The Discourse on Fasting

St Matthew Chapter IX : Verses 14-17

Contents

• Matt. ix. 14-17 Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text
• Additional Notes.

Matt. ix. 14-17

John the Baptist addresses the Pharisees. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

14 Then came to him the disciples of John, saying: Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but thy disciples do not fast?

Tunc accesserunt ad eum discipuli Joannis, dicentes : Quare nos, et pharisæi, jejunamus frequenter : discipuli autem tui non jejunant?

15 And Jesus said to them: Can the children of the bridegroom mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then they shall fast.

Et ait illis Jesus : Numquid possunt filii sponsi lugere, quamdiu cum illis est sponsus? Venient autem dies cum auferetur ab eis sponsus : et tunc jejunabunt.

16 And nobody putteth a piece of raw cloth unto an old garment. For it taketh away the fulness thereof from the garment, and there is made a greater rent.

Nemo autem immittit commissuram panni rudis in vestimentum vetus : tollit enim plenitudinem ejus a vestimento, et pejor scissura fit.

17 Neither do they put new wine into old bottles. Otherwise the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish. But new wine they put into new bottles: and both are preserved.

Neque mittunt vinum novum in utres veteres : alioquin rumpuntur utres, et vinum effunditur, et utres pereunt. Sed vinum novum in utres novos mittunt : et ambo conservantur.

Notes

    14. the disciples of John. They came with the disciples of the Pharisees. (See St Mark ii. 18.)

    we and the Pharisees fast often. The disciples of John, like their master, St John the Baptist, were accustomed to fast frequently. The Pharisees fasted on Mondays and Thursdays in memory of Moses’ ascent and descent of Mount Sinai, as the Pharisee boasted, I fast twice in a week (St Luke xviii. 12). They also kept additional fasts, and very possibly the banquet at Levi’s house fell on one of their extra fastdays. Certainly our Lord would not have broken a fast prescribed by the Law of Moses. The Pharisees and the disciples of John joined together in blaming our Lord’s action. The Jews always joined prayer with fasting in order to increase their merit. Also in the Catholic Church, the fast-days are pre-eminently days of prayer, e.g. the Ember days.

    thy disciples do not fast, — i.e. they did not keep the extra fasts prescribed by the Pharisees, but most certainly they observed the fast of the day of Atonement, the only one commanded by the Mosaic Law.

    15. children of the bridegroom. 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 these 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).

    mourn. The parallel passage in St Luke has fast.

    as long as the bridegroom is with them. 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.

    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. This is the first allusion to our Lord’s death that St Matthew records. Later on, Jesus spoke more plainly (see infra, xii. 40, xvi. 21, xvii. 9, 21, 22, etc.).

    then they shall fast. Both when they mourned Christ’s death, and also after His Ascension, when the Bridegroom left them.

No OCR for this text; taken from source doc.

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Additional Notes

    14. The Pharisees fast often. According to Lightfoot, the Pharisees fasted from various motives : e.g. —

    1. To conform to the tradition which appears to have dated from the time of Esdras, and by which the Jews were accustomed to fast twice a week.

    2. “ It was not seldom that they enjoined themselves fasts, for this end, to have lucky dreams ; or to attain the interpretation of some dream ; or to turn away the ill import of a dream. Hence was that expression very usual, a fast for a dream ; and it was a common proverb, A fast is as fit for a dream, as fire for flax. For this cause it was allowed to fast on the Sabbath, which otherwise was forbidden” (Lightfoot, Hor. Heb., p. 170).

    3. To obtain some petition or to avert some evil. Thus it is related of Rabbi Zadok that at the time when the Temple doors opened of their own accord (see p. 282), he so mortified himself with fasting, that he was surnamed “ the weak.” But after the destruction of the city, seeing that his fasting had not obtained the desired favour, he had recourse to the physicians of Troy to recruit his health.

    15. When the bridegroom shall he taken from them, and. then they shall fast. From Tertullian we learn that the primitive Christians, taking these words literally, observed a strict fast yearly in memory of the forty hours our Lord spent in the tomb. The Didache, an ancient document setting forth the teaching of the apostles (Διδαχὴ τῷν δώδεκα ἀποστόλων), furnishes us with one of the earliest proofs that the primitive Church formally enjoined fasting, but the Christians are cautioned not to fast on the same days as the Pharisees. That the disciples of Christ did fast, we can prove from the examples of the apostles and from their writings, e.g. —

    1. “ And as they were ministering to the Lord, and fasting, the Holy Ghost said to them : Separate me Saul and Barnabas, for the work whereunto I have taken them. Then they fasting and praying and imposing their hands upon them, sent them away” (Acts xiii. 2, 3).

    2. “ And when they ” (i e. St Paul and Barnabas) “ had ordained to them priests in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, in whom they believed ” (Acts xiv. 22).

    3. “In stripes, in prisons, in seditions, in labours, in watchings, in fastings” (2 Cor. vi. 5).

    4. “ In labour and painfulness, in much watchings, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness ” (2 Cor. xi. 27).

    Note. — 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 Judaizing Christians.

    Both these parables shew clearly that the Old Dispensation was destined to pass away and to give place to the New. We find other examples of pairs of parables illustrating the same truth under two aspects. The second parable often shews a further development of the truth inculcated.

    (a) The mustard Seed and the Leaven.

    (b) The hidden Treasure and the Pearl of great price.

    (c) The ten Virgins and the Talents.

    (d) The lost Sheep and the lost Drachma.

