End of Christ's discourse: building on a rock or on sand

St Luke Chapter VI : Verses 39-49

Contents

• Luke vi. 39-49.  Douay-Rheims (Challoner) text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Annotations: from the Catena Aurea of St Thomas Aquinas
• Douay-Rheims 1582 text

Luke vi. 39-49.

Building a house on rock or on sand.
Drawn by author's daughter KB,aged 5 (1984-5)

39 And he spoke also to them a similitude: Can the blind lead the blind? do they not both fall into the ditch?

Dicebat autem illis et similitudinem : Numquid potest cæcus caecum ducere? nonne ambo in foveam cadunt?

40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one shall be perfect, if he be as his master.

Non est discipulus super magistrum : perfectus autem omnis erit, si sit sicut magister ejus.

41 And why seest thou the mote in thy brother's eye: but the beam that is in thy own eye thou considerest not?

Quid autem vides festucam in oculo fratris tui, trabem autem, quæ in oculo tuo est, non consideras?

42 Or how canst thou say to thy brother: Brother, let me pull the mote out of thy eye, when thou thyself seest not the beam in thy own eye? Hypocrite, cast first the beam out of thy own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to take out the mote from thy brother's eye.

aut quomodo potes dicere fratri tuo : Frater, sine ejiciam festucam de oculo tuo : ipse in oculo tuo trabem non videns? Hypocrita, ejice primum trabem de oculo tuo : et tunc perspicies ut educas festucam de oculo fratris tui.

43 For there is no good tree that bringeth forth evil fruit; nor an evil tree that bringeth forth good fruit.

Non est enim arbor bona, quæ facit fructus malos : neque arbor mala, faciens fructum bonum.

44 For every tree is known by its fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns; nor from a bramble bush do they gather the grape.

Unaquæque enim arbor de fructu suo cognoscitur. Neque enim de spinis colligunt ficus : neque de rubo vindemiant uvam.

45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth that which is evil. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Bonus homo de bono thesauro cordis sui profert bonum : et malus homo de malo thesauro profert malum. Ex abundantia enim cordis os loquitur.

46 And why call you me, Lord, Lord; and do not the things which I say?

Quid autem vocatis me Domine, Domine : et non facitis quæ dico?

47 Every one that cometh to me, and heareth my words, and doth them, I will shew you to whom he is like.

Omnis qui venit ad me, et audit sermones meos, et facit eos, ostendam vobis cui similis sit :

48 He is like to a man building a house, who digged deep, and laid the foundation upon a rock. And when a flood came, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and it could not shake it; for it was founded on a rock.

similis est homini aedificanti domum, qui fodit in altum, et posuit fundamentum super petram : inundatione autem facta, illisum est flumen domui illi, et non potuit eam movere : fundata enim erat super petram.

49 But he that heareth, and doth not, is like to a man building his house upon the earth without a foundation: against which the stream beat vehemently, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.

Qui autem audit, et non facit, similis est homini aedificanti domum suam super terram sine fundamento : in quam illisus est fluvius, et continuo cecidit : et facta est ruina domus illius magna.

Annotations from the Catena Aurea

    39. And he spoke also to them a similitude: Can the blind lead the blind? do they not both fall into the ditch? The Lord added to what had gone before a very necessary parable, as it is said, And he spake a parable to them, for His disciples were the future teachers of the world, and it therefore became them to know the way of a virtuous life, having their minds illuminated as it were by a divine brightness, that they should not be blind leaders of the blind. And then he adds, Can the blind lead the blind? CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA. 

    Or else, If thou judgest another, and in the very same way sinnest thyself, art not thou like to the blind leading the blind? For how canst thou lead him to good when thou also thyself committest sin? For the disciple is not above his master. If therefore thou sinnest, who thinkest thyself a master and guide, where will he be who is taught and led by thee? For he will be the perfect disciple who is as his master. THEOPHYLACT. 

    If, says He, anger has blinded thee against the violent, and avarice against the grasping, how canst thou with thy corrupt heart cure his corruption? If even thy Master Christ, who as God might revenge His injuries, chose rather by patience to render His persecutors more merciful, it is surely binding on His disciples, who are but men, to follow the same rule of perfection. BEDE. 

