Christ accused of casting out devils by Beelzebub

St Mark Chapter III : Verses 20-35

The friends of Jesus seek Him

[20] And they come to a house, and the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
[21] And when his friends had heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him. For they said: He is become mad.

[20] Et veniunt ad domum : et convenit iterum turba, ita ut non possent neque panem manducare. [21] Et cum audissent sui, exierunt tenere eum : dicebant enim : Quoniam in furorem versus est.

Notes

20. to a house. In Capharnaum, but not immediately after the call of the apostles, since the accusation of dealing with the devil, made by the scribes against our Lord, took place some months later, in the autumn of the second year of our Lord’s ministry.

21. his friends. Not His disciples, but those friends and acquaintances who went out from Nazareth. They would all have been animated with a friendly spirit, believing that, as His friends, it was their duty to protect Him from His enemies.

he is become mad. The accusation of madness here made against our Lord has often been, in all ages, brought against those who leave all and follow Him (see Acts xxvi. 24). Those who thus spoke were His unbelieving friends and relations. They imagined Jesus to be beside Himself in consequence of religious fanaticism. Jesus has warned us that a man's enemies shall be they of his own household (St Matt. x. 36). He who was made like unto us in all things, except sin, experienced this trial.

Christ accused of casting out devils by Beelzebub

[22] And the scribes who were come down from Jerusalem, said: He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of devils he casteth out devils. 

[23] And after he had called them together, he said to them in parables: How can Satan cast out Satan? [24] And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 

[25] And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
[26] And if Satan be risen up against himself, he is divided, and cannot stand, but hath an end. 

[27] No man can enter into the house of a strong man and rob him of his goods, unless he first bind the strong man, and then shall he plunder his house. 

[28] Amen I say to you, that all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and the blasphemies wherewith they shall blaspheme: 

[29] But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, shall never have forgiveness, but shall be guilty of an everlasting sin. 

[30] Because they said: He hath an unclean spirit.

[22] Et scribæ, qui ab Jerosolymis descenderant, dicebant : Quoniam Beelzebub habet, et quia in principe dæmoniorum ejicit dæmonia. [23] Et convocatis eis in parabolis dicebat illis : Quomodo potest Satanas Satanam ejicere? [24] Et si regnum in se dividatur, non potest regnum illud stare. [25] Et si domus super semetipsam dispertiatur, non potest domus illa stare. 

[26] Et si Satanas consurrexerit in semetipsum, dispertitus est, et non poterit stare, sed finem habet. [27] Nemo potest vasa fortis ingressus in domum diripere, nisi prius fortem alliget, et tunc domum ejus diripiet. [28] Amen dico vobis, quoniam omnia dimittentur filiis hominum peccata, et blasphemiæ quibus blasphemaverint : [29] qui autem blasphemaverit in Spiritum Sanctum, non habebit remissionem in æternum, sed reus erit æterni delicti. [30] Quoniam dicebant : Spiritum immundum habet.

Notes

22. scribes .... from Jerusalem. Those who had been sent to watch Him and to report.

come down. From Jerusalem, which was the capital of Palestine.

Beelzebub = Lord of flies, so called, because he was invoked against plagues of flies, or because, being besmeared with the blood of the victims offered in sacrifice, the image was covered with them. The Jews applied this name also to Satan.

by the prince of devils he casteth out devils. From St Matt. (xii. 24) we learn that the cure of the blind and dumb man possessed with a devil led to this remark. The Pharisees, perhaps, caught up the idea of Christ's unbelieving friends about His madness, and attributed it to diabolical agency. The scribes were, by thus accusing our Lord, guilty of a fearful blasphemy, since they made Him out to be Satan’s accomplice, thus attributing to the devil what was effected by the Divine Power.

23. called them together,— i.e. the scribes. Probably they were dispersed among the crowd in order to excite the people against our Lord. By spreading their blasphemy they hoped to cause a tumult.

in parables = here the word stands for similes or illustrations.

Satan cast out Satan. By so doing, the devil would be working against his own interest ; moreover, if Satan was cast out by Jesus, then evidently Christ was the stronger. Our Lord argues that a kingdom or a house (i.e. family or household) divided against itself inevitably brings about its own destruction, and this, Satan was far too astute to do.

27. the house. This world, or the individual soul.

the strong man — Satan.

bind the strong man. He who has power to bind the strong is Jesus, who disarms the devil, drives him out and rifles his house, that is, delivers man from Satan’s yoke. This is an illustration of what Jesus had recently done when He healed the blind and dumb man possessed of a devil.

28. Amen I say to you. Here follows a solemn warning against the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.

all sins shall be forgiven, — i.e. by means of perfect contrition alone, or through sacramental confession and attrition together. It is an article of faith that no sinner having sincere contrition, is ever rejected by our God, who is infinitely merciful.

29. shall never have forgiveness. This sin which cannot have forgiveness is unpardonable probably because those guilty of it do not seek forgiveness, since the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is most likely the sin of final impenitence, or at least leads to it. This being a mortal sin, cannot be forgiven in the world to come (St Matt. xii. 32). From these additional words given by the first Evangelist we gather that some sins ( i.e. venial sins) can be forgiven in the next world. We have here an indirect proof of the existence of purgatory.

Additional Notes

29. shall never have forgiveness. St Augustine gives six sins “ against the Holy Spirit,” viz., presumption, despair, envy of another’s spiritual good, resisting the known truth, obstinacy in sin, and final impenitence. The Evangelist specially notes that the sin which “ shall never have forgiveness ” consists in resisting the known truth, and deliberately ascribing to diabolical agency what is effected by the power of God. Though God could forgive any sin, however grievous, yet, generally speaking, those who commit the sin of wilful apostasy from the known truth are rarely forgiven, because such sin hardens the heart and blinds the intellect, so that the sinner does not consent to receive the necessary graces of salvation which are denied to none. (See Heb. vi. 4, 5, x. 26, 1 St John v. 16, and the footnotes thereon in the Douay Bible.)