    (e) The foolish Builder and the foolish King.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Call of St Matthew

St Matthew Chapter IX : Verses 9-13

Contents

• Matt. ix. 9-13 Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text

Matt. ix. 9-13

The Call of Matthew. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum

9 And when Jesus passed on from hence, he saw a man sitting in the custom house, named Matthew; and he saith to him: Follow me. And he rose up and followed him.

Et, cum transiret inde Jesus, vidit hominem sedentem in telonio, Matthæum nomine. Et ait illi : Sequere me. Et surgens, secutus est eum.

10 And it came to pass as he was sitting at meat in the house, behold many publicans and sinners came, and sat down with Jesus and his disciples.

Et factum est, discumbente eo in domo, ecce multi publicani et peccatores venientes, discumbebant cum Jesu, et discipulis ejus.

11 And the Pharisees seeing it, said to his disciples: Why doth your master eat with publicans and sinners?

Et videntes pharisæi, dicebant discipulis ejus : Quare cum publicanis et peccatoribus manducat magister vester?

12 But Jesus hearing it, said: They that are in health need not a physician, but they that are ill.

At Jesus audiens, ait : Non est opus valentibus medicus, sed male habentibus.

13 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.

Euntes autem discite quid est : Misericordiam volo, et non sacrificium. Non enim veni vocare justos, sed peccatores.

Notes

    Note. — 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.

    The Annotations are based on the hypothesis, accepted by the Catholic Church, that Levi the publican is to be identified with St Matthew the apostle.

    9. Jesus 'passed on from thence. From the house in Capharnaum to the seashore. Cf. he went forth again to the seaside^ and all the multitude came to him, and he taught them,. ’And when he was passing by, he saw Levi the son of Alpheus sitting at the receipt of custom (St Mark ii. 13, 14).

    All three Syuoptists place the call of Levi immediately after the healing of the paralytic.

    sitting in the custom-house. Therefore Levi was one of the despised class of publicans, classed by the Jews with harlots, heathens, and sinners. The custom-house was the tollhouse where taxes on exports and imports were levied. Capharnaum was a thriving business town, whence roads to Tyre, Damascus, and Jerusalem, etc. branched off.

    named Matthew. Before his call to the apostleship he was known as Levi. (In like manner, Simon received the name of Peter, and Saul’s name was changed to Paul.) His father’s name was Alpheus, who is not the same as Alpheus, father of 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 are coupled.

    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.

    he rose up, etc. St Luke adds, leaving all things he rose up, etc. This proves that Levi became an apostle. Note his prompt obedience and freedom from human respect.

    10. sitting at meat. From the parallel passages we learn that Levi made our Lord a great feast in his own house : and there was a great company of publicans, and of others, that were at table with him (St Luke V. 29).

    St Matthew modestly relates the event without mentioning that he himself was the host. As St Matthew gave our Lord a great feast (literally, a great reception or banquet), which required certain preparations, doubtless it did not take place on the same day that he was called to follow Christ.

    publicans and sinners. “ The new disciple seeks to bring his old friends and Jesus together. It is his first missionary effort.”

    11. the Pharisees seeing it, etc. Both the Pharisees and Scribes murmured. St Mark adds : Seeing that he ate with publicans and sinners (ii. 16). These Pharisees did not, of course, sit down and eat 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.

    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, or they might have thought to inspire them with distrust of Christ.

    Why doth your master, etc. ? In St Luke the question is, Why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners ? but both St Matthew and St Mark quote the question as referring to Jesus : Why doth your master, etc. ? Here we see that several Pharisees put the same question in different forms. Both Jesus and His disciples were at table.

    12. They that are in health, etc. A popular saying. The Pharisees, as regards legal observances, were “ in health ” and just, but interiorly they were further from the kingdom of God than the ill-famed publicans.

    13. Go then and learn. The Scribes had come to teach others, but Jesus bids them first go and learn. This was a common rabbinical expression, used by a master to draw the attention of his disciples to a special subject.

    I will have mercy, etc. Jesus bids them learn the true meaning of the Scriptures which they professed to teach. This is a quotation from Osee vi. 6. The negation is evidently not absolute, since God Himself commanded the Jews to offer sacrifices ; but the meaning is that, when an alternative is in question, and one or the other must be chosen, then God prefers mercy. This confirms the teaching of our Lord in the Sermon on the Mount : Be reconciled to thy brother, and then coming thou shalt offer thy gift. Jesus explains His mission as Saviour of men.

    the just. 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.

    but sinners. Three incidents which St Matthew relates in close connection confirm this statement, i.e. —

    (а) Jesus heals leprosy, a type of sin.

    (b) He pardons the paralytic and heals him.

    (c) He calls a publican to follow Him.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

The Healing of the Paralytic

St Matthew Chapter IX : Verses 1-8

Contents

• Matt. ix. 1-8 Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text
• Additional Notes: 

Matt. ix. 1-8

The Healing of the Paralytic. J-J Tissot.
Brooklyn Museum.

1 And entering into a boat, he passed over the water and came into his own city.

Et ascendens in naviculam, transfretavit, et venit in civitatem suam.

2 And behold they brought to him one sick of the palsy lying in a bed. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the man sick of the palsy: Be of good heart, son, thy sins are forgiven thee.

Et ecce offerebant ei paralyticum jacentem in lecto. Et videns Jesus fidem illorum, dixit paralytico : Confide fili, remittuntur tibi peccata tua.

3 And behold some of the scribes said within themselves: He blasphemeth.

Et ecce quidam de scribis dixerunt intra se : Hic blasphemat.

4 And Jesus seeing their thoughts, said: Why do you think evil in your hearts?

Et cum vidisset Jesus cogitationes eorum, dixit : Ut quid cogitatis mala in cordibus vestris?

5 Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee: or to say, Arise, and walk?

Quid est facilius dicere : Dimittuntur tibi peccata tua : an dicere : Surge, et ambula?

6 But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then said he to the man sick of palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house.

Ut autem sciatis, quia Filius hominis habet potestatem in terra dimittendi peccata, tunc ait paralytico : Surge, tolle lectum tuum, et vade in domum tuam.

7 And he arose, and went into his house.

Et surrexit, et abiit in domum suam.

8 And the multitude seeing it, feared, and glorified God that gave such power to men.

Videntes autem turbæ timuerunt, et glorificaverunt Deum, qui dedit potestatem talem hominibus.

Notes

    1. entering into a boat. The ship in which they had come. 

    passed over the water. Having recrossed the lake, Jesus spent some few days in solitude, as the leper when cleansed began to publish and blaze abroad the word (St Luke) ; in consequence Jesus could not openly go into the city, but was without in desert places, and it was only after some days (St Mark) that Jesus entered again into his own city, when the excitement had calmed down. Evidently Jesus came back privately, since we read, 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 (St Mark ii. 2).

    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 stayed in the house of St Peter.

    2. they brought to him, etc. To the house in which Jesus was teaching the people.

    From the other Synoptists we learn—

    (a) Particulars concerning the audience : 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 (St Luke v. 17).

    (b) The difficulties which those who carried the sick man had to overcome : And they came to him bringing one sick of the palsy, who was carried by four. 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 (St Mark ii. 3, 4).

    Note. — 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 houses of the poorer classes had 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 reached the roof by the outside staircase. They uncovered 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 let the man down between the beams.

    in a bed. 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 hearers 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.

    seeing their faith, — i.e. the faith of the bearers and of the sick man himself. The bearers shewed their faith by their persistence in overcoming the obstacles which prevented them from approaching our Lord. The man shewed 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.

    Be of good heart. Lit. “take courage” (Θάρσει).

    son. St Mark also has “son,” but in St Luke we read “man.” Our Lord thus shewed His love, and animated the sick man’s confidence. Possibly the man thought that his sins might prevent his being healed. The rabbinical teaching on this point is seen in the following passage : — We know that God doth not hear sinners (St John ix. 31).

    thy sins are forgiven. The MSS. vary between the present “ are being forgiven” (ἀφίενταί) and the past “have been forgiven” (ἀφέωνται). Tischendorf accepts the latter, which is supported by most of the Uncials.

    3. scribes, etc. And also the Pharisees. The Synoptists give the objection in various forms —

St Matthew. He blasphemeth.

St Mark. Why doth this man speak thus ? he blasphemeth. Who can forgive sins, but God only ?

St Luke. And the scribes and Pharisees began to think, saying : Who is this who speaketh blasphemies ? Who can forgive sins, but God alone ?

    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.

    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.

    4. seeing their thoughts. 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.

Additional Notes

    2. They brought to him one sick of the palsy. This happened “ 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 ; and the power of the Lord was to heal them ” (St Luke V. 17). If we compare St John’s account of the healing of the infirm man at the “ pond called Probatica ” we find a light thrown on the verse above. Jesus had healed an infirm man “ that had been eight and thirty years under his infirmity .... Hereupon therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he did not only break the sabbath, but also said God was his Father, making himself equal to God” (St John v. 18). Jesus answered their charge by referring to the “ power to do judgment ” given by the Father to Him as “the Son of man.” On this occasion Jesus cures another infirm man, using the very same words, “Arise, take up thy bed and walk, ” and this miracle He worked as a proof of His divine authority. The Pharisees and Scribes from Jerusalem and Judea, who were among the accusers, were doubtless His former opponents. They were sent as spies by the Sanhedrin to watch in order to find some ground of accusation against Him. This was ultimately the charge on which Jesus was condemned to death.

    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; but 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 Messias. “ 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 I 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 be hath borne the sins of many and hath prayed for the transgressors” (Is. liii. 11, 12. See also Jeremias xxxi. 34 ; Micheas vii. 18-19). 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.

    4. Jesus seeing their thoughts, said: Why do you think evil in your hearts ? 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 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.

    6. 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 Mark’s gospel. This same title is applied to the Messias by Daniel (vii. 13): “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).

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

The Gerasen Demoniac

St Matthew Chapter VIII : Verses 28-34

Contents

• Matt. viii. 28-34 Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text
• Additional Notes: The location; diabolical possession and obsession.

Matt. viii. 28-34

The Gerasen Demoniac and the herd of swine.
J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

28 And when he was come on the other side of the water, into the country of the Gerasens, there met him two that were possessed with devils, coming out of the sepulchres, exceeding fierce, so that none could pass by that way.

Et cum venisset trans fretum in regionem Gerasenorum, occurrerunt ei duo habentes dæmonia, de monumentis exeuntes, saevi nimis, ita ut nemo posset transire per viam illam.

29 And behold they cried out, saying: What have we to do with thee, Jesus Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

Et ecce clamaverunt, dicentes : Quid nobis et tibi, Jesu fili Dei? Venisti huc ante tempus torquere nos?

30 And there was, not far from them, an herd of many swine feeding.

Erat autem non longe ab illis grex multorum porcorum pascens.

31 And the devils besought him, saying: If thou cast us out hence, send us into the herd of swine.

Dæmones autem rogabant eum, dicentes : Si ejicis nos hinc, mitte nos in gregem porcorum.

