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1He entered into a boat and crossed over, and came into his own city. 2Behold, they brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a bed. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, cheer up! Your sins are forgiven you.”

3Behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man blasphemes.”

4Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven;’ or to say, ‘Get up, and walk?’ 6But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins—” (then he said to the paralytic), “Get up, and take up your mat, and go to your house.”

7He arose and departed to his house. 8But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

9As Jesus passed by from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax collection office. He said to him, “Follow me.” He got up and followed him. 10As he sat in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

12When Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are healthy have no need for a physician, but those who are sick do. 13But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

14Then John’s disciples came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples don’t fast?”

15Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch would tear away from the garment, and a worse hole is made. 17Neither do people put new wine into old wine skins, or else the skins would burst, and the wine be spilled, and the skins ruined. No, they put new wine into fresh wine skins, and both are preserved.”

18While he told these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped him, saying, “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.”

19Jesus got up and followed him, as did his disciples. 20Behold, a woman who had a discharge of blood for twelve years came behind him, and touched the fringe of his garment; 21for she said within herself, “If I just touch his garment, I will be made well.”

22But Jesus, turning around and seeing her, said, “Daughter, cheer up! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was made well from that hour.

23When Jesus came into the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd in noisy disorder, 24he said to them, “Make room, because the girl isn’t dead, but sleeping.”

They were ridiculing him. 25But when the crowd was sent out, he entered in, took her by the hand, and the girl arose. 26The report of this went out into all that land.

27As Jesus passed by from there, two blind men followed him, calling out and saying, “Have mercy on us, son of David!” 28When he had come into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

They told him, “Yes, Lord.”

29Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” 30Then their eyes were opened. Jesus strictly commanded them, saying, “See that no one knows about this.” 31But they went out and spread abroad his fame in all that land.

32As they went out, behold, a mute man who was demon possessed was brought to him. 33When the demon was cast out, the mute man spoke. The multitudes marveled, saying, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!”

34But the Pharisees said, “By the prince of the demons, he casts out demons.”

35Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people. 36But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion for them because they were harassed and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38Pray therefore that the Lord of the harvest will send out laborers into his harvest.”

What was the "Ban" (Herem) against the Canaanites?

What was the "Ban" (Herem) against the Canaanites?

Passage Study | Deut 12:2 | Pekka Pitkanen

Deut 12:2 "Ye shall utterly destroy (חרם, ḥērem)" -Israel is supposed to be totally separate culture from those around them.

The passage here is much about the centralization of worship in Deuteronomy, and as such a very important topic in academic discussion in Old Testament scholarship for the last 200 years. Without going here into any of the complications and various opinions expressed, according to Deuteronomy’s vision, Israel is to gather together in one place for worship three times a year, and sacrifice their offerings only in that place. In a broader context, this is to happen when the nation has settled in the land and is at peace, and such travelling is possible in practice (Deuteronomy 12:10-11). In other circumstances, one may sacrifice locally (cf. Exodus 20:22-24; cf. Deuteronomy 27; Joshua 8:30-35; note however that, according to Leviticus 17:1-9, during the time in the wilderness, all sacrifices had to be brought to the tent of meeting, the Israelite sanctuary at the time). In a yet broader context, the concern of Deuteronomy, and the Pentateuch and Old Testament as a whole is that the Israelites worship only their God Yahweh. From another angle, as part of the settlement and striving towards purity in life and worship, the indigenous nations and their worship practices are to be eradicated so that no trace is left to lead Israel astray. 

In modern thinking, the command in Deuteronomy actually amounts to genocide and is therefore problematic, particularly for those who take a high view of Scripture, and raises the question of theodicy, or the justification of God’s actions. But, if one reads the book of Revelation or even the New Testament as a whole, the apparent concept of damnation to unbelievers is at least arguably in line with the concept of killings of non-Yahwists in the Israelite conquest tradition. The issue at hand here is also perhaps mitigated by the fact that the Israelites did not manage to drive out or kill many of the native inhabitants, and by the fact that the conquest and settlement are to be considered as a one-time non-repeatable set of events. 

All this said, as the nations were left in the land, as the Bible describes, the Israelites started to follow their practices (see the book of Judges in particular). These points considered, for Christians the passage can be read to promote fleeing away from idolatry and from any practices that are contrary to good Christian ethical principles, in line with New Testament material (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:14). The New Testament also seems to ask Christians to think of whom they associate with (1 Corinthians 15:33), and yet, this does not mean that one cannot associate with those who are not Christian (1 Corinthians 5:9-11). Jesus himself associated with all, and the Pharisees who criticised him for that are described as hypocrites by the New Testament (see e.g. Matthew 9:9-13, 22:18, note also that Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:33 might be quoting a popular proverb of the time). So, great wisdom and humility is required of Christians in following God with joy and ethical verve, while at the same time refraining from dubious practices without becoming haughty, condescending, or even violent towards others.