Verse by Verse

32 As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed.

33 And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, “It was never seen like this in Israel!”

34 But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons.”

35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.

38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.”

The account of the dumb man only appears in Matthew.

ruler of demons (v.34) — Satan. This is the first recorded time that the rulers of Israel accused the Lord of blasphemy.

cities and villages (v.35) — in Galilee

sheep having no shepherd (v.36) — Numbers 27:17; Ezekiel 34

But what scenes met His eye as He passed thus ministering among the crowds of people? He beheld them as worn out, harassed and cast away as sheep not having a shepherd. His loving heart was moved with compassion for them. In this loving sympathy He reveals Himself as the Shepherd of Israel. Long before His Spirit in the prophets had spoken of the scene we behold here. “Son of Man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds: Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do not feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? … And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd; and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, where they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill; yea, My flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth and none did search and seek after them” (Ezekiel 34). In the same chapter we read what Jehovah the Shepherd of Israel says: “I will both search My sheep and find them out … I will seek out My sheep … I will bring them out from the people and gather them from the countries … I will feed them in a good pasture … I will feed My flock and I will cause them to lie down … I will seek that which was lost … I will make with them a covenant of peace,” etc. He came thus to His own as the Shepherd, but they did not want Him. — Gaebelein, pages 201-202.

27 When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”

28 And when He had come into 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 let it be to you.”

30 And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, “See that no one knows it.”

31 But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country.

This account only appears in Matthew.

Son of David (v.27) — Son of David is His title as He stands in relation to His earthly people, and in this passage we have Him called by this name for the first time in the Gospel. The cry these two men utter is specifically Jewish, and surely no Gentile will cry to Him as Son of David. Later in the Gospel a Gentile woman cried after Him, “Have mercy on me, Lord, son of David; my daughter is miserably possessed by a demon. But He did not answer her a word” (Matthew 15:23). When she called again, she said, “Lord, help me,” and after she had taken her place with the dogs the Lord acknowledged her faith. — Gaebelein, pages 197-198.

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Since “Son of David” was a messianic title, these men were revealing that they had heard Christ’s presentation of Himself as Messiah and were appealing to Him for a messianic miracle. Although Christ, in ministering to the needs of people, sometimes performed miracles when faith apparently was absent (cf. Luke 22:51), in responding to a request for a messianic miracle, He demanded faith. Thus Christ asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (v.28), and they confessed, “Yes, Lord.” Again they addressed Him with the messianic title of “Lord” (cf. Psalm 110:1). In response to their faith, the petition was granted and Christ removed their blindness. — Pentecost, pages 225-226.

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See that no one knows it (v.30) — The leaders of the nation had already indicated their determination to reject Christ; and so He commanded these blind men, “See that no one knows about this” (Matthew 9:30). Christ had previously said that He had no further evidence to give this nation apart from the sign of Jonah (Matthew 12:39). Thus Christ did not intend that these men become witnesses to the nation. — Pentecost, page 226.

18 While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live.”

19 So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.

20 And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment.

21 For she said to herself, “If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.”

22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, “Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.

23 When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing,

24 He said to them, “Make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him.

25 But when the crowd was put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.

26 And the report of this went out into all that land.

This account also appears in Mark 5:22-43 and Luke 8:41-56.

ruler (v.18) — Jairus, a ruler in the local synagogue

blood (v.20) — By reason of her trouble, she was excommunicated religiously. The Hebrew economy did not permit a woman so suffering to take any part or place in the worship of God. She was shut out from temple and synagogue worship. She was divorced from her husband by the same law. She was ostracized from society. — Morgan, page 95.

hem (v.20) — Law-abiding Jews wore a blue ribbon in the hem of their tunics (Numbers 15:38-41; Deuteronomy 22:12).

The woman’s action was significant. A subject knelt to touch the hem of a king’s robe to show loyalty and submission to his authority. Such an action preceded the presentation of a request to the king by the subject. Hence the woman’s act showed her recognition of the royal authority that belonged to Christ. — Pentecost, page 224.

musicians (v.23) — professional mourners hired to play dirges

16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.

