Commentariorum series in evangelium Matthaei

When asked about the first, he also added the second, which is in no way inferior to it. If there is a first commandment and another second, there would also be a third and another fourth, and so on. (For hearing) that it is written in the law concerning the divine words, "Bind them upon your hand, and they will be unshakable before your eyes," those who perform their works "for the sake of being seen by men," having written certain literal passages of the law on two pieces of parchment, and having bound them, wear one as a crown placed on the head against the forehead, with the writing, and the other on the arm of the other hand; and they call these "phylacteries." Likewise, having found something about a fringe in Deuteronomy, they think they are keeping the law by making a fringe on some thread which they wear on their garments. For those now reproached by the Savior cannot have killed Zechariah, son of Barachiah, who is listed among the twelve. But it is likely [as Josephus says] that Zechariah is now called the father of John, concerning whom we have no proof from the scriptures either that he was the son of Barachiah, or that the scribes and Pharisees killed him "between the temple and the altar." But a certain tradition has come down to us, that there was a place around the temple where it was permitted for virgins to enter and worship God, but they did not allow those who had already experienced a man's bed to enter that place. So Mary, after giving birth to our Savior, came to worship and stood in the place of the virgins.

and when those who knew that she had given birth prevented him, Zacharias told those who prevented him that she was worthy of the place of the virgins, though she was still a virgin. Therefore, as one clearly transgressing the law and allowing a woman to enter the place of the virgins, they killed him "between the temple and the altar," those of that generation. At any rate, they are reproached by the Savior not as sons of those who killed the prophets and Zacharias along with the prophets, but as themselves the murderers. And it is not surprising if it happened that the father of John, Zacharias, was namesake of one of the twelve. And likewise the father of the father. For even if he appeared to some saints after the resurrection, yet not to unbelieving Jews. But since the literal sense also requires an anagogical interpretation, ("abomination of desolation") according to anagogical interpretation is a heterodox word and an impious doctrine introduced from the literal passages of scripture, which the heterodox use. And the phrase "standing" indicates that the Antichrist word wishes to confirm its own doctrines by constructions. Always, then, the reader [especially] must hasten to understand the scriptures, especially when a clear doctrine leading to desolation of the soul is set forth (bringing the soul to desolation, as in manuscript B). Those who put off the old man (for this is what the garment means), 93 (those who interpret the sayings according to contemplation say) the abomination stands, how is it here or there? And one outside the faith and the rule of the church and of scripture says: Behold, in the desert. Therefore it is added: Do not go out; for he who trusted in worldly wisdom went out and became a pagan. And one who promises apocryphal writings will say:

Behold, in the treasuries, for which reason it is added: do not believe. Tropically, the lightning of truth, to which the presence of the Son of Man is likened, is leveled throughout all legal, prophetic, evangelical, and apostolic scripture. And having come forth from the east, the beginnings of Christ, it appears as far as the west, the things pertaining to the economy of the passion. But see if one east is the law, one west the end of the law; another east as far as west is Jesus Christ as far as Paul, to whom last of all "as if to an abortion he appeared." And generically there is one Antichrist, as falsehood is one; specifically, there are many and many false teachings and doctrines. And as there are prophets of Christ, the true word, so there are false prophets of Antichrist, who is the false word. For where, according to the economy of the passion, the fall of Jesus having fallen, in order to raise up those who have fallen, not just any will gather, but the disciples who are growing wings and, according to Solomon, having constructed wings as eagles magnanimously and royally, having believed in the passion of Christ; for which reason not vultures, not ravens, but the animal that does not feed on corpses.

