The Great Commentary (Mossman/Cobb English)

Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost '2tyya&T • (***> Let My joy be one with yours — partake of My joy. His joy is so great that he cannot confine it to Himself, His friends must rejoice also. He further indicates that the event is such a happy one, that it ought to afford matter for rejoicing to all. He says not, “ Rejoice with the sheep that is found,” but, “ with Me.” Because truly our life is His joy. S. Gregory

I say unto you^ that likewise joy shall be in heaven , &c., i.e. greater joy, for such is implied by the comparative particle i), “than.” The angels then, and the saints in heaven, rejoice with exceeding great joy when it is made known to them, by the revelation of God, that a sinner is converted; for when such an one by repentance passes from condemnation to life, it is a gain to the sinner — to the angels — and above all to God Himself. The sinner passes from sin unto righteousness, from hell to heaven. The angels therefore rejoice at the blessedness of such an one, because, says Euthymius, they are kindly disposed towards men and because by repentance men become like them in purity and in holiness. They rejoice also on their own account because the ruin which was effected by Lucifer and his angels is remedied by the justification and sanctification of men, and because the places from which these angels fell are restored and filled up. It is a joy to God because He is a l°ver of souls, and thirsts for the salvation of mea Again the angels rejoice that the desire of God, whom they love above all things, is fulfilled, and that He is a partaker of this joy, as well as honoured by the penitence of the sinner. Apposite to this matter is the vision of Carpus, to whom Christ made known that He so longed for the conversion of sinners, as to be ready again to suffer death upon the Cross, if thereby this object could be effected. And Palladius relates that a certain Anchorite, who had fallen into sin, repented in sackcloth and ashes with many tears; Digitized by Google 368 whereupon an angel appeared to him and said, “The Lord hath accepted thy penitence, and hath had compassion on thee. Take heed that thou art not again led astray.’* By this argument, Christ rebukes the Pharisees for murmuring against Him because He companied with sinners in order to convert them. For the conversion of sinners is a work most pleasing to God and His angels. The Pharisees ought therefore to take part in this work, and to share in the rejoicing. For “all the fruit” of the Incarnation, and of the death of Christ upon the Cross is “to take away sin,” Isa. xxvii. 9, — “to bring in everlasting righteousness,” and to extend the kingdom of God. S. Matt vi. 10. The knowledge of this ought to excite in every follower of Christ a zealous love for the souls of men. Hence S. Gregory, when he heard that the English had been converted by the preaching of Augustine, rejoiced ih spirit, and wrote ; “ If there is great joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, what joy, think you, has there been over the conversion of so great a people ; for by their repentance and faith they have condemned the sins which they aforetime had committed. Whilst heaven is thus rejoicing, let us repeat the angelic strain, and let us all with one accord exclaim, ‘ Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill towards men.’” More than over ninety and nine just persons . God and His holy angels, then, rejoice over one penitent more than over one righteous man, nay, more than over ninety and nine just persons ; because from the conversion of the sinner there arises a new joy, which seems more perceptible, and is in reality felt more than that continuous and long-standing joy which attaches itself to the ninety and nine ; a joy which, although actually the greater, seems to men to lose its freshness by reason of its long duration. For the novelty of a thing which we long for awakens in us a vast and a new joy, which is felt all the more on account of its novelty, as we find when we receive tidings of victories or conversions ; and Christ often speaks after the manner of men, especially in His parables. The saying of S. Bernard, that “ The tears of penitents are the wine of the angels,” Digitized by Google JOY OVER ONE SINNER THAT REPENTETH. 369 applies here : — The joy over the conversion of a sinner, writes Emmanuel Sk., is sensibly greater. Although in other respects, a man undoubtedly rejoices more over ninety-nine sheep than over one, and God joys more over ninety and nine just persons than over one sinner that repenteth. S. Gregory adds that God and His angels rejoice the more, because penitents are wont to be more fervent in their love than those who have not fallen away. And elsewhere he says, “ The life of fervent devotion which follows after sins committed is often more pleasing to God than that innocence which grows sluggish in its security.” “ Just as the leader in battle loves that soldier more who, having turned from flight, bravely pursues the enemy, than he who never turned his back and never did a brave act.” “ And as again the husbandman loves that land more which, after bearing thorns, yields abundant fruit, than that which never had thorns, and never gave him a plentiful crop.” Finally (Horn. 34), he cites the example of Victorinus who, having fallen into carnal sin, entered a monastery, and there subjected himself to the severest penance, and so merited to be transfused with the light of heaven, and to hear the voice of God, “ Thy sin is forgiven thee ! ” If therefore penance be of such avail in a sinner, how great, infers S. Gregory, must be its power in a just man ! For many, he says, are conscious of no evil, yet subject themselves to austerities as extreme as if they were beset by every kind of sin. They eschew all things, even such as are lawful, they gird themselves about with a lofty disdain of earth and earthly things, they consider every pleasure forbidden, they deprive themselves of such good things as are allowed them, things that are seen they despise, they yearn for the things which are invisible, they rejoice in mourning, in all things they humble themselves, and deplore sins of thought, as many mourn over sins actually committed

Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, &c “Sweep,” or as the Arabic renders it, “cleanse;” not “overturn,” as some read with S. Gregory. The “ piece of silver,” or drachma, was a coin weighing the eighth VOL. vi. 2 ▲ Digitized by Google 370 part of an ounce. Hence S. Cyril explains, that by the parable of the lost sheep we are to understand, mystically, that we are the creatures of God who made us, and the sheep of His pasture, but that by this second parable we are taught that we were created in the image and likeness of God, just as the coin bears the image of the king. S. Gregory (Horn. 34), very fully explains the parable, and applies it in the following manner : “ He who is signified by the shepherd, is signified also by the woman. For it is God Himself— God and the wisdom of God. And because there is an image impressed on the piece, the woman lost the piece of silver when man, who was created after the image of God, by sinning fell away from the likeness of his Creator. The woman lighted a candle, because the wisdom of God appeared in man. For the candle is a light in an earthen vessel, but the light in an earthen vessel is the Godhead in the flesh, and when the candle was lit she overturned (everdt) the house. Because as soon as His divinity shone forth through the flesh, all our consciences were appalled. But the word 4 overturn * differs not from the 4 cleanse 9 or ‘sweep* of the other MSS. Because the corrupt mind, if it be not first overthrown through fear is not cleansed from its habitual faults. But when the house is overturned the piece of silver is found, for when the conscience of man is disturbed, the likeness of the Creator is restored in him.” And again, 44 Who are the friends and neighbours but those heavenly powers afore mentioned, who are near to the Divine Wisdom, inasmuch as they approach Him through the grace of continual vision ? * Hence in conclusion he says, “ The woman had ten pieces of silver, because there are nine orders of angels, but, that the number of the elect might be filled up, man, the tenth, was created, who even after his sin did not fall utterly away from his Maker, because the eternal Wisdom, shinning through the flesh by His miracles, restored him by the light of the earthen vessel” Or, as Theophylact interprets it, 44 The friends are all the heavenly powers ; but the neighbours, the thrones — cherubim s and seraphims — which are most nigh unto God.” Digitized by Google PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON. 371 Lastly, S. Gregory Nyssen, says, “ The ten pieces of silver are so many virtues, of which we ought to lack none, for like the commandments they are complete in themselves (decern). The candle is the divine word or perhaps the torch of repentance ; the neighbours, reason, desire, anger, and such like affections.” Ver. 1 1 . — And He said , A certain man had two sons. This parable is the third of the series, and like the two preceding ones, is designed to show the joy which is in heaven over the conversion of a sinner. And so there are three principal persons in the parable, the father and his two sons, the elder careful of his possessions, the younger a spendthrift The father is God, who created all men, or Christ, who redeemed and regenerated all men with His blood, and who daily regenerates them by baptism. The two sons are understood by universal consent to represent the Jews and the Gentiles. By the elder, who was ever with his father, we may understand the Jews ; by the younger the Gentiles, who having worshipped God in the days of Adam and Noah, turned aside to idols and the sins of the flesh : an interpretation which is borne out by the 25th verse, for it was the Jews who murmured because the Gentiles were received into grace and favour by Christ But still more in accordance with the purpose of the parable, we may take the two sons to represent the just and the unjust, whether Jews or Gentiles. For the sinners with whom Christ companied, thereby causing the Pharisees to murmur against Him, were clearly Jews and not Gentiles. The elder son represents the just, i.e. those who were really just, as well as those who, like the Scribes and Pharisees, claimed to be such. The younger son, the prodigal, is put for open and notorious sinners, such as the publicans and harlots, with whom Christ was wont to associate in order that He might win them from the error of their way. So S. Jerome and most other interpreters explains the parable

And the younger of them said to his father Father , give me the portion of goods that fatleth to me. The younger, i.e. sinners Digitized by Google 372 and harlots. For youth is less restrained, more foolish, more inconstant, and more prone to indulgences of every kind. According to the Fathers, the “goods,” “substantia,” must be taken to mean man’s free will, called in Greek |8/o;. “ Because by it,” says S. Jerome, “ man lives freely and as it pleases him.” “ For,” observes Theophylact, “ the substance of man is the capacity of reason which is accompanied by free will.” S. Ambrose and others, by substance, understand more fitly the grace of God, virtues and good habits. For it is these which are really wasted and destroyed by the sinner, whilst his free will cannot be lost, as is clear from the parable. You may therefore take the word to mean all the gifts of God, of body and soul, of nature and grace ; for these the younger son demands to be entirely given up to him, because he was unwilling any longer to submit to the authority of his father, but desirous of being his own master, and of being free to use or abuse the gifts of God as might seem to him good. So S. Augustine (Quast. Evang. lib. ii. q. 35) writes, “To live, to understand, to remember, to excel in quickness of intellect, these things are gifts of God, which men receive into their own power by freewill.” So also S. Jerome, Titus, and Euthymius. And he divided unto them his living. Placing the gifts just mentioned at the free disposal of each, for “ He left man in the hand of his counsel” Ecclus. xv. 14

