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Matthew 9:1. Then He, getting into the boat, crossed back and arrived at His city. Matthew 9:2. And so they brought to Him the paralytic, lying on the bed. By “His city” Matthew means Capernaum, because the Lord lived there. He was born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth, but Capernaum was His permanent residence. This paralytic or two is not the one mentioned in John, because the last one lay at the “sheep gate” in Jerusalem, and this one was in Capernaum; he did not have a man, but this one was carried by four, as Mark says, so that they lowered him through the roof, which is not mentioned in Matthew. - or those who offered, since He often worked miracles for the sake of the faith of those who offered, or even the paralytic himself. said to the paralytic: dare, child! your sins are forgiven you. He calls him a “child” - either as a creation of God, or as someone who has believed. Having shown that relaxation came mainly from sins, he first of all forgives them. Matthew 9:3. At this some of the scribes said to themselves: He blasphemes. Matthew 9:4. Jesus, seeing their thoughts, said: Why do you think evil in your hearts? Matthew 9:5. for which is easier to say: your sins are forgiven, or to say: get up and walk? He shows Himself to be God by the very fact that He knows their thoughts. He denounces them, as if saying: “You think that I am blaspheming, since I arrogate to myself the right to forgive sins, which is a great thing. You think that I am resorting to this for the purpose of not being exposed, but by healing bodies, I assure you that I can heal souls as well - a deed that is much easier, but which is usually considered more difficult, I will also prove the remission of sins, which is great, but seems easier to you because it is invisible.” Matthew 9:6. But so that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins, then he says to the paralytic: get up, take up your bed, and go to your house. ... Matthew 9:8. The people, seeing this, were surprised and glorified God, who had given such power to men. He ordered the sick man to carry his bed, so that they would not think that what had happened was only a ghost, and at the same time so that the people, who considered Christ a simple man, although greater than all, would see a miracle. Matthew 9:9. Passing from there, Jesus saw a man named Matthew sitting at the toll booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he stood up and followed Him. He called him not together with Peter and John, but when he saw that he would believe. So he called Paul after the time had come. Marvel at the evangelist, how he denounces his life, although others hid his name, calling him Levi. As for the fact that he was converted with just one word, this is the work of God. Matthew 9:10. And while Jesus was reclining in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and reclined with Him and His disciples. Matthew 9:11. Seeing this, the Pharisees said to His disciples: Why does your Teacher eat and drink with publicans and sinners? Very pleased with Christ's visit, Matthew called the tax collectors, and Christ, in order to benefit them, ate with them, despite the fact that He was reproached for this. For the Pharisees, wanting to alienate His disciples, condemned the fact that He communicated with publicans in food. Matthew 9:12. When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick, Matthew 9:13. Go, learn what it means: “I want mercy, not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6). For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. I have come now, says the Lord, not as a Judge, but as a Doctor: that is why I endure the stench. With the words “go and learn,” he also exposes them as ignorant: since you still have not learned, at least now go and learn that God places mercy on sinners above sacrifice. “For I did not come to call the righteous,” he says, reproaching them, that is: I did not come to call you, who justify themselves, since there is not a single righteous person; I came to call sinners, not so that they would remain sinners, but so that they would repent. Matthew 9:14. Then John’s disciples come to Him and say: Why do we and the Pharisees fast a lot, but Your disciples do not fast? John's disciples, jealous of Christ's glory, reproached Him for not fasting. Perhaps they wondered how, without heroism, He conquered the passions, which John could not. For they did not know that John was only a man and became righteous because of virtue, but Christ, as God, is himself virtue. Matthew 9:15. And Jesus said to them, Can the sons of the bridal chamber mourn while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. This time, says the Lord, when I am with My disciples, is a time of joy. By “groom” He means Himself, as betrothing to Himself a new host of people, since the ancient one died, and by “sons of the bridal chamber” - the apostles. There will be a time, he says, when they too, after I suffer and ascend, will fast, enduring hunger and thirst and being persecuted. Showing the imperfection of the disciples, He adds: Matthew 9:16. And no one puts patches of unbleached cloth on old clothes; for what is sewn again will be pulled away from the old, and the hole will be even worse. Matthew 9:17. Neither do they pour new wine into old wineskins, otherwise the skins will burst, the wine will flow out, and the skins will be lost. But new wine is poured into new wineskins, and both are preserved. The disciples, he says, have not yet become strong, but they need indulgence, and the burden of the commandments should not be placed on them. But He said this while teaching the disciples, so that when they teach the world, they too would be lenient. So, fasting is a new patch and new wine, and old clothes and furs are the weakness of the disciples. Matthew 9:18. When He was telling them this, a certain leader came up to Him and, bowing to Him, said: My daughter is now dying; but come, lay Your hand on her, and she will live. Matthew 9:19. And Jesus stood up and followed him, and so did His disciples. It is clear that this one also