve and a half per cent. Harbour-dues were higher than ordinary tolls, and smuggling or a false declaration was punished by confiscation of the goods. Thus the publicans also levied import and export dues, bridge-toll, road-money, town-dues, etc.; and, if the peaceable inhabitant, the tiller of the soil, the tradesman, or manufacturer was constantly exposed to their exactions, the traveller, the caravan, or the pedlar encountered their vexatious presence at every bridge, along the road, and at the entrance to cities. Every bale had to be unloaded, and all its contents tumbled about and searched; even letters were opened; and it must have taken more than Eastern patience to bear their insolence and to submit to their “unjust accusations” in arbitrarily fixing the return from land or income, or the value of goods, etc. For there was no use appealing against them, although the law allowed this, since the judges themselves were the direct beneficiaries by the revenue; for they before whom accusations on this score would have to be laid, belonged to the order of knights, who were the very persons implicated in the farming of the revenue. Of course, the joint-stock company of Publicani at Rome expected its handsome dividends; so did the tax-gatherers in the provinces, and those to whom they on occasions sublet the imposts. All wanted to make money of the poor people; and the cost of the collection had of course to be added to the taxation.[7]
Edersheim also wrote that due to their “oppression and injustice,” that all levels of these tax collectors were essentially banned from participating in festivals and other Temple-related events, until they were restored through repentance.[8] Making them religious outcasts as well as being socially undesirable.
Legalism[9]
Legalism can be defined as the ‘religion’ of human achievement, focusing on the ‘what’ you do, instead of the motivation of why you are doing it. When Jesus reminded the Pharisees that God does not want ritual or traditional protocols when He said, “>I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,” (Matthew 9:13, quoting Hosea 6:6; see also Matthew 12:7-8 and Micah 6:6-8), He was warning that God cannot be served through ritualism or anything else that is not from our hearts, legalism requires people to conform to man-made rules and rituals, not God’s. Christians also need to be careful to avoid ritualism, as there is only a fine line between ritual and true worship. Ritual can be defined as following protocol or procedure without truly seeking God, then as rote becomes comfortable, it can become another form of man-made legalism.
Why are Your Disciples Not Fasting?
[Text parallels Mark 2:18-22 and Luke 5:33-39]
9:14 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. 17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
Some of John the Baptist’s disciples noticed that Jesus’ disciples were not fasting. How did they know? Were they stalking Jesus and His disciples too? In both Mark’s and Luke’s accounts this issue was brought to their attention by some unnamed people (see Mark 2:18). But this does call our attention to something, why were there still followers of John the Baptist that were not yet followers of Jesus? Especially since in John’s own admittance, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30) This may have been the result of a lack of leadership as John the Baptist was in prison at this time (see Matthew 4:12), as there were several of his disciples who did not follow Jesus and remained faithful to John (see Matthew 11:2-6; 14:12; Luke 7:20-24; John 3:22-30; Acts 19:1-3). It appears that they, like the Pharisees, were caught in the web of tradition and legalism.
Jesus offers two illustrations to help them understand. By referring to Himself as the bridegroom, Jesus reminds them that He is the priority, even though He was indeed humble, the truth of Him being the Savior never changed, His ministry is (and remains true today and forever) all about Him. He notes that the time for fasting would be after He is gone, which gives us some insight on the role of fasting, namely to diligently seek His presence. The second illustration sadly is often interpreted that He is establishing a new law to replace the old law, that is definitely not the case, He is clarifying His role as the Savior. Let’s begin by reviewing the premises, first placing a patch of new ‘unshrunk’ cloth on an old garment that has already shrunk, the patch would soon tear away (due to it shrinking). Secondly, wine was stored in specially sewn bags made of animal skin. New wine would be placed in new containers made of new skin, so that as the wine continued to ferment and expand, the new skin could expand with it. However, if new wine was placed in an old wineskin the container would rupture and spill the wine. Instead of sewing new patches to an old garment (continuing to attempt self-righteousness in order to comply with the Old Testament law such as the Pharisees were trying) or pouring new wine in an old wineskin, replacing the old wine with new wine (reinterpreting the law), Jesus is saying He will provide both the new wine (which can later be associated with His blood) and the new wineskin, not a new law but a new way, He is offering to fulfill the law for all of mankind. He wants the disciples of John to understand and recognize the love and grace of God.
