Day 12: Encounters with Skeptics

Summary: Chapter 12

• Lord of the Sabbath


• Healing on the Sabbath?


• The Chosen Servant


• Casting Out Demons


• He Who is Not with Me is Against Me


• Good Tree, Good Fruit


• Give Us a Sign


• Who is My Mother?

An overall theme for this day might be, “Haven’t we covered some of this ground before?” Indeed, we have! Perhaps the events and questions that arise once again will give us new opportunities to see deeper into what our Lord wants us to know. There are also a few instances of what might be called, “discontinuities” – where the subject apparently shifts, without being clear as to why.

I’m going to try a new format – new, at least to this blog. Rather than posting the entire chapter, and then following it with comments, each day (for now, anyway) will begin with the chapter summary and some introductory comments. Then, each subdivision will begin with the text from the Gospel for that day, followed by comments. That might make things a little more coherent. I’m open to suggestions, if there is something you’d like to see here.

Lord of the Sabbath

12:1 At that time, Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the grain fields. His disciples were hungry and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 12:2 But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said to him, “Behold, your disciples do what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” 12:3 But he said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did, when he was hungry, and those who were with him; 12:4 how he entered into God’s house, and ate the show bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 12:5 Or have you not read in the law, that on the Sabbath day, the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are guiltless? 12:6 But I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. 12:7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 12:8 For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”

It was a violation of the Mosaic law to do any work on the Sabbath. Indeed, there was even a limit set on how far you were permitted to walk on the Sabbath. As such, the Pharisees – whose focus, remember, was on strict adherence to the Law – had ample grounds for the charge they made against the disciples. They were harvesting grain (work); they were rubbing the grain between their hands to remove the husks, a crude form of threshing (work); and they were walking in the fields (which was also classified as work). In response, our Lord reminds them of a time when David, while fleeing from King Saul, entered the temple, and ate the bread that the Law required to be placed on the altar in the Temple. Fresh loaves were put out daily; and the old loaves were then reserved to be eaten only by the priests of the Temple.

This incident is found in 1 Samuel 21:1-6. It is interesting to note that David went to the Temple to ask for something for his men to eat. When the priest, Ahimelech, told David that the only bread they had was the showbread, David asked if some could be given to his men. Ahimelech said this was possible of the men had not touched women – that is, if they were not ceremonially unclean. When David replied that his men were not unclean, Ahimelech gave David the bread for him and his men to eat. How was it that Ahimelech could do this? He recognized that the ceremonial law could be set aside to meet genuine needs; and that compassion for others is the foundation upon which the Law was established. The Pharisees seem to have forgotten this, in their zeal to obey the outward requirements of the Law. Our Lord also questions the Pharisees on the apparent contradiction of the Law that regularly took place on the Sabbath. No work was to be done, yet the priests of the Temple made the sacrifices appointed for the day – which was, after all, their work. So, clearly, the “blanket prohibition” against work of the Pharisees was lacking in understanding; something that becomes all the more clear in Isaiah 58:6-7, where the Lord, through the prophet, says that an acceptable day of fasting – required in the Law – is one on which wickedness ceases, the yoke of oppression is removed, and bread is given to those who are hungry. Biblical scholars that they were, the Pharisees thus were not ignorant of how the Law could be interpreted along the lines our Lord set before them.

In verse 7, we come to the first of the repetitions of incidents, when our Lord tells them, as He did in chapter 9, verse 10, that they do not understand the command of the Lord, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” This, too, is guidance into the proper interpretation of the Law. More than that: The place of the Law for the people of God is changing; for the Lord Who gave the Law has now come into the midst of His people; the Lord Who ordered the keeping of the Sabbath is the Lord of the Sabbath.

Who is the “Son of Man?” It is a title that Jesus (and only Jesus) uses, presumably, in reference to Himself. The prophet Daniel has a vision in which he sees someone he describes as, “like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven” who is brought to the “Ancient of Days,” and given sovereign power, glory, and authority to act. The son of man, says Daniel, shall be worshipped by all nations in a kingdom that will never end. (Dan. 7:13-14)

Healing on the Sabbath?

