John sends his disciples to Christ, who upbraids the Jews for their incredulity, and calls to him such as are sensible of their burdens.
Iohn the Baptist in prison also doing his diligence, sendeth some of his disciples to Christ: that as they heard, so they might also see his miracles vvith their eyes. 7 Aftervvard Christ declareth hovv vvorthy of credite Iohns testimonie vvas: 16 and inueigheth agaynst the levves, vvho vvith neither of their maners of life could be vvonne: 20 no nor vvith Christes infinite miracles: 25 praysing Gods vvisedom in this behalfe, 27 and calling to him self al such as feele the•e ovvne burdens.
1And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he passed from thence, to teach and to preach in their cities.E Gesù avendo finito di dar questi insegnamenti a' suoi dodici discepoli, partì da quel luogo per andar a insegnare, e predicare nelle loro città.AND it came to passe: vvhen IESVS had done cōmaunding his tvvelue Disciples, he passed from thence, to teach & preach in their cities.Et factum est, cum consummasset Jesus, præcipiens duodecim discipulis suis, transiit inde ut doceret, et prædicaret in civitatibus eorum. 2Now when John had heard in prison the works of Christ: sending two of his disciples he said to him:Ma avendo Giovanni udito nella prigione le opere di Gesù Cristo, mandò due de' suoi discepoli,And vvhen Iohn had heard in prison the vvorkes of Christ: sending tvvo of his disciples, he said to him,Joannes autem cum audisset in vinculis opera Christi, mittens duos de discipulis suis, 3Art thou he that art to come, or look we for another?A dirgli: Se' tu quegli, che se' per venire, ovvero si ha da aspettare un altro?Art thou he that art to come, or looke vve for an other?ait illi: Tu es, qui venturus es, an alium exspectamus ? 4And Jesus making answer said to them: Go and relate to John what you have heard and seen.E Gesù rispose loro: Andate, e riferite a Giovanni quel, che avete udito, e veduto.And IESVS making ansvver said to them, Goe and report to Iohn vvhat you haue heard and seen.Et respondens Jesus ait illis: Euntes renuntiate Joanni quæ audistis, et vidistis. 5The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor have the gospel preached to them.I ciechi veggono, gli zoppi camminano, i lebbrosi sono mondati, i sordi odono, i morti risorgono, si annuncia a' poveri il Vangelo.The blinde see, the lame vvalke, the lepers are made cleane, the deafe heare, the dead rise againe, to the poore the Gospel is preached:Cæci vident, claudi ambulant, leprosi mundantur, surdi audiunt, mortui resurgunt, pauperes evangelizantur: 6And blessed is he that shall not be scandalized in me.Ed è beato chi non prenderà in me motivo di scandalo.and blessed is he that shal not be scandalized in me.et beatus est, qui non fuerit scandalizatus in me. 7And when they went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: What went you out into the desert to see? a reed shaken with the wind?Ma quando quegli furono partiti, cominciò Gesù a parlare di Giovanni alle turbe: Cosa siete voi andati a vedere nel deserto? una canna sbattuta dal vento?And vvhen they vvent their vvay, IESVS began to say to the multitudes of Iohn, What vvent you out into the desert to see? a reede shaken vvith the vvinde?Illis autem abeuntibus, cœpit Jesus dicere ad turbas de Joanne: Quid existis in desertum videre ? arundinem vento agitatem ?
8But what went you out to see? a man clothed in soft garments? Behold they that are clothed in soft garments, are in the houses of kings.Ma pure, che siete voi andati a vedere? Un uomo vestilo delicatamente? Ecco, che coloro, che vestono delicatamente, stanno nei palazzi dei re.But vvhat vvent you out to see? a man clothed in soft garments? Behold they that are clothed in soft garments, are in Kinges houses.Sed quid existis videre ? hominem mollibus vestitum ? Ecce qui mollibus vestiuntur, in domibus regum sunt. 9But what went you out to see? A prophet? Yea I tell you, and more than a prophet.Ma pure, cosa siete andati a vedere? Un profeta? sì, vi dico io, anche più che profeta.But vvhat vvent you out to see? a Prophet? yea I tel you and more then a Prophet.Sed quid existis videre ? prophetam ? Etiam dico vobis, et plus quam prophetam. 10For this is he of whom it is written: Behold I send my angel before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.Imperocché questi è colui, del quale sta scritto: Ecco, che io spedisco innanzi a te il mio Angelo, il quale preparerà la tua strada davanti a te.For this is he of vvhom it is vvritten, Behold I send mine angel before thy face, vvhich shal prepare thy vvay before thee.Hic est enim de quo scriptum est: Ecce ego mitto angelum meum ante faciem tuam, qui præparabit viam tuam ante te. 11Amen I say to you, there hath not risen among them that are born of women a greater than John the Baptist: yet he that is the lesser in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.In verità io vi dico: Tra i nati di donna non venne al mondo chi sia maggiore di Giovanni Batista: ma quegli, che è minore nel regno de' cieli, o maggiore di lui.Amen I say to you, there hath not risen among the borne of vvomen a greater then Iohn the Baptist: yet he that is the lesser in the kingdom of heauen, is greater then he.Amen dico vobis, non surrexit inter natos mulierum major Joanne Baptista: qui autem minor est in regno cælorum, major est illo. 12And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away.Or dal tempo di Giovanni Batista insin adesso il regno de' cieli si acquista colla forza, ed è preda di coloro, che usano violenza.And from the dayes of Iohn the Baptist vntil novv, the kingdom of heauen suffereth violence, and the violent beare it avvay.A diebus autem Joannis Baptistæ usque nunc, regnum cælorum vim patitur, et violenti rapiunt illud. 13For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John:Imperocché tutti i profeti, e la legge hanno profetato fino a Giovanni.For al the Prophets and the Lavv prophecied vnto Iohn:Omnes enim prophetæ et lex usque ad Joannem prophetaverunt:
14And if you will receive it, he is Elias that is to come.E se voi volete capirla, egli è quell'Elia, che doveva venire.and if you vvil receiue it, he is Elias that is for to come.et si vultis recipere, ipse est Elias, qui venturus est. 15He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.Chi ha orecchio da intendere, intenda.He that hath eares to heare, let him heare.Qui habet aures audiendi, audiat. 16But whereunto shall I esteem this generation to be like? It is like to children sitting in the market place.Ma a che cosa dirò io, che sia simile questa razza d'uomini? Ella è simile a que' ragazzi, che stanno a sedere nella piazza, e alzan la voce verso de' loro compagni,And vvherevnto shal I esteeme this generation to be like? It is like to children sitting in the market-place: vvhich crying to their companions,Cui autem similem æstimabo generationem istam ? Similis est pueris sedentibus in foro: qui clamantes coæqualibus 17Who crying to their companions say: We have piped to you, and you have not danced: we have lamented, and you have not mourned.E dicono: Abbiamo suonato, e voi non avete ballato: abbiamo cantato canzoni lugubri, e non, avete dato segno di dolore.say, we haue piped to you, and you haue not daunced: vve haue lamented, and you haue not mourned.dicunt: Cecinimus vobis, et non saltastis: lamentavimus, et non planxistis. 18For John came neither eating nor drinking; and they say: He hath a devil.Imperocché è venuto Giovanni, che non mangiava, nè beveva, e dicono: Egli è indemoniato.For Iohn came neither eating not drinking: and they say, He hath a diuel.Venit enim Joannes neque manducans, neque bibens, et dicunt: Dæmonium habet. 19The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say: Behold a man that is a glutton and a wine drinker, a friend of publicans and sinners. And wisdom is justified by her children.E venuto il figliuolo dell'uomo, che mangia, e beve, e dicono: Ecco un mangiatore, e un bevone, amico de'pubblicani, e de' peccatori: ed è stata giustificata la sapienza da' suoi figliuoli.The Sonne of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man that is a glotton and a vvinedrinker, a frende of Publicans and sinners. And vvisedom is iustified of her children.Venit Filius hominis manducans, et bibens, et dicunt: Ecce homo vorax, et potator vini, publicanorum et peccatorum amicus. Et justificata est sapientia a filiis suis. 20Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein were done the most of his miracles, for that they had not done penance.Allora egli cominciò a rinfacciare alle città, nelle quali erano stati fatti da lui molti miracoli, che non avessero fatto penitenza.Then began he to vpbraide the cities, vvherein vvere done the most of his miracles, for that they had not done penance.Tunc cœpit exprobrare civitatibus, in quibus factæ sunt plurimæ virtutes ejus, quia non egissent pœnitentiam:
21Woe to thee, Corozain, woe to thee, Bethsaida: for if in Tyre and Sidon had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in you, they had long ago done penance in sackcloth and ashes.Guai a te, o Corozain: guai a te, o Betsaida: perché se in Tiro, e Sidone fossero stati fatti que' miracoli, che presso di voi sono stati fatti, già da gran tempo avrebber fatto penitenza nella cenere, e nel cilicio.Wo be to thee Corozain, vvo be to thee Beth-saida: for if in Tyre & Sidon had been vvrought the miracles that haue been vvrought in you, they had done penance in hearecloth and ashes long agoe.Væ tibi Corozain, væ tibi Bethsaida: quia, si in Tyro et Sidone factæ essent virtutes quæ factæ sunt in vobis, olim in cilicio et cinere pœnitentiam egissent. 22But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you.Per questo io vi dico: Tiro, e Sidone saranno men rigorosamente di voi trattate nel dì del giudizio.But neuerthelesse, I say to you, it shal be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of iudgement, then for you.Verumtamen dico vobis: Tyro et Sidoni remissius erit in die judicii, quam vobis. 23And thou Capharnaum, shalt thou be exalted up to heaven? thou shalt go down even unto hell. For if in Sodom had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in thee, perhaps it had remained unto this day.E tu, Cafarnaum, ti alzerai tu fino al cielo? tu sarai depressa sino all'inferno: perché se in Sodoma fossero stati fatti i miracoli, che sono stati fatti presso di te, Sodoma forse sussisterebbe al dì d'oggi.And thou Capharnaum, shalt thou be exalted vp to heauen? thou shalt come dovvne euen vnto hel. for if in Sodom had been vvrought the miracles that haue been wrought in thee, perhaps it had remained vnto this day.Et tu Capharnaum, numquid usque in cælum exaltaberis ? usque in infernum descendes, quia si in Sodomis factæ fuissent virtutes quæ factæ sunt in te, forte mansissent usque in hanc diem. 24But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for thee.Perciò io ti dico, che la terra di Sodoma sarà men rigorosamente di te trattata nel dì del giudizio.But notvvithstanding I say to you, that it shal be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of iudgement, then for thee.Verumtamen dico vobis, quia terræ Sodomorum remissius erit in die judicii, quam tibi. 25At that time Jesus answered and said: I confess to thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to little ones.Allora prese Gesù a dire: Io ti ringrazio, o Padre, Signore del cielo, e della terra, perché hai tenute occulte queste cose ai saggi, e prudenti, e le hai rivelate ai piccolini.At that time IESVS ansvvered and said. I confesse to thee O Father lord of heauen and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the vvise and prudent, and hast reuealed thē to litle ones.In illo tempore respondens Jesus dixit: Confiteor tibi, Pater, Domine cæli et terræ, quia abscondisti hæc a sapientibus, et prudentibus, et revelasti ea parvulis.
26Yea, Father: for so hath it seemed good in thy sight.Così è, o Padre; perché così a te piacque.Yea Father: for so hath it vvel pleased thee.Ita Pater: quoniam sic fuit placitum ante te. 27All things are delivered to me by my Father. And no one knoweth the Son but the Father: neither doth any one know the Father, but the Son, and he to whom it shall please the Son to reveal him.Tutte quante le cose sono state a me date dal Padre mio: e nissuno conosce il figliuolo fuori del Padre: e nissuno conosce il Padre fuori del figliuolo, e fuor di colui, cui avrà voluto il figliuolo farlo conoscere.Al things are deliuered me of my Father. And no man knovveth the Sonne but the Father: neither doth any knovv the Father, but the Sonne, and to vvhom it shal please the Sonne to reueale.Omnia mihi tradita sunt a Patre meo. Et nemo novit Filium, nisi Pater: neque Patrem quis novit, nisi Filius, et cui voluerit Filius revelare. 28Come to me all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you.Venite da me tutti voi, che siete affaticati, e aggravati, e io vi ristoreròCome ye to me al that labour, and are burdened, and I vvil refresh you.Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis, et onerati estis, et ego reficiam vos. 29Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: And you shall find rest to your souls.Prendete sopra di voi il mio giogo, e imparate da me, che son mansueto, e umile di cuore, e troverete riposo all'anime vostre.Take vp my yoke vpon you, and learne of me, because I am meeke, and humble of hart: and you shal finde rest to your soules.Tollite jugum meum super vos, et discite a me, quia mitis sum, et humilis corde: et invenietis requiem animabus vestris. 30For my yoke is sweet and my burden light.Imperocché soave è il mio giogo, e leggero il mio peso.For my yoke is svveete, and my burden light.Jugum enim meum suave est, et onus meum leve.
11:2
Haydock
The order of time is not here observed by the evangelist. St. John's deputation to Jesus Christ took place some time before; and the text of Luke 7, gives it soon after the cure of the centurion's servant; hence all that follows, in Matthew 11., is placed by persons who have drawn up evangelical harmonies, immediately after the first 17 verses of Matthew 8. (Haydock)
11:3
Witham
Art thou he that is to come?[Ver. 3. Qui venturus es, o erchomenos, qui venit, who cometh.] (Greek, who cometh?) that is the Messias. John the Baptist had already, on several occasions, declared that Jesus was the Messias. (John i). He could not then doubt of it himself, but sent his disciples to take away their doubt. (Witham)
St. Chrysostom in Baradius
St. John the Baptist sent his disciples not to satisfy his own doubts, but for the sake of his disciples, who, blinded by the love they bore their Master, and by some emulation, would not acknowledge Christ to be the Messias. (St. Chrysostom in Baradius)
St. Thomas Aquinas
This expression of St. John is much taken notice of, as conveying with it a very particular question. "Tell me, says St. John, now that I am departing out of this world, whether thou art coming to redeem the patriarchs and holy fathers; or wilt thou send another?" (St. Thomas Aquinas)
St. Thomas Aquinas
And St. Chrysostom also explains it thus, Art thou he that art to come to limbo? but the Baptist omitting this last word, sufficiently indicated to our Saviour what was the purport of this question. St. Jerome and St. Gregory say, that by his death, he was going to preach to the holy fathers that Christ, the Messias, was come. John does not here propose this question as ignorant of the real case, but in the same manner as Christ asked where Lazarus was laid. So John sends his disciples to Jesus, that seeing the signs and miracles he performed, they might believe in him. As long, therefore, as John remained with his disciples, he constantly exhorted them to follow Jesus; but now that he is going to leave them, he is more earnest for their belief in him. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
11:4
St. Cyril
Go, and relate, etc. St. Luke here relates that Christ wrought more miracles when the disciple of St. John came than usual, by which he proved in a much stronger manner than he could have done by words, that he was the Messias. For the prophets only wrought miracles by invoking the name of God, whereas he did it by his own authority. (St. Cyril)
Baradius
The reason why our Saviour did not return a plain answer in words to St. John's disciples is, because as the Jews expected the Messias to be a great and powerful king, had he acknowledged himself to be the Messias in the presence of the multitude, he might have given umbrage to the secular power, or afforded a pretext to the Scribes and Pharisees of calumniating him, and putting him to death before the time preordained for his passion. (Baradius)
11:5
The blind see, etc.[Ver. 5. Pauperes Evangelizantur, ptochoi euaggelizontai. In the prophet Isaias, euaggelizesthai ptochois epestalke me.] Christ shews them who he was by the miracles, which were foretold concerning the Messias.
Witham
The poor have the gospel preached to them. This is the sense held forth by the prophet Isaias. (Isaias 61:1) (Witham)
Nicholas of Lyra
That is, they are declared to have the kingdom of heaven, and are styled blessed. Here also he fulfils the prophecy of Isaias, (Isaias 61.) which in the Septuagint version is rendered, He sent me to preach the gospel to the poor. (Nicholas of Lyra.)
11:6
Witham
Scandalized in me. That is, who shall not take occasion of scandal or offence from my humility, and the disgraceful death of the cross which I shall endure: (Challoner) or on my account, that is, at the doctrine of the cross; or when I shall die on an infamous cross. (Witham)
Menochius
Blessed is he, etc. That is, who shall not be offended by my doctrine or manners; for Christ was a stumbling block to many, but this was entirely their own fault. He seems indeed directly to mark the disciples of St. John, and at the same time to shew that he knew their hearts. (Menochius)
11:8
St. Chrysostom
Clothed in soft, etc. That the Baptist was not like the reeds, changeable by nature, the respect that the whole Jewish people paid him sufficiently evinced. Our Redeemer, therefore, proceeds to shew that St. John was not changeable by his manner of life. Delicacies and effeminacy (the ordinary sources of fickleness of behaviour,) being found in the houses of kings, and the great ones of this earth, were far from being desired by the precursor. This he shewed to the world by his garments of camels' hair, his habitation in the wilderness, his slender and insipid food of wild honey and locusts, and the prisons to which his constancy brought him. (St. Chrysostom, hom. xxxviii).
11:9
Menochius
More than a prophet. John was a prophet, because he foretold the coming of Christ; and he was more than a prophet, because he saw him, which was a privilege that none of the ancient prophets enjoyed; and not only did he see him, but pointed him out, before he was acknowledged in that character. Again, he was more than a prophet, in as much as he was the precursor of the Messias, who even deigned to receive baptism at his hands. (Menochius)
11:11
Menochius
He that is the lesser, etc. Many understand this of Christ, who is less in as much as he is more humble, younger in age, and according to the erroneous opinion of men, of less sanctity than John. Maldonatus and Tolletus suppose the meaning to be, that he who is the least in sanctity in the Church of Christ is greater than John; not that John did not excel in sanctity many, nay even most of the children of the Church of Christ, but that those who belong to the Church, on account of this circumstance of their being under the new law, which is the law of children, are greater than those under the old law, which was the law of bondsmen, as the least among the children is greater than the greatest among the bondsmen. Now John in this respect did not belong to the Church of Christ, as he was slain before Christ's death, before which time the gospel was not fully established. (Menochius)
Witham
There hath not risen ... a greater, etc. This comparison, by what we find, Luke 7:28, is only betwixt John and the ancient prophets, to signify that John was greater than any of the prophets, at least by his office of being the immediate precursor of the Messias. The comparison cannot be extended to Christ himself, who was both God and man, nor to his blessed Virgin Mother; nor need we understand it of his apostles. (Witham)
11:12
Challoner
Suffereth violence, etc. It is not to be obtained but by main force, by using violence upon ourselves, by mortification and penance, and resisting our perverse inclinations. (Challoner)
St. Jerome in St. Thomas Aquinas
Certainly it is great violence for a man to look for a seat in heaven, and to obtain that by his virtue which was refused him by his nature. (St. Jerome in St. Thomas Aquinas)
Menochius
The kingdom of heaven, etc. That is, the kingdom of heaven is to be obtained by mortification, penance, poverty, and those practices of austerity which John, both by word and example, pointed out. According to this interpretation, the kingdom of heaven means eternal life. Or the meaning may be, the kingdom of heaven is taken by the violent, because it is not now confined, as in the old law, to one people, but open to all, that whoever will may enter in and take possession of it. The kingdom of heaven, in this interpretation, is taken for the Church of Christ, for the gospel, and also for eternal life. (Menochius)
11:13
Witham
All the prophets and the law prophesied until John: as if he had said, all they who prophesied before, foretold the coming of the Messias; but now John points him out present with you, so that now all the types and figures of the ancient law will be fulfilled, and are at an end. (Witham)
11:14
St. Jerome in St. Thomas Aquinas
John is here styled Elias, not in the same manner as those who taught the transmigration of souls; but the meaning is, that the precursor came in the spirit and virtue of Elias, and had the same fulness of the Holy Ghost. The Baptist is not undeservedly styled Elias, both for the austerity of his life, and for his sufferings. Elias upbraided Achab and Jezabel for their impieties, and was obliged to flee. John blamed the unlawful marriage of Herod and Herodias, and died for his virtue. (St. Jerome in St. Thomas Aquinas)
11:16
Menochius
Is like to children, etc. This similtude signifies that there was nothing necessary for their salvation, which God had not abundantly provided for; but they had pertinaciously continued in their incredulity. To explain this, he uses a similitude taken from morose children, whom nothing can please; he appears to refer to some custom of that time with which we are little acquainted. (Menochius)
11:17
Witham
We have piped. Christ, says, St. Jerome on this place, was represented by the children that piped, or played on pipes, and St. John by those that mourned; because Christ refused not upon occasions, to eat and converse with sinners. (Witham)
Jesus shews the Jews by this simile, that he had endeavoured to induce them, by the common life he led, to an imitation of his virtues; and they had not complied with his desire.
St. Jerome in St. Thomas Aquinas
We have lamented. This part is to be understood of St. John, who led a most austere life, and notwithstanding was despised by the Jews. (St. Jerome in St. Thomas Aquinas)
St. Chrysostom
Similar to this is the complaint of the Almighty, by the mouth of the prophet Isaias: What is there that I should have done to my vineyard, and have not done? Our Redeemer and the Baptist imitated skilful huntsmen, who made use of various and opposite stratagems, that if the nimble animal escape one, he may fall into another. As men are commonly more engaged by fasting and austerities, therefore did the Baptist practise them in the highest degree, that they thus might be prevailed upon to believe his words. Christ, condescending more to their weakness, did not embrace this rigid manner of life, though at the same time he sanctified and approved it by his fast of forty days, and extreme poverty, not having where to recline his head. It was better that our Saviour's doctrine should be approved of by one who practiced austerity, than that he himself should fast and live rigidly. If the Jews admired fasting and penance, whose words should have led them to the Son of God? If fasting appeared sorrowful and forbidding, why did they not join themselves to Jesus, who came eating and drinking, and compassionating their infirmities? which way soever they chose they might have arrived at salvation? (St. Chrysostom, hom. xxxviii.)
11:18
Menochius
He hath a devil. Those possessed by devils, were often accustomed to pass their time in the open air, to use unusual food, and sometimes to refrain a considerable time from meat and drink. (Menochius)
11:19
Come eating and drinking. Whereas John came living in the wilderness on locusts, wild honey, etc. Yet most part of the Jews neither regarded Christ nor St. John: nay the Pharisees here (ver. 18) say of John, that he is possessed with a devil.
Witham
Wisdom is justified by her children. That is, by such as are truly wise; and the sense seems to be, that the divine wisdom and Providence hath been justified, that is approved, owned, and declared just and equitable by those that being truly wise, have made good use of the favours and graces offered them at this time of their redemption, when others have remained obstinate in their blindness, and refused to believe in Christ. (Witham)
Menochius
That is, the multitude of believers by their faith justify the providence and justice of God, against the calumnies of the wicked; for as these believed, what hindered others also from believing? where it appears that Divine Providence omitted nothing of those things, which were necessary to procure and promote the salvation of men. (Menochius)
11:21
Witham
Woe to thee, Corozain, etc. These four verses shew us how dangerous it is to resist the divine graces, and not to make good use of those favourable opportunities which the divine Providence hath placed us in, of working our salvation and of improving ourselves in virtue and sanctity. (Witham)
Menochius
Sack-cloth and ashes, etc. It was the custom for those who were in mourning, to be clothed with sack-cloth, and sit in ashes. (Menochius)
11:22
Menochius
More tolerable, etc. For as the fault of him who never had the truth announced to him, was less than of him who rejected it when offered, so also his punishment would be less. (Menochius)
11:23
Bible de Vence
If we compare this with Luke 10:15, it will appear that Jesus Christ made twice this reproach to these two impenitent cities. (Bible de Vence)
11:25
Witham
Jesus answered, etc. lit. Jesus answering, said: where we may take notice, that answering, in the style of the Scripture, is often put when it is no answer to any thing that was said before. (Witham)
St. Jerome
Because thou hast hid, etc. Jesus gives thanks to his heavenly Father, because he had revealed the secret of his coming to his disciples, who, according to the false opinion of men, are called children and fools, and had hid it from the Scribes and Pharisees, whom he in ridicule calls the wise and prudent. By this prayer, he also begs that his heavenly Father would complete what he had begun in his apostles. (St. Jerome)
St. Thomas Aquinas
Christ does not rejoice that it was not revealed to the wise and prudent, but because it was revealed to his little ones. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
11:26
Menochius
Yea, Father, etc. St. Chrysostom interprets this passage as if Christ would say, Go on, Father, as you have begun; or the sense may be, I give thee thanks, O Father, that it has pleased thee to act thus, that since the wise men of this world have rejected the gospel, thou hast deigned to manifest it to little ones. (Menochius)
11:28
Menochius
All you that, etc. That is, you who are wearied with the heavy load of your sins, and the grievous yoke of the old law. (Menochius)
11:29
St. Chrysostom
Take up my yoke, etc. Fear not the yoke of Christ, for it is a yoke of the greatest sweetness. Be not disheartened when he mentions a burden, because it is a burden exceeding light. If then our Saviour says, that the way of virtue is exceeding narrow, and replete with difficulties and dangers, we must call to mind that it is so to the slothful only. Perform therefore with alacrity what is required, and then will all things be easy; the burden will be light, and the yoke sweet. (St. Chrysostom, hom. xxxix.)
11:30
Rodriguez
For my yoke is sweet, etc. For though, in regard of our weak nature, it be a very heavy yoke, yet the grace of God renders it easy and light, because our Lord himself helps us to bear it, according to that of the prophet Osee, (Osee 11:4.) I will be unto them as he that takes the yoke from off their heads. St. Bernard says, that our Saviour sweetens by the spiritual unction of his grace, all the crosses, penances, and mortifications of religious souls. St. Augustine owns, that before he knew the power of grace, he could never comprehend what chastity was, nor believe that any one was able to practice it; but the grace of God renders all things easy. (Rodriguez, On Mortification. ch. XIX.)
11:6
Scandalized in me.... That is, who shall not take occasion of scandal or offence from my humility, and the disgraceful death of the cross which I shall endure.
11:12
Suffereth violence, etc.... It is not to be obtained but by main force, by using violence upon ourselves, by mortification and penance, and resisting our perverse inclinations.
11:14
11:2
In the liturgy The Gospel on the 2. Sunday in Aduent.
Concordance Luc. 7, 18.
11:3
3. Art thou he] Iohn him self doubted not, for he baptized him and gaue great testimonie of him before: Io. 1. But because his disciples knewe him not, nor esteemed of him so much as of Iohn their owne Maister, therfore did he send them vnto Christ, that by occasion of Christes answer he might the better instruct them what he was, and so make them Christes disciples, proferring them to a better Maister.
11:4
Concordance Esa. 35, 5. 61, 1.
11:7
7. What went you out.] Eremitical life. High commendation of Iohns holinesse, as wel for his fasting, rough attire, solitary life, and constancie, as for the dignitie of his function.
7. Into the desert.] The faythful people in al ages resorted of deuotion into wildernes to see men of special and rare holynes, Prophets, Eremites, Anchorites &c. to haue their prayers or ghostly counsel. See S. Hierom de vitae Hilarionis.
11:10
Concordance Mal. 3, 1.
11:12
Concordance Luc. 16, 16.
11:13
Concordance Mal. 4, 5.
11:14
14. Elias.) Elias. As Elias shal be the messenger of Christes later coming, so was Iohn his messenger and Praecursor at his former coming: and therfore is he called Elias, because of his like office and like spirit. Luc. 1. Grego. ho. 7. in Euang.
11:16
Concordance Luc. 7, 31.
11:17
Concordance Mt. 3, 4.
11:18
18. Eating and drinking.] The wicked quarrellers of the world misconstre easely al the actes and life of good men. If they be great fasters and austere liuers, they are blasphemed and counted hypocrites; if they conuerse with other men in ordinary maner, then they be counted dissolute.
11:20
Concordance Luc. 10, 13.
11:21
21. Penance in sackcloth.] Penance. By this sackcloth and ashes added here and in other places, wee see euidently that Penance is not only leauing of former sinnes, and chaunge or amendement of life past, no nor bare sorowfulnes or recounting of our offenses already committed, but requiteth punishement and chastisemēt of our persons by these and such other meanes as the Scriptures do els where set forth, and therfore concerning the worde also, it is rather to be called Penance, as in our translation: then (as the Aduersaries of purpose auoyding the word) Repentance or Amendement of life: 〈Greek〉. and that according to the very vsual signification of the Greeke word in the most ancient Ecclesiastical Greeke writers: who for Poenitentès (which in the Primitiue Churche did publike penance) say, Dionys. Eccl. hier. c. 3. in initio. 〈Greek〉, that is, Men that are doing penance. And concerning that part of penance which is Cōfession, the Ecclesiastical historie calleth it by the same Greeke word, and the penitents comming to confession, 〈Greek〉. Sozom. li. 7 c. 16. Socrat. li. 5 c. 19.
11:25
25. Litle ones.) These litle ones doe not signifie here only the vnlearned, as though Coblers and weauers and wemen and girles had this reuelation, and therfore do vnderstand al Scriptures and are able to expound them: but here are signified the humble, whether they be learned or vnlearned: Mt. 18. •. as when he sayth, Vnles you become as litle ones, you shal not enter into the Kingdom of heauen. And so also the greatest Doctors (who as they were most learned, so most humbled them selues to the iudgement of the Catholike Churche) are these litle ones: and Heretikes, who although vnlearned, yet vaunt their knowledge and their spirit of vnderstanding aboue al ancient fathers and the whole Churche, can not be of these litle and humble ones.
Concordance Luc. 10, 21.
In the liturgy The Gospel vpō S. Matthias day Feb. 24. and vpon S. Francis day Octob. 4. and for many Martyrs.
11:30
30. Yoke sweete.] The commaundements possible. What is this light burden and sweete yoke, but his commaundements, of which S. Iohn sayth 1. Ep. 5. His commaundements are not heauy? cleane contrary to the Aduersaries that say, they are vnpossible to be kept.
11:1
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 13
… speak to her that she help me. Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, [35] Martha, thou art solicitous and impatient on account of many things: but what is sought is one thing . But Mary hath chosen for herself a good portion, and that which shall not be taken from her.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 2.31
… Now, when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto Him, Art thou He that should come, or do we look for another?” and so on, until we come to the words, “And Wisdom is justified of her children.”
11:2
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 13
[36] And the apostles went forth, and preached to the people that they might repent. [37] And they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick with oil, and healed them. [38, 39] And the disciples of John told him of all these things.
Tertullian † AD 220 On Baptism 10
… That, then, was no celestial thing which furnished no celestial (endowments): whereas the very thing which was celestial in John—the Spirit of prophecy—so completely failed, after the transfer of the whole Spirit to the Lord, that he presently sent to inquire whether He whom he had himself preached, whom he had pointed out when coming to him, were “HE.”
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on Matthew 10.20
… But since we learned, in the first place, that when the Saviour after the temptation heard that John was given up, He retreated into Galilee, and in the second place, that when John was in prison and heard the things about Jesus he sent two of his disciples and said to Him, “Art thou He that cometh, or look we for another?”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Ephesians 8
… Thanks to Paul’s chain; how many prisons has it opened to our discourse? Will ye have that of John? He also was once bound for Christ’s sake, and for the law of God. What then? Was he idle when he was in prison? Was it not from thence he sent, by his disciples, and said, “Art Thou He that cometh, or look we for another?” (
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Reply to Faustus the Manichæan 5.1
… and do you doubt my belief in the gospel? One can understand now how John the Baptist, after seeing Jesus, and also hearing of His works, yet asked whether He was Christ. Jesus properly and justly did not deign to reply that He was; but reminded him of the works of which he had already heard: "The blind see, the deaf hear, the dead are raised."
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 16.0
On the words of the Gospel, Matt. xi. 2 , “Now when John heard in the prison the works of the Christ, he sent by his disciples, and said unto him, art thou He that cometh, or look we for another?” etc.
11:3
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John 1.7
… And again each Gospel tells of the sojourn of the good Father in the Son with those minded to receive Him, as is plain to every believer; and moreover by these books a good is announced which had been formerly expected, as is by no means hard to see. For John the Baptist spoke in the name almost of the whole people when he sent to Jesus and asked,
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John 6.6
… With such honour, then, do they enquire of John. In the case of Christ nothing of this sort is reported to have been done by the Jews; but what the Jews do to John, John does to Christ, sending his own disciples to ask him,
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 4.11
… Esaias the Prophet proclaimed with loud voice so many things concerning Him; wouldst thou not wish that the King should go down and redeem His herald? David was there, and Samuel, and all the Prophets , John himself also, who by his messengers said, Art thou He that should come, or look we for another
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 14
… What was the unwonted fear that possessed you? Death fled, and his flight betrayed his cowardice. The holy prophets ran unto Him, and Moses the Lawgiver, and Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; David also, and Samuel, and Esaias, and John the Baptist, who bore witness when he asked, Art Thou He that should come, or look we for another
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Exposition of the Christian Faith 4.1.4
4. Even Christ’s forerunner, though only in so far as representing the synagogue, doubted concerning Him, even he who was appointed to go before the face of the Lord, and at last sending messengers, enquired: “Art Thou He that should come, or do we look for another?”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 36
… that the inquiry might be made without suspicion, in order that from His acts they might learn the difference between Jesus and himself. And he saith, Go ye, and say, “Art thou He that should come, or do we look for another?”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 16.3
3. Thus have we heard the true and good record both of John concerning Christ, and of Christ concerning John. What then is the meaning of this; that John sent his disciples to Him when He was shut up in prison, on the eve of being put to death, and said to them, “Go, say to Him, Art Thou He that should come, or do we look for another?”
11:4
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on Matthew 12.2
… In respect of which things He said also to the disciples of John, “Go your way and tell John what great things ye see and hear; the blind receive their sight,” etc.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 27
And in the opposite cases too He doth so; as in that of Nathanael, saying, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.” And again, “Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 16.3
… So then the disciples of John came; and the Lord said to them, “Go, tell John, the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the poor have the Gospel preached to them; and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in Me.”
11:5
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Exposition of the Christian Faith 4.5
… Seemed He weak when bidding the paralytic take up his bed and walk? He charged the man to perform an action of which health was the necessary condition, even whilst the patient was yet praying a remedy for his disease. Not weak was the Lord of hosts when He gave sight to the blind, made the crooked to stand upright, raised the dead to life,
11:6
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 36
“Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see; the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, and the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached unto them.” And he added, “And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me;”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John 30
… And that they did not even after this believe in Him, is clear from what is said afterwards; for John even when dwelling in prison sent them thence to Christ, that he might the more bind them to Him. Yet even then they scarcely believed, to which Christ alluded when He said, “And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in Me.” (
11:7
Tertullian † AD 220 Five Books in Reply to Marcion 2
145 August in life, and marked with praise sublime,
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 27
… And with the people again in like manner, He addresses His discourse unto their conscience, saying, “What went ye out into the wilderness to see?”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 38
Seest thou, how many ways He leads them on to the faith? First,
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 130.4
… both of whom confined and mortified their loins with girdles of skin, while the second of them is said to have come in the spirit and power of Elijah as the forerunner of the Lord. As such he prophesied while still in his mother’s womb, and before the day of judgment won the commendation of the Judge.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 16.2
2. This then did John say concerning Christ. And what said Christ of John? We have just now heard. “He began to say to the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 4
… A man clothed in soft raiment?” For John was clothed in rough garments; that is, his tunic was of camel’s hair. “Behold, they who are clothed in soft raiment are in kings’ houses.” You did not then go out to see a man clothed in soft raiment. “But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, one greater than a prophet is here;”
Pope St Gregory I the Great † AD 604 Register of the Epistles of St. Gregory the Great 11.45
… Although all should revile us, yet he is free whom conscience accuses not, while, even though all should praise, one cannot be free, if conscience accuses him. Whence the Truth says concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? (
11:8
Tertullian † AD 220 On Idolatry 18
… That Lord walked in humility and obscurity, with no definite home: for “the Son of man,” said He, “hath not where to lay His head;” unadorned in dress, for else He had not said, “Behold, they who are clad in soft raiment are in kings’ houses:”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 10
… and not for this cause only, but also with a view of trampling under foot all ornaments, and practising all austerity. This very kind of thing accordingly Christ declares to be the greatest praise of virtue, thus saying, “What went ye out for to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in king’s houses.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 37
“But what went ye out for to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Epistle to the Hebrews 29
[5.] And as to things now, tell me, are they not the same? Hear Christ saying, “They that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses” (
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 130.4
… she preferred to all these severe fasting, rough clothing, and frugal living. For she had read the words of the Lord: “they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.”
Sulpicius Severus † AD 420 On the Life of St. Martin 10
… Rarely did any one of them go beyond the cell, unless when they assembled at the place of prayer. They all took their food together, after the hour of fasting was past. No one used wine, except when illness compelled them to do so. Most of them were clothed in garments of camels’ hair. Any dress approaching to softness
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 16.2
… This then did John say concerning Christ. And what said Christ of John? We have just now heard. “He began to say to the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?” Surely not; for John was not “blown about by every wind of doctrine.” “But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment?”
Pope St Gregory I the Great † AD 604 Register of the Epistles of St. Gregory the Great 11.45
… Whence the Truth says concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? ( Matth. xi. 7 ). And this in truth is said in the way of negation, not of assertion, since it is added, But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses (
Anonymous The Teaching of Addæus the Apostle 1
… And all those who believed in Christ did Addæus receive, and baptized them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And those who used to worship stones and stocks sat at his feet, recovered from the madness of paganism wherewith they had been afflicted. Jews also, traders in fine raiment,
11:9
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 3.10.1
… And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” For whom, then, did he prepare the people, and in the sight of what Lord was he made great? Truly of Him who said that John had something even “more than a prophet,”
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 3.11.4
… For all the heretics have decided that the Demiurge was ignorant of that Power above him, whose witness and herald John is found to be. Wherefore the Lord said that He deemed him “more than a prophet.”
Tertullian † AD 220 On Monogamy 8
… Behold, there immediately present themselves to us, on the threshold as it were, the two priestesses of Christian sanctity, Monogamy and Continence: one modest, in Zechariah the priest; one absolute, in John the forerunner: one appeasing God; one preaching Christ: one proclaiming a perfect priest; one exhibiting “more than a prophet,”
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John 6.8
… he is to be called, he is not said to be, a prophet.) And still more weighty is it that the Saviour said to those who considered John to be a prophet,
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 36
… but that He should likewise be crucified, he knew not. How then was He to rise again, who had not suffered, nor been crucified? And how was this man greater than a prophet, who knew not even what the prophets knew? For that he was greater than a prophet, even Christ Himself bare record,
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 37
2. When therefore as well by the place, as by his garments, and by their concourse unto Him, He had delineated his character, He proceeds to bring in the prophet. For having said, “Why went ye out? To see a prophet? Yea I say unto you, and more than a prophet;”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Answer to the Letters of Petilian, the Donatist 2.37
… and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them," —therefore it was said of John that he was more than a prophet, and that among all that were born of women there was none greater than he;
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 16.2
… A reed shaken with the wind?” Surely not; for John was not “blown about by every wind of doctrine.” “But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment?” No, for John was clothed in rough apparel; he had his raiment of camel’s hair, not of down. “But what went ye out for to see? A Prophet? yea, and more than a Prophet.”
Pseudo-Clement The Recognitions of Clement 1.60
“And, behold, one of the disciples of John asserted that John was the Christ, and not Jesus, inasmuch as Jesus Himself declared that John was greater than all men and all prophets.
11:10
Tertullian † AD 220 An Answer to the Jews 9
… just as withal the Spirit, speaking in the person of the Father, calls the forerunner of Christ, John, a future “angel,” through the prophet: “Behold, I send mine angel before Thy”—that is, Christ’s—“face, who shall prepare Thy way before Thee.”
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John 6.10
… We shall understand this aright if we call to mind what was adduced in our exposition of the texts: “That all might believe through Him,” and “This is he of whom it is written, Behold I send My messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.”
St Gregory of Nyssa † AD 395 Against Eunomius 11.3
… For the word says concerning them, “This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold I send my angel before thy face
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 37
… For having said, “Why went ye out? To see a prophet? Yea I say unto you, and more than a prophet;” He goes on, “For this is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before Thy face, which shall prepare Thy way before Thee.”
St Jerome † AD 420 The Dialogue Against the Luciferians 1
… And what necessity is there for me to dwell upon the praises of so illustrious a man when God the Father even calls him an angel?
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 16.3
… And who art thou? Art thou not His forerunner? Art thou not he of whom it was foretold, “Behold, I send my messenger before Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way before thee?”
11:11
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 14
[1] Verily I say unto you, There hath not arisen among those whom women have borne a greater than John the Baptist; but he that is little now in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Tertullian † AD 220 On Baptism 12
… especially when, if there were any one to whom they clave, the Lord had exalted John above him (by the testimony) saying, “Among them who are born of women there is none greater than John the Baptist.”
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on Matthew 10.22
… and we, taking this suggestion from him, find in no Scripture that a birthday was kept by a righteous man. For Herod was more unjust than that famous Pharaoh; for by the latter on his birthday feast a chief baker is killed; but by the former, John, “than whom no one greater hath risen among those born of women,”
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on Matthew 13.15
… And every one will acknowledge that even though all these were great according to the Scripture, yet the Saviour was greater than they. But whether John also (than whom there was no greater among those born of women),
Archelaus † fl. AD 278 The Acts of the Disputation with the Heresiarch Manes 49
… Nevertheless I shall again put a question to you, and let it please you to give me an answer. When Jesus gave His testimony concerning John, and said, “Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding, he that is less in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he,”
Aphrahat † AD 346 Aphrahat: Select Demonstrations 6.3
… But Job rejected her counsel. King Asa also conquered the Accursed-of-life, when he wished to come in against him, through his mother. For Asa knew his craftiness and removed his mother from her high estate, and cut in pieces her idol and cast it down. John was greater than all the prophets, yet Herod slew him because of the dancing of a daughter of Eve.
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 3.6
… Enoch was translated, but he is not greater than John: Moses was a very great lawgiver, and all the Prophets were admirable, but not greater than John. It is not I that dare to compare Prophets with Prophets: but their Master and ours, the Lord Jesus, declared it: Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 39.5
… and before this and for the sake of this, to sanctify Jordan; for as He is Spirit and Flesh, so He consecrates us by Spirit and water. John will not receive Him; Jesus contends. “I have need to be baptized of Thee” says the Voice to the Word, the Friend to the Bridegroom; he that is above all among them that are born of women,
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 43.75
… And, if my language seems audacious to anyone, let me assure him beforehand, that in making this comparison, I neither prefer Basil, nor imply that he is equal to him who surpasses all who are born of women,
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Duties of the Clergy 1.30
156. It can further be taken in this way: Thou, O man, hast nothing over! For how much hast thou really received, though it may seem much to thee? John, than whom none was greater among those born of woman, yet was less than he who is least in the kingdom of heaven.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 37
… See how He signified John’s excellency by this also; and not even here doth He stop, but adds afterwards His own suffrage as well, saying, “Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women, there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles 1
… for in fact He had spoken very obscurely, when He said, “Notwithstanding, he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he:” but now He says plainly, “John baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John 16
Now if John was not worthy to “unloose the latchet” (
St Jerome † AD 420 The Dialogue Against the Luciferians 1
… I say too little, he who from his mother’s womb cried out, “And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come unto me,” did he not give the Holy Ghost? And did Ananias give him to Paul? It perhaps looks like boldness in me to prefer him to all other men. Hear then the words of our Lord,
St Jerome † AD 420 Against Jovinianus 2.10
… one thing for Him to be in Titus and Timothy, another in Paul. Certainly amongst them that have been born of women, there has not arisen a greater than John the Baptist. But the term greater implies others who are less. And
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Letters of St. Augustin 189.4
… Among them were also the soldiers who, when they had come to be baptized by John,—the sacred forerunner of the Lord, and the friend of the Bridegroom, of whom the Lord says: “Among them that are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Reply to Faustus the Manichæan 22.85
… So John saw his brother, a brother in the family of Abraham, and from the relationship of Mary and Elisabeth; and the same person he recognised as his Lord and his God, for, as he himself says, he received of His fullness. On account of this vision, among those born of woman, there has arisen no greater than he;
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On Baptism, Against the Donatists 5.9
… and that when John, than whom no greater had arisen among them that are born of women,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 16.2
… “Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world.” And he gave a goodly testimony to the Lord, and the Lord to him. “Among them that are born of women,” saith the Lord, “there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding, he that is less in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he;”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 5
19. But, my brethren, it is madness to say that—I will not say Judas—but that any man was better than he of whom it was said, that “Among those that are born of women, there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 7.19
… Wherefore, when the Pharisees, who seemed righteous to themselves, blamed the Lord, because, as physician, he mixed with the sick, and when they said, “Behold with whom he eats, with publicans and sinners,” the Physician replied to the madmen, “They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 9.16
16. To the sixth age belongs John the Baptist, than whom none greater has arisen among those born of women; of whom it was said, that he was “greater than a prophet.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 13.2
… And the Lord, even his friend, did also Himself bear witness to John. For concerning John He said, “Among them that are born of women, there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist.” But as He put Himself before John, in that wherein He was greater, He was God. “But he that is less,” saith He, “in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 35.2
… thy record is not true.” Before our Lord Jesus Christ came, He lighted and sent many prophetic lamps before Him. Of these was also John Baptist, to whom the great Light itself, which is the Lord Christ, gave a testimony such as was given to no other man; for He said, “Among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 122.9
… Yea, so great will they certainly be there, that he who is less there is greater than the greatest here.
St John of Damascus † AD 749 An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith 4.15
… Let us give honour to her who bore God as being strictly and truly the Mother of God. Let us honour also the prophet John as forerunner and baptist , as apostle and martyr, For among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist
Pseudo-Clement The First Epistle of the Blessed Clement, the Disciple of Peter the Apostle 6
… From this, therefore, understand the greatness and dignity of virginity. Dost thou wish to be a Christian? Imitate Christ in everything. John, the ambassador, he who came before our Lord, he “than whom there was not a greater among those born of women,”
11:12
St Justin Martyr † AD 165 Dialogue with Trypho 51
… and in the following terms: ‘The law and the prophets were until John the Baptist; from that time the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. And if you can receive it, he is Elijah, who was to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.’
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 14
[2] [Arabic, p. 54] And all the people which heard, and the publicans, justified God, for [3] they had been baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and the scribes wronged the purpose of God in themselves, in that they were not baptized of [4] him.
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 4.37.7
7. On this account, too, did the Lord assert that the kingdom of heaven was the portion of “the violent;” and He says, “The violent take it by force;”
Tertullian † AD 220 On Prayer 29
… Now, however, the prayer of righteousness averts all God’s anger, keeps bivouac on behalf of personal enemies, makes supplication on behalf of persecutors. Is it wonder if it knows how to extort the rains of heaven —(prayer) which was once able to procure its fires ? Prayer is alone that which vanquishes
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John 6.11
… For it is a good way that leads the good man to the good father, the man who, from the good treasure of his heart, brings forth good things, and who is a good and faithful servant. This way is narrow, indeed, for the many cannot bear to walk in it and are lovers of their flesh; but it is also hard-pressed by those who use violence
Eusebius of Caesarea † AD 339 The Oration of Eusebius 11.5
… thus in time past had he clearly announced to all the pardon of former transgressions, saying, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” And again, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” And he adds the reason, saying, “For they that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.”
St Ephrem the Syrian † AD 373 Ephraim Syrus: Nineteen Hymns on the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh 4
Blessed be the watchful, that have taken by force
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 40
… Therefore do not delay in coming to grace, but hasten, lest the robber outstrip you, lest the adulterer pass you by, lest the insatiate be satisfied before you, lest the murderer seize the blessing first, or the publican or the fornicator, or any of these violent ones who take the Kingdom of heaven by force.
St Gregory of Nyssa † AD 395 On Virginity 18
… The love of gain, which is a large, incalculably large, element in every soul, when once applied to the desire for God, will bless the man who has it; for he will be violent
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Selections from the Letters of St. Ambrose 63.24
… Let us study to gain the diligence of those the glory of whose virtues we admire, and what we praise in others, let us silently recognize in ourselves. Nothing effeminate, nothing feeble attains to praise. “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Two Homilies on Eutropius 2.6
… But if any one’s conscience attacks him, he himself is responsible for it, not my words. Why art thou grasping where thou bringest ill-will upon thyself? Grasp where there is a crown to be gained. Strive to lay hold not of earth but of heaven. “The kingdom of Heaven belongs to violent men and men of violence take it by force.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 23
And all these things He saith, thoroughly to awaken our alacrity; even as elsewhere also He said, “Violent men take it by force.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 37
4. “And from the days of John the Baptist,” saith He, “until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 38
Seest thou, how many ways He leads them on to the faith? First, by His praises of John. For by pointing to him as a great and marvellous one, He proved likewise all his sayings credible, whereby he used to draw them on to the knowledge of Him. Secondly,
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 66
Knowing then these things, let us lay aside all covetousness, and covet the things above, with great earnestness “taking the kingdom by force.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on 2 Timothy 10
… Be truly rich. I would wish thee to be so. Be covetous and rapacious, I blame thee not for it. Here it is a fault not to be covetous, here it is blameworthy not to be grasping. What then is this? “The kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John 54
… For how shall one who knows not that covetousness is an evil, ever know the greater good? how shall one who refrains not from these earthly things ever hold fast to those heavenly? It is good to take by violence, not the things that perish, but the Kingdom of heaven. “The violent,” it saith, “take it by force.” (
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 22.40
But we, if our food is less appetizing than usual, get sullen, and fancy that we do God a favor by drinking watered wine. And if the water brought to us is a trifle too warm, we break the cup and overturn the table and scourge the servant in fault until blood comes. “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force.”
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 60.3
… “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.” John the Baptist cries in the desert: “repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For “from the days of John the Baptist the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force.”
St Jerome † AD 420 Against Jovinianus 2.10
… But we praise every creature of God, and yet prefer leanness to corpulence, abstinence to luxury, fasting to fulness. “He that laboureth laboureth for himself, and he is eager to his own destruction.” And,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Confessions 8.8
19. In the midst, then, of this great strife of my inner dwelling, which I had strongly raised up against my soul in the chamber of my heart, troubled both in mind and countenance, I seized upon Alypius, and exclaimed: “What is wrong with us? What is this? What heardest thou? The unlearned start up and ‘take’ heaven,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Reply to Faustus the Manichæan 19.24
… The story is, that the race of darkness coveted the domain of light bordering on their territory, and, from a desire to possess it, formed the plan of invading it. Nor is there any sin in desiring true goodness and blessedness. For the Lord says, "The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount 1.15
… But if He were speaking with reference to sexual intercourse, He would not place father, and mother, and brothers in the same category. But how true it is, that “the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and they that use violence take it by force!”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 87.5
… they push their way by faith, and to faith a way is made, nor can any resist, since they who are violent take it by force. For it is written, “The kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 147.28
… Jacob therefore wrestled, and prevailed: he held Him and when he seemed to have conquered Him asked to be blessed of Him. How did he understand with Whom he had wrestled, Whom he had held? Wherefore did he wrestle violently, and hold Him? Because “the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 7.6
… “a man in grief labours for himself, and forcibly brings about his own destruction.” Moreover also: “the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force,”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 24.26
… For, as the Lord says, “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force.”
11:13
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 14
… And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven is [5] snatched away by violence. The law and the prophets were until John; and after that, the kingdom of God is preached, and all press to enter it: and they that exert themselves [6, 7] snatch it away.
Tertullian † AD 220 An Answer to the Jews 8
… In short, if this is not so, let the Jews exhibit, subsequently to Christ, any volumes of prophets, visible miracles wrought by any angels, (such as those) which in bygone days the patriarchs saw until the advent of Christ, who is now come; since which event “sealed is vision and prophecy,” that is, confirmed. And justly does the evangelist
Tertullian † AD 220 An Answer to the Jews 13
… for it “had borne thorns ”—whereof that house of Israel had wrought a crown for Christ—and not “ righteousness , but a clamour ,”—the clamour whereby it had extorted His surrender to the cross. And thus, the former gifts of grace being withdrawn, “the law and the prophets were until John,”
Tertullian † AD 220 On Modesty 6
… for “the old things are passed away,” according to Isaiah; and “a renewing hath been renewed,” according to Jeremiah; and “forgetful of former things, we are reaching forward,” according to the apostle; and “the law and the prophets (were) until John,”
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John 6.14
… nor does Luke introduce the multitudes who meet with the same rebuke, as confessing their sins. And the question may be raised how, if the whole city of Jerusalem, and the whole of Judæa, and the whole region round about Jordan, were baptized of John in Jordan, the Saviour could say,
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 1.10
In Isaiah: “Then shall they be manifest who seal the law, that they may not learn; and he shall say, I wait upon the Lord, who turneth away His face from the house of Jacob, and I shall trust in Him.” In the Gospel also: “All the prophets and the law prophesied until John.”
Eusebius of Caesarea † AD 339 The Oration of Eusebius 11.5
… And thus in time past had he clearly announced to all the pardon of former transgressions, saying, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” And again, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 On the Incarnation of the Word 25-2
… and Jacob prophesies that the kingdom of the Jews should be established until Him, as follows:—“The ruler shall not fail from Juda, nor the Prince from his loins, until that which is laid up for him shall come; and he is the expectation of the nations.” 4. Whence the Saviour also Himself cried aloud and said: “The
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 3.6
6. Baptism is the end of the Old Testament, and beginning of the New. For its author was John, than whom was none greater among them that are born of women . The end he was of the Prophets: for all the Prophets and the law were until John
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 37
“For all the prophets,” saith He, “and the law prophesied until John.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on First Corinthians 32
… xiv. 29 .) And writing also to Timothy, he said, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy.” ( 1 Tim. iv. 14 .) And they were much more many that prophesied. And if Christ saith, “The Law and the Prophets prophesied until John,” (S.
St Jerome † AD 420 Against Jovinianus 1.39
… the truth.” After the crucifixion of Christ, we find in the Acts of the Apostles that one house, that of Philip the Evangelist, produced four virgin daughters, to the end that Cæsarea, where the Gentile Church had been consecrated in the person of Cornelius the centurion, might afford an illustration of virginity. And whereas our Lord said in the Gospel:
St Jerome † AD 420 Against Jovinianus 2.4
4. I delayed for a little while the production of proofs from the Old Testament, because, wherever the Old Testament is against them they are accustomed to cry out that
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Letters of St. Augustin 75.14
… “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth,” that is, to both Jew and Gentile; for if the Jew be excepted, He is not the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. Moreover, we read in the Gospel, “The law and the prophets were until John the Baptist.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 City of God 17.24
… and when He was already born, Simeon the aged, and Anna a widow, and now very old; and, last of all, John himself, who, being a young man, did not predict that Christ, now a young man, was to come, but by prophetic knowledge pointed Him out though unknown; for which reason the Lord Himself says, “The law and the prophets were until John.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On the Holy Trinity 15.17
… And sometimes that which was given by Moses is specially called the Law: as it is said, “The Law and the Prophets were until John;”
11:14
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 14
… And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven is [5] snatched away by violence. The law and the prophets were until John; and after that, the kingdom of God is preached, and all press to enter it: and they that exert themselves [6, 7] snatch it away. All the prophets and the law until John prophesied.
Tertullian † AD 220 A Treatise on the Soul 35
… school seize with especial avidity the example of Elias, whom they assume to have been so reproduced in John (the Baptist) as to make our Lord’s statement sponsor for their theory of transmigration, when He said, “Elias is come already, and they knew him not;” and again, in another passage, “And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.”
St Hippolytus † AD 235 The Refutation of All Heresies 8.3
… “And I am a wanderer, changing both place after place, and house after house.” And (we may learn, according to the Docetæ, the same) from the expressions of the Saviour, “And if ye will receive it, this is Elias that was for to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John 2.24
… Nor must we overlook the text, “This is Elijah which is to come.”
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John 2.30
… Thus, in all his life, he is a little before Christ, and everywhere makes ready for the Lord a people prepared for Him. And John’s testimony precedes also the second and diviner coming of Christ, for we read,
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John 6.7
“And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elijah? and he said, I am not.” No one can fail to remember in this connection what Jesus says of John,
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on Matthew 10.20
… And one might use the following line of argument. Just as because of the spirit and the power of Elijah, and not because of his soul, it is said about John, “This is Elijah which is to come,”
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on Matthew 12.9
… But also if they had understood the opinions under the influence of which Jesus said, “If ye are willing to receive it, this is Elijah which is to come,”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 55
And whence did the disciples know this? He had already told them, “He is Elias, which was for to come;”
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 130.4
… “they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.” She was filled with admiration for the manner of life followed by Elijah and by John the Baptist; both of whom confined and mortified their loins with girdles of skin, while the second of them is said to have come in the spirit and power of Elijah as the forerunner of the Lord.
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 8.4
… as in this case: where Elias came in the person of John,
11:15
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 14
… The law and the prophets were until John; and after that, the kingdom of God is preached, and all press to enter it: and they that exert themselves [6, 7] snatch it away. All the prophets and the law until John prophesied. And if ye [8] will, then receive it , that he is Elijah, which is to come.
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 21.4
… and that with unveiled face ye might reflect as a mirror the glory of the Lord . Then on your ears; that ye might receive the ears which are quick to hear the Divine Mysteries, of which Esaias said, The Lord gave me also an ear to hear ; and the Lord Jesus in the Gospel, He that hath ears to hear let him hear
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 37
… Wherefore neither did He simply say, “This is Elias,” but, “If ye are willing to receive it, this is he,” that is, if with a candid mind ye give heed to what is going on. And He did not stop even at this, but to the words, “This is Elias, which was for to come,” He added, to show that understanding is needed, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 38.3
… For it is with His voice that the cry is made by the Apostle to the dead, “Awake, thou that sleepest.” And the blind will be enlightened with light, when he shall have risen again. And how many deaf men did the Lord see before His eyes, when He said, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 49.1.1
… “With ears ponder, all ye that dwell in the world.” This He seemeth to have repeated a second time, lest to have said “hear,” before, were too little. What I say, he saith, “hear, with ears ponder,” that is, hear not cursorily. What is, “with ears ponder”? It is what the Lord said, “he that hath ears to hear, let him hear:”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 135.14
… But of them who know not, what is said? “All they who make them, and all they who trust in them, are like them” ( ver. 18 ). And ye believe, brethren, that there is a likeness to these idols expressed not in their flesh, but in their inner man. For “they have ears, and hear not.” God calls to them indeed, “He who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
11:16
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 37
5. “But whereunto shall I liken this generation?” saith He, “It is like unto children sitting in the market place, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.”
11:17
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on Matthew 10.22
… but the dancing of Herodias was opposed to that holy dancing with which those who have not danced will be reproached when they hear the words, “We piped unto you, and ye did not dance.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 37
5. “But whereunto shall I liken this generation?” saith He, “It is like unto children sitting in the market place, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 129.1
… For as he who danceth, moveth his limbs to the time; so they who dance according to the commandment of God, in their works obey the sound. What therefore saith the Lord in the Gospel to those who refuse to do this? “We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced: we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.”
11:18
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 14.2
… which motive He himself alleged, saying, “John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, he hath a devil. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 37
And mark them, how in another respect also they are carried about into contradictory opinions. For whereas they had said of John, “he hath a devil,”
St Jerome † AD 420 The Life of S. Hilarion 1
… the former they censured for his solitary life; they may find fault with the latter for his intercourse with the world; the one was always out of sight, therefore they think he had no existence; the other was seen by many, therefore he is deemed of no account. It is just what their ancestors the Pharisees did of old! they were not pleased with
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On the Good of Marriage 26
… What, then, was there not in Him the virtue of continence from meat and drink, as great as in John Baptist? “For John came neither eating nor drinking; and they said, He hath a devil; the Son of Man came both eating and drinking; and they said, “Lo, a glutton and wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Reply to Faustus the Manichæan 16.31
… When exposing the perversity which found fault with both, He says: "John came neither eating nor drinking; and ye say, He hath a devil. The Son of man cometh eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a glutton and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners."
11:19
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 4.31.2
… Was it not then, when He was eating with men, and drinking wine upon the earth? For it is said, “The Son of man came eating and drinking;”
Tertullian † AD 220 On Monogamy 8
… while that “man gluttonous and toping,” the “frequenter of luncheons and suppers, in the company of publicans and sinners,”
Tertullian † AD 220 On Fasting 2
… “that not by such things as are introduced into the mouth is a man defiled, but by such as are produced out of the mouth;” while Himself withal was wont to eat and drink till He made Himself noted thus; “Behold, a gormandizer and a drinker:”
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John 2.1
… And it is nowise marvellous that the saint should be a son of wells. From his brave deeds he is often called a son, whether, from his works shining before men, of light, or from his possessing the peace of God which passes all understanding, of peace, or, once more, from the help which wisdom brings him, a child of wisdom; for wisdom,
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 30
And yet undoubtedly He incurred hence an evil report: first by eating with him, then in Matthew’s house, and thirdly, in company with many publicans. See at least how they reproach Him with this. “Behold a man gluttonous, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 37
Wherefore this also, in an unsuspected way, He corrects by saying, “He that is less, in the kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.” Less in age, and according to the opinion of the multitude, since they even called Him “a gluttonous man and a winebibber;”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John 16
… But He fared like all others, and was present at the feasts of wicked men and publicans, that He might draw them to Him. Which thing the Jews not understanding reproached Him with, as He also saith Himself, “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners.” (
Rufinus of Aquileia † AD 411 The Apology of Rufinus. Addressed to Apronianus, in Reply to Jerome's Letter to Pammachius 1.1
… And, if it was said of him, “He is a deceiver, he deceiveth the people,” I must not be indignant if I hear that I am called a heretic, and that the name of mole is applied to me because of the slowness of my mind, or indeed my blindness. Christ who is my Lord, aye, and who is God over all, was called
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Letters of St. Augustin 36.8
… Let us not therefore be like those who, seeing John the Baptist neither eating nor drinking, said, “He hath a devil;” but let us equally avoid imitating those who said, when they saw Christ eating and drinking, “Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On the Good of Marriage 26
… although there hath come now the Apostle of Christ, not wedded, nor begetting, so that the heathen say of him, He was a magician; but there came then the Prophet of Christ, marrying and begetting sons, so that the Manichees say of him, He was a man fond of women: “And wisdom,” saith He, “hath been justified of her children.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Reply to Faustus the Manichæan 17.4
… Evidently this style is common in writers of narratives. There are innumerable instances in which the Lord Himself uses it. "When the Son of man," He says, "cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?" Not, When I come, shall I find? Again, "The Son of man came eating and drinking;"
11:20
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 15
… but [26] know this, that the kingdom of God is come near unto you. I say unto you, that for Sodom there shall be quiet in the day of judgement, but there shall not be for [27] that city.
Origen † AD 254 Origen Against Celsus 6.15
… but our great Saviour Himself says: “Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest for your souls.”
St Basil the Great † AD 379 De Spiritu Sancto 16
… He was present when the Lord was being tempted by the devil; for, it is said, “Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted.” He was inseparably with Him while working His wonderful works;
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 45
… for this is the result of delay. With bitter herbs , for a life according to the Will of God is bitter and arduous, especially to beginners, and higher than pleasures. For although the new yoke is easy and the burden light,
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 37
For “then,” it is said, “began Jesus to upbraid the cities, wherein most of His mighty works were done, because they repented not; saying, Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida!”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 38
… for this too manifested Himself to be the person that was announced beforehand by them. Fourthly, by pointing out that whatsoever things should be done by him, were all accomplished; at which time also He made mention of the parable of the children. Fifthly, by His upbraiding them that had not believed, and by His alarming and threatening them greatly.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount 1.21
… Many other statements are found in all parts of Scripture, which may seem contrary both to this precept of the Lord, and to that apostolic one, where it is said, “Bless; and curse not;” while it is both written of the Lord, that He cursed the cities which received not His word;
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 2.32
79. Thereafter Matthew goes on as follows: “Then began He to upbraid the cities wherein most of His mighty works were done, because they repented not;” and so on, down to where we read, “It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom at the day of judgment, than for you.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 28.1
1. It is the Voice of the Mediator Himself, strong of hand in the conflict of the Passion. Now what He seems to wish for against His enemies, is not the wish of malevolence, but the declaration of their punishment; as in the Gospel,
11:21
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 15
… but [26] know this, that the kingdom of God is come near unto you. I say unto you, that for Sodom there shall be quiet in the day of judgement, but there shall not be for [27] that city. Then began Jesus to rebuke the cities in which there had been many [28] mighty works, and they repented not.
Tertullian † AD 220 On Modesty 10
… It is enough for me that even John, when “strewing the Lord’s ways,” was the herald of repentance no less to such as were on military service and to publicans, than to the sons of Abraham. The Lord Himself presumed repentance on the part of the Sidonians and Tyrians if they had seen the evidences of His “miracles.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 72
And when one has had the advantage of more abundant care; “For if,” He saith, “these mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago; but it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for that city.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Enchiridion 95
… For our Lord says most distinctly: “Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 147.25
… for “whom He predestined, them He also called.” But “ashes” are connected with repentance. Hear Him calling to repentance, when He upbraided certain cities, saying, “Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they had long ago repented in dust and ashes.”
11:22
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 15
… Then began Jesus to rebuke the cities in which there had been many [28] mighty works, and they repented not. And he said, Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! if there had been in Tyre and Sidon the signs which were in [29] thee, it may be that they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes.
Tertullian † AD 220 On the Resurrection of the Flesh 33
… But it is by such declarations and sentences that the Lord sets forth either the last judgment, or the kingdom, or the resurrection: “It shall be more tolerable,” He says, “for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you .”
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on Matthew 13.22
… spirits, which, seeking out instruments through whom they will work, often find men altogether strangers to piety, and sometimes even some of those who are thought to believe the Word of God, for whom exists a worse woe than that which comes to him who is caused to stumble, just as also it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment,
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 37
… And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell, for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 City of God 20.5
The Saviour Himself, while reproving the cities in which He had done great works, but which had not believed, and while setting them in unfavorable comparison with foreign cities, says, “But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on the Predestination of the Saints 2.23
… And yet in the day of judgment they will be punished; although with a less punishment than those cities which would not believe the mighty works done in them. For the Lord goes on to say, “Nevertheless, I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.”
11:23
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 15
… And he said, Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! if there had been in Tyre and Sidon the signs which were in [29] thee, it may be that they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes. Howbeit I say unto you, that for Tyre and Sidon there shall be rest in the day of judgement, [30] more than for you.
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 4.36.3
… “And thou, Capernaum,” He said, “is it that thou shalt be exalted to heaven? Thou shalt go down to hell. For if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained unto this day. Verily I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 37
… And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell, for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 48
… As it seems to me, Nazareth. “For He did not many mighty works there,” it is said, but in Capernaum He did miracles: wherefore He said also, “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto Heaven, shalt be brought down to hell; for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John 35
… on this account He went not thither, that their condemnation might not be the greater. For I suppose that in this place He speaketh of Capernaum as “His country.” Now, to show that there He received no honor, hear Him say, “And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell.” (
11:24
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 15
… Howbeit I say unto you, that for Tyre and Sidon there shall be rest in the day of judgement, [30] more than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt sink down unto Hades; for if there had been in Sodom the wonders which were [31] in thee, it would have remained until this day.
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 4.36.4
… “an example of the righteous judgment of God,” that all may know, “that every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cut down, and cast into the fire.” And it is He who uses [the words], that it will be more tolerable for Sodom in the general judgment than for those who beheld His wonders, and did not believe on Him, nor receive His doctrine.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the Romans 31
… How cometh Paul to say, “Know ye not that we shall judge Angels? how much more things of this life?” ( 1 Cor. vi. 3 .) How came Christ to say, “The men of Nineveh shall arise and condemn this generation” ( Matt. xii. 41 ); and, “It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment?” (
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 City of God 20.5
… works, but which had not believed, and while setting them in unfavorable comparison with foreign cities, says, “But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment than for you.” And a little after He says, “Verily, I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for thee.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On Baptism, Against the Donatists 1.5
… nor do they escape a grievous hurt, because others suffer even more. For when it is said to certain men, "It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you,"
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On Baptism, Against the Donatists 4.19
… so that in the eternal fire itself there will be different tortures in the punishments, corresponding to the different weights of guilt. For indeed it was not idly that the Lord said, "It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for thee."
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On Baptism, Against the Donatists 6.44
… Were not the people of Sodom heathens, that is to say, Gentiles? The Jews therefore were worse, to whom the Lord says, "It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for thee;"
11:25
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 1.20.3
… Even so, my Father; for so it seemed good in Thy sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father; and no one knoweth the Father but the Son, or the Son but the Father, and he to whom the Son will reveal Him.”
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 4.2.2
2. Again, our Lord Jesus Christ confesses this same Being as His Father, where He says: “I confess to thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth.”
Tertullian † AD 220 Against Praxeas 26
… “Wist ye not,” says He, “that I must be about my Father’s business?” Satan likewise knew Him to be this in his temptations: “Since Thou art the Son of God .” This, accordingly, the devils also acknowledge Him to be: “we know Thee, who Thou art, the Holy Son of God .” His “ Father ” He Himself adores.
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 3.23
In the Gospel, in the daily prayer: “Forgive us our debts, even as we forgive our debtors.” Also according to Mark: “And when ye stand for prayer, forgive, if ye have ought against any one; that also your Father who is in heaven may forgive you your sins. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive you your sins.”
