58. (Verse 39.). But know this, etc. Here thirdly he subjoins an incitement to watchfulness, which he introduces in this manner, namely by proposing a parabolic example and by concluding with the principal intent.
As to the first, therefore, he sets forth the parabolic example when he says: But know this, that if the householder knew at what hour the thief would come, he would certainly watch, namely for the guarding of the house, lest the thief stealthily carry something away.
Therefore he says: And he would not suffer his house to be broken into. And if he always held the hour suspect, he would never leave his house without a guard; otherwise he would manage the care of the household not wisely but foolishly. An example concerning Ishbosheth, of whom it is read in 2 Kings 4 that "Ishbosheth was sleeping upon his bed at midday. And the doorkeeper, cleaning wheat, fell asleep. But Rechab and Baana his brother entered the house secretly and struck him in the groin and fled." So also spiritually it happens to him who neglects to guard his house watchfully; whence Gregory says: "While the doorkeeper sleeps, Ishbosheth is slain, because when the solicitude of discernment has ceased, it opens a path for evil spirits to slay the soul." And therefore the spiritual man on the contrary says that word of Isaiah 21: "Upon the watchtower of the Lord I stand, standing continually by day, and upon my watch I stand throughout the nights"; and therefore 1 Peter, last chapter: "Be sober and watch, because your adversary," etc.
59. (Verse 40.). Then he concludes the principal intention. And you also be ready, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of man will come. The Gloss: "The Lord always wished the last hour to be unknown, so that it might always be suspected, and we might always prepare ourselves for it." Hence Matthew twenty-four: "Of that day and hour no one knows" etc.; and First Thessalonians five: "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night"; and after: "But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief"; and Ecclesiastes nine: "Man does not know his end, but as fish are caught with a hook, so are men seized in an evil time." So also those who do not prepare themselves: therefore it is said in Sirach five: "Do not delay to turn to the Lord, and do not defer from day to day: for his wrath will come suddenly, and in the time of vengeance he will destroy you." Hence Alcuin: "It is a dissolute thought to think of tomorrow's conversion and to neglect today's." And Seneca: "Every day of our life ought to be ordered as the last." On this account, therefore, so that we might always be ready, the Lord willed that we be ignorant of the hour of death and the day of judgment. "For nothing is more certain than death, and nothing is more uncertain than the hour of death"; therefore Sirach thirty-eight: "Remember my judgment; for so also shall yours be: yesterday for me, and today for you"; and concerning the hour of judgment it is said in Matthew twenty-five: "At midnight a cry was made: Behold, the bridegroom comes"; and after: "Those who were ready entered with him to the wedding, and the door was shut." Gregory: "O if one could taste with the palate of the heart, what wonder the bridegroom comes! holds, what sweetness they entered with him to the wedding! what bitterness, the door was shut"!
60. (Verse 41.). And Peter said to him. After he had invited all to vigilance in general, here he invites prelates in particular. This indeed he does in this order. For first he commends the vigilance of prelates: second, he reproves insolence, there: But if that servant shall say etc.; third, he aggravates negligence, there: But that servant who knew.
Commending then the vigilance of prelates, first he commends it with respect to the prerogative of merit; second, with respect to the excellence of the reward; there: Blessed is that servant.
He shows the first in responding to the question of Peter, when he says: And Peter said to him: Lord, do you speak this parable to us, or to all? He asks well and usefully, that he might know to what he ought to be obligated:
hence Sirach three: "The things that God has commanded you, think upon those always"; and especially those things are to be learned which are spoken in parables: Proverbs one: "The wise man hearing will be wiser. He will discern parables and their interpretation, the words of the wise and their riddles."
61. (Vers. 42.). To this question of Peter, the Lord does not seem to respond on the surface; but if one attends more deeply, He responds perfectly, intimating that the aforementioned parable about vigilance pertains commonly to all, but specially to prelates, when He says: And the Lord said: Who, do you think, is the faithful and prudent steward? Stewards he calls prelates: First Corinthians 4: "Let a man so account of us as ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God," etc. Such men are difficult to find faithful; whence First Corinthians 4: "Here now it is required among stewards that a man be found faithful"; and Proverbs 20: "Many men are called merciful, but a faithful man who shall find "? Who, do you think, then is a faithful steward? in intention: First Timothy 1: "I obtained mercy, that I might be faithful"; and Apocalypse 2: "Be faithful unto death." And prudent, in choice: Proverbs 14: "An intelligent minister is acceptable to the king"; whence Proverbs 27: "Be diligent to know the countenance of your cattle, and consider your flocks."
