Explore Matthew chapter 9, focusing on Jesus’s ministry to the outcasts and broken. Recognize that true sickness is often spiritual and emotional, noting research that links health problems to a lack of perceived love. Discover how Jesus’s primary mission is to heal the soul, using the story of the paralytic to see that the greatest human need is forgiveness. Contrast the empty, ritualistic religion of the Pharisees with a genuine, relational faith, and see how a true knowledge of God results in a heart of mercy. Finally, learn how living out this compassion is the key to mission, transforming broken people into disciples who then disciple others.