The fifth is the house of a clean conscience, in which he remains by the spirit of holiness: Wisdom 8: "Entering into my house, I shall find rest with her, for she has no bitterness," etc.; and again Sirach 32: "Run ahead first to your house, and there play and pursue your designs."
The sixth house is that of Sacred Scripture, in which he remains in the light of truth: the Psalm: "God shall be known in her houses, when he shall protect her"; and Proverbs 9: "Wisdom has built herself a house, she has hewn out seven pillars," etc.
The seventh house is that of the heavenly Jerusalem, in which he remains in the joy of blessedness: John 14: "In my Father's house there are many mansions"; and again the Psalm: "I was glad at the things that were said to me: We shall go into the house of the Lord."
Since therefore he is received in these seven ways in the Church of the Gentiles, which is signified by Zacchaeus, for this reason this Gospel is read at the Dedications of churches, which signify spiritual houses, concerning which 1 Peter 2 says: "Coming to him, a living stone," "you also as living stones are built up into spiritual houses, a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices, acceptable," etc.
12. (Verse 8). But Zacchaeus, standing, etc. After describing the eagerness and hospitality of Zacchaeus, here he describes his liberality, which indeed he describes with respect to a threefold condition, namely with respect to the sufficient offering of Zacchaeus, the receiving acceptance of Christ, and the reason principally moving him.
First therefore, with respect to the sufficient offering of Zacchaeus, he sets forth: But Zacchaeus, standing, from manliness of heart: Ephesians 6: "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth"; said to the Lord: Behold, half of my goods, Lord, I give to the poor, from liberality of heart: in which perfect liberality is shown, because he gives abundantly; for he gives half, according to that of Tobit 4: "Son, if you have much, give abundantly; but if little, even that give willingly," etc., in imitation of him "who gives to all abundantly and does not reproach," James 1.
He gives licitly, whence he says: Of my goods; Proverbs 3: "Honor the Lord from your substance"; against which Sirach 34: "The Most High does not approve the gifts of the wicked"; and therefore it is added there: "He who offers sacrifice from the substance of the poor," etc.
Likewise he gives promptly, whence he says: I give; Proverbs 3: "Do not say to your friend: Go and come back, when you can give at once"; and Sirach 4: "Do not afflict the heart of the needy, and do not delay giving to one in distress."
Likewise he gives discreetly, because to the poor; Sirach 12: "If you do good, know to whom you do it"; and above, chapter 14: "Invite the poor, the feeble, the blind, and the lame."
Likewise he gives in an orderly manner, that is, properly, by restoring what belongs to others, and not only restoring what was taken, but also the damage.
Hence he says: If I have defrauded anyone, I restore fourfold. He says this according to the Law, Exodus twenty-two: "If anyone shall have stolen a sheep, he shall restore four." This moreover is necessary for perfect liberality: hence Augustine: "One of these without the other does not suffice: nor does the grace of liberality apply, because it is gifts, not spoils, that are sought."
13. (Verse 9.). Secondly, with regard to the accepting reception of Christ, he adds: But Jesus said to him: Because today salvation has been made for this house, through the bestowal of divine grace, which was given at Christ's presence, through which the Church is dedicated and sanctified: the Gloss: " Salvation, which once filled the house of the Jews, today has shone forth upon the people of the Gentiles," according to that passage of Isaiah forty-nine: "It is a small thing that you should be my servant to restore the remnants of Israel. I have given you as a light to the nations, that you may be my salvation even to the ends of the earth." And this salvation is owed to the predestined.
Therefore he adds: Because he also is a son of Abraham: the Gloss: " A son, not by flesh, but by faith"; Romans nine: "Neither are all who are the seed of Abraham children, but in Isaac shall your seed be called." For "not those who are children of the flesh are children, but those who are children of the promise are reckoned as seed." And concerning these children, above in chapter three: "God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham"; and John eleven: "Jesus suffered, that He might gather into one the children of God who had been scattered."
14. (Verse 10.). Thirdly, with regard to the motivating reason, he adds: For the Son of Man came to seek, through wisdom; the Psalm: "I have gone astray like a sheep that was lost; seek your servant, O Lord," etc.
And to save what had perished, namely through mercy: the last chapter of Second Paralipomenon: "Unworthy as I am, you will save me according to your great mercy"; and this is saving mercy. On account of which He is also called Jesus: Matthew one: "You shall call His name Jesus: for He shall save His people from their sins"; and Acts four: "Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under heaven given to men, by which we must be saved." Hence Romans ten: "Everyone, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved."
15. As they were hearing these things, etc. After He approved liberality in distributing temporal goods by an explicit example, here by a parabolic example He commends diligence in multiplying spiritual goods, and conversely reproves negligence. Moreover, this diligence consists in the liberal distribution of spiritual goods themselves, and negligence in their concealment. In setting forth this parable, therefore, one proceeds in this order. For first he sets forth the occasion for introducing the parable; and secondly he adds the orderly description of the parable itself, at the passage: He said therefore: A certain nobleman, etc.
Regarding the occasion, it should be noted that he indicates a twofold occasion for introducing this parable, namely the rational confutation of the rebellious and the instruction of the simple.
16. (Verse 11.). First, therefore, as regards the confutation of the rebellious, he says: AS they heard these things, namely those who were murmuring, he added and spoke a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, in which, namely, he was to be killed by the rebellious Jews, according to what the Evangelist narrates in what follows concerning his passion that took place in Jerusalem. Therefore he speaks a parable in which the confutation of the rebellious is set forth, according to what is placed at the end of the parable: "But as for those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them before me." Now they fell into this rebellion because they did not have the diligence to know the grace of Christ; and therefore they were blinded and hardened, because they were attacking the grace which they ought to have received. And for this reason, by the just judgment of God, the truth was set before them not explicitly, but wrapped in the enigmas of parables, according to that passage in Matthew thirteen: "I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear nor understand, that the prophecy of Isaiah might be fulfilled in them, which says: By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive. For the heart of this people has grown gross, and with their ears they have been dull of hearing, and their eyes they have shut, lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart, and I should heal them," Matthew thirteen, from Isaiah six.
17. Second, as regards the instruction of the simple, he adds: And because they thought that the kingdom of God would be manifested immediately. The disciples themselves supposed this, because they believed that Christ the redeemer and savior was going to Jerusalem for the display of his royal power. Whence also, according to the sequence of the narrative of the evangelical history, at this time "the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus," when, according to what is said in Matthew twenty, "she said to the Lord: Command that these my two sons may sit
one at your right hand and one at your left in your kingdom." Whence the Gloss: "Because the disciples supposed that the kingdom of God was about to come immediately, he illuminates this ignorance of theirs, teaching that he would spread the faith of his kingdom throughout the whole world and at the end of the age would come as judge and king of all." Whence this parable is also for the instruction of all who wish to arrive at the kingdom, so that they may understand that they cannot arrive at it except through the multiplication of spiritual goods and faithful service, according to what is said in Matthew seven: "Not everyone who says: Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father, who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven." This will of God, moreover, consists in the faithful use and dispensation of the spiritual goods entrusted to us, according to that passage above in chapter twelve: "Who, do you think, is the faithful and prudent steward, whom the Lord has set over his household?" "Amen I say to you, that he will set him over all his goods which he possesses."
18. (Vers. 12.). He said therefore: A certain man etc.
After the occasion for introducing the parable, there follows here the ordered exposition of what has been introduced: concerning which there is first described the state of merit and demerit; and secondly, the state and form of judgment, at the passage: And it came to pass, that he returned, having received the kingdom etc.
Concerning the state of merit and demerit, three things are introduced, namely the withdrawal of the divine presence in Christ's ascension, the conferral of heavenly grace in the sending of the Holy Spirit, and the hardening of human perfidy in the rebellion of the Jews.
