Faith in Every Chapter — New Testament Sermon Series
This sermon is part of a journey through all 260 chapters of the New Testament, exploring the message of faith in each one.
Introduction: Everyone Has Something That Needs Fixing
Most of us know what it is like to have something broken.
It might be a broken appliance, a broken car, a broken relationship, a broken promise or even a broken heart. When something stops working, we usually look for someone who knows how to repair it.
But what happens when the broken thing is a human life?
What happens when someone is physically ill, emotionally exhausted, spiritually lost, unable to see a way forward or carrying a problem that seems impossible to solve?
Matthew chapter 9 gives us a remarkable answer. It shows Jesus encountering one broken situation after another. Some people were physically sick. Some were rejected by society. Some were grieving. Some were blind. One man could not speak. Yet Jesus did not simply look at their problems and walk away.
He responded with authority, compassion and purpose.
As we read this chapter, we discover that Jesus can deal with problems that other people cannot fix. He can forgive sin, restore dignity, bring hope, heal sickness and even demonstrate authority over death.
Let’s look at six situations in which Jesus encountered people whose lives needed fixing.
1. Jesus Can Fix a Life That Has Been Stopped in Its Tracks
Matthew 9:1–8 tells the story of a paralysed man who was brought to Jesus on a bed.
Imagine what life must have been like for this man. He could not simply get up and walk to work, visit friends or go wherever he wanted. He depended on other people to help him with ordinary activities.
His friends brought him to Jesus because they believed Jesus could help.
But Jesus did something unexpected. Before addressing the man’s physical condition, He said:
“Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.” (Matthew 9:2, KJV)
Some of the religious teachers objected. They believed Jesus was speaking blasphemy because only God could forgive sins.
Jesus knew what they were thinking. He then told the man to get up, take his bed and go home. The man did exactly that.
There are two important things happening here.
First, Jesus addressed the man’s spiritual need. Second, He demonstrated His authority by healing his physical condition.
We should not assume that every physical illness is caused by someone’s personal sin. That is not what this passage teaches. Rather, it shows that Jesus has authority over both the spiritual and physical dimensions of human life.
Sometimes our lives become paralysed by circumstances. We may feel unable to move forward because of fear, disappointment, failure or something that happened years ago.
Other people might see our situation as hopeless, but Jesus sees more than the problem in front of Him.
The lesson: Do not assume that because your life has stopped moving, it must stay that way. Bring your situation to Jesus. He sees the whole person, not just the visible problem.
2. Jesus Can Fix a Life That Has Taken the Wrong Direction
In Matthew 9:9, Jesus saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth.
Tax collectors were often despised by their fellow Jews. They worked for the Roman authorities, and the profession was associated with dishonesty and exploitation.
Matthew was not necessarily the person his neighbours would have chosen as a religious leader.
Yet Jesus said to him:
“Follow me.” (Matthew 9:9, KJV)
And Matthew got up and followed Him.
It is a remarkably short account, but it contains a powerful message.
Jesus did not wait for Matthew to become respectable before calling him. He called him while he was still sitting at his tax collector’s booth.
Later, Jesus sat down to eat with tax collectors and sinners. The religious leaders criticised Him for associating with such people.
Jesus responded:
“They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.” (Matthew 9:12, KJV)
He explained that He had come to call sinners to repentance.
Think about the picture Jesus gives us. A doctor does not refuse to see a patient because the patient is sick. The sickness is the reason the patient needs the doctor.
In the same way, Jesus came to reach people who knew they needed help.
Perhaps you have made mistakes. Perhaps you have developed habits that are difficult to break. Perhaps your life has taken a direction you never intended.
Matthew’s story reminds us that our past does not have to determine our future.
Jesus can call us to a new direction.
The lesson: You do not have to be perfect before you come to Jesus. Come as you are, but be willing to follow Him into a different life.
3. Jesus Can Help Someone Who Has Suffered for Years
Matthew 9:20–22 tells us about a woman who had been suffering from a bleeding condition for twelve years.
Twelve years is a long time to live with a health problem.
We are not told every detail of her experience, but we can imagine the frustration of dealing with an ongoing condition. She had probably experienced disappointment, uncertainty and the exhaustion that comes from a problem that refuses to go away.
She came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of His garment.
She believed that if she could just touch His clothing, she would be healed.
Jesus turned, saw her and said:
“Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.” (Matthew 9:22, KJV)
And the woman was healed.
Notice that Jesus did not treat her as an interruption. He stopped and acknowledged her.
The word “Daughter” is particularly significant. He addressed her with warmth and dignity.
There are people who have been dealing with problems for years. They may have tried different solutions. They may have prayed repeatedly. They may have wondered whether anyone really understands what they are going through.
This passage offers encouragement, but we should be careful not to turn it into a promise that every person who has enough faith will receive an immediate physical healing. The Bible does not teach that.
What it does show is that Jesus is compassionate towards people who suffer, and that no long-standing problem is beyond His knowledge or His power.
The lesson: Do not give up bringing your difficulties to Jesus. He knows how long you have been struggling, and your suffering matters to Him.
4. Jesus Can Fix a Situation That Looks Beyond Repair
Matthew 9:18–19 and 23–26 tell the story of a ruler whose daughter had died.
The father came to Jesus and asked Him to come and lay His hand upon the girl.
By the time Jesus arrived at the house, the mourners had gathered. People were crying and making a commotion because the child had died.
To the people in the house, the situation was finished.
There was nothing more to be done.
But Jesus entered the room, took the girl by the hand, and she arose.
Matthew tells us that news of this miracle spread throughout the region.
This is one of the most extraordinary accounts in the chapter.
There are situations in life where we reach the end of what human ability can accomplish. We can repair many things, treat many illnesses, resolve many disputes and overcome many obstacles. But there are limits to what we can do.
The death of this girl was one of those situations.
Jesus demonstrated an authority that went beyond the limits of human power.
For Christians, this account also points towards the larger biblical promise of resurrection and eternal life. Death is a terrible reality, but it does not have the final word in God’s purposes.
The lesson: When a situation appears beyond human repair, remember that Jesus is not limited by the same boundaries that limit us.
5. Jesus Can Fix What We Cannot See
In Matthew 9:27–31, two blind men followed Jesus, calling out:
“Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.” (Matthew 9:27, KJV)
Jesus asked them:
“Believe ye that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28, KJV)
They answered, “Yea, Lord.”
Jesus touched their eyes, and their sight was restored.
This story is interesting because Jesus asked them a direct question.
He wanted to know whether they believed He was able to help them.
There is a difference between knowing that a problem exists and believing that something can be done about it.
We sometimes become so accustomed to our difficulties that we stop imagining a different future.
We might be unable to see a way out of debt, a way to repair a relationship, a way to change our circumstances or a way to move forward after disappointment.
The two blind men could not see Jesus physically, but they recognised that He was the one who could help them.
Their physical healing also gives us a useful picture of spiritual understanding. We can have perfectly good eyesight and still fail to see what matters most.
We can be blind to our own faults, blind to the needs of others or blind to the direction God is calling us to take.
The lesson: Ask Jesus to help you see clearly. Sometimes the first thing that needs fixing is not our circumstances but our understanding of them.
6. Jesus Can Give a Voice Back to Someone Who Has Lost One
Matthew 9:32–34 describes a man who was unable to speak because of demonic oppression.
When the demon was driven out, the man spoke.
The crowd was astonished, saying that nothing like this had ever been seen in Israel.
The religious leaders, however, accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of the prince of demons.
It is another example of two very different responses to Jesus.
The crowd saw something remarkable happening. The religious leaders looked for a reason to discredit Him.
The man himself experienced restoration.
We should not assume that every speech difficulty or physical disability has a demonic cause. Matthew is describing a particular event in Jesus’ ministry, not giving a general medical explanation for speech conditions.
But the wider message is important.
Jesus restored something this man had been unable to do. He gave him the ability to speak.
There are also people today who feel as though they have lost their voice.
Some have been silenced by fear. Some have been discouraged by criticism. Some have been made to feel that their opinions do not matter. Others have become so accustomed to keeping quiet that they no longer speak about what is happening in their lives.
Jesus cares about people who have been pushed aside and overlooked.
The lesson: Your voice matters. Ask God to help you speak truthfully, courageously and with compassion.
7. Jesus Does Not Just Fix Individual Lives — He Calls Others to Help
The chapter does not finish with the miracles.
Matthew 9:35–38 gives us a broader picture of Jesus’ ministry.
Jesus travelled through towns and villages, teaching in synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing sickness and disease.
Then He looked at the crowds and had compassion on them.
Matthew says they were like sheep without a shepherd.
Jesus recognised that there were many people in need, but relatively few workers to help them.
He told His disciples:
“The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few.” (Matthew 9:37, KJV)
He then instructed them to pray for the Lord of the harvest to send workers into His harvest.
This is an important ending to the chapter.
Jesus had helped one person after another, but He also recognised that the needs of the wider community were enormous.
There were more people needing help than one small group of disciples could easily reach.
The answer was not simply to admire the miracles. It was to become part of the work.
This is where the chapter becomes personal for us.
We might not be able to heal the sick, raise the dead or perform the miracles Jesus performed. But we can help people in practical ways.
We can visit someone who is lonely. We can encourage someone who is discouraged. We can help a family facing hardship. We can listen to someone who needs to talk. We can share the message of Jesus with someone who has lost hope.
We can become part of the answer to somebody else’s prayer.
The lesson: Do not spend all your time asking Jesus to fix your problems. Ask Him to show you how you can help fix something in someone else’s life.
What Matthew 9 Teaches Us About Broken Lives
When we look at the whole chapter, we see a remarkable range of human needs.
| Person or situation | What Jesus did |
|---|---|
| The paralysed man | Forgave his sins and restored his ability to walk |
| Matthew the tax collector | Called him to follow a new direction |
| The woman suffering for twelve years | Healed her and acknowledged her faith |
| The ruler’s daughter | Raised her from death |
| The two blind men | Restored their sight |
| The man unable to speak | Restored his ability to speak |
| The crowds | Looked upon them with compassion and called for more workers |
These are very different problems.
Some were physical. Some were spiritual. Some involved grief, rejection or the need for a fresh start.
But there is one thing that connects all these stories.
Jesus saw people who needed help, and He responded.
He did not judge their worth by their social standing, their occupation, their reputation or their physical condition.
He saw their needs and treated them with compassion.
Conclusion: What Is Broken in Your Life?
As I read Matthew chapter 9, I am reminded that people can be broken in many different ways.
A person can be physically healthy but spiritually lost.
A person can be financially successful but emotionally exhausted.
A person can have a good reputation but a troubled conscience.
A person can appear happy on the outside while struggling with something nobody else knows about.
The wonderful message of Matthew 9 is that Jesus is concerned about the whole person.
He can forgive. He can restore. He can heal. He can give direction. He can bring hope into situations where people have run out of answers.
But there is another message in this chapter that we should not overlook.
Jesus did not simply tell people to admire Him. He called people to follow Him.
Matthew left his tax collector’s booth. The disciples travelled with Jesus. And at the end of the chapter, Jesus told His followers to pray for more workers.
In other words, the people who experience the compassion of Jesus should also learn to show compassion to others.
So perhaps there are two questions we should ask ourselves today:
- What is broken in my life that I need to bring to Jesus?
- What is broken in someone else’s life that I might be able to help?
We cannot promise that every problem will be fixed in the way we want or within the time we want. But we can trust the character of Jesus, bring our burdens to Him and allow His teaching to change the way we live.
The chapter begins with people bringing their problems to Jesus.
It ends with Jesus looking at a world full of people who need help.
That is a wonderful picture of the Christian life: we come to Jesus for help, and then we learn to help others.
Jesus can fix what is broken — and He can use us to bring hope to people whose lives are broken too.
Continue the Journey
In Matthew chapter 9, we have seen Jesus forgive, heal, restore and call people to a new purpose.
But what happens when Jesus gives His followers authority and sends them out to do the work themselves?
In Matthew chapter 10, we will explore “Jesus Sends His Disciples Out to Do the Work” — and discover what He expected them to do, what He warned them about and what it means to represent Him in the world today.
Thanks for reading.
God Bless.
From Tony Egar.
Brisbane, Australia.
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