This section of Matthew strikes me with the differences in the details of the story that he put in his account, verses Luke and Mark. Luke writes about the demon-possessed man’s life after the demons are sent away. Matthew’s goal is to reach a Jewish audience, so he leaves that unimportant detail out because it concerns Gentile people.

Mark also includes the detail that the paralytic was lowered through a roof to Jesus—his friends worked hard to get him healed. Matthew leaves out that part.

Different audience, different emphasis.

Jesus definitely has an interesting way of meeting us where we are. Like the section that speaks of new wine in new wineskins, we must learn things that match our maturity. I can’t learn things now because I’m not at the right stage for it. But one day that’s a lesson I will learn.

I need Jesus to meet me where I am at—and I need to make sure I am open to hearing his lesson for me, not for someone else or a different maturity level.