Woe to you... For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes . Note the kind of penance, namely, in sackcloth and ashes, because two things induce to penance: one is the remembrance of sins; and this is signified by sackcloth, which is made from the hairs of she-goats: for that animal was immolated for sin. The other is the consideration of death and the condition of human frailty. Hence it says in Genesis (3:19): "you are dust and into dust you shall return"; and Job (42:6): "Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes."
(22) But I tell you: it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you . Here he compares guilt with guilt, because if they are found heavier in guilt, it will be worse for them; for they did not do what they heard. Therefore it is more serious, as John says (15:22): "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin." Note that those words exclude three errors.
For some said that all sins are equal, and likewise punishments. —He excludes this when he says that it will be worse for them than for Tyre and Sidon.
Again, some said that only those foreknown will be saved, because, if he preached to them, they would be converted. —He excludes this when he says that it will go ill with Tyre and Sidon, but worse for those others to whom the kingdom of heaven was announced. Hence Augustine says: "The Lord does not reward what they would have done, but what they have done."
Then he removes the third error, namely, that the Lord sent prophets and preachers to the Jews and not to the rest, because he knew that the others would not receive them. —But he excludes this, because if they had been preached to, they would have done penance.
But the question remains: if the Jews did not believe, it seems that the Lord did not act properly by not sending to those who would have believed.
Gregory says that it is not for man to know God's secrets; yet, as it seems, he preached first to the Jews in fulfillment of the promises made to the patriarchs. Furthermore, in order that their condemnation would be proved more just, he preached to them and later sent disciples to the others.
Remy answers this way: although many from Tyre and Sidon would have believed, some among them were perverse and not yet prepared to believe. Therefore, he did not send to them first.
Augustine gives another explanation, namely, that the Lord foreknew that if they had believed, they would not have persevered at the time of the passion; therefore, he did not send to them.
Another explanation of Augustine's is that predestination is foreknowledge of God's favors. Hence whatever pertains to salvation is the effect of predestination in the predestined. Consequently, God distributes his gifts in various ways, because he gives to some a docile heart and an inclination to act well; but this is not enough, unless there is an instructor. Again, sometimes there is an instructor, but the heart is hard; and just as in the former the facility to believe is not enough, so in the latter the hard heart is harmful. Hence it is foolish to ask why he chose this one and not that one. Wherefore, Augustine says: "Why he draws one and not another, do not judge, if you do not wish to err." Hence it is better that the entire affair be turned back to God's ordination than to man's merits.
(23) And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? In this section he upbraids a more famous city: first, he rebukes pride, because the greater are more boastful; secondly, he upbraids their impenitence (v. 23b). In regard to the first: first, he rebukes their pride; secondly, he threatens a punishment. He says, therefore, And you, Capernaum... This sentence can be taken in two ways: one is interrogative, namely, will you be exalted to heaven? The other: You are the city which has been exalted to heaven, because it was exalted by the Lord, by the Lord's presence and by many miracles: "The things we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in your city" (Lk 4:23). You have also been exalted by yourself; hence will you be exalted by pride or my teaching? But no matter how you have been exalted, you shall be brought down to Hades : "Dragged off in the day of God's wrath; this is the wicked man's portion from God" (Jb 20:28). Hence the proper punishment of the proud is to be hurled down. Isaiah (14:14) against one who said, "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds," answers "You will be brought down to hell." Then he rebukes their impenitence: first, he compares their guilt; secondly, their punishment. He says, therefore, For if in Sodom ... Why does he say this? To denote freedom of judgment, because before a man is life and death. No one warned them; for although Lot was present among them, he worked no miracles. But the others saw the Lord teaching and working miracles. Therefore... Capernaum is interpreted as village most sweet, as is Jerusalem.
(24) But I tell you... On the day of judgment your punishment will be more severe than of that land which was destroyed. Or it can be understood of the inhabitants: "The servant who knows his master's will and does not do it, will be beaten with many stripes" (Lk 12:47).
