29. Quaest. IV. Likewise it is asked: why did He correct those who were selling doves by word alone, but the others also by deed? And it seems that He should have done more, because by those sellers simoniacs are signified, who are to be corrected more severely.
I respond: To this there is a literal reason, because doves defiled the temple less; but the mystical reason is that by those sellers simoniacs are understood, who are not to be corrected with a small punishment, but are to be cast out of the Church by sentence; or because by the dove is understood the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is not to be driven out.
30. Quaest. V. Likewise it is asked concerning this: since the Jews were many and fierce, and Christ was alone and unarmed, how did they not rise up against Him and kill Him, when He was thus casting them out along with their goods?
To this some say that even though they were evil, nevertheless they were hypocrites; and therefore, lest they should show their avarice and malice, they neither showed themselves disturbed nor harmed Him. — Jerome responds differently, that "something fiery and starlike radiated from His eyes, and the majesty of the Divinity shone in His face," changing their minds, so that they did not dare to lay hands upon Him. Whence Jerome considers this a greater sign than the raising of Lazarus, that one unarmed man drove out so many and was not afraid.
31. Quaest. VI. It is also asked concerning the statement that zeal was in Christ. For if zeal implies anger, and anger implies disturbance, and in Christ there could not be disturbance, therefore neither could there be zeal.
To this, [Hugh of Saint] Victor responds that zeal is spoken of in two ways: in one way it implies a disturbance of the soul, just as anger does, and thus it was not in Christ: Isaiah 42: He shall not be sad nor turbulent. In another way, zeal is the same as fervent love, and thus it was in Christ; whence the Gloss of Augustine says: "Good zeal is a fervor of the soul, by which the mind, having cast aside human fear, is kindled for the defense of truth."
32. The Jews answered etc. The Lord manifested himself by the sign of authority: here he manifests himself by the sign of power, not exhibited, but requested and promised. And this sign was the wondrous raising of himself, and it proceeds in this order. In this manifestation, first is set forth the requesting of this sign; second, the offering of what was requested; third, the exposition of what was offered; fourth, the consequent building up of the faith of the Jews and through this the manifestation of Christ.
(Verse 18.). First, then, is described the requesting of the sign, which was made by the Jews seeing that he showed himself to be of such great authority. Therefore he says: The Jews therefore answered, namely the Lord who was rebuking them, and said to him: What sign do you show us, since you do these things? They seek a sign of power: First Corinthians 1: "Jews demand signs." They said something similar in Matthew 21: "Tell us: By what authority do you do these things?" And they were foolish to ask, because the deed itself was a great sign: Chrysostom: "O madness! Was a sign needed for him to make cease the things that were being done wrongly? Indeed, to receive such zeal for the house of God, was this not the greatest sign of virtue?"
33. (Verse 19.). Jesus answered and said to them. Here the second point is touched upon, namely the offering of the sign requested: and he offers them also a sign of the greatest power concerning the raising of himself; on account of which he says: Destroy this temple, namely by killing: destroy, that is, you will destroy, and in three days I will raise it up, that is, I will raise it as from sleep. For death in Scripture is called a sleeping, and resurrection an awakening: Psalm: "I have slept and taken my rest" etc. In three days, namely by synecdoche; Hosea 6: "He will revive us after two days, and on the third day he will raise us up," namely in the Head.
34. (Verse 20.). The Jews therefore said to him. Here the third point is touched upon, namely the exposition of the sign offered, because he was not saying this about the material temple, but about the temple of his body; and the Jews understood it of the material temple. On account of which he says: The Jews therefore said: Forty-six years was this temple in building, and will you raise it up in three days? As if they were saying: this is entirely incredible and impossible for you. It should be understood that the temple in its first building was completed in seven years, but in the second, on account of wars and impediments under Zerubbabel, over forty-six years. The Lord was not speaking of this: therefore he says:
35. (Verse 21.). But he was speaking of the temple of his body. For if our bodies "are the temple of the Holy Spirit," First Corinthians 6: how much more the body of Christ, "in whom the Divinity dwells bodily," as is said in Colossians 2. And this spiritual understanding neither the Jews nor the carnal disciples possessed, but only after the resurrection. Therefore he says:
36. (Vers. 22.). When therefore he had risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he said this, about his own body. For then he opened their understanding to comprehend: Luke, last chapter: "He opened their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures." And from then on they believed the Scripture, in which, namely, the resurrection of Christ was prefigured, as in Jonah; and they believed also the word that Jesus had said, because for this reason he had foretold it: below, chapter fourteen: "Now I have told you before it comes to pass, that, when it shall come to pass, you may believe."