17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

Most of my commentaries say these verses are a warning that the dispensation of law and the dispensation of grace cannot be mixed. This cannot be right. Years later, Paul makes it very clear that he was the messenger of the dispensation of grace and that his message was a mystery up until that time. And Christ, in the very next chapter of Matthew, sends His 12 apostles out with these instructions: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand'” (Matthew 10:5-7). So He certainly isn’t referring to the Church as the Body of Christ—a group that none of His listeners had never heard of and couldn’t possibly know would ever exist.

Morgan and Pentecost do make good cases that Christ, in these verses, is warning not to force the kingdom He is offering onto the old system of the Pharisees or on the superseded message of John the Baptist.

Thus the King said in effect to these questioning men [the disciples of John], Do not attempt to measure this new thing by that old thing. The old was right as long as it lased; but this is new. There are new motives, new forces, new impulses coming into play; and you must not try to place the new within the narrow limits of the old. It is Christ’s clear declaration that the new covenant [with Israel — the kingdom] which He had come to initiate, demanded new methods of expression; the purple of royalty, instead of the sackcloth of sorrow; the laughter of triumph, instead of the weeping of defeat. — Morgan, page 93.

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To the Pharisees He said one cannot make an old garment acceptable by superimposing something new on it. And to John’s disciples He said that what He was offering could not be superimposed on Pharisaism so as to reform it. What He offered also could not be contained in the old system. Rather, what He was introducing had to be entirely separated from the old. The incident closed with Christ’s words that if men would taste His wine, that is, if they would accept what He was offering them [the kingdom], they would not want the old. However, the Pharisees, having tasted the old, were satisfied with it; they had no desire for what He was offering them. — Pentecost, page 157.

9 As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.

10 Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.

11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

14 Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”

15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

tax office (v.9) — toll booth, probably on the caravan route from Damascus to the East

Levi was a custom-house official. The Talmud distinguishes between the tax collector and the custom-house official. The Gabbai collected the regular real estate and income taxes and the poll tax; the Mockhes, the duty on imports, exports, toll on roads, bridges, the harbor, the town tax, and a great multiplicity of other variable taxes on an unlimited variety of things, admitting of much abuse and graft. The very word Mockhes was associated with the idea of oppression and injustice. The taxes in Judea were levied by publicans, who were Jews, and therefore hated the more as direct officials of the heathen Roman power. Levi occupied the detestable position of a publican of the worst type — a little Mockhes, who himself stood in the Roman custom-house on the highway connecting Damascus and Ptolemais, and by the sea where all boats plied between the domains of Antipas and Philip. The name “publican,” which applied to these officials, is derived from the Latin word publicanus — a man who did public duty. The Jews detested these publicans not only on account of their frequent abuses and tyrannical spirit, but because the very taxes they were forced to collect by the Roman government were a badge of servitude and a constant reminder that God had forsaken His people and land in spite of the Messianic hope, founded on many promises of the ancient prophets. The publicans were classed by the people with harlots, usurers, gamblers, thieves, and dishonest herdsmen, who lived hard, lawless lives. They were just “licensed robbers” and “beasts in human shape.” — Pentecost, page 155.

house (v.10) — Matthew’s house (Mark 2:15; Luke 5:29) — the phrase in Greek, meaning “at home” indicates that Matthew owned the house and wrote the account.

go and learn (v.13) — to Hosea 6:6

The prophecy of Hosea deals with spiritual adultery, spiritual harlotry. The great agonizing emphasis of the prophetic message is that God is wounded in His love, because of the infidelity of His people to the Covenant. And this is the cry of God, “O Ephraim, what shall I do unto the?” Then He tells these people that their goodness is as the morning cloud, it vanishes and is gone. You bring Me sacrifices as though I wanted them. Ephraim, Judah, it is not sacrifice that I want from you; it is mercy toward you that I want; and I would fain find a way unto you in love and mercy.

