Ver. 1. And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.2. And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy, "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee."3. And, behold, certain of the Scribes said within themselves, "This man blasphemeth."4. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, "Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?5. For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?6. But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) "Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house."7. And he arose, and departed to his house.8. But when the multitude saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.
Chrys., Hom. xxix: Christ had above shewn His excellent power by teaching, when "he taught them as one having authority;" in the leper, when He said, "I will, be thou clean;" by the centurion, who said to Him, "Speak the word, and my servant shall be healed;" by the sea which He calmed by a word; by the daemons who confessed Him; now again, in another and greater way, He compels His enemies to confess the equality of His honour with the Father; to this end it proceeds, "And Jesus entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city." He entered a boat to cross over, who could have crossed the sea on foot; for He would not be always working miracles, that He might not take away the reality of His incarnation.
Chrysologus, Serm. 50: The Creator of all things, the Lord of the world, when He had for our sakes straitened Himself in the bonds of our flesh, began to have His own country as a man, began to be a citizen of Judaea, and to have parents, though Himself the parent of all, that affection might attach those whom fear had separated.
Chrysostom: By "his own city" is here meant Capharnaum. For one town, to wit, Bethlehem, had received Him to be born there; another had brought Him up, to wit, Nazareth; and a third received Him to dwell there continually, namely, Capharnaum.
Aug., De Cons. Evan., ii, 25: That Matthew here speaks of "his own city," and Mark calls it Capharnaum, would be more difficult to be reconciled if Matthew had expressed it Nazareth. But as it is, all Galilee might be called Christ’s city, because Nazareth was in Galilee; just as all the Roman empire, divided into many states, was still called the Roman city. [Source note: margin note: civitas] Who can doubt then that the Lord in coming to Galilee is rightly said to come into "his own city," whatever was the town in which He abode, especially since Capharnaum was exalted into the metropolis of Galilee?
Jerome: Or; This city may be no other than Nazareth, whence He was called a Nazarene.
Augustine: And if we adopt this supposition, we must say that Matthew has omitted all that was done from the time that Jesus entered into His own city till He came to Capharnaum, and has proceeded on at once to the healing of the paralytic; as in many other places they pass over things that intervened, and carry on the thread of the narrative, without noticing any interval of time, to something else; so here, "And, to, they bring unto him a paralytic laying on a bed."
Chrysostom: This paralytic is not the same as he in John. For he lay by the pool, this in Capharnaum; he had none to assist him, this was borne "on a bed."
Jerome: "On a bed," because he could not walk.
Chrysostom: He does not universally demand faith of the sick, as, for example, when they are mad, or from any other sore sickness are not in possession of their minds; as it is here, "seeing their faith;"
Jerome: not the sick man’s, but theirs that bare him.
Chrysostom: Seeing then that they shewed so great faith, He also shews His excellent power; with full power forgiving sin, as it follows, "he said to the paralytic, Be of good courage, son, thy sins are forgiven thee."
Chrysologus: Of how great power with God must a man’s own faith be, when that of others here availed to heal a man both within and without. The paralytic hears his pardon pronounced, in silence uttering no thanks, for he was more anxious for the cure of his body than his soul. Christ therefore with good reason accepts the faith of those that bare him, rather than his own hardness of heart.
Chrysostom: Or, we may suppose even the sick man to have had faith; otherwise he would not have suffered himself to be let down through the roof as the other Evangelist relates.Jerome: O wonderful humility! This man feeble and despised, crippled in every limb, He addresses as "son." The Jewish Priests did not deign to touch him. Even therefore His "son," because his sins were forgiven him. Hence we may learn that diseases are often the punishment of sin; and therefore perhaps his sins are forgiven him, that when the cause of his disease has been first removed, health may be restored.
Chrysostom: The Scribes in their desire to spread an ill report of Him, against their will made that which was done be more widely known; Christ using their envy to make known the miracle. For this is of His surpassing wisdom to manifest His deeds through His enemies; whence it follows, "Behold, some of the Scribes said among themselves, This man blasphemeth."