A Ruler's Daughter Brought Back to Life and a Woman Healed
[Text parallels Mark 5:22-43 and Luke 8:41-56]
9:18 While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. 20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, 21 for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. 23 And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24 he said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. 25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went through all that district.
Matthew places Jesus at the same location where He was approached by the disciples of John, perhaps still near or at the house of Matthew. Here he refers to Jesus being approached by a ruler, who is identified by both Mark and Luke as Jairus, a ruler of a synagogue (Greek ‘archōn’,[10] a ruler or chief, in Jewish leadership typically a member of the Sanhedrin).
The man knelt before Jesus and said his daughter just died and pleaded with Jesus to come and lay a hand on her so that she would live again. Both Mark and Luke record that when Jairus approached Jesus, his daughter was not yet dead but was soon told that she had died, Matthew essentially begins his narrative at that point. Jesus got up and He and His disciples began to follow the man home. While making His way through the crowds, a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years made her way to Jesus so that she could touch His garment, thinking that the touch would heal her. When she touched His garment Jesus stopped and turned to the woman and told her, “Take heart, daughter; your faith had made you well.” She believed Jesus could heal her and because she had that faith, she was healed. Matthew again shortened the dialog, which is recorded in detail in both Mark’s and Luke’s account.
When Jesus arrived at Jairus’ home, they were met by what could be called professional mourners, where the cries and moaning would be loud and the music dissonant and often discordant. Jesus told them to leave since the girl was not dead, when He said she was just sleeping, they laughed at Him. Once the mourners left the house, Jesus went in and took the hand of the girl and she arose to life again. The news of this miraculous event spread quickly.
Considerations
According to God’s law, an ongoing hemorrhage in a female would make her unclean until the blood flow stopped. In Leviticus 15:19-30 we learn that when a woman has a discharge of blood, she shall be in her “menstrual impurity” period (Hebrew word ‘nid·dāṯ’,[11] a noun meaning impurity, can also be used to refer to something as being polluted or detestable), for seven days. If a woman has abnormal vaginal discharges of blood, not during her normal menstrual cycle, or if she has a longer period of discharge of blood during menstruation, she is to be considered unclean, just as she would be during her days of impurity. Every bed on which she lies and every location on which she sits would be considered unclean as long as the discharge continued. Anybody who touched these things would also be unclean and would need to bathe themselves and wash their clothes and remain unclean until evening. As long as a person was unclean they could not participate in any of the God-ordained festivals, nor could they approach the Temple for any reason. A woman’s vaginal flow of blood made her unclean as long as the condition continued. If the condition persisted, the person would soon be an outcast as her uncleanness could easily affect others. That is the setting of this event, this woman had been suffering not only from the hemorrhage but also from being an outcast for twelve years.
It is interesting to note that the child that Jesus brought back to life was a twelve-year old girl (see Luke 8:49-56) and that the women that was healed suffered for twelve years. While every detail is important in the Bible, sometimes the text does not give sufficient details for any definite conclusion. Some have speculated that the woman and Jairus were married and that the girl was their daughter. Due to the lack of anything specific, it must be treated as only speculation.
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
9:27 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” 28 When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” 31 But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.
