Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

Suddenly a man with an unclean spirit cried out in the synagogue:

“And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit--literally, "in an unclean spirit"--that is, so entirely under demoniacal power that his personality was sunk for the time in that of the spirit.”

“What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

“But a Wiser than either was here, who invariably rejected and silenced the testimonies that came to Him from beneath, and thus was able to rebut the imputations of His enemies against Him (Mt 12:24-30).”

But Jesus rebuked the spirit. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!”

“And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him--A glorious word of command. BENGEL remarks that it was only the testimony borne to Himself which our Lord meant to silence.”

All the people were amazed and began to ask one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him!”

“What thing is this? what new doctrine--teaching is this?--The audience, rightly apprehending that the miracle was wrought to illustrate the teaching and display the character and glory of the Teacher, begin by asking what novel kind of teaching this could be, which was so marvellously…”

As soon as Jesus and His companions had left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew.

“And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue--so also in Lu 4:38. they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John--The mention of these four--which is peculiar to Mark--is the first of those traces of Peter's hand in this…”

So He went to her, took her by the hand, and helped her up. The fever left her, and she began to serve them.

“The beloved physician again is very specific: "And He stood over her." and lifted her up--This act of condescension, most felt doubtless by Peter, is recorded only by Mark.”

and the whole town gathered at the door.

“And all the city was gathered together at the door--of Peter's house; that is, the sick and those who brought them, and the wondering spectators.”

And He healed many who were ill with various diseases and drove out many demons. But He would not allow the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.

“After this account of His miracles of healing, we have in Mt 8:17 this pregnant quotation, "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying (Isa 53:4), Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses."”

Early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up and slipped out to a solitary place to pray.

“When morning came, Peter, loath to break in upon the repose of his glorious Guest, would await His appearance beyond the usual hour; but at length, wondering at the stillness, and gently coming to see where the Lord lay, he finds it--like the sepulchre afterwards--empty!”

But Jesus answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns so I can preach there as well, for that is why I have come.”

“Compare Joh 16:28, "I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world," &c.--another proof, by the way, that the lofty phraseology of the Fourth Gospel was not unknown to the authors of the others, though their design and point of view are…”

they gathered in such large numbers that there was no more room, not even outside the door, as Jesus spoke the word to them.

“So that the miracle that is now to be described was among the most glorious and worthy to be recorded of many then performed; and what made it so was doubtless the faith which was manifested in connection with it, and the proclamation of the…”

Then a paralytic was brought to Him, carried by four men.

“And they come unto him--that is, towards the house where He was. bringing one sick of the palsy--"lying on a bed" (Mt 9:2). which was borne of four--a graphic particular of Mark only.”

Since they were unable to get to Jesus through the crowd, they uncovered the roof above Him, made an opening, and lowered the paralytic on his mat.

“Several explanations have been given of the way in which this was done; but unless we knew the precise plan of the house, and the part of it from which Jesus taught--which may have been a quadrangle or open court, within the buildings of which…”

When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

“This was the faith for which He was ever on the watch, and which He never saw without marking, and, in those who needed anything from Him, richly rewarding. he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son--"be of good cheer" (Mt 9:2).”

“Why does this man speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

“Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?--In this second question they expressed a great truth. Nor was their first question altogether unnatural, though in our Lord's sole case it was unfounded.”

But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...” He said to the paralytic,

“But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins--that forgiving power dwells in the Person of this Man, and is exercised by Him while on this earth and going out and in with you.”

“I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home.”

“I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house--This taking up the portable couch, and walking home with it, was designed to prove the completeness of the cure.”

And immediately the man got up, picked up his mat, and walked out in front of them all.

“In Matthew (Mt 9:8) it is, "They marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men." At forgiving power they wondered not, but that a man, to all appearance like one of themselves, should possess it!”

Once again Jesus began to teach beside the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the…

“And he began again to teach by the seaside: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude--or, according to another well-supported reading, "a mighty" or "immense multitude." so that he entered into a ship--rather, "the ship," meaning the one mentioned in Mr 3:9.”

And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.

“And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the wayside--by the side of the hard path through the field, where the soil was not broken up.”

Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.

“And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth--"the rocky ground"; in Matthew (Mt 13:5), "the rocky places"; in Luke (Lu 8:6), "the rock."”

Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings, and they yielded no crop.

“Hence it "becomes unfruitful" (Mt 13:22); it grows, but its growth is checked, and it never ripens.”

Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?

“Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?--Probably this was said not so much in the spirit of rebuke, as to call their attention to the exposition of it which He was about to give, and so train them to…”

The farmer sows the word.

“Each of these has his agents among men themselves; and Christ's agents in the sowing of the good seed are the preachers of the word.”

Some are like the seeds along the path, where the word is sown.

“And these are they by the wayside, where the word is sown; but, when they have heard, &c.--or, more fully (Mt 13:19), "When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which…”