37. (Vers. 23.). When he was in Jerusalem. Here is touched upon the fourth point, namely, the building up of the faith of the Jews at the sight of signs of power. For it must be understood that he did many things, although the Evangelist did not describe them, as Chrysostom says. Therefore he says: When he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, on the feast day, to which, namely, he had gone up: many believed in his name, seeing the signs that he did. Their faith rested upon signs: below, chapter seven: "But many of the crowd believed in him, seeing the signs that he did"; and because they rested upon signs, therefore they were weak in faith. Therefore he says:
38. (Vers. 24.). But Jesus himself did not entrust himself to them: not because he feared, but because he recognized their weakness. And he shows how he knew this: because not as a man by report, but as God by internal vision: because he himself knew all men: 1 Kings 16: "Men see those things that appear, but God beholds the heart."
39. (Vers. 25.). And because there was no need that anyone should bear witness to him concerning man: for he himself knew what was in man: Jeremiah 17: "I the Lord, searching hearts and reins"; Hebrews 4: "The word of God is living and effective and more piercing than any two-edged sword, reaching unto the division of soul and spirit, of joints also and marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
QUESTIONS.
40. Quaest. I. But here the first question concerns what the Lord says to the Jews: Destroy. It seems that he commanded them to kill him.
I respond: It must be said that Scripture sometimes uses the imperative mood imperatively, as there: Fear God and keep his commandments, Ecclesiastes, last chapter. Sometimes predictively, as here: the Gloss: " Destroy, that is, you will destroy." Sometimes consultively: Matthew 19: Go and sell all that you have, and give to the poor. Sometimes permissively: Matthew 8: If you cast us out from here, send us into the swine. Sometimes ironically: John 13: What you do, do quickly, the Lord said to Judas concerning the betrayal.
41. Question II. Likewise, Chrysostom asks about the fact that the Lord always responds to the Jews with a sign concerning the resurrection: as is said in Matthew twelve and sixteen, that no sign will be given to them except the sign of Jonah the prophet. For since they did not understand, to what end did He give them this sign? And if He gave it, why did He not give it in such a way that they would understand?
I respond: It must be said that He gave them this sign because it was supreme and because it was hidden. Supreme, because to be able to free oneself from death even after death—this is the newest, noblest, and most wondrous of all new things. Because it was also hidden, He gave it to them and spoke enigmatically, because by just judgment He manifested Himself in such a way that He remained concealed, until after the resurrection He would manifest Himself. For if He had been fully manifested, He would never have been put to death; therefore He directs them to the time of the resurrection. And therefore He spoke to them enigmatically, and also to the disciples, because, even if they did not understand then, afterwards they would understand all the more dearly.
42. Question III. The question is: why does the Lord call Himself a temple and compare Himself to a temple?
And Augustine responds that this is not only on account of the indwelling of the Divinity, but also on account of the likeness to the temple: because, just as the temple was built in forty-six years, so the conceived fetus is formed in forty-six days, and when those are multiplied by six, it is born.
But this seems to have no bearing on the matter at hand, because the body of Christ was perfect from the instant of conception, and His soul was perfect, and He had the use of free will.
On account of this, it must be said that a body is perfected in two ways: either by organization or by mass. Other bodies besides the body of Christ are built up and perfected within that time or in that time—that is, they tend toward perfection by organization and by mass; but the body of Christ only by mass, not by the distinction of members.