Matthew § 32

(De Cons. Ev. ii. 28.) This narrative is given both by Mark and Luke, but in a quite different order; namely, when after the casting out of the daemons and their entrance into the swine, he had returned across the lake from the country of the Gerasenes. Now Mark does indeed tell us that this happened after He had recrossed the lake, but how long after he does not determine. Unless there had been some interval of time, that could not have taken place that Matthew relates concerning the feast in his house. After this, immediately follows that concerning the ruler of the synagogue's daughter. If the ruler came to Him while He was yet speaking that of the new patch, and the new wine, then no other act of speech of his intervened. And in Mark's account, the place where these things might come in, is evident. In like manner, Luke does not contradict Matthew; for what he adds, And behold a man, whose name was Jairus, (Luke 8:41.) is not to be taken as though it followed instantly what had been related before, but after that feast with the Publicans, as Matthew relates. While he spake these things unto them, behold, one of their chief men, namely, Jairus, the ruler of the synagogue, came to him, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, my daughter is even now dead. It should be observed, lest there should seem to be some discrepancy, that the other two Evangelists represent her as at the point of death, but yet not dead, but so as afterwards to say that there came afterwards some saying, She is dead, trouble not the Master, for Matthew for the sake of shortness represents the Lord as having been asked at first to do that which it is manifest He did do, namely, raise the dead. He looks not at the words of the father respecting his daughter, but rather his mind. For he had so far despaired of her life, that he made his request rather for her to be called to life again, thinking it impossible that she, whom he had left dying, should be found yet alive. The other two then have given Jairus' words; Matthew has put what he wished and thought. Indeed had either of them related that it was the father himself that said that Jesus should not be troubled for she was now dead, in that case the words that Matthew has given would not have corresponded with the thoughts of the ruler. But we do not read that he agreed with the messengers. Hence we learn a thing of the highest necessity, that we should look at nothing in any man's words, but his meaning to which his words ought to be subservient; and no man gives a false account when he repeats a man's meaning in words other than those actually used.

The prayers of the ruler, the faith of the woman, the gathering of the crowd in the house and the shouting of the two blind men, as well as the bringing of the deaf and dumb demoniac … are all interrelated. The ruler here is understood to be the law. He prays to the Lord for the people. The law has nourished them on Christ in the expectation of his foretold coming, and he restores life to the dead girl. Now we do not read of any ruler who was a believer. Hence the person of this praying ruler may rightly be taken as a model of the law. The Lord promised to help him, and he made good on his promise.

Figuratively, this ruler is to be understood as the Law, which prays the Lord that He would restore life to the dead multitude which it had brought up for Christ, preaching that His coming was to be looked for.

(Verse 18, 19.) Behold, a certain ruler came forward and worshipped him, saying: My daughter has just died; but come, lay your hand upon her, and she will live. And Jesus arose and followed him, and so did his disciples. The eighth sign is in which the ruler asks for his daughter to be raised, not wanting to be excluded from the mystery of true circumcision; but a woman who had been flowing with blood enters, and is healed in the eighth place, so that the ruler's daughter comes as the ninth, according to what is said in the Psalms: Ethiopia will stretch out her hands to God (Psalm 67:32). And so, all Israel will be saved; as it is written: 'The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.' (Romans 11:25-26).

The deed overtook the words; so that the mouths of the Pharisees were the more stopped. For both he that came was a ruler of the synagogue, and his affliction terrible. For the young damsel was both his only child, and twelve years old, the very flower of her age; on which account especially He raised her up again, and that immediately.

And if Luke say that men came, saying, "Trouble not the Master, for she is dead;" we will say this, that the expression, "she is even now dead," was that of one conjecturing from the time of his journeying, or exaggerating his affliction. For it is an usual thing with persons in need to heighten their own evils by their report, and to say something more than is really true, the more to attract those whom they are beseeching.

But see his dullness: how he requires of Christ two things, both His actual presence, and the laying on of His hand: and this by the way is a sign that he had left her still breathing. This Naaman also, that Syrian, required of the prophet. "For I thought," saith he, "he will surely come out, and will lay on his hand." For in truth they who are more or less dull of temper, require sight and sensible things.

(part. e Beda.) Or; The ruler of the synagogue signifies Moses; he is named Jairus, 'illuminating,' or, 'that shall illuminate,' because he received the words of life to give to us, and by them enlightens all, being himself enlightened by the Holy Spirit. The daughter of the ruler, that is, the synagogue itself, being as it were in the twelfth year of its age, that is, in the season of puberty, when it should have borne spiritual progeny to God, fell into the sickness of error. While then the Word of God is hastening to this ruler's daughter to make whole the sons of Israel, a holy Church is gathered from among the Gentiles, which while it was perishing by inward corruption, received by faith that healing that was prepared for others. It should be noted, that the ruler's daughter was twelve years old, and this woman had been twelve years afflicted; thus she had begun to be diseased at the very time the other was born; so in one and the same age the synagogue had its birth among the Patriarchs, and the nations without began to be polluted with the pest of idolatry. For the issue of blood may be taken in two ways, either for the pollution of idolatry, or for obedience to the pleasures of flesh and blood. Thus as long as the synagogue flourished, the Church languished; the falling away of the first was made the salvation of the Gentiles. Also the Church draws nigh and touches the Lord, when it approaches Him in faith. She believed, spake her belief, and touched, for by these three things, faith, word, and deed, all salvation is gained. She came behind Him, as He spake, If any one serve me, let him follow me; (John 12:26.) or because, not having seen the Lord present in the flesh, when the sacraments of His incarnation were fulfilled, she came at length to the grace of the knowledge of Him. Thus also she touched the hem of His garment, because the Gentiles, though they had not seen Christ in the flesh, received the tidings of His incarnation. The garment of Christ is put for the mystery of His incarnation, wherewith His Deity is clothed; the hem of His garment are the words that hang upon His incarnation. She touches not the garment, but the hem thereof; because she saw not the Lord in the flesh, but received the word of the incarnation through the Apostles. Blessed is he that touches but the uttermost part of the word by faith. She is healed while the Lord is not in the city, but while He is yet on the way; as the Apostles cried, Because ye judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. (Acts 13:46.) And from the time of the Lord's coming the Gentiles began to be healed.

"While He spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and fell prostrate before Him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay Thy hand upon her, and she shall live. And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did His disciples." It is apparent that this man had faith, although not as great as that of the centurion (Mt. 8:8). For this man beseeches Jesus, not to speak the word only, but to come and lay His hand upon his daughter. Although Luke says that she had not yet died (Lk. 8:42), the ruler says here that his daughter has already died, either because he thought he had left her as she was breathing her last breath, or to exaggerate the calamity so as to move Christ to have mercy.

He mentioned the miracles by which remedies are applied against the dangers of sin; here he mentions those by which remedies are applied against the dangers of death. This is divided into two parts: first, he tells how he restored a life; secondly, how he restored that life's actions (v. 23).

In regard to the first: first, the invitation to perform the miracle is presented; secondly, an indication; thirdly the preparation for the miracle (v. 25).

In regard to the first he does four things: first, the time of the invitation is described; secondly, the person inviting; thirdly, the invitation; fourthly, the acceptance of the invitation (v. 19).

He says, therefore, While he was thus speaking to them, namely, in Matthew's house. But there is an objection: for Mark and Luke present a different sequence, namely, that he approached Jesus after the crossing. Augustine answers that when something pertaining to time is recounted, if it is mentioned immediately, then the historical sequence is being followed. Therefore, when it says, While he was thus speaking, the order of history is signified. But in Mark and Luke it is referred to the order of recollection. Or it can be said that this happened at an intermediate place; for sometimes they do not state whether something occurred immediately, after or when.

He continues, behold a ruler. Here is presented the person inviting, namely, the ruler of the synagogue, and he is named Jairus, illuminating or illuminated: "A mighty ruler is among us" (Gen 23:6). The invitation follows and he does two things: first, he shows reverence, because he came in person. And adored him. Likewise, he confesses his power, because he says, Lord. This ruler signifies the fathers of old; because they approached by desire, and believing, they adored the Christ to come: "Let us worship in the place where his feet stood" (Ps 132:7). They also confessed: "Know that the Lord is God" (Ps 100:3). Then he continues: My daughter has just died. The contrary is stated in Luke (8:40) and in Mark (5:22), because it says there, "My daughter is dying." "And while he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said: 'Your daughter is dead'" (Mk 5:35). Augustine answers that when Jairus left his house, she was dying and believed that he would not find her alive; therefore, he was begging more that he revive her than cure her. That is why he says, My daughter is already dead. As if to say: I believe that she is dead by now. The others, therefore, recounted it as it was; but Matthew referred to the intention. Therefore, Augustine gives a good argument that it is not necessary to relate the same words; but it is enough if the mere intent is stated.

But why did the servants say: "Do not bother the master?" This seems to indicate unbelief. The answer is that this would be true, if they were saying this according to their lord's intention; but they did not know his intention. Chrysostom explains it this way: Some have the custom, when they want to arouse piety, to exaggerate evil; therefore, in order to influence him better, he said, she is dead. This daughter is the synagogue, the daughter of the ruler, namely, of Moses, and it died from unbelief: "But now it is hidden from your eyes..." (Lk 19:42). But there seems to be faith joined with unbelief in the ruler; because there was faith in believing that he could revive her, but unbelief in supposing that he could not do this when absent. Hence he seems to be like Naaman, who said: "I thought he would surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and cure me" (2 Kg 5:11). But come and lay your hand on her, and she will live. Mystically this signifies the patriarchs' desire for Christ to come; hence they said: "Come, stretch forth your hand," i.e., Christ, "on us," as in Psalm 144 (v. 7): "Stretch forth your hand from on high."

And whereas Mark saith, He took the three disciples, and so doth Luke; our evangelist merely saith, "the disciples." Wherefore then did He not take with Him Matthew, though he had but just come unto Him? To bring him to a more earnest longing, and because he was yet rather in an imperfect state. For to this intent doth He honor those, that these may grow such as those are. But for him it sufficed for the present, to see what befell the woman with the issue of blood, and to be honored by His table, and by His partaking of his salt.

And when He had risen up many followed Him, as for a great miracle, both on account of the person who had come, and because the more part being of a grosser disposition were seeking not so much the care of the soul, as the healing of the body; and they flowed together, some urged by their own afflictions, some hastening to behold how other men's were cured: however, there were as yet but few in the habit of coming principally for the sake of His words and doctrine. Nevertheless, He did not suffer them to enter into the house, but His disciples only; and not even all of these, everywhere instructing us to repel the applause of the multitude.

We ought to admire and at the same time to imitate the humility and mercifulness of the Lord; as soon as ever He was asked, He rose to follow him that asked; And Jesus rose, and followed him. Here is instruction both for such as are in command, and such as are in subjection. To these He has left an example of obedience; to those who are set over others He shows how earnest and watchful they should be in teaching; whenever they hear of any being dead in spirit, they should hasten to Him; And his disciples went with him.

And Jesus rose and followed him. He rose, namely, from the meal. Here we have evidence of Christ's mercy, because after the request he went at once, as it says in Isaiah (30:19): "As soon as he hears your cry, he will answer you." Likewise, he gives an example of solicitude to prelates, that they should be solicitous about helping sinners quickly. He also gives an example of obedience, because he took disciples with him: "Obey your prelates" (Heb 13:17). But he did not bring Matthew, because he was still weak.

Herein is to be observed the marvellous virtue of the Lord, that the power that dwelt in His body should give healing to things perishable, and the heavenly energy extended even through the hems of His garments; for God is not comprehensible that He should be shut in by a body. For His taking a body unto Him did not confine His power, but His power took upon it a frail body for our redemption.

The Gospel according to Luke says that the ruler's daughter was twelve years old. Note also that the woman concerned, who was from the Gentiles, began to get sick at a place believed to be in a Jewish district. Except by way of contrast between physical conditions, the girl's ailment is not indicated. As for the woman who had a hemorrhage, she approached the Lord not in her home or in the town (because according to the law she was excluded from towns) but while the Lord was walking by, so that in the course of going to one woman, another was cured. The apostles say in this regard, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles."

(Ver. 20) And behold, a woman who had been suffering from a flow of blood for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak. In the Gospel according to Luke, it is written that the daughter of a ruler had reached the age of twelve (Luke 8). Note, therefore, that during that time this woman, that is, the people of the Gentiles, began to be sick, while the people of the Jews believed. For unless a comparison of virtues is made, vice is not revealed. But this woman, flowing with blood, does not approach the Lord in the house, nor in the city, for according to the Law she was excluded from the cities (Leviticus 15, Numbers 5); but on the way, as the Lord walks, so that while He goes to another, another may be healed. Hence the apostles say: 'It was necessary that the word of God should be preached to you, but since you judged yourselves unworthy of salvation, we turn to the Gentiles' (Acts 13:46).

