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![confine his view to these symptoms which appear in the body, and pertain to time. (W.
Arnot.)
Getting the palsied man to Jesus
Many Oriental houses have a court or quadrangle in front; the buildings which form the
house occupy one or more of its sides. The internal part of such a house is often screened
by a corridor below, having the various household officers behind it, and a gallery above,
from which is the entrance to the family apartments. The gallery is roofed over, and its
roof is about the same height as the roof of the house. Bearing this in mind we may
account for what occurred in this way. The quadrangle was full of people; our Lord
instructs them from the gallery: the Pharisees are in the family apartments adjoining
the gallery; the friends of the sick man cannot enter the quadrangle from the street; or if
this could be done, they cannot reach the corridor, from which there were steps leading
to the gallery; they ascend, therefore, the stairs from the back or side of the house
leading to the roof, and break open the roof or verandah which covered the gallery. The
house-roof was used for a terrace, and was built of strong materials; the gallery-roof was
of very slight construction, of the same character as the covered balcony. (Webster and
Wilkinson.)
COKE, "Matthew 9:1-7. And he entered into a ship— And returning into a vessel, he
crossed the lake, and came to his own city [of Capernaum, where he had dwelt after his
leaving Nazareth] Matthew 9:2 where they brought to him a paralytic lying on a bed; and
Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, Have confidence, my son! your sins are
forgiven. Heylin. See this miracle more circumstantially described in Mark 2 and Luke 5.
In St. Luke's miracle, there is a very material circumstance premised, namely, that some
Pharisees and doctors of the law, who came out of every town of Galilee and Judaea, and
from Jerusalem, were sitting by him, while he was teaching,—and the power of the Lord
was present to heal them, that is to say, those his auditors, of their spiritual maladies;
and then it immediately follows, and behold, men brought on a bed, or couch, one sick of
a palsy; and because there was then no other access to Christ, by reason of the crowd
which encompassed him, they let down the paralytic through the tiles upon his couch,
into the midst before Jesus (see the note on Mark 2:4.), who, full as he was of the divine
sanative power, and accordingly considering the object so presented to him, not only
with regard to his bodily disease, but more especially with regard to his spiritual
infirmity, by the prevalent power of sin, which incapacitated his mind for holy
dispositions, as the palsy did his body for the natural functions; Christ, I say,
considering this, applied, in the first place, to what was most important, and released
him from the guilt and power of sin, saying, "Have confidence, my son! your sins are
forgiven;" or, as it may be rendered, your sins are dismissed. Physicians, both ancient
and modern, tell us, that palsies are sometimes occasioned by intemperance; therefore,
if this paralytic brought his disease upon himself, the propriety of the terms in which the
cure was pronounced will still more fully appear,—your sins are forgiven: only it must be
observed, that when Jesus forgives, he at once forgives every sin, the least as well as the
greatest. The reader need not be told, that son is a title of condescension and tenderness,
as father was a correspondent title of respect.
The Scribes who were present, being disappointed in their curiosity (for they expected to](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-11-2048.jpg)
![BAR ES, "For whether is easier to say - Thy “sins be forgiven thee; or to say,
Arise and walk?” The one involves divine “power,” the other divine “authority,” and
neither can be done but by God. One is as easy as the other; and to be able to do the one,
involves the right and the power to do the other.
CLARKE, "For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to
say, Arise, and walk? - Both are equally easy, and equally difficult; for both require
unlimited power to produce them. And every thing is equally easy to that power which is
unlimited. A universe can be as easily produced by a single act of the Divine will as the
smallest elementary part of matter.
The common punctuation of the above passage almost destroys the sense: the comma
should be placed after easier, and to say, made the first part of the question.
GILL, "For whether is easier to say,..... Christ proceeds to clear himself of the
charge of blasphemy, and to prove his power to forgive sins, by putting a case to them, of
which he makes themselves Judges, and is this: which is easiest to be said,
thy sins are forgiven thee? or to say, arise and walk? Neither of them were easy
to a mere creature, but both of them easy to God; and he that could say the one with
power and efficacy going along with his word, could say the other as effectually: and
whereas it was a plain case, and out of all question, that he could bid this "paralytic"
man, though in this weak condition, arise from his bed, stand upon his feet, and go
home of himself; and since he had already healed many that were sick of the palsy, and
particularly the "centurion's" servant, by a word speaking, he must have equal power to
forgive sin. For to heal the diseases of the body in such a wonderful manner, was a very
sensible proof of his power to heal the maladies of the soul; and though these are greater
than those of the body, yet since both require divine power, he that is able to do the one,
is able to do the other. And that it might appear he did not say this in a boasting manner,
he adds,
HE RY, "2. He argued them out of it, Mat_9:5, Mat_9:6. Where observe,
(1.) How he asserts his authority in the kingdom of grace. He undertakes to make out,
that the Son of man, the Mediator, has power on earth to forgive sins; for therefore the
Father has committed all judgment to the Son, and has given him this authority, because
he is the Son of man, Joh_5:22, Joh_5:27. If he has power to give eternal life, as he
certainly has (Joh_17:2), he must have power to forgive sin; for guilt is a bar that must
be removed, or we can never get to heaven. What an encouragement is this to poor
sinners to repent, that the power of pardoning sin is put into the hands of the Son of
man, who is bone of our bone! And if he had this power on earth, much more now that
he is exalted to the Father's right hand, to give repentance and remission of sins, and so
to be both a Prince and a Saviour, Act_5:31.
(2.) How he proves it, by his power in the kingdom of nature; his power to cure
diseases. Is it not as easy to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee, as to say, Arise and walk?
He that can cure the disease, whether declaratively as a Prophet, or authoritatively as
God, can, in like manner, forgive the sin. Now, [1.] This is a general argument to prove
that Christ had a divine mission. His miracles, especially his miraculous cures, confirm
what he said of himself, that he was the Son of God; the power that appeared in his
cures proved him sent of God; and the pity that appeared in them proved him sent of](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-29-2048.jpg)
![God to heal and save. The God of truth would not set his seal to a lie. [2.] It had a
particular cogency in this case. The palsy was but a symptom of the disease of sin; now
he made it to appear, that he could effectually cure the original disease, by the
immediate removal of that symptom; so close a connection was there between the sin
and the sickness. He that had power to remove the punishment, no doubt, had power to
remit the sin. The scribes stood much upon a legal righteousness, and placed their
confidence in that, and made no great matter of the forgiveness of sin, the doctrine upon
which Christ hereby designed to put honour, and to show that his great errand to the
world was to save his people from their sins.
CALVI , "5.Whether is it easier to say? The meaning is, that, as it is not easier to
quicken by a word a body which is nearly dead than to forgive sins, there is no
reason to wonder that he forgives sins, when he has accomplished the other. The
argument which our Lord uses may appear to be not well-founded: for, in
proportion as the soul is more excellent than the body, the forgiveness of sins is a
greater work than the healing of the body. But the reply is easy. Christ adapts his
discourse to their capacity: for, being carnal, they were more powerfully affected by
outward signs, than by all the spiritual power of Christ, which related to eternal
salvation. Thus he proves the efficacy of the Gospel for quickening men from the
fact, that at the last day he will raise the dead by his voice out of their graves.
Wonder not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all who are in the graves shall
hear his voice, and shall come forth,
(John 5:28.)
This was a sufficiently powerful argument to refute those who reckoned a visible
miracle of more importance than all things else. They could not say that he had no
right to forgive the sins of the paralytic, when he restored to him health and rigour:
for this was a result which followed from the forgiveness of sins.
BROADUS, "Matthew 9:5. For whether—or, which—is easier! It was as easy to
say one as the other, viz., to say it with effect. Euthym: "Both were possible for God,
both impossible for man."In the case of the healing they could test the reality of the
power he claimed; and from this they ought to infer that he possessed the other
power also, seeing that he claimed to possess it, and that one who could work a
miracle ought to be believed. They had already had many proofs at Capernaum of
his power to work miracles. We are often told at the present day that Jesus always
relied on his teaching to convince men, and not at all on his miracles; but here he
distinctly appeals to miracles as establishing the truth of his teachings.
COFFMA , "But that ye may know ... is equivalent to saying men could OT
K OW Jesus' power to forgive sins without such a demonstration of his power.
ow, if it is allowed that the Christ himself could not cause people to know of his
power to forgive sins without the accompanying power to heal the body, how much
more is it certain that people should never expect to have their claims to powers of
absolution accepted without a similar demonstration on their part? Jesus' handling](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-30-2048.jpg)
![for, though they see a man with their eyes, they ought to have perceived in him, by
the mind, something higher than man. They are no doubt right in saying, that the
nature of man received great honor in Christ for the general advantage of the
human race: but as they do not perceive him to be God manifested in the flesh, (1
Timothy 3:6,) their confession is involved in some error. (512) In a word, it was true,
that God gave such authority to men: but the form and manner of giving was not yet
understood by those who were not aware that the majesty of God was united to
flesh.
COFFMA , "The fear of the multitude is proof that they saw in this great miracle
nothing but the power of God in a dramatic display of authority over sin and
disease. God's power, even in nature, is always awe-inspiring; and it is much more
so when seen in those areas of the soul itself which are concerned with man's
spiritual health.
The words "unto men" are at first surprising, Why is it said, "unto men," whereas
men simply cannot do the things mentioned here? Trench explained it thus: "They
felt truly that what was given to one man, to him who had just set himself forth
under the title of `the Son of man,' was given for the sake of all, and given ultimately
to ALL, that thus it was indeed given `unto men'."[1] Also, Jesus did appoint
plenipotentiaries with full authority to announce men's forgiveness, namely,
apostles, with authority to bind and loose on earth with equal consequences in
heaven. (See Matthew 16:19). Those who profess to see in this spontaneous comment
from the rabble positive sanction of THEIR authority to forgive sins certainly see
far more than is in it.
E D OTE:
[1] Richard H. Trench, otes on the Miracles (Westwood, ew Jersey: Fleming H.
Revell Company, 1953), p. 227.
COKE, "Matthew 9:8. But when the multitude saw it— The people were struck
with a high degree of surprise, mixed with admiration. What was to the Scribes an
occasion of blasphemy, proved to them an incitement to praise and bless; they
glorified God, who had given such power to men; power not only to heal diseases,
but to forgive sins; for they could not but acknowledge the authority of Christ's
declaration, thy sins are forgiven, when their eyes shewed them the efficacy of his
command, arise and walk. Even the Pharisees could not help being confounded at
this miracle; for it was performed by one whom they had but a few moments before
pronounced a blasphemer. Besides, they were incapable of finding the least fault
with the miracle, although, no doubt, they examined it with a scrupulous exactness.
It is strange, therefore, that they did not forthwith lay aside their enmity against
Jesus. Probably in this, as in other instances, they resisted the dictates of their own
minds; or they might overlook the miracle, and continue to find fault with the
expression uttered when it was performed; for with respect to good, their minds
seem to have been in the same enervated and dead condition, which the body of the](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-36-2048.jpg)
![As to Mark and Luke calling him Levi, it appears that this was his ordinary name:
(517) but that his being a publican was the reason why he took a foreign name.
Follow me There is no reason to doubt that Christ explained in many words why he
was called, and on what conditions. This is more fully ascertained from Luke, who
says, that he left all, rose up, and followed Christ: for it would not have been
necessary for him to leave all, if he had not been a private disciple of Christ, and
called in expectation of the Apostleship. In the great readiness and eagerness of
Matthew to obey, we see the Divine power of the word of Christ. ot that all in
whose ears he utters his voice are equally affected in their hearts: but in this man
Christ intended to give a remarkable example, that we might know that his calling
was not from man. (518).
COFFMA , "How many of Jesus' mighty deeds were done "as he passed by"?
(John 9:1; Matthew 4:18; 9:27; Mark 11:20, etc.). He seized the golden chances as
they came. Whatever came to hand, that he did to the glory of God. ote that he saw
"a man." Some would have seen only a tax collector, but Jesus saw the scholarly
student of the prophecies, the human heart that beat beneath the tax-taker's shirt.
Disciples in this generation would do well to follow his example. How often men's
eyes are blinded by prejudice, social bias, or self-interest, and they fail to see "the
man." They see instead a banker, a policeman, a farmer, a negro, a doorman, a taxi
driver, a soldier, a grocer, etc. How comforting is the thought that the Saviour
always saw (and sees) the man, whatever the outward circumstances that may
disguise him from his fellows! One wonders if this call of Matthew was as
spontaneous as it seems from this brief account of it. Very probably, Matthew, like
the four fishermen, already had some knowledge of Christ and his teachings when
the call occurred. The brevity of this account shows the humility and modesty which
characterized this ancient publican who rose to such heights in the service of the
Lord.
Matthew's call was a challenge to the Pharisees and other snobbish groups of that
day. A publican was a social outcast. othing good was expected of such a person;
and, in this call, Jesus showed that the church has a mission to the downtrodden as
well as to others.
Adam Clarke makes this feast to occur in the house of Matthew, as indicated in
Luke 5:29.[2] Publicans were renters of the Roman taxes, an occupation particularly
odious to the Jews, and the more so on the part of one of their own race who was
thus leagued with the despised oppressors of the land. PUBLICA S and SI ERS
were synonymous terms in the culture of that day. That the Messiah would attend a
feast with such a man and even name him to the apostleship was a fact which few
people of that day, especially the rulers, could accept with any degree of tolerance.
Their bitterness toward the despised and socially unacceptable masses was the
prime reason for their failure to recognize Jesus as their Lord. Snobbishness is still
a reality in many hearts, and its effect of spiritual blindness are just as real and fatal](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-45-2048.jpg)
![now as then.
E D OTE:
[2] Adam Clarke, Commentary ( ew York: T. Mason and G. Lane, 1837), Vol. V, p.
109.
BE SO , "Matthew 9:9. And as Jesus passed from thence — That is, from the house in which
the paralytic had been cured, he saw a man named Matthew — Modestly so called by himself: the
other evangelists call him by his more honourable name, Levi; setting at the receipt of custom —
In the very height of his business. The expression επι το τελωνιον, here rendered the receipt of
custom, seems properly to mean the place where custom was received. Some late translators
render it, the custom-house; “but have we any reason,” says Campbell: “to say it was a house?”
The Syriac name is no evidence that it was; for, like the Hebrew, they use the word beth [house]
with great latitude of signification. Most probably it was a temporary stall which could easily be
erected in any place where occasion required. The word office, (signifying a place where any
particular business is transacted, whether within doors or without,) seems an unexceptionable
name for the place. And he saith unto him, Follow me — A word which was immediately attended
with a secret power, so that he arose and followed him — He immediately obeyed the call,
consigning, doubtless, his books and cash to some more careful hand. “Porphyry and Julian, two
noted ancient enemies of Christianity, have blamed Matthew for thus rashly, as they are pleased
to call it, following one of whom he had so little knowledge. But as it is evident that this publican
lived in Capernaum, or near it, he must have often heard our Lord preach, (for it was the town
where he ordinarily resided,) and may probably have been witness to a number of his miracles.
Wherefore, the opposers of our religion must forgive us, if we affirm that there was neither
rashness nor imprudence in the readiness which Matthew showed to follow Jesus when called.
He may have been his disciple long before this, and only waited for permission to attend him.” —
Macknight.
BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR, "He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the receipt of
custom.
The following Christ
Whom are we to follow, and on what road, and to what place?
I. We are to follow Christ. Do not the soldiers follow their captain? Do not the redeemed
follow their deliverer? Do not the disciples follow the teacher? We must follow Him
further and further. Immediately, lest we never have the invitation given us again. He
has something worthy to be obtained by such as follow Him. Will a man shut his ears to
such a merciful invitation? If a rich man were to call a famished man to come into his
house and be fed, would tie not instantly follow? The state of those who refuse is one of
miserable bondage.
II. What is the way along which he calls us to follow? Christ has opened a new and living
way, in every sense of the Word. Our old, corrupt nature dislikes a new was. Christ gives
the power, hence no excuse. But is this new way unpleasant? It has good company and
entertainment; at the end, the house of the Almighty Father.
III. To what place. (R. W. Evans, B. D.)
The calling of Matthew](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-46-2048.jpg)
![to him; he heals all sorts of persons, and all sorts of diseases; such as are blind from
their birth, are as deaf as the deaf adder, the halt, and the lame, such as have broken
hearts, yea the plague in their hearts, and have stony ones, and all the relapses of his
people; which he does by his stripes and wounds, by the application of his blood, by his
word and Gospel, through sinners looking to him, and touching him: he is an infallible
one, none ever went from him without a cure; none ever perished under his hands; the
disease he heals never returns more to prevail, so as to bring on death and destruction;
and he does all freely, without money, and without price. So Philo the Jew calls the
Logos, or word, ιατρον κακων, "an healer of diseases" (x), and God our legislator, των της
ψυχης παθω ν αριστος ιατρος, "the best physician of the diseases of the soul" (y). Now
Christ argues from this his character, in vindication of himself; as that he was with these
persons, not as a companion of their's, but as a physician to them; and as it is not
unlawful, but highly proper and commendable, that a physician should be with the sick;
so it was very lawful, fit, and proper, yea praiseworthy in him, to be among these
publicans and sinners, for their spiritual good. He suggests indeed, that "they that be
whole", in perfect health and strength, as the Pharisees thought themselves to be, even
free from all the maladies and diseases of sin, were strong, robust, and able to do
anything, and everything of themselves; these truly stood in no "need of" him, as a
physician, in their own apprehension; they saw no need of him; in principle they had no
need of him, and in practice did not make use of him; and therefore it was to no purpose
to attend them, but converse with others, who had need of him:
but they that are sick; who are not only diseased and disordered in all the powers and
faculties of their souls, as all Adam's posterity are, whether sensible of it or not; but who
know themselves to be so, these see their need of Christ as a physician, apply to him as
such, and to them he is exceeding precious, a physician of value; and such were these
"publicans" and sinners. These words seem to be a proverbial expression, and there is
something like it in the (z) Talmud, אסיא לבי אזיל כאיבא ליה ,דכאיב "he that is afflicted with
any pain goes", or "let him go to the physician's house"; that is, he that is attended with
any sickness, or disease, does, or he ought to, consult a physician.
HE RY, "IV. The defence that Christ made for himself and his disciples, in
justification of their converse with publicans and sinners. The disciples, it should seem,
being yet weak, had to seek for an answer to the Pharisees' cavil, and, therefore, bring it
to Christ, and he heard it (Mat_9:12), or perhaps overheard them whispering it to his
disciples. Let him alone to vindicate himself and to plead his own cause, to answer for
himself and for us too. Two things he urges in his defence,
1. The necessity and exigence of the case of the publicans, which called aloud for his
help, and therefore justified him in conversing with them for their good. It was the
extreme necessity of poor, lost sinners, that brought Christ from the pure regions above,
to these impure ones; and the same was it, that brought him into this company which
was thought impure. Now,
(1.) He proves the necessity of the case of the publicans: they that be whole need not a
physician, but they that are sick. The publicans are sick, and they need one to help and
heal them, which the Pharisees think they do not. Note,
[1.] Sin is the sickness of the soul; sinners are spiritually sick. Original corruptions are
the diseases of the soul, actual transgressions are its wounds, or the eruptions of the
disease. It is deforming, weakening, disquieting, wasting, killing, but, blessed be God,
not incurable. [2.] Jesus Christ is the great Physician of souls. His curing of bodily](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-67-2048.jpg)
![diseases signified this, that he arose with healing under his wings. He is a skilful,
faithful, compassionate Physician, and it is his office and business to heal the sick. Wise
and good men should be as physicians to all about them; Christ was so. Hunc affectum
versus omnes habet sapiens, quem versus aegros suos medicus - A wise man cherishes
towards all around him the feelings of a physician for his patient. Seneca De Const. [3.]
Sin-sick souls have need of this Physician, for their disease is dangerous; nature will not
help itself; no man can help us; such need have we of Christ, that we are undone,
eternally undone, without him. Sensible sinners see their need, and apply themselves to
him accordingly. [4.] There are multitudes who fancy themselves to be sound and whole,
who think they have no need of Christ, but that they can shift for themselves well enough
without him, as Laodicea, Rev_3:17. Thus the Pharisees desired not the knowledge of
Christ's word and ways, not because they had no need of him, but because they thought
they had none. See Joh_9:40, Joh_9:41.
JAMISO , "But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them — to the Pharisees
and scribes; addressing Himself to them, though they had shrunk from addressing Him.
They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick — that is, “Ye
deem yourselves whole; My mission, therefore, is not to you: The physician’s business is
with the sick; therefore eat I with publicans and sinners.” Oh, what myriads of broken
hearts, of sin-sick souls, have been bound up by this matchless saying!
CALVI , "12. ot they who are in health need a physician It is evident from
Christ’s reply that the scribes erred in two ways: they did not take into account the
office of Christ; and, while they spared their own vices, they proudly despised all
others. This deserves our particular attention, for it is a disease which has been
always very general. Hypocrites, being satisfied and intoxicated with a foolish
confidence in their own righteousness, do not consider the purpose for which Christ
was sent into the world, and do not acknowledge the depth of evils in which the
human race is plunged, or the dreadful wrath and curse of God which lies on all, or
the accumulated load of vices which weighs them down.
The consequence is, that they are too stupid to feel the miseries of men, or to think
of a remedy. While they flatter themselves, they cannot endure to be placed in their
own rank, and think that injustice is done them, when they are classed with
transgressors. Our Lord glances at this second error by replying, that they who are
in health have no need of a physician It is an ironical admission, (520) and is
intended to show that they are offended when they see sinners, because they claim
righteousness for themselves. Because you are in health, (he says,) you despise the
sick, are offended at them, and cannot endure the sight of them: but a physician
ought to be affected in a very different manner. He afterwards points out that he
must discharge the duties of a physician, because he has been sent by the Father to
call sinners
Though Christ begins with reproof, yet if we desire to make progress in his doctrine,
what he has put in the second place must receive our first consideration. He came to
quicken the dead, to justify the guilty and condemned, to wash those who were
polluted and full of uncleanness, to rescue the lost from hell, to clothe with his glory
those who were covered with shame, to renew to a blessed immortality those who](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-68-2048.jpg)
![2. He is successful. Seine diseases are the reproach of medicine; none can baffle
Him.
III. He cures freely.
1. Other physicians are enriched by their patients, but He enricheth His making
them heirs of glory.
2. He is the only physician.
3. Either you must die or come to film. (Thomas Boston.)
13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire
mercy, not sacrifice.’[a] For I have not come to
call the righteous, but sinners.”
BAR ES, "But go ye and learn ... - To reprove them, and to vindicate his own
conduct, he appealed to a passage of Scripture with which they ought to have been
acquainted: “I will have mercy, and not sacrifice,” Hos_6:6. This is not a declaration on
the part of God that he was opposed to “sacrifices” or “offerings for sin;” for he had
appointed and commanded many, and had therefore expressed his approbation of them.
It is a Hebrew mode of speaking, and means, “I prefer mercy to sacrifice;” or, “I am more
pleased with acts of benevolence and kindness than with a mere external compliance
with the duties of religion.” Mercy here means benevolence or kindness toward others.
“Sacrifices” were offerings made to God on account of sin, or as an expression of
thanksgiving. They were commonly bloody offerings, or animals slain; signifying that the
sinner offering them deserved to die himself, and pointing to the great sacrifice or
offering which Christ was to make for the sins of the world. “Sacrifices” were the
principal part of the worship of the Jews, and hence came to signify “external worship in
general.” This is the meaning of the word here. The sense in which our Saviour applies it
is this: “You Pharisees are exceedingly tenacious of the “external” duties of religion; but
God has declared that he prefers benevolence or mercy to those external duties. It is
proper, therefore, that I should associate with sinners for the purpose of doing them
good.”
I came not to call the righteous ... - No human beings are by nature righteous,
Psa_14:3; Rom_1:18-32; Rom_3:10-18. The Pharisees, however, “pretended” to be
righteous. Christ might have meant by this answer that it was not the design of his
coming to cal such persons to repentance, knowing that they would spurn his efforts,
and that to a great extent they would be vain; or, more probably, he meant to affirm that
his proper and only business was to call to repentance such people as he was now with.
He came to seek and save such, and it was his “proper business,” therefore, to associate](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-76-2048.jpg)
![HE RY, "(2.) He proves, that their necessity did sufficiently justify his conduct, in
conversing familiarly with them, and that he ought not to be blamed for it; for that
necessity made it an act of charity, which ought always to be preferred before the
formalities of a religious profession, in which beneficence and munificence are far better
than magnificence, as much as substance is better than shows or shadows. Those duties,
which are of moral and natural obligation, are to take place even of those divine laws
which are positive and ritual, much more of those impositions of men, and traditions of
the elders, which make God's law stricter than he has made it. This he proves (Mat_
9:13) by a passage quoted out of Hos_6:6, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. That
morose separation from the society of publicans, which the Pharisees enjoined, was less
than sacrifice; but Christ's conversing with them was more than an act of common
mercy, and therefore to be preferred before it. If to do well ourselves is better than
sacrifice, as Samuel shows (1Sa_15:22, 1Sa_15:23), much more to do good to others.
Christ's conversing with sinners is here called mercy: to promote the conversion of souls
is the greatest act of mercy imaginable; it is saving a soul from death, Jam_5:20.
Observe how Christ quotes this, Go ye and learn what that meaneth. Note, It is not
enough to be acquainted with the letter of scripture, but we must learn to understand the
meaning of it. And they have best learned the meaning of the scriptures, that have
learned how to apply them as a reproof to their own faults, and a rule for their own
practice. This scripture which Christ quoted, served not only to vindicate him, but, [1.]
To show wherein true religion consists; not in external observances: not in meats and
drinks and shows of sanctity, not in little particular opinions and doubtful disputations,
but in doing all the good we can to the bodies and souls of others; in righteousness and
peace; in visiting the fatherless and widows. [2.] To condemn the Pharisaical hypocrisy
of those who place religion in rituals, more than in morals, Mat_23:23. They espouse
those forms of godliness which may be made consistent with, and perhaps subservient
to, their pride, covetousness, ambition, and malice, while they hate that power of it
which is mortifying to those lusts.
2. He urges the nature and end of his own commission. He must keep to his orders,
and prosecute that for which he was appointed to be the great Teacher; now, says he, “I
am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance, and therefore must
converse with publicans.” Observe, (1.) What his errand was; it was to call to
repentance. This was his first text (Mat_4:17), and it was the tendency of all his
sermons. Note, The gospel call is a call to repentance; a call to us to change our mind and
to change our way. (2.) With whom his errand lay; not with the righteous, but with
sinners. That is, [1.] If the children of men had not been sinners, there had been no
occasion for Christ's coming among them. He is the Saviour, not of man as man, but of
man as fallen. Had the first Adam continued in his original righteousness, we had not
needed a second Adam. [2.] Therefore his greatest business lies with the greatest
sinners; the more dangerous the sick man's case is, the more occasion there is for the
physician's help. Christ came into the world to save sinners, but especially the chief
(1Ti_1:15); to call not those so much, who, though sinners, are comparatively righteous,
but the worst of sinners. [3.] The more sensible any sinners are of their sinfulness, the
more welcome will Christ and his gospel be to them; and every one chooses to go where
his company is desired, not to those who would rather have his room. Christ came not
with an expectation of succeeding among the righteous, those who conceit themselves
so, and therefore will sooner be sick of their Saviour, than sick of their sins, but among
the convinced humble sinners; to them Christ will come, for to them he will be welcome.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-79-2048.jpg)
![1. That the Jewish Scriptures everywhere speaks of these as the main duties the
Jewish religion.
2. That no instituted service of God, no positive part of religion, was ever acceptable
to Him, when these were neglected Isa_1:11; Jer_7:1; Jer_7:5).
3. The great design of the Christian religion is to restore and reinforce the practice of
the natural law (Tit_2:11-12; Jas_1:27).
II. That no revealed religion was ever destined to take away the obligation of natural
duties, but to establish them.
1. That all revealed religion calls men to the practice of natural duties.
2. The most perfect revelation that ever God made, furnishes helps for the
performance of moral duties.
3. The positive rites of revealed religion are shown to be subordinate to them. (J.
Tillotson, D. D.)
The Saviour’s tenderness
It is a characteristic of all false religions to make more of the outward sacrifices we could
offer to God than of the infinite mercy He is willing to show to us.
I. The tenderness of the Saviour’s character.
1. In connection with what has been revealed to us concerning His mission and life
and work. This harmonizes with all the prophetic intimations given of His character.
The tenderness of His character has accompanied Him to heaven, a permanent
condition of His nature.
II. View this compassionate attribute of our Lord in its bearing in some of the
experiences of the christian life.
1. How should we be comforted by it under our early convictions of sin, and doubts
of the Divine forgiveness.
2. It should be comforting under the weakness of our failing hearts, when it is hard
to grasp the promise, and faith is uncertain.
3. As it bears upon our slow progress in the Divine life, and fluctuations of religious
feeling.
4. In adversity and temptation the Christian has a strong refuge in Christ’s
tenderness.
5. In death he feels the Saviour’s tenderness. (D. Moore, M. A.)
The religion of tenderness
A domestic illustration of this principle occurs to me. Suppose that when a father is
engaged in earnest prayer for the salvation of the world, there rings through the house
the cry of one of his children in pain, perhaps in danger, will he be doing ]fight to spring
to his feet and go to the little one’s help? Certainly he will. Let it be remembered that
God is a Father, and there will be no two thoughts about that. And, as for the prayer for](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-82-2048.jpg)
![before they can appreciate the system as we have learned to appreciate it and to thank
God for it. There is he who is called (a) the man in the street, using his Sunday for
laziness or jollity, lapsing year by year more and more into an attitude of mind in which
religion has lost any grip that ever it had. Jesus sat at meat with such, regardless of
propriety; but if some preacher of the good news among us takes unconventional means
of calling the wayfarer to hear the message, we begin to complain. And there is (b) the
man in the study—more to be pitied than the man in the street, because he is more
sensitive, more conscious of his position. He reads his Bible, he attends our services, he
follows our theological progress, but he cannot go all the way with us in the knowledge of
God, though he seeks earnestly and with tears. In his difficulties he pleads for ‘mercy,
not sacrifice.’ Is it anything to us, all we that pass by? The coming in the flesh of the Son
of God was proclaimed first to the men in the fields, to the shepherds who were an
abomination to the scrupulous Pharisee. The Babe Himself was shown to the staid, wise
men from country far. Neither class was within the system. The Son of Man from His
cradle was as one who told men to go and learn what this meaneth, ‘I will have mercy,
and not sacrifice.’
—The Rev. E. H. Pearce.
SIMEON, "MERCY BEFORE SACRIFICE
Matthew 9:13. Go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.
ST. PETER, speaking of his brother Paul, says, that in his writings there are “some
things hard to be understood.” The same may be said, in some degree, respecting all the
inspired writers. There is, in many of their statements, a height which cannot be
explored, and a depth which cannot be fathomed. Even the precepts which they give us
are by no means always plain. Some are so figurative, that we are, of necessity,
constrained to divest them of their high colouring, in order to reduce them to the
standard of practical utility. Thus, when it was said, “Whosoever shall smite thee on thy
right cheek, turn to him the other also [Note: Matthew 5:39.],” we cannot take it
altogether in a literal sense, but must understand it as inculcating only a very high
degree of patient submission to the injuries inflicted on us. Some are obscure, on
account of the unqualified manner in which they are expressed: “Give to him that asketh
thee; and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away [Note: Matthew
5:42.].” Were this precept followed in its full extent, the richest man would soon have
nothing either to give or lend. Some passages, like my text, are difficult; because, whilst
they are expressed in the most positive terms, they are to be understood only in a
comparative sense. Our Lord never intended to say that God did not require sacrifice: for
the whole Mosaic law was written to shew what sacrifices God did require. His meaning
was that mercy was in itself far superior to sacrifice; and that, where the two came into
competition with each other, mercy was to be preferred to sacrifice, and to be exercised
to the neglect of sacrifice.
That we may enter fully into this subject, let us consider,](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-85-2048.jpg)
![I. The lesson that is here commended to us—
Our blessed Lord, after calling Matthew the publican to the apostleship, condescended
to attend a feast which his new disciple had prepared for him. To this feast many
publicans and sinners were invited; and our Lord did not disdain to sit down to meat in
their company, and to converse familiarly with them. For this he was blamed by the
Pharisees, who thought such a condescension, on his part, a violation of his duty both to
God and man: to God, who bids us “not to sit with the wicked [Note: Psalms 26:5.];” and
to man, to whom it must appear an encouragement to vice. But our Lord vindicates
himself, by shewing, that such persons were most likely to profit from his instructions,
as the sick are from the physician; and that his conduct was in perfect accordance with
their own Scriptures, wherein this lesson was plainly inculcated, “I will have mercy, and
not sacrifice.” The import of this he bade them learn: “Go ye, and learn what that
meaneth.”
Now, the meaning of it is,
1. That moral duties are more excellent than those which are merely ritual—
[To this the whole Scriptures bear witness. You will find the utmost contempt poured on
ritual observances, when devoid of piety [Note: Isaiah 1:11-15.]: but in all the Bible you
will not find one real exercise of grace despised. The smallest good imaginable you will
see commended [Note: 1 Kings 14:13.], and the will accepted for the deed [Note: 1 Kings
8:18.]. In moral duties there is a real and inherent excellence: in every one of them there
is, what I may justly call, a conformity to God himself, to “whose image we attain by the
universal exercise of righteousness and true holiness [Note: Ephesians 4:24.].” They are
good at all times, and under all circumstances: whereas ritual observances have nothing
valuable in them, except as being appointed of God for his honour, and as being made
use of by God for our good. For instance, what is there in the seventh day of the week, or
the seventh part of our time? As far as regards the morality of that appointment, it might
as well have been a third or a tenth or a twentieth part of our time. And what is there in
sacrifices? The killing of a bullock is in itself no better than the killing of a dog: and if
God had so ordained, the blood of swine would have been as good as the blood of bulls
and of goats. As commanded of God, even the slightest ordinance is to be regarded with
the deepest reverence: but, divest even Sabbaths and sacrifices of their divine authority,
and I say again, they are of no value. Hence David says, “Thou desirest not sacrifice; else
would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt-offering [Note: Psalms 51:16.].” And Samuel,
reproving Saul, puts to him this pointed interrogation, “Hath the Lord as great delight in
burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is
better than sacrifice; and to hearken, than the fat of rams [Note: 1 Samuel 15:22.].”[
2. That, where they come in competition with each other, ritual duties must give
way, and be superseded by the moral—](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-86-2048.jpg)
![[The whole course of our blessed Lord’s conduct upon earth attests this truth. On many
occasions he, if I may so say, violated the Sabbath-day, performing his miracles then, as
on any common day, and ordering a man to carry his bed upon the Sabbath-day. On
account of these apparent violations of the Sabbath he was constantly accused as
disregarding the laws of Moses and of God. In the twelfth chapter of St. Matthew’s
Gospel we are informed, that he authorized his disciples upon the Sabbath-day to pluck
some ears of corn, and rub out the grain and eat it. The act was perfectly legal in itself
[Note: Deuteronomy 23:25.]: but, being done on a Sabbath-day, it was construed as a
threshing of the wheat, and, consequently, as a work forbidden on that day. But our Lord
justified them from the example of David, who, with his followers, had, contrary to an
express command, eaten the shew-bread, which was the exclusive portion of the priests.
He further justified them from the countless occupations of the priests in the temple,
which turned the Sabbath, that should have been a day of rest, into a day of more than
ordinary labour. These being works of necessity, the one for satisfying of their hunger,
and the other for the serving of the altar, the ritual command was made void, being
superseded by a call of more urgency, and of paramount obligation.]
Such being the lesson here inculcated, let us consider,
II. The vast importance of learning it—
The manner in which our blessed Saviour speaks, shews that this lesson is far from being
generally understood; whilst yet it is so important, that it ought to be diligently studied
by every child of man. It is a lesson of vast importance,
1. For the forming of our principles—
[In the true spirit of the Pharisees of old, many amongst ourselves lay a very undue
stress on outward observances, as recommending us to God. But the answer of Balaam
to Balak, who had consulted him on this subject, gives us the true view of it: “Wherewith
shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before
him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with
thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for
my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” This was the question put
to Balaam. His answer was, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good: and what doth
the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy
God [Note: Micah 6:6-8.]?” To the same effect is the declaration of St. Paul: “The
kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy
Ghost [Note: Romans 14:17.].” It is the inward disposition of the mind that God regards,
and not the service of the body. “The sacrifice of a broken and contrite spirit is, in his
sight, of more value than the cattle upon a thousand hills [Note: Psalms 50:8-14; Psalms
51:17.].” We must not, then, form a judgment of our state by our punctuality in outward
duties, but by the depth of our humiliation, the simplicity of our faith, and the integrity
of our souls in the way of holy obedience. To this must we attend, as of absolute and
indispensable necessity: and any principle opposed to this will only deceive us to our
ruin.]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-87-2048.jpg)
![2. For the regulation of our conduct—
[There must, of necessity, be times when our ritual and moral duties clash with each
other. To wait upon God in the public assembly of his people is a duty which we all owe
to him, and which should not be omitted without great necessity. But who will say that
an attendance upon a sick and dying person is not a sufficient cause for neglecting, for a
season, the house of God? Who will say, that if there were in a town a general
conflagration, the inhabitants would be ill employed in extinguishing the fire, even
though it were the Sabbath-day? True, we must take care that we do not pretend a
necessity which does not really exist: for we cannot deceive God; and therefore it
becomes us to be on our guard that we deceive not our own souls. But, supposing that
we exercise an impartial judgment in determining the question before us, we may be
sure that God will approve of the conduct that is founded on the rule before us. There is
a medium to be observed between a superstitious adherence to forms and a profane
neglect of them: and it must be our endeavour so to approve ourselves to God, that we
may have his Spirit witnessing with our spirit that we are accepted of him [Note: The
question of the British and Foreign Bible Society was here considered. The union of all
sects and parties, in dispersing the word of God throughout the world, may be supposed
to be, in some respect, a violation of order. Then the question arises, Shall a regard to
order be considered as a reason for not uniting every creature under heaven in a work
that is so good in itself, and so necessary as that of endeavouring to enlighten and to save
the world? To any one who should entertain a doubt on this point, I would say, “Go and
learn what that meaneth, ‘I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.’ ” And the very same
answer must be returned to those, who, knowing that a fellow-creature will receive only
the Bible which is accredited in his own Church, withholds it from him, and leaves him
to perish in ignorance, because he differs from him as to the books that should be
included in the Sacred Canon.].]
Jesus Questioned About Fasting
14 Then John’s disciples came and asked him,
“How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often,
but your disciples do not fast?”](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-88-2048.jpg)
![going, Joh_16:6. Tribulation and affliction befell them when he was gone, and gave them
occasion of mourning and praying, that is, of religious fasting. Note, [1.] Jesus Christ is
the Bridegroom of his Church, and his disciples are the children of the bride-chamber.
Christ speaks of himself to John's disciples under this similitude, because that John had
used it, when he called himself a friend of the bridegroom, Joh_3:29. And if they would
by this hint call to mind what their master then said, they would answer themselves. [2.]
The condition of those who are the children of the bride-chamber is liable to many
changes and alterations in this world; they sing of mercy and judgment. [3.] It is merry
or melancholy with the children of the bride-chamber, according as they have more or
less of the bridegroom's presence. When he is with them, the candle of God shines upon
their head, and all is well; but when he is withdrawn, though but for a small moment,
they are troubled, and walk heavily; the presence and nearness of the sun makes day and
summer, his absence and distance, night and winter. Christ is all in all to the church's
joy. [4.] Every duty is to be done in its proper season. See Ecc_7:14; Jam_5:13. There is
a time to mourn and a time to laugh, to each of which we should accommodate
ourselves, and bring forth fruit in due season. In fasts, regard is to be had to the methods
of God's grace towards us; when he mourns to us, we must lament; and also to the
dispensations of his providence concerning us; there are times when the Lord God calls
to weeping and mourning; regard is likewise to be had to any special work before us,
Mat_17:21; Act_13:2.
COFFMAN, "This was an answer calculated to convince John's disciples, because John
had already identified Jesus as the bridegroom, saying, "He that hath the bride is the
bridegroom" (John 3:29). There is heavenly genius in this answer of Christ. The habit of
the Pharisees of indulging every appetite, to the point of gluttony and drunkenness, at a
wedding, makes this a center shot. Since Christ is the bridegroom, THIS IS A WEDDING
(in a spiritual sense)! It is likely that this reply was greeted with howls of laughter. Yet
there is a tragic note here also. The holy bridegroom will be "taken away from them,"
that is, MURDERED by these same pious hypocrites who were so solicitous about the
strict observances of their petty fasts.
SBC, "Use of Observances.
I. It seems at first sight as if a spiritual religion would dispense with observances
altogether. And there is a sense in which this is the case always, and there are occasions
on which all observances are dispensed with altogether. For it is undeniable that
observances must be secondary, and if they are elevated into the first rank they are out of
place. So St. Paul tells the Galatians that he is afraid of them, because they observe days
and months, and times and years. And the whole tenour of his teaching corresponds,
and perpetually reminds us of his own saying, "Having begun in the spirit, are ye now
made perfect in the flesh?" In his day and in his circumstances there was plainly
something which made him throw his chief weight into the scale against all observances.
II. Our Lord, however, in answering the question of the Pharisees, why His disciples did
not fast, gives us the precise measure of all such observances. If we had the Bridegroom
always with us, we should never need them. But the Bridegroom leaves us sometimes,
and then we cannot do without them. He has left us, and the Church has found just what
He predicted, that much which was needless while He stayed became needful when He
was gone. The Church found that she must do what our Lord implied that she would
have to do, provide for the needs of human nature in the ordinary fashion, and make
rules to keep alive the warmth and power of faith, just as rules are made for the purposes](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-100-2048.jpg)
![power, and she herself knew it to be so, having been afflicted with it for twelve years, and tried the
skill of many physicians, probably of all that were of note in the country; and having spent all that
she had upon them, and yet could not be healed by any, nay, nor relieved in any measure; for,
after all their endeavours to remove her complaint, she was nothing bettered, but rather grew
worse. But having heard of Jesus, and the wonderful cures which he had wrought, she believed
that his power was sufficient to heal her also. Being ashamed, however, publicly to mention her
case, and learning that many had before been healed by touching him, she, out of bashfulness
and humility, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment — The woman’s distemper
being of such a nature as to render those unclean whom she touched, perhaps she durst not lay
her hand on the person of so great a prophet, nor touch any part of his garment but its hem; to
touch which, however, she believed was sufficient to effect the cure. For she said within herself, If
I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole — Thus showing, as well the strength of her faith, as
the greatness of her humility; and straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up, namely, by
the invisible power which Christ secretly exerted, for he well knew both what was passing in her
mind, and what she did. And Jesus turned him about, &c. — It was necessary that the ministry of
the Son of God should be rendered illustrious by all kinds of miracles, and that the whole people
of the country where he lived should have the highest idea and the firmest persuasion of his
power. And it was for advancing these great ends, that the success of this woman’s attempt
equalled the faith by which she was influenced. And for the same reasons, Jesus would by no
means allow her faith to remain unnoticed and unapplauded. Therefore, immediately turning about
in the crowd, he asked, says St. Mark, Who touched my clothes? This he did, that the woman
might be brought to make a confession of the whole matter; that the power of her faith, and the
greatness of the cure, might be made manifest, to the glory of God and for the instruction of
others; and he might have an occasion given him of encouraging and comforting her, that she
might persevere in the exercise of similar humility and faith, during the rest of her life. And when
he saw her — When, in consequence of his making this inquiry, she came forward toward him,
and confessed what she had done, he said, in a most gentle and condescending manner,
Daughter, be of good comfort — Gr. θαρσει, take courage: thy faith hath made thee whole —
Thou hast received a cure through thy faith in my power and goodness: hold fast that faith
therefore unto the end. Doubtless she was struck with fear when Jesus turned and looked upon
her, lest she should have offended him by touching his garment privately; and the more so
because she was unclean according to the law. Leviticus 15:25. Hence Mark says that she came
forward fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, and fell down before him. And the
woman was made whole from that hour — “This incidental miracle appears very grand, when the
relation it bears to the principal one is considered. Jesus is going to give a specimen of that
almighty power, by which the resurrection of all men to immortality shall be effected at the last
day; and behold, virtue, little inferior to that which is capable of raising the dead to life, issues from
him through his garment, and heals a very obstinate disease, which, having baffled the powers of
medicine for twelve years, had remained absolutely incurable, till the presence of Jesus, who is
the resurrection and the life, chased it away. The cure, though complete, was performed in an
instant, and the woman knew it by the immediate ease which she felt, by the return of her
strength, by the cheerfulness of her spirits, and by all the other agreeable sensations which
accompany sudden changes from painful diseases to perfect health. This Mark expresses shortly
and elegantly, ( εγνω τω σωµατι,) She felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.”
COFFMAN, "This remarkable case was mentioned by Eusebius, whose remarks quoted
by Dummelow are:
She was a heathen living at Caesarea Philippi, near the sources of the Jordan. Her house
is shown in the city ... and at the gates of which, on an elevated stone stands a brazen
statue of a woman on her bended knee, with her hands stretched out before her like one
entreating. Opposite to this is another statue of a man, erect, of the same materials,
decently clad in a mantle, and stretching out his hand to the woman. This statue, they
said, was a likeness of Jesus Christ.[3]
The so-called Report of the Procurator Concerning Our Lord Jesus Christ contains this:](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-137-2048.jpg)
![And a woman that had an issue of blood for many years, and whose joints and veins were
drained by the flowing of the blood, so that she did not present the appearance of a
human being, but was like a corpse, and was speechless every day, so that all the
physicians of the district could not cure her (was in such a condition) that there was not
any hope of life left to her. And when Jesus passed by, she mysteriously received
strength through his overshadowing her; and she took hold of his fringe behind; and,
immediately in the same hour, power filled up what was in her empty, so that, no longer
suffering any pain, she began to run swiftly to her own city Kepharnaum, so as to
accomplish the journey in six days.[4]
Perhaps these ancient quotations have little value, but they serve to focus a little further
attention on this wonderful deed which came as a parenthesis in the more important
miracle of the raising of Jairus' daughter.
[3] J. R. Dummelow, One Volume Commentary (New York: The Macmillan Company,
1937), p. 659.
[4] Pontius Pilate, quoted in ancient writings, The Ante-Nicene Fathers, (Grand Rapids,
Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1951), Vol. VIII, p. 460.
BARCLAY, "All Heaven's Power For One (Matthew 9:20-22)
9:20-22 And, look you, a woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years came up
behind him, and touched the tassel of his cloak. For she said to herself, "If I only touch
his cloak, I will be cured." Jesus turned and saw her. "Courage, daughter!" He said.
"Your faith has brought you healing." And the woman was cured from that hour.
From the Jewish point of view this woman could not have suffered from any more
terrible or humiliating disease than an issue of blood. It was a trouble which was very
common in Palestine. The Talmud sets out no fewer than eleven different cures for it.
Some of them were tonics and astringents which may well have been effective; others
were merely superstitious remedies. One was to carry the ashes of an ostrich-egg in a
linen bag in summer, and in a cotton bag in winter; another was to carry about a
barleycorn which had been found in the dung of a white she-ass. When Mark tells this
story, he makes it clear that this woman had tried everything, and had gone to every
available doctor, and was worse instead of better (Mark 5:26).
The horror of the disease was that it rendered the sufferer unclean. The Law laid it
down: "If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her
impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the
discharge she shall continue in uncleanness; as in the days of her impurity, she shall be
unclean. Every bed on which she lies, all the days of her discharge, shall be to her as the
bed of her impurity; and everything on which she sits shall be unclean, as in the
uncleanness of her impurity. And whoever touches these things shall be unclean, and
shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening
(Leviticus 15:25-27).
That is to say, a woman with an issue of blood was unclean; everything and everyone she](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-138-2048.jpg)
![and the woman was made whole from that hour; her disease immediately left
her, and from that time forward, was no more troubled with it: the cure was so effectual,
and so perfect, that the disorder never returned more.
HE RY, "2. Christ's great favour to this woman. He did not suspend (as he might
have done) his healing influences, but suffered this bashful patient to steal a cure
unknown to any one else, though she could not think to do it unknown to him. And now
she was well content to be gone, for she had what she came for, but Christ was not
willing to let he to so; he will not only have his power magnified in her cure, but his grace
magnified in her comfort and commendation: the triumphs of her faith must be to her
praise and honour. He turned about to see for her (Mat_9:22), and soon discovered her.
Note, It is great encouragement to humble Christians, that they who hide themselves
from men are known to Christ, who sees in secret their applications to heaven when
most private. Now here,
(1.) He puts gladness into her heart, by that word, Daughter, be of good comfort. She
feared being chidden for coming clandestinely, but she is encouraged. [1.] He calls her
daughter, for he spoke to her with the tenderness of a father, as he did to the man sick of
the palsy (Mat_9:2), whom he called son. Note, Christ has comforts ready for the
daughters of Zion, that are of a sorrowful spirit, as Hannah was, 1Sa_1:15. Believing
women are Christ's daughters, and he will own them as such. [2.] He bids her be of good
comfort: she has reason to be so, if Christ own her for a daughter. Note, The saints'
consolation is founded in their adoption. His bidding her be comforted, brought comfort
with it, as his saying, Be ye whole, brought health with it. Note, It is the will of Christ
that his people should be comforted, and it is his prerogative to command comfort to
troubled spirits. He creates the fruit of the lips, peace, Isa_57:19.
(2.) He puts honour upon her faith. That grace of all others gives most honour to
Christ, and therefore he puts most honour upon it; Thy faith has made thee whole. Thus
by faith she obtained a good report. And as of all graces Christ puts the greatest honour
upon faith, so of all believers he puts the greatest honour upon those that are most
humble; as here on this woman, who had more faith than she thought she had. She had
reason to be of good comfort, not only because she was made whole, but because her
faith had made her whole; that is, [1.] She was spiritually healed; that cure was wrought
in her which is the proper fruit and effect of faith, the pardon of sin and the work of
grace. Note, We may then be abundantly comforted in our temporal mercies when they
are accompanied with those spiritual blessings that resemble them; our food and
raiment will be comfortable, when by faith we are fed with the bread of life, and clothed
with the righteousness of Jesus Christ; our rest and sleep will be comfortable, when by
faith we repose in God, and dwell at ease in him; our health and prosperity will be
comfortable, when by faith our souls prosper, and are in health. See Isa_38:16, Isa_
38:17. [2.] Her bodily cure was the fruit of faith, of her faith, and that made it a happy,
comfortable cure indeed. They out of whom the devils were cast, were helped by Christ's
sovereign power; some by the faith of others (as Mat_9:2); but it is thy faith that has
made thee whole. Note, Temporal mercies are then comforts indeed to us, when they are
received by faith. If, when in pursuit of mercy, we prayed for it in faith, with an eye to the
promise, and in dependence upon that, if we desired it for the sake of God's glory, and
with a resignation to God's will, and have our hearts enlarged by it in faith, love, and
obedience, we may then say, it was received by faith.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-151-2048.jpg)
![CALVI , "Matthew 9:22.Take courage, my daughter. This expression shows the
weakness of her faith for, had there been no impropriety in her trembling, Christ
would not have corrected it by exhorting her to take courage Yet, at the same time,
he commends her faith; and this supports the view which I have already stated, that,
while she sought Christ by the guidance of the Spirit, and from a sincere and pious
desire, she hesitated in such a manner as to need to be strengthened. Thus we see
that faith, in order to please God, needs forgiveness, and is at the same time
sustained by new aid, that it may acquire additional strength. We may here draw a
comparison from the health of the body to that of the soul: for, as Christ says that
the woman’s deliverance from her disease was the consequence of her faith, so it is
certain, that we obtain by faith the forgiveness of sins, which reconciles us to God.
COFFMA , "It is plain from this that Jesus rejected whatever of superstition there
may have been in the woman's act. A suspicion that some element of superstition
might have motivated her comes from the fact that she touched a particular part of
his garment supposed to be especially holy. That was the tuft,Matthew 9:22
(Brooklyn, ew York: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society), p. 38.">[5] or tassel,
which, according to umbers 15:37, every Jew wore on the four corners of his cloak
to remind him of God's commands, and which was considered the holiest part of his
apparel. Jesus' action, as more fully given in Mark 5:25-34, and his plain words
made it clear to the woman that he, of his own will, had healed her; and that she had
not merely taken advantage of some supernatural influence radiating from his
person.
E D OTE:
Matthew 9:22 (Brooklyn, ew York: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society), p. 38.">
[5] Emphatic Diaglott, Matthew 9:22 (Brooklyn, ew York: Watchtower Bible and
Tract Society), p. 38.
BROADUS, "Matthew 9:22. But Jesus turned, etc. Matthew omits the facts narrated at length
by Mark and Luke, that she touched him in the midst of a great crowd, and he insisted on being
told who it was that had touched him. We can see that it was not proper to let her be healed and
go off, apparently without his knowledge; because this fact, as it should gradually become known,
would confirm men in the superstitious notion that he performed healing involuntarily and
unconsciously, as if by some magical virtue inherent in his person. His asking who it was is not
inconsistent with the idea that he knew. Compare Elisha's asking, 'Whence comest thou,
Gehazi?', (2 Kings 5:25) though well aware of all that he had done; and God's saying to Adam,
'Where art thou?' See also Luke 24:19, where Jesus asks, 'What things?' though he must have
understood what they meant. He asked the woman in order to bring her to confession, which
would be a benefit to herself—preventing superstition, strengthening faith, and deepening
gratitude—as well as to others. Daughter, etc., or, Courage, daughter. Compare on Matthew 9:2.
'Daughter,' in this figurative and kindly use, appears nowhere in the New Testament, save in this
narrative. (Mark 5:34, Luke 8:48) Thy faith hath made thee whole, literally, saved, as in Matthew
9:21. The perfect tense vividly represents the healing as standing complete. Her faith was of
course not the source of the healing, but its procuring cause, as leading her to apply to the healing
power of Jesus. and as being the reason why the application was successful. See the same
expression used in Luke 7:50, Luke 17:19, Luke 18:42. Was made whole (healed) from that hour.
The healing took place at the moment of the touch; what is here said is that from that time forward](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-152-2048.jpg)
![miracle just then might have produced among the people, already stirred by the healing of the
woman, and by the rapidly spreading news of the raising of Jairus' daughter to life. (Compare on
Matthew 9:2-6) The question, Believe ye that I am able? developed into greater clearness the faith
they bad already shown by following and asking. In their answer, Lord is probably no more than a
very respectful form of address. (See on "Matthew 8:2".) Jesus was more ready to work miracles
where there was faith in him. (Compare on Matthew 9:2, Matthew 9:22, and Matthew 13:58) But it
is too much to say that he never wrought miracles without faith; instance the widow's son at Nain,
and Malchus' ear. Observe that his question was simply whether they believed that he could heal
them; his willingness remained to be seen. (Compare on Matthew 8:2)
SIMEO , "TWO BLI D ME HEALED
Matthew 9:28-30. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to
him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto
him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it
unto you. And their eyes were opened.
WE are so much accustomed to read and hear the miracles of our Lord, that the
recital of them produces little or no effect: but had we seen the multitudes of
diseased people continually coming to him, crying after him, and breaking in upon
his retreats when he was in the houses of his friends, we should have been greatly
astonished. In the passage before us we have a specimen of their importunity: two
blind men, having in vain supplicated our Lord’s assistance in the street, followed
him into a house, and there obtained that relief, which, from prudential
considerations perhaps, he had not chosen to impart in the presence of the people.
Waving many observations which will arise, when another miracle, exactly similar
to this [ ote: Matthew 20:30-34.], shall be considered, we shall fix our attention
upon two things, which are very strongly marked in the words before us:
I. The object of faith—
The whole sacred volume is to be received by us; but God has revealed in it the
proper object of our faith: his perfections are the foundation on which we build;
and though every perfection is equally an object of our love, yet there seems a
propriety in regarding his power as the more immediate object of our faith; because
it will be to no purpose to believe him well-disposed towards us, if we do not also
believe him able to effect his gracious intentions—
[In confirmation of this we may observe, that in the most eminent instances of faith,
the power of God has been chiefly regarded [ ote: Abraham, whose faith is so
highly commended, had respect to the power of God to give him a son in his old age,
Romans 4:19-21 and to raise him up from the dead, Hebrews 11:19. In dependence
on this, Jonathan attacked a Philistine garrison, 1 Samuel 14:6. Jehoshaphat went
forth against three confederate armies, 2 Chronicles 20:6; 2 Chronicles 20:12 and
the Hebrew Youths withstood the command of the Babylonish monarch, Daniel](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-180-2048.jpg)
![3:17-18.] — — —
And in the most remarkable instances of unbelief, his power has been principally
doubted [ ote: Sarah questioned the power of God to give her a child, Genesis
18:12-14. As did also the Israelites to give them bread and flesh. Psalms 78:20.
Moses himself on one occasion staggered at God’s promise, from an apprehension
that it could not be performed, umbers 11:21-22. And Martha deemed the putrid
state of her brother’s corpse an insurmountable bar to his restoration to life, John
11:39-40.] — — — Moreover God in a peculiar manner points out this attribute to
our notice [ ote: Psalms 62:11.], expostulates with us for not attending to it
sufficiently [ ote: Isaiah 40:28-29.], and exhorts us to take it for our strength [ ote:
Isaiah 26:4.] — — —]
The address of our Lord to the two suppliants leads us further to remark,
II. The importance of faith—
[Our Lord makes more inquiry after this than after any other grace [ ote: He
inquired to this effect of Martha, John 11:26; of the blind man, John 9:35. See also
the text.] — — — He overlooked many faults, where this was exercised [ ote: He
might have justly reproved the nobleman’s impatience, John 4:49.]; and
disregarded every thing that was apparentlygood, if this were wanting [ ote: The
zeal and love of Peter were no longer approved when his faith failed him, Matthew
14:3. or did Jesus regard the ready obedience of his disciples in ferrying him over
the lake, when they discovered such timidity and want of faith, Mark 4:40.] — — —
He invariably bestowed the highest encomiums upon it [ ote: Matthew 8:10;
Matthew 21:21-22. See particularly 2 Chronicles 16:8. where it was not only
commended, but rewarded.]; and made it, not only a condition, but the very
measure of his favours [ ote: Mark 9:23. Matthew 8:13; Matthew 15:28. See also
the text.] — — —]
Application—
1. To unbelievers—
[If men may manifest a very considerable earnestness about salvation, and yet leave
room to doubt whether they really believe in the all-sufficiency of Christ, how
evidently must they be unbelievers, who have no solicitude about their eternal
welfare! To judge of your faith, see whether you resemble these blind men in your
consciousness of your need of a Saviour, and your conviction of the sufficiency of
Christ to save you? Your need of mercy at his hands is as real and as urgent as ever
theirs was: and, if you really believe in him, you are going to him with the same
importunity as was expressed by them: nor will you account any time or place unfit
for the silent offering of your requests. Think then, what will you answer to the
Lord when he shall inquire respecting your faith! And what will you do, if he should
say, Be it unto you according to your faith? Alas! too many of you need no greater
curse than this. If you have no more pardon, peace, or glory, than in proportion to](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-181-2048.jpg)
![your present exercise of faith, the great mass of you, it is to be feared, will be
miserable indeed. O remember the fate of the unbelieving Israelites; and flee to
Christ, every one of you, lest ye perish after their example of unbelief [ ote:
Hebrews 3:18-19; Hebrews 4:11.].]
2. To those who are weak in faith—
[Can you see the multitude of our Saviour’s miracles, and entertain any doubt of his
sufficiency? or the examples of so many that were strong in faith, and not be
ashamed that, with your superior advantages, you should ever indulge unbelief? O
fix it in your minds, that Jesus is able to save to the uttermost, and to keep that
which you have committed to him [ ote: 2 Timothy 1:12.]. Believe in the Lord, so
shall you be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper [ ote: 2
Chronicles 20:20.]. But if ye will not believe, neither shall ye be establishe [ ote:
Isaiah 7:9.].]
3. To believers in general—
[You will find that peace of mind, purity of heart, victory over the world, and
indeed all that you hold dear, vary according to the weakness or stability of your
faith. Beware then of ever “limiting the Holy One of Israel.” Beg that “what is yet
lacking in your faith may be perfected [ ote: 1 Thessalonians 3:10.].” And seek to
become “strong in faith, giving glory to God.”]
29 Then he touched their eyes and said,
“According to your faith let it be done to you”;
BAR ES, "Then touched he their eyes - Simply to indicate that the power
proceeded from him. Compare Mat_8:3.
According to your faith ... - That is, you have “believed” that you could be healed,
be healed accordingly. Your faith covered the whole extent of the work respecting my
power and the absolute restoration to sight, and that power is exerted accordingly, and
your sight is restored. So with the sinner. If he has faith in the Son of God; if he believes
that he is able and willing to save him: and if he earnestly desires to be saved, the power
of Jesus will be put forth to the full extent of his faith.
GILL, "Then touched he their eyes,.... Not but that he could have restored sight to
them, without touching their eyes, by a word speaking, or by the secret communication
of his power; but he might do this as a sign of his favour and kindness to them, and of
his will to cure them; as also in compliance with their weakness, who might expect some
manual operation upon them;](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-182-2048.jpg)
![proclaimed, the more jealous would the rulers of the Jews be of his growing interest
among the people. (4.) Dr. Whitby gives another reason, which is very considerable, why
Christ sometimes concealed his miracles, and afterwards forbid the publishing of his
transfiguration; because he would not indulge that pernicious conceit which obtained
among the Jews, that their Messiah should be a temporal prince, and so give occasion to
the people to attempt the setting up of his kingdom, by tumults and seditions, as they
offered to do, Joh_6:15. But when, after his resurrection (which was the full proof of his
mission), his spiritual kingdom was set up, then that danger was over, and they must be
published to all nations. And he observes, that the miracles which Christ wrought among
the Gentiles and the Gadarenes, were ordered to be published, because with them there
was not that danger.
JAMISO , "And their eyes were opened: and Jesus straitly charged them —
The expression is very strong, denoting great earnestness.
CALVI , "30.And Jesus threatened them Either he wished to have other persons as
witnesses of the miracle, or to delay the publication of it till another time. Their
conduct in immediately proclaiming it every where is worthy of blame: for the
notion entertained by some, that Christ forbade them for the purpose of exciting
them the more, has been already refuted. There was, no doubt, some reason for
forbidding it, which is unknown to us; and those men, through inconsiderate zeal,
spread the rumor before the proper time.
COFFMA , "The Greek term in this place translated "strictly" is actually
"sternly," as a glance at the English Revised Version (1885) margin will show. It
must follow, then, that those recipients of the Lord's healing grace were most
reprehensible in their violation of his orders not to tell it. Trench noted that most
Catholic commentators on this place, "applaud rather than condemn these men for
not adhering strictly to Christ's command (which) conduct should be regarded, not
as a fault, but a merit."[6] On the other hand, interpreters of the Reformed Church
see in this "a blemish in the perfectness of their faith who thus disobeyed; a fault
which remained a fault, even while they recognize it as one which only grateful
hearts could have committed."[7] This profound difference of the views of
expositors is ascribed by Trench to the desire of the reformers to "take God's word
as absolute rule of law, and to worship him not with self-advised services, but after
the pattern which he has shown ... that obedience is better than sacrifice, even
though the sacrifice be intended for God's special honor."[8] We say the same and
can only wonder at the disobedience of those who had been so signally honored and
healed by the Saviour.
[6]Richard C. Trench, op. cit., p. 215.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid.
BROADUS, "Matthew 9:30. And their eyes were opened. We have no means of judging](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-189-2048.jpg)
![their own glory, their gain, and their belly. Wherefore, any appearance of religion which
they had, was wholly feigned and hypocritical; insomuch that they rather did hurt by it
than were of real service to the interests of [piety and] virtue. Besides, the common
people, being distracted by the disagreeing factions of the Pharisees and Sadducees,
knew not what to choose or refuse. The case therefore called loudly for the compassion
of Jesus, which indeed was never wanting to them at any time, for he always cherished
the tenderest affection toward his countrymen; but it flowed particularly on this
occasion, when he considered that they were in great distress for want of spiritual food.”
And therefore being deeply touched with a feeling of their miserable condition, he
resolved to provide some remedy for it; which, as the evangelist here states, he
proceeded to do immediately, directing his disciples to intercede with God to send forth
labourers into his harvest, and immediately afterward appointing and sending those
labourers.
CALVIN, "Matthew 9:35.And Jesus went about This statement is made by way of
anticipating an objection, and is intended to inform us that the whole ministry of Christ
is not minutely described: for he was constantly employed in the discharge of his office;
that is, in proclaiming the doctrine of salvation, and in confirming it by the addition of
miracles. The gospel of the kingdom, we have already said, is a designation given to it
from its effect, (533) for in this way God gathered to himself a people sadly scattered,
that he might reign in the midst of them; and, indeed, he erected his throne for the
express purpose of bestowing on all his people perfect happiness. Yet let us remember
that we must be subject to God, in order that we may be exalted by him to the heavenly
glory.
BARCLAY, "THE THREEFOLD WORK (Matthew 9:35)
9:35 And Jesus made a tour of all the towns and villages, teaching in synagogues, and
heralding forth the good news of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every
illness.
Here in one sentence we see the threefold activity which was the essence of the life of
Jesus.
(i) Jesus was the herald. The herald is the man who brings a message from the king:
Jesus was the one who brought a message from God. The duty of the herald is the
proclamation of certainties; preaching must always be the proclamation of certainties.
No church can ever be composed of people who are certain, as it were, by proxy. It is not
only the preacher who must be certain. The people must be certain too.
There never was a time when this certainty was more needed than it is today. Geoffrey
Heawood, headmaster of a great English public school, has written that the great tragedy
and problem of this age is that we are standing at the cross-roads, and the signposts
have fallen down.
Beverley Nichols once wrote a book composed of interviews with famous people. One of](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-204-2048.jpg)
![present is little more than a drop in the ocean. It is a comfort, however, to know, that the
proper office of religion is better understood; and that piety, which, till lately, has been
circumscribed within the narrow limits of a man’s own family, now comprehends in its
efforts the whole family of mankind. This was the religion which our Lord inculcated on
his first disciples, and which, from the words before us, I will take occasion to
recommend to you.
Let us then consider,
I. The state of the world at large—
Doubtless our Lord spake primarily of the Jews, whose condition, in respect of piety,
was truly deplorable. The authorized teachers were altogether intent on their own
temporal minterests, whilst they forgot entirely the spiritual and eternal interests of the
people: so that the people were really as sheep without a shepherd. Happy would it be if
there were not but too much occasion for similar complaints in the present day; and that
not only amongst other churches, but our own. However, it is of heathens rather that I
propose at this time to speak. They, as my text intimates, are in a state,
1. Of destitution—
[The people “fainted” through their want of that nourishment which their priests ought
to have administered. And amongst the heathen world there are multitudes who feel
their need of mercy, but know not how to attain it. Nothing can be more clear, than that
the most uncivilized savages have an idea of some Superior Being, whom they conceive
themselves to have offended, and whom they wish to propitiate. For this end, they have
recourse to penances, and pilgrimages, and self- inflicted tortures. It is quite afflictive to
read of the rites prescribed by the priests of different religions for the obtaining of favour
with their deities. They seem to have exhausted their ingenuity in searching out modes
the most painful, the most odious, the most absurd. And what is the effect? The people,
after all their self-denying efforts, faint as much as ever, under a sense of the
fruitlessness of their endeavours, and with fearful anticipations of their future doom.
Like Hagar, when her little stock of water was consumed, they see no prospect before
them, but to lie down and die. No angel have they at hand to point out the fountain;
which, though hidden, is close at hand. And this is the state of many hundreds of
millions of our unhappy fellow-creatures, even of the whole heathen world. Would to
God it were not also the state of millions amongst ourselves!]
2. Of danger—
[Sheep, without a shepherd are exposed to dogs and wolves, who may tear them to
pieces at their will: and, in like manner, are the heathen world exposed to the assaults of
that roaring lion, who is never satiated with his prey; even with Satan, who prowls
throughout the world, seeking whom he may devour. By temptations too on every side,](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-226-2048.jpg)
![as well as by their own in-dwelling lusts, are they assailed; so that there is indeed no
hope of escape for them: for no shepherd have they, to warn them of their danger, or to
point out to them a place of refuge. A Deliverer, indeed, is at hand with them, if they did
but know where to find him, and how to make their application to him. But they have no
man to care for their souls, or to give them the information which they stand in need of.
Hence “they perish for lack of knowledge:” not indeed like sheep, by a mere bodily
destruction, but under a load of guilt, that sinks them into everlasting perdition; even
into “that lake of fire and brimstone,” where they shall “lie down in everlasting
burnings.”]
And can we doubt what is,
II. Our duty towards them?
Our blessed Lord has taught it us: has taught it,
1. By his own example—
[He “had compassion on the multitudes.” And whence is it that we are so unfeeling
towards them? Is it that the heathen are in so much better state than the Jews who
attended the ministry of our Lord? Were they who had God in the midst of them by his
word and ordinances, such objects of compassion; and are not they who are altogether
“without God in the world?” I say then, again, Whence is it that we perhaps, in the
course of our whole lives, have never spent one hour in mourning over their unhappy
condition, or in praying to God for them? Had the smallest interest of our own been in
jeopardy, we should have thought of it, and devised means to avert the impending
calamity. But for their souls we have felt no anxiety; nor have we put forth any exertions
for their welfare. Truly, we have lain in more than brutish apathy, when we ought to
have wept over them, as our Lord over Jerusalem: and to have had great heaviness and
continual sorrow in our hearts, as Paul had for his Jewish brethren.]
2. By a particular command—
[“Pray ye,” says he, “to the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his
harvest.” And who is “the Lord of the harvest,” but Jehovah? for “all souls are his.” And
who but He can “thrust forth labourers into his harvest [Note: ἐκβάλἐ.]?” For
ministration at home, where ease, and honour, and emolument, are found, multitudes
are ready to obtrude themselves, and to solicit employment in the sacred office: but
when God inquires for labourers in the heathen world, and says, “Who will go for us?”
how few are found who are ready to reply, “Here am I send me [Note: Isaiah 6:8.]!” No,
in truth: there are excuses enough then: one, like Moses, has not the qualifications for so
great a work: another has some temporal occupation inconsistent with it: and another
has married a wife, or intends to do so, and therefore cannot go. Much labour and little
pay, is not the preferment which the generality of us affect: a thousand difficulties rise](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-227-2048.jpg)
![up to view; and every mole-hill becomes a mountain. And who but God can overcome
this sad reluctance? Who can inspire men with zeal sufficient for this holy undertaking?
None but He who formed the universe: none but He who called Andrew and Peter from
their nets, and Matthew from the receipt of custom. “He has all hearts in his hands, and
turneth them whithersoever he will;” and can convert a proud and persecuting Saul into
a humble, loving, and laborious servant of Christ. We should therefore pray to him to
effect this. He is a prayer-hearing God, and will not suffer us to seek his face in vain. The
whole night did Jesus spend in prayer, previous to his calling to himself his twelve
disciples [Note: Luke 6:12-13.]. And who can tell, if we were alike earnest in prayer, what
might be effected in behalf of the heathen world? At all events, we are bound to use the
means: and we have every reason to believe, that if “we would give no rest to our God,”
agreeably to his direction [Note: Isaiah 62:6-7.], he would arise for our help, and get
himself praise throughout the earth.]
Improvement—
1. Be thankful for the blessings which you yourselves enjoy—
[Are you “faint,” from a sense of your own guilt and helplessness? You have those at
hand who are ready to offer you “the cup of salvation.” Are you exposed to danger? You
have shepherds to warn you of it, and to point out to you that Saviour who is both able
and willing to deliver. It may be that some of you understand, by painful experience,
what it is to feel a sense of God’s wrath upon the soul, and to be harassed with “a certain
fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation.” O, what thanks do you owe to
God, that the way of life is so plainly opened to you, and that you are so urgently called
to walk in it! Be thankful, then, and avail yourselves of the privileges which you enjoy,
and which “many prophets and kings have sought in vain.”]
2. Endeavour to extend them to the whole world—
[This is the bounden duty of all, to whom the Gospel comes. Ministers and people are
alike bound to use the efforts which are within their power: and the poorest and weakest
in the universe may lift up his soul in prayer. I call upon you, then; on you especially who
are sensible of your own privileges; surely it will be strange indeed if you do not shew a
zeal for God. who has so distinguished you; and if you do not endeavour to impart to
others the blessings which you yourselves enjoy. To you who are educating for the
ministry I would particularly commend this subject and say. Not only pray that God
would send forth others into his harvest. but beg him to give you grace. that you may be
ready to go yourselves.]](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-228-2048.jpg)
![But the labourers are few: Gospel ministers; whose calling is a laborious one; whose
business is to labour in the word and doctrine; to be constant in prayer; to give up
themselves to meditation and reading; to study to show themselves workmen; to preach
the word in season, and out of season; and diligently discharge the several duties of their
office, to the glory of Christ, and the good of souls: but such painful and laborious
ministers, who are willing to spend, and be spent for Christ and immortal souls, have
been but few in all ages; generally speaking, there are more loiterers than labourers.
HE RY, "(1.) How the case stood; The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers
are few. People desired good preaching, but there were few good preachers. There was a
great deal of work to be done, and a great deal of good likely to be done, but there
wanted hands to do it. [1.] It was an encouragement, that the harvest was so plenteous.
It was not strange, that there were multitudes that needed instruction, but it was what
does not often happen, that they who needed it, desired it, and were forward to receive
it. They that were ill taught were desirous to be better taught; people's expectations were
raised, and there was such a moving of affections, as promised well. Note, It is a blessed
thing, to see people in love with good preaching. The valleys are then covered over with
corn, and there are hopes it may be well gathered in. That is a gale of opportunity, that
calls for a double care and diligence in the improvement of it; a harvest-day should be a
busy day. [2.] It was a pity when it was so that the labourers should be so few; that the
corn should shed and spoil, and rot upon the ground for want of reapers; loiterers many,
but labourers very few. Note, It is ill with the church, when good work stands still, or
goes slowly on, for want of good workmen; when it is so, the labourers that there are
have need to be very busy.
JAMISO , "Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous
— His eye doubtless rested immediately on the Jewish field, but this he saw widening
into the vast field of “the world” (Mat_13:38), teeming with souls having to be gathered
to Him.
but the labourers — men divinely qualified and called to gather them in - “are few.”
CALVI , "37.The harvest is indeed abundant By this metaphor he intimates, that
many of the people are ripe for receiving the gospel. Though the greater number
afterwards rejected basely and with vile ingratitude the salvation offered to them,
yet the limited number of the elect, who were mixed with unbelievers, is compared
to an abundant harvest, because God values a small band of his own people more
highly than the rest of the world. Though there were at that time many who
assumed this character, yet as few of them discharged it faithfully, he does not rank
them among laborers: for he employs the word laborers in a good sense. When Paul
complains (2 Corinthians 2:13) of bad laborers, he refers to their boasting: for he
would not have bestowed the designation of laborers (534) on those who devoted all
their exertions to ruin and waste the flock, had it not been that they gloried in the
false pretense.
BARCLAY, "THE WAITI G HARVEST (Matthew 9:37-38)
9:37-38 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is great, but the workers are few.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-231-2048.jpg)
![heavily upon the arm of prayer, how much more should his disciples ask, and seek,
and knock to obtain that providential support, without which every human
endeavor must inevitably come to naught?
BE SO , "Matthew 9:37-38. Then saith he to his disciples — To quicken their
devotion and zeal, The harvest — amely, of souls to be gathered in, is plenteous —
The multitudes that followed Jesus, and expressed so earnest a desire of receiving
his instructions, gave him occasion of making this reflection. He compared Judea
and the neighbouring countries to fields covered with ripe corn, where nothing was
wanting but reapers. See John 4:35 : and L’Enfant. Pray ye therefore the Lord of
the harvest — Whose peculiar work and office it is, and who alone is able to do it;
that he will send forth labourers into his harvest — The word εκβαλη properly
means to thrust out, plainly implying the exercise of some degree of force. For it is
an employ not pleasing to flesh and blood; so full of reproach, labour, danger, and
temptation of every kind, that nature may well be averse to it. Those who never felt
this, never yet knew what it is to be labourers in Christ’s harvest. He sends them
forth, when he calls them by his Spirit, furnishes them with grace and gifts for the
work, and makes a way for them to be employed therein. “Christ’s example here,”
says Baxter, “teacheth preachers to compassionate a willing multitude, when they
want sufficient teachers, and to pray God to send forth more labourers when there
are too few; and not to give over labouring themselves without being utterly
disabled, though men forbid them. Some parishes in London have each about
seventy thousand souls, some sixty thousand, some thirty thousand; and all the city
and county, and much more, have but one bishop, and the curates or preachers
cannot be heard [each] by above three thousand at once, or thereabouts.” But how
much greater is the population of London with its environs, and of the whole
country, at the present day, than it was in Mr. Baxter’s time!
BROADUS, "Matthew 9:37-38. He seeks to awaken a similar compassion in his followers.
Disciples, see on "Matthew 5:1". There were probably other disciples present, besides the Twelve,
(Matthew 10:1) and the exhortation to pray was addressed to them all, but only the Twelve were at
that time sent forth; at a later period, seventy others. (Luke 10:1) The figure of reaping a harvest
he had employed before (perhaps a year before), at Jacob's well, (John 4:25 ff.) and will use
again when sending out the seventy. (Luke 10:2) Truly represents the Greek word (men)
explained on Matthew 3:11, which denotes merely that this clause is set in contrast with what
follows. The idea is sufficiently expressed in English by an emphatic utterance of 'harvest' and
'labourers'; it was so rendered by Tyn. and Gen. (so also Davidson), 'truly' being introduced by
Great Bible. The harvest signifies, not (as some explain) the elect, those who will actually be
saved, but men in general, who unless gathered and saved will perish like wheat that is not
reaped.—This compassion for perishing men will naturally lead to prayer for labourers, (Matthew
9:38) and such compassion and prayer will form the best preparation for going forth to be
labourers ourselves. (Matthew 10:1) Any man who is called of God to devote himself to preaching
the gospel will have felt something, ought to have felt much, of this pitying love for his perishing
fellow men, and will have prayed much for their rescue; and those engaged in that work should be
careful to maintain, as long as they live, this same pity and prayer. And not only preachers, but all
Christians, should feel as Jesus felt, and should regularly and habitually pray this prayer. Send
forth is literally cast out, 'throw out,' or 'thrust out,' the same word that is used in Matthew 9:33 f.,
in Matthew 10:1, and above in Matthew 9:25 (where see note). Compare its use in Mark 1:12;
James 2:25. It always implies urgency, haste, constraint, or some such idea, and here means that
the labourers should be sent out promptly, pushed into their work. Beza: "For we are all very tardy,](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-233-2048.jpg)
![following chapter shows; and so this is a proof of prayer being made to Christ;
that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. This is the petition the
disciples of Christ were put upon making to the Lord of the harvest, on consideration of
the present condition multitudes of souls were in: they could not make, qualify, and send
out ministers themselves; this is not man's work, but God's: he only is able to furnish
with ministerial gifts, to work upon, and powerfully incline the hearts of men to this
service, to call and send them forth into it, and to assist and succeed them in it. The
persons desired to be sent are "labourers"; faithful, diligent, and industrious preachers
of the Gospel; such as lay out themselves, their time, talents, and strength, in their
master's service; and do not indulge themselves in sloth and idleness: the place they are
desired to be sent into is, "into the harvest"; into the field of the world, where God's elect
lie, and there labour in preaching the Gospel; hoping for a divine blessing, and an
almighty power to attend their ministrations, for the conversion of sinners, and
edification of saints. The request the disciples are directed to make, concerning these
persons for this work, is, that the Lord of the harvest would "send", or "thrust" them
"forth"; implying power and efficacy, and authority, on the part of the sender; and
backwardness on the part of those that are sent, through modesty: a sense of the
greatness of the work, and of their own unworthiness and unfitness for it. Very
opportunely did our Lord move his disciples to put up this petition, and was done, no
question, with a view to, and to prepare for, his mission of the twelve to preach the
Gospel, of which there is an account in the next chapter.
HE RY, "(2.) What was their duty in this case (Mat_9:38); Pray ye therefore the
Lord of the harvest. Note, The melancholy aspect of the times and the deplorable state of
precious souls, should much excite and quicken prayer. When things look discouraging,
we should pray more, and then we should complain and fear less. And we should adapt
our prayers to the present exigencies of the church; such an understanding we ought to
have of the times, as to know, not only what Israel ought to do, but what Israel ought to
pray for. Note, [1.] God is the Lord of the harvest; my Father is the Husbandman, Joh_
15:1. It is the vineyard of the Lord of hosts, Isa_5:7. It is for him and to him, and to his
service and honour, that the harvest is gathered in. Ye are God's husbandry (1Co_3:9);
his threshing, and the corn of his floor, Isa_21:10. He orders every thing concerning the
harvest as he pleases; when and where the labourers shall work, and how long; and it is
very comfortable to those who wish well to the harvest-work, that God himself presides
in it, who will be sure to order all for the best. [2.] Ministers are and should be labourers
in God's harvest; the ministry is a work and must be attended to accordingly; it is
harvest-work, which is needful work; work that requires every thing to be done in its
season, and diligence to do it thoroughly; but it is pleasant work; they reap in joy, and
the joy of the preachers of the gospel is likened to the joy of harvest (Isa_9:2, Isa_9:3);
and he that reapeth receiveth wages; the hire of the labourers that reap down God's
field, shall not be kept back, as theirs was, Jam_5:4. [3.] It is God's work to send forth
labourers; Christ makes ministers (Eph_4:11); the office is of his appointing, the
qualifications of his working, the call of his giving. They will not be owned nor paid as
labourers, that run without their errand, unqualified, uncalled. How shall they preach
except they be sent? [4.] All that love Christ and souls, should show it by their earnest
prayers to God, especially when the harvest is plenteous, that he would send forth more
skillful, faithful, wise, and industrious labourers into his harvest; that he would raise up
such as he will own in the conversion of sinners and the edification of saints; would give
them a spirit for the work, call them to it, and succeed them in it; that he would give
them wisdom to win souls; that he would thrust forth labourers, so some; intimating](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-236-2048.jpg)
![3. In the way, he heals a poor woman afflicted with a disease of long standing, which
weakened her in body, rendered her ceremonially unclean, and impoverished her in
seeking a cure, without obtaining any relief, from the physicians. As her disorder was of
such a nature that she might be ashamed to mention it, and by the law should have kept
her from mingling in society with others, she came behind our Lord, and touched the
hem of his garment, persuaded that there was such a plenitude of healing virtue in
Jesus, that if she but touched his garment she should certainly be cured. Nor was she
disappointed of her hope; she immediately felt herself perfectly well, but must not steal
off unnoticed. Though others observed her not, Jesus knew what was done, and, for his
own glory and her comfort, addressed her with kind encouragement, saying, Daughter,
be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole. Note; (1.) The poor sinner who
comes to Christ, ashamed, confounded, and distressed, shall be sent from him rejoicing.
(2.) Those who honour Christ by believing in his name, he will honour, approving and
rewarding their faith.
4. He is pleased to raise from the dead the ruler's daughter. At his arrival he found the
house filled with mourners and minstrels, as was usual on those occasions, with
melancholy notes of woe exciting greater grief and wailing; but he bade them cease their
lamentations, and leave the room, since they would find the damsel not, as they
supposed, dead and past hope, but as one asleep, whom he would soon awake; though
they assured him she was dead, and, supposing the case desperate, treated what he said
with utter contempt. But he quickly convinced them of their folly and wickedness herein;
for, having ordered them to be put out of the house or room, as unworthy to be
spectators of his miracles who thus derided him, in the presence of the father and
mother, and three of his disciples, he went in, took her by the hand, and at his word she
instantly arose, alive and well as if she had indeed awaked from a refreshing sleep. Note;
(1.) Death is but a longer night, and sleep its lesser mysteries. They who die in the Lord,
are said to sleep in Jesus; for, though dead to us, they live to him, and only wait for the
resurrection-morn to wake up to eternal life and day, when sleep and death shall be no
more. (2.) When our dear relatives go before us to their bed of dust, though nature
cannot but feel the pangs of parting, believers sorrow not as those who have no hope. If
their friends fall asleep in Christ, they may wake up together shortly, never to part again.
(3.) Many scoff at Christ's words, and, because they cannot comprehend them, brand
them as foolishness, though they will be found the true sayings of God. (4.) He that by a
touch, a word, raised the dead body, does thus by his word and spirit raise the souls of
the penitent from the death of sin unto the life of righteousness.
5. The fame of this amazing miracle soon spread throughout that land, the certainty of
the fact being put beyond doubt by the multitude of those who had been fully convinced
of the damsel's death.
5thly, Miracle upon miracle confirmed our Lord's divine mission, and left those
inexcusable, who, in the face of such evidence, rejected him. 1. We find him, immediately
after raising Jairus's daughter, giving sight to two blind men. [1.] They followed him
with importunate cries, hearing of his fame, and hoping for a cure. He who gave life to
the dead could surely give sight to the blind. Their address shewed their persuasion, that
Jesus was the true Messiah, the promised Son of David; and all their prayers centered in](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-247-2048.jpg)
![one point, have mercy on us. All that the sinner needs is comprehended in this one word,
and all he can hope for or ask, is of free unmerited grace. Being in the same distress, they
joined their mutual supplications; fellow-sufferers should be joint petitioners: and,
though their request was not, as usual, immediately granted, they did not desist; but
with persevering earnestness followed him through the street, and then into the house.
If the Lord Jesus for a while seem to disregard our prayers, it must not be interpreted a
denial of our requests, but as designed to quicken our importunity, and to make the
mercy sought more valued by us. We shall assuredly succeed, if we faint not.
[2.] In answer to the question of our Lord, they make a noble confession of their faith.
Jesus asked them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? to open your eyes, and by my own
divine power to cure your blindness? They said unto him, Yea, Lord; we are fully
persuaded of it. Note; (1.) In all our trials, the full and fixed persuasion of Christ's power
to save us out of them, must be as an anchor to our souls amid the storm. (2.) Christ
requires open profession of our faith, that we may give him the glory due unto his name.
[3.] Hereupon he grants their request. He touched their eyes, saying, According to your
faith be it unto you: and their eyes were opened. He knew their sincerity, and he
designed to express his approbation of their faith in conferring the cure. Whoever still
comes to him with their wants, will find the same language from Jesus; according to our
faith the blessings of the Gospel become possessed by us. Whatever we want, faith may
ever draw it out of his fulness; and whenever we fail of strength or comfort, we may be
assured it is owing to our unbelief.
[4.] He strictly charges them to conceal the miracle that he had wrought for them. Either
he shunned all appearance of seeking popular applause, or he knew that the more his
fame spread, the more his enemies would be exasperated; or perhaps he did it to prevent
the Jews or his own disciples, too much disposed to expect in their Messiah a temporal
prince, from crowding around him, or attempting, by insurrections, to set him on the
throne of Israel.
[5.] They, notwithstanding, spread abroad his fame; so full of gratitude, they could not
conceal the favour; and though their disobedience was not commendable, their motive
no doubt pleaded their excuse. Well-meant zeal, though sometimes imprudently exerted,
should not meet a harsh censure.
