Luke 10 · The Lantern

After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come.

Likewise also the twelve were reckoned by two and two, as Matthew shows in his enumeration of them. (Matt. 10:2.) For that two should be joined in service, seems from the word of God to be an ancient custom. For God led Israel out of Egypt by the hands of Moses and Aaron. Joshua and Caleb also, united together, appeased the people who had been provoked by the twelve spies.

God had made known by the Prophets that the preaching of the Gospel of salvation was to embrace not only Israel, but also the Gentile nations; and therefore after the twelve Apostles, there were other seventy-two (Vulg. septuaginta duos.) also appointed by Christ, as it is said, After these things the Lord appointed other seventy-two also.

Luke 10: He sent them two by two, etc.; the Gloss of Ambrose says: "So great ought the preacher's confidence to be that he knows most certainly that necessities will not fail him, lest, while he provides earthly things for himself, he less provides eternal things for others." Therefore the pursuit of preaching and teaching ought not to be interrupted on account of bodily work,…

Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.

Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.

I relate all those things on the authority of well-informed persons; and I thought it proper to commit them to writing exactly as they happened, lest the memory of events so important should perish, and lest any future historian of the persecutors should corrupt the truth, either by suppressing their offences against God, or the judgment of God against them.

(l. i. ep. 438.) Denoting the simplicity and innocence in His disciples. For those who were riotous, and by their enormities did despite to their nature, He calls not lambs, but goats.

Fourth, however, with regard to the strengthening of those dispatched against the fury of persecutors, he adds: Go: behold, I send you as lambs among wolves.

Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.

Look, for instance, to Elias the Thesbite, in whom we have a beautiful example of frugality, when he sat down beneath the thorn, and the angel brought him food. "It was a cake of barley and a jar of water." Such the Lord sent as best for him. We, then, on our journey to the truth, must be unencumbered.

"I will go and bid farewell to the children of my house," but Christ said unto him, "Thou hast no peace with them," for "Ye shall salute no man by the way"; and the meaning of this speech is that Christ thereby denied His disciples also that salutation of the peace of the world.

Again, Luke 10: Do not carry a purse or a bag. The Gloss: "So great ought the preacher's trust in God to be that, even if he does not foresee the expenses of the present life, he nonetheless knows most certainly that they will not fail him, lest, while the mind is occupied with temporal things, he preach eternal things less effectively." Therefore, it contributes to a more unhi…

And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.

For what is a wayside blessing but a mutual salutation as men meet? So also the Lord commands: "Into whatsoever house they enter, let them say, Peace be to it." Herein He follows the very same example.

(Hom. 35. in Matt.) Peace is the mother of all good things, without it all other things are vain. Our Lord therefore commanded His disciples on entering a house first to pronounce peace as a sign of good things, saying, Into whatever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. (Hom. 32. in Matt. Orat. cont. Jud.

Third, as regards showing kindness, he adds: And into whatever house you enter, first say: Peace to this house: so that it may appear that you are men who love and announce peace, according to that passage of Isaiah 52: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who announces and preaches peace"!

And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.

Hence it is added, And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it. As if he says, You indeed shall utter the word, but the blessing of peace shall be applied wherever I shall deem men worthy of it. But if any one is not worthy, ye are not mocked, the grace of your word has not perished, but is returned unto you.

"Into whatever house you enter," He says, "first say: peace be to this house," that is, greet those who are in the house; then, showing that this is not merely a greeting but also a blessing, He says: if the householder is worthy, then he will be blessed, and if he is an offender and incapable of receiving peace, if he is an enemy and opponent of your word and teaching, then th…

And because they might fear that they would offer peace in vain, therefore he adds: And if a son of peace be there: of peace according to eternal foreknowledge, of whom it is said in John 11 that "Jesus suffered, that he might gather together the children of God who were scattered"; of whom it is said in 2 Timothy 2: "The Lord knows who are his." Such are sons of peace, because…

And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.

But every true prophet that willeth to abide among you is worthy of his support. So also a true teacher is himself worthy, as the workman, of his support. Every first-fruit, therefore, of the products of wine-press and threshing-floor, of oxen and of sheep, thou shalt take and give to the prophets, for they are your high priests.

Another virtue is added, that we should not go about easily, changing from house to house. For it follows, Go not from house to house; that is, that we should preserve a consistency in our love towards our hosts, nor lightly loose any bond of friendship.