Mary and His brethren seek Him

[31] And his mother and his brethren came; and standing without, sent unto him, calling him. 

[32] And the multitude sat about him; and they say to him: Behold thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. 

[33] And answering them, he said: Who is my mother and my brethren? 

[34] And looking round about on them who sat about him, he saith: Behold my mother and my brethren. 

[35] For whosoever shall do the will of God, he is my brother, and my sister, and mother.

[31] Et veniunt mater ejus et fratres : et foris stantes miserunt ad eum vocantes eum, [32] et sedebat circa eum turba : et dicunt ei : Ecce mater tua et fratres tui foris quaerunt te. [33] Et respondens eis, ait : Quæ est mater mea et fratres mei? [34] Et circumspiciens eos, qui in circuitu ejus sedebant, ait : Ecce mater mea et fratres mei. [35] Qui enim fecerit voluntatem Dei, hic frater meus, et soror mea, et mater est.

Notes

His brethren: showing their probable relationship to Jesus

31. his brethren, viz., James (afterwards Bishop of Jerusalem), Joseph, Jude (alias Thaddæus) and Simon. They were not, of course, own brothers to our Lord, since the Blessed Virgin had no other son than Jesus. This is an article of faith, therefore the brethren in question were His cousins, the sons of Mary, wife of Cleophas (also called Alphæus), and this Mary, wife of Cleophas, appears to have been our Lady’s first cousin, since a tradition exists that our Lady was an only child.

According to a Jewish custom, cousins were styled brethren. Thus Abraham, speaking to Lot, says we are brethren (Gen. xiii. 8), and Laban calls Jacob, his nephew, my brother (Gen. xxix. 15). Had Jesus had brethren according to the flesh He would not, when dying, have committed His Holy Mother to the charge of St John. Some Greek writers have put forward the opinion that these “ brethren ” were children of St Joseph by a previous marriage, and thus they were our Lord’s step-brothers, but the universal opinion of the Latin church is that St Joseph was espoused only to our Blessed Lady.

his mother and his brethren. These, knowing our Lord well, would not have come for the same purpose as the friends mentioned in ver. 21, Perhaps they wished to invite Him to rest or take food.

standing without = unable to get in on account of the crowd.

33. Who is my mother, etc. ? Our Lord does not deny, slight or offend His mother by these words, and by His answer he shows—

(1) That He practised what He Himself exacted from His disciples, viz., renunciation of home and kindred.

(2) That God is to be preferred before all.

(3) That spiritual ties are higher and holier than earthly ties. ( Cf. St Luke ii. 48, 49.)

35. whosoever shall do the will, etc. Those who do the will of God and strive to bring others to His knowledge are recognised by Jesus as brother, sister, and mother, and this privilege is open to all. From this point of view, how dear was Mary to her Divine Son, since her motto ever was, Be it done unto me according to thy word. The enumeration of the different kinds of earthly relationship show that in spiritual relationship there is no distinction of sex (St Mark xii. 25, Gal. iii. 28).

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

 

The calling of the twelve Apostles

St Mark Chapter III : Verses 13-19

The calling of the twelve Apostles. J-J Tissot.

[13] And going up into a mountain, he called unto him whom he would himself: and they came to him. [14] And he made that twelve should be with him, and that he might send them to preach. 

[15] And he gave them power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils.
[16] And to Simon he gave the name Peter: 

[17] And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he named them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder: 

[18] And Andrew and Philip, and Bartholomew and Matthew, and Thomas and James of Alpheus, and Thaddeus, and Simon the Cananean: 

[19] And Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

[13] Et ascendens in montem vocavit ad se quos voluit ipse : et venerunt ad eum. [14] Et fecit ut essent duodecim cum illo : et ut mitteret eos prædicare. [15] Et dedit illis potestatem curandi infirmitates et ejiciendi dæmonia. [16] Et imposuit Simoni nomen Petrus : [17] et Jacobum Zebedæi, et Joannem fratrem Jacobi, et imposuit eis nomina Boanerges, quod est, Filii tonitrui : [18] et Andræam, et Philippum, et Bartholomæum, et Matthæum, et Thomam, et Jacobum Alphæi, et Thaddæum, et Simonem Cananæum, [19] et Judas Iscariotem, qui et tradidit illum.

Notes

13. going up. St Luke tells us that Jesus went up in the evening, since He passed the whole night in the prayer of God. And when day was come He called unto Him His disciples (vi. 12-13). Jesus habitually prayed before performing any important action.
into a mountain. A local tradition points to the “ Horns of Hattin,” the highest hill on the western side of the Sea of Galilee. There are two peaks at its summit joined by a small plateau.

14. He made that, etc. “ He called unto him his disciples.” He chose His apostles from among the numerous disciples referred to in Acts i. 21, as men who had companied with the apostles. "
twelve. There were twelve apostles, as there had been twelve sons of Jacob, the patriarchs of the Old Testament.
should he with him , etc. Jesus trained His apostles for their present and future work, to this end : —

(1) They were eye-witnesses of His miracles.

(2) They received special instructions from Him during His public life, and during the forty days after His resurrection, when He spoke of the Kingdom of God (Acts i. 3), — i.e. the establishment of the Catholic Church.

(3) They were sent out on apostolic missions.

(4) Jesus Himself raised them to the priesthood.

(5) They received the fulness of the gifts of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost.

send them to preach. Their preaching during our Lord’s lifetime had for object, to prepare their hearers for the preaching of Christ Himself, even as the precursor had done.

15. He gave them power, etc. They could even raise the dead, but all their miracles were worked in the name of Jesus, not authoritatively, as Jesus Himself worked miracles.

16. to Simon he gave the name Peter. Not necessarily at this moment, though the Evangelist mentions the fact here. The name was really changed when St Peter was brought to our Lord by St Andrew (see St John i. 42).
17-19. Names of the Apostles. These are enumerated four times in Holy Scripture.

We observe, when comparing these four lists, that the names fall naturally in three groups of four. We notice that in all four —

(a) Simon Peter stands first.

(b) Philip comes fifth.

(c) James (son of Alpheus) stands ninth.

(d) Judas Iscariot is named last.

The same names always occur in their own groups, though the order may vary within the divisions, excepting for the four mentioned above.
The word “apostle” signifies one sent forth. St John and St Mark only employ the word once, St Luke frequently uses it.

Additional Notes

The number of the Apostles. There were only twelve chosen by Christ, though others were added later on. By the death of Judas, the Apostolic College was reduced to eleven, but St Matthias took his place. St Paul and St Barnabas are also called apostles.

The Twelve Apostles are by some writers thought to have been typified in the Old Testament by —

(1) The twelve sons of Jacob, prefiguring their authority.

(2)   "         "    fountains of Elim, prefiguring their preaching.

(3)   "         "    stones on the high-priest’s breastplate, prefiguring their example.

(4)   "         "    loaves of proposition, prefiguring spiritual nourishment given by the Apostles.

(5)   "         "    stones taken by Josue from the Jordan, prefiguring their constancy and fortitude.

(6)   "         "    oxen upholding the brazen sea, prefiguring their strength of character.

In the New Testament the Twelve Apostles are supposed to be signified —

(1) By the twelve stars crowning the Spouse of Christ.

(2)    "           "      foundation stones of Jerusalem.

(3)    "           "      gates of pearl of Jerusalem.

 

13. he called unto him whom he would. The Apostles had a special vocation or call from our Lord. Not all who desired to follow Him closely were allowed to do so, while the rich young man, when bidden to follow our Lord, “ went away sad.” So now, men must have a special vocation for the priesthood, for none can- “ take the honour to himself, but he that is called of God, as Aaron was ” (Heb. v. 4).

15. power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils. We do not know if our Lord communicated these powers by any exterior ceremony, as when “ he breathed on them and said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost” (St John xx. 22). These powers were given as a proof that the Apostles were sent by the Messias on a divine mission. The other gospels give the conditions under which they were to go forth, “ Preach saying,” etc. (St Matt. x. 7, 10). As followers of Him who had not where to lay His head, the Apostles were to practise the strictest poverty and austerity. Their mission “ was to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” and they were forbidden to preach to the Samaritans or to the Gentiles.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Healing of the man with the withered hand

St Mark Chapter III : Verses 1-12

"Stretch forth thy hand..." J-J Tissot

[1] And he entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had a withered hand. 

[2] And they watched him whether he would heal on the sabbath days; that they might accuse him. 

[3] And he said to the man who had the withered hand: Stand up in the midst. 

[4] And he saith to them: Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy? But they held their peace. 

[5] And looking round about on them with anger, being grieved for the blindness of their hearts, he saith to the man: Stretch forth thy hand. And he stretched it forth: and his hand was restored unto him.

[6] And the Pharisees going out, immediately made a consultation with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

[1] Et introivit iterum in synagogam : et erat ibi homo habens manum aridam. [2] Et observabant eum, si sabbatis curaret, ut accusarent illum. [3] Et ait homini habenti manum aridam : Surge in medium. [4] Et dicit eis : Licet sabbatis benefacere, an male? animam salvam facere, an perdere? At illi tacebant. [5] Et circumspiciens eos cum ira, contristatus super cæcitate cordis eorum, dicit homini : Extende manum tuam. Et extendit, et restituta est manus illi. [6] Exeuntes autem pharisæi, statim cum Herodianis consilium faciebant adversus eum quomodo eum perderent.

Notes

1. He entered again. St Luke tells us this took place on another Sabbath (v. 7), not the Sabbath on which, the disciples plucked the ears of corn.

the synagogue of Capharnaum, where the Pharisees, whom He had recently rebuked, worshipped habitually.

withered hand. It was his right hand (St Luke vi. 6), the hand was dried up ; such a disease was beyond medical skill.

2. they watched him — i.e. the Scribes and Pharisees of Galilee, together with those who had come from Judea and Jerusalem — to find some accusation against Him.

watched. The word implies here, spying with malevolence, that they might accuse him.

3. Stand up : that the sad condition of the man might be seen, perhaps to induce pity in the hearts of the Pharisees, also to render the miracle visible to all present.

4. He saith. Jesus replied to their question, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days ? (St Matt. xii. 10), by the counter- question, Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath day ?

do evil. To inflict some bodily injury, as opposed to saving a life. Not to deliver a person from suffering, when we can, is equivalent to inflicting the suffering. Sins of omission may be as grievous as sins of commission.

1. They held their peace. 

2. Looking round about, with anger. 

3. Being grieved for the blindness, etc. (These three details are peculiar to St Mark.)

held their peace. To have answered that it was right to heal on the Sabbath, would have justified our Lord’s merciful deed. To have denied the right, would have been contradicting their own traditions, which allowed medical aid to be given on the Sabbath when life was at stake.

5. looking round. Gazing on them with mingled feelings of anger and grief (or compassion) for their blindness. His divine regard fell on each as He looked round.

his hand was restored; " even as the other " (St Matt. xii. 13). Jesus cured the man without any exterior signs or words, and thus gave His accusers no ground for bringing a legal accusation against Him, since the miracle was performed by a volition which could not desecrate the Sabbath. This is one of the seven miracles worked on the Sabbath day.

6. made a consultation with the Herodians : — “ they were filled with madness, and they talked one with another, what they might do to Jesus ” (St Luke vi. 11),

Herodians. (See below)

The Herodians

It is generally supposed that the “ Herodians ” were the admirers and partisans of Herod, and hence their name. They constituted a political, rather than a religious, sect, and were generally bitterly opposed to the Pharisees. In joining with the Pharisees against our Lord (see St Mark iii. 6) they were animated by the hatred of His Divine Person, which they had in common with them. The Herodians adopted certain tenets of the Sadducees. They looked to Herod for deliverance from the Roman yoke, and also for positions of wealth and independence. They again made common cause with the Pharisees during Holy Week, when questioning our Lord with regard to the tribute to Caesar (xii. 13). They were self-indulgent, worldly men, and Jesus warned His disciples against them — e.g., Beware of the leaven of Herod. As Galilee was Herod’s tetrarchy, it was naturally full of his adherents. Jesus probably referred to them, when He said, “ behold, they that are clothed in soft garments are in the houses of kings ” (St Matt. xi. 8), for Jewish historians tell us that those scribes who attached themselves to Herod the Great’s party laid aside the garments distinctive of their profession, and adopted the gorgeous apparel of Herod’s courtiers. The later Herodians probably did the same, and Christ’s reference to “ the houses of kings ” may refer to the palace of Herod Antipas. St Mark only mentions the Herodians on the two occasions referred to above.