2. He cures a dumb man possessed of a devil. His friends brought him to Jesus as a truly
pitiable object, just as the blind men, who were healed, went out; for Christ's door was
open to all the miserable, and he was never weary in doing good. The favour is no sooner
asked than granted; the devil is dispossessed, and the dumb man speaks as freely as
ever. Note; They who live in the neglect of prayer and praise and godly conversation are
under the possession of this spirit of dumbness; but when the heart yields to the grace of
Jesus, the tongue of the dumb will instantly sing, speaking his praises, and telling what
great things God hath done for his soul.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/matthew9commentary-150915144641-lva1-app6892/75/Matthew-9-commentary-248-2048.jpg)
Uploaded byGLENN PEASE
Matthew 9 commentary
In this passage, Jesus returns to Capernaum, where he forgives and heals a paralyzed man, illustrating his authority to forgive sins and perform miracles. The narrative highlights the faith of the man's friends and the contrasting reactions of the people in Capernaum versus the Gadarenes, who rejected him. This event marks the beginning of growing opposition to Jesus, as some scribes accuse him of blasphemy for claiming powers attributed to God.
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Matthew 9 commentary
- 1. MATTHEW 9 COMMETARY EDITED BY GLE PEASE Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralyzed Man 1 Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. BAR ES, "And he entered into a ship ... - Jesus acceded to the request of the people of Gadara Mat_8:34, recrossed the Lake of Gennesareth, and returned to his own city. By “his own city” is meant Capernaum Mar_2:1, the city which was at that time his home, or where he had his dwelling. See the notes at Mat_4:13. This same account, with some additional circumstances, is contained in Mar_2:3-12, and Luk_5:18-26. CLARKE, "He came into his own city - Viz. Capernaum, where he seems to have had his common residence at the house of Peter. See Mat_4:13, and Mat_8:14. This verse properly belongs to the preceding chapter. GILL, "And he entered into a ship,.... Or "the ship", the selfsame ship he came over in, with his disciples. The Gergesenes, or Gadarenes, or both, having desired him to depart their coasts, showing an unwillingness to receive him, and an uneasiness at his company, he immediately turned his back upon them, as an ungrateful people, being no better than their swine; and who, by their conduct, judged themselves unworthy of his presence, ministry, and miracles: he returned to the sea side, took shipping, and passed over the sea of Tiberias again, and came into his own city; not Bethlehem, where he was born, nor Nazareth, as Jerom thought, where he was educated, but Capernaum, as is clear from Mar_2:1 where he much dwelt, frequently conversed, and his disciples: here he paid tribute as an inhabitant, or citizen of the place, which he was entitled to by only dwelling in it twelve months, according to the Jewish canons; where it is asked (d), "how long shall a man be in a city ere he is as the men of the city? It is answered, "twelve months"; but if he purchases a dwelling house, he is as the men of the city immediately;'' that is, he is a citizen, and obliged to all charges and offices, as they are: though they seem to make a distinction between an inhabitant and a citizen (e).
- 2. "A man isnot reckoned העיר ,כבני "as the children of the city", or as one of the citizens, in less than twelve months, but he may be called, or accounted, העיר ,מיושבי "as one of the inhabitants" of the city, if he stays there thirty days.'' One or other of these Christ had done, which denominated this city to be his, and he to be either an inhabitant, or a citizen of it. HE RY, "The first words of this chapter oblige us to look back to the close of that which precedes it, where we find the Gadarenes so resenting the loss of their swine, that they were disgusted with Christ's company, and besought him to depart out of their coasts. Now here it follows, He entered into a ship, and passed over. They bid him begone, and he took them at their word, and we never read that he came into their coasts again. Now here observe, 1. His justice - that he left them. Note, Christ will not tarry long where he is not welcome. In righteous judgment, he forsakes those places and persons that are weary of him, but abides with those that covet and court his stay. If the unbeliever will depart from Christ, let him depart; it is at his peril, 1Co_7:15. 2. His patience - that he did not leave some destroying judgment behind him, to punish them, as they deserved, for their contempt and contumacy. How easily, how justly, might he have sent them after their swine, who were already so much under the devil's power. The provocation, indeed, was very great: but he put it up, and passed it by; and, without any angry resentments or upbraidings, he entered into a ship, and passed over. This was the day of his patience; he came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them; not to kill, but to cure. Spiritual judgments agree more with the constitution of gospel times; yet some observe, that in those bloody wars which the Romans made upon the Jews, which began not many years after this, they first besieged the town of Gadara, where these Gadarenes dwelt. Note, Those that drive Christ from them, draw all miseries upon them. Woe unto us, if God depart from us. He came into his own city, Capernaum, the principal place of his residence at present (Mar_2:1), and therefore called his own city. He had himself testified, that a prophet it least honoured in his own country and city, yet thither he came; for he sought not his own honour; but, being in a state of humiliation, he was content to be despised of the people. At Capernaum all the circumstances recorded in this chapter happened, and are, therefore, put together here, though, in the harmony of the evangelists, other events intervened. When the Gadarenes desired Christ to depart, they of Capernaum received him. If Christ be affronted by some, there are others in whom he will be glorious; if one will not, another will. JAMISO , "Healing of a paralytic. ( = Mar_2:1-12; Luk_5:17-26). This incident appears to follow next in order of time to the cure of the leper (Mat_8:1- 4). For the exposition, see on Mar_2:1-12. HAWKER 1-8, "In the relation of this miracle by Mark, he names Capernaum as the place where it was wrought; so that this may serve to teach us, that when Christ’s own city is spoken of, it means Capernaum, and not Bethlehem, where Christ was born. This miracle is among the many, one of the highest in confirmation both of his Godhead, and of his mission as the Messiah. The Prophet had said, - Behold, your God shall come and save you; and then shall the lame man leap as an hart. Isa_35:4-6. Observe, the first act in proof of Christ’s eternal power and Godhead which he manifested towards this man
- 3. with the palsy,was to pardon his sins. The reasoning of the Scribes was well founded in truth, though formed by them in malice, that none but God himself can forgive sins. And the Lord Jesus, by the exercise of this authority, and in the cure of the body, which immediately followed, proved that he was God. The second act in proof of his Godhead was, that Jesus knew their thoughts, and acted upon that knowledge, by telling them what they thought. This also is the sole prerogative of Godhead; and this Christ exercised. Jer_17:10; Rev_2:23. And the evidence the Lord Jesus immediately gave of his person and power in the cure of the palsy, confirmed the whole beyond a doubt. When the Reader hath duly considered these grand things in this miracle, I would beg to call his attention to other considerations, which arise out of it. In this miracle the Lord Jesus seems to demand attention to his character as Messiah; for he calls himself the SON of Man. It was to be among the features of Him that was to come to be known under this character. Hence when John sent his disciples to ask Jesus whether he was the very person that should come, or were they to look for another, the Lord Jesus referred to those testimonies, in proof that he was the very SON of Man. Compare Isa_ 61:1 with Mat_2:2-6. And hence Jesus also, in his discourse with the Jews, when they attacked him for healing the man on the Sabbath day, declared that all authority was given to him to execute judgment, because he was the SON of Man. So that over and above his own personal power and Godhead, in the essence of JEHOVAH, he here acted in his mediator-character, and thereby manifested who he was, and the great object for which he came. I pray the Reader, in order that he may have a clear apprehension of this subject, and to distinguish between the SON of God’s person, as one of the persons in the Godhead, and his office-character, as mediator, God and Man in one person, that he will turn to those scriptures in proof before he goes further, Joh_5:17 to the end. Joh_17:2-3; Mat_26:62-65. There is one point more in this miracle, which merits our earnest attention; namely, the tenderness and compassion of Jesus, which unasked, pardoned the sin of the soul, while healing the disease of the body. Well might the astonished beholders, in the contemplation of this miracle, express their thankfulness to God. Just how is it, that under such impressions, no saving conviction of Christ is said to have been wrought upon their hearts? The Reader will find an answer to this, and similar questions of the like nature, Isa_6:9-10; Mat_13:14; Mar_ 4:12; Luk_8:10; Joh_12:40; Act_27:26; Rom_11:8. For other observations on this miracle, I refer the Reader to Mar_2:9-12. BARCLAY, "We have repeatedly seen that in Matthew's gospel there is nothing haphazard. It is carefully planned and carefully designed. In Matthew 9:1-38 we see another example of this careful planning, for here we see the first shadows of the gathering storm. We see the opposition beginning to grow; we hear the first hint of the charges which are going to be levelled against Jesus, and which are finally going to bring about his death. In this chapter four charges are made against Jesus. (i) He is accused of blasphemy. In Matthew 9:1-8 we see Jesus curing the paralytic by forgiving his sins; and we hear the scribes accusing him of blasphemy because he claimed to do what only God can do. Jesus was accused of blasphemy because he spoke with the voice of God. Blasphemia (Greek #988) literally means insult or slander; and Jesus' enemies accused him of insulting God because he arrogated to himself the very powers of God.
- 4. BENSON, "Matthew 9:1.He came into his own city — Namely, Capernaum. And they brought him a man sick of the palsy — The history of this miracle is related Mark 2:1-13, and Luke 5:18- 26, with more circumstances than are here mentioned by Matthew, which passages the reader is therefore desired to consult, for the further elucidation of what is here recorded. And Jesus, seeing their faith — Both that of the paralytic, and of them that brought him, viz., their inward persuasion of his divine power, and their confidence in his goodness; said to the sick of the palsy, Son — A title of tenderness and condescension, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee — By this Jesus intimated, both to the paralytic and to those who brought him, 1st, that sin is the source of all our evils; 2dly, that, sin being forgiven, bodily distempers can do us no real or lasting harm; 3dly, that the primary end of his coming into the world was to save his people from their sins; 4thly, that remission of sins is the never-failing consequence of faith in Christ. Perhaps, however, Christ might speak thus, partly with a view to give the scribes and Pharisees occasion BARCLAY, "From Mark 2:1 we learn that this incident took place in Capernaum; and it is interesting to note that by this time Jesus had become so identified with Capernaum that it could be called his own town. At this stage in his ministry Capernaum was the centre of his work. A paralysed man was brought to him, carried on a bed by some friends. Here is a wonderful picture of a man who was saved by the faith of his friends. Had it not been for them he would never have reached the healing presence of Jesus at all. It may well be that he had become dully resigned and defeatedly hopeless, and that they had carried him almost against his will to Jesus. However that may be, he was certainly saved by the faith of his friends. W. B. Yeats in his play, The Cat and the Moon, has a sentence: "Did you ever know a holy man but has a wicked man for his comrade, and his heart's darling?" It is the very characteristic of a really holy man that he clings to a really bad or an entirely thoughtless man, until he has brought that man into the presence of Jesus. If any man has a friend who does not know Christ, or who does not care for Christ, or who is even hostile to Christ, it is his Christian duty not to let that man go until he has brought him into his presence. We cannot force a man against his will to accept Christ. Coventry Patmore once said that we cannot teach another religious truth; we can only point out to him a way whereby he may find it for himself. We cannot make a man a Christian, but we can do everything possible to bring him into Christ's presence. Jesus' approach to this man might seem astonishing. He began by telling him that his sins were forgiven. There was a double reason for that. In Palestine it was a universal belief that all sickness was the result of sin, and that no sickness could ever be cured until sin was forgiven. Rabbi Ami said, "There is no death without sin, and no pains without some transgression." Rabbi Alexander said, "The sick arises not from his sickness, until his sins are forgiven." Rabbi Chija ben Abba said, "No sick person is cured
- 5. from sickness, untilall his sins are forgiven him." This unbreakable connection between suffering and sin was part of the orthodox Jewish belief of the time of Jesus. For that reason there is no doubt at all that this man could never have been cured, until he was convinced that his sins had been forgiven. It is most probable that he had indeed been a sinner, and that he was convinced that his illness was the result of his sin, as it may very well have been; and without the assurance of forgiveness healing could never have come to him. In point of fact modern medicine would agree whole-heartedly that the mind can and does influence the physical condition of the body, and that a person can never have a healthy body when his mind is not in a healthy state. Paul Tournier in A Doctor's Case Book, quotes an actual example of that: "There was, for example, the girl whom one of my friends had been treating for several months for anaemia, without much success. As a last resort my colleague decided to send her to the medical officer of the district in which she worked in order to get his permission to send her into a mountain sanatorium. A week later the patient brought word back from the medical officer. He proved to be a good fellow and he had granted the permit, but he added, 'On analysing the blood, however, I do not arrive at anything like the figures you quote.' My friend, somewhat put out, at once took a fresh sample of the blood, and rushed to his laboratory. Sure enough the blood count had suddenly changed. 'If I had not been the kind of person who keeps carefully to laboratory routine,' my friend's story goes on, 'and if I had not previously checked my figures at each of my patient's visits, I might have thought that I had made a mistake.' He returned to the patient and asked her, 'Has anything out of the ordinary happened in your life since your last visit?' 'Yes, something has happened,' she replied. 'I have suddenly been able to forgive someone against whom I bore a nasty grudge, and all at once I felt I could at last say, yes, to life!'" Her mental attitude was changed, and the very state of her blood was changed along with it. Her mind was cured, and her body was well on the way to being cured. This man in the gospel story knew that he was a sinner; because he was a sinner, he was certain that God was his enemy; because he felt God was his enemy, he was paralysed and ill. Once Jesus brought to him the forgiveness of God, he knew that God was no longer his enemy, but his friend, and therefore he was cured. But it was the manner of the cure which scandalized the scribes. Jesus had dared to forgive sin; to forgive sin is the prerogative of God; therefore Jesus had insulted God. Jesus did not stop to argue. He joined issue with them on their own ground. "Whether," he demanded, "is it easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?" Now remember that these scribes believed that no one could get up and walk unless his sins were forgiven. If Jesus was able to make this man get up and walk, then that was unanswerable proof that the man's sins were forgiven, and that Jesus' claim was true. So Jesus demonstrated that he was able to bring forgiveness to a man's soul and health to a man's body. And it remains eternally true that we can never be right physically until we are right spiritually, that health in body and peace with God go hand in hand.
- 6. CALVI , "Matthew9:1.And came into his own city. This passage shows, that Capernaum was generally believed to be the birth-place of Christ, because his visits to it were frequent: for there is no room to doubt, that it is the same history which is related by the three Evangelists, though some circumstances may be more exactly related by one of them than by another. Luke says that scribes had come from various parts of Judea, who were spectators when Christ healed the paralytic; and at the same time states indirectly, that there were others who also received healing through the grace of Christ. For, before he comes to the paralytic, he speaks in the plural number, and says, that the power of God was displayed for healing their diseases; the power of the Lord was present to heal them The glory of this miracle was very remarkable. A man destitute of the use of all his limbs, lying on a bed, and lowered by cords, suddenly rises up in health, vigor, and agility. Another special reason why the Evangelists dwell more on this miracle than on others is, that the scribes were offended at Christ for claiming power and authority to forgive sins; while Christ intended to confirm and seal that authority by a visible sign. COFFMA , "Christ simply and immediately complied with the request of the citizens of Gadara and shipped immediately to his own city, Capernaum, directly across the lake. This body of water, some 12 or 13 miles in length and only about six miles wide, did not require long to cross. Deductions from this abrupt departure of Jesus are significant: (1) Christ will not force his gospel upon any man or upon any community. (2) The fact that Jesus never returned to Gadara shows how a single decision may have the most extensive consequences. (3) The future history of this area was determined in a single day, even in an hour, when these hapless citizens, ignoring the fantastic blessing which had come to two of their number, and thinking only about the loss of the swine, requested the Saviour of the world to leave their shores. Foolish and irrevocable as their decision was, it does not stand by itself, because countless souls are continually making decisions just as tragic. BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR 1-8, "A man sick of the palsy. The highest cause for joy I. The miserable condition of a human being. II. The power and love of Jesus. III. thy joyous change produced. (American Homiletical Review.) Sin and its forgiveness I. Our faith may be effectual in saving others. The faith of the centurion obtained a cure for his servant. Such instances prove that, in all eases, we may help on the salvation of our friends; that in some cases our faith may stand in the place of theirs. Another one’s faith may do for an infant, a lunatic, for one who has an insurmountable obstacle m the way of coming to Christ. Apply this to the case of sponsors in infant baptism. We are related to God, and members one of another.
- 7. II. The connectionbetween disease and sin. Christ goes deeper than the outward evil, to that which is evil-sin. The consequence of sin often traced in suffering. The consequences of past deeds remain. III. Christ the restorer of health and the forgiver of sin. We have no right to argue there was no repentance: he felt his need of Christ. Christ spoke to the suffering sinner; giving first that we may return to Him of His own. There may be s crowd of evil thoughts, doubts between you and your Saviour; let none of these hinder you. (C. B. Drake, M. A.) Helplessness and its Master There are three views of the outward miracles of our Lord, one as marvels of power, as demonstrations of benevolence, as seeing in them a Divine correspondence between the things of nature and the things of the spirit; between the facts of the outer and inner world. Thus, the multiplied bread a visible image of heavenly nourishment. I. In the text palsy stands for spiritual prostration and indifference. Action and feeling are smitten; but not gone. II. The condition of the cure. This patient does hear, does believe, and is ready to obey. Let us never despair of another. “They brought him”-notice this neighbourly and vicarious kindness. There are instances when the sick man alone lacks force to arise. In the fulfilment of the necessary condition faith and action are joined, and the action expresses the faith. These persons not only believe abstractly in Christ’s power; they brought their sick neighbour where He was. It was not an experiment with them, but the faith of confident expectation. On our way to cure we have no time for speculation, or curiosity; but to draw near with faith. III. What he said to the sick of the palsy. 1. A title of endearment and an assurance of hope. Adaptation of Christ’s treatment; he never administers rebuke to self-abasement. 2. The words reveal a deep insight into the relations of physical and moral evil. Pain, the result of sin; hence He removes disobedience, then discomfort. IV. The low instincts and preferences of the natural man chafe at this divine friendliness. These scribes represent jealous and selfish human nature. This friendliness is too wise, deep, holy, for their low desires. The scribes watch for the chance of hostile criticism. Self-will demands to be saved after its own manner. V. Here then, in the cavils of these spectators, the divine physician finds a new disorder more deeply struck than the other. His compassion; His patience. He changes the manner of His mercy, and is willing by any means to convince the people that He is Lord. All miracle is one, the cure of sick bodies and sick hearts. VI. The multitude glorified God. The intended result was reached. (Bp. Huntingdon.) Good cheer for sad hearts I. Sin-its relation to the body. Its sphere of action is in “high places; “ mere matter cannot sin. It lives secretly in the soul, but works terribly in the body. As sin works outward through the body, punishment strikes the body on its way to the seat of sin. Here is one of God’s grandest temples lying in ruins; and God incarnate comes to restore
- 8. it. He camenot to deliver the body from the temporal consequences of sin, but the man from its power here, and its presence hereafter. II. Sin-its removal by the Lord. 1. It is by a free pardon that sin is removed and its eternal consequences averted. There is no other cure. 2. The Saviour to whom this needy man was brought has power to forgive sins. It is the acquired right of Him who bore the law’s curse. 3. Christ has power to forgive on earth. While we are on this earth only. 4. The Son of Man hath power to forgive. The power lies in our brother’s hands. 5. Christ the Saviour, in coming to a sinful man desires his safety hereafter, but also his happiness now-“Son, be of good cheer.” Every man has his own way of seeking “good cheer”; some by money, lands, politics, war. (W. Armlet.) The efficacy of grace 1. In awakening the dormant powers of the palsied man. 2. In calming the perturbed soul-“Be of good cheer.” 3. In healing both soul and body. (A. F. C. Wallroth.) The cure of the paralytic I. That sin is great evil. II. That faith is a great blessing. III. That Christ is a great saviour. 1. His knowledge. He knew the real need of the paralytic. 2. His authority. It is good to have been afflicted. (D. Rees.) The paralytic, or sickness improved Why does our Saviour begin with the pardon of sin? 1. To display His sovereignty. 2. To show that the soul is the principal care. 3. Perhaps the man suffered more from spiritual distress than from bodily pain. 4. It would seem to emit a ray of His glory, and prove a test to try the dispositions of the company. Here are several things worthy of notice:- 1. This cure was effected by a word. 2. He was ordered to return home. Christ did not seek His own glory.
- 9. 3. Fix youreye on Jesus, the most prominent figure in the story. 4. How far the case of the paralytic resembles yours. (1) Are you distressed in mind and body too? (2) Has Christ healed thy body and not thy soul? (3) Has he spoken peace to thy conscience, and is thy body still under the influence of disease? (W. Jay.) The forgiven paralytic I. The afflicted sufferer brought to the Saviour. II. The reception given by Christ. 1. Observe what it was that found its way to the heart of Christ. Not his suffering, but faith. 2. Mark the peculiarity of the reception he gave to the paralyzed man-“Son, be of good cheer,” etc. III. The contradiction of sinners which Jesus had to endure. “This man speaketh blasphemy.” IV. The great truth taught us by this narrative. 1. All men, till they come into saving contact with Christ, are carrying about with them two heavy burdens. 2. Christ has power to meet every case of accumulated guilt and heart-seated depravity. 3. What then is the nature of this blessing? (P. Morrison.) The mystery of sickness 1. The connection which subsists between the prevalence of sickness and the invasion of sin. 2. Why it is not always the case that when sin is pardoned sickness is healed. Not for want of power on the part of our Lord. Also in the case of the palsied man it was necessary that He should give to the Jewish people a proof that He possessed the power He claimed; this not necessary now. Christ does even now sometimes heal where all human remedy has failed; but not always. Then the discipline of continued affliction is good, impatience is subdued. Also we have given an evidence of the power of the gospel, in the triumph of grace over nature. (S. Robjohns, M. A.) The paralytic healed 1. The terrible state of the patient. 2. The charity of his friends.
- 10. 3. The compassionof Jesus, so ready and comprehensive. 4. The opposition of his enemies. 5. The patient, meek forbearance of our Lord. 6. The triumphant display of His Divine power. 7. Its effect upon the multitude, wonder, not repentance. (The Clergyman’s Magazine.) The story of a paralytic One real case of bodily paralysis may help us to picture what above all things we ought to know, the state of our own inner life. I have seen this quoted from the medical records at Paris:-A man was attacked by a creeping paralysis; sight was the first to fail; soon after, hearing went; then, by degrees, taste, smell, touch, and the very power of motion. He could breathe, he could swallow, he could think, and, strange to say, he could speak; that was all; not the very slightest message from without could possibly, it seemed, reach his mind, nothing to tell him what was near, who was still alive; the world was utterly lost to him, and he all but lost to the world. At last, one day, an accident showed that one small place on one cheek had its feeling left. It seemed a revelation from heaven. By tracing letters on that place, his wife and children could speak to him, his dark dungeon-wall was pierced, his tongue had never lost its power, and once more he was a man among men. Strange this, and true; a parable too if we read it aright. The worst kind of paralysis, but, God be thanked, far the rarest of all, is that of the heart and conscience. There never was a man with no affections and no sense of right and wrong. But never must they be pronounced past cure. God alone knows our real state; there is always some tender spot in our nature, some sensitive place on which He can write in characters of love, and it may be some one’s privilege to find it-the thought of a mother, of the days of childhood, of a little one who died, or whatever it be, God- can still use that as a means of cure. (H. S. Swithinbank, M. A.) Forgiveness, the primary Reed of the sinner Not, “Be of good cheer, thy health is given thee,” though that he had also; but “ thy sins are forgiven thee.” If a friend should come to a malefactor, on his way to the gallows, put a sweet posy in his hands, and bid him be of good cheer, smell on that; alas! this would bring little joy with it to the poor man’s heart, who sees the place of execution before him. But if one came from his prince with a pardon, put it into his hand, and bade him be of good cheer; this, and this only, would cheer the poor man’s heart, and fill it with a ravishment of joy. Truly, anything short of pardoning mercy is as inconsiderable towards pacifying a troubled conscience, as that posy in the dying prisoner’s hand would be. (Gurnall.) Christ sees the beginning and the ending of the patient’s ailment Sin is the well in which it springs, and perdition the sea to which it is flowing. When he looked on disease, he sees its beginning and its ending: his work is to cut short its course, ere it issue in the second death. He looks upward and downward: he will not
- 11. confine his viewto these symptoms which appear in the body, and pertain to time. (W. Arnot.) Getting the palsied man to Jesus Many Oriental houses have a court or quadrangle in front; the buildings which form the house occupy one or more of its sides. The internal part of such a house is often screened by a corridor below, having the various household officers behind it, and a gallery above, from which is the entrance to the family apartments. The gallery is roofed over, and its roof is about the same height as the roof of the house. Bearing this in mind we may account for what occurred in this way. The quadrangle was full of people; our Lord instructs them from the gallery: the Pharisees are in the family apartments adjoining the gallery; the friends of the sick man cannot enter the quadrangle from the street; or if this could be done, they cannot reach the corridor, from which there were steps leading to the gallery; they ascend, therefore, the stairs from the back or side of the house leading to the roof, and break open the roof or verandah which covered the gallery. The house-roof was used for a terrace, and was built of strong materials; the gallery-roof was of very slight construction, of the same character as the covered balcony. (Webster and Wilkinson.) COKE, "Matthew 9:1-7. And he entered into a ship— And returning into a vessel, he crossed the lake, and came to his own city [of Capernaum, where he had dwelt after his leaving Nazareth] Matthew 9:2 where they brought to him a paralytic lying on a bed; and Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, Have confidence, my son! your sins are forgiven. Heylin. See this miracle more circumstantially described in Mark 2 and Luke 5. In St. Luke's miracle, there is a very material circumstance premised, namely, that some Pharisees and doctors of the law, who came out of every town of Galilee and Judaea, and from Jerusalem, were sitting by him, while he was teaching,—and the power of the Lord was present to heal them, that is to say, those his auditors, of their spiritual maladies; and then it immediately follows, and behold, men brought on a bed, or couch, one sick of a palsy; and because there was then no other access to Christ, by reason of the crowd which encompassed him, they let down the paralytic through the tiles upon his couch, into the midst before Jesus (see the note on Mark 2:4.), who, full as he was of the divine sanative power, and accordingly considering the object so presented to him, not only with regard to his bodily disease, but more especially with regard to his spiritual infirmity, by the prevalent power of sin, which incapacitated his mind for holy dispositions, as the palsy did his body for the natural functions; Christ, I say, considering this, applied, in the first place, to what was most important, and released him from the guilt and power of sin, saying, "Have confidence, my son! your sins are forgiven;" or, as it may be rendered, your sins are dismissed. Physicians, both ancient and modern, tell us, that palsies are sometimes occasioned by intemperance; therefore, if this paralytic brought his disease upon himself, the propriety of the terms in which the cure was pronounced will still more fully appear,—your sins are forgiven: only it must be observed, that when Jesus forgives, he at once forgives every sin, the least as well as the greatest. The reader need not be told, that son is a title of condescension and tenderness, as father was a correspondent title of respect. The Scribes who were present, being disappointed in their curiosity (for they expected to
- 12. see an outwardbodily cure), and startled to hear our Lord express himself in such unusual terms, took offence, and in their hearts condemned him of blasphemy, for assuming to himself an authority to forgive sin; Matthew 9:3. Christ, to whom the secrets of all hearts are open, knew their thoughts: as he is the Almighty Word, which maketh all things by speaking them, so with him to say and to do is the same thing; which he plainly signifies here by his manner of expressing himself, Which is easiest, to say, &c. Matthew 9:5 that is, "Which is easiest to be performed, to forgive him his sins, or to deliver him from his disease?" Our Lord, as we before observed, seeing through the diseased object presented to him, and considering as well the spiritual as the bodily disorders which oppressed him, first applied a remedy where the want was greatest, and pardoned his sins, and at the same time delivered him from the power of them; but this was an invisible operation, and, although of a much higher nature than any bodily cure, yet was it no object of sense, and consequently not discernible by the spectators, some of whom were so far from believing Christ's power to forgive sins, that they were scandalized at him for assuming it. He therefore, to instruct them and us in a matter of so great importance, reasoned in the following manner: "Which is easiest, think ye,—to deliver a mind from the guilt and power of sin (for the original word is applicable to both), or a body from disease? To cure the body is certainly the easiest work; for it requires another kind of power to reach the guilt of the mind, to operate upon it, to rectify its vicious inclinations, to form it anew, and repair the disorders induced by sin. This I have effected in the paralytic here present. I have forgiven,—or, as the original may be rendered, dismissed his sins. I have healed his distempered soul: but as this divine operation is internal, and consequently not discernible to you that are spectators, I will add a second miracle, which though in all respects of an inferior nature, yet has the advantage of being visible, and therefore is a proper proof of what I assert. Judge of my power to heal souls by the cures I work upon bodies: and, that all may know the authority I have to forgive and dismiss sins, and cure the depravations of the mind, I say unto thee, O paralytic, arise, take up thy couch, and return to thine own home." The sick persondid so, and the multitude were all amazed, and glorified God. We may extend the same way of reasoning to all the miraculous cures recorded in theGospel, and infer from all and every one of them the divine power of our Saviour to renew and reform the souls of men. See Heylin, and the Inferences drawn from this chapter. 2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
- 13. BAR ES, "Aman sick of the palsy - See the notes at Mat_4:24. Lying on a bed - This was probably a mattress, or perhaps a mere blanket spread to lie on, so as to be easily borne. Being light, Jesus might with propriety command him to take it up and walk, Mat_9:6. Mark says “they uncovered the roof,” Mar_2:4. Luke says “they went upon the housetop, and let him down through the tiling,” Luk_5:19. To us it would appear that much injury must have been done to the house where Jesus was, and that they must be much incommoded by the removal of tiles and rafters, etc. An acquaintance, however, with the mode of building in the East removes every difficulty of this nature. Houses in Eastern countries are commonly square in their form, and of a single story. On approaching them from the street a single door is seen in the center, and usually, directly above it, a single latticed window. This destitution of doors and lights from the streets, though it gives their dwellings a sombre appearance, is yet adapted to the habits of retirement and secrecy among the people of the East, where they are desirous of keeping their “females” from observation. See the notes at Mat_6:6. On entering the only door in front, the first room is a small square room, surrounded with benches, called the “porch.” In this room the master of the family commonly transacts business, and on private occasions receives visits. Passing through the porch, you enter a large square room directly in the center of the building, called the court. Luke says that the “paralytic” was let down “into the midst;” not in the midst of the “people,” but of the “building” - the “middle place” of the house. This “court” is paved commonly with marble; and, if possible, a fountain of water is formed in the center, to give it beauty, and to diffuse a grateful coolness. This room is surrounded by a gallery or covered walk on every side. From that covered walk doors open into the other apartments of the house. This center room, or court, is commonly uncovered or open above. In wet weather, however, and in times of great heat of the sun, it is covered with an awning or canvas, stretched on cords and capable of being easily removed or rolled up. This is what Mark means when he says “they uncovered the roof.” They “rolled up” or removed this awning. From the court to the roof the ascent is by flights of stairs, either in the covered walk or gallery or in the porch. The roof is nearly flat. It is made of earth; or, in houses of the rich, is a firmly; constructed flooring, made of coals, chalk, gypsum, and ashes, made hard by repeated blows. On those roofs spears of grass. wheat, or barley sometimes spring up; but these are soon withered by the sun, Psa_129:6-8. The roof is a favourite place for walking, for repose in the cool of the day, for conversation, and for devotion. See the notes at Mat_6:6. On such a roof Rahab concealed the spies Jos_2:6, Samuel talked with Saul 1Sa_9:25, David walked at eventide 2Sa_11:2), and Peter went up to pray Act_10:9. This roof was surrounded with a “balustrade,” or railing, breast-high, on the sides; but where a house was contiguous to another, and of the same height, the railing was lower, so as to walk from one roof to another. In cities where the houses were constructed in this manner, it was possible to walk through a considerable part of the city on the roofs. A breastwork or railing was of course built in the same manner around the “open space” in the center, to prevent persons from falling into the court below. This railing, or breastwork, is what Luke Luk_5:19 says they let him down through. They removed it, probably, so that the couch could be conveniently let down with cords; and, standing on the roof “over” the Saviour, they let the man down directly before him. The perseverance they had manifested was the evidence of their faith or confidence in his power to heal the sick man. Be of good cheer: thy sins be forgiven thee - It may seem remarkable, since the
- 14. man came onlyto be “healed,” that Jesus should have first declared his sins forgiven. For this the following reasons may be suggested: 1. The man might have brought on this disease of the palsy by a long course of vicious indulgence. Conscious of guilt, he may have feared that he was so great a sinner that Christ would not regard him. He therefore assured him that his offences were pardoned, and that he might lay aside his fears. 2. Jesus might be willing to show his power to forgive sins. Had he stated it without any miracle, the Jews would not have believed it, and even his disciples might have been staggered. In proof of it, he worked a miracle; and no one, therefore, could doubt that he had the power. The miracle was performed in “express attestation” of the assertion that he had power to forgive sins. As God would not work a miracle to confirm a falsehood or to deceive people, the miracle was a solemn confirmation, on the part of God, that Jesus had the power to forgive sins. 3. The Jews regarded disease as the effect of sin, Joh_9:2; Jam_5:14-15. There is a “real” connection between sin and suffering, as in the case of gluttony, intemperate drinking, lewdness, debauchery. Jesus might be willing to direct the minds of the spectators “to this fact;” and, by pointing them to a manifest instance of the effect of sin, to lead them to hate and forsake it. Diseases are sometimes the direct judgment of God for sin, 1Co_5:3-5; 1Co_11:30; 2Sa_24:10-14. This truth, also, Christ might have been desirous of impressing on the people. CLARKE, "Sick of the palsy - See Mat_4:24. Lying on a bed - Κλινης, a couch or sofa, such as they reclined on at meals. Seeing their faith - The faith of the paralytic person, and the faith of those who brought him; see on Mar_2:4 (note). Be of good cheer - Θαρσει τεκνον, Son, take courage! Probably he began to despond, and Christ spoke thus to support his faith. Thy sins be forgiven thee - Moral evil has been the cause of all the natural evil in the world. Christ goes to the source of the malady, which is sin; and to that as the procuring cause we should refer in all our afflictions. It is probable that this paralytic person had, in the earnest desires of his heart, entreated the cure of his soul, leaving his body to the care of others, as the first miracle of healing is wrought on his soul. In a state of helplessness, when we seek above all things to please God, by giving him our hearts, he often inspires others with the care of our temporal necessities. It may be necessary to be observed, that it was a maxim among the Jews that no diseased person could be healed till all his sins were blotted out. See Nedarim, fol. 41. Hence our Lord first forgives the sins, and then heals the body of the paralytic person. This appears to have been founded on Psa_103:3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, and healeth all thy diseases. Here pardon precedes health. See also Psa_41:3, Psa_41:4. It may be observed, also, that most people are more in earnest about their souls when in sickness than in health, and therefore are more earnest in prayer for salvation. GILL, "And behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy,.... That is, some of the inhabitants of Capernaum, four men of that city particularly; for Mark says, Mar_2:3 he "was borne of four": these brought him to Jesus,
- 15. lying on abed, or couch, he being so enfeebled by the disease upon him, his nerves so weak, and the members of his body in such a tremor, that he was not able to walk himself, nor even to be carried by others in any other way than this. And Jesus seeing their faith; the faith of the bearers of him, his friends, who brought out a man to be healed, who was otherwise incurable; and though they could not, for the multitude, bring him directly to Christ, they were not discouraged, but took the pains to carry him to the top of the house, and there let him down through the roof, or tiling; as both Mark and Luke say; and then set him down before him, believing he was able to cure him: moreover, Christ took notice not only of their faith, but of the sick man's too, who suffered himself to be brought out in this condition, and was contented to go through so much fatigue and trouble, to get at him; when he said unto the sick of the palsy, son, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee. He calls him son, either meaning by it no more than "man"; see Luk_5:20 or using it as a kind, tender, and endearing appellation; or as considering him in the grace of adoption, as one that God had put among the children, had given to him as such, and whom he should bring to glory. He bids him "be of good cheer", whose animal spirits were fainting through the disease that was upon him, and the fatigue he had underwent in being brought to him; and his soul more distressed and dejected, under a sense of his sins and transgressions; which Jesus knowing, very pertinently says, "thy sins be forgiven thee"; than which, nothing could be more cheering and reviving to him: or Christ says this to show, that sin was the cause of the disease and affliction that were upon him, for עון בלא יסורין ,אין "there are no chastisements without sin", as the Jews say (f); and that the cause being removed, the effects would cease; of both which he might be assured, and therefore had good reason to cheer up, and be of good heart. This was a wonderful instance of the grace of Christ, to bestow a blessing unasked, and that of the greatest moment and importance. HE RY, "Now the first occurrence, after Christ's return to Capernaum, as recorded in these verses, was the cure of the man sick of the palsy. In which we may observe, I. The faith of his friends in bringing him to Christ. His distemper was such, that he could not come to Christ himself, but as he was carried. Note, Even the halt and the lame may be brought to Christ, and they shall not be rejected by him. If we do as well as we can, he will accept of us. Christ had an eye to their faith. Little children cannot go to Christ themselves, but he will have an eye to the faith of those that bring them, and it shall not be in vain. Jesus saw their faith, the faith of the paralytic himself, as well as of them that brought him; Jesus saw the habit of faith, though his distemper, perhaps, impaired his intellect, and obstructed the actings of it. Now their faith was, 1. A strong faith; they firmly believed that Jesus Christ both could and would heal him; else they would not have brought the sick man to him so publicly, and through so much difficulty. 2. A humble faith; though the sick man was unable to stir a step, they would not ask Christ to make him a visit, but brought him to attend on Christ. It is fitter than we should wait on Christ, than he on us. 3. An active faith: in the belief of Christ's power and goodness, they brought the sick man to him, lying on a bed, which could not be done without a deal of pains. Note, A strong faith regards no obstacles in pressing after Christ. II. The favour of Christ, in what he said to him; Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee. This was a sovereign cordial to a sick man, and was enough to make all his
- 16. bed in hissickness; and to make it easy to him. We read not of any thing said to Christ; probably the poor sick man could not speak for himself, and they that brought him chose rather to speak by actions than words; they set him before Christ; that was enough. Note, It is not in vain to present ourselves and our friends to Christ, as the objects of his pity. Misery cries as well as sin, and mercy is no less quick of hearing than justice. Here is, in what Christ said, 1. A kind compellation; Son. Note, Exhortations and consolations to the afflicted speak to them as to sons, for afflictions are fatherly discipline, Heb_12:5. 2. A gracious encouragement; “Be of good cheer. Have a good heart on it; cheer up thy spirits.” Probably the poor man, when let down among them all in his bed, was put out of countenance, was afraid of a rebuke for being brought in so rudely: but Christ does not stand upon ceremony; he bids him be of good cheer; all would be well, he should not be laid before Christ in vain. Christ bids him be of good cheer; and then cures him. He would have those to whom he deals his gifts, to be cheerful in seeking him, and in trusting in him; to be of good courage. 3. A good reason for that encouragement; Thy sins are forgiven thee. Now this may be considered, (1.) as an introduction to the cure of his bodily distemper; “Thy sins are pardoned, and therefore thou shalt be healed.” Note, As sin is the cause of sickness, so the remission of sin is the comfort of recovery from sickness; not but that sin may be pardoned, and yet the sickness not removed; not but that the sickness may be removed, and yet the sin not pardoned: but if we have the comfort of our reconciliation to God, with the comfort of our recovery from sickness, this makes it a mercy indeed to us, as to Hezekiah, Isa_38:17. Or, (2.) As a reason of the command to be of good cheer, whether he were cured of his disease or not; “Though I should not heal thee, wilt thou not say thou hast not sought in vain, if I assure thee that thy sins are pardoned; and wilt thou not look upon that as a sufficient ground of comfort, though thou shouldst continue sick of the palsy?” Note, They who, through grace, have some evidence of the forgiveness of their sins, have reasons to be of good cheer, whatever outward troubles or afflictions they are under; see Isa_33:24. SBC, "I. Sin—its relation to the body. Sin, we know, is a "spiritual wickedness;" its sphere of action, accordingly, is in high places. Mere matter, whether it lie in an amorphous clod in the valley, or move as an organized living body, cannot sin. In those high places where a finite but immortal spirit comes in contact with the Spirit infinite and eternal lies the only element that is capable of sustaining either spiritual purity or spiritual wickedness; yet though sin draws its life-breath in those heavenly places, its members press the earth, and leave their marks indented deep over all the surface. Though sin lives secretly in the soul, it works terribly in the body. In the man sick with the palsy disease was the forerunner and symptom of the body’s death. So far the man and his friends plainly saw, but Jesus looked through these outer effects to the inner cause. He sees not only the paralysis in the man’s body, but also the sin in the man’s soul. By passing over the obvious disease, and speaking of only the unseen sin, He shows clearly what His mission is not and what it is. His mission is not to perpetuate this life, but to lead all His people through the gate of death into the life eternal. His word, accordingly, is not, "Thy body shall not die," but, "Thy sins are forgiven." II. Sin—its removal by the Lord. (1) It is by a free pardon that sin is removed, and its eternal consequences averted. (2) The Saviour to whom this needy man was brought had power to forgive sins. (3) Christ has power to forgive on earth. The word limits the position, not of the Forgiver, but of the forgiven. (4) The Son of man hath power to forgive. (5) Christ the Saviour, in coming to a sinful, suffering man, desires not only that he should be saved hereafter, but also happy now. "Son, be of good cheer," was the Great Physician’s first salutation.
- 17. W. Arnot, Rootsand Fruits of the Christian Life, p. 252. I. Sickness is the witness to us of wrong that has been done. It is the handwriting on the wall wherewith a man’s hand writes the word that tells us that we have been weighed in the balances and found wanting. And in this sense it is a judgment; it makes known to us the curse of sin. But that is not all. The misery of sickness witnesses not only to the wrong done, but also to the right that has been lost. Sickness is the protest made by nature against the misdirection of her forces. II. We know so well that the recovery of our sickness depends upon the stoppage of the secret wrong. And yet we find ourselves again and again doing the wrong that we purpose to stop. In discovering the misery of our sin we discover also our powerlessness to cease from sinning. We cannot do the things that we would; and the blood of bulls and goats cannot take away our inherent and ineradicable will to sin. There is but one hope. If only a new fire could be shot into our chilled and flagging heart; if only a fresh jet of force could infuse itself into our jaded and diminished will; if only a spring of living waters could be opened within that naked stone which we once called our heart—that, and that only, can save us, for that, and that only, can cut off the supplies of sin which continually reinforce our habitual disease. III. And it can be done—it has been done—by that beautiful law, so natural, so rational, so intelligible, of vicarious atonement. By that law, which is already and always at the very root of our human life, it is possible for God, without disturbing or traversing one atom of that natural order which He has Himself sanctioned by creating—possible for Him to intervene, to break off the fearful entail, to shatter the chain that our sins have forged. The spirit of sacrifice is the creator of ethics, and God sanctioned and sealed the entire body of ethical verities by which human society is bonded and fed when He sent His Son, who knew no sin, to be made a curse for us, and to bear on His shoulders the iniquity of the world. H. Scott Holland, Creed and Character, p. 205. BROADUS, "Matthew 9:2.And behold, see on "Matthew 8:2", also see on "Matthew 8:24". They brought to him, literally, were bringing, a form of expression which not merely narrates the fact, but depicts it as going on. A man sick of the palsy, a paralyticâ €”see on "Matthew 4:24"; see on "Matthew 8:6". Lying on a bed. 'Lying' is the same word as in Matthew 8:6, Matthew 8:14. The 'bed' was doubtless a thin mattress, or a well- wadded quilt, the inner material being wool. It may have been placed in the present case on a slight frame of wood, making it more comfortable and easier to carry; but it was usually for ordinary sleeping laid on the floor; while sometimes a more elevated bedstead was employed; see Mark 4:21, R. V., 'under a bed.' We learn from Mark and Luke that four men were bearing the paralytic on the bed, and that in consequence of the great crowd in and about the house where Jesus was, they got on the housetop, broke through the roof, and let him down on his bed into the presence of Jesus. (Compare Edersheim) And Jesus seeing their faith, that is, the faith of the bearers and the paralytic. He was more ready to work miracles for those who had faith, (see on "Matthew 9:19; Mat_9:28"); and where forgiveness of sins was also involved, it was indispensable that the person concerned should have faith. (Compare on Matthew 8:3) 'Seeing' their faith is of course a mere vivid expression for perceiving, as when we say "I see your
- 18. motive." The painsthey had taken (Mark and Luke) showed their faith all the more plainly. Son, be of good cheer. Literally, Be encouraged, child, or we should better imitate the simplicity and vigour of the originalby saying, 'Courage, child.' 'Child' is the literal rendering (marg. Rev. Ver., compare Darby, Davidson), and is often used in colloquial English as an expression of familiar affection, though not now suited to an elevated style. Compare 'daughter', Matthew 9:22. Thy sins be—-or, are—forgiven, as correctly rendered by Com. Ver. in Luke (Luke 5:20.) The Greek verb is not imperative, but indicative, while the old English 'be' is used for either. The common Greek text has a perfect tense, meaning 'have been forgiven,' stand forgiven (so in Luke 7:47 f.; 1 John 2:12); Westcott and Hort have the present tense, which would cause the forgiveness to be conceived of as just then taking place; it is not easy to decide which form is the original text.(1) The position of the Greek words makes 'forgiven' emphatic. No doubt all present were much surprised, when instead of healing the bodily disease, Jesus spoke to the man thus. It seems probable that the disease had in this case resulted from some form of dissipation, such as not infrequently produces paralysis. Compare the man at the Pool of Bethesda, (John 5:14, lit.) 'Thou hast become well; do not sin any more, lest something worse happen to thee.' It would not at all follow that all peculiar diseases and remarkable misfortunes result from some special sin-an idea prevalent among the Jews, but distinctly corrected by our Lord. (John 9:3, Luke 13:2 f.) We may not unreasonably think that the poor paralytic was troubled and dispirited, because he felt that his sad disease was the consequence and the merited punishment of his sin; so the words of Jesus, which surprised all the bystanders, would be to him precisely in place and full of comfort. Yet it would suffice to say (Schaff) that "the man's conscience was aroused through his sickness," without supposing the disease to have been caused by special sin. CALVI , "CALVI , "2.And when Jesus saw their faith. It is God alone, indeed, who knows faith: but they had given evidence of faith by the laboriousness of that attempt: for they would never have submitted to so much trouble, nor contended with such formidable hindrances, if they had not derived courage from entire confidence of success. The fruit of their faith appeared in their not being wearied out, when they found the entrance closed up on all sides. The view which some take of these words, that Christ, as a divine person, knew their faith, which lay concealed within them, appears to me a forced interpretation. ow, as Christ granted to their faith the favor which he bestowed on the paralytic, a question is usually raised on this passage how far do men derive advantage from the faith of others? And, first, it is certain, that the faith of Abraham was of advantage to his posterity, when he embraced the free covenant offered to him and to his seed. We must hold a similar belief with regard to all believers, that, by their faith, the grace of God is extended to their children and their children’s children even before they are born. The same thing takes place in infants, who are not yet of such an age as to be capable of faith. With regard to adults, on the other hand, who have no faith of their own, (whether they be strangers, or allied by blood,) the faith of others can have nothing more than an indirect influence in promoting the eternal salvation of their souls. As the prayers, by which we ask that God will turn unbelievers to repentance, are not without advantage, our faith is evidently of such advantage to
- 19. them, that theydo not arrive at salvation, till they have been made partakers of the same faith with us in answer to our prayers. But where there is a mutual agreement in faith, it is well known that they promote the salvation of each other. It is also beyond all question, that earthly blessings are often, for the sake of the godly, bestowed on unbelievers. With regard to the present passage, though Christ is said to have been moved by the faith of others, yet the paralytic could not have obtained the forgiveness of his sins, if he had had no faith of his own. Unworthy persons were often restored by Christ to health of body, as God daily maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, (Matthew 5:45) but there is no other way in which he is reconciled to us than by faith. There is a synecdoche, therefore, in the word their, when it is said that Jesus saw their faith: for Christ not only looked at those who brought the paralytic, but looked also at his faith. Thy sins are forgiven thee. Christ appears here to promise to the paralytic something different from what he had requested: but, as he intends to bestow health of body, he begins with removing the cause of the disease, and at the same time reminds the paralytic of the origin of his disease, and of the manner in which he ought to arrange his prayers. As men usually do not consider that the afflictions which they endure are God’s chastisements, they desire nothing more than some alleviation in the flesh, and, in the meantime, feel no concern about their sins: just as if a sick man were to disregard his disease, and to seek only relief from present pain. (509) But the only way of obtaining deliverance from all evils is to have God reconciled to us. It does sometimes happen, that wicked men are freed from their distresses, while God is still their enemy: but when they think that they have completely escaped, the same evils immediately return, or more numerous and heavier calamities overwhelm them, which make it manifest that they will not be mitigated or terminated. until the wrath of God shall be appeased, as God declares by the Prophet Amos If thou escape a lion, a bear shall meet thee; if thou shut thyself up at home, a serpent shall bite thee, (Amos 5:19.) Thus it appears that this is a frequent and ordinary way of speaking in the Scriptures, to promise the pardon of sins, when the mitigation of punishments is sought. It is proper to attend to this order in our prayers. When the feeling of afflictions reminds us of our sins, let us first of all be careful to obtain pardon, that, when God is reconciled to us, he may withdraw his hand from punishing. COFFMA , "This is one of those "mighty works" mentioned by Jesus in his reproach of Capernaum (Matthew 11:23). Important details are mentioned in Mark 2:1-12 and Luke 5:17-26 which are not contained in Matthew. Mark tells that he was carried by four men, and Luke relates the breaking up of the roof to let him down to Jesus.
- 20. Seeing their faithrefers not merely to the faith of the four but of the man with the palsy as well. He could not have permitted or encouraged such activity on his behalf if he had not truly believed in Jesus. What a reward he received, "Thy sins be forgiven!" Christ dealt with the sin problem first, for it was most important. Also, there is the possibility that in his case sin was the cause of his illness. Christ's announcing the forgiveness of this man's sins was clearly the assertion of the prerogatives of deity. "Who can forgive sins, but one, even God" (Mark 2:7). SBC, "Jesus and Man’s deepest Sadness. I. "Jesus saw their faith." Jesus did not see their faith because there was in them no other commendable quality for Him to see; there was their common attachment to their unfortunate friend. But without their faith their affection for their friend could not have linked him in his suffering and miseries with the Christ in His healing and His peace. It was because they believed in Him that they carried the man to Him. And Jesus saw their faith in Him, and because of their faith He had the opportunity afforded Him of seeing their love of the man. II. He saw something in the man that was a greater evil than the palsy. The friends thought that his being palsied was a sufficient reason why they should carry the man. But Christ forthwith, when He had seen their faith, thought of the man’s sin. He had been called Jesus, for He was to save His people from their sins. This salvation was His ulterior aim in all He said or did. The external was touched for the purpose of awakening and quickening the internal of man. The body was healed in order that the spirit might arise and go to its Father. This man’s affliction seems to have been connected with his sin. Sin and pain have been the sad associates of man’s mortal life. The man was in misery because of his sin, not because of his palsy. He needed cheer of spirit; his heart was broken, and Jesus saw and dealt with that. Having the greater, he could rest without the lesser. Not health, but forgiveness, was to be the basis of his joy. III. It was when He addressed Himself to the greater thing He saw that Jesus crossed the prejudice of certain of the scribes. Christ suffered at the hands of the scribes and Pharisees because of His morals. It was godliness, according to Christ, that constituted His great offence. It is when Christ touches the conscience, and talks of purity of heart, and says something of hypocrisy that the great quarrel begins. There is no cross for any one who can teach that the kingdom of heaven cometh with observation; and as long as he can say, "Lo, here!" and "Lo, there!" he is safe enough; but He is not who refuses to give a sign from heaven, and who says, "The kingdom of heaven is within you." J. O. Davies, Sunrise on the Soul, p. 87. NISBET, "‘Be of good cheer.’ Matthew 9:2 This seems to be one of our Lord’s favourite expressions. Consider a few instances. I. Because of sins forgiven.—‘Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee’ (St. Matthew 9:2). These words were spoken to a man ill in soul and body. But our Saviour
- 21. saw that hissoul needed healing first. II. Because faith has saved.—‘Daughter, be of good cheer; thy faith hath made thee whole’ (St. Matthew 9:22, R.V.). Ill for twelve long years. She knew Christ could heal. Despairing of all other help, she hastened towards Him, and joined the mighty multitude which all down the ages have touched Him. III. Because of Christ’s presence.—‘Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I be not afraid’ (St. Matthew 14:27). The disciples are tossed on the sea. The wind was contrary. ‘The darkness deepens.’ Then in the fourth watch of the night, just before the dawn ‘Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.’ Do not we too know what it is to be tossed on a dark sea of sorrow and doubt? IV. Because Christ has overcome.—‘Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world’ (St. John 16:33). In the world, we are to have tribulation; we have found that true. In Christ, Peace; may we find that true also. But we are to ‘Be of good cheer’ because Christ has overcome the world, and He can cheer us when our hearts are breaking and the world is reeling under our feet. V. Therefore:— (a) Look to Christ for your joy. (b) Share with others the gift He bestows. The Rev. F. Harper. Illustrations (1) ‘Latimer repeated the Saviour’s words at the stake in Oxford: “Be of good cheer, Master Ridley! We shall this day by the grace of God light such a candle in England as shall never be put out.”’ (2) ‘Frances Ridley Havergal’s dying message was, “The world needs bright Christians.”’ (3) ‘A devout Christian woman adopted the habit of writing down, daily, a record of the mercies and good gifts which crowned the life of each day. On the opposite side of the page she wrote an account of her daily crosses and sorrows, and at the end of the year she confessed that the benedictions so outnumbered the calamities that her life seemed like an unbroken golden chain, and every hour was a link that lengthened this chain of blessings.’
- 22. (4) ‘Talking abouthis life in a great Northern city, a well-known man said that whenever he felt put out, or worried, or cross, or vexed, or depressed, because things had not being going on as he wished, he went into one or other of the great hospitals, and what he saw there always sent him home calm, refreshed, and contented.’ NISBET, "THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS ‘Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.… This man blasphemeth.’ Matthew 9:2-3 It is in this pronunciation of forgiveness that the most important part of the teaching of the passage is to be found. I. Attitude of the multitude.—The Evangelist does not endorse, but simply reports the feelings of the multitude. There may, then, have been a mixture of truth and error in their minds; when they spoke of ‘such power being given unto men,’—‘to mankind,’ that is; not, ‘on behalf of men.’ Their thoughts may have been entangled, their vision not perfectly clear. But they had got hold of a new truth. What was it? II. Man’s power of forgiveness.—There is a sense in which we can pronounce authoritatively the forgiveness of our fellows. When a man has sinned against Society the ban may be taken off, the offender received and welcomed again; and when this is done, the sinner has a chance of believing in the forgiveness of God. But this was nothing new to the Jews. There is a sense, too, in which we can pronounce authoritatively the Divine forgiveness. But our pronunciation is only declaratory. ‘If you comply with such and such conditions, you will be forgiven.’ But this, too, was nothing new to the Jews. III. Our Lord’s authority.—What struck them in our Lord’s language was His claim to be acquainted with the secrets of heaven. ‘I know, and I announce to you, that your sins are forgiven.’ This seemed to them some new power granted to men. If, then, they thought that God had granted to one man the power of authoritatively pronouncing the forgiveness of another man’s sins, so that that other would be certain of being forgiven, on the ground of his brother’s declaration, they were so far in error. The new truth was, that the power not merely of proclaiming but of dispensing forgiveness was possessed by One who belonged to the human race and who had a brother’s heart. IV. What is forgiveness?—Not mere remission of penalties, but restoration to the forfeited position,—the being made right again with him whom we have wronged. Prebendary Gordon Calthrop. Illustrations (1) ‘Blasphemy consists in hurting the fame, good name or reputation of another. The
- 23. word is speciallyapplied to anything said, that expresses or implies what is greatly derogatory to the character or prerogative of God. The blasphemer was to be put to death by stoning, his body hung on a tree, and then buried with shame. This was the turning point in the life of Christ, for the accusation of blasphemy, now muttered in the hearts of the Rabbis present, was the beginning of the process which ended, after a time, on Calvary. He knew it, and the shadow of the cross had already fallen on His soul.’ (2) ‘The absolving words were not optative only, no mere desire that it might be so, but declaratory that so it was; the man’s sins were forgiven. Nor yet were they declaratory only of something which passed in the mind and intention of God; but, even as the words were spoken, there was shed abroad in his heart the sense of forgiveness and reconciliation with God.… He did not, as the Church does now, in the name of another, and wielding a delegated power, but in His own name, forgive him. They also understood rightly of this Divine forgiveness of sins, that it was a Divine prerogative; that, as no man can remit a debt save he to whom it is due, so no one can forgive sins save He against whom all sin is committed, that is, God.’ (SECOND OUTLINE) THE DIVINE HEALER I. Christ’s forgiveness.—He pardons the sins of the poor sufferer before Him, on His own authority as a King, which it would have been contradictory to have done, had He Himself been conscious of having sin and guilt of His own. It was at once a proclamation of His own sinlessness, and of His kingly dignity as the Messiah. II. Faith the condition.—Whilst the faith of the four friends attracted the attention and elicited the respect of Christ, we must also remember that the sick man himself had faith to receive the blessing. The words of Christ to him imply this—‘Son, or child (he was probably a very young man), be of good cheer.’ The Saviour saw in him a state of mind and feeling different from theirs; aiming at an object distinct from that of the bearers, who only sought for his bodily healing. III. Christ’s authority proved.—The cavillers should be doubly convinced—(a) by the proof which He gave that the thoughts of all hearts were open to Him; and (b) by the miracle. The Rev. W. Oliver. Illustration ‘In the Pilgrim’s Progress Christian is represented to be toiling under a heavy burden up a steep fenced way, till he came to a place somewhat ascending, and upon that place stood a cross, and a little below a sepulchre. “So I saw in my dream that just as Christian came up to the cross his burden loosed from off his shoulders, and fell from off his back, and began to tumble and so continued to do till it came to the mouth of the sepulchre, where it fell in, and I saw it no more. Then was Christian glad and lightsome, and said
- 24. with a merryheart, ‘He hath given me rest by His sorrow, and life by His death.’ Then he stood still awhile to look and wonder, for it was very surprising to him that the look of the cross should thus ease him of his burden. Now as he stood looking and weeping, behold three Shining Ones came and saluted him with ‘Peace be unto thee.’ So the first said unto him, ‘Thy sins be forgiven thee’; the second stripped him of his rags and clothed him with change of raiment; and the third set a mark upon his forehead and gave him a roll with a seal on it which he bid him look on as he ran, and that he should give it in at the celestial gate.”’ BROADUS, "Homiletical And Practical Matthew 9:2-8. Sickness and sins: (1) Some kinds of sickness proceed directly from sin, and are its penalty. (2) Forgiveness of sin is far more important than cure of sickness. (3) He who could by a word heal the severest sickness can also forgive sin. (4) The usual condition of miraculous healing was faith, and faith is the indispensable condition of forgiveness (Matthew 9:2). (5) The highest ground of cheerfulness and gratitude is to bare our sins forgiven (Matthew 9:8). Matthew 9:2. Faith and healing. (1) In rare cases Jesus healed without faith, as Malchus. (2) Sometimes upon the faith of others, as the nobleman, (John 4:50) the centurion, (Matthew 8:10) the Syrophcenician. (Matthew 15:28) (3) Usually upon the faith of the sufferer, Matthew 9:22, Matthew 9:28, and often. (4) Here upon the faith both of the sufferer and of his friends. Matthew 9:3. Henry: "If we have the comfort of our reconciliation to God, with the comfort of our recovery from sickness, this makes it a mercy indeed to us, as to Hezekiah. Isaiah 38:17." Isaiah 38:4 f. Chrys.: "Jesus here does two things superhuman—seeing thoughts, and forgiving sins." Isaiah 38:6. Chrys.: "(1) Proof of the forgiveness by healing. (2) Proof of the healing, by carrying the bed." Isaiah 38:8. Compare the effect produced at Carmel. (1 Kings 18:29) Henry: "Others' mercies should be our praises." 3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” BAR ES, "This man blasphemeth - The word “blaspheme” originally means to speak evil of anyone; to injure by words; to blame unjustly. When applied to God, it means to speak of him unjustly; to ascribe to him acts and attributes which he does not possess; or to speak impiously or profanely. It also means to say or do anything by which his name or honor is insulted, or which conveys an “impression” unfavourable to God. It means. also, to attempt to do, or say a thing, which belongs to him alone, or which he
- 25. only can do.This is its meaning here. Christ was charged “with saying a thing in his own name, or attempting to do a thing, which properly belonged to God;” thus assuming the place of God, and doing him injury, as the scribes supposed, by an invasion of his prerogatives. “None,” said they (see Mark and Luke), “can forgive sins but God only.” In this they reasoned correctly. See Isa_43:25; Isa_44:22. None of the prophets had this power; and by saying that “he forgave sins,” Jesus was understood to affirm that he was divine; and as he proved this by working a miracle expressly to confirm the claim, it follows that he is divine, or equal with the Father. CLARKE, "This man blasphemeth - Βλασφηµεω comes either from βλαπτειν την φηµην, to hurt or blast the reputation or credit of another, or from βαλλειν ταις φηµαις, to smite with reports. Whenever it is used in reference to God, it simply signifies, to speak impiously of his nature, or attributes, or works. Injurious speaking is its proper translation when referred to man. The scribes were the literati of that time; and their learning, because not used in dependence on God, rendered them proud, envious, and obstinate. Unsanctified knowledge has still the same effect: that light serves only to blind and lead men out of the way which is not joined with uprightness of heart. The most sacred truths often become an occasion of delusion, where men are under the government of their evil passions. GILL, "And behold, certain of the Scribes said within themselves,.... And of the Pharisees also, as Luke says; for there were at this time Pharisees and doctors of the law, who were come out of every town of Galilee and Judea, and out of Jerusalem, sitting and hearing him teach, and observing what he said, and did; who upon hearing him pronounce the sentence of pardon, upon this "paralytic" man, reasoned and concluded in their own minds, though they did not care to speak it out, that this man blasphemeth: the reason was, because they thought he ascribed that to himself, which was peculiar to God: and so he did, and yet did not blaspheme; because he himself was God, of which he quickly gave convincing proofs. HE RY, "III. The cavil of the scribes at that which Christ said (Mat_9:3); They said within themselves, in their hearts, among themselves, in their secret whisperings, This man blasphemeth. See how the greatest instance of heaven's power and grace is branded with the blackest note of hell's enmity; Christ's pardoning sin is termed blasphemy; nor had it been less, if he had not had commission from God for it. They, therefore, are guilty of blasphemy, that have no such commission, and yet pretend to pardon sin. CALVIN, "3.And, lo, some of the scribes They accuse Christ of blasphemy and sacrilege, because he claims for himself what is God’s prerogative. The other two Evangelists tell us also that they said, Who can forgive sins but God alone? It is beyond all question, that their eagerness to slander drove them to this wicked conclusion. If they think that there is any thing which deserves blame, why do
- 26. they not inquireinto it? (510) Besides, as the expression admits of more than one meaning, and as Christ said nothing more than what the Prophets frequently say when they announce the grace of God, why do they take in a bad sense what admits of a favorable interpretation? They must have been already poisoned by malice and envy, otherwise they would not so eagerly have seized an occasion of blaming Christ. They remain silent, but think in their hearts, that they may slander him when absent among people of their own class. It is no doubt true, that God alone has power and authority to forgive sins: but they are wrong in concluding that it does not belong to Christ, for he is God manifested in the flesh, (1 Timothy 3:16.) They had a right to inquire on what grounds Christ laid claim to such authority: but, without any inquiry, they suppose him to be one of the common rank of men, and proceed rashly to condemn him. BENSON, "Matthew 9:3-8. Behold, certain of the scribes, (Luke adds, and Pharisees,) said within themselves — That is, in their hearts, This man blasphemeth — Attributing to himself a power (that of forgiving sins) which belongs to God only. And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, which, it appears, they did not openly declare, (for Mark says, Mark 2:8, He perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves,) said: Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts — Namely, concerning me, on account of these words which I have spoken? For whether is easier, &c. — Do not both of them argue a divine power? Therefore: if I can heal his disease, I can forgive his sins, especially as his disease is the consequence of his sins, therefore these must be taken away, if that is. But that ye may know — May have evident proof, that the Son of man hath power on earth — Even in his state of humiliation, to forgive sins; then (turning from them) he saith to the sick of the palsy, Arise, &c., and he arose — Thus Jesus gave the Pharisees a twofold demonstration of his divinity: 1st, by showing that he knew their thoughts; for to search the hearts and know the thoughts of mankind is not in the power either of men or angels, but is the prerogative of God only; 2dly, by assuming to himself, and manifesting undeniably, that he possessed power to forgive sins. But when the multitude saw it, they marvelled — They were all amazed, says Mark, and glorified God, &c. — So, what was to the scribes an occasion of blaspheming, was to the people an incitement to praise God. BROADUS, "Matthew 9:3. And, behold, this too being remarkable. (compare Matthew 9:2) As to the scribes, see on "Matthew 2:4". Luke (Luke 5:17, Bib. Un. Ver.) mentions that there were present "Pharisees and teachers of the law (the latter being substantially the same as 'scribes'), who had come out of every village of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem." Here was quite a crowd of critical hearers. Said within themselves. Compare on Matthew 3:9. Blasphemeth. The Greek word, borrowed by us, signifies to speak injuriously, or insultingly, to defame, slander, etc., as in Romans 3:8, 1 Peter 4:4, Titus 3:2. From this it was applied to reviling God; saying anything insulting to God, anything impious. The Scribes held Jesus to be blaspheming, because he arrogated to himself a power and right which belonged exclusively to God, viz., that of forgiving sins. This is distinctly expressed by them, in the additional words recorded by Mark and Luke, 'Who can (is able to) forgive sins but God only?' He who claimed a power peculiar to God, spoke what was injurious and insulting to God. Yet it is not wise to find here a proof of our Lord's divinity; for he speaks as the Son of man, and speaks of authority given him. (Matthew 9:6-8, compare Matthew 28:18)
- 27. 4 Knowing theirthoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? BAR ES, "Jesus, knowing their thoughts - Mark says, “Jesus perceived “in his spirit” that they so reasoned.” The power of searching the heart, and of knowing the thoughts of people, belongs only to God, 1Ch_28:9; Rom_8:27; Rev_2:23; Jer_17:10. In claiming this, as Jesus did here, and often elsewhere, he gave clear proofs of his omniscience, Joh_2:24-25. CLARKE, "Jesus knowing (ιδωνιδωνιδωνιδων seeing) their thoughts - In telling them what the thoughts of their hearts were, (for they had expressed nothing publicly), he gave them the fullest proof of his power to forgive sins; because God only can forgive sins, and God only can search and know the heart. Jesus pronounced the man’s sins forgiven; and gave the scribes the fullest proof of his power to do so, by telling them what, in the secret of their souls, they thought on the subject. God sounds the secrets of all hearts - no sin escapes his notice; how senseless then is the sinner to think he sins securely when unseen by men! Let us take heed to our hearts, as well as to our conduct, for God searches out and condemns all that does not spring from, and leads not to himself. GILL, "And Jesus knowing their thoughts,.... Which was a clear evidence, and full demonstration of his deity; for none knows the thoughts of the heart but God; and since he knew the thoughts of men's hearts, it could be no blasphemy in him to take that to himself which belonged to God, even to forgive sins. And this, one would think, would have been sufficient to have approved himself to them as the true Messiah; since this is one of the ways of knowing the Messiah, according to the Jews, and which they made use of to discover a false one. "Bar Coziba, (they say (g),) reigned two years and a half: he said to the Rabbins, I am the Messiah; they replied to him, it is written of the Messiah, that he is "of quick understanding, and judges", (referring to Isa_11:3) let us see whether this man is of quick understanding, and can make judgment, i.e. whether a man is wicked, or not, without any external proof; and when they saw he was not of quick understanding, and could not judge in this manner, they slew him.'' But now Christ needed not any testimony of men; he knew what was in the hearts of men, of which this instance is a glaring proof: hence he said,
- 28. wherefore think yeevil in your hearts? it was no evil in them to think that God only could forgive sin; but the evil was, that they thought Christ was a mere man, and ought not to have took so much upon him; and that, for so doing, he was a wicked man, and a blasphemer. HE RY, "IV. The conviction which Christ gave them of the unreasonableness of this cavil, before he proceeded. 1. He charged them with it. Though they did but say it within themselves, he knew their thoughts. Note, Our Lord Jesus has the perfect knowledge of all that we say within ourselves. Thoughts are secret and sudden, yet naked and open before Christ, the eternal Word (Heb_4:12, Heb_4:13), and he understands them afar off, Psa_139:2. He could say to them (which no mere man could), Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? Note, There is a great deal of evil in sinful thoughts, which is very offensive to the Lord Jesus. He being the Sovereign of the heart, sinful thoughts invade his right, and disturb his possession; therefore he takes notice of them, and is much displeased with them. In them lies the root of bitterness, Gen_6:5. The sins that begin and end in the heart, and go no further, are as dangerous as any other. CALVI , "4.And when Jesus saw their thoughts He now gives a proof of his Divinity in bringing to light their secret thoughts: for who knoweth the things of a man but the spirit of man which is in him? (1 Corinthians 2:11.) And so Mark adds, that Jesus knew by his Spirit: which means, that what was concealed in their hearts could not be perceived by man, but that Christ by his Divine Spirit knew it thoroughly. Why do you think evil? This does not imply that it gave them pain to see a mortal man assuming what God claims as his own prerogative, but that they proudly and wickedly rejected God, who was openly manifested to them. BROADUS, "Matthew 9:4. Knowing—properly, seeing—their thoughts, like seeing their faith in Matthew 9:2.(1) Mark (Mark 2:8) has the expression 'perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves.' The faith of the paralytic and his bearers could be seen from their actions; but to see the unexpressed thoughts of the Scribes required superhuman perceptions. Compare Luke 6:8, Luke 9:47, Mark 12:15, John 2:24 f; John 4:29. Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? The 'heart,' according to Scripture use, is regarded as the seat of the thoughts as well as the affections. (See on "Matthew 6:19".) Jesus replies not only with a mild rebuke, but with a proof that he was not blaspheming. 5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?
