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--- a/john/english/John4.html Mon Nov 30 21:59:53 2009 +0000 +++ b/john/english/John4.html Mon Nov 30 22:05:42 2009 +0000 @@ -1,1529 +1,2432 @@ -<html> +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> +<meta name="generator" content= +"HTML Tidy for Cygwin (vers 25 March 2009), see www.w3.org" /> +<title></title> </head> -<body style=text-align:justify><blockquote> -<CENTER><p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 60pt">4</span></p> -<p><span style="font-weight: bold">LECTURE I</span></p></CENTER> -<BLOCKQUOTE><p>1 When, therefore, Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was making more disciples -and baptizing more than John 2 (although Jesus did not himself baptize, but his disciples did), -3 he left Judea, and went again to Galilee. 4 He had, however, to pass through Samaria. 5 He -came therefore to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the plot of land which Jacob had given -to his son Joseph. 6 This was the site of Jacob’s well. Jesus, tired from his journey, rested there -at the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus -said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (His disciples had gone to the town to buy some food.) 9 So the -Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask me, a woman of Samaria, -for a drink?” (Recall that the Jews had nothing to do with the Samaritans.)</p></BLOCKQUOTE> -<p>549 Having set forth the teaching of Christ on spiritual regeneration, and that Christ had given -this grace of spiritual regeneration to the Jews, he now shows how Christ gave this grace to the -Gentiles. Now the salutary grace of Christ had been dispensed in two ways to the Gentiles: -through teaching and through miracles. “Going forth, they preached everywhere”: this is the -teaching; “the Lord cooperated with them, and confirmed the word with signs”. These are the -miracles (Mk 16:20).</p> -<p>First, he shows the future conversion of the Gentiles through teaching. Secondly, their future -conversion through miracles (v 43). As to the first, he does two things. First, he sets down certain -matters preliminary to the teaching. Secondly, he presents the teaching and its effect (v 10). As -to the first, he sets down three preliminary facts. First, what relates to the one teaching. Secondly, -something about the matter taught. Thirdly, something about who received the instruction (v 7). -As to the person teaching, the preliminary remark is about his journey to the place where he -taught. Here he does three things. First, he gives the place which he left, that is, from Judea. -Secondly, the place where he was going, to Galilee. Thirdly, the place through which he passed, -Samaria. As to the first, he does three things. First, he gives the reason for his leaving Judea. -Secondly, he explains certain facts included in this reason. Thirdly, he describes Christ’s -departure from Judea (v 3).</p> -<p>550 The Evangelist says, <span style="font-weight: bold">When, therefore, Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard, -</span>because he wished to show that after the Baptist had calined the envy of his disciples, Jesus -avoided the ill will of the Pharisees.</p> -<p>551 Since we read: “All things were known to the Lord God before they were created” (Sir -23:29), and “All things are naked and open to his eyes” (Heb 4:13), it seems that we should ask -why Jesus is said to acquire new knowledge. We must answer that Jesus, in virtue of his divinity, -knew from eternity all things, past, present and to come, as the scriptural passages cited above -indicate. Nevertheless, as man, he did begin to know certain things through experiential -knowledge. And it is this experiential knowledge that is indicated when it says here, <span style="font-weight: bold">When Jesus -learned, </span>after the news was brought to him, <span style="font-weight: bold">that the Pharisees had heard. </span>And Christ willed -to acquire this knowledge anew as a concession, to show the reality of his human nature, just as -he willed to do and endure many other things characteristic of human nature.</p> -<p>552 Why does he say: <span style="font-weight: bold">the Pharisees had heard that he was making more disciples and -baptizing more than John, </span>when this would seem to be of no concern to them? For they -persecuted John and did not believe in him: for as Matthew says (21:25), when the Lord -questioned them about the source of John’s baptism, they said: “ ‘If we say from heaven, he will -say to us, “Why then did you not believe him?” “ Thus they did not believe in John.</p> -<p>There are two answers to this. One is that those disciples of John who had spoken against Christ -were either Pharisees or allies of the Pharisees. For we see in Matthew (9:11, 14), that the -Pharisees along with the disciples of John raised questions against the disciples of Christ. And -so according to this explanation, then, the Evangelist says that <span style="font-weight: bold">When, therefore, Jesus learned -that the Pharisees had heard, </span>that is, after he learned that John’s disciples, who were Pharisees -or allied with the Pharisees, had raised questions and had been disturbed about his baptism and -that of his disciples, <span style="font-weight: bold">he left Judea.</span></p> -<p>Or, we might say that the Pharisees were disturbed at John’s preaching due to their envy, and for -this reason they persuaded Herod to arrest him. This is plain from Matthew (17:12), where -Christ, speaking of John, says, “Elijah has already come ... and they did with him whatever they -wanted,” and then he adds, “so also will the Son of Man suffer from them.” The Gloss comments -on this that it was the Pharisees who incited Herod to arrest John and put him to death. Thus it -seems probable that they felt the same way toward Christ because of what he was preaching. And -this is what it says, that is, the envious Pharisees and persecutors of Christ <span style="font-weight: bold">had heard, </span>with the -intention of persecuting him, <span style="font-weight: bold">that he was making more disciples and baptizing more than -John.</span></p> -<p>553 This kind of hearing is described by Job (28:22): “Death and destruction have said: We have -heard of his deeds.” The good, on the other hand, hear in order to obey: “We have heard him in -Ephrathah” (Ps 131:6), followed by, “We will adore at his footstool.”</p> -<p>The Pharisees heard two things. First, that Christ made more disciples than John. This was right -and reasonable, for as we read above (3:30), Christ must increase and John must decrease. The -second thing was that Christ baptized; and rightly so, because he cleanses: “Wash me from my -injustice” (Ps 50:4), and again in Psalm (7:7): “Rise up, O Lord,” by baptizing, “in the command -you have given,” concerning baptism, “and a congregation of people,” united through baptism, -“will surrond you.”</p> -<p>554 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">although Jesus did not himself baptize, </span>he explains what he has just -said about Christ’s baptizing. Augustine says that there is an apparent inconsistency here: for he -had stated that Jesus was baptizing, whereas now he says, as though correcting himself, <span style="font-weight: bold">Jesus -did not himself baptize.</span></p> -<p>There are two ways to understand this. This first way is that of Chrysostom. What the Evangelist -now says is true, i.e., that Christ did not baptize. When he said above that Jesus was baptizing, -this was the report received by the Pharisees. For certain people came to the Pharisees and said: -You are envious of John because he has disciples and is baptizing. But Jesus is making more -disciples than John. and is also baptizing. Why do you put up with him? So the Evangelist is not -himself saying that Jesus was baptizing, but only that the Pharisees heard that he was. It is with -the intention of correcting this false rumor that the Evangelist says: It is true that the Pharisees -heard that Christ was baptizing, but this is not true. So he adds: <span style="font-weight: bold">although Jesus did not himself -baptize, but his disciples did. </span>And so for Chrysostom, Christ did not baptize, because the Holy -Spirit was not given at any time before the passion of Christ in the baptism of John and his -disciples. The purpose of John’s baptism was to accustom men to the baptism of Christ and to -gather people in order to instruct them, as he says. Moreover, it would not have been fitting for -Christ to baptize if the Holy Spirit were not given in his baptism; but the Spirit was not given -until after the passion of Christ, as we read below (7:39): “The Spirit had not yet been given, -because Jesus had not yet been glorified.”</p> -<p>According to Augustine, however, one should say, and this is the preferable, way, that the -disciples did baptize with the baptism of Christ, that is, in water and the Spirit, and the Spirit was -given in this baptism, and also that Christ did and did not baptize. Christ did baptize because he -performed the interior cleansing; but he did not baptize because he did not wash them externally -with the water. It was the office of’ the disciples to wash the body, while Christ gave the Spirit -which cleansed within. So in the proper sense Christ did baptize, according to: “The man on -whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is to baptize with the Holy Spirit,” -as was said above (1:33).</p> -<p>With respect to the opinion of Chrysostorn that the Holy Spirit was not yet given and so on, we -might say that the Spirit was not yet given in visible signs, as he was given to the disciples after -the resurrection; nevertheless, the Spirit had been given and was being given to believers through -an interior sanctification.</p> -<p>The fact that Christ was not always baptizing gives an example to us that the major prelates of -the churches should not occupy themselves with things that can be performed by others, but -should allow them to be done by those of lesser rank: “Christ did not send me to baptize, but to -preach the Gospel” (1 Cor 1:17).</p> -<p>555 If someone should ask whether Christ’s disciples had been baptized, it could be said, as -Augustine answered Stelentius, that they had been baptized with the baptism of John, because -some of Christ’s disciples had been disciples of John. Or, which is more likely, they were -baptized with the baptism of Christ, in order that Christ might have baptized servants through -whom he would baptize others. This is the meaning of what is said below (13:10): “He who has -bathed does not need to wash, except his feet,” and then follows, “and you are clean, but not all.”</p> -<p>556 He then mentions Christ’s going away, <span style="font-weight: bold">he left Judea. </span>He left for three reasons. First, to get -away from the envy of the Pharisees, who were disturbed because of what they had heard about -Christ, and were preparing to harass him. By this he gives us the example that we should, with -gentleness, yield ground to evil for a time: “Do not pile wood on his fire” (Sir 8:4). Another -reason was to show us that it is not sinful to flee from persecution: “If they persecute you in one -town, flee to another” (Mt 10:23). The third reason was that the time of his passion had not yet -come: “My time has not yet come” (above 2:4). And there is an additional reason, a mystical one: -he indicated by his leaving that because of persecution the disciples were destined to abandon -the Jews and go to the Gentiles.</p> -<p>557 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">and went again to Galilee, </span>he shows where he was going. He says, -<span style="font-weight: bold">again, </span>because above (2:12) he had mentioned another time when Christ went to Galilee: when -he went to Capernaum after the miracle at the wedding. Since the other three evangelists did not -mention this first trip, the Evangelist says <span style="font-weight: bold">again </span>to let us know that the other evangelists had -mentioned none of the matters he mentions up to this point, and that he is now beginning to give -his account contemporaneous with theirs. According to one interpretation, Galilee is understood -to signify the Gentile world, to which Christ passed from the Jews; for Galilee means “passage.” -According to another interpretation, Galilee signifies the glory of heaven, for Galilee also means -“revelation.”</p> -<p>558 Then he describes the intermediate place through which Christ passed; first in a general way, -then specifically.</p> -<p>559 On his way to Galilee, Christ passes through Samaria; hence he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">He had to pass -through Samaria. </span>He says, <span style="font-weight: bold">had to pass, </span>lest he seem to be acting contrary to his own teaching, -for Christ says in Matthew (10:5): “Do not go on the roads of the Gentiles.” Now since Samaria -was Genthe territory, he shows that he went there of necessity and not by choice. Thus he says, -<span style="font-weight: bold">had to pass, </span>the reason being that Samaria was between Judea and Galilee.</p> -<p>It was Amri, the king of Israel, who bought the hill of Samaria from a certain Somer (1 Kgs -16:24); and it was there he built the city which he called Samaria, after the name of the person -from whom he bought the land. After that, the kings of Israel used it as their royal city, and the -entire region surrounding this city was called Samaria. When we read here that Christ <span style="font-weight: bold">had to -pass through Samaria, </span>we should understand the region rather than the city.</p> -<p>560 Describing it in more detail, he adds, <span style="font-weight: bold">He came therefore to a city of Samaria, </span>i.e., of the -region of Samaria, <span style="font-weight: bold">called Sychar. </span>This Sychar is the same as Shechem. Genesis (33:18) says that -Jacob camped near here and that two of his sons, enraged at the rape of Dinah, Jacob’s daughter, -by the son of the king of Shechem, killed all the males in that city. And so Jacob took possession -of the city, and he lived there and dug many wells. Later, as he lay dying, he gave the land to his -son Joseph: “I am giving you a portion more than your brothers” (Gn 48:22). And this is what -he says: <span style="font-weight: bold">near the plot of land which Jacob had given to his son Joseph.</span></p> -<p>The Evangelist is so careful to record all these matters in order to show us that all the things -which happened to the patriarchs were leading up to Christ, and that they pointed to Christ, and -that he descended from them according to the flesh.</p> -<p>561 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">This was the site of Jacob’s well, </span>the Evangelist gives the material -setting for the spiritual doctrine about to be taught. And this was most fitting: for the doctrine -about to be taught was about water and a spiritual font, and so he mentions the material well, thus -giving rise to a discussion of the spiritual font, which is Christ: “For with you is the fountain of -life” (Ps 35:10), namely, the Holy Spirit, who is the spirit of life. Likewise, the well symbolizes -baptism: “On that day a fountain will be open to the house of David, to cleanse the sinner and -the unclean” (Zec 13:1).</p> -<p>He does three things here. First, he describes the well. Secondly, Christ’s rest at the well. Thirdly, -the time.</p> -<p>562 He describes the water source saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">the site of Jacob’s well. </span>Here one might object that -further on (v 11) he says this source is deep; thus it did not gush water like a fountain. I answer, -as does Augustine, that it was both a well and gushed water like a fountain. For every well is a -fountain, although the converse is not true. For when water gushes from the earth we have a -fountain; and if this happens just on the surface, the source is only a fountain. But if the water -gushes both on the surface and below, we have a well; although it is also still called a fountain. -It is called Jacob’s well because he had dug this well there due to a shortage of water, as we read -in Genesis (c 34).</p> -<p>563 <span style="font-weight: bold">Jesus, tired from his journey, rested there at the well. </span>Jesus reveals his weakness (even -though his power was unlimited), not because of a lack of power, but to show us the reality of -the [human] nature he assumed. According to Augustine, Jesus is strong, for “In the beginning -was the Word” (above 1:1); but he is weak, for “the Word was made flesh” (above 1:14). And -so Christ, wishing to show the truth of his human nature, allowed it to do and to endure things -proper to men; and to show the truth of his divine nature, he worked and performed things proper -to God. Hence when he checked the inflow of divine power to his body, he became hungry and -tired; but w4en he let his divine power influence his body, he did not become hungry in spite of -a lack of food, and he did not become tired in his labors. “He had fasted forty days and forty -nights, and was hungry” (Mt 4:2).</p> -<p>564 Seeing Jesus becoming tired from his journey is an example to us not to shrink from our -work for the salvation of others: “I am poor, and have labored since my youth” (Ps,87:16). We -also have an example of poverty, as Jesus <span style="font-weight: bold">rested there, </span>upon the bare earth.</p> -<p>In its mystical meaning, this resting [literally, a sitting] of Christ indicates the abasement of his -passion: “You know when I sit down (i.e., the passion), and when I rise” (Ps 138:2). Also, it -indicates the authority of his teaching, for he speaks as one having power; thus we read in -Matthew (5:1) that Christ, “sitting down, taught them.”</p> -<p>565 He indicates the time, saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">It was about the sixth hour. </span>There are both literal and -mystical reasons for fixing the time. The literal reason was to show the cause of his tiredness: for -men are more weary from work in the heat and at the sixth hour [at noon]. Again, it shows why -Christ was resting: for men gladly rest near the water in the heat of the day.</p> -<p>There are three mystical reasons for mentioning the time. First, because Christ assumed flesh and -came into the world in the sixth age of the world. Another is that man was made on the sixth day, -and Christ was conceived in the sixth month. Third, at the sixth hour the sun is at its highest, and -there is nothing left for it but to decline. In this context, the “sun” signifies temporal prosperity, -as suggested by Job (31:26): “If I had looked at the sun when it shone, etc.” Therefore Christ -came when the prosperity of the world was at its highest, that is, it flourished through love in the -hearts of men; but because of him natural love was bound to decline.</p> -<p>566 Next, we have a preliminary remark concerning the one who listens to Christ. First, we are -introduced to the person who is taught. Secondly, we are given her preparation for his teaching.</p> -<p>567 The teaching is given to a Samaritan woman; so he says, a <span style="font-weight: bold">Samaritan woman came to -draw water. </span>This woman signifies the Church, not yet justified, of the Gentiles. It was then -involved in idolatry, but was destined to be justified by Christ. She <span style="font-weight: bold">came </span>from foreigners, i.e., -from the Samaritans, who were foreigners, even though they lived in the neighboring territory: -because the Church of the Gentiles, foreign to the Jewish race, would come to Christ: “Many will -come from the East and the West, and will sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the -kingdom of heaven,” as we find in Matthew (8:11).</p> -<p>568 Christ prepares this woman for his teaching when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Give me a drink. </span>First, we have -the occasion for his asking her. Secondly, the Evangelist suggests why it was opportune to make -this request (v 8).</p> -<p>569 The occasion and the preparation of the woman was the request of Christ; thus he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Give -me a drink. </span>He asks for a drink both because he was thirsty for water on account of the heat of -the day, and because he thirsted for the salvation of man on account of his love. Accordingly, -while hanging on the cross he cried out: “I thirst.”</p> -<p>570 Christ had the opportunity to ask this of the woman because his disciples, whom he would -have asked for the water, were not there, thus the Evangelist says, <span style="font-weight: bold">His disciples had gone to the -town.