Jerome: We read in prophecy, "I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions;" [[Isa 43:25]] so the Scribes regarding Him as a man, and not understanding the words of God, charged Him with blasphemy. But He seeing their thoughts thus shewed Himself to be God, Who alone knoweth the heart; and thus, as it were, said, By the same power and prerogative by which I see your thoughts, I can forgive men their sins. Learn from your own experience what the paralytic has obtained. "When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he said, Why think ye evil in your hearts?"
Chrysostom: He did not indeed contradict their suspicions so far as they had supposed Him to have spoken as God. For had He not been equal to God the Father, it would have behoved Him to say, I am far from this power, that of forgiving sin. But He confirms the contrary of this, by His words and His miracle; "Whether is it easier to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee, or to say, Arise, and walk?" By how much the soul is better than the body, by so much is it a greater thing to forgive sin than to heal the body. But forasmuch as the one may be seen with the eyes, but the other is not sensibly perceived, He does the lesser miracle which is the more evident, to be a proof of the greater miracle which is imperceptible.
Jerome: Whether or no his sins were forgiven He alone could know who forgave; but whether he could rise and walk, not only himself but they that looked on could judge of; but the power that heals, whether soul or body, is the same. And as there is a great difference between saying and doing, the outward sign is given that the spiritual effect may be proved; "But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins."Chrysostom: Above, He said to the paralytic, "Thy sins are forgiven thee," not, I forgive thee thy sins; but now when the Scribes made resistance, He shews the greatness of His power by saying, "The Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins." And to shew that He was equal to the Father, He said not that the Son of Man needed any to forgive sins, but that "He hath power."
Gloss., ap Anselm: These words "That ye may know," may be either Christ’s words, or the Evangelist’s words. As though the Evangelist had said, They doubted whether He could remit sins, "But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath the power to remit sins, he saith to the paralytic." If they are the words of Christ, the connexion will be as follows; You doubt that I have power to remit sins, "but that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power to remit sins" the sentence is imperfect, but the action supplies the place of the consequent clause, "he saith to the paralytic, Rise, take up thy bed."
Chrysologus: That which had been proof of his sickness, should now become proof of his recovered health. "And go to thy house," that having been healed by Christian faith, you may not die in the faithlessness of the Jews.
Chrysostom: This command He added, that it might be seen there was no delusion in the miracle; so it follows to establish the reality of the cure, "And he arose, and went away to his own house." But they that stood by yet grovel on the earth, whence it follows, "But the multitude seeing it were afraid, and glorified God, who had bestowed such power among men." For had they rightly considered among themselves, they would have acknowledged Him to be the Son of God. Meanwhile it was no little matter to esteem Him as one greater than men, and to have come from God.
Hilary: Mystically; When driven out of Judaea, He returns into His own city; the city of God is the people of the faithful; into this He entered by a boat, that is, the Church.
Chrysologus: Christ has no need of the vessel, but the vessel of Christ; for without heavenly pilotage the bark of the Church cannot pass over the sea of the world to the heavenly harbour.
Hilary: In this paralytic the whole Gentile world is offered for healing, he is therefore brought by the ministration of Angels; he is called Son, because he is God’s work; the sins of his soul which the Law could not remit are remitted him; for faith only justifies. Lastly, he shews the power of the resurrection, by taking up his bed, teaching that all sickness shall then be no more found in the body.
Jerome: Figuratively, the soul sick in the body, its powers palsied, is brought by the perfect doctor to the Lord to be healed. For every one when sick, ought to engage some to pray for his recovery, through whom the halting footsteps of our acts may be reformed by the healing power of the heavenly word. These are mental monitors, who raise the soul of the hearer to higher things, although sick and weak in the outward body.
Chrysologus: The Lord requires not in this world the will of those who are without understanding, but looks to the faith of others; as the physician does not consult the wishes of the patient when his malady requires other things.
Rabanus: His rising up is the drawing off the soul from carnal lusts; his taking up his bed is the raising the flesh from earthly desires to spiritual pleasures; his going to his house is his returning to Paradise, or to internal watchfulness of himself against sin.
Greg., Mor. xxiii, 24: Or by the bed is denoted the pleasure of the body. He is commanded now he is made whole to bear that on which he had lain when sick, because every man who still takes pleasure in vice is laid as sick in carnal delights; but when made whole he bears this because he now endures the wantonness of that flesh in whose desires he had before reposed.
