1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he passed from thence, to teach and to preach in their cities.
2 Now when John had heard in prison the works of Christ: sending two of his disciples he said to him:
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VERS. 2.-- *Now John.* And while Christ was preaching, etc., *as far as* it does not appear who keeps the order of the thing done.
3 Art thou he that art to come, or look we for another?
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VERS. 3.-- *Art thou he.* He does not say *who hast come,* as if he should say: Since I am about to descend to the lower regions: I ought to announce thee to those below, who have announced thee to those above. Is it fitting for the Son of God to die, or art thou about to send another for these sacraments?
4 And Jesus making answer said to them: Go and relate to John what you have heard and seen.
5 The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead rise again, the poor have the gospel preached to them.
6 And blessed is he that shall not be scandalized in me.
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VERS. 6.-- *He that shall not be scandalized.* He who shall not have doubted of the power of the divinity, he is not to be thought to have said this against John, whom he presently commends so greatly.
7 And when they went their way, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John: What went you out into the desert to see? a reed shaken with the wind?
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VERS. 7.-- *Concerning John.* The forerunner of Christ wished to make his disciples certain concerning Christ, because he perceived that they doubted. Concerning the forerunner, Christ taught the doubting crowds not to doubt, since they thought him soft and light.
8 But what went you out to see? a man clothed in soft garments? Behold they that are clothed in soft garments, are in the houses of kings.
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VERS. 8.-- *Behold they who are clothed in soft garments,* etc. *Who put pillows under the elbow,* who soothe the life of sinners, and do not prick them. A rigorous life and preaching ought to shun the palaces of the soft, which those frequent who flatter men clothed in soft garments. Blessed John, despising even the hairs of sheep, which savour of delicacies, [chose] the hairs of camels, etc., *as far as* he removed himself from all empty zeal, and from the vain appearance of good, and from a sordid and illiberal elegance.
9 But what went you out to see? A prophet? Yea I tell you, and more than a prophet.
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VERS. 9.-- *More than a prophet.* Because he is an angel not by nature but by office.
10 For this is he of whom it is written: Behold I send my angel before my face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.
11 Amen I say to you, there hath not risen among them that are born of women a greater than John the Baptist: yet he that is the lesser in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
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VERS. 11.-- *Greater than John.* In this he is not preferred to the patriarchs and to all men, but is shown equal to the other saints. *But he that.* That is, every saint who is now with God is greater than he who is still in the world. Or I, whom the opinion of many makes less, am set before him in the Church of the saints. Or the last angel of heaven is better than any man whatever. *In the kingdom.* The kingdom of heaven is taken in two ways: either the one above, in which we are not yet: or the present Church, in which we still live, and already in a manner reign.
12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away.
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VERS. 12.-- *From the days of John.* The Lord had bidden the apostles go to the sheep which had perished of the house of Israel, that they might be brought back to the kingdom. But this preaching turned to the profit of publicans and sinners, who believed. For the rest, John is not believed by the people, Christ's works are given no authority, because the cross is for a scandal. Now prophecy ceases, now the law is fulfilled; Christ is preached to some, and received by others: his own reject him, his enemies accept him. And so the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, because the glory of Israel, owed to the fathers, announced by the prophets, offered by Christ, is seized and carried off by the faith of the Gentiles. Or, from the days of John, who preached his presence, by which the sinner comes to life again: and not before, because the law brought in punishment and did not give life through penance. The heavenly fatherland suffers violence while the sinner enters into it, as into a place not his own, through penance. It is by a great violence to be born on earth and to lay hold of heaven, and to have through virtue what we cannot have through nature.
13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John:
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VERS. 13.-- *For all.* Not that after John there were not some, as Agabus, but because whatever they prophesied, they foretold of the Lord. *For all.* Because whatever they said, they spoke of one to come, but he pointed out the one who was coming.
14 And if you will receive it, he is Elias that is to come.
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VERS. 14.-- *And if you will receive it.* That you may be the less excusable, because you did not receive him. He is Elias in power, not in person, equal in severity of life, going before by rigour of mind Christ's first coming, as that other the second.
