52. (Vers. 25.). He adds a special example in Elijah, the most distinguished of the Prophets, when he says: In truth I say to you: John 17: "Your word is truth." He spoke in truth, whom they ought to have believed, and yet they did not believe; whence that passage in John 8: "If I speak the truth, why do you not believe me?" and that passage in Job 6: "Why have you detracted from the words of truth?" And this is a certain truth, because it is taken from Scripture. — Whence it is added: Many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, who were placed in necessity on account of the lack of matrimonial companionship: Jeremiah 15: "Her widows are multiplied above the sand of the sea." — They were placed in necessity on account of the lack of heavenly rain: whence he adds: When the heaven was shut up and it did not rain for three years and six months: as the Lord had threatened in Leviticus 26: "But if you will not even so obey me, I will make the heaven above you like iron"; and Deuteronomy 28: "Let the heaven that is above you be bronze." And so it came to pass because of their sins: whence Jeremiah 3: "You have polluted the land with your fornications. Therefore the drops of rain have been withheld, and the latter rain has not come."
They were placed in necessity on account of the lack of earthly sustenance: and therefore it is added: When there was a great famine throughout all the land: as it is said in 3 Kings 18: "There was a severe famine," etc.; whence that word of the Psalm was verified concerning the children of Israel: "They shall suffer hunger like dogs and shall go about the city," because the king and the steward of his house went about to find pastures, 3 Kings 18.
53. (Vers. 26.). And although they were in such great necessity, it is added: And to none of them was Elijah sent, to relieve them by a miracle from the want of famine, so that the word of the Psalm might be verified in them: "Hungering and thirsting, their soul fainted within them." But he relieved a foreign woman, whence he adds: Except to Sarepta of Sidon, to a widow woman, according to what is written in 3 Kings 17: It was said to Elijah: "Arise and go to Sarepta of the Sidonians and remain there: for I have commanded a widow woman there to feed you" — nay rather, she herself through you.
54. (Vers. 27.). Another example for the confirmation of the aforesaid concerning Elisha is introduced, when he says: And many lepers were in Israel under Elisha the prophet: whence in 4 Kings 7 it is said that in the time of Elisha "four leprous men were near the gate of Samaria," and many others in similar necessity. And none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian, in 4 Kings 5, where it is said that Naaman at the word of Elisha washed himself seven times in the Jordan and was restored to full health — and this, by the just judgment of God, because they were not worthy. And by a similar argument and according to the imitation of their predecessors, he was showing that they were unworthy of the reception of miracles. Whence a similar passage in Matthew 23: "You are witnesses against yourselves that you are the sons of those who killed the Prophets: and you, fill up the measure of your fathers"; and Acts 7: "Stiff-necked and uncircumcised in hearts and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did, so do you. For which of the Prophets did your fathers not persecute?" etc. And thus they are manifestly convicted, because the lack of miracles was not to be imputed to the powerlessness or negligence of Christ, but rather to their own envy and unbelief: whence they were worthy of being deprived of miracles, just as their fathers also had been deprived.
55. And note here spiritually that in these two examples he shows the unworthiness of the Jews in comparison with the Gentiles with regard to the universal lack of repentance and the universal contagion of malice, which remained uncured in the Jews but was remedied in the Gentiles through Christ. For the closing of heaven designates the lack of grace and doctrine: Deuteronomy 11: "Take heed lest you depart from the Lord"; and thereafter: "And the Lord being angry shut up heaven, and the rain come not down, and the earth yield not her fruit." Concerning which rain in the Psalm: "God shall set apart a voluntary rain"; and from this comes famine and want of every good: Job 18: "Let his strength be wasted with hunger, and let famine invade his ribs." — And note that the rain is said to have been withheld for three years and six months, because during the three and a half years in which the Lord preached, they did not receive the rain of grace, their sins requiring it. For although the rain came upon them, Judea nevertheless did not receive it so as to bear fruit: Hebrews 6: "The earth that drinks in the rain that comes often upon it and brings forth herbs meet for those by whom it is tilled, receives blessing from God: but that which brings forth thorns and briers is rejected and near unto a curse."
In this time, however, the true preacher Elijah is sent to the widow in Zarephath of Sidon, who rightly designates the Gentile world, as Bede shows in the Great Gloss, and she was saved while the people of the Jews were abandoned, according to that passage in Acts 13: "Since you reject the word of God and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life: behold, we turn to the Gentiles."