Jesus retires from His enemies

He healed many... J-J Tissot

[7] But Jesus retired with his disciples to the sea; and a great multitude followed him from Galilee and Judea, 

[8] And from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from beyond the Jordan. And they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, hearing the things which he did, came to him. 

[9] And he spoke to his disciples that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him. 

[10] For he healed many, so that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had evils.
[11] And the unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him: and they cried, saying: 

[12] Thou art the Son of God. And he strictly charged them that they should not make him known.

[7] Jesus autem cum discipulis suis secessit ad mare : et multa turba a Galilæa et Judaea secuta est eum, [8] et ab Jerosolymis, et ab Idumæa, et trans Jordanem : et qui circa Tyrum et Sidonem multitudo magna, audientes quae faciebat, venerunt ad eum. [9] Et dicit discipulis suis ut navicula sibi deserviret propter turbam, ne comprimerent eum : [10] multos enim sanabat, ita ut irruerent in eum ut illum tangerent, quotquot habebant plagas. [11] Et spiritus immundi, cum illum videbant, procidebant ei : et clamabant, dicentes : [12] Tu es Filius Dei. Et vehementer comminabatur eis ne manifestarent illum.

Notes

Verses 7-12 are an exceedingly brief account of many mighty works which Jesus did during His Galilean ministry. But many of these cures would be more or less similar, hence the Evangelist condenses his account.

They came from all parts of Palestine...

7. retired. In consequence of the hostility of the Pharisees and Herodians. This is the third retirement of our Lord that St Mark mentions.

to the sea , i.e. of Galilee.

a great multitude followed. 

They came from all parts of Palestine:

from Galilee, Tyre and Sidon, north of Palestine.

from Judea and Jerusalem, central 

from Perea beyond the Jordan, on the east.

from Idumea, due south.

8. came to him. His fame had now spread through all the land. Not only multitudes followed Him, but crowds came to meet Him, hearing the things which he did.

9. a small ship. As Jesus could no longer preach in the synagogues, the boat served as a pulpit, whence He preached to the people. It also enabled Him to cross the lake whenever He desired.

10. evils. Bodily diseases or possessions of the devil.

11. unclean spirits. Those possessed by unclean spirits.

when = as often as they saw Him.

fell down before him. The devils use at their will, the limbs and organs of those in whom they are permitted to dwell.

12. strictly charged = sternly forbade them to proclaim His divinity as revealed by His works.

should not make him known. This charge may have been given either to those whom Jesus delivered, or to the unclean spirits themselves. Jesus doubtless acted thus —

(1) To avoid further exasperating His enemies.

(2) From a sentiment of humility.

(3) To correct the common opinion of the temporal reign of the Messiah.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

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The Disciples pluck ears of corn

St Mark Chapter II : Verses 23-28

Plucking corn on the Sabbath. J-J Tissot

[23] And it came to pass again, as the Lord walked through the corn fields on the sabbath, that his disciples began to go forward, and to pluck the ears of corn. 

[24] And the Pharisees said to him: Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? 

[25] And he said to them: Have you never read what David did when he had need, and was hungry himself, and they that were with him?
[26] How he went into the house of God, under Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the loaves of proposition, which was not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave to them who were with him? 

[27] And he said to them: The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath. 

[28] Therefore the Son of man is Lord of the sabbath also.

[23] Et factum est iterum Dominus sabbatis ambularet per sata, et discipuli ejus cœperunt progredi, et vellere spicas. [24] Pharisæi autem dicebant ei : Ecce, quid faciunt sabbatis quod non licet? [25] Et ait illis : Numquam legistis quid fecerit David, quando necessitatem habuit, et esuriit ipse, et qui cum eo erant? [26] quomodo introibit in domum Dei sub Abiathar principe sacerdotum, et panes propositionis manducavit, quos non licebat manducare, nisi sacerdotibus, et dedit eis qui cum eo erant? [27] Et dicebat eis : Sabbatum propter hominem factum est, et non homo propter sabbatum. [28] Itaque Dominus est Filius hominis, etiam sabbati.

Notes

The Plain of Genesareth. 

23. through the corn-fields. Jesus and His disciples were walking along a narrow unenclosed foot-path which led through large tracts of ripening grain. The plain of Genesareth was extremely fertile and large quantities of grain were raised there.

on the Sabbath. St Luke (vi. 1) gives the second first Sabbath. It is difficult to determine exactly what this means. Though ripe, the corn was not yet cut. Now the wheat-harvest was gathered at Pentecost, hence the disciples must have plucked the corn on a Sabbath between the Passover and Pentecost in the second year of our Lord’s ministry. Probably this incident occurred in Galilee.pluck the ears of corn. The disciples being hungry (St Matt.) plucked the ears of corn. By the law of Moses reaping and threshing were forbidden on the Sabbath. The Pharisees, with their rigid ideas, evidently considered plucking as “reaping,” and rubbing the ears in the hands as a kind of threshing. The Rabbis thus added their own traditions to the precepts of the law. It was allowed to pluck the standing corn to satisfy hunger. If thou go into thy friend's corn , thou mayst break the ears, and rub them in thy hand : but not reap them with a sickle (Deut. xxiii. 25).

