1A vstúpiac do lode preplavil sa na druhú stranu a prišiel do svojho vlastného mesta. 2A hľa, priniesli mu porazeného, položeného na ležisku. A keď videl Ježiš ich vieru, povedal porazenému: Dúfaj, dieťa, odpustené sú ti tvoje hriechy. 3A hľa, niektorí zo zákonníkov povedali sami v sebe: Tento sa rúha! 4Ale Ježiš vidiac ich myšlienky povedal: Načo vy myslíte zlé veci vo svojich srdciach? 5Lebo čože je ľahšie, povedať: Odpustené sú ti hriechy, a či povedať: Vstaň a choď? 6Ale aby ste vedeli, že Syn človeka má moc na zemi odpúšťať hriechy - vtedy povedal porazenému: Vstaň, vezmi svoje ležisko a iď domov! 7A on vstal a odišiel domov. 8A keď to videly zástupy, divily sa a oslavovaly Boha, ktorý dal ľuďom takú moc. 9A keď išiel odtiaľ Ježiš, videl človeka menom Matúša, sedieť na cle a povedal mu: Poď za mnou! A vstal a išiel za ním. 10A stalo sa, keď sedel Ježiš v jeho dome za stolom, že hľa, prišli mnohí publikáni a hriešnici a stolovali spolu s Ježišom i s jeho učeníkmi. 11A keď to videli farizeovia, hovorili jeho učeníkom: Prečo jie váš učiteľ s publikánmi a s hriešnikmi? 12A Ježiš počujúc to povedal (im): Zdraví nepotrebujú lekára, ale nemocní. 13Lež iďte a naučte sa, čo je to: Milosrdenstvo chcem a nie obeť. Lebo neprišiel som volať spravedlivých, ale hriešnych ku pokániu. 14Vtedy pristúpili k nemu učeníci Jánovi a povedali: Prečo sa my často postíme i farizeovia, a tvoji učeníci sa nepostia? 15A Ježiš im povedal: Či môžu svadobníci smútiť, kým je s nimi ženích? Ale prijdú dni, keď bude odňatý od nich ženích, a vtedy sa budú postiť. 16A veď nikto neprišíva záplaty surového súkna na staré rúcho, lebo jeho plnosť by odtrhla kus z toho rúcha a bola by ešte horšia diera. 17Ani nevlievajú nového vína do vetchých kožíc, lebo ináče by sa kožice potrhaly, a aj víno by sa vylialo, aj kožice by sa zahubily; ale nové víno lejú do nových kožíc, a zachované je oboje. 18Keď im to hovoril, tu hľa, prišlo isté knieža, klaňalo sa mu a hovorilo: Moja dcéra teraz zomrela, ale poď a vzlož na ňu svoju ruku, a bude žiť. 19A Ježiš vstal a išiel za ním i jeho učeníci. 20A hľa, nejaká žena, ktorá dvanásť rokov trpela na krvotok, pristúpila odzadu a dotkla sa dole okraja jeho rúcha, 21lebo riekla sama v sebe: Len keď sa dotknem jeho rúcha, budem uzdravená. 22A Ježiš obrátiac sa a vidiac ju povedal: Dúfaj, dcéro, tvoja viera ťa uzdravila. A žena bola zdravá od tej hodiny. 23A keď prišiel Ježiš do domu kniežaťa a videl pískajúcich na na píšťaly a zástup, robiaci ruch a nepokoj, 24povedal im: Odídite, lebo dievčatko nezomrelo, ale spí. A vysmievali sa mu. 25A keď bol vyhnaný zástup, vošiel chopil dievčatko za ruku, a vstalo. 26A tento chýr sa rozniesol o ňom po celej tej zemi. 27A keď išiel odtiaľ Ježiš, išli za ním dvaja slepí, ktorí kričali a hovorili: Zmiluj sa nad nami, Synu Dávidov! 28A keď vošiel do domu, pristúpili k nemu slepí. A Ježiš im povedal: Či veríte, že to môžem učiniť? A oni mu povedali: Áno, Pane! 29Vtedy sa dotknul ich očí a povedal: Nech sa vám stane podľa vašej viery! 30A hneď sa im otvorily oči. A Ježiš im prísne zakázal a povedal: Hľaďte, aby sa nikto nedozvedel o tom! 31Ale oni vyšli a rozhlásili ho po celej tej zemi. 32A keď oni vychádzali, tu hľa, priviedli mu nemého človeka, posadlého démonom. 33A keď bol démon vyhnaný, hovoril nemý. Vtedy sa divily zástupy a vravely: Nikdy nebolo nič také vidieť v Izraelovi. 34Ale farizeovia hovorili: Kniežaťom démonov vyháňa démonov. 35A Ježiš chodil po všetkých tých mestách a mestečkách a učil v ich synagógach a kázal evanjelium kráľovstva a uzdravoval každý neduh i každú chorobu medzi ľudom. 36A keď videl tie zástupy, hlbokou ľútosťou bol pohnutý nad nimi, že boli zmorení a rozptýlení jako ovce, nemajúce pastiera. 37Vtedy povedal svojim učeníkom: Žatvy je mnoho, ale robotníkov je málo. 38Tedy proste Pána žatvy, žeby vyslal robotníkov do svojej žatvy.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 9 MATTHEW'S CALL AND FEAST. ( =
Mark 2:14-
Mark 2:17;
Luke 5:27-
Luke 5:32). (
Matt 9:9-
Matt 9:13)
And as Jesus passed forth from thence--that is, from the scene of the paralytic's cure in Capernaum, towards the shore of the Sea of Galilee, on which that town lay. Mark, as usual, pictures the scene more in detail, thus (
Mark 2:13): "And He went forth again by the seaside; and all the multitude resorted unto Him, and He taught them"--or, "kept teaching them." "And as He passed by"
he saw a man, named Matthew--the writer of this precious Gospel, who here, with singular modesty and brevity, relates the story of his own calling. In Mark and Luke he is called Levi, which seems to have been his family name. In their lists of the twelve apostles, however, Mark and Luke give him the name of Matthew, which seems to have been the name by which he was known as a disciple. While he himself sinks his family name, he is careful not to sink his occupation, the obnoxious associations with which he would place over against the grace that called him from it, and made him an apostle. (See on
