The Great Commentary (Mossman/Cobb English)

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. Matt. xvii. 19, &c., for Christ made the same reply in each place, “If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed you would move mountains.”

If ye had faith. “This indeed,” says S. Chrysostom, Digitized by Google 420 “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 sycamine tree (a mulberry tree (moro) close at hand, to which Christ pointed). Be thou rooted up and be thou cast into the seaf and it would have obeyed you . — For mulberry tree, Matt. xvii. 20 has mountain. Christ therefore said both. It is called the mulberry tree allegorically, as if tuaps (foolish) ; that is by antithesis, because it is the wisest of trees ; not putting forth its leaves till the frost is over, lest they should be cut off. The mulberry signifies the gospel of the cross of Christ, which to the Gentiles appears foolishness, but to the faithful is “ the power of God and the wisdom of God,” 1. Cor. L 24. Hence S. Augustine (Lib. 1 1, Qucest. Evan. : qucest. 39) : “Let those servants speak through the grain of mustard seed, to this mulberry tree; that is, to the gospel of the cross of Christ through the blood-coloured apples hanging like wounds on that tree which is to give food to the nations. Let them say that it is rooted up by the unbelief of the Jews, and transferred to the sea of the Gentiles and planted there, for by this home service they will minister to the hungering and thirsting Lord.” So too Bede. “ The mulberry tree,” he says, u by the blood colour of the fruit and shoots, is the gospel of the cross of Christ, which, through the faith of the Apostles, when it was held as it were in the stem of its kind, was rooted up from the Jews, and planted in the sea of the Gentiles.” The Gloss adds, “ The leaves of the mulberry, offered to the serpent, bring death upon him, as the word of the cross destroys all hurtful and venomous things of the soul.” On the other hand, SS. Ambrose and Chrysostom and the Gloss understand by the mulberry tree, the devil, whom the faith of Christ casts out and sends into hell. 1 The fruit of the mulberry tree,” says S. Ambrose, “ is firstly white, when in flower, when fully blown red, and when ripe it becomes black. The devil also, from the white flower of his angelic nature and power, when cast out by his reddening wickedness, grew horrible from the foul odour of sin. Behold Christ saying to the mulberry Digitized by Google fttE t»O^ER Ofr FAlf H. 4it tree, 1 Be thou rooted up and cast into the sea ; * when He cast the Legion out of the man, He permitted them to enter into the swine which, being driven by the spirit of the devils, cast themselves into the sea.” Hear also S. Chrysostom in the Catena : “ As the mulberry feeds worms (silk-worms) which spin silk from its leaves, so does the devil, from thoughts springing from those leaves, nourish in us an undying worm ; but faith has power to root this tree out of our souls, and to plunge it into hell.” Lastly, the Arabic for the mulberry has “sycamine,” or “sycamore,” of which, chap. xix. 4. Christ, moreover, exalts the power of faith, that He might implant in the Apostles an additional desire of increasing its keenness, and of praying for its gift to them ; for He who gave to men the mind and desire of praying, wished also to increase the faith of those who prayed. Hence He subsequently increased their faith, especially when He sent the Holy Spirit upon them at Pentecost Hence too, by the strength of their excelling faith, they wrought so great wonders and miracles, converting the whole world; and, lest they should grow proud of such deeds, and become vainglorious, Christ, by the following Parable, teaches them to be humble-minded, and to say, “we are unprofitable servants.”

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,“ who attains the result, plucks up the effect of boasting. The servant was not a slave as the heretics say, but one who was hired, and who, in addition to the service agreed upon or ordered by his master, might perform another for him to which he was not bound.” Here observe that the heretics abuse this passage to the opposing of good works, but wrongly. For this servant, as clearly appears, truly deserved the daily payment due to him by agreement, but did not deserve that his master should render him thanks ; for masters are not accustomed to bestow thanks Digitized by Google & LUKE, C. XVtt.. 422 upon those whom they pay for their labour. Thanks are only given to assistance rendered gratuitously and without payment. We who are the servants of God, through the works ordered by Him, if we offer them, merit eternal life, as the hired servant who has laboured throughout the day deserves his daily payment Mark ix. 41 ; Matt x. 41; Apoc. xi. 18. For although our works, as far as they are ours, are of little or no value, yet so far as they flow from the grace of Christ, and are therefore the works of Christ, our head, they are of great worth and desert, and do merit, as such, eternal glory ; for grace is the seed of glory : especially as God, of His immeasurable goodness, has been pleased to promise to them, as done by the grace of Christ, eternal glory. Vers. 8, 9. — And will not rather say unto him . That is, I suppose, because he does not owe thanks to his servants. “ For it is incumbent upon such an one to do his master’s will,” says Theophylact. “So there is laid upon us,” as Bede says, “the necessity of doing all things that God has commanded, and by fresh diligence, of always increasing our former services.” The meaning is, as S. Ambrose says, “ As we not only do not say to our servant, Take thy repose (recumbe), but require of him a further service, and give him no thanks, so neither does the Lord permit in us one only work, foi all while living ought to work always. Acknowledge we ourselves therefore to be servants, lending very many acts of obedience on interest Nor should we exalt ourselves, because we are called the sons of God. Grace is to be acknowledged, but nature is not to be passed over (ignoranda), nor should we boast ourselves, if we have served well in that which we ought to do. The sun obeys, the moon submits, the angels serve.”

