Глава IX

Matthew 9:1–2. And entering the ship, He swam back and entered His city. And so they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic: Son, have firm faith: your sins are forgiven you. 159 By “city” we understand Him only as Nazareth, which is why He is called “Nazarene.” And they brought Him, as we said above, a second paralytic lying in bed, for he himself could not come. Jesus, seeing the faith not of what was brought, but of those who brought it, said to the paralytic: “Son, have firm faith, your sins will be forgiven you.” O wondrous humility! He calls “son” a person despised, weak and broken in all his limbs, a person whom the priests did not deign to touch. And it is also certain that he is a son because his sins are forgiven. In a figurative sense, [this means that] sometimes it happens that a soul lying in a body with weakened members 160 is brought to the Lord by a perfect teacher for healing. If she is healed by His mercy, she receives so much strength that immediately after that she can carry her bed. Matthew 9:3–4. At this some of the scribes said to themselves: He blasphemes. Jesus, seeing their thoughts, said: Why do you think evil in your hearts? We read from the prophet that the Lord says: “I am the destroyer of your iniquities” (Is. 43:25). Thus, the scribes accuse the Lord of blasphemy, because they considered Him a man and did not understand the word of God. But the Lord, seeing their thoughts, showed Himself as God, who can know the hidden side of the heart and, as it were, silently says: “With the same majesty and power with which I contemplate your thoughts, I can forgive people their sins. By yourself you will understand what must happen 161 to the paralytic.” Matthew 9:5–6. For what is easier to say: “Your sins are forgiven”, or to say: “Rise and walk”? But so that you know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins, then he speaks to the paralytic. There is a big difference between “saying” and “doing”. Only the One who forgave knew whether the sins of the paralytic were forgiven. And the consequence of the words: “Get up and walk” could be certified both by the one who stood up and by those who saw him get up. So, a physical sign is performed to confirm the reality of the spiritual sign, because letting go of the vices of the soul and body is a property of the same Power. In addition, we are instilled with the idea that many bodily infirmities occur as a result of sins. And therefore, as soon as your sins [or “without”: yours] are forgiven, health is immediately restored, as if the cause of infirmity has been removed from the body. Matthew 9:7–8. [end 6] Get up, take up your bed and go to your house. And he got up, took up his bed and went to his house. The people, seeing this, were surprised and glorified God, who had given such power to men.” Likewise, a weakened soul, if it rises up, if it receives its former strength, then it will carry its bed, on which it previously lay broken, and carries it to the house of its virtues. 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. The other evangelists, out of reverence and respect for Matthew, did not want to call him by his common name, but said: “Levi,” for he was called by a double name. Matthew himself, according to what is commanded [or “says"] by Solomon: “The righteous is the one who accuses himself at the beginning of the word” (Prov. 18:16) 162 and in another place: “Tell your sins in order to be justified” (Is. 43:26). 163 He calls himself Matthew and a publican [tax collector] to show the readers that no one should despair of his salvation if he has turned to something better, since he himself suddenly turned from a publican into an apostle. Regarding this passage, Porphyry and the Emperor Julian present a critical remark (arguit) in the sense that here we are dealing either with the unskillful lies of the compiler of the story (historici), or with the foolishness (stultitiam) of those who immediately followed the Savior; they seemed to be unreasonably carried away and followed any person; however, it is certain that the apostles, before believing, saw many great powers and signs performed before them. Of course, the very radiance and greatness of the hidden Divinity, Which shone even on the human face, at the first sight of Him could attract those looking at Him. For if in a magnetic piece and in amber, they say, there is such great power that it attracts to itself rings, straw and twigs, then how much more could the Lord attract to Himself, of all creations, those whom He willed. Matthew 9:10–12. And it came to pass, as Jesus was reclining in the house, that many publicans and sinners came together, and they were reclining with Jesus and His disciples. And the Pharisees, seeing this, said to His disciples: Why does your Teacher eat and drink with publicans and sinners? But Jesus, hearing [this], said to them: Those who are healthy do not need a doctor, but those who are sick do [have a need]. 