    41. And why seest thou the mote in thy brother's eye: but the beam that is in thy own eye thou considerest not?

But the Lord introduces another parable taken from the same figure, as follows, But why seest thou the mote (that is, the slight fault) which is in thy brother’s eye, but the beam (that is, thy great sin) which is in thine own eye  thou regardest not? THEOPHYLACT. 

   Now this has reference to the previous parable, in which He forewarned them that the blind cannot be led by the blind, that is, the sinner corrected by the sinner. Hence it is said, Or, how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother let me cast out the mote that is in thine eye, if thou seest not the beam that is in thine own eye?  BEDE. 

    Hypocrite, cast first the beam out of thy own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to take out the mote from thy brother's eye.

But these words are applicable to all, and especially to teachers, who while they punish the least sins of those who are put under them, leave their own unpunished. Wherefore the Lord calls them hypocrites, because to this end judge they the sins of others, that they themselves might seem just. THEOPHYLACT. 

    That is to say, first shew thyself clean from great sins, and then afterwards shalt thou give counsel to thy neighbour, who is guilty only of slight sins. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA. 

    43. For there is no good tree that bringeth forth evil fruit; nor an evil tree that bringeth forth good fruit. But although the fruit is caused by the tree, yet it brings to us the knowledge of the tree, because the distinctive nature of the tree is made evident by the fruit, as it follows, For every tree is known by its fruit. CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. 42. in Matt.) 

    Each man’s life also will be a criterion of his character. For not by extrinsic ornaments and pretended humility is the beauty of true happiness discovered, but by those things which a man does; of which he gives an illustration, adding, For of thorns men do not gather figs. CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA.

    44. For every tree is known by its fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns;   On the thorns of this world the fig cannot be found, which as being better in its second fruit, is well fitted to be a similitude of the resurrection. Either because, as you read, The fig trees have put forth their green figs, (Cant. ii. 13.) that is, the unripe and worthless fruit came first in the Synagogue. Or because our life is imperfect in the flesh, perfect in the resurrection, and therefore we ought to cast far from us worldly cares, which eat into the mind and scorch up the soul, that by diligent culture we may obtain the perfect fruits. This therefore has reference to the world and the resurrection, the next to the soul and the body, as it follows, Nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. Either because no one living in sin obtains fruit to his soul, which like the grape nearest the ground is rotten, on the higher branches becomes ripe. Or because no one can escape the condemnations of the flesh, but he whom Christ has redeemed, Who as a grape hung on the tree. AMBROSE.

    BEDE. Or, I think the thorns and bramble are the cares of the world and the prickings of sin, but the figs and the grapes are the sweetness of a new life and the warmth of love, but the fig is not gathered from the thorns nor the grape from the bramble, because the mind still debased by the habits of the old man may pretend to, but cannot bring forth the fruits of the new man. 

    45. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth that which is evil. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

    The treasure of the heart is the same as the root of the tree. He therefore who has in his heart the treasure of patience and perfect love, brings forth the best fruits, loving his enemy, and doing the other things which have been taught above. But he who keeps a bad treasure in his heart does the contrary to this. BEDE. 

    For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. For it is a natural consequence when wickedness abounds within, that wicked words are breathed as far as the mouth; and therefore when you hear of a man uttering abominable things, do not suppose that there lies only so much wickedness in him as is expressed in his words, but believe the fountain to be more copious than the stream. CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. 42. in Matt.)

    BEDE. By the speaking of the mouth the Lord signifies all things, which by word, or deed, or thought, we bring forth from the heart. For it is the manner of the Scripture to put words for deeds.

    46. And why call you me, Lord, Lord; and do not the things which I say?  Lest any one should vainly flatter himself... our Lord adds the following, But why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? As if He said, Why do ye boast of sending forth the leaves of a right confession, and shew forth no fruit of good works. BEDE.

    48. He is like to a man building a house, who digged deep, and laid the foundation upon a rock. The rock is Christ. He digs deep; by the precepts of humility He plucks out all earthly things from the hearts of the faithful, lest they should serve God from regard to their temporal good. BEDE. 

But lay your foundations upon a rock, that is, lean upon the faith of Christ, so as to persevere immoveable in adversity, whether it come from man or God. BASIL (in Princ. Prov.)