62. Whom the Lord appointed over his household, through the authority committed to him: Hebrews 5: "Neither does anyone take the honor to himself, but he who is called by the Lord, as Aaron"; the Psalm: "But I have been appointed king by him over Zion, his holy mountain."
That he may give them their measure of wheat in due time, by communicating sound doctrine: Ecclesiastes 8: "The heart of the wise man shall understand the time and the answer," etc. Let him also attend to the capacity of the hearers; whence He says: measure. Gregory: "The discourse of teachers ought to be shaped according to the quality of the hearers, so that it both fittingly bestows upon each what is proper to them, and yet never departs from the citadel of common edification." We have an example of this in Joseph, who was appointed over the land of Egypt to dispense grain, Genesis 41, in whom there was faithfulness and prudence, authority and vigilance or diligence.
And because these things were found in holy prelates, therefore this Gospel is chanted in praise of Confessors and Bishops, who were commendable in these four aforementioned qualities. - And concerning these four, it is said in the Gloss of Bede: "How rare is he serving the Lord for the Lord's sake, feeding the sheep of Christ not for gain, but out of love for Christ! prudent, providing for himself in the future: whom he appointed, that is, how rare is he who is called by God as Aaron was and has not rather thrust himself forward, and who does not feed himself rather than the sheep." Whence, on account of the defect of faithfulness, Malachi chapter one: "Who is there among you who will shut my doors and kindle fire upon my altar for nothing?" and Philippians chapter two: "All seek the things that are their own," etc. Few also are prudent: whence Isaiah chapter twenty-four: "As the people, so the priest"; and Hosea chapter four: "Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, that you shall not minister to me as priest." Few also are divinely appointed: therefore it is said in Hosea chapter eight: "They have reigned, but not by me." Few likewise are intent upon the welfare of the flock: whence Ezekiel chapter thirty-four: "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who fed themselves! Are not the flocks fed by the shepherds?" etc. Therefore, speaking pointedly, he begins with: Who do you think? on account of the rarity and difficulty and preciousness by which such persons excel in the prerogative of merit.
63. (Verse 43.). Second, with regard to the excellence of the reward, he adds: Blessed is that servant whom, when his lord comes, he shall find so doing: Matthew chapter twenty-five: "Well done, good and faithful servant," etc. So doing, that is, faithfully, prudently, and watchfully, according to that passage in First Peter chapter four: "As every one has received grace, ministering the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God." And Chrysostom says: "These things are said concerning speech and virtue, concerning riches and every stewardship which has been entrusted to each one. For each one ought to use for the common benefit what he has, whether wisdom, or authority, or riches, not to the harm of his fellow servants."
64. (Verse 44.). But to this use of grace is rendered the perfect fruit of glory, with regard to which he adds: Truly I say to you, that he will set him over all that he possesses, "over the joys of the heavenly kingdom," "not that they alone should have eternal joys, but that they should have them above others, both for their own life and for their guardianship of the flock." Whence First Peter chapter five: "Elders, feed the flock of God which is among you." "And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, you shall receive an unfading crown of glory." Whence Chrysostom says: "When the people act well, each one is rewarded for his own good; but the priest is rewarded for the good of all"; First Thessalonians chapter two: "What is my hope, or joy, or crown of glory? Are not you before our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?"
65. (Vers. 45.). But if that servant shall say etc. After he commended the vigilance and providence or care of prelates, here he censures their insolence ; which indeed he does by reproving the enormity of sin and by threatening the severity of judgment.
First, therefore, as regards the reproving of the enormity of sin, he says: But if that servant shall say in his heart: My lord delays his coming. The Gloss: "On the contrary, if he shall disregard the judgment about to come soon, promising himself security," according to that passage of Ezekiel twelve: "What is this proverb in the land of Israel of those who say: The days shall be prolonged, and every vision shall perish"? and Second Peter three: "There shall come scoffers, walking according to their own lusts, saying: Where is the promise or his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." — And since such thinking begets complacency, and complacency begets contempt, and contempt begets iniquity, therefore he adds: And shall begin to strike the menservants and maidservants, namely by scandalizing the little ones, when he ought rather to nourish them by word and example. On account of which, Isaiah three: "Why do you crush my people and grind the faces of the poor"? And this is a grave sin: First Corinthians eight: "Sinning against the brethren and wounding their weak consciences, you sin against Christ"; and especially when they sin against the little ones: Matthew eighteen: "Whoever shall scandalize one of these little ones who believe in me, it were better for him," etc.
