THE SICK OF THE PALSY. CALL OF MATTHEW. RAISING OF JAIRUS' DAUGHTER 1-8. The paralytic healed and his sins forgiven (Mark 2:1; Luke 5:17). The peculiarity of this miracle is that it was worked to prove a doctrine, and that in the face of opposition. There were present certain scribes and Pharisees,... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS OWN CITY] i.e. Capernaum.... [ Continue Reading ]
SON, BE OF GOOD CHEER] Words of encouragement and comfort to the man, who, we may conclude, knew that his disease was the result of past sin, and was therefore ashamed of himself. Not only drunkenness, but various other sins of self-indulgence produce paralysis. Jesus, who knew at a glance the whole... [ Continue Reading ]
THE SON OF MAN] i.e. the Son of God in the humiliation of His life on earth. HATH POWER (RM 'authority') ON EARTH TO FORGIVE SINS] What is the force of on earth? Bengel rightly says, 'This speech hints at His celestial origin.' Christ's design is to prove that His Incarnation has not emptied Him of... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH HAD GIVEN SUCH POWER (RM 'authority') UNTO MEN] The saying is a striking one. Although one man alone had exercised the power, the people rightly perceived that there had been established the principle that the divine forgiveness can be committed to man. Christ afterwards gave such power unto m... [ Continue Reading ]
MATTHEW] The other Gospels call him 'Levi.' Matthew ('gift of Jehovah') was the name by which he was known among Christians. He may have adopted it at his call. THE RECEIPT OF CUSTOM] RV 'the place of toll.' Custom, or toll (Gk. _telos_), was a tax levied on goods imported or exported from one dist... [ Continue Reading ]
CALL OF MATTHEW (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27 : see Intro.). The call of a publican was another challenge to the Pharisaic party. Considering the low estimation in which publicans were held (see on Matthew 5:46), it was an act of extraordinary boldness, and, if human success was aimed at, a most unwise one.... [ Continue Reading ]
AS JESUS SAT AT MEAT (lit. 'reclined') IN THE HOUSE] From St. Matthew and St. Mark it might be supposed that the meal took place in the house of Jesus, i.e. of Peter; but it is clear from St. Luke that it was in the house of Matthew, who made a great feast for his Master. This feast is not to be reg... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THE PHARISEES SAW _it_] The Pharisees were not invited, but they walked in to see what was happening. In the East a banquet is a public affair, and any casual wayfarer may enter as a spectator. WHY EATETH YOUR MASTER WITH PUBLICANS AND SINNERS?] The Pharisees spoke to the disciples to seduce th... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY THAT BE WHOLE, i.e. the Pharisees, HAVE NO NEED OF A PHYSICIAN, i.e. of Christ, BUT THEY THAT ARE SICK, i.e. the publicans and sinners. The saying is spoken in irony, for the Pharisees, wanting charity, wanted a physician even more than the publicans.... [ Continue Reading ]
I WILL HAVE MERCY, AND NOT SACRIFICE] i.e. I would rather see love and charity towards fellowmen than ritual observances. Ritual without love is an abomination. Quoted from Hosea 6:6, and again in Matthew 12:7. THE RIGHTEOUS] i.e. those who think themselves such, viz. the Pharisees. Ironically spoke... [ Continue Reading ]
FAST OFT] Some ancient authorities omit 'oft.'... [ Continue Reading ]
CONTROVERSY WITH THE DISCIPLES OF JOHN AND WITH THE PHARISEES ON FASTING (Mark 2:18; Luke 5:33). Matthew's feast probably took place on a Monday or a Thursday, days which were observed by the Pharisees and John's disciples as fasts: see Mk, 'The disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting.' The... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHILDREN (RV 'sons') OF THE BRIDECHAMBER] i.e. the friends of the bridegroom, who, amid singing and playing of instruments, conducted the bride, accompanied by her companions, to the house of the bridegroom and to the bridechamber, and remained to take part in the wedding-feast, which usually la... [ Continue Reading ]