He said unto them , Go and shew yourselves unto the priests . That is, if you go to them and obey Me, you shall assuredly be healed of your leprosy by My power and providence. And it came to pass , as they went Christ commanded them to go to the priests, not that they might be healed by them, for this was impossible, but firstly, for the honour and deference due to the priesthood ; secondly, because the law commanded lepers, if they were healed, to show themselves to the priests, that by their means they might be brought back to the city and temple, and to the society of men. The priests, moreover, had their own signs by which they might know whether a man were a leper or not, as I have shown Digitized by Google S. LttKE, c. XVll. 4*8 before. Thirdly, to prove the faith and obedience of the lepers, for they knew themselves to be lepers, and that they could not be healed by the priests, but only that their leprosy could be declared. Yet they went to them at the command of Christ, believing that they would thus be healed by Him before they came to the priests. For if they had not so believed they would assuredly not have gone to them. Fourthly, that Christ might make the priests witnesses of the miraculous healing done by Him, and that from this they might know that He was the Christ. Allegorically . Christ wished to signify that mystical lepers, that is sinners in the New Law, ought to come to the priests that they may be healed by penance, and absolved from the leprosy of sin. “ It is not,” says S. Chrysostom, “ the duty of the priest, under the New Law, to prove the leprosy, as it was under the Old, but to cleanse and expiate it when proved.” Lib. iii. de Sacerdotio. And as they went they were cleansed . “ In ceytain faith and blind obedience, not judging of the command,” says Eiithymius. It is probable that immediately on their going they were healed, that they might know it to have been done by Jesus. Hence the Samaritan, perceiving what had happened, and that he was cured, returned to Jesus and gave thanks. Thus is God wont to reward prompt faith and obedience. They were cleansed From their leprosy, which among the Jews was the greatest of uncleannesses, both natural and legal ; especially because it was contagious, and made those who came near, leprous and unclean

And He said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith. Faith, Digitized by Google 430 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 elicited from this leper some act of contrition by which he was justified ; and that he then left the schism of the Samaritans, and joined the true religion of the Jews. In the end he became a disciple of Jesus, and received His baptism, and became a Christian and preached the power and miracle of Christ and converted many to Him. Ver. so. — 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,” th at is, will come. It is a Hebraism, in which the present is put for the future. Observe that Christ said, “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” This Pharisee, therefore, either from a desire of knowledge, or to mock Jesus, said, “Thou Jesus preachest Thy kingdom in heaven, but when will it come? When shall we see Thee reigning in it? When shall we see Israel, who is now subjugated by the Romans, breathe again through Thy means and recover her liberty and live happily under Thee as her king?” “ They asked Him when He would reign,” says Euthymius, “ as to deride Him, who appeared as one of low estate.” But Christ answered mildly and briefly at first as in this verse, but afterwards at more length (verse 22 to the end of the chapter). He spoke of the glory of His kingdom in the heavens, to which that of grace should first be subordinated on earth, for we proceed to glory through grace. He said therefore, The kingdom of God, The kingdom of God and the Messiah cometh not with previous preparation, nor with the outward pomp of soldiers, horses, and chariots, as you can see, from itself You know a king to be at hand when you see his attendants preceding him. With such as these you thought that the kingdom of the Messiah would come, and you look for it as now nigh at hand. Ver. 2 1. — Neither shall they say. They shall not say, In Jerusalem is Digitized by Google THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 43* the royal throne of Christ, He reigns there in magnificence like another Solomon ; because Christ does not reign on a bodily throne, but in a spiritual soul, which by His grace He rules and directs into all good, and so guides it to the kingdom of heaven. For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost^ Rom. xiv. 17. I would understand all these sayings of the same thing : that is, of the first Advent of Christ, in which He reigns in the souls of the faithful as a king through His grace ; for thus do His sayings, as a whole, best agree together and cohere. Some, however, understand the kingdom of glory, because He will adorn even the bodies of the just with His own brightness, and other gifts, as all may see. Secondly, This kingdom of God is within us : that is, it is in our own power if we embrace the faith and grace of Christ, and work with Him, for, as Titus says, “ It is of our own will and power to receive the kingdom of God.” Thirdly, The kingdom of God is within us, because Christ, as our God and king, lives among us preaching and endowing this kingdom. Thus speaks Theophylact : “ The kingdom of God on the whole is to live after the manner of the angels, when nothing of this world occupies our souls. We need no long time and no distant journey, for faith is near us, and after faith the divine life.” The same also said the Apostle, “The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart, that is, the word of faith,” Rom. x. 8. For to believe, and to walk worthily of our belief and of our calling, is within us. The Pharisees therefore derided the Lord, but He turned them into ridicule, showing that they were ignorant of that which was within them and which is very easy to any one who wishes for it. " For now when I am in the midst of you, you are able to possess the kingdom of God if you believe in Me and will live according to My commandments.”