St Hilary of Poitiers † AD 367 De Trinitate or On the Trinity 2.10
… Hear His words, The Father is greater than I , and I and the Father are One , and He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father also , and The Father is in Me and I in the Father , and I went out from the Father , and Who is in the bosom of the Father , and Whatsoever the Father hath He hath delivered to the Son
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Heathen (Contra Gentes) 6
… But these men one can easily refute, not only from the divine Scriptures, but also from the human understanding itself, the very source of these their insane imaginations. 4. To begin with, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ says in His own gospels confirming the words of Moses: “The Lord God is one;” and “I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 2.19
… for this is proper to son towards father; on the other, having come to finish the work, and taken a servant’s form, to name the Father Lord. And this difference He Himself has taught by an apt distinction, saying in the Gospels, ‘I thank Thee, O Father,’ and then, ‘Lord of heaven and earth
St Basil the Great † AD 379 The Letters 217
LXXIV. If, however, each man who has committed the former sins is made good, through penitence,
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Holy Spirit 1.11
… We have proved, then, that the presence and the grace of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one, which is so heavenly and divine that the Son gives thanks therefore to the Father, saying, “I give thanks to Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Holy Spirit 3.15
… Do you then when you call the Son Lord either deny the Son or confess two Lords? God forbid, for the Son Himself said: “Do not serve two lords.” But certainly He denied not either Himself or the Father to be Lord; for He called the Father Lord, as you read: “I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth.”
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Exposition of the Christian Faith 5.8
99. Wherefore also it is plain how He calls Him Lord, Whom He knew as Father. For He says: “I confess to Thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.”
St Jerome † AD 420 Against the Pelagians 3.6
… Christ prayed thus on the cross: “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? Why art Thou so far from helping Me?” And, again, “Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit,” and “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And this is He, who, returning thanks for us, had said,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Confessions 7.9
… and that by participation of the wisdom remaining in them they are renewed, that they may be wise, is there. But that “in due time Christ died for the ungodly,” and that Thou sparedst not Thine only Son, but deliveredst Him up for us all, is not there. “Because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes;”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Confessions 7.21
… For of Him cometh my salvation, for He is my God and my salvation, my defender, I shall not be further moved. No one there hears Him calling, “Come unto me all ye that labour.” They scorn to learn of Him, because He is meek and lowly of heart; for “Thou hast hid those things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Confessions 8.2
… Then, to exhort me to the humility of Christ, hidden from the wise, and revealed to little ones,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Of Holy Virginity 35
… All things have been delivered unto Me of My Father: and no one knoweth the Son, save the Father; and no one knoweth the Father, save the Son, and he to whom the Son shall have willed to reveal Him. Come unto Me, all ye who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, in that I am meek and lowly of heart.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Harmony of the Gospels 2.33
80. Matthew proceeds thus: “At that time Jesus answered and said, I make my acknowledgment to Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent,” and so on, down to where we read, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 17.0
On the words of the Gospel, Matt. xi. 25 , “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding,” etc.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 17.1
1. When the Holy Gospel was being read, we heard that the Lord Jesus exulted in Spirit, and said, “I confess to Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 17.8
8. Hear then the Lord confessing; “I confess to Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 18.0
Again on the words of the Gospel, Matt. xi. 25 , “I thank thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth,” etc.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 18.1
1. We have heard the Son of God saying, “I confess to Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth.” What doth he confess to Him? Wherein doth he praise Him? “Because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 19.1
… Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in Thy sight. All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 7.19
… and this is not the confession of sinners, but of the righteous. For it is not the sinner’s confession when the Lord says, “I confess to Thee, O Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise, and revealed them to babes.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 8.6
… Lord, declaring first by the Apostle, “Except ye believe, ye shall not understand;” and saying by His own mouth, “Blessed are they that have not seen, and shall believe.” “Because of the enemies:” against whom too that is said, “I confess to Thee, O Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise, and revealed them unto babes.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 79.17
… “I confess to Thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 100.12
… when thou hast entered, praise Him. “Open me the gates of righteousness,” he saith in another Psalm, “that I may go into them, and confess unto the Lord.” Did he say, when I have entered, I will no longer confess? Even after his entrance, he will confess. For what sins did our Lord Jesus Christ confess, when He said, “I confess unto Thee, O Father”?
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 105.1
… the meaning of which word, or rather two words, is, Praise the Lord. For this reason he beginneth with praises: “O confess unto the Lord, and call upon His Name” ( ver. 1 ); for this confession is to be understood as praise, just as these words of our Lord, “I confess to Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 119.1.7
7. “I will confess unto Thee,” he saith, “O Lord, in the directing of my heart; in that I shall have learned the judgments of Thy righteousness” ( ver. 7 ). This is not the confession of sins, but of praise; as He also saith in whom there was no sin, “I will confess unto Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth;”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 138.1
… so entirely are men wont not to understand confession to be of aught, save of sin. But was then our Lord Jesus Christ Himself too a sinner, who saith in the Gospel, “I confess to Thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth”?
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 9.17
… “I confess to Thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight:” or at least when He says: “Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me. But I knew that Thou hearest Me always.”
Pseudo-Clement The Recognitions of Clement 4.5
… and the peculiar gift bestowed upon the Gentiles is that they love Jesus. For this also the Master intimated, when He said, ‘I will confess to Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast concealed these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to babes.’
Pseudo-Clement The Clementine Homilies 8.6
… For, there being one teaching by both, God accepts him who has believed either of these. But believing a teacher is for the sake of doing the things spoken by God. And that this is so our Lord Himself says, ‘I thank thee, Father of heaven and earth, because Thou hast concealed these things from the wise and elder, and hast revealed them to sucking babes.’
Pseudo-Clement The Clementine Homilies 17.5
… Or do you think that, because He bears long with them, He will not do it? Yea, I say to you, He will do it, and that speedily.” Now he who speaks of God as an avenging and rewarding God, presents Him as naturally just, and not as good. Moreover he gives thanks to the Lord of heaven and earth.
Pseudo-Clement The Clementine Homilies 18.15
And Simon, being vexed at this, said: “Blame your own teacher, who said, ‘I thank Thee, Lord of heaven and earth, that what was concealed from the wise, Thou hast revealed to suckling babes.’”
11:27
St Justin Martyr † AD 165 The First Apology 63
… but Israel doth not know Me, and My people do not understand.” And Jesus the Christ, because the Jews knew not what the Father was, and what the Son, in like manner accused them; and Himself said, “No one knoweth the Father, but the Son; nor the Son, but the Father, and they to whom the Son revealeth Him.”
St Justin Martyr † AD 165 Dialogue with Trypho 100
… and I have proved that it is not in the blessing of Joseph and Judah alone that what relates to Him was proclaimed mysteriously, but also in the Gospel it is written that He said: ‘All things are delivered unto me by My Father;’ and, ‘No man knoweth the Father but the Son; nor the Son but the Father, and they to whom the Son will reveal Him.’
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 2.6.1
… For since His invisible essence is mighty, it confers on all a profound mental intuition and perception of His most powerful, yea, omnipotent greatness. Wherefore, although “no one knows the Father, except the Son, nor the Son except the Father, and those to whom the Son will reveal Him,”
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 2.14.7
… for the men themselves knew what they were saying, as did also their disciples, and those again succeeded these. And, in the next place, if either the Mother or her seed knew and proclaimed those things which were of the truth (and the Father is truth), then on their theory the Saviour spoke falsely when He said, “No one knoweth the Father but the Son,”
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 4.6.1
… neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whom the Son has willed to reveal [Him].”
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 4.6.3
… Wherefore the Son reveals the knowledge of the Father through His own manifestation. For the manifestation of the Son is the knowledge of the Father; for all things are manifested through the Word. In order, therefore, that we might know that the Son who came is He who imparts to those believing on Him a knowledge of the Father, He said to His disciples:
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 4.6.7
… For the Son is the knowledge of the Father; but the knowledge of the Son is in the Father, and has been revealed through the Son; and this was the reason why the Lord declared: “No man knoweth the Son, but the Father; nor the Father, save the Son, and those to whomsoever the Son shall reveal [Him].”
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 4.7.4
… For His offspring and His similitude do minister to Him in every respect; that is, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Word and Wisdom; whom all the angels serve, and to whom they are subject. Vain, therefore, are those who, because of that declaration, “No man knoweth the Father, but the Son,”
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 4.20.2
… Rightly also has Malachi said among the prophets: “Is it not one God who hath established us? Have we not all one Father?” In accordance with this, too, does the apostle say, “There is one God, the Father, who is above all, and in us all.” Likewise does the Lord also say: “All things are delivered to Me by My Father;”
Tertullian † AD 220 The Prescription Against Heretics 21
From this, therefore, do we draw up our rule. Since the Lord Jesus Christ sent the apostles to preach, (our rule is) that no others ought to be received as preachers than those whom Christ appointed; for “no man knoweth the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.”
Tertullian † AD 220 The Five Books Against Marcion 2.27
… It is He who descends, He who interrogates, He who demands, He who swears. With regard, however, to the Father, the very gospel which is common to us will testify that He was never visible, according to the word of Christ: “No man knoweth the Father, save the Son.”
Tertullian † AD 220 Against Praxeas 8
… Valentinus divides and separates his prolations from their Author, and places them at so great a distance from Him, that the Æon does not know the Father: he longs, indeed, to know Him, but cannot; nay, he is almost swallowed up and dissolved into the rest of matter. With us, however, the Son alone knows the Father,
Tertullian † AD 220 Against Praxeas 24
… Because “I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world ” and, “I am the way: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me;” and, “No man can come to me, except the Father draw him;” and, “All things are delivered unto me by the Father;”
Tertullian † AD 220 Against Praxeas 26
… When acknowledged by Peter as the “Christ (the Son) of God,” He does not deny the relation . He exults in spirit when He says to the Father, “I thank Thee, O Father , because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent.” He, moreover, affirms also that to no man is the Father known, but to His Son ;
St Hippolytus † AD 235 Against the Heresy of One Noetus 6
6. Let us look next at the apostle’s word: “Whose are the fathers, of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever.” This word declares the mystery of the truth rightly and clearly. He who is over all is God; for thus He speaks boldly, “All things are delivered unto me of my Father.”
Origen † AD 254 Origen De Principiis 1.1.8
… but what belongs to the nature of deity is common to the Father and the Son. Finally, even He Himself, in the Gospel, did not say that no one has seen the Father, save the Son, nor any one the Son, save the Father; but His words are: “No one knoweth the Son, save the Father; nor any one the Father, save the Son.”
Origen † AD 254 Origen De Principiis 2.4.3
… But to a nature that is incorporeal and for the most part intellectual, no other attribute is appropriate save that of knowing or being known, as the Saviour Himself declares when He says, “No man knoweth the Son, save the Father; nor does any one know the Father, save the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal Him.”
Origen † AD 254 Origen De Principiis 2.6.1
… and He is before all things, and by Him all things consist,” who is the head of all things, alone having as head God the Father; for it is written, “The head of Christ is God;” seeing clearly also that it is written, “No one knoweth the Father, save the Son, nor doth any one know the Son, save the Father”
Origen † AD 254 Origen Against Celsus 6.17
… “No man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father but the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.”
Origen † AD 254 Origen Against Celsus 7.44
… But when the Word of God says, “No man knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him,”
Origen † AD 254 Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John 1.42
… For as with us the word is a messenger of those things which the mind perceives, so the Word of God, knowing the Father, since no created being can approach Him without a guide, reveals the Father whom He knows. For no one knows the Father save the Son,
Archelaus † fl. AD 278 The Acts of the Disputation with the Heresiarch Manes 37
… Those sayings which are put forth by the blessed Paul were not uttered without the direction of God, and therefore it is certain that what he has declared to us is that we are to look for our Lord Jesus Christ as the perfect one, who is the only one that knows the Father, with the sole exception of him to whom He has chosen also to reveal Him,
St Alexander of Alexandria † AD 326 Epistles on the Arian Heresy and the Deposition of Arius 1.5
… “For no man,” says He, “knoweth the Son, but the Father: neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son.”
St Alexander of Alexandria † AD 326 Epistles on the Arian Heresy and the Deposition of Arius 1.12
… But men who are moved by the Spirit of truth, have no need to learn these things from me, for in our ears are sounding the words before uttered by Christ on this very thing, “No man knoweth the Father, save the Son; and no man knoweth who the Son is, save the Father.”
Eusebius of Caesarea † AD 339 The Church History of Eusebius 1.2.2
2. No language is sufficient to express the origin and the worth, the being and the nature of Christ. Wherefore also the divine Spirit says in the prophecies, “Who shall declare his generation?” For none knoweth the Father except the Son, neither can any one know the Son adequately except the Father alone who hath begotten him.
Aphrahat † AD 346 Aphrahat: Select Demonstrations 6.12
… And Christ received the Spirit not by measure, but His Father loved Him and delivered all into His hands, and gave Him authority over all His treasure. For John said:— Not by measure did the Father give the Spirit to His Son, but loved Him and gave all into His hands . And also our Lord said:— All things have been delivered unto Me by My Father .
Aphrahat † AD 346 Aphrahat: Select Demonstrations 10.8
… Therefore, my beloved, as I have been able to obtain now from that treasure that fails not, I have sent unto thee from it. Yet though I have sent it to thee, it is all with me. For the treasure fails not, for it is the wisdom of God; and the steward is our Lord Jesus Christ, as He testified when He said:— All things have been committed to Me by My Father .
St Hilary of Poitiers † AD 367 De Trinitate or On the Trinity 2.6
… He is a Father unconditioned. He does not, as men do, receive the power of paternity from an external source. He is unbegotten, everlasting, inherently eternal. To the Son only is He known, for no one knoweth the Father save the Son and him to whom the Son willeth to reveal Him, nor yet the Son save the Father
St Hilary of Poitiers † AD 367 De Trinitate or On the Trinity 2.10
… Hear in these words the Son, the Image, the Wisdom, the Power, the Glory of God. Next mark the Holy Ghost proclaiming Who shall declare His generation ? Note the Lord’s assurance, No one knoweth the Son save the Father, neither doth any know the Father save the Son and He to whom the Son willeth to reveal Him
St Hilary of Poitiers † AD 367 De Trinitate or On the Trinity 2.20
… Father speaking in the Son and Son in the Father. Hence also He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father also ; hence All that the Father hath, He hath given to the Son ; hence As the Father hath life in Himself so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself ; hence No one knoweth the Father save the Son, nor the Son save the Father
St Hilary of Poitiers † AD 367 De Trinitate or On the Trinity 6.26
… He says, All things are delivered Me of My Father, and no one knoweth the Son but the Father, neither knoweth any the Father save the Son, and he to Whom the Son will reveal Him
St Hilary of Poitiers † AD 367 De Trinitate or On the Trinity 6.36
… Hence he knew well that Christ had been sent; he had heard Him, Whom he knew to have been sent, making the declaration, All things are delivered unto Me of the Father, and no one knoweth the Son but the Father, neither knoweth any one the Father save the Son
St Hilary of Poitiers † AD 367 De Trinitate or On the Trinity 9.50
… For is it not eternal life to dwell together with Christ? And does He not grant to the believer in Him all perfection of blessing when He says, No one hath known the Son save the Father, neither hath any known the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal Him
St Hilary of Poitiers † AD 367 De Trinitate or On the Trinity 11.45
… But all this applies to us men only, and not to Him, through Whom are all things, the Angel of mighty Counsel , Who said, No one knoweth the Son save the Father: neither doth any one know the Father save the Son, and him to whom the Son hath willed to reveal Him
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 De Decretis. (Defence of the Nicene Definition.) 3
… but God, in that He ever is, is ever Father of the Son . And the origination of mankind is brought home to us from things that are parallel; but, since ‘no one knoweth the Son but the Father, and no one knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 To the Bishops of Egypt 2
… nay, worse than this, they compare Him, transgressors as they are, with the cankerworm and other irrational creatures which are sent by Him for the punishment of men. Next, whereas the Lord says, ‘No one knoweth the Father, save the Son
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 1.4
… But if through the Son it has come to be, and ‘in Him all things consist ,’ it must follow that he who contemplates the creation rightly, is contemplating also the Word who framed it, and through Him begins to apprehend the Father . And if, as the Saviour also says, ‘No one knoweth the Father, save the Son, and he to whom the Son shall reveal Him
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 1.11
… And how is it that those first partakers do not partake of the Word? This opinion is not true; it is a device of our present Judaizers. For how in that case can any at all know God as their Father? for adoption there could not be apart from the real Son, who says, ‘No one knoweth the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 2.16
… for all of them are works as He is. But if it be impossible for things originate either to see or to know, for the sight and the knowledge of Him surpasses all (since God Himself says, ‘No one shall see My face and live ’), yet the Son has declared, ‘No one knoweth the Father, save the Son
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 3.26
… he that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life;’ and again, ‘All things were delivered unto Me of My Father, and no one knoweth the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him;’ and again, ‘All that the Father hath given unto Me, shall come to Me
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 3.27
… 26 . (Anticipation of the next chapter.) Again they are used with reference to our Lord’s human nature; for our sake, that we might receive and not lose, as receiving in Him. And consistently with other parts of Scripture, which shew that He had the power, &c., before He received it. He was God and man, and His actions are often at once divine and human.
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 3.28
… that, when He had spoken humanly ‘No, not the Son knows,’ He yet shews that divinely He knew all things. For that Son whom He declares not to know the day, Him He declares to know the Father; for ‘No one,’ He says, ‘knoweth the Father save the Son
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 4.15
… And it follows for another reason, if the Word is one, and the Son another, that the Son is superior to the Word; for ‘no one knoweth the Father save the Son
St Basil the Great † AD 379 De Spiritu Sancto 18
… “No man knoweth the Father save the Son.”
St Basil the Great † AD 379 The Letters 236.1
… But, since the Father is the first good, we believe the words “no man” to have been uttered with the understood addition of “first.” So with the passage “No man knoweth the Son but the Father;”
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 4.7
… and to speak briefly, remember thou what is written in the Gospels, that none knoweth the Son but the Father, neither knoweth any the Father save the Son
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 6.6
… for with the Son the Holy Ghost alone can rightly behold Him: for He searcheth all things, and knoweth even the deep things of God : as indeed the Only-begotten Son also, with the Holy Ghost, knoweth the Father fully: For neither , saith He, knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal Him
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 7.5
… Perfect Father, He begat a perfect Son, and delivered all things to Him who is begotten: (for all things , He saith, are delivered unto Me of My Father
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 10.1
… For he that denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father . I am the Door , saith Jesus; no one cometh unto the Father but through Me . For if thou deny the Door, the knowledge concerning the Father is shut off from thee. No man knoweth the father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son shall reveal Him
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 11.10
… the Word, which came down and went up; for the word of utterance when spoken comes not down, nor goes up; the Word speaking and saying, The things which I have seen with My Father, these I speak : the Word possessed of power, and reigning over all things: for the Father hath committed all things unto the Son
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 16.24
24. He preached concerning Christ in the Prophets; He wrought in the Apostles; He to this day seals the souls in Baptism. And the Father indeed gives to the Son; and the Son shares with the Holy Ghost. For it is Jesus Himself, not I, who says, All things are delivered unto Me of My Father
St Gregory of Nyssa † AD 395 Against Eunomius 1-2.32
… Again, he always throughout his discourse lays claim to an accurate knowledge of the divine utterances; yet here he pays them scant reverence, ignoring the fact that it is not possible to approach to a knowledge of the Father except through the Son. “No man knoweth the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son shall reveal Him
St Gregory of Nyssa † AD 395 Against Eunomius 2.4
… in the Father, and the Father in Me ,”—plainly, the One in His entirety, in the Other in His entirety, the Father not superabounding in the Son, the Son not being deficient in the Father,—and Who says also that the Son should be honoured as the Father is honoured , and “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father ,” and “no man knoweth the Father save the Son
St Gregory of Nyssa † AD 395 Against Eunomius 8.5
… nor do we find any one at all of those names which are employed by Scripture for the glory of the Only-begotten, either belonging to the creation or employed concerning it,—not to speak of those more exalted words, “I am in the Father, and the Father in Me ,” and, “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father ,” and, “None hath seen the Son, save the Father
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Holy Spirit 2.11
123. There is, then, a Unity of knowledge, since, as the Father, Who gives the Spirit of revelation, reveals, so also the Son reveals, for it is written: “No one knoweth the Son save the Father, neither doth any one know the Father save the Son, and he to whom the Son shall will to reveal Him.”
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Holy Spirit 2.12
134. The Son received all things from the Father, for He Himself said: “All things have been delivered unto Me from My Father.”
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Exposition of the Christian Faith 1.3
… When our peasant planted figs, he found that whereof the philosopher knew nothing, for God hath chosen the foolish things of this world to confound the strong. Are we to believe the Jews? for God was once known in Jewry. Nay, but they deny that very thing, which is the foundation of our belief, seeing that they know not the Father, who have denied the Son.
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Exposition of the Christian Faith 4.11
… Paul proceeds: “Who was first in giving to Him?” For “the Father hath given to the Son,” but it was as acknowledging the rights of Him Whom He has begotten, not by way of largess. Therefore, it being undeniable that the Son has received at the hands of the Father, as it is written, “All things have been given unto Me of My Father,”
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Exposition of the Christian Faith 5.18
… Who shall decide about the Son of God? Thrones, dominions, angels, powers? But archangels give attendance and serve Him, cherubim and seraphim minister to Him and praise Him. Who then decides about the Son of God, on reading that the Father Himself knows the Son, but will not judge Him. “For no man knoweth the Son, but the Father.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 38
“All things are delivered unto me of my Father.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 52
Seest thou how the Father reveals the Son, how the Son the Father? For “neither knoweth any man the Father,” saith He, “save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John 15
… In the first place, these very words were uttered by His working; in the next place, we have received a teaching that is far clearer, and learned that “God is a spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” ( c. iv. 24 ); and again, that it is impossible to see God; “that no man knoweth” Him, “save the Son” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John 70
Here the Evangelist saith, even wondering, that one so great, so very great, who came from God and went to Him, who ruleth over all, did this thing, and disdained not even so to undertake such an action. And by the “giving over,” methinks St. John means the salvation of the faithful. For when He saith, “All things are given over to Me of My Father” (
Rufinus of Aquileia † AD 411 The Apology of Rufinus. Addressed to Apronianus, in Reply to Jerome's Letter to Pammachius 1.4
… These men so taught me, and so I believe, namely, that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are of one Godhead, of one Substance: a Trinity coeternal, inseparable, incorporeal, invisible, incomprehensible, known to itself alone as it truly is in its perfection: For “No man
Rufinus of Aquileia † AD 411 The Apology of Rufinus. Addressed to Apronianus, in Reply to Jerome's Letter to Pammachius 1.17
… Seeing and being seen belong to bodies; to know and to be known belong to the intellectual nature. Whatever then is merely a property of bodies, this we must not attribute to the Father or the Son; but that which belongs to the nature of Deity governs the relations of the Father and the Son. Moreover, Christ himself in the Gospel
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On the Holy Trinity 1.8
… For He says, “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On the Holy Trinity 7.3
… For this word is completed in certain spaces of time, but that is eternal, and speaks to us by enlightening us, what ought to be spoken to men, both of itself and of the Father. And therefore He says, “No man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him:”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Of Holy Virginity 51
… For, let them be how great soever they will, “there is no servant greater than his Lord, nor disciple greater than his master.” And assuredly He is the Lord, Who saith, “All things have been delivered unto Me of My Father;”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On the Morals of the Catholic Church 16
… "She displays the nobility of her birth, having her dwelling with God?" To what does birth refer but to parentage? And does not dwelling with the Father claim and assert equality? Again, as Paul says that the Son of God is the wisdom of God, and as the Lord Himself says, "No man knoweth the Father save the only-begotten Son,"
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 18.6
… What things are these? For when He said this, He did not intend the heaven and earth, or point them out as it were with His hand as He spake. For these who does not see? The good see them, the bad see them; for He “maketh His sun to rise on the evil and the good.” What then are these things? “All things are delivered unto Me of My Father.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 92.5
… Therefore in brief He saith, “Be humble, be meek.” Let us hear Him saying this most plainly, that thou mayest see whereby is the way, what is the way, whither is the way. Whither wouldest thou come? But peradventure in covetousness thou wouldest possess all things. “All things are delivered unto Me of My Father,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 92.6
… God hath been now Humbled, and is man still proud? Let him hear, let him learn. “All things,” saith He, have been delivered unto Me of My Father.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 31.3
… For, “No man has seen God at any time, except the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him:” and, “None knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 47.3
… but the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.” And so by Him do we also get this knowledge, to whom He hath declared Him. In another place also He saith: “No one knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any one the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 102.3
… to you in proverbs,” is one with what has been said by the same apostle, “Now we see through a glass, in a riddle:” and “I will show you,” because the Father shall be seen through the instrumentality of the Son, is akin to what He says elsewhere, “Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and [he] to whom the Son shall be pleased to reveal Him.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 19.8
… an undefiled law, “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth,” not oppressing souls with the yoke of bondage, but converting them to imitate Him in liberty. “The testimony of the Lord is sure, giving wisdom to babes.” “The testimony of the Lord is sure;” for, “no man knoweth the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him,”
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 The Ecclesiastical History of Theodoret 1.3
“But those who are led by the Spirit of truth have no need to learn these things of me, for the words long since spoken by the Saviour yet sound in our ears, ‘ No one knoweth who the Father is but the Son, and no one knoweth who the Son is but the Father
St John of Damascus † AD 749 An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith 1.1
No one hath seen God at any time; the Only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him . The Deity, therefore, is ineffable and incomprehensible. For no one knoweth the Father, save the Son, nor the Son, save the Father
Pseudo-Clement The Recognitions of Clement 2.47
… ‘No one knows the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any one the Father, but the Son, and he to whom the Son has been pleased to reveal Him.’
Pseudo-Clement The Clementine Homilies 17.4
… For the framer of the world was known to Adam whom He had made, and to Enoch who pleased Him, and to Noah who was seen to be just by Him; likewise to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; also to Moses, and the people, and the whole world. But Jesus, the teacher of Peter himself, came and said,
Pseudo-Clement The Clementine Homilies 18.4
And Simon said: “How, then, if the framer of the world, who also fashioned Adam, was known, and known too by those who were just according to the law, and moreover by the just and unjust, and the whole world, does your teacher, coming after all these, say,
11:28
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 15
… yea, my Father; so [38] was thy will. And he turned to his disciples, and said unto them, Everything hath been delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, save the Father; and who the Father is, save the Son, and to whomsoever the Son willeth [39] to reveal him .
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 1.20.2
… And again, when He said, “Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, and learn of Me,”
St Hippolytus † AD 235 On Genesis 1
Hipp . And “that the land was fat;” that is, the flesh of our Lord: “fat,” that is, “rich;” for it flows with honey and milk. The parts of the land are marked off for an inheritance and possession to him—that means the doctrine of the Lord. For this is a pleasant rest, as He says Himself: “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,”
Origen † AD 254 Origen Against Celsus 2.73
… For He had formerly summoned all men to the light in the words, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Origen † AD 254 Origen Against Celsus 3.63
… “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 1.14
… “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are burdened, and I will cause you to rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is excellent, and my burden is light.”
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 3.120
… Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away from us their yoke.” Also in the Gospel according to Matthew: “Come unto me, ye who labour and are burdened, and I will make you to rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me: for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is good, and my burden is light.”
St Methodius † AD 311 Oration Concerning Simeon and Anna On the Day that They Met in the Temple 1
… No second time is an Uzziah invisibly punished, for daring to touch what may not be touched; for God Himself invites, and who will stand hesitating with fear? He says: “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden.”
Eusebius of Caesarea † AD 339 The Oration of Eusebius 11.5
… And thus in time past had he clearly announced to all the pardon of former transgressions, saying, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
St Hilary of Poitiers † AD 367 De Trinitate or On the Trinity 9.15
… I do not think any one is so unreasonable as to ascribe to Him a confession of wickedness, when it was He Who said, Come unto Me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me: for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Illud Omnia, &c. (On Luke x. 22.) 2
… xxiv. 7, Isa. lxiii. 1 ). Why, the Saviour Himself expressly signifies in what sense ‘all things were delivered’ to Him, when He continues, as Matthew tells us: ‘Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest’ (
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 1.13
… For then did He become ‘a strong rock and house of defence,’ when He bore our sins in His own body upon the tree, and said, ‘Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest
St Basil the Great † AD 379 The Letters 46.6
… let us never despair of ourselves, if only we depart from evil. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. “O come, let us worship and fall down; let us weep before Him.” The Word Who invited us to repentance calls aloud, “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 1.1
… As ye have entered upon a good and most glorious path, run with reverence the race of godliness. For the Only-begotten Son of God is present here most ready to redeem you, saying, Come unto Me all that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 29
… He hungered—but He fed thousands; yea, He is the Bread that giveth life, and That is of heaven. He thirsted—but He cried, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink. Yea, He promised that foun tains should flow from them that believe. He was wearied, but He is the Rest of them that are weary and heavy laden.
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 40
… you will make known to the other his sin, and you will deliver yourself from evil company. But if David the Great say unto you, Come and let us rejoice in the Lord; or another Prophet, Come and let us ascend into the Mountain of the Lord; or our Saviour Himself, Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest;
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Concerning Repentance 1.1.3
3. Therefore had the Lord Jesus compassion upon us in order to call us to Himself, not frighten us away. He came in meekness, He came in humility, and so He said: “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.”
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Selections from the Letters of St. Ambrose sermon-against-auxentius-on-th.8
… “The Lord hath need of him.” What if now, too, He has commanded that foal of an ass, that is, the foal of that animal which is wont to bear a heavy burden, as man must, to whom is said: “Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest; take My yoke upon you, for it is easy;”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 An Exhortation to Theodore After His Fall 2.2
… Is recovery from fatigue a grievous and oppressive thing? For it is to this that Christ calls us, saying, “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest; take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 38
3. Next, having brought them by His words to an earnest desire, and having signified His unspeakable power, He after that invites them, saying, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 66
… And when were they bidden? By all the prophets; by John again; for unto Christ he would pass all on, saying, “He must increase, I must decrease;” by the Son Himself again, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you;”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Second Corinthians 6
… This is the meaning of, “the Spirit giveth life.” The former maketh its captive dead from being alive, the latter rendereth the man it hath convicted alive from being dead. For, “come unto me, ye that labor and are heavy laden,” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on First Thessalonians 6
… For though indeed thy husband should flatter thee, the honor is not great, for he is thy fellow-servant. But when the Lord flatters the slave, then is the courtship great. How then does He court us? Hear by what means he does it. “Come,” He says, “unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John 14
Again, the Law said, “Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in this book.” ( Deut. xxvii. 26 , LXX.) But what saith grace? “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Confessions 7.9
… But that “in due time Christ died for the ungodly,” and that Thou sparedst not Thine only Son, but deliveredst Him up for us all, is not there. “Because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes;” that they “that labour and are heavy laden” might “come” unto Him and He might refresh them,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Confessions 7.21
… No man sings there, Shall not my soul be subject unto God? For of Him cometh my salvation, for He is my God and my salvation, my defender, I shall not be further moved. No one there hears Him calling, “Come unto me all ye that labour.” They scorn to learn of Him, because He is meek and lowly of heart;
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Letters of St. Augustin 26.5
5. Nay, has not He given expression to His will? Hear the gospel: it declares, “Jesus stood and cried.” “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: so shall ye find rest to your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Letters of St. Augustin 55.22
… Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: so shall ye find rest unto your souls;”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On Christian Doctrine 2.41
… “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On the Holy Trinity 8.7
… Take my yoke upon you.” And He does not say, Learn of me, because I raise those who have been dead four days; but He says, “Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart.” For humility, which is most solid, is more powerful and safer than pride, that is most inflated. And so He goes on to say, “And ye shall find rest unto your souls,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 On the Holy Trinity 9.9
… Whence in the Latin language we have the word “parta” used elegantly for both “reperta” and “comperta,” which words sound as if derived from bringing forth. Since “lust, when it hath conceived, bringeth forth sin.” Wherefore the Lord proclaims, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden;”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Reply to Faustus the Manichæan 19.9
… For we have our Sabbath in Him who said, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls."
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise Concerning Man’s Perfection in Righteousness 22
… ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin 1.11
… by which everything that is good is not only recommended, but pressed upon us until we accept it. For all men do not possess faith, who hear the Lord in the Scriptures promising the kingdom of heaven; nor are all men persuaded, who are counselled to come to Him, who says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount 1.1.3
… “but the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;” for, on the other hand also, “pride” is entitled “the beginning of all sin.” Let the proud, therefore, seek after and love the kingdoms of the earth; but “blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount 2.23
… but because few are willing to bring their labours to an end, giving too little credit to Him who cries, “Come unto me, all ye that labour, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 19.1
… for so it seemed good in Thy sight. All things are delivered unto Me of My Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.” I have labour in talking, you in hearing: let us then both give ear to Him who goes on to say, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 20.0
Again on the words of the Gospel, Matt. xi. 28 , “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” etc.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 20.1
1. It seems strange to some, Brethren, when they hear the Lord say, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 21.11
… For indeed He found them full of and laden with sins. Wherefore He saith, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 38.18
… Now he only is not called by the Lord who is not in labour in this world. But who is there in this life who is not in labour through his sins and iniquities? But if all labour, it is said to all, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 67.17
17. For what doth He say Himself to the infirm, to the end that recovering that sight, they may be able in some measure to reach the Word by whom all things were made? “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, that I am meek and lowly in heart.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 92.6
… Thou callest me through a strait way; I am not able to enter in by a strait way.” “Come,” saith He, “unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden.” Your burden is your swelling. “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 15.17
… and not understanding, how did she answer? “The woman saith unto Him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.” Want forced her to labor, and her weakness was pleading against the toil. Would that she heard the invitation, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you!”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 25.18
… and He will not cast us out, because we are His members, because He willed to be our head by teaching us humility. Finally, hear Himself discoursing: “Come unto me, ye who labor and are heavy laden: take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart:” and when ye have learned this, “ye shall find rest for your souls,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 7.16
… “Behold,” he says, “he hath travailed with injustice.” Now what had he conceived, that he should travail with injustice? “He hath conceived,” he says, “toil.” Hence then comes that, “In toil shall thou eat thy bread.” Hence too that, “Come unto Me all ye that toil and are heavy laden; for My yoke is easy, and My burden light.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 14.4
… “Destruction and unhappiness” are “in their ways.” For all the ways of evil men are full of toil and misery. Hence the Lord cries out, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. For My yoke is easy and My burden light.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 55.12
… “Day and night there will compass it upon the walls thereof iniquity; and labour in the midst thereof and injustice.” And for this reason labour is there, because iniquity is there: because injustice is there, therefore also labour is there. But let them hear him stretching forth hands. “Come unto Me, all ye that labour.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 81.9
9. “He turned away from burdens his back” ( ver. 6 ). Who “turned away from burdens his back,” but He that cried, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden”?
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 116.6
… What is the action of him whose life is rest, and death disquietude? Such then ought to be the action of the soul, as may tend to a quiet security, not one that may increase restless toil; since He hath delivered it from death, who, pitying it, said, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest,” etc.
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 13.7
… They have hardened their faces and refused to return.” The grace of Christ then is at hand every day, which, while it “willeth all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth,” calleth all without any exception, saying: “Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you.”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 13.10
… “The Lord looseth them that are bound:” and “Thou hast broken my chains: To Thee will I offer the sacrifice of praise.” We hear in the gospel the Lord summoning us to come speedily to Him by our free will: “Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you,”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 15.7
… for even though I do these things by some of My servants, yet man’s estate cannot insert itself into the praises of God, nor can a minister and servant gather hereby any portion for himself there where is the glory of Deity alone. But do ye, says He, learn this of Me, “for I am meek and lowly of heart.”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 24.25
… “Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you,” they will lay aside the burden of their sins, and realize what follows: “For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”
Pope St Leo I the Great † AD 461 Sermons 23
… “come unto Me all ye who labour and are heavy-laden, and I will refresh you. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls.
Pseudo-Clement The Clementine Homilies 3.52
… hence therefore He says, ‘Every plant which the heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up.’ Wherefore He, being the true Prophet, said, ‘I am the gate of life; he who entereth through me entereth into life,’ there being no other teaching able to save. Wherefore also He cried, and said, ‘Come unto me, all who labour,’
11:29
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 15
… And he turned to his disciples, and said unto them, Everything hath been delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, save the Father; and who the Father is, save the Son, and to whomsoever the Son willeth [39] to reveal him . Come unto me, all of you, ye that are wearied and bearers of burdens, [40] and I will give you rest.
Origen † AD 254 Origen Against Celsus 2.7
Moreover, let them show where there is to be found even the appearance of language dictated by arrogance and proceeding from Jesus. For how could an arrogant man thus express himself, “Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and you shall find rest for your souls?”
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 3.25
… For as He taught us meekness from Himself, saying, ‘Learn of Me for I am meek and lowly in heart
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Festal and Personal Letters of Athanasius 2
… of the saints, makes the Lord in every respect his end and aim, even as Paul, being a follower of Him, goes on to say, ‘As I also of Christ .’ For there were first our Saviour’s own words, who from the height of His divinity, when conversing with His disciples, said, ‘Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls
St Basil the Great † AD 379 De Spiritu Sancto 15
… This is the reason for the sojourn of Christ in the flesh, the pattern life described in the Gospels, the sufferings, the cross, the tomb, the resurrection; so that the man who is being saved through imitation of Christ receives that old adoption. For perfection of life the imitation of Christ is necessary, not only in the example of gentleness,
St Basil the Great † AD 379 The Letters 277
… For it is this consideration of our nature that reduces the swelling of the mind, and banishes all boastfulness and arrogance. In a word it renders one a disciple of our Lord, Who said, “Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.”
St Gregory of Nazianzus † AD 389 Select Orations of Saint Gregory Nazianzen 42.13
… as the cuttlefish are said to cast forth ink before them, in order to escape from their pursuers, or themselves to hunt others when unperceived. But we show that our warfare is in behalf of Christ by fighting as Christ, the peaceable and meek,
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Exposition of the Christian Faith 5.13
167. How, then, will they be brought into subjection? In the way that the Lord Himself has said. “Take My yoke upon you.”
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Concerning Repentance 1.3
… It is Christ Who died, yea, Who also rose again, Who is at the right hand of God, Who also maketh intercession for us.” Novatian then brings charges against those for whom Christ intercedes. Those whom Christ has redeemed unto salvation Novatian condemns to death. Those to whom Christ says: “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am gentle,”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 3
Such a spirit as this let us too acquire, and whatever we may suffer we shall bear it easily, and before the Kingdom, we shall reap here the gain accruing from lowliness of mind. Thus “learn,” saith He, “of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 38
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 46
… if thou be kindly affectioned, if thou give thy bread to the hungry, if thou control anger, if thou cast out vainglory, if thou put away envy. So He Himself used to teach: for, “Learn of me,” saith He, “for I am meek and lowly in heart.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 61
Why! have I been thy benefactor? Why! did I redeem thee, that thou lookest to me? It is another who hath bestowed these things on thee. Why dost thou let go thy Master, and look unto thy fellow-servant? Heardest thou not Him saying, “Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart?”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles 1
But consider how Christ accredited his words by His deeds. Thus He saith, “Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles 6
… The one, the things which make glorious; the other the things which put to shame: one, the things which involve in ten thousand calamities and disgraces; the other, the things which have with them abundant refreshment. For look: the one saith, “Learn ye of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Paul's Epistle to the Romans 12
… Taking then all this into consideration, let us flee from the abyss of a little mind ( μικροψυχίας ), and take refuge in the port of patient endurance ( μακροθυμίας ), that here we may at once “find rest unto our souls” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Philippians 6
… as when He says, “For thus they did unto the Prophets which were before you” ( Matt. v. 12; Luke vi. 23 .); and again, “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” ( John xv. 20 .); and, “Learn of me, for I am meek” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on Philippians 12
… xxxi. 34 .) Hast thou a teacher who is not virtuous? Still thou hast Him who is truly a Teacher, whom alone thou shouldest call a Teacher. Learn from Him: He hath said, “Learn of Me, for I am meek.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on 2 Thessalonians 1
… By this then first thou deprivest thyself of becoming intelligent. Let us bring down our high thoughts. Let us be moderate, and lowly, and gentle. For such even Christ has pronounced blessed above all, saying, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” ( Matt. v. 3 .) And again, He cried, saying, “Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John 48
[3.] Learn we then, from what hath been said, His kindness and gentleness; “Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart” (
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on the Gospel of St. John 70
… xi. 1 .) For on this account He took also flesh of our substance, that by means of it He might teach us virtue. For (“God sending His own Son) in the likeness of sinful flesh,” it saith, “and for sin condemned sin in the flesh.” ( Rom. viii. 3 .) And Christ Himself saith, “Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.” (
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 76.1
… For I know that my master and Lord and God has said in the lowliness of His flesh: “Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart,”
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 79.1
1. My desire to do my duty may, I fear, expose me to a charge of self-seeking; and although I do but follow the example of Him who said: “learn of me for I am meek and lowly of heart,”
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 82.1
… You have read the prediction made in one who was a type of Him, “Lord, remember David and all his meekness,” and you know how it was fulfilled afterwards in Himself. “Learn of me,” He said, “for I am meek and lowly in heart.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Confessions 7.9
… “Because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes;” that they “that labour and are heavy laden” might “come” unto Him and He might refresh them, because He is “meek and lowly in heart.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Of Holy Virginity 28
… But they are able every where, save when He walks in the grace of virginity. “Blessed are the poor in spirit;” imitate Him, Who, whereas “He was rich, was made poor for your sakes.” “Blessed are the meek;” imitate Him, Who said, “Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Of Holy Virginity 35
35. Certainly we are to contemplate in Christ Himself, the chief instruction and pattern of virginal purity. What further precept then concerning humility shall I give to the continent, than what He saith to all, “Learn of Me, in that I am meek and lowly of heart?”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 19.2
2. “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me;”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 92.8
… If then it envieth because it is puffed up; if it be not puffed up, it envieth not. If charity is not puffed up, and therefore envieth not; then doth He engraft charity who saith, “Learn of Me, that I am meek and lowly in heart.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 34.8
… He toiled and fretted; and yet he thought that He, who was willing to rid him of his load, was not to be followed but forsaken. But after the Lord has, by the gospel, cried aloud, “Come unto me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest; take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 55.12
… But let them hear him stretching forth hands. “Come unto Me, all ye that labour.” Ye cry, ye contradict, ye revile: He on the contrary, “Come unto Me, all ye that labour,” in your pride, and ye shall rest in My humility. “Learn of Me,” He saith, “for meek I am and humble in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 82.3
… Was He not willing for your sake to become as it were a child under guardians? Did not He for your sake hunger and thirst like one in need? Did He not cry to you, “Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart”?
John Cassian † AD 435 The Twelve Books on the Institutes of the Cœnobia, and the Remedies for the Eight Principal Faults 12.8
… brought low even to the ground.” The one says, “And I will be like the most High;” the other, “Though He was in the form of God, yet He emptied Himself and took the form of a servant, and humbled Himself and became obedient unto death.” The one says, “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;” the other, “Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart.”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 19.14
… For what greater injury can happen to the soul than for it, owing to some sudden blindness from rage, to lose the brightness of the true and eternal light and to fail of the sight of Him “Who is meek and lowly of heart?”
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 24.24
… “The labour of fools wearies those who know not how to go to the city;” viz., that “heavenly Jerusalem, which is the mother of us all.” But whoever truly gives up this world and takes upon him Christ’s yoke and learns of Him, and is trained in the daily practice of suffering wrong, for He is “meek and lowly of heart,”
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 The Ecclesiastical History of Theodoret 1.24
“God does not permit those gifts which, in His beneficent Providence, He has bestowed upon men for the supply of their wants to be perverted according to every man’s desire. He only requires of men a pure mind and a spotless soul, and by these He weighs their deeds of virtue and piety. He is pleased with gentleness and modesty; He loves the meek
Theodoret of Cyrus † AD 458 Letters of the Blessed Theodoret, Bishop of Cyprus 60
Among many forms of virtue by which we hear that your holiness is adorned (for all men’s ears are filled by the flying fame of your glory, which speeds in all directions) special praise is unanimously given to your modesty, a characteristic of which our Lord in His law has given Himself as an ensample, saying, “Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart;”
Pope St Leo I the Great † AD 461 Letters 14
… and as he does not wish to bear a heavy load of baggage, so let him not dare to place on another’s shoulders a weight that is insupportable. For we are disciples of the humble and gentle Master who says: “Learn of Me, for I am gentle and humble of heart, and ye shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden light
Pope St Leo I the Great † AD 461 Letters 120
… And since it is written: “he that hateth his brother is a murderer :” he has actually carried out what he was said already to have done in hate, as if he had never heard of this nor of that which the Lord says, “learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls: for My yoke is easy and My burden is light
Pope St Gregory I the Great † AD 604 Register of the Epistles of St. Gregory the Great 5.18
… x. 9 )? Hence the Truth in person says, Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased ( Luke xiv. 11 ). And, that he might bring us back to the way of life through humility, He deigned to exhibit in Himself what He teaches us, saying, Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (
11:30
Tatian † AD 180 The Diatessaron 15
… and who the Father is, save the Son, and to whomsoever the Son willeth [39] to reveal him . Come unto me, all of you, ye that are wearied and bearers of burdens, [40] and I will give you rest. Bear my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I [41] am gentle and lowly in my heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Tertullian † AD 220 On Monogamy 2
… so that this is already the first ground on which we must join issue in a general handling (of the subject), whether there is room for maintaining that the Paraclete has taught any such thing as can either be charged with novelty, in opposition to catholic tradition, or with burdensomeness, in opposition to the “light burden”
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 Concerning Repentance 1.3
… Those whom Christ has redeemed unto salvation Novatian condemns to death. Those to whom Christ says: “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am gentle,” Novatian says, I am not gentle. On those to whom Christ says: “Ye shall find rest for your souls, for My yoke is pleasant and My burden is light,”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 23
And yet after this He said, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Homilies on First Corinthians 14
… or after having had a disagreeable dream to be really in enjoyment? Of course the latter. Tell me then, In what sense dost thou call virtue harsh? I grant, it is harsh, tried by comparison with our carelessness. However, that it is really easy and smooth, hear what Christ saith, (St.
St Jerome † AD 420 Against the Pelagians 2
Matt. xi. 30 . “My yoke is easy,” are true only in comparison with Judaism, and should be compared with
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Confessions 8.4
… are mighty and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hast Thou chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are.” And yet, even that “least of the apostles,” by whose tongue Thou soundest out these words, when Paulus the proconsul —his pride overcome by the apostle’s warfare—was made to pass under the easy yoke
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Confessions 9.1
… And this was the result, that I willed not to do what I willed, and willed to do what thou willedst. But where, during all those years, and out of what deep and secret retreat was my free will summoned forth in a moment, whereby I gave my neck to Thy “easy yoke,” and my shoulders to Thy “light burden,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 The Confessions 10.36
… of vindicating myself, that so Thou mightest forgive all my remaining “iniquities,” and heal all my “diseases,” and redeem my life from corruption, and crown me with “loving-kindness and tender mercies,” and satisfy my desire with “good things;” who didst restrain my pride with Thy fear, and subdue my neck to Thy “yoke.” And now I bear it, and it is “light”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Letters of St. Augustin 31.4
… This office I was afraid to decline, being persuaded, through the love of Valerius and the importunity of the people, that it was the Lord’s will, and being precluded from excusing myself on other grounds by some precedents of similar appointments. The yoke of Christ, it is true, is in itself easy, and His burden light;
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Letters of St. Augustin 54.1
… But desiring to answer you at once, I think it better to write a long letter than incur loss of time. I desire you therefore, in the first place, to hold fast this as the fundamental principle in the present discussion, that our Lord Jesus Christ has appointed to us a “light yoke” and an “easy burden,” as He declares in the Gospel:
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Letters of St. Augustin 218.2
… so shall “His yoke be easy, and His burden light.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on Nature and Grace 83
… Indeed, by the very fact (of which we have the firmest conviction) “that the just and good God could not possibly have enjoined impossibilities,” we are admonished both what to do in easy paths and what to ask for when they are difficult. Now all things are easy for love to effect, to which (and which alone) “Christ’s burden is light,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 A Treatise on Grace and Free Will 33
… That burden, indeed, of Christ, which is heavy for our infirmity, becomes light to love. For to such did the Lord say that His burden was light,
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament 46.1
… For both is that true which is said to Him in the Psalm, “Because of the words of Thy lips I have kept hard ways.” And that is true which He said Himself, “My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Lectures or Tractates on the Gospel According to St. John 12.6
… He humbled Himself, being made obedient unto death” (and lest any kind of death should please thee), “even the death of the cross.” He hung on the cross, and they scoffed at Him. He could have come down from the cross; but He deferred, that He might rise again from the tomb. He, the Lord, bore with proud slaves;
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 25.9
… “The gentle He will teach His ways” ( ver. 9 ). He will teach His ways, not to those that desire to run before, as if they were better able to rule themselves; but to those who do not exalt the neck, nor lift the heel, when the easy yoke and the light burden is laid upon them.
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 60.8
… I divide, is what? “For not in all men is there faith.” I divide, is what? Some will believe, others will not believe.…The shoulders are divided, in order that their sins may burthen some men, while others may take up the burden of Christ. For godly shoulders He was requiring when He said, “For My yoke is gentle, and My burden is light.”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 68.15
… what is that same light burden, but that same love which in these two commandments is fulfilled? For whatever thing is difficult in a commandment, is a light thing to a lover. Nor on any other account is rightly understood the saying, “My burden is light,”
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 68.23
… For why should not captivity be happy, if even for a good purpose men may be caught? Whence to Peter hath been said, “From henceforth thou shalt catch men.” Led captive therefore they are because caught, and caught because subjugated, being sent under that gentle yoke,
John Cassian † AD 435 The Conferences of John Cassian 24.22
Germanus : As you have given us a remedy for all delusions, and by God’s grace all the wiles of the devil by which we were harassed, have been exposed by your teaching, we beg that you will also explain to us this that is said in the gospel: “My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.”
Pseudo-Clement The Recognitions of Clement 10.51
… and when he has entertained a sure faith concerning Him, he will without any labour take upon him the yoke of righteousness and piety;
11:1
Rabanus Maurus † AD 856
The Lord having sent out His disciples to preach with the foregoing instructions, Himself now fulfils in action what He had taught in words, offering His preaching first to the Jews; And it came to pass when Jesus had ended all these sayings, he passed thence.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Hom. xxxvi.
Having sent them forth, He withdrew Himself, giving them opportunity and time to do the things that He had enjoined; for while He was present and ready to heal, no man would come to His disciples.
Remigius † AD 908
He well passes from the special teaching which He had delivered to His disciples, to the general which He preached in the cities; passing therein as it were from heaven to earth, that He might give light to all. By this deed of the Lord, all holy preachers are admonished that they should study to benefit all. 2. Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3. And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? 4. Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5. The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them. 6. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not he offended in me.
The Gloss non occ.
The Evangelist had shewn above how by Christ’s miracles and teaching, both His disciples and the multitudes had been instructed; he now shews how this instruction had reached even to John’s disciples, so that they seemed to have some jealousy towards Christ; John, when he had heard in his bonds the works of Christ, sent two of his disciples to say unto him, Art thou he that should come, or look we for another?
St Gregory the Great † AD 604 Hom. in Ev. vi. 1.
We must enquire how John, who is a prophet and more than a prophet, who made known the Lord when He came to be baptized, saying, Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world!—why, when he was afterwards cast into prison, he should send his disciples to ask, Art thou he that should come, or look we for another? Did he not know Him whom he had pointed out to others; or was he uncertain whether this was He, whom by foretelling, by baptizing, and by making known, he had proclaimed to be He?
St Ambrose † AD 397 in Luc. 7. 19.
Some understand it thus; That it was a great thing that John should be so far a prophet, as to acknowledge Christ, and to preach remission of sin; but that like a pious prophet, he could not think that He whom he had believed to be He that should come, was to suffer death; he doubted therefore though not in faith, yet in love. So Peter also doubted, saying, This be far from thee, Lord; this shall not be unto thee. (Mat. 16:22.)
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
But this seems hardly reasonable. For John was not in ignorance of His death, but was the first to preach it, saying, Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world. For thus calling Him the Lamb, he plainly shews forth the Cross; and no otherwise than by the Cross did He take away the sins of the world. Also how is he a greater prophet than these, if he knew not those things which all the prophets knew, for Isaiah says, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter. (Is. 53:7.)
St Gregory the Great † AD 604 Aug, ubi sup
But this question may be answered in a better way if we attend to the order of time. At the waters of Jordan he had affirmed that this was the Redeemer of the world after he was thrown into prison, he enquires if this was He that should come—not that he doubted that this was the Redeemer of the world, but he asks that he may know whether He who in His own person had come into the world, would in His own person descend also to the world below.
St Jerome † AD 420
Hence he frames his question thus, Art thou he that is to come? Not, Art Thou he that hast come? And the sense is, Direct me, since I am about to go down into the lower parts of the earth, whether I shall announce Thee to the spirits beneath also; or whether Thou as the Son of God may not taste death, but will send another to this sacrament?
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
But is this a more reasonable explanation than the other? for why then did he not say, Art Thou Ho that is coming to the world beneath? and not simply, Art thou he that is to come? And the reason of his seeking to know, namely, that he might preach Him there, is even ridiculous. For the present life is the time of grace, and after death the judgment and punishment; therefore there was no need of a forerunner thither. Again, if the unbelievers who should believe after death should be saved, then none would perish; all would then repent and worship; for every knee shall bow, both of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth. (Phil. 2:10)
The Gloss non occ.
But it ought to be observed, that Jerome and Gregory did not say that John was to proclaim Christ’s coming to the world beneath, to the end that the unbelievers there might be converted to the faith, but that the righteous who abode in expectation of Christ, should be comforted by His near approach.
St Hilary † AD 367
It is indeed certain, that he who as forerunner proclaimed Christ’s coming, as prophet knew Him when He stood before him, and worshipped Him as Confessor when He came to him, could not fall into error from such abundant knowledge. Nor can it be believed that the grace of the Holy Spirit failed him when thrown into prison, seeing He should hereafter minister the light of His power to the Apostles when they were in prison.
St Jerome † AD 420
Therefore he does not ask as being himself ignorant. But as the Saviour asks where Lazarus is buried (John 11:34.), in order that they who shewed. Him the sepulchre might be so far prepared for faith, and believe that the dead was verily raised again—so John, about to be put to death by Herod, sends his disciples to Christ, that by this opportunity of seeing His signs and wonders they might believe on Him, and so might learn through their master’s enquiry. But John’s disciples had somewhat of bitterness and jealousy towards the Lord, as their former enquiry shewed, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
Yet whilst John was with them he held them rightly convinced concerning Christ. But when he was going to die, he was more concerned on their behalf. For he feared that he might leave his disciples a prey to some pernicious doctrine, and that they should remain separate from Christ, to whom it had been his care to bring all his followers from the beginning. Had he said to them, Depart from me, for He is better than me, he would not have prevailed with them, as they would have supposed that he spoke this in humility, which opinion would have drawn them more closely to him. What then does he? He waits to hear through them that Christ works miracles. Nor did he send all, but two only, (whom perhaps he chose as more ready to believe than the rest,) that the reason of his enquiry might be unsuspected, and that from the things themselves which they should see they might understand the difference between him and Jesus.
St Hilary † AD 367
John then is providing not for his own, but his disciples’ ignorance; that they might know that it was no other whom he had proclaimed, he sent them to see His works, that the works might establish what John had spoken; and that they should not look for any other Christ, than Him to whom His works had borne testimony.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
So also Christ as knowing the mind of John, said not, I am He; for thus He would have put an obstacle in the way of those that heard Him, who would have at least thought within themselves, if they did not say, what the Jews did say to Christ, Thou bearest witness of thyself. (John 8:13.) Therefore He would have them learn from His miracles, and so presented His doctrine to them more clear, and without suspicion. For the testimony of deeds is stronger than the testimony of words. Therefore He straightway healed a number of blind, and lame, and many other, for the sake not of John who had knowledge, but of others who doubted; as it follows, And Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and tell John what ye have heard and scen; The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the Gospel preached to them.
St Jerome † AD 420
This last is no less than the first. And understand it as if it had been said, Even the poor; that so between noble and mean, rich and poor, there may be no difference in preaching. This approves the strictness of the master, this the truth of the teacher, that in His sight every one who can be saved is equal.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
And blessed is he who shall not be offended in me, is directed against the messengers; they were offended in Him. But He not publishing their doubts, and leaving it to their conscience alone, thus privately introduced a refutation of them.
St Hilary † AD 367
This saying, that they were blessed from whom there should be no offence in Him, shewed them what it was that John had provided against in sending them. For John, through fear of this very thing, had sent his disciples that they might hear Christ.
St Gregory the Great † AD 604 Hom. in Ev. vi. 1.
Otherwise; The mind of unbelievers was greatly offended concerning Christ, because after many miracles done, they saw Him at length put to death; whence Paul speaks, We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling-block. (1 Cor. 1:23.) What then does that mean, Blessed is he who shall not be offended in me, but a direct allusion to the humiliation of His death; as much as to say, I do indeed wonderful works, but do not disdain to suffer humble things. Because then I follow you in death, men must be careful not to despise in Me My death, while they reverence My wonderful works.
St Hilary † AD 367
In these things which were done concerning John, there is a deep store of mystic meaning. The very condition and circumstances of a prophet are themselves a prophecy. John signifies the Law; for the Law proclaimed Christ, preaching remission of sins, and giving promise of the kingdom of heaven. Also when the Law was on the point of expiring, (having been, through the sins of the people, which hindered them from understanding what it spake of Christ, as it were shut up in bonds and in prison,) it sends men to the contemplation of the Gospel, that unbelief might see the truth of its words established by deeds.
St Ambrose † AD 397
And perhaps the two disciples sent are the two people; those of the Jews, and those of the Gentiles who believed.
The Latin text
Rabanus Maurus
Postquam discipulos suos dominus ad praedicandum mittens, praemissis verbis eos instruxit, ipse etiam quod docuerat verbis, factis implevit, offerens primam praedicationem Iudaeis; et hoc est quod dicitur et factum est cum consummasset Iesus. Dicit autem transiit inde
Chrysostomus in Matth
Quia enim eos misit, subtraxit seipsum dans locum eis et tempus facere quae iniunxerat: eo enim praesente et curante, nullus ad discipulos vellet accedere
Remigius
Pulchre autem de speciali doctrina, qua scilicet apostolos instruxerat, ad generalem transit, in civitatibus praedicando; quia in hoc de caelis ad terras descendit, ut omnes illuminaret: in quo facto monentur etiam sancti praedicatores ut omnibus prodesse studeant
Glossa
Posuerat supra Evangelista quomodo per miracula et doctrinam Christi tam discipuli quam turbae instruebantur; nunc ostendit quomodo haec instructio usque ad discipulos Ioannis perveniret, qui ad Christum aemulationem habere videbantur: unde dicit Ioannes autem cum audisset in vinculis opera Christi, mittens duos ex discipulis suis, ait illi: tu es qui venturus es, an alium expectamus?
Gregorius in Evang
Quaerendum autem nobis est: Ioannes propheta, et plusquam propheta, qui venientem ad Baptismum dominum ostendit, dicens: ecce agnus Dei, ecce qui tollit peccata mundi, cur in carcere positus mittens discipulos requirit tu es qui venturus es, an alium expectamus? Tamquam si ignoraret quem ostenderat; et an ipse sit nesciat quem ipse prophetando, baptizando, ostendendo, ipsum esse clamaverat
Ambrosius super Lucam
Nonnulli autem hoc sic intelligunt. Magnum quidem ita prophetam esse Ioannem, ut Christum agnosceret, annuntiaret remissionem peccatorum futuram; sed tamen, tamquam pium vatem, quem venturum crediderat, non credidisse moriturum. Non igitur fide, sed pietate dubitavit. Dubitavit etiam Petrus dicens: propitius tibi esto, domine: non fiat hoc
Chrysostomus in Matth
Sed non utique hoc habet rationem. Ioannes enim neque hoc ignorabat: sed hoc primum testatus est dicens: ecce agnus Dei, ecce qui tollit peccata mundi. Agnum enim vocans, crucem divulgat: nec aliter quam per crucem peccatum abstulit mundi. Qualiter autem maior propheta est hic si neque quae prophetarum sunt noscit? Etenim Isaias dicit: sicut ovis ad occisionem ductus est
Gregorius in Evang
Sed aliter haec quaestio solvitur, si gestae rei tempus pensatur. Ad Iordanis enim fluenta positus, quia ipse redemptor mundi esset, asseruit; missus vero in carcerem, an ipse veniat, requirit: non quia ipsum esse mundi redemptorem dubitat; sed quaerit, ut sciat si is qui per se in mundum venerat, per se etiam ad Inferni claustra descendat
Hieronymus
Unde non ait: tu es qui venisti? Sed tu es qui venturus es? Et est sensus: manda mihi, quia ad Inferna descensurus sum, utrum te etiam Inferis debeam nuntiare, an alium ad haec sacramenta missurus es?
Chrysostomus in Matth
Sed qualiter et hoc habet rationem? Cuius enim gratia non dixit: tu es qui venturus es in Infernum? Sed simpliciter: qui venturus es? Quamvis et derisibilius videatur quod propter hoc ei dixerit, ut et illuc abiens praedicaret: praesens enim vita, gratiae tempus est; post obitum autem iudicium est et poena: quare in nullo opus erat praecursore illic. Sed aliter. Si infideles post mortem credentes essent salvandi, nullus peribit aliquando: omnes enim poenitebunt tunc, et adorabunt. Omne enim genu flectetur, caelestium, terrestrium, et Infernorum
Glossa
Considerandum autem est, quod non ideo Hieronymus et Gregorius dixerunt, quod Ioannes adventum Christi in Infernum praenuntiaturus esset, quia eius praedicatione aliqui non credentes converterentur ad fidem; sed ut iustis in expectatione Christi manentibus ex vicino adventu consolationem afferret
Hilarius in Matth
Certum est tamen quod qui venturum ut praecursor nuntiavit, consistentem ut propheta agnovit, adeuntem ut confessor veneratus est, eius abundanti scientiae error non obrepsit. Nec sane credi potest, spiritus sancti gratiam in carcere posito defuisse, cum apostolis virtutis suae lumen esset in carcere positis ministraturus
Hieronymus
Non ergo quasi ignorans interrogat, sed quomodo salvator interrogat ubi sit Lazarus positus; ut qui locum sepulcri indicabant, saltem sic pararentur ad fidem, ut viderent mortuum resurgentem; sic et Ioannes interficiendus ab Herode discipulos suos mittit ad Christum, ut per hanc occasionem videntes signa atque virtutes, crederent in eum, et magistro interrogante sibi discerent. Quod autem haberent discipuli Ioannis aliquid mordacitatis ex invidia adversus dominum, superior quoque interrogatio demonstravit, cum dixerunt: quare nos et Pharisaei ieiunamus frequenter, discipuli tui non ieiunant?
Chrysostomus in Matth
Donec igitur Ioannes erat cum ipsis, suadebat eis continue de Christo: quia autem iam erat obiturus, amplius studium facit. Etenim formidabat, ne relinquat in discipulis suis perniciosi dogmatis conditionem, et maneant abiecti a Christo, cui et a principio omnes suos afferre studuit. Si autem dixisset eis: abite ad ipsum, quia melior me est, non utique persuasisset, sed aestimaretur humilia de se sentiens hoc dicere; et sic magis essent ei affixi. Quid igitur facit? Expectat ab eis audire quod Christus miracula facit. Neque omnes misit; sed duos quosdam, quos noverat fortassis aliis persuasibiliores existentes, ut insuspicabilis interrogatio fieret, et ex rebus ipsis discerent distantiam inter eum et Iesum
Hilarius in Matth
Ioannes igitur non suae, sed discipulorum ignorantiae consulit: ut enim scirent non alium a se praedicatum, ad opera eius intuenda discipulos suos misit, ut auctoritatem dictis suis illius opera conferrent; nec Christus alius expectaretur quam cui testimonium opera praestitissent
Chrysostomus in Matth. Idem Christus autem mentem noscens Ioannis, non dixit: quoniam ego sum, quia per hoc rursus obsisteret audientibus: excogitassent enim, etsi non dixissent, quod Iudaei ad ipsum dixerunt
tu de teipso testimonium perhibes. Et propter hoc a miraculis fecit eos discere, insuspicabilem doctrinam faciens et manifestiorem. Testimonium enim quod est a rebus, credibilius est testimonio quod est a verbis. Unde confestim curavit caecos et claudos et alios multos, non ut doceret Ioannem scientem, sed hos qui dubitabant: et ideo sequitur et respondens Iesus ait illis: euntes renuntiate Ioanni quae audistis et vidistis. Caeci vident, claudi ambulant, leprosi mundantur, surdi audiunt mortui resurgunt, pauperes evangelizantur
Hieronymus
Quod praemissis non minus est. Pauperes autem evangelizatos intellige, vel pauperes spiritu, vel certe opibus pauperes: ut nulla inter nobiles et ignobiles, inter divites et egenos in praedicatione distantia sit: haec magistri rigorem, haec praeceptoris comprobant veritatem, quando omnis apud eum qui salvare potest aequalis est
Chrysostomus in Matth
Quod autem ait: et beatus est qui non fuerit scandalizatus in me, internuntios percutit: quia enim scandalizabantur in ipso, dubitationem eorum non divulgans, et soli eorum conscientiae derelinquens, redargutionem eorum latenter induxit
Hilarius
Itaque cui rei Ioannes cavisset, ostendit dicens beatos eos in quibus aliquid in se scandali non fuisset: quia metu eius, scilicet ne scandalizarentur, discipulos suos Ioannes, ut Christum audirent, misit
Gregorius in Evang
Vel aliter. Infidelium mens grave in Christo scandalum pertulit, cum eum etiam post tot miracula morientem vidit: unde Paulus dicit: nos praedicamus Christum crucifixum, Iudaeis quidem scandalum. Quid ergo est dicere: beatus qui non fuerit scandalizatus in me, nisi aperta voce abiectionem mortis suae humilitatemque signare? Ac si patenter dicat: mira quidem facio, sed abiecta perpeti non dedignor. Quia ergo moriendo te subsequor, cavendum valde est hominibus ne in me mortem despiciant qui signa venerantur
Hilarius
Praebetur etiam mystice in his quae in Ioanne gesta sunt, intelligentia amplior, ut propheta ipso conditionis suae genere prophetizaret, quia in eo forma legis lata est: Christum enim lex annuntiavit, et remissionem peccatorum praedicavit, et regnum caelorum spopondit; et Ioannes totum hoc opus legis explevit. Igitur, cessante iam lege (quae peccatis plebis inclusa, ne Christus posset intelligi, quasi vinculis et quasi carcere continebatur), ad Evangelia contuenda lex mittit, ut infidelitas fidem dictorum contempletur in factis
Ambrosius super Lucam
Et fortasse isti discipuli quos misit, sunt duo populi: unus qui ex Iudaeis credidit, alter qui ex gentibus
11:7
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Hom. xxxvii.
Sufficient had been now done for John’s disciples; they returned certified concerning Christ by the wonderful works which they had seen. But it behoved that the multitude also should be corrected, which had conceived many things amiss from the question of John’s disciples, not knowing the purpose of John in sending them. They might say, He who bare such witness to Christ, is now of another mind, and doubts whether this be He. Doth he this because he hath jealousy against Jesus? Has the prison taken away his courage? Or spake he before but empty and untrue words?
St Hilary † AD 367
Therefore that this might not lead them to think of John as though he were offended concerning Christ, it continues, When they had gone away, Jesus began to speak to the multitudes concerning John.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
As they departed, that He should not seem to speak flattery of the man; and in correcting the error of the multitude, He does not openly expose, their secret suspicions, but by framing his words against what was in their hearts, He shews that He knows hidden things. But He said not as to the Jews, Why think ye evil in your hearts? though indeed it was evil that they had thought; yet it proceeded not from wickedness, but from ignorance; therefore He spake not to them harshly, but answered for John, shewing that he had not fallen from his former opinion. This He teaches them, not by His word only, but by their own witness, the witness of their own actions, as well as their own words. What went ye out into the wilderness to see? As much as to say, Why did ye leave the towns and go out into the wilderness? So great multitudes would not have gone with such haste into the desert, if they had not thought that they should see one great, and wonderful, one more stable than the rock.
Pseudo-Chrysostom in loc.
They had not gone out at this time into the desert to see John, for he was not now in the desert, but in prison; but He speaks of the past time while John was yet in the desert, and the people flocked to him.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
And note that making no mention of any other fault, He clears John of fickleness, which the multitude had suspected him of, saying, A reed shaken by the wind?
St Gregory the Great † AD 604 Hom. in Ev. vi. 2.
This He proposes, not to assert, but to deny. For if but a breath of air touch a reed, it bends it one way or other; a type of the carnal mind, which leans to either side, according as the breath of praise or detraction reaches it. A reed shaken by the wind John was not, for no variety of circumstance bent him from his uprightness. The Lord’s meaning then is,
St Jerome † AD 420
Was it for this ye went out into the desert to see a man like unto a reed, and carried about by every wind, so that in lightness of mind he doubts concerning Him whom once he preached? Or it may be he is roused against Me by the sting of envy, and he seeks empty honour by his preaching, that he may thereof make gain. Why should he covet wealth? that he may have dainty fare? But his food is locusts and wild honey. That he may wear soft raiment? But his clothing is camel’s hair. This is that He adds, But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment?
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
Otherwise; That John is not as a waving reed, yourselves have shewn by going out unto the desert to him. Nor can any say that John was once firm, but has since become wilful and wavering; for as some are prone to anger by natural disposition, others become so by long weakness and indulgence, so in inconstancy, some are by nature inconstant, some become so by yielding to their own humour and self-indulgence. But John was neither inconstant by natural disposition, this he means by saying, What went ye out for to see, a reed shaken by the wind? Neither had he corrupted an excellent nature by self-indulgence, for that he had not served the flesh is shewn by his raiment, his abode in the desert, his prison. Had he sought soft raiment, he would not have dwelt in the desert, but in kings’ houses; Lo they that are clothed in soft raiment, are in kings’ houses.
