The blindness of the Pharisees about the Sabboth he reproveth by Scriptures, by reason, and by a miracle, (14) and his death being therefore sought by them, he meekly goeth out of the way, according as Esay had Prophesied of him. (22) His casting out of Devils also he defendeth against them, (31) and setteth forth the danger they stand in for their horrible blasphemy. (38) And because they ask yet for a sign, he showeth how worthily they shall be damned, (43) foretelling how the Devil shall possess their Nation, (66) and testifying that although he be of their blood, yet not they for this, but such as keep his commandments, are dear unto him.
AT that time * Jesus went through the corn on the Sabboth: and his Disciples being hungry, began to pluck the ears, and to eat. 2And the Pharisees seeing them, said to him: Lo, thy Disciples do that which is not lawful for them to do on the Sabboth-days. 3But he said to them: Have you not read what * David did when he was hungered, and they that were with him: 4how he entered into the house of God, and did eat the loaves of proposition, which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for them that were with him, * but for Priests only? 5Or have ye not read in the * Law, that on Sabboth-days the Priests in the temple do break the Sabboth, and are without blame? 6but I tell you that there is here a greater than the temple. 7And if you did know what it is, I will mercy, and not [a] Sacrifice: you would never have condemned the innocents. 8For the Son of man is Lord of the Sabboth also.
9And when he had passed from thence, he came into their Synagogue. 10And * behold there was a man which had a withered hand, and they asked him saying: Whether is it lawful to cure on the Sabboths? that they might accuse him. 11But he said to them: What man shall there be of you, that shall have one sheep: and if the same fall into a ditch on the Sabboths, will he not take hold and lift it up? 12How much better is a man more than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful on the Sabboths to do a good deed. 13Then he saith to the man: Stretch forth thy hand, and he stretched it forth, and it was restored to health even as the other.
14And the Pharisees going forth made a consultation against him, how they might destroy him. 15But Jesus knowing it, retired from thence: and many followed him, and he cured them all. 16and he charged them that they should not disclose him. 17That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esay the Prophet, saying: 18Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul hath well liked. I will put my spirit upon him, and judgement to the Gentiles shall he show. 19He shall not contend nor cry out, neither shall any man hear in the streets his voice. 20The reed bruised he shall not break, and smoking flax he shall not extinguish: till he cast forth judgement unto victory. 21And in his name the Gentiles shall hope.
22Then * was offered to him one possessed with a Devil, blind and dumb: and he cured him, so that he spoke and saw. 23And all the multitudes were amazed, and said: Whether this be the Son of David? 24But the Pharisees hearing it, said: This fellow casteth not out Devils but • in Beelzebub the Prince of the Devils. 25And Jesus knowing their cogitations, said to them:
Every Kingdom [b] divided against itself shall be made desolate: and every city or house divided against itself, shall not stand. 26And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself: how then shall his Kingdom stand? 27And if I in Beelzebub cast out Devils, your children in whom do they cast out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28But if I in the Spirit of God do cast out Devils, then is the Kingdom of God come upon you. 29Or how can a man enter into the house of the strong, and rifle his vessel, unless he first bind the strong? and then he will rifle his house. 30He that is • not with me, is against me: and he that • gathereth not with me, scattereth. 31Therefore I say to you: Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven men, but • the blasphemy of the Spirit shall not be forgiven. 32And whosoever shall speak a word against the • Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but he that shall speak against the Holy-Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world, nor • in the world to come. 33Either [c] make the tree good, and his fruit good: or make the tree evil, and his fruit evil. For of the fruit the tree is known. 34You viper’s broods, how can you speak good things, whereas you are evil? for of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35A good man out of a good treasure bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of an evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. 36But I say unto you, that every • idle word that men shall speak, they shall render an account for it in the day of judgement. 37For of thy words thou shalt be justified, and of thy words thou shalt be condemned.
38Then answered him certain of the Scribes and Pharisees, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. 39Who answered, and said to them:
The wicked and advouterous Generation seeketh a sign: and a sign shall not be given it, but the sign of Jonas the Prophet. 40For as * Jonas was in the whale’s belly three days and three nights: so shall the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. 41The men of Ninivee shall rise in the judgement with this generation, and shall condemn it: because * they did penance at the preaching of Jonas. And behold more than Jonas here. 42The * Queen of the South shall rise in the judgement with this Generation, and shall condemn it: because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Salomon, and behold more than Salomon here. 43And * when an unclean spirit shall go out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth not. 44Then he says: I will return into my house whence I came out. And coming he findeth it vacant, swept with besoms, and trimmed. 45Then goeth he, and taketh with him seven other Spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and * the last of that man be made worse than the first. So shall it be also to this wicked Generation.