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 Digitized by Google 432 innovators ; and be oppressed by straits of body and mind, and know not what consolation or counsel to take. Hence you shall seek to see Me, and to consult Me, if only once, but in vain : for after I shall have ascended into heaven, I shall no more appear on earth. Thus the things you now hear from Me you ought to teach, and to console, and to direct, until, at my second coming to judgment, I return to you, that is, to your successors. Thus He spoke to warn them that they could only come to the kingdom of glory through tribulations, that they might neither fail in heart nor fall from the faith. So Theophylact, Euthymius, Titus, Bede, and others

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, 44 See them not, nor hasten to them.”

But first must He suffer many things. The Arabic has, 44 Before this He shall endure much suffering, and be rejected by this generation.” — 44 That is,” says Euthymius, 44 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, should be offended, and doubt whether He were the Christ.” Secondly, as Bede says, 44 that when they saw Him dying, who, they thought should be glorified, the pain of His sufferings might be lightened to them by the hope of the promised glory.” Thirdly, that He might arm them against future sufferings by this prophecy. 44 As if He had said,” says Theophylact, 44 Wonder not if troubles come upon you, so great as to make you wish for the days when I was with you. For even I myself, who will come as the lightning, must first suffer many things, and Digitized by Google THE DAY WHEN CHRIST IS REVEALED. 433 be rejected, and so come into that glory. Let this be your example, for to you also shall come glory from perils.”

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.”

Remember Lofs 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 with that which is perishing and burning.” S. Augustine (Libii Quasi. Evang. qucest. 43) : “ What is the meaning of Lot's wife ? She represents those who look back in tribulation and separate themselves from the hope of the Divine Promise, and who are therefore changed into a pillar of salt, that by admonishing men not to do the same, they may, as it were, season their hearts, and not become fools.”

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 very many, and certainly to all who have fallen away, fatal and most calamitous. For night and darkness are symbols of calamity. Secondly, As night closes the day and the time of labour, so will that day also close the time of labouring and meriting, according to the words, “ The night cometh when no man can work.” John ix. 4. Rightly then is the day of judgment called night. VOL. VL a b Digitized by Google ( 434 ) CHAPTER XVIII. 3 Of the importunate widow. 9 Of the Pharisee and the publican . 15 Children brought to Christ . 1 8 A ruler that would follow Christ , but is hindered by his riches. 28 The reward of them that leave all for his sake. 31 He foresheweth his death , 35 and restoreth a blind man to his sight. AND he spake a parable unto them to this endt that men ought always to pray, and not to faint ; 2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man : 3 And there was a widow in that city ; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while : but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man ; 5 Yet because this widow txoubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them ? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son ol man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth ? 9 And he spake thU parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others : 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray ; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 1 1 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, 1 thank thee, that I am not as other men are , extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other ; for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased ; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. 15 And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them : but when his disciples saw */, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them unto him^ and said, Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not ; for of such is the kingdom of God. 17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. Digitized by Google THE HOLY GOSPEL OF ST. LUKE. 435 18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life ? 19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good ? none *> good, save one, that is, God. 20 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. 21 And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. 22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven : and come, follow me. 23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful : for he was very rich. 24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God ! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 26 And they that heard it said. Who then can be saved ? 27 And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. 28 Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and followed thee. 29 And he said unto them. Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, 30 Who shall not receive manifold moie in this time, and in the world to come life everlasting. 31 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. 32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on : 33 And they shall scourge him , and put him to death : and the third day he shall rise again. 34 And they understood none of these things : and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. 35 T And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging : 36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. 37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. 38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. 39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace : but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. 40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him : and when he was come near, he asked him, 41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee ? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. 42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight : thy faith hath saved thee. 43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God { and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God