CHAPTER 12 VER. 1. _In the mean time when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people._ The Greek has "the myriads of the multitude." A myriad contains exactly ten thousand, and is consequently taken for an innumerable multitude, as here.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees._ Beware, says Bede, that you do not imitate the hypocrites, for the time will certainly come when both your virtue and their hypocrisy will be revealed to all. I have explained the remainder on Matthew 10:26.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And one of the multitude said unto Him._ My brother is injuring me, for he wishes to seize the whole of our father's property, and he will give me no share of it. Command him therefore to do me justice, for Thou by Thy authority canst do this with a word, which I cannot effect by many suits and muc... [ Continue Reading ]
_But He said unto him, Man, who made Me a judge or a divider over you?_ The word "man" is a Hebraism for an unknown person, as in Luke 22:58, Peter said, "Man, I am not," and Luke 22:60, "Man, I know not what thou sayest." The meaning is, This is a matter of the courts which dispose of secular quest... [ Continue Reading ]
_And He spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully._ The ground in the Greek (_χώζα_) means a large extent of land, a number of fields. _And he reasoned with himself saying, What shall I do?_ &c. Behold the care, behold the poverty of this rich man... [ Continue Reading ]
_My fruits_. "Did he not," says S. Basil, "collect his crops and incur the reputation of avarice when he called them his own?" For how many dangers are there before the harvest is gathered in. The hail often beats it down, and the heat snatches it out of the very grasp, and rains suddenly rush down... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he said, This will I do, I will pull down my barns_, &c. All the harvests collected in past years. He took counsel of his cupidity, not of his charity, which would have said to him, "Spend them on the poor." "Dost thou want barns? Thou hast them in the bellies of the poor," says S. Basil; and S... [ Continue Reading ]
_But God said unto him._ God said this, not in word but in deed, sending him a fever or some other mortal disease, and causing his conscience by this means to speak thus to him. "God said this to the rich man," says Euthymius, "through his conscience, which, as he felt death coming upon him, said th... [ Continue Reading ]
_So is he that layeth up treasure for himself._ Such an end and such a death did the rich covetous man meet who had not laid up treasure toward God. It will be asked, Who is rich towards God? I answer He who has by alms and other good works many merits and safeguards hidden up as treasures before Go... [ Continue Reading ]
_Neither be ye of doubtful mind._ (The Greek and the Vulgate say, "Be ye not lifted up on high.") Cornelius comments on this reading, this passage is explained in many different ways. S. Clement of Alexandria (_Pæd. lib._ ii. 10) says, "Be not led away from the truth to wish for a higher wisdom than... [ Continue Reading ]
_Sell what ye have, and give alms._ This is a counsel, not a precept, as Pelagius would have it, who said that all Christians ought to be poor, from the precept of Christ. This is shewn by the words of Christ (Mat 19:21), "If thou wouldst be perfect, go sell that thou hast and give to the poor." Tha... [ Continue Reading ]
_For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also._ This is a conclusion from the former, showing why our Lord said, "Sell that ye have," namely, that you may show that your heart is not in your money but in heaven. If, therefore, you place your treasure gained by alms-giving in heaven, you... [ Continue Reading ]
_And be ye yourselves like unto men looking for their lord._ This is the third precept of Christ, or rather the third part of the same precept. The first was to have their loins girt, the second to have their lights shining, the third to look for their lord. The first two are referred to this. The m... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Peter said, Lord, speakest Thou this parable unto us or even unto all?_ To all men, especially the faithful, as well to those who are now living as to those who shall live hereafter. Peter doubted of this, because Christ was accustomed to give some doctrines to the Apostles alone, others to all... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward whom his lord shall set over his household to give them their portion of food in due season?_ Christ replied to Peter that He spoke indeed to all the faithful, but especially to him and the Apostles. For upon them were incumbent greater... [ Continue Reading ]
VER. 42. _And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward whom his lord shall set over his household to give them their portion of food in due season?_ Christ replied to Peter that He spoke indeed to all the faithful, but especially to him and the Apostles. For upon them were incumbent... [ Continue Reading ]
_And shall cut him asunder._ That is, shall separate him from Himself, and His household, the Church triumphant; from the society of the Blessed and from the Beatitude promised to the faithful servants. See St. Jerome on Matt. xxiv.: "Shall cut him asunder, that is, shall separate him from the Commu... [ Continue Reading ]
_And that servant which knew his lord's will and made not ready_. Did not prepare for the coming of his lord by distributing to his fellow-servants their portions of food in season, but by ill-treating them, and by debauchery, squandered the goods of his master, "he shall be beaten with many stripes... [ Continue Reading ]
_But he that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes._ That is, with fewer than he who knew his lord's will, according to the measure as well of his ignorance as of his act and fault. There are four degrees of ignorance, the first invincible, which is without blam... [ Continue Reading ]
_I came to came to cast fire on the earth; and what will I, if it is already kindled?_ The Arabic has, "What will I but that it be kindled?" So the Egyptian, Ethiopic, and Persian. It is uncertain whether Christ said this at the same time as the preceding. For S. Luke joins the words of Christ toget... [ Continue Reading ]
_But I have a baptism to be baptized with._ The Arabic says, "I have a baptism, and I shall be baptized with it:" That is, By the decree of God and of My own will and determination I owe (debeo) to be baptized. _And how am I straitened till it be accomplished_! "This fire of love and zeal of the Hol... [ Continue Reading ]
_Think ye that I am come to give peace in the earth? I_ _tell you nay, but rather division._ See what I have said Matthew 10:34.... [ Continue Reading ]
_For there shall be from henceforth five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three._ Five, that is Father, son, mother, daughter, daughter-in-law, for mother-in-law is the same as mother. So S. Ambrose. And this is plain from what follows. In the same house three unbelievers sha... [ Continue Reading ]
_And He said to the multitudes also, When ye see a cloud rising in the west, straightway ye say, There cometh a shower; and so it cometh to pass._ When you see a cloud from the west you say, It will rain. In the same manner Elijah, in the time of the three years' drought, when he heard from his serv... [ Continue Reading ]