Lessons of avoiding scandal and of the efficacy of faith. The ten lepers. The manner of the coming of Christ.
So damnable it is to be author of a Schisme, 3 that we must rather forgiue be it neuer so often. 5 We must he feruent in faith, 7 and humble withal, knowing that we are bound to God, and not he to vs. The nine Iewes are vngrateful after that he hath cured their leprosie: but the one Samaritane (the one Catholike Church of the Gentils) far otherwise. 20 The Pharisees asking, when cōmeth this kingdom of God (of whose approching they had now heard so much) he teacheth that God must reigne within vs: 22 and warneth vs after his Passion neuer to goe out of his Catholike Church for any new secrete cōming of Christ that Heretikes shal pretend, but onely to expect his second cōming in glorie, 26 preparing our selues vnto it, because it shal come vpon many vnprouided, 31 specially through the persecution of Antichrist a litle before it.
1And he said to his disciples: It is impossible that scandals should not come. But woe to him through whom they come!E (Gesù) disse a' suoi discepoli: È impossibile, che non vengano scandali: ma guai a colui, per colpa del quale vengono.AND he said to his Disciples, It is impossible that scandale should not come: but vvo to him by vvhom they come.Et ait ad discipulos suos: Impossibile est ut non veniant scandala: væ autem illi per quem veniunt. 2It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the sea, than that he should scandalize one of these little ones.Meglio per lui sarebbe, che gli fosse messa al collo una macina da mulino, e fosse gettato nel mare, che essere di scandalo a uno di questi piccoli.It is more profitable for him, if a mil-stone be put about his necke, and he be cast into the sea, then that he scādalize one of these litle ones.Utilius est illi si lapis molaris imponatur circa collum ejus, et projiciatur in mare quam ut scandalizet unum de pusillis istis. 3Take heed to yourselves. If thy brother sin against thee, reprove him: and if he do penance, forgive him.State attenti a voi stessi: Se il tuo fratello ha peccato contro di te, riprendilo: e se è pentito, perdonagli.Looke vvel to your selues, If thy brother sinne against thee, rebuke him: and if he doe penance, forgiue him.Attendite vobis: Si peccaverit in te frater tuus, increpa illum: et si pœnitentiam egerit, dimitte illi. 4And if he sin against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day be converted unto thee, saying: I repent: forgive him.E se sette volte al giorno avrà peccato contro di te, e sette volte al giorno a te ritorna, dicendo: Me ne pento, perdonagli.And if he sinne against thee seuen times in a day, and seuen times in a day be conuerted vnto thee, saying, It repenteth me, forgiue him.Et si septies in die peccaverit in te, et septies in die conversus fuerit ad te, dicens: Pœnitet me, dimitte illi. 5And the apostles said to the Lord: Increase our faith.E gli Apostoli dissero al Signore: Accresci a noi la fede.And the Apostles said to our Lord, Increase faith in vs.Et dixerunt apostoli Domino: Adauge nobis fidem. 6And the Lord said: If you had faith like to a grain of mustard seed, you might say to this mulberry tree: Be thou rooted up and be thou transplanted into the sea. And it would obey you.E il Signore disse loro: Se aveste fede, quanto un granello di senapa, direste a questa pianta di moro: Sbarbati, trapiantati nel mare, e vi obbedirebbe.And our lord said, If you had faith like to a mustard seede, you might say to this mulberie tree, be thou rooted vp, and be transplanted into the sea: and it vvould obey you.Dixit autem Dominus: Si habueritis fidem sicut granum sinapis, dicetis huic arbori moro: Eradicare, et transplantare in mare, et obediet vobis.
7But which of you, having a servant ploughing or feeding cattle, will say to him, when he is come from the field: Immediately go. Sit down to meat.Chi è poi tra voi, che avendo un servo, il quale ara, o fa il pastore, nel tornare, che egli fa di campagna, gli dica subito: Vieni, mettiti a tavola:And vvhich of you hauing a seruant plovving or keeping cattle, that vvil say to him returning out of the field, Passe quickly, sit dovvne:Quis autem vestrum habens servum arantem aut pascentem, qui regresso de agro dicat illi: Statim transi, recumbe: 8And will not rather say to him: Make ready my supper and gird thyself and serve me, whilst I eat and drink; and afterwards thou shalt eat and drink?E non anzi gli dica: Fammi da cena, e cingiti, e servimi, mentre io mangio, e beo, e poi mangerai, e berai anche tu.and saith not to him, Make ready supper, and gird thy self, and serue me vvhiles I eate and drinke, and aftervvard thou shalt eate and drinke?et non dicat ei: Para quod cœnem, et præcinge te, et ministra mihi donec manducem, et bibam, et post hæc tu manducabis, et bibes ? 9Doth he thank that servant for doing the things which he commanded him?Resterà egli forse obbligato a quel servo, perché ha l'atto quello, che gli aveva comandato?Doth he giue that seruant thankes, for doing the things vvhich he commaunded him?Numquid gratiam habet servo illi, quia fecit quæ ei imperaverat ? 10I think not. So you also, when you shall have done all these things that are commanded you, say: We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which we ought to do.Penso, che no. Così anche voi, quando avrete fatto tutto quello, che vi è stato comandato, dite: Siamo servi inutili: abbiamo fatto il debito nostro.I trovv not. So you also, vvhen you shal haue done al things that are commaunded you, say, Vve are vnprofitable seruants: vve haue done that vvhich vve ought to doe.non puto. Sic et vos cum feceritis omnia quæ præcepta sunt vobis, dicite: Servi inutiles sumus: quod debuimus facere, fecimus. 11And it came to pass, as he was going to Jerusalem, he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.E avvenne, che nell'andare a Gerusalemme passava per mezzo alla Samaria, e alla Galilea.And it came to passe, as he vvent vnto Hierusalem, he passed through the middes of Samaria and Galilee.Et factum est, dum iret in Jerusalem, transibat per mediam Samariam et Galilæam. 12And as he entered into a certain town, there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off.E stando per entrare in un certo villaggio, gli andarono incontro dieci uomini lebbrosi, i quali si fermarono in lontananza:And vvhen he entred into a certaine tovvne, there mette him ten men that vvere lepers, vvho stoode a farre of:Et cum ingrederetur quoddam castellum, occurrerunt ei decem viri leprosi, qui steterunt a longe:
13And lifted up their voice, saying: Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.E alzaron la voce, dicendo: Maestro Gesù, abbi pietà di noi.and they lifted vp their voice, saying, IESVS maister, haue mercie on vs.et levaverunt vocem, dicentes: Jesu præceptor, miserere nostri. 14Whom when he saw, he said: Go, shew yourselves to the priests. And it came to pass, as they went, they were made clean.E miratili, disse: Andate, a farvi vedere da' Sacerdoti. E nel mentre, che andavano, restarono sani.Vvhom as he savv, he said, Goe, shevv your selues to the Priests. And it came to passe, as they vvent, they vvere made cleane.Quos ut vidit, dixit: Ite, ostendite vos sacerdotibus. Et factum est, dum irent, mundati sunt. 15And one of them, when he saw that he was made clean, went back, with a loud voice glorifying God.E uno di essi accortosi di essere restato mondo, tornò indietro, glorificando Dio ad alta voce:And one of them as he savv that he vvas made cleane: vvent backe vvith a loud voice magnifying God,Unus autem ex illis, ut vidit quia mundatus est, regressus est, cum magna voce magnificans Deum, 16And he fell on his face before his feet, giving thanks. And this was a Samaritan.E si prostrò per terra a' suoi piedi, rendendogli grazie: ed era costui un Samaritano.and he fel on his face before his feete, giuing thankes: and this vvas a Samaritane.et cecidit in faciem ante pedes ejus, gratias agens: et hic erat Samaritanus. 17And Jesus answering, said: Were not ten made clean? And where are the nine?E Gesù disse: Non son eglino dieci que', che son mondati? E i nove dove sono?And IESVS ansvvering said, Vvere not ten made cleane? and vvhere are the nine?Respondens autem Jesus, dixit: Nonne decem mundati sunt ? et novem ubi sunt ? 18There is no one found to return and give glory to God, but this stranger.Non si è trovato, chi tornasse, e gloria rendesse a Dio, salvo questo straniero.There vvas not found that returned, and gaue glorie to God, but this stranger.Non est inventus qui rediret, et daret gloriam Deo, nisi hic alienigena. 19And he said to him: Arise, go thy way; for thy faith hath made thee whole.E a lui disse: Alzati, vattene: la tua fede ti ha salvato.And he said to him, Arise, goe thy vvaies: because thy faith hathmade thee safe.Et ait illi: Surge, vade: quia fides tua te salvum fecit. 20And being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said: The kingdom of God cometh not with observation.Interrogato dipoi da' Farisei, quando fosse per venire il regno di Dio, rispose loro, dicendo: Il regno di Dio non viene con apparato.And being asked of the Pharisees, Vvhen commeth the kingdom of God? he ansvvered them and said, The kingdom of God commeth not vvith obseruation:Interrogatus autem a pharisæis: Quando venit regnum Dei ? respondens eis, dixit: Non venit regnum Dei cum observatione:
21Neither shall they say: Behold here, or behold there. For lo, the kingdom of God is within you.Né dirassi: Eccolo qui, ovvero eccolo là. Imperocché ecco che il regno di Dio è già in mezzo a voi.neither shal they say, Loe here, or loe there, for loe the kingdom of God is vvithin you.neque dicent: Ecce hic, aut ecce illic. Ecce enim regnum Dei intra vos est. 22And he said to his disciples: The days will come when you shall desire to see one day of the Son of man. And you shall not see it.E disse a' suoi discepoli: Tempo verrà, che bramerete di vedere uno de' giorni del Figliuolo dell'uomo, e nol vedrete.And he said to his Disciples, The daies vvil come vvhen you shal desire to see one day of the Sonne of man: and you shal not see.Et ait ad discipulos suos: Venient dies quando desideretis videre unum diem Filii hominis, et non videbitis. 23And they will say to you: See here, and see there. Go ye not after, nor follow them.E vi diranno: Eccolo qua, ovvero eccolo là. Non vi movete, e non tenete lor dietro.And they vvil say to you, Loe here and loe there. Goe not, neither doe ye folovv after.Et dicent vobis: Ecce hic, et ecce illic. Nolite ire, neque sectemini: 24For as the lightning that lighteneth from under heaven shineth unto the parts that are under heaven, so shall the Son of man be in his day.Imperocché siccome il lampo sfolgoreggiando da un lato del cielo all'altro sfavilla: così sarà del Figliuolo dell'uomo nella sua giornata.For euen as the lightening that lighteneth from vnder heauen, vnto those partes that are vnder heauen, shineth: so shal the Sonne of man be in his day.nam, sicut fulgur coruscans de sub cælo in ea quæ sub cælo sunt, fulget: ita erit Filius hominis in die sua. 25But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.Ma prima bisogna, che egli patisca molto, e sia rigettato da questa generazione.But first he must suffer many things and be reiected of this generation.Primum autem oportet illum multa pati, et reprobari a generatione hac. 26And as it came to pass in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.E quel, che avvenne ne' giorni di Noè, avverrà ancora ne' giorni del Figliuolo dell'uomo.And as it came to passe in the daies of Noé, so shal it be also in the daies of the Sonne of man.Et sicut factum est in diebus Noë, ita erit et in diebus Filii hominis: 27They did eat and drink, they married wives and were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all.Mangiavano, e bevevano, e facevano sposalizj sino al giorno, in cui Noè entrò nell'arca: e venne il diluvio, e mandò tutti in perdizione.They did eate and drinke, they did marie vviues and vvere giuen to mariage euen vntil the day that Noé entred into the arke: and the floud came, and destroyed them al.edebant et bibebant: uxores ducebant et dabantur ad nuptias, usque in diem, qua intravit Noë in arcam: et venit diluvium, et perdidit omnes.
28Likewise as it came to pass in the days of Lot. They did eat and drink, they bought and sold, they planted and built.Come pur successe a' tempi di Lot: mangiavano, e bevevano: comperavano, e vendevano: piantavano, e fabbricavano.Likevvise as it came to passe in the daies of Lot: They did eate and drinke, bought and sould, planted, and builded:Similiter sicut factum est in diebus Lot: edebant et bibebant, emebant et vendebant, plantabant et ædificabant: 29And in the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.Ma nel giorno, che Lot uscì da Sodoma, piovve fuoco, e zolfo dal cielo, e tutti mandò in perdizione:and in the day that Lot vvent out from Sodome, it rained fire and brimstone from heauen, and destroyed them all:qua die autem exiit Lot a Sodomis, pluit ignem et sulphur de cælo, et omnes perdidit: 30Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man shall be revealed.Così appunto sarà nel giorno, in cui verrà manifestato il Figliuolo dell'uomo.according to these things it shal be in the day that the Sonne of man shal be reuealed.secundum hæc erit qua die Filius hominis revelabitur. 31In that hour, he that shall be on the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away: and he that shall be in the field, in like manner, let him not return back.Allora chi si troverà sul terrazzo, e avrà in casa i suoi arnesi, non iscenda per prenderli; e chi sarà in campagna, parimente non torni addietro.In that houre he that shal be in the house-toppe, and his vessel in the house, let him not goe dovvne to take them vp: and he that is in the field, in like maner let him not returne backe.In illa hora, qui fuerit in tecto, et vasa ejus in domo, ne descendat tollere illa: et qui in agro, similiter non redeat retro. 32Remember Lot’s wife.Ricordatevi della moglie di Lot.Be mindeful of Lots vvife.Memores estote uxoris Lot. 33Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it: and whosoever shall lose it shall preserve it.Chiunque cercherà di salvare l'anima sua, la perderà: e chiunque ne farà getto, daralle vita.Vvhosoeuer seeketh to saue his life, shal lose it: and vvhosoeuer doth lose the same, shal quicken it.Quicumque quæsierit animam suam salvam facere, perdet illam: et quicumque perdiderit illam, vivificabit eam. 34I say to you: In that night there shall be two men in one bed. The one shall be taken and the other shall be left.Vi dico, che in quella notte due saranno in un letto; uno sarà assunto, e l'altro sarà abbandonato.I say to you, in that night there shal be tvvo in one bed: the one shal be taken, and the other shal be left:Dico vobis: In illa nocte erunt duo in lecto uno: unus assumetur, et alter relinquetur:
35Two women shall be grinding together. The one shall be taken and the other shall be left. Two men shall be in the field. The one shall be taken and the other shall be left.Due donne saranno a macinare insieme; una sarà assunta e l'altra sarà abbandonata: due (saranno) in un campo; uno sarà tratto a salvamento, l'altro abbandonato.tvvo vvomen shal be grinding together: the one shal be taken, and the other shal be left: tvvo in the field: the one shal be taken, and the other shal be left.duæ erunt molentes in unum: una assumetur, et altera relinquetur: duo in agro: unus assumetur, et alter relinquetur. 36They answering, say to him: Where, Lord?Gli risposero, e dissero: Dove, o Signore?They ansvvering say to him, Vvhere Lord?Respondentes dicunt illi: Ubi Domine ? 37Who said to them: Wheresoever the body shall be, thither will the eagles also be gathered together.Ed ei disse loro: Dovunque sarà il corpo, ivi si raduneranno le aquile.Vvho said to them, Vvheresoeuer the body shal be, thither vvil the eagles also be gathered together.Qui dixit illis: Ubicumque fuerit corpus, illuc congregabuntur et aquilæ.
17:1
Bible de Vence
The world being corrupted as it is, and the spread of evil so wide, it is impossible that scandals should not come. (Bible de Vence)
Witham
It is impossible, morally speaking, with regard to the malice of men. (Witham)
17:2
Ven. Bede
It were better. Christ here speaks after the manner of the Jews, who were accustomed to inflict this punishment only on the greatest malefactors. So that we must be ready to undergo the most excruciating torments, rather than cause any scandal to our neighbour; though we must here observe, that if our neighbour take scandal at our good works, we ought not on that account to desist from doing good, or desert the truth. (Ven. Bede)
17:5
Theophylactus
Increase our faith. The disciples having heard our Saviour inculcating maxims hard to flesh and blood, such as avoiding scandal, and forgiving our enemies, humbly beg their faith may be increased, that they may be able to comply with these maxims; for they had heard Christ say, that every thing was possible to him that believed. (Theophylactus)
St. Chrysostom
Christ compares faith to a grain of mustard seed; because, though the grain be small, it is nevertheless stronger than most herbs. (St. Chrysostom)
17:6
Witham
To this mulberry-tree. In St. Matthew, (xvii. 19.) we read, to this mountain. Christ might say both at different times. (Witham)
17:7
Calmet
The design and end of this parable is to shew that, rigorously speaking, we are useless servants with regard to God. This sovereign Master has a right to exact of us every kind of service, and to make us apply ourselves to any task he may think proper, without our having any reason to complain either of the difficulty, trouble, or length of our labours; we are entirely his, and he is master of our persons, time, and talents. We hold of him whatever we possess, and woe to us if we abuse his trust, by applying our talents to any use contrary to his designs. But though he be Lord and Master, he leaves our liberty entire. If he produces in us holy desires, if he works in us meritorious actions, gives us virtuous inclinations and supernatural gifts, he sets to our account the good use we make of them; and in crowning our merits, he crowns his own gifts. (St. Augustine, lib. ix. Confes. and Serm. 131.) (Calmet)
17:10
Challoner
Unprofitable servants. Because our service is of no profit to our Master; and he justly claims it as our bounden duty. But though we are unprofitable to him, our serving him is not unprofitable to us; for he is pleased to give, by his grace, a value to our good works, which, in consequence of his promise, entitles them to an eternal reward. (Challoner)
Calmet
The word useless, when joined to servant, generally means a servant from whom his master does not derive the service he has a right to expect; as in St. Matthew 25:30. Here the word is taken in a less odious sense. It means a servant who does not testify sufficient zeal and ardour in his master's service, who is not very eager to please him. With regard to God, we are always useless servants, because he wants not our services; and without his assistance, we can neither undertake nor finish any thing to please him. (Calmet)
17:14
Calmet
To the priests. Jesus sends them to the priests, to convince the latter of the reality of the cures which he wrought, and oblige them by that to acknowledge him for their Messias; 2ndly, that the lepers might enjoy the fruit of their cure, by returning to the society of their fellow men, after they had been declared clean, and satisfied all the demands of the law; for there were may ceremonies previous to be gone through. (Calmet)
Lib. de visit. infirm
And lastly, to shew that in the new law, such as are defiled with the leprosy of sin, should apply to the priests. Hence, says St. Augustine, let no one despise God's ordinance, saying that it is sufficient to confess to God alone. (Lib. de visit. infirm.)
17:19
Maldonatus
Thy faith hath made thee whole. Were not the others also made whole? They were cleansed indeed from their leprosy, but it no where appears that they were justified in their souls like this Samaritan, of whom it said, thy faith hath made thee whole; whereas it was said of the others, that they were made clean, viz. of their leprosy in their body, though not justified in their soul: this the Samaritan alone seems to have obtained. (Maldonatus)
17:20
When the kingdom of God should come? or when is it to come? when will the Messias come? The Pharisees might say this in a mocking and an insulting manner, to signify that he could not be their true Messias.
Witham
The kingdom of God cometh not with observation; that it, so as to be observed; not with great marks of temporal power, as you imagine. (Witham)
Calmet
The Pharisees expected a Messias powerful according to this world, a conqueror, a monarch, a revenger of the injuries of Israel; one who would restore them to liberty, and bless them with temporal goods and prosperity. In Jesus, they saw nothing, which corresponded to these magnificent hopes; and therefore asked him, by way of insult and reproach, when this kingdom of God would come, which he so often talked of and announced to his disciples. He answers them, that the manifestation of the Messias, and the establishment of his kingdom, shall not be effected in a conspicuous, splendid manner. It shall be brought about insensibly, and the accomplishment of the designs of the omnipotence of our Lord shall appear a casualty, and the effect of secondary causes. You shall not see the Messias coming at the head of armies, to spread terror and desolation. His arrival shall not be announced by ambassadors, etc. every thing in the establishment of my kingdom shall be the reverse of temporal power. (Calmet)
17:21
Is within you. It is with you; your Messias is already come.
Witham
He standeth in the midst of you, as John the Baptist told you. (John 1:26.) (Witham)
17:22
Witham
To see one day, etc. Hereafter, when I shall be no longer visibly among you, you shall heartily wish for one day's conversation with me. (Witham)
Calmet
This verse is addressed to the disciples. He insinuates that he will take from them this corporeal presence, and they shall be exposed to persecution and affliction: then they shall wish to see one day of the Son of man, and shall not be able to obtain it. They shall wish ardently to see him, to entertain themselves with him, and consult him, but shall not have that happiness. This was meant to excite the disciples to profit more of his presence whilst they enjoyed it. (Calmet)
17:24
Witham
For as the lightning, etc. See Matthew 24:27. (Witham)
Ven. Bede
Christ here alludes to the glory with which he shall appear when he shall come to judge the world, surrounded by his angels, etc. when he will appear like lightning, that shall penetrate the inmost recesses of our souls, and shall suffer no crime, not even the slightest thought of our souls, to pass unnoticed. This is the time when he will manifest his glory, and not on his entry into Jerusalem, as the disciples imagined: for he informs them, that he will then have to suffer a cruel death. (Ven. Bede)
17:27
Ven. Bede
After having compared his second coming to lightning, in order to shew how sudden it will be, he next compares it to the days of Noe [Noah] and Lot, to shew that it will come when men least expect it; when, entirely forgetting his coming, they are solely occupied in the affairs of this world, in buying and selling, etc. He only mentions those faults which appear trivial, or rather none at all, (passing over the crimes of murder, theft, etc.) purposely to shew, that if God thus punishes merely the immoderate use of what is lawful, how will his vengeance fall upon what is in itself unlawful. (Ven. Bede)
17:31
When you see war lighted up in Judea, lose no time, but betake yourselves to flight for safety. Indeed the Christians, forewarned by these predictions, and other prophecies of the apostles, according to Lactantius, (lib. 4:chap. 21.) fled from the danger beyond the Jordan, into the states of Herod, to Pella and the neighbouring villages. See Eusebius, Eccles. Hist. lib. 3:chap. 5.
17:32
St. Ambrose
As Lot only escaped destruction by leaving all things, and flying immediately to the mountain, whereas his wife, by shewing an affection for the things she had left, and looking back, perished; so those who, in the time of tribulation, forgetting the reward that awaits them in heaven, look back to the pleasures of this world, which the wicked enjoy, are sure to perish. (St. Ambrose)
Ta opiso epilanthanesthai, tois de emprosthen epekteinesthai. (Philippians 3:13.)
17:34
St. Cyril and St. Ambrose
By these different examples, Christ wishes to insinuate that good and bad men will be found in every state of life. By those in bed, are understood the rich, by those in the mill, are understood the poor; whilst those in the field designate the pastors of his flock, who are labouring in the vineyard of the Lord. (St. Cyril and St. Ambrose)
17:37
Calmet
To the question of his disciples in the preceding verse, our blessed Saviour only returns this enigmatical answer, which seems to mean, that where-ever there are guilty Jews, there shall their enemies pursue them and find them out, not only in Jerusalem, but in all the cities of Judea, Galilee, etc. every where the vengeance of the Lord shall follow them, and overtake them. For the interpretation of other parts of this chapter, see (Matthew 24.) (Calmet)
Haydock
If we observe some discrepancies between the precise words of our Lord, as given by St. Matthew and St. Luke, as in St. Matthew, (Matthew 24:40.) and in St. Luke (Luke 17:34.) and elsewhere in various places, we can reconcile those apparent variations, by supposing that our Lord, in the course of his conversation, made use of both expressions. (Haydock)
17:10
Unprofitable servants.... Because our service is of no profit to our master; and he justly claims it as our bounden duty. But though we are unprofitable to him, our serving him is not unprofitable to us; for he is pleased to give by his grace a value to our good works, which, in consequence of his promise, entitles them to an eternal reward.
17:1
Concordance Mt. 18, 7
Not of mere necessitie, for then it were no fault: but praesupposing the great wickednes of men, it is impossible but there shal be scandals & therfore it foloweth, Vvō to him by whom they come.
Concordance Mar. 9, 42.
17:3
Concordance Mt. 18, 21.
17:6
Concordance Mat. 17, 20.
17:8
THE fourth part of this Gospel, The cōming of Christ into Iewrie, towardes his Passion.
17:10
10. Vnprofitable seruants.) How we are vnprofitable & profitable seruants. If our Sauiour had said that the keeping of Gods cōmaundements had bene vnprofitable and not auailable to our selues, them might the Protestants haue truely argued thereby that our vvorkes deserue not heauen or any revvard at Gods hand: but so he said not, but that our seruice is to God vnprofitable, who calleth for it as duety, and not as a thing needeful or profitable to himself. And though here our Maister teach vs so humbly to conceiue of our ovvne doings tovvard him, Mt. 25, 〈◊〉. yet him self els vvher calleth not his servants vnprofitable vvhen they haue done their labour, but speaketh thus, Good and faithful seruant, because thou vvast faithful in a litle, I vvil place thee ouer much: enter into the ioy of thy Lord. Io. 15, 14. Yea of such as serue him in the grace of the new Testament, he affirmeth that he wil not now name them seruants but frendes, yea and take them for his ovvne children, and as his frendes and sonnes he counteth of vs and our vvorkes tovvards heauen, though vve in humilitie and truth must confesse alvvaies that vve be to him vnprofitable seruants. Yea and S. Paul saith plainly, that by cleansing our selues from sinful vvorkes, we shal be profitable vessels to our lord 2 Timot. 2, 21.
17:11
In the liturgy The Gospel vpō the 13 Sūday after Pentecost.
17:14
14. To the priests.) Confession to the Priest. This leprosie signifieth sinne, vvhich though God may and can heale vvithout any mans meanes, yet he doth it not ordinarily but by the Priests ministerie: therfore let no man despise Gods ordinance nor say that it is ynough to confesse to God though he neuer come at the priest. li. de visit. infirm. apud August.
14. As they vvent.) A man may sometimes be so contrite and penitent, that his sinne is forgiuen before he come to the Priest, but then also he must notwithstanding goe to the Priest, as these lepers did: specially whereas we are neuer sure how contrite we are, and because thereis no true contrition, but with desire also of the Sacrament in time and place.
Concordance Leu. 14, 2.
17:19
And yet we see here it vvas not only faith, but also his thankfulnes & returnīg to giue glorie to God.
17:21
Vvhile they aske and looke for a temporal kingdō in pompe and glorie, loe their king & Messias was now amōg thē. whose spiritual kingdō is vvithin al the faithful that haue dominiō ouer sinne.
17:22
Concordance Mt. 24, 23. Mar. 13, 21.
17:23
No man must rūne out of the Church after Schismatikes to heare them preach Christ in corners, Christs doctrine being open in al the world. See annot. Mt. 14, 23.
17:26
Concordance Gen. 7, 5
17:28
Concordance Gen. 19, 24.
17:32
Concordance Gen. 19, 26.
17:1
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.35
Then, turning to His disciples, He says: “Woe unto him through whom offences come! It were better for him if he had not been born, or if a millstone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones,”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 56
… and this Luke hath set forth in another form of expression, “It is impossible but that offenses should come.”
St Jerome † AD 420 Against the Pelagians 2
xvii. 1 . It is impossible but that occasions of stumbling should come.
17:2
Pope St Clement I † AD 99 The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians 46
… It were better for him that he had never been born, than that he should cast a stumbling-block before one of my elect. Yea, it were better for him that a millstone should be hung about [his neck], and he should be sunk in the depths of the sea, than that he should cast a stumbling-block before one of my little ones.”
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 History of the Councils 2
… lii. 5; Rom. ii. 24 ); and by His own mouth in the Gospels ( Matt. xviii. 6 ), ‘Whoso shall offend one of these little ones, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea, than,’ as Luke adds, ‘that he should offend one of these little ones’ (
St Basil the Great † AD 379 The Letters 46.4
4. It were better for him that a mill-stone had been hanged about his neck, and that he had been cast into the sea, than that he should have offended the virgin of the Lord.
17:3
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 27
… was it not then incumbent on thee also to have mercy on thy [12] fellow-servant, as I had mercy on thee? And his lord became wroth, and delivered [13] him to the scourgers, till he should pay all that he owed. So shall my Father which is in heaven do unto you, if one forgive not his brother his wrong conduct from [14] his heart.
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.35
… Recognise also in Him the Judge, and one too, who expresses Himself on the safety of His followers with the same tenderness as that which the Creator long ago exhibited: “He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of my eye.” Such identity of care proceeds from one and the same Being. A trespassing brother He will have rebuked.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 64.0
On the words of the Gospel, Luke xvii. 3 , “If thy brother sin, rebuke him,” etc., touching the remission of sins.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Ten Homilies on the First Epistle of John 12
… I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.” This difference of sins it is that distinguishes Judas with his treason from Peter with his denial. Not that to him who repenteth there is to be no forgiveness: lest we go against that sentence of the Lord, in which He commands always to forgive the brother who asks his brother’s forgiveness:
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Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 27
… And his lord became wroth, and delivered [13] him to the scourgers, till he should pay all that he owed. So shall my Father which is in heaven do unto you, if one forgive not his brother his wrong conduct from [14] his heart. Take heed within yourselves: if thy brother sin, rebuke him; and if he [15] repent, forgive him.
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.35
… much more should you bring back your erring brother to himself. He commands you to forgive your brother, should he trespass against you even “seven times.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 64.1
… “If,” He saith, “thy brother shall sin against thee, rebuke him, and if he shall repent, forgive him; and if he shall sin against time seven times in a day, and shall come and say, I repent, forgive him.”
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Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 33
… Verily I say unto you, if ye believe, and doubt not in your hearts, and assure yourselves that that will be which [7] ye say, ye shall have what ye say. And if ye say to this mountain, Remove, and [8] fall into the sea, it shall be. And all that ye ask God in prayer, and believe, he [9, 10] will give you.
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 3.14.3
… whose then shall those things be which thou hast prepared?” and similar to this, that of the rich man, who was clothed in purple and who fared sumptuously, and the indigent Lazarus; also the answer which He gave to His disciples when they said, “Increase our faith;”
Aphrahat † AD 346 Aphrahat: Select Demonstrations 1.17
… but when in respect of his faith he doubted, and began to sink, our Lord called him, thou of little faith . And when the Apostles asked of our Lord, they begged nothing at His hands but this, saying to Him:— Increase our faith . He said to them:— If there were in you faith, even a mountain would remove from before you .
