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Explanation for:
Matthew
9
:
3
And behold some of the scribes said within themselves: He blasphemeth.
11
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"He manifested His equal honor with God the Father in every aspect. This was evident in His teaching, as He instructed the masses with authority; with the leper, when He declared, ‘I want to be cleansed’ (Matthew 8:3); with the centurion, whose profound faith prompted Him to marvel and elevate the centurion’s status, responding to his declaration, ‘Speak the word only, and my child will be healed’ (Matthew 8:8). He exhibited His dominion over the sea by calming it with a mere command and demonstrated His supremacy over evil spirits, which acknowledged Him as Judge, as He cast them out with powerful force. In another profound manner, He compelled His adversaries to recognize His divine equality with God the Father, causing them to proclaim it with their own lips. The Savior, detached from greed, remained unperturbed despite being surrounded by a vast crowd that impeded access to Him, necessitating the lowering of the paralytic from above. Instead of immediately healing the physical ailment of the afflicted man, He chose to draw forth an opportunity from His opponents, first addressing the invisible aspect—his spirit—by forgiving his sins. This act, which ultimately restored healing to the paralytic, did not significantly magnify the glory of the One who performed the healing."},{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The prophet reveals the Lord's declaration: ‘I am He who destroys your iniquities,’ Isaiah 43:25. Consequently, the scribes accused the Lord of blasphemy, believing Him to be merely a man and failing to grasp the true meaning of God's word."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"Mark expressed more explicitly that some of the scribes present were internally reasoning, saying, “This man speaks blasphemies; who can forgive sins but God alone.” Driven by jealousy and malice, they were tempted. Frequently, they witnessed the Savior healing ailments with authority, expelling demons, commanding the winds and the sea, and performing feats that transcended human capability. However, in their desire for vengeance, they believed they were defending God's honor."},{"author-name":"Gregorios Palamas","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bfc03f555204c307b7e_Gregorios%20Palamas.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":14,"exegesis-text":"The Scribes and Pharisees, as well as both Gentiles and Jews, do not hold the same faith in the power and grace of holy Baptism that we do, questioning, \\"Who is able to forgive sins?\\""},{"author-name":"Nicephoros (Theotokis)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8958407451968d9c204fb_Nicephoros%20(Theotokis).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":18,"exegesis-text":"The scribes, who are the legal scholars seated in the position of Moses (Matthew 23:2), were blinded by jealousy and regarded Jesus Christ merely as an ordinary man rather than recognizing Him as God. As a result, when they heard the Lord proclaim, ‘Child, your sins are forgiven,’ they believed He was committing blasphemy, usurping divine authority and equating Himself with God. The thoughts and judgments of those who condemn others are often unrighteous and harsh. They mislabel virtue as sin and confuse light with darkness. We should reflect on the contrast between the scribes and those who are self-righteous. The scribes harbored only criticisms against Christ in their minds, refraining from explicitly claiming that He blasphemed. In contrast, the self-righteous not only harbor such thoughts but also voice them, unjustly accusing and condemning their neighbors. Observe how the God-man lays bare the hidden, malicious, and blasphemous intentions of the scribes."},{"author-name":"Theophan the Recluse","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8983a6e0f4c3aecaae3fc_Theophan%20the%20Recluse.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The Lord extends forgiveness to the sins of the paralytic, and this should inspire our joy. However, the corrupt minds of the learned scribes respond by claiming, \\"This man speaks blasphemy.\\" Even when the miraculous healing of the paralytic took place as evidence of the profound truth that \\"the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins,\\" the crowd glorified God, yet there is no mention of the scribes, likely because they were already concocting their malicious questions. A faithless mind is deceitful; it frequently fabricates unwarranted doubts and constructs blasphemies against the realm of belief. It rejects miracles, seeking something even more tangible. Yet when a miracle does occur and calls for obedience to faith, this mind is not ashamed to sidestep the truth, distorting or misinterpreting the wondrous acts of God. It also dismisses the evidence of God's truth. Despite the ample experiential and intellectual evidence presented, the faithless cloaks it in skepticism. If you scrutinize all his arguments, you will find them to be mere deception, though he disguises them as cleverness, leading to the conclusion that cleverness and deceit are fundamentally alike. In the realm of faith, the apostle reminds us, \\"We have the mind of Christ.\\" Who embodies a mindset outside of faith? It is the evil one, whose defining trait is deceit."