1 And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city.
2 And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on his bed; and when Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” 3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” 4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which 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, take up your bed and go home.” 7 And he rose and went home. 8 When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.
9:1 και εμβας εις το πλοιον διεπερασεν και ηλθεν εις την ιδιαν πολιν
9:2 και ιδου προσεφερον αυτω παραλυτικον επι κλινης βεβλημενον και ιδων ο ιησους την πιστιν αυτων ειπεν τω παραλυτικω θαρσει τεκνον αφεωνται σοι αι αμαρτιαι σου 9:3 και ιδου τινες των γραμματεων ειπον εν εαυτοις ουτος βλασφημει 9:4 και ιδων ο ιησους τας ενθυμησεις αυτων ειπεν ινα τι υμεις ενθυμεισθε πονηρα εν ταις καρδιαις υμων 9:5 τι γαρ εστιν ευκοπωτερον ειπειν αφεωνται σου αι αμαρτιαι η ειπειν εγειραι και περιπατει 9:6 ινα δε ειδητε οτι εξουσιαν εχει ο υιος του ανθρωπου επι της γης αφιεναι αμαρτιας τοτε λεγει τω παραλυτικω εγερθεις αρον σου την κλινην και υπαγε εις τον οικον σου 9:7 και εγερθεις απηλθεν εις τον οικον αυτου 9:8 ιδοντες δε οι οχλοι εθαυμασαν και εδοξασαν τον θεον τον δοντα εξουσιαν τοιαυτην τοις ανθρωποις
Dom Helder Camara, Through the Gospel, p. 66
Karen Fish, “Caravaggio’s The Calling of St. Matthew,” DoubleTake (March 1997), p. 24
“Caravaggio’s The Calling of St. Matthew”
At first glance, the stranger & his companion
approaching the table of the tax collector & gamblers
are not recognizable. The two strangers seem to be lost
travelers come to ask a question.
A wood table, coins strewn to indicate a past,
the three roughneck acquaintances dressed ridiculously
to the nines, buttoned & hooked in bright velvet
and then our ordinary man, unlikely
in every regard.
Because the background is just a simple Roman tavern wall,
stationed to this world by a window, the panes
covered with oiled paper–we might
call this believable, modern, realistic.
Only a few ways to describe what actually happened—
Matthew touches his chest, indicating a confusion
with this unlikely enlistment.
His companions slouch, dumbfounded amid
the flush & feathers & swords.
There is the humble disbelief that
all who are chosen share,
that moment, when the world seems
just a pile of hammers,
hatchets, buckets of coins, one thinks plainly,
how unlikely; absolved from all that is ordinary.
It is a curfew that has been lifted.
10-11 Luke 15:1-2
13 Hosea 6:6; Matthew 12:7
9 Frederick Buechner, “Follow Me,” The Magnificent Defeat, p. 96-101
9 Malcolm Muggeridge, Jesus: The Man Who Lives, p. 114
13 John Donne, Sermons on the Psalms and Gospels, p. 196
9 As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
10 And as he sat at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
9:9 και παραγων ο ιησους εκειθεν ειδεν ανθρωπον καθημενον επι το τελωνιον ματθαιον λεγομενον και λεγει αυτω ακολουθει μοι και αναστας ηκολουθησεν αυτω
9:10 και εγενετο αυτου ανακειμενου εν τη οικια και ιδου πολλοι τελωναι και αμαρτωλοι ελθοντες συνανεκειντο τω ιησου και τοις μαθηταις αυτου 9:11 και ιδοντες οι φαρισαιοι ειπον τοις μαθηταις αυτου δια τι μετα των τελωνων και αμαρτωλων εσθιει ο διδασκαλος υμων 9:12 ο δε ιησους ακουσας ειπεν αυτοις ου χρειαν εχουσιν οι ισχυοντες ιατρου αλλ οι κακως εχοντες 9:13 πορευθεντες δε μαθετε τι εστιν ελεον θελω και ου θυσιαν ου γαρ ηλθον καλεσαι δικαιους αλλα αμαρτωλους εις μετανοιαν
14-15 John Dominic Crossan, The Essential Jesus, p. 101, 162
16-17 John Dominic Crossan, The Essential Jesus, p. 85, 158f.
14 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16 And no one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. 17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; if it is, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
9:14 τοτε προσερχονται αυτω οι μαθηται ιωαννου λεγοντες δια τι ημεις και οι φαρισαιοι νηστευομεν πολλα οι δε μαθηται σου ου νηστευουσιν 9:15 και ειπεν αυτοις ο ιησους μη δυνανται οι υιοι του νυμφωνος πενθειν εφ οσον μετ αυτων εστιν ο νυμφιος ελευσονται δε ημεραι οταν απαρθη απ αυτων ο νυμφιος και τοτε νηστευσουσιν 9:16 ουδεις δε επιβαλλει επιβλημα ρακους αγναφου επι ιματιω παλαιω αιρει γαρ το πληρωμα αυτου απο του ιματιου και χειρον σχισμα γινεται 9:17 ουδε βαλλουσιν οινον νεον εις ασκους παλαιους ει δε μηγε ρηγνυνται οι ασκοι και ο οινος εκχειται και οι ασκοι απολουνται αλλα βαλλουσιν οινον νεον εις ασκους καινους και αμφοτεροι συντηρουνται
18 While he was thus speaking to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. 20 And behold, a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment; 21 for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I shall be made well.” 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. 23 And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players, and the crowd making a tumult, 24 he said, “Depart; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. 25 But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26 And the report of this went through all that district.
9:18 ταυτα αυτου λαλουντος αυτοις ιδου αρχων αβελθων προσεκυνει αυτω λεγων οτι η θυγατηρ μου αρτι ετελευτησεν αλλα ελθων επιθες την χειρα σου επ αυτην και ζησεται 9:19 και εγερθεις ο ιησους ηκολουθησεν αυτω και οι μαθηται αυτου 9:20 και ιδου γυνη αιμορροουσα δωδεκα ετη προσελθουσα οπισθεν ηψατο του κρασπεδου του ιματιου αυτου 9:21 ελεγεν γαρ εν εαυτη εαν μονον αψωμαι του ιματιου αυτου σωθησομαι 9:22 ο δε ιησους επιστραφεις και ιδων αυτην ειπεν θαρσει θυγατερ η πιστις σου σεσωκεν σε και εσωθη η γυνη απο της ωρας εκεινης 9:23 και ελθων ο ιησους εις την οικιαν του αρχοντος και ιδων τους αυλητας και τον οχλον θορυβουμενον 9:24 λεγει αυτοις αναχωρειτε ου γαρ απεθανεν το κορασιον αλλα καθευδει και κατεγελων αυτου 9:25 οτε δε εξεβληθη ο οχλος εισελθων εκρατησεν της χειρος αυτης και ηγερθη το κορασιον 9:26 και εξηλθεν η φημη αυτη εις ολην την γην εκεινην
Thomas Immoos, “Kyrie Eleison I,” Divine Inspiration, p. 170
30-31 Mark 1:43-45
29-30 Malcolm Muggeridge, Jesus: The Man Who Lives, p. 84
27 And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” 28 When he entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” 29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” 30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly charged them, “See that no one knows it.” 31 But they went away and spread his fame through all that district.
9:27 και παραγοντι εκειθεν τω ιησου ηκολουθησαν αυτω δυο τυφλοι κραζοντες και λεγοντες ελεησον ημας υιε δαυιδ 9:28 ελθοντι δε εις την οικιαν προσηλθον αυτω οι τυφλοι και λεγει αυτοις ο ιησους πιστευετε οτι δυναμαι τουτο ποιησαι λεγουσιν αυτω ναι κυριε 9:29 τοτε ηψατο των οφθαλμων αυτων λεγων κατα την πιστιν υμων γενηθητω υμιν 9:30 και ανεωχθησαν αυτων οι οφθαλμοι και ενεβριμησατο αυτοις ο ιησους λεγων ορατε μηδεις γινωσκετω 9:31 οι δε εξελθοντες διεφημισαν αυτον εν ολη τη γη εκεινη
John Dominic Crossan, The Essential Jesus, p. 109, 163
32 As they were going away, behold, a dumb demoniac was brought to him. 33 And when the demon had been cast out, the dumb man spoke; and the crowds marveled, saying, “Never was anything like this seen in Israel.” 34 But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the prince of demons.”
9:32 αυτων δε εξερχομενων ιδου προσηνεγκαν αυτω ανθρωπον κωφον δαιμονιζομενον 9:33 και εκβληθεντος του δαιμονιου ελαλησεν ο κωφος και εθαυμασαν οι οχλοι λεγοντες ουδεποτε εφανη ουτως εν τω ισραηλ 9:34 οι δε φαρισαιοι ελεγον εν τω αρχοντι των δαιμονιων εκβαλλει τα δαιμονια
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “The Harvest,” The Cost of Discipleship, p. 223-225
Dom Helder Camara, Through the Gospel, p. 68
35 Matthew 4:23; Mark 1:39; Luke 4:44
37-38 Luke 10:2
35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
9:35 και περιηγεν ο ιησους τας πολεις πασας και τας κωμας διδασκων εν ταις συναγωγαις αυτων και κηρυσσων το ευαγγελιον της βασιλειας και θεραπευων πασαν νοσον και πασαν μαλακιαν εν τω λαω 9:36 ιδων δε τους οχλους εσπλαγχνισθη περι αυτων οτι ησαν εσκυλμενοι και ερριμμενοι ωσει προβατα μη εχοντα ποιμενα 9:37 τοτε λεγει τοις μαθηταις αυτου ο μεν θερισμος πολυς οι δε εργαται ολιγοι 9:38 δεηθητε ουν του κυριου του θερισμου οπως εκβαλη εργατας εις τον θερισμον αυτου