Chapter Nine - Notes and Quick Facts

• In Jewish tradition, to claim to have God under one's power was blasphemy and punishable by death.
• Tax collectors were universally hated first because they collaborated with the Romans, and second because they could collect whatever they wanted, as long as they gave the Romans their share.
• Pharisees kept a strict distance from anyone who was unclean under the Law. This was especially true of table fellowship. Although Jesus shared many beliefs of the Pharisees, he definitely departed from them on this count.
• Any kind of blood discharge made one unclean. This included menstruation and the effects of illness. The woman with the hemorrhage would have been unable to touch anyone for years.
• After the cure of the blind men, we hear of the ‘Messianic Secret.' This is a device that Matthew inherits from Mark. Jesus repeatedly tells people to keep his work a secret, but with no great success.
• ‘Demon' was a label given to a variety of illnesses. Even to have a headache was thought to be the result of an occupying demon.