- 29. BAR ES, "Forwhether is easier to say - Thy “sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise and walk?” The one involves divine “power,” the other divine “authority,” and neither can be done but by God. One is as easy as the other; and to be able to do the one, involves the right and the power to do the other. CLARKE, "For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? - Both are equally easy, and equally difficult; for both require unlimited power to produce them. And every thing is equally easy to that power which is unlimited. A universe can be as easily produced by a single act of the Divine will as the smallest elementary part of matter. The common punctuation of the above passage almost destroys the sense: the comma should be placed after easier, and to say, made the first part of the question. GILL, "For whether is easier to say,..... Christ proceeds to clear himself of the charge of blasphemy, and to prove his power to forgive sins, by putting a case to them, of which he makes themselves Judges, and is this: which is easiest to be said, thy sins are forgiven thee? or to say, arise and walk? Neither of them were easy to a mere creature, but both of them easy to God; and he that could say the one with power and efficacy going along with his word, could say the other as effectually: and whereas it was a plain case, and out of all question, that he could bid this "paralytic" man, though in this weak condition, arise from his bed, stand upon his feet, and go home of himself; and since he had already healed many that were sick of the palsy, and particularly the "centurion's" servant, by a word speaking, he must have equal power to forgive sin. For to heal the diseases of the body in such a wonderful manner, was a very sensible proof of his power to heal the maladies of the soul; and though these are greater than those of the body, yet since both require divine power, he that is able to do the one, is able to do the other. And that it might appear he did not say this in a boasting manner, he adds, HE RY, "2. He argued them out of it, Mat_9:5, Mat_9:6. Where observe, (1.) How he asserts his authority in the kingdom of grace. He undertakes to make out, that the Son of man, the Mediator, has power on earth to forgive sins; for therefore the Father has committed all judgment to the Son, and has given him this authority, because he is the Son of man, Joh_5:22, Joh_5:27. If he has power to give eternal life, as he certainly has (Joh_17:2), he must have power to forgive sin; for guilt is a bar that must be removed, or we can never get to heaven. What an encouragement is this to poor sinners to repent, that the power of pardoning sin is put into the hands of the Son of man, who is bone of our bone! And if he had this power on earth, much more now that he is exalted to the Father's right hand, to give repentance and remission of sins, and so to be both a Prince and a Saviour, Act_5:31. (2.) How he proves it, by his power in the kingdom of nature; his power to cure diseases. Is it not as easy to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee, as to say, Arise and walk? He that can cure the disease, whether declaratively as a Prophet, or authoritatively as God, can, in like manner, forgive the sin. Now, [1.] This is a general argument to prove that Christ had a divine mission. His miracles, especially his miraculous cures, confirm what he said of himself, that he was the Son of God; the power that appeared in his cures proved him sent of God; and the pity that appeared in them proved him sent of
- 30. God to healand save. The God of truth would not set his seal to a lie. [2.] It had a particular cogency in this case. The palsy was but a symptom of the disease of sin; now he made it to appear, that he could effectually cure the original disease, by the immediate removal of that symptom; so close a connection was there between the sin and the sickness. He that had power to remove the punishment, no doubt, had power to remit the sin. The scribes stood much upon a legal righteousness, and placed their confidence in that, and made no great matter of the forgiveness of sin, the doctrine upon which Christ hereby designed to put honour, and to show that his great errand to the world was to save his people from their sins. CALVI , "5.Whether is it easier to say? The meaning is, that, as it is not easier to quicken by a word a body which is nearly dead than to forgive sins, there is no reason to wonder that he forgives sins, when he has accomplished the other. The argument which our Lord uses may appear to be not well-founded: for, in proportion as the soul is more excellent than the body, the forgiveness of sins is a greater work than the healing of the body. But the reply is easy. Christ adapts his discourse to their capacity: for, being carnal, they were more powerfully affected by outward signs, than by all the spiritual power of Christ, which related to eternal salvation. Thus he proves the efficacy of the Gospel for quickening men from the fact, that at the last day he will raise the dead by his voice out of their graves. Wonder not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all who are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, (John 5:28.) This was a sufficiently powerful argument to refute those who reckoned a visible miracle of more importance than all things else. They could not say that he had no right to forgive the sins of the paralytic, when he restored to him health and rigour: for this was a result which followed from the forgiveness of sins. BROADUS, "Matthew 9:5. For whether—or, which—is easier! It was as easy to say one as the other, viz., to say it with effect. Euthym: "Both were possible for God, both impossible for man."In the case of the healing they could test the reality of the power he claimed; and from this they ought to infer that he possessed the other power also, seeing that he claimed to possess it, and that one who could work a miracle ought to be believed. They had already had many proofs at Capernaum of his power to work miracles. We are often told at the present day that Jesus always relied on his teaching to convince men, and not at all on his miracles; but here he distinctly appeals to miracles as establishing the truth of his teachings. COFFMA , "But that ye may know ... is equivalent to saying men could OT K OW Jesus' power to forgive sins without such a demonstration of his power. ow, if it is allowed that the Christ himself could not cause people to know of his power to forgive sins without the accompanying power to heal the body, how much more is it certain that people should never expect to have their claims to powers of absolution accepted without a similar demonstration on their part? Jesus' handling
- 31. of this entirecase shows that the power to forgive sins pertains to God alone and that only divine power can accomplish it. Here Christ places the absolution of sins on parity with performing a miracle, affirming in fact that one is as easily done as the other. What sophistry, then, must be attributed to those who "pretend" to do one but cannot even pretend to do the other! A clear understanding of these words of Christ would prohibit the unwarranted assumption of authority by those who make it their business to forgive the sins of other people! 6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” BAR ES, "But that ye may know ... - That you may have full proof on that point; that you may see that I have power to forgive sin, I will perform an act which all must perceive and admit to require the power of God. Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine own house - The fact that the paralytic man could do this would prove that a miracle was performed. He was healed by a word; it was done instantaneously; it was done in the most public manner. The fact that a man, just before perfectly helpless, could now take up and carry his own bed or couch, proved that a divine “power” had been exerted; and that fact proved that he who had performed the miracle must also have the “power” and the “authority” to forgive sin. It is proper to add, in illustrating this, that in the East a “bed” is often nothing more than a bolster and a blanket spread on the floor. “The bed provided for me,” says Professor Hackett (“Illustrations of Scripture,” p. 112) “consisted merely of a bolster and a blanket spread on the floor. The latter could be drawn partially over the body if any one wished, though the expectation seemed to be that we should sleep in our ordinary dress, without any additional covering. Such a bed is obviously a portable one; it is easy to take it up, fold it together, and carry it from place to place, as convenience may require.” CLARKE, "But that ye may know, etc. - External miracles are the proofs of internal ones. Three miracles are wrought in this case. (I mean, by miracle, something produced or known that no power is capable of but that which is omnipotent, and no knowledge adequate to but that which is omniscient). The miracles are these: 1st. The remission of the poor man’s sins. 2d. The discernment of the secret thoughts of the scribes. 3d. The restoring of the paralytic, in an instant, to perfect soundness. Thus one miracle becomes the proof and establishment of another. Never was a
- 32. clearer proof ofomnipotent energy and mercy brought under the senses of man. Here is an absolutely perfect miracle wrought; and here are absolute incontestable proofs that the miracle was wrought; and the conclusion is the fullest demonstration of the Divinity of the ever-blessed Jesus. Arise, take up thy bed - Being enabled to obey this command was the public proof that the man was made whole. Such a circumstance should not pass without improvement. A man gives proof of his conversion from sin to God who imitates this paralytic person. He who does not rise and stand upright, but either continues grovelling on the earth, or falls back as soon as he is got up, is not yet cured of his spiritual palsy. When we see a penitent enabled to rejoice in hope of God’s glory, and to walk in the way of his commandments, he affords us all the proof which we can reasonably require, that his conversion is real: the proof sufficient to satisfy himself is the witness of the Holy Spirit in his own heart; but this is a matter of which those who are without cannot judge: they must form their opinion from his conduct, and judge of the tree by its fruits. GILL, "But that ye may know that the son of man,.... That they might have a visible proof, an ocular demonstration, that though he was the son of man, truly and really man, yet not a mere man; but also as truly and properly God, God and man in one person, and so hath power on earth to forgive sins: not only ability as God, but even authority to do it as mediator, even whilst he was on earth, in a state of humiliation, in fashion as a man, in the form of a servant, conversing with sinful mortals. Then saith he to the sick of the palsy; turning himself from the Scribes, unto him, and without putting up any prayer to God, but by a mere word of command, says to him, arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house: he ordered him to "arise" from his bed, on which he was carried by four men, and "take up his bed", and carry it himself; which would be not only an evidence that the disease had left him, but that he was in full strength, and perfect health; and to "go" to his own "house", not only that the multitude might see that he could walk home himself, whom they had seen brought by others; but that those in the house, who had been eyewitnesses of his great disorder and weakness, might be also of his cure. CALVI , "6.That the Son of man hath authority on earth. This authority is very different from what was given to the apostles, and from what is now exercised by the pastors of the Church: for they cannot so properly be said to pardon sins, as to declare that they are pardoned, when they deliver the commission which is entrusted to them. By these words Christ declares that he is not only the minister and witness, but likewise the author, of this grace. But what means this restriction, on earth? Of what avail will it be to us to have obtained pardon here, if it be not ratified in heaven? Christ’s meaning was, that forgiveness of sins ought not to be sought from a distance: for he exhibits it to men in his own person, and as it were in his hands. So strong is our inclination to distrust, that we never venture to believe that God is merciful to us, till he draws near, and speaks familiarly to us. ow, as Christ descended to earth for the purpose of exhibiting to men the grace of God as
- 33. present, he issaid to forgive sins visibly, because in him and by him the will of God was revealed which, according to the perception of the flesh, had been formerly hidden above the clouds. BROADUS, "Matthew 9:6. The Son of man, our Lord's favourite designation of himself, see on "Matthew 8:20". Power. The word thus rendered is much used throughout the . T. It signifies primarily, permission (license, privilege), then authority, (dominion, rule, etc.), and this sometimes suggests ability and power. The word very often conveys two of these ideas at once, as privilege and power, (John 1:12) authority and power. (John 19:10) Compare on Matthew 7:29, Matthew 28:18. The Rev. Ver. has everywhere else in Matt. rendered 'authority,' and it would have been better to do so here, as is done by the American Revisers, Davidson, and oyes. In this passage it is meant that Jesus has authority to forgive sins, and the power which such authority carries with it; this power is alluded to by the phrase, 'Who can ', (Mark 2:7; Luke 5:21) and 'Which is easier'. (Matthew 9:5, Bib. Un. Ver.) The word 'authority' is in this passage so placed as to be emphatic, 'the Son of man hath authority,' etc. And while they naturally thought of forgiveness of sins as performed only by God in heaven, he will show them that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins. Compare the authority to judge, John 5:27. He does not proceed to tell the Scribes what he will do to prove his authority, but turns to the paralytic and lets them see. Take up thy bed. Being such as described on Matthew 9:2, a man could easily take it up and carry it. Go, or 'go along,' not said severely, as in Matthew 4:10, but kindly, as in Matthew 8:13; the word taking colour from the connection. 7 Then the man got up and went home. . GILL, "And he arose, and departed to his house. Immediately, at the command of Christ, believing he was able to heal him by a word speaking; and, upon his attempt to arise, found himself perfectly healed of his disease, and endued with such strength, that he could, not only with the greatest ease, arise from his bed, stand upon his feet, and walk alone, without any help; but, as the other evangelists declare, took up his bed, on which he lay, carried it home on his shoulders, in the sight of all the people, praising, and giving glory to God for this wonderful cure, which he had received. HE RY, "V. The immediate cure of the sick man. Christ turned from disputing with them, and spake healing to him. The most necessary arguings must not divert us from doing the good that our hand finds to do. He saith to the sick of the palsy, Arise, take up thy bed, and go to thine house; and a healing, quickening, strengthening power accompanied this word (Mat_9:7): he arose and departed to his house. Now, 1. Christ bid him take up his bed, to show that he was perfectly cured, and that not only he had no
- 34. more occasion tobe carried upon his bed, but that he had strength to carry it. 2. He sent him to his house, to be a blessing to his family, where he had been so long a burden; and did not take him along with him for a show, which those would do in such a case who seek the honour that comes from men. BROADUS, "Matthew 9:7 f. What a moment of suspense for all the beholders—some hoping, others fearing, that the man would indeed show himself to be healed. What a thrill must have passed through the crowd, as he arose and went off. How the Scribes must have been abashed and confounded. The paralytic went away 'glorifying God'; (Luke 5:25) we can imagine his feelings of joy and gratitude, when he found himself carrying the bed which had carried him, treading the earth in vigour and health again, yea, and with his sins all forgiven. The effect upon the bystanders at large is stated in Matthew 9:8. But when the multitudes—the crowds—saw it. 'Crowds' is the same word as in Matthew 5:1. They marvelled—better, feared—this, and not 'wondered,' being pretty certainly the correct reading of the text.(1) They felt that alarm and painful uneasiness which is art to be awakened in the bosom of sinful man by anything that seems to bring God nearer to him. (Luke 5:8; compare above on Matthew 8:34) But this alarm quickly passed into praise, and they glorified God, which had given such power unto men. (Compare Luke 5:26) Regarding Jesus as only a man, it was right that they should give the glory to God. (Matthew 5:16) And they probably did not consider this authority and power as peculiar to him, but as bestowed on men, and possible for others also. It was true, in a sense which cannot have entered into their thoughts, that what was given to Jesus was given to mankind. Before proceeding to further miracles, the Evangelist narrates- 8 When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man BAR ES, "They glorified God - See the notes at Mat_5:16. To “glorify” God, here, means to “praise him,” or to acknowledge his power. The expression, “which had given such power to people,” was a part of “their” praise. It expresses no sentiment of the evangelist about the nature of Christ, but is a record of their feelings and their praise. CLARKE, "When the multitudes saw it, they marveled - Instead of
- 35. εθαυµασαν, wondered, theCodex Vatic. and Cod. Bezae, with several other MSS. and versions, have εφοβηθησαν, feared. In the Gothic, and one copy of the Itala, both readings are conjoined, thus: And the multitudes seeing it, wondered and feared, and glorified God. Wondered at the miracle; feared to offend against such power and goodness; and glorified God for the works of mercy which he had wrought. That which to the doctors of the law, the worldly-wise and prudent, is a matter of scandal, is to the humble an occasion of glorifying the Most High. Divine things make a deeper impression on the hearts of the simple multitude than on those of the doctors, who, puffed up with a sense of their own wisdom, refuse to receive the truth as it is in Jesus. The conversion of one rebellious soul is a greater miracle, and more to be admired than all that can be wrought on inanimate creatures. He who sees a sinner converted from the error of his way sees a miracle wrought by eternal power and goodness. May such miracles be multiplied! GILL, "But when the multitude saw it,.... The miracle that was wrought; when they saw the man take up his bed, and carry it home, which was done by Christ, as a proof of his having power to forgive sin, they marvelled, and glorified God: they were struck with amazement and astonishment at the sight, it being what was strange and unusual; the like to which they had never seen before, nor heard of: and concluding it to be more than human; they ascribed it to God; they praised, and adored the divine goodness, which had given such power unto men; of working miracles, healing diseases, and delivering miserable mortals from such maladies, as were otherwise incurable; still looking upon Christ as a mere man, by whom God did these things; not knowing yet the mystery of the incarnation, God manifest in the flesh. HE RY, "VI. The impression which this made upon the multitude (Mat_9:8); they marvelled, and glorified God. Note, All our wonder should help to enlarge our hearts in glorifying God, who alone does marvellous things. They glorified God for what he had done for this poor man. Note, Others' mercies should be our praises, and we should give him thanks for them, for we are members one of another. Though few of this multitude were so convinced, as to be brought to believe in Christ, and to follow him, yet they admired him, not as God, or the Son of God, but as a man to whom God had given such power. Note, God must be glorified in all the power that is given to men to do good. For all power is originally his; it is in him, as the Fountain, in men, as the cisterns. CALVI , "8.And the multitudes who saw Instead of astonishment which Matthew mentions, (511) the other two Evangelists employ the word ἔκστασις, or amazement: and Luke adds fear But the design of all the Evangelists is to show, that the power of God was not merely acknowledged, but that all were struck with astonishment, and compelled to give glory to God. The fear, which followed the astonishment, had the effect of preventing them from opposing Christ, and of making them submit to him with reverence as a Prophet of God. Matthew expressly says, that they glorified God, who had given such authority to men Here they appear to be partly mistaken:
- 36. for, though theysee a man with their eyes, they ought to have perceived in him, by the mind, something higher than man. They are no doubt right in saying, that the nature of man received great honor in Christ for the general advantage of the human race: but as they do not perceive him to be God manifested in the flesh, (1 Timothy 3:6,) their confession is involved in some error. (512) In a word, it was true, that God gave such authority to men: but the form and manner of giving was not yet understood by those who were not aware that the majesty of God was united to flesh. COFFMA , "The fear of the multitude is proof that they saw in this great miracle nothing but the power of God in a dramatic display of authority over sin and disease. God's power, even in nature, is always awe-inspiring; and it is much more so when seen in those areas of the soul itself which are concerned with man's spiritual health. The words "unto men" are at first surprising, Why is it said, "unto men," whereas men simply cannot do the things mentioned here? Trench explained it thus: "They felt truly that what was given to one man, to him who had just set himself forth under the title of `the Son of man,' was given for the sake of all, and given ultimately to ALL, that thus it was indeed given `unto men'."[1] Also, Jesus did appoint plenipotentiaries with full authority to announce men's forgiveness, namely, apostles, with authority to bind and loose on earth with equal consequences in heaven. (See Matthew 16:19). Those who profess to see in this spontaneous comment from the rabble positive sanction of THEIR authority to forgive sins certainly see far more than is in it. E D OTE: [1] Richard H. Trench, otes on the Miracles (Westwood, ew Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1953), p. 227. COKE, "Matthew 9:8. But when the multitude saw it— The people were struck with a high degree of surprise, mixed with admiration. What was to the Scribes an occasion of blasphemy, proved to them an incitement to praise and bless; they glorified God, who had given such power to men; power not only to heal diseases, but to forgive sins; for they could not but acknowledge the authority of Christ's declaration, thy sins are forgiven, when their eyes shewed them the efficacy of his command, arise and walk. Even the Pharisees could not help being confounded at this miracle; for it was performed by one whom they had but a few moments before pronounced a blasphemer. Besides, they were incapable of finding the least fault with the miracle, although, no doubt, they examined it with a scrupulous exactness. It is strange, therefore, that they did not forthwith lay aside their enmity against Jesus. Probably in this, as in other instances, they resisted the dictates of their own minds; or they might overlook the miracle, and continue to find fault with the expression uttered when it was performed; for with respect to good, their minds seem to have been in the same enervated and dead condition, which the body of the
- 37. paralytic had beenin before his cure; only the misery of their state was greater than his; the palsy of the soul being an evil infinitely more deplorable than the palsy of the body. See Macknight. We may just observe, that Cocceius is of opinion, that men in this verse refers to the men cured by Jesus, who had given such power to men; that is to say, of receiving remission of sins, and bodily health: but the interpretation referring it to Christ, as a prophet, seems preferable. See Bishop Smallbrooke's Vindication of the Miracles, vol. 2 p. 248. The Calling of Matthew 9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him. BAR ES, "He saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom - That is, at the place where “custom,” or “tribute,” was received; or, in other words, he was a “publican” or tax-gatherer. See the notes at Mat_5:47. This man was the writer of this gospel. The same account is found in Mar_2:14, and Luk_5:27-28. Both those evangelists call him “Levi.” That it was the same man is known by the circumstances in which he was called being the same in all the evangelists, and by their all concurring in the statement that the Saviour was present at a feast soon after he called him, and by the fact that “Levi” is not mentioned in the catalogue of the apostles. The Jews were in the habit of giving several names to the same person. Thus Peter was also called Simon and Cephas. It is worthy of remark that Luke has mentioned a circumstance favorable to Matthew, which Matthew himself has omitted. Luke says “he left all.” Had Matthew said this, it would have been a commendation of himself utterly unlike the evangelists. No men were ever further from “praising themselves” than they were. CLARKE, "Named Matthew - Generally supposed to be the same who wrote this history of our blessed Lord. Mathai signifies a gift in Syriac; probably so named by his parents as implying a gift from God. The receipt of custom - The custom-house, τελωνιον - the place where the taxes levied by the Romans of the Jews, were collected. Follow me - That is, become my disciple. And he arose, and followed him - How blessed it is to be obedient to the first call
- 38. of Christ -how much happiness and glory are lost by delays, though conversion at last may have taken place! GILL, "And as Jesus passed forth from thence,.... That is, from Capernaum to the sea side; where, as Mark says, the multitude resorted, and he taught them; he saw a man named Matthew; the writer of this Gospel. The other evangelists call him Levi, who was the son of Alphaeus: he went by two names; Mark and Luke call him by the name, which perhaps was the more honourable, or the least known, on purpose to conceal the former life of the apostle, which might expose him to the contempt of some; but he himself chooses to mention the name by which he was most known, as an apostle, and that the grace of God might appear the more illustrious in his calling and conversion. The Jews say (h), that one of Christ's disciples was called ,מתאי Matthew, which, as Levi, is an Hebrew name; for though he was a publican, yet a Jew; for it was common with the Jews either to be employed by the Roman officers in collecting the toll or tribute, or to farm it of them. Sitting at the receipt of custom, or "at the custom house", or "toll booth"; which both the Syriac version, and Munster's Hebrew Gospel, call ,מכס or מוכסא ,בית the "publican's house". In the (i) Talmud mention is made of it, in the following parable, upon citing Isa 61:8 "it is like, (say the doctors,) to a king of flesh and blood, who passing by המכס ,בית "the toll booth", or "publican's house", says to his servants, give "toll to the publicans": they reply to him, is not all the toll thine? he says to them, all that pass by the ways will learn of me, and will not avoid the toll; so says the holy blessed God, &c.'' The publicans had houses, or booths built for them, at the foot of bridges, at the mouth of rivers, and by the sea shore, where they took toll of passengers that went to and fro: hence we read (k) of bridges being made to take toll at, and of publicans being at the water side (l), and of מוכס קישרי (m), "the tickets", or "seals of the publicans"; which, when a man had paid toll on one side of a river, were given him by the publican, to show to him that sat on the other side, that it might appear he had paid: in which were written two great letters, bigger than those in common use (n). Thus Matthew was sitting in a toll booth, near the seashore, to receive the toll of passengers that came, or went in ships or boats. And he saith unto him, follow me; notwithstanding the infamous employment he was in, as accounted by the Jews: this was no bar in the way of his call to be a disciple of Christ; and shows, that there was no merit and motive in him, which was the reason of this high honour bestowed upon him; but was entirely owing to the free, sovereign, and distinguishing grace of Christ, and which was powerful and efficacious: for without telling him what work he must do, or how he must live, and without his consulting with flesh and blood, at once, immediately he arose, and followed him: such a power went along with the call, that he directly left his employment, how profitable soever it might be to him, and became a disciple of
- 39. Christ. HE RY, "Inthese verses we have an account of the grace and favour of Christ to poor publicans, particularly to Matthew. What he did to the bodies of people was to make way for a kind design upon their souls. Now observe here, I. The call of Matthew, the penman of this gospel. Mark and Luke call him Levi; it was ordinary for the same person to have two names: perhaps Matthew was the name he was most known by as a publican, and, therefore, in his humility, he called himself by that name, rather than by the more honourable name of Levi. Some think Christ gave him the name of Matthew when he called him to be an apostle; as Simon, he surnamed Peter. Matthew signifies, the gift of God, Ministers are God's gifts to the church; their ministry, and their ability for it, are God's gifts to them. Now observe, 1. The posture that Christ's call found Matthew in. He was sitting at the receipt of custom, for he was a publican, Luk_5:27. He was a custom-house officer at the port of Capernaum, or an exciseman, or collector of the land-tax. Now, (1.) He was in his calling, as the rest of them whom Christ called, Mat_4:18. Note, As Satan chooses to come, with his temptations, to those that are idle, so Christ chooses to come, with his calls, to those that are employed. But, (2.) It was a calling of ill fame among serious people; because it was attended with so much corruption and temptation, and there were so few in that business that were honest men. Matthew himself owns what he was before his conversion, as does St. Paul (1Ti_1:13), that the grace of Christ in calling him might be the more magnified, and to show, that God has his remnant among all sorts of people. None can justify themselves in their unbelief, by their calling in the world; for there is no sinful calling, but some have been saved out of it, and no lawful calling, but some have been saved in it. 2. The preventing power of this call. We find not that Matthew looked after Christ, or had any inclination to follow him, though some of his kindred were already disciples of Christ, but Christ prevented him with the blessings of his goodness. He is found of those that seek him not. Christ spoke first; we have not chosen him, but he hath chosen us. He said, Follow me; and the same divine, almighty power accompanied this word to convert Matthew, which attended that word (Mat_9:6), Arise and walk, to cure the man sick of the palsy. Note, A saving change is wrought in the soul by Christ as the Author, and his word as the means. His gospel is the power of God unto salvation, Rom_1:16. The call was effectual, for he came at the call; he arose, and followed him immediately; neither denied, nor deferred his obedience. The power of divine grace soon answers and overcomes all objections. Neither his commission for his place, nor his gains by it, could detain him, when Christ called him. He conferred not with flesh and blood, Gal_1:15, Gal_1:16. He quitted his post, and his hopes of preferment in that way; and, though we find the disciples that were fishers occasionally fishing again afterwards, we never find Matthew at the receipt of custom again. JAMISO , "Mat_9:9-13. Matthew’s call and feast. ( = Mar_2:14-17; Luk_5:27-32). The Call of Matthew (Mat_9:9). And as Jesus passed forth from thence — that is, from the scene of the paralytic’s cure in Capernaum, towards the shore of the Sea of Galilee, on which that town lay. Mark, as usual, pictures the scene more in detail, thus (Mar_2:13): “And He went forth again by the seaside; and all the multitude resorted unto Him, and He taught them” - or, “kept teaching them.” “And as He passed by” he saw a man, named Matthew — the writer of this precious Gospel, who here,
- 40. with singular modestyand brevity, relates the story of his own calling. In Mark and Luke he is called Levi, which seems to have been his family name. In their lists of the twelve apostles, however, Mark and Luke give him the name of Matthew, which seems to have been the name by which he was known as a disciple. While he himself sinks his family name, he is careful not to sink his occupation, the obnoxious associations with which he would place over against the grace that called him from it, and made him an apostle. (See on Mat_10:3). Mark alone tells us (Mar_2:14) that he was “the son of Alphaeus” - the same, probably, with the father of James the Less. From this and other considerations it is pretty certain that he must at least have heard of our Lord before this meeting. Unnecessary doubts, even from an early period, have been raised about the identity of Levi and Matthew. No capable jury, with the evidence before them which we have in the Gospels, would hesitate in giving a unanimous verdict of identity. sitting at the receipt of custom — as a publican, which Luke (Luk_5:27) calls him. It means the place of receipt, the toll house or booth in which the collector sat. Being in this case by the seaside, it might be the ferry tax for the transit of persons and goods across the lake, which he collected. (See on Mat_5:46). and he saith unto him, Follow me — Witching words these, from the lips of Him who never employed them without giving them resistless efficacy in the hearts of those they were spoken to. And he — “left all” (Luk_5:28), “arose and followed him.” HAWKER 9-13, "The call of Matthew is most interesting, and serves to mark the distinguishing grace of God. His name from Mattan, a gift, seems suited to one who received the free gift of the Lord. Here was no preparation, no enquiry after Christ; no waiting at ordinances, yea, not so much as a conscious sense in the heart of Matthew, of his want of salvation. He was sitting in his gainful office of a Publican, or tax-gatherer: an office odious to all the people of Israel, and when exercised by a descendant of Israel, yet more hateful. Such was Matthew; and so employed, when the Lord Jesus passed by, and called him from a tax gatherer, to be an Apostle and Evangelist. Oh what grace was here? How truly was that scripture fulfilled, I am found of them that sought me not. Isa_ 65:1. What an astonishing instance of mercy was this. How very powerful must have been the call! How gracious on the part of Jesus! How surprising to the heart of Matthew? And observe the instant effects. No sooner doth Jesus call, but Matthew obeys. And as Jesus opened Matthew’s heart to receive him, Matthew opens his house to welcome Jesus. Neither is this all. For as this one Publican had found mercy from the Lord, Matthew invited other Publicans to come and find mercy also. There is enough in Christ for all. What a lovely view to behold the Great Redeemer, encircled at Matthew’s table, with Publicans and Sinners! The murmuring of the Pharisees is just as might be expected, and such as hath marked Pharisees in all ages. But what a lovely answer the Lord gave to the charge. The very character of Christ, as the Physician of the Soul, naturally led him to haunts of sickness, for the exercise of his profession. And by referring them to that memorable passage in the prophet Hos_6:6. Jesus took the words as applicable to himself in confirmation of his office: Jehovah Rophe, I am the Lord that healeth thee. Exo_15:26. BROADUS, "Matthew 9:9. And as Jesus passed forth from thence. Mark (Mark 2:13) shows that this occurred immediately after the healing of the paralytic, as implied in Matthew's 'from thence.' Sitting at the receipt of custom—custom-house—(so translated in Rheims) probably the place for receiving tolls on the fishing and trade of
- 41. the lake. TheRomans laid taxes, as the Syrian kings had done before them, on almost everything. (See details in Edersheim) Matthew. Luke calls him 'Levi,' and Mark 'Levi, the son of Alpheus.' It had become very common for a Jew to bear two names; and probably the first readers of the different Gospels would readily understand that Levi, the son of Alpheus, was also called Matthew. (The name Matthaios, Mattai, might mean simply 'given,' like Nathan; or else might be a contraction of Mattijah, 'gift of Jehovah,' like Jonathan, Nethaniah.) It would be natural that Matthew should give only the name by which he was known as an apostle, which Mark and Luke also give in their lists of the apostles, (Mark 3:18, Luke 6:15) and should avoid, as Paul did, the name associated with his former life. Some argue that this Matthew was not the Evangelist, since he is spoken of in the third person; but it has always been common, in ancient and modern times, for writers thus to speak of themselves; and the apostle John, in his Gospel, employs elaborate circumlocutions to avoid even mentioning his own name. Luke here tells us (Luke 5:27) that Matthew was a publican, which is implied in the narratives of Matthew and Mark, and stated by Matthew in the list. (Matthew 10:3) As to the publicans, see on "Matthew 5:46"; and as to Matthew, see further on "Matthew 10:3". And he arose and followed him. Luke says (Luke 5:28, Bib. Un. Ver.) 'And leaving all, he arose,' etc. Matthew does not mention this, because it would have been speaking in his own praise, which the Evangelists never do. (Compare on Matthew 9:10) We can account for his immediately leaving all and following Jesus by the reasonable supposition that at the place of toll by the lake-side he had often seen and heard him, and had gradually become prepared in mind to obey such a call. It is even possible that he had been following Jesus before, and only now attached himself permanently to him (compare on Matthew 4:18 ff.). At the name time we may be sure there was something deeply impressive in the Saviour's tone and look as he spoke the simple words. (Compare John 18:6) Observe that while all of the Twelve seem to have been men in humble life Matthew belonged to a class greatly despised. The Talmud (Edersheim) distinguishes customhouse officials from other tax-gatherers, and speaks of them with peculiar hate, probably because their extortions were more frequent and more manifest. This publican Matthew and the notorious persecutor Saul, were as unlikely, humanly speaking, to become apostles of Christ as any men that could be found Yet such has been the work of sovereign grace in every age of Christianity. COKE, "Matthew 9:9. As Jesus passed—thence, he saw a man, &c.— St. Luke, in the parallel place, calls St. Matthew a publican, which was a very odious name among the Jews, as the employment was attended with so much corruption and temptation, that there were but few honest men supposed to be engaged in it. They were generally persons of so infamous and vile a character, that publicans and sinners are often joined together as synonymous terms. See on ch. Matthew 5:46, Matthew 9:11, Matthew 11:19. The original word Τελωνιον properly signifies the custom-house; some have rendered it tolbooth; which, say Beausobre and Lenfant, was a place near the lake and harbour; there were toll-booths on the great roads, as also on the lakes and rivers. The other Evangelists call St. Matthew by the more honourable name of Levi. Porphyry and Julian have blamed St. Matthew for following one of whom he had so little knowledge, thus rashly, as they are pleased to call it. But as it is evident that this publican lived in Capernaum, or near it, he must have often heard our Lord preach; for it was the town where he ordinarily resided; and probably he might have been witness to a number of Christ's miracles: wherefore the opposers of our religion must forgive us if we affirm, that there was neither rashness nor imprudence in the readiness which Matthew shewed to follow Jesus. He might have been his disciple long before this, and only waited for
- 42. permission to attendhim. But farther; why may we not suppose that a divine and supernatural influence attended this call of our Lord? which, considering all its circumstances, may well be acknowledged as great a miracle as any ofthosewhichwehave before reviewed. Dr. Doddridge makes the following pleasing and pious remarks upon the event. "Let us view, with humble wonder and pleasure, this farther instance of the condescension and grace of the Redeemer, in the call of Matthew: his condescension, in calling to so near an attendance, and so intimate a friendship, a man who was a publican, infamous as that employment was; and his grace, which could immediately inspire this publican with so firm a resolution of quitting all the profits of that employment; that he might reduce himself to circumstances of life as precarious as those of his divine Master. Many, no doubt, censured him as a rash enthusiast and a lunatic, rather than as a sober convert; but he is even now reaping the abundant reward: his loss is gain, and his contempt glory." See on ch. Matthew 10:2, &c. BARCLAY, "The Man Whom All Men Hated (Matthew 9:9) 9:9 As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man called Matthew seated at the tax- collector's table. "Follow me," he said to him; and he arose and followed him. There was never a more unlikely candidate for the office of apostle than Matthew. Matthew was what the King James Version calls a publican; the publicani were tax- gatherers, and were so called because they dealt with public money and with public funds. The problem of the Roman government was to devise a system whereby the taxes could be collected as efficiently and as cheaply as possible. They did so by auctioning the right to collect taxes in a certain area. The man who bought that right was responsible to the Roman government for an agreed sum; anything he could raise over and above that he was allowed to keep as commission. Obviously this system lent itself to grave abuses. People did not really know how much they ought to pay in the days before newspapers and radio and television, nor had they any right of appeal against the tax-collector. The consequence was that many a tax- collector became a wealthy man through illegal extortion. This system had led to so many abuses that in Palestine it had been brought to an end before the time of Jesus; but taxes still had to be paid, and there were still abuses. There were three great stated taxes. There was a ground tax by which a man had to pay one-tenth of his grain and one-fifth of his fruit and vine to the government either in cash or in kind. There was income tax, which was one per cent of a man's income. There was a poll-tax which had to be paid by every male from the age of fourteen to the age of sixty- five, and by every female from the age of twelve to sixty-five. These were statutory taxes and could not well be used by tax-collectors for private profit. But in addition to these taxes there were all sorts of other taxes. There was a duty of anything from 2.5 per cent to 12.5 per cent on all goods imported and exported. A tax
- 43. had to bepaid to travel on main reacts, to cross bridges, to enter market-places and towns or harbours. There was a tax on pack animals, and a tax on the wheels and axles of carts. There were purchase taxes on goods bought and sold. There were certain commodities which were government monopolies. For instance, in Egypt the trade in nitrate, beer, and papyrus was entirely in government control. Although the old method of auctioning the taxes had been stopped, all kinds of people were needed to collect these taxes. The people who collected them were drawn from the provincials themselves. Often they were volunteers. Usually in any district one person was responsible for one tax, and it was not difficult for such a person to line his own pockets in addition to collecting the taxes which were legally due. These tax-gatherers were universally hated. They had entered the service of their country's conquerors, and they amassed their fortunes at the expense of their country's misfortunes. They were notoriously dishonest. Not only did they fleece their own countrymen, but they also did their best to swindle the government, and they made a flourishing income by taking bribes from rich people who wished to avoid taxes which they should have paid. Every country hates its tax-gatherers, but the hatred of the Jews for them was doubly violent. The Jews were fanatical nationalists. But what roused the Jews more than anything else was their religious conviction that God alone was king, and that to pay taxes to any mortal ruler was an infringement of God's rights and an insult to his majesty. By Jewish law a tax-gatherer was debarred from the synagogue; he was included with things and beasts unclean, and Leviticus 20:5 was applied to them; he was forbidden to be a witness in any case, "robbers, murderers and tax-gatherers" were classed together. When Jesus called Matthew he called a man whom all men hated. Here is one of the greatest instances in the New Testament of Jesus' power to see in a man, not only what he was, but also what he could be. No one ever had such faith in the possibilities of human nature as Jesus had. A Challenge Issued And Received (Matthew 9:9 Continued) Capernaum was in the territory of Herod Antipas, and in all probability Matthew was not directly in the service of the Romans but in the service of Herod. Capernaum was a great meeting place of roads. In particular the great road from Egypt to Damascus, the Way of the Sea, passed through Capernaum. It was there that it entered the dominion of Herod for business purposes, and no doubt Matthew was one of those customs officers who exacted duty on all goods and commodities as they entered and left the territory of Herod. It is not to be thought that Matthew had never seen Jesus before. No doubt Matthew had heard about this young Galilean who came with a message breathtakingly new, who spoke with an authority the like of which no one had ever heard before, and who
- 44. numbered amongst hisfriends men and women from whom the orthodox good people of the day shrank in loathing. No doubt Matthew had listened on the outskirts of the crowd, and had felt his heart stir within him. Perhaps Matthew had wondered wistfully if even yet it was not too late to set sail and to seek a newer world, to leave his old life and his old shame and to begin again. So he found Jesus standing before him; he heard Jesus issue his challenge; and Matthew accepted that challenge and rose up and left all and followed him. We must note what Matthew lost and what Matthew found. He lost a comfortable job, but found a destiny. He lost a good income, but found honour. He lost a comfortable security, but found an adventure the like of which he had never dreamed. It may be that if we accept the challenge of Christ, we shall find ourselves poorer in material things. It may be that the worldly ambitions will have to go. But beyond doubt we will find a peace and a joy and a thrill in life that we never knew before. In Jesus Christ a man finds a wealth surpassing anything he may have to abandon for the sake of Christ. We must note what Matthew left and what Matthew took. He left his tax-collector's table; but from it took one thing--his pen. Here is a shining example of how Jesus can use whatever gift a man may bring to him. It is not likely that the others of the Twelve were handy with a pen. Galilean fishermen would not have much skill in writing or in putting words together. But Matthew had; and this man, whose trade had taught him to use a pen, used that skill to compose the first handbook of the teaching of Jesus, which must rank as one of the most important books the world has ever read. When Matthew left the tax-collector's table that day he gave up much in the material sense, but in the spiritual sense he became heir to a fortune. CALVI , "Matthew 9:9.Jesus saw a man sitting at the customhouse. The custom- house has usually been a place noted for plundering and for unjust exactions, and was at that time particularly infamous. In the choice of Matthew out of that place, not only to be admitted into the family of Christ, but even to be called to the office of Apostle, we have a striking instance of the grace of God. It was the intention of Christ to choose simple and ignorant persons to that rank, in order to cast down the wisdom of the world, (1 Corinthians 2:6.) But this publican, who followed an occupation little esteemed and involved in many abuses, was selected for additional reasons, that he might be an example of Christ’s undeserved goodness, and might show in his person that the calling of all of us depends, not on the merits of our own righteousness, but on his pure kindness. Matthew, therefore, was not only a witness and preacher, but was also a proof and illustration of the grace exhibited in Christ. he gives evidence of his gratitude in not being ashamed to hand down for perpetual remembrance the record of what he formerly was, and whence he was taken, that he might more fully illustrate in his person the grace of Christ. In the same manner Paul says: This is a faithful saying, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief, (1 Timothy 1:15.)
- 45. As to Markand Luke calling him Levi, it appears that this was his ordinary name: (517) but that his being a publican was the reason why he took a foreign name. Follow me There is no reason to doubt that Christ explained in many words why he was called, and on what conditions. This is more fully ascertained from Luke, who says, that he left all, rose up, and followed Christ: for it would not have been necessary for him to leave all, if he had not been a private disciple of Christ, and called in expectation of the Apostleship. In the great readiness and eagerness of Matthew to obey, we see the Divine power of the word of Christ. ot that all in whose ears he utters his voice are equally affected in their hearts: but in this man Christ intended to give a remarkable example, that we might know that his calling was not from man. (518). COFFMA , "How many of Jesus' mighty deeds were done "as he passed by"? (John 9:1; Matthew 4:18; 9:27; Mark 11:20, etc.). He seized the golden chances as they came. Whatever came to hand, that he did to the glory of God. ote that he saw "a man." Some would have seen only a tax collector, but Jesus saw the scholarly student of the prophecies, the human heart that beat beneath the tax-taker's shirt. Disciples in this generation would do well to follow his example. How often men's eyes are blinded by prejudice, social bias, or self-interest, and they fail to see "the man." They see instead a banker, a policeman, a farmer, a negro, a doorman, a taxi driver, a soldier, a grocer, etc. How comforting is the thought that the Saviour always saw (and sees) the man, whatever the outward circumstances that may disguise him from his fellows! One wonders if this call of Matthew was as spontaneous as it seems from this brief account of it. Very probably, Matthew, like the four fishermen, already had some knowledge of Christ and his teachings when the call occurred. The brevity of this account shows the humility and modesty which characterized this ancient publican who rose to such heights in the service of the Lord. Matthew's call was a challenge to the Pharisees and other snobbish groups of that day. A publican was a social outcast. othing good was expected of such a person; and, in this call, Jesus showed that the church has a mission to the downtrodden as well as to others. Adam Clarke makes this feast to occur in the house of Matthew, as indicated in Luke 5:29.[2] Publicans were renters of the Roman taxes, an occupation particularly odious to the Jews, and the more so on the part of one of their own race who was thus leagued with the despised oppressors of the land. PUBLICA S and SI ERS were synonymous terms in the culture of that day. That the Messiah would attend a feast with such a man and even name him to the apostleship was a fact which few people of that day, especially the rulers, could accept with any degree of tolerance. Their bitterness toward the despised and socially unacceptable masses was the prime reason for their failure to recognize Jesus as their Lord. Snobbishness is still a reality in many hearts, and its effect of spiritual blindness are just as real and fatal
- 46. now as then. ED OTE: [2] Adam Clarke, Commentary ( ew York: T. Mason and G. Lane, 1837), Vol. V, p. 109. BE SO , "Matthew 9:9. And as Jesus passed from thence — That is, from the house in which the paralytic had been cured, he saw a man named Matthew — Modestly so called by himself: the other evangelists call him by his more honourable name, Levi; setting at the receipt of custom — In the very height of his business. The expression επι το τελωνιον, here rendered the receipt of custom, seems properly to mean the place where custom was received. Some late translators render it, the custom-house; “but have we any reason,” says Campbell: “to say it was a house?” The Syriac name is no evidence that it was; for, like the Hebrew, they use the word beth [house] with great latitude of signification. Most probably it was a temporary stall which could easily be erected in any place where occasion required. The word office, (signifying a place where any particular business is transacted, whether within doors or without,) seems an unexceptionable name for the place. And he saith unto him, Follow me — A word which was immediately attended with a secret power, so that he arose and followed him — He immediately obeyed the call, consigning, doubtless, his books and cash to some more careful hand. “Porphyry and Julian, two noted ancient enemies of Christianity, have blamed Matthew for thus rashly, as they are pleased to call it, following one of whom he had so little knowledge. But as it is evident that this publican lived in Capernaum, or near it, he must have often heard our Lord preach, (for it was the town where he ordinarily resided,) and may probably have been witness to a number of his miracles. Wherefore, the opposers of our religion must forgive us, if we affirm that there was neither rashness nor imprudence in the readiness which Matthew showed to follow Jesus when called. He may have been his disciple long before this, and only waited for permission to attend him.” — Macknight. BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR, "He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the receipt of custom. The following Christ Whom are we to follow, and on what road, and to what place? I. We are to follow Christ. Do not the soldiers follow their captain? Do not the redeemed follow their deliverer? Do not the disciples follow the teacher? We must follow Him further and further. Immediately, lest we never have the invitation given us again. He has something worthy to be obtained by such as follow Him. Will a man shut his ears to such a merciful invitation? If a rich man were to call a famished man to come into his house and be fed, would tie not instantly follow? The state of those who refuse is one of miserable bondage. II. What is the way along which he calls us to follow? Christ has opened a new and living way, in every sense of the Word. Our old, corrupt nature dislikes a new was. Christ gives the power, hence no excuse. But is this new way unpleasant? It has good company and entertainment; at the end, the house of the Almighty Father. III. To what place. (R. W. Evans, B. D.) The calling of Matthew
- 47. I. Consider theevent as illustrative of divine grace. God seeks whom He will to serve Him. The change rapid. II. We are to forsake all inordinate love of riches. Discriminate between the possession of riches and inordinate love of them. III. Subsequently to his conversion Matthew entertained his master, inviting guests from his former companions-a proof of the sincerity of his conversion. We should silently and sedulously seek others. What mariner, rescued from the fury of the waves, would refuse to extend a charitable hand to his companions who are plunging in the abyss he has escaped. (Pitman.) The calling of St. Matthew I. The call. 1. It was a call of sovereignty. There was no miracle; the attraction of personal authority. 2. It was a call of grace. What was there in St. Matthew to recommend him? 3. It was a call of love (1Jn_3:1). II. The answer. 1. It was an answer of faith. He followed because he believed-had trust-in Christ. 2. It was an answer of decision. 3. It was an answer of self-sacrifice. (Canon Titcomb, M. A.) “A man called Matthew:” I. His call seemed accidental and unlikely. II. His call was altogether unthought of and unsought. 1. He was in a degrading business. 2. He was in an ensnaring business. 3. He would not have dared to follow Jesus even if he had wished to do so. III. His call was given by the Lord, with full knowledge of him. Jesus “saw a man named Matthew.” 1. He saw all the evil that had been in him. 2. He saw his adaptation for holy service. 3. He saw all that He meant to make of him. IV. His call was graciously condescending. V. His call was sublimely simple. 1. Few were the words. 2. Clear was the direction.
- 48. 3. Personal wasthe address. 4. Royal was the command. VI. His call was immediately effectual. 1. He followed at once. 2. He followed spiritually as well as literally. 3. He followed wholly. 4. He followed growingly. 5. He followed ever after. VII. His call was a door of hope for others. (C. H. Spurgeon) St. Matthew’s Day I. We may learn also the necessity of our immediate and cheerful obedience to the commands of God. When our Saviour called him to arise and follow Him, He (1) called him to give up a gainful profession for a life of hardship, toil, and danger. (2) To expose himself to the mockery of his former companions. (3) To the scoffs of the wise, and the (4) persecution of men in power. (5) To enter into a situation for which neither his former habits, nor, as he might plead, his general education suited him. Should we have wondered if, under such circumstances, St. Matthew had offered an excuse? II. St. Matthew did not answer, “not yet, lord, while so many persons are looking on; at night I will come to Thee. Not yet, Lord, while my fortune is beginning to thrive; another year and I will give up my business.” 1. He arose immediately, and followed Him. 2. With joy, as having attained the highest honour which mortal man could obtain. 3. To prove that joy he makes a great feast: calls together his brother publicans. 4. In defiance of their ridicule or wonder. III. Compare this conduct with your own. (Bishop Heber.) St. Matthew’s Day I. The call; in a word of command, “Follow me”: a word very well befitting the Captain of our salvation, when He was to list soldiers or officers in His militia. Some have not come at the call. Others, though they have come, have not followed Him as they should do. II. There is something oh our part, when we are called, to be done by us. There must be concurrence and obedient compliance of our will. Else we may resist the word as well as the ,Spirit.
- 49. III. The obedience-“Hearose and followed Him.’ His rising up shows (1) reverence and respect, as well as (2) resolution. (3) Henceforth he owns Christ as his master. (4) He was wealthy, but now sees nothing before him but poverty and persecution. Yet he accepts the condition at first word. IV. The constancy. 1. He followed his master to the end. 2. Till His departure. 3. Till his own death. (Adam Littleton, D. D.) Receipt of custom Some articles of produce are taxed as they are brought into the town. A booth of branches, or a more substantial hut, is erected at every entrance into the city or village, and there, both day and night, sits a man at the “receipt of custom.” He taxes all the produce, piercing with a long, sharp iron rod the large camel-bags of wheat or cotton, in order to discover concealed copper-wire, or other contraband. (Van Lennep.) Custom of sitting at work The people of this country sit at all kinds of work. The carpenter saws, planes, and hews with his hand-adze sitting upon the ground, or upon the plank he is planing. The washer-woman sits by the tub, and, in a word, no one stands where it is possible to sit. Shopkeepers always sit; and Levi sitting at the receipt of custom is the exact way to state the case. (W. M. Thomson, D. D.) The commencement of a religious life easy for some men How easy it is for some men to rise and follow Christ, as compared with others. They seem to fall into the way of faith: it is like bringing the sun to bear upon a bud that wants to open, and that is just waiting for light in order that it might unfold its deep and sacred beauty. It is so easy for some men to pray: they seem to be walking up a gentle green slope to meet God at the height of it. When other men try to pray it is like climbing up a rugged, steep rock, some of the stones loose, and if you put your foot upon them you will fall. It is so easy for some men to do the act of benevolence. (J. Parker, D. D.) When Christ calls, He also draws “Come,” says the sea to the river. “Come,” says the magnet to the steel. “Come,” says the spring to the sleeping life of the field and forest. And, like the obedience of the river to the sea, of the steel to the stone, of the earth’s charmed atoms to the spring’s effectual call, is the obedience of the soul to Christ’s wondrous spirit. (C. Stanford.)
- 50. He that said“ Let there be light,” says now, “Follow me.” That power sweetly inclines which could forcibly command; the force is not more irresistible than the inclination. When the sun shines upon the icicles, can they choose but melt and fall? When it looks into a dungeon, can the place choose but be enlightened? Do we see the jet drawing up straws to it; the loadstone, iron? And do we marvel if the Omnipotent Saviour, by the influence of His grace, attract the heart of a publican? (Bishop Hall.) St. Matthew 1. We must remember how in business may be found a service for Christ. 2. We may learn not to think too much of daily work, and set too great a price on it. 3. We shall seek to give of the fruits of our trading to Christ. 4. The true servant of Christ will be willing to give up, not only of the fruits of daily work, but daily work itself for Christ. (T. Gasquoine, B. A.) NISBET, "STEADY OBEDIENCE ‘And as Jesus passed forth from thence, He saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and He saith unto him, Follow Me. And he arose, and followed Him.’ Matthew 9:9 What is remarkable about Matthew is, not that he rose from his business and followed Christ, but that he was prepared for the call. I. The commanding personality of Our Lord.—Matthew felt the touch of His authority; Christ’s looks of love searched the deeps of his soul. The whole scene is an admirable example of the way in which our Lord worked for men’s salvation. Human reformers have commonly begun by remodelling institutions and getting laws altered, on the principle that good institutions will make men good. He began at the other end, and went straight to men’s souls. He was a personal ministry. And this method He bequeathed to His Church, that it should exercise a personal ministry. II. The testimony of experience.—God has led us to Himself by means of personal influence and example, as Christ called Matthew by a personal, individual call. As we look back over our spiritual history we recall the tender influence of our parents; the well-remembered face of some kind and loving teacher; the controlling examples of dear and trusted friends, and we recognise that God was working for and upon us through all these, that they were vessels of His choice for bringing home His truth to our hearts. III. ‘Follow Me.’—We in our time and way are saying the words to those among whom we live day by day. If we do not say them openly, we say them by silent example and unconscious influence; we are drawing others after us one way or another, into closer
- 51. likeness to thelife of Christ or further from it. Archdeacon Mackarness. Illustration ‘We read in classic story how the lyre of Orpheus enchanted with its music not only the wild beasts but the very trees and rocks, so that they moved from their places to follow him: so Christ, our heavenly Orpheus, with the music of His gracious speech, draws after Him those less susceptible to benign influences than beasts and trees and stones, even poor hardened, senseless, sinful souls. Let Him but strike His golden harp, and whisper in thy heart, “Come, follow Me,” and thou, like another Matthew, shalt be won.’ (SECOND OUTLINE) CONVERSION AND CONFESSION Matthew is introduced to us very shortly in the passage quoted as our text. I. The call.—The call came at Capernaum, that busy seaport on the shore of the sea of Galilee. Here was a man who loved money. Make it he must, for it was only the pressure of supreme determination which could make a son of Abraham take up the ostracised position of one who farmed the taxes of the Roman people. Jesus knew him well, and the all-seeing eye of Christ had read something of the man’s character; had seen that there was an uneasy conscience behind the stern words he spoke to the widow and the orphan. II. His conversion.—He rose up, left all to follow Christ. The obedience was immediate. The man passed through no period of probation ere he was received as one of Christ’s disciples. Jesus Christ took him as he was. Men have yet to learn Jesus Christ does not ask for any period of probation ere He receives them. There had been a preparation for this call. Matthew must have heard the Sermon on the Mount. When Jesus Christ spoke to him that day, Matthew knew that there before him was a heart that was warm enough to woo him from his gold. Two elements in Christ’s methods of winning men are: He creates a dissatisfaction with things that are merely temporal, and offers a satisfaction which can meet the deep longings of the human soul. III. His confession.—He invited to his house the other tax-gatherers of the town, and others with them. We note, in reading the account by Matthew himself, that he modestly omits to mention that he was the host on the occasion, or that the feast was a great one, as described by St. Luke. Why did he invite the tax-gatherers of Capernaum to meet our Lord Jesus Christ? First of all (a) for his own sake. There was to be a new life henceforth, and if a man is to follow Jesus Christ, he needs, with boldness and decision, make it known that he has taken this step. Matthew did it also (b) for his companions’ sake. He wanted his companions to know that the Heart of Jesus could receive such as they were. He desired to witness for Christ to his own set.
- 52. IV. Consequences ofhis obedience.—What were the consequences of Matthew’s obedience to the call of Christ? First of all the Gospel to Matthew, and then the Gospel from Matthew to the people. Though in many respects life is easier than it was, there is still the deep longing of the human soul which can only be met by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Has it come to you? Rev. W. H. Stone. Illustration ‘Not many years ago one of the leaders, or at any rate one of the most welcome of men in London society, holding a high position, heard the call of Jesus Christ, and determined henceforth to follow Him. To do what He would have him do was to be the mainspring of life, and he invited to his table the leaders of the various sets in society in which he had mixed, and after dinner they were somewhat surprised to see him rise to his feet to make a brief speech to them. He desired to tell them what he had found since he had known Jesus Christ as his own personal Saviour. He desired to make them henceforth understand why his manner of life was to be different from what it had been. From that moment that man never turned back; he went on and on to a life of great usefulness and a glorious end.’ (THIRD OUTLINE) LEAVING ALL In his own Gospel Matthew records the incident briefly, but St. Mark and St. Luke deal with it more at length. I. When lie was called.—‘As Jesus passed forth from thence’ i.e. from the house where the palsy was cured. Our Lord must often have seen him before; perhaps he was already a secret disciple. St. Mark calls him Levi, and that was his earlier name. ‘Matthew,’ which means ‘the gift of God,’ was assumed after he had received God’s best gift, the loving call to Christ’s service. II. Where he was called.—At the receipt of custom. Capernaum, a busy place by lake- side. Every boat of fish laded and every passenger who crossed lake had to pay a toll. Matthew was here at one of the toll-booths doing the work of the collector. III. The words of the call.—Simple words, but it was not a mere request. It was a command; and it was a command, not merely to become a disciple, but like the call to Peter, Andrew, James, and John, a command to leave business, home, and friends, to become one of Christ’s own fellow-workers. IV. Obedience to the call.—It was a willing, ready obedience. St. Luke says he left all—his books, his place, his chance of worldly ease and gain, his past life, everything—and followed Christ. He joined the little band whose daily privilege it was to be near Jesus
- 53. Christ. V. The callto us.—The obedience must be ready and willing, and we must be prepared to leave all. Are we? —W. Taylor. 10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. BAR ES, "And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house - This was at a feast given to him by “Levi” or “Matthew,” Luk_5:29. This is another circumstance favorable to Matthew, but omitted by him, and recorded by Luke; showing also that the apostles were averse to praising themselves. To receive Christ hospitably and kindly was a commendable act, and it strongly evinces Matthew’s freedom from ostentation that he has not himself mentioned the fact. It thus illustrates the command of the Saviour, as recorded by himself, Mat_6:1-4. At meat - At the table; at supper. Many publicans and sinners came - Probably the old friends of Matthew who had been invited by him. The character of a “publican,” or tax-gatherer, among the Jews was commonly not very respectable (see notes at Mat_5:47; Mat_18:17), and there is no improbability in supposing that Matthew, before his conversion, had sustained the general character of such people, and that his associations and friendships had been among those who were not remarkable for their morality. CLARKE, "Sat at meat in the house - Viz. of Matthew, who it appears, from Luk_ 5:29, made a great feast on the occasion, thus testifying his gratitude for the honor done him; and that his friends and acquaintances might profit by the teaching of his new master, he invites them to the entertainment that was honored by the presence of Christ. His companions, it appears, were not of the most creditable kind. They were tax- gatherers (see Mat_5:46) and sinners, αµαρτωλοι, a word which I believe in general signifies heathens, throughout the Gospels, and in several other parts of the New
- 54. Testament. See, amongothers, Mat_11:19 (note); Mat_26:45 (note); Mar_2:15-17 (note); Mar_14:41; Luk_5:30-32 (note); Luk_6:32-34 (note); Luk_7:34, Luk_7:37, (note); Luk_7:39; Luk_15:1, Luk_15:2, Luk_15:7, Luk_15:10 (note); Luk_19:7 (note); Luk_24:7 (note); Joh_9:16, Joh_9:24, Joh_9:25, Joh_9:31 (note); Rom_5:8 (note); Gal_2:15 (note); Heb_7:26 (note); 1Pe_4:18 (note); in most, if not all of which places, it evidently refers to the character or state of a Gentile, or Heathen. See also the notes on these passages. GILL, "And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house,.... That is, as the Arabic version reads it, in the house of Matthew, not in the toll house, but in his own house; for he immediately quitted the toll booth, and his office there, and followed Christ, and had him to his own house, where he made a great feast for him, as Luke says, to testify the sense he had of the wondrous grace which was bestowed on him; and also, that other publicans and sinners might have an opportunity of hearing Christ, and conversing with him, whom he invited to this feast; his bowels yearning towards them, and sincerely desiring their conversion, which is the nature of true grace: for, when a soul is made a partaker of the grace of God, it is earnestly desirous that this might be the case of others, especially its sinful relations, friends, or companions; and it takes every opportunity of using, or bringing them under the means; so did Matthew: hence it is said, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples; not of their own accord, but by the invitation of Matthew, and with the good will, and full consent of Christ, who was far from being displeased with their company and freedom; but gladly embraced every opportunity of doing good to the souls of the worst of men; for such as these he came to call and save. HE RY, "II. Christ's converse with publicans and sinners upon this occasion; Christ called Matthew, to introduce himself into an acquaintance with the people of that profession. Jesus sat at meat in the house, Mat_9:10. The other evangelists tell us, that Matthew made a great feast, which the poor fishermen, when they were called, were not able to do. But when he comes to speak of this himself, he neither tells us that it was his own house, nor that it was a feast, but only that he sat at meat in the house; preserving the remembrance of Christ's favours to the publicans, rather than of the respect he had paid to Christ. Note, It well becomes us to speak sparingly of our own good deeds. Now observe, 1. When Matthew invited Christ, he invited his disciples to come along with him. Note, They that welcome Christ, must welcome all that are his, for his sake, and let them have a room in their hearts. 2. He invited many publicans and sinners to meet him. This was the chief thing Matthew aimed at in this treat, that he might have an opportunity of bringing his old associates acquainted with Christ. He knew by experience what the grace of Christ could do, and would not despair concerning them. Note, They who are effectually brought to Christ themselves, cannot but be desirous that others also may be brought to him, and ambitious of contributing something towards it. True grace will not contentedly eat its morsels alone, but will invite others. When by the conversion of Matthew the fraternity was broken, presently his house was filled with publicans, and surely some of them will follow him, as he followed Christ. Thus did Andrew and Philip, Joh_1:41, Joh_1:45; Joh_4:29. See Jdg_14:9.
- 55. JAMISO , "Mat_9:10-13.The Feast. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house — The modesty of our Evangelist signally appears here. Luke says (Luk_5:29) that “Levi made Him a great feast,” or “reception,” while Matthew merely says, “He sat at meat”; and Mark and Luke say that it was in Levi’s “own house,” while Matthew merely says, “He sat at meat in the house.” Whether this feast was made now, or not till afterwards, is a point of some importance in the order of events, and not agreed among harmonists. The probability is that it did not take place till a considerable time afterwards. For Matthew, who ought surely to know what took place while his Lord was speaking at his own table, tells us that the visit of Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, occurred at that moment (Mat_9:18). But we know from Mark and Luke that this visit of Jairus did not take place till after our Lord’s return, at a later period from the country of the Gadarenes. (See Mar_5:21, etc., and Luk_8:40, etc.). We conclude, therefore, that the feast was not made in the novelty of his discipleship, but after Matthew had had time to be somewhat established in the faith; when returning to Capernaum, his compassion for old friends, of his own calling and character, led him to gather them together that they might have an opportunity of hearing the gracious words which proceeded out of His Master’s mouth, if haply they might experience a like change. behold, many publicans and sinners — Luke says, “a great company” (Luk_5:29) came and sat down with him and his disciples — In all such cases the word rendered “sat” is “reclined,” in allusion to the ancient mode of lying on couches at meals. COFFMAN, "Regarding the place and make-up of the company that attended the feast mentioned here, see final paragraph under Matthew 9:9 above. Note that the Pharisees, by directing their questions to Jesus' disciples instead of to him, were attempting to open a wedge between them and were trying to inoculate the disciples with their own blind prejudice. Jesus' rejoinder to the effect that the sick, not the whole. require a physician, was rich in irony. It passed over the fact, known to all, that spiritually the Pharisees themselves were about the sickest people of that generation. Whether the Pharisees got the point or not is not revealed; but it may safely be assumed that if they did not, others did. The whole population was fully acquainted with the greed, cunning, duplicity, and general wickedness of those evil men who sat in Moses' seat. Jesus' remark might well have been the occasion for a roar of laughter. BENSON, "Matthew 9:10-13. As Jesus sat at meat in the house — Namely, of Matthew, (see Mark 2:15,) who, being desirous at once to show his respects to Christ, and to give his former companions and acquaintance an opportunity of enjoying his instructive conversation, made a great entertainment for him, Luke 5:29. And many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him — Being invited by Matthew. The publicans, or collectors of taxes which the Jews paid the Romans, were infamous for their illegal exactions. With these were now present several other open, notorious sinners. When the Pharisees saw it — When they observed that Jesus ate and openly conversed with these men, being offended, they said, Why eateth your Master, &c. — Thus they commonly ask our Lord, Why do thy disciples do this? and his disciples, Why doth your Master? The Pharisees pretended to greater strictness than Christ in keeping at a distance from sinners, but they were far from being strict in reforming themselves, or in zeal for love and doing good to their fellow-creatures. When Jesus heard that — The Pharisees, it seems, though they had not directed their discourse to Jesus, yet had spoken so loud as to let all the guests hear their censure. Hence it was necessary that Christ should show them the unreasonableness of it, and
- 56. therefore he said,They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick — Implying that, since the Pharisees thought themselves righteous persons, they had no need of his company and instructions, whereas the publicans, whom they called sinners, being sick, had the best right to it: and that as nobody ever blamed a physician for going into the company of the patients whose case he had undertaken; so, they could not blame him for conversing with sinners, since he did it not as their companion but as their physician, and therefore with a view to reclaim them. But go ye and learn what that meaneth — Ye that take upon you to teach others; I will have mercy, and not sacrifice — That is, I will have mercy rather than sacrifice: I love acts of mercy better than sacrifice itself. See this explained at large in the note on Hosea 6:6; as if he had said, In bringing sinners to repentance, which is the highest exercise of benevolence, I do what is more acceptable to God than offering sacrifices, however many or costly, or observing the most important ceremonial institutions, so unreasonably magnified by the men of your sect, who observe them on many occasions at the expense of charity. BARCLAY, "(ii) He is accused of immorality. In Matthew 9:10-13 we see Jesus sitting at a feast with tax-gatherers and sinners. The Pharisees demanded to know the reason why he ate with such people. The implication was that he was like the company he kept. Jesus was in effect accused of being an immoral character because he kept company with immoral characters. Once a man is disliked, it is the easiest thing in the world to misinterpret and to misrepresent everything he does. Harold Nicolson tells of a talk he had with Stanley Baldwin. Nicolson was at the time starting out on a political career and he went to ask Mr. Baldwin, a political veteran, for any advice he might care to give. Baldwin said something like this: "You are going to try to be a statesman, and to handle the affairs of the country. Well, I have had a long experience of such a life, and I will give you three rules which you would do well to follow. First, if you are a subscriber to a press-cutting agency, cancel your subscription at once. Second, never laugh at your opponents' mistakes. Third, steel yourself to the attribution of false motives." One of the favourite weapons of any public man's enemies is the attribution of false motives to him; that is what his enemies did to Jesus. BARCLAY, "Jesus did not only call Matthew to be his man and his follower; he actually sat at table with men and women like Matthew, with tax-gatherers and sinners. A very interesting question arises here--where was this meal Jesus ate with tax-gatherers and sinners? It is only Luke who definitely says that the meal was in the house of Matthew or Levi (compare Matthew 9:10-13; Mark 2:14-17; Luke 5:27-32). As far as the narrative in Matthew and Mark goes, it could well have been in Jesus' house, or in the house where Jesus was staying. If the meal was in Jesus' house, Jesus' saying becomes even more pointed. Jesus said, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." The word that is used for to call is the Greek word kalein (Greek #2564), which is in fact the technical Greek word for inviting a guest to a house or to a meal. In the Parable of the Great Feast (Matthew 22:1-10; Luke 14:15-24) we well remember how the invited guests refused their invitation, and how the poor, and the lame, and the halt, and the blind were gathered together from the highways and the byways and the hedgerows to sit at the table of the King. It may well be that Jesus is saying, "When you make a feast you invite the coldly orthodox and the piously self-righteous; when I make a feast I invite those who are most conscious of their sin and those whose need of God is greatest." However that may be, whether this meal was in the house of Matthew or in the house
- 57. where Jesus wasstaying, it was to the orthodox Scribes and Pharisees a most shocking proceeding. Broadly speaking, in Palestine people were divided into two sections. There were the orthodox who rigidly kept the Law in every petty detail; and there were those who did not keep its petty regulations. The second were classed as the people of the land; and it was forbidden to the orthodox to go on a journey with them, to do any business with them, to give anything to them or to receive anything from them, to entertain them as guests or to be guests in their houses. By companying with people like this Jesus was doing something which the pious people of his day would never have done. Jesus' defence was perfectly simple; he merely said that he went where the need was greatest. He would be a poor doctor who visited only houses where people enjoyed good health; the doctor's place is where people are ill; it is his glory and his task to go to those who need him. Diogenes was one of the great teachers of ancient Greece. He was a man who loved virtue, and a man with a caustic tongue. He was never tired of comparing the decadence of Athens, where he spent most of his time, with the strong simplicities of Sparta. One day someone said to him, "If you think so much of Sparta and so little of Athens, why don't you leave Athens and go and stay in Sparta?" His answer was, "Whatever I may wish to do, I must stay where men need me most." It was sinners who needed Jesus, and amongst sinners he would move. When Jesus said, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners," we must understand what he was saying. He was not saying that there were some people who were so good that they had no need of anything which he could give; still less was he saying that he was not interested in people who were good. This is a highly compressed saying. Jesus was saying, "I did not come to invite people who are so self-satisfied that they are convinced they do not need anyone's help; I came to invite people who are very conscious of their sin and desperately aware of their need for a saviour." He was saying, "It is only those who know how much they need me who can accept my invitation.' Those Scribes and Pharisees had a view of religion which is by no means dead. (i) They were more concerned with the preservation of their own holiness than with the helping of another's sin. They were like doctors who refused to visit the sick lest they should be injured by some infection. They shrank away in fastidious disgust from the sinner; they did not want anything to do with people like that. Essentially their religion was selfish; they were much more concerned to save their own souls than to save the souls of others. And they had forgotten that that was the surest way to lose their own souls. (ii) They were more concerned with criticism than with encouragement. They were far more concerned to point out the faults of other people than to help them conquer these faults. When a doctor sees some particularly loathsome disease, which would turn the stomach of anyone else to look at, he is not filled with disgust; he is filled with the desire to help. Our first instinct should never be to condemn the sinner; our first instinct should be to help him.
- 58. (iii) They practiceda goodness which issued in condemnation rather than in forgiveness and in sympathy. They would rather leave a man in the gutter than give him a hand to get out of it. They were like doctors who were very much concerned to diagnose disease, but not in the least concerned to help cure it. (iv) They practiced a religion which consisted in outward orthodoxy rather than in practical help. Jesus loved that saying from Hosea 6:6 which said that God desired mercy and not sacrifice, for he quoted it more than once (compare Matthew 12:7). A man may diligently go through all the motions of orthodox piety, but if his hand is never stretched out to help the man in need, he is not a religious man. COKE, "Matthew 9:10. And it came to pass— Matthew, thinking himself highly honoured by the call of Jesus, made an entertainment for his Master, who did not refuse to partake of it: at the same time he invited as many of his brother publicans as he could, hoping that Christ's conversation might bring them to repentance. In this feast, therefore, St. Matthew shewed both gratitude and charity; gratitude to Christ, who had reclaimed him; charity to his acquaintance, in labouring to bring about their conversion. It has been commonly thought that Matthew made this entertainment on the very day that Christ called him to attend upon him. The early harmonies of Tatian and Ammonius very justly separated them (see Chemnitz, Harm. cap. 23.). And to the many convincing arguments which Mr. Jones, in his Vindication of Matthew, p. 129, &c. has brought to prove that they ought to be separated; we may add, that it seems very evident they were not both on the same day, from the following obvious consideration. So many things happened before the calling of Matthew, that the day must be far advanced, and there could not have been time to prepare a great feast, and invite a number of guests: on which account it is certain that the feast was after the day of his calling; perhaps some months, after, when he had made up his accompts, and regularly passed his business into other hands; which certainly, from a principle of justice as well as prudence, he would take care to do. BROADUS, "Matthew 9:10. We have now the account of some conversation that arose while Jesus and his disciples were eating at Matthew's house, in company with many publicans and sinners. It is clear from Matthew 9:14 and Luke 5:33 that the inquiry about fasting and the Saviour's reply occurred during this meal; and from Matthew 9:18, that the ruler's request to come and raise his daughter was made while Jesus was speaking in response to that inquiry. But from Mark 5:22 f., and Luke 8:41 f., we see that the raising of the ruler's daughter took place after our Lord's return from Gadara, and thus at a much later period than the healing of the paralytic and the call of Matthew. We therefore conclude that the feast was actually given by Matthew a considerable time after his call, and that it is merely introduced by him, and also by Mark and Luke, in connection with the call, because it was natural to bring the two together, thereby completing at once all that had any personal relation to this apostle. It thus appears that all three put the case of Jairus' daughter in its actual chronological position, and all three bring together the call and the feast, although they were really separated by a considerable interval; the difference is, that Mark and Luke tell of the paralytic and the call at the early period when they occurred, adding the feast by anticipation, and then some time afterwards introduce the healing of Jairus' daughter, which we know immediately followed the feast; while Matthew puts the feast in its real chronological connection with the application of Jairus, and just before the feast introduces the call (which had occurred earlier) and the healing of the paralytic, which preceded the call.
- 59. (Compare on Matthew9:2) Any one who will take the trouble thoroughly to grasp the facts, will see that this view removes all the difficulty attendant upon harmonizing the three Gospels at this point, a thing which has often been declared impossible. We need not feel bound, nor imagine ourselves able, to remove all such discrepancies, but it is surely worth while to do so when practicable. If the nervous harmonizers stand at one extreme, the scornful despisers of harmonizing certainly stand at the other. And it came to pass, the same word as in Matthew 1:22, Matthew 5:18, Matthew 6:10, Matthew 7:28, Matthew 8:13. As Jesus sat at meat, etc., better, while he was reclining in the house, compare on Matthew 8:11, where the Greek word is similar and substantially equivalent. Matthew omits to mention whose house it was; probably he omitted it through modesty (compare on Matthew 9:9), or perhaps 'the house' seemed enough in his vivid recollection; though it is implied in the connection; Mark (Mark 2:15) and Luke (Luke 5:29) distinctly state that it was Levi's house, and Luke says that "Levi made a great feast (literally 'reception') in his house." This would indicate that he possessed some means; he seems to have sacrificed a somewhat lucrative position in order to follow Jesus. Meyer's attempt to make 'the house' here mean Jesus' own house, and thus to bring Matthew into conflict with Mark and Luke, is strained and uncalled for. Even Keim and Weiss understand it to be Matthew's house. Behold, see on "Matthew 8:2; Mat_8:29". Many publicans and sinners came and sat down, or, were reclining. As to the publicans, see on "Matthew 5:46". The Jews were accustomed to call those persons 'sinners' who lived in open violation of the moral or ceremonial law; and they shrank from contact with all such as polluting. Matthew's previous associations had brought him into connection not only with publicans, but with all those other men, who, disregarding many of the prevailing religious observances, and feeling themselves to be objects of popular dislike, naturally flocked together. Luke's expression as to the number present is still stronger, 'a great crowd.' Mark (Mark 2:15) mentions that these 'followed' Jesus, as if of their own accord. This is not inconsistent with the idea that Matthew invited them in, while it implies that the feast was a sort of public affair, which agrees with the fact that the Pharisees appear to have pressed in as spectators. (Matthew 9:11) Matthew doubtless wished to show respect to his Teacher by inviting a numerous company to meet him, perhaps asking in every one who followed Jesus toward his house. At the same time he must have had some cherished friends among these despised men, some whom he knew to have better stuff in them than was generally supposed, and to have been driven by popular neglect and scorn into association with abandoned persons; and he would hope that they might be benefited by being in company with Jesus and hearing what he said. The example deserves imitation. Imagine the character of the general conversation at this great entertainment. We should not suppose that the presence or the words of Jesus chilled the guests into a dead stillness; that he showed a lack of sympathy with the common concerns and feelings of mankind. He was not proud, haughty, and forbidding, like many of the Rabbis, but was meek and lowly, kind and gentle, and everything about him tended to attract men rather than repel. Whatever he spoke of, it would be in a spirit marked by fidelity to truth, and yet by delicate consideration for the feelings of others. And when it was appropriate to introduce distinctively religious topics, we can see with what ease and aptness he would bring them in, from striking examples in Luke 14:7, Luke 14:12, Luke 14:15-16, and John 4:10, John 4:16.
- 60. 11 When thePharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” BAR ES, "Why eateth and drinketh ... - To eat and drink with others denotes intimacy and familiarity. The Pharisees, by asking this question, accused him of seeking the society of such people, and of being the companion of the wicked. The inference which they would draw was, that he could not be himself righteous, since he delighted in the company of abandoned people. CLARKE, "When the Pharisees saw it - He who, like a Pharisee, never felt himself indebted to infinite mercy for his own salvation, is rarely solicitous about the salvation of others. The grace of Christ alone inspires the soul with true benevolence. The self-righteous Pharisees considered it equal to legal defilement to sit in company with tax-gatherers and heathens. It is certain that those who fear God should not associate, through choice, with the workers of iniquity, and should only be found with them when transacting their secular business requires it, or when they have the prospect of doing good to their souls. GILL, "And when the Pharisees saw it,.... The feast Matthew made, the guests that were invited, and particularly that Christ sat down to meat with such vile and wicked company; they and the Scribes, as Mark and Luke add, who generally were together, of the same complexion, equally enemies to Christ, and watchful observers of his conduct, and pretending to a more strict and religious way of life, were offended at all this; and said to his disciples, which they chose to do, rather than to Christ himself; partly, because they were afraid to engage in a dispute with him, who had just given them a full proof of his omniscience, that he knew the very thoughts and reasonings of their minds, and had so confounded them already, both by his arguments and miracles; and partly, because they might think themselves a match for the disciples, and might hope to stumble and ensnare them, and prevail upon them to quit their profession, and leave following him, whom they would suggest could not be a good man, that was guilty of so evil an action; which, with them, was very unlawful and abhorrent, as that for which they accuse and reprove him,
- 61. why eateth yourmaster with publicans and sinners? The "publicans", or gatherers of the Roman tax, toll, or tribute of any sort, whether Jews or Gentiles, were persons of a very infamous character; and, as here, so often, in Jewish writings, are ranked with "sinners", and those of the worst sort: so false swearing was allowed to be made ולמוכסין ולחרמין ,להורגים "to murderers, and to robbers, and to publicans" (o); and so "publicans and thieves" are joined together by Maimonides (p), and a publican is said by him to be as a thief. And indeed this was not only the sense of the Jews, but also of other people, according to those words of Zeno the poet, παντες τελωναι παντες εισιν αρπαγες (q), "all publicans are all of them robbers": though this was not originally their character; for formerly the best of the Roman gentry were employed in this office, till by malpractices it became scandalous, when the meaner sort of people, yea, even vassals, were put into it (r). Now, with such sort of men as these the Pharisees held it unlawful to have any sort of conversation; they expelled such their society, would not dwell with them in the same house, nor eat or drink with them; concerning which, their rules and methods are these; "a companion, or friend, who becomes the king's collector, or a "publican", or the like, they drive him from society with them: if he abstains from his evil works, then he is as any other man (s).'' Again, "when the king's collectors enter into a house to dwell, all that are in the house are defiled (t).'' Moreover, it is (u) said, that "the former saints ate their common food with purity, i.e. with their hands washed, and took care of all defilements every day; and these were called Pharisees; and this sect was exceedingly holy, and was the way of piety; for such a man was separated, and he abstained from the rest of the people, and he did not touch them, עמהם וישתה יאכל ,ולא "nor did he eat and drink with them".'' It was a general rule with them, that a clean person ought not to eat with an unclean, as they judged the common people to be; nay, that a Pharisee, who was unclean himself, might not eat with another person that was so, and which they boast of, as a great degree of holiness. "Come and see, (say they (w),) to what a pitch purity has arrived in Israel; for they not only teach, that a pure person may not eat with one that is defiled, but that one that has a "gonorrhoea" may not eat with another that has one, lest he should be used to transgress this way; and a Pharisee that has a "gonorrhoea" may not eat with a common person that has one, lest he should be used to do so.'' Hence they looked upon Christ and his disciples as such, and would insinuate that they were evil men, who had no regard to purity of life and conversation. HE RY, "III. The displeasure of the Pharisees at this, Mat_9:11. They cavilled at it;
- 62. why eateth yourMaster with publicans and sinners? Here observe, 1. That Christ was quarrelled with. It was not the least of his sufferings, that he endured the contradiction of sinners against himself. None was more quarrelled with by men, than he that came to take up the great quarrel between God and man. Thus he denied himself the honour due to an incarnate Deity, which was to be justified in what he spake, and to have all he said readily subscribed to: for though he never spoke or did anything amiss, every thing he said and did was found fault with. Thus he taught us to expect and prepare for reproach, and to bear it patiently. 2. They that quarrelled with him were the Pharisees; a proud generation of men, conceited of themselves, and censorious of others; of the same temper with those in the prophet's time, who said, Stand by thyself, come not near me; I am holier than thou: they were very strict in avoiding sinners, but not in avoiding sin; none greater zealots than they for the form of godliness, nor greater enemies to the power of it. They were for keeping up the traditions of the elders to a nicety, and so propagating the same spirit that they were themselves governed by. 3. They brought their cavil, not to Christ himself; they had not the courage to face him with it, but to his disciples. The disciples were in the same company, but the quarrel is with the Master: for they would not have done it, if he had not; and they thought it worse in him who was a prophet, than in them; his dignity, they thought, should set him at a greater distance from such company than others. Being offended at the Master, they quarrel with the disciples. Note, It concerns Christians to be able to vindicate and justify Christ, and his doctrines and laws, and to be ready always to give an answer to those that ask them a reason of the hope that is in them, 1Pe_3:15. While he is an Advocate for us in heaven, let us be advocates for him on earth, and make his reproach our own. 4. The complaint was his eating with publicans and sinners: to be intimate with wicked people is against the law of God (Psa_119:115; Psa_1:1); and perhaps by accusing Christ of this to his disciples, they hoped to tempt them from him, to put them out of conceit with him, and so to bring them over to themselves to be their disciples, who kept better company; for they compassed sea and land to make proselytes. To be intimate with publicans was against the tradition of the elders, and, therefore, they looked upon it as a heinous thing. They were angry with Christ for this, (1.) Because they wished ill to him, and sought occasion to misrepresent him. Note, It is an easy and very common thing to put the worst constructions upon the best words and actions. (2.) Because they wished no good to publicans and sinners, but envied Christ's favour to them, and were grieved to see them brought to repentance. Note, It may justly be suspected, that they have not the grace of God themselves, who grudge others a share in that grace, who are not pleased with it. JAMISO , "And when the Pharisees — “and scribes,” add Mark and Luke (Mar_ 2:6; Luk_5:21). saw it, they said — “murmured” or “muttered,” says Luke (Luk_5:30). unto his disciples — not venturing to put their question to Jesus Himself. Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners? — (See on Luk_15:2). SBC, "I. The religion of the Pharisees had degenerated into a religion of hatred and contempt. There was scarcely a class which did not suffer from their fierce denunciations and supercilious disdain. The world was divided into Jew and Gentile, and on the vast mass of the Gentiles they looked as on a doomed race of no importance, as thorns to crackle in the flame, created apparently as a mere foil to the very great privileges of God’s favourite, the Jew. The race of man was divided into men and women, and on women they looked with insolent disdain; carefully gathering up their robes as they
- 63. entered the synagogue,lest they should so much as touch them. If this unholy scorn was the normal tone of the Pharisees towards the millions of Gentiles, of women, of Samaritans, may we not imagine the sort of feelings which they must have indulged towards the lowest members of those classes, towards those of whom they would have spoken as the "scum and froth"—"the dregs and outcasts of society"? Now of these classes, two were especially abhorrent to them—sordid renegades who were publicans, fallen women who were harlots. We can imagine the astonishment of angry reprobation which they must have thrown into the question, "Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?" II. With the views and doctrines of the Pharisees contrast the life and words of Christ. While there was one class, and one class only, which Christ denounced, namely the Scribes and the Pharisees, He had for sinners only the call of tenderness; to sinners only was His especial mission; sinners were His especial care; it was the lost sheep over which the Good Shepherd yearned; it was for the wanderers that His heart seemed to burst with tenderness; it was upon the neck of the returning prodigal that the Father wept. He gathered the publicans to His discourses. He sat at their feasts. He chose a publican for His host. He nominated a publican to be His apostle. III. So thought, so acted, the Saviour of the world. These facts are patent, fortunately, for every one to read. They are the magna charta freely granted to humanity by the great love of God. They show that the Son of God, inflexible in His estimate of sin, was infinitely compassionate in His dealings with sinners. He tried to win men from sin by perfect love; promise, not menace; appeal, not threatening; comprehension, not exclusion; the sweetness of hope, not the denunciation of wrath, that was the secret of Jesus. F. W. Farrar, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xviii., p 33. CALVI , "Matthew 9:11.Why does your Master eat with publicans and sinners? The scribes attack the disciples of Christ, and, with the view of soliciting them to revolt, reproach him with what was at first sight base and shameful.” Of what use was it that he should be their Master, if it were not to withdraw them from the majority of men to lead a holier life? On the contrary, he withdrew them from a respectable and passable condition in life to ungodly licentiousness, and to pollute themselves by wicked companions.” Ignorant and wavering disciples might have been induced by such reproaches to desert their Master. But they act properly when, not finding themselves sufficiently fortified against such a calumny, they carry their complaint to their Master: for Christ, by opposing the scribes, confirms his disciples for the future. BROADUS, "Matthew 9:11. It is plain that these Pharisees were not themselves guests at the feast, for in that case they would have been doing the very thing they complained of in Jesus. Probably they pressed into the house before the feast ended, in order to hear what Jesus would be saying. In Luke 7:36 ff. no surprise is expressed at the woman's entering the dining-room, and no objection made by the host. Pharisees, see on "Matthew 3:7". Why eateth your master (or your teacher,didaskalos, see on "Matthew 8:19"), with (the) publicans and sinners? The two nouns with but one article present the two classes as forming but one group.
- 64. According to theprevailing Jewish ideas, a Rabbi, of all men, "ought carefully to avoid all intercourse with such persons." There was not only the social objection to "keeping low company," but the constant dread of ceremonial pollution, from coming in contact with persona likely to be ceremonially unclean; (Mark 7:4) and also that feeling so natural to man, which says, "Stand back; I am holier than thou." (Isaiah 65:5) Accordingly, our Lord was frequently met with the objection here made to his course. (Matthew 11:19, Luke 15:2 ff.) COKE, "Matthew 9:11-13. And when the Pharisees saw it— See on Matthew 9:9. Instead of whole, we may read well. The Pharisees did not indeed direct their discourse to Jesus; but having spoken so loud as to let all the guests hear their censure, he could not avoid meekly puttingthem in mind, that it is sick people only who have need of a physician; to insinuate, that since the Pharisees thought themselves righteous persons, they had no need of his company: whereas the publicans, whom they called sinners, being sick, had the best title to it; and that as nobody ever blamed a physician for going into the company of the patients whose cure he had undertaken, so they could not blame him for conversing with sinners, since he did it to reclaim and convert them. "Murmur not, therefore, ye Scribes and Pharisees, that I eat and converse with publicans and sinners. My business is with such; and the end of my coming into the world was the salvation of these. I converse not with them to lull them in fatal security amid their vices, or to contract any taint from the contagion of their impurities; but as the physician visits the chamber of the sick, and is occupied amid the couches of the languishing and the distressed; so do I, as the great physician of the soul, seek out the sick and diseased in mind, and offer health and salvation to the children of men,—suffering under a malady the most mortal and inveterate, the malady of sin: and what physician, in cases of distress and danger, stands upon the niceties of form, or the exactness of punctilio? Why then do you marvel and murmur, that I, in the like extremities, act in the like manner?" It is to be noted, that this is a proverbial expression, they that be whole, &c. which has been known to some heathen philosophers, who have made use of it in return to similar reproaches: Supervacuus inter sanos medicus, says Quintilian. When Antisthenes was asked why he conversed with wicked men, his answer was, Και οι ιατροι µετα των νοσουντων εισι, "Physicians are conversant with the sick." Our Saviour moreover desired his adversaries seriously to consider the meaning of what God had declared by the prophet Hosea, Hosea 5:6. I will have mercy rather than sacrifice. "Where the one or the other must be omitted, let mercy, by all means,—let the work of compassion, beneficence, and love, be preferred to sacrifice; to instituted forms, and merelyexternal ordinances; which, though necessary in themselves, and highly useful as ordained of God, and as means to an important end, must yet never destroy that end, but give place and preference to it; for of all things mercy, acts of genuine benevolence, are most pleasing to the God of love; and of all acts, as being the most important and beneficent, the salvation of lost sinners from destruction and death: and this the great work for which I came into the world; this is the great end I have to accomplish: I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance; the repentance of righteous persons is not the object of my attention (for there are none such by nature), but the conversion of sinners." I
- 65. come not tocure those who are whole, but those that are sick. Thus our Lord clearly proved a capital doctrine of true religion, which the teachers of those times, notwithstanding they boasted of their knowledge, seem to have lost the very idea of; namely, that ceremonial institutions should always give place to works of charity. See the note on ch. Matthew 12:7. Wetstein and Macknight. BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR, "Publicans and sinners. Appreciation an elevating influence You cannot elevate, you cannot improve any man whom you utterly despise. You cannot bring the best out of a man if you do not believe that the best is somewhere in him. There is a shocking insolence in human judgments, and the tendency of them is to crush men down to their own base level, till the whole world is all thistles and all mole-hills, never a mountain and never a forest tree. When Cowper was a Westminster boy, he was despised as a shrinking, moping, ineffectual creature; it was not until the age of fifty, that in the warmth of loving appreciation, like flowers in the sun, the powers unfolded within him, which made him one of the sweetest of English poets. When Clyde became the hero of Plassy and the conqueror of India, his father said that he did not think the booby had so much sense. When Dal-garno, the ablest and most eloquent man of his day, went to an English countess as a candidate for the post of tutor to her sons, she insulted him with the remark that she could not possibly engage a person so stupid. So it is, we judge men not by what they are, not by what they might be, but by our own dull prejudices and ignorant misconceptions. Men are elevated by an appeal to their best qualities My brethren, the love that sees goodness and beauty in all human nature helps to make goodness, and to make beauty in human nature. The moon turns but one side to the earth; it has another side in which there may be silver lights and shades undreamed of, seen only by the angels of God. So there are two sides to your character and mine. The woman whom you despise when you meet her as so dull and commonplace is an angel of God to her husband, and the man whom you think so singularly stupid and ineffectual is a very idol to his mother and his sisters. What makes the difference? The man is the same. It is love makes the difference, it is appreciation, it is sympathy. To those in whom the man is not one of a class, he is not a publican or a sinner, or a heretic, or a Samaritan, but he is a human soul, who walks in the transfiguring glory of their affection. You think a person dull-why, that is because you are dull. An angel has been with you and you have known it not, and I imagine that to a spirit full of malice and self- conceit an angel would be very dull. Each human soul is like a cavern full of gems. The casual observer glances into it through some cranny, and all looks dark and sullen and forgotten. But let light enter into it; lift a torch up to the walls, let God’s sunlight fall into it and flood its open recesses, and lo! it will flash with crystals and with amethysts, and each separate crystal will quiver under the touch of brightness with a transporting discovery of its own nature. If souls do not shine before you it is because you bring them no light to make them shine. Throw away your miserable, smouldering, fuming torch of conceit and hatred, lift up to them the light of love, and lo! they will arise and shine; yea, flame and burn with an undreamt of glory. (Canon Farrar.)
- 66. 12 On hearingthis, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. BAR ES, "They that be whole ... - Jesus, in reply, said that the whole needed not a physician. Sick persons only needed his aid. A physician would not commonly be found with those that were in health. His proper place was among the sick. So, says he, “If you Pharisees are such as you think yourselves - already pure and holy - you do not need my aid. It would be of no use to you, and you would not thank me for it. With those persons who feel that they are sinners I may be useful, and there is my proper place.” Or the expression may mean, “I came on purpose to save sinners: my business is with them. There are none righteous; and as a physician is in his proper place with the “sick,” so am I with guilty and miserable sinners.” CLARKE, "They that be whole need not a physician - A common proverb, which none could either misunderstand or misapply. Of it the reader may make the following use: - 1. Jesus Christ represents himself here as the sovereign Physician of souls. 2. That all stand in need of his healing power. 3. That men must acknowledge their spiritual maladies, and the need they have of his mercy, in order to be healed by him. 4. That it is the most inveterate and dangerous disease the soul can be afflicted with to imagine itself whole, when the sting of death, which is sin, has pierced it through in every part, infusing its poison every where. GILL, "But when Jesus heard that,.... The charge the Pharisees brought against him, and the insinuations they had made of him to his disciples; which he either overheard himself, or his disciples related to him, he said unto them; the Pharisees, with an audible voice, not only to confute and convince them, but chiefly to establish his disciples, they were endeavouring to draw away from him: they that be whole need not a physician; by which he would signify that he was a "physician": and so he is in a spiritual sense, and that a very skilful one: he knows the nature of all the diseases of the soul, without being told them by the patient; what are the true causes of them; what is proper to apply; when is the best time, and what the best manner: he is an universal one, with regard both to diseases and to persons, that apply
- 67. to him; heheals all sorts of persons, and all sorts of diseases; such as are blind from their birth, are as deaf as the deaf adder, the halt, and the lame, such as have broken hearts, yea the plague in their hearts, and have stony ones, and all the relapses of his people; which he does by his stripes and wounds, by the application of his blood, by his word and Gospel, through sinners looking to him, and touching him: he is an infallible one, none ever went from him without a cure; none ever perished under his hands; the disease he heals never returns more to prevail, so as to bring on death and destruction; and he does all freely, without money, and without price. So Philo the Jew calls the Logos, or word, ιατρον κακων, "an healer of diseases" (x), and God our legislator, των της ψυχης παθω ν αριστος ιατρος, "the best physician of the diseases of the soul" (y). Now Christ argues from this his character, in vindication of himself; as that he was with these persons, not as a companion of their's, but as a physician to them; and as it is not unlawful, but highly proper and commendable, that a physician should be with the sick; so it was very lawful, fit, and proper, yea praiseworthy in him, to be among these publicans and sinners, for their spiritual good. He suggests indeed, that "they that be whole", in perfect health and strength, as the Pharisees thought themselves to be, even free from all the maladies and diseases of sin, were strong, robust, and able to do anything, and everything of themselves; these truly stood in no "need of" him, as a physician, in their own apprehension; they saw no need of him; in principle they had no need of him, and in practice did not make use of him; and therefore it was to no purpose to attend them, but converse with others, who had need of him: but they that are sick; who are not only diseased and disordered in all the powers and faculties of their souls, as all Adam's posterity are, whether sensible of it or not; but who know themselves to be so, these see their need of Christ as a physician, apply to him as such, and to them he is exceeding precious, a physician of value; and such were these "publicans" and sinners. These words seem to be a proverbial expression, and there is something like it in the (z) Talmud, אסיא לבי אזיל כאיבא ליה ,דכאיב "he that is afflicted with any pain goes", or "let him go to the physician's house"; that is, he that is attended with any sickness, or disease, does, or he ought to, consult a physician. HE RY, "IV. The defence that Christ made for himself and his disciples, in justification of their converse with publicans and sinners. The disciples, it should seem, being yet weak, had to seek for an answer to the Pharisees' cavil, and, therefore, bring it to Christ, and he heard it (Mat_9:12), or perhaps overheard them whispering it to his disciples. Let him alone to vindicate himself and to plead his own cause, to answer for himself and for us too. Two things he urges in his defence, 1. The necessity and exigence of the case of the publicans, which called aloud for his help, and therefore justified him in conversing with them for their good. It was the extreme necessity of poor, lost sinners, that brought Christ from the pure regions above, to these impure ones; and the same was it, that brought him into this company which was thought impure. Now, (1.) He proves the necessity of the case of the publicans: they that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. The publicans are sick, and they need one to help and heal them, which the Pharisees think they do not. Note, [1.] Sin is the sickness of the soul; sinners are spiritually sick. Original corruptions are the diseases of the soul, actual transgressions are its wounds, or the eruptions of the disease. It is deforming, weakening, disquieting, wasting, killing, but, blessed be God, not incurable. [2.] Jesus Christ is the great Physician of souls. His curing of bodily
- 68. diseases signified this,that he arose with healing under his wings. He is a skilful, faithful, compassionate Physician, and it is his office and business to heal the sick. Wise and good men should be as physicians to all about them; Christ was so. Hunc affectum versus omnes habet sapiens, quem versus aegros suos medicus - A wise man cherishes towards all around him the feelings of a physician for his patient. Seneca De Const. [3.] Sin-sick souls have need of this Physician, for their disease is dangerous; nature will not help itself; no man can help us; such need have we of Christ, that we are undone, eternally undone, without him. Sensible sinners see their need, and apply themselves to him accordingly. [4.] There are multitudes who fancy themselves to be sound and whole, who think they have no need of Christ, but that they can shift for themselves well enough without him, as Laodicea, Rev_3:17. Thus the Pharisees desired not the knowledge of Christ's word and ways, not because they had no need of him, but because they thought they had none. See Joh_9:40, Joh_9:41. JAMISO , "But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them — to the Pharisees and scribes; addressing Himself to them, though they had shrunk from addressing Him. They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick — that is, “Ye deem yourselves whole; My mission, therefore, is not to you: The physician’s business is with the sick; therefore eat I with publicans and sinners.” Oh, what myriads of broken hearts, of sin-sick souls, have been bound up by this matchless saying! CALVI , "12. ot they who are in health need a physician It is evident from Christ’s reply that the scribes erred in two ways: they did not take into account the office of Christ; and, while they spared their own vices, they proudly despised all others. This deserves our particular attention, for it is a disease which has been always very general. Hypocrites, being satisfied and intoxicated with a foolish confidence in their own righteousness, do not consider the purpose for which Christ was sent into the world, and do not acknowledge the depth of evils in which the human race is plunged, or the dreadful wrath and curse of God which lies on all, or the accumulated load of vices which weighs them down. The consequence is, that they are too stupid to feel the miseries of men, or to think of a remedy. While they flatter themselves, they cannot endure to be placed in their own rank, and think that injustice is done them, when they are classed with transgressors. Our Lord glances at this second error by replying, that they who are in health have no need of a physician It is an ironical admission, (520) and is intended to show that they are offended when they see sinners, because they claim righteousness for themselves. Because you are in health, (he says,) you despise the sick, are offended at them, and cannot endure the sight of them: but a physician ought to be affected in a very different manner. He afterwards points out that he must discharge the duties of a physician, because he has been sent by the Father to call sinners Though Christ begins with reproof, yet if we desire to make progress in his doctrine, what he has put in the second place must receive our first consideration. He came to quicken the dead, to justify the guilty and condemned, to wash those who were polluted and full of uncleanness, to rescue the lost from hell, to clothe with his glory those who were covered with shame, to renew to a blessed immortality those who
- 69. were debased bydisgusting vices. If we consider that this was his office and the end of his coming, — if we remember that this was the reason why he took upon him our flesh, why he shed his blood, why he offered the sacrifice of his death, why he descended even to hell, we will never think it strange that he should gather to salvation those who have been the worst of men, and who have been covered with a mass of crimes. He whom you detest appears to you to be unworthy of the grace of Christ. Why then was Christ himself made a sacrifice and a curse, but that he might stretch out his hand to accursed sinners? ow, if we feel disgust at being associated by Baptism and the Lord’s Supper with vile men, and regard our connection with them as a sort of stain upon us, we ought immediately to descend into ourselves, and to search without flattery our own evils. Such an examination will make us willingly allow ourselves to be washed in the same fountain with the most impure, and will hinder us from rejecting the righteousness which he offers indiscriminately to all the ungodly, the life which he offers to the dead, and the salvation which he offers to the lost. BROADUS, "Matthew 9:12 f. He said, the correct text omitting 'Jesus' and 'to them.' The disciples told their Teacher of the question which had been asked. They were themselves as yet very imperfectly freed from the erroneous Jewish conceptions of the Messiah's work, and would probably find it difficult to explain why Jesus should pursue such a course. It was cunning in the Pharisees to ask them, in hope of turning them away from their Teacher. It appears from the connection, and is distinctly stated by Luke, (Luke 5:30-31) that his reply was addressed especially to the Pharisees, with whom the question had started. This reply embraces three points: (1) an argument from analogy; (2) an appeal to Scripture; (3) an express declaration that his mission was to men as sinners, and so he was now acting accordingly. In like manner Paul, 1 Corinthians 9:7, presents first an argument from the analogy of men's common modes of action, and afterwards an argument from Scripture.—(1) They that be whole, or are strong, stout, well, compare the connection of the English words hale, health, whole. Luke 5:31 has literally, 'they that are in health.' But they that are sick, or ill, the same expression as in Matthew 4:24, Matthew 8:16. The order of the Greek words puts an emphasis on need not. The force of the illustration is manifest; the physician goes among the sick, and why should not the teacher of salvation go among sinners? Here is a lesson needed in every age, for we are too apt to hold ourselves aloof from the vile and disreputable, when kind and patient efforts might win some of them to better things. At the same time we must, like the physician, take great pains to avoid the contagion of the diseases we seek to cure. And if our good is evil spoken of, as happened here to our Lord, we should be careful not to afford any just occasion or excuse for such reproach. (2) The second point of his reply is an appeal to Scripture. But go ye and learn. The Rabbis frequently employed the same formula, "go ye and learn," indicating that one needs further reflection or information on the subject in hand. This was a severe rebuke to Scribes (Luke 5:30) and Pharisees, who assumed and were popularly supposed to be particularly versed in Scripture. Learn what that
- 70. meaneth (literally is),i.e., the following saying. The passage is referred to as familiar to them, while yet they were quite ignorant of its real meaning. The Old Testament throughout, when rightly understood, agreed with the teachings of Jesus. I will have (wish, desire) mercy, and not sacrifice, quoted according to the Hebrew. (Hosea 6:6) The Hebrew word includes the ideas of kindness and compassion toward men, and of piety towards God. So piety and pity are originally the same word. Hosea's connection shows that the word was by him taken in the widest sense, but the single idea of kindness or mercy is all that is here necessary to the connection. The absolute statement 'and not sacrifice,' is not intended to he taken literally, but as a strong expression of preference for mercy. (Compare Luke 14:12) The idea is, I wish kindly feeling and conduct toward others, especially toward the needy and suffering, rather than the externals of religion—of which sacrifice was then the most important. So the Sept. translates, 'I wish mercy rather than sacrifice.' Or the passage might be expressed, I wish kindness, and I do not want sacrifice without this. The rendering 'I will have mercy,' which Com. Ver. took from Great Bible and Geneva, is very apt to mislead, because to have mercy now usually means to exercise St.—The mere externals of religion are offensive to God, where its spirit and life are absent. The Pharisees were extremely particular to avoid that external, ceremonial pollution which they might incur by mixing with the publicans and sinners, but were not anxious to show them kindness or do them good. otice that it is Matthew only that records this argument drawn from the Old Testament, just as he most frequently refers to the prophecies fulfilled in the person of Jesus; this course being natural for one who wrote especially for Jewish readers. See the same passage quoted again in Matthew 12:7. (3) I am not come(see on "Matthew 5:17"), to call the righteous, but sinners. The words 'unto repentance' are not properly a part of the text of Matthew, but they are genuine in the parallel passage of Luke, and so were actually spoken on this occasion. Such additions to one Gospel from a parallel passage in another, are often found in MSS. and versions. This third point of our Lord's reply is that his conduct in associating with the very wicked accords with the design of his mission,' for I came not,' etc. The word translated 'righteous' has no article. He is not speaking of any actually existing class as righteous, but uses the term in a general way for contrast. (Compare Luke 15:7) There is comfort to the burdened soul in the thought that our Lord's mission was to men as sinners, even to the most vile. BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR, "They that be whole need not a physician. The heavenly physician I. Who neglect the heavenly physician? 1. Those who depend for salvation upon their own good lives. 2. Those who depend for salvation upon their religious duties. 3. Those who depend for salvation upon their correct notions. II. Those who value the heavenly physician-“They that are sick.” A general invitation to this Physician. Reasons why some of you are still uncured. How will His medicine affect you? Think of His love. (C. Clayton, M. A.)
- 71. I. There isa moral disease in the heart and character of man, 1. Depraved mental appetite. 2. The faculty of moral vision is impaired. 3. Moral stupor and lethargic disposition of mind. 4. Feverish excitement of disposition. 5. Moral weakness and want of activity. II. The peculiar characteristics by which this moral disease is distinguished. 1. Universal in extent. 2. Disastrous in results. 3. Incurable by anything less than Divine energy. III. The remedy proposed. 1. Universally adapted. 2. Absolutely free. 3. Infallably efficacious. (The Pulpit.) Jesus the Physician I. We are all sick. Many are our ailments. Sin the great malady. We need a Physician. The world has no medicines. II. What a physician he is. 1. He is appointed of God (Isa_61:1). 2. He is adapted for it. Understands all cases. Neglects none. III. The remedy. He makes use of many means of recovery. 1. Sometimes he makes use of the affections as a means of restoring health. How many have to trace that recovery to loss of a dear object! 2. Sometimes He makes use of a reproving conscience. 3. The main remedy is His own precious blood: (1) it is no small mercy to feel our spiritual malady; (2) the remedy must be received or our soul’s sickness cannot be healed; (3) beware of false, superficial healing; (4) beware of losing the healing; (5) take heed of expecting a more perfect cure than scripture warrants; (6) admire the costliness of the remedy, its freeness, universality, and, above all, the Giver. (J. H. Evans, M. A.)
- 72. Christ the greatPhysician I. That sin is the disease of the soul. 1. Sickness destroys our power of action. 2. It deprives a man of rest. 3. It frequently occasions delirium. 4. It deforms the body. 5. It is the forerunner of death. II. That Jesus Christ is the great physician. III. That men are generally too insensible of their sins to apply to Christ. IV. Those who know their true condition are very desirous of his help, (G. Burder.) The Physician and His patients I. A defence, complete and unanswerable. Christ did not come despising the people, but as a Healer of the sick. II. A direction to His followers. 1. Christianity is remedial. 2. Christianity is hopeful. (D. Fraser, D. D.) The healing work healthy A physician once told us that he kept himself in health by going to see patients. Whenever he discontinued this, and insisted on patients coming to him, or when he tried to go out of practice altogether, he fell into lethargy, and lost both physical and mental power; but so soon as he resumed active efforts to heal others, his own healthy returned. Let servants and handmaids of Christ take the hint. He who desires sound, strong, spiritual life and health in himself should go and try to heal others, showing patience, sympathy, and hopefulness. This is to walk as Christ walked. (D. Fraser, D. D.) The characteristics of the whole and sick, in a spiritual sense, considered and contrasted There are none of the sons of men who are really whole. The whole and sick in contrast are these: 1. He that is whole has never had a clear affecting sight and sense of sin; but he that is sick is fully convicted, and deeply sensible of it. 2. They that are whole are generally easy and serene, and unapprehensive of danger; but the sick soul is alarmed and anxious, and can’t be easy till it perceives some appearances of recovery.
