The disciples pluck ears of corn

St Matthew Chapter XII : Verses 1-8

Contents

• Matt. xii. 1-8 Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text

Matt. xii. 1-8

1 At that time Jesus went through the corn on the sabbath: and his disciples being hungry, began to pluck the ears, and to eat.

In illo tempore abiit Jesus per sata sabbato : discipuli autem ejus esurientes cœperunt vellere spicas, et manducare.

2 And the Pharisees seeing them, said to him: Behold thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do on the sabbath days.

Pharisæi autem videntes, dixerunt ei : Ecce discipuli tui faciunt quod non licet facere sabbatis.

3 But he said to them: Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and they that were with him:

At ille dixit eis : Non legistis quid fecerit David, quando esuriit, et qui cum eo erant :

4 How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the loaves of proposition, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for them that were with him, but for the priests only?

quomodo intravit in domum Dei, et panes propositionis comedit, quos non licebat ei edere, neque his qui cum eo erant, nisi solis sacerdotibus?

5 Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple break the sabbath, and are without blame?

aut non legistis in lege quia sabbatis sacerdotes in templo sabbatum violant, et sine crimine sunt?

6 But I tell you that there is here a greater than the temple.

Dico autem vobis, quia templo major est hic.

7 And if you knew what this meaneth: I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: you would never have condemned the innocent.

Si autem sciretis, quid est : Misericordiam volo, et non sacrificium : numquam condemnassetis innocentes :

8 For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath.

dominus enim est Filius hominis etiam sabbati.

Notes

    1. through the corn. Better, “through the corn fields” (διὰ τῶν σπορίμων). Jesus and His disciples were walking along a narrow, unenclosed footpath, which led through large tracts of ripening grain. The Plain of Genesareth was extremely fertile, and large quantities of grain were raised there. As this incident happened on the Sabbath-day, our Lord’s journey would not have exceeded three quarters of a mile, i.e. 2000 cubits.

    on the Sabbath. St Luke explains that it was the second first Sabbath. It is difficult to determine exactly what this means. Though ripe, the corn was not yet cut. Now, the wheat harvest was gathered at Pentecost, hence the disciples must have plucked the corn on a Sabbath between the Passover and Pentecost in the second year of our Lord’s Ministry. Probably this incident occurred in Galilee, on the first Sabbath after the second day of the Paschal solemnities 

    being hungry. A proof of their penury.

    began to pluck, etc. From St Mark’s account we see that His disciples began to go forward, along the narrow path ; and St Luke adds, they did eat, rubbing them in their hands. By the Law of Moses, reaping and threshing were forbidden on the Sabbath. The Pharisees, with their rigid ideas, evidently considered plucking as “ reaping,” and rubbing the ears in the hands as a kind of threshing.

    The rabbis thus added their own traditions to the precepts of the Law. It was allowed to pluck the standing corn to satisfy hunger. If thou go into thy friend's corn, thou mayst break the ears, and rub them in thy hand, but not reap them with a sickle (Dent, x.xiii. 25).

    2. the Pharisees .... said. They wished to prove that Jesus allowed His disciples to desecrate the Sabbath.

    to him. St Luke has to them. Either some Pharisees may have questioned our Lord, and others, the disciples, or the same men rebuked both our Lord and His apostles.

    is not lawful. The Pharisees accuse the disciples of profaning the Sabbath. There is no question of theft, which is always unlawful.

    3. But he said. Jesus justifies His disciples’ conduct by appealing to the example of David, who also did what was contrary to the letter of the Law, but whom the Pharisees’ traditions did not condemn.

    what David did when he was hungry. David, when fleeing from Saul, went to Nobe, to the high-priest, and asked for food for himself and his followers, Achimelech gave David the twelve loaves of proposition, perhaps at Abiathar's request.

    This seems to have happened on a Sabbath-day, since we are told : The priest therefore gave him hallowed breads : for there was no bread there, but only the loaves of proposition, which had been taken away from before the face of the Lord, that hot loaves might be set up (1 Kings xxi. 6).

    4. did eat. Some MSS. have the verb in the plural, they did eat (ἔφαγον), others give the singular (ἔφαγεν). Both David and his followers ate of the loaves of proposition, though David went alone to fetch the food. Cf. And David came to Nobe, to Achimelech the priest; and Achimelech was astonished at David’s coming. And he said to him : Why art thou alone, and no man with thee? (1 Kings xxi. 1). David had appointed his servants to such and such a place (verse 2) ; the bread was for them, though they did not actually go to fetch it.

    the house of God. The Tabernacle.

    St Mark adds here, under Abiathar the high-priest (ii. 26), but Abiathar was the son of Achimelech, who was high-priest when Saul persecuted David. Abiathar fled to David when, by Saul’s orders, the priests at Edom, including Achimelech, were massacred.

    Several commentators explain the difficulty offered by this passage by supposing both Abiathar and his father Achimelech were known by both names, so that either might be applied indifferently to each. The phrase concerning Abiathar the priest is wanting in some of the old Latin MSS., and the words may have slipped into the text from an early marginal note, or “ Abiathar” may be a mere fault of transcription.

    loaves of proposition. Twelve loaves or cakes, one from the head of each tribe, placed on the golden table of proposition in the Holy Place, and renewed each Sabbath. The priests only were allowed to eat these loaves. Our Lord argues thus with the Pharisees : If the high-priest gave David and his men the loaves of proposition, which were reserved for the priests alone, without profaning the Sabbath, how could the apostles be guilty in plucking ordinary corn to satisfy their hunger ?

    was not lawful. Jesus, in refuting the Pharisees, quotes their own words.

    for the priests only. These loaves were set apart for Aaron and his sons, who were to eat them in the holy place (Lev. xxiv. 9).

    5. Or. Christ gives them a second example to convince them of what He asserts. Verses 5 and 6 are peculiar to St Matthew.

    on the sabbath-days the priests, etc. The priests were commanded to offer sacrifice and to trim the lamps daily ; in addition, on the Sabbath day, they had to remove the loaves of proposition, and place fresh ones in the Holy Place.

    break the sabbath. As regards the letter of the Law.