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 5.9
… He condescends to thee on thy repentance: only on thy part say with honest mind, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief . But if thou thinkest that thou really art faithful, but hast not yet the fulness of faith, thou too hast need to say like the Apostles, Lord, increase our faith
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Concerning Repentance 1.11
… How, then, will you forbid to pray for him, who has a claim to everlasting life? since faith is of divine grace, as the Apostle teaches where he speaks of the differences of gifts, for “to another is given faith by the same Spirit.” And the disciples say to the Lord: “Increase our faith.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on First Corinthians 29
“And to another, faith:” not meaning by this faith the faith of doctrines, but the faith of miracles; concerning which Christ saith, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard-seed, ye shall say to this mountain, Remove, and it shall remove.” (S. Matt. xvii. 20 .) And the Apostles too concerning this besought Him, saying, “Increase our faith:” (S.
St Jerome † AD 420 Jerome's Apology for Himself Against the Books of Rufinus 2.2
… how is it that at Rome he is assailed and reviled, and that the reports of the attacks upon his reputation grow thicker. Further, what sort of humility is this, that a man speaks of himself as approved for his divine faith and charity? The Apostles prayed,
St Jerome † AD 420 Against Jovinianus 2.10
… But the term greater implies others who are less. And “he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” You see then that in heaven one is greatest and another is least, and that among the angels and the invisible creation there is a manifold and infinite diversity. Why do the apostles say:
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 30.1
… What must the lambs do, if the rams totter? Yet the mercy of the Lord did not disdain them in their unbelief; but reproved, nourished, perfected, crowned them. For they themselves, as mindful of their own weakness, said to Him, as we read in a certain place in the Gospel, “Lord, increase our faith.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 30.6
6. Therefore, to finish this discourse with that with which we began it, let us pray, and let us rely on God; let us live as He enjoineth; and when we totter in this life, let us call upon Him as the disciples called, saying, “Lord, increase our faith.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 65.1
… But who would not remove mountains, if there were full faith? Look at the very Apostles: they would not have left all they had, have trodden under foot this world’s hope, and followed the Lord, if they had not had great faith; and yet if they had full faith, they would not have said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 119.9
63. “O learn me sweetness, and understanding, and knowledge,” he saith, “for I have believed Thy commandments” ( ver. 66 ). He prayeth these things may be increased and perfected. For they who said, “Lord, increase our faith,”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 3.16
But so thoroughly did the Apostles realize that everything which concerns salvation was given them by the Lord, that they even asked that faith itself should be granted from the Lord, saying: “Add to us faith”
17:6
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 33
… And if ye say to this mountain, Remove, and [8] fall into the sea, it shall be. And all that ye ask God in prayer, and believe, he [9, 10] will give you. And the apostles said unto our Lord, Increase our faith.
St Jerome † AD 420 Against the Pelagians 2
xvii. 6 . The Apostles’ faith was not even like a grain of mustard seed.
17:7
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 33
… And all that ye ask God in prayer, and believe, he [9, 10] will give you. And the apostles said unto our Lord, Increase our faith. He said unto them, If there be in you faith like a grain of mustard, ye shall say to this fig tree, Be thou torn up, and be thou planted in the sea; and it will obey you. [11]
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 3.52
… and afterwards thou shalt eat and drink? Does he thank that servant because he has done what was commanded him? So also ye, when ye shall have done that which is commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we had to do.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on First Corinthians 24
… But He calls us eagles, implying that he who draws nigh to this Body must be on high and have nothing common with the earth, nor wind himself downwards and creep along; but must ever be soaring heavenwards, and look on the Sun of Righteousness, and have the eye of his mind quick-sighted. For eagles, not daws, have a right to this table.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Philemon 2
… Consider thyself altogether to be a debtor. Whatever thou hast done, remember that parable, “Which of you having a servant…will say unto him, when he is come in, Sit down to meat?…I say unto you, Nay…but stay and serve me.” (From
17:8
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 33
… He said unto them, If there be in you faith like a grain of mustard, ye shall say to this fig tree, Be thou torn up, and be thou planted in the sea; and it will obey you. [11] Who of you hath a servant driving a yoke of oxen or tending sheep, and if he [12] come from the field, will say unto him straightway, Go and sit down?
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Letters of St. Augustin 93.23
… In fact, however, this is the whole which you attempt to make us believe, that the Rogatists alone remain worthy of the name Catholics, on the ground of their observing all the Divine precepts and all the sacraments; and that you are the only persons in whom the Son of man when He cometh shall find faith.
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Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 33
… and it will obey you. [11] Who of you hath a servant driving a yoke of oxen or tending sheep, and if he [12] come from the field, will say unto him straightway, Go and sit down? Nay, he will say unto him, Make ready for me wherewith I may sup, and gird thy waist, and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterwards thou shalt eat and drink also. [13]
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 33
“Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace [or gratitude,]
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St Ignatius of Antioch † AD 108 Epistle to the Magnesians: Shorter and Longer Versions 12
… And all the more when I commend you, I know that ye cherish modesty of spirit; as it is written, “The righteous man is his own accuser;” and again, “Declare thou first thine iniquities, that thou mayest be justified;” and again, “When ye shall have done all things that are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants;”
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 33
… Nay, he will say unto him, Make ready for me wherewith I may sup, and gird thy waist, and serve me, till I eat and drink; and afterwards thou shalt eat and drink also. [13] Doth that servant haply, who did what he was bid, receive his praise? I think [14] not.
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.44.4
… All chap. xv. after the 10th verse , in which is contained the parable of the prodigal son, he eliminated from his Gospel. In
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 The Epistles of Cyprian 26
… we have done that which was our duty to do.”
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Concerning Widows 12
74. And so they who have fulfilled the commandments are able to say: “We are unprofitable servants, we have done that which was our duty to do.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 3
… but when we do not so much as think we have done any good work, then also for this disposition itself; and more for this, than for the other things: so that this is equivalent to our good works. For should this be absent, neither will they appear great. For in the same way, we too, when we have servants,
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the Romans 7
… For on the part of the servant the thing done was but a debt after all, if it had been done. For all things that we do, we do towards the payment of a debt. And this is why Himself said, “When ye have done all, say, We are unprofitable servants, we have done that which was our duty to do.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on First Corinthians 22
… And thus we must understand the expression, “for necessity is laid upon me;” not as though he did aught of these things against his will, God forbid, but as though he were bound by the things commanded, and for contradistinction to the liberty in receiving before mentioned. Wherefore also Christ said to the disciples, (St.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Second Corinthians 24
Seest thou how glorying is not “after the Lord?” For He saith, “When ye shall have done all, say, We are unprofitable servants.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Colossians 2
… For a life so good as to be counted worthy of the kingdom doth no one show forth, but the whole is of His free gift. Therefore He saith, “When ye have done all, say, We are unprofitable servants, for we have done that which was our duty to do.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on 1 Timothy 17
… Man hath nothing except from God, therefore he will not be high-minded. “For what hast thou that thou didst not receive?” ( 1 Cor. iv. 7 .) He washed the feet of His disciples, how can he who knows this be setting himself up? Therefore He says, “When ye have done all, say we are unprofitable servants.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Philemon 2
… immediately thou thinkest highly of thyself. I have done, thou sayest, what no other has done. I have achieved humility. How then may any one continue in humility? If he remembers the command of Christ, which says, “When ye shall have done all things, say, We are unprofitable servants.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 2
Wherefore then dost thou cherish high thoughts? because thou goest on aright? hear Christ saying, “When ye have done all things, say, we are unprofitable servants, for we have done that which was our duty to do.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 26
What sayest thou? After so many achievements, after the miracle which had been wrought in the den, dost thou account thyself so humble? Yea, he says; for what things soever we have done, “we are unprofitable servants.” (
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 118.4
… Rather will I say what it is good for you to hear: “My son, if thou come to serve the Lord, prepare thy soul for temptation,” and “when thou shalt have done all those things which are commanded thee, say, I am an unprofitable servant; I have done that which was my duty to do.”
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 133.6
… For “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” and this fear is in its turn cast out by love. Men are only perfect so far as they know themselves to be imperfect. “So likewise ye,” Christ says, “when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 11.7
If then any one is aiming at perfection, from that first stage of fear which we rightly termed servile (of which it is said: “When ye have done all things say: we are unprofitable servants,”
Pope St Gregory I the Great † AD 604 The Book of Pastoral Rule 3.20
… iv. 11 ). That they may not rejoice immoderately in benefits bestowed, let them hear what is written, When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants, we have done that which was our duty to do (
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Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 30
[31] And after that, the time of the feast of unleavened bread of the Jews arrived, [32] and Jesus went out to go to Jerusalem.
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.35
… Marcion’s labour, however, is to object to us the strictness of the law, with the view of maintaining that here also Christ is its enemy—forestalling its enactments even in His cure of the ten lepers. These He simply commanded to show themselves to the priest; “and as they went, He cleansed them”
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Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.44.4
… All chap. xv. after the 10th verse , in which is contained the parable of the prodigal son, he eliminated from his Gospel. In xvii. 10 he left out all the words after λέγετε . He made many alterations in the story of the ten lepers; he left out part of
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 40
XXXIV. If you were full of leprosy, that shapeless evil, yet you scraped off the evil matter, and received again the Image whole. Shew your cleansing to me your Priest, that I may recognize how much more precious it is than the legal one. Do not range yourself with the nine unthankful men, but imitate the tenth.
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Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 30
[31] And after that, the time of the feast of unleavened bread of the Jews arrived, [32] and Jesus went out to go to Jerusalem. And as he went in the way, there met him [33] ten persons who were lepers, and stood afar off:
17:14
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 30
[31] And after that, the time of the feast of unleavened bread of the Jews arrived, [32] and Jesus went out to go to Jerusalem. And as he went in the way, there met him [33] ten persons who were lepers, and stood afar off: and they lifted up their voice, and [34] said, Our Master, Jesus, have mercy upon us.
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.35
… However, what was obviously required by the law He commanded should be done: “Go,” said He, “show yourselves to the priests.”
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Concerning Widows 10
… See what thou doest, O priest, and touch not the Body of Christ with a fevered hand. First be healed that thou mayest be able to minister. If Christ bids those who are now cleansed, but were once leprous, to show themselves to the priests,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On Baptism, Against the Donatists 6.44
… Shall we, however, maintain that on this account the holy sacraments which existed among the Jews partook of the nature of the Jews themselves,—those sacraments which the Lord Himself also accepted, and sent the lepers whom He had cleansed to fulfill them,
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Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 30
… And as he went in the way, there met him [33] ten persons who were lepers, and stood afar off: and they lifted up their voice, and [34] said, Our Master, Jesus, have mercy upon us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go and shew yourselves unto the priests. And when they went, they [35] were cleansed.
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.35
… Whence also, astonished that one only out of the ten was thankful for his release to the divine grace, He does not command him to offer a gift according to the law, because he had already paid his tribute of gratitude when “he glorified God”;
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Festal and Personal Letters of Athanasius 6
… ‘But one of them when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell on his face at the feet of Jesus giving Him thanks; and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but those nine—whence are there none found who returned to give glory to God, but this stranger
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Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 30
… and they lifted up their voice, and [34] said, Our Master, Jesus, have mercy upon us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go and shew yourselves unto the priests. And when they went, they [35] were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw himself cleansed, returned, and [36] was praising God with a loud voice;
17:17
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 30
… And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go and shew yourselves unto the priests. And when they went, they [35] were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw himself cleansed, returned, and [36] was praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face before the feet of [37] Jesus, giving him thanks: and this man was a Samaritan.
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.35
… Because Elisha did not in the case of Naaman the Syrian, and yet was not on that account less the Creator’s agent? This is a sufficient answer. But the believer knows that there is a profounder reason. Consider, therefore, the true motives. The miracle was performed in the district of Samaria, to which country also belonged one of the lepers.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 15.10
… And, lest you should think that I have said this with more boldness than truth, hear the Lord Jesus Himself, what He said of that Samaritan, one of the ten lepers whom He had cleansed, who alone returned to give thanks: “Were there not ten cleansed? And where are the nine? There was not another to give glory to God, save this stranger.”
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Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 30
… And when they went, they [35] were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw himself cleansed, returned, and [36] was praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face before the feet of [37] Jesus, giving him thanks: and this man was a Samaritan. Jesus answered and said, [38] Were not those that were cleansed ten? where then are the nine?
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 25
“How then elsewhere doth He bid them tell of it?” one may ask. Not as jostling with or opposing Himself, but as teaching men to be grateful. For neither in that place did He give command to proclaim Himself, but to “give glory to God;”
Pope St Leo I the Great † AD 461 Sermons 84
I entreat you, beloved, let those words of the Saviour touch your hearts, Who, when by the power of His mercy He had cleansed ten lepers, said that only one of them all had returned to give thanks
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Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 30
… and he fell on his face before the feet of [37] Jesus, giving him thanks: and this man was a Samaritan. Jesus answered and said, [38] Were not those that were cleansed ten? where then are the nine? Not one of them turned aside to come and praise God, but this man who is of a strange [39] people.
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.35
… that there also was the womb of religion, and its living fountain, not its mere “well.” Seeing, therefore, that they recognised the truth that at Jerusalem the law was to be fulfilled, He healed them, whose salvation was to come of faith
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Festal and Personal Letters of Athanasius 6
… and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but those nine—whence are there none found who returned to give glory to God, but this stranger ?’ And there was more given to him than to the rest; for being cleansed from his leprosy, he heard from the Lord, ‘Arise, go thy way, thy faith hath saved thee
17:20
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 40
[22] And when certain of the Pharisees asked of Jesus, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered and said unto them, The kingdom of God cometh not [23] with expectation: neither shall they say, Lo, it is here! nor, Lo, it is there! for the kingdom of God is within you.
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.35
… or that He should have answered them concerning the kingdom of any other god than Him of whom they were in the habit of asking Him. “The kingdom of God,” He says, “cometh not with observation; neither do they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”
Origen † AD 254 Origen De Principiis 1.3.6
… “For to him who knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” Moreover, that all men are not without communion with God, is taught in the Gospel thus, by the Saviour’s words: “The kingdom of God cometh not with observation; neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! but the kingdom of God is within you.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 59.1
… “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In like manner too John the Baptist and His forerunner began thus; “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And now the Lord rebuketh those who would not repent, when “the kingdom of heaven was at hand.” “The kingdom of heaven,” as He saith Himself, “will not come with observation.”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 1.13
… for verily I say unto you that the kingdom of God is within you.”
17:21
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 40
[22] And when certain of the Pharisees asked of Jesus, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered and said unto them, The kingdom of God cometh not [23] with expectation:
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.35
… it, and do it?’ nor is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, ‘Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?’ But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, and in thy hands, to do it.” This means, “Neither in this place nor that place is the kingdom of God; for, behold, it is within you.”
St Hippolytus † AD 235 The Refutation of All Heresies 5.2
… doctrine, testimony to be drawn from the mysteries of the Assyrians, but also from those of the Phrygians concerning the happy nature—concealed, and yet at the same time disclosed—of things that have been, and are coming into existence, and moreover will be,—(a happy nature) which, (the Naassene) says, is the kingdom of heaven to be sought for within a man.
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on Matthew 10.14
… But if the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God are the same thing in reality, if not in idea, manifestly to those to whom it is said, “The kingdom of God is within you,”
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on Matthew 12.14
… for Christ, who is all virtue, has come, and speaks, and on account of this the kingdom of God is within His disciples, and not here or there.
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on Matthew 12.35
… And such an one indeed would see in Him the kingdom of God come with power; and he would see this, as one who is no longer now under the reign of “sin which reigns in the mortal body of those who sin,” but is ever under the orders of the king, who is God of all, whose kingdom is indeed potentially “within us,”
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 3.53
… Choose for thyself life, that thou mayest live.” Also in Isaiah: “And if ye be willing, and hear me, ye shall eat the good of the land. But if ye be unwilling, and will not hear me, the sword shall consume you. For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken these things.” Also in the Gospel according to Luke: “The kingdom of God is within you.”
St Peter of Alexandria † AD 311 The Canonical Epistle, with the Commentaries of Theodore Balsamon and John Zonaras 5
… Moreover, we hear both also preaching, in the first place, not only repentance, but the kingdom of heaven, which, as we have learned, is within us;
St Hilary of Poitiers † AD 367 De Trinitate or On the Trinity 11.39
… Afterwards He shall deliver the Kingdom to the Father, and those whom He has handed to the Father, as the Kingdom, shall see God. He Himself witnesses to the Apostles what manner of Kingdom this is: The Kingdom of God is within you
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Life of Antony. (Vita Antoni.) 16
… That they may get knowledge, the Greeks live abroad and cross the sea, but we have no need to depart from home for the sake of the kingdom of heaven, nor to cross the sea for the sake of virtue. For the Lord aforetime hath said, “The kingdom of heaven is within you
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 1.11
… For because of our relationship to His Body we too have become God’s temple, and in consequence are made God’s sons, so that even in us the Lord is now worshipped, and beholders report, as the Apostle says, that God is in them of a truth
St Gregory of Nyssa † AD 395 On Virginity 12
… human efforts can only go so far as to clear away the filth of sin, and so cause the buried beauty of the soul to shine forth again. This truth is, I think, taught in the Gospel, when our Lord says, to those who can hear what Wisdom speaks beneath a mystery, that “the Kingdom of God is within you
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Exposition of the Christian Faith 5.12
149. Let the Son then deliver up His kingdom to the Father. The kingdom which He delivers up is not lost to Christ, but grows. We are the kingdom, for it was said to us: “The kingdom of God is within you.”
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 46.10
10. In speaking thus we do not mean to deny that the kingdom of God is within us,
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 58.3
… Those who say “the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord,” should give ear to the words of the apostle: “ye are the temple of the Lord,” and the Holy Ghost “dwelleth in you.” Access to the courts of heaven is as easy from Britain as it is from Jerusalem; for “the kingdom of God is within you.”
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 60.3
… It is not surprising that this should be promised us in the resurrection: for as many of us as living in the flesh do not live after the flesh, have our citizenship in heaven, and while we are still here on earth we are told that “the kingdom of heaven is within us.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 59.1
… “Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” And now the Lord rebuketh those who would not repent, when “the kingdom of heaven was at hand.” “The kingdom of heaven,” as He saith Himself, “will not come with observation.” And again He saith, “The kingdom of heaven is within you.”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 18.16
… For unless our mind is strengthened by the power of His protection Who says in the gospel “the kingdom of God is within you,”
17:22
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on First Corinthians 21
… xv. 8 .) saith he, “as unto one born out of due time, He appeared unto me also.” Now this likewise was no small dignity: since “many Prophets,” (S. Matt. xiii. 17 .) saith He, “and righteous men have desired to see the things which ye see, and have not seen them:” and, “Days will come when ye shall desire to see one of these days.” (S.
17:25
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 42
… But as for you, beware: for I have acquainted you with everything [13] beforehand. If then they say unto you, Lo, he is in the desert; go not out, lest ye [14] be taken: and if they say unto you, Lo, he is in the chamber; believe not. And as the lightning appeareth from the east, and is seen unto the west; so shall be the [15] coming of the Son of man.
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.35
… For He tells them that “the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected,” before His coming,
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John 8
… for he does not absolutely say, that no one knew Him, but that “the world knew him not”; that is, those persons who are as it were nailed to the world alone, and who mind the things of the world. For so Christ was wont to call them; as when He says, “O Holy Father, the world hath not known Thee.” (
17:26
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 4.36.3
… as also it was in the days of Lot, they did eat and drink, they bought and sold, they planted and builded, until the time that Lot went out of Sodom; it rained fire from heaven, and destroyed them all: so shall it also be at the coming of the Son of man.”
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.35
… If, however, He speaks of His own coming, why does He compare it with the days of Noe and of Lot,
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 23
[1.] “ By faith” (he says) “Noah being warned of God.” As the Son of God, speaking of His own coming, said, “In the days of Noah they married and were given in marriage” (
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Letters of St. Augustin 164
… for the Lord says: “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man; they did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.”
17:27
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 123.13
… and according to the letter that killeth the prophet Hosea married not only a whore but an adulteress. If these instances are to justify us let us neigh after every woman that we meet; like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah let us be found by the last day buying and selling, marrying and giving in marriage;
17:28
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 42
[38] For as it was in the days of Noah, so shall the coming of the Son of man be. [39] As they were before the flood eating and drinking, and taking wives, and giving [40] wives to men, until the day in which Noah entered into the ark, and they perceived not till the flood came, and took them all; so shall the coming of the Son of man [41] be.
Tertullian † AD 220 To His Wife i.5
… Let us marry daily, and in the midst of our marrying let us be overtaken, like Sodom and Gomorrah, by that day of fear!
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Reply to Faustus the Manichæan 22.67
… Why, then, was he not considered fit to be told, as David was, that the Lord had pardoned his sin? Is there acceptance of persons with God? Far from it. While to the human ear the words were the same, the divine eye saw a difference in the heart. The lesson for us to learn from these things is, that the kingdom of heaven is within us,
17:29
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 42
… so shall the coming of the Son of man [41] be. And as it was in the days of Lot; they were eating and drinking, and selling [42] and buying, and planting and building,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On Christian Doctrine 3.36
… Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the house-top, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away; and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot’s wife.”
17:30
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 42
… so shall the coming of the Son of man [41] be. And as it was in the days of Lot; they were eating and drinking, and selling [42] and buying, and planting and building, on the day in which Lot went out from Sodom, and the Lord rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them [43, 44] all:
17:31
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 42
… And as it was in the days of Lot; they were eating and drinking, and selling [42] and buying, and planting and building, on the day in which Lot went out from Sodom, and the Lord rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them [43, 44] all: so shall it be in the day in which the Son of man is revealed.
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Exhortation to Martyrdom, Addressed to Fortunatus 7
… “No man looking back, and putting his hand to the plough, is fit for the kingdom of God.” And again: “And let him that is in the field not return back. Remember Lot’s wife.”
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Exposition of the Christian Faith 5.16
203. And so thou hast it: “In that hour he which shall be on the housetop let him not come down to take his goods out of his house, and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Twelve Books on the Institutes of the Cœnobia, and the Remedies for the Eight Principal Faults 7.27
… When secure on the top of the gospel roof, why do you descend to carry away something from the house, from those things, namely, which beforetime you despised? When you are out in the field and working at the virtues, why do you run back and try to clothe yourself again with what belongs to this world, which you stripped off when you renounced it?
17:32
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 42
… so shall it be in the day in which the Son of man is revealed. And in that day, whosoever is on the roof, and his garments in the house, let him not go down to [45] take them: and he that is in the field shall not turn behind him.
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 4.35
… If, however, He speaks of His own coming, why does He compare it with the days of Noe and of Lot, which were dark and terrible—a mild and gentle God as He is? Why does He bid us “remember Lot’s wife,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Reply to Faustus the Manichæan 22.41
… for she, for our warning, was turned into a pillar of salt, that being thus seasoned we might not trifle thoughtlessly with this danger, but be on our guard against it. So, when the Lord was admonishing every one to get rid of the things that are behind by the most strenuous endeavor to reach the things that are before, He said, "Remember Lot’s wife."
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 46.10
… No. Marriage is not to be condemned; but see whither he had come who has chosen it. He had already got before it. When he was living as a young man in voluptuousness, marriage was before him; he was making his way towards it; but when he had chosen continence, marriage was behind him. “Remember,” saith the Lord, “Lot’s wife.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 70.9
… and when there were not given on their journey the pleasant things, whereby perchance they would have been corrupted, they murmured against God, and went back in heart unto Egypt: to that place whence in body they had been severed, in heart they went back. Do not thou, then, so, do not so: fear the word of the Lord, saying, “Remember Lot’s wife.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 76.11
… for neither are they only that are in a monastery to attain unto the kingdom of Heaven, nor do those that are not there not belong unto God. We answer him, but they have not vowed; thou hast vowed, thou hast looked back. When the Lord was threatening them with the day of judgment, He saith what? “Remember Lot’s wife.”
17:33
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 42
… so shall it be in the day in which the Son of man is revealed. And in that day, whosoever is on the roof, and his garments in the house, let him not go down to [45] take them: and he that is in the field shall not turn behind him. Remember Lot’s [46] wife.
St Basil the Great † AD 379 De Spiritu Sancto 24
… He is good by nature, in the same way as the Father is good, and the Son is good; the creature on the other hand shares in goodness by choosing the good. He knows “The deep things of God;” the creature receives the manifestation of ineffable things through the Spirit. He quickens together with God, who produces and preserves all things alive,
St Gregory of Nyssa † AD 395 Against Eunomius 1-2.27
… “The same energies produce sameness of works.” Let us test this by facts. The energy of fire is always one and the same; it consists in heating: but what sort of agreement do its results show? Bronze melts in it; mud hardens; wax vanishes: while all other animals are destroyed by it, the salamander is preserved alive
17:34
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 42
… And in that day, whosoever is on the roof, and his garments in the house, let him not go down to [45] take them: and he that is in the field shall not turn behind him. Remember Lot’s [46] wife. Whosoever shall desire to save his life shall destroy it: but whosoever shall [47] destroy his life shall save it.
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 5.27
… For “He came to divide a man against his father, and the daughter against the mother, and the daughter-in-law against the mother-in-law;” and when two are in one bed, to take the one, and to leave the other; and of two women grinding at the mill, to take one and leave the other:
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 15.23
… think not that He will take the landowners, and leave thee the husbandman. Though thou be a slave, though thou be poor, be not any whit distressed; He who took the form of a servant despises not servants. Though thou be lying sick in bed, yet it is written, Then shall two be in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other left
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 74
And to me He seems to declare, that at night will be the advent. For this Luke too saith.
17:35
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 42
… and he that is in the field shall not turn behind him. Remember Lot’s [46] wife. Whosoever shall desire to save his life shall destroy it: but whosoever shall [47] destroy his life shall save it. Verily I say unto you, In that night there shall be two on [48] [Arabic, p. 162] one bed; one shall be taken, and another left.
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 15.23
… Though thou be a slave, though thou be poor, be not any whit distressed; He who took the form of a servant despises not servants. Though thou be lying sick in bed, yet it is written, Then shall two be in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other left . Though thou be of compulsion put to grind, whether thou be man or woman
17:36
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 42
… Remember Lot’s [46] wife. Whosoever shall desire to save his life shall destroy it: but whosoever shall [47] destroy his life shall save it. Verily I say unto you, In that night there shall be two on [48] [Arabic, p. 162] one bed; one shall be taken, and another left. And two women shall be grinding [49] at one mill; one shall be taken, and another left.
17:37
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 42
… but whosoever shall [47] destroy his life shall save it. Verily I say unto you, In that night there shall be two on [48] [Arabic, p. 162] one bed; one shall be taken, and another left. And two women shall be grinding [49] at one mill; one shall be taken, and another left. And two shall be in the [50] field; one shall be taken, and another left.
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Decease of His Brother Satyrus 2.108
… the body of Christ, which again the last trump shall reveal; for “the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven at the voice of the Archangel, and at the trump of God, and they that are dead in Christ shall rise again;” for “where the body is, there too are the eagles,”
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 46.10
… Need we recall the Armenians, the Persians, the peoples of India and Arabia? Or those of our neighbor, Egypt, so rich in monks; of Pontus and Cappadocia; of Cæle-Syria and Mesopotamia and the teeming east? In fulfilment of the Saviour’s words, “Wherever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together,”
17:1
Theophylact † 1107
Because the Pharisees were covetous and railed against Christ when He preached poverty, He put to them the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Afterwards, in speaking with His disciples concerning the Pharisees, He declares them to be men who caused division, and placed obstacles in the divine way. As it follows; Then said he unto his disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come, that is, hindrances to a good life and which is pleasing to God.
St Cyril of Alexandria † AD 444
Now there are two kinds of offences, of which the one resist the glory of God, but the other serve only to cause a stumbling-block to the brethren. For the inventions of heresies, and every word that is spoken against the truth, are obstructions to the glory of God. Such offences however do not seem to be mentioned here, but rather those which occur between friends and brethren, as strifes, slanders, and the like. Therefore He adds afterwards, If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him.
Theophylact † 1107
Or, He says that there must arise many obstacles to preaching and to the truth, as the Pharisees hindered the preaching of Christ. But some ask, If it needs be that offences should come, why does our Lord rebuke the author of the offences? for it follows, But woe to him through whom they come. For whatsoever necessity engenders is pardonable, or deserving of pardon. But observe, that necessity itself derives its birth from free-will. For our Lord, seeing how men cling to evil, and put forward nothing good, spoke with reference to the consequence of those things which are seen, that offences must needs come; just as if a physician, seeing a man using an unwholesome diet, should say, It is impossible but that such a one should be sick. And therefore to him that causes offences He denounces woe, and threatens punishment, saying, It were better for him that a mill-stone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, &c.
St Bede † AD 735
This is spoken according to the custom of the province of Palestine; for among the ancient Jews the punishment of those who were guilty of the greater crimes was that they should be sunk into the deep with a stone tied to them; and in truth it were better for a guilty man to finish his bodily life by a punishment however barbarous, yet temporal, than for his innocent brother to deserve the eternal death of his soul. Now he who can be offended is rightly called a little one; for he who is great, whatsoever he is witness of, and how great soever his sufferings, swerves not from the faith. As far then as we can without sin, we ought to avoid giving offence to our neighbours. But if an offence is taken at the truth, it is better to let the offence be, than that truth should be abandoned.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
But by the punishment of the man who offends, learn the reward of him who saves. For had not the salvation of one soul been of such exceeding care to Christ, He would not threaten with such a punishment the offender.