And not many days after the younger son gathered all together , or, according to the Syriac version, “ collected together all that had come to him,” and took his journey into a far country — “ far off,” says Euthymius, “ not by local separation, but by separation in point of virtue.” Such is a state of concupiscence and sin, for the sinner by sinning goes far from God and from heaven, and subjects himself to the dominion of Satan. “ But,” says Euthymius, “ the elder son being wise, remained with his father.” Hence S. Augustine goes on to say, “The far country is forgetfulness of God, a forgetfulness which is mutual, for inasmuch as the sinner forgets God, God in His turn is in a manner forgetful of the sinner, ie. God ceases to bestow on him Hght, grace, or guidance.” Digitized by Google THE PRODIGAL’S ABANDONED LTFE. 373 For S. Jerome says, “ We must bear in mind that we are with God, or depart from Him, according to our disposition, not according to 4 distances of place.’ ” Therefore, adds Theophylact, u when a man departs from God, and from the fear of God, he wastes and consumes all God’s gifts.” And there wasted his substance , Le., all the gifts of nature and grace. For the sinner, giving himself up to pleasure and licentiousness, incurs the loss of all God’s gifts of grace. He becomes dull of understanding and is unable to recognise God, or the beauty of holiness. He grows forgetful of God’s law and God’s goodness towards him. He so corrupts his will as to prefer vice to virtue, pleasure to reason, earth to heaven, the evil one to God ; and forsaking the paths of virtue, gives himself up to every kind of evil Hence he becomes destitute of counsel, reason, sense, and everything that is good ; and at last, with all the powers of his soul and body, he worships the creature rather than the Creator, and falls into that sin to which the Psalmist refers, “So they that forsake Thee shall perish ; Thou hast destroyed all them that commit fornication against Thee.” Ps. lxxiil 26. The prodigal son “ wasted all the graces of nature,” says Euthymius, because, adds S. Augustine, “he made a wrong use of his natural gifts.” “He then,” says Titus, “expended his goods” (substantiam), ie.9 the light which was in him, temperance, the knowledge of the truth, the remembrance of God. And lastly, says Euthymius again, “he corrupted the gift which he had received at his baptism, i.e. nobility of soul, and the capability of living a godly life, for such things as these made up the riches of the prodigal With riotous living , By living an abandoned life (d*<£r«;), not only sinful but also luxurious and intemperate. “ A prodigal life,” says the Gloss, “ loves to occupy itself in outward show, forgetful of God, who has His dwelling within.”

But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him. Before he had given any expression to his penitence, his father prevented him. See here God’s wonderful loving-kindness towards penitent sinners. “ He is wont,” says Titus, “in His mercy and pity to anticipate the repentance of men;” and, adds S. Gregory of Nyssa, “when he resolved to repent, his father was reconciled to him.” And had compassion , was moved with pity at the sight of his misery. And ran. In excess of joy, says Euthymius, he waited not for him to draw nigh, but went to meet him, running and thereby showing the greatness of his love. And fell on his neck , and kissed him. “To fall on his neck,” says S. Augustine, “ is to lower to his embrace the arm of God, which is Christ ; to give the kiss is to comfort by the word of God’s grace unto the hope of pardon of sin.” But S. Chrysostom says, “ The mouth is kissed as that from which the heartfelt confession of the penitent proceeded.” The embrace and the kiss are here set forth as the tokens of Digitized by Google 382 pardon and reconciliation, and of especial love and goodwill, as well as of the exultation and joy with which God and His angels regard a sinner that repenteth

And the son said unto him , Father , / have sinned , &c. He desires, says the Interlinear, that to be done by grace, which he acknowledges himself to be unworthy of by any merit of his own. (See above on ver. 18.) He omits to say, “make me as one of thy hired servants,” either because his father, out of love and joy, had cut short his confession, by bidding the attendants “ bring forth the best robe,” or because his father’s embrace and kiss had encouraged him to hope that again he might be acknowledged as a son. “ He does not add,” says S. Augustine (Lib. ii. Qucest. Evang. q. 33), “what he had before determined to say, for after the kiss of his fathei he most nobly disdained to become a hireling.” Titus, however, is of opinion that the words were actually uttered, although S. Luke has not recorded them