To whom it must be said, according to the literal sense, that just as from the great amount of smoke from the conflagration or from the fact that they are no longer nourished by exhalations, the great luminaries are darkened and do not give their light, so, when the light in the stars fades, the remaining earthy matter, unable to be raised, will be cast out from the heavens, and the rational powers of the heavens, having suffered an alien disturbance and with that which has dissolved them descending again, will be shaken, perhaps for the better, and the sign by which peace was made between things in heaven and on earth will appear, so that the unbelievers, coming to awareness, will lament having spoken ill of Christianity... or from the fact that they are no longer nourished by exhalations... the remaining earthy matter) one should use for these things what is said in Isaiah concerning the day of the Lord and in Zechariah concerning the tribes being cut off. But in an anagogical sense you will say that the darkened sun is the devil, who for a long time has transformed himself as an angel of light and deceived many as the sun, but at the consummation will be exposed as darkness and a pretender of the dawn. The moon that will not give its light is the church of those who do evil, which promises to give light but then will be exposed when its doctrines are overturned. And those who are lifted up by the heights of their words against the knowledge of God are the stars that will fall from their own heaven.

He calls himself a son of man as one who will come in the body. And just as, when he was transfigured taking the three disciples, a luminous cloud overshadowed them, so in the second coming, having been more gloriously transfigured, he will come upon more clouds, so as to be seen not by three but by more. And just as he was taken up coming in clouds, as was said in the Acts: "A cloud took him up, and behold, two men said to them: This Jesus will come in the same way as you saw him going into heaven." In the anagogical sense, the clouds upon which the Lord comes are the divine scriptures, showing the glorious advent of the Word of God. They are gathered by the angels of God, either those called and chosen from the coming of Christ until the consummation, or even those who from the creation and foundation of the world rejoiced to see the day of Christ, like Abraham. Perhaps in the meantime they dwell among the angels who pre-teach the heavenly things, so that, having been educated under a perfect teacher, the Word Son of God, they might reign together with him. Otherwise, the whole world is compared to a fig tree, whose consummation is prophesied, or each of those who journey toward living blessedly and seeing the glorious and perfect advent of Christ the Word. For just as the fig tree, so the world and each of the saved now (as in winter) has leaves and fruits potentially, but later in actuality those which will be manifested in summer.

And the one who has been tested in temptation journeys toward summer bearing a tender branch, not a hard heart, and the advances in works bear the leaves, and perfection bears the fruits (and the most perfect fruits). As the Savior is a true vine, so also the fig tree is the Holy Spirit, which bears the saving fruits, the good figs, whose dried fig cake healed Hezekiah the king. Most will refer the saying to the destruction of Jerusalem, which those who also saw the passion of Christ beheld. He says, therefore, that what has been said will certainly come to pass, and the generation of the faithful will remain... Or, since the word "generation" is of multiple meanings in Scripture (for it signifies both the people of the circumcision and those from the nations), it must be understood that the generation in the sight of the Savior of the New Covenant will not pass away nor come to the promises until all that the Savior said has happened. And for each of us these things must happen mystically, if from the teaching to the end one, having endured in all things, remains impassive until the glorious coming of Christ. Those called heaven and earth by metonymy, being in heaven and on earth, will pass through their entire constitution, so that they may come to the higher things. For the words of the Savior will always effect what is proper to them, as being perfect and not admitting of becoming better, having passed through what they are. But "heaven and earth will pass away, but his words will remain," being words of the one through whom all things came to be; for the word of things that have come to be does not pass away, even if the things themselves pass away.

But he will say that before the Economy, Christ says this, but after the Economy, no longer, when "God exalted him and granted him a name above every name." The Son concealed it, saying he did not know, for the benefit of the disciples. Another says that just as Paul says, "then the Son will be subject to the Father," not as though he were ever insubordinate (if he were insubordinate), but as though not all his members had yet been perfected, so since the body of Christ does not know that day or hour, neither does he himself say he knows... And according to the scriptural custom concerning knowledge, "he who keeps commandments will not know a fault" means he will not suffer; and "the one not knowing sin made sin for us." Something similar is signified by "not even the Son," and according to "Adam knew Eve his wife." Now he prepares the knowledge of the day and hour for the heirs of the promise, from when "he emptied himself," so that all for whom he assumed the "form of a servant" might know the things of the day and hour, "which no eye has seen and no ear has heard and has not entered into the heart of man, which God has prepared for those who love him." For the end of each one's departure only God knows, and he who has the spirit of God, as Samuel knew of Saul (and Elijah of Ahaziah). Or two in the governing field: the mind of the zealous one and that of the base one, and of the souls that thresh in the heavy mill of the world, where the good and noble one is taken up, while the base one is left behind as unworthy.

