Chapter 7
Chapter VII.
Secondly, the sublimity in the Teacher is declared in three ways.
1. And when he had finished all his words,
etc. After the Evangelist has set forth the truth of Christ's teaching, here for its commendation he manifests the sublimity of the Teacher,
which he shows to be preeminent on account of three things, namely on account of the excellence of power,
on account of the evidence of truth,
there: And this word,
etc.; and on account of the abundance of piety,
there: And one of the Pharisees asked him.
The excellence of power is shown in working great miracles; the evidence of truth, in approving true testimonies; the abundance of piety, in pardoning sins.
First, on account of the excellence of power proven through two miracles.
As to the first, it should be understood that the first part has two sections according to two miracles, of which the first is the healing of the boy about to die;
the second is the raising of the young man already dead,
which is described there: And it came to pass afterwards,
etc. For in the healing of the one about to die,
the Lord of life
is shown, who can save a perishing life; in the raising of the dead,
the Lord of death,
who can overcome death. Likewise, in the healing of the body about to die,
the Lord of bodies
is shown, who can restore the body; in the raising of the dead,
the Lord of souls,
who can recall souls to bodies.
Therefore, as to the healing of the sick boy
wondrously accomplished, the Evangelist introduces three things pertaining to the explanation of the miracle. The first is the opportunity for working the miracle.
The second is the worthiness for obtaining the remedy,
there: When he had heard of Jesus, he sent,
etc. The third is the fitness for hastening the benefit,
there: And when he was now not far off,
etc. — Now the opportunity
for working the miracle is gathered from three things, namely from the suitability of the time,
from the fitness of the place,
and from the necessity of the illness.
2. (Verse 1). First, therefore, as to the suitability of the time,
it is said: And when he had finished all his words in the hearing of the people,
that is, after the time of preaching and of perfect and complete instruction, which pertains to that Teacher, according to that passage of Ecclesiasticus forty-three: "We say many things and fall short in words; the consummation of all discourse is he himself"; he, namely, abbreviated
in the flesh, according to that passage of Isaiah ten: "The consummation abbreviated shall overflow with justice"; and twenty-eight: "I have heard a consummation and abbreviation from the Lord God of hosts"; this he said in the person of the people hearing Christ, to whom above in chapter four Christ said: "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing," namely of the Jews.
Second, as to the suitability of the place, it is added: He entered Capharnaum. It is said above in chapter four: "How many things we have heard you did in Capharnaum"; whence in Matthew eleven it is said: "And you, Capharnaum, shall you be exalted even to heaven?" Which he says on account of the many mighty works which he did there. — The reason for this is that this is a city of Galilee, which was on the border of the Gentiles and the Jews, so that Christ might be shown to be the cornerstone, according to that passage in Ephesians two: "That he might create the two in himself into one new man, making peace." And in this was fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah nine: "In the former time the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali were lightened, and in the latter time the way of the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles, was made heavy," etc.
3. (Verse 2.). Third, as to the urgency of the illness, it is added: A certain centurion's servant, being gravely ill, was about to die: and thus he had a grave illness, according to that passage in Matthew eight: "My servant lies at home paralyzed and is grievously tormented." Now he calls him a centurion who was in charge of a hundred soldiers, which they did deliberately in battles so that they might easily know the number of warriors; whence there were tribunes, centurions, commanders of fifty, and commanders of ten, who are named from the number of those over whom they preside; a tribune, however, is said to be one who presides over a thousand. And Moses was counseled to appoint these for the governance of the people; Exodus eighteen: "Appoint from among them tribunes, centurions, commanders of fifty, and commanders of ten, who shall judge the people."
This centurion, although he had many servants, held this one dear among the others, and therefore it adds: Who was precious to him, that is, affectionately beloved, according to that passage in Sirach thirty-three: "If you have a faithful servant, let him be to you as your own soul"; because, according to that passage in Proverbs seventeen, "a wise servant shall rule over foolish sons." Whence this servant, although he was sick, was nevertheless not burdensome to his master, but dear on account of his master's piety; Proverbs twelve: "The just man knows the souls of his beasts," etc.
4. (Verse 3.). And when he had heard of Jesus, etc. After the opportunity of working a miracle, the Evangelist here adds the worthiness of obtaining a remedy, which the Evangelist gathers from three things, namely from the centurion's reverence in supplicating, from the elders' confidence in petitioning, and from the Savior's clemency in condescending. Which three things, concurring together, make the sick servant worthy of finding the remedy of health.
Therefore, as regards the centurion's reverent supplication, he sets forth: And when he had heard about Jesus, not only with the ear of the body, but also with the ear of the heart, according to that passage in Romans 10: "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." And because faith causes one to approach with reverence, since it proclaims the admirable majesty of God, therefore he adds: He sent to him the elders of the Jews, as though he himself were not worthy to approach nor dared to do so — just as the children of Israel at the time of the giving of the Law, in Exodus 20, said to Moses: "Speak to us yourself; let not the Lord speak to us, lest perhaps we die." And he himself gives this reason below in the same chapter: "For which reason I did not consider myself worthy to come to you." And therefore he sent, not as lesser messengers, but as more worthy ones. And therefore he sent elders, because they are to be revered and heeded for their age and wisdom; Job 12: "In the ancient is wisdom, and in length of time, prudence." — Hence through them he was entreating the Lord, which is noted when he adds: Asking him to come and heal his servant, according to that passage in Ecclesiasticus 38: "In your sickness do not despise yourself, but pray to the Lord, and he will heal you"; and likewise another on your behalf, because, in the last chapter of James, "the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up."
5. But Matthew seems to contradict this, for he says that "the centurion himself approached the Lord."
But there is no contradiction, because, as Bede says, Matthew speaks of an approach through faith, while Luke narrates the order of events as they occurred. Augustine also says that according to common usage, one who begins to go is said to approach; and one who acts through another is also said to ask. Hence there is no contradiction; but there would be if Matthew said that he had come to him bodily in his own person, which he does not say — rather, he says something that is consistent with what Luke says, and the one explains and confirms the other.
6. (Verse 4). As regards the confident intercession of the elders, he adds: And they, when they had come to Jesus, entreated him earnestly, because they did this out of love and confidence; Romans 12: "Not slothful in solicitude, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, instant in prayer, sharing in the necessities of the saints."
And because the most powerful reason for obtaining a request is the merit of the one on whose behalf it is sought, therefore they add, saying: He is worthy that you should grant this to him; and thus you have already found what you seek, according to that passage in Wisdom 6 concerning Wisdom: "For she goes about seeking those who are worthy of her, and she shows herself to them cheerfully in the ways, and meets them with all providence."
7. (Vers. b.). And to confirm this worthiness they add: For he loves our nation,
although he is a foreigner; and therefore you, who are of our nation, ought to love him, according to what you say of yourself in Proverbs 8: "I love those who love me." — Nor does he merely "love in word or tongue, but in deed and truth"; whence they also add: And he himself built us a synagogue,
which indeed was a great benefaction and a sign of great love. Whence Gregory says of charity that "love works great things, if it exists; but if it refuses to work, it is not love." And since he gives great alms, he is worthy that you grant him a great favor, so that he may know that what is said in Sirach 12 is true: "Do good to the just, and you will find great recompense — and if not from him, certainly from the Lord"; as if they were saying: show yourself to be the Lord of our people, so that you may do for him as you did for the midwives in Exodus 1, who showed mercy to the Hebrews, of whom it is said: "Because the midwives feared God, he built them houses."
8. (Vers. 6.). As for the condescending clemency of the Savior,
it is added: And Jesus went with them,
fully satisfying their petition. Now the Lord preferred to satisfy their petition rather than the petition of the royal official in John 4, who said: "Lord, come down before my son dies," either because of the greater faith and humility
of the centurion, to whom the Lord more readily condescended, according to that passage in Jeremiah 5: "Lord, your eyes look upon faith." Or to commend humility,
according to what Ambrose says: "He was unwilling to go to the son of the royal official, lest he seem to have honored riches; but he goes to the servant of the centurion, lest he be thought to have despised a servile condition. Faith shines forth in works, when he heals; but humility works more in the affections, when he goes." Or he did this to exclude respect of persons,
according to what is said in Wisdom 6: "He himself made the small and the great, and he has equal care for all"; whence in Acts 10: "In truth I have found that God is no respecter of persons"; and therefore in James 2: "Do not, brothers, hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with respect of persons"; which happens when the rich are preferred to the poor, as is said in the same place.
9. And when he was now not far off,
etc. After the opportunity for working a miracle and the worthiness for obtaining a remedy, there is added here thirdly the fittingness of hastening the benefit,
which indeed consists in the merit of excellent faith,
whose excellence is confirmed in three ways: first, namely, from the humility of devout confession;
second, from the authority of divine testimony,
at the words: Which having heard,
etc.; and third, from the swiftness of the desired healing,
at the words: And those who had been sent returned.
As for the humility of devout confession,
note that the centurion intimates the excellence of divine power
by a sign, explains it
by word, and proves it
by argument. He indicates by a sign,
when he does not dare to receive Him; he explains by word,
when he says that He can do all things: he proves by argument,
because all things must obey Him.
10. On account of which he says: And when He was now not far from the house:
He was indeed near to the bodily house, but nearer to the house of the mind, because, according to that word of the Psalm: "The Lord is near to all who call upon Him"; whereas concerning the wicked, Jeremiah 12: "You are near to their mouth and far from their reins." This man was not such; whose sign
was preeminent humility, which he showed first by confessing his own unworthiness,
when he says: The centurion sent friends to Him, saying: Lord, do not trouble Yourself,
as if to say: I am not such that You should labor on my account and be bodily wearied, because it was laborious for Him to go, according to that word of John 4: "But Jesus, wearied from the journey, sat thus upon the well." — He did not say this because he refused the bodily presence of Christ, but on account of his own unworthiness; whence he also adds: For I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof,
which he says in consideration of his own uncleanness and sin, just as Peter also above in chapter 5: "Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man"; 2 Kings 24, Araunah said to the king: "What is the reason that my lord the king should come to his servant?" And this unworthiness was not hidden from him through pride, but was known to him through preeminent humility.
11. (Verse 7). On account of which he adds: For which reason neither did I consider myself worthy to come to You.
This judgment
is one of humility, according to that word of Philippians 2: "In humility esteeming one another as superior to themselves." This judgment was in the Apostle through true humility, who said in 1 Corinthians 15: "I am the least of the Apostles, who am not worthy to be called an Apostle." Ambrose: "Having laid aside military honor, he takes up reverence, ready for faith, prompt for giving honor." And indeed true humility does this, because, according to that word of Ecclesiasticus 3, "great is the power of God alone, and He is honored by the humble alone."
12. Whence this man not only honored the Lord by confessing his own unworthiness, but also by professing the sublimity of divine power,
when he adds: But say the word, and my servant shall be healed,
as if to say: "no word is impossible with You," for You are that Word through whom "all things were made," John 1. You are that "word that heals all things," Wisdom 16; who "are full of power," Ecclesiastes 8; who are "living and efficacious," etc., Hebrews 4. Say
therefore the word, and my servant shall be healed.