The Latin text
Theophylactus
Quia Pharisaei existentes avari convitiabantur Christo de paupertate praedicanti, induxit parabolam divitis et Lazari. Deinde cum discipulis confert de Pharisaeis, indicans eos schismaticos et divinae viae impeditores esse; unde dicitur et ait ad discipulos suos: impossibile est ut non veniant scandala, idest impedimenta bonae et Deo placitae conversationis
Chrysostomus
Sunt autem duplicia scandala: quorum haec quidem divinae gloriae refragantur, haec vero prodeunt solum ad irrogandum fratribus impedimentum: nam excogitationes haeresum, et quicumque contra veritatem fit sermo, divinae gloriae refragatur. Non tamen ad praesens memorari videntur huiusmodi scandala, sed magis ea quae contingunt inter amicos et fratres; sicut iurgia, detractiones et huiusmodi; unde postea subdit si peccaverit in te frater tuus
Theophylactus
Vel dicit, quod necesse est emergere multa praedicationis et veritatis obstacula, sicut Pharisaei impediebant Christi praedicationem. Quaerunt autem aliqui: si necesse est ut veniant scandala, cur dominus arguit scandalorum auctorem? Sequitur enim vae autem illi per quem veniunt: quidquid enim parit necessitas veniale est. Sed attende, quod necessitas ista ex libero arbitrio sortitur originem. Videns enim dominus qualiter homines innituntur malo, nec proponunt aliquid boni, dixit quod quantum est ex consequentia eorum quae videntur, necesse est contingere scandala: sicut si medicus videns quemquam mala dieta utentem, dicat: necesse est hunc aegrotare; et ideo inducenti scandala vae dicit, et poenam ei comminatur, dicens utilius est illi si lapis molaris imponatur circa collum eius, et proiciatur in mare, quam ut scandalizet unum de pusillis istis
Beda
Secundum morem provinciae Palaestinae loquitur; cum maiorum criminum apud veteres Iudaeos fuerit poena, ut in profundum ligato saxo demergerentur. Et revera utilius est innoxium poena, quamvis atrocissima, temporali tamen, vitam finire corpoream, quam fratri nocentem mortem animae mereri perpetuam. Recte autem qui scandalizari potest, pusillus appellatur: qui enim magnus est, quodcumque viderit, quodcumque passus fuerit, non declinat a fide. Inquantum ergo sine peccato possumus, evitare proximorum scandalum debemus. Si autem de veritate scandalum sumitur, utilius permittitur scandalum, quam veritas relinquatur
Chrysostomus
Per scandalizantis autem poenam bravium salvantis addisce: nisi enim unius animae salus esset sibi nimium curae, non comminaretur scandalizantibus tantam poenam
17:3
St Ambrose † AD 397
After the parable of the rich man who is tormented in punishment, Christ added a commandment to give forgiveness to those who turn themselves from their trespasses, lest any one through despair should not be reclaimed from his fault; and hence it is said, Take heed to yourselves.
Theophylact † 1107
As if He says, Offences must needs come; but it does not follow that you must perish, if only you be on your guard: as it need not that the sheep should perish when the wolf comes, if the shepherd is watching. And since there are great varieties of offenders, (for some are incurable, some are curable,) He therefore adds, If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him.
St Ambrose † AD 397
That there might neither be hard-wrung pardon, nor a too easy forgiveness, neither a harsh upbraiding, to dishearten, nor an overlooking of faults, to invite to sin; therefore it is said in another place, Tell him his fault between him and thee alone. (Mat. 18:15.) For better is a friendly correction, than a quarrelsome accusation. The one strikes shame into a man, the other moves his indignation. He who is admonished will more likely be saved, because he fears to be destroyed. For it is well that he who is corrected should believe you to be rather his friend than his enemy. For we more readily give ear to counsel than yield to injury. Fear is a weak preserver of consistency, but shame is an excellent master of duty. For he who fears is restrained, not amended. But He has well said, If he trespass against thee. For it is not the same thing to sin against God and to sin against man.
St Bede † AD 735
But we must mark, that He does not bid us forgive every one who sins, but him only who repents of his sins. For by taking this course we may avoid offences, hurting no one, correcting the sinner with a righteous zeal, extending the bowels of mercy to the penitent.
Theophylact † 1107
But some one may well ask, If when I have several times forgiven my brother he again trespass against me, what must I do with him? In answer therefore to this question He adds, And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; forgive him.
St Bede † AD 735
By using the number seven He assigns no bound to the giving of pardon, but commands us either to forgive all sins, or always to forgive the penitent. For by seven the whole of any thing or time is frequently represented.
St Ambrose † AD 397
Or this number is used because God rested on the seventh day from His works. After the seventh day of the world everlasting rest is promised us, that as the evil works of that world shall then cease, so also may the sharpness of punishment be abated.
The Latin text
Ambrosius
Post divitem qui cruciatur in poenis subicit praeceptum veniae largiendae his qui se ab errore convertunt, ne quem desperatio non revocet a culpa; unde dicitur attendite vobis
Theophylactus
Quasi dicat: necesse est scandala contingere; non tamen necessarium est vos perire, si peccaveritis; sicut non est necesse oves perire lupo veniente, si vigilet pastor. Et quoniam multae sunt scandalizantium differentiae: quidam enim sunt insanabiles, quidam sanabiles; ideo subiungit si peccaverit in te frater tuus, increpa illum; et si poenitentiam egerit, dimitte illi
Ambrosius
Ut neque difficilis venia, nec remissa sit indulgentia: neque austera percellat invectio, vel conniventia non invitet ad culpam; unde et alibi dicitur: corripe ipsum inter te et ipsum solum: plus enim proficit amica correctio quam accusatio turbulenta. Illa pudorem incutit, haec indignationem movet. Servetur potius quod prodi metuat qui monetur: bonum quippe est ut amicum magis te qui corripitur credat, quam inimicum: facilius enim consiliis acquiescitur quam iniuriae succumbitur. Infirmus custos diuturnitatis est timor, pudor autem bonus magister officii: qui enim metuit reprimitur, non emendatur. Pulchre autem posuit si peccaverit in te: non enim est aequa conditio in Deum hominemque peccare
Beda
Intuendum est autem, quia non passim peccanti dimittere iubet, sed poenitentiam agenti: hoc enim ordine scandala declinare possumus, si nullum laedamus, si peccantem zelo iustitiae corripimus, si poenitenti misericordiae viscera pandimus
Theophylactus
Sed quaereret aliquis: si cum pluries indulserim fratri, iterum fit nocivus, quid agendum est secum? Ideo quaestioni huic respondens subdit et si septies in die peccaverit in te, et septies in die conversus fuerit ad te dicens: poenitet me, dimitte illi
Beda
Septenario numero non veniae dandae terminus ponitur, sed vel omnia peccata dimittenda, vel semper poenitenti dimittendum praecipitur: solet enim saepe per septem, cuiusque rei aut temporis universitas indicari
Ambrosius
Vel quia septima die requievit Deus ab operibus suis, post hebdomadam istius mundi requies nobis diuturna promittitur, ut quemadmodum mala istius mundi opera cessabunt, ita etiam vindictae severitas conquiescat
17:5
Theophylact † 1107
The disciples hearing our Lord discoursing of certain arduous duties, such as poverty, and avoiding offences, entreat Him to increase their faith, that so they might be able to follow poverty, (for nothing so prompts to a life of poverty as faith and hope in the Lord,) and through faith to guard against giving offences. Therefore it is said, And the Apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
St Gregory the Great † AD 604 22. Mor. c. 21.
That is, that the faith which has already been received in its beginning, might go on increasing more and more unto perfection.
St Augustine † AD 430 de Quæst. Ev. lib. 2. qu. 39.
We may indeed understand that they asked for the increase of that faith by which men believe in the things which they see not; but there is further signified a faith in things, whereby not with the words only, but the things themselves present, we believe. And this shall be, when the Wisdom of God, by whom all things were made, shall reveal Himself openly to His saints face to face.
Theophylact † 1107
But our Lord told them that they asked well, and that they ought to believe stedfastly, forasmuch as faith could do many things; and hence it follows, And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, &c. Two mighty acts are here brought together in the same sentence; the transplanting of that which was rooted in the earth, and the planting thereof in the sea, (for what is ever planted in the waves?) by which two things He declares the power of faith.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Hom. 57. in Matt.
He mentions the mustard seed, because, though small in size, it is mightier in power than all the others. He implies then that the least part of faith can do great things. But though the Apostles did not transplant the mulberry tree, do not thou accuse them; for our Lord said not, You shall transplant, but, You shall be able to transplant. But they did not, because there was no need, seeing that they did greater things. (Hom. 32 in 1 ad Cor. c. 13:2.). But some one will ask, How does Christ say, that it is the least part of faith which can transplant a mulberry tree or a mountain, whereas Paul says that it is all faith which moves mountains? We must then answer, that the Apostle imputes the moving of mountains to all faith, not as though only the whole of faith could do this, but because this seemed a great thing to carnal men on account of the vastness of the body.
St Bede † AD 735
Or our Lord here compares perfect faith to a grain of mustard seed, because it is lowly in appearance, but fervid in heart. But mystically by the mulberry tree, (whose fruit and branches are red with a blood-red colour,) is represented the Gospel of the cross, which, through the faith of the Apostles being uprooted by the word of preaching from the Jewish nation, in which it was kept as it were in the lineal stock, was removed and planted in the sea of the Gentiles.
St Ambrose † AD 397
Or this is said because faith keeps out the unclean spirit, especially since the nature of the tree falls in with this meaning. For the fruit of the mulberry is at first white in the blossom, and being formed from thence grows red, and blackens as it gets ripe. The devil also having by transgression fallen from the white flower of the angelic nature and the bright beams of his power, grows terrible in the black odour of sin.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
The mulberry may be also compared to the devil, for as by the leaves of the mulberry tree certain worms are fed, so the devil, by the imaginations which proceed from him, is feeding for us a never dying worm; but this mulberry tree faith is able to pluck out of our souls, and plunge it into the deep.
The Latin text
Theophylactus
Audientes discipuli dominum de quibusdam arduis disserentem, puta de paupertate, et scandalis evitandis, petunt sibi fidem augeri, per quam possent paupertatem sequi: nihil enim adeo cultum suggerit paupertatis, sicut credere et sperare in domino: et ut per fidem scandalis valeant resistere; unde dicitur et dixerunt apostoli domino: adauge nobis fidem
Gregorius Moralium
Utque iam accepta per initium fuerat, quasi per augmentum graduum ad perfectionem veniret
Augustinus de quaest. Evang
Potest quidem intelligi hanc fidem sibi augeri postulasse qua creduntur ea quae non videntur; sed tamen dicitur etiam fides rerum, quando non verbis, sed ipsis rebus praesentibus creditur quod futurum est, cum iam per speciem manifestam se contemplandam praebebit sanctis ipsa Dei sapientia, per quam facta sunt omnia
Theophylactus
Dominus autem ostendit eis quod bene peterent, et quod credere deberent constanter, ostendens eis quod fides multa potest; unde sequitur dixit autem dominus: si habueritis fidem sicut granum sinapis, dicetis huic arbori moro: eradicare et transplantare in mare, et obediet vobis. Duo magna concurrunt in idem, transpositio radicati in terra, et plantatio in mari: quid enim in undis plantatur? Per quae duo virtutem fidei manifestat
Chrysostomus in Matthaeum
Mentionem autem facit sinapis, quia eius granum, etsi sit parvum quantitate, est tamen potestate virtuosius omnibus. Insinuat igitur quod minimum suae fidei magna potest. Si autem morum non transposuerunt apostoli, non calumnieris: non enim dixit: transferetis, sed: transferre poteritis; sed noluerunt, quia opus non erat, cum maiora fecerint
Chrysostomus
Quaeret autem aliquis: quomodo Christus dicit minimam partem esse fidei, quae morum vel montem potest transponere, cum Paulus dicat hanc esse omnem fidem quae montes transfert? Dicendum igitur est, quod apostolus attribuit toti fidei montem transponere, non tamquam tota fides solum hoc possit, sed quia hoc carnalibus magnum videbatur propter eminentiam corporis
Beda
Vel fidem perfectam dominus hic grano sinapis comparat, eo quod sit in facie humilis, et in pectore fervens. Mystice autem per morum, cuius colore sanguineo fructus et virgulta rubent, Evangelium crucis exprimitur, quae per fidem apostolorum de gente Iudaeorum, in qua velut in stirpe generis tenebatur, verbis praedicationis eradicata, et in mare gentium plantata est
Ambrosius
Vel hoc dicitur quando fides spiritum excludit immundum: nam fructus mori primo albet in flore, qui inde iam formatus erutilat, maturitate nigrescit. Diabolus quoque, ex albenti angelicae flore naturae, et potestate rutilanti, praevaricatione deiectus, tetro inhorruit odore peccati
Chrysostomus
Morum etiam Diabolo aptabis: nam sicut mori frondibus vermes aluntur, sic Diabolus per cogitationes exortas ab eo, alit nobis vermem perpetuum. Sed hanc morum potest fides ab animabus nostris evellere, et in abyssum demergere
17:7
Theophylact † 1107
Because faith makes its possessor a keeper of God’s commandments, and adorns him with wonderful works; it would seem from thence that a man might thereby fall into the sin of pride. Our Lord therefore forewarned His Apostles by a fit example, not to boast themselves in their virtues, saying, But which of you having a servant plowing, &c.
St Augustine † AD 430 de Quæst. Ev. l. 2. qu. 39.
Or else; To the many who understand not this faith in the truth already present, our Lord might seem not to have answered the petitions of His disciples. And there appears a difficulty in the connexion here, unless we suppose He meant the change from faith to faith, from that faith, namely, by which we serve God, to that whereby we enjoy Him. For then will our faith be increased when we first believe the word preached, next the reality present. But that joyful contemplation possesseth perfect peace, which is given unto us in the everlasting kingdom of God. And that perfect peace is the reward of those righteous labours, which are performed in the administration of the Church. Be then the servant in the field ploughing, or feeding, that is, in this life either following his worldly business, or serving foolish men, as it were cattle, he must after his labours return home, that is, be united to the Church.
St Bede † AD 735
Or the servant departs from the field when giving up for a time his work of preaching, the teacher retires into his own conscience, pondering his own words or deeds within himself. To whom our Lord does not at once say, Go from this mortal life, and sit down to meat, that is, refresh thyself in the everlasting resting-place of a blessed life.
St Ambrose † AD 397
For we know that no one sits down before he has first passed over. Moses indeed also passed over, that he might see a great sight. Since then thou not only sayest to thy servant, Sit down to meat, but requirest from him another service, so in this life the Lord does not put up with the performance of one work and labour, because as long as we live we ought always to work. Therefore it follows, And will not rather say, Make ready wherewith I may sup.
St Bede † AD 735
He bids make ready wherewith he may sup, that is, after the labours of public discourse, He bids him humble himself in self-examination. With such a supper our Lord desires to be fed. But to gird one’s self is to collect the mind which has been enfolded in the base coil of fluctuating thoughts, whereby its steps in the cause of good works are wont to be entangled. For he who girds up his garments does so, that in walking he may not be tripped up. But to minister unto God, is to acknowledge that we have no strength without the help of His grace.
St Augustine † AD 430 de Quæst. Ev. ubi sup.
While His servants also are ministering, that is, preaching the Gospel, our Lord is eating and drinking the faith and confession of the Gentiles. It follows, And afterward thou shall eat and drink. As if He says, After that I have been delighted with the work of thy preaching, and refreshed myself with the choice food of thy compunction, then at length shalt thou go, and feast thyself everlastingly with the eternal banquet of wisdom.
St Cyril of Alexandria † AD 444
Our Lord teaches us that it is no more than the just and proper right of a master to require, as their bounden duty, subjection from servants, adding, Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. Here then is the disease of pride cut away. Why boastest thou thyself? Dost thou know that if thou payest not thy debt, danger is at hand, but if thou payest, thou doest nothing thankworthy? As St. Paul says, For though I preach the Gospel I have nothing to glory of, for necessity is laid upon me, yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel. (1 Cor. 9:16.) Observe then that they who have rule among us, do not thank their subjects, when they perform their appointed service, but by kindness gaining the affections of their people, breed in them a greater eagerness to serve them. So likewise God requires from us that we should wait upon Him as His servants, but because He is merciful, and of great goodness, He promises reward to them that work, and the greatness of His loving-kindness far exceeds the labours of His servants.
St Ambrose † AD 397
Boast not thyself then that thou hast been a good servant. Thou hast done what thou oughtest to have done. The sun obeys, the moon submits herself, the angels are subject; let us not then seek praise from ourselves. Therefore He adds in conclusion, So likewise ye, when ye have done all good things, say, We are unprofitable servants, we have done that which it was our duty to do.
St Bede † AD 735
Servants, I say, because bought with a price; (1 Cor. 6:20) unprofitable, for the Lord needeth not our good things, (Ps. 16:2) or because the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Rom. 8:18.) Herein then is the perfect faith of men, when having done all things which were commanded them, they acknowledge themselves to be imperfect.
The Latin text
Theophylactus
Quia fides proprium possessorem facit divinorum mandatorum observatorem, vivificis eum exornans operibus, exinde videbatur hominem incurrere posse superbiae vitium: unde praemonuit dominus apostolos ne superbiant in virtutibus suis, per exemplum conveniens, dicens quis autem vestrum habens servum arantem aut boves pascentem, qui regresso de agro dicat illi: statim transi et recumbe?
Augustinus de quaest. Evang
Vel aliter. Hanc ergo fidem praestantissimae veritatis plerisque non intelligentibus, videri potest dominus discipulis suis non ad id quod petierant respondisse. Difficile autem mihi apparet; nisi intelligamus ex fide in fidem, idest ex fide ista, qua ministratur Deo, in eam significasse transferri ubi fruantur Deo. Augebitur enim fides cum primo verbis praedicantibus, deinde rebus apparentibus creditur: sed illa contemplatio summam quietem habet, quae in aeterno Dei regno retribuitur. Summa vero quies illa praemium est iustorum laborum, qui in Ecclesiae administratione peraguntur: et ideo quamvis in agro aret servus aut pascat, hoc est in vita saeculari vel terrena verset negotia, vel stultis hominibus tamquam pecoribus serviat; opus est ut post illos labores domum veniat; hoc est Ecclesiae societur
Beda
Vel servus de agro egreditur, cum intermisso ad tempus opere praedicandi, ad conscientiam doctorem recurrit, sua secum acta vel dicta retractans; cui non statim dominus dicit transi, de hac vita mortali; recumbe, idest in aeterna sede beatae vitae refovere
Ambrosius
Intelligitur enim quia nullus recumbit nisi ante transierit. Denique et Moyses ante transivit, ut magnum visum videret. Sicut ergo tu non solum non dicis servo tuo recumbe, sed exigis ab eo aliud ministerium; ita nec in te patitur dominus unius usum esse operis et laboris: quia dum vivimus, debemus semper operari; unde sequitur et non dicat ei: para quod coenem, et praecinge te, et ministra mihi, donec manducem et bibam?
Beda
Iubet parari quod coenet, hoc est post laborem apertae locutionis humilitatem quoque considerationis propriae exhibere: tali coena dominus pasci desiderat. Praecingi autem est mentem humiliatam ab omnibus fluctuantium cogitationem finibus, quibus operum gressus impediri solet, constringere: nam qui vestimenta praecingit, hoc agit ne incedens involvatur ad lapsum. Ministrare vero Deo, est absque gratiae eius auxilio nihil virium habere profiteri
Augustinus de quaest. Evang
Ministrantibus etiam, hoc est evangelizantibus servis suis, manducat et bibit dominus confessionem et fidem gentium. Sequitur et post haec tu manducabis et bibes
Beda
Quasi dicat: postquam tuae praedicationis opere delectatus, tuaeque compunctionis epulis fuero refectus, tunc demum transies, et aeternis meae sapientiae dapibus in aeternum reficieris
Cyrillus
Docet autem dominus quod ius potestatis dominicae quasi debitam subiectionem requirit a famulis, cum subdit numquid gratiam habet servo illi, quia fecit quae sibi imperaverat? Non puto. Per hoc morbus superbiae tollitur. Quid superbis? Ignoras quod si non persolvis debitum, periculum imminet; si vero persolvas, nullam gratiam facis? Secundum illud Pauli: si evangelizavero, non est mihi gloria; necessitas enim mihi est: vae mihi si non evangelizavero. Considera ergo, quod qui apud nos dominantur, non referunt gratias, cum aliqui subditorum statuta sibi prosequuntur obsequia; sed ex benevolentia saepius suorum provocantes affectum, maiorem eis appetitum serviendi aggenerant. Sic et Deus petit quidem a nobis famulatum iure servitii; verum, quia clemens et bonus est, honores laborantibus pollicetur; et supereminet sudoribus subiectorum benevolentiae magnitudo
Ambrosius
Non ergo te iactes, si bene servisti, quod facere debuisti. Obsequitur sol, obtemperat luna, serviunt Angeli; et nos ergo non a nobis laudem exigamus. Unde concludens subdit sic et vos, cum omnia feceritis, dicite: quia servi inutiles sumus: quod debuimus facere, fecimus
Beda
Servi quidem, quia pretio empti; inutiles, quia dominus bonorum nostrorum non indiget, vel quia non sunt condignae passiones huius temporis ad futuram gloriam. Haec igitur est in hominibus fidei perfectio, si omnibus quae sunt praecepta impletis, imperfectos esse se noverint
17:11
St Ambrose † AD 397
After speaking the foregoing parable, our Lord censures the ungrateful;
Titus of Bostra † AD 378
saying, And it came to pass, shewing that the Samaritans were indeed well disposed towards the mercies above mentioned, but the Jews not so. For there was enmity between the Jews and the Samaritans, and He to allay this, passed into the midst of both nations, that he might cement both into one new man.
St Cyril of Alexandria † AD 444
The Saviour next manifests His glory by drawing over Israel to the faith. As it follows, And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, men who were banished from the towns and cities, and counted unclean, according to the rites of the Mosaic law.
Titus of Bostra † AD 378
They associated together from the sympathy they felt as partakers of the same calamity, and were waiting till Jesus passed, anxiously looking out to see Him approach. As it is said, Which stood afar off, for the Jewish law esteems leprosy unclean, whereas the law of the Gospel calls unclean not the outward, but the inward leprosy.
Theophylact † 1107
They therefore stand afar off as if ashamed of the uncleanness which was imputed to them, thinking that Christ would loathe them as others did. Thus they stood afar off, but were made nigh unto Him by their prayers. For the Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him in truth. (Ps. 145:18.) Therefore it follows, And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy upon us.
Titus of Bostra † AD 378
They pronounce the name of Jesus, and gain to themselves the reality. For Jesus is by interpretation Saviour. They say, Have mercy upon us, because they were sensible of His power, and sought neither for gold and silver, but that their bodies might put on again a healthful appearance.
Theophylact † 1107
They do not merely supplicate or entreat Him as if He were a man, but they call Him Master or Lord, as if almost they looked upon Him as God. But He bids them shew themselves to the priests, as it follows, And when he saw them, he said, Go, shew yourselves unto the priests. For they were examined whether they were cleansed from their leprosy or not.
St Cyril of Alexandria † AD 444
The law also ordered, that those who were cleansed from leprosy should offer sacrifice for the sake of their purification.
Theophylact † 1107
Therefore in bidding them go to the priests, he meant nothing more than that they were just about to be healed; and so it follows, And it came to pass that as they went they were healed.
St Cyril of Alexandria † AD 444
Whereby the Jewish priests who were jealous of His glory might know that it was by Christ granting them health that they were suddenly and miraculously healed.
Theophylact † 1107
But out of the ten, the nine Israelites were ungrateful, whereas the Samaritan stranger returned and lifted up his voice in thanksgiving, as it follows, And one of them turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God.
Titus of Bostra † AD 378
When he found that he was cleansed, he had boldness to draw near, as it follows, And fell down on his face at his feet giving him thanks. Thus by his prostration and prayers shewing at once both his faith and his gratitude. It follows, And he was a Samaritan.
Theophylact † 1107
We may gather from this that a man is not one whit hindered from pleasing God because he comes from a cursed race, only let him bear in his heart an honest purpose. Further, let not him that is born of saints boast himself, for the nine who were Israelites were ungrateful; and hence it follows, And Jesus answering him said, Were there not ten cleansed?
Titus of Bostra † AD 378
Wherein it is shewn, that strangers were more ready to receive the faith, but Israel was slow to believe; and so it follows, And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way, thy faith has made thee whole.
St Augustine † AD 430 de Quæst. Ev. l. ii. qu. 40.
The lepers may be taken mystically for those who, having no knowledge of the true faith, profess various erroneous doctrines. For they do not conceal their ignorance, but blazen it forth as the highest wisdom, making a vain show of it with boasting words. But since leprosy is a blemish in colour, when true things appear clumsily mixed up with false in a single discourse or narration, as in the colour of a single body, they represent a leprosy streaking and disfiguring as it were with true and false dyes the colour of the human form. Now these lepers must be so put away from the Church, that being as far removed as possible, they may with loud shouts call upon Christ. But by their calling Him Teacher, I think it is plainly implied that leprosy is truly the false doctrine which the good teacher may wash away. Now we find that of those upon whom our Lord bestowed bodily mercies, not one did He send to the priests, save the lepers, for the Jewish priesthood was a figure of that priesthood which is in the Church. All vices our Lord corrects and heals by His own power working inwardly in the conscience, but the teaching of infusion by means of the Sacrament, or of catechizing by word of mouth, was assigned to the Church. And as they went, they were cleansed; just as the Gentiles to whom Peter came, having not yet received the sacrament of Baptism, whereby we come spiritually to the priests, are declared cleansed by the infusion of the Holy Spirit. Whoever then follows true and sound doctrine in the fellowship of the Church, proclaiming himself to be free from the confusion of lies, as it were a leprosy, yet still ungrateful to his Cleanser does not prostrate himself with pious humility of thanksgiving, is like to those of whom the Apostle says, that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, nor were thankful. (Rom. 1:21.) Such then will remain in the ninth number as imperfect. For the nine need one, that by a certain form of unity they may be cemented together, in order to become ten. But he who gave thanks was approved of as a type of the one only Church. And since these were Jews, they are declared to have lost through pride the kingdom of heaven, wherein most of all unity is preserved. But the man who was a Samaritan, which is by interpretation “guardian,” giving back to Him who gave it that which he had received, according to the Psalm, My strength will I preserve for thee, (Ps. 59:9.) has kept the unity of the kingdom with humble devotion.
St Bede † AD 735
He fell upon his face, because he blushes with shame when he remembers the evils he had committed. And he is commanded to rise and walk, because he who, knowing his own weakness, lies lowly on the ground, is led to advance by the consolation of the divine word to mighty deeds. But if faith made him whole, who hurried himself back to give thanks, therefore does unbelief destroy those who have neglected to give glory to God for mercies received. Wherefore that we ought to increase our faith by humility, as it is declared in the former parable, so in this is it exemplified in the actions themselves.
The Latin text
Ambrosius
Post praedictam parabolam reprehenduntur ingrati; dicitur enim et factum est, dum iret Iesus in Ierusalem, transibat per mediam Samariam et Galilaeam
Titus
Ut ostendat quod Samaritani quidem benevoli, Iudaei vero praedictis beneficiis sunt ingrati: erat enim discordia inter Samaritanos et Iudaeos: quam ipse quasi pacificans inter utrosque transit, ut utrosque compingat in unum novum hominem
Cyrillus
Deinde suam gloriam salvator manifestat, attrahens ad fidem Israel; unde sequitur et cum ingrederetur quoddam castellum, occurrerunt ei decem viri leprosi, ab urbibus et oppidis expulsi, et quasi immundi ritu legis Mosaicae
Titus
Conversabantur autem ad invicem, quia fecerat eos unanimes communitas passionis; et praestolabantur transitum Iesu, solliciti donec advenientem Christum viderent; unde sequitur qui steterunt a longe: eo quod lex Iudaeorum lepram immundam iudicat; lex autem evangelica non externam, sed internam asserit esse immundam
Theophylactus
A longe ergo stabant quasi verecundantes de immunditia quae eis imputabatur: putabant enim quod Christus eos fastidiret ad modum aliorum. Sic ergo astiterunt loco, sed facti sunt proximi deprecando: prope enim est dominus omnibus invocantibus eum in veritate; unde sequitur et levaverunt vocem, dicentes: Iesu praeceptor, miserere nostri
Titus
Dicunt nomen Iesu, et lucrifaciunt rem; nam Iesus interpretatur salvator: dicunt miserere nobis, propter experientiam virtutis eius; neque argentum petentes neque aurum, sed ut aspectum corporis sanum obtineant
Theophylactus
Nec simpliciter obsecrant eum, nec rogant eum ut mortalem: vocat eum praeceptorem, idest dominum, quo pene videntur hunc opinari Deum. At ipse iubet illis ut ostenderent se sacerdotibus; unde sequitur quos ut vidit, dixit: ite, ostendite vos sacerdotibus: ipsi enim experiebantur si mundati forent a lepra vel non
Cyrillus
Lex etiam mundatos a lepra iubebat offerre sacrificium causa purgationis
Theophylactus
Iubere ergo eis ut irent ad sacerdotes, nihil aliud innuebat nisi quod debebant curari; unde sequitur et factum est, dum irent, mundati sunt
Cyrillus
In quo Iudaeorum pontifices aemuli gloriae eius cognoscere poterant quod inopinate et mirifice sanati sunt, concedente Christo eis salutem
Theophylactus
Cum autem decem essent, novem, qui Israelitae erant, ingrati fuerunt; sed alienigena Samaritanus reversus, voces emittebat benignas; unde sequitur unus autem ex illis ut vidit quia mundatus est, regressus est cum magna voce magnificans Deum
Titus
Dedit autem ei appropinquandi fiduciam suscepta purgatio; unde sequitur et cecidit in faciem suam ante pedes eius, gratias agens, ex procubitu et supplicatione fidem suam simul cum benevolentia pandens. Sequitur et hic erat Samaritanus
Theophylactus
Hinc poterit quisquis conicere quod nihil impedit quemquam placere Deo, etsi de genere profano processerit, dummodo bonum gerat propositum. Nullus etiam natus ex sanctis superbiat; novem enim qui Israelitae erant, ingrati fuerunt; unde sequitur respondens autem Iesus dixit: nonne decem mundati sunt? Et novem ubi sunt? Non est inventus qui rediret, et daret gloriam Deo, nisi hic alienigena
Titus
Per hoc ostenditur quod promptiores ad fidem erant alienigenae: lentus enim erat ad fidem Israel; unde subditur et ait illi: surge, vade, quia fides tua te salvum fecit
Augustinus de quaest. Evang
Mystice autem leprosi intelligi possunt qui scientiam verae fidei non habentes, varias doctrinas profitentur erroris: non enim abscondunt imperitiam suam, sed pro summa peritia proferunt in lucem, et iactantiam sermonis ostendunt. Coloris quippe vitium lepra est; vera ergo falsis inordinate permixta in una disputatione vel narratione hominis, tamquam in unius corporis colore apparentia, significant lepram, tamquam veris falsisque colorum fucis humana corpora variantem atque maculantem. Hi autem tam vitandi sunt Ecclesiae ut, si fieri potest, longius remoti magno clamore Christum interpellent. Quod autem praeceptorem eum invocaverunt, satis puto significari vere lepram falsam esse doctrinam, quam bonus praeceptor abstergat. Nullum autem eorum quibus haec corporalia beneficia dominus praestitit, invenitur misisse ad sacerdotem nisi leprosos. Sacerdotium enim Iudaeorum figura fuit sacerdotii quod est in Ecclesia. Cetera autem vitia per seipsum interius in conscientia dominus sanat et corrigit; doctrina vero vel imbuendi per sacramenta, vel catechizandi per sermonem potestas Ecclesiae tributa est. Qui dum irent, mundati sunt: quia gentiles, ad quos venerat Petrus, nondum accepto Baptismatis sacramento, per quod spiritualiter ad sacerdotes pervenitur, infusione spiritus sancti mundati declarantur. Quisquis ergo in Ecclesiae societate doctrinam integram veramque assequitur, eo quod manifestetur, varietate mendaciorum tamquam lepra caruisse, et tamen ingratus Deo mundatori suo gratiarum agendarum pia humilitate non prosternitur, similis est illis de quibus dicit apostolus quod cum Deum cognovissent, non ut Deum magnificaverunt, aut gratias egerunt. Ideo tales in novenario numero tamquam imperfecti remanebunt: novem enim indigent uno ut quadam unitatis forma coagulentur, ut decem sint. Ille autem qui gratias egit, unicae Ecclesiae significatione approbatus est. Et quia illi erant Iudaei, amisisse per superbiam declarati sunt regnum caelorum, ubi maxime unitas custoditur. Iste vero, qui erat Samaritanus, quod interpretatur custos, illi a quo accepit tribuens quod accepit, secundum illud: fortitudinem meam ad te custodiam, unitatem regni humili devotione servavit
Beda
Cecidit autem in faciem, quia ex malis quae se perpetrasse meminit, erubescit: qui surgere et ire praecipitur: quia qui infirmitatem suam cognoscens humiliter iacet, per divini verbi consolationem ad fortia opera proficere iubetur. Si autem fides salvum fecit eum qui se ad agendas gratias inclinavit: ergo perfidia perdit eos qui de acceptis beneficiis Deo dare gloriam neglexerunt, quapropter fidem per humilitatem augeri debere, sicut in parabola superiori decernitur, ita hic ipsis rebus ostenditur
17:20
St Cyril of Alexandria † AD 444
Because our Saviour, in His discourses which He addressed to others, spake often of the kingdom of God, the Pharisees derided Him; hence it is said, And when he was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come. As though they said tauntingly, “Before the kingdom of God come, which Thou speakest of, the death of the cross will be Thy lot.” But our Lord testifying His patience, when reviled reviles not again, but the rather because they were evil, returns not a scornful answer; for it follows, He answered and said, The kingdom cometh not with observation; as if he says, “Seek not to know the time when the kingdom of heaven shall again be at hand. For that time can be observed neither by men nor angels, not as the time of the Incarnation which was proclaimed by the foretelling of Prophets and the heraldings of Angels.” Wherefore He adds, Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, Lo there! Or else, They ask about the kingdom of God, because, as is said below, they thought that on our Lord’s coming into Jerusalem, the kingdom of God would be immediately manifested. Therefore our Lord answers, that the kingdom of God will not come with observation.
