Bede

And passing along the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, etc. These were the first to be called to follow the Lord. Fishermen and unlearned men are sent to preach, so that the faith of believers would not be thought to rest in human eloquence and learning but in the power of God. It is possible, however, to ask how He called the fishermen two by two from their boats: first Peter and Andrew, then moving a little further, the other two sons of Zebedee, as Matthew and Mark recount, while Luke says their two boats were filled with that great catch of fish, and he mentions James and John, the sons of Zebedee, as Peter’s partners called to help, when they could not pull in the nets due to the fullness, and all marveled at the multitude of fish that had been caught, and He said only to Peter: Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men (Luke 5), yet they followed Him with their boats drawn up on land. From this, it is understood that what Luke suggests first happened indeed, and that they were not yet called by the Lord at that time, but it was only foretold to Peter that he would catch men. This was not said as if he would never catch fish again. For after the Lord's resurrection, we read that they went fishing. It was said, therefore, that henceforth he would catch men, not that he would no longer catch fish. Thus, according to Luke, we understand they went back to fishing customarily, so that later what Matthew and Mark recount happened, when He called them two by two, and He commanded them to follow Him, first the two of Peter and Andrew, then the two sons of Zebedee. For then, without dragging their boats to shore as if preoccupied with returning, they followed Him as one who called and commanded them to follow. And they entered Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath, He entered the synagogue and taught them. That He frequented the very gifts of His teaching and healing on the Sabbaths, He teaches that He is not under the law but above the law, who also came to fulfill the same law, not to dissolve it; not to choose the Jewish Sabbath, on which it was neither permitted to kindle a fire nor to move hand or foot, but the true Sabbath, and the rest beloved to the Lord, if we dedicate ourselves to the salvation of souls, abstaining from servile work, that is, from all illicit actions.

(ubi sup.) Repent, therefore, and believe; that is, renounce dead works; for of what use is believing without good works? The merit of good works does not, however, bring to faith, but faith begins, that good works may follow.

(in Marc. i. 6) Now fishers and unlettered men are sent to preach, that the faith of believers might be thought to lie in the power of God, not in eloquence or in learning. It goes on to say, and immediately they left their nets, and followed him.

(ubi sup.) It may be asked, how he could call two fishers from each of the boats, (first, Peter and Andrew, then having gone a little further, the two others, sons of Zebedee,) when Luke says that James and John were called to help Peter and Andrew, and that it was to Peter only that Christ said, Fear not, from this time thou shalt catch men; (Luke 5:10) he also says, that at the same time, when they had brought their ships to land, they followed him. We must therefore understand that that transaction which Luke intimates happened first, and afterwards that they, as their custom was, had returned to their fishing. So that what Mark here relates happened afterwards; for in this case they followed the Lord, without drawing their boats ashore, (which they would have done had they meant to return,) and followed Him, as one calling them, and ordering them to follow.

(in Marc. i. 7) Since by the envy of the devil death first entered into the world, it was right that the medicine of healing should first work against the author of death; and therefore it is said, And there was in their synagogue a man, &c.

(ubi sup.) For the devils, seeing the Lord on the earth, thought that they were immediately to be judged.

(ubi sup.) But it may appear to be a discrepancy, that he should have gone out of him, tearing him, or, as some copies have it, vexing him, when, according to Luke, he did not hurt him. But Luke himself says, When he had, cast him into the midst, he came out from him, without hurting him. (Luke 4:35) Wherefore it is inferred that Mark meant by vexing or tearing him, what Luke expresses, in the words, When he had cast him into the midst; so that what he goes on to say, And did not hurt him, may be understood to mean, that the tossing of his limbs and vexing, did not weaken him, as devils are wont to come out even with the cutting off and tearing away of limbs. But seeing the power of the miracle, they wonder at the newness of our Lord's doctrine, and are roused to search into what they had heard by what they had seen. Wherefore there follows, And they all wondered &c. For miracles were done that they might more firmly believe the Gospel of the kingdom of God, which was being preached, since those who were promising heavenly joys to men on earth, were showing forth heavenly things and divine works even on earth. For before (as the Evangelist says) He was teaching them as one who had power, and now, as the crowd witnesses, with power He commands the evil spirits, and they obey Him. (1 John 5:20. John 17:3) It goes on, And immediately His fame spread abroad, &c.

And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, etc. This is not a confession of the will, which follows the reward of confessing, but an extortion of necessity, which compels the guilty to confess. And just as if runaway slaves, after a long time, see their master, they fear nothing but whips, so also the demons, seeing the Lord suddenly dwelling on earth, believed that he had come to judge them. The presence of the Savior is torment for demons. And Jesus rebuked him saying: Be silent, and come out of the man. For by the envy of the devil death entered into the world (Wisdom XII), therefore against the author of death itself, the medicine of salvation ought to work first: first the serpent's tongue, so that it may not spread poison further, be shut; then the woman, who was first seduced, be cured from the fever of carnal desire; thirdly, the man, who heard the words of his badly advising wife, be cleansed from the leprosy of his error, so that the order of restoration in the Lord may be the same as the fall in the first parents: And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. Luke says of the unclean spirit that it came out of the man without harming him. Therefore, it can seem contrary, how according to Mark, he convulsed (or as some manuscripts have, threw him down), yet he did not harm him according to Luke. But Luke also says: And having thrown him in the midst, the demon went out of him, and did not harm him (Luke IV). Hence, it is understood that Mark said convulsing him, or throwing him down, in the same sense that Luke said he threw him in the midst, so that what Luke follows with, and did not harm him, is understood that this tossing and vexation of the limbs did not injure him, as demons usually exit, even tearing away or dislocating some limbs.

And immediately, leaving the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon, etc. If we have said that the man freed from the demon signifies a mind cleansed from impure thoughts, consequently a woman afflicted with fever but cured by the command of the Lord shows the flesh restrained from the fervor of its concupiscence by the precepts of continence. For all bitterness, and wrath, and indignation, and clamor, and blasphemy (Ephesians IV), is the fury of an unclean spirit. Indeed, fornication, impurity, lust, evil concupiscence, and covetousness (which is idolatry [Ephesians V]), are to be understood as the fever of seductive flesh. And immediately they told him about her, and approaching, he lifted her up, taking her by the hand. In the Gospel of Luke, it is written that they asked him on her behalf, and standing over her, he rebuked the fever. For sometimes the Savior, when asked, sometimes voluntarily heals the sick, showing himself always to grant the prayers of the faithful against the passions of vices, and sometimes to give to them not understanding what they are asking, or to grant them what they piously ask for even if not understood, just as the Psalmist requests: Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults, O Lord (Psalm XIX).

(in Marc. i. 7) First, it was right that the serpent's tongue should be shut up, that it might not spread any more venom; then that the woman, who was first seduced, should be healed from the fever of carnal concupiscence. Wherefore it is said, And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, &c.

(ubi sup.) But in the Gospel of Luke it is written, that they besought him for her. (Luke 4:38.) For the Saviour sometimes after being asked, sometimes of His own accord, heals the sick, showing that He always assents to the prayers of the faithful, when they pray also against bad passions, and some times gives them to understand things which they do not understand at all, or else, when they pray unto Him dutifully, forgives their want of understanding; as the Psalmist begs of God, Cleanse me, O Lord, from my secret faults. (Ps. 19:12) Wherefore He heals her at their request; for there follows, And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up.

(in Marc. i. 6, 8) But in that He gives most profusely His gifts of healing and doctrine on the sabbath day, He teaches, that He is not under the Law, but above the Law, and does not choose the Jewish sabbath, but the true sabbath, and our rest is pleasing to the Lord, if, in order to attend to the health of our souls, we abstain from slavish work, that is, from all unlawful things. It goes on, and immediately the fever left her, &c. The health which is conferred at the command of the Lord, returns at once entire, accompanied with such strength, that she is able to minister to those, of whose help she had before stood in need. Again, if we suppose that the man delivered from the devil means, in the moral way of interpretation, the soul purged from unclean thoughts, fitly does the woman cured of a fever by the command of God mean the flesh, restrained from the heat of its concupiscence by the precepts of continence.

And he cast out many demons, etc. Luke writes more openly about these things: "Indeed, demons were coming out of many, crying out and saying: 'You are the Son of God.' And he rebuking them, would not allow them to speak, because they knew him to be the Christ" (Luke IV). Therefore the demons confessed the Son of God; and they knew him to be the Christ, because the devil knew him as a man fatigued by a forty-day fast, but could not ascertain by temptation whether he was also the Son of God; now through the power of signs he either understood or rather suspected he was the Son of God. He did not persuade the Jews to crucify him because he thought he was neither Christ nor the Son of God, but because he did not foresee that he would be damned by his death. Indeed, the Apostle says about this mystery hidden from ages that none of the rulers of this age knew it. For if they had known, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Cor. II). But the Psalmist makes clear why the Lord prevents demons from speaking, saying: "To the sinner, however, God said: Why do you declare my statutes and take my covenant in your mouth? You have hated discipline" (Psalm XLIX), and so on. Lest anyone following the preacher hears the errant. For the devil is an evil teacher, who often mixes falsehood with truth, so as to cover the testimony of deceit with the appearance of truth.

And there came to him a leper beseeching him, etc. Concerning this leper who was cleansed, it connects that he should be understood as the one whom Matthew mentions as being cleansed when the Lord came down from the mountain after that discourse. For thus Matthew says: When he had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him (Matt. VIII). And behold, a leper came and worshipped him, saying: Lord, if you will, you can make me clean, etc. And because the Lord said: I have not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it (Matt. V), he who was excluded by the law, presuming to be cleansed by the power of the Lord, judged that grace exists not from the law but above the law, which could wash away the stain of the leper. However, just as the authority of power is declared in the Lord, so in him is the constancy of faith. He fell on his face, which is an act of humility and shame, as everyone should be ashamed of the blemishes of his life; but shame did not suppress confession. He showed his wound, requested a remedy, and it is a confession full of religion and faith. If you will, he says, you can make me clean. He attributed the power to the will of the Lord. But concerning the will of the Lord, he did not doubt not as one incredulous in piety but as one conscious of his own foulness, he did not presume. However, Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched forth his hand and touched him, and said to him: I will, be clean. And when he had said it, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed. There is nothing intermediate between the work of God and the command, because the work is in the command. Finally, he spoke, and they were made (Ps. XXXII). You see, therefore, that it cannot be doubted that the will of God is power? Therefore, if his will is power, they who assert the unity of will, assuredly assert the unity of power. Therefore, as one who has the power of healing, and the authority of commanding, he does not avoid the testimony of working. For he says 'I will' because of Photinus, he commands because of Arius, he touches because of Manichaeus. And indeed the law prohibits touching lepers; but since the Lord is the lawgiver, he does not obey the law but makes the law. Therefore, he did not touch because he could not cleanse without touching, but to prove that he was not subject to the law. He did not fear contamination as humans do, but because he could not be defiled who was liberating others, the leprosy flees at the touch of the Lord, which used to contaminate the one touching. Together with this wonder, he healed in the same manner in which he had been entreated. If you will, you can make me clean. He says, I will, be clean. You have the will, you also have the effect of piety. Therefore, (contrary to what many Latins think) it should not be joined and read "I will to make you clean," but separated, so that first he says 'I will', then he commands, 'be clean.'

(ubi sup.) Again mystically if by the setting of the sun, the death of the Saviour is intended, why should not His resurrection be intended by the returning dawn? For by its clear light, He went far into the wilderness of the Gentiles, and there continued praying in the person of His faithful disciples, for He aroused their hearts by the grace of the Holy Spirit to the virtue of prayer.

(in Marc. i. 7) After that the serpent-tongue of the devils was shut up, and the woman, who was first seduced, cured of a fever, in the third place, the man, who listened to the evil counsels of the woman, is cleansed from his leprosy, that the order of restoration in the Lord might be the same as was the order of the fall in our first parents; whence it goes on: And there came a leper to him, beseeching him.

(in Marc. i. 9) And because the Lord said that He came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill, (Matt. 5:17) he who was excluded by the Law, inferring that he was cleansed by the power of the Lord, showed that that grace, which could wash away the stain of the leper, was not from the Law, but over the Law. And truly, as in the Lord authoritative power, so in him the constancy of faith is shewn; for there follows, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. He falls on his face, which is at once a gesture of lowliness and of shame, to show that every man should blush for the stains of his life. But his shame did not stifle confession; he showed his wound, and begged for medicine, and the confession is full of devotion and of faith, for he refers the power to the will of the Lord.

(ubi sup.) Moreover, he doubted of the will of the Lord, not as disbelieving His compassion, but, as conscious of his own filth, he did not presume. It goes on; But Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will, be thou clean. It is not, as many of the Latins think, to be taken to mean and read, I wish to cleanse thee, but that Christ should say separately, I will, and then command, be thou clean.

(ubi sup.) Another reason why He touched him, was to prove that He could not be defiled, who freed others from pollution. At the same time it is remarkable, that He healed in the way in which He had been begged to heal. If thou will, says the leper, thou canst make me clean. I will, He answered, behold, thou hast My will, be clean; now thou hast at once the effect of My compassion.

(ubi sup.) For there is no interval between the work of God and the command, because the work is in the command, for He commanded, and they were created. (Ps. 148:5) There follows: And he straitly charged him, and forthwith, &c. See thou tell no man.

(ubi sup.) This He did in order that the priest might understand that the leper was not healed by the Law, but by the grace of God above the Law. There follows: And offer for thy cleansing what. Moses, &c.

(ubi sup.) If any one wonders, how the Lord seems to approve of the Jewish sacrifice, which the Church rejects, let him remember, that He had not yet offered His own holocaust in His passion. And it was not right that significative sacrifices should be taken away, before that which they signified was confirmed by the witness of the Apostles in their preaching, and by the faith of the believing people.

(ubi sup. v. Greg. Moral. 19:22) Now it may well be asked, why our Lord ordered His action to be concealed, and yet it could not be kept hid for an hour? But it is to be observed, that the reason why, in doing a miracle, He ordered it to be kept secret, and yet for all that it was noised abroad, was, that His elect, following the example of His teaching, should wish indeed that in the great things which they do, they should remain concealed, but should nevertheless unwillingly be brought to light for the good of others. Not then that He wished any thing to be done, which He was not able to bring about, but, by the authority of His teaching, He gave an example of what His members ought to wish for, and of what should happen to them even against their will.

Further, this perfect cure of one man brought large multitudes to the Lord; wherefore it is added, So that he could not any more openly enter into the city, but could only be without in desert places.

(ubi sup.) But when the hand of the Saviour, that is, the Incarnate Word of God, is stretched out, and touches human nature, it is cleansed from the various parts of the old error.

(in Marc. i. 10) Even after working a miracle in that city, the Lord retires into the desert, to show that He loves best a quiet life, and one far removed from the cares of the world, and that it is on account of this desire, He applied Himself to the healing of the body.

But go and show yourself to the chief priests, etc. He is ordered to show himself to the priest so that the priest might understand that he was cured not by the order of the law, but by the grace of God above the law. However, he is to offer a sacrifice to show that the Lord did not overthrow the law but fulfilled it, who, walking according to the law, healed those above the law whom the remedies of the law had not healed. And he well added: As a testimony to them, that is, if they believe in God, if the leprosy of impiety departs. If it troubles anyone how the Lord seems to approve the Mosaic sacrifice when the Church has not accepted it, let him remember that the holy of holies sacrifice, which is His body, had not yet begun. For He had not yet offered His holocaust in His passion. But it was not fitting that symbolic sacrifices be taken away before that which was signified was confirmed through the testimony of the apostles preaching and the faith of the believing people. Because this man typically designates the human race weakened by sins, it is rightly described not only as a leper but also, according to the Gospel of Luke, as full of leprosy. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. III). That is, as the hand of the Savior, that is the incarnate Word of God, extended and touched human nature, they might be cleansed from the variety of ancient error, and be able to hear with the apostles: You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you (John XV), and those who were abominable from the people of God, secluded from the camps, might once again be returned to the temple and offered to the priest, indeed to Him to whom it is said: You are a priest forever (Psalm CIX), hearing from the Apostle: For the temple of God is holy, which you are (1 Cor. III); and they might offer for their cleansing as Moses commanded, that is, present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God (Rom. XII).

But he, having gone out, began to proclaim and to spread the word, so much so that he could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to him from everywhere. The perfect salvation of one compels many crowds to the Lord: for as he showed himself to be healed both inwardly and outwardly, by no means did he conceal the benefit received as he had been commanded by the one from whom he received it: on the contrary, having performed the duty of an evangelist, he immediately began to proclaim and spread the word once he had gone out. Hence it is rightly questioned why the Lord commanded certain deeds to be hidden, and yet they could not be hidden even for an hour. For did the only-begotten Son, coeternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit, wish something in this regard that he could not fulfill? But it should be noted that our Redeemer, through his mortal body, provided us with an example in all actions that he performed. For making a miracle and commanding it to be kept quiet, and yet it couldn’t be kept quiet. So that his elect, following the example of his teaching, should indeed wish to hide in humility the great things they do, but to benefit others, they are unwillingly revealed, so that it is both of great humility to desire one's works to be kept silent, and of great sublimity that their works cannot be silenced. Thus, the Lord did not wish to do anything that he could not achieve, but he provided an example by the teaching of what his members should desire, and what will happen to them even against their will.