46As he was yet speaking to the multitudes, * behold his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him. 47And one said unto him: Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking thee. 48But he answering him that told him, said: • Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? 49And stretching forth his hand upon his Disciples, he said: Behold my mother and my brethren. 50For whosoever shall do the will of my Father, that is in Heaven: he is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Footnotes
- ↑ See the annotation, 9:13.
- ↑ Therefore the Kingdom of Heretics can not possibly stand, because it is always full of division and dissension.
- ↑ It is a man’s own free will and election, to be a good tree or an ill tree: to bring forth good fruits or bad. St. Augustine upon this place. lib. 2 ch. 4 de actis cum Felic. Manichaeo.
ANNOTATIONS. CHAP. XII.
↑ 24. In Beelzebub.) The like blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is, to attribute the miracles done by Saints either dead or alive, to the Devil.
↑ 30. Not with me.) They that are indifferent to all religions, commonly and fitly called Neuters, joining themselves to neither part, let them mark these words well, and they shall see, that Christ accounted all them to be against him and his Church, that are not plainly and flatly with him and it.
↑ 30. Gathers not with me.) He speaketh not only of his own Person, but of all to whom he hath committed the government of his Church, and specially of the chief pastors succeeding Peter in the government of the whole; as St. Jerome writing to Damasus Pope of Rome, applieth these words unto him, saying of all Heretics: He that gathereth not with thee, scattereth: that is to say, He that is not with Christ, is with Antichrist.
↑ 31. The blasphemy of the Spirit.) He meaneth not that there is any sin so great, which God will not forgive, or whereof a man may not repent in this life, as some Heretics at this day affirm: but that some heinous sins (as namely this blasphemy of the Jews against the evident works of the Holy Ghost, and likewise Arch-heretics who wilfully resist the known truth and works of the Holy Ghost in God’s Church) are hardly forgiven, and seldom have such men grace to repent. Otherwise among all the sins against the Holy Ghost (which are commonly reckoned six) one only shall never be forgiven, that is, dying without repentance wilfully, called Final impenitence; which sin he committeth that dieth with contempt of the Sacrament of Penance, obstinately refusing absolution, by the Church’s ministry: as St. Augustine plainly declareth in these words: Whosoever he be that believeth not man’s sins to be remitted in God’s Church, and therefore despiseth the bountifulness of God in so mighty a work, if he in that obstinate mind continue till his life’s end, he is guilty of sin against the Holy Ghost, in which Holy Ghost Christ remitteth sins. Enchir. 83 Ep. 50 in fine.
↑ 32. Son of man.) The Jews in their words sinned against the Son of man, when they reprehended those things which he did as a man, to wit, calling him a glutton, a great drinker of wine, a friend of the Publicans, a Samaritan, and taking offence because he kept company with sins, broke the Sabboth, and such like: and this sin might more easily be forgiven them, because they judged of him as they would have done, of any other man: but they sinned and blasphemed against the Holy Ghost (called here the finger of God whereby he wrought miracles) when of malice they attributed the evident works of God in casting out Devils, to the Devil himself: and this sin shall not be remitted, because it shall hardly be remitted, as we see by the plague of their posterity until this day.
↑ 32. Nor in the world to come.) St. Augustine and other Holy Doctors gather hereupon, that some sins may be remitted in the next life, and consequently prove Purgatory thereby. De Civit. Dei lib. 21 ch. 13. D. Gregor. Dial. lib. 4 ch. 39.
↑ 36. Idle word.) If of every idle word we must make account before God in judgement, and yet shall not for every such word be damned everlastingly: then there must needs be some temporal punishment in the next life.
↑ 48. Who is my mother.) The dutiful affection toward our parents and kinsfolk is not blamed, but the inordinate love of them, to the hindrance of our service and duty toward God. Upon this place some old Heretics denied Christ to have any mother. Aug. lib. de Fid. and Symb. ch. 4. Neither ever, was there any heresy so absurd, but it would seem to have Scripture for it.
Margin Notes
- 38–50. The Ghospel upon Ember Wednesday, the first week of Lent.
- 46–50. The Ghospel upon the day of the Seven Brethren, &c. July 20.
- annot. 30. Neuters in Religion.
- annot. 31. Final impenitence.
- annot. 31. Remission of sins in the Church.
- annot. 32. Purgatory.
- annot. 48. All Heretics allege Scriptures.
Margin References
- 1 Mar. 2, 23. Luc. 6, 1.
- 3. 1. Reg. 21, 4.
- 4. Lev. 24, 9. Num. 28, 9.
- 7. Ose. 6, 6.
- 10. Mar. 3, 1. Luc. 6, 6.
- 18. Esa. 42, 1.
- 22. Luc. 11, 14. Mar. 3, 22.
- 40. Jon. 2, 2.
- 41. Jon. 3, 5.
- 42. 3 Reg. 10, 1.
- 43. Luc. 11, 24.
- 45. 2 Pet. 2, 20.
- 46. Mar. 3, 31. Luc. 8, 20.
- annot. 30. Ep. 58.