    6. a greater than the temple. Lit. “a greater thing” (τοῦ ἱεροῦ μεῖζόν ἐστιν ὧδε). Some MSS. have the masculine form μεῖζων, “a greater one,” but the neuter is the more approved reading, “ something greater.” The reference is to our Lord Himself, and in this less defined and mysterious form He partially reveals His divinity, for the Temple was the holiest of all created things, and therefore the “something greater” must be more than a mere creature. 

    7. have condemned. The original Greek verb (κατεδικάσατε) points to a formal, official condemnation.

the innocent. Our Lord’s disciples.

    8. For the Son of man, etc. St Mark amplifies ; And he said to them : The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath (ii. 27). God, who instituted the Sabbath for man’s bodily and spiritual good, can, when its observance would be injurious, dispense man from observing it. Even the rabbis admitted this principle ; “ In the Temple there is no Sabbath : sacrificing drives away the Sabbath.”

    The title Son of man is only used in the gospels of our Lord Himself, and generally by Himself.

    Lord, even of the sabbath. This is another assertion of our Lord’s divinity, for He alone, who lays down a law, can dispense from it, and the observance of the Sabbath was a divine precept.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Christ's prayer to the Father and invitation to the weary

St Matthew Chapter XI : Verses 25-30

Contents

• Matt. xi. 25-30 Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text

Matt. xi. 25-30

The Good Shepherd. J-J Tissot.
Brooklyn Museum.

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 the little ones.

In illo tempore respondens Jesus dixit : Confiteor tibi, Pater, Domine cæli et terræ, quia abscondisti hæc a sapientibus, et prudentibus, et revelasti ea parvulis.

26 Yea, Father; for so hath it seemed good in thy sight.

Ita Pater : quoniam sic fuit placitum ante te.

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.

Omnia mihi tradita sunt a Patre meo. Et nemo novit Filium, nisi Pater : neque Patrem quis novit, nisi Filius, et cui voluerit Filius revelare.

28 Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you.

Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis, et onerati estis, et ego reficiam vos.

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.

Tollite jugum meum super vos, et discite a me, quia mitis sum, et humilis corde : et invenietis requiem animabus vestris.

30 For my yoke is sweet and my burden light.

Jugum enim meum suave est, et onus meum leve.

Notes

    25. At that time. Lit. “ At that season’’ (Ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ καιρῷ). St Luke has in that same hour, and he places this prayer of thanksgiving after the return of the Seventy-two disciples.

    answered. This is often equivalent in Scriptural language to “began to speak,” but our Lord may have uttered this prayer by way of reply to some comment on what He had previously said. The word may also refer to our Lord’s thoughts concerning the obstinacy of the Capharnaites, and the mercy of God to the humble. St Luke notes our Lord’s interior disposition : He rejoiced in the Holy Ghost.

    I confess to thee. I praise and extol Thee.

    For other occasions when Jesus publicly invoked the Father, see St Luke xxii, 42 ; St John v. 17, xvii. 1.

    these things. The truth concerning the kingdom of God. Jesus rejoiced because the poor and the humble knew these truths, and not because they were hidden from the proud.

    wise and prudent. In their own and the world’s estimation.

    little ones. Lit. “infants” (νηπίοις).

    26. Yea, Father, (ναί) Jesus here renews His thanksgiving.

    27. All things are delivered, etc. Several times we find this truth laid down by our Lord.

    Cf. The glory which thou hast given me, I have given to them, that they may be one as we also are one (St John xvii. 22). As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he may give eternal life to all whom thou hast given him (St John xvii. 2).

    no one knoweth, etc. Cf. Just Father, the world hath not known thee : but I have known thee : and these have known that thou hast sent me (St John xvii. 25).

    it shall please the Son to reveal. This revelation goes on throughout all ages, through the teaching of the Catholic Church, to whom the eternal truths have been revealed.

    28. Come to me. We find a similar invitation in St John ; If any man thirst, let him come to me, and drink (vii. 37). Our Saviour ever has a welcome to those whom He has redeemed.

    all you that labour, and are burdened. He calls those labouring under heavy burdens (οἱ κοπιῶντες καὶ πεφορτισμένοι).

    This passage has been interpreted as referring to —

    (a) Those who were afflicted by trials,

    (b) Those who were subject to the heavy yoke of the Law and the traditional precepts of the Pharisees.

    (c) Those who were weighed down by sin.

    I will refresh you. Christ does not exempt His disciples from trial, but He promises His support under them. In the Church we find this refreshment, since there we are taught the true Faith, and strengthened by the sacraments.

    29. Take up my yoke. The “yoke” implies toil, that the Christian must labour for His Master. He must subject his intellect to the Faith, and his will to the yoke of obedience to the commandments.

    learn of me. We are to learn both from the teaching and the example of our blessed Lord. We learn to know Christ by bearing His yoke.

    meek and humble. This is shewn by the choice Christ made of a life of poverty and humiliation, and a death of shame. St Paul speaks thus of Christ’s voluntary humiliation ; Taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross (Phil. ii. 7, 8).

    you shall find rest, etc. If we accept our Lord’s invitation and bear His yoke, then we shall experience comfort in our life here below, and eternal happiness hereafter.

    30. my yoke is sweet. The precepts of the Gospel are not galling or irritating like the Mosaic Law, burdened with its human traditions, which the Jews found intolerable.

    my burden light. So St John the Evangelist testifies : His commandments are not heavy (1 St John v. 3),

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

dd

Denunciation of the guilty cities

St Matthew Chapter XI : Verses 20-24

Contents

• Matt. xi. 20-24 Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text

Matt. xi. 20-24

The guilty cities.(From Palestine in the time of Christ).

20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein were done the most of his miracles, for that they had not done penance.

Tunc cœpit exprobrare civitatibus, in quibus factæ sunt plurimæ virtutes ejus, quia non egissent pœnitentiam :

21 Woe to 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.

Væ tibi Corozain, vae tibi Bethsaida : quia, si in Tyro et Sidone factae essent virtutes quæ factæ sunt in vobis, olim in cilicio et cinere pœnitentiam egissent.

