Commentary on the Gospel according to Matthew

^A regarding the enemy of Christ’s death and those who mocked Jesus, they have become a mockery, when Jerusalem was surrounded by camps, when also “its desolation drew near.” But also those who scourged Jesus were themselves scourged, and are being scourged “until the fullness of the Gentiles shall enter in”; for “he who casts a stone on high, casts it upon his own head.” And all these things happened, so that visitation might depart from them, and pass over to those being saved from the Gentiles together with “the remnant according to election; for if the Lord of Sabaoth had not left us a seed, we would have become as Sodom, and been made like unto Gomorrah.”

I think that ^B just as the worship performed long ago as a pattern and shadow of heavenly things was abolished for the sake of the heavenly things, and upon the coming of the true High Priest, the symbolic high priest ceased; and as the true sacrifices for sins were performed, the symbolic ones were destroyed; so when the true Jerusalem received Jesus having ascended upon the beast of His own body, in whom also the daughter of Zion rejoiced greatly, and the daughter of the Jerusalem above proclaimed, then the Jerusalem which is a shadow was destroyed, and the temple made of dead stones fell down, because of the temple built of living stones. The lower altar was also razed, ^C because the heavenly one replaced it, Jesus Himself having celebrated its dedication in the true worship.

But if, according to some of the things signified, men are the city, even now in Jerusalem (for so I call those who place their hopes on the place on earth) Jesus is betrayed; and those who profess themselves to be the Jews serving God, and who happen to be as high priests, and the scribes who boast of explaining the divine Scriptures, condemn Jesus to death, through whom they speak evil of Him. And there is no time when they do not deliver Jesus to the nations, mocking Him and His teaching among them; and they always scourge with their tongues the worship of God through Jesus Christ, and they themselves crucify Him, by which they anathemetize and wish to destroy His teaching; but He, being better than they, rises after a little while, and appears living to those who have received sight. For now, “who is blind,” as Isaiah says from the person of God, “or my servants? And who are deaf, if not those who rule over them?” For he says with great and prophetic feeling and spirit: ^D “You deaf, hear; and you blind, look up.”

^A For Jesus came “into judgment for this world, that those who do not see (and these are the nations) might see, and those who see (namely Israel) might become blind.” Since, therefore, such a true light had risen, and the Word had shown it forth, saying: “Behold a man, the Orient is his name,” they nonetheless did not see the light, because their wickedness blinded them, and they did not know the mysteries of God. A paradox occurred for that people and for the nations: the people saw that every one of the prophets was a lamp, but they did not recognize the Sun of Justice who had risen. Therefore, if they were thought to have any lamp, it was taken away from them. But the people of the nations, sitting in darkness, saw a light—not such a light as Israel had seen, a small one (for each of the prophets was a small light)—but the people sitting in darkness saw a great light, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, whose magnitude is revealed as he “reaches from one end of the earth to the other mightily, and disposes” ^B the Churches “sweetly,” when his Spirit filled the earth, the prophecy being fulfilled which says that in the last days the mountain of God will be manifest; and now “all nations go toward it,” and this is Jesus Christ.

Concerning the sons of Zebedee.

4. “Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee with her sons,” and the rest, up to: “And when the ten heard, they were indignant about the two brothers.” The same was recorded by Mark in these words: “And there come to him James and John, the sons of Zebedee, and say to him,” and the rest, up to: “They began to be indignant about James and John.” It is worthwhile to investigate here something by no means to be despised, and truly befitting the Gospel of Jesus Christ; since for the simpler, and everywhere for those who are guileless, and for those who are ignorant of God and his Scripture, what was below appeared as what was heavenly, the dedication of which Jesus performed in true service. But if, according to a certain signification, men are a city, and are now in Jerusalem—for I so call those who place their hope in the place of that Jerusalem which once was on earth—and now, therefore, ^C Jesus is handed over to those who profess themselves to be servants of God, to the Jews, and as chief priests are appointed, and the scribes, who think they know the divine Letters, condemn Jesus to death by those things which they speak against him; and there is no time that they do not hand Jesus over to the nations, mocking him and his doctrine among themselves, and always lashing him with their tongues, and the worship of God which was introduced through Jesus. And they indeed crucify him, by the fact that they anathematize and wish to take away his doctrine. But he, being appointed better than them all, rising a little failing, appears living to the nations that have received the ability to see.

4. “At that time, the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her two sons, worshiping and asking something of him.” But he said to her: “What do you want?” She says to him: “Say that these my two sons may sit, one at your right hand, and the other at your left, in your kingdom.” It is worthy in the present passage to seek a meaning not contemptible, but truly worthy of the Gospel of Christ. I have premised this because the text, for those who are simple and ignorant of the heights of God and his Scripture, shows the simplicity of someone's request, and the simple answer of Christ to it. ^D To those, however, who even in some part have proposed Scriptural...

problems, the meaning that appears on the surface is shallow and contemptible, and possesses nothing of greatness—especially when Jesus responds—that is in harmony with his high-mindedness. For just as in a worldly kingdom, those who sit with the king who is seated in royal attire, or who manage any of the king's affairs, are thought to be in a position of advancement, so the mother of the sons of Zebedee—or, as Mark wrote, James and John—imagining ^B such a thing according to the letter, appears to request of the Savior that one of them sit at his right hand in his kingdom, and the other at his left; and it was nothing strange for a woman, out of simplicity and ignorance, to think such things worth requesting. Let it be granted, moreover, that the two apostles also, being as yet immature men who understood nothing deeper concerning the kingdom of Christ, presumed such things concerning those who sit with Jesus. But when Jesus, as if agreeing that it is a great thing for someone to sit at his right or left hand, raises the request and says, "You do not know what you are asking," and, "It is not mine to give, but to those for whom it is prepared by my Father," one who would seem to be an intelligent reader of Scripture would ask what it means to sit at the right or left hand of Jesus in his kingdom. And for the sake of those who think we are inquiring into these things too curiously, one must gather what is written concerning the sitting of God or of Christ, so that by the examination of those things collected for this purpose, and their comparison with one another, the greatness of the doctrine might be able to shine forth from the simpler example. For example, it is written in the third book of Kings that Micaiah said, ^C "I saw the God of Israel sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven standing about him on his right hand and on his left," and so on. And in the second book of Chronicles, the same Micaiah says similar things in these words: "Hear the word of the Lord. I saw the Lord sitting upon the throne of his glory, and all the power of heaven was standing on his right hand and on...

his left." And in Isaiah it is written: ^A "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up," and what follows. And in Daniel similar things are written: ^B "I beheld until thrones were placed, and the Ancient of days sat," and so on. Similar to these is it to find also in Ezekiel at the beginning of the prophecy, where it says: "Above the firmament that was over their heads," — it is clear that it refers to the cherubim — "was as the appearance of a sapphire stone, the likeness of a throne upon it, and upon the likeness of the throne was as the appearance of a man above." And in the one hundred and ninth Psalm: "The Lord said unto my Lord: Sit thou at my right hand," signifies the sitting of the Father, and another thing is declared by the Saviour sitting at his right hand. ^C And again in another psalm the praying prophet says: "Thou that sittest upon the cherubim, manifest thyself," and again: "God sitteth upon his holy throne." And if you wish to take an example from the Gospels, hear Matthew recording how Jesus said to his disciples: "Verily I say unto you, that ye who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory," and the rest; and: "From henceforth ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power." Matthew also states these things: "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory," and so on; ^D and: "From henceforth ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power." Mark also wrote to the same effect: "And ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven." Nor does Luke bring forward anything similar in this place: "Hereafter shall the Son of man be sitting on the right hand of the power of God." But as for what pertains to collecting more things of the same kind, and simpler and humbler, regarding the sitting of Christ in the kingdom, and concerning those who sit on his right hand or his left, do I wish to exhibit an interpretation, crowded with mysteries, for those who are able to raise their mind to divine thoughts, so that, by investigating with some reason, they may be able to find what is worthy of the "spiritual" man, "who judgeth all things," and is himself judged by no one?

OLD INTERPRETATION.

By the collation of these things with one another, the magnitude of the dogma might be made clear. But to extend this further, we propose one thing which Micah says: ^A "I saw the God of Israel sitting upon his throne, and all the host of heaven was standing around him on his right and on his left." Every one, therefore, who is spiritual, and wishes to discuss all things with judgment, will say that the spiritual sitting of God upon a spiritual throne, and likewise the sitting of Christ, does not signify a bodily sitting in the literal sense. For it is ridiculous to suppose that these sitting positions of God or of Christ are in any way bodily.

(Regarding the text)

And as regards the testifying to these things, a person will not rely only on the passage, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me," as being drunk painfully by him who receives the struggles in martyrdom, until someone, having endured all the things brought against him during the trial in martyrdom, drinks it up; but also on that which is said in the one hundred and fifteenth Psalm: "What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." For we can render nothing more to the Lord for the benefits we have received than to take the cup of salvation willingly and to call upon the name of the Lord in order to drink it. In the drinking of which, one pays all his vows "unto the Lord in the presence of all his people." And he taught clearly in these words that the cup [which is martyrdom] is that which brings upon those who are associated with the cup the saying, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints."

^A For if he does not acknowledge those who have confessed their sins in any way whatsoever, then the saying, "Everyone therefore who will acknowledge me," and so forth, will not be true. I do not think, however, that the Savior will acknowledge before the Father who is in heaven anyone who is liable to sin; for the confession before the Father, made by the Son when he possesses boldness, is for the one being acknowledged as worthy of the confession of Christ before the Father.

Let it not disturb us if the Savior, according to Mark, also drinks the cup and is baptized with the baptism; for when John "came into all the region about the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins," and Jesus "arrives at John to be baptized by him," it is as if he were washing away our sins, so that we might be purified by his washing. Rather, it is indicated that we are purified by his martyrdom itself, inasmuch as he was baptized having taken upon himself our sins, so that he might loosen them both from us and from himself; wherefore "as he died, he died to sin"—that is, our sin, since he died "to sin," not his own, but ours, if such a line of reasoning shall seem to have any validity for some.

^A Divine concepts are capable of being examined and of finding something worthy of him who examines all things spiritually, and he himself is examined by no one, analogous to the words of Paul concerning the spiritual utterances of the Gospels. For, just as Paul, having interpreted the matters concerning the manna, and the rock, and the water flowing from it according to the spiritual law, says: ^B "And all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink (for they used to drink from the spiritual rock that followed them; and the rock was Christ)"; so might the spiritual man, who is standing upon this rock and thanking God for this, also say of himself, "He set my feet upon a rock, and directed my steps," because the sitting of God upon a spiritual throne is spiritual; similarly, the sitting of Christ, and Christ sitting at the right hand of Power, is spiritual. ^B Nothing in accordance with these things is indicated regarding a bodily sitting, which they have defined to be a resting of the haunches upon some seat. For it is ridiculous, because these things are named bodily, to think that there are certain thrones created—I know not from what material—capable of the sitting of God or of Christ, or of those sitting at the right or left of Christ, for whom the Father has prepared such things. I do not know if it is pious to think that the host of heaven stands at the right or left of God bodily, or, again, to imagine that those who are saved and praised are at the bodily right hand of our King, Jesus Christ, and that those who are blamed and destroyed are at the analogous bodily left hand. ^C But perhaps the return to the kingdom, with Christ receiving his own authority, once the sin reigning in the mortal bodies of men has been rendered null, and every principality, power, and authority of the wicked has been abolished, this is what is meant by his sitting upon the throne of his glory; and the fact that God makes all things "the right hand," so that there is no longer anything "left" toward him, this is the state of those who are to be at the right hand of Power, who are, by way of example, to look upon the right hand of Power, sitting at his right and left in the kingdom of Christ the Word; whom God restores, having worked with them and prepared their approach to the excellence of Christ, so that the one... ^C ...and the other, that those who have been restored by God, after he has conferred benefit upon them and that they might draw nearer to the sublimity of Christ... ^D ...to exist, but as to whether the heavenly host stands at the right or left hand of God, and again to think that those who are saved, indeed, and are praiseworthy are at the bodily right hand of our King Jesus, but those who are evil and destroyed are likewise at the bodily left hand, I hardly know. We should understand it in this way, that with the sin that is in the mortal bodies of men destroyed, and every principality of alien powers and authority destroyed, this is what it means for Christ to sit on the seat of his glory. Moreover, that God makes all things right and left is so that there is no longer any evil before him. Let him who can, therefore, understand that Christ has received the eminence of the kingdom among men, and has been glorified to the glory that he had before the world was, before those who sinned had sinned, and he had glory with the Father; and ^D of those who approach in the first, or in the second, or in the third place, as...