It is possible that both bodies are signified in one material, of which the body of the just man is the one taken up on the single bed, and the body of the unjust man is the other, which is left behind. And the body, being weak, is on the bed even if it is taken up, but the soul, through many things which it endures in life, is ground in the mill of the world. Therefore, the following words must be understood not as concerning the universal consummation, but especially as concerning the consummation of each individual. For these heard the call to keep watch, from whom the more universal was far off, because of the future sojourn of the Word in them, which had not yet come to be in them as it was about to be. And the Lord, coming, enters the house—the soul—as the master of the house, the mind; but the thief, the Adversary, digging through the natural notions of the soul, which the Word built, and overturning them, in order to plunder the mind. And everyone whom the Word enlightens (even if not yet as the sun, but as a lamp) while he keeps watch, must also watch for the lamp of the Lord at its setting, whether at the departure from life, or at the consummation of this age which occurs for him. Perhaps after the thief comes the Lord; but he comes to that one from whom the thief refrained because he was keeping watch. See whether the word does not also put to shame those entrusted with such things, the bishops and teachers. The saying of Daniel to one of the two elders who had condemned holy Susanna, "For already the angel of God, having received a report from God, will split you in two," [Origen, interpreting, says] that this will certainly happen to him in the judgment, according to the saying of the Lord, that "he will cut him in two.

...cut in two, because (he will cut in two, but when) "the spirit returns to the God who gave it," but the soul goes with the body spoken of in the Gospel "into Gehenna." Therefore they weep instead of laughing, and they gnash their teeth, considering the end of their toil and the excess of their punishment, as if wishing to bear them nobly. He says that the ten virgins are the senses in each soul, which have withdrawn from idolatry by having received, "whether on pretense or in truth," the pure word of God and have been made virgins. They also follow in turn, as the virtues follow the hypostasis of Christ (Christ). There are both those commonly understood and those in Proverbs, for which reason in the pentad they are not some foolish and some wise, but if one, then all. The lamps are the instruments of one who lives well and according to reason, or the opposite. They went out to meet him, having received the mystery concerning Christ and the Church; for they go out from the error of the world toward him who readily hastens to them. The oil is the poured-out word of the psychic, of him who works the good deed. Those who rise up from the vital tension sleep; the wise ones, at any rate, do not lose their lamps nor are they inattentive to the preservation of the oil. The angels cry out to the sleeping senses, awakening them, that is, "the liturgical spirits sent for service on account of those who are to inherit salvation." They sell the oil, those who teach for a fee of attendance, attention, love of learning, zeal, diligence.

For many are those who have sufficient reason for the use of their way of life, but not so as to teach others. And he who does not acquire the rational oil at the proper time truly loses the ability to enter the wedding with the bridegroom; such are those who begin to learn only at the point of departure. The world of lamps is the evangelical use according to the senses: of eyes, to marvel at the Creator and to close them "so that they may not see injustice"; of hearing, not admitting vain things nor "judgment of blood," but the words of Jesus; of taste, eating the Lord Christ; of smell, enjoying the fragrance of Christ and the emptied myrrh; of touch, touching the Word as John says, "our hands have handled concerning the Word of life." The conclusion of the discourse is to be prepared at every time for the departure. Do not be surprised if, because of not teaching the Word, someone will suffer such things; for Paul says, "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel." Hence also the servants do not go to the Lord, but he comes, in order to judge and give what is deserved. And what the righteous man sows "into the spirit," from which he "reaps eternal life," is a possession of God. Again, the righteous man "scattered, gave to the poor"; and the Lord gathers these to himself, reckoning, "For I was hungry and you gave me to eat," gathering to himself what was done for the little ones. Let us therefore sow and offer him tithes and firstfruits. The wicked man, because no one enjoyed what he had of silver from those able to examine with him the divine mysteries. The lazy man, because he shrank from working.

