Matthew 9

On the contrary, they always spake and acted in “the name of Jesus of Nazareth,” and by his authority. ((Acts 3:6); v. 6, &c.) The objection, therefore, which some have urged against the argument of Christ’s divinity from the miracles of the Apostles, rather confirms than weakens it: for he who speaks with authority, and acts in his own name, is evidently more than a mere delegate. If it be asked why, on this and other occasions, the man that was cured, was commanded to take up his bed and walk? it may be replied, To show the completeness of his cure, that he was not huddled away in obscurity; but was able to walk steadily, and even to carry his bed with him. Perhaps, also, (as Jay suggests) that it might be a perpetual memento of his cure.

The next event recorded by this Evangelist is, the call of Matthew, and the entertainment which he gave on this occasion. His call has been already noticed slightly in our Introduction. We shall only add, that at this time he appears to have been engaged in a very active, and perhaps lucrative situation, at the custom-house, or toll-booth, in Galilee, when he, immediately on receiving this call from the Lord, “left all, and followed him.” It is not necessary to suppose that the entertainment which Matthew (or Levi) made to his friends, was on the same day, or even in the same week, that Jesus called him. Though he gave up immediately his situation, both honour and honesty required that he should make up his accounts with government; and one object of this feast seems to have been, to do good; as pee is oh Ss Se OR A ee ee Ver.

2. Lying on a bed.—Doddridge, “Couch,” or mattress.—Seeing and benevol- ace to either ritual services or costly sacrifices, “To call sinners to repentance—to heal the wounded soul—is an act of mercy and benevolence, far more acceptable to God than all your parade of heartless sacrifices.” “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” On this occasion, some of John Baptist’s disciples, whose master Herod had imprisoned, seeing the disciples of Jesus present at this feast, and probably being set on by the Pharisees, inquire of Jesus, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but thy disciples fast not?” This question refers not to any divinely instituted fast of the Mosaic law; but, in the case of the Pharisees, to their fasting twice a week, from a principle of superstition and self-righteousness; and, in the case of John’s disciples, as their master had been shut up in prison by Herod, and his life was threatened, it is probable they kept many fasts, as well as offered many prayers on his account.

But it was not so with the disciples of Jesus; their Master, the bridegroom of his church, was yet with them; when he should be taken from them, which they are led to expect shortly, then would be their time for fasting and lamenting; and then, indeed, would they be far more severely tried than were now John’s disciples. Not only so, but the disciples of Jesus were newly gathered around him; Matthew, in particular, was quite a new disciple; and it would not be wise in a master, to put his young converts to so severe a test as those who had been long attached to him. It would be like putting new wine in old skin bottles, that were like to burst; or sewing a patch of half-finished cloth upon a garment decayed or moth-eaten, than which nothing could be more absurd.

But to return to the feast before us: Bp. Hall remarks, “I do not find where Jesus was bidden to any table and refused. If a Pharisee, if a publican, invited him, he made no scruple to go: If he sat with sinners, he converted them: if with converts, he confirmed and instructed them; if with the poor, ver, were given him by the publican, to show to him that sat on the other side, and of healing all manner of diseases; but the gift of tongues appears to have been reserved for the day of Pentecost. At first, their message was “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” only; they were not allowed to go unto either the Gentiles or the Samaritans. They were also not suffered to make any provision for their journey; nor, except in necessary food and clothing, to receive any reward: “Freely ye have received; freely give.”

One part of their directions is peculiar: “Into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and there abide till ye go thence.” The worthiness here referred to, is evidently that of character; they were to inquire for persons of repute for piety, benevolence, and hospitality, and then receive their offered placeness: not wandering from house to house with idle curiosity, but saluting them with words of peace, and imploring on them all its blessings. But, if any refused to admit them, all the resentment they were allowed to show, was the shaking the dust from off their feet; an awful witness against them in the day of judgment. Our Lord now warns his disciples of the treatment they must expect to meet with from the world, and how to comport themselves under it.

They were “as sheep among wolves,” and must expect to be treated with injury and outrage. They were allowed, however, to exercise prudence, to avoid the snares laid for them by their enemies, but they must not retaliate the injuries received. They may be “wise as serpents,” but they must also be “‘harmless as doves.” “Innocence,” or moral purity of conduct, united with wisdom and prudence, does honour to the Christian name. But in this address of our Lord to his disciples, he refers particularly to the case of persecution, of which he candidly warns them; and, instead of promising them exemption, assures them of direction and support. They shall be hated, accused, betrayed, martyred, ‘but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”

In the mean time, they are not to provoke persecution; but rather to avoid it, when it can be done without injury to their Master’s cause. Yet when they fly, it must not be to seeking inglorious ease, but rather to spread the news of salvation from place to place; for such was the extent of their itinerating labours, that they would scarcely be able to visit every part of Judea before the Son of man should come, and visit the nation with the most awful judgments. Ver. 24-42. Encouragement under persecution.—In the former part of this chapter, our Lord warns his disciples to expect persecution; here he offers several reasons to animate and support them under it. 1. “The disciple is not above his master:”

it is surely enough if he fare as well. If they call the master Beelzebub, is it wonderful if they cast the same reproach upon his followers? If he who was without fault, and “in whose mouth was no guile,” be subjected, not only to reproach, but pains and death also, surely it is not to be wondered that sinful men are called to drink the same cup of anguish. 2. Remember, that the utmost which men can do, affects the body only; they cannot reach the soul; to risk, therefore, the divine displeasure, in order to escape the anger of men, is folly in the extreme. 3. We are all and always under the immediate eye and care of God, “Who sees with equal eye, as God of all, A monarch perish, or a sparrow fall.” —Pope.

