Matthew 9:1-8 Rise and Walk
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: February 26, 2019, Matthew 9:1-8
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. 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.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 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.” And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
(Understanding the Text) “His own city” must be Capernaum. A lot more details are found elsewhere. I like Matthew’s understatement–some people brought a paralytic lying on a bed–when the reality is some people knocked a hole in the roof and lowered the paralytic down into the middle of the crowd of people gathered around Jesus in Peter’s house. This goes to show that there is a lot more to many stories than the bare bones that we read in the Bible. However, Matthew’s purpose here is not to give the details of a lively story. He is on a mission to prove that Jesus is the Messiah, and he is in the section of his book where he is giving samples of miracles that Jesus has performed. Matthew’s bare bones help us to know what was really important: the faith of the people who brought the paralytic, Jesus’ affirmation of the paralytic’s forgiveness, and Jesus’ ability to even know thoughts. Matthew’s evidence for Messiahship here is the example of Jesus healing a paralytic. Even a man who could barely move is not exempt from the power of God that Jesus contained.
Jesus knew that the paralytic was depressed and discouraged about his sinful past. Jesus told him to take heart. Jesus gives hope when we have none. The paralytic did not have enough faith on his own, but his friends did. Because of their faith, Jesus was able to bless the paralytic with peace of mind and healing of body.
(Revelation of God) Jesus was a man. They all knew this, but Matthew is saying that He was a man with the power of God. In fact, He was God. The proof is in the forgiveness of sins. In one way the scribes were correct. A person does not have the power to forgive someone else’s sins against God. If Jesus had been only a man, their logic would have been correct. However, Jesus was “God with us,” so He had the authority to forgive sins, as well as the power to heal. The people recognized this authority in the act, which is why they were afraid and glorifying God after this incident more than some of the other healings.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that I can trust Jesus to look into my heart and provide me with encouragement even when people cannot see clearly. I need to trust Jesus not just for myself, but for others also. Jesus can transform the lives of other people, and I need to have faith that if I just get these people close to Jesus, He will do the rest. I have so little faith in Your ability to reach into other people’s hearts and transform them. Please give me faith.