^A he who excels among those approaching Christ is placed at his right hand, and as it were touches him, and cleaves to the right of the Word; while he who is inferior in dignity and merits is near his left. See whether you can conceive in your mind that those things at the right hand of Christ are the invisible creatures, which are called the works of God, and at the left, those which are visible and corporeal; but Christ reigns over all. And now, of those who approach him, some have obtained the right and intelligible things, others the left and sensible things. And perhaps the true mother of the sons of Zebedee, whom the Saviour called Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder, ^B having formed a great opinion in her mind concerning her sons James and John (for indeed they were great), and thinking that they were able to take the first place beyond all created nature, inasmuch as they had attained his high-sounding words, approached the Lord, asking that he set one of them at his right hand and the other at his left; but the Saviour, rebuking even the high-sounding mother of James and John, as one who did not know who were the superior ones, and that such a gift is the grace of God who is over all, and who bestows his favor and help, and places in such a degree of sublimity those whom he knows to be meet for it, said: “You know not what you ask,” and: “To sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to give, but to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” ^C But he who is able will observe what things are given by the Saviour, and what things by the Father, since he sees that some things are not given by the Son, but by the Father himself. But whether the Gospels also show something of this kind, when they sometimes present the Saviour praying for some favors, that his requests may be granted by the Father; and at other times acting without prayer, as if he already possessed those things which had been requested, it is a bold thing to inquire, yet he who is able may examine these things also with reverence. ^D Moreover, wishing to point out to the mother of the sons of Zebedee and to them themselves, that they still lacked what was attainable by men toward perfection, and that these were not ordinary things, he answered and said, [men constituted according to their measure having to sit at the right or at the left of Christ in his kingdom, whom God will restore, co-operating with them, and preparing them to approach the eminence of Christ. Those indeed who excel the rest of those approaching Christ are at the right hand of Christ: namely, those who touch him, and are joined to the right hand of the Word itself; but those who are inferior are at his left. See, if you can, whether you understand the invisible creature of Christ at the right, and the visible and corporeal at the left. And Christ indeed reigns over all; but of those approaching him, some obtain the right and intelligible things, others the left and sensible ones. And lest perhaps the true mother of the sons of Zebedee, whom Christ called sons of thunder, indicating by the very title the great things of her sons, James and John—for they were truly great—and thinking that they could possess the first place above all human nature, as those who could grasp his high-sounding speech, approached and prayed to God that he might confirm one at the right and the other at the left. But the Saviour, rebuking even this magniloquence, as if the mother of James and John were ignorant of who were the more eminent, and since such a gift is of God alone who is over all, who conspires, and co-operates, and confirms in such eminence those whom he has seen fit, and therefore said, Matth. xx, 22, 23.]

Beyond these things said by the Savior regarding the request of the mother of John and James, or of the sons of Zebedee themselves, as they heard of it, "the ten were indignant concerning the two brothers," as having sought to be preferred above the rest. Observe, however, that Judas was also among those who were indignant [and Mark recorded this as well]. But if he were among those who were indignant along with the other nine, perhaps the devil had not yet "put into the heart" of Judas "that he should betray" our Lord, but that in his resolution, Judas was still one of the apostles. Having said much about him in the previous sections, we do not repeat it here to establish that Judas, being of the same resolution as the others, fell and ensnared himself in the trap of the wicked one, and through love of money betrayed the Savior. ^A "But Jesus, calling them to him, said: You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them," and the rest until "and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark recorded the equivalent of these things as well.

It has been said beforehand that James and John were laying claim to the first places among those with Jesus, and requested to be allowed to sit at his right and left hand in his kingdom [or that their mother was asking this on their behalf]; and it has been said that at this, as they also were laying claim to the first places among those with Jesus, the remaining "ten were indignant," if James and John wish to snatch away, as being above the other ten, the proximity to Jesus in terms of glory. Now, these things having been said beforehand in accordance with reason, "Jesus" calls to himself either the ten who were indignant, or even with the remaining two, and teaches the way by which someone shall be "great" and "first" before God. ^A His people. He clearly taught in these things that the cup is what brought upon those according to the cup the saying: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." By way of conception, martyrdom is twofold: the one of which is called the cup of salvation, and the remainder is baptism. And in so far as one endures the pains, it is a cup drunk by the one who bears everything brought upon himself, taking it up, and as it were drinking the torments, and not pushing them away, nor rejecting them, nor vomiting them out. But in so far as the one who endures receives the forgiveness of sins, it is baptism. For if baptism promises the forgiveness of sins, just as we have received concerning the baptism in water and spirit, and he too who endures the baptism of martyrdom receives the forgiveness of sins, martyrdom may reasonably be called baptism. And that the forgiveness of sins happens to the one who endures martyrdom is evident from the saying: "Everyone who confesses me before men, I also will confess him before my Father who is in heaven." ^B Indeed, the Savior confesses before the Father who is in heaven everyone who has confessed him, even if he happens to have sinned anything whatsoever before the confession. For if he will not confess those who have sinned anything whatsoever, it will not be true that "Everyone, therefore, who confesses me," and the rest. But I do not think that the Savior will confess before the Father in heaven one who is guilty of any sin whatsoever; for the confession before the Father is made for the one being confessed, as worthy of the confession before the Father. And let it not disturb us if the Savior, according to Mark, also drinks the cup and is baptized with the baptism; for indeed, when John "came into all the surrounding country of the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins," Jesus also arrives to John, of the bap- ^C tism of salvation I shall receive, and I will call upon the name of the Lord. I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." For we can render nothing worthy to God for all the good things he has done for us, except that we might promptly receive the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord, that we may be able to drink it magnanimously: in the drinking of which we pay our vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. He shows manifestly in these things that the cup is martyrdom, from the fact that immediately on account of the cup that has been drunk he added, thus: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." But in understanding, all martyrdom is twofold, of which one is called the cup of salvation, and the remainder is baptism. And this indeed, that one endures pains, is the cup which everyone who bears all things brought upon him will drink, and he does not reject, nor vomit up any of them: but that one receives in the passion the forgiveness of sins is baptism. For if baptism promises the indulgence of sins, as we have received concerning the baptism of water and spirit, and he too who undergoes the baptism of martyrdom receives the forgiveness of sins: without doubt, martyrdom itself is reasonably called baptism. Since, however, the forgiveness of sins happens to everyone who endures martyrdom, it is manifest from what he says: "Everyone who has confessed me before men, and I will confess him before my Father who is in heaven." The Savior therefore confesses before his Father every man who has confessed him before men, even if he was previously having some sins before the confession. For if indeed Christ does not confess before his Father those who have confessed while having some sins, then what he said will not be true: "Everyone who has confessed me," and the rest. But otherwise, I do not know if Christ confesses a sinner before his Father. For the confession of the Son is of him who glories in the paternal sight over him

^A, ^B and approaches Jesus to be baptized by him, as if our sins were being washed away by him, that we might be cleansed by his bath. Indeed, it appears that we are cleansed more by his very martyrdom, in which he was baptized, having taken our sins upon himself, that he might loosen them from us and from himself. Therefore, "in that he died, he died unto sin" [Rom. VI, 10], since it was not his own, but our sin, unto which he died. If that seems to accord with reason, the sons of Zebedee surely drank the cup and were baptized with the baptism, since Herod put James, the brother of John, to death by the sword [Act. XII, 2]; but the Roman emperor, as tradition teaches, condemned John, who was bearing witness to the word of truth, to the island of Patmos. ^C John himself, passing over the one who condemned him, teaches us about his own martyrdom in the Apocalypse, in these words: "I, John, your brother and partaker in tribulation and kingdom, and patience in Jesus, was on the island which is called Patmos, for the word of God," and the rest [Apoc. I, 9]. And it seems he witnessed the Apocalypse on the island.

He who adds, after the given narrative concerning the cup and the baptism, says such things: "Just as there is a food of the Savior of which he says: 'My food is that I may do the will of him who sent me, and complete his work,' so the cup corresponds to that food," which it is bold to distinguish from the food and to set forth in a practical sense; however, let him who is able observe whether the food perhaps signifies the practical, while the drink signifies the contemplative. For according to him who eats, the doing of the will of him who sent him and the completing of his work is drinking the will. ^D

And he ^A who makes this claim will say that for this reason he first gives the bread, having blessed and broken it for the disciples, since action is first; and after this, having taken the cup and given thanks, he gave it to them saying, "Drink from this, all of you." But since he had regulated the things of action, and had proceeded to the contemplation of them—for according to the prophet it is said, "Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of life," in order that we might first do what is necessary—he subsequently says, "Illuminate for yourselves the light of knowledge." For someone, after he has cleansed his morals, would walk on the path toward knowledge, and be illuminated in it. ^B And these things have been said by way of digression on account of the deeper examination of the cup. And in the twenty-second Psalm it is said first, "You have prepared a table before me, in the presence of those who afflict me," and next also, "Your cup which inebriates me is as the best." But let not the one reading this Scripture suppose that we are holding that it was necessary to explain in some way the matters concerning the written sittings of God or of Christ; for we apologize, as our only intention was to repel from the literal text the matters concerning the sitting, and to turn the reader away from a more lowly interpretation; for at another time it would be necessary to ^C undertake a primary inquiry concerning the sitting, and standing, and walking of God or of Christ, which the present narrative does not require; for the digression would have been very great and untimely. Furthermore, regarding these things spoken by the Savior in response to the request of the mother of John and James, or of the sons of Zebedee themselves, he says, "The ten heard and were indignant about the two brothers," as having sought [for themselves... ] ^D of him, it is also a drink. And this it is indeed rash to distinguish, and to show by the things themselves. Yet let him who can understand that perhaps what is in action is food, but what is in consideration is drink. For to eat of Christ is to do the will of him who sent him, and to complete his work. But to drink is to have wisdom according to the will of him who sent him, and to complete the knowledge of it. According to this difference is understood also that which he says, "My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink." For the true food of souls is action. But true drink is the recognition of the truth. Therefore he first gives the bread, blessing and breaking it for his disciples, since in the first place is action. And afterward, taking the cup and giving thanks, he said, "Drink from this, all of you," since it is fitting first to fulfill the things of action, and to delight in a good work, and thus to come to the knowledge of things; and according to the prophet who says, "Sow for yourselves for righteousness, and reap the fruit of life," that we should first do good works, and after this that which he says, "Illuminate for yourselves the light of knowledge," as if by a certain way, after one has amended his morals, he proceeds to knowledge and is illuminated. And in the twenty-second Psalm it is said first, "You have prepared a table in my presence against those who afflict me, you have anointed my head with oil." And after this, "Your cup inebriating, how excellent it is." Let not him who reads these words blame us, since it was necessary to interpret in some manner that which was said concerning the sittings of God, or of Christ. We answer that it was our intention only to appease the matters of the sittings from the Scriptures, and to avert the reader from that lowly tradition. The primary exposition concerning the sitting of God, and standing, and walking, is of another time, which the present exposition does not require. 8. But that the ten are saddened about the two brothers, because they asked the others to be proposed. And see that Judas also was among the indignant, although he was among the other indignant men, lest perhaps the devil had not yet sent it into his heart that he should betray the Lord, but he was in the same intention in which the other apostles were.