Jesus looked at these men who thought they knew the law and the prophets, and said to them: you do not understand the God Who is revealed in your own writings. He was talking to the teachers, to the men who were interpreting the prophets, and He said “Go ye and learn what this meaneth, I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” Go and learn what the heart of God is; go and find out, that according to your own writings, God is far more anxious to have mercy than He is to receive any offering that a man brings to Him. — Morgan, pages 92-93

righteous (v.13) — used (here) ironically to mean “self-righteous”

to repentance (v.13) — not in many older manuscripts

That John’s disciples (v.14) continued as an entity is evident from the fact that they approached Jesus with a question about fasting. John had demanded repentance in connection with his baptism, and fasting coupled with prayer was a sign of that repentance. With this practice the Pharisees were in full agreement.

Messiahs’ millennial kingdom is often likened in Scripture to a wedding feast. Messiah is the Host. He is pictured as having invited guests. When the feast is set, His guests do not assemble to fast but to rejoice. In the Gospels, Christ is seen as offering Himself as Messiah. He offered to bestow the millennial blessing covenanted by God upon the nation that had been summoned to the feast. John and Jesus both proclaimed, “The kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17). It was inappropriate that those who had responded to this invitation and had been persuaded that Jesus is the Messiah should give themselves to fasting (v.15). — Pentecost, pages 156-157.

friends of the bridegroom (v.15) — wedding guests

This is Christ’s defense of the right of His people to be merry; and that right to be merry is the fact that He is with them. If that be true, then we have the right to be merry always. What He said about sorrow was fulfilled. He was taken away from them, and they fasted and were sad through those days of darkness; but He came back, and, standing on the slope of Olivet, He said, “Lo, I am with you alway,” Then there is no more room for mourning; no more room for the sad face of agony; but there is room for mirth, room for joy, and room for gladness. — Morgan, page 93.

1 So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city.

2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic,“Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”

3 And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, “This Man blasphemes!”

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 you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?

6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

7 And he arose and departed to his house.

8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.

His own city (v.1) — Capernaum

their faith (v.2) — the sick man and the friends who brought him. This is the occasion when the friends lowered the sick man through the roof of the house because of the crowds.

blasphemes (v.3) — The scribes knew only God could forgive sin; so by claiming to do so, Christ was claiming to be God. This is the first recorded time He was charged with blasphemy.

The law knew no such form as an official forgiving of sins, or absolution. The leper might be pronounced clean by the priest, and a transgressor might present a sin-offering at the Temple, and transfer his guilt to it, by laying his hands on its head and owning his fault before God, and the blood sprinkled by the priest on the horns of the altar, and toward the Holy of Holies, was an atonement that “covered” his sins from the eyes of Jehovah, and pledged his forgiveness. But that forgiveness was the direct act of God; no human lips dared pronounce it. It was a special prerogative of the Almighty, and even should mortal man venture to declare it he could only do so in the name of Jehovah, and by His immediate authorization. But Jesus had spoken in His own name. He had not hinted at being empowered by God to act for Him. The Scribes were greatly excited; whispers, ominous head-shakings, dark looks, and pious gesticulations of alarm, showed that they were ill at ease … 

One who usurped the prerogatives of Deity, according to Levitical law, was to be punished by death. Christ immediately revealed that He knew the controversy raging within their hearts. He asked them, “Which is easier: to say, “Your sins are forgiven,” or to say, “Get up and walk”? (Luke 5:23). It was easier to say one’s sins were forgiven because that statement required no demonstration. To say, “Get up and walk” necessitated a demonstration. It was, therefore, easier to tell someone his sins are forgiven because that required no evidence. If when Jesus commanded the man to rise up and walk, the man had not done so, Jesus would have proved Himself to be an impostor. In order that the company might know that He had the power to forgive sins, Jesus commanded the man, “Get up … and go home.” — Pentecost, page 153.

This account is also found in Mark 2:1-12 and Luke 5:17-26.

28 When He had come to the other side, to the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way.

29 And suddenly they cried out, saying, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

30 Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding.

31 So the demons begged Him, saying, “If You cast us out, permit us to go away into the herd of swine.”

32 And He said to them, “Go.” So when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and perished in the water.

33 Then those who kept them fled; and they went away into the city and told everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.

