In finishing Matthew 9:18-38 today, we saw some more great doctrinal truths concerning the presentation of the King and the Kingdom. The 12 miraculous events recorded in chapters 8-9 revealed the Lord's power over all things on earth, including sin, disease, death, and the devil's government / principality.
V.18-26: The raising of Jairus's daughter from the dead shocked all the mourners. This miracle is a picture of the spiritual slumber of Israel. Mark 5 and Luke 8 are the companion passages that help complete the story of this miracle as well as the “incidental” healing of the woman with the issue of blood. She believed that if she could touch his garment, she would be healed. Luke 8:46 describes the healing as virtue leaving the Lord and healing her.
V.27-31: Two blind men are healed according to their faith, because they believed Jesus could heal them. Habakkuk 2:4 explains faith in the Old Testament (the time before the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ), the just shall live by his faith.V.32-33: Jesus proves his power over demon possession by healing the dumb man. Satan's kingdom of this world was under siege by the Lord. The demons know who he is, and must obey his commands.
V.34: This is the first attack on the messianic authority of Jesus by the religious leaders, declaring that he performs all these miracles by the power of the prince of devils – Satan. His authority is attacked again in Matthew 12:24, as well as Mark 3:22 and Luke 11:15. In this first instance Jesus did not even respond. He does respond to later accusations.
V.35: It is almost as if Jesus healed everyone who came to him to prove the Pharisees wrong in their accusation. The King goes through cities and villages preaching the gospel of the kingdom of heaven, the literal, physical, earthly kingdom of Messiah King Jesus.
V.36-38: Jesus uses a simile comparing Israel to a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Similes are identified by using the terms “like” and “as” comparing two unlike things as though they are similar, hence the word simile. The lost sheep of the house of Israel had fainted / lost hope of ever seeing the kingdom, and were scattered abroad throughout the Roman world. Jesus prepares the disciples for what is coming by telling them to pray that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into the harvest. We will see this prayer answered in chapter 10:1-15, and Mark 6:7-13, and Luke 9:1-6 and 10:1-11.