^A Since we have said many things about him in what preceded, we do not now repeat the argument that Judas had fallen by the same intention as the others and had fallen into the trap of the wicked one, both by loving money and by betraying the Savior. "But Jesus, having called them, said: 'You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them,'" and the rest, up to: "And to give his life a ransom for many." ^B Mark wrote down the equivalents of these things as well. We have observed, just as in many other instances, that Matthew and Mark preserve the order of the things recorded, whether of healings or of discourses; just so also here, for the things from: "And Jesus, being about to go up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside," up to: "And he will immediately send them," have all been preserved in order by Mark as well, from: "And they were on the way ascending to Jerusalem," up to: "He will immediately send him back here." But you, by placing the Gospels side by side in these places and comparing them, will find what is said. Even Luke wrote something similar in part, prefacing for them the fact that: "A rivalry arose among them, as to which of them was greater." For among these he adds: "But he said to them: 'The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors. But you shall not be so,'" and the rest. Let these things, then, have been said, so that the things concerning the equivalence of the things kept in this place by Matthew and Mark, and in part by Luke, may not escape us. ^C And now we must examine the meaning of what is being said. It has been said before that James and John were disputing the primacy with Jesus, and were asking to receive the right to sit at his right hand and at his left, having claimed to be preferred before the rest. Note that Mark also recorded that they were asking to be preferred before the rest; note that Judas also was among the indignant ones.

OLD INTERPRETATION

Jesus then, calling them, said: "You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and those who are greater exercise power over them. It shall not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be greater among you, shall be your minister; and whoever wishes to be first among you, shall be your servant." Because the two brothers wished to snatch the glory for themselves over the other apostles, the others being indignant, Jesus, taking the occasion from this, sets a rule of justice for the faithful, as to how anyone can obtain primacy before God. ^D The rulers of the nations, not content only to rule their subjects, strive to dominate them violently. But among you who are mine, these things shall not be, lest perhaps those who seem to hold some primacy in the Church should dominate their own brethren or exercise power over them. For just as all carnal things are placed in necessity, not in will—but spiritual things are in will, not in necessity—so also spiritual leaders, their leadership ought to be placed in the love of those under them, not in bodily fear. But also he who wishes to be greater before my Father in comparison to his other brethren, let him be made the minister of those over whom he wishes to be greater. And he who desires the primacy of the Church ought to become the servant of all in servile humility, so that he may comply with all in those things which pertain to salvation. And this is what the divine word teaches us. But we, either not understanding the divine will placed in the Scriptures, or contemning such a recommendation—

^A For the “Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve.” Even though he was served, when “angels came and served him,” and again he was served by Martha, yet he did not come for the sake of “being served.” For he visited the human race in order that he might serve and journey so far in his service to our salvation as to “give his own soul a ransom for many” of those who have believed in him. And if, hypothetically, all had believed in him, he would have given “his soul a ransom for” all. But to whom did he give “his soul a ransom for many”? Certainly not to God. Can it, then, be to the wicked one? For he was holding us until the “ransom” for us, the soul of Jesus, should be given to him, for he was deceived ^B [clearly, and imagined] that he could master it, not seeing that he could not bear the torment of holding it.

^A Luke takes the kings and those who exercise authority over the nations into his discourse, turning away anyone who wishes to be greater among the brothers from imitating royal power or the desire for adulation found in those who rule. He teaches us that he who is truly greater among us should become as the younger, that is, as a child, for the sake of simplicity and equality; and the leader (and I think it proper to call the one known in the churches as bishop by this name) should be as one who ministers to those who are served. And these things the Word of God teaches us. But we, whether because we do not understand the intention of Jesus' instruction here, or because we despise such great precepts of the Savior, are at times such that we even surpass the pride of the worst rulers among the nations, and almost seek, like the kings, to have bodyguards. ^B By making ourselves formidable and difficult to approach, especially to the poor, we show ourselves to those who come to us to make requests to be such as not even tyrants, or the most cruel of rulers, show themselves to be toward suppliants. Indeed, it is possible to see in many established churches, and especially in those of the larger cities, the leaders of the people of God allowing no equality, sometimes not even to the best of Jesus' disciples, in their relations with them. And the Apostle gives a commandment to masters concerning their servants, saying, "Masters, provide what is just and equal to your servants, knowing that you also have a Lord in heaven." He teaches masters also to let go of threats against their servants. Yet it is possible to see some who threaten cruelly, sometimes under the pretext of sin, and sometimes out of contempt for the poor, contrary to the Apostolic word in which it is said, "They gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision; only that we should be mindful of the poor." They do not even imagine the equality owed to those under them, nor do they reflect that it is fitting for Christians, above all, to practice gentleness and equality, especially those who bear some ecclesiastical title; for it is written, "The greater you are, the more you should humble yourself, and you will find grace before the Lord." ^C We ought also to know what is said in Proverbs: "Before destruction a man's heart is haughty, and before glory it is humbled." It is necessary to avoid falling into such pride, or saying the word that the man said who wanted to justify himself before Jesus, who taught, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," for he was not ashamed to say to the Savior, "And who is my neighbor?" ^D The leader, however, I think, should be as one who ministers to those who are served. Leaders ought not [to act as rulers], but ought to imitate Christ, who was accessible, and who spoke to women, and laid his hands upon children, and washed and wiped the feet of his disciples, giving them an example that they themselves might do likewise for their brothers. Perhaps, indeed, because the Lord, though he was ordained, served for the salvation of our human race, it is therefore said that he took the form of a servant and humbled himself even unto death, for which reason the Lord also superexalted him. Whoever wishes, therefore, to be exalted should do likewise, that he may be exalted through these things: as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister. For even if the angels ministered to him when they approached him, and Martha served him, he did not, however, come for that purpose—to be ministered unto—but to minister.

before it is broken, the heart of man is plowed, and before it is glorified, it is humbled; and we must also avoid falling into that opinion, and uttering the same remark as he who, wishing to defend himself with an excuse before Jesus from whom he had received that commandment: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," did not blush to answer the Savior: "And who is my neighbor?" It would have been fitting to learn this also from Paul: "When we could have been a burden to you, as the apostles of Christ, we became gentle among you, as a nursing mother tends her own children." It was fitting to imitate also this: "Or did I commit a sin, humbling myself, so that you might be exalted?" Therefore, let the princes of the nations use their authority over them violently; but as for the princes of the Church, let them serve her; and let the grandees of the nations hold unjust power over them, but let the faithful obey this saying: "Learn from me, for I am meek and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." ^B Let us also learn not to accept flattery, nor to be glad to be called "benefactors" by men, for those things in which we seem to have done some good. We do not say these things ignorantly, but wishing ourselves to be humbled "under the mighty hand of God," and according to his word, under ecclesiastical ministry; yet there is a time when it is necessary, according to the apostolic voice, to "rebuke those who sin before all, that the others also may have fear." There is a time when it is necessary, having used authority, "to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord." But such a thing is rarely to be done; "for the unruly must be admonished, and the faint-hearted must be comforted, and the weak must be supported, and we must be patient toward all, and render to no one evil for evil." Nor should the one who sins be considered an enemy, but the Apostle must be heard who says: "Do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." ^C And all these things have been said by me because I wished, according to the word of God, to make it clear to the prince of the Church that he is not to imitate the prince of the nations, nor to emulate those who exercise their empire and power violently, and who are endowed with royal dignity; but rather Christ is to be imitated in such matters with all one’s might, to whom approaches are most easy, who converses with women, and lays his hands upon children. But even if the fact that Jesus poured water into a basin and washed the feet of the disciples has a deeper meaning, nonetheless we must also listen to him speaking about these things in the sacred context: "You call me Teacher and Lord, and you speak well; for so I am," and the rest; for through these words he teaches the disciples to become imitators of his praiseworthy humility. ^D And perhaps, since he was the Lord and served for the salvation of men to our race, on account of this he is said to have taken the form of a servant, and to have humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death; and if for this reason God highly exalted him, he who wishes to be exalted let him do the things similar to him who was on account of this highly exalted; for even the Son of man, if he was served when "angels came," grew so much in serving that he gave his life as a ransom for many who believed in him. To whom did he give his life as a ransom for many? For it is not fitting to say, to God. Could it be, perhaps, to the evil one? For he was holding dominion over us, until the ransom for us, the soul of Jesus, was given to him, as he was deceived, and thought that he could manage him, and did not see that he would not be able to endure the torments of holding him.

^B And for this reason, death, which seemed to have overcome him, no longer overcomes him, since he became "free among the dead," and stronger than the power of death. And he is stronger to such a degree that all who wish to follow him, from among those held by death, are able to follow, as death has no more power over them. For everyone who is with Jesus is unassailable by death.

In the passages of the Gospel which we are examining, it is written that our Savior said he "gave his soul as a ransom for many." ^C But it is said by Peter that "we were redeemed not with corruptible things, like silver and gold, from our futile manner of life handed down from our fathers, but with precious blood." And the Apostle also says, "You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men." We were therefore bought with the precious blood of Jesus, and the soul of the Son of God was given as a ransom for us—but not his spirit, for he had previously entrusted it to the Father, saying, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"—nor his body, for we find nothing of the sort written about it. And since his soul was given as a ransom for many, but did not remain with him to whom the ransom for many had been given, for this reason he says in the 15th Psalm, "My soul will not be aban^D doned..."

COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW TOMUS XVI

See, then, if you are able, remembering what we have already set forth regarding the parable in the Gospel according to Luke, "A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers," and if you are able to take care to say whether "Jericho" here might be a symbol of this earthly place which is commonly called "the world" in Scripture. The one who is going down "from Jerusalem to Jericho," Adam [that is, man], has fallen among "robbers." But because of the many who are in "Jericho" [for there is a "great crowd" in "Jericho"], our Jesus, having been there with his disciples, should go forth, making it his business [since he had entered into "Jericho"] to guide those who wish to follow. For they who are in "Jericho" do not know how to come out from the worldly mindset unless they behold not only Jesus going out "from" "Jericho," but also his disciples.

