He says: He delivered all things to Me because I am of one Nature and Essence with Him. And as no one knows Him, so no one knows Me either, except the Father alone. Therefore He rightly delivered all things to Me, as One consubstantial with Him and surpassing all knowledge, just as He too is above all knowledge. For the Father, He says, is known by the Son alone and by the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Notice: the Son knows the Father not through revelation, but creatures know Him through revelation, for they receive knowledge by grace; consequently, the Son is not created.
Lk. 10:23. And, turning to the disciples, He said to them privately: Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!
Lk. 10:24. For I say to you, that many prophets and kings desired to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.
Turning to the disciples, the Lord blesses them and indeed all who look upon Him with faith as He walks in the flesh and works miracles. For the ancient prophets and kings, though they greatly desired to see the Lord in the flesh and to hear Him, were nevertheless not deemed worthy of this. And in another sense: since He said above that he knows the Father to whom the Son reveals Him, He now blesses the disciples as those who have already received this revelation. For through Himself He revealed the Father to them, since he who saw Him saw the Father (John 14:9). And no one among those saints who lived before the appearing and working of the Son of God in the flesh attained this blessing. Since they did not see the Lord in the flesh, through Whom the Father was known, it follows that they did not see the Father in the way the apostles saw Him.
Lk. 10:25. And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and, tempting Him, said: Teacher! What shall I do to inherit eternal life?
This lawyer was a boastful man, very arrogant, as is evident from what follows, and moreover crafty. Therefore he approaches the Lord, testing Him, probably thinking that he would trap the Lord in His answers. But the Lord points him to that very Law in which he greatly prided himself.
Lk. 10:26. He said to him: What is written in the Law? How do you read it?
Lk. 10:27. He answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind,
Look at how precisely the Law commands us to love the Lord. Man is the most perfect of all creatures. Although he has something in common with all of them, he also has something superior. For example, man has something in common with a stone, for he has hair and nails, which are insensible, like a stone. He has something in common with a plant, because he grows and is nourished and begets what is like himself, just as a plant does. He has something in common with the irrational animals, because he has senses, grows angry, and feels desire. But what elevates man above all other animals is that he has something in common with God as well, namely: a rational soul. Therefore the Law, wishing to show that man must wholly in all things surrender himself to God and take captive all the powers of the soul into the love of God, by the words "with all your heart" indicated the coarser power belonging to plants, by the words "with all your soul" indicated the finer power befitting beings endowed with senses, and by the words "with all your mind" designated the distinctive power of man — the rational soul. The words "with all your strength" we must apply to all of these. For we must subject to the love of Christ the vegetative power of the soul as well. But how? — strongly, not weakly; and the sensory power, and it too strongly; and finally the rational power, and it also "with all our strength," so that we must wholly surrender ourselves to God and subject to the love of God our nutritive, sensory, and rational power.
Lk. 10:27. And your neighbor as yourself.
The Law, on account of the infancy of its hearers, being unable yet to impart the most perfect teaching, commands to love one's neighbor "as oneself." But Christ taught to love one's neighbor more than even oneself. For He says: no one can show "greater love than if one... lays down... his life... for his friends" (John 15:13).
Lk. 10:28. Jesus said to him: You have answered correctly; do this and you shall live.
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.
Lk. 10:29. But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus: And who is my neighbor?
The lawyer, having received praise from the Savior, displayed arrogance. He said: "and who... is my... neighbor?" He thought that he was righteous and had no one equal to himself or close to him in virtue; for he believed that a righteous man's neighbor is only another righteous man. And so, wishing to justify himself and exalt himself above all people, he says with pride: and who is my neighbor?
Lk. 10:30. Jesus said to this: A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among robbers, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
But the Savior, since He is the Creator and sees in all one creation, defines the neighbor not by deeds, not by merits, but by nature. Do not think, He says, that since you are righteous, there is no one like you. For all who share one and the same nature are your neighbors. Therefore, you yourself be a neighbor to them not in place, but in disposition toward them and care for them. For this reason I also bring before you the example of the Samaritan, to show you that although he differed in way of life, he nevertheless became a neighbor to the one in need of mercy. So you too show yourself a neighbor through compassion and hasten to help by your own admission. Thus, by this parable we are taught to be ready for mercy and to strive to be neighbors to those who need our help. Let us also recognize the goodness of God toward man. Human nature was going "from Jerusalem," that is, from a serene and peaceful life, for Jerusalem means "vision of peace." Where was it going? "To Jericho," a barren, low place, stifling from heat, that is, into a life full of passions. Notice: He did not say "went down," but "was going." For human nature always inclined toward earthly things, not once, but constantly being drawn into a life of passion. "And fell among robbers," that is, fell among demons. Whoever does not descend from the height of the mind will not fall among demons. They, having stripped the man and removed from him the garments of virtue, inflicted upon him the wounds of sin. For they first strip us of every good thought and the covering of God, and then inflict wounds through sins. They left human nature "half dead," either because the soul is immortal while the body is mortal, and thus half of man is subject to death, or because human nature was not entirely rejected but hoped to receive salvation in Christ, and thus was not completely dead. But just as through Adam's transgression death entered the world, so through justification in Christ death was to be abolished (Rom. 5:16–17).
Lk. 10:31. By chance a certain priest was going down that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
Lk. 10:32. Likewise a Levite also, when he was at that place, came and looked and passed by on the other side.
By the priest and the Levite, understand, perhaps, the Law and the prophets. For they desired to justify man, but could not. "It is impossible," says the Apostle Paul, "that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins" (Heb. 10:4). They took pity on man and considered how to heal him, but, overcome by the severity of the wounds, they withdrew again. For this is what it means to pass by. The Law came and stood over the one lying there, but then, not having the power to heal, it departed. This is what "passed by" means.
Lk. 10:33. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came upon him, and seeing him, had compassion.
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. But our Lord and God, who became "a curse for us" (Gal. 3:13) and was called a Samaritan (John 8:48), came to us making the journey, that is, setting as the pretext and purpose of His journey this very thing—to heal us—and not merely passing by, and He visited us not by chance (incidentally), but lived with us and conversed with us, not in appearance only.
Lk. 10:34. And went to him, and bound up his wounds,
At once he "bound up the wounds," not allowing the disease to grow worse, but restraining it.
Lk. 10:34. Pouring on oil and wine;