After leaving Jairus’ home, Jesus was followed by two blind men, undoubtedly able to track the sound of the crowd that probably encircled Him. To get His attention they loudly cry out (Greek ‘krazontes’,[12] a loud and often inarticulate cry to express pain or fear, considered to be an onomatopoeia that mimicked the cry of a raven). This was not an arbitrary cry for help from any person walking by, as they asked for mercy from the Son of David, specifically seeking Jesus. As mentioned in the commentary for chapter one, the term is an Old Testament title that refers to the Messiah (see promise given to King David in 2 Samuel 7:12-16). When they get His attention, He asks them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They both replied, “Yes, Lord,” as they understood who Jesus was. He then touched their eyes while saying, that according to their faith (by knowing, not guessing) it would be done, and immediately they were able to see again. By acknowledging their cry and responding to the title of being the Son David without any rebuke, Jesus was quietly proclaiming that He was indeed the Messiah, a fact that would not have gone unnoticed.
After restoring their sight, Jesus asks them to not inform anyone about the miracle, but instead, they told others what happened and soon Jesus was a “household name” in that district. It probably would have been difficult to hide the fact that they could now see, especially if they were known beggars or otherwise in the public eye.
Considerations
On a number of occasions Jesus stated that, “My hour has not yet come,” or similar, to stop the spreading of the news regarding Himself or of His miracles (see John 2:4; 7:6-8, 30; 8:20; 12:23-27; 13:1; 19:27). Did He really expect the news of His miracles and teaching to go unnoticed? No, but there was a specific day He wanted everyone, including us readers almost two-thousand years later, to take notice. One that He set into motion and arranged for, His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Christians often refer to it as Palm Sunday. What was so special about that day? It not only fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, “>Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (see Matthew 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-44; John 12:-19). But it also was the fulfillment of another prophecy, that due to the interpretation of it being highly controversial, it is rarely applied to this event. In the prophecy found in Daniel 9:24-27, referred to by most scholars as “Daniel’s Seventy Weeks.”[13] Many have calculated using ‘date math’ determined that the arrival of the “Anointed One,” stated in verse 25 could have occurred on the day of Christ’s triumphal entry. Since God’s Word is always precise, this is a possibility. Essentially this was the day that the people of Israel would officially recognize Jesus as their Savior.[14]
Jesus Casts Out Demon from a Man Unable to Speak
9:32 As they were going away, behold, a demon-oppressed man who was mute was brought to him. 33 And when the demon had been cast out, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”
Shortly after restoring the sight of the two blind men, a demon-oppressed[15] man who was also a mute (Greek ‘kōphon’,[16] means blunted or dull, used in the New Testament to refer to senses and faculties, can refer to the tongue being not able to speak or to ears not able to hear, based on context this word is translated here as ‘mute’) was brought to Jesus. When the demon was cast out, the man began to speak, those that heard the man were amazed (Greek ‘ethaumasan’,[17] to wonder, admiration, astonishment). It is thought that the crowd may have believed the folklore that the only way to exorcise a demon was to first ask its name, if the person was not able to speak then that demon could not be casted out. In their astonishment, even though Israel had a long history of exorcisms, they proclaimed that Israel never saw anything like this before, emphasizing that Jesus did something that could only be done by God. The Pharisees that were apparently still following Jesus could not let that proclamation go unchecked, saying “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.” An accusation that will be repeated later along with a reply from Jesus (see Matthew 12:22-28; Mark 3:22-29; Luke 11:17-23).
The Harvest Is Plentiful, the Laborers Few
9:35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Similar to what he earlier wrote in Matthew 4:23-25, Matthew summarizes the events of Jesus’ Galilee region ministry. Going from city to city and village to village, Jesus taught in synagogues, proclaimed the gospel message and healed many people. Matthew noted that when Jesus saw the people in the crowds, that He had compassion for them, as they were harassed (Greek ‘esklmenoi’,[18] meaning to skin or lacerate, used metaphorically to mean to be harassed, troubled, or wearied) and helpless (Greek ‘errimmenoi’,[19] to cast out, hurl, scatter, disperse), like sheep without a shepherd.
Then when talking to His disciples (based on the opening of the next chapter, these were the twelve disciples), Matthew records Jesus saying, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Jesus is referring to a harvest of human souls, not grain or fruit, those that were otherwise heading to hell, eternal condemnation, as all are sinners. The apostle Paul made it clear that, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23b) and that “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) The laborers are Christians that are willing to “work the harvest.” Jesus is teaching His disciples about the importance and priority of the gospel message and about the call for them to be apostles. In the next chapter they will be “sent out” on their first ‘evangelistic’ mission.