And they were ministering to him; and again he was ministered to by Martha. But it is not for this purpose that he came, to be ministered to; for he sojourned with the race of men in order that he might minister, and travel so far ministering for our salvation as to give his own soul as a ransom for many of those who have believed in him. And if, by hypothesis, all had believed in him, he would have given his soul as a ransom for all. To whom, then, did he give his soul as a ransom for many? Truly not to God. Might it be, then, to the evil one? For he held us until the ransom for us, the soul of Jesus, was given to him, as he was deceived, and thought that he could manage him, and did not see that he would not be able to endure the torments of holding him. And for this reason, death, which seemed to have overcome him, no longer overcomes him, since he became "free among the dead," and stronger than the power of death. And he is stronger to such a degree that all who wish to follow him, from among those held by death, are able to follow, as death has no more power over them. For everyone who is with Jesus is unassailable by death. In the passages of the Gospel which we are examining, it is written that our Savior "gave his own soul as a ransom for many." But it is said by Peter that "we were redeemed not with corruptible things, like silver and gold, from our futile manner of life handed down from our fathers, but with precious blood." And the Apostle also says, "You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men." We were therefore bought with the precious blood of Jesus, and the soul of the Son of God was given as a ransom for us—but not his spirit, for he had previously entrusted it to the Father, saying, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit"—nor his body, for we find nothing of the sort written about it. And since his soul was given as a ransom for many, but did not remain with him to whom the ransom for many had been given, for this reason he says in the 15th Psalm, "My soul will not be aban—

abandoned in Hades." ^A Having once arrived at this point, I would remind those who, through a fantasy of glorifying Christ, confuse the matters concerning the Firstborn of all creation with those concerning the soul and body of Jesus, and perhaps also his spirit, and believe that that which was seen and moved in this life is something entirely simple and uncomposed, that they do not speak soundly. For let us ask them if the divinity of the "image of the invisible God ^B and the excellence of the Firstborn of all creation," if he, "in whom all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers," was given as a ransom for many; and to whom that was given as a ransom, unless to the enemy holding us captive until he should receive the ransom; and if one such as he was capable of receiving such a great ransom for captives. And I do not speak these things as one who despises the soul of Jesus, or minimizes or diminishes it, but because I contend that the soul was indeed given as a ransom by the whole Savior, to the extent that it was possible for it to be given, while that excellence and divinity could by no means have been given as a ransom. Therefore, I do not today divide Jesus from Christ, but much rather I know Jesus Christ to be the same, ^C and I acknowledge his soul and the "Firstborn of all creation"; but also his body, as something more, if it is permissible to name it thus, to be one whole, that which "is joined to the Lord and is one spirit."

Concerning the two blind men.

9. "And as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed him; and behold, two blind men sitting by the way," and the rest. Let the history of the things narrated in this place be true, and that, when Jesus was departing from Jericho with his disciples, a great multitude followed him, and that two blind men sitting by the way of the exit from Jericho, having heard that Jesus was passing by that place, ^D themselves also cried out and said, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David," and agreed in crying out what is written; and that Jesus, because of the blind men imploring mercy, stopped and called them, so that he might not pass by and leave them without calling them. But let us also see whether the "Behold, two blind men" contains a demonstration. If, therefore, we are able to follow the revealing word and see these two blind men, we shall say that Israel and Judah, before the arrival of Jesus, were "blind," yet sitting "by the way" while occupying themselves with the Law and the prophets; "blind," indeed, because the true word in the Law and the prophets was not seen by them before the arrival of Jesus into their souls; but crying out, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David," because of the perception of their own [blindness], not seeing the purpose of the Scriptures, and wishing to recover their sight and see the glory within them. And as they were still blind and did not imagine anything great concerning Jesus, but were thinking only of his flesh, they called the one who was "born of the seed of David according to the flesh," since they understood nothing more than this, "Son of David." And all their apparent loud-voicedness because of their piety did not know how to say anything more about the Savior than that he was the son of "David." But if I say that the "two" blind men are Israel and Judah before the arrival of Jesus into their souls, lead yourself to the [two] kingdoms, and consider how, according to the times of Rehoboam, the people were divided into Israel and Judah; and following this, see the prophets, at one time prophesying to Israel, at another to Judah, and where, at the same time, to both. You would find, therefore, by applying yourself to the reading of the prophets, in what way they prophesy to each separately, and at the same time to Israel and Judah, when God promises through Jesus to accomplish "a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not according to the covenant which He made" with their fathers when they were coming "out of the land of Egypt."

^A And the blind men, now more clearly expounding their own petition, say that they wish their eyes to be opened by Jesus. But the Lover of men, and the Savior who follows with compassion, being moved with pity for the blind—moved with pity, I think, because they had already anticipated the calling forth, if I may so name it, of the mercy of Jesus—namely, by having cried out and said, "Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David," and having believed, they petitioned that their eyes might be opened. Having touched their eyes, and infused into their eyes, by the touch, a healing medical power, He may have caused the blind to see back again; and they, in return, gratefully followed Jesus. And let anyone who credits these things, and also knows the saying, "Unless you believe, you shall not understand" (Isa. VII, 9), receive understanding from having believed in accordance with the analogy of faith. And having received it, let him speak about these things, interpreting them after the faith which serves as the foundation for them, according to the saying, "I believed, therefore I have spoken" (Ps. CXV, 1). ^B And let such a one not only be a believer in Jesus and in those things written concerning this place, but let him also know the meaning concerning them; for he who abides in the truth of faith, and by the works of the Word abides in the Word, according to Jesus' promise, knows the truth, and is set free by it (John VIII, 32). And as for us, since we do not understand the intention of what is said when we do not believe, but when we understand we understand from believing, come, let us set forth what comes to our mind regarding the passage, having prayed to Him who rescues us from having the Gospel veiled from us, as far as we are able. And first, let us consider what it means that, as the disciples of Jesus were departing from Jericho, a great crowd followed Him along with the Savior. Consider then if you are able, mindful of what we have dictated regarding the parable in the Gospel according to Luke: "A certain man was descending from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves" (Luke X, 30), whether perhaps here too Jericho is a symbol of the lower place habitually called "the world" according to Scripture. ^C The one who is mindful of what we have dictated, ^D maybe Jericho is also here a symbol of the lower place habitually called in Scripture the world. [alt-version omitted]

^A And the one “going down from Jerusalem to Jericho” is Adam—that is, the human being—who fell among thieves. For this reason, since there were many at Jericho (for the crowd was great in Jericho), our Jesus, having come into it with the disciples, was moving on; but by the act of going out of Jericho, he was leading those who wanted to follow him. For those in Jericho do not know how to go out from worldliness, unless they see not only Jesus going out from Jericho, but also his disciples. Seeing these things, a great crowd follows him. And it is for those who are considering those who wish to live according to the Word, and who wish to despise both the world and earthly things, to follow Jesus and his disciples, and to walk in their footsteps as they go out from Jericho, to look at the sense of this place. Therefore, a great crowd follows Jesus, so that, walking after him and using him as the guide of their journey, they may go up to Jerusalem.

^B 10. “It is written,” it is added a little later, “that when they drew near to Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent his disciples,” and so on. Then, immediately after this, as though the Scripture were pointing to the blind men who were soon to be healed, it is stated: “And behold, two blind men sitting by the wayside, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying: Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David.” Pay attention here to see if in these words, “And behold two blind men,” the word “Behold” contains any indication. If we can follow the Scripture pointing out two blind men, and look into them, we will say that Israel and the Jews were blind before ^C the coming of Christ; but they were “sitting by the wayside,” because they were lingering in the Law and the prophets. They were blind indeed, because before the coming of Christ into their souls, they did not perceive the true and legitimate senses understood in the Law and the prophets; but that they cried out, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David,” comes from their being aware that they did not know the intention of the writings, and that they wanted to recover their sight and to see the glory that is in them. For as yet they were blind and thought nothing great of Jesus, but as they were only understanding what was fleshly in him, ^D they called the one born from the seed of David.

OLD INTERPRETATION

^A If, however, I say that the two blind men are Israel and Judah before Jesus’ coming into their souls, turn your mind to the Kingdoms, and consider how, in the times of Rehoboam, the people were divided into Israel and Judah, and thereafter how the prophets prophesied now to Israel, now to Judah, and sometimes to both together. Now, one who pays attention to the reading of the prophets will indeed discern how they prophesied to each separately, and how they prophesied to Israel and Judah together at the time when God promised, through Jesus, that He would complete a New Covenant over the house of Judah, not like the covenant He made with the fathers when they were coming out of the land of Egypt. And being blind, Israel—concerning whom I have often spoken while distinguishing him from the carnal Israel—and Judah in like manner, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out. ^B For they heard, he says—being, I think, among those who were crying out concerning Jesus’ coming, and because he was passing by, the Jericho that is to pass away, entering into it but about to depart from it—and they were apprehensive lest he pass them by without showing mercy; wherefore they cried out to him, saying, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David.” But the Savior, as one who confers benefits, does not pass by, but stands still, so that when he has stood, the blessing may not flow away and pass by them, but, as from a standing fountain, may come to be for those who are being benefited. Jesus, therefore, having stood and been struck by their cry and their petition, ^C calls them to himself, already making the beginning of the benefit when he called them; for he would not have called them in vain, and to the end that nothing should be accomplished in those invited. Would that, as we too cry out to him and say, “Have mercy on us, Lord,” he would call us, beginning from the Son of David!

And he remains standing, if he were not the Son of David. We have said the two blind men are the two peoples divided into two kingdoms in the time of Rehoboam, and see the prophets, how they prophesied now to Israel, now to Judah, and sometimes to both together. These peoples, therefore, since they had heard by some prophetic sign that Jesus was passing, cried out. For I think they had heard from those who prophesied the advent of Christ. And since he is passing—coming into it, indeed, and going out of it—fearing lest he should perchance pass them by without showing them mercy, they cried out, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David.” But Jesus does not pass by, but stands, so that while he stands, the benefit does not flow away, but the mercy flowing as from a standing fountain may reach them. The crowd, that is, those who had gone before believing, even rebuked those who were crying out, “Son of David, have mercy on us,” that they might be silent and not call him by a contemptible name, but rather say, “Son of God, have mercy on us.” ^D For he did not call them in vain. Would that, when we cry out and say, “Have mercy on us, Lord,” he would call us, beginning from Son of David: and let him call us while standing, as if attending to our supplications. But he said to them, “What do you wish that I should do [for] you?” Which I think is equivalent to this: Show clearly what you wish, so that all who are going out from Jericho and following me may hear and see the deed. They however answered, “That our eyes may be opened.” Noble, indeed, because they were of Israel and Judah, but blind…

