Matthew (Written)

Wednesday, 30 April 2025

But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country. Matthew 9:31

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And they, having departed, they divulged Him in all that land” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus strictly charged the men whose eyes had been healed to see that none knew about what He had done. However, the account now says, “And they, having departed, they divulged Him in all that land.”

Charles Ellicott tells of a difference of perception about their actions, saying that the matter “curiously enough, has been answered by most patristic and Roman Catholic commentators in the affirmative, some even maintaining that the command was not meant seriously; and by most Protestant commentators in the negative.”

It is hard to see how what is plainly stated in black and white can be intended as anything other than disobedience to the word. There is no hint that Jesus wasn’t serious. That must be read into the text. One must wonder, then, why there is a striking divide.

A couple of possibilities come to mind. The first is that some noted Roman Catholic theologians may have decided their actions were ok and others fell in line with his analysis. This would not be uncommon. Reading commentaries that span hundreds of years, one can tell why a point is agreed on by various scholars by simply looking at unusual words that are used to make a point.

In other words, someone may comment on a verse using the word fructifying. Though this word may not be seen again in his writings, it is used in an analysis of the same verse by numerous later scholars. This tells us that later scholars read his analysis, liked the use of the unusual word, and used it in their own analysis, which mirrors in content that of the older scholar.

It is kind of a “follow-the-bandwagon” way of analyzing a verse. A second possibility is that the overall theology of the Roman Catholic Church finds this verse difficult to swallow as being a sign of disobedience because it would then conflict with their own theology in other areas.

What needs to be done is to consider why Jesus charged them in the first place and then why Matthew points out their reaction. It could be that there was an immediate reason for Him telling them not to tell others, such as noted in the previous commentary, which said Jesus may not yet have wanted it to be openly accepted that He was the Messiah.

By restoring sight to the blind, something Isaiah indicates is something the Messiah would do, it might then spur the masses in a direction not yet desired for Him to accomplish His work. However, there may be a reason for His charging them that would only be understood after He completed His work.

In other words, it has been seen that the healing of the woman with a flow of blood mirrored salvation in the church that Christ would establish. The raising of the child mirrors the restoration of Israel after the church age. Thus, it is logical to consider that this account may have something to do with future theology as well.

Here we have sight restored to two blind men. This was obviously something they thought Jesus could do, and when they called out to Him, they called Him the Son of David. They believed Him to be the Messiah and that He was capable of healing them. However, after He did so, He gave them a word to be obedient to. In the very next verse, they are shown to be disobedient to the word.

Despite their disobedience, there is no later note that they lost their eyesight, something Matthew would surely have recorded. But more, it goes on to say that they divulged Him in all that land. They didn’t just tell about Him to their family or in their city, but everywhere they went.

Though unstated, accompanying their words would have been praises to God and notes that this was surely the Messiah. It is unlikely they would hail Him as such, believe in Him, and then later say, “Some guy healed us.” Rather, they would say, “We were restored by the Messiah!”

So what is this account telling us? It is a note that when one is saved and has seen the light of Christ, that salvation is eternal. Despite their obvious disobedience to the spoken word, they retained their eyesight.

If we are honest with ourselves, each person who has been saved by Jesus will openly avow that he has been disobedient to the word we have been given, the word spoken by God, which is then recorded by His apostles. And yet, Jesus continues to save us and allow us to go out and tell others about who He is and what He has done for us.

Despite our failing Him, He is full of grace – enough to carry us for all of our days until He brings us to Himself. This must be the reason the words are recorded for us as they are.

Life application: Understanding the premise laid out concerning these men, it begs the question of why most Roman Catholic theologians see their actions as not being disobedient, while most Protestants take the opposite view.

It may partially be a follow-the-bandwagon thing, but more than that, it shows a vast gulf in the basic theology of the two approaches to the word. Protestants have accepted the five Solas since the Reformation: Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone), Sola Fide (faith alone), Sola Gratia (grace alone), Solus Christus (Christ alone), and Soli Deo Gloria (glory to God alone).

Roman Catholics reject all of these to some extent. They believe Scripture to some point, but add in authoritative edicts from the Vatican, along with the apocrypha. It is Scripture, plus. They believe in faith plus works. They believe in grace, but personal merit is included for “getting out of purgatory” and all kinds of other nonsense.