</span></p> -<p>Here we might notice three things about Christ. First, his humility, because<span style="font-weight: bold"> he was left alone. -This </span>is an example to his disciples that they should suppress all pride. Someone might ask what -need there was to train the disciples in humility, seeing that they had been but lowly fishermen -and tentmakers. Those who say such things should remember that these very fishermen were -suddenly made more deserving of respect than any king, more eloquent than philosophers and -orators, and were the intimate companions of the Lord of creation. Persons of this kind, when -they are suddenly promoted, ordinarily become proud, not being accustomed to such great honor.</p> -<p>Secondly, note Christ’s temperance: for he was so little concerned about food that he did not -bring anything to eat. Thirdly, note that he was also left alone on the cross: “I have trodden the -wine press alone, and no one of the people was with me” (Is 63:3).</p> -<p>571 Our Lord prepared the woman to receive his spiritual teaching by giving her an occasion to -question him. First, her question is given. Secondly, her reason for asking it (v 9).</p> -<p>572 Here we should point out that our Lord, when asking the woman for a drink, had in mind -more a spiritual drink than a merely physical one. But the woman, not yet understanding about -such a spiritual drink, though only of a physical drink. So she responds: <span style="font-weight: bold">How is it that you, -being a Jew, ask me, a woman of Samaria, for a drink? </span>For Christ was a Jew, because it was -promised that he would be from Judah: “The scepter will not be taken away from Judah ... until -he who is to be sent comes” (Gn 49:10); and he was born from Judah: “It is evident that our Lord -came from Judah” (Heb 7:14). The woman knew that Christ was Jewish from the way he dressed: -for as Numbers (15:37) says, the Lord commanded the Jews to wear tassels on the comers of their -garments, and put a violet cord on each tassel, so that they could be distinguished from other +<body style="text-align:justify"> +<blockquote> +<center> +<p style="text-align: center"><span style= +"font-size: 60pt">4</span></p> +<p><span style="font-weight: bold">LECTURE I</span></p> +</center> +<blockquote> +<p>1 When, therefore, Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard +that he was making more disciples and baptizing more than John 2 +(although Jesus did not himself baptize, but his disciples did), 3 +he left Judea, and went again to Galilee. 4 He had, however, to +pass through Samaria. 5 He came therefore to a city of Samaria, +called Sychar, near the plot of land which Jacob had given to his +son Joseph. 6 This was the site of Jacob’s well. Jesus, tired +from his journey, rested there at the well. It was about the sixth +hour. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to +her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (His disciples had gone to +the town to buy some food.) 9 So the Samaritan woman said to him, +“How is it that you, being a Jew, ask me, a woman of Samaria, +for a drink?” (Recall that the Jews had nothing to do with +the Samaritans.)</p> +</blockquote> +<p>549 Having set forth the teaching of Christ on spiritual +regeneration, and that Christ had given this grace of spiritual +regeneration to the Jews, he now shows how Christ gave this grace +to the Gentiles. Now the salutary grace of Christ had been +dispensed in two ways to the Gentiles: through teaching and through +miracles. “Going forth, they preached everywhere”: this +is the teaching; “the Lord cooperated with them, and +confirmed the word with signs”. These are the miracles (Mk +16:20).</p> +<p>First, he shows the future conversion of the Gentiles through +teaching. Secondly, their future conversion through miracles (v +43). As to the first, he does two things. First, he sets down +certain matters preliminary to the teaching. Secondly, he presents +the teaching and its effect (v 10). As to the first, he sets down +three preliminary facts. First, what relates to the one teaching. +Secondly, something about the matter taught. Thirdly, something +about who received the instruction (v 7). As to the person +teaching, the preliminary remark is about his journey to the place +where he taught. Here he does three things. First, he gives the +place which he left, that is, from Judea. Secondly, the place where +he was going, to Galilee. Thirdly, the place through which he +passed, Samaria. As to the first, he does three things. First, he +gives the reason for his leaving Judea. Secondly, he explains +certain facts included in this reason. Thirdly, he describes +Christ’s departure from Judea (v 3).</p> +<p>550 The Evangelist says, <span style="font-weight: bold">When, +therefore, Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard,</span> +because he wished to show that after the Baptist had calined the +envy of his disciples, Jesus avoided the ill will of the +Pharisees.</p> +<p>551 Since we read: “All things were known to the Lord God +before they were created” (Sir 23:29), and “All things +are naked and open to his eyes” (Heb 4:13), it seems that we +should ask why Jesus is said to acquire new knowledge. We must +answer that Jesus, in virtue of his divinity, knew from eternity +all things, past, present and to come, as the scriptural passages +cited above indicate. Nevertheless, as man, he did begin to know +certain things through experiential knowledge. And it is this +experiential knowledge that is indicated when it says here, +<span style="font-weight: bold">When Jesus learned,</span> after +the news was brought to him, <span style="font-weight: bold">that +the Pharisees had heard.</span> And Christ willed to acquire this +knowledge anew as a concession, to show the reality of his human +nature, just as he willed to do and endure many other things +characteristic of human nature.</p> +<p>552 Why does he say: <span style="font-weight: bold">the +Pharisees had heard that he was making more disciples and baptizing +more than John,</span> when this would seem to be of no concern to +them? For they persecuted John and did not believe in him: for as +Matthew says (21:25), when the Lord questioned them about the +source of John’s baptism, they said: “ ‘If we say +from heaven, he will say to us, “Why then did you not believe +him?” “ Thus they did not believe in John.</p> +<p>There are two answers to this. One is that those disciples of +John who had spoken against Christ were either Pharisees or allies +of the Pharisees. For we see in Matthew (9:11, 14), that the +Pharisees along with the disciples of John raised questions against +the disciples of Christ. And so according to this explanation, +then, the Evangelist says that <span style= +"font-weight: bold">When, therefore, Jesus learned that the +Pharisees had heard,</span> that is, after he learned that +John’s disciples, who were Pharisees or allied with the +Pharisees, had raised questions and had been disturbed about his +baptism and that of his disciples, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">he left Judea.</span></p> +<p>Or, we might say that the Pharisees were disturbed at +John’s preaching due to their envy, and for this reason they +persuaded Herod to arrest him. This is plain from Matthew (17:12), +where Christ, speaking of John, says, “Elijah has already +come ... and they did with him whatever they wanted,” and +then he adds, “so also will the Son of Man suffer from +them.” The Gloss comments on this that it was the Pharisees +who incited Herod to arrest John and put him to death. Thus it +seems probable that they felt the same way toward Christ because of +what he was preaching. And this is what it says, that is, the +envious Pharisees and persecutors of Christ <span style= +"font-weight: bold">had heard,</span> with the intention of +persecuting him, <span style="font-weight: bold">that he was making +more disciples and baptizing more than John.</span></p> +<p>553 This kind of hearing is described by Job (28:22): +“Death and destruction have said: We have heard of his +deeds.” The good, on the other hand, hear in order to obey: +“We have heard him in Ephrathah” (Ps 131:6), followed +by, “We will adore at his footstool.”</p> +<p>The Pharisees heard two things. First, that Christ made more +disciples than John. This was right and reasonable, for as we read +above (3:30), Christ must increase and John must decrease. The +second thing was that Christ baptized; and rightly so, because he +cleanses: “Wash me from my injustice” (Ps 50:4), and +again in Psalm (7:7): “Rise up, O Lord,” by baptizing, +“in the command you have given,” concerning baptism, +“and a congregation of people,” united through baptism, +“will surrond you.”</p> +<p>554 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">although +Jesus did not himself baptize,</span> he explains what he has just +said about Christ’s baptizing. Augustine says that there is +an apparent inconsistency here: for he had stated that Jesus was +baptizing, whereas now he says, as though correcting himself, +<span style="font-weight: bold">Jesus did not himself +baptize.</span></p> +<p>There are two ways to understand this. This first way is that of +Chrysostom. What the Evangelist now says is true, i.e., that Christ +did not baptize. When he said above that Jesus was baptizing, this +was the report received by the Pharisees. For certain people came +to the Pharisees and said: You are envious of John because he has +disciples and is baptizing. But Jesus is making more disciples than +John. and is also baptizing. Why do you put up with him? So the +Evangelist is not himself saying that Jesus was baptizing, but only +that the Pharisees heard that he was. It is with the intention of +correcting this false rumor that the Evangelist says: It is true +that the Pharisees heard that Christ was baptizing, but this is not +true. So he adds: <span style="font-weight: bold">although Jesus +did not himself baptize, but his disciples did.</span> And so for +Chrysostom, Christ did not baptize, because the Holy Spirit was not +given at any time before the passion of Christ in the baptism of +John and his disciples. The purpose of John’s baptism was to +accustom men to the baptism of Christ and to gather people in order +to instruct them, as he says. Moreover, it would not have been +fitting for Christ to baptize if the Holy Spirit were not given in +his baptism; but the Spirit was not given until after the passion +of Christ, as we read below (7:39): “The Spirit had not yet +been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.”</p> +<p>According to Augustine, however, one should say, and this is the +preferable, way, that the disciples did baptize with the baptism of +Christ, that is, in water and the Spirit, and the Spirit was given +in this baptism, and also that Christ did and did not baptize. +Christ did baptize because he performed the interior cleansing; but +he did not baptize because he did not wash them externally with the +water. It was the office of’ the disciples to wash the body, +while Christ gave the Spirit which cleansed within. So in the +proper sense Christ did baptize, according to: “The man on +whom you see the Spirit come down and rest is the one who is to +baptize with the Holy Spirit,” as was said above (1:33).</p> +<p>With respect to the opinion of Chrysostorn that the Holy Spirit +was not yet given and so on, we might say that the Spirit was not +yet given in visible signs, as he was given to the disciples after +the resurrection; nevertheless, the Spirit had been given and was +being given to believers through an interior sanctification.</p> +<p>The fact that Christ was not always baptizing gives an example +to us that the major prelates of the churches should not occupy +themselves with things that can be performed by others, but should +allow them to be done by those of lesser rank: “Christ did +not send me to baptize, but to preach the Gospel” (1 Cor +1:17).</p> +<p>555 If someone should ask whether Christ’s disciples had +been baptized, it could be said, as Augustine answered Stelentius, +that they had been baptized with the baptism of John, because some +of Christ’s disciples had been disciples of John. Or, which +is more likely, they were baptized with the baptism of Christ, in +order that Christ might have baptized servants through whom he +would baptize others. This is the meaning of what is said below +(13:10): “He who has bathed does not need to wash, except his +feet,” and then follows, “and you are clean, but not +all.”</p> +<p>556 He then mentions Christ’s going away, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">he left Judea.</span> He left for three +reasons. First, to get away from the envy of the Pharisees, who +were disturbed because of what they had heard about Christ, and +were preparing to harass him. By this he gives us the example that +we should, with gentleness, yield ground to evil for a time: +“Do not pile wood on his fire” (Sir 8:4). Another +reason was to show us that it is not sinful to flee from +persecution: “If they persecute you in one town, flee to +another” (Mt 10:23). The third reason was that the time of +his passion had not yet come: “My time has not yet +come” (above 2:4). And there is an additional reason, a +mystical one: he indicated by his leaving that because of +persecution the disciples were destined to abandon the Jews and go +to the Gentiles.</p> +<p>557 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">and went +again to Galilee,</span> he shows where he was going. He says, +<span style="font-weight: bold">again,</span> because above (2:12) +he had mentioned another time when Christ went to Galilee: when he +went to Capernaum after the miracle at the wedding. Since the other +three evangelists did not mention this first trip, the Evangelist +says <span style="font-weight: bold">again</span> to let us know +that the other evangelists had mentioned none of the matters he +mentions up to this point, and that he is now beginning to give his +account contemporaneous with theirs. According to one +interpretation, Galilee is understood to signify the Gentile world, +to which Christ passed from the Jews; for Galilee means +“passage.” According to another interpretation, Galilee +signifies the glory of heaven, for Galilee also means +“revelation.”</p> +<p>558 Then he describes the intermediate place through which +Christ passed; first in a general way, then specifically.</p> +<p>559 On his way to Galilee, Christ passes through Samaria; hence +he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">He had to pass through +Samaria.</span> He says, <span style="font-weight: bold">had to +pass,</span> lest he seem to be acting contrary to his own +teaching, for Christ says in Matthew (10:5): “Do not go on +the roads of the Gentiles.” Now since Samaria was Genthe +territory, he shows that he went there of necessity and not by +choice. Thus he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">had to +pass,</span> the reason being that Samaria was between Judea and +Galilee.</p> +<p>It was Amri, the king of Israel, who bought the hill of Samaria +from a certain Somer (1 Kgs 16:24); and it was there he built the +city which he called Samaria, after the name of the person from +whom he bought the land. After that, the kings of Israel used it as +their royal city, and the entire region surrounding this city was +called Samaria. When we read here that Christ <span style= +"font-weight: bold">had to pass through Samaria,</span> we should +understand the region rather than the city.</p> +<p>560 Describing it in more detail, he adds, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">He came therefore to a city of Samaria,</span> +i.e., of the region of Samaria, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">called Sychar.</span> This Sychar is the same +as Shechem. Genesis (33:18) says that Jacob camped near here and +that two of his sons, enraged at the rape of Dinah, Jacob’s +daughter, by the son of the king of Shechem, killed all the males +in that city. And so Jacob took possession of the city, and he +lived there and dug many wells. Later, as he lay dying, he gave the +land to his son Joseph: “I am giving you a portion more than +your brothers” (Gn 48:22). And this is what he says: +<span style="font-weight: bold">near the plot of land which Jacob +had given to his son Joseph.</span></p> +<p>The Evangelist is so careful to record all these matters in +order to show us that all the things which happened to the +patriarchs were leading up to Christ, and that they pointed to +Christ, and that he descended from them according to the flesh.</p> +<p>561 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">This was +the site of Jacob’s well,</span> the Evangelist gives the +material setting for the spiritual doctrine about to be taught. And +this was most fitting: for the doctrine about to be taught was +about water and a spiritual font, and so he mentions the material +well, thus giving rise to a discussion of the spiritual font, which +is Christ: “For with you is the fountain of life” (Ps +35:10), namely, the Holy Spirit, who is the spirit of life. +Likewise, the well symbolizes baptism: “On that day a +fountain will be open to the house of David, to cleanse the sinner +and the unclean” (Zec 13:1).</p> +<p>He does three things here. First, he describes the well. +Secondly, Christ’s rest at the well. Thirdly, the time.</p> +<p>562 He describes the water source saying, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">the site of Jacob’s well.</span> Here one +might object that further on (v 11) he says this source is deep; +thus it did not gush water like a fountain. I answer, as does +Augustine, that it was both a well and gushed water like a +fountain. For every well is a fountain, although the converse is +not true. For when water gushes from the earth we have a fountain; +and if this happens just on the surface, the source is only a +fountain. But if the water gushes both on the surface and below, we +have a well; although it is also still called a fountain. It is +called Jacob’s well because he had dug this well there due to +a shortage of water, as we read in Genesis (c 34).</p> +<p>563 <span style="font-weight: bold">Jesus, tired from his +journey, rested there at the well.</span> Jesus reveals his +weakness (even though his power was unlimited), not because of a +lack of power, but to show us the reality of the [human] nature he +assumed. According to Augustine, Jesus is strong, for “In the +beginning was the Word” (above 1:1); but he is weak, for +“the Word was made flesh” (above 1:14). And so Christ, +wishing to show the truth of his human nature, allowed it to do and +to endure things proper to men; and to show the truth of his divine +nature, he worked and performed things proper to God. Hence when he +checked the inflow of divine power to his body, he became hungry +and tired; but w4en he let his divine power influence his body, he +did not become hungry in spite of a lack of food, and he did not +become tired in his labors. “He had fasted forty days and +forty nights, and was hungry” (Mt 4:2).</p> +<p>564 Seeing Jesus becoming tired from his journey is an example +to us not to shrink from our work for the salvation of others: +“I am poor, and have labored since my youth” +(Ps,87:16). We also have an example of poverty, as Jesus +<span style="font-weight: bold">rested there,</span> upon the bare +earth.</p> +<p>In its mystical meaning, this resting [literally, a sitting] of +Christ indicates the abasement of his passion: “You know when +I sit down (i.e., the passion), and when I rise” (Ps 138:2). +Also, it indicates the authority of his teaching, for he speaks as +one having power; thus we read in Matthew (5:1) that Christ, +“sitting down, taught them.”</p> +<p>565 He indicates the time, saying, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">It was about the sixth hour.</span> There are +both literal and mystical reasons for fixing the time. The literal +reason was to show the cause of his tiredness: for men are more +weary from work in the heat and at the sixth hour [at noon]. Again, +it shows why Christ was resting: for men gladly rest near the water +in the heat of the day.</p> +<p>There are three mystical reasons for mentioning the time. First, +because Christ assumed flesh and came into the world in the sixth +age of the world. Another is that man was made on the sixth day, +and Christ was conceived in the sixth month. Third, at the sixth +hour the sun is at its highest, and there is nothing left for it +but to decline. In this context, the “sun” signifies +temporal prosperity, as suggested by Job (31:26): “If I had +looked at the sun when it shone, etc.” Therefore Christ came +when the prosperity of the world was at its highest, that is, it +flourished through love in the hearts of men; but because of him +natural love was bound to decline.</p> +<p>566 Next, we have a preliminary remark concerning the one who +listens to Christ. First, we are introduced to the person who is +taught. Secondly, we are given her preparation for his +teaching.</p> +<p>567 The teaching is given to a Samaritan woman; so he says, a +<span style="font-weight: bold">Samaritan woman came to draw +water.