through wickedness, and conscious of it, and having heard what is said about the Savior; and they say that which is most important, those who, while unfolding the holy Scripture, are not unaware that they are blind regarding its inner meaning. For they say: “Have mercy on us, and we wish that our eyes may be opened.” Would that we too, sitting by the same path of the Scriptures, in which we are blind and unable to see, after we have perceived that Jesus is passing by, might be able by our prayer to make him stop, and say that we wish our eyes to be opened! And if we say this from a disposition desiring to see the things which are granted by the Savior’s grace after he has touched the eyes of the soul, he will be moved with compassion, our Savior, and since he is Power, and Word, and Wisdom, and all that is written about him, he will touch our eyes that do not see before his coming. And when he touches them, the darkness and ignorance will flee away, and immediately we shall not only see, but we shall also follow him, since he himself has restored our sight for his own sake, that we may follow only him who brought it about that we should see, and do nothing else besides this, so that, always following him, we may be led by him to God; and by our eyes, which have been made to see through him, we may behold God, together with those who are called blessed because they have a pure heart. We have, therefore, those who come out of Jericho and follow Jesus, being a great crowd, who are not Israel nor Judah; but the two blind men who heard that Jesus was passing by, and knew that he is the Son of David, and were aware of their own blindness, and asked that their eyes be opened, were Israel and Judah, who were given over, whose eyes were closed and who, through his touch, were made to see Jesus. ^A And if one brings forward these such things with respect to the noble soul, which has been brought to such poverty and has reached the point of begging, he will not altogether miss the point. Since, however, it seemed good to Mark to record also the name of the father of the blind man, that he was Timaeus, and the name of the blind man, that he was called Bartimaeus, we ask whether perhaps Mark intended something deeper in this passage. And perhaps he necessarily added the name from the history, but one might also say that he did so because it was useful. And if we do not appear cold by reaching as far as an examination of such matters, we inquire regarding Timaeus, whose name implies honor, and his son Bartimaeus, which is to say "son of Timaeus." Perhaps because of the honor of the patriarch Jacob and Israel, he is tropologically that Timaeus; but those who possess nobility from him are the blind Bartimaeus, due to the aforementioned reasons, likewise also sitting “by the way” and “begging.” Then, since he says to him: ^B stay, from the phrase, “Son of David,” and having stopped, he has honored us by paying heed to our request! He said, therefore, to them: “What do you want me to do for you?” Which I think is of this sort: “What do you wish? Present it, declare it, that all those coming out from Jericho and following me may hear and see the deed.” They answered: “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” Which response noble men indeed, by being from Israel and Judah, use against him, and signify that they wish their eyes to be opened—men blinded by wickedness, and yet conscious of it, and having heard of ^C what is said concerning the Savior; and they say to him that they wish their eyes to be opened. And especially do they say this, those who, in the course of studying the Holy Scripture, are not insensible to their own blindness regarding the meaning within it; for these are they who say: “Have mercy on us,” and, “We wish that our eyes may be opened.” Would that we too, sensing the things in which we are blind and do not see, sitting by this very path of the Scriptures, after hearing that Jesus is passing by, might through our request stop him and say that we wish our eyes to be opened! If we should say this from a disposition desiring to see the things which the Savior—having touched the eyes of the soul—grants to be ^D seen, he will be moved with compassion, our Savior, and, as he is Power, and Word, and Wisdom, and all those things that are written about him, he will touch our eyes which do not see before him; and when he has touched them, darkness and ignorance will flee away, and immediately we shall not only see, but we shall also follow him, he himself who caused us to see working with us so that we do nothing else than follow him who caused us to see, that, always following him, we may be led by him to God, and may see God with our eyes that have been made to see through him, together with those who are blessed because they have a pure heart. We have, therefore, those who come out from Jericho, and who follow Jesus, being a great crowd, who are not Israel, nor Judah; but the two blind men who heard that Jesus was passing by, and knew that he is the Son of David, and were aware of their own blindness, and asked that their eyes be opened, were Israel and [alt-version omitted] Judah, those who were surrendered, whose eyes were closed, and who, being shut, saw Jesus through his touch. These things, then, according to Matthew. 12. Since, however, Mark and Luke...

relate the same history, though according to some another one similar to it, it is worthy to see what they say as well. And first, one must consider that which is according to Mark, who wrote of the affairs of the region in this way: ^A “And he comes into Jericho: and as he was going out from there, and his disciples, and a great crowd, behold the son of Timaeus, Bartimaeus the blind,” and what follows, up to, “And he followed him in the way.” Now he who holds to the bare history, and does not wish to show the evangelists at variance, will say that the account according to Matthew and Mark did not happen at the same time, but that what happened concerning the two blind men who received their sight occurred at one visit to Jericho; and that what happened concerning this one son of Timaeus, Bartimaeus, occurred at another; and that what is according to Luke happened at yet another. For if we believe accurately that the Gospels were written with the cooperation of the Holy Spirit, and that those who wrote ^B them were clearly not mistaken in remembering them—since it is not possible that it is true both that two blind men were healed at one and the same visit, and that one was—then a different visit is indicated by Matthew, another by Mark, and now also another by Luke, as it is possible for one who has carefully considered the difference between them and the others to assert this with confidence. And it is no marvel if one who has observed the former healing among those in Jericho should wish, through the wording and the similar request, to contend that they were healed in the same place. One might say so, and that the blind man healed according to Luke is someone else. However, he who seeks a deeper account ^C of all these things will say that one and the same matter is represented by different expressions; for there are indeed two blind men, as Israel and Judah represent; but the people of all these is one, when it is shown that one blind man is healed. Since, therefore, a great crowd from the nations was journeying out from the worldly matters with Jesus and his disciples, an Israelite remnant sitting by the way, and being impoverished in understanding, and begging for the needs of the soul, having heard that Jesus the Nazarene was there, approached crying out loudly, entreating the Savior as the Son of David to grant him mercy; and when you see the ^D ones from the nations... [alt-version omitted]

who believe in Jesus, ^A you will perceive how this blind man says: "Son of David, have mercy on me," whom many rebuke. For many are those coming forth from Jericho out of the nations, rebuking the poverty of those ^B who appear to believe from among the Jews. And if you refer such things to a soul noble by birth, yet destitute of matters of this kind and reduced to beggary, you will not be far from the truth. Since it pleased Mark to write down the name of the father of the blind man, that he was Timaeus, and that of the blind man, that he was called Bartimaeus, we ask whether Mark perhaps perceived something deeper in this place; and perhaps necessarily, having taken it from history, he added the name, though one might say he also made it useful. And if we do not appear to be trifling by reaching until the examination of such things, we seek Timaeus, the one whose name means "of honor," and his son Bartimaeus, which is "son of Timaeus." Perhaps because of the honor of the patriarch Jacob and Israel, that man is Timaeus in a tropical sense; but those who have obtained nobility from him are Bartimaeus. ^C

And when you see of those from among the Jews, there are some who also accept Jesus, vaunting themselves to be Christians because of this, yet they also wish to live according to the law of the Jews, as do the multitudes of the Jews. These are the two types of Ebionites, who acknowledge Jesus to be from a virgin just as we do, or else not born in this way, but rather as other men, as both affirm. Yet they do not acknowledge him as pre-existing as God the Word and Wisdom in the same way, and they were led by the impiety of their predecessors; especially when they were also eager to maintain the bodily worship concerning the Law just like them. ^D Concerning Christ, I do not know if I can say whether they themselves, being led by the same wickedness as those aforementioned concerning Cerinthus and Merinthus, consider him to be a bare man, or, as the truth holds, they maintain he was born of Mary through the Holy Spirit.

* * *

[Regarding the footnote-style block:] [alt-version omitted]

Some sit by the way as remnants, destitute of thoughts and begging for the necessities of the soul, and when they had heard that Jesus the Nazarene was there, they approach crying out with a loud voice and imploring the mercy of the Savior as the Son of David. And after you have scrutinized the faith in the Savior of those Jews who believe in Jesus—who sometimes thought him to be born of Mary and Joseph, and at other times of Mary alone and the Holy Spirit, but by no means reckoned him with his theological knowledge—you will easily understand how the blind man says this: "Son of David, have mercy on me," whom many rebuke. For many Gentiles come forth from Jericho, pressing upon those seen to embrace the faith of the Jews on account of their poverty; and if you relate this to a soul noble by birth but destitute of such things, and reduced to the point of beggary, you will not have strayed far from reason. But since it seemed fit to Mark to hand down to writing the name of the father of this blind man (that name was Timaeus) and also of the blind man himself, who was called Bartimaeus, we ask whether Mark did not understand something more sublime in this place; and perhaps indeed, having taken the name from history, he necessarily added it and, as some might say, inscribed it because it was a useful thing. But if these words do not extend to their very dispute, he says crying out: "Son of David, have mercy on me." Jesus, however, standing, calls him, no longer as in Matthew, but commands him to be called. After this he says: "But he, casting off his garment, leaping up, comes to Jesus." Lest by chance the garment of the blind man and beggar be understood as the veil of blindness and of beggary...

beggary with which Bartimaeus was clothed, which the blind man cast off when he heard: "Be of good courage, arise, he calleth thee." And having cast off the coverings and wrappings of his beggary, he leapt up and arose that he might come to Jesus; and having obtained from Him the response given to his request, "What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?" he spoke a voice greater than, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on me." For a greater thing has been conceived than "Thou Son of David," by him who says "Rabboni," and who has represented the nature of the mercy by the words, "That I may receive my sight." And the Savior, on the one hand, through the words, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on me," does not grant the benefit, neither when the garment of beggary was wrapped about him, nor when he sat by the way begging; but through ^B the words, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight," He said to him: "Go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole." And the Savior on the one hand said to him, "Go thy way," but he [the blind man] has done more than this command; for he was not wrapped [in it]—he who, casting it off, came to Jesus, and confessed with a more worthy voice, saying: "Rabboni." For it is more worthy to say "Rabboni," or as it is said in others, "Lord," than "Thou Son of David." Whence also the Lord, because of that which he said, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on me," did not grant the healing, nor ^C because he was ^D sitting by the way.

OLD INTERPRETATION.

(85) The Ebionite signifies "the needy." But since these blind beggars called Christ the Son of David, not the Son of God, because they seemed to detract from His dignity, he compares them to the Ebionite, who was also a beggar by name, and who also knew that Christ was sprung from the seed of David. HUETIUS.

(86) "And leaping up came to Jesus." Some codices, Mark x, 50, and the Vulgate edition, [have] "leaping." But it is commonly read [as] "rising," which follow the Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic. A little later, however, Origen, "having risen, he leapt up and arose."

(87) Codex Regius, "coverings and wrappings."

^A he has not departed, but followed Jesus on the way, since he immediately regained his sight. Let us also look at the account of Luke, which stands thus: “It came to pass that he was drawing near to Jericho, and a certain blind man was sitting by the way, begging,” and so on, up to: “And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.” As for those things which are common to this and the others, since we have already explained them as it seemed fit to us, we shall not repeat them; but those things which pertain to the matter, and are proper to it, we shall set forth to the best of our ability. And first, observe that Matthew and Mark have recorded the event concerning the blind man or blind men as having occurred when Jesus was leaving Jericho accompanied by his disciples; but Luke says: “And it came to pass, as he was drawing near to Jericho.” Therefore, according to Luke, he was entering Jericho, and having come near it, he performed the dispensation concerning the blind man. And one might ^B say, according to the mystical sense, that the account of Luke is the first, that of Mark the second, and that of Matthew the third; for first one must draw near to Jericho, then enter into it, and then go out from it. Luke, therefore, wrote: “It came to pass as he was drawing near to Jericho,” while Mark wrote: “And he comes to Jericho, and as he was going out from thence,” and Matthew did not write of drawing near to Jericho, nor that he comes to Jericho, but only that, “as they were departing from Jericho, a great crowd followed him.” It is possible, then, that according to Luke, he did it when he had drawn near to Jericho; according to Mark, when he had entered Jericho; and according to Matthew, when he had departed from it. You see also that the blind man in Luke, “hearing a crowd passing by,” and not, I suppose, Jesus, inquired what it might be; but the one according to Mark, “hearing that it is Jesus the Nazarene, began to cry out”; while those according to Matthew, two blind men sitting by the way, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out. And the Jesus in Matthew is not [called] Jesus the Nazarene by the blind men, but [he is so called] by the others, of whom the one in Mark hears that it is Jesus the Nazarene; but the one in Luke, when he was inquiring of the crowd what this might be, learned from those who reported it to him that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by; and next to these, he observes that to him who cried out ^C when he was sitting, veiled in the garment of blindness and beggary, nor when he was sitting by the way begging. But because of this which he said: “Rabboni, that I may see,” he said to him: “Go, thy faith hath saved thee.” Now let us see according to Luke, what he said in common, and touch upon what is proper to him. For while Mark and Matthew place it as Jesus was leaving Jericho, Luke says: “And it came to pass as he was drawing near to Jericho, and was in the neighborhood, he enlightened the blind man.” And one might say according to the spiritual mystery, that the first is what Luke says, the second what Mark says, and the third what Matthew says. For first it is necessary to approach Jericho, and thus to enter into it, and afterward to go out of it. Luke therefore writes: “And it came to pass as he was drawing near to Jericho.” But Mark says: “And he comes to Jericho, and as he was departing thence.” Matthew, however, does not write that he approached Jericho, nor that...

he was departing from it, but only “as they were departing from Jericho.” ^A One may therefore say, according to Luke, that he was approaching Jericho; but according to Mark, that he was entering Jericho; and according to Matthew, that he was departing from Jericho. Consider this, for he rebuked the blind man who cried out, saying: “Have mercy on me, O Son of David,” and those who went before rebuked him that he should be silent. ^B It is as if they were saying: “If those who first believed rebuked the one shouting: ‘O Son of David,’ that he should be silent, and not compel Him with a lower name, but, as it were, were saying: ‘O Son of God, have mercy on me,’ he, however, shouted all the more: ‘O Son of David, have mercy on me.’” Then, he says, when He had stopped, Jesus commanded him to be brought to Him. And see that he is not inferior, just as we have noted, this blind man; for neither did Jesus call him, nor did He say for him to be called, but as if he were not able to come by his own strength, He commanded him to be brought to Him. ^C Then, he says, when he had drawn near to Him, He questioned him, saying: “What do you wish that I should do?” And he did not question him before he had drawn near; and since he had drawn near, for that reason, having been questioned, he said: “That I may receive my sight, Lord.” Then, he says, Jesus answered and said to him: “Receive your sight, your faith has saved you.” ^D The blind men according to Matthew have something more, about whom it is written that Jesus touched their eyes, neither did Mark nor Luke touch upon this. But here there is again a prerogative in the one according to Luke, since when he immediately received his sight, he not only followed Him, but he had something more than the others: “He followed Him, for he says, glorifying God.” And what was the end in this one, following and glorifying God, for all the crowd seeing it to give glory to God? These things, for the present, whether we have known or whether we have received (89), we have seen. May God grant to whom He wishes more abundantly the word of wisdom and with the word, clearer with the light of knowledge, so that, being compared with such gifts, one may be found to be as a lamp near the sun!

