Thomas Aquinas · 29 of 74

Gospel of Matthew · Chapter 9 · Part 2

Remig.: By the old garment He means His disciples, who had not yet been renewed in all things. The patch of undressed, that is, of new cloth, means the new grace, that is, the Gospel doctrine, of which fasting is a portion; and it was not meet that the stricter ordinances of fasting should be entrusted to them, lest they should be broken down by their severity, and forfeit that faith which they had; as He adds, “It taketh its wholeness from the garment, and the rent is made worse.”

Gloss., ap. Anselm: As much as to say, An undressed patch, that is, a new one, ought not to be put into an old garment, because it often takes away from the garment its wholeness, that is, its perfection, and then the rent is made worse. For a heavy burden laid on one that is untrained often destroys that good which was in him before.

Remig.: After two comparisons made, that of the wedding, and that of the undressed cloth, He adds a third concerning wine skins; “Neither do men put new wine into old skins.” By the old skins He means His disciples, who were not yet perfectly renewed. The new wine is the fulness of the Holy Spirit, and the depths of the heavenly mysteries, which His disciples could not then bear; but after the resurrection they became as new skins, and were filled with new wine when they received the Holy Spirit into their hearts. Whence also some said, “These men are full of new wine.” [Acts 2:13]

Chrys.: Herein He also shews us the cause of those condescending words which He often addressed to them because of their weakness.

Jerome: Otherwise; By the “old garment,” and “old skins,” we must understand the Scribes and Pharisees; and by the “piece of new cloth,” and “new wine,” the Gospel precepts, which the Jews were not able to bear; so “the rent was made worse.” Something such the Galatians sought to do, to mix the precepts of the Law with the Gospel, and to put new wine into old skins. The word of the Gospel is therefore to be poured into the Apostles, rather than into the Scribes and Pharisees, who, corrupted by the traditions of the elders, were unable to preserve the purity of Christ’s precepts.

Gloss., non occ.: This shews that the Apostles being hereafter to be replenished with newness of grace, ought not now to be bound to the old observances.

Aug., Serm., 210, 3: Otherwise; Everyone who rightly fasts, either humbles his soul in the groaning of prayer, and bodily chastisement, or suspends the motion of carnal desire by the joys of spiritual meditation. And the Lord here makes answer respecting both kinds of fasting; concerning the first, which is in humiliation of soul, He says, “The children of the bridegroom cannot mourn.”

Of the other which has a feast of the Spirit, He next speaks, where He says, “No man putteth a patch of undressed cloth.” Then we must mourn because the Bridegroom is taken away from us. And we rightly mourn if we burn with desire of Him. Blessed they to whom it was granted before His passion to have Him present with them, to enquire of Him what they would, to hear what they ought to hear. Those days the fathers before His coming sought to see, and saw them not, because they were placed in another dispensation, one in which He was proclaimed as coming, not one in which He was heard as present. For in us was fulfilled that He speaks of, “The days shall come when ye shall desire to see one of these days, and shall not be able.” [Luke 17:22] Who then will not mourn this? Who will not say, “My tears have been my meat day and night, while they daily say unto me, Where is now thy God?” [Ps 42:3] With reason then did the Apostle seek “to die and to be with Christ.”

Aug., De Cons. Evan., ii, 27: That Matthew writes here “mourn,” where Mark and Luke write “fast,” shews that the Lord spake of that kind of fasting which pertains to humbling one’s self in chastisement; as in the following comparisons He may be supposed to have spoken of the other kind which pertains to the joy of a mind wrapt in spiritual thoughts, and therefore averted from the food of the body; shewing that those who are occupied about the body, and owing to this retain their former desires, are not fit for this kind of fasting.

Hilary: Figuratively, this His answer, that while the Bridegroom was present with them, His disciples needed not to fast, teaches us the joy of His presence, and the sacrament of the holy food, which none shall lack, while He is present, that is, while one keeps Christ in the eye of the mind. He says, they shall fast when He is taken away from them, because all who do not believe that Christ is risen, shall not have the food of life. For in the faith of the resurrection the sacrament of the heavenly bread is received.

Jerome: Or, when He has departed from us for our sins, then is a fast to be proclaimed, then is mourning to be put on.

