The Great Commentary (Mossman/Cobb English)

And He said unto them. Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight. At midnight, Le. at a most inconvenient time. Christ puts forth this parable to teach His disciples not to be disheartened, nor to cease to pray because their petitions are unanswered, but to persevere, for if they do this, God will listen to their prayers and grant them their requests

For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and 1 have nothing to set before him. My friend, hungry and wearied with his journey, seeks refreshment, and I have nothing to set before him

And he from within shall answer and say. Trouble me not. He makes excuse that he cannot wake his children from their sleep and disturb his household

1 say unto you. Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. Importunity — dmldtiat, i.e., impudence, used as the Latin word impudens — e.g., labor impudens (i.e. unceasing labour) omnia vindt Here S. Augustine asks, “Why because of his importunity? Because he continued to knock and did not go away because his request was denied him. He who was unwilling to give what his friend had need of, gave at last because the other continued his demands. Much more then will God who in His goodness bids us make known our requests to Him, and is displeased with those who seek Him not, grant our requests.” God wills that we should continue instant in prayer, and is pleased with our “importunity,” for persistent prayer is “violence pleasing to God.” Tertullian

And 1 say unto you, ask and it shall be given you. (See S. Matt. vii. 7.) Digitized by Google

Or if he shall ask an egg . This verse is omitted by S. Matthew. An egg, because of the nourishment it contains

And it came to pass as He spake these things , a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice , and said unto him> &c., i.e. Thou art so holy and so blessed, O Christ, that because of thee thy mother must be also blessed. Although she was ignorant of the mystery, this woman was moved by the Holy Spirit to declare that Christ was bom of a virgin mother. Some suppose that the woman here mentioned was S. Martha or her handmaid S. Marcella. However, had it been Martha, in all probability S. Luke would have said so, since he so frequently in the chapter preceding makes mention of her name. But Marcella is said to have incurred the enmity of the Scribes because she thus openly spoke in praise of Christ, and to have been by them condemned to death a little after the crucifixion, and there is a tradition that, together with Martha, Mary Magdalene, and Lazarus, she was exposed in an open boat without sails or oars, but that it with its living freight was by the providence of God brought safe to shore at Marseilles. Blessed is the womb that bare thee. For it was the abiding place of the Son of God. Hence Methodius says of the Blessed Virgin: “ Thou didst conceive Him who comprehended all things. Thou didst bear Him in thy womb by whose word all things are sustained. For she is the chariot of the true Solomon, of whom it is written, 4 King Solomon made himself a chariot of the wood of Lebanon. He made the pillars thereof of silver, the bottom thereof of gold, the covering of it of purple, the midst thereof being paved with love.1 " Cant iii. 9. Hence Gregory of Nicomedia calls her “ the glorious throne and royal chariot on which the Incarnate Word was carried when He visited the earth. And S. Bernard says, Ignatius, in the many letters which he wrote to the Blessed Virgin, addresses her as “ Christofera,” which is indeed a noble title conveying with it infinite honour ; for to be the servant of Christ is to be a ruler and prince, and to bear Him is to be ennobled, not burdened. And the same writer, commenting on Rev. xii, goes on to say, “ How great favour Digitized by Google EXALTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN. 279 hast thou found in the sight of God, how very nigh hast thou been brought to Him ! He abides in thee, and thou in Him. Thou didst provide Him a garment, and in turn thou are clothed upon by Him. He received of thee the garment of the flesh ; He clothed thee with the glory of His majesty. Thou didst clothe the sun with a cloudy covering, and thou thyself art encircled with its splendours.” Rightly therefore may we sing of the mother of our Lord : “Thou art the exaltation of Jerusalem. Thou art the great glory of Israel. Blessed be thou of the Almighty Lord for evermore,” Judith xv. 9. Hear also the testimony of the fathers. Gregory Nazianzen, in his tragedy, “ The Suffering Christ ” writes : — “ O queen, O mistress and blessing of the human race ! be ever propitious to us mortal men : and be my safeguard wherever I may dwell.” And S. Cyril (Contra Nestorium) says, “AH praise to thee, holy mother of God, for thou art this world’s pearl, an evershining light, the crown of virgins, and the sceptre of the faith ; ” and S. Chrysostom : “ Hail, mother, the throne, the grace, the glory and the support of our Holy Church I ” And again, S. Ephrem salutes her as “ the hope of. the Fathers, the glory of the Prophets, the praise of the Apostles, the honour of the Martyrs, the joy of the Saints, and the light of the Patriarchs of old.”

