Second, from love that wrongly inflames to the concupiscence of the flesh: and this is signified by the leprosy of Naaman the Syrian, of whom it is said that "he was a mighty and wealthy man, but a leper," in 4 Kings five.
Third, from love evilly inflaming to the concupiscence of the eyes: which is understood through the leprosy of Gehazi, Fourth Kings 5. For it was said to him on account of his covetousness and simony: "The leprosy of Naaman shall cleave to you and to your seed," etc.
Fourth, from love evilly inflaming to the pride of life: and this is understood through the leprosy of Uzziah, of whom it is said in Second Paralipomenon 26 that when he wished to place incense in the house of the Lord and usurp the priestly dignity, he was struck with leprosy.
As a figure of these four causes of leprosy, it is said in Fourth Kings 7 that " four leprous men were at the gate of Samaria," to designate the fourfold nature of the cause: and here there are ten to designate the universality of fault.
27. Spiritually, however, by leprosy is understood the vice against the Christian religion, which can come about in four ways; whence the Gloss: "Whoever, cleansed by the grace of God, has been freed from heretical depravity, or gentile superstition, or Jewish perfidy, or fraternal schism: it is necessary that he return to the Church."
Now by these four aforesaid vices the law of truth is especially assailed, which consists in the observance of the Decalogue: and therefore they are fittingly figured by four and by ten. Now sinners of this kind, although they walk through dark ways, according to that saying of Proverbs 4: "The way of the wicked is darksome; they know not where they fall," yet when the Lord enters the village, that is, comes in the flesh, they are illuminated to see the way, according to that saying of Isaiah 9: "To those dwelling in the region of the shadow of death, light has risen upon them." And they meet him, through repentance, which causes the face that was turned away to be turned back; Jeremiah 31: "Convert me, O Lord, and I shall be converted." "After you converted me, I did penance." Now this repentance causes one to stand afar off, through the humility of self-abasement: below, chapter 18: "The publican, standing afar off," etc.; it causes one to lift up the voice, through the bitterness of compunction; Habakkuk 3: "The deep uttered its voice," that is, the sinner; it also causes one to seek healing, through the confidence of prayer, according to that saying of the Psalm: "I said: Lord, have mercy on me; heal my soul."
28. (Verse 14). Third, as to the ease of the manner of healing, he adds: Whom when he saw, he said: Go, show yourselves to the priests. For the judgment of leprosy pertains to the priests, according to that saying of Leviticus 14: "The leper, when he is to be cleansed, shall be brought to the priest," etc., through the entire chapter. And it came to pass, as they went, they were cleansed, namely by divine command, for whom to speak is to do, Ecclesiastes 8: "His word is full of power"; and "whatever he wills, he shall do."
29. Spiritually, however, the manner of curing from spiritual leprosy is understood here, namely through the ministry of the priest; and he intimates this in what he says: Show yourselves to the priests: Leviticus fourteen: "This is the rite of the leper who is to be cleansed: he shall be brought to the priest." Therefore Sirach seven: "In all your soul fear God and sanctify his priests and Honor God from all your soul and honor the priests and purify yourself with your arms." This honor, however, is through the accusation of oneself, according to that passage of Joshua seven: "My son, confess and give glory to God." Therefore Sirach seventeen: "Know the justices and judgments of God and stand in the allotted portion of the proposition and prayer of the most high God; go into the parts of the holy age with the living and those giving confession to God." Therefore he says: Show etc.; Sirach eighteen: "In the time of infirmity show your manner of life."
He who thus wishes to confess already begins to be rectified in will; and therefore he says: As they went, they were cleansed, according to that passage of the Psalm: "I said: I will confess against myself my injustice to the Lord" etc. From this there manifestly appears the efficacy of confession, curing every disease and infirmity. There also appears the sacerdotal dignity, which he who despises cannot be healed by the Lord. Whence Job thirty-four: "Can he who does not love judgment be healed?" There also appears the wondrous mercy of God, which cures all who come to meet him, according to that passage of John six: "Everyone who comes to me, I will not cast out." There also appears from this how great the compassion in the ministers of God ought to be toward the infirm members of Christ; First Thessalonians, the last chapter: "We beseech you, brethren, comfort the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient toward all. See that no one render evil" etc. On account of this, the divine dispensation permitted the head of the Apostles to fall, so that in his own fall he might learn how he ought to show mercy to others.
