Chapter XXIII.
Concerning the accusation of Christ, two things are said.
I. And the whole multitude of them arose, etc. After having described the apprehension and the mockery, here he thirdly describes the accusation. And since Christ was in Jerusalem and had then come from the borders of Galilee, therefore this part has two sections. In the first of which is treated the accusation of Christ before Pilate, the governor of Judea; in the second, however, the accusation of him before Herod, the prince of Galilee, at the passage : But Pilate, hearing Galilee, etc.
Concerning the description of the accusation before Pilate, four things are introduced, namely: the wicked accusation, the right inquiry, the just defense, and the importunate aggravation of the accusation.
2. (Verse 1.). First, therefore, as regards the wicked accusation, he says: And the whole multitude of them arose and led him to Pilate. The multitude came so that him whom they could not overcome by reason, they might at least conquer by numbers: Wisdom 4: "The manifold multitude of the ungodly shall not be profitable." And therefore it is dangerous to mingle with such a multitude; on account of which, Ecclesiasticus 7: "Do not sin in the multitude of the city, nor cast yourself into the people," because, Ecclesiasticus 21, "the congregation of sinners is like tow gathered together, and their end is a flame of fire."
3. (Verse 2.). Moreover, this multitude came together to accuse Christ in many ways; whence he adds: And they began to accuse him: they were accusing him as his adversaries: Lamentations 3: "Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord, all their thoughts against me. The lips of those who rise up against me, O Lord."
They accuse him, however, as sinning against the people: on account of which is added: Saying: We have found this man subverting our nation: men who are themselves subverted and subverters call him a subverter of the people, according to that passage of Ezekiel 2: "Son of man, unbelievers and subverters are with you, and you dwell among scorpions: do not fear their words and do not dread their faces, for it is a rebellious house"; and therefore rebellious, because it calls its converter a subverter. Whence Jeremiah 31: "Convert me, Lord, and I shall be converted"; and the Psalm: "Turn back, O Lord, the captivity," etc. — They also accuse him as sinning against the ruler: whence is added: And forbidding tribute to be given to Caesar: and this likewise was false. For above in chapter 20 he said: "Render the things that are Caesar's to Caesar, and the things that are God's to God." — They also accuse him as sinning against God, when it is added: And saying that he is Christ the king. But concerning this he was not to be accused, because it was true, according to that passage of the Psalm: "But I have been established as king by him," etc. But neither could they themselves accuse him of this, because although he said he was the Christ before the disciples, according to that passage of Matthew 16: "But whom do you say that I am?" nevertheless he was silent about this before the Jews, lest he give them an occasion for malice: whence in Matthew 16 "he commanded his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ." And therefore to the Jews seeking this for the purpose of entrapping and accusing, he did not respond by simply affirming, but in a middle way, above in chapter 22: "You say that I am." From which it is apparent that the Jews were accusing Christ unjustly and wickedly.
4. (Verse 3). Second, with respect to the right inquiry, is added: Pilate then questioned him, saying: Are you the king of the Jews? It should be noted that although Christ was accused of three things, Pilate inquired only about one, because he knew that the others were false. For since the holiness and goodness of Christ was apparent through his miracles and his reputation, and since through his own words it was evident that he did not forbid tribute to be rendered to Caesar, he doubted only about the third and inquired about it. Whence the Gloss: "Pilate could have heard what he had said concerning tributes: Render the things that are Caesar's to Caesar: and therefore, disregarding this as an obvious falsehood, he inquired only about what he did not know." And in this he acted rightly, according to that passage of Job 29: "The case that I did not know, I investigated diligently."
But because he himself was not worthy to hear the truth, being incredulous, therefore he adds: But he answering said: You say it. Whence John 18: "Pilate said: Are you then a king? Jesus answered: You say it, because I am a king." But he did not affirm this because Pilate was not fit to receive this truth. On account of which, John 18: "For this I was born, that I might bear witness to the truth; everyone who is of the truth hears my voice. Pilate said to him: What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews." From which it appears that he did not truly seek the truth, because, when he had asked, he did not wait for the answer. And therefore he merited to hear neither what truth was nor the truth itself.
5. (Verse 4). Third, as to the just excuse, he adds: But Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds: I find no cause in this man. For concerning the first two charges he found no cause, because he was not seeking one nor had he judged it worth seeking; but concerning the last he found what Christ had said to him, as is stated in John 18: "My kingdom is not of this world"; and therefore Pilate found no fault in him worthy of death. Nor is this surprising, because he says of himself in John 14: "The prince of this world comes, and in me he has nothing." Whence he could say that word of Job 13: "I know that if I am judged, I shall be found just." From which it appears that just as it belongs to a good judge to condemn sinners, so it belongs to him to excuse and defend the innocent, according to that of Exodus 23: "The innocent and the just you shall not kill, for I am opposed to the wicked."
6. (Verse 5). Fourth, as to the importunate aggravation of the accusation, he adds: But they grew more vehement, saying: He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee even to this place. In this they aggravate the accusation, since they wish to charge him with sedition, as though he were a disturber of the whole land; but they unjustly accuse him of disturbance, because he was not stirring up the people to sedition, as Absalom, of whom it is said in 2 Kings 15: "When he offered sacrifices, a strong conspiracy was formed, and the people running together increased with Absalom." He was not stirring them to transgression, as the Antichrist will do: Apocalypse 13: "The whole earth wondered after the beast. And they adored the dragon, who gave power to the beast."
But he moved them to compunction, according to that passage of the Psalm: "You have moved the earth and disturbed it; heal its breaches," etc. He moved them to exultation, as is said in Matthew twenty-one: "When Jesus had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was moved"; Haggai two: "Yet a little while, and I will move heaven and earth." And the reason for this is that he taught not seductive things, but salutary things: whence also Peter said in John six: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." Christ had taught with this doctrine, as he said in John seven: "If anyone wills to do the will of God, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it be from God." And therefore he was not to be accused, but to be accepted, and especially by the chief priests, according to that passage in Titus one: "A bishop must be one who embraces the faithful word which is according to doctrine, so that he may be able to exhort in sound doctrine."
7. Spiritually, in this, that Christ began from Galilee, which is interpreted as transmigration, and passed through Judea and came all the way to Jerusalem, it is understood that the true preacher ought to preach in this order: that he preach transmigration from the state of sin, confession of the truth of faith, and rest in the vision of eternal peace, so that thus evil may be abandoned, truth may be discerned, and good may be loved. And in these is enclosed a threefold good, namely pardon, grace, and glory; goodness, knowledge, and discipline, which the Prophet seeks in the Psalm: "Teach me goodness and discipline and knowledge."
8. (Verse 6). But Pilate, hearing, etc. After the accusation before the governor has been described, here he describes the order of the accusation before Herod; for whose orderly description four things are introduced, namely the caution of Pilate evading, the curiosity of Herod questioning, the wickedness of the people accusing, and the stupidity of the ruler despising.
First therefore, as regards the caution of Pilate evading, he says: But Pilate, hearing "Galilee," asked whether the man was a Galilean. He asks this in order to evade judging him, if judgment over him pertains to another. And the reason for this is given in Matthew twenty-seven: "For Pilate knew that they had handed him over out of envy." And therefore he was evading, because either he would have to provoke that nation against himself, or act against justice: whence he wished to place the judgment upon another.
9. (Vers. 7.). Therefore he adds: And when he learned that he was under Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who himself was also in Jerusalem in those days. Bede: "Lest he be compelled to pass sentence against an innocent man, whom he knew had been handed over through envy, he sends him to Herod to be heard, so that he might either be absolved or condemned by his own tetrarch." Whence it appears that Pilate acted cautiously; he also acted justly, because he did not wish to usurp for himself what belonged to another's jurisdiction, because, according to Romans thirteen, "every power is ordained." He also acted piously, because he believed that Herod ought to free his own subject from unjust accusers, according to that text of Sirach eighteen: "The compassion of a man is toward his neighbor." He also acted shrewdly, because he wished to devolve the dangerous judgment upon his adversary; he also wished to avoid his false accusation; he also wished to please him regarding a matter about which he himself had no certainty. From which that saying stated above in chapter sixteen is evident: "The children of this world are more prudent than the children of light in their generation."
10. (Vers. 8.). Second, as regards the curiosity of Herod in his questioning, he adds: But Herod, seeing Jesus, was exceedingly glad, not on account of the sight of faith, as Abraham, of whom it is said in John eight: "Abraham rejoiced to see my day: he saw it and was glad." — For he had been desirous for a long time to see him, not through the affection of charity, as Job twenty-three: "Who will grant me that I may find him and come even to his throne?" For to such persons it is said above in chapter ten: "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. Amen I say to you, that many kings," etc. Not so Herod, but out of curiosity.
Whence he adds: Because he had heard many things about him, and he hoped to see some sign performed by him, through the appetite of curiosity; above in chapter nine: "Herod the tetrarch heard of all the things that were done by him," "and he said: Who is this, about whom I hear such things? And he sought to see him."
11. (Vers. 9.). And because curiosity is most vigorous concerning sight and hearing, according to that text of Ecclesiastes one: "The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear filled with hearing"; therefore he adds: And he questioned him with many words: he questioned, I say, not as one studious, but as one curious; not as a lover, but as a tempter, according to that text of Sirach thirteen: "By much talk he will tempt you, and smiling he will question you about your secrets." — And because such a person does not deserve to hear the truth, therefore it is added: But he answered him nothing. Now Christ was silent as an example of prudence; Proverbs twenty-six: "Answer not a fool according to his folly." Moreover it is just that divine things be hidden from the unworthy; whence the Gloss: "He was silent, because Herod's unbelief did not deserve to hear divine things, and the Lord was avoiding vainglory"; Matthew seven: "Do not give what is holy to dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine."
Likewise, as an example of patience: Job thirty-one: "If I trembled before a great multitude, and the contempt of kinsmen terrified me, and I did not rather keep silent"; upon which Gregory says: "The good do not reveal their own things even when despised, when it does not benefit others; for that would be to display oneself, not to be of use, just as Jesus was silent before Herod who was not seeking improvement, and thereby suffered himself to be mocked."
Likewise, of innocence: whence the Gloss says: "Better is the cause which is not defended and yet is proved. Susannah was silent and prevailed," as is said in Daniel thirteen.
Likewise, as an example of confidence: Exodus fourteen: "You shall be silent, and the Lord will fight for you."
As an example of obedience: Isaiah fifty-three: "As a lamb before its shearer he shall be silent."
As an example of perseverance: whence the Gloss says: "Those who fear being conquered seek to be defended; nor does he confirm the accuser by being silent, but despises him by not refuting him"; whence Lamentations three: "From the mouth of the Most High shall proceed neither evil nor good."
12. (Verse 10.). Third, as regards the wickedness of the people accusing, there is added: But the chief priests and the scribes stood, vehemently accusing him. But this constancy was not virtue, but obstinacy, because it came not from love of justice, but from the malice of envy. For this is what arms the heart to assail one's neighbor: whence Augustine says: "Although through every vice the poison of the ancient enemy is poured into the human heart, in the zeal of envy it creeps through all the inmost parts. This is that by which Cain is armed against his brother Abel, and the sons of Jacob against Joseph, the Babylonians against Daniel, the Jews against Christ." But in the Jews there was envy with obstinacy, and therefore they accused him vehemently. For perseverance in evil is not true constancy, but hardness and obstinacy, as the magicians of Pharaoh against Moses: whence Second Timothy three: "But as Jannes and Mambres resisted Moses, so also do these resist the truth, men corrupted in mind, reprobate concerning the faith." Whence they were imitators of that dragon, of whom Revelation twelve says: "Cast out was the accuser of the brethren, who accused them day and night"; and this from envy. For, Wisdom two, "by the envy of the devil death entered the world, and they imitate him who are of his part."