Matthew 9

²People carried a paralysed man to Jesus on a mat. When Jesus saw how much they all believed, He looked at the man and said, 'Son, cheer up — your sins are forgiven!' Jesus saw the need underneath the need.

³Some of the religious teachers muttered to themselves, 'This man is blaspheming! Only God can forgive sins!' They were right about one thing — only God can forgive sins.

⁴Jesus knew exactly what they were thinking — even though they hadn't said it out loud. He turned to them and asked, 'Why are you thinking evil things in your hearts?'

⁵Jesus asked them a question: 'Which is easier — to say your sins are forgiven, or to tell someone to get up and walk?' It takes the same power to do both!

⁶Jesus said, 'So that you will know the Son of Man has power to forgive sins on earth —' Then He turned to the paralysed man and said, 'Get up, pick up your mat, and go home!'

⁷And the man got up! He picked up his mat and walked home. Just like that. Jesus had said it, and it happened.

⁸When the crowd saw the man get up and walk, they were amazed — and they gave glory to God! They worshipped God for giving such amazing power to Jesus.

⁹As Jesus walked on, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at a tax booth collecting money. Jesus simply said, 'Follow Me.' And Matthew stood up and followed Him — right away!

¹⁰Later, Jesus was eating at Matthew's house. Lots of tax collectors and other people with bad reputations came and sat down to eat with Jesus and His disciples. Jesus welcomed them all.

¹¹When the Pharisees — the strict religious leaders — saw this, they complained to Jesus' disciples: 'Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and terrible sinners?'

¹²Jesus heard them and answered, 'Healthy people don't need a doctor — sick people do.' He was saying: He came for the people who know they need help.

¹³Jesus said: 'Go and learn what this means — God wants kindness, not just religious rules. I didn't come for people who think they're already fine. I came to find people who know they need Me.'

¹⁴John the Baptist's followers came to Jesus with a question: 'Why do we and the Pharisees fast a lot, but your disciples never fast?' They wanted to understand Jesus' way.

¹⁵Jesus answered, 'You don't mourn at a wedding while the groom is still there! But the day will come when I am taken away — and then they will fast.' Jesus was talking about His death.

¹⁶Jesus said, 'Nobody sews a brand-new patch on an old worn-out coat — the new patch will pull away and make an even bigger tear!' New things don't just fit neatly into old things.

¹⁷Jesus continued, 'And nobody puts new wine into old cracked wineskins. The new wine will burst the old skins and everything will be ruined. New wine needs new wineskins — then both are kept safe!'

¹⁸Right while Jesus was still speaking, a synagogue leader fell before Him in worship and said, 'My daughter has just died — but if You come and put Your hand on her, she will live again!' He believed the impossible.

¹⁹Jesus immediately got up and went with him. The disciples followed too. When someone needs Jesus, He goes.

²⁰As they walked, a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years crept through the crowd. She came up behind Jesus and quietly touched the edge of His robe.

²¹She had been saying to herself, 'If I can just touch even the edge of His clothes, I know I will be completely healed.' Her whole faith rested in one small touch.

²²Jesus stopped, turned around, and looked right at her. He said, 'Daughter, be encouraged — your faith has made you whole!' And from that moment, she was completely healed.

²³When Jesus arrived at Jairus' house, He found professional mourners and a noisy crowd of people wailing. They were already acting as if all hope was gone.

²⁴Jesus told them all to go outside and said, 'The girl is not dead — she is only sleeping.' They laughed at Him. They thought He didn't know what He was talking about.

²⁵Jesus sent everyone outside. Then He went in, took the girl's hand — and she got up. That simply. That completely. The dead girl was alive.

²⁶And news of what Jesus had done spread to every part of the region. You cannot keep a resurrection quiet!

²⁷When Jesus left that place, two blind men followed Him, calling out loudly, 'Son of David, have mercy on us!' They used a royal title for the Messiah — they knew who Jesus was.

²⁸When they reached the house, Jesus asked them directly, 'Do you believe I am able to do this?' They said, 'Yes, Lord!' Jesus always asked about faith — because faith is the door.

²⁹Jesus touched their eyes and said, 'Let it happen to you just as you believed.' Your faith opened the door, and Jesus walked through it.

³⁰Their eyes opened! They could see! Jesus told them firmly, 'Make sure you don't tell anyone about this.' He was not looking for fame — He was doing it out of love.

³¹But the men left and told everyone — the news of what Jesus had done spread all across the country. When Jesus does something wonderful in your life, it is very hard to stay quiet!

³²Just as the blind men were leaving, people brought Jesus a man who could not speak at all because of an evil spirit. The needs kept coming — and Jesus kept helping.

³³When Jesus cast out the evil spirit, the man spoke! The crowds were astonished and said, 'Nothing like this has ever happened in Israel before!' Jesus was doing things nobody had ever seen.

³⁴But the Pharisees said, 'He only casts out demons because the ruler of demons gives Him the power!' They were so determined not to believe that they said something completely backwards.

³⁵Jesus kept travelling to every town and village. He taught in the synagogues, preached the Good News about God's Kingdom, and healed every kind of sickness. He left no one out.

³⁶When Jesus looked out at the crowds, His heart broke for them. They were exhausted, lost, and scattered — like sheep with nobody to lead them. Jesus looked at people and felt their pain.

³⁷Jesus said to His disciples, 'There is a huge harvest waiting — so many people who need to hear the Good News. But there are not nearly enough workers to bring it in!'

³⁸Jesus said, 'So ask the Lord of the harvest — ask God — to send more workers out into His fields!' The first answer to the problem of the world's need is to pray.