September 2, 2025 - Matthew 9-10

These stories in Matthew’s gospel show two important concerns.  One, the most important concern that Jesus had was the sin problem.  When his friends lowered the paralytic down through the roof for Jesus to heal, Jesus’ first words to him were, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven” (9:2).  Two, he is very, very concerned about our physical health, also.  The paralytic healed and enabled to walk, the daughter restored to life, the woman who touched his garment healed after so many years of illness, two blind men made to see, a mute man enabled to speak.

Another thing that continues to come up is Jesus’ reference to faith.  To the men lowering their friend through the roof:  “And when Jesus saw their faith . . .” (9:2).  To the woman who touched his garment:  “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well” (9:22).  In conversation with the blind men:  “’Do you believe that I am able to do this?’  They said to him, ‘Yes, Lord’” (9:28); and Jesus answered, “According to your faith be it done to you” (9:29).  The mute man was “brought to him” (9:32), signifying that there were those who believed he could cast out the demon, and so they brought the man to him.

After all this, Jesus noted the need for workers to go into the fields and harvest, and he began to call his disciples to himself.  They were to go out and not worry about their worldly possessions.  They would be persecuted.  But, Jesus said, their Father would provide for them and reward them.  Furthermore, just think, as they went, they got to do the things that Jesus did!  They called sinners to repentance and belief.  They healed the sick.  They comforted the downtrodden.  They got to do the work of the gospel!  That’s a pretty good reward in and of itself!  Randy Richards used to say, when we were living in Indonesia, “Can you believe that Southern Baptists are paying us to do this?”  As if to say that the work was enjoyable and worth doing even without pay!  We get to do the work that the Lord did!  How about that!

To the work! to the work! we are servants of God,

Let us follow the path that our Master has trod;

With the balm of His counsel our strength to renew,

Let us do with our might what our hands find to do.

Toiling on, toiling on,

Toiling on, toiling on:

Let us hope, let us watch,

And labor till the Master comes.   –Fanny Crosby (1872)