24. The Pharisees said. They wished to prove that Jesus allowed His disciples to desecrate the Sabbath.
to him. St Luke has “ to them," i.e. to the disciples. Either some Pharisees may have questioned our Lord, and others, the disciples, or the same men rebuked both our Lord and His apostles.

not lawful. The Pharisees accuse our Lord of profaning the Sabbath. There is no question of theft implied.

25. He said. Jesus justifies His disciples’ conduct by appealing to the example of David, who also did what was against the letter of the law, but which the Pharisees’ traditions did not condemn.
What David did when he had need (see 1 Kings xxi. 6). David, when fleeing from Saul, went to Nobe, to the high-priest, and asked for food for himself and his followers. Achimelech gave David the twelve loaves of proposition, perhaps at Abiathar’s request. This seems to have happened on a Sabbath day, since we are told, The priest therefore gave him hallowed bread : for there was 'no bread there , but only the loaves of proposition , which had been taken away from before the face of the Lord, that hot loaves may be set up (1 Kings xxi. 6).

26. loaves of proposition. Twelve loaves or cakes, one from the head of each tribe, placed on the golden table of proposition in the Holy Place, and renewed each Sabbath. The priests only were allowed to eat these loaves. Our Lord argues thus with the Pharisees : If the high- priest gave David and his men the loaves of proposition, which were reserved for the priests alone, without profaning the Sabbath, how could the Apostles be guilty in plucking ordinary corn to satisfy their hunger ?
Abiathar was the son of Achimelech, who was high-priest when Saul persecuted David. Abiathar fled to David when by Saul’s orders the priests at Edom, including Achimelech, were massacred.
to them who were with him. There seems a contradiction here, for we read, And David came to Nobe to Achimelech the priest : and Achimelech was astonished at Davids coming. And he said to him: Why art thou alone , and no man with thee ? (1 Kings xxi. 1). It is, however, only an apparent discrepancy, since David had appointed his “servants to such and such a place” ; (verse 2) the bread was for them, though they did not actually go to fetch it.

27. The Sabbath was made, etc. St Mark alone gives these important words. The Sabbath was instituted for man’s bodily and spiritual good. Therefore, if its observance injured the former, it could be disregarded. 

28. Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus could interpret and dispense from His own laws as He willed.

Additional Notes

This incident related by the Synoptist shews that our Lord gave four distinct refutations to the charge of profaning the Sabbath which the Pharisees and disciples of John brought against our Lord’s disciples. He shews that —

(1) A definite precept must- yield in a case of necessity.

(2) If one law clashes with another of higher order, the latter takes precedence. Thus Jesus explains that the Jews were bound to offer sacrifice to God on the Sabbath, but these sacrifices involved manual labour on the part of the priests ; yet in sacrificing to God they did not break the law concerning the sanctification of the Sabbath day. Even the Pharisees admitted this, in spite of their rigid traditions.

(3) Charity is the first and the greatest commandment, hence the real good of our neighbour justifies us in passing over the letter of the law, when its strict observance is opposed to its spirit : therefore mercy takes precedence of sacrifice.

(4) A lawgiver has the right to repeal his own laws and to dispense from their observance : the Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath.

26. Abiathar the high-priest. Several commentators explain the difficulty offered by this passage, by supposing that both Abiathar and his father Achimelech had each other’s surname, so that either name might be applied indifferently to each. The phrase concerning Abiathar the priest is wanting in some of the old Latin MSS., and the words may have slipped into the text from an early marginal note, or Abiathar may be a mere fault of transcription.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Discourse on fasting

St Mark Chapter II : Verses 18-22

John the Baptist addressing Pharisees. J-J Tissot.

[18] And the disciples of John and the Pharisees used to fast; and they come and say to him: Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast; but thy disciples do not fast? 

[19] And Jesus saith to them: Can the children of the marriage fast, as long as the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 

[20] But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them; and then they shall fast in those days.

[21] No man seweth a piece of raw cloth to an old garment: otherwise the new piecing taketh away from the old, and there is made a greater rent. 

[22] And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: otherwise the wine will burst the bottles, and both the wine will be spilled, and the bottles will be lost. But new wine must be put into new bottles.

[18] Et erant discipuli Joannis et pharisæi jejunantes : et veniunt, et dicunt illi : Quare discipuli Joannis et pharisæorum jejunant, tui autem discipuli non jejunant? [19] Et ait illis Jesus : Numquid possunt filii nuptiarum, quamdiu sponsus cum illis est, jejunare? Quanto tempore habent secum sponsum, non possunt jejunare. [20] Venient autem dies cum auferetur ab eis sponsus : et tunc jejunabunt in illis diebus. [21] Nemo assumentum panni rudis assuit vestimento veteri : alioquin aufert supplementum novum a veteri, et major scissura fit. [22] Et nemo mittit vinum novum in utres veteres : alioquin dirumpet vinum utres, et vinum effundetur, et utres peribunt : sed vinum novum in utres novos mitti debet.

Notes

18. disciples of John. They were, like their master St John the Baptist, accustomed to fast frequently. The Pharisees fasted on the Mondays and Thursdays in memory of Moses ascent and descent of Mt. Sinai, as the Pharisee boasted, I fast twice in a week (St Luke xviii. 12). They also kept extra fasts, and very possibly the banquet at Levi’s house fell on one of their extra fast days. Certainly our Lord would not have broken a fast prescribed by the law of Moses. The Pharisees and disciples of John join together to blame our Lord’s action.

used to fast : literally, were fasting.

19. children of the marriage. The wedding guests who accompanied the bridegroom to the house of the bride and assisted at the marriage feast. They were obliged by their custom and their laws to rejoice during the whole week following the marriage.
Bridegroom. Jesus is the Bridegroom, and He here reminds St John’s disciples that their master had spoken of Him as such, and that St John was the friend who rejoiced : He that hath the bride , is the bridegroom : but the friend of the bridegroom, who standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth with joy because of the bridegroom's voice. This my joy therefore is fulfilled (St John iii. 29).
As long as they, etc. Jesus was with His disciples, they were the sons or “ children of the marriage ,” hence they were bound to rejoice. It was not the time for the fasting of supererogation. Such conduct would be inconsistent.