St Jerome † AD 420
This teaches that an austere life and strict preaching ought to shun kings’ courts and the palaces of the rich and luxurious.
St Gregory the Great † AD 604 Hom. in Ev. vi. 3.
Let no one suppose that there is nothing sinful in luxury and rich dress; if pursuit of such things had been blameless, the Lord would not have thus commended John for the coarseness of his raiment, nor would Peter have checked the desire of fine clothes in women as he does, Not in costly raiment. (1 Pet. 3:3)
St Augustine † AD 430 Doctr. Christ. iii. 12.
In all such things we blame not the use of the things, but the lust of those that use them. For whoever uses the good things in his reach more sparingly than are the habits of those with whom he lives, is either temperate or superstitious. Whoever again uses them in a measure exceeding the practice of the good among whom he lives, either has some1 meaning therein, or else is dissolute.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
Having described his habits of life from his dwelling-place, his dress, and the concourse of men to hear him, He now brings in that he is also a prophet, But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
St Gregory the Great † AD 604 Hom. in Ev. vi. 5.
The office of a prophet is to foretel things to come, not to shew them present. John therefore is more than a prophet, because Him whom he had foretold by going before Him, the same he shewed as present by pointing Him out.
St Jerome † AD 420
In this he is also greater than the other prophets, that to his prophetic privilege is added the reward of the Baptist that he should baptize his Lord.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
Then he shews in what respect He is greater, saying, This is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my angel before thy face.
St Jerome † AD 420
To add to this great worthiness of John, He brings a passage from Malachias, in which he is spoken of as an Angel. (Mal. 3:1)) We must suppose that John is here called an Angel, not as partaking the Angelic nature, but from the dignity of his office as a forerunner of the Lord.
St Gregory the Great † AD 604 ubi sup.
For the Greek word Angel, is in Latin Nuntius, ‘a messenger.’ He therefore who came to bear a heavenly message is rightly called an Angel, that he may preserve in his title the dignity which he performs in his office.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
He shews wherein it is that John is greater than the Prophets, namely, in that he is nigh unto Christ, as he says, I send before thy face, that is, near Thee, as those that walk next to the king’s chariot are more illustrious than others, so likewise is John because of his nearness to Christ.
Pseudo-Chrysostom
Also the other Prophets were sent to announce Christ’s coming, but John to prepare His way, as it follows, who shall make ready thy way before thee;
The Gloss interlin.
That is, shall open the hearts of Thy hearers by preaching repentance and baptizing.
St Jerome † AD 420
Mystically; The desert is that which is deserted of the Holy Spirit, where there is no habitation of God; in the reed is signified a man who in outward show lives a pious life, but lacks all real fruit within himself, fair outside, within hollow, moved with every breath of wind, that is, with every impulse of unclean spirits, having no firmness to remain still, devoid of the marrow of the soul; by the garment wherewith his body is clothed is his mind shewn, that it is lost in luxury and self-indulgence. The kings are the fallen angels; they are they who are powerful in this life, and the lords of this world. Thus, They that are clothed in soft raiment are in kings’ houses; that is, those whose bodies are enervated and destroyed by luxury, it is clear are possessed by dæmons.
St Gregory the Great † AD 604 ubi. sup.
Also John was not clothed in soft raiment, that is, he did not encourage sinners in their sinful life by speaking smooth things, but rebuked them with sharpness and rigour, saying, Generation of vipers, &c. (Mat. 3:7)
The Latin text
Chrysostomus in Matth
Quantum ad discipulos Ioannis, satis actum erat: certificati enim de Christo per signa quae viderant, recesserunt. Sed oportebat etiam turbas sanari, quae ex interrogatione discipulorum Ioannis multa inconvenientia subintellexerint, ignorantes mittentis consilium. Poterant utique dicere: qui tanta testatus est de Christo, aliter persuasus est nunc et dubitat utrum sit ipse. Numquid ergo altercans ad Iesum hoc dicit? Numquid timidior a carcere factus? Numquid vane et inaniter priora dixit?
Hilarius in Matth
Ac ne illud quod immediate praemiserat, referri posset ad Ioannem, tamquam scandalizatus esset de Christo, subditur illis autem abeuntibus, coepit Iesus dicere ad turbas de Ioanne
Chrysostomus in Matth
Propter hoc autem abeuntibus eis, ut non videatur homini adulari. Corrigens autem et plebem, non ducit in medium suspicionem eorum, sed solutionem cogitationum eorum inducit, quae eos in dubitationem mittebant, demonstrans se nosse occulta. Neque enim dixit sicut Iudaeis: quis cogitatis mala? Etsi mala cogitaverint; non tamen ex malitia, sed ex ignorantia; unde non loquitur eis dure, sed respondet pro Ioanne, ostendens quod non excidit a priore opinione. Hoc autem docet, non solum proprio verbo, sed eorum testimonio; non tantum per ea quae dixerunt, sed per ea quae egerunt: ideoque ait quid existis in desertum videre? Ac si diceret: propter quid civitates dimittentes convenistis in desertum? Non enim plebs tanta cum tanto desiderio in eremum venisset, nisi magnum quemdam et mirabilem et petra solidiorem se videre existimans
Glossa
Non autem tunc exierant in desertum ad hoc ut viderent Ioannem: nec enim erat tunc in deserto, sed in carcere: sed praeteritum refert, quia frequenter exierat populus in desertum videre Ioannem, cum adhuc esset in deserto
Chrysostomus in Matth
Et vide quia, omnem aliam malitiam praetermittens, removet a Ioanne levitatem, de qua turbae dubitabant, dicens arundinem vento agitatam?
Gregorius in Evang
Quod videlicet non asserendo, sed negando intulit. Arundinem quippe, mox ut aura contingit, in partem flectit; per quam carnalis animus designatur, qui mox ut favore et detractione tangitur, in partem quamlibet declinatur. Arundo ergo vento agitata Ioannes non erat, quem a status sui rectitudine nulla rerum varietas inflectebat. Ac si dominus diceret
Hieronymus
numquid ob hoc existis in desertum ut videretis hominem calamo similem, qui omni vento circumfertur, et levitate mentis de eo ambigeret quem antea praedicaret? An forsitan stimulis invidiae contra me cogitur, et praedicatio eius vanam sectatur gloriam, ut ex ea quaerat lucra? Cur divitias cupiat? Ut affluat dapibus? Locustis vescitur et melle silvestri. An ut mollibus vestiatur? Pili camelorum sunt tegmen eius; et ideo subdit sed quid existis videre? Hominem mollibus vestitum?
Chrysostomus in Matth
Vel aliter. Quod non sit Ioannes similis calamo mobili per vestrum studium significastis, scilicet in desertum exeuntes. Non tamen potest aliquis dicere, quod Ioannes quidem constans erat, sed postea lasciviae serviens factus est mobilis: sicut enim aliquis est iracundus natura, alius per infirmitatem longam, ita aliqui sunt mobiles per naturam, alii vero lasciviae serviendo mobiles fiunt. Ioannes autem neque natura mobilis erat; propter quod dixerat num existis videre arundinem vento agitatam? Neque lasciviae dans se ipsum, perdidit quam habebat excellentiam: quod enim non servierit lasciviae, monstrat stola, solitudo et carcer. Si enim vellet mollibus vestiri, non eremum inhabitasset, sed regum palatia: unde sequitur ecce qui mollibus vestiuntur, in domibus regum sunt
Hieronymus
Ex hoc ostenditur rigidam vitam et austeram praedicationem vitare debere aulas regum, et mollium hominum palatia declinare
Gregorius in Evang
Nemo autem existimet in luxu atque studio pretiosarum vestium peccata deesse: quia si hoc culpa non esset, nullo modo Ioannem dominus de vestimenti sui asperitate laudasset. Et nequaquam Petrus feminas a pretiosarum vestium appetitu compesceret, dicens: non in veste pretiosa
Augustinus de Doctr. Christ
Cum in omnibus talibus non usus rerum, sed libido utentis in culpa est. Quisquis enim rebus restrictius utitur quam se habent mores eorum cum quibus vivit, aut temperans, aut superstitiosus est. Quisquis vero sic utitur, ut metas consuetudinis bonorum inter quos versatur excedat, aut aliquid significat, aut flagitiosus est
Chrysostomus in Matth
A loco autem et vestimentis, et a concursu hominum, eius moribus designatis, inducit iam et prophetam eum esse, dicens sed quid existis videre? Prophetam? Dico vobis etiam plus quam prophetam
Gregorius in Evang
Prophetae enim ministerium est ventura praedicere, non etiam demonstrare. Ioannes ergo plusquam propheta est: quia eum quem praecurrendo prophetaverat, etiam ostendendo nuntiabat
Hieronymus
In quo etiam ceteris prophetis maior est, et quia ad privilegium prophetale etiam Baptismi accessit praemium, ut suum dominum baptizaret
Chrysostomus
Deinde monstrat secundum quid est maior, dicens hic est enim de quo scriptum est: ecce mitto Angelum meum ante faciem tuam
Hieronymus
Ut enim meritorum Ioannis augmentum faceret, de Malachia testimonium infert, in quo etiam Angelus praedicatur. Angelum autem hic dici Ioannem non putemus naturae societate, sed officii dignitate; idest nuntium qui venturum dominum nuntiavit
Gregorius in Evang
Qui enim Graece Angelus, hic Latine nuntius dicitur. Recte ergo qui nuntiare supernum nuntium venerat, Angelus vocatur, ut dignitatem servet in nomine, quam explet in operatione
Chrysostomus
Monstrat igitur secundum quid est maior Ioannes prophetis, secundum id scilicet quod est prope Christum: et ideo dicit mitto ante faciem tuam, hoc est prope te: sicut enim qui prope currum regis incedunt, aliis sunt clariores, ita et Ioannes prope Christi praesentiam
Glossa
Deinde alii prophetae missi sunt ut adventum Christi annuntiarent; iste autem, ut praepararet viam ipsius: unde sequitur qui praeparabit viam tuam ante te: idest, pervia reddet tibi corda auditorum, poenitentiam praedicando et baptizando
Hilarius in Matth
Mystice autem desertum spiritu sancto vacuum est sentiendum, in quo habitatio Dei nulla sit; in arundine homo talis ostenditur de gloria saeculi vitae suae inanitate speciosus, in se autem fructu veritatis cavus, exterior placens, et nullus interior, ad omnem ventorum motum, idest, immundorum spirituum flatum, movendus, neque ad consistendi firmitatem valens, et animae medullis inanis. Veste autem, corpus quo induitur anima signatur, quod luxu ac lasciviis mollescit. In regibus transgressorum Angelorum nuncupatio est: hi enim saeculi sunt potentes, mundique dominantes. Ergo vestiti mollibus in domibus regum sunt; idest illos quibus per luxum fluida et dissoluta sunt corpora, patet esse Daemonum habitationem
Gregorius in Evang
Ioannes etiam mollibus vestitus non fuit, quia vitam peccantium non blandimentis fovit, sed rigore asperae invectionis increpavit, dicens: genimina viperarum,
11:11
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
Having first delivered the Prophet’s testimony in praise of John, He rested not there, but added His own decision respecting him, saying, Among them that are born of women there has not arisen a greater than John the Baptist.
Rabanus Maurus † AD 856
As much as to say; What need to recount one by one the praises of John the Baptist; I say verily unto you, Among them that are born of women, &c. He says women, not virgins. If the same word mulier, which denotes a married person, is any where in the Gospels applied to Mary, it should be known that the translator has there used ‘mulier’ for ‘femina;’ as in that, Woman, behold thy son! (John 19:26)
St Jerome † AD 420
He is then set before all those that are born in wedlock, and not before Him who was born of the Virgin and the Holy Spirit; yet these words, there has not arisen a greater than John the Baptist, do not imply that John is to be set above the Prophets and Patriarchs and all others, but only makes him equal to the rest; for it does not follow that because others are not greater than him, that therefore he is greater than others.
Pseudo-Chrysostom
But seeing that righteousness has so great deepness that none can be perfect therein but God only, I suppose that all the saints tried by the keenness of the divine judgment, rank in a fixed order, some lower, some before other. Whence we understand that He that hath none greater than Himself, is greater than all.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
That the abundance of this praise might not beget a wrong inclination in the Jews to set John above Christ, he corrects this, saying, He that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
St Augustine † AD 430 Cont. Adv. Leg. et Proph. ii. 5.
The heretic1 argues from this verse to prove, that since John did not belong to the kingdom of heaven, therefore much less did the other Prophets of that people, than whom John is greater. But these words of the Lord may be understood in two ways. Either the kingdom of heaven is something which we have not yet received, that, namely, of, which He speaks, Come, ye blessed of my Father, receive the kingdom, (Mat. 25:34) because they in it are Angels, therefore the least among them is greater than a righteous man who has a corruptible body. Or if we must understand the kingdom of heaven of the Church, whose children are all the righteous men from the beginning of the world until now, then the Lord speaks this of Himself, who was after John in the time of His birth, but greater in respect of His divine nature and supreme power. According then to the first interpretation it will be pointed, He who is least in the kingdom of heaven, is greater than he; according to the second, He who is less than he, is in the kingdom of heaven greater than he.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
The kingdom of heaven, that is, in the spiritual world, and all relating thereto. But some say that Christ spoke this of the Apostles.
St Jerome † AD 420
We understand it simply, that every saint who is already with the Lord is greater than he who yet stands in the battle; for it is one thing to have gained the crown of victory, another to be yet fighting in the field. 12. And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. 13. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. 15. He that hath ears to ear, let him hear.
The Gloss non occ.
That what He had last said should not lead any to suppose that John was an alien from the kingdom of heaven, He corrects this by adding, From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
St Gregory the Great † AD 604 Hom. in Ev. xx. 14.
By the kingdom of heaven is meant the heavenly throne, whither when sinners defiled with any evil deed return in penitence, and amend themselves, they enter as sinners into the place of another, and take by violence the kingdom of heaven.
St Jerome † AD 420
Because John the Baptist was the first who preached repentance to the people, saying, Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand: rightly therefore from that day forth it may be said, that the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For great indeed is the violence, when we who are born of earth, seek an abode in heaven, and obtain by excellence what we have not by nature.
St Hilary † AD 367
Otherwise; The Lord bade His Apostles go to the lost sheep of Israel, but all their preaching conveyed profit to the publicans and sinners. Therefore the kingdom suffers violence, and the violent take it by force, for the glory of Israel, due to the Fathers, foretold by the Prophets, offered by Christ, is entered and held by force by the might of the Gentiles.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
Or; All who come thereto with haste take by force the kingdom of God through the faith of Christ; whence He says, from, the days of John until now, and thus He brings them in haste to His faith, and at the same time adds support to those things which had been spoken by John. For if all things were fulfilled until John, then is Jesus He that should come; wherefore He adds, All the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
St Jerome † AD 420
Not that He cuts off all Prophets after John; for we read in the Acts of the Apostles that Agabus prophesied, and also four virgins daughters of Philip; but He means that the Law and the Prophets whom we have written, whatever they have prophesied, they have prophesied of the Lord. That He says, Prophesied until John, shews that this was now the time of Christ’s coming; and that whom they had foretold should come, Him John shewed to be already come.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
Then He adds another token of him, saying, And if ye will receive it, this is Elias who was to come. (Mal. 4:5) The Lord speaks in Malachias, I will send you Elias the Tishbite; and of the same again, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face.
St Jerome † AD 420
John then is said to be Elias, not according to the foolish philosophers, and certain heretics who bring forward their metempsychosis, or passing of the soul from one body to another; but because (as it is in another passage of the Gospel) he came in the spirit and power of Elias, and had the same grace and measure of the Holy Spirit. But in austerity of life, and fortitude of spirit, Elias and John were alike; they both dwelt in the desert, both were girded with a girdle of skins; because he reproved Ahab and Jezebel for their wickedness, Elias was compelled to fly; because he condemned the unlawful union of Herod and Herodias, John is beheaded.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
If ye will receive it, shewing their freedom, and requiring of them a willing mind. John the Baptist is Elias, and Elias is John, because both were forerunners of Christ.
St Jerome † AD 420
That He says, This is Elias, is figurative, and needs to be explained, as what follows, shews; He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Remigius † AD 908
As much as to say, Whoso has ears of the heart to hear, that is, to understand, let him understand; for He did not say that John was Elias in person, but in the Spirit.
The Latin text
Chrysostomus in Matth
Praemissa commendatione Ioannis ex prophetae testimonio, non hic stetit, sed iam sententiam propriam de ipso inducit, dicens amen dico vobis, non surrexit maior inter natos mulierum Ioanne Baptista
Rabanus Maurus
Ac si diceret: quid dicere per singula de commendatione Ioannis? Amen dico vobis, inter natos mulierum, et cetera. Inter natos, inquit, mulierum, non virginum: mulieres enim proprie corruptae vocantur. Si autem Maria aliquando mulier in Evangelio nuncupatur, sciendum est, interpretem, mulierem pro femina posuisse, sicut ibi: mulier, ecce filius tuus
Hieronymus
His ergo praefertur hominibus qui de mulieribus nati sunt et de concubitu viri, et non ei qui natus est ex virgine et spiritu sancto; quamvis in eo quod dicit non surrexit inter natos mulierum maior Ioanne Baptista, non ceteris prophetis et patriarchis cunctisque hominibus Ioannem praetulit, sed Ioanni ceteros exaequavit: non enim statim sequitur ut si alii maiores eo non sunt, ille maior aliorum sit
Chrysostomus super Matth
Sed tanta cum sit iustitiae altitudo ut in illa nemo possit esse perfectus nisi solus Deus, puto quia omnes sancti quantum ad subtilitatem divini iudicii invicem sibi inferiores sunt aut priores. Ex quo intelligimus quoniam qui maiorem se non habet, maior omnibus est
Chrysostomus in Matth
Ne autem rursus superabundantia laudum pariat aliquod inconveniens Iudaeis Ioannem praeferentibus Christo, convenienter hoc removet dicens qui autem minor est in regno caelorum hic maior est illo
Augustinus contra Advers. legis et Prophet
Argumentatur autem ex hoc haereticus ita, velut ratiocinando, tamquam Ioannes non pertineat ad regnum caelorum, et ob hoc multo minus ceteri prophetae illius populi, quibus maior est Ioannes. Haec autem verba domini duobus modis possunt intelligi: aut enim regnum caelorum appellavit hoc quod nondum accepimus, de quo in fine dicturus est: venite, benedicti patris mei, percipite regnum; et quia ibi sunt Angeli, quilibet in eis minor maior est quolibet iusto portante corpus quod corrumpitur. Aut si regnum caelorum intelligi voluit Ecclesiam, cuius filii sunt ab institutione generis humani usque nunc omnes iusti, dominus seipsum signavit: qui nascendi tempore minor erat Ioanne, maior autem divinitatis aeternitate et dominica potestate. Proinde secundum priorem expositionem, ita distinguitur: qui minor est in regno caelorum, ac deinde subinfertur maior est illo. Secundum hanc autem posteriorem, ita: qui autem minor est, ac deinde subinfertur in regno caelorum maior est illo
Chrysostomus in Matth
Dicit autem in regno caelorum, idest in spiritualibus, et universis quae sunt secundum caelum. Quidam autem dicunt quoniam de apostolis hoc dixit Christus
Hieronymus
Nos autem simpliciter intelligamus, quia omnis sanctus qui iam cum domino est, sit maior illo qui adhuc consistit in praelio: aliud est enim victoriae coronam possidere, aliud adhuc in acie dimicare
Glossa
Quia dixerat superius: qui minor est in regno caelorum, est maior Ioanne, ne videretur Ioannes a regno caelorum esse alienus, hoc removet subdens a die autem Ioannis Baptistae usque nunc regnum caelorum vim patitur, et violenti rapiunt illud
Gregorius in Evang
Per regnum caelorum supernum solium signatur, quo cum peccatores quolibet facinore polluti ad poenitentiam redeunt, et semetipsos corrigunt, quasi praedatores in locum alienum intrant et violenter regnum caelorum rapiunt
Hieronymus
Si autem primus Ioannes Baptista poenitentiam populis nuntiavit dicens: poenitentiam agite, appropinquabit enim regnum caelorum, convenienter a diebus illius regnum caelorum vim patitur et violenti rapiunt illud. Grandis est enim violentia, in terra nos esse generatos, et caelorum sedem quaerere, et possidere per virtutem quae non tenuimus per naturam
Hilarius in Matth
Vel aliter. Dominus apostolos ire ad oves perditas Israel iusserat; sed omnis haec praedicatio profectum publicanis et peccatoribus afferebat. Itaque vim regnum patitur, et violenti diripiunt: quia gloria Israel patribus debita. Prophetis nuntiata, a Christo oblata, fide gentium occupatur et rapitur
Chrysostomus in Matth
Vel rapiunt regnum Dei per fidem Christi omnes qui cum festinatione veniunt: unde dicit a diebus autem Ioannis usque nunc; et ita impellit et festinare facit ad fidem suam, simul autem et his quae antea dicta sunt a Ioanne opitulatur. Si enim usque ad Ioannem omnia completa sunt, ipse est qui venturus est: unde subdit omnes enim prophetae et lex usque ad Ioannem prophetaverunt
Hieronymus
Non quod post Ioannem excludat prophetas; legimus enim in actibus apostolorum et Agabum prophetizasse et quatuor virgines filias Philippi; sed quod lex et prophetae quos scriptos legimus, quicquid prophetizaverunt, de domino vaticinati sunt. Quando ergo dicitur usque ad Ioannem prophetaverunt, Christi tempus ostenditur; et quem illi dixerunt esse venturum, Ioannes venisse ostendit
Chrysostomus
Deinde aliam coniecturam sui adventus ponit, dicens et si vultis recipere, ipse est Elias, qui venturus est. Dicit dominus in Malachia: mittam vobis Eliam Thesbitem; et de isto dicit ecce ego mitto Angelum meum ante faciem tuam
Hieronymus
Elias ergo Ioannes dicitur, non secundum stultos philosophos, et quosdam haereticos, qui metempsychosin, idest animae ex uno in aliud corpus migrationem introducunt; sed quod, iuxta aliud testimonium Evangelii, venerit in spiritu et virtute Eliae, et eamdem spiritus sancti vel gratiam habuerit vel mensuram. Sed et vitae austeritas rigorque mentis Eliae et Ioannis pares sunt: uterque in eremo, uterque zona pellicea cingebatur: ille, quoniam regem Achab et Iezabel impietatis arguit, fugere compulsus est; iste, quia Herodis et Herodiadis illicitas arguit nuptias, capite truncatur
Chrysostomus in Matth
Et bene dixit si vultis recipere, libertatem ostendens, et voluntariam expetens mentem. Est enim ille hic, et hic ille: quia praecursores facti sunt utrique
Hieronymus
Hoc autem quod dictum est, ipse est Elias, mysticum esse, et egere intelligentia, sequens domini sermo demonstrat, dicens qui habet aures audiendi audiat
Remigius
Ac si diceret: qui habet aures cordis audiendi, idest intelligendi, intelligat: quia non dixit Ioannem Eliam esse in persona, sed in spiritu
11:16
St Hilary † AD 367
The whole of this speech is a reproach of unbelief, and arises out of the foregoing complaint; that the stiff-necked people had not learned by two different modes of teaching.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
Whence He puts this question, shewing that nothing had been omitted that ought to be done for their salvation, saying, To whom shall I liken this generation?
The Gloss ap. Anselm.
By this generation He means the Jews together with Himself and John. As though He had said; John is thus great; but ye would believe neither him nor Me, and therefore to whom shall I liken you?
Remigius † AD 908
And straightway He answers Himself, saying, It is like unto children sitting in the market-place, crying unto their fellows, and saying, We have played music to you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned, and ye have not lamented.
St Hilary † AD 367
By the children are meant the Prophets, who preached as children in singleness of meaning, and in the midst of the synagogue, that is in the market-place, reprove them, that when they played to those to whom they had devoted the service of their body, they had not obeyed their words, as the movement of the dancers are regulated by the measures of the music. For the Prophets invited them to make confession by song to God, as it is contained in the song of Moses, of Isaiah, or of David.
St Jerome † AD 420
They say therefore, We have flayed music to you, and ye have not danced; i. e. We have called on you to work good works to our songs, and ye would not. We have lamented and called you to repentance, and this ye would not, rejecting both preaching, as well of exhortation to virtue, as of repentance for sin.
Remigius † AD 908
What is that He says, To their fellows? Were the unbelieving Jews then fellows of the Prophets? He speaks thus only because they were sprung of one stock.
St Jerome † AD 420
The children are they of whom Isaiah speaks, Behold I, and the children whom the Lord has given me. (Is. 8:18) These children then sit in the market-place, where are many things for sale, and say,
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
We have played music to you, and ye have not danced; that is, I have shewed you an unrestricted life, and ye are not convinced; We have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented; that is, John lived a hard life, and ye heeded him not. Yet does not he speak one thing, and I another, but both speak the same thing, because both have one and the same object. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a dæmon. The Son of man came &c.
St Augustine † AD 430 Cont. Faust. xvi. 31.
I would that the Manichæans would tell me what Christ ate and drank, who here speaks of Himself as eating and drinking in comparison of John, who did neither. Not indeed that John drank nothing at all, but that he drank neither wine nor strong drink—but water only. Not that he dispensed altogether with food, but that he ate only locusts and wild honey. Whence then is it said of him that he came neither eating nor drinking, except that he used not that food which the Jews used? Unless therefore the Lord had used this food, He would not have been said to have been, in comparison of John, eating and drinking. It would be strange that he who ate locusts and honey, should be said to come neither eating nor drinking, and that he who ate only bread and herbs, should be said to come eating and drinking.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
He says therefore, Jesus came, as much as to say, I and John came opposite ways, to do the same thing; as two hunters chasing the same animal from opposite sides, so that it might fall into the hands of one of them. But all mankind admire fasting and severity of life; and for this reason it was ordained from his infancy that John should be so brought up, that the things that he should say should receive credit. The Lord also walked in this way when He fasted forty days; but He had other means of teaching men to have confidence in Him; for it was a much greater thing that John who had walked in this way should bear witness to Him, than that He Himself should walk in that way. Again, John had nothing to shew besides his life, and his righteousness; whereas Christ had also the witness of His miracles. Leaving therefore to John the representation of fasting, He Himself walked in a contrary way, entering to the table of the publicans, and eating and drinking with them.
St Jerome † AD 420
If fasting then pleases you, why were you not satisfied with John? If fulness, why not with the Son of man? Yet one of these ye said had a dæmon, the other ye called a gluttonous man, and drunkard.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
What excuse then shall be given for them? Therefore He adds, And wisdom is justified of her children; that is, though ye were not convinced, yet have ye nothing whereof to accuse me, as also of the Father the Prophet speaks, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings. (Ps. 51:4.) For though nought be effected in you by that goodness which is extended to you, yet He fulfils all His part that you may not have the shadow of excuse for your ungrateful doubt.
St Jerome † AD 420
Wisdom is justified of her children, i. e. The dispensation or doctrine of God, or Christ Himself who is the power and wisdom of God, is proved by the Apostles, who are His children, to have done righteously.
St Hilary † AD 367
He is wisdom itself not by His acts, but by His nature. Many indeed evade that saying of the Apostle’s, Christ is the wisdom and power of God, (1 Cor. 1:24) by saying, that truly in creating Him of a Virgin the Wisdom and Power of God were shewn mightily. (e.g. Paul of Samosata, &c.) Therefore that this might not be so explained, He calls Himself the Wisdom of God, shewing that it was verily He, and not the deeds relating to Him, of whom this was meant. For the power itself, and the effect of that power, are not the same thing; the efficient is known from the act.
St Augustine † AD 430 Quæst. Ev. ii. 11.
Or, Wisdom is justified of her children, because the holy Apostles understood that the kingdom of God was not in meat and drink, but in patient enduring; such persons neither does abundance lift up, nor want cast down, but as Paul spoke, I know how to abound, and to suffer want. (Phil. 4:12)
St Jerome † AD 420
Some copies read, Wisdom is justified of her works, for wisdom does not seek the witness of words, but of works.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
You should not be surprised at His using trite instances, such as that respecting the children; for He spoke to the weakness of His hearers; as Ezekiel spoke many things adapted to the Jews, but unworthy of the greatness of God.
St Hilary † AD 367
Mystically; Neither did the preaching of John bend the Jews, to whom the law seemed burdensome in prescribing meats and drinks, difficult and grievous, having in it sin which He calls having a dæmon—for from the difficulty of keeping it they must sin under the Law. Nor again did the preaching of the Gospel with freedom of life in Christ please them—by which the hardships and burdens of the Law were remitted, and publicans and sinners only believed in it. Thus, then, so many and so great warnings of all kinds having been offered them in vain, they are neither justified by the Law, and they are cast off from grace; Wisdom, therefore, is justified of her children, by those, that is, who seize the kingdom of heaven by the justification of faith, confessing the work of wisdom to be just, that it has transferred its gift from the rebellious to the faithful.
The Latin text
Hilarius in Matth
Totus hic sermo infidelitatis opprobrium est, et de affectu superioris querimoniae descendit: quia insolens plebs per diversa sermonum genera docta non fuerit
Chrysostomus in Matth
Unde et interrogatione utitur, monstrans quoniam nihil quod deberet fieri ad salutem eorum, derelictum est, dicens cui autem similem aestimabo generationem istam?
Glossa
Quasi dicat: tantus est Ioannes; sed vos nec sibi nec mihi voluistis credere: et ideo cui vos similes aestimabo? Per generationem accipit communiter et Iudaeos, et se cum Ioanne
Remigius
Mox autem sibi ipsi respondet, subiungens similis est pueris sedentibus in foro, qui clamantes coaequalibus dicunt: cecinimus vobis, et non saltastis; lamentavimus, et non planxistis
Hilarius in Matth
In pueris prophetae signantur, qui in simplicitate sensus, ut pueri, praedicaverunt, et in medio synagogae tamquam in publico fori conventu coarguunt, quod cantantibus sibi officio corporis non obsecundaverint, et quod dictis suis non paruerint: ad cantantium enim modum saltantium motus aptatur. Prophetae enim ad confessionem psallendi Deo provocaverunt, ut cantico Moysi tenetur, ut Isaiae, ut David
Hieronymus
Dicunt ergo cecinimus vobis et non saltastis: idest, provocavimus vos ut ad nostrum canticum bona opera faceretis, et noluistis. Lamentati sumus, et vos ad poenitentiam provocavimus; et nec hoc quidem facere voluistis, spernentes utramque praedicationem, tam exhortationis ad virtutes, quam poenitentiae post peccata
Remigius
Quid est autem quod dicit coaequalibus? Numquid infideles Iudaei coaequales erant sanctis prophetis? Sed hoc dicit, quoniam de una stirpe orti fuerunt
Hieronymus
Pueri etiam sunt de quibus Isaias loquitur: ecce ego et pueri mei quos dedit mihi dominus. Isti ergo pueri sedent in foro, ubi multa venalia sunt, et dicunt
Chrysostomus in Matth.
cecinimus vobis, et non saltastis; hoc est, remissam vitam ostendi, et non persuasi estis; lamentavimus, et non planxistis: hoc est, Ioannes duram sustinuit vitam, et non attendistis. Non autem dicit ille illud et ego hoc, sed communiter: quia una intentio utriusque erat; unde sequitur venit enim Ioannes neque manducans neque bibens; et dicunt: Daemonium habet. Venit filius hominis
, et cetera. Augustinus contra Faustum
Vellem autem ut mihi Manichaei dicerent quid manducabat et quid bibebat Christus, qui in comparatione Ioannis non manducantis neque bibentis, hic se dixit manducantem ac bibentem. Non enim dictum est quod Ioannes omnino non biberet; sed quod vinum et siceram non biberet: bibebat ergo aquam. Cibus autem eius non omnino nullus erat, sed locustae, et mel silvestre. Unde ergo dictus est non manducans neque bibens, nisi quia illo victu quo Iudaei utebantur, non utebatur? Hoc ergo dominus nisi uteretur, non in eius comparatione manducans bibensque diceretur. Mirum autem si non manducans dicitur qui locustas et mel comedit, et manducans dicitur qui pane et olere contentus est
Chrysostomus
Dicit ergo venit Iesus; ac si dicat: per contrariam viam venimus ego et Ioannes et idem fecimus: sicut si venatores per duas contrarias vias aliquod animal insequantur, ut in alterum incidat. Universum autem hominum genus ieiunium et duram viam admiratur; et propter hoc dispensatum est a prima aetate ita nutriri Ioannem, ut per hoc digna fide essent quae dicerentur ab ipso. Incessit siquidem dominus per hanc viam quando quadraginta diebus ieiunavit; sed tamen et aliter docuit quod sibi esset credendum; multo enim maius erat quod testaretur pro eo Ioannes qui per hanc viam incesserat, quam quod ipse per hanc viam incederet. Aliter Ioannes nihil plus ostendit praeter vitam et iustitiam; Christus autem et a miraculis testimonium habebat. Dimittens ergo Ioannem ieiunio fulgere, ipse contrariam incessit viam, ad mensam intrans publicanorum, et manducans et bibens
Hieronymus
Si ergo ieiunium vobis placet, cur Ioannes displicuit? Si saturitas, cur filius hominis? Quorum alterum Daemonium habentem, alterum voracem et ebrium nuncupastis
Chrysostomus
Qualem igitur iam excusationem accipient? Propter hoc subdit et iustificata est sapientia a filiis suis: hoc est, etsi vos persuasi non estis, sed me iam incusare non habetis: quod et de patre ait propheta: ut iustificeris in sermonibus tuis: etsi enim nihil in vobis expleatur a procuratione Dei, quae est circa vos; omnia quae sunt ex parte sua, complet, ut inverecundis neque umbram relinquat ingratae dubitationis
Hieronymus
Iustificata est ergo sapientia a filiis suis; idest, Dei dispensatio atque doctrina, vel ipse Christus, qui est Dei virtus et Dei sapientia, iuste fecisse, ab apostolis suis filiis comprobatus est
Hilarius in Matth
Est autem ipsa sapientia non ex effectu, sed ex natura. Plures enim dictum apostolicum, quod ait: Christum Dei sapientiam et Dei virtutem, his modis solent eludere, quod in eo ex virgine creando efficax Dei sapientia et virtus extiterit. Sed ne tale posset intelligi, ipsum se sapientiam nuncupavit, eam in se, non quae sunt eius ostendens. Non enim idem opus virtutis et virtus; et efficiens discernitur ab effectu
Augustinus de quaest. Evang
Vel iustificata est sapientia a filiis suis: quia sancti apostoli intellexerunt regnum Dei non esse in esca et potu, sed in aequanimitate tolerandi; quos nec copia sublevat, nec deprimit egestas; unde et Paulus dicebat: scio abundare et penuriam pati
Hieronymus
In quibusdam libris legitur iustificata est sapientia ab operibus suis: sapientia namque non quaerit vocis testimonium, sed operum
Chrysostomus in Matth
Si autem exempla vilia sunt de pueris, non mireris: ad imbecillitatem enim audientium loquebatur: sicut Ezechiel multa dicit exempla Iudaeis convenientia, Dei magnitudine indigna
Hilarius
Mystice autem Iudaeos nec Ioannis praedicatio inflexit, quibus et lex gravis visa est, potibus cibisque praescriptis, et difficilis et molesta peccatum in se, quod Daemonium nuncupat, habens: quia per observantiae difficultatem necesse eis esset in lege peccare: rursusque in Christo Evangelii praedicatio vitae libertate non placuit, per quam difficultates legis et onera laxata sunt, et ad eam publicani peccatoresque crediderunt. Atque ita tot et tantis admonitionum generibus frustra habitis, nec per gratiam iustificantur, et a lege sunt abdicati: et iustificata est sapientia a filiis suis, ab his scilicet qui regnum caelorum fidei iustificatione diripiunt, confitentes iustum sapientiae opus, quod munus suum ad fideles a contumacibus transtulerit
11:20
The Gloss ap. Anselm.
Thus far He had brought His accusation against the Jews in common; now against certain towns by name, in which he had specially preached, and yet they would not be converted; whence it is said, Then began he to upbraid the cities in which most of his mighty works were done, because they had not repented.
St Jerome † AD 420
His upbraiding of the towns of Corozaim, Bethsaida, and Capharnaum, is set forth in this chapter, because He therefore upbraided them, because after He had such mighty works and wonders in them they had not done penitence. Whence He adds, Wo for thee, Corozaim! wo for thee, Bethsaida!
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
That you should not say that they were by nature evil, He names Bethsaida, a town from which the Apostles had come, namely, Philip, and two pair of the chief of the Apostles, Peter and Andrew, James and John.
St Jerome † AD 420
In this word Wo, these towns of Galilee are mourned for by the Saviour, that after so many signs and mighty works, they had not done penitence.
Rabanus Maurus † AD 856
Corozaim, which is interpreted ‘my mystery,’ and Bethsaida, ‘the house of fruits’ or, ‘the house of hunters,’ are towns of Galilee situated on the shore of the sea of Galilee. The Lord therefore mourns for towns which once had the mystery of God, and which ought to have brought forth the fruit of virtues, and into which spiritual hunters had been sent.
St Jerome † AD 420
And to these are preferred Tyre and Sidon, cities given up to idolatry and vices; For if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have long ago done penitence in sackcloth and ashes.
St Gregory the Great † AD 604 Mor. xxxv. 6.
In sackcloth is the roughness which denotes the pricking of the conscience for sin, ashes denote the dust of the dead; and both are wont to be employed in penitence, that the pricking of the sackcloth may remind us of our sins, and the dust of the ash may cause us to reflect what we have become by judgment.
Rabanus Maurus † AD 856
Tyre and Sidon axe cities of Phœnicia. Tyre is interpreted ‘narrowness,’ and Sidon ‘hunting;’ and denote the Gentiles whom the Devil as a hunter drives into the straits of sin; but Jesus the Saviour sets them free by the Gospel.
St Jerome † AD 420
We ask where it is written that the Lord did wonders in Corozaim and Bethsaida? We read above, And he went about the towns and villages, healing all sicknesses, &c. (ch., 9:35.) among the rest, therefore, we may suppose that He wrought signs in Corozaim and Bethsaida.
St Augustine † AD 430 De Don. Pers. 9.
It is not then true that His Gospel was not preached in those times and places, in which He foreknew that all would be such, as were many in His actual presence, who would not even believe on Him when He raised men from the dead. For the Lord Himself bears witness that they of Tyre and Sidon would have done penitence in great humility, had the wonders of the Divine power been done in them. Moreover, if the dead are judged according to those deeds which they would have done had they lived, then because these would have believed had the Gospel been preached to them with so great miracles, surely they should not be punished at all, and yet in the day of judgment they shall be punished; for it follows, But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you. Those then shall be punished with more, these with less severity.
St Jerome † AD 420
This is because Tyre and Sidon had trodden under foot the law of nature only, but these towns after they had transgressed the natural and the written Law, also made light of those wonders which had been wrought among them.
Rabanus Maurus † AD 856
We at this day see the words of the Saviour fulfilled; Corozaim and Bethsaida would not believe when the Lord came to them in person; but Tyre and Sidon have afterwards believed on the preaching of the Apostles.
Remigius † AD 908
Capharnaum was the metropolis of Galilee, and a noted town of that province, and therefore the Lord mentions it particularly, saying, And thou, Capharnaum, shalt thou indeed be exalted to heaven. Thou shalt go down even to hell.
St Jerome † AD 420
In other copies we find, And thou, Capharnaum, that art exalted to heaven, shalt be brought down to hell; and it may be understood in two different ways. Either, thou shalt go down to hell because thou hast proudly resisted my preaching; or, thou that hast been exalted to heaven by entertaining me, and having my mighty wonders done in thee, shalt be visited with the heavier punishment, because thou wouldest not believe even these.
Remigius † AD 908
And they have made the sins not of Sodom only and Gomorrah, but of Tyre and Sidon light in comparison, and therefore it follows, For if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would perhaps have remained unto this day.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
This makes the accusation heavier, for it is a proof of extreme wickedness, that they are worse, not only than any then living, but than the wickedest of all past time.
St Jerome † AD 420
In Capharnaum, which is interpreted ‘the most fair town,’ Jerusalem is condemned, to which it is said by Ezekiel, Sodom is justified by thee. (Ezek. 16:52)
Remigius † AD 908
The Lord, who knows all things, here uses a word expressing uncertainty—perhaps, to shew that freedom of choice is left to men. But I say unto you, it shall be easier for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you. And be it known, that in speaking of the city or country, the Lord does not chide with the buildings and walls, but with the men that inhabit there, by the figure metonymy, putting the thing containing for the thing contained. The words, It shall be easier in the day of judgment, clearly prove that there are divers punishments in hell, as there are divers mansions in the kingdom of heaven.
St Jerome † AD 420
The careful reader will hesitate here; If Tyre and Sidon could have done penitence at the preaching of the Saviour, and His miracles, they are not in fault that they believed not; the sin is his who would not preach to bring them to penitence. To this there is a ready answer, that we know not God’s judgments, and are ignorant of the sacraments of His peculiar dispensations. It was determined by the Lord not to pass the borders of Judæa, that He might not give the Pharisees and Priests a just occasion of persecuting Him, as also He gave commandment to the Apostles, Go not into the way of the Gentiles. Corozaim and Bethsaida are condemned because they would not believe, though Christ Himself was among them—Tyre and Sidon are justified, because they believed His Apostles. You should not enquire into times when you see the salvation of those that believe.
Remigius † AD 908
We may also answer in another way. There were many in Corozaim and Bethsaida who would believe, and many in Tyre and Sidon who would not believe, and therefore were not worthy of the Gospel. The Lord therefore preached to the dwellers in Corozaim and Bethsaida, that they who were to believe, might be able; and preached not in Tyre and Sidon, lest perhaps they who were not to believe, being made worse by contempt of the Gospel, should be punished more heavily.
St Augustine † AD 430 De Don. Pers. 10.
A certain Catholic disputant of some note expounded this place of the Gospel in the following way; That the Lord foreknew that they of Tyre and Sidon would fall from the faith after they had believed the miracles done among them; and that therefore in mercy He did not His miracles there; because they would have incurred the heavier penalty had they lapsed from the faith after having held it, than if they had never held it at all. Or otherwise, The Lord surely foreknew His mercies with which He deigns to deliver us. And this is the predestination of the saints, namely, the foreknowledge and making ready the mercies of God, by which they are most certainly saved, whosoever are saved. The rest are left to the just judgment of God in the general body of the condemned, where they of Tyre and Sidon are left, who might have believed had they seen Christ’s many miracles; but since it was not given them that they should believe, therefore that through which they might have believed was also withheld. From which it appears, that there are certain who have in their dispositions by nature a divine gift of understanding by which they would be moved to faith, if they should either hear words or see signs adapted to their minds. But if they be not by the high sentence of God set apart from the mass of perdition through the predestination of grace, then neither words nor works are set before them by God, which yet, could they have seen or heard them, would have stirred them to believe. In this general mass of perdition are the Jews also left, who could not believe so great and manifest wonders wrought before their eyes. And the cause wherefore they could not believe, the Gospel hath not hidden, speaking thus; Though he did so great miracles before them, yet could they not believe, as Esaias said, I have blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart. (John 12:37) Not in this way then were the eyes of they of Tyre and Sidon blinded, or their heart hardened, for they would have believed had they seen such wonders as these saw. But it profited those not that they could have believed, for that they were not predestinated; neither would it have been any hindrance to these that they had not power to believe, had they been so predestined that God should have enlightened their blindness, and taken away the heart of stone from within them.
St Augustine † AD 430 De Cons. Ev. ii. 32.
Luke also gives this as spoken in continuation of some other of the Lord’s discourses; from which it appears that he has rather followed the actual order of events; Matthew to have followed his recollection. Or the words of Matthew, Then began he to upbraid the towns, must be taken, as some think, as expressing some particular time by the word then, but not referring generally to that time in which the many other things here told were done and said. Whoever, therefore, thinks thus must suppose that this was spoken twice. And when we find in the same Evangelist some things spoken by the Lord at two different times—like that in Luke concerning the not taking a scrip for their journey,—what wonder is it if any thing else, which was twice spoken, is found once severally in two several Gospels in the actual connexion in which it was spoken, which connexion is different, because they are two different occasions on which it is related to have been spoken?
The Latin text
Glossa
Hucusque Iudaeos communiter increpaverat; nunc autem quasi nominatim quasdam civitates increpat, quibus specialiter praedicaverat, nec tamen converti volebant: unde dicitur tunc coepit exprobrare civitatibus in quibus factae sunt plurimae virtutes eius, quia non egissent poenitentiam
Hieronymus
Exprobratio enim civitatum Corozaim et Bethsaidae et Capharnaum, capituli huius titulo panditur, quod ideo exprobraverit eis, quia post factas virtutes et signa quamplurima, non egerint poenitentiam: unde subdit vae tibi, Corozaim, vae tibi, Bethsaida
Chrysostomus in Matth
Ut autem non dicas a natura ipsos esse malos, ponit nomen civitatis, scilicet Bethsaida, a qua quandoque processerunt apostoli; etenim Philippus et duo binarii principalium apostolorum hinc fuerunt: scilicet Petrus et Andreas, Iacobus et Ioannes
Hieronymus
Sed per hoc quod dicit vae, hae urbes Galilaeae a salvatore planguntur, quod post tanta signa atque virtutes non egerint poenitentiam
Rabanus Maurus
Corozaim autem, quae interpretatur mysterium meum, et Bethsaida, quae domus fructuum, vel domus venatorum dicitur, civitates sunt Galilaeae sitae in littore maris Galilaeae. Plangit ergo dominus civitates quae quondam mysterium Dei tenuerunt, et virtutum iam fructum gignere debuerunt, et in quas spiritales venatores sunt missi
Hieronymus
Et praeferuntur eis Tyrus et Sidon urbes idololatriae et vitiis deditae; et ideo sequitur quia si in Tyro et Sidone factae essent virtutes quae factae sunt in vobis, olim in Cilicio et cinere poenitentiam egissent
Gregorius Moralium
In Cilicio quidem asperitas, quae punctio peccatorum, in cinere autem pulvis ostenditur mortuorum: et idcirco utrumque hoc adhiberi ad poenitentiam solet, ut in punctione Cilicii cognoscamus quid per culpam fecimus, et in favilla cineris perpendamus quid per iudicium facti sumus
Rabanus Maurus
Tyrus autem et Sidon sunt urbes Phoenicis. Interpretatur autem Tyrus angustia, et Sidon venatio; et significat gentes quas venator Diabolus in angustia peccatorum comprehendit, sed salvator Iesus per Evangelium absolvit
Hieronymus
Quaerimus autem ubi scriptum sit quod in Corozaim et Bethsaida dominus signa fecerit. Supra legimus: et circuibat civitates omnes et vicos, curans omnem infirmitatem, et reliqua; inter ceteras ergo urbes et viculos existimandum est in Corozaim et in Bethsaida dominum signa fecisse
Augustinus de bono Persev
Non ergo verum est quod his temporibus et his locis Evangelium eius praedicatum non est, in quibus tales omnes futuros esse praesciebat, quales multi in eius corporali praesentia fuerunt, qui in eum nec suscitatis ab eo mortuis credere voluerunt. Ecce enim dominus attestatur quod Tyrii et Sidonii acturi essent magnae humilitatis poenitentiam, si in eis facta essent divinarum signa virtutum. Porro si etiam secundum facta quae facturi essent si viverent, mortui iudicantur; profecto quia fideles futuri erant isti, si eis cum tantis miraculis Evangelium fuisset praedicatum, non sunt utique puniendi, et tamen in die iudicii punientur: sequitur enim verumtamen dico vobis, et cetera. Severius ergo punientur illi, isti remissius
Hieronymus
Quod ideo est, quia Tyrus et Sidon naturalem tantum legem calcaverant: istae vero civitates post transgressionem naturalis legis et scriptae, etiam signa quae apud eos facta sunt, parvi duxerunt
Rabanus Maurus
Impletum autem hodie videmus dictum salvatoris: quia scilicet Corozaim et Bethsaida praesente domino credere noluerunt; Tyrus autem et Sidon, postea evangelizantibus discipulis crediderunt
Remigius
Capharnaum autem metropolis erat Galilaeae, et insignis civitas illius provinciae: et ideo dominus specialiter mentionem illius facit, dicens et tu, Capharnaum, numquid usque in caelum exaltaberis? Usque ad Infernum descendes
Hieronymus
In altero exemplari reperimus: et tu, Capharnaum, quae usque ad caelum exaltata es, usque ad Inferna descendes; et est duplex intelligentia. Vel ideo ad Inferna descendes, quia contra praedicationem meam superbissime restitisti; vel ideo quia exaltata usque in caelum meo hospitio, et meis signis atque virtutibus tantum habens privilegium, maioribus plecteris suppliciis, quod his quoque credere noluisti
Remigius
Non solum autem Tyri et Sidonis, sed ipsa Sodomorum et Gomorrhaeorum fuerunt levia peccata per comparationem: et ideo sequitur quia si in Sodomis factae essent virtutes quae factae sunt in te, forte mansissent usque in hunc diem
Chrysostomus in Matth
In quo augetur eorum accusatio: etenim maxima malitiae demonstratio est, cum non solum his qui tunc erant, sed his qui unquam fuerant mali, apparent deteriores
Hieronymus
In Capharnaum autem, quae interpretatur villa pulcherrima, condemnatur Ierusalem, cum dicitur per Ezechielem: iustificata est Sodoma ex te
Remigius
Ideo autem dominus, qui omnia novit, in hoc loco verbum dubitativum posuit, scilicet forte, ut demonstraret quia liberum arbitrium concessum est hominibus. Sequitur verumtamen dico vobis, quia terrae Sodomorum remissius erit in die iudicii quam vobis. Et sciendum est, quod nomine civitatis vel terrae, non aedificia vel domorum parietes dominus increpat, sed homines in eis commorantes; secundum speciem tropi, quae est metonymia, in qua per hoc quod continet id quod continetur ostenditur. Per hoc autem quod dicit remissius erit in die iudicii, aperte demonstrat quia diversa sunt supplicia in Inferno, sicut et diversae sunt mansiones in regno caelorum
Hieronymus
Quaerat autem prudens lector, et dicat: si Tyrus et Sidon et Sodoma potuerunt agere poenitentiam ad praedicationem salvatoris, signorumque miracula, non sunt in culpa, quia non crediderunt; sed vitii silentium in eo est qui acturis poenitentiam noluit praedicare. Ad quod facilis et aperta est responsio: ignorare nos iudicia Dei, et singularium eius dispensationum sacramenta nescire. Propositum fuerat domino Iudaeae fines non excedere, ne iustam Pharisaeis et sacerdotibus occasionem persecutionis daret: unde et apostolis praecepit: in viam gentium ne abieritis. Corozaim et Bethsaida damnantur, quod praesente domino credere noluerunt; Tyrus et Sidon iustificantur, quod apostolis illius crediderunt. Non quaeras tempora, cum credentium intuearis salutem
Remigius
Solvitur autem et aliter. Fortassis erant plurimi in Corozaim et Bethsaida qui credituri erant; et erant multi in Tyro et Sidone qui non erant credituri; et ideo non erant digni Evangelio. Dominus ergo ideo habitatoribus Corozaim et Bethsaidae praedicavit, ut illi qui credituri erant, crederent; et habitatoribus Tyri et Sidonis praedicare noluit, ne forte illi qui non erant credituri, contemptu Evangelii deteriores facti atrocius punirentur
Augustinus de bono Persev
Quidam autem disputator Catholicus non ignobilis hunc Evangelii locum sic exposuit ut diceret, praescisse dominum Tyrios et Sidonios a fide fuisse postea recessuros, cum factis apud se miraculis credidissent; et misericordia potius non eum illic ista fecisse, quoniam graviori poenae obnoxii fierent, si fidem quam tenuerant reliquissent, quam si eam nullo tempore tenuissent. Vel aliter. Praescivit profecto Deus beneficia sua, quibus nos liberare dignatur. Haec autem est praedestinatio sanctorum, praescientia scilicet et praeparatio beneficiorum Dei, quibus certissime liberantur quicumque liberantur. Ceteri autem non nisi in massa perditionis iusto divino iudicio relinquuntur, ubi Tyrii relicti sunt et Sidonii, qui etiam credere poterant, si multa Christi signa vidissent; sed quoniam ut crederent non eis erat datum, et unde crederent est negatum. Ex quo apparet habere quosdam in ipso ingenio divinum naturaliter munus intelligentiae, quo moveantur ad fidem, si congrua suis mentibus vel audiant verba vel signa conspiciant: et tamen si Dei altiore iudicio a perditionis massa non sunt gratiae praedestinatione discreti, nec ipsa eis adhibentur vel dicta divina vel facta, per quae possent credere, si audirent utique talia vel viderent. In eadem perditionis massa relicti sunt etiam Iudaei, qui non potuerunt credere factis in conspectu suo tam magnis clarisque virtutibus. Cur enim non poterant credere, non tacuit Evangelium dicens: dum autem tanta signa fecisset coram eis, non poterant credere, quia dixit Isaias: excaecavi oculos illorum, et induravi cor eorum. Non erant ergo sic excaecati oculi nec sic induratum cor Tyriorum et Sidoniorum: quia credidissent, si qualia viderunt isti, signa vidissent. Sed nec illis profuit quod poterant credere quia praedestinati non erant, nec istis obfuisset quod non poterant credere, si ita praedestinati essent ut eos caecos dominus illuminaret, et induratis cor lapideum vellet auferre
Augustinus de Cons. Evang
Hoc autem quod hic dicitur, etiam Lucas commemorat, continuatim cuidam sermoni domini etiam hoc ex ipsius ore coniungens; unde magis videtur ipse hoc ordine illa commemorare quo a domino dicta sunt; Matthaeus autem suae recordationis ordinem tenuisse. Aut illud quod Matthaeus ait tunc coepit exprobrare civitatibus, sic accipiendum putant ut punctum ipsum temporis voluisse credatur exprimere, in hoc quod est tunc; non autem ipsum tempus aliquanto latius quo hic multa gerebantur et dicebantur. Quisque ergo hoc credit, credat hoc esse bis dictum. Cum enim apud unum Evangelistam inveniantur quaedam quae bis dixerat dominus, sicut apud Lucam de non tollenda pera in via; quid mirum si aliquid aliud bis dictum sigillatim a singulis dicitur eodem ordine quo dictum est? Et ideo diversus ordo apparet in singulis: quia et tunc quando ille, et tunc quando iste commemorat, dictum est
11:25
The Gloss non occ.
Because the Lord knew that many would doubt respecting the foregoing matter, namely, that the Jews would not receive Christ whom the Gentile world has so willingly received, He here makes answer to their thoughts; And Jesus answered and said, I confess unto thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.
The Gloss ord.
That is, Who makest of heaven, or leavest in earthliness, whom Thou wilt. Or literally,
St Augustine † AD 430 Serm. 67. 1.
If Christ, from whom all sin is far, said, I confess, confession is not proper for the sinner only, but sometimes also for him that gives thanks. We may confess either by praising God, or by accusing ourselves. When He said, I confess unto thee, it is, I praise Thee, not I accuse Myself.
St Jerome † AD 420
Let those hear who falsely argue, that the Saviour was not born but created, how He calls His Father Lord of heaven and earth. For if He be a creature, and the creature can call its Maker Father, it was surely foolish here to address Him as Lord of heaven and earth, and not of Him (Christ) likewise. He gives thanks that His coming has opened to the Apostles sacraments, which the Scribes and Pharisees knew not, who seemed to themselves wise, and understanding in their own eyes; That thou hast hid these things from the wise and understanding, and hast revealed them unto babes.
St Augustine † AD 430 Serm. 67. 5.
That the wise and understanding are to be taken as the proud, Himself opens to us when He says, and hast revealed them unto babes; for who are babes but the humble?
St Gregory the Great † AD 604 Mor. xxvii. 13.
He says not’ to the foolish,’ but to babes, shewing that He condemns pride, not understanding.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Horn. xxxviii.
Or when He says, The wise, He does not speak of true wisdom, but of that which the Scribes and Pharisees seemed to have by their speech. Wherefore He said not, ‘And hast revealed them to the foolish,’ but, to babes, that is, uneducated, or simple; teaching us in all things to keep ourselves from pride, and to seek humility.
St Hilary † AD 367
The hidden things of heavenly words and their power are hid from the wise, and revealed to the babes; babes, that is, in malice, not in understanding; hid from the wise because of their presumption of their own wisdom, not because of their wisdom.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
That it is revealed to the one is matter of joy, that it is hid from the other not of joy, but of sorrow; He does not therefore joy on this account, but He joys that these have known what the wise have not known.
St Hilary † AD 367
The justice of this the Lord confirms by the sentence of the Father’s will, that they who disdain to be made babes in God, should become fools in their own wisdom; and therefore He adds, Even so, Father; for so it seemed good before thee.
St Gregory the Great † AD 604 Mor. xxv. 14.
In which words we have a lesson of humility, that we should not rashly presume to discuss the counsels of heaven concerning the calling of some, and the rejection of others shewing that that cannot be unrighteous which is willed by Him that is righteous.
St Jerome † AD 420
In these words moreover He speaks to the Father with the desire of one petitioning, that His mercy begun in the Apostles might be completed in them.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
These things which the Lord spoke to His disciples, made them more zealous. As afterwards they thought great things of themselves, because they cast out dæmons, therefore He here reproves them; for what they had, was by revelation, not by their own efforts. The Scribes who esteemed themselves wise and understanding were excluded because of them-pride, and therefore He says, Since on this account the mysteries of God were hid from them, fear ye, and abide as babes, for this it is that has made you partakers in the revelation. But as when Paul says, God gave them, over to a reprobate mind, (Rom. 1:28), he does not mean that God did this, but they who gave Him cause, so here, Thou hast hid these things from the wise and understanding. And wherefore were they hid from them? Hear Paul speaking, Seeking to set up their own righteousness, they were not subject to the righteousness of God (Rom. 10:3.)
The Latin text
Chrysostomus super Matth
Quia sciebat dominus multos de superiori quaestione dubitaturos, scilicet quod Iudaei Christum non receperunt, quem gentilitas tam prona suscepit, respondet his cogitationibus eorum; et ideo dicit respondens Iesus dixit: confiteor tibi, pater domine caeli et terrae
Glossa
Idest, qui facis caelos, et relinquis in terrenitate quos vis. Vel ad litteram
Augustinus de Verb. Dom
Si Christus dixit confiteor, a quo longe est omne peccatum, confessio non est solius peccatoris, sed aliquando etiam laudatoris. Confitemur ergo sive laudantes Deum, sive accusantes nosmetipsos. Dixit ergo confiteor tibi; idest, laudo te, non accuso me
Hieronymus
Audiant ergo qui salvatorem non natum, sed creatum calumniantur, quod patrem suum vocet caeli et terrae dominum. Si enim et ipse creatura est, et creatura conditorem suum patrem appellare potest, stultum fuit non et sui, et caeli, et terrae dominum, vel patrem similiter appellare. Gratias autem agit, quod apostolis adventus sui aperuerit sacramenta, quae ignoraverunt Scribae et Pharisaei, qui sibi sapientes videntur et in conspectu suo prudentes: et ideo sequitur quia abscondisti haec a sapientibus et prudentibus, et revelasti ea parvulis
Augustinus de Verb. Dom
Nomine sapientum et prudentum superbos intelligi posse ipse exposuit, cum ait revelasti ea parvulis: quid enim est parvulis, nisi humilibus?
Gregorius Moralium
Quod enim non subiungit: revelasti ea stultis, sed parvulis, tumorem se damnasse innuit, non acumen
Chrysostomus in Matth
Vel dicens sapientes, non veram sapientiam dicit, sed eam quam videbantur Scribae et Pharisaei ab eloquentia habere. Propter hoc neque dixit: revelasti ea stultis, sed parvulis, idest informibus aut rusticis; in quo erudit nos per omnia ab elatione erui, humilitatem autem zelare
Hilarius in Matth
Caelestium ergo verborum arcana atque virtutes sapientibus absconduntur, et parvulis revelantur; parvulis malitia, non sensu; sapientibus vero stultitiae suae praesumptione, non sapientiae causa
Chrysostomus in Matth
Revelatum autem esse his, dignum est laetitia; occultari autem his, non laetitia, sed lacrymis dignum est. Non ergo propter hoc laetatur, sed quoniam quae sapientes non cognoverunt, cognoverunt hi
Hilarius
Facti autem huius aequitatem dominus paternae voluntatis iudicio confirmat; ut qui indignantur parvuli in Deo fieri, stulti deinceps in sapientia sua fiant: et ideo subditur ita, pater, quoniam sic placitum fuit ante te
Gregorius Moralium
Quibus verbis exempla humilitatis accipimus, ne temere discutere superna consilia de aliorum vocatione, aliorum vero repulsione praesumamus: ostendens quod iniustum esse non potest quod placuit iusto
Hieronymus
In his etiam verbis blandientis affectu loquitur ad patrem, ut coeptum in apostolis compleatur beneficium
Chrysostomus in Matth
Haec autem quae dominus discipulis dixit, studiosiores eos fecerunt: quia enim consequens erat eos de se magna sapere, quia Daemones abigebant, ideo hic eos reprimit: revelatio enim erat quod eis factum est, non illorum studium; ideoque Scribae, sapientes et prudentes existimantes se esse, exciderunt propter proprium tumorem; unde si propter hoc ab eis abscondita sunt Dei mysteria: timete, dicit, et vos, et manete parvuli: hoc enim fecit vos revelatione potiri. Sicut autem cum Paulus dicit: tradidit illos Deus in reprobum sensum, non hoc dicit inducens Deum hoc agentem, sed illos qui causam tribuerunt, ita et hic abscondisti haec a sapientibus et prudentibus. Et propter quid abscondita sunt ab illis? Audi Paulum dicentem quoniam quaerentes propriam iustitiam statuere, iustitiae Dei non sunt subiecti
11:27
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
Because He had said, I confess unto thee, Father, because thou hast hid these things from the wise, that you should not suppose that He thus thanks the Father as though He Himself was excluded from this power, He adds, All things are committed to me by my Father. Hearing the words are committed, do not admit suspicion of any thing human, for He uses this word that you may not think there be two gods unbegotten. For at the time that He was begotten He was Lord of all.
St Jerome † AD 420
For if we conceive of this thing according to our weakness, when he who receives begins to have, he who gives begins to be without. Or when He says, All things are committed to him, He may mean, not the heaven and earth and the elements, and the rest of the things which He created and made, but those who through the Son have access to the Father.
St Hilary † AD 367
Or that we may not think that there is any thing less in Him than in God, therefore He says this.
St Augustine † AD 430 cont. Maximin. ii. 12.
For if He has aught less in His power than the Father has, then all that the Father has, are not His; for by begetting Him the Father gave power to the Son, as by begetting Him He gave all things which He has in His substance to Him whom He begot of His substance.
St Hilary † AD 367
And also in the mutual knowledge between the Father and the Son, He teaches us that there is nothing in the Son beyond what was in the Father, for it follows, And none knoweth the Son but the Father, nor does any man know the Father but the Son.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
By this that He only knows the Father, He shews covertly that He is of one substance with the Father. As though He had said, What wonder if I be Lord of all, when I have somewhat yet greater, namely to know the Father and to be of the same substance with Him?
St Hilary † AD 367
For this mutual knowledge proclaims that they are of one substance, since He that should know the Son, should know the Father also in the Son, since all things were delivered to Him by the Father.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
When He says, Neither does any know the Father but the Son, He does not mean that all men are altogether ignorant of Him; but that none knows Him with that knowledge wherewith He knows Him; which may also be said of the Son. For it is not said of some unknown God (i. e. who was not the Creator.) as Marcion declares.
St Augustine † AD 430 De Trin. i. 8.
And because their substance is inseparable, it is enough sometimes to name the Father, sometimes the Son, nor is it possible to separate from either His Spirit, who is especially called the Spirit of truth.
St Jerome † AD 420
Let the heretic Eunomius therefore blush hereat who claims to himself such a knowledge of the Father and the Son, as they have one of anothera. But if he argues from what follows, and props up his madness by that, And he to whom the Son will reveal him, it is one thing to know what you know by equality with God, another to know it by His vouchsafing to reveal it.
St Augustine † AD 430 De Trin. vii. 3.
The Father is revealed by the Son, that is, by His Word. For if the temporal and transitory word which we utter both shews itself, and what we wish to convey, how much more the Word of God by which all things were made, which so shews the Father as He is Father, because itself is the same and in the same manner as the Father.
St Augustine † AD 430 Quæst. Ev. i. 1.
When He said, None knoweth the Son but the Father, He did not add, And he to whom the Father will reveal the Son. But when He said, None knoweth the Father but the Son, He added, And he to whom the Son will reveal him. But this must not be so understood as though the Son could be known by none but by the Father only; while the Father may be known not only by the Son, but also by those to whom the Son shall reveal Him. But it is rather expressed thus, that we may understand that both the Father and the Son Himself are revealed by the Son, inasmuch as He is the light of our mind; and what is afterwards added, And he to whom the Son will reveal, is to be understood as spoken of the Son as well as the Father, and to refer to the whole of what had been said. For the Father declares Himself by His Word, but the Word declares not only that which is intended to be declared by it, but in declaring this declares itself.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
If then He reveals the Father, He reveals Himself also. But the one he omits as a thing manifest, but mentions the other because there might be a doubt concerning it. Herein also He instructs us that He is so one with the Father, that it is not possible for any to come to the Father, but through the Son. For this had above all things given offence, that He seemed to be against God, and therefore He strove by all means to overthrow this notion.
The Latin text
Chrysostomus in Matth
Quia dixerat: confiteor tibi, pater, quoniam abscondisti haec a sapientibus, ut non existimes quoniam ita gratias agit patri, sicut si ipse sit hac virtute privatus, consequenter adiungit omnia mihi tradita sunt a patre meo. Cum autem audieris quoniam tradita sunt, nihil humanum suspiceris: ut enim non duos deos ingenitos esse aestimes, hanc ponit dictionem. Simul enim cum genitus est, omnium dominator fuit
Hieronymus
Alioquin si iuxta nostram fragilitatem sentire volumus, cum coeperit habere qui accepit, incipiet non habere qui dedit. Vel tradita sibi omnia, non caelum et terra et elementa intelligenda sunt, et cetera quae ipse fecit et condidit; sed hi qui per filium accessum habent ad patrem
Hilarius
Vel hoc dixit ne quid in illo minus quam quod in Deo est, aestimaretur
Augustinus contra maximum
Nam si minus habet in potestate aliquid quam pater, non sunt eius omnia quae habet pater: gignendo enim dedit pater potentiam filio, sicut omnia, quae habet in substantia sua, gignendo dedit ei quem genuit de substantia sua
Hilarius in Matth
Deinde in mutua cognitione patris et filii dat intelligere non aliud in filio quam quod in patre extitisse: sequitur enim et nemo novit filium nisi pater, neque patrem quis novit nisi filius
Chrysostomus in Matth
Ex eo enim quod solus patrem novit, latenter ostendit eiusdem se esse substantiae; ac si diceret: quid mirum est, si omnium sum dominator, cum aliquid aliud maius habeam, scilicet scire patrem, et eiusdem esse substantiae?
Hilarius in Matth
Eamdem enim utriusque in mutua cognitione docet esse substantiam; cum qui filium cognosceret, patrem quoque cogniturus esset in filio, quia omnia ei a patre sunt tradita
Chrysostomus super Matth
Cum autem dicat neque patrem aliquis cognoscit nisi filius, hoc ait non quoniam eum omnes omnino ignorent, sed quoniam cognitione qua ipse eum novit, nullus eum scit; quod et de filio dicendum est. Neque etiam de ignoto quodam Deo hoc dixit, sicut Marcion ait
Augustinus de Trin
Denique propter substantiae inseparabilitatem sufficienter aliquando nominatur vel solus pater vel solus filius: nec inde separatur utriusque spiritus, qui proprie dicitur spiritus veritatis
Hieronymus
Erubescat ergo Eunomius haereticus tantam sibi notitiam patris et filii quantam ad alterutrum inter se habent, vindicans. Quod si inde contendit, et suam consolatur insaniam, quia sequitur et cui voluerit filius revelare; aliud est naturae aequalitate nosse quod noveris, aliud revelantis dignatione
Augustinus de Trin
Revelatur autem pater per filium, idest per verbum suum. Si enim hoc verbum quod nos proferimus temporale et transitorium, et seipsum ostendit, et illud de quo loquimur, quanto magis verbum Dei, per quod facta sunt omnia, quod ita ostendit patrem sicuti est pater, quia et ipsum ita est et hoc est quod pater?
Augustinus de quaest. Evang
Cum autem diceret nemo novit filium nisi pater, non dixit: et cui voluerit pater filium revelare; sed cum diceret nemo novit patrem nisi filius, addidit et cui voluerit filius revelare: quod non ita intelligendum est quasi filius a nullo possit agnosci nisi a patre solo, pater autem non solum a filio, sed etiam ab eis quibus revelaverit filius: sic enim potius dictum est, ut intelligamus patrem et ipsum filium per filium revelari, quia ipse est mentis nostrae lumen; et quod postea intulit et cui voluerit filius revelare, non tantum patrem, sed etiam filium accipiamus: ad totum enim quod dixit, illatum est: verbo enim suo se pater declarat; verbum autem non solum id quod per verbum declaratur, sed etiam seipsum declarat
Chrysostomus super Matth
Si ergo patrem revelat, et seipsum revelat. Sed hoc quidem ut manifestum dimisit; illud autem posuit, quia scilicet poterat esse dubium. Per hoc etiam instruit quod adeo concordat patri quod non est possibile aliquem venire ad patrem nisi per filium: hoc enim maxime scandalizabat, quod videbatur Deo contrarius; et ideo per omnia hoc destruere studuit
11:28
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
By what He had said, He brought His disciples to have a desire towards Him, shewing them His unspeakable excellence; and now He invites them to Him, saying, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden.
St Augustine † AD 430 Serm. 69. 1.
Whence do we all thus labour, but that we are mortal men, bearing vessels of clay which cause us much difficulty. But if the vessels of flesh are straitened, the regions of love will be enlarged. To what end then does He say, Come unto me, all ye that labour, but that ye should not labour?
St Hilary † AD 367
He calls to Him those that were labouring under the hardships of the Law, and those who are burdened with the sins of this world.
St Jerome † AD 420
That the burden of sin is heavy the Prophet Zachariah bears witness, saying, that wickedness sitteth upon a talent of lead. (Zech. 5:7.) And the Psalmist fills it up, Thy iniquities are grown heavy upon me. (Ps. 38:4)
St Gregory the Great † AD 604 Mor. xxx. 15.
For a cruel yoke and hard weight of servitude it is to be subject to the things of time, to be ambitious of the things of earth, to cling to falling things, to seek to stand in things that stand not, to desire things that pass away, but to be unwilling to pass away with them. For while all things fly away against our wish, those things which had first harassed the mind in desire of gaining them, now oppress it with fear of losing them.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
He said not, Come ye, this man and that man, but All whosoever are in trouble, in sorrow, or in sin, not that I may exact punishment of you, but that I may remit your sins. Come ye, not that I have need of your glory, but that I seek your salvation. And I will refresh you; not, I will save you, only; but that is much greater, I will refresh you, that is, I will set you in all quietness.
Rabanus Maurus † AD 856 non occ.
I will not only take from you your burden, but will satisfy you with inward refreshment.
Remigius † AD 908
Come, He says, not with the feet, but with the life, not in the body, but in faith. For that is a spiritual approach by which any man approaches God; and therefore it follows, Take my yoke upon you.
Rabanus Maurus † AD 856
The yoke of Christ is Christ’s Gospel, which joins and yokes together Jews and Gentiles in the unity of the faith. This we are commanded to take upon us, that is, to have in honour; lest perchance setting it beneath us, that is wrongly despising it, we should trample upon it with the miry feet of unholiness; wherefore He adds, Learn of me.
St Augustine † AD 430 Serm. 69. 1.
Not to create a world, or to do miracles in that world; but that I am meek and lowly in heart. Wouldest thou be great? Begin with the least. Wouldest thou build up a mighty fabric of greatness? First think of the foundation of humility; for the mightier building any seeks to raise, the deeper let him dig for his foundation. Whither is the summit of our building to rise? To the sight of God.
Rabanus Maurus † AD 856
We must learn then from our Saviour to be meek in temper, and lowly in mind; let us hurt none, let us despise none, and the virtues which we have shewn in deed let us retain in our heart.
St John Chrysostom † AD 407
And therefore in beginning the Divine Law He begins with humility, and sets before us a great reward, saying, And ye shall find rest for your souls. This is the highest reward, you shall not only be made useful to others, but shall make yourself to have peace; and He gives you the promise of it before it comes, but when it is come, you shall rejoice in perpetual rest. And that they might not be afraid because He had spoken of a burden, therefore He adds, For my yoke is pleasant, and my burden light.
St Hilary † AD 367
He holds forth the inducements of a pleasant yoke, and a light burden, that to them that believe He may afford the knowledge of that good which He alone knoweth in the Father.
St Gregory the Great † AD 604 Mor. iv. 33.
What burden is it to put upon the neck of our mind that He bids us shun all desire that disturbs, and turn from the toilsome paths of this world?
St Hilary † AD 367
And what is more pleasant than that yoke, what lighter than that burden? To be made better, to abstain from wickedness, to choose the good, and refuse the evil, to love all men, to hate none, to gain eternal things, not to be taken with things present, to be unwilling to do that to another which yourself would be pained to suffer.
Rabanus Maurus † AD 856
But how is Christ’s yoke pleasant, seeing it was said above, Narrow is the way which leadeth unto life? (Mat. 7:14.) That which is entered upon by a narrow entrance is in process of time made broad by the unspeakable sweetness of love.
St Augustine † AD 430 Serm. 70. 1.
So then they who with unfearing neck have submitted to the yoke of the Lord endure such hardships and dangers, that they seem to be called not from labour to rest, but from rest to labour. But the Holy Spirit was there who, as the outward man decayed, renewed the inward man day by day, and giving a foretaste of spiritual rest in the rich pleasures of God in the hope of blessedness to come, smoothed all that seemed rough, lightened all that was heavy. Men suffer amputations and burnings, that at the price of sharper pain they may be delivered from torments less but more lasting, as boils or swellings. What storms and dangers will not merchants undergo that they may acquire perishing riches? Even those who love not riches endure the same hardships; but those that love them endure the same, but to them they are not hardships. For love makes right easy, and almost nought all things however dreadful and monstrous. How much more easily then does love do that for true happiness, which avarice does for misery as far as it can?
St Jerome † AD 420
And how is the Gospel lighter than the Law, seeing in the Law murder and adultery, but under the Gospel anger and concupiscence also, are punished? Because by the Law many things are commanded which the Apostle fully teaches us cannot be fulfilled; by the Law works are required, by the Gospel the will is sought for, which even if it goes not into act, yet does not lose its reward. The Gospel commands what we can do, as that we lust not; this is in our own power; the Law punishes not the will but the act, as adultery. Suppose a virgin to have been violated in time of persecution; as here was not the will she is held as a virgin under the Gospel; under the Law she is cast out as defiled.
The Latin text
Chrysostomus in Matth
Per ea quae dicta sunt, in desiderium sui discipulos constituerat, ostendens ineffabilem suam virtutem; nunc autem eos ad se vocat, dicens venite ad me, omnes qui laboratis et onerati estis
Augustinus de Verb. Dom
Quare enim omnes laboramus, nisi quia sumus homines mortales, lutea vasa portantes, quae faciunt invicem angustias? Sed si angustiantur vasa carnis, dilatentur spatia caritatis. Ad quid ergo dicit venite ad me, omnes qui laboratis, nisi ut non laboretis?
Hilarius in Matth
Legis etiam difficultatibus laborantes et peccatis saeculi oneratos ad se advocat
Hieronymus
Gravia enim esse onera peccati, et Zacharias propheta testatur iniquitatem dicens sedere super talentum plumbi. Et Psalmista complevit: iniquitates meae aggravatae sunt super me
Gregorius Moralium
Asperum etiam iugum et durum servitutis pondus est subesse temporalibus, ambire terrena, retinere labentia, velle stare in non stantibus, appetere quidem transeuntia, sed cum transeuntibus nolle transire. Dum enim contra votum cuncta fugiunt, quae prius mentem ex desiderio adeptionis afflixerant, post ex pavore amissionis premunt
Chrysostomus in Matth
Non autem dicit: venite ille et ille; sed omnes qui in sollicitudinibus, qui in tristitiis, qui in peccatis estis; non ut expetam noxas, sed ut solvam peccata. Venite, non quoniam indigeo vestra gloria, sed quia volo vestram salutem: unde dicit et ego reficiam vos; non dixit: salvabo solum; sed, quod multo amplius erat, reficiam vos; idest, in omni quiete constituam
Rabanus Maurus
Non solum exonerabo, sed interna refectione saturabo
Remigius
Venite, dicit, non pedibus, sed moribus; non corpore, sed fide. Iste namque est spiritualis accessus, quo quisque Deo appropinquat; et ideo sequitur tollite iugum meum super vos
Rabanus Maurus
Iugum Christi est Evangelium Christi, quod Iudaeos et gentes in unitate fidei coniungit et sociat. Hoc autem super nos iubemur sumere, idest in honore habere, ne forte subtus ponentes, idest illud prave contemnentes, lutulentis pedibus vitiorum conculcemus: unde subditur discite a me
Augustinus de Verb. Dom
Non mundum fabricare, non in ipso mundo miracula facere; sed quia mitis sum et humilis corde. Magnus esse vis? A minimo incipe. Cogitas magnam fabricam constituere celsitudinis? De fundamento prius cogita humilitatis. Et quanto quisque vult superponere maius aedificium, tanto altius fodiat fundamentum. Quo autem perventurum est cacumen nostri aedificii? Usque ad conspectum Dei
Rabanus Maurus
Discendum ergo nobis est a salvatore nostro ut simus mites moribus et humiles mentibus: neminem laedamus, neminem contemnamus, et virtutes quas foris ostendimus in opere, intus teneamus in corde
Chrysostomus in Matth
Et ideo incipiens divinas leges, ab humilitate incipit; et maximum praemium ponit, dicens et invenietis requiem animabus vestris. Hoc maximum est praemium: non enim alteri efficeris utilis solum, sed teipsum requiescere facis; et ante futura hanc tibi dat promissionem; in futuro autem perpetua gaudebis requie
Chrysostomus
Et ne formidarent quia dixerat onus et iugum, subdit iugum enim meum suave est, et onus meum leve
Hilarius
Iugi autem suavis et levis oneris blandimenta proponit, ut credentibus eius boni scientiam praestet quod ipse solus novit in patre
Gregorius Moralium
Quid grave mentis nostrae cervicibus imponit qui vitare omne desiderium quod perturbat praecipit, qui declinare laboriosa mundi huius itinera monet?
Hilarius in Matth
Et quid iugo ipso suavius, quid onere levius? Probatiorem fieri, scelere abstinere, bonum velle, malum nolle, amare omnes, odisse nullum, aeterna consequi, praesentibus non capi, nolle inferre alteri quod sibi perpeti sit molestum
Rabanus Maurus
Sed quomodo iugum Christi suave, cum supra dicatur: arcta est via quae ducit ad vitam? Sed quod angusto initio incipitur, processu temporis ineffabili dilectionis dulcedine dilatatur
Augustinus de Verb. Dom
Item qui iugum domini intrepida cervice subierunt, tam difficilia pericula patiuntur, ut non a laboribus ad quietem, sed a quiete ad laborem vocari videantur. Sed profecto aderat spiritus sanctus, qui in exterioris hominis corruptione interiorem renovaret de die in diem; et gustata requie spirituali in affluentia deliciarum Dei in spe futurae beatitudinis, omnia praesentia deliniret aspera, et omnia gravia relevaret. Secari et uri se homines patiuntur, ut dolores non aeterni, sed aliquanto diuturnioris ulceris, acriorum dolorum pretio redimantur. Quibus tempestatibus vel poenis importuni sunt mercatores, ut divitias perituras acquirant? Sed qui has non amant, eadem gravia patiuntur; qui vero amant, eadem quidem, sed non gravia patiuntur. Omnia enim saeva et immania, prorsus facilia et prope nulla efficit amor; quanto ergo facilius ad veram beatitudinem caritas facit quod ad miseriam, quantum potuit, cupiditas fecit?
Hieronymus
Quomodo etiam levius est lege Evangelium, cum in lege homicidium et adulterium, in Evangelio ira concupiscentiaque puniantur; in lege enim multa praecepta sunt, quae apostolus non posse compleri plenissime docet: in lege opera requiruntur; in Evangelio voluntas quaeritur, quae etsi effectum non habuerit, tamen praemium non amittit. Evangelium ea praecipit quae possumus, ne scilicet concupiscamus: hoc in nostro arbitrio est; lex cum voluntatem non puniat, punit effectum, ne adulterium facias. Finge in persecutione aliquam virginem prostitutam: haec apud Evangelium, quia voluntate non peccat, virgo suscipitur; in lege quasi corrupta repudiatur
11:1
And it came to pass, &c. He passed from thence: That means, He separated Himself from His Apostles, whom He sent to preach the Gospel by themselves, both that they might prepare the way for Christ who was about to follow them, and that they might make trial of themselves and their courage in this Mission, being separated from their Master. What the Apostles did when thus sent forth by Christ, S. Matthew is silent upon, but S. Luke relates it (Luk 9:6), and so does S. Mark (6:12).
That they should teach and preach in their cities: i.e., in the cities of the Jews and the Galilæans, to whom He sent them. Note the Hebraism here. For the Heb. frequently leaves unexpressed the antecedent of the relative, or demonstrative pronoun, but leaves it to be understood from the circumstances of the case by the reader or hearer. There are similar instances to be found in Psa 99:8, 2Sa 17:24, &c.
11:2
When John had heard in the prison, Vulg. in chains. When He had heard from his disciples, as Luke says (Luk 9:18), from whence it is equally plain that there is here a hysterlogia, and that what S. Matthew here relates concerning John, from the 2nd to the 20th verse, happened before the Mission of the Apostles, to which he himself referred. In chains, Syr. in the house of those who are bound, that is when Herod had shut him up because he reproved his adultery with Herodias. John then, a little before his martyrdom, sent these disciples to Christ in the thirty-second year of Christ's age, which was the second year of His preaching, when He was becoming famous by His doctrine and miracles, that they might learn from Himself that He was the very Messiah, or Christ, that when John was dead they might go to Him. For otherwise they might have made a schism from Christ, and preferred John as their master to Christ. For that they thought more highly of John than of Christ is plain from Mat 9:14. As therefore the runners in the Stadium hand on the lamp to the runner who succeeds them in the course, so did John-when he had fulfilled his office and ministry, resign it to Christ. And, as the dayspring dies away into the rising sun, so did John pale before Christ. For John was the morning star of the sun of righteousness. Wherefore, not only did he not envy Christ His rising glory when his own was setting, but rejoiced at it. Yea, he desired to set, that Christ might arise, for he was ambitious not of his own glory, but of God's and Christ's glory. Wherefore he said, "It behoveth Him to increase, but me to decrease." And saith, &c. He that should come, Gr. ό ε̉ρχόμενος, the coming one, namely, that great Prophet, the Redeemer of Israel, the Saviour of the World, the Messias promised by all the Prophets, and most ardently longed for by the Fathers, who at this time, now that the prophecies concerning Hirn are fulfilled, is by all looked for as coming. He alludes to the prophecy of the Patriarch Jacob, "The sceptre shall not be taken away from Judah," &c. Gen 49:10. From these words of John, Tertullian (De Baptism, c. 10) and Justin (Quest. 38 ad Orthodox) think that John doubted concerning Jesus whether He were the Christ or not, but falsely, for John had already seen the Spirit descending upon Him in the form of a dove, and had heard the Father's voice saying, This is my beloved Son. And John had already given the clearest testimony to Him, when he said, Behold the Lamb of God. Others think that John did not doubt whether Jesus were the Christ, but only asked whether, after death, He would come into Limbus, and visit and deliver the Fathers who were detained there. So S. Jerome, "He did not say, Art Thou He who hast come, but art Thou He who wilt come? And the meaning is, Tell me, since I am about to descend into Hades, whether also I shall announce Thee to the shades below, as I have announced Thee in the upper world? Or, is it not fitting that the Son of God should taste of death, and wilt Thou send another for these mysteries?" So, too, S. Gregory. But this opinion is little apposite or probable. I say, therefore, that John sends his disciples, and asks Jesus whether He be the Coming One, i.e., the Messias, not as doubting about Him, but because, being near death, he wished his hesitating disciples to be instructed concerning Him, that they might be led to Christ. So SS. Hil., Chrys., Cyril. Observe, too, the prudence of S. John. He in his own name asks Jesus if He be the Christ, because his disciples would not, of themselves, have dared to propose such a question. For he is the best physician who, to cure a sick man, acts as though he were sick himself, and takes nauseous medicine. So S. Paul says, "Who is weak, and I am not weak?"
11:4
And Jesus answering, &c. These miracles which ye have seen Me perform are the marks of the true Messiah, given by Isa 35:5, and Isa 61:1. This is why S. Luke adds, In the selfsame hour He healed many of their diseases and plagues and evil spirits, and to many that were blind He gave sight. For neither Elijah, nor Elisha, nor any other prophet did so many and such great miracles as Christ. Wherefore S. Cyril (lib. 2 Thesaur. c. 4) says, "Christ, both by the greatness and the multitude of His miracles, shewed Himself to be the Messiah." You may add, by His beneficence. For although Moses shewed many miracles in the ten plagues of Egypt, yet did he not heal the Egyptians, but afflicted and slew them. But "Christ went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil." Wherefore His hands are said to be "versatile" (Son 5:14, Vulg.), that is, active in doing good to all; and "full of hyacinths" (Vulg.), i.e., of heavenly works, miracles and kindnesses.
11:5
The blind see, &c. He alludes to Isa 34:4. "Our God Himself shall come and save us." (Vulg.): "then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, &c." Also to Is. lxi. 1.
The poor have the Gospel preached, &c. Theophylact and Euthym. take the verb ευ̉αχχελίξονται, actively, meaning, the poor Apostles preach the Gospel. But the verb is passive, and so the Syriac translates it. The meaning is, "I evangelize the poor, I preach the Gospel to them, and they receive it eagerly, though the rich reject it." He alludes to, indeed he quotes, Is. lxi. 1, "He hath sent me to announce to the meek," where the LXX., instead of anavim, the meek, read aniim, the poor: and trans., he hath sent me to evangelize the poor, not the poor by necessity, but those who are poor in spirit, and consequently, meek and gentle. More simply, by the poor, you may understand such as the Apostles and the multitudes. For Christ preached to them that He might shew that the souls of the poor are equally precious before God with those of the rich; and therefore God made both equal in the Gospel. Dost thou then wish to imitate Christ? Teach the poor, guide, solace, help them.
11:6
And blessed is he, &c. i.e., who shall not be offended at my lowly conversation. The Syriac is, Blessed is he who shall not stumble at Me. For as S. Greg. says (Horn. vi.), "I do indeed marvellous things, but I do not disdain to suffer shameful things." There is a tacit reference to the disciples of John, who were offended at His lowliness; and He intimates that he beheld the secrets of their hearts. So S. Jerome says, "He aims not at John, but at his disciples." And S. Hilary says, "Because the cross was about to be a stumbling block to many, Christ pronounced them blessed to whom His cross, His death, His burial, would bring no trial of their faith." And as they were going away. (Gr. and Vulg.) That the multitude might not think that Christ was flattering John, and aiming at His favour, as S. Chrys. says, if He had praised him in the presence of his disciples: therefore He permitted them to depart, and then He praised him.
11:7
Jesus began to say, &c. Shaken, Gr. σαλευόμενον, waving and fluctuating, like a wave of the sea. By a similar metaphor we speak of the corn waving, when impelled to and fro by the wind. Christ would remove any suspicion which might arise among the people from this message of John, that he had changed his opinion concerning Christ that whereas he had formerly thought him to be the Messiah, he had now changed his opinion, and had sent his disciples to interrogate Him, because he was in doubt about him. So Jesus, as it were said, "Suppose not, O ye Jews, that John thinks any other of Me than he thought before. For John is not a reed to be shaken backwards and forwards by the wind, that he should lightly assert a thing, and afterwards retract it on account of what men say. John is like an oak, which stands unmoved in faith and stedfastness against every blast, whether of those who praise or those who blame. What he before testified of Me, when he was at liberty, he testifies with equal fortitude now that he has been shut up by Herod in prison: and he has sent his disciples to Me that they themselves may see by My miracles that his testimony concerning Me was true."
Tropologically, a reed, is a light man, inconstant, tossed to and fro: at one time impelled by the words of flatterers, he asserts something: again being driven by detractors, he denies it, as a reed is blown in different directions by different winds. 2. A reed is one who is devoid of truth, virtue, and consistency, as a reed has no strength, or stamina. 3. A reed is he who has no fruit of good works to show, since a reed bears no fruit. 4. It is he who is delighted with, and feeds upon, the fluctuating pleasures of the world. For a reed is dry: yet it grows beside the waters. Whence it is called, "the river weed." On this S. Austin writes piously and elegantly on the words of Ps. cxxxvii. 1. "Above the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept, when we remembered Sion." (Vulg.) "The rivers of Babylon," he says, "are all things which here are loved, and pass away. Sit above the rivers; sit not in the stream, nor under the stream. Behold in Babylon there are fair things to detain thee: let them not detain thee, let them not deceive thee." Hear S. Greg. (Hom. vi. in Evang.) "What else but the carnal mind is signified by the reed? But such was not John, for favour could not flatter him, nor could the anger of any detraction make him harsh." Hear also S. Ambrose (lib. 5 in c. 7 Luk 5:24): "The Lord denies that we must go forth into the desert that is, into the world lest we should think those are to be imitated by us who are of a carnal mind, whom, being obnoxious to the storms of this world, an unsettled life disquiets; who are rightly compared to a reed, in whom is no solid fruit of justice, men with their long hair, with forensic trappings, implicated in knotty points, sonorous with empty mouthings, with no benefit to themselves, but often with harm, follow after things inwardly worthless, outwardly specious. We are reeds when we are not rooted with any natural strength. If any light gale of prosperity blow upon us, we beat our neighbours with idle motion: we are useless to help, facile to injure. Reeds love rivers, as the fading and transitory things of the world delight us. If, however, anyone shall pluck up this reed from the earth, and strip off its useless parts spoiling the old man with his deeds and guide it by the hand of a scribe writing quickly, it begins to be no more a reed, but a pen, which impresses the precepts of the heavenly Scriptures on the hidden places of the mind, and writes them on the tables of the heart." Afterwards S. Ambrose adds, that Christ is the good reed of whom Isaiah prophesied (c. xlii.) "A shaken reed he will not break," (Vulg.) because the flesh which sins had shaken He made firm by the power of the Resurrection. The good reed is the Flesh of Christ, which nailed the serpent's head, and the enticements of worldly cupidity, to the gibbet of the Cross.
11:8
But what went ye out, &c. But John is not soft and delicate. He is not clothed in palatial garments, but in sackcloth of camels' hair. For pleasures are the mistresses of flattery and lies, but hardness is the teacher of truth and sanctity.
11:9
But what went ye out for to see? More than a prophet. Syriac, one more excellent than a prophet. You may object that John himself denied that he was a prophet (Joh 1:21). I reply, He said that out of humility, but in a true sense. For a prophet is, strictly speaking, one who foretells future events. But John did not foretell of Christ as about to come, but pointed to Him as present. He was therefore, rather the finger-post, as it were, than the prophet of Christ, and therefore Christ said that he was more than a prophet. In the next place, he, through the Divine Spirit, illustrated Christ, and knew the economy of Christ in the Flesh more clearly, fully, and perfectly than any of the prophets. 3. John was the angel, that is, the ambassador and precursor of Christ Himself, and immediately sent by Him, and that in His presence and before His face, according to the words of Malachi: "Behold I send My angel before Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way before Thee." (Vulg.) 4. He himself was altogether greater than all the prophets, as Christ asserts, verse
11:10
For this is he of whom, &c. Christ cites the words of Malachi iii. 1. See what I have there said. I have there collected the reasons and analogies why John is called an angel. And many indeed thought that he was not really a man, but an angel, as Eusebius shews (lib. 1, De monst. c. 5). hence Auctor Imperfecti on this place says, "Marvellous was he who surpassed in human nature the sanctity of angels, and by the grace of God obtained what by nature he had not." Verily I say unto you, &c. Luke adds the word prophet (Luk 7:27): There hath not arisen a greater prophet. Whence Toletus from SS. Ambrose and Hilary observes that Jesus does not use the word greater of John absolutely, but as restricted by the word prophet. For the Apostles were greater, or certainly in every, way the equals of John. But, on the contrary, I should say that by the expression Prophet, Christ leaves it to be understood that there had been no person who was greater than John, for the prophets were accounted in the olden time, and really were, the most holy of men. So that as none of the prophets were greater than John, it may be gathered that there was no one else who was greater. Christ therefore tacitly here calls John the greatest of all men, for otherwise He would not conclude from thence that he was more than a propbhet, which He proceeds to prove. This must be understood of the worthies of the Old Testament that is to say, of all time prior to Christ. John, therefore, is not here compared with Christ Himself, or the Blessed Virgin, or the Apostles, who followed Christ and who (by reason of their Apostolic dignity) were not less than John, but rather indeed greater than he. You may say that Moses was greater than John, because it was said of him (Deu 34:11), "And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses." I reply, that it goes on, "Whom the Lord knew face to face, in all the signs and the wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt." Which means, that there was no prophet like unto Moses in his familiar converse with God, and the power by which he smote Egypt with pl gues. But in other things John was equal with, yea greater than, Moses and the rest of the prophets. Besides other distinguishing characteristics and prerogatives of John, his spirit, prophetic office, life, and actions were more sublime than those of the other prophets, as S. Jerome asserts, and S. Austin (lib. 2, contr. advers. leg. et proph. c. 5). For John was, as it were, a standing miracle in his conception, in the womb, in his birth, in his angelic life. He was conceived, by a miracle, of barren parents; by a miracle he recognized Christ in the womb; and saluted and adored him; by a miracle, when he was born he communicated universal gladness; by a miracle, at his circumcision he restored the use of speech to his dumb father; by a miracle, he went when a boy into the desert, and there lived like an angel all his life. Whence the Church sings of John O boundlessly happy, of merit most lofty, Of purity snow-white, pollution thou hatest: O martyr most valiant, of deserts the lover, Of seers the greatest. And so John has the crowns of virginity, prophecy, and martyrdom, in addition to the crown of a doctor. But he that is least, &c. 1. The least of the blessed in heaven is greater, that is, more blessed and more perfect, more excellent and glorious than John, who was still a mortal traveller. Christ adds these words that He may stir up His hearers to follow after the blessedness of His salvation by means of the evangelic law which He himself brought in. For this is the Kingdom of Heaven from which Christ began and continued His preaching. 2. With greater propriety and force, you may say with S. Chrysostom and others, that Christ here opposes, and in one sense places Himself lower than John, but in other respects prefers Himself to John. He says, "I have declared that among those born of women there is not a greater in the Old Testament than John; but lest ye should think that he is the greatest of all, and the Messias, I add, that Christ, who is younger than John, is, nevertheless, greater than he." It is as though Christ said, "I, Christ, who in age, and in the opinion of the common people, am less than John in preaching, in the kingdom of Heaven am greater than he, because I so preach that I at the same time inspire grace, by which believers in Me may indeed attain this kingdom." Whence it seems that a comma should be placed after the word least, not after kingdom of heaven. In the Gr. Christ is here called ό μικρότερος, i.e., less than, junior to John. The Heb. would be. kaccaton, or the litlte one, that is to say, the least, the 1owliest, as Christ was when He said, "As for me, I am a worm and no man, the very scorn of men, and the outcast of the people." The comparative is often put for the superlative. 3. Our Maldonatus explains thus: The less, that is, the least Christian in the kingdom of Heaven, or the Church, which preaches and leads to the kingdom of Heaven is greater, that is, of higher dignity than John. Greater, I say, by reason of the status of the Church; and he is able to be greater from the nature of the Gospel, than John was. For the new law of Christ is the law of grace, which we are always able to increase. Whence John the Baptist and all the old fathers received their grace from Christ and the new law. Symbolically, S. Cæsarius says (dialog. 3), "The least, or the youngest of the Apostles was John the Evangelist, who is greater than John the Baptist, because the Apostle leant upon the bosom of Christ."
11:12
From the days of John the Baptist, &c. This pertains to the praise of John, and shews that he was more than a prophet, because he first began to preach the kingdom of heaven. And so efficacious was his preaching joined to his holy life, that many who were baptised by him repented, and changed their course of life, and with great zeal strove for the kingdom of heaven. And now, I succeeding to John, promote this zeal by Myself and My Apostles, yea and will more and more promote it. Wherefore the kingdom of heaven now (βιάξεται, i.e.) suffers force, is invaded, is seized by force. 1. Because men in vast multitudes, being stirred up by the preaching of John run to obtain it with zeal, with avidity, one pushing before another, as though it were some rare merchandise. 2. Because the kingdom is now compassed by all, not by natural instinct, as the Jews would maintain, but by the supernatural power of grace. The kingdom is, as it were, invaded, in such sort that sinners, publicans, harlots, Gentiles, by the fervour of their repentance, take it beforehand, as it were, seize it by force, away from the Pharisees and Jews, who thought that it belonged to them alone as the children of Abraham. It is as though He said, the Pharisees and Christians contend for the kingdom of Heaven, but the Christians seize it from the Pharisees by force. Whence SS. Hilary and Amb. say, "Christ is seized, since He, born among one sort of people, is chosen by others." Amb. adds, "The Church has taken away the kingdom from the synagogue. Christ is my kingdom. The kingdom of Heaven is taken by force when Christ is denied by those of His own household, and is worshipped by the Gentiles. He is taken by force when he is rejected by the former, but cherished by the latter." 3. Because for the kingdom of Heaven's sake worldly men do violence to themselves by the cultivation of repentance, poverty, continence, mortification. In the Lives of the Fathers there is related the vision of a certain anchorite who beheld that a disciple of his merited seven crowns in Heaven in a single night, because he had seven times bravely withstood evil thoughts. By this he perceived that as often as any one struggles against sinful thoughts and desires he merits a crown from God. For it is written, The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. Beautifully does S. Ambrose comment on this passage, "We do violence to the Lord, not by compelling Him, but by weeping before Him, not by provoking by injuries, but by entreating with tears; not by blaspheming through pride, but by sorrowing through humility. O blessed violence which is not chastised with indignation, but is condoned in mercy blessed violence, I say, which draws forth the goodness of Him who suffers the violence, and contributes to the profit of him who uses violence. An evil thing is done, and no one is blamed: violence is suffered, and religion is advanced. Whosoever shall do most violence to Christ shall be accounted most religious by Christ. We come upon the Lord in the way, for indeed He is the way, and after the manner of robbers, we endeavour to spoil Him of what is His. We desire to take His kingdom, His riches and His life. And He is so rich and so liberal that he does not resist. He does not deny, and after He has given all, He still possesses all." Afterwards he speaks of the manner and the weapons of this violence, saying, "We attack him, not with swords, nor staves, nor stones, but with meekness, good works, chastity. These are the weapons of our faith, by which we strive in our contest. But in order that we may be able to make use of these arms in doing violence, let us first use a certain violence to our own bodies, let us carry by storm the vices of our members, that we may obtain the rewards of valour. For to seize the Saviour's kingdom we must first reign in ourselves."
And the violent, &c. Those who invade the kingdom of Heaven in the sense in which I have just spoken. He alludes to an opulent city set upon a mountain, which must be stormed by great force, which is in fact stormed by soldiers who covet its riches. He alludes especially to the kingdom of Canaan, or the Promised Land, which the Hebrews under Joshua conquered by force of arms. This was a type of the kingdom of Heaven. In like manner Heaven is to be won by the sons of earth climbing up on high by their heavenly conversation. The empyrean sky is so lofty, so far above the earth, that were any one to live for 8000 years, and were every day to climb in perpendicular height a hundred thousand miles, yet would he not reach the top, as I have shewn on Gen 2:16. And because this is impossible to mortals, God has granted that what we cannot climb with corporeal feet we should reach by the affections of our minds. In the life of S. Perpetua and her fellow-martyrs, we read that she was forewarned of her martyrdom in a dream. She beheld a golden ladder reaching from earth to heaven, which was hedged in and surrounded on all sides by knives and sharp swords. By this ladder they had to climb up to heaven. At its foot lay a horrible dragon who sought to hinder the climbers. She saw moreover one of her companions, Satyrus by name, bravely mounting the ladder, and inviting his companions to follow him. When she had related her vision they all understood that they were to suffer martyrdom. And so indeed it befell. Thus let each believer consider that with his utmost energy he must struggle up to Heaven by means of a ladder hedged about with knives.
11:13
For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied, &c. This sentence is expressed more clearly in Luk 16:16 The Law and the prophets (i.e., prophesied), until John: since that time the Kingdom of God is preached and every one uses violence to it. (Vulg.) The Law of Moses and all the Prophets prophesied up to the time of John: i.e., darkly and by enigmas they foretold and promised Christ and His heavenly kingdom, by promising terrestial good things, such as abundance of corn and wine and oil, and a rich and peaceful earthly kingdom like that of Solomon, which was a figure and a type of the celestial kingdom to be brought in by Christ. But John was the first who clearly and openly began to preach this heavenly kingdom of Christ, and to point out Christ as it were with his finger to the Jews. Again the Old Testament which consists of the Law, or Pentateuch, and the Prophets, under which are the Hagiographical books, such as the Psalms, prophesied until John, that is, they taught the ignorant Jews not so much to love as to fear God, by the hope of temporal rewards, and to worship Him by means of sacrifices, and external rites and ceremonies, which were shadows and types of Christ. But John began to preach the new doctrines of repentance and the love of God, through hope in the kingdom of Heaven, and of obtaining celestial good things by means of internal acts of contrition, piety, and the worship of God, by which we are truly and perfectly justified through Christ. Christ here compares and parallels prophecy with prophecy, i.e., the doctrine of John's prophecy with the doctrine of the Law and the Prophets. For John was a mean between the Old and New Testaments, as it were the horizon of both, dividing and determining the New from the Old, as Salmeron says. He was the morning star of the Gospel who put an end to the shadows and the obscure night of the old Law, and ushered in the clear day of the new Law.
11:14
And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, &c. That is if ye wish to receive John, and to believe him, as ye ought to do. Whence the Syriac translates by the imperative If ye wish, receive ye. For he shall be Elias unto you, because he being endowed with the spirit and power of Elias, shall convert you to God and Christ, in the same way that Elias shall convert your children and descendants at the end of the world by a like zeal and purity of life to the same Christ. Thus S. Jerome says, "John is Elias which is for to come, not because the same soul was in both, as the heretics think, but because they had the same grace of the Holy Spirit. John was girded as Elias was. Like Elias he lived in the desert. He suffered from Herodias as Elias did from Jezebel. And as Elias shall be the precursor of the Second Advent, so was John of the Lord when He came in the flesh to save us." There is a reference to Mal 4:5, "Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet." The Jews even to this day are eagerly expecting Elias from this prophecy of Malachi, that he may shew Christ unto them, and explain all the doubtful matters of the Law; and therefore they hold him in great account. This was why Christ compared and equalled John to him.
11:15
He that hath ears to hear. Gr. of hearing, i.e., to understand and obey. The Arabic has, hearing ears. For the Heb., which has a deficiency of compound words, uses simple in the place of compound words, as hear instead of obey. The meaning is, He that hath a teachable and obedient mind, let him hear, understand and obey the things which I say, namely, let him believe John to be a prophet and more than a prophet, when he declares that I am the Messiah, and henceforth let him receive and worship Me as the Son of God and the Saviour of the world. There is special reference to Christ's declaration that John is Elias. For this is mystical, and requires intelligence, as S. Jerome says. Christ was wont by this phrase to rouse the attention of His hearers to important subjects.
11:16
To what shall I liken, &c. This generation means the Scribes and Pharisees, who despised the counsel of God and the preaching and baptism of John. They are like unto boys, &c. There was in that age, says Theophylact on the seventh chapter of S. Luke, and S. Cyril, a game of this description. Boys divided themselves into two parties, and made as it were two choirs. Thus they represented human life on a sort of stage. One party, like Heraclitus, were always lamenting; the other side were always, like Democrittis, laughing, at it. By the one set all that we do was made the food for lamentation, by the other for jokes. They of the one choir kept wailing, those opposite to them played on pipes; but the choir which was wailing took no notice of the opposite choir, which was singing, neither, on the other hand, did the pipe-players take any notice of the mourners. And the lookers on heard like spectators at a comedy, but were neither moved by the wailing nor the dancing. The meaning of the parable is plain from what follows. It is this: as though Christ said, "You may perceive in this generation of the Scribes and Pharisees something similar to the boyish games, as concerns the spectators who look on at their ease. For they cannot be induced to change their life and be converted, either by the example of the austere life of John, or by the less stern life of Christ." He likens the parable, as a whole, to the whole thing signified by it, and not a part to a part. Elegantly and wisely says S. Ambrose (lib. 2, de Penitentia) Not that dancing which is the companion of pleasures and luxuries is here spoken of, but that whereby a man lifts himself on high, nor suffers the members to drag lazily along the ground. Thus S. Paul danced spiritually, when for our sakes he stretched himself out, and forgetting the things which were behind, and reaching forth unto those which were before, he strove for the prize of Christ. Thou likewise, when thou comest to baptism, be admonished to lift up thine hands, and to have feet that are swift to mount to things eternal. Dancing like this is the associate of faith, the companion of grace. This, then, is the mystery. We have sung unto you, as it were, the song of the New Testament, and ye have not danced that is, ye have not lifted up your minds unto heavenly grace. We have lamented, and ye have not wept, i.e., ye have not repented. There is an allusion to Eze 33:32: "Thou art unto them as a song of music which is very sweetly sung. And they hear thy words, but they will not do them." Allegorically, S. Ambrose (lib. 4, Epist. 30), "The Son of God hath said, 'We have sung unto you, and ye have not danced,' &c. The Jews who did not dance were forsaken. They knew not how to clap their hands. The Gentiles were called, who gave spiritual praise to God. Here is the glorious dancing of the wise, the dance which David danced. Therefore, in the sublimity of his spiritual dancing, he ascended to the throne of Christ, that he might hear and see the Lord saying to his Lord, 'Sit thou at My right hand. '"
11:18
For John came neither eating, &c. That is to sty, not eating, or living in pleasure, like other men, but living austerely, fasting, and feeding on locusts; that by this means he might arouse the Scribes to compunction, and affright them. Yet the Scribes say of him, He hath a devil. The Arabic has, devils are with him. That is, John was possessed by a devil, by whose power and energy he was sustained, so as to be able to lead so rigorous a life. Thus, the very austerity of John, which for their sakes he had lived, since from his purity and innocence it was not needed for his own sake, they attributed to a demon. Such was their extraordinary ingratitude and wickedness. Observe then, how Christ applies this parable. John's austere life is signified by the troop of boys lamenting. But Christ living less austerely, and conversing with the world more familiarly, is denoted by the chorus of boys who piped. The Scribes and Pharisees laughed at, derided both of them, because they wished to be free from any reprover of their pleasures and licentious mode of life.
11:19
The Son of Man came eating, &c. (at a common table, living after the manner of ordinary men, and conversing familiarly with them), And they say (i.e., the Scribes and Pharisees in their obstinate wickedness), Behold a gluttonous man, &c. John led an austere life in the desert, Christ led the ordinary life of men, that His affability might allure those whom John's austerity would terrify. For Christ came into this world in order that he might afford to all men a perfect example of humility and every other virtue, an example which every one might imitate in their several ranks and stations. But especially did He come that sinners might be converted from their sins to God. Wherefore it was necessary that He should converse with them, eat and drink with them, and thus draw them to love and follow Him. So S. Thomas. S. Aug. gives another reason (Lib. 3, de Doctr. Chtist. C. 12). It was, that Christ might show in all such things, namely, food, drink, clothing, &c., that it is not the things themselves, but the inordinate love of using them, which is in fault. And so He taught that rich men may live religiously in their riches, and be saved.
But wisdom is justified of her sons. Syr. of her servants. To justify is used in two senses, viz., to make just and to declare just. The wisdom of God is justified, i.e., is pronounced and declared just, unblameable, fully and entirely perfect, as she manifested herself in John and Christ, because she left nothing untried that would conduce to the salvation of men. That they might have a pattern of an austere life and penance, she gave them John. Again, lest many should be terrified by this austerity, and despair of virtue and salvation, she gave them in Christ an example of ordinary life and virtue. Of her children, namely, those who were desirous of virtue and wisdom, such as those who believed in Christ, and who heard and obeyed John. Therefore, the wisdom of God, which the proud Scribes and the foolish Jews despised in John and Christ, was justified, i.e., honoured and praised by all the truly wise. If, therefore, any perish, they perish by their own fault, because they will not believe and obey John and Christ. Thus they may impute their ruin to themselves, and justify God, according to the words of Psa 51:4-6. "That Thou mayst be justified in Thy sayings, and overcome when Thou art judged." In a similar sense, the Apostle says to Timothy (1Ti 3:16), "Great is the sacrament of piety, which was manifested in the flesh, justified in the spirit" (Vulg.), i.e., was declared and shown to the world to be just, holy and wise, and that the work and mystery of the incarnation of the Word was worthy of God. That this is the meaning is plain from Luk 7:29, who thus relates the occasion of this parable, and by means of the preamble, as it were, sets forth the scope and intention of the parable. "And all the people and the publicans who heard him, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and the lawyers despised the counsel of God against themselves, not being baptized of him." And presently He subjoins the parable of the boys piping and lamenting, as I have already expounded it. S. Aug. (lib. 2 de doctr. Christ.) expounds the passage as follows: Wisdom is justified of her own sons, because "the holy Apostles perceived that the kingdom of God did not consist in meat and drink, but in the equanimity of endurance, forasmuch as they were such as neither abundance lifted up, nor want depressed." Lastly, S. Jerome in this passage, and S. Ambrose, remark that various Gr. codices read Wisdom is justified by her works. Because, says S. Jerome, "wisdom seeks not the testimony of the mouth, but of deeds."
11:20
Then began He to upbraid, &c. Then namely, when He sent the Apostles to preach throughout Galilee, and He preached by Himself, though with little fruit and few conversions. He began o upbraid the extreme ingratitude and obstinate wickedness of these cities, viz, those in which most of His mighty works, i.e., His miracles, were done. These were the miracles by which He confirmed His teaching. And He upbraided the cities because after so many miracles, and so many exhortations, so many threats of hell, so many promises of the Kingdom of Heaven, they had not repented. Woe unto thee, Chorazin, &c. Chorazin was a renowned city of Galilee, which was numbered amongst the ten more celebrated towns of Decapolis. It was situated over against Capernaum, on the Sea of Galilee, where the Jordan flows into it. It was about two miles distant from Capernaum. Wherefore Christ, who had fixed his home and settled abode at Capernaum, frequently made excursions to preach in Chorazin and Bethsaida, and the neighbouring towns. Chorazin, or Cozorain in Chaldee, is the same as Co, i.e., here, and raya, i.e., a secret. Appropriately, because Christ here preached the arcana, or secrets of the faith. S. Jerome, in his work on Hebrew places, testifies that in his time Corozain, as it is spelt in the Vulgate, was deserted. There are still some ancient ruins remaining on its site. Some persons are of opinion that Antichrist will be born at Chorazin, and brought up there, though others think he will be born in Babylon, according to the words of Jeremiah (cap. 1.), "From Babylon shall all evil be opened out." But both these opinions are extremely doubtful.
11:21
Bethsaida: Bethsaida also was one of the chief cities of Galilee, adjacent to the sea, and distant from Capernaum about three hours' journey. It received its name from being inhabited by fishermen. Beth means a house, and saida is fishing, צור sud in Heb. means to hunt, but in Syriac to fish, because fishing is hunting in the sea, whence saida means fishermen. So Franc. Lucas. It is probable that the home of Peter and Andrew was in this city, where Christ healed Peter's mother in law, who was sick of a fever. But see what I have said on Mat 8:14. Here, also, Christ placed spittle in the eyes of a certain blind man, and restored him to perfect sight (see Mark, c. viii.) Wherefore, Christ deservedly upbraids Bethsaida, because, though its people had seen so many miracles of His, they did not believe in Him. And so he threatens it with destruction, future as well as present; and this really happened to them. For this city formerly so abounding in prosperity, and so populous, is so deserted that it scarcely cntains six houses. (See Adrichomius, Descrip. Terræ Sanct. p. 137.)
For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre, &c. We must understand, if the inward grace of God had accompanied the outward miracles: that is to say, if there, had been an illumination of the understanding, and an influencing of the will, agreeable and proportionable to those, such as God is wont ordinarily to give. For without inward grace to influence the mind, all outward preaching is vain and worthless.
They would long ago have repented, &c. Theologians gather from this passage that God knows certainly conditional events, which depend on free will, even although those events will never happen, forasmuch as the condition does not exist in the nature of things. Christ here asserts positively that the Tyrians and Sidonians would have repented if they had seen the miracles of Christ, yet they did not see these miracles, and consequently did not repent. The reason a priori is, the infinite nature of the Divine Mind, the immeasurable scope and activity of the Divine understanding, which wholly comprehends, penetrates and perfectly beholds all things, even those that are the most secret, and what is called the liberty of man, and his free thoughts and volitions. Therefore it is omniscient, and nothing is able to escape it, so that it should not thoroughly behold and perceive it. For the object of the Divine omniscience is all truth, past, present, and future, and that either conditional or absolute. In future conditional events, one half of a contradiction is true, as in absolute propositions. For with the condition, that which is said will either be, or will not be. See what I have said on Jer 38:17., also on Wisdom iv. on the words, "He was taken away, lest wickedness should change his understanding." Again, S. Aug. (lib. de bono perseveran. caps. 9 and 10), refutes by means of this passage the Semipelagians who said that God predestinates such and such men, because He foresees they will use well grace, if it be given them. For the Tyrians would have used grace well, if it had been given, yet it was not given. Lastly, from this place do not gather that to the Tyrians was wanting sufficient grace, but such copious and abundant grace as the Galilæans had.
11:22
Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable: Arabic, there shalt be greater remission for Tyre, &c. For the Tyrians and Sidonians shall be punished on account of their own wickednesses, but you, O ye Galilæans shall be more severely punished: 1. Because ye had greater knowledge of God's law, and virtue. 2. Because ye have often heard Me preaching and exhorting to repentance, and have beheld Me doing many miracles, none of which things the Tyrians have either seen or heard. Moraliter: In like manner, Christians shall be more heavily punished in the day of judgment than the Jews; the citizens of Rome, than the inhabitants of India; priests, than laymen; religious, than seculars, if the former classes have lived sinful lives; forasmuch as they have received greater degrees of grace and knowledge from God, and would not make use of them, but abused them to their own greater damnation. And thou, Capernaum, &c. Thou, which art exalted through My miracles and doctrine and preaching, rather than by thy merchandise and thy wealth, and who hast been made glorious and famous with God and man, shalt thou, I say, be always exalted? Not so: but in the day of judgment thou shalt be thrust down to hell. Thou shalt descend into its lowest pit; that beneath the Tyrians and Sidonians who have sinned less than thou hast, thou mayst abide in the very centre of Gehenna, and there mayest feel more than others its fiery burnings. Thou shalt be tormented and burnt up, because very many of thy citizens shall be cast into hell. Hence S. Aug. (Serm. 42 de Sanc.) explains exalted, as follows. "Forasmuch as thou seemest to thyself to be very happy, very powerful, very proud, and so dost despise Me, and all who admonish thee, this is the very cause why thou rushest on thine own destruction." For if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would perchance, as the Vulg. here hath it: (forte) &c. But this word forte, peradventure, or p erchance, does not in this place denote doubt, or hesitation. It represents the α̉ν of the Gr. text, α̉ν being here an expletive, or a particle expressing confirmation, and signifies, certainly, verify. The translation omits to render α̉ν in v. 21., and various other passages, where it is found in the Greek. Indeed α̉ν is only translated forte, perhaps, in four places, viz., here; in John v. 46; in Psa 81:15; and in 2Co 7:5. In all the other passages, which are very numerous, in which α̉ν occurs in the Greek, it is not translated in the Vulgate, but the passage is rendered affirmatively, as in Mat 3:18, Mat 5:18, Mat 6:5, Mat 10:12, and very many other places, as you may perceive from a Greek Concordance. This is the reason why Vatablus and others omit the perchance in this passage, and trans. simply, it would have remained. The perchance does not mean that Christ had any doubt about Sodom's remaining, but that although it certainly would have remained, yet this remaining would have been free, i.e. of its own free will, therefore the word α̉ν denotes that he foresaw what would have happened, as it were fortuitously. Thus Terence says in the Andria, "Perchance I behold a soldier: I approach the man." Also Livy (lib. 1.), "Perchance it fell out." The meaning therefore is, If the Sodomites had heard My preaching, and had beheld as many miracles, as you have, O ye inhabitants of Capernaum, in confirmation of that preaching, verify they would have felt compunction and would have repented, and would have remained until this very day. Understand; unless they themselves or their descendants had after their repentance again relapsed into the same, or similar sins, and had again provoked the anger of God to bring upon them a like destruction. But if they had continued in their repentance and change of life, they would have remained until this day. All this is intimated by the word, perchance, here. And this is why Franc. Lucas renders α̉ν έμειναν, by the potential mood, they might have remained.
Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable: Arabic, it shall find greater forgiveness: Syriac, they shall be more tranquil.
11:25
At that time Jesus answered and said, &c. What Christ now says, agrees well with what has gone before, for Christ here gives the reason why the Capernaites, the Scribes, the priests, and the Pharisees, despised Him, and His preaching, because, in truth, they were proud, and seemed, in their own eyes, wise and prudent. Wherefore they would not bend their proud necks to the humility of Christ and the Gospel, but the Apostles and the disciples and the multitude did bow their necks. This sentence also expresses that Christ soothed the grief which He felt because of their proud incredulity by a consideration of, and complacency in, the just judgment and the Divine decree, whereby God hid these things from the proud as unworthy of them, and revealed them to little ones, i.e., to the lowly. Whence Luke adds. He exulted in the Holy Spirit (Vulg.) i.e., He rejoiced through the Holy Ghost, which had suggested to Him this consideration, and the joy which arose out of it. Therefore he praised and thanked God. We too can do as Christ did, that when we lose our labour with the proud and the unworthy, we may quell our grief by considering the Divine Will and Providence, which despises the proud, and chooses the humble, and lifts them to His grace and glory.
I confess (Vulg). That is, I praise and give thanks. This is the meaning of the Heb. ידא, yada, in Hiphil, viz., הורה, hoda, from which comes תורה, a sacrifice, viz., of confession, i.e., of praise, and giving thanks. Thus, too, we constantly find in the Psalms such expressions as, "I will confess to Thee with my whole heart," i.e., I will praise Thee; and, "Confess to the Lord, for He is good," i.e., praise the Lord.
To Thee, O Father, who lovest Me with a peculiar love, and who disposest all things to Thy and My glory. He adds this lest any one should attribute it to want of power in Christ that He did not subdue to Him the proud Capernaites and Pharisees. It is as though He had said, "Thou, O my Father, forasmuch as Thou art Lord of Heaven and earth, hast the hearts of all men in Thy hands, and couldst bend them by a single nod, and subdue them before Me, but this, by Thine holy ordinance, Thou wouldst not do." Moreover, under the name of Heaven and earth, all creatures all men and angels are signified. By which it is intimated 1. That God has care for and rules, and calls to the grace of the Gospel and salvation by Christ, not the Jews only, but the Gentiles also. 2. That God is drawing His faithful ones from earth to Heaven, inasmuch as He is Lord of Heaven equally with earth, and therefore opens heaven to His friends. 3. That in like manner as God has separated the lowly Apostles from the proud Pharisees on earth, so in like manner has He separated the humble angels from proud Lucifer and his adherents in heaven. Listen to Tertullian (lib. 1, contra, Marc. c. 13): "There is the fulness of the Deity itself setting forth perfect God, Father and Lord, Father by clemency, Lord by discipline, Father by sweet power, Lord by severity: a Father to be affectionately loved, a Lord to be necessarily feared: to be loved because He prefers mercy before sacrifice; to be feared because He will not tolerate sin: to be loved because He prefers the repentance to the death of a sinner; to be feared because He will not accept sinners who do not repent. Therefore, the Law prescribes both: thou shalt love God, and thou shalt fear God. He proposes the one to him who follows Him, the other to him who goes astray from Him."
And hast revealed them unto babes, Gr. νηπίοις, or infants. So the Arabic, meaning to ignorant, unskilled, and uneloquent men (such as the Apostles, who seemed to the Scribes and worldly persons to be rude, and as foolish as children), in order that Thou mayest exhibit in them the power of Thy grace and Thy light, by which Thou hast made the tongues of these infants eloquent, so that their sound is gone out into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. There is an allusion to Ps. viii. 3: "Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise, that Thou mightest destroy the enemy and the avenger." For the election and disposition of God are clean contrary to the world. For the world courts and chooses the rich, the wise, the proud. God chooses the poor, the ignorant, the weak; and He makes them rich, wise, and powerful in spirit above all the worldly. From this passage, S. Augustine (de prædest. Sanct. c. 6, et de Bono Perseveran. c. 8), and S. Gregory (25 Moral. c. 13) teach, that when some believe the preached Gospel and others believe not, it is the effect of the grace and justice of God. For they who believe are so congruously illuminated in their minds by the grace of God, that they do believe; but they who believe not, on account of their pride and other sins, are not so congruously illuminated by God, that they do, in fact, believe; although if they would consent to, and co-operate with, the illumination which God affords them, they could believe, and in truth would believe.
11:26
Even so Father, &c. The Gr. is ναὶ ό Πατήρ; for the Greeks often use the nominative for the vocative. The meaning is, Truly, O Father, what Thou hast done, most rightly hast Thou done, in that it hath pleased Thee to humble the proud, and exalt the lowly. Christ teaches that the original cause of the predestination and election of the faithful, as well as the reprobation of unbelievers and the wicked is nothing else save God's good pleasure. Wherefore, we ought to rest in that, and not seek for other reasons, since that one thing is sufficient for the faithful, and worth a thousand reasons. Hence the Blessed in Heaven, when they see their children and parents condemned for their demerits, do not lament, but approve and laud the just judgment of God.
11:27
All things are delivered unto Me, &c. Christ said that the Almighty God was His Father, and that He as Lord of Heaven and earth rejected the proud Pharisees, but revealed Himself and His grace to His lowly Apostles: but now, lest any one should suppose that Christ was inferior to the Father, He teaches the converse, namely, that the Father giveth all He hath to the Son yea, that through the Son alone He worketh, teacheth, and bestoweth His gifts. Moreover, this expression, all things have been delivered unto Me by the Father, ought to be thus understood, that nevertheless, Christ ought to be considered to possess all things by nature. "For like as He is, according to His nature, life, He is said to be quickened by the Father; and although He is the Lord of Glory, He is said to have received glory," says the Council of Ephesus. The meaning therefore is, all things which the Father hath, viz., the divine nature, dominion and power, say SS. Hilary and Augustine, and consequently, what Christ here more particularly refers to, all things, i.e., the dominion, power, and government of all things, but chiefly of men, have been granted unto Me by the Eternal Father, as to His Son by eternal generation, and in time the same things have been given to Me, as man, by the Hypostatic Union, that I may choose, illuminate, predestinate, save, whom I will, such as the Apostles; and reject and condemn, whom I accept not, such as the proud Capernaites. For in My hand is the predestination, or reprobation, the salvation or damnation of all men; for as much as I have been appointed by God the Father the Saviour and Redeemer of the World, and in My hand the Father hath placed all things, that I should repair and renew them. That as by Me as God He created all things, so also by Me in the flesh which I have assumed, He may re-create and restore all things. To this end I came, and for this I was made man. These mysteries therefore have been hidden from the wise, I mean My Mission, My Incarnation, the end of My advent, My work, but they have been already, in part, revealed to little ones, and shall hereafter be perfectly revealed.
And no one knoweth the Son, &c., Luk 10:22, has, no one knoweth who the Son is, save the Father; nor who the Father is save the Son, &c. He means, I have been sent by the Father to be the Teacher and Saviour of the World, that I should teach men the truth and the way to God the Father, who is uncreated health and felicity. For this felicity, since it is supernatural, cannot be naturally known by man or angel. Wherefore, as no one knoweth the Son except the Father, and he to whom the Father shall reveal Him, so likewise no one knoweth the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son shall reveal Him. For as the Father communicates His nature, so likewise He communicates the knowledge of Himself and all things which He hath to the Son, and by Him to the rest of mankind. He, therefore, who desires to draw near to the truth, grace and salvation, which are in God the Father, must draw near through Me, and believe in Me. For I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. My doctrine is the doctrine of God the Father. By Me, therefore, ye shall have access to the Father. Now although it is said, except the Son, the Holy Ghost is not excluded; much less, when it is said, except the Father, is the Son excluded. For the rule of Theologians is, that exclusive particles, added to one of the Divine Persons in essential attributes do not exclude the other two Persons, but creatures only, or whatsoe er is of a different essence. Thus S. Aug. (lib. 6. de Trin. c. 9.) S. Cyril, and the rest of the Fathers and Schoolmen. Observe that Christ, in the first place, revealed the knowledge of the two first Persons, viz., the Father and the Son, and afterwards, just before His death, faith in the third Person, viz., the Holy Ghost, as is plain from Joh 16:7. S. Chrysostom wisely observes (Hom. 39.) that it is not said, to whom He has been commanded by the Father to reveal, but to whom He will reveal, in order that the Son may be shown to be equal to the Father in dominion and power. For, although Christ reveals as man, or by means of His human nature, yet this nature subsists in the Divine person, and therefore this man Christ is God, and equal to God the Father. Moreover, SS. Chrysostom and Irenæus (Lib. 4. c. 14.) answer Marcion, who rejected the Old Testament and its God, and said, if God the Father was not known before the revelation of Christ Incarnate, therefore He was not known in the Old Law, therefore its author andGod was not the true God. Thus they expound the words, no one knoweth the Father except the Son of the Divine knowledge by which the Son qua God, comprehends the Father, and the Father the Son. You may, however, better understand it concerning the knowledge communicated to the human nature of Christ: for this revealed His mysteries to the prophets and fathers, even the mysteries of the Divinity and the Trinity. Thus He revealed the same things after His Incarnation to the Apostles and faithful, qua man. For no one is a believer and a Christian except by Christ, and through Christ Incarnate. For, says St. Jerome, it is one thing to know what thou knowest by equality of nature, as the Son knoweth the Father; another, by the condescension of Him who reveals, as we know God by the revelation of Christ.
11:28
Come unto Me all, &c. Syriac, who are weary and bear burdens. Arabic, who are worn with labour and heavily burdened. After He has shown the Majesty and Deity, lest any one should be affrighted at it, Christ adds the Humanity, and most kindly invites all to Him.
Come, not with the feet of the body, but with the affections of faith, hope, love, religion, devotion, and piety. All who labour, none are excluded. For there is no one who does not labour under some disease, and need Christ's medicine. Therefore Christ offers Himself to all, that they may receive from Him health and safety. Thus did He kindly correct and heal Magdalen, Matthew, Paul, and Peter. Thus even now, in the Eucharist, He inviteth all and saith, Come unto me, ye infirm, hungry, afflicted ones I will refresh you. Who labour. Gr. οί κυπιω̃ντες, i.e., who suffer trouble and are burdened, &c., who are fatigued and depressed, and are sinking under the burden, both of sins (as SS. Chrysostom, Jerome, and Augustin say), as well as of the law of Moses (as Theophylact), and also of the troubles and temptations of this life.
And I will refresh you. Gr. α̉ναπαύσω, i.e., I will give rest to the weary, as the Syriac translates. I will place you in all quietness, says St. Chrysostom, by most soothing words, by Sacraments, as most efficacious medicines, by grace, and most sweet inward consolations; lastly by most felicitous glory in Heaven.
11:29
Take, Syr., bear, My yoke. He means, ye have borne a heavy and well nigh intolerable yoke, and the burden of the old law of sin and concupiscence. Come unto Me, I will take it away, and will change it into the sweet yoke of the evangelical law of grace and charity. I will refresh you by My yoke, which indeed is a yoke because it is a law binding the soul, but at the same time it is medicine, yea a bed, in which ye may sweetly rest, especially, by means of the humility which it teaches and commands. For it is the one and only medicine of all diseases, both of soul and body, and the alleviation and rest of all burthens. For nothing is harsh to the meek, nothing difficult to the lowly, says S. Leo. For as wool receives cannon balls and breaks their force by its softness, so meekness and humility break and soften all hard and rugged things. This yoke, therefore, is the gospel of Christ, and the law of grace. Whence S. Bernard (Serm. 15. in Psa 91) says, "He invites those who labour to refreshment. He calls those who are laden to rest; and yet He does not take away either burden or labour, but He exchanges them for another burden, another labour, but a light burden, a sweet yoke, wherein rest or refreshment, even though it appear not, nevertheless is found."
And learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, i.e., in the affection of the heart, viz., will, says S. Bernard (Serm. 49 in Cant). For many are lowly in word, few in heart. And ye shall find, &c. Listen to S. Augustine. "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me, not to frame a world, not to create all things, visible and invisible, not to do miracles in the world and to raise the dead; but that I am meek and lowly in heart. Dost thou wish to be great, begin from the least. Thou art thinking of constructing a mighty fabric of loftiness, think first of the foundation of humility. And as great as each one wishes to build up his edifice, the greater the building, so much the more deeply let him dig his foundation." Wisely says Climacus (Gradu 25). "Humility is a grace of the soul without a name, being named by those alone who have made trial of it, an inexhaustible treasure, having obtained a name from God, a singular gift of God. Learn, He says, not of an angel, not of a man, not out of a book, but from Me, that is, from My dwelling in you, and working in you, because I am meek and lowly in heart, and in thought, and in sense, and ye shall find rest from internal conflicts in your souls. 2. And better, Auctor Imperf. and Maldonat. Learn of Me, i.e., do not fear to come to Me, and to take the yoke of My gospel on your neck, for if ye come and receive it, ye shall indeed learn that I am no tyrant, nor a severe and rigid King, but a lowly, meek, element and benign Lord. Moreover, Christ was of so great humility and meekness in bearing with the Scribes, His disciples, and the multitude, in bearing injuries, derision, the scourge, the cross and death, that even if He had wrought no miracle He would, by such meekness, have proved sufficiently, and more than sufficiently, that He was the Man from Heaven and the true Prophet sent from God. I verify admire more Christ's meekness, than His miracles and His raising the dead. Moraliter. Learn from hence how great, and how dear to Christ is humility. It is as if He said, learn of Me not to create a world, not subtilely to dispute concerning God and the Holy Trinity, not to perform Herculean labours, but that I am meek and lowly in heart. 2d. Humility is the secret of peace. There is no rest for the mind, save in humility. Do you wish for rest? Embrace humility, a lowly place, a lowly office, humble food, clothing, &c. It is impossible for the proud to have peace of soul, because they always desire great things, and often are unable to attain them. 3d. Humility takes from man every labour and all burdens. Humility is the alleviator of every labour, and the renewer of strength: as a certain Doctor has well said, humility is a medicine against all diseases; and health of soul and body. Moreover, Hippocrates hath said, Creatures without gall are long lived, i.e., animals which have no gall, such as stags, live long. The meek, therefore, and the humble, are healthy and long lived; for meekness brings into due order both the mental character and the humours of the body, which bile disorders, hence diseases. 4th. Humility is the virtue of Christ. Learn of Me, He says. This is mine own especial virtue, dear to Me above all others, which, by descending from Heaven to this lower world, and by stooping to the shameful death of the cross, I manifested in such a manner that none should be more illustrious and more wonderful in My life and in My death. Thus on the contrary, pride is the sin of Lucifer. Humility, therefore, makes us most like Christ. What more worthy? What more desirable? Well says S. Augustine (Epist. 112). "They who have learnt of the Lord Jesus to be meek and lowly in heart make greater progress by praying and meditating, than by reading and hearing." Finally, Christ here joins meekness with humility, because they are, as it were, twin sisters, or as mother and daughter. Whence S. Bernard (Sermon 2, on those words in the Apocalypse, cap. 12, A great sign Rev 12:1) says, Like as naughtiness is the mother of presumption, so true meekness proceeds only from true humility. Hear Climacus (Gradu. 24). The light of dawn goes before the sun, meekness precedes humility. Therefore, let us hear first Christ the Light, who disposes those things, as it were, by steps. Learn, He says, of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. After that, He thus defines meekness: Meekness is the immutable state of the mind which preserves an equable frame in good fortune and in disgrace. Meekness is sincerely and ex animo to pray for those who trouble you without being troubled yourself. Meekness is a jutting rock against the fury of the sea, which breaks all its waves, whilst itself remains unmoved and unbroken. Meekness is the prop of patience, the gate of charity, yea its very parent, the proof of prudence. For He will teach, saith the Lord, the meek His ways. It is the procurer of pardon, the confidence of sinners in prayer, the habitation of the Holy Spirit. "For upon whom shall I look, save upon the meek and quiet person?" (Psa 66, Vulg.)
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For My yoke is sweet (Vulg.). The yoke and burden of Christ is the gospel, say SS. Hilary, Bede, and others. The law of the gospel, therefore, is a yoke, because it binds us to discipline, lest any one should depart from justice. The Gr. for sweet is not γλυκὺς, i.e., sweet like sugar, but χρηστὸς, i.e., benefical, humane, kind (Arab.), good in comparison with the old law. 1st Because it has fewer and easier precepts; 2d. Because it gives greater grace, which much lightens the burden of the command; 3d. Because it rules us as sons, not by fear, as servants, like the ancient law; 4th because it does not threaten, nor bring in death, like the old law, but takes it away; 5th Because it promises to those who keep it the most felicitous life, and as it were, leads them by the hand to the sweetness of celestial joys, according to the words, "They shall be satisfied with the fulness of Thy house: Thou shalt give them drink of thy pleasures as out of a river." Psa 36:9. He says, therefore, take My yoke upon you, because in the yoke of Divine servitude, perfect consolation and refreshment are included. Whence S. Ambrose (Lib. de Helia et jejun. Cap. 22): Receive, therefore, the yoke of Christ, do not fear because it is a yoke. Make haste, because it is light. It doth not bruise the neck, but dignifies it. Why do ye doubt? Why delay? It does not bind your neck with chains, but couples it with grace. It does not constrain of necessity, but directs the will to good works.
My, because indeed I, Christ, lay it upon you, yea, indeed, I beat it with you, and put My neck under the burden, yea I bear and carry all the burden, and you yourself with it. For that is called a yoke, which two beasts joined together bear. Christ then places one portion only of the yoke, i.e., the Evangelical Law, upon our neck; He himself bears the other and heavier part, and therefore He draws this yoke with us, and infuses strength and courage into us to draw it, both by His grace and by His example. So lately there was a certain priest in Japan of the Society of Jesus, who generously endured a dreadful death for Christ's sake, who was often wont to say. "Christ therefore makes the yoke putrescent before the face of the oil." Is. x. 27. (Vulg.) We may apply what we read in the life of S. Mechtildes, who when she was tormented with fearful headaches and could find no rest, heard these words from Christ as He showed her the wound in His side, enter now, and be at rest. This straightway she did, and entered in with gladness. And it seemed to her that He had as many silken pillows as she had felt pangs of headache. And the Lord said, "Silk worms carry silk, and of Me it has been written, I am a worm and no man. Hitherto thou hast served Me devotedly in labours; from henceforth thou shall study to serve Me in pleasing exercises of virtues by My example; and the things which shall be insupportable to thee, I will carry with thee." This yoke, therefore, of Christ is not so much a yoke as a silken pillow, because it does not press us with trouble, but releases us from the weight of earthly things, and raises us to Heaven. Wherefore S. Bernard appositely compares this burden to the plumage of birds. Thus he writes to the monks (Epist. 341), "In the way of life the more swiftly, the more easily we run; and the larger the Saviour's light burden grows, the more portable it becomes. Does not the quantity of plumage a bird has lighten, rather than weigh it down? Take away its feathers, and what remains of it is borne down to the ground by its own weight." Thus, likewise, is Christ's discipline, thus His sweet yoke, thus His light burden; if we lay it down, we are ourselves depressed, because He carries us rather than is carried by us. S. Ambrose adds (in Ps. cxix. Serm. 3), "To carry the yoke of Christ is sweet, if you consider it an ornament to your neck, not a burden. Lift up, therefore, thine eyes to the Lord thy God, seek God, and thou shalt find Him. Erect thy neck; thou earnest a necklace, not a chain. Many creatures delight in a necklace, and seem to themselves to be adorned rather than made naked; like as the cheeks of the turtle-dove will bear the marks of her modesty, the necklace of her neck will raise the presumption of her liberty. There is nothing more glorious than that yoke of Christ." Lastly, S. Bernard (Serm. 15 in Ps. Qui habitat) by yoke and burden understands the load of God's gifts and favours, because the burden of the law which is imposed is the gift of grace, the perfect observance of which brings all other gifts into the mind. "God burdens us when He unburdens us. He lades us with benefits when He unlades us of our sins. This is the voice of him who is burdened, "What shall I render unto the Lord for all the benefits that He hath done unto me?" The voice of him who is burdened, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." Moreover, to the proud and carnal, the yoke of Christ and the law of humility, abstinence, continence, mortification, seems very heavy and intolerable, because they are devoid of the Spirit, and only love and think of the flesh and fleshly things. Truly says S. Chrysostom (Hom. 14, in 1 ad Cor.), "Virtue is rugged if it be compared with our weakness; for that it is easy and light, hear Christ testifying, My yoke is sweet, and My burden is light. But if thou dost not understand, let not wonder seize thee, for thou art not of a brave mind: for as, when strength of mind is present heavy things become light, so when it is absent, light things become heavy. What, I ask, was sweeter than manna? What readier to their hand? Nevertheless the Jews murmured when they were feeding on delicacies. What more dreadful than the hunger and the other labours which Paul endured? Nevertheless he rejoiced and was glad, saying, Now I rejoice in mine infirmities. What, then, was the cause of these things? Diversity of mind, which, if thou wouldst make it such as it ought to be, thou wouldst discern the easiness of virtue."
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His dictis, transiit dominus ut doceret et praedicaret; et hoc propter tria. Una ratio est, ut quod verbo dixerat, monstraret exemplo; Act. I, 1: coepit Iesus facere et docere. Item, ut ostenderet quod etiam impiis est praedicandum. Unde ad Rom. I, v. 14: sapientibus et insipientibus debitor sum. Item, ut aliis daret locum praedicandi, ut habetur I Cor. XIV, 30: quod si aliquid fuerit revelatum sedenti, prior taceat. Ioannes autem cum audisset in vinculis opera Christi. Posita est doctrina Christi, et confirmata, et instructi sunt praedicatores; hic confutantur rebelles. Et primo confutat discipulos Ioannis; secundo Scribas, ibi illis autem abeuntibus et cetera. Circa primum tria facit. Primo dubitantes confutat; secundo arguit turbas, ibi cui autem similem aestimabo generationem istam? Tertio persolvit gratias de fide apostolorum, ibi in illo tempore respondens Iesus dixit et cetera. Circa primum primo ponitur quaestio; secundo quaestionis solutio, ibi et respondens Iesus et cetera.
