Of compassion he feedeth the People, 4000 with seven loaves. (10) After all which miracles as though they were yet unsufficient to prove him to be Christ, the obstinate Pharisees do require some miracle from Heaven. (13) Whereupon forsaking them, he warneth his Disciples to beware of the leaven of their doctrine, neither to fear want of necessaries. (22) He healeth a blind man by degrees and with ceremonies. (27) Peter confesseth him (though men all this while had not learned so far) to be Christ. (31) And by and by he revealeth to them his Passion, (32) rebuking also Peter for dissuading it, (34) and showing that it is a thing wherein all that will be saved (namely in time of persecution) must follow him.
IN those days again when there was a great multitude, and had not what to eat: calling his Disciples together, he says to them: 2I have compassion upon the multitude, because lo [a] three days they now endure with me, neither have what to eat. 3And if I dismiss them fasting into their home, they will faint in the way, for some of them came far off. 4And his Disciples answered him: Whence may a man fill them here with bread in the wilderness? 5And he asked them: How many loaves have ye? Who said: Seven. 6And he commanded the multitude to sit down upon the ground. And taking the seven loaves, giving thanks he broke, and • gave to his Disciples for to set before them, and they did set them before the multitude. 7And they had a few little fishes; and • he blessed them, and commanded them to be set before them. 8And they did eat and were filled, and they took up that which was left of the fragments, seven maunds. 9And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he dismissed them.
10And * immediately going up into the boat with his Disciples, he came into the quarters of Dalmanutha. 11And the Pharisees went forth, and began to question with him, asking of him a sign from Heaven, tempting him. 12And groaning in Spirit, he says: Why doth this Generation ask a sign? Amen I say to you, If a sign shall be given to this Generation. 13And leaving them, he went up again into the boat, and passed beyond the strait.
14And they forgot to take bread: and they had but one loaf with them in the boat. 15And he commanded them, saying: Look well and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and the leaven of Herod. 16And they reasoned among themselves saying: Because we have not bread. 17Which Jesus knowing, says to them: Why do you reason, because you have not bread? do you not yet know nor understand? yet have ye your heart blinded? 18having eyes see you not? and having ears hear you not? Neither do you remember? 19When * I broke five loaves among five thousand; and how many baskets full of fragments took you up? They say to him: Twelve. 20 * When also seven loaves among four thousand, how many maunds of fragments took you up? And they say to him: Seven. 21And he said to them: How do you not yet understand?
22And they come to Bethsaida; and they bring to him one blind, and desired him that he would [b] touch him. 23And taking the hand of the blind, he led him forth out of the town; and spitting into his eyes, imposing his hands, he asked him if he saw anything. 24And looking up, he said: I see men as it were trees, walking. 25After that again he imposed his hands upon his eyes, and be began to see, and was restored, so that he saw all things clearly. 26And he sent him into his house, saying: Go into thy house; and if thou enter in to the town, tell nobody.
27And * Jesus went forth and his Disciples into the towns of Caesarea-Philippi; and in the way he asked his Disciples, saying to them: Whom do men say that I am? 28Who answered him, saying: John the Baptist, some Elias, and othersome as it were one of the Prophets. 29Then he says to them, But whom do you say that I am? Peter answering said to him: Thou art Christ. 30And he threatened them that they should not tell any man of him.
31And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the Ancients and of the high Priests and the Scribes, and be killed: and after three days rise again. 32And he spoke the Word openly. And Peter taking him, began to rebuke him. 33Who turning, and seeing his Disciples, threatened Peter, saying: Go behind me Satan, because thou savourest not the things that are of God, but that are of men. 34And calling the multitude together with his Disciples, he said to them: If any man will follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35For he that will save his life, shall lose it; and he that shall lose his life • for me and the Ghospel, shall save it. 36For what shall it profit a man, if he • gain the whole world, and suffer damage of his soul? 37Or what permutation shall a man give for his soul? 38For he that shall be ashamed of me, and of my words in this advouterous and sinful Generation, the Son of man also will be ashamed of him, when he shall come in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels.
Footnotes
- ↑ Great fervour and devotion in the good People, and exceeding force in our Master’s preaching, that made them abide fasting so long to hear his divine sermons.
- ↑ Our Saviour used to work much by touching, and by imposition of hands: that we may learn not to contemn the corporal and external application of holy things, nor to challenge by the spirit and faith only, as Heretics do.
ANNOTATIONS. CHAP. 8.
↑ 6. Gave to his disciples.) He serveth the People not immediately himself, but by the Apostles’ ministry: to teach us that we must receive Christ’s Sacraments and doctrine, not at our own hand, but of his Priests and our Pastors.
↑ 7. Blessed them.) So is it in some ancient Greek copies, agreeable to our Latin, and in St. Luke expressly in the common Greek text, that he blessed the five loaves and the two fishes: which must be always marked against the Heretics, which deny this blessing to pertain to the creatures, but feign it always to be referred to God for thanksgiving. For if it were so, he would have said grace but once for that whole refection: but he did severally bless both the bread first, and afterward the fishes also, multiplying them by his said blessing (as * he did mankind and other creatures in the beginning by blessing them) and so working effectually some change or alteration in the very creatures themselves.
↑ 35. For me and the Ghospel.) By the Ghospel is signified, not only the four Evangelists, but all Scriptures, and whatsoever Christ said that is not in Scripture; for he says in this very place: He that shall be ashamed of my words, the Son of man will be ashamed of him etc. Neither his own words only, but whatsoever the Apostles taught in word or writing; for our Saviour says: He that despiseth you, despiseth me. For defence of any of all these, and of every Article of the Catholic faith, we ought to die, and this is to lose our life for Christ and his Ghospel.
↑ 36. Gain the whole world.) Let such note this, that for fear or flattery of the world condescend to obey the unjust laws of men touching religion, against their own consciences: and be content for the rest of a few days of this life, and for saving their temporal goods, to lose their soul and the joys of heaven.
Margin Notes
- 1–9. The Ghospel upon the 6th Sunday after Pentecost.
- annot. 7. ευλογησας αυτα. Blessing of creatures worketh an effect in them.
- annot. 35. What is to suffer for the Gospel.
- annot. 36. Doing against our own conscience.
Margin References
- 1. Mat. 15, 32.
- 10. Mat. 15, 39. 16, 1.
- 19. Mar. 6, 38.
- 20. Sup. v. 5.
- 27. Mat. 16, 13. Luc. 9, 18.
- annot. 7. Luc. 9, 16.
- annot. 7. Gen. 1, 22. 28.
- annot. 35. Luc. 9.