Fourth, indeed, as regards showing maturity, he adds: But remain in the same house, as mature men, lest perhaps you be noted for instability; whence Ecclesiasticus twenty-one: "The foot of a fool is quick into his neighbor's house." Therefore Bede says: "It is foreign to a preacher to run about through houses and to change his lodging." And because they might believe that lodgi…

And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:

Now having described the reception from different houses, he teaches them what they ought to do in the cities; namely, to have intercourse with the good in all, but to keep from the society of the wicked in every thing; as it follows, But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.

"Eat," He says, "and drink what they have," that is, whatever they set before you, and even if it be little and poor, do not demand more. Accept food in place of a reward, that is, do not seek to receive food and payment separately, but accept the food itself as your reward. See how He makes His disciples firm against poverty.

And into whatever city you enter. After the common instruction of the disciples, the Evangelist here subjoins a special instruction according to the diversities of the hearers.

And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

That the kingdom of God was neither new nor unheard of, He in this way affirmed, whilst at the same time He bids them announce that it was near at hand. Now it is that which was once far off, which can be properly said to have become near.

(Cap. Theol. 191.) Which it is said is come nigh, not to show the shortness of time, for the kingdom of God cometh not with observation, but to mark the disposition of men towards the kingdom of God, which is indeed potentially in all believers, but actually in those who reject the life of the body, and choose only the spiritual life; who are able to say, Now I live, yet not I,…

Secondly, with regard to the communication of spiritual benefit, it is added: And heal the sick who are in it: and this through the power conferred upon you by the Holy Spirit, concerning which First Corinthians twelve: "To another is given the grace of healings in one spirit, to another the working of powers." This the Lord gave to the lesser disciples for the confirmation of…

But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,

By wiping off the dust of their feet against them, they in some sort say, The dust of your sins shall deservedly come upon you. And mark that the cities which receive not the Apostles and sound doctrine have streets, according to Matthew, Broad is the way which leadeth to destruction. (Matt. 7:13.)

He next teaches them to shake off the dust from their feet when the men of a city have refused to entertain them, saying, Into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, shake off the dust.

Into whatever city you enter. After the instruction regarding the faithful, there follows the instruction regarding the rebellious, concerning which two things are introduced: the first is the attestation of the truth of the Gospel, the second is the threatening of the severity of judgment.

Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.

He likewise adds, that they should say to such as would not receive them: "Notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you." If He does not enjoin this by way of a commination, the injunction is a most useless one.

Into whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, going out into its streets, say: Even the dust that clings to us from your city, we wipe off against you.

Say: Even the dust from your feet that clings to us from your city, we wipe off against you, on account of contempt of the truth, which is a sin greatly to be detested, according to that passage in John 15: "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin." And therefore, for the detestation of this offense, he says the dust is to be wiped off, as Peter said to Si…

But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.

And it was He who rained fire and brimstone from heaven, in the days of Lot, upon Sodom and Gomorrah, "an example of the righteous judgment of God," that all may know, "that every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cut down, and cast into the fire." And it is He who uses [the words], that it will be more tolerable for Sodom in the general judgment than for those w…

But I say to you that it will be more bearable for Sodom in that day than for that city. The Sodomites, indeed, amidst so many flagrant vices of flesh and soul, with which they insatiably burned, were also inhospitable, as testified by Ezekiel, but they had no such guests among them as the prophets among the Jews, nor apostles.

Secondly, with regard to the threatening of the severity of judgment, he adds: I say to you, that for Sodom in that day it shall be more tolerable than for that city: from which the magnitude of the punishment is apparent.

Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

It is enough for me that even John, when "strewing the Lord's ways," was the herald of repentance no less to such as were on military service and to publicans, than to the sons of Abraham. The Lord Himself presumed repentance on the part of the Sidonians and Tyrians if they had seen the evidences of His "miracles."

Woe to you, Chorazin, woe to you, Bethsaida. Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, also Tiberias, which John names, are cities of Galilee, situated on the shore of the lake of Gennesaret, which is formed by the flowing Jordan, and even by the evangelists is also called the sea of Galilee, or the sea of Tiberias.

Woe to you, Chorazin etc. Here in the third place is subjoined the rebuke of the contemners, who are shown to be deserving of rebuke by the Lord on two accounts and are convicted as damnable, namely on account of hardness of heart and on account of loftiness of mind: hardness of heart rendered them impenitent, but loftiness rendered them arrogant.

But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.

And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.