22 But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment, than for you.

Verumtamen dico vobis : Tyro et Sidoni remissius erit in die judicii, quam vobis.

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.

Et tu Capharnaum, numquid usque in caelum exaltaberis? usque in infernum descendes, quia si in Sodomis factæ fuissent virtutes quae factæ sunt in te, forte mansissent usque in hanc diem.

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.

Verumtamen dico vobis, quia terræ Sodomorum remissius erit in die judicii, quam tibi.

Notes

    21. Woe to thee, Corozain. The site of Corozain was long unknown. It has been recently identified with Keraseh, formerly a town some 2 miles inland from Capharnaum. Now it is in ruins, and only a few heaps of basaltic stones mark the site ; not a single dwelling remains.

    This reference to Corozain is another illustration of the fragmentary character of our gospel narratives. Of all the mighty works done there, not one is mentioned in detail, nor is the city even named, except in this verse and in its parallel (St Luke x. 13). St Luke records our Lord’s denunciation of these cities in another context, and his order seems preferable, since he places it after the last Galilean mission, and it seems more likely that Jesus would only foretell the woes to come, when He had done all He could to lead the cities to repentance.

    Bethsaida. This must mean the native town of St Peter and St Andrew, since we only know of one occasion when Christ visited Bethsaida Julias, when He fed the five thousand, whereas He was frequently in Bethsaida on the coasts of the lake.

    sackcloth. A coarse material made of goat’s hair. It was worn next to the skin. Sacks as well as garments were made of it. To wear sackcloth and sit on ashes was a sign of mourning.

    Cf. And the word came to the king of Ninive : and he rose up out of his throne, and cast away his robe from him, and was clothed with sackcloth, and sat in ashes (Jonas iii, 6),

    22. Tyre and Sidon. The inhabitants of these towns welcomed Christ and followed Him in crowds. The prophets had frequently denounced these cities (see Is. xxiii.).

    23. Capharnaum. Christ’s own city.

    shalt thou he exalted. In St Luke’s gospel this stands affirmatively, which art exalted. (ἡ . . . . ἡψωθεῖα, instead of interrogatively μὴ . . . . ὑψωθήσῃ ;)

    This exaltation of the city may refer to—

    (a) the fact that Jesus honoured it by dwelling there.

    (b) its wealth, derived chiefly from its fisheries.

    (c) its lofty site.

    The threat, “ Thou shalt he thrust down to hell,” brings out the contrast between the expectations of the inhabitants of the city, and the utter destruction that was to come upon it.

    unto hell. Lit. to the abode of “Hades” (ἕως ᾅδου). The Jews distinguished between “ Gehenna,” the place of torment, and Hades, which was often spoken of as Abraham’s bosom. Many people regard Hades as meaning “ unseen.” If this be so, the prophecy would be very literally fulfilled.

    “When our Lord uttered this woe, these cities on the shores of Genesareth were bright, populous, and prospering ; now, they are desolate heaps of ruins in a miserable land. The inhabitants who lived thirty years longer may have recalled these woes in the unspeakable horrors of slaughter and conflagration which the Romans then inflicted on them. It is immediately after the celebrated description of the loveliness of the Plain of Genesareth that Josephus goes on to tell of the shore strewn with wrecks and putrescent bodies,” insomuch that the misery was not only an object of commiseration to the Jews, but even to those that hated them and had been the authors of that misery (Jos., B.J., iii. 10).

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Christ's testimony to John the Baptist

St Matthew Chapter XI : Verses 7-19

Contents

• Matt. xi. 7-19 Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text

Matt. xi. 7-19

The Baptist as a boy. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

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?

Illis autem abeuntibus, cœpit Jesus dicere ad turbas de Joanne : Quid existis in desertum videre? arundinem vento agitatem?

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.

Sed quid existis videre? hominem mollibus vestitum? Ecce qui mollibus vestiuntur, in domibus regum sunt.

9 But what went you out to see? a prophet? yea I tell you, and more than a prophet.

Sed quid existis videre? prophetam? Etiam dico vobis, et plus quam prophetam.

10 For this is he of whom it is written: Behold I send my angel before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee.

Hic est enim de quo scriptum est : Ecce ego mitto angelum meum ante faciem tuam, qui præparabit viam tuam ante te.

John the Baptist. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

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.

Amen dico vobis, non surrexit inter natos mulierum major Joanne Baptista : qui autem minor est in regno cælorum, major est illo.

12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away.

A diebus autem Joannis Baptistæ usque nunc, regnum caelorum vim patitur, et violenti rapiunt illud.

13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John:

Omnes enim prophetæ et lex usque ad Joannem prophetaverunt :

14 And if you will receive it, he is Elias that is to come.

et si vultis recipere, ipse est Elias, qui venturus est.

15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Qui habet aures audiendi, audiat.

16 But whereunto shall I esteem this generation to be like? It is like to children sitting in the market place.

Cui autem similem æstimabo generationem istam? Similis est pueris sedentibus in foro : qui clamantes coæqualibus

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.

dicunt : Cecinimus vobis, et non saltastis : lamentavimus, et non planxistis.

18 For John came neither eating nor drinking; and they say: He hath a devil.

Venit enim Joannes neque manducans, neque bibens, et dicunt : Dæmonium habet.

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.

Venit Filius hominis manducans, et bibens, et dicunt : Ecce homo vorax, et potator vini, publicanorum et peccatorum amicus. Et justificata est sapientia a filiis suis.

Notes

    7. when they went their way. Jesus did not praise St John in their presence.

    to say to the multitudes. As though to remove from their minds any suspicion as to the Baptist’s constancy, and his faith in Christ as the Messias, which suspicion might have resulted from their hearing the messengers’ question, without knowing the motives which prompted it.

