Matthew 9 … Consider Him Who Sees the Unseen

Originally posted: 04/08/2019

Matthew invites us to see the continued confirmation of the Deity of Christ; for He Sees what no man can see, the Unseen.

Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over the sea and came to His own city. ² And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven,” (Matthew 9:1-2).

Consider Him Who Sees the Unseen

• “Seeing their faith…” (9:2).
  • Who but the Lord can see one’s faith? As humans, we see demonstrations of faith in others, but we cannot actually see faith. Jesus Sees the Unseen.
    • …a synagogue official came and bowed down before Him, and said, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live,” (9:18).
    • …for she was saying to herself, “If I only touch His garment, I will get well.” ²² But Jesus turning and seeing her… (9:21-22).
    • “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” ²⁹ Then He touched their eyes, saying, “It shall be done to you according to your faith,” (9:28-29).

• And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?” (9:4).
  • Who but the Lord can look into a person’s heart and know the thoughts within? Jesus Sees the Unseen.
    • And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do, (Hebrews 4:13).

• As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, “Follow Me!” (9:9).
  • Who but the Lord sees the plans He has for us? Surely Matthew could not see what following Jesus would mean. Jesus Sees the Unseen.
    • Many plans are in a man’s heart,
      But the counsel of the Lord will stand, (Proverbs 19:21).

• But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³ But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners,” (9:12-13).
  • Who but the Lord sees the absence of spiritual understanding? Jesus Sees the Unseen.
    • All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight,
      But the Lord weighs the motives, (Proverbs 16:2).

• When Jesus came into the official’s house, and saw the flute-players and the crowd in noisy disorder, ²⁴ He said, “Leave; for the girl has not died, but is asleep,” (9:23-24).
  • Who but the Lord sees life in the very face of death? Jesus Sees the Unseen.
    • But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), (Ephesians 2:4-5).

• Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd, (9:36).
  • Who but the Lord sees our distressed and desperate state, as sheep without a shepherd? And it moved Him, so much so that He laid down His life to gather us back to Himself. Jesus Sees the Unseen.
    • “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep,” (John 10:11).

Jesus Sees the Unseen; and the Unseen moves Him: He acts; He forgives; He heals; He corrects; He explains; He expels doubt; He calls into life that which was dead; He opens eyes; He casts out demons; He opens the mouth of the mute; and He lays His life down for the sheep. Who but the Lord can do such great and mighty works? Who but Him Who Sees the Unseen!

How are we to respond to Him Who Sees the Unseen?

Two responses are clearly portrayed:

The crowd saw, and they were amazed and glorified God.

But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and glorified God, who had given such authority to men… and the crowds were amazed, and were saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel,” (9:8, 33).

The Pharisees saw, and they refused to believe, going so far as to attribute His miracles to the work of demons.

But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons,” (9:34).

All saw, and all had a choice. Jesus invites mankind to see with Him, to See the Unseen; and the choice is ours.

Today, let us not be as the Pharisees; but let us put away all disbelief, skepticism, and cynicism. Oh, that we would choose, by faith, to See the Unseen with our Savior.

…God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist, (Romans 4:17).

Through faith in Christ, God has called us to life! Oh, let us honor Him through lives of love and faith. And let us live with unwavering assurance; for truthfully, we can’t even begin to imagine all that God has prepared for us, today and forever. May we never get over the glorious privilege we have to see with Him Who Sees the Unseen!

…but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him,” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Let’s Grow Together!