Day 11: Matthew 9:1-34 | 2026 Lenten Reading Plan

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In Matthew 9, Jesus forgives and heals a paralytic, raising questions about his authority.

He also raises Jairus’s daughter from the dead, heals two blind men, and casts out a mute demon.

In the middle of these miracles, Jesus addresses fasting by saying you don’t put new wine into old wineskins.

This symbolizes that something fundamentally new is happening.

God is incarnate, and the old way of relating to Him through efforts and fasts is being replaced by something new, and we’ll need new eyes to see it.

The miracles are met with contention.

Critics are appalled by Him forgiving of sins, and eventually claim the miracles are done by the power of the devil.

Miracles are ultimately a question of God’s identity. Apart from faith, you cannot see a miracle for what it truly is.

New eyes of faith are needed to recognize that God is merciful and has come to save.

Every miracle is a down payment on undoing sin and death (there’s a cost).

Jesus’s healing is a promise that he will take away the sin that brought the sickness, a promise that he will bear the cross.

Christ has borne the cross, securing your forgiveness, life, and salvation. Your miracle is that God has already drawn near to save you.

Contributor Rev. Harrison Goodman is the Higher Things Executive Director of Missions and Theology.

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