20. The days will come. A reference to His Crucifixion. Our Lord often referred to His death (see St John ii. 19, iii. 14), and more frequently as the time drew nearer.
taken away : literally “ torn away with violence.” This is the first allusion to our Lord’s death in St Mark’s Gospel.
They shall fast in those days. Both when they mourned Christ’s death, and also after His ascension when the Bridegroom left them.

21 and 22. These verses give us two parables in which, under the figure of raw cloth and new wine, Jesus refers to His own teaching, while the old garment and old bottles refer to the Jewish rites and observances. The truth taught by these parables is, that the Jewish form of worship was to be superseded by Christian rites and ceremonies.
The Law being fulfilled was to give place to the Gospel.

21. raw cloth : cloth that had not been fulled[1] or shrunk, and which if applied to fulled cloth, would contract when moistened, and rend the garment.

22. old bottles. The wine bottles were made of sheep or goat skins. Naturally, when not in use they would dry up. If new or unfermented wine was poured in, these skins would crack when subjected to the pressure of the gases engendered by fermentation.

[1]  to full: transitive. To subject (cloth, esp. woollen cloth) to various mechanical processes in order to clean and thicken or felt it.
Originally carried out by treading or beating the wetted cloth, with the addition of a cleansing agent such as fuller's earth; mechanization of the process of physically manipulating the cloth spread to northern Europe in the medieval period. [OED]

Additional Notes

20. they shall fast in those days. Our Lord clearly teaches here the duty of fasting, and names the time : — “ when the bridegroom shall be taken away.” Elsewhere He gives the conditions of fasting : — cheerfully and without ostentation. “When you fast, be not sad” (St Math. vi. 16). “Appear not to men to fast, but to thy Father” (vi. 18), and “thy Father shall reward thee.” Hence the Church is justified in imposing days and seasons of fasting and penance; and as children of the Church we are bound to obey her laws faithfully, unless for some special reason we are dispensed from fasting.

21-22. The parables of the raw cloth and the old garment , and of the old bottles and the new wine, both teach the same lessons, viz., that the Gospel was to take the place of the Law. In the early Church some of the first difficulties which arose resulted from a misapprehension of this fact. The converted Jews clung to their old faith and traditions; they wished to graft Christianity on to them, and to retain the ancient ceremonial. Hence the dissension at the first council of the Church, as to whether the Gentile converts should be circumcised or not (Acts xv.). St Paul was constantly in conflict with these Judaising Christians.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

The call of St Matthew

St Mark Chapter II : Verses 13-17

The calling of St Matthew. J-J Tissot.

[13] And he went forth again to the sea side; and all the multitude came to him, and he taught them. 

[14] And when he was passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alpheus sitting at the receipt of custom; and he saith to him: Follow me. And rising up, he followed him. 

[15] And it came to pass, that as he sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat down together with Jesus and his disciples. For they were many, who also followed him.
[16] And the scribes and the Pharisees, seeing that he ate with publicans and sinners, said to his disciples: Why doth your master eat and drink with publicans and sinners? 

[17] Jesus hearing this, saith to them: They that are well have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. For I came not to call the just, but sinners.

 

[13] Et egressus est rursus ad mare, omnisque turba veniebat ad eum, et docebat eos. [14] Et cum praeteriret, vidit Levi Alphæi sedentem ad telonium, et ait illi : Sequere me. Et surgens secutus est eum. [15] Et factum est, cum accumberet in domo illius, multi publicani et peccatores simul discumbebant cum Jesu et discipulis ejus : erant enim multi, qui et sequebantur eum.
[16] Et scribæ et pharisæi videntes quia manducaret cum publicanis et peccatoribus, dicebant discipulis ejus : Quare cum publicanis et peccatoribus manducat et bibit Magister vester? [17] Hoc audito Jesus ait illis : Non necesse habent sani medico, sed qui male habent : non enim veni vocare justos, sed peccatores.

Notes

13. He went forth, from the home in Capharnaum to the sea-shore.

14. Levi. This was St Matthew’s name before his call to the Apostle- ship. In like manner, Simon received the name of Peter, and Saul’s name was changed to Paul.
son of Alpheus. Not the same as Alpheus the father of St James the Less. In the lists of the Apostles, St Matthew and St James the Less are never classed together, whereas in the case of Apostles who were brothers, the names follow one another.

receipt of custom. The toll-house where taxes on exports and imports were levied. Capharnaum was a thriving business town, whence roads to Tyre, Damascus and Jerusalem, etc., branched off.
sitting at the receipt of custom. Therefore Levi was one of the despised class of publicans, classed by the Jews with harlots, heathens and sinners. (See Publicans, below.)
Follow me. Jesus called Levi in spite of his position and bad reputation. It is probable that Levi had previously heard of, or witnessed our Lord’s miracles, and also listened to His discourses, since Jesus had already wrought mighty works in and near Capharnaum.

15. as he sat at meat in his house. St Luke tells us that Levi made him a great feast in his own house ; and there was a great company of publicans and of others, that were at table with them (St Luke v. 29). It was doubtless a farewell banquet to his old friends, publicans and sinners.

16. seeing that he ate , etc. These Pharisees would not, of course, have sat down and eaten with Levi and his friends, for this would have rendered them “ unclean ” according to their traditions. They merely came in, as the Oriental custom permitted, to watch the feast. sinners. Lax Jews, not necessarily Gentiles.
said to his disciples. They may have feared to address our Lord directly, or thought it would be easy to triumph over His disciples, whom they knew to be poor, ignorant men.

17. I came not to call, etc. Jesus explains that He frequented sinners that He might convert them, just as a physician visits the sick that he may heal them.
to call the just, said ironically to the Pharisees who were “just” in their own estimation. Also Jesus was always ready to leave the ninety-nine that He might seek the sheep that was lost.

