40. And because the Son is incomprehensible, therefore He can comprehend the Father. On account of which He adds: And who the Father is, except the Son: supply: no one knows: because, John 1, "No one has ever seen God except the Only-begotten, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him." Since He alone comprehends, therefore He alone can reveal; and therefore He adds: And to whomever the Son wills to reveal. For the Son is the Wisdom and Word of the Father, and the Speaker manifests Himself through His Word; whence Wisdom 9: "Who will know Your mind, unless You give wisdom from on high?" Whence Chrysostom: "The philosophers, striving to inquire about God, confessed that they had found nothing else except that God is unknowable, just as one who undertakes to navigate an unnavigable ocean, when he cannot cross over, must necessarily return by the same way: so they began from ignorance and ended in ignorance. And the reason for this is that they were not disciples of Jesus Christ, who is the truth, nor did they have the Spirit, of whom John 16 says: 'When that Spirit of truth comes, He will teach you all truth.'"
41. (Verse 23). Fourth, He shows that one should rejoice over the desirable presence, with regard to which He adds: And turning to His disciples, He said: Blessed are the eyes that see what you see: therefore you can rightly rejoice, because you see Me both in mind and in body, since Abraham rejoiced, who saw only by faith, according to that passage of John 8: "Abraham, your father, rejoiced to see My day: and he saw it and was glad." And therefore as a figure of this it is said in 3 Kings 10 to Solomon: "Blessed are your men and blessed are your servants, those who stand before you always and hear your wisdom." This is said of Solomon as a figure of Christ, because, as He says of Himself in Matthew 12, "behold, something greater than Solomon is here." Whence this was a special gift.
42. (Verse 24). And on this account He adds: But I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see what you see, and did not see it. Those sublime in knowledge and power desired the presence of Christ, according to that passage of Haggai 2: "The desired of all nations will come." Whence on account of their vehement desire it is said in Isaiah 64: "O that You would rend the heavens and come down!" and Numbers 24: "A star shall rise out of Jacob, and a scepter shall spring up from Israel"; and after: "Alas! who shall live when the Lord does these things?" Nor is it a wonder, because in the penultimate chapter of Esther it is said to Ahasuerus in the person of Christ: "You are exceedingly wondrous, lord, and your face is full of graces." And therefore they desired to see the presence of Christ.
They also desired to hear the teaching, and therefore he adds: And to hear what you hear, and they did not hear, that is, my words: because, as it is said in Hosea 10, "it is time to seek the Lord, when he shall come who will teach you justice." For this was the very greatest benefit, to hear God speaking, not through a subject creature, but in his own person and in a united creature. Commemorating which benefit, the Apostle says in Hebrews 1: "In many ways and by many modes God, speaking of old to the Fathers through the Prophets, in these last days" etc. Blessed is he who hears this speech humbly and obediently, according to that passage below in chapter eleven: "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it." Hence blessed are those who through faith saw and heard Christ on the way, according to that passage in Proverbs 8: "Blessed is the man who hears me and who watches at my gates daily and waits at the posts of my door." But most blessed are those who will see in the homeland, according to that passage in Revelation 19: "Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb."
The second part treats of the form of living given to the disciples in two ways.
43. And behold, a certain lawyer etc. After the Evangelist described the form of preaching, here secondly he introduces the form of living. Now one can be instructed in right living in two ways, namely by word and by example; therefore the Evangelist first sets forth for instruction the divine precept; and secondly subjoins a human example, at that passage : It came to pass, as they went, he entered etc.
For instruction, the divine precept is set forth, proposed in two ways.
Since moreover the instruction of the precept avails only one who understands, therefore first is set forth the precept regulating for living; and secondly is added the teaching aiding toward understanding, at that passage: But Jesus, looking up.
Now concerning the expression of the regulative precept, four things are introduced, namely the inquiry into salvific truth, the discovery of the truth sought, the approbation of the truth discovered, and the investigation of the truth approved.
