5:1 And 1 it came to pass, that, as the people a pressed
upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of
Gennesaret,
(1) Christ reveals to the four disciples whom he had taken unto
himself the office of the apostleship, which would be
committed unto them in the future.
(a) Did as it were lie upon him, so desirous were they
both to see him and hear him, and therefore he taught
them out of a ship.
5:5 And Simon answering said unto him, b Master, we have
toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless
at thy word I will let down the net.
(b) The word signifies someone that has rule over anything.
5:122 And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city,
behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on
[his] face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt,
thou canst make me clean.
(2) Christ, by healing the leper with only his touch and
sending him to the priest, witnesses that it is he, through
whom and by whom, apprehended by faith, all we who are
unclean according to the law are pronounced to be pure and
clean by the witness of God himself.
5:153 But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him:
and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be
healed by him of their infirmities.
(3) Christ would rather be well known by his doctrine than by
miracles, and therefore he departs from those that seek him
as a physician of the body, and not as the author of
salvation.
5:174 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was
teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law
sitting by, which were come out of every town of Galilee,
and Judaea, and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord c
was [present] to heal them.
(4) Christ, in healing him that was sick from paralysis, shows
the cause of all diseases, and the remedy.
(c) The mighty power of Christ's Godhead showed itself in
him at that time.
5:275 And after these things he went forth, and saw a
publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and
he said unto him, Follow me.
(5) The Church is a company of sinners who are repentant
through the grace of Christ, who banquet with him to the
great offence of the proud and envious people of the world.
5:336 And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John
fast often, and make prayers, and likewise [the disciples]
of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?
(6) Hypocrites and ignorant men make a point of making fasting
and unimportant things a matter of holiness.
5:347 And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the
bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them?
(7) Laws generally made without any consideration of
circumstances; for fasting and other things of like sort
are not only tyrannous but very harmful to the Church.