</span> This woman signifies the Church, not yet justified, +of the Gentiles. It was then involved in idolatry, but was destined +to be justified by Christ. She <span style= +"font-weight: bold">came</span> from foreigners, i.e., from the +Samaritans, who were foreigners, even though they lived in the +neighboring territory: because the Church of the Gentiles, foreign +to the Jewish race, would come to Christ: “Many will come +from the East and the West, and will sit down with Abraham, and +Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven,” as we find in +Matthew (8:11).</p> +<p>568 Christ prepares this woman for his teaching when he says, +<span style="font-weight: bold">Give me a drink.</span> First, we +have the occasion for his asking her. Secondly, the Evangelist +suggests why it was opportune to make this request (v 8).</p> +<p>569 The occasion and the preparation of the woman was the +request of Christ; thus he says, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">Give me a drink.</span> He asks for a drink +both because he was thirsty for water on account of the heat of the +day, and because he thirsted for the salvation of man on account of +his love. Accordingly, while hanging on the cross he cried out: +“I thirst.”</p> +<p>570 Christ had the opportunity to ask this of the woman because +his disciples, whom he would have asked for the water, were not +there, thus the Evangelist says, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">His disciples had gone to the town.</span></p> +<p>Here we might notice three things about Christ. First, his +humility, because <span style="font-weight: bold">he was left +alone. This</span> is an example to his disciples that they should +suppress all pride. Someone might ask what need there was to train +the disciples in humility, seeing that they had been but lowly +fishermen and tentmakers. Those who say such things should remember +that these very fishermen were suddenly made more deserving of +respect than any king, more eloquent than philosophers and orators, +and were the intimate companions of the Lord of creation. Persons +of this kind, when they are suddenly promoted, ordinarily become +proud, not being accustomed to such great honor.</p> +<p>Secondly, note Christ’s temperance: for he was so little +concerned about food that he did not bring anything to eat. +Thirdly, note that he was also left alone on the cross: “I +have trodden the wine press alone, and no one of the people was +with me” (Is 63:3).</p> +<p>571 Our Lord prepared the woman to receive his spiritual +teaching by giving her an occasion to question him. First, her +question is given. Secondly, her reason for asking it (v 9).</p> +<p>572 Here we should point out that our Lord, when asking the +woman for a drink, had in mind more a spiritual drink than a merely +physical one. But the woman, not yet understanding about such a +spiritual drink, though only of a physical drink. So she responds: +<span style="font-weight: bold">How is it that you, being a Jew, +ask me, a woman of Samaria, for a drink?</span> For Christ was a +Jew, because it was promised that he would be from Judah: +“The scepter will not be taken away from Judah ... until he +who is to be sent comes” (Gn 49:10); and he was born from +Judah: “It is evident that our Lord came from Judah” +(Heb 7:14). The woman knew that Christ was Jewish from the way he +dressed: for as Numbers (15:37) says, the Lord commanded the Jews +to wear tassels on the comers of their garments, and put a violet +cord on each tassel, so that they could be distinguished from other people.</p> -<p>573 Then the reason for this question is given: either by the Evangelist, as the Gloss says, or by -the woman herself, as Chrysostom says; the reason being, <span style="font-weight: bold">the Jews had nothing to do with +<p>573 Then the reason for this question is given: either by the +Evangelist, as the Gloss says, or by the woman herself, as +Chrysostom says; the reason being, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">the Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans.</span></p> -<p>Apropos of this, we should note that, as mentioned in 2 Kings, it was on account of their sins that -the people of Israel, i.e., of the ten tribes, who were worshipping idols, were captured by the king -of the Assyrians, and led as captives into Babylonia. Then, so that Samaria would not remain -unpopulated, the king gathered people from various nations and forced them to live there. While -they were there, the Lord sent lions and other wild beasts to trouble them; he did this to show that -he let the Jews be captured because of their sins, and not because of any lack in his own power. -When news of their trouble reached the Assyrian king and he was informed that this was -happening because these people were not observing the rites of the God of that territory, he sent -them a priest of the Jews who would teach them God’s law as found in the law of Moses. This -is why, although these people were not Jewish, they came to observe the Mosaic law. However, -along with their worship of the true God, they also worshipped idols, paid no attention to the -prophets, and referred to themselves as Samaritans, from the city of Samaria which was built on -a hill called Somer (1 Kgs 16:24). After the Jews returned to Jerusalem from their captivity, the -Samaritans were a constant source of trouble, and as we read in Ezra, interfered with their -building of the temple and the city. Although the Jews did not mix with other people, they -especially avoided these Samaritans and would have nothing to do with them. And this is what -we read: <span style="font-weight: bold">Jews had nothing to do with the Samaritans. </span>He does not say that the Samaritans do -not associate with Jews, for they would have gladly done so and have cooperated with them. But -the Jews rebuffed them in keeping with what is said in Deuteronomy (7:2): “Do not make -agreements with them.”</p> -<p>574 If it was not lawful for the Jews to associate with Samaritans, why did God ask a Samaritan -woman for a drink? One might answer, as Chrysostorn does, that the Lord asked her because he -knew that she would not give him the drink. But this is not an adequate answer, because one who -asks what is not lawful is not free from sin—not to mention the scandal—even though what he -asks for is not given to him. So we should say, as we find in Matthew (12:8): “The Son of Man -is Lord even of the sabbath.” Thus, as Lord of the law, he was able to use or not use the law and -its observances and legalities as it seemed suitable to him. And because the time was near when -the nations would be called to the faith, he associated with those nations.</p> -<p style="margin-bottom: 0.125in; margin-bottom: 0.125in"> </p> -<p style="text-align: center; margin-bottom: 0.125in"><span style="font-weight: bold">LECTURE 2</span></p> -<BLOCKQUOTE><p>10 Jesus replied and said:</p> -<p style="margin-left: 0.5in">“If you knew the gift of God, -<br>and realized who it is who says to you, -<br>‘Give me a drink,’ -<br>You perhaps would have asked him -<br>that he give you living water.” -<p style="text-align: justify">11 The woman challenged him: “You, sir, have no bucket, and the well is deep. How then could -you have living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well and drank -from it with his sons and his flocks?” 13 Jesus replied and said:</p> -<p style="margin-left: 0.5in">“Whoever drinks this water -<br>will be thirsty again, -<br>but whoever drinks the water that I give, -<br>will never be thirsty again. -<br>14 The water that I give -<br>will become a fountain within him, -<br>leaping up to provide eternal life.” -<p style="text-align: justify">15 “Lord,” the woman said, “Give me this water so that I shall not grow thirsty and have to keep -coming here to draw water.” 16 Jesus said to her: “Go, call your husband, and then come back -here.” 17 “1 have no husband,” replied the woman. Jesus said, “You are right in saying you have -no husband, 18 for you have had five, and the man you are living with now is not your husband. -What you said is true.” 19 “Sir,” said the woman, “I see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors -worshiped on this mountain, but you people claim that Jerusalem is the place where men must -worship God.” 21 Jesus said to her:</p> -<p style="margin-left: 0.5in">“Believe me, woman, -<br>the hour is coming -<br>when you will worship the Father -<br>neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. -<br>22 You people worship what -<br>you do not understand, -<br>while we understand what we worship, -<br>since salvation is from the Jews. -<br>23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, -<br>when true worshipers will worship the Father -<br>in spirit and in truth. -<br>Indeed, it is just such worshipers the Father seeks. -<br>24 God is spirit, -<br>and those who worship him -<br>ought to worship in spirit and truth.” -<p style="text-align: justify">25 The woman said to him: “I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called Christ; when he -comes he will tell us everything.” 26 Jesus replied:</p> -<p style="margin-left: 0.5in">“I who speak to you am he.”</p></BLOCKQUOTE> -<p>575 Now (v 10), the Evangelist gives us Christ’s spiritual teaching. First, he gives the teaching -itself. Secondly, the effect it had (v 27). As to the first, he does two things. First, a summary of -the entire instruction is given. Secondly, he unfolds it part by part (v 11).</p> -<p>576 He said therefore: You are amazed that I, a Jew, should ask you, a Samaritan woman, for -water; but you should not be amazed, because I have come to give drink, even to the Gentiles. -Thus he says: <span style="font-weight: bold">If you knew the gift of God, and realized who it is who says to you, Give me -a drink, you perhaps would have asked him.</span></p> -<p>577 We may begin with what is last, and we should know first what is to be understood by water. -And we should say that water signifies the grace of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes this grace is -called fire, and at other times water, to show that it is neither one of these in its nature, but like -them in the way it acts. It is called fire because it lifts up our hearts by its ardor and heat: “ardent -in Spirit” (Rom 12:11), and because it burns up sins: “Its light is fire and flame” (Sg 8:6). Grace -is called water because it cleanses: “I will pour clean water upon you, and you will be cleansed -from all your uncleanness” (Ez 36:25), and because it brings a refreshing relief from the heat of -temptations: “Water quenches a flaming fire” (Sir 3:33), and also because it satisfies our desires, -in contrast to our thirst for earthly things and all temporal things whatever: “Come to the waters, -all you who thirst” (Is 5 5:1 ).</p> -<p>Now water is of two kinds: living and non-living. Non-living water is water which is not -connected or united with the source from which it springs, but is collected from the rain or in -other ways into ponds and cisterns, and there it stands, separated from its source. But living water -is connected with its source and flows from it. So according to this understanding, the grace of -the Holy Spirit is correctly called living water, because the grace of the Holy Spirit is given to -man in such a way that the source itself of the grace is also given, that is, the Holy Spirit. Indeed, -grace is given by the Holy Spirit: “The love of God is poured out into our hearts by the Holy -Spirit, who has been given to us” (Rom 5:5). For theHoly Spirit is the unfailing fountain from -whom all gifts of grace flow”One and the same Spirit does all these things” (1 Cor 1251,1.). And -so, if anyone has a gift of the Holy Spirit without having the Spirit, the water is not united with -its source, and so is not living but dead: “Faith without works is dead” (Jas 2:20).</p> -<p>578 Then we are shown that in the case of adults, living water, i.e., grace, is obtained by desiring -it, i.e., by asking. “The Lord has heard the desire of the poor” (Ps. 9:17), for grace is not given -to anyone without their asking and desiring it. Thus we say that in the justification of a sinner an -act of free will is necessary to detest sin and to desire grace, according to Matthew (7:7): “Ask -and you will receive.” In fact, desire is so important that even the Son himself is told to ask: “Ask -me, and I will give to you” (Ps 2:8). Therefore, no one who resists grace receives it, unless he -first desires it; this is clear is the case of Paul who, before he received grace, desired it, saying: -“Lord, what do you want me to do?” (Acts 9:6). Thus it is significant that he says, you perhaps -would have asked him. He says perhaps on account of free will, with which a person sometimes -desires and asks for grace, and sometimes does not.</p> -<p>579 There are two things which lead a person to desire and ask for grace: a knowledge of the -good to be desired and a knowledge of the giver. So, Christ offers these two to her. First of all, -a knowledge of the gift itself; hence he says, If you knew the gift of God, which is every desirable -good which comes from the Holy Spirit: “I know that I cannot control myself unless God grants -it to me” (Wis 8:2 1). And this is a gift of God, and so forth. Secondly, he mentions the giver; -and he says, and realized who it is who says to you, i.e., if you knew the one who can give it, -namely, that it is I: “When the Paraclete comes, whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit -of truth ... he will bear witness to me” (below 15:26); “You have given gifts to men” (Ps 67:19).</p> -<p>Accordingly, this teaching concerns three things: the gift of living water, asking for this gift, and -the giver himself.</p> -<p>580 When he says, The woman challenged him, he treats these three things explicitly. First, the -gift; secondly, asking for the gift (v 19); and thirdly, the giver (v 25). He does two things about -the first. First, he explains the gift by showing its power. Secondly, he considers the perfection -of the gift (v 15). About the first he does two things. First, he gives the woman’s request. -Secondly, Christ’s answer (v 13).</p> -<p>581 We should note, with respect to the first, that this Samaritan woman, because she was -sensual, understood in a worldly sense what the Lord understood in a spiritual sense: “The -sensual man does not perceive those things that pertain to the Spirit of God” ( 1 Cor 2:14). -Consequently, she tried to reject what our Lord said as unreasonable and impossible with the -following argument: You promise me living water; and it must come either from this well or -from another one. But it cannot come from this well because <span style="font-weight: bold">You, sir, have no bucket, and the -well is deep; </span>and it does not seem probable that you can get if from some other well, because you -are not <span style="font-weight: bold">greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this well.</span></p> -<p>582 Let us first examine what she says, <span style="font-weight: bold">You, sir, have no bucket, </span>i.e., no pail to use to draw -water from the well, <span style="font-weight: bold">and the well is deep</span>, so you cannot reach the water by hand without a -bucket.</p> -<p>The depth of the well signifies the depth of Sacred Scripture and of divine wisdom: “It has great -depth. Who can find it out?” (Ecc 7:25). The bucket with which the water of wisdom is drawn -out is prayer: “If any of you lack wisdom, ask God” (Jas 1:5).</p> -<p>583 The second point is given at, <span style="font-weight: bold">Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this -well?</span> As if to say: Have you better water to give us than Jacob? She calls Jacob her father not -because the Samaritans were descendants of the Jews, as is clear from what was said before, but -because the Samaritans had the Mosaic law, and because they occupied the land promised to the -descendants of Jacob.</p> -<p>The woman praised this well on three counts. First, on the authority of the one who gave it; so -she says: our father Jacob, who gave us this well. Secondly, on account of the freshness of its -water, saying: Jacob drank from it with his sons: for they would not drink it if it were not fresh, -but only give it to their cattle. Thirdly, she praises its abundance, saying, and his flocks: for since -the water was fresh, they would not have given it to their flocks unless it were also abundant.</p> -<p>So, too, Sacred Scripture has great authority: for it was given by the Holy Spirit. It is delightfully -fresh: “How sweet are your words to my palate” (Ps 118:103). Finally, it is exceedingly -abundant, for it is given not only to the wise, but also to the unwise.</p> -<p>584 Then when he says, Jesus replied and said, he sets down the Lord’s response, in which he -explains the power of his doctrine. First, with respect to the fact that he had called it water. -Secondly, with respect to the fact that he called it living water (v 14).</p> -<p>585 He shows that his doctrine is the best water because it has the effect of water, that is, it takes -away thirst much more than does that natural water. He shows by this that he is greater than -Jacob. So he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Jesus replied and said, </span>as if to say: You say that Jacob gave you a well; but -I will give you better water, because <span style="font-weight: bold">whoever drinks this water, </span>that is, natural water, or the -water of sensual desire and concupiscence, although it may satisfy his appetite for a while, <span style="font-weight: bold">will -be thirsty again, </span>because the desire for pleasure is insatiable: “When will I wake up and find -wine again?” (Prv 23:35). <span style="font-weight: bold">But whoever drinks the water, </span>that is, spiritual water, <span style="font-weight: bold">that I give, -will never be thirsty again. </span>“My servants will drink, and you will be thirsty,” as said in Isaiah -(65:13).</p> -<p>586 Since we read in Sirach (24:29): “Those who drink me will still thirst,” how is it possible -that we will never be thirsty if we drink this water of divine wisdom, since this Wisdom itself -says we will still thirst? I answer that both are true: because he who drinks the water that Christ -gives still thirsts and does not thirst. But whoever drinks natural water will become thirsty again -for two reasons. First, because material and natural water is not eternal, and it does not have an -eternal cause, but an impermanent one; therefore its effects must also cease: “All these things -have passed away like a shadow” (Wis 5:9). But spiritual water has an eternal cause, that is, the -Holy Spirit, who is the unfailing fountain of life. Accordingly, he who drinks of this will never -thirst; just as someone who had within himself a fountain of living water would never thirst.</p> -<p>The other reason is that there is a difference between a spiritual and a temporal thing. For -although each produces a thirst, they do so in different ways. When a temporal thing is possessed -it causes us to be thirsty, not for the thing itself, but for something else; while a spiritual thing -when possessed takes away the thirst for other things, and causes us to thirst for it. The reason -for this is that before temporal things are possessed, they are highly regarded and thought -satisfying; but after they are possessed, they are found to be neither so great as thought nor -sufficient to satisfy our desires, and so our desires are not satisfied but move on to something -else. On the other hand, a spiritual thing in not known unless it is possessed: “No one knows but -he who receives it” (Rv 2:17). So, when it is not possessed, it does not produce a desire; but once -it is possessed and known, then it brings pleasure and produces desire, but not to possess -something else. Yet, because it is imperfectly known on account of the deficiency of the one -receiving it, it produces a desire in us to possiss it perfectly. We read of this thirst: “My soul -thirsted for God, the living fountain” (Ps 41:2). This thirst is not completely taken away in this -world because in this life we cannot understand spiritual things; consequently, one who drinks -this water will still thirst for its completion. But he will not always be thirsty, as though the water -will run out, for we read (Ps 35:9): “They will be intoxicated from the richness of your house.” -In the life of glory, where the blessed drink perfectly the water of divine grace, they will never -be thirsty again: “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for what is right,” that is, in this world, -“for they will be satisfied,” in the life of glory” (Mt 5:6).</p> -<p>587 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">The water that I give will become a fountain within him, leaping up -to provide eternal life, </span>he shows from the movement of the water that his doctrine is living -water; thus he says that it is a leaping fountain: “The streams of the river bring joy to the city of -God” (Ps 45:4).