They believe in Christ but also exalt Mary to co-redemptrix. They pray to her, petition her, and build lots of idols of her to worship. They also believe in exalting God, but their theology exalts angels and even the pope within their worship. Everything about Roman Catholicism is “plus.”

Because of this, seeing the man’s actions as disobedient would return too much emphasis concerning disobedience upon their own corrupt theology, which rejects the word of God as our sole authority that must be adhered to.

Most Protestants, however, understand that ignoring or being disobedient to the word is not something that can be denied. Thus, there is an understanding that it is grace that heals us (like the eyes of the blind men), and it is grace that continues to carry us through until the day when Jesus will bring us to Himself (as displayed in their disobedience without being re-blinded for it).

We are seeing in these few verses the doctrines of 1) free will, and 2) eternal salvation. Our perception of what Jesus has done and the effectiveness of it in our lives will be understood and worked out in how we perceive what the word “grace” means. The more we understand it, the more willing we will be to adhere to His word. And yet, it will also comfort us when we realize we continue to fail Him from day to day.

Lord God, even before Jesus came, we have types, pictures, and prophecies that reveal to us the many things He would do. They literally permeate the Old Testament. And in Jesus’ coming, we have hints concerning what things would be like after the completion of His work. Thank You, O God, for giving us such insight to help us make proper decisions about our theology now that we are saved by You through Him. Amen.

Tuesday, 29 April 2025

And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.” Matthew 9:30

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And their eyes, they opened. And Jesus, He in-snorted at them, saying, ‘You see none knows’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus told the blind men that according to their faith, their sight would be restored to them. Now, that is realized in the words, “And their eyes, they opened.”

The power of the Lord to give sight to the blind is realized. Regardless of what type of blindness they suffered, He went to the cause, identified it, and corrected it with merely the word that it should be done. This is something prophesied would come to pass concerning the ability of the coming Messiah. For example –

“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.” Isaiah 35:5

However, the state of blindness referred to by Isaiah may be interpreted as simply dulled spiritual senses. This is seen, for example, in Isaiah 42 –

“Hear, you deaf;
And look, you blind, that you may see.
¹⁹ Who is blind but My servant,
Or deaf as My messenger whom I send?
Who is blind as he who is perfect,
And blind as the Lord’s servant?
²⁰ Seeing many things, but you do not observe;
Opening the ears, but he does not hear.” Isaiah 42:18-20

Because of this, the verses concerning giving sight to the blind could be taken as a metaphor. However, this is not what the people expected. They took them to be literal. This is why the two men called out to Jesus, calling Him the Son of David. They knew the Messiah would come from the line of David, and they knew that He would be able to restore sight to the blind. Jesus even reminded John that this was a messianic promise –

“And when John had heard in prison about the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples ³ and said to Him, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’
⁴ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: ⁵ The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. ⁶ And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.’” Matthew 11:2-6

Jesus’ healing of these men clearly pointed to Him being the Messiah. They understood Him to be such, and their appeal to Him was not in vain. Once healed, Matthew next says, “And Jesus, He in-snorted at them, saying, ‘You see none knows.’”

Here is a new word, embrimaomai. It is derived from en, in, and brimaomai, to snort with anger. Thus, it is a word that mimics an animal like a horse or pig. If one makes a piggy grunt with the nose by inhaling while properly forming the nostrils (gnugnugnugnu), it gives the sense of the intent of the word. But its meaning is that it is accompanied by a sense of anger more than anything else.

When someone is passionate about what he has to say, this in-snorting sound can occur suddenly. Therefore, the word is used to express a strong admonition or warning, such as here. It can be a mark of scolding, such as in Mark 14:5. It can also be used as being moved in the spirit and even groaning, as in John 11:33 and 11:38.

Jesus’ in-snorting here signifies His urgent desire for them not to reveal to others what occurred. Otherwise, there would be displeasure in Him for it. The exact reason for this isn’t stated, but He had waited until they were inside before attending to them. This means He wanted the matter done privately. And yet, He did other such miracles openly. But those instances were later (Matthew 12:22).