13. (Vers. 8.). And that this suffices, he shows from the lesser,
when he adds: For I also am a man set under authority,
and thus I acknowledge myself subject to others, according to that passage in Romans thirteen: "Let every soul be subject to the higher powers"; yet so subject,
that I am also set over
others. Therefore he says: Having soldiers under me,
who indeed obey my word; whence he adds: And I say to this one: Go, and he goes; and to another: Come, and he comes
without contradiction, according to that passage in Hebrews, the last chapter: "Obey your leaders and submit to them." And this he says with respect to the greater services; and with respect to the lesser he adds: And to my servant,
namely I say: Do this, and he does it:
below in chapter twelve: "Blessed is that servant whom his lord, when he comes, shall find so doing," namely, as he commanded. From which he argues that, since He Himself is under no authority and has innumerable subjects, He can heal by a word alone; in which he confesses Jesus as Lord, concerning whom Ecclesiasticus forty-two says: "All things in every necessity obey Him."
14. (Vers. 9.). But as for the authority of the divine testimony,
there is added: Having heard this, Jesus marveled,
that is, He bore Himself in the manner of one marveling, not because this was previously unknown to Him or seemed great to Him, but so that by a sign He might show that the faith of this Gentile man was great, just as that of the Gentile woman in Matthew fifteen: "O woman! great is your faith." And He manifests this by word, when He adds: And turning to the crowds that followed Him, He said,
namely to the disciples, to whom He turned with kindness to teach, according to that passage in Deuteronomy thirty-three: "Those who draw near to His feet shall receive of His teaching"; Proverbs twenty-one: "He who follows the wise shall gain wisdom."
And there follows what He said: Amen I say to you, not even in Israel have I found so great a faith, where
greater ought to be found, because they have it as by inheritance
from Abraham, of whom it is said in Genesis fifteen: "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him unto righteousness." They also have it through the Law:
John five: "If you believed Moses, you would perhaps believe me also; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe me?"
15. But how can this be understood, since the Blessed Virgin was of Israel, to whom it is said above in chapter one: "Blessed are you who believed"; and also the Apostles?
But this is said not because his faith is greater absolutely,
but with respect
had to the person. Whence Chrysostom says: "In a small word of wisdom, a rustic is praised more than a philosopher in a great one; and a boy, if he says something wisely, is praised where a more accomplished man would not be praised." So also in the matter at hand it is to be understood.
Or it can be said that He means this with respect to reverence outwardly shown; or that in this the faith of the Gentiles is understood.
16. (Vers. 10.). As to the swiftness of the desired healing, there is added: And those who had been sent returned, as if with hope of salvation obtained through the word of Christ, which he spoke, which Matthew expresses, although Luke is silent: "As you have believed, let it be done for you. And the boy was healed"; which Luke passes over in silence, because it can sufficiently be gathered from what was said before, because, as Bede says, "it is the custom of blessed Luke to abbreviate what has been fully set forth by others, or even deliberately to pass over it; but what has been said more briefly by others or omitted, he more carefully elucidates." And therefore he passes over in silence the word of the Lord, which the others relate, and tells of the return of the messengers, in order to express the swiftness of the miracle, which he intimates when he adds: They found the servant who had been sick, in good health.
Therefore the operation of power arrived before the return of the messengers, so that what is said in the Psalm might be proven true: "His word runs swiftly." Nor is this surprising, because for him there is no difference between saying and doing, as the centurion faithfully believed and confessed with his mouth: because "with the heart one believes unto justice, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." And therefore, by believing and confessing that he could do it suddenly by his word alone, he obtained this by the merit of faith, so that the Lord's promise might be shown to be fulfilled, according to that passage in Matthew twenty-one: "Whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you will receive it, and it will be done for you."
And thus the Evangelist sufficiently expressed the wondrous healing of the servant.
17. Spiritually, here according to allegory is understood the healing of the Gentile people, which is gathered from the sick person and from the intervening person and from the order of the healing. - The person indeed who was sick was of servile condition: so too was the Gentile people before the coming of Christ, because they were serving sin — according to that passage in John eight: "He who commits sin is a slave of sin," and the reason for this is stated in Second Peter two: "By whom a man is overcome, of him he is also the slave" — and on account of the sin especially of idolatry, on account of which they were slaves of weak things: Galatians four: "When we were little ones, we were serving under the elements of the world"; and afterward: "How do you turn back again to the weak and needy elements, which you desire to serve again"? He speaks to the Galatians, who had been Gentiles.
From the intervening person, who were the elders of the Jews, by whom are understood the Apostles, according to that passage in Isaiah three: "The Lord will come to judgment with the elders of the land and the princes of the people." These are the Apostles, to whom it is said in Matthew nineteen: "You also shall sit upon twelve seats, judging the twelve tribes of Israel," etc. By their intervention the Gentile people was healed, according to that passage in the last chapter of Matthew: "Go, teach all nations"; and through this they were converted to the light of Christ, by which they were illuminated and saved, according to that passage in Isaiah forty-nine: "It is a small thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to convert the dregs of Israel: I have given you as a light to the nations."
From the order of the cure,
because through the greatness of faith, which is preferred to the faith of Israel: Romans 11, "Blindness in part has happened in Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles should enter in, and so all Israel should be saved"; Acts 15: "God chose that through my mouth, says Peter, the Gentiles should hear the word of the Gospel and believe"; "and He made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith"; Romans 10: "There is no distinction between Jew and Greek"; "for everyone, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved."
18. Spiritually,
however, according to the tropology,
there is designated here the cure of the sinful man,
to which three things concur, as here. The first is the recognition of one's own infirmity,
because it is first required that a man recognize his offense; to which Jeremiah 2 exhorts: "See your ways in the valley, know what you have done"; otherwise you will not be able to be justified, as is added in the same place: "Behold, I will contend with you in judgment, because you have said: I have not sinned." Attending to this, the penitent soul says in Jeremiah 31: "Convert me, O Lord, and I shall be converted." "For after You converted me, I did penance; and after You showed me, I struck my thigh," etc. — The second is through the intervention of apostolic authority,
because it was said to Peter in Matthew 16: "And I will give to you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever you shall bind upon earth shall be bound also in heaven," etc. And in John 20 it is said to all the Apostles: "Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them," etc. Therefore it is said in Leviticus: "The priest shall pray for him, and it shall be forgiven him"; whence Hebrews 5: "Every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in the things that pertain to God, that he may offer gifts and sacrifices for sins."
The third is through the condescension of divine mercy,
approaching the house of the sick man through the infusion of grace, according to that passage in the canticle of Zechariah, above in chapter 1: "To give knowledge of salvation," etc., "through the bowels of the mercy of our God." But the grace of the Lord draws nearer to the humble, because, according to that passage in James 4, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." "For the Lord is on high and regards the lowly, and the lofty He knows from afar." Whence in the Psalm: "The Lord is near to those who are troubled in heart, and He shall save the humble of spirit"; as is said below in chapter 19 concerning Zacchaeus, who was small of stature: "Make haste and come down, for today I must abide in your house"; because He willingly condescends to the humble. Augustine: "God is on high: humble yourself, and He comes to you; exalt yourself, and He flees from you."
19. And note that Zacchaeus humbled himself in one way, the centurion in another: Zacchaeus by receiving, the centurion by not daring to receive; for in both ways reverence is shown to the Lord. Whence he does well who out of reverence frequently receives the Lord's body in the Sacrament; and he also does well who out of reverence abstains; for to both salvation is given, as to the centurion's servant and to Zacchaeus himself. Thus it is to be understood in the matter at hand.
20. And it came to pass, afterwards
etc. After the miracle of the healing of one about to die, there is here subjoined the miracle of the raising of one dead:
in which the demonstration of the excellence of the Savior is made more expressly. For the full description of this miracle, three things are introduced by the Evangelist. The first is the moving reason
with respect to the miracle to be performed:
the second is the efficient cause
with respect to the miracle in its being performed,
and this is noted there: When the Lord had seen her,
etc. The third is the subsequent efficacy
with respect to the miracle already accomplished,
there: And he who was dead sat up.
Now the reason
moving
the Lord to miraculously raise the dead man is shown in the text to be twofold, namely the instruction of the ignorant
in the intellect and the consolation of those who mourn
in the affections. And according to these, two groups are introduced in the first part, namely those accompanying him on the way,
that they might be directed by his teaching, and those meeting him at the gate,
that they might be consoled by his grace.
21. (Verse 11). First, therefore, as regards the company of the multitude to be instructed,
it is said: And it came to pass afterwards, Jesus went into a city called Nain: he went,
namely to teach, according to that passage in Matthew 4: "Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues."
And because those wishing to learn accompany the teacher, therefore he adds: And his disciples and a great multitude went with him.
For they knew that to be true which is written in Deuteronomy 33: "They who draw near to his feet shall receive of his teaching"; and that passage of Proverbs 13: "He who walks with the wise shall become wiser." And therefore it is said in Ecclesiasticus 8: "Do not despise the discourse of wise elders, and be conversant with their proverbs: for from them you shall learn wisdom and doctrine." And therefore the crowds accompany the Lord and his disciples, according to that passage of the Psalm: "Draw near to him, and be enlightened."
22. (Vers. 12.). Secondly, as regards the encounter with the multitude to be consoled,
it is added: When he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; concerning whom there was grief and mourning, because he was dead, according to that passage of Sirach twenty-two: "Weep over the dead: for his light has failed ". The mourning was even greater, because he was an only-begotten son, over whom the lamentation becomes all the more bitter as he was all the more dear; Jeremiah six: " Make for yourself the mourning of an only-begotten, a bitter lamentation "; and 2 Kings one, David mourning the dead Jonathan: "As a mother loves her only son, so I loved you". But the mourning was greatest, because the mother was utterly desolate; on account of which it says: And she was a widow, and thus already utterly desolate, lacking the consolation both of a son and of a husband. This the woman of Tekoa alleges to obtain mercy, 2 Kings fourteen: " Alas! I am a widow woman ". And therefore Jeremiah lamented the widowhood of Jerusalem, Lamentations one: " How does the city sit solitary that was full of people " etc. And for this reason many had compassion on her; whence it adds: And a large crowd of the city was with her, namely to grieve together and to console, because this was the custom of the Jews, according to that passage of John eleven: " Many of the Jews had come to Mary and Martha, to console them concerning their brother ". To all of whom this widow could say: " O all you who pass by the way, attend and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow"! shortly after: "He has made me desolate, consumed with grief all the day". And therefore she was in need of consolation.
23. (Vers. 13.). When the Lord saw her,
etc. Here the efficient cause
is touched upon with respect to the miracle in its coming-to-be,
which indeed was twofold, namely the affection of piety
in the heart inclining to compassion, and the power of majesty
in speech commanding to rise. The first regards the assumed nature; the second, the Eternal.
As to the affection of piety in the heart,
it is said: When the Lord saw her, moved with compassion,
namely as to the affection of the heart,
so that he could say that passage of Job thirty: " I wept formerly over him who was afflicted "; and thirty-one: " From my infancy compassion grew up with me ".
And because compassion hidden in affection
appears in address, he said: Do not weep,
consoling her with kind speech, according to that passage of Job twenty-nine: "I consoled the heart of the widow"; and Jeremiah thirty-one: "Let your voice cease from weeping, and your eyes from tears ".