And in another place: Now when our Lord had done many mighty works in Capernaum, and had Himself dwelt there, it seemed to be exalted above the other cities, but through unbelief fell to destruction. Hence it follows, And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shall be thrust down to hell; that, in fact, the judgment might be in proportion to the honour.

And you, Capernaum, exalted to the heavens, as one glorified by the many miracles performed in you, shall be brought down to Hades; you will be condemned for the very reason that even after so many miracles you do not believe.

But secondly, rebuking with regard to the loftiness of mind, he adds: And you, Capernaum, exalted even unto heaven, namely through arrogance, you shall be thrust down even unto hell, by divine sentence.

He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.

And all the Jews even now teach that the nameless God spake to Moses; whence the Spirit of prophecy, accusing them by Isaiah the prophet mentioned above, said "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know Me, and My people do not understand." And Jesus the Christ, because the Jews knew not what the Father was, and what the Son, in like manne…

But at the same time He herein consoles His disciples, as if He said, Say not why are we about to suffer reproach. Let your speech be with moderation. I give you grace, upon Me your reproaches fall.

He who hears you etc. Here in the fourth place is added the authentication of the preachers. He shows them to be authentic both on account of the authority of Christ the mediator, and also on account of the authority of the supreme ruler. First, therefore, he authenticates them through the authority of Christ the mediator, when he says: He who hears you hears me.

And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.

But at the same time He herein consoles His disciples, as if He said, Say not why are we about to suffer reproach. Let your speech be with moderation. I give you grace, upon Me your reproaches fall.

Now the seventy-two returned with joy, saying: Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name. They indeed confessed rightly, giving honor to the name of Christ, but because they were still rejoicing in the miracles with weak faith, see what they hear.

But they returned etc. After the sending of the companions and the instruction of those going forth, here in the third place is added the consolation of those returning. This part, moreover, has two sections. In the first of which the Lord restrains vain joy in the disciples: in the second he invites them to true joy, at the passage: But rejoice, because your names etc.

And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

...the dew, which is the Spirit of God, who descended upon the Lord, should be diffused throughout all the earth, "the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and piety, the spirit of the fear of God." This Spirit, again, He did confer upon the Church, sending throughout all the world the Comforter from heaven, from whence al…

And Peter said: "It is impossible for me to deny the assertion of my Teacher. Wherefore I allow that the evil one exists, because my Teacher, who spoke the truth in all things, has frequently asserted that he exists. For instance, then, he acknowledges that he conversed with Him, and tempted Him for forty days.

Second, he adds the repression of vain exultation, when he adds: And he said to them: I saw Satan falling like lightning from heaven: as if the Lord were saying: do not be puffed up by divine benefits, lest you fall with the proud angels: 2 Peter 2: "If God did not spare the angels who sinned, but dragged them down with the chains of hell and delivered them to tartarus to be to…

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

And again, in other words, He said, 'I give unto you power to tread on serpents, and on scorpions, and on scolopendras, and on all the might of the enemy.' And now we, who believe on our Lord Jesus, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, when we exorcise all demons and evil spirits, have them subjected to us.

(Hom. in Cant.) For pleasure is called in Scripture a serpent, which by nature is such that if its head has reached a wall so as to press upon it, it drags its whole body after it. So nature has given man the habitation which was necessary for him.

Third, He subjoins the occasion of vain exultation, when He adds: Behold, I have given you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, namely with respect to bodily snares, according to what is said to the serpent in Genesis 3: "She shall crush your head, and you shall lie in wait for her heel"; and over all the power of the enemy, with respect to spiritual snares, concerning w…

Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

To be sure he did, as being an envious (spirit), and in his very confession only petulant, and evil in adulation-just as if it had been Christ's highest glory to have come for the destruction of demons, and not for the salvation of mankind; whereas His wish really was that His disciples should not glory in the subjection of evil spirits but in the fair beauty of salvation.

Why, O Lord, dost not Thou permit men to rejoice in the honours which are conferred by Thee, since it is written, In thy name shall they rejoice all the day? (Ps. 89:16.) But the Lord raises them up by greater joys. Hence He adds, But rejoice that your names are written in heaven.

Fourth, he adds the prohibition of vain exultation, when he says: Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you: because such joy is like the joy of the proud over their own promotion and the abasement of others, which does not befit true Saints, according to Ecclesiasticus 8: "Do not rejoice over your dead enemy"; and Job 31: "If I rejoiced at the r…

In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

Again, our Lord Jesus Christ confesses this same Being as His Father, where He says: "I confess to thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth." What Father will those men have us to understand [by these words], those who are most perverse sophists of Pandora? Whether shall it be Bythus, whom they have fabled of themselves; or their Mother; or the Only-begotten?

It is therefore the peculiar gift bestowed by God upon the Hebrews, that they believe Moses; and the peculiar gift bestowed upon the Gentiles is that they love Jesus.

Secondly, he shows him to be rejoicing over irreproachable providence: with respect to which he adds: In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit, that is, in spiritual joy, which ought to be in the Holy Spirit, not in the flesh, according to that passage in Romans 14: "The kingdom of God is not food and drink, but justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit"; whence also…

All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal

And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see:

If you look also into the next words, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things which ye see, for I tell you that prophets have not seen the things which ye see," you will find that they follow from the sense above, that no man indeed had come to the knowledge of God as he ought to have done, since even the prophets had not seen the things which were being seen under Christ.

He also gave the holy apostles power and might even to raise the dead, cleanse lepers, heal the sick, and by the laying on of hands to call down from heaven the Holy Spirit on anyone they wanted. He gave them power to bind and to loose people's sins. His words are "I say to you, whatever you will bind on earth, will be bound in heaven.

The third firmness of faith is that which proceeds from the witness of truth as expressed through the inspired word: and this occurred with all the prophets. And we have heard this Word, for it is the Spirit that bears witness that Christ is the truth. Some have actually seen Him in the flesh. Hence in Luke: "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!

For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard

(in Cant. 1:2.) But why does he say that many prophets desired, and not all? Because it is said of Abraham, That he saw the day of Christ and was glad, (John 8:56.) which sight not many, but few attained to; but there were other prophets and just men not so great as to reach to Abraham's vision, and the experience of the Apostles, who, He says, saw not, but desired to see.

For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. Abraham rejoiced that he might see the day of Christ, and saw it, and was glad. Isaiah also, and Micah, many other prophets saw the glory of the Lord, who for that reason are called seers.

And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

For in this law given to Adam we recognise in embryo all the precepts which afterwards sprouted forth when given through Moses; that is, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God from thy whole heart and out of thy whole soul; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; Thou shalt not kill; Thou shall not commit adultery; Thou shalt not steal; False witness thou shall not utter; Honour th…

For there were in fact certain men who then went about the whole country of the Jews bringing charges against Christ, and saying that He spoke of the commands of Moses as useless, and Himself introduced certain strange doctrines.

The second part treats of the form of living given to the disciples in two ways. And behold, a certain lawyer etc. After the Evangelist described the form of preaching, here secondly he introduces the form of living.

He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

With these verses belongs the text that exposes those who seem to themselves to be experts on the law, who keep the letter of the law but disregard its spirit. He teaches that they are ignorant of the law from its very first chapter. He proves this immediately at the beginning of the law.

But he said to him: What is written in the law? How do you read it? He answered, saying: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. As the lawyer responds, our Savior shows us the perfect path to heavenly life.

Second, regarding the discovery of the truth sought, he adds: But he said to him: What is written in the Law? How do you read? From this it is apparent that the Master of truth was a friend of the Law, according to Matthew five: "Do you think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets?

And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

Wherefore none of the devices of the devil shall be hidden from you, if, like Paul, ye perfectly possess that faith and love towards Christ which are the beginning and the end of life. The beginning of life is faith, and the end is love.

(de Hom. Opif. c. 8.) the soul is divided into three faculties; one merely of growth and vegetation, such as is found in plants; another which relates to the senses, which is preserved in the nature of irrational animals; but the perfect faculty of the soul is that of reason, which is seen in human nature.

And this way led him by the hand to the truth; on account of which it is added: But he answering said: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul and with all thy strength and with thy whole mind. This is read in Deuteronomy 6: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart," etc.

And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

He says, "What is written in the law? How do you read?" The lawyer repeated what is in the law. As if to punish his wickedness and reprove his malicious purpose, Christ, knowing all things, says, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live." The lawyer missed his prey. He shot off the mark. His wickedness is unsuccessful. The sting of envy ceased.

So, to the lawyer He says: "you have answered correctly." Since you, He says, are still subject to the Law, then you answer correctly; for according to the Law you reason rightly.

