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9:5 Jesus does not immediately say “rise and walk” to the paralyzed man. Instead, he forgives his sins. Jesus looks into the heart and knows that what this man needs even more than physical healing is spiritual healing. What are the spiritual su erings and a ictions that we need to bring before the Lord?
9:9 Matthew is a tax collector. What that probably means is that he collected a tax on exports from the region of Galilee, like sh, and delivered the money to the Roman government. Tax collectors not only worked for the occupying power, but were often suspected of overcharging in order to enrich themselves. Jesus does not mingle only with the “good” people, as do the Pharisees. He also calls people with a checkered past, not only to follow him, but to be his apostles and evangelists.
MATTHEW -
The Healing of the Gadarene Demoniacs. 28l When he came to the other side, to the territory of the Gadarenes,* two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him. They were so savage that no one could travel by that road. 29They cried out, “What have you to do with us,* Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?” 30Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding.* 31The demons pleaded with him, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine.”m 32And he said to them, “Go then!”They came out and entered the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea where they drowned. 33The swineherds ran away, and when they came to the town they reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs. 34Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.
9The Healing of a Paralytic.
1* a He entered a boat, made the crossing, and came into his own
town. And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”b 3At that, some of the scribes* said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” 4Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, “Why do you harbor evil thoughts? 5Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 6* But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic, “Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”c 7He rose and went home. 8* When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to human beings.
The Call of Matthew.* 9As Jesus passed on from there,d he saw a man named Matthew* sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. 10While he was at table in his house,* many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples.e 11The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher* eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12He heard this
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..*[8:28] Gadarenes: this is the reading of Codex Vaticanus, supported by other important textual witnesses. The original reading of Codex Sinaiticus was Gazarenes, later changed to Gergesenes, and a few versions have Gerasenes. Each of these readings points to a di erent territory connected, respectively, with the cities Gadara, Gergesa, and Gerasa (modern Jerash). There is the same confusion of readings in the parallel texts, Mk 5:1 and Lk 8:26; there the best reading seems to be “Gerasenes,” whereas “Gadarenes” is probably the original reading in Matthew. The town of Gadara was about ve miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee, and Josephus (Life 9:42) refers to it as possessing territory that lay on that sea. Two demoniacs: Mark (5:1–20) has one.
* [8:29] What have you to do with us?: see note on Jn 2:4. Before the appointed time: the notion that evil spirits were allowed by God to a ict human beings until the time of the nal judgment is found in Enoch 16:1 and Jubilees 10:7–10.
* [8:30] The tending of pigs, animals considered unclean by Mosaic law (Lv 11:6–7), indicates that the population was Gentile.
* [9:1] His own town: Capernaum; see Mt 4:13.
* [9:3] Scribes: see note on Mk 2:6. Matthew omits the reason
given in the Marcan story for the charge of blasphemy: “Who
but God alone can forgive sins?” (Mk 2:7).
* [9:6] It is not clear whether But that you may know. . .to forgive
sins is intended to be a continuation of the words of Jesus or a parenthetical comment of the evangelist to those who would hear or read this gospel. In any case, Matthew here follows the Marcan text.
* [9:8] Who had given such authority to human beings: a signi cant di erence from Mk 2:12 (“They...glori ed God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this’”). Matthew’s extension to human beings of the authority to forgive sins points to the belief that such authority was being claimed by Matthew’s church.
* [9:9–17] In this section the order is the same as that of Mk 2:13–22.
* [9:9] A man named Matthew: Mark names this tax collector Levi (Mk 2:14). No such name appears in the four lists of the twelve who were the closest companions of Jesus (Mt 10:2–4; Mk 3:16– 19; Lk 6:14–16; Acts 1:13 [eleven, because of the defection of Judas Iscariot]), whereas all four list a Matthew, designated in Mt 10:3 as “the tax collector.” The evangelist may have changed the “Levi” of his source to Matthew so that this man, whose call is given special notice, like that of the rst four disciples (Mt 4:18–22), might be included among the twelve. Another reason for the change may be that the disciple Matthew was the source of traditions peculiar to the church for which the evangelist was writing.
* [9:10] His house: it is not clear whether his refers to Jesus or Matthew. Tax collectors: see note on Mt 5:46. Table association with such persons would cause ritual impurity.
* [9:11] Teacher: see note on Mt 8:19. * [9:12] See note on Mk 2:17.
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Chapter 8
l. [8:28–34] Mk 5:1–17; Lk 8:26–37.
m. [8:31] Lk 4:34, 41.