12:9 He departed there, and went into their synagogue. 12:10 And behold there was a man with a withered hand. They asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?” that they might accuse him. 12:11 He said to them, “What man is there among you, who has one sheep, and if this one falls into a pit on the Sabbath day, won’t he grab on to it, and lift it out? 12:12 Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day.” 12:13 Then he told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out; and it was restored whole, just like the other. 12:14 But the Pharisees went out, and conspired against him, how they might destroy him.

The controversy about the Sabbath continues in this pericope. In the synagogue (where the Pharisees taught the Law), Jesus heals a man with a withered hand. Once again, the Pharisees question Him, for now it is not His disciples who have worked on the Sabbath, but the Lord Himself. His reply is straightforward: using the example of how no one would hesitate to do “work” by rescuing a farm animal of his, He makes the point we need to know: It is, in fact, lawful to do good on the Sabbath day. For this, the Pharisees begin to conspire against Him.

The Chosen Servant

12:15 Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed him; and he healed them all, 12:16 and commanded them that they should not make him known: 12:17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, 12:18 “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen; my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit on him. He will proclaim justice to the nations. 12:19 He will not strive, nor shout; neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets. 12:20 He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a smoking flax, until he leads justice to victory. 12:21 In his name, the nations will hope.”

The closing verses here are a quotation from the book of the prophet Isaiah (42:1-4). This is one of four “servant songs” found in Isaiah. These “servant songs” are interpreted as references to the Messiah, whose coming the Jews still await, but whom Christians identify with our Lord Jesus. The word, “Messiah” means “the Lord’s Anointed One” – the same meaning as the word, “Christ.” Why would the Lord direct the crowds not to tell anyone who He was? This takes place repeatedly in the Gospels. (See, for example, ch. 8:4) Some commentators say that this was to avoid being seen primarily as a miracle worker; or that He did not want the teaching aspect of His mission to be overshadowed by miraculous healings; or that He did not want to provoke a response that would result in His death before His mission had been completed. St. John Chrysostom tells us that He did so to teach us to avoid boasting about anything we have accomplished, even in the service of God. Instead, we are to give the glory for anything we have been able to do to God, Who has given us life, and the abilities and opportunities to do what we might otherwise be tempted to take credit for ourselves.

Casting Out Demons

12:22 Then one possessed by a demon, blind and mute, was brought to him and he healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. 12:23 All the multitudes were amazed, and said, “Can this be the son of David?” 12:24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “This man does not cast out demons, except by Beelzebul, the prince of the demons.” 12:25 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 12:26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 12:27 If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 12:28 But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then the Kingdom of God has come upon you. 12:29 Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man? Then he will plunder his house.”

The crowd, witnessing the Lord casting out a demon that had made a man blind and mute, asks, “Can this be the son of David?” This title was one by which the Jews regularly referred to the Messiah. (We first saw this title in Matthew 1:1 – “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”) The Pharisees repeat the accusation they made before (in Matt. 10:25) – “He casts out demons by the prince of demons” – Beelzebul. (See the discussion about this name in the entry for chapter 10.) Our Lord replies by pointing out the logical fallacy of their argument – how can Satan’s kingdom survive if those who serve him – the demons – are also cast out by him? Our Lord is also not the only person who is casting out demons; remember, the twelve were given this ability when they were sent out on their missionary journey in chapter 10. He then confronts them with the reality of the situation, which they did not seem to want to face: if it is illogical for Satan to cast out his servants, then it is only possible for them to be cast out by the power of God; and since this is taking place in their presence, it can only mean that the kingdom of God has, as foretold by St. John the Baptizer, and proclaimed by our Lord Jesus, come into their midst. He then reinforces the point with the example of the person who enters the house of the “strong man” – Satan – and ties him up, so as to plunder his house. This we understand as what will take place when our Lord descends into hades, breaks the bars of the gates of death, and leads from there the souls of those held captive by death. He enters the house of the “strong man”; binds him; and plunders what had, until that time, belonged to him. St. John Chrysostom, by the way, points out that it is not that Satan is “strong”; rather, this speaks to the tyranny he had over us, which is based upon our transgressions.

He Who is Not with Me is Against Me

12:30 “He who is not with me is against me, and he who doesn’t gather with me, scatters. 12:31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 12:32 Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, neither in this age, nor in that which is to come.