Concerning the donkey and the colt.

14. And when they had drawn near to Jerusalem, and had come to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, and so forth, unto the words: “Upon a donkey and a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.” And Mark also in that place has written: “And as they drew near to Jerusalem, and to Bethphage at the Mount of Olives,” and so forth, unto the words: “Upon a donkey and a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.” Regarding other places, we have noted that Matthew and John did not set forth the prophecy in the same words; for “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, [proclaim, O daughter of Jerusalem]” is not the same as: “Say to the daughter of Zion” [or: “Fear not, O daughter of Zion”], but [rather, the things] preceding “He is lowly” after “Behold, your King comes to you,” Matthew did not set forth, having it thus: “Just and saving is He.” Furthermore, instead of “and sitting upon a donkey and a colt, the foal of a beast of burden,” [there lies: “and sitting upon a donkey] and a young colt,” or as it is in some manuscripts, “a colt of a beast of burden.” And John, instead of “sitting upon a beast of burden [and a young colt],” has made it: “coming, he sits upon a colt of a donkey;” which expressing that the passage needs understanding, he adds: “These things His disciples did not know at first.”

^A For the synagogue of that time was bound by sins, and bound also was the colt, he who would later become the young people believing from the nations; and when the Savior drew near to the ascent unto the heavenly Jerusalem, He commanded that both of these be loosed by the disciples, giving them the Holy Spirit and saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.” And always, indeed, the disciples of Christ, whom He “made sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of letter but of spirit,” loosing the “bound donkey” and the “colt,” lead them to Jesus, who wishes to make use of the conveyances loosened from the bonds of ancient sins by his own genuine disciples. And it is fitting for the Son of God thus to have need (for He is a lover of mankind) of the bound donkey and of the colt bound “with her”; and He has need of them, in order that by sitting upon them He may give them rest, rather than find rest from those upon whom He sits.

But someone will inquire how the account of what follows will be consistent with what has been set forth, as it stands thus: “And immediately he will send them,” or: “When they draw near to Jerusalem and to Bethany, to the Mount of Olives,” and the rest, up to “And immediately he sends him.” And Luke in this manner, having said these things: “He was walking in front, ascending to Jerusalem,” and the rest, up to: “You shall say thus, that the Lord has need of him.” It is truly worth while, regarding such passages of the Gospel, to dwell upon the intention of those who wrote them and their purpose: what they were aiming at in recording, alongside the wonders and miracles performed by the Savior, things that signify nothing of the sort. For let it be that the Evangelists busied themselves ^B with the recovery of sight for the blind, the healing of the paralyzed, the resurrection of the dead, and the cleansing of the lepers, for the edification in the faith of Christ of those reading their writings regarding Jesus; but what is it that they intend by the passage before us, whereby, when Jesus had drawn near to Jerusalem with the disciples and had come to Bethphage near the Mount of Olives, He sent two disciples, instructing them concerning a donkey and a colt, that they should loose them and lead them to Him—to ^C Him who at other times did not shrink from traveling a longer road on foot and completing a journey on His own feet, as when He was passing through Samaria from Jerusalem and, having arrived at the well, being weary from the journey, sat down beside it? And what is the point for Jesus Himself in ordering a donkey bound along with a colt to be untied, and commanding to tell him who might say anything about this that the Lord has need of them, and that he would immediately send them back? For such a Lord, having need of a donkey and a colt that have long been bound, should show something worthy of His majesty. The prophet Zechariah, son of Berechiah, intensifies the difficulty of the inquiry at this point, having prophesied a prophecy concerning these things worthy of attention, in which these things are written in these very words: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion; declare, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, your King comes to you, righteous and saving, He is meek ^D and...

seated upon an animal and a young foal.” If you wish to learn from the Prophet ^A how it is that the daughter of Sion should rejoice greatly on account of the things foretold to her, hear what he says: “And He shall destroy the chariots from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the war bow shall be destroyed, and the multitude, and peace from the nations; and He shall have dominion over the waters as far as the sea, and from the rivers to the ends of the earth. And you, in the blood of the covenant, have set forth your prisoners from the pit that has no water. You shall sit in the stronghold, you prisoners of the congregation, and instead of one day of your sojourn, I will render back to you double.” And that we may not draw out this discourse further, let us leave it to anyone who wishes to compare the prophecy with the history according to the Gospel, to examine all matters in their respective places as the text lies before us.

We have noted, as we have in other places, that Matthew and John did not quote the prophecy in the very same words; for “Rejoice greatly, daughter of Sion” is not the same as “Say to the daughter of Sion.” Furthermore, after the words ^B “Behold, your King comes to you,” those which precede—namely “meek”—are not quoted by Matthew, who has it instead: “Just and saving Himself”; moreover, for “And sitting upon a donkey and a young foal,” it is written “and a young foal,” or, as some write, “a foal of a beast of burden.” John, however, instead of “Sitting upon an animal,” has written: “Sitting, He comes upon the foal of a donkey;” and intending to show that this passage requires understanding, he adds: “These things His disciples did not know at first.”

One might ask how it is reasonably commanded, according to the Prophet, that the daughter of Sion should rejoice greatly and that the daughter of Jerusalem should proclaim this ^C on account of His magnificence. What is the meaning of the fact that the Prophet Zechariah also foretold concerning this in these words: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion; proclaim, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your King comes to you, righteous and saving, He is meek and sitting upon a beast of burden and His young foal.” But if you wish to learn from the Prophet how Sion had this great joy, hear what he says: “And He destroyed the chariots from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the war bow shall be destroyed, and the multitude, and peace from the nations; and He shall have dominion over the waters as far as the sea, and from the rivers to the limits of the earth. And you, in the blood of the covenant, have sent forth your prisoners from the pit that has no water.” We have noted, however, as in other cases, that Matthew and John did not produce the same prophecy in the same language. For it is not the same thing to say “Rejoice greatly, daughter of Sion, proclaim, daughter of Jerusalem,” as it is to say “Say to the daughters of Sion,” or “Fear not, daughter,” and the rest, which they did not set down in the same way.

15. One must inquire how it is that the Prophet reasonably commands the daughter of Sion to rejoice greatly, and the daughter of Jerusalem to proclaim, on account of Him who sat upon the donkey and the young foal, since shortly after... ^D

seeing Jerusalem, He wept over it, ^A which kills the prophets, and so on. Observe, therefore, if you are able, whether Sion, now called the daughter of Him who commands her to rejoice, and Jerusalem, again the daughter of Him who orders her to proclaim, might refer to the heavenly things; concerning these it is written in the Epistle to the Hebrews: "But you have come to Mount Sion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels." And in the Epistle to the Galatians: "But the Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all." ^B Perhaps these are symbols of the Savior having loosed His own vehicles through His disciples—those who then believed from the people, as well as those from the Gentiles; for the ancient Synagogue was once bound by sins, and the young foal was bound with her, representing the people recently gathered from the Gentiles. ^C And as the Savior approached the ascent to the Jerusalem above, He ordered both of them to be loosed by the disciples who taught them, giving them the Holy Spirit and saying: "Receive the Holy Spirit; if you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." And ever do the disciples, whom He made capable ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter but of the spirit, ^D loose the bound donkey and the foal, leading them to Jesus, who desires to use as vehicles those who have been released from their ancient bonds by His true and genuine disciples. Indeed, it becomes the Son of God to have such need—for He is a lover of mankind—the need of the bound donkey and the foal bound with her. He has need of them, in order that, by sitting upon them, He might give them rest rather than be rested by those upon whom He sits.

16. But someone will ask how the sequence of what follows is consistent with what we have explained, as it stands: "Seeing Jerusalem, He wept over it, saying: Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which kills the prophets," and so on. Consider, therefore, if perhaps by Sion who is to rejoice, and Jerusalem who is to proclaim, He does not mean the one which crucified the Lord, but that which has received the Crucified, the heavenly Sion, concerning which the Apostle says to the Hebrews: "But you have come to Mount Sion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem," etc. Likewise to the Galatians: "But the Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all." Perhaps, then, all these are mysteries of the Savior, who looses through His disciples the bonds of the people from the Jews and of the people who come from the Gentiles. For the Synagogue that then existed was bound by sins; the foal was also bound with her, which subsequently became the new believing people from the Gentiles. And, approaching the heavenly Jerusalem—that is, ascending into heaven—He commanded His disciples to loose them, giving them the Holy Spirit, saying: "Receive the Holy Spirit; if you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them: and if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." And ever do the disciples of Christ, releasing the bound donkey and the foal, lead them to Jesus, who desires to use as vehicles those released by His disciples from the bond of their prior sins. And it is worthy of the Son of God that He should have need of them in this way. For He is merciful toward the bound donkey and the foal with her. He has need of them, that sitting upon them He might give them rest, rather than be rested by them.

