He shows therefore first that the one who judges rashly is unjust in thought, because he does not judge equitably: on account of which he says: Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye? you, namely, who judge. He calls the speck a light sin, which one reproves in another while neglecting a great one in himself: with respect to which he adds: But the beam that is in your own eye, you do not consider? The beam, that is, a great sin: from which it is gathered that the judgment of one who judges thus is unjust, because, as it is said in Proverbs twenty, "diverse weights are an abomination before God." He does not have equal weight who weighs fault more heavily in another than in himself: and such a one is called abominable, because he sins doubly: both by justifying himself, who is proud and impious, and by condemning his neighbor: whence Proverbs seventeen: "Both he who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the just are abominable before God." And it is sound counsel to be lenient with others and to consider and judge oneself, according to that passage in Galatians six: "If a man be overtaken in any fault, you who are spiritual, instruct such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted," etc. "For he who thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, deceives himself." And therefore such a one has a beam in his eye, that is, blinding pride, as Balaam, Numbers twenty-four: "The man said, whose eye is closed"; whose obstruction is very grave in judging unjustly: Ecclesiasticus thirty-one: "What created thing is more wicked than the eye?" And rightly so, because, as it is said below in chapter eleven, "if your eye be evil, your whole body will be dark."
97. (Verse 42.). Second, he shows that such a one is indiscreet in speech, because he does not speak reasonably; on account of which he adds: Or how can you say to your brother, namely, by addressing him outwardly: Brother, let me cast out the speck from your eye, in reproving and correcting; while you yourself do not see the beam in your own eye? not attending to the most grievous sin in yourself, as if to say: you cannot reasonably say this. For it could be said to you: Why do you judge another, and do not judge yourself? "You who teach another, do you not teach yourself?" Romans two: and that passage above in chapter four: "Physician, heal yourself." Whence such an admonition is rather deservedly despised than heeded, according to that saying of Gregory: "He whose life is despised, it follows that his preaching is condemned," because:
"It is shameful for a teacher, when fault reproves him."
Chrysostom: "Why do you see such small sins in others, and pass over such great ones in yourself?" Ecclesiasticus thirty-four: "Who shall be made clean by the unclean, and what truth shall be spoken by a liar?" And therefore in the Psalm: "But to the sinner God said: Why do you declare my justices?"
98. Third, he shows the disorder in operation, because he postpones that to which he is principally bound: on account of which he says: Hypocrite, cast out first the beam from your own eye. He calls such a rash judge a hypocrite, because in judging others he shows and pretends a zeal for justice, and by not judging himself he has a hidden vice lurking within. Whence Gregory says: "The hypocrite reproves others, so that in comparison with others he himself may appear holier." Or he calls him a hypocrite because, weighing external things, he neglects internal things, which are more to be weighed, according to that saying in Matthew twenty-three: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees! Hypocrites, who cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of robbery and uncleanness. Blind Pharisee! First cleanse what is inside." And therefore he rightly now says: Cast out first, because one must principally insist upon this, that the beam, that is, a grave sin, be cast out from the interior eye: James four: "Purify your hearts, you double-minded"; since, as it is said in Ecclesiasticus fourteen, "he who is evil to himself, to whom will he be good?" For charity ought to be ordered, so that one first attends to oneself and afterward to another, according to that saying in First Timothy four: "Attend to yourself and to doctrine. For doing this, you will save both yourself and those who are with you." Whence it is added: And then you will see clearly, that is, you will perfectly behold, with an eye now cleansed, to cast out the mote from your brother's eye: Job twenty-six: "His hand acting as midwife, the twisted serpent was brought forth"; whence
the Gloss says: "A teacher is not first fit to heal others who has not yet healed himself." Whence in all such matters, order is especially to be observed; for he is foolish and a hypocrite who more anxiously attends to the deeds of others than to his own. An example from the Conferences of the Fathers, concerning one who placed sand in a sack, which he placed upon his shoulder, having much behind and little in front: and he interpreted that the much was his own sins, and the little was the sins of others, as the hypocrite does.
99. (Verse 43.) For there is no good tree, etc. After he has drawn back from the rashness of judging, here he instructs in the prudence of discerning, which indeed he does in this order. First he proposes a metaphorical similitude; second he draws out an explicit instruction; third from this he reproves a deceptive simulation.