At that time Jesus declared: I thank you, Father... Above the Lord upbraided the unbelief of the crowd; now he gives thanks for the faith of the disciples and other believers. First, he gives thanks to the Father as author; secondly, he shows that he has the same power (v. 27). He says, therefore, At that time , namely, when it happened, Jesus answered . But whom did he answer? To him are applied the words of Job (15:2): "Does a wise person answer as though talking to the wind?" No. Therefore, he is responding to a tacit objection. For someone could say: Those to whom you preached do not believe, but others would have believed, had you preached to them. Therefore he answers and with the answer rebukes those who sought the causes of election, namely, why they were elevated to heaven and the others cast down to hell; as Origen, who held that election is due to merits. But here he rejects this by showing that it must be attributed to the divine will. He says, therefore, I thank [confess to] you, Father... It should be noted that confession is threefold, namely, of faith; hence it says in Romans (10:10): "Man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his lips and so is saved." Then, confession of sins: "Confess your sins to one another" (Jas 5:16). Finally, there is the confession of thanksgiving, about which Psalm 106 (v. 1): "Confess to the Lord, because he is good..." This is the one meant here.
(25) Two heresies are excluded, namely of Sabellius, who did not distinguish the Son from the Father; hence he says, I confess to you, Father . Thus he confesses the authority of the Father. Also that they are of the same nature; therefore he calls him Father , against Arius. And truly Lord , because he is Father of heaven and earth; so in Psalm 100 (v. 3): "Know that the Lord is God; he made us and not we ourselves." He calls him Father, not because he created him but because he begot him: "He shall cry to me: You are my father" (Ps 89:27).
And why does he give thanks? On account of the distinction he made; and he puts it thus: Because you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to babes [little ones] . Hence it is important here to consider who the little ones are, who the wise, and who the prudent. There are three senses in which persons are called little ones. Literally, little ones are the despicable: "I will make you small among the nations, you shall be utterly despised" (Obad v. 2). Likewise, one is little by reason of humility, because he has lowly sentiments about himself. Hence the Lord says below (18:3): "Unless you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven." Then by reason of simplicity; hence in 1 Corinthians (14:20): "Be little ones in malice." Hence that passage can mean: because you have revealed them to little ones and lowly fishermen. And why? The Apostle gives the reason in 1 Corinthians (1:27): "God has chosen the despised of this world to confound the strong." Augustine explains "to the little ones," i.e., to the humble, to those not presuming on themselves; for where humility is, there is wisdom. Hilary explains it of the simple: "Seek him in simplicity" (Wis 1:1).
On the other hand are the wise and the prudent who are versed in carnal wisdom: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom" (Jer 9:23). He did not reveal these things to them but to peasants, who do not trust in their own wisdom: "I said, 'I will be wise,' but it was far from me. That which is, is far off" (Ec 7:23). Wherefore the Apostle to the Romans (10:3): "Ignorant of God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness." Also by the wise he understands the proud, vaunting themselves. He did not reveal it to these: "Claiming to be wise, they became foolish" (Rom 1:22). Likewise he calls wise those who live according to the flesh, who seek the things of the flesh and not of God" (Phil 2:21). Again "they are wise for doing evil and do not know how to do good" (Jer 4:22). And revealed them : "You must no longer live as the gentiles do, in the futility of their minds" (Eph 4:17). Hence you have hidden from the wise while revealing to little ones. He hides wisdom from the wise by not applying grace: "He gave them up to a reprobate sense" (Rom 1:28).