- 73. 3. They thatare whole are unwilling to apply to a physician, or to follow his prescriptions; but to the sick a physician is welcome, and they will submit to his directions, however self-denying. (S. Davies, M. A.) Christ no specialist Properly we have amongst ourselves now special studies of special cases. One man undertakes the brain, another the heart, another the blood, it may be, another the bones and joints. This is right, amongst ourselves; for probably hardly any one man has the time, even if he had the capacity, to master with sufficient adequateness all the details and necessities of our wondrous bodily frame. But Jesus Christ said to the leper, “Be thou clean,” to the man sick of the palsy, grievously tormented, “I will come and heal him.” When he went into Peter’s house and saw his wife’s mother laid and sick of the fever, he touched her hand and the fever left her, he put out the fire with his touch. He is no specialist, he has not a necromancer’s power over any one department of human life or human suffering. His healing was fundamental and all-inclusive. He made the well- head pure, and the flowing stream was as pure as the fountain whence it flowed. It is so in spiritual matters. There is not in the Church a doctor who cures lying, and another who makes a special study of drunkenness, and a third who is gifted with peculiar ability in dealing with persons of felonious disposition. There is one Mediator between God and man: he makes the heart right, and then all the accidental local diseases, with all their train of ever-varying symptoms, are cleansed and utterly expelled. (J. Parker, D. D.) Jesus Christ can attend to all who come to Him at the same moment I once went with a friend who wanted to see a great physician. But there were ever so many other people waiting to see him, and they went in by turns one by one, and we had to wait a whole hour before our turn came. The physician could not attend to more than one person at a time. But if all you dear children were to pray to the Saviour this evening at the same moment, and tell Him all your wants, He could listen to you all at the same time, and help each of you according to your need. (W. Harris.) Jesus is always at home If your little sister was taken very ill and you were sent for the doctor, you would run with all your speed; yet when you came to his house he might be just gone out, and your sister might die before he came home. But this is never the case with Jesus. Whenever you call upon Him, you will find Him. He is always where people can find Him directly they want Him, and you know he can heal people without coming to them in His bodily presence. (W. Harris.) Unconscious of danger Sometimes people are in a very dangerous state, and yet they do not feel pain. In a sad railway accident which happened some time ago, a young lady was taken out of one of the carriages, and she said she was not hurt at all, she felt no pain. She stood up and tried to walk and then fell back dead. She had received a very serious injury, and yet she
- 74. did not feelit at the moment. So it was with these Pharisees, they had a sin within their hearts which would ruin them if it was not taken away. That sin was pride. This sin is so dangerous, because it keeps people from feeling how sinful they are, and so keeps them from coming to Jesus Christ to be healed. (W. Harris.) Christ the Physician of souls I. Sin is the sickness of the soul. It is the disease of the soul that makes the sinner a sick man. 1. Sickness brings pain and torment to the body, so does sin to the soul. 2. Sickness takes away the beauty of the body. Sin spoils the beauty of the soul. 3. Diseases are death’s carols which are sent; before it to bind the prisoner. Sin tends to spiritual and eternal deeds, and will bring it on if it be not cured, II. What is in sin that sickens the soul? 1. The guilt of it the obligation to punishment. 2. The stain. It brings a blot with it, that defiles the soul. 3. The reigning power of it. Sin keeps its throne. It commands and receives obedience. 4. The indwelling power of it. III. What are the properties of soul sickness? 1. It is spiritual. They are the most dangerous disorders that affect the vital parts. 2. It is an universal sickness, spreading itself through the whole man. All the faculties of the soul are injured and disordered by it. It darkens the mind, wounds the conscience, pollutes the heart, disorders the affections, and weakens the memory for good. 3. It is an infectious sickness. 4. It is hereditary, natural to us. We are born with it. 5. It is a growing disease. 6. It is mortal disease. IV. Is sin the sickness of your soul? 1. Go quickly to the Physician for the cure of the disease of the soul which you labour under, Delay no longer. 2. Time is flying. No medicine will cure that wound, no argument will persuade it to return. Yesterday has taken its eternal farewell. The candle burnt to the snuff will not light again. Your only time is the present. 3. Death is approaching. If death take us away raider the power of that sickness, there is no cure for it hereafter, if. 4. Make frequent application to Christ. Such people as can take little food at once, had need to take it frequently, Alas! the few addresses which we make to the throne of grace, look like as we thought ourselves whole, little needing the Physician.
- 75. (Thomas Boston.) Christ’s wayof caring souls Three things concur to the care of the soul. I. The blood of Christ. II. The spirit of Christ. III. The word of Christ. 1. “He sent His word and healed them.” 2. The waters of the sanctuary are healing waters. (Thomas Boston.) Christ cures all who come to Him Why does He undertake and perform the cure of souls? I. Because he has his father’s commission for that effect. II. Because of his love and pity to men. Love provided the remedy and applies it also. III. Because he hath been at vast expense to prepare the remedy and medicine for their souls. IV. For his own glory. 1. The glory of the Mediator is highly exalted by His curing sick souls. 2. The glory of God is displayed in the cure. 3. Had the sick been left to be swallowed up by death, justice would have been exalted, but now justice, mercy, grace, and truth, are all glorified in their salvation through Christ. (Thomas Boston.) Christ the Physician of souls Come to Him for the cure of your spiritual diseases. I. You have need of him. Let necessity drive you to Him. The less you see your need, the more need you have of Him. Some diseases are very common among us. 1. Blindness of the eyes of the mind. 2. Spiritual dumbness. 3. Hardness of heart. 4. Falling evil of backsliding. 5. Pride and self-conceit. 6. Decay of grace. II. Christ is skilful. 1. He knows what will suit your disease.
- 76. 2. He issuccessful. Seine diseases are the reproach of medicine; none can baffle Him. III. He cures freely. 1. Other physicians are enriched by their patients, but He enricheth His making them heirs of glory. 2. He is the only physician. 3. Either you must die or come to film. (Thomas Boston.) 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” BAR ES, "But go ye and learn ... - To reprove them, and to vindicate his own conduct, he appealed to a passage of Scripture with which they ought to have been acquainted: “I will have mercy, and not sacrifice,” Hos_6:6. This is not a declaration on the part of God that he was opposed to “sacrifices” or “offerings for sin;” for he had appointed and commanded many, and had therefore expressed his approbation of them. It is a Hebrew mode of speaking, and means, “I prefer mercy to sacrifice;” or, “I am more pleased with acts of benevolence and kindness than with a mere external compliance with the duties of religion.” Mercy here means benevolence or kindness toward others. “Sacrifices” were offerings made to God on account of sin, or as an expression of thanksgiving. They were commonly bloody offerings, or animals slain; signifying that the sinner offering them deserved to die himself, and pointing to the great sacrifice or offering which Christ was to make for the sins of the world. “Sacrifices” were the principal part of the worship of the Jews, and hence came to signify “external worship in general.” This is the meaning of the word here. The sense in which our Saviour applies it is this: “You Pharisees are exceedingly tenacious of the “external” duties of religion; but God has declared that he prefers benevolence or mercy to those external duties. It is proper, therefore, that I should associate with sinners for the purpose of doing them good.” I came not to call the righteous ... - No human beings are by nature righteous, Psa_14:3; Rom_1:18-32; Rom_3:10-18. The Pharisees, however, “pretended” to be righteous. Christ might have meant by this answer that it was not the design of his coming to cal such persons to repentance, knowing that they would spurn his efforts, and that to a great extent they would be vain; or, more probably, he meant to affirm that his proper and only business was to call to repentance such people as he was now with. He came to seek and save such, and it was his “proper business,” therefore, to associate
- 77. with them. Repentance -See the notes at Mat_3:2. CLARKE, "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice - Quoted from 1Sa_15:22. These are remarkable words. We may understand them as implying, 1st. That God prefers an act of mercy, shown to the necessitous, to any act of religious worship to which the person might be called at that time. Both are good; but the former is the greater good, and should be done in preference to the other. 2dly. That the whole sacrificial system was intended only to point out the infinite mercy of God to fallen man, in his redemption by the blood of the new covenant. And 3dly. That we should not rest in the sacrifices, but look for the mercy and salvation prefigured by them. This saying was nervously translated by our ancestors, I will mild-heartedness, and not sacrifice. Go ye and learn - ולמד צא tse velimmed, a form of speech in frequent use among the rabbins, when they referred to any fact or example in the Sacred Writings. Nothing tends more to humble pretenders to devotion than to show them that they understand neither Scripture nor religion, when, relying on external performances, they neglect love to God and man, which is the very soul and substance of true religion. True holiness has ever consisted in faith working by love. I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners - Most of the common editions add, εις µετανοιαν, unto repentance; but this is omitted in the Codex Vatic. and Bezae, sixteen others, both the Syriac, both the Persic, Ethiop. Armen. Gothic, Anglo-Saxon, all the Itala except three, the Vulgate, Clemens Roman, Origen, Basil, Jerome, Augustin, Ambrose, and Barnabas. The omission is approved by Mill and Bengel. Griesbach leaves it out of the text. GILL, "But go ye and learn what that meaneth,.... ולמד ,צא "go and learn", is a phrase used by the Jews (a), when they are about to explain a passage of Scripture, and fetch an argument from the connection of the text. So the phrase τι εστιν, "what that is", or "what that meaneth", is Talmudic, as, ,מהי "what is it?" דכתיב ,מאי "what is that which is written?" קרא ,מאי "what is the Scripture?" that is, what is the meaning of it? Our Lord speaks in their own dialect, and tacitly reproves their ignorance of the Scriptures; and instead of finding fault with him, and his conduct, he intimates, it would better become them to endeavour to find out the meaning of that passage in Hos_6:6 "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice"; which, if rightly understood, was sufficient to silence all their cavils and objections: and which words are to be taken, not in an absolute and unlimited sense; for sacrifices even of slain beasts, which were offered up in the faith of Christ's sacrifice, and were attended with other acts of religion and piety, were acceptable to God, being his own institutions and appointments; but in a comparative sense, as the following clause in the prophet shows; "and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings"; and so the sense is given in the "Chaldee paraphrase", after this manner: "for in those that exercise mercy is my good will and pleasure", or "delight", ,ממדבח "more than in sacrifice": and the meaning is, that God takes more delight and pleasure, either
- 78. in showing mercyhimself to poor miserable sinners; or in acts of mercy, compassion, and beneficence done by men, to fallen creatures in distress, whether for the good of their bodies, or more especially for the welfare of their souls, than he does even in sacrifices, and in any of the rituals of the ceremonial law, though of his own appointing: and therefore must be supposed to have a less regard to sacrifices, which were offered, neither in a right manner, nor from a right principle, nor to a right end; and still less to human traditions, and customs, which were put upon a level, and even preferred to his institutions; such as these the Pharisees were so zealous of. The force of our Lord's reasoning is, that since his conversation, with publicans and sinners, was an act of mercy and compassion to their souls, and designed for their spiritual good; it must be much more pleasing to God, than had he attended to the traditions of the elders, they charge him with the breach of: besides, what he was now doing was the end of his coming into this world, and which was answered hereby; for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance. The phrase, "to repentance", is not in the Vulgate Latin, nor in Munster's Hebrew Gospel, nor in the Syriac, Ethiopic, and Persic versions; but is in the Arabic, and in the ancient Greek copies, and is very justly retained. The "repentance" here designed, is not a legal, but an evangelical one: which is attended with faith in Christ, with views, at least hopes of pardon through his blood, and springs from a discovery and sense of his love: it lies in a true sense of sin, and the exceeding sinfulness of it, by the light of the Spirit of God; in a godly sorrow for it, and hearty loathing of it; in real shame and blushing for it, ingenuous confession of it, and departing from it; all which is brought on, influenced, heightened, and increased, by displays of the love of God through Christ. The persons called to this are not the "righteous"; meaning either such who are really so, because these are already called to it, though, whilst in a state of imperfection, daily need the exercise of this grace; or rather such who are so in their own opinion, and in the sight of men only, not in the sight of God, which was the case of the Scribes and Pharisees, and very few of these were called and brought to repentance; but "sinners", even the worst, and chief of sinners, who, as they stand in need of this grace, and when thoroughly convinced, see they do; so Christ came into this world as prophet and minister of the word to "call" them to it: which call of his does not suppose that they had a power to repent of themselves; for this man has not, he is naturally blind, and do not see his sin; his heart is hard and obdurate, and till his eyes are opened, and his stony heart taken away by a superior power to his own, he will never repent; though he may have space, yet if he has not grace given him, he will remain impenitent. No means will bring him to it of themselves, neither the most severe judgments, nor the greatest kindnesses, nor the most powerful ministry; repentance is entirely a free grace gift: nor does the call of Christ imply the contrary; which may be considered either as external, as a preacher of the word, and as such was not always attended to, and effectual, but often slighted and rejected: or as internal, being by the power of his grace effectual; for he who called to repentance, as a minister of the word, as a prince and a saviour, was able to give it, and which none but a divine person is able to do. The Jews have a saying (b) of "shepherds, collectors of taxes and "publicans", קשה ,תשובתן "that their repentance is difficult".'' Now, since this was the end of his coming into the world, his conduct in conversing with publicans and sinners was in all respects highly to be justified.
- 79. HE RY, "(2.)He proves, that their necessity did sufficiently justify his conduct, in conversing familiarly with them, and that he ought not to be blamed for it; for that necessity made it an act of charity, which ought always to be preferred before the formalities of a religious profession, in which beneficence and munificence are far better than magnificence, as much as substance is better than shows or shadows. Those duties, which are of moral and natural obligation, are to take place even of those divine laws which are positive and ritual, much more of those impositions of men, and traditions of the elders, which make God's law stricter than he has made it. This he proves (Mat_ 9:13) by a passage quoted out of Hos_6:6, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. That morose separation from the society of publicans, which the Pharisees enjoined, was less than sacrifice; but Christ's conversing with them was more than an act of common mercy, and therefore to be preferred before it. If to do well ourselves is better than sacrifice, as Samuel shows (1Sa_15:22, 1Sa_15:23), much more to do good to others. Christ's conversing with sinners is here called mercy: to promote the conversion of souls is the greatest act of mercy imaginable; it is saving a soul from death, Jam_5:20. Observe how Christ quotes this, Go ye and learn what that meaneth. Note, It is not enough to be acquainted with the letter of scripture, but we must learn to understand the meaning of it. And they have best learned the meaning of the scriptures, that have learned how to apply them as a reproof to their own faults, and a rule for their own practice. This scripture which Christ quoted, served not only to vindicate him, but, [1.] To show wherein true religion consists; not in external observances: not in meats and drinks and shows of sanctity, not in little particular opinions and doubtful disputations, but in doing all the good we can to the bodies and souls of others; in righteousness and peace; in visiting the fatherless and widows. [2.] To condemn the Pharisaical hypocrisy of those who place religion in rituals, more than in morals, Mat_23:23. They espouse those forms of godliness which may be made consistent with, and perhaps subservient to, their pride, covetousness, ambition, and malice, while they hate that power of it which is mortifying to those lusts. 2. He urges the nature and end of his own commission. He must keep to his orders, and prosecute that for which he was appointed to be the great Teacher; now, says he, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance, and therefore must converse with publicans.” Observe, (1.) What his errand was; it was to call to repentance. This was his first text (Mat_4:17), and it was the tendency of all his sermons. Note, The gospel call is a call to repentance; a call to us to change our mind and to change our way. (2.) With whom his errand lay; not with the righteous, but with sinners. That is, [1.] If the children of men had not been sinners, there had been no occasion for Christ's coming among them. He is the Saviour, not of man as man, but of man as fallen. Had the first Adam continued in his original righteousness, we had not needed a second Adam. [2.] Therefore his greatest business lies with the greatest sinners; the more dangerous the sick man's case is, the more occasion there is for the physician's help. Christ came into the world to save sinners, but especially the chief (1Ti_1:15); to call not those so much, who, though sinners, are comparatively righteous, but the worst of sinners. [3.] The more sensible any sinners are of their sinfulness, the more welcome will Christ and his gospel be to them; and every one chooses to go where his company is desired, not to those who would rather have his room. Christ came not with an expectation of succeeding among the righteous, those who conceit themselves so, and therefore will sooner be sick of their Saviour, than sick of their sins, but among the convinced humble sinners; to them Christ will come, for to them he will be welcome.
- 80. JAMISO , "Butgo ye and learn what that meaneth — (Hos_6:6), I will have mercy, and not sacrifice — that is, the one rather than the other. “Sacrifice,” the chief part of the ceremonial law, is here put for a religion of literal adherence to mere rules; while “mercy” expresses such compassion for the fallen as seeks to lift them up. The duty of keeping aloof from the polluted, in the sense of “having no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness,” is obvious enough; but to understand this as prohibiting such intercourse with them as is necessary to their recovery, is to abuse it. This was what these pharisaical religionists did, and this is what our Lord here exposes. for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance - The italicized words are of doubtful authority here, and more than doubtful authority in Mar_2:17; but in Luk_5:32 they are undisputed. We have here just the former statement stripped of its figure. “The righteous” are the whole; “sinners,” the sick. When Christ “called” the latter, as He did Matthew, and probably some of those publicans and sinners whom he had invited to meet Him, it was to heal them of their spiritual maladies, or save their souls: “The righteous,” like those miserable self-satisfied Pharisees, “He sent empty away.” COFFMAN, "Both here and in Matthew 12:7, Christ quoted from Hosea 6:6. The context in that passage shows that Christ was here comparing the Pharisees with the reprobate priesthood of Hosea's times. In that same paragraph, Hosea charged, "And as the troops of robbers wait for a man, so the company of priests murder in the way by consent; for they commit lewdness" (Hosea 6:6-9). This, of course, must have infuriated the Pharisees who, as subsequent events would prove, were every whit as wicked as the Lord indicated. His words continued to be ironical when he said, "I came not to call the righteous"; for of course he did call the truly righteous, and, for that matter, even the Pharisees; but they would not be called. CALVI , "13.But rather go and learn He dismisses and orders them to depart, because he saw that they were obstinate and unwilling to learn. Or rather he explains to them, that they are contending with God and the Prophet, when, in pride and cruelty, they are offended at relief which is given to the wretched, and at medicine which is administered to the sick. This quotation is made from Hosea 6:6 : For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt-offerings. The subject of the prophet’s discourse had been the vengeance of God against the Jews. That they might not excuse themselves by saying that they were performing the outward worship of God, (as they were wont to boast in a careless manner about their ceremonies,) he declares that God has no delight in sacrifices, when their minds are destitute of piety, and when their conduct is at variance with uprightness and righteousness. That the statement, I desired not sacrifice, must be understood comparatively, is evident from the second clause, that the knowledge of God is better than burnt-offerings By these words he does not absolutely reject burnt- offerings, but places them in a rank inferior to piety and faith. We ought to hold, that faith and spiritual worship are in themselves pleasing to God, and that charity
- 81. and the dutiesof humanity towards our neighbors are in themselves required; but that sacrifices are but appendages, so to speak, which are of no value or estimation, where substantial truth is not found. On this subject I have treated more fully at the tenth chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews. It ought to be observed that there is a synecdoche in the word mercy: for under one head the prophet embraces all the kindness which we owe to our brethren. For I came not Though this was spoken for the purpose of reproving the pride and hypocrisy of the scribes, yet it contains, in a general form, a very profitable doctrine. We are reminded that the grace of Christ is of no advantage to us, unless when, conscious of our sins, and groaning under their load, we approach to him with humility. There is also something here which is fitted to elevate weak consciences to a firm assurance: for we have no reason to fear that Christ will reject sinners, to call whom he descended from his heavenly glory. But we must also attend to the expression, to repentance: which is intended to inform us that pardon is granted to us, not to cherish our sins, but to recall us to the earnestness of a devout and holy life. He reconciles us to the Father on this condition, that, being redeemed by his blood, we may present ourselves true sacrifices, as Paul tells us: The grace of God, which bringeth salvation, hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, and righteously, and devoutly in this world, (Titus 2:11,12.) BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR, "I will have mercy and not sacrifice. Mercy preferred to sacrificed God prefers it. I. Because it indicates more clearly man’s relation to Himself. Cannot judge of man’s character by outward ordinances, but when he straggles against sin. II. Because it is more serviceable to our neighbours, Religious exercises may do us good, a pure life useful to others as well. III. Because it brings the greatest happiness to us. (Seeds and Saplings.) Instituted religion not intended to undermine natural I. That natural religion is life foundation of all instituted and revealed religion. Our Lord owns that which the Pharisees objected, but purified it- 1. By telling them that it was allowed to a physician no converse with the sick in order to their cure. 2. By endeavouring to convince them of the true nature of religion, and of the order of the several duties thereby required. Natural and moral duties more obligatory than ritual and positive; showing mercy is a prime instance of these moral duties - sacrifice is an instance of positive and ritual observances.
- 82. 1. That theJewish Scriptures everywhere speaks of these as the main duties the Jewish religion. 2. That no instituted service of God, no positive part of religion, was ever acceptable to Him, when these were neglected Isa_1:11; Jer_7:1; Jer_7:5). 3. The great design of the Christian religion is to restore and reinforce the practice of the natural law (Tit_2:11-12; Jas_1:27). II. That no revealed religion was ever destined to take away the obligation of natural duties, but to establish them. 1. That all revealed religion calls men to the practice of natural duties. 2. The most perfect revelation that ever God made, furnishes helps for the performance of moral duties. 3. The positive rites of revealed religion are shown to be subordinate to them. (J. Tillotson, D. D.) The Saviour’s tenderness It is a characteristic of all false religions to make more of the outward sacrifices we could offer to God than of the infinite mercy He is willing to show to us. I. The tenderness of the Saviour’s character. 1. In connection with what has been revealed to us concerning His mission and life and work. This harmonizes with all the prophetic intimations given of His character. The tenderness of His character has accompanied Him to heaven, a permanent condition of His nature. II. View this compassionate attribute of our Lord in its bearing in some of the experiences of the christian life. 1. How should we be comforted by it under our early convictions of sin, and doubts of the Divine forgiveness. 2. It should be comforting under the weakness of our failing hearts, when it is hard to grasp the promise, and faith is uncertain. 3. As it bears upon our slow progress in the Divine life, and fluctuations of religious feeling. 4. In adversity and temptation the Christian has a strong refuge in Christ’s tenderness. 5. In death he feels the Saviour’s tenderness. (D. Moore, M. A.) The religion of tenderness A domestic illustration of this principle occurs to me. Suppose that when a father is engaged in earnest prayer for the salvation of the world, there rings through the house the cry of one of his children in pain, perhaps in danger, will he be doing ]fight to spring to his feet and go to the little one’s help? Certainly he will. Let it be remembered that God is a Father, and there will be no two thoughts about that. And, as for the prayer for
- 83. the world’s salvation,God can and will open His ear when you go again to speak to Him, and the salvation of mankind will be none the farther off, but somewhat nearer, because you succoured your little one. I will put it from the child’s point of view. What do you think would be his conception of God if he knew that God would not allow his father to come and help him when he was in trouble? I will put it, so to say, from God’s point of view. What would He think of those who supposed Him to be indifferent to a child’s cry? (J. P. Gledstone.) I came not to call the righteous.- The main object of Christ’s ministry, to call sinners to repentance 1. He calls sinners by making appeals to the conscience. 2. By preaching an all-sufficient atonement for sin. 3. By means of an offer of reconciliation. 4. By raising in their minds hopes of future glory. (R. Burgess, B. D.) Christ not for the self-righteous A young man was recommended to Diogenes for a pupil; and his friends, thinking to give Diogenes a good impression concerning his intending disciple, were very lavish in his praises. “Is it so?” said the old philosopher; “if the youth is so well accomplished to my hands, and his good qualities are already so many, he has no need of my tuition.” As little are self-righteous people fit for Christ. (Toplady.) Christ for the needy Suppose a man of learning, in company with two persons: the one really ignorant, but highly conceited of his knowledge, and consequently unteachable; the other ignorant too, but sensible of it, and therefore desirous of instruction. Suppose he should turn from the self-conceited creature, and carry on conversation with the other, who was likely to profit by it: and suppose the former should resent it, and say, “If he were indeed a scholar, as he pretends to be, he would not be fond of the society of such an ignorant dunce, but would rather choose me for a companion.” How properly might a teacher reply, “Oh, you are a wise man, and have no need of instruction-but this poor ignorant creature is sensible of his want of instruction, and therefore, it is most fit I should converse with him.” Such a reply has a peculiar pungency and mortifying force in it, and such Jesus used in the case before us. (President Davies.) The sinner awakened Suppose some of you, who have come here to-day vigorous and healthy, should suddenly discover the spots of a plague broken out all over you, how it would strike you with surprise and horror! Such is the surprise and horror of the awakened sinner, thus he is alarmed and amazed. (President Davies.)
- 84. NISBET, "MERCY NOTSACRIFICE ‘Go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.’ Matthew 9:13 Let us look into the wonderful passage more closely. I. A strange passage.—The passage is admittedly a difficult one, nor does the Christian at first gain comfort as he realises who it is that preserves the saying for us. We are apt to take Matthew to be the legalist, the strict Jew. But he was not the legalist we take him for, or at least, if his instincts led in that direction, the teaching of the Master gave them another point, for, by his traditions, he belonged to one of the two classes vitally concerned in the eternal authority of this saying of Jesus—and not less vital now than then—the class that pleads for mercy and the class that preaches sacrifice. II. The preachers of ‘sacrifice.’—They were both of them at meat in the house; they were looking on rather than taking part in the company, but congratulating themselves that they were not of it. There was the Pharisee, the man of uncompromising religious habits. It is difficult to believe that Jesus only scouted all this religious niceness. Behind the strict observance of what was written and had been ratified by the Jewish Church, there might, of course, be oppression of the doer; but the obvious characteristic of the Pharisees as a class was their conscientious churchmanship, their sincere belief that God desired sacrifice and therefore ought to have it, that God delighted in burnt offerings and should not be denied the pleasure of receiving them. They stood out absolutely for sacrifice as a principle. III. Those who need mercy.—And then there is the other sort of folk in the house. They are not like the Pharisees, and yet the Pharisees do not have the effect of making them feel as if they were out of place, because there is One present Whose Personality is more potent than that of the Pharisees, and He it is Who makes them feel at home. But, like the Pharisees, they have a sort of class name. Respectable people class them together as ‘publicans and sinners.’ Whatever their birthright, they had come to be outside the covenant. The others ranged comfortably within the four walls of the City of God, but these suffered without the gate. Their only chance was some hope in the word ‘mercy,’ and it filled them with a new and unimagined hope that there should stand One among them, in all the unmistakable respectability of a Rabbi, saying to these doctors of the Law: ‘Go ye and learn what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.’ Is there no warning here for us of the English Church? We are better, humbler men than the Pharisees in the text, but some sense of what we call the fitness of things, some consistent desire to stand upon the old paths, bids us postpone mercy to sacrifice, and so to some extent—let us be honest and say to a deplorable extent—we feel that the good news entrusted to us does not seem to be good news to the multitude, to whom it ought to mean as much as it means to us. IV. ‘Mercy, not sacrifice.’—There are two classes of publicans and sinners to whom mercy needs to be extended before they can be brought to temper mercy with sacrifice,
- 85. before they canappreciate the system as we have learned to appreciate it and to thank God for it. There is he who is called (a) the man in the street, using his Sunday for laziness or jollity, lapsing year by year more and more into an attitude of mind in which religion has lost any grip that ever it had. Jesus sat at meat with such, regardless of propriety; but if some preacher of the good news among us takes unconventional means of calling the wayfarer to hear the message, we begin to complain. And there is (b) the man in the study—more to be pitied than the man in the street, because he is more sensitive, more conscious of his position. He reads his Bible, he attends our services, he follows our theological progress, but he cannot go all the way with us in the knowledge of God, though he seeks earnestly and with tears. In his difficulties he pleads for ‘mercy, not sacrifice.’ Is it anything to us, all we that pass by? The coming in the flesh of the Son of God was proclaimed first to the men in the fields, to the shepherds who were an abomination to the scrupulous Pharisee. The Babe Himself was shown to the staid, wise men from country far. Neither class was within the system. The Son of Man from His cradle was as one who told men to go and learn what this meaneth, ‘I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.’ —The Rev. E. H. Pearce. SIMEON, "MERCY BEFORE SACRIFICE Matthew 9:13. Go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice. ST. PETER, speaking of his brother Paul, says, that in his writings there are “some things hard to be understood.” The same may be said, in some degree, respecting all the inspired writers. There is, in many of their statements, a height which cannot be explored, and a depth which cannot be fathomed. Even the precepts which they give us are by no means always plain. Some are so figurative, that we are, of necessity, constrained to divest them of their high colouring, in order to reduce them to the standard of practical utility. Thus, when it was said, “Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also [Note: Matthew 5:39.],” we cannot take it altogether in a literal sense, but must understand it as inculcating only a very high degree of patient submission to the injuries inflicted on us. Some are obscure, on account of the unqualified manner in which they are expressed: “Give to him that asketh thee; and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away [Note: Matthew 5:42.].” Were this precept followed in its full extent, the richest man would soon have nothing either to give or lend. Some passages, like my text, are difficult; because, whilst they are expressed in the most positive terms, they are to be understood only in a comparative sense. Our Lord never intended to say that God did not require sacrifice: for the whole Mosaic law was written to shew what sacrifices God did require. His meaning was that mercy was in itself far superior to sacrifice; and that, where the two came into competition with each other, mercy was to be preferred to sacrifice, and to be exercised to the neglect of sacrifice. That we may enter fully into this subject, let us consider,
- 86. I. The lessonthat is here commended to us— Our blessed Lord, after calling Matthew the publican to the apostleship, condescended to attend a feast which his new disciple had prepared for him. To this feast many publicans and sinners were invited; and our Lord did not disdain to sit down to meat in their company, and to converse familiarly with them. For this he was blamed by the Pharisees, who thought such a condescension, on his part, a violation of his duty both to God and man: to God, who bids us “not to sit with the wicked [Note: Psalms 26:5.];” and to man, to whom it must appear an encouragement to vice. But our Lord vindicates himself, by shewing, that such persons were most likely to profit from his instructions, as the sick are from the physician; and that his conduct was in perfect accordance with their own Scriptures, wherein this lesson was plainly inculcated, “I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.” The import of this he bade them learn: “Go ye, and learn what that meaneth.” Now, the meaning of it is, 1. That moral duties are more excellent than those which are merely ritual— [To this the whole Scriptures bear witness. You will find the utmost contempt poured on ritual observances, when devoid of piety [Note: Isaiah 1:11-15.]: but in all the Bible you will not find one real exercise of grace despised. The smallest good imaginable you will see commended [Note: 1 Kings 14:13.], and the will accepted for the deed [Note: 1 Kings 8:18.]. In moral duties there is a real and inherent excellence: in every one of them there is, what I may justly call, a conformity to God himself, to “whose image we attain by the universal exercise of righteousness and true holiness [Note: Ephesians 4:24.].” They are good at all times, and under all circumstances: whereas ritual observances have nothing valuable in them, except as being appointed of God for his honour, and as being made use of by God for our good. For instance, what is there in the seventh day of the week, or the seventh part of our time? As far as regards the morality of that appointment, it might as well have been a third or a tenth or a twentieth part of our time. And what is there in sacrifices? The killing of a bullock is in itself no better than the killing of a dog: and if God had so ordained, the blood of swine would have been as good as the blood of bulls and of goats. As commanded of God, even the slightest ordinance is to be regarded with the deepest reverence: but, divest even Sabbaths and sacrifices of their divine authority, and I say again, they are of no value. Hence David says, “Thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt-offering [Note: Psalms 51:16.].” And Samuel, reproving Saul, puts to him this pointed interrogation, “Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice; and to hearken, than the fat of rams [Note: 1 Samuel 15:22.].”[ 2. That, where they come in competition with each other, ritual duties must give way, and be superseded by the moral—
- 87. [The whole courseof our blessed Lord’s conduct upon earth attests this truth. On many occasions he, if I may so say, violated the Sabbath-day, performing his miracles then, as on any common day, and ordering a man to carry his bed upon the Sabbath-day. On account of these apparent violations of the Sabbath he was constantly accused as disregarding the laws of Moses and of God. In the twelfth chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel we are informed, that he authorized his disciples upon the Sabbath-day to pluck some ears of corn, and rub out the grain and eat it. The act was perfectly legal in itself [Note: Deuteronomy 23:25.]: but, being done on a Sabbath-day, it was construed as a threshing of the wheat, and, consequently, as a work forbidden on that day. But our Lord justified them from the example of David, who, with his followers, had, contrary to an express command, eaten the shew-bread, which was the exclusive portion of the priests. He further justified them from the countless occupations of the priests in the temple, which turned the Sabbath, that should have been a day of rest, into a day of more than ordinary labour. These being works of necessity, the one for satisfying of their hunger, and the other for the serving of the altar, the ritual command was made void, being superseded by a call of more urgency, and of paramount obligation.] Such being the lesson here inculcated, let us consider, II. The vast importance of learning it— The manner in which our blessed Saviour speaks, shews that this lesson is far from being generally understood; whilst yet it is so important, that it ought to be diligently studied by every child of man. It is a lesson of vast importance, 1. For the forming of our principles— [In the true spirit of the Pharisees of old, many amongst ourselves lay a very undue stress on outward observances, as recommending us to God. But the answer of Balaam to Balak, who had consulted him on this subject, gives us the true view of it: “Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” This was the question put to Balaam. His answer was, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good: and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God [Note: Micah 6:6-8.]?” To the same effect is the declaration of St. Paul: “The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost [Note: Romans 14:17.].” It is the inward disposition of the mind that God regards, and not the service of the body. “The sacrifice of a broken and contrite spirit is, in his sight, of more value than the cattle upon a thousand hills [Note: Psalms 50:8-14; Psalms 51:17.].” We must not, then, form a judgment of our state by our punctuality in outward duties, but by the depth of our humiliation, the simplicity of our faith, and the integrity of our souls in the way of holy obedience. To this must we attend, as of absolute and indispensable necessity: and any principle opposed to this will only deceive us to our ruin.]
- 88. 2. For theregulation of our conduct— [There must, of necessity, be times when our ritual and moral duties clash with each other. To wait upon God in the public assembly of his people is a duty which we all owe to him, and which should not be omitted without great necessity. But who will say that an attendance upon a sick and dying person is not a sufficient cause for neglecting, for a season, the house of God? Who will say, that if there were in a town a general conflagration, the inhabitants would be ill employed in extinguishing the fire, even though it were the Sabbath-day? True, we must take care that we do not pretend a necessity which does not really exist: for we cannot deceive God; and therefore it becomes us to be on our guard that we deceive not our own souls. But, supposing that we exercise an impartial judgment in determining the question before us, we may be sure that God will approve of the conduct that is founded on the rule before us. There is a medium to be observed between a superstitious adherence to forms and a profane neglect of them: and it must be our endeavour so to approve ourselves to God, that we may have his Spirit witnessing with our spirit that we are accepted of him [Note: The question of the British and Foreign Bible Society was here considered. The union of all sects and parties, in dispersing the word of God throughout the world, may be supposed to be, in some respect, a violation of order. Then the question arises, Shall a regard to order be considered as a reason for not uniting every creature under heaven in a work that is so good in itself, and so necessary as that of endeavouring to enlighten and to save the world? To any one who should entertain a doubt on this point, I would say, “Go and learn what that meaneth, ‘I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.’ ” And the very same answer must be returned to those, who, knowing that a fellow-creature will receive only the Bible which is accredited in his own Church, withholds it from him, and leaves him to perish in ignorance, because he differs from him as to the books that should be included in the Sacred Canon.].] Jesus Questioned About Fasting 14 Then John’s disciples came and asked him, “How is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?”
- 89. BAR ES, "Thencame the disciples of John ... - This narrative is found also in Mar_2:18-22; Luk_5:33-39. The reference here is to John the Baptist. It is probable that they had understood that John was the forerunner of the Messiah; and if such was the case, they could not account for the fact that there was such a difference between them and the disciples of Jesus. The Pharisees fasted often - regularly twice a week besides the great national days of fasting, Luk_18:12. See the notes at Mat_6:16-18. This was the established custom of the land, and John did not feel himself authorized to make so great a change as to dispense with it. They were desirous of knowing, therefore, why Jesus had done it. Besides, it is probable that this question was put to Jesus when John was in prison, and his disciples, involved in deep grief on account of it, observed days of fasting. Fasting was the natural expression of sorrow, and they wondered that the followers of Jesus did not join with them in lamenting the captivity of him who was the forerunner and baptizer of their Lord. Christ, in reply to them, used three illustrations, all of them going to establish the same thing - that “we should observe a fitness and propriety in things.” The first is taken from a marriage. The children of the bride-chamber - that is, the bridemen, or “men who had the special care of the bridal chamber, and who were therefore his special friends” - do not think of fasting while he is with them. With them it is a time of festivity and rejoicing, and mourning would not be appropriate. When he is removed or taken away, then their festivity will be ended, and “then” will be the proper time for sorrow. So, says he, John, your friend and teacher, is in captivity. With you it is a time of deep grief, and it is appropriate that you should fast. I am with my disciples. It is with them a time of joy. It is not fit that they should use the tokens of grief, and fast now. When I am taken away, it will then be proper that they should fast. For an account of the ceremonies of an Eastern marriage, see the notes at Mat_25:1-13. CLARKE, "Thy disciples fast not? - Probably meaning that they did not fast so frequently as the others did, or for the same purposes, which is very likely, for the Pharisees had many superstitious fasts. They fasted in order to have lucky dreams, to obtain the interpretation of a dream, or to avert the evil import of a dream. They also fasted often, in order to obtain the things they wished for. The tract, Taanith is full of these fasts, and of the wonders performed thus by the Jewish doctors. GILL, "Then came to him the disciples of John,.... Of John the Baptist, to whom they had addicted themselves, and by whom they abode: though their master was in prison, and the Messiah was known to be come, yet still they were attached to John, and particularly imitated him in the austerities of his life. These, either hearing of the great entertainment made at Matthew's house for Christ, and his disciples, at which they were offended; or else being moved, and set on by the Pharisees, with whom they were agreed in the business of fasting, came to Christ where he was, and put this question to him, saying, why do we, and the Pharisees, fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? Not that they wanted to know the reason why they and the Pharisees fasted; that they could account for themselves, but why Christ's disciples did not: and this is said not so much by way of inquiry, as reproof; and their sense is; that Christ's disciples ought to fast, as well as they and the Pharisees, and not eat, and drink, and feast in the manner they did. The fastings here referred to are not the public fasts enjoined by the law of Moses, or in
- 90. any writings ofthe Old Testament; but private fasts, which were enjoined by John to his disciples, and by the Pharisees to their's; or which were, according to the traditions of the elders, or of their own appointing, and which were very "often" indeed: for besides their fasting twice a week, on Monday and Thursday, Luk_18:12 they had a multitude of fasts upon divers occasions, particularly for rain (c). If the 17th of Marchesvan, or October, came, and there was no rain, private persons kept three days of fasting, viz. Monday, Thursday, and Monday again: and if the month of Cisleu, or November, came, and there was no rain, then the sanhedrim appointed three fast days, which were on the same days as before, for the congregation; and if still there was no rain came, they added three more; and if yet there were none, they enjoined seven more, in all thirteen, which R. Acha and R. Barachiah kept themselves (d). Fasts were kept also on account of many other evils, as pestilence, famine, war, sieges, inundations, or any other calamity; sometimes for trifling things, as for dreams (e), that they might have good ones, or know how to interpret them, or avoid any ill omen by them; and it is almost incredible what frequent fastings some of the Rabbins exercised themselves with, on very insignificant occasions. They (f) say, "R. Jose צומין תמניי ,צם "fasted fourscore fasts" to see R. Chiyah Rubba; at last he saw, and his hands trembled, and his eyes grew dim: --R. Simeon Ben Lakish צומין מאוון תלת ,צם "fasted three hundred fastings" to see R. Chiyah Rubba, and did not see him.'' Elsewhere it is said, that R. Ase fasted "thirty days" to see the same person, and saw him not (g). Again (h), "R. Jonathan fasted every eve of the new year, R. Abin fasted every eve of the feast of tabernacles, R. Zeura fasted "three hundred fasts", and there are that say "nine hundred fasts".'' This may serve to illustrate and prove the frequency of the Jewish fastings. Luke represents this question as put by the Pharisees, which is here put by the disciples of John: it was doubtless put by both agreeing in this matter; and which shows that John's disciples were instigated to it by the Pharisees, who sought to sow discord between them, and to bring Christ and his disciples into contempt with them. HE RY, "The objections which were made against Christ and his disciples gave occasion to some of the most profitable of his discourses; thus are the interests of truth often served, even by the opposition it meets with from gainsayers, and thus the wisdom of Christ brings good out of evil. This is the third instance of it in this chapter; his discourse of his power to forgive sin, and his readiness to receive sinners, was occasioned by the cavils of the scribes and Pharisees; so here, from a reflection upon the conduct of his family, arose a discourse concerning his tenderness for it. Observe, I. The objection which the disciples of John made against Christ's disciples, for not fasting so often as they did; which they are charged with, as another instance of the looseness of their profession, besides that of eating with publicans and sinners; and it is therefore suggested to them, that they should change that profession for another more strict. It appears by the other evangelists (Mar_2:18 and Luk_5:33) that the disciples of the Pharisees joined with them, and we have reason to suspect that they instigated them, making use of John's disciples as their spokesmen, because they, being more in favour with Christ and his disciples, could do it more plausibly. Note, It is no new thing for bad men to set good men together by the ears; if the people of God differ in their sentiments,
- 91. designing men willtake that occasion to sow discord, and to incense them one against another, and alienate them one from another, and so make an easy prey of them. If the disciples of John and of Jesus clash, we have reason to suspect the Pharisees have been at work underhand, blowing the coals. Now the complaint is, Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but thy disciples fast not? It is pity the duties of religion, which ought to be the confirmations of holy love, should be made the occasions of strife and contention; but they often are so, as here; where we may observe, 1. How they boasted of their own fasting. We and the Pharisees fast often. Fasting has in all ages of the church been consecrated, upon special occasions, to the service of religion; the Pharisees were much in it; many of them kept two fast-days in a week, and yet the generality of them were hypocrites and bad men. Note, False and formal professors often excel others in outward acts of devotion, and even of mortification. The disciples of John fasted often, partly in compliance with their master's practice, for he came neither eating nor drinking (Mat_11:18); and people are apt to imitate their leaders, though not always from the same inward principle; partly in compliance with their master's doctrine of repentance. Note, The severer part of religion is often most minded by those that are yet under the discipline of the Spirit, as a Spirit of bondage, whereas, though these are good in their place, we must pass through them to that life of delight in God and dependence on him, to which these should lead. Now they come to Christ to tell him that they fasted often, at least they thought it often. Note, Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness, Pro_20:6. There is a proneness in professors to brag of their own performance in religion, especially if there by any thing extraordinary in them; nay, and not only to boast of them before men, but to plead them before God, and confide in them as a righteousness. 2. How they blamed Christ's disciples for not fasting so often as they did. Thy disciples fast not. They could not but know, that Christ had instructed his disciples to keep their fasts private, and to manage themselves so as that they might not appear unto men to fast; and, therefore, it was very uncharitable in them to conclude they did not fast, because they did not proclaim their fasts. Note, We must not judge of people's religion by that which falls under the eye and observation of the world. But suppose it was so, that Christ's disciples did not fast so often or so long as they did, why truly, they would therefore have it thought, that they had more religion in them than Christ's disciples had. Note, It is common for vain professors to make themselves a standard in religion, by which to try and measure persons and things, as if all who differed from them were so far in the wrong; as if all that did less than they, did too little, and all that did more than they, did too much, which is a plain evidence of their want of humility and charity. 3. How they brought this complaint to Christ. Note, If Christ's disciples, either by omission or commission, give offence, Christ himself will be sure to hear of it, and be reflected upon for it. O, Jesus, are these thy Christians? Therefore, as we tender the honour of Christ, we are concerned to conduct ourselves well. Observe, The quarrel with Christ was brought to the disciples (Mat_9:11), the quarrel with the disciples was brought to Christ (Mat_9:14), this is the way of sowing discord and killing love, to set people against ministers, ministers against people, and one friend against another. II. The apology which Christ made for his disciples in this matter. Christ might have upbraided John's disciples with the former part of their question, Why do ye fast often? “Nay, you know best why you do it; but the truth is, many abound in external instances of devotion, that scarcely do themselves know why and wherefore.” But he only vindicates the practice of his disciples; whey they had nothing to say for themselves, he had something ready to say for them. Note, As it is wisdom's honour to be justified of all her children, so it is her children's happiness to be all justified of wisdom. What we do
- 92. according to theprecept and pattern of Christ, he will be sure to bear us out in, and we may with confidence leave it to him to clear up our integrity. But thou shalt answer, Lord, for me. - Herbert HAWKER 14-17, "It is wonderful to see how fond men have been in All ages to substitute anything, and everything, in the room of real godliness, and a change of heart. Fasting and alms-giving, and services, however costly, shall be set up, provided they may find pardon to the sins of nature. But all these are not regeneration. It is the old nature still. It is still the old creature, only dressed up in a new form: not transformed in the renewing of the heart. Jesus makes use of two beautiful similitudes to shew the folly of it. The new cloth put into the old garment; and the new wine into old bottles: neither of which can receive into union what is altogether the reverse of themselves. The strength of the new cloth will only tend to rend the old; and the old dried skins of bottles must burst if new fermenting wine is put into them. In like manner, the new robe of Jesus’ righteousness cannot be joined to patch up our filthy rags: neither can the new wine of the Gospel be received into the old unrenewed skin of nature. But when the Holy Ghost hath by regeneration made all things new, and Christ’s righteousness is received as the new robe of salvation; and the blood of Christ as the wine that maketh glad the heart of man; both then are preserved and blessed. Jdg_9:13; Psa_104:15; Isa_61:10. See Mar_ 2:18, etc. CALVI , "Matthew 9:14.Then come to him the disciples of John. Luke represents the Pharisees as speaking: Mark appears to connect both. And, indeed, there is no room to doubt that the Pharisees maliciously endeavored, by this stratagem, to draw the disciples of John to their party, and to produce a quarrel between them and the disciples of Christ. A resemblance in prayers and fastings was a plausible pretext for associating at this time: while the different manner in which Christ acted was an occasion of enmity and dislike to men whose temper was unamiable, and who were excessively devoted to themselves. This example reminds us, that prudence and caution are necessary to prevent wicked and cunning men from sowing divisions among us on any slight grounds. Satan has a wonderful dexterity, no doubt, in laying those snares; and it is an easy matter to distress us about a trifle. (523) But we ought especially to beware lest the unity of faith be destroyed, or the bond of charity broken, on account of outward ceremonies. Almost all labor under the disease of attaching undue importance to the ceremonies and elements of the world, as Paul calls them, (Galatians 4:3; Colossians 2:8;) and accordingly they do not hesitate, for the most part, to prefer the merest rudiments to the highest perfection. This is followed by another evil arising out of fastidiousness and pride, when every man would willingly compel the whole world to copy his example. If any thing pleases us, we forthwith desire to make it a law, that others may live according to our pleasure. When we read that the disciples of John were caught by these snares of Satan, let us first learn not to place holiness in outward and indifferent matters, and at the same
- 93. time to restrainourselves by moderation and equity, that we may not desire to restrict others to what we approve, but may allow every one to retain his freedom. As to fasting and prayers, it ought to be understood, that John gave his disciples a particular training, and that for this purpose they had stated days for fastings, a settled form, and fixed hours of prayer. ow, I reckon those prayers among outward observances. For, though calling on God holds the first rank in spiritual worship, yet that method of doing it was adapted to the unskilfulness of men, and is justly reckoned among ceremonies and indifferent matters, the observance of which ought not to be too strictly enjoined. Of the reason why John’s discipline was more severe than that of Christ we have already spoken, and a more convenient opportunity for treating of it will again occur. COFFMA , "At this point, the disciples of John were already beginning to be jealous of the rising popularity of Christ (John 4:1-3). The use of the participle "were fasting" in Mark 2:18, show that this feast in the home of Matthew probably took place on a Monday or Thursday, when the Pharisees and disciples of John the Baptist were observing their customary feasts. The appearance of John's disciples at that moment shows that the Pharisees had not overlooked any occasion for making trouble. They had obviously tried, with some success, to maneuver a breach between the followers of Christ and those of the Baptist. How could Jesus defend the conduct of his disciples without drawing a rebuke from John whose public endorsement of Jesus had, in effect, launched our Saviour's ministry? In an answer as diplomatic, and devastating, as the famous reply on the tribute money, Jesus gave three parables, the last of which is given only by Luke, in which he fully defends both his own and John's respective views. These parables are: (1) new cloth on old garments, (2) new wine in old wineskins, and (3) the person familiar with old wine does not desire new. The reference to the relaxation of rules during a wedding, however, was the most devastating of all. BARCLAY, "To the Jew almsgiving, prayer and fasting were the three great works of the religious life. We have already fully described Jewish fasting when we were dealing with Matthew 6:16-18. A. H. Mc eile suggests that this incident may have taken place when the autumn rains had not fallen, and a public fast had been ordained. When Jesus was asked why he and his disciples did not practice fasting, he answered with a vivid picture. The King James Version speaks of the children of the bridechamber, which is a correct literal translation of the Greek. A Jewish wedding was a time of special festivity. The unique feature of it was that the couple who were married did not go away for a honeymoon; they spent their honeymoon at home. For a week after the wedding open house was kept; the bride and bridegroom were treated as, and even addressed as, king and queen. And during that week their closest friends shared all the joy and all the festivities with them; these closest friends were called the children of the bridechamber. On such an occasion there came into the lives of poor and simple people a joy, a rejoicing, a festivity, a plenty,
- 94. that might comeonly once in a lifetime. So Jesus compares himself to the bridegroom and his disciples to the bridegroom's closest friends. How could a company like that be sad and grim? This was no time for fasting, but for the rejoicing of a lifetime. There are great things in this passage. (i) It tells us that to be with Jesus is a thing of joy; it tells us that in the presence of Jesus there is a sheer thrilling effervescence of life; it tells us that a gloom- encompassed Christianity is an impossibility. The man who walks with Christ walks in radiance of joy. (ii) It also tells us that no joy lasts for ever. For John's disciples the time of sorrow had come, because John was already in prison. For Jesus disciples that time of sorrow would most certainly come. It is one of the great inevitabilities of life that the dearest joy must come to an end. Epictetus said grimly: "When you are kissing your child, say to yourself: 'One day you must die.'" That is why we must know God and Jesus Christ. Jesus alone is the same yesterday, today and for ever; God alone abides amidst all the chances and the changes of life. The dearest human relationships must some day come to an end; it is only the joy of heaven which lasts for ever, and if we have it in our hearts, nothing can take it away. (iii) This also is a challenge. It may be that at the moment the disciples did not see it, but Jesus is saying to them: "You have experienced the joy that following me can bring; can you also go through the trouble, the hardship, the suffering of a Christian's cross?" The Christian way brings its joy; but the Christian way also brings its blood and sweat and tears, which cannot take the joy away, but which, none the less, must be faced. So Jesus says, "Are you ready for both--the Christian joy and the Christian cross?" (iv) Enshrined in this saying is the courage of Jesus. Jesus was never under any illusions; clearly at the end of the road he saw the Cross awaiting him. Here the curtain is lifted, and there is a glimpse into the mind of Jesus. He knew that for him the way of life was the way of the Cross, and yet he did not swerve one step aside from it. Here is the courage of the man who knows what God's way costs, and who yet goes on. BARCLAY, "(iii) He is accused of slackness in piety. In Matthew 9:14-17 the disciples of John ask Jesus' disciples why their Master does not fast. He was not going through the orthodox motions of religion, and therefore the orthodox were suspicious of him. Any man who breaks the conventions will suffer for it; and any man who breaks the religious conventions will suffer especially. Jesus broke the orthodox conventions of ecclesiastical piety, and he was criticized for it. (iv) He is accused of being in league with the devil. In Matthew 9:31-34 we see him
- 95. curing a dumbman, and his enemies ascribe the cure to an association with the devil. Whenever a new power comes into life--it has been said, for instance, of spiritual healing--there are those who will say, "We must be cautious; this may well be the work of the devil and not of God." It is the strange fact that when people meet something which they do not like, and which they do not understand, and which cuts across their preconceived notions, they very often ascribe it to the devil and not to God. Here then we see the beginning of the campaign against Jesus. The slanderers are at work. The whispering tongues are poisoning truth and wrong motives are being ascribed. The drive to eliminate this disturbing Jesus has begun. COKE, "Matthew 9:14-17. Then came to him the disciples of John— Dr. Campbell translates the 16th and 17th verses thus: obody mendeth an old garment with undressed cloth; else the patch itself teareth the garment, and maketh a greater rent. either do people put new wine into old leathern bottles; otherwise the bottles burst; and thus both the wine is spilt, and the bottles are rendered useless. But they put, &c. Ασκος is properly a vessel for holding liquor. Such vessels were commonly then, and in some countries are still, of leather, which were not so easily distended when old, and were consequently more ready to burst by the fermentation of the liquor. As this does not hold in regard to the bottles used by us, I thought it better, says the Doctor, in translating, to add a word denoting the materials of which their vessels were made. Mr. Wesley adds the same word in his translation of the ew Testament. In the law we find only one fast-day enjoined, namely, the tenth of the seventh month, on which the national atonement was made. But the Jews, of their own accord, observed many other days of fasting. See Isaiah 58:3. In our Lord's time, days of this kind were more frequent than ever; especially among the Pharisees, who, according to the practice of their sect, fasted probably twice a week. See Luke 18:12. And therefore, as Jesus did not pretend to teach his disciples a more lax kind of discipline than John and the Pharisees, the disciples of John were surprised to find them overlooking so essential a duty. As John the Baptist preached repentance, he not only lived upon coarse diet, but also fasted often, and trained up his disciples thereto. Compare John 11:18. Luke 5:33 and the note on ch. Matthew 6:16. The expression, Thy disciples fast not, may signify, "Do not fast often," or, "are not used to fast." To this our Saviour replies, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn? &c. "Would it not be improper for the guests at a wedding to fast and weep while the marriage solemnity continues? It would be equally improper for my disciples to enter on a course of severe and strict abstinence at the time that I, the spiritual bridegroom, am personally present with them." The children of the bridechamber is a Hebrew phrase, to denote "The friends of the bridegroom," who were wont to provide whatever was proper and necessary during the marriage festival. See John 3:29. As John had described our Saviour under the name of bridegroom, so he represents himself here under that idea: and some have supposed that there is in this similitude which our Saviour uses, a reference to the book of Canticles, as is not
- 96. improbable. The propermeaning of the original words ρακους αγναφου, by which new cloth is expressed, is, "cloth which hath not passed through the fuller's hands," and which is consequently much harsher than what has been often washed and worn; and therefore, yielding less than that, will tear away the edges to which it is sewed; and thus it is a just representation of persons who have not yet been trained up and instructed. The similitude of new wine put into old leathern bottles is analogous to the former. See the note on Psalms 119:83 and those on Luke 5:36-39. BE SO , "Matthew 9:14-15. Then — While he was at table, came to him the disciples of John, with those of the Pharisees, Mark 2:18; saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast often — Have frequently our days of solemn devotion, in which we fast, and offer up to God many prayers and supplications? but thy disciples fast not — Not at all, or very seldom, but on the contrary eat and drink freely. “In the law, we find only one fast-day enjoined, namely, the tenth of the seventh month, on which the national atonement was made. But the Jews, of their own accord, observed many other days of fasting; (see Isaiah 58:3;) and in our Lord’s time, days of this kind were more frequent than ever, especially among the Pharisees, who, it seems, generally fasted twice a week; Luke 18:12; and therefore as Jesus did not pretend to teach his disciples a more lax kind of doctrine than that of John and the Pharisees, the disciples of the latter were surprised to find them overlooking so essential a duty.” Jesus said, Can the children of the bridechamber — The companions of the bridegroom, mourn — Mourning and fasting usually go together, as long as the bridegroom is with them? — As if he had said, While I am with them, it is a festival time, a season of rejoicing, not mourning: or, as others paraphrase the words, As it would be improper for the guests at a wedding to fast and weep while the marriage solemnity continues; so it would be equally improper for my disciples to fast and mourn at the time when I am personally present with them to give them joy. But the days will come — And are at no great distance, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, then shall they fast — After I am gone, all my disciples likewise shall be in fastings often — “Christ did not mean, as the Montanists affirm, that the Pharisaical fasts should be introduced into his Church when he was gone, but that his disciples should fast and mourn on account of the various calamities befalling them after his departure, and that they should repeat these fasts as often as the circumstances of distress and danger in which they were placed required it.” — Macknight. BROADUS, "Matthew 9:14. The inquiry about fasting, and our Lord's reply, (Matthew 9:14-17) are also found in Mark 2:18-22, Luke 5:33-39. Then. The connection in Luke (Luke 5:33) also indicates that this conversation immediately followed the preceding (for the whole connection see on "Matthew 9:2"). Luke represents the Pharisees, to whom Jesus had been speaking just before, as asking the question; Matthew has the disciples of John asking him, and Mark (Mark 2:18) says that both came and asked, and thus suggests a way in which many similar "discrepancies" may be explained. The questioners do not venture directly to find fault with Jesus himself. (Compare Matthew 9:11) Who are these disciples of John, who in respect to fasting resemble the Pharisees rather than the disciples of Jesus? It was the design of John's ministry (compare on Matthew 3:1) to bring men to believe on Jesus as coming, and to follow him when he came; and he took great pains to prevent the people from regarding himself as the Messiah. (John 1:20, John 3:28-30, Acts 19:4) Yet there were some who, failing to follow out their master's teachings, felt jealous of the growing influence of Jesus, (John 3:26) and continued to hold exclusively to John; and in the second century we find heretics who maintained that John was the Messiah. How many there were at this time who kept themselves aloof from Jesus, and were simply disciples of John, and what were their
- 97. precise views, wehave no means of determining. As to their fasting frequently, like the Pharisees, (Luke 18:12) it is enough to understand that they had not really changed from the prevailing Jewish opinions and practices. Even among the Jewish Christians addressed in the Epistle of James we find many characteristic Jewish errors and evil practices. It is possible, besides, that these disciples of John found encouragement to fasting in that self-denying mode of life which John pursued for special reason. It seems likely from Mark 2:18 that they were for some reason fasting at this particular time; it may have been one of their regular days of fasting, or it may possibly have been from grief at John's long-continued imprisonment.(1). Jerome: "The disciples of John were certainly to blame, in calumniating him whom they knew to have been proclaimed by their teacher, and joining the Pharisees whom they knew to have been condemned by John."—The strict Jews not only fasted very often, but in many cases on very trivial occasions. The Talmud of Jerus, speaks of one rabbi as fasting four-score times to see another; and of a second who fasted three hundred times to see the same person, and did not see him at last. 15 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast. CLARKE, "Can the children of the bride-chamber - Νυµφωνος. Or, νυµφιου, bridegroom, as the Cod. Bezae and several versions have it. These persons were the companions of the bridegroom, who accompanied him to the house of his father-in-law when he went to bring the bride to his own home. The marriage-feast among the Jews lasted seven days; but the new married woman was considered to be a bride for thirty days. Marriage feasts were times of extraordinary festivity, and even of riot, among several people of the east. When the bridegroom shall be taken from them, etc. - There was one annual fast observed in the primitive Church, called by our ancestors the spring fast, and, by us, Lent; by the Greeks τεσσερακο̣η, and by the Latins, Quadrigessima. This fast is pretended to be kept by many, in the present day, in commemoration of our Lord’s forty days’ fast in the wilderness; but it does not appear that, in the purest ages of the primitive Church, genuine Christians ever pretended that their quadrigessimal fast was kept for the above purpose. Their fast was kept merely to commemorate the time during which Jesus Christ lay under the power of death, which was about Forty Hours; and it was in this sense they understood the words of this text: the days will come, etc. With them, the bridegroom meant Christ: the time in which he was taken away, his crucifixion, death, and the time he lay in the grave. Suppose him dying about twelve
- 98. o’clock on whatis called Friday, and that he rose about four on the morning of his own day, (St. John says, Early, while it was yet dark, Mat_20:1), the interim makes forty hours, which was the true primitive Lent, or quadrigessimal fast. It is true that many in the primitive Church were not agreed on this subject, as Socrates, in his Church History, book v. chap. 22, says, “Some thought they should fast one day; others two; others more.” Different Churches also were divided concerning the length of the time, some keeping it three, others five, and others seven weeks; and the historian himself is puzzled to know why they all agreed in calling these fasts, differing so much in their duration, by the name of Quadrigessima, or forty days’ fast: the plain obvious reason appears to me to have been simply this: They put Days in the place of Hours; and this absurdity continues in some Christian Churches to the present day. For more on fasting, see Mat_6:16. GILL, "And Jesus said unto them,.... To the disciples of John, the Pharisees being present, who both have here a full answer; though it seems to be especially directed to the former: can the children of the bride chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom, is with them? By the "bridegroom" Christ means himself, who stands in such a relation to his church, and to all, believers; whom he secretly betrothed to himself from all eternity, in the covenant of grace; and openly espouses in the effectual calling; and will still do it in a more public manner at the last day John, the master of those men, who put the question to Christ, had acknowledged him under this character, Joh_3:29 and therefore they ought to own it as belonging to him; so that the argument upon it came with the greater force to them. By "the children of the bride chamber" are meant the disciples, who were the friends of the bridegroom, as John also says he was; and therefore rejoiced at hearing his voice, as these did, and ought to do; their present situation, having the presence of Christ the bridegroom with them, required mirth and not mourning, John, their master, being witness. The allusion is to a nuptial solemnity, which is a time of joy and feasting, and not of sorrow and fasting; when both bride and bridegroom have their friends attending them, who used to be called החופה ,בני "the children of the bride chamber". The bride had her maidens waiting on her; and it is said (i), "she did not go into the bridechamber but with them; and these are called, חופתא ,בני "the children of the bride chamber".'' So the young men that were the friends of the bridegroom, which attended him, were called by the same name; and, according to the Jewish canons, were free from many things they were otherwise obliged to: thus it is said (k): "the bridegroom, his friends, and all החופה ,בני "the children of the bride chamber", are free from the booth all the seven days;'' that is, from dwelling in booths at the feast of tabernacles, which was too strait a place for such festival solemnities. And again, "the bridegroom, his friends, and all החופה ,בני "the children of the bride chamber", are free from prayer and the phylacteries;''
- 99. that is, fromobserving the stated times of attending to these things, and much more then were they excused from fasting and mourning; so that the Pharisees had an answer sufficient to silence them, agreeably to their own traditions. Give me leave to transcribe one passage more, for the illustration of this text (l). "When R. Lazar ben Arach opened, in the business of Mercava, (the visions in the beginning of Ezekiel,) Rabban Jochanan ben Zaccai alighted from his ass; for he said it is not fit I should hear the glory of my Creator, and ride upon an ass: they went, and sat under a certain tree, and fire came down from heaven and surrounded them; and the ministering angels leaped before them, חופה ,כבני "as the children of the bride chamber" rejoice before the bridegroom.'' The time of Christ's being with his disciples, between his entrance on his public ministry, and his death, is the time here referred to, during which the disciples had very little care and trouble: this was their rejoicing time, and there was a great deal of reason for it; they had no occasion to fast and mourn; and indeed the Jews themselves say (m), that "all fasts shall cease in the days of the Messiah; and there shall be no more but good days, and days of joy and rejoicing, as it is said, Zec_8:19.'' But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; in a forcible manner, and put to death, as he was; and then shall they fast and mourn, and be in great distress, as John's disciples now were, on account of their master being in prison. HE RY, "Two things Christ pleads in defence of their not fasting. 1. That it was not a season proper for that duty (Mat_9:15): Can the children of the bride-chamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? Observe, Christ's answer is so framed, as that it might sufficiently justify the practice of his own disciples, and yet not condemn the institution of John, or the practice of his disciples. When the Pharisees fomented this dispute, they hoped Christ would cast blame, either on his own disciples, or on John's, but he did neither. Note, When at any time we are unjustly censured, our care must be only to clear ourselves, not to recriminate, or throw dirt upon others; and such a variety may there be of circumstances, as may justify us in our practice, without condemning those that practise otherwise. Now his argument is taken from the common usage of joy and rejoicing during the continuance of marriage solemnities; when all instances of melancholy and sorrow are looked upon as improper and absurd, as it was at Samson's wedding, Jdg_14:17. Now, (1.) The disciples of Christ were the children of the bride-chamber, invited to the wedding-feast, and welcome there; the disciples of the Pharisees were not so, but children of the bond-woman (Gal_4:25, Gal_4:31), continuing under a dispensation of darkness and terror. Note, The faithful followers of Christ, who have the Spirit of adoption, have a continual feast, while they who have the spirit of bondage and fear, cannot rejoice for joy, as other people, Hos_9:1. (2.) The disciples of Christ had the bridegroom with them, which the disciples of John had not; their master was now cast into prison, and lay there in continual danger of his life, and therefore it was seasonable for them to fast often. Such a day would come upon the disciples of Christ, when the bridegroom should be taken from them, when they should be deprived of his bodily presence, and then should they fast. The thoughts of parting grieved them when he was
- 100. going, Joh_16:6. Tribulationand affliction befell them when he was gone, and gave them occasion of mourning and praying, that is, of religious fasting. Note, [1.] Jesus Christ is the Bridegroom of his Church, and his disciples are the children of the bride-chamber. Christ speaks of himself to John's disciples under this similitude, because that John had used it, when he called himself a friend of the bridegroom, Joh_3:29. And if they would by this hint call to mind what their master then said, they would answer themselves. [2.] The condition of those who are the children of the bride-chamber is liable to many changes and alterations in this world; they sing of mercy and judgment. [3.] It is merry or melancholy with the children of the bride-chamber, according as they have more or less of the bridegroom's presence. When he is with them, the candle of God shines upon their head, and all is well; but when he is withdrawn, though but for a small moment, they are troubled, and walk heavily; the presence and nearness of the sun makes day and summer, his absence and distance, night and winter. Christ is all in all to the church's joy. [4.] Every duty is to be done in its proper season. See Ecc_7:14; Jam_5:13. There is a time to mourn and a time to laugh, to each of which we should accommodate ourselves, and bring forth fruit in due season. In fasts, regard is to be had to the methods of God's grace towards us; when he mourns to us, we must lament; and also to the dispensations of his providence concerning us; there are times when the Lord God calls to weeping and mourning; regard is likewise to be had to any special work before us, Mat_17:21; Act_13:2. COFFMAN, "This was an answer calculated to convince John's disciples, because John had already identified Jesus as the bridegroom, saying, "He that hath the bride is the bridegroom" (John 3:29). There is heavenly genius in this answer of Christ. The habit of the Pharisees of indulging every appetite, to the point of gluttony and drunkenness, at a wedding, makes this a center shot. Since Christ is the bridegroom, THIS IS A WEDDING (in a spiritual sense)! It is likely that this reply was greeted with howls of laughter. Yet there is a tragic note here also. The holy bridegroom will be "taken away from them," that is, MURDERED by these same pious hypocrites who were so solicitous about the strict observances of their petty fasts. SBC, "Use of Observances. I. It seems at first sight as if a spiritual religion would dispense with observances altogether. And there is a sense in which this is the case always, and there are occasions on which all observances are dispensed with altogether. For it is undeniable that observances must be secondary, and if they are elevated into the first rank they are out of place. So St. Paul tells the Galatians that he is afraid of them, because they observe days and months, and times and years. And the whole tenour of his teaching corresponds, and perpetually reminds us of his own saying, "Having begun in the spirit, are ye now made perfect in the flesh?" In his day and in his circumstances there was plainly something which made him throw his chief weight into the scale against all observances. II. Our Lord, however, in answering the question of the Pharisees, why His disciples did not fast, gives us the precise measure of all such observances. If we had the Bridegroom always with us, we should never need them. But the Bridegroom leaves us sometimes, and then we cannot do without them. He has left us, and the Church has found just what He predicted, that much which was needless while He stayed became needful when He was gone. The Church found that she must do what our Lord implied that she would have to do, provide for the needs of human nature in the ordinary fashion, and make rules to keep alive the warmth and power of faith, just as rules are made for the purposes
- 101. of any ordinaryhuman society. We are tempted to fancy that these observances must be a hindrance, not a help; that what is wanted are power, and life, and passion, not recurring seasons, and reminders of great events, and services in due order. But it is not so. Life and power are wanted; but they are not hindered by the rules of religious life; and meanwhile those very rules often aid them in their weakness. What is true of the Church is true of each one of us. Observances have two uses for every soul. If the Lord be absent, it is by them that we seek Him. If the Lord be present, it is by them that we meet Him. Bishop Temple, Rugby Sermons, 2nd series, p. 131. BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR, "Can the children of the bride-chamber mourn? The joy of the Jesus circle “The children of the bride-chamber,” how much this name tells us as to the spirit that reigns in the Jesus circle. Like a wedding party. This bliss was not an accident, or an affair of temperament. It was the natural effulgence of the new life imparted to those who joined the society of Jesus. Christ was a man of joy. He had (1) the joy of his vocation. (2) The joy of one whose religion is an original thing, a fountain of fresh intuitions of truth. Sweet after the routine of religious mechanism. Into these joys of Jesus the twelve more or less entered. 1. They had the joy of fresh religious intuitions. 2. The joy of spiritual freedom. (A. B. Bruce, D. D.) Right response to circumstances Let there be liberty in God while there may; girding up in ourselves, by forced exercise and discipline, when there must; let the soul go by inspiration when the gale of the Spirit is in it, anti when it has any way stifled or lost the Spirit, let it put itself down upon duty by the will; when the Divine movement is upon it, let it have its festal day with the bridegroom, and when the better presence fades or vanishes, let it set itself to ways of self-compulsion, moving from its own human centre. (Horace Bushnell, D. D.) Liberty and Discipline We may figure in a certain coarse analogy, that we live in a city having two supplies of water for its aqueduct: one upon high ground back of it, whence the water runs down freely along the inclinations of the surfaces; and the other in some lake or river on its front; whence, in case that fails, or the ducts give way, a supply is to be received by forcing, or the dead lift of the pump. (Horace Bushnell, D. D.) Spiritual espousals With Messiah begins the holy union between the soul and God, so often declared by the prophets. The first hour of spiritual espousals must needs he one of joy. A sorrowful
- 102. moment will sooncome; there are sure tokens of it already in the malice of the rulers of the hierarchy, ready to break forth on every occasion. (E. de Pressense, D. D.) Putting ourselves in position for God The navigator of a ship does nothing for the voyage, save what he does by setting the ship to her courses, and her sails to the wind. A seed must have position, else it cannot grow; if it is laid on a rock, or buried in sand, or sunk in water, or frozen up in ice, it will be inert as a stone; but in good warm soil, and sun, and rain, and dew, it will quicken easily enough, because it is in position. A tree will die out of position, a clock will stop out of position, a plough wants holding, a saw wants guiding, a compass wants setting; nothing in the world works rightly that has not position given it. (H. Bushnell, D. D.) CALVI , "15.Can the children of the bridegroom mourn? Christ apologizes for his disciples on the score of the season, alleging that God was still pleased to indulge them in joyous feelings, as if they were present at a marriage: for he compares himself to the bridegroom, who enlivens his friends by his presence. Chrysostom thinks that this comparison was taken from the testimony of John the Baptist, He that hath the bride is the bridegroom, (John 3:29.) I have no objection to that view, though I do not think that it rests on solid grounds. Let us be satisfied with Christ’s declaration, that he spares his disciples, and treats them with gentleness, so long as he is with them. That none may envy them advantages which are of short duration, he gives warning that they will very soon be treated with greater harshness and severity. The apology rests on this consideration, that fasting and prayers are adapted to sorrow and adversity: extraordinary prayers I mean, such as are here mentioned. Christ certainly intended to accustom them, by degrees, to greater patience, and not to lay on them a heavy burden, till they gained more strength. Hence we ought to learn a twofold instruction. When the Lord sometimes endures the weakness of our brethren, and acts towards them with gentleness, while he treats us with greater severity, we have no right to murmur. Again, when we sometimes obtain relief from sorrow and from vexations, let us beware of giving ourselves up to enjoyments; but let us, on the contrary, remember that the nuptials will not always last. The children of the bridegroom, or of the nuptial bed, is a Hebrew phrase, which denotes the guests at a marriage. (524) ISBET, "RELIGIOUS OBSERVA CES ‘Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.’ Matthew 9:15 Observances must be secondary. So St. Paul tells the Galatians that he is afraid of
- 103. them, because theyobserve days and months, and times and years. In his day and in his circumstances there was plainly something which made him throw his chief weight into the scale against all observances. I. The reason of observances.—Our Lord, in answering the question of the Pharisees, why His disciples did not fast, gives us the precise measure of all such observances. If we had the Bridegroom always with us, we should never need them. But the Bridegroom leaves us sometimes, and then we cannot do without them. He has left us, and the Church has found just what He predicted, that much which was needless while He stayed became needful when He was gone. II. The Church needs them.—The Church found that she must do what our Lord implied that she would have to do, provide for the needs of human nature in the ordinary fashion, and make rules to keep alive the warmth and power of faith, just as rules are made for the purposes of any ordinary human society. We are tempted to fancy that these observances must be a hindrance, not a help; that what is wanted are power, and life, and passion, not recurring seasons, and reminders of great events, and services in due order. But it is not so. Life and power are wanted; but they are not hindered by the rules of religious life; and meanwhile those very rules often aid them in their weakness. III. Individuals need them.—What is true of the Church is true of each one of us. Observances have two uses for every soul. If the Lord be absent, it is by them that we seek Him. If the Lord be present, it is by them that we meet Him. Archbishop Temple. BROADUS, "Matthew 9:15. The reply of Jesus is conveyed by three illustrations. (Matthew 9:15-16, Matthew 9:17) Luke (Luke 5:39) has a fourth. The children(sons) of the bride chamber. The term 'son' is employed, as explained on Matthew 8:12, strongly to express the idea of intimate relation to the object mentioned, but in what precise sense must in every particular expression be determined by the nature of the case. Here it denotes (Edersheim) the guests invited to a wedding, while "friends of the bridegroom" meant his special attendants. (See Jud Matthew 14:11, John 3:29) The festivities were commonly prolonged during a week. (See on "Matthew 25:1 ff.") The word rendered can is so placed as to be emphatic: can it be, in the nature of things? And the Greek has the peculiar particle which denotes that a negative answer is taken for granted. The Talmud declares that the bridegroom, his personal friends, and the sons of the bride-chamber, were free from the obligation to dwell in booths during the Feast of Tabernacles—these being unsuited to their festivities; and were not expected to attend to the stated prayers. This shows how natural and probable, according to the prevailing ideas and usages, was our Lord's illustration. Already in prophecy had the Messiah been spoken of as a bridegroom; (Psalms 45, etc.) and John the Baptist had employed a figure drawn from the nuptial ceremonies as setting forth his own relation to Jesus; (John 3:29) so that in answering John's disciples this image was all the more appropriate. But the days will come when the
- 104. bridegroom shall betaken I away from them—and then shall they fast. The term 'will come' is so placed as to be emphatic. For "when" read whenever, which will indicate that the time of his being taken away is uncertain; this is the first instance recorded in Matthew of our Lord's alluding to his death. Fasting is naturally and properly an expression of grief, and therefore unnatural and unsuitable at a time of great joy. Such a time was this when the disciples were delighting in their Teacher's presence. But there was coming a time when it would be natural for them to grieve, and therefore appropriate to fast. The immediate reference is to the grief which would be felt by his disciples at the time of his death. After his resurrection, ascension, and glorious exaltation, their sorrow was turned into joy again. (John 16:22 ff.; Acts 2:32-36, Acts 3:13 ff., etc.) Yet often afterwards, and often ever since, have his followers grieved over his absence and longed for his coming again; so that the time for fasting still continues. By this illustration our Lord teaches that fasting is not to be regarded or observed as an arbitrary,"positive" institution, but as a thing having natural grounds, and to be practised or not, according to the dictates of natural feeling as growing out of the circumstances in which we find ourselves. In some situations it is appropriate and may be made beneficial; in others, it is out of place. We have no evidence that Jesus ever fasted himself, except in the quite extraordinary case of the forty days; (for Matthew 17:21 is a spurious passage) but we know that the apostles and other Christians of their time fasted upon special occasion. (Acts 13:2, Acts 14:23, 1 Corinthians 11:27) The principle here laid down cuts at the root of fasting as a regulated observance, leaving it to be done or omitted, not indeed according to accidental or momentary impulse, but according as it is most suitable under the circumstances and likely to do good. (Compare on Matthew 6:16-18) 16 “ o one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse. BAR ES, "No man putteth a piece of new cloth ... - A second illustration was drawn from a well-known fact, showing also that there was “a propriety or fitness of things.” None of you, says he, in mending an old garment, would take a piece of entire new cloth. There would be a waste in it. An old piece, or a piece like the garment, would be better. The word here translated “new,” in the original means “rude, undressed, not fulled” by the cloth-dresser. In this state, if applied to an old garment, and if wet, it would “contract” and draw off a part of the garment to which it was attached, and thus make the rent worse than it was. So, says he, my “new” doctrines do not match with the old rites of the Pharisees. There is a fitness of things. Their doctrines require much fasting. In my system it would be incongruous; and if my new doctrines were to be attached to
- 105. their old ones,it would only make the matter worse. CLARKE, "No man putteth a piece of new cloth - Ουδεις δε επιβαλλει επιβληµα ρακους αγναφου επι ιµατιω παλαιω. No man putteth a patch of unscoured cloth upon an old garment. This is the most literal translation I can give of this verse, to convey its meaning to those who cannot consult the original. Ρακος αγναφον is that cloth which has not been scoured, or which has not passed under the hand of the fuller, who is called γναφευς in Greek: and επιβληµα signifies a piece put on, or what we commonly term a patch. It - taketh from the garment - Instead of closing up the rent, it makes a larger, by tearing away with it the whole breadth of the cloth over which it was laid; αιρει γαρ το πληρωµα αυτου - it taketh its fullness or whole breadth from the garment; this I am persuaded is the meaning of the original, well expressed by the Latin, or Itala of the C. Bezae, Tollit enim plenitudo ejus de vestimento. “It takes away its fullness from the garment.” GILL, "No man putteth a piece of new cloth,.... These words are, by Luk_5:36 called a "parable", as are those in the following verse; and both are commonly interpreted of the unreasonableness and danger of putting young disciples upon severe exercises of religion, as fasting, &c: and it is true, that young converts are to be tenderly dealt with, as they are by Father, Son, and Spirit, as the disciples were by Christ, and the first Christians were by the apostles: and some things in these parables may seem to agree; as that these austerities should be represented as "new", and as burdensome and troublesome, and the disciples as weak, and easily staggered: but then there are others that will not bear; as that the disciples should be compared to "old garments, and old bottles"; when they were "young" converts, and men "renewed" by the Spirit and grace of God, and had on the beautiful robe of Christ's righteousness; and that such severe exercises, under the notion of religion, should be signified by "new wine", which generally designs something pleasant and agreeable: nor were the disciples unable to bear such severities, who very probably had been trained up in them, and been used to them before their conversion; and could now as well have bore them as John's disciples, or the Pharisees, had they been proper and necessary; but the true reason why they were not required of them, was not their weakness, or danger of falling off, and perishing, of which there were none; but because it was unsuitable to their present situation, the bridegroom being with them. But our Lord, in this parable of putting "a piece of new", or "undressed cloth", such as has never passed through the fuller's hands, and so unfit to mend with, unto an old garment, refers not only to the fastings of the Pharisees, but to their other traditions of the elders, which they held; as such that respected their eating, drinking, and conversing with other persons mentioned in the context, and which observances they joined with their moral performances; on account of which, they looked upon themselves as very righteous persons, and all others as sinners: and to expose their folly, Christ delivers this parable. Wherefore, by "the old garment", I apprehend, is meant their moral and legal righteousness, or their obedience to the moral and ceremonial laws, which was very imperfect, as well as impure, and might be rightly called "filthy rags"; or be compared to an old worn out garment, filthy and loathsome, torn, and full of
- 106. holes, which cannotkeep a person warm, nor screen him from the weather, and so old that it cannot be mended. And by the "piece of new cloth", or "garment", put unto it, or sewed upon it, are intended the traditions of the elders, these men were so fond of, concerning eating, and drinking, and fasting, and hundreds of other things, very idle and trifling, and which were new and upstart notions. Now, by putting, or sewing the new cloth to their old garment, is designed, their joining their observance of these traditions to their other duties of religion, to make up a justifying righteousness before God; but in vain, and to no purpose. Their old garment of their own works, in obedience to the laws of God, moral and ceremonial, was full bad enough of itself; but became abundantly worse, by joining this new piece of men's own devising to it; for that which is put in to fill it up, taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse: their new obedience to the traditions of men, making void the law of God, instead of mending, marred their righteousness, and left them in a worse condition than it found them: and besides, as it is in Luke, "the piece that was taken out of the new, agreeth not with the old"; there being no more likeness between the observance of the commandments of men, and obedience to the laws of God, than there is between a piece of new undressed cloth, that has never been washed and worn, and an old worn out garment. Much such a foolish part do those men under the Gospel dispensation act, who join the righteousness of Christ, or a part of it, with their own, in order to make up a justifying righteousness before God; for Christ's righteousness is the only justifying righteousness; it is whole and perfect, and needs nothing to be added to it, nor can it be parted, any more than his seamless coat was; nor a piece taken out of it: nor is there any justification by works, either in whole or in part; the old garment of man's righteousness must be thrown away, in point of justification; it cannot be mended in such a manner; and if any attempts are made in this way, the rent becomes worse: such persons, instead of being justified, are in a worse condition; for they not only set up, and exalt their own righteousness, which is criminal, but disparage the righteousness of Christ as imperfect, by joining it to their's; and whilst they fancy themselves in a good state, are in a most miserable one; harlots and publicans being nearer the kingdom of heaven than these, and enter into it before them; self-righteous persons are more hardly, and with greater difficulty convinced, than such sinners. Moreover, nothing is more disagreeable than such a patch work; Christ's righteousness and a man's own bear no likeness to one another; and such a patched garment must ill become the character and dignity of a saint, a child of God, an heir of heaven. COFFMAN, "The illustration in this place is simply that of trying to patch an old garment with a piece of new, that is, unshrunken, cloth which, if attempted, would prove unavailing as soon as the garment was washed. The shrinkage of the new piece would tear itself out and the rent be made worse. The application is that Jesus did not come to apply Christianity as a new patch upon the old garment of Judaism. Christianity was not designed as an addition to Judaism, not as a patch upon an old system, but as an excitingly new and different religion altogether. HE RY, "2. That they had not strength sufficient for that duty. This is set forth in two similitudes, one of putting new cloth into an old garment, which does but pull the old to pieces (Mat_9:16); the other of putting new wine into old bottles, which does but burst the bottles, Mat_9:17. Christ's disciples were not able to bear these severe exercises so well as those of John and of the Pharisees, which the learned Dr. Whitby gives this reason for: There were among the Jews not only sects of the Pharisees and Essenes, who led an austere life, but also schools of the prophets, who frequently lived in
- 107. mountains and deserts,and were many of them Nazarites; they had also private academies to train men up in a strict discipline; and possibly from these many of John's disciples might come, and many of the Pharisees; whereas Christ's disciples, being taken immediately from their callings, had not been used to such religious austerities, and were unfit for them, and would by them be rather unfitted for their other work. Note, (1.) Some duties of religion are harder and more difficult than others, like new cloth and new wine, which require most intenseness of mind, and are most displeasing to flesh and blood; such are religious fasting and the duties that attend it. (2.) The best of Christ's disciples pass through a state of infancy; all the trees in Christ's garden are not of a growth, nor all his scholars in the same form; there are babes in Christ and grown men. (3.) In the enjoining of religious exercises, the weakness and infirmity of young Christians ought to be considered: as the food provided for them must be such as is proper for their age (1Co_3:2; Heb_5:12), so must the work be that is cut out for them. Christ would not speak to his disciples that which they could not then bear, Joh_16:12. Young beginners in religion must not be put upon the hardest duties at first, lest they be discouraged. Such as was God's care of his Israel, when he brought them out of Egypt, not to lead them by the way of the Philistines (Exo_13:17, Exo_13:18), and such as was Jacob's care of his children and cattle, not to overdrive them (Gen_33:13), such is Christ's care of the little ones of his family, and the lambs of his flock: he gently leads them. For want of this care, many times, the bottles break, and the wine is spilled; the profession of many miscarries and comes to nothing, through indiscretion at first. Note, There may be over-doing even in well-doing, a being righteous over-much; and such an over-doing as may prove an undoing through the subtlety of Satan. BARCLAY, "The Problem Of The New Idea (Matthew 9:16-17) 9:16-17 "No one puts a patch of unshrunken cloth on an old garment, for, if he does, the patch which he uses to fill in the hole tears the garment apart, and the rent is worse than ever. No one puts new wine into old wine-skins. If he does, the wine-skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins perish; but they put new wine into new skins, and both are preserved." Jesus perfectly conscious that he came to men with new ideas and with a new conception of the truth, and he was well aware how difficult it is to get a new idea into men's minds. So he used two pictures which any Jew would understand. (i) "No one," he said, "takes a piece of new and unshrunken cloth to patch an old garment. If he does, on the first occasion the garment becomes wet, the new patch shrinks, and as it shrinks, it tears the cloth apart, and the rent in the garment gapes wider than ever." The Jews were passionately attached to things as they were. The Law was to them God's last and final word; to add one word to it, or to subtract one word from it, was a deadly sin. It was the avowed object of the Scribes and Pharisees "to build a fence around the Law." To them a new idea was not so much a mistake as a sin. That spirit is by no means dead. Very often in a church, if a new idea or a new method or any change is suggested, the objection is promptly raised, "We never did that before."