164 Matthew 9:13. [beginning]: Go and learn what it means. They saw that the publican, who turned to something better, found a means of repentance and therefore they themselves do not despair of salvation and, not remaining in their former vices, come to Jesus, so that the scribes and Pharisees grumble, but committing repentance, as the next word of the Lord shows, which says: Matthew 9:13. [end]: “I want mercy, not sacrifice”? For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. The Lord went to the feasts of sinners in order to have an opportunity to teach and to serve spiritual dishes to those who invited Him. Then, when it is repeatedly said that He spent time at feasts, it only says what He did there and what He taught, so that both the humility of the Lord in going to sinners and the powerful effect of His teaching in converting the repentant are shown. The following words: “I want mercy, and not sacrifice” (Hos. 6:6) and: “I came to call not the righteous, but sinners,” in which the testimony of the prophet is given, serve to reproach the scribes and Pharisees, who, considering themselves righteous, rejected communication with tax collectors and sinners. 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? A question breathing with pride and Pharisaic exaltation. Here, without saying anything else, is quite clear boasting that they are fasting 165. John's disciples who slandered Him cannot be blameless, because they knew Him from the preaching of their teacher, but they joined the Pharisees, who they knew were condemned by John when he said: “You brood of vipers! who told you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matthew 3:7). 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. The Groom is Christ, the Bride is the Church. From this sacred-spiritual union came the apostles, who cannot mourn as long as they see the groom on the wedding bed and know that the Groom is spending time with the Bride. And when the wedding feast has passed and the time of suffering and resurrection comes, then the sons of the Bridegroom will fast. Therefore, some think that fasting should begin forty days after the suffering of Christ, although immediately after that the day of Pentecost and the descent of the Holy Spirit give us a reason for celebration. And on the basis of this testimony, Montanus, Prisca and Maximilla also perform the Pentecost after Pentecost, because the sons of the Bridegroom are supposed to fast after the Bridegroom is taken from them. And the custom of the church begins the suffering and resurrection of the Lord through the pacification of the flesh, so that we prepare for the spiritual feast by bodily fasting. In a figurative sense, we must understand that as long as 167 the Bridegroom remains with us and we rejoice, we can neither fast nor mourn. And when He withdraws from us because of our sins, then fasting must be appointed and weeping must begin again. Matthew 9:16–17. No one puts patches of coarse cloth on old clothes [or: “to old clothes"]. For if they tear them away from the clothes intact, the tear will be even worse. And they don’t put new wine into old bottles; otherwise the old bottles will burst, and the wine will spill, and the bottles will be lost; but new wine is poured into new bottles, then both will be safe.” 168 . What He says means the following. Until someone is regenerated and, having put aside the old man, through My sufferings (169) puts on the new, until that time he cannot endure the stricter prescriptions of fasting and abstinence, lest through excessive abstinence he lose (that) faith that he seems to still have. And He presented two examples: on the one hand, old and new wineskins, and on the other hand, clothing. The piece of new cloth and the new wine must be understood in the sense of the commandments of the Gospel, which the Jews cannot bear, so that the gap does not become even greater. This is exactly what the Galatians wanted, that is, they wanted to mix the commandments of the law with the Gospel and pour new wine into old wineskins; but the apostle says to them: “O foolish [or: “foolish”] Galatians, who deceived you not to submit to the truth" (Gal. 3:1). So, the word of the Gospel should be poured into the apostles much more than into the scribes and Pharisees, who could not preserve the purity of the commandments of Christ. Indeed, the purity of a virgin soul, unsullied by any infection of original vice, is one thing, and the impurity of that soul, which has fallen under the influence of lust in many [sins], is another matter. Matthew 9:18–19. So one prince came and bowed to Him, saying: My daughter has just died; but come, lay Your hand on her, [or without: “Your"] “and she will live. And Jesus arose, and His disciples followed him.” 170 The eighth sign was the case 171 when one of the high-ranking officials asked to raise his daughter 172 from her deathbed, not wanting her to be rejected from participating in the sacrament of true circumcision; but now the bleeding woman comes up and becomes the subject of the eighth healing, so that the daughter of the prince, excluded from this number, belongs to the ninth, according to what is said in the psalms: “Ethiopia will warn” [will stretch out] “her hand to God” (Ps. 67:32) 173 and “When the fullness of the nations has entered, then all Israel will be saved” (Rom. 11:25-26). 