^A And “He will send them immediately,” or “And straightway he will send him back hither.” You shall solve the stated problem by weighing the mission of either the two according to Matthew, or the foal according to Mark. That no one else was the Lord of those bound, but our one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and to whom none of those saying, “Why do you untie the foal?” or whatever else they might say, was about to gainsay—is manifest. For just as if they would not oppose Him at all, the Savior said, “And if anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord has need of them,” or “If anyone says to you, ‘Why do you untie the foal?’ say that the Lord has need of it,” and according to Luke also, “If anyone asks you, ‘Why do you untie?’ you shall say, ‘Because the Lord has need of it.’” And you shall inquire whether, after Jerusalem and the Savior’s having mounted these or this ^B, a certain mission was to take place to some necessary task in that place, so that the donkey and the foal might perform some work according to that which is passed over in silence, but which is nonetheless signified, though not clearly. I receive the conception of such a thing by attending to the order of the Beatitudes in the Gospel according to Matthew, in which, after “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” there is written next, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” For observe in these that, first, the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who are blessed, and second, they shall inherit the earth—not that they are to be on it for the whole age; for, having been comforted, and ^C because they have hungered and thirsted for righteousness, and having been filled with it, and having received mercy, and having seen God, and having been called His sons, they are again restored to the kingdom of heaven. If the donkey and the foal which the Savior mounts happen to be those who have been given this interpretation, do not stumble at the account that compares to dumb beasts of burden those who carry Jesus as He rides them. For perhaps the Prophet, having understood something of this sort, said that he had become brutish, not absolutely, but before God or before Christ, saying, “And I became as a beast of burden before Thee.” For as towards the Word Himself and ^D towards the greatness of God, we are beasts of burden—not only we, but also… [index: entries preserved]

far more logical and wiser than we are; and in this way, just as we are sheep of the shepherd in relation to the rational nature, because he who is compared among men and the most perfect ones to the Word himself—the Word—has a greater distance from Him than the soul of an ass or a foal or a sheep has from a human. And perhaps the beast of burden, or even the foal, that carries Jesus up to Jerusalem are of such a nature. But having arrived there, they do not remain a beast of burden or a foal, but are sent away, having been changed, and aided, and having shared in the divinity of the Word and the excellence of knowledge, so that they might be sent away for the glory of God, to the place from which they were unloosed before, the Lord having transformed them and having given them a reward for having brought Him, namely that very transformation, so that they might be sent back to their former place, no longer for their former works; for our benevolent Lord, having once received them and honored them both by the unloosing from their bonds and by his own mounting of them, was not about to send them again to the bonds or to works lesser than the work they had performed when they bore the Son of God upon their backs. ^B And it was fitting for this mystery and for the things spoken concerning Him to rejoice greatly and for the fruit of the Spirit, the daughter of God, Zion, and her daughter, Jerusalem, to increase her joy and to proclaim [it]; for the King was coming to her, just and saving, yet keeping with it that He is just, and saving with justice, and preparing those who are to be saved for salvation. He Himself was coming to Zion and Jerusalem, meek and ^C mounted upon a beast of burden and a young foal, as we have set forth, visiting Israel by destroying the chariots from Ephraim, which are similar to the chariots of Pharaoh, when he cast the chariots of Pharaoh and his power into the sea; and He was coming also destroying the war-animal, the horse, from Jerusalem, so that He might create peace for Israel, returning his lost sheep, and peace also for Jerusalem, leading back its children who had been cast out. How, then, was this matter not worthy of great joy, for the just King and the one who saves and is meek to be coming into Jerusalem? When every war-bow was about to be destroyed, so that sinners might no longer stretch bows, nor prepare arrows ^D

[VETUS INTERPRETATIO]

...above those whom the Word mounts, let not the discourse seem insipid to you in that faithful men are compared to animals. For perhaps understanding something of the sort, the Prophet says that he has become as a beast of burden; not simply a beast of burden, but as a beast of burden before God, or before His Christ, according to what he says: "I became as a beast of burden before you" (Ps. LXXI, 25). For in relation to God, we are beasts of burden, not only we, but even those much more prudent than we. But thus, in relation to Christ the shepherd, we are also His sheep: since there is as great a distance between Him and us as [there is] between a human and any beast of burden whatsoever. And perhaps when the ass and the foal have ascended into Jerusalem, with Jesus sitting upon them, and having been made [perfect] there, they will not remain there, but will be sent back, already changed, and edified, and nourished by the divinity of the Word, and [by its] eminence, knowledge, [and] honesty: so that they may be thought worthy, to the glory of God, to be sent back to the place from which they were taken, the Lord first improving them and, as it were, bestowing this reward upon them because they carried Him and rested in Him: so that, as we have said, they may be held worthy to be sent back to the place of this earth from which they had been taken, no longer to their former works. For it is not right that the merciful God, [having been] established as Lord, after He has once received them, and honored them, and loosed them from their bond, and made them His own seat, should send them back again to the bonds and to evil works, after they have once received the Son of God upon their hearts. In all these things it was very fitting to rejoice, and to extend [the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. v, 22)].

we proclaim "that the Lord has need of them," of those previously bound. He has need of them while riding upon them, once they have been loosed from their sins and have received the forgiveness thereof; for Jesus does not sit upon those who remain bound and constrained by the "reins of their own sins" (Prov. v, 22). According to Mark and Luke, however, there is a colt tied, "on which no man has ever sat"; for nothing rational or done according to human custom had ever been practiced or established by the colt from among the Gentiles. And this animal, upon which no rational person had previously sat, was blessed to have the Divine Word, the Son of God, sit upon it, so that, being led by Him as its charioteer, it might arrive at the Jerusalem of God. These are the aspects of the passage that we have seen for the present; but whoever is able and has the capacity for greater understanding of this passage, let him speak greater and better things, and let him rather be heard by those who thirst for the clarity of the Gospel. "And the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them, and brought the ass and the colt," and so on, until "the [prophet] from Nazareth of Galilee" (Matt. xxi, 6, 11).

^A Following the things set forth concerning the two disciples sent to untie "the ass" that was "tied and the colt" that was "with her," and all the things stated concerning that place, we shall also narrate the things set forth, in which it is said that "the two disciples having gone and done" what was commanded them by the Savior, "brought" to him "the ass and the colt"; whom they did not leave naked, but put upon them an adornment, in garments causing seemliness, having adorned the "ass and" the "colt with her" that had been untied by them, with which they themselves also were adorned and covered, [and] so that, as they were adorned with the ass and the colt [and] with the garments of the disciples who had taught them, the Word of God might ascend and rest and be seated, becoming alone the rider and charioteer of those that had been untied and were carrying him. But Jesus sits upon the ass and the young colt with the cloaks of the teaching disciples placed upon them, because it was necessary for each one to contribute something to Christ, the gentle King mounted upon a beast of burden and a young colt. [And the most part of the multitude spread their own garments in the way, and others cut down branches from the trees and spread them in the way.] There was indeed a "most part of the multitude" who were entering Jerusalem with Jesus, and these showed a fruit of the acceptance of the Savior in the way they spread "their own garments," and the adornment and covering which they possessed, for the one sitting upon the ass and the colt. In "the way," therefore, along which he was leading "the ass and the colt" toward Jerusalem, "the most part of the multitude spread" their "own garments," so that the ass and the colt might enter Jerusalem [with feet] pure of the earth and earthly things and in no way having dust on them. And a third order, besides the "two disciples" and the most part of the multitude who spread "their garments in the way," has now been recounted: for "others" were preparing a certain beauty ^B for the way along which Jesus was traveling toward Jerusalem, riding upon the aforementioned. There was a place, and Bethany is the house of obedience. To the house of obedience, therefore, are brought those things that are being untied or that which is being untied, so that from there Jesus may mount them; and to the house of the jawbone, concerning which it is possible to speak, having taken occasions naturally from the Book of Judges, in which there is a spring called "the Jawbone," from which Samson drank when he was thirsty, or perhaps because to one who strikes the jaw one must offer also the other, Bethphage was a symbol of the long-suffering of those who obtain salvation, from where Jesus was seated upon those that had been untied by the disciples according to the Lord's command. And it is the Mount of Olives, which, they say, being fruit-bearing are fine olive trees. "But I am like a fruit-bearing olive tree in the house of God," and those who are beginning and are being led in among them are "as the new plants of olive trees round about the" table of Christ, being his children and sons. But if one must also attend to the two disciples whom Jesus sent for the tied ass and the colt with her, so that having untied them they might bring them to him, it must be said that perhaps the two disciples are Peter and Paul, giving each other the right hands of fellowship, so that Peter might be for the circumcision, for the beast of burden—the one who had been brought under the yoke of the law—and Paul for the Gentiles, for the young and untamable colt. And both were, I say the beast of burden and the colt, before Jesus, in a village, and not a city, where they had been tied. But the disciples of Jesus untie and lead both to Jesus. And further, if one interprets the two disciples anagogically, you will say that there is indeed one order of those who minister to those from the circumcision, and another to those from the Gentiles. ^C Nevertheless, there is a communion of their works, as they untie the things commanded.

ANCIENT INTERPRETATION

^A and the beauty of the branches being cut "from the trees" and spread on either side of the garments which were laid down—unless perhaps this was a fourth order. For other are the "disciples" who untie, and another is the ass being untied, and the colt "with her," and thirdly "the very large crowd," and fourthly those who cut "the branches from the trees and" spread them "on the road." Discern also for me, from these, a fifth and sixth order enumerated: those going before Jesus and those following him. And you will say that those going before are from the people before the manifestation, perhaps of the righteous and the prophets; but those following are those from after the manifestation who follow the Word and follow him, whether they be righteous or apostles of Christ. However, the ones going before were not saying different things than those who were following; for they all cried out together as a chanting and harmonious choir and said, hymning the humanity of the Savior in the "Hosanna to the Son of David," and his second coming in the "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord," and his restoration into the holy things in the "Hosanna in the highest."

With these three shouts being uttered by the harmony of those going before and those following Jesus, he entered "into" the true "Jerusalem." But the heavenly powers having been astonished, they who are said to be "the whole city," said, "Who is this?" corresponding to those things prophesied in the twenty-third Psalm concerning the ascension of the Savior and the astonishment of the heavenly powers, astonished at the new sight of his bodily vehicle. It exists thus in the Psalm: "Lift up your gates, O princes, and be lifted up, eternal gates, and the King of glory shall enter in," and the rest. And in Isaiah also similar things are prophesied concerning the ascent of the Savior after the economy; for it is written: "Who is this that comes from Edom, the redness of his garments from Bosor?" ^B

Things ordained by Jesus to be untied; and while they are untying them, if anyone says to them, "Why are you untying the colt?" or whatever it may be, he says concerning both, we proclaim that the Lord has need of those formerly bound. He has need of them, being about to mount them, having been freed from sins and having received the forgiveness of them; for Jesus does not mount those who are still bound and "constrained by the ropes of their own sins." According, however, to Mark and Luke, "a colt is bound upon which no man has ever sat," for nothing rational and done according to order had happened, and it was established by the colt from the Gentiles; and this one, upon which nothing rational had previously been seated, was fortunate to have God upon it, the Word, the Son of God, so that, being led by him acting as charioteer, it might reach the Jerusalem of God. So much have we seen concerning this passage for the present; but one who is able and who can take in greater things for this passage, let him say greater and better things, and let that one be heard rather by those who thirst for evangelical clarity.

"And the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them, and they led the ass and the colt," and the rest, until: "Of Nazareth of Galilee." And Mark sets it forth thus according to the passage: "And going away they found a colt bound at the door outside in the street, and they untie it," and the rest, until: "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; peace in the highest." And Luke says such things: "And they who were sent went and found, as he said to them, the colt standing," and the rest, until: "If these become silent, the stones will cry out." ^C

[Concerning the] VETUS INTERPRETATIO: Those having the beginnings of faith are "like the young olive trees in the circle of the table of Christ," because they are his sons. But if it is necessary also to explain the mystery of the two disciples whom the Lord sent: perhaps we can not unreasonably say that they existed in the mystery of Peter and Paul, who gave to each other the right hands of fellowship, so that Peter indeed might go into the circumcision to the yoke-fellow, to preach to the people of the Jews living under the yoke of the Law; but Paul to the Gentiles, to the new and untamed colt. Both were (that is, the people from the Jews and the people from the Gentiles) in a village, and not in the city of Sion or Jerusalem; but the disciples of Christ untie both and lead them to Christ, that he might ascend upon them when they have been freed from sins, receiving the remission of them. Upon those who are still bound and constrained by the chains of their own sins, Jesus does not sit. According to Mark and Luke, however, even a colt is introduced to be bound, upon which no man has sat: for nothing rational, nor that which is accustomed to be done according to human customs, had ever happened among the Gentiles, nor had any discipline been founded in them, but contrary to their merit they were obtained by God, so that the Word of God might sit upon them, so that he leading, they might ascend into the Jerusalem of God. ^D "And they placed their garments upon him, and he sat upon him." Bringing therefore the ass and the colt to Christ, they did not leave them naked, but placed upon them the ornaments with which they had been adorned, and the garments with which they themselves had been covered, adding to them honesty, whom they themselves had untied by their own zeal: so that upon those adorned with the garments of the disciples of Christ, Christ might ascend and rest in them, and among them the Word of God might be poured out, since it was proper for each of the disciples to confer something to Christ the gentle king, so that they might be able to say that we are participants of Christ's work. "But a very great crowd spread their garments on the way. Others however were cutting branches from the trees, and were spreading them on the way." A great crowd therefore was ascending with Christ.