</p> -<p>The course of material water is downward, and this is different from the course of spiritual water, -which is upward. Thus he says: I say that material water is such that it does not slake your thirst; -but the water that I give not only quenches your thirst, but it is a living water because it is united -with its source. Hence he says that this water <span style="font-weight: bold">will become a fountain within </span>one: a fountain -leading, through good works, to eternal life. So he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">leaping up</span>, that is, making us leap up, -<span style="font-weight: bold">to eternal life, </span>where there is no thirst: “He who believes in me, out of his heart there will flow -rivers “ that is, of good desires, “of living water” (below 7:38); “With you is the fountain of life” -(Ps 3 5:10).</p> -<p>588 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">The woman said, </span>he states her request for the gift. First, her -understanding of the gift is noted. Secondly, the woman is found guilty (v 17). As was said, the -way to obtain this gift is by prayer and request. And so first, we have the woman’s request. -Secondly, Christ’s answer (v 16).</p> -<p>589 We should note with respect to the first that at the beginning of this conversation the woman -did not refer to Christ as “Lord,” but simply as a Jew, for she said: “How is it that you, being a -Jew, ask me, a woman of Samaria, for a drink?” But now as soon as she hears that he can be of -use to her and give her water, she calls him “Lord”: Lord, give me this water. For she was -thinking of natural water, and was subject to the two natural necessities of thirst and labor, that -is, of going to the well and of carrying the water. So she mentions these two things when asking -for the water: saying in reference to the first, <span style="font-weight: bold">so that I shall not grow thirsty; </span>and in reference -to the second, <span style="font-weight: bold">and have to keep coming here to draw water, </span>for man naturally shrinks from -labor: “They do not labor as other men” (Ps 72:5).</p> -<p>590 Then (v 16), the answer of Jesus is given. Here we should note that our Lord answered her -in a spiritual way, but she understood in a sensual way. Accordingly, this can be explained in two -ways. One way is that of Chrysostom, who says that our Lord intended to give the water of -spiritual instruction not only to her, but especially to her husband, for as is said, “Man is the head -of woman” (1 Cor 11:3), so that Christ wanted God’s precepts to reach women through men, and -“If the wife wishes to learn anything, let her ask her husband at home” (1 Cor 14:35). So he says, -<span style="font-weight: bold">Go, call your husband, and then come back here; </span>and then I will give it to you with him and -through him.</p> -<p>Augustine explains it another way, mystically. For as Christ spoke symbolically of water, he did -the same of her husband. Her husband, according to Augustine, is the intellect: for the will brings -forth and conceives because of the cognitive power that moves it; thus the will is like a woman, -while the reason, which moves the will, is like her husband. Here the woman, i.e., the will, was -ready to receive, but was not moved by the intellect and reason to a correct understanding, but -was still detained on the level of sense. For this reason the Lord said to her, Go, you who are still -sensual, <span style="font-weight: bold">call your husband, </span>call in the reasoning intellect so you can understand in a spiritual -and intellectual way what you now perceive in a sensual way; <span style="font-weight: bold">and then come back here, </span>by -understanding under the guidance of reason.</p> -<p>591 Here (v 17), the woman is found guilty by Christ. First, her answer is set down. Secondly, -the encounter in which she is found guilty by Christ.</p> -<p>592 As to the first, we should note that the woman, desiring to hide her wrongdoing, and -regarding Christ as only a mere man, did answer Christ truthfully, although she keep silent about -her sin, for as we read, “A fornicating woman will be walked on like dung in the road” (Sir 9:10). -She said, <span style="font-weight: bold">I have no husband. </span>This was true; for although she previously had a number of -husbands, five of them, she did not now have a lawful husband, but was just living with a man; +<p>Apropos of this, we should note that, as mentioned in 2 Kings, +it was on account of their sins that the people of Israel, i.e., of +the ten tribes, who were worshipping idols, were captured by the +king of the Assyrians, and led as captives into Babylonia. Then, so +that Samaria would not remain unpopulated, the king gathered people +from various nations and forced them to live there. While they were +there, the Lord sent lions and other wild beasts to trouble them; +he did this to show that he let the Jews be captured because of +their sins, and not because of any lack in his own power. When news +of their trouble reached the Assyrian king and he was informed that +this was happening because these people were not observing the +rites of the God of that territory, he sent them a priest of the +Jews who would teach them God’s law as found in the law of +Moses. This is why, although these people were not Jewish, they +came to observe the Mosaic law. However, along with their worship +of the true God, they also worshipped idols, paid no attention to +the prophets, and referred to themselves as Samaritans, from the +city of Samaria which was built on a hill called Somer (1 Kgs +16:24). After the Jews returned to Jerusalem from their captivity, +the Samaritans were a constant source of trouble, and as we read in +Ezra, interfered with their building of the temple and the city. +Although the Jews did not mix with other people, they especially +avoided these Samaritans and would have nothing to do with them. +And this is what we read: <span style="font-weight: bold">Jews had +nothing to do with the Samaritans.</span> He does not say that the +Samaritans do not associate with Jews, for they would have gladly +done so and have cooperated with them. But the Jews rebuffed them +in keeping with what is said in Deuteronomy (7:2): “Do not +make agreements with them.”</p> +<p>574 If it was not lawful for the Jews to associate with +Samaritans, why did God ask a Samaritan woman for a drink? One +might answer, as Chrysostorn does, that the Lord asked her because +he knew that she would not give him the drink. But this is not an +adequate answer, because one who asks what is not lawful is not +free from sin—not to mention the scandal—even though +what he asks for is not given to him. So we should say, as we find +in Matthew (12:8): “The Son of Man is Lord even of the +sabbath.” Thus, as Lord of the law, he was able to use or not +use the law and its observances and legalities as it seemed +suitable to him. And because the time was near when the nations +would be called to the faith, he associated with those nations.</p> +<p style="margin-bottom: 0.125in; margin-bottom: 0.125in"> + </p> +<p style="text-align: center; margin-bottom: 0.125in"><span style= +"font-weight: bold">LECTURE 2</span></p> +<blockquote> +<p>10 Jesus replied and said:</p> +<p style="margin-left: 0.5in">“If you knew the gift of +God,<br /> +and realized who it is who says to you,<br /> +‘Give me a drink,’<br /> +You perhaps would have asked him<br /> +that he give you living water.”</p> +<p style="text-align: justify">11 The woman challenged him: +“You, sir, have no bucket, and the well is deep. How then +could you have living water? 12 Are you greater than our father +Jacob, who gave us this well and drank from it with his sons and +his flocks?” 13 Jesus replied and said:</p> +<p style="margin-left: 0.5in">“Whoever drinks this +water<br /> +will be thirsty again,<br /> +but whoever drinks the water that I give,<br /> +will never be thirsty again.<br /> +14 The water that I give<br /> +will become a fountain within him,<br /> +leaping up to provide eternal life.”</p> +<p style="text-align: justify">15 “Lord,” the woman +said, “Give me this water so that I shall not grow thirsty +and have to keep coming here to draw water.” 16 Jesus said to +her: “Go, call your husband, and then come back here.” +17 “1 have no husband,” replied the woman. Jesus said, +“You are right in saying you have no husband, 18 for you have +had five, and the man you are living with now is not your husband. +What you said is true.” 19 “Sir,” said the woman, +“I see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on +this mountain, but you people claim that Jerusalem is the place +where men must worship God.” 21 Jesus said to her:</p> +<p style="margin-left: 0.5in">“Believe me, woman,<br /> +the hour is coming<br /> +when you will worship the Father<br /> +neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.<br /> +22 You people worship what<br /> +you do not understand,<br /> +while we understand what we worship,<br /> +since salvation is from the Jews.<br /> +23 But the hour is coming, and is now here,<br /> +when true worshipers will worship the Father<br /> +in spirit and in truth.<br /> +Indeed, it is just such worshipers the Father seeks.<br /> +24 God is spirit,<br /> +and those who worship him<br /> +ought to worship in spirit and truth.”</p> +<p style="text-align: justify">25 The woman said to him: “I +know that the Messiah is coming, the one called Christ; when he +comes he will tell us everything.” 26 Jesus replied:</p> +<p style="margin-left: 0.5in">“I who speak to you am +he.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>575 Now (v 10), the Evangelist gives us Christ’s spiritual +teaching. First, he gives the teaching itself. Secondly, the effect +it had (v 27). As to the first, he does two things. First, a +summary of the entire instruction is given. Secondly, he unfolds it +part by part (v 11).</p> +<p>576 He said therefore: You are amazed that I, a Jew, should ask +you, a Samaritan woman, for water; but you should not be amazed, +because I have come to give drink, even to the Gentiles. Thus he +says: <span style="font-weight: bold">If you knew the gift of God, +and realized who it is who says to you, Give me a drink, you +perhaps would have asked him.</span></p> +<p>577 We may begin with what is last, and we should know first +what is to be understood by water. And we should say that water +signifies the grace of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes this grace is +called fire, and at other times water, to show that it is neither +one of these in its nature, but like them in the way it acts. It is +called fire because it lifts up our hearts by its ardor and heat: +“ardent in Spirit” (Rom 12:11), and because it burns up +sins: “Its light is fire and flame” (Sg 8:6). Grace is +called water because it cleanses: “I will pour clean water +upon you, and you will be cleansed from all your uncleanness” +(Ez 36:25), and because it brings a refreshing relief from the heat +of temptations: “Water quenches a flaming fire” (Sir +3:33), and also because it satisfies our desires, in contrast to +our thirst for earthly things and all temporal things whatever: +“Come to the waters, all you who thirst” (Is 5 5:1 +).</p> +<p>Now water is of two kinds: living and non-living. Non-living +water is water which is not connected or united with the source +from which it springs, but is collected from the rain or in other +ways into ponds and cisterns, and there it stands, separated from +its source. But living water is connected with its source and flows +from it. So according to this understanding, the grace of the Holy +Spirit is correctly called living water, because the grace of the +Holy Spirit is given to man in such a way that the source itself of +the grace is also given, that is, the Holy Spirit. Indeed, grace is +given by the Holy Spirit: “The love of God is poured out into +our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Rom +5:5). For theHoly Spirit is the unfailing fountain from whom all +gifts of grace flow”One and the same Spirit does all these +things” (1 Cor 1251,1.). And so, if anyone has a gift of the +Holy Spirit without having the Spirit, the water is not united with +its source, and so is not living but dead: “Faith without +works is dead” (Jas 2:20).</p> +<p>578 Then we are shown that in the case of adults, living water, +i.e., grace, is obtained by desiring it, i.e., by asking. +“The Lord has heard the desire of the poor” (Ps. 9:17), +for grace is not given to anyone without their asking and desiring +it. Thus we say that in the justification of a sinner an act of +free will is necessary to detest sin and to desire grace, according +to Matthew (7:7): “Ask and you will receive.” In fact, +desire is so important that even the Son himself is told to ask: +“Ask me, and I will give to you” (Ps 2:8). Therefore, +no one who resists grace receives it, unless he first desires it; +this is clear is the case of Paul who, before he received grace, +desired it, saying: “Lord, what do you want me to do?” +(Acts 9:6). Thus it is significant that he says, you perhaps would +have asked him. He says perhaps on account of free will, with which +a person sometimes desires and asks for grace, and sometimes does +not.</p> +<p>579 There are two things which lead a person to desire and ask +for grace: a knowledge of the good to be desired and a knowledge of +the giver. So, Christ offers these two to her. First of all, a +knowledge of the gift itself; hence he says, If you knew the gift +of God, which is every desirable good which comes from the Holy +Spirit: “I know that I cannot control myself unless God +grants it to me” (Wis 8:2 1). And this is a gift of God, and +so forth. Secondly, he mentions the giver; and he says, and +realized who it is who says to you, i.e., if you knew the one who +can give it, namely, that it is I: “When the Paraclete comes, +whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth ... he +will bear witness to me” (below 15:26); “You have given +gifts to men” (Ps 67:19).</p> +<p>Accordingly, this teaching concerns three things: the gift of +living water, asking for this gift, and the giver himself.</p> +<p>580 When he says, The woman challenged him, he treats these +three things explicitly. First, the gift; secondly, asking for the +gift (v 19); and thirdly, the giver (v 25). He does two things +about the first. First, he explains the gift by showing its power. +Secondly, he considers the perfection of the gift (v 15). About the +first he does two things. First, he gives the woman’s +request. Secondly, Christ’s answer (v 13).</p> +<p>581 We should note, with respect to the first, that this +Samaritan woman, because she was sensual, understood in a worldly +sense what the Lord understood in a spiritual sense: “The +sensual man does not perceive those things that pertain to the +Spirit of God” ( 1 Cor 2:14). Consequently, she tried to +reject what our Lord said as unreasonable and impossible with the +following argument: You promise me living water; and it must come +either from this well or from another one. But it cannot come from +this well because <span style="font-weight: bold">You, sir, have no +bucket, and the well is deep;</span> and it does not seem probable +that you can get if from some other well, because you are not +<span style="font-weight: bold">greater than our father Jacob, who +gave us this well.</span></p> +<p>582 Let us first examine what she says, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">You, sir, have no bucket,</span> i.e., no pail +to use to draw water from the well, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">and the well is deep</span>, so you cannot +reach the water by hand without a bucket.</p> +<p>The depth of the well signifies the depth of Sacred Scripture +and of divine wisdom: “It has great depth. Who can find it +out?” (Ecc 7:25). The bucket with which the water of wisdom +is drawn out is prayer: “If any of you lack wisdom, ask +God” (Jas 1:5).</p> +<p>583 The second point is given at, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave +us this well?</span> As if to say: Have you better water to give us +than Jacob? She calls Jacob her father not because the Samaritans +were descendants of the Jews, as is clear from what was said +before, but because the Samaritans had the Mosaic law, and because +they occupied the land promised to the descendants of Jacob.</p> +<p>The woman praised this well on three counts. First, on the +authority of the one who gave it; so she says: our father Jacob, +who gave us this well. Secondly, on account of the freshness of its +water, saying: Jacob drank from it with his sons: for they would +not drink it if it were not fresh, but only give it to their +cattle. Thirdly, she praises its abundance, saying, and his flocks: +for since the water was fresh, they would not have given it to +their flocks unless it were also abundant.</p> +<p>So, too, Sacred Scripture has great authority: for it was given +by the Holy Spirit. It is delightfully fresh: “How sweet are +your words to my palate” (Ps 118:103). Finally, it is +exceedingly abundant, for it is given not only to the wise, but +also to the unwise.</p> +<p>584 Then when he says, Jesus replied and said, he sets down the +Lord’s response, in which he explains the power of his +doctrine. First, with respect to the fact that he had called it +water. Secondly, with respect to the fact that he called it living +water (v 14).</p> +<p>585 He shows that his doctrine is the best water because it has +the effect of water, that is, it takes away thirst much more than +does that natural water. He shows by this that he is greater than +Jacob. So he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Jesus replied +and said,</span> as if to say: You say that Jacob gave you a well; +but I will give you better water, because <span style= +"font-weight: bold">whoever drinks this water,</span> that is, +natural water, or the water of sensual desire and concupiscence, +although it may satisfy his appetite for a while, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">will be thirsty again,</span> because the +desire for pleasure is insatiable: “When will I wake up and +find wine again?” (Prv 23:35). <span style= +"font-weight: bold">But whoever drinks the water,</span> that is, +spiritual water, <span style="font-weight: bold">that I give, will +never be thirsty again.</span> “My servants will drink, and +you will be thirsty,” as said in Isaiah (65:13).</p> +<p>586 Since we read in Sirach (24:29): “Those who drink me +will still thirst,” how is it possible that we will never be +thirsty if we drink this water of divine wisdom, since this Wisdom +itself says we will still thirst? I answer that both are true: +because he who drinks the water that Christ gives still thirsts and +does not thirst. But whoever drinks natural water will become +thirsty again for two reasons. First, because material and natural +water is not eternal, and it does not have an eternal cause, but an +impermanent one; therefore its effects must also cease: “All +these things have passed away like a shadow” (Wis 5:9). But +spiritual water has an eternal cause, that is, the Holy Spirit, who +is the unfailing fountain of life. Accordingly, he who drinks of +this will never thirst; just as someone who had within himself a +fountain of living water would never thirst.</p> +<p>The other reason is that there is a difference between a +spiritual and a temporal thing. For although each produces a +thirst, they do so in different ways. When a temporal thing is +possessed it causes us to be thirsty, not for the thing itself, but +for something else; while a spiritual thing when possessed takes +away the thirst for other things, and causes us to thirst for it. +The reason for this is that before temporal things are possessed, +they are highly regarded and thought satisfying; but after they are +possessed, they are found to be neither so great as thought nor +sufficient to satisfy our desires, and so our desires are not +satisfied but move on to something else. On the other hand, a +spiritual thing in not known unless it is possessed: “No one +knows but he who receives it” (Rv 2:17). So, when it is not +possessed, it does not produce a desire; but once it is possessed +and known, then it brings pleasure and produces desire, but not to +possess something else. Yet, because it is imperfectly known on +account of the deficiency of the one receiving it, it produces a +desire in us to possiss it perfectly. We read of this thirst: +“My soul thirsted for God, the living fountain” (Ps +41:2). This thirst is not completely taken away in this world +because in this life we cannot understand spiritual things; +consequently, one who drinks this water will still thirst for its +completion. But he will not always be thirsty, as though the water +will run out, for we read (Ps 35:9): “They will be +intoxicated from the richness of your house.” In the life of +glory, where the blessed drink perfectly the water of divine grace, +they will never be thirsty again: “Blessed are they who +hunger and thirst for what is right,” that is, in this world, +“for they will be satisfied,” in the life of +glory” (Mt 5:6).