St Cyril of Alexandria † AD 444
Now it is only for the benefit of each individual that He says that which follows, For behold the kingdom of God is within you; that is, it rests with you and your own hearts to receive it. For every man who is justified by faith and the grace of God, and adorned with virtues, may obtain the kingdom of heaven.
St Gregory of Nyssa † AD 395 lib. de prop. sec. Deum.
Or, perhaps, the kingdom of God being within us, means that joy that is implanted in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. For that is, as it were, the image and pledge of the everlasting joy with which in the world to come the souls of the Saints rejoice.
St Bede † AD 735
Or the kingdom of God means that He Himself is placed in the midst of them, that is, reigning in their hearts by faith.
The Latin text
Cyrillus
Cum salvator in sermonibus quos ad alios dirigebat, frequenter regnum Dei meminisset, ob hoc Pharisaei eum deridebant; unde dicitur interrogatus autem a Pharisaeis: quando venit regnum Dei? Quasi irrisorie dicerent: antequam veniat de quo loqueris, mors crucis te occupabit. Dominus autem patientiam ostendens, increpatus non increpat; sed potius malos existentes suo non dedignatur responso; sequitur enim respondit eis, et dixit: non veniet regnum Dei cum observatione; quasi dicat: non quaeratis de temporibus quibus iterum instabit tempus regni caelorum
Beda
Illud enim tempus neque ab hominibus, neque ab Angelis potest observari, sicut tempus incarnationis prophetarum vaticiniis et Angelorum est manifestatum praeconiis; unde subdit neque dicent: ecce hic, aut: ecce illic. Vel aliter. Interrogant de tempore regni Dei, quia, sicut infra dicitur, existimabant quod veniente Hierosolymam domino, confestim regnum Dei manifestaretur; unde dominus respondet, quod regnum Dei non veniet cum observatione
Cyrillus
Solum autem ad utilitatem cuiuslibet hominis esse fatetur illud quod subditur ecce enim regnum Dei intra vos est, idest, in vestris affectibus et in potestate vestra id capere: potest enim quilibet homo iustificatus per fidem Christi et virtutibus ornatus regnum obtinere caelorum
Gregorius Nazianzenus
Vel forsitan regnum nobis insitum dicit inditam animabus nostris laetitiam per spiritum sanctum: ea enim est velut imago et arrha perennis laetitiae, qua in futuro saeculo sanctorum animae gaudent
Beda
Vel regnum Dei seipsum dicit intra illos positum, hoc est in cordibus eorum per fidem regnantem
17:22
St Cyril of Alexandria † AD 444
When our Lord said, The kingdom of God is within you, He would fain prepare His disciples for suffering, that being made strong they might be able to enter the kingdom of God; He therefore foretells to them, that before His coming from heaven at the end of the world, persecution will break out upon them. Hence it follows, And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, &c. meaning that so terrible will be the persecution, that they would desire to see one of His days, that is, of that time when they yet walked with Christ. Truly the Jews ofttimes beset Christ with reproaches and insults, and sought to stone Him, and ofttimes would have hurled Him down from the mountain; but even these seem to be looked upon as slight in comparison of greater evils that are to come.
Theophylact † 1107
For their life was then without trouble, for Christ took care of them and protected them. But the time was coming when Christ should be taken away, and they should be exposed to perils, being brought before kings and princes, and then they should long for the first time and its tranquillity.
St Bede † AD 735
Or, by the day of Christ He signifies His kingdom, which we hope will come, and He rightly says, one day, because there shall no darkness disturb the glory of that blessed time. It is right then to long for the day of Christ, yet from the earnestness of our longing, let us not vision to ourselves as though the day were at hand. Hence it follows, And they shall say to you, Lo here! and, Lo there!
Eusebius † AD 339
As if he said, If at the coming of Antichrist, his fame shall be spread abroad, as though Christ had appeared, go not out, nor follow him. For it cannot be that He who was once seen on earth, shall any more dwell in the corners of the earth. It will therefore be he of whom we speak, not the true Christ. For this is the clear sign of the second coming of our Saviour, that suddenly the lustre of His coming shall fill the whole world; and so it follows, For as the lightning that lighteneth, &c. For He will not appear walking upon the earth, as any common man, but will illuminate our whole universe, manifesting to all men the radiance of His divinity.
St Bede † AD 735
And he well says, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, because the judgment will be given under the heaven, that is, in the midst of the air, as the Apostle says, We shall be caught up together with them in the clouds. (1 Thess. 4:17.) But if the Lord shall appear at the Judgment like lightning, then shall no one remain hidden in the deep of his heart, for the very brightness of the Judge pierces through him; we may also take this answer of our Lord to refer to His coming, whereby He comes daily into His Church. For ofttimes have heretics so vexed the Church, by saying that the faith of Christ stands in their own dogma, that the faithful in those times longed that the Lord would if it were possible even for one day return to the earth, and Himself make known what was the true faith. And you shall not see it, because it need not that the Lord should again testify by a bodily presence that which has been spiritually declared by the light of the Gospel, once scattered and diffused throughout the whole world.
St Cyril of Alexandria † AD 444
Now His disciples supposed that He would go to Jerusalem, and would at once make a manifestation of the kingdom of God. To rid them therefore of this belief, He informs them that it became Him first to suffer the Life-giving Passion, then to ascend to the Father and shine forth from above, that He might judge the world in righteousness. Hence He adds, But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.
St Bede † AD 735
He means the generation not only of the Jews, but also of all wicked men, by whom even now in His own body, that is, His Church, the Son of man suffers many things, and is rejected. But while He spake many things of His coming in glory, He inserts something also concerning His Passion, that when men saw Him dying, whom they had heard would be glorified, they might both soothe their sorrow for His sufferings by the hope of the promised glory, and at the same time prepare themselves, if they love the glories of His kingdom, to look without alarm upon the horrors of death.
The Latin text
Cyrillus
Quia dominus dixerat regnum Dei intra vos est, voluit discipulos esse paratos ad patientiam, ut effecti strenui intrare valeant regnum Dei. Praedicit ergo eis, quod antequam de caelo veniat, in fine saeculi persecutio irruet super eos; unde dicitur et ait ad discipulos suos: venient dies quando desideretis videre unum diem filii hominis, et non videbitis; significans quod tanta erit persecutio, quod unum diem eius videre cupiant, illius scilicet temporis quo adhuc conversabantur cum Christo. Sane Iudaei Christum multis angustiaverunt improperiis et iniuriis; sed in comparatione malorum maiorum minora eligenda videntur
Theophylactus
Tunc enim absque sollicitudine vivebant, Christo eos procurante, et protegente; sed futurum erat quando Christo absente traderentur periculis, ad reges et principes ducti; et tunc tempus primum cuperent quasi tranquillum
Beda
Vel diem Christi dicit regnum Dei, quod speramus futurum; et bene dicit unum diem, quia in illa beatitudinis gloria tenebrarum interruptio nulla est. Bonum ergo est diem Christi desiderare. Nec tamen magnitudine desiderii nobis somnia fingere debemus, quasi instet dies domini; unde sequitur et dicent vobis: ecce hic, ecce illic: nolite ire, neque sectemini
Eusebius
Quasi dicat: si adveniente Antichristo, fama de eo volet quasi apparuerit Christus, non egrediamini, neque sequamini: nam impossibile est eum qui semel in terra visus est, iterum in angulis terrae conversari. Erit igitur hic de quo dicitur, non verus Christus; manifestum enim signum secundi adventus salvatoris nostri hoc est quod subito totum orbem claritas eius adventus replebit; unde sequitur nam sicut fulgur coruscans de sub caelo, in ea quae sub caelo sunt fulget; ita erit filius hominis in die sua. Non enim apparebit super terram ambulans, sicut quidam homo communis, sed universaliter irradiabit, ostendens cunctis iubar propriae deitatis
Beda
Et pulchre ait coruscans de sub caelo: quia iudicium sub caelo, hoc est in aeris medio, geretur, secundum illud apostoli: simul rapiemur cum illis in nubibus obviam Christo in aera. Si autem dominus in iudicio sicut fulgur apparebit, nullus tunc in sua mente latere permittitur: quia ipso iudicis fulgore penetratur. Potest autem haec domini responsio et de illo eius adventu quo quotidie venit in Ecclesiam accipi. Intantum enim saepe haeretici turbaverunt Ecclesiam, dicendo in suo dogmate fidem Christi manere, ut fideles illorum temporum desiderarent dominum, vel uno die, si fieri posset, redire ad terras, ut per seipsum quomodo se habeat fidei veritas, intimaret. Et non videbitis, inquit: quia non est opus corporali visione dominum redire: quia semel per universum mundum Evangelii vigorem exhibuit
Cyrillus
Opinabantur autem discipuli quod vadens Hierosolymam statim ostenderet regnum Dei. Hanc igitur opinionem resecans, notum facit eis quod primo decebat eum salubrem passionem sufferre, deinde ad patrem ascendere, et desuper fulgere, ut per orbem terrarum in iustitia iudicet; unde subdit primum autem oportet illum multa pati, et reprobari a generatione hac
Beda
Generationem non tantum Iudaeorum, verum etiam omnium reproborum appellat; a quibus etiam nunc filius hominis in corpore suo, hoc est in Ecclesia, multa patitur, et reprobatur. Inserit autem de sua passione, loquens de gloria sui adventus, ut dolorem suae passionis spe promissae clarificationis mitigarent, simulque seipsos pararent, si gloriam regni diligerent, mortis non horrere periculum
17:26
St Bede † AD 735
The coming of our Lord, which He had compared to lightning flying swiftly across the heavens, He now likens to the days of Noah and Lot, when a sudden destruction came upon mankind.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Hom. 1, in Ep. 1. ad Thess.
For refusing to believe the words of warning they were suddenly visited with a real punishment from God; but their unbelief proceeded from self-indulgence, and softness of mind. For such as a man’s wishes and inclinations are, will also be his expectations. Therefore it follows, they eat and drank.
St Ambrose † AD 397
He rightly declares the deluge to have been caused by our sins, for God did not create evil, but our deservings found it out for themselves. Let it not however be supposed that marriages, or again meat and drink, are condemned, seeing that by the one succession is sustained, by the other nature, but moderation is to be sought for in all things. For whatsoever is more than this is of evil.
St Bede † AD 735
Now Noah builds the ark mystically. The Lord builds His Church of Christ’s faithful servants, by uniting them together in one, as smooth pieces of wood; and when it is perfectly finished, He enters it: as at the day of Judgment, He who ever dwells within His Church enlightens it with His visible presence. But while the ark is in building, the wicked flourish, when it is entered, they perish; as they who revile the saints in their warfare here, shall when they are crowned hereafter be smitten with eternal condemnation.
Eusebius † AD 339
Having used the example of the deluge, that no one might expect a future deluge by water, our Lord cites, secondly, the example of Lot, to shew the manner of the destruction of the wicked, namely, that the wrath of God would descend upon them by fire from heaven.
St Bede † AD 735
Passing by the unutterable wickedness of the Sodomites, He mentions only those which may be thought trifling offences, or none at all; that you may understand how fearfully unlawful pleasures are punished, when lawful pleasures taken to excess receive for their reward fire and brimstone.
Eusebius † AD 339
He does not say that fire came down from heaven upon the wicked Sodomites before that Lot went out from them, just as the deluge did not swallow up the inhabitants of the earth before that Noah entered the ark; for as long as Noah and Lot dwelt with the wicked, God suspended His anger that they might not perish together with the sinners, but when He would destroy those, He withdrew the righteous. So also at the end of the world, the consummation shall not come before all the just are separated from the wicked.
St Bede † AD 735
For He who in the mean time though we see Him not yet sees all things, shall then appear to judge all things. And He shall come especially at that time, when He shall see all who are forgetful of His judgments in bondage to this world.
Theophylact † 1107
For when Antichrist has come, then shall men become wanton, given up to abominable vices, as the Apostle says, Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. (2 Tim. 3:4.) For if Antichrist is the dwelling-place of every sin, what else will he then implant in the miserable race of men, but what belongs to himself. And this our Lord implies by the instances of the deluge and the people of Sodom.
St Bede † AD 735
Now mystically, Lot, which is interpreted ‘turning aside,’ is the people of the elect, who, while in Sodom, i. e. among the wicked, live as strangers, to the utmost of their power turning aside from all their wicked ways. But when Lot went out, Sodom is destroyed, for at the end of the world, the angels shall go forth and sever the wicked from among the just, and cast them into a furnace of fire. (Matt. 13:49.) The fire and brimstone, however, which He relates to have rained from heaven, does not signify the flame itself of everlasting punishment, but the sudden coming of that day.
The Latin text
Beda
Adventum domini quem fulguri cito transvolanti comparaverat, nunc comparat diebus Noe et Lot, quando repentinus mortalibus supervenit interitus; unde dicitur et sicut factum est in diebus Noe, ita erit in die filii hominis
Chrysostomus in Matthaeum
Quia enim tunc non crediderunt comminatoriis verbis, passi sunt repente reale iudicium. Eorum autem incredulitas ex anima lenta procedebat: nam quaecumque vult aliquis et intendit, ea etiam expectat; unde sequitur edebant et bibebant, uxores ducebant et dabantur ad nuptias usque in diem qua intravit Noe in arcam; et venit diluvium, et perdidit omnes
Ambrosius
Bene causam diluvii de nostris asserit processisse peccatis: quia Deus malum non creavit, sed nostra sibi merita reperierunt: non quia coniugia damnentur: neque enim alimenta damnantur, cum in istis successionis, in illis naturae subsidia sint; sed in omnibus modus quaeritur: quicquid enim abundantius est, a malo est
Beda
Mystice autem Noe arcam aedificat, cum dominus Ecclesiam de Christi fidelibus quasi lignis laevigatis adunando construit: quam perfecte consummatam ingreditur, cum hanc in die iudicii praesentia suae visionis aeternus habitator illustrat. Sed cum arca aedificatur, iniqui luxuriantur: cum vero intratur, intereunt: quia qui sanctis hic certantibus insultant, eis illic coronatis aeterna damnatione plectentur
Eusebius
Quia vero usus est dominus exemplo diluvii, ne putaret aliquis futurum diluvium ex aqua, utitur secundo exemplo Lot, docens modum perditionis impiorum, quod igne dimisso caelitus superveniet impiis ira Dei; unde subditur similiter sicut factum est in diebus Lot: edebant et bibebant, emebant et vendebant, plantabant et aedificabant
Beda
Praetermisso illo infando Sodomorum scelere, sola ea quae levia vel nulla putari poterant delicta commemorat: ut intelligas illicita quali poena feriantur, si licita immoderatius acta igne et sulphure puniuntur; sequitur enim qua die autem exiit Lot a Sodoma, pluit ignem et sulphur de caelo, et omnes perdidit
Eusebius
Non prius dixit ignem caelitus decurrisse super impios Sodomorum quam Lot exisset ab eis; sicut et diluvium non prius terrae incolas perdidit quam Noe arcam intrasset: quia quamdiu Noe vel Lot conversabantur cum impiis, Deus non irrogabat iram, ne una cum peccatoribus deperirent; volens autem eos perdere, subtraxit iustum. Sic et in consummatione saeculi non prius erit finis quam omnes iusti sint semoti ab impiis; unde sequitur secundum hoc erit qua die filius hominis revelabitur
Beda
Quia qui interim non apparens omnia videt, tunc apparens omnia iudicabit; apparebit autem iudicaturus eo maxime tempore quo cunctos iudiciorum eius oblitos, huic saeculo conspexerit esse mancipatos
Theophylactus
Postquam enim venerit Antichristus, homines fient lascivi, dediti enormibus vitiis, secundum illud apostoli: voluptatum amatores magis quam Dei. Si enim Antichristus est cuiuslibet peccati habitaculum, quid aliud inferet misero tunc temporis hominum generi nisi sua? Et hoc dominus innuit per exempla diluvii et Sodomitarum
Beda
Mystice autem Lot, qui interpretatur declinans est populus electorum, qui dum in Sodomis, idest inter reprobos, ut advena, moratur, quantum valet, eorum scelera declinat. Exeunte autem Lot, Sodoma perit: quia in consummatione saeculi exibunt Angeli, et separabunt malos de medio iustorum, et mittent eos in caminum ignis. Ignis tamen et sulphur, quae de caelo pluisse commemorat, non ipsam perennis supplicii flammam, sed subitaneum diei illius significat adventum
17:31
St Ambrose † AD 397
Because good men must needs on account of the wicked be sore vexed in this world, in order that they may receive a more plentiful reward in the world to come, they are here punished with certain remedies, as it is here said, In that day, &c. that is, if a man goes up to the top of his house and rises to the summit of the highest virtues, let him not fall back to the grovelling business of this world.
St Augustine † AD 430
For he is on the housetop who, departing from carnal things, breathes as it were the free air of a spiritual life. But the vessels in the house are the carnal senses, which many using to discover truth which is only taken in by the intellect, have entirely missed it. Let the spiritual man then beware, lest in the day of tribulation he again take pleasure in the carnal life which is fed by the bodily senses, and descend to take away this world’s vessels. It follows, And he that is in the field, let him not return back; that is, He who labours in the Church, as Paul planting and Apollos watering, let him not look back upon the worldly prospects which he has renounced.
Theophylact † 1107
Matthew relates all these things to have been said by our Lord, with reference to the destruction of Jerusalem, that when the Romans came upon them, they who were on the housetop should not come down to take any thing, but fly at once, nor they that were in the field return home. And surely so it was at the taking of Jerusalem, and again will be at the coming of Antichrist, but much more at the completion of all things, when that intolerable destruction shall come.
Eusebius † AD 339
He hereby implies that a persecution will come from the son of perdition upon Christ’s faithful. By that day then He means the time previous to the end of the world, in which let not him who is flying return, nor care to lose his goods, lest he imitate Lot’s wife, who when she fled out of the city of Sodom, turning back, died, and became a pillar of salt.
St Ambrose † AD 397
Because thus she looked behind, she lost the gift of her nature. For Satan is behind, behind also Sodom. Wherefore flee from intemperance, turn away from lust, for recollect, that he who turned not back to his old pursuits escaped, because he reached the mount; whereas she looking back to what was left behind, could not even by the aid of her husband reach the mount, but remained fixed.
St Augustine † AD 430
Lot’s wife represents those who in time of trouble look back and turn aside from the hope of the divine promise, and hence she was made a pillar of salt as a warning to men not to do likewise, and to season as it were their hearts, lest they become corrupt.
Theophylact † 1107
Next follows the promise, Whosoever shall seek, &c. as if he said, Let no man in the persecutions of Antichrist seek to secure his life, for he shall lose it, but whoso shall expose himself to trials and death shall be safe, never submitting himself to the tyrant from his love of life.
St Cyril of Alexandria † AD 444
How a man may lose his own life to save it, St. Paul explains when he speaks of some who crucified their flesh with the affections and lusts, (Gal. 5:24.) that is, with perseverance and devotion engaging in the conflict.
The Latin text
Ambrosius
Quia propter improbos necesse est ut probi in hoc saeculo contritionem cordis animique patiantur, quo uberiorem mercedem accipiant in futurum, quibusdam remediis instruuntur cum dicitur in illa hora qui fuerit in tecto, et vasa eius in domo, non descendat tollere illa; hoc est, si quis superiora iam domus suae eminentiumque virtutum culmen ascendit, ad terrena mundi huius opera non accedat
Augustinus de quaest. Evang
In tecto enim est qui excedens carnalia tamquam in aura libera spiritualiter vivit; vasa enim in domo sunt sensus carnales, quibus ad investigandum veritatem quae intellectu capitur, multi utentes, penitus erraverunt. Caveat ergo spiritualis homo ne in die tribulationis rursus vita carnali, quae per sensus corporis pascitur, delectatus, ad vasa huius mundi tollenda descendat. Sequitur et qui in agro similiter non redeat retro; idest, qui operatur in Ecclesia, sicut Paulus plantans, et sicut Apollo rigans, non respiciat spem saecularem, cui renuntiavit
Theophylactus
Haec autem omnia Matthaeus pro captione Hierosolymorum a domino dicta fatetur, ut, supervenientibus Romanis, nec domi consistentes descendere deberent pro quocumque necessario, sed protinus arripere fugam, nec in agro manentes redire domum. Et nimirum in captione Hierosolymorum constat haec evenisse, et iterum fore ventura in Antichristi adventu; magis autem in ipso tempore consummationis, cum et tunc intolerabilis sit futura calamitas
Eusebius
Innuit ergo per hoc futuram esse persecutionem a filio perditionis in Christi fideles. Diem igitur illam vocat tempus praecedens finem mundi; in quo qui fugit, non revertatur, et amittens bona non curet, nec imitetur coniugem Lot, qui post fugam in exitu de civitate Sodomorum reversa mortua est, et columna salis effecta; unde sequitur memores estote uxoris Lot
Ambrosius
Quae ideo quia retrospexit, perdidit naturae suae munus: retro enim Satanas, retro enim Sodoma. Quapropter fuge intemperantiam, declinato luxuriam, recordare quia ille qui se veteribus studiis non reflexit, ideo evasit quia pervenit ad montem; illa, quoniam ad posteriora respexit, nec mariti adiuta suffragio, ad montem pervenire potuit, sed remansit
Augustinus de quaest. Evang
Significat igitur uxor Lot eos qui in tribulatione retrospiciunt, et se a spe divinae promissionis avertunt: et ideo statua salis facta est ut admonendo homines ne hoc faciant, tamquam condiat cor eorum, ne sint fatui
Theophylactus
Consequenter subiungit subsequentia praemissorum, dicens quicumque quaesierit salvare animam, perdet illam: quasi dicat: non quaerat aliquis in persecutionibus Antichristi curare propriam animam; nam perdet eam; quisquis autem caedibus et periculis se dederit, salvus erit; unde sequitur et quicumque perdiderit illam, vivificabit eam; nequaquam se tyranno subiciens propter vitae amorem
Cyrillus
Quomodo etiam aliquis perdat propriam animam ut salvam eam faciat, manifestat Paulus dicens de quibusdam: qui carnem suam crucifixerunt cum vitiis et concupiscentiis, labore scilicet et pietate aggredientes agones
17:34
St Bede † AD 735
Our Lord had just before said, that he who is in the field must not return back; and lest this should seem to have been spoken of those only who would openly return from the field, that is, who would publicly deny their Lord, He goes on to shew, that there are some who, while seeming to turn their face forward, are yet in their heart looking behind.
St Ambrose † AD 397
He rightly says, night, for Antichrist is the hour of darkness, because he pours a dark cloud over the minds of men while he declares himself to be Christ. But Christ as lightning shines brightly, that we may be able to see in that night the glory of the resurrection.
St Augustine † AD 430 de Qu. Ev. lib. ii. qu. 41.
Or He says, in that night, meaning in that tribulation.
Theophylact † 1107
Or He teaches us the suddenness of Christ’s coming, which we are told will be in the night. And having said that the rich can scarcely be saved, He shews that not all the rich perish, nor all the poor are saved.
St Cyril of Alexandria † AD 444
For by the two men in one bed, He seems to denote the rich who repose themselves in worldly pleasures, for a bed is a sign of rest. But not all who abound in riches are wicked, but if one is good and elect in the faith, he will be taken, but another who is not so will be left. For when our Lord descends to judgment, He will send His Angels, who while they leave behind on the earth the rest to suffer punishment, will bring the holy and righteous men to Him; according to the Apostle’s words, We shall be caught up together in the clouds to meet Christ in the air. (1 Thess 4:17.)
St Ambrose † AD 397
Or out of the same bed of human infirmity, one is left, that is, rejected, another is taken up, that is, is caught to meet Christ in the air. By the two grinding together, he seems to imply the poor and the oppressed. To which belongs what follows. Two men shall be in the field, &c. For in these there is no slight difference. For some nobly bear up against the burden of poverty, leading a lowly but honest life, and these shall be taken up; but the others are very active in wickedness, and they shall be left. Or those grinding at the mill seem to represent such as seek nourishment from hidden sources, and from secret places draw forth things openly to view. And perhaps the world is a kind of corn mill, in which the soul is shut up as in a bodily prison. And in this corn mill either the synagogue or the soul exposed to sin, like the wheat, softened by grinding and spoilt by too great moisture, cannot separate the outward from the inner parts, and so is left because its flour dissatisfies. But the holy Church, or the soul which is not soiled by the stains of sin, which grinds such wheat as is ripened by the heat of the eternal sun, presents to God a good flour from the secret shrines of the heart. Who the two men in the field are we may discover if we consider, that there are two minds in us, one of the outer man which wasteth away, the other of the inner man which is renewed by the Sacrament. These are then the labourers in the field, the one of which by diligence brings forth good fruit, the other by idleness loses that which he has. Or those who are compared we may interpret to be two nations, one of which being faithful is taken, the other being unfaithful is left.
St Augustine † AD 430 de Qu. Ev. ut sup
Or there are three classes of men here represented. The first is composed of those who prefer their ease and quiet, and busy not themselves in secular or ecclesiastical concerns. And this quiet life of theirs is signified by the bed. The next class embraces those who being placed among the people are governed by teachers. And such he has described by the name of women, because it is best for them to be ruled by the advice of those who are set over them; and he has described these as grinding at the mill, because in their hands revolves the wheel and circle of temporal concerns. And with reference to these matters he has represented them as grinding together, inasmuch as they give their services to the benefit of the Church. The third class are those who labour in the ministry of the Church as in the field of God. In each of these three classes then there are two sorts of men, of which the one abide in the Church and are taken up, the other fall away and are left.
St Ambrose † AD 397
For God is not unjust that He should separate in His reward of their deserts men of like pursuits in life, and not differing in the quality of their actions. But the habit of living together does not equalize the merits of men, for not all accomplish what they attempt, but he only who shall persevere to the end shall be saved.
St Cyril of Alexandria † AD 444
When He said that some should be taken up, the disciples not unprofitably inquire, ‘Where, Lord?’
St Bede † AD 735
Our Lord was asked two questions, where the good should be taken up, and where the bad left; He gave only one answer, and left the other to be understood, saying, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.
St Cyril of Alexandria † AD 444
As if He said, As when a dead body is thrown away, all the birds which feed on human flesh flock to it, so when the Son of man shall come, all the eagles, that is, the saints, shall haste to meet Him.
St Ambrose † AD 397
For the souls of the righteous are likened to eagles, because they soar high and forsake the lower parts, and are said to live to a great age. Now concerning the body, we can have no doubt, and above all if we remember that Joseph received the body from Pilate. (Matt. 28.) And do not you see the eagles around the body are the women and Apostles gathered together around our Lord’s sepulchre? Do not you see them then, when he shall come in the clouds, and every eye shall behold him? (Rev. 1:7.) But the body is that of which it was said, My flesh is meat indeed; (John 6:55.) and around this body are the eagles which fly about on the wings of the Spirit, around it also eagles which believe that Christ has come in the flesh. And this body is the Church, in which by the grace of baptism we are renewed in the Spirit.
Eusebius † AD 339
Or by the eagles feeding on the dead animals, he has here described the rulers of the world, and those who shall at that time persecute the saints of God, in whose power are left all those who are unworthy of being taken up, who are called the body or carcase. Or by the eagles are meant the avenging powers which shall fly about to torment the wicked.
St Augustine † AD 430 de Con. Ev. l. ii. c. 7.
these things which Luke has given us in a different place from Matthew, he either relates by anticipation, so as to mention beforehand what was afterwards spoken by our Lord, or he means us to understand that they were twice uttered by Him.
