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Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
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Matthew Henry |
M A R K.
CHAP. II.
In this chapter, we have,
I. Christ’s healing a man that was sick of a palsy,
II. His calling of Matthew from the receipt of custom, and his eating,
upon that occasion, with publicans and sinners, and justifying himself
in so doing,
III. His justifying his disciples in not fasting so much as those
plucking the ears of corn on the sabbath day,
All which passages we had before,
| The Healing of a Paralytic. |
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1 And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it
was noised that he was in the house.
2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that
there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the
door: and he preached the word unto them.
3 And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which
was borne of four.
4 And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press,
they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken
it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the
palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.
6 But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and
reasoning in their hearts,
7 Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive
sins but God only?
8 And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they
so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye
these things in your hearts?
9 Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy
sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and
walk?
10 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth
to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)
11 I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way
into thine house.
12 And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth
before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and
glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.
Christ, having been for some time preaching about in the country, here
returns to Capernaum his head-quarters, and makes his appearance there,
in hopes that by this time the talk and crowd would be somewhat abated.
Now observe,
I. The great resort there was to him. Though he was in the
house, wither Peter’s house, or some lodgings of his own which he
had taken, yet people came to him as soon as it was noised that
he was in town; they did not stay till he appeared in the synagogue,
which they might be sure he would do on the sabbath day, but
straightway many were gathered together to him. Where the king
is, there is the court; where Shiloh is, there shall the gathering
of the people be. In improving opportunities for our souls, we must
take care not to lose time. One invited another (Come, let us go
see Jesus), so that his house could not contain his visitants. There
was no room to receive them, they were so numerous, no not so
much as about the door. A blessed sight, to see people thus flying
like a cloud to Christ’s house, though it was but a poor one, and as
the doves to their windows!
II. The good entertainment Christ gave them, the best his house would
afford, and better than any other could; he preached the word unto
them,
v. 2.
Many of them perhaps came only for cures, and many perhaps only for
curiosity, to get a sight of him; but when he had them together he
preached to them. Though the synagogue-door was open to him at
proper times, he thought it not at all amiss to preach in a house, on a
week day; though some might reckon it both an improper place and an
improper time. Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters,
Isa. xxxii. 20.
III. The presenting of a poor cripple to him, to be helped by him. The
patient was one sick of the palsy, it should seem not as that,
grievously tormented, but perfectly disabled, so that he was
borne of four, was carried upon a bed, as if he had been
upon a bier, by four persons. It was his misery, that he needed
to be so carried, and bespeaks the calamitous state of human life; it
was their charity, who did so carry him, and bespeaks the compassion
that it is justly expected should be in the children of men toward
their fellow-creatures in distress, because we know not how soon the
distress may be our own. These kind relations or neighbours
thought, if they could but carry this poor man once to Christ, they
should not need to carry him any more; and therefore made hard shift to
get him to him; and when they could not otherwise get to him, they
uncovered the roof where he was,
v. 4.
I see no necessity to conclude that Christ was preaching in an upper
room, though in such the Jews that had stately houses, had their
oratories; for then to what purpose should the crowd stand before
the door, as wisdom’s clients used to do?
But I rather conjecture that the house he was in, was so little and
mean (agreeable to his present state), that it had no upper
room, but the ground-floor was open to the roof: and these
petitioners for the poor paralytic, resolving not to be disappointed,
when they could not get through the crowd at the door, got their friend
by some means or other to the roof of the house, took off some of the
tiles, and so let him down upon his bed with cords into the house where
Christ was preaching. This bespoke both their faith and their
fervency in this address to Christ. Hereby it appeared that
they were in earnest, and would not go away, nor let Christ go
without a blessing.
Gen. xxxii. 26.
IV. The kind word Christ said to this poor patient; He saw their
faith; perhaps not so much his, for his distemper hindered him from
the exercise of faith, but theirs that brought him. In curing
the centurion’s servant, Christ took notice of it as an instance of
his faith, that he did not bring him to Christ, but believed he
could cure him at a distance; here he commended their faith,
because they did bring their friend through so much difficulty. Note,
True faith and strong faith may work variously, conquering sometimes
the objections of reason, sometimes those of sense; but, however
manifested, it shall be accepted and approved by Jesus Christ. Christ
said, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. The compellation is
very tender-Son; intimating a fatherly care of him and
concern for him. Christ owns true believers as his sons: a
son, and yet sick of the palsy. Herein God deals with you as
with sons. The cordial is very rich; Thy sins are
forgiven thee. Note,
1. Sin is the procuring cause of all our pains and sicknesses. The word
of Christ was to take his thoughts off from the disease, which was the
effect, and to lead them to the sin, the cause, that he might be more
concerned about that, to get that pardoned.