    What went you out, etc. ? Jesus bids His hearers revert to the motives which led them to follow St John so eagerly, even “ into the desert.”

    a reed shaken, etc. Our Lord employs a metaphor here. He refers to the two things which attracted men to the Baptist : —

    1. His strength of character and absence of human respect.

    2. His austerity of life.

    A reed. “ The reed of Egypt and Palestine is described as a very tall cane, growing twelve feet high, with a magnificent panicle of blossoms at the top, and so slender and yielding that it will lie perfectly flat under a gust of wind, and immediately resume its upright position. It grows in great cane-brakes, in many parts of Palestine, especially on the west side of the Dead Sea. On the banks of the Jordan it occurs in large patches, but is not so lofty” (Maas, S.J., Life of Christ, p. 152).

    8. a man clothed in soft garments ? An allusion to the coarse camelhair garment worn by the Baptist.

    in the houses of kings. St Luke amplifies here : Behold they that are in costly apparel and live delicately, are in the houses of kings. By living delicately we are to understand that enervating mode of life which demoralizes a man. The Herods had splendid palaces at Tiberias, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and elsewhere. They were also noted for their magnificent apparel and luxurious surroundings. Cf. Herod being arrayed in kingly apparel, sat in the judgment seat (Acts xii. 21).

    Josephus thus speaks of the magnificence of Herod’s robes : “He put on a garment made wholly of silver and of a contexture truly wonderful, and came into the theatre early in the morning ; at which time the silver of his garment being illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun’s rays upon it, shone out after a surprising manner, and was so resplendent as to spread a horror over those that looked intently upon him ; and presently his flatterers cried out, one from one place and another from another— (though not for his good)— that he was a god ” (Antiq., xix. 8, 2).

    9. a prophet. St John was esteemed as such. Cf. If we say, of men, the whole people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet (St Luke xx. 6).

    more than a prophet. All the people accepted him as a prophet. St John was greater than a prophet because of —

    1 . His miraculous birth and his being sanctified in his mother’s womb.

    2. The early manifestation of his prophetic gifts. Cf. When Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb (St Luke i. 41).

    3. The predictions concerning him, and the special name of “the Angel ” bestowed upon him.

    4. His holiness of life, and the superabundance ‘of the gifts of the Holy Ghost which he received.

    5. His special mission as the Precursor of the Messias.

    10. Behold I send, etc. The original quotation runs thus : Behold I send my angel, and he shall prepare the way before my face (Mai. iii. 1). The prophet wrote “ my face, ” and the Evangelist gives it as “ thy face, ” but this is explained, if we remember that the sacred writers paid more attention to the sense of the original than to the exact words. The prophet represents the Messias as speaking, while in St Matthew the words are given as addressed to Christ by the Father.

    11. a greater than John the Baptist. There is evidently only a comparison between the Baptist and the prophets of the Old Law. Hence neither the apostles nor our Blessed Lady are included in those with whom St John is compared.

    lesser in the kingdom, etc. This is a difficult passage, and has been variously interpreted, e.g. —

    1. The least saint in heaven, having won his crown, is greater than St John on earth (St Jerome).

    2. Jesus is comparing Himself with St John (for Christ was younger in age and less in the esteem of men at the beginning of His ministry) (St John Chrysostom).

    3. There is no comparison of personal merits, but the Old Law is contrasted with the New. On account of the intrinsic superiority of the New Law (ratione status novæ legis), and the fulness of graces therein received, the least member of the Church is greater than the Baptist, who stood indeed on the threshold, but never entered it. He was the connecting link between the Old and the New Dispensation, the latter being only formally promulgated after Pentecost,

    12. from the days of John .... until now. From the time when the Baptist began his mission, about the autumn of A.D. 26, until the second year of our Lord’s ministry ; hence it covers an interval of about two years.

    the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence. Some commentators take these words to mean that many, on account of the preaching of St John and of our Lord Himself, were seriously striving to ensure their salvation by entering the Messianic kingdom, but this view clashes with verses 17-24, in which Christ reproaches the Jews with—

    (a) indifference, verse 17.

    (b) captionsness, [Ed. captious: Apt to catch at faults or take exception to actions; disposed to find fault, cavil, or raise objections; fault-finding, cavilling, carping.] verses 18, 19.

    (c) incredulity and impenitence, verses 21-24.

    Other writers take these words as applying to those who refused to enter the kingdom of heaven themselves, and who endeavoured to wrest it from those who would secure it. This view harmonizes with the context, with the ordinary meaning of the words “ suffereth violence,” which are generally used in an adverse sense in the Scriptures, and with historical facts, since Christ was rejected by the Jews as a nation. (Abridged from Maas, St Matt.).

    Note. — Whichever of these opinions appeals to the student, it is absolutely certain that in order to attain salvation men must ask, seek, knock, and strive to enter by the narrow gate (St Luke xiii, 24).

    the violent bear it away. Note our Lord’s words to the Pharisees : Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites : because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men, for you yourselves do not enter in : and those who are going in, you suffer not to enter (infra, xxiii. 13).

    13. all the prophets and the law. “ The Law and the Prophets ” summarize the Mosaic dispensation, and both testified to the coming of the Messias. By the Law is meant the five books of the Pentateuch. The “ Prophets” embrace the works of the major and the minor prophets, but in the other historical books we also find prophecies concerning Christ. The expression, the law and the prophets, was often used as a synonym for the Scriptures.”

    until John. The Baptist was the last and the greatest of the prophets, because “ those who preceded him had only announced the coming of the Messias, whereas John pointed Him out to men ” (St Greg, the Great).

    14. And if you will receive it. Our Lord implies that they will not accept the truth He here teaches.

    he is Elias that is to come. According to the prophecy : Behold I will send you Elias the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord (Mal. iv. &). Elias had not died, but had been taken up to heaven while conversing with Eliseus. And as they went on, walking and talking together, behold a fiery chariot, and fiery horses parted them both asunder, and Elias went up by a whirlwind into heaven (4 Kings ii. 11). There was therefore an expectation among the Jews, that Elias should return to earth as the forerunner of the Messias.

    This tradition that Elias would return is confirmed in Apoc. xi,, where the witnesses referred to are supposed to be Elias and Henoch. Moses had said, a prophet should be raised up by God (Deut. xviii. 15), but this refers to Christ Himself.