24. (Vers. 14.). And because it is fitting that the effect of work accompany the affection of the heart and the utterance of the mouth, therefore he adds: And he came near and touched the bier, to show to all his kindness, by which he does not despise the dead, since according to the Law one who touches a dead person would be unclean, as is said in Leviticus twenty-one; and so that by touching, not by commanding, he might humbly make the bearers stop. — Whence it is added: And those who carried him stood still, namely expecting a miracle, according to what is said to Job himself in the thirty-seventh chapter: "Listen to this, Job, stand still and consider the wonders of God."
25. But as to the command of majesty in speech, it is added: And he said: Young man, I say to you: Arise; Ephesians five: "Arise, you who sleep, and rise from the dead, and Christ will enlighten you"; so that that word of John five may be verified: "The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God"; which indeed is a voice commanding and powerful to raise the dead by reason of its own power, according to that of the Psalm: "He shall give to his voice the voice of power." And rightly, because, as Augustine says, "no one so easily rouses a sleeper from sleep as Christ calls back from the tomb." Moreover, he directs this speech to the dead man, not only as something arousing, but as something restorative of hearing, to show that what is said in John eight is true: "I am the beginning, who also speak to you" — the beginning, namely by working interiorly, who speak by arousing exteriorly. Whence in Christ, because the flesh is joined to the eternal Word, the exterior voice is joined to that interior speaking, which is the principle of all creation, as is evident in the works of the six days, Genesis one; it is also the principle of all restoration; Wisdom sixteen: "Your word, O Lord, heals all things."
26. (Vers. 15.). And he who was dead sat up. Here thirdly is noted the subsequent efficacy with respect to the miracle already accomplished, which indeed is twofold according to a twofold end, namely of the work and of the intention. The first efficacy is the raising of the dead man; the second, the promotion of faith.
First therefore is designated the raising of the dead man as known to the people standing by, when he says: And he who was dead sat up, and began to speak; in which it manifestly appears that he was alive, because life is recognized in two ways, namely through sense and motion. There is no doubt that he spoke words of divine praise, which indeed belongs not to the dead but to the living, according to that which is said in the Psalm: "The dead shall not praise you, O Lord, but we who live bless the Lord."
27. And note that the raising of the girl is proven by eating, Mark five; the raising of Lazarus by walking, John eleven; the raising of the young man by speaking, as here. And eating pertains to the act of the vegetative soul, walking to the act of the sensitive soul, speaking to the act of the rational soul, so that by this threefold proof the Lord of the soul may be shown to rule according to its every power and virtue.
28. Nor was it only known to the people standing by, but also pleasing to the mother who was longing for him;
whence he adds: And he gave him to his mother,
in which he shows that he raised him for the consolation of his mother. Whence she could say that word of Anna in first Kings one: "I prayed to the Lord for this boy, and he granted me my petition." Thus Elijah handed over the resuscitated boy to his mother, saying in third Kings seventeen: "Behold, your son lives"; but that one handed over,
this one gave,
because that one was the minister of the raising, but this one is the giver of life and salvation.
29. (Verse 16.) Secondly, the promotion of faith
is designated with respect to reverence for the Creator,
when it is said: And fear seized all, and they magnified God: fear,
namely, of magnifying reverence: Job thirty-seven: "Men shall fear him, and none shall dare to contemplate, all who seem to themselves to be wise"; and Isaiah fifty-nine: "They shall fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun." And thus fearing in heart they glorified and magnified with mouth: Ecclesiasticus forty-three: "Glorifying him as much as you can, he shall still prevail beyond." "And who shall magnify him as he is from the beginning"?
30. But faith is not sufficiently promoted to reverence for the Creator without understanding of the Mediator:
and therefore with respect to that there is added: Saying: A great prophet has risen among us,
that is, Christ the Mediator, according to that passage of Deuteronomy eighteen: "The Lord will raise up a prophet for you from your brethren like me; him you shall hear." And because God has visited his people,
namely through Christ the Redeemer, according to that passage of Zechariah, above in chapter one: "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, because he has visited and wrought the redemption of his people"; and this according to that passage of Genesis, the last chapter: "After my death the Lord will visit you and lead you out of this place"; which is understood concerning the visitation through Christ the Mediator.
And thus it appears from the foregoing how he was manifested with respect to the excellence of his power.
31. According to the spiritual understanding,
note that a threefold state is designated in the course of this miracle, namely the state of justice
in the Lord's company; the state of injustice
in the dead young man; and the state of penance
in the same one raised to life.
The state of justice is designated in Christ and his company. For the state of the just is threefold, namely of contemplation, prelacy, and action. The state of prelates is designated in Christ, of whom it is said in John 10: "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep"; where he shows in himself the form of right prelacy. — The state of contemplatives is designated in the disciples, who are admitted to the mountain at the transfiguration of the Lord, according to that passage of Matthew 17: "Jesus took Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them"; and below, in chapter 10: "Turning to his disciples he said: Blessed are the eyes that see what you see"; this is said to contemplatives.
The state of actives is designated in the crowd, which is tossed about in the waves of the world; below, in chapter 10: "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things"; because, as is said in John 16, "in the world you will have tribulation: but take courage, I have overcome the world." — Concerning this threefold state of justice it is said figuratively in Ezekiel 14: "If Noah, Daniel, and Job were in the midst of it, they indeed will deliver their own souls," etc. By Noah are understood prelates; by Daniel, to whom was given the understanding of visions, contemplatives; by Job, actives.
32. The state of fault, however, is designated in the dead youth, of which there is a threefold degree: the first in interior affection; the second, in exterior operation; the third, in habit or obstinacy. These three states are designated by the three dead persons raised by the Lord, both by reason of places and by reason of ages.
For the state of those sinning in the heart is designated by the girl who died in the house, of whom we read in Mark 5.
The state of those sinning in deed is designated by the youth who was found at the gate of the city, because sin has already gone forth and become manifest; of whom we read here.
The state of those sinning through habit and obstinacy is designated by Lazarus, already lying in manly age, already four days dead and stinking in the tomb, in John 11.
To these three correspond three dead persons raised in the Old Testament, namely the little boy raised by Elisha, the son of the Shunammite woman, in Fourth Kings 4; the youth, the son of the woman of Zarephath, raised by Elijah, in Third Kings 17; and the man, raised by the dead Elisha, in Fourth Kings 13. In these three are designated the three aforementioned states.
Also in these three, the three roots of sins can be designated, because one died from the languor of illness, in which is signified the concupiscence of the flesh; another from the heat of the sun, in which is signified the cupidity of the world; the third invisibly, in which is signified the pride of life.
Now the state of penance
is designated in the raised youth,
of whom it is said that he sat up and began to speak and was restored to his mother. He sat up
indeed through contrition, which lifts the head from the ground: in the Psalm: "Rise up after you have sat, you who eat the bread of sorrow"; and according to that passage of Jeremiah 15: "I sat alone, because you have filled me with bitterness." He began to speak,
through confession: Job 10: "I will speak in the bitterness of my soul, I will say to God: Do not condemn me"; and chapter 7: "I will not spare my mouth, I will speak in the tribulation of my spirit, I will converse in the bitterness of my soul." He was restored to his mother,
the Church, through satisfaction, because to make satisfaction
is to render what is owed, not only to God the Father, but also to mother Church: in whose figure it is said in 4 Kings 4: "Take this child and bring him to his mother." And just as a mother gladly receives her raised son, so Christ and the Church joyfully receive the penitent sinner: below in chapter 15: "It was fitting to feast and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come back to life."
Second, the sublimity of the Teacher is declared on account of the evidence of truth through the testimony of the Forerunner.
33. And this word went forth
etc. After the excellence of power in Christ has been sufficiently shown through the greatness of the twofold miracle, here secondly is shown the evidence of truth
in the same through the certainty of truthful testimony, which was indeed the testimony of the Forerunner.
Now for the certification of this testimony, one can and ought to proceed in two ways: either through the proof of the truth itself in itself,
or through the approbation of virtue in the one testifying.
The first regards the Forerunner's teaching,
the second regards the Forerunner's life,
both of which contribute to the corroboration of the testimony. First therefore in this part it is shown that the Forerunner's testimony is true;
second, that the merit of the one testifying is great,
at the passage: And when the messengers
of John had departed
etc.
Now concerning the first, namely the truth of the testimony to be corroborated, two things are introduced. The first is the question of the Forerunner;
the second is the response of the Savior,
at the passage: Now in that very hour he cured many
etc. Now John asks of him to whom he had borne testimony, not in order to remove doubt, but in order to confirm the testimony through an infallible argument.
Now the question itself is proposed in this order. For first is introduced the occasion of the question;
second, the putting forth of the question;
third, the announcement of the question put forth.
34. (Vers. 17.). Therefore, first is introduced the occasion of seeking from the proclamation of Christ's name: with respect to which it is said: And this report went out, namely concerning the raising of the dead man, into all Judea concerning him and into the entire surrounding region, so that all could say that word of Job twenty-eight: "With our ears we have heard the fame of him"; and Joshua nine: "We have heard the fame of his power," namely of your God: whence also in Matthew four it is said that "his fame went throughout all Syria." A figure of this preceded in King Uzziah: Second Chronicles twenty-six: "His name went out far abroad, because the Lord helped him and strengthened him."
35. (Vers. 18.). Now this proclamation of fame, although it was for many a cause of believing, was nevertheless for some an occasion of derision, as for the disciples of John, with respect to whom it is added: And his disciples reported to John concerning all these things. Bede: "Not with a simple heart, but spurred by envy, as elsewhere, namely in John three, they complain saying: Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—behold, he baptizes, and all come to him. Concerning such persons, in Philippians one: "Some preach Christ out of contention, not sincerely." From this therefore was taken the occasion of inquiring whether he himself was the one whom John had foretold, both for the sake of uprooting the envy of the disciples, and for the sake of putting the contention to rest, and for the sake of removing their doubt, and also for the sake of now more clearly spreading abroad the truth itself.
36. (Vers. 19.). There follows therefore secondly the putting forth of the question from John's office, when it is said: And John called two of his disciples and sent them to Jesus. For this pertains to his office, the sending of disciples to Christ. For it is the office of the Precursor to send to Christ equally by word and by office, that is, both by preaching and by baptizing, according to what is said in Acts nineteen: "John baptized with the baptism of penance, saying that they should believe in him who was to come." Whence the Gloss: "He sent them to Jesus, so that by this occasion they might see the signs, and being corrected might believe in him." And Ambrose: "He sent his disciples to Christ, so that they might attain the supplement of knowledge, because Christ is the fullness of the Law, and because words without deeds usually waver, so that a fuller faith might be displayed through the testimonies of deeds than through the pledges of words." Whence he was sending them to the Truth, so that they themselves might be made certain through the truth, and having been made certain might render testimony to the truth; and therefore he sent two, because, according to that passage in John eight, you say that "the testimony of two men is true." — Because, however, they still doubted, therefore he gives them the form of inquiry, when it is added: Saying: Are you he who is to come, that is, whom I foretold was to come: John one; "After me comes he who was made before me," and in the other Evangelists. Or do we look for another? As if to say: if you are he, then another is not to be expected, lest perchance, if we look for another, we receive not Christ but antichrist, concerning whom the Lord says to the unbelieving Jews in John five: "I came in the name of my Father, and you did not receive me; if another shall come in his own name, him you will receive."