2. God doth then graciously take away the sting and malignity of
sickness, when he forgives sin; recovery from sickness is then a
mercy indeed, when way is made for it by the pardon of sin. See
Isa. xxxviii. 17; Ps. ciii. 3.
The way to remove the effect, is, to take away the cause. Pardon of sin
strikes at the root of all diseases, and either cures them, or alters
their property.
V. The cavil of the scribes at that which Christ said, and a
demonstration of the unreasonableness of their cavil. They were
expositors of the law, and their doctrine was true–that it is
blasphemy for any creature to undertake the pardon of sin, and that it
is God’s prerogative,
But, as is usual with such teachers, their application was
false, and was the effect of their ignorance and enmity to
Christ. It is true, None can forgive sins but God only; but it
is false that therefore Christ cannot, who had abundantly proved
himself to have a divine power. But Christ perceived in his spirit
that they so reasoned within themselves; this proves him to be God,
and therefore confirmed what was to be proved, that he had authority to
forgive sins; for he searched the heart, and knew what
was in man,
Rev. ii. 23.
God’s royalties are inseparable, and he that could know
thoughts, could forgive sins. This magnifies the grace of
Christ, in pardoning sin, that he knew men’s thoughts, and
therefore knows more than any other can know, both of the sinfulness of
their sins and the particulars of them, and yet is ready to pardon. Now
he proves his power to forgive sin, by demonstrating his power
to cure the man sick of the palsy,
v. 9-11.
He would not have pretended to do the one, if he could not have
done the other; that ye may know that the Son of man, the
Messiah, has power on earth to forgive sin, that I have that
power, Thou that art sick of the palsy, arise, take up thy
bed. Now,
1. This was a suitable argument in itself. He could not have
cured the disease, which was the effect, if he could not have taken
away the sin, which was the cause. And besides, his curing diseases was
a figure of his pardoning sin, for sin is the disease of the soul; when
it is pardoned, it is healed. He that could by a word accomplish the
sign, could doubtless perform the thing signified,
2. It was suited to them. These carnal scribes would be more affected
with such a suitable effect of a pardon as the cure of the disease, and
be sooner convinced by it, than by any other more spiritual
consequences; therefore it was proper enough to appeal, whether it is
easier to say, Thy sins are forgiven thee, or to say, Arise,
and walk? The removing of the punishment as such, was the remitting
of the sin; he that could go so far in the cure, no doubt could perfect
it. See
VI. The cure of the sick man, and the impression it made upon the
people,
He not only arise out of his bed, perfectly well, but, to show
that he had perfect strength restored to him, he took up his
bed, because it lay in the way, and went forth before them
all; and they were all amazed, as well they might, and
glorified God, as indeed they ought; saying, “We never saw it
on this fashion; never were such wonders as these done before in
our time.” Note, Christ’s works were without precedent. When we see
what he does in healing souls, we must own that we never saw the
like.
| Christ among Publicans and Sinners. |
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13 And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the
multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.
14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphæus
sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me.
And he arose and followed him.
15 And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his
house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus
and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.
16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with
publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it
that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are
whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I
came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Here is,
I. Christ preaching by the sea-side
(v. 13),
whither he went for room, because he found, upon second trial,
no house or street large enough to contain his auditory; but upon the
strand there might come as many as would. It should seem by this, that
our Lord Jesus had a strong voice, and could and did speak loud; for
wisdom crieth without in the places of concourse.
Wherever he goes, though it be to the sea-side, multitudes resort to
him. Wherever the doctrine of Christ is faithfully preached, though
it be driven into corners or into deserts, we must follow it.
II. His calling Levi; the same with Matthew, who had a place in the
custom-house at Capernaum, from which he was denominated a
publican; his place fixed him by the water-side, and thither
Christ went to meet with him, and to give him an effectual call. This
Levi is here said to be the son of Alpheus or Cleophas,
husband to that Mary who was sister or near kinswoman to the virgin
Mary and if so, he was own brother to James the less, and Jude, and
Simon the Canaanite, so that there were four brothers of them apostles,
It is probable that Matthew was but a loose extravagant young man, or
else, being a Jew, he would never have been a publican. However, Christ
called him to follow him. Paul, though a Pharisee, had been one
of the chief of sinners, and yet was called to be an apostle. With God,
through Christ, there is mercy to pardon the greatest sins, and grace
to sanctify the greatest sinners. Matthew, that had been a publican,
became an evangelist, the first that put pen to paper, and the
fullest in writing the life of Christ. Great sin and scandal
before conversion, are no bar to great gifts, graces, and advancements,
after; nay, God may be the more glorified. Christ prevented him with
this call; in bodily cures, ordinarily, he was sought unto, but
in these spiritual cures, he was found of them that sought him
not. For this is the great evil and peril of the disease of sin,
that those who are under it, desire not to be made whole.
III. His familiar converse with publicans and sinners,
v. 15.
We are here told,
1. That Christ sat at meat in Levi’s house, who invited him
and his disciples to the farewell-feast he made to his friends,
when he left all to attend on Christ: such a feast he made, as Elisha
did
to show, not only with what cheerfulness in himself, but with what
thankfulness to God, he quitted all, in compliance with Christ’s call.
Fitly did he make the day of his espousals to Christ a festival
day. This was also to testify his respect to Christ, and the grateful
sense he had of his kindness, in snatching him from the receipt of
custom as a brand out of the burning.
2. That many publicans and sinners sat with Christ in Levi’s
house (for there were many belonging to that custom-house); and
they followed him. They followed Levi; so some understand it,
supposing that, like Zaccheus, he was chief among the publicans,
and was rich; and for that reason, the inferior sort of them
attended him for what they could get. I rather take it, that they
followed Jesus because of the report they had heard of him. They
did not for conscience-sake leave all to follow him, but for
curiosity-sake they came to Levi’s feast, to see him; whatever
brought them thither, they were sitting with Jesus and his
disciples. The publicans are here and elsewhere ranked with
sinners, the worst of sinners.
(1.) Because commonly they were such; so general were the
corruptions in the execution of that office, oppressing, exacting, and
taking bribes or fees to extortion, and accusing falsely,
Luke iii. 13, 14.
A faithful fair-dealing publican was so rare, even at Rome, that one
Sabinus, who kept a clean reputation in that office, was, after his
death, honoured with this inscription, Kalos
telonesanti—Here lies an honest publican.
(2.) Because the Jews had a particular antipathy to them and their
office, as an affront to the liberty of their nation and a badge of
their slavery, and therefore put them into an ill name, and thought it
scandalous to be seen in their company. Such as these our blessed Lord
was pleased to converse with, when he appeared in the likeness of
sinful flesh.
IV. The offence which the scribes and Pharisees took at this,
They would not come to hear him preach, which they might have been
convinced the edified by; but they would come themselves to see
him sit with publicans and sinners, which they would be provoked
by. They endeavoured to put the disciples out of conceit with their
Master, as a man not of such sanctity and severe morals as became his
character; and therefore put the question to them. How is it, that
he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? Note, It is no
new thing for that which is both well-done, and
well-designed, to be misrepresented, and turned to the reproach
of the wisest and best of men.
V. Christ’s justification of himself in it,
He stood to what he did, and would not withdraw, though the Pharisees
were offended, as Peter afterwards did,
Note, Those are too tender of their own good name, who, to
preserve it with some nice people, will decline a good work.
Christ would not do so. They thought the publicans were to be
hated. “No,” saith Christ, “they are to be pitied, they
are sick and need a physician; they are sinners, and need
a Saviour.” They thought Christ’s character should separate him from
them; “No,” saith Christ, “my commission directs me to them; I came
not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. If the world
had been righteous, there had been no occasion for my coming,
either to preach repentance, or to purchase remission. It
is to a sinful world that I am sent, and therefore my business
lies most with those that are the greatest sinners in it.” Or thus;
“I am not come to call the righteous, the proud Pharisees that
think themselves righteous, that ask, Wherein shall we return?
(Mal. iii. 7),
Of what shall we repent? But poor publicans, that own themselves to be
sinners, and are glad to be invited and encouraged to repent.” It is
good dealing with those that there is hope of; now there is more
hope of a fool than of one that is wise in his own conceit,
Prov. xxvi. 12.
| The Hypocritical Rigour of the Pharisees. |
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18 And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast:
and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and
of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?
19 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the
bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as
they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
20 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken
away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
21 No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment:
else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old,
and the rent is made worse.
22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new
wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the
bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new
bottles.
23 And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on
the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck
the ears of corn.
24 And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the
sabbath day that which is not lawful?
25 And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did,
when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with
him?
26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar
the high priest, and did eat the showbread, which is not lawful
to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with
him?
27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not
man for the sabbath:
28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Christ had been put to justify himself in conversing with
publicans and sinners: here he is put to justify his disciples;
and in what they do according to his will he will justify them, and
bear them out.
I. He justifies them in their not fasting, which was turned to
their reproach by the Pharisees. Why do the Pharisees and the disciples
of John fast? They used to fast, the Pharisees fasted twice
in the week
and probably the disciples of John did so too; and, it should seem,
this very day, when Christ and his disciples were feasting in Levi’s
house, was their fast-day, for the word is
nesteuousi—they do fast, or are fasting,
which aggravated the offence. Thus apt are strict professors to make
their own practice a standard, and to censure and condemn all that do
not fully come up to it. They invidiously suggest that if Christ went
among sinners to do them good, as he had pleaded, yet the
disciples went to indulge their appetites, for they never knew what it
was to fast, or to deny themselves. Note, Ill-will always suspects the
worst.
Two things Christ pleads in excuse of his disciples not
fasting.
1. That these were easy days with them, and fasting was not so
seasonable now as it would be hereafter,
There is a time for all things. Those that enter into the married
state, must expect care and trouble in the flesh, and yet,
during the nuptial solemnity, they are merry, and think it becomes them
to be so; it was very absurd for Samson’s bride to weep before
him, during the days that the feast lasted,
Judg. xiv. 17.
Christ and his disciples were but newly married, the bridegroom was
yet with them, the nuptials were yet in the celebrating
(Matthew’s particularly); when the bridegroom should be removed from
them to the far country, about his business, then would be a proper
time to sit as a widow, in solitude and fasting.
2. That these were early days with them, and they were not so
able for the severe exercises of religion as hereafter they would be.
The Pharisees had long accustomed themselves to such austerities; and
John Baptist himself came neither eating nor drinking. His disciples
from the first inured themselves to hardships, and thus found it easier
to bear strict and frequent fasting, but it was not so with Christ’s
disciples; their Master came eating and drinking, and had not
bred them up to the difficult services of religion as yet, for it was
all in good time. To put them upon such frequent fasting at first,
would be a discouragement to them, and perhaps drive them off from
following Christ; it would be of as ill consequence as putting new
wine into old casks, or sewing new cloth to that which is
worn thin and threadbare,
Note, God graciously considers the frame of young Christians,
that are weak and tender, and so must we; nor must we
expect more than the work of the day in its day, and that day
according to the strength, because it is not in our hands to give
strength according to the day. Many contract an antipathy to some kind
of food, otherwise good, by being surfeited with it when they are
young; so, many entertain prejudices against the exercises of devotion
by being burthened with them, and made to serve with an
offering, at their setting out. Weak Christians must take heed of
over-tasking themselves, and of making the yoke of Christ
otherwise than as it is, easy, and sweet, and pleasant.
II. He justifies them in plucking the ears of corn on the sabbath
day, which, I will warrant you, a disciples of the Pharisees would
not dare to have done; for it was contrary to an express tradition of
their elders. In this instance, as in that before, they reflect upon
the discipline of Christ’s school, as if it were not so strict as that
of theirs: so common it is for those who deny the power of
godliness, to be jealous for the form, and censorious of
those who affect not their form.
Observe,
1. What a poor breakfast Christ’s disciples had on a sabbath-day
morning, when they were going to church
(v. 23);
they plucked the ears of corn, and that was the best they had.
They were so intent upon spiritual dainties, that they forgot even
their necessary food; and the word of Christ was to them instead
of that; and their zeal for it even ate them up. The Jews made
it a piece of religion, to eat dainty food on sabbath days, but the
disciples were content with any thing.
2. How even this was grudged them by the Pharisees, upon
supposition that it was not lawful to pluck the ears of corn on
the sabbath day, that that was as much a servile work as reaping
(v. 24);
Why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful? Note,
If Christ’s disciples do that which is unlawful, Christ will be
reflected upon, and upbraided with it, as he was here, and dishonour
will redound to his name. It is observable, that when the Pharisees
thought Christ did amiss, they told the disciples
(v. 16);
and now when they thought the disciples did amiss, they spoke to
Christ, as make-bates, that did what they could to sow discord between
Christ and his disciples, and make a breach in the family.
3. How Christ defended them in what they did.
(1.) By example. They had a good precedent for it in David’s eating the
show-bread, when he was hungry, and there was no other bread to
be had
(v. 25, 26);
Have ye never read? Note, Many of our mistakes would be
rectified, and our unjust censures of others corrected, if we would but
recollect what we have read in the scripture; appeals to that
are most convincing. “You have read that David, the man after God’s own
heart, when he was hungry, made no difficulty of eating the
show-bread, which by the law none might eat of but the priests and
their families.” Note, Ritual observances must give way to moral
obligations; and that may be done in a case of necessity, which
otherwise may not be done. This, it is said, David did in the days of
Abiathar the High-Priest; or just before the days of
Abiathar, who immediately succeeded Abimelech his father in the
pontificate, and, it is probable, was at that time his father’s deputy,
or assistant, in the office; and he it was that escaped the massacre,
and brought the ephod to David.
(2.) By argument. To reconcile them to the disciples’ plucking the
ears of corn, let them consider,
[1.] Whom the sabbath was made for
(v. 27);
it was made for man, and not man for the sabbath. This we had
not in Matthew. The sabbath is a sacred and divine institution; but we
must receive and embrace it as a privilege and a benefit, not as a task
and a drudgery. First, God never designed it to be an
imposition upon us, and therefore we must not make it so to
ourselves. Man was not made for the sabbath, for he was made a
day before the sabbath was instituted. Man was made for God, and
for his honour and service, and he just rather die than deny him; but
he was not made for the sabbath, so as to be tied up by the law
of it, from that which is necessary to the support of his life.
Secondly, God did design it to be an advantage to us, and
so we must make it, and improve it. He made if for man.
1. He had some regard to our bodies in the institution,
that they might rest, and not be tired out with the constant business
of this world
(Deut. v. 14);
that thy man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest. Now he that
intended the sabbath-rest for the repose of our bodies,
certainly never intended it should restrain us, in a case of necessity,
from fetching in the necessary supports of the body; it must be
construed so as not to contradict itself–for edification, and
not for destruction.
2. He had much more regard to our souls. The
sabbath was made a day of rest, only in order to its being a day
of holy work, a day of communion with God, a day of praise and
thanksgiving; and the rest from worldly business is therefore
necessary, that we may closely apply ourselves to this work, and spend
the whole time in it, in public and in private; but then time is
allowed us for that which is necessary to the fitting of our bodies for
the service of our souls in God’s service, and the enabling of them to
keep pace with them in that work. See here,
(1.) What a good Master we serve, all whose institutions are for
our own benefit, and if we be so wise as to observe them, we are
wise for ourselves; it is not he, but we, that are gainers by
our service.
(2.) What we should aim at in our sabbath work, even the good of
our own souls. If the sabbath was made for man, we should then ask
ourselves at night, “What am I the better for this sabbath day?”
(3.) What care we ought to take not to make those exercises of religion
burthens to ourselves or others, which God ordained to be blessings;
neither adding to the command by unreasonable strictness, nor indulging
those corruptions which are adverse to the command, for thereby we make
those devout exercises a penance to ourselves, which otherwise would be
a pleasure.
[2.] Whom the sabbath was made by
(v. 28);
“The Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath; and therefore he
will not see the kind intentions of the institution of it frustrated by
your impositions.” Note, The sabbath days are days of the Son of
man; he is the Lord of the day, and to his honour it must be
observed; by him God made the worlds, and so it was by him that the
sabbath was first instituted; by him God gave the law at mount Sinai,
and so the fourth commandment was his law; and that
little alteration that was shortly to be made, by the shifting of it
one day forward to the first day of the week, was to be in remembrance
of his resurrection, and therefore the Christian sabbath was to
be called the Lord’s day
(Rev. i. 10),
the Lord Christ’s day; and the Son of man, Christ, as Mediator,
is always to be looked upon as Lord of the sabbath. This argument he
largely insists upon in his own justification, when he was charged with
having broken the sabbath,
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