    15. He that hath ears, etc. A Jewish proverb. It occurs also twice in ch. xiii. 9, 43. In like manner a prophet of old had finished his discourse. Thus saith the Lord God: He that heareth, let him hear (Ez. iii. 27). The meaning is : “ Let him who hears, pay attention and follow My teaching.”

    Note. — St Luke, in the parallel passage, here contrasts the different effects of Christ’s teaching : And all the people hearing, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with John’s baptism. But the Pharisees and the lawyers despised the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized by him (vii. 29, 30). These words are probably a continuation of Christ’s testimony to the Baptist, and not an interpolation of the Evangelist. The meaning is, that the publicans, who accepted St John’s teaching and baptism, glorified God and acknowledged His infinite mercy. The Pharisees, on the contrary, rejected John’s ministry, and refused to be baptized by him. By so doing they neglected, to their own condemnation, the means of salvation ; and as far as they were concerned, they frustrated the merciful designs of God. Note that man, by his free will, has the fatal power of resisting God, but to his own destruction.

    16. like to children. etc. Jesus employs the similitude of children at their games. Two groups are playing at funeral processions and marriage feasts, but the one group is sullen and peevish, and refuses to join in what pleases the other. This similitude has been explained in two ways : —

    1. St John displeased the Jews by his austerity, and our Lord offended their prejudices by conforming to the customs of ordinary social life. Here the children and their companions represent the Jews, who maintain a sullen, peevish frame of mind, whoever of the two preaches to them.

    2. The two groups of children represent the Jews, who occupied themselves with childish trifles, and disagreed among themselves. With such, the children of wisdom contrasted favourably.

    18. neither eating, — i.e. not eating bread. Cf. His meat was locusts and wild honey (supra, iii. 4).

    nor drinking. Because he was a Nazarite from his birth. Cf. he shall he great before the Lord : and shall drink no wine nor strong drink (St Luke i. 15).

    He hath a devil. We do not know when and where this accusation was put forward against the Baptist. The same charge was made against our Lord Himself. And many of them said : He hath a devil, and is mad : why hear you him ? (St John x. 20).

    19. the son of man came, etc. To shew that in order to lead a holy life, it was not necessary to be an austere hermit. There have been saints in all ranks of life.

    wisdom, (ἡ σοφία, the wisdom), — i.e. the wise counsel of God, by which such opposite means conduce to the same end, viz. the salvation of mankind.

    is justified by her children. Whatever be the judgments of the unbelieving, those who accept the Gospel of Christ will justify wisdom, i.e. they will proclaim that God does all things well.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

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The deputation from John the Baptist

St Matthew Chapter XI : Verses 1-6

Contents

• Matt. xi. 1-6 Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text
• Additional Notes. The Baptist's motive in sending his Disciples to Jesus.

Matt. xi. 1-6

Lodi. 1598-1616. Met. NYC. Public Domain.

1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he passed from thence, to teach and preach in their cities.

Et factum est, cum consummasset Jesus, præcipiens duodecim discipulis suis, transiit inde ut doceret, et prædicaret in civitatibus eorum.

2 Now when John had heard in prison the works of Christ: sending two of his disciples he said to him:

Joannes autem cum audisset in vinculis opera Christi, mittens duos de discipulis suis,

3 Art thou he that art to come, or look we for another?

ait illi : Tu es, qui venturus es, an alium exspectamus?

4 And Jesus making answer said to them: Go and relate to John what you have heard and seen.

Et respondens Jesus ait illis : Euntes renuntiate Joanni quæ audistis, et vidistis.

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.

Cæci vident, claudi ambulant, leprosi mundantur, surdi audiunt, mortui resurgunt, pauperes evangelizantur :

6 And blessed is he that shall not be scandalized in me.

et beatus est, qui non fuerit scandalizatus in me.

Notes

    Note. — The deputation from the Baptist is given almost identically by St Luke and St Matthew, but the former gives it in another context, and his chronology is generally considered more accurate than St Matthew’s. St John was imprisoned in the first year of our Lord’s Ministry. When the Pharisees had thus silenced the Precursor, they turned their anger against Christ, who having heard that John was delivered up (supra, iv. 12), retired into Galilee. There He began the series of miracles which spread His fame throughout all Judea, notably the cure of the centurion’s servant and the raising to life of the widow’s son. In this year, too. He delivered the Sermon on the Mount. St Luke thus relates the results of Christ’s mighty works : And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judea, and, throughout all the country round about. And John’s disciples told him of all these things (vii. 17-18). Evidently our Lord’s fame aroused the envy of the Baptist’s disciples, who feared that their master’s renown would suffer in consequence, for John did no sign.

    1. And it came to pass when Jesus had made an end. These words occur five times in the first gospel, and are a translation of a Hebrew transitional idiomatic phrase, which is always placed after one of our Lord’s long discourses, namely, at the close of —

    1. The Sermon on the Mount, vii. 28.

    2. The charge to the apostles, xi. 1.

    3. The series of parables, xiii. 53.

    4. The instructions to His disciples, xix. 1.

    6. Christ’s great prophetic discourse, xxvi. 1.

    he passed from thence. It is not known to what city or place this refers — perhaps Capharnaum.

    in their cities, — i.e. the cities of the Jews.

    2. when John had heard in prison. From his disciples. The Baptist was probably in the fortress of Machærus (the Black Fortress).

    This castle had been in possession of Aretas, father-in-law to Herod Antipas, and emir of Petræa. Probably Herod had seized this castle when his lawful wife, hearing of his approaching marriage with Herodias, fled to her father. Machærus was both a palace and a prison. At this period Herod was doubtless living there with an armed retinue, on account of the war with Aretas in which he was engaged. Herod lost the day, and the Jews considered this defeat as a punishment for the beheading of St John the Baptist.

    two of his disciples. The correct reading is “by or through His disciples ” (διὰ τῶν μαθητῶν). The question was put by the disciples, in the name of their master. The Baptist, though in prison, had a certain liberty of communicating with his disciples (see St Mark vi. 20, 29),

    That this was not unusual in the case of a man arbitrarily detained, is proved also from the example of St Paul, who remained two years in his own hired lodgings, and he received all that came in to him (Acts xxviii. 30).

