“Matthew 9–10; Mark 5: Luke 9,” Scripture Helps: New Testament (2024)

Scripture Helps

Matthew 9–10; Mark 5; Luke 9

Jesus Christ cast out devils into a herd of swine. Jesus healed a man with paralysis and a woman with an issue of blood and brought Jairus’s daughter back to life. He called Matthew to be His disciple. When accused of associating with publicans and sinners, Jesus responded that He came to call sinners to repentance. The Savior called, instructed, and sent forth the Twelve Apostles to preach and heal. He warned the Apostles of opposition they would face and counseled them to take up their cross and follow Him. He taught that those who receive His Apostles receive Him. He fed five thousand people and was later transfigured on a mount. He was rejected by Samaritans on His way to Jerusalem.

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Background and Context

Matthew 9:14–17

What does it mean that no one puts “a piece of new cloth unto an old garment” and “new wine into old bottles”?

(Compare to Luke 5:37–39.)

The “new cloth” mentioned in Matthew 9:16 refers to fabric that has not yet gotten wet and shrunk. Thus, when a piece of new cloth is used as a patch on old clothes, it can tear the old clothes after it gets wet, dries, and shrinks.

The “bottles” referred to in Matthew 9:17 were containers for wine made from goatskin or sheepskin. These containers were also called wineskins. New leather wineskins were soft and flexible. They could easily expand with the gasses caused by the fermentation of new wine. However, with time, wineskins would stretch and become brittle. Thus, when new wine was put into old wineskins, the gasses created by the new wine could cause old wineskins to burst.

a wineskin hanging on a stone wall — A wineskin hanging on a stone wall. Photograph by James Jeffery

In this context, the phrase means that Jesus’s new teachings could not be contained in old religious and cultural practices. The Joseph Smith Translation adds, “For when that which is new is come, the old is ready to be put away.”

Matthew 9:20

What was an “issue of blood”?

(Compare to Mark 5:25–26; Luke 8:43.)

The woman’s “issue of blood” meant that she “had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.” The cause for her condition is unknown. Because this condition made her ritually unclean, she would have been socially shunned and excluded from the synagogue and the temple. The fact that she “had spent all that she had” seeking a cure from doctors indicates the difficulty of her situation.

Matthew 10:1–5

Who did Jesus Christ call to be His Apostles?

(Compare to Mark 3:13–19; Luke 6:12–16.)

Matthew 10 records the Lord calling His Twelve Apostles and giving them instructions. “In Greek, apostle means ‘one sent forth.’ It was the title Jesus gave to the Twelve whom He chose and ordained to be His closest disciples and helpers during His ministry on earth (Luke 6:13; John 15:16).”

The following chart provides a brief overview of the Savior’s original Twelve Apostles:

Name	Other Names	Home	Other Information
Name Simon	Other Names Peter; Cephas; Simeon; brother of Andrew	Home Bethsaida and Capernaum	Other Information Fisherman with his brother Andrew and with James and John. One of three Apostles chosen to be with Jesus on certain special occasions. Senior Apostle following the Savior’s death. Missionary as far as Rome. Tradition says he was crucified upside down in Rome about AD 66. With James and John he conferred the Melchizedek Priesthood on Joseph Smith.
Name Andrew	Other Names Brother of Peter	Home Bethsaida and Capernaum	Other Information Fisherman with his brother Simon. First introduced Simon to Jesus Christ. Tradition says he preached in Scythia (Ukraine and Russia) and that he was crucified on an X-shaped cross in Greece.
Name James	Other Names Son of Zebedee; brother of John; Boanerges, or sons of thunder	Home Possibly Bethsaida	Other Information Fisherman with John and Simon. One of three Apostles chosen to be with Jesus on certain special occasions. Killed by Herod in AD 44 in Judea or Galilee. He was the first of the Twelve to be martyred.
Name John	Other Names Son of Zebedee; brother of James; Boanerges, or sons of thunder	Home Possibly Bethsaida	Other Information Fisherman with James and Simon. One of three Apostles chosen to be with Jesus on certain special occasions. Taught the gospel in Asia Minor, especially Ephesus. Banished to Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation. He was later translated.
Name Philip		Home Bethsaida	Other Information He shared news of the Messiah with Nathanael. Tradition says he preached in Phrygia and was martyred in Hierapolis.
Name Bartholomew	Other Names Nathanael	Home Cana	Other Information Tradition says he preached in India or Egypt and was beaten to death with sticks or crucified.
Name Matthew	Other Names Levi; son of Alphaeus	Home Capernaum	Other Information He was a tax collector. Tradition says he preached in Ethiopia or Persia and was martyred by being run through with a spear.
Name Thomas	Other Names Didymus	Home Probably Galilee	Other Information Tradition says he was a missionary in Parthia (modern Iran) or India and died when shot by an arrow.
Name James	Other Names Son of Alphaeus	Home Probably Galilee	Other Information Tradition says he preached in Judea and Egypt and was crucified in Egypt or stoned by Jews for preaching of Christ.
Name Simon	Other Names The Canaanite; Zelotes (the Zealot)	Home Probably Galilee	Other Information Tradition says he may have taught the gospel in Britain and Egypt. Tradition says he was crucified in Persia.
Name Judas	Other Names Son of James; brother of James; Lebbaeus Thaddaeus	Home Probably Galilee	Other Information Tradition says he preached in Assyria and Persia, where he was martyred.
Name Judas Iscariot	Other Names Iscariot	Home Kerioth	Other Information He betrayed Jesus Christ and then hanged himself.

Matthew 10:9–10

What did it mean to travel without purse or scrip?