Additional Notes

14. he saw Levi. St Matthew gives, he saw a man . . . . named Matthew (ix. 9). The question is, did our Lord call both Matthew and Levi, or are these two names of one person ? Christian tradition has generally held that Matthew and Levi are one and the same, for it is not probable that our Lord would have called two publicans under exactly the same circumstances, and that each should have made a banquet for our Lord. Yet Matthew the publican and Levi the publican are both mentioned, and called to follow Jesus. The explanation probably is, that St Matthew calls himself a publican out of humility, whereas the other Evangelists refrain from using the term out of charity, since publicans had such a bad reputation.

17. I came not to call the just, etc. In St Matthew’s gospel, and peculiar to him, these words are prefaced by a quotation (Osee vi. 6), used by our Lord, “ 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” (St Matt. ix. 13). In these words our Lord does not condemn sacrifice, but He shews His preference for mercy ; and hence He brings home to the Pharisees more and more the characteristic note of His divine teaching.

Publicans

The Publicans were men who farmed the revenues for the Romans. They were of two classes. The Publicani proper, who were generally wealthy Romans, belonging to the Equestrian order. These men formed a kind of joint-stock company, and they farmed the taxes directly for the government, to which they paid a given sum and endeavoured to make as much as possible out of the provinces they farmed. These Publicans divided the provinces into different districts, and employed agents to do the actual work of collecting. These agents were called “ portitores ” ; they purchased from the Roman knights the right to collect the taxes by giving them a certain sum, which was supposed to be about the value of the assessment. In their turn the portitores endeavoured to get a good interest on the money they had advanced, which was often exorbitant, since the office was sold by auction. Hence they were universally detested by the Jews, because they enriched themselves at the expense of their brethren by most unjust means. Their insolence in collecting the tax was equalled by their rapacity, and they caused great delay and vexation, by continually stopping travellers and obliging them to unpack their goods. The Jews refused to marry into a family of which any member was a Publican, and they had a proverb which ran thus : “ Bears and lions are the fiercest wild beasts in the forests, but publicans and informers are the worst in the cities.’’  No Publican was admitted as witness in a court of justice, and no true Jew might ask or accept alms from a Publican. They were numbered with harlots, sinners, robbers and murderers. In the time of Cæsar the taxes were collected by government officials ; this was certainly an amelioration for the people, but the tax-gatherers were as much disliked as ever, since they held office directly under the Romans. Matthew, or Levi, was a publican before he became an apostle.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

The healing of the paralytic

 

St Mark Chapter II : Verses 1-12

"...they let down the bed." J-J Tissot

[1] And again he entered into Capharnaum after some days.

[2] And it was heard that he was in the house, and many came together, so that there was no room; no, not even at the door; and he spoke to them the word. 

[3] And they came to him, bringing one sick of the palsy, who was carried by four. 

[4] And when they could not offer him unto him for the multitude, they uncovered the roof where he was; and opening it, they let down the bed wherein the man sick of the palsy lay. 

[5] And when Jesus had seen their faith, he saith to the sick of the palsy: Son, thy sins are forgiven thee.
[6] And there were some of the scribes sitting there, and thinking in their hearts:

[7] Why doth this man speak thus? he blasphemeth. Who can forgive sins, but God only? 

[8] Which Jesus presently knowing in his spirit, that they so thought within themselves, saith to them: Why think you these things in your hearts? 

[9] Which is easier, to say to the sick of the palsy: Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say: Arise, take up thy bed, and walk? 

[10] But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)
[11] I say to thee: Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house. 

[12] And immediately he arose; and taking up his bed, went his way in the sight of all; so that all wondered and glorified God, saying: We never saw the like.

[1] Et iterum intravit Capharnaum post dies, [2] et auditum est quod in domo esset, et convenerunt multi, ita ut non caperet neque ad januam, et loquebatur eis verbum. [3] Et venerunt ad eum ferentes paralyticum, qui a quatuor portabatur. [4] Et cum non possent offerre eum illi præ turba, nudaverunt tectum ubi erat : et patefacientes submiserunt grabatum in quo paralyticus jacebat. [5] Cum autem vidisset Jesus fidem illorum, ait paralytico : Fili, dimittuntur tibi peccata tua. [6] Erant autem illic quidam de scribis sedentes, et cogitantes in cordibus suis : [7] Quid hic sic loquitur? blasphemat. Quis potest dimittere peccata, nisi solus Deus? [8] Quo statim cognito Jesus spiritu suo, quia sic cogitarent intra se, dicit illis : Quid ista cogitatis in cordibus vestris? [9] Quid est facilius dicere paralytico : Dimittuntur tibi peccata tua : an dicere : Surge, tolle grabatum tuum, et ambula? [10] Ut autem sciatis quia Filius hominis habet potestatem in terra dimittendi peccata ( ait paralytico), [11] tibi dico : Surge, tolle grabatum tuum, et vade in domum tuam. [12] Et statim surrexit ille : et, sublato grabato, abiit coram omnibus, ita ut mirarentur omnes, et honorificent Deum, dicentes : Quia numquam sic vidimus.

Notes

1. And again he entered Capharnaum. Probably when the recent excitement had calmed down.

into Capharnaum. St Matthew adds His own city. Nazareth was His native town, but Capharnaum was frequently His dwelling-place during His public life, and this would naturally be considered “ His own city ” : Doubtless when there, He often stayed in the house of St Peter.

After some days. These he had spent without in desert places (chap, i. 45), and in His ministrations elsewhere in Galilee.

2. It was heard, etc. Hence we may infer that our Lord had come back privately into Capharnaum.

Many came together. St Luke describes the crowd, And it came to pass on a certain day, as he sat teaching, that there were also Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, that were come out of every town of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem (chap. v. 17).

No room, not even at the door. Our Lord would probably be in a humble house, and the family room would be on the ground floor and easy of access. The Orientals were accustomed to enter freely into each other’s dwellings.

the word. Jesus was preaching when the paralytic was let down at His feet. St Matthew and St Luke omit the following details which are peculiar to St Mark : —

(a) The paralytic was carried by four.

(b) There was a great crowd at the door.

(c) They opened the roof.