The money-changers are the hearers who retain the good doctrines and abstain from the base. The Lord's coins, then, are those which bear the royal form of God and the image of his Word. For instance, to one who has faith from what is in our power, a gift of faith will be given; and, in general, to one who has something from the natural constitution present in him, improved by attention and care, the deficiency will be supplied by God. "Outer darkness," he says, where there is no light—perhaps not even physical light, but certainly no oversight of divine light. If the darkness is over the abyss, and this is outside the cosmos, as some say, then according to this, those unworthy of the whole cosmos are cast out into that abyss, with nothing illuminating the regions outside the structure of the whole cosmos. He calls the saints "sheep" because of their gentleness... and the impious "goats" because of their leaping. He calls them "accursed" not from the Father; for their own works make them accursed. To some it seems that there is one and the same [account] in all the evangelists. Perhaps one might say

There are four women about whom the evangelists wrote. But I rather add that they are three, and one about whom Matthew and Mark wrote, as they agree in many other things of the gospel writing, and another about whom Luke wrote, differing somewhat from those previously mentioned, and one about whom John wrote. For even if they recorded the events concerning the woman in Bethany, Matthew and Mark narrated that these things happened in the house of Simon the leper, but John says, "Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom he raised from the dead," and so on. Another says, "One day before the Feast of Unleavened Bread," mentioning that day on which in the evening the Passover was to be sacrificed, etc. And the other disciples, even if they had a clear conscience, yet trusting him more than themselves, were anxious. For he thought that the Lord had not noticed, etc. The passion of grief or distress would not occur in the divine nature itself; for it is beyond every passion. But we say that the incarnate Word willed to reach the measures of humanity, etc. 219. Some say that Judas had some reverence toward the teacher. By this name we know none of the refined are called; for even the one who had no wedding garment was called thus: "Friend, how did you enter here?" And to the murmuring workman it was said, "Friend, I do not wrong you." He said these things so that they might not think he suffered unwillingly. And these two, having agreed, spoke falsely.

For the Lord did not say, "I destroy the temple," but "destroy," and he did not say "destroy the temple of God," but "destroy this temple," speaking of his own body, but the Jews received this utterance as false. An oath is one thing, exorcism another; for demons, being invisible spirits, are exorcised so that they may confess. But you, Caiaphas, saw Jesus standing and, without exorcism, commanding the demons, and granting such authority to his disciples. Since, therefore, he was not questioned genuinely, Christ could neither deny himself to be the son of God, nor did he answer on account of the rashness of the questioner, showing his indecency (the nakedness of his soul) and a symbol that the garment of the old high priesthood had been rent. But if no one can say "Lord Jesus" except in the Holy Spirit, and "the Holy Spirit was not yet, because Jesus had not yet been glorified," it was not possible for Peter to confess either, for which reason he is not accused. Indeed, to those who confess, the Savior says, "It is not you who speak, but the spirit of God speaking in you." But while still in the court of the killing letter and in Jewish traditions, commandments, and teachings of men, he does not confess Christ. Note, however, that the second denial is not outside the gate, but within it. The three denials, then, occur in the night and before the sign of day, which naturally rouses from sleep, has arrived. But if he had denied after the cockcrow, when it is said "the night advanced, and the day drew near," he would have been unforgivable.

Perhaps also the one who insulted "the spirit of grace" is not fitting for Peter; for it was not "spirit." But also the one who knew "I am your slave and the son of your maidservant" becomes outside the maidservant who causes the denial of Christ. Therefore the one who heard "Behold now, bless the Lord, all you slaves of the Lord who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God," etc. And so that we may also depart from the other maidservant, let us understand "As the eyes of a maidservant toward the hands of her mistress, so are our eyes toward the Lord our God." In these things, Peter, having departed from those things that cause him to deny, from the bitterness in having sinned, made his weeping bitter-producing in repentance. The disciples of Christ are scandalized by night, but these, not in darkness paying attention (stumbling) because of the surrounding circumstances, but sinning through inattention at the beginning of their day, are not pardonable. They have also been deceived, thinking that by killing Jesus they would extinguish his teaching and stop those who believe. They themselves therefore bound the one "saying to those in bonds, come out" and to the fettered "be loosed," fulfilling the prophecy that says "Let us bind the righteous man because he is troublesome to us." But he, having said "Let us break their bonds," says also the following in the psalm. Nevertheless, the remnant of Christ's words in him conquered his love of money. Therefore, not after his resurrection as if compelled, but before the condemnation by Pilate, he shows repentance. Perhaps also, having seen Jesus handed over to Pilate, he was reminded that Jesus had said this too and that he would rise.