Matt 10:3). Mark alone tells us (
Mark 2:14) that he was "the son of Alphćus"--the same, probably, with the father of James the Less. From this and other considerations it is pretty certain that he must at least have heard of our Lord before this meeting. Unnecessary doubts, even from an early period, have been raised about the identity of Levi and Matthew. No capable jury, with the evidence before them which we have in the Gospels, would hesitate in giving a unanimous verdict of identity.
sitting at the receipt of custom--as a publican, which Luke (
Luke 5:27) calls him. It means the place of receipt, the toll house or booth in which the collector sat. Being in this case by the seaside, it might be the ferry tax for the transit of persons and goods across the lake, which he collected. (See on
Matt 5:46).
and he saith unto him, Follow me--Witching words these, from the lips of Him who never employed them without giving them resistless efficacy in the hearts of those they were spoken to.
And he--"left all" (
Luke 5:28), "arose and followed him."
The Feast (
Matt 9:10-
Matt 9:13).
10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house--The modesty of our Evangelist signally appears here. Luke says (
Luke 5:29) that "Levi made Him a great feast," or "reception," while Matthew merely says, "He sat at meat"; and Mark and Luke say that it was in Levi's "own house," while Matthew merely says, "He sat at meat in the house." Whether this feast was made now, or not till afterwards, is a point of some importance in the order of events, and not agreed among harmonists. The probability is that it did not take place till a considerable time afterwards. For Matthew, who ought surely to know what took place while his Lord was speaking at his own table, tells us that the visit of Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, occurred at that moment (
Matt 9:18). But we know from Mark and Luke that this visit of Jairus did not take place till after our Lord's return, at a later period from the country of the Gadarenes. (See
Mark 5:21, &c., and
Luke 8:40, &c.). We conclude, therefore, that the feast was not made in the novelty of his discipleship, but after Matthew had had time to be somewhat established in the faith; when returning to Capernaum, his compassion for old friends, of his own calling and character, led him to gather them together that they might have an opportunity of hearing the gracious words which proceeded out of His Master's mouth, if haply they might experience a like change.
behold, many publicans and sinners--Luke says, "a great company" (
Luke 5:29) --came and sat down with him and his disciples. In all such cases the word rendered "sat" is "reclined," in allusion to the ancient mode of lying on couches at meals.
11 And when the Pharisees--"and scribes," add Mark and Luke (
Mark 2:6;
Luke 5:21).
saw it, they said--"murmured" or "muttered," says Luke (
Luke 5:30).
unto his disciples--not venturing to put their question to Jesus Himself.
Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?--(See on
Luke 15:2).
12 But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them--to the Pharisees and scribes; addressing Himself to them, though they had shrunk from addressing Him.
They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick--that is, "Ye deem yourselves whole; My mission, therefore, is not to you: The physician's business is with the sick; therefore eat I with publicans and sinners." Oh, what myriads of broken hearts, of sin-sick souls, have been bound up by this matchless saying!
13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth-- (
Hos 6:6),
I will have mercy, and not sacrifice--that is, the one rather than the other. "Sacrifice," the chief part of the ceremonial law, is here put for a religion of literal adherence to mere rules; while "mercy" expresses such compassion for the fallen as seeks to lift them up. The duty of keeping aloof from the polluted, in the sense of "having no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness," is obvious enough; but to understand this as prohibiting such intercourse with them as is necessary to their recovery, is to abuse it. This was what these pharisaical religionists did, and this is what our Lord here exposes.
for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance--The italicized words are of doubtful authority here, and more than doubtful authority in
Mark 2:17; but in
Luke 5:32 they are undisputed. We have here just the former statement stripped of its figure. "The righteous" are the whole; "sinners," the sick. When Christ "called" the latter, as He did Matthew, and probably some of those publicans and sinners whom he had invited to meet Him, it was to heal them of their spiritual maladies, or save their souls: "The righteous," like those miserable self-satisfied Pharisees, "He sent empty away."