37. (Vers. 20.). There is subjoined moreover thirdly the report of the question put forth through the ministry of the disciples, when it is added: And when the men had come to him. These two men were prefigured by the two spies sent beyond the Jordan, Joshua two. These are called men, because they manfully and faithfully fulfilled what had been commanded to them. Whence it is added: They said: John the Baptist sent us to you, so that we might inquire of you in his person.
Which he notes, when he adds: Saying: Are you he who is to come, or do we look for another? Whence note that this question is proposed by the disciples in the person of John, to show that the disciples bear a doubting mind within themselves, but through John are directed to Christ.
Hence John did not pose the question on his own account, because he did not doubt in himself, but in his disciples. And this is what Chrysostom says: "Since he had learned by the Spirit, who had heard the voice of the Father, who had preached to the rest, who had borne witness, how could he doubt after so many miracles, through which he had become known to many? Had he perhaps become more timid on account of his imprisonment? Far be it, since the Lord says of him that he is not a reed shaken by the wind." Hence he did not doubt, but put forth the words of one doubting for the certainty of his disciples, just as it is said in John 11: "Where have you laid him?" and in John 6: "Whence shall we buy bread?"
Gregory, however, holds that he doubted and inquired not about the first coming, of which he was certain, but about the descent into hell, in which he still had to precede Christ. Ambrose, for his part, holds that he doubted not from unbelief or slowness, like the disciples, "but from a certain piety," as is said in the Gloss.
38. (Verse 21). In that very hour, etc. After the question proposed, he adds the solution to the question, for the removal of the disciples' doubt and the confirmation of John's testimony. In which the Lord responds most perfectly, namely to the question and to the one asking and to every objector.
First indeed he responds to the question by performing miracles, through which it is proved that he himself is the Christ or Messiah; and on this account it is said: In that very hour, namely of the arrival of the disciples, which was indeed the hour for making truth known, according to that passage in Romans 13: "It is the hour for us now to rise from sleep," etc.; therefore in this hour, to make the truth known, he healed many. As a figure of this, it is said of Simon, the son of Onias, in Sirach 50: "He healed his nation and delivered it from destruction." And because the power of miracles is considered not only in the multitude of those healed and on the part of the persons, but also on the part of the diseases, therefore it is added that he healed from manifold illness, namely from infirmities, with regard to the prolonged nature of disease: Sirach 10: "A prolonged illness burdens the physician. A brief illness the physician cuts short," so that thus might be fulfilled that passage of Isaiah 53: "Truly he himself bore our infirmities and he himself carried our sicknesses."
- From afflictions, with regard to the severity of disease, according to that passage in Jeremiah 30: "With the blow of an enemy I have struck you, with cruel chastisement." From these the Lord healed, as is petitioned in the Psalm: "Remove from me your scourges," etc.
And from evil spirits,
as regards the assault of external violence,
which occurs through an evil spirit: 1 Kings sixteen: "An evil spirit from the Lord troubled Saul." - And to many who were blind he gave sight,
in which is noted the defect of intrinsic power,
so that that word of Isaiah twenty-nine might be fulfilled: "Out of darkness and gloom the eyes of the blind shall see." And through these things he manifests that he is the one who was to come: John five: "You sent to John, and he bore witness to the truth. But I have a greater testimony." "And the works that I do, they bear witness of me."
39. (Verse 22.) Second, he responds to the questioner
by declaring the wonders seen and heard by the disciples; on account of which he says: And answering he said to them: Go and report to John what you have heard and seen,
because, as is said in Tobit twelve, "it is honorable to reveal and confess the works of God." He commands them to declare what they have seen and heard, because these two senses show us very many distinctions, so that in this the more perfect faith of John is shown, who believed by hearing alone, than that of those who saw and believed, according to that word in John twenty concerning Thomas, to whom it is said: "Because you have seen me, Thomas, you have believed. Blessed are they who have not seen and have believed."
40. Moreover, he commands them to narrate the wonders, which are indeed the principal miracles on account of their impossibility with respect to created power, such as the restoration of sight, the rectification of gait, the cleansing of the whole body, the repair of hearing, the restoration of life,
and the relief of poverty.
As regards the restoration of sight,
he says: The blind see:
Isaiah thirty-five: "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened," namely at the coming of Christ: John nine: "From the beginning of the world it has not been heard that anyone opened the eyes of one born blind."
As regards the rectification of gait,
it is said: The lame walk:
Micah four: "In that day I will gather her that limps, and her whom I had cast out, I will collect"; Isaiah thirty-five: "Then shall the lame leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute shall be opened."
As regards the cleansing of the whole body,
it is said: Lepers are cleansed,
as below in chapter seventeen ten lepers are read to have been cleansed, and as is said in Job fourteen: "Who can make clean what is conceived of unclean seed? Is it not you alone?" You therefore, who do this, are the one who is to come.
As for the opening of hearing,
it is added: The deaf hear.
Isaiah thirty-five: "The ears of the deaf shall be opened," namely at the coming of Christ, according to that passage of Mark seven: "He has done all things well: he has made both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak." — As for the restoration of life,
it is said: The dead rise again,
according to that passage of Ezekiel thirty-seven: "You shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall have opened your graves and brought you forth from your tombs and given my spirit in you, and you shall live," and this is at the coming of Christ; John five: "The hour comes, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God."
Lastly, as for the relief of destitution,
it is added: The poor have the Gospel preached to them,
that is, they are proclaimed and exalted through the Gospel; which is evident, because the discourse of the Lord began with the commendation of the poor: Matthew five: "Blessed are the poor," and above in chapter six. And this was a certain sign of the coming of Christ, according to that passage of Isaiah twenty-nine: "The poor among men shall exult in the Holy One of Israel"; because, as it is said in the last chapter of Isaiah, "To whom shall I look but to the poor little one, contrite in spirit," etc. And James two: "Has not God chosen the poor in this world," etc.; because of Christ himself it was said: "He shall spare the poor and needy and shall save the souls of the poor"; and afterward: "And their name shall be honorable before him." And it was a great wonder that the name of the poor should become honorable and lovable and worthy of proclamation — which came about only through Jesus, who made himself poor in order to enrich and honor us who are poor; Second Corinthians eight: "You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor, though he was rich."
41. And note that he says The poor have the Gospel preached to them
rather than virgins or the obedient, because poverty is the foundation of evangelical perfection. For the foundation of the city of Babylon is avarice, according to that passage of First Timothy, the last chapter: "The root of all evils is covetousness"; and "pride is the beginning of all sin," as it is said in Ecclesiasticus ten; so poverty of spirit, which includes the opposite of both, namely poverty and humility, is the foundation
of evangelical perfection; it is also the consummation
of the same, according to that passage of Second Corinthians eight: "Their most profound poverty abounded unto the riches of their simplicity."
42. And note that poverty is to be proclaimed in the Gospel and is worthy of preaching on account of ten most excellent dignities.
First, on account of the understanding of one's own weakness.
Lamentations three: "I am the man who sees my poverty," etc.; against which, concerning the rich man, Revelation three: "You say: I am rich and made wealthy and have need of nothing, and you know not that you are wretched," etc.
Second, on account of the excellence of gratuitous virtue:
Second Corinthians 8: "The most profound poverty etc."; and Genesis 41: "The Lord has made me to grow in the land of my poverty." -Third, on account of the abundance of interior gladness:
Isaiah 29: "The poor among men shall exult in the Holy One of Israel"; and in the Psalm: "Let the poor see and be glad; seek God, and your soul shall live." - Fourth, on account of the fullness of abounding sufficiency:
Tobit 5: "Our poverty was sufficient for us" etc.; and again Proverbs 12: "Better is a poor man who suffices for himself than one who boasts and lacks bread"; on the contrary, Sirach 14: "The eye of the covetous is insatiable." Fifth, on account of the safeguard of heavenly protection:
Proverbs 22: "Do not do violence to the poor because he is poor, nor crush the needy at the gate, for the Lord will judge his cause and will pierce those who have pierced him"; Job 5: "He will save the needy from the sword of their mouth and the poor from the hand of the violent"; and the Psalm: "The Lord has become a refuge for the poor, a helper in due times, in tribulation."
43. Sixth, on account of the good pleasure of divine acceptance:
Isaiah, the last chapter: "Upon whom shall I look but upon the poor little one" etc.; and in the Psalm: "His eyes look upon the poor"; and Sirach 11: "There is a man who is feeble"; "and abounding in poverty, and the eye of God has looked upon him for good and has raised him up from his lowliness."
Seventh, on account of the condescension of paternal piety:
the Psalm: "This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him"; again: "Because of the misery of the destitute and the groaning of the poor, now I will arise"; and again: "He will spare the poor and the needy."
Eighth, on account of the eminence of judicial authority:
Job 36: "He does not save the wicked, and he grants judgment to the poor"; Matthew 19: "You who have left all things shall sit upon thrones" etc.
Ninth, on account of the evidence of proven perfection:
Isaiah 48: "I have chosen you in the furnace of poverty"; and Revelation 2: "I know your tribulation and your poverty, but you are blasphemed by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan" etc.
Tenth, on account of the excellence of royal preeminence:
James 2: "Has not God chosen the poor of this world as heirs of the kingdom which God has promised to those who love him?" Matthew 5: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." - If therefore the class of the poor is the most despised and the class of the rich the most exalted, it is a most excellent miracle that the poor are evangelized as kings.
44. (Vers. 23.). Finally, however, he responds to every one who contradicts, suppressing rash judgments, which cast men headlong into various scandals. On account of which he adds: And blessed is he who shall not be scandalized in me, that is, who shall not have judged me to be a mere man and not God, in consideration of the weakness assumed: which indeed was very difficult, nay impossible, for one who did not believe: whence First Corinthians 1: "We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews indeed a scandal, but to the Gentiles foolishness." But some were scandalized on account of weakness, as were the disciples: Matthew 26: "You will all suffer scandal in me this night"; but some from malice, as the scribes and Pharisees, according to that of Matthew 15: "Do you know that the Pharisees, when they heard this word, were scandalized?" Whence this is a general instruction for all who wish to know Christ, that on account of the infirmities which he suffered, they should not fall into scandal, according to that of Isaiah 8: "Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself, and he shall be to you for sanctification; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of scandal to the two houses of Israel, and for a ruin to the inhabitants of Jerusalem." And therefore he rightly calls such a one blessed, because he avoids the danger of error and arrives at the light of truth, as Peter, to whom it is said in Matthew 16: "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona, for flesh and blood has not revealed it to you," etc.
45. Spiritually, note here that from the cure of diseases presently exhibited is understood the perfect cure from original sin; but from the cure of diseases reported to John, the perfect cure from actual sin.
As to the cure from original sin, note that for one to be perfectly cured, it is necessary that a cure and healing be accomplished from four things which were inflicted on account of original sin, namely from concupiscence, impotence, malice, and ignorance. And these four are designated by the cure of four kinds of infirmities. For concupiscence is understood by languor, on account of its universal adherence, according to that of Isaiah 1: "Every head is languid, and every heart is sorrowful." Impotence, by the wound: Jeremiah 10: "Woe to me for my destruction! My wound is most grievous." By the evil spirit is understood wickedness; First Kings 16: "An evil spirit troubled Saul." By blindness, ignorance: Isaiah 59: "We have groped as blind men at noonday"; and Isaiah 56: "His watchmen are all blind."
In the cure, therefore, of this fourfold infirmity is understood the perfect cure of original sin.
