The blind Pharisees seeking his death for doing good upon the Sabboths, he meekly goeth out of the way: where the People that flock unto him, and his Miracles, are innumerable. (13) Yea to his Twelve also (having need of more workmen) he giveth power to work Miracles. (20) He so occupieth himself for souls, that his kin think him mad. (22) The Scribes of Jerusalem come so far, and yet have nothing but absurdly to blaspheme his casting out of Devils, to their own damnation. (31) That the Jews should not (after their manner) think it enough, that he is of their blood; he telleth that such rather are dear to him, as keep God’s commandments.
AND he entered again into the Synagogue, and there was a man there that had a withered hand. 2And they watched him whether he would cure on the Sabboths; that they might accuse him. 3And he saith to the man that had the withered hand: Rise up into the midst. 4And he saith to them: Is it lawful on the Sabboths to do well or ill? to save a soul, or to destroy? but they held their peace. 5And looking round about upon them, with anger, being sorrowful for the blindness of their heart, he saith to the man: Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth; and his hand was restored unto him.
6And the Pharisees going forth, immediately made a consultation with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. 7But Jesus with his Disciples retired to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee and Jewry followed him, 8and from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and beyond Jordan. And they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, hearing the things which he did, came to him. 9And he spoke to his Disciples that a boat might attend on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him. 10For he healed many, so that there pressed in upon him for [a] to touch him, as many as had hurts. 11And the unclean Spirits, when they saw him, fell down unto him: and they cried saying, 12 • Thou art the Son of God. And he vehemently charged them that they should not disclose him.
13And * ascending into a mountain, he called unto him whom he would himself, and they came to him. 14And he made that • twelve should be with him, and that he might send them to preach. 15And he gave them power to cure infirmities, and to cast out Devils. 16And he gave to Simon the name • Peter. 17And James of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he called their names, Boanerges, which is, the sons of thunder. 18And Andrew and Philippe, and Bartlemew and Matthew, and Thomas and James of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus and Simon Cananaeus, 19and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.
20And they come to a house; and the multitude resorteth together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21And when his friends had heard of it, they went forth to lay hands on him. For they said that he was become [b] mad. 22And the Scribes which were come down from Hierusalem, said: * That he hath Beelzebub; and that in the Prince of Devils he casteth out Devils. 23And after he had called them together, he said to them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? 24And if a • Kingdom be divided against itself, that Kingdom can not stand. 25And if a house be divided against itself, that house can not stand. 26And if Satan be risen against himself, he is divided, and can not stand, but hath an end. 27Nobody can rifle the vessel of the strong, being entered into his house, unless he first bind the strong, and then shall he rifle his house. 28Amen I say to you, that all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and the blasphemies wherewith they shall blaspheme. 29But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, he hath not forgiveness for ever, but shall be guilty of an • eternal sin. Because they said: He hath an unclean spirit.
30And * there come his mother and brethren; and standing without they sent unto him calling him, 31and the multitude sat about him: and they say to him: 32Behold thy mother and thy brethren without seek thee. 33And answering them, he said: • Who is my mother and my brethren? 34And looking about upon them which sat round about him, he saith: Behold my mother and my brethren. 35For whosoever shall do the will of God, he is my brother and my sister and mother.
Footnotes
- ↑ The only touching of Christ’s holy Person, or any part of his clothes, or whatsoever belonged to him, did heal all diseases.
- ↑ See here the conceit of worldly friends, who think the Zeal of Religion, madness: and therefore count them mad, that are Zealous in God’s cause, and for the Catholic faith: and the more Zealous, the more mad.
ANNOTATIONS. CHAP. III.
↑ 12. Thou art the Son.) The confession of the truth is not grateful to God, proceeding from every person. The Devil acknowledging our Saviour to be the Son of God, was bidden hold his peace: Peter’s confession of the same was highly allowed and rewarded, Aug. tract. 10 in ep. Joan, Ser. 30–31. de verb. Apost. Therefore neither Heretics’ sermons must be heard, no not though they preach the truth. So is it of their prayer and service, which being never so good in itself, is not acceptable to God out of their mouths, yea it is no better than the howling of wolves, Jerom in 7 Osee.
↑ 14. Twelve.) This number of twelve Apostles is mystical and of great importance (as appeareth * by the choosing of Mathias into Judas’s place to make up again this number) prefigured in the 12 Patriarchs, Gen. 49, the 12 Princes of the children of Israel, Num. 1, the 12 fountains found in Elim, Exod. 15, the 12 precious stones in the Rational of Aaron, Exod. 39, the 12 Spies sent by Moyses, Num. 13, the 12 stones taken out of Jordan whereof the Altar was made, Josu. 4, the 12 loaves of Proposition, Levit. 24, &c., Anselm. in Mt. ch. 10. And these are the 12 foundations of heavenly Jerusalem, Apoc. 21.
↑ 16. Peter.) Peter in numbering the Twelve is always the first, and his name is so given him for signification of his calling to be the * Rock or Foundation of the Church under Christ: as here also the name BOANERGES is given to other two Apostles for signification, and so diverse names elsewhere in the old Testament and in the new.
↑ 24. Kingdom against Kingdom.) As this is true in all Kingdoms and Common-weals where Civil dissension reigneth, so is it specially verified in heresies and Heretics, which have always divisions among themselves as the plague of God, for dividing themselves and others from the Church.
↑ 29. Eternal sin.) That which is here called eternal, is (as St. Matthew expresseth it) that which shall neither be remitted in this life, nor in the life to come. Where we learn by St. Mark, that there are also sins not eternal; and by St. Matthew, that they are such, as shall be forgiven either here, or in the life to come.
↑ 33. Who is my mother.) Neither is it here said, that he had no mother, as some upon these words falsely gather; nor ingratitude to our parents is taught us by this answer: but we be hereby admonished to prefer the spiritual mother of the Faithful, which is the Church Catholic, and our brethren in her, and their spiritual good, above our carnal parents or kin. For so our Master being occupied here about heavenly things, accounted all them his mother and brethren, which did the will of his Father, in which number our Lady his mother was also included, for she did his Father’s will, Aug. ep. 38. Yea and above all others, because she had so much grace given her that she never sinned not so much as venially in all her life, Aug. de nat. and grat ch. 36.
Margin Notes
- annot. 12. Sermons, Service, and prayer of Heretics.
- annot. 14. The number of Twelve, mystical.
- annot. 16. Peter’s pre-eminence.
- annot. 24. Dissension of Heretics.
- annot. 29. Venial sins forgiven after death.
- annot. 33. Spiritual kindred and business preferred before carnal and worldly.
- annot. 33. The Bl. Virgin without sin.
Margin References
- 1. Mat. 12, 9. Luc. 6, 6.
- 13. Mat. 5, 1. 10, 1. Luc. 6, 12. 9, 1.
- 22. Mat. 12, 24. Lev. 11, 15.
- 30. Mat. 12, 46. Luc. 8, 19.
- annot. 14. Act. 1.
- annot. 16. Mat. 16.
- annot. 24. Greg. lib. 9 ep. 3.
- annot. 29. Mat. 12:32.