174 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. The Gospel of Luke says that the prince's daughter was twelve years old (Luke 8:42). Thus, pay attention to the fact that this woman, that is, the pagan peoples, began to get sick when the Jewish people believed [or: when the faith of the Jewish people was born], unless [in this case] from the comparison of virtues a vice is exposed. And this bleeding woman came to the Lord not in a house, not in a city, for according to the law she is expelled from cities (Lev. 15:25, Num. 5:3), but on the way when the Lord went, so that while He was heading to one, the other was healed. Therefore, the apostles say: “You should have been the first to preach the word of God, but because you reject it and make yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46). Matthew 9:21. For she spoke to herself [i.e. e. in my soul]: If I just touch His garment, I will be healthy” [beginning of v. 22]: “And Jesus turned and saw her, and said.” 175 According to the law [of Moses], anyone who touched a woman who had her period or was bleeding was considered unclean (Lev. 15:19–32). Therefore, this woman touches the Lord in order to cleanse herself from the impurity of blood. Matthew 9:22. [end]: Daughter, have strong faith, your faith has made you healthy; and the woman became healthy from that hour.” 176 She is a daughter because her faith made her healthy. He did not say: “Your faith will “make” you healthy” 177, but: “Your faith will “make” you sound” 178. In fact, you are healthy just because you believed. Matthew 9:23. And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the people in confusion [beginning of v. 24]: told them. And to this day the maiden lies dead in the prince’s house, and those who seem to be teachers are playing the pipes and singing the song of lament 179. Moreover, the crowd of Jews is not a crowd of believers, but a crowd of those causing confusion. Matthew 9:24. [end]: Go out, for the maiden is not dead, but sleeps. And they laughed at Him. This is because everyone is alive before the Lord. Matthew 9:25. When the people were sent out, He entered Indeed, those who uttered unworthy curses against the one who performed the resurrection were unworthy to contemplate the mystery of the one who resurrected. Matthew 9:26. [end of 25 and 26]: He took her hand, and the girl stood up. And the rumor about this spread throughout all that land. If the hands of the Jews, filled with blood, are not first cleansed, then their dead synagogue [host] will not be resurrected. Matthew 9:27. As Jesus walked away from there, two blind men followed Him and shouted: When the Lord Jesus passed to the prince’s house and was heading to His house, as we said above: “He boarded a ship, crossed the bay and came to His city,” two blind men exclaimed, saying: “Have mercy on us, son of David.” However, they receive healing not during the journey, not in passing, as they thought; but after He came to His house, they approached Him and went inside [the house]; and first their faith is tested, that in this way they may receive the light of true faith. To the first sign - that we told about the daughter of the prince and about the bleeding [or: "sick"] woman - this is also consistently added, so that what there shows illness and weakness, here blindness reveals. Indeed, both peoples were blind when the Lord passed through this temporary life (hoc saeculum) and wanted to return to His house. If they had not confessed and said: “Have mercy on us, son of David” , and to His question: “Do you believe that I can do this,” they did not answer: “Her” [undoubtedly, of course], “Lord,” then they would not have received the former light. Another evangelist writes about one blind man, who, in torn clothes, sitting in Jericho, was restrained by the apostles from exclamations; but through his boldness he received health (Mark 10:46–52). This last passage properly relates to paganism (gentium populum), and must be interpreted in the scroll assigned to it. Matthew 9:28–29. (27th end, 28, 29 and beginning of 30th): Have mercy on us, Jesus, son of David! 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! Then He touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith, be it done to you.” And their eyes were opened; Let Marcion, Manichaeus and other heretics who tear apart the Old Testament (Vetus Instrumentum) listen to this and let them know that the Savior is called the son of David; in fact, if He was not born in the flesh, then how is He called the son of David? Matthew 9:30–31. [end 30] And Jesus sternly said to them: Take care that no one finds out. And they went out and spread the word about Him throughout all that land. Just as the Lord commanded this out of His humility in order to avoid vanity, so they cannot remain silent about the good deed, remembering the mercy towards them. Why pay attention to the fact that the command is somewhat contradictory in itself (quidquid inter se jussum esse contrarium). These blind men receive healing in tenth place [in the order of miracles]. Matthew 9:32. [beginning 33]: When they went out, they brought to Him a mute man possessed by a demon. And when the demon was cast out, the mute began to speak.” Eleventh in order, the mute gains the ability to speak. And the Greek word κωφόν is commonly used in speech and should be understood in the sense of “deaf” rather than “dumb.” But it is characteristic of Holy Scripture to use it without distinction both in the sense of 180 “deaf” and “dumb.” In a spiritual sense, this means that just as the blind receive light, so the tongue of the dumb is loosened so that he confesses the One whom he previously denied. Matthew 9:33–34. [end 33]: And the crowds of people were amazed, saying: Never has such a thing been seen in Israel. The Pharisees said: He casts out demons by the prince of demons. 