Chapter 18
[Luke 18:1] -- He also told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. The Apostle also says: "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing." But who can always pray like this, and persist in prayer without failing or pausing, so that he neither has time for receiving food or for sleeping? Therefore, it must be said that he always prays and does not lose heart, who daily during the canonical hours according to the custom of the Church tradition does not cease to praise and beseech the Lord with psalms and customary prayers, and this is what the Psalmist said: "I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth" (Psalm 34). Or certainly, all that the righteous do and say according to God should be regarded as a prayer. For since the righteous constantly do what is just, they will thereby constantly pray without ceasing, nor will they ever cease from prayer unless they cease to be righteous.
[Luke 18:2] -- There was a certain judge in a certain city, who neither feared God nor respected man. However, there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him, saying: Avenge me against my adversary. And he refused for a long time. But afterward he said to himself: Though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. The Lord places parables either according to some likeness, as in the case of a man who had two sons, the elder working in the field close to him, and the younger living luxuriously in a distant place, or he proves something from dissimilarity itself, as in this passage: If the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, God so clothes, how much more you of little faith (Matthew VI). Therefore, the former type can be joined with these words: Just as that, so this one too. The latter, however, with these words: If that, how much more this one? Or, if that, how much less this one? But these are set forth obscurely in some places, openly in others. Hence, the unjust judge here is employed not by similarity, but by dissimilarity. For indeed, that unjust judge by no means allegorically represents the person of God, but still, as the Lord wanted to infer here, how much God, who is good and just, cares about those who beseech Him, because even an unjust man cannot disregard those who pester him with persistent prayers, if only to avoid their annoyance. For this is what he said: Lest by her coming she weary me. The widow herself can indeed have the likeness of the Church, which seems desolate until the Lord comes, who, however, even now secretly takes care of it.
[Luke 18:6] -- The Lord said: Hear what the unjust judge says. Will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly. If anyone is troubled by why God's elect pray to be avenged, as is also mentioned in the Revelation of John regarding the martyrs, although we are most clearly admonished to pray for our enemies and those who persecute us, it is to be understood that this is the vengeance of the righteous, that all the evil should perish. They perish in two ways: either by conversion to righteousness, or by losing their power through punishment, which now to some extent prevails against the good, as long as it serves the good temporarily. The end that the righteous desire to come, although they pray for their enemies, is nonetheless reasonably called the desire for vengeance.
[Luke 18:8] -- However, when the Son of Man comes, do you think He will find faith on the earth? Although the omnipotent Creator is always ready to vindicate His chosen ones who cry out to Him, on the day of judgment, which should be held in trembling hearts, when the same Creator appears in the form of the Son of Man, there will be such a rarity of the chosen that the ruin of the entire world will have to be hastened not so much because of the cry of the faithfully unjustly condemned, but because of the torpor of those justly condemned. But the Lord says doubtfully: Do you think, will He find faith? He does not doubt, but rebukes. The word of doubt reproves infidelity, not divinity. For we also sometimes use the word of doubt reprovingly about things we are certain about, although we do not doubt in our heart. For instance, if you are indignant with your servant, you might say: You despise me, consider perhaps, I am your master. And the Apostle to some of his contemptors: I think also I have the Spirit of God (1 Cor. 7). He who says, I think, seems to doubt. But he was reproving, not doubting. Thus, the Lord, who indeed knows all things through whom all things were made, nonetheless doubtingly reproves the hearts of the faithless.
[Luke 18:9] -- He also spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves as righteous and despised others. Because the Lord concluded the parable, in which He always taught to pray and not to lose heart, saying that when the judge comes, faith would be hard to find on earth, lest anyone should flatter themselves with useless faith, knowledge, or even confession; immediately following with another parable, He more diligently showed that from God, faith is examined not by words, but by deeds. Among which deeds, humility predominates greatly. Therefore, earlier, when He compared faith to a mustard seed, small indeed but burning with curiosity, He almost explained further: "When you have done all that you are commanded, say: We are unworthy servants" (Luke XVII). Contrary to this, the proud, while they do only a little of what is commanded, not only immediately presume their own righteousness but also despise the weak, and thus, as though devoid of faith, they are not heard when they pray.
[Luke 18:10] -- Two men went up to the temple to pray. One a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The tax collector, praying humbly, belongs to those members of the mentioned widow, that is, the Church, of whom it is said above: "But will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry out to Him?" The Pharisee, however, boasting of his merits, pertains to those about whom the terrible closing statement is made: "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"
[Luke 18:11] -- The Pharisee, standing, prayed thus with himself: God, I thank you that I am not like other men, robbers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this publican. There are four types by which all the swelling of the arrogant is demonstrated, when they either believe they have good from themselves, or if they believe it is given to them from above, they think they have received it because of their own merits, or certainly when they boast they have what they do not, or, despising others, seek to appear singularly to have what they have. The Pharisee is found to have labored under the plague of these boastings, who therefore descended from the temple without justification, because he attributed the merits of good works to himself, as though singularly, and preferred himself over the praying publican.
[Luke 18:12] -- I fast twice on the Sabbath, I give tithes of all that I possess. The prophet Ezekiel writes about the heavenly creatures shown to him. And the whole body full of eyes, around those four. For the bodies of the creatures are described as full of eyes because the actions of the saints are circumspect from every part, desirably providing for the good, cautiously avoiding the evil. But we often, while attending to other matters, neglect others. And where we neglect, there undoubtedly we do not have an eye. For behold, the Pharisee had an eye for exhibiting abstinence, for extending mercy, for giving thanks to God, but he did not have an eye for maintaining humility. And what does it benefit if nearly the whole city is cautiously guarded against the enemy's plots, if one opening is left open, where the enemies may enter?
[Luke 18:13] -- And the publican, standing afar off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying: God, be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. How confidently does he offer forgiveness to the worthily penitent, given that the publican, who fully recognized his wrongdoing, wept, confessed, and if he came unjust to the temple, he left justified from the temple. Typically, however, the Pharisee is the populace of the Jews, who extol their own merits through the justifications of the law. The publican, on the other hand, represents the Gentile, who, placed far from God, confesses his sins. One departed proud and humiliated, while the other, by lamenting, deserved to approach exalted.
[Luke 18:14] -- For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Of the aforementioned people, both the proud and the humble, it can rightly be understood, just as we read elsewhere: Before destruction the heart is exalted, and before glory, it is humbled (Prov. XVI). Therefore, from the words of the arrogant Pharisee, by which he deserved to be humbled, we can also take, conversely, the form of humility by which we may be exalted, so that as he, considering both the vices of the worse and his own virtues, was lifted up to ruin, we, seeing not only our own sloth but also the virtues of the better, may be humbled to glory, that each of us may humbly and submissively implore this before himself: Almighty God, have mercy on your suppliant, because I am not like your innumerable servants, exalted by the contempt of the world, glorious by the merit of justice, angelic in the praise of chastity, nor like many of those who, after public crimes, have deserved to be devoted to you by repenting. Who also, if by your granting grace I do any good, I do not know with what end I do it or by what strictness it should be weighed by you.
[Luke 18:15] -- They were bringing children to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. And this lesson, full of the teaching of humility, shows that the innocent and simple can reach the grace of the Lord. The disciples rebuked those who were bringing them, not because they did not want the children to be blessed by the Savior's hand and voice, but because, not yet having complete faith, they thought he would be exhausted by the importunity of those presenting the children, like a human.
[Luke 18:16] -- But Jesus, calling them, said: Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them. For of such is the kingdom of God. He significantly said "of such," not "of these ones," to show that it is not age that reigns, but manners, and that the reward is promised to those who have similar innocence and simplicity. The Apostle also agrees with this sentiment: Brothers, do not be children in understanding, but be infants in malice. In understanding, however, be perfect.
[Luke 18:17] -- Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will never enter it. Just as a child does not persist in anger, does not remember being hurt, does not take delight in a beautiful woman, does not think one thing and say another, so too, unless you have such innocence and purity of mind, you will not be able to enter the kingdom of heaven. Another interpretation: We are commanded to receive the kingdom of God, that is, the teaching of the Gospel, like a child, because a child neither contradicts teachers in learning, nor composes arguments and words to resist them, but faithfully accepts what is taught, and obeys and rests with respect.
[Luke 18:18] -- And a certain ruler asked him, saying: Good teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? I believe this ruler had heard from the Lord that only those who want to be like children will enter the kingdom of God, and therefore, concerned with obtaining clear guidance, he asks to be told openly, not in parables, by what merits of works he may gain eternal life.
[Luke 18:19] -- Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. Since he had called him a good teacher and had not confessed him as God or God's Son, he learns that compared to God, no mere human being is good. Of whom it is said: 'Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good' (Psalm 106). But God alone being good is not to be understood as the Father alone, but also the Son, who says: 'I am the good Shepherd.' Also the Holy Spirit, because the Father from heaven will give the good Spirit to those who ask Him (Luke 11). That is, the one and individual Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, is the only one and good God. Therefore, the Lord does not deny being good but indicates being God. He does not deny being a good teacher but testifies that no teacher apart from God is good.