32 And he said to them: Go. But they going out went into the swine, and behold the whole herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea: and they perished in the waters.

Et ait illis : Ite. At illi exeuntes abierunt in porcos, et ecce impetu abiit totus grex per præceps in mare : et mortui sunt in aquis.

33 And they that kept them fled: and coming into the city, told every thing, and concerning them that had been possessed by the devils.

Pastores autem fugerunt : et venientes in civitatem, nuntiaverunt omnia, et de eis qui dæmonia habuerant.

34 And behold the whole city went out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart from their coasts.

Et ecce tota civitas exiit obviam Jesu : et viso eo, rogabant ut transiret a finibus eorum.

Notes

    28. the country of the Gerasens. A district south-east of the lake, and opposite Capharnaum. They would probably have arrived early in the morning, as the distance across the lake was but a short journey ; but there had been a tempest, which would have delayed them.

    there met him. They came immediately as our Lord set foot on land. Probably the demoniac had seen the boat coming in, and felt drawn to meet our Lord, since St Mark relates that the poor man saw Jesus afar off.

    two. Both St Luke and St Mark only mention one demoniac. One does not exclude a second ; probably the more violent of the two is mentioned as being more dangerous.

    possessed with devils. Cf . there met him out of the monuments a man with an unclean spirit (St Mark).

    out of the sepulchres. He had his dwelling in the tombs. The Jews made no provision for the mentally afflicted. They bound them when they became violent ; otherwise the poor creatures roamed at will through the land. Maniacs, demoniacs, and lepers were alike treated as outcasts.

    Throughout Syria there are many natural caves, and it was also customary to hew tombs out of the solid rocks.

    “An immense mountain rises directly above Chersha in which are ancient tombs’ (Thomson). Many of the tombs belong to very remote periods, even before the time of our Lord. These sepulchres were considered “unclean ” on account of the dead having been buried there, hence no Jew would enter them, and demoniacs and other outcasts would hold undisturbed possession of these caves. The Jews believed that sepulchres were inhabited by evil spirits, i.e. the disembodied souls of wicked men (daimonia), and that it sufficed to pass a single night in a cemetery in order to be possessed by one.

    exceeding fierce. St Mark gives more details, and explains why none could pass by that way. No man now could bind him, not even with chains. For having been often bound with fetters and chains, he had burst the chains and broken the fetters in pieces, and no one could tame him. And he was always day and night in the monuments and in the mountains, crying and cutting himself with stones (v. 3-5).

    29. they cried out. Cf. with a loud voice. All the Synoptists note this loud cry. What have I to do with thee ? (St Mark). These words may mean, “ What is there in common between us ? ” or “ Why do you trouble us thus ? ” Also the demoniacs ran and adored him (St Mark), and fell down before him (St Luke).

    The devils feared Christ, hence their acknowledgment of His divinity. On the other hand, the poor demoniac may have felt something drawing him to the feet of Jesus ; and while the adoration was a forced one on the part of the devil, it may have been a willing homage on the part of the poor demoniac. The two personalities are strongly marked in this man who approaches and adores Christ, while the devils fear Him. The duality of the man’s consciousness prevents him from distinguishing between his own action and that of the devil.

    Jesus, Son of God. St Mark gives the demoniac’s petition more fully. What have I to do with thee, Jesus the Son of the most high God ? I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not (v. 7). Perhaps the confession was forced from them by the sense of power which they felt our Lord exercised over them. Certainly they had no good motive in confessing His divinity ; and probably when the confession was publicly made, the devils may have hoped to throw discredit on our Lord, and by admitting that they knew Him, have led the bystanders to conclude that He worked in collusion with them.

    to torment us. The devils do not wish to be sent back to hell. They prefer to roam at will and torment men. Though they carry their torments with them wherever they go, yet from these words we may infer that they suffered more intensely when confined to their own place.

    These words were uttered by the devil when Christ said : Go out of the man, thou unclean spirit (St Murk v. 8). Whenever a demoniac comes in presence of our Saviour, we notice a strange mingling of supplication and arrogance. They evidently feared, and yet would fain defy Him.

    30. many swine feeding. The swine were feeding near the mountain.

    Jews were forbidden to keep swine or to eat swine’s flesh. These swine may have belonged to some irreligious Jew or to Gentiles. Probably the herd was the property of more than one man. The greater number of the inhabitants of this region were certainly Gentiles, but there were also Hellenistic, i.e. Greek-speaking, Jews living there. There are in the environs of Chersha large plateaus of fertile soil, where abundant pasture and bulbous roots suitable for swine’s food are still to be seen.

    31. the devils besought, etc. This was in answer to our Lord’s question. And he asked him : What is thy name And he saith to him: My name is Legion, for we are many (St Mark). Perhaps the devils wished to strike terror into the souls of the listeners, and to give a great idea of their strength and power.

    A Roman legion varied from 3000 to 6000 men, and was a terror to the Jews. The number is not here to be taken literally. It simply implies they were many. St Mark gives the number as about two thousand.

    send us into the herd of swine. Some MSS. read (as in St Luke viii. 32) “command us to enter” (ἐπίτρεψον ἡμῖν ἀπελθεῖν), instead of “send us” (ἀπόστειλον ἡμᾶς). If the devils could enter into a man’s body, still more would they be able to take possession of animals, but they needed our Lord’s permission to do this. The devils doubtless wished to go into the swine —

    (1) That they might, by destroying the swine, free themselves.

