Matthew 9:2 — Take Courage
Just before bed, as I was reading the Word, the phrase “take courage” in Matthew 9:2 really struck me and I looked up further passages. There are 7 occurrences in the New Testament.
Matthew 9:2 and Matthew 9:22 deal with healing
Matthew 14:27, Mark 6:50, and John 16:33 deal with fear
Mark 10:49 deals with friends calling blind man to be healed by the Healer
Acts 23:11 Jesus gives a prophetic word to Paul
Matthew 9:2 (paralytic)
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 9:22 (woman with the issue of blood)
But Jesus turning and seeing her said, “Daughter, take courage ; your faith has made you well.” At once the woman was made well.
Matthew 14:27 (disciples see Jesus walking on the water)
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
Mark 6:50 (disciples see Jesus walking on the water)
for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage ; it is I, do not be afraid.”
Mark 10:49 (Jesus with the blind beggar, Bartimaeus)
And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him here.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take courage, stand up! He is calling for you.”
John 16:33 (Jesus warns of the hour that is coming when they will leave Him and be scattered.)
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
Acts 23:11 (Jesus appears to Paul in the troop barracks)
But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.”
*** In all but Mark 10:49, the words “take courage” are spoken by the Lord directly.
*** In both Matthew 14:27 and Mark 6:50 Jesus says, “It is I, do not be afraid.” In the Greek, the words “it is I” are literally “I am,” this is the same language used by Jesus in John 8:58, “Before Abraham was, I am.” Therefore, it is the “I AM” coming to you.
STRONG’S GREEK DEFINITION – TAKE COURAGE
take courage #2293 tharseo
~ from 2294; to have courage:–be of good cheer (comfort). Compare 2292.
#2294 tharsos; akin (by transposition) to thrasos (daring); boldness: –courage
#2292 tharrheo; another form of tharseo; to exercise courage:–be bold, boldly, have confidence, be confident. Compare 5111.
#5111 tolmao (from tolma) –boldness, to venture — #2292 is rather subject, or in feeling; by implication to be courageous—be bold, boldly, dare, durst.
http://concordances.org/greek/2293.htm
2293 tharséō (from the root thar-, “bolstered because warmed up,” derived from 2294 /thársos, “emboldened from within”) – properly, bolstered within which supports unflinching courage – literally, to radiate warm confidence (exude “social boldness”) because warm-hearted.
2293 /tharséō (“emboldened to show courage”) refers to God bolstering the believer, empowering them with a bold inner-attitude (to be “of good courage”). For the believer, 2293 /tharséō (“showing boldness”) is the result of the Lord infusing His strength by His inworking of faith (“inbirthed persuasion,” 4102 /pístis). Showing this unflinching, bold courage means living out the inner confidence (inner bolstering) that is Spirit-produced.
My Thoughts
WOW! Don’t these two definitions say it all? I loved “to radiate confidence.” It just speaks Holy Spirit coming from the inner man to the outer man. And WOW again! Can’t you just visibly see the effect of Jesus’ exhortation of “Take courage” to the paralytic, the woman with the issue of blood, His disciples, and Paul with “His infusing His strength by His inworking of faith”?
Interestingly, I checked all sorts of sources looking for two separate words, take and courage, without success. Apparently “take courage” in these verses is only one word and one concept in the New Testament Greek. What hit me was the fact that “TAKE,” which implies an ACTION on our part –like a grasping—is missing. The key to courage is actually to BELIEVE it’s been given and RECEIVE it from Jesus. That’s where the taking comes from. All the courage we need is already inside of us. We just need to get quiet, stop the fearful, doubting voices, reach down inside ourselves and bring up the courage Jesus has provided through His victory and deposited in us through Holy Spirit!