[Luke 18:20] -- You know the commandments: You shall not kill, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness. Honor your father and your mother. This is the chastity of childlike innocence, which is proposed to us for imitation if we wish to enter the kingdom of God. It should indeed be noted that justice of the law, kept at its proper time, not only confers the goods of the earth but also eternal life.
[Luke 18:21] -- He said, "All these I have kept from my youth." Jesus, hearing this, said to him, "You still lack one thing." This prince is not to be thought a liar when he claimed he kept the commandments of the law, but he confessed simply as he had lived. Because if he were guilty of the charge of lying, the evangelist Mark would not have added, writing about him: "Jesus looking at him, loved him, and said to him, 'You lack one thing: Go, sell all that you have' (Mark 10), and so on. For the Lord loves those who keep even the lesser mandates of the law, but nonetheless shows what was lesser in the law to those who desire to be perfect.
[Luke 18:22] -- Sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me. Whoever wishes to be perfect must sell, like Ananias and Sapphira, but sell everything; and when he has sold it, give everything to the poor, and so prepare a treasure for himself in the kingdom of heaven. And this does not suffice for perfection, unless after despising riches, he follows the Savior, that is, leaving behind evil, he does good. For it is easier to despise the purse than the will. Many, though they leave riches, do not follow the Lord. However, he follows the Lord who is his imitator, and walks in his footsteps. For whoever says he believes in Christ, ought to walk as He did.
[Luke 18:23] -- Hearing this, he was sorrowful, for he was very rich. This is the sadness of the world that works death. These deceptive riches are like thorns that choke the Lord's seed.
[Luke 18:24] -- But Jesus, seeing him become sad, said: How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! It is clear indeed that those who strive to multiply their riches here, disdain to seek the joys of another life, but there is a difference between having wealth and loving wealth. Many indeed who have do not love. Many who do not have, love. Similarly, others both have and love, while others neither have nor love the riches of this world, whose state is safer, with the Apostle saying: The world is crucified to us, and we to the world (Gal. VI). Hence Solomon does not say, Whoever has, but Whoever loves riches, will not enjoy their fruit (Eccl. V). And the Lord Himself, according to Mark, with the disciples astonished at the words of this statement, further explained: Little children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God (Mark X)! And it is to be noted that He did not say, Impossible, but Difficult, that is, it is of the greatest labor for those who have wealth, or trust in wealth, stripping off the bonds of avarice, to enter the court of the heavenly kingdom.
[Luke 18:25] -- For it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. If it is easier for a camel, which has enormous and huge limbs, to pass through the narrow eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, then no rich man will enter the kingdom of God. And how is it that both in the Gospel according to Matthew, Zacchaeus, and Joseph, as well as in the Old Testament, so many rich men of God have entered the kingdom? Unless perhaps they learned, by the Lord's inspiration, either to value riches at nothing or to leave them entirely? Did David, who sang about himself: "For I am poor and alone" (Ps. XXIV), trust in the riches of his kingdom? And he advises others: "If riches increase, do not set your heart on them" (Ps. LXI)? I believe he did not dare say "Do not accept them." Is it credible that Abraham preferred his possessions to the Lord, for whose sake he did not hesitate to strike his only heir? In a higher sense, it is easier for Christ to suffer for the lovers of the world than for the lovers of the world to be able to be converted to Christ. For by the name of the camel, He wished to be understood, because He voluntarily humbled Himself and bore the burdens of our weakness. In what indeed is it more clearly understood than in what is written of Him: "The greater you are, humble yourself in all things" (Eccli. III)? By the needle, he signifies the punctures, and by the punctures, the sufferings endured in His passion. Therefore, the eye of the needle denotes narrowness and sufferings. When it is split, He deigns somehow to mend, that is, to restore our nature’s garments, so that after the fall we may be better reformed, as we rejoice in the testimony of the Apostle, who says: "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galat. III).
[Luke 18:26] -- And those who heard it said, "And who can be saved?" What does this answer pertain to unless it is because the far greater multitude of the poor, who could be saved with the rich being lost, understood that all who love riches, even if they cannot obtain them, are reckoned among the rich?