- 108. I once heardtwo theologians talking together. One was a younger man who was intensely interested in all that the new thinkers have to say; the other was an older man of a rigid and conventional orthodoxy. The older man heard the young man with a kind of half-contemptuous tolerance, and finally closed the conversation by saying, "The old is better." Throughout all its history the Church has clung to the old. What Jesus is saying is that there comes a time when patching is folly, and when the only thing to do is to scrap something entirely and to begin again. There are forms of church government, there are forms of church service, there are forms of words expressing our beliefs, which we so often try to adjust and tinker with in order to bring them up to date; we try to patch them. No one would willingly, or recklessly, or callously abandon what has stood the test of time and of the years and in which former generations have found their comfort and put their trust; but the fact remains that this is a growing and an expanding universe; and there comes a time when patches are useless, and when a man and a church have to accept the adventure of the new, or withdraw into the backwater, where they worship, not God, but the past. (ii) No one, said Jesus, tries to put new wine into old wine-skins. In the old days men stored their wine in skins, and not in bottles. When new wine was put into a skin, the wine was still fermenting. The gases it gave off exerted pressure on the skin. In a new skin there was a certain elasticity, and no harm was done because the skin gave with the pressure. But an old skin had grown hard, and had lost all its elasticity, and, if new and fermenting wine was put into it, it could not give to the pressure of the gases; it could only burst. To put this into contemporary terms: our minds must be elastic enough to receive and to contain new ideas. The history of progress is the history of the overcoming of the prejudices of the shut mind. Every new idea has had to battle for its existence against the instinctive opposition of the human mind. The motor car, the railway train, the aeroplane were in the beginning regarded with suspicion. Simpson had to fight to introduce chloroform, and Lister had to struggle to introduce antiseptics. Copernicus was compelled to retract his statement that the earth went round the sun, and not the sun round the earth. Even Jonas Hanway, who brought the umbrella to this country, had to suffer a barrage of missiles and insults when he first walked down the street with it. This dislike of the new enters into every sphere of life. Norman Marlow, an expert on railways, made many journeys on the footplate of locomotives. In his book Footplate and Signal Cabin he tells of a journey he made not long after the amalgamation of the railways. Locomotives which had been used on one branch of the railways were being tested out on other lines. He was on the footplate of a Manchester to Penzance express, a "Jubilee" class 4-6-0. The driver was a Great Western Railway driver who had been used to driving locomotives of the "Castle" class. "The driver did nothing but discourse with moody eloquence on the wretchedness of the engine he was driving" as compared with the "Castle" engines. He refused to use the technique necessary for the new engine, although he had been instructed in it, and knew it perfectly well. He insisted on driving his "Jubilee" as if it had been a "Castle" and grumbled all the way that he could not get better speed than 50 miles an hour. He was used to "Castles" and with him nothing else had a chance. At Crewe a new driver took over, a man who was quite prepared to adopt
- 109. the necessary newtechnique, and soon he had the "Jubilee" travelling at 80 miles per hour. Even in engine-driving men resented new ideas. Within the Church this resentment of the new is chronic, and the attempt to pour new things into old moulds is almost universal. We attempt to pour the activities of a modem congregation into an ancient church building which was never meant for them. We attempt to pour the truth of new discoveries into creeds which are based on Greek metaphysics. We attempt to pour modern instruction into outworn language which cannot express it. We read God's word to twentieth century men and women in Elizabethan English, and seek to present the needs of the twentieth century man and woman to God in prayer language which is four hundred years old. It may be that we would do well to remember that when any living thing stops growing, it starts dying. It may be that we need to pray that God would deliver us from the shut mind. It so happens that we are living in an age of rapid and tremendous changes. Viscount Samuel was born in 1870, and he begins his autobiography with a description of the London of his childhood. "We had no motor-cars, or motor-buses, or taxis, or tube railways; there were no bicycles except the high 'pennyfarthings'; there were no electric light or telephones, no cinemas or broadcasts." That was just a century ago. We are living in a changing and an expanding world. It is Jesus' warning that the Church dare not be the only institution which lives in the past. BROADUS, "Matthew 9:16 f. Regulated fasting, though enjoined by Moses only on the occasion of the Day of Atonement (Luke 16:29), yet was now frequently practised among the Jews, and quite in accordance with the distinctive spirit of the Old Dispensation. But it did not suit the spirit of the gospel; and our Lord shows, by two homely and striking illustrations, how incongruous and injurious would be the connection with the new of what was peculiar to the old. Luke (Luke 5:36) calls this a 'parable,' i. e., comparison for the purpose of illustration. The parables of the Gospel are usually in the form of narrative, but not necessarily. (See on "Matthew 13:3".) No man putteth, etc.,— literally, patches, a patch of an unfilled piece (i.e., fragment of cloth) upon an old garment. The word rendered garment is here naturally taken in the general sense, and not to denote simply the outer garment. (Matthew 5:40, Matthew 9:20) What is meant is not simply new cloth, for that is often used for patching, but cloth which has not been completely dressed. A part of the process of preparing woollen cloth for use consists in shrinking it, and a patch of 'unfilled' cloth, not duly shrunk, would contract the first time it should become wet, and as the older and weaker cloth all around must then give way, the result would be a worse rent. We must remember that Jewish garments of that day were usually all wool; and if unfilled, would shrink almost like our flannel. Mark's statement of the comparison (Mark 2:21) is almost identical with this. Luke (Luke 5:36) gives it in quite a different form, though the general purport is the same. Neither do men put, literally, they, the usual impersonal expression, see on "Matthew 5:11". Into old bottles—or, skins. The Greek word signifies properly and exclusively skins for containing liquids, such as the Orientals, ancient and modern, have largely employed. The skin is usually that of a goat or kid, which is tough and light. The head and feet of the animal being removed, the skin is stripped off whole. It is then sometimes tanned in a peculiar way to prevent a disagreeable taste, and the orifices are tied up, leaving one
- 110. leg or theneck as the opening. The hairy side is of course outward. These skins are habitually used for transporting liquids, such as wine, water, milk, oil, and are admirably adapted to that purpose. Every traveller, in Egypt or Palestine, often sees them, and sometimes drinks water from them. They are mentioned by Homer and other classical writers, and in various passages of the Old Testament Both in ancient and modern times, larger vessels have sometimes been prepared of the skin of the ox or the camel. However preserved, these skins would of course become hard as they grew old, liable to crack and burst, through the fermentation of new wine. (Compare Psalms 119:83, Job 32:19) It is a mistake to suppose that the Jews had no other vessels for holding liquids than these skins. Vessels of metal, as gold, of earthenware, even fine porcelain, of stone, and alabaster, and of variously coloured glass, were in use among the Egyptians from an early period, and most of them among the Greeks, Etruscans, and Assyrians; and the Jews, especially in New Testament times, would no doubt import and use them. (Compare Matthew 26:7; Jeremiah 19:1; Lamentations 4:2) This second illustration is to the same effect as that in Matthew 9:16; just as we often find a pair of parables, in Matthew 13, and elsewhere. Both are drawn, as is usual in our Lord's comparisons, from matters of common observation and experience. The "spiritualizing" as to what the 'skins' represent, and what the 'wine'—what the 'garment' stands for, and what the 'patch,' is wholly unwarranted, (See on "Matthew 13:3".) We have simply a vivid illustration of the general truth that the combination of the Old and the New Dispensations would be not merely unsuitable but injurious, tending to defeat, rather than to promote, the aims of the Messianic Dispensation. And in the second case there is added the positive statement, but they put new wine into new bottles, etc., showing (Meyer) that a new life needs new forms. While the principle here illustrated was introduced with regard to fasting, it is obviously of wider application, extending to everything in which the two dispensations characteristically differ; and the great mass of the Christian world, from an early period, has sadly exhibited the evil results of disregarding this principle. They would, notwithstanding this and numerous other warnings, connect Levitical rites with Christianity. The simple preacher and pastor must be regarded as a priest, and spiritual blessings must depend on his mediation, as if it were not true that all Christians are priests, and all alike have access through the one Mediator. The simple memento of the Saviour's death must be a sacrifice, offered by the priest for men's sins. Numerous religious festivals and stated fasts must be established and enjoined, tending to make religion a thing only of special seasons. The buildings in which Christians meet to worship must be consecrated as being holy ground, like the temple, land splendid rites, in imitation of the temple worship, must lead men's minds away from the simple and sublime spirituality of that worship which the gospel teaches. With good motives, no doubt, on the part of many, was this jumble of Judaism and Christianity introduced, and with good motives do many retain it; but none the less is it the very kind of thing the Saviour here condemned; and with results as ruinous as he declared. It is not strange that Chrysostom and his followers (Theopbyl., Eutbym.), and Jerome, practising a Judaized Christianity, were unable to understand this passage. BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR, "A piece of new cloth unto an old garment. Christ the great Innovator The boldness with which Christ asserted the novelty of Christianity. His was not the apologetic, half-hearted tone, so common amongst those who have some thing fresh to tell the world. I. In what respect was the gospel of Jesus new?
- 111. 1. In itsidea of God. Jesus was the first to teach effectively the Fatherhood of God. The legal idea of God fell into desuetude. The old Jewish view of God was as an exactor; the new God of Jesus was a giver. 2. Along with the new idea of God came naturally a new conception of the kingdom of God; rather than law, it was viewed as love. 3. These thoughts were accompanied by a new way of life, the typical feature of which was neglect of fasting, which meant a conscience freed from legal scrupulosity. II. The courage of Jesus was not less conspicuous than his originality in thought and conduct. 1. As He believed, so He spoke publicly, habitually. 2. He was equally unreserved in His action. 3. He was fearless in defence of His conduct when assailed. 4. The gloomy foreboding was not a mistaken one. The Bridegroom was taken from the sorrowing society. The duty arising out of these facts. To glorify Christ as the Maker of the new world. How is this to be done? I. By recognizing to the full extent the service rendered, by forming to ourselves a broad, comprehensive idea of the vast change introduced into the world by the action of our Saviour. 2. By becoming ourselves children of the new era, appreciating and using to the fall the liberty of a Christian man. (A. B. Bruce, D. D.) Religious patchwork It is wrong- I. In ritual. II. In theology. III. Is human character. 1. Disfigurement-“agreeth not.” 2. Injury “the rent is made worse.” (U. R. Thomas.) The parable of the new piece of cloth By an old garment I understand is meant a man’s own righteousness. It may be so compared. 1. Because it is old as Adam. 2. Because it is worn out. 3. It was once a new, good garment. 4. It needs mending. But why is righteousness compared to a garment?
- 112. 1. Because itis to cover nakedness. 2. Because it covers the shame of mankind. 3. Because of the usefulness of it. 4. In respect of ornament. 5. Because it tends to keep a man warm in winter. 6. It preserves from thorns and briars. (B. Keach.) CALVI , "16.And no man putteth a piece of fresh cloth. He supports the preceding statement by two comparisons, one of which is taken from garments, and the other from vessels of wine Those who think that he compares worn-out garments and decayed bottles to the Pharisees, and new wine and fresh cloth to the doctrine of the gospel, have no probability on their side. The comparison is beautifully adapted to the matter in hand, if we explain it as referring to the weak and tender disciples of Christ, and to a discipline more strict than they were able to bear. or is it of any consequence that the idea of being old does not agree with scholars who were only commencing: for, when Christ compares his disciples to old bottles and torn garments, he does not mean that they were wasted by long use, but that they were weak and wanted strength. The amount of the statement is, that all must not be compelled indiscriminately to live in the same manner, for there is a diversity of natural character, and all things are not suitable to all; and particularly, we ought to spare the weak, that they may not be broken by violence, or crushed by the weight of the burden. Our Lord speaks according to the custom of the country, when he uses the word bottles instead of tuns or casks (525) BE SO , "Matthew 9:16-17. No man putteth a piece of new cloth, &c. — Our Lord, having assigned one reason why he did not enjoin his disciples to fast, namely, because it was not a proper time for it, now proceeds to give another. They were not ripe, or prepared for it, nor could have borne such severe injunctions. As if he had said, Nor do I now think it fit to lay such rigorous commands upon them, but rather to accommodate their trials to their strength; even as when a man is repairing clothes, he will not sew a piece of new cloth on an old garment, but rather chooses what is a little worn, for otherwise it will be found that the new, which is put in, being stronger than the other, taketh from the garment, and the rent is increased. The original words, ρακος αγναφον, properly signify, “cloth that has not passed through the fuller’s hands, and which is consequently much harsher than what has been washed and worn; and therefore, yielding less than that, will tear away the edges to which it is sewed.” Neither do men put new wine into old bottles — Namely, bottles made of leather, then commonly used, as they are still in some countries. Else the bottles break — Such bottles, chiefly made of goats’ skins, when old, were not easily distended, and consequently would burst by the fermentation of new wine. But they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved — Thus our Lord would suit the doctrine he inculcated on his disciples, and the duties which he enjoined them, to their circumstances, and kindly proportion their work to their strength, with a tender regard to their weakness, till, by degrees, they should be fitted for more difficult and humbling services. “And from his example,” says Dr. Doddridge, “and the whole genius of his gospel, let us learn to make all proper allowances to those about us, that we may teach them, and train them up as they are able to bear it; not crushing them under any unnecessary load, nor denying them any indulgence which true friendship will permit us to grant them; lest the good ways of God should be misrepresented, disgraced, and abandoned, through our imprudent, though well-meaning
- 113. severity: a cautionto be peculiarly observed in our conduct toward young persons.” 17 either do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. o, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” BAR ES, "Neither do men put new wine ... - The third illustration was taken from wine put into bottles. Bottles, in Eastern nations, were made, and are still made, of skins of beasts. Generally the skin was taken entire from a sheep or a goat, and, properly prepared, was filled with wine or water. Such bottles are still used, because, in crossing deserts of sand, they have no other conveyances but camels, or other beasts of burden. It would be difficult for them to carry glass bottles or kegs on them. They therefore fill two skins, and fasten them together and lay them across the back of a camel, and thus carry wine or water to a great distance. These bottles were, of course, of different sizes, as the skins of kids, goats, or oxen might be used. Bruce describes particularly a bottle which he saw in Arabia, made in this manner of an ox-skin, which would hold 60 gallons, and two of which were a lead for a camel. By long usage, however, bottles of skins became tender and would be easily ruptured. New wine put into them would ferment, and swell and burst them open. New skins or bottles would yield to the fermenting wine, and be strong enough to hold it from bursting. So, says Christ, there is “fitness” or propriety of things. It is not “fit” that my doctrine should be attached to or connected with the old and corrupt doctrines of the Pharisees. New things should be put together, and made to match. This account of Eastern bottles may illustrate the following passages in the Bible: The Gibeonites took “wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up,” Jos_9:4. “My belly is ready to burst, like new bottles,” Job_32:19. “I am become like a bottle in the smoke,” Psa_ 119:83; i. e., like a bottle of skin hung up in a tent filled with smoke. CLARKE, "New wine into old bottles - It is still the custom, in the eastern countries, to make their bottles of goat skins: if these happened to be old, and new wine were put into them, the violence of the fermentation must necessarily burst them; and therefore newly made bottles were employed for the purpose of putting that wine in which had not yet gone through its state of fermentation. The institutes of Christ, and those of the Pharisees, could never be brought to accord: an attempt to combine the two systems would be as absurd as it would be destructive. The old covenant made way for the new, which was its completion and its end; but with that old covenant the new cannot be incorporated.
- 114. Christian prudence requiresthat the weak, and newly converted, should be managed with care and tenderness. To impose such duties and mortifications as are not absolutely necessary to salvation, before God has properly prepared the heart by his grace for them, is a conduct as absurd and ruinous as putting a piece of raw, unscoured cloth on an old garment; it is, in a word, requiring the person to do the work of a man, while as yet he is but a little child. Preachers of the Gospel, and especially those who are instruments in God’s hand of many conversions, have need of much heavenly wisdom, that they may know to watch over, guide, and advise those who are brought to a sense of their sin and danger. How many auspicious beginnings have been ruined by men’s proceeding too hastily, endeavoring to make their own designs take place, and to have the honor of that success themselves which is due only to God. GILL, "Neither do men put new wine into old bottles,.... As in the former parable, our Lord exposes the folly of the Scribes and Pharisees, in their zealous attachment to the traditions of the elders; so in this, he gives a reason why he did not call these persons by his Gospel, who were settled upon the old principle of self- righteousness, but sinners, whom he renews by his Spirit and grace: for by "old bottles" are meant, the Scribes and Pharisees. The allusion is to bottles, made of the skins of beasts, which in time decayed, waxed old, and became unfit for use: such were the wine bottles, old and rent, the Gibeonites brought with them, and showed to Joshua, Jos_9:4 and to which the Psalmist compares himself, Psa_119:83 and which the Misnic doctors call ,חמתות and their commentators (o) say, were עור של ,נודת "bottles made of skin", or "leather", and so might be rent. Of the use of new and old bottles, take the following hint out of the "Talmud" (p). "The bottles of the Gentiles, if scraped and ,חדשים "new", they are free for use; if ,ישנים "old", they are forbidden.'' Now the Scribes and Pharisees may be signified by these old bottles, being natural men, no other than as they were born; having never been regenerated, and renewed in the spirit of their minds; in whom the old man was predominant, were mere formal professors of religion, and self-righteous persons: and by "new wine" is meant, either the love and favour of God compared to wine, that is neat and clean, because free from hypocrisy in him, or motives in the creature; to generous wine, for its cheering and reviving effects; and to new wine, not but that it is very ancient, even from everlasting, but, because newly manifested, in the effectual calling and conversion: or the Gospel is signified by wine, for its purity, good flavour, and pleasant taste; for its generous effects, in reviving drooping spirits, refreshing weary persons, and comforting distressed minds; and by new wine, not that it is a new doctrine, an upstart notion, for it is an ancient Gospel, but because newly and more clearly revealed by Christ and his apostles: or the blessings of grace which spring from the love of God, and are manifested in the Gospel, such as pardon of sin, reconciliation and atonement, justifying and sanctifying grace, spiritual joy and peace, and the like. Now as the new wine is not put into old bottles, else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: so the love of God, the Gospel of the grace of God, and the blessings of it, are not received and retained, nor can they be, by natural men, by self-righteous persons: they do not suit and agree with their old carnal hearts and principles; they slight and reject them, and let
- 115. them run out,which proves their greater condemnation. But they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved. By "new bottles" are meant sinners, whom Christ calls by his grace, and the Spirit regenerates and renews, who are made new creatures in Christ; who have new hearts, and new spirits, and new principles of light, life, love, faith, and holiness, implanted in them; who have new eyes to see with, new ears to hear with, new feet to walk with, to and in Christ, new hands to work and handle with, and who live a new life and conversation. Now to such as these, the love of God is manifested and shed abroad in their hearts; by these, the Gospel of Christ is truly received and valued, and these enjoy the spiritual blessings of it; and so both the doctrine of the Gospel, and the grace of God, are preserved entire, and these persons saved in the day of Christ. COFFMAN, "This illustration refers to the custom of putting wine into the bladders and skins of animals. Only new wineskins could serve for unfermented or new wine. After fermentation, the skins hardened and became brittle, thus becoming entirely unsuitable for new wine, yet continuing to serve well enough as containers for old wine. The application was that Christ did not pour the new wine of his teaching into the old wineskins (John's disciples) but into new wineskins (his disciples). It is noteworthy that none of Jesus' disciples had previously been followers of John. The reason is explained in this passage. It took new hearts, fresh viewpoints, unaccustomed to the practices and prejudices of old ways, to contain the marvelous new teachings of Christ. SBC, "There is an ever-living freshness in the words of Jesus, as recorded in the Gospels. In reading them we are not with mere antiquarian curiosity studying the history of events wholly unconnected with ourselves, or recalling a state of society which belongs entirely to the buried past; rather we find ourselves presented with prophecies of the ever-recurring future, and with anticipations of the principles which may be applied to the interpretation of the great moral and religious problems of modern society. Securely connected beneath the letter of the original utterances there lies ready for our apprehension the eternal spirit, which may be our unerring guide in practice. Such a vitality of utterance we may surely discern in the parabolic saying of the text. I. What is the interpretation of these parables of the new patch on the old garment, and of the new wine put into the old bottles, or leathern skins after Eastern fashion? Is it not something of this sort? The old forms of piety amid which John and his disciples still move are not suited to the new religious life emanating from Me. The new life needs new forms. II. Neither Christ nor His Apostles attempted to put the Gospel as a patch upon the old garment of the Mosaic law, to pour the new wine of the spiritual dispensation into the old bottle of legal rules. They offered the Gospel as a system of principles and laws and motives, not of rules and precepts and observances. They invited men to a rejoicing sense of liberty, as the appropriate temper for that reception of the doctrine of salvation by Christ; they urged men towards the attainment of that perfect love which would cast out fear; they proclaimed that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself; they made the ritual and ceremonial element in religion altogether subordinate to the moral and spiritual. Faith working by love, not ceremonial observance, was the characteristic expression of the Christian life. III. The Christian Church did not at once rise to the grandeur of the new idea of religion. It constantly exhibited tendencies to fall back upon the old. It was afraid of letting liberty
- 116. degenerate into license.Men who had become accustomed to all the venerable traditions of the old law did not straightway find pleasure in throwing them off. They represented Christianity as a mere reproduction of Judaism under other names. They made the ministry of the Word and sacraments a priesthood, whose main office was to offer material sacrifice; they violated the whole spirit of the New Testament, and the language of the early Church, by calling the Lord’s day the Sabbath; they tried to limit the very name of religion to the observance of a rule of life which prescribed the most minute precepts for the conduct of every hour; a rigid asceticism was glorified as the fulfilment of counsels of perfection. "New wine must be put into new bottles" embodies a principle which the Church of Christ in all ages forgets at her peril. That principle is, that new wants create new institutions; a new spirit must express itself in other forms, adapted to the new occasion. There must be in all the arrangements of life an elasticity, a power of self-development, an expansiveness, a fertility of invention, an evoking of new energies. New conditions of society demand different methods. Canon Ince, Oxford Review, Feb. 18th, 1885. BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR, "New wine into old bottles. Garments and wine skins By these illustrations our Lord conveyed a lesson on the charm of naturalness and the law of congruity in religion, 1. As old cloth and new cloth are one in being cloth, old wine and new are one in being wine; so the religion before Christ and that which He introduced are essentially one in kind, if not in quality. 2. The effect of the forced junction of the old and new would be injurious to both. (D. Fraser, D. D.) What is meant by old bottles? Why is the carnal heart compared to an old bottle 1. Because a bottle is a proper receptacle of liquor, so is the heart of man a proper receptacle of Divine knowledge, grace, joy, etc. 2. Because a bottle of itself is an empty thing, and must be filled; so the heart of man is naturally empty of good. 3. Because a broken bottle cannot hold new wine, nor can an unrenewed heart hold saving peace, joy, etc. (B. Keach.) Making skin bottles As soon as the animal (goat) is killed, an opening is made in the skin large enough to introduce the lips, and a man begins to blow between the skin and the flesh until the two are completely separated from each other throughout. The head and feet are then cut off, and the entire body of the animal is drawn out of its skin through the opening at the neck. The hair is sometimes partially removed and the skin tanned. In Persia the skins are saturated with pitch. The opening at the neck is used for filling and emptying the vessel, while the four feet are tied or sewed up. The grape-juice which is to undergo the
- 117. process of fermentationis put into skins, which are either entirely new or which have been carefully examined and found able to withstand the pressure. Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman 18 While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” BAR ES, "The account contained in these verses is also recorded, with some additional circumstances, in Mark 5:22-43, and Luke 8:41-56. Mat_9:18 There came a certain ruler - Mark and Luke say that his name was Jairus, and that he was a “ruler of the synagogue;” that is, one of the elders to whom was committed the care of the synagogue. See the notes at Mat_4:23. And worshipped him - That is, fell down before him, or expressed his respect for him by a token of profound regard. See the notes at Mat_2:2. My daughter is even now dead - Luke says that this was his only daughter, and that she was twelve years of age. Mark and Luke say that she was “at the point of death,” and that information of her actual death was brought to him by one who was sent by the ruler of the synagogue, while Jesus was going. Matthew combined the two facts, and stated the representation which was made to Jesus, without stopping particularly to exhibit the manner in which it was done. In a summary way he says that the ruler communicated the information. Luke and Mark, dwelling more particularly on the circumstances, state at length the way in which it was done; that is, by himself stating, in a hurry, that she was “about to die,” or “was dying,” and then in a few moments sending word that “she was dead.” The Greek word, rendered “is even now dead,” does not of necessity mean, as our translation would express, that she had actually expired, but only that she was “dying” or about to die. Compare Gen_48:21. It is likely that a father, in these circumstances, would use a word as nearly expressing actual death as would be consistent with the fact that she was alive. The passage may be expressed thus: “My daughter was so sick that she must be by this time dead.”
- 118. Come and laythy hand upon her - It was customary for the Jewish prophets, in conferring favors, to lay their hand on the person benefited. Jesus had probably done so also, and the ruler had probably witnessed the fact. CLARKE, "A certain ruler - There were two officers in the synagogue, הכנסת חזן chazan ha-ceneseth, the bishop or overseer of the congregation; and הכנסת ראש rosh ha- ceneseth, the head or ruler of the congregation. The chazan takes the book of the Law, and gives it to the rosh, or ruler; and he appoints who shall read the different sections, etc. Jairus, who is the person intended here, was, in this latter sense, the ruler or governor of one of the synagogues, probably at Capernaum. See Mar_5:22; Luk_8:41. My daughter is even now dead - Or, my daughter was just now dying; αρτι ετελευτησεν, or, is by this time dead: i.e. as Mr. Wakefield properly observes, She was so ill when I left home that she must be dead by this time. This turn of the expression reconciles the account given here with that in Mark and Luke. Michaelis conjectures that, in the Hebrew original, the words must have stood thus, מתה עתה atah matah, which, without the points, may signify either, She is dead, or She is dying. To be successful in our applications to God by prayer, four things are requisite; and this ruler teaches us what they are. First, A man should place himself in the presence of God - he came unto him. Secondly, He should humble himself sincerely before God - he fell down before him - at his feet. Mar_5:22. Thirdly, He should lay open his wants with a holy earnestness - he besought him greatly. Mar_5:23. Fourthly, he should have unbounded confidence in the power and goodness of Christ that his request shall be granted - put thy hand upon her, and she shall live. He who comes in this way to God, for salvation, is sure to be heard. Imposition of hands was a rite anciently used by the servants of God, through which heavenly influences were conveyed to the bodies and souls of men. This rite is still used in certain Churches; but, as there is no Holy Ghost communicated by it, some suppose it may be as well omitted. But why is this? Is it not because there is an unfaithfulness in the person who lays on hands, or an unfitness in him on whom they are laid? Let the rite be restored to its primitive simplicity, and God will own it as he formerly did. But, however this may be, where is the man or number of men who have authority to abrogate a rite of God’s own appointment? In the appointment of men to the sacred ministry it should never be omitted: even in these degenerate days, it may still serve as a sign of the necessity of the gifts and graces of that Holy Spirit without which no man can fulfill the work of the ministry, or be the instrument of saving the souls of them that hear him. When the inventions of men are put in the place of the ordinances of God, the true Church of Christ is in great danger. GILL, "While he spake these things unto them,.... To the Scribes and Pharisees, and to John's disciples, concerning, and in vindication of his, and his disciples, eating
- 119. and drinking withpublicans and sinners, and their not fasting as others did; and while he spake these parables, to expose the folly of self-righteous persons, and justify his own conduct, in calling sinners to repentance, behold, there came a certain ruler and worshipped him. This man, as both Mark and Luke say, was named Jairus; and was a ruler, not of the sanhedrim, or lesser consistory, but of the synagogue that was at Capernaum; and whom the Jews call, ראש ,הכנסת "the head of the synagogue". Mark says, he was "one of the rulers": not that there were more rulers than one, in one synagogue (q): but as in great cities, so it is likely in Capernaum there were more synagogues than one, of which he was one of the rulers: so we read of כנסיות ראשי (r), "heads", or "rulers of synagogues". As this is one mistake, so it is another to say, that Dr. Lightfoot speaks of this ruler, as the same with the "minister" of the congregation; when both here, and in the place referred to, he manifestly distinguishes them; as do the Jews: for, by this ruler, as their commentators (s) say, "the necessary affairs of the synagogue were determined, as who should dismiss with a prophet, who should divide the "shema", and who should go before the ark.'' Whereas the business of הכנחת ,חזן "the minister of the synagogue", was to bring in and out the ark, or chest, in which was the book of the law; and particularly, when the high priest read, or pronounced the blessings, "he" took the book, and gave it to "the ruler of the synagogue"; and the ruler of the synagogue gave it to the "sagan", and the "sagan" to the high priest (t). The doctor makes indeed הצבור ,שליח "the messenger of the congregation", to be the same with "the minister of the synagogue", and which is his mistake; for these were two different officers (u): the former was the lecturer, or preacher; and the latter, a sort of a sexton to keep the synagogue clean, open and shut the doors, and do other things before mentioned. This Jairus was a man of great power and significance; who in such a very humble manner prostrated himself at the feet of Jesus, and expressed such strong faith in him: saying, my daughter is even now dead, but come and lay thine hand upon her, and she shall live. Luke says, she was "his only daughter": and Mark calls her his "little daughter": though both he and Luke say, she was about "twelve" years of age, and that with strict propriety, according to the Jewish canons, which (w) say; that "a daughter, from the day of her birth until she is twelve years complete, is called ,קטנה "a little one" and when she is twelve years of age, and one day and upwards, she is called ,נערה "a young woman".'' Her case seems to be differently represented; Mark says, she was "at the point of death", or "in the last extremity"; and Luke, that she "lay dying": but Matthew here says, that she was "even now dead", which may be easily reconciled: for not to observe, that αρτι signifies "near", and the phrase may be rendered, "she is near dead", or just expiring, the case was this; when Jairus left his house, his daughter was in the agony of death, just ready to give up the ghost; so, that he concluded, by the time he was with Jesus, she had made her exit; as it appears she had, by a messenger, who brought the account of her death, before they could get to the house. The ruler's address to Christ on this occasion,
- 120. is a veryconsiderable, though not so great an instance of faith as some others; that he, who was a ruler of a synagogue, should apply to Christ, which sort of men were generally most averse to him; that he should fall down and worship him, if not as God, since as yet he might be ignorant of his deity, yet behaved with the profoundest respect to him, as a great man, and a prophet; that he should come to him when his child was past all hope of recovery; yea, when he had reason to believe she was actually dead, as she was; that even then, he should believe in hope against hope; he affirms, that he really believed, that if Christ would but come to his house, and lay his hand upon her, an action often used in grave and serious matters, as in blessing persons, in prayer, and in healing diseases, she would certainly be restored to life again. HE RY, "We have here two passages of history put together; that of the raising of Jairus's daughter to life, and that of the curing of the woman that had the bloody issue, as he was going to Jairus's house, which is introduced in a parenthesis, in the midst of the other; for Christ's miracles were thick sown, and interwoven; the work of him that sent him was his daily work. He was called to do these good works from speaking the things foregoing, in answer to the cavils of the Pharisees, Mat_9:18 : While he spake these things; and we may suppose it is a pleasing interruption given to that unpleasant work of disputation, which, though sometimes needful, a good man will gladly leave, to go about a work of devotion or charity. Here is, I. The ruler's address to Christ, Mat_9:18. A certain ruler, a ruler of the synagogue, came and worshipped him. Have any of the rulers believed on him? Yes, here was one, a church ruler, whose faith condemned the unbelief of the rest of the rulers. This ruler had a little daughter, of twelve years old, just dead, and this breach made upon his family comforts was the occasion of his coming to Christ. Note, In trouble we should visit God: the death of our relations should drive us to Christ, who is our life; it is well if any thing will do it. When affliction is in our families, we must not sit down astonished, but, as Job, fall down and worship. Now observe, 1. His humility in this address to Christ. He came with his errand to Christ himself, and did not send his servant. Note, It is no disparagement to the greatest rulers, personally to attend on the Lord Jesus. He worshipped him, bowed the knee to him, and gave him all imaginable respect. Note, They that would receive mercy from Christ must give honour to Christ. 2. His faith in this address; “My daughter is even now dead,” and though any other physician would now come too late (nothing more absurd than post mortem medicina - medicine after death), yet Christ comes not too late; he is a Physician after death, for he is the resurrection and the life; “O come then, and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.” This was quite above the power of nature (a privatione ad habitum non datur regressus - life once lost cannot be restored), yet within the power of Christ, who has life in himself, and quickeneth whom he will. Now Christ works in an ordinary, by nature and not against it, and, therefore, we cannot in faith bring him such a request as this; while there is life, there is hope, and room for prayer; but when our friends are dead, the case is determined; we shall go to them, but they shall not return to us. But while Christ was here upon earth working miracles, such a confidence as this was not only allowable but very commendable. HAWKER 18-26, "We have here two most interesting miracles of the Lord Jesus; and they are blended into one view, because the one runs into the other, and both serve mutually to illustrate the glory of Jesus. The importunity of the poor man, that Jesus
- 121. should hasten tohis child, and the interruption which took place from the woman in detaining Christ for her cure, are finely worked up, both to heighten the miracle, to exercise the faith of the patient, and to manifest the sovereignty of the Lord. What an interruption was this woman’s stopping Christ to the ardor of the ruler. How he must have felt! How his fears must have increased; lest, according to his views, Christ should come too late. Anti Mark, in the relation of this miracle adds to Matthew’s account, that while Jesus was speaking with this woman, there came certain from the ruler’s house which said, thy daughter is dead, why troublest thou the master? Mar_5:35. And Luke in like Manner, Luk_8:49. Let the children of God in their exercises of faith, while at any time the Lord is suspending his gracious answers to prayer, or bringing them into difficulties, or under all their dead and dying frames, think of this! Remember, it is one thing to feel and know our own totally lost and helpless state; and another to have lively faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. For it is not what we are, but what Christ is. And it is good to have the sentence of death in ourselves, that we may not trust in ourselves, but in him that raiseth the dead. Oh! the blessedness of entering into the full enjoyment of those sublime truths of Jesus, when he saith, I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me though he were dead, yet shall he live; and lie that liveth and believeth in me shall never die. 2Co_1:9; Joh_11:25-26. The account of this woman, is uncommonly interesting. Mark, and Luke, add to the account of her twelve years labouring under this disease, that she had spent all her living upon physicians, and had suffered many things of many of them, and was nothing better, but rather worse. What a striking representation of the sinner, who is seeking relief to his sin-sick soul, in anything short of Christ! Such it is, and such it must be, in every case, and circumstance of spiritual malady. None but Jesus can cure. Twelve years, or eighteen years, as the woman in the synagogue, (Luk_13:11) or eight and thirty years, as the man at the Pool of Bethsaida, (Joh_5:5) are all the same, until Christ is found! Oh! that every poor sinner, crippled by sin, was made sensible of this: that instead of looking to Physicians of no value; in tears, and attempted reforms in their own strength, might, like this woman, be led to Christ. Job_13:4. We never can sufficiently admire the faith of this woman; neither can we sufficiently bless Him who gave her such strong faith; for she said of Christ, if I may but touch his garment I shall be whole. Reader! let us not hastily pass away from the view of such illustrious faith in this daughter of faithful Abraham, without first crying out with the Apostles, Lord! increase our faith! I must beg the Reader also to notice the humbleness of the woman, in the midst of such exalted faith; she came behind Christ! The greatest faith is always blended with the greatest humility. Never will a soul, lay lower before God, than when that soul is entering into the sweetest communion with Cod. The higher views we have of the Lord’s grace, the humbler views shall we have of our own understandings. Gen_18:27; Ezr_9:15. And I must beg the Reader also in noticing this woman’s humbleness, in coming behind Christ, to remark; that our approaches to Jesus’, in every direction, behind, or before, is the same. The lamb is in the midst of the throne. Rev_7:17. Hence Jesus is acceptable, all around, and in every direction. They shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south. They shall come that are ready to perish. Isa_27:13. So that any poor sensible sinner, who, like this woman, hath been spending all in pursuits after healing, and found none, because never looking wholly to Jesus; but now being led by the Holy Ghost to Christ; though blushing to come before Christ in the sight of any fellow creatures, from consciousness of disease, shall come behind Christ; the touch of faith, the trust in Christ, will find virtue from Christ; and, like her, the sinner be made perfectly whole. We must not dismiss our review of this miracle before that we have also considered the
- 122. grace and favormanifested by the Lord Jesus to this woman; for this is the chief point in the miracle. Jesus, which had, unknown to her, given her this lively faith to believe in him, as instantly gave his blessing to that faith. And however unnoticed, as she might suppose herself to have been, Jesus gave her to understand, that he both knew her complaint, and the cure he had wrought for her. Reader! what a precious consideration it is, that however unknown our cases are to men, they are all well known to our Cod. In the greatest throng, as well as in the secret place, Jesus sees all, knows all, and both appoints, and will sanctify, all and every individual case and exercise of his people We never can sufficiently admire the abundant tenderness the Lord Jesus manifested upon this occasion, to this poor woman. She wished the cure to be in secret: but no! Jesus will have her faith in him made public. His grace to poor sinners shall be proclaimed thereby; and, her trust in him shall make her history illustrious through endless generations. Both Mark and Luke relate this miracle with more particulars than, Matthew; for they observe, that when the woman touched Christ’s garment, Jesus, immediately knowing in himself what was done, and that healing virtue was gone out of him, (Reader! mark that in testimony of his Godhead) turned himself about, and said, who touched one? And when all denied, his unconscious disciples wondered how Jesus should make such an enquiry, while such a multitude were thronging and pressing him. But He, who knew all that had passed, while looking round to eye her, (as he did in after days look on Peter, Luk_22:61) by his grace in her heart, inclined her to come and look on him. And oh! what a precious interview then took place, which neither of the Evangelists could relate; the love, and joy, and thankfulness to Jesus, in the consciousness of her cure, and the delight in the heart of Jesus in beholding the blessed effects of his salvation. Such, Reader! is now the case in every recovered sinner! And such will be the case of the whole Church of God, in every individual instance, when the ransomed of the Lord shall return to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads, they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isa_ 35:10. It is high time to follow Jesus to the Ruler’s house. Here death had taken place, and according to all human calculations, all hope was over. But not so with Him who came to be the life and light of men. As the Lord Jesus quickeneth the dead in trespasses and sins, so he was pleased in several instances to manifest the sovereignty Of his power, in raising from the dead many of the bodies of his people. Mat_11:5. Oh! with what ease can Jesus now raise up our dead, and dying affections! Never should a soul despair that reads this miracle. Neither when the enemy, or graceless friends would tempt one to give it over, saying, in words like those who came to the ruler, thy daughter is dead, trouble not the Master; even then, when hope seems hopeless: oh! what cannot Jesus accomplish? And while he saith, be not afraid, only believe, may my soul say with one of old; Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him! Job_13:15. COFFMAN, "This miracle of raising Jairus' daughter from the dead is the first resurrection recorded in the New Testament. There were three such wonders, forming a sequence: (1) Jairus' daughter had been dead only a very short time. (2) The son of the widow of Nain had been dead longer and was being carried to the tomb. (3) Lazarus had been dead and buried for four days (Luke 7:12; John 11). Christ considered raising the dead a part of his ministry (Matthew 11:5; Luke 7:22), and he delegated the power to the apostles (Matthew 10:8). Peter raised Dorcas from the dead, acting under this commission (Acts 9:40).
- 123. Regarding Jairus' daughter,the quibble is raised that she might not have been dead but had merely swooned; however, the statement of the damsel's father, the presence of the hired mourners, and their laughing Jesus to scorn, knowing her to be dead, remove any thought that only a swoon had occurred. Such quibbles are grounded on false premises, namely, that one type of miracle was more difficult than another for Jesus to perform. Actually, there is no difference in raising a person from the dead who has been dead only a few minutes, and raising one who has been dead a thousand years. Furthermore, such miracles as cleansing lepers, healing the blind, deaf, mute, palsied, etc. were in no sense either easier or more difficult than raising the dead. All such wonders were done effortlessly by the Son of God. Jairus was the ruler of the synagogue, and was among the most respected and honored citizens of Capernaum. It is strange that after so much was done by Jesus for so many, including wonders worked on behalf of the city's leading citizens, that Capernaum rejected him. SBC 18-19, "The Raising of Jairus’ Daughter. I. The miracles of raising from the dead, whereof this is the first, have always been regarded as the mightiest outcomings of the power of Christ; and with justice. They are those, also, at which unbelief is readiest to stumble, standing as they do in more direct contrast than any other to all which our experience has known. The line between health and sickness is not definitely fixed; the two conditions melt one into the other, and the transition from this to that is frequent. In like manner storms alternate with calms; the fiercest tumult of the elements allays itself at last; and Christ’s word which stilled the tempest did but anticipate and effect in a moment what the very conditions of nature must have effected in the end. But between being and the negation of being the opposition is not relative, but absolute; between death and life a gulf lies which no fact furnished by our experience can help us even in imagination to bridge over. It is nothing wonderful, therefore, that miracles of this class are signs more spoken against than any other among all the mighty works of the Lord. II. Note the relation in which the three miracles of this transcendent character stand to one another; for they are not exactly the same miracle repeated three times over, but may be contemplated as in an ever-ascending scale of difficulty, each a more marvellous outcoming of the great power of Christ than the preceding. Science itself has arrived at the conjecture that the last echoes of life ring in the body much longer than is commonly supposed; that for a while it is full of the reminiscences of life. This being so, we shall at once recognize in the quickening of him who had been four days dead a still mightier wonder than in the raising of the young man who was borne out to his burial; and again, in that miracle a mightier outcoming of Christ’s power than in the present, wherein life’s flame, like some newly extinguished taper, was still more easily rekindled, when thus brought in contact with Him who is the fountain-flame of all life. Immeasurably more stupendous than all these will be the wonder of that hour when all the dead of old, who will have lain (some of them for many thousand years) in the dust of death, shall be summoned from, and shall leave, their graves at the same quickening voice. R. C. Trench, Notes on the Miracles, p. 191. CALVI , "Matthew 9:18.While he was speaking these things to them. Those who
- 124. imagine that thenarrative, which is here given by Mark and Luke, is different from that of Matthew, are so clearly refuted by the passage itself, that there is no necessity for a lengthened debate. All the three agree in saying that Christ was requested by a ruler of the synagogue to enter his house for the purpose of curing his daughter The only difference is, that the name of Jairus, which is withheld by Matthew, is mentioned by Mark and Luke; and that he represents the father as saying, My daughter is dead, while the other two say that she was in her last moments, and that, while he was bringing Christ, her death was announced to him on the road. But there is no absurdity in saying that Matthew, studying brevity, merely glances at those particulars which the other two give in minute detail. But since all the other points agree with such exactness, since so many circumstances conspire as to give it the appearance of three fingers stretched out at the same time to point out a single object, there is no argument that would justify us in dividing this history into various dates. The Evangelists agree in relating, that while Christ, at the request of a ruler of the synagogue, was coming to his house, a woman on the road was secretly cured of a bloody flux by touching his cloak; and that afterwards Christ came into the ruler’s house, and raised a dead young woman to life. There is no necessity, I think, for circuitous language to prove that all the three relate the same event. Let us now come to details. Lo, a certain ruler. Though it is evident from the other two, that his confidence had not advanced so far as to hope that his daughter’s life could be restored, there is no room to doubt that, after having been reproved by Christ, he entertained a stronger hope than when he left his house. But Matthew, as we have said, studies brevity, and puts down at the very beginning of his narrative what took place at various times. The manner in which the history must be arranged is this: Jairus first requested that his daughter might be cured of her disease, and afterwards that she might be restored from death to life; that is, after that Christ had given him courage to do so. Worship, or adoration, is here put for kneeling, as is evident from the words of Mark and Luke: for Jairus did not render divine honor to Christ, (527) but treated him with respect as a prophet of God; and we all know how common a practice kneeling was among eastern nations. Come and lay thy hand. We have here a bright mirror in which the divine condescension towards us is beheld. If you compare the ruler of the synagogue with the centurion, who was a heathen, (Matthew 8:5,) you will say that the full brightness of faith shone in the centurion, while scarcely the smallest portion of it was visible in the ruler He ascribes to Christ no power except through his touching the person; and, when he has received information of her death, he trembles as if there were no farther remedy. We see, then, that his faith was feeble and nearly exhausted. Yet Christ yields to his prayers, and encourages him to expect a favorable result, and thus proves to us that his faith, however small it might be, was not wholly rejected. Though we have not such abundance of faith as might be desired, there is no reason why our weakness should drive away or discourage us from prayer.
- 125. BARCLAY, "Before wedeal with this passage in detail, we must look at it as a whole; for in it there is something wonderful. It has three miracle stories in it, the healing of the ruler's daughter (Matthew 9:18- 19; Matthew 9:23-26); the healing of the woman with the issue of blood (Matthew 9:20-22); and the healing of the two blind men (Matthew 9:27-31). Each of these stories has something in common. Let us look at them one by one. (i) Beyond doubt the ruler came to Jesus when everything else had failed. He was, as we shall see, a ruler of the synagogue, that is to say, he was a pillar of Jewish orthodoxy. He was one of the men who despised and hated Jesus, and who would have been glad to see him eliminated. o doubt he tried every kind of doctor, and every kind of cure; and only in sheer desperation, and as a last resort, did he come to Jesus at all. That is to say, the ruler came to Jesus from a very inadequate motive. He did not come to Jesus as a result of an outflow of the love of his heart; he came to Jesus because he had tried everything and everyone else, and because there was nowhere else to go. Faber somewhere makes God say of a straying child of God: "If goodness lead him not; Then weariness may toss him to my breast." This man came to Jesus simply because desperation drove him there. (ii) The woman with the issue of blood crept up behind Jesus in the crowd and touched the hem of his cloak. Suppose we were reading that story with a detached and critical awareness, what would we say that woman showed? We would say that she showed nothing other than superstition. To touch the edge of Jesus' cloak is the same kind of thing as to look for healing power in the relics and the handkerchiefs of saints. This woman came to Jesus with what she would call a very inadequate faith. She came with what seems much more like superstition than faith. (iii) The two blind men came to Jesus, crying out: "Have pity on us, you Son of David." Son of David was not a title that Jesus desired; Son of David was the kind of title that a Jewish nationalist might use. So many of the Jews were waiting for a great leader of the line of David who would be the conquering general who would lead them to military and political triumph over their Roman masters. That is the idea which lies behind the title Son of David. So these blind men came to Jesus with a very inadequate conception of who he was. They saw in him no more than the conquering hero of David's line. Here is an astonishing thing. The ruler came to Jesus with an inadequate motive;
- 126. the woman cameto Jesus with an inadequate faith; the blind men came to Jesus with an inadequate conception of who he was, or, if we like to put it so, with an inadequate theology,; and yet they found his love and power waiting for their needs. Here we see a tremendous thing. It does not matter how we come to Christ, if only we come. o matter how inadequately and how imperfectly we come, his love and his arms are open to receive us. There is a double lesson here. It means that we do not wait to ask Christ's help until our motives, our faith, our theology are perfect; we may come to him exactly as we are. And it means that we have no right to criticize others whose motives we suspect, whose faith we question, and whose theology we believe to be mistaken. It is not how we come to Christ that matters; it is that we should come at all, for he is willing to accept us as we are, and able to make us what we ought to be. BROADUS, "III. The Ruler's Daughter, And The Woman With A Flow Of Blood, Matthew 9:18- 26 This is found also in Mark (Mark 5:22-43) and Luke, (Luke 8:41-56) who as in many other cases give various details which Matthew omits. For the general connection, see on "Matthew 9:2". While he spake (was saying) these things unto them, with emphasis on "these things." It is thus plain that the application of the ruler, which led to these two miracles, was made while Jesus was in the act of speaking to John's disciples and the Pharisees (compare on Matthew 9:14) These miracles must therefore have taken place at Capernaum. Behold, something remarkable. A certain ruler, or, 'one ruler'(margin Rev. Ver.), as in Mark 8:19. The Greek text is here greatly confused, but there is little doubt that the true reading is that of the Rev. Ver. The term 'ruler' is ambiguous, and might denote a member of the Sanhedrin, as Nicodemus is called a 'ruler of the Jews'; (John 8:1) but Mark (Mark 5:22) says he was 'one of the rulers of the synagogue.' There were several of these, having authority over the conduct of public worship in the synagogue, (Acts 13:15) and a certain influence rather than authority over the social relations and personal conduct of the people (compare on Matthew 4:23). We see therefore that it was a man of importance who made this application. Luke (Luke 8:41) gives his name, Jairus; in Old Testament Jair. Came. The common Greek text would make it came in, viz., to the scene of the preceding conversation, probably Matthew's residence; but the more probable reading (as in W. H.) would mean 'came near,' 'approached.' Worshipped him, bowed down before him as an expression of profound respect.(compare Matthew 8:2) My daughter is even now dead. Luke (Luke 8:42, Bib. Un. Ver.) in giving the substance of what Jairus said, has it 'was dying.' Mark (Mark 5:25, Rev. Ver.) has, 'My little daughter is at the point of death.' And then Mark and Luke inform us that while Jesus was on his way to the ruler's house, and after the healing of the woman, messengers came meeting him to tell the ruler that his daughter was now dead; and that Jesus told him not to fear, etc. Matthew makes no mention of this message, and we conclude (Calvin) that designing a very brief account, he has condensed the incidents so as to present at the outset what was actually true before Jesus reached the house. For a similar case of condensing see on "Matthew 8:5". But come and lay thy hand upon her. Jairus probably thought it necessary that Jesus should be present and touch the person to be healed, as the nobleman in the same town thought; (John 4:47, John 4:49) the centurion of that town (Matthew 8:8) had a juster view. BE SO , "Matthew 9:18-19. While he spake these things — Namely, in Matthew’s house, behold, there came a certain ruler — The rulers, in general, were Christ’s bitterest enemies; yet there were some of them of a different character: John 12:42. In particular, this ruler must have
- 127. had a veryfavourable opinion of Jesus, and indeed great faith in his power, else he would not have applied to him for help in the present extremity, nor have done him so much honour as to worship or fall down before him: saying, My daughter is even now dead — Or, at the point of death: see Mark 5:23. But come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live — This his faith was probably built on the miracles which he knew Jesus had performed, for our Lord had by this time resided in Capernaum several months. And Jesus arose, &c. — No sooner had this ruler made his supplication, than Christ, ever ready to assist the afflicted, rose from table and went along with him, and so did his disciples. We learn from Mark and Luke, that much people also followed him, doubtless in hopes of seeing the miracle, and thronged him; that is, pressed upon him in such a manner that he could not walk without much difficulty. MACLARE 18-31, "THE TOUCH OF FAITH AND THE TOUCH OF CHRIST The three miracles included in the present section belong to the last group of this series. Those of the second group were all effected by Christ’s word. Those now to be considered are all effected by touch. The first two are intertwined. The narrative of the healing of the woman is embedded in the account of the raising of Jairus’s daughter. Mark the impression of calm consciousness of power and leisurely dignity produced by Christ’s having time to pause, even on such an errand, in order to heal, by the way, the other sufferer. The father and the disciples would wonder at Him as He stayed His steps, and be apt to feel that priceless moments were being lost; but He knows His own resources, and can afford to let the child die while He heals the woman. The one shall receive no harm by the delay, and the other will be blessed. Our Lord is sitting at the feast which Matthew gave on the occasion of his call, engaged in vindicating His sharing in innocent festivity against the cavils of the Pharisees, when the summons to the death- bed comes to Him from the lips of the father, who breaks in on the banquet with his imploring cry. Matthew gives the story much more summarily than the other evangelists, and does not distinguish, as they do, between Jairus’s first words, ‘at the point of death, and the message of her actual decease, which met them on the way. The call of sorrow always reaches Christ’s ear, and the cry for help is never deemed by Him an interruption. So this ‘man, gluttonous and a wine-bibber,’ as these Pharisees thought Him, willingly and at once leaves the house of feasting for that of mourning. How near together, in this awful life of ours, the two lie, and how thin the partition walls! Well for those whose feasts do not bar them out from hearing the weeping next door. As the crowd accompanies Jesus, His hasting love is, for a moment, diverted by another sufferer. We never go on an errand of mercy but we pass a hundred other sorrowing hearts, so close packed lie the griefs of men. This woman is a poor shrinking creature, broken down by long illness (which had lasted for the same length of time as the joyous life of Jairus’s child), made more timid by disappointed hopes of cure, and depressed by poverty to which her many doctors had brought her. She does not venture to stop this new Rabbi-physician, as He goes with the church dignitary of the town to heal his daughter, but lets Him pass before she can make up her mind to go near Him; and then she comes creeping up behind the crowd, puts out her wasted, trembling hand to the hem of His garment,-and she is whole. The other evangelists give us a more extended account, but Matthew throws into prominence, in his condensed narrative, the essential points. Notice her real but imperfect faith. There was unquestionable confidence in Christ’s power, and very genuine desire for healing. But it was a very ignorant faith. She believes that her touch of the garment will heal without Christ’s will or knowledge, much more
- 128. His pitying love,having any part in it. She thinks that she may win her desire furtively, and may carry it away, and He be none the wiser nor the poorer for the stolen blessing. What utter, blank ignorance of His character and way of working! What gross superstition! Yes, and withal what a hunger of desire, what absolute assurance of confidence that one finger-tip on His robe was enough! Therefore she had her desire, and her Healer recognised her faith as true, though blended with much ignorance of Him. Her error was very like that which many Christians entertain with less excuse. To attach importance to external means of grace, rites, ordinances, sacraments, outward connection with Christian organisations, is the very same misconception in a slightly different form. Such error is always near us; it is especially rife in countries where there has long been a visible Church. It has received strange new vigour to-day, partly by reaction from extreme rationalism, partly by the growing cultivation of the aesthetic faculties. It is threatening to corrupt the simplicity and spirituality of Christian worship, and needs to be strenuously resisted. But the more we have to fight against it, the more do we need to remember that, along with this clinging to the hem of the garment instead of to the heart of its Wearer, there may be a very real trust, which might shame some of those who profess to hold a less sensuous form of faith. Many a poor soul clasping a crucifix clings to the Cross. Many a devout heart kneeling at mass sees through the incense-smoke the face of Christ. This woman’s faith was selfish. She wanted health; she did not care much about the Healer. She would have been quite contented to have had no more to do with Him, if she could only have stolen out of the crowd cured. She would have had little gratitude to the unconscious Giver of a stolen good. So, many a Christian life in its earlier stages is more absorbed with its own deep misery and its desire for deliverance, than with Him. Love comes after, born of the experience of His love. But faith precedes love, and the predominant motive impelling to faith at first is distinctly self-regard. That is all as it should be. The most purely self-absorbed wish to escape from the most rudely pictured hell is often the beginning of a true trust in Christ, which, in due time, will be elevated into perfect consecration. Some of our modern teachers, who are shocked at Christianity because it lays the foundation of the most self-denying morality in such ‘selfishness,’ would be none the worse for going to school to this story, and learning from it how a desire for nothing more than to get rid of a painful disease, started a process which turned a life into a peaceful, thankful surrender of the cured self to the love and service of the mighty Healer. Observe, next, how Christ answers the imperfect faith, and, by answering, corrects and confirms it. Matthew omits Christ’s question as to who touched Him, the disciples’ reply, and His renewed asseveration that He was conscious of power having gone forth from Him. All these belong to the loving method by which our Lord sought to draw forth an open acknowledgment. Womanly diffidence, enfeebled health, her special disease, all made the woman wish to hide herself. She wanted to steal away unnoticed, as she hoped that she had come. But Christ forces her to stand out before all the crowd, and there, with all eyes upon her,-cold, cruel eyes, some of them-to conquer her shame, and tell all the truth. Strange kindness that; strangely contrasted with His ordinary desire to avoid notoriety, and with His ordinary tender consideration for shrinking weakness! He did it for her sake, not for His own. She is changed from timidity to courage. At one moment she stretches out her wasted finger, a tremulous invalid; at the next, she flings herself at His feet, a confessor. He would have us testify for Him, because faith unavowed, like a plant in the dark, is apt to become pale and sickly; but ere He bids us own His name, He pours into our hearts, in answer to our secret appeal, the health of His own life, and the blissful consciousness of that great gift which makes the tongue of the dumb sing.
- 129. His words toher are full of tenderness. She receives the name of ‘daughter.’ Gently He encourages her timidity by that ‘Be of good cheer,’ and then He sets right her error: ‘Thy faith’-not thy finger-’hath made thee whole.’ There was no real connection between the touch of the robe and healing; but the woman thought that there was, and so Christ stooped to her childish thought, and allowed her to prescribe the road which His mercy should take. But He would not leave her with her error. The true means of contact between us and Him is not our outward contact with external means of grace, but the touch of our spirits by faith. Faith is nothing in itself, and heals only because it brings us into union with His power, which is the sole cause of our healing. Faith is the hand which receives the blessing. It may be a wasted and tremulous hand, like that which this woman laid lightly on His robe. But He feels its touch, though a universe presses on Him, and He answers. Not the garment’s hem, but Christ’s love, is the cause of our salvation. Not an outward contact with it or with Him, but faith, is the condition on which His life, which knows no disease, pours into our souls. The hand of my faith lifted to Him will receive into its empty palm and clasping fingers the special blessing for my special wants. The other evangelists tell us that, at the moment of His words to the woman, the messengers came bearing tidings of the child’s death. How Jairus must have grudged the pause! A word from Christ, like the pressure of His hand, heartened him. Like a river turned from its course for a space, to fill some empty reservoir, His love comes back to its original direction. How abundant the power and mercy, to which such a work as that just done was but a parenthesis! The doleful music and the shrill shrieks of Eastern mourning, which met them as they entered Jairus’s house, disturbed the sanctity of the hour, and were in strong contrast with the majestic calmness of Jesus. Not amid venal lamentations and excited cries will He do His work. He bids the noisy crowd forth with curt, almost stern, command, and therein rebukes all such hollow and tumultuous scenes, in the presence of the stillness of death, still more where faith in Him has robbed it of its terror, in robbing it of its perpetuity. It is strange that believing readers should have thought that our Lord meant to say that the little girl was not really dead, but only in a swoon. The scornful laughter of the flute-players and hired mourners understood Him better. They knew that it was real death, as men count death, and, as has often been the case, the laughter of His foes has served to establish the truth. That was not worthy to be called death from which the child was so soon and easily to be awaked. But, besides this special application to the case in hand, that great saying of our Lord’s carries the blessed truth that, since He has come, death is softened into sleep for all who love Him. The euphemism is not peculiar to Christianity, but has a deeper meaning on Christian lips than when Greeks or Romans spoke of the eternal sleep. Others speak of death by any name rather than its own, because they fear it so much. The Christian does so, because he fears it so little,-and, as a matter of fact, the use of the word death as meaning merely the separation of soul and body by the physical act is exceptional in the New Testament. This name of sleep, sanctioned thus by Christ, is the sweetest of all. It speaks of the cessation of connection with the world of sense, and ‘long disquiet merged in rest.’ It does not imply unconsciousness, for we are not unconscious when we sleep, but only unaware of externals. It holds the promise of waking when the sun comes. So it has driven out the ugly old name. Our tears flow less bitterly when we think of our dear ones as ‘sleeping in Jesus.’ Their bodies, like this little child’s, are dead, but they are not. They rest, conscious of their own blessedness and of Him ‘in whom they live, and have their being,’ whether they ‘move’ or no. Then comes the great deed. The crowd is shut out. For such a work silence is befitting. The father and mother, with His foremost three disciples, go with Him into the chamber.
- 130. There is noeffort, repeated and gradually successful, as when Elisha raised the dead boy; no praying, as when Peter raised Dorcas; only the touch of the hand in which life throbbed in fulness, and, as the other narratives record, two words, spoken strangely to, and yet more strangely heard by, the dull, cold ear of death. Their echo lingered long with Peter, and Mark gives us them in the original Aramaic. But Matthew passes them by, as he seems here to have desired to emphasise the power of Christ’s touch. But touch or word, the real cause of the miracle was simply His will; and whether He used media to help men’s faith, or said only ‘I will,’ mattered little. He varied His methods as the circumstances of the recipients required, and in order that they and we might learn that He was tied to none. These miracles of raising the dead are three in number. Jairus’s daughter is raised from her bed, just having passed away; the widow’s son at Nain from his bier, having been for a little longer separated from his body; Lazarus from the grave, having been dead four days. A few minutes, or days, or four thousand years, are one to His power. These three are in some sense the first-fruits of the great harvest; the stars that shone out singly before all the heaven is in a blaze. For, though they died again, and so left to Him the precedence in resurrection, as in all besides, they are still prophetic of His power in the hour when they ‘that sleep in the dust’ shall awake at His voice. Blessed they who, like this little maiden, are awakened, not only by His voice, but by His touch, and to find, as she did, their hand in His! The third of these miracles, which Matthew seems to reckon as the second in the group, because he treats the two former as so closely connected as to be but one in numeration, need not detain us long. It is found only in this Gospel. The first point to be observed in it is the cry of these two blind men. There is something pathetic and exquisitely natural in the two being together, as is also the case in the similar miracle, at a later period, on the outskirts of Jericho. Equal sorrows drive men together for such poor help and solace as they can give each other. They have common experiences which isolate them from others, and they creep close for warmth and companionship. All the blind men in the Gospels have certain resemblances. One is that they are all sturdily persevering, as perhaps was easier for them because they could not see the impatience of the listeners, and possibly because, in most cases, persistent begging was their trade, and they were used to refusals. But a more important trait is their recognition of Jesus as ‘Son of David.’ Blind as they are, they see more than do the seeing. Thrown in upon themselves, they may have been led to ponder the old words, and by their affliction been made more ready to welcome One who, if He were Messiah, was coming with a special blessing for them-’to open the blind eyes.’ Men who deeply desire a good are quick to listen to the promise of its accomplishment. So these two followed Him along the road, loudly and perseveringly calling out their profession of faith, and their entreaty for sight. The next point is our Lord’s treatment. He let them cry on, apparently unheeding. Had, then, the two miracles just done exhausted His stock of power or of pity? Certainly His reason was, as it always was, their good. We do not know why it was better for them to have to wait, and continue their entreaty; but we may be quite sure that the reason for all His delays is the same,-the larger blessing which comes with the answer when it comes, and the large blessings which may be gathered while we wait its coming. Christ’s question to them, when at last they have found their way even indoors, holds out more hope than they had yet received. By it, Christ established a close relation with them, and implied to them that He was willing to answer their cry. One can fancy how the poor blind faces would light up with a flush of eager expectation, and how swift would be the answer. The question is not cold or inquisitorial. It is more than half a promise, and a powerful aid to the faith which it requires. There is something very beautiful and pathetic in the simple brevity of the unhesitating
- 131. answer, ‘Yea, Lord.’Sincerity needs few words. Faith can put an infinite deal of meaning into a monosyllable. Their eagerness to reach the goal made their answer brief. But it was enough. Again the hand which had clasped the maiden’s palm is put out and laid gently on the useless eyes, and the great word spoken, ‘According to your faith be it unto you.’ Their blindness made the touch peculiarly fitting in their case, as bringing evidence of sense to those who could not see the gracious pity of His looks. The word spoken was, like that to the centurion, a declaration of the power of faith, which determines the measure, and often the manner, of His gifts to us. The containing vessel not only settles the quantity of, but the shape assumed by, the water which is taken up in it from the sea. Faith, which keeps inside of Christ’s promises (and what goes outside of them is not faith), decides how much of Christ we shall have for our very own. He condescends to run the molten gold of His mercies into the moulds which our faith prepares. These two men, who had used their tongues so well in their persistent cry for healing, went away to make a worse use of them in telling everywhere of their cure. Jesus desired silence. Possibly He did not wish His reputation as a mere worker of miracles to be spread abroad. In all His earlier ministry He avoided publicity, singularly contrasting therein with the evident desire to make Himself the centre of observation which marks its close. He dreaded the smoky flame of popular excitement. His message was to individuals, not to crowds. It was a natural impulse to tell the benefits these two had received; but truer gratitude and deeper faith would have made them obey His lightest word, and have shut their mouths. We honour Christ most, not by taking our way of honouring Him, but by absolute obedience. The final miracle of the nine (or ten) marshalled in long procession in Mat_8:1-34 and Mat_9:1-38 is told with singular brevity. There is nothing individual in our Lord’s treatment of the sufferer, as there was in the previous healing of the two blind men, and no details are given of either the appeal to His pity or the method of His cure. The dumb demoniac could lift no cry, nor exercise any faith, and all the petitions and hopes of his bearers were expressed in the act of bringing the sufferer thither, and silently setting him there before these eyes of universal pity. It was enough. With Jesus, to see was to compassionate, and to compassionate was to help. In the other instances of casting out demons, the method is an authoritative command, addressed not to the possessed, but to the alien personality that has seized on him, and we conclude that such was the method here. Jesus undoubtedly believed in demoniacal possession, if we can at all rely on the Gospel narratives; and it may be humbly suggested that there are dark depths in humanity, which had need to be fathomed more completely, before any one is warranted in dogmatically pronouncing that He was wrong in His diagnosis. There are ugly facts which should give pause to those who are inclined to say-’There are no demons, and if there were, they could not dominate a human consciousness.’ But the effects of the miracle are emphasised more than itself. They are two, neither of them what might or should have been. The dumb man is not said to have used his recovered speech to thank his deliverer, nor is there any sign that he clung to Him, either for fear of being captured again or in passionate gratitude. It looks as if he selfishly bore away his blessing and cared nothing for its giver. That is very human, and we all are too often guilty of the same sin. Nor was the effect on the multitudes much better, for they were only struck with vulgar wonder, which had no moral quality in it and led to nothing. They saw ‘the miracle,’ that is, the wonderfulness of the act made some dint even on their minds, but these were either too fluid to retain the impression, or too hard to let it be deep, and so it soon filled up again. We have to think of Christ’s deeds as ‘signs,’ not only as ‘wonders,’ or they will do little to draw us to Him. Wonder is a necessarily evanescent emotion, which may indeed set something better stirring in us,
- 132. but is quiteas likely to die barren. The Pharisees did not wonder, and did look into the phenomenon with sharp eyes; and in so far, they were in advance of the gaping multitudes. They were much too superior persons to be astonished at anything, and they had already settled on a formula which was delightfully easy of application, and had the further advantage of turning the miracles into evidences that the doer of them was a child of the Devil. It appears to have been a well-worked formula too, for it is found again in Mat_12:24, and in Luk_11:15, in the account of another cure of a dumb demoniac. It is possible that the incident now before us may be the same as this, but there is nothing improbable in the occurrence of such a case twice, nor in the repetition of what had become the commonplace of the Pharisaic polemic. But what a piercing example that explanation is of the blinding power of prejudice, determined to hold on to a foregone conclusion, and not to see the sun at noon! Jesus in league with ‘the prince of the devils’! And that was gravely said by religious authorities! They saw the loveliness of His perfect life, His gentle goodness, His self-forgetting love, His swift-springing pity, and they set it all down to His commerce with the Evil One. He was so good that He must be more than humanly bad. NISBET, "THE RULER WHO PLEADED FOR HIS DAUGHTER ‘A certain ruler.’ Matthew 9:18 We have in this incident an instance of a pious and good man trained and chastened by the Father of Spirits. All the interest of the story is centred in the father. We read of what he said, what he felt and suffered, what efforts he made to avert his daughter’s death, how deep was his affliction, and nothing at all of her. I. A forgotten lesson.—We must regard this trial sent to Jairus as of the same class as that sent to David when his heart was so lifted up with the splendour of his military successes that he proposed to number the people. Thus we must think, then, of Jairus. An amiable, prosperous, easy-going man, whose lot had fallen to him in pleasant places, so pleasant as to render him indolent, and hinder his soul’s real life. He had come to love this present world; to enjoy its pleasures, and to cling to it more and more. II. The trial.—To such a man it was that the trial came of the sudden illness and the rapidly approaching death of his only and idolised child. The man was shaken out of his accustomed decorum. There, on the open sea-beach, in the presence of the crowd, he flings himself down at Jesus’ feet, and embracing them, sobbed forth in hurried, broken sentences, his sorrow and his request. It is better to have real and deep feelings, though tumultuous, than a cold and selfish heart: and this was the lesson that he was being taught of God. III. The sympathy of Jesus.—Such transport of parental love deserved, and was sure to receive from Jesus, full of sympathy and tenderness as He ever was, a merciful and gracious answer. And so our Lord seems to have got up at once, without question, and set off to the house of Jairus. The Providential discipline had done its appointed work.
- 133. IV. Is thereamongst us a Jairus?—Is there any one, that is, who finds this life so pleasant and so sufficing, that he has no strong desire for the next, and only a very languid and tepid love for the ordinances and the practices of religion? Remember, vital religion and love of the world cannot co-exist. To such, who have fallen into Jairus’ error, may He give Jairus’ awakening. 19 Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples. CLARKE, "Jesus arose, and followed him - Our blessed Lord could have acted as well at a distance as present; but he goes to the place, to teach his ministers not to spare either their steps or their pains when the salvation of a soul is in question. Let them not think it sufficient to pray for the sick in their closets; but let them go to their bed-sides, that they may instruct and comfort them. He can have little unction in private, who does not also give himself up to public duties. GILL, "And Jesus arose and followed him,.... Immediately, without delay, or any more ado: he did not upbraid him with the treatment he and his followers met with, from men of his profession; who cast out of their synagogues such, who confessed him to be the Messiah: nor does he take notice of any weakness in his faith; as that he thought it necessary he should go with him to his house, when he could as well have restored his daughter to life, absent, as present; and that he should prescribe a form of doing it, by laying his hands upon her. These things he overlooked, and at once got up from Matthew's table, and went along with him, and so did his disciples, to be witnesses of the miracle; and according to the other evangelists, a large multitude of people besides; even a throng of them, led by curiosity to see this wondrous performance. HE RY, "II. The readiness of Christ to comply with his address, Mat_9:19. Jesus immediately arose, left his company, and followed him; he was not only willing to grant him what he desired, in raising his daughter to life, but to gratify him so far as to come to his house to do it. Surely he never said to the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain. He denied to go along with the nobleman, who said, Sir, come down, ere my child die (Joh_ 4:48-50), yet he went along with the ruler of the synagogue, who said, Sir, come down, and my child shall live. The variety of methods which Christ took in working his
- 134. miracles is perhapsto be attributed to the different frame and temper of mind which they were in who applied to him, which he who searcheth the heart perfectly knew, and accommodated himself to. He knows what is in man, and what course to take with him. And observe, when Jesus followed him, so did his disciples, whom he had chosen for his constant companions; it was not for state, or that he might come with observation, that he took his attendants with him, but that they might be the witnesses of his miracles, who were hereafter to be the preachers of his doctrine. 20 Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. BAR ES, "And, behold, a woman ... - This disease was by the Jews reckoned unclean Lev_15:25, and the woman was therefore unwilling to make personal application to Jesus, or even to touch his person. The disease was regarded as incurable. She had expended all her property, and grew worse, Mar_5:26. Touched the hem of his garment - This garment was probably the square garment which was thrown over the shoulders. See notes at Mat_5:40. This was surrounded by a border or “fringe;” and this “fringe,” or the loose threads hanging down, is what is meant by the “hem.” The Jews were commanded to wear this, in order to distinguish them from other nations. See Num_15:38-39; Deu_22:12. Mark says that “the woman, fearing and trembling,” came and told him all the truth. Perhaps she feared that, from the impure nature of her disease, he would be offended that she touched him. CLARKE, "A woman which was diseased with an issue of blood - Γυνη αᅷµοሜምουσα. Mulier sanguinis profluvio laborans. Significatur hoc loco, fluxus muliebris, in Sanis, menstruus; in Hac perpetuus. It would be easy to explain the nature and properties of the disease here mentioned; but, when it is said that prudence forbids it, the intimation itself may be thought sufficiently explanatory of the disorder in question. There are some remarkable circumstances relative to this case mentioned by St. Mark, Mar_5:25, etc., which shall be properly noticed in the notes on that place. The hem of his garment - The ציצית tsitsith, or fringes, which the Jews were commanded to wear on their garments. See Num_15:38, and the note there.
- 135. GILL, "And beholda woman which was diseased..... This affair happened in the streets of Capernaum, as Christ was going from the house of Matthew the publican, to the house of Jairus the ruler of the synagogue, which were both in this city. This poor woman's case was a very distressed one; she had been attended with an issue of blood twelve years; it was an uncommon flux of a long standing, was inveterate, and become incurable; though she had not been negligent of herself, but had made use of means, applied herself to regular physicians, had took many a disagreeable medicine, and had spent all her substance in this way; but instead of being better, was worse, and was now given up by them, as past all cure. This woman might be truly called גדולה ,זבה (x) "the greater profluvious woman", in the language of the doctors; for if one that had a flux but three days was called so, much more one that had had it twelve years. She having heard of Jesus, and his miraculous cures, had faith given her to believe, that she also should receive one from him; wherefore she came behind him, through modesty, being ashamed to come before him, and tell him her case, especially before so many people; and fearing lest if her case was known, she should be thrust away, if not by Christ, yet by the company; she being according to the law an unclean person, and unfit for society: and touched the hem of his garment; which was the ,ציצת or "fringes", the Jews were obliged to wear upon the borders of their garments, and on it a ribband of blue; see Num_15:38 in both which places Onkelos uses the word ,כרוספדין the same with κρασπεδον, used here, and in Mar_6:56 and rendered "hem". The Jews placed much sanctity in the wear and use of these fringes; and the Pharisees, who pretended to more holiness than others, enlarged them beyond their common size; but it was not on account of any peculiar holiness in this part of Christ's garment, that induced this poor woman to touch it; but this being behind him, and more easy to be come at, she therefore laid hold on it; for it was his garment, any part of it she concluded, if she could but touch, she should have a cure. However, we learn from hence, that Christ complied with the rites of the ceremonial law in apparel, as well as in other things. HE RY, "III. The healing of the poor woman's bloody issue. I call her a poor woman, not only because her case was piteous, but because, she had spent it all upon physicians, for the cure of her distemper, and was never the better; which was a double aggravation of the misery of her condition, that she had been full, but was now empty; and that she had impoverished herself for the recovery of her health, and yet had not her health neither. This woman was diseased with a constant issue of blood twelve years (Mat_ 9:20); a disease, which was not only weakening and wasting, and under which the body must needs languish; but which also rendered her ceremonially unclean, and shut her out from the courts of the Lord's house; but it did not cut her off from approaching to Christ. She applied herself to Christ, and received mercy from him, by the way, as he followed the ruler, whose daughter was dead, to whom it would be a great encouragement, and a help to keep up his faith in the power of Christ. So graciously does Christ consider the frame, and consult the case, of weak believers. Observe, 1. The woman's great faith in Christ, and in his power. Her disease was of such a nature, that her modesty would not suffer her to speak openly to Christ for a cure, as
- 136. others did, butby a peculiar impulse of the Spirit of faith, she believed him to have such an overflowing fulness of healing virtue, that the very touch of his garment would be her cure. This, perhaps, had something of fancy mixed with faith; for she had no precedent for this way of application to Christ, unless, as some think, she had an eye to the raising of the dead man by the touch of Elisha's bones, 2Ki_13:21. But what weakness of understanding there was in it, Christ was pleased to overlook, and to accept the sincerity and strength of her faith; for he eateth the honey-comb with the honey, Son_4:11. She believed she should be healed if she did but touch the very hem of his garment, the very extremity of it. Note, There is virtue in every thing that belongs to Christ. The holy oil with which the high priest was anointed, ran down to the skirts of his garments, Psa_ 133:2. Such a fulness of grace is there in Christ, that from it we may all receive, Joh_ 1:16. CALVIN, "20.And, lo, a woman who had been afflicted with a bloody flux. For twelve successive years the bloody flux had lasted, and the woman was so far from being negligent in seeking remedies, that she had spent all her substance on physicians All this is expressly stated by the Evangelists, that the miracle may shine with brighter glory. When an incurable disease was removed so suddenly, and by the mere touch of a garment, it is perfectly obvious that it was not accomplished by human power. The thought of the woman that, if she only touched Christ’s garment, she would immediately be cured, arose from an extraordinary impulse of the Holy Spirit, and ought not to be regarded as a general rule. We know how eagerly superstition is wont to sport in foolish and thoughtless attempts to copy the saints; but they are apes, and not imitators, who take up some remarkable example without the command of God, and are led rather by their own senses than by the direction of the Spirit. It is even possible that there was a mixture of sin and error in the woman’s faith, which Christ graciously bears and forgives. Certainly, when she afterwards thinks that she has done wrong, and fears and trembles, there is no apology for that kind of doubt: for it is opposed to faith. Why did she not rather go straight to Christ? If her reverence for him prevented, from what other source than from his mercy did she expect aid? How comes it, then, that she is afraid of offending him, if she was convinced of his favorable regard? Yet Christ bestows high commendation on her faith. This agrees with what I have lately noticed, that God deals kindly and gently with his people, — accepts their faith, though imperfect and weak, — and does not lay to their charge the faults and imperfections with which it is connected. It was by the guidance of faith, therefore, that the woman approached to Christ. When she stopped at the garment, instead of presenting herself in prayers that she might be cured, inconsiderate zeal may have drawn her a little aside from the right path; particularly as she soon afterwards shows that she had made the attempt with some degree of doubt and uncertainty. Were we even to grant that this was suggested to her by the Spirit, it still remains a fixed rule, that our faith must not be driven hither and thither by particular examples, but ought to rest wholly on the word of God, according to the saying of Paul, Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, (Romans 10:17.) This is a highly necessary warning, that we may not dignify with the name of faith any opinion which has been rashly embraced. BENSON, "Matthew 9:20-22. And, behold, a woman which was diseased — According to the circumstances of her disease, as mentioned by Mark and Luke, it was incurable by any human
- 137. power, and sheherself knew it to be so, having been afflicted with it for twelve years, and tried the skill of many physicians, probably of all that were of note in the country; and having spent all that she had upon them, and yet could not be healed by any, nay, nor relieved in any measure; for, after all their endeavours to remove her complaint, she was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse. But having heard of Jesus, and the wonderful cures which he had wrought, she believed that his power was sufficient to heal her also. Being ashamed, however, publicly to mention her case, and learning that many had before been healed by touching him, she, out of bashfulness and humility, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment — The woman’s distemper being of such a nature as to render those unclean whom she touched, perhaps she durst not lay her hand on the person of so great a prophet, nor touch any part of his garment but its hem; to touch which, however, she believed was sufficient to effect the cure. For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole — Thus showing, as well the strength of her faith, as the greatness of her humility; and straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up, namely, by the invisible power which Christ secretly exerted, for he well knew both what was passing in her mind, and what she did. And Jesus turned him about, &c. — It was necessary that the ministry of the Son of God should be rendered illustrious by all kinds of miracles, and that the whole people of the country where he lived should have the highest idea and the firmest persuasion of his power. And it was for advancing these great ends, that the success of this woman’s attempt equalled the faith by which she was influenced. And for the same reasons, Jesus would by no means allow her faith to remain unnoticed and unapplauded. Therefore, immediately turning about in the crowd, he asked, says St. Mark, Who touched my clothes? This he did, that the woman might be brought to make a confession of the whole matter; that the power of her faith, and the greatness of the cure, might be made manifest, to the glory of God and for the instruction of others; and he might have an occasion given him of encouraging and comforting her, that she might persevere in the exercise of similar humility and faith, during the rest of her life. And when he saw her — When, in consequence of his making this inquiry, she came forward toward him, and confessed what she had done, he said, in a most gentle and condescending manner, Daughter, be of good comfort — Gr. θαρσει, take courage: thy faith hath made thee whole — Thou hast received a cure through thy faith in my power and goodness: hold fast that faith therefore unto the end. Doubtless she was struck with fear when Jesus turned and looked upon her, lest she should have offended him by touching his garment privately; and the more so because she was unclean according to the law. Leviticus 15:25. Hence Mark says that she came forward fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, and fell down before him. And the woman was made whole from that hour — “This incidental miracle appears very grand, when the relation it bears to the principal one is considered. Jesus is going to give a specimen of that almighty power, by which the resurrection of all men to immortality shall be effected at the last day; and behold, virtue, little inferior to that which is capable of raising the dead to life, issues from him through his garment, and heals a very obstinate disease, which, having baffled the powers of medicine for twelve years, had remained absolutely incurable, till the presence of Jesus, who is the resurrection and the life, chased it away. The cure, though complete, was performed in an instant, and the woman knew it by the immediate ease which she felt, by the return of her strength, by the cheerfulness of her spirits, and by all the other agreeable sensations which accompany sudden changes from painful diseases to perfect health. This Mark expresses shortly and elegantly, ( εγνω τω σωµατι,) She felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.” COFFMAN, "This remarkable case was mentioned by Eusebius, whose remarks quoted by Dummelow are: She was a heathen living at Caesarea Philippi, near the sources of the Jordan. Her house is shown in the city ... and at the gates of which, on an elevated stone stands a brazen statue of a woman on her bended knee, with her hands stretched out before her like one entreating. Opposite to this is another statue of a man, erect, of the same materials, decently clad in a mantle, and stretching out his hand to the woman. This statue, they said, was a likeness of Jesus Christ.[3] The so-called Report of the Procurator Concerning Our Lord Jesus Christ contains this:
- 138. And a womanthat had an issue of blood for many years, and whose joints and veins were drained by the flowing of the blood, so that she did not present the appearance of a human being, but was like a corpse, and was speechless every day, so that all the physicians of the district could not cure her (was in such a condition) that there was not any hope of life left to her. And when Jesus passed by, she mysteriously received strength through his overshadowing her; and she took hold of his fringe behind; and, immediately in the same hour, power filled up what was in her empty, so that, no longer suffering any pain, she began to run swiftly to her own city Kepharnaum, so as to accomplish the journey in six days.[4] Perhaps these ancient quotations have little value, but they serve to focus a little further attention on this wonderful deed which came as a parenthesis in the more important miracle of the raising of Jairus' daughter. [3] J. R. Dummelow, One Volume Commentary (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 659. [4] Pontius Pilate, quoted in ancient writings, The Ante-Nicene Fathers, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1951), Vol. VIII, p. 460. BARCLAY, "All Heaven's Power For One (Matthew 9:20-22) 9:20-22 And, look you, a woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind him, and touched the tassel of his cloak. For she said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be cured." Jesus turned and saw her. "Courage, daughter!" He said. "Your faith has brought you healing." And the woman was cured from that hour. From the Jewish point of view this woman could not have suffered from any more terrible or humiliating disease than an issue of blood. It was a trouble which was very common in Palestine. The Talmud sets out no fewer than eleven different cures for it. Some of them were tonics and astringents which may well have been effective; others were merely superstitious remedies. One was to carry the ashes of an ostrich-egg in a linen bag in summer, and in a cotton bag in winter; another was to carry about a barleycorn which had been found in the dung of a white she-ass. When Mark tells this story, he makes it clear that this woman had tried everything, and had gone to every available doctor, and was worse instead of better (Mark 5:26). The horror of the disease was that it rendered the sufferer unclean. The Law laid it down: "If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness; as in the days of her impurity, she shall be unclean. Every bed on which she lies, all the days of her discharge, shall be to her as the bed of her impurity; and everything on which she sits shall be unclean, as in the uncleanness of her impurity. And whoever touches these things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening (Leviticus 15:25-27). That is to say, a woman with an issue of blood was unclean; everything and everyone she
- 139. touched was infectedwith that uncleanness. She was absolutely shut off from the worship of God and from the fellowship of other men and women. She should not even have been in the crowd surrounding Jesus, for, if they had known it, she was infecting with her uncleanness everyone whom she touched. There is little wonder that she was desperately eager to try anything which might rescue her from her life of isolation and humiliation. So she slipped up behind Jesus and touched what the King James Version calls the hem of his garment. The Greek word is kraspedon (Greek #2899), the Hebrew is zizith, and the Revised Standard Version translates it fringe. These fringes were four tassels of hyacinth blue worn by a Jew on the corners of his outer garment. They were worn in obedience to the injunction of the Law in Numbers 15:37-41 and Deuteronomy 22:12. Matthew again refers to them in Matthew 14:36 and Matthew 23:5. They consisted of four threads passing through the four corners of the garment and meeting in eight. One of the threads was longer than the others. It was twisted seven times round the others, and a double knot formed; then eight times, then eleven times, then thirteen times. The thread and the knots stood for the five books of the Law. The idea of the fringe was two-fold. It was meant to identify a Jew as a Jew, and as a member of the chosen people, no matter where he was; and it was meant to remind a Jew every time he put on and took off his clothes that he belonged to God. In later times, when the Jews were universally persecuted, the tassels were worn on the undergarment, and today they are worn on the prayer-shawl which a devout Jew wears when he prays. It was the tassel on the robe of Jesus that this woman touched. When she touched it, it was as if time stood still. It was as if we were looking at a motion- picture and suddenly the picture stopped, and left us looking at one scene. The extraordinary, and the movingly beautiful thing, about this scene is that all at once amidst that crowd Jesus halted; and for the moment it seemed that for him no one but that woman and nothing but her need existed. She was not simply a poor woman lost in the crowd; she was someone to whom Jesus gave the whole of himself. For Jesus no one is ever lost in the crowd, because Jesus is like God. W. B. Yeats once wrote in one of his moments of mystical beauty: "The love of God is infinite for every human soul, because every human soul is unique; no other can satisfy the same need in God." God gives all of himself to each individual person. The world is not like that. The world is apt to divide people into those who are important and those who are unimportant. In A Night to Remember Walter Lord tells in detail the story of the sinking of the Titanic in April, 1912. There was an appalling loss of life, when that new and supposedly unsinkable liner hit an iceberg in the middle of the Atlantic. After the tragedy had been announced, the New York newspaper, The American, devoted a leader to it. The leader
- 140. was devoted entirelyto the death of John Jacob Astor, the millionaire; and at the end of it, almost casually, it was mentioned that 1,800 others were also lost. The only one who really mattered, the only one with real news value, was the millionaire. The other 1,800 were of no real importance. Men can be like that, but God can never be like that. Bain, the psychologist, said in a very different connection that the sensualist has what he calla "a voluminous tenderness." In the highest and the best sense there is a voluminous tenderness in God. James Agate said of G. K. Chesterton: "Unlike some thinkers, Chesterton understood his fellow-men; the woes of a jockey were as familiar to him as the worries of a judge. . . Chesterton, more than any man I have ever known, had the common touch. He would give the whole of his attention to a boot-black. He had about him that bounty of heart which men call kindness, and which makes the whole world kin." That is the reflection of the love of God which allows no man to be lost in the crowd. This is something to remember in a day and an age when the individual is in danger of getting lost. Men tend to become numbers in a system of social security; they tend as members of an association or union to almost lose their right to be individuals at all. W. B. Yeats said of Augustus John, the famous artist and portrait painter: "He was supremely interested in the revolt from all that makes one man like another." To God one man is never like another; each is His individual child, and each has all God's love and all God's power at his disposal. To Jesus this woman was not lost in the crowd; in her hour of need, to him she was all that mattered. Jesus is like that for every one of us. BROADUS, "Matthew 9:20-22. On the way to the ruler's house occurred another miracle. And, behold, a fresh wonder. A woman.... with an issue of blood twelve years. We know nothing as to the particular nature of the haemorrhage, but the most obvious supposition is probably correct. We learn from Mark (Mark 5:26) and Luke (Luke 8:43) that she had been subjected to a variety of methods of treatment by numerous physicians, spending her entire estate in paying them, but instead of receiving benefit, had been growing worse—a chronic, aggravated, and unmanageable case. Strauss finds an unveracious element in the double occurrence of the number twelve in this narrative (the woman has suffered twelve years, and the maiden was twelve years old, Mark 5:42); some of our allegorizes would find in it a deep spiritual meaning—which is the sillier notion? Came, etc., or coming to him from behind, partly, no doubt, through general timidity, partly from a reluctance to have public attention called to her peculiar affliction; and perhaps also because the law made her ceremonially unclean, (Leviticus 15:25) and she was afraid of being censured and repelled if it should be known that in that condition she had come into the crowd, since any one would likewise become unclean by touching her. Touched the hem (border) of his garment. We know from Numbers 15:37 ff.; Deuteronomy 22:12, that the Israelites were directed to wear on the corners of the upper garment a fringe or tassel (we cannot certainly determine the exact meaning), with an occasional blue thread. These were designed, as being always before their eyes, to remind them continually of the commandments of the Lord, which they were solemnly bound to obey. If we think of the outer garment as merely an oblong cloth thrown around the person like a large shawl—as it undoubtedly was in many cases (see on "Matthew 5:40")—then 'tassel' is the more natural idea; and in that case 'the tassel' would be simply the one nearest to her. The Jews attached great importance to this fringe or tassel, the ostentatious Pharisees making it very large (see on "Matthew 23:5"); and it is possible that the woman thought there might be a peculiar virtue in touching this, which was worn by express divine command—though such a supposition is not necessary. See a good discussion of the probable dress of Jesus in Edersheim.
