First therefore, as regards the return of the accustomed vision, it is said: And when the voice was made, Jesus was found alone, namely without Moses and Elijah, just as He was before with them. And this is what the bride desired in Song of Songs eight: "Who will grant you to me as my brother, nursing at the breasts of my mother, that I may find you alone outside and kiss you, and now let no one despise me?" And here therefore He was found alone with them, so that they might understand the passing away of the Law and of prophecy and the permanence of evangelical truth, according to what is said in Matthew twenty-four: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." Whence in the Gloss of Bede: " Alone He is seen, because, with the shadow of the Law and the Prophets departing, the true light is found, as the grace of the Gospel shines forth." Or, to show that He alone is the one who is to be adored and for whom a tabernacle is to be built, according to that passage in Deuteronomy six: "You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him alone."
Or, to show that He alone is the one who can save: whence Acts four: "There is no other name under heaven given to men, by which we must be saved"; and Hebrews seven: "But Jesus, because He remains forever, has an eternal priesthood; whence He is also able to save in perpetuity, ever living to intercede for us."
68. Second, as regards the concealment of the vision shown, it is added: And they kept silent. For they knew it was written in Tobit twelve: "It is good to hide the secret of a king." For it was not yet the time for speaking, but rather for concealing, according to that passage in Ecclesiastes three: "A time for keeping silent and a time for speaking"; and Sirach twenty: "There is one who keeps silent, knowing the time of the fitting occasion. A wise man will keep silent until the right time, but the wanton and imprudent will not observe the time."
And such were the Apostles: on account of which it is added: And they told no one in those days anything of what they had seen: not because they wished to conceal it out of avarice, but because they wished to keep silent out of divine obedience. For the Lord had commanded this to them, according to that passage in Matthew seventeen: "Tell the vision to no one, until the Son of Man has risen from the dead."
69. Now a threefold reason can be assigned for this prohibition. The first was the instruction of contemplatives, whose role it is to conceal the divine secret, according to that passage in Isaiah twenty-four: "My secret is mine, my secret is mine." Whence Mary concealed the virginal birth for thirty years, Elizabeth her conception for five months, as is said above in chapter one: "She hid herself for five months"; Paul his rapture for fourteen years, Second Corinthians twelve: "I know a man fourteen years ago," etc.
The second reason was the instruction of preachers, that they should not set forth the word of truth unless they see the capacity of the hearers to believe and receive the word, according to that passage of Ecclesiasticus thirty-two: "Where there is no hearing, do not pour forth speech." Whence in the Gloss: "At the Lord's command, they are silent until the Son of Man rises from the dead, lest it be incredible on account of the greatness of the matter, and lest the cross following upon such great glory cause scandal"; and Jerome: "Surely it belongs to the teacher to consider the persons of the hearers, lest they mock before they hear."
The third reason was the instruction of all, that no one should wish to be praised, nor should anyone dare to praise in this life, according to that passage of Ecclesiasticus eleven: "Before death, praise no man, for a man is known in his children"; whence Ambrose: "Praise after death, proclaim after consummation."
70. Now it came to pass on the following day etc. After the demonstration of the glory promised and the contemplation of the glory demonstrated, there is here subjoined the confirmation of the glory considered, in the miraculous healing of a demoniac, mute and lunatic. Concerning this healing, three things are introduced by the Evangelist for its perfect explanation. The first is the disposing opportunity; the second is the effecting power, at the passage: But Jesus answering, said to them etc.; the third is the consequent benefit, and this at the passage: And all were astonished etc.
The disposing opportunity is gathered from three things, namely from the presence of the meeting crowd, from the entreaty of the beseeching man, from the violence of the besieging demon.
71. (Verse 37). Therefore he first introduces the presence of the meeting crowd, when he says: Now it came to pass on the following day, as they were descending from the mountain, that is, returning to the plains; a great crowd met them, because they believed and hoped to see signs, according to that passage of John six: "A great multitude followed Jesus, seeing the signs which he worked upon those who were infirm." And note that the crowd does not accompany him ascending, because it does not grasp sublime things; whence Exodus nineteen: "The common people shall not be able to ascend the mountain"; but it meets him descending, because it willingly embraces the lowly things of Christ; whence Matthew eight: "When Jesus had descended from the mountain, great crowds followed him."
72. From this it can also be understood spiritually that the leisure of contemplation, which is designated by the ascent onto the mountain, belongs to few; but the exercise of action, which is designated by his descent and the crowd meeting him, belongs to many. This was signified in the ark of Noah, which, though it was three hundred cubits at the bottom, was completed at the top in a single cubit, as is clear from Genesis 6. And therefore the summit of the mountain befits those who contemplate, and the level plains those who labor, according to that verse of the Psalm: "The mountains ascend, and the fields descend." And this is what Bede said in the Gloss: "On the mountain he prays, teaches, demonstrates his majesty, opens the Father's voice to the Apostles; but descending, he is received by the crowd, is struck by the weeping of the wretched, reproaches the sins of unbelief, expels evil spirits." Here he touches upon four acts of the contemplative life, which he designated in the ascent of the mountain, which are prayer, reading, beholding of divine things, and revelation of secrets; and four of the active life, which are shown in the descent. For in a fourfold way a prelate ought to condescend to his subjects in the exercise of action, namely by visiting, compassionating, rebuking vices, and relieving necessities.