Keep verse 30 in mind; we’re going to encounter a verse that appears to directly contradict it. Not right away; but we’ll get there, by God’s grace. The verse means exactly what it says, by the way. But what is the “blasphemy against the Spirit” that will not be forgiven?

Some commentators say that the context of this part of chapter 12 suggests that this sin is giving Satan credit for the miracles done in the power of the Holy Spirit. St. John Chrysostom sees it as being aware that it is by the power of the Holy Spirit that demons are cast out, but denying this and instead saying that it is done by the power of Satan, as if ignorant of the truth. Granted, these descriptions are almost the same; but the deliberate choice to ignore the truth and proclaim a lie, as St. John points out, means that those who have done so have hardened their heart; and this to such a degree that, like the angels, those who commit this sin will refuse to change their minds, and repent – and so there is no forgiveness for them.

Good Tree, Good Fruit

12:33 “Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by its fruit. 12:34 You offspring of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. 12:35 The good man out of his good treasure brings out good things, and the evil man out of his evil treasure brings out evil things. 12:36 I tell you that every idle word that men speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. 12:37 For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Does this really need any explanation? I didn’t think so!

Give Us a Sign

12:38 Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” 12:39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet. 12:40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 12:41 The men of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, someone greater than Jonah is here. 12:42 The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation, and will condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, someone greater than Solomon is here. 12:43 But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of the man, passes through waterless places, seeking rest, and doesn’t find it. 12:44 Then he says, ‘I will return into my house from which I came out,’ and when he has come back, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. 12:45 Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more evil than he is, and they enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first. Even so will it be also to this evil generation.”

This is an interesting exchange, because, in fact, signs of the Kingdom were being presented – for those who wanted to see them. Remember the dialogue between our Lord and the disciples of St. John the Baptizer at the beginning of chapter 11. What signs? “The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” (11:5) Why, then, do the scribes and Pharisees given the answer set forth here?

The scribes are the teachers of the Law; the Pharisees are strict followers of the Law. Of all those in Israel, these groups should have been best equipped to recognize the Messiah when He came; but instead they are called an evil and adulterous generation, for they had not kept faith with God and the covenant God had established with them. Even so, our Lord tells them what to look for, by citing events they should have known for themselves: Jonah, who was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights; and who then went to the city of Nineveh, and warned them of the wrath of God about to come upon them – to which they responded by repentance and amendment of their ways, and so were spared. They believed the prophet of God, even without any miraculous sign – and now one greater than Jonah has come to them, and they will not believe. This is why the people of that pagan city will condemn the people of God who did not recognize when the Messiah had come. So, too, the queen of the south, who came to King Solomon to learn of earthly matters as understood by his great wisdom. Yet the Christ, Who possesses a wisdom of things of heaven, otherwise inexpressible, is not welcomed by those who should have known Him, and so they are condemned.

Who is My Mother?

12:46 While he was yet speaking to the multitudes, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to him. 12:47 One said to him, “Behold, your mother and your brothers stand outside, seeking to speak to you.” 12:48 But he answered him who spoke to him, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” 12:49 He stretched out his hand towards his disciples, and said, “Behold, my mother and my brothers! 12:50 For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.”

Here again, we have a very straightforward presentation. In the services of the Orthodox Church, we often hear this passage read for the feasts of the Theotokos. It is not, as some non-Orthodox interpret this, a rejection of the importance the Church has always had with respect to the Mother of God; rather, it is an expansion of the privilege of being considered a member of the household of our Lord, which cannot but also include the virgin who gave birth to Him – His Mother. What is the criterion for being included? All those who, as did our Lord, do the will of God are members of His household, He being our older brother – and if we are related to Him, then we are also related to her – right? Of course, right!

Day 9: Signs of the Kingdom

9:1 He entered into a boat, and crossed over, and came into his own city. 9:2 Behold, they brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a bed. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, cheer up! Your sins are forgiven you.” 9:3 Behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man blasphemes.” 9:4 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 9:5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk?’ 9:6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...” (then he said to the paralytic), “Get up, and take up your mat, and go up to your house.”
9:7 He arose and departed to his house. 9:8 But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

9:9 As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, “Follow me.” He got up and followed him.

9:10 It happened as he sat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. 9:11 When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 9:12 When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. 9:13 But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

9:14 Then John’s disciples came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don’t fast?” 9:15 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. 9:16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch would tear away from the garment, and a worse hole is made. 9:17 Neither do people put new wine into old wineskins, or else the skins would burst, and the wine be spilled, and the skins ruined. No, they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

9:18 While he told 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.” 9:19 Jesus got up and followed him, as did his disciples. 9:20 Behold, a woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years came behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment; 9:21 for she said within herself, “If I just touch his garment, I will be made well.” 9:22 But Jesus, turning around and seeing her, said, “Daughter, cheer up! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour. 9:23 When Jesus came into the ruler’s house, and saw the flute players, and the crowd in noisy disorder, 9:24 he said to them, “Make room, because the girl isn’t dead, but sleeping.” They were ridiculing him. 9:25 But when the crowd was put out, he entered in, took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 9:26 The report of this went out into all that land.

9:27 As Jesus passed by from there, two blind men followed him, calling out and saying, “Have mercy on us, son of David!” 9:28 When he had come into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They told him, “Yes, Lord.” 9:29 Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” 9:30 Their eyes were opened. Jesus strictly commanded them, saying, “See that no one knows about this.” 9:31 But they went out and spread abroad his fame in all that land.

9:32 As they went out, behold, a mute man who was demon possessed was brought to him. 9:33 When the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke. The multitudes marveled, saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!” 9:34 But the Pharisees said, “By the prince of the demons, he casts out demons.”

9:35 Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people. 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. 9:37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 9:38 Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into his harvest.”

Here’s my summary of this chapter:

• Healing a Paralytic


• The Calling of Matthew


• Tax Collectors and Sinners


• Fasting and the Bridegroom


• Healing the Ruler’s Daughter and the Woman with an Issue of Blood


• Two Blind Men are Healed


• Casting Out a Demon


• The Lord of the Harvest

In a way, if the chapter as a whole were to be given a title, it might be, “Signs of the Kingdom, and the Opposition of the Jews.” Not all Jews, mind you; but certainly the scribes (the teachers of the Law) and the Pharisees, whose lives focused upon keeping the Law to the nth degree were skeptical about the miracles and contemptuous to our Lord. Of the eight different sections of this chapter, four of them include encounters with these opponents.

Healing a Paralytic

Arriving in Nazareth, our Lord is met by a paralyzed man and his friends, who have carried him to be healed by Jesus. Here, our Lord heals with a word: “Your sins are forgiven.” Now, to this time in the story, after His baptism and the forty days in the desert, our Lord has healed a number of people. Some reports lack details, and simply say that He healed the sick; or that many were healed. (This is in chapter 4.) In chapter 8, He heals a leper with a touch and the words, “Be made clean.” He heals the servant of the centurion from afar by the word of His command. He heals Peter’s mother-in-law with a touch, and others are healed, but we are not told how. He casts out demons by His word. What is particularly worth noting is that here, unlike the previous healings where some details are given, He does not say, “Be healed”; He says, “Your sins are forgiven.” This provokes the scribes, who said among themselves, “This man is a blasphemer”; that is, someone who speaks or acts impiously, who slanders God.

St. Matthew tells us that our Lord knew their thoughts, even if He did not hear them speak. He confronts them with the question, “Which is easier? To say, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’; or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed, and walk?’” The obvious answer – from a human point of view – would be to say that one’s sins are forgiven; for how can this be known in this life? Our Lord, then, uses the more difficult task, and heals the paralyzed man with His command to rise and walk, to demonstrate that He also has the power to forgive sins. The conclusion that those present at the time of this miraculous healing, and those present when St. Matthew was telling the story, and us – if we will make the effort to understand – were meant to know that, as only God can forgive sins, Jesus was showing them that the kingdom of heaven had, indeed, drawn near to them – very near!

The Calling of Matthew

Having healed the paralyzed man, our Lord finds a tax collector named Matthew. He says to him, “Follow me.” Amazingly, Matthew does exactly as he was told to do, leaves his booth, and becomes a follower of Jesus.