- 141. BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR, "Andtouched the hem of His garment. Touching Jesus I. How many evils sin hath brought into the world. II. We are too much disposed to seek human help instead of going directly to God. III. However deep-seated and desperate the condition of the soul’s health, the Saviour can help us. IV. The secrecy with which the afflicted woman sought help of Jesus. V. The impression which the suffering woman had formed of Jesus. (J. H. Norton.) Christ the Healer The sinner and the Saviour. I. The way in which these two are thrown together. As we say by chance this woman crosses His path; it was a by-errand of the Son of Man. II. The occasion of their being brought together. It is the incurability of her disease by earthly skill that throws her upon the heavenly Physician. Man’s failure brings her to One who cannot fail. III. The point of connection between them. IV. The woman’s need of Christ. V. Christ’s need of the woman. The sun needs the earth as truly as the earth needs the sun. You may say, What would the earth be without the sun? Yes; but what would the sun be without an earth to shine upon? What would become of its radiance? All wasted. It would shine in vain. So Christ needed objects for the exercise of His skill, love, and power. The Lord hath need of us. VI. The woman’s thoughts of Christ. She is modest, earnest, humble; so full of faith that she deems a touch enough. Like the garden, He cannot but give out His fragrance. The simplest form of connection with Him will accomplish the cure. (A. Bonar, D. D.) Faith’s approach to Christ I. Faith comes with a deep despair of all other help but Christ’s. II. Faith has a Divine power to discover Christ. III. Faith comes with an implied trust in Christ. IV. Faith seeks for its comfort, close contact with Christ. V. Faith, with all its imperfections, is accepted by Christ. VI. Faith feels a change from the touch of Christ. (J. Ker, D. D.)
- 142. The patient ofmany physicians I. One touching out of many pressing on Jesus. There was love, power, and nearness enough for all the crowd, yet only one touched Christ for healing. We are near Christ in the house of God and at the holy table, yet perhaps do not by faith touch. II. Her case is the worst of all. 1. She is the weakest in all the crowd, yet she presses through till she reaches Jesus. Our inability a needful lesson, but earnestness is a power. By grace are we saved. There is always a crowd between Christ and the inquiring soul-a crowd of past sins, evil spirits, etc. 2. She is the vilest of all, the most unfit to touch the Holy One, for her very touch defiles. Christ is cleansing for the vile. 3. Her coming is the worst-timed of all applications; it was unseasonable. He was in the midst of another case. The coming ill-timed He does not refuse. 4. Her coming seems to be in the very worst way; none other appears to have come so ill. She comes by stealth. III. Her immediate healing. 1. Her coming to be healed is late, and yet immediate; late in reference to the past, immediate in the haste of this afternoon. The reason humbling, because she has spent all. The sinner does not come to Christ first, but after every other refuge has failed. 2. Her cure is immediate, complete, conscious. 3. She cannot depart in health without confessing Christ the Healer. The coiner need not, but the follower must bear the cross of Christ; it is lighter to bear afterward. (A. M. Stuart.) The issue of blood healed I. The woman’s condition, and touch, and cube. 1. Her condition represents that of every sinner. (1) Diseased. (2) Unclean and separate from the fellowship of god and His people. (3) Hopeless of help from earthly physicians. 2. Difference between her touch and that of the crowd. 3. Her faith successful, though imperfect and mixed with error. II. Why did not Jesus leave the woman in the concealment she sought? 1. That she may confess and glorify Christ before others. 2. That He may confess her and confirm her faith, and confer upon her further and higher blessings. (1) He confesses her. (2) He approves and confirms her faith.
- 143. 3. He addsa further and spiritual blessing-“Go in peace.” This a word of power. (T. M. Macdonald, M. A.) The true Healer tried last Was not the same struggle seen in the case of Luther, issuing, too, in the same result? That cell in Erfurth heard sounds and saw sights of conflict and sorrow enough to make our hearts bleed. What tears that monk shed, what prayers he offered, what lacerations he inflicted upon his flesh to chase away its lusts, what hunger he endured that he might starve his appetites to submission, until he nearly killed the body in seeking to kill its sins, and he was found once and again nearly lifeless on the floor! But what of his sins? They were as vigorous as ever. Plied by many physicians, they yielded not; scourge, hunger, thirst, nightly vigils, all failed; and he had spent nearly all that he had, and was “ nothing the better, but rather the worse.” Nearly all, I say, for he had still a little left. One more physician he had not tried, and that was the eternal city of Rome, which he must see; and there, amid its sanctities and miracles, he must and a perfect cure. He must climb on his bare knees the wondrous stairs of the Santa Scala, and there the burden will roll from his soul for ever. But the burden presses heavier as he climbs; and in the moment of his blackest despair, a remembered text rings in his ears like music from heaven’s gate, “The just shall live by faith,” and he rushes from the scene rejoicing in Christ Jesus, and putting no confidence in the flesh. Thus it is that men must despair before they can hope. (E. Mellor, D. D.) An imperfect faith no hindrance to moral cure The sun can send some of its light and heat through very murky skies, and the Sun of Righteousness can do the same, and even more. (E. Mellor, D. D.) There may be much earthly rubbish in the soul that comes to Christ; but if there be in it one gleaming grain of the gold of faith, Christ will receive that soul with all its rubbish; for He knows well that in due time all that is worthless will drop away, that the eye of faith will sweep over a vaster horizon of truth from day to day, until we shall be light in the Lord, and shall not walk in darkness. (E. Mellor, D. D.) Moral healing sought from selfish desire Most of the religion of mankind begins in what may be viewed as selfishness, and then becomes transformed into love. Most of religion did I say? I might have said, the natural life of every one of us from childhood has followed the same law. Where is the child that began life with love? Life begins with hunger and other needs. The infant is a bundle of imperious and constant necessities. It loves no one, can love no one. Love has to be begotten, to be wakened up little by little as months roll on, and the expanding babe learns who it is that feeds and fondles it, whose arms they are that enfold it, whose face it is that reflects upon it the very light of heaven. Can anything be more selfish than the cries of the child which seeks nourishment and comfort, caring nothing from whom they come if they do but come? But can anything be more unselfish than the love which at length rises up in the soul? A love which makes the name of mother the sweetest, dearest
- 144. name on earth;a love which will traverse seas and not be chilled by distance, and which feels that no tears are too many which are shed on the grave where she rests in peace. We cannot begin our Christian life at the highest point, or with the highest motives, any more than our natural life. (E. Mellor, D. D. ) The woman’s idea in touching the hem The notions which the woman entertained of Christ were very confused. She was timid and shrinking-a woman probably of a sensitive temperament, her nervous system possibly injuriously affected by her disease; but only ignorance and superstition could have suggested the idea of a furtive touch of our Lord’s garments. (H. Allen, D. D.) Sense helps to faith Some instrumentality for connecting the faith of our souls with Christ we all, perhaps, require. Without it the faith even of the strongest might have difficulty in realizing Christ. Sense is the minister of the soul. We grasp Christ best when the hand of spiritual faith rests upon sensible things; only let us be sure that it is the Christ our spirits grasp, and not the mere sensible thing. (H. Allen, D. D.) Brazen figures at Caesarea Philippi This woman was a native of Caesarea. At the gates of her house, on an elevated stone, stands a brazen image of a woman on her bonded knee, with her hands stretched out before her, like one entreating. Opposite to this there is another image of a man erect, of the same materials, decently clad in a mantle, and stretching out his hand to the woman. Before her feet, and on the same pedestal, there is a certain strange plant growing, which, rising as high as the hem of the brazen garment, is a kind of antidote to all kinds of diseases. This figure is a statue of Jesus Christ, and it has remained even until our times, so that we ourselves saw it whilst tarrying in that city. (Eusebius.) Curing straightway The woman had not to undergo u tedious process, but was cured straightway. Physicians require time, and must use proper means. They physic you and diet you, and thus cure you gradually. The Redeemer never physicked or dieted His patients. He cured them straightway. (J. C. Jones.) The cure was perfect-not better, but whole-every whit. All traces of the disease vanished. Complete-perfect. (J. C. Jones.) Faith foes to Christ Can you tell why the needle trembles to the pole? The buds feel their way to the spring? Flowers to sunlight? They are made for it, and souls are so made for Christ. (Dr. J. Ker.)
- 145. “If I may:” I.“if i may” be allowed. 1. There is nothing to forbid your coming and resting your guilty soul upon Christ. 2. The very nature of the Lord Jesus Christ should forbid your raising a doubt about your being permitted to come and touch his garment’s hem. 3. Think of the fulness of Christ’s power to save and make a little argument of it. 4. Suppose you do come, you will not injure Him. 5. You shall rather benefit than injure Him. 6. Others just like you have ventured to Him, and have not been refused. II. But can I? Faith in Christ is the simplest action that anybody ever performs. III. “I shall be made whole.” (C. H. Spurgeon.) Confident timidity I. Unobstrusively. 1. “She said within herself,” etc. 2. Came behind Christ. II. Unceremoniously. 1. Came when Christ was engaged. 2. Touched His hem. III. Undoubtingly. “I shall be whole.” Her faith was undoubting, therefore strong to overcome difficulties. 1. Subjective difficulty. 2. Objective difficulty. 3. Undoubting, hence strong to draw blessings from Christ. (J. S. Swan.) Faith in its manifestations We may regard the act of this woman as an expression of her faith. 1. Faith is a simple thing as an act. You exercise it when you consult your physician. In religious experience acts of faith are simple, but behind them there is a mental state, mysterious and sublime. 2. Great faith is compatible with great modesty. There may be great faith before God, yet fear before men. 3. Great faith is compatible with great ignorance. 4. Faith saves and then becomes an incentive to holiness. (F. C. Polton, D. D.)
- 146. 21 She saidto herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” CLARKE, "She said within herself, If I may but touch his garment - Her disorder was of that delicate nature that modesty forbade her to make any public acknowledgment of it; and therefore she endeavored to transact the whole business in private. Besides, the touch of such a person was by the law reputed unclean. By faith in Christ Jesus, little things are often rendered efficacious to our salvation. What more simple than a morsel of bread, and a few drops of wine, in the Lord’s Supper! And yet, they who receive them by faith in the sacrifice they represent, are made partakers of the blessings purchased by the crucified body and spilled blood of the Lord Jesus! GILL, "For she said within herself,.... That is, she thought within herself, she reasoned the matter in her mind, she concluded upon it, and firmly believed it; being strongly impressed and influenced by the Spirit of God, and encouraged by instances of cures she had heard were performed by persons only touching him; see Luk_6:19 if I may but touch his garment. The Arabic version reads it, "the hem of his garment", as before; but is not supported by any copy, nor by any other version: her faith was, that if she might be allowed, or if she could by any means come at him, to touch any part of his garment, she should have a cure: I shall be whole, or "I shall be saved"; that is, from her disease, from which she could have no deliverance, by the advice and prescriptions of all her former physicians, and by all the means she had made use of. SBC, "I. Consider what this sufferer said within herself. (1) As displaying ignorance of the true nature of Christ. (2) As displaying not only ignorance, but error, along with truth. (3) Was her faith, then, a foolish credulity? Not at all. She knew the wonders He had wrought on others, and responded to goodness and truth. His language and demeanour expressed this, and on this convincing evidence she trusted Jesus and was healed. II. Consider this feeling toward Christ, as finding recognition wider than the Christian Church. III. Remember that Christ calls us, beyond slight contact, to the closest union with
- 147. Himself. Prof. Herbert, ContemporaryPulpit, vol. iv., p. 32. BROADUS, "Matthew 9:21. For she said within herself, as in Matthew 9:3. Strictly it is, was saying; i.e., at the time when she pressed through the crowd and touched him. If I may but— better, if I only—touch his garment. The 'may' of Com. Ver. is misleading. We do not know how far this feeling of hers was mingled with superstition, but in the main her conviction was just, since Jesus commends her faith, and power did go forth from him, (Luke 8:46) the moment she touched him. It was usual in miracles of healing that some manifest connection should be established, however slight, between the sufferer and the healer, as in Peter's shadow (Acts 5:15) and Paul's handkerchiefs. (Acts 19:12) See also Matthew 14:36; Mark 6:56; Luke 8:19.I shall be (made) whole, literally, 'saved'; the word has been explained see on "Matthew 1:21"as signifying 'preserve' and 'deliver,' and as applied to physical dangers, disease and death, as well as to sin and its consequences. What strong faith this woman possessed l And it was justified by the event; for immediately (Mark 5:29) she felt the disease was indeed healed—healed by merely touching the edge of Jesus' garment, when all the skill of the ablest physicians, through all the weary years, had been unable to relieve it. COFFMAN,"Here again is noted that characteristic of the Scriptures which reveal what people said within themselves. In this chapter is recorded what the Pharisees said within themselves, and here is related what this woman said within herself. Other examples are those of the unjust steward and the prodigal son (Luke 15:17; 16:3). The surmise of this woman that only a touch was required to heal her was altogether correct. One of the profoundest statements in Holy Writ is Mark 6:56. "As many as touched him were made whole." If with all our striving, we may but TOUCH HIM, we shall be made perfectly whole. Jesus Christ was never in a hurry. He had no occasion to be so, because He was conscious of supreme power, and of a capacity to do whatever He in His perfect wisdom deemed right. So that you perceive nowhere throughout the whole of these Gospels the least sign of eager anxiety, the slightest indication of personal uncertainty. He moves on His way, quiet, comparatively undisturbed, with the calmness of conscious strength. This thought is suggested, because the incident before us shows our Lord allowing Himself to be interrupted in a great work which He had undertaken to do, and yet being undisturbed by the interruption. Why should the Son of God be in haste? Can He not do as He wills? Does He not come forth from the bosom of Him of whom it is said, "A thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night"? Notice:— I. That the touch of the diseased woman was an expression of conscious need. Necessity, trouble, incurable sorrow bring us to the Great Healer in some way or other. II. The touch was an expression of superstition and faith. There was surely something of a vague belief that any kind of contact with Christ would bring her blessing. The incident suggests an inquiry as to what kind of faith and how much Faith is necessary to bring us into contact with Christ. That some faith is essential is clear; for had she not asked, the probability is the woman would not have received healing. But the fact of her healing
- 148. shows how theleast faith, the smallest effort of belief, may bring a response from Christ. We may learn that the first and chief thing for our soul’s need is contact with Christ, and that attained, we shall find that from the spiritual touch of the Saviour we gain forgiveness and newness of life. From Him virtue passes into our souls, and faith deepens and strengthens into perfect confidence and rest. W. Braden, Sermons, p. 183. I. How many evils sin has brought into the world. The seeds of sin are lying dormant in our souls, and even when brought into God’s family, and made His children by adoption and grace, we still unite in the mortifying confession, "There is no health in us." II. Another reflection drawn from the history is, that we are too much disposed to seek human help, instead of going directly to God. III. However deep-seated and desperate the condition of the soul’s health, the Saviour can help us. IV. Note the secrecy with which the afflicted woman sought help of Jesus. "Nor is her wish for secrecy unbelief, but simply humility—humility, accompanied with such faith in Him that she feels assured that a touch of His raiment will suffice." J. N. Norton, Golden Truths, p. 475. Faith’s Approach to Christ. 1. Faith comes with a deep despair of all other help but Christ’s. 2. Faith has a divine power to discover Christ. 3. Faith comes with an implicit trust in Christ. 4. Faith seeks, for its comfort, close contact with Christ. 5. Faith, with all its imperfections, is accepted by Christ. 6. Faith feels a change from the touch of Christ. J. Ker, Sermons, p. 186. NISBET, "WORSHIP AND SUPERSTITION ‘If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole.’ Matthew 9:21 This story records a most remarkable instance of our Saviour’s treatment of ignorance and superstition. It was a poor conceit of this woman, says good Bishop Hall, that she thought that she might receive so sovereign a remedy from Christ without His heed, without His knowledge. Christ healed, so she supposed, not by the exertion of His holy will, but rather by a certain magical influence and power which she thought dwelt in Him. But while this woman’s ideas were thus wholly wrong, being tinged with much
- 149. superstition and ignorance,the result of her practised faith was wholly excellent. I. Superstition and faith.—There is a very frequent temptation for us, to whom has been granted, as we rightly consider, a purer revelation of Christian faith, to think harshly and intolerantly of those avowed Christians whose minds are as yet unenlightened on many points of Divine truth. We are tempted to regard their superstitions as a gulf across which we cannot embrace our fellow-Christians. It is good, therefore, to remind ourselves of this miracle of Jesus Christ’s. There is much spiritual worship in much apparent superstition; and, still more, there is much spiritual idolatry in that pride of better knowledge which can only think scornfully of our fellow-Christians because, in their guileless ignorance, they have been accustomed to bow their knees before a statue or to attribute fictitious power to an image of stone. II. Only one received the blessing.—There was nothing in the hem of Christ’s garment more than in the hem of any other to convey a blessing. A multitude was thronging all round Him, hustling against Him, and yet receiving no benefit. Only one woman in all of that crowd believed that His Sacred Person was full of healing blessing, so that if only she could come in contact with Him she would be at once healed. She recognised that one touch of Christ could overcome all the powers of darkness of this world. And He in turn recognised that touch of timid faith, even amid the pressure of the crowd. It is thus to-day within the Church of Jesus Christ. The Christ still conveys strength and healing to us through outward means. And if the hem of Christ’s garment had such power to heal and bless when touched by faith, how much more shall the Body and Blood of Christ, received by faith in our hearts, have power for the strengthening and for the refreshing of our souls! —The Rev. Ivor Farrar. Illustration ‘When Henry Martyn, the great and holy missionary, saw once in Spain a poor old crone bowing down and reverently kissing the feet of a stone image and bathing it with her tears, he reflected that, however much his understanding of the scheme of Redemption might be better than hers, very probably in faith and love she was his superior.’ 22 Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
- 150. BAR ES, "ButJesus tutored him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort - Jesus silenced her fears, commended her faith, and sent her away in peace. He used an endearing appellation, calling her “daughter,” a word of tenderness and affection, and dismissed her who had been twelve long and tedious years labouring under a weakening and offensive disease, now in an instant made whole. Her faith, her strong confidence in Jesus, had been the means of her restoration. It was the “power” of Jesus that cured her; but that power would not have been exerted but in connection with faith. So in the salvation of a sinner. No one is saved who does not believe; but faith is the instrument, and not the power, that saves. CLARKE, "Daughter, be of good comfort - Θαρσει θυγατερ, Take courage, daughter. See on Mat_9:2 (note). The reason of this kind speech was - Jesus, finding that virtue had proceeded from him; made inquiry who had touched him. The woman, finding that she could not be hid, came fearing and trembling, (Mar_5:33), and confessed the truth: to dispel these fears and to comfort her mind, Jesus said, Daughter, take courage. Thy faith hath made thee whole - Η πιστις σου σεσωκε σε, This thy faith hath saved thee: i.e. thy faith in my power has interested that power in thy behalf, so that thou art saved from thy disorder, and from all its consequences. See on Luk_8:46 (note). GILL, "But Jesus turned him about,.... Knowing what was done behind him, that virtue was gone out of him, that the woman had touched him, and was healed; which is a clear proof of his omniscience, and so of his deity: not that he was angry with her for touching him, though she was an impure woman; for though men and garments were defiled by the touch of a profluvious (x) person; yet such was the power and holiness of Christ, that as he could not be defiled by any such means, so hereby, at once, this woman's impurity was also removed: but Christ turned about to observe and point out the woman, and her cure, to the company; not for the sake of his own honour, but for the glory of God, the commendation of the woman's faith, and chiefly for the strengthening the faith of Jairus, with whom he was going to raise his daughter from the dead: and when he saw her. The other evangelists, Mark and Luke, record, that Jesus inquired who touched him, and what answer Peter and the disciples made to him; and how he looked around, and very likely fastened his eyes upon the woman; when she perceiving that she could not go off undiscovered, came trembling to him, fell down before him, and told him the whole matter; and then he said, daughter be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole. He addressed her in a kind and tender manner, calling her "daughter"; an affable, courteous way of speaking, used by the Jewish doctors (y), when speaking to women: which showed his affection, and bespoke his relation; and bidding her take heart and be of good cheer, since he meant not to blame her for what she had done, but to commend her faith in him, whereby she had received a cure: meaning, not that there was such virtue in her faith as to effect such a cure; but that he, the object of her faith, had performed it for her:
- 151. and the womanwas made whole from that hour; her disease immediately left her, and from that time forward, was no more troubled with it: the cure was so effectual, and so perfect, that the disorder never returned more. HE RY, "2. Christ's great favour to this woman. He did not suspend (as he might have done) his healing influences, but suffered this bashful patient to steal a cure unknown to any one else, though she could not think to do it unknown to him. And now she was well content to be gone, for she had what she came for, but Christ was not willing to let he to so; he will not only have his power magnified in her cure, but his grace magnified in her comfort and commendation: the triumphs of her faith must be to her praise and honour. He turned about to see for her (Mat_9:22), and soon discovered her. Note, It is great encouragement to humble Christians, that they who hide themselves from men are known to Christ, who sees in secret their applications to heaven when most private. Now here, (1.) He puts gladness into her heart, by that word, Daughter, be of good comfort. She feared being chidden for coming clandestinely, but she is encouraged. [1.] He calls her daughter, for he spoke to her with the tenderness of a father, as he did to the man sick of the palsy (Mat_9:2), whom he called son. Note, Christ has comforts ready for the daughters of Zion, that are of a sorrowful spirit, as Hannah was, 1Sa_1:15. Believing women are Christ's daughters, and he will own them as such. [2.] He bids her be of good comfort: she has reason to be so, if Christ own her for a daughter. Note, The saints' consolation is founded in their adoption. His bidding her be comforted, brought comfort with it, as his saying, Be ye whole, brought health with it. Note, It is the will of Christ that his people should be comforted, and it is his prerogative to command comfort to troubled spirits. He creates the fruit of the lips, peace, Isa_57:19. (2.) He puts honour upon her faith. That grace of all others gives most honour to Christ, and therefore he puts most honour upon it; Thy faith has made thee whole. Thus by faith she obtained a good report. And as of all graces Christ puts the greatest honour upon faith, so of all believers he puts the greatest honour upon those that are most humble; as here on this woman, who had more faith than she thought she had. She had reason to be of good comfort, not only because she was made whole, but because her faith had made her whole; that is, [1.] She was spiritually healed; that cure was wrought in her which is the proper fruit and effect of faith, the pardon of sin and the work of grace. Note, We may then be abundantly comforted in our temporal mercies when they are accompanied with those spiritual blessings that resemble them; our food and raiment will be comfortable, when by faith we are fed with the bread of life, and clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ; our rest and sleep will be comfortable, when by faith we repose in God, and dwell at ease in him; our health and prosperity will be comfortable, when by faith our souls prosper, and are in health. See Isa_38:16, Isa_ 38:17. [2.] Her bodily cure was the fruit of faith, of her faith, and that made it a happy, comfortable cure indeed. They out of whom the devils were cast, were helped by Christ's sovereign power; some by the faith of others (as Mat_9:2); but it is thy faith that has made thee whole. Note, Temporal mercies are then comforts indeed to us, when they are received by faith. If, when in pursuit of mercy, we prayed for it in faith, with an eye to the promise, and in dependence upon that, if we desired it for the sake of God's glory, and with a resignation to God's will, and have our hearts enlarged by it in faith, love, and obedience, we may then say, it was received by faith.
- 152. CALVI , "Matthew9:22.Take courage, my daughter. This expression shows the weakness of her faith for, had there been no impropriety in her trembling, Christ would not have corrected it by exhorting her to take courage Yet, at the same time, he commends her faith; and this supports the view which I have already stated, that, while she sought Christ by the guidance of the Spirit, and from a sincere and pious desire, she hesitated in such a manner as to need to be strengthened. Thus we see that faith, in order to please God, needs forgiveness, and is at the same time sustained by new aid, that it may acquire additional strength. We may here draw a comparison from the health of the body to that of the soul: for, as Christ says that the woman’s deliverance from her disease was the consequence of her faith, so it is certain, that we obtain by faith the forgiveness of sins, which reconciles us to God. COFFMA , "It is plain from this that Jesus rejected whatever of superstition there may have been in the woman's act. A suspicion that some element of superstition might have motivated her comes from the fact that she touched a particular part of his garment supposed to be especially holy. That was the tuft,Matthew 9:22 (Brooklyn, ew York: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society), p. 38.">[5] or tassel, which, according to umbers 15:37, every Jew wore on the four corners of his cloak to remind him of God's commands, and which was considered the holiest part of his apparel. Jesus' action, as more fully given in Mark 5:25-34, and his plain words made it clear to the woman that he, of his own will, had healed her; and that she had not merely taken advantage of some supernatural influence radiating from his person. E D OTE: Matthew 9:22 (Brooklyn, ew York: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society), p. 38."> [5] Emphatic Diaglott, Matthew 9:22 (Brooklyn, ew York: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society), p. 38. BROADUS, "Matthew 9:22. But Jesus turned, etc. Matthew omits the facts narrated at length by Mark and Luke, that she touched him in the midst of a great crowd, and he insisted on being told who it was that had touched him. We can see that it was not proper to let her be healed and go off, apparently without his knowledge; because this fact, as it should gradually become known, would confirm men in the superstitious notion that he performed healing involuntarily and unconsciously, as if by some magical virtue inherent in his person. His asking who it was is not inconsistent with the idea that he knew. Compare Elisha's asking, 'Whence comest thou, Gehazi?', (2 Kings 5:25) though well aware of all that he had done; and God's saying to Adam, 'Where art thou?' See also Luke 24:19, where Jesus asks, 'What things?' though he must have understood what they meant. He asked the woman in order to bring her to confession, which would be a benefit to herself—preventing superstition, strengthening faith, and deepening gratitude—as well as to others. Daughter, etc., or, Courage, daughter. Compare on Matthew 9:2. 'Daughter,' in this figurative and kindly use, appears nowhere in the New Testament, save in this narrative. (Mark 5:34, Luke 8:48) Thy faith hath made thee whole, literally, saved, as in Matthew 9:21. The perfect tense vividly represents the healing as standing complete. Her faith was of course not the source of the healing, but its procuring cause, as leading her to apply to the healing power of Jesus. and as being the reason why the application was successful. See the same expression used in Luke 7:50, Luke 17:19, Luke 18:42. Was made whole (healed) from that hour. The healing took place at the moment of the touch; what is here said is that from that time forward
- 153. she was nomore sick, but well—not only delivered, but preserved. So in Matthew 15:28, Matthew 17:18. Eusebius ("Hist." VII. 17) gives a tradition that this woman's name was Veronica. 23 When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, BAR ES, "And widen Jesus came into the ruler’s house ... - Jesus permitted only three of his disciples, Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and the father and mother of the damsel, to go in with him where the corpse lay, Mar_5:37-40 It was important that there should be “witnesses” of the miracle, and he chose a sufficient number. “Five” witnesses were enough to establish the fact. The witnesses were impartial. The fact that she was dead was established beyond a doubt. Of this the mourners, the parents, the messengers, the people, were satisfied. If she was presented to the people “alive,” the proof of the miracle was complete. The presence of more than the “five” witnesses would have made the scene tumultuous, and have been less satisfactory evidence of the fact of the restoration of the child. Five sober witnesses are always better than the confused voices of a rabble. These were the same disciples that were with him on the Mount of Transfiguration and in the Garden of Gethsemane, Mar_ 9:2; Mar_14:33; 2Pe_1:17-18. And saw the minstrels and the people making a noise - Minstrels” are persons who play on instruments of music. The people of the East used to bewail the dead by cutting the flesh, tearing the hair, and crying bitterly. See Jer_9:17; Jer_16:6-7; Eze_ 24:17. The expressions of grief at the death of a friend, in Eastern countries, are extreme. As soon as a person dies, all the females in the family set up a loud and doleful cry. They continue it as long as they can without taking breath, and the shriek of wailing dies away in a low sob. Nor do the relatives satisfy themselves with these expressions of violent grief. They hire persons of both sexes, whose employment it is to mourn for the dead in the like frantic manner. See Amo_5:16; Jer_9:20. They sing the virtues of the deceased, recount his acts, dwell on his beauty, strength, or learning; on the comforts of his family and home, and in doleful strains ask him why he left his family and friends. To all this they add soft and melancholy music. They employ “minstrels” to aid their grief, and to increase the expressions of their sorrow. This violent grief continues, commonly, eight days. In the case of a king, or other very distinguished personage, it is prolonged through an entire month. This grief does not cease at the house; it is exhibited in the procession to the grave, and the air is split with the wailings of real and of hired mourners. Professor Hackett (“Illustrations of Scripture,” pp. 121, 122) says: “During my stay at Jerusalem I frequently heard a singular cry issuing from the houses in the neighborhood of the place where I lodged, or from those on the streets through which I
- 154. passed. It wasto be heard at all hours - in the morning, at noonday, at evening, or in the deep silence of night. For some time I was at a loss to understand the cause of this strange interruption of the stillness which, for the most part, hangs so oppressively over the lonely city. Had it not been so irregular in its occurrence, I might have supposed it to indicate some festive occasion; for the tones of voice (yet hardly tones so much as shrieks) used for the expression of different feelings sound so much alike to the unpracticed ear, that it is not easy always to distinguish the mournful and the joyous from each other. I ascertained, at length, that this special cry was, no doubt, in most instances, the signal of the death of some person in the house from which it was heard. It is customary, when a member of the family is about to die, for the friends to assemble around him and watch the ebbing away of life, so as to remark the precise moment when he breathes his last, upon which they set up instantly a united outcry, attended with weeping, and often with beating upon the breast, and tearing out the hair of the head. This lamentation they repeat at other times, especially at the funeral, both during the procession to the grave and after the arrival there, as they commit the remains to their last resting-place.” The Jews were forbidden to tear their hair and cut their flesh. See Lev_19:28; Deu_ 14:1. They showed their grief by howling, by music, by concealing the chin with their garment, by rending the outer garment, by refusing to wash or anoint themselves, or to converse with people, by scattering ashes or dust in the air, or by lying down in them, Job_1:20; Job_2:12; 2Sa_1:2-4; 2Sa_14:2; 2Sa_15:30; Mar_14:63. The expressions of grief, therefore, mentioned on this occasion, though excessive and foolish, were yet strictly in accordance with Eastern customs. CLARKE, "Saw the minstrels and the people making a noise - Αυλητας, pipers; Anglo-Saxon the whistlers; Gothic, haurngans haurngandans, the horn-blowers blowing with their horns. Nearly the same as the pipublasara, pipe-blowers of the Islandic: for among all those nations funeral lamentations accompanied with such rude instruments, were made at the death of relatives. That pipes were in use among the Jews, in times of calamity or death, is evident from Jer_48:36. And among the Greeks, and Romans, as well as among the Jews, persons were hired on purpose to follow the funeral processions with lamentations. See Jer_9:17-21; Amo_5:16. Even the poorest among the Jews were required to have two pipers, and one mourning woman. At these funeral solemnities it was usual with them to drink considerably; even ten cups of wine each, where it could be got. See Lightfoot. This custom is observed among the native Irish to this day, in what is called their Caoinan. The body of the deceased, dressed in grave-clothes and ornamented with flowers, is placed in some eminent place; the relations and caoiners range themselves in two divisions, one at the head and the other at the feet of the corpse. Anciently, where the deceased was a great personage, the bards and croteries prepared the caoinan. The chief bard of the head chorus began by singing the first stanza in a low doleful tone; which was softly accompanied by the harp. At the conclusion, the foot semichorus began the lamentation, or Ullaloo, from the final note of the preceding stanza, in which they were answered by the head semichorus; then both united in one general chorus. The chorus of the first stanza being ended, the chief bard of the foot semichorus sung the second stanza, the strain of which was taken from the concluding note of the preceding chorus, which ended, the head semichorus began the Gol, or lamentation, in which they were answered by that of the foot, and then, as before, both united in the
- 155. general full chorus.Thus alternately were the song and choruses performed during the night. I have seen a number of women, sometimes fourteen, twenty-four, or more, accompany the deceased from his late house to the grave-yard, divided into two parties on each side the corpse, singing the Ullaloo, alternately, all the way. That drinking, in what is called the wake, or watching with the body of the deceased, is practised, and often carried to a shameful excess, needs little proof. This kind of intemperance proceeded to such great lengths among the Jews that the Sanhedrin were obliged to make a decree, to restrain the drinking to ten cups each. I mention these things more particularly, because I have often observed that the customs of the aboriginal Irish bear, a very striking resemblance to those of the ancient Jews, and other Asiatic nations. The application of these observations I leave to others. It was a custom with the Greeks to make a great noise with brazen vessels; and the Romans made a general outcry, called conclamatio, hoping either to stop the soul which was now taking its flight, or to awaken the person, if only in a state of torpor. This they did for eight days together, calling the person incessantly by his name; at the expiration of which term the phrase, Conclamatum est - all is over - there is no hope - was used. See the words used in this sense by Terence, Eun. l. 347. In all probability this was the θορυβουµενον, the making a violent outcry, mentioned here by the evangelist. How often, on the death of relatives, do men incumber and perplex themselves with vain, worldly, and tumultuous ceremonies, instead of making profitable reflections on death! GILL, "And when Jesus came into the ruler's house,.... Both Mark and Luke relate, how that before this, whilst they were in the way, and just as Christ had done speaking to the poor woman, that news was brought to the ruler, that his daughter was actually dead, and therefore need not give Jesus any further trouble; when Christ encouraged him not to be cast down at the tidings, but believe, and she should be restored again; and that he suffered none to follow him, but Peter, James, and John: and saw the minstrels, or "pipers"; how many there were, is not known: it is certain there were more than one; and it was a rule with the (z) Jews that "the poorest man in Israel (when his wife died) had not less חלילים ,משני "than two pipes", and one mourning woman.'' And since this was a daughter of a ruler of the synagogue that was dead, there might be several of them. These instruments were made use of, not to remove the melancholy of surviving friends, or allay the grief of the afflicted family; but, on the contrary, to excite it: for the Jewish writers say (a), these pipes were hollow instruments, with which they made a known sound, והאבל הבכיה ,לעורר "to stir up lamentation and mourning": and for the same purpose, they had their mourning women, who answered to the pipe; and by their dishevelled hair, and doleful tones, moved upon the affections, and drew tears from others; and very likely are the persons, that Mark says, "wept and wailed greatly". Sometimes trumpets were made use of on these mournful occasions (b); but whether these were used only for persons more advanced in years, and pipes for younger ones, as by the Heathens (c), at least, at some times, is not certain. And the people making a noise; the people of the house, the relations of the deceased, the neighbours, who came in on this occasion; and others, in a sort of tumult
- 156. and uproar, hurryingand running about; some speaking in the praise of the dead, others lamenting her death, and others preparing things proper for the funeral; all which shew, that she was really dead: among these also, might be the mourners that made a noise for the dead; "for since mourning was for the honour of the dead, therefore they obliged the heirs to hire mourning men, and mourning women, to mourn for the same (d).'' HE RY, "IV. The posture in which he found the ruler's house, Mat_9:23. - He saw the people and the minstrels, or musicians, making a noise. The house was in a hurry: such work does death make, when it comes into a family; and, perhaps, the necessary cares that arise at such a time, when our dead is to be decently buried out of our sight, give some useful diversion to that grief which is apt to prevail and play the tyrant. The people in the neighbourhood came together to condole on account of the loss, to comfort the parents, to prepare for, and attend on, the funeral, which the Jews were not wont to defer long. The musicians were among them, according to the custom of the Gentiles, with their doleful, melancholy tunes, to increase the grief, and stir up the lamentations of those that attended on this occasion; as (they say) is usual among the Irish, with their Ahone, Ahone. Thus they indulged a passion that is apt enough of itself to grow intemperate, and affected to sorrow as those that had no hope. See how religion provides cordials, where irreligion administers corrosives. Heathenism aggravates that grief which Christianity studies to assuage. Or perhaps these musicians endeavoured on the other hand to divert the grief and exhilarate the family; but, as vinegar upon nitre, so is he that sings songs to a heavy heart. Observe, The parents, who were immediately touched with the affliction, were silent, while the people and minstrels, whose lamentations were forced, made such a noise. Note, The loudest grief is not always the greatest; rivers are most noisy where they run shallow. Ille dolet vere, qui sine teste dolet - That grief is most sincere, which shuns observation. But notice is taken of this, to show that the girl was really dead, in the undoubted apprehension of all about her. BARCLAY 23-26, "Matthew tells this story much more briefly than the other gospel writers do. If we want further details of it we must read it in Mark 5:21-43 and in Luke 8:40-56. There we discover that the ruler's name was Jairus, and that he was a ruler of the synagogue (Mark 5:22; Luke 8:41). The ruler of the synagogue was a very important person. He was elected from among the elders. He was not a teaching or a preaching official; he had "the care of the external order in public worship, and the supervision of the concerns of the synagogue in general." He appointed those who were to read and to pray in the service, and invited those who were to preach. It was his duty to see that nothing unfitting took place within the synagogue: and the care of the synagogue buildings was in his oversight. The whole practical administration of the synagogue was in his hands. It is clear that such a man would come to Jesus only as a last resort. He would be one of those strictly orthodox Jews who regarded Jesus as a dangerous heretic; and it was only when everything else had failed that he turned in desperation to Jesus. Jesus might well have said to him, "When things were going well with you, you wanted to kill me; now that things are going ill, you are appealing for my help." And Jesus might well have refused help to a man who came like that. But he bore no grudge; here was a man who
- 157. needed him, andJesus' one desire was to help. Injured pride and the unforgiving spirit had no part in the mind of Jesus. So Jesus went with the ruler of the synagogue to his house, and there he found a scene like pandemonium. The Jews set very high the obligation of mourning over the dead. "Whoever is remiss," they said, "in mourning over the death of a wise man deserves to be burned alive." There were three mourning customs which characterized every Jewish household of grief. There was the rending of garments. There were no fewer than thirty-nine different rules and regulations which laid down how garments should be rent. The rent was to be made standing. Clothes were to be rent to the heart so that the skin was exposed. For a father or mother the rent was exactly over the heart; for others it was on the right side. The rent must be big enough for a fist to be inserted into it. For seven days the rent must be left gaping open; for the next thirty days it must be loosely stitched so that it could still be seen; only then could it be permanently repaired. It would obviously have been improper for women to rend their garments in such a way that the breast was exposed. So it was laid down that a woman must rend her inner garment in private; she must then reverse the garment so that she wore it back to front; and then in public she must rend her outer garment. There was wailing for the dead. In a house of grief an incessant wailing was kept up. The wailing was done by professional wailing women. They still exist in the east and W. M. Thomson in The Land and the Book describes them: "There are in every city and community women exceedingly cunning in this business. They are always sent for and kept in readiness. When a fresh company of sympathisers comes in, these women make haste to take up a wailing, that the newly-come may the more easily unite their tears with the mourners. They know the domestic history of every person, and immediately strike up an impromptu lamentation, in which they introduce the names of their relatives who have recently died, touching some tender chord in every heart; and thus each one weeps for his own dead, and the performance, which would otherwise be difficult or impossible, comes easy and natural." There were the flute-players. The music of the flute was especially associated with death. The Talmud lays it down: "The husband is bound to bury his dead wife, and to make lamentations and mourning for her, according to the custom of all countries. And also the very poorest amongst the Israelites will not allow her less than two flutes and one wailing woman; but, if he be rich, let all things be done according to his qualities." Even in Rome the flute-players were a feature of days of grief. There were flute-players at the funeral of the Roman Emperor Claudius, and Seneca tells us that they made such a shrilling that even Claudius himself, dead though he was, might have heard them. So insistent and so emotionally exciting was the wailing of the flute that Roman law limited the number of flute-players at any funeral to ten. We can then picture the scene in the house of the ruler of the synagogue. The garments were being rent; the wailing women were uttering their shrieks in an abandonment of synthetic grief; the flutes were shrilling their eerie sound. In that house there was all the pandemonium of eastern grief.
- 158. Into that excitedand hysterical atmosphere came Jesus. Authoritatively he put them all out. Quietly he told them that the maid was not dead but only asleep, and they laughed him to scorn. It is a strangely human touch this. The mourners were so luxuriating in their grief that they even resented hope. It is probable that when Jesus said the maid was asleep, he meant exactly what he said. In Greek as in English a dead person was often said to be asleep. In fact the word cemetery comes from the Greek word koimeterion (compare koimao, Greek #2837), and means a place where people sleep. In Greek there are two words for to sleep; the one is koimasthai (Greek #2837), which is very commonly used both of natural sleep and of the sleep of death; the other is katheudein (Greek #2518), which is not used nearly so frequently of the sleep of death, but which much more usually means natural sleep. It is katheudein (Greek #2518) which is used in this passage. In the east cataleptic coma was by no means uncommon. Burial in the east follows death very quickly, because the climate makes it necessary. Tristram writes: "Interments always take place at latest on the evening of the day of death, and frequently at night, if the deceased have lived till after sunset." Because of the commonness of this state of coma, and because of the commonness of speedy burial, not infrequently people were buried alive, as the evidence of the tombs shows. It may well be that here we have an example, not so much of divine healing as of divine diagnosis; and that Jesus saved this girl from a terrible end. One thing is certain, Jesus that day in Capernaum rescued a Jewish maid from the grasp of death. COKE, "Matthew 9:23. The minstrels— The musicians or pipers, Heylin; the players on the flute, Beausobre and Lenfant. It was the custom among the Jews to have musical instruments at funerals, whereon mournful tunes were played. See Jeremiah 48:5; Jeremiah 48:36. Some learned authors observe, that the trumpet was used at the funerals of grown or old persons, and the flute at those of children; such as was the daughter of Jairus, who was but twelve years old. Concerning the usual lamentations at funerals, see the note on Jeremiah 9:17 the introductory one to the book of Lamentations, and Explication des Textes Difficiles, p. 531. BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR 23-25, "The maid is not dead, but sleepeth. The healing of Jairus’s daughter On His way to perform one act of love, He turned aside to give His attention to another; He had a heart ready to respond to every species of need. Love is universal, humanity is the sphere of its activity. Delay was only apparent; it was impossible to convey a spiritual blessing to one who was not spiritually susceptible. The soul of Jairus by the miracle wrought on the woman was made more capable of blessing than before. This is the principle of the spiritual kingdom.
- 159. I. The usesof adversity. 1. The simplest and most obvious use of sorrow is to remind of God. 2. The misuse of sorrow. We may defeat the purposes of God in grief by forgetting it, or by over-indulging it. Sorrow is the school for all that is highest in us. II. To come to the principles on which a miracle rests. 1. The perception of it was confined to the few. Peter, James, John, and the parents. Spiritual susceptibility necessary. 2. It is the intention of a miracle to manifest the Divine in the common and ordinary. They show that Christ is the Saviour of the body. (F. W. Robertson, M. A.) God confers His gifts with distinct reminders that they are His He gives us for a season spirits taken out of His universe brings them into temporary contact with us: and we call them father, mother, sister, child, friend. But just as in some places, on one day in the year, the way or path is closed in order to remind the public that they pass by sufferance and not by right, in order that no lapse of time may establish “adverse possession,” so does God give warning to us. Every ache and pain: every wrinkle you see stamping itself on parent’s brow: every accident which reveals the uncertain tenure of life and possessions: every funeral bell that tolls-are only God’s reminders that we are tenants at will and not by right-pensioners on the bounty of an hour. He is closing up the right of way, warning fairly that what we have is lent, not given: His, not ours. (F. W. Robertson, M. A.) The shaggiest use of sorrow is to remind of God Jairus and the woman, like many others, came to Christ from a sense of want. It would seem that a certain shock is needed to bring us into contact with reality, We are not conscious of our breathing till obstruction makes it felt. We are not aware of the possession of a heart till some disease, some sudden joy or sorrow, rouses it into extraordinary action. And we are not conscious of the mighty cravings of our half Divine humanity; we are not aware of the God within us, till some chasm yawns which must be filled, or till the rending asunder of our affections forces us to become fearfully conscious of a need. (F. W. Robertson, M. A.) Jesus moved by all kinds of sorrow Here, too, we find the Son of man the pattern of our humanity. His bosom was to mankind what the ocean is to the world. The ocean has its own mighty tide; but it receives and responds to, in exact proportion, the tidal influences of every estuary, and river, and small creek which pours into its bosom. So it was in Christ; His bosom heaved with the tides of our humanity: but every separate sorrow, pain, anti joy gave its pulsation, and received back influence from the sea of His being. (F. W. Robertson, M. A.)
- 160. The ruler’s daughter 1.On the way to the Ruler’s house, Jesus meets with an unlooked-for cause of delay. It must have been trying for the ruler to see Jesus stop and ask, “Who touched Me?” But he is patient. 2. Meanwhile chose at home are witnessing the death of the child. Unbelief says it is useless to trouble the Master any more. On our providential blessings the Lord writes death before He grants resurrection and life. Sight has gone; he must walk by faith. The dead child restored:- 1. Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life, and He restores out of death in all its stages. 2. Jesus bid them not to weep, because the maiden is not dead, but only asleep. The body sleeps, not the soul. 3. Christ raises her with His word; for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live. 4. Jesus commands that something be given her to eat. Let young converts be duly nourished by word and doctrine, then let them go and work for Christ. 5. The parents are enjoined to tell no man; they are to make no noise about her, but to keep the child and the matter quiet. She was to be brought up quietly in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (A. M. Stuart.) The insolence of sense, as opposed to faith The eye of faith can discern what to the eye of sense is often invisible; and looks with simple conviction to what the other as simply rejects. “They laughed Him to scorn,” etc. And were they not right as far as their knowledge went? Could not Jesus who had opened the eyes of the blind raise the dead? They might have reasoned thus. They were too wise in their own conceit to think of looking with the eye of faith. How often does this strange levity of the people of Capernaum take the rein of men’s thoughts even in the most solemn subjects-the doctrines of Christianity; the sacraments-which appeal to no outward sense-they will “augh to scorn.” So to with the humble duties of the Christian and the lowly means with which he works; how often treated with contempt. How much there is in which a devoutly-trained faith may discern truth and comfort and promise of good, where the mere human eye might discover nothing but perplexity or disappointment. (J. Puckle, M. A.) A science of palmistry “Thy hand-are not all hands alike.) Is there a science of Palmistry-are there those who read the man in the hand-are not all grips of the same intensity? Why say, “Thy hand”- could no other hand be found? We are sometimes shut up to the help of one man, even in our lower life. “O for our own doctor: his very voice would do the patient good. O for our own physician; he knows just what to give when the sufferer is in this crisis of agony. O for our old mother: there was healing, there was comfort in her gentle hand. O for the old father-if he had been here he would have found the key to open this gate. O for the
- 161. old pastor thatfirst showed us the light and brought us to prayer-he would know what to say to us just now.” We have, therefore, analogy to help us in this matter. In the great crises of life there is often only one hand that can help us. (J. Parker, D. D.) Hired mourners I joined the mourners on the third day. Directly I entered the house, I heard the minstrels and the loud cries of the people. Professional mourners were in constant attendance to keep up the excitement, and dances and dirges succeeded each other, with intervals of wild and hysterical weeping and shrieking. There are girls who have a morbid taste for the excitement, and are celebrated for the facility with which they fall into fits of uncontrollable weeping. The real mourners and the amateur actresses in these scenes are usually ill afterwards, but the professional assistants do not appear to suffer from the fatigue or excitement, and they do not lose their self-control for a moment (Mrs. Rogers.) Differing expressions of grief The South and North differ greatly from each other in this respect. The nations of the North restrain their grief-affect the tearless eye, and the stern look. The expressive South, and all the nations whose origin is from thence, are demonstrative in grief. They beat their breasts, tear their hair, throw dust upon their heads. It would be unwise were either to blame or ridicule the other, so long as each is true to Nature. Unwise for the nations of the South to deny the reality of the grief which is repressed and silent. Unjust in the denizen of the North were he to scorn the violence of the Southern grief, or call its uncontrollable demonstrations unmanly. Much must be allowed for temperament. (F. W. Robertson.) The death of children Ah! we sometimes, I fear, compel Jesus to take away our children, that through the bereavement He may overcome and melt savingly our callous hearts. It mindeth one of another little story worth telling. A shepherd had folded safely and well a flock of ewes- all save one, which would not enter, do what he would. The gate was flung wide open, and with all gentle restraint he sought to guide it in, sparing it the rough bark of his dog. But no! still it would run back. At last, for the shades of evening were falling, and folded all must be, if he were not to be too late for home himself, he sprang out, seized her lamb, raised it tenderly to his bosom, laid it right upon his heart, as he would his own nestling babe, and carrying it within the fold placed it down there. Then, ah! then, the poor ewe ran in after her little lamb, and was saved with it. It is a parable. But fathers, mothers, still away from the Good Shepherd, and grieving sorely over your Willie or Mary, will you not run in after your little lamb? Will you compel Him to take another and another? (Grosart.) A dying daughter As a little girl of four lay dying, the following conversation took place between her father
- 162. and herself. “Papa,does the doctor think I am going to die?” With a bursting heart, her father told her the truth. “Papa, the grave looks very dark. Won’t you go down with me into it?” “I cannot go until the Lord calls me.” “Then, papa, won’t you let mamma go with me?” It almost broke the father’s heart to utter the same truth as before. Turning her face to the wall, she wept; but then, having before this been taught of God, prayed. Soon, therefore, she looked up with a joyful face and said, “Papa, the grave is not dark now, Jesus will go with me!” COFFMA , "The flute-players were the hired mourners who took part in every funeral of that day. The large crowd and the general tumult were due to the prominence of the family in which this tragedy had occurred. The very suggestion that a prominent ruler of the Jews, such as Jairus, had gone so far as to hire public mourners for a daughter who was merely sick or had swooned, is ridiculous. Are there any examples, even in modern times, when a funeral was actually planned and under way for a person who was not actually deceased? BE SO , "Matthew 9:23. When Jesus came into the ruler’s house — It appears from the parallel places in Mark and Luke, that while Jesus spake the last-mentioned words to the woman healed by touching his garment, a messenger came from the ruler’s house to inform him that his daughter, whom he had left at the point of death, was now actually dead, and that therefore he did not need to trouble our Lord any further, her case being now determined and hopeless. This affecting news no doubt moved her father greatly: but Jesus, pitying his grief, bid him not fear, but only believe, and she should be made whole — He did not say she should be raised from the dead, but expressed himself as if she had not been dead, but only sick; for, as he was infinitely above praise, so he never courted it. On the contrary, he generally refused those honours which, as it were, obtruded themselves upon him. Thus, when he came to the ruler’s house, though a great many friends and others accompanied him, he suffered none of them to go in with him except the three disciples whom he treated with the greatest familiarity, namely, Peter, James, and John, with the father and mother of the maiden. And even these he admitted for no other reason but that the miracle might have proper witnesses, who should publish it in due time for the benefit of mankind. With these attendants, having entered the house, he saw the minstrels and the people making a noise — Or, as Mark expresses it, he saw the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. — By minstrels, musicians are meant. The original word means flute-players. Musical instruments were used by the Jews, as well as the heathens, in their lamentations for the dead, to sooth the melancholy of surviving friends by soft and solemn notes. And there were persons who made it their business to perform this, while others sung to their music. Flutes were used especially on the death of children; louder instruments on the death of grown persons. Chardin says, that even now, in the East, the concourse of people where persons lie dead is incredible. Every body runs thither, the poor and the rich: and the former more especially make a strange noise. BROADUS, "Matthew 9:23-26. This resumes the narrative of Matthew 9:18 f. We learn from Mark (Mark 5:37) and Luke (Luke 8:51) that Jesus suffered no one to go into the house with him save Peter and James and John, and the parents of the girl. The other two occasions on which he took these three disciples only, viz., the Transfiguration and Gethsemane, were singularly solemn and momentous. What was there corresponding in this case? It was the first instance of our Lord's raising the dead. And saw the minstrels etc., rather in Rev. Ver., the flute players, (compare Revelation 18:22) and the crowd making a tumult, the same Greek word as in Mark 5:39; Acts 17:5, Acts 20:10. This last expression is confined in the original to the crowd, so that a comma is needed after 'flute players.' It was the custom in the East and still is, for the relatives and special
- 163. friends of thedying person to gather round the couch, and the moment the breath ceased they would break out into loud cries, with every exclamation and sign of the most passionate grief; and unable to continue this themselves, they would hire professional mourners, especially women, who would keep up the loud, wailing cry throughout the day and night. (Compare Jeremiah 9:17, Jeremiah 16:6, Ezekiel 24:17, Amos 5:16, 2 Chronicles 35:25) Persons of wealth might afford to hire musicians also; and Jairus being a man of consideration, a ruler of the synagogue, we find that the flute players have arrived, and although but a few minutes after the child's decease, already there is a crowd present, making a tumultuous noise of lamentation. All these things are witnessed by travellers in Egypt or Palestine at the present day. 24 he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. BAR ES, "The maid is not dead, but sleepeth - It cannot be supposed that our Lord means “literally” to say that the child was not dead. Every possible evidence of her death had been given, and he acted on that himself, and conveyed to the people the idea that he raised her “from the dead.” He meant to speak in opposition to their opinions. It is not unlikely that Jairus and the people favored the opinions of the Sadducees, and that “they” understood by her being dead that she had “ceased to be,” and that she would never be raised up again. In opposition to this, the Saviour used the expression “she sleepeth;” affirming mildly both that the “body” was dead, and “implying” that “her spirit” still lived, and that she would be raised up again. A similar mode of speaking occurs in Joh_11:11 “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth.” The sacred writers often spoke of the pious dead as “sleeping,” 2Pe_3:4; Act_7:60; 1Co_15:6, 1Co_ 15:18; 1Th_4:13-15. The meaning of this passage, then, is, the maid has not ceased to “exist;” but, though her body is dead, yet her spirit lives, and she sleeps in the hope of the resurrection. Laughed him to scorn - Derided him; ridiculed him. CLARKE, "The maid is not dead, but sleepeth - That is, she is not dead so as to continue under the power of death; but shall be raised from it as a, person is from natural sleep. They laughed him to scorn - Κατεγελων αυτον, they ridiculed him; from κατα, intensive, and γελαω, I laugh: - they grinned a ghastly smile, expressive of the contempt they felt for his person and knowledge. People of the world generally ridicule those truths which they neither comprehend nor love, and deride those who publish them; but a faithful minister of God, (copying the example of Christ), keeps on his way, and does the work of his Lord and Master.
- 164. GILL, "And hesaid unto them, give place,.... Depart, be gone; for he put them out of the room, and suffered none to be with him, when he raised her from the dead, but Peter, James, and John, and the father and mother of the child, who were witnesses enough of this miracle. For the maid is not dead, but sleepeth: not but that she was really dead; and Christ signifies as much, when he says, she "sleepeth"; a phrase that is often used in (e) Talmudic writings, for one that is dead: but Christ's meaning is, that she was not so dead as the company thought; as always to remain in the state of the dead, and not to be restored to life again: whereas our Lord signifies, it would be seen in a very little time, that she should be raised again, just as a person is awaked out of sleep; so that there was no occasion to make such funeral preparations as they did. The Jews say (f) of some of their dead, that they are asleep, and not dead: it is said, Isa_26:19 "Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust". "These, say they, are they that sleep and die not; and such are they that sleep in Hebron, for they דמיכין אלא מתין ,לאו "do not die, but sleep", --the four couples in Hebron (Adam and Eve, &c.) they "sleep, but are not dead".'' And they laughed him to scorn; they mocked at his words, and had him in the utmost contempt, as a very weak silly man; taking him either to be a madman, or a fool; knowing that she was really dead, of which they had all the evidence they could have; and having no faith at all in him, and in his power to raise her from the dead. HE RY, "V. The rebuke that Christ gave to this hurry and noise, Mat_9:24. He said, Give place. Note, Sometimes, when the sorrow of the world prevails, it is difficult for Christ and his comforts to enter. They that harden themselves in sorrow, and, like Rachel, refuse to be comforted, should think they hear Christ saying to their disquieting thoughts, Give place: “Make room for him who is the Consolation of Israel, and brings with him strong consolations, strong enough to overcome the confusion and tyranny of these worldly griefs, if he may but be admitted into the soul.” He gives a good reason why they should not thus disquiet themselves and one another; The maid is not dead but sleepeth. 1. This was eminently true of this maid, that was immediately to be raised to life; she was really dead, but not so to Christ, who knew within himself what he would do, and could do, and who had determined to make her death but as a sleep. There is little more difference between sleep and death, but in continuance; whatever other difference there is, it is but a dream. This death must be but of short continuance, and therefore is but a sleep, like one night's rest. He that quickens the dead, may well call the things which be not as though they were, Rom_4:17. 2. It is in a sense true of all that die, chiefly of them that die in the Lord. Note, (1.) Death is a sleep. All nations and languages, for the softening of that which is so dreadful, and withal so unavoidable, and the reconciling of themselves to it, have agreed to call it so. It is said, even of the wicked kings, that they slept with their fathers; and of those that shall arise to everlasting contempt, that they sleep in the dust, Dan_12:2. It is not the sleep of the soul; its activity ceases not; but the sleep of the body, which lies down in the grave, still and silent, regardless and disregarded, wrapt up in darkness and obscurity. Sleep is a short death, and death a long sleep. But the death of the righteous is in a special manner to be looked upon as a sleep, Isa_57:2. They sleep in Jesus (1Th_4:14); they not only rest from the toils and labours of the day, but rest in hope of a joyful waking again in the morning of
- 165. the resurrection, whenthey shall wake refreshed, wake to a new life, wake to be richly dressed and crowned, and wake to sleep no more. (2.) The consideration of this should moderate our grief at the death of our dear relations: “say not, They are lost; no, they are but gone before: say not, They are slain; no, they are but fallen asleep; and the apostle speaks of it as an absurd thing to imagine that they that are fallen asleep in Christ are perished (1Co_15:18); give place, therefore, to those comforts which the covenant of grace ministers, fetched from the future state, and the glory to be revealed.” Now could it be thought that such a comfortable word as this, from the mouth of our Lord Jesus, should be ridiculed as it was? They laughed him to scorn. These people lived in Capernaum, knew Christ's character, that he never spake a rash or foolish word; they knew how many mighty works he had done; so that if they did not understand what he meant by this, they might at least have been silent in expectation of the issue. Note, The words and works of Christ which cannot be understood, yet are not therefore to be despised. We must adore the mystery of divine sayings, even when they seem to contradict what we think ourselves most confident of. Yet even this tended to the confirmation of the miracle: for it seems she was so apparently dead, that it was thought a very ridiculous thing to say otherwise. COFFMA , "Here, in the words of Jesus, of course, are the grounds for cavil; but it should be remembered that Christ said the same concerning Lazarus who had been dead and buried for four days (John 11:11). The actuality of death is not the point in either case, but the nature of death. IT IS A SLEEP. In death, as in sleep: (1) there is a loss of consciousness; (2) both are terminated, sleep by awakening, and death in the resurrection; (3) there is a rejuvenation or rebuilding of powers during the period of waiting; or, more properly, both are followed by an IMPROVED state of the person; (4) there is no total destruction and loss of the person in either case; (5) and there is no loss of personality or identity. Jesus thus gave an utterly new concept of death; and from that came the custom, universally observed among Christians, of writing "asleep in Jesus" upon the tombs of the departed. The words "And they laughed him to scorn" should be read in close connection with what immediately followed and is recorded in the next verse. BE SO , "Matthew 9:24. He said unto them, Give place — Mark, whose narrative is more particular, says, When he was come in, namely, into the house, he said unto them, Why make ye this ado and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. — As the company at the ruler’s house, when Jesus entered it, were employed in making such lamentation for the damsel as they used to make for the dead, it is evident that they all believed she was actually and finally departed: and when Jesus told them she was not dead, he did not mean that her soul was not separated from her body, but that it was not to continue in a state of separation from it; which was the idea the mourners affixed to the word death. His words, it must be observed, were spoken to those who were preparing for her interment, and performing the funeral rites belonging to it, and therefore only intimate that she was not so dead that they needed to make these preparations. He therefore expresses her state by saying that she slept, using the word in a sense somewhat analogous to that which the Jews put upon it when, in speaking of a person’s death, they call it sleep, to intimate their belief in his existence and happiness in the other world, together with their hope of his future resurrection to a new life. On this occasion, the phrase was made use of with singular propriety to insinuate that, notwithstanding the maid was really dead, she should not long continue so. Jesus was going to raise her from the dead, and would do it with as much ease as they
- 166. awaked one thatwas asleep. And they laughed him to scorn — Luke adds, knowing that she was dead; for they had seen all the marks and proofs of death about her. And yet, if they had given themselves time to consider, they might have understood that he spake in this manner to intimate that he was going to raise her from the dead; and the rather, as he had been sent for by her parents to heal her miraculously. But his words were ambiguous, and the mourners naturally took them in the wrong sense. Thus, while Jesus predicted the miracle, to show that it did not happen by accident, he, at the same time, delivered himself in such terms as modestly to avoid the reputation that might have accrued to him from so stupendous a work. BROADUS, "Matthew 9:24. Is not dead, but sleepeth. Jesus speaks with reference to what he intends to do. She is going to rise up presently as one who had been asleep, so that her death will be, in the result, no death; it will only be as if she were sleeping. Likewise in John 11:11, he speaks of Lazarus as sleeping, because he was going to awake him out of sleep. Thus there was no occasion for the noisy mourning, and the preparations for a funeral; and the crowd must withdraw. Laughed him to scorn. This might only mean that anybody could see she was dead, (Luke 8:53) and it seemed silly to think otherwise. But there in Capernaum, where he had wrought many miracles, it may be that they supposed he would try to heal her, and thought the attempt absurd, as she was unquestionably dead, and it was too late. It is not likely they thought he was proposing to bring the dead to life, which he had never done. Their scornful laughter shows that the people were by no means swift to believe in his miraculous powers and his divine mission; and thus renders the wondering acknowledgment, repeatedly extorted from them by facts, an evidence all the more valuable and satisfactory. ISBET, " OT DEAD, BUT SLEEPI G ‘The maid is not dead, but sleepeth.’ Matthew 9:24 We have three great lessons from this history. I. A lesson against despair.—The first is never to believe that we are utterly dead to God and Christ. It is a lesson against despair. Satan and the world are always trying to make us despair. Satan is always telling us that we are spiritually dead The world is always ready to sneer at any attempt at amendment. How are we to escape from these? Where are we to find that which answers to the quiet room where none were present but Christ and the Apostles and the parents? Surely it is in the House of God that we find what answers to all this. Here, in the quiet house of His own Presence. II. A lesson of hope for all.—It is a lesson of hope for priests who mourn over the apparent deadness of those for whom they watch and pray as those who must give account: for it teaches them that there may be life even under the very likeness of death, and that when God wills the hand of Christ may be laid upon the soul, and it will rise to new life and vigour. It teaches them where their true strength lies. The pastor’s strength lies not in mere fussy activity of his own, but in the power of Christ. How was it that this sick girl came to be healed? Was it not through her father’s persevering in bringing Christ to heal her? Other people told him it was useless. Other people told him he was troubling the Master to no purpose: that the girl was dead and gone, and that the end had come. But the father persevered, and when Christ came His verdict was a different one.
- 167. III. A lessonon the power of prayer.—It had been Christ’s Will and purpose to reward the faith of the father who had sought Him out and trusted Him, and thus, though late enough to try the father’s faith, He was not too late to grant the father’s prayer. And so it shall ever be with the prayer of faith. It is prayer which brings Christ Himself to the rescue of the perishing soul. Illustration ‘ ature in winter puts on her shroud: the leaves fall, the limbs of the tree become bare, the earth is covered with a mantle of snow. But nature is not dead. By and by, under the warm sun, the snow will melt and the balmy air of spring will make the hedgerows green, and the trees put forth their leaves, and the snowdrops, crocusses, and other flowers will give promise of new life and beauty. The springtime of ature is a picture of the Resurrection.’ 25 After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. BAR ES, "He went in - With the father, and mother, and three disciples, Mar_ 5:37-40. The maid arose - She returned to life. There could be no deception here. “Parents” could not be imposed on in such a case, nor could such a multitude be deceived. The power of Jesus was undoubtedly shown to be sufficient to raise the dead. CLARKE, "He - took her by the hand, and the maid arose - The fountain of life thus communicating its vital energy to the dead body. Where death has already taken place, no power but that of the great God can restore to life; in such a case, vain is the help of man. So the soul that is dead in trespasses and sins - that is, sentenced to death because of transgression - and is thus dead in law, can only be restored to spiritual life by the mighty power of the Lord Jesus; because He alone has made the atonement, and He alone can pardon transgression. If the spiritually dead person be utterly unconcerned about the state and fate of his soul, let a converted relative either bring him to Christ by leading him to hear the unadulterated Gospel of the kingdom; or bring Christ to him by fervent, faithful, and persevering prayer. GILL, "But when the people were put forth,.... Either out of the house or room, by Christ, or, at least, by his orders: which was done, partly because he was desirous it
- 168. might be kepta secret, as much as possible, and to shew, that he did not affect popular applause; and partly, because they were unworthy to be admitted spectators of such a wondrous action, who had treated him with so much scorn and contempt: he went in; not alone, but with his three disciples, Peter, James, and John, who were taken in to be witnesses of this resurrection, and the parents of the child; who were so very solicitous for its life, under whose power she was, and to whom she was to be restored: and took her by the hand; just as one would do to awake another out of sleep; and, perhaps, in compliance with her father's request, to lay his hand upon her: and though the touch of a dead body, according to the law, Num_19:16 was defiling; yet this did not defile him, any more than his touching the leper, or the profluvious woman's touching his clothes; for these actions produced supernatural effects, which came not under the cognizance of the law. His taking her by the hand, was not all that he did, but he called, as to a person asleep, and said unto her these words, "Talitha cumi", as recorded by Mark, and are also in Munster's Hebrew Gospel of Matthew; and which, in the Syriac language, signify, "maiden, arise"; and immediately, directly, as soon as ever he had thus said, the maid arose, as out of sleep; she revived, her soul came to her again, and she got off of the bed, and walked about house, and food was ordered to be given to her. All which most fully demonstrated that she was really restored to life, which was as clear a case, as that before she was really dead. HE RY, "VI. The raising of the damsel to life by the power of Christ, Mat_9:25. The people were put forth. Note, Scorners that laugh at what they see and hear that is above their capacity, are not proper witnesses of the wonderful works of Christ, the glory of which lies not in pomp, but in power. The widow's son at Nain, and Lazarus, were raised from the dead openly, but this damsel privately; for Capernaum, that had slighted the lesser miracles of restoring health, was unworthy to see the greater, of restoring life; these pearls were not to be cast before those that would trample them under their feet. Christ went in and took her by the hand, as it were to awake her, and to help her up, prosecuting his own metaphor of her being asleep. The high priest, that typified Christ, was not to come near the dead (Lev_21:10, Lev_21:11), but Christ touched the dead. The Levitical priesthood leaves the dead in their uncleanness, and therefore keeps at a distance from them, because it cannot remedy them; but Christ, having power to raise the dead, is above the infection, and therefore is not shy of touching them. He took her by the hand, and the maid arose. So easily, so effectually was the miracle wrought; not by prayer, as Elijah did (1Ki_17:21), and Elisha (2Ki_4:33), but by a touch. They did it as servants, he as a Son, as a God, to whom belong the issues from death. Note, Jesus Christ is the Lord of souls, he commands them forth, and commands them back, when and as he pleases. Dead souls are not raised to spiritual life, unless Christ take them by the hand: it is done in the day of his power. He helps us up, or we lie still. BENSON, "Matthew 9:25-26. When the people were put forth — Namely, the mourners, who, having expressed the dispositions mentioned above, were not worthy to behold the miracle; he went in — Namely, into the chamber where the corpse was lying, accompanied by none but the three disciples above mentioned, and the father and mother of the damsel, they being of all persons the most proper witnesses of the miracle,
- 169. which in realitysuffered nothing by the absence of the rest. For, as they were all sensible that the child was dead, they could not but be certain of the miracle when they saw her alive again, though they might not know to whom the honour of her resurrection was due. And took her by the hand — As if he had been going to awake her out of sleep: and, with a gentle voice, but such as the persons in the chamber could easily hear, he said, Talitha cumi, which is, Damsel, arise. See Mark. And the maid arose — In an instant she revived and sat up, just like a person who, being called, awakes out of a soft sleep. Luke says, Her spirit came again; an expression which implies that she was really dead, and that the soul exists separately after the body dies; a truth very necessary to be asserted in those days, when it was denied by many. Withal, her flesh, her colour, and her strength returning in the twinkling of an eye, she was not in the weak, languishing condition of one who, being worn out with a disease, had given up the ghost; for she arose and walked, Mark 5:42, being of the age of twelve years. She was not even in the languishing condition of those who come to life after having fainted away, but was in a state of confirmed good health: for it appears she was hungry, and therefore Jesus commanded to give her meat, Luke 8:55. And her parents, seeing her flesh, and colour, and strength, and appetite returned thus suddenly with her life, were unmeasurably astonished at the miracle, Luke 8:56, as well they might. He charged them, however, that they should tell no man what was done, an injunction which could not mean that her parents were to keep the miracle a secret, which was impossible to be done; for as the whole family, their friends, and all the people collected together to mourn, were witnesses of her death, so her restoration to life could not be hid from them, nor from any that had communication with them. But he meant, that they should not officiously blaze it abroad, nor even indulge the inclination which they might feel to speak of a matter so astonishing. The reason was, the miracle spake sufficiently for itself. Accordingly Matthew here tells us, The fame of it went abroad into all that land — Words which imply not only that the report of it was spread throughout that country, and that it was much spoken of, which, all circumstances considered, it could not fail to be, but that the truth of it was inquired into by many, and that upon inquiry the reality of the miracle was universally acknowledged; and, as this is the proper meaning of the observation concerning this or any other of our Lord’s miracles, (namely, that the fame of them went abroad,) so the evangelists, by thus openly and frequently appealing to the notoriety of the facts, have given us all the assurance possible of the reality of the miracles which they have recorded. See Macknight. It may not be improper to observe here that Christ raised three dead persons to life: this child, the widow’s son, and Lazarus; one newly departed, another on the bier, the third smelling in the grave: to show us that no degree of death is so desperate as to be past his help BROADUS, "Matthew 9:25. But when the people were put forth, or, thrust out, the word implying some constraint or urgency. He was as yet in the more public reception room of the dwelling. Having expelled the crowd, he with the parents and his three followers, (Luke 8:51) went in, viz., into the inner room where the body was lying. Took her by the hand. Touching the dead body, like touching the leper, (Matthew 8:3) or being touched by the woman with a flow of blood, would have the effect, according to the law, of producing the highest degree of ceremonial uncleanness; but in all these cases Jesus, instead of receiving pollution through the touch, imparted cleansing. Mark (Mark 5:41) and Luke (Luke 8:54) relate that in addition to grasping her hand he spoke, and bade her arise. Also that he charged her parents much, not to tell what had happened (compare on Matthew 8:4), notwithstanding which we find here that the fame thereof went abroad into all that land, i.e., Galilee, or the parts of Galilee adjacent to Capernaum. The woman, for one reason, was required to tell; Jairus, for another, was forbidden to tell. It cannot be that Jesus expected the matter to remain wholly unknown; he probably wished to
- 170. prevent their speakingof it at once and generally, as they would have done, because in that case there would have been too much excitement produced, by the series of extraordinary miracles then occurring in immediate succession. (Compare on Matthew 9:28) Stier : "Three awakenings from death the Spirit has caused to be recorded for us, though others may well have taken place; and these indeed, in a remarkable and significant progression.... the maiden is here dead upon her bed, the young man at Nain was carried forth upon his bier, Lazarus had lain four days in his grave." COFFMA , "They scorned him, but it resulted in their being put out of the room. Then, as in all ages, scorners proved witnesses only against themselves. What an opportunity they denied themselves! Ever afterwards, it must have been a source of remorse to some of that company that their conduct had made it impossible for them to witness one of the great wonders of all time, and to see that remarkable outflashing of the glory from the Majesty on high. Mark recorded the actual words Jesus spoke to the maiden, "Talitha Cumi," an Aramaic expression meaning "Damsel, I say unto thee, Arise!" There was no strain or pressure on Christ. This astounding deed was done as easily as he spoke the words, and with no more exertion on his part. Christ was delayed, due to the incident concerning the woman with the issue of blood, in reaching the home of Jairus. Thus, it might be said that Jairus' prayer for our Saviour's aid was answered after delay. Prayers are often answered, not at once, but after delay; and the child of faith should not despair during the interval when it appears that no answer is forthcoming. God in his own time will bless those who call upon Him in faith. 26 ews of this spread through all that region. CLARKE, "And the fame hereof went abroad - In this business Jesus himself scarcely appears, but the work effected by his sovereign power is fully manifested; to teach us that it is the business of a successful preacher of the Gospel to conceal himself as much as possible, that God alone may have the glory of his own grace. This is a proper miracle, and a full exemplification of the unlimited power of Christ.
- 171. GILL, "And thefame hereof went abroad into all that land. For though he strictly charged the parents, as the other evangelists say, that they should tell no man what was done, he not affecting the applause of men; yet it was not possible the thing should be entirely concealed; since there was such a number of people, not only relations, but neighbours, who full well knew, and were assured she had been dead: when these saw her alive, walk about, eat and drink, and converse with them, they must be persuaded of the miracle, and relate it wherever they came; so that the fame of it could not but be spread all over the country in which Capernaum was. HE RY, "VII. The general notice that was taken of this miracle, though it was wrought privately; Mat_9:26. The fame thereof went abroad into all that land: it was the common subject of discourse. Note, Christ's works are more talked of than considered and improved. And doubtless, they that heard only the report of Christ's miracles, were accountable for that as well as they that were eye-witnesses of them. Though we at this distance have not seen Christ's miracles, yet having an authentic history of them, we are bound, upon the credit of that, to receive his doctrine; and blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed, Joh_20:29. COFFMA , "Mark mentions Jesus' request that the deed should not be publicized; but, in this case, there was no possible way to prevent its being widely known. Breaking up a funeral already in progress would be an event almost impossible to conceal. From this, it is supposed that Jesus merely meant that Jairus should conceal the truth until Jesus and his disciples could have safe passage through the throng of people. Mark also noted that Jesus commanded that the damsel should be given something to eat (Mark 5:43). Jesus Heals the Blind and the Mute 27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” BAR ES, "And when Jesus departed thence - The scene of this miracle was near Capernaum. The blind men probably followed him with their cry for aid immediately on his leaving the house of Jairus. Thou Son of David - By the Son of David the Jews meant the Messiah. He was the descendant or Son of David by way of eminence, Isa_9:7; Luk_1:32; Rev_22:16. See the notes at Mat_1:1. This was therefore a profession of belief, on the part of these blind
- 172. men, of theMessiahship of Jesus, and, at the same time, the expression of a belief that, being the Messiah, he could heal them. Have mercy on us - That is, show compassion toward us in our affliction, and restore to us the blessing of sight. CLARKE, "Son of David - This was the same as if they had called him Messiah. Two things here are worthy of remark: 1st. That it was a generally received opinion at this time in Judea, that the Messiah should be son of David. (Joh_7:42). 2dly. That Jesus Christ was generally and incontestably acknowledged as coming from this stock. Mat_12:23. Have mercy on us - That man has already a measure of heavenly light who knows that he has no merit; that his cry should be a cry for mercy; that he must be fervent, and that in praying he must follow Jesus Christ as the true Messiah, the son of David, expected from heaven. GILL, "And when Jesus departed thence,.... From the house of Jairus, to another in the same city; two blind men followed him: very closely, by the direction of others, having heard of the miracle just now performed by him; and from thence concluded he was able to restore them to their sight; crying and saying, with great faith and fervour, with much importunity, and frequently repeating the following words, thou son of David, have mercy on us. Whence it appears, that they firmly believed, and were fully persuaded, that he was the true Messiah; for "the son of David" was a known character of the Messiah among the Jews: nothing was more common than to call him by this title, without any other additional epithet; see Gill on Mat_1:1, and since it had been prophesied of the Messiah, that he should "open the eyes of the blind", Isa_ 35:5 they might be greatly encouraged to hope and believe they should obtain mercy from him in this respect. HE RY, "In these verses we have an account of two more miracles wrought together by our Saviour. I. The giving of sight to two blind men, Mat_9:27-31. Christ is the Fountain of light as well as life; and as, by raising the dead, he showed himself to be the same that at first breathed into man the breath of life, so, by giving sight to the blind, he showed himself to be the same that at first commanded the light to shine out of darkness. Observe, 1. The importunate address of the blind men to Christ. He was returning from the ruler's house to his own lodgings, and these blind men followed him, as beggars do, with their incessant cries, Mat_9:27. He that cured diseases so easily, so effectually, and, withal, at so cheap a rate, shall have patients enough. As for other things, so he is famed
- 173. for an Oculist.Observe, (1.) The title which these blind men gave to Christ; Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. The promise made to David, that of his loins the Messiah should come, was well known, and the Messiah was therefore commonly called the Son of David. At this time there was a general expectation of his appearing; these blind men know, and own, and proclaim it in the streets of Capernaum, that he is come, and that this is he; which aggravates the folly and sin of the chief priests and Pharisees who denied and opposed him. They could not see him and his miracles, but faith comes by hearing. Note, They who, by the providence of God, are deprived of bodily sight, may yet, by the grace of God, have the eyes of their understanding so enlightened, as to discern those great things of God, which are hid from the wise and prudent. (2.) Their petition, Have mercy on us. It was foretold that the Son of David should be merciful (Psa_72:12, Psa_72:13), and in him shines the tender mercy of our God, Luk_ 1:78. Note, Whatever our necessities and burthens are, we need no more for supply and support, than a share in the mercy of our Lord Jesus. Whether he heal us or no, if he have mercy on us, we have enough; as to the particular instances and methods of mercy, we may safely and wisely refer ourselves to the wisdom of Christ. They did not each of them say for himself, Have mercy on me, but both for one another, Have mercy on us. Note, It becomes those that are under the same affliction, to concur in the same prayers for relief. Fellow-sufferers should be joint-petitioners. In Christ there is enough for all. (3.) Their importunity in this request; they followed him, crying. It seems, he did not take notice of them at first, for he would try their faith, which he knew to be strong; would quicken their prayers, and make his cures the more valued, when they did not always come at the first word; and would teach us to continue instant in prayer, always to pray, and not to faint: and, though the answer do not come presently, yet to wait for it, and to follow providence, even in those steps and outgoings of it which seem to neglect or contradict our prayers. Christ would not heal them publicly in the streets, for this was a cure he would have kept private (Mat_9:30), but when he came into the house, they followed him thither, and came to him. Note, Christ's doors are always open to believing and importunate petitioners; it seemed rude in them to rush into the house after him, when he desired to retire; but, such is the tenderness of our Lord Jesus, that they were not more bold than welcome. JAMISO , "Mat_9:27-34. Two blind men and a dumb demoniac healed. These two miracles are recorded by Matthew alone. Two Blind Men Healed (Mat_9:27-31). And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him — hearing, doubtless, as in a later case is expressed, “that Jesus passed by” (Mat_20:30). crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us — It is remarkable that in the only other recorded case in which the blind applied to Jesus for their sight, and obtained it, they addressed Him, over and over again, by this one Messianic title, so well known - “Son of David” (Mat_20:30). Can there be a doubt that their faith fastened on such great Messianic promises as this, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,” etc. (Isa_35:5)? and if so, this appeal to Him, as the Consolation of Israel, to do His predicted office, would fall with great weight upon the ears of Jesus. COFFMAN, "As Jesus passed by ... (See under Matthew 9:9). The symbolism of this incident is magnificent. Although the learned Pharisees and doctors of religion could not see Christ as the Messiah, or Son of David, these blind people COULD! Even a blind man
- 174. knew that theMessiah had indeed appeared in the person of Jesus Christ. Matthew alone recorded this incident. From various Old Testament passages, it is clear that blindness is a type of sin (See Deuteronomy 28:29; Isaiah 59:10; Job 12:25; Zephaniah 1:17; Isaiah 29:8; also Ephesians 5:8; and Matthew 15:14). A number of examples of Jesus' restoring sight to the blind are recorded and were prophetically included as a positive mark of the Messiah's power when he should be revealed. Isaiah said of the Messiah and his times, "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened" (Isaiah 35:5). The expression "Have mercy on us, thou Son of David" has seven words as do so many forceful expressions in Scripture. See other examples in Matthew 6:7,11,20,28,24 - all in a single chapter. Countless others may be noted in both the Old and New Testaments. BENSON, "Matthew 9:27-30. And when Jesus departed thence — Namely, from the ruler’s house; two blind men, who probably had heard of his being there, and waited for his coming out; followed him — As he went through the streets, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us — The title which they here give him, shows that they believed him to be the Messiah; for, at this time, it was not only universally understood that the Messiah would be a descendant of David, but son of David was one of the names then ascribed to him by the Jews; see Matthew 12:23; and Matthew 22:42-45. As these men were blind, they could have no evidence of Christ’s miracles from their senses. They believed them, therefore, on the testimony of others who had seen them. Viewed in this light, their persuasion of Christ’s power to cure them was an exercise of faith highly commendable in them, and which reflected great honour upon Jesus, as on the one hand it showed their sincerity and freedom from the prejudices which blinded the minds of the generality of the Jews; and, on the other, the truth and notoriety of his miracles. It was, therefore, for the glory of God and for the edification of others, that the strength of their faith should be discovered. This was done by their persevering to importune him to have mercy upon them, notwithstanding he seemed at the first to refuse them, and by the answer which they returned to his question concerning their faith. Then — When their faith was thus sufficiently manifested, he touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you — And immediately on his speaking these words, their eyes were opened. Such is the mighty power of the prayer of faith, and such is the honour wherewith Christ often crowns it! And Jesus straitly charged them, &c. — “The word ενεβριµησατο, thus translated, is rendered by Phavorinus, to charge, to command, to appoint with authority: by Hesychius, to command, or charge with a threat. It signifies a rational, not a passionate earnestness and vehemence.” — Hammond. Christ’s command of silence, says Baxter, (namely, concerning the miracle,) “was partly to give us an example of avoiding ostentation and hypocrisy, and to be content with the approbation of God alone.” Of other reasons why he forbade his miracles to be divulged, see note on Matthew 8:4. These men, however, were so overjoyed on account of the miracle which Christ had wrought for them, and so full of gratitude to him for the restoration of their sight, that they could not forbear speaking of it wherever they came; by which means his fame was spread abroad in all that country. It had been expressly foretold by the prophet, that the Messiah should open the eyes of the blind; (see Psalms 146:8; Isaiah 35:5; Isaiah 42:7;) and this is the first instance recorded by the evangelists in which Jesus proved himself to be the Messiah, by fulfilling those predictions. BROADUS, "IV. Healing Two Blind Men, And A Dumb Demoniac, Matthew 9:27-34 These miracles are not recorded by the other Evangelists.
- 175. Matthew 9:27-31. Healingthe blind men. And when Jesus departed thence—was passing along thence—the same expression as in Matthew 9:9. It shows that the following miracles occurred immediately after the preceding. Followed him, in the purely literal sense, went along behind him. They may have been sitting beside the road when he passed by, as in Luke 18:35-37. Have mercy, or, have pity. The word really includes both ideas, and the latter is the one here prominent. (See on "Matthew 5:7".) By saying, Son of David, they declare their belief that he is the Messiah. (Compare Matthew 22:42, Matthew 15:22) The order of the Greek shows that their first thought was for mercy on themselves—very naturally. They had probably heard of Jesus' miracles, perhaps of the two wonderful works just wrought. If one inquires why they should believe him to be Messiah, while others did not, we can only reply by asking why there is a similar difference now. The Gospels frequently mention blind persons healed. (Matthew 11:5, Matthew 12:22, Matthew 15:30, Matthew 20:30, Matthew 21:14; Mark 8:22; John 5:3, John 9:1) Blindness is much more common in the East than among us, in consequence of abounding dust, the practice of sleeping in the open air, the sudden change from darkened houses to dazzling light without, and the fact that their head-dress does not protect the eyes. HAWKER 27-31, "Concerning this miracle, I beg the Reader particularly to observe, that the cry of those men was evidently the cry of faith: for the name by which they distinguished Christ, Thou SON of David! was the known character in which the Jews were taught to expect Christ. And the opening of the blind eyes was to be a token of his mission. Isa_35:5; Isa_42:7; Isa_61:1. CALVI , "Matthew 9:27.And while Jesus was departing. The other Evangelists say nothing about these two miracles; for, as we have already said, and as John expressly affirms, (John 21:25,) they did not intend to record every action of Christ, but only to prove, by a brief summary, that he is the Messiah. ow Matthew relates that sight was restored to two blind men, but not so speedily as Christ was wont, on many other occasions, to grant relief to the wretched. While they cry to him on the road, he makes no reply, but, as if he appeared not to notice them, allows them to follow him to his lodging. There he at length asks them what they believe as to his power. Both by action and by words he intended to make trial of their faith; for he holds them in suspense, — nay, passes by as if he did not hear them, — tries their patience, and what root faith had in their heads. When he afterwards inquires if they believe, he pursues the same investigation. But it may be asked, if a man is convinced of the power of God and of Christ, is that enough to make him a believer? for such appears to be the meaning of the words, 28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
- 176. “Yes, Lord,” theyreplied. BAR ES, "And when he was come into the house - That is, either into the house which he usually occupied in Capernaum, or the house of some friend. They had followed him, but thus far he had not seemed to heed their cries, and he entered the house as if he did not intend to regard them - probably for the trial of their faith. The blind men came to him - That is, they followed him into the house. They showed a determination to persevere until they obtained what they asked. Believe ye that I am able to do this? - To work such a miracle. Though they had followed him and cried after him, yet he required of them an open profession of their faith in regard to his power. They said unto him, Yea, Lord - We have no doubt of this. We came with that assurance: we have followed thee with that belief. It was on this simple profession of their faith that the miracle was performed, as it is on the simple profession of our faith that our souls will be saved. CLARKE, "When he was come unto the house - That is, the house of Peter at Capernaum, where he ordinarily lodged. Believe ye that I am able to do this? - Without faith Jesus does nothing to men’s souls now, no more than he did to their bodies in the days of his flesh. They said unto him, Yea, Lord - Under a sense of our spiritual blindness we should have, 1st. A lively faith in the almighty grace of Christ. 2dly. A fervent, incessant cry for the communication of this grace. 3dly. A proper view of his incarnation, because it is through his union with our nature, and by his sufferings and death, we are to expect salvation. GILL, "And when he was come into the house,.... In which he dwelt, whilst at Capernaum: for he took no notice of them by the way; but though they followed him close, and cried vehemently, he did not stop to speak to them, or give them a cure: according to their request, but went on his way; which he did, partly to avoid the populace, and that he might not be seen by men, in what he did, and partly to try their faith, and the constancy of it. The blind men came to him; being directed by others, into what house he went, and where he was, and very probably with the leave of Christ: and Jesus saith unto them, believe ye that I am able to do this? That is, to have
- 177. mercy on them,as they requested, by curing them of their blindness; which, though not expressed, is implied, and is the thing designed: this question is put, not as being ignorant of, or as doubting their faith in him, which they had expressed, in calling him the son of David; and had shown the firmness and constancy of it, by following him, though he took no notice of them; but partly, for the further trial of their faith, and to bring them to a more open profession of it, as to this particular, his power to cure them of their blindness; and partly, for the sake of those, that were in the house: they said unto him, yea, Lord. They firmly believed he had power to do it, they had not the least doubt and hesitation in their minds about it; for though their bodily eyes were at present dark, the eyes of their understandings were enlightened, to see and know Jesus to be the true Messiah, David's Son, and Lord. HE RY, "2. The confession of faith, which Christ drew from them upon this occasion. When they came to him for mercy, he asked them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? Note, Faith is the great condition of Christ's favours. They who would receive the mercy of Christ, must firmly believe the power of Christ. What we would have him do for us, we must be fully assured that he is able to do. They followed Christ, and followed him crying, but the great question is, Do ye believe? Nature may work fervency, but it is only grace that can work faith; spiritual blessings are obtained only by faith. They had intimated their faith in the office of Christ as Son of David, and in his mercy; but Christ demands likewise a profession of faith in his power. Believe ye that I am able to do this; to bestow this favour; to give sight to the blind, as well as to cure the palsy and raise the dead? Note, It is good to be particular in the exercise of faith, to apply the general assurances of God's power and good will, and the general promises, to our particular exigencies. All shall work for good, and if all, then this. “Believe ye that I am able, not only to prevail with God for it, as a prophet, but that I am able to do it by my own power?” This will amount to their belief of his being not only the Son of David, but the Son of God; for it is God's prerogative to open the eyes of the blind (Psa_146:8); he makes the seeing eye, Exo_4:11. Job was eyes to the blind (Job_29:15); was to them instead of eyes, but he could not give eyes to the blind. Still it is put to us, Believe we that Christ is able to do for us, by the power of his merit and intercession in heaven, of his Spirit and grace in the heart, and of his providence and dominion in the world? To believe the power of Christ is not only to assure ourselves of it, but to commit ourselves to it, and encourage ourselves in it. To this question they give an immediate answer, without hesitation: they said, Yea, Lord. Though he had kept them in suspense awhile, and had not helped them at first, they honestly imputed that to his wisdom, not to his weakness, and were still confident of his ability. Note, The treasures of mercy that are laid up in the power of Christ, are laid out and wrought for those that trust in him, Psa_31:19. JAMISO , "And when he was come into the house — To try their faith and patience, He seems to have made them no answer. But the blind men came to Him — which, no doubt, was what He desired. and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? they said unto him, Yea, Lord — Doubtless our Lord’s design was not only to put their faith to the test by this question, but to deepen it, to raise their expectation of a cure, and so prepare them to receive it; and the cordial acknowledgment, so touchingly simple, which they immediately made to Him of His power to heal them, shows how entirely that
- 178. object was gained. CALVI, "28.Do you believe that I can do this? But from other passages of Scripture, it is evident that our knowledge of his power will be cold and unprofitable, if we are not convinced of his willingness. And yet Christ is satisfied with their reply, and applauds their faith, as if it had been all that could be wished. I answer, they had some perception of his grace; for they had already acknowledged him to be the Son of David; bestowing upon him this title as Redeemer of their nation and author of all blessings. He interrogates them, therefore, as to his power, and proceeds farther to inquire if they believe in good earnest. Faith embraces the mercy and fatherly love of God along with his power, and the generous design of Christ along with his ability to save. But as men commonly ascribe less than they ought to do to the power of God and the ability of Christ, there was good reason for proposing this question to the blind men, if they believe that Christ can do what they have professed with their mouth. Indeed, Christ wished simply to know if they were candid in yielding to him the honor of Messiah; and therefore he applauds their faith, because under that low and despicable appearance they acknowledged him to be the Son of David BARCLAY, "Faith's Test And Faith's Reward (Matthew 9:27-31) 9:27-31 And, as he passed on from there, two blind men followed him, shouting. "Have pity on us," they said, "you Son of David." When he came into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, " Do you believe that I am able to do this?" "Yes, Lord," they said. Then he touched their eyes. "Be it to you," he said, "according to your faith." And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly commanded them, "See, let no one know of this." But they went out and spread abroad the story of him all over the country. Blindness was a distressingly common disease in Palestine. It came partly from the glare of the eastern sun on unprotected eyes, and partly because people knew nothing of the importance of cleanliness and hygiene. In particular the clouds of unclean flies carried infections which led to loss of sight. The name by which these two blind men addressed Jesus was Son of David. When we study the occurrences of that title within the gospels, we find that it is almost always used by crowds or by people who knew Jesus only, as it were, at a distance (Matthew 15:22; Matthew 20:30-31; Mark 10:47; Mark 12:35-37). The term Son of David describes Jesus in the popular conception of the Messiah. For centuries the Jews had awaited the promised deliverer of David's line, the leader who would not only restore their freedom, but who would lead them to power and glory and greatness. It was in that way that these blind men thought of Jesus; they saw in him the wonder-worker who would lead the people to freedom and to conquest. They came to Jesus with a very inadequate idea of who and what he was, and yet he healed them. The way in which Jesus dealt with them is illuminating.