4. uncovered the roof where he was.

Oriental houses of the poorer classes have flat roofs. Large beams were placed across at intervals of several feet. Rough ceiling joists were fixed over these. A layer of small poles or brushwood, arranged close together, completed the framework. These three layers were covered with earth or gravel, on which grass grew or flowers were cultivated. Sometimes slabs of stone were placed next to the joists instead of brushwood. The layer of earth was rolled flat and gradually hardened. Therefore the sick man’s friends would have had to get on to the roof by the outside staircase.

St Luke mentions that they went up upon the roof.

They could uncover the roof by scraping away the earth or gravel, and by removing a few slabs or small poles and some of the joists, they could easily let the man down between the beams.

the bed wherein, etc.

This was a common pallet or mat used by the poorest. It was just large enough for one person, and could be rolled up when not in use. This explains how the four bearers could let down the sick man either by holding the corners, if, as was usual, the rooms were not more than a few feet high, or by means of ropes. Such a bed could be easily carried away by one person.

5. their faith, i.e. the faith of the bearers and of the sick man himself. The bearers showed their faith by their persistence in overcoming the obstacles which prevented them from approaching our Lord. The man showed his faith in allowing himself to be thus brought. He believed that our Lord could and would heal him. When God grants blessings to those for whom we pray, He rewards our prayer and faith as well as that of the person for whom we pray, but no grace can be received by one who does not ask or desire it, at least, implicitly.

Son. St Luke gives the word man here. St Matthew adds, be of good heart (ix. 2). Our Lord thus showed His love, and animated the sick man’s confidence. Possibly the thought of his sins made the man sad.

thy sins are forgiven thee. The Jews believed that every temporal calamity or affliction was sent as a punishment for sin, e.g. And there were present at that very time some that told Him of the Galileans , whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices (St Luke xiii. 1). Jesus answered: Neither hath this man sinned nor his parents ; hut that the works of God should be made manifest in him (St John ix. 3). Jesus, in remitting sin, was verifying St John the Baptist’s words. The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and he saith: Behold the Lamb of God , behold him who taketh away the sin of the world (St John i. 29), and proving Himself to be the Christ since He exercised the prerogatives of the Messiah. Because his soul hath laboured, he shall see and be filled : by his knowledge shall this my just servant justify many, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will 1 distribute to him very many, and, he shall divide the spoils of the strong , because he hath delivered his soul unto death , and was reputed with the wicked : and he hath borne the sins of many and hath prayed for the transgressors (Isaias liii. 11, 12) (see also Jeremias xxxi. 34, Micheas vii. 18). None of the Prophets had ever absolved from sin. The sick man must have had true contrition for his sins and earnestly desired forgiveness, otherwise Jesus would not have absolved him.

6. some of the scribes .... thinking in their hearts: likewise the Pharisees as we learn from St Luke (v. 21). The Jews had already determined to kill Him (St John v. 18), and the Scribes and Pharisees were there as spies watching our Lord, that they might accuse Him to the synagogue. This is the first of the many conspiracies against our Lord.

7. blasphemeth. By asserting a power which God alone has, viz., that of forgiving sins. To the Scribes who denied our Lord’s divinity, His word seemed a breach of the second commandment.

Men are guilty of blasphemy —

(1) When they speak against God or deny His attributes.

(2) When they ascribe these attributes to creatures.

8. knowing in his spirit, It was by His divine Spirit that He read the thoughts of His enemies. He thus proved His divinity, and therefore His power to forgive sins, for who can forgive sins but God alone ? The prophets often knew things by God’s revelations, as when Eliseus convicted Giezi of lying and disobedience, but Jesus needed no interior illumination. As God, all was open to Him. Under the new law by the Sacrament of Order, priests receive this divine mission of absolving sinners in God’s name, but under the old law, although the confession of certain sins was enjoined, the Jewish priest had no power to absolve.

9. Which is easier. It was easier, as regards convincing men of His divine power, to claim to forgive sins, than to restore a sick man to health, since no one could assure himself if the sins were really forgiven or not, whereas all could see a visible miracle of healing. To do the latter Jesus must be God, hence He could forgive sins.

10. Son of man. This title is mostly found on the lips of our Lord Himself. The sacred writers rarely apply it to Him. It occurs fourteen times in St Marks Gospel. This same title is applied to the Messiah by Daniel (vii. 1 3), I beheld therefore in the vision of the night , and lo, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven. Jesus uses it to express His perfect humanity. It is also used by St Stephen, who, being full of the Holy Ghost, looking up steadfastly to heaven, saw the glory of God , and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. And he said: Behold I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God (Acts vii. 55). See also by St John, Apocalypse (i. 13, xiv. 14).

on earth. The Son of man on earth could forgive sins, as could the Son of God in Heaven.

power . ... to forgive sins. Jesus forgave authoritatively and meritoriously. His priests absolve penitents ministerially.

11. take up thy bed. The bed or mat was easily rolled up. This proved the man’s perfect cure, as a palsied man cannot even lift a cup to his lips.

12. immediately. It was a sudden cure, not a gradual return to health ; so it was in the case of the leper and of St Peter’s mother-in-law. This miracle was worked instantaneously, completely, and publicly.

in the sight of all. They now made way for him to leave.

all wondered. St Matthew gives, the multitudes .... feared and glorified God (ix. 8), that is the common people, for the Scribes and Pharisees still refused to believe.

Additional Notes

8. Jesus .... knowing .... that they so thought. He answers the interior question, which the scribes were asking themselves, in the affirmative, for since only God can read man’s thoughts, if Christ could do that, He must be God. As a proof of the divine power which He claims, our Lord works a miracle of healing which is a visible proof of His possessing that power. Our Lord does not establish any comparison as to which is the more difficult in itself, to heal the body or to forgive sin, since we know that it cost Him far more to redeem one single soul than it would to create a million worlds. Jesus proves the truth of His words by mighty works, and gave His Apostles, later on, power to work miracles for the same end. In the Catholic Church, miracles have never ceased.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.