He threateneth the Jews to be soon forsaken unless they do penance, (10) and confoundeth them for maligning him for his miraculous good doing on the Sabboths. (18) But his Kingdom (the Church) as contemptible as it seemeth to them now in the beginning, shall spread over all the world, (20) and convert all, (23) and what a heart-sore it shall be to them at the last day to see themselves excluded from the glory of this Kingdom, and the Gentiles admitted in their place. (31) He foretelleth that it is not Galilee that he feareth, but that obstinate and reprobate Jerusalem will needs murder him, as also his messengers afore and after him.
AND there were certain present at that very time telling him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate mingled with their Sacrifices. 2And he answering said to them: Think you that • these Galilaeans were sinners more than all the Galilaeans, that they suffered such things? 3No, I say to you: but unless you [a] have penance, you shall all likewise perish. 4As those eighteen upon whom the tower fell in Siloe, and slew them: think you that they also were debtors above all the men that dwell in Jerusalem? 5No, I say to you: but if you have not penance, you shall all likewise perish.
6 a And he said this similitude: A certain man had [b] a figtree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking for fruit on it, and found not. 7And he said to the dresser of the vineyard, Lo it is three years since I come seeking for fruit upon this figtree, and I find not. Cut it down therefore; whereto doth it also occupy the ground? 8But he answering saith to him, Lord, let it alone this year also, until I dig about it, and dung it. 9And if happily it yield fruit: but if not, hereafter thou shalt cut it down.
10And he was teaching in their synagogue on the Sabboths. 11And behold a woman that had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years; and she was crooked, neither could she look upward at all. 12Whom when Jesus saw, he called her unto him, and said to her: Woman, thou art delivered from thy infirmity. 13And he imposed hands upon her, and forthwith she was made straight and glorified God. 14And the Archsynagogue answering (because he had indignation that Jesus had cured on the Sabboth) said to the multitude: Six days there are wherein you ought to work. In them therefore come, and be cured; and not in the Sabboth day. 15And our Lord answering to him, said: Hypocrite, doth not every one of you upon the Sabboth loose his ox or his ass from the manger, and leadeth them to water? 16But • this daughter of Abraham whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, ought not she to be loosed from this bond on the Sabboth day? 17And when he said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the People rejoiced in all things that were gloriously done of him.
18He said therefore: * Whereunto is the Kingdom of God like, and whereunto shall I esteem it like? 19It is like to a [c] mustard seed, which a man took and cast into his garden and it grew, and became a great tree, and the fowls of the air rested in the boughs thereof. 20And again he said: * Like to what shall I esteem the Kingdom of God? 21It is like to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. 22And he went by cities and towns teaching, and making his journey unto Jerusalem.
23And a certain man said to him: Lord, be they few that are saved? * But he said to them: 24 [d] Strive to enter • by the narrow gate; because many, I say to you, • shall seek to enter, and shall not be able. 25But when the good-man of the house shall enter in, and shut the door, and you shall begin to stand without, and knock at the door, saying, Lord open to us; and he answering shall say to you, I know you not whence you are; 26then you shall begin to say, We did • eat before thee and drink, and in our streets didst thou teach. 27And he shall say to you, I know you not whence you are, depart from me all ye workers of iniquity. 28There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth; when you shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God, and you to be thrust out. 29And there shall come from the East and the West and the North and the South; and shall sit down in the Kingdom of God. 30And behold, they are [e] last that shall be first, and they be first that shall be last.
31The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying to him: Depart and get thee hence, because Herod will kill thee. 32And he said to them: Go, and tell that fox, Behold I cast out Devils, and perfit cures this day and tomorrow, and the third day I am consummate. 33But yet I must walk this day and tomorrow and the day following, because it c cannot be that a Prophet perish out of Jerusalem. 34 * Jerusalem, Jerusalem which killest the Prophets, and stonest them that are sent to thee, how often would I gather thy children as the bird doth her brood under her wings, and [f] thou wouldest not? 35Behold your house shall be left desert to you. And I say to you, that you shall not see me till it come when you shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of our Lord.
Footnotes
- ↑ Or as it is uttered in other places, do penance, which in the new Testament signifieth perfect repentance. See Annot. St. Mat. 3, 2. 11, 21.
- ↑ The figtree with only leaves and no fruit is the Jews’ Synagogue, and every other people or Person which hath faith and fair words, and no good works.
- ↑ See Annot. Matth. 13, 31.
- ↑ Christians in their lives must seek the strait way, but in religion the ancient common way.
- ↑ The Gentiles coming into God’s favour later, are preferred before the Jews which were first.
- ↑ The Jews lost their preeminence, by their own free will, and not by God’s causing: who created not to call and cry upon them, and they would not hear: whereby free will is plainly proved.
ANNOTATIONS. CHAP. XIII.
↑ 2. These Galilaeans.) It is God’s mercy that he straight punisheth not all offenders, but some few for a warning to all: as that for Schism he striketh not all such as have forsaken the Church and the lawful Priests, as he did Core and his complices: that for spoil of Churches he revengeth not all, as he did Heliodorus: and all that vow and revoke their gifts to God, as Ananias and Sapphira. Some few therefore for their just deserts, be so handled for example, to provoke all others guilty of the same crimes to do penance. Which if they do not in this life, they shall all assuredly perish in the next world. Optatus li. 1 cont. Parmen, sub finem.
↑ 16. This daughter.) We may see that many diseases which seem natural, do proceed of the Devil by God’s permission, either for sin, or for probation: and both those kinds Christ specially cured, for that no natural medicines could cure them, and specially because he came to dissolve the works of Satan both in body and soul.
↑ 24. By the narrow.) Our Lord is not contrary to himself in that he answereth, the gate to be straight, and few to be saved, whereas elsewhere he said, that many should come from the East and West &c. and joy with Abraham in the Kingdom of Heaven. Mat. 8, 11. For though they be few in respect of the wicked of all sorts, yet they be many in themselves and in the society of Angels. The wheat corns are scarce seen at the threshing, when they are meddled with the chaff; but when the ill are removed, the whole barn of Heaven shall be filled. So saith St. Aug. Ser. 32 de verbis Do.
↑ 24. Shall seek.) Many would be saved and look to be saved, but can not, because they will not take pains to enter in at so straight a passage, that is to say, to fast much, pray often, do great penance for their sins, live in holy Church’s discipline, abstain from the pleasures of this world, and suffer persecution and loss of their goods and lives for Christ’s sake.
↑ 26. Eat before thee.) It is not enough to feed with Christ in his Sacraments, or to hear his word in the Church, to challenge Heaven thereby, unless we live in unity of the Catholic Church. So St. Augustine applieth this against the Donatists, that had the very same service and Sacraments which the Catholic Church had, but yet severed themselves from other Christian countries by Schism.
Margin Notes
- 6–17. a The Ghospel on the Ember Saturday in Sept.
- annot. 2. Some punished for example.
- annot. 16. Diseases not natural.
- annot. 24. Penance.
- annot. 26. Schism.
Margin References
- 3. Nisi pœnitentiam habveritis
- 18. Mat. 13, 31. Mar. 4, 30.
- 20. Mat. 13, 33.
- 23. Mat. 7, 13.
- 33. c. Non capit. ουκ ενδεχετ αι
- 34. Mat. 23, 37
- annot. 2. Num. 16.
- annot. 2. 2 Mac. 3.
- annot. 2. Act. 5.
- annot. 26. Con. lit. Petit. li. 2. c. 55.