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Dicit ergo cum audisset in vinculis opera Christi. Ponitur occasio, quare misit istos. Idem habetur Lc. VII, 18: tamen alio ordine. Dicit ergo quod erat in vinculis, ut Sup. IV. Tunc incepit Iesus miracula facere. Et hoc erat conveniens, ut sol non appareret dum nubes essent. Infra: lex et prophetae usque ad Ioannem. Opera, idest miracula, Christi, mittens duos de discipulis suis, ait illi. Quidam volunt ex hoc condemnare Ioannem, quia dubitavit an esset Christus, et constat quod dubius in fide est infidelis. Ambrosius super Lucam dicit, quod haec quaestio non fuit infidelitatis, sed pietatis: non enim loquitur de adventu in mundum, sed de adventu ad passionem. Unde miratur si venerat ad patiendum, sicut dixit Petrus: propitius esto tibi, domine. Sed contra dicit Chrysostomus, quia Ioannes a principio praescivit, cum dixit, ecce agnus Dei, Io. I, 29. Constat ergo quod scivit eum fore hostiam immolandam; unde commendatur hic a domino, quod sit plusquam propheta; sed prophetae noverunt futura. Alia ratio est Gregorii, quod non est quaestio de adventu in mundum, nec ad passionem, sed de descensu ad Inferos, quia Ioannes propinquus erat eundo ad Inferos, ideo voluit certificari tu es qui venturus es et cetera. Sed contra hoc obiicit Chrysostomus. Apud illos qui sunt apud Inferos, non est status poenitentiae: unde videtur, quod frustra diceret istud. Sed hoc non est contra Gregorium, quia voluit non ut nuntiaret captivis conversionem, sed iustis ut gauderent. Alia responsio. Legimus quod dominus multoties interrogaret, non quia dubitaret, sed ut calumniam tolleret, ut in Io. XI, v. 34 interrogavit de Lazaro, ubi posuistis eum? Non quia ignoraret, sed ut illi qui ostenderent sepulcrum, non possent negare, nec calumniari: ideo sic fuit de Ioanne. Quia discipuli eius calumniabantur de Christo, ideo ipse misit, non quia ipse dubitaret, sed ne ipsi calumniarentur, sed confiterentur. Sed quare non ante miserat? Quia ante semper erat cum eis, et ideo certificabat eos; sed cum voluit discedere ab eis, voluit quod ipsi per Christum essent certi.
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Dicit ergo tu es qui venturus es, an alium expectamus? Verum est, quod patres nostri expectaverunt te, ut habetur Exod. IV. Et respondens ait illis et cetera. Hinc tangitur Christi responsio. Ioannes habuit multos discipulos, ut habetur Io. IV. Erat ergo inter eos contentio, quia videntes opera Christi praeferebant Christum Ioanni. Item videntes abstinentiam Ioannis, praeferebant Ioannem Christo. Unde primo quaestionem ponit; secundo commendat Ioannem. Circa primum respondet secundum adventum ad passionem. Veniet tempus quo Deus passurus est, et multi scandalizabuntur, quia Iudaeis scandalum, I Cor. I, 23. Unde respondet quando hoc erit. Secundum Chrysostomum ostendere vult quod ille venit, quem prophetae praedixerunt. Unde per prophetas tria erant promissa. Aliquando promittebatur adventus Dei, in aliquibus adventus novi doctoris, in aliquibus adventus sanctificationis et redemptionis. Quomodo ergo cognoscemus quod iste veniet? Et respondet eo modo quo respondetur Is. cap. XXXV, 4: ecce Deus veniet, et salvabit nos et cetera. Unde videbitis ista miracula.
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Nuntiate ergo Ioanni quae audistis, in doctrinis. Et vidistis, in miraculis. Item promittebatur doctor; Ioel II, 22: filii Sion, exultate; et sequitur, quia dedit vobis doctorem iustitiae. Caeci vident et cetera. Et hoc ad litteram. Item, si quaeris quando veniet. Is.
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LXI, 1: spiritus domini super me, ad annuntiandum mansuetis misit me, vel ad evangelizandum; et hoc significatur, cum dicitur pauperes evangelizantur. Aliquid proprium voluit significare, quasi dicat: veniet ponere novam doctrinam. Pauperes evangelizantur, idest evangelizatur paupertas; unde Sup. V, 3: beati pauperes spiritu etc.; Lc. IV, 18: spiritus domini super me, propter quod unxit me, evangelizare pauperibus misit me. Item veniet aliquis sanctificatus sanctificans peccatores. Unde Is. VIII, 13: dominum exercituum, ipsum sanctificate.
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Unde aliquibus promittebatur sanctificatio, quibus sanctificatis alii scandalizabuntur; unde dicitur et beatus qui non fuerit scandalizatus in me. Unde ad Hebr. ult., 12: propter quod et Iesus ut sanctificaret per proprium sanguinem populum, extra portam passus est. Ideo ostendit signa de adventu. Et si moraliter loquamur, per hoc significatur totus processus sanctificationis hominis. Primo enim peccatori accidit caecitas, quando ratio obtenebratur; Ps. LVII, 9: supercecidit ignis, et non viderunt solem; et Is. XLIII, 8: educ foras populum caecum, et oculos habentem. Claudus dicitur quando ad diversa mens trahitur, ut dicitur III Reg. cap. XVIII, 21: ut quid claudicatis in duas partes? Item fit ulcerosus in insidiis, et leprosus, quia tunc retrahi non potest, et alios inficit. Et post surdus efficitur, quia castigatio non auditur. Ulterius moritur; Ephes. c. V, 14: surge qui dormis, et exurge a mortuis. Et omnes istos sanat dominus. Ultimo fit pauper spiritu, ita quod non est in eo sanitas; Ps. XXXVII, 8: quoniam lumbi mei impleti sunt illusionibus, et non est sanitas in carne mea et cetera. Et istos dominus sanat, et sanati in quamdam soliditatem mentis conscendunt, ubi est vera pax: pax multa diligentibus legem tuam, et non est illis scandalum, Ps. CXVIII, 165. Illis autem abeuntibus et cetera. Hic satisfacit dubitationi turbarum. Turbae autem audierant testimonium Ioannis de Christo; sed modo videbantur dubitare. Tria enim poterant habere in corde, quia triplici ratione mutat aliquis verbum suum: vel propter animi levitatem, vel propter aliquod commodum, vel quia ex humano spiritu, quando nesciat veritatem, et post cognoscat illam. Ps. XCIII, 11: scit enim Deus, quoniam cogitationes hominum vanae sunt. Ideo primo excludit ab eo levitatem; secundo appetitum commodi; tertio ostendit eum propheticam habere veritatem. Dicit ergo illis abeuntibus et cetera. Docet nos dominus magnam curialitatem, quia noluit Ioannem laudare discipulis suis praesentibus, sicut nec aliquem in sua praesentia, sicut habetur Prov. XXVII, 2: laudet te alienus, et non os tuum: extraneus, et non labia tua. Quia si bonus est qui laudatur, erubescit; si malus est, adulatur. Coepit Iesus dicere ad turbas: quid existis in desertum videre? Numquid existis ad videndum arundinem? Non. Sed existis videre hominem firmum. Arundo autem de facili movetur; unde animus cito mutabilis ventus reputatur. Ad Ephes. IV, 14: ut non simus iam parvuli fluctuantes, et circumferamur omni vento. Item non est levis pro aliquo commodo. Sed quid existis videre? Omnes enim divitiae ad aliquam utilitatem pertinent corporis, et hoc vel in cibo, vel in vestitu: et constat quod in nullo horum facit vim.
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Non est ergo credendum quod pro aliquo commodo hoc dicat; unde dicit quid existis videre? Hominem mollibus vestitum? Et quare non facit mentionem de cibo? Quia non poterat esse dubium. Vestiebatur autem de pilis camelorum. Unde qui mollibus vestiuntur, non sunt in deserto, sed in domibus regum. Aliter exponitur secundum Chrysostomum. Aliqui ex natura leves fiunt, aliqui ex deliciis, ut Os. IV, 11: fornicatio, et vinum, et ebrietas auferunt cor.
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Primum amovet per prius dictum: secundum per hoc quod dicit mollibus vestitum; ideo non est inconstans ex deliciis vitae. Sed hic potest fieri quaestio de deliciis vestitus, utrum sit peccatum; quia si non est peccatum, non imputaretur illi diviti, qui quotidie induebatur purpura et bysso, Lc. XVI, 19. Respondet Augustinus, quod talia non sunt consideranda, sed affectus utentis: quilibet enim debet indui ad modum simul conviventium, ideo magis enucleanda est consuetudo. Nam in aliquibus terris omnes, aut plures induuntur serico. Unde aliqui strictius induunt, aliqui latius, et utroque modo distinguitur: si restrictius, aut intentione bona, et hoc est bonum: aut propter vanam gloriam, et hoc malum. Si latius, aut propter superbiam, et hoc malum: aut propter significationem, ut pontifex et sacerdos, et hoc bonum. Mystice per homines qui mollibus vestiuntur, significantur adulatores: ille enim mollibus vestitur, qui verbis blandis molitur, ut in ore homines superbi quaerant gloriam. Et Prov. XXIX, 12: princeps qui libenter audit verba mendacii, omnes ministros habet impios.
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Sed dicerent: non est inconstans, sed humano spiritu loquitur, ideo hoc amovet sed quid existis videre? Prophetam et cetera. Unde testimonium perhibet quod non humano spiritu, sed prophetico loquebatur. Unde primo ostendit eum esse prophetam; secundo plusquam prophetam. Fuit enim propheta, ut habetur Lc. I, 76: et tu, puer, propheta altissimi vocaberis et cetera. Item extollit eum super prophetas dicens dico vobis: etiam plusquam prophetam: et hoc quantum ad tria. Primo, quia prophetae est futura praedicere; iste autem non solum futura, sed etiam praesentia ostendit dicens: ecce agnus Dei, ecce qui tollit peccatum mundi. Item non dicitur solum propheta, sed etiam Baptista, ut supra cap. III. Item praecursor, ut habetur Lc. I, v. 76: praeibis enim ante faciem domini parare vias eius. Item quantum ad modum: miraculosius enim egit, quam propheta, quia iste ex utero prophetavit, alii non, ut habetur Lc. I, 44: ecce enim ut facta est vox salutationis tuae in auribus meis, exultavit infans in gaudio in utero meo. Hic est enim de quo scriptum est. Hic probat dominus excellentiam Ioannis. Et primo per auctoritatem; secundo per specialia eius privilegia, ibi amen dico vobis et cetera. Dicit ergo: dixi quod est plusquam propheta, de quo habetur Mal. III, 1: ecce ego mitto Angelum meum, qui praeparabit viam tuam ante te et cetera. In hac auctoritate ponuntur excellentiae Ioannis, quia primo vocat eum Angelum: Angelus enim est supra prophetam, quia sicut sacerdos est medius inter prophetam et populum, sic propheta inter Angelos et sacerdotes. Angelus autem inter Deum et prophetas; unde Zacharias dicit: Angelus qui loquebatur in me, Zach. I, 9. Angelus est nomen officii, non naturae; unde Ioannes Angelus dicitur ex officio. Differentia est enim inter Angelum et prophetam, quia Angeli manifeste vident, unde habetur inf. XVIII, 10, ubi dicitur: dico enim vobis, quia Angeli eorum semper vident faciem patris mei qui in caelis est. Angeli semper vident faciem Dei, prophetae vero non. Unde sicut Angeli semper vident faciem patris, sic Ioannes specialiter Christum vidit: et ideo quia specialiter, ideo dicit meum. Item dicit ante faciem meam. Quando rex vadit, praecedunt multi, sed magis familiares praecedunt faciem suam; sic Ioannes honorabilior dicitur, quia missus ante faciem eius: tanto enim honorabilior, quanto propinquior.
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Item iste praeparabat viam, quia baptizabat; unde dicit qui praeparabit viam ante te. Amen dico vobis et cetera. Supra commendavit dominus Ioannem per auctoritatem prophetae; nunc intendit eum commendare propriis verbis, et auctoritatem prophetae exponit: et tria facit. Primo commendat ipsum quantum ad differentiam omnis ordinis et status. Et primo secundum differentiam caelestium et terrestrium; secundo quantum ad differentiam legis et Evangelii; tertio quantum ad differentiam praesentis saeculi et futuri. Et primo ostendit eum excellentem inter terrestres; secundo ostendit eum minorem inter caelestes, ibi qui autem minor est in regno caelorum, maior est illo. Dicit ergo: dictum est quod Ioannes est Angelus, et, ut in summa breviter comprehendam dico vobis: inter natos mulierum non surrexit maior. Proprie locutus est cum dixit surrexit, quia omnes nascuntur filii irae, ut habetur ad Ephes. II, 3: eramus natura filii irae, sicut et ceteri. Quicumque ergo potest ad statum gratiae pervenire, surgit. Unde inter natos mulierum et cetera. Et significanter loquitur, ut ab hac universalitate excludatur Christus, quia mulier corruptionem sonat, sed foemina sexum; unde si alicubi invenitur filius mulieris, ut in Io. XIX, 26: mulier, ecce filius tuus, sexum tunc nominat, non corruptionem.
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Sed quid est quod dicit inter natos mulierum non surrexit maior? Estne propter hoc maior omnibus? Dicit Hieronymus, quod non sequitur: si non surrexit maior, ergo est maior. Chrysostomus autem dicit, quod maior est omnibus. Secundum ergo primam expositionem dico quod argumentum illud in Angelis, ubi est ordo, valorem haberet, quod ille, quo non est alius maior, est maximus; sed inter homines non habet veritatem, quia inter homines non est ordo secundum naturam, sed solum secundum gratiam. Item si dicatur maior omnibus patribus veteris testamenti, non est inconveniens: ille enim maior et excellentior est, qui ad maius officium est assumptus: Abraham enim maior est inter patres quoad probationem fidei; Moyses vero quoad officium prophetiae, ut habetur Deut. ult., 10: non surrexit propheta ultra in Israel sicut Moyses. Omnes isti praecursores domini fuerunt; nullus autem fuit in tanta excellentia et favore; ideo ad maius officium est assumptus; Lc. I, 15: erit enim magnus coram domino. Qui autem minor est in regno caelorum, maior est illo. Occasione istorum verborum quidam locum calumniandi invenerunt: volunt enim omnes patres veteris testamenti damnare; si enim maior est aliis, sequitur quod alii non sunt de numero salvandorum, quia per regnum caelorum praesens Ecclesia designatur. Si ergo Ioannes non fuit de praesenti Ecclesia, non fuit de numero electorum, ergo minus alii. Et haec opinio est erronea, quia constat quod id quod dominus dicit, in laudem Ioannis introducitur. Potest autem haec locutio exponi tripliciter. Primo, ut per regnum caelorum ordo beatorum intelligatur: et qui inter illos est minor, maior est quolibet viatore. Et ideo praesentem statum appellat dominus pueritiam. Unde I ad Cor. XIII, 11: cum autem factus sum vir, evacuavi quae erant parvuli, unde nominat viatores parvulos. Et hoc verum est intelligendo de maioritate actuali: actu enim maior est qui comprehensor est. Secus de maioritate virtuali, sicut una parva herba maior dicitur virtute, licet alia maior sit quantitate. Aliter potest exponi, ita quod per regnum caelorum praesens Ecclesia designetur: et hoc est, quod minor non dicitur universaliter, sed minor tempore. Supra III et Io. I, v. 15: qui post me venit, ante me factus est. Unde ille qui minor est, maior est illo. Vel aliter potest exponi, quod aliquis dicitur maior dupliciter: vel quantum ad meritum; et sic multi patriarchae sunt maiores aliquibus novi testamenti, sicut dicit Augustinus quod caelibatus Ioannis non praefertur coniugio Abrahae: aut comparando statum ad statum, sicut virgines meliores sunt coniugatis; non tamen quaelibet virgo melior quolibet coniugato: unde Ioannes habet istam dignitatem, quod est in quodam confinio, quia maior viatoribus, sed minor comprehensoribus; unde tenet locum medium. A diebus autem Ioannis usque nunc et cetera. Hic commendatur quantum ad distinctionem novi et veteris testamenti. Et notatur excellentia Ioannis, quia est principium novi testamenti, et finis veteris. Ita dixi, quod qui minor est in regno caelorum, maior est illo: et hoc pertinet ad hoc, quod ipse est principium novi testamenti: sed a diebus Ioannis Baptistae, idest a praedicatione Ioannis, regnum caelorum vim patitur. Hoc tripliciter exponitur. Scitis quod in raptu quaedam violentia est, et quidam conatus; unde oportet quod peccator ad hoc quod possit venire ad regnum caelorum, assurgat ad spiritualia, et conetur multum. Aliter exponitur. Scitis quod rapina est proprie quando alienum praeter voluntatem domini rapitur: praedicatio salutis missa est Iudaeis, et per Christum ubique. Ipse dicit infra XV, 24: non sum missus nisi ad oves, quae perierunt domus Israel. Et cum ad eos mitteretur, non receperunt; tamen illi quibus non mittebatur, propter humilitatem rapiebant. Unde supra VII, 12: multi venient ab oriente et occidente, et recumbent cum Abraham, Isaac et Iacob in regno caelorum; filii autem regni eiicientur in tenebras exteriores et cetera. Et infra XXI, 43: auferetur a vobis regnum et dabitur genti facienti fructus eius. Ideo isti violenter rapiunt. Et haec est expositio Hilarii. Tertia expositio est. Illud quod rapitur, cum festinatione rapitur, unde Iob: sicut torrens qui raptim transit in convallibus, et hoc propter motus velocitatem.
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Et quia praedicatio ita commoverat corda omnium, videbatur festinus cursus; ideo dicit vim patitur, quia per modum cuiusdam festinationis tendunt ad regnum; unde ab ipso incepit Evangelium, et ipse est finis legis.
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Unde Christus dicit omnes enim prophetae et lex usque ad Ioannem prophetaverunt: quia omnes prophetae propter Christum; et inceperunt impleri a praedicatione Ioannis. Unde Lc. ult., 44: oportet impleri quae scripta sunt de me. Et hoc usque ad Ioannem. Sed quid est? Numquid post Ioannem non fuerunt prophetae? Nonne legimus infra XXIII, 34: ecce mitto ad vos prophetas, sapientes et Scribas? et cetera. Dicendum quod propheta ad duo mittitur: ad confirmandam fidem, et corrigendos mores; Prov. XXIX, 18: cum prophetia defecerit, dissipabitur populus. Ad confirmandam fidem, ut habetur I Petr. I, 10: de qua salute exquisierunt, atque scrutati sunt prophetae, qui de futura in vobis gratia prophetaverunt, scrutantes in quod vel in quale tempus significaret in eis spiritus Christi. Unde prophetia de istis duobus serviebat; sed iam fides fundata est, quia iam promissa per Christum sunt completa. Sed ad corrigendos mores numquam deficit, nec deficiet prophetia. Habet ergo excellentiam Ioannes, quia in medio veteris et novae legis; unde missus est ante faciem quasi simul cum Christo.
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Et si vultis recipere, ipse est Elias, qui venturus est. Hic ponit excellentiam Ioannis quoad distinctionem praesentis et futuri. Elias enim fuit praecursor domini, sicut Ioannes; unde Mal. IV, 5: ecce ego mittam vobis Eliam prophetam et cetera. Et Ioannes est Elias. Sed quid est quod dicit dominus? Quia interrogatus Ioannes si esset Elias, dixit quod non. Per hoc autem amovetur quaedam haeresis, quae posuit transmigrationem animae, quod anima videlicet exibat de uno corpore, et intrabat aliud corpus, ideo anima Eliae intraverat Ioannem, ut dicebat. Sed haec opinio falsa est, quia ipse negavit quod esset Elias. Christus autem dixit, quod Ioannes erat Elias propter triplicem similitudinem. Primo, quia sicut Angelus dicitur similis Angelo, quia pares in officio, sic Elias et Ioannes pares sunt officio, quia uterque praecursor; Lc. I, v. 76: ipse praeibit ante faciem domini parare vias eius et cetera. Item quantum ad conversationem, quia vitam austeram duxit, ut habetur III Reg. XIX, 6 ss. Item quantum ad persecutionem, quia sicut ille persecutus est a Iezabel, ita iste ab Herode. Unde si vultis accipere, secundum quod accipi debet, ipse est Elias.
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Et ut ipsi intelligant quod istud dictum est mystice, subdit qui habet aures audiendi audiat, idest, qui habet aures spiritualiter, audiat, et intelligat.
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Cui autem hic prorumpit in increpationem turbarum. Et primo ponit quaestionem; secundo quamdam similitudinem; tertio eam exponit. Procedit ergo sic. Ita comparatur Ioannes Eliae ratione officii, sed cui comparabo hanc generationem? Et quare dicit hoc hic? Hoc dicit sicut aliquis quando alicui fecit quicquid boni potuit, et ipse est ingratus, nescit cui comparare eum; sic dominus omnia bona fecerat generationi huic; unde Is. V, 4: quid ultra debui facere vineae meae, et non feci ei? Cui ergo potero comparare tantam malitiam? Notandum quod generatio aliquando in Scripturis pro congregatione bonorum accipitur, aliquando malorum, aliquando utrorumque. Pro congregatione bonorum, ut in Ps. CXI, 2: generatio rectorum benedicetur. Pro congregatione mala, infra XII, v. 39, ubi dicitur generatio mala et perversa. Pro utrisque, Eccle. I, 4, ubi dicitur: generatio praeterit, generatio ventura est, terra autem in aeternum stat. Similis est pueris sedentibus in foro et cetera. Hic ponit quamdam similitudinem; et potest exponi secundum planum litterae, vel secundum mysticum sensum. Primo ponit similitudinem de pueris; secundo adaptat eam, ibi venit Ioannes neque manducans, neque bibens et cetera. Notandum enim quod naturale est homini quaerere delectationes, et semper quaerit illas, et nisi abstrahatur per sollicitudines, statim ruit in malas delectationes, sed pueri non habent sollicitudines, ideo vacant circa illa, quae sibi competunt, hoc est ludere. Item notandum, quod homo naturaliter sociale est, et hoc quia naturaliter unus alio indiget, unde delectatur in convictu; unde philosophus I Polit.: omnis homo qui solitarius est, aut est melior homine, et est Deus; aut peior homine, et est bestia. Unde dicitur sedentibus in foro, quia nullus per se vult ludere, sed in foro, ubi fit congregatio multorum. Item notandum, quod naturale est homini quod delectatio eius sit in aliqua repraesentatione, unde si videamus aliquid bene sculptum, quod bene repraesentet quod debet, tunc delectamur; ideo pueri qui delectantur in ludis, semper ludos suos faciunt cum aliqua repraesentatione vel belli, vel huiusmodi. Item notandum, quod ad duas passiones terminantur omnes animi affectus, scilicet vel ad gaudium, vel ad luctum. Qui clamantes et cetera. Hoc est ita videndum. Ponamus quod sint pueri ex una parte, et alii ex alia, ita quod quidam debeant cantare, alii saltare; unum isti facere, alii eis respondere.
11:17
Si isti canerent, et illi eis non responderent secundum formam suam, iniuriarentur eisdem, unde dicunt cecinimus vobis, et vos non saltastis. Item nihil ita immutat animum, sicut cantus; unde computat Boetius in musica sua de quodam qui coram Pythagora cum alio litigabat, et cantu alii loquebantur. Tunc Pythagoras fecit mutari cantum, et ille quievit; unde omnes exercebantur in musica. Ideo notandum, quod quidam cantus est propter gaudium, sicut habetur Eccli. XL, 20: vinum et musica laetificant cor; ideo dicitur cecinimus, idest cantum gaudii diximus, et non saltastis. Item consuetudo est, quod sicut aliqui immutantur ad gaudium, ita quidam ad fletum; unde Ier. IX, 17: vocate lamentatrices, et assumant super nos lamentum et cetera. Ideo dicunt lamentavimus, idest cantus lugubres fecimus, et vos non planxistis. Mystice per pueros significatur populus veteris legis, inter quos quidam fuerunt provocatores ad gaudium spirituale, ut David Ps. XXXII, 1: exultate, iusti, in domino, quidam ad luctum, ut Ioel II, 13: convertimini ad dominum in toto corde vestro, in ieiunio, fletu et planctu et cetera. Unde possunt dicere cecinimus, idest incitavimus vos ad spiritualem laetitiam, et non suscepistis: lamentavimus, idest invitavimus ad poenitentiam, et vos non acquievistis. Venit Ioannes et cetera. Hic adaptat similitudinem. Et primo adaptat; secundo rationes assignat. Dupliciter homines attrahuntur ad bonam vitam: quidam enim per speciem sanctitatis, quidam autem per viam familiaritatis. Dominus et Ioannes diviserunt sibi duas vias. Ioannes, immo dominus per Ioannem, elegit viam austeritatis; per se elegit viam lenitatis: et tamen per nullum sunt conversi.
11:18
Unde dicit venit Ioannes non manducans, neque bibens: et hoc ad litteram, quia multum abstinens fuit, et dicunt: Daemonium habet, sicut hypocritae bonum in malum convertunt.
11:19
Venit filius hominis manducans, et bibens, idest differenter utens cibis, et non valet ei, quia non creditis, immo dicitis ecce homo vorax, potator vini, publicanorum amicus; contra illud Prov. cap. XXIII, 20: noli esse in conviviis potatorum et cetera. Hic notandum, quod qui observaret dicta hominum, numquam aliquid bene faceret; Eccle. XI, 4: qui observat ventos, non seminat, et qui considerat nubes, numquam metet. Sed hic est quaestio. Quare elegit dominus per se vitam leniorem, et per Ioannem asperiorem monstravit? Ista ratio est, quia dominus confirmabat actus suos miraculis; Ioannes autem non faciebat: ideo si nullam haberet excellentiam, non approbaretur eius testimonium, sicut videmus in sanctis, quia unus habet excellentiam in uno, alius in alio; ut Augustinus habuit excellentiam in doctrina, Martinus in miraculis. Item alia ratio, quia Ioannes purus homo erat, ideo abstinebat se a carnalibus desideriis; Christus autem Deus erat: ideo si austeritatem duceret, non ostenderetur esse homo; ideo humanam vitam magis assumpsit. Item Ioannes fuit finis veteris testamenti, cui gravia imponebantur; sed Christus fuit initium novae legis, quae procedit per viam mansuetudinis. Et iustificata est sapientia. Istud potest dupliciter legi. Uno modo retorquendo ad utrumque quod dictum est de Ioanne et Christo; et tunc est sensus: quando homo facit quod debet, et alius non corrigitur, tunc salvat animam suam, et iustificatur in sermonibus suis. Iustificata est sapientia, hoc est filius Dei, sive Christus, idest iusta apparuit filiis suis, quia exhibuit Iudaeis quod debuit: abstinentiam per Ioannem, mansuetudinem per Christum. Vel aliter potest dici. Ita dicant filii Diaboli, quod vorax est et potator vini; sed filii sapientiae intelligunt quod non est vita in cibo et poto, sed in aequalitate animi, utendo cibo pro loco et tempore, et abstinendo similiter quando decet, ita quod non excedant in multo, nec deficiant in pauco, ut dicit apostolus ad Phil. IV, 12: ubique, et in omnibus institutus sum, et satiari, et esurire, et abundare, et penuriam pati. Ideo plenam iustitiam non videretur ostendere, si totaliter abstineret, quia crederetur tota iustitia esse in abstinentia; sed in hoc non consistit, sed in animi aequalitate. Et nota quod dicit sapientia, quia uti cibis, vel abstinere secundum moderationem sapientiae est ut abstineat quando debet, et ubi debet.
11:20
Supra satisfecit discipulis Ioannis, nunc exprobrat non credentibus: et duo facit. Primo describitur factum domini; secundo verba ipsius, ibi vae tibi, Corozaim et cetera. Dicit ergo primo tunc coepit exprobrare civitatibus et cetera. Exprobratio est respectu beneficiorum, et respectu datorum. Magnum enim beneficium fecerat dominus, quia sui praesentia eos illustraverat; unde ingrati erant, et ideo merito exprobrabiles; unde Mich. VI, 3: popule meus, quid feci tibi, aut quid molestus fui tibi? Quasi dicat, nihil. Et non exprobravit eos quod peccata egissent, sed quod poenitentiam non fecissent: unde eis conveniebat quod dicitur Iob XXIV, 23: dedit ei locum poenitentiae, et ipse abutitur eo in superbiam. Et Rom. cap. II, 4: an ignoras quod benignitas Dei te ad poenitentiam adducit? Sed hic est quaestio litteralis, quia Lucas istud alio ordine ponit. Ponit enim in missione discipulorum; iste hic. Respondet Augustinus. Videtur quod Lucas magis ordinem servet historiae: hic autem seriem memoriae. Sed tunc obiicitur quod hic dicitur tunc; ergo videtur quod hic magis series texatur historiae. Respondet Augustinus, quod tunc tempus indefinitum dicit. Vel aliter potest dici quod bis dixit haec verba, et ideo potuit esse et tunc secundum istum, et tunc secundum Lucam. Vae tibi, Corozaim et cetera. Hic ponuntur verba domini. Et primo fit sermo de civitatibus suffraganeis, secundo de metropoli, ibi et tu, Capharnaum et cetera. Et primo comparat culpam ad culpam; secundo poenam ad poenam, ibi verumtamen dico vobis et cetera. Dicit ergo vae tibi, Corozaim et cetera. Istae autem sunt civitates sive villae in Galilaea, ubi multa signa dominus fecerat, et tamen non erant conversae. Ideo dicit vae tibi et cetera. Sed quid est quod facit dominus? Immo scriptum est Rom. XII, 14: nolite maledicere et cetera. Dicendum quod est maledicere formaliter, et materialiter: formaliter nullus debet maledicere, sed materialiter potest. Unde notandum quod quaedam coniuncta sunt secundum sensum, quae tamen possunt separari secundum intellectum, ut in pomo est odor et sapor, quae non possunt separari secundum sensum, licet secundum intellectum. Similiter velle istum non puniri, et velle ordinem iustitiae, non possunt simul esse, nisi secundum intellectum. Unde si maledico isti, quia delector in eius malo, malum est. Si autem non pro malo eius, sed pro ordine iustitiae, sic est bonum. Unde verbum domini non erat verbum delectantis, sed opus iustitiae nuntiantis. Vae tibi, Corozaim. Corozaim interpretatur ministerium in eum, Bethsaida domus fructuum. Cui plus committitur, ab eo plus exigitur. Et quare plus ei exhibuit? Quia ibi suum ministerium implevit: ideo revelata est ira Dei de caelo super omnem impietatem, et iniustitiam hominum eorum qui veritatem Dei in iustitia retinent, Rom. I, 18. Bethsaida domus fructuum. Si igitur multum fructum fecit ibi dominus, et non faciunt poenitentiam, quid erit eis? Is. V, 4: expectavi ut faceret uvas, et fecit labruscas.
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Vae tibi (...) quia si in Tyro et Sidone factae essent virtutes, quae factae sunt in vobis, olim in Cilicio et cinere poenitentiam egissent. Olim, idest a longinquis temporibus. Et notate modum poenitentiae, quia in cinere et Cilicio, quia duo inducunt ad poenitentiam. Unum recordatio delictorum; et hoc significatur in Cilicio, quod fit de pilis caprarum: istud enim animal immolabatur pro peccato. Aliud est consideratio mortis et conditio humanae fragilitatis; unde dicitur Gen. III, 19: pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris. Et Iob ult., 6: ideo reprehendo me, et ago poenitentiam in favilla et cinere. Verumtamen dico vobis: Tyro et Sidoni remissius erit in die iudicii quam vobis. Hic comparat culpam ad culpam: quia si inventi sunt graviores in culpa, deterius erit eis: quia quod audierunt, non fecerunt: ideo gravius erit, secundum quod dicitur Io. cap. XV, 22: si non venissem, et non eis locutus fuissem, peccatum non haberent. Notandum quod ex istis verbis tres errores excludit. Quidam dicebant omnia peccata paria, et similiter supplicia; hoc excludit cum dicit, quia istis erit deterius quam Tyro et Sidoni.
11:22
Item quidam dixerunt quod non salvabuntur nisi quos praescivit: quia si praedicaretur eis, converterentur; hoc excludit cum dicit quod Tyro et Sidoni male erit, sed tamen deterius istis, quibus nuntiatum est regnum Dei. Unde Augustinus in libro perseverantiae: non remunerat dominus pro his quae fecisset, sed pro his quae facit. Item removet tertium errorem, quia dicebant quidam quod dominus misit prophetas et praedicatores Iudaeis, et non aliis: quia sciebat quod alii non reciperent. Sed hoc excludit, quia si praedicaretur eis, poenitentiam agerent. Sed tunc restat quaestio: quia si Iudaei non credebant, videretur quod dominus non bene fecisset, cum non misit ad eos, si illi credidissent. Dicit Gregorius, quod scire secreta Dei non est hominis; tamen secundum quod videtur, quia promissum erat patribus, ideo ad confirmandas promissiones patrum primo praedicavit Iudaeis. Item ut ostenderetur iustior eorum condemnatio, ideo eis praedicavit, et post aliis discipulos misit. Remigius solvit sic: quia licet ex Tyro et Sidone plures credidissent in maiori multitudine; tamen apud eos erant aliqui perversi, qui nondum erant parati ad credendum; ideo non misit primo ad eos. Tertiam expositionem ponit Augustinus, quod praescivit dominus, quia si credidissent, non perseverassent in tempore passionis; et ideo ad eos non misit. Alia est expositio Augustini, quia praedestinatio est praescientia beneficiorum Dei. Unde quaecumque pertinent ad salutem, sunt effectus praedestinationis in praedestinatis: unde diversimode distribuit dominus dona sua, quia quibusdam dat cor docile, et pronitatem ad bene agendum; sed hoc non sufficit nisi sit instructor. Item aliquando est instructor, sed cor est durum: et sicut illis non sufficit facilitas ad credendum, sic istis nocet cor durum. Unde quaerere quare istum elegit, non illum, fatuum est quaerere; unde Augustinus: quare trahat hunc, et non illum, noli iudicare, si non vis errare. Unde melius est ut totum torqueatur ad ordinationem Dei, quam ad humana merita.
11:23
Et tu, Capharnaum, numquid usque in caelum exaltaberis? In parte ista exprobrat civitati solemniori. Et primo exprobrat superbiam, et hoc quia magni magis superbiunt; secundo exprobrat eorum impoenitentiam, ibi quia si in Sodomis factae fuissent virtutes et cetera. Circa primum primo exprobrat superbiam; secundo minatur poenam. Dicit ergo et tu, Capharnaum et cetera. Et est ibi duplex littera. Una interrogative numquid usque in caelum exaltaberis? Alia littera: tu es quae exaltata es usque in caelum: quia a domino exaltata est, et praesentia domini, et multis meritis; Lc. IV, 23: quanta audivimus facta in Capharnaum, fac et hic in patria tua. Item a teipsa exaltata es: unde tu numquid exaltaberis per superbiam, vel doctrinam meam? Quantumcumque exaltata fueris, tamen ad Inferos descendes: Iob XX, 28: detrahetur in die furoris domini; haec est pars hominis impii a Deo. Unde tu quae videris tangere caelum, detraheris ad Infernum. Unde propria poena superbi est deiectio; Is. XIV, v. 14 contra illum qui dicebat: ascendam ad astra caeli, sequitur, ad Infernum detraheris. Consequenter arguit de impoenitentia. Et primo comparat quantum ad culpam; secundo quantum ad poenam. Dicit ergo quia si in Sodomis et cetera. Et quare hoc dicit? Ad significandum libertatem arbitrii: quia ante hominem vita et mors. Nullus illos monuit: quamvis enim Lot inter illos esset, tamen non fecit miracula. Sed isti viderunt dominum docentem, et miracula facientem, ideo et cetera. Capharnaum interpretatur villa dulcissima, et per hanc interpretatur Ierusalem.
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Verumtamen dico vobis: in die iudicii gravior erit poena tua quam illius terrae, quae subversa est. Vel potest intelligi de habitantibus; Lc. XII, 47: servus sciens voluntatem domini sui, et non faciens, vapulabit multis. In illo tempore respondens Iesus dixit: confiteor tibi, pater et cetera. Supra dominus redarguerat infidelitatem turbarum; nunc gratias agit de fide discipulorum et aliorum credentium. Et primo reddit gratias patri tamquam auctori; secundo ostendit eamdem potestatem se habere, ibi omnia mihi tradita sunt a patre meo. Dicit ergo in illo tempore, scilicet quo accidit etc. respondit: sed cui respondit? Convenit ei quod dicitur Iob XV, v. 2: numquid sapiens respondet quasi in ventum loquens? Non. Unde respondet tacitae obiectioni. Posset enim dicere aliquis: isti non credunt quibus praedicasti; alii autem credidissent, si praedicatum fuisset illis. Ideo respondet, et responsione redarguit quosdam qui causas electionis inquisierunt, quare videlicet illi elevati sunt in caelum, et isti demersi sunt in profundum; ut Origenes, qui ponebat quod electio ex meritis est. Sed hic reprobat hoc, ostendens quod hoc attribuendum est divinae voluntati. Dicit ergo confiteor tibi, pater et cetera. Notandum, quod triplex est confessio. Scilicet fidei; unde Rom. X, 10 dicitur: corde creditur ad iustitiam, ore autem confessio fit ad salutem. Item confessio peccatorum; Iac. V, 16: confitemini alterutrum peccata vestra. Item confessio gratiarum actionis, de qua Ps. CV, 1: confitemini domino, quoniam bonus et cetera. De hoc intelligitur confiteor tibi, pater caeli et terrae. Duae haereses excluduntur, haeresis scilicet Sabellii, qui non distinguit filium a patre; unde dicit confiteor tibi, pater et cetera. Sic confitetur auctoritatem patris et cetera. Item quia eiusdem naturae. Ideo dicit patrem suum, contra Arium. Et vere dominus, quia pater caeli et terrae. Et in Ps. XCIX, v. 3: scitote quoniam dominus ipse est Deus: ipse fecit nos, et non ipsi nos. Et dicitur pater, non quia eum creavit, sed quia eum genuit; Ps. LXXXVIII, 27: ipse invocavit me: pater meus es tu. Et quare gratias agit?
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Agit gratias super quamdam distinctionem, et ponit sic: quia abscondisti haec a sapientibus et prudentibus, et revelasti ea parvulis. Unde hic considerare oportet qui sint parvuli, et qui sapientes, et qui prudentes. Tripliciter autem dicuntur aliqui parvuli. Ad litteram parvuli dicuntur abiecti; unde in Abdia v. 2: ecce parvulum dedi te, contemptibilis tu es valde. Item dicitur parvulus humilitate, quia parva de se sentit. Unde dominus infra XVIII, 3: nisi conversi fueritis, et efficiamini ut parvuli, non intrabitis in regnum caelorum. Item simplicitate: unde apostolus I Cor. XIV, 20: malitia parvuli estote. Unde potest illud intelligi: quia revelasti ea parvulis et abiectis piscatoribus. Et quare? Apostolus reddit rationem dicens, quod despecta mundi elegit Deus, ut fortia quaeque confundat. Augustinus exponit: parvulis, idest humilibus, non de se praesumentibus: ubi enim humilitas, ibi sapientia. Hilarius exponit de simplicibus. In simplicitate quaerite illum, Sap. I, 1. E contrario sapientes et prudentes, quia in carnali sapientia student; Ier. IX, v. 23: non glorietur sapiens in sapientia sua. Istis non revelavit, sed rusticis non confidentibus de sapientia sua; Eccle. VII, 24: dixi: sapiens efficiar, et ipsa longius recessit a me, multo magis quam erat. Quare apostolus ad Rom. X, 3: ignorantes autem Dei iustitiam, et suam quaerentes statuere, iustitiae Dei non sunt subiecti. Item per sapientes intelligit superbos iactantes se; et talibus non revelavit. Ad Rom. I, 22: dicentes se esse sapientes, stulti facti sunt. Item dicit sapientes secundum carnem viventes, quae carnis sunt quaerentes, non quae Dei, Phil. II, v. 21. Item sapientes sunt, ut faciant mala, et bene facere nescierunt, Ier. IV, 22. Et revelasti. Ad Eph. IV, 17: ut non ambuletis sicut et gentes ambulant in vanitate sensus sui. Unde abscondisti a sapientibus, revelando parvulis. Sapientiam abscondit a sapientibus, non apponendo gratiam. Unde dicitur ad Rom. I, 28: tradidit eos in reprobum sensum. Sed quid est quod gratias reddit, quod abscondit? Dico quod hoc non facit, ut gaudeat de caecitate eorum, sed de iudicio Dei, qui ita sapienter ordinat. Et quare? Hic non est quaerenda causa: in talibus enim Dei voluntas pro causa est. Ita, pater, quia sic placitum est ante te. Artifex bene potest assignare causam quare lapides quosdam in fundamento, quosdam superius posuit; sed quod hunc posuerit hic, alium ibi, non est alia causa nisi voluntas sua. Sic quod dominus aliquos salvet, hoc est ad suam misericordiam, quod hos damnet, ad iustitiam. Sed quare circa illum sic misericorditer agit, potius quam circa alium, hoc solum pertinet ad suam voluntatem. Unde ad Rom. IX, 18: cuius vult miseretur, et quem vult indurat. Unde sic facit propter beneplacitum. In Ps. CXVIII, v. 108: beneplacitum fac, domine et cetera. Omnia mihi tradita sunt a patre meo. Egerat gratias patri, quia secreta parvulis revelat: posset aliquis credere, quod non posset ipse revelare, unde hoc removens primo tangit magnitudinem suae potestatis; secundo invitat ad se quasi dicat: ecce sum potens; venite ergo ad me et cetera. Et primo duo facit. Primo ponit aequalitatem filii ad patrem; secundo spiritualiter applicat ad id de quo agebatur, ibi et nemo novit filium nisi pater. Dicit ergo: posset dicere aliquis: numquid omnia potest? Respondet omnia tradita sunt mihi. Et attende aequalitatem, sed tamen a patre originem, quod est contra Sabellium. Sed quid est quod dicit omnia? Tripliciter potest exponi. Omnia, hoc est: supra omnem creaturam. Infra ult. 18: data est mihi omnis potestas in caelo et in terra. Vel omnia, idest electi et praedestinati, qui specialiter sunt dati; Io. XVII, 6: tui erant et eos tradidisti mihi. Item omnia, scilicet intrinseca, idest omnem perfectionem divinitatis; Io. V, v. 26: sicut pater habet vitam in semetipso, sic filio dedit vitam habere in semetipso. Et non debemus intelligere carnaliter, quia si dedit, sibi etiam retinuit. Et haec expositio et Augustini et Hilarii. Sed posset aliquis dicere: quomodo dedit? Ideo addit modum, cum dicit a patre meo. Unde per generationem hoc recepit. Et nemo novit filium nisi pater. Modo specialiter ad propositum adaptat, et non solum quantum ad aequalitatem ad patrem, sed etiam quantum ad consubstantialitatem. Substantia enim patris superat omnem intelligentiam, cum ipsa essentia patris dicatur incognoscibilis, sicut substantia filii. Unde hic notatur aequalitas, et confunditur Arius, qui dicit patrem invisibilem, filium autem visibilem. Et nemo novit filium nisi pater. Sed quid est? Nonne sancti noverunt? Dicendum, quod attingendo, vel fide, sed comprehendendo non cognoscunt. Sed quid est? Nonne spiritus sanctus cognoscit? Immo. Sed notandum, quod dictiones exclusivae aliquando adduntur nominibus divinis essentialibus, aliquando personalibus. Et cum adiunguntur personalibus, non excludunt illud quod idem est in natura: unde addita patri non excludit filium. Unde ubi dicitur, regi immortali, invisibili, soli Deo honor et gloria, I Tim. I, 17, non excluditur alius in natura. Similiter cum dicit hic nisi filius, non excluditur spiritus sanctus, qui idem est in natura. Sed cum dicit nemo novit etc. intelligitur nullus homo nisi filius. Et ita habetur quod novit filius patrem. Sed hoc est contra Origenem. Cognoscit enim per comprehensionem.
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Quia ergo perfecte cognoscit, et est cognoscibilis, ideo habet potestatem revelandi sicut pater; ideo dicit et cui voluerit filius revelare. Manifestatio enim fit per verbum; Io. XVII, 6: pater, manifestavi nomen tuum hominibus et cetera. Ibid. I, 18: Deum nemo vidit unquam. Sed ipse novit: ergo manifestare potuit. Illud ergo quod dixerat de patre, sibi attribuit. Dixerat enim abscondisti haec a sapientibus, et revelasti ea parvulis; sic etiam et filius potest, ex quo habet eamdem potestatem. Venite ad me omnes et cetera. Venite ad mea beneficia. Et primo ponitur invitatio; secundo necessitas invitationis; tertio utilitas. Dicit ergo venite ad me; quod verbum etiam sapientiae est, Eccli. XXIV, 26: transite ad me omnes qui concupiscitis me et a generationibus meis adimplemini. Unde appropinquate ad me indocti, quia vult se communicare. Sed quae est necessitas? Quia absque me homines laborant nimis; qui laboratis. Specialiter hoc potest convenire Iudaeis, quia laborabant in oneribus legum et mandatorum, ut habetur Act. XV, 10: hoc est onus quod nec nos, nec patres nostri portare potuimus. Item generaliter quantum ad omnes qui laborant propter humanitatis fragilitatem; Ps. LXXXVII, 16: pauper sum ego, et in laboribus a iuventute mea.
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Et onerati estis, onere scilicet peccatorum. Ps. XXXVII, 5: iniquitates meae sicut onus grave gravatae sunt super me. Et quid habebimus si veniamus ad te? Ego reficiam vos. Io. VII, 37: si quis sitit, veniat ad me, et bibat. Consequenter exponit invitationem. Et primo exponit; secundo rationem assignat, ibi iugum enim meum suave est. Circa primum sic.
11:29
Posuerat invitationem, et ad quid; nunc vult ostendere quae sit illa invitatio, dicens tollite iugum meum super vos. Sed quid est? Tu dicis, quod vis nos reficere, et a nobis auferre laborem, et statim praecipis ferre iugum? Credebamus esse sine iugo. Dico quod verum est, sine iugo peccati; Is. IX, 4: iugum enim oneris eius, et virgam humeri eius, et sceptrum exactoris eius superasti. Non quod sitis sine lege Dei, sed sine iugo peccati; Ps. II, 3: proiiciamus a nobis iugum ipsorum. Osee ult., 2: convertere, Israel, ad dominum Deum tuum, quoniam corruisti in iniquitate tua et cetera. Ad Rom. VI, 18: liberati a peccato, servi facti estis iustitiae. Tollite ergo iugum meum, scilicet documenta evangelica. Et dicit iugum; sicut enim iugum colla boum ad arandum iungit et ligat, sic doctrina evangelica utrumque populum ligat ad iugum suum. Et quid est illud discite a me quia mitis sum et humilis corde? Tota enim lex nova consistit in duobus: in mansuetudine et humilitate. Per mansuetudinem homo ordinatur ad proximum. Unde Ps. CXXXI, v. 1: memento, domine, David, et omnis mansuetudinis eius. Per humilitatem ordinatur ad se, et ad Deum. Is. LXVI, 2: super quem requiescet spiritus meus nisi super quietum et humilem? Unde humilitas facit hominem capacem Dei. Item dixerat et ego reficiam vos. Quae est ista refectio? Invenietis requiem animabus vestris. Corpus enim non reficitur, quamdiu afficitur, et quando ulterius non afficitur, tunc dicitur refectum. Et sicut fames in corpore, sic desiderium in mente: unde impletio desideriorum est refectio; Ps. CII, 5: qui replet in bonis desiderium tuum. Et haec requies est requies animae; Eccli. LI, 35: modicum laboravi, et inveni multam requiem. Sic in mundo mansueti non quietantur: unde invenietis requiem sempiternam, scilicet impletionem desideriorum. Sed non miremini si invito vos ad iugum, quia iugum meum non est onus. Quare?
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Iugum enim meum suave est, et delectabile; Ps. CXVIII, 103: quam dulcia faucibus meis eloquia tua. Et onus meum leve. Et haec possunt retorqueri ad duo. Iugo tenentur boves, sed onus portatur: unde iugum retorquetur ad praecepta negativa, onus ad affirmativa. Sed videtur hoc esse falsum, quia onus legis novae videtur gravissimum, sicut supra V, 21 dictum est: audistis quia dictum est antiquis, non occides (...). Ego autem dico vobis, quia omnis qui irascitur fratri suo, reus erit iudicio: et sic videtur quod gravius onus sit. Item dictum est supra VII, v. 14: arcta est via, quae ducit ad vitam. Item apostolus II Cor. XI, 23: in laboribus plurimis. Unde videtur iugum gravissimum. Ideo duo sunt consideranda: effectus doctrinae et actus circumstantia; et in omnibus est levis, in effectu doctrina Christi, quia immutat cor, quia facit nos non amare temporalia, sed magis spiritualia: qui enim amat temporalia, modicum amittere est ei magis grave, quam ei qui amat spiritualia, amittere multum. Lex vetus non prohibebat illa temporalia, ideo grave erat eis amittere; sed modo, etsi in principio aliquantulum grave, post tamen parum; Prov. IV, 11: ducam te per semitas aequitatis, quas cum ingressus fueris, non coarctabuntur gressus tui. Item quantum ad actum lex onerabat actibus exterioribus. Lex autem nostra est in voluntate solum; unde ad Rom. XIV, 11: regnum Dei non est esca et potus. Item lex Christi iucundat; unde apostolus ad Rom. XIV, 17: iustitia, et pax, et gaudium in spiritu sancto. Item quantum ad circumstantiam, quia multae sunt adversitates; unde qui pie in Christo Iesu volunt vivere, persecutionem patientur et cetera. II ad Tim. III, 12. Sed istae non sunt graves, quia condiuntur condimento amoris, quia quando aliquis amat aliquem, non gravat eum quicquid patitur pro illo: unde omnia gravia et impossibilia levia facit amor. Unde si quis bene amat Christum, nihil est ei grave, et ideo lex nova non onerat.
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And it came to pass. THE Hebrew is Wl ; the Greek, as translated by the LXX., KOI eyevero — it "has been," or "has been done," or " has happened " ; but the last meaning does not suit the passage so well, because it might seem to imply that the events described took place by accident, whereas they were done with deep design. The Evangelists copy the LXX. S. Matthew has passed over the Acts of the Apostles in their mission, S. Mark (vi. 12, 13) and S. Luke (ix. 6) relating them briefly.
When Jesus liad made an end of commanding (" consummasset pr&cipiens "). Prczcipere, the particle put for the infinitive by Greek idiom. The Latins would have said: Cum prcecipiendi finem fecisset. Those commands which divines distinguish from counsels are not necessarily understood here, but that instruction which consists partly of commands and partly of counsels, which Christ gave the Apostles. This is the meaning of SiaraTTeiv, " to set in order," " to dispose " (i Cor. xi. 34).
He passed from thence. Lest, whilst the Apostles were employed in their mission, His presence might take from their authority and obscure the brightness of their miracles. Hence Theophylact thinks that Christ did no miracles in the meanwhile, and therefore that the Evangelist did not say that He worked no miracles, but only taught: a slender conjecture.
In their cities. Many think that the cities of the disciples are meant : but why are they called " theirs " ? Some suppose that the cities of Galilee are referred to. For the Apostles were all or most of them of Galilee (Acts u. 7). So Euthymius and Hugo. Others, the cities in which the Apostles had preached, as in ,S. Luke x. i. But this view is not accept able, both because it has no trustworthy authority to support it, and because they only are called the cities of the Apostles in which they preached, or which they passed through ; and the Evangelist says that Christ, immediately on sending away the Apostles, went into another place. This seems, therefore, difficult of acceptation. Christ sent them, then, as S. Luke says (x. i), into every city and place into which, not immediately, but after a long time, He would come Himself. He also relates, not that Christ came to them, but that they returned to Him (verse 17). The explanation of Euthymius and Bede seems better: that the cities of Judah are meant, the relative either being put without an antecedent, or being referred to the remote one of chap. x. 6 ; " Go ye rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" ; or to verse 23 :" When they shall persecute you in this city, flee ye to another ". Either manner of speech is very common with the Hebrews (4 Kings xvii. 29 ; 3 Kings
11:3
Art Thou He that art to come ? The passage is difficult, because a doubt is apt to arise as to how John, who had confessed Christ to be the Lamb of God before He had done any miracles, could appear really to doubt after so many. S. Justin Martyr, indeed (or whoever is the author), in the 38th question to the Orthodox, and Tertullian (w., Against Marciori], do not hesitate to say that John did really doubt. Tertullian adds what is worse, that he doubted because the spirit of prophecy had passed from him to Christ. Some, as this was most senseless, have sought another explanation : that John did not doubt whether Christ were the Lamb of God and the true Messiah, such as he had before testified him to be, but whether He would die and descend into hell. To this opinion, for want of a better, the greatest number of the Ancients incline (S. Ambrose, vu., On S. Luke ; Eusebius, Emissa Horn.; Jul. Pomerius, book iii., Cont. Jud.; Venantius, On the Apostles' Creed; S. Gregory, Horn. i. on Ezekiel). S. Chrysostom {Horn, xxxvii.), also, and Theophylact (Comment., in loc.) speak of it, but they both rightly refute it For how could John be ignorant of the death of Christ, and His descent into hell, of which no prophet, and no man of learning who had studied the works of the prophets, was ignorant? The opinion therefore of S. Hilary, S. Chrysostom, The Author, S. Cyril of Alexandria (2 Thesauri., w.), Euthymius, Theophylact, Rupertus, that John himself had no doubts, but that his disciples had some, is true. For they so loved their own master, that though he preferred Christ far before himself, and declared that he was not worthy to loose His shoestrings, they would not believe him. They thought, perhaps, that John spoke from modesty, not truth, and, as much less as he made himself than Christ, so much the greater they believed him to be. Hence came their jealousy of Christ (S. John iii. 26). When, then, John saw his death to be at hand, and he heard of these miracles which must have caused even the hardest to believe, he sent his disciples to Him, that, as they had not believed himself, they might believe Christ's miracles. He sent them, therefore, as if he himself doubted, because they would never have ventured to ask Christ in their own names. So the most skilful physician feigns himself sick to cure those that are sick (2 Cor. xi. 29). " Who is weak, and I am not weak ? " It is clear that this is the true meaning from the reason given in verse 2. " When John had heard in the prison the works of Christ." What works? His miracles. Did the miracles of Christ cause doubt in him who not only believed in Him, but also proclaimed Him before any of them were done? He sent his disciples, there fore, that they might see them and cease to doubt. S. Jerome and Bede add something further : that the disciples of John did not doubt whether Christ was the true Redeemer, but whether He would undergo death and descend into hell ; and they were sent to Him to learn this. But the idea does not agree with the context. Forhow would they learn from the miracles whether Christ would die and go down into hell ?
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Relate to John. Christ knew that they came to ask for themselves, not for John ; but He would not show this, lest He should seem to accuse them of unbelief and simulation. He said, there fore, " Go and relate to John what you have heard and seen ". Or perhaps they thought that John doubted truly, and not merely in pretence. For it is not to be believed that he said this to the disciples that they might question Christ the more freely, and that, the master believing afterwards the more easily, and, as it were, changing his opinion, they also must change theirs. When we descend to vice we are willing to be leaders. We are ashamed to turn to virtue without a leader.
What you have heard and seen. " You have heard of some of my miracles from those who saw them, and some you have seen yourself." For S. Luke (vu. 21) writes that Christ healed many blind before them, and cured many that were afflicted with various diseases, and cast out many devils. But why did not Christ answer plainly that He was the Christ, when He said so to the woman of Samaria though she did not ask Him? (S.John w. 26). S. Chrysostom and Rupertus reply that He would convince unbelievers by deeds, not words (as S. John v. 33-36, and x. 37, 38, and xv. 24). Why, then, did He say that He was Christ to the Samarian woman ? Because He knew, as the result proved, that she would easily believe His words ?
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The poor have the Gospel preached to them. Theophylact and Euthymius take the verb actively, as if they said : The poor preach the Gospel ; for they say that the Apostles are called the poor, because they were in a humble and poor condition ; and the verb evay<ye\i£o/jiai is not always used in a passive sense, as has been said in the Preface. But sometimes it is so (as Heb. w. 2 ; I Pet. i. 25 ; w. 6) ; and this is the only meaning to be given to it here. For while the Gospel should be preached to all alike, Christ mentions only the poor : firstly, because this was to be numbered among the miracles ; for what is more wonderful than that a poor man should be made a King ? and secondly, that He might make allusion to the Prophet (Isa. Ixi. i), and show that He was the Christ of whom the Prophet spoke.
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That should not be scandalised in Me. Whoever did not derive death from the source whence he ought to have gained life, and whoever was moved to belief by the miracles, would not have been moved to accuse Him, like the Scribes and Pharisees, who said that He cast out devils by the prince of the devils. For He was a rock of offence and a stone of stumbling (Isa. viii. 14 ; Rom. ix. 33), and placed for the ruin of many (S. Luke u. 34), but not for those who believe. To these He was the chief corner-stone elect — as I Pet. u. 6, 7. S. Jerome and Bede think that by these words Christ meant to mark the disciples of John who did not believe.
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And when they went their way. Why not before ? S. Chrysostom and Euthymius answer that Christ would not appear to praise and flatter John before His disciples.
Jesus began to say. Why ? Lest they who were present and had heard of the message of John should think that he had changed his former opinion of Christ from which he had borne such exalted testimony to Him, or had really begun to doubt, and they also should waver in faith — as S. Jerome, S. Chrysostom, Cyril (lib. u., cap. 4), Bede, The Author, Theophylact, and Euthymius have observed, and which the following comparison of the " reed " confirms. As if He had said : " John was not a man of light mind, and apt to change his opinion like a reed ".
What went ye out for to see ? Why did not Christ say rather : " What manner of man do you think John ? " in allusion to what had been said (iii. 5, and 5. Luke iii. 7) ; as if He should say : " There is no reason why you should regret having gone out to see a man of singular character, as if he had changed for the worse ; for he is greater than you thought him when you went out to see him ".
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For this is he. He proves what He had said before, that John was greater than a prophet ; for He was in a manner an angel, and not an ordinary angel, but that most noble one of which God had said through Malachi : " Behold, I send My angel, and he shall prepare the way before My face " (iii. i). Other prophets and priests are called angels and prophets by the same Prophet (u. 7, and Acts vu. 53), but in another sense than John. They because they were sent to men ; John because He was sent to Christ, that is, to God Himself. And even before His face ; that is, to go most immediately before Him, which is the privilege of the most honoured friend ; other servants following and not going before the Master, as has been observed by S. Chrysostom and The Author. In this sense is to be understood John's denial that he was a prophet (S. John i. 21) ; for he was not one like the rest, who foretold the coming long after of Christ. He was not a prophet, because he did not foretell Christ as about to come, but he pointed Him out with his finger as present. He was a prophet, as having recognised Christ by the Holy Spirit, when no one had pointed Him out ; although Christ denied him to be a prophet in one sense, and he denied himself to be one in another, — Christ to show that he was greater, he himself to show that he was less, but each with the same end ; because he was not a prophet like the rest. Why he should be more than a prophet is not difficult to be understood. For his life was most notable ; and though he did no miracle, he was himself a perpetual miracle. Conceived by miracle, recognising his coming Lord while yet in the womb, and pointing Him to his mother ; by miracle loosing his father's tongue when circumcised ; living by miracle among the wild beasts ; and, as The Author writes, not only equalling angels, but even surpassing them ; who when he was a man and not an angel led an angelic and not a human life, so that even Jews, and not wholly without reason, thought that he was a true angel, as Eusebius (De Demons, ix. 8) says.
Before T/ty face. In Malachi iii. I it is not read " before Thy face," but " before My face ". But the meaning is the same. For there Christ spoke of Himself ; here the Father speaks of the Son. Hence, too, the divinity of Christ can be proved. For it is certain that it is God who is speaking by the Prophet ; from the same place, however, it is plain that it was Christ.
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There hath not risen. The Hebrew has Dy tih. The Latins say "has been," extitit ; but "risen" seems to have a deeper meaning, for it signifies not only that He was, but also that He was eminent.
There hath not risen among them that are born of women a greater than John the Baptist. A difficult passage, for it does not appear how the saying, which so exalts John, not only above all other men, but even seems to lower Christ Himself, can be true. The modern heretics have found an easy way of solving the difficulty. They say that the office and dignity of John are compared with those of the older prophets ; not his holiness with theirs. They prove this from S. Luke, who does not say absolutely that no one is greater than John, but that there was no greater prophet. Then, that even from this passage it might be proved that John was more than a prophet. But this path, which seems to them plain, leads to a dangerous error, and is wholly divergent from the meaning of Christ and piety. All ancient authors, without, I believe, one single exception, have explained this passage of the holiness, and not of the office, of John — Tertullian (De Baptismd), S. Cyril Jerus. (Catech. iii.), S. Cyril Alex. (u. 4, Thesaur., and lib. u., On S. John xxxiv.), Ambrose (u., On S. Luke), S. Chrysostom (Horn, xxviii. in .), The Author (Horn, xxvii.), S. Jerome, S. Augustin (Tract, xiii. on S. John, and Cont. Advers. Leg. et Proph., u. 5), S. Hilary (Can. xi.), Maximus (Horn, on S. John} ; and, as I think, there is no other opinion. And if we consider the object of Christ, we shall see that the idea of the above heretics is repugnant to it. Christ did not desire to prove that John was adorned with the gift of prophecy, and therefore excelled the rest. For He had said this inverse 9, and the words, " more than a prophet " and " there hath not risen a greater prophet," would have accorded badly. For, if he were more than a prophet, who could doubt that there would never have been a greater prophet than he ? Christ wished to declare to His hearers John's singular sanctity, lest from his mission, " Art Thou He ? " they should doubt of his constancy and virtue. What has this to do with office, when the question is of the manner of life? Surely, when Christ said, "What went ye out to see ? " He spoke, not of John's office, but of his manner of life. What man went you out to see? how devout an one, how religious, how holy ? For His addition, the reed, and soft clothing, are opposed, not to office, but to manner of life ; the reed to constancy, the soft clothing to rigour and hardness. Then, when He adds, " He that is the lesser in the kingdom of heaven," it is not doubtful that these are compared with him in the same manner as that in which he is compared with those who had been under the Law. But the others are compared with him, not in excellence of office, but in holiness of life. For it is not sense to say that the least prophet in the kingdom of heaven is a greater prophet than he ; but that any man is, or if he will, can be, more blessed than he, as shall be explained hereafter. John, therefore, is not compared to those who were under the Law in office, but in holiness. This is seen in verse 12 : " From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away ". That is, it is open to all ; to whoever will try for it. Whoever will contend for it will be greater than John the Baptist ; not in the office of prophet (which is given freely, and is not the reward of labour), but in holiness, which the more any man tries after it, the more he will obtain. Lastly, the words of Christ, " There hath not risen among men that are born of women a greater than John the Baptist," had been foretold by the Angel (S. Luke i. 15). "He shall be great before the Lord." But the Angel spoke of his life, not of his office. This is the meaning of " before the Lord ". For no man is great before God, unless he be just and holy. What they object to from another passage (S. Luke vu. 28), other Catholics before us have explained. I. Euthymius says that the name prophet itself, in 5- Luke, means, not the office, but holiness, because the prophets both were, and were held to be, holy men. Holy men, though not prophets, used to be called prophets. In this sense, we see that Christ was universally so called by the Jews, not because He foretold the future, but because His miracles showed His holiness (S. Matthew xxi. 1 1 ; S. Mark vi. 15 ; 5. Luke vu. 16 ; xxiv. 19 ; 5. John w. 19 ; vi. 14 ; vu. 40, 52 ; ix. 17). But even were it the name of an office in S. Luke, they would gain nothing from the above passage. For we grant that John was compared to the prophets of the Old Testament alone. This is to be gathered from S. Luke, and The Author (Horn, xxvii.) and S. Augustin (u., Cont. Advers. Leg. et PropJi) freely admit it. But does it therefore follow that he is compared with the prophets only in his office of prophet? The above authors admit the former ; but the latter they deny. For, because the prophets were held the most holy of all men, when John is compared with them, he is compared in holiness ; and when he is preferred to them, he is preferred to all other holy men, though they are not named. 2. But there remains a greater question : How among those born of women is no one greater, that is, more holy, than John ? Was not Christ so ? Many, by various means, exclude Christ from this comparison. Many explain it by the word " woman," which seems to mean corruptas, whilst Christ was born of a most pure Virgin — as say S. Ambrose (v., On S. Luke), Jerome, Bede, Theophylact. " He," says S. Ambrose, "was, I affirm, greater than all, but among those born of a woman, not of a pure Virgin. For he was greater than those to whom he could be equal in the manner of his birth." Others say, because He did not say born of women as Christ is said to have been made of a woman (Gal. w. 4), but amongst those born mulierum. For Christ was not born mulieris, but de muliere. So The Author (Horn. xxvii.) : "It is one thing," he says, "to be born mulieris, and another to be born de muliere. He who is born mulieris is born in muliere, and has his origin de muliere, and before the woman he was not. But he who is born de muliere is not born in muliere. But Christ was born de muliere'' Others think that the word " born," <yevvY)Tois, means those only who are born of man and woman ; for this is to be, properly speaking, born — <yevvav. This may be true, but it is not necessary. Others are said to be born mulierum, who are not born e Deo, but of the will of man and the flesh, to whom are opposed those who are born e Deo, that is to those who are re-born e Divino Spiritu, among whom he that is the least is greater than John Baptist. So S. Cyril of Alexandria, On Thess. w., lib. u. Others would have Christ excluded from the words that follow : " He that is least in the kingdom of heaven " — as S. Chrysostom and Euthymius. It may be so, but it does not solve the question. For, granting that Christ is excluded, what are we to say of His most holy Mother, whom none can deny to have been more holy than John by as much nearer as His Mother came to touch Christ than His forerunner? The brief and easy answer to this is, that John, as S. Jerome says, is compared, not with all saints, but only with those of the Old Testament. But Christ, His Mother, and all the Apostles belong to the New Testament. Nor is there in the words " born mulierum " any great mystery : that it is a Hebraism, which by periphrasis calls all men born of women, nati mulierum.
He that is lesser in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. S. Augustin (Cont. Advers. Leg. est Proph., u. 5) says heaven is the kingdom of heaven, and he explains those who are in the kingdom of heaven to be the angels who are in heaven. But how did Christ say that the angels were greater than John the Baptist? for the subject was not angels, but men. S. Jerome and Bede also think that heaven is the kingdom of heaven, and that those who are in it are happy in heaven, among whom he that is least is greater than John, because, says S. Jerome, it is one thing to possess the crown of victory, another to be yet in the thick of the fight. Many think that this was said of Christ, but all do not understand it in the same sense. Some explain it that he who was lesser in the kingdom of heaven, that is, the Church : " I who am the -most lowly of the lowly am greater than he ". So Rupertus. Others that " I, who am both later in time and, in the opinion of others, less than John, am greater than he," as John himself said : "He that cometh after me"(iii. u). So S. Chrysostom, The Author, Euthymius, and Theophylact. S. Augustin approves this view (Tract, xiii. on S. John, and u., Leg. et Proph., chap. v.). There is a view : " Whoever is less " — i.e., more humble — " than John is greater than he, because he that humbles himself shall be exalted ". It seems difficult to think that the kingdom of heaven is put for heaven, because it is clear that Christ used an antithesis between the Old and New Testament ; this is evident from verses 12, 13. Or, that Christ is compared with John, firstly, because such comparison is not to the point when the Gospel is compared with the Old Testament ; secondly, and especially, because Christ said openly of Himself that He was greater than Jonas or Solomon (xii. 41, 42) ; and lastly, because the force is lost unless the saying is general, and not limited to John, who is lesser ; that is, whosoever is less, or whosoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Such seems to be the meaning of the passage, and thus the antithesis between the Gospel and the Law which Christ used is clear, and very aptly agrees with the persons of the Law, as if it were said : " He who is least in the Gospel is greater than he who is the greatest in the Law". It is a known axiom of philosophy : the least thing of the greatest is greater than the greatest of the least. There remains, however, as appears, a great difficulty : How he who is the least in the Gospel is greater, that is, holier, than John. It may be answered in two ways : i. That Christ spoke precisely of John and of those who received the Gospel, as far as he pertains to the Law and they to the Gospel. For although it is no way doubtful that John far excelled not only many, but the greater number, of those who are in the Gospel, in righteousness, yet whatever holiness he and the other holy men under the Law possessed, they possessed not of the Law, but of the Gospel ; the future virtue of which was extended even to them, however far remote from it ; and therefore he who is least in the Gospel is shown to have been greater than he who is greatest in the Law, because the latter was, as it were, his heritage and home production ; the former was alien to him, and thus he is made greater, as it were, by a virtue borrowed and received (mutuo accepta). For S. Paul so speaks of the Law and the Gospel, as teaching that the Law was not of faith, but appropriates the faith of the Gospel (Rom. iii. 27, 28-31; Gal. iii. 12). For Abraham, who is the Father of all the faithful, was not in the Gospel but in the Law, but rather he was before the Law. But S. Paul denies that the Law had faith and justified, because it justified not of itself, but of the future Gospel, as if it had an anticipative faith, and justified by grace borrowed from the Gospel. 2. He, therefore, who is least in the Gospel is called greater than he who is under the Law, not because he is immediately and at once greater, but because, from the nature of the Gospel, he is able to be. What is under the Law ? Cannot everyone who wishes be greater than John ? He is able to be so, perhaps, but not from the nature of the Law, which was shut by certain barriers. When these are torn away, " from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away" (verse 12). Thus everyone who uses greater strength is more holy in proportion. Previously, to the prophets or other holy men, as their office or ministry (whether of foretelling or prefiguring the coming Christ) required, greater or lesser grace was given, and the greatest to John, because he had the duty not only of foreshowing Christ, but even of pointing Him out with his finger. This grace was afterwards poured out, and, when in their midst, every man received as much of it as he in strength and heart contended for. This is the meaning of "the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence,"* &c. (verse 12).
