Chapter IX.
Fourth, the delegation of the instructed disciples is determined, first with regard to the Apostles, then with regard to the seventy.
1. And Jesus, having called together the twelve, etc. The three principal parts of this section, which concerns the teaching of Jesus Christ, having been completed—in which the disciples themselves were aroused to believe, invited to imitate, and instructed to understand—here follows the fourth part, in which those who understand are sent to preach. The order of these parts is sufficiently manifest in itself. Since, however, some of the preachers are in a higher degree and others in a lower, this part has two sections. In the first of which the mission of the Apostles is treated; in the second, the mission of the seventy disciples, in the tenth chapter at the passage: And he appointed, etc.
First, the mission of the Apostles is treated with regard to three things.
The first part contains the present chapter and has three parts, according to the three things which the Evangelist explains as necessary for Apostles and prelates sent to preach. The first of which is the form of preaching; the second is the way of advancing, which he explains at the passage: And it came to pass, as he was alone praying; the third is the norm of presiding, which is described at the passage: And there entered into them a thought, which of them, etc.
The form of preaching is explained in two ways.
The form of preaching he explains in two ways: first under divine precept; second, under divine example, at the passage: And the Apostles returned and reported.
As for the instruction of preachers through divine precept, three things are introduced by the Evangelist, namely authority entrusted, integrity enjoined, and benefit conjoined: so that first he sets forth authority as preceding. Second, he adds integrity as accompanying, at the passage: And he said to them: Take nothing for the journey. Third, he subjoins benefit as following, at the passage: And going out, they went about, etc. — But since words, however authoritative the preacher may be, are inefficacious unless they have divine testimonies—and such are divine miracles—therefore in the first part there is first explained the conferral of power for working miracles, then the commission of authority for preaching the mysteries. For the first makes way for the second.
2. (Verse 1). As regards, therefore, the conferral of power for working miracles, he says: And Jesus, having called together the twelve Apostles, namely as the principal prelates, chosen from among all the others, according to what is said above in the sixth chapter: "Jesus called his disciples and from them chose twelve, whom he also named Apostles. " To these, therefore, called together, that is, called into one to commend unity, in which the Holy Spirit is given, according to what is said in Acts 2: "When the days of Pentecost were being fulfilled, all the disciples were together in the same place," etc. Whence Numbers 11: "The Lord said to Moses: Gather to me seventy men at the door of the tabernacle of testimony, and I will take of your spirit and deliver it to them."
So now: whence it is added: He gave them power and authority, so that power pertains to spiritual things, and authority to corporeal things. For which reason, to explain this he adds: Over all demons, so that this is referred to power; and to cure diseases, so that this is referred to authority; and through this they would have a twofold kind of testimony according to the twofold kind of creature, namely spiritual and corporeal. And this is what is expressly said in Mark 3: "He gave them power to cure infirmities and to cast out demons"; so that truly that word of the Psalm is fulfilled: "The Lord shall give the word to those who evangelize with great power."
3. (Verse 2). As regards the commission of authority for preaching the mysteries, he adds: And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God. For in the sending, authority is designated, without which no one ought to preach; hence Romans 10: "How shall they preach, unless they be sent?" Whence also Isaiah did not dare to preach unless he were sent; Isaiah 6: "Here am I, Lord, send me." On the contrary, concerning the false prophets, Jeremiah 23: "I did not send them, and they ran." But the Apostles were not such, who were so named precisely so that their authority might be commended. For Apostle is interpreted as one sent; and they were sent to preach, according to that passage in 1 Corinthians 1: "The Lord did not send me to baptize, but to evangelize." — They were sent to preach not a small thing, but a great one, namely the kingdom of God, by which can be understood the doctrine of truth, according to Matthew 21: "The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation yielding its fruits." It can also be called the grace of the Holy Spirit, according to Romans 14: "The kingdom of God is not food and drink, but justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit"; below, chapter 17: "The kingdom of God is within you." It can also be called eternal glory, according to John 3: "Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." In all these ways the Apostles were sent to preach the kingdom of God, namely true doctrine, divine grace, and eternal glory.
And because on account of the authority of preaching he had granted the power of healing, he therefore adds: And to heal the sick, namely, he sent them for the confirmation of the truth preached, according to that passage in Mark, last chapter: "They went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word with signs that followed." Hence the sign of the spiritual mission of preaching unto preaching is the healing of the hearers from the diseases of vices.
4. Now there are three evident signs that a preacher is sent by the Lord to preach the Gospel. The first is the authority of the one sending, such as that of a bishop, and especially of that bishop who stands in the place of Peter, or rather in the place of Jesus Christ: whence he who is sent by him is sent by Christ. The second is zeal for souls in the person who is sent, namely when he principally seeks the honor of God and the salvation of souls. The third is when there follows fruit-bearing and the conversion of the hearers. — By the first they are messengers of the Father,
by the second of the Son, by the third of the Holy Spirit. Of such it is said: "I have appointed you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain," John 15. And he who is thus sent can say that word of Isaiah 61: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me," etc.
5. (Verse 3). And he said to them: Take nothing for your journey. After the explanation of the authority entrusted, there follows the description of the uprightness enjoined. This consists in three things, namely in poverty of sustenance, scantiness of clothing, and humility of common life.