The Latin text
Beda
Dixerat supra dominus, eum qui in agro sit, retro redire non debere; quod ne de his tantum qui aperte de agro redituri, hoc est palam dominum negaturi sunt, dictum putares, pergit ostendere nonnullos esse qui cum faciem habere in anteriora videantur, animo tamen retro respiciunt; unde dicitur dico autem vobis: in illa nocte erunt duo in lecto uno: unus assumetur, et alter relinquetur
Ambrosius
Bene noctem dicit, quia Antichristus hora tenebrarum est, eo quod pectoribus hominum tenebras Antichristus infundat, cum dicat se esse Christum; Christus autem sicut fulgur coruscans fulget, ut in illa nocte resurrectionis gloriam videre possimus
Augustinus de quaest. Evang
Vel in illa nocte dicit, hoc est in illa tribulatione
Theophylactus
Vel inopinatum docet esse Christi adventum, quem futurum esse noctu docemur. Cum autem dixisset, divites vix salvari, ostendit quod nec omnes divites pereunt, nec omnes pauperes salvantur
Cyrillus
Per duos enim existentes in uno lecto, videtur designare divites quiescentes in mundanis deliciis: lectus namque signum quietis est. Non autem quicumque divitiis affluunt sunt impii, sed aliquis est probus et in fide electus; hic igitur assumetur, alter vero, qui talis non existit, dimittetur. Descendens enim dominus ad iudicium, mittet Angelos suos, qui ceteris in terra derelictis poenam passuris, sanctos et iustos ei adducent, secundum illud apostoli: rapiemur in nubibus obviam Christo in aera
Ambrosius
Vel ex uno strato infirmitatis humanae unus relinquitur, idest improbatur; alter vero assumitur, idest rapitur obviam Christo in aera. Sequitur duae erunt molentes in unum: una assumetur, et altera relinquetur
Cyrillus
Per molentes innuere videtur pauperes et pressos laboribus; ad quod etiam pertinet quod subditur duo in agro: unus assumetur, et alter relinquetur. In his enim non modicum differt: nam hi sarcinam paupertatis viriliter sustinent, vitam agentes honestam et humilem, qui assumentur; hi vero sunt ad profana promptissimi, qui relinquentur
Ambrosius
Vel per molentes significari videntur qui ex occultis alimenta quaerunt, et in apertum ex inferioribus proferunt. Et fortasse mundus iste pistrinum est; anima autem nostra velut quodam carcere includitur corporali. In hoc ergo pistrino vel synagoga, vel anima obnoxia delictis, triticum molendo madefactum et gravi humore corruptum, non potest interiora ab exterioribus separare; et ideo relinquitur, quia eius similago displicuit. At vero sancta Ecclesia, vel anima nullis maculata contagiis delictorum, quae tale triticum molit quod solis aeterni calore torridum sit, bonam similaginem de penetralibus hominum Deo offert. Qui sint autem agricolae, possumus reperire, si advertamus duas mentes esse in nobis: unam exterioris hominis, quae corrumpitur; aliam interioris, quae per sacramentum renovatur. Istae igitur sunt operantes in agro nostro; quarum altera bonum fructum diligentia dat, altera amittit incuria. Vel duos populos interpretemur in hoc mundo, qui agro comparatur: quorum alter, qui fidelis est, assumitur; alter, qui infidelis est, relinquitur
Augustinus de quaest. Evang
Vel tria genera hominum hic videntur significari. Unum eorum qui otium et quietem eligunt, neque negotiis saecularibus, neque ecclesiasticis occupati; quae illorum quies lecti nomine significata est. Alterum eorum qui in plebibus constituti reguntur a doctoribus, agentes ea quae sunt huius saeculi; quos et feminarum nomine significavit, quia consiliis praelatorum regi his expedit; et molentes dixit, quia temporalium orbem negotiorum atque circuitum vertunt; quasi tamen in unum molentes dixit, inquantum de istis rebus et negotiis suis praebent usibus Ecclesiae. Tertium genus est eorum qui operantur in Ecclesiae ministerio, tamquam in agro Dei. In his ergo tribus generibus bina sunt rursus genera hominum in singulis: quorum aliqui in Ecclesia permanent, qui assumuntur; aliqui cadunt, qui relinquuntur
Ambrosius
Non enim iniquus est Deus, ut pares studiis in societate vivendi atque indiscreta actuum qualitate, meritorum remuneratione discernat. Non autem merita hominum copulae usus exaequat, quia non omnes quod adoriuntur efficiunt, sed qui perseveraverit usque in finem, hic salvus erit
Cyrillus
Quia ergo dixit quod quidam assumerentur, utiliter et bene inquirunt discipuli quo assumerentur; unde sequitur respondentes dicunt illi: ubi, domine?
Beda
Duo autem salvator interrogatus, ubi scilicet sint boni assumendi, et ubi mali relinquendi, unum dixit, aliud subintelligendum reliquit; unde sequitur qui dixit eis: ubicumque fuerit corpus, illuc congregabuntur et aquilae
Cyrillus
Quasi dicat: sicut deiecto cadavere, aves quarum pabulum sunt carnes, ad illud conveniunt; ita cum venerit filius hominis, tunc omnes aquilae, idest sancti, concurrent ad eum
Ambrosius
Iustorum enim animae aquilis comparantur, eo quod alta petant, humilia derelinquant, et longaevam ducere feruntur aetatem. De corpore autem dubitare non possumus, maxime si meminerimus quod a Pilato Ioseph corpus accepit. Nonne tibi videntur aquilae circa corpus, mulieres apostolorumque conventus circa domini sepulturam? Nonne tibi videntur aquilae circa corpus, quando veniet in nubibus, et videbit eum omnis oculus? Est autem corpus, de quo dictum est: caro mea vere est cibus. Circa hoc corpus aquilae sunt, quae circumvolant spiritualibus alis. Sunt etiam circa corpus aquilae, quae credunt Iesum Christum in carne venisse. Est etiam Ecclesia, in qua per Baptismi gratiam spiritu renovamur
Eusebius
Vel per aquilas mortua animalia depascentes, principes huius saeculi denotavit, et eos qui tunc temporis sanctos Dei persequentur, penes quos relinquuntur assumptionis indigni, qui corpus vel cadaver dicuntur: vel punitrices virtutes, quae facturae sunt impiorum, hic per aquilas denotantur
Augustinus de Cons. Evang
Haec autem quae Lucas hic ponit vel recordatur praeoccupando, ut prius commemoraret quae post a domino dicta sunt, vel bis a domino dicta facit intelligi
17:5
Ver. 5. And the Apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith. The Apostles said this, when, from their little faith, they had been unable to cast out the devil from the lunatic. They then asked for greater faith, as appears from the above words compared with those of S. Mat 17:19, &c., for Christ made the same reply in each place, "If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed you would move mountains."
17:6
Ver. 6. If ye had faith. "This indeed," says S. Chrysostom, "is small in quantity but great in power. He means that the least portion of faith can do great things." And Bede, "Perfect faith is a grain of mustard seed: in appearance it is small, in the heart it is fervent."
You would say unto this sycamine tree (a mulberry tree (moro) close at hand, to which Christ pointed). Be thou rooted up and be thou east into the sea, and it would have obeyed you. For mulberry tree, Mat 17:20 has mountain. Christ therefore said both. It is called the mulberry tree allegorically, as if μώζος (foolish); that is by antithesis, because it is the wisest of trees; not putting forth its leaves till the frost is over, lest they should be cut off. The mulberry signifies the gospel of the cross of Christ, which to the Gentiles appears foolishness, but to the faithful is "the power of God and the wisdom of God," 1Co 1:24. Hence S. Augustine (Lib. II, Quæst. Evan.: quæst. 39): "Let those servants speak through the grain of mustard seed, to this mulberry tree; that is, to the gospel of the cross of Christ through the blood-coloured apples hanging like wounds on that tree which is to give food to the nations. Let them say that it is rooted up by the unbelief of the Jews, and transferred to the sea of the Gentiles and planted there, for by this home service they will minister to the hungering and thirsting Lord." So too Bede. "The mulberry tree," he says, "by the blood colour of the fruit and shoots, is the gospel of the cross of Christ, which, through the faith of the Apostles, when it was held as it were in the stem of its kind, was rooted up from the Jews, and planted in the sea of the Gentiles." The Gloss adds, "The leaves of the mulberry, offered to the serpent, bring death upon him, as the word of the cross destroys all hurtful and venomous things of the soul." On the other hand, SS. Ambrose and Chrysostom and the Gloss understand by the mulberry tree, the devil, whom the faith of Christ casts out and sends into hell. "The fruit of the mulberry, tree," says S. Ambrose, "is firstly white, when in flower, when fully blown red, and when ripe it becomes black. The devil also, from the white flower of his angelic nature and power, when cast out by his reddening wickedness, grew horrible from the foul odour of sin. Behold Christ saying to the mulberry tree, 'Be thou rooted up and cast into the sea;' when He cast the Legion out of the man, He permitted them to enter into the swine which, being driven by the spirit of the devils, cast themselves into the sea." Hear also S. Chrysostom in the Catena: "As the mulberry feeds worms (silkworms) which spin silk from its leaves, so does the devil, from thoughts springing from those leaves, nourish in us an undying worm; but faith has power to root this tree out of our souls, and to plunge it into hell." Lastly, the Arabic for the mulberry has "sycamine," or "sycamore," of which, chap. xix. 4. Christ, moreover, exalts the power of faith, that He might implant in the Apostles an additional desire of increasing its keenness, and of praying for its gift to them; for He who gave to men the mind and desire of praying, wished also to increase the faith of those who prayed. Hence He subsequently increased their faith, especially when He sent the Holy Spirit upon them at Pentecost. Hence too, by the strength of their excelling faith, they wrought so great wonders and miracles, converting the whole world; and, lest they should grow proud of such deeds, and become vainglorious, Christ, by the following Parable, teaches them to be humble-minded, and to say, "we are unprofitable servants."
17:7
Ver. 7. But who is there of you, having a servant ploughing or keeping sheep. Christ represses the vainglory of the Apostles, lest, when by their exalted faith they had performed wonderful and stupendous acts, they might glory in them and not ascribe to God, whose it is, the honour. "He," says Euthymius," who attains the result, plucks up the effect of boasting. The servant was not a slave as the heretics say, but one who was hired, and who, in addition to the service agreed upon or ordered by his master, might perform another for him to which he was not bound." Here observe that the heretics abuse this passage to the opposing of good works, but wrongly. For this servant, as clearly appears, truly deserved the daily payment due to him by agreement, but did not deserve that his master should render him thanks; for masters are not accustomed to bestow thanks upon those whom they pay for their labour. Thanks are only given to assistance rendered gratuitously and without payment. We who are the servants of God, through the works ordered by Him, if we offer them, merit eternal life, as the hired servant who has laboured throughout the day deserves his daily payment. Mar 9:41; Mat 10:41; Rev 11:18. For although our works, as far as they are ours, are of little or no value, yet so far as they flow from the grace of Christ, and are therefore the works of Christ, our head, they are of great worth and desert, and do merit, as such, eternal glory; for grace is the seed of glory; especially as God, of His immeasurable goodness, has been pleased to promise to them, as done by the grace of Christ, eternal glory. Vers. 8, 9. And will not rather say unto him. That is, I suppose, because he does not owe thanks to his servants. "For it is incumbent upon such an one to do his master's will," says Theophylact. "So there is laid upon us," as Bede says, "the necessity of doing all things that God has commanded, and by fresh diligence, of always increasing our former services." The meaning is, as S. Ambrose says, "As we not only do not say to our servant, Take thy repose (recumbe), but require of him a further service, and give him no thanks, so neither does the Lord permit in us one only work, for all while living ought to work always. Acknowledge we ourselves therefore to be servants, lending very many acts of obedience on interest. Nor should we exalt ourselves, because we are called the sons of God. Grace is to be acknowledged, but nature is not to be passed over (ignoranda), nor should we boast ourselves, if we have served well in that which we ought to do. The sun obeys, the moon submits, the angels serve."
17:10
Ver. 10. Even so ye also. "Woe unto us if we do it not," says S. Bernard in his fourth sermon on Psalm xv. So the Apostle, 1Co 9:16, "Woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel," because God has commanded me to do so. The heretics object, "Christ here calls His faithful, useless servants, therefore by their merits they deserve nothing, nay, they do nothing good, because they contribute nothing useful " I.answer, Their first premiss is false, for Christ does not call His own servants unprofitable, nay, in Mat 25:23, He says, "Well done, good and faithful servant," &c. But He warns each one of the faithful to call himself unprofitable, to the avoidance of vainglory, and to the greater increase of humility and equally so of their merit, as say SS. Ambrose, Chrysostom, Theophylact, Bede, and others, passim; and that, in a sense not false and pretended but true and sincere. Because the faithful servant, in merely fulfilling the precepts of God, does nothing peculiar or remarkable, but only that which by the law of God he ought to do, and to which he was bound under the penalty of sin. He therefore both is, and is called, unprofitable, because he has fulfilled the commandments alone, but has omitted the counsels and works of supererogation, as Christ Himself explains: "All things that are commanded," and "what we ought to do we have done." He therefore gains only the ordinary reward of such observance of His commands; but to that exceptional glory, and crown, and aureole of the observance of the Evangelical counsels he does not attain; as says S. Paul, whose words I will shortly cite. Again, says S. Chrysostom, "When we say, with humility, we are unprofitable servants," Christ says, "Well done, good and faithful servant." S. Bernard again, in his treatise de Præcept et Dispens., thus explains the matter, "We are unprofitable servants, we have done what we ought;" i.e. If you are content with the mere precept and traditions of the law, and do not give yourselves up to the counsels and persuasions of perfection, you are free indeed from debt, but you are not praiseworthy for merit; you have escaped punishment, you have not gained the crown. It is this which S. Paul, when preaching the Gospel freely, and when he might have required food from the faithful, 1Co 9:15, calls his glory. Secondly, Even S. Paul himself, the other Apostles, and the Religious, in observing not only the precepts but also the counsels of Christ, can truly say, "We are unprofitable servants: we have done what we ought to do." Firstly, because we owe to God our souls, our bodies, our lives, and all that we have, which, whatever good we do, we can never pay back. This debt is infinite and manifold, but it is especially fourfold. First, there is the debt of creation, for as we were created out of nothing by God, the whole that we are we owe to God our Creator. Thus Plato in his Phædo, "Man is one of the possessions of God." "Behold," says S. Bernard on "Our Fourfold Debt," "He is at the door who made the heavens and the earth. He is thy Creator and thou art His creature: thou art the end of His work." The second is the debt of emption and redemption, for Christ redeemed us from death and hell at the price of His own blood. We are therefore slaves of purchase, nay, "the purchased servants of Christ," 1Co 6:20. S. Bernard, in the sermon already cited: "Firstly, we owe all our lives to Christ Jesus, for He laid down His life for us, and endured bitter torments, that we might not have to undergo eternal ones." He sums up thus: "When I give to Him all that I am, all that I can do, is not this as a star to the sun, a drop to the river, a stone to the mountain, a grain to the heap?" So in his tract, De Deo dilig.: "If I owe my whole self for my first creation, what shall I add for my second, and that brought about as it was? For a second creation is not effected as easily as a first. He who made me once and only by a word, in creating me a second time spoke many words and did wonderful things and endured hard things, and not only hard but even undeserved things. In the first creation He gave me to myself, in the second He gave Himself to me, and when He gave Himself to me He restored me to myself. Given, then, and restored, I owe myself for myself, and I have a double debt. What reward shall I give to God for Himself, for if I were to weigh myself a thousand times, what am I to God?" The third debt is, that renouncing Satan in our baptism we have given ourselves wholly over to the obedience of Christ; He in regenerating us in Himself has made us new men, and divine, who are the Temple of God and of the Holy Ghost. The fourth is that He is our beginning and final end, and He to whom we ought to direct all our actions. For He has promised us the happiness of heaven, and everlasting glory, which is nothing else than the vision and fruition of God. See Jerome (Platus, Book I., On the Grace or a Religious State, chapters iii. iv.), where he recounts seven titles of our service, on account of which we are not of our own right, but are God's and Christ's. To these add that we are unprofitable servants in respect of God; for, to God who is immense, most rich, and most blessed, we can add no good thing. Hence S. Augustine on Psalm xxxix. "He possesses thee that thou mayest possess Him. Thou wilt be His land, Thou wilt be His house. He possesses thee, He is possessed by thee, that He may profit thee. Canst thou profit Him in any way? For I said to the Lord, 'Thou art my God, therefore shall I want no good thing.'" Again, we are unprofitable, because we sin in many things, and many of our words are infected by negligence or vainglory or some other fault. In addition to this, our actions, if looked upon with strictness, as they proceed from men, are without value to the meriting of the grace and glory of God: according to the Apostle, Rom 8:18. So S. Augustine, whose words I will shortly produce. Lastly, all our actions derive the dignity of worth and merit from the grace and promise of God, and are useful to ourselves, not to Him. Hence the Arabic reads, "We are indeed useless servants, for we have done that which was our interest to do." So Euthymius, S. Cyril in the Catena, and others. And thus did those monks of the Alps to whom S. Bernard wrote his 152d Epistle; "You account yourselves unprofitable, and you have been found to be humble. To act rightly, and yet to think themselves without value, is found in few, and therefore many admire it. This I say, this assuredly makes you, from illustrious, even more illustrious; from holy, more holy; and wherever this report is published it fills all things with the odour of sweetness;" for, as the same author says in his 42d Sermon on Canticles, "Humility, like the ointment of spikenard, scatters its sweet scent, growing warm in love, flourishing in devotion, smelling pleasantly to the senses of others." S. Augustine indeed, for useless servants (inutiles) reads super-vacui, men at leisure, who after their labour look for repose; that eternal reward and glory which far surpass and exceed all their toil. "Nothing remains for us to do: we have finished our trial, there awaits us a crown of righteousness. We may say all things of that ineffable perfruition, and the more all things can be said the less can anything be said worthily; for it is the light of the illuminator, the repose of the toiler, the country of the returned wanderer, the food of the needy, the crown of the conqueror, whatever the temporal goods of unbelievers the holiness of the sons of God will find others more true, and such as will remain in the Creator to all eternity." Hence the conclusion of Theophylact, "If when we have done all things, we ought not even then to have any lofty thoughts; how deeply do we sin when we do not perform the greatest part of the commandments of God, and yet are praised not the less."
17:11
Ver. 11. And it came to pass as He was going up to Jerusalem from the borders of Cæsarea Philippi or Paneas, as is clear from S. Mat 17:22, to Jerusalem; to the feast of tabernacles, as appears from S. Joh 7:2. He went through the midst of Samaria and Galilee; for this was the direct road for one journeying from Cæsarea to Jerusalem. Mention is made of Samaria to suggest a reason why, among the ten lepers that were healed by Christ, one was a Samaritan; namely, that as Christ was going through Samaria, although He had been inhospitably received by the Samaritans, nay, shut out from one of their towns, ix. 53, He yet wished to do good to a Samaritan, that He might return kindness for ill-treatment. See the chronological order of events which I have prefixed to this commentary. Ver. 12. And as He entered into a certain village. Lepers, as being unclean, were not able to enter cities, towns and villages, lest they should communicate their leprosy to the inhabitants, as well as their legal defilement, which under the old law was communicated by contact with a leprous and unclean person; as in Num 5:2. Hence they met Christ before the village. There were ten lepers, says Euthymius, whom their disease had united together; for otherwise the Jews hold no communication with the Samaritans, Joh 4:9. These ten leper's seem to have agreed, as soon as they met Jesus, to demand to be healed with one voice. They made an attack upon the clemency of Jesus. They stood afar off, as being unclean and out of communion with the clean, being banished lest they should affect them by their breath. In figure leprosy is concupiscence, heresy, and every kind of sin, as is shown in Lev 13:14 xiv. and Mat 8:2.
17:13
Ver. 13. And they lifted up their voices. They cried out aloud, because they stood afar off. The voice was one and proceeded from all, "Jesus, Master," have mercy on us, and free us from this heavy and incurable disease. Master here does not so much mean teacher as Lord, one who directs his servants and tells them his wishes. The Greek is ε̉πίστατα, that is Præfect Præses; one whose right it is to rule and command: for they do not ask Christ to teach them, and give them precepts of virtue, but to command the leprosy and cause it to depart from them. So the Hebrew, Rabbi, means not only master but also Lord, and Mighty, and One of the first rank. Moreover, S. Luke everywhere calls Christ ε̉πίστατα, as is seen Luk 5:5, Luk 8:24, Luk 8:45,Luk 9:33, Luk 9:49; S. Matt. also, Mat 8:25, Mat 17:4, and elsewhere, has κύζιε, that is Lord. So the Gauls, Germans, and Belgians call their masters Lords, Domini, mon maistre, mein meister.
17:14
And when He saw them He said unto them. Theophylact says, "They stood afar off indeed in position, but they were near in speech, for 'The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon Him,'" Psa 145:18.
Ver. 14. He said unto them, Go and shew yourselves unto the priests. That is, if you go to them and obey Me, you shall assuredly be healed of your leprosy by My power and providence.
And it came to pass, as they went. Christ commanded them to go to the priests, not that they might be healed by them, for this was impossible, but firstly, for the honour and deference due to the priest-hood; secondly, because the law commanded lepers, if they were healed, to show themselves to the priests, that by their means they might be brought back to the city and temple, and to the society of men. The priests, moreover, had their own signs by which they might know whether a man were a leper or not, as I have shown before. Thirdly, to prove the faith and obedience of the lepers, for they knew themselves to be lepers, and that they could not be healed by the priests, but only that their leprosy could be declared. Yet they went to them at the command of Christ, believing that they would thus be healed by Him before they came to the priests. For if they had not so believed they would assuredly not have gone to them. Fourthly, that Christ might make the priests witnesses of the miraculous healing done by Him, and that from this they might know that He was the Christ. Allegorically. Christ wished to signify that mystical lepers, that is sinners in the New Law, ought to come to the priests that they may be healed by penance, and absolved from the leprosy of sin. "It is not," says S. Chrysostom, "the duty of the priest, under the New Law, to prove the leprosy, as it was under the Old, but to cleanse and expiate it when proved." Lib. iii. de Sacerdotio.
And as they went, they were cleansed. "In certain faith and blind obedience, not judging of the command," says Euthymius. It is probable that immediately on their going they were healed, that they might know it to have been done by Jesus. Hence the Samaritan, perceiving what had happened, and that he was cured, returned to Jesus and gave thanks. Thus is God wont to reward prompt faith and obedience. They were cleansed. From their leprosy, which among the Jews was the greatest of uncleannesses, both natural and legal; especially because it was contagious, and made those who came near, leprous and unclean. Ver. 15. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed. He left the road and went back to Jesus, the Author of his healing, magnifying God with a loud voice, who, through Jesus, had healed him. Ver. 16. And fell down on his face at His feet. That by profound humiliation he might show his great reverence to Him, as in the Greek and Syriac. And he was a Samaritan: a Samaritan, and therefore an alien from and abhorrent to the Jews, a schismatic moreover, so that it was wonderful that he alone gave thanks so earnestly to Jesus, who was a Jew, when the other lepers, who were Jews by nation and religion, passed Him by and gave no thanks for so great a benefit.
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Ver. 17. And Jesus answering said, Why do not the nine, equally with this Samaritan, return and acknowledge their cure, and give Me thanks? In truth the nine were rejoiced at their cure, and went to the priests, that they might be declared to be clean, and restored to the society of men, thinking wholly of themselves, and caring very little for the glory of Jesus.
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Ver. 18. There are not found that returned. By confessing and declaring themselves cured by God through Christ of their leprosy, which was a great glory to God.
Save this stranger. That is, except this Samaritan, who was a stranger to the nation and religion of the Jews. For the Samaritans were Babylonians, Assyrians and Medians, and were transferred by Shalmanezer to Samaria. 2Ki 17:24. The Syriac says, "Why were they separated, so that none gave glory to God except this one?" He represents the Gentiles, who were to believe in Christ, and give Him thanks, when the unbelieving Jews would hold Him in contempt. We thus see that strangers are often more grateful than natives, because strangers wonder at strange benefactors more, and pay them greater respect than natives, who, as familiar with their benefactors, think that benefits are their due from the right of country. Moreover, they were ashamed to humble themselves before their own countrymen, and to acknowledge the misery from which they had been delivered. Rightly therefore does Christ blame them; and He might with justice have deprived them of the benefit of the cure, and allowed them to fall back again into their leprosy. But He would not do this, because His mercy was so great that it extended even to the ungrateful. S. Bernard sharply rebukes the Wickedness of ingratitude, Serm. li. on Canticles. He says, "It is the enemy of our souls, the inanition of our merits, the dispenser of our virtues, the ruin of our benefactions. Ingratitude is a burning wind, drying up the Fountain of Holiness, the dew of mercy, the streams of grace."
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Ver. 19. And He said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith. Faith, by which you have believed that I am able to save you, nay that I will do so, if you obey Me, and go to the priests. For this faith has worked with your healing, even though I be the primary author. Hence very likely the prompting of God elicited from this leper some act of contrition by which he was justified; and that he then left the schism of the Samaritans, and joined the true religion of the Jews. In the end he became a disciple of Jesus, and received His baptism, and became a Christian and preached the power and miracle of Christ and converted many to Him.
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Ver. 20. And when He was demanded of the Pharisees. The Kingdom of Israel, which had now indeed fallen, but which was to be raised up again by the Messiah.
The kingdom of God cometh not with observation. "Cometh," that is, will come. It is a Hebraism, in which the present is put for the future. Observe that Christ said, "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand." This Pharisee, therefore, either from a desire of knowledge, or to mock Jesus, said, "Thou Jesus preachest Thy kingdom in heaven, but when will it come? When shall we see Thee reigning in it? When shall we see Israel, who is now subjugated by the Romans, breathe again through Thy means and recover her liberty and live happily under Thee as her kin?" "They asked Him when He would reign," says Euthymius, "as to deride Him, who appeared as one of low estate." But Christ answered mildly and briefly at first as in this verse, but afterwards at more length (verse 22 to the end of the chapter). He spoke of the glory of His kingdom in the heavens, to which that of grace should first be subordinated on earth, for we proceed to glory through grace. He said therefore,
The kingdom of God. The kingdom of God and the Messiah cometh not with previous preparation, nor with the outward pomp of soldiers, horses, and chariots, as you can see, from itself. You know a king to be at hand when you see his attendants preceding him. With such as these you thought that the kingdom of the Messiah would come, and you look for it as now nigh at hand. Ver.21. Neither shall they say. They shall not say, In Jerusalem is the royal throne of Christ, He reigns there in magnificence like another Solomon; because Christ does not reign on a bodily throne, but in a spiritual soul, which by His grace He rules and directs into all good, and so guides it to the kingdom of heaven. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, Rom 14:17. I would understand all these sayings of the same thing: that is, of the first Advent of Christ in which He reigns in the souls of the faithful as a king through His grace; for thus do His sayings, as a whole, best agree together and cohere. Some, however, understand the kingdom of glory, because He will adorn even the bodies of the just with His own brightness, and other gifts, as all may see. Secondly, This kingdom of God is within us: that is, it is in our own power if we embrace the faith and grace of Christ, and work with Him, for, as Titus says, "It is of our own will and power to receive the kingdom of God." Thirdly, The kingdom of God is within us, because Christ, as our God and king, lives among us preaching and endowing this kingdom. Thus speaks Theophylact: "The kingdom of God on the whole is to live after the manner of the angels, when nothing of this world occupies our souls. We need no long time and no distant journey, for faith is near us, and after faith the divine life." The same also said the Apostle, "The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart, that is, the word of faith," Rom. x. 8. For to believe, and to walk worthily of our belief and of our calling, is within us. The Pharisees therefore derided the Lord, but He turned them into ridicule, showing that they were ignorant of that which was within them and which is very easy to any one who wishes for it. "For now when I am in the midst of you, you are able to possess the kingdom of God if you believe in Me and will live according to My commandments."
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Ver. 22. And He said unto His disciples, The days will come. That is, the time will come and is now at hand, when for My faith and the preaching of the gospel you will suffer many adversities, persecutions, and distresses; the errors and heresies, moreover, of the innovators; and be oppressed by straits of body and mind, and know not what consolation or counsel to take. Hence you shall seek to see Me, and to consult Me, if only once, but in vain: for after I shall have ascended into heaven, I shall no more appear on earth. Thus the things you now hear from Me you ought to teach, and to console, and to direct, until, at my second coming to judgment, I return to you, that is, to your successors. Thus He spoke to warn them that they could only come to the kingdom of glory through tribulations, that they might neither fail in heart nor fall from the faith. So Theophylact, Euthymius, Titus, Bede, and others. Ver. 23. And they shall say to you. False prophets shall come feigning themselves to be Christ or sent from Christ. Go not out, neither follow those deceivers or their rumours. The Arabic has, "See them not, nor hasten to them." Ver. 24. For as the lightning. The Syriac has, "As the lightning shines from heaven and lightens all things under heaven." As the lightning most suddenly, swiftly, and openly descends from heaven and shines out, so shall I suddenly and unexpectedly return to judgment. There will be no need of watching for Me, or sign, or mark, for I shall appear conspicuous and glorious to all in the whole earth. This and the following we have read in Mat 24:27 and following, where I have explained it.
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Ver. 25. But first must He suffer many things. The Arabic has, "Before this He shall endure much suffering, and be rejected by this generation." "That is," says Euthymius, "by this nation of a few Jews. He said this firstly, lest the Apostles, seeing Him suffering and being put to death on the cross, should be offended, and doubt whether He were the Christ." Secondly, as Bede says, "that when they saw Him dying, who, they thought should be glorified, the pain of His sufferings might be lightened to them by the hope of the promised glory." Thirdly, that He might arm them against future sufferings by this prophecy. "As if He had said," says Theophylact, "Wonder not if troubles come upon you, so great as to make you wish for the days when I was with you. For even I myself, who will come as the lightning, must first suffer many things, and be rejected, and so come into that glory. Let this be your example, for to you also shall come glory from perils." Ver. 30. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. "Well does Christ say," says Bede, "that He shall be revealed as one who, not being seen, sees all things, and then appearing, shall judge all things." Ver. 32. Remember Lot's wife. She perished because she looked back. "Lest," says S. Ambrose, "as she looked back on the burning Sodom, against the command of the angel, and was changed into a pillar of salt, so you also, against these commandments of mine, may return to the life of the world, and perish with that which is perishing and burning." S. Augustine (Lib ii. Quæst. Evang. quæst. 43): "What is the meaning of Lot's wife? She represents those who look back in tribulation and separate themselves from the hope of the Divine Promise, and who are therefore changed into a pillar of salt, that by admonishing men not to do the same, they may, as it were, season their hearts, and not become fools." Ver. 34. In that night there shall be two men in one bed. By the word night it may be thought that the universal judgment of Christ will take place at night, for the greater terror of men. But I reply, That which in verse 31 is called day, is here called night. First, Beca se the day of judgment will be to very many, and certainly to all who have fallen away, fatal and most calamitous. For night and darkness are symbols of calamity. Secondly, As night closes the day and the time of labour, so will that day also close the time of labouring and meriting, according to the words, "The night cometh when no man can work." John ix. 4. Rightly then is the day of judgment called night.
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v. 1 e¢ ait ad discipulos suos : impossible est dvévdexz0v quae est scil. conditio hominum, fieri non potest, wt non veniant scandala, stimulantur enim homines pravis concupiscentiis, quibus facile muli cedunt; verum cedunt ita ut debitis adhibitis subsidiis et libero arbitrio ope divina confortato potuerint non cedere; scandala autem sunt ea peccata quibus alii quasi offendiculis laqueisque positis ad peccandum provocantur; vae autem wl . \ per quem veniunt, vae illi qui causa est ruinae aliorum! vide ad Matth. 18,7;
ADYAAT unc 9 al pler it (excipe ae) vulg go syr (utr) tat; non add NBLX pl v. 2 mola asinaria; v. 8 praecinge lumbos tuos; v. 10 si feceritis quae praecepta sunt vobis, dicitis : servi sumus, quod etc.). pervacuam diligentiam; « satis enim per se perspicuum est multa in hunc locum Lucam sine ullo ordine, sine ulla connexione coniecisse », similiter Lap. Lamy qui putant haec referenda esse ad ea quae Matth. 18,7. 15 suis conditionibus causisque vestita narrantur. Alii tamen existimabant posse hic quoque assignari occasionem qua haec cum antecedentibus cohaereant. Idque erit putandum quia a verisimili non est alienum Christum gravia eiusmodi documenta pluries quam semel tradidisse. Quis vero nexus statuendus sit haud facile dixeris, ita ut omnibus probetur. Cum antea sermo fuerit de misericordia corporali ita ut impietas circa eleemosynas confutaretur, A/d. Bon. dicunt iam agi de pietate secundum eleemosynam spiritualem vel de misericordia spirituali; unde agi de vitatione scandali, quia crudelis sit:qui offendiculum alii ponat, et misericors qui remittat in se peccanti, eum sua adhortatione corrigat. Alii censent Christum occasionem loquendi de scandalo arripuisse ex eo quod pharisaei eum irriserint; « qui enim recta loquentem vituperat scandalum profecto, id est, offendiculum et ‘ruinam auditoribus praebet infirmis, maxime si legis videatur habere scientiam » (Bed. similiter Theoph. ans. Bisp. Sp.). Proinde haec quoque dicta essent contra pharisaeos, ne discipuli eorum vel auctoritate vel malitia perturbarentur. Quia in fine parabolae antecedentis mentio iniecta sit de tempore futuro, Schanz arbitratur hoc tradi monitum ratione habita temporis futuri,
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v. 2 utilius est tlle, si lapis molaris imponatur circa collum eius et proviciatur in mare, quam ut scandalizet unum de pusillis ists, ex graeco : si lapis circumpositus est... et proiectus est; proin clare edicitur melius fore, ut antea eo mortis genere abripiatur quam ut alios seducat; id quod in ae quoque exprimitur (vide lect. var.). Pusilli autem dicuntur infirmi in fide, qui quidem Christum audiunt, ei adhaerent, at nondum roborati facile a bonis sed parvis initiis fidei dimoveri possent. Atque tales inter Iesu discipulos quoque fuisse constat Ioan. 6,61. 67. Vario modo transitum ad v. 3 fieri ostendunt, vel doceri iam quomodo nos gerere oporteat erga eos qui scandalum dent (S. Cyr. Luc. Schanz) vel moneri quomodo nos ipsi debeamus scandalum vitare (Bed, Euth. Alb. Weiss); fore quippe ut simus scandalo nisi peccanti veniam indulgeamus, vel cum in v. 1. 2 iam expositum sit scandalum esse vitandum, nunc tradi quid praestandum sit erga fratres ubi in nos peccaverint (Ians. Calm.). Fortasse dici potest quod fere de v. 1.2 quoque valet Lucam omissa peculiari occasione qua Christus iterato ea morum documenta tradidit satis esse putasse si ipsa documenta (quae est rei summa) litteris consignaret;
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v. 3 attendite vobis, quae verba Theoph. Cat. Luc. Schegg cum praecedentibus iungunt; at plerique ea ad sequentia referunt idque merito, quia in sequentibus praescribit suis quid debeant praestare sedulo, dum illud aétendite neque ad v. 1neque ad v. 2 aptum sit, nisi suppleveris quod in textu non legitur : cavete ne ex aliorum scandalis periculum ruinae vobis exsistat! st peccavertt (in te) frater tuus, encrepa illum et si poenitentiam egerit dimitte illi, ex hoc alterco membro apparet illud 2” ¢e esse rectam interpretationem (vide lect. var.); ceterum vide ad Matth. 18,15; « obliviscere iniuriam tuam, non vulnus fratris, ergo corripe eum, intendens correction, parcens pudori » (S. Aug. serm. 82,7; M. 38,509). Et cum sciat Christus quam difficile sit hominibus iniurias illatas ex animo ignosceve docet quid ipse postulet; scil. ut semper oporteat nos esse paratos ad veniam dandam, etsi frequentissime offendamur vy. 4 et st septies in die peccaverit in te et septies (in die) conversus fuerit ad te, ad te redierit éxotpéby cf. Matth. 10,18. Gal. 4,9. 4 Petr.
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2 2B. dicens : poenitet me, dimitte illi; ut doceat nos semper animo debere esse paratissimos ad ignoscendum, rem exaggerat id nobis proponens quod eventurum esse vix credi potest, scil. ut quis septies in die nos offendat quamvis post unamquamque offensionem professus sit se’ de ea dolere et optare ut quod factum sit infectum habeatur. Proinde iniungitur ut quotiescumque offensisimus ignoscamus; debemus enim, ut S. Cyr. adnotat, imitari corporalium morborum medicos, qui non solum semel et iterum aegro medentur, sed quotiescumque aegrotare contigerit; ceterum vide ad Matth. 6,14. 15; 18,22. 35. Marc. 114, 25. 26. Rem postulavit Christus valde difficilem, quae immo a lege aliena esse videri poterat; nam ibilegitur : oculum pro oculo, dentem pro dente, manum pro manu, pedem pro pede, adustionem pro adustione, vulnus pro vulnere, livorem pro livore (Ex. 21,24. 25; ef. Matth. 5,38) et rabbini abutentes verbis prophetae Am. 1,3 et Iob 33,29 docent non teneri quemquam ad remissionem delicti quarti (cf. Lightfoot ad h.1. Ed. Il p. 125"). Videntes itaque apostoli magna exigi et se non sufficere ad illa sublimia opera pietatis petunt sibi fidem augeri (S. Bon. similiter Theoph. lans. Bisp. Schanz, Fil.)
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v. 5 et dixerunt apostoli Domino : adauge nobis fidem xo4s02¢ appone, adde; censent aliqui nullum adesse nexum cum antecedentibus (Cai. Luc.), immo -responso Christi illum nexum quem alii indicant plane excludi, quia responsio nullo modo congruat ad petitionem fidei qua apti reddantur ad praeceptum vy. 4 traditum implendum (Ked/, Weiss). Verum quam bene petierint Adem ad illam rem difficilem peragendam, Christus sua responsione declarat, cum dicat fide effici posse illa quae ab homine fieri nullo pacto possint
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v. 6 dixit autem Dominus : st habueritis fidem steut granum sinapis , dicetis huic arbori moro : eradicare et transplantare in mare et obediet vobis; solo verbo arborem eradicare eamque inter fluctus maris euntes et tumentes firmiter plantare, ut in ea undarum commotione radicibus fixa sit et fructus ferat, res est quae plane fieri nequit ulla vi vel arte humana. Quare tali exemplo docemur fide nos posse impetrare a Deo illa quae vires nostras superent; ceterum vide Matth. 117,20, quo loco idem exemplo montis transferendi indicatur. Hoe loco idem ostenditur in sycamino arbore (cuius forma et folia similitudinem mori referunt, fructus vero ficuum); quare ipsa hac varietate suadetur alio tempore id dictum esse. Veram autem et vivam fidem quam maxime impellere et iuvare ad praeceptum illud inv. 3.4 datum fideliter implendum manifestum est. Nam si qquis vivide apprehendit quis sit qui praecipiat, quomodo non toto animo studioque in eius observationem incumbat? Etsi eadem fide animi eorum imbuti sunt, nullo modo extollentur more pharisaeorum quadam superbia sloriantes de sua in Deum observantia et obsequio ; continuo quippe iis ob oculos versabitur maiestas 4. In talmude refertur sine ulla viluperatione quendam rabbi non ignovisse levissimam | quandam offensionem qua suae dignitati esse ‘derogatum existimabat quam vis ab offensore parabola docet, ut fides quo virtutibus foris excellentior eo in ipsa conscientia fiat intus humilior. Et cum mens humana propter opéra bene facta facile ad vanae gloriae cupiditatem rapiatur eoque morbo eo mazis laboret quo maiore conatu opus erat ad debitam Deo obedientiam in re difficili praestandam, Christus hac parabola omnem inanem ea de re gloriationem retundendam docet (cf. S. Cyr. Bon. Theoph. Euth. Cai. lans. Luc. Schegg, Schanz, Fil.)
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v. 7 quis autem vestrum habens seroum arantem aut pascentem, cui scil. incumbit arare vel greges pascere, gui regresso de agro dicat illi : statim transi, recumbe? rageAguy statim accedens recumbe, epulare,
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v. 8 ef non dicat er : para b quod coenem et praecinge te et ministra mihi xzeilwodpevog accinc- : eu donec manducem et bibs et post haec tu manducabis et bibes? var sed gratiam habet servo li quia fecit quae et imperaverat?
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v. 10 non puto, vide lect. var.; cum enim servus huiusmodi ministerium teneatur praestare, quod si negligeret merito vapularet, certe non est cur herus ei gratias agat ac si emolumentum hero attulisset ad quod nullatenus obstrictus esset; svc et vos cum fecerttis omnia quae praecepta sunt vobis dicite 2 servi inutiles sumus ; quod debuimus facere fecimus; xypsio. inutiles, et quo sensu nos debeamus ita vocare _additur : id quippe solum fecimus ad quod obstricti sumus; nihil ultra debitum praestitimus (cf. Jans. Ipr.), quare rite interpretatio fit ‘in pluribus codicibus graecis : ¢c. 8 etc. quia quod debuimus facere fecimus. Alii quandoque explicant nobis id esse fatendum quia Deus non indigeat nostris operibus bonis neque nostro obsequio ei aliquid emolumenti conferamus (cf. Bed. Bon. Lamy, Calm.). Quod quidem verum est; at hic a Christo alia assignatur ratio. Apud LXX dypsice etiam Radi pro hebr. 92v humilis, vilis (cf. 2 Sam. 6,22; item apud Theominus ipse sentiat de suis servis, vel illo loco Salvator docet, ubi ait : euge serve bone et fidelis, quia super pauca fuisti fidelis, intra in gaudium Domini tui (Matth. 25,21. 23), uti Lue, Ipr. Lap. notant. Kt servum quoque non privari suo emolumento, in ipsa parabola indicatur v. 8 quia dicitur : post haec tu manducabis et bibes. Quare luce clarius est Christum hoc loco non negare quod alias saepe dicit de mereede apud Deum, de vita aeterna quae sit praemium observationis mandatorum etc., sed solum. reprimit morbum illum vanitatis et superbiae, idque eo maiore iure quia revera nostra opera bona sunt dona Dei et quicumque mandata Dei observat ea solum observat | quia gratia Dei incitatur et adiuyatur. Inv. 11 dt¢ pecovN BL Ti WH; aliq minuse ave wecov; add in fine et hierichoab cefifPilqrs; per medium Samariae des. In v. 13 D expakav owvy peyaky, item e clamaverunt voce magna. In v. 14 D (dixit) telcoaneveot: d curati estis; dub dixit eis. In v.45 D exadacioby similiter al 6 bfl vulg go tat syr (sin, sch, hr) aeth; sanatus cifi, curatus es; clarificans e; honorificans as. In v. 17 oy BL §; al ovyt. Inv. 18 D c& avtwy ovdets evpely vmoctpeowy o¢ dwoer Sokav; similiter al; bc ff? q ex illis non est qui rediret et gratias ageret, e et nemo ex eis reversus est qui daret claritatem deo, sim tat. In v. 19 D ot: y motes; quia ab cefif?lqsvulg arm; B om x ztotts ceawxev ge, X add zopevov ete stonvyv (sin v. 11 et cum proficisceretur in Ierusalem; v. 12 et cum ingrederetur in quoddam castellum, decem viri leprosi stabant a longe; a v. 15 ad v. 19 solum pauca verba servata sunt; sed in v. 19 legitur fides tua; unde sin ' habuit illud : fides tua te'salvum fecit). S. Lucas, gentium apostoli comes, alienigenam a Jesu esse sanatum refert eumque animum gratum prae aliis exhibuisse et a Domino meritas laudes cepisse: Christum enim omnium esse salvatorem et facile fieri posse, ut alienigenae fide ac devotione superarent Iudaecos et in populi electi loco apud Deum haberentur hac quoque narratione demonstrabatur. Unde erat cur gentibus proponeretur. Pontifices et pharisaei, postquam Icsus Lazarum a mortuis suscitavit, ceperunt consilium eum interficiendi; quare Iesus se recepit in regionem iuxta desertum, in civitatem Ephrem (loan. 11,47-54). Inde post aliquod tempus iter aggreditur in urbem tempore paschali appropinquante. De quo ultimo in urbem itinere hic evangelista mentionem facere videtur
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v. 12 ef cum ingrederetur quoddam castellum xouqy pagum, vicum, occurrerunt er decem virt leprosi, qui steterunt a longe; lege enim leprosi prohibebantur ad alios prope accedere ; ef. Lev. 13,46 et Num. 5,2; rabbilochanan statuit non licere ad leprosum appropinguare quattuor cubitos, si eurus ab ipso flet; rabbi vero Simeon ne ad centesimum quidem cubitum (ef. Wetstein, Schoettgen, Ed. lp. 495); ex eis novem erant Iudaei, unus Samaritanus; odium illud mutuum inter [udaeos et Samaritanos communi miseria videtur esse exstinctum; morbi communicatio eos adunaverit (Ewth.);
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v. 13 et levaverunt vocem, clamant quia stant a longe et quia affectus eos clamare cogebat (Mald.), dicentes : Iesu praeceptor, mtserere nostri; extotaza vide 5,5; 8,24. 45; 9,33. 49. Ipsa precatione ostendunt fidem et cuncti rogant pro cunctis, quo magis et numero et communi causa quasi coniunctis viribus factaque veluti conspiratione quadam Christum ad misericordiam commoverent (Ma/d.). Jesus vero non statim eos sanat, verum eorum fidem probat et explorat (Euth, Mald. Luc. Ipr.)
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v. 14 e¢ factum est dum iret in Ierusalem, transibat per mediam Samariam et Galilaecam, ax péccv significat vel proficisci per mediam regionem samaritanam et per mediam Galilaeam vel inter Samariam et Galilaeam, per confinia Samariae et Galilaeae iter instituere, adeo ut Samariam haberet Iesus ad dexteram, ad sinistram Galilaeam. Cum non sit probabile Iesum post 9,54 iterum rediisse in Galilaeam , haec altera explicatio cum plerisque erit adoptanda (ef. Schegg, Schanz, Fil. Wetstein, Keil, Weiss, Sp.); eo modo dicitur ava péoov LXX-lud. 15,4 et 3 Reg. 5,12 et Ez. 22,26 notione inéer, qua notione &% yécov quoque apud profanos habetur; v. g. Xenoph. Anab. 1,4. & dia pécov 88 bet todtwy motayd¢ i. e. fluit inter duos muros; item Cyrop. 6,3. 3 et Hellen. 5,4. 25 et Thucyd. 8,75. 4 (cf. Schegg);ita S. Cyr. quoque verba intellexit cum scribat éy péow tH¢ Napapetac nat Tarrratag dictum esse; v. 14 quos ut vidit dixit : ite, ostendite vos sacerdotibus; nondum erant mundati et eos iubet se ostendere sacerdotibus. Sed eo ipso tacite illis promittit sanationem, si tantam habent fidem, ut hoc praeceptum, dum adhuc lepra pleni sunt, non iis videatur ridiculum, sed ut obediant. Atque revera habent eam fidem (Cai.) et voci Domini plena fiducia obediunt (A/d.); e¢ factum est dum irent mundati sunt; iubentur se sistere sacerdotibus, ut legi satistiat Ley. 13,2 et 14,2 et vide ad Matth. 8,3. Receperunt itaque mercedem fidei et obedientiae simplicis, dum in via a lepra sanabantur;
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v. 15 unus autem ex illis, ut vidit quia mundatus est, regressus est cum magna voce magnificans Deum, qui per Iesum ei reddidisset integram sanitatem; verum mediatori quoque Iesu animum ostendit gratum
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v. 16 ef cectdit in faciem ante pedes eius gratias agens et hic erat Samaritanus, ut talis magis sensit et pluris aestimavit beneficium sibi a praeceptore Iudaeo praestitum, cum ignorare non posset quanta exsisteret simultas inter Iudaeos et Samaritanos (cf. Ioan. 4,9). Fidem alii quoque habebant; nam verbo Iesu quo eorum fidem explorabat obsecuti revera mundabantur; fortasse sibi tamquam Iudaeis id benepraestitisse si se sacerdotibus sisterent. Iesus autem aperte significat quantopere sibi placeat animus ille gratus Samaritani, dum e contra aliorum negligentia non poterat non dolore affici. Quare ex reditu il- | lius occasionem capit conquerendi de eorum animis ingratis
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v. 17 7espondens autem Iesus dixit : nonne decem mundati sunt? et novem ubi sunt? « quaerit non ignorans, sed reprobans ingratitudinem et irreverentiam, sicut quaerebat Dominus : Adam, ubi es » (S. Bon.)? v. 18 oly <0eé0joav; num non inventi sunt qui redirent etc.? num nemo ex illis se talem exhibuit qui Deo daret gloriam et honorem? Eo quod Samaritanus id fecit, magis accusantur Iudaei negligentiae et irreveren- Hisce iam multum laudavit Samaritanum; eum benigne dimittit
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v. 19 et ait illi : surge, vade; (quia) fides tua te saluum fecit; denuo vim fidei effert et novo documento ostendit discipulis quod antea v. 6 verbis eos docuerat. Simul monet eos quoque quam gratos esse oporteat de gratiis acceptis. Et cum apostoli videant alienigenam redeuntem et Deum extollentem laudibus, cuius agendi modum Iesus commendat, praesagire poterunt Deum inter gentes quoque a Iudaeis despectas habere suos electos, immo gentes Deo maiorem esse relaturas gratiam quam plerosque Iudaeorum. Quare haud immerito in Samaritano gentiles designari quandoque dicunt (ef. S.. Bon. Theoph. Lap.), qui magno studio salutem messianam amplectantur et beneficia mags altis animis reponant.
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v. 20 interrogatus autem a pharisaeis : quando venit regnum Dei? eos interrogasse tentandi et insidias struendi causa aliqui putant (cf. Schegg, Reischl, Fil. Sp.), id quod si respicitur 11, 53. 54, fortasse nonnemini satis probabile videbitur ; alii eos hac quaestione voluisse Christum deridere, quia quamvis toties de regno loqueretur nulla tamen eius indicia cernerentur (cf. S. Cyr. Theoph. Euth. Ians. Luc. Lap. Calm.) idque ex tota pharisaeorum indole esse iudicandum Madd. Ipr. censent. Attamen duo obstare videntur. Christus enim iis respondet eosque de modo quo regnum Dei veniat edocet; id quod vix fecisset si irrisorie rogassent. Dein evangelista alias sedulo notare solet animum pharisaeorum malevolum (cf. 5,21. 30; 6,7; 7,30. 39; 11,38. 53; 14,1; 15,2; 16,4). Quod cum hoe loco non faciat, cur demum interpres faceret? Quare potius dicendum cum Bisp. Schanz, Keil, Weiss eos interrogasse animo non malevolo. Quae eorum, sicut aliorum quoque et ipsorum discipulorum, erat opinio de regno Dei, de restitutione throni David, de hostibus populi Dei subigendis, etiam facile intelligitur, cur et ipsi quaesierint et Christus responderit non de tempore, sed de modo quo regnum Dei veniat; respondens ers dizit: non venit regnum Dei cum observatione i. e. non eo modo adspectabili quo illi exspectant; non perk nepigavetag avOowntyne, uli fit in terrenis regibus (Zwth.); non veniet conspicuum ac notabile externo maiestatis splendore, illustre pompa mundana (Lue. ; similiter Lap. Schanz, Fil.);v. 24 neque dicent : ecce hie aut ecce ie uti seil. dici built. Dictum est postea : ecce hic, ecce illic, quando pseudochristi miseram Iudacorum plebem decipiebant. Hisce itaque eos revocat a falsa opinione de regno messiano, quasi regno terreno, simili regno Et quam merito talem regni indolem neget manifestum est : ecce enim regnum Der intra vos est, i. e. inter vos iam eius regni initia et fundamenta consistunt. Dicit itaque pharisaeis idem quod eis iam baptista exprobravit : medius vestrum stetit quem vos nescitis (Ioan. 1,26), idem quod ipse quoque alias indicavit dicens : si in digito Dei eiicio daemonia, profecto pervenit ad vos regnum Dei (11,20. Matth. 12,28). Non est dubium quin zyz3¢ boyy possit significare infer vos, cuius notionis exempla apud scriptores profanos haud raro reperiuntur (cf. Schegg, Schanz) et Euth. explicat tvzd¢ aizBv, we dv WETW AUVTOY avaotpemdpevos de quo et praecursor dixit : pécog byiv Zorqxsy medius vestrum stetit quem vos non nostis. Bene advertit A/b. : « secundum litteram hic intendit regnum materiale iam esse intra pharisaeos, quia et rex iustorum et prima ordinatio potestatum et principum apostolorum et discipulorum fuit intra eos et non recognoverunt » vel, ut Jans. ait : iam inter Iudaeos suam vim exserit regnum Dei per miraculorum operationem, daemonum expulsionem et multorum ad fidem concursum. Et verborum vel plane recedant vel ad alios dirigi sermonem statuant. Quae incommoda omnia evitantur, si priorem interpretationem sequimur : inter vos versatur regnum Dei. Quam etiam tangere videntur S. Cyr. Theoph. Bon., quia praeter aliam etiam in medium proferunt quod loan. 41,26 ha- . betur : medius vestrum stetit quem vos nescitis. Verum quidem est quod Schegg urget évtds in aliis s. Scripturae locis solum reperiri in notione intra, intus (Matth. 22,26. Ps. 38,4; 108, 22. Cant. 3,10. Dan. 10,16); at cum évtdc aliter quoque apud graecos adhibeatur et nostro loco haec sola notio aptum fundat sensum in sermone ad pharisaeos dicto, dubium esse nequit utra significatio sit seligenda. 7 Mentione facta de regno Dei Iesus discipulos edocet de sorte quae ipsis‘in hoc regno Dei continget;
Similiter sicut factum est in diebus Lot : AST RY Se ae a oS ovde goodary, [dob wdc, H éxet. (dod yd, h Bactreta tod Oeod evtdg buddy eotiv. 22. f te Fadlounoare play toby nme TOU od tod dvOovizov Wetv, zat odn Sheobe. i , [dod oxo TOV “odoayd v etc THY br’ odpavoy c 6 Hugow abtod]. 25. adTOV meGtov 6: Set rabetv, nor e&rodoxtuxcl7vat and tis 26. xat xalws eyévero ev tats Fudoots Nae, otturg Lotar xat av tats Hugoats Tod vtod tod dvOocdnov. 27. 7jcbtov, ydmouv, eyautGovto, &yer vio qud= stg tiv xt6wtov, xat emtvoy , pag stoyhOev Néde mAvev & xataxAvowds, xat anuddrccey mavtas. 28. duolwsg xabes eyeveto ev tats Hucoars Fsbtov, Enwov, Hydpatov, exedrovy, épitevov, dxoddnovv' 29. 7% 68 fudox 2A Mev Awe aro Lodduwy, EGockev xdo xat Ostov ax” odpavod, xuat dmvbAccev n&vtac? 30. natk ta adt& Eotar A Hugow 6 vide tod év éxstyy ti avOownov aroxaddnretar. 31. c f a Vv \ ~ SNA \ \ Husow, O¢ gota. ext Tod Suduatos, nal ta oxen adtod ev ti otxle, pH xatadtw doa Dis Pie hy 2 ~ aS adtd zat 6 év dypts dyolws py enrotpevata etic ta Orlow. 32. pvnwovebete tig adtod meptnoticaclar drohgcer adtiyv: Og 6’dv anoddon, Cwoyovijas: adtiv. 34. Agyo Tadtn tH Zoovtat dto ent 6 sig mapahnuobricetat, Zcovtat Ovo &y= voxtt * xAlvng [prac]: 6 &repos dye0yjoetat. 35. fovea éxt to abté: h ula mapadynuoirostat, h 88 Eréoa dosOyoetar. 36. Kat dnoxprbévtes woore; 37. 6 08 etmev adtots, “Onov to ciiua, éxet xat of detor vy. 35 duo in agro ete. in D U al permu it vulg tat syr (sin, cu, utr) arm Amb Aug; saci et dicebant; v. 24 ab extremo coelorum usque ad extremum eius, sic erit dies Filii hominis; in v. 28 om plantabant, aedificabant; v. 31 in illa hora qui ascendit in tectum, non descendat ut tollat vasa sua ex domo; v. 35 molentes in uno lapide). Frequenter disserebat Iesus de regno Dei; immo Ioannes baptista, Iesus ipse, apostoli ab eo missi praedicationem auspicati sunt a promissione regni Dei dicentes illud appropinquasse. Inde itaque pharisaei captant occasionem quaerendi (cf. Euth. Cai. Ians. Luc. Ipr. Mald. Lap. Calm.)