Therefore, because this was a sign that the Messiah would accomplish, it seems that He did not want this openly divulged at this time. It is not until Chapter 16 that Peter declares Jesus to be the promised Christ of God.

Life application: Today, two thousand years after Jesus’ miracle healing of these men, people in the world continue to struggle with blindness. Some are born blind, some develop blindness through age or sickness, and some receive trauma that causes blindness.

Think of all that had to go into Jesus’ “simple” miracle of giving sight to these blind men. He had to know if they had trauma, what sort it was. If they had an infection, tumor, nutrient deficiency, or stroke, how did it affect the eye? Did the men have diabetes, or was it caused by macular degeneration or glaucoma?

To determine what causes blindness today and then treat it takes many specialists being involved in the process, expensive machinery, an understanding of many variables, etc. From there, some types of blindness can be corrected. Others have no hope of it being so.

And yet, with the spoken word and nothing more, Jesus was able to heal these two men. The power of God was evident in Him and working through Him to effect the miracle. And Jesus, unlike the prophets of Old, did not appeal to the Lord (Yehovah). He merely spoke the word under His own authority.

This reveals the nature of the Man. He is the Lord God. He is great and He is glorious. He is Jesus!

Lord God, how exciting it is to see Jesus for who He is. He isn’t just a prophet in a long succession of prophets that came to reveal Your intent for His people. Rather, He is the fulfillment of all prophecy. He is the true and great Prophet. You have united with humanity in the Person of Jesus. Thank You for having so revealed Yourself to us. Amen.

Monday, 28 April 2025

Then He touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith let it be to you.” Matthew 9:29

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Then He touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith, it became to you’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus asked the two blind men if they believed that He was able to have mercy on them. Their response was in the affirmative. With that remembered, it next says, “Then He touched their eyes.”

Jesus does this elsewhere, such as in Matthew 20:34. It would be an indication to them that there is no doubt where the power came from. However, this is not the only way that Jesus restores sight to the blind. In Mark 8, Jesus spat on a blind man’s eyes, partially restored his vision, and then placed His hands on the man’s eyes and brought him to full vision.

In John 9, Jesus spat on the ground, made clay with it, and then anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. From there, He instructed the man to go to the pool of Siloam and wash his eyes. When he did, he came back seeing.

Therefore, Jesus’ various methods of restoring sight are instructive as much as they are curative. In this case, it is instructive to the men being healed that the power to heal has come from Him and that it came about when He touched them with His hands and then spoke the word. This restoration of sight would leave no doubt about who Jesus is because He would be the first person they would see.

Their testimony in this case would be infallible proof to those who knew them when they were blind. As such, upon touching their eyes, Jesus was “saying, ‘According to your faith, it be to you.’”

It is not the physical touching that healed them, nor is it their faith that healed them. They have professed faith, and that is what Jesus is acknowledging to them. In other words, “according to” isn’t “If you have this much faith, you will be healed and if you don’t, you won’t be.” Rather, “according to” is in response to the faith they have already acknowledged.

The healing is then brought about by Jesus’ spoken word. It would be like saying, “Because you have professed faith in My ability, I will now heal you. And so it is.”

Life application: The healing of these blind men is not unlike the process of our salvation. The Bible says, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” Romans 10:9, 10

Jesus doesn’t ask, “Just how much do you believe in your heart?” Every person’s faith is on its own level. If Jesus were looking for a certain amount of faith, there would be a faith exam attached to the promise. No such thing exists. We are not asked to stand on a rooftop in an Islamic city and shout out that we have believed the gospel.

Nor are we told we must eat a habanero chili pepper to prove our faith. God reads the heart, and salvation is granted. These men professed faith in Jesus’ ability to heal them. In turn, He healed them.

Understanding this should help us to understand the fallacy of “works as a demonstration of salvation.” This is a common teaching that says, “If you don’t have works to support your profession of salvation, you are probably not saved.” This begs the obvious question, “What works? Just what exactly do I have to do to prove I am saved?”

The Bible doesn’t specify any such thing. It does provide instructions on what we should do in our salvation, but it never makes them a proof test for our salvation. The blind men were healed, and there is no string attached to the healing, such as, “If you don’t do what I say, you will lose your sight.”