Thirdly, with regard to the approbation of the truth discovered, it is added: And he said to him: You have answered rightly: because you brought forth a word of rectitude, which pertains to love, according to that of Song of Songs 1: "The righteous love you"; or you spoke according to the rule of wisdom, according to that of Proverbs 8: "All my words are just, there is nothing…

But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

The second in order, and not any less than this, He says, is, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself," consequently God above thyself.

The lawyer, when praised by our Saviour for having answered right, breaks forth into pride, thinking that he had no neighbour, as though there was no one to be compared to him in righteousness. Hence it is said, But he willing to justify himself said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? For somehow first one sin and then another takes him captive.

Fourthly, with regard to the investigation of the truth approved, it is added: But he, wishing to justify himself, that is, to show himself just, "because, as the Interlinear Gloss says, he thought he stood not before God but before man," according to that below in chapter 16: "You are they who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts" etc.

And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

Although these things are said reasonably and beautifully, it is nevertheless not to be supposed that they pertain to every man. For not every man "goes down from Jerusalem to Jericho", nor do all on that account tarry in the present age, even though he who "was sent because of the lost sheep" — "of the house of Israel" — came.

But sins are called wounds, because the perfectness of human nature is violated by them. And they departed, not by ceasing to lie in wait, but by hiding the craft of their devices.

(Hypognos. lib. 3.) Or by Jerusalem, which is by interpretation "the sight of peace," we mean Paradise, for before man sinned he was in sight of peace, that is, in paradise; whatever he saw was peace, and going thence he descended (as if brought low and made wretched by sin) into Jericho, that is, the world, in which all things that are born die as the moon.

And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

And it came to pass that on the same road there went down first a "priest", then a "Levite", who had perhaps done certain good things to other men, yet not to this one who had gone down "from Jerusalem to Jericho". For the "priest" saw him — the law, I think — the "Levite" saw him — the prophetic word, as I suppose — and when they had seen him, they passed by and left him.

It happened that a certain priest was going down the same way, and upon seeing him, he passed by. Similarly, a Levite, when he was near the place and saw him, passed by.

It happened that a priest, etc. After the person in need because of a twofold misery, there follows here the person who despises because of hardness. Here a twofold person is introduced, namely a superior and an inferior in ecclesiastical dignity.

And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.

But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion

For providence was keeping the half-dead man for him who was stronger than the law and the prophets, namely the Samaritan, which is interpreted "guardian". This is he who "neither slumbers nor sleeps, keeping Israel".

Look: the phrase "by chance" has a certain meaning. For the Law was indeed given not for some particular reason, but because of the weakness of humanity (Gal. 3:19), which was unable at first to receive the mystery of Christ. Therefore it is said that the priest, that is, the Law, came to heal the man not deliberately, but "by chance," which we commonly call coincidence.

(ubi sup.) Seeing him lying down weak and motionless. And therefore was He moved with compassion, because He saw in him nothing to merit a cure, but He Himself for sin condemned sin in the flesh. (Rom. 8:3.) Hence it follows, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine.

And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

He "bound up the wounds, poured in oil mixed with wine", and did not say what is read in the prophet: "there is no salve to lay on, nor oil, nor bandages".

Robbers left you half-dead on the road, but you have been found lying there by the passing and kindly Samaritan. Wine and oil have been poured on you. You have received the sacrament of the only-begotten Son. You have been lifted onto his mule. You have believed that Christ became flesh.

And coming, Christ does three things for the wounded man: he applied a remedy, and this through the grace of the Sacraments, in which anointings and unctions are performed that heal the wounds of sins, which was not done before the coming of the Savior, according to that passage of Isaiah 1: "Wound and bruise and swelling sore are not bound up, nor treated with medicine, nor so…

And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

Wherefore we have need of the dew of God, that we be not consumed by fire, nor be rendered unfruitful, and that where we have an accuser there we may have also an Advocate, the Lord commending to the Holy Spirit His own man, who had fallen among thieves, whom He Himself compassionated, and bound up his wounds, giving two royal denaria; so that we, receiving by the Spirit the im…

(ubi sup.) Or the two pence are the two commandments of love, which the Apostles received from the Holy Spirit to preach to others; or the promise of the present life, and that which is to come.

Secondly, as regards mercy relieving destitution, he adds: And the next day he brought out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. He brought out a small sum of money, because perhaps he had but little, according to that passage of Tobit four: "As you are able, be merciful.

Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?