11:12
The kingdom of heaven. Some think that Christ Himself was called the Kingdom of Heaven, as S. Ambrose (Serm. xv. de Nat. * The 8vo omits the greater part of the Commentary on these and the preceding words of the eleventh verse. Others think it life eternal or heaven, as Gregory (Horn. xx. in Evangel?} ; Bede (in loc.). Others faith, as S. Chrysostom, Euthymius, and Theophylact Others the Church or Gospel, as in many other passages, which opinion of these alone seems tenable ; for, as has been said, there is an antithesis in the former verse between the Law and the Gospel.
Suffereth violence. Many explain it by saying that the kingdom is gained by mortification, penitence, ignominy, poverty, and the way to it is that pointed out by John both by word and deed (S. Basil, Orat. de Abdicat. Rerum ; S. Chrysostom ; S. Jerome ; S. Augustin, u. 99, Evangel., Qucest. 37 ; S. Gregory, Horn. xx. in Evangel. ; Theophylact ; Euthymius ; Bede, In Comment. ; S. Bernard, In Sent., cap. v.). The opinion of S. Hilary (Can. xi.), Ambrose (Lib. in Luc., vi., and Semi. xv. de Nat. Dom.\ seems especially good. That it is said to suffer violence because it is not confined to one people, as in the old Law, and kept within certain bounds, but is open to all, and is offered to all, that everyone who wills may hasten into it ; and it is not given to inheritance as to the Jews, but to virtue (S. Matt. viii. 11, 12). For we are said to bear a thing away when we take it out of the hands of another person ; as many will come from the east and west, and snatch it out of the hands of the Jews who were in possession of it. The centurion snatched it out of the hand of the Jews, of whom Christ said : " Not in Israel," and who believed when they did not. The woman of Canaan did the same who showed by her words to Christ that she had more faith than the Jews, and so gained the cure of her daughter (xv. 28). This will carry the greater conviction if we see that the verses are transposed, and that the above words ought to come in the place of verse 13, and that that verse should come here, as the coherence and consequence of the sentence requires. For Christ proves that he who is least in the kingdom of heaven can be greater than John, because he is bound by no ties of the Law. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John ; and S. Luke (xvi. 16) says : " The Law and the Prophets were until John ; from that time the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone useth violence towards it ". But S. Matthew here, as in other places, has not observed the order of the history.
11:13
For all. If, as has been said, this verse were united to verse 11, everyone would see why they are given. For S. Matthew said there : " Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist ; notwithstanding, he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he ". The reason is given by him : " For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John " ; that is, endured, lasted. As if he had said : " Before, men were bound, as it were, by the chain of the Law, nor was it lawful for anyone who pleased to break into the kingdom of heaven," but " from the days of John the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence ". Therefore, there is no one who, if he wills to make the attempt, may not be greater than John. The causal u for " \enim~\ in this place (verse 13), and the appositive "but" \autevi\, in verse 12, have this force. The Propliets and the Law prophesied until John. All the Ancients, almost, explain this passage to mean, that the brightness and light of the Gospel are here opposed to the shadow of the Law. For they do not suppose the allusion to be to all the prophets, but to those only who foretold the coming of Christ. For these all, and in the spirit alone, darkly foresaw Him as being yet distant, and afar off ; and foreshadowed Him in words still darker. John both saw Him present with his eyes, and pointed Him out with his finger. So say S. Chrysostom, S. Jerome, Bede, Euthymius. This seems a true explanation, but not sufficiently to the point, for John was not mentioned by Christ among the prophets and saints of the New Testament, but of the Old. He is compared to the latter : "There hath not risen among them that are born of women a greater than John the Baptist ". He is opposed to the former : " Yet he that is lesser in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he". The meaning, then, seems to be that the Law and the Prophets prophesied unto John ; that is, flourished, were in force, discharged their office. He calls the whole Old Testament the Law and the Prophets, as in vu. 12, xxii. 40; and to prophesy means to discharge the whole duty of a prophet, as, in I Esdras v. I, Haggai and Zacharias are said to have done. Christ, therefore, only willed to say that the Law and the Prophets lasted until John, as is easily seen from the antithesis. " From the days of John the Baptist, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence" (verse 12). For the Evangelist opposes the kingdom of heaven to the Law and the Prophets : that is, the New Testament to the Old ; and the word prophesying to that of seizing and suffering violence ; as if he had said, " The Law flourished even till John, which was given only to the Jews, and did not aid men, but oppressed them ; and, therefore, no one in it rose to be greater than John the Baptist ; but hence forth the hindrances of the Law are removed, and the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and he who is the least in it is greater than John ". But it may be asked how the Law can be said to have remained until John, when it was not abrogated immediately on his coming, but lasted a long while ? The answer may be — (i) The meaning is not that the Law lasted even till John, that is, to his nativity, but that it flourished till his preaching. (2) Nor does it mean that it was extinguished then, at once, in a moment of time ; but when the Gospel began to be, then it began to die, as has been explained (chap, v., verse 17).
11:14
And if you will receive it. S. Chrysostom brings two reasons why Christ does not say absolutely he (John) is Elias. 1. No one ought to be compelled to believe ; for it is not faith, unless it is free and voluntary. 2. The other, which Theophylact also adopts, was to signify that John was Elias, if they would consider the object of each with attention, and consider their mutual resemblance. It may rather be that Christ spoke thus to show that John was not actually Elias, but in office and effect for that which Elias was to perform at the second coming of Christ, John performed at the first coming. But he could not do this except to those who were willing and who received him. Therefore, Christ said : " If you will receive it " ; as if He had said : " If you are willing to receive it, this shall be to you Elias, for he shall turn you to God ; and if you will not receive it, he shall not be such ".
He is Elias. God had promised that He would send Elias (Mai. w. 5, 6). This is clearly said of the second coming of the Lord. It has therefore been the unvarying opinion of the Church that Elias would verily come before what is there called the great and dreadful day. So Hippolytus (De Consummate] , Tertullian (De Anim.\ Origen (Tract, iii. on S. Matt.\ S. Ambrose (On Rom. w., or whoever was the author), S. Chrysostom (Horn. w. on 2 Tkess.), S. Augustin (Bk. Ixxxiii. qq., q. 58 ; Tract, w. on S. John), S. Jerome (on Matt, xvii.), Theodoret (Counn. on Mai. w.), S. Gregory (ix., On Job w. ; xi. 9 ; xx. 25 ; xxxv. 10) ; and which is proved not only from that chapter of MalacJii, but from other places of Scripture as well (S. Matt. xvii. 10, 1 1 ; S.Mark ix. n, 12). The same was the opinion of the Jews, though perhaps they did not know the time of His coming. This is shown from 5. Matt. xvi. 14, and 5. Mark vi. 15. But Christ said that John was Elias : not that he was Elias in person, for this John denied (S. John i. 21), but that he had come in the spirit and power of Elias, as the Angel had foretold (S. Luke i. 17). There is no contradiction, therefore, between the words of Christ and of John (S. Augustin, Tract. w. on S. John ; S. Gregory, Horn. vu. in Evang.).
11:15
He that hath ears TO hear, let him hear. To hear, in this place, means to understand and obey — as 5. Luke x. 16; 5. Matt, xviii. 15 ; S. Mark viii. 18. He shows, therefore, that not all who have ears have ears to hear; that is, ears teachable and obedient (xiii. 16 ; Is. vi. 9). Christ uses this expression when He speaks of matters that are of great gravity, and which affect the hearers very nearly, to arouse their interest and attention (xiii. 9, 43 ; 5". Mark w. 9, 23 ; 5. Luke viii. 8). He spoke so here, as there were many listeners to understand what He said, that the Law and the Prophets flourished only until John. Afterwards, that the kingdom of heaven suffered violence ; that is, that no way of salvation remained to them if they trusted in the Law, and did not receive John, and Christ, whom John pointed out. In this sense S. Chrysostom and Euthymius explain it.
11:16
But whereunto shall I esteem this generation to be like ? " This generation " is a Hebraism Jlti! "YHn. From 5. Luke vu. 29, 30, we see whom and why Christ upbraids in these words. He speaks of the Scribes and Pharisees. // is like to children. We are told that there was a game among the Jewish boys in which they divided into two bands, and one wept while the other piped, but both sang : the one, " We have lamented and you have not mourned " ; and the other, " We have piped to you and you have not danced ". But although this is stated on the authority of Theophylact (On S. Luke vu.) and De Lyra (on this place), perhaps because they have no Jewish authority, or no more ancient one, it does not seem probable ; nor is it requisite that Christ should have taken a similitude from an ordinary custom. It is enough if He did so from a thing that happened commonly, or that might have happened. For we do not always copy ; we sometimes invent comparisons. As if we should say : " The Scribes and Pharisees act like boys playing in the market - place, and saying, ' We have lamented/ " &c. There is a much greater difficulty in the application of the comparison. For Christ seems to have compared the Scribes and Pharisees to boys who lamented and sang, and who said to their comrades : " We have piped to you," when it would appear as if He ought rather to have compared them with those who, when some who were of their party piped, would not dance, and with others who, when they lamented, would not mourn. Euthymius thinks that Christ and John were called the boys from their innocence, to whom the Jews said, "We have piped to you," &c. — a meaning wholly foreign to the mind of Christ. S. Jerome and all other authorities think Christ and John the boys who piped and lamented ; for Christ, not turning from pleasantness and the ordinary rule of life, seemed to sing, and John, clothed in sackcloth and living a life of the utmost austerity, to lament. Cardinal Hugo seems to have apprehended the meaning much more correctly ; for he says that persons are not compared to persons, but the thing to the thing ; not parts to parts, but the whole to the whole ; as if Christ had said : " The Pharisees are like boys saying to their comrades, ' We have sung to you,' &c. John has lamented to you, and you have not mourned ; the Son of man has sung to you and you have not danced." That this is the true sense shall be shown on verse 19. It is sufficient at present to observe that it is very common in parables not to compare persons to persons, nor parts to parts, but the whole to the whole, as in xiii. 24. For the kingdom of heaven is not like the man, but rather the seed or the field. The meaning is, the same thing happens in the kingdom of heaven as would in afield if a man sowed good seed in his field. And again in the same sense in verse 45. For it is not like the man, but rather the pearl ; and the same thing happens in the kingdom of heaven as if a man should seek good pearls, and when he had found one of great price, should sell all that he has and buy it. There are numberless examples of the same kind ; so that they lose their labour who endeavour to show how persons answer to persons, and parts to parts. We must look at the whole body of the sentence and extract the whole result from the whole parable, lest by division into parts it come to nothing and lose all its force.
11:18
Neither eating. He is said not to have eaten, either because no one saw him eat, or because he ate sparingly and slightly, or because he did not eat like men, but rather subsisted on the food of wild animals.
He hath a devil. We do not find anything said elsewhere against John by the Jews ; but from this place it is plain that he was considered by some as one possessed by a devil.
11:19
The Son of man came. Why Christ was called the Son of man has been explained on chap. viii. 20. CH.XI. 19.] PARABLE OF CHILDREN IN THE MARKET PLACE. 373
And wisdom is justified by her children. A difficult passage. The difficulty consists in three points, i . What it is that is called wisdom. 2. Who they are who are called the children of wisdom. 3. What it is to be justified. Some think that Christ Himself is called Wisdom ; others that it is Divine Providence. The children of wisdom some think Christ, others John. Others, the Jews who received them. Others, those who did not do so. Others, again, deny that they are called the children of wisdom at all. These say that the relative pronoun " her " refers, not to wisdom, but to generation ; as if it had been said : Wisdom is justified by the children of this generation. These appear to have known Greek, but not Hebrew, or they would have known that it is an idiom of that language to call wise men the children of wisdom. " Justified " is taken by some to mean " to be praised " ; by others " to be freed". Others think that it is put for "to appear righteous " ; and some explain it thus : " Wisdom, that is, Divine Providence, has been justified, that is, freed from all calumny and just cause of blame by her children, that is, by John and Me, who are the Sons of Wisdom, that is, who are wise. She has been freed, because we have done what we could in different ways — I by singing, John by lamenting, to bring men to salvation, so that no one can want Divine Providence towards men." Others think that "justified " means that the Divine Wisdom is known, praised, and held as just towards men by her sons ; that is, by those who are truly wise and embrace her. So S. Jerome, Bede, and Euthymius. Others take justified as " freed," as he who is dead is justified, that is, freed, from sin ; so that he cannot sin any more (Rom. vi. 7). Wisdom is, with them, Divine Providence, and her sons are the Scribes and Pharisees, who are called the sons of wisdom, not because they are, but because they seem so to themselves ; or because they ought to be so, as in verse 25 ; so that they have not anything of which to accuse Divine Providence. So S. Chrysostom. With S. Chrysostom, Jerome, Bede, and Euthymius, I think that Wisdom is Divine Providence, and the sons of wisdom all the Jews with those who received her, and those who did not reject her : not that they were wise, or ought to be, or appeared so to themselves, but because they were as children and disciples of Divine Providence, which governed the Jews in a peculiar manner, as if they were her own sons. Hence she proposed an example in children, not men. But she was justified, that is, declared, by both classes, good and bad ; for whilst Christ piped and John lamented, some danced, that is, followed Christ, others mourned, that is, followed John. Others neither mourned nor danced : for they who followed Christ's example and danced, could say to the Scribes and Pharisees, " We have piped to you and you have not danced " ; for they are said to pipe because they followed Christ's action, and gave the other Jews an example of dancing. They who followed John lamented with him, and provoked the Scribes and Pharisees to do the same, but these would not mourn. Christ and John alone are mentioned, because both were leaders : one, of those that danced ; the other, of those who mourned. Both classes, therefore — they who believed, and they who believed not — justified the Divine Wisdom : the former, by embracing her ; the latter, because they reject her when those embraced her ; for, while they believed neither the piping of Christ nor the lamenting of John, they showed plainly that they would not believe, and that they stood by themselves (per se), not by the Divine Wisdom, and would not be converted. The first opinion seems to me the better one, for it seems more full, more grand, and more worthy of the majesty of Christ, that the sons of wisdom themselves should justify her, whether they do or do not receive her. I therefore think, against the opinion of many, that the preposition "by" (ttTTo, aU) refers to a person or an agent, not to matter (or a material thing). Everyone, even moderately acquainted with the Greek language, knows that airo is often put for VTTO. And the word "and " — "and wisdom is justified " — seems to mean that the sons of wisdom, some by learning, others by not learning, have justified their mistress. Certainly that word forbids the explanation of those who say that wisdom is justified by her children, as by those only who receive her ; or Christ would not have said " and " (teal) but, "but" (a\\a, veruntameri). For although after the Hebrew " and " is sometimes put for " but," it would in this place seem to offer violence to the taste, in which every word leads us to the natural signification.
11:20
Then. This was when He had sent His disciples to preach the Gospel, as appears from S. Luke x. 13. For He appears from hence to have taken the occasion of saying what follows ; because he had sent the Apostles to remote places, as Corozain, Bethsaida, and Capharnaum (in which the disciples did not stay long, but in which Christ Himself had preached), which would not receive the Gospel.
11:21
Woe to t/iee, Corozain. Corozain, Bethsaida, and Capharnaum were cities of Galilee, near the Lake of Genesareth, where Christ very frequently stayed with His disciples, preaching the Gospel and working miracles. He therefore upbraids them with their unbelief.
If in Tyre and Sidon. Christ opposes these two cities to them for three reasons — (i) Because they were Gentiles ; (2) because they were near ; (3) because they were full of idolatry, sensuality, avarice, and every kind of wickedness, as the Prophets Isaiah (xxiii. i), Ezekiel (xxvi. 2 ; xxvii. 3 ; xxviii. 2, 12), Amos (i. 9) bear witness.
Long ago. They would not have waited as long as you. They would not have wanted so many exhortations, or so many miracles.
In sackcloth and ashes. That is, they would have brought forth extreme penitence, for this was the garb of the deepest penitence (Isaiah Iviii. 5 ; Jeremiah vi. 26 ; xxv. 34 ; Lamentations u. 10 ; Daniel ix. 3). The Gentiles seem to have imitated it {Jonah iii. 6, 8). And thou, Capernaum. Christ names Capernaum separately, and finally, and by apostrophe, because He visited it more frequently, so that jt was even called His country, as in ix. i ; and because, being larger and a seaport, it most probably abounded in vice, as is generally the case with seaports and large cities.
11:23
Shalt thou be exalted up to heaven. "H eo>9 rov ovpdvov vtycoOeia-a, " Which art exalted unto heaven," as S. Luke (x. 15), and as S. Chrysostom, Euthymius, and Theophylact read, who, as they inform us, found in many copies. The meaning is not different, but more plain. Our translator seems to have read m/rw #770-77, " who shall be exalted," for 77 vtywOelo-a, " shalt thou be exalted ".
Thou shalt go down even imto hell. Kara/3i,(3acr0?lcni, " Thou shalt be thrust down, not descend of thy own free will" (chap, xxiii. 12 ; Abdias i. 4). Christ does not speak of the destruction of the city, but of the eternal condemnation of the people. It is to be understood, not of all, but only of the greater number, or of the chief men, such as the Scribes and Pharisees.
Perhaps. This word is not one expressive here of doubt. It is affirmative with the Greek av, as in verse 21.
11:25
At that time. This was after the disciples had returned from the mission, as appears from 5. Luke x. 17. From their joy at finding even the devils subject to them in the name of Christ, and the good success of their mission, Christ took occasion to say what follows, as is observed by The Author (Horn, xxviii.).
Answered. Orsus, a Hebraism rW. Among them the word ''answer" not only means a reply to a question, or to something said by another, but it is frequently used to express the begin ning of a sentence, as Euthymius, an author by no means conversant with Hebrew, has observed. Some think that it has its usual meaning here, and signifies the answer given by Christ to the Apostles. But S. Luke puts it after this, and clearly distinguishes it from it (x. 21). / confess. Another Hebraism HTUl meaning, "I thank thee," "I praise thee," " I confess thee". So in Ps. vi. 6 ; vu. 18 ; ix. 2 ; Ixx. 8, as S. Jerome, Chrysostom (Horn, xxxix.), S. Augustin (Quest, ix. on S. Matthew}, Bede, Theophylact, and others without number have observed.
To Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth. S. Athanasius (To Mark, Rom. Pont.), S. Cyril (v. 5, Thesauri}, have observed, against the Arians, that a pause between the words Father and Lord of heaven and earth was made by Christ carefully and of design, to show that God was not only His Father, but also His Lord, for He calls the Father not only the Lord of heaven and earth, but His own Lord ; and not only His own Lord, but also the Lord of heaven and earth.
Because Thou hast hid these things. These mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. The infants received the preaching and miracles of Himself and the Apostles, but the wise rejected them.
From the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to little ones. Some, as The Author and Theophylact, understand by the wise, the Jews, who were accomplished in the know ledge of the Law ; and by the " little ones," the Gentiles, who had not the knowledge of God and the Law ; but the Gospel was not yet preached to the Gentiles. The opinion of S. Chrysostom, S. Jerome, Euthymius, and Bede, that the wise and prudent were the Scribes and Pharisees, and the little ones the Apostles, is better. Though it may be that the little ones were not so much the Apostles, as they who believed their preaching and Christ's ; for, as appears from 5. Luke, the subject was the fruit of their preaching. Christ called them wise, not because they were so, but because they ought to have been so ; or because they seemed to themselves to be so, as S. Hilary says ; or because they really were wise, not according to the spirit, indeed, but according to the flesh, as is the opinion of S. Chrysostom. For that wisdom is foolishness with God. i Cor. iii. 19: "The wisdom of the flesh is an enemy to God, for it is not subject to the law of God " ; and Rom. viii. 7. The wise men of this class did not believe (i Cor. i. 26 ; iii. 1 8). Those who did believe, Christ calls the little ones, who are babes in malice, as S. Paul says (i Cor. xiv. 20, and i 5. Peter u. 2). It may seem wonderful why Christ gave thanks to the Father because He hid the Gospel from the wise, as if He rejoiced over their condemnation. S. Chrysostom answers that Christ did not give thanks because He hid it from the wise, but because, when He had hidden it from them, He revealed it to the little ones. But He certainly hid it. He is not properly said to have hidden it ; for He did not hide a thing, properly, who sent His Son to reveal the Gospel to them and to all the other Jews ; but He is said to have hidden it because He withdrew it from those who would not receive it. For He would not intrude it by force, nor give it to those who were not worthy, as S. Chrysos tom and Theophylact say. Lastly, the Father so hid the Gospel from them, as the Son blinded their eyes. 5. John ix. 39 : " For judgment am I come into the world, that they who see not may see, and they who see may become blind ".
11:26
Yea, Father. Nal 6 Trdrrjp, Ncz pater. S. Jerome explains this, as if Christ wished to say, " Holy Father, go on to do as Thou hast begun ". Others, " It has been so done, because it so seemed good before Thee " ; as if no other cause of the reprobation could be given, but only the will of God. This error all the heretics of our own time hold most pertinaciously. But how and why God had withheld it from the former was explained in the preceding verse. It may, in fact, be explained thus : " Even so, Father," supply " I confess " from the preceding words ; as if He said : " I thank Thee, Father, again and again, because Thou hast willed so to act, as that when the wi5e would not receive the Gospel, Thou didst not disdain to reveal it to the little ones ". For Christ is accustomed to repeat this expression, which He had used before, to strengthen His words more and more ; as the Latins say : Etiam atque etiam, or enimvero (S. Luke xii. 5). For so it hat] i seemed good in Thy sight. A Hebraism for " so it seemed good to Thee ".
11:27
All things are delivered to Me. It does not easily appear how these words agree with the preceding ones. Most ancient authors think that Christ said them, lest He should have appeared before to give thanks to the Father as an inferior, as S. Hilary, S. Athanasius (Orat. de Etern. subst. Fill, et Spir. Sana, cum Deo\ against the followers of Sabellius, S. Chrysostom, Euthymius, Theophylact (in loci). It may rather bethought that He said it to give a reason for His words following, " Come unto Me," verses 28, 29, 30. They are not to be joined to the preceding, but to the following words.
All things. S. Jerome and Bede explain this of all who come to the Father, as 5. John vi. 39, and xviii. 9 ; but S. Hilary and Euthymius, of those things which are known to the Father alone, and which belong to the Divine nature, as 5. John xyi. 15. But S. Irenaeus (lib. w. 37) and Tertullian (w., Cont. Marc?} say that it means all things that were made by Him ; The Author, all the kingdoms of heaven, and of earth, and of hell ; S. Chrysostom, all the power of working miracles. All these are true, but they do not appear to be in harmony with the text. By " all things " it were better to understand, all power of governing and preserving men ; as below, xxviii. 18. For He invites men to come to Him, because He is able to save them. It may be asked how Christ speaks ? as God, or as man ? Theophylact, S. Hilary, and Euthymius think, as God, but that He only means that He, with the Divine nature, received all this from the Father ; as if a beautiful son of a beautiful father should say that he owed all his beauty to his father ; nor would he signify by these words that he was therefore inferior to his father. The Arians, therefore, can find no arguments from this passage against the Divinity of Christ. S. Cyril says, that they used to cite it in their support. The Author says, that He spoke as man, which rather agrees with what we have said before. For, as man, He is the head of men. And no one knowetJi the Son but the Father. S. Chrysostom rightly thinks that these words should be taken with xvi. 17, "or he to whom it shall please the Father to reveal Him," and S. John vi. 44, " No man can come to Me, except the Father, who hath sent Me, draw him," or they seem to be without force. But now they are added to show that we should not wonder if the Scribes and Pharisees do not believe the Gospel, for they cannot know the Son unless the Father, who alone knows Him, reveal Him ; nor can they come to Him unless the Father draw them. But He draws those who will to come, not those who do not will. His words, " No one knows the Son but the Father, and no one knows the Father but the Son," are seemingly to be understood, not of the Divine nature alone, but also of the counsels of the Father, and of the offices of the Son. For no one knows the counsels of the Father, and how He wills men to be saved, but the Son ; and no one knows the office of the Son, for the sake of which He came into the world, but the Father. This meaning seems to suit the subject better. Come to Me all you that labour and are a burthen, and I will refresh you.
11:28
Who labour. Who are wearied and fatigued, weighed down by sin, says S. Chrysostom and others : " We wearied ourselves," he says, "in the way of iniquity" (Wisd. v. 7 ; Ps. xxxvii. 5). Some, among whom are S. Hilary and Theophylact, think that Christ alludes to the heavy yoke of the Law as opposed to that of the Gospel. This seems correct ; only sin should not be excluded, which the Law rather made more oppressive than lightened.
11:29
Learn of Me, because I am meek and humble of heart. Almost all ancient authors explain these words to mean, " Learn, by my example, to be meek and humble " (as S. Chrysostom, Horn, xxxix. ; and S. Augustin, Serm. x. de verb. Dom. sec. S. Matt). These words are paraphrased by preachers to mean, " Learn of me — not to work miracles, not to create all things visible and invisible — but to be meek and humble of heart ". The saying itself is good, but the explanation is not. Christ wishes to prove that His yoke is pleasant and His burden light The true meaning, therefore, seems to be that of The Author. " Learn of Me, that is, take My yoke upon you, and try and learn that I am meek and lowly of heart." He invites men to come to Him, because He is not a tyrant, but a kind and mild master. He would not have us trust Himself, but rather take His yoke and try it.
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For my yoke is sive Christ calls His yoke sweet ; using a word in accordance with the manner of life. The Greek ^p?;Vro? is "good," " upright," "benign," "sweet"; and applies not so much to things as to persons and manners of life (mores}, as if He had said, " My yoke is not the yoke of a cruel master, such as the kings of this world lay upon their people, but of a kind, sweet, and gentle friend ". S. Jerome, commenting on this passage, raises the question how Christ can call the Gospel a sweet yoke and a light burden, when it appears to be much more heavy than the Law ? In the Law, homicide : in the Gospel, the word Raca : in the Law, adultery : in the Gospel, looking on a woman to lust after her condemns a man (v. 28). The answer is : The Gospel is said to be lighter for four reasons. 1. In the Gospel there are only given us those commands which are necessary to our salvation, which nature herself teaches, and which are contained in one word : "All things therefore whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you also to them" (vu. 12), as S. Hilary says (in loc.). In the Law of Moses, an infinite number of laws is given, which are not given as necessary by nature to our salvation, but to practise a rude people by a moral discipline. S. Peter alludes to this (Acts xv. 10). 2. The Gospel removes the more heavy penalties which were threatened by the Law : eye for eye (Exod. xxi. 24). The spirit of the Law was the spirit of fear and servitude (Rom, viii. 15). The spirit of the Gospel is the spirit of love, kindness, gentleness. When the disciples wanted to bring down fire from heaven to consume those Samaritans who would not receive Christ, He rebuked them and said, " You know not of what spirit you are ". 3. In the Law all was done by force, which made the lightest matters most grave. In the Gospel all is done by love and goodwill, and nothing is grave or difficult to one who wills (i S. John v. 3). S. Jerome gives this reason. 4. The Law burthened, but did not assist. But in the Gospel, the Spirit is given with the burthen, and It helps our infirmities, as S. Augustin replies (Serm. ix. Verb. Dom. sec. S. Matt.).
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SA RES δ ps xh Ji el MTS. Ü 2L E UR ἌΝ : ea t - id ΟΥΤΩΣ MED 2 | 6v εν εὐ Uj CUN ^ EN ] .MATTH. 11, 4. " Doe wil omnía verba. haec. In v. 26 Ti W Hcun καὶ BC*DPZA 33. 124ÀAqsyr(ur) ΄. - Ex S. Luca qui ex ordine (καθεξῆς) se velle scribere profitetur comperimus missos esse apostolos ad praedicandum aliquo tempore (cf. 9,1-6) post legationem Ioannis (7,18 seq.). Igitur Matthaeus, ut alibi ita hic quoque temporis ordine praetermisso, non ad rerum inter se succedentium seriem nos attendere vult, sed id quod in antecedentibus instituit docere praeclaro Ioannis testimonio et magna eius auctoritate confirmat. Electione autem apostolorum, eorum ad opus subeundum eruditione atque missione Iesus coepit sese manifestare conditorem regni messiani, ad quem itaque relicta synagoga et relictis synagogae ducibus ac principibus omnes transire oporteat. Quare omnino ad rem hoc loco inseritur sollemne illud et ultimum monitum ac documentum quod loannes antequam vita fungatur populo suo tradit, dum Iesum iterum profitetur Messiam et hanc suam fidei professionem modo eximio ut Iesus publice confirmet et commendet legatione missa efficit. Quemadmodum itaque Iesus in doctrina proposita cap. 5-7, dein 1n miraculorum omnis generis patratione cap. 8. 9 tamquam legatus divinus ac Messias est ostensus, ita nunc in regni sui institutione etiam clariore modo ut talis declaratur, ita ut Iudaeis si credere noluerint iam nulla relinquatur excusatio. In v. 1 transitus fit ab institutione apostolorum ad sequentem narrationem : et factum est, habes usitatum illud *à" in libris veteris testamenti, cum consummasset Iesus praecipiens duodecim discipulis suis ὅτε ἐτέλεσεν διχτάσσων, constructio est bene graeca eo modo quo verba παύεσθχι, ἄρχεσθαι, ἐπιμένειν aliaque participio iunguntur (cf. Winer 1. c. 8 45,8); est igitur in latino quoque participium pro infinitivo ex graeco idiomate, ut Ma/d. dicit: Latini dixissent : cum praecipiendi finem fecisset. Cum dicatur praecipiens quaerunt sintne omnia cap. 10 quae proponantur praecepta. Respondet A/b. distinguens praeceptum magistri et legislatoris; praeceptum magistri esse ut regulam operis quod exercendum sit , sed non obligare nisi eo modo quo ars obliget. Melius monet Maid. verbum διατάσσειν generatim significare ordinare, disponere; atque revera dicit normam aliquam quae constituatur, dicit constituere, deputare, quamquam de vero quoque praecepto, v. g. militibus imposito usurpatur (Act. 23,31) vel servo (Luc. 17,9. 10). Normam igitur Iesus proponit quam sequantur ut cuncía ordine fiant et bene ad mentem eius peragantur. Cum dicatur transit inde , rememorat evangelista illum locum in quo Dominus ad discipulos suos dixit : messis quidem multa... (Rab. Alb. Ians.); proinde, uti recentiores plerique etiam statuunt ex 9,35, regio aliqua in Galilaea designatur. Dum apostoli mittuntur, Christus quoque munere docendi et praedicandi fungitur, ut doceret et praedicaret ; discrimen inter διδάσκειν et χηρύσσειν in eo positum videtur, ut illud significet generatim docere sive privatim, sive publice et docere re accuratius explicata , probata exemplis rationibusque illustrata (unde v. g. τὰ περὶ τοῦ χυρίου Act. 28,31; ἀχριθῶς τὰ περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ Act. 18,95 ; cui respondet μανθάνειν, sicut διδάσκαλος et μαθητής), dum hoc potius notet annuntiari aliquid publice et proclamari per modum praeconis cum auctoritate et sollemnitate, quae deceat legatum regium. Eo enim modo vox non solum apud scriptores profanos adhibetur, sed etiam apud LXX; cf. Gen. 41,48. 2 Par. 36,92. Esth. 6,9. 11; dicitur de edicto publico et sollemni Ex. 32,5; 36,6. 4 Reg. 10,20. 2 Par. 20,3; apud prophetas de annuntiatione diei Domini i. e. iudicii etc. Designatur itaque varius modus et conatus quo Christus nuntium de regno Dei doctrinamque suam annuntiabat et exponebat ἐπ civitatibus eorum i. e. Iudaeorum vel potius Galilaeorum (cf. Bed. Rab. Pasch. Mald.). Illud αὐτῶν eorum aliqui referunt ad apostolos , quasi civitates in quibus apostoli nati essent vel antea habitassent vel in quibus ipsi praedicassent (cf. Euth. Alb. ex recentioribus Fritzsche). Ratio est quia pronomen in ea sententia ad nihil aliud spectare possit nisi ad apostolos; verum iam Jans. monet saepe ita poni, ut non referatur ad proximum ad quod videatur referri debere, sed ad aliquid non satis expressum, sed quod facile intelligatur. Et sane sensus obvius est intelligi civitates Galilaeorum. Cur Ioannes in carcerem sit coniectus ab Herode Antipa, narratur 185,3. 4;
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v. 2 Ioannes autem cum audisset in vinculis, graece : in carcere; et secundum Iosephum (Ant. 18,5. 2) detinebatur in castello Machaerunte !, quod hodie Mkhaur appellatur. Erat hoc castellum in parte maxime meridionali Peraeae, haud ita multum distans ab urbe Kiriathaim , hodie Kureiyat, et cum ditionem Herodis Antipae contra Arabes defendere deberet , castellum erat munitissimum omnique apparatu bellico instructum, natura et arte fortissimum (cf. Iosephus, 1. Eo tempore quo Herodes Antipas priorem uxorem, filiam regis Aretae, repudiare et bell. iud. 7,6. 1. 2). Ioannes audit in carcere positus opera Christi i. e. miracula; haec enim ipse Christus praeprimis vocat opera sua (Ioan. 5,36); idque ex Luc. 7,18 quoque consequitur. Audit autem ea & discipulis suis qui liberum ad eum accessum vel saltem haud multum difficilem habebant, id quod ex Marc. 6,90. 29 etiam colligitur. Cum enim Herodes eum libenter audiret et audito eo multa faceret, non censeri potest eum dure habuisse negato discipulorum consortio vel alloquio. Opera autem illa, miracula et quaecumque Iesus faciebat audit et intelligit esse opera Cristi, opera Messiae, illius scil. de quo ipse iam ante baptismum revelationem divinam acceperat, quem venturum seque fortiorem annuntiaverat, cuius viam se parare dixerat, quem ut Filium Dei et agnum Dei digito monstraverat, quem sponsum esse declaraverat cuius ipse sit amicus (cf. Ioan. 1,26-36; 3,99; vide supra ad 9,15). Atque evangelista indicans Ioannem intellexisse opera CAristi iam praecavet ne quis opinetur Ioannem missione illa et interrogatione quidquam dubii de Iesu dignitate vel munere insinuasse. Et profecto quidem quomodo supponi posset eum haesisse ancipitem qui , ut ipse est professus , revelatione divina de eo erat edoctus et qui in Iesu baptismo signum illud vidit divinitus sibi praeclara de Iesu divinitate et dignitate messiana testimonia edidit? Est certissimum neminem qui semel eo quo debuit modo fidem susceperit, sine peccato posse vel serio de ea dubitare vel eam abiicere; proinde nisi loannem peccasse idque graviter peccasse affirmaveris non poteris asserere eum de Iesu aliquo tempore ancipitem haesisse. Iam vero quis ausus fuerit eum delicti gravis agere reum quem ipse Christus et antea laudibus cumulavit et post ipsam hanc missionem et interrogationem (quae utique a plerisque protestantibus de ipso Ioanne dubio eiusque fide incerta et fere collapsa explicatur) praeclaro virtutis et constantiae testimonio exornat? Duplex fertur lectio πέμψας διὰ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ et πέμψας δύο τῶν μαθητῶν (cf. lect. var.); at dubium esse nequit quin prior praeferenda sit et altera fuerit ἃ scribis conformis facta verbis Luc. 7,19. Nam si ab origine scriptum fuisset δύο, nemini in mentem venire poterat lectionem facillimam et Lucae narrationi plane conformem mutare in obscuriorem. Facile autem explicatur quomodo διὰ multis potuerit videri lectio valde impedita, recedens a modo loquendi communi et a Lucae narratione, quaeigiturlectio remedium postularet. Verum πέμψας διὰ est hebraismus 33 που Ex. 4,13. Lev. 16,91. 1 Sam. 16,90. 9 Sam. 12,25; 15,36 etc.; unde verte: mittens per discipulos suos; neque opus est cum aliquibus ( Meyer) iungere : per discipulos dixit; obest enim collocatio verborum, obest notus ille hebraismus quem apud Matthaeum inveniri omnino exspectandum erat neque ratio cernitur cur illud per discipulos dizit singulari pondere et ictu sit efferendum ; nam loannem in carcere positum non potuisse alloqui Iesum longe agentem res est sole clarior; id vero narrare oportuit missos esse discipulos. Idque cum Luca concordat : loannes baptista misit nos ad te dicens (7,90) : tu es qui venturus es an alium exspectamus; graece προσδοκῶμεν potest esse indicativus modus vel coniunctivus; sed bene vulg. priorem exprimit : an res ita est ut alium expectemus? ita Schegg , Fritzsche; alii praeferunt coniunctivum quem deliberationis grammatici vocant (F4. et ex protestantibus plerique). Sed si ipse Ioannes nullo modo dubitat, cur talem quaestionem proponit? Plerique respondent id factum esse discipulorum causa quippe qui de Iesu haud recte sentirent, uti pateat ex Ioan. 3,26. Matth. 9,14 vel quos loannes a se amandare et sd Iesum quem sequerentur voluerit transmittere. Vix negari poterit saltem aliquos loannis discipulosetiam post illam reprehensionem Ioan. 3,28 seq., non omnem pro suo magistro conira Iesum aemulationem indebitam deposuisse; id enim (et fortasse plus) colligitur ex Matth. 9,14!. Quare loannem ᾿ discipulis suis iterum voluisse Messiam manifestare eosque suo exemplo edocere quippe qui paratum se exhibeat ipsi Iesu de se testimonio fidem exhibere. Sed ibi non est sistendum. Nam loannes munere suo parandi Domino plebem perfectam (Luc. 1,17) fungi vult etiam e carcere et cum certe praesagiret mortem suam mox futuram, ultimo suo testimonio et quasi testamento populum serio commonefacere desiderat, ut suum agnoscant sequanturque Messiam. Cum enim discipuli eum redderent certiorem de facinoribus eximiis a Christo patratis, non potuit non edoceri simul de odio et invidia pharisaeorum et scribarum, de sterili populi admiratione, de continuo illo stupore, quo obvoluti prophetam quidem, at non Messiam in eo agnoverint, quamvis et repetita Ioannis testimonia et ipsa Christi facta quasi totidem vocibus Messiam proclamarent. Quae populi conditio et caecitas, si adiunxeris odium ac malitiam ducum eius i. e. sacerdotum, scribarum, pharisaeorum, maximum populo créavit periculum , quod remedium afferri posse sperabat, si Christus voce minime obscura vel dubia, sed indubia et clara se palam populo tamquam Messiam proclamaret. Quare facit, quod Iudaei facere debebant, ut Bar. loquitur; « meminerat Iudaeos legationem ad. se misisse , ut interrogarent eum an Messias esset; ad Dominum vero qui verus Messias erat non misisse ; id igitur quod ludaei non faciebant cum facere maxime deberent, facere voluit, ut Christus interrogatus Messiam se esse aperte populo indicaret. Populus prophetam magnum surrexisse aiebat ; mittit igitur legationem Ioannes, quasi dicat : scio te esse Messiam idque testimonio meo comprobavi ; populus nondum id agnoscit; testare itaque manifeste hominibus te esse Messiam neque alium exspectandum ». Idem iam indicavit Origenes (in prooemio .ad comment. in evang. an alium exspectamus? et similiter comment. in Ioan. tom. 6 n. 6 (M. 15,216). Idemque bene proponit Toletus in Luc. 7,20, Ioannem interrogasse peo popülo et pro suis etiam discipulis et opportuno con- Quali animo Ioannes legationem miserit alii aliter explicare conantur. Et Tertullianus quidem male opinatur, post totius Spiritus in Dominum translationem coeleste donum in Ioanne: defecisse (de baptismo cap. 10; qui a Spiritu didicerat, qui a Patre audierat, qui coram omnibus illum praedicaverat, nunc mittit ad illum ut discat si ipse sit necne? Atqui si clare non nosti eundem ipsum esse, quomodo teipsum fide dignum putas qui de rebus tibi ignotis fers sententiam ? Nam qui aliis testificatur, prior ipse debet fide dignus esse. Nonne tu dicebas : non sum dignus solvere corrigiam calceamenti eius (Luc. 3,16)? nonne dicebas : non noveram ipsum, sed qui misit me baptizare etc. (Ioan. 4,33)? annon vidisti Spiritum cens : ego opus habeo a te baptizari etc. (Matth. 3,14)? nonne discipulis dicebas : illum oportet crescere etc. (Ioan. 3,30)? nonne populum omnem docebas ipsum baptizaturum illos in Spiritu sancto et igne et ipsum esse agnum Dei qui tollit peccatum mundi (Luc. 3,16. Ioan. 1,29)? Nonne ante haec omnia signa et miracula illum praedicasti? Quomodo ergo nunc, cum notus est omnibus eiusque fama undique volavit, postquam mortui surrexerunt, daemones fugati sunt et tanta signorum vis effulsit, mittis ut id ab illo ediscas? Quid porro accidit? num omnia verba illa fraus erant, scena, fabula? e( quis mentis compos haec diceret? non dico de Ioanne qui in utero exsultavit (Luc. 1,41), qui ante partum ipsum praedicavit, deserti incola qui angelicam duxit vitam; sed etiamsi quis esset ex vilissimis omnium post tot testimonia et sua et aliorum nequaquam dubitaret. Unde palam est eum non dubitantem misisse neque ignorantem interrogasse. Neque vero quisquam dicere possit ipsum id clare cognovisse sed ob carcerem timidiorem evasisse »; et similiter Theoph. quoque et Euth. Eadem est sententia S. Cyrilis alex. cuius ad ἢ. 1. haec verba servata sunt : « non ignorans eum esse Christum interrogat vel quia in infernum descendere debebat, ut quidam dicunt; sed ut adhuc vivens illos in fide confirmaret et post mortem eius alii magistro non adhaererent » (cat. Cr. M. 12,397). Et Basilius seleuciensis Ioannem ad discipulos dicere ait : omisso famulo Dominum cognoscite (or. 34; M. 85,372) et Eusebius alex. (M. 86,380). Idem profitetur auctor op. imp., qui inter alia haec habet : « Ioannes in carcere sciens se iam in exitu constitutum volebat discipulos suos Christo adiungere tamquam si providus pater moriens filios suos consignet fideli tutori; desiderabat enim vivens plenam fidem videre discipulorum et sine dubitatione aliqua credentes in Christum ». Et in eandem sententiam concedunt Bed. Pasch. Thom. Fab. Dion. Cai. lans. Mald. Lap. Men. Tir. Gord. Calm. Arn. Bisp. Fil. aliique quos supra iam nominavi, quibus adde Friedlieb, Leben Iesu p. 355. Fuerunt quoque qui existimarent Ioannem morae impatientem ideo misisse, ut Christum urgeret ad regnum suum manifesto capessendum, ut eum moneret ne longius tardaret et gloriam messianam occultaret (ita Gams, lohannes im Gefángnisse p. 108; ScAegg). De qua impatientia et monitione Gams quidem loannem vituperat, Schegg vero laudat. At Ioannem voluisse Christo quasi praescribere qua ratione et quo tempore deberet gloriam suam manifestare, certe longe abest ab eo qui maxima animi demissione se indignum professus est qui calceamenta Christi portaret (Matth. 3 ,11). Alii quandoque peiore modo addunt sperasse et desiderasse loannem, ut regno Messiae cum pompa condito ipse quoque e carcere liberaretur; vel voluisse ea legatione conqueri quod Christus curam praecursoris ac praeconis sui minime haberet eum relinquens in carcere. Vocatur Messias ὁ ἐρχόμενος, cum eius adventus quam maxime exspectaretur. Appellatio videtur esse derivata ex Gen. 49,10, Ez. 21,27 : donec veniret cuius est iudicium (scil. ius coronae regnique; ita ex contextu; vide meum Comment. in Ez. p. 216), Ps. 117,26: benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini; Ps. 39,8 : tunc dixi : ecce venio. Verum satis quoque explicatur appellatio ex eo quod propter vaticinia messiana omnes sciebant et exspectabant eum venturum; quare qui vi promissionis Dei venire debet et à quo maxima quaeque bona eius adventu danda exspectantur, is facile nomen ὁ ἐρχόμενος sortitur, quo etiam Ioan. 6,1& vocatur. Cohaeret cum ea appellatione quod tempus messianum designatur tamquam saeculum venturum, x23 c»iya apud rabbinos; unde apud S. Paulum ὁ αἰὼν ὁ μέλλων, et Christus vocatur pontifex futurorum bonorum i, e. messianorum (Hebr. 6,5; 9,11), quamvis alias et haec locutio et ὁ αἰὼν ὁ ἐρχόμενος dicatur de aeternitate (cf. Matth. 12,39. Marc. 10,30. Luc. 18,30. Eph. 1,21 etc.); bona quippe alterius vitae aeternae a nobis exspectantur ; nihil enim aliud restat quod exorto tempore messiano speretur venturum. Uti S. Hier. dicit, magistro interrogante discipuli discere debent. Opinantur nonnulli loannem ex sese interrogationem proposuisse, quia discipuli non ausi fuissent suo nomine interrogare (lans. Maid.), sed cum loannes non. solum discipulorum causa legationem mittit, verum ad totius populi eruditionem melius dicemus eum ea quaestione posita exemplum praebere omnibus, quomodo testimonio Iesu de se ipso statim plenissima fides sit adhibenda. Requirit enim Iesu de se sententiam et eo ipso se in exemplum omnium paratum manifestat promptumque verbo .Iesu firmissime adhaerere neque quidquam aliud se desiderare et expetere quam unam [esu de se vocem. Proinde apertissime docet qualis habenda sit de Iesu aestimatio et quanta animi persuasione ac firmitate statim sit amplectendum quidquid Iesus de se suaque dignitate innuere vel manifestare dignatus fuerit. Hoc documento tradito ultimum vale dicit populo suo et hoc suum exemplum illis quasi testamentum dictat et obsignat eos ad sui imitationem provocans. Christus eodem modo quo interrogatum est respondet : euntes renuntiate loanni quae auditis et videtis ; ita graece tempore praesenti, quod apte dicitur quia, uti Lucas habet 7,91, in ipsa hora multos (Ailb.) eo scil. quod in humilitate et paupertate apparet et salutem hominum efficit passione et morte, eo quippe modo qui ab humanis rationibus quam longissime abesse videtur. Eadem ratione Isaia teste olim Iudaei abiecerunt aquas Siloe quae vadunt cum silentio, modum nempe quo Deus eos ab inimicis tutos esse voluit et qui in fide et humili quiete consistebat superbe repudiarunt et belli socios sibi adsciverunt; unde Dominus iis factus est in lapidem offensionis et in petram scandali et in laqueum et in ruinam (Is. 8,6. 14). Similis est conditio populi ad quem Christus loquitur; Deus offert salutem, sed offert eo quo ipse vult modo a superbia et fastu hominum longe remoto. Si repudiant, erit illis Christus in ruinam. Atque idem periculum Isaias quoque vaticinatus est, dum sermonem de Messiae humilitate et morte orditur a verbis illis : quis credidit auditui (i. e. annuntiationi) nostro, et dum illi vaticinio inserit : et nos putavimus eum quasi leprosum et percussum a Deo (Is. 53,1. &). Uti itaque Christus hisce verbis idem sibi attribuit quod propheta de Iahve et de Messia significaverat, ita simul erudit et praemunit fideles ne sua abiectione et passione offendantur, et discipulos Ioannis etiam commonefacit ne dubitent in habitu humili agnoscere Messiam. Ea enim sententia morbum quoque eorum indicari (S. CArys.), internuntios percuti (S. Hier.), qui humili eius conversatione offenderentur, quia non illa *vitae severitate viveret sicut ipsorum magister (lans.), recte existimant plerique. Praeterea notat ans. in ea responsione benignitatem Christi : « nam sic eis hac sententia divinitatem suam prodit, cum ostendit se occultorum esse cognitorem, ut tamen eorum passionem aperte aliis non detegeret, sed conscientiae ipsorum totam rem relinqueret, ut occulta huiusmodi redargutione, declarans simul suam divinitatem et benignitatem, illos magis ad se traheret ». Porro quid Ioannes sua legatione pro populo obtinere voluerit, ipse Christus in subsequenti ad populum sermone clare indicat.
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v. 7 εἰ autem abeuntibus i. e. dum abirent, coepit Iesus dicere ad turbas de Joanne; cur laudes Ioannis non celebraverit praesentibus discipulis, explicat 5. Chrys. , ne virum adulari videretur, vel ut S. Thom. dicit, quia id fuisset quasi praesentem laudare, id quod minus convenit (similiter TheopA.'op. imp. Br. Alb. Cai. Ians.). . Sermo autem Christi crebris interrogationibus vehemens est et valde concitatus; vult enim populi agendi modum inconstantem, MATTH. 44, 7. ! 425 animorum hebetudinem graviter increpare eosque ex languore et mentis duritie excutere atque ad oculum iis demonstrare quanta stultitia agant. Unde eos exagitat, cur tandem tanto studio in desertum accurrerint : quid existis in desertum videre? θεάσασθαι spectare scil. cum admiratione tamquam rem omni consideratione dignam; i. e. quo consilio impulsi relictis urbibus iter illud suscepistis? ad quid spectandum laborem illum ac molestiam suscepistis? Alludit Christus ad magnam illam commotionem , quae in urbe lerusalem et in omni Iudaea et in regione lordanis facta est, dum Ioannes in habitu et sermone prophetae surgeret (Matth. 3,5. Marc. 1,5). Et quia magnum illud studium accurrendi in desertum apud plurimos non eum tulit fructum qui exspectari debuit, ut scil. Ioannis praedicatione et testimonio in Christum crederent, eos magna quadam acerbitate interrogat, ut animos eorum salutari iaculo pungat et inconsiderantiam expungat : num existis ut spectaretis arundinem vento agitatam? Ripa enim Iordanis crebro arundineto obsita erat; unde ad pudorem incutiendum quaerit num ad tale spectaculum contemplandum iter susceperint. Cum Christus eo sermonem dirigat, ut eos confundat et reprehendat, puto sensum litteralem esse retinendum. Nam maioris ruboris causa est magisque ad reprehendendum accommodatum, si ex iis quaeritur : num illum subierint itinerandi laborem, ut arunille labor omneque eorum consilium ad id tandem reciderit? Quaestio talis utique plena est sarcasmo et maximae eos accusat stultitiae; sed idcirco etiam valde apta est ut ad meliorem frugem excitentur. Verum est paucos esse interpretum, inter quos ScAegg , qui verba haec ita explicent. Cernunt enim fere omnes in arundine vento agitata imaginem hominis levis et inconstantis qui omni vento circumferatur et modo haec modo alia et prioribus contraria mutabilitate mentis sentiat et loquatur (cf. S. Chrys. Hier. Rab. Pasch. Br. Alb. Thom. Fab. Dion. Ians. Calm. Arn. Schanz, Fil. etc.) vel depingi arundine hominem vacuum, ἃ daemonibus motum (S. Hz.) vel animum carnalem qui mox ut favore vel detractione tangatur statim in partem quamlibet inclinetur (S. Gregorius, hom. 6 in evang. M. 76,1096). Sensum idcirco esse : num ullam levitatem et inconstantiam in Ioannis sermonibus , sententiis, moribus animadvertistis? et laudari itaque et commendari a Christo animum loannis firmum, constantem , intrepidum. Atque videtur haec interpretatio commendari subsequenti sententia qua austeritas vitae loannis laudatur. Attamen necessaria non est. Nam ut ab ultimo incipiam, homo mollibus vestitus depingit et animum mollem (adeoque levem, inconstantem, facile in omnem prehensio eo acerbior quo magis ridiculam rem spectaturi iter instituisse censentur, eo magis autem ad animos revocandos apta, quo efficacius iis proponitur eos tandem non ad rem vanissimam capiendam laborem subire voluisse. Utrumque fit acceptione litterali. Ipsos non propter rem. ridiculam esse in desertum profectos, Christus eis testatur pergens ἀλλά i, e. profecto non propterea existis; haec enim est vis particulae ἀλλά post interrogationem negativam (cf. Ioan. 7,49. 1 Cor. 6,6; 10,20), uti grammatici docent (cf. Winer l. c. 853,7; Hartung, Partikellehre II p. 38; K/otz ad Devar. p. 13; Weiss); sed i. e. si non ideo existis , quid existis videre? hominem mollibus vestitum? repetita quaestione eos urget ut ipsi sibi rationem reddant et seipsos arguant quod a doctrina et exemplo Ioannis parum vel nihil stis, ut videretis hominem molliter viventem, luxu diffluentem, proinde totum rebus fluxis ac voluptatibus immersum, a quo utique nihil doctrinae salutaris esset exspectandum et ἃ quo viso nihil pro vita melius instituenda , nihil ad animum erudiendum potest derivari. Si enim eiusmodi hominem visere voluissent, alio tendere debuerant : ecce qui mollibus vestiuntur, in domibus regum sunt; hisce carpi voluptatem Herodis luxuriemque et eius aulae fastum non est improbabile; simul innuitur quomodo eiusmodi homines voluptuariü prophetam persequantur eiusque doctrinam et monita spernant atque exstinguere conentur, cum loannem carcere incluserint. — Vides nunc v. 8 explicite inferfi sermonem de homine ideoque orationem apte progredi ac crescere; fortasse nonnemo mecum existimabit isto ad hominem transitu et incremento sermonis etiam suaderi priorem illam arundinis explicationem. Non tale eorum fuisse consilium conceditur v. 9 ἀχλά cf.