Jesus tells them that since the need is great and the number of laborers are few, that they should earnestly pray to God to send out (Greek ‘ekbalē’,[20] to cast with force) workers into His harvest. This often-quoted commandment exemplifies the need back then, as well as today, for Christians to understand the urgency and importance of evangelism.
Jesus had compassion for these people. The Greek word that is translated here as ‘compassion’ is ‘esplanchnisthē’,[21] used for the first time in the New Testament, it refers to a deep pain from within the bowels. In other words, Jesus likely felt a physical pain in His stomach when He saw these people (see also Matthew 14:14; 15:32; Mark 6:34; 8:2; Luke 7:13).
Considerations
Many people are obsessed in trying to find the meaning of life, thinking that there must be a reason for life as we know it. In their pursuit they often develop axioms that help them try to see beyond the obvious and focus on the less-than-apparent subtle things to explain life. However, those pursuits are completely meaningless without knowing the author and creator of life. The apostle Paul tells us that Jesus is that person, as He was doing more than watching on the sidelines during creation, “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:16-17) We were created by and for Jesus. But we also know that man disobeyed God and, as the quotations from Paul’s epistle to the church in Rome stated above, sin entered humanity, which condemned all humans to death. So if Jesus didn’t come to die on our behalf, the meaning of life would essentially be to die, especially since there is no way for man to change that reality. But, since Jesus did come and became sin for us (see 2 Corinthians 5:21) and successfully conquered death, we can accept His free gift of salvation. Therefore the meaning of life returns to being all about Jesus. Which is a long way of saying, we need to follow His lead and do as He asks. His priorities should be our priorities.
Here Jesus talks about the harvest, He chose Christians to be His ambassadors (see 2 Corinthians 5:20), which means we represent Him, essentially to be as Christ to those around us. He gave all Christians the command to go, teach, and make disciples (see Matthew 28:18-20), while the methods used will vary significantly from person to person, the task is clear. Sadly, many Christians have become comfortable in keeping their walk with Jesus limited to only Sunday mornings. How to start on a different path? Pray for forgiveness (not to send someone else, to pray for harvest laborers and then not be willing to go yourself would be hypocritical) and begin with learning about Him through the Word of God, growing in Him (becoming mature Christians) and of course going for Him. It should be a priority. Why? Because the author of life gave us the meaning of this life is to bring others to the next life in heaven. That’s His priority!
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[1] See Considerations under Matthew 8:1-4 regarding Healing.
[2] Strong’s Greek 987.
[3] Strong’s Greek 5399.
[4] Strong’s Greek 5401.
[5] Strong’s Greek 190.
[6] Neusner, J. (2003). Invitation to the Talmud: A Teaching Book (Vol. 169, p. 23). Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers.
[7] Edersheim, A. (n.d.). Sketches of Jewish social life in the days of Christ (pp. 55–57). London: The Religious Tract Society.
[8] Edersheim, A. (1896). The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (Vol. 1, pp. 515–517). New York: Longmans, Green, and Co.
[9] Adapted from author’s book, “Everything a Christian Should Know About the Torah A Commentary on the First Five Books of the Bible”
[10] Strong’s Greek 758.
[11] Strong’s Hebrew 5079.
[12] Strong’s Greek 2896.
[13] See Appendix 2 - Daniel’s Seventy Weeks.
[14] See Considerations under Matthew 21:6-11 titled “The Hour Has Come,"
[15] See commentary and Considerations under Matthew 8:28-34 regarding "Demons."
[16] Strong’s Greek 2974.
[17] Strong’s Greek 2296.
[18] Strong’s Greek 4660.
[19] Strong’s Greek 4496.
[20] Strong’s Greek 1544.
[21] Strong’s Greek 4697.