</p> +<p>587 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">The water +that I give will become a fountain within him, leaping up to +provide eternal life,</span> he shows from the movement of the +water that his doctrine is living water; thus he says that it is a +leaping fountain: “The streams of the river bring joy to the +city of God” (Ps 45:4).</p> +<p>The course of material water is downward, and this is different +from the course of spiritual water, which is upward. Thus he says: +I say that material water is such that it does not slake your +thirst; but the water that I give not only quenches your thirst, +but it is a living water because it is united with its source. +Hence he says that this water <span style="font-weight: bold">will +become a fountain within</span> one: a fountain leading, through +good works, to eternal life. So he says, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">leaping up</span>, that is, making us leap up, +<span style="font-weight: bold">to eternal life,</span> where there +is no thirst: “He who believes in me, out of his heart there +will flow rivers “ that is, of good desires, “of living +water” (below 7:38); “With you is the fountain of +life” (Ps 3 5:10).</p> +<p>588 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">The woman +said,</span> he states her request for the gift. First, her +understanding of the gift is noted. Secondly, the woman is found +guilty (v 17). As was said, the way to obtain this gift is by +prayer and request. And so first, we have the woman’s +request. Secondly, Christ’s answer (v 16).</p> +<p>589 We should note with respect to the first that at the +beginning of this conversation the woman did not refer to Christ as +“Lord,” but simply as a Jew, for she said: “How +is it that you, being a Jew, ask me, a woman of Samaria, for a +drink?” But now as soon as she hears that he can be of use to +her and give her water, she calls him “Lord”: Lord, +give me this water. For she was thinking of natural water, and was +subject to the two natural necessities of thirst and labor, that +is, of going to the well and of carrying the water. So she mentions +these two things when asking for the water: saying in reference to +the first, <span style="font-weight: bold">so that I shall not grow +thirsty;</span> and in reference to the second, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">and have to keep coming here to draw +water,</span> for man naturally shrinks from labor: “They do +not labor as other men” (Ps 72:5).</p> +<p>590 Then (v 16), the answer of Jesus is given. Here we should +note that our Lord answered her in a spiritual way, but she +understood in a sensual way. Accordingly, this can be explained in +two ways. One way is that of Chrysostom, who says that our Lord +intended to give the water of spiritual instruction not only to +her, but especially to her husband, for as is said, “Man is +the head of woman” (1 Cor 11:3), so that Christ wanted +God’s precepts to reach women through men, and “If the +wife wishes to learn anything, let her ask her husband at +home” (1 Cor 14:35). So he says, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">Go, call your husband, and then come back +here;</span> and then I will give it to you with him and through +him.</p> +<p>Augustine explains it another way, mystically. For as Christ +spoke symbolically of water, he did the same of her husband. Her +husband, according to Augustine, is the intellect: for the will +brings forth and conceives because of the cognitive power that +moves it; thus the will is like a woman, while the reason, which +moves the will, is like her husband. Here the woman, i.e., the +will, was ready to receive, but was not moved by the intellect and +reason to a correct understanding, but was still detained on the +level of sense. For this reason the Lord said to her, Go, you who +are still sensual, <span style="font-weight: bold">call your +husband,</span> call in the reasoning intellect so you can +understand in a spiritual and intellectual way what you now +perceive in a sensual way; <span style="font-weight: bold">and then +come back here,</span> by understanding under the guidance of +reason.</p> +<p>591 Here (v 17), the woman is found guilty by Christ. First, her +answer is set down. Secondly, the encounter in which she is found +guilty by Christ.</p> +<p>592 As to the first, we should note that the woman, desiring to +hide her wrongdoing, and regarding Christ as only a mere man, did +answer Christ truthfully, although she keep silent about her sin, +for as we read, “A fornicating woman will be walked on like +dung in the road” (Sir 9:10). She said, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">I have no husband.</span> This was true; for +although she previously had a number of husbands, five of them, she +did not now have a lawful husband, but was just living with a man; and it is for this that the Lord judges her.</p> -<p>593 Then the Evangelist reports that Jesus said to her: <span style="font-weight: bold">You are right in saying you have no -husband, </span>a legitimate husband; <span style="font-weight: bold">for you have had five, </span>before this one, <span style="font-weight: bold">and the man you are -living with now, </span>using as a husband, <span style="font-weight: bold">is not your husband. What you said is true, </span>because you -do not have a husband. The reason our Lord spoke to her about these things he had not learned -from her and which were her secrets, was to bring her to a spiritual understanding so that she -might believe there was something divine about Christ.</p> -<p>594 In the mystical sense, her five husbands are the five books of Moses: for, as was said, the -Samaritans accepted these. And so Christ says, <span style="font-weight: bold">you have had five, </span>and then follows -[understanding Christ’s words in a slightly different sense, as meaning:] <span style="font-weight: bold">and he whom you now -have, </span>i.e., he to whom you are now listening, i.e., Christ, <span style="font-weight: bold">is not your husband, </span>because you do -not believe.</p> -<p>This explanation, as Augustine says, is not very good. For this woman came to her present -“husband” after having left the other five, whereas those who come to Christ do not put aside the -five books of Moses. We should rather say, <span style="font-weight: bold">you have had five, </span>i.e., the five senses, which you -have used up to this time; but <span style="font-weight: bold">the man you are living with now, </span>i.e., an erring reason, with -which you still understand spiritual things in a sensual way, <span style="font-weight: bold">is not your </span>lawful <span style="font-weight: bold">husband, </span>but an -adulterer who is corrupting you. <span style="font-weight: bold">Call your husband, </span>i.e., your intellect, so that you may really -understand me.</p> -<p>595 Now the Evangelist treats of the request by which the gift is obtained, which is prayer. First -there is the woman’s inquiry about prayer. Secondly, Christ’s answer (v 21). Concerning the first -the woman does two things. First, she admits that Christ is qualified to answer her question. -Secondly, she asks the question (v 20).</p> -<p>596 And so this woman, hearing what Christ had told her about things that were secret, admits -that the one who up to now she believed was a mere man, is a prophet, and capable of settling -her doubts. For it is characteristic of prophets to reveal what is not present, and hidden: “He who -is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer” (I Sin 9:9). And so she says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Sir, I see that -you are a prophet. </span>As if to say: You show that you are a prophet by revealing hidden things to -me. It is clear from this, as Augustine says, that her husband was beginning to return to her. But -he did not return completely because she regarded Christ as a prophet: for although he was a -prophet—“A prophet is not without honor except in his own country” (Mt 13:57)—he was more -than a prophet, because he produces prophets: “Wisdom produces friends of God and prophets” -(Wis 7:27)</p> -<p>597 Then she asks her question about prayer, saying: <span style="font-weight: bold">Our ancestors worshiped on this -mountain, but you people claim that Jerusalern is the place where men must worship God. -</span>Here we should admire the woman’s diligence and attention: for women are considered curious -and unproductive, and not only unproductive, but also lovers of ease (1 Tim 5), whereas she did -not ask Christ about worldly affairs, or about the future, but about the things of God, in keeping -with the advice, “Seek first the kingdom of God” (Mt 6:33)</p> -<p>She first asks a question about a matter frequently discussed in her country, that is, about the -place to pray; this was the subject of argument between Jews and Samaritans. She says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Our -ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you people say. </span>We should mention that the -Samaritans, worshiping God according to the precepts of the law, built a temple in which to -adore him; and they did not go to Jerusalem where the Jews interfered with them. They built their -temple on Mount Gerizim, while the Jews built their temple on Mount Sion. The question they -debated was which of these places was the more fitting place of prayer; and each presented -reasons for its own side. The Samaritans said that Mount Gerizim was more fitting, because their -ancestors worshiped the Lord there. So she says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain.</span></p> -<p>598 How can this woman say, <span style="font-weight: bold">our ancestors, </span>since the Samaritans were not descended from -lsrael? The answer, according to Chrysostom, is that some claim that Abraham offered his son -on that mountain; but others claim that is was on Mount Zion. Or, we could say that <span style="font-weight: bold">our -ancestors </span>means Jacob and his sons, who as stated in Genesis (33) and as mentioned before, -lived in Shechem, which is near Mount Gerizim, and who probably worshiped the Lord there on -that mountain. Or it could be said that the children of Israel worshiped on this mountain when -Moses ordered them to ascend Mount Gerizim that he might bless those who observed God’s -precepts, as recorded in Deuteronorny (6). And she calls them her ancestors either because the -Samaritains observed the law given to the children of Israel, or because the Samaritans were now -living in the land of Israel, as said before.</p> -<p>The Jews said that the place to worship was in Jerusalem, by command of the Lord, who, had -said: “Take care not to offer your holocausts in every place, but offer them in the place the Lord -will choose” (Dt 12:13). At first, this place of prayer was in Shiloh, and then after, on the -authority of Solomon and the prophet Nathan, the arc was taken from Shiloh to Jerusalem, and -it was there the temple was built: so we read: “He left the tabernacle in Shiloh,” and a few verses -later, “But he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved” (Ps 77:60). Thus the -Samaritans appealed to the authority of the patriarchs, and the Jews appealed to the authority of -the prophets, whom the Samaritans did not accept. This is the issue the woman raises. It is not -surprising that she was taught about this, for it often happens in places where there are -differences in beliefs that even the simple people are instructed about them. Because the -Samaritans were continually arguing with the Jews over this, it came to the knowledge of the -women and ordinary people.</p> -<p>599 Christ’s answer is now set down (v 21). First he distinguishes three types of prayer. -Secondly, he compares them to each other (v 22).</p> -<p>600 As to the first, he first of all gains the woman’s attention, to indicate that he was about to say -something important, saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">Believe me, </span>and have faith, for faith is always necessary: “To come -to God, one must believe” (Heb 11:6); “If you do not believe, you will not understand” (Is 7:9).</p> -<p>Secondly, he mentions the three kinds of worship: two of these were already being practiced, and -the third was to come. Of the two that were current, one was practiced by the Samaritans, who -worshiped on Mount Gerizini-, he refers to this when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">the hour is coming when you will -worship the Father neither on this mountain, </span>of Gerizim. The other way was that of the Jews, -who prayed on Mount Zion; and he refers to this when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">nor in Jerusalem.</span></p> -<p>The third type of worship was to come, and it was different from the other two. Christ alludes -to this by excluding the other two: for if the hour is coming when they will no longer worship on -Mount Gerizim or in Jerusalem, then clearly the third type to which Christ refers will be a -worship that does away with the other two. For if someone wishes to unite two people, it is -necessary to eliminate that over which they disagree, and give them something in common on -which they will agree. And so Christ, wishing to unite the Jews and Gentiles, eliminated the -observances of the Jews and the idolatry of the Gentiles; for these two were like a wall separating -the peoples. And he made the two people one: “He is our peace, he who has made the two of us -one” (Eph 2:14). Thus the ritual observances [of the Jews] and the idolatry of the Gentiles were -abolished, and the true worship of God established by Christ.</p> -<p>601 As for the mystical sense, and according to Origen, the three types of worship are three kinds -of participation in divine wisdom. Some participate in it under a dark cloud of error, and these -adore on the mountain: for every error springs from pride: “I am against you, destroying -mountain” (Jer 51:25). Others participate in divine wisdom without error, but in an imperfect -way, because they see in a mirror and in an obscure way; and these worship in Jerusalem, which -signifies the present Church: “The Lord is building Jerusalem” (Ps 146:2). But the blessed and -the saints participate in divine wisdom without error in a perfect way, for they see God as he is, -as said in 1 John (3:2). And so Christ says, <span style="font-weight: bold">the hour is coming, </span>i.e., is waited for, when you will -participate in divine wisdom neither in error nor in a mirror in an obscure way, but as it is.</p> -<p>602 Then (v 22), he compares the different kinds of worship to each other. First, he compares the -second to the first, Secondly, the third to the first and second (v 23). As to the first he does three -things. First, he shows the shortcomings of the first type of worship. Secondly, the truth of the -second (v 22b). Thirdly, the reason for each statement.</p> -<p>603 As to the first he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">You people worship what you do not understand.</span></p> -<p>Some might think that the Lord should have explained the truth of the matter and solve the -woman’s problem. But the Lord does not bother to do so because each of these kinds of worship -was due to end.</p> -<p>As to his saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">You people worship, </span>and so on, it should be pointed out that, as the -Philosopher says, knowledge of complex things is different than knowledge of simple things. For -something can be known about complex things in such a way that something else about them -remains unknown; thus there can be false knowledge about them. For example, if someone has -true knowledge of an animal as to its substance, he might be in error touching the knowledge of -one of its accidents, such as whether it is black or white; or of a difference, such as whether it has -wings or is four-footed. But there cannot be false knowledge of simple things: because they are -either perfectly known inasmuch as their quiddity is known; or they are not known at all, if one -cannot attain to a knowledge of them. Therefore, since God is absolutely simple, there cannot be -false knowledge of him in the sense that something might be known about him and something -remain unknown, but only in the sense that knowledge of him is not attained. Accordingly, -anyone who believes that God is something that he is not, for example, a body, or something like -that, does not adore God but something else, because he does not know him, but something else.</p> -<p>Now the Samaritans had a false idea of God in two ways. First of all, because they thought he -was corporeal, so that they believed that he should be adored in only one definite corporeal place. -Further, because they did not believe that he transcended all things, but was equal to certain -creatures, they adored along with him certain idols, as if they were equal to him. Consequently, -they did not know him, because they did not attain to a true knowledge of him. So the Lord says, -<span style="font-weight: bold">You people worship what you do not understand, </span>i.e., you do not adore God because you do -not know him, but only soipe imaginary being you think is God, “as the Gentiles do, with their -foolish ideas” (Eph 4:17).</p> -<p>604 As to the second, i.e., the truth of the worship of the Jews, he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">we understand what we -worship. </span>He includes himself among the Jews, because he was a Jew by race, and because the -woman thought he was a prophet and a Jew. <span style="font-weight: bold">We understand what we worship, </span>because through -the law and the prophets the Jews acquired a true knowledge or opinion of God, in that they did -not believe that he was corporeal nor in one definite place, as though his greatness could be -enclosed in a place: “If the heavens, and the heavens of the heavens cannot contain you, how -much less this house that I have built” (1 Kgs 8:27). And neither did they worship idols: “God -is known in Judah” (Ps 75:2).</p> -<p>605 He gives the reason for this when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">since salvation is from the Jews. </span>As if to say: -The true knowledge of God was possessed exclusively by the Jews, for it had been determined -that salvation would come from them. And as the source of health should itself be healthy, so the -source of salvation, which is acquired by the true knowledge and the true worship of God, should -possess the true knowledge of God. Thus, since the source of salvation and its cause, i.e., Christ, -was to come from them, according to the promise in Genesis (22:18): “All the nations will be -blessed in your descendents,” it was fitting that God be known in Judah.</p> -<p>606 Salvation comes from the Jews in three ways. First in their teaching of the truth, for all other -peoples were in error, while the Jews held fast to the truth, according to Romans (3:2): “What -advantage do Jews have? First, they were entrusted with the words of God.” Secondly, in their -spiritual gifts: for prophecy and the other gifts of the Spirit were given to them first, and from -them they reached others: “You,” i.e., the Gentiles, “a wild olive branch, are ingrafted on them,” -i.e., on the Jews (Rom 11:17); “If the Gentiles have become sharers in their (i.e., the Jews’) -spiritual goods, they ought to help the Jews as to earthly goods” (Rom 15:27). Thirdly, since the -very author of salvation is from the Jews, since “Christ came from then in the flesh” (Rom 9:5).</p> -<p>607 Now (v 23), he compares the third kind of worship to the first two. First, he mentions its -superiority to the others. Secondly, how appropriate this kind of worship is (v 23b).</p> -<p>608 As to the first point, we should note, as Origen says, that when speaking above of the third -kind of worship, the Lord said, <span style="font-weight: bold">the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither -on this mountain nor in Jerusalem; </span>but he did not then add, <span style="font-weight: bold">and is now here. </span>But now, in -speaking of it, he does say, <span style="font-weight: bold">the hour is coming, and is now here. </span>The reason is because the first -time he was speaking of the worship found in heaven, when we will participate in the perfect -knowledge of God, which is not possessed by those still living in this mortal life. But now he is -speaking of the worship of this life, and which has now come through Christ.</p> -<p>609 So he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship -the Father in spirit and in truth.</span></p> -<p>We can understand this, as Chrysostom does, as showing the superiority of this worship to that -of the Jews. So that the sense is: Just as the worship of the Jews is superior to that of the -Samaritans, so the worship of the Christians is superior to that of the Jews. It is superior in two -respects. First, because the worship of the Jews is in bodily rites: “Rites for the body, imposed -only until the time they are reformed” (Heb 9:10); while the worship of the Christians is in spirit. -Secondly, because the worship of the Jews is in symbols: for the Lord was not pleascd with their -sacrificial victims insofar as they were things; so we read, “Shall I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink -the blood of goats?” (Ps 49:13), and again, “You would not be pleased with a holocaust” (Ps -50:18), that is, as a particular thing; but such a sacrificial victim would be pleasing to the Lord -as a symbol of the true victim and of the true sacrifice: “The law has only a shadow of the good -things to come” (Heb 10:1). But the worship of the Christians is in truth, because it is pleasing -to God in itself: “grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ,” as we saw above (1:17). So -he is saying here that <span style="font-weight: bold">true worshipers will worship in spirit, </span>not in bodily rites, <span style="font-weight: bold">and in truth, -</span>not in symbols.</p> -<p>610 This passage can in interpreted in a second way, by saying that when our Lord says, <span style="font-weight: bold">in spirit -and in truth, </span>he wants to show the difference between the third kind of worship and not just that -of the Jews, but also that of the Samaritans. In this case, <span style="font-weight: bold">in truth, </span>refers to the Jews: for the -Samaritans, as was said, were in error, because they worshiped what they did not understand. But -the Jews worshiped with a true knowledge of God.</p> -<p>611 <span style="font-weight: bold">In spirit and in truth </span>can be understood in a third way, as indicating the characteristics of -true worship. For two things are necessary for a true worship: one is that the worship be spiritual; -so he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">in spirit, </span>i.e., with fervor of spirit: “I will pray with spirit, and I will pray with my -mind” (1 Cor 14:15); “Singing to the Lord in your hearts” (Eph 5:19). Secondly, the worship -should be <span style="font-weight: bold">in truth. </span>First, in the truth of faith, because no fervent spiritual desire is meritorious -unless united to the truth of faith, “Ask with faith, without any doubting” (Jas 1:6). Secondly, <span style="font-weight: bold">in -truth, </span>i.e., without pretense or hypocrisy; against such attitudes we read: “They like to pray at -street cofners, so people can see them” (Mt 6:5).</p> -<p>This prayer, then, requires three things: first, the fervor of love; secondly, the truth of faith; and -thirdly, a correct intention.</p> -<p>He says, the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, because under the law, -worship was not given to the Father, but to the Lord. We worship in love, as sons; whereas they +<p>593 Then the Evangelist reports that Jesus said to her: +<span style="font-weight: bold">You are right in saying you have no +husband,</span> a legitimate husband; <span style= +"font-weight: bold">for you have had five,</span> before this one, +<span style="font-weight: bold">and the man you are living with +now,</span> using as a husband, <span style="font-weight: bold">is +not your husband. What you said is true,</span> because you do not +have a husband. The reason our Lord spoke to her about these things +he had not learned from her and which were her secrets, was to +bring her to a spiritual understanding so that she might believe +there was something divine about Christ.</p> +<p>594 In the mystical sense, her five husbands are the five books +of Moses: for, as was said, the Samaritans accepted these. And so +Christ says, <span style="font-weight: bold">you have had +five,</span> and then follows [understanding Christ’s words +in a slightly different sense, as meaning:] <span style= +"font-weight: bold">and he whom you now have,</span> i.e., he to +whom you are now listening, i.e., Christ, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">is not your husband,</span> because you do not +believe.</p> +<p>This explanation, as Augustine says, is not very good. For this +woman came to her present “husband” after having left +the other five, whereas those who come to Christ do not put aside +the five books of Moses. We should rather say, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">you have had five,</span> i.e., the five +senses, which you have used up to this time; but <span style= +"font-weight: bold">the man you are living with now,</span> i.e., +an erring reason, with which you still understand spiritual things +in a sensual way, <span style="font-weight: bold">is not +your</span> lawful <span style="font-weight: bold">husband,</span> +but an adulterer who is corrupting you. <span style= +"font-weight: bold">Call your husband,</span> i.e., your intellect, +so that you may really understand me.</p> +<p>595 Now the Evangelist treats of the request by which the gift +is obtained, which is prayer. First there is the woman’s +inquiry about prayer. Secondly, Christ’s answer (v 21). +Concerning the first the woman does two things. First, she admits +that Christ is qualified to answer her question. Secondly, she asks +the question (v 20).</p> +<p>596 And so this woman, hearing what Christ had told her about +things that were secret, admits that the one who up to now she +believed was a mere man, is a prophet, and capable of settling her +doubts. For it is characteristic of prophets to reveal what is not +present, and hidden: “He who is now called a prophet was +formerly called a seer” (I Sin 9:9). And so she says, +<span style="font-weight: bold">Sir, I see that you are a +prophet.</span> As if to say: You show that you are a prophet by +revealing hidden things to me. It is clear from this, as Augustine +says, that her husband was beginning to return to her. But he did +not return completely because she regarded Christ as a prophet: for +although he was a prophet—“A prophet is not without +honor except in his own country” (Mt 13:57)—he was more +than a prophet, because he produces prophets: “Wisdom +produces friends of God and prophets” (Wis 7:27)</p> +<p>597 Then she asks her question about prayer, saying: +<span style="font-weight: bold">Our ancestors worshiped on this +mountain, but you people claim that Jerusalern is the place where +men must worship God.</span> Here we should admire the +woman’s diligence and attention: for women are considered +curious and unproductive, and not only unproductive, but also +lovers of ease (1 Tim 5), whereas she did not ask Christ about +worldly affairs, or about the future, but about the things of God, +in keeping with the advice, “Seek first the kingdom of +God” (Mt 6:33)</p> +<p>She first asks a question about a matter frequently discussed in +her country, that is, about the place to pray; this was the subject +of argument between Jews and Samaritans. She says, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but +you people say.</span> We should mention that the Samaritans, +worshiping God according to the precepts of the law, built a temple +in which to adore him; and they did not go to Jerusalem where the +Jews interfered with them. They built their temple on Mount +Gerizim, while the Jews built their temple on Mount Sion. The +question they debated was which of these places was the more +fitting place of prayer; and each presented reasons for its own +side. The Samaritans said that Mount Gerizim was more fitting, +because their ancestors worshiped the Lord there. So she says, +<span style="font-weight: bold">Our ancestors worshiped on this +mountain.</span></p> +<p>598 How can this woman say, <span style="font-weight: bold">our +ancestors,</span> since the Samaritans were not descended from +lsrael? The answer, according to Chrysostom, is that some claim +that Abraham offered his son on that mountain; but others claim +that is was on Mount Zion. Or, we could say that <span style= +"font-weight: bold">our ancestors</span> means Jacob and his sons, +who as stated in Genesis (33) and as mentioned before, lived in +Shechem, which is near Mount Gerizim, and who probably worshiped +the Lord there on that mountain. Or it could be said that the +children of Israel worshiped on this mountain when Moses ordered +them to ascend Mount Gerizim that he might bless those who observed +God’s precepts, as recorded in Deuteronorny (6). And she +calls them her ancestors either because the Samaritains observed +the law given to the children of Israel, or because the Samaritans +were now living in the land of Israel, as said before.</p> +<p>The Jews said that the place to worship was in Jerusalem, by +command of the Lord, who, had said: “Take care not to offer +your holocausts in every place, but offer them in the place the +Lord will choose” (Dt 12:13). At first, this place of prayer +was in Shiloh, and then after, on the authority of Solomon and the +prophet Nathan, the arc was taken from Shiloh to Jerusalem, and it +was there the temple was built: so we read: “He left the +tabernacle in Shiloh,” and a few verses later, “But he +chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved” (Ps +77:60). Thus the Samaritans appealed to the authority of the +patriarchs, and the Jews appealed to the authority of the prophets, +whom the Samaritans did not accept. This is the issue the woman +raises. It is not surprising that she was taught about this, for it +often happens in places where there are differences in beliefs that +even the simple people are instructed about them. Because the +Samaritans were continually arguing with the Jews over this, it +came to the knowledge of the women and ordinary people.</p> +<p>599 Christ’s answer is now set down (v 21). First he +distinguishes three types of prayer. Secondly, he compares them to +each other (v 22).</p> +<p>600 As to the first, he first of all gains the woman’s +attention, to indicate that he was about to say something +important, saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">Believe +me,</span> and have faith, for faith is always necessary: “To +come to God, one must believe” (Heb 11:6); “If you do +not believe, you will not understand” (Is 7:9).</p> +<p>Secondly, he mentions the three kinds of worship: two of these +were already being practiced, and the third was to come. Of the two +that were current, one was practiced by the Samaritans, who +worshiped on Mount Gerizini-, he refers to this when he says, +<span style="font-weight: bold">the hour is coming when you will +worship the Father neither on this mountain,</span> of Gerizim. The +other way was that of the Jews, who prayed on Mount Zion; and he +refers to this when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">nor in +Jerusalem.</span></p> +<p>The third type of worship was to come, and it was different from +the other two. Christ alludes to this by excluding the other two: +for if the hour is coming when they will no longer worship on Mount +Gerizim or in Jerusalem, then clearly the third type to which +Christ refers will be a worship that does away with the other two. +For if someone wishes to unite two people, it is necessary to +eliminate that over which they disagree, and give them something in +common on which they will agree. And so Christ, wishing to unite +the Jews and Gentiles, eliminated the observances of the Jews and +the idolatry of the Gentiles; for these two were like a wall +separating the peoples. And he made the two people one: “He +is our peace, he who has made the two of us one” (Eph 2:14). +Thus the ritual observances [of the Jews] and the idolatry of the +Gentiles were abolished, and the true worship of God established by +Christ.</p> +<p>601 As for the mystical sense, and according to Origen, the +three types of worship are three kinds of participation in divine +wisdom. Some participate in it under a dark cloud of error, and +these adore on the mountain: for every error springs from pride: +“I am against you, destroying mountain” (Jer 51:25). +Others participate in divine wisdom without error, but in an +imperfect way, because they see in a mirror and in an obscure way; +and these worship in Jerusalem, which signifies the present Church: +“The Lord is building Jerusalem” (Ps 146:2). But the +blessed and the saints participate in divine wisdom without error +in a perfect way, for they see God as he is, as said in 1 John +(3:2). And so Christ says, <span style="font-weight: bold">the hour +is coming,</span> i.e., is waited for, when you will participate in +divine wisdom neither in error nor in a mirror in an obscure way, +but as it is.</p> +<p>602 Then (v 22), he compares the different kinds of worship to +each other. First, he compares the second to the first, Secondly, +the third to the first and second (v 23). As to the first he does +three things. First, he shows the shortcomings of the first type of +worship. Secondly, the truth of the second (v 22b). Thirdly, the +reason for each statement.</p> +<p>603 As to the first he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">You +people worship what you do not understand.</span></p> +<p>Some might think that the Lord should have explained the truth +of the matter and solve the woman’s problem. But the Lord +does not bother to do so because each of these kinds of worship was +due to end.</p> +<p>As to his saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">You people +worship,</span> and so on, it should be pointed out that, as the +Philosopher says, knowledge of complex things is different than +knowledge of simple things. For something can be known about +complex things in such a way that something else about them remains +unknown; thus there can be false knowledge about them. For example, +if someone has true knowledge of an animal as to its substance, he +might be in error touching the knowledge of one of its accidents, +such as whether it is black or white; or of a difference, such as +whether it has wings or is four-footed. But there cannot be false +knowledge of simple things: because they are either perfectly known +inasmuch as their quiddity is known; or they are not known at all, +if one cannot attain to a knowledge of them. Therefore, since God +is absolutely simple, there cannot be false knowledge of him in the +sense that something might be known about him and something remain +unknown, but only in the sense that knowledge of him is not +attained. Accordingly, anyone who believes that God is something +that he is not, for example, a body, or something like that, does +not adore God but something else, because he does not know him, but +something else.</p> +<p>Now the Samaritans had a false idea of God in two ways. First of +all, because they thought he was corporeal, so that they believed +that he should be adored in only one definite corporeal place. +Further, because they did not believe that he transcended all +things, but was equal to certain creatures, they adored along with +him certain idols, as if they were equal to him. Consequently, they +did not know him, because they did not attain to a true knowledge +of him. So the Lord says, <span style="font-weight: bold">You +people worship what you do not understand,</span> i.e., you do not +adore God because you do not know him, but only soipe imaginary +being you think is God, “as the Gentiles do, with their +foolish ideas” (Eph 4:17).</p> +<p>604 As to the second, i.e., the truth of the worship of the +Jews, he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">we understand what +we worship.</span> He includes himself among the Jews, because he +was a Jew by race, and because the woman thought he was a prophet +and a Jew. <span style="font-weight: bold">We understand what we +worship,</span> because through the law and the prophets the Jews +acquired a true knowledge or opinion of God, in that they did not +believe that he was corporeal nor in one definite place, as though +his greatness could be enclosed in a place: “If the heavens, +and the heavens of the heavens cannot contain you, how much less +this house that I have built” (1 Kgs 8:27). And neither did +they worship idols: “God is known in Judah” (Ps +75:2).</p> +<p>605 He gives the reason for this when he says, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">since salvation is from the Jews.</span> As if +to say: The true knowledge of God was possessed exclusively by the +Jews, for it had been determined that salvation would come from +them. And as the source of health should itself be healthy, so the +source of salvation, which is acquired by the true knowledge and +the true worship of God, should possess the true knowledge of God. +Thus, since the source of salvation and its cause, i.e., Christ, +was to come from them, according to the promise in Genesis (22:18): +“All the nations will be blessed in your descendents,” +it was fitting that God be known in Judah.</p> +<p>606 Salvation comes from the Jews in three ways. First in their +teaching of the truth, for all other peoples were in error, while +the Jews held fast to the truth, according to Romans (3:2): +“What advantage do Jews have? First, they were entrusted with +the words of God.” Secondly, in their spiritual gifts: for +prophecy and the other gifts of the Spirit were given to them +first, and from them they reached others: “You,” i.e., +the Gentiles, “a wild olive branch, are ingrafted on +them,” i.e., on the Jews (Rom 11:17); “If the Gentiles +have become sharers in their (i.e., the Jews’) spiritual +goods, they ought to help the Jews as to earthly goods” (Rom +15:27). Thirdly, since the very author of salvation is from the +Jews, since “Christ came from then in the flesh” (Rom +9:5).</p> +<p>607 Now (v 23), he compares the third kind of worship to the +first two. First, he mentions its superiority to the others. +Secondly, how appropriate this kind of worship is (v 23b).</p> +<p>608 As to the first point, we should note, as Origen says, that +when speaking above of the third kind of worship, the Lord said, +<span style="font-weight: bold">the hour is coming when you will +worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in +Jerusalem;</span> but he did not then add, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">and is now here.</span> But now, in speaking of +it, he does say, <span style="font-weight: bold">the hour is +coming, and is now here.</span> The reason is because the first +time he was speaking of the worship found in heaven, when we will +participate in the perfect knowledge of God, which is not possessed +by those still living in this mortal life. But now he is speaking +of the worship of this life, and which has now come through +Christ.</p> +<p>609 So he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">But the hour is +coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the +Father in spirit and in truth.</span></p> +<p>We can understand this, as Chrysostom does, as showing the +superiority of this worship to that of the Jews. So that the sense +is: Just as the worship of the Jews is superior to that of the +Samaritans, so the worship of the Christians is superior to that of +the Jews. It is superior in two respects. First, because the +worship of the Jews is in bodily rites: “Rites for the body, +imposed only until the time they are reformed” (Heb 9:10); +while the worship of the Christians is in spirit. Secondly, because +the worship of the Jews is in symbols: for the Lord was not pleascd +with their sacrificial victims insofar as they were things; so we +read, “Shall I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of +goats?” (Ps 49:13), and again, “You would not be +pleased with a holocaust” (Ps 50:18), that is, as a +particular thing; but such a sacrificial victim would be pleasing +to the Lord as a symbol of the true victim and of the true +sacrifice: “The law has only a shadow of the good things to +come” (Heb 10:1). But the worship of the Christians is in +truth, because it is pleasing to God in itself: “grace and +truth have come through Jesus Christ,” as we saw above +(1:17). So he is saying here that <span style= +"font-weight: bold">true worshipers will worship in spirit,</span> +not in bodily rites, <span style="font-weight: bold">and in +truth,</span> not in symbols.</p> +<p>610 This passage can in interpreted in a second way, by saying +that when our Lord says, <span style="font-weight: bold">in spirit +and in truth,</span> he wants to show the difference between the +third kind of worship and not just that of the Jews, but also that +of the Samaritans. In this case, <span style="font-weight: bold">in +truth,</span> refers to the Jews: for the Samaritans, as was said, +were in error, because they worshiped what they did not understand. +But the Jews worshiped with a true knowledge of God.