None of us like to pay taxes. We may do so because we don’t want to face the consequences that may befall us if we do not pay; we may do so from a sense of duty; we may even do so giving thanks for the many opportunities we have in this land. But the collection of taxes today is almost nothing at all like it was in the time of the Gospels. Ever wonder why the tax collectors were so despised? It’s because they were contractors who, in exchange for guaranteeing the ruler a certain amount of revenue, they were allowed to collect whatever they could from whomever they could. Tax collectors almost invariably got rich, because they were accountable to no one – as long as they didn’t get too greedy! For Matthew to have walked away from such a position is mind-boggling, even in today’s world. Give up a six or seven figure income to follow a wandering teacher? Had Matthew gone crazy?

Tax Collectors and Sinners

Was the dinner mentioned here served in Matthew’s house? Wherever it was served, the company was not what common opinion thought was appropriate for a “man of God,” as Jesus clearly was – or, at least, sought to portray Himself to be. As such the Pharisees come to the disciples and ask why their “Teacher” eats with tax collectors and sinners. The Lord responds by the analogy of sickness and sin: as those who are ill have need of a physician, while those who are healthy do not, so, too, do sinners need someone who can heal their spiritual illnesses – which, the Fathers tell us, frequently manifest themselves in our bodies as well as our souls – while those who have not sinned have no such need. Then, to open their eyes to their own state of sin, our Lord quotes the prophet Hosea to show the Pharisees that, in their own assumed state of self-righteousness, they are no better than the tax collectors and sinners with whom the Lord is dining: “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’”

The story of the prophet Hosea is a fascinating study, and if you’ve never read this book of the Old Testament, it will be worth your time to do so. Early on, God directs Hosea to marry a prostitute, Gomer, and to accept as his own her children; all of this as a sign to the people of Israel that they have forsaken God, as a form of adultery in the relationship between God and His people. (Interesting: Here again, the theme of a “man of God” – the prophet – associating intimately with a sinner.) The message from God to His people through the prophet is that they shall be punished for their lack of fidelity – punished, but not destroyed. Gomer is driven out by her children, at Hosea’s direction; but God has ordered Hosea to continue to love her, and she is brought back and, after a time of isolation, is restored to her husband and family. At one point, God laments over His people, and asks, “What shall I do with you?” Then He says, “For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” (6:6) The Hebrew word hesed that is translated as “mercy” can refer to proper conduct directed toward others, loyalty to God, or both; and can also be translated as, “love.” What is presented, then, is the contrast between the interior action and the exterior; where the offering and the burnt offering are external actions, made in the Temple, while mercy, loyalty and love all arise from the heart. The exterior actions can be counterfeit; the interior, much less so, if at all. Worship offered to God without being faithful to the will of God does us no good; it may even do us harm. The Pharisees have judged Jesus by His outward actions, and have shown by this their lack of love and mercy – and are as much in need of the forgiveness of their sins as are the tax collectors and the other sinners. But where the group with whom our Lord is dining recognize their sin, and so their need, the Pharisees, who think they do not sin because they outwardly keep the Law, do not recognize their need to repent, and confess, so that their sins may also be forgiven.

Fasting and The Bridegroom

Although this is not a “hostile” encounter, as experienced with the scribes and the Pharisees, it is still a question about why the Lord and His disciples appear to live in a way that, if not outside the Law, then is certainly pushing the boundaries of the Law. John’s disciples come and ask, “Why do we fast, and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?” The answer is straightforward: when it is time to celebrate, you do not fast. The presence of the Lord with His disciples – and it is important here to remember that we, as we follow Him, are His disciples – is something to celebrate. At the proper time, His disciples will fast. But then the Lord teaches through an interesting analogy: using cloth and wine and wineskins to illustrate His point.

St. John Chrysostom points out that the center of the analogy is the contrast between what is old and what is new; and how mixing the two very likely results in the destruction of both. A new piece of cloth, not yet shrunk, if cut to size and used to repair an old garment, will, when it shrinks, make the damage worse than what initially required the sewing in of a piece of cloth. Similarly, new wine is poured into new wineskins, which have not been stretched, and so will have the capacity to stretch as the wine ferments. An old wineskin, having been stretched, will burst, as its elasticity is less than that of a new wineskin. Here, I think, is the point: The disciples, indeed, everyone, are under the Law, under the covenants with Abraham and Moses; but our Lord has come to bring about a new covenant; and so before it can be given to the disciples, and to all others who follow Christ, they must first be made new, and then, given the “new wine” of the life of our Lord and the Holy Spirit in our “new wineskin” being – the nature that had fallen because of Adam and which Christ would renew by His Passion, Death, and Resurrection.

