1 Judge not, that you may not be judged.
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VERS. 1.-- *Judge not.* Of doubtful matters, since judgment is passed on manifest ones, and not on those of which it is uncertain with what mind they are done: of which no one judges without danger. Rash judgment is when men judge in matters not committed to them, whether it be of manifest things or of hidden ones. Now judgment is committed either to the masters of the Church or to the princes of the earth. These therefore, if they judge of manifest things, those namely which are proved or confessed, do not judge rashly; but if of uncertain things, they judge rashly: these judgments he forbids.
2 For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again.
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VERS. 2.-- *For with what.* As if he were to say: In what will thou hast done well, in that same shalt thou be set free; and in what ill, in that same shalt thou be punished. For the matter here concerns those things in which we either offend by judging rashly, or are excused by acting rightly; and therefore he adds: *With what measure.* And justly, those whose will had no end of sinning, although they sinned with an end, have no end of vengeance; and those whose judgment was without mercy shall be judged without mercy. *With what measure.* It can be that in this same measure, in which one thing has been measured out, wheat for instance, another should be measured, barley for instance: and another quantity too, as if one bushel of the one, a hundred of the other. So God does, and not unjustly, that for them [it be] unto eternity. And the very infamy, or the evil which thou hast brought, is the cause why thou incurrest the punishment that is due.Justly do those who wish to enjoy sin eternally find also an eternal punishment: whose will had no end of sinning, nor shall it have an end of being tormented.
3 And why seest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye; and seest not the beam that is in thy own eye?
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VERS. 3.-- *And why seest thou.* Behold the moderation of judgment, and let not one who is himself forestalled by greater faults judge another for lesser ones. For many, forestalled by greater faults, would rather find fault with lighter ones in a brother and condemn them than amend them. As if, being full of hatred or envy or malice, they should condemn in him that wherein anger offends; which anger is as a mote, and hatred as a beam. One who is angry with another sometimes wishes him to be corrected; he who hates cannot wish this: and therefore it is called impossible that he should take away the mote from his brother who carries a beam; first therefore the beam of hatred, of envy, of dissimulation and of all malice must be cast away, so that we may thus mercifully, with regard to God, not to ourselves, rebuke our brother: so that, whether the correction profit him or not, we at any rate may be secure concerning the singleness of our own eye. Scarcely is anyone found free from this vice, since each man, favouring his own, easily reprehends what is another's: and, bearing another's faults more heavily than his own, he assumes the authority of reproving without the example of his own amendment. Salvation, in that they judge rashly they have a beam in the eye.
4 Or how sayest thou to thy brother: Let me cast the mote out of thy eye; and behold a beam is in thy own eye?
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VERS. 4.-- *Or how sayest thou to thy brother.* That is, thou wilt not be able to amend the lesser thing (anger, for instance) in thy brother, until thou hast driven the greater, that is hatred, or envy, out of thy own heart.
5 Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thy own eye, and then shalt thou see to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
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VERS. 5.-- *Thou hypocrite, cast out.* For these men take it upon themselves out of hatred and spite to accuse everything, and wish to seem counsellors without the example of their own amendment. For he is no fit teacher to heal another who has not yet healed himself.
6 Give not that which is holy to dogs; neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turning upon you, they tear you.
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VERS. 6.-- *Give not that which is holy,* etc. The eye being cleansed, the stewards of the Church can chastise others, but not give what is holy to dogs; for as it is dangerous to hide it, so it is prodigal to give it to dogs. To such men mystical things are not to be opened, but the holy of holies is to be covered with a veil: yet things more open, and as it were commoner, may be spoken. *Give not.* The same thing is called both what is holy and a pearl, that is, the Gospel and the sacraments of the Church. *That which is holy,* because by nature inviolable, and it ought not to be corrupted by anyone. *A pearl,* which lies hidden in secret: and out of the figures, as out of opened shells, is drawn a precious gem which cannot be corrupted. Dogs indeed are those who bark against it and tear in pieces what is whole; swine, those who set it at nought and trample it: or dogs are those returned to their vomit, swine those not yet converted, but wallowing in the mire of the vices. *And turning upon you.* Lest perchance, hearing yet something further, they rend, not the pearls, which they trample, but you, by their indignation. For it cannot easily be found what would be pleasing to such men.
7 Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you.
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VERS. 7.-- *Ask.* By these steps the way, the truth, and the life are granted to those who strive lawfully: Christ is the way by which one walks, the truth by which he is found, the door at which one knocks, that we may enter to him through him. Laboriously indeed did I think it must be set forth how these three differ among themselves, but far better, etc., *as far as* for he did not say, to those asking, and seeking, and knocking.
8 For every one that asketh, receiveth: and he that seeketh, findeth: and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.
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VERS. 8.-- *For every one,* etc. That he may furnish constancy in persevering, diligence in seeking, confidence in obtaining, he adds. *Every one,* etc. Above he taught what we should ask, namely the kingdom. Here, confidence, that we may ask hesitating in nothing. He does not deny himself to those who ask, who freely offered himself to those who did not ask: and those who seek shall find him who granted to those who did not seek that they should find, and to those who knock he will open, who cries: *Behold, I stand at the door and knock*.
9 Or what man is there among you, of whom if his son shall ask bread, will he reach him a stone?
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VERS. 9.-- *Or what man.* He explains what is to be asked, and from human kindness toward children he commends the Father's care toward us. To those who ask for Christ with right faith there is given no stone of stumbling, nor hardness of heart. So if you ask your father for charity, without which all else is nothing, as without bread the table is destitute, to which hardness of heart is contrary.
10 Or if he shall ask him a fish, will he reach him a serpent?
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VERS. 10.-- *If he ask a fish.* By the fish, the faith which is nourished beneath the streams of the Holy Spirit. By the fish he means faith in things invisible: either because of the water of baptism, or because it is taken out of invisible places, or because it is not broken by the waves of this world. In Luke's Gospel there follows the comparison of the egg and the scorpion. In the egg hope also is understood, because in it the young is not yet brought through; but by cherishing it is hoped for. In the scorpion, whose sting is to be feared behind, is understood the contrary of hope, namely to look backward, whereas hope ought to stretch itself forward.
11 If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more will your Father who is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him?
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VERS. 11.-- *If you then.* Since fathers bestow good things upon their children, therefore much more will our Father, who is incomparably good, give good things to the children who ask him. *You know how to give good things.* Good according to the judgment of those who hold them for good, although in the nature of things they too are good, and pertain to this present life, which an evil man does not give of his own. *For the earth is the Lord's*, etc. Or the apostles are called evil, as regards themselves in comparison with God, who alone is good, from whom all are good. *Will give good things.* That is, the Holy Spirit. Or good things, namely eternal ones, which are not given save to sons. *To them that ask him.* The distributor of all spiritual goods, that the works of charity may be fulfilled.
12 All things therefore whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you also to them. For this is the law and the prophets.
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VERS. 12.-- *All things therefore,* etc. Because to love one who loves is a thing of nature; but that one who does not love should be constrained by benefits to love, is of Christ's perfection. When he had commanded us first, to do to others what we would wish to be done to us, he at once builds up the same sense, saying: *All things therefore whatsoever,* etc., that is, the good things which you wish to receive from others, do the same to them, that the charity of the neighbour may be fulfilled, which without love cannot rightly be perfected. And therefore he adds: *This is the law and the prophets,* etc.; because neither is God loved without the neighbour, nor the neighbour without God, since the neighbour is not to be judged out of hatred or out of envy: therefore with what charity you would wish to be admonished, do to others. *That men should do to you.* Because he adds "men", he speaks only of the love of the neighbour. Whence neither does he subjoin "the whole law", but leaves aside what belongs to the love of God. But if he had said: All things whatsoever you wish to be done to you, do to others: he would have embraced both, in which is the whole law, for the salvation of men it is written in the prophets and in the law.
13 Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat.
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VERS. 13.-- *Enter ye.* Although it be hard that thou shouldst do to others what thou wishest to be done to thee, yet so it must be done that we may enter. *By the narrow gate.* The narrow one is sought, and is not found by all. Nor do all who find it enter by it, because, taken captive by the world, they go back. *And broad.* Although they do not seek this one, yet all find it, because they were born in it. Pleasure, like an importunate harlot, invites all by her delights: and therefore many enter by it.
14 How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!
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VERS. 14.-- *How narrow.* It is narrow enough to pass by all things, to love one alone, to seek one, to knock daily at one, not to court prosperity, not to fear adversity. *And few.* If few find it, fewer strive to enter by it. No one enters without labour, and without purity of mind.
15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
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VERS. 15.-- *Beware.* When he had said that the narrow way is found by few, lest perchance his own should be entangled in the errors of the pseudo-prophets, he added: Beware: *Beware.* What above he called the broad gate, he more openly calls false prophets. *Beware.* Although this may be understood of all who show one thing in dress and speech and another in deed; yet it is especially of heretics, who, covered with a certain garment of piety, are ravening wolves with a venomous mind and an intent to harm, either outwardly by persecuting, if opportunity be given, or inwardly by corrupting. *To you in the clothing of sheep.* In the sight of men they are like ministers of justice while they fast, pray, give alms: but these are not their fruits, because it is reckoned to them for a vice. *By their fruits.* Not by the vesture, but by the works, which is of things manifest, etc., *as far as* but the sheep ought not to lay aside their fleeces, even if wolves sometimes cover themselves with them.
16 By their fruits you shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
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VERS. 16.-- *Do they gather.* Allegorically. Thorns and thistles are the heretics, from whom no one of the wise will be able to find holiness or truth: rather they tear and bloody those who come near. Or thorns and thistles are the cares of the world, and the prickings of the vices. The grape and the fig are the sweetness of the new manner of life, for which Christ hungers in us, and the fervour of love, which gladdens the heart of man. Not from thorns and thistles, therefore, come the grape and the fig: because a mind still pressed down by the habit of the old man can feign, not bear, the fruits of the new man. But if sometimes the words or deeds of evil men profit the good, the evil do not do this, but it comes about from them by the counsel of God: because it is not their fruit, but the vine's, which sometimes runs over upon the thorns. But the cluster is to be plucked, the thorn avoided. Christ is the vine. His own are the branches which bear the grapes, that is, the works of the spirit, which make the mind drunk.
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and the evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
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VERS. 17.-- *So every tree.* That is, according to the aforesaid impossibility: because from an evil root the fruit of sweetness cannot break forth. Good fruits are to be looked for from a good tree. A tree good or evil is not nature, which in all things was created good by God, but the will, good or evil. The fruits are the works, which can neither be good works of an evil will, nor evil works of a good will. The fruits of a good tree are joy, peace, patience, long-suffering, etc.; which fruits none but a good will brings forth. So on the contrary an evil intention nourishes evil ones.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit.
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VERS. 18.-- *A good tree cannot.* He does not say: An evil tree cannot become good, or a good one evil; for Paul from a persecutor was made an apostle, and, the soul's nature remaining whole, it is corrupted by the affection of the will, or is changed for the better. The will of each man is a tree good or evil. And as a tree is rooted in the earth, so is the will in the soul. The fruits of an evil tree are the works of the flesh, namely unclean fornication, luxury.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire.
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VERS. 19.-- *Every tree.* By this sentence he condemns hypocrites and pseudo-prophets, and what he taught above concerning cleanness of heart he confirms by this example, that no one receives good fruit from an evil intention, nor reaps from a good one anything but good.
20 Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.
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VERS. 20.-- *Therefore by their fruits.* As if he should say: Beware of false prophets, and know them by their fruits.
21 Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.
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VERS. 21.-- *Not every one that saith.* As those are to be guarded against who have the appearance of a good life because of a doctrine of wickedness, so here on the contrary are those who, though they be of entire faith and doctrine, live basely. For both are needful, that the work be approved by the word, and the word by the works. *That saith: Lord, Lord.* The road of the kingdom of God is obedience, not the calling of a name. This is not that saying truly and properly, where the utterance is at variance with the will. Of which the Apostle says: *No man can say: Lord Jesus, but in the Holy Ghost*.
22 Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in thy name, and cast out devils in thy name, and done many miracles in thy name?
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VERS. 22.-- *Many will say.* But most of all are those to be guarded against who, for the name of Christ, have even miracles, and although the Lord wrought these for the sake of unbelievers, yet he warned us not to be deceived by such men: thinking that invisible wisdom is there where there is a visible miracle; whence he adds: *Many will say.* How clean and single an eye then is needed, that the way of wisdom may be found amid so many deceptions.
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.
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VERS. 23.-- *I never knew you.* The light does not know the darkness, that is, it does not look upon it, since if it looked upon it, it would not be darkness. *You that work iniquity.* Not "who have worked", lest he take away repentance, but "who work" at the judgment; although you have not the power of sinning, yet you have the desire.
24 Every one therefore that heareth these my words, and doth them, shall be likened to a wise man that built his house upon a rock,
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VERS. 24.-- *Every one therefore.* As if he should say: All the foregoing must be well kept, because he who keeps them shall be likened to Christ; he who keeps them not, to the devil. *But he who,* which things were delivered on the mount: this he says in order to show that the sermon delivered on the mount is perfect in all the precepts by which the Christian life is formed. *Shall be likened.* Because, as Christ out of various persons builds up one Church, instructs it, rules it, being about to dedicate it unto eternal life, so this man by various virtues builds for himself a perpetual dwelling, and in the dedication to come will rejoice with Christ. *To a man.* To him who says: As a wise architect, I have laid the foundation in Christ. *Who built.* He builds in Christ who does what he hears from him. *Upon a rock.* From which Peter received his name, for the firmness of his faith, that is, he built the Church upon himself.
25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded on a rock.
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VERS. 25.-- *And there came down.* In three ways the devil assails: by the concupiscence of the flesh, by the outward delights of the world, or by himself, when he looses upon all the wind of his impulsions. *The rain.* Concupiscence, by which each man is tempted, which softens the sense, the rigour of faith, which if it does not prevail, greater floods come on.
26 And every one that heareth these my words and doth them not, shall be like a foolish man that built his house upon the sand,
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VERS. 26.-- *Who heareth these my words,* etc., outwardly. And therefore he has no excuse, but great is his ruin: because he despised the warnings of salvation. *To a foolish man.* Of whom it is said: *An enemy hath done this, whose* works are all unstable, and lie open to ruin. *Upon the sand.* Of whatever sort the things be that are founded upon the concupiscence of the vices, they shall not stand.
27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall thereof.
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VERS. 27.-- *And it fell, and great was the ruin thereof.* Every conscience which does not remain fixed in God by hope has no strength to stand in temptations; and it is driven the further, the more it is severed from the things above in those things which are of the world: and truly all who are evil, or feignedly good, become worse when any temptation presses upon them.
28 And it came to pass when Jesus had fully ended these words, the people were in admiration at his doctrine.
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VERS. 28.-- *The crowds.* Either some in the crowd, because unbelievers, or rather all, [wondered] at the excellence of his wisdom.
29 For he was teaching them as one having power, and not as the scribes and Pharisees.