    (2) In order to stir up the owners of the herd against our Lord.

    Notice the four requests : —

    (а) Not to torment them by driving them out.

    (b) Not to drive them away out of the country (St Mark v. 10).

    (c) Not to command them to go into the abyss (i.e. hell) (St Luke viii. 31).

    (d) That they might go into the swine.

    32. the whole herd ran violently down. Near Chersha, a little to the south, a steep mountain rises almost perpendicularly from the sea. The swine, rushing down the sides of this mountain with great violence, could not have checked their course on arriving at the edge of the abrupt descent, but must inevitably have fallen into the sea.

    perished in the waters. Jesus, as God, has a right to give or take worldly possessions as He wills. If the owners of the swine were Jews, they were breaking the law and deserved to lose their herds. If they were Gentiles, they had probably induced the Jews, in view of profit, to trade in swine, and thus gave scandal. In any case, God can always, without injustice, take back what comes from Him, and we know that famine and pestilence have been frequently sent as chastisements. This miracle and that of “the cursing of the barren fig-tree” are the only two miracles of destruction which our Lord wrought.

    33. they that kept them fled. They ran away in fear and told all whom they met. The owners of the herds would have dwelt in the city ; hence they went out into the plains to see what was done (St Mark).

    told everything. Those who had seen the miracle were eager to give all details to the citizens and owners of the swine ; also they wished to exonerate themselves from all blame for the loss of the herd.

    34. the whole city went out, etc. There they found Jesus, whom they sought, and also the man out of whom the devils were departed (St Luke).

    Mark the contrast : —

    (a) The demoniac, now well in his wits.

    (b) Sitting at his feet. No longer roaming about, crying out, or cutting himself with stones.

    (c) Clothed, instead of naked.

    they besought him that, etc. St Luke gives one of their motives : — they were taken with great fear. Also they regretted the destruction of the swine, and feared to incur other losses. St Peter, in his humility, once said, “ Depart from me, 0 Lord,” but the Gerasens did not ask our Lord to depart on account of their unworthiness, but simply from interested, worldly motives, and in their selfishness, did not consider the blessings which the poor demoniacs had received, nor the benefit to themselves in being delivered from the violence of the two demoniacs.

    Note. — The other Synoptists give the closing scene of this touching incident. Our Lord granted their request. He does not force His graces on the unwilling. Consequently, going up into the ship, He was about to depart, when, moved by gratitude, or by fear lest the demons should again enter into him, he that had been troubled with the devil began to beseech that he might be with him. But Jesus refused, saying. Go into thy house to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had mercy on thee. And he went his way, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him, and all men wondered (St Mark v. 19, 20). Christ visited that same district about a year later, when doubtless some were prepared to receive Him, through the testimony of the men whom He had healed on this occasion.

Additional Notes

Location of the miracle. We are told that this miracle took place “on the other side of the sea,” and in the country of the Gerasens. This latter statement has given rise to much discussion, because the best Greek MSS. name three different places as the scene of the miracle. In the Kevised Version of 1881, we find, accordingly, that St Matthew localises the place as Gadarens, while St Mark reads Gerasens, and St Luke has Gergesens. Of these three places, for geographical reasons, the ancient Gergesa, now Chersha or Khersa, seems to have been the correct one, for it has all the geographical features mentioned by the Evangelists. Gerasa, on the other hand, is situated about 30 miles south-east of Galilee, while Gadara was a large city in Perea, about 8 miles from the lake. There is, however, no real discrepancy, as these towns being on the same side of the lake and in the same region, the land between might be named after any one of them.

On Demoniacal possession.

    (1) Possession of the devil. The devils are sometimes permitted by God to harass men externally, as in the case of holy Job, whom they afflicted bodily and deprived of his worldly possessions. They are also occasionally permitted to enter into a man’s body and to dwell there, using his limbs and senses, and depriving him of the use of them. Thus the possessed often do extraordinary things, such as flying in the air, speaking unknown tongues, etc. (See Acts xvi. 16, xix. 16.) The devil cannot inhabit the soul, nor is he able to force man’s free will and compel him to sin, but he can cruelly torture the body, and cause illusions by deceiving the senses. Even good people have been for a time possessed by the devil, as we read in the lives of the saints, but such examples are rare. The third of the minor orders of the Church is that of the exorcist, whose special office is to perform exorcisms, i.e. to drive out devils. Possessions of the devil were much more frequent before the time of our Lord.

    (2) Obsession of the devil. This occurs when the devil attacks a man persistently from without, and presents phantoms to the senses. Many saints have experienced this trial. Exorcisms are —

(a) Ordinary : as in baptism, blessing of holy water.

(b) Extraordinary : in the case of bodily possessions.

    Our Lord frequently exorcised during His Public Life, and so did the apostles, both when sent on their first apostolic mission (St Luke ix. 1), and later (Acts xvi. 18, xix. 12).

Objections against Demoniacal possession refuted.

    It has been objected by non-believers that there is no such thing as “possession by the devil,” but that what is and has been so called is merely a form of disease, such as insanity, epilepsy, or some nervous complaint. They base their assertion on the fact that many of the symptoms are similar, since maniacs and persons afflicted with fits gnash their teeth, foam at the mouth, and strive to injure or destroy themselves. To this objection we can give the following answers : —

    I. The Jews (who had the true faith) believed in possession by the devil, since they attributed certain diseases to the power of the devil.