He hanged himself, even if he repented fervently, "but not with knowledge"... Perhaps he thought he would anticipate Jesus, who was about to die, and meeting him, would supplicate with his soul naked, confessing the judgment against himself, so that his confession might be received... Nor did he remember, after so many trials, Job says, "For if only I could lay hands on myself, or at least beg another and have him do this to me," which utterly forbids any way of removing oneself from life. Therefore, not after his resurrection, as if compelled, but before the condemnation by Pilate, he shows his repentance. Since Jesus had not yet been condemned by Pilate, "the one who handed him over," Judas, not thinking that the high priests would bring a sentence of death against him, and foreseeing this had happened in the council, he saw in effect that Jesus was condemned entirely. Either the phrase "he was condemned" refers to Judas, perceiving what evil he had done, condemned by God, or "Satan, after the morsel, entered into him," being present with him until Jesus was handed over to Pilate, "departed from him for a time," so as to allow room for remorse... He says, "I sinned in handing over innocent blood," thinking he would accomplish something. Therefore, hearing, "What is it to us? You will see," he throws down the silver and hangs himself, unable to bear "the excessive grief." 248... And he became strangled and unclean, the blood remaining in the flesh. And perhaps, consumed by a second evil, "the excessive grief," he does this, not having rightly sought "a place of repentance"... But see if, conceiving something greater about the Savior, he threw down the silver there. 250... And Jesus, gently hinting at the "yes" as king of all men, said, "You say it.

As in a public accusation, Pilate interrogates him who has been handed over, saying, "Are you the king of the Jews?" We must inquire whether he asks thus in mockery or in doubt. Since the high priest asked hesitantly, saying, "Tell us if you are the Christ," but Pilate asked declaratively. Observe whether the phrase "You have said it" spoken to the high priest implicitly refutes his hesitation, while "You say it" spoken to Pilate confirms his declaration. Because of their unchangeable nature, he contradicts nothing to them; but rightly he did not even answer Pilate, because he is in doubt whether he ought to defend himself against the unjust accusations and because he is of two minds concerning him. For it was clear that if he had defended himself and shown himself guilty of no charge, the judge would have released him, having taken the path of pronouncing favorably about him; hence the governor "marveled" at him, how, though able to say many defenses, he remained silent. He does not merely marvel, but "exceedingly"; perhaps because of his unshaken and untroubled attitude toward death and the serenity of his face in these circumstances, but perhaps he also marveled at his superhuman patience. It is likely that, the Jews having recently become allies of the Romans, the one who was gratifying to them was released at the festival. And Saul, by releasing Jonathan to the people, shows that such a practice was ancestral to them. But having encountered very ancient manuscripts, I found that Barabbas himself was called Jesus. Thus, at any rate, Pilate's inquiry there ran: "Whom of the two do you wish me to release to you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus called Christ?" For that he was handed over out of envy was clear even to Pilate.