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v. 22 et ait ad discipulos swos (nunc _explicite dicitur sermonem fieri ad discipulos; proinde patet illud vos in v. 24 non posse explicari sensu quodam, generali) : venient dies, guando desideretis videre unum diem, yiav zy hyzody 1. e. 71% UNUM aliquem Filit hominis et non videbitis ; dies Filii hominis est dies quo singulari quadam ratione se exhibet iudicem, vindicem, ultorem; quare secundus eius adventus ad iudicium peculiari modo dies Domini dicitur. Significat igitur Dominus, instare tempus quo ob fidem Christi et praedicationem evangelii multa adversa et persecutiones graves et contradictiones et tribulationes adeo in eos incurrant eosque affligant, ut vehementi desiderio ipsius Domini iudicis manifestationem et adventum exoptaturi sint. Et profecto haud raro Ecclesia Christi ea tempora vidit quibus multi fideles ardenter desiderabant, ut Dominus su- _bito insigni quadam clade prostratis Ecclesiae inimicis sponsam suam redderet triumphantem et gloriosam. At cum Iesus dicat : et non videbitis, iis clare innuit se posse et velle permittere, ut quandoque diu premantur calamitatibus et potestate inimicorum, neque se splendido quodam suo interventu et ad admirationem facto esse opem laturum. Qua ratione autem Deus Ecclesiae suae afflictae succurrere soleat bene iam delineat propheta in aquis Siloe quae vadant cum silentio (Is. 8,6) et cum dicat : nolite timere opprobrium hominum et blasphemias eorum ne metuatis; sicut enim vestimentum sic comedet eos vermis, et sicut lanam sic devorabit eos tinea (Is. 51,7.8; cf. quae ad h. |. adnotavi). Intelligi diem de tempore futuro plerique rite censent (cf. Bed. Alb. Lap. Bisp. Reischl, Schegg, Schanz, Fil.), pauci de tempore praeterito, de tempore quo Christus in terra cum discipulis versatus sit, ita ut unum ex illis diebus desiderare dicantur (cf. S. Cyr. Theoph. Mald.), quae explicatio satis tenuis est. _ Ne calamitosis illis temporibus se decipi sinant per pseudoprophetas et pseudochristos graviter monet:
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v. 23 ef dicent vobis : ecce hic et ecce illic! nolite ire neque sectemini; vide ad Matth. 24,23; si enim Christus revera venit in gloria et maiestate, eius adventus ita erit omnibus conspicuus, ut nulla alia admonitione opus sit. Quare quicumque dicunt : ecce hic est Messias etc. statim cognoscuntur mendaces; v. 2h nam sicut fulgur coruscans de sub coelo in ea quae sub coelo sunt fulget 2x ri (yopac erit supplendum) 07d tov oboavey ele thy On’ odexvey fulget ex una regionem late sub coelo patentem illustrat, fa erit Filius hominis in die sua; cf. Matth. 24,27; diem vocat suam quia tum gloria ipsius tofi mundo erit manifesta eo modo quo antea non fuit. Sed ad hance gloriam perveniendumest passione; denuo discipulis in memoriam revocat quod iam saepius eos monuerat (9,22. 44; 12,49; 13,33. Matth. 16,21; 17,22; 20,17. Mare. 8,31; 9,30; 10,33)
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v. 25 primum autem oportet alum multa pati et reprobari a generatione hac; nolite itaque mirari si vobis quoque evenerint molesta; nam qua via mihi perveniendum est ad gloriam? ita eos praemunit contra scandalum crucis, ut exemplo suo et consortio passionis simul ac gloriae mitiget mala quae ipsis obventura praedixerat (Luc.). Dies autem ille adveniet inexspectato; quare semper paratos essé oportet, ne dies ille iis evadat in perniciem;
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v. 26 e¢ sicut factum est in diebus Noe, ita erit et in diebus Filia hominis;
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v. 27 edebant et bibebant, uxores ducebant et dabantur ad nuptias, bene dabantur nuptum , éyzyifevzo, cum more veterum patres filias darent nuptum quibus ipsi volebant, wsque in diem qua intravit Noe in arcam et ventt diluvium et tulit omnes; illi vitam degebant totam rebus terrenis im- 3,20) ad resipiscentiam adducebantur; remanebant increduli adeoque iis sua culpa ex improviso diluvium ingruebat quo illi omnes perierunt. Simili modo dum hominum plerique solum rebus et voluptatibus terrae dedit sunt, subito ingruet dies Filii hominis; vae illis quos imparatos et peccatis implicatos deprehendet! Aderat olim Noe praeco iustitiae; nulla ei est adhibita fides! aderit tum Christi Ecclesia, praeco iustitiae; verum plerique rebus et commodis et negotiis terrenis plane dediti aures habebunt surdas et clausas voci Ecclesiae;
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v. 28 simliter sicut factum est in diebus Lot : edebant et bibebant, emebant et vendebant, plantabant et aedificabant,
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v. 29 qua die autem exiit Lot a So- _domis, pluit ignem et sulphur de coelo cf, Gen. 19,24 et omnes perdidit,
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v. 30 secundum haec erit qua die Filius hominis revelabitur i. e. Exemplis diluvii et destructionis Sodomorum allatis patet diem Domini interitum esse allaturum hominibus qui rebus terrenis prorsus sint immersi. Quare suos docet Iesus animis ita esse debere comparatos, ut nullo rerum mundanarum studio vel amore capiantur vel retineantur ;
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v. 34 in illa hora qui fuerit in tecto et vasa eius in domo , ne descendat tollere illa, et qui in agro, similiter non redeat retro, « flocci facere iubet rem quamlibet terrenam ac temporalem atque unum prae oculis scopum habere, ut animam quisque suam salvet » (S. Cyr.). Itaque paratos nos esse oportet ut statim tales quales ille dies nos deprehendat Christo occurrere possimus; quare nullo impedimento nos retineri oportet neque. ulla iam erit mora vel opportunitas nos expediendi vel nobis providendi. Id Christus locutione proverbiali demonstrat. Debemus ergo esse directi ad regnum Dei (S. Amdbr.), quae retro sunt obliviscentes ad ea autem quae sunt priora extendentes nos ipsos et despectis mundanis perseveranter tendentes ad aeterna (S. Bon.). Hane itaque curam solam animis vult insidere, ut parati sint et expediti ad diem iudici (cf. Caz. Luc. Fil.). Ad quod monet
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v. 32 memores estote uxorts Lot; cf. Gen. 19,17. 26; quae scil. respexit ac periit; uxor enim incredula verbis angeli (cf. Sap. 10,7) respexit affectu et studio eorum quae invita et dolens, corpore quidem relinquere cogebatur, at animo non reliquerat (cf. Luc. Lap. Bisp. Schans, Fil.). Proinde ut tuti et securi illum diem opperiri possimus, debemus nos expedire ab omni amore inordinato, ab omni timore mundano, ita ut vitam potius profundamus quam a Christo recedamus
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v. 33 guzcumque quaesierit anmam suam salvam facere perdet illam, qui commodo suo temporali ita studet, ut pro fide ac virtute bona terrestria et ipsam vitam prodigere recuset, ille revera se ipsum perdet; e¢ quicwmque perdiderit illam, vivificabit eam; qui commoda temporalia et vitam ipsam Christi causa amiserit, ille cuncta cum lucro ingenti recuperabit; nam, ut Hus. dicit, prodigos tune esse oportet non rei familiaris tantummodo, verum etiam vitae eos qui in apostasiae aetatem ineurrent, ne dum animam suam conservare temporalique vitae parcere student, hance simul et aeternam vitam amittant victi scil. vel voluptatibus vel timore persecutionum. Quare S. Cyr. bene dicit eos perdere animam suam ut salvent, qui carnem suam crucifigunt cum vitiis et concupiscentiis suis et S. Bon. totius periculi rationem esse conyersionem ad bonum privatum quo quis nimis se ipsum diligat (sim. Cai.). Ceterum vide ad 9,24 et ad Matth. 10,39 et Marc. 8,35. Ex omni vitae conditione alios iri assumptum, reiectum alios docet Christus; quare neLUG. 17,34-37.. 493 mo desperet, nemo praesumat, sed sibi ipsi caute provideat
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v. 34 dico vobis : in illa nocte erunt duo in léecto uno; antea vocaverat diem, in- _ telligendo generatim tempus; nunc noctis fit mentio vel quia de duobus in uno lecto-cubantibus exemplum depromitur vel quia Dominus venit tamquam fur in nocte , ut adventus subitus, inexspectatus notetur (cf. Schegg, Schanz), vel quod plures approbant, ut tempus tribulationis et angustiae, terroris et horroris nota illa metaphora noctis et tenebrarum declarettir (cf. S. Amdbr. Bed. Bon. Alb. Luc. Lap. Fil.) , unus assumetur, et alter relinguetur, unus scil. obviam ibit Christo in aera et in gloriam assumetur; cf. 1 Thess. 4,46 rapiemur in nubibus obviam Christo in aera et sic semper cum Domino erimus; alter a consortio gloriae excludetur;
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v. 35 duae erunt molentes in unum, simul molentes, wna assumetur et altera relinquetur ; priore exemplo divites, hoc designari pauperes, quorum alii salvi, reprobi erunt alii, Eus. Cyr. Theoph. Car. Luc. exponunt; duo in agro, unus assumetur et alter relinquetur, quae pars in plerisque codd. unc. deest (vide lect. var.); ceterum cf. Matth. 24,40;
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v. 36 respondentes dicunt illdi. e. ex Jesu verbis occasionem quaerendi capiunt : wht Domine? ubi haec erunt, ubi assumentur? v.37 gui dixit ills : ubicumque fuerit corpus, illuc congregabuntur (et) aquilae ; respondet Christus, ut bene dicunt Alb. Cat. Luc. Lamy, per similitudinem : non opus est monitore, sicut non admonendae sunt aquilae ubi sit cadaver; naturali instinctu atque impetu undique conveniunt ad cadaver; proinde locutione quasi pro- | verbiali indicat undique electos vi quadam innata et celerrimo quasi volatu ad se iri congregatum. Sunt qui aquilas de electis, corpus de Christo explicent (cf. S. Cyr. Bed. Bon. Euth. Theoph. etc.); alii vero id significari volunt : ubicumque mali invenientur ibi quoque erit iudicium (cf. Schanz, Fil. Keil, Weiss). Ceterum pluribus de his verbis disputavi ad Matth. 24,28. a tue. 181-8. texta oratione alienum est neque ullo indicio innuitur. Praeterea hic sermo habet peculiaria quaedam ac singularia quae in altero posteriore tempore qui habitus est non deprehendantur. Ita statim ei soli proprius est modus quo a responsione pharisaeis data oratio deflectitur ad discipulos neque alibi legitur sententia in v. 22 expressa, quae plane est sui generis. Huic sermoni porro proprium est alterum illud exemplum ex diebus Lot petitum, pariter admonitio quae ex eius uxore colligitur, item quod in v. 25 legitur; alio contextu (qui tamen facile colligitur ex mentione Lot iussi fugere ex Sodomis) et ad aliam applicationem legitur et ponitur y. 31, qui alio prorsus sensu Matth. 24,16 habetur. Praeterea monitum illud in v. 33 et quaestio discipulorum in v. 36, cum in sermone apud Matth. non reperiantur, etiam suadent esse cogitandum de alio tempore et alio sermone. c) Orationem esse efficacem 18,1-8. 18,1. Dicebat autem et parabolam ad 18,1. "Ekeyev 88 magabodjy adtoie npb¢ F \ pi r rs aN me \ illos, quoniam oportet semper orare et | 79 S&¥ mavtote meosebyectar adtobs xat py quod oportet; e ad hoe quia. In v. 4 D ypovov twa din aliquod temporis. In v. 5 e mihi tedium tacit; b ff? q ne... constringat me; e molestior sit mihi; 1 invidiam mihi faciat. In v..7 pazoeolvuue.r NA BDLQXII pl minuse (sin v. 1 parabolam hance ut orent omni tempore et non sit taedium cis; v. 4 et nolebat; postea dixit apud se; v. 7 Deus itaque non eximie faciet etc.). Hlaec parabola arcte ad antecedentia adnectitur. Dixerat enim instare suis persecutiones et tribulationes in quibus desideraturi essent videre Christum, ut ab eo auxillium acciperent 17,22; nune itaque remedium contra adversa suggerit et quid iis in angustiis praestandum sit docet (cf. Jans. Mald. Lue. Lap. Schanz)
17:2
σκανδαλίζειν peut signifier l'effet pra par l'exemple ou la parole dont l'influence peut être funeste (jo. νι, 61), fût-ce à tort. Mais il peut aussi signitier l'acte de tendre un piège spirituel, c'est-à-dire d'amener directement la chute d’un autre (Ps.-Sal. xvi, 7). Ce doit être le sens ici, vu la sévérité des termes. Mt. (xvur, 6) et Me. (1x, 42) ont μύλος ὀνικός, Le. dit λίθος μυλικός. D'après Norden (Antike Kunstprosa p. 487), c'est pour éviter une expression contradictoire. En effet, comme dit Moeris (p. 262), on nommait μύλος la meule inférieure, et ὄνος la meule supérieure. On ue pouvait donc désigner la pierre supérieure μύλος ὀνιχός, Mais aussi n'était-ce pas le cas, et dans le Comm. de Mare nous avons traduit meule actionnée par un âne. Cependant Zorell dans son Lexicon (1911) et Ebeling dans son dictionnaire (1913) continuent à attribuer un contreseus à Me. et à Mt., ce qui ne devrait plus être permis. On croyait autrefois que ὀνιχός était un terme biblique, et comme on ne le trouvait pas ailleurs il paraissait indiqué, à propos d'une meule, de le faire dériver d'êvos, meule supérieure. Maïs aujourd'hui on sait que ὀνιχός se disait des troupeaux (Pap. Bert. n° 912 1. 24 en 34 ap. J.-C., et Pap. Nicole de Genève, n° 23, 1. ἃ en l’an 70 ap. 3.=C.), et d'une charge, youbs ὀνιχύς (Tarif de Pulmyre, 1. 30 et 45, dans Drrrene. Orient. graeci… n° 629). Deissmann (Liché von Osten, Ὁ. 50) et Moulton et Milligan {Expositor 1910, p. 92) ont noté ces Cas sans rien conclure sur le sens de μύλος ὀνιχός. Il est pourtant clair que ce mot doit signifier une meule mue par un âne, comme λίθων x66wv καμηλικῶν (Ox. Pap. 478, 1.7 5, re 5, ap. F.-C., cité par MM.) signifie des pierres carrées transportables par des chameaux. Le μύλος ὀνικός est donc bien la mola asinaria des Romaïins, opposée à la meule à bras. D'ailleurs il y aurait eu du pédantisme à parler avec précision de la meule supérieure. Pourquoi celle-là plutôt que l’autre? Luc a même sans doute trouvé que la meule à âne περίκειται περὶ τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ χαὶ ἔρριπται εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν ἢ ἵνα σχαν- - précisait trop, et selon son habitude d'éliminer les détails pittoresques, il ἃ dit simplement une pierre meulière. Le scandale est exercé envers des petits, moins capables par conséquent de se défendre, et que Jésus pouvait montrer du geste. Étant parmi les disciples, ils sont donc croyants, ce que Mt. et Me. disent expressément, comme il convenait, puisque dans leur contexte — plus éloigné dans Mc. — il avait été question des enfants. — λυσιτελεῖ... ἤ, le positif pour le comparatif, comme les Grecs quelquefois, les langues sémitiques toujours. Au lieu de et avec le présent et le parfait, D ἃ mis περιέχειτο et ἐδλήθη, ce qui est plus régulier, puisqu'il s'agit d'une hypothèse, cas irréel (Deb, $ 372, 3). Il semble donc que le parfait ἔρριπται indique l’antériorité : c'est chose faite. — ἵνα indique le résultat, remplaçant ὅπως (Deb. ὃ 392, 393), à moins qu'on n'imagine avec Schanz qu'il s'agit du but qu'aurait eu le coupable! — Le sens est mieux vaut pour lui de mourir — et d'une mort cruelle — avant (et non seulement plutôt) que de commettre une pareille faute qui serait une double ruine spirituelle, pour lui et pour autrui. En matière de seandale, s’il n'est pas tout à fait voulu, on pèche souvent par inadvertance, parce qu’on n’envisage que l'acte en lui-même, non ses conséquences pour le prochain (Rom. x1v, 43). C'est pourquoi Jésus ajoute deux mots : προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς, qui se rapportent encore au v. 2 (Holtz. Hahn contre Sehanz). ET
17:3
Nous avons rattaché προσέχετε ἑαυτοῖς à ce qui précité On μουν, en faire une transition, mais le sens deviendrait tout à fait vague. — ἁμάρτῃ est la forme correcte (aor. 2), tandis que Mt. emploie un aoriste à sigma. On dirait que Le., comme Mt., va parler de la correction fraternelle à propos d'une faute quelconque (ἁμάρτῃ sans εἰς σέ introduit par D et quelques autres), puis on voit que c'est une offense atteignant celui qui doit faire la monition. En pareil cas elle est particulièrement délicate. On dirait que Le. l’a retenue d'un texte plus général. Cependant elle sera le plus souvent très utile entre frères — ce qui est l'hypothèse. Une franche explication, eût-elle la forme d'un reproche (ἐπιτίμησον), est une excellente manière de rétablir les bons rapports.
17:4
Il n’est pas dit comme dans Mt. de pardonner soixante-dix-sept fois sept fois, mais en revanche c’est tous les jours. Encore est-il que le pardon suit l'expression du repentir. On voit donc ici l'intention très marquée de maintenir entre les disciples beaucoup de cordialité même extérieure.
17:5
Les Apdtres, et le Seigneur sont du style de Le. Il est possible qu'il ait lui- 6. tavurn (T H ΥἹ plutôt que o. (5). même écrit ce verset pour servir d'introduction historique, mais Ia demande devait plutôt appartenir à la tradition. Elle serait très naturelle dans l'affaire du démoniaque (cf. Mc. 1x, 23 s.) ou du figuier desséché (cf. Me. xr, 22). Même ici, d'après la réponse de Jésus, la foi n'est point la vertu théologique de foi, afin de pratiquer plus aisément le pardon (Kn.), mais, comme le contexte l'indique, confulentia in Deo seu in ipso Fesu, ad virtuteset miracula operandum, ad exercendum quaccumque ineumbunt cirea praedicationem (Caj., cf. B. Weiss), et c'est pourquoi ce sont les Apôtres qui font la demande. Ils ont conscience de posséder déjà assez de confiance en Jésus pour faire en son nom tout ce qu'il leur com-, mandera, mais il leur semble que pour faire des mirâcies il faut posséder cette foi dans un degré tout à fait singulier. Le Sauveur leur répond que le moindre degré de foi suffit, si c’est vraiment la foi telle qu'il l'entend.
17:6
La réponse en effet porte seulement sur la nature de la foi, non sur point de savoir si les Apôtres la possèdent. De sorte que l’enseignement serait le même sous deux modes : si vous aviez la foi, ou bien : puisque vous avez la foi, avec la foi que vous avez, vous pourriez dire. Le premier mode parait être celui de Mt., le second celui de Le., car εἰ suivi de l'indicatif présent indique un cas réel : si vous avez de la foi — comme vous pensez l'avoir. Debrunner (8 372 1a) suppose une construction prégnante, sous-entendu : « mais vous ne l'avez pas », ce qui n’est pas la question. Vous l'avez ou vous ne l’avez pas, il n'y a pas à y ajouter. — Le grain de sénevé n’est pas ici pour sa vertu, mais pour son exiguité, cependant l'image indique qu’une chose très petite peut avoir une grande vertu. — ἐλέγετε ἄν, imparfait irréel dans une période hypothétique, « vous pourriez dire, » — bxrxouosv ἄν, ἄν, répété dans l’apodose, selon l’ancienne règle; l’aor. indique que l’Événement eût été aussitôt accompli. Le συκάμινος est ordinairement un mÜrier, mais n'est-ce pas ici le συχάμινος des LXX, répondant au Chigemah, « sycomore »? Il ya, à Jaffa, sur le bord de la mer, dans les sables, des syconrores dont les racines ressemblent aux pieds recourbés d'une console. On les imagine facilement se transportant comme d'eux-mêmes dans le mer; les verbes sont au passif, mais plutôt dans le sens déponent.
17:7
I semble que la conversation continue avec les mêmes personnes, donc les Apôtres. Ils n'étaient point propriétaires, ni habitués à être servis, mais la question τίς... ἐξ ὑμῶν, familière à Le., ne le suppose pas nécessairement. Il suffit. qu'ils aient été au courant de ces usages. Ce sont ceux qui régnaient alors et que Jésus ne blâme ni n’approuve, ct qui servaient seulement de terme de comparaison. il ne suppose pas Cependant que le serviteur revienne harassé de fatigue; il a plutôt ménagé ses forces, sachant qu'il aura encore un office à remplir. La maison n’est pas opulente; le valet de ferme ou le berger est encore chargé du service de la table. Le maître ne songe pas à intervertir les rôles comme le Christ ἃ promis de E faire (χα, 37). — εὐθέως se opus naturellement à παρελθών.
17:8
ἐτοίλατον l'aoriste, parce qu'il ne s'agit pas ΜΝ la préparation par la cuisine, . naturellement lente, mais de disposer ἈΠῸ fois les mets sur la table, après quoi le serviteur se tiendra au service du maître, διακόνει, au présent. — τί est hellénistique pour le relalif 6 τι — de même la 2e personne du futur moyen en εσαι, πίεσαι au lieu de πίῃ, οἱ φάγεσαι où il faut aussi noter 16 futur ren au lieu de ἔδομαι (χιν, 15), d'après ἔφαγον (ef. Ruth τι, 9.14). 2
17:9
μή suppose une réponse négative, qui a été très souvent exprimée dans les mss. par où δοκῷ (οἵ, Vg.). — χάριν ἔγειν dans 1 Tim. τ, 42; Il Tim. 1, 3 est rendu gralias agere, ce qui est le sens des classiques (Plat. etc.) et ce qui doit être le sens ici. Le maître sait bon gré à son serviteur de remplir son office, maïs il ne lui doit pas une reconnaissance spéciale pour avoir accompli ses ordres. I n’est pas question du rapport des œuvres avec le salaire, encore moins du mérite des œuvres. Le serviteur qui continue son service la journée terminée n'est pas un salarié mais un esclave. Entre [6 maître et lui nul contrat, ce qui ne veut pas dire que le maître ne doive pas la nourriture, ete,
17:10
Si la parabole était exactement balancée, nous aurions ici une vue sur les sentiments de Dieu. En effet, quoique les serviteurs ne représentent pas les hommes, ni le maitre Dieu à la facon d’une allégorie, cependant il est fait application des rapports entre maitre et serviteurs à ceux des hommes envers Dieu, et comme la parabole insiste surtout sur les procédés et les sentiments du 12. arnvinoav (H V) plutôt que ὑπηντησαν (T 8); - αὐτῷ œ V) et non om. (H 8); ἔστησαν (T 8 V) plutôt que avecrnoav (E ἢ maître, on s'attendait à apprendre que Dieu traite ses serviteurs de telle ou telle manière. Mais une fois de plus (ef. var, 47; x, 36; χιν, 33) nous constatons que les paraboles ne procèdent point avec cette rigueur. C’est sans doute pour adoucir la transition que syrsin. el-cur. ont au v. 9 : « est-ce que ce serviteur regarde comme une faveur de sa part à lui d'avoir fait ce qui 4 été commandé » (eur. ce qu'il lui a commandé)? Mais on ne saurait s'arrèter à cette correclion. Au lieu donc de toucher le sujet du côté de Dieu, de dire comment il récompense ou ne récompense pas ses serviteurs — et nous savons par ailleurs (χη, 37) comment il les récompense, — la parabole se dirige nettement vers le sujet de l'humilité. Le Sauveur ne refuse pas d'admettre qu’on ait observé tous les commandements, puisque πάντα (omis par syrsin. et cur., par d’autres encore) esl certainement authentique. Il ne dit pas non plus que ce soit peu de chose, encore moins qu’on demeure pécheur malgré cela. Il invite simplement les Apôtres à s'établir dans des sentiments d'humilité, exprimés par la formule : « nous sommes des serviteurs ἀχρεῖοι, inutiles. » Sur ce mot, il ya plusieurs opinions. a) Tout ce que fait l’homme est inutile à Dieu, parce qu'il n’a besoin de personne; idée métaphysique très juste, mais qui n’est pas suggérée directement par la parabole; elle apprécie les actes des serviteurs selon leur valeur et non par rapport à Dieu, qui n'est pas même nommé. δ) Inutiles (B. Weiss, Hahn), c'est-à-dire qui ne font rien d'extraordinaire et qui par conséquent n'ont pas de récompense à réclamer; ce n'est pas non plus le point. 6) inutiles parce qu'ils n'ont fait qu'observer les commandements; s’ils avaient fait plus, ils auraient été utiles (Mald.); mais quel serviteur de Dieu oserait se dire utile? d) ἀχρεῖοι n'est pas non plus « incapable de faire ce qu'on attendait de lui » (Mt. xxv, 30), et d'autre part il serait trop aisé de se débarrasser de ce mot en le supprimant (comme le syrsin.). e) 1} faut donc s’en tenir à l'expression de Bengel : Miser est quem Dominus servum inutilem appella (ΜΙ. xxx, 30); beatus qui se ipse. Le mot ne doit pas être analysé en toute rigueur, ni surtout comme un verdict de la part de Dieu. Les serviteurs de la parabole n'avaient point été inutiles dans la rigueur du terme, mais ils devaient s’estimer inutiles, et comme l'humilité doit avoir un fondement réel, ce fondement est indiqué : « nous avons ordonné, dites : Nous sommes des serviteurs inutiles; nous avons fait ce que nous devions faire. » “Et comme il se rendait à Jérusalem, ᾿- passa entre Samarie fait ce que nous devons faire ». (Jül.) On n'a point coutume de s’enfler pour cela. Si la parabole, au lieu de comparer les serviteurs des hommes et les serviteurs de Dieu, mettait en relief ce qui distingue les deux services, il y aurait lieu de noter qu'un esclave peut être précieux, et même indispensable à son maître, ce qui n’est pas le cas par rapport à Dieu, et d'autre part que les disciples de Jésus sont les enfants de Dieu plutôt que ses serviteurs. Mais ces considérations ajoutent au thème qui est assez riche par lui-même. Voir ici « Le non-mérite des œuvres » (Godet), ou « L’infériorité de la simple pratique des commandements » (Mald.), c'est introduire dans l’exégèse des précisions paies étrangères au sujet.
17:11
ἀντον (S V) plutôt que om. (T Η).
Comme à 1x, δὲ et x, 22, Le. rappelle que Jésus allait à Jérusalem. Son intention est bien de marquer un point de départ; sans quoi, pourquoi cette indication? Mais d'autre part ce n’est pas un voyage après une vie presque sédentaire. Depuis 1x, 51 Jésus ἃ commencé la série des voyages qui doivent aboutir à la passion. — χαὶ αὐτός style de Le. — διὰ avec l'accusatif μέσον n'a un sens local qu'en poésie, ce qui rend le texte suspect à Deb. $ 222. Cependant il est bien attesté, étant probablement une forme hellénistique pour διὰ μέσου, lecon plus commune. De toute façon il ne s’agit pas de traverser deux pays, mais de passer le long de leurs frontières; cf. mais avec le gén. : διὰ μέσου δὲ ῥεῖ τούτων ποταμός (Anab. 1. τν, 4 cité par LI.). Jésus a été précédemment arrêté à la frontière de la Samarie ; s’il l'avait traversée en ce moment, Le. eùt dù le dire plus clairement. Il s'est probablement rapproché de la frontière le plus possible, pour gagner de là la vallée du Jourdain et Jéricho, car il n'est pas dit qu'il soit allé alors en Pérée. L'absence d'article s'explique peut-être par le sens de διὰ μέσον. On devrait de même en français dire traverser la paris mais on pourrait dire : aller entre Samarie et Galilée. .
17:12
Sur la lèpre, voir sur Mc. 1, 40, et Le. v, 12 ss. Jésus n'était pas encore dans le bourg, où les lépreux n'auraient pas été tolérés; ils se tiennent loin, conformément aux prescriptions du Lévitique (x, 45.46). Si l'on ajoutait αὐτῷ après ἀπήντησαν (où ὑπήντησαν) le gén. absolu ne serait pas correct, mais le N. T. ne s’en tient pas toujours aux règles classiques. \
17:13
ἐπιστάτα seulement Le. dans N. T., sixième el dernière fois. Ces lépreux . s'adressent à la bonté de Jésus, dont le pouvoir était aussi bien connu. C’est le moment où sa réputation va éclater (cf. xvirr, 38).
17:14
Dans le premier miracle (v, 14), Jésus avait guéri le tépreux avant de l’en- Ὁ ᾿Επερωτηθεὶς δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν Φαρισαίων πότε ἔρχεται ἡ βασιλείχ τοῦ θεοῦ voyer au prêtre, d'après les prescriptions légales (Lev. xui, 49; χιν, 2.3). Ici « 165. prêtres », peut-être à cause du nombre des lépreux. D'ailleurs le Samaritain ne serait pas allé vers le prêtre juif. De plus l’ordre cst donné avant la guérison, peut-être pour éprouver leur foi obéissante et leur reconnaissance. Ils obéirent en effet et furent purifiés, c’est-à-dire guéris.
17:15
ἰᾶσθαι {onze fois dans Le.) peut se dire aussi de Ja lèpre (Lev. χιν, 3 ete.) quoique le mot le plus usuel soit χαθαρίζειν. Le lépreux guéri revint aussitôt qu'il eut constaté sa guérison, d’après le sens naturel du texte; il jugea donc superflu de se rendre auprès de son prètre. Le fait est semblable à celui de la guérison et du retour de Naaman (IV Regn., v, 14.15), reconnaissant envers Dieu et envers Élisée. C'étaient cependant deux étrangers, et Luc devait être frappé de cetle coïncidence (1v, 27). Cependant ce n’est pas une raison pour dire (Holéz.) que sa description implique une réminiscence du livre des Rois; aucun détail ne décèle une influence littéraire.
17:16
Le lépreux rend gloire à Dieu, auteur principal du miracle, mais il rend grâce à Jésus, et se jette à ses pieds, sans craindre d’être rejeté. La prostration jusqu’à toucher la terre avec son visage est la marque d'un respect profond. Sauf v, 12 (encore un lépreux), cela ne se fait dans le N. T. que devant Dieu Mi. xxvi, 39; I Cor. χιν, 25; Apoc. var, 41; xt, 46; cf. Mt. xvir, 6 (Transfiguration). — Le lépreux reconnaissant était un Samaritain. Luc n'a pas caché leurs mauvaises disposilions (1x, 83); d ne tait pas non plus ce qui les honore (x, 30-37). Mais la reconnaissance, naturelle en pareil cas, honore moins le Samaritain que l'ingratitude des autres n'est odieuse. Ils étaient Juifs, mais Le. évite de le dire, avec son esprit ordinaire de conciliation, pour éviter une apparence d'hostilité. 17 5.) ἀποχριθείς dans le sens de prendre la parole, plutôt que de répondre (cf. Intro !. p. cv). Jésus procède par questions. On voit bien qu'il est au courant, puisqu'il compare les ingrats et l'étranger. L'interrogation n'a donc pas pour but d'être informé, mais de relever plus vivement le sans-gêne des Juifs. 115. trouvaient sans doute naturel que Jésus ait fait un miracle pour eux. N'étaient-ils pas de la race d'Abraham (Schanz)? Mais n’était-ce pas un motif de plus de rendre gloire à Dieu? Le Samaritain est nommé ἀλλογενήίς parce que les Assyriens, après la prise de Sarnarie, y avaient transporté des colons de Mésopotamie (IV Regn. xvit, 24.30). C'était un peuple plutôt Del que πων ou, comme on dit aujourd’ hui, allogène.
17:17
οὐχι (T S V) et non ουχ (Η).
17:19
ἢ πίστις... comme vin, 48 et xviu, 42, où il s’agit d’une guérisen, plutôt que comme vi, 50, où il s’agit du pardon. La foi fait des miracles (xvir, 6), et elle obtient des miracles (cf. Me. 1x, 23).
17:20
La question posée ne paraît pas artificieuse (contre beaucoup d'anciens), ce qui ne prouve pas qu'elle soit artificielle, une pure invention de Le. (Loisy). Les rabbins se préoccupèrent beaucoup des signes ou des préambules des temps messianiques et aussi de l’année exacte dans laquelle devait venir le fils de David (Le Messianisme… p. 186 ss.). Les mêmes soins devaient déjà préoccuper les Pharisiens au temps de Jésus. Comme aucune date précise n'était fournie par l'Écriture, il fallait done observer les circonstances du temps, sans parler des signes surnaturels que Dieu pourrait donner, si bien que la question : quand viendra le fils de David? pouvait facilement être interprétée comme la demande d'un signe (ὃ. Sanh. 988). Il faut noter le présent (ἔρχεται), rare dans Lue, indiquant plutôt une question de prineipe qu’un fait concret (J. Weiss) : « Quand vient », est presque synonyme de : « Quelles sont les conditions pour qu'il vienne C'est à cela d’ailleurs que Jésus répond. La βασιλεία qui vient est évidemment le règne, la domination, et non Ie royaume. — παρατήρησις signifie observation des astres ou des présages, ou en général action de surveiller, d'épier, selon le sens de παρατηρέω dans vi, 7; xIvV, 1; xx, 20; Act. 1x, 24. Au fond-toutle monde est d'accord sur ce sens. Ge qui est controversé, c’est sur quoi porte cette observation. D'après Loisy, c'est « l'attention aux signes précurseurs du règne messianique », de facon que « l'avènement du royaume ne sera pas précédé d'indices auxquels on pourra reconnaître son approche immédiate » (π|, 402). Mais de signes il n’est pas ici question. L'observation porte sur la venue du règne. Si des guetteurs étaient en faction pour le voir venir, ils perdraient leur temps. Pourquoi? Schanz et Κη. répondent : parce qu'il ne viendra pas avec pompe et majesté. C'est peut-être forcer un peu la note. Mais à tout le moins il faut entendre que le règne ne vient pas tout formé, comme un objet dont on peut dire : il est ici ou là, comme le soleil et la lune apparaissent à l'horizon.
