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Fragments on Matthew · §88

Matthew 9:9–13

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This too is full of a God-sign: that by word alone such a man was turned toward so great a virtue. Calling Matthew, he shows that even if no one comes to him “unless the Father draws him,” (John 6:44) still the drawing happens through Christ.

So the Savior, unashamed, called a tax collector into discipleship and came into his house, where nothing else was good except the householder’s change. A large crowd of tax collectors were reclining with Jesus. The Savior is not indignant and does not take what happens as an insult to him; as master of nature he arrives at the feast, eats and drinks, showing the truth of the body and blessing the timely use of foods.

Pharisees and scribes were also present — not to learn, but to meddle in what was happening. They see the tax collectors reclining with him, call the disciples, and blame what is going on. Jesus hears and says to them: “You also need a physician. If you were not ill, you would not blame the physician’s love of humankind. I know they are tax collectors; I know their soul’s diseases; I know they are in a bad way. That is why I have come to them: to heal their sick souls.” (Matthew 9:9–13)

The reason the Pharisees seize on the Savior for eating with sinners is that there was a law “to distinguish between holy and profane.” (Leviticus 10:10) They did not know that Christ was giving philanthropic grace above the legal use: the one cast out the evil; the other changed it. So he showed that he is present not as judge but as physician, and does what belongs to the art by being with those who also need healing.

Greek

Γέμει δὲ καὶ τοῦτο θεοσημείας τὸ λόγῳ μόνῳ τὸν τοιοῦτον μετα τραπῆναι πρὸς ἀρετὴν τοσαύτην. καλῶν δὲ τὸν Ματθαῖον δείκνυσιν, ὅτι εἰ καὶ οὐδεὶς ἔρχεται πρὸς αὐτόν, "ἐὰν μὴ ὁ πατὴρ ἑλκύσῃ αὐτόν", ἀλλ' οὖν διὰ Χριστὸν γίνεται ἡ ἕλκυσις. ὁ τοίνυν σωτὴρ ἀνεπαισχύντως τε λώνην καλέσας εἰς μαθητείαν καὶ εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ παραγεγονώς, ἐν ᾧ οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἦν ἀγαθὸν εἰ μὴ τοῦ οἰκοδεσπότου ἡ μεταβόλεια. ἦν οὖν ὄχλος πολὺς τελωνῶν συνανακειμένων τῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἀγανακτεῖ ὁ σωτὴρ οὐδὲ εἰς ὕβριν αὐτοῦ δέχεται τὸ γινόμενον, ἀλλ' ὡς δεσπότης τῆς φύσεως παραγίνεται εἰς τὴν ἑστίασιν καὶ ἐσθίει καὶ πίνει τήν τε ἀλήθειαν τοῦ σώματος ἐνδεικνύμενος καὶ τὴν εὔκαιρον τῶν βρω μάτων εὐλογῶν χρῆσιν. παρῆσαν δὲ καὶ Φαρισαῖοι καὶ γραμματεῖς, οὐχ ἵνα μάθωσιν, ἀλλ' ἵνα περιεργάσωνται τὰ γινόμενα. βλέπουσιν τοὺς τελώνας συνανακειμένους καὶ καλοῦσιν τοὺς μαθητὰς καὶ τὸ γινόμενον αἰτιῶνται. ἀκούει ὁ Ἰησοῦς καί φησι πρὸς αὐτούς· καὶ ὑμεῖς χρείαν ἔχετε ἰατροῦ· εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἐνοσεῖτε, οὐκ ἂν ᾐτιᾶσθε τοῦ ἰατροῦ τὴν φιλαν θρωπίαν· μήποτε γὰρ οὐκ οἶδα, ὅτι τελῶναι ὑπάρχουσιν; μήποτε γὰρ ἀγνοῶ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτῶν τὰ νοσήματα; οἶδα, ὅτι κακῶς ἔχουσιν. διὰ τοῦτο πρὸς αὐτοὺς παραγέγονα, ἵνα τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν θεραπεύσω νο σούσας. δι' ἣν δὲ αἰτίαν ἐπιλαμβάνονται οἱ Φαρισαῖοι τοῦ σωτῆρος ἁμαρτωλοῖς συνεσθίοντος, ὅτι νόμος ἦν "διαστέλλειν ἀνὰ μέσον ἁγίου καὶ βεβήλου". οὐκ ᾔδεισαν δὲ Χριστὸν ὑπὲρ τὴν νομικὴν χρῆσιν παρέ χοντα τὴν φιλάνθρωπον χάριν· ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἐξέβαλεν, ἡ δὲ μετέβαλεν τὸ κακόν. ἔδειξεν οὖν, ὅτι οὐχ ὡς κριτὴς πάρεστιν, ἀλλ' ὡς ἰατρὸς καὶ τὸ ἐπιβάλλον τῇ τέχνῃ ποιεῖ συνὼν τοῖς καὶ ἰάσεως δεομένοις.

About this text

Catena fragments on Matthew (CPG 5206). Contents follow Matthew chapter and verse. Edition fragment numbers stay in About this text and under each passage.

English follows the named copy-text (Aegean/khazarzar Migne PG 72 extract). Other prints were checked as noted; no silent merge of recensions.

Witnesses

This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.