John Calvin Commentary Matthew 9
John Calvin Commentary
Matthew 9
John Calvin Commentary
Matthew 9
"And he entered into a boat, and crossed over, and came into his own city." — Matthew 9:1 (ASV)
And came into his own city. This passage shows that Capernaum was generally believed to be the birthplace of Christ because his visits to it were frequent. For there is no room to doubt that it is the same history which is related by the three Evangelists, though some circumstances may be more exactly related by one of them than by another.
Luke says that scribes had come from various parts of Judea, who were spectators when Christ healed the paralytic; and at the same time states indirectly that there were others who also received healing through the grace of Christ. For, before he comes to the paralytic, he speaks in the plural number and says that the power of God was displayed for healing their diseases: the power of the Lord was present to heal them.
The glory of this miracle was very remarkable. A man destitute of the use of all his limbs, lying on a bed, and lowered by cords, suddenly rises up in health, vigor, and agility.
Another special reason why the Evangelists dwell more on this miracle than on others is that the scribes were offended at Christ for claiming power and authority to forgive sins, while Christ intended to confirm and seal that authority by a visible sign.
"And behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven." — Matthew 9:2 (ASV)
And when Jesus saw their faith. It is God alone, indeed, who knows faith; but they had given evidence of faith by the arduousness of that attempt, for they would never have submitted to so much trouble, nor contended with such formidable hindrances, if they had not derived courage from entire confidence of success. The fruit of their faith appeared in their not being exhausted when they found the entrance closed up on all sides. The view which some take of these words, that Christ, as a divine person, knew their faith, which lay concealed within them, appears to me a forced interpretation.
Now, as Christ granted to their faith the favor which he bestowed on the paralytic, a question is usually raised on this passage: to what extent do people derive advantage from the faith of others? First, it is certain that the faith of Abraham was of advantage to his posterity, when he embraced the free covenant offered to him and to his seed. We must hold a similar belief with regard to all believers, that by their faith, the grace of God is extended to their children and their children’s children even before they are born. The same thing takes place with infants, who are not yet old enough to be capable of faith.
With regard to adults, on the other hand, who have no faith of their own (whether they are strangers or related by blood), the faith of others can have nothing more than an indirect influence in promoting the eternal salvation of their souls. Just as the prayers by which we ask God to turn unbelievers to repentance are not without effect, our faith is evidently of such benefit to them that they do not attain salvation until, in answer to our prayers, they have become partakers of the same faith with us. However, where there is a mutual agreement in faith, it is well known that they promote the salvation of each other. It is also beyond all question that earthly blessings are often bestowed on unbelievers for the sake of the godly.
With regard to the present passage, though Christ is said to have been moved by the faith of others, yet the paralytic could not have obtained the forgiveness of his sins if he had had no faith of his own. Christ often restored unworthy persons to bodily health, as God daily maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good (Matthew 5:45), but there is no other way in which he is reconciled to us than by faith. There is a synecdoche, therefore, in the word their, when it is said that Jesus saw their faith: for Christ not only looked at those who brought the paralytic, but looked also at his faith.
Your sins are forgiven you. Christ appears here to promise the paralytic something different from what he had requested. However, as he intends to bestow health of body, he begins by removing the cause of the disease, and at the same time reminds the paralytic of the origin of his disease and of the manner in which he ought to arrange his prayers. Since people usually do not consider that the afflictions they endure are God’s chastisements, they desire nothing more than some relief from their physical suffering and, in the meantime, feel no concern about their sins, just as if a sick man were to disregard his disease and seek only relief from present pain.509
But the only way of obtaining deliverance from all evils is to have God reconciled to us. It does sometimes happen that wicked people are freed from their distresses while God is still their enemy. However, when they think that they have completely escaped, the same evils immediately return, or more numerous and heavier calamities overwhelm them. This makes it clear that these sufferings will not be lessened or ended until the wrath of God is appeased, as God declares by the Prophet Amos:
If you escape a lion, a bear shall meet you;
if you shut yourself up at home, a serpent shall bite you
(Amos 5:19).
Thus it appears that this is a frequent and ordinary way of speaking in the Scriptures, to promise the pardon of sins when a lessening of punishments is sought. It is proper to attend to this order in our prayers. When the feeling of afflictions reminds us of our sins, let us first of all be careful to obtain pardon so that, when God is reconciled to us, he may withdraw his hand from punishing.
509 “Cherchoik seulement remede a la douleur presente, qui n'est qu'un accident particulier de son mal;” — “sought only a remedy for the present pain, which is but a particular accident of his disease.”;” — “sought only a remedy for the present pain, which is but a particular accident of his disease.”
"And behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth." — Matthew 9:3 (ASV)
And, behold, some of the scribes: they accuse Christ of blasphemy and sacrilege because he claims for himself what is God’s prerogative. The other two Evangelists also tell us that they said, Who can forgive sins but God alone?
It is beyond all question that their eagerness to slander drove them to this wicked conclusion. If they think that there is anything which deserves blame, why do they not inquire into it?510 Besides, as the expression admits of more than one meaning, and as Christ said nothing more than what the Prophets frequently say when they announce the grace of God, why do they take in a bad sense what admits of a favorable interpretation? They must have been already poisoned by malice and envy; otherwise, they would not have so eagerly seized an occasion of blaming Christ. They remain silent but think in their hearts, that they may slander him when absent among people of their own class.
It is no doubt true that God alone has power and authority to forgive sins: but they are wrong in concluding that it does not belong to Christ, for he is God manifested in the flesh, (1 Timothy 3:16). They had a right to inquire on what grounds Christ laid claim to such authority: but, without any inquiry, they suppose him to be one of the common rank of men and proceed rashly to condemn him.
510 “s’ils pensent qu’il y ait quelque chose digne de reprendre aux paroles de Christ, que ne parlent-ils a luy pour en avoir resolution?” — “If they think that there is any thing worthy of blame in the words of Christ, why do they not speak to him to have it explained?”?” — “If they think that there is any thing worthy of blame in the words of Christ, why do they not speak to him to have it explained?”
"And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?" — Matthew 9:4 (ASV)
And when Jesus saw their thoughts He now gives a proof of his Divinity in bringing to light their secret thoughts: for who knoweth the things of a man but the spirit of man which is in him? (1 Corinthians 2:11). And so Mark adds, that Jesus knew by his Spirit: which means, that what was concealed in their hearts could not be perceived by man, but that Christ by his Divine Spirit knew it thoroughly. Why do you think evil? This does not imply that it gave them pain to see a mortal man assuming what God claims as his own prerogative, but that they proudly and wickedly rejected God, who was openly manifested to them.
"For which is easier, to say, Thy sins are forgiven; or to say, Arise, and walk?" — Matthew 9:5 (ASV)
Whether is it easier to say? The meaning is this: since it is no easier to give life by a word to a nearly dead body than it is to forgive sins, there is no reason to wonder that he forgives sins when he has accomplished the other.
The argument our Lord uses may appear to be not well-founded: for, in proportion as the soul is more excellent than the body, the forgiveness of sins is a greater work than the healing of the body.
But the reply is easy. Christ adapts his discourse to their capacity. For, being unspiritual, they were more powerfully affected by outward signs than by all the spiritual power of Christ, which related to eternal salvation.
Thus he proves the power of the Gospel to give life to people from the fact that at the last day he will raise the dead by his voice from their graves.
Wonder not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all who are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth, (John 5:28–29).
This was a sufficiently powerful argument to refute those who considered a visible miracle of more importance than anything else. They could not say that he had no right to forgive the sins of the paralytic when he restored him to health and vigor, for this was a result which followed from the forgiveness of sins.
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