</p> +<p>611 <span style="font-weight: bold">In spirit and in +truth</span> can be understood in a third way, as indicating the +characteristics of true worship. For two things are necessary for a +true worship: one is that the worship be spiritual; so he says, +<span style="font-weight: bold">in spirit,</span> i.e., with fervor +of spirit: “I will pray with spirit, and I will pray with my +mind” (1 Cor 14:15); “Singing to the Lord in your +hearts” (Eph 5:19). Secondly, the worship should be +<span style="font-weight: bold">in truth.</span> First, in the +truth of faith, because no fervent spiritual desire is meritorious +unless united to the truth of faith, “Ask with faith, without +any doubting” (Jas 1:6). Secondly, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">in truth,</span> i.e., without pretense or +hypocrisy; against such attitudes we read: “They like to pray +at street cofners, so people can see them” (Mt 6:5).</p> +<p>This prayer, then, requires three things: first, the fervor of +love; secondly, the truth of faith; and thirdly, a correct +intention.</p> +<p>He says, the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit +and in truth, because under the law, worship was not given to the +Father, but to the Lord. We worship in love, as sons; whereas they worshiped in fear, as slaves.</p> -<p>612 He says <span style="font-weight: bold">true </span>worshipers, in opposition to three things mentioned in the above -interpretations. First, in opposition to the false worship of the Samaritans: “Put aside what is not -true, and speak the truth” (Eph 4:25). Secondly, in opposition to the fruitless and transitory -character of bodily rites: “Why do you love what is without profit, and seek after lies” (Ps 4:3). -Thirdly, it is opposed to what is symbolic: “Grace and truth have come through Jesus Christ” -(above 1:17).</p> -<p>613 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Indeed, it is just such worshipers the Father seeks, </span>he shows that this -third kind of worship is appropriate for two reasons. First, because the One worshiped wills and -accepts this worship. Secondly, because of the nature of the One worshiped (v 24).</p> -<p>614 Concerning the first, we should note that for a man to merit receiving what he asks, he -should ask for things which are not in opposition to the will of the giver, and also ask for them -in a way which is acceptable to the giver. And so when we pray to God, we ought to be such as -God seeks. But God seeks those who will worship him in spirit and in truth, in the fervor of love -and in the truth of faith; “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God want from you, but that -you fear the Lord your God, and walk in his ways, and love him, and serve the Lord your God -with all your heart” (Dt 10:12); and in Micah (6:8): “1 will show you, man, what is good, and -what the Lord requires of you: to do what is right, and to love mercy, and to walk attentively with -your God.”</p> -<p>615 Then he shows that the third type of worship is appropriate from the very nature of God, -saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">God is spirit. </span>As is said in Sirach (13:19), “Every animal loves its like”; and so God -loves us insofar as we are like him. But we are not like him by our body, because he is -incorporeal, but in what is spiritual in us, for <span style="font-weight: bold">God is spirit: </span>“Be renewed in the spirit,” of your -mind (Eph 4:23).</p> -<p>In saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">God is spirit, </span>he means that God is incorporeal: “A spirit does not have flesh and -bones” (Lk 24:39); and also that he is a life-giver, because our entire life is from God, as its -creative source. God is also truth: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (below 14:6). -Therefore, we should worship him in spirit and in truth.</p> -<p>616 When he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">The woman said to him, </span>he mentions the one who gives the gift; and this -corresponds to what our Lord said before, <span style="font-weight: bold">If you knew the gift of God, and realized who it is -who says to you, Give me a drink, you perhaps would have asked him. </span>First, we have the -woman’s profession. Secondly, the teaching of Christ (v 26). As to the first, he does two things. -First, the woman professes her faith in the Christ to come. Secondly, in the fulness of his -teaching, <span style="font-weight: bold">he will tell us everything.</span></p> -<p>617 The woman, wearied by the profound nature of what Christ was saying, was confused and -unable to understand all this. She says: <span style="font-weight: bold">I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called -Christ. </span>As if to say: I do not understand what you are saying, but a time will come when the -Messiah will arrive, and then we will understand all these things. For “Messiah” in Hebrew -means the same as “Anointed One” in Latin, and “Christ” in Greek. She knew that the Messiah -was coming because she had been taught by the books of Moses, which foretell the coming of -Christ: “The scepter will not be taken away from Judah ... until he who is to be sent comes” (Gn -49:10). As Augustine says, this is the first time the woman mentions the name “Christ”: and we -see by this that she is now beginning to return to her lawful husband.</p> -<p>618 When this Messiah comes, he will give us a complete teaching. Hence she says, <span style="font-weight: bold">when he -comes he will tell us everything. </span>This was foretold by Moses: “I will raise up a prophet for -them, from among their own brothers, like them; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he -will tell them all I command him” (Dt 18:18). Because this woman had now called her husband, -i.e., intellect and reason, the Lord now offers her the water of spiritual teaching by revealing +<p>612 He says <span style="font-weight: bold">true</span> +worshipers, in opposition to three things mentioned in the above +interpretations. First, in opposition to the false worship of the +Samaritans: “Put aside what is not true, and speak the +truth” (Eph 4:25). Secondly, in opposition to the fruitless +and transitory character of bodily rites: “Why do you love +what is without profit, and seek after lies” (Ps 4:3). +Thirdly, it is opposed to what is symbolic: “Grace and truth +have come through Jesus Christ” (above 1:17).</p> +<p>613 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Indeed, +it is just such worshipers the Father seeks,</span> he shows that +this third kind of worship is appropriate for two reasons. First, +because the One worshiped wills and accepts this worship. Secondly, +because of the nature of the One worshiped (v 24).</p> +<p>614 Concerning the first, we should note that for a man to merit +receiving what he asks, he should ask for things which are not in +opposition to the will of the giver, and also ask for them in a way +which is acceptable to the giver. And so when we pray to God, we +ought to be such as God seeks. But God seeks those who will worship +him in spirit and in truth, in the fervor of love and in the truth +of faith; “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God want +from you, but that you fear the Lord your God, and walk in his +ways, and love him, and serve the Lord your God with all your +heart” (Dt 10:12); and in Micah (6:8): “1 will show +you, man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: to do +what is right, and to love mercy, and to walk attentively with your +God.”</p> +<p>615 Then he shows that the third type of worship is appropriate +from the very nature of God, saying, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">God is spirit.</span> As is said in Sirach +(13:19), “Every animal loves its like”; and so God +loves us insofar as we are like him. But we are not like him by our +body, because he is incorporeal, but in what is spiritual in us, +for <span style="font-weight: bold">God is spirit:</span> “Be +renewed in the spirit,” of your mind (Eph 4:23).</p> +<p>In saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">God is spirit,</span> +he means that God is incorporeal: “A spirit does not have +flesh and bones” (Lk 24:39); and also that he is a +life-giver, because our entire life is from God, as its creative +source. God is also truth: “I am the way, and the truth, and +the life” (below 14:6). Therefore, we should worship him in +spirit and in truth.</p> +<p>616 When he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">The woman said +to him,</span> he mentions the one who gives the gift; and this +corresponds to what our Lord said before, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">If you knew the gift of God, and realized who +it is who says to you, Give me a drink, you perhaps would have +asked him.</span> First, we have the woman’s profession. +Secondly, the teaching of Christ (v 26). As to the first, he does +two things. First, the woman professes her faith in the Christ to +come. Secondly, in the fulness of his teaching, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">he will tell us everything.</span></p> +<p>617 The woman, wearied by the profound nature of what Christ was +saying, was confused and unable to understand all this. She says: +<span style="font-weight: bold">I know that the Messiah is coming, +the one called Christ.</span> As if to say: I do not understand +what you are saying, but a time will come when the Messiah will +arrive, and then we will understand all these things. For +“Messiah” in Hebrew means the same as “Anointed +One” in Latin, and “Christ” in Greek. She knew +that the Messiah was coming because she had been taught by the +books of Moses, which foretell the coming of Christ: “The +scepter will not be taken away from Judah ... until he who is to be +sent comes” (Gn 49:10). As Augustine says, this is the first +time the woman mentions the name “Christ”: and we see +by this that she is now beginning to return to her lawful +husband.</p> +<p>618 When this Messiah comes, he will give us a complete +teaching. Hence she says, <span style="font-weight: bold">when he +comes he will tell us everything.</span> This was foretold by +Moses: “I will raise up a prophet for them, from among their +own brothers, like them; and I will put my words in his mouth, and +he will tell them all I command him” (Dt 18:18). Because this +woman had now called her husband, i.e., intellect and reason, the +Lord now offers her the water of spiritual teaching by revealing himself to her in a most excellent way.</p> -<p>619 And so Jesus says: <span style="font-weight: bold">I who speak to you am he, </span>i.e., I am the Christ: “Wisdom goes to meet -those who desire her, so she may first reveal herself to them” (Wis 6:14), and below (14:21): “I -will love him, and reveal myself to him.”</p> -<p>Our Lord did not reveal himself to this woman at once because it might have seemed to her that -he was speaking out of vainglory. But now, having brought her step by step to a knowledge of -himself, Christ revealed himself at the appropriate time: “Words appropriately spoken are like -apples of gold on beds of silver” (Prv 25:11). In contrast, when he was asked by the Pharisees -whether he was the Christ, “If you are the Christ, tell us clearly” (below 10:24), he did not reveal -himself to them clearly, because they did not ask to learn but to test him. But this woman is -speaking in all simplicity.</p> -<p style="margin-bottom: 0.125in; margin-bottom: 0.125in"> </p> -<p style="text-align: center; margin-bottom: 0.125in"><span style="font-weight: bold">LECTURE 3</span></p> -<BLOCKQUOTE><p style="text-align: justify">27 His disciples, returning at this point, were amazed that Jesus was speaking with a woman. But -no one said, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking to her?” 28 The woman then left her -water jar and went off to the town. And she said to the people: 29 “Come, and see the man who -told me everything that I have done. Could he not be the Christ?” 30 At that they set out from the -town to meet him. 31 Meanwhile, his disciples asked him saying, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But -he said to them,</p> -<p style="margin-left: 0.5in">“I have food to eat of which you do not know.”</p> -<p>33 At this the disciples said to one another, “Do you suppose that someone has brought him -something to eat?”</p></BLOCKQUOTE> -<p>620 After presenting the teaching on spiritual water, the Evangelist now deals with the effect of -this teaching. First, he sets down the effect itself. Secondly, he elaborates on it (v 3 1). The effect -of this teaching is its fruit for those who believe. And first we have its fruit which relates to the -disciples, who were surprised at Christ’s conduct. Secondly, its fruit in relation to the woman, -who proclaimed Christ’s power (v 28).</p> -<p>621 We are told three things about the disciples. First, their return to Christ: he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">His -disciples, returning at this point. </span>As Chrysostorn reminds us, it was very convenient that the -disciples returned after Christ had revealed himself to the woman, since this shows us that all -events are regulated by divine providence: “He made the small and the great, and takes care for -all alike” (Wis 6:8); “There is a time and fitness for everything” (Ecc 8:6).</p> -<p>622 Secondly, we see their surprise at what Christ was doing; he says, they <span style="font-weight: bold">were amazed that -Jesus was speaking with a woman. </span>They were amazed at what was good; and as Augustine -says, they did not suspect any evil. They were amazed at two things. First, at the extraordinary -gentleness and humility of Christ: for the Lord of the world stooped to speak with a poor woman, -and for a long time, giving us an example of humility: “Be friendly to the poor” (Sir 4:7). -Secondly, they were amazed that he was speaking with a Samaritan and a foreigner, for they did -not know the mystery by which this woman was a symbol of the Church of the Gentiles; and -Christ sought the Gentiles, for he came “to seek and to save what was lost” (Lk 19:10).</p> -<p>623 Thirdly, we see the disciples’ reverence for Christ, shown by their silence. For we show our -reverence for God when we do not presume to discuss his affairs: “It is to the glory of God to -conceal things; and to the glory of kings to search things out” (Prv 25:2). So the Evangelist says -that although his disciples were surprised, none of them said, <span style="font-weight: bold">What do you want? </span>or asked him, -<span style="font-weight: bold">Why are you talking to her? </span>“Listen in silence” (Sir 32:9). Yet the disciples had been so trained -to observe order, because of their reverence and filial fear toward Christ, that now and then they -would question him about matters that concerned themselves, i.e., when Christ said things -relating to them, but which were beyond their understanding: “Young men, speak if you have to” -(Sir 3 2:10). At other times they did not question him; in those matters that were not their -business, as here.</p> -<p>624 Then (v 28), we have the fruit which relates to the woman; by what she said to her people, -she was taking on the role of an apostle. From what she says and does, we can learn three things. -First, her affective devotion; secondly, her way of preaching; thirdly the effect her preaching had -(v 30).</p> -<p>625 Her affection is revealed in two ways. First, because her devotion was so great that she forgot -why she had come to the well, and left without the water and her water jar. So he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">the -woman then left her water jar and went off to the town, </span>to tell of the wonderful things Christ -had done; and she was not now concerned for her own bodily comfort but for the welfare of -others. In this respect she was like the apostles, who “leaving their nets, followed the Lord” (Mt -4:20). The water jar is a symbol of worldly desires, by which men draw out pleasures from the -depths of darkness—symbolized by the well—i.e., from a worldly manner of life. Accordingly, -those who abandon worldly desires for the sake of God leave their water jars: “No soldier of God -becomes entangled in the business of this world” (2 Tim 2:4). Secondly, we see her affection -from the great number of those to whom she brings the news: not to just one or two, but to the -entire town; we read that she <span style="font-weight: bold">went off to the town. </span>This signifies the duty Christ gave to the -apostles: “Go, teach all nations” (Mt 28:19); and “I have chosen you to go and bring forth fruit” -(below 15:16).</p> -<p>626 Next we see her manner of preaching (v 29). She first invites them to see Christ, saying, -<span style="font-weight: bold">Come and see the man. </span>Although she had heard Christ say that he was the Christ, she did not -at once tell the people that they should come to the Christ, or believe, so as not to give them a -reason for scoffing. So at first she mentions things that were believable and evident about Christ, -as that he was a man: “made in the likeness of men” (Phil 2:7). Neither did she say, “believe,” -but <span style="font-weight: bold">Come, and see</span>; for she was convinced that if they were to taste from that well by seeing him, -they would be affected in the same way she was: “Come, and I will tell you the great things he -has done for me” (Ps 65:16). In this she is imitating the example of a true preacher, not calling -men to himself, but to Christ: “What we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ” (2 Cor 4:5).</p> -<p>627 Secondly, she mentions a clue to Christ’s divinity, saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">who told me everything that I -have done, </span>that is, how many husbands she had had. For it is the function and sign of the divinity -to disclose hidden things and the secrets of hearts. Although the things she had done would cause -her shame, she is still not ashamed to mention them; for as Chrysostom says: “When the soul is -on fire with the divine fire, it no longer pays attention to earthly things, neither to glory nor to -shame, but only to that flame that holds it fast.”</p> -<p>628 Thirdly, she infers the greatness of Christ, saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">Could he not be the Christ? </span>She did not -dare to say that he was the Christ, lest she seem to be trying to teach them; they could have -become angry at this and refuse to go with her. Yet she was not entirely silent on this point, but -submitting it to their judgment, set it forth in the form of a question, saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">Could he not be the -Christ? </span>For this is an easier way to persuade someone.</p> -<p>629 This insignificant woman signifies the condition of the apostles, who were sent out to -preach: “Not many of you are learned in the worldly sense, not many powerful ... But God chose -the simple ones of the world to embarrass the wise” (1 Cor 1:26). Thus in Proverbs (9:3) the -apostles are called handmaids: “She,” divine wisdom, i.e., the Son of God, “sent out her -handmaids,” the apostles, “to summon to the tower.”</p> -<p>630 The fruit of her preaching is given when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">At that </span>they set <span style="font-weight: bold">out from the town, </span>to -where she had returned, to meet him, Christ. We see by this that if we desire to come to Christ, -we must set out from the town, i.e., leave behind our carnal desires: “Let us go out to him outside -the camp, bearing the abuse he took,” as we read in Hebrews (13:13).</p> -<p>631 Now the effect of this spiritual teaching is elaborated. First, by what Christ said to his -disciples; secondly, by the effect of all this on the Samaritans (v 39). Concerning the first he does -two things. First, we have the situation in which Christ speaks to his disciples; secondly, what -he said (v 32).</p> -<p>632 The situation is the insistence of the apostles that Christ eat. He says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Meanwhile, </span>i.e., -between the time that Christ and the woman spoke and the Samaritans came, <span style="font-weight: bold">his disciples asked -him, </span>that is, Christ, <span style="font-weight: bold">Rabbi, eat something: </span>for they thought that then was a good time to eat, -before the crowds came from the town. For the disciples did not usually offer Christ food in the -presence of strangers: so we read in Mark (6:3 1), that so many people came to him that he did -not even have time to eat.