First, therefore, as regards the withdrawal of the divine presence in the ascension of Christ, he says: He said therefore: A certain nobleman went into a far country. This nobleman is Christ, who was noble according to the flesh, since he was of royal lineage: above in the eighteenth chapter: "Jesus, Son of David," etc.; he was more noble as regards his superadded power, according to Proverbs, the last chapter: "Her husband is noble in the gates, when he sits among the senators of the land," and this will be at the judgment; but he is most noble as regards his origin from the Father. Therefore Revelation nineteen: "He has on his garment and on his thigh written: King of kings and Lord of lords." Truly noble, from whose generation—to be praised, to be declared, and to be contemplated—every tongue falls short: Isaiah fifty-three: "Who shall declare his generation?" Therefore the Angel to the Virgin, above in the first chapter: "He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord shall give to him," etc. He went into a far country, when he ascended into heaven and into the highest heaven, which is most distant from the earth both by local distance and by qualitative difference. Therefore as a figure of this, Proverbs seven: "The man is not in his house; he has gone on a very long journey." And this indeed was accomplished in the ascension: the Psalm: "Sing praises to God, who ascends above the heaven of heavens to the east." And then was verified that word of Isaiah fifty-five: "As the heavens are exalted above the earth, so are my ways exalted above your ways." And since he so went into heaven that he is to return for judgment, therefore he adds: To receive for himself a kingdom and to return, he went, namely, to the kingdom, but reigning he shall return for judgment, according to that word of Acts one: "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven?" etc. He shall come, however, as a king with power, according to that word of Matthew twenty-four: "Then they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power," and then he shall return from the far country: Isaiah thirty: "Behold, the name of the Lord comes from afar, his burning wrath, and heavy to bear."
19. (Verse 13). Second, with regard to the conferral of grace in the sending of the Holy Spirit, he adds: And having called his ten servants, he gave them ten minas. By the calling of the servants we understand the calling of preachers and prelates, who ought to be called, because Hebrews 5: "Neither does anyone take the honor to himself, but he who is called by God, as Aaron was." These are called servants both from serving and from preserving: from serving, through the reverence of humility, according to that saying of Matthew 20: "Whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your servant." They are also called servants from preserving, through the guardianship of the flocks, because they ought to preserve and guard the Lord's flock: 3 Kings 20: "Guard this man; if he escapes, your life shall be for his life." And concerning these, 1 Peter 5: "Elders, feed the flock that is among you, not as lording it over the clergy, but being made a pattern of the flock from the heart." These are said to be ten either on account of the sufficiency of the number, or because all service of Christ is reduced to the perfect observance of the ten commandments; of which the Apostles had literal knowledge from the law of the Decalogue; but they did not have spiritual understanding and perfect observance except through the grace given to them. Therefore he is said to have given ten minas, that is, grace sufficient for understanding, fulfilling, and preaching those precepts. Whence Bede: " He calls ten servants when he chooses disciples imbued with the letter of the Decalogue; he gives ten minas when after the resurrection he opens their understanding, so that they may spiritually understand the sayings of the Law." And this was fully accomplished when they were taught the truth through the Holy Spirit; whence John 16: "When that Spirit of truth shall come, he will teach you," etc. Moreover, he gave ten minas to intimate the perfect understanding of the Scriptures; whence the Gloss: "A mina weighs ten drachmas; and every word of Scripture, because it suggests the perfection of heavenly life, shines as it were with the weight of the hundredfold number." In designation of which, that Spirit came ten days after the Ascension and descended upon twelve times ten, that is, "one hundred and twenty," for the perfection of the ministry and the mystical body, according to Ephesians 4: "He who descended is the same who also ascended, that he might fill all things. And he himself gave some indeed to be Apostles, and some Prophets, and others Evangelists, and others pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry."