by Gary L. Evans
Matthew — Part 12
Mat 9:1-2 And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city. And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
Jesus forgave the sins of a paralyzed man.
Mat 9:3 And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.
Some scribes thought that Jesus had just blasphemed for claiming to be authorized to forgive sins.
Mat 9:4-5 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?
Jesus knew the thoughts of their minds. Note that only God is the Heart Knower. So He asks them, What is the easiest thing to say? Your sins are forgiven or get up and walk?
Mat 9:6-7 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house.
Then Jesus said that He being The Son of Man had power on earth to forgive sins. How? Because He was also The Only Begotten Son of God and therefore also had power in Heaven. Jesus had two Dominions, both of Heaven and Earth! Christ Jesus was God The Creator Incarnate who walked in the flesh among men.
Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
The name “Immanuel” means “God with us.” The angel declared that Jesus was literally God with us. Therefore He was truly The Heart Knower and He alone could forgive sins.
Mat 9:8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
And the people who observed these things right before their eyes recognized that Jesus had both Dominions, power over Heaven to forgive sins and power over the Earth to heal the paralyzed man.
Mat 9:9 And 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.
The phrase “receipt of custom” is from “tel-o’-nee-on” which means “a tax gatherer’s place of business.” So Matthew was a tax collector for the Roman government. And Jesus called him to follow Him as one of His Disciples.
Mat 9:10 And 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.
Jesus went to Matthew’s house and had dinner with him and his friends. The word “publicans” is from “tel-o’-nace” which means “a tax farmer, that is, collector of public revenue.” So many of Matthew’s friends were also tax collectors, naturally.
Mat 9:11-13 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But 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.
The Pharisees were far too self-righteous to associate with Israelites who worked for the Roman government, because the Romans were Gentiles. And they considered such Israelites as apostates. Jesus declared that He desired Mercy (Compassion, Love), not sacrifice. Jesus quoted from Hosea.
Hos 6:6 For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.
So the Pharisees questioned the Disciples why Jesus would eat dinner with them. Note that according to Hebrew tradition, eating a meal with strangers was to offer a Covenant of Salt, meaning that the two parties agreed to mutual defense. Thus a householder who invited a stranger into his house and shared his dinner with him, was expected to protect the stranger for as long as he was under his roof.
Jesus answered the Pharisees that He was the True Physician who came to heal the sick. But the Pharisees believed that they were God’s Chosen People, and all other people were inferior to them, especially sinners. Though they esteemed themselves chosen, Jesus had not chosen any of them. So they were not The Lord’s Chosen.
Mat 9:14 Then came to him the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
John The Baptist’s disciples fasted religiously just like the Pharisees. But The Lord had never made any Law requiring fasting. Fasting could be a healthy practice occasionally, but was up to the choice of every person and should be done privately not as a public ritual making it a vain show.
Isa 58:4-5 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
The Lord is certainly not pleased with people who make a public stage production about fasting.
Isa 58:6-8 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
Fasting is a private matter between the person fasting and The Lord. And instead of acting like one is starving and suffering from self abasement, one should show love and compassion of people who need it, such as those who are hungry and the poor. Then our health will return rapidly and the Lord will count your kindness as Righteousness. And God will be your defense.. This is how The Lord expects us to fast if we choose to.
Mat 9:15 And 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.
Christ was The Bridegroom and His Called-Out Ones would become His Bride.
Mat 9:16 No 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.
A new piece of cloth sewn into an old garment would shrink the next time the garment was washed, causing it to tear.
Mat 9:17 Neither 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.
Wine bottles were made of leather which would stretch as the new wine fermented. But as it aged, the leather would become hardened. Adding new wine into old bottles after they had been emptied would cause the old bottles to burst as the wine fermented. So new wine must always be put into new bottles.
Jesus is teaching a parable in these two examples. And His point is about doctrine. Someone who has hardened his mind with the established traditions and doctrines made up by the Pharisees was unlikely to be able to accept new doctrine based on a higher level teaching of God’s Word that they had never heard before.
Mat 9:18-19 While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.
A man came to Jesus and asked Him to raise his daughter from the dead. So Jesus got up and followed him along with some of His disciples.
Mat 9:20-22 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
As they went, a woman diseased with a bleeding disorder touched His robe because she believed that just touching Him would heal her. And she was immediately healed. Jesus noticed her after she touched Him and told her that her faith had healed her.
Mat 9:23-25 And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.
When Jesus got to the man’s house, He told the crowd of people that the girl was not dead but sleeping, because to Jesus, death was the death of the soul on The Day of Judgement. Then he told them to leave them alone with the girl and after they were gone, He took her hand and she got up from the bed.
Mat 9:26 And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.
Jesus became famous for raising the dead girl back to life.
Mat 9:27-28 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
Two blind men followed Jesus and begged Him to have mercy on them. So Jesus asked them if they believed that He could give them their sight. And they said, “Yes, Lord.”
Mat 9:29-31 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it. But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.
Then Jesus touched their eyes and told them that according to their faith they would receive their sight. Note that Jesus stressed the importance of strong faith in the person asking to be healed.
Mat 9:32-34 As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel. But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.
Jesus healed a man who could not speak, and the people watching were amazed. But the hypocritical Pharisees accused Jesus of being possessed with devils.
Mat 9:35-36 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
Jesus continued teaching and preaching The Good News about The New Covenant and The Kingdom of Heaven, and He continued healing everyone who asked Him. They were as sheep with no shepherd to guide them.
Mat 9:37-38 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.
Matthew — Part 13
Mat 10:1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
The word “spirits” is from “pnyoo’-mah” and means “a current of air, that is, breath (blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively a spirit, that is, (human) the rational soul, (by implication) vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or (superhuman) an angel, daemon, or (divine) God, Christ’s spirit, the Holy spirit.”
So the word “spirits” in this context means “the human rational soul, or mind, the vital principle, or life giving force.” Thus Jesus gave His Disciples power over the “unclean minds” of Satan’s fallen angels. Avoid thinking in terms from the confusion and mystification spread throughout the world by the Satanic Occult within nearly all cultures.
In the Occult, the word “spirit” is the same as “ghost” which is the body-less soul of a wandering dead person. Well, that notion is somewhat partially correct in that the Fallen Angels are Twice Dead in that they are already condemned to The Second Death in The Lake of Fire. But it certainly is not correct regarding Christ Who Resurrected and is Eternally Alive. The Kenites have been very busy deceiving and confusing people since the beginning of this world. From the examples that Jesus has already given to us, we know that devils can speak and they all know who Jesus is and they think rationally, therefore they are the minds of Satan’s angels that have entered into the bodies of people and taken control of them.
Lev 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
The Lord teaches us that The Life Giving Force, Vital Principle, is in the blood. Therefore our mind also dwells in our blood. So our brain must then be our Mind-Body Interface. This should not be a mystery to true Bible Scholars, so it should not be a mystery to true Christians. So how can The Holy Mind of Christ dwell in us who are His servants? By entering into our blood, and thereby sharing control of our body with our mind which we by self-discipline keep in subjection to Christ’s Mind in us. But for every positive there is also a negative counterpart, so Satan and his angels can send their minds into the blood of their servants also. And that is precisely how people can be possessed with devils.
Luk 22:3-4 Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.
For the most critical operations, Satan does not delegate the mission to one of his angels, but possesses a person himself, as was the case with Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus.
Mat 10:2-4 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these;
- The first, Simon, who is called Peter,
- and Andrew his brother;
- James the son of Zebedee,
- and John his brother;
- Philip,
- and Bartholomew;
- Thomas,
- and Matthew the publican;
- James the son of Alphaeus,
- and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;
- Simon the Canaanite,
- and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
Jesus had now called twelve Disciples to follow Him and gave them their commission. Note that “Bartholomew” is also called “Nathaniel” in The Gospel of John. And Lebbaeus surnamed Thaddaeus is also called Judas or Jude. Simon was not a Canaanite in the sense of genealogy but in the sense of the meaning of the word “Canaanite” which is Zealot. He is also called “Simon Zelotes” in other references.
Mat 10:5-6 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Jesus sent His Disciples out on a Missionary trip, and told them not to go to any Gentile city or city of the Samaritans. They were only to go to The Lost Sheep of The House of Israel, that is, to the Twelve Tribes of Israel scattered abroad. Only after Jesus had been crucified and had resurrected would Jesus commission them to also go to the Gentiles.
Jas 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
James addresses the Twelve Tribes of Israel scattered abroad in his Epistle. So the twelve tribes of Israel are not dead, but instead are scattered and mixed in with the Gentile tribes of mankind. That was the very condemnation that The Lord warned Israel about so they would not turn away from The Law and go back into sin. Israel turned back into sin and so The Lord scattered their tribes, and they are an example to us today.
Lev 26:14-15 But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant:
After The Lord gave Israel His Commandments, He warned them that if they obeyed, He would send blessings upon them, but if they disobeyed, then He would send curses upon them instead of blessings. The Final Curse was as follows:
Lev 26:32-33 And I will bring the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be astonished at it. And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.
So we see that Israel did indeed become apostate, and The Lord Scattered them among the Gentiles. But The Lord had already promised Abraham that his descendants would become very numerous as the stars of heaven and the sands of the sea shore. This was a unilateral promise by God Most High to Abraham. And God is not a liar. Just look at the Caucasian Christian Nations of the world today to identify The Twelve Tribes of Israel. They aren’t dead, but instead they don’t know who they are anymore.
This is a most critical issue for Christians to get settled in their minds, because the Kenites have claimed that God Lied to Abraham about his descendants becoming vastly numerous in this world. Well, if God Lied, then nothing He has said can be trusted, right? Many former Christians have lost all Faith because they were easily deceived into believing that The Tribes of Israel are all dead except a remnant of one, The Tribe of Judah, that is, the Jews. But, my friends, it is impossible for God to lie. So where are all of those descendants of Abraham today? Just look around you. Do you see any white (Caucasian) people? Let me explain how they got their name and you will understand.
They were given the name Caucasians by the indigenous Gentile tribes who watched the Israelites migrate over the Caucasus Mountains into their regions in Southern Russia and Southeastern Europe after they were freed from slavery. The ten northern tribes of Israel were freed from Assyrian slavery and the two southern tribes were later freed from Babylonian slavery. And since Gentiles had migrated into their ancestral lands, they had not homes to return to, so they migrated north over the mountains. And then they continued migrating northward and westward across all of Europe and across the sea to England, Scotland, and Ireland, and later to America and Canada and to Australia and New Zealand and to South America and Africa and the Isles of the sea. Caucasians have lived among the Gentiles wherever they migrated so long that they think of themselves as Gentiles whenever they read the Bible. They no longer know their own ancestral history.
Only a small remnant of the tribes of Israel, mostly from Judah, Benjamin, and Levi (and also some Kenites who pretended to be of Israel but had no records to prove it) returned to Judea and the city of Jerusalem when Cyrus The Persian freed the Israelite slaves. Cyrus even provided a caravan with money and supplies so that they could return and rebuild The Temple. Cyrus also provided all of the stone and lumber, gold and silver, and other materials needed.
Language is a remarkable tool to help identify the origins of tribes of man. For example, the name “British” is a compound Hebrew word, “Berith Ish” which means “Covenant Man.” Also the name “Saxons” is a compound from the Hebrew, “Isaac’s Sons.” And the name “Denmark” is a compound word “Dan’s Mark” from the northwestern tribe of Dan that was a sea faring tribe that migrated to various other regions across the sea very early on in their trading. And wherever they went, they tended to name places and things after their tribal name. Dunkirk (Dan’s Town), Danube (Dan’s River), etc. These are just a few examples. According to the Talmud, the volumes of traditions and doctrines that Jews study, a Jewish man must only marry a Jewish woman, but a Jewish woman may marry a Caucasian man because he is most likely one of The Lost Tribes. The migration history of the Twelve Tribes of Israel is another study. But God cannot lie. So do not let Kenites or Antichrists deceive you to think otherwise.
I recommend an excellent book on Biblical Archeology which presents detailed evidence of where The Twelve Tribes of Israel migrated after they were freed from slavery. Read the book, Tracing Our Ancestors, by Frederick Haberman.
Mat 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
They were to declare to The Twelve Tribes of Israel that The Kingdom of Heaven, and thus The Way to Eternal Life, was near to be revealed.
Mat 10:8-10 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.
They were not to charge for their teaching. Note that the word “scrip” was a shepherd’s bag which was used to carry money and food. But they were not to carry a bag or any money or extra clothes or shoes, but were to trust that other people would provide for their needs.
Mat 10:11-13 And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. And when ye come into an house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
When they found a house that would receive them, then they were to stay there until they were ready to leave that city.
Mat 10:14-15 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
For the people of any city to completely reject the Disciples, Jesus said they would have hell to pay during The Lord’s Day.
Mat 10:16-18 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.
The Disciples would be greatly persecuted for sharing The Gospel of The Kingdom. So they especially needed to be knowledgeable about The Kenites, those Offspring of That Old Serpent, because they will attack with force when a Disciple comes near one of them.
Mat 10:19-20 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.
Whenever they were arrested, The Holy Spirit would speak through them, so they should not try to think of what they should say, but just wait for The Spirit of their Heavenly Father.
Mat 10:21-22 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
Members of a family would attack each other because of The Gospel, and The Disciples would be hated and persecuted for The Lord’s Name’s Sake. But everyone who endured the persecution would be saved.
Mat 10:23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
The Book of Acts documents how The Disciples and their productive converts traveled from city to city preaching The Gospel and how much they were persecuted. And sincere Christians have continued their ministry to this very day. Note that Jesus said that His Disciples, which include us today, will not have gone over all of the cities of Israel before The Son of Man returns. Jesus returns at the Seventh Trumpet. So how many cities of Israel are there today? Well, the Tribes of Israel are numerous today as the stars of heaven and the sands of the sea shore, and they have very many cities in this world to visit.
Whosoever has eyes to see and ears to hear, let him hear.