^A And according to the things set forth regarding the two disciples sent to untie the bound ass and the colt that was with her, and all things said to those in that place, we shall also relate the things set out, in which it is said that the two disciples going and doing the things ordered for them by the Savior, led the ass and the colt to him, whom they did not leave naked, but put ornaments upon them, covering them with garments to provide decorum, having adorned the ass untied by them and the colt with her; with which they themselves were also adorned and covered, so that the Word of God, having become the driver of the untied animals that were bearing him, might rest and be settled upon the ass and the colt adorned by the garments of the disciples who taught them, and might remain alone upon them. But Jesus sits upon the ass and the colt, since the garments of those who taught were placed upon them; yet since it was necessary for each one to contribute something to the meek King riding upon a beast of burden and a young colt, and since there was a very great crowd accompanying Jesus into Jerusalem, these too showed the fruit of their reception of the Savior by spreading their own garments, which they had as decoration and covering, for the one sitting upon the ass and the colt. ^B Therefore, on the road along which he led the ass and the colt to Jerusalem, the great crowd spread their own garments, so that the ass and the colt might enter into Jerusalem upon things clean and free from earthly matters and in no way having dust. And a third company is now recounted besides the two disciples and the great crowd who spread their garments on the road; for others were providing beauty to the road through which Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem, riding upon the aforementioned animals; and the beauty was from branches being cut from trees and spread on either side of the garments that were spread down; unless perhaps this was a fourth company: for there were the disciples who were untying, another was the untied ass and the colt with her, and a third the ^C great crowd that spread their garments on the road. For others were providing beauty to the road along which Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem, riding upon the aforementioned animals. ^D And that he might be adorned by the ass and the colt with the garments of the disciples who taught... But upon the garments of those who taught, placed upon the ass and the colt, etc. ...of those who taught, to, of those who taught... I know that some have understood the bound ass as those believing from the circumcision, who are released from many bonds by those who have been truly and spiritually taught by the Word; and the colt as those from the nations...

OLD INTERPRETATION

^A Observe in this passage the formation of a fifth and sixth rank from among those who preceded and followed Jesus. And indeed, you will say that those who precede are gathered perhaps from the saints and prophets who lived before the Advent; but those who follow are from the righteous, or the apostles of Christ, who have pursued the Word after the Advent. However, those who were preceding were not saying one thing, and those who were following another; for they all cried out together, as it were a harmonious and consonant chorus, and they were speaking, praising the humanity of the Savior in the words: "Hosanna to the Son of David;" and at his second coming, with this hymn: "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord;" and at his restitution into the holy places, saying: "Hosanna in the highest."

^B Now, as these three exclamations were being uttered by the concord of those who preceded and followed Jesus, he entered the true Jerusalem; and the heavenly powers, which are said to be the entire city, being struck with astonishment, were saying: "Who is this?" just as those things having been predicted in the twenty-third psalm regarding the Savior’s reception in heaven, and the heavenly powers being astonished at the new sight of his bodily vehicle. It is written thus in the psalm: "Lift up your gates, O princes, and be lifted up, eternal gates, and the King of glory shall enter in," and what follows. ^C Isaiah also prophesies similar things concerning the Savior’s ascension after his work was administered; for it is written: "Who is this who comes from Edom, the redness of his garments from Bosra, this one beautiful in his robe?" You yourself, by gathering them together, can understand all the things of this place, what the astonished powers say concerning the ascension of the Savior’s body, and what answer is given to them.

These things have been brought forward by me because I wished to preserve the sequence of the tropology according to the Scripture, because "when he had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was moved, saying: Who is this?" After this, it is written that many said: "This is Jesus the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee," confessing him of whom the prophecy had been published: "Because he shall be called a Nazarene," namely, one strictly ^D and always consecrated to God. But let this place be circumscribed by this exposition, and let what follows provide the beginning of another member, so that no one is forced, by connecting the narrative of those things with the former, to seek its interpretation there.

The remaining faithful who followed the Word of God—nevertheless, those who preceded were not saying one thing and those who followed another; but all were crying out at once with a consonant voice, praising the human dispensation of Christ in that they said: "Hosanna to the Son of David," and "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord," and his restitution into the holy places, in that they said: "Hosanna in the highest."

19. At that time, when Jesus had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was moved, saying: "Who is this?" In these two clamors now stated, by the consent of those preceding and following Jesus, he himself entered into the true Jerusalem; and the heavenly powers, which are called the city, were filled with wonder.

^A But since the sequence now requires us to speak according to the wording of Matthew regarding those things set forth, let us call upon the Father of wisdom and see if we can speak anything worthy of the bold action of Jesus in this place. And first, it must be said what "the temple of God" is, which God himself confessed, saying through the prophet: "My house shall be called a house of prayer." Now, analogous to the circumcision according to the flesh and the bodily feasts and sacrifices of the Law, the structure built first of inanimate stones by Solomon and later rebuilt by Ezra—though it was razed by the Romans after the economy of the Savior—was deemed to be "the temple of God." And that "house" was supposed to be of prayer; and when it was razed, it was necessary for the Jews, as no longer having a house "of prayer," to say that they no longer possessed the preeminence of God's oversight, which they thought they possessed because of praying in the house "of prayer," nor to perform the requirements of the legal worship. ^B Being cast out from the temple of God, some are reproved, as having made the house of prayer a den of robbers. I do not know, however, if, even if one forces it, one can follow [the passage] "Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion," [and] save the whole sequence of what follows for the things set forth. After these things, let us also examine this: "Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest," [and] what meaning it has. Clearly, then, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord" lies in the very same words in the psalm before the greatest psalm, called in some copies the 117th. And it seems to me that the things before "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord," [which stand] in place of "O Lord, save now," are expressed in Hebrew as "Hosanna to the son of David." And the Hebrew wording was thus: "Anna Adonai Oseinnan. Anna Adonai asai. Anna Baruch abbab saim Adonai." It seems to me that, because the Evangelists were constantly being written down by Greeks who did not know the language, these things [in the original text] concerning the place have been confused with what is from the aforementioned psalm. ^C But if you wish to learn the exact meaning of the word, hear Aquila interpreting it thus: "O now, Lord, save now. O now, Lord, prosper now: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." But let us summarize the things regarding the place, and say that either Paul and Peter, or the two kinds of teachers, having loosed [the beings] from their bonds according to... ^D ...saying: "Who is this?" according to what had been prophesied in the psalm concerning his ascension, and concerning the admiration of the heavenly powers because of the new vehicle of his body. It stands, moreover, thus: "Lift up your gates, you princes, and be lifted up, you eternal gates, and the king of glory shall enter. Who is this king of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle." And in Isaiah some similar things are prophesied regarding the return...

And now I also think that the Church is the "temple" built of living stones, and that there are some in it who do not live as if in a church but who fight "according to the flesh," and who by their own wickedness make the house of "prayer" [built] of living stones a "den of robbers." For who, having considered the sins committed in certain churches by [such Christians] who think "godliness is a means of gain" for others, and who, though they ought to live solely "from the Gospel," do not do this, but instead gather wealth and many possessions—who would not say that the so great mystery of the Church has become a "den of robbers"? So that Jesus might say, regarding the sins committed in the living temple which He built, both that which is from the Psalms: "What profit is there in my blood, when I have gone down to the pit?" and that which is from [as I think] Hosea, where the soul of Jesus, displeased with the life of those who sin and yet seem to be in the temple, says: "Woe is me! for I have become as one who gathers straw in the harvest, and as the grape-gleanings in the vintage, there being no cluster to eat, the first-fruits."

^A Having thus served the letter of the text, we have explained it tropologically, as far as we were able; but since the sequence requires that we discuss the matters set forth according to the narrative of Matthew, having invoked the Father of wisdom, let us see if we can say something worthy of the bold action of Jesus in this place. ^B And first, it must be said what that temple of God is, which God acknowledged when He said in the Prophet: "My house shall be called a house of prayer" (Isa. LVI, 7). According, therefore, to the circumcision according to the flesh, and the bodily feasts and sacrifices of the Law, that structure made of inanimate stones, first built by Solomon and then restored by Ezra, but after the economy of the Savior destroyed by the Romans, was considered the temple of God; and that house was believed to be a house of prayer. When it was destroyed, it was necessary to say that the Jews, as no longer having a house of prayer, no longer had the special privilege of the visitation of God, a privilege they were believed to enjoy because they prayed in the house of prayer after they had performed the duties of the legal worship. But our Savior, who issued symbols of His own spiritual actions, bodily cast out from that temple those who were selling and buying, overturned the tables of the money-changers and the chairs of those who were selling the doves, and said what is written for the conversion of the people then present, who, when they ought to have celebrated the holy festival in the name of God, occupied themselves with sales and purchases not in a place suitable for such things, but in the temple. ^C Here, where they gathered, they ought to have prayed as in a house of prayer; but they were doing things contrary to prayer within it, just as in a house dedicated to trade, selling and buying, exchanging money, and sitting in chairs for the sake of selling doves. Jesus, moreover, took away the foulness of the Jews' crime when He rebuked them for trading and for indulging in bodily pleasures when they ought to have celebrated the feast according to the prescription of the Law.

21. But now I consider the temple formed of living stones to be the Church, and that there are some in it who do not live as if in a Church, but who "war according to the flesh" (II Cor. X, 3), and who by their own wickedness make the house of prayer constructed of living stones a den of thieves. For who, having perceived the sins committed in certain Churches by those who are thought ^D to make piety a means of gain, and [who are] obligated...

to live on the Gospel alone, yet do not do so, but gather wealth and many possessions, would not say that such a great mystery of the Church has become a den of thieves? So that Jesus might say regarding the sins committed in the living temple which He Himself built, both that which is from the Psalms, which has it thus: “What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to corruption?” and that which is from, as I suppose, Hosea, ^B where the soul of Jesus speaks, being displeased with the life of those who sin, and who yet seem to be in the temple: “Woe to me! For I have become as one gathering stubble in the harvest, and as a grape-gleaning in the vintage, when there is no cluster to eat of the first-fruits. Woe to me, O my soul, for the pious has perished from the earth, and there is none upright among men.” ^C And if you are offended by Jesus saying these things, and by His mourning for our failures, saying, “Woe to me, O my soul,” consider along with these things that which is from the Gospel, where it is written that, “seeing Jerusalem, He wept over it, and said.” And more so, if He reasonably wept over Jerusalem, He will weep more reasonably over the Church, which was built to be a house of prayer, but which has become, through the base greed and luxury of some—and would that it were not also [through that] ^D of the leaders of the people—a den of thieves. But then, indeed, Jesus entered into the temple of God and cleansed it, casting out all those who sold and bought in the temple, and overturning the tables of the money-changers, together with the seats on which those who sold the doves were sitting. But now, in as much as those who come together in the name of Jesus Christ in meetings are not inspected, they are those who sell and buy in the temple, and do the rest, and nowhere does Jesus appear to them, that by casting them out He might save the rest, or by having those [others] cast out, He might make them perceive their sin, and enter into the temple, no longer with selling and buying, or the other…