Even “the hairs of our head are all numbered” by that wisdom which cannot possibly overlook an atom in creation. 4. All our actions must be brought into judgment before God. If we deny Christ before men, and repent not, most assuredly will he deny us before his heavenly Father. 5. The nature of the gospel dispensation implies the necessity of persecution: It must needs be that offences come. ((Matthew 17:7).) The propriety of all God’s dispensations:—“He hath done all things well.” Ver. 20—30. Jesus upbraids the Galileans for their inattention to his ministry; offers thanksgivings to God his heavenly Father, and encourages his own disciples.—Our Lord, reminding the inhabitants of those cities of Galilee, in which most of his miracles had been wrought, of their folly and ingratitude, in not attending to his ministry, and receiving his word, warns them of the awful consequences of their neglect, as aggravating their guilt beyond that of the ancient cities here named, which had, for their flagitious crimes, been totally destroyed. Our Lord then addresses his heavenly Father in a strain of the most fervent devotion; particularly thanking him for his gracious condescension, in revealing the mysteries of his gospel to the most simple of mankind; while, at the same time, they were concealed from “the wise and prudent;” that is, the scribes and lawyers among the Jews, and the philosophers among the Gentiles.

These, being misguided by the pride of their own hearts, misled their disciples; and, in proportion to their influence, the common people. To these burdened and misguided people, the last verses of the chapter appear to us particularly addressed. The Jews were burdened, not only with a heavy law of rites and ceremonies, but still more grievously with traditions of the elders, which the scribes and lawyers bound upon their shoulders, though they themselves refused to “move them with one of their fingers.” ((Matthew 23:4).) The Gentiles were no less oppressed by their priests and philosophers, with idolatrous and superstitious ceremonies, with vain and idle theories respecting “the chief good” of man; respecting which, their notions were wonderfully numerous and contradictory.

Characters of the like description may be found in all ages, and among all nations and classes of mankind. All labour in the search after happiness; but they labour in vain, not seeking it in the right direction. They vainly seek in the creature—in weak and sinful creatures—what only can be found in the Creator, in the Redeemer of mankind. He is the fountain from whom alone flow all the streams of wisdom and blessedness. His service is perfect freedom; the yoke of his religion alone confers peace and “Religion’s yoke is soft and light, And all her paths are peace: Ambition, pride, revenge, depart, And folly flies her chastening rod; She makes the humble, contrite heart, A temple of the living God.” —Montgomery.

Notes on the verses

Chap. IX. Ver. 1. His own city—That is, Capernaum, the metropolis of Galilee, whither our Lord had removed from a road iv. 13, their faith—That is, both of the sick man and his friends.—Thy sins be (Luke, “are”) forgiven thee.—Not a prayer, but an affirmation. Campbell. [As the palsy is frequently produced by intemperance, it is probable, from our Lord’s gracious declaration, that it was the case in the present instance.] —B. Ver. 3. Certain of the scribes.—See note on (Matthew 5:20).—Within themselves.—The Greek phrase (en autais) is sometimes used in the sense of “among themselves,” as in (Matthew 16:8); but Mark here explains it by “in.” 4. t y etl — ride. = i i ” lo Bair ar wd Sed a 21.. ben why aA Shon yee Ai ed idge, (“such) evil things.”

Camp.—Or, es n F ieee LA [Sie OE cain aesee, hoes as Ambon 7? so in ver. 8.—On ver. 8: ece oy Cus i j E = Doddridge and 7 Pith and other earth hath authority,” &c. Drs. built for them at the foot of dees, at the. Espen el i eee ghore, where they took toll of passengers. Hence we read of the tickets “or seals of the intr which, when a man had paid toll on one side of a ri that it might appear he had paid.” Dr. Gill. Ver. 10. Many publicans.—This term, anciently, had no relation to the class of persons whom we call publicans, namely, innkeepers and victuallers. These publicans were Jews, employed to collect the Roman tribute, which rendered them so odious to their countrymen as to be ranked always with the worst of sinners—both as rapacious in their office, and profane in their conversation.

