Matthew Henry

After John’s messengers had left, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?

“"Come," saith Christ, "I will tell you." 1. He was a man of unshaken self-consistence, a man of steadiness and constancy.”

Otherwise, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear elegant clothing and live in luxury are found in palaces.

“Instead of adorning and pampering the body, he brought it under, and kept it in subjection. He was a prophet, had his commission and instructions immediately from God, and not of man or by man.”

I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John, yet even the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

“And yet he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. The least gospel minister, that has obtained mercy of the Lord to be skilful and faithful in his work, or the meanest of the apostles and first preachers of the…”

But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.

“The Pharisees, who were most in reputation for religion and devotion, and the lawyers, who were celebrated for their learning, especially their knowledge of the scriptures, rejected the counsel of God against themselves; they frustrated it, they received the grace of God, by the baptism…”

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at this glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

“Therefore none must make themselves a standard to all others, nor judge hardly of those that do not do just as they do.”

When the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, He would know who this is and what kind of woman…

“We have reason to think that she had before sorrowed for sin; but, now that she had an opportunity of coming into the presence of Christ, the wound bled afresh and her sorrow was renewed.”

“Two men were debtors to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they were unable to repay him, he forgave both of them.

“God has proclaimed his name gracious and merciful, and ready to forgive sin; and, his Son having purchased pardon for penitent believers, his gospel promises it to them, and his Spirit seals it and gives them the comfort of it. [5.]”

When they were unable to repay him, he forgave both of them. Which one, then, will love him more?” “I suppose the one who was forgiven more,” Simon replied.

“It was a kiss of adoration as well as affection. She wiped them with her hair, as one entirely devoted to his honour.”

Soon afterward, Jesus traveled from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with Him,

“What he preached: He showed the glad tidings of the kingdom of God, that it was now to be set up among them.”

Joanna the wife of Herod’s household manager Chuza, Susanna, and many others. These women were ministering to them out of their own means.

“She had been his wife (so some), but was now a widow, and left in good circumstances. If she was now his wife, we have reason to think that her husband, though preferred in Herod's court, had received the gospel, and was very willing that…”

While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, He told them this parable:

“Nor did he excuse himself from going to the cities with this, that there were some from the cities that came to him; for, though there were, yet the most had not zeal enough to bring them to him, and therefore such is his wonderful…”

But the seeds on good soil are those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, cling to it, and by persevering produce a crop.

“(9.) Where the word is well kept there is fruit brought forth with patience. There must be both bearing patience and waiting patience; patience to suffer the tribulation and persecution which may arise because of the word; patience to continue to the end in well-doing.”

Pay attention, therefore, to how you listen. Whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”

“He that hath gifts, and does good with them, shall have more; he that buries his talent shall lose it.”

Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see Him, but they were unable to reach Him because of the crowd.

“Christ is pleased to own those as his nearest and dearest relations that hear the word of God and do it; they are to him more than his mother and brethren. Christ's Power over the Winds; Christ's Power over the Devils.”

The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!”

“When our dangers are over, it becomes us to take to ourselves the shame of our own fears and to give to Christ the glory of his power.”

When Jesus stepped ashore, He was met by a demon-possessed man from the town.

“They either were, or at least would be thought to be, a legion, formidable as an army with banners; and now, at least, to be, what the twentieth legion of the Roman army, which was long quartered at Chester, was styled, legio victrix --a victorious…”

For Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man.

“Note, Those that are ungovernable by any other thereby show that they are under Satan's government; and this is the language of those that are so, even concerning God and Christ, their best friends, that would not either bind them from or bind them to…”

There on the hillside a large herd of pigs was feeding. So the demons begged Jesus to let them enter the pigs, and He gave them permission.

“No sooner had the devils leave than they entered into the swine; and no sooner had they entered into them than the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were drowned.”

So the people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man whom the demons had left, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in…

“While he was under the devil's power he was ready to fly in the face of Jesus; but now he sits at his feet, which is a sign that he is come to his right mind.”

When Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him.

“Strong faith shall be applauded, and yet weak faith shall not be rejected. In the houses where sickness and death are, it is very desirable to have the presence of Christ.”

including a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. She had spent all her money on physicians, but no one was able to heal her.

“The nature of her disease was such that she did not care to make a public complaint of it (it was agreeable to the modesty of her sex to be very shy of speaking of it), and therefore she took this opportunity of coming to…”

But Jesus declared, “Someone touched Me, for I know that power has gone out from Me.”

“It was his delight that virtue was gone out of him to do any good, and he did not grudge it to the meanest; they were as welcome to it as to the light and heat of the sun.”

Then the woman, seeing that she could not escape notice, came trembling and fell down before Him.

“Note, The consideration of this, that we cannot be hid from Christ, should engage us to pour out our hearts before him, and to show before him all our sin and all our trouble. She came trembling, and yet her faith saved her,”

“Daughter,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

“Note, There may be trembling where yet there is saving faith. She declared before all the people for what cause she had touched him because she believed that a touch would cure her, and it did so.”

“Daughter,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

“Here is an encouragement to Jairus not to distrust the power of Christ, though his daughter was now dead, and they that brought him the tidings advised him not to give the Master any further trouble about her: Fear not, saith Christ, only believe.”