But He introduces one on his way down from the upland region from Jerusalem to Jericho, and represents him stabbed by robbers, cast half-dead on the way, passed by the priest, looked sideways at by the Levite, but pitied by the vilified and excommunicated Samaritan; who did not, like those, pass casually, but came provided with such things as the man in danger required, such as…

(de. Doc. Chris. lib. i. c. 30.) Hereby we understand that he is our neighbour, to whomsoever we must show the duty of compassion, if he need it, or would have shown if he had needed it. From which it follows, that even he who must in his turn show us this duty, is our neighbour.

Which of these three seems etc. Here in the fourth place is subjoined the doctrine following from the parable, and this with respect to two things: first, as regards the instruction of the intellect, and second, as regards the exhortation of the affections.

And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

The name of which village Luke indeed here omits, but John mentions, calling it Bethany. (John 11.)

By His own example then He teaches His disciples how they ought to behave in the houses of those who receive them, namely, when they come to a house, they should not remain idle, but rather fill the minds of those who receive them with sacred and divine teaching. But let those who make ready the house, go to meet their guests gladly and earnestly, for two reasons.

For the instruction of the disciples, a human example is subjoined, set forth in a twofold manner. Now it came to pass, as they went, etc. After he handed down a form of living through the divine precept, here secondly he hands it down through a human example.

And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.

Mary came and sat at his feet. This was as though she were sitting on firm ground at the feet of him who had forgiven the sinful woman her sins. She had put on a crown in order to enter into the kingdom of the Firstborn. She had chosen the better portion, the Benefactor, the Messiah himself. This will never be taken away from her.

(6. Mor. c. 18.) Or by Mary who sat and heard our Lord's words, is signified the contemplative life; by Martha engaged in more outward services, the active life. Now Martha's care is not blamed, but Mary is praised, for great are the rewards of an active life, but those of a contemplative are far better.

Second, with regard to the leisure of the contemplative life, he adds: And she had a sister, named Mary, who was perfect in the leisure of contemplation; whence it is added: Who also, sitting at the feet of the Lord, heard his word. This indeed was the leisure of this woman: to attend to the Lord, to be at rest, to sit, and to be silent.

But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

(Const. Mon. c. 1.) Now every work and word of our Saviour is a rule of piety and virtue. For to this end did He put on our body, that as much as we can we might imitate His conversation. (in reg. fus. int. 19.) It is foolish also to take food for the support of the body, and thereby in return to hurt the body, and to hinder it in the performance of the divine command.

And she stood and said: Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her therefore to help me. He speaks from the perspective of those who, still ignorant of divine contemplation, consider that the work of brotherly love alone is pleasing to God, and therefore think that all who wish to be devoted to Christ should be bound to this.

Third, with regard to the exercise of the active life, it is added: But Martha was busy about much serving; and this as a good active person, avoiding idleness, according to the counsel of the Wise Man, in Ecclesiastes nine: "Whatever your hand is able to do, work diligently, because neither work nor reason nor wisdom nor knowledge shall be in the netherworld, to which you hast…

And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

And he was capable of busying himself about many things; but the one thing, the work of life, he was powerless, and disinclined, and unable to accomplish.

And the Lord answered and said to her: Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but only one thing is necessary. And blessed David, defining this one thing necessary for man, desires to continually cling to God, saying: But it is good for me to cling to God, to put my hope in the Lord God (Psalm LXXII).

And the Lord answering said to her. After the rational comparison, the Evangelist subjoins the judicial determination: concerning which four things are introduced, namely the humiliation of the active life, the commendation of the contemplative life, the promulgation of the sentence, and the assignment of the cause.

But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

A brother went to visit Silvanus on Mount Sinai. When he saw the brothers hard at work, he said to the old man, ' "Labour not for the meat which perisheth" (John 6:27) and "Mary hath chosen the best part" (Luke 10:42).' Silvanus said to his disciple Zacharias, 'Put this brother in a cell where there is nothing.' When three o'clock came, the visitor kept looking at the door, to…

Mary has chosen the best part, which will not be taken away from her. Behold, the part of Martha is not blamed, but Mary's is praised. For he does not say that Mary has chosen a good part, but the best, so that Martha's part may also be indicated as good. But why the part of Mary is the best is explained when it is said: Which will not be taken away from her.

Second, with regard to the commendation of the contemplative life, he adds: But one thing is necessary: this, namely, is the kingdom of God, which once possessed, nothing is lacking; whence Matthew 6: "Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you"; and in the Psalm: "One thing have I asked of the Lord, this will I seek"; this, however, is the bles…

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