46. As for the perfect cure from actual sin, note that in the consummation of impiety in actual sin there are five degrees. The first is deviation in choosing, and this is designated by blindness: Lamentations 4: "The blind have wandered in the streets"; because "error and darkness were created together with sinners," according to Sirach 11.
The second is disorder in pursuing, which is understood through the lame: Psalm: "Strange children have grown old and have limped from their paths"; whence 3 Kings 18: "How long do you halt between two sides?" etc.
The third is contagion in associating, which is understood through leprosy: Deuteronomy 24: "Observe diligently, lest you incur the plague of leprosy"; Ezekiel 36: "Be cleansed from all your defilements."
The fourth is obstinacy in persisting, which is understood through deafness, according to the Psalm: "Like the deaf asp that stops its ears."
The fifth is despair in despising, because "the wicked man, when he has come into the depth of sins, despises," Proverbs 18. And this is designated by death: Isaiah 28: "We have struck a covenant with death"; and this "is the sin unto death," of which is spoken in 1 John 5.
From all these the power of Christ cures through his grace, which was designated in the pool, of which it is said in John 5, that "the Angel of the Lord descended, and the water was moved, and whoever descended first was made whole, from whatever infirmity held him." And this is "the power that went out from him and healed all," according to what is said above in chapter six.
47. And when they had departed etc. Above he confirmed the testimony of John through the evidence of truth in himself; here secondly he confirms it through the evidence of virtue in John who testified. And this part has two parts, in the first of which the prerogative of virtue in John is extolled in manifold ways; while in the second the perfidy of unbelief in the people is rebuked, at the words: To whom then shall I compare the men of this generation? Moreover, the prerogative of virtue is shown to have been fourfold in John: first, namely, as regards the merit of life; second, as regards the office of teaching, at the words: But what did you go out to see? A prophet etc.; third, as regards the gift of grace, at the words: For I say to you: Among those born of women etc.; fourth, as regards the proclamation of renown, at the words: And all the people hearing etc.
As regards the first, it should be noted that the merit of life is commended in John in two ways: first, as regards constancy in the face of difficulties; second, as regards abstinence in respect of pleasurable things.
48. (Verse 24). There is therefore first introduced a commendation of the constancy of John in the absence of the disciples: on account of which he says: And when the messengers of John had departed, having obtained the resolution of the question, returning as good messengers to him by whom they had been sent: concerning whom Job thirty-eight says: "Will you send forth lightnings, and will they go, and returning say to you: We are here?"
In their absence John ought to be praised, so that the praise may be shown to be true, not adulatory: therefore it is said: He began to speak about John to the crowds: he began indeed to praise him to the crowds, lest John should seem to have sent his disciples to Christ out of doubt.
Therefore he begins to commend him for constancy: What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed shaken by the wind? As if to say: John is not like a reed, so as to tremble and be shaken by any impulse, but strong and fixed in faith and in all goodness: according to what James one says: "Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering: for he who wavers is like a wave of the sea, which is moved and carried about by the wind." "But a double-minded man is inconstant in all his ways." Such truly is a reed, but John was not such, since he was most holy, since it is said in Ecclesiasticus twenty-seven: "A holy man remains in wisdom like the sun: for a fool is changed like the moon." Such are all the Saints, according to that passage in Ephesians four: "Let us not be little children, tossed about and carried around by every wind of doctrine in the wickedness of men." Therefore Paul entreated in Second Thessalonians two: "We beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you be not quickly moved from your understanding." But whoever wishes to attain this constancy must leave the world and go out to John in the desert, according to what is said in First Maccabees two: "Mattathias cried out with a loud voice: Everyone who has zeal for the Law, let him go out after me"; and it follows that "many went out into the desert."
49. (Vers. 28.). Secondly, there is added the commendation of John's abstinence
with respect to pleasurable things; on account of which he says: But what did you go out to see?
that is, to consider: A man clothed in soft garments
? as if to say: no. For John, most holy, was a stranger to all softness of carnality, as is said in Matthew 3: "Now John had a garment of camel's hair, and his food was locusts." He was truly of the number of evangelical men, in whose person it is said in 1 Timothy 6: "Having food and wherewith to be covered, let us be content with these"; wherewith to be covered
he says, not: wherewith to be adorned. Bernard to Eugenius: "The Apostles were mighty in battle, not soft in silk; and if you are a son of the Apostles and Prophets, do you likewise." But whoever wishes to do this must forsake the world and go out into the desert with John. — On account of which he adds: Behold, those who are in costly apparel and in delicacies are in the houses of kings: as if to say: costly apparel and a luxurious life belong to worldly men, not to spiritual men and Christians. Whence in 1 Peter 3 it is said of women: "Whose adorning let it not be the outward plaiting of the hair, or the wearing of gold and silver, or the putting on of apparel." On which Gregory says: "Let no one think that there is no sin in the wearing of costly garments. Consider what fault it is that even men should desire that from which the pastor of the Church took care to prohibit even women." For costly garments of this kind are carnal and luxurious, but in delicacies the spiritual life is imperiled; whence 1 Timothy 5: "The widow who lives in delicacies is dead while living"; Jeremiah 31: "How long will you be dissolved in delicacies, O wandering daughter"? Moreover, costly and luxurious garments of this kind are customarily an occasion of vainglory; and therefore he adds: They are in the houses of kings:
concerning which Sirach 11: "Never glory in clothing, nor exalt yourself in the day of your honor."
50. (Vers. 26.). But what did you go out to see?
After the Savior commended John with respect to the merit of his life, here he commends him with respect to the office of teaching,
and in right order, because a good life ought to come before authoritative teaching. Moreover, the office of teaching
is commended in John in two ways, namely with respect to clarity in knowing
and with respect to authority in teaching,
which two things render the office of a teacher perfect.
First, therefore, as regards limpidity in knowing the divine mystery, it is said: But what did you go out to see? A Prophet? to whom, namely, the Lord reveals future things, according to that passage in Amos 3: "For the Lord God does nothing without first revealing His secret to His servants the Prophets." But to this one He not only foretold future things, but also showed Himself in present reality; and therefore He adds: Yes, I say to you, and more than a Prophet. Concerning whom Ambrose says: "Because many desired to see Him whom this one prophesied, whom this one beheld, whom this one baptized"; therefore, by pointing out Christ with his finger and seeing Him with his eye, he was more excellent and more blessed than the other Prophets, according to that passage below in chapter 10: "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you that many Prophets and kings wished to see what you see, and did not see it." And therefore, because his office was more excellent than that of the Prophets, the Baptist, in John 1, when the Pharisees asked: "Are you the Prophet?" answers: "I am not, but the voice of one crying in the wilderness." Nor is there any contradiction, but rather harmony, because a prophet foretells future and absent things, but a voice makes manifest things present.
51. (Vers. 27.). Second, as regards authority in teaching through divine mandate, it is said: This is he of whom it is written, namely in Malachi 3, where the Father speaks to the Son: "Behold, I send my angel," that is, my authoritative messenger, John, who is called an angel not by simplicity of nature but by the authority of his teaching, according to that passage in Malachi 2: "The lips of the priest shall guard knowledge, and they shall seek the law from his mouth, because he is the angel of the Lord of hosts." John is therefore called a messenger in the manner of an Angel because, just as the Angels "see the face of the Father" in the Godhead, so he himself saw the face of Christ and pointed Him out in the flesh. — On account of which He adds: Before your face, that is, your appearance in the flesh, concerning which it is said in the Psalm: "Show us your face, and we shall be saved." This face Isaiah desired in the person of the Fathers, in chapter 64: "Would that you would rend the heavens and come down; the mountains would melt before your face." — And because they were not prepared to receive that face unless they were forewarned, therefore it is said: Who has prepared your way before you, namely by being born, by living among men, by baptizing, by preaching. For in all these ways he was joined to Christ, as a voice to a word. Therefore it was rightly said of him in Isaiah 40, and taken up above in chapter 3 and in John 1: "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord"; so that that passage in Isaiah 35 may be fulfilled: "There shall be for you a straight way, so that fools may not err along it."
52. (Vers. 28.). For I say to you: Greater
etc. Here thirdly Christ commends his precursor with regard to the gift of divine grace,
by which he was "great before the Lord," according to what is said above in chapter one. And since the gift of grace in John had a prerogative
in degree
and a measure
of limitation in status:
therefore he intimates these two things when he commends the gift of grace in John.
First, therefore, he commends John with regard to the prerogative of the gratuitous gift
in respect of a mere man, when he says: For I say to you: Among those born of women there is no greater prophet than John the Baptist.
He is not, therefore, among men in the degree of grace
at the lowest or middle level; it is necessary, therefore, that he be at the highest. Whence from this it is said not only that he is great, but that he is the greatest, so that what is said of Joshua in Ecclesiasticus forty-six can be said of him: "Who was great according to his name, greatest in saving the elect of God." For because he had great grace, therefore he was called John.
He was also great through the merit of his life,
greater through the mastery of his teaching,
greatest through the privilege of grace.
However, he is not said to be greater than all,
so as to be preferred
above all, but that no other was greater than he; nor is this said of all universally
past and future, but of those then past. Nor is it said with respect to both sexes,
but only the male; whence the Virgin Mary is not included, who "was exalted above the choirs of Angels," having no pure creature superior to her nor even equal, according to that passage of Song of Songs six: "One is my dove, my perfect one, she is the only one of her mother, the chosen one of her who bore her."
53. Secondly, he intimates the measure of that gift
with respect to the man Christ, with regard to whom he says: But he who is lesser in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. The kingdom of heaven
here he calls the Church, according to how Gregory expounds that passage of Matthew thirteen: "He will send his Angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all scandals." The lesser
in this kingdom is called the more humble; but this is Christ, of whom it is said in the Psalm: "You diminished him a little less than the Angels, with glory and honor you crowned him." For because, as is said in Philippians two, "he humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death," "the Lord gave him the name which is above every name." And thus was verified that passage of Isaiah sixty: "The least shall become a thousand, and a little one a most strong nation." And this is the divine law which he himself gave in Matthew eighteen: "Whoever shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven." Thus indeed, nay rather in every way Christ humbled himself more: below in chapter twenty-two: "Who is greater, he who reclines at table, or he who serves? But I am in the midst of you as one who serves." Whence Gregory says: "Humble yourself as much as you can; Christ will still be more humble."
It could nevertheless be explained concerning the Blessed, that the least of the good Angels would be greater than John for that state: for there is "a fire of charity in Zion, and a furnace in Jerusalem," Isaiah thirty-one.
54. (Vers. 29.). And all the people hearing
etc. Here fourthly, so that nothing may be lacking to the commendation of John, he is commended by the Lord with respect to the proclamation of his fame.
And since the fame of the good is salutary to the elect and pernicious to the reprobate, according to that passage of Second Corinthians two: "We are the good odor of Christ unto God, in those who are saved and in those who perish:
to some indeed the odor of death unto death, to others the odor of life unto life"; therefore he commends in a twofold manner the proclamation of fame in John: first by showing it salutary to believers,
second deadly to despisers.
For to the first John appeared praiseworthy, but to the second contemptible: the first were humble and the second proud.