A purse was a pouch or bag used to carry money. A scrip was a travel bag used to carry food and other supplies. The Savior instructed His Apostles not to worry about food, clothing, lodging, or other temporal needs. They were to rely on the Lord and the mercy of others. This was in line with the hospitality and social customs of the time. Later, in Luke 22:35–36, Jesus revoked this command to rely on the hospitality of other people. This may have been because the Apostles would soon carry the gospel to Gentile nations, which did not have the same customs of hospitality. It may also have been because the Apostles would face opposition from many people as they went out into the world.

Matthew 10:14

What did it mean to “shake off the dust of your feet”?

(Compare to Mark 6:11; Luke 9:5.)

In biblical times, shaking the dust off your feet was a “strong gesture of rejection.” Jesus instructed His Apostles to “shake off the dust under [their] feet” as a testimony against those who did not receive the gospel message. It is clear from Jesus’s teachings that those who reject the Apostles and their message also reject the one who sends them—the Savior. The only New Testament account we have of this practice being performed involved Paul and Barnabas after they were expelled from Antioch.

In our dispensation, the Lord sanctioned this practice on several occasions as recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants. When facing “severe rejection,” early missionaries practiced this “as a sign that they had testified and moved on.” The practice continued into the early twentieth century.

In recent years, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve have not spoken publicly about this practice. Moreover, the General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ do not address it.

Matthew 10:16

What does it mean to be “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves”?

In biblical texts, serpents (snakes) are sometimes viewed as cunning, crafty, and subtle. They may be considered “wise … because they are silent and dangerous, or because of the way they move.” Biblical writers viewed doves as harmless because of their “peaceful, innocent behavior.” In this way, they are “symbols of truth, innocence, affection, and timidity.”

In our dispensation, the Savior said to His disciples, “Be ye as wise as serpents and yet without sin.” This verse and the biblical account both indicate that the Savior’s disciples should combine wisdom with innocence and purity. The Joseph Smith Translation of the biblical account states, “Be ye therefore wise servants, and as harmless as doves.”

Mark 5:1–20

What is the context surrounding the devils who entered a herd of swine?

(Compare to Matthew 8:28–34; Luke 8:26–39.)

The large herd of swine, or pigs, was on the “other side of the sea,” which likely refers to the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. This area was inhabited by Gentiles, who ate pork (Jews did not).

In Mark’s and Luke’s accounts, the unclean spirit called himself Legion. In New Testament times, a legion was a division of Roman soldiers made up of 6,000 men. The name Legion meant that the man was possessed by “many” evil spirits.

Mark 5:22–23

What were the responsibilities of rulers of the synagogue?

In Jesus’s day, synagogues were presided over by a council of elders under the direction of a chief ruler. A ruler was a layman who was appointed to take care of the building and supervise worship services.

Mark 5:30

How did “virtue” go out of the Savior?

(Compare to Luke 8:46.)

“Virtue” is translated from the Greek word dynamai and means power or strength. In this account, “Jesus said that he knew ‘that virtue [had] gone out of [him]’ (Luke 8:46). Joseph Smith explained that ‘the virtue here referred to is the spirit of life’ and we sometimes become weakened when giving blessings [“History Draft (1 March–31 December 1843),” 5, josephsmithpapers.org; punctuation modernized]. … These remarks by Jesus and Joseph Smith imply a transfer of power in such ministrations.”

Mark 5:38–40

Who were the mourners at Jairus’s house?

It was a Jewish custom in biblical times to mourn with loud wailing when someone died. Wealthy and prominent families often hired people to lament with them. At Jairus’s house, it was likely a group of professional mourners who laughed scornfully at Jesus. He asked them to leave to ensure reverence while the miraculous healing took place.

Luke 9:7–9

Who was Herod the Tetrarch?

Herod the Tetrarch was Antipas, son of Herod the Great. The word tetrarch means a ruler over a fourth part of the country. Herod was ruler over Galilee and Perea. He imprisoned John the Baptist and then had him murdered. When Herod heard of Jesus, he thought He was John “risen from the dead.” During the Savior’s trial, Pilate sent Him to Herod, who was eager to see Jesus perform a miracle. When Jesus stood before Herod in silence, the soldiers treated the Savior with contempt.

Luke 9:59–60

What did Jesus mean when He said, “Let the dead bury their dead”?

left: stone box, right: chiseled niche for stone tomb — Left: An ossuary—a stone box in which bones of the deceased are respectfully placed. Right: A niche that has been chiseled out of a stone tomb, where an ossuary is placed for permanent burial.

Respect for one’s parents was very important in Jewish culture. This included the responsibility to provide a proper burial for them when they died. After family members had prepared a body for burial and placed it in a tomb, they typically returned a year later to place the bones in a stone box called an ossuary.

The disciple in this account said to the Savior, “Suffer me first to go and bury my father.” The Savior’s response seems to communicate that it was time for the man to serve a mission. This response does not mean it is wrong to mourn the loss of a loved one or to give proper respect at a funeral. Rather, the Savior’s words remind us that “the loyalty we pledge to the cause of Christ is to be the supreme devotion of our lives.”

Luke 9:62

What is wrong with putting our “hand to the plough, and looking back”?

President Howard W. Hunter explained this metaphor as follows: “To dig a straight furrow, the plowman needs to keep his eyes on a fixed point ahead of him. That keeps him on a true course. If, however, he happens to look back to see where he has been, his chances of straying are increased. The results are crooked and irregular furrows. We invite those of you who are new members to fix your attention on your new goal and never look back on your earlier problems or transgressions except as a reminder of your growth and your worth and your blessings from God. If our energies are focused not behind us but ahead of us—on eternal life and the joy of salvation—we assuredly will obtain it.”