15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
16 But whereunto shall I esteem this generation to be like? It is like to children sitting in the market place.
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VERS. 16.-- *But to whom,* etc. John being praised, he passes to rebuking those who were not moved by John's preaching: or who despise the preaching of Christ himself. John is such and so great as I have said, and so worthy that he ought to be believed: but to whom are you to be likened, who would not believe him? *He is like to children.* The children are teachers humble in spirit. Their synagogue, or Jerusalem itself, where the ordinances of God's precepts were laid up. Their equals, their fellow-tribesmen, whom they used to reproach, because they did not rise up to the praises of God with a devout heart, with the nimbleness of limbs which the dance marks. Nor by the lamentations of the prophets for the destructions already wrought or yet to be wrought were they turned to penance.
17 Who crying to their companions say: We have piped to you, and you have not danced: we have lamented, and you have not mourned.
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VERS. 17.-- *We have piped to you.* As David: *Rejoice in God our helper, sing aloud to the God of Jacob*, and the like. *We have lamented.* As: *Be converted to me with your whole heart, in fasting and in weeping and in mourning*, *and the like*
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking; and they say: He hath a devil.
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VERS. 18.-- *For John came.* As then, so now also you reject both ways of salvation. We lamented to John, we piped to Christ. This is the sum. This generation neither weeps with John weeping, nor rejoices with Christ rejoicing. Nor is it a wonder if they despise the twofold way of salvation, when they spurn both fasting and the fullness that is sought; if fasting pleases, why does John displease? if fullness, why the Son of man?
19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say: Behold a man that is a glutton and a wine drinker, a friend of publicans and sinners. And wisdom is justified by her children.
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VERS. 19.-- *And wisdom is justified,* etc. He shows that the sons of wisdom understand that righteousness is neither in abstaining nor in eating: but in an evenness of mind in bearing want, and a temperance in not corrupting oneself through abundance. The kingdom of God is not meat and drink: of which not the use but the concupiscence is blamed, in certain books it stands: Wisdom is justified by her works, because wisdom does not seek the testimony of the voice, but of works.
20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein were done the most of his miracles, for that they had not done penance.
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VERS. 20.-- *Then.* He who hitherto rebuked the Jews in general, now names the cities by name, which, having often heard his doctrine and seen so many signs, would not believe, to whom he does not wish evils, but foretells the things that are to come
21 Woe thee, Corozain, woe to thee, Bethsaida: for if in Tyre and Sidon had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in you, they had long ago done penance in sackcloth and ashes.
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VERS. 21.-- *Woe to thee,* etc. Above, where it is read that Jesus went about the cities and all the towns, healing every disease: it is to be understood that among the others the Lord wrought miracles also in Corozain and Bethsaida. Corozain is interpreted *my mystery;* Bethsaida *the house of fruits* or *of hunters. If in Tyre,* etc. We now see this fulfilled, because Corozain and Bethsaida would not believe when the Lord was present. Tyre and Sidon afterwards believed when the Apostles preached: so devoted that all, with their wives and children, followed Paul as far as the ships when he departed from Tyre. Why then he preached to those who would not believe, and avoided those who would believe: he himself knows, whose ways are mercy and truth. Yet he purposed not to go beyond the borders of Judaea, lest he should give the Pharisees and the priests a just occasion of persecution. And there were then those in Corozain who were to be called: nor yet were they to be punished more heavily for their contempt. Tyre, *narrowness.* Sidon, *hunting.*
22 But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you.
23 And thou Capharnaum, shalt thou be exalted up to heaven? thou shalt go down even unto hell. For if in Sodom had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in thee, perhaps it had remained unto this day.
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VERS. 23.-- *And thou, Capharnaum.* Not to Corozain and Bethsaida only shall there be woe, but to thee also, Capharnaum. *Shalt thou be exalted up to heaven?* Art not thou she who art made famous by the report of my lodging and of the signs wrought in thee, and hast most proudly withstood my preaching? Capharnaum is interpreted *a most beautiful village,* in which perfidious Jerusalem is condemned, to which it is said: *Sodom thy sister is justified by thee,* that is, by the comparison of thee with her, who was not corrected by the example of Lot, thou, to the words and miracles of the Son of God, hast always *proved* ungrateful.
24 But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for thee.
25 At that time Jesus answered and said: I confess to thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to little ones.
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VERS. 25.-- *Jesus answering.* Answering of a tacit objection, as though it were asked what the reason was that the Jewish people, a worshipper of God, so obstinately rejected the Son of God coming in the flesh, whom the Gentile world so readily received? *Lord of heaven and earth.* Thou who makest the heavens, and leavest in earthliness whom thou wilt, or according to the letter. *To little ones.* To the wise and prudent he does not oppose the foolish and the dull, but little ones, that he may prove that he condemns swelling, not sharpness.
26 Yea, Father: for so hath it seemed good in thy sight.
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VERS. 26.-- *Yea, Father.* He speaks with the affection of one caressing, that the benefit begun in the apostles may be completed. Here we take an example of humility, that we may not rashly presume to discuss the counsels above concerning the calling of these and the rejection of those; for when he had brought forward both, he did not at once render a reason, but said that it so pleased God, showing that what pleases the Just One cannot be unjust. In all things therefore which are ordered outwardly, there is the cause of an open reason, the justice of a hidden will. *Because so it hath seemed good before thee.* Lest anyone should again ask why he chooses the humble and rejects the wise.
27 All things are delivered to me by my Father. And no one knoweth the Son but the Father: neither doth any one know the Father, but the Son, and he to whom it shall please the Son to reveal him.
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VERS. 27.-- *All things are delivered to me,* etc. Understand mystically the Father delivering, the Son receiving. Otherwise, if thou takest it according to our frailty, when he who has received has begun to have, he who gave will begin not to have, by "all things" note the co-omnipotent, by "delivered", the Son, to whom by nature all things are his own by the right of one substance, not given through grace. But all things delivered are not heaven and earth and the rest which he made: but those who through the Son have access to the Father, and who, rebels before, afterwards began to perceive the Lord. *And no one knoweth the Son,* etc. To reveal himself. And no one knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom he willed to reveal the Father. For that which is subjoined refers to both. For by his Word the Father declares himself. And the Word declares itself, because it is the light of our mind. *But the Son, and he to whom the Son will,* etc. A mutual knowledge, which is by equality of nature. But that little which is in us is of the condescension of him who reveals.
28 Come to me all you that labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you.
29 Take up my yoke upon you, and learn of me, because I am meek, and humble of heart: And you shall find rest to your souls.
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VERS. 29.-- *Take up my yoke,* etc. The yoke of Christ is the Gospel, which joins Jews and Gentiles in one faith. *Take it upon you.* That is, hold it in honour: not underneath, that you should despise it. You who labour, by the difficulty of the law, and are burdened with sins, namely, I will refresh you, if you take up the yoke, that is, my precepts. And what is sweeter than his yoke? what lighter than his burden? to become approved, to abstain from evil, to will the good, to love all men, to follow after eternal things, not to be taken by things present, to be unwilling to do to another what thou art unwilling to suffer. *Learn of me.* He teaching by word and by example, that you may be humble in mind, meek in manners. Humble, that they may despise no one; meek, that they may injure none. In heart, that the same be outwardly in work as in the heart, lest the serpent lie hidden in the appearance of a dove.
30 For my yoke is sweet and my burden light.
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VERS. 30.-- *For my yoke.* How is the Gospel lighter than the law, when there works are condemned, here concupiscence also? But in the law many things are commanded which the Apostle says cannot be fulfilled: here the will is required, which is in our own choice, and which alone can suffice and have a reward. Again, how is the yoke of Christ sweet, when it is said above: *Narrow is the way that leadeth to life.* But it is narrow, because it is begun only with a narrow beginning, but in the course of time is widened with the unspeakable sweetness of love. *My burden. Because that which is momentary of our tribulation worketh an eternal weight of glory in the heavens*.