Hilary: It is a very fearful thing to be seized by death while the sins are yet unforgiven by Christ; for there is no way to the heavenly house for him whose sins have not been forgiven. But when this fear is removed, honour is rendered to God, who by His word has in this way given power to men, of forgiveness of sins, of resurrection of the body, and of return to Heaven.
Ver. 9. And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, "Follow me." And he arose, and followed him.10. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many Publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.11. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with Publicans and sinners?12. But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.13. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice; for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Chrys., Hom., xxx: Having wrought this miracle, Christ would not abide in the same place, lest He should rouse the envy of the Jews. Let us also do thus, not obstinately opposing those who lay in wait for us. "And as Jesus departed thence," (namely from the place in which He had done this miracle,) "he saw a man sitting at the receipt of custom, Matthew by name."
Jerome: The other Evangelists from respect to Matthew have not called him by his common name, but say here, Levi, for he had both names. Matthew himself, according to that Solomon says, "The righteous man accuses himself," [[Pro 18:17]] calls himself both Matthew and Publican, to shew the readers that none need despair of salvation who turn to better things, seeing he from a Publican became an Apostle.
Gloss., ap Anselm: He says, "sitting at the receipt of custom," that is, in the place where the tolls were collected. He was named Telonarius, from a Greek word signifying taxes.
Chrysostom: Herein he shews the excellent power of Him that called him; while engaged in this dangerous office He rescued him from the midst of evil, as also Paul while he was yet mad against the Church. "He saith unto him, Follow me." As you have seen the power of Him that calleth, so learn the obedience of him that is called; he neither refuses, nor requests to go home and inform his friends.
Remigius: He esteems lightly human dangers which might accrue to him from his masters for leaving his accounts in disorder, but, "he arose, and followed him." And because he relinquished earthly gain, therefore of right was he made the dispenser of the Lord’s talents.
Jerome: Prophyry and the Emperor Julian insist from this account, that either the historian is to be charged with falsehood, or those who so readily followed the Saviour with haste and temerity; as if He called any without reason. They forget also the signs and wonders which had preceded, and which no doubt the Apostles had seen before they believed. Yea the brightness of effulgence of the hidden Godhead which beamed from his human countenance might attract them at first view. For if the loadstone can, as it is said, attract iron, how much more can the Lord of all creation draw to Himself whom He will!
Chrysostom: But why did He not call him at the same time with Peter and John and the others? Because he was then still in a hardened state, but after many miracles, and great fame of Christ, when He who knows the inmost secrets of the heart, perceived him more disposed to obedience, then He called him.
Aug., De Cons. Evan., ii, 26: Or, perhaps it is more probable that Matthew here turns back to relate something that he had omitted; and we may suppose Matthew to have been called before the sermon on the mount; for on the mount, as Luke relates, the twelve, whom He also name Apostles, were chosen.
Gloss., non occ.: Matthew places his called among the miracles; for a great miracle it was, a Publican becoming an Apostle.
Chrysostom: Why is it then that nothing is said of the rest of the Apostles how or when they were called, but only of Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Matthew? Because these were in the most alien and lowly stations, for nothing can be more disreputable than the office of Publican, nothing more abject than that of fisherman.
Gloss., ap Anselm: As a meet return for the heavenly mercy, Matthew prepared a great feast for Christ in his house, bestowing his temporal goods on Him of whom he looked to receive everlasting goods.
It follows, "And it came to pass as he sat at meat in the house."
Aug., De Cons. Evan., ii, 27: Matthew has not said in whose house Jesus sat at meat (on this occasion), from which we might suppose, that this was not told in its proper order, but that what took place at some other time is inserted here as it happened to come into his mind; did not Mark and Luke who relate the same shew that is was in Levi’s, that is, in Matthew’s house.
Chrysostom: Matthew being honoured by the entrance of Jesus into his house, called together all that followed the same calling with himself; "Behold many Publicans and sinners came and sat down with Jesus, and with his disciples."
Gloss., ap Anselm: The Publicans were they who were engaged in public business, which seldom or never can be carried on without sin. And a beautiful omen of the future, that he that was to be an Apostle and doctor of the Gentiles, at his first conversion draws after him a great multitude of sinners to salvation, already performing by his example what he was shortly to perform by word.