(a) “ And when they were gone out, behold they brought him a dumb man possessed with a devil” (St Matt. ix. 32). “Then was offered to him one possessed with a devil, blind and dumb : and he healed him, so that he spoke and saw” (St Matt. xii. 22). “ Master, I have brought my son to thee having a dumb spirit” (St Mark ix. 16).

(b) They distinguished between persons afflicted with disease and those possessed by devils. “ And when it was evening after sunset, they brought to him all that were ill, and that were possessed with devils ” (St Mark i. 32). “ Who were come to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases, and they that were troubled with unclean spirits were cured” (St Luke vi. 18).

(c) They accused our Lord of being thus possessed. “ Why seek you to kill me ? The multitude answered and said : Thou hast a devil, who seeketh to kill thee?” (St John vii. 20). “And the scribes who were come down from Jerusalem said : He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of devils he casteth out devils” (St Mark iii. 22).

    II. A spirit or personality only, could reveal the Divinity of our Lord, could fear being cast into the abyss, or desire to remain in a given locality. Such manifestations are not within the compass of a mere disease. 
    III. Our Lord distinctly teaches that there is such a thing as possession by devils, since —

(a) He gave His apostles power to cast out devils, and they used this power : “Lord, the devils also are subject to us in thy name.” “ I saw Satan like lightning falling from heaven.” “ But yet rejoice not in this that spirits are subject unto you ” (St Luke x. 17, 18, 20).

(b) He warned them that certain devils are difficult to expel (St Mark ix. 28).

    IV. The Church, following the teaching of Christ, has always believed in demoniacal possession, therefore she has —

(a) instituted, under the guidance of the Holy Ghost, special ministers and rites in order to expel evil spirits.

(b) established and preserved the custom of blessing people and things, which has, among other objects, that of preventing them from being possessed by the devil.

On the method of exorcism employed by the Jews.

    Josephus speaks of a herb which if it be only brought to sick persons, it quickly drives away those demons which .... enter into men .... and kill them (B.J., vii. 6. 3). He also explains how a certain Eleazar exorcised in presence of Vespasian and his army. “ The manner of the cure was this : he put a ring that had a root of one of those herbs mentioned by Solomon to the nostrils of the demoniac, after which he drew out the demon through his nostrils : and when the man fell down immediately, he adjured him to return into him no more, making still mention of Solomon, and reciting the incantations which he composed. And when Eleazar would persuade and demonstrate to the spectators that he had such a power, he set a little way off a cup or basin full of water, and commanded the demon, as he went out of the man, to overturn it, and thereby to let the spectators know that he had left the man” (Antiq., viii. 2. 5).
    29. Son of God. This title occurs rarely in the Old Testament, but is very frequently employed in the New. We note that it is given by —

(a) God.                 “ Thou art my beloved Son” (infra, iii. 32).

(b) Christ.              “ Do you say .... Thou blasphemest, because I said, I  am the Son of God ? ” (St John x. 36).
(c) Men.                 St Peter. “ Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God” (St Matt. xvi. 16).
                               The Centurion. “ Indeed this man was the Son of God ” (St Mark xv. 3).

                                Daniel. “The fourth is like the Son of God” (Dan. iii. 25).

(d) Devils.               “ If thou be the Son of God ” (St Luke iv. 3, 9).

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

The Stilling of the Tempest

St Matthew Chapter VIII : Verses 23-27

Contents

• Matt. viii. 23-27 Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text

Matt. viii. 23-27

He was asleep. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

23 And when he entered into the boat, his disciples followed him:

Et ascendente eo in naviculam, secuti sunt eum discipuli ejus :

24 And behold a great tempest arose in the sea, so that the boat was covered with waves, but he was asleep.

et ecce motus magnus factus est in mari, ita ut navicula operiretur fluctibus, ipse vero dormiebat.

25 And they came to him, and awaked him, saying: Lord, save us, we perish.

Et accesserunt ad eum discipuli ejus, et suscitaverunt eum, dicentes : Domine, salva nos, perimus.

He commanded the winds, and the sea,
J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

26 And Jesus saith to them: Why are you fearful, O ye of little faith? Then rising up he commanded the winds, and the sea, and there came a great calm.

Et dicit eis Jesus : Quid timidi estis, modicæ fidei? Tunc surgens imperavit ventis, et mari, et facta est tranquillitas magna.

27 But the men wondered, saying: What manner of man is this, for the winds and the sea obey him?

Porro homines mirati sunt, dicentes : Qualis est hic, quia venti et mare obediunt ei?

Notes

    23. he entered into the boat. They set out in the boat which Jesus had desired to he kept in readiness, and from which He had been preaching. The disciples seem to have insisted on our Lord’s resting awhile, while they dismissed the multitude.

    They steered for the district of Decapolis, east of the Sea of Galilee. This side being more rocky and barren, was not so thickly peopled as the eastern side. “ There is no recess in the eastern hills, no towns along its banks corresponding to those in the plains of Genesareth. Thus the wilder region became a natural refuge from the active life of the western shore ” (Dean Stanley).

    his disciples followed him. Cf. And sending away the multitude., they take him even as he was in the ship ; and there were other ships with him (St Mark iv. 36). They set off without making any special preparation. The other ships most likely belonged to some of Christ’s listeners, who had utilized their boats that they might be nearer to Him. If so, these people would have been dismissed, as well as those on the land. In such a busy place, many boats for transports would be at hand. Some of these people, perhaps, crossed the lake with our Saviour.

    24. a great tempest arose.  It was one of the sudden and violent squalls to which the lake is exposed. As it lies 600 feet below sea-level and is surrounded by mountain gorges, these serve “ like gigantic funnels to draw down the cold winds from the mountains” (Thompson).

    he was asleep. Resting in the hinder part of the ship., sleeping upon a pillow, — i.e. upon the steersman’s leathern cushion.

    Jesus was wearied with the labours of the day; also He wished to try His disciples’ faith. For another occasion when Jesus experienced fatigue, see St John iv. 6. “ Jesus fell asleep as Man, when He was about to command the wind and waves as God.”

    25. they came to him. Because they feared the imminent danger. Note the different petitions of the disciples : —

    (a) Lord save us, we perish (St Matt.).

    (b) Master, doth it not concern thee that we perish ? (St Mark).

    (c) Master, we perish (St Luke).

    Naturally all would not use exactly the same words. Their prayer was earnest, but it betrayed a want of faith. The Evangelists do not conceal the defects of our Lord’s followers, and consequently their own shortcomings.

OCR not available. Reproduced from source volume.

Additional Notes

    Note. — Many commentators think that the tempest was caused by a special providence of God in order to try the faith of the disciples ; others think it was a natural phenomenon ; but in either case it served our Lord’s purpose equally well.

    23. He entered into the boat. Peter’s bark is looked on as a type of the Church. The waves break over her, the winds toss her hither and thither, but Jesus is in the bark, and though often He appears to sleep, heedless of our cries of distress, yet in His own good time He will arise and calm the winds and seas. As long as we are in the bark of Peter we are safe for eternity, but this presupposes a living faith, which is shewn by good works, that are the fruit of the habitual indwelling of God’s grace in the soul; This miracle also teaches a lesson to those who are harassed by temptations. These may be very violent, but so long as we are united to Christ by grace, though at times He may appear not to heed our prayers. He will enable us to resist these temptations and calm the interior tempest if we pray with confidence.

    24. He was asleep. Jesus was overcome by fatigue, for He had had a very full day. If we ‘compare the narrations given by the Synoptists, we find that Jesus had —

    (a) healed several who were possessed of devils.

    (b) disputed with the Scribes and Pharisees.

    (c) spoken with His mother and His brethren.

    (d) preached from the boat.

    (e) spoken with the three who offered to follow Him. (Some commentators place this incident later, in agreement with St Luke’s order.)

    26. Ye of little faith. The disciples were not without confidence in Christ; for He Himself credits them with a little faith ; and had they been without faith, they would not have appealed to Jesus, saying, Save us, we perish ! The weakness of their faith is seen by their imagining that they could not be saved while Jesus was sleeping.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Cure of St Peter's Mother-in-law & others

St Matthew Chapter VIII : Verses 14-22

Contents

• Matt. viii. 14-22 Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text

Matt. viii. 14-22

Cure of St Peter's Mother-in-law. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

14 And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother lying, and sick of a fever:

Et cum venisset Jesus in domum Petri, vidit socrum ejus jacentem, et febricitantem :

15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she arose and ministered to them.

et tetigit manum ejus, et dimisit eam febris, et surrexit, et ministrabat eis.

16 And when evening was come, they brought to him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word: and all that were sick he healed:

Vespere autem facto, obtulerunt ei multos dæmonia habentes : et ejiciebat spiritus verbo, et omnes male habentes curavit :

17 That it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the prophet Isaias, saying: He took our infirmities, and bore our diseases.

ut adimpleretur quod dictum est per Isaiam prophetam, dicentem : Ipse infirmitates nostras accepit : et ægrotationes nostras portavit.

18 And Jesus seeing great multitudes about him, gave orders to pass over the water.

Videns autem Jesus turbas multas circum se, jussit ire trans fretum.

19 And a certain scribe came and said to him: Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou shalt go.

Et accedens unus scriba, ait illi : Magister, sequar te, quocumque ieris.

20 And Jesus saith to him: The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air nests: but the son of man hath not where to lay his head.

Et dicit ei Jesus : Vulpes foveas habent, et volucres cæli nidos; Filius autem hominis non habet ubi caput reclinet.

21 And another of his disciples said to him: Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

Alius autem de discipulis ejus ait illi : Domine, permitte me primum ire, et sepelire patream meum.

22 But Jesus said to him: Follow me, and let the dead bury their dead.

Jesus autem ait illi : Sequere me, et dimitte mortuos sepelire mortuos suos.

Notes

    14. Peter's house. Here St Mark has the house of Simon and Andrew. Possibly the paternal home. Jesus went there with James and John, and most likely Simon and Andrew (St Mark i. 29). They went there for hospitality, direct from the synagogue on a Sabbath-day.

    Cf. And Jesus rising up out of the synagogue, went into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever, and they besought him for her (St Luke iv. 38).

    his wife's mother. Hence St Peter was married, as were most of the apostles (see 1 Cor. ix. 5).

    sick of a fever. She was suffering from a great fever. The ancients divided fevers into two classes, “great” and “little.” St Luke always uses the correct technical term. St Matthew omits to mention two details given by the other Synoptists : —

    (a) Forthwith they tell him of her (St Mark).

    (b) They besought him for her (St Luke).

    15. And he touched her hand. Combining the accounts, we note our Lord’s condescension, which St Mark gives more graphically than the other Synoptists : —

    (а) Jesus went to the bedside of the sufferer.

    (b) lie bent over her.

    (c) He took her by the hand.

    (d) He lifted her up.

    (e) He rebuked the fever and healed her.

    the fever left her. She was completely and instantaneously cured. As a proof of this, she rose immediately and ministered to them, — i.e. to Christ and His disciples.

    to them. The best MSS. read not “ to them ” (αὐτοῖς), but “ to him ” (αὐτῷ).

    16. when evening was come. This detail is given by all the Synoptists.

    The people came in the evening because —

    1. It was less trying for the sick, who could not support the great heat.

    2. The Sabbath was not over till after sunset, and to carry a sick person was a breach of the Sabbath,

    3. The news of the cure of Simon’s mother-in-law was not instantly spread abroad. 

    many that were, etc. The crowd was so great that all the city was gathered together at the door (i.e. of St Peter’s home) (St Mark).

    possessed with devils. The Evangelist distinguishes between the sick and those possessed by devils.

    he cast out the spirits with his word. St Luke’s account is fuller : And devils went out from many, crying out and saying: Thou art the Son of God. And rebuking them, he suffered them not to speak, for they knew that he was Christ (iv. 41). Jesus would not receive homage from them.

    Possibly the devils’ homage was actuated by evil motives, i.e. to induce people to believe that Christ was in collusion with them. This is the second time that day that Jesus silenced them (see St Mark i. 25).

    Though the devils knew that he was Christ — i.e. the Messias — these words do not prove that they knew Him to be God.

    all that were sick he healed. In the midst of the sufferers, Jesus our Emmanuel passed: laying his hands on every one of them, he healed them (St Luke). He had words of tenderness and miraculous powers for all. Not one was passed over as too unworthy. This fact proves that these sufferers had faith.

    We can picture out the scene— the eager, anxious bearers, the wan faces of the sick, the scarred visages of the lepers, the various conditions of the patients, the earnest cries that resounded on all sides. St Matthew gives another account of numbers being healed at one time. Cf. And his fame went throughout all Syria, and they presented to him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and such as were possessed by devils, and lunatics, and those that had the palsy, and he cured them (iv. 24).

    17. That it might be, etc. This is one of St Matthew’s numerous references to the fulfilment of prophecy, and he applies the prediction to the miracles which Jesus wrought on the Sabbath-day in Capharnaum. St Matthew gives a free rendering of the prophet’s words, which run thus : He hath horne our infirmities and carried our sorrows (Is. liii. 4). These words, in their primary signification, manifestly refer to the Passion of our Lord, as the context clearly proves. Cf. And his look was as it were hidden and despised, whereupon we esteemed him not. St Peter also interprets the passage in the same sense : Who his own self bore our sins in his body upon the tree, that we being dead to sins, should live to justice, by whose stripes you were healed (1 Peter ii. 24). This apparent discrepancy is generally explained as follows : — All physical and moral evils are the pernicious results of sin ; consequently, by atoning for our sin, our Lord also removed the consequences, though the complete exemption from pain and death can only be accomplished in heaven, where the elect shall enjoy eternal felicity, for God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and death shall be no more (Apoc. xxi. 4).

    18. seeing great multitudes. “ His fame being spread abroad, great crowds collected, and they were no doubt filled with the expectation of the temporal kingdom, which in the popular mind was at that time associated with the idea of the Messias’ appearance. This idea our Lord constantly opposed, and He systematically avoided keeping a crowd long together, lest He should be .suspected of favouring the sedition to which such an error might give occasion” (Ryan, Gospels of the Sundays, vol. i. p. 168).

    pass over the water. To the eastern side of the lake. Jesus, during His Galilean mission, had a boat in waiting. Cf. And he spoke to his disciples that a small ship should wait on him, because of the multitude, lest they should throng him (St Mark iii. 9).

    Note. — St Luke gives these two incidents in another context — before the mission of the Seventy-two, and after our Lord’s visit to the country of the Gerasens.

    19. a certain scribe came. He met our Lord in the way.

    I will follow thee, etc. Like the sons of Zebedee, this man evidently did not know for what he was offering himself. He had not reckoned the charges. In the same spirit, St Peter promised to follow Christ to prison and to death, A similar disposition is found in the rich young man who said : Good Master, what good shall I do that I may have life everlasting ? {infra, xix. 16).

    20. Jesus saith to him, etc. Evidently the scribe expected riches and honours in the Messianic kingdom. Jesus disillusions him, and states the exact conditions of discipleship. Poverty and humiliation await the follower of Christ.

    foxes have holes, etc. Lit. “ shelters,” or “ places for camping.” These words give us a graphic picture of our Lord’s life of privation. The brute creation at least had a shelter, the Son of man had none. He lived in utter dependence on God.

    22. let the dead, etc. “Explanations: — 1. Dead is taken both times in the same sense ; the meaning is, ‘ Let the dead bury themselves.’ When the grace of God calls us to something else, as Jesus called this disciple, even such an important work as burying the dead must be neglected. 2. The dead are taken for the spiritually dead the first time, and for the bodily dead the second. Then it means : let those who are spiritually dead, for whom the grave means the last end of man, attend to the burial of the dead bodies. Or it implies that the relatives of the man were spiritually dead ; they would attend to the burial” (Maas, Life of Christ, p. 248).

    St Luke here adds a third offer : And another said : I will follow thee, Lord, hut let me first take my leave of them that are at my house. Jesus said to him : No man 'putting his hand to the plough, and looking hack, is fit for the kingdom of heaven (ix. 61, 62).

    Some interpreters find in these three persons representatives of the sanguine, the melancholic, and the phlegmatic temperaments, while the two apostles, James and John, illustrate the choleric temperament. “Others, again, find in the three half-hearted followers the three great obstacles represented, namely, earthly desire and ambition, earthly sorrow, and carnal affection.”

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.