    3. Art thou he, etc. ? Lit. Art thou the coming (Messias) ? The Coming (One) was a Messianic title.

    Cf. 

1. Till he come that is to be sent (Gen. xlix. 10).

2. Till he came to whom judgment belongeth (Ez. xxi. 27).

3. The desired of all nations shall come (Agg. ii. 8).

    The Messianic kingdom was also spoken of as “ the age that is to come” (ὁ αἰών ὁἐρχόμενος).

    look we for another ? There is no emphasis on the act of seeking ; the real sense is, “ are we to expect anohier ?” ( ἢ ἕτερον προσδοκῶμεν).

    4. Go and relate. Lit. “ Returning, bear back to St John,” etc.

    what 'you have heard, etc. Lit. “ what you hear and see ” (ἃ ἀκούετε καὶ βλέπετε), namely, our Lord’s words to them, and to those whom He healed in their sight.

    His answer would recall to the messengers the prophecy concerning the Messias ; The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me: he hath sent me to preach to the meek, to heal the contrite of heart, and to preach a release to the captives, and deliverance to them that are shut up, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn (Is. lxi.).

    5. The blind see, the lame, etc. St Luke completes St Matthew’s narration : in that same hour, he cured many of their diseases, and hurts, and evil spirits ; and to many that were blind he gave sight (vii. 21). St Matthew presupposes these cures, though he omits mentioning them.

    Jesus gave a double answer to the question : —

    1. He worked the miracles referred to.

    2. He gave a formal reply.

    6. blessed is he, etc. Jesus here warns the disciples of John and His other hearers to lay aside their prejudices and false preconceptions respecting the temporal greatness of the Messias.

    not be scandalized in me. A scandal is a stumbling-block ; metaphorically, it means anything which leads a fellow-creature into sin. In this case, the lowliness of Christ’s social position, which was so opposed to the Jews’ ideas of an earthly prince, led them to reject Him.

    Isaias had prophesied that the Messias should be despised, and Jesus points out that those, who rejected Him, were unconsciously fulfilling these very prophecies, and thus strengthening His claim to be the Messias. He shall be a sanctification to you. But for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of offence to the two houses of Israel, for a snare and a ruin to the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Is. viii. 14. See also Is. liii. 3, 4).

Additional Notes

The Precursor’s motive in sending his Disciples to Jesus.

    Various motives have been put forward, e.g. —

1. His faith in Jesus as the Messias was growing weak.

2. He wished to assure himself that the Prophet of Galilee was really Jesus of Nazareth, to whom he had given testimony.

3. Foreseeing his own death, he desired to know if, in limbo, he was to announce that Christ would visit the souls detained there.

4. His object was to bring his disciples into contact with Jesus, that they might accept Him as the Messias.

    Of these various views the first is chiefly put forward by non-Catholic writers.

    The second is very improbable, since St John could scarcely be ignorant of the identity of Jesus with the Prophet of Galilee, the more so that, for a few months, both Jesus and St John were preaching the kingdom of God.

    The third has the support of some of the Fathers (St John Chrys., Ambrose), but the fourth is more generally received, and is in perfect agreement with St John’s character, for our Lord Himself declares him to be no “reed shaken with the wind,” and it is in keeping with the Precursor’s zeal in striving to persuade his disciples to follow Christ.

    5. The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, etc.

    1. Jesus worked miracles in proof of His being the Messias (cf. Is. xxxv. 4, 5, and li.).

    2. He taught that charity was to be the law of the Messianic kingdom, and of all true religion.

    3. The miracles He worked had an allegorical meaning, and were typical of the spiritual works of mercy which the Catholic Church was to perform for the souls of men.

    This was not the only occasion that Jesus appealed to facts, when questioned in public concerning His teaching and authority, e.g. —

    1. “ The works which the Father hath given me to perfect : the works themselves, which I do, give testimony of me, that the Father hath sent me” (St John v. 36).

    2. “The works that I do .... they give testimony of me” (St John x. 25).

    3. “Otherwise believe for the very works’ sake” (St John xiv. 12).

    4. “ If I had not done among them the works that no other man hath done, they would not have sin ” (St John xv. 24).

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Conditions and rewards of true discipleship

 

St Matthew Chapter X : Verses 34-42

Contents

• Matt. x. 34-42 Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text
• Additional Notes. Almsgiving.

Matt. x. 34-42

I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

34 Do not think that I came to send peace upon earth: I came not to send peace, but the sword.

Nolite arbitrari quia pacem venerim mittere in terram : non veni pacem mittere, sed gladium :

35 For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

veni enim separare hominem adversus patrem suum, et filiam adversus matrem suam, et nurum adversus socrum suam :

36 And a man's enemies shall be they of his own household.

et inimici hominis, domestici ejus.

37 He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me.

Qui amat patrem aut matrem plus quam me, non est me dignus : et qui amat filium aut filiam super me, non est me dignus.

38 And he that taketh not up his cross, and followeth me, is not worthy of me.

Et qui non accipit crucem suam, et sequitur me, non est me dignus.

39 He that findeth his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for me, shall find it.

Qui invenit animam suam, perdet illam : et qui perdiderit animan suam propter me, inveniet eam.

40 He that receiveth you, receiveth me: and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me.

Qui recipit vos, me recipit : et qui me recipit, recipit eum qui me misit.

41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive the reward of a prophet: and he that receiveth a just man in the name of a just man, shall receive the reward of a just man.

Qui recipit prophetam in nomine prophetæ, mercedem prophetæ accipiet : et qui recipit justum in nomine justi, mercedem justi accipiet.

42 And whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward.

Et quicumque potum dederit uni ex minimis istis calicem aquae frigidae tantum in nomine discipuli : amen dico vobis, non perdet mercedem suam.

