The Gospel According to St. Matthew
The King James Bible
Matthew 9:9-17
The tax collector 9And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him. 10And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. 11And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? 12But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. 13But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. 14Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? 15And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. 16No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse. 17Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. |
Margin notes:
"As Jesus passed forth from thence." (9:9) - "As Jesus went on from there." Means Jesus left the place where He had just healed the paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8) "Matthew." (9:9) - The author of this Gospel. See lesson one for Matthew's biography. "Sitting at the receipt of custom." (9:9) - "Sitting at the tax office." Publicans were tax collectors, like Matthew, who manned customhouses and collected duty on imported and exported trade goods. They paid Rome for the right to collect the taxes and then paid themselves by overcharging tradesmen and keeping the difference. Couple this with the fact that they worked for the oppressive Romans meant they were not very popular with the Jewish population. "Jesus sat at meat." (9:10) - "Jesus sat at dinner." "Many publicans." (9:10) - "Many tax collectors." No doubt friends of Matthew. "They that be whole need not a physician." (9:12) - "Those that are healthy don't need a doctor." "Go ye and learn what that meaneth." (9:13) - "Go and learn what this means." "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice." (9:13) - Jesus is paraphrasing Hosea 6:6 which emphasizes morality ("I will have mercy") over the rites and ceremonies (sacrificing) of Judaism. Jesus reinforces this message in verse 12:7. "Disciples of John." (9:14) - "Disciples of John the Baptist." "Can the children of the bridechamber mourn." (9:15) - "Do the friends of the bridegroom mourn?" No, they celebrate. Jesus is speaking metaphorically of His pending crucifixion. While the bridegroom (Jesus) was still with the apostles, there was joy and no need to mourn or fast. "The rent is made worse." (9:16) - "The tear is made worse." |
To read Mark's account of these same events, see Mark 2:14-22. Luke reports on it in Luke 5:27-39.
New Living Translation
Matthew 9:9-17
Jesus Calls Matthew
9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector's booth. "Follow me and be my disciple," Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.
10 Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners.
11 But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with such scum?"
12 When Jesus heard this, he said, "Healthy people don't need a doctor-sick people do."
13 Then he added, "Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: 'I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.' For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners."
A Discussion about Fasting
14 One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, "Why don't your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?"
15 Jesus replied, "Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.
16 "Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.
17 "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved."
This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
Today's Question:
1. What does the parable of the wine bottle mean? (9:17)
1. What does the parable of the wine bottle mean? (9:17)
Don't forget to click on the links.
Answer: (Do you agree?)
1. In Jesus' day, wine "bottles" were made of goatskin sewn into soft, flexible watertight bags that could stretch. As wine ferments, it gives off gases that expand and burst old wineskins that had lost their elasticity. Like old wineskins, the Pharisees were inflexible and locked into the old rites and ceremonies (like fasting) of the Mosaic Law. They were not able to accept Jesus (the new wine) or His message that salvation can not be found by obeying the Law. Just as "new wine" needed new bottles, people need new attitudes.
"We, too, must be careful that our heart does not become so rigid that it prevents us from accepting the new ways of thinking that Christ brings." "We need to keep our heart pliable so we can accept Jesus' life-changing message."
(Life Application Study Bible published by Tyndale House Publishers; Carol Stream Illinois; page 1963).
1. In Jesus' day, wine "bottles" were made of goatskin sewn into soft, flexible watertight bags that could stretch. As wine ferments, it gives off gases that expand and burst old wineskins that had lost their elasticity. Like old wineskins, the Pharisees were inflexible and locked into the old rites and ceremonies (like fasting) of the Mosaic Law. They were not able to accept Jesus (the new wine) or His message that salvation can not be found by obeying the Law. Just as "new wine" needed new bottles, people need new attitudes.
"We, too, must be careful that our heart does not become so rigid that it prevents us from accepting the new ways of thinking that Christ brings." "We need to keep our heart pliable so we can accept Jesus' life-changing message."
(Life Application Study Bible published by Tyndale House Publishers; Carol Stream Illinois; page 1963).
Application thought for the day:
Are your attitudes inflexible? Are you able to accept the "new wine" offered by Jesus? With an open heart and mind, we can change our lives and become the person God wants us to be. Break free of your old sinful ways and Christ will fill you with the Holy Spirit.
Are your attitudes inflexible? Are you able to accept the "new wine" offered by Jesus? With an open heart and mind, we can change our lives and become the person God wants us to be. Break free of your old sinful ways and Christ will fill you with the Holy Spirit.
Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress Books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; "The Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies"; "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible". All were critical in putting these lessons together.
© 2023 evolke
© 2023 evolke