But Be said Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God , and keep it • Christ does not say that His mother is not blessed, as Calvin would have us believe, but only that they are more blessed who hear the word of God and keep it, i.e. fulfil its precepts Because to be the mother of God is a grace and free gift of God, but external, and therefore not of necessity acting upon the soul, but to hear and keep the word is an internal grace, finding accept ance in the sight of God. Again, to be the mother of God does not absolutely ensure everlasting happiness, but to keep God’s word up to death has the sure promise of eternal life. And further, to be the mother of God is, of necessity, the blessing of one virgin only, but to hear and keep the word of God, a privilege common to all believers. Christ therefore would encourage the woman who had addressed Digitized by Google 1 28o Him. Thou callest My mother blessed, and sorrowest that so great a privilege has not fallen to thy lot, but I offer thee a better and more lasting blessing, if thou wilt hear My word, and keep My commandments. For My mother was blessed more because she acknowledged My divinity than because she conceived Me in her womb, nay more, because, had she not recognised the purpose of God and been obedient unto His word, she would have been accounted unworthy to have become the mother of His Son; and so SL Augustine says, “ The near relationship of mother would not have profited Mary had she not conceived Christ in her heart as well as in her womb. For she was more blessed in her faith than in her conception.”

The light of the body is the eye. Figuratively the eye represents reason, intellect, especially good intention — for what the eye is to the body, such is reason or good intention to the mind When thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light, ie. illumined by a single, a clear and unclouded eye

And the Lord said unto him. Now do ye Pharisees make dean the outside of the cup and platter. Ye take care to wash the body, but are careless as to the cleansing of the heart The word “ now ” gives point to the rebuke

Laying wait for Him> and seeking to catch something out of His mouth . A^ittaz/, “to hunt for,” that they might accuse Him to Caiaphas or Pilate. For Euthymius says, “They thought by their rapid questionings to lead Him to commit Himself to some rash statement ; but He answered them in all things wisely, for He answered nothing but what had been well thought out aforehand, and He spake unmoved by any human passion.” They trusted that in anger, or in excitement, he would have said something with which they could find fault, for men in the heat of argument oftentimes make statements which they regret and are compelled to retract Not so with Christ, calm and unmoved, His words were truth. Digitized by Google ( 286 ) CHAPTER XII. I Christ preacheth to his disciples to avoid hypocrisy , and fearfulness in publishing his doctrine: 13 warmth the people to beware of covetousness, by the parable of the rich man who set up greater bams: 22 we must not be over careful of earthly things , 31 but seek the kingdom of God 33 give alms , 36 be ready at a knock to open to our Lord whensoever he cometh : 41 Christs ministers are to see to their charge, 49 and look for persecution : 54 the people must take this time of grace, 58 because it is a fearful thing to die without reconciliation, IN the meantime, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all. Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed ; neither hid, that shall not be known. 3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light ; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. 4 And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear : Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell ; yea, I say unto you. Fear him. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God ? 7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore : ye are of more value than many sparrows. 8 Also I say unto you. Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God : 9. But he that denieth me before men shall be denied before the angels of God. 10 And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him : but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven. 1 1 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say : 12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say, 13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. 14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you ? 15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. Digitized by Cjoogle THE HOLY GOSPEL OF S. LUKE. 287 16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully : 17 And he thought within himself saying, What shall I do, because I hare no room where to bestow my fruits ? 18 And he said. This will I do : I will pull down my barns, and build greater ; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years ; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 20 But God said unto him. Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required o! thee : then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided ? 21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. 22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you. Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat ; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. 23 The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment 24 Consider the ravens : for they neither sow nor reap ; which neither have storehouse nor barn ; and God feedeth them : how much more are ye better than the fowls? 25 And which of you with taking thought ran add to his stature one cubit? 26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest ? 27 Consider the lilies how they grow : they toil not, they spin not ; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to-day in the field, and to-morrow is cast into the oven ; how much more will ho clothe you , O ye of little faith ? 29 And seek not ye wbat ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind. 30 For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 31 But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. 32 Fear not, little flock ; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell that ye have, and give alms ; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. 34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning ; 36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding ; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. 37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching : verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. 38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch and find them so, blessed are those servants. 39 And this know, that if the goodmanof the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Digitized by Google 288 Be ye therefore ready also : for the Son of man cometh at an hour when.ye think not. 41 Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou this parable unto us, or even to all ? 42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season ? 43 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. 45 But and if that servant say in his heart. My Lord delayeth his coming ; and shall begin to beat the men servants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken. 46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for hint, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47 And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many strifes. 48 But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required : and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. 49 1 am come to send fire on the earth ; and what will I, if it be already kindled ? 50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with ; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished 1 51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you. Nay ; but rather division : 52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father ; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother ; the mothcr-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 54 And he said also to the people. When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say. There cometh a shower ; and so it is. 55 And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, There will be heat ; and it cometh to pass. 56 Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth ; but how is it that you do not discern this time ? 57 Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right ? 58 When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him ; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. 59 I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence till thou hast paid the very last mite