Hilary: By these examples He shews that neither our souls nor bodies, being so weakened by inveteracy of sin, are capable of the sacraments of the new grace.

Rabanus: The different comparisons all refer to the same thing, and yet are they different; the garment by which we are covered abroad signifies our good works, which we perform when we are abroad; the wine with which we are refreshed within is the fervor of faith and charity, which creates us anew within.

18. While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, “My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.”

19. And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples.

20. And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment;

21. For she said within herself, “If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.”

22. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, “Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.” And the woman was made whole from that hour.

Chrys., Hom., xxxi: After His instructions He adds a miracle, which should mightily discomfit the Pharisees, because he who came to beg this miracle, was a ruler of the synagogue and the mourning was great, for she was his only child, and of the age of twelve years, that is, when the flower of youth begins; “While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came one of their chief men unto him.”

Aug., De Cons. Evan., ii, 28: This narrative is given both by Mark and Luke, but in a quite different order; namely, when after the casting out of the daemons and their entrance into the swine, he had returned across the lake from the country of the Gerasenes. Now Mark does indeed tell us that this happened after He had recrossed the lake, but how long after he does not determine. Unless there had been some interval of time, that could not have taken place that Matthew relates concerning the feast in his house. After this, immediately follows that concerning the ruler of the synagogue’s daughter. If the ruler came to Him while He was yet speaking that of the new patch, and the new wine, then no other act of speech of his intervened. And in Mark’s account, the place where these things might come in, is evident. In like manner, Luke does not contradict Matthew; for what he adds, “And behold a man, whose name was Jairus,” [Matt 8:41] is not to be taken as though it followed instantly what had been related before, but after that feast with the Publicans, as Matthew relates.

“While he spake these things unto them, behold, one of their chief men,” namely, Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, “came to him, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, my daughter is even now dead.” It should be observed, lest there should seem to be some discrepancy, that the other two Evangelists represent her as at the point of death, but yet not dead, but so as afterwards to say that there came afterwards some saying, “She is dead, trouble not the Master,” for Matthew for the sake of shortness represents the Lord as having been asked at first to do that which it is manifest He did do, namely, raise the dead. He looks not at the words of the father respecting his daughter, but rather his mind. For he had so far despaired of her life, that he made his request rather for her to be called in life again, thinking it impossible that she, whom he had left dying, should be found yet alive.

The other two then have given Jairus’ words; Matthew has put what he wished and thought. Indeed had either of them related that it was the father himself that said that Jesus should not be troubled for she was now dead, in that case the words that Matthew has given would not have corresponded with the thoughts of the ruler. But we do not read that he agreed with the messengers. Hence we learn a thing of the highest necessity, that we should look at nothing in any man’s words, but his meaning to which his words ought to be subservient; and no man gives a false account when he repeats a man’s meaning in words other than those actually used.

Chrys.: Or; The ruler says, she is dead, exaggerating his calamity. As it is the manner of those that prefer a petition to magnify their distress, and to represent them as something more than they really are, in order to gain the compassion of those to whom they make supplication; whence he adds, “But come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.”

See his dullness. He begs two things of Christ, to come, and to lay His hand upon her. This was what Naaman the Syrian required of the Prophet. For they who are constituted thus hard of heart have need of sight and things sensible.

Remig.: We ought to admire and at the same time to imitate the humility and mercifulness of the Lord; as soon as ever He was asked, He rose to follow him that asked: “And Jesus rose, and followed him.” Here is instruction both for such as are in command, and such as are in subjection. To these He has left an example of obedience; to those who are set over others He shews how earnest and watchful they should be in teaching; whenever they hear of any being dead in spirit, they should hasten to Him; “And his disciples went with him.”

Chrys.: Mark and Luke say that He took with Him three disciples only, namely, Peter, James, and John; He took not Matthew, to quicken his desires, and because he was yet not perfectly minded; and for this reason He honours these three, that others may become like-minded. It was enough meanwhile for Matthew to see the things that were done respecting her that had the issue of blood, concerning whom it follows; “And behold, a woman who had suffered an issue of blood twelve years, came behind and touched the hem of his garment.”

Jerome: This woman that had the flux came to the Lord not in the house, nor in the town, for she was excluded from them by the Law, but by the way as He walked; thus as He goes to heal one woman, another is cured.

