Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary: Matthew
Ver. 19. Jesus Christ here makes an allusion to the prior occupation of his apostles. David, in his Psalms, makes similar allusions to his former occupation of shepherd: "He took him from the flocks of sheep, he brought him from following the ewes big with young, to feed Jacob, his servant, and Israel, his inheritance." (Psalm lxxvii. ver. 70.) (Menochius)
Ver. 21. It was objected by the ancient enemies of Christianity, Porphyrius, Julian the apostate, and others, that Christ chose for his apostles simple and ignorant men, easy to be imposed upon, and not such as would have been on their guard against deception; thus converting that into an argument against the doctrine of Jesus Christ, which of all other circumstances most solidly and forcibly establishes its divinity and authority. (Salmeron. trac. 25.) --- If Christ had persuaded the ignorant apostles only, there might be some room for such an argument. But if these 12 ignorant men triumphed over the learning, the eloquence, the sophisms of the philosophers themselves, over the strong arm of power in the hands of tyrants, and finally over the devils and passions of men, which were the last to give up the combat against a doctrine that established itself on their ruin, then we may conclude, with St. Paul, that it was wisdom in God to choose the weak things of this world to confound the strong---the foolish and the things that are not, to confound those which are. (Haydock)
Ver. 23. The synagogues were religious assemblies with the Jews, wherein they met on the sabbath and festival days, to pray, to read and hear expounded the word of God, and to exercise the other practices of their law. (Calmet)
Ver. 24. Many came to Christ to beg to be cured of their corporal infirmities; nor do we read of a single one here, who came to be delivered from spiritual sickness. Our blessed Savior nevertheless, bearing with their imperfection, condescends to heal them, that he might thence take occasion of exciting their faith, and preparing them for their spiritual cure. (Jansenius) --- It is much to be regretted, that the conduct of Christians at the present day, is not more reasonable than that of the Jews here mentioned. If the Almighty, says the eloquent Masillon, had not the power or will of dispensing goods and evils, how small would be the number of those who would ever retire to the temple to present their petition to Him. (Haydock) --- Our Saviour asks not, if they believed, as he did on other occasions; they had given him sufficient proof, by bringing their sick from distant parts. (St. Chrysostom, hom. xiv.)
____________________
[1] Ver. 1. St. Mark (chap. i, ver. 13) tells us, Christ was with wild beasts, eratque cum bestiis, meta ton therion.
[2] Ver. 5. Assumpsit, paralambanei. statuit eum, istesin. St. Gregory, hom. 16. in Evang. t. 1. page. 1492. Ed. Ben. Quid mirum si se ab illo permisit in montem duci, qui se pertulit etiam a membris illius crucifigi?
Bible Text & Cross-references:
Christ's fast of forty days: he is tempted: begins his preaching in Galilee according to the prophet: fixes his abode at Capharnaum: calls Peter and Andrew, James and John: his miracles, reputation, and numerous followers.
1 Then *Jesus was led by the spirit into the desert, to be tempted by the devil.
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterwards hungry.
3 And the tempter coming, said to him: If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered, and said: It is written: *Man liveth not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
5 Then the devil took him up into the holy city, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple,
6 And said to him: If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written: *That he hath given his angels charge of thee, and in their hands shall they bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7 Jesus said to him: It is written again: *Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
8 Again the devil took him up into a very high mountain: and shewed him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them,
9 And said to him: All these will I give thee, if falling down thou wilt adore me.
10 Then Jesus saith to him: Begone, Satan, for it is written: *The Lord thy God shalt thou adore, and him only shalt thou serve.
11 Then the devil left him; and behold angels came and ministered to him.
12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was delivered up, *he retired into Galilee:
13 And leaving the city Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capharnaum, on the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim:
14 That what was said by Isaias, the prophet, might be fulfilled:
15 *The land of Zabulon and land of Nephthalim, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles:
16 The people that sat in darkness, saw great light: and to them that sat in the region of the shadow of death, light is sprung up.
17 *From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say: Do penance, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
18 And Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee, *saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishers).
19 And he saith to them: Come after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.
20 And they, immediately leaving their nets, followed him.
21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets: and he called them.
22 And they, immediately leaving their nets and father, followed him.
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom: and healing all diseases, and infirmities among the people.
24 And his fame went throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all sick people, that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and such as were possessed by devils and lunatics, and those that had the palsy, and he healed them:
25 *And great multitudes followed him from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
____________________
*
1: about the year A.M. 4435[the year of the world 4435], about the year A.D. 31.; Mark i. 12., Luke iv. 1.
4: Deuteronomy viii. 3.; Luke iv. 4.
6: Psalm xc. 11.
7: Deuteronomy vi. 16.
10: Deuteronomy vi. 13.
12: Mark i. 14.; Luke iv. 14.; John iv. 43.
15: Isaias lx. 1.
17: Mark i. 15.
18: Mark i. 16.; Luke v. 2.
25: Mark iii. 7.; Luke vi. 17.