CHAPTER IX.

Christ heals one sick of the palsy; calls Matthew; cures the issue of blood; raises to life the daughter of Fairus; gives sight to two blind men; and heals a dumb man possessed by the devil.

The crowds which Our Lord fled from at Capharnaum, were now dispersed; and he yielded to the prayer of the Gerasenes by taking boat and crossing the sea again. As before remarked, there is a hysteron-proteron here. The events of this chapter all occurred before the Sermon on the Mount. Some of the Evangelists differ from Matthew in the order of narration and other circumstances; but most writers are agreed that the order which Matthew observes in this narrative (putting aside the hysteronproteron) is the more to be relied on as it includes an event of very great importance to himself, his vocation to the Apostolic College.

1His own city. Some think it was Bethlehem, and some Nazareth. The general opinion is that it was Capharnaum; in Matthew iv. 13, he is said to have left Nazareth for the latter place.

2They brought Him.-Other Evangelists describe four men letting him down through the roof. Flat roofs with a parapet are general in the East. 3Thy sins are forgiven thee.-Our Lord knew the man's sins, and his interior dispositions and so did not require confession.

4Said within themselves.-Our Lord knew what was passing in their minds.

Easier to say.-He does not say to do.

Rise up, take thy bed, etc.-Our Lord proves by this miracle that he has power as Son of man, which power he intends to give to other sons of men, to forgive sins. The beds in the East were made of a kind of thick carpet or canvas stretched on crossed poles, which were easily rolled up and carried under the arm.

"To men.-The Evangelist lets them have their belief, as that power was afterwards delegated by Our Lord.

The men here showed:

Forgiveness of sins. Did Our

Ist. Faith, in Our Lord's Lord give the power?

9. Et cùm transiret indè JESUS, vidit hominem sedentem in telonio, Matthæum nomine. Et ait illi: "Sequere me." Et surgens secutus est eum.

10. Et factum est, discumbente eo in domo, ecce multi publicani et peccatores, venientes, discumbebant cum JESU et discipulis ejus.

11. Et videntes pharisæi, dicebant discipulis ejus: "Quarè cum publicanis et peccatoribus manducat magister vester?"

12. At JESUS audiens ait: "Non est opus valentibus medicus, sed malè habentibus.

13. "Euntes autem discite quid est: Misericordiam volo, et non sacrificium. Non enim veni vocare justos, sed peccatores."

9. And when Jesus passed on from thence, he saw a man sitting in the 'custom-house, named Matthew: and he saith to him: Follow me. And he rose up and followed him.

10. And it came to pass, as he was at table in the house, behold, many 3publicans and sinners came, and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.

II. And the Pharisees seeing it, said to his disciples: "Why doth your master eat with publicans and sinners?

12. But Jesus hearing it, said: They that are in health need not a physician, but they that are sick.

13. Go then, and learn what this meaneth: "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice. For I am not come to call the just, but sinners.

In disembarking from vessels passengers are generally obliged to submit their luggage to the custom-house officers in order to pay duty if they bring excisable commodities. When Our Lord landed he sees the officer, whom others call Levi, who, either received at his call or had before, the name of Matthew. His vocation is very briefly told here by himself, but the other Evangelists describe it more fully. He gave the banquet; both to rejoice over his new life, and feast his companions in order to their conversion. Some say how could he give a banquet, if he had left all things? The leaving was a moral instant very likely, or the friend to whom he left his property, ought at least to give so much in his name.

1Custom-house. These officers were employed by the Romans and hated by the Jews. They were generally rapacious and unjust and were called in Latin publicani and mis-translated into English, publicans.

And he rose up and followed Him.—Some consider this a rash act; but the same could be said of all the Apostles and of all Religious as well.

Publicans and Sinners.-The sinners here were dissolute Jews, who did not observe the ceremonial law, and had no scruple of keeping the company of Gentiles.

Why doth your Master.-The Pharisees were always ready to be shocked at everything Our Lord did, and He took very good care to let them be shocked. Scandalum Pharisæorum !

51 will have mercy, and not sacrifice.—The two nots, here and in the next phrase, are Hebraisms. They mean rather than. S. Matthew is supposed from these and other phrases, to have written his Gospel in Hebrew.

15. Et ait illis JESUS: "Numquid possunt filii sponsi lugere quamdiù cum illis est sponsus? Venient autem dies cùm auferetur ab eis sponsus, et tunc jejunabunt.

16. "Nemo autem immittit commissuram panni rudis in vestimentum vetus: tollit enim plenitudinem ejus â vestimento, et pejor scissura fit.

17. "Neque mittunt vinum novum in utres veteres : alioquin rumpuntur utres, et vinum effunditur, et utres pereunt; sed vinum novum in utres novos mittunt, et ambo conservantur."

15. And 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 then they shall fast.

16. And no man putteth 3a piece of new cloth to an old garment for it taketh away what was whole from the garment, and the rent is made worse.

17. Neither do they put new wine into 'old bottles: otherwise the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles are lost. But new wine they put into new bottles: and both are preserved.

Here we have one of the first efforts of the Pharisees to entrap Our Lord. He had defended His conduct in mixing with sinners; and now they make a personal attack. The disciples of the Baptist fasted like their master, and the Pharisees did fasts of supererogation as well. If Our Lord blamed John, He would go against the vox populi, and if He approved, why did He not do likewise? This was the trap. Our Lord then shows that there is a time for feasting and a time for fasting. Matthew was having a feast, and it was very bad taste to introduce a death's head, or a lecture on mortification at a festive board. John was in prison, and his disciples for whom very likely that was a fast day-were a little scandalised. The Pharisees urged them on, and thus originated Our Lord's answer.

'The disciples of John.-They were about being scattered just now, and awaiting their time to become disciples of Jesus.

2Children of the bridegroom.-That means the intimate friends of the bridegroom. S. John had called Our Lord (John iii. 29.) a bridegroom; and, as He was just now celebrating His espousals with the infant Church, why should they fast just then? He foretells that when He is gone, and