Chrys.: She came not to Christ with an open address through shame concerning this her disease, believing herself unclean; for in the Law this disease was esteemed highly unclean. For this reason she hides herself.

Remig.: In which her humility must be praised, that she came not before His face, but behind, and judged herself unworthy to touch the Lord’s feet, yea, she touched not His whole garment, but the hem only; for the Lord wore a hem according to the command of the Law. So the Pharisees also wore hems which they made large, and in some they inserted thorns. But the Lord’s hem was not made to wound, but to heal.

And therefore it follows, “For she said within herself, If I can but touch his garment, I shall be made whole.” How wonderful her faith, that though she despaired of health from the physicians, on whom notwithstanding she had exhausted her living, she perceived that a heavenly Physician was at hand, and therefore bent her whole soul on Him; whence she deserved to be healed; “But Jesus turning and seeing her, said, “Be of good cheer, daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole.”

Rabanus: What is this that He bids her, “Be of good cheer,” seeing if she had not had faith, she would not have sought healing of Him? He requires of her strength and perseverance, that she may come to a sure and certain salvation.

Chrys.: Or because the woman was fearful, therefore He said, “Be of good cheer.” He calls her “daughter,” for her faith had made her such.

Jerome: He said not, Thy faith shall make thee whole, but, “hath made thee whole;” for in that thou hast believed, thou art already made whole.

Chrys.: She had not yet a perfect mind respecting Christ, or she would not have supposed that she could be hid from Him; but Christ would not suffer her to go away unobserved, not that He sought fame, but for many reasons. First, He relieves the woman’s fear, that she should not be pricked in her conscience as though she had stolen this boon; secondly, He corrects her error in supposing she could be hid from Him; thirdly, He displays her faith to all for their imitation; and fourthly, He did a miracle, in that He shewed He knew all things, no less than in drying the fountain of her blood. It follows, “And the woman was made whole from that hour.”

Gloss., ap. Anselm: This must be understood as the time in which she touched the hem of His garment, not in which Jesus turned to her; for she was already healed, as the other Evangelists testify, and as may be inferred from the Lord’s words.

Hilary: Herein is to be observed the marvellous virtue of the Lord, that the power that dwelt in His body should give healing to things perishable, and the heavenly energy extended even through the hems of His garments; for God is not comprehensible that He should be shut in by a body. For His taking a body unto Him did not confine His power, but His power took upon it a frail body for our redemption. Figuratively, this ruler is to be understood as the Law, which prays the Lord that He would restore life to the dead multitude which it had brought up for Christ, preaching that His coming was to be looked for.

Rabanus, part. e Beda: Or; The ruler of the synagogue signifies Moses; he is named Jairus, ‘illuminating,’ or, ‘that shall illuminate,’ because he received the words of life to give to us, and by them enlighten all, being himself enlightened by the Holy Spirit. The daughter of the ruler, that is, the synagogue itself, being as it were in the twelfth year of its age, that is, in the season of puberty, when it should have borne spiritual progeny to God, fell into the sickness of error. While when the Word of God is hastening to this ruler’s daughter to make whole the sons of Israel, a holy Church is gathered from among the Gentiles, which while it was perishing by inward corruption, received by faith that healing that was prepared for others.

It should be noted, that the ruler’s daughter was twelve years old, and this woman had been twelve years afflicted; thus she had begun to be diseased at the very time the other was born; so in one and the same age the synagogue had its birth among the Patriarchs, and the nations without began to be polluted with the pest of idolatry. For the issue of blood may be taken in two ways, either for the pollution of idolatry, or for obedience to the pleasures of flesh and blood. Thus as long as the synagogue flourished, the Church languished; the falling away of the first was made the salvation of the Gentiles.

Also the Church draws nigh and touches the Lord, when it approaches Him in faith. She believes, spake her belief, and touched, for by these three things, faith, word and deed, all salvation is gained. She came behind Him, as He spake, “If any one serve me, let him follow me;” [John 12:26] or because, not having seen the Lord present in the flesh, when the sacraments of His incarnation were fulfilled, she came at length to the grace of the knowledge of Him. Thus also she touched the hem of His garment, because the Gentiles, though they had not seen Christ in the flesh, received the tidings of His incarnation. The garment of Christ is put for the mystery of His incarnation, wherewith His Deity is clothed; the hem of His garment are the words that hang upon His incarnation. She touches not the garment, but the hem thereof; because she saw not the Lord in the flesh, but received the word of the incarnation through the Apostles. Blessed is he that touches but the uttermost part of the word by faith. She is healed while the Lord is not in the city, but while He is yet on the way; as the Apostles cried, “Because ye judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.” [Acts 13:46] And from the time of the Lord’s coming the Gentiles began to be healed.

