What does Matthew 9:1 mean?

Jesus had left Capernaum with His disciples, in part, to escape the crowds. He needed rest. They had taken the boat across the Sea of Galilee to a southeastern shore, where Jesus had cast demons from two men into a large herd of pigs. Although the men were freed from the demons, the people of that place begged Him to leave (Matthew 8:28–34).

So, Jesus and His disciples crossed back over the lake to arrive back at Jesus' adopted hometown of Capernaum (Matthew 4:13) once more.

Comparing Matthew's gospel to Mark and John reveals that Matthew tends to group stories by topic rather than always putting them in chronological order. Some of the events described in this chapter likely took place earlier in Jesus' life and ministry than the previous ones.