In fact, there will appear to be a mark of disobedience in those men in the verses to come. But there is nothing to indicate that they somehow were re-blinded for it. In fact, the words indicate otherwise. We must keep the salvation message simple. Complicating it with requests for proof of salvation will only produce weak believers who will struggle with the surety of what Christ has done for them for the rest of their days.

Keep the gospel simple. From there, tell people to learn the Bible and apply it to their lives. In doing so, their walk with the Lord will be sound and their time in His presence will be sweet.

Lord God, may we be confident in our salvation, not because of an arrogant, haughty attitude, but because we understand what the word says. Christ died for our sins according to Scripture, He was buried, and He rose again on the third day according to Scripture. This is what You have asked us to believe in order to be saved. We do! Thank You for the salvation You have granted us. Amen.

Sunday, 27 April 2025

And when He had come into 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.” Matthew 9:28

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (click here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And having come into the house, they came to Him – the blind – and Jesus, He says to them, ‘You believe that I can do this?’ They say to Him, ‘Yes, Lord’” (CG).

In the previous verse, Jesus departed from the ruler’s house, and two blind men followed Him, crying out for mercy upon them. Now, the narrative continues with, “And having come into the house, they came to Him – the blind.”

It doesn’t say what house He went into, but the use of the definite article means it is a particular house. Verse 10 of this chapter mentions a house, but it doesn’t say which. But going back to the previous chapter, verse 8:14 specifically notes Peter’s house. So this may be the house being referred to.

Either way, it doesn’t say why He didn’t just stop and turn to them as they followed Him. But it may be that He wanted His next actions to be in a private setting. Therefore, now in the house with the two blind men there, it next says, “and Jesus, He says to them, ‘You believe that I can do this?’”

What seems apparent is that they did believe. Calling out to Jesus for Him to have mercy on them means they understood His capabilities. Continuing to follow Him in a blind state, even to the house He was staying in, demonstrated this as well. Therefore, the question is probably for faith-building.

Such questions span human history and innumerable circumstances. A question like this might be asked by a gym coach to spur on an already-capable student, “Are you really sure you can do this?” “Yes, I am confident I can.”

Jesus wants them mentally prepared for what He certainly already intends to do. Therefore, the question is asked. And as anticipated, “They say to Him, ‘Yes, Lord.’”

They already knew this, but their own words have testified to Him and also encouraged their own faith. They are prepared for what lies ahead…

Life application: Innumerable books have been written about confidence-building. Seminars are held on the subject. People living in clamshells are spurred on to break free and live an emboldened life.

These things are common to human nature, and different levels of confidence exist in all of us. Some of us may be fully confident in one matter and yet totally reluctant to act in another. There is nothing wrong with this. Those who are overconfident will often cause more trouble than their confidence supports.

For example, a person may be so sure of himself that he decides to tear out his wall and fix a leaky pipe by himself. In doing so, he forgets that he doesn’t know everything about the entire process of hydraulics or maybe structural engineering, or even the nuances of electrical wiring.

Without understanding the whole process, he may bust the pipe while under pressure and cause tens of thousands of dollars of water damage. Or he may cause a wall to collapse or otherwise be so damaged that he will need a crew of specialists to fix it. Or he may need a coffin because he didn’t think about live wiring while standing in a pool of water that had dripped on the floor.

After a short adventure of hair standing on its end, he collapses like a bunch of broccoli, never to rise again. Thus, it is good not to be overly confident. And yet, when things are lined up properly and the outcome appears certain, we shouldn’t hesitate to act.

It is true that there may be some small point that was overlooked that may end in a negative outcome, but this is what the clam dwellers fear to the point of complete inability to act. There needs to be a point where we will allow for error if the outcome has a high enough probability of success.

At the same time, we need to be willing to accept the results of defeat without becoming so stressed that we allow it to shape the rest of our lives. Where the balance in such situations is will be hard to determine at times, but that is where prayer comes in.

We have access to the Creator of all things. And so, if we have things set to the highest probability of success and are still reticent, we should have already prayed that the Lord will be with us through the process. If there is failure, we can accept that He allowed it for His purposes. This is true if we really believe in God’s unlimited wisdom and power and the power of prayer that He has allowed us, as explained in His word.

