18. After these things he went down etc. The Lord manifested himself above to the disciples. In this part up to the fourth chapter, the manifestation made to the Jews is treated, to whom he manifests himself in a threefold manner, namely by sign, by word, and by Sacrament. Therefore this part has three parts.
In the first, the manifestation made through a sign of power is treated: in the second, through a word of instruction, at the passage: Now there was a certain man of the Pharisees: in the third, through the Sacrament of regeneration, at the passage: After these things Jesus came into Judea.
The first part has two parts. In the first he manifests himself by a sign of authority: in the second, by a sign of power and might, at the passage: The Jews answered and said.
The sign of authority was in the authoritative correction of the transgressors, which is described in this order. First, the Lord's readiness to reprove is indicated; second, the manifest transgression of the Jews: third, the correction of the transgressors: fourth, the approbation of the correction.
19. (Verse 12). The Lord's readiness to reprove is noted in this, that he went down to Capernaum, so that he might leave his Mother and brethren there: therefore it says: After these things, namely those which have been narrated, he went down to Capernaum, he and his Mother and his brethren and his disciples. He went down with all of them, because he came to dwell there: Matthew 4: "Having left the city of Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum." Therefore he went down with all of them, so that he might ascend more freely: therefore it says: And they remained there not many days. And the reason for this is added:
20. (Vers. 13.). And the Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And for this reason he went down to prepare himself. Chrysostom: "He went down for this reason, being about to go up to Jerusalem shortly after, so that he would not drag his brothers and Mother everywhere." He went up, moreover, according to the custom of the Jews and the commandment of the Law: Deuteronomy sixteen: "Three times in a year shall all your males appear before the Lord." And although the Lord was not subject to the Law, he nevertheless observed it, lest he appear contrary to it.
21. (Vers. 14.). And he found in the temple. Here the second point is touched upon, namely the manifest transgression of the Jews, because they had made the temple into a marketplace; on account of which he says: He found in the temple those selling sheep and oxen and doves. For the avarice of the priests had introduced this, so that those wishing to offer sacrifice would not lack an offering. And money-changers sitting, supply: he found; and the priests had introduced these, so that those wishing to offer sacrifice would not lack the price; and thus they were entirely serving avarice. Therefore the Lord complained through Jeremiah six: "From the greatest to the least, all are devoted to avarice."
22. (Vers. 15.). When he had made a sort of whip. Here the third point is touched upon, namely the Lord's authoritative correction, because he rebuked not only by word, but also by deed. Therefore he says: And when he had made a sort of whip from cords, namely for striking, he drove them all out of the temple, the sheep also and the oxen, as being unworthy to be in the temple; as the Lord said to Shebna, the overseer of the temple, in Isaiah twenty-two: "I will drive you from your station, and I will depose you from your ministry." And he poured out the money of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And thus he harshly rebuked by deed. He also rebuked by word, and this, those selling doves. Therefore he adds:
23. (Vers. 16.). And to those who were selling doves, he said: Take these things away from here, and do not make the house of my Father a house of trade. Concerning this house it is said in the Psalm: "Holiness befits your house, O Lord," not trade. Augustine: "If he forbids such things in the place of prayer, how much more drinking bouts and drunkenness and other similar things?" Therefore he commands in his Rule that "in the oratory nothing should be done except that for which it was established."
24. (Vers. 17.). The disciples remembered. Here the fourth point is noted, namely the approval of the correction made through Scripture. Therefore he says: His disciples indeed remembered, not then, but after the resurrection, when they understood the Scripture; then, I say, they remembered that it is written: The zeal of your house has consumed me, in that Psalm sixty-eight: "Save me, O God." Concerning this consuming of zeal, Augustine says: "He is consumed by zeal for the house of God who desires to correct all things that he sees there to be perverse, who does not rest from amending them; if he cannot amend them, he endures and groans."
25. Mystically, three things are to be noted here, namely the coming of the Lord into the temple, the discovery of the transgressors, and their expulsion.
Concerning the coming, Jerome says: "According to the mystical understanding, Jesus daily enters the temple of the Father and casts out all from the Church, holding those who sell and those who buy equally guilty of one crime. For it is written: Freely you have received, freely give," Matthew 10.
He found those selling oxen: Bede says: "The oxen are preachers, by whom the land of the Lord is plowed and sown with the seed of the word"; 1 Corinthians 9: You shall not muzzle the ox that treads out the grain. Likewise Bede says: "Those sell them who bestow the word of preaching upon their hearers not out of divine love, but with a view to gain."
He also found those selling sheep. "The sheep, as Bede says, are works of piety and mercy. Those sell them who practice works of piety for the sake of human praise, like hypocrites." — He found those selling doves. "The doves are the gifts of the Holy Spirit," because He appeared upon Christ in the form of a dove, Matthew 3. "Those sell these doves who give the received grace of the Holy Spirit for a price; who bestow the laying on of hands, by which the Holy Spirit is received, if not for the gain of money, nevertheless for the favor of the crowd; who confer sacred orders not according to the merit of life, but for favor." — He found the money-changers: Bede says: "Those lend money in the temple who serve in the Church not under the pretense of heavenly things, but openly for earthly things, seeking their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ": Philippians 2: All seek their own interests.
He cast out those selling sheep and oxen, as Bede says, "because he showed that the life and doctrine of such men alike are reprobate."
He poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables: "because when the reprobate are condemned at the end, he will take away even the very form of those things which they had loved, according to what is written: The world passes away and its concupiscence," 1 John 2; and: The form of this world passes away, 1 Corinthians 7.
He commanded the doves to be taken away: Jerome on Matthew: "He overturned their seats, because he destroys the priesthood of such traffickers." Hence it is that the sacred Canons condemn the heresy of simony, and command that those who seek a price for the priesthood be deprived of the priesthood.
QUESTIONS.
26. Question I. Here there is a question concerning the order of the history. For here it is said that this expulsion took place immediately after the first miracle; but in Matthew 21 it is narrated that this took place near the passion, when he sat upon the donkey.
To this Augustine responds in On the Harmony of the Evangelists that this was done twice, but the first was recorded by John, the second by the others.
And by this are resolved the contradictions which could be objected, because there he rebukes in a harsher manner and speaks different words than here.
27. Quaest. II. Likewise it is asked concerning the finding of sheep in the temple. The priests did not permit unclean persons to enter the temple; how much less, then, would they permit sheep and oxen, which would defile the temple? This seems far less probable.
I respond: It must be said that there were four courts in the temple: the first was that of the priests; the second, of clean men; the third, of clean women; the fourth, of the unclean and the Gentiles. And any of these was broadly called the temple, and in this fourth court He found animals of this kind.
28. Quaest. III. Likewise it is asked concerning correction. For it is said in Matthew 15: Let them alone: they are blind and leaders of the blind; He does not seem to have cared about the correction of the Jews. Why then does He now rebuke them so sharply, since they were incorrigible?
I respond: It must be said that even though He knew them to be incorrigible, He nevertheless wished to show His zeal for the house of God, so that He might give an example to prelates, and so that He might show Himself in accord with the Father and a friend of the Law, which He came not to destroy, but to fulfill .