[Luke 18:27] -- He said to them: What is impossible with men is possible with God. It is not to be understood in such a way that the greedy and the proud, who are signified by the name of that rich man, will enter the kingdom of heaven with their greed and pride, but it is possible for God that through His word (as we also see has been done and is done daily) they may be converted from the desire for temporal things to the love of eternal things, and from destructive pride to most salutary humility.
[Luke 18:28] -- But Peter said: Behold, we have left everything and followed you. Great confidence. Peter was a fisherman, he was not rich, he sought food by hand and skill, and yet he speaks confidently, We have left everything. And because it is not enough to just leave, he adds what is perfect: And followed you. We have done what you commanded, so what reward will you give us?
[Luke 18:29-30] -- He said to them: "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or parents, or brothers, or wife, or children for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive much more in this time, and in the age to come, eternal life." Some, on account of this saying, build up the Jewish fable of a thousand years after the resurrection of the just, when all things which we have abandoned for God will be rendered to us with manifold interest, and eternal life will be granted in addition. Nor do the foolish see that even if in other respects the promise is worthy, in wives it appears as a scandal a hundredfold, according to other evangelists; especially as the Lord testifies that in the resurrection there will be no marriage, and according to the evangelist Mark, that what has been left will be received in this time with persecutions: which persecutions, indeed, those chiliasts dogmatize as absent from their thousand years of troubles. The sense, therefore, is this: Whoever has despised all affections for the sake of acquiring the kingdom of God, has trampled on all the delights and luxuries of the world, will receive much more in the present because, from brothers and companions of his purpose, who are bound to him with spiritual glue, he will receive much greater charity even in this life. This charity, which is joined among parents, children, and brothers, spouses or relatives, either by the society of marriage or the necessity of consanguinity, is known to be quite brief and fragile. In fact, sometimes it is even broken for a just cause. Only those who retain the unity of perpetual conjunction, and indiscriminately possess all things, who believe that all that is theirs is the brothers', all the brothers' things are theirs. Read the Acts of the Apostles, that the heart and soul of the multitude of believers were one, and all things were common to them, and there was not a needy person among them who left their own for the Lord. Of whom Paul also says: "As having nothing, yet possessing everything" (II Cor. 6). A much greater sweetness indeed will be received from conjugal continence than that which was previously offered to them by the mingling of sexes. Before, I possessed a wife in the lascivious passion of desire; now I possess the same in the honor of sanctification and true love of Christ. There is one woman, but the merit of chastity has grown a hundredfold. For what is said according to Mark: "He will receive a hundred times as much now in this time, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and fields, with persecutions" (Mark 10), can be understood more deeply. Certainly, the number a hundred, transferred from left to right, although it appears to hold the same shape in the curve of the fingers, grows exceedingly in magnitude, because all who scorn temporal things for the kingdom of God’s sake, even in this life, taste the fullest joys of that same kingdom with firm faith, and in the expectation of the heavenly homeland, they enjoy most sincerely the love of all the elect together.
[Luke 18:31] -- Jesus took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For he will be delivered to the Gentiles, and will be mocked, insulted, and spit upon. After they have scourged him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise again." Foreseeing that the suffering of his passion would trouble the spirits of his disciples, the Savior predicts to them long in advance both the punishment of his passion and the glory of his resurrection, so that seeing him die as it was predicted, they might not doubt that he would also rise again. He also foresaw that certain heretics would arise in the Church who would claim that Christ taught contrary to the law and the prophets, and that the God of the Old Testament was different from the God of the New Testament. He showed that the prophecies were directed to no one more than to himself and the mystery of his temporary dispensation for us, so that his passion and subsequent glory would be the fulfillment and perfect celebration of the prophecy. He also most clearly refuted the madness of the pagans who mock his cross, when he predicted the time of his imminent passion as if he were aware of the future, and approached the place of his death fearlessly.
[Luke 18:34] -- And they understood none of these things. And this saying was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend what was said. We read in the Gospel according to John, the Lord saying: "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." The crowd answered and said: "We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. And how can you say, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'?" (John 12). Why, then, is it that the disciples, who had the mystery of the Lord’s passion repeated to them so many times, could not understand it, while the Jews, at a single word, and so obscurely put that the Evangelist deemed it worthy of explanation: "Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death He would die" (ibid.), immediately understood that the exaltation of the cross was meant, except because the disciples, whose lives especially wished to witness that, could not hear of His death? They, knowing Him not only as an innocent man but also as the true God, thought He could by no means die. And because they were accustomed to hearing Him often speak in parables, whenever He said anything about His passion, they believed it was not to be understood as it sounded, but to be referred allegorically to something else dictated by love. But the Jews, because they conspired for His death, understood whatever He spoke about His passion or cross; for He spoke what they most eagerly wished to occur and labored to bring about. Thus, in a marvelously unusual way, the same mystery of undergoing the cross, which love concealed from the faithful, envy revealed to the unfaithful.
[Luke 18:35] -- And it came to pass, that as he was coming near Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way begging. And when he heard the multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. They told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. This blind man signifies, by allegory, the human race, which, expelled from the joys of paradise in the first parent, suffering the darkness of damnation, unaware of the clarity of heavenly light. But when Jesus is said to approach Jericho, the blind man is illuminated. For Jericho is interpreted as the moon. The moon, however, in sacred scripture, is used to signify the defect of the flesh, because as it decreases in its monthly phases, it signifies the defect of our mortality. Therefore, when our Creator approaches Jericho, the blind man returns to the light, because, as the Divinity takes on the defect of our flesh, the human race receives the light that it had lost. This blind man indeed is rightly described as sitting by the way and begging. For the Truth itself said: I am the way (John XIV). Thus, he who knows not the clarity of eternal light is blind; but if he already believes in the Redeemer, he sits by the way. If he already believes, but does not request to receive the eternal light, and neglects to pray, the blind man indeed sits by the way, but he does not beg. But if he both believes and prays, the blind man both sits by the way and begs.
[Luke 18:38] -- And he cried out, saying: Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. And those who were going before rebuked him, so that he might be silent. But he cried out much more, Son of David, have mercy on me. What do those signify who precede Jesus as he comes, if not the crowds of carnal desires and the tumults of vices, which, before Jesus comes to our hearts, scatter our thoughts with their temptations and disturb the voices of the heart in prayer? For often, when we wish to turn to God after having committed sins, while we strive to pray against these same vices that we have committed, the phantasms of the sins we committed come to our heart, reverberate the focus of our mind, confound, and press down the mind and voice of our supplication. But he who is rebuked by the crowd to be silent cries out all the more, because the more heavily we are pressed by the tumult of carnal thoughts, the more ardently we should persist in prayer.
[Luke 18:40] -- But Jesus, standing still, ordered him to be brought to him. Behold, he stands who previously was passing by, because when we still suffer the crowds of phantasms in prayer, we feel Jesus in some way passing by. But when we fervently persist in prayer, Jesus stands still and restores the light, because God is fixed in the heart, and the lost light is restored.
[Luke 18:41] -- And when he approached, he questioned him saying: What do you want me to do for you? And he said, Lord, that I may see. Did He who could give light not know what the blind man wanted? But He wishes that this be asked, which He knows beforehand that we would ask and He would grant. For He urgently admonishes us to prayer, and yet He says: Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him (Matthew VI). Therefore, He requires this, that it be asked; He requires this, that the heart be stirred to prayer. Wherefore the blind man immediately adds: Lord, that I may see. Behold, the blind man does not ask gold, but light from the Lord, he reckons it insignificant to ask for anything outside of light. Because even if the blind man can possess anything, without light he cannot see what he possesses. Let us therefore imitate him whom we have heard saved both in body and in mind, let us not seek false riches, not earthly gifts, not fleeting honors from the Lord, but light: namely that light which we can see only with the holy angels, which neither beginning initiates nor end confines. To which indeed light, the way is faith. Wherefore it is rightly added while illuminating the blind man:
[Luke 18:42] -- And Jesus said to him: Look, your faith has saved you. And immediately he saw and followed Him, glorifying God. He sees and follows, who works the good he understands. He indeed sees, but does not follow, who indeed understands good, but despises performing good works. For he who imitates follows Jesus. Hence He says: If anyone serves me, let him follow me (John XII). Let us therefore consider where He leads, that we may deserve to follow. Thus it comes about that not only does our life progress in God, but this very conversion of ours kindles others to the praise of God, whence it is added:
[Luke 18:43] -- And all the people, when they saw, gave praise to God. For the people gave praise to God, not only for the granted gift of light, but also for the merit of the faith of the one asking. They gave praise to God because they saw Jesus mercifully and powerfully restore light to the one asking, and acknowledged that the cry of firm faith, which rightly sought, could immediately be accomplished. Wherefore it should be noted that the Lord, appearing in the flesh, confirmed everything He taught with words by examples. For He who commanded us: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven (Matt. V), in all things He began to do and teach (Acts I), sought not His own glory from men, but the glory of the Father (John VIII).