He sendeth yet 72 more to preach to the Jews, with power also of miracles, (13) crying woe to the cities impenitent. (17) At their return he agniseth the great power he gave them, but yet teacheth them not to be proud thereof, (21) and praiseth God for his grace, (23) his Church also for her happy state. (25) To one of the Scribes he showeth, that the love of God and of his neighbour will bring him to life everlasting, (29) teaching him by the parable of the Samaritan, to take everyone for his neighbour that needeth his charity. (38) To Martha he showeth that Mary’s Contemplative life is the better.
AND after this our Lord designed also other [a] seventy two: and he sent them two and two before his face into every city and place whither himself would come. 2And he said to them: The harvest truly is much; but the workmen few. Desire therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send workmen into his harvest. 3Go: Behold I send you as lambs among wolves. 4Carry not purse nor scrip, nor shoes; and salute nobody by the way. 5Into whatsoever house you enter, first say: Peace to this house. 6and if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon him: but if not, it shall return to you. 7And in the same house tarry you, eating and drinking such things as they have. * For the workman is worthy of his hire. Remove not from house to house. And into what city soever you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you; 9and cure the sick that are in it, and say to them: The kingdom of God is come nigh upon you.
10And into whatsoever city you enter, and they receive you not, going forth into the streets thereof, say: 11The dust also of your city that cleaveth to us, we do wipe off against you. Yet this know ye that the Kingdom of God is at hand. 12I say to you, it shall be [b] more tolerable for Sodom in that day, than for that city. 13Woe to thee Corozaim, woe to thee Beth-saida: for if in Tyre and Sidon had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in you, they had done penance sitting [c] in sack-cloth and ashes long ago. 14But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgement, than for you. 15And thou Capharnaum that art exalted unto Heauen: thou shalt be thrust down even unto hell. 16 [d] He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me. And he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me.
17And the Seventy-two returned with joy, saying: Lord, the Devils also are subject to us in thy name. 18And he said to them: I saw Satan as a lightning fall from Heaven. 19Behold, I have given you power to tread upon serpents, and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20But yet rejoice not in this, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rejoice in this, that your names are written in Heaven.
21In that very hour he rejoiced in spirit, and said: I confess to thee O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them • to little ones. Yea Father, for so hath it well pleased thee. 22All things are delivered to me of my Father. And no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and to whom the Son will reveal. 23And turning to his Disciples, he said: Blessed are the eyes that see the things that you see. 24For I say to you, that many Prophets and Kings desired to see the things that you see, and saw them not; and to hear the things that you hear, and heard them not.
25And behold a certain lawyer stood up, tempting him and saying: Master, by doing of what thing shall I possess life everlasting? 26But he said to him, In the law what is written? how readest thou? 27He answering said: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind: and thy neighbour as thy self. 28And he said to him: Thou hast answered right, • this do and thou shalt live. 29But he desirous to justify himself, said to Jesus: And who is my neighbour? 30And Jesus taking it, said: A certain man went down from Jerusalem into Jericho, and fell among thieves, who also spoiled him, and giving him wounds went away leaving him • half-dead. 31And it chanced that a certain Priest went down the same way; and seeing him, passed by. 32In like manner also a Levite, when he was near the place, and saw him, passed by. 33But a certain Samaritan going his journey, came near him; and seeing him, was moved with mercy. 34And going unto him, bound his wounds, pouring in oil and wine: and setting him upon his own beast, brought him into an inn, and took care of him. 35And the next day he took forth two pence, and gave to the host, and said: Have care of him; and whatsoever thou shalt [e] supererogate, I at my return will repay thee. 36Which of these three in thy opinion was neighbour to him that fell among thieves? 37But he said: He that did mercy upon him. And Jesus said to him: Go, and do thou in like manner.
38And it came to pass as they went, and he entered into a certain town; and a certain woman named Martha, received him into her house, 39and she had a sister called Mary. Who sitting also at our Lord’s feet, heard his word. 40But Martha was busy about much service. Who stood and said: Lord, hast thou no care that my sister hath left me alone to serve? speak to her therefore, that she help me. 41And our Lord answering said to her: Martha, Martha, thou art careful, and art troubled about many things. 42But one thing is necessary, • Mary hath chosen the best part which shall not be taken away from her.
Footnotes
- ↑ As the twelve Apostles did represent the higher degree of the Clergy, called Bishops: so these Seventy two bear the figure of the inferior Clergy, called Priests. Beda.
- ↑ Differences of pains and damnation in Hell according to the differences of demerits. Aug. lib. 5. ch. 5. cont. Julian.
- ↑ True penance not only to lead a new life, but to punish the body by such things as here be recorded, for the ill life past.
- ↑ It is all one to despise Christ, and to despise his Priests and Ministers in the Catholic Church: to refuse his doctrine, and theirs.
