Having taught the People out of Peter’s ship, 4. he showeth in a miraculous taking of fishes, how he will make him the fisher of men. (13) He cures a leper by touching him, and sendeth him to the Priest in witness that he is not against Moyses. 15. The people flocking unto him, he retireth into the wilderness. (17) To the Pharisees in a solemn assembly he proveth by a miracle his power to remit sins in earth. (27) He defendeth his eating with sinners, as being the Physician of souls, (33) and his not prescribing as yet of any fasts to his Disciples.
AND it came to pass, when the multitudes pressed upon him to hear the word of God, and himself stood beside the lake of Genesareth. 2 * And he saw two ships standing by the lake: and the fishers were gone down, and washed their nets. 3And he going up into • one ship that was Simon’s, desired him to bring it back a little from the land. And sitting, he taught the multitudes out of the ship.
4And as he ceased to speak, he said to Simon: Launch forth into the deep, and let loose your nets to make a draught. 5And Simon answering, said to him: Master, labouring all the night, we have taken nothing; but in thy word I will let loose the net. 6And when they had done this, they enclosed • a very great multitude of fishes, and their net was broken. 7And they • beckoned to their fellows that were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came and filled both ships, so that they did sink. 8Which when Simon Peter did see, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying: Go forth from me, because I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9For he was wholly astonished and all that were with him, at the draught of fishes which they had taken. 10In like manner also James and John the sons of Zebedee, who were Simon’s fellows. And Jesus said to Simon: Fear not; from this time now, • thou shalt be taking men. 11And having brought their ships to land, leaving all things they followed him.
12 * And it came to pass, when he was in one of the cities, and behold a man full of leprosy, and seeing Jesus, and falling on his face, besought him saying: Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 13And stretching forth the hand, he [a] touched him, saying: I will. Be thou made clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him. 14And he commanded him that he should tell nobody, but, Go, [b] show thyself to the Priest, and offer for thy cleansing * as Moyses commanded, for a testimony to them.
15But the bruit of him went abroad the more, and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be cured of their infirmities. 16And he retired into the desert, and prayed.
17 * And it came to pass one day, and he sat teaching. And there were Pharisees sitting and Doctors of Law that were come out of every town of Galilee and Jewry and Jerusalem; and the virtue of our Lord was to heal them. 18And behold men carrying in a bed a man that had the palsy: and they sought to bring him in, and to lay him before him. 19And not finding on which side they might bring him in for the multitude, they • went up upon the roof, and through the tiles let him down with the bed into the midst, before Jesus. 20 • Whose faith when he saw, he said: Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. 21And the Scribes and Pharisees began to think, saying: Who is this that speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but only God? 22And when Jesus knew their cogitations, answering he said to them: What do you think in your hearts? 23Which is easier to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee: or to say, Arise, and walk? 24But that you may know that • the Son of man hath power in earth to forgive sins (he said to the sick of the palsy) I say to thee, Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house. 25And forthwith rising up before them, he took that wherein he lay; and he went into his house, magnifying God. 26And all were astonished: and they magnified God. And they were replenished with fear, saying: That we have seen marvellous things today.
27 * And after these things he went forth, and saw a Publican called Levi, sitting at the Custom-house, and he said to him: Follow me. 28And • leaving all things, he rose and followed him. 29And Levi made him a great feast in his house; and there was a great multitude of Publicans, and of others that were sitting at the table with them. 30And their Pharisees and Scribes murmured, saying to his disciples: Why do you eat and drink with Publicans and sinners? 31And Jesus answering said to them: They that are whole, need not the Physician: but they that are ill at ease. 32 [c] I came not to call the just, but sinners to penance.
33But they said to him: * Why do the Disciples of John [d] fast often, and make obsecrations, and of the Pharisees in like manner; but thine do eat and drink? 34To whom he said: Why, can you make the children of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? 35But the days will come; and when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, then they shall fast in those days. 36And he said a similitude also unto them: That no man putteth a piece from a new garment into an old garment; otherwise both he breaketh the new, and the piece from the new agreeth not with the old. 37And no body putteth new wine into old bottles: otherwise the new wine will break the bottles, and it self will be shed, and the bottles will be lost. 38But new wine is to be put into new bottles: and both are preserved together. 39And no man drinking old, will new by and by. For he saith, The old is better.