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Some of the scholars within themselves questioned, feeling in their hearts: He is committing blasphemy, claiming for Himself what rightfully belongs to the one true God. Who dares to speak against God? Who, other than God alone, has the power to forgive sins? (Luke 5:21). Why do they dismiss the fact that this Sacred Teacher has already accomplished numerous miracles, even asserting, ‘If you do not believe in Me, believe in the works I do’ (John 10:38)? To whom the demons, the winds, the sea, and various human ailments submit in obedience? They refrain from openly voicing their thoughts, opting instead to deceive their own consciences, masquerading as defenders of God's glory while ultimately engaging in blasphemy, seeking to retaliate for their own desires, mistakenly believing they are addressing an insult to the Almighty. “They imagined,” as St. Philaret of Moscow noted, “that God could not act contrary to the regulations laid down by the wisdom of the Jewish scribes. Thus, the Savior seized upon this hidden blasphemy to illuminate His Divine nature even further: He first discloses their innermost secrets. The knowledge of the heart's secrets is reserved for God alone; as Solomon articulated, Thou alone knowest the heart of the sons of men (2 Chron. 6:30); David proclaimed, Thou dost try hearts and minds, O righteous God! (Ps. 7:10); Jeremiah echoed, The heart of man is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? (Jer. 17:9). The Lord Himself asserts: ...man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7)."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"“Blasphemies”: to blaspheme means to speak disrespectfully of God’s name, to belittle it, or to act irreverently towards it; more specifically, it involves claiming for oneself what is solely God's prerogative (see Mk. 2:7, Lk. 5:21). Thus, the scribes charged Jesus Christ with assuming a right that is reserved for God alone, thereby positioning Himself as equal to God (see Jn. 5:18, Jn. 10:33), since only God has the authority to forgive sins. However, by forgiving the sins of the paralyzed man, the Lord affirms His divine nature, and the miracle accompanying His declaration clearly substantiates this truth."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The scribes and Pharisees, gathered together and separated from the very people they looked down upon, began to murmur among themselves, criticizing Jesus for claiming divine authority. They must have spoken softly enough that their whispers went unheard by others, for when Jesus addressed them, he did not rebuke them for what they said but rather for the intentions of their hearts."},{"author-name":"Paul Matwejewski","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8969f5be0d592d5a10576_Paul%20Matwejewski.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The Pharisees and scribes, who closely scrutinized the words and actions of Christ, kept their thoughts to themselves, pondering, ‘Why does this man utter such blasphemies? Only God has the authority to forgive sins.’"},{"author-name":"Bogolepow D.P.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The typical layout of Jewish homes featured a courtyard at the center, with residential buildings surrounding it. This courtyard was usually open but could be covered with boards, leather, or cloth in bad weather. The roofs were flat and accessible via stairs leading up from the courtyard or the street, often interconnected with neighboring roofs by a permitted railing (Deuteronomy 22:8). Regarding their construction, the roofs were generally comprised of a thick layer of reeds laid over ceiling boards, followed by a covering of brushwood. Next came a substantial layer of earth, which could sometimes be topped with tiles. This architectural style of eastern homes fits the descriptions provided by the Evangelists, whether Jesus was in the courtyard or in the house. \\n\\nAs narrated in Mark 2:4, the individuals who brought the paralyzed man made considerable effort to break through the roof (εξορυξαντες). It is likely that they were dismantling the roof of the actual house by removing the cement that held the tiles in place, followed by digging through the earth and dismantling the ceiling. The cot or mat on which the sick man was carried was likely lightweight, allowing the healed individual to manage it himself, resembling a felt covering suitable for resting during travels and for situations like the one described.\\n\\nRecognizing the faith of those who brought the paralyzed man, Jesus addressed him, saying, \\"Child, your sins are forgiven you.\\" The Pharisees present interpreted this statement as blasphemy, asserting that only God can absolve sins. In response, Christ highlighted that healing a sick person is no less challenging than granting forgiveness, thus if they acknowledge His ability to heal—something beyond doubt—they should also accept His authority to forgive sins. To dispel any doubts in the minds of the Pharisees about the truth of His proclamation, Jesus told the healed man, \\"Arise, take up your bed, and go into your house.\\" The immediate result of the Lord's command reinforced the notion that His earlier words, \\"thy sins are forgiven thee,\\" were equally effective. (The phrase \\"Son of man on earth\\" stands in contrast to God in heaven as understood by the Pharisees.)"}]}
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