Jesus’ Concern for All

Matthew 9:1, 9-13, 18-26

GOLDEN TEXT: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them, for this is the law and the prophets.”—Matthew 7:12

IT HAS been truly said by the poet that “there’s a wideness in God’s mercy like the wideness of the sea.” It is equally true that men have made God’s “love too narrow by false limits of their own, and have magnified His vengeance with a zeal He will not own.” Jesus came to earth as a manifestation of His Heavenly Father’s love for the human race, and in His earthly life and ministry we see the divine viewpoint exemplified—a viewpoint of mercy toward the erring and of helpfulness toward those in need.

The scribes and Pharisees—the religious leaders in Israel at the time of Jesus’ first advent—had not imbibed the spirit of mercy from their study of the law and the prophets. They had over-emphasized technicalities and failed to learn the weightier, more important lessons which they should have learned and practiced in their dealings with the people. On one occasion Jesus said to them, “Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith.”—Matt. 23:23

These self-righteous leaders of Israel were ready to condemn the Master because He ate with publicans and sinners. He told them that their attitude was due to their failure to learn the meaning of God’s statement through the prophet, “I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.” The divine principle of mercy is one which God wants all His people to learn and practice. It is so important that He has made His own mercy toward us dependent upon our exercise of mercy toward those who injure us.

“They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick,” Jesus said. In this illustration the “sick” refers to the publicans and sinners whom Jesus was endeavoring to help, while the “whole” applies to the self-righteous scribes and Pharisees. We are not to understand from this that Jesus looked upon these hypocritical leaders as being actually righteous; but rather, that He was reasoning from the standpoint of what they claim to be.

Actually, because of their perverted viewpoint and pride of heart they were further from God than were the publicans and sinners, because the particular disease of sin and pride with which they were afflicted was more difficult to heal. They really needed a physician, but they were too spiritually sick to know it. The publicans and sinners with whom Jesus associated at least realized need, and were glad for what Jesus could do to help them.

The lack of mercy is still apparent among religious leaders. There is far too great a tendency mercilessly to condemn those who fail to measure up to certain standards which may or may not be of Scriptural origin. Some who, in one breath acclaim the love of God, in the next breath condemn those who uphold the Scriptural teaching that those who have died as unbelievers will be given an opportunity to repent following their awakening from the sleep of death. That is the terrible doctrine of a “second chance,” they say, forgetting that Jesus advocated that people be given “seventy times seven” chances.

The Master’s genuine concern for all is further manifested in His healing of the woman who for twelve years had suffered from an “issue of blood.” This woman believed that if she could but “touch” the hem of Jesus’ garment, she would be healed. The Greek word here translated “touch” seems to carry a deeper meaning than merely that of making contact. It is the word used in all of the accounts which tell of the effort of various ones to touch the Master in order to receive a special blessing from Him. It is the word used by Jesus when, following His resurrection, He said to Mary, “Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father.” (John 20:17) Jesus’ thought here seems to have been that not until He had ascended to His Father and applied the merit of His sacrifice upon the mercy seat, would He be in a position to impart a genuine and lasting blessing to Mary.

The awakening of the ruler’s daughter from the sleep of death was another manifestation of Jesus’ interest in suffering humanity. Those who laughed at Him when He said that the maid was not dead, but sleeping, did not realize that He was referring to the sleep of death. This is one of the Scriptural symbols of death. Those who are asleep will awake. What a blessed assurance this is that the dead are to live again, in the Millennial morning!

QUESTIONS:

What is one of the important lessons God wants all His people to learn from their study of His Word?

What is the meaning of the word “touch” as used by the woman who had been ill for twelve years?

What did Jesus mean when He said of the ruler’s daughter, “The maid is not dead, but sleepeth”?

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