Healing the multitudes by the sea (Matt 15:29–31; Mark 3:7–12)

The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations; nothing is paraphrased.

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St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 52 (on Matthew 15:29–31) Source: trans. Sir George Prevost, rev. M. B. Riddle, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 10. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf110.iii.LII.html

On the sick brought up to the mountain and cast at His feet, and the double proof of their faith:

Now He goes about Himself, now sits awaiting the diseased, and hath the lame brought up unto the mountain. And no longer do they touch so much as His garment, but advance a higher step, being cast at His feet: and they showed their faith doubly, first, by going up into the mountain though lame, then by wanting nothing else but to be cast at His feet only.

And great was the marvel and strange, to see them that were carried walking, the blind needing not any to lead them by the hand. Yea, both the multitude of the healed, and the facility of their cure amazed them.

Seest thou, how the woman indeed He healed with so much delay, but these immediately? not because these are better than she is, but because she is more faithful than they. Therefore, while in her case He defers and delays, to manifest her constancy; on these He bestows the gift immediately, stopping the mouths of the unbelieving Jews, and cutting away from them every plea.

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Theophylact of Ohrid (c. 1055–1107)

Explanation of the Gospel of Mark (on Mark 3:7–12) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Mark. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena2.iii.iii.html

On the Lord withdrawing to do good to more, and the strangers who profit where His own kindred will not:

At the same time again, He goes away, that by quitting the ungrateful He might do good to more ... Syrians and Sidonians, being foreigners, receive benefit from Christ; but His kindred the Jews persecute Him: thus there is no profit in relationship, if there be not a similarity in goodness.

On why He asked for the little ship:

Consider then how He hid His glory, for He begs for a little ship, lest the crowd should hurt Him, so that entering into it, He might remain unharmed.

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St. Jerome (c. 347–420)

Commentary on Matthew (on Matthew 15:29–31) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena1.ii.xv.html

On the Lord’s return to the sea of Galilee after healing the Canaanite’s daughter:

Having healed the daughter of this Chananaean, the Lord returns into Judaea, as it follows, “And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee.”

On His going up into the mountain:

He goes up into the mountain, that as a bird He may entice the tender nestlings to fly.

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St. Bede the Venerable (c. 673–735)

Commentary on the Gospel of Mark (on Mark 3:7–12) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Mark. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena2.iii.iii.html

On why He withdrew to the sea, and the example He gave His disciples:

He fled from their treachery, because the hour of His passion had not yet come, and no place away from Jerusalem was proper for His Passion. By which also He gave an example to His disciples, when they suffer persecution in one city, to flee to another.

On the sick and the demoniacs alike falling down before Him:

Both therefore fell down before the Lord, those who had the plagues of bodily diseases, and those who were vexed by unclean spirits. The sick did this simply with the intention of obtaining health, but the demoniacs, or rather the devils within them, because under the mastery of a fear of God they were compelled not only to fall down before Him but also to praise His majesty.

On the confession the devils were compelled to make, against the Arians:

And here we must wonder at the blindness of the Arians, who, after the glory of His resurrection, deny the Son of God, Whom the devils confess to be the Son of God, though still clothed with human flesh.