181 The crowd of people, in their own words: “This has never happened before in Israel,” 182 confesses the works of God. In the face of the crowd we see the confession [of faith] of the nations. And the Pharisees, not being able to reject the power of God, blaspheme these deeds and say: “He casts out demons by the power of the prince of demons,” 183 pointing out with their slander the unbelief of the Jews even to this day. 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. You see that He preached the Gospel equally in cities, and in villages, and in settlements, that is, both large and small, so that He did not pay attention to the power of the nobles, but only to the salvation of believers, fulfilling the work that the Father commanded Him and having an insatiable desire (esuriem) to save the unbelievers by His teaching. And He taught the gospel of the kingdom, and after preaching and teaching He healed all manner of sickness and all manner of disease, so that His works might convince those whom His word had not convinced. In the proper sense, it is said about the Lord: “Healing every disease and every infirmity,” because for Him nothing is impossible. Matthew 9:36. [beginning 37]: Seeing the crowds of people, He had compassion on them because they were weary and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He speaks to His disciples. The confusion of the flock and sheep and the crowd of people is the fault of the shepherds and the vice of the teachers, and therefore the words follow. Matthew 9:37. [continued], 38: The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. Many harvests signify many nations; few workers - lack of shepherds. And He commands us to ask the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His harvest. These are the workers of whom the Psalmist speaks: “Those who sow in tears will reap with joy. The one who bears the seeds weeping will return with joy, bearing his sheaves 184" (Ps. 125:5-6). And to put it more clearly, the many harvest is the whole multitude of believers. And the few workers are the apostles and their imitators, sent into the harvest. In the translation: The Gospel of Matthew - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “Then He, entering the boat, crossed back and arrived in His city. And so they brought to Him the paralytic, lying on the bed. And Jesus seeing their faith, said to the paralytic: Be of good cheer, child! Your sins are forgiven you” - ed. In the lane: with forces broken in all members - ed. In the lane: has to be - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “A man’s gift gives him space and will bring him to the nobles” - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “You speak in order to justify yourself” - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “And while Jesus was reclining in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and reclined with Him and His disciples. Seeing this, the Pharisees said to His disciples: Why does your Teacher eat and drink with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.” – Ed. In the lane: descent - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “And no one puts patches of unbleached fabric on old clothes, for what is sewn again will be torn away from the old, and the hole will be even worse. Neither do they pour new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins break, and the wine flows out, and the skins are lost, but new wine is poured into new wineskins, and both are preserved” - ed. Transl.: As long as someone is reborn and puts aside the old man, he will suffer through My sufferings - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “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. And Jesus stood up and followed him, and the disciples" - ed. In the lane: restore - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “Ethiopia will stretch out its hands to God” - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “Until the full number of the pagans comes in; and thus all Israel will be saved” – ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “For she said within herself: if I only touch His clothes, I will be healed. And Jesus turned and saw her, and said,” ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “Be of good cheer, daughter! your faith has saved you. From that hour the woman became healthy - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “Your faith will “save” you” - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “Your faith “saved” you” - ed. At the lane lamentable song - ed. In the translation: indifferent use of it in the sense of how - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “And the people, surprised, said: such a phenomenon has never happened in Israel. And the Pharisees said: He casts out demons by the power of the prince of demons - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “Such a phenomenon has never happened in Israel” - ed. According to the new Synodal Russian translation: “He casts out demons by the power of the prince of demons” - ed. At the lane according to the old Synodal Russian translation: “faggots” [or “: sheaves] – ed. You might be interested in: