The Explanation

Some men had a friend who could not walk. They carried him on his mat to Jesus. When Jesus saw how much they believed, he said, "Son, cheer up! Your sins are forgiven you." Some teachers standing there thought, "He cannot say that, only God can forgive sins." Jesus knew exactly what they were thinking. So he asked them, "Which is easier, to forgive sins, or to say get up and walk?" Then he turned to the man and said, "Get up, take your mat, and go home." The man stood up. He really did. He walked out carrying his own mat, and the crowd was amazed.

Jesus kept walking, and he saw a tax collector named Matthew sitting at his money table. Tax collectors were not liked, people thought they were cheaters. But Jesus said only two words to him, "Follow me." Matthew got up right away and followed. Later Matthew invited many tax collectors and other people nobody liked to eat together with Jesus. Some religious leaders, called Pharisees, did not like that at all. "Why does he eat with people like that?" they asked. Jesus answered, "Sick people need a doctor, not healthy people. I came for the ones who need help."

Then something sad happened. A leader's daughter had just died. The father ran to Jesus and begged him to come. On the way, a woman who had been sick for twelve years touched Jesus' coat, just the edge of it, because she believed that would be enough. It was. She was healed instantly. Jesus still went on to the leader's house, took the girl's hand, and she stood up alive.

After that, two blind men followed Jesus, calling out for help. He asked them, "Do you believe I can do this?" They said yes. He touched their eyes, and they could see.

What Does This Mean?

In this chapter Jesus keeps meeting people who are stuck: stuck on a mat, stuck in sickness, stuck in death, stuck in darkness. Every single time, he does not walk past. He stops, and he acts. Jesus has power over sickness, over sin, and even over death. That is not a small claim. It means Jesus is not just a kind teacher, he is someone with real authority, given by God himself.

The Common Thread

God always promised he would come near to his people, not stay far away. Jesus is that promise, walking around in real streets, touching real hands, healing real bodies. He does not wait for people to clean themselves up first. He comes to sinners, sick people, and sad people exactly where they are. That is the whole heart of the story: mercy before anything else.

For You

You cannot heal a blind man or raise the dead, but you can be like the friends who carried the paralyzed man to Jesus. You can bring someone to Jesus by praying for them. You can be kind to someone others look down on, the way Jesus ate with Matthew. And when you are scared or in trouble, you can call out like the blind men did: "Have mercy on me."

Talk About It

Which person in this chapter would you have wanted to be, and why?

Is there someone you could pray for this week, like the friends prayed by carrying their friend to Jesus?

Praying Together

Lord Jesus, thank you that you do not walk past people who need help. Thank you that you saw the sick, the sad, and the forgotten, and you helped them. Help us to bring our friends to you in prayer, and help us to trust you like the woman who touched your coat. Amen.