Notes

    34. Do not think, etc. The Jews expected a Messias who should inaugurate a temporal reign of peace. Jesus corrects this error, and confirms the prophetic words of holy Simeon (a sign that shall he contradicted). The Prince of Peace was to prevail ultimately, but at the price of war.

    to send peace upon earth. How are we to reconcile these words with those sung by the angels at Bethlehem — On earth, peace to men of good will ? The explanation is, that Jesus comes to give man an absolute peace as far as God and his own conscience are concerned, but with regard to his neighbour, man can only have a conditional peace. When men come between us and God, then we must separate from them and adhere to Him.

    the sword. The symbol of war and of division.

    36. a man’s enemies. This verse is peculiar to St Matthew.

    37. He that loveth, etc. The Christian, when called to do so, must renounce his relatives for Christ’s sake. Thus the Levite was spoken of by Moses as one who hath said to his father, and to his mother : I do not know you ; and to his brethren : I know you not ; and their own children they have not known (Dent, xxxiii. 9).

    38. he that taketh not up his cross. This is the first time the cross is mentioned. The same words occur in xvi. 24 with a slightly different shade of meaning. The words are familiar and clear enough to us who live in the light of the Gospel, but to the Jews, with their abhorrence of and contempt for humiliation and their dreams of Messianic splendours, they must have sounded like a death-knell. To carry our cross is more than passive renunciation, it involves active suffering. Jesus forces no man to serve Him. All depends, as far as we are concerned, on our free will, but God gives to all sufficient grace for salvation. This is an article of faith, i.e. a truth which all Catholics are bound to accept.

    followeth me. An allusion to His Crucifixion, which the apostles, at this stage, would not have grasped. The disciple must follow his Master in the path of suffering and humiliation.

    39. findeth his life, — i.e. preserve it at the cost of his salvation. “ Life ” is here used in a double sense : —

    (a) The natural life.

    (b) The supernatural life of the soul. Whoever clings inordinately to the former will certainly sacrifice the latter, since he will break God’s commandments rather than lose some temporal gain, and by sinning mortally, risk his eternal salvation.

    40. He that receiveth, etc. He who receives Christ’s ministers receives Christ Himself, hence the necessity for the Catholic to “ hear the Church ” which God has divinely commissioned to teach men the road to salvation.

    “Thou hast seen thy brother, therefore thou hast seen thy Lord” (Tertullian). “A man’s messenger is as himself ” (Talmud).

    41. a prophet. One who announced a message from God, not necessarily one who predicted future events.

    in the name, etc. A Hebrew idiom meaning “ because he is a prophet.”

    the reward of a prophet. Those who assist Christ’s ministers have a share in their reward, since they help them indirectly — by freeing them from temporal anxieties — to accomplish their mission.

    a just man. Note the gradation — prophet, just man, one of these little ones. Nothing is lost that we do for God (even though the recipient be unworthy).

    42. to one of these little ones. This has been variously interpreted as referring to a disciple, one weak in virtue, or a sinner.

    a cup of cold water. In the East, a cup of cold water was frequently asked for as an alms. It had more value than in our country, on account of the need of the recipients and of the scarcity of water. The apostles, when sent out on their mission, had depended for food and shelter on the hospitality of strangers, and would many a time have asked for “ a cup of cold water."

    in the name of a disciple. In the parallel passage we read, because you belong to Christ, where our Lord refers to Himself under the name by which the Messias was generally designated.

    he shall not lose Ms reward. A general principle is here laid down respecting alms given for Christ’s sake. Christ will count them as done unto Himself.

Additional Notes

    39. He that findeth his life shall lose it. Our Lord enunciates this solemn truth on four different occasions : —

    (1) After St Peter’s confession of faith (St Luke ix. 24).

    (2) When he sent out the Twelve to preach. “ He that findeth his life, shall lose it : and he that shall lose his life for me shall find it” (St Matt. X. 39).

    (3) In answer to the Pharisees’ question. “Whosoever shall seek to save his life, shall lose it ; and whosoever shall lose it, shall preserve it ” (St Luke xvii. 33).

    (4) In the Temple (when St Andrew and St Philip came to Him). “ He that loveth his life shall lose it : and he that hateth his life in this world, keepeth it unto life eternal ” (St John xii. 25).

    42. Whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones, etc. This verse clearly inculcates the blessedness of almsdeeds, and promises a reward to those who perform them. Jesus Christ constantly enforces this duty ; He has even made alms-deeds the standard of the final judgment. Any work of charity, corporal or spiritual, is included under this heading. Under the Mosaic law it was equally enjoined: —

    “Give alms out of thy substance” (Tob. iv. 7). “I command thee to open thy hand to thy needy and poor brother” (Deut. xv. 11). Hence Christ’s teaching, “ Sell what you possess and give alms,” was no new doctrine. Almsgiving is of obligation, since —

    (a) All men are brethren.

    (b) We are but God’s stewards, and He commands us to give to the needy.

    (c) We must learn to detach our hearts from earthly possessions.

    But if our works of charity and alms are to he meritorious, they must be —

    (а) Given for the love of God. “Whosoever will give you to drink a cup of water in my name, because you belong to Christ ; Amen I say to you, he shall not lose his reward " (St Mark ix. 40).

    (b) Concealed from the knowledge of men (as far as possible), unless it is a duty to reveal them for the edification of our neighbour. “But when thou dost alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth ” (St Matt. vi. 3).

    Almsgiving is one of the three “ eminent good works,” and all works of charity —

    (а) Draw down a blessing on the giver.

    (b) Atone for sin, and help us to pay our debt of temporal punishment.

    (c) Make our prayers more powerful with God.

    (d) Enable us to purchase heaven with the goods of earth.

    (e) Help us to live detached from the world.

    The amount that each should bestow in alms is given in the simple words “ according to our means,” and this golden rule is explained by holy Tobias, who on his deathbed thus advised his son, “ According to thy ability be merciful. If thou have much, give abundantly : if thou have little, take care even so to bestow willingly a little” (Tob. iv. 8, 9). In the following verses he points out the advantages of alms-deeds. “ For thus thou storest up to thyself a good reward for the day of necessity. For alms deliver from all sin, and from death, and will not suffer the soul to go into darkness. Alms shall be a great confidence before the most high God, to all them that give it” (10, 11, 12).