Moreover, the dream is a work of providence, not spoken of as to what it was, but showing that it was not so that Jesus would not suffer that it was shown, but so that the woman might be saved. Blessed is she who, in dreams, receives suffering so as not to suffer excessively. If this woman is a symbol of the church once ruled by Pilate from the nations and no longer subject to him because of faith in Christ, you will inquire; for the woman is of foreign race. Pilate did this as if discharging the matter, declaring the Savior righteous. Contrary to the current customs of the Romans, he washed his hands, perhaps performing a Jewish custom. It is likely that at the beginning of the Roman empire, military science did not yet have the proper order, so contrary to the current customs of the Romans, the cohort gathers against him and does the things recorded, doing these things mockingly because they heard him called king. If the cohort is a symbol of the army of the evil one, and if these things were set in motion by the invisible kingdoms, ignorant of the economy, you will inquire; "For if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory," says the apostle, not understanding what they were doing. The "crown" of "thorns" are the sins grown together from the cares of life, which he consumes with his own head as God. Taking it from us, Christ himself was not harmed, but made it strong, much more robust than before. He gave back to us a scepter of the kingdom of the heavens. According to the three, Simon carries the cross bearing Jesus up; according to John, Jesus carries it himself.

If both things happened literally, you will inquire, and which came first, whether Jesus received the end of bearing the cross or Simon did. For it is likely that, since no one was willing to bear the cross, this man from within first bore it, but on the road they placed it upon Simon, not by chance as one impressed into service, but predestined by God to minister to the cross of Jesus, in which "the world is crucified" for the saints and the saints "for the world." Since Cyrene is in the Pentapolis, they say tropically that the five senses bear the cross of the economy. And since Simon is interpreted as OBEDIENCE, the one named after obedience takes it up. Concerning the place of the skull, it came to me that the Hebrews transmit that the body of Adam was buried there, so that, since in Adam we all die, Adam might rise, and in Christ we might all be made alive. For Matthew said that, having tasted the wine with gall, he did not wish to drink, but Mark said that he did not even taste the wine mixed with myrrh at the beginning. 270. Matthew, passing over it, said that even those crucified with him reviled him; but this one, more accurately—as he also promised—expounding, says that one was the blasphemer, and the other rebukes him. It is likely that at the beginning both reviled him, but later the other changed to believing in him, reminded of the signs he performed and seeing the air beginning to darken. But see if the saved thief is a symbol of those who, after sin, believed in Jesus and say:

I am crucified with Christ, being conformed to his death, who also are deemed worthy of the sojourn in paradise because the Lord said, "Today you will be with me in paradise." For eclipses occur when these two luminaries approach each other. For an eclipse of the sun occurs when the moon runs under it at conjunction, not at full moon when the moon is opposite. And a certain Phlegon among the Greek philosophers mentions this darkness, but Matthew and Mark named neither sun nor eclipse, while Luke... just as the land around Judea and the rocks and the tombs. For in many places scripture calls all the land of Judea "land"... whether of a dark cloud or clouds running under the sun's rays reaching the land of Judea, or of the air there having become thick, sympathizing also itself with what had happened... when "he made war against the Egyptians because of them." 277... And since man was created on the sixth day, and it is likely that man erred at the sixth hour, perhaps for this reason the one suffering for the salvation of men was hung at the sixth hour (of the sixth day at the sixth

day and the sixth hour) and the darkness is an image of the darkening of those who laid hands on the light. For just as there was darkness for the Egyptians and light for the sons of Israel, so now there is light for the church and darkness for the Jews of three hours—of the paternal light, the radiance of Christ, the illumination of the Holy Spirit. And this is the voice: "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." But until Christ, having struggled on behalf of our life, underwent the death of the flesh, the veil was still somehow spread. And since "Christ is a rock," his imitators the apostles and prophets are also called rocks, "having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus Christ being the cornerstone." And now the soul that has left the rolling and unstable Galilee and follows the word and does what is commanded truly sees both the deadness of the body of Jesus and the manner in which he, with prayer, commends his spirit to the Father. And although there are many other women, these were named preeminently as those who see more, serve, and follow better: Mary from the Magnification (for Magdala is interpreted as "Magnification") and the mother of the eponymous patriarchs, of the one who tripped his brother, and at whose birth the mother says, "May God add another son for me," and the mother called the mother of the Sons of Thunder (in Mark B #5) Salome, which is "Peace." And the end of those who left the Galilee of the nations and followed Jesus is not only to go up to Jerusalem but also to be with him.