But the father said to his servants , &c. “The servants,” says Theophylact, “ are the angels or the priests,” or, according to S. Augustine, the preachers, for by their ministry God reconciles sinners to Himself. The best robe. The “ first ” robe, that which he was wont to wear before he left his father’s house, for from the repetition of the article o|» vftonjr, it is clear that some particular garment is indicated. Hence, in the lives of the Fathers, it is related that a certain Bishop saw in a vision two women who were sinners, clothed, after having made sacramental confession, in white garments and radiant with light. He inquired the cause of this from an angel that appeared unto him, and was told that the women, by their confession and tears, had rendered themselves worthy to be numbered with the elect. And put a ring on his handy and shoes on his feet . A ring of gold, i.e. the mark of a free and rich or noble man, as also are shoes, for slaves go barefoot, but citizens are shod

And he answering said , Lo , these many years do 1 serve thee. The Syriac has uservio tibi servitutem” so the Jews were in bondage to the observance of the law. Neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment. This answer shows the lying arrogance and the ingratitude of the Jews, who boasted of their work done under the law, and forgot the many benefits which God had conferred upon them. They lie when they say they have never transgressed the commandment of God. They transgress often I For, says St Jerome (Ep. 146), “ Is it not a transgression to envy our brother his salvation ? ” With like arrogancy, the Pharisee justifies himselfj and despises the Publican. St Luke xviii. 1 1. But as St Augustine and the Interlinear point out, the Jews did not bow down to idols, as the Gentiles did, and therefore, inasmuch as they worshipped the one true God, and Him alone, in this particular they did not transgress the commandment And yet thou never gavest me a kid. The fathers explain this symbolically in many ways. ^ “ No blood of prophet or priest has delivered us from the Roman yoke, but for the prodigal, *>., for the Gentiles, for sinners, throughout the whole world, Thy precious blood was shed.” St Jerome (Ep. 146), 14 Thou hast never, for my sake, ordered a kid, i.e. a sinner who persecuted me, to be slain.” Theophylact “Thou, O Christ, hast never given me Thyself for my food, Digitized by Google THE FATHER'S REMONSTRANCE. 387 because I accounted Thee as a kid, i.e., as a sinner, and a perverter of the Law.” St Augustine. “ The Jews demand a kid : the Christians a lamb. For them Barabbas is set free ; for us the lamb is slain.” St Ambrose

This thy son . . . which hath devoured thy living with harlots . The Pharisees accuse God of sin, in preferring the unworthy to the worthy, Gentiles to the Jews, sinners to themselves, as if He had regard to the persons of men ; but their accusation is false. For the Gentiles, though sinners, by their repentance and faith made themselves worthy of the gospel and the grace of Christ ; but the Pharisees, by their pride, envy, and unbelief, showed themselves unworthy of these benefits. Hence they became reprobate, and the Gentiles were chosen in their stead. See S. Matt. xx. 16

It was meet that we should make merry and be glad. For the most convincing of reasons, because this my son, thy brother, who was dead in trespasses and sins, is now restored to ferace and favour, wherefore it behovest thee to take part in our rejoicing, and not to be envious and to murmur against him. Christ now leaves the Pharisees to apply the parable to themselves. For, says Theophylact, “ It is intended to teach that although we may be just, we must not cast off sinners nor murmur because God receives them;" and again, “The Lord speaks as it were after this manner ; I beseech you who are righteous and free from reproach, that ye murmur not at the salvation of sons, for this prodigal is still a son.” Digitized by Google CHAPTER XVI. I 7 he parable of the unjust steward, 14 Christ reproveth tne hypocrisy of the covetous Pharisees . 19 The rich glutton , and Lazarus the beggar, AND he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward ; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. 2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship ; for thou mayest be no longer steward. 3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship : I cannot dig ; to beg I am ashamed. 4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. 5 So he called every one of his lord’s debtors unto him , and said unto the first How much owest thou unto my lord ? 6 And he said. An hundred measures of oil And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. 7 Then he said to another. And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore. 8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely : foi the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light 9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness ; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. 10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much : and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. II If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches t 12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own ? 13 H No servant can serve two masters : for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. 15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men ; but God knoweth your hearts : for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. 16 The law and the prophets were until John : since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth unto it Digitized by Google 390 And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail 18 Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery : and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery. 19 IT There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day : 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table : moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom : the rich man also died, and was buried ; 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue ; for I am tormented in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things : but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed : so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot ; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house : 28 For I have five brethren ; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment 29 Abraham saith unto him. They have Moses and the prophets ; let them hear them. 30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham : but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one arose from the dead