This woman that had the flux came to the Lord not in the house, nor in the town, for she was excluded from them by the Law, but by the way as He walked; thus as He goes to heal one woman, another is cured.

Wherefore did she not approach Him boldly? She was ashamed on account of her affliction, accounting herself to be unclean. For if the menstruous woman was judged not to be clean, much more would she have the same thought, who was afflicted with such a disease; since in fact that complaint was under the law accounted a great uncleanness. Therefore she lies hidden, and conceals herself. For neither had she as yet the proper and correct opinion concerning Him: else she would not have thought to be concealed. And this is the first woman that came unto Him in public, having heard of course that He heals women also, and that He is on His way to the little daughter that was dead.

And she durst not invite him to her house, although she was wealthy; nay, neither did she approach publicly, but secretly with faith she touched His garments. For she did not doubt, nor say in herself, "Shall I indeed be delivered from the disease? shall I indeed fail of deliverance?" But confident of her health, she so approached Him. "For she said," we read, "in herself, If I may only touch His garment, I shall be whole." Yea, for she saw out of what manner of house He was come, that of the publicans, and who they were that followed Him, sinners and publicans; and all these things made her to be of good hope.

In which her humility must be praised, that she came not before His face, but behind, and judged herself unworthy to touch the Lord's feet, yea, she touched not His whole garment, but the hem only; for the Lord wore a hem according to the command of the Law. So the Pharisees also wore hems which they made large, and in some they inserted thorns. But the Lord's hem was not made to wound, but to heal, and therefore it follows, For she said within herself, If I can but touch his garment, I shall be made whole. How wonderful her faith, that though she despaired of health from the physicians, on whom notwithstanding she had exhausted her living, she perceived that a heavenly Physician was at hand, and therefore bent her whole soul on Him; whence she deserved to be healed; But Jesus turning and seeing her, said, Be of good cheer, daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole.

"And, behold, a woman, who was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind Him, and touched the hem of His garment. For she said within herself, If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned Him about, and when He saw her, He said, Take courage, daughter; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour." The woman was unclean due to her illness (Levit. 15:19), and for this reason she did not approach Him openly for fear that she would be prevented. She intended to escape His notice, and yet hoped to obtain healing if only by touching the hem of His garment. But the Saviour revealed her, not because He loved glory, but to show her faith for our benefit, and also to strengthen the faith of the ruler of the synagogue. Jesus tells her, "Take courage," because she was fearful that she had stolen the gift; He calls her "daughter" because she had faith. He shows that if she had not offered faith she would not have received the grace, even though His garments were holy. It is said that this woman made a figure of Christ and at its feet there grew a plant which aided those with hemorrhages. Some impious men destroyed the figure at the time of the Emperor Julian the Apostate.

And behold, a woman... In Leviticus (c. 12) it is laid down that a woman who suffered a flow of blood was unclean and did not live with men; therefore, she did not come to him in the house but on the road. And she signifies the gentiles, who had entered into the Jews' fullness, as it says in Romans (11:25): "A blindness has come upon a part of Israel, until the full number of the gentiles come in." She, namely, the synagogue, had a flow of blood, i.e., the terror of immolated blood. Or it can be referred to sins of the flesh; hence "flesh and blood shall not possess the kingdom of God" (1 Cor 15:50). This woman suffered for twelve years, and the ruler's daughter was twelve years of age; hence she began her suffering, when the ruler's daughter was born.

She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment. Here the woman is commended for her humility and for her faith, which was of the highest order for obtaining. She came up behind him. Why behind him? Because she was considered unclean; hence whatever she touched was unclean according to the Law. Therefore, she feared that he might rebuff her. Also she dared to touch only the fringe. In the Law it was commanded that at the four corners of a garment they have fringes, and there they carried tympana as a reminder of God's commandments, and so that they could thus be distinguished from others; and Christ had such a garment. Mystically, this signifies the gentiles, who approached with faith. But from behind, because not while he was living. Likewise, they touched the garment, namely, the humanity, and only the fringe, because they touch him only through the apostles.

(Verse 21) For she said within herself, If I shall touch but his garment, I shall be whole. But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, According to the Law, he who touches a woman who is menstruating or has a discharge of blood is unclean (Lev. 20:25). She touches the Lord for this reason, that she may be healed of the defect of blood.