We have what no other people on the planet have, absolute and certain access to the throne of grace, where we can go in times of need. Let us use this most important tool as we move forward in life from decision to decision.

Lord God, help us to be people of prayer as we walk in Your presence. From moment to moment, may our existence be filled with communication with You to help us as we continue this path through life. We know that You are as close to us as the spoken breath we utter for our needs, thanks, and praises. Thank You for this knowledge. Amen.

Saturday, 26 April 2025

When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!” Matthew 9:27

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And Jesus, passing thence, they followed Him – two blind – croaking and saying, ‘You compassionate us, Son of David’” (CG).

In the previous verse, it was noted that the report of what Jesus did in restoring life to the damsel went throughout all the land. Now, the narrative continues with the account of another miracle, beginning with, “And Jesus, passing thence, they followed Him – two blind.”

A new adjective, tuphlos, translated as blind, is introduced. It signifies opaque, as if smoky. Thus, it gives the sense of an inability to see. It is derived from the verb tuphoó, to be enveloped in smoke. It can be taken literally or figuratively. In the latter sense, it would refer to someone who is lifted up with pride or who is conceited. That word is, in turn, derived from tuphó, to make smoke, as if slowly consumed without flame, as in a smoldering wick.

This word, signifying blindness because of being opaque, probably covers the whole range of blindness, from cataracts to being born blind (as in John 9). These men were unable to see, but their ears were fine because they were able to discern that Jesus was passing by. In hearing this news, they followed Him, “croaking.”

It is the same word used in Matthew 8 when the demon-possessed men croaked out to Jesus. It is thus an elevated cry of consternation or desire. They raised their voices as if croaking, “and saying, ‘You compassionate us, Son of David.’”

Outside of Matthew 1, this is the first time David is mentioned in the New Testament. In Matthew 1, the name was mentioned 5 times in Jesus’ genealogy and then once, saying –

“But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’” Matthew 1:20, 21

These two blind men are calling out in acknowledgement that they believe Jesus is the promised Messiah who would sit on David’s throne. This was a confident act of faith because the current king was Herod, who descended from his father Herod the Great. Thus, a dynasty had been in place. And yet, it was believed based on Scripture that the Messiah would be Israel’s king.

There is nothing stated as to how they concluded that Jesus was the Son of David. It wasn’t as if people carried around a copy of His genealogy. Therefore, it may be that the thought was that any Jew could somehow fulfill this kingly role, thus fulfilling the messianic prophecy.

In other words, the authority, character, or role of a famous person may be used as an identifier. So, if someone was thought to be a great prophet, they may say, “He is a son of Isaiah,” thus identifying him as a figurative son of a great prophet. This is not an unknown concept because Paul uses it concerning Gentiles in relation to Abraham –

“Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?— ⁶ just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ ⁷ Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.” Galatians 3:5-7

It also could be that there may have been some other commonly used identifier that allowed people to know the tribal heritage of others. If this is the case, there is no record of it being so. Whatever was on the minds of these blind men, they are clearly identifying Jesus with the authority of the throne of Israel, believing that His power extended beyond that of David as a man of war in earthly battles to a Man of war in the physical/spiritual realm of being able to heal the blind.

Life application: With the resurrection of Christ and the writing of the New Testament, we now have a full understanding of the many roles of Jesus the Messiah. He not only fulfills the role of the Son of David in kingly authority and power, but He also is the great prophet who is the Giver of all other prophetic utterances because He is God.

He is also the great High Priest who has initiated a New Covenant and who now advocates and mediates on behalf of His people. He is the Shepherd of His people, the Author and Perfector of our salvation, and so much more. When we consider what God has done in Christ Jesus, we are considering how He has fully and exactingly expressed Himself to His creatures.

Let us consider this as we contemplate who Jesus is, understanding that the glory and honor we ascribe to Him are that which is due to our Creator. Let us never disassociate the two in our thoughts. When we behold Jesus, we are beholding our God, who is united with humanity to restore us to Himself. All hail the name of Jesus!

Heavenly Father, we thank You for what You have done for us when You sent Jesus to bring us back to Yourself. It is hard to fathom what value we possess that You would do what You have done. But we accept it by faith, knowing that for all eternity we will behold Your greatness and glorify You for what You have done. Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.