Why our Lord sat at the Publican's Table.

437

IX. 9.

called them all together. The fact is, Christ used to MATT. try every kind of treatment; and not when discoursing only, nor when healing, nor when reproving His enemies, but even at His morning meal, He would often correct such as were in a bad way; hereby teaching us, that every season and every work may by possibility afford us profit. And yet surely what was then set before them came of injustice and covetousness; but Christ refused not to partake of it, because the ensuing gain was to be great: yea rather He becomes partaker of the same roof and table with them that have committed such offences. For such is the quality of a physician; unless he endure the corruption of the sick, he frees them not from their infirmity.

And yet undoubtedly He incurred hence an evil report; first by eating with him, then in Matthew's house, and thirdly, in company with many publicans. See at least how they reproach Him with this. Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners'.

Let them hear, as many as are striving to deck themselves with great honour for fasting, and let them consider that our Lord was called a man gluttonous and a winebibber, and He was not ashamed, but overlooked all these things, that he might accomplish what He had set before him; which indeed was accordingly done. For the publican was actually converted, and thus became a better man.

1 Matt.

11, 19.

And to teach thee that this great thing was wrought by his partaking of the table with Him, hear what Zaccheus saith, another publican. I mean, when he heard Christ saying, To-day I must abide in thy house, the delight gave him wings, and he saith, The half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And to him Jesus saith, 2 Luke This day is salvation come to this house. So possible is it. by all ways to give instruction.

19, 5.8.

But how is it, one may say, that Paul commands, If any man that is called a brother be a fornicator or covetous, with such an one no not to eat? In the first place, it is not as 31 Cor. yet manifest, whether to teachers also he gives this charge, and not rather to brethren only. Next, these were not yet of the

1

XXX.

2, 3.

438 Our Lord as a Physician must associate with Sinners.

HOMIL. number of the perfect1, nor of those who had become brethren. And besides, Paul commands, even with respect to them that had become brethren, then to shrink from them, when they continue as they were; but these had now ceased, and were converted.

ἀπηρ·

v. 11.

12, 2.

[3.] But none of these things shamed the Pharisees, but they accuse Him to His disciples, saying,

Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?

And when the disciples seem to be doing wrong, they intercede with Him, saying, Behold Thy disciples do that 2 Matt. which is not lawful to do on the sabbath-day'; but here to them they discredit Him. All which was the part of men dealing craftily, and wishing to separate from the Master the choir of the disciples.

v. 12.

v. 13.

What then saith Infinite Wisdom?

They that be whole need not a physician, saith He, but they that are sick.

See how He turned their reasoning to the opposite conclusion. That is, while they made it a charge against Him that He was in company with these men; He on the contrary saith, that His not being with them would be unworthy of Him, and of His love of man; and that to amend such persons is not only blameless, but excellent, and necessary, and deserving of all sorts of praise.

After this, that He might not seem to put them that were bidden to shame, by saying, they that are sick; see how He makes up for it again, by reproving the others, and saying,

Go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.

Now this He said, to upbraid them with their ignorance of the Scriptures. Wherefore also He orders His discourse more sharply, not Himself in anger, far from it; but so as that the Publicans might not be in utter perplexity.

- And yet of course He might say, 66 Did ye not mark, how I remitted the sins of the sick of the palsy, how I braced up his body?" But He saith no such thing, but argues with them first from men's common reasonings, and then from the Scriptures. For having said, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick; and having covertly indicated that He Himself was the Physician; after

He reproves the Pharisees' Ignorance of the Scriptures. 439

IX. 13.

that He said, Go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will MATT. have mercy, and not sacrifice. Thus doth Paul also: when he had first established his reasoning by illustrations from common things, and had said, Who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk thereof1? then he brings in the Scrip- 1 Cor." tures also, saying, It is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn; and again, Even so hath the Lord ordained, that 2 ib. 9. they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel3.

see

Deut.

3 ib. 14.

But to His disciples not so, but He puts them in mind of 25, 4. His signs, saying on this wise, Do ye not yet remember the comp. five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets S. Matt. ye 10, 10. took up1? Not so however with these, but He reminds them 4 Matt. of our common infirmity, and signifies them at any rate to be 16, 9. of the number of the infirm; who did not so much as know the Scriptures, but making light of the rest of virtue, laid all the stress on their sacrifices; which thing He is also earnestly intimating unto them, when He sets down in brief what had been affirmed by all the Prophets', saying, Learn ye what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.

The fact is, He is signifying hereby that not He was transgressing the law, but they; as if He had said, "Wherefore accuse Me? Because I bring sinners to amendment? Why then ye must accuse the Father also for this." Much as He

said also elsewhere, establishing this point; My Father worketh hitherto, and I work 5: so here again, Go ye and 5 John learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacri- 5, 17. fice. "For as this is His will, saith Christ, so also Mine." Seest thou how the one is superfluous, the other necessary? For neither did He say, "I will have mercy, and sacrifice," but, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice. That is, the one thing He allowed, the other He cast out; and proved that what they blamed, so far from being forbidden, was even ordained by the Law, and more so than sacrifice; and He brings in the Old Testament, speaking words and ordaining laws in harmony with Himself.

Having then reproved them, both by common illustrations and by the Scriptures, He adds again,

b See Hosea 6, 6. Ps. 50, 8-15. Prov. 21, 3. Is. 1, 11-15. Micah 6, 6. 7. 8.

440 Why St. John's Disciples reproved our Saviour's.

HOMIL. I am not come to call righteous men, but sinners to

XXX.

3, 4. repentance.

v. 13.

22.

12.

And this He saith unto them in irony; as when He said, 1Gen.3, Behold, Adam is become as one of us; and again, If I LXX. were hungry, I would not tell thee2. For that no man on 2 Ps. 50, earth was righteous, Paul declared, saying, For all have 3 Rom. sinned, and come short of the glory of Gods. And by this 3, 23. too the others were comforted, I mean, the guests. Why, I am so far," saith He, " from loathing sinners, that even for their sakes only am I come." Then, lest He should make them more careless, He staid not at the word sinners, but added, unto repentance. "For I am not come that they should continue sinners, but that they should alter, and amend."

[4.] He then having stopped their mouths every way, as well from the Scriptures as from the natural consequence of things; and they having nothing to say, proved as they were obnoxious to the charges which they had brought against Him, and adversaries of the Law and the Old Testament; they leave Him, and again transfer their accusation to the disciples.

And Luke indeed affirms that the Pharisees said it, but this Evangelist, that it was the disciples of John; but it is likely that both said it. That is, they being, as might be expected, in utter perplexity, take the other sort with them; as they did afterwards with the Herodians likewise. Since in truth John's disciples were always disposed to be jealous of Him, and reasoned against Him: being then only humbled, when first John abode in the prison. They came at least then, and told Jesus'; but afterwards they returned to their 14, 12. former envy.

4 See Matt.

v. 14.

5 Matt. 6, 17.

Now what say they? Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?

This is the disease, which Christ long before was eradicating, in the words, When thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face; foreknowing the evils that spring therefrom. But yet He doth not rebuke even these, nor say, “O ye vain-glorious and over-busy;" but He discourses to them with all gentleness, saying, The children of the bridechamber

с

Comp. Matt. 9, 14, Luke 5, 33, &c. and Mark 2, 18,

&c.

441

Thus, MATT.

mean, to

He in Reply speaks of a Perfection to come. cannot fast, as long as the Bridegroom is with them. when others were to be spoken for, the Publicans I soothe their wounded soul, He was more severe in His reproof of their revilers; but when they were deriding Himself and His disciples, He makes His reply with all gentleness.

Now their meaning is like this; "Granted," say they, "Thou doest this as a Physician; why do Thy disciples also leave fasting, and cleave to such tables?" Then, to make the accusation heavier, they put themselves first, and then the Pharisees; wishing by the comparison to aggravate the charge. For indeed both we, it is said, and the Pharisees, fast oft. And in truth they did fast, the one having learnt it from John, the other from the Law; even as also the Pharisee said, I fast twice in the week'.

IX. 15-17.

I Luke

18,

What then saith Jesus? Can the children of the Bridechamber fast, while the Bridegroom is with them? Before, He called Himself a Physician, but here a Bridegroom; by these names revealing His unspeakable mysteries. Yet of course He might have told them, more sharply, “These things depend not on you, that you should make such laws. For of what use is fasting, when the mind is full of wickedness; when ye blame others, when ye condemn them, bearing about beams in your eyes, and do all for display? Nay, before all this ye ought to have cast out vain-glory, to be proficients in all the other duties, in charity, meekness, brotherly love." However, nothing of this kind doth He say, but with all gentleness, The children of the Bridechamber cannot fast, so long as the Bridegroom is with them; recalling to their mind John's words, when he said, He that hath the Bride, is the Bridegroom, but the friend of the Bridegroom, which standeth and heareth Him, rejoiceth greatly because of the Bridegroom's voice?.

Now His meaning is like this; The present time is of joy and gladness, therefore do not bring in the things which are melancholy. For fasting is a melancholy thing, not in its own nature, but to them that are yet in rather a feeble state; for to those at least that are willing to practise self-command, the observance is

d ver, 15, comp. Mark 2, 19. Luke 5, 33,

12.

2 John

3, 29.