(26) But why does he give thanks for hiding these things? I say that he did not do this as though rejoicing in their blindness but in the judgment of God, who arranged things so wisely. And why? Here the cause is not investigated, for in such matters God's will is taken as the cause. Yes, Father, for such was your gracious will . An artisan can easily assign the reason why he put certain stones in the foundation and others above it; but why he put this one here and another there, the only cause is his will. Similarly, that God saves certain ones is a tribute to his mercy; that he damns others is due to his justice. But why he dealt mercifully with one rather than another pertains solely to his will. Hence Romans (9:18): "So then he has mercy upon whomever he wills, and he hardens the heart of whomever he wills." Hence he acts by reason of his pleasure: "Make pleasing the homage of my lips" (Ps 119:108).
(27) All things have been delivered to me by my Father . He had given thanks to the Father, because he revealed his secrets to little ones. But someone might suppose that he himself could not reveal; hence he excludes this: first, he touches on the greatness of his own power; secondly, he invites people to himself, as though saying, "I am powerful" (v. 28).
First, he does two things: first, he states that he is equal to the Father; secondly, he applies it spiritually to what he said (v. 27b).
He says, therefore: Someone could ask whether he can do all things. He answers that all things have been delivered to me by my Father . But note the equality, although the origin is from the Father, which is against Sabellius. But what is meant by all things ? This can be explained in three ways:
all things , i.e., above every creature, as below (28:18): "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
Or all things , i.e., the elect and predestined, who have been given in a special way: "Yours they were and you have given them to me" (Jn 17:6).
Likewise, all things , namely, intrinsic, i.e., every perfection of the godhead: "As the Father has life in himself, so he has given to the Son to have life in himself" (Jn 5:26). And we should not understand this in a bodily sense, because if he gave, he also kept it for himself. This explanation is Augustine's and Hilary's.
But someone could ask: How did he give? Therefore, he tells how, when he says, from my Father . Hence he received this by generation. And no one knows the Son except the Father . Now he adapts his statement in a specific way to his proposition not only that he is equal to the Father but also consubstantial. From the substance of the Father exceeds all understanding, since the very essence of the Father is said to be unknowable, as is the essence of the Son. Hence there the equality is noted and Arius answered, who said that the Father is invisible but the Son visible. And no one knows the Son except the Father . But what is this? Did not the saints know? It must be said that they knew him by attaining their goal or by faith, but not by comprehending. But does not the Holy Spirit know? Yes. But it should be noted that limiting statements are sometimes added to the essential divine names and sometimes to the personal names. And when they are added to the personal names, they do not exclude that which is the same by nature; hence terms added to the Father do not exclude the Son. Hence where it says, "honor and glory to the immortal King, the invisible and only God" (1 Tim 1:17), the others of the same nature are not excluded. Similarly, when he says, no one knows... , the Holy Spirit is not excluded, for he is the same in nature. But when he says, no one knows , it means no man except the Son. And thus it is shown that the Father knows the Son. But this is contrary to Origen. For the Son knows by comprehension. Therefore, because he knows perfectly and is knowable, he has the power to reveal, as the Father has; hence he says, and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him . For manifestation is by means of a word:"Father, I have manifested your name to men..." (Jn 17:6) and (1:18): "No one has ever seen God." But he knew him; therefore, he could manifest him. Consequently, what he had said of the Father he attributed to himself. For he had said, You have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to little ones . The Son also can do this, in as much as he has the same power.
(28) Come to me, all you... Come to my blessings. First, the invitation; secondly, the need for the invitation; thirdly, its utility. He says, therefore: Come to me . This is also the word of Wisdom: "Come to me, you who desire me, and eat your fill of my produce" (Sir 24:19). Hence, draw near to me, you untaught, because I want to communicate myself. But what is the need? Because without me men labor too much: all you who labor . In a special way this can be applied to the Jews, because they labored under the yoke of the Law and commandments, as it says in Acts (15:10): "This is a burden which neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear." Likewise, in general, to all who labor on account of human frailty: "I am poor and acquainted with labors from my youth" (Ps 88:15). And are heavy laden , namely, with sins: "My iniquities weigh like a burden too heavy for me" (Ps 38:4).