44. (Vers. 25.). First, therefore, regarding the inquiry into saving truth, he says: And behold, a certain lawyer stood up, testing him. This man was an expert and considered himself an expert; and because he considered himself an expert, he therefore did not ask in order to learn but in order to test, as is the custom of the proud, according to Ecclesiasticus thirteen concerning the rich man: "From much speaking he will test you." But again, because he was an expert, he therefore asked aptly and rightly; for which reason he adds: And saying: Master, what must I do to possess eternal life? He calls him Master because by this very fact it pertains to him to respond to what is asked, according to what is said in Matthew twenty-two: "Master, we know that you are truthful and teach the way of God in truth." Hence, because Christ professed the office of teaching salvation, he therefore poses a question about saving truth. A similar question is said to have been proposed by the young man in Matthew nineteen: "Good Master, what shall I do that I may have eternal life?" These men were asking studiously, not curiously, because not about works already done but about works to be done for the merit of salvation, according to Ecclesiasticus three: "In the many works of his, be not curious; but what God has commanded you, think upon those things always." Hence they ask about the way of going to life, according to the counsel of Jeremiah six: "Stand upon the ways and see, and ask about the ancient paths, which is the good way, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls." For these are the things that the Lord teaches in Isaiah forty-eight: "I am the Lord who teaches you profitable things."
45. (Vers. 26.). Second, regarding the discovery of the truth sought, he adds: But he said to him: What is written in the Law? How do you read? From this it is apparent that the Master of truth was a friend of the Law, according to Matthew five: "Do you think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets? I have not come to abolish, but to fulfill." In this word, the Savior wins the good will of the lawyer in this, that he shows himself to be in agreement with him in love of the Law; he also arouses attention, since he directs him to the Law as to an authoritative scripture; he also prepares docility, since he grants the way to finding the truth, and this indeed is done by reading the divine law. Hence in John five he said to the lawyers: "Search the Scriptures, in which you think you have eternal life." For this is the way of coming to truth and through truth to life. Hence Baruch four: "This is the book of the commandments of God and the law that is forever: all who hold fast to it will attain to life; but those who have abandoned it, to death. Turn back, O Jacob, and lay hold of it," etc.
46. (Verse 27.). And this way led him by the hand to the truth; on account of which it is added: But he answering said: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with all thy strength and with thy whole mind. This is read in Deuteronomy 6: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart," etc. In this commandment the lawgiver reduced all the precepts to one, in which word the entire form of living is enclosed, according to what is said in Matthew 22: "On these two commandments the whole Law depends, and the Prophets."
47. But there seems to be a contradiction, because here it is said that the lawyer answered; in Matthew 22 it is said that Christ did; here four conditions are set down, there three.
But it is clear that this was one question and that was another, as Augustine indicates in the Harmony of the Evangelists, where he says that Christ first answered, according to what Matthew says, and then the lawyer by repeating approved it, as Luke says, and that both occurred is narrated in Mark 12. And thus it is clear that Mark brings these two into harmony.
48. But nevertheless a disagreement still seems to remain on the part of the conditions of loving, because in Deuteronomy 6 it is said: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with all thy strength"; but here is added: With thy whole mind, and in Matthew is omitted: With all thy strength.
For understanding this, note that for the perfect manner of loving God it is required that we refer to Him all thoughts, all affections, and all actions. And these three are touched upon in the Law. But because thoughts are of the intellective heart and of the memorative mind, therefore here and in Matthew is added: With thy whole mind, in which there is an explication of the Law. And because he who refers what is interior, namely the act of memory, understanding, and will, to God, consequently refers his works; therefore in these three is enclosed the reference of all the powers. Luke, however, for greater explication adds this very thing, namely: With all thy strength: similarly Mark. — Or, that which is with all thy strength is a determination of the other three conditions, so that according to Augustine the sense is: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, namely with the intellect without error; with thy whole soul, that is, with the will without contradiction; with thy whole mind, that is, with the memory without forgetfulness; and with all thy strength, that is, with all virtue without pretense. Or according to Bernard: " With thy whole heart, that is, wisely; with thy whole soul, that is, sweetly; with thy whole mind, that is, strongly"; and in this is enclosed with all thy strength.
Or thus: With the whole heart, that is, vigilantly, according to that passage from Song of Songs 5: "I sleep, and my heart watches"; with the whole soul, that is, ardently, according to that passage from Song of Songs 5: "My soul melted when my beloved spoke"; with all your strength, that is, constantly, according to that passage from the last chapter of Song of Songs: "Strong as death is love, hard as hell is jealousy: its lamps are lamps of fire and flames; many waters could not extinguish charity, nor shall rivers overwhelm it"; with all your mind, that is, unceasingly, according to that passage from Deuteronomy 8: "Observe and take care, lest at any time you forget the Lord your God"; and Tobit 4: "In all the days of your life, keep God in your mind." And thus it is clear that the third and fourth conditions are very closely related, and therefore one is sometimes included in the other.
In all the aforesaid conditions, however, it should be understood that insofar as they express a totality of sufficiency, they fall under precept and pertain to the state of the wayfarer; insofar as they express a totality of consummation, they pertain to the state of the fatherland and indicate rather the goal toward which one must tend than impose an obligation to observe. Through this commandment, therefore, the whole person according to his entirety is ordered toward God, and consequently toward himself.
49. And because one must also be ordered toward one's neighbor, he therefore adds: And your neighbor, supply: love, as yourself. This second precept is found in Leviticus 19, where it says: "You shall love your friend as yourself"; according to the Septuagint translation it says: You shall love your neighbor as yourself, that is, from which you love yourself, namely from the affection and effect of charity; or in which you love yourself, that is, in God; or on account of which you love yourself, that is, on account of God; or toward which you love yourself, that is, toward grace in the present and glory in the future; or in the manner you love yourself, that is, above things and one's own body and below God. For whoever loves his neighbor in this way is a true observer of the Law; whence Romans 13: "He who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the Law."
And truly one ought to love one's neighbor as oneself, on account of the conformity of nature: whence Sirach 13: "Every animal loves its like, so also every person loves his neighbor"; also on account of the unity of grace, according to that passage from Ephesians 4: "Speak the truth, each one with his neighbor, for we are members of one another"; on account of the unity of the eternal reward: Ephesians 4: "One body and one spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling." - Therefore, to commend this love, God willed that we be born from one father, Adam; that we be redeemed by the same blood, namely the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; that we be rewarded with the same reward; the Psalm: "Jerusalem, which is built as a city, whose participation is in the selfsame."
50. (Vers. 28.). Thirdly, with regard to the approbation of the truth discovered, it is added: And he said to him: You have answered rightly: because you brought forth a word of rectitude, which pertains to love, according to that of Song of Songs 1: "The righteous love you"; or you spoke according to the rule of wisdom, according to that of Proverbs 8: "All my words are just, there is nothing crooked or perverse in them; they are right to those who understand and equitable to those who find knowledge."
And because one must live according to the rule of rectitude, therefore he adds: Do this, and you shall live, because, according to that of James 1, "if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer" etc.; and Romans 2: "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." And truly you shall live, because you will attain eternal life: for Matthew 19: "If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments"; whence John 13: "If you know these things, blessed shall you be, if you do them."
51. (Vers. 29.). Fourthly, with regard to the investigation of the truth approved, it is added: But he, wishing to justify himself, that is, to show himself just, "because, as the Interlinear Gloss says, he thought he stood not before God but before man," according to that below in chapter 16: "You are they who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts" etc. — Or, wishing to justify himself, that is, to prepare himself for justice: which is done through faith and the understanding of truth, according to that of Romans 3: "For we reckon that a man is justified by faith without the works of the Law"; therefore, in order to understand the truth handed down, he inquires.
On account of which it is added: He said to Jesus: And who is my neighbor? so that I may understand the commandment, according to that of Hosea 10: "It is the time to seek the Lord, when he shall come who will teach you justice." Therefore he asks about the neighbor diligently, because in Scripture it is spoken of in multiple ways, namely by kinship, according to that of the Psalm: "My friends and my neighbors drew near against me and stood"; and again: "As though a neighbor and as our brother, so was I pleasing" etc. By religion: Sirach 15: "He will exalt him among his neighbors." By compassion or the showing of kindness, according to what follows below in the same chapter: "Which of these do you think was neighbor to him who fell among robbers? And he said: He who showed mercy to him." By natural likeness, according to that of Sirach 13: "Every animal loves its like, so also every man his neighbor." And Augustine says: "By the name neighbor every man is understood." — And therefore, because it was doubtful, and the understanding of neighbor was manifold, for this reason it had to be investigated and inquired into, not only on account of that lawyer, but for the benefit of the faithful, by whom the aforesaid commandment had to be fulfilled, which is the consummation of the commandments.
52. But Jesus, looking up, said. After the precept directing toward living, there follows a teaching that arouses understanding, and this through a parabolic saying; and this is indicated when it says: But Jesus, looking up: in which he shows that whoever wishes to understand the truth must look upward, whence the true light shines forth: Isaiah 60: "Arise, be enlightened, O Jerusalem," etc.; because, Ecclesiasticus 1, "the fountain of wisdom is the word of God on high." In this parabolic saying, four things are introduced. The first is a person in need because of misery; the second is a person who despises because of hardness, at the passage: It happened that a priest, etc.; the third is a person who helps because of mercy, at the passage: But a Samaritan, etc.; the fourth is a teaching that follows from the parable, at the passage: Which of these three seems etc.