The Masters of the Jews he confuteth both with reasons and miracles: defending his remitting of sins, (9) his eating with sinners, (14) and his condescending to his weak Disciples, until he has made them stronger. (18) Showing also in two miracles, the order of his providence, about the Jews and Gentiles, leaving the one, when he called the other: (27) he cureth two blind men, and one possessed. (35) And having with so many miracles together, confuted his enemies, and yet they worse and worse, upon pity toward the people, he thinketh of sending true pastors unto them.
AND entering into a boat, he passed over the water, and came into his own city. 2And * behold they brought to him one sick of the palsy lying in bed. And Jesus [a] seeing their faith, said to the sick of the palsy: Have a good heart Son, thy sins are forgiven thee. 3And behold certain of the Scribes said within themselves: • He blasphemeth. 4And Jesus seeing their thoughts, said: Wherefore think you evil in your hearts? • 5Whether is easier, to say, thy sins are forgiven thee: or to say, arise and walk. 6But that you may know that the • Son of man hath power in earth to forgive sins, (then said he to the sick of the palsy) Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house. 7And he arose, and went into his house, 8And the multitudes seeing it, were afraid, and • glorified God that gave such power • to men.
9And * when Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man sitting in the custom-house, named Matthew; And he saith to him: Follow me. And he arose up, and followed him. 10And it came to pass as he was sitting at meat in the house, behold many Publicans and sinners came, and sat down with Jesus and his Disciples. 11And the Pharisees seeing it, said to his Disciples: why doth your Master eat with Publicans and sinners? 12But Jesus hearing it, said: They that are in health, need not a physician, but they that are ill at ease. 13But go your ways and learn what it is, I will mercy, and • not sacrifice. For I am not come to call the just, but sinners.
14Then * came to him the Disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees • fast often, but thy Disciples do not fast? 15And Jesus said to them: Can the children of the Bridegroom mourn, as long as the Bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the Bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and [b] then they shall fast. 16And nobody putteth a piece of raw cloth to an old garment. For he taketh away the piecing thereof from the garment, and there is made a greater rent. 17Neither do they put • new wine into old bottles. Otherwise the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish. But new wine they put into new bottles: and both are preserved together.
18 * As he was speaking this unto them, behold a certain Governor approached, and adored him, saying: Lord, my daughter is even now dead; but come, lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. 19And Jesus rising up followed him, and his Disciples. 20And behold a woman which was troubled with an issue of blood • twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment. 21For she said within herself: If I shall • touch only his garment: I shall be safe. 22But Jesus turning and seeing her, said: Have a good heart daughter, [c] thy faith hath made thee safe. And the woman became whole from that hour. 23And when Jesus was come into the house of the Governor, and saw minstrels and the multitude keeping a stir, 24he said: Depart: for the wench is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. 25And when the multitude was put forth, he entered in, and held her hand. And the maid arose. 26And this bruit went forth into all that country.
27And as Jesus passed forth from thence, there followed him two blind men crying and saying: Have mercy on us, O son of David. 28And when he was come to the house, the blind came to him. And Jesus saith to them, • Do you believe, that I can do this unto you? They say to him: Yes Lord. 29Then he touched their eyes, saying: According to your faith, be it done to you. 30And their eyes were opened, and Jesus threatened them, saying: See that no man know it. 31But they went forth, and bruited him in all that country.
32And when they were gone forth, * behold they brought him a dumb man, possessed with a Devil. 33And after the Devil was cast out, the dumb man spoke, and the multitudes marvelled saying: Never was the like seen in Israel. 34But * the Pharisees said: [d] In the Prince of Devils he casteth out Devils.
35And Jesus went about all the cities, and towns, teaching in their Synagogues, and preaching the Ghospel of the Kingdom, and curing every disease, and every infirmity. 36And seeing the multitudes, he pitied them; because they were vexed, and lay like sheep that have not a shepherd. 37Then he saith to his Disciples: The harvest surely is great, but the workmen are few. • 38Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth workmen into his harvest.
Footnotes
- ↑ We see that the faith of one helpeth to obtain for another.
- ↑ Christ signifieth that the Church shall use fasting-days after his Ascension. Epiph. in Comp. fid. Cath. Aug. ep. 80.
- ↑ Lo, her devotion to the hem of his garment, was not superstition, but a token of greater faith; so is the devout touching of holy relics.
- ↑ In like manner say the Heretics, calling all miracles done in the Catholic Church, the lying signs of Antichrist.