See (Matthew 18:17). (Luke 18:11). 13. Mercy and not sacrifice—What is, “in preference to sacrifice.” See OS. Vi. 6, e Ver. 15. The children of the bride-chamber—Namely, the guests invited to celebrate the marriage. Ver. 16. A piece of new cloth—Literally, “unfulled;” i.e. unfinished cloth; a proper type of a new disciple. Ver. 17. Old bottles.—That is, skin bottles, which were, and still are, commonly used in the East; and when old, they must necessarily burst through the fermentation of the new wine put into them; but by putting new wine into strong new bottles, both might be preserved. —Bagster. Thou Son of David, have mercy on us. 28 And when he was come into the house, this?

They said unto him, Yea, Lord. he fed them; if with the rich, he made them richer in grace. At whose board did he ever sit, and left not his host a gainer? Ver. 18—38. The woman cured of a complaint of twelve years’ standing. The ruler’s daughter raised. Two blind men and a dumb demoniac cured.—While Jesus was engaged in conversation at the house of Matthew, Jairus, ruler of the synagogue, came and worshipped him. This might, indeed, be nothing more than the usual token of respect to men of rank and consequence; his request, however, shows that he had the highest opinion of Christ’s saving power; for though he thought that his daughter was “even now dead,” he says, “Come and lay thy hand on her, and she shall live.”

In regard to faith so eminent, Jesus and three of his disciples immediately depart for the ruler’s house. He is stopped by the way, however, for a few moments, by another applicant, whose faith seems to have been even more extraordinary; for she was firmly persuaded, that if she did but touch “the hem (or fringe) of his garment,” she should receive a cure; and she thought, perhaps, thereby to save her own delicacy, and avoid the observation of the crowd. Jesus, however, wished to do honour to faith so eminent; and, while she shrank from public notice behind him, he turned round, and in the kindest manner said, “Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.” She accordingly received an immediate and permanent cure.

Such is the power and grace of Christ! Before Jesus and his disciples could arrive at the ruler’s house, the fatal event had taken place, and, according to custom, “the minstrels” had been sent for, and the funeral lamentations were begun. Immediately, however, on our Lord’s entrance, they were expelled; but not before they had expressed their contempt and scorn for the divine visitant, when he assured them the maiden was not dead, but sleeping; meaning, no doubt, as in the case of Lazarus, that he would raise her from the dead. (See (John 11:11).) He did so, and the fame of this miracle brought others to request the exertion of his saving power. Ver. 18. A certain ruler—Namely, “of the Synagogue,”

(Luke 8:50). This reconciles this account with that of Mark and Luke.—Even now dead.—Campbell, “Is by this time dead;” i.e. he left her apparently at the last gasp, and concluded she must, by this time, have died. Ver. 20. Hem (Doddridge and Campbell, “fringe”) of his garment—Which every Jew was commanded by the law to wear. Ver. 23. Minstrels.—Gr. “Flute-players,” or pipers, who commenced the lament, and were followed by the professional mourning women, and as appears in the present instance, by all present. The introduction of instruments on this occasion is thought to have been at this period, a novel practice, borrowed from the heathen. GS <5 Ver. 27. Thou Son of David.—By this it is evident that these men took Jesus to be the Messiah.

Ver. 32. With a devil—Doddridge, “a demon.” So ver. 33, 34. It is evident from this expression, that the Pharisees, by demons, did not mean the souls of departed heroes, (as did the Greek, and other Gentile nations,) but the apostate spirits who sided with Satan in his apostasy. Ps. 68.11. Christ sendeth out his twelve apostles, enabling them with power to do miracles, seeth them their charge, teacheth them, comforteth them against persecutions, and promiseth a blessing to those that receive them. Matt. 3.13, or, over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal. Among these, two blind men accosted Jesus as “the Son of David,” and as he (doubtless to try their faith) did not stop to speak to them by the way, they followed him into the house whither he went; and professing their confidence in his healing power, had their eyes opened.

But here we may remark, that in this, as in the preceding, and many other instances, he charged them to “let no man know it.” The object of this could not be, to make a secret of the miraculous power with which he was endowed, for that was the evidence of his divine character and mission: but in this, as in some other cases, it should seem that the fame of his miracles drew such multitudes around him, as not only to deprive him of opportunities of retirement for the purposes of devotion, but even to interrupt his public preaching. (See (Mark 1:32-38).) It may be added, that Jesus never sought popularity for its own sake, and had no desire needlessly to provoke his enemies. His caution was, however, of no avail.

His miracles continued to increase his popularity, and at the same time (such is the depravity of human nature!) to augment the opposition of his enemies. An instance of this nature closes this eventful chapter. Among other objects of benevolence, a deaf and dumb man, whose disorder is attributed to the influence of a demon, received a cure, and all the people marvelled, saying, “It was never so seen in Israel!” But the Pharisees, on the other hand, though they did not deny the fact, attributed it to magic, saying, “He casteth out demons through the prince of the demons;” that is, Satan. This charge we shall find repeated farther on; and as our Lord there condescends to refute it, we shall thither defer our remarks upon it.

(See on (Matthew 12:24), &c.)