For she said within herself, "If I only touch his garment, I shall be made well." Hilary says: "The power of Christ is great, because it was not only in the soul, but it flowed into the body and from the body into his garments." And so we should hold in reverence everything Christ's body touched: "It is like precious oil upon the head, running down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes" (Ps 133:2). Which runs down upon the beard, i.e., the divinity into the flesh; and on the collar of his robes, i.e., on the apostles. I will be made well. If we do the same and cling to him, we will be made well: "Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be delivered" (Jl 2:32).

(in Luc. 8. 52.) For by the ancient custom minstrels were engaged to make lamentation for the dead.

(non occ.) After the healing of the woman with the issue of blood, follows the raising of the dead; And when Jesus was come into the ruler's house.

Mystically; The Lord enters the ruler's house, that is, the synagogue, throughout which there resounded in the songs of the Law a strain of wailing.

(Verse 23) And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise, He said, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. But when the people were put forth, he went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.

To this day the damsel lays dead in the ruler's house; and they that seem to be teachers are but minstrels singing funeral dirges. The Jews also are not the crowd of believers, but of people making a noise. But when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in, then all Israel shall be saved.

Noble tokens, surely, these, of the rulers of synagogues; in the moment of her death pipes and cymbals raising a dirge! What then doth Christ? All the rest He cast out, but the parents He brought in; to leave no room for saying that He healed her in any other way.

Christ reaches the house and sees the girl who appears to be dead. In order to move faithless hearts to faith, he says that the ruler's daughter is sleeping and is not dead. Ostensibly it is not easier to rise from death than to rise from sleep. So he says, "The girl is asleep, not dead." With God, indeed, death is sleep, for God can bring a dead person back to life sooner than a sleeping person can be wakened from sleep by humans; and God can sooner restore life-giving warmth to limbs frozen in death than humans can infuse vigor in bodies immersed in sleep. Hear the words of the apostle: "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye the dead shall rise." Because the blessed apostle was unable to refer to the speed of the resurrection in words, he opted for examples. How could he touch upon rapidity when divine power anticipates rapidity itself? And how does time enter the picture when something eternal is given outside of time? Even as time applies to temporality, so does eternity exclude time.

Morally; The damsel dead in the house is the soul dead in thought. He says that she is asleep, because they that are now asleep in sin may yet be roused by penitence. The minstrels are flatterers who cherish the dead.

"And when Jesus came into the ruler's house, and saw the flute players and the people making a noise, He said unto them, Give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed Him to scorn." Since she was unmarried, they were mourning her with flutes used at weddings, which was contrary to the law. Jesus said that she was sleeping, because He was able to resurrect her easily, and so to Him, death was sleep. Do not marvel that they laughed Him to scorn, for by scoffing they bear witness all the more to the miracle that He resurrected one who was truly dead. So that no one could later say that she had only suffered a seizure, it was confessed by all those present that she was dead.

And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute players... Here the revival is described, and he does four things: first, the indications of death are described; secondly, hope is given; thirdly, the girl is revived; fourthly, the effect is mentioned. He says, therefore, When he came... and saw... Why did the flute players come? The crowd came as is customary even now, when there is a death; but the flute players came to sing dirges and to move others to mourn, as it says in Jeremiah (9:17): "Consider, and call for the mourning women to come." These flute players are false teachers: "Their speech and their deeds are against the Lord, defying his glorious presence" (Is 3:8). The crowd is the Jewish people: "You shall not follow a multitude to do evil" (Ex 23:2). The Lord revived the girl in a house. For the Lord revived three persons: the girl in her house, the young man at the gate, Lazarus in the tomb. For some are dead by sin, but they are not carried without; and this is by consent to sin, but they do not proceed without by works. Some are carried without by action, and this is signified by the one revived at the gate. Finally, some lie in the tomb from habit, which is signified by Lazarus. Therefore, this girl signifies the sinner who is in secret sin, namely, in the mind. The flute players are those who encourage them in sin: "The sinner is praised in the desires of his heart" (Ps 10:3). The crowd is thoughts; and the Lord heals her.