Therefore a metaphorical similitude is proposed, when it is said: For there is not a good tree that brings forth bad fruit. For here is not causal but continuative; by tree he means not the will insofar as it is from God — for thus it is good, because it is from God — but the will, which is not good when it does evil; nor indeed is it evil when it does good; with respect to what he adds: Neither does a bad tree bring forth good fruit. For the will is conformed to the work, as the tree to its fruit: Proverbs 12: "From the fruit of his mouth each one shall be filled with good things, and according to the works of his hands it shall be repaid to him"; because, as is said above in chapter three, "every tree that does not bring forth good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire." Whence spiritually trees are deprived of fruit through the frost of iniquity, according to that passage of Jude in his Canonical Epistle concerning the wicked: "They are autumn trees, unfruitful, twice dead." But then they are filled with fruit when they draw near to the warmth of charity, according to that passage below in chapter twenty-one: "Behold the fig tree and all the trees: when they bring forth fruit of themselves, you know that summer is near." Whence the prudent observer discerns trees by their fruit.
100. (Verse 44). And therefore he adds: For every tree is known by its own fruit. And this is what is said in Matthew 7: "By their fruits you shall know them," because, as is said in Galatians 5, "the works of the flesh are manifest, which are fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, luxury, the service of idols, etc. But the fruit of the spirit is charity, joy, peace," etc.: whence of the just man it is said in the Psalm: "He shall be as a tree which is planted near the running waters, which shall yield its fruit." Nor is this surprising, because, in Wisdom 3, "the fruit of good labors is glorious," but of evil labors, none; Romans 6: "What fruit had you then in those things of which you are now ashamed?" And therefore it is said of the miser in Ecclesiastes 5: "He who loves riches shall reap no fruit from them."
101. And that a tree is discerned by its fruit is proven through sensible experience, when it is added: For neither from thorns do they gather figs, nor from a bramble do they harvest grapes. He sets forth two especially praiseworthy fruits, namely figs and grapes: whence in Judges 9 the fig tree and the vine are introduced speaking through prosopopoeia: the fig tree thus: "Can I forsake my sweetness and my most delightful fruits?" And the vine thus: "Can I forsake my wine, which cheers God and men?" He also sets forth two most base shrubs, namely the bramble and the thorn, which the earth brings forth on account of human sins, according to that passage in Genesis 3: "Cursed is the earth in your work: thorns and thistles shall it bring forth to you."
102. But spiritually, by the sweet fig tree is understood the sweetness of piety, by thorns, wrathful and schismatic men, who cannot have compassion on others; 2 Kings 23: "The transgressors shall all be pulled away like thorns; and if anyone wishes to touch them, he shall be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear."
By the grape is understood the clear knowledge of truth, and by brambles, heretical men, by whom the proud are held fast, according to that passage of Genesis 22: "Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw among the briars a ram caught by its horns." - These two kinds of men lay waste the vineyard of the Lord of hosts, namely schismatics and heretics: Isaiah 32: "Upon the ground of my people shall come up thorns and briars"; Isaiah 5: "I expected that it should bring forth grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes"; and further: "Briars and thorns shall come up over it."
103. (Verse 45). Second, an explicit instruction is drawn out when it is added: The good man out of the good
treasure of his heart brings forth good things, namely after the likeness of a good tree. He calls the good treasure the habit of interior perfection, whether in the affection, with respect to which is said Proverbs 21: "A desirable treasure and oil are in the dwelling of the just"; or in the intellect, with respect to which Matthew 13: "Every scribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is a householder, who brings forth out of his treasure new things and old." From both good treasures are brought forth both works and also words; whence James 3: "Who is wise and learned among you? Let him show from good conduct his work in the meekness of wisdom."
104. And just as the good man is compared to a good tree, so also the evil man to an evil one; whence he also adds: And the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things . He calls the evil treasure the evil will and the evil conscience; Micah 6: "There is still fire in the house of the ungodly and treasures of iniquity." And certainly from an evil heart proceed evil works and unclean words; whence Mark 7: "From the heart of men proceed adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness: all these evil things proceed from within and defile." Likewise also evil words, according to that passage of Proverbs 14: "A faithful witness will not lie, but a deceitful witness utters falsehood."
