Ambrose of Milan

On hearing this, all the people in the synagogue were enraged.

“It can not be wondered at that they lost their salvation who cast the Saviour out of their city.”

But Jesus passed through the crowd and went on His way.

“At the same time we must understand that this bodily endurance was not necessary, but voluntary. When He wills, He is taken, when He wills, He escapes. For how could He be held by a few who was not held by a whole people?”

Then He went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath He began to teach the people.

“The work of divine healing commenced on the sabbath, signifying thereby that he began anew where the old creation ceased, in order that He might declare at the very beginning that the Son of God was not under the Law, but above the Law.”

After Jesus had left the synagogue, He went to the home of Simon, whose mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever.

“Luke having first introduced a man delivered from an evil spirit, goes on to relate the healing of a woman. For our Lord had come to heal each sex, and he ought first to be healed who was first created.”

When Jesus had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

“Now in a mystery, the ship of Peter, according to Matthew, is beaten about by the waves, (Matt. 8:24.) according to Luke, is filled with fishes, in order that you might understand the Church at first wavering, at last abounding.”

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees. “Go away from me, Lord,” he said, “for I am a sinful man.”

“Say thou also, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord, that God may answer, Fear not. Confess thy sin, and the Lord will pardon thee.”

Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.

“He heals in the same manner in which He had been entreated to heal, as it follows, And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, &c.”

“Do not tell anyone,” Jesus instructed him. “But go, show yourself to the priest and present the offering Moses prescribed for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”

“But lest leprosy should become rife among us, let each avoid boasting after the example of our Lord's humility.”

When Jesus saw their faith, He said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

“Mighty is the Lord who pardons one man for the good deed of another, and while he approves of the one, forgives the other his sins.”

But the scribes and Pharisees began thinking to themselves, “Who is this man who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

“From the Pharisees themselves therefore the Son of God receives testimony. For it is both more powerful evidence when men confess unwillingly, and a more fatal error when they who deny are left to the consequence of their own assertions.”

And immediately the man stood up before them, took what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. Everyone was taken with amazement and glorified God.

“Nor is there any delay, health is present; there is but one moment both of words, and healing. Hence it follows, And immediately he rose.”

Everyone was taken with amazement and glorified God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”

“But they had rather fear the miracles of divine working, than believe them. As it follows, And they were filled with fear. But if they had believed they had not surely feared, but loved; for perfect love casteth out fear.”

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth.

“Then follows the spiritual calling of the tax collector, whom he orders to follow him not by steps of the body but by character of the mind. Matthew once greedily embezzled from fishermen the profits they earned from hard labor and dangers.”

Then Levi hosted a great banquet for Jesus at his house. A large crowd of tax collectors was there, along with others who were eating with them.

“People are hungry when Christ is absent and they lack the abundance of good desserts. Truly, one for whom his own virtue suffices for pleasure, who receives Christ in his own home, prepares a great feast.”

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

“But how does God love righteousness, and David has never seen the righteous man forsaken, if the righteous are excluded, the sinner called; unless you understand that He meant by the righteous those who boast of the law, (Ps. 11:7, Ps. 37:25.)”

Then they said to Him, “John’s disciples and those of the Pharisees frequently fast and pray, but Yours keep on eating and drinking.”

“At the same time also is shown the difference between those who are zealous for the law and those who are for grace, that they who follow the law shall suffer eternal hunger of soul, while they who have received the word into the inmost…”

But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.”

“"But the days will come when the Bridegroom shall be taken from them." Which are these days in which Christ is taken from us, especially when he himself has said, "I shall be with you, even to the end of the world," when he has…”

One Sabbath Jesus was passing through the grainfields, and His disciples began to pick the heads of grain, rub them in their hands, and eat them.

“The Lord Jesus begins to divest man [people] of the observation of the old law and clothes him with the new covering of grace not only through the understanding of words but also through the very usage and appearance of actions.”

Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”

“"Are you angry at me because I have healed the whole man on the sabbath day?" In this place he revivified with the salutary strength of good works the hand which Adam stretched out to pluck the fruit of the forbidden tree.”

And after looking around at all of them, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and it was restored.

“Then you heard the words of the Lord, saying, "Stretch forth your hand." That is the common and universal remedy. You who think that you have a healthy hand beware lest it is withered by greed or by sacrilege. Hold it out often.”

In those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God.

“So the Lord prays, not to entreat for himself but to intercede for me. Although the Father placed all things in the power of his Son, yet the Son, in order to fulfill the form of a man, thinks that the Father must be entreated…”

Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

“Judas too is chosen, not through inadvertence but through Providence. How great is the truth that not even a hostile minister weakens! How great is the integrity of the Lord, who preferred to endanger his judgment among us, rather than his compassion!”

Then Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of His disciples was there, along with a great number of people from all over…

“But observe all things carefully, how He both ascends with His Apostles and descends to the multitude; for how could the multitude see Christ but in a lowly place. It follows him not to the lofty places, it ascends not the heights.”

Looking up at His disciples, Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

“"Blessed," it says, "are the poor." Not all the poor are blessed, for poverty is neutral. The poor can be either good or evil, unless, perhaps, the blessed pauper is to be understood as he whom the prophet described, saying, "A righteous poor man is…”

Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

“Purify yourself with your tears. Wash yourselves with mourning. If you weep for yourself, another will not weep for you.… One who is a sinner weeps for himself and rebukes himself, that he may become righteous, for just people accuse themselves of sin.”