Gregory the Great
Patristic
c. A.D. 540–604
“Because likewise through love of that heavenly life the darkness of sins is abandoned, there follows: (Verse 23.) "And the Lord saved Israel on that day." The contemplation of the inner light is indeed a splendid and most brilliant day, on which the Lord saves Israel, because those whose hearts he irradiates with the light of inward splendor, he raises to the height of perpetual salvation. For the Lord is said to save on that day, because no one is kindled to the love of eternal life from whom the splendor of the inner light is hidden. To this grace of salvation not only the chosen things of the world arrive, but even those that seem despised. Whence it is added: (Verse 23.) "And the battle passed beyond Beth-aven." Bethaven means "house of uselessness." Indeed, the Lord, showing this uselessness in the parables, introduces a king commanding a servant at the wedding feast, saying: "Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed, the blind and the lame" (Luke 14:21). The poor are those who do not at all store up the treasures of God's word in their heart. The maimed are those who cannot labor sufficiently for eternal life. The blind designate the ignorant and simple, because while they in no way see heavenly things, they lack the light of the mind. The lame are those who have lost the step of good works. But "the battle reached as far as Bethaven," because often useless persons, when they are captured by the warfare of God's word, are reduced into His service and become useful. Indeed, battle is waged with the blind so that they may see, with the lame so that they may stand firm, with the poor so that they may receive the treasures of good conduct, with the maimed so that they may grow strong for the vigor of good works. Therefore the battle is carried as far as Bethaven, when those are captured by the preaching of the saints who seemed to possess no usefulness necessary to anyone.”