Ioannes quaestione proposita docere vult populum suo exemplo, ut Christi de se testimonium fide plena statim amplectantur. Eam fuisse baptistae mentem etiam ex eo colligitur quod Christus, dum Ioannis discipuli recederent, sermone valde concitato turbas reprehendit, quia magno quidem studio accurrissent ad loannem eumque ut prophetam essent admiratae , attamen eius testimoniis, monitis, exemplis minime obsequerentur. Hac reprehensione turbas percutit quae auditis interrogatione et responsione minime ad fidem Iesu ut Messiae praestandam ne hoc ultimo quidem loannis testimonio et exemplo commovebantur. Sed cum Christus eas arguat de infidelitate et sterili admiratione baptistae, simul manifestat quali consilio Ioannes discipulos miserit. Quam primum itaque illi abire coeperunt,
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v. 8; sed quid existis? in sequentibus praeferenda erit lectio : prophetam videre? nam ea lectione vox prophetae peculiari vi effertur, id quod plane ad rem est et ad sermonis gravitatem multum confert. Prophetae enim fama revera adducti sunt in desertum, tamquam prophetam eum habebant, dum baptismum ab eo acciperent , e£ eum prophetam immo plus quam prophetam fuisse Christus statim confirmat. Si autem prophetam visuri egrediebantur, tanto magis culpandi sunt qui eius doctrinis et exemplis non obediunt. Merito itaque propheta collocatione ipsa prominet. Cur frequens sit altera lectio, explicatur ex conformitate quam amanuenses cum v. 7 et 8 et cum Luc. 7,26 efficere studuerint; quae conformitas si ab origine adfuisset, certe non fuisset sublata. Merito eos ad prophetam confluxisse Christus affirmat : ναί i. e. profecto, sane; immo amplius quid ac maius dici oportet : dico vobis et plus quam prophetam ; sollemni asseveratione eis testatur baptistam etiam excellentiore loco prae propheta esse habendum; περισσότερον tamquam masculinum capit TAeopA., vocem explicat S. Chrys. μείζονα; plerumque retinent genus neutrum; id quod praeferendum est, cum oratio reddatur gravior et insuper περισσότερος gen. masc. in libris novi testamenti non reperiatur. Unde optime in vulg. et plus quam propheta i. e. aliquid amplius ac maius. Est autem plus quam propheta quia et ipse insigni oraculo prophetico est annuntiatus (Faó.) et praecursor est Domini
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v. 10 Aic est enim de quo scriptum est : ecce ego mitto angelum meum (i. e. nuntium meum) ante faciem tuam qui praeparabit viam tuam ante te; verba. recitantur ex Mal. 3,1 magis secundum hebraeum quam secundum LXX; in hebr. legitur : ecce ego mitto angelum (nuntium) meum et praeparabit viam ante faciem meam; Christus verba ita effert, ut Deus Pater alloquatur Messiam. Hisce Christus insigne reddit testimonium verbis loannis : ego vox clamantis in deserto : dirigite (i. e. parate, praeparate, hebr. 532 in utroque loco Is. 40,3 et Mal. 3,1) viam Domini (Ioan. 1,23). Vocem ἄγγελος explica nuntium , legatum , prout vox apud Malachiam ἢν) dicit nuntium, legatum ; vide 1 Sam. 11,3. 2 Sam. 11,19 seq. 1. Reg. 19,2. 2 Reg. 5,10. Iob 1,14 etc.; ' nomen dein etiam frequentius dicitur de nuntiis Dei i. e. de angelis. Designatur itaque Ioannes tamquam nuntius ille divinitus praedictus a propheta longe ante Messiam qui ut nundius meus , ut nuntius Dei peculiari modo a Deo ad munus pro Deo subeundum excitandus annuntiabatur voce prophetica. Aliqui voci versionis ἄγγελος nimis inhaerentes volunt eum angelum quoque vocari propter vitam angelicam et ferme materiae expertem (TAeoph.) vel propter officii angelici participationem (S. PascA. Thom. qui praeterea addit : uti angeli semper vident faciem Patris, sic Ioannes specialiter Christum vidit) et ita . -eum singulari ratione honorari eo quod nomen commune sortitus sit . eum spiritibus coelestibus quod dignius sit nomine prophetae (Jans.). Varias rationes congessit-Sy/v. libro 5 cap. 13. qu. 23. At usu vocis hebraicae attento haec dici nequeunt; immo etiam Luc. 9,52 ἄγγελοι. dicuntur nuntii illi quos Christus praemisit, ut de usu apud LXX, in Apocalypsi (de episcopis ecclesiarum) et apud scriptores profanos taceam. — loannis autem ut nuntii excellentia in eo quoque consistit, quia incedit immediate ante Dominum ; « quemadmodum enim apud reges qui prope currum incedunt aliis dignitate maiores sunt, sic Ioannes prope Christum advenientem incedere cernitur » (S. CArys.); tanto autem est honorabilior, quanto propinquior, ut S. 7Aom. dicit. Alii Dominum ante plura saecula annuntiarunt, hic viam parat iam venienti eumque digito demonstrat et discipulos populumque ei adhaerere iubet. « Vide itaque quomodo hinc eius excellentiam declarat; neque tamen hic gradum sistit, verum suam effert sententiam dicens » (S. Chrys.) cum sollemni affirmatione
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v. 11 amen dico vobis, non Surrezit inter natos mulierum mator Ioanne baptista oix ἐγήγερται non. est suscitatus a Deo scil. prout hebr. a'pi de Deo dicitur qui prophetassuscitat; inter natos mulierum dictio est sollemnior ac poetica; vide Iob 15,1; 15,15; 25,& zw n. Eccli. 10,18 (graece); qui modus loquendi festus sententiae gravitatem bene effert atque commendat. Quo sensu dicatur inter homines maior seu excellentior ex antecedentibus et sequentibus satis declaratur et apud Luc. 7,98 legimus : maior inter natos mulierum propheta loanne baptista nemo est; quare eius prae omnibus excellentia reponitur in dignitate officii praecursoris « quia in hoc medius fuit inter legem et gratiam , terminando legem et introducendo gratiam ; ita vicinior est optimo quam omnes umbrae legis et prophetarum et sic maior est omnibus in lege et prophetis quoad officii dignitatem ; ceteri tantum cecinere vatum corde praesago iubar adfuturum, sed loannes quidem mundi scelus . auferentem agnum indice prodit; praedixit enim et demonstravit » (Alb.). Ipsi enim soli, ut S. Hil. ait, licuit et prophetare Christum et. videre; ille maior sane propheta, in quo finis est prophetarum, ut ait S. Amórosius, maior propheta quia multi cupierunt videre quem iste prophetavit, quem iste conspexit, quem iste baptizavit; maior autem fuit iis quibus aequalis esse poterat sorte nascendi (quod addit 8. doctor, ne ipso Christo maior videatur). Similiter censet S. Thom. :. « ille maior et excellentior est qui ad maius officium est assumptus ». Merito alii ad excellentiam eius declarandam etiam alios addunt favores divinos; ita S. Isidorus pelusiota : « idcirco maior inter natos mulierum, quia ex ipso materno ventre vaticinatus est atque in tenebris abditus atque occultatus lumen quod venerat minime ignoravit; hoc autem nomine prophetas antecellit quod eum quoque qui praedicebatur in carne conspexit » (epist. I, 33; M. 78,204). Etiam vitae rationem et modum ad eius excellentiam demonstrandam proferunt alii; « nam sic vivebat ac si in coelo fuisset atque naturalibus superior necessitatibus mirabilem quandam carpebat viam, in hymnis et orationibus totum tempus transigens cum mortalium nemine, sed cum solo Deo colloquia miscens » (S. CArys.); adde ipsius ortus miraculum, magnificas de eo angeli Gabriel voces, vitam a teneris annis in deserto actam eamque duram et asperam (cf. Cyrillus hierosol. catech. 3,6; M. 33,536) aliaque quibus apparet eum insignibus praerogativis ac beneficiis ἃ Deo prae celeris veteris testamenti prophetis esse decoratum. S. Ioannem sanctitate quoque eximia fuisse certum est. Eam iam angelus praedicit : erit enim. magnus coram Domino et vinum et siceram non bibet et Spiritu sanclo replebitur adhuc ex ulero matris (Luc. 1,15), ea probatur vitae ratione et eximio illo praecursoris munere; nam insignis illa vocatio insignem quoque sanctitatem postulat nisi quis absurde dicere voluerit non fuisse satis consultum dignitati Christi. Quare merito S. Patres multi sunt in laudibus eximiae eius sanctitatis. Salutatur v. g. hisce ἃ τ S. Chrysologo (serm. 191; M. 52,549) : « Ioannes virtutum. schola, magisterium vitae, sanctitatis forma, norma iustitiae, virginitatis speculum, pudicitiae titulus, castitatis exemplum, poenitentiae via, peccatorum venia, fidei disciplina; Ioannes maior homine, par angelis, legis summa, evangelii sanctio, apostolorum vox, praecursor Christi , metator Domini, testis Dei, * totius medius (i. e. nuntius) Trinitatis » (quo scil. mediante, dum Christus baptizatur, tota innotuit Trinitas). Atque de eius sanctitate pluribus agunt adductis multorum S. Patrum testimoniis ὁ. Canisius (Commentariorum de verbi Dei corruptelis, liber primus, in quo de sanctissimi praecursoris Domini Ioannis b. historia, Dilingae 4574 p. 190 seq.), Bar. Sylv. Suarez (in 3 p. S. Th. qu. 38 art. 4, disp. 24 sect. 3), qui quidem statuit esse de fide Ioannem dignioribus et excellentioribus sanctis et Dei amicis esse annumerandum et esse verisimile superare omnes antiquos patriarchas et prophetas et absque iniuria posse cum apostolis et reliquis sanctis novi testamenti conferri (l. c. n. 2. 12). Sed quaeri potest vocaveritne eum Christus maiorem inter natos mulierum ratione habita sanctitatis vitae morumque. Sunt qui ita censeant ; illa enim verba v. g. S. Cyrillus alexandrinus explicat de fastigio virtutis et iustitiae quae in hominem cadat meta (Thesaurus; M. 15,157) atque eodem sensu intelligi possunt multa S. Patrum encomia et idem iudicare videntur ii qui ad eminentiam Ioannis prae aliis probandam provocant ad vitae eius modum. Idem propugnant ex interpretibus Dion. Maid. lans. (qui eum dicit omnibus maiorem praerogativis, spiritu, meritis) Sylv. Bar. Tir. Quae tamen explicatio satis difücilis evadit propter ea quae sequuntur: qui autem minor est in regno coelorum maior est illo. Nam certe sensus esse nequit minorem in Ecclesia Christi esse sanctiorem illo in vitae integritate et innocentia. Proinde maior in altero membro alia prorsus significatione deberet accipi atque in priore; verum hoc admitti nequit, quia omnis sententiae concinnitas ac consequentia everteretur funditus ac periret. Quare retinenda erit aliorum explicatio de munere ac dignitate muneris, in qua Ioannes excellit prae omnibus in vetere testamento. In eam sententiam plane concedit Toletus scribens : « non existimo de sanctitate vitae Christum loqui, quamvis fieri potest illum fuisse aut sanctiorem aut neminem illo iustiorem; at sermo est de prophetiae munere, ad quam collationem etiam pertinet quod.in utero prophetavit et natus est "propheta quod nemini fuerat concessum; similiter quod baptizavit, quod alias eiusmodi praerogativas habuit quae illum prophetam insignem fecerunt; illud autem fuit maximum quod Christum praesentem novit et populis manifestavit » (Comment. in Luc. cap. 7 annot. 48). Atque eo modo cum veteribus quorum verba supra recitavi censent plerique recentiorum ex iis qui de ea quaestione mentionem faciunt (cf. Bisp. Heischl, Schanz, Fil.) et apposite scribit vas Steenkiste : « igitur Ioannes baptista non personaliter consideratur quoad eius excellentiam in vita et moribus, sed inspicitur eius conditio theocratica et publica, videlicet quatenus repraesentat veterem legem, cuius ipse fuit ultimus subditus ». Aliam quoque quandoque movent quaestionem, utrum scil. loannes omnibus simpliciter praeferatur an ceteri ei coaequentur; scribit enim S..Hier. : « non ceteris prophetis et patriarchis cunctisque hominibus eum praetulit, sed Ioanni ceteros exaequavit; non enim statim sequitur, ut si alii maiores eo non sunt ille maior aliorum sit, verum ut aequalitatem cum ceteris sanctis habeat ». Atque similiter S. Augustinus : « potuerunt esse aliqui Ioanni.aequales, nullus autem maior propter sententiam Domini » (contra advers. legum et proph. 2,5. 20; M. 42,630) et op. imp. - « Scriptura quidem non dicit Ioannem maiorem esse ceteris sanctis, sed ceteros sanctos non esse maiores loanne; coaequavit eum ceteris, non praeposuit » ; sed id auctor op. imp. ipse non amplectitur vel solum dubitans proponit cum pergat : « puto quod omnes sancti invicem sibi aut inferiores sunt aut priores; ex quo intelligimus quoniam qui maiorem non se habet, omnibus maior est; hoc denique sequens sermo demonstrat ». At Cai. minime dubitat monere : « et bene nota quod non aflirmatur ὁ loannes maior omnibus prophetis, sed negatur propheta maior ipso, cum quo stat quod habuerit aequales ». At talis sententiae acceptio (quae utique alias admitti potest si nude verba spectantur) hic excluditur, cum Christus iam declaraverit Ioannem esse plus quam prophetam et cum munere dignissimo ex verbis prophetae descripto sollemni asseveratione hanc dignitatem ex sua ipsius sententia efferat atque commendet. In eo enim nexu nunc dici Ioannem habere aut habere posse aequales, existimari nequit. Illa explicatio ex eo orta est quod maiorem interpretati sunt sanctiorem. Id ex op. imp. manifestum est, et S. Aug. scribens contra adversarios legis et prophetarum sollicitus est ne qua specie quidquam dignitati veterum prophetarum derogetur. Etiam illud quaerunt, utrum dicatur maior inter natos mulieris propheta, an simpliciter maior. Cum apud Lucam dicatur : maior inter n. m. propheta nemo est, aliqui contendunt etiam apud Matth. subintelligendum esse prophetam, aliis e contra sentientibus vim verborum Matth. et gradationem sermonis enervari si solum dicatur maior propheta. At haec lis amice componi potest, primo ex eo quod utrumque evangelistam sensum verborum Domini rite referre facile omnes catholici concedent, dein ex eo quod prophetae iure considerari possunt maiores reliquis ludaeis ante loannem, cum speciali vocatione a Deo eligerentur et ad munus institue- tentur quod exercere non poterant nisi peculiari Dei impulsu. Unde maior eorum dignitas theocratica facile consequitur; quare dicendum cum /ans. - cum nulli maiores fuerint prophetis ante Ioannem, si Ioannes non habuit maiorem se prophetam, nullum etiam absolute se maiorem habuit. Ceterum ea quoque controversia inniti videtur opinioni agi hic de sanctitate Tanorum. Sed statuendum erit cum S. Augustino : « Ioannes omnium praecedentium proximus Christi annuntiator fuit; et quia omnes superiorum temporum iusti et prophetae cupiebant videre completum quod revelante * Spiritu futurum esse cernebant, propterea Ioannes amplius quam prophela dictus est et in natis mulierum non habuisse maiorem, quia prioribus iusti praenuntiare tantum Christum concessum est, huic autem et praenuntiare absentem et videre praesentem, ut huic inveniatur patuisse quod illi cüpierunt » (contra litteras Petiliani 2 n. 87). Quae vestigia etiam Toletus-sequitur affirmans : « non fit collatio hic de maiori yel minori gratia aut sanctitate, sed de dignitate et. excellentia officii; in hoc enim "ornnes prophetas superavit Ioannes ». Ex iis quae adduxi perspicitur quoque eam sententiam de officio ac dignitate perperam traduci a Mald. quasi ^ Baereticis propriam. Talis itaque ac tantus cum sit loannes, eorum percutitur languor ; ét tepor qui eius testimoniis et exemplis non obsequuntur; percutitur autem etiam magis ex eo quod isto torpore maiorem illam repudiant ' dignitatem quam in regno messiano quisque acquirit; unde Christus ^ s pergit : qui autem minor est in regno coelorum , maior est illo; « addit hoc Christus ut acuat auditores ad prosequendam beatitudinem et salutem suam per legem evangelicam quam ipse attulit; hoc enim est regnum coelorum, ex quo praedicationem suam coepit et continuavit Christus » (Lap.). Debet regnum coeloruiu accipi eo sensu, quo illud annuntiat Ioannes et Christus praedicat (cf. 3,2; 4,17) et apostoli eius adventum notum facere iubentur (10,7); proinde regnum messianum, novus ille intelligi debet rerum ordo quem Christus est instituturus. Cum haec dicantur ratione habita status illius in quo est Ioannes, iungi oporlet nor in regno coelorum scil. is qui in regno coelorum minor .est (cf. Maid. Ians. et recentiores), uti recte indicatur interpunctione in vu/g.; dicitur mznor i. e. qui comparatione maioris illius statum habet et conditionem inferiorem in regno messiano, qui in hoc regno minoribus et inferioribus accenseri debet ' ratione muneris, dignitatis vel existimationis in Ecclesia ; etiam talis minor in Ecclesia maior est illo. Insigni itaque modo excellentiam ac dignitatem novi testamenti proclamat et summum ostendit illum splendorem quo lucent qui Christum induerunt et qui Christum induti de statu servitutis in statum libertatis filiorum Dei transierunt, qui jam non sunt parvuli sub tutoribus et actoribus constituti et parvuli sub elementis mundi constituti , sed qui plenitudine temporis a Patre praefinita et opere redemptionis per Filium peracto redempti a servi- - tute legis iam tamquam filii clamant Spiritu docente : Abba, Pater. Huius novi foederis dignitatem quae longe superat veteris conditionem optime declarat S. Paulus Gal. &,1-7. 22-31. Comparatur itaque uterque status et dignitas illa theocratica quae utrique propria est. Vetus foedus desiit in morte Christi; velamine templi scisso patefactum est nunc patere introitum ad sanctuarium coeleste per viam novam quam initiavit Christus per velamen i. e. carnem suam (Hebr. 10,20) et morte sua Christus legem veterem abolevit (Rom. 7,4. Gal. 2,19. Eph. 2,15-16; cf. Dan. 9,27 in dimidio hebdomadis deficiet hostia et sacrificium). Gratia autem et dignitas novi administratur per Christum e mortuis vivum et gloriosum, qui traditus est propter delicta nostra et resurrezit propter iustificationem nostram (Rom. 4,25). Quam maiorem dignitatem bene explicat S. Cyrillus alex. : « cum. igitur illum (Ioannem) veluti imaginem summae virtutis quae in natos e mulieribus caderet statuisset, maius bonum opponit, hoc est, qui recens regnum coelorum consecutus esset et in filium Dei regeneratus per Spiritum, ut ex quibus ille minus habens admirationi esset, regni participes admiratione dignissimi videantur, utque alii alacriter ad capessendum illud contendant ex Ioannis gloria immensam illius pulchritudinem aestimantes... Maior itaque omnibus natis e muliere est qui per Spiritum regeneratus est; illi enim adhuc filii carnis appellantur, hi vero Deum totius universi Patrem vocantes ut filii eum invocant dicentes : Abba, Pater. Quocirca tametsi baptistae summa operum praestantia insit, maior tamen eo erit qui ad regnum coelorum vocatus fuerit » (Thesaurus ; M. 75,173) et similiter loquitur s. doctor in comment. in Matth.: « S. Ioannes antequam Spiritus daretur e vita discessit; itaque etsi minores simus iis qui legis iustitiam consecuti sunt, at in maioribus per Christum sumus: constituti » (M. 72,400). Atque eodem modo sentit S. Isidorus pelu- Siota : « ipse quidem si legis iustitia spectatur nihil habebat quod reprehendi posset, at iis qui vitae in Christo positae spiritu perfecti fuerunt inferior exstitit; quisquis igitur minor estin regno coelorum, hoc est, in christiana regeneratione, maior, ut diximus, eo est qui in lege laudem iustitiae consecutus est, quoniam lex nihil omnibus suis partibus perfecit » (epist. 1,68; M. 78,228). Eadem est sententia TAeodori heracl. (cat. Cr.), eandemque bene exponit Tostatus (qu. 36 in cap. 11) : « dicendum, licet forte nemo sit maior Ioanne sanctitate , est tamen quilibet maior eo status dignitate; nam status novi testamenti est excellentior quolibet statu praeterito: Ioannes autem non fuit in eo, sed in vetere testamento vel medius amborum, finis legis et principium evangelii; quilibet ergo christianus est maioris status quam loannes δὲ hoc innuitur, quia dicitur, qui minor est in regno coelorum, quasi dicat: ex eo quod est in regno coelorum est maior Ioanne, licet alias non esset maior ». Eodemque modo de statu novae legis et de quolibet christiano explicant To/etus (in Luc. 7,28 : maior est vel minimus filius quolibet servo etiam maximo) Mald. qui illud philosophorum in memoriam revocat : minimum maximi maius est maximo minimi, Caím. eandem sententiam simul cum aliis proponit, eandemque amplectuntur Bisp. Schegg, Reischl, Grimm, Schanz, Fil. — Keil, Weiss, Mansel aliique. Non de omnibus, sed de ministris gratiae, A/5. explicat. Haud infrequens est expositio minorem vocare Christum se ipsum, quippe qui, ut S. Chrys. dicit, minor sit secundum aetatem et secundum multorum opinionem. Ita de Christo interpretantur Theoph. Euth. op. imp.- Br. Fab. Cai. lans. Bar. Sylv. et ex recentioribus Arn.; eam sententiam valde probabilem censet Suarez l. c. n. 4 « propter auctoritatem dictorum Sanctorum » eandemque etiam b. Canisius (1. c. p. 220) propugnat. At merito contra eam excipit Maid. eam comparationem ad rem non pertinere & ubi evangelium cum lege vetere conferebatur, et quia apertius dixisset se eo maiorem esse, uti 12,44. 42, ecce plus quam Ionas hic, et ecce plus quam Salomon hic, et quia vis locutionis perit , nisi sententia generalis sit et non ad unum definita , qui minor est, id est, quisquis minor est »; etiam ὃ δὲ μικρότερος sensum prae se fert generalem qui ex priore membro necessario deducitur. Alii, ut S. Hier. Bed. Rab. Pasch., de sanctis in coelo verba capiunt; « multi de Salvatore hoc intelligi volunt, scribit S. Hier., quod qui minor est tempore, maior sit dignitate; nos autem simpliciter intelligamus, quod omnis sanctus qui iam cum Deo est, maior sit illo qui adhuc consistit in proelio; aliud enim est coronam victoriae possidere, aliud adhuc in acie dimicare ». At de coelesti beatitudine non est sermo, neque status beatorum cum conditione terrestri Ioannis comparatur sed Status hisce in terris inter se conferri debent. Neque melior est expositio S. Augustini et Dion. de angelis, quorum quilibet minor maior sit quolibet sancto et iusto portante corpus quod corrumpitur et aggravat animam. Sed inter Ioannem et angelos non institui comparationern certum est. Alterain quoque s. doctor proponit explanationem, Dominum se ipsum vocare minorem, cum nascendi tempore minor sit loanne, maior autem diviniiatis aeternitate et dominica potestate (contra advers. legis et proph. 2,5. 20; serm. 66,2; M. 42,649; 38,431). Aliam quoque acceptionem commemorat neque tamen probat δαίά. : qui minor i. e. humilior sit Ioanne maior est illo, quia qui se humiliat exaltabitur. Uti vidimus, Mald. statuit comparationem institui ratione habita sancti- tatis. Qui minorem Christum esse volunt, nulla laborant difficultate, cum Christum esse sanctiorem Ioanne evidens sit. At quomodo Maid. qui minorem intelligit minimum quemque in Ecclesia vel in novo testamento, rem expedit? respondet duobus modis : quidquid sanctitatis habuerunt sancti veteris foederis, non ex lege, sed ex evangelio habuerunt; ideo qui minimus est in evangelio maior fuisse perhibetur, quia hic veluti hereditaria et domi nata, ille aliena et quasi mutuo accepta virtute factus est magnus. Vel altero modo : quia qui in evangelio est ex eius natura maior i. e. sanctior esse potest. Verum facile perspicitur in priore responsione comparationem de sanctitate iam relinqui et. illam induci de dignitate ipsius status theocratica; in altera autem peccari quia non dicit Christus maior fieri potest sed absolute et in universum maior est illo, quae duo valde inter se diversa sunt. ᾿ Quaerunt etiam, utrum S. Ioannes pertineat ad vetus testamentum an ad novum. Eum ad novum pertinere docet S. Thom. 2 3" qu. 414 art. A ad 3; sed eo sensu ut sit « terminus legis et initium evangelii » (3 p. qu. 38 art. 4 ad 2); id quod Suarez (l. c. sect. 3 n. 8) declarat vocari eum principium legis novae et finem veteris eo sensu, « quia ab illo praedicari coepit et promitti regnum coelorum et demonstrari Christus novi testamenti conditor et ita dici potest Ioannes quasi extrinsecum principium novae legis, sicut lucifer dicitur esse initium diei et finis noctis ». Et sect. 6 n. 4 statuit Suarez eum pertinere ad novum testamentum quia praesentem Christum annuntiabat, non autem fuisse membrum Ecclesiae a Christo institutae; prius enim mortuus est quam Christus Ecclesiam suam perfecte fundaret. Proinde etsj aliqui dicant Ioannem a Christo esse baptizatum idque probabile censeat Suarez (l. c. sect. 6 n. 3), &o etiam baptismo explicatio quam secutus sum non in dubium vocatur ex eadem ratione quam modo a Suarez afferri audivimus. — Ioannem a Christo esse baptizatum indicat S. Cyrillus alex. (Thesaurus, ass. 11; M. 75,176), asserit auctor op. imp. hom. 4 (M. 56,638) qui id concludunt ex verbis sine modo; eandem sententiam sequi videtur S. Thor. 3 p. qu. 38 art. 6 ad 3, eam amplectuntur Bar. aliique. Sed qualem fructum tulit illa Ioannis praedicatio, tanta illa qua circumdatus est auctoritas et excellentia illustris et maxima regni coelorum dignitas quae tanto apparatu annuntiabatur et quam Christus modo adeo extulit in v. 11? Respondetur ad haec omnia quae ex v. 7-11 consequuntur
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v. 12 a diebus autem Ioannis baptistae usque nunc regnum coelorum vim patitur, βιάζεται vi opprimitur, et violenti βιασταί i. e. ii qui vi illud opprimunt rapiunt illud i. e. auferunt illud et eripiunt iis qui illud ingredi vellent; legunt diripiunt illud S. Hil. Hier. (in comment.) Ambr. Pasch. Br. Legimus a diebus autem; quam bene ponatur δέ, ut oppositio ad antecedentia exprimatur, in hac acceptione non opus est declarare. Regnum autem coelorum quod Ioannes annuntiavit a tempore quo ipse exstitit praeco, & diebus eius, fuisse expositum inimicitiis, invidiae, persecutionibus multorum, pharisaeorum praecipue, elucet ex gravissimis reprehensionibus quibus baptista pharisaeos et sadducaeos excipiebat (3,7-10), elucet etiam clarius ex sequenti v. 18 ex quo docemur generationem hanc dixisse de eo : daemonium habet. Quanta autem perfidia, malitia, pertinacia Christum praedicantem persecuti sint et populum seducere, a Christo abstrahere, immo in eum instigare studuerint, evangelistae satis superque produnt (cf. Matth. 7,15; 9,11. 3« in principe daemoniorum eiicit daemones; Marc. 2,7. 16, 24; 3,9. Luc. 4,98 seq. 6,2. 7. 11. Ioan. 2,18. 94; 3,11; 4,1). Atque regnum oppugnari omissis aliis testimoniis luculenter ex iis efficitur quae Christus subiungit in hoc capite a v. 19 seq. idque oppugnari usque nunc. Atque violentos illos oppugnatores hoc regnum aliis quoque eripere, totidem verbis Christus postea asseruit 23,13 : vae autem vobis, scribae et pharisaei, quia clauditis regnum coelorum ante homines; vos enim non intratis nec introeuntes sinitis intrare. Quid est autem. hoc aliud nisi aliis rapere regnum coelorum ? Idem legimus Luc. 11,52 : vae vobis legisperitis quia tulistis clavem scientiae, ipsi non introistis et eos qui introibant prohibuistis. Uti haec explicatio omnino accommodata est rebus gestis, confextui, aliis Christi effatis, ita ipso verbo βιάζεται unice commendatur. Huius enim verbi forma grammaticalis nequit esse nisi passiva. Nam ut verbum deponens, rout. grammatici loquuntur, non potest adhiberi sine obiecto vel sine alia voce quae quasi obiecti vicem gerit ; sensu enim absoluto : vi irruere, impetu irrumpere nunquam adhibetur. Saepius autem et in sacris litteris et apud profanos auctores usurpatur sensu passivo, verum ita, ut vox passiva semper exprimat oppressionem, vim malam quae alicui inferatur. Exempla ex profanis praebent lexica, praebet Cremer (Bibl. theol. Woerterb. s. v.) ; aliud reperitur Eccli. 34,21 (graece): εἰ ἔδιάσθης ἐν ἐδέσμασιν, si oppressus fueris cibis; praeterea quotiescumque in sacris litteris legitur. βιάζειν vel βιάζεσθαι dicit vim alicui invito illatam, dicit oppressionem vel coactionem; vide Deut. 92,95 vim inferre puellae, Gen. 33,12. et Iud. 13,15 et 19,7 et 4 Reg. 5,93 aliquem qui aliter agere vellet cogere, Esth. 7,8 reginam opprimere, Eccli. 4,26 contra ictum fluminis conari, 2 Mach. 14,41 ianuam disrumpere, similiter Ex. 19,95. μὴ βιαζέσθωσαν ἀναδῆναι ne. nitantur ascendere i. e. ne contra fas aditum ad Deum sibi arrogare conentur. Eadem significatio inferendae violentiae, opprimendi etiam deprehenditur in & libro Mach. (cf. WaAL, Clavis libr. vet. test. apocryph. s. v.). Hunc itaque usum constantem si attenderis, non dubitabis Luc. 16,16 qui est locus nostro parallelus xzi πᾶς eig αὑτὴν (τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ) βιάζεται explicare de oppressione et persecutione quam plerique inferunt regno Dei; id quod ibi quoque ad contextum omnino aptum est et insuper veritati rei accommodatur, dum e contra alia quae communiter fertur explicatio : omnis magno studio appetit regnum Dei, cum nar- * rationibus evangelicis nequit conciliari , illa vero quam alii malunt : omnis iam debet magno fervore conniti ad regnum Dei, verbis minime exprimitur. Scio equidem paucos esse huius interpretationis patronos, inter quos Calm. recenseri debet et Wilke, Lexicon graeco-lat. in libros n. t. s. v. et ex protestantibus praesertim Cremer 1. c. Hilgenfeld et ad Luc. 16,16 praeter Ca/m. etiam Ludovicus de Dieu (Synopsis ceriticorum tom. & p. 1052). Et Calm. quidem bene observat locum nostrum conferri debere cum Lucae loco; dein pergit : « toto hoc capite Christus legem veterem cum nova comparat damnatque saevitiam qua vexatus est praecursor et contemptum quo ludaeae urbes ipsius verba reiecere. Lex et prophetae a Moyse usque ad loannem locum habuere; ego et Ioannes Dei regnum nuntiantes venimus, quo autem animo excipimur? regnum quod praedicamus unusquisque diripit atque iniuriis invadit. Publica in vincula datur Ioannes, meae institutiones reiiciuntur mihique ipsi parantur insidiae. Austerum vitae genus cum servet Ioannes a daemone agi dicitur; ego lenius sector damnorque quasi delicias amem. Quis coelorum regnum vestris ab iniuriis tueatur »? Atque profecto statim v. 16 turbas increpat Christus quod neque loanni neque sibi obsequuntur; e contra et illum et se gravissimis opprobriis affici. Dein v. 20 exprobrat civitatibus quia non egissent poenitentiam quamvis plurimae virtutes in eis factae essent. Iam in tali rerum nexu ego quidem non intelligo quomodo nihilominus dici possit homines magno studio et impetu &ccurrere omnique vi ac contentione adniti ut in regnum coelorum intrent vel maximo conatu illud acquirant. cat S. Ambrosius qui legit: regnum: coelorum cogitur i. e. densatur, quia ἃ pluribus frequentatur (expos. ev. Luc. lib. 5 n. 141; Af. 15,1666) ; similiter S. Thom. tertio loco Fab. Jans. Arn. Fil.; ex protestantibus Meyer, Mansel aliique. Huic explanationi cognatum est quod fere communiter addunt opus esse ad regnum coelorum acquirendum multo sudore, labore multo, abnegatione et iis demum vi inferri regno coelorum et hos esse illos violentos qui illud sibi vi rapiant. Ita EutA. : « βιάζεται δὲ, ἀντὶ τοῦ βιαίως ἁρπάζεται παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, dum illi sibi ipsi vim inferunt ac certe necessitatem propriorum vincunt affectuum aut etiam tyrannidem infidelitatis; hanc autem laudabilem violentiam incepisse dicit a diebus praedicationis loannis »; similiter Theoph. : « opus est multa vi; relinquere enim patrem et matrem.et animam suam contemnere ,.quantae violentiae res est »? in eundem sensum S. Amr. (1. c. n. 412) : « vis menti affertur humanae quae diversis illecebris delinita laborem fugit, voluptatem expetit, cum vel metu supplicii coercita vel praemio provocata vincere ipsa se nilitur et tamquam exantlatis laboribus palmam quae sibi plurimis adversantibus subtrahebatur contendit eripere; rapimus enim ex hoc mundo palmam salutis et quasi excubantibus obsessos serpentibus fructus pervigili labore decerpimus, ita tamen ut non furtiva sublatio sed direptio sit triumphalis ». Neque aliter S. Hier. : « grandis est violentia, in terra nos esse generatos et coelorum sedem quaerere, possidere per virtutem quod non tenuimus per naturam »; et similiter Bed. Rab. secundo loco, Pasch. Br. Dion. Bar. Tost. qu. 38 secundo loco, Sylv. et ex recentioribus Schegg, Bisp. Schanz, Fil. Keil. At quamvis verum sit opus esse labore et contentione ad regnum coelorum acquirendum, tamen valde dubito num hoc nostro loco dicatur. Nam si verba ita accipiuntur, ut dicatur coepisse homines tendere ad illud fide, poenitentia, operibus bonis (Cai.) et magno studio illud appetere (Zap.), id nescio qua ratione concordet rebus gestis et reprehensionibus Christi quas hoc capite et alibi turbis, pharisaeis, scribis impingit. Si vero ita explicantur verba : regnum coelorum debet vi expugnari, debet sui abnegatione et vi sibi illata occupari et solum eos illud esse possessuros qui hac sacra violentia utantur (cf. Zeischl, Schanz, Fil.), ea expositione id quod rem constituit debet, solum. violenti , in textum inseritur; nam etsi βιάζεται voce passiva acceperis sensu bono, vertendum est : expugnatur, vi occupatur, id quod non idem est ac expugnari debet ; βιάζεται itaque id dicit quod fit, non quod fieri debet. Praeterea iam monui βιάζεται voce passiva semper sensu malo usurpari. Alii vocem accipiunt ita : regnum coelorum magna vi sese offert, impetu quasi irrumpit atque auribus omnium sese inculcat (cf. Schegg , Grimm III, 192). Qua acceptione id maiore vi dicitur quod in loco parallelo Luc. 16,16 habetur : ex eo (i. e. a diebus Ioannis) regnum Dei evangelizatur et omnis in illud vim facit. Quae explicatio sensum quidem bonum et verum fundit; at duobus laborat quibus excludatur oportet. Verbum βιάζεσθαι eo modo adhiberi nequit certo probari vel deberet addi in quem vim exerceat! vel quo irruat; dein βιασταί violenti aperte ita exponi oportet. ut vox suam derivet a βιάζεσθαι significationem, ut scil. fit in prima expositione : vi opprimitur regnum, vi opprimentes. Quod dicitur rapiunt illud ἁρπάζουσιν, potest quidem sensu bono de se accipi : raptim ferunt, celeriter occupant et arripiunt, id quod usui verbi non repugnat. Ergo ex hoc verbo argumentum pro prima expositione desumi nequit?. Verbum autem hoc sua notione rapiendi, auferendi, diripiendi etiam bene ad illam aptam esse liquet. — Alii in istis raptoribus cernunt gentes , peccatores, publicanos, meretrices, qui Iudaeis regnum Dei quasi furto auferunt et ad se transferunt (cf. S; Hil. Ambr. quoque, Gregorius magnus, hom. in ev. 20 n. 14; M. 76,1168), Aab. primo loco, Pasch. Thom. in prima et altera expositione, Ma/d., quam explicationem Bar. reiicit, quia quamprimum quis iustus sit effectus, iam non rapiat regnum coelorum ut rem alienam. Quibus raperetur, deberet addi, neque satis apte id dicitur rapi quod omnibus propositum ac destinatum est. Praeterea adverte, in istis explicationibus haud raro relinqui notionem illam regni coelorum quae hic retineatur oportet, scil. regni messiani, Ecclesiae Christi in terris positae, et fieri transitum ad regnum beatorum. Verum isto transitu sententia etiam redditur difflcilior. Nam non solum a diebus Ioannis, sed semper, etiam in vetere testamento, opus erat concupiscentias frenare, malos vincere appetitus, i. e. uti abnegatione, vim sibi inferre, ut quis vitaret peccatum mortale, ut mandata Dei observaret et ita ius beatitudinis in tuto collocaret. Hoc itaque sensu nullo non tempore valuit : solum violenti rapiunt illud. Scribit quidem S. Gregorius 1, c. : « a diebus Ioanni: et violenti rapiunt illud, quia qui poenitentiam peccatoribus indixit quid aliud quam regno coelorum fleri violentiam docuit »? At nonne etiam ante dies Ioannis poenitentia indicebatur peccatoribus? vide Deut. 30,1 seq. Is. 1,16. Ier. 3,22. Ez. 33,11. Dan. 9,5. Ioel 2,12. Mich. 1,9 etc. etc. Oppugnatur itaque regnum coelorum a tempore quo exstitit loannes; ergo ab eo quoque tempore annuntiatur regnum hoc iamiam instare, annuntiatur novus rerum ordo, in quo qui minor est maior est Ioanne (v. 11). Et quare nunc illud regnum appropinquat et annuntiatur? Ad hoc respondetur
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v. 13 omnes enim prophetae et lez usque ad Ioannem prophetaverunt; i. e. tempus propheticae annuntiationis regni coelorum protenditur usque ad Ioannem; eum ipso desiit prophetia de venturo Messia et regno eius; omnes prophetiae de Christo respiciunt hoc tempus quod ab Ioanne est inauguratum. Legis quoque mentio fit quia iam in lege i. e. in pentateucho vaticinia messiana continentur, uti notum est et Ioan. 3,1& et 5,46 et 19,36 et Act. 3,92; 7,37. Rom. 4,16 elc. indicatur. Hisce igitur indicatur et ostenditur iam adesse tempus Messiae (cf. S. Hier. Bed. lans.); unde Christus dicit : « nihil ergo ultra exspectetis nec alium speretis * venturum » (S. CArys. sim. Theoph. Br.). Uti Christus in v. 10 oraculo illo de Ioanne explicato se designavit tamquam Dominum qui ad templum suum sit venturus et tamquam nuntium testamenti novi , proin tamquam Messiam, ita hoc loco clare docet iam adesse tempus illud quod prophetae annuntiabant tempus instaurationis, regni messiani et itaque se esse eum quem prophetae venturum praedixerint. Cur-/ez secundo ponatur loco aliqui quaerunt. Cernit ibi BleeÁ exprimi magnam legis apud Iudaeos existimationem, esse gradationem expressam; at Luc. 16,16 dicitur : lex et prophetae; alii legem ita collocari opinantur quia ratione prophetiarum revera locum cedat etinferior sit prophetis (cf. Schanz , Weiss). Quod Maid. iam opinatus est v. 13 esse collocandum statim post v. 11, ut ordo sit v. 11. 13. 12, id recentiores quidam etiam postularunt (Bleek, Holtzmann); ita quidem series habetur Luc. 16,16. At nulla est huius transpositionis vel necessitas vel utilitas. Apte enim versus iste omnes enim ad antecedentia adnectitur, neque solum ad v. 11 refertur, sed etiam ad Porro novum rerum ordinem et instaurationem appropinquare etiam ultra explicat Christus et id quidem modo adeo ad Iudaeorum notiones accommodato, ut eum non potuerint non intelligere
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v. 14 et si vultis recipere, ipse est Elias qui venturus est; exspectabant enim ludaei Eliam esse venturum antequam regnum Dei plane constitueretur; vide 17,10. Marc. 9,10. Quae doctrina repetitur ex Mal. 5,5. Id vero scribae ita intellexerunt, ut Elias sit praecursor Messiae et ut Eliae adventus signum sit temporis messiani iam instantis. Quae sententia in scriptis quoque rabbinicis haud raro docetur (cf. Weber, System der altsynagogalen pal. Theol. p. 337; Wünsche p. 145, et ex prioribus Lighifoot, hor. hebr. ad Matth. 17,10 et Schoettgen , hor. heb. II p. 226). De Elia igitur mentionem iniiciens clare tempus messianum designat et cum Elias-Ioannes sit praecursor qui ipsum annuntiavit, seipsum quam maxime manifeste ad mentem Iudaeorum Messiam declarat. Verum addens si vultis recipere, innuit locutionem non esse omnino propriam , eum non esse sensu litterali Eliam ,'sed sensu quodam improprio et typico propter officii quandam similitudinem (cf. Αἰό. Cai. Maid. Ians.). Elias enim niittetur antequam venist dies Domini magnus et horribilis, i. e. ante alterum Christi ad iudicium adventum, loannes missus est ante priorem Christi adventum, qui adventus cum sit in ruinam et resurrectionem multorum etiam aliquam habet iudicii rationem, atque eo magis quoque iudicium dici potest, quia praecursore eius nuntiato propheta pergit : et quis poterit cogitare diem adventus eius et quis stabit ad videndum eum? ipse enim quasi ignis conflans et herba fullonum et sedebit conflans et emundans argentum etc. (Mal. 3,2). Insuper ut iudicem Ioannes praedixit Messiam : ventilabrum in manu eius etc. (3,12). Elias convertet cor patrum ad filios et cor filiorum ad patres eorum i. e. sanabit illam apostasiam qua generationes ludaeorum posteriores a fide et pietate priscorum patriarcharum seiunctae sunt (cf. meum Comment. in Proph. min. Il p. 487), Ioannes autem angelo praedicente praecedet ante Dominum in spiritu et virtute Eliae, ut convertat corda patrum in filios et incredulos ad prudentiam iustorum, parare Domino plebem perfectam (Luc. 1,17). Quare magna intercedit inter Ioannem et Eliam similitudo muneris vitaeque rationis quae omnino sufficit, ut dicatur typus Eliae et alter quasi Elias. Christus autem eo typo utitur etiam propterea quia ex ludaeorum mente cum Eliam nominet se ipsum apertissime Messiam dicit. Inter Eliam et loannem etiam hoc simile cerni notat S. Hier. : « vitae austeritas rigorque mentis Eliae et Ioannis pares sunt; ille enim in eremo, iste in eremo; ille zona pellicea cingebatur et iste simile habuit cingulum; ille quoniam regem Achab et lezabel impietatis arguit fugere compulsus est, iste quia Herodis et Herodiadis illicitas arguit nuptias capite truncatur ». Cum Christus dicat ὁ μέλλων ἔρχεσθαι sententiam de Elia venturo et pervulgatam esse asserit et eam approbat; nullo autem modo, ut Kez/ vult, declarat falso censeri ipsum Eliam esse venturum ; nam ex Malachia patet de alio esse sermonem 3,1 et de alio 4,5. 6 ex quo loco sollemnis haec appellatio ὁ μέλλων ἔρχεσθαι derivatà est; insuper ipse Christus clare dicit : Elias quidem venturus est et restituet omnia (17,11); ceterum vide Eccli. 48,1 et quae notavi in Comment. in Proph. min. II p. 489. Aperte igitur et ad omnium captum valde accommodate docuit Christus se esse revera Messiam ; unde concludit admonens ut quae dicta sunt attente perpendant
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11:16
. "11,16. Cui autem similem aestimabo Quantopere indigeant ea monitione v. 15, ostendit Christus ex contumacia eorum et pervicacia qua et Ioanni et sibi ipsi exstiterint . adversarii et calumniatores. Illam itaque reprehensionem quam v. 7. seq. inceperat hoc loco etiam gravius prosequitur (v. 16-19) et in iustam eius perversitatis poenam iudicium quam maxime terribile : indicit illis inter quos tot signa et miracula frustra patravit (v. 20-24). Et primo quidem non sine admiratione de tanta obstinatione quaerit v. 16 cui autem similem aestimabo generationem: istam? tanta scil. ἢ illis ostensa sunt; vario modo et Ioannes et ego conati sumus eorum vincere incredulitatem. At frustra. Unde quasi nescius qua ratione ' illorum mores perversi describantur et quaerens aliquem modum dicendi qui par sit eorum contumaciae designandae, exclamat interrogans : cui vero conferam eiusmodi homines? Sane magna vis inest huic interrogationi oratoriae. In sequenti comparatione depingi morositatem Iudaeorum qui pueris contumacibus comparantur (TAeopA. Caim.) vel plebis insolentiam (S. Hil.), incorrigibilitatem (A/5.), omnes recte sentiunt idque facile patet; sed qua ratione ipsa compa- " ratio sit explicanda, satis disputatur; similis est pueris sedentibus in foro qui clamantes coaequalibus (ex lectione ἑταίροις ; communiter ἑτέροις aliis) dicunt : cecinimus vobis (graece : tibiis vobis cecinimus, uti Luc. 7,32) et non saltastis; lamentavimus (carmen lugubre vel funebre cantavimus) et non planzistis i. e. nulla luctus signa tunsione pectoris v. g. edidistis. In comparationem adhibentur lusus puerorum qui ea quae publice fiunt cum aliqua ostentatione facile inter se imitantur. Ita in foro, in loco publico ac spatioso, ubi pueri solent ludentes versari , ea imitantur quae in choreis vel quae in luctu fieri solebant. Tibiis enim canebatur in nuptiis et saltationibus; naeniae audiebantur in luctu. Sed dum una puerorum pars lusum institueret, altera nolebat obsequi; et ut morosi illi ac contumaces pueri ad lusum invitarentur alii modo hunc modo alium incipiebant lusum ; αἱ frustra. Unde demum clamoribus , uti fieri solet, et altercationibus morosi illi increpantur. ᾿ Ioannes aspera sua vita quasi luctum et lamenlum exhibuit, attamen ad poenitentiam agendam non sunt permoti; Iesus vita. communi usus est nihil asperum prae se ferens, atque ne suavi quidem eius . vita ad eum sequendum sunt inducti. Cum res ita se habeat, opinantur aliqui in pueris sedentibus et ad socios loquentibus designari Ioannem et Christum (S. Chrys. Theoph. Hier. Pasch. Cai. lans. - Grimm III p. 196); immo S. Hil. in pueris prophetas significari censet qui in medio synagogae tamquam in publico fori conventu populum coarguant, quod dictis suis non paruerint. At haec explicatio admitti nequit, cum dicatur generatio haec similis est pueris; proinde homines illi quos reprehendit conferuntur cum pueris, non autem Ioannes et Christus. Neque iuvat cum fans. dicere, in hominibus generationis - illius tale quid contigisse quale contingat cum pueri dicant sodalibus suis : cantavimus etc.; nam postquam dictum est : cui comparabo, pergitur : similis est haec generatio pueris ; quare fieri nequit, ut Christus Ioannem et se etiam illa generatione significet. Alii pueros dici Iudaeos rite intelligentes in coaequalibus designari existimant Ioannem et Christum (Euth. Arn. Bisp. Fil. Mansel, Bleek, Keim), velle scil. pharisaeos, ut Christus suos mores (ad speciem adeo austeros) imitetur; sadducaeos autem aspera loannis vita offendi; vel utrosque pro suo lubitu velle, ut aliter atque aliter agant, et irasci Ioanni et Christo quia neuter eorum arbitrio obsecutus esset!. At haec quoque explicatio relinquenda est. Nam ipsa comparatio debet reprehensionem continere Iudaeorum. Si autem Christus et Ioannes sodalibus conferuntur, ubi est illa reprehensio? eo quod pueri dicunt : cecinimus, lamentavimus i. e. alio et alio modo vos invitavimus, ut nobiscum lusuum essetis participes , nihil in eos vituperii exprimitur: e contra pueri qui sodales morosos vario conatu student demulcere et eorum obstinationem frangere, potius laude digni sunt. Modus quo scribitur apud Matthaeum : similis est pueris qui dicunt aliis, est utique obscurior; nam vi verborum generatio comparari videtur solum pueris illis qui alios alloquuntur ac reprehendunt. At ' aliud nobis innuitur textu S. Lucae : ὅμοιοί εἰσιν παιδίοις... προσφω- νοῦσιν ἀλληλοις : pueris loquentibus ad invicem (Luc. 7,32); uti in lect. var. adnotavi, in vetere versione latina etiam in textu Matthaei saepius legitur : invicem, ad invicem, ad alterutrum. Atque eo modo explicari debet τοῖς ἑτέροις. Unde comparatio instituitur cum toto coetu puerorum inter se obloquentium et ea tota scena pueri describuntur morosi et contumaces quorum alii nunquam facere volunt quod aliis placet. Recte itaque monet Maid. Hugonem cardinalem propius sensum attigisse monentem totum negotium toti comparari negotio; proinde non esse quaerendum qui sint pueri, qui sint alii sodales, sed totum sententiae corpus intuendum esse et integrum ex integra parabola trahendum; et similiter Lap. : « videre est in hac generatione simile quidpiam illi quod in parabola puerorum contingit ». Dividuntur ergo pueri in duas partes; quo magis morositas et contumacia depingatur animorum, qua accidit ut quidquid tandem tentaveris, morosi illi semper habeant quod obloquantur et reprehendant et in malam partem accipiant (similiter Schegg , Schanz , Weiss, Keil). . Atque profecto more puerorum pervicacium et morosorum sese habebant. Vitae genus diversum Ioannis et Christi calumniis et dicacitate proscindebant
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v. 18 venit enim Ioannes neque manducans neque bibens i. e. neque manducans panem neque bibens vinum , ut Luc. 7,33 habetur; cf. Matth. 3,& et Luc. 1,15; vitam igitur agebat non communi hominum more, sed insignem dura abstinentia et jeiuniis; et dicunt : daemonium habet; hoc obiectum esse Ioanni ex hoc solo loco discimus. Quibus itaque exemplum poenitentiae molestum erat et qui severas loannis in vitia animadversiones exosas habebant, ab omni obsequendi officio se aliosque liberabant eius vitae rationem ad daemonem auctorem referentes. Neque iidem Christi communi modo hominum viventis monitis acquiescebant;
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v. 19 venit Filius hominis (cf. 9,0) manducans et bibens , sicut homines generatim solent, vitam igitur communem, ordinariam degens et etiam accumbens invitatus conviviis, et dicunt : ecce homo voraz et potator vini, publicanorum et peccatorum amicus; hisce doctrinam Christi et monita repudiabant : non est audiendus, nam est homo vorax etc., ^ quid boni enim a tali venire posset? immo consortium quaerit pec- : catorum , amicus est eorum qui nos vectigalibus opprimunt (cf. 9,11). Itaque monita eius fastidiose spernebant eodem sophismate quo dicebant : non est hic homo a Deo qui sabbatum non custodit, nos scimus quia hic homo peccator est (Ioan. 9,16. 28). Notat S. Thom. homines dupliciter attrehi ad bonam vitam; quos: dam per speciem sanctitatis, quosdam per viam familiaritatis; Ioannem et Dominum has duas vias inter se divisisse, viam scil. austeritatis et viam lenitatis; ludaeos autem neutro exemplo esse conversos. Potest quaeri, cur loannes hac via, alia Iesus'usus fuerit. Respondet - S. Cyrillus alex. : « decebat Ioannem tamquam servum per duram admodum rationem vitae affectiones carnis mortificare; et praedicans baptisma poenitentiae figuram se ipsum praebuit lugere debentibus ; "Dominus vero regnum coelorum praedicans, merito remissionem ac laetitiam in se exhibuit, per quam fidelibus futuram vitam ineffabi- ;lem descripsit » (M. 72,501). Alias rationes affert S. TAom.; loannes nulla faciebat.miracula, ergo vitae austeritate commendare debebat iuum testimonium , Christus autem actus suos confirmabat miraculis ; Ioannes fuit finis veteris testamenti cui gravia imponebantur, Christus initium novae legis quae procedit.per viam mansuetudinis. Apposite quoque monet Jans. homines generatim vitae austeritatem admirari solere; unde factum esse divina dispensatione, ut ea sanctitatis specie homines adducerentur ad credendum eius verbis; neque loannem ideo esse missum, ut vitae eius exemplum omnes imitarentur, sed ut testimonium perhiberet de lumine, ad quod illa austeritate auctoritatem sibi comparaverit. Aliter de Christo; eius vitae exemplum omnibus proponi ad exemplum; eius officium proprium fuisse omnes ad se trahere, quod efficacissime fieri potuerit attemperatione sui et condescensione cum omnibus. ludaei quidem maximam partem (generatio ista) utroque vitae genere offensi sunt sua ipsorum malitia ac pervicacia; at qui a Deo erant edocti, sapientissimum Dei consilium in utroque agnoverunt; et tustificata est sapientia a filiis suis ; lectio ἀπὸ τῶν τέκνων uti numero testium longe maiore commendatur, ita pariter firmatur Luc. 7,35. : Filii autem sapientiae noto hebraismo sunt sapientes, intelligentes ; - quibus sapientia sese communicavit eos quasi gignens et in se transformans (cf. Euth. Thom. Ians. Lap. Lamy, Schegg , Fil.); iis certe adnumerandi sunt apostoli (S. Hier. Pasch. Br. Dion.) et generatim qui Christo erediderunt (S. Hi/.). Dicitur autem sapientia sapiens Dei consilium, sapiens divinae providentiae dispositio qua regnum messianum a loanne eo vitae genere annuntiari , a Christo alio vitae genere induci voluit (cf. Maid. Bar. Lap. Lamy, Fil.). Haec sapientia dustificata est i. e. tamquam vera sapientia agnita, declarata est, a caiumniis et. malitia perversorum vindicata est, « vel admirationi ' habita est, quae disposuit ut Christus et loannes oppositis viis incederent propter ipsam hominum utilitatem » (Euth.). Haec igitur agnitio, approbatio, laus contigit sapientiae a parte (ἀπὸ) filiorum eius, a parte eorum" qui Dei consilia intelligentes sapientiam illam colunt ac venerantur. Si lectionem ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῆς elegeris, sensus est ipsis illis operibus quae in loanne et Christo appareant tamquam opera et effectus sapiéntiae contineri et exhiberi commendationem et laudem sapientissimi. Dei consilii. Quae sapientia cum in Christo maxime cernatur qui est ipsa Dei sapientia, aliqui hoc loco sapientiam ipsum Christum dici existimant (S. Hl. Ilier. Pasch. Br. Thom. Lamy); at ut alia omittam, cum de se et Ioanne locutus sit, id quod calumniis malevolorum opponit,:debet etiam ad utrumque extendi; érgo non se sapientiam vocare censendus est; vel siccum Calm. dicere malueris : mea et Ioannis sapientia à sapientibus probata est, debebis tamen inte]ligere eam sapientiam quae Deo disponente in utroque manifestata sit. Hanc autem sententiam sententiis malevolorum opponi tamquam sententiam Christi, re ipsa et argumento satis proditur; neque obstat quod sola particula καί inducitur ; nam xaí « cum vi pronuntiandum est, uti saepe in sententiis oppositionem continentibus, ubi frustra fuere qui καίτοι requirerent » (Stallbaum ad Plat. apol.:p. 29; Hartung, Partikellehre I p. 1&7; Weiss), qua potestate: καί saepe apud Ioannem legitur. Sunt qui Iudaeos omnes et qui credunt et qui non credunt filios vocari sapientiae putent (TAeoph. Mald. Bar.), cum omnes sint sub disciplina et institutione sapientiae. Quomodo autem a malis quoque sapientia iustificetur, declarat ZAeoph. : « quandoquidem neque Ioannis vita neque mea vobis placet, iustus apparebo ego qui sapientia sum ; nulla enim posthac vobis excusatio erit, sed omnino condemnabimini. Etenim ego quidem implevi omnia, vos autem increduli facti iustum me utpote qui nihil praetermiserim comprobabitis ». Similiter Maid. : « dum nec Christi cantu nec. Ioannis lamentationibus credere voluerunt, satis ostenderunt se nullo modo velle credere et pér se, non per divinam stare sapientiam quominus converterentur. Ut ita exponam movet me primum sententia, quae hoc modo plenior, grandior et Christi maiestate dignior est, ut ipsimet filii sapientiae eam iustificarent, sive recipiant, sive non. Deinde coniunctio xai quae hanc videtur habere vim, ut significet ipsosmet filios sapientiae, id est discipulos magistram alios discendo alios non discendo iustificasse ». Sed durum videtur etiam insipientes et contumaces dici filios sapientiae, ἃ cuius disciplina longissime absunt. Quinam sint filii sapientiae, Iesus ipse postea declarat v. 25-27. Si revera de Iudaeis contumacibus esset cogitandum, potius explicandum esset hac sua contumacia impleta esse oracula prophetarum (Is. 50,1; 56,10; 65,2; cf. Matth. 23,34-38. Luc. 41,49 : propterea et sapientia Dei dixit : mittam ad illos prophetas et apostolos et ex illis occident et persequentur, et Prov. 1,24); sicut scil. patres eorum fere continuo resistebant vocibus prophetarum, ita et filii (Act. 7,51: τι ΡΥ ἢ : 98,95). Per filios sapientiae Za: telligit Ioannem , Christum, reliquos prophetas et doctores, a quibus Dei sapientia iuslificata est i. e. absoluta ab impiorum condemnatione et reprehensione, dum nihil praetermiserint quod utile esset saluti hominum : quid ultra debui facere vineae meae et non feci? At Christum dici filium sapientiae et eo quidem modo ut nomen hoc ei sit cum multis commune, nemo facile sibi persuadebit. :. Quo magis plebis contumacia fiat manifesta, adiungitur exprobraio Christi qua urbibus.illis, in. quibus diuius conversatus plurima ^ patraverat miracula, incredulitatem. ac. perversitatem crimini dat. Legitur Luc. 10,13-15, cum Christus expleto tempore praedicationis in Galilaéa (9,51). mitteret discipulos septuaginta duos ad praedicandum.-Eo autem tempore verba haec esse prolata , et ipsa occasionis opportunitate suadetur et modo Lucae scribendi καθεξῆς ex ordine et 'Serie:rerum commendatur. Igitur quaeri potest, utrum Matthaeus verba haec alio tempore prolata hic inseruerit, ut ea quae Christus .de populi morositate et negligentia dixerat magis illustrarentur, an Christus revera bis similem exprobrationem in urbes protulerit. Priori sententiae subscribunt Maid. Lap. Caim.; ea melius et aptius τι in loco Matthaei dici quam apud Lucam censet Schanz. At nonne potius dici possit eo tempore, -quo ' Christus Galilaeam relinquebat praedicatione in Galilaea ad finem perducta, quasi necessitate qua- .. dam debere collocari quibus testetur se frustra pro illis urbibus la- :borasse? Quod utut verum est, tamen concedi debet verba haec etiam jn seriem rerum hanc accommodari. Insuper eo quoque tempore quo loannes misit legationem Iesus iam satis diu in Galilaea versatus est (cf. Luc. 4,15-7,19), ita ut sane deesse non potuerit cur urbibus illis "incredulitatem exprobraret. Quare satis difficile est statuere utrum : melius dicatur. Fieri profecto potest, ut haec bis a Christo dicla sint; jam S. Augustinus notat: « cum enim et apud unum evangelistam inveniantur quaedam quae bis dixerit Dominus, sicut apud eundem Lucam de non tollenda pera in via et similiter ceteris duobus locis dictum a Domino invenitur (Luc. 9,8 οἵ 40,4), quid mirum si et aliquid aliud bis dictum singillatim a singulis dicitur eodem ordine quo dictum est, etideo diversus ordo apparet in singulis, quia et tunc ' quando et ille, et tunc quando iste commemorat, dictum est »? lta ille in hunc nostrum locum (de cons. evang. 2,32 n. 79; M. 35,1110), eique Jans. Fil. assentiuntur. Ex altera parte etiam verum est nostrum evangelistam ex dictis et factis Domini ea seligere et inter se consequenter ordinare quae ad id quod intendit illustrandum ac comprobandum maxime apta sunt. Unde nihil certi statui potest. Uti iam ad'v. 18 vidimus, ita hoc loco iterum discimus multa ab ^ evangelistis silentio esse praetermissa. Nam ubi mentio fit plurimarum virtutum quas Christus in Corozain et Bethsaida operatus est? Matthaeus qui scribit pro aequalibus merito supponere potuit haec plerisque esse nota; scriptori vero iuniori ne in mentem quidem venire potuit talem Christi sermonem inducere. Annectit evangelista haec superioribus particula τότε, (unc quae frequentissime apud ᾿ eum legitur (fere nonagies). Ea autem non necessario seriem temporis designari, iam S. Augustinus monet (de cons. evang. 2, 32); etiam apud scriptores profanos adhibetur saepius notione valde generali. ' ac indeterminata. Quare ex ea non licet arguere certo exprobrationem ; Statim post antecedentia esse factam. Cum dicatur tunc coepit ezprorare, indicatur Christum saepius et pluribus eas civitates reprehen: disse et evangelistum id peculiari pondere velle efferre; nam ipsa : locutio habet aliquid grave ac sollemne (ScAegg). Exprobrat autem civitatibus in quibus factae sunt plurimae virtutes eius; etiam magis nervose ac determinate in graeco, cum ponatur articulus ai πλεῖσται δυνάμεις i. e. miracula et signa quae revera sint documenta potentiae" divinae insignia, quia non egissent poenitentiam (cf. &,1T). Doctrinam suam et exhortationem vere a Deo proficisci et nomine et auctoritate Dei a se praecipi poenitentiam plurimis probabat miraculis; eo igitur probationis genere quo quivis homo dummodo velit facillime convincitur rem a Deo disponi. At omnia pro iis feustra erant. Unde oratione concitata ipsas alloquitur urbes; ad res autem inanimatas sermonem convertere animi est affectibus vehementer agitati;
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v. 21 vae tibi. Corozain, vae tibi Bethsaida, duo sunt oppida ad lacum Gennesareth haud longe 8 Capharnaum. Praeter Χοραζείν, uti plerique codices habent, etiam Χοραζίν et Χοραζαΐν reperitur. Forte nomen servatum est in ruinis Keráze (cf. Socin, Palaestina und Syrien p. 390); Bethssida erat patria Petri, Andreae, Philippi (loan. 1,44). Opinantur oppidum, cuiüs nomen significat domum piscationis, ibi situm fuisse, ubi hodie Chan Minye est (Socin. 1. c. p. 388).- Illud vae in ore Iesu qui venerat ut quaereret et salvum faceret quod perierat, est gravissimum et terrore plenum. Sed merito illud in homines illos proferri ostendit comparatione instituta cum Phoenicibus quorum mores corruptissimos fuisse nemo ignorat : quia si in Tyro et Sidone, in urbibus praecipuis, in quibus divitiae et luxuries maxime abundabant, factae essent virtutes quae factae sunt in vobis, olim, πάλαι i. e. iam dudum vel iam pridem, in cilicio et cinere egissent poenitentiam! Quanta pro populo electo ignominia | ilii non diu tardassent, sed visis miraculis statim mentem a malis. concupiscentiis abstraxissent et dolorem ac detestationem peccatorum, veram igitur poenitentiam, ostendissent zn cZicio, habitu aspero et lugubri, et in cinere, humi sedentes et caput cinere conspergentes (cf. Ier. 6,26. Ion. 3,6): Talem poenitentiam ullam Iudaeorum urbem ad Christi praedicationem et miracula subiisse unquam non.legimus. Quare hoc Christi effatum quam maxime valet ad confusionem Iudaeorum, qui reliquos populos tamquam peccatores, caecos, insipientes traducere, se ut duces et eruditores et a Deo electos iactare solebant (Rom. 3,18 seq.). Bene notat Bellarminus (de poenitentia ΠΣ lib. 1 cap. 17) contra eos qui μετανοεῖν in. sola resipiscentia constitui volunt, quid vere sit usu. Scripturae μετανοεῖν nos hoc quoque-loco aperte doceri : « quid enim est in cilicio'et cinere sedendo resipiscere? certe resipiscentia si proprie accipiatur saccum et cinerem praecedit; nemo enim saccum induit et in cinere sedet, nisi antea resipuerit. Dominus autem actionem poenalem significat quae tum assumitur et exercetur, dum quis moestus et dolens in sacco et cinere sedet. Itaque μετενόησαν eo loco nihil aliud significare potest, nisi corde simul et corpore aversari peccata praeterita et vindictam de illis ἃ semet repetere ». Idemque lans. monet vocem non dicere nudam resipiscentiam , sed etiam sui ipsius afflictionem et castigationem carnis. Ut autem sententia hac de Tyriorum poenitentia Iudaei vere perstringerentur necesse erat ut Christus loqueretur certa scientia de re quae futura fuisset illa posita conditione. Nam si Christus solum ex coniectura vel opinione probabili loqueretur, ineíficax esset reprehensio eorum. Mitto talem loquendi modum ne decere quidem Christum; nam quae scimus loquimur (Ioan. 3,11). Ostendit itaque se scire quid futurum fuisset si conditio esset impleta. Talem autem Scientiam theologi appellant scientiam mediam. Neque valet quod Schanz obiicit ex animorum dispositione illorum exstitisse aliquam rationem cur Christus concluderet quid futurum esset et proinde totum explicari sine scientia media. Nam talis conclusio non est omnino certa, non est infallibilis, quia liberum hominis arbitrium intercedit quo persaepe fit ut homo non id eligat et faciat quod ex animi eius habitu perspecto exspectaveras. Scientia autem quae non sit nisi coniectura valde probabilis Filio Dei est indigna. Solet hoc loco saepe quaeri, cur Christus si poenitentiam et salutem Tyriorum praescivit non ibi praedicaverit et miracula ediderit. Respondet S. Hier. : « ad quod facilis et aperta responsio est ignorare nos iudicia Dei et singularum dispensationum eius sacramenta nescire; propositum fuerat -Domino Iudaeae fines non excedere, ne iustam pharisaeis et sacerdotibus occasionem persecutionis daret; unde et apostolis ante passionem praece- : pit : in viam gentium ne abieritis ». Sed bene contra hoc alterum reponit lans. : « rursum quaeretur, quare sic Deus ordinaverit, cum praesciret Tyrios credituros, si facta eis fuissent huiusmodi miracula ». Aliqui ad - praedestinationem Dei et inscrutabilia eius iudicia recurrunt (cf. S. 4ugustinus, de dono persev. cap. 10. 14; enchirid. n. 95); sed melius alii animadvertunt agi hic de gratiis omnino extraordinariis, de miraculis; Deum cooperari se potuissent ab interitu eripere. Illa autem maxima et stupenda * beneficia Deum nullo pacto teneri hominibus dare ; quae si aliquibus dat, ad insignem eius liberalitatem referenda sunt; si non dat, nemini iniuriam infert (cf. Maid. Ians. Sylv.). De qua re scribit Tostatus qu. 33 in cap. 14 Matth. : « quae sunt simpliciter ex necessitate salutis nostrae habent causam manifestam quare flant, quia si Deus nobis illa subtraheret vel non concederet iniuste nos condemnaret; quae autem sunt supererogationis sine quibus salus esse potest ex sola Dei liberalitate conceduntur ». Sicut autem homini integrum est beneflcia plura et maiora dare quibus vult, ita Deus profecto liberrimus est in abundantia gratiarum distribuenda; « tolle quod tuum est et vade; an oculus tuus nequam est quia ego bonus sum » (Matth. 20,44. 45)? — Vario modo respondetur apud S. Tom. in comment. et in catena aurea. Perperam autern scribit /ans. : « dici etiam potest Dominum haec de poenitentia et conversione Tyriorum non dicere tamquam praescium eorum quae futura essent si illis praedicatum fuisset, sed tantum vulgariter haec vulgo locutum, quomodo frequenter solet, ut huiusmodi comparatione insignem obstinationem animi civitatum quibus praedicaverat significaret, quomodo dicere solemus : si tantum beneficium alteri exhibuissem, gratiorem procul dubio expertus fuissem ». Num igitur tota reprehensio ad figuram oratoriam redigenda erit satis effectu dubiam, ut non dicam inanem? Vide quae supra dixi. Merito cum iis qui beneficia adeo insignia spreverunt durius agetur . in iudicio v. 22 verumtamen , πλὴν, ceterum, Euth. vult πλὴν poni pro διὰ τοῦτο, dico vobis : Tyro et Sidoni remissius erit in die iudicii quam vobis; tolerabilior erit eorum conditio. Nam ubi maior est cognitio, . durior contumacia, gravior contemptus Dei, iure etiam durius ac severius incurritur iudicium. Similiter dicitur Israel minus peccasse quam Iuda (ler. 3,11) vel Samaria non peccasse dimidium peccatorum ludae, non fecisse Sodoma sicut luda (Ez. 16,58. 51), quia in Iuda maiora aderant remedia et incitamenta ad resipiscentiam. Eodem modo gentes peccabant contra legem cordibus inscriptam ; at ludaei insuper legem scriptam habebant magistram , habebant monitores et doctores, audiebant Iesum, videbant eius miracula. Maior quoque reprehensio fit in Capharnaum, quia iisdem in conditionibus ipsos Sodomitas, uisse affirmatur; urbs itaque Capharnaum quemadmodum divitiis -et magnitudine superavit alia duo oppida Corozain et Bethsaida, ita quoque perversitate morum;
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v. 93 et tu Capharnaum , numquid .coelum exaltaberis? μὴ... ὑψωθήσο; ita praebent meliores nsus fest omnino "aptus; alloquitur enim superbos urbis divitis numquid putatis fore ut gloria et splendor urbis magis ma- 'ànae'illoram gloriationi et spei statim opponitur : usque in infernum /.' descéndes , ex summa altitudine quam appetiit urbs deiicietur in innon solum non acquiret gloriam. maiorem, verum olim odii et ubi sint Ese ruinae, non plane constat. Incolis itém in. illo ad infernum descensu aliud poenae genus indicatur quod manet peccatores, qui quo magis se superbe et atrociter extulerint, eo maiore opprobrio ac durioribus poenis castigabuntur. ita quandoque vertit interpres ἄν; sed uti in v. 21 rite vertit : poen tentiam egissent, ita hic verti debuit mansissent scil. si illa conditio fuisset impleta ; proin ex indole sermonis graeci illa permansio nullo modo in dubium. vocatur dummodo conditio exsecutioni esset mandata. Quare Fab. Ians. Lap. recte monent illud forte esse negligendum; alii ea vocula consultum esse volunt humanae libertati; S. Br. vult.Christum humanis verbis ut verum hominem suum temperasse *- sermonem, ut seil. diceret quemadmodum homo loqueretur : forsitan ..Sient,Ninivitae ad poenitentiam essent conversi. Adverlit S. CArys. apponi Sodoma ut augeatur accusatio; « magnum quippe nequitiae argumentum est, cum non solum praesentibus sed etiam iis qui olim fuerant.sceleratis deteriores esse videntur; sic et alibi ipsos con- " demnat comparatione facta cum Ninivitis et regina austri » (Matth. 12,81. 42). Quare illi in die iudicii durius habebuntur quam peccatores illi sodomitici v. 2& verumtamen πλὴν, uti
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v. 99, dico vobis quia terrae Sodomorum remissius erit in die iudicii quam tibi; iudicium indicatur tale quo singula facinora cum omnibus suis adiunc- 1: omnibus innotescent et Deo iudice omnibus coram omnibus ea ltribnentur quae ius divinum constituit.
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v. 25 ἐπὶ i/lo tempore fit modo valde generali neque aliud dicit nisi eo tempore quo Christus per se et apostolos (cf. 11,1) praedicabat et regni messiani initia ponebat etiam haec ab ^' 60 esse enuntiata; cur autem dicatur respondens Iesus dizit, iam ve- ; teres quaerunt ef varie respondent : omnem eius locutionem esse τος responsionem et solutionem quaestionum; responderi quaerentibus , quare Dominus alios elegerit, alios vero non, vel num omnes sint gratiam reiecturi? facile enim ex antecedentibus eam exoriri quaestionem vel obiectionem (S. Br. Alb. Thom.); subtilius Pasch. : « respondebat exterius quae intus contuebatur ». Melius alii notant respondere tunc quoque ex usu biblico dici quando occasione aliquorum dictorum vel factorum quidquam adiungitur, quod illis congruat vel iis quasi ortum debeat et originem (lans. Lamy, Schanz) id quod auctor op. imp. iam indicat, cum dicat Christum respondere occasionem accipientem ab incredulitate et iustam Dei dispositionem inducentem ; (αἱ. autem sensum esse vult responderi discipulis a praedicatione reversis. Sollemni allocutione ad Patrem Christus dicit : confiteor tibi, Pater, Domine coeli et terrae; confiteor 1. e. gratias ago (Chrys. Theoph. Euth. Hier. Ded. Pasch. Alb. Thom. Fab. Dion.); vox ἐξομολογεῖσθαι ponitur pro hebr. nin, etiam pro 555; proinde laudo, celebro, glorifico , ut confiteri explicat S. Augustinus (scrm. 67; M. 38,433) ! et Sylv. Arn. Schegg, Schanz, FA. etc. ; alii utrumque iungunt : gratias ago et laudo (To/. Iuns. Lap.). Si quem laudibus extollimus aut ei gratum animum significamus, eum eximiis titulis appellamus quibus animi sensus et affectus pandamus; ita Christus quoque ad nostram institutionem Deum compellat intimo amoris et reverentiae affectu cum laudatione immensae eius maiestatis : confiteor (i01, Pater, Domtne coeli et terrae; nomine coeli et terrae universitas creaturarum designatur; « sunt autem illa Domzne... et repetita vox Patris (v. 26) indicia animi sancta voluptate perfusi divinaque quadam laetitia gestientis » ([ans.). Addunt aliqui efferri potentiam Dei ne quis impotentiae vel infirmitati Christi tribuat quod non potuerit sibi subiicere superbos Capharnaitas et pharisaeos (Lap. Sylv.) vel efferri supremum dominium Dei, ut pateat nihil iniustum esse posse quod de suis statuerit creaturis (To/. J[ans.). Sed cum Deus non aliquo decreto statuerit aliquos excludere a fide, verum iucredulitas ludaeorum aperte hoc loco attribuatur eorum superbiae et malitiae, cum nullatenus deessent ipsis auxilia gratiae, minime opus est ad supremum Dei in omnes creaturas dominium recurrere. Patrem laudibus et gratiarum actione celebrat quia abscondisti haec a sapientibus et prudentibus et revelasti ea parvulis; sapientes et pru- dentes plerique intelligunt pharisaeos et scribas (S. Chrys. Euth. Hier. op. imp. Bed. Dion. lans. Mald. Lap.) vel generatim Iudaeos (Theod. heracl. cat. Cr.), qui scil. sibi sapientes videbantur, qui sapientia sua. superba et carnali regnum messianum exspectabant pompa et fastu insigne, ideoque praedicationem poenitentiae ct humilem Christi habitum aspernabantur. Sapientia igitur intelligitur illa quae est stultitia apud Deum (1 Cor. 3,19), quae est secundum carnem (S. Chrys.) quam oportet abiicere, ut accipi possit gratia fidei, ut apostolus dicit : si quis videtur inter vos sapiens esse in hoc saeculo, stultus fiat ut sit sapiens (1 Cor. 3,18). Qualis fuerit illa sapientia, optime nobis describit apostolus Rom. 2,17 seq. ; hac quoque effectum est, ut ignorantes iustitiam Dei et suam quaerentes statuere, iustitiae Dei non essent subiecti (Rom. 10,3). Ea opinione sapientiae evadebant gloriae appetentes, quare Christus iis dicit : quomodo vos potestis credere qui gloriam ab invicem accipitis et gloriam quae a solo Deo est non quaeritis (loan. 5,45). Eodem modo explica συνετούς intelligentes , qui sibi tales videntur et proinde institutionem a praecursore et Christo traditam fastidiunt, uti olim fastidiosi eiusmodi intelligentes monita prophetarum irrisione repudiabant (cf. Is. 5,21; 28,9) ; prudentes alii quandoque interpretantur vafros, astutos, negotiis humanis et commerciis immersos easque res callide tractantes, ita ut altera hac voce potissimum mercatores οἱ incolae Capharnaum, Bethsaida etc. intelligantur. [15 vero opponuntur parvul? , quos apostolos et discipulos Christi intelligunt eosque qui per eos crediderint, qui dicuntur parvuli, utpote sinceri, simplices (5. Chrys. Euth.), alieni ab omni malitia (S. Hz.), humiles (S. Amór. Aug. fab. Alb. Dion. [ans.), qui itaque sicuti νήπιοι pueruli facile se doceri et duci sinunt, neque quidquam de se praesumunt. Hi apti sunt quibus se sapientia divina communicet, uti iam Ps. 18,9 lex Domini dicitur sapientiam praestans parvulis hosque sapientia ad se invitat (Prov. 8,5; 9,4). Illi quoque inüme sentiunt se ipsos sibi non posse sufficere ; unde opem Dei et auxilium appetunt et desiderant; quare in illis impletur : esurientes implevit bonis et divites dimisit inanes; unde tales ἃ Deo invitantur : venite sitientes ad aquas (Is. 55,1), Deus enim superbis resistit, humilibus dat gratiam, unde Christus : nisi efficiamini sicuti parvuli (παιδία) non intrabitis in regnum coelorum (Matth. 18,3). Quae autem illis a Patre revelata sint, ex rerum serie in hoc capite tractata facile eruitur ; est ipsius Iesu tamquam Messiae cognitio, est fides in eum tamquam Dei Filium (cf. v. 91; Matth. 16,17. loan. 1,49; 11,27), in quo et per quem omnia complenda sint quae prophetae de novo rerum ordine, de regno Dei vaticinali sint (11,13), cuius autem habitus humilis minime debet esse offensioni (11,6). Ad qualem cognitionem isti parvuli vel iam pervenerint vel adducendi sint, in sequentibus v. 27-30 Christus pluribus explicat. Quamvis Christus proxime de Iudaeis incredulis et de suis discipulis loquatur, tamen iis utitur expressionibus, quibus quae semper et in universum vera sunt significantur. Sapientia Dei et mysteria regni Dei eiusque bona absconduntur a sapientibus illis de quibus iam Isaias : vae qui sapientes estis in oculis vestris et coram vobismetipsis prudentes (Is. 5,21; cf. Prov. 3,7. Rom. 12,16), revelantur autem parvulis, qui se illis indigere sentiunt, qui simplices et humiles se in divinam tradunt disciplinam ; nam ut ait apo - stolus : quae stulta sunt mundi elegit Deus et infirma muudi et ignobilia mundi et ea quae.non sunt, ut scil. nemo in se glorietur, sed tota gloria redundet in Deum (1 Cor. 1,27-31). Quo sensu autem Deus dicatur abscondisse , dubium esse nequit. Nam eum non proprie abscondisse, iam ex eo clarius luce est quia misit Filium qui eis praedicaret et qui insignibus miraculis qualia nemo hominum unquam fecit suam legationem et doctrinam luculentissime probavit, cui igitur Pater praeclarissimum maximeque efficax te stimonium perhibuit ([oan. 5,36 seq.). Venit itaque lux in mundum ; at dilexerunt homines magis tenebras quam lucem; erant enim eorum mala opera (Ioan. 3,19). Abscondit autem eo modo quia cum gratiis oblatis resisterent, non iis apposuit alias multo potentiores quibus eorum malitiam vincere potuisset , sed reliquit eosin illa obcaecatione in quam ipsi sese veritati obnitentes immerserant. Noluit quasi invitis lucem suam et gratiam obtrudere, sed tradidit eos qui se ipsos malitiae mancipaverant in reprobum sensum (Rom. 1,98). Bene monet S. Chrys. id quod legimus Rom. 10,3 et Theoph. hanc affert obcaecalionis causam : « qui videtur sibi sapiens et confidit in sapientia sua, Deum non invocat »; omne autem bonum descendit a Patre luminum; qui Deum non orat, sibi adscribere debet si relinquatur in tenebris. Quod dicitur qwia abscondisti... et revelasti dupliciter intelligi potest; uno modo, ut prius verbum aóscondisti non ponatur paratactice, sed alteri subordinetur; ita S. CArys. : « quid igitur, an de pernicie gaudet? Minime, sed gaudet ὅτι ἃ oi σοφοὶ οὐχ ἔγνωσαν ἔγνωσαν οὗτοι, ut cum dicit Paulus : gratias ago Deo quoniam fuistis servi peccati, obedistis autem ex corde; non ergo Paulus propterea gaudet quod essent servi peccati, sed quod tales cum essent tot bona tandem sint consecuti » ; similiter Ca/m. atque ita sane accipi debet Is. 19,1 : confitebor tibi Domine quoniam iratus es mihi, conversus est furor tuus et . consolatus es me i. e. laudo te quia postquam mihi succensuisti iterum me consolaris deposita ira et similiter Matth. 23,95 vae quia inundatis quod deforis est calicis, intus autem pleni estis rapina; neque enim vae dicitur eo quod calicem et paropsidem mundant, sed quod quamvis minima servent maiora negligunt. Proin illa explicatio admitti potest. At necessaria non est. Nam sicut parvuli divinitus edocentur ex Dei gratia et misericordia, ita superbi illi sapientes obcaecantur iusto Dei iudicio propter peccata et arbitrii liberi resistentiam qua lumen Dei excludunt ac repudiant. Unde Christus laudare potest et celebrare Dei misericordiam et iustitiam ; utraque enim ostensa revera exsistit gloria Dei. Simili modo in psalmis quoque haud raro iusta Dei iudicia celebrantur quibus vindictam exercuit in peccatores. Quare merito dicit To/letus (in cap. 10. Luc. annot. 35) : « cum igitur in absconsione iustitia Dei, in revelatione misericordia splendeant , recte in utroque per se laudatur et commendatur Deus; nam laus est quaedam manifestatio virtutis. Non solum autem iustitia et misericordia in hac discretione elucent, sed etiam summa Dei sapientia in contemperanda iustitia et misericordia modis et viis investigabilibus » (cf. - Rom. 11,33); atque ita laudem et gratiarum actionem ad utrumque S. Thom. Fab. Dion. lans. Sylv. Arn. Bisp. Schegg, Reischl, Fil. referunt, quae explicatio praeferenda esse videtur. Et quantopere animus Iesu laude Dei et gratiarum actione exsultet indicatur repetitione
In v. 95 expojas w B D Ti W H; rel codd omn fere ἀπεχρ' Ad v. 27 scribit Ir : nemo cognoscit Filium nisi Pater neque Patrem quis cognoscit etc... hi autem qui peri- ' tiores apostolis volunt esse sic describunt : nemo cognovit Patrem nisi Filius nec Filium nisi Pater et cui vol. F. rev.; apud Graecos textus saepe affertur cum evo. In v. 28 mire scribunt dub lich ken rush honorati. Iesus regnum suum fundaturus tamquam eius regni principes constituit (cf. Ps. 44,17) et edocuit apostolos (10,1 seq.); sed ubi sunt eius regni subditi? Maior populi pars renuit neque per praecur- ;;, Sorem neque per Iesum adduci se sinit ad poenitentiam et fidem, quae /. duo necessaria sunt ut quis bonorum regni messiani particeps fiat τ (eap: 11,1-24). Nunc autem Christus ipse declarat qui tandem sint ; regni sui cives ( 11,25); iis notam facit suam potentiam et sapientiam (11,27) et cum ipse talis sit a quo solo omnis salus et beatitas exspectanda est, omnes qui eam desiderant.oppressi miseriis ad se invitat benignissimum magistrum , utsuam doctrinam et suum regimen, fontem omnium bonorum, suscipiant (11,98-30). Sollemnis quae sequitur Christi ad Patrem actio gratiarum et laus legitur Luc. 10,21 post reditum discipulorum quos miserat ad praedicandum. Ea occasione a Christo esse dictam narratione Lucae certum est; pariter certum est ei occasioni perbene congruere. Sed etiam Matthaeus valde ad rem accommodate iis verbis utitur. Cum antea de missione apostolorum scripserit, tempus et occasio habet aliquam cum Lucae narratione similitudinem; insuper postquam docuit qui essent inepti ad regnum messianum , superest ut doceat quibusnam huius regni mysteria et bona sint tandem obventura. Id autem meliore modo nequit docere quam ipsis Christi verbis. Si proinde Christus qui sui essent futuri aliquando significavit, quid aptius facere potest τ evangelista quam ut ea verba in hunc locum transferat? Semper quippe et ubique talia Christi verba suam habent ac retinent veritatem , cum : illam non ab occasione temporis nanciscantur, sed in se ipsis habeant. * Quàre evangelistae liberum esse debet ex thesauro. documentorum Christi ea seligere et disponere quibus id ad quod eius tendit oratio Ipsa temporis designatio
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v. 96 zta Pater, quoniam sic fuit placitum ante te; vac i. e. profecto , recte, καλῶς, ut Origenes (cat. Cr.) explicat; confirmat itaque quod dixerat; quare supplendum erit : tibi confiteor ὅτι οὕτως εὐδοχία ἐγένετο. Explica itaque ὅτι eodem modo quo in v. 95 : laudo, gratias ago quod ... i. e. etiam atque etiam tibi gratias ago quod..., uti iam bene monent Mald. Toletus et communiter recentiores; aliter EutA. διότι οὕτως. Dictionem εὐδοκία ἐγένετο... explicat S. Chrys. coi ἤρεσε, similiter Euth. ηὐδόκησας et Theoph. εὐδοκία γὰρ ἡ θέλησις xai ἡ ἀρέσχκεια, οὕτως ἤρεσεν αὐτῷ, cul acceptioni etiam e recentioribus Arn. Btisp. Fil. accedunt. Alii autem monent esse accuratius vertendum : quod ita factum est id quod gratum est coram te; significare scil. εὐδοχία id quod Deo sit delectationi, talem statum vel talem conditionem qualem Deus exsistere vult (cf. Schegg , Schanz, Keil) vel qualis respondet divino beneplacito. Adhibetur εὐδοχία saepius pro hebraeo yi? quae vox significat favorem, benevolentiam , gratiam (cf. Ps. 5,13. Prov. 16,15; 19,12; sensu subiectivo) et etiam conditionem illam qua quis delectatur, quam approbat, quae ei grata et accepta est (sensu obiectivo ; cf. Ps. 18,15; Is. 56,7 res grata; ler. 6,20 et ita saepius in locis de sacrificiis etc. Ex. 28,38. Lev. 1,3; 22.20 etc.). Cum addatur ἔμπροσθέν co» haec ultima acceptio videtur praeferenda esse : facta est res illa et conditio quae grata est ante te. Sed facile patet in hac explanatione includi priorem sicuti in effectu connotatur causa. Si enim id exstitit quod Deo placet, certo etiam exstitit quia ita Deus voluit, quia ita sibi complacuit !. Deusitaque disposuit eo modo, ut iis qui sint animo simplici et sincero et humili mysteria regni messiani revelet, et τα i. e. hac via in opus deducere vult beneplacitum suum. Quae sequuntur
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v. 27 omnia mihi tradita sunt a Patre meo; et nemo nov Filtum nisi Pater, neque Patrem quis novit nisi. Filius et cui voluerit Filius revelare, sat multi ideo dici putant ne quis propter v. 26. 27 opinetur Christum aliqua potestate destitui et eum propterea Deo laudes dixisse et actionem gratiarum quia Deus effecerit quod ipse praestare non possit (cf. S. Chrys. Theoph. Euth. Cyr. Hil. Pasch. lans. Lap. Calm.). At ratio potior erit, utiam ea clarius ac sublimius explicentur quae parvulis illis sint revelanda; in Christo scil. omnem repositam esse potentiam et sapientiam et ab uno eo omnem salutem et felicitatem esse exspectandam. Iam Ma/d. Sylv. monent haec verba ad sequentia esse referenda, ad v. 28-30, et Cai. recte adnotat nunc explicari quaenam sint illa absconsa quae a sapientibus non percipiantur. Quaenam sint illa omnza quae tradita sunt Christo, non eodem modo concipiunt; aliqui intelligunt omnem potestatem homines ad salutem adducendi (To/etus, Maid.); ita quoque S. Hier. : « tradita autem sibi omnia, non coelum et terra et elementa intelligenda sunt et cetera quae ipse fecit et condidit, sed hi qui per Filium accessum habent ad Patrem, et ante rebelles Deum postea senüre coeperunt ». At cum statim subdatur de perfecta illa cognitione qua Filius Patrem novit et solus novit et proinde de divinitate Filii mentio ingeratur, etiam prior sententiae pars amplissime accipienda erit et dicendum cum S. Amórosio (l. c. lib. 7 n. 67; M. 15,1717) : « cum omnia legis , omnipotentem agnoscis, non decolorem , non degenerem Patris; cum tradita legis, Filium confiteris cui per naturam omnia unius substantiae iure sint propria, non dono collata per gratiam ». Similiter alibi dicitur : Pater diligit Filium et omnia dedit in manu eius, dedisti ei potestatem omnis carnis (loan. 3,35; 13,3; 17,92). Cum autem Christus i. e. Filius Dei incarnatus loquatur, recte intelli- gemus hisce sententiis etiam significari omnia ei tradita secundum ipsius humanam naturam divinitati unitam in Verbi persona (lans. Lap.). Post potestatem omnium rerum aliam suam sublimitatem rev elat dicens : et nemo novit ἐπιγινώσχει, verbum compositum plus dicit quam simplex; quare : perfecte novit Filium nisi Pater ; tantae igitur est excellentiae et adeo ipse omnibus rebus creatis superior ac sublimior, ut a solo Deo perfecte cognoscatur, ut intellectus divin us, infinitus solus eum adaequate comprehendat. Uti ipse a solo Deo perfecte intelligitur, ita Deus quoque ab ipso perfecte cognoscitur : neque Patrem quis novit ἐπιγινώσκει, nisi Filius; quae habitudo iuter utrumque cum assignetur, iure inferunt aequalitatem asseri Filii cum Patre, asseri utriusque unam eandemque esse substantiam seu natu - ram (cf. S. Chrys. Theoph. Euth. Hil. Hier. Pasch. Thom. etc.). Et S. Cyrillus scribit ad ea verba : « qui videt Filium Patris referentem imaginem, ipsum videt Patrem, quia ipse coram Patre est tamquam prototypon vicissimque in forma propria archetypon repraesentat; atque haec dignis Deo modis intelligenda sunt. Quia vero dixerat : omnia mihi tradita sunt, ne fortasse aliena natura et Patre minor esse videretur, supradicta verba addidit, ut tam suam quam Patris ineffabilem incomprehensibilemque naturam ostenderet; sola enim Trinitatis divina natura semet perfecte cognoscit ». Cum hoc loco solum agatur de rationc inter Patrem et Filium, inutile est quod aliqui monent verba non ita esse explicanda ac si etiam Spiritus sanctus excluderetur a perfecta cognitione. Cum haec sit vita aeterna, ut cognoscant te solum Deum verum et quem misisti (Ioan. 17,3), optime effertur Christum et talem habere cognitionem et eam etiam secundum modum et mensuram creaturae hominibus revelare; et cuz voluerit Filius revelare; ita iam Filius statuitur unicus mediator salutis et beatitatis. Nota in v. 25 dici Patrem revelare ; nunc autem docemur hanc revelationem facere Patrem per Filium eamque ita fieri ut perfecta sit voluntatis atque consilii unitas ac consensio in Patre et Filio; cf. Ioan. 17,6 : manifestavi nomen tuum hominibus quos dedisti mihi de mundo. Merito advertit lans. in v. 21 dupliciter ostendi Filii cum Patre aequalitatem; « si enim ita novit Filius Patrem , quomodo Pater Filium, oportet eos inter se esse aequales; et si ita convenit Filio revelare quibus vult sicut Patri aequalis necesse est sit Filius Patri; non enim dicitur Filium revelare quibus iussus est a Patre, sed cui vult revelare, sicut prius ἢ dixit Patrem revelasse quibus placitum fuisset ei ». Notatu dignum est Christum hic naturam suam divinam et aequalitatem cum Patre affirmare, cum dicat cut voluerit , omnta tradita sunt etc,; alibi autem eum loqui secundum naturam humanam et voluntatem humanam quam voluntati Dei omnino conformem se reddere asserit : sedere autem ad dexteram meam vel sinistram non est meum dare vobis sed quibus paratum esta Patre meo (Matth. 20,23) et similiter quando orat ad Patrem pro iis quos Pater sibi dederit, ut servet eos (Ioan. 17,9 etc.). Porro ne omiseris perpendere eandem hoc loco a Matthaeo proponi doctrinam de Filii divinitate quam apud Ioannem deprehendimus et hunc versum 927 et Luc. 10,23 ita efferri, ut si verba audieris, ea potius apud Ioannem quam apud synopticos esse quaerenda existimare facile possis. Quare ostenditur inanem esse clamorem rationalistarum qui contendunt alium Christum a synopticis, alium a loanne describi et ab hoc solo eum divina natura praeditum annuntiari. Vide Ioan. 6,46; 7,99; 8,19; 10,15 etc. Iam explicat Filius pro sua benignitate et in homines benevolentia quibus velit revelare Patrem, iis scil. qui miseriis pressi sentiunt suam infelicitatem et egestatem ; quare quinam sint vere parvuli v. 25 etiam ulterius exponitur
11:28
v. 98 venite ad me omnes qui laboratis el onerati estis et ego reficiam vos; omnes benignissime invitat afflictos; cf. Is. 61,1. 3 : ut mederer contritis corde, ut consolarer omnes lugentes, ut darem eis oleum gaudii pro luctu et sim. Soph. 3,18 hebr. vide ad 5,5 : beati qui lugent. Si autem parvuli eo modo describuntur, 8 contrario collige qui sint sapientes, scil. qui sibi sufficiunt neque miserias suas agnoscunt neque opem et gratiam divinam expetunt. Valet quippe illud : esurientes implevit bonis. Verba bene expendit S. Chrys. : « venite, non hic et ille, sed omnes qui in sollicitudine, in tristitia, in peccatis estis; venite non ut poenas expetam , sed ut peccata solvam; venite non quod gloria vestra egeam , sed quod salutem vestram sitiam ; ego vos reficiam ; non dixit solum salvabo (σώσω), sed quod multo plus est : ἐν ἀδείᾳ καταστήσω πάσῃ ». Commemorat Christus in universum duas generi humano communes necessitates , laboris et oneris, alteram actionis, passionis alteram; « qui laboratis agendo et ex actione relinquitur in vobis onus quo onerati estis; ita quod qui ab omni labore exemptus est qui nullo gravatur onere, solus restat non invitatus a Christo; et certe cum quilibet homo afflictione aliqua aut cura laboret multorumque malorum sarcina oneretur consequens est, ut omnes non solum invitentur sed etiam ex conditionibus sibi ipsis molesüs trahantur » (Cai. sim. F.). Quamvis dici possit cum Jans. utraque voce laboris et oneris in universum significari afflictionem quamcumque, tamen plerique notiones inter se distinguunt, sed varie. Intelligunt /aborantes scil. onere legis et traditionum humanarum Iudaeos S. Hil. Hier. Cyr. Theoph. op. imp. Pasch. Thom., et oneratos pondere peccatorum gentiles; alii laborantes scil. miseriis vitae et peccatis (Theod. her. Or. cat. Cr. Dion. Calm. Arn.) oneratos onere legis et traditionum pharisaeorum (S. Chrysologus, serm. 105; M. 52,494, Dion. Calm. Arn.) Euth. in utroque cernit declarari laborem et onus curarum vanarum et peccatorum. Est autem, ut Jans. dicit, afflictio vel onus triplex : onus miseriarum et curarum huius vitae; ab hoc onere Christus suos alleviat doctrina sua et spiritu suo, quia donat illas perferre aequo animo easque vel tollit vel temperat; dein onus peccatorum et conscientiae male sibi consciae, quod alleviat remissione peccatorum concessa et pace ac quiete donata; denique onus legis mosaicae quod aufert factus sub lege ut eos qui sub lege erant redimeret (Gal. 4,5). Promittit iis quos adeo blande invitat : ego reficiam vos, recreabo, refocillabo vos; vos faciam requiescere a labore et onere. Quae promissio ut est universalis, ita quam maxime blanda et ad animos omnium alliciendos aptissima. Postquam dixit regem praestabo , docet quomodo haec requies absque lege vivant, sed ut excusso veteris hominis iugo, evangelio vos et discite a me, quia mitis sum et humilis corde; quale sit iugum, explicat sententia adiecta e£ discite a me; proinde se ei tamquam magistro tradant et doctrinam eius ac praecepta suscipiant et vita exprimant. Unde ?ugum merito explicant de evangelicis praeceptis 86 documentis Euth. Hil. Bed. Thom. Cai. Ians. Mald. Lap. Calm. Schanz , Fil.; vult itaque ut se totos tradant in suam disciplinam et moderationem (Arn. Bzsp. Kei, Weiss aliique). In talmude quoque nomine iugi designantur ea quae homo vi legis praestare debet, sermo est de iugo legis etc. (cf. Schoettgen I p. 115 seq. Wünsche p. 147). Ne autem cunctentur ad eum accedere et eius gubernationi se subdere, rationes aliquae adduntur valde efficaces; et primo quidem quia mitis sum et humilis corde i. e. ne vereamini venire nec molestum vobis sit tollere iugum meum et suscipere disciplinam a me. neque enim severus aut durus sum magister, sed benignus ac clemens: nihil est in me arrogantiae vel morositatis, ut quisquam metuere possit ne sit repellendus à me propter indignitatem; nihil me est demissius (lans. Maid. Sylv.). Et significanter dicitur hunulis corde « siquidem non labiorum superficie, sed cordis integritate neque in ulla compositione vel deiectione habitus, licet et in corpore atque verbo sit exhibenda coram hominibus, sed in omni devotione atque abiectione mentis » (S. Pasch.). Qui corde humilis est, neminem despicit, omnes reveretur, paratus est omni modo aliis succurrere. Unde Christus mansuetudine et humilitate omnes allicit, omnem timorem animis eximit et miserrimo cuique opem suam et amorem maxima offert benevolentia. Iam quis tali magistro qui cum omnipotentia et maxima scientia (v. 277) mores iungit suavissimos animumque ad opitulandum promptissimum omni studio se tradere dubitabit? Altera ratio qua excitamur ad iugum eius suscipiendum et ad nos tradendos in eius disciplinam efficaciter petitur ex eo quod omnes maximo desiderio appetunt et desiderant; omnes enim ardenter cupiunt felicitatem; iam haec unice reperietur apud eum : e£ invenietis requiem animabus vestris, ἀνάπαυσιν αἱ supra v. 98 ἀναπαύσω. Cum ardenti desiderio pacem, beatitatem omnes expetant, merito repetito in memoriam revocat hoc desiderium et hunc naturae humanae impetum satiari et expleri non posse nisi a se solo. Dicitur anzmabus vestris i. e. vobismetipsis, ex noto hebraismo, quo pronomen reflexivum exprimi solet voce v3 anzma, id quod hoc loco eo magis assumendum erit, cum verba haec ex Ier. 6,16 deprompta sunt ; ceterum cf. Ps. 77,18. Is. 46,2 etc. Unde non opus est cum aliquibus efferre dici anzimaóus, « quoniam mandata Christi in hoc saeculo animarum requies sunt, non corporum; quoniam etsi laborant et tristantur in corpore, animae eorum requiescunt et gaudent in spiritu et in spe » (op. imp. sim. Pasch. Cai.). Tertia additur ratio cur alacri animo iugum Domini suscipiamus
11:30
v. 90 tugum enim meum suave est eL onus meum leve, vel ut S. Augustinus habet (serm. 70) et sarcina mea levis est; dicitur ζυγός μου χρηστός, iugum lene (S. Aug.) , commodum; solet enim iugum magis asperitate et incommoditate vexare animalia sub ipso incedentia quam gravitate; onus vero gravitate solet esse molestum. Unde difficultatem omnem volens adimere Salvator, ne quisquam deterreatur, dicit iugum suum non esse molestum asperitate, sed suave et commodum; onus etiam non esse gravitate molestum, sed leve et portatu facile (Jans.). Bene notat Mald. χρηστός non tam ad res quam ad personas et mores pertinere; unde hic indicari iugum benigni, suavis et clementis patris, moderationem magistri plane benevoli et suorum amantissimi. Est autem eius iugum suave et onus leve propter rationes varias; primo legem mosaicam abolevit, quod iugum teste S. Petro « neque patres nostri neque nos portare potuimus » (Act. 15,10); illa solum praecepta dedit quae ipsa docet natura et quae uno verbo continentur: omnia quaecumque vultis ut faciant vobis homines et vos facite illis (Mald.); atque ad ea implenda abundantiorem gratiam et Spiritus sancti virtutem nobis promeruit ; adest enim nobis, ut S. Augustinus dicit (serm. 70 n. 2) Spiritus sanctus qui in exterioris hominis corruptione interiorem renovet de die in diem et gustata requie spirituali in affluentia deliciarum Dei, in spe beatitudinis futurae omnia praesentia deliniat aspera et omnia gravia relevet. Porro Christus animis suorum suum inspirat amorem; iam vero « omnia saeva et immania prorsus facilia et prope nulla efficit amor » (S. Aug. n. 3); amor enim non sentit pondus; cum amatur non laboratur, aut si laboratur, labor amatur (Lamy; sim. Cai.). Addi quoque potest quod notat S. Cyr. in lege Christi nullatenus ea supplicia infligi quae lege vetere transgressoribus crant proposita; peccatores Christus benigne suscipit, facile veniam concedit, remedia instituit reconciliationis efficacia. Demum quale onus sentiri possit si quis mentem adverterit ad id quod cum in praesenti sit momentaneun et leve tribulationis nostrae , tamen supra modum in sublimitate aeternum gloriae pondus operatur (2 Cor. 4,17. S. Chrys.)? Quare merito dicit auctor op. :mp. : « o gratissimum pondus quod magis . confortat portantes! nam pondus terrestrium dominorum atterit vires ministrantium, pondus autem Christi magis adiuvat baiulantem. quia non nos portamus gratiam, sed gratia nos ». Invitat itaque Christus omnes ut loco laboris et oneris quo premuntur (v. 28) suscipiant evangelicum suum iugum suave contra laborem, et /eve contra onus (Cai.). Neque pugnat cum hac invitatione quod antea. dixerat de angusta porta et via arcta (7,13. 1*) et de cruce portanda (10,38). Nam quae homini suis viribus relicto impossibilia sunt, haec facilia reddit ac suavia gratia Christi. Testes sunt apostoli sanctique omnes qui in tribulationibus gloriabantur et in cruce Christi ferenda summas experiebantur delicias. Vere dicit auctor op. /mp. : « inexpertis gravis est iustitia Christi, expertis autem suavis est ». Demum non est silentio praetereundum haec verba v. 28-30 apud solum legi Matthaeum. ludaeis enim et ludaeo-christianis propter legis mosaicae onus et iugum quod traditionibus additis etiam magis auctum erat, haec verba quam maxime aptautur et ipsa expressione iugi mei quae bis adhibetur illi statim admonebantur, quantum interesset inter iugum legis et iugum Christi. Cum scribae vel legis doctores et pharisaei imponerent populo onera gravia et importabilia (Matth. 23,4) et populum magno contemptu tractarent (cf. loan. 7,59 : turba haec non novit legem, maledicti sunt), etiam intelligimus, cur S. Matthaeus haec Christi verba litteris consignaverit : discite a me quia mitis sum et humilis corde. Proinde ex suis aequalibus quasi quaerit, utrum illis vel Christo se tradere velint discipulos. Uti in cap. 11 evangelista ostendit quam parum populus idoneus esset regno messiano, ita in hoc cap. 12 idem explicatius docet de ducibus populi, de pharisaeis et scribis, de iis itaque. qui legis aemulatores speciem pietatis prae se ferebant. Eorum autem malitiam. perversitatem, odium in Christum implacabile describit exemplis, quibus simul patet quomodo verilati quam ignorare non poterant contumaciter obnitantur. [d illustratur narratione quomodo discipulos sabbato spicas vellentes reprehenderint (12,1-8) et Domino qui sabbato manum aridam sanavit insidiati sint eius perditionem machinantes (19,9-21), immo eum accusaverint per principem daemonum daemonem ab eo expelli, qua blasphemia apertissime Spiritui sancto obsistunt (19,92-37). Tot signis a Christo patratis non credunt ; nihilominus signum ab eo videri volunt quibus respondet signum iis datum iri lonae, cui pariter non sint credituri ad maiorem sui ipsorum condemnationem (12,38-45). Hiigiturcurineptisintregno messiano, satisest manifestum. [am adeo odio flagrant ut Christum morti addicere statuerint, quam sortem se subiturum esse Christus v. &0 haud obscure significat. Hisce autem evangelista eos opponit qui regni messiani consortes sint futuri, qui scil. veritati non obsistunt, sed voluntati Dei obsequuntur, quos Christus tenerrimo amore se complecti profitetur (12,46-50). Quemadmodum itaque 11,25 seq. plebi obduratae opponebantur fideles, ita hoc quoque capite postquam descripsit qui regnum messianum a se repellerent, addit evangelista quales ad eius regni bona vocentur. Facile perspicitur quam bene conspirent singula ad id quod Matthaeus intendit. Clare describitur dignitas Iesu, potentia, suavitas; in eo vaticinium impleri ostenditur; impii pharisaeorum mores. odium vere diabolicum, obduratio in malo ita proponuntur, ut iam nemini dubium esse possit cur mortem Christi moliti ἃ regno Dei excludantur. Quis vero talibus ducibus adhaerere poterit? nonne cum iis necessario interibit?
11:1
Ce verset n’est ni la conclusion de ce qui précède, ni l’amorce de ce qui suit, ou plutôt il est les deux, un verset de transition. Il débute par la formule qui clôt les grands discours, vu, 38; x, 33; xx, 4 ; xxvi, 1, et il marque un changement de lieu, mais très vaguement. On dirait qu'après avoir envoyé ses Apôtres, Jésus se met de son côté au travail. Du retour des Apôtres il ne sera pas question dans Mt., comme s’il avait eu le sentiment que la harangue du Sauveur ouvrait à la prédication des horizons indéfinis. Les disciples se retrouveront présents à x, 4. L'enseignement se donnait sans doute dans les maisons, la prédication dans les synagogues (Me. 1, 39) ct dans les places, selon le sens primitif de proclamer à haute voix; les deux conviennent bien aux villes. — αὐτῶν, des Juifs qui vont entrer en scène comme opposants.
11:2
Mt. seul ἐν τῷ δεσμωτηρίῳ, d’après 1v, 13; et cependant il ne parlera en détail de l'emprisonnement de Jean qu'à propos de sa mort (xiv, 3); cf. sur Me. vi, 11. — τοῦ Χριστοῦ est dans le style chrétien, évité d'ordinaire parles évangélistes dans leurs récits; cf. Mt. 1, 17; τὰ ἔργα les actes, avec emphase, gesta plutôt que opera, maïs sans allusion trop actuelle (dans Le. περὶ πάντων τούτων). — πέμψας οἱ διά peuvent s'expliquer par le grec, mais l’ensemble est, plutôt une tournure sémitique : Τὴ héb. et aram. cf. χιν, 10 ; Gen. xxvu, 42. Le nombre des disciples est ind'terminé (Lc. deux).
11:3
Sur ὁ ἐρχόμενος, cf. sur Le. vir, 19. Les passages cités par Klost. (Ps. χχχῖχ, 8; cxvur, 26; Dan. vu, 43) ne prouvent pas que c'était un nom connu du Messie. — Mt. qui ἃ mieux mis en relief (nr, 14s. 47) la connaissance que Jean avait de Jésus comme Messie, ne peut l'avoir oublié; il n'aurait pas prêté à Jean la question de tel qui entendrait parler de Jésus pour la première fois. Le sens est donc : « Es-tu bien celdi que j'ai désigné comme celui qui vient »? ce qui implique un étonnement de Jean sur la la manière dont Jésus remplit la 2) mission qu'il lui ἃ reconnue, ou du moins une me impatience à à le voir apparaître τ Ἐ en Messie. D’ailleurs dans Mt. la personne des envoyés est moins en scène; ils ne viennent pas répéter explicitement ce qu'on leur a dit: La question de Jean va de lui au Christ, par le simple intermédiaire des disciples. Il est donc encore plus difficile dans Mt. que dans Le. de dire que Jean ne songeait qu'à Ἢ leur instruction à eux.
11:4
Comme Le, sauf les deux présents (au lieu des aoristes de Le. qui se place au moment du compte rendu). Le tableau étant composé de lraits ramassés au présent, Mt. ἃ tout mis au même temps présent. Mt. va du bruit répandu à la constatation, tandis que 1.6. remonte dans l’ordre inverse : ce que vous: venez de voir et ce que vous aviez entendu dire.
Jean connaissait les miracles (τὰ ἔργα) de Jésus. Et Jésus le renvoie aux miracles. Où est la force de l'argument? — Dans l'opinion d’alors — à en juger par les apocryphes et le rabbinisme postérieur, — le don des miracles n'était pas en lui-même un des caractères du Messie. Jean pouvait donc penser que Jésus n'en prenait p. pas l'office et la fonction. Mais Jésus invite Jean à y réfléchir en les groupant dans des termes qui rappelaient des prophéties messianiques, Il remplissait donc, du moins en partie, l'office de Messie; il n'y avait qu'à s’en rapporter à lui pour le reste.
11:5
Comme Lc., avec des xai en plus, ce qui est plus sémitique et moins saisissant; cf. Is. xxx, 488. ; xxvi, 19; xxxV, 5 S.; LxI, 1.
11:6
εαν (TSV) plutôt que αν (H).
cf. sur Le. vi, 23.
11:8
μαλαχά et τὰ μαλακά, répété, pour signifier des habits délicats au toucher, ce que Le. ἃ expliqué en ajoutant ἱματίοις, ἱματισμῷ ἐνδόξῳ, avec le trait de la vie sensuelle (τρυφή), tandis que τὰ βασίλεια en grec remplace « les maisons des rois », sémitique. — ἐν avec le vêtement, comme ἐν ἐσθῆτι Χέν. Mém. IT, χι, 4. Avec emphase, Ariston. Nuées, 987.
11:10
La citation de l'Écriture paraît d’abord empruntée à Ex. xx, 20, où ἐγώ est mis en relief dans l'hébreu (ἸῺΝ Π2Π), et aussi dans les LXX qui traduisent littéralement : χαὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω, Mais en réalité le texte de Mal. 151, 1 donnait le même sens : (1327). Au lieu de ἐξαποστέλλω des LAX, avec ou sans "ἐγώ, Mt. ἃ ἀποστέλλω, qui rend mieux n5w, et c'est d'ailleurs la traduction des LXX sur l’Exode. D'ailleurs l'Exode, et non Malachie, a « devant ta face », de sorte que le début paraîtrait écrit dans Mt. d’après LXX sur Exode, s’il n'y avait « Mon » devant « ange », ce qui appartient à Malachie, comme la suite. χατασχενάσει Corrige un véritable contresens des LXX, ἐπιδλέψεται, qui suppose 35 au qal, au lieu du pi‘el ñ32, « déblayer ». ML. ajoute σου après ὁδόν conire l'hébreu et tes LXX, et de même devant « toi » au lieu de devant « moi ». Ce n'est plus Dieu qui envoie son ange devant Israël ou pour préparer sa propre voie; c'est le Père qui parle au Fils. Le soin de suivre l'hébreu plutôt que les LXX indiquerait la main de Mt., uon de Lc. (vu, 27) ni de Mc. (1, 2) qui ont exactement le même texte. Mais la parole de Jésus a pu être transmise fidèlement par la tradition. Si on en juge ainsi on ne pourra arguer de ce texte pour prouver que Mt: n’a pas été écrit en grec.
11:11
ἐγείρω, susciter, de la part de Dieu; cf. Jud. π, 16. 18; m1, 9. 45; Le. vu,
11:12
Mais (δέ) un autre ordre a commencé. Le point de départ est : les jours de Jean. Formule un peu étrange durant sa vie, mais qui cependant s'entend bien. du temps de son ministère. Il avait eu son heure de popularité, puis, après son emprisonnement, et aussi par suite de l'opposition sourde des docteurs, tout était rentré dans le silence. Cela avait été une période brillante, mais elle était terminée, et, précisément au même moment, une autre avait commencé (ν, 12 ss.). Jésus pouvait donc très bien indiquer ἕως ἄρτι, ce dernier mot étant, il est vrai, du style de Mt. — Ce qui suit a été très controversé, mais n’est point réellement si obscur. Dans Le. βιάζομαι est au moyen, mais cela même suppose pour Mt. le passif, car dire : on s'efforce de prendre d'assaut le royaume, est presque synonyme de : le royaume est pris d'assaut. D'autant que dans Mt. les βιασταί indiquent bien qu'une violence est faite au royaume. Toute la question est de savoir si cette violence est blämable ou louable, mais elle est résolue par le contexte. La haute situation du moindre dans le royaume, et aussi l'obstination des Pharisiens à ne pas entrer, montrent que c'est un bien d'entrer dans le royaume même de cette façon. Cette violence a quelque chose de paradoxal. Mais il ne pouvait être question de faire réellement violence à Dieu. Il s’agit done simplement d'une énergie qui produit des efforts. On se jette sur le règne de Dieu, expression très forte, mais qui convient à une époque nouvelle. Qui sont ces violents? Jésus ne le dit pas, mais c'est ce que Le. ἃ indiqué plus en clair dans l'endroit parallèle (vrr, 29), et sur quoi Mt. lui-même est revenu (xxr, 32). — D'ailleurs βιάζομαι ne doit pas étre pris au iragique, cf. βαρ. Oxy. n, 294, 16 (22 ap. J.-C.) ἐγὼ δὲ βιάζομαι ὑπὸ φίλων (MM). — Pour le sens moyen de Le. on a cité Épict. 1v, 7, 20 5. : ἀποχλεισμὸς ἐμοὶ où γίνεται, ἀλλὰ τοῖς βιαζομένοις, διὰ τί οὖν οὐ βιάζομαι; « l'exclusion ne m’atteint pas, mais ceux qui veulent entrer de force. Pourquoi donc n'essayé-je pas d'entrer de force »? — De même pour ἁρπάζω, « s'emparer vivement d’une chose offerte » (Épict. 1v, 7, 22), et non pas uniquement prendre de force le bien d'autrui.
11:13
Après le v. 11 le γάρ se comprend très bien, et ensuite l'opposition avec δέ, Jésus ἃ mis en présence Jean οἱ un plus petit ou très petit dans le royaume. C'est qu'il y ἃ deux ordres dont Jean est précisément le lien. Le premier est celui des prophètes. La loi, qui passe toujours avant les prophètes, est ici au second rang parce qu'elle ne figure que pour ses prophéties (Gen. τι, 43; x, 2 s.etc.). Elle est donc en réalité nommée non pas après les écrits des prophètes, maïs après la personne des prophètes, parmi lesquels elle prend place comme représentant l'esprit prophétique (Gal. mr, 8). Le. xv1, 46 ἃ la même pensée, mais dans l’ordre chronologique normal, sans parler de prophétie; modèle de rédaction précise, mais moins originale.
11:14
δέχομαι, « donner son adhésion » (Épict. τ, 7, 23) à une proposition. « Si vous voulez » (parce qu'il faut une certaine application), pénétrer un sens caché le l'Écriture: Elle avait annoncé qu'Élie viendrait avant les temps messianiques (Mal. 11, 23-24; cf. Eccli xrvrn, 10 s.) et c'était Fopinion du Judaïsme (Le Messianisme…. Ὁ. 210); mais ce nom ne devait pas se prendre à la lettre. En réalité le rôle de précurseur avait été rempli par Jean. — D'après Allen (p. 418) suivi par MeNeile, le rapprochement du nom d'Élie et des violents vient peut-être de quelque tradition comme celle de Eduyoth vi, 7 (citée dans Le Messianisme… p. 211) : Élie devait corriger les violations du droit. Mais cela n'a rien à voir ici. — Le v. 14 se soude mieux à 43 qu'à 12, et c’est probablement ce qui à amené l'interversion de ceux-ci. Mais le v. 14 qui termine tout pouvait être un peu détaché.
11:15
Avis qui confirme le caractère mystérieux de l'explication donnée. Son autheñticité est établie encore par Mi, xvn, 12; Me. 1x, 18. Il est naturel que Le, ait omis ce point d'exégèse scripturaire, plus difficile encore à entendre pour des gentils.
11:16
Au lieu de ἀλλήλαις, Mi. a ἑτέροις, bien établi par les meilleurs mss. grecs, d’autant-que des versions ont lu ou entendu ἑταίροις, « leurs camarades », qui se prononçait de la même facon. . U est donc plus clair dans Mt. que les enfants qui proposent deux jeux dif- | M JC férents s'adressent à d'autres qui ne veulent pas prendre part à aucun des deux.
11:18
λέγουσιν plus naturel que 16 discours direct (λέγετε), puisque l'avis s'adresse à la génération. - .
11:19
Au lieu de πάντων τῶν τέχνων, Mt. ἃ ἔργων ou τέκνων. — Nous lisons ἔργων avec Ti. Hort. Sogd. Vogels, ETES ΝΒ 124 pes. boh., parce que τέχνων est suspect d'harmonisation avec Le.; et j'ajoute, pour conserver une #nclusio sémitique élégante, qui ramène à la fin Le ἔργα du début xr, 2. Ce n'est donc pas une erreur du traducteur, prenant Na, « serviteur, fils », au sens de NTAY, « travail, ouvrage, œuvre » (contre Zaun, Einleitung, I, p. 312). Avec ἔργων il n'est pas douteux que ἀπό soit presque dans le sens de ὑπό (οἴ. Is. x1v, 25). Ce n’est pas tout à fait le même sens que la justification ἐκ τῶν ἔργων 746. n, 241. 24; Rom. ut, 20 etc.) qui se dit des hommes : sont-ils justes ou non? la justification résulte ou ne résulte pas des œuvres. Tandis qu'ici 18 Sagesse n’est pas personnellement en cause, mais son gouvernement. Ses actes, l’économie du salut qu’elle a ordonnée, rendent témoignage pour elle, alors que ses | καὶ 1 adversaires s’embrouillent dans une misérable contradiction. L’austérité de Jean, conforme à la tradition des prophèles, devait attirer l'attention du peuple et solliciter à tout le moins 10 zèle des docteurs à s'en- 23. χαταθιθασθηση (TSV) plutôt que καταδηση (H). quérir s’il ne parlait pas au nom de Dieu. La vie simple et ordinaire de Jésus, garantie par le Baptiste, était de nature à attirer tout le monde, même les âmes faibles. Dans les deux cas, les docteurs ont pris le contre-pied. Dans les deux cas la Sagesse est d'ores et déjà justifiée, parce que la condamnation marque un parti pris évident. On pourrait cependant regarder l'aor. ἐδικαιώθη comme faisant abstraction du temps.
11:20
Rien de semblable dans Le. Dans M. c'est un verset de transition très bien ménagé, avec une allusion aux miracles qui viennent d’être signalés (v. & s.). — τότε fréquent dans Mt. comme introduction à des paroles de Jésus τοὺς (jamais dans Mc. avec ce sens; dans Le. xxr, 10; xxiv, 45), mais très vague . comme indication du temps. — ἐγένοντο, dans le sens du plus-que-parfait; ce qui suppose une situation acquise. Peut-être ai πλεῖσται pour réserver d’autres miracles qui pouvaient encore avoir lieu, étant donnée la place assignée par Mi. à l’apostrophe. D'ailleurs le grec classique (PLaton, Leg. in, 700 c) employait déjà ὁ πλεῖστος pour ὁ πολύς (Deb. $ 245). Dans le contexte de Mt. (v. 25), les villes sont apostrophées de préférence comme le séjour des écoles rabbiniques, plutôt que comme des centres de mœurs faciles ou mauvaises. Ce serait plutôt le cas de Tyr, de Sidon, et de Sodome, surtout, dont les mœurs corrompues sont moins coupables que l'orgueil de Capharnaüm et des autres villes qui ont fermé les yeux aux miracles.
11:21
Comme Le., sans χαθήμενοι, et, au lieu de ἐγενήθησαν, ἐγένοντο comme au v. 20.
11:22
Comme Le., avec l'addition de λέγω ὑμῖν et du « jour » du jugement.
11:23
Comme Le., mais χαταθιθασθήσῃ avec la majorité nous paraît plus probable que χαταδήσῃ avec BDW deux min., latt. vg. syrsin. et cur. C’est un cas où B marche avec le groupe D et consorts. « On te fera descendre », accuse davantage que dans Le., l'échec de la prétention de Capharnaüm à étre exaltée. 1] ya du vrai dans la première opinion de Jérôme : quia contra praedicationem meam superbissime restitisti. Aussi Mt. pourra mettre en comparaison les dispositions moins obstinées de Sodome. Sur le moment du châtiment, cf. sur Le. 230) N'a pas de parallèle dans Lc.; ayant commencé ce passage par Sodome {x, 12) dans le même contexte excellent que Mt. x, 15, il n’a pas voulu revenir à Sodome. Rien n'autorise à douter de l'authenticité de cette parole. Elle est bien dans l'esprit du Sauveur. Le désordre moral, même le plus grave, a un moindre obstacle à reconnaître l'action de Dieu que l’orgueil intellectuel. La splendeur de la synagogue de Capharnaüm au n° siècle indique un foyer intense de vie judaïque qui devait remonter haut. D’autres circonstances. historiques auraient pu amener la ruine de Sodome, comme celle de Ninive, mais du moins son histoire n'aurait pas été interrompue par le châtiment divin de Gen. xx, 23 ss.; elle aurait eu des chances de subsister. — τῆς σήμερον, cf. vi, 34.
11:24
Répétition de x, 15 (Le. x, 12), en appliquant directement à Capharnaüm ce qui avait été dit d’une ville quelconque qui ne recevrait pas les ‘envoyés de Jésus. Le transfert du v. est caractérisé par le pays de Sodome, tandis que le verset précédent parlait de la ville, et par λέγω ὑμῖν qui détonne avec σοί. Nombreuses variantes dans les mss, et verss. Ne serait-ce pas l'addition d'un
11:25
L'indication du temps est moins précise dans Mt., καιρός au lieu de ὥρα. Luc ἃ ajouté la note de joie dans l'Esprit-Saint qui caractérise si bien cette χαὶ ἀπεχάλυψας αὐτὰ νηπίοις. 2% al, ὁ πατήρ, ὅτι οὕτως εὐδοχία συνετῶν; 21 Ἰ]άντα μοι παρεδόθη ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς μου, ἐγένετο ἔμπροσθέν σου. οὐδὲ τὸν πατέρα τις ἐπιγινώσχει εἰ οὐδεὶς ἐπιγινώσχει τὸν υἱὸν εἰ μιὴ ὁ πατήρ; 28 Δεῦτε πρός με πάντε μὴ ὁ υἱὸς na ᾧ ἐὰν βούληται ὁ υἱὸς ἀποχαλύψαι. 29 ἄρατε τὸν ζυγόν οἱ χοπιῶντες χαὶ πεφορτισμένοι; χἀγὼ ἀναπαύσω ὑμᾶς. able de l'âme du Sauveur. Pour l'explication, ef. Le. Dans Μαίexpansion incompar [αὐτά sont moins difficiles, surtout si l'on fait abstraction thieu les mots ταῦτα 6 de l’apostrophe aux villes, car ce peut être les ἔργα du v. 19 ou en général la double manifestation de Jean ct de Jésus qui n'a pas été comprise. Grammalicalement ἔκρυψας dépend de ἐξομολογοῦμαι aussi bien que ἀπεχάλυψας. Et Jésus peut se réjouir, non de la cécité des prudents, mais du jugement de Dieu qui cache sa lumière à ceux qui se croient assez sages pour s’en passer. Cependant l’action de grâces n'est pas une pure complaisance spéculative, et elle doit porter sur un bienfait, plutôt que sur un châtiment, si juste soit-il. C'est ce qu'ont compris non seulement l'indulgent Chrysostome, mais encore Jérôme Gratias agit et exultat in Paire, quod apostolis sui adventus aperuerit sacramenta, quae ignoraverint Scribae et Pharisaei. Gela peut se justifier d'après l'usage de l'hébreu, par Is. x, 1 : εὐλογῶ σε... διότι ὠργίσθης μοι, χαὶ ἀπέστρεψας τὸν θυμόν σου. La copule en hébreu remplace la coordination, et précisément dans Eccli. τι ἐξομολογοῦμαι... ὅτι σχεπαστὴς..- ἐγένον μοι, χαὶ ἐλυτρώσω signifie « Je te rends grâce de ce que, t'étant rendu mon protecteur, ἰὰ m'as délivré. » La première phrase qui suit ὅτι est coordonnée à la seconde. D'autant que tout l'accent du morceau est sur le bienfait de La révélation. — ἀπεκάλυψας ne s'entend pas des révélations anciennes qui pourraient être attribuées au Père, mais de la révélation décisive qui vient d’être commencée par Jésus, seul révélateur désormais. Le secret fait aux sages est bien conforme à 15. xxx, 14, mais aussi opposé que possible à toutes les tendances platoniciennes, gnostiques, hermétiques. παρεδόθη est confirmé par la tradition de
11:27
Le sens absolu de πάντα.. saint Jean : ὃ πατὴρ ἀγαπᾷ τὸν υἱόν, καὶ πάντα δέδωχεν ἐν τῆ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ (π|, 35); Cf. xvu, 2. Cependant il faut convenir que tout le morceau élant relatif à la révélation, on pourrait entendre παρεδόθη de la transmission d’une connaissance, qui serait totale {πάντα). Le sens dogmatique du verset serait le même, car si la j connaissance du Fils n’est accessible qu'au Père, comme celle du Père au Fils, ” on doit conclure à une même transcendance de nature. Il n'y a pas d'interprétation traditionnelle. Thomas : Tripliciter potest exponi. Omnia, hoc est supra id est electi et praedestinati (ef..Jérème).. Jiem omnem creaturam.…. vel omnia, omnia… id est omnem perfectionem divinitatis. — ἐπιγινώσκει employé deux fois par Mt. ne dit pas plus que γινώσχει τίς ἐστιν qui paraît même plus réfléchi. D’après Robinson (Eph. p. 248 ss.), le verbe composé n'indique pas tant une connaissance plus parfaite qu'une connaissance immédiatement portée sur (ëxi) l'objet, el MM. produisent le suffrage des papyrus. Plus simplement, le composé était r. — Norden se permet de préféré par 14 £oinè sans avoir un accent particulie lire ἐπέγνω qui n’a aucune attestation. Il suppose que le présent à remplacé l'aoriste par une falsification d’après Jo. x, 15. Mais si ἔγνω convient bien au texte de Harnack—excluant la connaissance du Fils par le Père, — l’aoriste n’a aucun sens s’il s'agit de la connaissance ou de la méconnaissance de Jésus qui ne regarde pas le passé. On pourrait soutenir avec MeNeile que ἔγνω ferait abstraction du temps, mais la lecon au présent n'est pas douteuse (cf. Comm. Le.).
11:28
Tout le programme est expliqué par les versets suivants. C'est auprès de F Jésus que ceux qui sont fatigués trouveront le repos. L'invitation à recevoir Van — γ᾿ l'enseignement ne viendra qu'après et en second lieu. Sur l'appel, cf. Prov. vin, 32, 1x, 4. 46; Eccli. xxiv, 19 qui s'adresse aux désirs de l'âme, invitation plus générale que Eccli. τι, 23 qui appelle les ignorants à venir à l’école (ἐγγίσατε πρὸς μέ) en termes moins semblables à Mt. que δεῦτε, Ps. χχχπι, 11 etc. — κοπιῶντες et ἀναπαύσω rappellent ὀλίγον ἐχοπίασα et εὗρον... ἀνάπαυσιν (11, 27), mais tandis que le Siracide, avec un petittravail, a trouvé dans l'étude de la discipline (Loi) un grand repos, Jésus appelle ceux qui sont fatigués des observances et leur offre auprès de lui le repos. En effet κοπιῶντες, à côté de πεφορτισμένοι, ne signifie pas seulement ceux qui travaillent, mais ceux qui sont las de travailler, ce qui est d’ailleurs son sens normal. Le poids qu'ils portent n’est pas ici le poids du péché, mais par opposition au fardeau léger du v. 30, le poids des observances pharisaïques. Ils se sont donc aussi fatigués à suivre les prescriptions des docteurs. Dans Eccli., l'appel est adressé à ceux qui ont soif (v. 24).
11:29
La vraie ressemblance n'est pas avec τὸν τράχηλον ὑμῶν ὑπόθετε ὑπὸ ζυγόν (Eccli. τα, 26), formule isolée, mais avec Eccli. vi, 24 8s., où l'idée de se mettre Go 6 le cou dans le collier, et ὑπόθες τὸν ὦμόν σου καὶ βάσταζον αὐτήν est suivie au v. 28 de εὑρήσεις τὴν ἀνάπαυσιν αὐτῆς. Encore faut-il rappeler Jer. vr, 16 εὑρήσετε ἁγνισμόν (qui eût dû être ἀνάπαυσιν d’après l'hébreu) ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν, Le concept du joug de la Loi était courant chez les Juifs (Jer. v, 5; Eccli. x, 1 etc.), et aussi celui du repos donné par Dieu (Is. xiv, ἃ; II Regn. vu, 11; Sap. iv, 1; Eccli. xx, 18; xxx, 34 etc.). Ce qui est nouveau ici, c’est que le joug est celui de Jésus, législateur qui a offert aux pauvres, aux affligés (v, 3 ss.) la perfection de la loi (v, 17). — μάθετε peut être déterminé par ὅτι. C'est le sens des prédicateurs : « apprenez de moi non pas que j'ai fait le ciel et la terre... mais queje suis humble ». On objecte avec raison (Mald. Kn. Schanz etc.) que d'après le contexte ὅτι signifie « parce que ». En effet le Christ a l'intention non pas de se ! donner en exemple, mais de dire pourquoi on doit s’en rapporter à lui: c’est parce qu'il est un maître doux et humble. Alors μάθετε est à prendre au sens absolu : « instruisez-vous auprès de moï » comme Col. 1, 7. De toute facon, directement ou indirectement, Jésus nous révèle ici le secret de son Cœur; il est doux, et il est humble : ταπεινός signifie l'homme d'une condition modeste mais s’il est ainsi par le cœur, c'est donc qu'il aime cet abaissement, par opposition à l’orgueilleux (Prov. m, 34; 15. Lxvr, 2). Son enseignement sera la douceur et l'humilité : per mansuetudinem homo ordinatur ad proximum… per humilitatein ordinatur ad se et ad.Deum (Thomas). Le résultat est la paix de l’âme, avec Dieu, avec le prochain, avec soi-même. — C'est tout l'opposé d’une loi de Dracon, dure pour les petits, inspirée par un orgueil de caste.
11:30
Jésus reprend, pour les appliquer expressément à sa doctrine, les deux métaphores du joug et du fardeau. — χρηστός, bien conditionné, qui n'écorche pas le cou, par conséquent doux au toucher. — Jérôme s’objecte la plus grande sévérité de l'Évangile qui atteint l’intérieur. Mais en Le réformant par la charité, on se rend plus aisé le détachement des choses extérieures. — Une explication. tirée de la doctrine de Paul n'aurait pas fait mal ici; mais les évangélistes ne se permettaient pas ces intrusions. Au moment où il sollicitait la confiance sans réserve, Jésus n'avait pas à expliquer un principe dont l'avenir fournirait lapplication, par l’abrogation des observances purement légales, Chapitre x. LASAGESSE SE JUSTIRE. -Si l’on excepte les derniers versets (46-50), tout ce chapitre roule sur le même thème.D'après Klostermann, Mt. donne de nouveaux exemples des échecs de Jésus. Ce n’était évidemment pas:son but principal. La mauvaise volonté croissante des Scribes et des Pharisiens est seulement l’occasion qui permet à Jésus de révéler sa sagesse; C'est vraiment la Sagesse qui se justifie, et qui est justifiée par le prophète Isaïe (versets 18-21). Jésus défend ses disciples innocents (1-8), puis défend son droit de faire du bien le jour du sabbat (9 (9-44). Quand les Pharisiens s'irritent tout de bon, il cède, comme il l'avait recommandé à ses apôtres (x, 23), mais cette douceur avait élé prédile par Isaïe (48-24), et il continue à faire des miracles (22-23). Alors vient la calomnie atroce d'agir par Béelzeboul, dont Jésus montre l'inanité (24-30), et qu’il retourne contre ses adversaires 31-32), dont les paroles montrent bien le mauvais esprit (33-37). Les scribes s'étant rejetés sur la demande d’un signe, cela se retourne aussi contre eux (38-42), et contre la génération impénitente, qui va, malgré les bienfaits du Sauveur, au-devant d'une rechute (43-45). \ . Le dernier morceau, sur les vrais parents de Jésus (46-50), n’est peut-être rattaché à ce qui précède que par une coïncidence chronologique que Mt. ἃ fortement accusée. Plusieurs critiques (Kbost. MeNeile etc.) prétendent que Mt. reprend ici le ἢ] de Mc. Mais d'abord il faut noter que le dernier passage parallèle à Me. (x, 14 Ξε Mc. vi, 11) était beaucoup plus loin dans le fil de Me. Ce qui est vrai, c'est que les cinq thèmes principaux sont dans l’ordre de Mc. : a) épis (1-8; Mc. τι, 23-28) b) main desséchée (9-14; 111, 4-6); €) intermède de prédication (15-21 ; τα, 7-12); d) Béelzéboul (24-26; 29; 11, 22-27) avec le blasphème (34-32; nr, 28-30); e) les parents (46-50; πι, 31-35). Mais Mt. ἃ omis le choix des Apôtres (Me. mm, 13-19). et l'indiscrète intervention de certains parents de Jésus (nm, 20-21), et il ἃ en plus de nombreuses incises : 22-23; 27-28; 33-37; 38-48; 43-45. Assurément on pourrait expliquer à la rigueur les omissions et les additions, même si Mi. avait suivi Me. Mais il faut tenir compte d’un fait très caractéristique. Luc (τι, 14-26) se rapproche de Mi. en s'éloignant de Mc. d’une façon très marquée dans la dernière discussion. En raisonnant dans l'hypothèse des deux sources, il faudrait conclure que du moins Béelzéboul figurait dans les Logia (Q). Mi. aurait donc emprunté aux Logia, non à Me., si bien que l'opinion des critiques que nous avons nommés suppose deux explications qui s’excluent. Ge qu'on constate sur ce point, on peut le supposer vraisemblablement pour les deux autres discussions où Le. (vi, 1-41) se rapproche parfois de Mi. L'ordre des (rois discussions, qui est très clairement un crescendo, à pu s'imposer à la tradition, et ensuite à Mc. comme à Mt. Pour 15-21 voir le Commentaire. CHAPITRE XI ἄς epayoy (TH) ou εφαγεν (SV). — ο (TH) plutôt que ous (SV).
11:1
… Nathanael), all Galileans, which shows that G. B.'s influence extended far. They were tenacious in following G. B. Besides having received baptism from him, they imitated his asceticism (fasting and prayers: Matt. 9:9-14; Mark 2:13-18; Luke 5:27-33; Matt. 11:1), they followed him to Aenon, Bethany, Machaerus, etc.; nor did they look favorably on his being overshadowed by Jesus. …
11:2
… But even alone, ὁ Χριστός expresses the whole faith in the nature and mission of Jesus (Mc. 8:29b). The appellation ὁ Χριστός designates Jesus in the mouth of believers in his transcendent messiahship (Mt. 1:17; 11:2; Act. 8:5; St. Paul) or of unbelievers who mock him (Mt. 26:68; 27:17 and 22 with ὁ λεγόμενος). …
… And blessed is he who does not fall away from me" (Mt. 11:2-6). Jesus therefore appeals to the miracles, more eloquent than any other testimony, to prove his messiahship.
According to Matt. 11:2, 7 and Luke 7:18-23, then he heard talk of the progress of Jesus' mission and decided to send two of his disciples to put to him the question: "Are you the one who is to come, or should …
11:5
Informed of Jesus' passing, B. began to cry out: "Jesus, son of David (Messianic title), have pity on me!"; for the Messiah was to open the eyes of the blind (Is. 35:5; cf. Mt. 11:5). Despite the threats of many, B. persevered in his invocation. …
… "Blessed [are] the poor!" (Tertullian, Adv. Marc., IV, 14: "Beati mendici") because they (οἱ πτωχοί) are the destined recipients of the εὐαγγέλιον of the Kingdom (Mt. 11:5; Lk. 4:18). Πτωχός corresponds in the Septuagint to the Heb. 'anī (34 times) or 'ānāw (4 times), more rarely (10 times) to 'ebyōn, which they also translate πένης. …
The name C., which characterized the faith of Jesus' disciples, was misunderstood by the pagans who, with itacism contributing to this, took it to mean χρηστός "good," "kindly," an adjective not rare in the New Testament (Mt. 11:5; Lk. 5:39; Rom. 2:4; Eph. 4:32; etc.). …
To the objection drawn from the silence of the Synoptics, it is observed that they had already sufficiently demonstrated that Jesus had the power to raise the dead (the daughter of Jairus: Mk 5:21-34 and parallels; Mt 11:5; the son of the widow of Nain: Lk 7:22); in their compositional plan they intended to limit themselves to the ministry of Jesus in Galilee and in Perea, reserving the discussion of …
besides a certain quantity of flour and oil. The expiatory sacrifice implies the concept of leprosy regarded as a punishment from God. In the Old Testament (cf. Ex. 4:6; Num. 5:2; 12:10; II Kings 5:1; 7:3; II Chron. 26:20 ff.) and in the New (cf. Mt. 8:2; 10:5; 11:5; 26:6) lepers are often spoken of, and the miraculous healing of some of them is narrated. …
VI. THE MIRACLE OF JESUS. — Jesus Christ himself had said to the two disciples sent by John the Baptist: "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise" (Mt. 11:5); the same Redeemer, to the Jews who had asked him whether he was truly the Christ, had replied: "The works that I do in my Father's name are those that bear witness to me" (Jn. 10:23 ff. and 5:36).
Servant of Yahweh (Heb. 'Ēbhedh Yahweh)
… with Is. 42:1-4; Rom. 15:21 with Is. 52:15; Jn. 12:38 with Is. 52:1; Mt. 8:17 with Is. 53:4; Acts 8:32-35 with Is. 53:7-8; Lk. 22:37 with Is. 53:12. In these one observes fulfilled in Christ what is said of the S. of Y. (cf. also Lk. 2:32 - Is. 42:6; Mt. 11:5 - Is. 42:7; Rev. 19:13-15 - Is. 49:2; Mt. 26:67 - Is. 50:6). Jesus applies to himself Is. 53:12 (Mk. 15:28; Lk. 22:37). No one can doubt that the figure and the mission of the S. of …
11:6
… In the New Testament similar beatitudes occur: Mt. 11:6; 13:16; 16:17; 24:46; Lk. 11:28; 12:37 f., 43; 14:15; Jn. 20:29; Jas. 1:12; 1 Pet. 3:14; 4:14; Rev. 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14. To this day the Christians of the East …
… action of God in the world; as when it is said that the Savior has come for the fall and the resurrection of many, thus made a sign of contradiction (Luke 2:34). And blessed are those who will find in the humiliations of the Savior no cause of scandal (Matt. 11:6; Luke 7:23).
11:7
… J. marks the end of the law and the prophets and gives the start to the new evangelical era (Mt. 11:7-9, 11; Lk. 7:24-28; Mt. 9:13 ff.; 17:12; Mk. 9:12 ff.; Jn. 5:35). He precedes the Messiah to bear witness to him and, by preaching and baptizing the crowds of Israel, disposes them …
11:9
… There is no record of other prophets (cf. I Mach. 14:41) until John the Baptist (Mt. 11:9 ff.; Le. 7:26 ff.), precursor of the prophet par excellence, Jesus (Act. 3:20 ff. = Deut. 18:15-19; Io. 1:21, 45; 6:14; 7:40; Act. 7:37; Hebr. 1:1 ff.; A. Clamer, Ste Bible, …
11:10
… This is precisely the mission carried out by John the Baptist (Lk. 1:17), who is the foretold precursor (Mt. 11:10; 17:10-13), who incarnated "the strong character" of E.; E. was only his type. Ecch. 48:1-12 in its eulogy synthesizes the biblical data compiled thus far. It is clear therefore …
(from R. Pius, S.G.B. nell'arte, Paris 1938, pl. 66) JOHN THE BAPTIST - The winged St. John the Baptist in relation to the text Ecce... mitto angelum meum... praeparabit viam of Mal. 3, 1 applied to St. John the Baptist Mt. 11, 10; Mc. 1, 2; Lc. 7, 27. Russian painting. …
M. is cited in Lk. 1:17; Mt. 11:10, 14; 17:12; Rom. 9:13.
… immediately prepare the people for the work of the M. (Mal. 3, 1 ff.; cf. Is. 42, 6; 49, 8; Hag. 2, 9). Such a precursor, of whom Elijah (v.) is the type, "will turn the heart of the fathers toward the children" and vice versa (Mal. 4, 5 f. = Lk. 1, 16 f.; Mt. 11, 10; 17, 10-13). There is no lack of allusions to the messianic hope in Sir. 36, 6-22; 45, 22, etc.; and in Wis. 18, 4; 14, 11-14.
11:11
Antra Deserti Teneris Ab Annis
… Indeed he alone merited the praise of Christ: "I say to you in truth, among those born of woman, none has ever arisen who was greater than John the Baptist" (Mt. 11:11; and in the hymn, stanzas 3-4).
… he is not the bridegroom, but the paranymph who presents the bride to him (Jn. 3:29); he does not have Baptism in the Spirit (Mt. 3:11), but baptizes the one who gives life in the Spirit (Mt. 3:13-17); he is "the greatest among those born of woman" (Mt. 11:11).
… Nor does Christ's praise of the Precursor stand in opposition (Mt. 11, 11; Lk. 7, 28): there the comparison is not between John and all the saints in general, but between him and the prophets of the Old Testament; or, better, the praise of the Precursor …
The Gospel expression "Kingdom of heaven" presupposes that God dwells in heaven and that believers journey there (Mt. 3:2; 4:17; 5:10, 19 ff.; 8:11; 11:11-12; 13:24-47; etc.). …
11:12
… The Kingdom of God (v.) has a twofold phase, earthly and heavenly, in perfect continuity; there is only a difference of degree between them, not of nature (E. B. Allo, op. cit., p. cxiv f.). The Kingdom of God is already inaugurated (Matt. 11:12-15; 12:28; Luke 16:16; 17:20 f.; 1 Cor. 15:25); it must grow (Matt. 13:31 f.), throughout the whole world (Mark 3:13-19; 6:7-13; 13:9 f.; 16:15 f., 20; Acts 1:8; etc.), pass to the gentiles …
… Mortification is therefore indispensable, according to Christ's phrase: "The kingdom of heaven is taken by force and the violent seize it" (Matt. 11:12; cf. St. Thomas, Summ. …
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. …
11:16
… sun, that is, without d. Among the blessings promised by the prophet to Jerusalem is the spectacle of boys and girls intent on amusing themselves (Zech. 8:4). Jesus himself in the Gospel takes his cue from the games and d. of Palestinian children (Mt. 11:16-17). And nothing prevents us from imagining, as artists have often done, the very childhood of Jesus interspersed with these interludes, proper above all to the earliest age.
… He takes, for example, the occasion from certain caprices of boys, manifesting themselves in their games, to inveigh against the scribes and Pharisees (Lk. 7:31-34; Mt. 11:16-19). But in his eyes, with just evaluation, the defects are covered by the merits, and willingly therefore he sees these children beside him, to receive from them the simple and spontaneous …
11:19
Holiness of Christ and of Mary
Christ shines forth in his whole life (L. de Grandmaison, Jésus-Christ, II, 18th ed., Paris 1931, pp. 79-121); it finds no detractors, except among the scribes and Pharisees (who accused him of gluttony [Mt. 11:19], of lawlessness, particularly of violating the sabbath [Jn. 5:18; 9:16] and of blasphemy [Mk. 2:7; Mt. 26:27; Jn. 5:18]; indeed they even went so far as to call him possessed by a …
… The p. are without question sinners (Mt. 9, 10-13; 11, 19; Mk. 2, 15 ff.; Lk. 5, 29-32; 7, 34), to be placed alongside women of ill repute (Mt. 21, 31 f.). Jesus himself, adopting the language in use, pairs unbelievers and p. Nevertheless …
11:20
COROZAIN. - A city of Galilee visited several times by the Savior, but which did not receive his message and was, together with Capernaum and Bethsaida, included in the curse reported by Mt. 11:20-24; Lk. 10:12-15.
11:21
Bethsaida (Aramaic: "House of the Fisherman")
… Gospels it is called a "city." In its vicinity occurred the first multiplication of the loaves (Lk. 9:10). It was often visited by Jesus, who preached there and performed several miracles; but it remained obstinately unbelieving and was anathematized (Mt. 11:21).
… It was the ordinary dress of the prophets, preachers of penance (Is. 20:2; 2 Kings 1:8; Mt. 3:4). Along with the cilice, ashes were also used to sprinkle the head; hence the biblical expression: "to do penance in sackcloth and ashes" (Mt. 11:21). As an instrument of penance, the cilice worn on the bare skin has always been used in Christian asceticism. …
… Under what influence, if not that of the incomparable Master, in whom they ended by recognizing the beloved Son of the Father (Mt. 3:17; Mk. 1:11; Lk. 3:22; Mt. 17:5; Mk. 9:6; Lk. 9:35), his equal (Mt. 11:27), the Judge of the last day (Mt. 16:27; Mk. 8:38; Lk. 9:26; Mt. 11:21; Mk. 10:37), the teacher who imposed on them the strictest fidelity to his teaching (Mt. 28:19-20; Mk. 15:16, etc.)?
Tyre (Heb.-Phoenician Şor, Şor; cf. Şor « fortress »; Gr. Τύρος; Mod. Şūr)
In the Persian and Hellenistic age the importance of T. kept diminishing; there remained, however, the great memory of its past power, ordinarily in union with Sidon, as the allusions of the Gospel show (Mt. 11:21-22; 15:21; Mk. 3:8; 7:24, 31; Lk. 6:17; 10:13 and following), together with a certain movement in its port (Acts 21:3-7).
11:22
… Jesus often spoke of it in his preaching (Mt. 11, 22-23; 12, 41; 16, 27; 26, 64; Lk. 10, 12-14; 11, 31-32; Jn. 5, 29; 12, 48) and described its particulars with magnificence in the eschatological discourse: "When the Son of Man comes in …
The inequality of the punishments is affirmed by Scripture (Wis. 6:6-7; Mt. 10:15; 11:22; Rev. 18:7) and by the Fathers, whose thought St. Gregory the Great summarizes: « Quantum exigit culpa, tantum illic sentitur paena » (Dial. 4, 43: PL 77, 401). The Church has sanctioned …
11:23
… The Nazarenes are envious of the miracles of which C. had been the fortunate seat (Lk. 4:23); but Jesus threatens the severest punishment upon C. for its unbelief (Mt. 11:23; Lk. 10:15).
… In his preaching he indicated the candidates for gehenna in those who insult their brothers (Mt. 5, 21-26), in hypocrites (Mt. 11, 23; 23, 15; 24, 51; Lk. 10, 15), in apostates (Mt. 10, 28; Lk. 12, 5), in those who wish to serve two masters (Lk. 5, 29-30; 18, 9). Of particular force is the phrase: "And if …
… Iud., III, 8, 5). In the New Testament the f. is called ᾱᾱᾱ, whose dominion is not over the earth (cf. Wis. 1:14), but beneath it (Mt. 11:23 = Lk. 10:15; Rev. 9:1). God cast the rebel angels down into Tartarus (ἐταρτάρωσα), shutting them in those dark cavities (II Pt. 2:4); so too Enoch 10:12; 18:11-19:1; 88:1; …
The catastrophe, already presented by Moses (Deut. 29:22) as an image of the punishments that would strike the enemies of God, is often evoked in biblical tradition either with the name of S. alone (Ezek. 16:49; Matt. 11:23-24; Luke 10:12) or associated with G. (Amos 4:11; Isa. 1:9; 13:19; Jer. 23:14; 49:18; 50:40; Matt. 10:15; Rom. 9:26; Jude 7; II Pet. 2:6: an example for those who would …
11:25
… Only the small band of obscure heroes who follow Jesus to complete victory over the world savors, in silent love and torment, perfect joy (Mt. 11:25-30; Lc. 10:21; 12:32; Io. 16:20-22, 32-33; II Cor. 4:6-18; 5:14-18; 6:2-10 and cf. 7:4-6: Paul experiences in himself the divine paradox, which is not one of words, of the Beatitudes).
ma ad esso ha importanti riferimenti: cf. Mt. 11, 25-50 =
… Certain biblical statements clearly contain the concept of a truth hidden in God, naturally unknowable to anyone who is not God, and communicated to men by Jesus Christ and by the Holy Spirit (cf. Mt. 11:25-27; Jn. 1:18; 1 Cor. 2:7-16). Starting from these statements, Christian thought soon distinguished two orders of truth: those that men can know by their own intelligence, and those inaccessible …
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 happens slowly and without anyone noticing (Mt. 13:31-33; Mk. …
11:27
… from what has been said and is a truth defined against the Beguines (Council of Vienne, Denz-U, 475), Baius (ibid., 1002-1007) and Frohschammer (Pius IX, ep. Gravissimas, of 1862 to the Archbishop of Munich), founded on many explicit texts of Scripture (Mt. 11, 27; Jn. 6, 46; 1, 18; I Cor. 2, 9; I Tim. 6, 16).
… 12:8; Mk. 3:1), is judge of all men and promises eternal life to those who love him above all things (Mt. 7:22 and 25:31; 8:21 and 10:37; 19:21; Lk. 9:59 and 6:22; Mk. 10:21); only the Son knows the Father perfectly, as the Father knows the Son (Mt. 11:27 and Lk. 10:22). Peter's cry: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," at Caesarea, is a superhuman truth, manifested to the Apostle directly by the heavenly Father (Mt. …
… greater than David and Solomon (ibid. 12:41 ff.; Mk. 12:35), than the Angels (Mt. 4:11); he places himself on a par with God, completing the ancient law (ibid. 5:21 ff.), saying that he alone knows the Father and that only the Father knows him, his Son (ibid. 11:27). In St. John and in St. Paul the divinity of Jesus Christ is more than evident: Jesus is the Word, who is God from all eternity (Jn. 1:1 ff.); he is the Only-begotten of the Father …
… God a power of intercession of infinite extent and efficacy, because he has merited every grace in strict justice, but is indeed in the proper sense the sole mediator between God and men and the only way that leads to the Father (I Tim. 2:5; Io. 14:6; Mt. 11:27; Rom. 5:1; 12:24; Hebr. 10:19-25; Act. 4:12), so that any other intercession with God for men, after original sin, must be understood as subordinate to and dependent on this supreme …
… follow the C.: this is necessary in order to be his disciples, and in order not to lose oneself (Mt. 10, 38-39; Mk. 8, 34-35). Salvation depends on one's attitude toward him. He knows that he is the only mediator of salvation between God and man (cf. Mt. 11, 27; John 14, 6); no one goes to the Father except through him, who alone can reveal the Father (ibid.). …
John, Apostle, Evangelist, Saint
… Jesus knows the secret thoughts of hearts (Mt. 9:4 and par.), "he will send his angels" (Mt. 13:41); a "Johannine" passage of the Synoptics (Mt. 11:27; Lk. 10:22); Jesus "is the son of the living God" (Mt. 16:16; 26:64). In the Fourth Gospel, on the other hand, Jesus makes use of a scourge of cords (2:15); tired, he sits down (4:6); …
From these inspired texts and from the living word of the divine Master who, even in the Synoptics, attested to the perfect mutual knowledge between the Father and the Son (Mt. 11:27) and to his Trinitarian life, St. John must have drawn the essential elements of his doctrine. …
… Mk. 13:32 he specifies that "that day and hour" are known only to the Father, "neither to the angels nor to the Son": with emphasis he affirms here that the power to establish it belongs (by appropriation) to the Father (whose every secret Jesus knows: Mt. 11:27), and that what is at issue here is not theoretical information but the tremendous mystery that cannot be revealed, which "imposes unceasing vigilance." The Holy Office condemned (June …
… In this sense it was also used in biblical and theological language to designate the manifestation freely made by God of his inaccessible essence or of his designs unknown to men. The corresponding terms used by the Bible are ἀποκάλυψις (Mt. 11:27), φανέρωσις and its derivatives (Rom. 3:21), with a slight difference in meaning among them.
… Under what influence, if not that of the incomparable Master, in whom they ended by recognizing the beloved Son of the Father (Mt. 3:17; Mk. 1:11; Lk. 3:22; Mt. 17:5; Mk. 9:6; Lk. 9:35), his equal (Mt. 11:27), the Judge of the last day (Mt. 16:27; Mk. 8:38; Lk. 9:26; Mt. 11:21; Mk. 10:37), the teacher who imposed on them the strictest fidelity to his teaching (Mt. 28:19-20; Mk. 15:16, etc.)?
11:28
… Stronger than πένης ("poor" one who cannot meet the needs of life), πτωχός is the "destitute" one, who is oppressed by hardships within a society that despises and rejects him (cf. Mt. 11:28). In the Psalms (ὁ πτωχός = 'anī 19 times), the 'anāwīm are opposed to the 'anāwīm in the sense of "wicked," that is, to the rich and powerful who are their oppressors (Ps. 11:1-6); …
… The burden of prescriptions that they impose is in contrast with the yoke of J. (Mt. 11, 28-30); they crush souls with their religion of purely external works, and, arrogating to themselves the monopoly of salvation, they make those works an indispensable condition. …
… At times it offers itself as the sweetness of God (1 Pt. 2:2-3), an experience of His Goodness that relieves moral weariness (Mt. 11:28), pacifies the heart, renews the inner man (2 Cor. 4:16); at other times it arises as a sudden flame of divine love, which at the moment no longer permits one to love anything other …
11:29
… those passions according to the divine will; hence the beatitude: 'Blessed are the meek.'" Under this ascetic-supernatural aspect, meekness is a gift of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), and conforms the Christian more closely to Jesus "meek of heart" (Mt. 11:29).
11:30
… The first law is a "iugum" (iugum suave: Mt. 11:30), the second a "vinculum." Christ came to abolish the second law: "secundationem destruxit" (p. 227, 11a ed., edited by R. H. Connolly). …
11:34
… The moral life, virtue, always demands a choice, and therefore sacrifice (Mt. 7:13; 11:34; 16:24): serene equilibrium, harmony, is not obtained in this life, which is a life of struggle, but only in the next.
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.