A PIECE OF NEW CLOTH] lit. 'undressed cloth.' According to St. Luke the piece of new cloth is taken from the new garment of Christianity. It signifies the bright and joyous character of the religion of Christ, which cannot be successfully grafted upon the austere and joyless system of the Baptist.... [ Continue Reading ]
OLD BOTTLES] The most usual Eastern bottles are simply goat-skins drawn off the animal entire. The neck of the animal forms the neck of the bottle. Those used for wine are tanned with oak-bark and seasoned in smoke, which gives a flavour to the wine that is much appreciated. New wine is liable to a... [ Continue Reading ]
WHILE HE SPAKE] According to this Gospel the ruler came to Jesus as He was sitting at meat with Matthew the publican. The other Gospels record the incident immediately after the return from the country of the Gadarenes (Gerasenes). IS EVEN NOW DEAD] According to the fuller narrative of St. Mark and... [ Continue Reading ]
THE RAISING OF JAIRUS' DAUGHTER, AND THE HEALING OF THE WOMAN WITH AN ISSUE OF BLOOD (Mark 5:21; Luke 8:40). The most important point in the raising of Jairus' daughter is the reality of the death. This has been denied on account of our Lord's words, 'The maid is not dead, but sleepeth.' It is perfe... [ Continue Reading ]
A WOMAN] Eusebius (Church Historian, Bishop of Cæsarea in the 4th cent. a.d.) says that she was a heathen, residing at Paneas (Cæsarea Philippi), near the sources of the Jordan. Her house is shown in the city, and the wonderful monuments of our Saviour's benefit to her are still remaining. At the ga... [ Continue Reading ]
According to St. Mark and St. Luke only Peter, James, and John, and the parents witnessed the miracle. THE MINSTRELS] RV 'the flute-players.' The rabbis said, 'Even the poorest among the Israelites (his wife being dead) will afford her two flutes (i.e. two male flute-players to play at the funeral p... [ Continue Reading ]
St. Mark gives our Lord's actual Aramaic words, _Talitha cumi_, i.e. 'Maid, arise.'... [ Continue Reading ]
St. Mark and St. Luke add that our Lord commanded the parents to be silent about the miracle. Some think that this was only a warning against religious gossip. More probably, since the house was surrounded by an excited crowd, His design was to prevent a tumult.... [ Continue Reading ]
HEALING OF TWO BLIND MEN IN THE HOUSE (peculiar to St. Matthew). Blindness, chiefly as the result of ophthalmia, is exceedingly common in the East, and several miracles of restoring sight to the blind are recorded in the Gospels: Matthew 12:22; Matthew 20:30; Matthew 21:14; John 9. In this case Chri... [ Continue Reading ]
STRAITLY CHARGED] i.e. sternly (see RV) charged them, because He foresaw that they would disobey: cp. Matthew 12:16, etc.... [ Continue Reading ]
A DUMB MAN] The Gk. word may either mean deaf or dumb, or both.... [ Continue Reading ]
HEALING OF A DUMB MAN (Luke 11:14). This miracle is given by St. Luke in another connexion, and is there followed by a reply by Jesus to the criticisms of the Pharisees.... [ Continue Reading ]
IT WAS NEVER SO SEEN] Their wonder was excited not merely by this miracle, but by a long series of miracles worked in succession, of which this was the last.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PRINCE OF THE DEVILS] St. Luke 'by Beelzebub': see on Matthew 12:24.... [ Continue Reading ]
TOURS OF JESUS IN GALILEE (peculiar to St. Matthew, but cp. Mark 6:6; Mark 6:34; Luke 10:2). The early tours of Jesus in Galilee enabled Him to gain a comprehensive view of the actual spiritual condition of the people. It was a very unfavourable one, yet He was not moved to anger, but to pity, for t... [ Continue Reading ]
Cp. Mark 6:34. 37, 38. St. Luke introduces this saying in connexion with the mission of the Seventy (Luke 10:2).... [ Continue Reading ]