First, therefore, with regard to poverty in sustenance, it is said: And he said to them: Take nothing for your journey, that is, by way of temporal sustenance, so that by your example you might preach that word of 1 Timothy 6: "We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we can carry nothing out." And that it might become more apparent, he descends to particulars, when he adds: Neither a staff, namely for support, nor a scrip, for storing, nor bread, for eating, nor money, for buying. In this there is a prohibition of every means of sustenance, so that it may be shown that the preacher, by the greatness of his hope, ought to rely on God alone, according to that word of 1 Peter 5: "Casting all your care upon him, for he has care of you." Whence also blessed Francis, when he sent the brothers to preach, would say to them that word of the Psalm: "Cast your thought upon the Lord," etc. In this, however, he does not prohibit, as Augustine says, diligent provision, but anxious solicitude, according to that word of Matthew 6: "Be not anxious for the morrow: for sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
6. And therefore, for the right understanding of this precept, what one Evangelist denies, namely Luke, another Evangelist affirms, namely Mark, in the sixth chapter, where it is said: "And Jesus commanded them that they should take nothing for the journey except a staff only." Upon which Augustine says in On the Harmony of the Evangelists: "Both were commanded by the Lord: that they should carry nothing except a staff, and that they should not carry even a staff. Not to carry a staff is not to be anxious; to carry nothing except a staff is to use the power of receiving granted to preachers." Whence Luke ten: "Eating and drinking such things as they have." — The literal observance of this precept, however, belongs to perfect preachers who perfectly imitate Christ, in whose person Peter says in Matthew nineteen: "Behold, we have left all things and followed you." But the spiritual observance extends to all, so that the preacher of truth may be a despiser of earthly things; otherwise, if they announce the word of God out of desire for gain, they are not disciples of Christ but of Balaam the soothsayer, according to that passage of Second Peter two: "Having a heart exercised with covetousness, children of malediction, forsaking the right way," that is, the way of poverty; concerning which it says there, "they have gone astray, following the way of Balaam, who loved the wages of iniquity."
Whence the preacher of truth must above all avoid the vice of cupidity; otherwise he will not be a preacher but a flatterer. On account of which, First Thessalonians two: "Neither were we at any time in the word of flattery, as you know, nor in an occasion of avarice — God is witness." For he knew that from this he would provoke the wrath of God, as is said in Micah three: "Her princes judged for bribes, and her priests taught for hire, and her prophets divined for money," etc. "For this reason Zion shall be plowed as a field," etc.
7. Secondly, as regards scantiness in clothing, it is added: Neither have two tunics, so that thus the teaching of the Master may accord with the teaching of the Precursor, according to that passage of Luke three: "He who has two tunics, let him give one to him who has none"; and according to that passage of the Apostle in First Timothy six: "Having food and covering, let us be content with these." In this, moreover, that He does not prohibit a single garment but a double one, He grants necessity and forbids fastidiousness in changing and superfluity in possession. Whence Bede says: "A single garment is whatever is necessary for someone according to the quality of place or time; a double garment is what exceeds necessity"; and this is manifest in the Lord Himself, who besides the seamless tunic had other garments, which were divided, as is said in John nineteen.
According to the spiritual understanding, however, the duplicity of simulation and hypocrisy is prohibited, lest they have one garment in secret and another in public, lest they be among those of whom it is said in Matthew 7: "They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." Similarly avoiding this, blessed Francis, when he was ill, refused to place a piece of fur on the inside before his chest unless he also placed one on the outside.
8. (Verse 4). Thirdly, with regard to humility in lodging, he adds: And into whatever house you enter, remain there, being content, that is, with that lodging: and do not depart from there, in search of something better, because, as it is said in Sirach 29, "a wretched life it is to lodge from house to house." For the changing of lodging attests to impatience, which is moved by a slight cause and cannot rest, according to that saying of Jeremiah 14: "This people has loved to move their feet and has not rested, and it did not please the Lord."
And this is especially to be avoided by the preacher, because, according to that saying of Proverbs 19, "the doctrine of a man is known through patience." And therefore Ambrose says: "It is unfitting for a preacher to run about through houses and to change the established rights of a settled lodging." But the mother of this inconstancy and impatience is pride, which can dwell in peace with no one, according to that saying of Proverbs 13: "Among the proud there are always quarrels."
9. (Verse 5). And since it belongs to true humility to refuse the company of no one, nor even to be burdensome to another, therefore for the perfection of humility it is added: And whoever do not receive you, that is, despising your doctrine, like those who also did not receive the Lord: John 1: "He came unto his own, and his own received him not." - And because this is a great offense, which is not to be shared in, therefore he adds: Going out from that city, that is, turning away from their wickedness, according to that saying of Numbers 16: "Depart from the tents of wicked men and do not touch what is theirs, lest you be involved with them"; Isaiah 52: "Depart from their midst, do not touch what is unclean"; and Jeremiah 48: "Leave the cities and dwell in the rock."
And this, lest they be defiled by the filth of others; on account of which he adds: And shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them, that is, to show your innocence. This Barnabas and Paul did, of whom it is said in Acts 13 that "having shaken the dust from their feet, they came to Iconium." But to shake the dust from one's feet is to permit nothing of the vain glory of men to cling to one's affections. For vain glory is rightly designated by dust, which is lifted up by the wind, according to that saying of the Psalm: "He shall be like the dust which the wind casts from the face of the earth."
10. (Vers. 6.). And going out, they went about etc. After the authority committed and the propriety enjoined, the Evangelist here subjoins thirdly the utility conjoined. Now a fourfold utility is shown to have followed upon the preaching of the Apostles, namely the arousing of people to hearing, the arousing of hearers to conferring, the arousing of those conferring to marveling, the arousing of those marveling to beholding.