had faith, although not much, since he asks Jesus not only to say one word, but also to come and lay his hand. He says that his daughter has already died (although, according to Luke, she has not yet died), either fortune-telling, because he left her at her last breath, or so that, by increasing the extent of the misfortune, he induces Christ to show mercy. Matthew 9:20. And behold, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years came up from behind and touched the hem of His garment, Matthew 9:21. for she said within herself: If I only touch His garment, I will be healed. Matthew 9:22. Jesus, turning and seeing her, said: Be of good cheer, daughter! your faith has saved you. From that hour the woman became healthy. Unclean due to her illness, the woman did not approach openly, fearing that they would disturb her. Although she considered it possible to hide, she believed that she would receive health as soon as she touched the hem of the garment. But the Savior reveals her not out of love for glory, but in order for our benefit to show her faith and so that the ruler of the synagogue would believe. “Be bold,” He says to her because she was afraid, like someone who had stolen a gift; “daughter” he calls her as faithful. It also shows that if she did not have faith, she would not have received grace, although His clothes were holy. They say that this woman made a statue of the Savior, at whose feet grass grew to help bleeding wives. During the time of Julian, the wicked destroyed it. Matthew 9:23. And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the people in confusion, Matthew 9:24. He said to them: Go out; for the maiden is not dead, but sleeps. And they laughed at Him. Since the chief’s daughter was unmarried, they mourned her with wedding pipes, doing this according to the law. The Lord says that she is sleeping because for Him, who could easily resurrect, death was a dream. Do not be surprised that they laughed at Him, for by this they most of all testify to a miracle, namely, that He raised one who had actually died. So that no one could say that the patient had a seizure, her death was recognized by everyone. Matthew 9:25. When the people were sent out, He entered, took her hand, and the girl stood up. Matthew 9:26. And the rumor about this spread throughout all that land. Where there is crowd and bustle, Jesus does not perform miracles. He takes the girl by the hand, giving her strength. And you, if you are killed by sins, will be resurrected as soon as He takes you by the hand of action, driving out the crowd and vanity. Matthew 9:27. When Jesus walked from there, two blind men followed Him and shouted: Have mercy on us, Jesus, son of David! The blind men said to Him as to God: “Have mercy on us,” and as to a man they called out: “Son of David,” because among the Jews there was much talk about the fact that the Messiah would come from the seed of David. Matthew 9:28. When He came into the house, the blind came to Him. And Jesus said to them: Do you believe that I am able to do this? They say to Him: Yes, Lord! He draws the blind with Him all the way home in order to show the strength of their faith and expose the Jews. He asks them if they believe, showing by this that faith accomplishes everything. Matthew 9:29. Then He touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith, be it done to you.” Matthew 9:30. And their eyes were opened; He heals them in the house, alone, shunning glory, for He teaches humility everywhere. and Jesus sternly said to them: Take care that no one finds out. Matthew 9:31. And they went out and spread the word about Him throughout all that land. Do you see the modesty of Christ? But they divulged, however, not out of disobedience, but out of gratitude. If sometimes the Lord says: go and preach the glory of God, then there is no contradiction here. For He wants nothing to be said about Him, but only the glory of God to be preached. Matthew 9:32. When they went out, they brought to Him a mute man possessed by a demon. Matthew 9:33. And when the demon was cast out, the dumb man began to speak. This illness was not from nature, but from a demon: that is why others bring it up. He could not ask on his own, because the demon had tied his tongue. For this reason, the Lord does not require faith from him, but immediately heals him, expelling the demon that prevented him from speaking. And the people, surprised, said: such a phenomenon has never happened in Israel. The surprised people put Christ above the prophets and patriarchs, because He healed with authority, and not like them - by praying. Let's look at the Pharisees, what they say. Matthew 9:34. And the Pharisees said: He casts out demons by the power of the prince of demons. Words of extreme madness! For no demon casts out a demon. Let us assume that He cast out demons, as a servant of a demonic prince or as a magician, but illness and sins - how did He resolve them and how did He preach the kingdom? The demon does exactly the opposite: he creates illness and separates us from God. Matthew 9:35. And Jesus went through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every disease among the people. The humane Lord does not wait for people to come to Him, but He Himself walked, so that no one would have an excuse for not teaching us. He attracts them by deed and word, teaching and working miracles. Matthew 9:36. Seeing the crowds of people, He took pity on them because they were exhausted and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. They did not have a shepherd, since their leaders not only did not correct them, but also harmed them. The job of a true shepherd is to take care of his flock. Matthew 9:37. Then He said to His disciples: The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; Matthew 9:38. Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. By “harvest” is meant the people who needed care, and by “workers” those who should teach, but who were not then among Israel. “Lord of the Harvest” is Christ Himself, the Lord of the prophets and apostles. This is evident from the fact that He appointed twelve apostles without asking God for it. Listen!