First therefore he introduces the commendation of John from the humble who assented, when he says: And all the people hearing,
namely John preaching, justified God,
that is, declared Him to be just, showing themselves to be unjust, confessing their sins, according to that passage of the Psalm: "That you may be justified in your words and may overcome when you are judged." For the sinner, when he confesses his sin, declares God just
and justifies
himself, according to that passage of Isaiah forty-three: "Tell, if you have anything, that you may be justified"; another translation: "Declare you first your iniquities, that you may be justified." And in this manner the publicans and sinners did, hearing John, according to that passage of Matthew three: "All Jerusalem went out to him, and all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan, to be baptized by him, confessing their sins." For these two things are required for the justification of sinners, namely penance and baptism. - And therefore he adds: Having been baptized with the baptism of John:
above in chapter three: "And the publicans also came to be baptized," seeking from him what they should do: whence by sign and word they approved John as an angel of God and held his name in glory. Whence when the Lord asked of the Pharisees in Matthew twenty-one: "The baptism of John, whence was it, from heaven or from men?" they said among themselves: "If we say: From heaven, he will say to us: Why then did you not believe him? But if we say: From men, we fear the crowd: for all held John as a Prophet." And therefore it is added: "The publicans and harlots shall go before you into the kingdom of heaven."
55. (Vers. 30.). Second, he adds the contempt of John by the proud Pharisees, when he says: But the Pharisees, in whom was the pride of sanctity, and the experts of the law, in whom was the arrogance of knowledge of the truth, despised the counsel of God against themselves, not having been baptized by him, because, according to that passage below in chapter ten, "he who despises you despises me." Whence those who despised John, who was God's messenger, despised the divine counsel. Such were the Pharisees, so that the Wisdom of God could reproach them: "You have despised all our counsel"; and that passage of Isaiah chapter one was verified in them: "I have nourished and brought up children, but they have despised me." And therefore the Apostle counseled in First Thessalonians, last chapter: "Do not quench the Spirit, do not despise prophecies." - But in this they despised the divine counsel, because they refused baptism, through which divine wisdom counseled for human salvation. A figure of this preceded in the ark of Noah constructed during the flood, Genesis chapter six. On account of which it is said in First Peter chapter three: "Which also now saves you in a similar form, namely baptism."
56. And note that the Pharisees despised the counsel of God against themselves for six reasons. First, because they preferred human statutes to divine ones: Matthew chapter fifteen: "Why do you transgress the Law of God for the sake of your tradition?" - Second, because they preferred the justice of the Law to the justice of faith: Romans chapter ten: "Being ignorant of God's justice and seeking to establish their own," etc.
Third, because they preferred appearance to truth: Matthew chapter twenty-three: "Woe to you! who cleanse what is on the outside." - Fourth, because they preferred affluence to poverty: below in chapter sixteen: "The Pharisees, who were avaricious, heard all these things and derided him," etc. - Fifth, because they preferred vain glory to humility: John chapter twelve: "They loved the glory of men more than the glory of God."
Sixth, because they preferred advantage to uprightness: Matthew chapter twenty-three: "Woe to you! who say: Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obligated. Fools and blind," etc.
57. (Vers. 31.). But the Lord said: To whom then shall I liken etc. After our Savior extolled the prerogative of virtue in John, here he rebukes the perfidy of unbelief in the people, whose unbelief he rebukes in four ways. For he charges them with infidelity, with hardness, with detraction, and with blasphemy.
First, therefore, as regards the mark of unbelief in thought, it is said: To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and to what are they like? — who, namely, refused to believe John on account of the blindness of their mind; of this, I say, unbelieving generation, according to that passage of Deuteronomy thirty-two: "For it is a perverse generation and unfaithful children"; and Mark nine: "O unbelieving generation! How long shall I be with you? How long shall I endure you?" The Psalm: "Let them not become, like their fathers, a depraved and rebellious generation, a generation that did not direct its heart aright, and whose spirit was not faithful with God." And therefore Jeremiah two: "Consider earnestly whether a nation has changed its gods; but my people have changed their glory for an idol."
58. (Verse 32). Second, as regards the mark of hardness in affection, he adds: They are like children, where he adjoins a similitude through which their hardness is shown, because they were moved neither by the song of promises nor by the lamentation of threats, just as foolish children in the marketplace do not respond to others, neither to those singing nor to those lamenting — whom he introduces by way of similitude. For which reason he says: They are like children sitting in the marketplace. Likewise it befits them to be told and reproached with what children sitting in the marketplace reproach their companions with. For which reason he adds: Speaking to one another and saying: We piped to you, and you did not dance: because thus preachers can say to them: We piped to you, namely by sounding forth the promises of God; and you did not dance, by making progress. And the comparison is fitting, because the preacher is compared to a piper, according to that passage of Isaiah fifty-eight: "Cry out, do not cease; lift up your voice like a trumpet"; and Jeremiah four: "Sound the trumpet in Zion." Nor undeservedly, because, Ecclesiasticus forty, "the pipe and the psaltery make a sweet melody, and above both a pleasant tongue." At these things the hard of heart are not moved, nor do they dance through progress in good works; concerning which leaping, Malachi four: "You shall go forth and leap like a calf from the herd, and you shall tread down the wicked." And concerning this, Ambrose says: "It is an honorable dance, because the soul elevated by good works leaps for joy"; whence those who were not moved by the song of promises are hard of heart, but harder still in deed, because they were not moved even by the threats of punishments.
For which reason he adds: We have lamented
to you, namely through the threat of punishment: Ezekiel 2: "There were written in the book lamentations and song and woe"; and Jeremiah 9: "Consider and call the mourning women, and let them take up a lamentation over us"; Joel 2: "Turn to me in fasting and weeping and mourning, and rend your hearts and not your garments." And yet they were not moved by this: whence he adds: And you did not weep,
through the compunction of penance: Isaiah 22: "The Lord will call to weeping and mourning"; and afterward: "And behold, joy and gladness, slaughtering rams," etc.: although the Apostle says in Romans 12: "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."
59. (Verse 33.). Third, as to the mark of detraction in speech,
by which they turn good into evil, it is said: John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine,
and thus in the way of severity
and justice,
as is said in Matthew 21: "John came to you in the way of justice." Whence, because he came with the austerity of penance, he came as one lamenting and groaning for the salvation of the people, according to that passage of Daniel 10: "I Daniel mourned for three weeks of days; I did not eat desirable bread, and flesh and wine did not enter my mouth." But nevertheless through him their hardness was not softened to weeping, but their malice was increased to detraction.
Whence it is added: And you say: He has a demon,
because he is unlike the life of others. So they said to the Savior in John 10: "He has a demon: why do you listen to him?" Whence the works of power, which are from the Holy Spirit, they out of the wickedness of their heart attributed to a demon, as they said in Matthew 9: "By the prince of demons he casts out demons." And thus was verified in them that passage of Sirach 11: "He who turns good into evil lies in wait, and upon the elect he will place a stain." And therefore woe to them, according to that passage of Isaiah 5: "Woe to you who call good evil and evil good!"
60. (Verse 34.). Fourth, as to the mark of blasphemy in obstinacy
against Christ himself, it is added: The Son of Man came eating and drinking,
and thus in the way of clemency,
as a physician and as a bridegroom, as above in chapter 5: "You cannot make the children of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them."
And yet they were not moved to rejoicing, but perverted to blaspheming; and therefore it is added: And you say: Behold, a man who is a glutton and a wine-drinker:
they say this with regard to excess in food,
as if to say: he cannot be wise, according to that passage of Proverbs 20: "Wine is a luxurious thing and drunkenness is tumultuous." A friend of tax collectors and sinners,
with regard to the dishonor of his company,
as if to say: he cannot be good, because, as it is said in Ecclesiasticus 13, "he who touches pitch will be defiled by it, and he who associates with the proud will put on pride." But wrongly, because in Jeremiah 15: "They shall be converted to you, and you shall not be converted to them"; and in Matthew 9: "Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners," to repentance.
61. (Verse 35). And because the blasphemy of the Jews is aggravated by the true preaching of the Apostles, therefore it is added: And Wisdom is justified by all her children. For the Evangelist calls Christ Wisdom,
according to that passage of First Corinthians 1: "Who was made unto us by God wisdom and righteousness." The children of this Wisdom are the Apostles, begotten through the word of this Wisdom and vivified through the Holy Spirit, according to that passage of Ecclesiasticus 4: "Wisdom breathes life into her children," that is, Christ into the Apostles. Whence also Peter said in John 6: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." These justified,
that is, they esteemed Christ as righteous, inasmuch as they fulfilled his words through righteousness and obedience, according to that passage of Ecclesiasticus 3: "The children of wisdom are the assembly of the righteous, and their nation is obedience and love." By the example of these the Pharisees ought to have been moved, but on account of their obstinacy they remained in their dregs. Whence he said to them in Matthew 12: "If I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges," because they are esteemed righteous by the Wisdom whom they justify, and the Pharisees are esteemed unjust and reprobate by the same Wisdom, whom they condemn on account of their obstinacy and blasphemy.
Thirdly, the sublimity of the Teacher is declared on account of the abundance of piety, in a threefold manner.
62. Now a certain Pharisee asked him.
Above the Evangelist showed the sublimity of the Lord and Savior with regard to the excellence of power and with regard to the evidence of truth; here thirdly he shows with regard to the abundance of piety.
Now this abundance of piety is shown in the Lord Jesus as great in the reception of the sinful woman,
greater in his approbation,
but greatest in his absolution.
For he received her as she approached, commended her as she loved, and absolved her as she repented.
Therefore there is introduced first in this part the benign reception of the sinful woman approaching; second, the more benign approbation of the one loving, at the place: And Jesus answering said to him, etc.; third, the most benign absolution of the penitent confessing, at the place: And he said to her: Your sins are forgiven.
As to the first, it should be noted that the reception of the sinful woman approaching the Lord is shown to be of great piety and mercy, both on account of the solemnity of the banquet in which he received her; and on account of the familiarity of the service to which he admitted her; and on account of the rashness of another's judgment, on account of which he did not dismiss her.
63. (Verse 36.) First, therefore, as to the solemnity of the banquet in which the sinful woman was piously received by the Lord, it is said: And a certain Pharisee asked him to eat with him: there is no doubt that he asked the Lord Jesus; and rightly so, according to the counsel and purpose of the Wise Man, Wisdom 8: "I proposed to bring her," that is, wisdom, Christ, "to live with me, knowing that she will share with me of her good things." But this Pharisee was no longer divided from the Lord, but rather united to him, and therefore he confidently asked the Lord and invited him to the banquet, according to that passage in Job 22: "If you return to the Almighty, you shall be built up"; and it follows: "You shall pray to him, and he will hear you."
Which this man also obtained; whence it is added: And entering the house of the Pharisee, he reclined at table. He sat down to eat and thus fulfilled visibly what he spiritually promises in Apocalypse 3: "If anyone opens to me, I will enter to him and will sup with him, and he with me." Nor is this a wonder, because, as he himself says in Proverbs 8, "my delights are to be with the children of men." He says this with regard to the excess of charity, on account of which he was made man and willingly took upon himself and endured human needs among men, according to that passage in Baruch 3: "Afterwards he was seen upon earth and conversed with men." These things, therefore, were introduced on account of the solemnity of the banquet.
64. (Vers. 37.). As for the familiarity of service,
to which she was admitted, it is added: And behold, a woman who was in the city, a sinner,
whose infamy was known to the whole city, such that what is said in Jeremiah 3 could be said to her: "You have had the forehead of a harlot, you refused to blush." This is that woman of whom it is said in Ecclesiastes 7: "I have found more bitter than death the woman who is a snare of hunters, and whose heart is a net"; and this, because she was a manifest fornicatress, as the Ravennan says that "her infamy had injured the whole city," such that what the Lord threatens through Amos to Amaziah the priest was fulfilled in her, Amos 7: "Your wife shall play the harlot in the city." And therefore she is rightly called a sinner
both by reason of infamy and by reason of frequency, according to that saying in Sirach 3: "A wicked heart shall be laden with sorrows, and the sinner shall add sin to sin"; and Revelation, last chapter: "He who is filthy, let him be filthy still." Not only had she repeated her fault, but she had also sinned in diverse ways: whence upon that which is said in Mark, last chapter, that "Christ had cast seven demons out of Mary," Gregory says: "By the number seven, universality is rightly designated. Mary therefore had seven demons, because she was full of all vices."
65. Since therefore she was thus a sinner and unclean, she rightly ought to have been repelled, especially from the place of the banquet: and yet on account of the piety of the Lord, which she recognized, she was drawn: whence it is added: When she learned that Jesus had reclined at table in the house of the Pharisee, she brought an alabaster jar of ointment,
that is, a box or vessel of alabaster, which "is of a certain kind of marble in which ointments are preserved uncorrupted." This the sinful woman brought to the house of the Pharisee, in which she knew Christ to be and by whom she was received, according to that saying of the Psalm: "God shall be known in her houses, when he shall receive her." She brought,
I say, the ointment of humility,
where Christ reclined, so that what is said in Song of Songs 1 might be fulfilled: "While the king was at his repose, my spikenard gave forth its fragrance." Moreover, these spices or ointments which Magdalene brought to Christ were prefigured in 2 Chronicles 9: "There were no spices such as these which the queen of Sheba gave to Solomon."
Or Magdalene brought ointments to the Savior in order to render familiar service, to which she was admitted, namely to render to Christ out of devotion
what she had rendered to herself out of lust,
that is, to wash, to wipe, to kiss, and to anoint the most sacred and most pure flesh of Christ, to which she was admitted on account of the affection of penitence
and benevolence.
66. (Vers. 38.). As regards the affect of penance
it is said: And standing behind at his feet, she began to wash his feet with tears,
through sorrow. For in the penitent soul there ought to be shame, fear
and sorrow. Shame
was present, because she stood behind; fear,
because at his feet; sorrow,
because she washed with tears,
as in that publican below in the eighteenth chapter: "But the publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes toward heaven, but struck his breast, saying: God, be merciful to me a sinner"; Jeremiah thirty-one: "Convert me, O Lord, and I shall be converted, for you are my God. After you converted me, I did penance, and after you showed me, I struck my thigh. I was confounded and I blushed," etc.: where the three aforementioned things are touched upon. — But as regards the affect of benevolence
it is added: And she wiped them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with ointment,
where the love of benevolence is shown to be pure, affectionate
and devout.
For charity ought to proceed "from a pure heart." Moreover, she cared more for the lowest part of his body than for the highest part of her own. For she no longer sought to please the world, but Christ alone, so that she could say that word from Song of Songs eight: "Who will give you to me as my brother, that I may find you alone outside and kiss you, and now no one may despise me"?
67. And in these two things consists perfect conversion
to Christ. For just as in sin there is conversion through concupiscence and aversion through pride, so in the remedy there is aversion from sin through penance
and conversion to God through benevolence.
And truly this woman was perfectly converted and returned, because, as Gregory says, "as many delights as she had in herself, so many holocausts did she find from herself."
For sinful women are accustomed to offend most greatly in these four things, namely, in the wanton glances of the eyes;
Isaiah three: "They went with wanton glances of the eyes"; the excesses of the hair:
First Peter three: "Let there not be outward adornment of hair"; in the pleasures of kisses:
Proverbs seven: "And having seized the young man, she kisses him"; the sweetness of ointments,
as it is said in Esther two, that the king's maidens "were anointed with oil of myrrh," etc.
And therefore the perfect penitent employed her eyes
for weeping, so that Christ could say to her that word from Fourth Kings twenty: "I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tear"; her hair
for wiping, so that it could be said to her from Song of Songs four: "You have wounded my heart with one hair of your neck"; her mouth
for kissing, so that Christ could say to her from Song of Songs four: "Your lips are a dripping honeycomb"; her ointments
she employed for anointing, so that it could be said to her: "We shall run after the fragrance of your ointments."
68. (Vers. 39.). Third, regarding the rashness of another's judgment,
on account of which she was not repulsed, he says: Now when the Pharisee who had invited him,
namely to the banquet, saw,
I say, with an eye not simple but evil, according to that saying of Ecclesiasticus thirty-one: "Remember that an evil eye is wicked. What has been created more wicked than the eye?" And truly evil,
because, according to that saying of Ecclesiasticus eleven, "turning good things into evil, he lies in wait, and upon the elect he will impose a stain." And therefore the banquet of such persons is not much to be accepted, according to that saying of Proverbs twenty-three: "Do not eat with an envious man, nor desire his foods, because like a soothsayer and a diviner he estimates what he does not know. Eat and drink, he will say to you, and his mind is not with you." And such was this Pharisee; which is evident from what follows: He said within himself,
namely thinking as a hypocrite, of whom Job fifteen says: "His belly prepares deceits."
Whence follows the judgment: This man, if he were a Prophet, would surely know who and what manner of woman this is who touches him.
And thus he judged him not to be a Prophet, but an ignorant man, saying in his heart: "We have not seen our signs; there is no longer a Prophet, and he will know no more." But to this one can be said that word of Job twenty-two: "Do you not think that God is higher than heaven and is elevated above the summit of the stars? And you say: What indeed does God know? And as if through darkness he judges." But certainly he himself "knows the things constituted in darkness, and light is with him," as is said in Daniel two.
69. And note that in this way from the true
he was falling into the false.
For it is manifest that God and the divine man knows hidden things not only of the good but also of the evil; Proverbs fifteen: "The eyes of the Lord in every place behold the good and the evil." But in this he erred, because he believed Christ to be ignorant of this, while he allowed himself to be touched by a sinful woman. Whence he also judged badly concerning her; on account of which he adds: Because she is a sinner,
as if to say: she should not be admitted but repelled. He was of those of whom Isaiah sixty-five says: "Who say: Depart from us and do not approach, because you are unclean." So also the other Pharisee said of the publican below in the eighteenth chapter: "God, I give you thanks that I am not like the rest of men, as also this publican." And he judged badly, and yet Christ on account of his evil judgment did not cease to show mercy; concerning which above in the fifth chapter he said to the Pharisees: "They who are well do not need a physician, but they who are ill. For I have not come to call the just, but sinners to repentance."
Great therefore was the mercy of Christ shown in the reception of the sinful woman approaching to touch Christ amid the feasting of the diners and the cunning of those judging. In this is simultaneously commended Christ's clemency
and the sinful woman's penitence.
Whence Gregory: "When I think of Mary's penitence, I would rather weep than say anything. For whose heart, even if of stone, would these tears of this sinful woman not soften to the example of repenting? She entered upon those dining, amid the feast she poured out tears: what then do we marvel at? Mary coming, or the Lord receiving her? Shall I say receiving,
or drawing?
But better receiving and drawing,
because surely he who through gentleness received her outwardly, through mercy drew her inwardly."
70. And here it is to be noted morally
that in these six things which are said of this penitent sinful woman, namely that she stood behind
and lay at his feet,
bathed with tears, wiped with her hair,
and kissed
and anointed:
those things are understood which ought to be in a true penitent, namely the shame of blushing,
which is noted when it says standing behind:
below in the eighteenth chapter: "The publican standing afar off."
The fear of reverence,
which is noted there: At his feet:
Psalm: "Adore his footstool, for it is holy." — The sorrow of penitence: She began to bathe his feet with tears;
Lamentations 2: "Pour down tears like a torrent."
The brightness of purity: She wiped with her hair:
Isaiah 1: "Wash yourselves, be clean, put away evil."
The ardor of benevolence: She kissed his feet;
and here: "You gave me no kiss," etc., up to: "Because she loved much."
The sweetness of interior devotion: And she anointed with ointment;
Song of Songs 1: "Your breasts are better than wine, fragrant with the finest ointments." Good is the ointment of compunction,
better that of compassion,
but best that of devotion:
first the feet, second the body, but third the head is anointed. And therefore the Magdalene is read to have come three times to anoint the Lord: here, and in John 12, and in Matthew 26, and in Mark 16.
71. (Verse 40). And Jesus answering said,
etc. After the kind reception of the one approaching, here is added the still kinder approbation of the one loving.
The Lord approves this loving sinful woman and her love, first by seeking out a general judgment;
second by taking up a special proposition,
there: And turning to the woman,
etc.; and third by concluding the principal intent,
there: Wherefore I say to you: Her sins are forgiven,
etc. — In seeking out
the general judgment,
he proceeds in this order. For he arouses
the Pharisee's attention, introduces the question,
and approves the response.
First, therefore, he arouses the attention of the Pharisee, so that he may be recalled from falsehood, when he says: Jesus answering said to him: Simon, I have something to say to you: by which he rouses him to pay attention. And note that he is said to answer the Pharisee, although it is not said that he had asked anything of Christ, so that it may be shown that he himself was hearing his thoughts, so that his judgment, by which he believed Christ to be ignorant, might be refuted, according to what is said in the Psalm: "Understand, you senseless among the people, and you fools, at length be wise. He who planted the ear, shall he not hear? Or he who formed the eye, shall he not observe"? In this, that he addresses him as if answering, he arouses him to consider the wisdom of Christ; but in this, that he promises he will say something, he arouses him to receive the teaching, just as he also said to the disciples in John chapter sixteen: "I have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now."
And since he effectively aroused him, therefore his attentiveness is added, when it is said: And he said: Master, speak. In which response he acknowledges knowledge and seeks teaching, according to the counsel of the wise man, Sirach chapter six: "Son, if you attend to me, you will learn wisdom, and if you apply your mind, you will be wise; if you incline your ear, you will receive instruction, and if you love to listen, you will be wise." And it follows after: "And if you see a man of understanding, go to him early." This is Christ the Lord, whom he rightly calls Master, according to that passage in Matthew chapter twenty-three: "One is your Master, Christ"; and John chapter thirteen: "You call me Master and Lord, and you say well, for so I am."
72. (Verse 41). Second, he presents a question to the Pharisee, so that he may be directed to the truth, when it is added: Two debtors owed a certain creditor, etc.
He proposes the case in general terms, understanding by these debtors, and giving to be understood thereby, sinners, who are bound by great debts, according to that passage in Matthew chapter six: "Forgive us our debts," that is, our sins, "as we also forgive our debtors," etc. By the creditor we understand Christ, according to that passage in Matthew chapter twenty-five: "You wicked and slothful servant, ought you not to have put my money to the bankers, and at my coming I would have exacted what is mine with interest?"
And because not all sin equally nor are equally obligated, therefore it is added: One owed five hundred denarii: in which is shown the full obligation on account of the fivefold transgression of evangelical perfection, for completeness is understood by the hundred. And the other fifty: this is said with regard to the half-full obligation, which consists in the fivefold transgression of the Decalogue itself.
