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Now while the multitude pressed on him and heard the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret.
Verse 1. What Saint Luke here gives till verse 10, is mentioned purposely to shew on what occasion, and by what miracle, Peter, Andrew, James, and John, were called. Maldon.
He saw two boats standing by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets.
Verse 2. Washing their nets. See S. Matthew 4:18. and Saint Mark 1:16, where it is said, that Christ saw them when they were casting their nets; that is some of them were casting, others washing, or mending, their nets. A.
He entered into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
Simon answered him, “Master, we worked all night and caught nothing; but at your word I will let down the net.”
When they had done this, they caught a great multitude of fish, and their net was breaking.
They beckoned to their partners in the other boat, that they should come and help them. They came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink.
But Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord.”
For he was amazed, and all who were with him, at the catch of fish which they had caught;
and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will be catching people alive.”
When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything, and followed him.
While he was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man full of leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, saying, “Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean.”
He stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I want to. Be made clean.” Immediately the leprosy left him.
He commanded him to tell no one, “But go your way and show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing according to what Moses commanded, for a testimony to them.”
But the report concerning him spread much more, and great multitudes came together to hear and to be healed by him of their infirmities.
But he withdrew himself into the desert and prayed.
On one of those days, he was teaching; and there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by who had come out of every village of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was with him to heal them.
Behold, men brought a paralyzed man on a cot, and they sought to bring him in to lay before Jesus.
Not finding a way to bring him in because of the multitude, they went up to the housetop and let him down through the tiles with his cot into the middle before Jesus.
Seeing their faith, he said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”
Verse 20. Great is the Lord, who pardons men on account of the merits of others. If you are diffident of the pardon of your grievous sins, have recourse to the Church. She will pray for you; and the Almighty, at her intercession, will grant you that pardon he might have denied to your prayers. Saint Ambrose, l. v. in Luc.
The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?”
Verse 21. How great is the madness of this unbelieving people, who confessing that God alone can forgive sins, will not believe God when he grants pardon. Saint Ambrose.—They indeed spoke the truth, for none can forgive sins but God only, who forgives our offences by the ministry of others, to whom he has committed this power, both in baptism and penance. But Christ, by forgiving sins as God, that is with his own power, clearly proves to all his divinity. Ven. Bede.
But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered them, “Why are you reasoning so in your hearts?
Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?
But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,” he said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, arise, take up your cot, and go to your house.”
Verse 24. The Son of man … on earth. By which act, says S. Cyril, it is clear that the Son of man hath power on earth to remit sins; which he said both for himself and us. For he, as God-man, the Lord of the law, forgiveth sins; and we also have obtained by him that wonderful grace when he said to his disciples: Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them. John 20:23. And how should he not be able to remit sins, who gave others the power to do the same? B.
Immediately he rose up before them, and took up that which he was laying on, and departed to his house, glorifying God.
Amazement took hold on all, and they glorified God. They were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today.”
Verse 26. At the sight of the exertion of divine power, the Jews would rather fear than believe; for had they believed they would never have feared, but rather loved; for perfect love excludes fear. Saint Ambrose.
After these things he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax office, and said to him, “Follow me!”
He left everything, and rose up and followed him.
Verse 28. The profane Julian charged Saint Matthew with levity, in leaving all and following a stranger at one word. But hereby is seen the marvellous efficacy of Christ’s word and internal working, which in a moment can alter the heart of man, and cause him to despise what before was most near and dear to him. And this was done not only whilst Christ was living on earth, but daily in his Church. Thus S. Anthony, S. Francis, and others, hearing this word in the Church, forsook all and followed Jesus. Saint Jerome in Matt. ix. Saint Athanasius in vita. S. Anton. August. Confess. l. viii. chapter 11. Bonav. in vit. S. Francisci.
Levi made a great feast for him in his house. There was a great crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them.
Verse 29. And Levi made him a great feast, to testify his gratitude to Jesus for the favour he had done him. It appears that both Saint Mark and Saint Luke affect, through consideration for Saint Matthew, to designate him here by his less known name of Levi; whereas he designates himself, through humility, in this same circumstance, by his more known appellation of Matthew. See Matthew 9:9. V.
Their scribes and the Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus answered them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do.
Verse 31. Jesus Christ gives them here to understand, that they were of the number of those who languished under a severe indisposition, and that he was come to act as their Physician. S. Chrysos. hom. xxxi in Matt.
I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
They said to him, “Why do John’s disciples often fast and pray, likewise also the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours eat and drink?”
Verse 33. S. Matt. says, it was Saint John’s disciples themselves that objected this to Christ. Most probably both they and the Pharisees endeavoured all they could to press this objection. Saint Augustine de cons. Evang. l. ii. chapter 27.—Why do you not fast, as is customary with all that wish to regulate their lives according to the law? The reason why the saints fasted was, that they might, by afflicting their bodies, subdue their passions. Jesus Christ, therefore, had no need of fasting, being God, and of course free from every, the least, disorderly motion of concupiscence. Neither did his attendants stand in need of fasting, for being enriched with his grace, they were strengthened in virtue, without the help of fasting. When, therefore, Christ fasted forty days, he fasted to set an example to carnal men. S. Cyril.—As long as the Spouse is with us, we are in joy, we cannot fast, we cannot mourn. But when he has been driven away by sin, then we must both fast and weep. Ven. Bede.
He said to them, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?
But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them. Then they will fast in those days.”
He also told a parable to them. “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old garment, or else he will tear the new, and also the piece from the new will not match the old.
No one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled and the skins will be destroyed.
But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.
No man having drunk old wine immediately desires new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’”