34 And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they begged Him to depart from their region.

Gergesenes (v.28) — Gerasa was a large territory in Perea in which was located near Gerash, one of the cities of Decapolis. Matthew states that He came into the region of the Gadarenes. Gadara was a town in Gerasa some six miles southeast of the Sea of Galilee. — Pentecost, page 221.

demons (v.28) — fallen angels who followed Satan — there were two men, but many demons. In Mark 5:9, the demons give their name as Legion, which means many.

the time (v.29) — of judgment (Revelation 20:10)

Son of God (v.29) — The demons recognized Christ (James 2:19) and also knew their ultimate fate.

swine (v.30) — These unclean beasts were not considered fit for food, in accordance with Mosaic Law (Leviticus 11:7). But they were apparently tended by degraded Jews who sought gain by selling them to the Gentiles. Such became the occupation of the prodigal (Luke 15:15). According to the Law, such a calling was absolutely illegal in the land of Israel. — Ironside, page 99

This account is also recorded, with more details, in Mark 5:1-20 and Luke 8:26-39, but those passages only mention the one man who went on to become a follower of Christ.

23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.

24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.

25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

27 So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

into a boat (v.23) — to cross the Sea of Galilee from Capernaum to Gadara

tempest (v.24) — A storm so violent that it panicked the disciples, some of whom were fishermen.

Although the Sea of Galilee is but a small body, yet because of its position deep down between high hills, it is subject to sudden storms of great intensity, caused by shifting air-strata and heavy winds coming through the passes with tremendous velocity. These storms come up very quickly and often with scarcely any warning. — Ironside, page 96.

why are you fearful? (v.26) — He had told them to get in the boat and why — to get to the other side (v.18), not to die.

O you of little faith (v.26) — Christ used this phrase four times to His disciples: 1) Matthew 6:30 — in the Sermon on the Mount regarding worry; 2) Matthew 8:26 — in response to their fear; 3) Matthew 14:31 — to Peter when he doubted when walking on the water; 4) Matthew 16:8 — when his disciples were reasoning among themselves how to feed the 5,000.

rebuked (v.26) — He said “Peace, be muzzled” (Mark 4:39)

This event is also recorded in Mark 4:35-41 and Luke 8:22-25.

I think Morgan’s application has some merit. We tend to think that happiness is the default mode in this life and that troubles are the exception, and as soon as troubles arise, we focus on them and fight to be rid of them.

Sometimes it is better not to wake Jesus when we are troubled. There is a higher faith; a faith that waits for deliverance out of a storm; a faith that says, If he is here, it is all right; let the waves roll, let the waters beat. — Morgan, page 88.

18 And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side. 

19 Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”

20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

21 Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

Master (v.19) = Teacher

Son of Man (v.20) — how the Lord most frequently referred to Himself — from Daniel 7:13 — used to emphasize that He was the Messiah, often in connection with His rejection

bury my father (v.21) — probably means “wait until my father dies”

Let the dead bury their own dead (v.22) — means “let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead”

The two men mentioned here, the scribe and the disciple, seem to be used as examples of how many responded to Christ. There were those who were caught up in the enthusiasm of the moment who had no idea of the cost demanded. And there were those who were impressed but unwilling to fully commit.

The occasion also appears in Luke 9:57-62, with the addition of a third disciple who asked leave to say goodbye to his family. The Lord responded by telling him he couldn’t have divided priorities.

All of this must be understood, in a physical sense, in light of the immediacy of the kingdom. In this age, spiritually, our devotion must be to Christ, but we are also told to care for those who depend on us.

14 Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever.

15 So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.

16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,

17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.”

This occasion is also reported in Mark 1:29-34 and Luke 4:38-41.

lying (v.14) = laid out sick in bed

Isaiah (v.17) — Isaiah 53:4 — Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.

Luke the physician noted that she had had a high fever, using a Greek tense that stressed its continuous, and perhaps chronic, nature. She was seriously ill. In keeping with his portrait of Jesus as a Servant, Mark said, “He … took her hand.” Matthew, in keeping with his portrait of Christ as King, said Jesus “touched her.” Luke simply recorded that Jesus “bent over her.” — Pentecost, page 146.