The great fame of Jesus drew such multitudes about him that the Lord and his disciples could not so much as take food. This condition of public enthusiasm was in itself an evidence of Jesus' true character; but it was not understood rightly by those related to Jesus by blood or affinity. A certain mistaken reverence has thrown much obscurity over this passage. In the first place, some expositors refused to believe that the expression of Tаp' avтoû means those related to Jesus by blood or affinity. Their only reason is that they believe it incongruous that Jesus' own kindred should so mistake his real character. But we know from St. John VII. 5, that "even Jesus' brethren did not believe in him." Wherefore we hold with Bede, Cajetan, Jansenius, Maldonatus, Calmet, Patrizi, Schegg, Fillion, Weiss, and others, that Mark here designates some of those who were related by blood or affinity to the family of Jesus. We believe also that they were of the opinion that Jesus had gone mad. We shudder to admit it, but this sense seems to be demanded by the plain words of the text. The theory that these relatives of Jesus put forth this plea merely to save Jesus from danger is untenable. He was not at that time in any immediate danger, but surrounded by an admiring multitude. Moreover, if his relatives had only feigned this, we can not believe that the Evangelist would speak of this declaration in such a positive manner. It remains therefore a part of the mystery of the Great Atonement that Jesus so emptied himself that he was considered by those of his own family as a madman. They knew him as the humble poor man of Nazareth. They now see and hear most extraordinary things of him. Their minds do not mount up to the knowledge that he is the Son of God; they can not, like the wicked Pharisees, accuse him of being actuated by the devil: one theory seems open, that he is mad. Among the kindred here spoken of, we do not include Mary, the Mother of Jésus. The narrative simply declares that some of those related to Jesus, believing him mad, and fearing for his safety, or fearing that he might do some rash act, went out to the place where Jesus was, to lay hold on him. We believe that these also dwelt in Capharnaum; that they had for some time suspected that Jesus was mad; and that the great excitement of the concourse of the people on that day moved them to attempt to restrain Jesus from what they considered acts of a madman. They certainly did not proclaim to the public that they thought him mad; but they reasoned of it among themselves, and acted on such belief. We believe that it is one evidence of the depth of humiliation to which Jesus descended to teach us humility. MATT. XII. 22-37 MARK III. 22-30 22. Τότε προσήνεγκαν αὐτῷ 22. Καὶ οἱ γραμματείς, οἱ δαιμονιζόμενον τυφλὸν καὶ κωφόν: καὶ ἐθεράπευσεν αὐτὸν, ὥστε τὸν χωρὸν λαλεῖν καὶ βλέπειν. 23. Καὶ ἐξίσταντο πάντες οἱ ὄχλοι, καὶ ἔλεγον: Μήτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς Δαυείδ; 24. Οἱ δὲ Φαρισαῖοι ἀκούσαν τες εἶπον: Οὗτος οὐκ ἐκβάλλε τὰ δαιμόνια, εἰ μὴ ἐν τῷ Βεελζεβοὺλ ἄρχοντι τῶν δαιμονίων. 25. Εἰδὼς δὲ τὰς ἐνθυμήσεις αὐτῶν, εἶπεν αὐτοῖς: Πᾶσα βασιλεία μερισθεῖσα καθ ̓ ἑαυτῆς, ἐρημοῦται, καὶ πᾶσα πόλις ἢ οἰκία μερισθεῖσα καθ ̓ ἑαυτῆς, οὐ σταθήσεται. τὸν 26. Καὶ εἰ ὁ Σατανᾶς Σατανᾶν ἐκβάλλει, ἐφ ̓ ἑαυτὸν ἐμε ρίσθη: πῶς οὖν σταθήσεται ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ; 27. Καὶ εἰ ἐγὼ ἐν Βεελζεβούλ ἐκβάλλω τὰ δαιμόνια, οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν ἐν τίνι ἐκβάλλουσιν; διὰ τοῦτο αὐτοὶ κριταὶ ἔσονται ὑμῶν. 28. Εἰ δὲ ἐν Πνεύματι Θεού ἐγὼ ἐκβάλλω τὰ δαιμόνια, ἄρα ἔφθασεν ἐφ' ὑμᾶς ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ. 29. Ἢ πῶς δύναταί τις εἰσελ θεῖν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ ἰσχυροῦ, καὶ τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ ἁρπάσαι, ἐὰν μὴ ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων καταβάντες, ἔλεγον: Ότι Βεελζεβούλ ἔχει, καί: Ὅτι ἐν τῷ ἄρχοντι τῶν δαιμονίων ἐκβάλλει τὰ δαιμόνια. 23. Καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος αὐ τοὺς, ἐν παραβολαῖς ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς: Πώς δύναται Σατανάς Σατανᾶν ἐκβάλλειν; 24. Καὶ ἐὰν ἡ βασιλεία ἐφ ̓ ἑαυτὴν μερισθῇ, οὐ δύναται σταθή ναι ἡ βασιλεία ἐκείνη. 25. Καὶ ἐὰν οἰκία ἐφ' ἑαυτὴν μερισθῇ, οὐ δυνήσεται ἡ οἰκία ἐκεί νη στῆναι. 26. Καὶ εἰ ὁ Σατανᾶς ἀνέστη ἐφ' ἑαυτὸν, καὶ ἐμερίσθη, οὐ δύναται στῆναι, ἀλλὰ τέλος ἔχει. 27. ̓Αλλ' οὐ δύναται οὐδείς εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ ἰσχυροῦ εἰσελθὼν, τὰ σκεύη αὐτοῦ διαρπάσαι, ἐὰν μὴ πρῶτον τὸν ἰσχυρὸν δήσῃ, καὶ τότε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ διαρπάσει. πρῶτον δήσῃ τὸν ἰσχυρὸν; καὶ τότε τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ διαρπάσει. 30. Ο μὴ ὢν μετ ̓ ἐμοῦ, κατ' ἐμοῦ ἐστίν: καὶ ὁ μὴ συνάγων μετ' ἐμοῦ, σκορπίζει. 31. Διὰ τοῦτο λέγω ὑμῖν: Πασα ἁμαρτία καὶ βλασφημία ἀφεθήσεται ὑμῖν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἡ δὲ τοῦ Πνεύματος βλασφημία · οὐκ βλασφημία οὐκ ἀφεθήσεται. 32. Καὶ ὃς ἐὰν εἴπῃ λόγον κατὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ: ὃς δ ̓ ἂν εἴπῃ κατὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ̔Αγίου, οὐ μὴ ἀφεθῇ αὐτῷ οὔτε ἐν τούτῳ τῷ αἰῶνι, οὔτε ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι. 33. Ἢ ποιήσατε τὸ δένδρον καλὸν, καὶ τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ καλόν: ἢ ποιήσατε τὸ δένδρον σαπρὸν καὶ τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ σαπρόν: ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ καρποῦ τὸ δένδρον γινώσκεται. 34. Γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, πῶς, δύνασθε ἀγαθὰ λαλεῖν, πονηροί ὄντες; ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ περισσεύματος τῆς καρδίας τὸ στόμα λαλεῖ. 35. Ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐκ 'O τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ θησαυροῦ ἐκβάλλει ἀγαθὰ: καὶ ὁ πονηρὸς ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ θησαυροῦ ἐκβάλλει πονηρά. 36. Λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν: Ὅτι πᾶν ρήμα ἀργὸν, ὃ λαλήσουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ἀποδώσουσι περὶ αὐτοῦ λόγον ἐν ἡμέρα κρίσεως. 37. Ἐκ γὰρ τῶν λόγων σου δικαιωθήσῃ, καὶ ἐκ τῶν λόγων σου καταδικασθήσῃ. 22. Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the dumb man spoke and saw. 23. And all the multitudes were amazed, and said: Is this the son of David? 24. But when the Pharisees heard it, they said: This man doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils. 25. And knowing their thoughts he said unto them: Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26. And if Satan casteth out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand? 27. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. 28. But if I by the Spirit of God cast out devils, then is the kingdom of God come upon you. 29. Or how can one enter into the house of the strong man, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. 30. He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. 31. Therefore I say unto you: Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. 23. And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables: How can Satan cast out Satan? 24. And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25. And if a house be divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26. And if Satan hath risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. 27. But no one can enter into the house of the strong man, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. 28. Verily I say unto you: All their sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and their blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 32. And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, nor in that which is to come. 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. 34. Ye offspring of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35. The good man out of his good treasure bringeth forth good things: and the evil man out of his evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36. And I say unto you: That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judg ment. 37. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. 29. But whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin: 30. Because they said: He hath an unclean spirit. LUKE XI. 14-23 14. And he was casting out a devil who was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb man spoke; and the multitude marvelled. 15. But some of them said: By Beelzebub the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. 14. Καὶ ἦν ἐκβάλλων δαιμόνιον χωρόν. Εγένετο δὲ τοῦ δαιμονίου ἐξελθόντος, ἐλάλησεν ὁ χωρός, καὶ ἐθαύμασαν οἱ ὄχλοι. 15. Τινὲς δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν εἶπαν: Εν Βεελζεβούλ, τῷ ἄρχοντι τῶν δαιμονίων, ἐκβάλλει τὰ δαιμόνια. |