Footnotes
ANNOTATIONS. CHAP. V.
↑ 3. One ship Simon’s.) It is purposely expressed that there were two ships, and that one of them was Peter’s, and that Christ went into that one, and sat down in it, and that sitting he taught out of that ship: no doubt to signify the Church resembled by Peter’s ship, and that in it is the chair of Christ, and only true preaching.
↑ 6. A great multitude of fishes.) Likewise by this significative miracle wrought about Peter’s fishing, is evidently foreshowed what wonderful success Peter should have in converting men to Christ, both Jews and Gentiles: as when at one draught, that is to say, * at one Sermon he drew into his ship, which is Christ’s Church, a great number of men, as he did now fishes: and so continually by himself and his Successors unto the world’s end.
↑ 7. Beckoned to their fellows.) Peter had so much work that he called for help and joined unto him the other ship representing to us his co-partners in the preaching of the Ghospel, and the conjunction of the Synagogue and the People of Gentility unto Peter’s ship, that is, to the Church of Christ. Ambro. lib. 4. in Luc. c. ult.
↑ 10. Thou shalt be taking men..) That all this aforesaid did properly mean Peter’s travails to come, in the conversion of the world to Christ, and his prerogative before all men therein, it is evident by Christ’s special promise made to him severally and apart in this place, that he should be made the taker of men, though to other he giveth also, as to Peter’s co-operators and coadjutors, the like office. Mat. 4, 19.
↑ 19. Went up upon the roof.) A strange diligence in procuring corporal health of and by Christ: and an example for us of the like or greater, to obtain salvation of him either for ourselves or our friends, and to seek to his Church and Sacraments with what extraordinary pain soever.
↑ 20. Whose faith.) Great is God (saith St. Ambrose) and pardoneth one sort through the merits of others. Therefore if thou doubt to obtain forgiveness of thy great offences, join unto thyself intercessors, use the Church’s help, which may pray for thee and obtain for thee that which our Lord might deny to thyself. Amb. lib. 5 in Luc.
↑ 24. The son of man in earth.) By which act (* saith St. Cyril) it is clear that the Son of man hath power in earth to remit sins; which he said both for himself and us. For he, as God being made man and Lord of the Law, forgiveth sins. And we also have obtained by him that wonderful grace. For it is said to his Disciples: Whose sins you shall remit, they are remitted to them. And how should not he be able to remit sins, who gave others power to do the same?
↑ 28. Leaving all followed him.) The * profane Julian charged Matthew of too much lightness, to leave all and follow a stranger, at one word. But indeed hereby is seen the marvellous efficacy of Christ’s Word and internal working, that in a moment can alter the heart of a man, and cause him nothing to esteem the things most dear unto him. Which he did not only then in presence, but also daily doth in the Church. For so St. Antony, St. Francis, and others, by hearing only the Word of our Saviour read in the Church, forsook all and followed him.
Margin Notes
- 1–11. The Ghospel upon the 4th Sunday after Pentecost.
- 17–26. The Ghospel upon Ember Friday in Whitsunweek.
- 27–32. The Ghospel upon St. Matthewe’s eve Septemb. 20.
- annot. 3. Peter’s ship.
- annot. 6. Peter’s fishing.
- annot. 7. Peter’s coadjutors.
- annot. 10. Peter’s preeminence in fishing for men’s souls.
- annot. 19. Zeal of souls.
- annot. 20. The intercession of others.
- annot. 24. Priests do remit sins.
- annot. 28. Forsaking all, and following Christ.
Margin References
- 2. Mat. 4, 18. Mar. 1, 16.
- 12. Mat. 8, 2. Mar. 1, 40.
- 14. Lev. 14, 2.
- 17. Mat. 9, 2. Mar. 2, 3.
- 27. Mat. 9, 9. Mar. 2, 14.
- 33. Mat. 9, 14. Mar. 2, 18. Luc. 11, 1.
- annot. 6. Act. 2, 41. 4, 4.
- annot. 24. In Catena St. Thomas.
- annot. 24. Joh. 20, 23.
- annot. 28. Jero. in Mt. 9.
- annot. 28. Athanasius. in vit. St. Antony; Augustine confess. lib. 8 ch. 12; Bonaventure in vit. St. Francisci.