- 179. (i) Clearly hedid not answer their shouts at once. Jesus wished to be quite sure that they were sincere and earnest in their desire for what he could give them. It might well have been that they had taken up a popular cry just because everyone else was shouting, and that, as soon as Jesus had passed by, they would simply forget. He wanted first of all to be sure that their request was genuine, and that their sense of need was real. After all there were advantages in being a beggar; a man was rid of all the responsibility of working and of making a living. There are advantages in being an invalid. There are people who in actual fact do not wish their chains to be broken. W. B. Yeats tells of Lionel Johnson, the scholar and poet. Johnson was an alcoholic. He had, as he said himself, "a craving that made every atom of his body cry out." But, when it was suggested that he should undergo treatment to overcome this craving, his answer quite frankly was: "I do not want to be cured." There are not a few people who in their heart of hearts do not dislike their weakness; and there are many people, who, if they were honest, would have to say that they do not wish to lose their sins. Jesus had first of all to be sure that these men sincerely and earnestly desired the healing he could give. (ii) It is interesting to note that Jesus in effect compelled these people to see him alone. Because he did not answer them in the streets, they had to come to him in the house. It is the law of the spiritual life that sooner or later a man must confront Jesus alone. It is all very well to take a decision for Jesus on the flood tide of emotion at some great gathering, or in some little group which is charged with spiritual power. But after the crowd a man must go home and be alone; after the fellowship he must go back to the essential isolation of every human soul; and what really matters is not what a man does in the crowd, but what he does when he is alone with Christ. Jesus compelled these men to face him alone. (iii) Jesus asked these men only one question: "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" The one essential for a miracle is faith. There is nothing mysterious or theological about this. o doctor can cure a sick person who goes to him in a completely hopeless frame of mind. o medicine will do a man any good if he thinks he might as well be drinking water. The way to a miracle is to place one's life in the hands of Jesus Christ, and say, "I know that you can make me what I ought to be." BROADUS, "Matthew 9:28. Into the house, viz., the house to which he returned from that of the ruler. (Matthew 9:23) It may have been Matthew's house, (Matthew 9:10) or Peter's, (Matthew 8:14) or some other which Jesus made his usual place of abode at Capernaum. (Compare Matthew 13:1, Matthew 13:36, Matthew 17:25) Observe that in Capernaum occurs all that is narrated in Luke 18:2-34, as well as in Luke 8:5-22. As they followed him along the street, Jesus gave them no answer or notice; but when he had entered the house, they approached and he spoke to them. This failure to notice them at first was doubtless designed (1) to develop and strengthen their faith; (compare Matthew 15:23) (2) to avoid the excitement which another public
- 180. miracle just thenmight have produced among the people, already stirred by the healing of the woman, and by the rapidly spreading news of the raising of Jairus' daughter to life. (Compare on Matthew 9:2-6) The question, Believe ye that I am able? developed into greater clearness the faith they bad already shown by following and asking. In their answer, Lord is probably no more than a very respectful form of address. (See on "Matthew 8:2".) Jesus was more ready to work miracles where there was faith in him. (Compare on Matthew 9:2, Matthew 9:22, and Matthew 13:58) But it is too much to say that he never wrought miracles without faith; instance the widow's son at Nain, and Malchus' ear. Observe that his question was simply whether they believed that he could heal them; his willingness remained to be seen. (Compare on Matthew 8:2) SIMEO , "TWO BLI D ME HEALED Matthew 9:28-30. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened. WE are so much accustomed to read and hear the miracles of our Lord, that the recital of them produces little or no effect: but had we seen the multitudes of diseased people continually coming to him, crying after him, and breaking in upon his retreats when he was in the houses of his friends, we should have been greatly astonished. In the passage before us we have a specimen of their importunity: two blind men, having in vain supplicated our Lord’s assistance in the street, followed him into a house, and there obtained that relief, which, from prudential considerations perhaps, he had not chosen to impart in the presence of the people. Waving many observations which will arise, when another miracle, exactly similar to this [ ote: Matthew 20:30-34.], shall be considered, we shall fix our attention upon two things, which are very strongly marked in the words before us: I. The object of faith— The whole sacred volume is to be received by us; but God has revealed in it the proper object of our faith: his perfections are the foundation on which we build; and though every perfection is equally an object of our love, yet there seems a propriety in regarding his power as the more immediate object of our faith; because it will be to no purpose to believe him well-disposed towards us, if we do not also believe him able to effect his gracious intentions— [In confirmation of this we may observe, that in the most eminent instances of faith, the power of God has been chiefly regarded [ ote: Abraham, whose faith is so highly commended, had respect to the power of God to give him a son in his old age, Romans 4:19-21 and to raise him up from the dead, Hebrews 11:19. In dependence on this, Jonathan attacked a Philistine garrison, 1 Samuel 14:6. Jehoshaphat went forth against three confederate armies, 2 Chronicles 20:6; 2 Chronicles 20:12 and the Hebrew Youths withstood the command of the Babylonish monarch, Daniel
- 181. 3:17-18.] — —— And in the most remarkable instances of unbelief, his power has been principally doubted [ ote: Sarah questioned the power of God to give her a child, Genesis 18:12-14. As did also the Israelites to give them bread and flesh. Psalms 78:20. Moses himself on one occasion staggered at God’s promise, from an apprehension that it could not be performed, umbers 11:21-22. And Martha deemed the putrid state of her brother’s corpse an insurmountable bar to his restoration to life, John 11:39-40.] — — — Moreover God in a peculiar manner points out this attribute to our notice [ ote: Psalms 62:11.], expostulates with us for not attending to it sufficiently [ ote: Isaiah 40:28-29.], and exhorts us to take it for our strength [ ote: Isaiah 26:4.] — — —] The address of our Lord to the two suppliants leads us further to remark, II. The importance of faith— [Our Lord makes more inquiry after this than after any other grace [ ote: He inquired to this effect of Martha, John 11:26; of the blind man, John 9:35. See also the text.] — — — He overlooked many faults, where this was exercised [ ote: He might have justly reproved the nobleman’s impatience, John 4:49.]; and disregarded every thing that was apparentlygood, if this were wanting [ ote: The zeal and love of Peter were no longer approved when his faith failed him, Matthew 14:3. or did Jesus regard the ready obedience of his disciples in ferrying him over the lake, when they discovered such timidity and want of faith, Mark 4:40.] — — — He invariably bestowed the highest encomiums upon it [ ote: Matthew 8:10; Matthew 21:21-22. See particularly 2 Chronicles 16:8. where it was not only commended, but rewarded.]; and made it, not only a condition, but the very measure of his favours [ ote: Mark 9:23. Matthew 8:13; Matthew 15:28. See also the text.] — — —] Application— 1. To unbelievers— [If men may manifest a very considerable earnestness about salvation, and yet leave room to doubt whether they really believe in the all-sufficiency of Christ, how evidently must they be unbelievers, who have no solicitude about their eternal welfare! To judge of your faith, see whether you resemble these blind men in your consciousness of your need of a Saviour, and your conviction of the sufficiency of Christ to save you? Your need of mercy at his hands is as real and as urgent as ever theirs was: and, if you really believe in him, you are going to him with the same importunity as was expressed by them: nor will you account any time or place unfit for the silent offering of your requests. Think then, what will you answer to the Lord when he shall inquire respecting your faith! And what will you do, if he should say, Be it unto you according to your faith? Alas! too many of you need no greater curse than this. If you have no more pardon, peace, or glory, than in proportion to
- 182. your present exerciseof faith, the great mass of you, it is to be feared, will be miserable indeed. O remember the fate of the unbelieving Israelites; and flee to Christ, every one of you, lest ye perish after their example of unbelief [ ote: Hebrews 3:18-19; Hebrews 4:11.].] 2. To those who are weak in faith— [Can you see the multitude of our Saviour’s miracles, and entertain any doubt of his sufficiency? or the examples of so many that were strong in faith, and not be ashamed that, with your superior advantages, you should ever indulge unbelief? O fix it in your minds, that Jesus is able to save to the uttermost, and to keep that which you have committed to him [ ote: 2 Timothy 1:12.]. Believe in the Lord, so shall you be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper [ ote: 2 Chronicles 20:20.]. But if ye will not believe, neither shall ye be establishe [ ote: Isaiah 7:9.].] 3. To believers in general— [You will find that peace of mind, purity of heart, victory over the world, and indeed all that you hold dear, vary according to the weakness or stability of your faith. Beware then of ever “limiting the Holy One of Israel.” Beg that “what is yet lacking in your faith may be perfected [ ote: 1 Thessalonians 3:10.].” And seek to become “strong in faith, giving glory to God.”] 29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; BAR ES, "Then touched he their eyes - Simply to indicate that the power proceeded from him. Compare Mat_8:3. According to your faith ... - That is, you have “believed” that you could be healed, be healed accordingly. Your faith covered the whole extent of the work respecting my power and the absolute restoration to sight, and that power is exerted accordingly, and your sight is restored. So with the sinner. If he has faith in the Son of God; if he believes that he is able and willing to save him: and if he earnestly desires to be saved, the power of Jesus will be put forth to the full extent of his faith. GILL, "Then touched he their eyes,.... Not but that he could have restored sight to them, without touching their eyes, by a word speaking, or by the secret communication of his power; but he might do this as a sign of his favour and kindness to them, and of his will to cure them; as also in compliance with their weakness, who might expect some manual operation upon them;
- 183. saying, according toyour faith be it unto you: not that faith in his person and power, was the cause or condition of this cure, or the rule and measure according to which Christ proceeded; but the sense is, that as they had believed he was able to heal them, accordingly a cure should be effected; which, upon his so saying, they immediately found performed in them. HE RY, "3. The cure that Christ wrought on them; he touched their eyes, Mat_9:29. This he did to encourage their faith, which, by his delay, he had tried, and to show that he gives sight to blind souls by the operations of his grace accompanying the word, anointing the eyes with eye-salve: and he put the cure upon their faith, According to your faith be it unto you. When they begged for a cure, he enquired into their faith (Mat_9:28), Believe ye that I am able? He did not enquire into their wealth, whether they were able to pay him for a cure; nor into their reputation, should he get credit by curing them; but into their faith; and now they had professed their faith he referred the matter to that: “I know you do believe, and the power you believe in shall be exerted for you; According to your faith be it unto you.” This speaks, (1.) His knowledge of the sincerity of their faith, and his acceptance and approbation of it. Note, It is a great comfort to true believers, that Jesus Christ knows their faith, and is well pleased with it. Though it be weak, though others do not discern it, though they themselves are ready to question it, it is known to him. (2.) His insisting upon their faith as necessary; “If you believe, take what you come for.” Note, They who apply themselves to Jesus Christ, shall be dealt with according to their faith; not according to their fancies, nor according to their profession, but according to their faith; that is, unbelievers cannot expect to find any favour with God, but true believers may be sure to find all that favour which is offered in the gospel; and our comforts ebb or flow, according as our faith is stronger or weaker; we are not straitened in Christ, let us not then be straitened in ourselves. JAMISO , "Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you — not, Receive a cure proportioned to your faith, but, Receive this cure as granted to your faith. Thus would they carry about with them, in their restored vision, a gracious seal of the faith which drew it from their compassionate Lord. CALVIN, "29.According to your faith. Though the subject of the narrative is a remarkable benefit conferred on two blind men, yet from this declaration of Christ we may draw the general doctrine, that if we pray in faith, we will never sustain a refusal in our prayers. But if those two men, whose faith was small and imperfectly formed, obtained what they wished, much more efficacious will now be the faith of those who, endued with the Spirit of adoption, and relying on the sacrifice of Christ, shah approach to God. BROADUS, "Matthew 9:29. Touching the eyes of the blind (compare Matthew 9:20-34), was a natural and kindly act, like taking the hand of one prostrate with fever. (Matthew 8:15) According to your faith be it—let it happen—unto you. (Compare on Matthew 8:13). An old German writer says that faith is like a bucket by which we draw from the inexhaustible fountain of God's mercy and goodness, to which otherwise we cannot penetrate; and Calvin compares it to a purse, which may itself be worthless, but filled with money makes the man rich.
- 184. BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR, "Thentouched He their eyes. The opened eye The power, glory, rewards of faith form the theme of this chapter. I. The faith described in the text was the first outgrowth and expression of a deep and lively sense of wretchedness and darkness. Faith often springs out of such convictions; it Also amounts to a conviction that light is possible. II. The faith in this instance was intelligent. They had settled it in their minds that Jesus was the Son of David, that He had come to open the eyes of the blind. Their faith conceived the grandeur of His mission. Faith is not merely an emotion; it is a conviction of the understanding. III. This faith of the blind men was eager and importunate. They followed Jesus. It was not crushed by having to wait for mercy. IV. The faith of these individuals was A personal experience. V. The faith here referred to appreciated Christ’s power to save. VI. The faith here mentioned appropriates and applies the Divine Power to its own case. (H. R. Reynolds, B. A.) The blind men restored to sight 1. A simple prayer. Their prayer was (1) united. Union is strength. (2) Earnest. (3) Persevering. II. An important inquiry. “Believe, ye,” etc. 1. What it involves. The dignity of Christ. 2. On account of the principle it sets forth. He required no personal worthiness in those He cured; faith only. 3. Because of its spiritual application. Faith stands in same relation to healing of the soul. III. A gracious act. 1. When He did so-as soon as they professed faith. 2. The words with which the act was accompanied. 3. The result that ensued. IV. An express injunction. “See that no man know it.” The reasons:- 1. The malice of His enemies. 2. The misguided zeal of the multitude. 3. The manner in which it was regarded. (Expository Outlines.)
- 185. The measure ofthe faith, the measure of the gift 1. The broad law of the gospel is that God gives all He gives to faith. 2. That the measure of faith is the measure of His gift. 3. The chief ways to multiply faith are (1) to live much on the promise; (2) to love and cherish in the heart the inward voices of the Holy Spirit; (3) to act out whatever grace God has already given. (J. Vaughan, M. A.) The ways of Eastern poor folk Most of the poor make their wants known to the public by begging. Paralytics are laid down at the doors of the rich, or of the church or mosque, with the idea that men are most inclined to be charitable when they come from the house of feasting or of prayer. The blind lift up their voices as they grope their way from door to door along the streets. (Van Lennep.) Our Lord’s question to the blind men I. The seekers. the two blind men. 1. They were in downright earnest. 2. They were thoroughly persevering. 3. They had a definite object in their prayers. 4. They honoured Christ in their prayers. 5. They confessed their unworthiness. II. The question which was put to them. 1. It concerned their faith. 2. It concerned their faith in Jesus-“Believe ye that I am able to do this?” 3. Believe ye that I am able to do this? Some think their hearts too hard. III. That question was a very reasonable one. Else why do you pray? IV. The answer. 1. It was distinct. 2. It was immediate. V. Our Lord’s response to their answer. (C. H. Spurgeon) Faith receptive of blessing
- 186. “Why is faithso essential” It is because of its receptive power. A purse will not make a man rich, and yet without some place for his money how could a man acquire wealth. Faith of itself could not contribute a penny to salvation, but it is the purse which hold: a precious Christ within itself, yea, it holds all the treasures of Divine love. If a man is thirsty a rope and a bucket are not in themselves of much use to him, but yet, sirs, if there is a well near at hand the very thing that is wanted is a bucket and a rope, by means of which the water can be lifted. Faith is the bucket by means of which a man may draw water out of the wells of salvation, and drink to his heart’s content. You may sometimes have stopped a moment at a street fountain, and have desired to drink, but you found you could not, for the drinking-cup was gone. The water flowed, but you could not get at it. It was tantalizing to be at the fountain-head and yet to be thirsty still for want of a little cup. Now faith is that little cup, which we hold up to the flowing stream of Christ’s grace: we fill it, and then we drink and are refreshed. Hence the importance of faith. It would have seemed to our forefathers an idle thing to lay down a cable under the sea from England to America and it would be idle now if it were not that science has taught us how to speak by lightning: yet the cable itself is now of the utmost importance, for the best inventions of telegraphy would be of no use for purposes of transatlantic communication if there were not the connecting wire between the two continents, Faith is just that; it is the connecting link between our souls and God, and the living message flashes along it to our souls. Faith is sometimes weak and comparable only to a very slender thread; but it is a very precious thing for all that, for it is the beginning of great things. Years ago they were wanting to throw a suspension bridge across a mighty chasm, through which flowed, far down, a navigable river, From crag to crag it was proposed to hang an iron bridge aloft in the air, but how was it to be commenced? They shot an arrow from one side to the other, and it carried across the gulf a tiny thread. That invisible thread was enough to begin with. The connection was established; by-and- by the thread drew a piece of twine, the twine carried after it a small rope, the rope soon carried a cable across, and all in good time came the iron chains and all else that was needed for the permanent way. Now, faith is often ver)” weak, but even in that ease it is still of the utmost value, for it forms a communication between the soul and the Lord Jesus Christ. (C. H. Spurgeon.) Blind people swarm in Oriental cities In our own streets we meet here and there with a blind beggar, gut they swarm in Eastern cities. Ophthalmia is the scourge of Egypt and Syria, and Volney declares that in Cairo, out of a hundred persons whom he met, twenty were quite blind, ten wanted one eye, and twenty others were more or less afflicted in that organ. At the present day every one is struck with the immense number of the blind in Oriental lands, and things were probably worse in our Saviour’s time. (C. H. Spurgeon.) NISBET, "THE FAITH AND THE GIFT ‘According to your faith be it unto you.’ Matthew 9:29 The measure of our faith will be always the measure of the gift. But, as many and as different as are the benefits which God bestows on us, so many are the states of faith in a man’s soul.
- 187. I. An overcomingfaith.—If this principle be true, it sends us down to our own heart, to find that we have not obtained any particular blessing, because we have had, at the moment, so very small a measure of faith. I believe there is more in the verse than is generally understood—‘This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.’ It is that the whole world, the whole universe, everything in it, every sorrow and every care, every temptation and every difficulty, faith can match with it continually, can ‘overcome’ it; but then the faith must be in proportion to the difficulty. ‘No faith’—all a blank. ‘Weak faith’—little peace, and little work. ‘Strong faith’—great things; delightful things; heavenly things. God is keeping to His own formula—‘According to your faith be it unto you.’ II. Faith is based upon promises.—God has given us, upon many subjects, and in many ways, certain distinct promises. Almost our first duty in life is to know God’s promises, and to gather them out and collect them up in our minds. Every one of these promises is good for eternity. It is with them faith deals—for its commission is to take the promise, and bring it to God, and get it honoured. Outside the boundary line of the promise, faith properly speaking, has no province. —The Rev. James Vaughan. Illustration ‘Whatever is poor or wrong about your soul, it is your faith which is at fault. Lay the blame in the right place. Attend to your faith. There are many of us who cannot find peace, though they seek it, and seek it honestly. The real clue to it all is, you are not taking God at His word. Another man feels, “I think I am forgiven, but I have no joy.” No; because you do not realise the fact that Christ, and the whole world, and life, and death, and heaven, and all things are yours. If you believed this, you would be happy. They are yours; nevertheless, “according to your faith be it unto you.” Another is entering upon some duty, and he enters tremblingly: he wishes to glorify God, but he feels it too much for him, and he is overwhelmed and afraid; and yet there stand by that man abounding promises. They are all written for you: and then, over them all, is this inscription, “According to your faith be it unto you.”’ 30 and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” BAR ES, "And their eyes were opened - Immediately. That is, their sight was
- 188. restored: “And Jesusstraitly charged them.” He enjoined it on them in the most earnest and solemn manner. See that no man know it - That is, do not make proclamation of this; do not make it your business to tell every man of it; do not go forth as if I wished that you should proclaim this abroad. The injunction could not mean that they should screen the fact that no one “should” know it, for there were witnesses of it, and it would be made known; but they were not to make it a point to proclaim to the world what was done to them. This was in accordance with the usual habit of the Saviour Mat_8:4; Mat_12:16, and also with his own precepts to others Mat_6:1-4. CLARKE, "Straitly charged them - He charged them severely, from ενεβριµησατο, from εν, and βριµαοµαι, to roar or storm with anger; he charged them, on pain of his displeasure, not to make it as yet public. See the reasons, Mat_8:4. GILL, "And their eyes were opened,.... Some copies read, "immediately"; and so do the Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions: and this was certainly the true and real matter of fact, that as soon as Christ had touched their eyes, and said the above words, their sight was perfectly restored to them; and they had a clear, full, and true sight of objects, as men have, whose vision faculty is in its full strength and rigour, and their eyes open: and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, see that no man know it. This was a very strict charge, and according to the signification of the word here used, it was given with great austerity of countenance, and severity of expression, in a very rough and threatening manner; which Christ might be the rather induced to, because he had given such like orders already, and they had not been observed: the reasons for concealing the miracle are not very obvious; it seems likely, that with the same view he took no notice of these blind men in the street, but went into an house, and cured them; which seems to be, to shun all appearance of vain glory, or seeking popular applause, that he gave these orders; or it may be, he did not choose to be made more known by this miracle, or at this time, or by these men; he might foresee that it would be attended with ill consequences; either the more to irritate the resentments of some persons against him; or to put others on doing things which were disagreeable to him; as setting him up for a temporal prince among them, being David's son. HE RY, "4. The charge he gave them to keep it private (Mat_9:30), See that no man know it. He gave them this charge, (1.) To set us an example of that humility and lowliness of mind, which he would have us to learn of him. Note, In the good we do, we must not seek our own praise, but only the glory of God. It must be more our care and endeavour to be useful, than to be known and observed to be so, Pro_20:6; Pro_25:27. Thus Christ seconded the rule he had given, Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. (2.) Some think that Christ, in keeping it private, showed his displeasure against the people of Capernaum, who had seen so many miracles, and yet believed not. Note, The silencing of those who should proclaim the works of Christ is a judgment to any place or people: and it is just in Christ to deny the means of conviction to those that are obstinate in their infidelity; and to shroud the light from those that shut their eyes against it. (3.) He did it in discretion, for his own preservation; because the more he was
- 189. proclaimed, the morejealous would the rulers of the Jews be of his growing interest among the people. (4.) Dr. Whitby gives another reason, which is very considerable, why Christ sometimes concealed his miracles, and afterwards forbid the publishing of his transfiguration; because he would not indulge that pernicious conceit which obtained among the Jews, that their Messiah should be a temporal prince, and so give occasion to the people to attempt the setting up of his kingdom, by tumults and seditions, as they offered to do, Joh_6:15. But when, after his resurrection (which was the full proof of his mission), his spiritual kingdom was set up, then that danger was over, and they must be published to all nations. And he observes, that the miracles which Christ wrought among the Gentiles and the Gadarenes, were ordered to be published, because with them there was not that danger. JAMISO , "And their eyes were opened: and Jesus straitly charged them — The expression is very strong, denoting great earnestness. CALVI , "30.And Jesus threatened them Either he wished to have other persons as witnesses of the miracle, or to delay the publication of it till another time. Their conduct in immediately proclaiming it every where is worthy of blame: for the notion entertained by some, that Christ forbade them for the purpose of exciting them the more, has been already refuted. There was, no doubt, some reason for forbidding it, which is unknown to us; and those men, through inconsiderate zeal, spread the rumor before the proper time. COFFMA , "The Greek term in this place translated "strictly" is actually "sternly," as a glance at the English Revised Version (1885) margin will show. It must follow, then, that those recipients of the Lord's healing grace were most reprehensible in their violation of his orders not to tell it. Trench noted that most Catholic commentators on this place, "applaud rather than condemn these men for not adhering strictly to Christ's command (which) conduct should be regarded, not as a fault, but a merit."[6] On the other hand, interpreters of the Reformed Church see in this "a blemish in the perfectness of their faith who thus disobeyed; a fault which remained a fault, even while they recognize it as one which only grateful hearts could have committed."[7] This profound difference of the views of expositors is ascribed by Trench to the desire of the reformers to "take God's word as absolute rule of law, and to worship him not with self-advised services, but after the pattern which he has shown ... that obedience is better than sacrifice, even though the sacrifice be intended for God's special honor."[8] We say the same and can only wonder at the disobedience of those who had been so signally honored and healed by the Saviour. [6]Richard C. Trench, op. cit., p. 215. [7] Ibid. [8] Ibid. BROADUS, "Matthew 9:30. And their eyes were opened. We have no means of judging
- 190. whether this physicalblessing was attended with the pardon of their sins. (Compare on Matthew 8:3.) The fact that they soon after disobeyed Christ's explicit and emphatic command renders it improbable that they believed unto salvation, though not impossible. And Jesus straitly (sternly) charged them, an unclassical, but natural sense of the Greek word, found also in Mark 1:43. The expression implies that he would be seriously displeased if they disobeyed. As to the probable reasons for this, compare on Matthew 8:4; and add here that they were virtually calling him Messiah, which might excite popular fanaticism. (Matthew 16:20, John 6:15) He may have spoken with greater severity of manner, because a similar injunction in previous cases had been disregarded; yet it was disregarded again in this case. Spread abroad his fame in all that country, as in Matthew 9:26. The Com. Ver., with its passion for variety, must needs give 'land' in Matthew 9:26, and 'country' here, though the Greek has the same word and in the same connection, and though the earlier Eng. versions translate it alike in both places. Some have sought to excuse the disobedience of the two men on the ground that it was very natural, and was no doubt sincerely designed to do him honour. But still it was a fault. What can be so pleasing to him, or so conducive to his glory, as simple, unquestioning, loving obedience? 31 But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region. BAR ES, "But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame - The report of what he had done. This was not unnatural for them. They were so filled with joy that they could not repress their feelings. In this, however, they violated the express command of the Saviour; but he was not responsible for that. CLARKE, "But they - spread abroad his fame - They should have held their peace; for to obey is better than sacrifice, 1Sa_15:22; but man must always be wiser than God, however, it may be profitable to remark, 1st. That honor pursues those who fly from it. 2dly. He who is thoroughly sensible of God’s mercy cannot long contain his acknowledgments. 3dly. That God in general requires that what a man has received, for his own salvation, shall become subservient to that of others - Let your light so shine, etc. God chooses to help man by man, that all may be firmly knit together in brotherly love.
- 191. GILL, "But they,when they were departed,.... That is, out of the house where they received their cure, and out of the city; for it appears, by what follows, they went into other parts, where it is probable they might originally belong; they spread abroad his fame in all that country. This they did, not in contempt of Christ and his orders; but rather out of gratitude to their benefactor, and through an honest zeal to spread his honour and glory: though they are not to be commended for disregarding the command of Christ; for, not our affection, but Christ's will, is to be the rule of our actions. HE RY, "But honour is like the shadow, which, as it flees from those that follow it, so it follows those that flee from it (Mat_9:31); They spread abroad his fame. This was more an act of zeal, than of prudence; and though it may be excused as honestly meant for the honour of Christ, yet it cannot be justified, being done against a particular charge. Whenever we profess to direct our intention to the glory of God, we must see to it that the action be according to the will of God. JAMISO , "But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country — (See on Mat_8:4). 32 While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. BAR ES, "And as they went out, behold, they brought unto him - That is, the friends of the dumb man brought him. This seems to have occurred as soon as the blind men which had been healed left him. Possibly it was from what they had observed of his power in healing them. A dumb man possessed with a devil - That is, the effect of the “possession,” in his case, was to deprive him of speech. Those “possessed with devils” were affected in different ways (see the notes at Mat_4:24), and there is no improbability in supposing that if other forms of disease occurred under demoniacal possessions, this form might occur also. CLARKE, "A dumb man possessed with a devil - Some demons rendered the persons they possessed paralytic, some blind, others dumb, etc. It was the interest of
- 192. Satan to hidehis influences under the appearance of natural disorders. A man who does not acknowledge his sin to God, who prays not for salvation, who returns no praises for the mercies he is continually receiving, may well be said to be possessed with a dumb demon. GILL, "As they went out,.... The Syriac version reads it, "when Jesus went out"; to which agrees the Arabic, against all the copies: for not he, but the men who had been blind, and now had their sight restored, went out from the house where Jesus was; which circumstance is mentioned, and by it the following account is introduced, partly to show how busy Christ was, how he was continually employed in doing good, and that as soon as one work of mercy was over, another offered; and partly, to observe how closely and exactly the prophecies of the Old Testament were fulfilled; in which, as it was foretold, that "the eyes of the blind" should "be opened"; so likewise, that "the tongue of the dumb" should "sing", Isa_35:5. Behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. The word signifies one that is deaf, as well as dumb; as does the Hebrew word ,חרש often used by the Jewish writers for a deaf and dumb man; one, they say (g), that can neither hear nor speak, and is unfit for sacrifice, and excused many things: and indeed these two, deafness and dumbness, always go together in persons, who are deaf from their birth; for as they cannot hear, they cannot learn to speak: but this man seems to be dumb, not by nature, but through the possession of Satan, who had taken away, or restrained the use of his speech, out of pure malice and ill will, that he might not have the benefit of conversation with men, nor be able to say anything to the glory of God. This man did not come of himself to Christ, perhaps being unwilling, through the power and influence the devil had over him; but his friends, who were concerned for his welfare, and who were thoroughly persuaded of the power of Christ to heal him, by the miracles they had seen, or heard performed by him, brought him to him; and, no doubt, expressed their desire that he would cast out the devil, and cure him, which he did. HE RY, "II. The healing of a dumb man, that was possessed with a devil. And here observe, 1. His case, which was very sad. He was under the power of the devil in this particular instance, that he was disabled from speaking, Mat_9:32. See the calamitous state of this world, and how various the afflictions of the afflicted are! We have no sooner dismissed two blind men, but we meet with a dumb man. How thankful should we be to God for our sight and speech! See the malice of Satan against mankind, and in how many ways he shows it. This man's dumbness was the effect of his being possessed with a devil; but it was better he should be unable to say any thing, than be forced to say, as those demoniacs did (Mat_8:29), What have we to do with thee? Of the two, better a dumb devil than a blaspheming one. When the devil gets possession of a soul, it is made silent as to any thing that is good; dumb in prayers and praises, which the devil is a sworn enemy to. This poor creature they brought to Christ, who entertained not only those that came of themselves in their own faith, but those that were brought to him by their friends in the faith of others. Though the just shall live eternally by his faith, yet temporal mercies may be bestowed on us with an eye to their faith who are intercessors on our behalf. They brought him in just as the blind man went out. See how unwearied Christ was in doing good; how closely one good work followed another! Treasures of
- 193. mercy, wondrous mercy,are hid in him; which may be continually communicated, but can never be exhausted. JAMISO , "Mat_9:32-34. A dumb demoniac healed. As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil — “demonized.” The dumbness was not natural, but was the effect of the possession. HAWKER, "Let the Reader, as he beholds the succession of miracles, and remarks the woeful effects of sin, from whence all the maladies of the world are derived, contemplate the glory and loveliness of Him who came to do away sin by the sacrifice of himself! Oh! the awful estate of being possessed with an evil spirit! Such are everlastingly dumb to proclaim the praises of God. Well is it for us that the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil, 1Jn_3:8. COKE, "Matthew 9:32-33. A dumb man, &c.— A dumb demoniac. Campbell. From the circumstance of the demoniac's being dumb, Erasmus conjectures, that he was also deprived of the use of his reason: if so, being insensible of his own misery, he had as little inclination as ability to apply for a cure. He could not even make his misery known by signs, and therefore needed to be brought to the Saviour by others; but being cured, he spoke both rationally and fluently, to the astonishment of all who heard him; insomuch that they extolled the author of the miracle above all the prophets that had ever appeared: "It was never so seen even in Israel itself, said they,—though it be a people among whom God hath wrought such unparalleled wonders." This reflection was perfectly just; for no one of the prophets whom we read of in the Old Testament appears to have wrought so many beneficial miracles in his whole life as our Lord did in this one afternoon; when he raised the daughter of Jairus from the dead, healed the woman who had a bloody issue, restored two blind men to their sight, cured a dumb demoniac, &c. &c. See on ch. Matthew 15:29-31 and, respecting the calumnies of the Pharisees in the next verse, ch. Matthew 12:24. BENSON, "Matthew 9:32-34. As they went out — Namely, the men that had been blind; behold, they brought to him a dumb man — Whose dumbness was owing to his being possessed with a devil. From the circumstance of this demoniac’s being dumb, Erasmus conjectures that he was also deprived of the use of his reason. If so, being insensible of his own misery, he had as little inclination as ability to apply for a cure. He could not even make his misery known by signs, and therefore needed to be brought to the Saviour by others. And when the devil was cast out — Namely, by the powerful word of Jesus; the dumb spake — Readily, distinctly, rationally, and fluently. And the multitude marvelled — Were astonished both at the greatness of the miracle and at the instantaneous manner in which it was wrought, as also at the many other miracles which they had just seen performed. Saying, It was never so seen in Israel — Not even in Israel, where so many wonders have been seen. “This reflection was perfectly just; for no one of the prophets, that we read of in the Old Testament, appears to have wrought so many beneficial miracles in his whole life, as our Lord did in this one afternoon.” — Doddridge. But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils — Not being able to deny facts that were so notorious, in order to prevent the effect which they saw them likely to produce on the people, (namely, to convince them that Jesus was the Messiah,)
- 194. being moved withthe bitterest spite against him, they impudently, and contrary to all reason and common sense, affirmed that instead of being the Christ, or a prophet, he was a vile magician, who cast out devils by the help of Beelzebub, their prince. A calumny this which the Pharisees frequently uttered, but which our Lord fully confuted, as the reader will see in the notes on Matthew 12:22-30. CALVIN, "30.And Jesus threatened them Either he wished to have other persons as witnesses of the miracle, or to delay the publication of it till another time. Their conduct in immediately proclaiming it every where is worthy of blame: for the notion entertained by some, that Christ forbade them for the purpose of exciting them the more, has been already refuted. There was, no doubt, some reason for forbidding it, which is unknown to us; and those men, through inconsiderate zeal, spread the rumor before the proper time. BARCLAY, "The Two Reactions (Matthew 9:32-34) 9:32-34 As they were going away, look you, they brought to him a dumb man who was demon-possessed; and, when the demon had been expelled from him, he spoke. And the crowds were amazed. "Nothing like this," they said, "was ever seen in Israel." But the Pharisees said, "He casts out the demons by the power of the prince of the demons." There are few passages which show better than this the impossibility of an attitude of neutrality towards Jesus. Here we have the picture of two reactions to him. The attitude of the crowds was amazed wonder; the attitude of the Pharisees was virulent hatred. It must always remain true that what the eye sees depends upon what the heart feels. The crowds looked on Jesus with wonder, because they were simple people with a crying sense of need; and they saw that in Jesus their need could be supplied in the most astonishing way. Jesus will always appear wonderful to the man with a sense of need; and the deeper the sense of need the more wonderful Jesus will appear to be. The Pharisees saw Jesus as one who was in league with all the powers of evil. They did not deny his wondrous powers; but they attributed them to his complicity with the prince of the devils. This verdict of the Pharisees was due to certain attitudes of mind. (i) They were too set in their ways to change. As we have seen, so far as they were concerned not one word could be added or subtracted from the Law. To them all the great things belonged to the past. To them to change a tradition or a convention was a deadly sin. Anything that was new was wrong. And when Jesus came with a new interpretation of what real religion was, they hated him, as they had hated the prophets long ago. (ii) They were too proud in their self-satisfaction to submit. If Jesus was right, they were wrong. The Pharisees were so well satisfied with themselves that they saw no need to change; and they hated anyone who wished to change them. Repentance is the gate
- 195. whereby all menmust enter the Kingdom; and repentance means the recognition of the error of our ways, the realization that in Christ alone there is life, and the surrender to him and to his will and power, whereby alone we can be changed. (iii) They were too prejudiced to see. Their eyes were so blinded by their own ideas that they could not see in Jesus Christ the truth and the power of God. The man with a sense of need will always see wonders in Jesus Christ, The man who is so set in his ways that he will not change, the man who is so proud in his self-righteousness that he cannot submit, the man who is so blinded by his prejudices that he cannot see, will always resent and hate and seek to eliminate him. BROADUS, "Matthew 9:32-34. Healing a dumb demoniac. This is not related by the other Evangelists. And as they went (were going) out, namely, out of the house in which they had been healed. (Matthew 9:28) 'They' is slightly emphatic, standing in contrast to the next person who came to be healed. Behold, calling attention to what follows as wonderful. They brought to him, i.e., some persons brought; impersonal or indefinite, as in Matthew 5:11, Matthew 9:17, and often. A dumb man possessed with a devil, a demoniac, see on "Matthew 8:28; Mat_8:31." Compare Mark 9:25 for a similar case. Mark 7:32 mentions a deaf man who spoke with difficulty, and says nothing of demoniacal influence. Matthew 12:22 gives a demoniac who was both blind and dumb. And the multitudes, crowds, as in Matthew 5:1, Matthew 9:8, and often. Marvelled, etc. Wondered, saying, It never at any time appeared thus in Israel; there was never such a thing seen before, in all the wonderful history of the nation. (Compare Mark 2:12, John 9:32) Probably their wonder referred not merely to this last case of the dumb demoniac, but to the series of miracles that day wrought, and, it would seem, in quick succession—the woman, the daughter of Jairus, the two blind men, and now the dumb man. The Evangelists never stop to say themselves that the miracles of Jesus were wonderful. To them these things were not astonishing now as they looked back from the time of writing their narratives, for it was a fact long familiar to their minds that he who wrought them was divine; and so they calmly tell the story of miracle after miracle, without any exclamation or remark. But it was appropriate to mention, as they often do, the wonder felt by the persons witnessing a miracle, because this was one of the evidences of its manifest reality. Matthew 9:34.(1) But the Pharisees said, strictly 'were saying,' viz., while the people were expressing their wonder. Through, literally 'in '(margin of Rev. Ver.), i.e., in union with, by power derived from, the prince of the devils, demons. This insulting charge was probably made on the present occasion in the absence of Jesus, but made afterwards in his presence; see on "Matthew 12:24". The Pharisees; see on "Matthew 3:7". They had been finding fault with Jesus in connection with all the preceding matters for undertaking to forgive sin, (Matthew 9:3) for associating with publicans and sinners, (Matthew 9:11) and for not fasting, (Matthew 9:14) and now their opposition grows yet more bitter and bold, when they venture upon the accusation of union with Satan. The crowds, for their part, wondered at the unparalleled event, but the Pharisees tried to explain it away, by however baseless and blasphemous a supposition. So also ill Matthew 12:28 f. They were not willing to acknowledge the truth about Jesus' miracles, for it would diminish their own consideration among the people; and so they struck out madly after some explanation or other. Thus ends the remarkable series of miracles which Matthew has grouped (Matthew 8, 9), as specimens of our Lord's wonderful works. (Compare on Matthew 8:1). BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR, "And when the devil was cast cut, the dumb spake. The dumb made to speak Jesus had just touched the eyes of the blind; now a dumb man is brought to Hint.
- 196. Speech the specialgift and privilege of man. It is the revelation of thought; the aqueduct of the soul; the medium of companionship. Dumbness one of the greatest blights of life. The highest privilege of speech is found in the Divine sphere. I. Spiritual dumbness is a great calamity. Through four thousand years God was approaching a dispensation of tongues for the highest expression of His life to men. From Abraham to Christ was the dispensation of dreams. Not to use the tongue for the propagation of Divine truth is to cut it off from its highest usefulness. Dumbness and deafness are allied: not to speak for Christ is not to be able to hear Christ’s words to your own soul (Rom_10:9). II. Spiritual dumbness is occasioned by demoniacal possession. When Christ cast the devil out the dumb spake. 1. Some complain that their intellectual culture is not sufficient to enable them to speak to edification. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings God hath ordained praise. The demon of intellectual pride must be cast out. 2. Some say, “I have very little ability, others can do so much better.” God does not want ability so much as availability. The demon of selfishness must be cast out. 3. Others say, “I can’t and I won’t use my tongue in the Church’s service, I have not been used to it.” The demon of wilfulness must be east out. III. Christ’s work amongst bieXr is to cast out demons that possess the human soul. (1Jn_3:8.) (J. F. Clymer.) 33 And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “ othing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” BAR ES, "And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake - The miracle is narrated in the briefest terms; but the effect was immediate and the restoration was complete. It was never so seen in Israel - Never was there in our land - among the Jews - such a succession of wonders, so striking, so marvelous, so full of the power of God. This was literally true. CLARKE, "And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake - The very
- 197. miracle which wasnow wrought was to be the demonstrative proof of the Messiah’s being manifested in the flesh. See Isa_35:5, Isa_35:6. It was never so seen in Israel - The greatest of the prophets has never been able to do such miracles as these. This was the remark of the people; and thus we find that the poor and the simple were more ready to acknowledge the hand of God than the rich and the learned. Many miracles had been wrought in the course of this one day, and this excited their surprise. GILL, "And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake,.... The cause of his dumbness being removed, the effect ceased, and the man spake as he did before, and as other men do; and this was done, according to the Persic version, "as soon as Christ saw him"; the devil not being able to bear his presence, much less withstand his power: but as soon as Christ had set his eyes upon the man possessed by him, and had given him orders to be gone, he immediately went out, and the man was restored to his speech again; and the multitude marvelled, saying, it was never so seen in Israel. The vast crowds of people, who were alarmed with the former miracles of Christ, and came along with the friends of the dumb man, when they heard him speak so suddenly and plainly, and with so much freedom, nothing being said or done to him, were surprised; and declared very frankly, that though many wonderful things had been done in Israel, in times past, by Moses, Elijah, Elisha, and others, yet never were such things seen, or heard, or known of, as were done by Christ: referring not to this miracle only, but to all the rest he had just wrought; as curing the woman of her bloody issue, raising Jairus's daughter from the dead, restoring sight to the two blind men, and now casting out a dumb devil. HE RY, "2. His cure, which was very sudden (Mat_9:33), When the devil was cast out, the dumb spake. Note, Christ's cures strike at the root, and remove the effect by taking away the cause; they open the lips, by breaking Satan's power in the soul. In sanctification he heals the waters by casting salt into the spring. When Christ, by his grace, casts the devil out of a soul, presently the dumb speaks. When Paul was converted, behold, he prays; then the dumb spake. 3. The consequences of this cure. (1.) The multitudes marvelled; and well they might; though few believed, many wondered. The admiration of the common people is sooner raised than any other affection. It was foretold, that the new song, the New Testament song, should be sung for marvellous works, Psa_98:1. They said, It was never so seen in Israel, and therefore never so seen any where; for no people experienced such wonders of mercy as Israel did. There had been those in Israel that were famous for working miracles, but Christ excelled them all. The miracles Moses wrought had reference to Israel as a people, but Christ's were brought home to particular persons. JAMISO , "And when the devil — demon. was cast out, the dumb spake — The particulars in this case are not given; the object being simply to record the instantaneous restoration of the natural faculties on the removal of the malignant oppression of them, the form which the popular astonishment took, and the very different effect of it upon another class.
- 198. and the multitudesmarvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel — referring, probably, not to this case only, but to all those miraculous displays of healing power which seemed to promise a new era in the history of Israel. Probably they meant by this language to indicate, as far as they thought it safe to do so, their inclination to regard Him as the promised Messiah. COFFMAN, "See under Matthew 12:24ff for more on the prince of demons. The Pharisees were absolutely unwilling to admit any good thing in Jesus. When they were unable to deny his wonderful deeds, they questioned the source of his power. In addition to accusing Christ of being in league with the devil, they made a big issue of the cures wrought on the sabbath day; and, it may be assumed, they denied, whenever practical, that any good deed had been done. There is an implicit admission of this in their words, "A notable miracle hath been wrought through them ... and we cannot deny it" (Acts 4:16). This is very nearly the equivalent of their saying that they would have denied the miracle of the apostles performed at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, if they could have done so with any prospect of being believed. 34 But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.” BAR ES, "But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils - That is, Beelzebub. See the notes at Mat_12:24. They did not deny the reality of the miracle or the facts in the case, but they ascribed what was done to the power of the great leader of the fallen host, as if Jesus were in league with him. For the manner in which the Saviour met that reasoning, see the notes at Mat_12:25-28. CLARKE, "He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils - This verse is wanting in both the Greek and Latin of the C. Bezae, in another copy of the Itala, and in Hilary and Juvencus. But see on Mat_12:24 (note). It is a consummate piece of malice to attribute the works of God to the devil. Envy cannot suffer the approbation which is given to the excellencies of others. Those whose hearts are possessed by this vice speak the very language of the devil. Calumny is but a little distance from envy. Though all persons may not have as much envy as the Pharisees, yet they should fear having some degree of it, as all have the principle from whence it proceeds, viz. sin.
- 199. GILL, "But thePharisees said,.... Who were the sworn enemies of Christ, and were filled with envy at him, and malice against him: these men could not bear, that so much honour and glory should be given to Christ; and therefore said, he casteth out the devils through the prince of the devils: they could not deny matter of fact, that he had cast out a devil; nor could they say he had done an ill thing in so doing; they could not but own that it was a preternatural action, more than human; nor could they contradict what the multitude said, that no such thing had been ever seen, or known, in Israel: but that Christ might not have the glory of the action, and to fix a mark of infamy upon him, foolishly impute it to a diabolical influence, as if one devil would eject another; and to Christ's familiarity with, and the assistance he had from, not a common devil, but the prince of them. In Beza's most ancient manuscript, and in some others, this whole verse is wanting; and were it not, for the general consent of copies, one should be tempted to think these words were not said at this time, because Christ returns no answer to them; and what is observed by Luk_11:15 as following this miracle, is the selfsame as was spoken by Christ in Mat_12:24 and where this passage is more thoroughly considered. HE RY, "(2.) The Pharisees blasphemed, Mat_9:34. When they could not gainsay the convincing evidence of these miracles, they fathered them upon the devil, as if they had been wrought by compact and collusion: he casteth out devils (say they) by the prince of the devils - a suggestion horrid beyond expression; we shall hear more of it afterwards, and Christ's answer to it (Mat_12:25); only observe here, how evil men and seducers wax worse and worse (2Ti_3:13), and it is both their sin and their punishment. Their quarrels with Christ for taking upon him to forgive sin (Mat_9:3), for conversing with publicans and sinners, (Mat_9:11), for not fasting (Mat_9:14), though spiteful enough, yet had some colour of piety, purity, and devotion in them; but this (which they are left to, to punish them for those) breathes nothing but malice and falsehood, and hellish enmity in the highest degree; it is diabolism all over, and was therefore justly pronounced unpardonable. Because the people marvelled, they must say something to diminish the miracle, and this was all they could say. JAMISO , "But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils — “the demons through the prince of the demons.” This seems to be the first muttering of a theory of such miracles which soon became a fixed mode of calumniating them - a theory which would be ridiculous if it were not melancholy as an outburst of the darkest malignity. (See on Mat_12:24, etc.). CALVI , "34.But the Pharisees said Hence it is evident with what rage and fury they were filled, who did not scruple to assail with wicked slander so illustrious a work of God. We ought to observe the contrast between the applause of the people and the blasphemy of those men. The saying of the people, that nothing like it ever happened in Israel, is a confession arising from a sense of the divine glory: which makes it the more evident, that those persons were utterly mad who ventured, as it were, to curse God to his face. We learn from it also, that, when wickedness has reached the height of blindness, there is no work of God, however evident, which it will not pervert. It is, no doubt, monstrous and incredible that mortal men should cry against their Creator: but there is so much the greater reason for dreading that
- 200. blindness, which arisesfrom the Lord’s vengeance on the wicked after long- suffering. The Workers Are Few 35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. BAR ES, "And Jesus went about all the cities and villages ... - That is, in all parts of Galilee, for his labors were, as yet, confined to that part of Palestine. Compare the notes at Mat_4:24-25. CLARKE, "Jesus went about all the cities and villages - Of Galilee. See on Mat_4:23, Mat_4:24 (note). A real minister of Jesus Christ, after his example, is neither detained in one place by a comfortable provision made by some, nor discouraged from pursuing his work by the calumny and persecution of others. It is proper to remark, that, wherever Christ comes, the proofs of his presence evidently appear: he works none but salutary and beneficial miracles, because his ministry is a ministry of salvation. Among the people - Εν τω λαω. This clause is omitted by about fifty MSS., several of them of the first antiquity and authority; by the Complutensian, and by Bengel; by both the Syriac, both the Arabic, both the Persic; the Ethiopic, Gothic, Saxon, and all the Itala, except four. Griesbach has left it out of the text. GILL, "And Jesus went about all the cities and villages,.... He did not confine himself, and his acts of kindness and compassion, to his own city, Capernaum, but he took a circuit throughout all Galilee; and not only visited their larger and more principal cities and towns, but their villages also; doing good to the bodies and souls of men in every place, and of whatever state and condition. Teaching in their synagogues; which were places of public worship, where prayer was made, the law and the prophets were read, and a word of exhortation given to the people; and which, it seems, were in villages, as well as in cities and towns: and indeed it is a rule with the Jews (h), that "in what place soever there are ten Israelites, they ought to build a house, to which they
- 201. may go toprayer, at all times of prayer; and such a place is called הכנסת ,בית "a synagogue".'' And hence we often read of (i) כפרים של הכנסת ,בית "the synagogue of villages", as distinct from the synagogues of cities and walled towns; which confutes a notion of the learned Dr. Lightfoot (k), who thought there were no synagogues in villages. Now, wherever Christ found any of these, he entered into them, and taught the people publicly, preaching the Gospel of the kingdom; the good news and glad tidings of peace and pardon, reconciliation and salvation, by himself the Messiah; all things relating to the Gospel dispensation; the doctrines of grace, which concern both the kingdom of grace and glory; particularly the doctrine of regeneration, and the necessity of having a better righteousness than that of the Scribes and Pharisees; the one as a meetness, the other as a title to eternal happiness: and healing every sickness, and every disease among the people. As he preached wholesome doctrine for the good of their souls; for their spiritual health, and the cure of their spiritual maladies; so he healed all sorts of diseases the bodies of men were incident to, that were brought unto him; and by his miracles confirmed, as well as recommended, the doctrines he preached. HE RY, "Here is, I. A conclusion of the foregoing account of Christ's preaching and miracles (Mat_9:35); He went about all the cities teaching and healing. This is the same we had before, Mat_4:23. There it ushers in the more particular record of Christ's preaching (ch. 5, 6 and 7) and of his cures (ch. 8 and 9), and here it is elegantly repeated in the close of these instances, as the quod erat demonstrandum - the point to be proved; as if the evangelist should say, “Now I hope I have made it out, by an induction of particulars, that Christ preached and healed; for you have had the heads of his sermons, and some few instances of his cures, which were wrought to confirm his doctrine: and these were written that you might believe.” Some think that this was a second perambulation in Galilee, like the former; he visited again those whom he had before preached to. Though the Pharisees cavilled at him and opposed him, he went on with his work; he preached the gospel of the kingdom. He told them of a kingdom of grace and glory, now to be set up under the government of a Mediator: this was gospel indeed, good news, glad tidings of great joy. Observe how Christ in his preaching had respect, 1. To the private towns. He visited not only the great and wealthy cities, but the poor, obscure villages; there he preached, there he healed. The souls of those that are meanest in the world are as precious to Christ, and should be to us, as the souls of those that make the greatest figure. Rich and poor meet together in him, citizens and boors: his righteous acts towards the inhabitants of his villages must be rehearsed, Jdg_5:11. 2. To the public worship. He taught in their synagogues, (1.) That he might bear a testimony to solemn assemblies, even then when there were corruptions in them. We must not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is. (2.) That he might have an opportunity of preaching there, where people were gathered together, with an expectation to hear. Thus, even where the gospel church was founded, and Christian meetings erected, the apostles often preached in the synagogues of the Jews. It is the wisdom of the prudent, to make the best of that which is.
- 202. II. A preface,or introduction, to the account in the following chapter, of his sending forth his apostles. He took notice of the multitude (Mat_9:36); not only of the crowds that followed him, but of the vast numbers of people with whom (as he passed along) he observed the country to be replenished; he noticed what nests of souls the towns and cities were, and how thick of inhabitants; what abundance of people there were in every synagogue, and what places of concourse the openings of the gates were: so very populous was that nation now grown; and it was the effect of God's blessing on Abraham. Seeing this, JAMISO , "Matthew 9:35-10:5. Third Galilean circuit - Mission of the twelve apostles. As the Mission of the Twelve supposes the previous choice of them - of which our Evangelist gives no account, and which did not take place till a later stage of our Lord’s public life - it is introduced here out of its proper place, which is after what is recorded in Luk_6:12-19. Third Galilean Circuit - and probably the last. And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people - The italicized words are of more than doubtful authority here, and were probably introduced here from Mat_4:23. The language here is so identical with that used in describing the first circuit (Mat_4:23), that we may presume the work done on both occasions was much the same. It was just a further preparation of the soil, and a fresh sowing of the precious seed. (See on Mat_ 4:23). To these fruitful journeyings of the Redeemer, “with healing in His wings,” Peter no doubt alludes, when, in his address to the household of Cornelius, he spoke of “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil: for God was with Him” (Act_10:38). COFFMAN, "The total number of Jesus' miracles must have been truly fantastic. There were mighty deeds in all the cities and villages and upon all kinds of sicknesses and diseases, as well as upon demoniacs. What significance, in the light of this, must be in the words of John who said: Many, other signs therefore did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in his name (John 20:30,31). SBC, "Christ the Physician. In Christ we are allied to the highest and the largest ideal of the most disinterested efforts for the physical and moral welfare of man that our earth has ever seen. Times, indeed, there were in His ministry when it might even have seemed that the human body had a greater claim on His attention than the human soul. I. Now it would be a great mistake to suppose that this feature of our Saviour’s ministry was accidental or inevitable. Nothing in His work was accident; all was deliberate; all had an object. Nothing in His work was inevitable, except so far as it was freely dictated by His wisdom and His mercy. To suppose that this union of prophet and physician was
- 203. determined by thenecessity of some rude civilization, such as that of certain tribes in Central Africa and elsewhere, or certain periods and places in mediæval Europe, when knowledge was scanty, when it was easy and needful for a single person at each social centre to master all that was known on two or three great subjects—this is to make a supposition which does not apply to Palestine at the time of our Lord’s appearance. The later prophets were prophets and nothing more—neither legislators, nor statesmen, nor physicians. We may infer with reverence and certainty that Christ’s first object was to show Himself as the Deliverer and Restorer of human nature as a whole—not of the reason and conscience merely, without the imagination and the affections—not of the spiritual side of men’s nature, without the bodily; and therefore He was not only Teacher, but also Physician. II. What is the present function of the human body? We see in it at once a tabernacle and an instrument; it is the tabernacle of the soul and the temple of the Holy Ghost. And thus the human body is, in our idea, itself precious and sacred; it is an object of true reverence, if only by reason of Him whom it is thus permitted to house and to serve. III. And again, there is the destiny of the body. As we Christians gaze at it we know that there awaits it the humiliation of death and decay; we know also that it has a future beyond; the hour of death is the hour of resurrection. The reconstruction of the decayed body presents to us no greater difficulties than its original construction; and if we ask the question how it will be, we are told, upon what is for us quite sufficient authority, that our Lord Jesus Christ "shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself." H. P. Liddon, Christian World Pulpit, vol. xx., p. 81. BENSON, "Matthew 9:35-36. Jesus went about all the cities, teaching in their synagogues — See on Matthew 4:23. When he saw the multitude he was moved with compassion — Having come from heaven to earth to seek and save lost sinners, he was affected to see such multitudes desirous of instruction, and yet destitute of it, and in danger of perishing without it, being either deserted or misled by their spiritual guides, and living in ignorance of the things which it most concerned them to know, and in a state of guilt and depravity. Because they fainted — The original expression: εκλελυµενοι, denotes here a kind of faintness, or weakness, which is caused by hunger and weariness. Perhaps the expression may refer partly to the fatigue of their frequent journeys in following Christ from place to place; for many of them came, not only from the several parts of Galilee, but also from Judea and Idumea, from beyond Jordan: and the borders of Tyre and Zidon. Faintness of soul, however, is undoubtedly intended here, rather than of body. And were scattered abroad — Gr. ερριµµενοι, an expression which, according to Elsner, means exposed to continual danger, as sheep having no shepherd. And yet this people had many teachers; they had scribes in every city, and the priests, whose lips should have dispensed knowledge, and at whose mouth the people should have sought the law, (Malachi 2:7,) were to be found in all parts of the land. But they had no teachers who cared for their souls; and none who were able, if they had been willing, to have given them such instruction as they needed. They had no pastors after God’s own heart. “The teachers just mentioned,” says Macknight, “were blind, perverse, lazy guides, who every day discovered their ignorance and wickedness more and more. They either neglected the office of teaching altogether, or they filled the people’s minds with high notions of ritual observances and traditions, to the utter disparagement of moral duties, which in a manner they trampled under foot; so that instead of serving God, they served
- 204. their own glory,their gain, and their belly. Wherefore, any appearance of religion which they had, was wholly feigned and hypocritical; insomuch that they rather did hurt by it than were of real service to the interests of [piety and] virtue. Besides, the common people, being distracted by the disagreeing factions of the Pharisees and Sadducees, knew not what to choose or refuse. The case therefore called loudly for the compassion of Jesus, which indeed was never wanting to them at any time, for he always cherished the tenderest affection toward his countrymen; but it flowed particularly on this occasion, when he considered that they were in great distress for want of spiritual food.” And therefore being deeply touched with a feeling of their miserable condition, he resolved to provide some remedy for it; which, as the evangelist here states, he proceeded to do immediately, directing his disciples to intercede with God to send forth labourers into his harvest, and immediately afterward appointing and sending those labourers. CALVIN, "Matthew 9:35.And Jesus went about This statement is made by way of anticipating an objection, and is intended to inform us that the whole ministry of Christ is not minutely described: for he was constantly employed in the discharge of his office; that is, in proclaiming the doctrine of salvation, and in confirming it by the addition of miracles. The gospel of the kingdom, we have already said, is a designation given to it from its effect, (533) for in this way God gathered to himself a people sadly scattered, that he might reign in the midst of them; and, indeed, he erected his throne for the express purpose of bestowing on all his people perfect happiness. Yet let us remember that we must be subject to God, in order that we may be exalted by him to the heavenly glory. BARCLAY, "THE THREEFOLD WORK (Matthew 9:35) 9:35 And Jesus made a tour of all the towns and villages, teaching in synagogues, and heralding forth the good news of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every illness. Here in one sentence we see the threefold activity which was the essence of the life of Jesus. (i) Jesus was the herald. The herald is the man who brings a message from the king: Jesus was the one who brought a message from God. The duty of the herald is the proclamation of certainties; preaching must always be the proclamation of certainties. No church can ever be composed of people who are certain, as it were, by proxy. It is not only the preacher who must be certain. The people must be certain too. There never was a time when this certainty was more needed than it is today. Geoffrey Heawood, headmaster of a great English public school, has written that the great tragedy and problem of this age is that we are standing at the cross-roads, and the signposts have fallen down. Beverley Nichols once wrote a book composed of interviews with famous people. One of
- 205. the interviews waswith Hilaire Belloc, one of the most famous of English Roman Catholics. After the interview Nichols wrote: "I was sorry for Mr. Belloc because I felt that he had nailed at least some of his colours to the wrong mast; but I was still sorrier for myself and for my own generation, because I knew that we had no colours of any kind to nail to any mast." We live in an age of uncertainty, an age when people have ceased to be sure of anything. Jesus was the herald of God, who came proclaiming the certainties by which men live; and we too must be able to say, "I know whom I have believed." (ii) Jesus was teacher. It is not enough to proclaim the Christian certainties and let it go at that; we must also be able to show the significance of these certainties for life and for living. The importance and the problem of this lie in the fact that we teach Christianity, not by talking about it, but by living it. It is not the Christian's duty to discuss Christianity with others, so much as it is to show them what Christianity is. A writer who lived in India writes like this: "I remember a British battalion, which like most battalions came to parade service because they had to, sang hymns they liked, listened to the preacher if they thought him interesting, and left the Church alone for the rest of the week. But their rescue work at the time of the Quetta earthquake so impressed a Brahmin that he demanded immediate baptism, because only the Christian religion could make men behave like that." The thing which taught that Brahmin what Christianity was like was Christianity in action. To put this at its highest: our duty is not to talk to men about Jesus Christ, but to show him to them. A saint has been defined as someone in whom Christ lives again. Every Christian must be a teacher, and he must teach others what Christianity is, not by his words, but by his life. (iii) Jesus was healer. The gospel which Jesus brought did not stop at words; it was translated into deeds. If we read through the gospels, we will see that Jesus spent far more time healing the sick, and feeding the hungry, and comforting the sorrowing than he did merely talking about God. He turned the words of Christian truth into the deeds of Christian love. We are not truly Christian until our Christian belief issues in Christian action. The priest would have said that religion consists of sacrifice; the Scribe would have said that religion consists of Law; but Jesus Christ said that religion consists of love. BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR, "Healing every sickness. Christ the Physician Christ’s healing activity had this double value: it was evidence of His Divine authority as a Teacher; it was a picture in detail addressed to the sense of what, as a restorer of our race, He meant to do in regions altogether beyond the sphere of sense. But these aspects of His care for the human body were not primary, but incidental. We may infer with reverence and certainty that His first object was to show Himself as the restorer of
- 206. human nature asa whole-not of the reason and conscience only, without the body. Thus our Lord has thrown radiance upon the medical profession, associating it with His redemptive work. 1. The physician can point out with authority given to no other man the present operative force of some of the laws of God. The connection between indulgence and decay. He can give physical reasons for moral truth. 2. The physician can point out the true limits of human knowledge. He knows the ignorance of science. 3. The medical profession may be a teacher of reverence-reverence for the body as the tabernacle of the soul. 4. The profession of medicine is from the nature, I had almost dared to say from the necessity, of the case a teacher of benevolence. (Canon Liddon.) BROADUS, "I. Matthew 9:35 to Matthew 10:1. Jesus Is Moved To Send Out The Twelve While engaged in a circuit of Galilee, he is moved with compassion at the spiritual destitution of the people, and begins to prepare the Twelve for going out as teachers. The portion in Matthew 9:35-38 is found in Matthew alone, except that Mark (Mark 6:6) says simply, 'And he went round about the villages teaching.' Matthew 9:35. Same as Matthew 4:23, except that for 'went about all Galilee' we here have more particularly, went about all the cities and (the) villages, referring still to Galilee, as the connection and the circumstances show. All is so placed in the Greek as to be confined to the cities; and he could not have visited all the villages. Josephus says there were in Galilee not less than two hundred and four cities and populous villages. (See on "Matthew 4:12".) The word rendered villages denotes properly a town without walls, as opposed to a fortified town. The larger places would of course all be fortified. We learn then that our Lord made a thorough circuit, going into all the large towns, and very generally into the smaller places also. He did not go only where he could have a very large congregation. For every sickness and every disease—i.e., every kind, not necessarily every case—and for the other terms, see on "Matthew 4:23". Among the people, com. Greek text, is omitted on overwhelming evidence. Here again, as in Matthew 8:16 and Matthew 4:23, we must pause and dwell on the strong general statement, or we shall not adequately conceive of the immense extent of our Lord's work as a Healer. HAWKER 35-37, "What an interesting sight must it have been to have seen Jesus thus engaged, preaching the doctrines of grace, and confirming the word with ministering to all the wants of nature. And I beg the Reader not to overlook what is said of Jesus on those occasions: he was moved with compassion, that is, the compassions of Jesus were the compassions of God-Man, the divine and human nature blended. It is most essential to the proper apprehension of Jesus’ feelings of our infirmities, always to keep this in view. For the Lord Jesus, having the same human nature as we have, hath the same affections, the same feelings as we have. And therefore, though the infinite perfections of his divine nature give all that dignity and power which make his mercies divine, yet from his human nature being united to the Godhead, his compassions are no less human mercies also, Oh! the blessedness of such views of Jesus. See Heb_4:15-16. The similitudes of a shepherd, and harvest, are too plain to need a comment. But as Christ alone is the shepherd of his flock, and the Lord of the harvest, the only One who can authorize to the ministry in the labors of it; we are to pray, but it is the Lord who must
- 207. send suited servantsto the harvest. REFLECTIONS READER! behold your God and SAVIOR in this chapter. See how he manifests who he is by what he wrought. As God! he pardons sin, as in the instance of the Paralytic! He reads the thoughts and reasonings of men’s hearts, as in the case of the Scribes. He cures the souls, gives health to the bodies, raiseth the dead, casts out devils, and as man, yea the God-Man Christ Jesus, he is moved with compassion, and his bowels yearn over the lost estate and misery of our poor, ruined, and diseased nature. Oh! who that had seen his grace; to Matthew; to the woman with the bloody issue; the ruler of the synagogue, and his dead child; to the blind and the dumb; but must have said with the Prophet, behold your God is come to save you! And who that had seen him, at the table of Matthew, encircled with Publicans and Sinners, but must have said, was ever grace like this, in the unequalled condescension of the SON of God! Oh! blessed Lord Jesus! do thou now still regard thy people, still behold them in all the miseries and sorrows of a state of nature and sin, in their palsied, blind, dumb, dead, and dying circumstances. Oh! thou Great Shepherd of thy blood-bought flock! Exalted as thou now art, at the right hand of the Majesty on high, send forth thine underpastors in thy fold, and let thine heritage be no longer scattered. Yea! dearest Lord Jesus! come thyself and visit them as thou hast said with thy great salvation, and bring them home to thy fold in heaven, from all places whither they are now scattered in the dark and cloudy day! Amen. NISBET, "THE GREAT PHYSICIAN ‘And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.’ Matthew 9:35 This feature of our Lord’s ministry was neither accidental or inevitable. Nothing in His work was accident; all was deliberate; all had an object. Nothing in His work was inevitable, except so far as it was freely dictated by His wisdom and His mercy. I. Teacher and physician.—We may infer with reverence and certainty that Christ’s first object was to show Himself as the Deliverer and Restorer of human nature as a whole; not of the reason and conscience merely, without the imagination and the affections; not of the spiritual side of men’s nature, without the bodily; and therefore He was not only Teacher, but also Physician. II. The present function of the human body.—We see in it at once a tabernacle and an instrument; it is the tabernacle of the soul and the temple of the Holy Ghost. And thus the human body is, in our idea, itself precious and sacred; it is an object of true reverence, if only by reason of Him Whom it is thus permitted to house and to serve. III. The destiny of the body.—As we Christians gaze at it we know that there awaits it the humiliation of death and decay; we know also that it has a future beyond; the hour of
- 208. death is thehour of resurrection. It is the Lord who ‘shall change our vile body.’ —Canon Liddon. Illustration ‘To suppose that this union of prophet and physician was determined by the necessity of some rude civilization, such as that of certain tribes in Central Africa and elsewhere, or certain periods and places in mediæval Europe, when knowledge was scanty, when it was easy and needful for a single person at each social centre to master all that was known on two or three great subjects—this is to make a supposition which does not apply to Palestine at the time of our Lord’s appearance.’ 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. BAR ES, "But when he saw the multitudes - That followed him from place to place. When he saw their anxiety to be instructed and saved. He was moved with compassion on them - He pitied them. Because they fainted - The word used here refers to the weariness and fatigue which results from labor and being burdened. He saw the people burdened with the rites of religion and the doctrines of the Pharisees; sinking down under their ignorance and the weight of their traditions; neglected by those who ought to have been enlightened teachers; and scattered and driven out without care and attention. With great beauty he compares them to sheep wandering without a shepherd. Judea was a land of flocks and herds. The faithful shepherd, by day and night, was with his flock. He defended it, made it to lie down in green pastures, and led it beside the still waters, Psa_23:2. Without his care the sheep would stray away. They were in danger of wild beasts. They panted in the summer sun, and they did not know where the cooling shade and stream was. So, said the Saviour, is it with this people. No wonder that the compassionate Redeemer was moved with pity. CLARKE, "Moved with compassion - Εσπλαγχνισθη, from σπλαγχνον, a bowel. The Jews esteemed the bowels to be the seat of sympathy and the tender passions, and so applied the organ to the sense.
- 209. Επλαγχνιζοµαι signifies, saysMintert, “to be moved with pity from the very inmost bowels. It is an emphatic word, signifying a vehement affection of commiseration, by which the bowels and especially the heart is moved.” Both this verb and the noun seem to be derived from σπαω, to draw; the whole intestinal canal, in the peristaltic motion of the bowels, being drawn, affected, and agitated with the sight of a distressed or miserable object. Pity increases this motion of the bowels, and produces considerable pain: hence σπλαγχνιζοµαι, to have the bowels moved, signifies to feel pity or compassion at seeing the miseries of others. They fainted - Instead of εκλελυµενοι, fainted, all the best MSS., versions, and fathers, read εσκυλµενοι, grieved and melancholy. Kypke says σκυλλειν properly signifies, to pluck off the hair, as persons do in extreme sorrow or distress. The margin says, They were tired and lay down. And were scattered abroad - Ερριµµενοι, thrown down, or, all along. They were utterly neglected as to the interests of their souls, and rejected by the proud and disdained Pharisees. This people (οχλος, this mob) that knoweth not the law, is accursed, Joh_7:49. Thus those execrable men spoke of the souls that God had made, and of whom they should have been the instructors. Those teachers, in name, have left their successors behind them; but, as in the days of Christ, so now, God has in his mercy rescued the flock out of the hands of those who only fed upon their flesh, and clothed themselves with their wool. The days in which a man was obliged to give his property to what was called The Church, for the salvation of his soul, Christ being left out of the question, are, thank God, nearly over and gone. Jesus is the true Shepherd; without him there is nothing but fainting, fatigue, vexation, and dispersion. O that we may be led out and in by him, and find pasture! GILL, "But when he saw the multitudes,.... As he took his circuit through the several cities, towns, and villages, he made his observations upon the large numbers that flocked to his ministry, and seemed to be desirous of spiritual instructions, in what an unhappy and melancholy situation they were; and he was moved with compassion on them: his bowels yearned for them, he was touched with a feeling of their infirmities, as the merciful high priest, the good shepherd, and faithful prophet; being heartily concerned for the souls of men, their comfort here, and everlasting happiness hereafter: because they fainted; being fatigued and tired, not in their bodies, through journeying from place to place, to hear the word, but in their minds; being burdened and wearied with the various traditions and doctrines of the Scribes and Pharisees: and were scattered abroad; thrown and tossed about, and divided through the different sects of religion among them; no due care was taken of them, to gather and keep them together, and feed them with wholesome doctrine; but were as abjects, outcasts, that no man regarded, and in great danger of the loss and ruin of their immortal souls: being
- 210. as sheep withouta shepherd; that was good for anything, or did the office and duty of a shepherd to them: the Scribes and Pharisees were shepherds indeed, such as they were, but very bad ones; like the shepherds of Israel of old, who fed themselves, and not the flock; who strengthened not the diseased, nor healed the sick, nor bound up that which was broken; nor brought again that which was driven away, nor sought that which was lost: but on the contrary, caused them to go astray from mountain to hill; whereby they forgot their resting place, in the Messiah promised them, and who was now come. HE RY, "II. A preface, or introduction, to the account in the following chapter, of his sending forth his apostles. He took notice of the multitude (Mat_9:36); not only of the crowds that followed him, but of the vast numbers of people with whom (as he passed along) he observed the country to be replenished; he noticed what nests of souls the towns and cities were, and how thick of inhabitants; what abundance of people there were in every synagogue, and what places of concourse the openings of the gates were: so very populous was that nation now grown; and it was the effect of God's blessing on Abraham. Seeing this, 1. He pities them, and was concerned for them (Mat_9:36); He was moved with compassion on them; not upon a temporal account, as he pities the blind, and lame, and sick; but upon a spiritual account; he was concerned to see them ignorant and careless, and ready to perish for lack of vision. Note, Jesus Christ is a very compassionate friend to precious souls; here his bowels do in a special manner yearn. It was pity to souls that brought him from heaven to earth, and there to the cross. Misery is the object of mercy; and the miseries of sinful, self-destroying souls, are the greatest miseries: Christ pities those most that pity themselves least; so should we. The most Christian compassion is compassion to souls; it is most Christ-like. See what moved this pity. (1.) They fainted; they were destitute, vexed, wearied. They strayed, so some; were loosed one from another; The staff of bands was broken, Zec_ 11:14. They wanted help for their souls, and had none at hand that was good for any thing. The scribes and Pharisees filled them with vain notions, burthened them with the traditions of the elders, deluded them into many mistakes, while they were not instructed in their duty, nor acquainted with the extent and spiritual nature of the divine law; therefore they fainted; for what spiritual health, and life, and vigour can there be in those souls, that are fed with husks and ashes, instead of the bread of life? Precious souls faint when duty is to be done, temptations to be resisted, afflictions to be borne, being not nourished up with the word of truth. (2.) They were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. That expression is borrowed from 1Ki_22:17, and it sets forth the sad condition of those that are destitute of faithful guides to go before them in the things of God. No creature is more apt to go astray than a sheep, and when gone astray more helpless, shiftless, and exposed, or more unapt to find the way home again: sinful souls are as lost sheep; they need the care of shepherds to bring them back. The teachers the Jews then had pretended to be shepherds, yet Christ says they had not shepherds, for they were worse than none; idle shepherds that led them away, instead of leading them back, and fleeced the flock, instead of feeding it: such shepherds as were described, Jer_ 23:1, etc. Eze_34:2, etc. Note, The case of those people is very pitiable, who either have no ministers at all, or those that are as bad as none; that seek their own things, not the things of Christ and souls. JAMISO , "Mat_9:36-38. Jesus compassionating the multitudes, asks prayer for help. He had now returned from His preaching and healing circuit, and the result, as at the
- 211. close of thefirst one, was the gathering of a vast and motley multitude around Him. After a whole night spent in prayer, He had called His more immediate disciples, and from them had solemnly chosen the twelve; then, coming down from the mountain, on which this was transacted, to the multitudes that waited for Him below, He had addressed to them - as we take it - that discourse which bears so strong a resemblance to the Sermon on the Mount that many critics take it to be the same. (See on Luk_6:12-49; and see on Mat_5:1-48, Introductory Remarks). Soon after this, it should seem, the multitudes still hanging on Him, Jesus is touched with their wretched and helpless condition, and acts as is now to be described. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted — This reading, however, has hardly any authority at all. The true reading doubtless is, “were harassed.” and were scattered abroad — rather, “lying about,” “abandoned,” or “neglected.” as sheep, having no shepherd — their pitiable condition as wearied under bodily fatigue, a vast disorganized mass, being but a faint picture of their wretchedness as the victims of pharisaic guidance; their souls uncared for, yet drawn after and hanging upon Him. This moved the Redeemer’s compassion. CALVIN, "36.He was moved with compassion towards them Hence we infer, first, how great was the indolence of the priests, who, though they were scattered over the whole country, in order to enlighten the people with heavenly doctrine, were slow-bellies, (Titus 1:12.) True, they boasted that they were superintendents of the people; and the number of those who gloried in that title was not small. Yet not one of them does Christ own to be a pastor. A similar confusion may now be observed in Popery, though it is full of persons who are called pastors: for there is a prodigious crowd of those who under the name of clergy, eat up the flock. They are dumb dogs, (Isaiah 56:10,) and yet are not ashamed to make a vehement sound about their hierarchy. But we must listen to the voice of Christ, who declares, that where there are no laborers there are no shepherds, and that those sheep are wandering and scattered which are not collected into the fold of God by the doctrine of the gospel. His being moved with compassion proves him to be the faithful servant of the Father in promoting the salvation of his people, for whose sake he had clothed himself with our flesh. Now that he has been received into heaven, he does not retain the same feelings to which he chose to be liable in this mortal life: yet he has not left off the care of his church, but looks after his wandering sheep, or rather, he gathers his flock which had been cruelly chased and torn by the wolves. COFFMAN, "This records Jesus' own reaction to the extensive tour of Galilee mentioned in the preceding verse, in which the opposition of the Pharisees had been so evident, with the consequent confusion and distress of the people. Christ viewed the situation with profound pity for the multitudes and proposed, at once, to correct it by sending out his disciples as missionaries to bear widespread testimony to the truth. The word "compassion" in this place gives an insight into the benevolent and gracious heart of Christ. It indicated a combination of love, pity, concern, and deep emotional feeling for the "lost sheep" of the house of Israel. COKE, "Matthew 9:36. Because they fainted— The original εκλελυµενοι, denotes here a kind of faintness; the weakness which is caused by hunger and weariness. See ch. Matthew 15:32. Hebrews 12:3. Thereare notwithstanding several Greek manuscripts which read, as does also the Vulgate, weary, fatigued. These multitudes came not only
- 212. from the severalparts of Galilee, but also from Judaea and Idumea, from beyond Jordan, and the borders of Tyre and Sidon. Elsner seems to have proved beyond dispute, that the original word ερριµµενοι, rendered scattered abroad, signifies properly "exposed to every invading danger," as sheep are when thrown up and abandoned by the shepherd. Dr. Heylin reads, with the margin of our bible, were tired and laid down. As the people were utterly neglected by their Scribes and Pharisees, the appointed public teachers, who ought to have instructed them, the indefatigable zeal with which our Lord now spread the knowledge of divine things, was most seasonable and acceptable. The teachers just now mentioned were blind, perverse, lazyguides, who every day discovered more and more their ignorance and wickedness. They either neglected the office of teaching altogether, or they filled the people's minds with high notions of ritual observances and traditions, to the utter disparagement of moral duties, which in a manner they trampled under foot; so that instead of serving God, theyserved their own glory, their gain, and their belly; wherefore, any appearance of religion which theyhad, was wholly feigned and hypocritical, insomuch that they rather did hurt by it, than were of real service to the interests of holiness and virtue. Besides, the common people, being distracted by the disagreeing factions of the Pharisees and Sadducees, knew not what to choose or refuse; their case therefore called loudly for the compassion of Jesus, which indeed was never wanting to them at any time; for he always cherished the tenderest affections towards his countrymen: but it flowed particularly on this occasion, when he considered that they were in great distress for want of spiritual food. See the next chapter, Matthew 9:6. Elsner, Wolfius, and Macknight. It may be proper just to observe, that the 10th chapter should begin at the 35th verse; for the connection is absolutely and entirely broken by the present division. BROADUS, "Matthew 9:36. But when he saw the multitudes—crowds—as in Matthew 5:1. As there his compassion led to a long address on the Mount, so here it leads him to send out the Twelve, that they might aid in the so much needed work of teaching and healing. Similarly after the return of the Twelve. (Mark 6:34) In the present case, as in Matthew 5:1, we understand that what follows took place at some unassigned time in the course of the circuit just described. Because they fainted, best text, were distressed, or 'harassed,' 'worried,' rendered 'trouble' in Mark 5:35, Luke 8:49. The evidence for this Greek word rather than 'fainted' (com. Greek text) is ample. Scattered, literally, 'thrown,' 'hurled,' might mean prostrate (so Davidson), lying down, as being worn out and unable to go forward, or might mean cast off, neglected; the general conception remains the same, that of a flock worried and suffering for lack of a shepherd's care. In the East, where sheep wander freely in wild, unenclosed regions, so as to require constant attention, this image is very striking. Meyer supposes that our Lord saw the people to be worn out with following him in long journeys, and that this suggested to him the image of a flock tired down; but the supposition seems quite improbable. (Weiss). The people were greatly in need of spiritual instruction and guidance, for those who professed to be their shepherds were not faithful and safe guides. (See the same expression in Numbers 27:17, and compare 1 Kings 22:17; Jeremiah 50:6; Ezekiel 34:5; Zechariah 10:2) BARCLAY, "THE DIVINE COMPASSION (Matthew 9:36) 9:36 When he saw the crowds, he was moved with compassion to the depths of his being, for they were bewildered and dejected, like sheep who have no shepherd. When Jesus saw the crowd of ordinary men and women, he was moved with compassion. The word which is used for moved with compassion (splangchnistheis, Greek #4697) is the strongest word for pity in the Greek language. It is formed from the word splangchna (Greek #4698), which means the bowels, and it describes the
- 213. compassion which movesa man to the deepest depths of his being. In the gospels, apart from its use in some of the parables, it is used only of Jesus (Matthew 9:36; Matthew 14:14; Matthew 15:32; Matthew 20:34; Mark 1:41; Luke 7:13). When we study these passages, we are able to see the things which moved Jesus most of all. (i) He was moved to compassion by the world's pain. He was moved with compassion for the sick (Matthew 14:14); for the blind (Matthew 20:34); for those in the grip of the demons (Mark 9:22). In all our afflictions he is afflicted. He could not see a sufferer but he longed to ease the pain. (ii) He was moved to compassion by the world's sorrow. The sight of the widow at Nain, following the body of her son out to burial, moved his heart (Luke 7:13). He was filled with a great desire to wipe the tear from every eye. (iii) He was moved to compassion by the world's hunger. The sight of the tired and hungry crowds was a call upon his power (Matthew 15:32). No Christian can be content to have too much while others have too little. (iv) He was moved to compassion by the world's loneliness. The sight of a leper, banished from the society of his fellow-men, living a life which was a living death of loneliness and universal abandonment, called forth his pity and his power (Mark 1:41). (v) He was moved to compassion by the world's bewilderment. That is what moved Jesus on this occasion. The common people were desperately longing for God; and the Scribes and the Pharisees, the priests and the Sadducees, the pillars of orthodox religion of his day, had nothing to offer them. The orthodox teachers had neither guidance, nor comfort, nor strength to give. Milton, in Lycidas, describes almost savagely the religious leaders who have nothing to offer: "Blind mouths! that scarce themselves know how to hold A sheep-hook, or have learnt aught else the least That to the faithful herdsman's art belongs! ... Their lean and flashy songs Grate on their scrannel pipes of wretched straw,
- 214. The hungry sheeptook up and are not fed." The words that are used to describe the state of the common people are vivid words. The word that we have translated bewildered is skulmenoi (Greek #4660; compare Greek # 4661). It can describe a corpse which is rayed and mangled; someone who is plundered by rapacious men, or vexed by those without pity, or treated with wanton insolence; someone who is utterly wearied by a journey which seems to know no end. The word that we have translated dejected is errimenoi. It means laid prostrate. It can describe a man prostrated with drink, or a man laid low with mortal wounds. The Jewish leaders, who should have been giving men strength to live, were bewildering men with subtle arguments about the Law, which had no help and comfort in them. When they should have been helping men to stand upright, they were bowing them down under the intolerable weight of the Scribal Law. They were offering men a religion which was a handicap instead of a support. We must always remember that Christianity exists, not to discourage, but to encourage; not to weigh men down with burdens, but to lift them up with wings. SBC, "I. Our Lord here teaches us how to think of, or to look at, men. (1) Notice how here, as always to Jesus Christ, the outward was nothing, except as a symbol and manifestation of the inward, how the thing that He saw in a man was not the external accidents of circumstances or position; but His true, clear gaze, and His loving, wise heart, went straight to the essence of the thing, and dealt with the man, not according to what he might happen to be in the categories of earth, but to what he was in the categories of heaven. Christian men and women, do you try to do the same thing? (2) Think of the condition of humanity apart from Christ—shepherdless. Unless Jesus Christ be both Guide and Teacher, we have neither guide nor teacher—shepherdless without Him. Do you ever think of the depth of pathetic, tragic meaning that there is in that verse in one of the Psalms, "Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death"? There they sit, because there is no hope in rising and moving. They would have to grope if they arose, and so with folded hands they sit, like the Buddha, which one great section of heathenism has taken as being the true emblem and ideal of the noblest life. Absolute passivity lays hold upon them all—torpor, stagnation, no dream of advance or progress; the sheep are dejected, despairing, anarchic, shepherdless, away from the Christ. God give us grace to see the condition of humanity and our own apart from Him. II. Christ teaches us not only how to think of men, but how that sight should touch us. "He was moved with compassion on them when He saw the multitudes"—with the eye of a God, and the heart of a man. Pity, not aversion; pity, not anger; pity, not curiosity; pity, not indifference. Compassion, and not curiosity, is an especial lesson for the day to the more thoughtful and cultured among our congregations. III. The text teaches how Christ would have us act after such emotion be built and based on such a vision. I will name three things—(1) personal work; (2) prayer; (3) help. A. Maclaren, Christian World Pulpit, vol. ix., p. 305.
