The cure of the paralytic (ver. 2), is generally supposed to have been anterior in point of time, to the cure of two possessed persons, chap. viii. Carrieres supposes the contrary. (Bible de Vence) --- Into his own city. Not of Bethlehem, where he was born, nor of Nazareth, where he was brought up,... [ Continue Reading ]
Thy sins are forgiven thee. We do not find that the sick man asked this; but it was the much greater benefit, and which every one ought to prefer before the health of the body. (Witham) --- He says this, because he wished to declare the cause of the disease, and to remove it, before he removed the d... [ Continue Reading ]
This man blasphemeth, by pretending to have a power to forgive sins, which none but God can do; and they looked upon Jesus as a man only. It is true, and what all Catholics teach, that God alone hath power of himself to forgive sins. But Christ, who was both God and man, could, and did communicate t... [ Continue Reading ]
Jesus seeing their thoughts. By shewing that he knew their hidden thoughts, as well as by healing the man, to confirm his words and doctrine, he gave them a proof of his divine power. (Witham) --- Not because they betrayed them by any exterior sign, but, as St. Mark says, knowing in his spirit that... [ Continue Reading ]
The power of working miracles, and of forgiving sins, is proper to God, but can be communicated by God to man equally in the sacraments of baptism and penance. (Haydock) --- Which is easier. It is more difficult to remit sins than restore the health of the body. St. Augustine remarks, (tract. lxxii... [ Continue Reading ]
_But that you may know. This may be understood differently, either as spoken by Christ to the Jews present, or by the evangelist to the people to whom he wrote his gospel. (St. Thomas Aquinas) --- Thus Christ proves that he had the power of remitting sins; as a falsity cannot be confirmed by a mirac... [ Continue Reading ]
_Feared, and glorified God. Here it may be observed, that the people, before they praised, feared God, for the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. And St. Basil says, that fear, as a good guide, necessarily leads us to piety; and charity takes us, after having been exercised a little in fear, ma... [ Continue Reading ]
Named Matthew. 'Tis remarked by St. Jerome, that the other evangelist, out of respect to this apostle, did not call him Matthew, (the name he generally went by) but Levi; whereas he, in his own gospel, to shew the goodness of God who from a publican had made him an apostle, styles himself Matthew th... [ Continue Reading ]
_They that are in health. The explication of which is, I converse with sinners, that I may heal their souls from incredulity. (Menochius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
I am not come. The just appear to be mentioned ironically, as it is said in Genesis, Behold Adam is become as one of us: and if I hunger, I will not tell thee. (Psalm xlix.) For St. Paul asserts, that none on earth were just: all have sinned, and need the glory of God. (Romans iii.) (St. John Chryso... [ Continue Reading ]
Then came. When the Pharisees in the prior question had been discomfited. By St. Mark, (ii. 18,) we learn that the Pharisees joined with the disciples of the Baptist, and thus is reconciled what we read in St. Luke v. 33, who only mentions the Pharisees. (Bible de Vence) --- Why do we, and the Phari... [ Continue Reading ]
[BIBLIOGRAPHY] Filii sponsi, _Greek: uioi tou numphonos, so filius pacis, filius mortis, &c._... [ Continue Reading ]
A piece of raw cloth. [2] By the Greek is signified new-woven cloth, that has not yet passed the hands of the fuller. (Witham) --- And no one putteth, &c. Christ, by these similitudes, justifies the manner of life which he taught his disciples, which at first was adapted to their understandings; les... [ Continue Reading ]
_New wine into old bottles. [3] These vessels were made of skins, or were leather bottles, in which wine used to be carried and kept. (Witham) --- They were made of goat-skins prepared and sewed together, as is common in Spain and other southern countries to this day. (Haydock) --- they were to wait... [ Continue Reading ]
_A certain ruler. [4] Lit. a prince of a synagogue. He is called Jairus. (Mark v. Luke viii.) --- My daughter is just now dead: or, as the other evangelists express it, is at the point of death; and her father having left her dying, he might think and say she was already dead. It is thus that some c... [ Continue Reading ]
_And behold a woman. This woman, according to Eusebius, came from Cæsarea Philippi, who, in honour of her miraculous cure, afterwards erected a brazen monument, descriptive of this event, before the door of her house in Cæsarea Philippi. (Eusebius)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Greek: Epistrapseis kai idon, turning about and seeing, as if he were ignorant, and wished to see who it was that had touched him, as the other evangelists relate. In St. Mark (v. 29,) we see she was cured on touching the garment; and Jesus only confirms the cure by what he says in verse 34. --- Bu... [ Continue Reading ]
_And when Jesus... saw the minstrels. It was a custom among the Jews at funerals to hire persons to make some doleful music, and great lamentations. (Witham) --- Ovid also mentions the lugubrious music attendant on funerals. --- Cantabat m\'9cstis tibia funeribus. (4. Fast.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
The girl is not dead. Christ, by saving so, insinuated that she was not dead in such a manner as they imagined; that is, so as to remain dead, but presently to return to life, as if she had been only asleep. (Witham) --- But sleepeth. In the xi. chapter of St. John, Christ again calls death a sleep.... [ Continue Reading ]
He took her by the hand, and as in his hands is the key both of life and death, (Apocalypse i. 18,) so he commanded the soul to return and the girl to arise. (Haydock) --- _and when the crowd, &c. That is, if after a sinful and worldly life we wish to rise again, and be cleansed from the miserable c... [ Continue Reading ]
_Son of David, have mercy on us. The blind men style our Saviour Son of David, to shew the great respect they had for him. Thus the prophets also did, when they addressed those kings to whom they wished to testify particular respect and esteem. (St. John Chrysostom, hom. xxxiii.)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_ And Jesus strictly charged them. Although our Saviour strictly charged them to keep the miracle silent, they nevertheless published it throughout all that country; not being able to contain themselves, they became the evangelists and publishers of what they were commanded to conceal. Thus we are a... [ Continue Reading ]
_Spread him fame abroad. Unable to confine their gratitude within the narrow limits of humility prescribed them by Jesus Christ. (Haydock)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_A dumb man. The Greek rather signifies a deaf man: but these defects generally go together, because he that is deaf cannot learn to speak. (Witham)_... [ Continue Reading ]
_By the prince of the devils. What more foolish ever entered the mind of man. Is it possible, as he afterwards says, that devils should be expelled by devils? They assist and strengthen, not weaken and destroy one another. Moreover, he did not only cast out devils, but he cleansed the lepers, raised... [ Continue Reading ]
_He had compassion on them. The bowels of his compassion yearned to see multitudes cast down and oppressed, like sheep that are without a shepherd. The Pharisees indeed were their shepherds; but they acted the part of ravenous wolves, not only neglecting to lead the people to virtue, but even hinder... [ Continue Reading ]