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Matthew 9

Jesus shows his authority to forgive and heal, extending mercy to sinners and responding with compassion to crowds without a shepherd.

Jesus returns by boat to his own city, where people bring him a paralyzed man. His declaration of forgiveness draws an accusation of blasphemy, and his meal with tax collectors and sinners brings further objections. John’s disciples ask about fasting. As Jesus travels, he heals people and raises a ruler’s daughter from death. The crowds marvel while the Pharisees accuse him. Seeing the crowds’ distress, Jesus tells his disciples to pray for workers for God’s harvest.

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1He entered into a boat and crossed over, and came into his own city.
2Behold, they brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a bed. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, cheer up! Your sins are forgiven you.”
3Behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man blasphemes.”
4Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?
5For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk’?
6But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins—” (then he said to the paralytic), “Get up, and take up your mat, and go to your house.”
8But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
9As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, “Follow me.” He got up and followed him.
10As he sat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.
11When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
12When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do.
13But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
14Then John’s disciples came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don’t fast?”
15Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
16No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch would tear away from the garment, and a worse hole is made.
17Neither do people put new wine into old wineskins, or else the skins would burst, and the wine be spilled, and the skins ruined. No, they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”
18While he told these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.”
19Jesus got up and followed him, as did his disciples.
20Behold, a woman who had a discharge of blood for twelve years came behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment;
21for she said within herself, “If I just touch his garment, I will be made well.”
22But Jesus, turning around and seeing her, said, “Daughter, cheer up! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.
23When Jesus came into the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd in noisy disorder,
24he said to them, “Make room, because the girl isn’t dead, but sleeping.” They were ridiculing him.
25But when the crowd was sent out, he entered in, took her by the hand, and the girl arose.
26The report of this went out into all that land.
27As Jesus passed by from there, two blind men followed him, calling out and saying, “Have mercy on us, son of David!”
28When he had come into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They told him, “Yes, Lord.”
29Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.”
30Then their eyes were opened. Jesus strictly commanded them, saying, “See that no one knows about this.”
31But they went out and spread abroad his fame in all that land.
32As they went out, behold, a mute man who was demon possessed was brought to him.
33When the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke. The multitudes marveled, saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!”
34But the Pharisees said, “By the prince of the demons, he casts out demons.”
35Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.
36But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them because they were harassed and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd.
37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
38Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into his harvest.”
World English BibleRead in NIV in Psalmlog →Highlighted verses are the most connected.
Key verses
Matthew 9:13Jesus answers criticism of his table companions by naming mercy and the call of sinners to repentance as his purpose.
Matthew 9:36Jesus sees the crowds’ distress, and his compassion leads into the command to pray for harvest workers.
Matthew 9:22Jesus addresses the woman as daughter and affirms her faith after twelve years of bleeding.
Where this chapter reaches

Mark and Luke share accounts of Jesus forgiving and healing a paralyzed man, eating with tax collectors, and healing the woman with prolonged bleeding. Hosea supplies the mercy-over-sacrifice quotation Jesus uses to answer the Pharisees’ objection to his table companions.

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After reading the whole chapter

What do Jesus’ words and actions at the meal show you about mercy and repentance?

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How might Jesus’ description of the crowds shape your prayers for people you know?

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Questions people ask about Matthew 9

Why does Jesus forgive the paralyzed man before healing him in Matthew 9?

Jesus first responds to the faith he sees by declaring the man forgiven. When scribes accuse him of blasphemy, he heals the man to demonstrate that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. The passage does not say the paralysis resulted from a particular sin.

What do the new wine and old wineskins mean in Matthew 9?

Jesus uses the wineskins image while answering a question about fasting. His presence is compared to a bridegroom’s presence, a time when mourning would be out of place. Alongside the cloth illustration, the image shows that practices must fit what his coming brings. He also says his disciples will fast after he is taken away.

Does Matthew 9:22 mean enough faith will always bring healing?

Jesus affirms this woman’s faith and heals her after twelve years of bleeding. The account records what he did for her; it does not promise that every believer will receive immediate healing. Elsewhere in the chapter, he raises a dead girl without recording any expression of faith from her.

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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).