throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him. 40 And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him. 41 ¶ And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house: 42 For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him. 43 ¶ And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, 44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. 45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? 46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. 48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole: go in peace. 49 While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master. 50 But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not believe only, and she shall be made whole. 51 And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. j Matt. ix. 18. Verse 41. Then came a man, named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. -On the miracles recorded in the re maining part of this chapter, see the notes on Matt. ix. 18-26, and on Mark v. 21-43. 52 And all wept and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. 53 And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead. 54 And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. 55 And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway : and he commanded to give her meat. 56 And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done. CHAPTER IX. 1 Christ sendeth his apostles to work miracles, and to preach. 7 Herod desired to see Christ. 17 Christ feedeth five thousand: 18 inquireth what opinion the world had of him foretelleth his passion: 23 proposeth to all the pattern of his patience. 28 The transfiguration. 37 he healeth the lunatick: 43 again forewarneth his disciples of his passion: 46 commendeth humility: 51 biddeth them to shew mildness towards all, without desire of revenge. 57 Divers would follow him, but upon conditions. 1 THEN he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. 2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. 3 And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece. 4 And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart. 5 And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. 6 And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where. 7 Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that was done a Matt. x. 1. CHAPTER IX. Verse 1. Then he called his twelve disciples.—See notes on the whole of Matt. x b Matt. xiv. 1. Verse 7. Herod the tetrarch.-See notes on Matt. xiv. 1, &c., and Mark vi. 20. by him and he was perplexed, because that it was said of some, that John was risen from the dead; 8 And of some, that Elias had appeared; and of others, that one of the old prophets was risen again. 9 And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him. 10 And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done. And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11 And the people, when they knew it, followed him: and he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing. d 12 And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place. 13 But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people. Verse 11. And he received them.-All the evangelists speak of the kindness and compassion with which our Lord treated these eager multitudes who followed him into the desert, to hear his words and to see his miracles; and to describe this they use various expressive phrases. Matthew says that "he was moved with compassion towards them." St. Mark heightens this by adding, "because they were as sheep having no shepherd; " they had no spiritual guides and St. Luke completes this picture of the benignity and mercy of him who pitied their destitution, and, as the good shepherd, took these thousands of the lost sheep of the house of Israel under his gracious charge. They had indeed intruded upon his solitude; but he received them, and spake unto them of the kingdom of God, and healed them that had need of healing. On the miracle of feeding the five thou sand, see the notes on Matt. xiv. 15-22, and Mark vi. 35. St. John informs us that this miracle was wrought when the passover was nigh. This explains the reason why so great a concourse of people were passing through Capernaum at the time, and appear to have flocked to him in such numbers, that he found it necessary to retire; and that five thousand should follow him into the desert, when it was ascertained in what part he was. At this season all the great roads were crowded with people going up to Jerusalem; and Josephus states that the number of persons who were present at one of these festivals was reported to Nero to have been upwards of two millions and a half, collected from all parts. The officer who made the calculation reckoned ten persons to each passover lamb. 14 For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company. 15 And they did so, and made them all sit down. 16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. 17 And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets. 18 ¶And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am? 19 They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again. 20 He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God. 21 And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing; 22 Saying, 'The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. 23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? i 26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels. 27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, e Matt. xvi. 13. f Matt. xvii. 12. g Matt. x. 38. h Matt. xvi. 26; Mark viii. 36. j Matt. xvi. 28. Verses 18-27. Whom say the people Baptist, &c.-See the notes on Matt. that I am? They answering said, John the xvi. 13-28. which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God. k 28 ¶ And it came to pass about an eight days after these * sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. 29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. 30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. k Matt. xvii. 1. Verse 29. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance.-See the notes on Matt. xvii. 1, &c. Verse 31. Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease.—This interesting circumstance is added by St. Luke. Because todos, rendered here decease, in classical writers means a military expedition, a going out to war, some interpreters have indulged the fancy that the subject of conversation among these exalted personages was Christ's going forth as it were to battle against the rebellious Jews, and destroying Jerusalem. But in addition to the critical reasons against this interpretation, the word is familiarly used by the Hellenists for death, as exitus and excessus by the Latins; and, as it has been well remarked, was one of those terms which handed down the tradition of the immortality of the soul; death not being the termination of being, but A DEPARTURE only into another state. "When the dead is at rest," says the author of Ecclus., xxxviii. 23, "let his remembrance rest, and be comforted for him, ev ecode πvevμalos avlov, in the departure of his spirit." St. Peter also uses the same word, That ye may be able after my decease, Codov, to have these things always in remembrance." The phrase, to accomplish or fulfil a death or departure from the world, gives a strong peculiarity to the passage before us. No parallel phrase to express death is to be found in profane or sacred writers; and for this there is * Or, things. sufficient reason. To depart from life is the common lot; but to fulfil his decease or departure from the world was peculiar to Christ, because his death was the grand subject of prophecy, the event upon which the salvation of the world was suspended, and the accomplishment of which established for ever the plan of our redemption. With this event Moses and Elias, like the other prophets, had been familiar whilst upon earth: the former had set up types of it; and the latter, as a spiritual man and the great restorer of the law, well enough understood their import. The grand doctrine, "Without shedding of blood there is no remission," was held by them all; and their faith had looked beyond the blood of lambs and goats which flowed from their typical altars. In that faith which rested solely upon the merit of the lamb which "God should provide for a burnt offering" they died; and now the shedding of the blood of Christ, the true propitiation, was about to confirm them and all the glorified in their title to those realms of light into which they had been admitted in anticipation of Christ's sacrifice, as well as to open the same gate of salvation to future ages. Who then can wonder, when such consequences depended upon the accom plishment of the predicted death of our Lord, that this should be the subject of their converse? the intention of which was not, as some have dreamed, to prepare our Lord's mind for his sufferings; |