    And when a flood came. BEDE. A flood comes in three ways, either by unclean spirits, or wicked men, or the very restlessness of mind or body; [The devil, the world & the flesh] and as far as men trust in their own strength they fall away, but as long as they cling to the immoveable rock they cannot even be shaken.

    The Lord also shews us that faith profiteth a man nothing, if his manner of life be corrupt.CHRYSOSTOM. (Hom. 24. in Matt.) 

    49. But he that heareth, and doth not, is like to a man building his house upon the earth without a foundation: against which the stream beat vehemently, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.

BEDE. The house of the devil is the world which lieth in wickedness, (1 John v. 19.) which he builds upon the earth, because those who obey him he drags down from heaven to earth; he builds without foundation, for sin has no foundation, standing not by its own nature, for evil is without substance, which yet whatever it is, grows up in the nature of good. But because the foundation is called so from fundus, we may not unfitly understand that fundamentum is placed here for fundus. As then he who is fallen into a well is kept at the bottom of the well, so the soul falling away remains stationary, as it were, at the very bottom, as long as it continues in any measure of sin. But not content with the sin into which it is fallen, while daily sinking into worse, it can find no bottom, as it were, in the well to which it may fix itself. But every kind of temptation increasing, both the really bad and the feignedly good become worse, until at last they come to everlasting punishment. Hence it follows, Against which the stream did beat vehemently. By the force of the stream may be understood the trial of the last judgment, when both houses being finished, the wicked shall go into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. (Mat. xxv. 46.)

    St Luke's account compared with that of St Matthew

    Now this long discourse of our Lord, Luke begins in the same way as Matthew; for each says, Blessed are the poor. Then many things which follow in the narration of each are like, and finally the conclusion of the discourse is found to be altogether the same, I mean with respect to the men who build upon the rock and the sand. It might then easily be supposed that Luke has inserted the same discourse of our Lord, and yet has left out some sentences which Matthew has kept, and likewise put in others which Matthew has not; were it not that Matthew says the discourse was spoken by our Lord on the mountain, but Luke on the plain by our Lord standing. It is not however thought likely from this that these two discourses are separated by a long course of time, because both before and after both have related some things like, or the same. It may however have happened that our Lord was at first on a higher part of the mountain with His disciples alone, and that then he descended with them from the mount, that is, from the summit of the mountain to the flat place, that is, to some level ground, which was on the side of the mountain, and was able to hold large multitudes, and that there He stood until the crowds were gathered together to Him, and afterwards when He sat down His disciples came nearer, and to them, and the rest of the multitude who were present, He held the same discourse. AUGUSTINE. (de Con. Ev. ii. 19.)

Douay-Rheims : 1582 text

39. And he ſaid to them a ſimilitude alſo: Can the blind lead the blind? doe not both fal into the ditch?

40. The Diſciple is not aboue his Maiſter: but euery one ſhal be perfect, if he be as hiſ Maiſter.

41. And why ſeeſt thou the mote in thy brothers eye: but the beame that is in thine owne eye thou conſidereſt not?

42. Or how canſt thou ſay to thy brother: Brother, let me caſt out the mote out of thine eye: thy ſelf not seeing the beame in thine owne eye? Hypocrite, caſt first the beame out of thine owne eye; and then ſhalt thou ſee clerely to take forth the mote out of thy brothers eye.

43. For there is no good tree that yealdeth euil fruits; nor euil tree, that yealdeth good fruit.

44. For euery tree is knowen by his fruit. For neither doe they gather figges of thornes; neither of a buſh doe they gather the grape.

45. The good man of the good treaſure of his hart bringeth forth good; and the euil man of the il treasure bringeth forth euil. For of the aboundance of the hart the mouth ſpeaketh,

46. And why cal you me, Lord, Lord: and doe not the things which I ſay?

47. Euery one that commeth to me, and heareth my words, and doeth them, I wil ſhew you to whom he is like.

48. He is like to a man building a houſe, that digged deep, and laid the foundation vpon a rock. And when an inundation roſe, the riuer beatt against that houſe, and it could not moue it; for it was founded vpon a rock.

49. But he that heareth, and doeth not; is like to a man building his houſe vpon the earth without a foundation: againſt the which the riuer did beat; and incontinent it fel, and the ruine of that houſe was great.

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The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.

SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.

 

 

 

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.