The Ruler’s Daughter and the Woman with an Issue of Blood

This request for healing turns into something more. A man of some importance comes to Jesus and asks Him to heal His daughter. Jesus agrees to accompany the man, who has phrased his request by asking Jesus to lay His hand on her to heal her. (Compare this with the centurion in chapter 8.) As they travel, word comes to them that the girl has died; and, as they enter the residence, the mourners have already started to gather. Our Lord says that the girl is not dead, but only sleeping – which causes those gathered there to laugh in derision. Our Lord takes the girl by the hand and raises her up, restored to life.

In the middle of this account, another story appears – that of a woman who has suffered from an issue of blood for twelve years. Her specific condition is unknown to us; but we can imagine the circumstances that her condition caused for her. Blood was significant; blood was the carrier of life, as we are told in the 17th chapter of the book of Leviticus:

17:10 “‘Any man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live as foreigners among them, who eats any kind of blood, I will set my face against that soul who eats blood, and will cut him off from among his people. 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes atonement by reason of the life. 17:12 Therefore I have said to the children of Israel, “No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who lives as a foreigner among you eat blood.”

Remember that it was the blood of the lambs slain for the first Passover in Egypt that was used to mark the lintel and door frames – a form of the sign of the Cross – to identify the homes of the people of God when death, the tenth and final plague on Egypt, came into the land. No one died where the doorway was marked with blood; while in those homes not marked, the first-born male in each household died.

In Leviticus we find, then, the significance for the woman who has come in the midst of the story about the healing of the ruler’s daughter:

15:19 “‘If a woman has a discharge, and her discharge in her flesh is blood, she shall be in her impurity seven days: and whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening. 15:20 “‘Everything that she lies on in her impurity shall be unclean. Everything also that she sits on shall be unclean. 15:21 Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. 15:22 Whoever touches anything that she sits on shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening. 15:23 If it is on the bed, or on anything whereon she sits, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until the evening. 15:24 “‘If any man lies with her, and her monthly flow is on him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed whereon he lies shall be unclean. 15:25 “‘If a woman has a discharge of her blood many days not in the time of her period, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her period; all the days of the discharge of her uncleanness shall be as in the days of her period: she is unclean. 15:26 Every bed whereon she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her period: and everything whereon she sits shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her period. 15:27 Whoever touches these things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.”

So, the issue of blood had rendered this woman unclean, and therefore, untouchable, for twelve years. She was undoubtedly shunned by many, because simply brushing against her garments while passing in the street meant that you would be unclean for seven days. Her coming to touch the hem of our Lord’s cloak, then, would, under the Law, meant that Jesus would also be unclean. But, as He did not withhold His touch from the leper, here He does not object to her having come to Him with the faith that she would be healed; and He tells her, “Your faith has made you well.”

Casting Out a Demon

A man who could not speak because he was possessed of a demon came to our Lord, Who drove out the demon, making it possible for the man to speak. The people remarked that such a thing had never been seen in Israel. But once again, the Pharisees see evil where the crowd saw something wonderful, and said that the only reason why the demon-possessed man had been restored was because the Lord invoked the prince of demons to do so – saying, in effect, that our Lord was doing the work of the enemy of our salvation, rather than the work of God.

The Lord of the Harvest

The Lord sees the crowds who are coming to Him, who will need instruction and guidance, and, in His love for all, He is moved to compassion for them. He speaks to His disciples in an analogy to farming, speaking of how the harvest is ready, but that there are not enough laborers for the task. He urges His disciples – and again, we who are called by His name are meant to be His disciples – to pray, asking that the “Lord of the harvest” will send workers to bring the harvest into His house. We should offer that prayer; and we should be willing to go and do that work. For some, this will mean offering themselves for ordination; but for most, it means that we must labor to acquire the Holy Spirit, to struggle against our passions, to repent and confess, to fast and to give, to love others more than we love ourselves, and with patience and humility show the life of Christ in our own. If we will do these things, we may be of service to others by bringing them closer to our Lord; and this is the harvest, the harvest of souls.