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Jesus Heals a Paralytic
9 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. 2 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.” 3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” 4 But Jesus, knowing[a] their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 6 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.” 7 And he rose and went home. 8 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
Today, we’re continuing on in the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus is in the midst of His incarnational ministry. Today, we read about how He healed a man. By taking a look at what Jesus does, and people’s reaction to the healing, we can learn more about Jesus, and what His work means for us today.
About Jesus:
1. Jesus notices our faith
Matt. 9:2, 1 Cor. 15:58, Gal. 6:9, 2 Chron. 15:7, Heb. 6:10, Phil. 2:16, 1 Cor. 3:8
2. Jesus gives us comfort
Matt. 9:2, 2 Cor. 1:3, Rom. 5:5, Is. 9:6, 1 Tim. 2:5
3. Jesus gets to the root of our problems
Matt. 9:2, Phil. 4:6-7, Ps. 34:17, Rom. 8:28, James 1:12
4. Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves
Matt. 9:3-4, 10:30, Ps. 139:1-24, John 10:14-15, Heb. 4:13
5. Jesus has the ultimate authority
Matt. 9:5-7, 28:18, Rev. 19:16, James 4:7
6. Jesus gives us everything we need
Matt. 9:4-7, 2 Pet. 1:3, Eph. 1:19-21, 2 Cor. 12:9
7. Jesus’ work allows us to be a co-heir with Him
Matt. 9:8, Rom. 8:17, Gal. 4:7, James 2:5
Reflecting on God’s Word
Getting Started
- Take some time to read over Matthew 9:1-8 and pray.
- Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it?
- What surprised you as we talked about it?
- Take some time in prayer, specifically asking God to help you in your relationship with Him, and thanking Him for His sacrifice that made a way of salvation possible.
Diving In
- Read Matthew 9:2 again. It must of taken a lot of faith to bring this man to Jesus, and Jesus notices that faith of the people who brought the paralytic to Him. In what ways does it encourage you to know that Jesus notices your faith, and the things you do out of faith?
- In what area(s) of your life do you need encouragement in, to keep on doing what God has called you to do?
- How can you remind others of the truth of Jesus noticing their faith?
- Read Matthew 9:2 again. Even though the paralytic man was brought to Jesus to be physically healed, Jesus first encourages him, and forgives his sin. Have you ever gone to God with a problem, and He instead got the root of your problem, instead of healing a symptom of it?
- Read Matthew 9:4-7 again. Not only does Jesus give the scribes what they need, by talking to them, and showing them that He surely does have the power to forgive sins, but He also gives the healed man the full strength to get up, pick up his bed, and go home. How does recognizing that Jesus gives us everything we need comfort you and encourage you in your faith?
- Read Matthew 9:8 again. The crowd glorified God, who had given authority to men. Romans 8:17 calls us co-heirs with Jesus…. which is an incredible gift that God has given us. Spend some time in prayer, thanking God for doing that for you.
Applying the Scripture
What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word?
- What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture?
- How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord?
- Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?
Small Group Guide:
Open with prayer.
Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?
If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.
Prayer Time:
Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.
Staying Missional:
Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:
Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?
What’s next?
Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?