23. And when Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,

24. He said unto them, “Give place; for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth.” And they laughed him to scorn.

25. But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.

26. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.

Gloss., non occ.: After the healing of the woman with the issue of blood, follows the raising of the dead; “And when Jesus was come into the ruler’s house.”

Chrys.: We may suppose that He proceeded slowly, and spake longer to the woman whom He had healed, that He might suffer the maid to die, and thus an evident miracle of restoring to life might be wrought. In the case of Lazarus also He waited till the third day.

“And when he saw the minstrels and the people making a noise;” this was a proof of her death.

Ambrose., Ambrosiaster, in Luc., 8, 52: For by the ancient custom minstrels were engaged to make lamentation for the dead.

Chrys.: But Christ put forth all the pipers, but took in the parents, that it might not be said that He had healed her by any other means; and before the restoring to life He excites their expectations by His words, “And he said, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth.”

Bede, in Luc.: As though He had said, To you she is dead, but to God who has power to give life, she sleeps only both in soul and body.

Chrys.: By this saying, He soothes the minds of those that were present, and shews that it is easy to Him to raise the dead; the like He did in the case of Lazarus, “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth.” [John 11:11] This was also a lesson to them not to be afraid of death; forasmuch as He himself also should die, He made His disciples learn in the persons of others confidence and patient endurance of death. For when He was near, death was but as sleep. When He had said this, “They mocked him.” And He did not rebuke their mocking; that this mocking, and the pipes and all other things, might be a proof of her death. For ofttimes at His miracles when men would not believe, He convicted them by their own answers; as in the case of Lazarus, when He said, “Where have ye laid him?” so that they that answered, “Come and see,” and, “He stinketh, for he hath now been dead four days,” could no longer disbelieve that He had raised a dead man.

Jerome: They that had mocked the Reviver were not worthy to behold the mystery of the revival; and therefore it follows, “And when the multitude was put forth, he entered, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.”

Chrys.: He restored her to life not by bringing in another soul, but by recalling that which had departed, and as it were raising it from sleep, and through this sight preparing the way for belief of the resurrection. And He not only restores her to life, but commands food to be given her, as the other Evangelists relate, that which was done might be seen to be no delusion. “And the fame of him went abroad into all that country.”

Gloss., non occ.: The fame, namely, of the greatness and novelty of the miracle, and its established truth; so that it could not be supposed to be a forgery.

Hilary: Mystically; The Lord enters the ruler’s house, that is, the synagogue, throughout which there resounded in the songs of the Law a strain of wailing.

Jerome: To this day the damsel lays dead in the ruler’s house; and they that seem to be teachers are but minstrels singing funeral dirges. The Jews also are not the crowd of believers, but of “people making a noise.” But when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, then all Israel shall be saved.

Hilary: But that the number of the elect might be known to be but few out of the whole body of believers, the multitude is put forth; the Lord indeed would that they should be saved, but they mocked at His sayings and actions, and so were not worthy to be made partakers of His resurrection.

Jerome: He took her by the hand, and the maid arose; because if the hands of the Jews which are defiled with blood be not first cleansed, their synagogue which is dead shall not revive.

Hilary: “His fame went about into all that country;” that is, the salvation of the elect, the gift and works of Christ are preached.

Rabanus: Morally; The damsel dead in the house is the soul dead in thought. He says that she is asleep, because they that are now asleep in sin may yet be roused by penitence. The minstrels are flatterers who cherish the dead.

Greg., Mor., xviii, 43: The multitude are put forth that the damsel may be raised; for unless the multitude of worldly cares is first banished from the secrets of the heart, the soul which is laid dead within, cannot rise again.

Rabanus: The maiden is raised in the house with few to witness, the young man without the gate, and Lazarus in the presence of many; for a public scandal requires a public expiation; a less notorious, a lesser remedy; and secret sins may be done away by penitence.