30. (Verse 15.). But one of them etc. After the cure of the incurable disease or infirmity, there is described here secondly the commendation of praiseworthy gratitude, concerning which three things are introduced, namely the giving of thanks, the rebuke of ingratitude, and the approval of gratitude.
First, therefore, as regards the giving of thanks, it is premised: But one of them, when he saw that he was cleansed, through the recognition, namely, of the benefit; Romans eleven: "See therefore the goodness of God toward you, if you shall continue in goodness."
He returned, with a loud voice glorifying God, through the glorification of the benefactor, according to that passage of Tobit twelve: "Bless the God of heaven and confess to him before all the living, because he has shown his mercy to you"; and the Psalm: "I will sing to the Lord, who has bestowed good things upon me" etc.
31. (Vers. 16.). And he fell on his face before his feet, giving thanks to him, namely through the display of reverence and honor: Ezekiel 2: "I saw and fell upon my face"; and Revelation 1: "When I had seen him, I fell at his feet as though dead."
And this one was a Samaritan, to express the figure and signification. For this man, because he was a Samaritan and a foreigner, signifies the gentiles returning to the worship of Christ, just as that Samaritan woman, John 4. Moreover, he designates not only because he was a gentile, but also because he was one: in which is understood ecclesiastical unity. Whence the Gloss: "The one who returned signifies the devout humility of the one Church toward Christ." In designation of which, Song of Songs 6: "My dove is one"; and 1 Corinthians 9: "All indeed run, but one receives the prize." For this reason one is introduced here as having returned, just as in that multitude one is healed: John 5: "The water was stirred, and one was healed"; and Christ healed only one there, so that, as Augustine says, he might show that no one can be healed except within ecclesiastical unity: concerning which unity, Ephesians 4: "Being solicitous to preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace." "One Lord, one faith, one baptism," etc. But this one is said to fall on his face, because the Church not only has unity through love, but also humility through gratitude and fear. This is what the falling on the face itself signifies: for falling on the face signifies reverence, according to that passage of Revelation 7: "And all the Angels stood round about the throne," etc.; but falling backward signifies ruin: John 18: "They went backward and fell to the ground"; and 1 Kings 4: "Eli fell from the seat backward." Whence the Gloss: "He who falls on his face sees where he falls; he who falls backward does not see. The good therefore fall on their face, because they humble themselves in these visible things, where they see what follows them, so that they may be raised to invisible things. The wicked fall backward, because they fall in invisible things, where they do not see what follows them." Moreover, one falls on his face in the revelation of heavenly wonders, as is said in Daniel 10: "I heard the voice of his words, and hearing I lay prostrate upon my face, and my countenance cleaved to the ground." In the petition for divine charisms: Judith 6: "All the people fell on their face, adoring God, and with common lamentation and weeping poured forth their unanimous prayers to the Lord," etc. In the reception of benefits: Genesis 17: "Abraham fell on his face and laughed," etc.
32. (Vers. 17.). Second, as to the rebuke of ingratitude, he adds: But Jesus answering said: Were not ten made clean, and where are the nine? He does not ask about the nine as though ignorant of the person of any one of them, but reproving the irreverence of ingratitude, just as the Lord asked in Genesis 3: "Adam, where are you?" Hence the Gloss: "He inquires where the ungrateful are, as though they were unknown"; so that in them is verified that saying of First Corinthians 14: "He who is ignorant shall be ignored."
33. (Vers. 18.). And therefore, to show that He said this by way of reproving, He adds: There was none found who returned to give glory to God, except this stranger. In this the ingratitude of the Jews is manifestly shown, because, though they were nine, none of them returned, but only this Samaritan, who was the only one and alone. In this is understood the election of the Gentiles and the reprobation of the Jews, according to that passage of Ephesians 2: "You who were at one time Gentiles in the flesh, who were at that time without Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants, having no hope of the promise and without God in this world. But now in Christ Jesus you who were at one time far off have been made near," etc. A stranger is one who dwells in one place and was born in another: so it is with all who, born according to the flesh, pass over to the spirit, according to that passage of Romans 9: "Not the children of the flesh are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring"; because, as is said in John 3, "that which is born of the flesh is flesh," etc. And therefore in the Psalm it is said to the Church: "Forget your people and the house of your father," etc.; and in a figure it is said to Abraham in Genesis 12: "Go out from your land and from your kindred and from the house of your father and come into the land," etc. And therefore in First Peter 2: "I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, to abstain from carnal desires," etc.
34. (Verse 19). Third, as regards the approbation of gratitude, he adds: And he said to him : Rise, go, for your faith has made you whole. Rise, through penitence: Ephesians 5: "Rise, you who sleep, and arise from the dead"; and Acts 12: "He roused him, saying: Rise quickly." Go, through justice: Matthew 8: "I say to this one: Go, and he goes," namely through obedience, which is the noblest part of justice, which was preeminently in Christ, according to that of Matthew 26: "The Son of man indeed goes, as it is written of him," that is, to go from God to God and according to God and on account of God; John 13: "Knowing that he came forth from God and goes to God"; and [John] 16: "I go to him who sent me," etc. Your faith has made you whole, through confidence; Bede: "Which inclined him to give thanks"; for faith is the beginning of our salvation, which causes the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to be known, of whom Acts 4: "There is no other name under heaven given to men, by which we must be saved." But hope is the increase of this salvation, according to that of Romans 8: "By hope we have been saved"; but charity is its completion, according to that of the Psalm: "I am yours, save me, for I have sought out your justifications," etc.
And note that Christ attributes salvation to faith, which he himself had virtuously accomplished, so that from this miracle there might be a confirmation of the preceding things as regards the piety of soul in Christ showing mercy, the humility of homage in the one freed falling prostrate, and the firmness of faith in the leper meriting a cure: so that from the aforesaid miracle all the aforesaid things might be firmly confirmed. Whence the Gloss: "In the preceding parable it is determined that faith ought to be increased through humility; in this one it is manifestly shown by the things themselves that it is not merely the acknowledged principle of faith, but the exercised operation of faith, that makes the believer whole."
The curiosity of the Jews is refuted in two ways.
35. And being asked by the Pharisees, etc. The two principal parts having been concluded, in which the deceitfulness and impiety of the Jews has been refuted, and by way of contrast simplicity and piety have been commended: here follows the third part, in which curiosity is refuted. And since curiosity consists not only in the scrutiny of knowledge but also in the possession of wealth, according to blessed Augustine, therefore this part is divided into two: in the first of which he refutes curiosity in scrutinizing; and in the second, curiosity in possessing, below, chapter 18: A certain ruler asked him.
First, curiosity in scrutinizing is refuted by three things.
The first part is divided into three: in the first of which is introduced the reproof of Jewish curiosity; in the second, the assignment of the reason, there: For as the lightning that flashes, etc.; in the third, the persuasion to studiousness, there: And he spoke also a parable to them, etc.
On the rebuke of Jewish curiosity, three points.
In the rebuke of the curiosity of the Pharisees, three things are introduced, namely the censure of the curiosity of the Pharisees who question, the commendation of the charity of the disciples who desire, and the condemnation of the contrariety of the heretics who deceive.
36. (Vers. 20.). First, therefore, with regard to the censure of the curiosity of the Pharisees who question, he says: And being asked by the Pharisees: When does the kingdom of God come? that is, through curious inquiry. This question was curious, because it concerned a secret matter, which God conceals in his own secrecy, according to that passage in Acts 1: "It is not for you to know the times or moments which the Father has placed in his own power"; and therefore Sirach 3: "Seek not the things that are too high for you, and search not into things above your strength; but the things that God has commanded you, think on these always, and in many of his works be not curious"; and Ecclesiastes 7: "What need is there for a man to seek things greater than himself, when he knows not what is profitable for him in his life, in the number of the days of his pilgrimage, and in the time which passes like a shadow? Or who will be able to tell him what shall be after him?"