According to the literal sense, however, the crowd meets him as he descends, because they desired to see the expulsion of the demon, which could not be accomplished by the disciples, as is added shortly after: "I asked your disciples to cast him out, and they could not." Therefore, from so great a presence and desire of the people, the opportunity for performing a miracle is gathered.
73. (Verse 38.) Secondly, he introduces the urgency of the man beseeching, when he says: And behold, a man from the crowd cried out. In this he shows the affection in supplicating, according to that verse of the Psalm: "When I cried to the Lord, he heard my voice"; whence 1 Maccabees 5: "They cried out with trumpets to heaven and cried out in prayer"; and of Samuel it is said in 1 Kings 15 that "being grieved, he cried to the Lord the whole night."
And that this was a cry of prayer is clear from what follows: Saying: Master, I beseech you, look upon my son, for he is my only child. In this prayer he confesses Christ's excellence, offers reverence, seeks clemency, and alleges need; and thus the prayer is sufficiently perfect. When he says Master, he confesses his excellence, according to what is said to the disciples: "You call me master and lord, and you say well," John 13. He calls him master rather than anything else because he considered that he could do and know more than the disciples, who had not been able to nor known how to cure his son; and for this reason the Lord said to the disciples in Matthew 23: "Do not be called masters, for one is your master, Christ."
In this, however, that he adds: I beseech thee, he shows reverence. For it belongs to the one beseeching to humble himself and show reverence, according to what is said in First Timothy five: "Rebuke not an elder, but entreat him as a father." And this a man ought especially to do in prayer. For in Sirach thirty-five it is said: "The prayer of him who humbles himself shall pierce the clouds."
In this, moreover, that he adds: Look upon my son, he asks for mercy, according to that passage of Sirach thirty-six: "Have mercy upon us, O God of all, and look upon us and show us the light of your mercies"; concerning which regard it is said in the Psalm: "He has regarded the prayer of the humble and has not despised their petition."
In this, that he adds: Because he is my only child, he pleads his need, as if he were saying that verse of the Psalm: "Look upon me and have mercy on me, for I am alone and poor." For an only son is tenderly loved, according to that passage of Second Kings one: "As a mother loves her only son, so I loved you"; and is lost with grief: whence in Genesis forty-two Jacob said of Benjamin: "He alone remains; if any adversity befall him in the land, you will bring my grey hairs with sorrow to the grave."
74. (Verse 39.). Thirdly, he adds the violence of the besieging demon, when he adds: And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out: from which it appears that the demon was afflicting him with a sudden affliction; whence in Matthew seventeen it is said of this same boy: "Have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and suffers grievously and often falls into water and frequently into fire"; whence such an infirmity was sudden, as is the infirmity of those seized by demons. Such, moreover, was Saul, of whom in First Kings sixteen it is said that when the evil spirit of the Lord seized Saul, David would strike the harp; in which it is signified that the true David, Christ, was to subdue demonic violence.
Nor was it only sudden, but also afflictive: whence he adds: And he dashes him and tears him apart with foaming: which is a sign of great pain and affliction; whence he could already say: "My bones are scattered at the brink of hell," because he was being torn apart by the infernal spirit.
Nor was it only afflictive, but also prolonged: on account of which he adds: And he scarcely departs, tearing him: whence he could say that verse of Job nineteen: "His robbers came together and made their way through me and besieged my tabernacle round about."
75. (Vers. 40.). And that this suffering was of great duration is apparent from the difficulty of the cure; whence he adds: And I asked your disciples to cast him out, and they could not. The reason for this, however, was that they could not do so by earthly power, according to that passage in Job 41: "There is no power upon the earth," etc.; and at that time the power of divine efficacy was absent on account of human unbelief. Whence Matthew 17: "The disciples said to the Lord: Why could we not cast him out? But he answering said: Because of your unbelief." But on the contrary, Mark 9: "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
76. According to the spiritual understanding, however, in this demoniac so afflicted is understood the man who is possessed by spiritual sin: who is seized through pride, which first causes the devil to extend his hand against man, according to that passage in Job 41: "He is king over all the children of pride." — Secondly, he cries out through vainglory; Isaiah 5: "I expected that he would do justice, and behold, a cry." Such were the Pharisees, according to that passage in Matthew 23: "They enlarge their phylacteries, magnify their fringes, love the first places at feasts," etc. Thirdly, he dashes down through envy, according to that passage in Job 30: "You have lifted me up, and as though setting me upon the wind," through arrogance, "you have dashed me down violently," through envy, because, Job 5, "envy slays the little one."
Fourthly, he is scattered through wrath, which disturbs all thoughts, according to that passage in Job 17: "My thoughts are scattered, tormenting my heart"; and in the Psalm: "They were scattered and not contrite; they gnashed upon me with their teeth."
Fifthly, he tears apart through sorrow of heart, by which he casts down into impatience, through which the conscience also is torn apart; whence Ecclesiasticus 38: "Sorrow of heart bows down the neck," etc.
And hence it is that he scarcely departs on account of perfidy: Wisdom 12: "Wicked is their nation, and natural their malice, and because the thought of their heart could not be changed forever."