In the flute players and bustling onlookers who laughed to scorn the Lord who said, "The girl is asleep, not dead," we see an example of the synagogue rulers and the onlookers of Jewish people who, when they heard that the hope of eternal life had been promised by the Son of God to the Gentiles, held up to ridicule and contempt this great grace of the Lord. Not unjustly did the Lord order them to be sent outside. He showed that incredulous and unbelieving people of this kind are to be excluded from the promise of eternal life or from God's kingdom by him who is the Author of life and the Lord of the heavenly kingdom.

In the synagogue ruler we perceive a figure of the prophets or apostles, especially Peter, by whom the calling of the Gentiles was first heard; that is, the girl represented all those holy people who pleased God, not through the works of the law but through the righteousness of faith.…Moreover, for us to understand that the entire mystery of our salvation is prefigured in this girl; after she was raised from the dead, as Luke reports, the Lord directs her to eat something. Evidently the order of our faith and salvation is here shown. For when each believer among us is freed in baptism from perpetual death and comes back to life upon acceptance of the gift of the Holy Spirit, it is necessary that the person also be directed to eat that heavenly bread about which the Lord says, "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you."

(Mor. xviii. 43.) The multitude are put forth that the damsel may be raised; for unless the multitude of worldly cares is first banished from the secrets of the heart, the soul which is laid dead within, cannot rise again.

(Verse 25.) And when the crowd had been thrown out, he entered. For they were not worthy to see the mystery of the one rising again, who they derided with unworthy insults.

They that had mocked the Reviver were not worthy to behold the mystery of the revival; and therefore it follows, And when the multitude was put forth, he entered, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.

He took her by the hand, and the maid arose; because if the hands of the Jews which are defiled with blood be not first cleansed, their synagogue which is dead shall not revive.

Seeing then the cymbals and the multitude, He put them all out, and in the presence of the parents works the miracle; not introducing another soul, but recalling the same that had gone out, and awakening her as it were out of a sleep.

And He holds her by the hand, assuring the beholders; so as by that sight to make a way for the belief of her resurrection. For whereas the father said, "Lay thy hand upon her;" He on His part doth somewhat more, for He lays no hand on her, but rather takes hold of her, and raises her, implying that to Him all things are ready. And He not only raises her up, but also commands to give her meat, that the event might not seem to be an illusion. And He doth not give it Himself, but commands them; as also with regard to Lazarus He said, "Loose him, and let him go," and afterwards makes him partaker of His table. For so is He wont always to establish both points, making out with all completeness the demonstration alike of the death and of the resurrection.

But do thou mark, I pray thee, not her resurrection only, but also His commanding "to tell no man;" and by all learn thou this especially, His freedom from haughtiness and vainglory. And withal learn this other thing also, that He cast them that were beating themselves out of the house, and declared them unworthy of such a sight; and do not thou go out with the minstrels, but remain with Peter, and John, and James.

For if He cast them out then, much more now. For then it was not yet manifest that death was become a sleep, but now this is clearer than the very sun itself. But is it that He hath not raised thy daughter now? But surely He will raise her, and with more abundant glory. For that damsel, when she had risen, died again; but thy child, if she rise again, abides thenceforth in immortal being.

The maiden is raised in the house with few to witness, the young man without the gate, and Lazarus in the presence of many; for a public scandal requires a public expiation; a less notorious, a lesser remedy; and secret sins may be done away by penitence.

"But when the people were put forth, He went in, and took her by the hand, and the maid arose. And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land." Where there are crowds and distractions, Christ does not perform miracles. He takes her by the hand, thus imparting strength. And you, O reader, who are dead in sins, He will also resurrect when He puts outside the crowd and its tumult and takes you by the hand so that you might act.

And when the crowd had been put out, he went in. The crowd is the Jews, who are not converted. And morally, in order that the soul be restored, it is required that the crowd of thoughts be expelled. Then the Lord enters. He went in and took her by the hand: "The right hand of the Lord has shown power" (Ps 118:16). He takes the hand of the sinner, when he offers him help. And the girl arose, namely, to life; and so do we from sin by God's help.

(non occ.) The fame, namely, of the greatness and novelty of the miracle, and its established truth; so that it could not be supposed to be a forgery.

His fame went about into all that country; that is, the salvation of the elect, the gift and works of Christ are preached.

(Verse 26) And he took her by the hand. And the girl arose: And this report went forth into all that land. Unless the hands of the Jews, which are full of blood, are first cleansed, their synagogue will not rise again.

Then followed the report of this throughout all that district.