27 TWO BLIND MEN AND A DUMB DEMONIAC HEALED. (
Matt 9:27-
Matt 9:34)
And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him--hearing, doubtless, as in a later case is expressed, "that Jesus passed by" (
Matt 20:30).
crying, and saying, Thou son of David, have mercy on us--It is remarkable that in the only other recorded case in which the blind applied to Jesus for their sight, and obtained it, they addressed Him, over and over again, by this one Messianic title, so well known--"Son of David" (
Matt 20:30). Can there be a doubt that their faith fastened on such great Messianic promises as this, "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened," &c. (
Isa 35:5)? and if so, this appeal to Him, as the Consolation of Israel, to do His predicted office, would fall with great weight upon the ears of Jesus.
28 And when he was come into the house--To try their faith and patience, He seems to have made them no answer. But
the blind men came to Him--which, no doubt, was what He desired.
and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? they said unto him, Yea, Lord--Doubtless our Lord's design was not only to put their faith to the test by this question, but to deepen it, to raise their expectation of a cure, and so prepare them to receive it; and the cordial acknowledgment, so touchingly simple, which they immediately made to Him of His power to heal them, shows how entirely that object was gained.
29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you--not, Receive a cure proportioned to your faith, but, Receive this cure as granted to your faith. Thus would they carry about with them, in their restored vision, a gracious seal of the faith which drew it from their compassionate Lord.
30 And their eyes were opened: and Jesus straitly charged them--The expression is very strong, denoting great earnestness.
31 But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country--(See on
Matt 8:4).
A Dumb Demoniac Healed (
Matt 9:32-
Matt 9:34).
32 As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil--"demonized." The dumbness was not natural, but was the effect of the possession.
33 And when the devil--demon.
was cast out, the dumb spake--The particulars in this case are not given; the object being simply to record the instantaneous restoration of the natural faculties on the removal of the malignant oppression of them, the form which the popular astonishment took, and the very different effect of it upon another class.
and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel--referring, probably, not to this case only, but to all those miraculous displays of healing power which seemed to promise a new era in the history of Israel. Probably they meant by this language to indicate, as far as they thought it safe to do so, their inclination to regard Him as the promised Messiah.
34 But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils--"the demons through the prince of the demons." This seems to be the first muttering of a theory of such miracles which soon became a fixed mode of calumniating them--a theory which would be ridiculous if it were not melancholy as an outburst of the darkest malignity. (See on
Matt 12:24, &c.).
35 THIRD GALILEAN CIRCUIT--MISSION OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES. (Mat. 9:35-10:5)
And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people--The italicized words are of more than doubtful authority here, and were probably introduced here from
Matt 4:23. The language here is so identical with that used in describing the first circuit (
Matt 4:23), that we may presume the work done on both occasions was much the same. It was just a further preparation of the soil, and a fresh sowing of the precious seed. (See on
Matt 4:23). To these fruitful journeyings of the Redeemer, "with healing in His wings," Peter no doubt alludes, when, in his address to the household of Cornelius, he spoke of "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil: for God was with Him" (
Acts 10:38).
Jesus Compassionating the Multitudes, Asks Prayer for Help (
Matt 9:36-
Matt 9:38). He had now returned from His preaching and healing circuit, and the result, as at the close of the first one, was the gathering of a vast and motley multitude around Him. After a whole night spent in prayer, He had called His more immediate disciples, and from them had solemnly chosen the twelve; then, coming down from the mountain, on which this was transacted, to the multitudes that waited for Him below, He had addressed to them--as we take it--that discourse which bears so strong a resemblance to the Sermon on the Mount that many critics take it to be the same. (See on Luke 6:12-49; and
Matt 5:1, Introductory Remarks). Soon after this, it should seem, the multitudes still hanging on Him, Jesus is touched with their wretched and helpless condition, and acts as is now to be described.
36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted--This reading, however, has hardly any authority at all. The true reading doubtless is, "were harassed."
and were scattered abroad--rather, "lying about," "abandoned," or "neglected."
as sheep, having no shepherd--their pitiable condition as wearied under bodily fatigue, a vast disorganized mass, being but a faint picture of their wretchedness as the victims of pharisaic guidance; their souls uncared for, yet drawn after and hanging upon Him. This moved the Redeemer's compassion.
37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous--His eye doubtless rested immediately on the Jewish field, but this he saw widening into the vast field of "the world" (
Matt 13:38), teeming with souls having to be gathered to Him.
but the labourers--men divinely qualified and called to gather them in.
38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest--the great Lord and Proprietor of all. Compare
John 15:1, "I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman."
that he will send forth labourers into his harvest--The word properly means "thrust forth"; but this emphatic sense disappears in some places, as in
Matt 9:25, and
John 10:4 --"When He putteth forth His own sheep." (See on
Matt 4:1).