56. But the infection of leprosy designates the corruption of malice, which was in all before the coming of Christ, according to that passage of the Psalm: "They are corrupt and have become abominable" etc. From this Judea was not cured: Ezekiel twenty-four: "I wished to cleanse you, and you were not cleansed from your filth; nor will you be cleansed until I cause my indignation to rest upon you." But Naaman is cleansed, who is interpreted as comeliness, and designates the people of the gentiles made comely by the Sacrament of baptism and purged of all foulness of mind and body. And Hosea eight: "How long will she not be able to be cleansed?" according to that passage of Ezekiel thirty-six: "I will pour clean water upon you, and you shall be cleansed from all your defilements."
And so according to both interpretations, this was a confutation of the unbelieving Jews.
57. (Verse 28). And all were filled etc. After the confutation of the detractors has been described, there is here subjoined the evasion of the persecutors. This part has two sections. In the first is described the persecution of the malicious; in the second, the evasion of the persecutors, at: But he, passing through, etc.
For the description of the persecution of the malicious, three things are introduced, namely anger of mind, violence of action, and perfidy on the part of the intended end.
He therefore intimates anger of mind in what he says: And all in the synagogue were filled with anger, hearing these things. Whence that passage of Amos five is verified: "They hated him who reproves in the gate" etc.; on account of which it is said in Proverbs nine: "Do not rebuke a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you." Whence from the hearing of the truth they were not instructed, but rather blinded and angered; against which it is said in Ecclesiastes seven: "Do not be quick to anger, for anger rests in the bosom of a fool"; and Job five: "Truly anger kills the foolish man," because, as it is said in Proverbs twenty-seven, "anger has no mercy, nor fury breaking forth."
58. (Verse 29). He intimates, however, the violence of action, when he adds: And they rose up and cast him out of the city, as though a blasphemer; for so it was commanded: Leviticus twenty-four: "Bring forth the blasphemer outside the camp, and let all the people stone him." And so that parable of Matthew twenty-one is verified, in which it is said that the tenants "cast the son of the householder outside the vineyard; for the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel," Isaiah five. So they did to Stephen, Acts seven: "They rushed upon him with one accord and cast him outside the city" etc. Whence the Savior could have said to them that passage of Judges eleven: "Are you not the ones who hated me and cast me out of my father's house?"
59. Their perfidy however from the standpoint of the intended goal he explains, when he adds: And they led him to the brow of the hill, as if to say: not through the gate, on which their city was built. They were leading him to a precipitous place to cast him down headlong: whence that saying of the wise woman in Second Kings twenty could be spoken to that insane people: "Why do you cast down the inheritance of the Lord"? In this, however, that they wished to cast him down headlong, "they were worse than the devil, as Bede says, because he said only in word: Cast yourself down: these attempted it in deed "; but they were not able, because he had the power to lay down his life, as is said in John ten. Whence Bede: " He wished not to be cast down headlong by the Nazarenes, not to be stoned by the Jerusalemites, not to be slain among the children by Herod; but to await the triumph of the cross. For the cross itself is the type of a singular monarchy, that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow etc., Philippians two. And hence it is that the top of the cross points to the heavens, its base reaches to the underworld, and its horns cover the earth".
60. (Vers. 30.). But he, passing through etc. Here is noted the evasion of the persecutors perfect, because it was without detention, without impulsion, without portation whence they could not do violence to him, neither by dragging, nor by pushing, nor by carrying.
To show, therefore, that there was no violence of detention, it is said: But he, passing through: whence Ambrose: " What is captured by a few and held is of the will: what is not held by a people but passes through is of majesty". Whence nothing could retard the act of his power: Song of Songs two: "Behold, he comes leaping upon the mountains, skipping over the hills ". This passing through, however, was by his own power, but Peter's was by another's power: Acts twelve: " And passing through the first and second guard, they came " etc.
61. To show that there was no violence of impulsion, it is added: Through the midst of them, certain that he could not be overcome by anyone; whence he could say that word of the Psalm: " Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear". Something similar is said in John ten: " The Jews sought to seize him ", namely to stone him, " and he went out of their hands ". Through the midst he goes, because "the mediator of God and men " always loves the middle; whence John one: " There has stood in your midst one whom you do not know ".
62. To show further that there was no violence of carrying, it is added: he went, namely by his own power, like the living creatures of whom it is said in Ezekiel 1 that "they went and returned in the likeness of flashing lightning." He went, namely not headlong, but descended, as Bede says, beneath the cliff, the rock yielding to him and receiving him, so that they could not reach him; whence he could say that word of John 8: "Where I go, you cannot come." In this is shown at once the Lord's power, because they could not harm him, but even the stones obeyed him; and his patience is shown, because he withdrew and did not harm them, as it is said in John 8 that "the Jews took up stones to cast at him; but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple."
63. Note here that in four ways was death threatened against the Lord Jesus. Some attempted to slay him by the sword, as Herod, Matthew 2; some by casting down, as here; some by stoning, as the Jews, John 8; some by crucifixion, Matthew 27. — Spiritually, indeed, Christ is crucified in our relapse into sin; whence it is said of those who have fallen away, Hebrews 6: "Crucifying again to themselves the Son of God," etc. He is stoned in hardening of heart: Matthew 23: "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the Prophets and stones them," etc., where the hardening of the Jews is shown. He is cast down in despair: Jeremiah 22: "They shall cut down your choicest cedar and cast it headlong into the fire"; and this is in despair. But he is slain by the sword in blasphemy, according to that word of the Psalm: "The sons of men, their teeth are arms and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword."
The doctrine of Christ is authenticated by a miracle of power.
64. And he went down to Capernaum, etc. After he showed the doctrine of Christ to be authentic from the merit of his life and the testimony of Scripture, here he now shows it from a miracle of power, so that in the mouth of three witnesses the firm testimony of authority may stand. This part has three sections. In the first is set forth the communication of Christ's doctrine; in the second, the confirmation by the power of a miracle, at: And in the synagogue there was, etc.; in the third, the acceptance of the same by the multitude of the people, at: And when it was day, he went, etc.
Concerning the communication of Christ's doctrine, four things are expressed, namely place, time, effect, and power. From these four it is gathered that Christ's doctrine was humble and renowned, admirable and sublime.
65. (Vers. 31.). Humble, I say, he is shown from the situation of the place, which he notes when he says: He went down to Capharnaum, a city of Galilee. Descent in Christ is a sign of humility, just as ascent in the proud is a sign of exaltation; whence Song of Songs 6: "I went down into the garden of nuts, to see the fruits of the valleys"; to designate which it is also said above in the third chapter, that "the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form" etc.; and therefore he himself said in John 6: "I descended from heaven, not to do my own will." And this is a great humility, and this he taught by word in Matthew 11: "Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart"; in John 13 by example: "If I have washed your feet etc.; for I have given you an example." This also befits because that city was on the border of the Gentiles and the Jews, "in the borders of Zabulon and Nephtalim," so that he might thus show that he did not despise the Gentiles by reason of their guilt or idolatry; Isaiah 9: "In the former time the land of Zabulon and the land of Nephtalim was lightened, and in the latter time it was made heavy." To this is added that these two tribes had migrated before the rest, as is said in 4 Kings 15; and therefore as the despised they were to be visited first.
66. Moreover, the communication of his teaching is shown to be solemn from the solemn time; on account of which he says: He was teaching in their synagogue on the Sabbaths. For then the people came together for the hearing of the Law, because they ceased from all servile work, as is commanded in Leviticus 23. And therefore Baruch 1: "Read this book, which we have sent to you, to be recited on a solemn day and at an opportune time." So also Paul taught on the Sabbaths, according to what is said in Acts 15: "Moses from ancient times has in every city those who preach him in the synagogues, where he is read every Sabbath." In this we are instructed, according to the counsel of Ecclesiasticus 38, to learn and teach wisdom "in the time of leisure, because he who is less occupied in action will receive wisdom." And we are also instructed to attend especially to divine praises and preaching on solemn days and in the sight of the multitude; whence in the Psalm: "I will declare your name to my brethren, in the midst of the church"; and again: "In the churches bless the Lord."
67. (Vers. 32.). Moreover, he is shown to be admirable from the astonishment of the people, when it is added: And they were astonished at his teaching; and this, because they perceived something great and unaccustomed in it. So also in the teaching of the Apostles after the coming of the Holy Spirit, Acts 2, "all who heard them were astonished"; Job 12: "He leads counselors to a foolish end and judges to astonishment." Nor is it a wonder, because, as the officers said in John 7, "never has a man spoken thus."
68. Sublime indeed is shown from a singular power, and this he notes when he adds: Because his word was with authority: either because he spoke as the almighty Lord, according to that passage in Matthew 7: "The crowds were amazed at his teaching: for he was teaching as one having authority"; or because power working miracles was joined to his word, according to that passage in Ecclesiastes 8: "His word is full of power"; and below in chapter 24: "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a man, a prophet mighty in work and word"; or also because his words savored of spiritual power, according to that passage of the Psalm: "He shall give to his voice the voice of power." Thus the Apostle in 1 Corinthians 2: "Our word and our preaching was not in the persuasive words of human wisdom, but in the demonstration of spirit and power." Nor is it a wonder if power was joined to his word, because he himself is "the power and wisdom of God," 1 Corinthians 1. And therefore in Hebrews 1 it is said: "Upholding all things by the word of his power."