And he himself gives the reason for the one, when he adds: For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, good namely a word, or evil. Concerning the good, Sirach 6: "A gracious tongue in a good man shall abound"; and concerning the evil, Proverbs 15: "The mind of the just shall meditate on wisdom, the mouth of the wicked overflows with evils"; and in the same: "The mouth of fools bubbles forth foolishness." -
105. (Verse 46.). Third, deceitful pretense is rebuked, when he adds: Why do you call me: Lord ? namely by confession of the mouth, and do not do what I say, by omission of good works. For the display of reverence on the lips is false unless there is equally present the exhibition of obedience in deed: whence concerning such persons, Isaiah twenty-nine: "This people draws near with their mouth and glorifies me with their lips, but their heart is far from me"; and Matthew fifteen: "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me"; and Titus one: "They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny him." And so there is a contradiction in them, because the word indicates goodness in the heart, and the deed shows malice in action. Such persons do not deceive the Lord, but they deceive themselves, according to that passage in James one: "Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves"; whence Matthew seven: "Not everyone who says to me: Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven."
106. (Verse 47.). Everyone who comes to me, etc. After he instructed in the prudence of discerning, here he invites to diligence in acting, and this under a twofold metaphor, in the first of which he commends the obedient: and in the second he reproaches the negligent, at the passage: But he who hears and does not do, etc. — Concerning the commendation of the obedient person, he first sets forth the act of the obedient person: second, the manner: third, the fruit.
As to the act, therefore, of the truly obedient person, he says: Everyone who comes to me, namely by believing faithfully, and hears my words, by understanding devoutly, and does them, namely by fulfilling them in deed; I will show you whom he is like. From this it is gathered that it belongs to the truly obedient person first to come through faith, by believing faithfully: concerning which coming, John six: "No one comes to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." Thus the little ones come, according to that passage in Matthew nineteen: "Let the little children come to me."
Then to hear, by understanding keenly: Ecclesiasticus three: "A good ear will hear wisdom with all desire"; James one: "Let every man be swift to hear," etc.
Third, it belongs to the truly obedient person to fulfill effectively; whence Deuteronomy thirty: "The word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it." Otherwise you will not be justified before the Lord, because, as is said in Romans two, "the doers of the law shall be justified."
107. (Verse 48.) As to the manner of truly obeying, he adds a teaching by similitude concerning one who builds a house, when he subjoins: He is like a man building a house, through the progress of virtue: Proverbs 24: "Diligently cultivate your field, so that afterward you may build your house." This house indeed is a good conscience: Wisdom 8: "Entering into my house, I shall find rest with her"; Proverbs 14: "A wise woman builds her house, but a foolish one destroys even what has been built with her own hands." — Who dug deep, through the descent of humility, according to the precept of Elisha in 4 Kings 3: "Make in the bed of this torrent ditches and ditches," namely through humility in intellect and affection alike. But to this the proud man responds with that saying of the wicked steward, below in chapter 16: "I am unable to dig, I am ashamed to beg." Against which, Isaiah 2: "Enter into the rock, and hide in the pit of the earth from the face of the fear of the Lord," etc. But he digs deeper who descends further through humility, and his building rises higher, because "he who humbles himself shall be exalted," below in chapter 18.
And he laid the foundation upon the rock, through the stability of charity, according to that passage in Ephesians 3: "Rooted and grounded in charity." This charity founds upon Christ, who is the solid rock, according to that passage in Isaiah 28: "Behold, I will lay in the foundations of Sion a stone, a tested stone, a cornerstone, precious, founded in the foundation." Upon this rock charity founds, since it causes one to fulfill his commandments, according to that passage in John 14: "He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me." And such a one is founded in Christ: Ecclesiasticus 26: "Everlasting foundations upon solid rock, and the commandments of God in the heart of a holy woman." Ambrose: "The foundation of all virtues is obedience to the heavenly commandments."
This therefore is the manner of truly obeying the divine precepts: that there be diligence in the progress of virtue, that there be depth in the descent of humility, that there be firmness in the affection of charity.
108. As to the fruit of true obedience, he adds: And when a flood came, etc. For the observance of the divine commandments strengthens against the assault of temptations, which he designates by the flood — as to exterior temptation from demons, according to that passage in Isaiah 8: "The Lord will bring the waters of the river, strong and many, the king of the Assyrians"; and below: "And it shall pass through Judah, overflowing and reaching even to the neck"; here he openly designates the devil; and Job 21: "How often shall the lamp of the wicked be extinguished, and a flood come upon them."