73. (Vers. 42.). But because God has mercy on every kind of sinner who turns to him, therefore it is added: When they had nothing wherewith to pay, he forgave them both,
namely out of pardoning mercy, as is said in Matthew 18: "The lord, having compassion on that servant, released him and forgave him the debt"; and this out of compassion for the misery by which we are unable to pay. For all things that we have, we owe to God apart from the obligation of sin: 1 Corinthians 4: "What hast thou that thou hast not received?" and 1 Chronicles 29: "All things are thine, O Lord, and what we have received from thy hand we have given to thee." If therefore sins are remitted, it is necessary that they be remitted freely and mercifully, because we can repay no benefit. Yet we are bound to the affection of love, which he requires on account of the benefit conferred. — Whence he adds: Who therefore loves him more?
since both are bound to love. Thus the Lord asked Peter after the pardon of his sin, John 21: "Simon, son of John, dost thou love me more than these?" And he asks reasonably, because inequality of benefits ought to be followed by inequality of affections, according to what Gregory says: "When gifts are increased, the accounts of gifts also grow. Therefore everyone ought to be the more humble and the more ready to serve God from the gift, the more he sees himself to be obligated in rendering an account."
74. (Vers. 43.). Thirdly, he approves the Pharisee's response,
so that it may be confirmed in truth; for which reason it is added: Simon answered and said: I judge that it is the one to whom he forgave more,
namely that he loves more, so that the saying in Romans 5 may be verified: "Where sin abounded, grace did more abound." — And since, as is said in Sirach 21, "whatever wise word a knowing man hears, he will praise it and apply it to himself"; therefore it is added: And he said to him: Thou hast judged rightly.
For Christ the Truth approves only this judgment, according to that saying in John 7: "Judge not according to appearance, but judge just judgment." Whence he who had made a false judgment from his own estimation now pronounces a right one by divine guidance, and he who had previously judged badly within himself now judges rightly against himself. Whence Gregory: "The Pharisee is convicted by his own sentence, because like a madman he carries the rope with which he is bound." — And note that here the Pharisee's judgment is commended; yet he who had sinned more is not thereby more approved, but it is shown that insofar as the reason of obligation
which comes from what was forgiven is concerned, he is more obligated. Whence this statement is to be understood with reduplication
and with respect to obligation, and presupposing grace and rectitude in the will; because many are bound to great acts of gratitude who render few or none. Whence Bede: "In the judgment of all, he offends more who owed more; but through mercy every case is changed, so that he loves more who owed more, if indeed he obtains grace."
75. (Vers. 44.). And turning to the woman
etc. Here, after the general judgment, he takes up a special purpose,
in which he shows that the sinful woman had greater affection toward Christ than the Pharisee, by setting forth a threefold sign of love, namely weeping, a kiss,
and the washing of feet,
in which the woman surpasses the Pharisee.
First, therefore, he sets the sinful woman above Simon on account of her weeping,
which was an express sign of contrition;
and he notes this when it is said: And turning to the woman,
on account of her contrition and penance, according to that passage of Zechariah 1: "Turn to me, and I will turn to you." This moreover happens when we love and are loved in return, according to that passage of Song of Songs 2: "My beloved is mine, and I am his"; and Song of Songs 7: "I am my beloved's, and his turning is toward me."
He therefore turned bodily toward the woman so that through her he might instruct Simon, to whom he was speaking; and therefore it is added: He said to Simon: Do you see this woman?
He therefore asks whether he saw her,
because, although he saw her bodily, he did not approve her deeds but rejected her merits; and although he saw the sinful woman's weeping, he did not attend to her affection.
And therefore he is admonished by the Lord and reproved by comparison with her, in what follows: I entered your house, you gave no water for my feet:
on account of which you are blameworthy, because you were not an imitator of Abraham: Genesis 18: "He spoke to the men passing by: Let your feet be washed, and rest under the tree."
But on the contrary, she is commendable, whence it is added: But she has washed my feet with tears and wiped them with her hair,
that is, she poured out tears in such abundance after the manner of a fountain and stream, according to what is said in Jeremiah 9: "Who will give water to my head and a fountain of tears to my eyes?" And in this is signified the wondrous affection of the woman and her interior grace, which so flowed forth outwardly in tears that there was fulfilled that passage of the Psalm: "He turned the desert into pools of water"; and Isaiah 35: "And what was dry became a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water." And in this she is set above the Pharisee with regard to mourning,
in which there is an express sign of compunction.
76. (Vers. 4b.). Second, he sets her above him with regard to the kiss,
which was a sign of love,
when it is added: You gave me no kiss,
as a sign of love, according to the Apostle in the last chapter of Romans: "Greet one another with a holy kiss"; and the disciples kissed Paul, Acts 20.
But on the contrary concerning this woman: whence is added: But she, from the time she entered, has not ceased to kiss my feet:
in which is signified fervent
love and persevering
love. Therefore she did not cease from kissing, because she did not cease from interior desire. For concerning her Gregory says that "kindled by the fire of his love, that is, of Christ, she burned with desire." For as is said in the last chapter of the Song of Songs: "Love is strong as death"; and afterwards: "Its lamps are lamps of fire and flames." Whence just as fire always burns, so charity unceasingly inflames: for as Gregory says: "The love of God is never idle."
77. (Verse 46.). Third, he sets her above him with respect to the anointing of the feet,
which was a sign of devotion,
when he adds: You did not anoint my head with oil:
which was the custom at that time as a sign of gladness and exultation, according to that passage in Matthew chapter six: "But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face."
But she has anointed my feet with ointment,
which is more precious than oil. Whence this woman offered more precious things to Christ, according to that passage in John chapter twelve: "Mary therefore took a pound of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed the feet of Jesus." In these three evidences of love, therefore, the Lord proves that the sinful woman loved more truly and more fervently.
78. (Verse 47.). For which reason I say to you
etc. Here, after the general judgment and the specific proposition, he concludes the principal intent,
which is the commendation of the woman following from the foregoing. Now this sinful woman is commended by the Lord with a full commendation: as purged from sin
on account of the affection of her love, as perfected in merit
on account of the effect of her love, as set above the Pharisee
on account of the excess of her love.
Whence the Lord here approves her love first because love purged her from sin:
which he indicates when he says: For which reason I say to you,
that is, on account of the now-stated evidences of love I declare to you: Her many sins are forgiven her
etc. And thus she ought no longer to be condemned by you, but rather to be called blessed, because in the Psalm it is written: "Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered"; and in Romans chapter four: "And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness according to the purpose of the grace of God. As David also declares the blessedness of the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works" of the Law. Whence in this woman was fulfilled that verse of the Psalm: "I said, I will confess my injustice against myself to the Lord: and you forgave the wickedness of my sin."
79. Second, because love perfected in merit:
on account of which he adds: Because she loved much.
For the greatness of love amplifies merit and expels sin: First Peter 4: "Charity covers a multitude of sins"; and Proverbs 10: "Hatred stirs up strife, and charity covers all offenses." Hence also in the Gloss it is said: "The ardor of charity in her consumed the rust of sins." Nor does it only purge from sin, but also preserves
in merit, according to that passage in Colossians 3: "Above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection."
80. Third, he approves, because love set her above the Pharisee:
on account of which he adds: But he to whom less is forgiven,
namely the Pharisee, loves less
than this woman to whom many things were forgiven. And thus from this it is concluded that she loved the Lord far more than the Pharisee, and therefore was more acceptable to God: and on this account "her husband praised her," as if saying to her that word from the last chapter of Proverbs: "Many daughters have gathered riches, but you have surpassed them all"; because "charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain: the woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised."
It is clear, therefore, how in this conclusion there is contained a perfect commendation and approbation of the one who loves, against the judgment of the Pharisee who despised her, because he regarded her as full of sins and empty of merits, and thus as worthless in the sight of the heavenly Judge. All of which has been refuted in this conclusion, since she is shown to be justified from sin and multiplied in merit and set above the Pharisee.
81. And note that in this conclusion there is inferred a commendation of the love of Christ with respect to the remission of sin by way of cause
and by way of effect.
Hence the remission of sin is placed first,
and the remission of sin is placed after,
and love is placed between.
For there is remission
with regard to punishment,
and this is caused by love; and with regard to guilt, and this induces love. And again there is love of affection,
and the remission of sin induces this, as was shown above in the judgment of the Pharisee. And there is love of effect,
and this induces the remission of sin with regard to punishment,
as is gathered from the threefold indication of love. Hence this conclusion, as to its first part, corresponds to the induction made regarding good works; as to its second part, it corresponds to the question about the two debtors and corresponds simultaneously to all the foregoing.
Moreover, Christ's wisdom
in approving the sinful woman, whom the Pharisee had condemned, should also be noted here. He approves her from what was granted by the Pharisee and from what was conceded, then from manifest indications: first as if by syllogism, second as if by induction; first in general, second in particular; first parabolically, second expressly. To all of these the drawing of the aforesaid conclusion corresponds.
82. (Vers. 48.). But he said to her.
After the benign reception of the one approaching and the more benign approval of the one loving, there is subjoined here a third point: the most benign absolution of the one confessing.
Concerning which there is first introduced the plenary gift of divine generosity;
second, the perverse judgment of human impiety;
third, the perfect merit of devout faith.
First, therefore, as regards the plenary gift of divine generosity,
it is said: But he said to her.
There is no doubt that Christ said to the sinful woman: Your sins are forgiven you,
not only as regards guilt,
but also as regards punishment,
according to what Manasseh was asking: "I ask, beseeching you, O Lord, forgive me, forgive me, lest you destroy me together with my iniquities, nor reserve my evils forever." This remission Christ accomplished by his own power: Matthew nine: "That you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins," etc.: Acts ten: "To him all the Prophets bear witness, that all who believe in him receive remission of sins through his name."
83. (Vers. 49.). Second, as regards the perverse judgment of human impiety,
there is added: And those who were reclining at table together began to say within themselves,
namely by judging wrongly and despising him: Who is this, who even forgives sins?
As if they were saying: since he is lowly and a nobody, how does he attribute to himself what God alone can do? According to that passage of Isaiah forty-three: "I am, I am he who blots out your iniquities for my own sake." And thus was verified that saying of Sirach thirteen: "The poor man spoke, and they say: Who is this?" So also in their hearts those who were eating together were devising deceit, so that that word of the Psalm might be fulfilled: "If he who hated me had spoken great things against me, I would perhaps have hidden myself from him. But you, a man of one mind with me," etc. Whence these men, by judging wrongly about her healing, were themselves becoming sick, as Bede says: "The sick woman having been healed, others grow sick over her salvation." And thus was verified that saying of Hosea seven: "When I would have healed Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim was revealed and the wickedness of Samaria, because they have wrought falsehood."
84. (Vers. 50.). Third, as regards the perfect merit of devout faith,
there is added: But he said to the woman: Your faith has saved you,
namely from sins: faith,
I say, in Christ, of which Matthew one says: "He shall save his people from their sins"; and this through faith: Romans three: "God justifies the one who has faith in Jesus Christ." And because justice makes peace with God and with conscience, therefore he adds: Go in peace:
Romans five: "Being justified therefore by faith, let us have peace with God"; and Isaiah fifty-seven: "Let peace come, and let him rest in his bed"; so that concerning her it may be said, that word of Malachi two: "In peace and in equity he walked with me and turned many away from iniquity."