ANNOTATIONS. CHAP. IX.
↑ 3. He blasphemeth.) When the Jews heard Christ remit sins, they charged him with blasphemy, as Heretics now charge his Priests of the new Testament, for that they remit sins; to whom he said, Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven &c. Joan. 20.
↑ 5. Whether is easier.) The faithless Jews thought (as Heretics nowadays) that to forgive sins was so proper to God, that it could not be communicated unto man; but Christ showeth, that as to work miracles is otherwise proper to God only, and yet this power is communicated to men, so also to forgive sins.
↑ 6. The Son of man in earth.) Christ had power to remit sins, and often executed the same, not only as he was God, but also as he was a man, because he was head of the Church, and our chief Bishop and Priest according to his manhood, in respect whereof all power was given him in Heaven and earth. Mat. 28:18.
↑ 8. Glorified.) The faithful people did glorify God, that gave such power to men, for to remit sins, and to do miracles, knowing that that which God committeth to men, is not to his derogation, but to his glory, himself only being still the principal worker of that effect, men being only his ministers, substitutes, and working under him, and by his commission and authority.
↑ 8. To men.) Not only Christ as he was man, had this power to forgive sins, but by him and from him the Apostles, and consequently Priests, Mat. 28. All power is given me. Mat. 18. Whatsoever you shall loose in earth, shall be loosed in Heaven. Joan. 20. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven.
↑ 13. Not sacrifice.) These are the words of the Prophet, who spoke them even then when sacrifices where offered by God’s commandment; so that it maketh not against sacrifice. But he saith that sacrifice only without mercy, and charity, and generally with mortal sin, is not acceptable. The Jews offered their sacrifices duly, but in the meantime they had no pity nor mercy on their brethren; that is it, which God misliketh.
↑ 14. Fast often.) By the often fasting of St. John’s Disciples, we may gather that he appointed them a prescript manner of fasting: as it is certain he taught them a form of prayer. Luc. 5 and 11.
↑ 17. New wine.) By this new wine, he doth plainly here signify fasting, and the straight kind of life: by the old bottles, them that can not away therewith.
↑ 20. Twelve years.) This woman a Gentile, had her disease twelve years, and the Governor’s daughter a Jew (which is here raised to life) was twelve years old, Luc. 8. Mark then the Allegory hereof in the Jews and Gentiles. As that woman fell sick when the wench was born, so the Gentiles went their own ways into idolatry, when the Jews in Abraham believed. Again, as Christ here went to raise the wench, and by the way the woman was first healed, and then the wench revived: so Christ came to the Jews, but the Gentiles believed first, and were saved; and in the end the Jews shall believe also. Jero. in Mat.
↑ 21. Touch only.) Not only Christ’s words, but his garment and touch thereof, or anything to him belonging, might do, and did miracles, force proceeding from his holy Person to them. Yes this woman returning home * set up an Image of Christ, for memory of this benefit, and the hem of the same Image did also miracles. This Image Julian the Apostate threw down, and set up his own instead thereof, which was immediately destroyed by fire from Heaven. But the image of Christ broken in pieces by the Heathen, the Christians afterward gathering the pieces together placed it in the Church: where it was, as Sozomenus writeth, unto his time.
↑ 28. Do you believe that I can?) We see here that to the corporal healing of these men he requireth only this faith, that he is able; which faith is not sufficient to justify them. How then do the Heretics by this and the like places plead for their only justifying faith? See the Annot. Mar. 5, 36.
↑ 38. Pray therefore.) Therefore doth the Church pray and fast in the Ember days, when holy Orders are given, that is, when workmen are prepared to be sent into the harvest. See Act. 13, 2.
Margin Notes
- 1–8. The Ghospel upon the 18th Sunday after Pentecost.
- 9–13. The Ghospel upon St. Matthew’s day, Sept. 21.
- 18–26. The Ghospel upon the 23rd Sunday after Pentecost.
- annot. 5. Men have power to forgive sins.
- annot. 13. External Sacrifice.
- annot. 14. Fasting.
- annot. 21. Relics and Images.
Margin References
- Mar. 2:3. Luc. 5:18.
- Mar. 2:14. Luc. 5:27.
- 14. Osee. 6, 6. Mar. 2, 18. Luc. 5, 33.
- 18. Mar. 5, 22. Luc. 8, 41.
- 32. Mat. 12:22.
- 34. Mat. 12:14
- annot. 21. Eusebdi. 7 ch. 14 hist. Lib. 5 ch. 20.
