赦罪与治病

耶稣上了船,渡过去,来到自己的城里。 这时候,有几个人把一个躺在床榻上瘫痪的人抬到他面前。耶稣看见他们的信心,就对瘫痪的人说:“孩子,鼓起勇气吧!你的罪孽被赦免了。”

但这时候,有些经文士心里说:“这个人说亵渎的话!”

耶稣知道他们的想法,就说:“你们心里为什么怀着恶念呢? 或说‘你的罪孽被赦免了’,或说‘你起来走路’,到底哪一样更容易呢? 不过为要使你们知道人子在地上有赦免罪的权柄——”于是他对瘫痪的人说:“起来,拿起你的床榻,回家去吧!” 那个人就起来,回家去了。 众人看见就起了敬畏之心[a],就荣耀神,因为他赐给人这样的权柄。

呼召马太

耶稣从那里往前走,看见一个叫马太的人在税关坐着。耶稣对他说:“你跟从我!”马太就站起来,跟从了耶稣。

10 耶稣在屋子里坐席,这时候来了许多税吏和罪人,与耶稣和他的门徒们一同坐席。 11 有些法利赛人看见了,就对耶稣的门徒们说:“你们的老师为什么与那些税吏和罪人一起吃饭呢?”

12 耶稣听见了就说:“健康的人不需要医生,有病的人才需要。 13 你们去学‘我要的是怜悯,而不是祭祀’[b]这话是什么意思吧!我来不是要召唤义人,而是要召唤罪人[c]。”

禁食的问题

14 随后,约翰的门徒们前来问耶稣:“为什么我们和法利赛人经常[d]禁食,而你的门徒们却不禁食呢?”

15 耶稣对他们说:“新郎与宾客[e]在一起的时候,难道宾客能悲伤吗?可是日子将要来到:当新郎从他们中间被带走的时候,他们那时就要禁食了。 16 没有人把没缩过水的布块补在旧衣服上,因为所补上的布块会扯坏衣服,造成更大的裂口。 17 也没有人把新酒装在旧皮袋里,否则皮袋会胀破,酒会流出来,皮袋也被糟蹋了;相反,他们是把新酒装在新皮袋里,这样两者都保全了。”

少女复活、妇人痊愈

18 耶稣正对他们讲这些事的时候,忽然有一个会堂[f]主管来拜他,说:“我的女儿刚才死了,求你来按手在她身上,她就会活了。” 19 于是耶稣起身跟着他去,他的门徒们也跟着去了。

20 这时候,忽然有一个患血漏十二年的女人,从耶稣后面过来,摸了一下耶稣的衣服穗子, 21 原来她心里想:“只要我摸到他的衣服,就会得救治。”

22 耶稣转过身来看着她,说:“女儿,鼓起勇气吧!你的信救了你。”从那一刻起,那个女人就得了救治。

23 耶稣来到那会堂[g]主管的家,看见吹笛的人和慌乱的人群, 24 就说:“你们退去吧!这女孩不是死了,而是睡了。”他们就讥笑他。 25 那群人被赶出去以后,耶稣进去,握着女孩的手,那女孩就起来了。 26 于是,这消息传遍了那整个地区。

开盲人的眼睛

27 耶稣从那里往前走,有两个瞎眼的跟着他,呼叫说:“大卫的后裔,可怜我们吧!”

28 耶稣进了屋子,那两个瞎眼的来到他面前。耶稣问他们:“你们相信我能做这件事吗?”

他们回答说:“主啊,是的,我们信[h]。”

29 于是耶稣摸他们的眼睛,说:“照着你们所信的,给你们成全吧。” 30 他们的眼睛就开了。耶稣严厉地告诫他们:“你们要注意,不可让任何人知道。” 31 但他们一出去,就把耶稣的消息传遍了那整个地区。

驱赶鬼魔

32 两个人离去了。这时候有几个人把一个有鬼魔附身的哑巴带到耶稣那里。 33 鬼魔一被赶出去,哑巴就说出话来。众人都感到惊奇,他们说:“这样的事,在以色列从来没有见过。”

34 法利赛人却说:“他是靠鬼魔的王驱赶鬼魔的。”[i]

工作多工人少

35 耶稣走遍各个城镇乡村,在他们的会堂里教导人,传天国的福音,并且使[j]各样的疾病和各样的症状痊愈。 36 耶稣看见众人,就对他们动了怜悯之心,因为他们困苦流离,像羊没有牧人那样。 37 于是他对自己的门徒们说:“收割的工作[k]多,而工人少。 38 所以你们要祈求收割[l]的主催促工人参与他的收割工作[m]。”

Footnotes

  1. 马太福音 9:8 起了敬畏之心——有古抄本作“十分惊奇”。
  2. 马太福音 9:13 《何西阿书》6:6。
  3. 马太福音 9:13 有古抄本附“来悔改”。
  4. 马太福音 9:14 有古抄本没有“经常”。
  5. 马太福音 9:15 宾客——或译作“伴郎”;原文直译“新房之子”。
  6. 马太福音 9:18 会堂——辅助词语。
  7. 马太福音 9:23 会堂——辅助词语。
  8. 马太福音 9:28 我们信——辅助词语。
  9. 马太福音 9:34 有古抄本没有此节。
  10. 马太福音 9:35 有古抄本附“民中”。
  11. 马太福音 9:37 收割的工作——或译作“庄稼”。
  12. 马太福音 9:38 收割——或译作“庄稼”。
  13. 马太福音 9:38 参与他的收割工作——或译作“收他的庄稼”。

醫治癱子

耶穌坐船回到湖對岸自己住的城鎮。

有人用擔架把一個癱子抬到耶穌面前。耶穌看見他們的信心,就對癱子說:「孩子,放心吧!你的罪得到赦免了。」

幾個律法教師聽了,心裡想:「這個人是在褻瀆上帝。」

耶穌知道他們的心思,就說:「你們為什麼心懷惡念呢? 說『你的罪得到赦免了』容易呢?還是說『你起來行走』容易呢? 如今我要讓你們知道人子在世上有赦罪的權柄。」於是祂對癱子說:「起來!收拾你的擔架回家去吧。」

那人立刻站起來,回家去了。 看見的人都充滿了敬畏,就讚美把這樣的權柄賜給人的上帝。

呼召馬太

耶穌離開那裡往前走,看見一個名叫馬太的人坐在收稅站裡,便對他說:「跟從我!」馬太就站起來跟從了耶穌。

10 耶穌在馬太家裡坐席的時候,很多稅吏和罪人前來跟耶穌和祂的門徒一起坐席。 11 法利賽人看見了,就質問耶穌的門徒:「你們的老師為何跟稅吏和罪人一起吃飯?」 12 耶穌聽見後,答道:「健康的人不需要醫生,有病的人才需要。 13 聖經上說,『我喜愛憐憫之心,而非祭物』,你們去揣摩這句話的意思吧。我來不是要召義人,乃是要召罪人。」

禁食的問題

14 那時,約翰的門徒來問耶穌:「我們和法利賽人常常禁食,為什麼你的門徒不禁食呢?」

15 耶穌對他們說:「新郎和賓客還在一起的時候,賓客怎能悲傷呢?但有一天新郎將被帶走,那時他們就要禁食了。

16 「沒有人用新布縫補舊衣,恐怕新布會把舊衣扯破,破洞會更大。 17 也沒有人用舊皮囊來盛新酒,否則皮囊會漲破,酒也漏了,皮囊也毀了。人們總是把新酒裝在新皮囊裡,以便兩樣都能保住。」

起死回生

18 當耶穌在說話的時候,來了一個管理會堂的人跪在祂面前,說:「我的女兒剛剛死了,請你去把手按在她身上,她就會活過來。」 19 耶穌和門徒就起身跟著他去了。 20 途中,有一個患了十二年血漏病的女人擠到耶穌的背後,摸了一下祂衣服的穗邊, 21 因為她心想:「我只要摸到祂的衣服,病就會好。」 22 耶穌轉過頭來,看見她,就說:「女兒,放心吧,你的信心救了你。」就在那一刻,她的頑疾痊癒了。

23 耶穌來到管理會堂之人的家,看見殯葬的吹樂手和亂嚷嚷的人群, 24 就吩咐他們:「你們出去吧,這女孩並沒有死,只是睡著了。」他們都譏笑祂。

25 耶穌讓眾人都出去,然後進去拉著女孩的手,女孩就起來了。 26 這件事傳遍了整個地區。

醫治瞎子和啞巴

27 耶穌從那裡往前走,有兩個瞎子跟著祂,高聲呼叫:「大衛的後裔啊,可憐我們吧!」

28 耶穌進了房子,那兩個瞎子來到祂面前。耶穌問他們:「你們相信我能做這事嗎?」他們說:「主啊,我們相信。」

29 於是,耶穌摸他們的眼睛,並說:「照你們的信心成全你們吧。」 30 他們立刻得見光明。耶穌鄭重地叮囑他們:「不要張揚這件事。」 31 但他們出去後把祂所行的事傳遍了那一帶。

32 他們正要離去,有人帶著一個被鬼附身的啞巴來見耶穌。 33 耶穌把鬼趕出去後,啞巴就能說話了。

眾人都感到驚奇,說:「在以色列從未見過這樣的事。」

34 法利賽人卻說:「祂只不過是靠鬼王趕鬼。」

耶穌憐憫眾人

35 耶穌走遍了各城各鄉,在會堂裡教導人,傳講天國的福音,醫治各樣的疾病。 36 祂看見眾人,心裡憐憫他們,因為他們困苦無助,好像沒有牧人的羊。 37 耶穌對門徒說:「要收割的莊稼很多,工人卻很少。 38 因此,你們要祈求莊稼的主人派更多的工人去收割。」

Chapter 9

The Healing of a Paralytic. [a](A)He entered a boat, made the crossing, and came into his own town. And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”(B) At that, some of the scribes[b] said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, “Why do you harbor evil thoughts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? [c]But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic, “Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”(C) He rose and went home. [d]When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to human beings.

The Call of Matthew.[e] As Jesus passed on from there,(D) he saw a man named Matthew[f] sitting at the customs post. He said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. 10 While he was at table in his house,[g] many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples.(E) 11 The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher[h] eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 He heard this and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.[i] 13 Go and learn the meaning of the words,(F) ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’[j] I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

The Question About Fasting. 14 (G)Then the disciples of John approached him and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast [much], but your disciples do not fast?” 15 Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.[k] 16 No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth,[l] for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. 17 People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”

The Official’s Daughter and the Woman with a Hemorrhage. 18 [m]While he was saying these things to them,(H) an official[n] came forward, knelt down before him, and said, “My daughter has just died. But come, lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 Jesus rose and followed him, and so did his disciples. 20 A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel[o] on his cloak. 21 She said to herself, “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.”(I) 22 Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, “Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.” And from that hour the woman was cured.

23 When Jesus arrived at the official’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion, 24 he said, “Go away! The girl is not dead but sleeping.”[p] And they ridiculed him. 25 When the crowd was put out, he came and took her by the hand, and the little girl arose. 26 And news of this spread throughout all that land.

The Healing of Two Blind Men.[q] 27 (J)And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed [him], crying out, “Son of David,[r] have pity on us!”(K) 28 When he entered the house, the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they said to him. 29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” 30 And their eyes were opened. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31 But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.

The Healing of a Mute Person. 32 (L)As they were going out,[s] a demoniac who could not speak was brought to him, 33 and when the demon was driven out the mute person spoke. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”(M) 34 [t]But the Pharisees said,(N) “He drives out demons by the prince of demons.”

The Compassion of Jesus. 35 [u](O)Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness. 36 (P)At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned,[v] like sheep without a shepherd. 37 [w](Q)Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; 38 so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Footnotes

  1. 9:1 His own town: Capernaum; see Mt 4:13.
  2. 9:3 Scribes: see note on Mk 2:6. Matthew omits the reason given in the Marcan story for the charge of blasphemy: “Who but God alone can forgive sins?” (Mk 2:7).
  3. 9:6 It is not clear whether But that you may know…to forgive sins is intended to be a continuation of the words of Jesus or a parenthetical comment of the evangelist to those who would hear or read this gospel. In any case, Matthew here follows the Marcan text.
  4. 9:8 Who had given such authority to human beings: a significant difference from Mk 2:12 (“They…glorified God, saying, ‘We have never seen anything like this’”). Matthew’s extension to human beings of the authority to forgive sins points to the belief that such authority was being claimed by Matthew’s church.
  5. 9:9–17 In this section the order is the same as that of Mk 2:13–22.
  6. 9:9 A man named Matthew: Mark names this tax collector Levi (Mk 2:14). No such name appears in the four lists of the twelve who were the closest companions of Jesus (Mt 10:2–4; Mk 3:16–19; Lk 6:14–16; Acts 1:13 [eleven, because of the defection of Judas Iscariot]), whereas all four list a Matthew, designated in Mt 10:3 as “the tax collector.” The evangelist may have changed the “Levi” of his source to Matthew so that this man, whose call is given special notice, like that of the first four disciples (Mt 4:18–22), might be included among the twelve. Another reason for the change may be that the disciple Matthew was the source of traditions peculiar to the church for which the evangelist was writing.
  7. 9:10 His house: it is not clear whether his refers to Jesus or Matthew. Tax collectors: see note on Mt 5:46. Table association with such persons would cause ritual impurity.
  8. 9:11 Teacher: see note on Mt 8:19.
  9. 9:12 See note on Mk 2:17.
  10. 9:13 Go and learn…not sacrifice: Matthew adds the prophetic statement of Hos 6:6 to the Marcan account (see also Mt 12:7). If mercy is superior to the temple sacrifices, how much more to the laws of ritual impurity.
  11. 9:15 Fasting is a sign of mourning and would be as inappropriate at this time of joy, when Jesus is proclaiming the kingdom, as it would be at a marriage feast. Yet the saying looks forward to the time when Jesus will no longer be with the disciples visibly, the time of Matthew’s church. Then they will fast: see Didache 8:1.
  12. 9:16–17 Each of these parables speaks of the unsuitability of attempting to combine the old and the new. Jesus’ teaching is not a patching up of Judaism, nor can the gospel be contained within the limits of Mosaic law.
  13. 9:18–34 In this third group of miracles, the first (Mt 9:18–26) is clearly dependent on Mark (Mk 5:21–43). Though it tells of two miracles, the cure of the woman had already been included within the story of the raising of the official’s daughter, so that the two were probably regarded as a single unit. The other miracles seem to have been derived from Mark and Q, respectively, though there Matthew’s own editing is much more evident.
  14. 9:18 Official: literally, “ruler.” Mark calls him “one of the synagogue officials” (Mk 5:22). My daughter has just died: Matthew heightens the Marcan “my daughter is at the point of death” (Mk 5:23).
  15. 9:20 Tassel: possibly “fringe.” The Mosaic law prescribed that tassels be worn on the corners of one’s garment as a reminder to keep the commandments (see Nm 15:37–39; Dt 22:12).
  16. 9:24 Sleeping: sleep is a biblical metaphor for death (see Ps 87:6 LXX; Dn 12:2; 1 Thes 5:10). Jesus’ statement is not a denial of the child’s real death, but an assurance that she will be roused from her sleep of death.
  17. 9:27–31 This story was probably composed by Matthew out of Mark’s story of the healing of a blind man named Bartimaeus (Mk 10:46–52). Mark places the event late in Jesus’ ministry, just before his entrance into Jerusalem, and Matthew has followed his Marcan source at that point in his gospel also (see Mt 20:29–34). In each of the Matthean stories the single blind man of Mark becomes two. The reason why Matthew would have given a double version of the Marcan story and placed the earlier one here may be that he wished to add a story of Jesus’ curing the blind at this point in order to prepare for Jesus’ answer to the emissaries of the Baptist (Mt 11:4–6) in which Jesus, recounting his works, begins with his giving sight to the blind.
  18. 9:27 Son of David: this messianic title is connected once with the healing power of Jesus in Mark (Mk 10:47–48) and Luke (Lk 18:38–39) but more frequently in Matthew (see also Mt 12:23; 15:22; 20:30–31).
  19. 9:32–34 The source of this story seems to be Q (see Lk 11:14–15). As in the preceding healing of the blind, Matthew has two versions of this healing, the later in Mt 12:22–24 and the earlier here.
  20. 9:34 This spiteful accusation foreshadows the growing opposition to Jesus in Mt 11 and 12.
  21. 9:35 See notes on Mt 4:23–25; Mt 8:1–9:38.
  22. 9:36 See Mk 6:34; Nm 27:17; 1 Kgs 22:17.
  23. 9:37–38 This Q saying (see Lk 10:2) is only imperfectly related to this context. It presupposes that only God (the master of the harvest) can take the initiative in sending out preachers of the gospel, whereas in Matthew’s setting it leads into Mt 10 where Jesus does so.