17:21
C'est d'ailleurs ce que dit le v. 21. Loisy insiste beaucoup sur le futur ἐροῦσιν, comme s'appliquant à un événement réellement futur. Il en sera quitte pour mettre aussi au futur la fin de la phrase. Mais comme elle esl nettement au présent, c’est 16 futur ἐροῦσιν qui doit s'entendre comme un futur gnomique (Kühner-Gerth 11, 4,p. 171,3); «on n'aura pas à le dire » non erit quod dicatur (Grotius, cité par PL). Dans le cas de l'avènement (v. 23) on le dira, et cela pourra s'entendre, puisqu'il s'agira du Fils de l'homme; l'annonce sera fausse, sans être invraisemblable. Dans le cas du règne, il ne peut être question de le montrer ici ou là. On peut d’ailleurs noter avec Iloliz. que cette rédaction a pu être influencée par le v. 28, et ce n'est point d'après ces mots qu'it faut juger de l'opposition si nette et si caractéristique entre les vv. 20b et 24b..— ἰδοὺ γάρ donne la vraie solution; ne pas négliger ἰδού répondant au premier ἰδού el qui indique une solution plutôt actuelle que future. — ἐντὸς ὑμῶν, — plusieurs opinions : — a) in vobis, c'est-à-dire dans vos âmes; le règne de Dieu serait conçu comme une grâce intérieure, qu'on ne saurait par conséquent voir du dehors (Harnack, Holtz. Field, etc.). Celte opinion ἃ plu aux Pères, et les protestants l'ont admise avec enthousiasme se réservant d'en faire un argument contre l'Église visible. Mais il est impossible de dire que les Pharisiens, à tout le moins compris dans ὑμῶν, ont recu le règne comme une grâce intérieure. C'est peut-être par le sentiment de cette difficulté que Tertullien a entendu : in manu, in polestate vestra, si audiatis, si faciatis Dei praeceptum (adv. Marc. 1v, 35); de même Cyr. d'Alex. etc. Mais avec cette modification- la première opinion s’écarte du sens littéral; on dit bien ἐντὸς τοξεύματος (Eur. Her, fur. 991; XÉN. Cyr. I, 1v, 23) «en decà du trait, à la portée du trait », mais cela ne saurait s'appliquer à un objet spirituel. b) intra vos, « parmi vous » (Κη. Schanz, etc.). Jésus veut dire que le règne de Dieu est déjà commencé, pensée tout à fait parallèle à celle de x, 20. La réponse est adéquate. A la question : quand vient le règne? Jésus répond : il est déjà parmi vous. Vous ne l’avez pas vu parce qu'il ne vient pas à la manière d'une chose toute faite et dont on puisse dire qu'il est ici ou là, mais en regardant bien on pourrait le reconnaître comme un germe qui se développera. Nul - doute que la pensée sollicite l’attention, mais c'est précisément le cas posé par les paraboles du sénevé et du levain. On objecte qu'il y aurait là « une contradiction flagrante » (Loisy n, 402) avec le discours qui suit, où il est dit que le Fils de l’homme apparaîtra comme un éclair illuminant tout l’horizon. Mais cette difficulté prouve simplement que le règne déjà commencé est autre chose que la venue du Fils de l’homme. L'intérêt de notre passage, dont le sens est clair, — qu'on entende in vobis ou même intra vos, — c'est l'existence du règne avant cette venue. Une autre objection plus grave (en faveur de la première opinion), c'est que ἐντός ne peut signifier « au milieu de » qui serait ἐν μέσῳ ὑμῶν, mais « au-dedans de » (cf. Ps. xxxvint, 4; cr, 1). Mais ce n'est qu'une subtilité. Nous ne disons pas que ὑμῶν s'entende des individus, comme si le règne avait paru parmi eux, comme une quantité de même nature. On peut très bien — en modifiant légèrement la seconde opinion — entendre : « au-dedans de vous » comme nation, dans l'intérieur du peuple de Dieu. Et alors l'exemple de Xénophon rejeté par Field est topique; καὶ ἄλλα ὁπόσα ἐντὸς αὐτῶν καὶ γρήματα καὶ ἄνθρωποι ἐγένοντο, πάντα ἔσωσαν (Anab. I, x, 3), ἐντὸς αὐτῶν «. à l'intérieur de leur position, dans leurs lignes ». ᾿ ᾿ | - ou Geux qui veulent, en dépit de tout, donner au passage une couleur eschatologique (Loisy, Hahn, mais non J. Weiss), entendent ἐστιν au sens futur : il n’y aura pas lieu de dire ici ou là, comme des gens qui cherchent, car le règne apparaîtra parmi vous avec tant d'évidence que vous n'aurez pas de doute. Il ÿ a bien quelque chose de semblable au v. 24, mais de quel droit lire ici ce sens en dépit du texte (Holtz.)? 4 22-37. LA RÉVÉLATION DU FILS DE L'HOMME ET LE JUGEMENT. Ce morceau qui forme une unité est distingué du précédent par un changement d’auditoire. Au lieu des Pharisiens, ce sont les disciples. Cela n'empêcherait pas que le sujet soit le même, si les perspectives n'étaient si différentes. Il y a bien une certaine connexion entre le règne de Dieu déjà présent et l’avènement plus tard attendu du Fils de l'homme, mais les termes ne sont pas les mêmes, ni les temps, et c'est prêter gratuitement à Le. une contradiction que d’intituler notre péricope : « l'apparition du royaume » (God.). Le thème très clair du discours est la révélation du Fils de l’homme et le jugement. Il se subdivise en cinq petites sections : Ne pas chercher le Fils de l'homme, parce qu'il se manifestera clairement (22-25); les hommes seront dans f'insouciance (26-30); il faudra se détacher de tout (31-33); alors aura lieu le jugement (34-35), et le rassemblement des élus (37). A propos de ce qu’on nomme l’Apocalypse synoptique (Me. χπὶ et parall.), nous avons essayé de montrer (RB. 1906, 382-411) qu’elle se compose de deux discours, l’un sur la ruine de Jérusalem, l’autre sur l'avènement du Fils de l’homme, qui d’ailleurs ont peut-être été prononcés dans la même circonstance. Déjà dans 34, εν τὴ ἥμερα αὐτου (TS V) plutôt que om. (H). Le., comme nous le verrons plus loin, ils ont été mieux distiagués. Mais en outre Le. a ici un discours spécial sur l'avènement, et rien n'empêche d'admettre qu'il a été réellement prononcé par N.-S. dès le moment où il est placé dans le troisième évangile. Ce discours ne doit rien à Mc., car les passages parallèles à Mc. se retrouvent tous dans Mt., où leur texie ressemble plus à celui de Le, Voici les indications Le. 23; cf. Me. xt, 2 ; ML. xxiv, 38 οἱ 26; Le. 31; cf. Mc. xux, 15, 46; Mt. χχιν, 47, 18; Le. 33; cf. Me. ven, 35; Mt. x, 39; χνι, 25. Outre ces rapprochements avec Mt. et Mc., on notera Le. 24 et Mt. XXIV, 27; Le. 26-37, 30 el Mt. χχιν, 37-39; Le. 34. 35 et ME. χχιν, 40. 41; Le. 37 el Mt. χχιν, Il en résulte que Mt. ἃ mis dans son unique dns plusieurs choses relalives à l'avènement qui figurent dans le discours distinct de [.5., et la ressemblance est le plus souvent assez étroite pour suggérer une certaine dépendance littéraire, quelle qu'elle soit. L'ordre est le même dans les deux évangélistes, sauf pour le v. 34 et le v. 37. Dans Le. rien ne se rapporte ici à la prise de Jérusalem, car le thème du v. 31 appliqué par Mc. et par Mt. à cetle circonstance est transposé dans Le. au sens figuré. Une maxime générale (v. 33), est aussi appliquée par Le. à l'avènement, tandis que Mc. et Mt. l'ont employée ailleurs, comme Le. lui-même (1x, 34). Enfin rien n'indique la proximité de l'avènement. Si le-désir en est attribué aux disciples, le fait n'est pas dans leur horizon immédiat.
17:22
Nous rencontrons dès le début ce terme de Fils de l'homme, qui ne peut "désigner que Jésus lui-même. Dans l'hypothèse il ἃ disparu. Plusieurs anciens (encore Mald.) ont eru que ses disciples désiraient le retour des jours anciens où ils avaient joui de sa présence. Mais on convient (même Schanz et Kn.) que ces jours sont des jours de gloire. Privés de Jésus, maïs sachant qu'il doit revenir dans sa gloire, les disciples souhaiteront voir, donc comme une chose nouvelle, un de ses jours glorieux; ils ne le verront pas. Le désir s'explique soit par la difficulté des temps, soit simplement parce que le Fils de l’homme tarde à paraître. C'était marquer d'avance le soupir de l'Église primitive, souvent renouvelé au cours des siècles, S'il ne vient pas pour juger le monde, qu’il vienne au moins pour la consolation de ses fidèles! Cela ne sera point Ὁ accordé. — Le temps futur est bien marqué (en opposition avec v. 21) par ἐλεύσονται et un second futur après ὅτε. — Il ne semble pas que μίαν puisse signifier le premier (PI); μία τῶν σαδδάτων est une locution toute faite. Ce n’est pas non plus τίς, « l’un quelconque » (Schanz); c'est un unique jour, car le texte indique un désir minimum, qui ne sera même pas satisfait.
17:23
Le désir de voir un des jours du Fils de l’homme implique avant tout le désir de sa venue; quelques-uns croient qu'il a apparu, et colportent ce bruit. C'est vraisemblablement une allusion aux Antéchrists, c'est-à-dire à des individus qui se donneront pour le Christ; cependant le texte ne le dit pas. L’essentiel est de ne pas ajouter foi à ces bruits par un faux zèle; on ne devra ni se déranger, ni s'obstiner à poursuivre un fantôme. Le contexte de Le., 23 après 22, est beaucoup plus satisfaisant que celui de Mc. xur, 24, ou de ML. χχιν, 23, mais on pourrait y voir un arrangement de Luc. Son texte semble s'inspirer de Mc. pour ἐκεῖ et ὧδε (dans l'ordre inverse dans Mc.) et de Mt. xxiv, 26 pour le mouvement qu'il.ne faut pas se donner. Mais la ressemblance n'est pas telle sur ces points qu'on doive conclure à une source commune.
17:24
Inutile de chercher à trouver le Fils de l’homme, puisqu'il apparaitra, brillant comme l'éclair. Même contexte dans Mt. xxrv, 27, mais dans un style assez différent. Luc évite de dire que l'éclair brille de lorient à l'occident, ce qui n’est pas toujours le cas, et qui, le plus souvent, serait exagéré. 1] parle d’un point (χώρα sous-cntendu) à un autre. La παρουσία, terme de Mt. et de Paul (1 Thess. u, 19 etc.) n'appartient pas à son style (ni dans Actes); puisque c'est le Fils de l’homme qu'on cherche, c'est lui qui apparait. « Son jour » probablement parce qu'en somme il n'y en aura qu’un, qui sera le jour suprême. I n'y a aucune contradiction avec le v. 22, où un jour paraît être un jour quelconque, quoique ce scrupule explique peut-être l’omission de ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ αὐτοῦ par certains témoins (B\!)D etc.), mais seulement une rectification de l'attente des disciples qui doit se concentrer sur un seul jour. ἀστραπή ἀστράπουσα, deux mots semblables, comme dans u, 8; x1, #6; xxur, 46 (PL). Le texte de Mt. est sûrement plus primilif.
17:25
D’après Loisy : « la mort du Sauveur ne tenait aucune place dans la perspective du discours » {(π, 429). Il serait plus juste de dire avec J. Weiss : elle allait de soi pour les lecteurs de Le. — Ce n’est donc pas Le. qui ἃ éprouvé le besoin de l'ajouter. Il est vrai que la mort était nécessairement dans la perspective, puisque Jésus parlait de jours où il serait absent, mais il n'était pas superflu d'insister, et Jésus ne pouvait assez prévenir ses disciples de ne pas attendre la gloire avant la Passion. C'est pourquoi il les rappelle aux cir- 88, xox ος ἐᾶν (T S V) plutôt que ος δ᾽ αν (Η); — ἀπολεσει (T H V)et non ἀπολεση (5). constances présentes. — πρῶτον dé marque moins l’antériorité de la souffrance par rapport à la gloire que l'avenir prochain menaçant. Aussi au lieu de parler des prêtres après ἀποδοχιμασθῆναι, comme ΙΧ, 22, il met en scène « cette génération ». ἐ
17:26
Au lieu de comparer les jours de Noé à la parousie, Le. compare plus méthodiquement les deux époques; cette fois αἱ ἡμέραι en parlant du Fils de l'homme pour dire une époque, selon le rythme des jours de Noé. — Καί donne au v. 25 un caractère de parenthèse — ce qui ne veut pas dire d’interpolation.
Dispositions qu'auront les hommes au temps de l'avènement ; comme ME. xxrv, 37-39, en intercalant (28-29) une comparaison de plus.
17:27
En substance comme Mt., mais beaucoup mieux écrit, évitant la répétition des jours et du cataclysme; jugeant inutile de dire que les gens ne se doutaient de rien; donc moins primitif et moins pittoresque. Les imparfaits non liés par xal sont élégants et vifs. Ce ne sont point là des actes répréhensibles, mais l'exemple biblique n'est pas cité sans suggérer le reste de l’histoire. Le monde au temps de Noé était corrompu. Ce qui est effrayant c'est l’insouciance quand on devrait redouter le châtiment. Cependant l’accent principal est dans la soudaïneté : Noé entre dans l'arche, il vient, καὶ ἤλθεν, indépendant de ἄγρι ἧς ἡμέρας.
17:28
Exemple propre à Le., sur le même rythme que le précédent. Le détail de la vie quotidienne est encore développé; bâtir, planter,.… on se croit sûr de l'avenir. Cette fois encore il y ἃ un signal, c'est le départ de Lot. — ἔδρεξεν ἃ Dieu pour sujet (cf. Gen. χιχ, 24 et Mt. v, 45).
17:30
Mt. 39b ramène sa παρουσία, par une sorte d'inclusio sémitique, tandis que Le. ramène le jour du Fils de l’homme sur le même rythme que celui du v. 24. Le Fils de l'homme se manifeste maintenant. Précédemment il n'était donc pas visible. Paul, outre παρουσία ἃ aussi ἀποχάλυψις en parlant du Christ (1 Cor. 1, 1; II Thess. 1, 7) et de même Pierre (I Pet. 1, 7. 18 cf. 1v, 13; Apoc. 1, 4). Ce terme tient plus de compte de la nalure surnaturelle du Christ; l'autre de sa manifestation comme Souverain.
17:31
Ce verset résume Mc. xt, 15. 16 ou ME. xxiv, 17. 18, qui sont plus en situation dans un discours sur la ruine de Jérusalem où ils doivent être pris à la lettre, au moment d’une fuite précipitée. Dans Le. ce n’est plus guère que l'expression demi-parabolique παν | plutôt qu'allégorique (B. Weiss) du renoncement à toule chose. De même que l'entrée de Noé dans l'arche et le départ de Lot ne sont point encore le cataclysme, aïnsi la révélation du Fils de l’homme semble précéder quelque peu le jugement. Il ne faut point alors songer ni à sauver ses biens, ni à sauver sa vie. Il n’est pas dit expressément qu’on doive tout quitter pour aller au-devant du Seigneur ; du moins qu’on l’attende, détaché de tout. Dans le détail μὴ καταδάτω ἄραι, ἐν ἀγρῷ rappellent Mt. plutôt que Μο., εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω (comme Mc.) ἃ pu être suggéré par Gen. xix, 26.
17:32
En effet Le. (seul) ἃ rappelé ici l'exemple funeste de la femme de Lot, en harmonie avec l'exemple qu'il a seul donné v. 28 s. Son sort sert de lecon à ceux qui regretteraient leurs biens.
17:33
La même pensée dans 1x, 24 suivait de très près Me. vin, 35 οἱ plus encore Mt. xvi, 25, et l’on ne saurait dire qu'ici Le. ait la même source en vue ou encore Mt. x, 39. Dans un cataclysme, l’homme profane ne songe qu’à sauver sa vie. Les contemporains de Noé et de Lot étaient mal préparés pour d’autres soucis. Jésus ne dit pas ce qu’il en fut, mais ce qu’il ne faudra pas faire au jour de l'avènement. Tout aussi chimérique serait l'espoir de sauver sa vie temporelle! ÉVANCILE SELON SAINT LEC, ᾿ Ἶ 80 La formule est paradoxale comme dans les autres cas; les verbes περιποιεῖσθαι « mettre de côté » cn harmonie avec la préservation des objets, fwoyoveiv « conserver en vie » (Act. vu, 19; Ex. 1, 47; Jud. vin, 19) et non « donner une vie nouvelle », ont quelque chose de plus soigné dans l'expression, sans atteindre à la forme exégétique de Jo: 28.
17:34
Dans Le. c'est la nuit, ce qui peut s'accorder avec « ce jour-là » comme indication d'un temps. La nuit est une désignation plus spéciale. On a entendu la nuit au sens allégorique, d'une époque de tribulations, mais rien n'insinue une métaphore, car le second cas aussi peut s'entendre de la nuit. Dire que la nuit vient là parce qu'on va parler de gens couchés, e’est s'exposer à la riposte : Le. parle de lits (au lieu de ehamps, Mt.) parce qu'il faisait nuit. En effet la nuit est le moment où les catastrophes paraissent encore plus effrayantes, atteignant un maximum de surprise et d'horreur. Paul ἃ dit presque de même : « le jour du Seigneur doit venir comme un voleur dans la nuit » (E Thess. v, 2; cf. Le. χη, 20). Ge qui frappe ici, ce n'est pas la séparation de deux personnes unies, mais le sort différent qui. les attend, évidemment d'après leurs dispositions intérieures. Rien ne les distingue au dehors; mais ce que les hommes ne savent percevoir, Dieu l’a jugé en un instant. L'un est pris, c'est-à-dire pour une place de choix, l’autre est laissé, Dieu n’en veut pas.
Une couple de cas typiques, comme dans Mt., mais seul le second est le même.
17:35
Quand on a entendu sous la tente des Bédouins les femmes moudre une bonne partie de la nuit, on ne soutient pas que le v. 35 s'entend du travail de la journée (Hahn). L'avènement étant instantané, ne peul avoir ‘eu lieu la nuit et le jour.
17:36
Ce verset omis par les meilleures autorités est sùrement à supprimer comme suppléé d'après Mt. xxiv, 40. Cette addition nous amènerait en plein jour et romprait le rythme à deux membres. 37. Le rassemblement des élus.
17:37
L'interrogation des disciples est propre à Luc. Son sens dépend de la réponse. Beaucoup de critiques modernes (Holtz., les Weiss, Schanz, God., PI.) entendent : où aura lieu le jugement? Et Jésus répond : où il y aura lieu de l'exercer. Ubi peccatores, ἰδὲ Dei iudicia (PI.); où il y aura faute, il y aura châtiment (Holtz.). Mais le jugement est un discernement, un triage, et la comparaison ne peut cependant aboutir à celte banalité : le jugement atteindra ceux qui seront à juger, à moins de subtiliser comme Hahn : là où il y aura surtout à juger, où les amis et les ennemus du Messie seront le plus nombreux ! Il faut donc simplement donner à la réponse le même sens que dans Mt, xxiv, 26 (Κη. Jül. Loisy). Dans son contexte le sens n’est pas douteux, il s’agit du Fils de l'homme. Le texte de Lc. est à peu près le même, si ce n'est que πτῶμα, « cadavre », est remplacé par σῶμα, « corps », mais auquel le contexte donne le mème sens; les ἀετοί sont des vautours plutôt que des aigles, car ces derniers ne dévorent pas les cadavres, tandis que les vautours y viennent de tous les points de l'horizon, si bien que leur vol peut servir de guide aux Bédouins pour retrouver un cadavre (constaté à Ptra). Il serait choquant de tigurer le Fils de l'homme par un cadavre, et les disciples par des vautours, mais il n'y a là qu'une comparaison ou plutôt un proverbe qui donne une image saisissante. C’est donc le contexte de Mt. qui fournit le sens, et l'on peut estimer Loisy) que Le. a transposé cette parole pour obtenir une conclusion à tout le discours. Il faut convenir d’ailleurs que l'effet est impressionnant, et que la réunion des fidèles au Christ termine bien l'avènement. La question était destinée à amener la réponse. Ce n'est pas (Jul. Hahn) que les disciples en soient encore au point du v. 23 s. et demandent directement où sera donc le Christ. Leur curiosité est éveillée par les dernières paroles. Le sort de ceux qui sont laissés sur place ne les préoccupe pas, mais que signifiait l'expression « il sera ‘recueilli »? I était très naturel de demander : où? Et il eût été tout indiqué de répondre : dans le royaume de Dieu. Mais le discours est si exclue“ sivement relatif à l'avènement du Fils de l'homme, que la réponse le désigne’ sous une forme énigmatique comme le centre de la réunion des élus. C'est ce que Paul dira en clair I Thess. 1v, 47. ΟΒΆΡΙΤΆΕ ΧΥΠῚ. — À partir du v. 15, Le. retrouve le fil de Mc. et de ΜΙ. Le début du chapitre comprend deux paraboles propres à Luc : le juge et la veuve, le Pharisien et le publicain, qui sont toutes deux relatives à la prière.
17:1
… self), in order to compromise or impede or arrest the ascent of souls (cf. the vision of St. Anthony in the Vita, 65-66, of St. Athanasius: PG 26, 935 and 938). Therefore the world, in which the Evil One rages, is a cursed tangle of scandals (Mt. 18, 7; Lk. 17, 1), that is, of stumbling blocks, obstacles and traps, causes of fall and ruin. …
17:2
… as a charming animal, from which, even in the full vigor of psychic life, every restraint and every spiritual and religious life must be kept away; but as a flower beloved by God (Mt 19:13), to be preserved from even the slightest shadow of scandal (Lk 17:2) and to be taken as a model, to which to become similar in sincerity and serene candor, if one wishes to enter the Kingdom of heaven (Mt 18:3). The Christian educator finds here on …
… It can have its origin in the wickedness of men. The Savior sternly warns those especially who offend the little ones, saying that it would be better for a millstone to be hung around their neck and for them to end up at the bottom of the sea (Matt. 18:6; Mark 9:41; Luke 17:2). At other times the blame lies with the nature of things - our own nature, our faculties - etc. And it is in relation to this kind of scandal that Jesus says that if the foot or the …
fate than to scandalize "one of these little ones..." (Mt. 18:6 and 10; Mk. 9:41; Lk. 17:2).
17:7
The moral law of gratitude imposed itself principally in regard to God; and although everything is absolutely owed to God (Lk. 17:7-10), in his kindness and mercy God accepts man's gratitude as a spontaneous offering. …
17:10
… We cannot say to him: render what you have received, but we rightly say: render what you have promised" (En. in Ps., 83, 16: PL 37, 1068). For if the Lord has declared (Lk. 17, 10) that one must consider oneself "unprofitable servants," he has also said (Mt. 25, 23): "Well done! …
17:11
… The principal events are (after those from Lk. 9:51 to 11:13) the banquet at the house of the chief Pharisee (ibid. 14:1-6), the ten lepers (ibid. 17:11-19); the majority of these chapters is occupied by teachings (parables of mercy, of the good use of riches, warnings against the Pharisaic spirit, etc.). …
… Luke relates with satisfaction what is particularly favorable to the Gentiles (Lk. 1:1-10; 17:11-19). He shows consideration for the Roman authorities (ibid. 2:1-2; 3:1; 7:2-9).
17:12
… The segregation was not strictly individual, since lepers were allowed to live together outside the camp or the settlement (cf. II Kings 7:3; Lk. 17:12).
17:15
Far from reserving itself to God alone, evangelical gratitude spreads solicitously toward the free cooperators in the divine munificence (Phil. 4:10-20). Christian charity does not allow itself to be overwhelmed by ingratitude, but neither does it remain insensible to well-ordered gratitude (Lk. 17:15-19): which is in the disinterested nature of love, namely to triumph solely in the reciprocation of love (Apoc. 5:9-10).
17:20
… world, without lingering over particular external contingencies: the economy of the New Testament unfolds there in its salient lines of harsh conflict at last victorious between "the two cities", as the Gospel presents it (Mt. 10:16-39; Lk. 10:1-24; 17:20-37; 18:7-8; cf. Jn. 15-17). Augustine adds: « Sic eadem multis modis repetit, ut alia atque alia dicere videatur, cum aliter haec ipsa dicere vestigatur » (ibid., XX, 17).
Epistles I-II to the Thessalonians
… On this warning Jesus dwells in Lk. 17:26-30, 33 ff. (cf. Mt. 24:36-44); St. Paul repeats it, and concludes: "therefore console one another and build one another up, as indeed you do" (5:11); it is therefore a question of the same prophecy of Jesus about the end of the persecuting synagogue (Lk. 17:20-18:8; Mt. 24; Lk. 21; Mk. 13), of comfort for the nascent Church. …
… The proof of this was seen in: Mt. 10:2 ff.; 16:27 f.; 19:28; 24 (especially v. 34); 26:63 f., and parallel passages: Lk. 17:20-18:8; to which would correspond Paul's clear persuasion that he and his contemporaries would witness the parousia (v.) of Christ (I Thess. 4:14-17; I Cor. 15:51) and the morbid expectation …
… From this simple chronological succession one passed to the analogy concerning its nature, assimilating it as to genesis, form and government to the empires of the nations (cf. Lk. 17, 20 f.). The M. therefore was considered, in a prevalent if not exclusive way, as a warrior king and conqueror (cf. Jn. 6, 15; 18, 34 ff.). …
… open to whoever wishes to be happy (Mt. 5:3-11; 11:25-30), but also as still enclosed in the seed and developing little by little before being realized (Mt. 13:24-33), which happens slowly and without anyone noticing (Mt. 13:31-33; Mk. 4:26-29; Lk. 17:20; Is. 18:36); present, or in gestation, the kingdom is nevertheless future, especially as eternal reward for individual faithful at their death (Mt. 22:1-44; Lk. 14:15-24; 16:19-31). …
17:21
… "The K. of G. is here": Mark 1:15 (rather than "is near"; cf. J. Bonsirven, Les enseignements de Jésus Christ, Paris 1946, p. 43). With this (cf. also Luke 10:9; 11:20) Jesus announces, and has the disciples announce, that the Kingdom has already come: it is already in the midst of the people (Luke 17:21). Yet it is a reality in the making, which continually
Jesus preaches the Kingdom of God as already brought by him among men (Mt. 11:12; 12:28; Lk. 17:21), open to whoever wishes to be happy (Mt. 5:3-11; 11:25-30), but also as still enclosed in the seed and developing little by little before being realized (Mt. 13:24-33), which …
Salvation consists, then, in receiving from Christ the messianic goods, constituted not by a terrestrial kingdom re-established according to Jewish hopes, which Jesus rejects, but by the kingdom of God which is spiritual and transcendent (Luke 17:21; John 18:36) and by eternal life, in which perfect happiness is realized, but which is already initially realized on earth in those who believe in Christ (John 3:36; 5:24; 6:47). Here …
17:22
Epistles I-II to the Thessalonians
… concerning the determination of the time of the "day of the Lord." All exegetes (Plummer, Orchard, in Biblica, 19 [1938], pp. 24-31; Buzy, Amiot, Rinaldi, etc.) recognize that here St. Paul literally takes up (as in 2 Thess. 2:1) the theme of Jesus (Mt. 24; Lk. 17:22-18:8; 21), with the same exhortations to be vigilant, since death can surprise each one suddenly, especially on the occasion of collective calamities. …
… He does predict, indeed, his vindication in the course of a generation (Mt. 10:23; 16:28; 24:23-28 and 34; 26:64; the discourse on the parousia in Lk. 17:22-37); but such allusions to Jesus' imminent return certainly refer to the destruction of Jerusalem, with which the new religious era began. …
17:23
… duration for the faithful who will fall into it (Mt. 24:21-25; Mk. 13:20-23; Lk. 21:23b). The epilogue of the tragedy with the liberation of the survivors will be manifest and unmistakable like the lightning that flashes from east to west: cf. Mt. 24:26ff. (Lk. 17:23f., 37), which with Lk. 21:24 serve as a transition between the calamity described thus far and the final act. This is announced with the grandiose images of prophetic style (Mt. 24:20; …
17:26
The Flood is recalled in the Old and New Testaments: Wis. 10, 4; 16, 6 ff.; Sir. 16, 7; 44, 17-19; Is. 54, 9; Mt. 24, 37-39; Lk. 17, 26 ff.; I Pt. 3, 20 ff.; II Pt. 2, 5; Heb. 11, 7. These passages affirm the historicity not only of the fact, but also of the circumstances narrated in Genesis. …
… throughout the whole world (Mt. 24, 3 and 14; Mk. 16, 15-16; Lk. 21, 24; Rom. 9, 25), the appearance of the Antichrist (v.), the conversion of Israel (Hos. 3, 4-5; Rom. 11, 25-27; II Cor. 3, 14-17), the great apostasy (II Thess. 2, 3; Mt. 24, 11-12; Lk. 17, 26-30; 18, 8; I Tim. 4, 1; II Tim. 3, 1), cosmic disturbances (in the sky: Joel 2, 30; Mt. 24, 29, 30; Lk. 21, 25-26, and on the earth: Mt. 24, 7-8; Lk. 21, 25-26).
Epistles I-II to the Thessalonians
… On this warning Jesus dwells in Lk. 17:26-30, 33 ff. (cf. Mt. 24:36-44); St. Paul repeats it, and concludes: "therefore console one another and build one another up, as indeed you do" (5:11); it is therefore a question of the same prophecy …
… Hence the importance of "being prepared," of "watching," so as not to fear this "day of the Lord," this "coming" of his (v. FABUSIA) which for us is sudden inasmuch as it is absolutely unknown (Matt. 24:37-51; 25:1-30; Mark 13:32-37; Luke 12:16-21, 35-46; 17:26-35; 21:24-36; Rom. 13:11-14; 14:10 f.; 1 Cor. 3:10-15; 7:20-32; 10:1-12; Phil. 2:15 f.; etc.) and the desire of the just man to "die to be with Christ" (2 Cor. 5:1-10; Phil. 1:21-26, …
17:28
The name of L. is linked to the tragic fate of Sodom and Gomorrah («the days of L.», Luke 17:28-31). Even the name that the Arabs give to the Dead Sea (bahr Löf, «lake of L.») serves to perpetuate his memory. …
17:29
… Jesus affirms that in the flood all perished (Mt. 24, 39; Lc. 17, 29); and so teach the epistles of Peter:
17:30
… the New Testament) means "revelation" of a hidden reality (mystery) and often has an eschatological sense; here it means: "manifestation of Jesus Christ as sovereign and judge" (cf. 1 Cor. 1:7; 2 Thess. 1:7; 1 Pt. 1:7-13; the verb has the same sense: Lk. 17:30).
17:32
Jesus adduces the example of the wife of L. to exhort to constancy and vigilance (Luke 17:32).
17:33
… infiltrate even the holiest works; it is a danger continually lying in wait insofar as it is inhumanly within us. Hence the requirement that the Christian continually watch over himself and forestall the danger with self-abnegation (v.) of self (Mt. 16:24; Lk. 17:33; Jn. 12:25). Moreover, among the evils that characterized the world before Christ, and that, according to the Apostle, will characterize the age that must precede the end of time, …
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · Vulgata Clementina · original Douay-Rheims (Rheims 1582), transcription by EEBO-TCP (CC0) · La Sacra Bibbia, tradotta dalla Volgata da Antonio Martini (1769-1781) (LaParola (laparola.net), Martini OSIS text, Public domain (LaParola's electronic edition marks it 'Dominio pubblico')). Public domain.