27. And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, “Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.”

28. And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, “Believe ye that I am able to do this?” They said unto him, “Yea, Lord.”

29. Then touched he their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it unto you.”

30. And their eyes were opened: and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, “See that no man know it.”

31. But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country.

Jerome: The miracles that had gone before of the ruler’s daughter, and the woman with the issue of blood, are now followed by that of two blind men, that what death and disease had there witnessed, that blindness might now witness. “And as Jesus passed thence,” that is, from the ruler’s house, there followed him two blind men, crying, and saying, Have mercy on us, thou Son of David.”

Chrys., Hom., xxxii: Here is no small charge against the Jews, that these men, having lost their sight, yet believe by means of their hearing only; while they who had sight, would not believe the miracles that were done. Observe their eagerness; they do not simply come to Him, but with crying, and asking for nothing but mercy; they call Him Son of David because that seemed to be a name of honour.

Remig.: Rightly they call Him Son of David, because the Virgin Mary was of the line of David.

Jerome: Let Marcion and Manichaeaus, and the other heretics who mangle the Old Testament, hear this, and learn that the Saviour is called the Son of David; for if He was not born in the flesh, how is He the Son of David?

Chrys.: Observe that the Lord oftentimes desired to be asked to heal, that none should think that He was eager to seize an occasion of display.

Jerome: Yet were they not healed by the way-side and in passing as they had thought to be; but when He was entered into the house, they come unto Him; and first their faith is made proof of, that so they may receive the light of the true faith. “And when he was come into the house, the blind men came unto him; and Jesus said unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this?”

Chrys.: Here again He teaches us to exclude the desire of fame; because there was a house hard by, He takes them there to heal them apart.

Remig.: He who was able to give sight to the blind, was not ignorant whether they believed; but He asked them, in order that the faith which they bare in their hearts, being confessed by their mouth might be made deserving of a higher reward, according to that of the Apostle, “By the mouth of confession is made unto salvation.” [Rom 10:10]

Chrys.: And not for this reason only, but that He might make manifest that they were worthy of healing, and that none might object, that if mercy alone saved, then ought all to be saved. Therefore also He requires faith of them, that He may thereby raise their thoughts higher; they had called Him the Son of David, therefore He instructs them that they should think higher things of Him. Thus He does not say to them, Believe ye that I can ask the Father? But, “Believe ye that I am able to do this? They say unto him, Yea. Lord.” They call Him no more Son of David, but exalt Him higher, and confess His dominion. Then He lays His hand upon them; as it follows, “Then he touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.” This He says confirming their faith, and testifying that what they had said were not words of flattery.

Then follows the cure, “And their eyes were opened.” And after this, He injunction that they should tell it to no man; and this not a simple command, but with much earnestness, “And Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it; but they went forth, and spread abroad the fame of him through the whole country.”

Jerome: The Lord from humility shunning the fame of His glorious works, gave them this charge, and they from gratitude cannot be silent respecting so great benefit.

Chrys.: That He said to another man, “Go, and proclaim the glory of God, [Luke 8:39] is not contrary to this; for what He would teach is, that we should hinder those that would commend us for ourselves. But when it is the Lord’s glory that is to be praised, we ought not to forbid, but to promote it ourselves.

Hilary: Or He enjoins silence on the blind men, because to preach was the Apostles’ office.

Greg., Mor., xix, 23: We must enquire how this is that the Almighty, whose will and power are coextensive, should have here willed that His excellent works should be hid in silence, and is yet preached against His will, as it were, by these men who have received their sight. It is only that He herein has left an example to His servants who follow Him, that they should desire their own good deeds to be hid, and that notwithstanding they should be made known against their will, that others may profit by their example. They should then be hid by design, and published of compulsion; their concealment is by our own watchfulness, their betrayal is for others’ profit.

Remig.: Allegorically; By these two blind men are denoted the two nations of Jews and Gentiles, or the two nations of the Jewish race; for in the time of Rohoam his kingdom was split into two parts. Out of both nations such as believed on Him Christ gave sight to in the house, by which is understood the Church; for without the unity of the Church no man can be saved. And they of the Jews who had believed the Lord’s coming spread the knowledge thereof throughout the whole earth.