And because the mother of faithlessness is concupiscence, therefore he adds: And to eat and drink and be drunk, namely by doing the will of the flesh, according to that passage of Isaiah twenty-eight: "The priest and the prophet have been ignorant through drunkenness; they are swallowed up by wine, they have gone astray through drunkenness." And this is especially unbecoming in pastors and prelates, in whom the spirit of wisdom and understanding ought to reign: Malachi two: "The lips of the priest shall keep knowledge, and they shall seek the law from his mouth." But on the contrary, Isaiah fifty-six: "His watchmen are all blind, they are all ignorant; dumb dogs not able to bark, seeing vain things and loving dreams; and most impudent dogs that never knew satiety," etc.
66. (Vers. 46.). Secondly, with regard to the threatening of the severity of judgment, he adds: The lord of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect, and at an hour when he does not know: Deuteronomy thirty-two: "The day of destruction is near, and the times hasten to arrive"; and Zephaniah one: "The great day of the Lord is near, near and exceedingly swift." And although it is near, nevertheless it comes upon the worldly unexpectedly; whence Ecclesiastes nine: "Man does not know his own end, but as fish are caught with a hook, and as birds are seized in a snare, so are men caught in an evil time, when it suddenly comes upon them." - And because a grave judgment threatens those who despise the judge, therefore he adds: And he will divide him, namely from the company of the good, according to that passage in Matthew twenty-five: "He will set the lambs on his right hand, but the goats on his left." And will place his portion with the unbelievers, who namely have already been judged: John three: "He who does not believe has already been judged"; and this rightly, because in First Timothy five it is said: "If anyone does not have care for his own and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." This portion is very evil, according to that passage of the Psalm: "Fire, brimstone, and the blast of tempests, the portion of their cup"; and Revelation twenty-one: "For the timid and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and fornicators and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their portion will be in the lake burning with fire and brimstone." From which it appears that just as the reward of good prelates is great, so also the punishment of the reprobate will be the greatest: Wisdom six: "The most severe judgment will be made upon those who govern. For to the lowly, mercy is granted, but the powerful will suffer torments powerfully."
67. (Vers. 47.). But that servant etc. After he invited to vigilance and censured insolence, here thirdly he aggravates negligence; which he does in two ways, namely by reason of the greatness of knowledge and by reason of the authority entrusted.
First, therefore, with regard to the aggravation of negligence by reason of the greatness of knowledge, he says: But that servant who knew the will of his lord, through the gift of knowledge: First Corinthians eight: "Knowledge puffs up, but charity edifies. If anyone thinks he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know." - And did not prepare himself, to receive the gift of grace: Proverbs sixteen: "It is for man to prepare his soul" etc.; whence First Kings seven: "Prepare your hearts for the Lord."
And did not act according to his will, supply: through the vice of his own negligence; James four: "To him who knows the good and does not do it, it is sin."
He shall be beaten with many stripes, namely through the severity of the divine sentence: whence Second Peter 2: "It were better for them not to have known the way of truth," etc.; and Romans 1: "Who, when they had known God, glorified Him not as God," etc. "Wherefore God gave them up to the desires of their heart, unto uncleanness, to dishonor their own bodies among themselves." And the reason for this is that, as Gregory says, "where the gift of knowledge is greater, there the transgressor is subject to greater fault"; whence also ignorance excuses.
68. (Vers. 48.). On account of which he adds: But he who did not know, through a defect of knowledge, and did things worthy of stripes, through the commission of fault, shall be beaten with few stripes, through the mitigation of the divine sentence.
And note that there is simple ignorance, and this excuses, according to that of First Timothy 1: "Therefore I obtained the mercy of God, because I did it ignorantly"; and below in chapter twenty-three: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." There is also another ignorance, affected, concerning which in the Psalm: "He would not understand, that he might do well." Such shall be gravely punished: whence First Corinthians 14: "He who is ignorant shall be ignored"; and Hosea 4: "The people that does not understand shall be beaten." And this Bede says in the Gloss, because Proverbs 28: "He who turns away his ear from hearing the law, his prayer shall be abominable"; and the Psalm: "Their fury is according to the likeness of a serpent, like the deaf asp that stops its ears," etc.
69. Secondly, as regards the aggravation of negligence by reason of the authority committed, he says: But of everyone to whom much has been given, namely in gift, much shall be required of him, in accounting. Whence Gregory: "When gifts are increased, the accountings of gifts also grow. Therefore each one ought to be so much the more humble and more ready to serve God from his gift, as he perceives himself to be more obligated in rendering an account"; below in chapter sixteen: "Render an account of your stewardship."