I respond: It must be said that there is a threefold property in food. The first is that it is vehemently desired; the second is that through it the one who is nourished is refreshed; the third is that food is taken into the body.
By reason of the first property, Christ is our food, because we desire him, and we are his, because he himself desires our salvation. By reason of the second property, because it nourishes and restores, Christ is our food, not the reverse. By reason of the third, we are the food of Christ, because he himself draws us into his body: whence Augustine says that on the cross he consumed the thief.
67. Question V. There is also a question: since the Lord saw them disposed to believe, why is it that he wished to remain with them for only two days?
It seems that he ought to have been with them longer and for a greater time.
I respond: It must be said that he did this to avoid giving scandal to the Jews, lest they be indignant that, having left them, he crossed over to foreigners.
68. Question VI. Likewise, there is a question about what the Lord says to his disciples: One is he who sows, another who reaps; whence he calls the Apostles reapers, not sowers.
But to the contrary: 1. The Word of God is the seed: therefore he who preaches sows: but the Apostles were preachers: therefore etc.
2. Likewise, Second Corinthians 9: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly: therefore he who sows nothing will reap nothing.
3. Likewise, it seems that the Apostles are not reapers, but the Angels: whence Matthew 13: The harvest is the consummation of the age, the reapers are the Angels: therefore not the Apostles.
I respond: It must be said that these three times have an order: the time of the Mosaic law, of grace, and of glory. The time of grace is as fruit with respect to the time of the Mosaic law: the time of glory is as fruit with respect to the time of grace. - Accordingly, because harvest denotes the gathering of fruit, the harvest is twofold: the first in the time of grace: and of this the reapers are the Apostles, but the sowers are the Prophets, who foretold this grace and caused the people to await it. The other is in the time of glory: and of this the reapers are the Angels, and the sowers are the Apostles with respect to some, but all with respect to themselves. - And the arguments proceed along different lines, because the Lord speaks of the harvest of grace.
The fourth manifestation, which was made to the Galileans.
69. But after two days etc. The Lord manifested himself above to the disciples, the Jews, and the Samaritans; here begins the fourth part of this section, in which he manifests himself to the Galileans, his own countrymen, as being harder to believe. And this manifestation, which was made through a miracle, proceeds in this order. First, there is indicated in the Galileans a defect of reverence for honoring: second, a defect of faith for believing: third, the obtaining of the miracle: fourth, from this the building up of faith.
First, therefore, there is indicated a defect of reverence for honoring Christ. For because they were countrymen of Christ, therefore to remove their irreverence Christ came to them, so that he might show himself to them in miracles. For this reason he says:
(Vers. 43.). But after two days, during which, namely, he was in Samaria, he departed from there and went into Galilee, namely his own country, in order to convert those who were harder. Therefore he adds:
70. (Vers. 44.). For Jesus himself bore witness, that is, he asserted as true, that a prophet has no honor in his own country: Luke 4: "No prophet is accepted in his own country." The Gloss says that because on his first coming into Galilee he had not received honor, therefore he returns yet a second time, so that at least in this way they might believe in him through signs. For they had already been in some way disposed through the signs which they had seen in Jerusalem. Therefore he says:
71. (Vers. 45.). When therefore he came into Galilee, the Galileans received him, as if they began to honor him for a little while: Philippians 2: "Receive Epaphroditus with all joy in the Lord, and hold such men in honor." And the reason is added: Having seen all things that he had done in Jerusalem on the feast day: having seen, I say: for they also had gone up to the feast day. For all these things which they saw were signs and miracles: above, chapter 2: "When he was in Jerusalem on the feast day, many believed in him, seeing the signs which he was doing."
72. (Vers. 46.). He came therefore again to Cana of Galilee: namely, so that at least in this way they might believe: where he made water wine, which was the beginning of his signs, through which he became known to his disciples: whence the Gloss: "Through this miracle few had believed, that is, the disciples"; above, chapter 2: "This beginning of signs Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee, and his disciples believed in him."
73. And there was a certain royal official. Here the second point is touched upon, namely the deficiency of faith for believing. Just as in a certain way they honored, and in a certain way did not: so also in a certain way they believed, and in a certain way did not. And this is evident in this, that the royal official did not believe that he could heal his son unless present. On account of which he says: There was a certain royal official, so called from the smallness of his kingdom, whose son was sick at Capharnaum, and thus in the Lord's absence.
74. (Vers. 47.). When this man had heard that Jesus came from Judea into Galilee, because the fame of his coming had spread abroad: Mark 1: "His fame went forth immediately into all the region of Galilee"; he went to him, out of devotion: Matthew 8: "A centurion came to him, beseeching him," etc. And he besought him to come down, through bodily presence: above, chapter 2: "He went down to Capharnaum, he and his Mother," etc. And heal his son, through wondrous power: Luke 6: "Power went forth from him and healed all." For he was beginning to die, through natural powerlessness: 4 Kings 20, it was said to Hezekiah: "You shall die and not live," according, namely, to lower causes. And because this royal official, although he was asking, did not yet firmly believe, therefore the Lord rebuked him for unbelief. On account of which he says:
75. (Vers. 48.). Jesus therefore said to him: Unless you see signs and wonders, you do not believe: and thus you are hard toward believing. Signs are lesser, but wonders are greater miracles. Concerning this hardness of the Jews, below in the twelfth chapter: "Although he had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in him"; by contrast, the Samaritans believed by the word alone, as was proven above.
76. (Vers. 49.). The royal official said to him. The third point is touched upon here, namely the obtaining of the miracle, which, even though it did not come about on account of perfect faith, was nevertheless done on account of the father's insistence. Whence the royal official again asks: Lord, come down before my son dies. Because he asked insistently, he obtained; Matthew 7: "Everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened"; and Luke 11: "And if he will not give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needs"—namely, loaves. Therefore it is added:
77. (Vers. 50.). Jesus says to him: Go, your son lives, that is, he has been made well. He says lives because he had recovered from a mortal illness. And indeed the man merited this, because, although he did not yet believe in Christ, he nevertheless believed the word of Christ. Therefore it says: The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and went his way. The Gloss: "Thus he merited health for his son." Whence the Lord said to the man asking for the health of his son in Mark 9: "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes"; that is, they can be obtained from him.
78. (Vers. 51.). And as he was now going down. The fourth point is touched upon here, namely the building up of faith, which came about from the knowledge of the power and the miracle, which he learned from the report of his servants. On account of which it says: And as he was now going down, his servants met him; namely, having good news, they did not wait until he reached home. They met him hastening with joy, as servants to their lord: Matthew 25: "Behold, the bridegroom comes, go out to meet him." And they reported to him that his son lived, that is, that he had been healed.
79. (Vers. 52.). He therefore inquired the hour in which he had gotten better, so that through the hour he might recognize in his son the power of Christ. And they said to him: Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him: and from this he recognized the power of Christ. Whence there follows:
80. (Vers. 53.). The father therefore knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him: Your son lives, and thus that he had been healed by his powerful word: according to that passage in Wisdom 16: "Neither herb nor poultice healed them, but your word, O Lord." And from this knowledge follows the building up of faith. Therefore it says: And he himself believed, and his whole household. Now with perfect faith he himself believed on account of this second sign, who nevertheless had not believed on account of the first. Therefore the Evangelist adds: