CHAPTER 17 VER. 5. _And the Apostles said to the Lord, Increase our faith._ The Apostles said this, when, from their little faith, they had been unable to cast out the devil from the lunatic. They then asked for greater faith, as appears from the above words compared with those of S. Matthew 17:19,... [ Continue Reading ]
_If ye had faith._ "This indeed," says S. Chrysostom, "is small in quantity but great in power. He means that the least portion of faith can do great things." And Bede, "Perfect faith is a grain of mustard seed: in appearance it is small, in the heart it is fervent." _You would say unto this sycamin... [ Continue Reading ]
_But who is there of you, having a servant ploughing or keeping sheep._ Christ represses the vainglory of the Apostles, lest, when by their exalted faith they had performed wonderful and stupendous acts, they might glory in them and not ascribe to God, whose it is, the honour. "He," says Euthymius,... [ Continue Reading ]
_And it came to pass as He was going up to Jerusalem_ from the borders of Cæsarea Philippi or Paneas, as is clear from S. Matthew 17:22, to Jerusalem; to the feast of tabernacles, as appears from S. John 7:2. He went through the midst of Samaria and Galilee; for this was the direct road for one jour... [ Continue Reading ]
_And as He entered into a certain village._ Lepers, as being unclean, were not able to enter cities, towns and villages, lest they should communicate their leprosy to the inhabitants, as well as their legal defilement, which under the old law was communicated by contact with a leprous and unclean pe... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they lifted up their voices._ They cried out aloud, because they stood afar off. The voice was one and proceeded from all, "Jesus, Master," have mercy on us, and free us from this heavy and incurable disease. Master here does not so much mean teacher as Lord, one who directs his servants and te... [ Continue Reading ]
_And one of them, when he saw that he was healed._ He left the road and went back to Jesus, the Author of his healing, magnifying God with a loud voice, who, through Jesus, had healed him.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And fell down on his face at His feet._ That by profound humiliation he might show his great reverence to Him, as in the Greek and Syriac. _And he was a Samaritan_ : a Samaritan, and therefore an alien from and abhorrent to the Jews, a schismatic moreover, so that it was wonderful that he alone gav... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Jesus answering said_, Why do not the nine, equally with this Samaritan, return and acknowledge their cure, and give Me thanks? In truth the nine were rejoiced at their cure, and went to the priests, that they might be declared to be clean, and restored to the society of men, thinking wholly of... [ Continue Reading ]
_There are not found that returned._ By confessing and declaring themselves cured by God through Christ of their leprosy, which was a great glory to God. _Save this stranger._ That is, except this Samaritan, who was a stranger to the nation and religion of the Jews. For the Samaritans were Babylonia... [ Continue Reading ]
_And He said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith._ Faith, by which you have believed that I am able to save you, nay that I will do so, if you obey Me, and go to the priests. For this faith has worked with your healing, even though I be the primary author. Hence very likely the prompting of God e... [ Continue Reading ]
_And when He was demanded of the Pharisees._ The Kingdom of Israel, which had now indeed fallen, but which was to be raised up again by the Messiah. _The kingdom of God cometh not with observation._ "Cometh," that is, will come. It is a Hebraism, in which the present is put for the future. Observe t... [ Continue Reading ]
_And He said unto His disciples, The days will come._ That is, the time will come and is now at hand, when for My faith and the preaching of the gospel you will suffer many adversities, persecutions, and distresses; the errors and heresies, moreover, of the innovators; and be oppressed by straits of... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they shall say to you._ False prophets shall come feigning themselves to be Christ or sent from Christ. Go not out, neither follow those deceivers or their rumours. The Arabic has, "See them not, nor hasten to them.... [ Continue Reading ]
_For as the lightning._ The Syriac has, "As the lightning shines from heaven and lightens all things under heaven." As the lightning most suddenly, swiftly, and openly descends from heaven and shines out, so shall I suddenly and unexpectedly return to judgment. There will be no need of watching for... [ Continue Reading ]
_But first must He suffer many things._ The Arabic has, "Before this He shall endure much suffering, and be rejected by this generation." "That is," says Euthymius, "by this nation of a few Jews. He said this firstly, lest the Apostles, seeing Him suffering and being put to death on the cross, shoul... [ Continue Reading ]
_Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed_. "Well does Christ say," says Bede, "that He shall be revealed as one who, not being seen, sees all things, and then appearing, shall judge all things.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Remember Lot's wife._ She perished because she looked back. "Lest," says S. Ambrose, "as she looked back on the burning Sodom, against the command of the angel, and was changed into a pillar of salt, so you also, against these commandments of mine, may return to the life of the world, and perish wi... [ Continue Reading ]
_In that night there shall be two men in one bed._ By the word night it may be thought that the universal judgment of Christ will take place at night, for the greater terror of men. But I reply, That which in verse 31 is called day, is here called night. First, Because the day of judgment will be to... [ Continue Reading ]