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.

Encouragement to persevere

St Matthew Chapter X : Verses 26-33

Contents

• Matt. x. 26-33 Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
• Notes on the text
• Additional Notes. Preach ye upon the house-tops. 

Matt. x. 26-33

I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum.

26 Therefore fear them not. For nothing is covered that shall not be revealed: nor hid, that shall not be known.

Ne ergo timueritis eos. Nihil enim est opertum, quod non revelabitur : et occultum, quod non scietur.

27 That which I tell you in the dark, speak ye in the light: and that which you hear in the ear, preach ye upon the housetops.

Quod dico vobis in tenebris, dicite in lumine : et quod in aure auditis, prædicate super tecta.

28 And fear ye not them that kill the body, and are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him that can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Et nolite timere eos qui occidunt corpus, animam autem non possunt occidere : sed potius timete eum, qui potest et animam et corpus perdere in gehennam.

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father.

Nonne duo passeres asse veneunt? et unus ex illis non cadet super terram sine Patre vestro.

30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

Vestri autem capilli capitis omnes numerati sunt.

31 Fear not therefore: better are you than many sparrows.

Nolite ergo timere : multis passeribus meliores estis vos.

32 Every one therefore that shall confess me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven.

Omnis ergo qui confitebitur me coram hominibus, confitebor et ego eum coram Patre meo, qui in cælis est.

33 But he that shall deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven.

Qui autem negaverit me coram hominibus, negabo et ego eum coram Patre meo, qui in cælis est.

Notes

    26. Therefore fear them not. Confidence is the dominant note of our Lord’s discourse. These words occur again in verses 28 and 31.

    nothing is covered that shall, etc. There are various interpretations of this text. The principal are —

(a) The truths of the Gospel will ultimately be spread over all the earth.

(b) The wickedness of the Pharisees and the uprightness of the disciples will be revealed ultimately.

(c) The apostles shall be honoured, both in this life and at the day of judgment.

    The same words occur in St Luke, but in another sense, i.e. of hypocrisy being unmasked.

    27. That which I tell you in the dark. These words may refer to —

(a) private instructions given to the disciples by Christ.

(b) their first mission to the lost sheep of Israel.

(c) the special teaching of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost.

    By darkness, and the ear, we are to understand “ privately ” ; by light, and the house-top, “ publicly.”

    upon the house-tops. In the East, proclamations are frequently made from the house-tops.

    On the eve of each Sabbath, trumpets were sounded three times from the roof of a house. At the first blast of the trumpets, the people ceased their work in the fields, at the second, all work in the town or city was stopped, and at the third, the Sabbath lamp was lit. News promulgated from the house-top spread quickly from one house-top to another and in the streets.

    28. rather fear him, etc. Some commentators take this as referring to Satan, but the devil has no power to cast into hell, nor can he touch the body without God’s permission. Cf. There is one lawgiver, and judge, that is able to destroy and to deliver (St James iv. 12). God alone has the power of life and death, and of condemning to hell-fire.

    Filial fear of God is frequently inculcated in the Scriptures. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Ps. cx. 10). Let us all hear together the conclusion of the discourse. Fear God, and keep his commandments (Eccles. xii. 13). We are not told to fear Satan, but rather to resist him boldly (see James iv. 7).

    can destroy both soul and body. The words afford an indirect proof of the resurrection of the body.

    29. two sparrows. Little birds in general (στρουθία), hence sparrows, the commonest of small birds. A later use of the word restricted the meaning to ostriches and sparrows.

    “At the present day the markets of Jerusalem and Jaffa are attended by many fowlers, who offer for sale long strings of little birds of various species, chiefly sparrows, wagtails, and larks. These are also frequently sold ready plucked, trussed in rows of about a dozen on slender wooden skewers, and are cooked and eaten like kabobs ” (Tristram in Bib. Dic., art. Sparrows, p. 1366).

    a farthing. The Greek word “ἀσσαρίου” is translated “a farthing or fourth part,” because originally four “asses” or farthings made a sestertius, and were worth about 2½d. After the reign of Augustus a sestertius was only worth about 2d., so that one “as” equalled ½d., and sixteen asses made a denarius (Smith’s Dic. of Antiq.).

    fall on the ground., — i.e. perish.

    30. the very hairs, etc. A Hebrew proverb denoting security. Wherefore I pray you to take some meat for your health's sake : for there shall not an hair of the head of any of you perish (Acts xxvii. 34). We also find the same thought in the Old Testament (see 1 Kings xiv. 45 ; 3 Kings i. 52). We are to understand these words, that nothing will happen to the Christian except by God’s will, and that in the hour of trial He will assist His servants. Also, should He permit them to be put to death, their souls will be safe in His keeping.

    32. Every one therefore that shall, etc. A solemn warning that we must be generous in standing up for Christ.

OCR not available. Text taken from source document.

Additional Notes

    27. That which you hear in the ear, preach ye upon the house-tops. It was customary in the synagogue to read the Scriptures first in Hebrew and then in the popular dialect. Having first read in Hebrew, the reader then whispered the translation to the interpreter, who repeated the words aloud. Some writers see in the above text, a reference to this practice, but this opinion has not much to recommend it, for the first reader whispered the translation in order that it might be repeated, whereas our Lord appears to refer to knowledge which was communicated under promise of secrecy. St John Chrysostom interprets it as referring to the insignificance of Palestine, as compared with the whole world, to which the Gospel was to be preached. A third conjecture put forth is, that Christ is alluding to the practice of the rabbis, who were accustomed to explain certain things to a few favoured disciples only, much as Christ explained certain truths more fully, when He was alone with His disciples.

    Verses 26 and 27. These two verses are cast in poetical form, and are an example of synonymous parallelism.

1. For nothing is covered that shall not be revealed.

2. Nor hid that shall not be known.

3. That which I tell you in the dark speak ye in the light.

4. And that which you hear in the ear, preach ye upon the house-tops.

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.