- 215. I. Christ’s habituallook at men had regard to them as suffering. No other aspect of life seems to have struck Him with equal force, or to have so claimed His thought, that He did not feel its sorrow. The foundation of His work is ethical, but the tone is drawn from His sensibilities rather than from His judicial sentiments; to get rid of the sorrow is the end. II. The question arises, Is this a true or a false, a healthy or a morbid, view of human life? The question cannot be answered by determining whether there is more happiness or suffering. Suffering is real, and a sympathizing mind will pause upon it rather than look through to the underlying joy, and especially a great pitying nature like Christ’s will pause upon it and see little else. It is not a matter of more or less, but of appealing anguish. Christ was a Man of sorrows, but not His own sorrow; a Man of griefs, but griefs that were His own only as He took them from others into His own heart. III. It is not a long step from the Christ’s pity to that it evokes in those who believe in Him. There is something beyond a sense of justice and fair dealing, something beyond even goodwill and love. The highest relation of man to man is that of compassion. Hardly separable from love in words, it may be in conception; it is love at its best, love quick, love in its highest gradation; it is the brooding, the yearning feeling, the love that protects while it enfolds. Our sorrows are not our own, to be secretly wept over or soon dispelled. It should be the first question with any one who suffers, as it is nearly always the first impulse, To what service of ministering pity am I called? For the ultimate purpose of God in humanity is to bring it together. The main human instrument is that we are considering; it is the finest and most dominant force lodged in our common nature; it brings men up to the point from which they launch into the universe and live. T. T. Munger, The Freedom of Faith, p. 131. Matthew 9:36-38 Jesus Seeing the People. Note:— I. What Jesus saw. He saw the multitudes. The range of His vision could not be limited, nor His ministry confined, to the immediate requirement of the more palpable of life’s sufferings. He saw the multitude scattered abroad, and as sheep without a shepherd. He commiserates their condition instead of condemning them, and sees that the people had been sinned against quite as much as they had sinned. The people were scattered and distressed. Sin is sure to scatter; untruth always disunites. Man was far from man as Christ saw him; he did not know himself, and because he did not know himself he could not know his fellow, and could never know much of either until he had known God as the Father of both. II. What Christ felt. "He was moved with compassion on them." The farther we are from sin the more we can be to the sinful. When we are sinful ourselves we avenge, as we have ability, the sins committed against us by others. The day is afar off, but it is coming, when society will seek to save, and will save itself by saving, and not by condemning. Jesus was tempted like as we are, and yet was without sin; and being without sin He is able to succour them that are tempted. He could pity and help because there was no sin in Him.
- 216. III. What Hesaid. When Jesus spake He changed His figure, ceased to be the shepherd, and became the husbandman. To Him the world was as a harvest-field, ready to be gathered. Christ calls us all to the harvest. There is work for us all on the field, for His field is the world. If you cannot do you can prepare to do by cultivating definiteness of purpose and consecration of heart. The labourers who labour must not be discouraged because the labourers are few; the Master knows how few you are and how great is the field. J. O. Davies, Sunrise on the Soul, p. 119. MACLAREN, "A CHRISTLIKE JUDGMENT OF MEN In the course of our Lord’s wandering life of teaching and healing, there had naturally gathered around Him a large number of persons who followed Him from place to place, and we have here cast into a symbol the impression produced upon Him by their outward condition. That is to say, He sees them lying there weary, and footsore, and travel-stained. They have flung themselves down by the wayside. There is no leader or guide, no Joshua or director to order their march; they are a worn-out, tired, unregulated mob, and the sight smites upon His eye, and it smites upon His heart. He says to Himself, if I may venture to put words into His lips, ‘There are a worse weariness, and a worse wandering, and a worse anarchy, and a worse disorder afflicting men than that poor mob of tired pedestrians shows.’ Matthew, who was always fond of showing the links and connections between the Old Testament and the New, casts our Lord’s impression of what He then saw into language borrowed from the prophecy of Ezekiel (Eze_34:12), which tells of a flock that is scattered in a dark and cloudy day, that is broken, and torn, and driven away. I venture to see in the text three points: (1) Christ teaching us how to look at men; (2) Christ teaching us how to feel at such a sight; and (3) Christ teaching us what to do with the feeling. ‘When He saw the multitude, He was moved with compassion, because they fainted and were scattered abroad.’ ‘Then He said unto His disciples, the harvest is plenteous, the labourers are few, pray ye the Lord of the harvest to send forth labourers unto the harvest.’ And then there follows, ‘And when He had called unto Him His twelve disciples, He gave them power against unclean spirits to cast them out.’ There are, then, these three points;-just a word or two about each of them. I. Here we have our Lord teaching us how to look at men. The picture of my text is, of course, in its broad outlines, very clear and intelligible, but there may be a little difficulty as to the precise force of the language. The obscurity of it is in some degree reflected in the margin of our Bibles; so, perhaps, you will permit one word of an expository nature. The description of the flock, ‘Because they fainted and were scattered abroad,’ is couched in the original in a couple of words, one of which means properly ‘torn’ or ‘fainting,’ according as one or other of two readings of the text is adopted, and the other means ‘lying down.’ Now, the former of these gives a very pathetic picture if we apply it to the individuals that made up the flock. We have then the image of the poor sheep that has lost its way, struggling through briars and thorns, getting out of them with its fleece all torn and hanging in strips dangling at its heels, or of it as lacerated by the beasts of the field to whom it is a prey. If we take the metaphor, as seems more probably to be intended, as applying not so much to the individuals as to the flock, then it comes to mean ‘torn asunder,’ ‘thrown apart,’ and gives us the notion of anarchic confusion into which the flock comes if there be no shepherd to lead it. Then the other word, which our Bible translates ‘were scattered abroad,’ seems to mean more
- 217. properly ‘lying down,’and it gives the idea of the poor, wearied creature, after all its struggles and wanderings, utterly beaten and dejected, having lost its way, at its wits’ end and resourceless, flinging itself down there in despair, and panting its timid life out anywhere where it finds itself. So it comes to be a picture of the utter weariness and hopelessness of all men’s efforts apart from that Guide and Shepherd, who alone can lead them in the way. And then both of these miserable states, the laceration if you take the one explanation, the disintegration and casting apart if you take the other, the weariness and exhaustion, are traced to their source, they are ‘as sheep having no shepherd.’ He has gone, and so all this comes. With this explanation we may take the points of view that are thus suggested simply as they lie before us. First of all, notice how here, as always to Jesus Christ, the outward was nothing, except as a symbol and manifestation of the inward; how the thing that He saw in a man was not the external accidents of circumstance or position, for His true, clear gaze and His loving, wise heart went straight to the essence of the matter, and dealt with the man not according to what he might happen to be in the categories of earth, but to what he was in the categories of heaven. All the same to Him whether it was some poor harlot, or a rabbi; all the same to Him whether it was Pilate on the judgment-seat, or the penitent thief hanging at His side. These gauds and shows were nothing; sheer away He cut them all, and went down to the hidden heart of the man, and He allocated and ranged them according to that. Christian men and women, do you try to do the same thing, and to get rid of all these superficial veils and curtains with which we drape ourselves and attitudinise in the world, and to see men as Christ saw them, both in regard to your judgment of them, and in regard to your judgment of yourselves? ‘I am a scholar and a wise man; a great thinker; a rich merchant; a man of rising importance and influence.’ Very well; what does that matter? ‘I am ignorant or a pauper’; be it so. Let us get below all that. The one question worth asking and worth answering is, ‘How am I affected towards Him?’ There are many temporary and local principles of arrangement and order among men; but they will all vanish some day, and there will be one regulating and arranging principle, and it is this: ‘Do I love God in Jesus Christ, or do I not?’ Oh! for myself, for yourself, and for all our outlook towards others, let us not forget that the inmost, deepest, hidden man of the heart is the man, and that all else is naught, and that its whole character is absolutely determined by its relation to Jesus Christ. But this is somewhat aside from my main purpose, which is rather briefly to expand the various phases which, as I have already suggested, are included in such an emblem. The first of them is this: Try to think for yourselves of the condition of humanity as apart from Christ-shepherdless. That old metaphor of a shepherd which comes out of the Old Testament is there sometimes used to indicate a prophet, and sometimes to indicate a king. I suppose we may put both of these uses together, as far as our present purposes are concerned; and this is what I want to insist upon. I dare say some people here will think it is very old-fashioned, very narrow in these broad and liberal days; but what I would say is this, that unless Jesus Christ is both Guide and Teacher, we have neither guide nor teacher but are shepherdless without Him. There are plenty of rulers. There was no lack of other authority in the days of His flesh. There were crowds of rabbis, guides, and directors. The life of the nation was throttled by the authorities that had planted themselves upon its back, and yet Christ saw that there were none of those who were fit for the work, or afforded the adequate guidance. And so it is, now and always. There have been hosts of men who have sought to impose their authority upon an era. Where is there one that has swayed passion, that has ruled hearts, that has impressed his own image on the will, that has made obedience an honour, and absolute, abject devotion to his command a very patent of nobility? Here, and nowhere beside. Besides
- 218. that Christ thereis no ruler amongst men who can come to them and say to his servant, ‘Go,’ and he goeth, and to this man, ‘Do this,’ and he doeth it. Obedience to any besides is treason against the dignity of our own nature; disobedience to Him is both treason against our nature and blasphemy against God. ‘Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ, Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.’ There is the deepest reason for His rule. And as for ‘teacher,’ whom are we to put up beside Him? Is it to be these dim figures of religious reformers that are gliding, ghostlike, to their doom, being wrapped round and round about by ever thicker and thicker folds of the inevitable oblivion that swallows all that is human? Brethren, by common consent it is Christ or nobody. Aaron dies upon Hor; Moses dies upon Pisgah; the teachers, the leaders, the guides, the under-shepherds, pass away one by one; and if this Christ be but a Man and a Teacher, He too will pass away. Shall I be thought very blind to the signs of the times if I say that I see no sign of His dominion being exhausted, of His influence being diminished, of His guidance being capable of being dispensed with? You may say, ‘Oh, we do not want any teacher or guide; we do not want a shepherd.’ I am not going to enter upon that question now at all, except just to say this, that the instincts of humanity rise up in contradiction, as it seems to me, of that cold and cheerless creed, and that we have this fact staring us in the face, that men are made capable of a devotion and submission the most passionate, the most absolute, the most mighty force in their lives, to human guides and ensamples, and that it is all wasted unless there be somewhere a Man, our Brother, who shall come to us and say, ‘All that ever went before Me are thieves and robbers; I am the Good Shepherd; follow Me, and ye shall not walk in darkness,’ ‘He saw the multitudes as sheep having no shepherd.’ Still further, take that other phase of the metaphor which, as I suggested, the text includes, namely, the idea of disintegration, the rending apart of social ties and union, unless there be the centre of unity in the shepherd of the flock. ‘I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered,’ says the old prophecy. Of course, for what is there to hold them together unless it be their guide and their director? So we are brought face to face with this plain prosaic rendering of the metaphor-that but for the centre of unity provided for mankind in the person and work of Jesus Christ, there is no satisfaction of the deep hunger for unity and society with which in that case God would have cursed mankind. For whilst there are many other bonds most true, most blessed, God-given, and mighty, such as that of the sacred unity of the family, and that of the nation and many others of which we need not speak, yet all these are constantly being disintegrated by the unresting waves of that gnawing sea of selfishness, if I may so say, which, like the waters upon our eastern coasts, eats and eats for ever at the base of the cliffs, so that society in all its forms, whether it be built upon identity of opinion, which is perhaps the shabbiest bond of all, or whether it be built upon purposes of mutual action, which is a great deal better, or whether it be built upon hatred of other people, which is the modern form of patriotism, or whether it be built upon the domestic affections, which are the purest and highest of all-all the other bonds of society, such as creeds, schools, nations, associations, leagues, families, denominations, all go sooner or later. The base is eaten out of them, because every man that belongs to them has in him that tyrannous, dominant self, which is ever seeking to assert its own supremacy. Here is Babel, with its half-finished tower, built on slime; and there is Pentecost, with its great Spirit; here is the confusion, there is the unifying; here the disintegration, there the power that draws them all together. ‘They were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd,’ and one looks out over the world and sees great tracts of country and long dismal generations of time, in which the very thought of unity and charity and human bonds knitting men together has faded from the consciousness of the race, and then one turns to blessed,
- 219. sweet, simple wordsthat say, ‘there shall be one flock and one shepherd,’ and ‘I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me.’ Drawing thus, He will draw them into the eternal, mighty bond of union that shall never be broken, and is all the more precious and all the more true because it is not a unity like the vulgar unities that express themselves in external associations. You know, of course or if you do not know it will be a good thing that you should know, that that verse in John’s Gospel which I have quoted has been terribly mangled by a little slip of our translators. Christ said, ‘Other sheep I must bring which are not of this fold,’ the fold being the external unity of the Jewish church-an enclosure made of hurdles that you can stick in the ground. ‘I shall bring them,’ says He, ‘and there shall be one’-(not, as our Bible says, ‘fold,’-but something far better)-’there shall be one flock’; which becomes a unity not by wattling round about it on the outside, but by a shepherd standing in the middle. ‘There shall be one flock and one shepherd’-a unity which is neither the destruction of the variety of the churches, nor the crushing of men, nationalities, and types of character all down into one dead level beneath the heel of a conqueror, but the unity which subsists in the many operations of the one Spirit, and is expressed by all the forms of the one inspired grace. Then passing by altogether the other idea which I said was only doubtfully suggested by the words-namely, that of laceration and wounding-let me say a word about the last of the aspects of humanity when Christless, which is set forth in this text, and that is, the dejected weariness arising from the fruitless wanderings wherewith men are cursed. As a verse in the Book of Proverbs puts it, ‘The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because they know not how to go to the city.’ Putting aside the metaphor, the plain truth which it embodies is just this, that there is in all men’s souls a deep longing after peace and rest, after goodness and beauty and truth, and that all the strenuous efforts to satisfy these longings, either by social reforms or by individual culture and discipline, are pathetically vain and profitless, because there is none to guide them. The sheep go wandering in any direction, and with no goal; and wherever one has jumped, a dozen others will go after him, and so they are wearied out long before the day’s journey is ended, and they never reach the goal. Put that into less vivid, and, therefore, as people generally suppose, more accurate, language, and it is a statement of the universal law of human history that, after any epoch of great aspirations and strong excitement of the noblest parts of human nature, there has always come a reaction of corruption and a collapse from weariness. What did ‘Liberty, Equality, Fraternity’ end in? A guillotine. What do all similar epochs end in, when they do not take the Christ to march ahead of them? An utter disgust and disillusion, and a despair of all progress. That is why wild revolutionists in their youth are always obstinate Conservatives in their old age. The wandering sheep are footsore, and they fling themselves down by the wayside. That is why heathenism presents to us the aspect that it does. There is nothing about it that seems to me more tragical than the weary languor that besets it. Do you ever think of the depth of pathetic, tragic meaning that there is in that verse in one of the Psalms, ‘Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death’? There they sit, because there is no hope in rising and moving. They would have to grope if they arose, and so with folded hands they sit like the Buddha, which one great section of heathenism has taken as being the true emblem and ideal of the noblest life. Absolute passivity lays hold upon them all-torpor, stagnation, no dream of advance or progress. The sheep are dejected, despairing, anarchic, disintegrated, lacerated, guideless, and shepherdless-away from Christ. So He thought them. God give you and me grace, dear brethren, to see, as Christ saw, the condition of humanity and our own apart from Him. II. And now let me say a word in the next place as to the second movement of His mind and heart here. He teaches us not only how to think of men, but
- 220. how that sightshould touch us. ‘He was moved with compassion on them when He saw the multitude’-with the eye of a god, I was going to say, and the heart of a man. Pity belongs to the idea of divinity; compassion belongs to the idea of divinity incarnate; and the motion that passed across His heart is the motion that I would seek may pass, with its sweet and healing breath, across yours and mine. The right emotion for a Christian looking on the Christless crowds is pity, not aversion; pity, not anger; pity, not curiosity; pity, not indifference. How many of us walk the streets of the towns in which our lot is cast, and never know one touch of that emotion, when we look at these people here in England torn, and anarchic, and wearied, and shepherdless, within sound of our psalm-singing in our chapels? Why, on any Sunday there are thousands of men and women standing about the streets who, we may be sure, have not seen the inside of a church or a chapel since they were married, and that not one in five hundred of all the good people that are going with their prayer-books and hymn-books to church and chapel ever think anything about them as they pass them by; and some of them, perhaps, if they come to any especially disreputable one, will gather up their skirts and keep on the safe side of the pavement, and there an end of it. But Jesus Christ had no aversions. His white purity was a great deal nearer to the blackness of the woman that was a sinner, than was the leprous whiteness of the whited sepulchre of the self-righteous Pharisee. He had neither aversion, nor anger, nor indifference. And, if I might venture to touch upon another matter, compassion and not curiosity is an especial lesson for the day to the more thoughtful and cultivated amongst our congregations. I have just said that the appropriate Christian feeling in contemplating the state of the sheep without the Shepherd is compassion, not curiosity. That reminder is particularly needful in view of the prominence to-day of investigations into the new science of Comparative Religion. I speak with most unfeigned respect of it and of its teachers, and gratefully hail the wonderful light that it is casting upon ideas underlying the strange and often savage and obscene rites of heathenism; but it has a side of danger in it against which I would warn you all, especially young, reading men and women. The time has not yet come when we can afford to let such investigations be our principal occupation in the face of heathenism. If idolatry was dead we could afford to do that, but it is alive-the more’s the pity; and it is not only a curious instance of the workings of man’s intelligence, and a great apocalypse of earlier stages of society, but, besides that, it is a lie that is deceiving and damning our brethren, and we have got to kill it first and dissect it afterwards. So I say, do not only think of heathenism in its various forms as a subject for speculation and analysis; as much as you like of that, only do not let it drive out the other thing, and after you have tried to understand it, then come back to my text, ‘He was moved with compassion.’ And so pity, and neither anger, nor aversion, nor curiosity, nor indifference is what I urge as the Christian emotion. III. Let us take this text as teaching us how Christ would have us act, after such emotion built and based upon such a look. It is perfectly legitimate, although it is by no means the highest motive, to appeal to feeling as a stimulus to action. We have a right to base our urging of Christian men and women to missionary work either at home or abroad, upon the ground of the condition of the men to whom the Gospel has to be carried. I know that if taken alone it is a very inadequate motive. I believe that any failure that may be manifest in the interest of Christian people in missionary work is largely traceable to the blunder we have made in dwelling on superficial motives more than we ought to have done, in proportion to the degree in which we have dwelt on the deepest. We have been gathering the surface-water
- 221. instead of goingright down to the green sand, to which the artesian well must be sunk if the stream is to come up without pumping or wasting. So I say that a deeper reason than the sorrow and darkness of the heathen is-’the love of Christ constraineth me’; but yet the first is a legitimate one. Only remember this, that Bishop Butler taught us long ago, that if you excite emotions which are intended to lead to action, and the action does not follow, the excitation of the emotion without its appropriate action makes the heart a great deal harder than it was before. That is why it is playing with edged tools to speak so much to our Christian audiences, as we sometimes hear done, about the condition of the heathen as a stimulus to missionary work. If a man does not respond and do something, some crust of callousness and coldness comes over his own heart. You cannot indulge in the luxury of emotion which you do not use to drive your spindles, without doing yourselves harm. It is never intended to be blown off as waste steam and allowed to vanish into the air. It is meant to be conserved and guided, and to have something done with it. Therefore beware of sentimental contemplation of the sad condition of the shepherdless sheep which does not move you to do anything to help them. One word more. Take my text as a guide to the form of action into which we are to cast the emotions that should spring from this gaze upon the world. I will only name three points. Christ opened His mouth and spake to them, and taught them many things; Christ said to His disciples, ‘Pray ye the Lord of the harvest’; and Christ sent out His apostles to preach the Kingdom. These three things in their bearing upon us are- personal work, prayer, help to send forth Christ’s messengers. There is nothing like personal work for making a man understand and feel the miseries of his fellows. Christian men and women, it is your first business everywhere to proclaim the name of Jesus Christ, and no prayers and no subscriptions absolve you from that. In this army a man cannot buy himself off and send in a substitute at the cost of an annual guinea. If Christ sent the apostles, do you hold up the hands of the apostles’ successors, and so by God’s grace you and I may help on the coming of that blessed day when there shall be one flock and one Shepherd, and when ‘the Lamb that is in the midst of the throne’-for the Shepherd is Himself a lamb-’shall feed them and lead them, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.’ BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR, "But when He saw the multitudes. Christ’s look of sympathy I. What he saw. 1. Not reasons for admiration. 2. Not grounds for discouragement. 3. But a call for pity. II. The condition of the people. 1. Faint. 2. Scattered. 3. Shepherdless. III. His compassion enlisted for their succour. 1. The grace of the Father.
- 222. 2. His ownprevailing intercession. 3. The gifts of the Spirit. 4. The service of His messengers. (H. A. Cornell.) Compassion for souls I. The sight which presented itself to our Lord. Christ was moved with the sight of physical suffering; here it was spiritual disease. 1. The number of the sheep. 2. The condition of the sheep. 3. The reason of their condition-their having no shepherd. II. The effect which this sight had upon our Lord. The fact that our Lord felt compassion when He saw the fearful sight. Unless there is a feeling of compassion there will be no spiritual effort. (E. Bayley, M. A.) Partied views of humanity There are men who take partial views and come to partial and, therefore, erroneous conclusions about everything. There are those who seat themselves within some vernal enclosure or summer paradise, and say, with a foolish chuckle, that the earth is not so bad a place after all. They see a bed of blooming flowers, fiery-hued or gentle-tinted, and they hear birds in the branches twittering, trilling, singing, and making melody in their hearts, and they say the earth is a very lovely place, notwithstanding all the croakers say to the contrary. Now observe how they confound the partial term with the larger word. They see a garden and then speak of the earth, they see a bed of geraniums and then speak of the globe; there is no balance in their sentences, their words do not correspond with one another at both ends of their declarations. The garden is beautiful, the flowers are lovely beyond all that it is possible for the colouring of human heart fully to represent. The painter paints the form, but he cannot touch the fragrance. We admire their poetical sympathy within given limits, but go beyond the garden wall, go into the rough streets, go into the desolate places, take in the wilderness, throw the line around the entirety, bring the whole elements within your purview, and then say what it is. The angel sees it, and says, “Mourning and lamentation and woe.” Jesus sees it, and cannot cease His prayer; Jesus looks upon it, and is moved with compassion. (Dr. Parker.) A Christ-like judgment of men I. Christ teaching us how to look at men. II. Christ teaching us how to peel at such a sight. III. Christ teaching us what to do with the emotion. 1. Personal work. 2. Prayer. 3. Help. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)
- 223. A portrait ofJesus His compassion manifested in- I. The great transactions of His life. II. The foresights of compassion. 1. The Bible for our guidance. 2. The minister to speak to man. 3. The Holy Spirit to comfort. 4. The mercy-seat as our resort. 5. The promises as our food. 6. The ordinances. III. Our personal recollections prove this compassion. 1. He tempered our convictions with intervals of hope. 2. He has moderated our afflictions. 3. He has put us to graduated tasks. (C. H. Spurgeon.) Emotion leading to action You cannot indulge in the luxury of feeling (if you will excuse a Lancashire metaphor), that you do not use to drive your spindles, without doing yourselves harm; it is never intended to be blown off as waste steam and allowed to vanish into the air. It is meant to be conserved and guided, and to have something done with it. Therefore, do not get into the habit of indulging in that sentimental contemplation of the missionaries and heathenism. (C. H. Spurgeon.) Compassion sustains service Nothing but compassion will carry you through any tragedy in life; you cannot go through it merely for its own sake. The hireling will fall asleep over the sick child, but the mother will drive sleep away from her dwelling-place till she has rescued her little one from the power of the enemy, if it be within the scope of her endurance and skill to win so great a triumph. Her compassion keeps her awake, her love makes the night as the day, her pity stops the clock, so that she takes no note of time. Every other emotion grows dumb; wonder must sometimes close its eyes, admiration palls upon itself, sates its appetite and dies of the satiety, but compassion grows by what it feeds on, and is of the very nature of the love of God. He grows in the development of his compassion; he will-succeed yet. (J. Parker, D. D.) NISBET, "SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD ‘When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they
- 224. fainted, and werescattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.’ Matthew 9:36 The bearing of the Lord’s compassion and command here upon heathendom is divinely weighty. But its directest incidence lies another way. Its first message is for Christendom. I. A religious country.—Our Lord, when He thus spoke out His great compassion, stood in the midst of a religious country. It was a land where the synagogue was everywhere. II. Externals of religion.—To the Lord assuredly the mechanism and externals of religion were momentous things. He was Himself, in His sinless human humiliation, wonderful as the thought always is, a worshipper in the order of the Church of Israel. He opened His Messianic ministry in a synagogue. He was jealous for the sanctity of even the outermost precincts of the Temple. Church, Sacrament, Ministry—these are things as holy, as reverend, as precious in their essentials, as the direct institution of the Lord can make them. But all this must never becloud the Christian’s recollection of his Lord’s opinion of mechanism, even where it is Divine, without the Divine breath. III. Religionism without God.—In our Master’s view, nothing was so deplorable, so repellent, so formidable, as religionism without the living God. He has nothing but a sacred disgust for the spirit which puts sacrifice before mercy, the traditional detail before the Word of God, the ecclesiastical subterfuge from affection and duty before the plain Divine command, the prerogatives of even a divinely-originated institution before equity and self-forgetting love. To Him, the shepherd void of living love is so little a shepherd that the flock, for all he is to them, is in a profound sense derelict. IV. The message for to-day.—What is the message of all this to ourselves, in our dear Church to-day? God forbid that I should even seem to forget the noble evidences among us in a thousand quarters of the workings, in and through our Anglican ministry, of the Holy Spirit in His living power. But none the less—yea, all the more—it must lie upon the very heart of all of us to see to it that all this leaves us solemnly on the watch against religionism without the living God. For His power and presence in the wills and lives of His ministers, and in the wills and lives of the flock, there is no substitute, there is no second best. It will be still a shepherdless wilderness and a deserted harvest field without the life of Christ beating in our hearts, speaking in our witness, shining in our lives, and so winning living souls to the living God. Bishop H. C. G. Moule. (SECOND OUTLINE) SERVICE—PRAYER—METHOD The Ministry of the Church must correspond to that of her Lord. Difficulties not greater now than then. See how He dealt with them. Take only one problem which is vexing the Church to-day—the spiritual destitution of the masses. It was a problem in our Lord’s day: how did He deal with it? He was moved with compassion, and His compassion
- 225. crystallised into action.He went amongst them Himself; He bade His disciples pray for more labourers; He sent out the Twelve. These methods should be ours to-day. I. Personal service (St. Matthew 9:35).—This the great need of the Church. We give our money; we need to give ourselves. Never will the masses be won until every Christian is a worker. II. United prayer.—He stirred up His disciples to pray. When the Church prays for men, men will be sent. III. Method (St. Matthew 10:1-5).—He sent forth the Twelve. In this development of our Lord’s ministry there are four great principles which should guide the Church in all time. (a) Selection. The Twelve were chosen and trained before being sent forth. (b) Association. ‘Two and two’ (St. Mark 6:7). We must mass our workers, not isolate them. (c) Self-sacrifice (St. Matthew 10:9-10). This is a strong instinct in the Christian heart, and we err because we do not use it. Work amongst the masses needs men who will forgo the pleasures of life. (d) Philanthropy. The Twelve were to ‘heal the sick’ as well as preach the kingdom. Gifts of healing withdrawn, but the principle of caring for men’s bodies as well as souls remains. Bishop F. J. Chavasse. SIMEON, "OUR DUTY TO THE BENIGHTED WORLD Matthew 9:36-38. when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scatteredm abroad, as sheep having no shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. IT is an honour to the present age, that religion has assumed her true character of diffusive benevolence. There is much going forward in the circulation of the Scriptures in the different languages of the world, and in the sending out of missions to every quarter of the globe. But, when I say that there is much going forward, I speak only comparatively with what has been done for ages past: for, in truth, all that is done at
- 226. present is littlemore than a drop in the ocean. It is a comfort, however, to know, that the proper office of religion is better understood; and that piety, which, till lately, has been circumscribed within the narrow limits of a man’s own family, now comprehends in its efforts the whole family of mankind. This was the religion which our Lord inculcated on his first disciples, and which, from the words before us, I will take occasion to recommend to you. Let us then consider, I. The state of the world at large— Doubtless our Lord spake primarily of the Jews, whose condition, in respect of piety, was truly deplorable. The authorized teachers were altogether intent on their own temporal minterests, whilst they forgot entirely the spiritual and eternal interests of the people: so that the people were really as sheep without a shepherd. Happy would it be if there were not but too much occasion for similar complaints in the present day; and that not only amongst other churches, but our own. However, it is of heathens rather that I propose at this time to speak. They, as my text intimates, are in a state, 1. Of destitution— [The people “fainted” through their want of that nourishment which their priests ought to have administered. And amongst the heathen world there are multitudes who feel their need of mercy, but know not how to attain it. Nothing can be more clear, than that the most uncivilized savages have an idea of some Superior Being, whom they conceive themselves to have offended, and whom they wish to propitiate. For this end, they have recourse to penances, and pilgrimages, and self- inflicted tortures. It is quite afflictive to read of the rites prescribed by the priests of different religions for the obtaining of favour with their deities. They seem to have exhausted their ingenuity in searching out modes the most painful, the most odious, the most absurd. And what is the effect? The people, after all their self-denying efforts, faint as much as ever, under a sense of the fruitlessness of their endeavours, and with fearful anticipations of their future doom. Like Hagar, when her little stock of water was consumed, they see no prospect before them, but to lie down and die. No angel have they at hand to point out the fountain; which, though hidden, is close at hand. And this is the state of many hundreds of millions of our unhappy fellow-creatures, even of the whole heathen world. Would to God it were not also the state of millions amongst ourselves!] 2. Of danger— [Sheep, without a shepherd are exposed to dogs and wolves, who may tear them to pieces at their will: and, in like manner, are the heathen world exposed to the assaults of that roaring lion, who is never satiated with his prey; even with Satan, who prowls throughout the world, seeking whom he may devour. By temptations too on every side,
- 227. as well asby their own in-dwelling lusts, are they assailed; so that there is indeed no hope of escape for them: for no shepherd have they, to warn them of their danger, or to point out to them a place of refuge. A Deliverer, indeed, is at hand with them, if they did but know where to find him, and how to make their application to him. But they have no man to care for their souls, or to give them the information which they stand in need of. Hence “they perish for lack of knowledge:” not indeed like sheep, by a mere bodily destruction, but under a load of guilt, that sinks them into everlasting perdition; even into “that lake of fire and brimstone,” where they shall “lie down in everlasting burnings.”] And can we doubt what is, II. Our duty towards them? Our blessed Lord has taught it us: has taught it, 1. By his own example— [He “had compassion on the multitudes.” And whence is it that we are so unfeeling towards them? Is it that the heathen are in so much better state than the Jews who attended the ministry of our Lord? Were they who had God in the midst of them by his word and ordinances, such objects of compassion; and are not they who are altogether “without God in the world?” I say then, again, Whence is it that we perhaps, in the course of our whole lives, have never spent one hour in mourning over their unhappy condition, or in praying to God for them? Had the smallest interest of our own been in jeopardy, we should have thought of it, and devised means to avert the impending calamity. But for their souls we have felt no anxiety; nor have we put forth any exertions for their welfare. Truly, we have lain in more than brutish apathy, when we ought to have wept over them, as our Lord over Jerusalem: and to have had great heaviness and continual sorrow in our hearts, as Paul had for his Jewish brethren.] 2. By a particular command— [“Pray ye,” says he, “to the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.” And who is “the Lord of the harvest,” but Jehovah? for “all souls are his.” And who but He can “thrust forth labourers into his harvest [Note: ἐκβάλἐ.]?” For ministration at home, where ease, and honour, and emolument, are found, multitudes are ready to obtrude themselves, and to solicit employment in the sacred office: but when God inquires for labourers in the heathen world, and says, “Who will go for us?” how few are found who are ready to reply, “Here am I send me [Note: Isaiah 6:8.]!” No, in truth: there are excuses enough then: one, like Moses, has not the qualifications for so great a work: another has some temporal occupation inconsistent with it: and another has married a wife, or intends to do so, and therefore cannot go. Much labour and little pay, is not the preferment which the generality of us affect: a thousand difficulties rise
- 228. up to view;and every mole-hill becomes a mountain. And who but God can overcome this sad reluctance? Who can inspire men with zeal sufficient for this holy undertaking? None but He who formed the universe: none but He who called Andrew and Peter from their nets, and Matthew from the receipt of custom. “He has all hearts in his hands, and turneth them whithersoever he will;” and can convert a proud and persecuting Saul into a humble, loving, and laborious servant of Christ. We should therefore pray to him to effect this. He is a prayer-hearing God, and will not suffer us to seek his face in vain. The whole night did Jesus spend in prayer, previous to his calling to himself his twelve disciples [Note: Luke 6:12-13.]. And who can tell, if we were alike earnest in prayer, what might be effected in behalf of the heathen world? At all events, we are bound to use the means: and we have every reason to believe, that if “we would give no rest to our God,” agreeably to his direction [Note: Isaiah 62:6-7.], he would arise for our help, and get himself praise throughout the earth.] Improvement— 1. Be thankful for the blessings which you yourselves enjoy— [Are you “faint,” from a sense of your own guilt and helplessness? You have those at hand who are ready to offer you “the cup of salvation.” Are you exposed to danger? You have shepherds to warn you of it, and to point out to you that Saviour who is both able and willing to deliver. It may be that some of you understand, by painful experience, what it is to feel a sense of God’s wrath upon the soul, and to be harassed with “a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation.” O, what thanks do you owe to God, that the way of life is so plainly opened to you, and that you are so urgently called to walk in it! Be thankful, then, and avail yourselves of the privileges which you enjoy, and which “many prophets and kings have sought in vain.”] 2. Endeavour to extend them to the whole world— [This is the bounden duty of all, to whom the Gospel comes. Ministers and people are alike bound to use the efforts which are within their power: and the poorest and weakest in the universe may lift up his soul in prayer. I call upon you, then; on you especially who are sensible of your own privileges; surely it will be strange indeed if you do not shew a zeal for God. who has so distinguished you; and if you do not endeavour to impart to others the blessings which you yourselves enjoy. To you who are educating for the ministry I would particularly commend this subject and say. Not only pray that God would send forth others into his harvest. but beg him to give you grace. that you may be ready to go yourselves.]
- 229. 37 Then hesaid to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. BAR ES, "The harvest truly is plenteous ... - Another beautiful image. A waving field of golden grain invites many reapers and demands haste. By the reference to the harvest here, he meant that the multitude of people that flocked to his ministry was great. The people expected the Messiah. They were prepared to receive the gospel; but the laborers were few. He directed them, therefore, to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth reapers. God is the proprietor of the great harvest of the world, and he only can send people to gather it in. Remarks On Matthew 9 1. We are presented with an instance of proper perseverance in coming to Christ, Mat_ 9:1-2. Nothing was suffered to prevent the purpose of presenting the helpless paralytic to the Saviour. So the poor helpless sinner should come. No obstacle should prevent him. He should lay himself at his feet, and feel that Jesus holds over him the power of life and death, and that no other being can save. 2. Jesus has the power to forgive sins, Mat_9:6. He claimed it, and worked a miracle to prove it. If he had it then, he has it still. To him, then, the lost sinner may come with the assurance that as he freely “then” exerted that power, so he is ever the same, and will do it now. 3. Jesus Christ is divine. Nothing could prove it more clearly than the power to pardon sinners. Only God can pronounce what shall be done with transgressors of His law, Isa_ 43:25. He that claims this right must be either an impostor or God. But no impostor ever yet worked a real miracle. Jesus was therefore divine. He can save to the uttermost all who come to God through him. 4. We see here the proper rule to be observed in mingling with the wicked, Mat_9:10- 13. It should not be of choice or for pleasure. We should not enter into their follies or vices. We should not seek enjoyment in their society. We should mingle with them simply to transact necessary business and to do them good, and no further, Psa_1:1. 5. In the case of the ruler and the woman that was diseased, we have a strong instance of the nature of faith. They came not doubting the power of Jesus - fully assured that he was able to heal. So all genuine believers come to him. They do not doubt his power or willingness to save them. Poor, and lost, and ruined by sin, and in danger of eternal death, they come. His heart is open. He puts forth his power, and the soul is healed, and the sin and danger gone. 6. The young must die, and may die in early life, Mat_9:18. Very short graves are in every burying-ground. Thousands and millions, not more than twelve years of age, have died. Thousands and millions, not more than twelve years of age, are yet to die. Many of these may be taken from Sunday schools. Their class, their teacher - their parents, sisters, brothers - must be left, and the child be carried to the grave. Many children of that age that have been in Sunday schools have died happy. They loved the Saviour, and they were ready to go to him. Jesus was near to them when they died, and they are now in heaven. Of every child we may ask, Are you ready also to go when God shall call you? Do you love the Lord Jesus, so as to be willing to leave all your friends here and go to him?
- 230. 7. Jesus canraise up the dead, and he will raise up all that love him, Mat_9:25. Many little children will be raised up to meet him in the last great day. He shall come in the clouds. The angel shall sound a trumpet, and all the dead shall hear. All shall be raised up and go to meet him. All that loved him here will go to heaven. All who were wicked, and did not love him here, will go to everlasting suffering. 8. We see the duty of praying for the conversion of the world, Mat_9:37-38. The harvest is as plenteous as it was in the time of Christ. More than 600 million are still without the gospel, and there are not still many laborers to go into the harvest. The world is full of wickedness, and only God can qualify those who shall go and preach the gospel to the dark nations of the earth. Without ceasing we ought to entreat of God to pity the nations, and to send to them faithful people who shall tell them of a dying Saviour. CLARKE, "The harvest - The souls who are ready to receive the truth are very numerous; but the laborers are few. There are multitudes of scribes, Pharisees, and priests, of reverend and right reverend men; but there are few that work. Jesus wishes for laborers, not gentlemen, who are either idle drones, or slaves to pleasure and sin, and nati consumere fruges. “Born to consume the produce of the soil.” It was customary with the Jews to call their rabbins and students reapers; and their work of instruction, the harvest. So in Idra Rabba, s. 2. “The days are few; the creditor is urgent; the crier calls out incessantly; and the reapers are few.” And in Pirkey Aboth: “The day is short, the work great, the workmen idle, the reward abundant, and the master of the household is urgent.” In all worldly concerns, if there be the prospect of much gain, most men are willing enough to labor; but if it be to save their own souls, or the souls of others, what indolence, backwardness, and carelessness! While their adversary, the devil, is going about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour; and a careless soul, and especially a careless minister is his especial prey. The place of the harvest is the whole earth: it signifies little where a man works, provided it be by the appointment, in the Spirit, and with the blessing of God. GILL, "Then saith he unto his disciples,.... His heart being drawn out, and filled with pity to these poor people, upon observing the miserable and sad condition they were in; he turns himself to his disciples, whom he was about to call, and send forth in a more public manner to preach the Gospel, of which we read in the following chapter; and in order to quicken them to this service, and engage their hearts in it, says unto them, the harvest truly is plenteous; meaning the large number of God's elect, which were in these cities, towns, and villages, and in other places: not that these were maturely prepared by anything in themselves, or done by them, for the grace of God; and much less ripe for the kingdom of glory, and therefore called an harvest: but as there are the appointed weeks of the harvest, or a set time for the harvest to be gathered in, so there is a certain fixed time, settled in the counsel, and by the purpose of God, for the effectual calling and conversion of his elect; and this time being come, with respect to these in Galilee, and other parts, Christ calls them an "harvest"; and because of their number, a large, or "plenteous" one.
- 231. But the labourersare few: Gospel ministers; whose calling is a laborious one; whose business is to labour in the word and doctrine; to be constant in prayer; to give up themselves to meditation and reading; to study to show themselves workmen; to preach the word in season, and out of season; and diligently discharge the several duties of their office, to the glory of Christ, and the good of souls: but such painful and laborious ministers, who are willing to spend, and be spent for Christ and immortal souls, have been but few in all ages; generally speaking, there are more loiterers than labourers. HE RY, "(1.) How the case stood; The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few. People desired good preaching, but there were few good preachers. There was a great deal of work to be done, and a great deal of good likely to be done, but there wanted hands to do it. [1.] It was an encouragement, that the harvest was so plenteous. It was not strange, that there were multitudes that needed instruction, but it was what does not often happen, that they who needed it, desired it, and were forward to receive it. They that were ill taught were desirous to be better taught; people's expectations were raised, and there was such a moving of affections, as promised well. Note, It is a blessed thing, to see people in love with good preaching. The valleys are then covered over with corn, and there are hopes it may be well gathered in. That is a gale of opportunity, that calls for a double care and diligence in the improvement of it; a harvest-day should be a busy day. [2.] It was a pity when it was so that the labourers should be so few; that the corn should shed and spoil, and rot upon the ground for want of reapers; loiterers many, but labourers very few. Note, It is ill with the church, when good work stands still, or goes slowly on, for want of good workmen; when it is so, the labourers that there are have need to be very busy. JAMISO , "Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous — His eye doubtless rested immediately on the Jewish field, but this he saw widening into the vast field of “the world” (Mat_13:38), teeming with souls having to be gathered to Him. but the labourers — men divinely qualified and called to gather them in - “are few.” CALVI , "37.The harvest is indeed abundant By this metaphor he intimates, that many of the people are ripe for receiving the gospel. Though the greater number afterwards rejected basely and with vile ingratitude the salvation offered to them, yet the limited number of the elect, who were mixed with unbelievers, is compared to an abundant harvest, because God values a small band of his own people more highly than the rest of the world. Though there were at that time many who assumed this character, yet as few of them discharged it faithfully, he does not rank them among laborers: for he employs the word laborers in a good sense. When Paul complains (2 Corinthians 2:13) of bad laborers, he refers to their boasting: for he would not have bestowed the designation of laborers (534) on those who devoted all their exertions to ruin and waste the flock, had it not been that they gloried in the false pretense. BARCLAY, "THE WAITI G HARVEST (Matthew 9:37-38) 9:37-38 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is great, but the workers are few.
- 232. Therefore, pray tothe Lord of the harvest to send out workers for his harvest." Here is one of the most characteristic things Jesus ever said. When he and the orthodox religious leaders of his day looked on the crowd of ordinary men and women, they saw them in quite different ways. The Pharisees saw the common people as chaff to be destroyed and burned up; Jesus saw them as a harvest to be reaped and to be saved. The Pharisees in their pride looked for the destruction of sinners; Jesus in love died for the salvation of sinners. But here also is one of the great Christian truths and one of the supreme Christian challenges. That harvest will never be reaped unless there are reapers to reap it. It is one of the blazing truths of Christian faith and life that Jesus Christ needs men. When he was upon this earth, his voice could reach so few. He was never outside Palestine, and there was a world which was waiting. He still wants men to hear the good news of the gospel, but they will never hear unless other men will tell them. He wants all men to hear the good news; but they will never hear it unless there are those who are prepared to cross the seas and the mountains and bring the good news to them. or is prayer enough. A man might say, "I will pray for the coming of Christ's Kingdom every day in life." But in this, as in so many things, prayer without works is dead. Martin Luther had a friend who felt about the Christian faith as he did. The friend was also a monk. They came to an agreement. Luther would go down into the dust and heat of the battle for the Reformation in the world; the friend would stay in the monastery and uphold Luther's hands in prayer. So they began that way. Then, one night, the friend had a dream. He saw a vast field of corn as big as the world; and one solitary man was seeking to reap it--an impossible and a heartbreaking task. Then he caught a glimpse of the reaper's face; and the reaper was Martin Luther; and Luther's friend saw the truth in a flash. "I must leave my prayers," he said, "and get to work." And so he left his pious solitude, and went down to the world to labour in the harvest. It is the dream of Christ that every man should be a missionary and a reaper. There are those who cannot do other than pray, for life has laid them helpless, and their prayers are indeed the strength of the labourers. But that is not the way for most of us, for those of us who have strength of body and health of mind. ot even the giving of our money is enough. If the harvest of men is ever to be reaped, then every one of us must be a reaper, for there is someone whom each one of us could--and must--bring to God. COFFMA , "Christ here asked his disciples to pray for that which he himself was about to initiate, namely, the sending forth of more witnesses to the truth of the kingdom. The sending forth of the Twelve was Jesus' own response to the marvelous opportunity for reaping a great harvest of souls. Significantly, Christ asked the disciples to pray about it; and he himself continued all night in prayer before naming the Twelve (Luke 6:12,13). In view of this, should Christ's disciples today undertake any project without prayer for guidance and blessing? If Jesus leaned so
- 233. heavily upon thearm of prayer, how much more should his disciples ask, and seek, and knock to obtain that providential support, without which every human endeavor must inevitably come to naught? BE SO , "Matthew 9:37-38. Then saith he to his disciples — To quicken their devotion and zeal, The harvest — amely, of souls to be gathered in, is plenteous — The multitudes that followed Jesus, and expressed so earnest a desire of receiving his instructions, gave him occasion of making this reflection. He compared Judea and the neighbouring countries to fields covered with ripe corn, where nothing was wanting but reapers. See John 4:35 : and L’Enfant. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest — Whose peculiar work and office it is, and who alone is able to do it; that he will send forth labourers into his harvest — The word εκβαλη properly means to thrust out, plainly implying the exercise of some degree of force. For it is an employ not pleasing to flesh and blood; so full of reproach, labour, danger, and temptation of every kind, that nature may well be averse to it. Those who never felt this, never yet knew what it is to be labourers in Christ’s harvest. He sends them forth, when he calls them by his Spirit, furnishes them with grace and gifts for the work, and makes a way for them to be employed therein. “Christ’s example here,” says Baxter, “teacheth preachers to compassionate a willing multitude, when they want sufficient teachers, and to pray God to send forth more labourers when there are too few; and not to give over labouring themselves without being utterly disabled, though men forbid them. Some parishes in London have each about seventy thousand souls, some sixty thousand, some thirty thousand; and all the city and county, and much more, have but one bishop, and the curates or preachers cannot be heard [each] by above three thousand at once, or thereabouts.” But how much greater is the population of London with its environs, and of the whole country, at the present day, than it was in Mr. Baxter’s time! BROADUS, "Matthew 9:37-38. He seeks to awaken a similar compassion in his followers. Disciples, see on "Matthew 5:1". There were probably other disciples present, besides the Twelve, (Matthew 10:1) and the exhortation to pray was addressed to them all, but only the Twelve were at that time sent forth; at a later period, seventy others. (Luke 10:1) The figure of reaping a harvest he had employed before (perhaps a year before), at Jacob's well, (John 4:25 ff.) and will use again when sending out the seventy. (Luke 10:2) Truly represents the Greek word (men) explained on Matthew 3:11, which denotes merely that this clause is set in contrast with what follows. The idea is sufficiently expressed in English by an emphatic utterance of 'harvest' and 'labourers'; it was so rendered by Tyn. and Gen. (so also Davidson), 'truly' being introduced by Great Bible. The harvest signifies, not (as some explain) the elect, those who will actually be saved, but men in general, who unless gathered and saved will perish like wheat that is not reaped.—This compassion for perishing men will naturally lead to prayer for labourers, (Matthew 9:38) and such compassion and prayer will form the best preparation for going forth to be labourers ourselves. (Matthew 10:1) Any man who is called of God to devote himself to preaching the gospel will have felt something, ought to have felt much, of this pitying love for his perishing fellow men, and will have prayed much for their rescue; and those engaged in that work should be careful to maintain, as long as they live, this same pity and prayer. And not only preachers, but all Christians, should feel as Jesus felt, and should regularly and habitually pray this prayer. Send forth is literally cast out, 'throw out,' or 'thrust out,' the same word that is used in Matthew 9:33 f., in Matthew 10:1, and above in Matthew 9:25 (where see note). Compare its use in Mark 1:12; James 2:25. It always implies urgency, haste, constraint, or some such idea, and here means that the labourers should be sent out promptly, pushed into their work. Beza: "For we are all very tardy,
- 234. especially in suchmatters."This same word is retained when our Lord speaks to the seventy. (Luke 10:2)(1) Such labourers as the Lord of the harvest does put forth, we may endeavour, with his blessing, to train for the better performance of their work (see on "Matthew 10:1"); but they must be his labourers, not ours, called into the work, and urged to the performance of it, by himself. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” CLARKE, "That he will send forth laborers - Οπως εκβαλλη εργατας, that he would thrust forth laborers. Those who are fittest for the work are generally most backward to the employment. The man who is forward to become a preacher knows little of God, of human nature, or of his own heart. It is, God’s province to thrust out such preachers as shall labor; and it is our duty to entreat him to do so. A minister of Christ is represented as a day-laborer: he comes into the harvest, not to become lord of it, not to live on the labor of others, but to work, and to labor his day. Though the work may be very severe, yet, to use a familiar expression, there is good wages in the harvest-home; and the day, though hot, is but a short one. How earnestly should the flock of Christ pray to the good Shepherd to send them pastors after his own heart, who will feed them with knowledge, and who shall be the means of spreading the knowledge of his truth and the savor of his grace over the face of the whole earth! The subject of fasting, already slightly noticed in the preceding notes, should be farther considered. In all countries, and under all religions, fasting has not only been considered a duty, but also of extraordinary virtue to procure blessings, and to avert evils. Hence it has often been practised with extraordinary rigour, and abused to the most superstitious purposes. There are twelve kinds of fasts among the Hindoos: - 1. The person neither eats nor drinks for a day and night. This fast is indispensable, and occurs twenty-nine times in the year. 2. The person fasts during the day, and eats at night. 3. The person eats nothing but fruits, and drinks milk or water. 4. He eats once during the day and night. 5. Eats one particular kind of food during the day and night, but as often as he pleases. 6. Called Chanderaym, which is, to eat on the first day, only one mouthful; two on the second; and thus continue increasing one mouthful every day for a month, and then decreasing a mouthful every day, till he leaves off where he began. 7. The person neither eats nor drinks for twelve days. 8. Lasts twelve days: the first three days he eats a little once in the day; the next
- 235. three, he eatsonly once in the night; the next three, he eats nothing, unless it be brought to him; and, during the last three days, he neither eats nor drinks. 9. Lasts fifteen days. For three days and three nights, he eats only one handful at night; the next three days and nights, he eats one handful if it be brought him, if not, he takes nothing. Then he eats nothing for three days and three nights. The next three days and nights he takes only a handful of warm water each day. The next three days and nights he takes a handful of warm milk each day. 10. For three days and nights he neither eats nor drinks. He lights a fire, and sits at a door where there enters a hot wind, which he draws in with his breath. 11. Lasts fifteen days. Three, days and three nights he eats nothing but leaves; three days and three nights, nothing but the Indian fig; three days and three nights, nothing but the seed of the lotus; three days and three nights, nothing but peepul leaves; three days and three nights, the expressed juice of a particular kind of grass called doobah. 12. Lasts a week. First day he eats milk; second, milk-curds; third, ghee, i.e. clarified butter; fourth, cow’s urine; fifth, cow’s dung; sixth, water; seventh, nothing. During every kind of fast, the person sleeps on the ground, plays at no game, has no connection with women, neither shaves nor anoints himself, and bestows alms each day. - Ayeen Akbery, vol. iii. p. 247-250. How much more simple and effectual is the way of salvation taught in the Bible! But, because it is true, it is not credited by fallen man. Fasting is considered by the Mohammedans as an essential part of piety. Their orthodox divines term it the gate of religion. With them, it is of two kinds, voluntary and incumbent; and is distinguished by the Mosliman doctors into three degrees: 1. The refraining from every kind of nourishment or carnal indulgence. 2. The restraining the various members from every thing which might excite sinful or corrupt desires. 3. The abstracting the mind wholly from worldly cares, and fixing it exclusively upon God. Their great annual fast is kept on the month Ramzan, or Ramadhan, beginning at the first new moon, and continuing until the appearance of the next; during which, it is required to abstain from every kind of nourishment from day-break till after sun-set of each day. From this observance none are excused but the sick, the aged, and children. This is properly the Mohammedan Lent. See Hedayah, prel. Dis. p. LV. LVI. It is worthy of remark, that these children of the Bridegroom, the disciples, did not mourn, were exposed to no persecution, while the Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus, was with them, but after he had been taken from them, by death and his ascension, they did fast and mourn; they were exposed to all manner of hardships, persecutions, and even death itself, in some of its worst forms. GILL, "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest,.... By "the Lord of the harvest" is either meant God the Father, whose are all the elect, who has a hearty concern for them, and will have them all gathered in, not one of them shall be left; or the Lord Jesus Christ himself, who has the care and charge of the whole election of grace; and who as he must, he will bring them all in; and who has power of sending forth labourers, as the
- 236. following chapter shows;and so this is a proof of prayer being made to Christ; that he will send forth labourers into his harvest. This is the petition the disciples of Christ were put upon making to the Lord of the harvest, on consideration of the present condition multitudes of souls were in: they could not make, qualify, and send out ministers themselves; this is not man's work, but God's: he only is able to furnish with ministerial gifts, to work upon, and powerfully incline the hearts of men to this service, to call and send them forth into it, and to assist and succeed them in it. The persons desired to be sent are "labourers"; faithful, diligent, and industrious preachers of the Gospel; such as lay out themselves, their time, talents, and strength, in their master's service; and do not indulge themselves in sloth and idleness: the place they are desired to be sent into is, "into the harvest"; into the field of the world, where God's elect lie, and there labour in preaching the Gospel; hoping for a divine blessing, and an almighty power to attend their ministrations, for the conversion of sinners, and edification of saints. The request the disciples are directed to make, concerning these persons for this work, is, that the Lord of the harvest would "send", or "thrust" them "forth"; implying power and efficacy, and authority, on the part of the sender; and backwardness on the part of those that are sent, through modesty: a sense of the greatness of the work, and of their own unworthiness and unfitness for it. Very opportunely did our Lord move his disciples to put up this petition, and was done, no question, with a view to, and to prepare for, his mission of the twelve to preach the Gospel, of which there is an account in the next chapter. HE RY, "(2.) What was their duty in this case (Mat_9:38); Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest. Note, The melancholy aspect of the times and the deplorable state of precious souls, should much excite and quicken prayer. When things look discouraging, we should pray more, and then we should complain and fear less. And we should adapt our prayers to the present exigencies of the church; such an understanding we ought to have of the times, as to know, not only what Israel ought to do, but what Israel ought to pray for. Note, [1.] God is the Lord of the harvest; my Father is the Husbandman, Joh_ 15:1. It is the vineyard of the Lord of hosts, Isa_5:7. It is for him and to him, and to his service and honour, that the harvest is gathered in. Ye are God's husbandry (1Co_3:9); his threshing, and the corn of his floor, Isa_21:10. He orders every thing concerning the harvest as he pleases; when and where the labourers shall work, and how long; and it is very comfortable to those who wish well to the harvest-work, that God himself presides in it, who will be sure to order all for the best. [2.] Ministers are and should be labourers in God's harvest; the ministry is a work and must be attended to accordingly; it is harvest-work, which is needful work; work that requires every thing to be done in its season, and diligence to do it thoroughly; but it is pleasant work; they reap in joy, and the joy of the preachers of the gospel is likened to the joy of harvest (Isa_9:2, Isa_9:3); and he that reapeth receiveth wages; the hire of the labourers that reap down God's field, shall not be kept back, as theirs was, Jam_5:4. [3.] It is God's work to send forth labourers; Christ makes ministers (Eph_4:11); the office is of his appointing, the qualifications of his working, the call of his giving. They will not be owned nor paid as labourers, that run without their errand, unqualified, uncalled. How shall they preach except they be sent? [4.] All that love Christ and souls, should show it by their earnest prayers to God, especially when the harvest is plenteous, that he would send forth more skillful, faithful, wise, and industrious labourers into his harvest; that he would raise up such as he will own in the conversion of sinners and the edification of saints; would give them a spirit for the work, call them to it, and succeed them in it; that he would give them wisdom to win souls; that he would thrust forth labourers, so some; intimating
- 237. unwillingness to goforth, because of their own weakness and the people's badness, and opposition from men, that endeavour to thrust them out of the harvest; but we should pray that all contradiction from within and from without, may be conquered and got over. Christ puts his friends upon praying this, just before he sends apostles forth to labour in the harvest. Note, It is a good sign God is about to bestow some special mercy upon a people, when he stirs up those that have an interest at the throne of grace, to pray for it, Psa_10:17. Further observe, that Christ said this to his disciples, who were to be employed as labourers. They must pray, First, That God would send them forth. Here am I, send me, Isa_6:8. Note, Commissions, given in answer to prayer, are most likely to be successful; Paul is a chosen vessel, for behold he prays, Act_9:11, Act_9:15. Secondly, That he would send others forth. Note, Not the people only, but those who are themselves ministers, should pray for the increase of ministers. Though self-interest makes those that seek their own things desirous to be placed alone (the fewer ministers the more preferments), yet those that seek the things of Christ, desire more workmen, that more work may be done, though they be eclipsed by it. JAMISO , "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest — the great Lord and Proprietor of all. Compare Joh_15:1, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman.” that he will send forth labourers into his harvest — The word properly means “thrust forth”; but this emphatic sense disappears in some places, as in Mat_9:25, and Joh_10:4 - “When He putteth forth His own sheep.” (See on Mat_4:1). CALVIN, "38.Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest As no man will of himself become a sincere and faithful minister of the gospel, and as none discharge in a proper manner the office of teacher but those whom the Lord raises up and endows with the gifts of his Spirit, whenever we observe a scarcity of pastors, we must raise our eyes to him to afford the remedy. There never was greater necessity for offering this prayer than during the fearful desolation of the church which we now see every where around us. BIBLICAL ILLUSTRATOR, "Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest. The spiritual harvest-field 1. How closely connected the spiritual commission of the apostles was with deep sympathy for the physical wants of humanity. 2. That it is the Lord of the harvest who has power to send forth labourers into His harvest. We rely too much on our own agencies. 3. The strong expression of constraint which the Lord here uses-“that He may cast out.” It has been so with the more eminent saints at all times. (S. Leathes, D. D.) The harvest-field and the harvest labourers I. The field is the world. 1. It is precious, in the very fact that it is a harvest-field. Men are the fruit for the sake of which the world was made.
- 238. 2. It isplenteous. (1):Pagans. (2) Mahomedans. (3) Papists. 3. It is ripe. 4. It is perishing. II. The harvest labourers. 1. All who try to win souls are in His eye as reapers gathering the wheat into the garner. Labourers are not a high class of functionaries, and need not expect to get all their own will as to the times and places of their toils. 2. In the judgment of our Lord labourers are few. His heart is so enlarged toward a lost world that He will complain, Few are coming. Few, in proportion to the world’s need-a contrast to the multitude pressing to the natural harvest. 3. When additional labourers enter the field, they are sent into it by the Lord of the harvest. They are grasped by the Providential hand of God. 4. The Lord of the harvest presses labourers into the field in answer to the prayers of His people. (W. Arnot.) The multitudes pressing to the natural harvest The pressure has slackened of late; but a few years ago you might have seen, any day about the beginning of autumn, dense crowds of Irish labourers clustering like bees about the wharves of Liverpool and Glasgow. On one occasion the master of a Londonderry steamer, on arriving at Glasgow, was prosecuted for admitting a much greater number of passengers than his ship was legally entitled to carry. His defence was that the men rushed on board in spite of his efforts to prevent them, and took forcible possession of the deck. Such were the numbers that poured into the Scottish harvest- fields at that time, and such the eagerness of each man to get a share of the work and the reward. (W. Arnot.) The harvest-field near Exercise is provided for the spiritual life. None shall be able to say that the field was too distant, and that lie consequently had not an opportunity of rendering service as a reaper. A man cannot sit at meals in his own family, walk along the streets, or pursue his daily toil on the farm or in the workshop, without passing along this laden harvest-field. Everywhere precious fruit, ready to perish, offers itself to the reaper’s hand. (W. Arnot.) Labourers wanted I. Christ manifested an intense zeal for the evangelization of the world. “And Jesus went about all their cities,” etc.
- 239. 1. Christ wasthe great Teacher-“Teaching in their synagogues,” etc. 2. Christ was the great Physician-“and healing every sickness.” II. Christ displayed the tenderest sympathy while evangelizing the world. The spirit in which Christ did His work, almost as important as the work itself. 1. Christ was deeply affected by the spiritual depression of the people-“they fainted.” 2. Christ was deeply affected at the spiritual destitution of the people-“were scattered abroad.” III. Christ enjoined a devout spirit for evangelizing the world-“Pray ye therefore,” etc. 1. Christ indicated the right spirit for the work-“Pray ye.” 2. Christ indicated the right men for the work-“Labourers in His harvest,” etc. (J. T. Woodhouse.) Harvest-men wanted I. Our lord states the case. The people who gathered round Him He likened to harvest- fields: wherein lay the similarity? 1. The thought of multitude rises naturally from the sight of a harvest-field. You cannot count the ears of corn, neither will you be able to count the sons of men. 2. The second idea was that of value. He did not speak of blades of grass, but ears of corn. The souls of men precious in the sight of God. 3. The idea of danger. Fear lest it should perish. 4. Accessible. Multitudes are near at hand. 5. Immediate need. II. The service needed. Labourers are wanted. We must not despise instrumentalities. God could do without them, but does not. 1. They must be labourers. Idler no use. 2. They must go down into flee wheat. 3. He cuts right through. Delicate words useless. The preacher must not file off the edge of his scythe for fear it should hurt somebody. 4. He binds it together. III. Our Lord directed his disciples how to obtain a supply. 1. Pray ye. 2. Pray ye therefore. 3. Pray to the Lord. IV. The lord jesus heard their prayers. “And when He had called unto Him His twelve disciples, he gave them power,” etc. (C. H. Spurgeon.) COKE, "Matthew 9:38. That he will send forth— The original word εκβαλη plainly imports some degree of force. Dr. Doddridge therefore very properly translates and
- 240. paraphrases the passagethus: Therefore let me urge you to make your "importunate supplications to the great Lord and Master of the harvest, that he would, by the secret and powerful energy of the Spirit on men's hearts, conquer their natural disinclination to this excellent work; and so thrust forth a sufficient number of active and indefatigable labourers into his harvest, by whom it may be successfully carried on, to his own greater glory, and the edification and salvation of souls." Whoever considers the immense difficulties and oppositions which every minister of Christ's kingdom was sure to encounter in those early days of it, willsee the necessity of some unusual impulse on the mind to lead any to undertake it. See on Matthew 9:9. Ministers may learn of their Redeemer, who is represented in so amiable a light here before them, tenderly to pity those who are faint and exposed to danger, and are as sheep having no shepherd. The extreme necessities of his churches in many places are but too apparent. It is our duty earnestly to pray to God that he would behold them with compassion; that he would graciously provide for their instruction, and would thrust forth such labourers among them, as may be faithful and diligent in their work, and prove the happy instruments of gathering in fruits to everlasting life. See Doddridge and Chemnitz. Inferences.—The first and most obvious use intended by the miraculous cures which our Lord performed, was, to convince men of the truth of his doctrine; and that they might have sure ground to reason as Nicodemus did, when he said to him, "Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles which thou doest, except God be with him." The first effect, therefore, which his miracles ought to have with us, should be, to make us cordially embrace his doctrines, experience their power through divine grace, and exert our utmost endeavours to put them in practice. Those who apply themselves to this with the greatest fidelity and earnestness, will sooner or later meet such difficulties, or perhaps real obstacles in their religious course, as will convince them that mere instruction is not sufficient; that besides advice, they must have constant assistance from above; and that the same divine power which was exerted to convince them of the truth of his doctrine, and to bring them into the liberty of the children of God, must concur to enable them to practise it, and grow in grace and the divine life. Here then a second lesson is to be learned from the miraculous cures wrought by Christ; for those great instances of his goodness and power will raise the languishing hopes of his tried and tempted servants. And as every man naturally transfers the notions that he is full of to the objects that come in his way, and our minds are ever quick at applying things to what we have most at heart; so when they reflect upon his bounty to the diseased of every kind, that addressed themselves, or were brought to him in Palestine, they too through grace will hope for some share in his favours, and accordingly address themselves to him as the great Physician of Souls. This is a general consideration, applicable to every miraculous cure which he performed. See on ch. Matthew 7:7. When we read with what success the blind, the lame, the deaf, the lepers, and in short the diseased of every kind, addressed themselves to him, so that no patient ever came to him in vain; but all distempers, though of the most malignant nature, though most obstinate, and of many years' continuance, though such as had baffled all other remedies, were infallibly cured by him;—when, I say, we read these instances of his Almighty power and goodness, our own spiritual infirmities should occur to our thoughts.
- 241. Have you nothingto ask of this divine Physician? Do you not with a sigh, and as it were some sort of envy, think how fortunate they were, who had such easy access to him in Palestine? And does not their success raise some hope in your breast? In reason it ought to do so; for spiritual maladies are his proper province; and it is in the cure of these that his goodness principally delights to exert itself. I say, that to be a healer of bodily distempers was a foreign character, which our Lord assumed only to make way for what is his genuine office, even to heal souls. For he wrought the outward cures only to convince us of his divine power, because such cures were visible to all: they were, as he said himself to John's disciples, such things as they could hear and see; they were such gross palpable proofs, as suited all capacities; whereas the operations of his Spirit are invisible, and are no ground of faith to any but those who experience them, or are awakened to a sense of their want of them. In condescension, therefore, he gave those outward demonstrations of Omnipotence, restoring senses, limbs, and life itself; but these temporal favours may be accounted as very trivial, even as crumbs that fall from his table, in comparison of what he then did, and still actually does, in the souls of those who apply to him with the proper disposition, even in simple humble faith. He cures the spiritual blindness and insensibility to divine truth: he takes away hydropic avarice, paralytic laziness, the leprous pruriency of soul desires, and every evil lust and passion. To cure these is his profession and character: it is the work for which he came into the world, as the name of Jesus testifies; and so the angel, who appointed that name, did at the same time explain it: Thou shalt call his name Jesus, that is to say, Saviour, for He shall save his people from their sins. Nor let us imagine that he is less powerful, now that he sitteth at the right hand of God, than he was formerly, when, in the days of his flesh, he sojourned in Judaea. The fulness of the Godhead does actually reside in him for our use; I say, the fulness of the Godhead; that is, Deity in its plenitude of power does actually reside in the person of Christ for our use: and he is ready, he is ever desirous to communicate it; so that there is nothing wanting but capacities on our part to receive it. What those are, we may shew in the following particulars: First, Whosoever would be cured of any spiritual malady must go to Christ. It is a wretched mistake of ordinary Christians, so called, that they consider Christ as inaccessible since his ascension, and conceive of him only as highly exalted, and remote at an unmeasurable distance from us: but this comes from not effectually believing, or, what amounts to the same thing, not considering the SUPREME DIVINITY of our Saviour. The divine nature of Christ has been treated of late as a speculative question to dispute about: but it is really one of the most practical, as well as one of the most important points of our religion. For by this he is ever everywhere present: Christ, I say, by his divine nature, is omnipresent: he is therefore present with us; he is present within our
- 242. minds; and weought not to search after him as far distant from us. So St. Paul to the Romans: Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is to say, to bring Christ down from above;) or who shall descend into the deep? (that is to say, to bring up Christ from the dead;) for Christ is nigh thee, even in thy heart. Secondly, When by devotion we are thus introduced into the presence of Christ, we must declare our wants to him, we must humbly expose our miseries before him, with earnest prayer for deliverance. For this there is no need of studied speeches: let us only imitate some of those diseased persons whose history we read in the Gospel,—the paralytic for instance, whose double cure has been already mentioned. Though great efforts, and even violence, had been used to introduce him to Jesus, for the roof of the house had been opened, and he was let down through the tiling, yet, when he was presented before the Lord, all the difficulty was over; his circumstances spoke for him sufficiently, they needed no interpreter: prostrate on his bed he turned his eyes to our Lord, and our Lord beheld him with compassion. He saw his misery, his helpless misery, and that he had no hopes but in the mercy of his Saviour. This sufficed to obtain his mercy. All his maladies were cured; his sins, the source of all, were forgiven; and he was restored to all that is valuable, health and favour with God. We too shall find the same success, if to the dispositions before recommended we add, In the third place, faith, that is to say, a worthy opinion of Christ. This is apparently necessary; for, to distrust his power or his goodness is an injurious thought, which renders us unworthy of his favour. And it is remarkable, that he insists upon faith, more than any other qualification, in the persons who apply to him for relief. To teach us this (besides the apparent reasonableness of the thing), our Lord, in working his miraculous bodily cures, which, as I said, are emblems of his divine operations on souls, frequently required a public declaration of such devout confidence in his goodness and power, before he exerted them for the relief of those who implored his assistance. So, when two blind men had followed him home, with cries soliciting his mercy, he said unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you. And straightway their eyes were opened. We have another very edifying instance of the efficacy of faith in disposing us for supernatural graces, in the man who besought our Lord for his son, who had been distracted from his infancy by the possession of a malignant spirit, that had often endangered his life. If thou canst do any thing (said the father, after representing the deplorable condition of his child), have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief. Jesus accepted his humble faith, and ratified it in the cure of his son. Many other instances of the same kind are recorded in the Gospel for our instruction and encouragement, that we sink not into despair upon the sad experiment of our weakness and misery; but that we should approach with holy confidence to the throne of grace, secure in the goodness of our Lord, and careful not to distrust him.
- 243. And lest weshould fondly imagine that the supernatural assistance which Christ communicates to believers, was confined to the days of his flesh; even after his resurrection he declared to his disciples, as a fundamental principle of his religion, That all power was given to him in heaven and in earth. All Christians so called acknowledge his power in heaven: but many forget it upon earth; they forget to have recourse to it for their justification and sanctification, which are the works in which he principally delights to exercise it. He therefore ordered his apostles to publish it through the world; and at the same time that they instructed men to obey his commands, lest the persons instructed should be discouraged by the seeming difficulty of his sublime precepts, they were to deliver down, as an article of faith, to all his true disciples, That he would be with them always, even unto the end of the world: that he—he who hath all power in heaven and in earth,—he would be with them unto the end of the world. Fourthly, and lastly, That the cure may be perfected, which we seek and expect from the divine physician; we must, as becomes every reasonable patient, and the nature of the case requires, give ourselves up to his management, resign ourselves wholly to his care, and endure his operations, though painful to our corrupt nature. We must drink of the cup which he presents to us, even if it be the cup of suffering. Fear it not, when his hand administers it. He has tried the utmost force of it, and drank it to the dregs himself: but, tenderly compassionate as he is, and conscious of our weakness, he will administer it to us in such due proportions, and with such sweet infusion of heavenly peace and consolation, or other spiritual support, that it will prove the cup of health, the cup of salvation. REFLECTIONS.—1st, Jesus will not abide where he is an unwelcome guest; but woe to those who bid him to depart, for nothing but wrath and misery are left behind him! Leaving the country of the Gergesenes, he returned to Capernaum, the usual place of his residence, where we find him curing a poor paralytic; for his work was ever to be doing good. 1. His friends brought him to Jesus, unable himself to stand or walk: they had compassion for their brother, and counted no pains too great to obtain his cure, and they were persuaded the Lord both could and would relieve him from his misery. Note; those of our dear friends and relatives, who are themselves benumbed in spirit as with the palsy, and cannot come to Christ, we must carry in the arms of prayer and love, and spread their case before him: perhaps in so doing we may save a soul from death. 2. Christ kindly received them: seeing their faith, either of those who brought him, or of the sick man also, and to revive the heart of the poor afflicted patient, more distressed probably by his sins than his sufferings, Jesus saith, Son, be of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee. Note; (1.) Sin is the bitterest of all our burdens; the sting of sickness and of death itself is taken out when our iniquity is pardoned. (2.) They who come to Christ are called upon to be of good cheer; no poor beggar ever went from his door with a denial. (3.) God sometimes severely afflicts his dearest children; they must not question their adoption because of their sufferings; but should rather conclude, that God then dealeth with them as sons. Hebrews 12:5; Hebrews 12:29.
- 244. 3. The Scribes,who were the doctors of the law, and expounded it to the people, highly offended with what Jesus had said, though they did not speak their sentiments, yet in their hearts regarded him as a blasphemer, for presuming by his own authority to forgive sins, which is the prerogative of God alone, and contains a strong argument for his Divinity; in which light these men evidently regarded his declaration. Note; many among us are like these Scribes; though they will not say it is blasphemy in Jesus to pardon our sins, they are ready to brand those as blasphemers, who say they have the pardon that Jesus pronounces. 4. To give them a proof of his Divinity, and confute their vain imaginations, Jesus lets them know he perceived their thoughts. Wherefore think you evil in your hearts? censuring him as a blasphemer; For whether is easier to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee? or to say, Arise and walk? He that by his own power could effect the one, evidently proved that he had a right to pronounce the other. Note; our hearts are naked and open before the Lord; and he observes and is displeased at every evil thought which rises or lodges there. 5. He demonstrates the power that he had to forgive sin, by removing that disease which was the punishment of it, and bids the paralytic arise before them all; and as a proof of his health and strength being perfectly restored, to take up that bed, on which as a cripple he lay, and go unto his house. And lo! to the astonishment of the multitude, who glorified God for so great a miracle, and to the confusion of these murmurers, the man instantly arose, took up his bed, and departed, cured of every infirmity. Note; (1.) Though we have no strength of ourselves to help ourselves; yet when Jesus speaks to the paralytic soul, power accompanies his word, and enables us for that which he commands. (2.) The mercies shewn to others demand our praises; and for every good gift bestowed on the sons of men, God is to be glorified. 2nd, The publicans were those who farmed or collected the customs imposed by the Romans, and were not only therefore odious to the Jews, who abhorred this mark of servitude, but were also for the most part men of infamous conduct, who enriched themselves by exaction, being sure of having the Roman government on their side. Hence publicans and sinners are so often used to include the most guilty and abandoned characters; yet such as these Jesus came to save, and out of them was pleased to choose one of his most eminent disciples, an apostle and evangelist, the penman of this gospel. We have, 1. His call. His name is Matthew, the gift of God, which some suppose was given him by our Lord on this occasion, when before he was known by that of Levi, as the other evangelists call him; though it was common for the same person to have two names. He was sitting at the receipt of custom, in the office where it was to be paid. One word, however, effectually wrought upon this publican's heart: Jesus said, Follow me; and immediately he arose and followed him. Power accompanied the word of Jesus, and Matthew left all, and devoted himself intirely to the service of his new Lord and master. No doubt but he immediately, or very soon afterwards, tasted that the Lord is gracious,
- 245. experiencing a largemeasure of converting grace. 2. Having tasted the grace of Jesus himself, he is solicitous that his brethren by profession should be acquainted with him also; and for this purpose made a feast for Jesus and his disciples, to which many publicans and sinners were invited: nor did the Lord disdain their company, but gladly sat down with them. Note; (1.) They who have truly experienced the Redeemer's grace, from that moment begin to labour, that all who are near and dear to them may partake of their blessing. (2.) Where the heart is open to Christ, there all who are his disciples will be welcome for his sake. 3. The Pharisees with malignant eye marked the condescensions of Jesus, and wanted to cast a reflection upon his character, and prejudice his disciples against him. Why eateth your master with publicans and sinners? These proud and self-righteous creatures thought it infamous to be seen in such company, and would insinuate, that our Lord was like the men with whom he had sat down to meat. Note; (1.) The self-righteous formalists are ever the most rigid censurers of the conduct of others. (2.) The noblest acts of charity are liable to the basest misrepresentations. 4. Christ vindicates himself from their insinuations. He overheard their whispers; or his disciples, weak themselves, carried the question to him, that they might be furnished with an answer; for to him in all our difficulties we must have recourse; and he gives them an abundant vindication of his conduct. They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. He came into the world as the great physician of sin-sick souls; sinners are his unhappy patients, who groan under their spiritual maladies, incurable but for his healing grace: and those who feel their miseries and fly to him, he is ever ready to relieve; but the wilfully ignorant, and the self-righteous who know nothing of their deep corruption, guilt, and sinfulness, and conceit themselves whole; these, as they experience no want of him, and will not come to him that they may have life, are left to perish in their blindness and their pride. But go ye, says he, and learn what that meaneth, Hosea 6:6. I will have mercy and not sacrifice; that is, in a comparative sense, acts of kindness and charity to men's bodies or souls are much more acceptable to God than all the formalities of ritual devotion; and therefore Christ intimates, that his conversing with sinners for their good was, according to the word of truth, far more pleasing to God, than their scrupulous adherence to the tradition of the elders. For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance; this being the very end of his mission, he was fully justified in receiving them into his company, that he might acquaint them with his salvation. Had man been naturally righteous, he never had needed a Redeemer; and those formalists who fancy that they are such, have nothing to do with him who came only to seek and save that which is lost. The Saviour's errand is to sinners, the vilest of sinners, to invite them to return to God, with promises of pardon purchased by his blood, and to call them in virtue thereof to repent and turn from all their abominations. And to this a sense of his love engages the penitent, and for this his grace enables them; while they who vainly conceit that they are righteous, needing no repentance, are left to perish in their own deceivings. 3rdly, Our Lord was ever beset by insidious foes, yet his wisdom enabled him to confute and confound all their malicious designs. We have,
- 246. 1. The questionaddressed to Jesus by some of John's disciples. Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not? and herein they would insinuate, that they were not so strict and holy in their religious profession as they ought to be. It appears from Luke 5:33 that they were set on by the Pharisees, who joined them; for designing and wicked men study how to set good men at variance, and are happy if they can suggest any cause of discord between them. They seem to take a pride in proclaiming the frequency of their own fasts, and to look down upon the disciples of Jesus as far their inferiors in this respect; and this leaven of self-complacence effectually destroyed what otherwise might be laudable in their practice. Note; they who boast of their own good works, evidently shew that their religion is vain. 2. Christ vindicates his disciples by an appeal to themselves. Can the children of the bride-chamber mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? On such seasons of festivity fasting would be unseasonable. Christ was this heavenly bridegroom, as John had called him, John 3:29 he came now openly to espouse his church, even all faithful believers. His disciples were the children of the bride-chamber, who, while their Lord was with them, could not but rejoice; but the time would come, when the bridegroom should be taken from them, and then shall they fast; besides, at present they were young disciples, and therefore to be inured by degrees to harder services. As improper would it be to lay upon them at present these austerities; as to put a piece of new cloth on an old garment, which would soon make a worse hole than that which it covered; or new wine, which ferments most, into old bottles, which, being made of leather or skins, would by long use grow weak, and be liable to burst; but new wine must be put into new bottles, and then both are preserved. There must be a proper consideration had of the persons and their measure of grace; children and babes in Christ must not be set upon the services which require peculiar intenseness of mind, or the severest acts of self-denial, but gently led, as Jacob's cattle, Genesis 33:13 lest by being over-driven they should be destroyed. 4thly, While Jesus was vindicating the conduct of his disciples from the cavils of those who found fault with them, an agreeable avocation calls him from this unpleasing work of disputation. 1. A ruler of the synagogue, a man of rank and importance, applies to Jesus on the behalf of his daughter, who was either now in the very agony of death, as the other evangelists seem to intimate, or by this time, as the father concludes, actually dead. He therefore with deepest humility begs him to come to his house, and lay his hand upon her, persuaded that Jesus could easily restore her, desperate as the case appeared. Though few, very few, in his station respected Christ, he was one of those. Note; The breaches in our family should drive us to the Lord; if not to restore the dead to life, at least to sanctify the providence as a means of quickening our own souls. 2. Christ immediately complies with his request; for he is more willing to give, than we to ask, and none seek him in vain; and his disciples followed him, desirous to behold a fresh instance of the divine power of their Lord.
- 247. 3. In theway, he heals a poor woman afflicted with a disease of long standing, which weakened her in body, rendered her ceremonially unclean, and impoverished her in seeking a cure, without obtaining any relief, from the physicians. As her disorder was of such a nature that she might be ashamed to mention it, and by the law should have kept her from mingling in society with others, she came behind our Lord, and touched the hem of his garment, persuaded that there was such a plenitude of healing virtue in Jesus, that if she but touched his garment she should certainly be cured. Nor was she disappointed of her hope; she immediately felt herself perfectly well, but must not steal off unnoticed. Though others observed her not, Jesus knew what was done, and, for his own glory and her comfort, addressed her with kind encouragement, saying, Daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole. Note; (1.) The poor sinner who comes to Christ, ashamed, confounded, and distressed, shall be sent from him rejoicing. (2.) Those who honour Christ by believing in his name, he will honour, approving and rewarding their faith. 4. He is pleased to raise from the dead the ruler's daughter. At his arrival he found the house filled with mourners and minstrels, as was usual on those occasions, with melancholy notes of woe exciting greater grief and wailing; but he bade them cease their lamentations, and leave the room, since they would find the damsel not, as they supposed, dead and past hope, but as one asleep, whom he would soon awake; though they assured him she was dead, and, supposing the case desperate, treated what he said with utter contempt. But he quickly convinced them of their folly and wickedness herein; for, having ordered them to be put out of the house or room, as unworthy to be spectators of his miracles who thus derided him, in the presence of the father and mother, and three of his disciples, he went in, took her by the hand, and at his word she instantly arose, alive and well as if she had indeed awaked from a refreshing sleep. Note; (1.) Death is but a longer night, and sleep its lesser mysteries. They who die in the Lord, are said to sleep in Jesus; for, though dead to us, they live to him, and only wait for the resurrection-morn to wake up to eternal life and day, when sleep and death shall be no more. (2.) When our dear relatives go before us to their bed of dust, though nature cannot but feel the pangs of parting, believers sorrow not as those who have no hope. If their friends fall asleep in Christ, they may wake up together shortly, never to part again. (3.) Many scoff at Christ's words, and, because they cannot comprehend them, brand them as foolishness, though they will be found the true sayings of God. (4.) He that by a touch, a word, raised the dead body, does thus by his word and spirit raise the souls of the penitent from the death of sin unto the life of righteousness. 5. The fame of this amazing miracle soon spread throughout that land, the certainty of the fact being put beyond doubt by the multitude of those who had been fully convinced of the damsel's death. 5thly, Miracle upon miracle confirmed our Lord's divine mission, and left those inexcusable, who, in the face of such evidence, rejected him. 1. We find him, immediately after raising Jairus's daughter, giving sight to two blind men. [1.] They followed him with importunate cries, hearing of his fame, and hoping for a cure. He who gave life to the dead could surely give sight to the blind. Their address shewed their persuasion, that Jesus was the true Messiah, the promised Son of David; and all their prayers centered in
- 248. one point, havemercy on us. All that the sinner needs is comprehended in this one word, and all he can hope for or ask, is of free unmerited grace. Being in the same distress, they joined their mutual supplications; fellow-sufferers should be joint petitioners: and, though their request was not, as usual, immediately granted, they did not desist; but with persevering earnestness followed him through the street, and then into the house. If the Lord Jesus for a while seem to disregard our prayers, it must not be interpreted a denial of our requests, but as designed to quicken our importunity, and to make the mercy sought more valued by us. We shall assuredly succeed, if we faint not. [2.] In answer to the question of our Lord, they make a noble confession of their faith. Jesus asked them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? to open your eyes, and by my own divine power to cure your blindness? They said unto him, Yea, Lord; we are fully persuaded of it. Note; (1.) In all our trials, the full and fixed persuasion of Christ's power to save us out of them, must be as an anchor to our souls amid the storm. (2.) Christ requires open profession of our faith, that we may give him the glory due unto his name. [3.] Hereupon he grants their request. He touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you: and their eyes were opened. He knew their sincerity, and he designed to express his approbation of their faith in conferring the cure. Whoever still comes to him with their wants, will find the same language from Jesus; according to our faith the blessings of the Gospel become possessed by us. Whatever we want, faith may ever draw it out of his fulness; and whenever we fail of strength or comfort, we may be assured it is owing to our unbelief. [4.] He strictly charges them to conceal the miracle that he had wrought for them. Either he shunned all appearance of seeking popular applause, or he knew that the more his fame spread, the more his enemies would be exasperated; or perhaps he did it to prevent the Jews or his own disciples, too much disposed to expect in their Messiah a temporal prince, from crowding around him, or attempting, by insurrections, to set him on the throne of Israel. [5.] They, notwithstanding, spread abroad his fame; so full of gratitude, they could not conceal the favour; and though their disobedience was not commendable, their motive no doubt pleaded their excuse. Well-meant zeal, though sometimes imprudently exerted, should not meet a harsh censure. 2. He cures a dumb man possessed of a devil. His friends brought him to Jesus as a truly pitiable object, just as the blind men, who were healed, went out; for Christ's door was open to all the miserable, and he was never weary in doing good. The favour is no sooner asked than granted; the devil is dispossessed, and the dumb man speaks as freely as ever. Note; They who live in the neglect of prayer and praise and godly conversation are under the possession of this spirit of dumbness; but when the heart yields to the grace of Jesus, the tongue of the dumb will instantly sing, speaking his praises, and telling what great things God hath done for his soul.
- 249. 3. These miracleshad a very different effect on the spectators. The multitudes marvelled, and owned, to the glory of Jesus, that never had such miracles been seen before in Israel; so many, so immediate, and performed with such divine authority. But the malignant Pharisees, determined to find fault, though unable to deny the facts, imputed these miracles to diabolical agency, as if Christ was in league with the devil. They who are bent against conviction will always have something to object; and the more they are pressed with the evidence of the truth, the more enraged, inveterate, and blasphemous, is their abuse. 6thly, Christ did not long fix his abode at one place. We have an account, 1. Of his journeys, preaching, and cures, through all the cities and villages of Galilee. He taught, publicly in the synagogues, the doctrines of the Gospel, and the nature, blessings, and privileges of that kingdom which he came to erect; and, in confirmation of his mission, in every place performed the most miraculous cures on the bodies of all the diseased who applied to him, as his word was designed to heal the greater maladies of their souls. 2. Of the compassion that he expressed towards the multitudes who followed him. It grieved him to see the darkness, ignorance, and carelessness which everywhere appeared; they fainted, perishing through want of knowledge; instead of the bread of life and truth, fed with the miserable husks of pharisaical traditions, and misled in the most essential truths of God's word, through the adulterations with which their scribes had corrupted it; and they were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd, exposed to the great destroyer of souls, and destitute of every faithful guide to bring them to the fold of God: they who should have directed them aright contributed to increase their errors, or by total negligence abandoned them to ruin. Our Lord, therefore, stirs up his disciples to pray, that since the harvest is so plenteous, and multitudes of immortal souls are willing to hear the good word of God, and so few to labour for their conversion, to gather them into God's church,—the great Lord of the harvest would send forth labourers qualified for their work, and bless them with success. Note; (1.) They who know the value of their own souls, cannot but feel with Jesus the tenderest compassion for those who live in ignorance, error, and sin, and pity them the more because they appear so insensible, and to have no pity on themselves. (2.) The neglect of ministers is an awful judgment upon the people, and must be attended with aggravated guilt and ruin on their own souls. (3.) When multitudes appear attentive, and willing to hear the Gospel, it is a grief to see them deprived of the means, and a double obligation is laid on the few faithful to exert themselves. (4.) The grievous neglect of men's souls, which we observe, should excite our fervent prayers to God, that he would revive his work in the midst of the years, and send forth faithful shepherds to feed and guide his flock. (5.) Christ must appoint his own servants; he is the Lord of the harvest; none can call or qualify for the office but himself; and whom he sends, he is able and willing to support and bless; their labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. They who see no gracious fruits of their ministry, may justly conclude that the Lord of the harvest never sent them. (6.) All Christ's servants are labourers; they are no loiterers who are of his appointing. Diligence, fidelity, and zeal, mark their ministrations.