- ↑ S. Augustine saith that the Apostle (1. Cor. 9.) according to this place did supererogate, that is, did more than he needed or was bound to do, when he might have required all duties for preaching the Ghospel, but would not, lib. de. op. Monach. ch. 5. Whereof it cometh, that the works which do more than precept, be called works of Supererogation: and whereby it is also evident against the protestants that there be such works. See Optatus lib. 6. cont. Parmen. How aptly he applieth this parable to St. Paul’s counsel of virginity (1. Cor. 7.) as to a work of supererogation.
ANNOTATIONS. CHAP. X.
↑ 21. To little ones.) By this place every vulgar artificer may not presume that God hath revealed all truth to him, and therefore refuse to be taught of the learned: for Christ did not afterward endow fishers and vulgar men nor any other with the gifts of wisdom and tongues, without their industry, study, and teaching: though at the beginning, of great providence he did it, that it might be clear to the world, that all Nations were converted to him not by persuasion of cunning Orators or subtle Disputers, but by the plain force of his grace and truth, which St. Augustine counteth greater than all other miracles. Further we are taught by this place, that the poor humble obedient children of the Church know by their faith the high mysteries of Christ’s Divinity, and his presence in the B. Sacrament, and such like, rather than Arius, Calvin, and other like proud Scribes and Pharisees.
↑ 28. This do.) Not by faith only, but by keeping God’s commandments we obtain life everlasting: not only by believing, but by doing. The heretics say that it is impossible to keep this commandment of loving God with all our heart. But the Scriptures give us examples of diverse that have kept and fulfilled it, as far as is requisite in this life. 3. Reg. 14, 8. 2. Par. 15, 15. Psa. 118, 10. Ecclesiastici. 47, 9. 10. 4. Reg. 20, 3. 5. Luc. 1, 5. And if it were impossible to keep it, and yet by Christ proposed for the mean to obtain life everlasting, he had mocked this Lawyer and others, and not taught them.
↑ 30. Half dead.) Here is signified man wounded very sore in his understanding and free-will, and all other powers of soul and body, by the sin of Adam: but yet that neither understanding, nor free-will, nor the rest, were extinguished in man or taken away. The Priest and Levite signify the Law of Moyses: this Samaritan is Christ the Priest of the new Testament: the oil and wine, his Sacraments: the host, the priests his ministers. Whereby is signified, that the Law could not recover the spiritual life of mankind from the death of sin, that is, justify man; but Christ only, who by his Passion and the grace and virtue thereof ministered in and by his Sacraments, justifieth, and increases the justice of man, healing and abling free-will to do all good works.
↑ 42. Mary the best part.) Two notable examples, one of the life Active, in Martha, the other of the life contemplative, in Mary: representing unto us, that in holy Church there should be always some to serve God in both these several sorts. The life contemplative is here preferred before the active. The Religious of both sexes are of that more excellent state. And therefore our Protestants have wholly abandoned them out of their common-wealth, which the true Church never wanted. But to say truth, they have neither Martha nor Mary. Our Lord give them grace to see their misery. If ours were not answerable to their profession, or were degenerated, why have they no new ones? If our Church’s Votaries vowed unlawful things, Chastity, Poverty, Obedience, Pilgrimage: what other Votaries or lawful vows have they? For, to offer voluntarily by vow (besides the keeping of God’s commandments, whereunto we are bound by precept and promise in our Baptism) our souls, bodies, goods, or any other acceptable thing to God, is an act of sovereign worship belonging to God only: and there was never true religion without such vows and Votaries. If there be none in their whole Church that profess contemplation, or that vow anything at all to God voluntarily, neither in their bodies nor in their goods; God and the world know they have no Church nor religion at all.
Margin Notes
- 1–9. The Ghospel upon St. Mark’s day. April 25. And St. Luke’s October. 18.
- 17–20. The Ghospel for many Martyrs.
- 23–37. The Ghospel upon the 12th Sunday after Pentecost.
- 38–42. The Ghospel upon the the Assumption of our B. Lady. Aug. 15. And in the feast of S. Martha. July. 29.
- annot. 21. The humble and unlearned Catholic knoweth Christ better then the proud learned Heretic.
- annot. 28. The commandments possible to be kept.
- annot. 30. The parable of the wounded man, explicated.
- annot. 42. The Contemplative or Religious life, better than the Active and Secular.
- Annot. 42. Vows and votaries.
Margin References
- 7. 1. Tim. 5, 18.
- 27. Deu. 6, 5. Lev. 19, 18.
- 35. Supererogaveris, προσδαπανησηζ
- annot. 30. Conc. Araus. 2. e 25 to 1. Conc. Conc. Trid. Sess. 6. 6. 1.