</p> -<p>633 After presenting the situation, he gives its fruit. First, it is given in figurative language. -Secondly, we see the disciples are slow in understanding this. Thirdly, the Lord explains what -he meant (v 34).</p> -<p>634 The fruit of his spiritual teaching is proposed under the symbols of’ food and nourishment, -so the Lord says, <span style="font-weight: bold">I have food to eat. </span>We Should note that just as bodily nourishment is -incomplete miless there is both food and drink, so also both Should be found in spirittial -notirishment: “The Lord fed him with the bread of life and understanding,” this is the food, “and -gave him a drink of the water of saving wisdom,” and this is the drink (Sir 15:3). So it was -appropriate for Christ to speak of food after having given drink to the Samaritan woman. And -just as water is a symbol for saving wisdom, so food is a symbol of good works.</p> -<p>The food that Christ had to eat is the salvation of men; this was what he desired. When he says -that he has food to eat, he shows how great a desire he has for our salvation. For just as we desire -to eat when we are hungry, so he desires to save us: “My delight is to be with the children of -men” (Prv 8:3 1). So he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">I have food to eat, </span>i.e., the conversion of the nations, <span style="font-weight: bold">of which you -do not know; </span>for they had no way of knowing beforehand about this conversion of the nations.</p> -<p>635 Origen explains this in a different way, as follows. Spiritual food is like bodily food. The -same amount of bodily food is not enough for everyone; some need more, others less. Again, -what is good for one is harmful to another. The same thing happens in spiritual nourishment: for -the same kind and amount should not be given to everyone, but adjusted to what is appropriate -to the disposition and capacity of each. “Like newborn babes, desire spiritual milk” (1 Pt 2:2). -Solid food is for the perfect; thus Origen says that the man who understands the loftier doctrine, -and who has charge of others in spiritual matters, can teach this doctrine to those who are weaker -and have less understanding. Accordingly, the Apostle says in 1 Corinthians (3:2): “Being little -ones in Christ, I gave you milk, not solid food.” And Jesus could say this with much more truth: -<span style="font-weight: bold">I have food to eat</span>; and “I have many things to tell you, but you cannot bear them now” (below +<p>619 And so Jesus says: <span style="font-weight: bold">I who +speak to you am he,</span> i.e., I am the Christ: “Wisdom +goes to meet those who desire her, so she may first reveal herself +to them” (Wis 6:14), and below (14:21): “I will love +him, and reveal myself to him.”</p> +<p>Our Lord did not reveal himself to this woman at once because it +might have seemed to her that he was speaking out of vainglory. But +now, having brought her step by step to a knowledge of himself, +Christ revealed himself at the appropriate time: “Words +appropriately spoken are like apples of gold on beds of +silver” (Prv 25:11). In contrast, when he was asked by the +Pharisees whether he was the Christ, “If you are the Christ, +tell us clearly” (below 10:24), he did not reveal himself to +them clearly, because they did not ask to learn but to test him. +But this woman is speaking in all simplicity.</p> +<p style="margin-bottom: 0.125in; margin-bottom: 0.125in"> + </p> +<p style="text-align: center; margin-bottom: 0.125in"><span style= +"font-weight: bold">LECTURE 3</span></p> +<blockquote> +<p style="text-align: justify">27 His disciples, returning at this +point, were amazed that Jesus was speaking with a woman. But no one +said, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking +to her?” 28 The woman then left her water jar and went off to +the town. And she said to the people: 29 “Come, and see the +man who told me everything that I have done. Could he not be the +Christ?” 30 At that they set out from the town to meet him. +31 Meanwhile, his disciples asked him saying, “Rabbi, eat +something.” 32 But he said to them,</p> +<p style="margin-left: 0.5in">“I have food to eat of which +you do not know.”</p> +<p>33 At this the disciples said to one another, “Do you +suppose that someone has brought him something to eat?”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>620 After presenting the teaching on spiritual water, the +Evangelist now deals with the effect of this teaching. First, he +sets down the effect itself. Secondly, he elaborates on it (v 3 1). +The effect of this teaching is its fruit for those who believe. And +first we have its fruit which relates to the disciples, who were +surprised at Christ’s conduct. Secondly, its fruit in +relation to the woman, who proclaimed Christ’s power (v +28).</p> +<p>621 We are told three things about the disciples. First, their +return to Christ: he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">His +disciples, returning at this point.</span> As Chrysostorn reminds +us, it was very convenient that the disciples returned after Christ +had revealed himself to the woman, since this shows us that all +events are regulated by divine providence: “He made the small +and the great, and takes care for all alike” (Wis 6:8); +“There is a time and fitness for everything” (Ecc +8:6).</p> +<p>622 Secondly, we see their surprise at what Christ was doing; he +says, they <span style="font-weight: bold">were amazed that Jesus +was speaking with a woman.</span> They were amazed at what was +good; and as Augustine says, they did not suspect any evil. They +were amazed at two things. First, at the extraordinary gentleness +and humility of Christ: for the Lord of the world stooped to speak +with a poor woman, and for a long time, giving us an example of +humility: “Be friendly to the poor” (Sir 4:7). +Secondly, they were amazed that he was speaking with a Samaritan +and a foreigner, for they did not know the mystery by which this +woman was a symbol of the Church of the Gentiles; and Christ sought +the Gentiles, for he came “to seek and to save what was +lost” (Lk 19:10).</p> +<p>623 Thirdly, we see the disciples’ reverence for Christ, +shown by their silence. For we show our reverence for God when we +do not presume to discuss his affairs: “It is to the glory of +God to conceal things; and to the glory of kings to search things +out” (Prv 25:2). So the Evangelist says that although his +disciples were surprised, none of them said, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">What do you want?</span> or asked him, +<span style="font-weight: bold">Why are you talking to her?</span> +“Listen in silence” (Sir 32:9). Yet the disciples had +been so trained to observe order, because of their reverence and +filial fear toward Christ, that now and then they would question +him about matters that concerned themselves, i.e., when Christ said +things relating to them, but which were beyond their understanding: +“Young men, speak if you have to” (Sir 3 2:10). At +other times they did not question him; in those matters that were +not their business, as here.</p> +<p>624 Then (v 28), we have the fruit which relates to the woman; +by what she said to her people, she was taking on the role of an +apostle. From what she says and does, we can learn three things. +First, her affective devotion; secondly, her way of preaching; +thirdly the effect her preaching had (v 30).</p> +<p>625 Her affection is revealed in two ways. First, because her +devotion was so great that she forgot why she had come to the well, +and left without the water and her water jar. So he says, +<span style="font-weight: bold">the woman then left her water jar +and went off to the town,</span> to tell of the wonderful things +Christ had done; and she was not now concerned for her own bodily +comfort but for the welfare of others. In this respect she was like +the apostles, who “leaving their nets, followed the +Lord” (Mt 4:20). The water jar is a symbol of worldly +desires, by which men draw out pleasures from the depths of +darkness—symbolized by the well—i.e., from a worldly +manner of life. Accordingly, those who abandon worldly desires for +the sake of God leave their water jars: “No soldier of God +becomes entangled in the business of this world” (2 Tim 2:4). +Secondly, we see her affection from the great number of those to +whom she brings the news: not to just one or two, but to the entire +town; we read that she <span style="font-weight: bold">went off to +the town.</span> This signifies the duty Christ gave to the +apostles: “Go, teach all nations” (Mt 28:19); and +“I have chosen you to go and bring forth fruit” (below +15:16).</p> +<p>626 Next we see her manner of preaching (v 29). She first +invites them to see Christ, saying, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">Come and see the man.</span> Although she had +heard Christ say that he was the Christ, she did not at once tell +the people that they should come to the Christ, or believe, so as +not to give them a reason for scoffing. So at first she mentions +things that were believable and evident about Christ, as that he +was a man: “made in the likeness of men” (Phil 2:7). +Neither did she say, “believe,” but <span style= +"font-weight: bold">Come, and see</span>; for she was convinced +that if they were to taste from that well by seeing him, they would +be affected in the same way she was: “Come, and I will tell +you the great things he has done for me” (Ps 65:16). In this +she is imitating the example of a true preacher, not calling men to +himself, but to Christ: “What we preach is not ourselves, but +Jesus Christ” (2 Cor 4:5).</p> +<p>627 Secondly, she mentions a clue to Christ’s divinity, +saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">who told me everything that +I have done,</span> that is, how many husbands she had had. For it +is the function and sign of the divinity to disclose hidden things +and the secrets of hearts. Although the things she had done would +cause her shame, she is still not ashamed to mention them; for as +Chrysostom says: “When the soul is on fire with the divine +fire, it no longer pays attention to earthly things, neither to +glory nor to shame, but only to that flame that holds it +fast.”</p> +<p>628 Thirdly, she infers the greatness of Christ, saying, +<span style="font-weight: bold">Could he not be the Christ?</span> +She did not dare to say that he was the Christ, lest she seem to be +trying to teach them; they could have become angry at this and +refuse to go with her. Yet she was not entirely silent on this +point, but submitting it to their judgment, set it forth in the +form of a question, saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">Could +he not be the Christ?</span> For this is an easier way to persuade +someone.</p> +<p>629 This insignificant woman signifies the condition of the +apostles, who were sent out to preach: “Not many of you are +learned in the worldly sense, not many powerful ... But God chose +the simple ones of the world to embarrass the wise” (1 Cor +1:26). Thus in Proverbs (9:3) the apostles are called handmaids: +“She,” divine wisdom, i.e., the Son of God, “sent +out her handmaids,” the apostles, “to summon to the +tower.”</p> +<p>630 The fruit of her preaching is given when he says, +<span style="font-weight: bold">At that</span> they set +<span style="font-weight: bold">out from the town,</span> to where +she had returned, to meet him, Christ. We see by this that if we +desire to come to Christ, we must set out from the town, i.e., +leave behind our carnal desires: “Let us go out to him +outside the camp, bearing the abuse he took,” as we read in +Hebrews (13:13).</p> +<p>631 Now the effect of this spiritual teaching is elaborated. +First, by what Christ said to his disciples; secondly, by the +effect of all this on the Samaritans (v 39). Concerning the first +he does two things. First, we have the situation in which Christ +speaks to his disciples; secondly, what he said (v 32).</p> +<p>632 The situation is the insistence of the apostles that Christ +eat. He says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Meanwhile,</span> +i.e., between the time that Christ and the woman spoke and the +Samaritans came, <span style="font-weight: bold">his disciples +asked him,</span> that is, Christ, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">Rabbi, eat something:</span> for they thought +that then was a good time to eat, before the crowds came from the +town. For the disciples did not usually offer Christ food in the +presence of strangers: so we read in Mark (6:3 1), that so many +people came to him that he did not even have time to eat.</p> +<p>633 After presenting the situation, he gives its fruit. First, +it is given in figurative language. Secondly, we see the disciples +are slow in understanding this. Thirdly, the Lord explains what he +meant (v 34).</p> +<p>634 The fruit of his spiritual teaching is proposed under the +symbols of’ food and nourishment, so the Lord says, +<span style="font-weight: bold">I have food to eat.</span> We +Should note that just as bodily nourishment is incomplete miless +there is both food and drink, so also both Should be found in +spirittial notirishment: “The Lord fed him with the bread of +life and understanding,” this is the food, “and gave +him a drink of the water of saving wisdom,” and this is the +drink (Sir 15:3). So it was appropriate for Christ to speak of food +after having given drink to the Samaritan woman. And just as water +is a symbol for saving wisdom, so food is a symbol of good +works.</p> +<p>The food that Christ had to eat is the salvation of men; this +was what he desired. When he says that he has food to eat, he shows +how great a desire he has for our salvation. For just as we desire +to eat when we are hungry, so he desires to save us: “My +delight is to be with the children of men” (Prv 8:3 1). So he +says, <span style="font-weight: bold">I have food to eat,</span> +i.e., the conversion of the nations, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">of which you do not know;</span> for they had +no way of knowing beforehand about this conversion of the +nations.</p> +<p>635 Origen explains this in a different way, as follows. +Spiritual food is like bodily food. The same amount of bodily food +is not enough for everyone; some need more, others less. Again, +what is good for one is harmful to another. The same thing happens +in spiritual nourishment: for the same kind and amount should not +be given to everyone, but adjusted to what is appropriate to the +disposition and capacity of each. “Like newborn babes, desire +spiritual milk” (1 Pt 2:2). Solid food is for the perfect; +thus Origen says that the man who understands the loftier doctrine, +and who has charge of others in spiritual matters, can teach this +doctrine to those who are weaker and have less understanding. +Accordingly, the Apostle says in 1 Corinthians (3:2): “Being +little ones in Christ, I gave you milk, not solid food.” And +Jesus could say this with much more truth: <span style= +"font-weight: bold">I have food to eat</span>; and “I have +many things to tell you, but you cannot bear them now” (below 16:12).</p> -<p>636 The slowness of the disciples to understand these matters is implied by the fact that what our -Lord said about spiritual food, they understood as referring to bodily food. For even they were -still without understanding, as we see from Matthew (15:16). It is not surprising that this -Samaritan woman did not understand about spiritual water, for even the Jewish disciples did not -understand about spiritual food.</p> -<p>In their saying to each other, <span style="font-weight: bold">Do you suppose that someone has brought him something to -eat? </span>we should note that it was customary for Christ to accept food from others; but not because -he needs our goods: “He does not need our goods” (Ps 15:2), nor our food, because it is he who -gives food to every living thing.</p> -<p>637 Then why did he desire and accept goods from others? For two reasons. First, so that those -who give him these things might acquire merit. Secondly, in order to give us an example. that -those engrossed in spiritual matters should not be ashamed of their poverty, nor regard it -burdensome to be supported by others. For it is fitting that teachers have others provide their food -so that, being free from such concerns, they may carefully pay attention to the ministry of the -word, as Chrysostorn says, and as we find in the Gloss. “Let the elders who rule well be regarded -as worthy of a double compensation; especially those concerned with preaching and teaching (1 -Tim 5:17).</p> -<p style="margin-bottom: 0.125in; margin-bottom: 0.125in"> </p> +<p>636 The slowness of the disciples to understand these matters is +implied by the fact that what our Lord said about spiritual food, +they understood as referring to bodily food. For even they were +still without understanding, as we see from Matthew (15:16). It is +not surprising that this Samaritan woman did not understand about +spiritual water, for even the Jewish disciples did not understand +about spiritual food.</p> +<p>In their saying to each other, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">Do you suppose that someone has brought him +something to eat?</span> we should note that it was customary for +Christ to accept food from others; but not because he needs our +goods: “He does not need our goods” (Ps 15:2), nor our +food, because it is he who gives food to every living thing.</p> +<p>637 Then why did he desire and accept goods from others? For two +reasons. First, so that those who give him these things might +acquire merit. Secondly, in order to give us an example. that those +engrossed in spiritual matters should not be ashamed of their +poverty, nor regard it burdensome to be supported by others. For it +is fitting that teachers have others provide their food so that, +being free from such concerns, they may carefully pay attention to +the ministry of the word, as Chrysostorn says, and as we find in +the Gloss. “Let the elders who rule well be regarded as +worthy of a double compensation; especially those concerned with +preaching and teaching (1 Tim 5:17).</p> +<p style="margin-bottom: 0.125in; margin-bottom: 0.125in"> + </p> <p style="text-align: center; margin-bottom: 0.125in">LECTURE 4</p> -<BLOCKQUOTE><p style="text-align: justify">34 Jesus explained to them,</p> -<p style="margin-left: 0.5in">“My food is to do the will of him -<br>who sent me, to accomplish his work. -<br>35 Do you not have a saying: -<br>‘There are still four months, and it will be harvest time’? -<br>So I say to you: Lift up your eyes, -<br>look at the fields, because they are -<br>already white for the harvest! -<br>36 He who reaps receives his wages -<br>and gathers fruit for eternal life, -<br>so that the sower can rejoice -<br>at the same time as the reaper. -<br>37 For here the saying is verified: -<br>‘One man sows, another reaps.’ -<br>38 I have sent you to reap -<br>what you have not worked for. -<br>Others have done the work, -<BR>and you have entered into their labors.”</p></BLOCKQUOTE> -<p>638 Since the disciples were slow to understand the Lord’s figure of speech, the Lord now -explains it. First, we have its explanatiot; secondly, its application (v 35).</p> -<p>639 As to the first, we should note that just as Christ explained to the Samaritan woman what he -had told her in figurative language about water, so he explains to his apostles what he told them -in figurative language about food. But he does not do so in the same way in both cases. Since the -apostles were able to understand these matters more easily, he explains to them at once and in -few words; but to the Samaritan woman, since she Could not understand as well, our Lord leads -her to the truth with a longer explanation.</p> -<p>640 It is perfectly reasonable for Christ to say, <span style="font-weight: bold">My food is to do the will of him who sent me, -to accomplish his work. </span>For as bodily food sustains a man and brings him to perfection, the -spiritual food of the soul and of the rational creature is that by which he is sustained and -perfected; and this consists in being joined to his end and following a higher rule. David, -understanding this, said: “For me, to adhere to God is good” (Ps 72:28). Accordingly, Christ, as -man, fittingly says that his food is to do the will of God, to accomplish his work.</p> -<p>641 These two expressions can be understood as meaning the same thing, in the sense that the -second is explaining the first. Or, they can be understood in different ways.</p> -<p>If we understand them as meaning the same, the sense is this: My food is, i.e., in this is my -strength and nourishment, <span style="font-weight: bold">to do the will of him who sent me; </span>according to, “My God, I desired -to do your will, and your law is in my heart” (Ps 39:9), and, “I came down from heaven not to -do my own will, but the will of him who sent me” (below 6:38). But because “to do the will” -(<i>facere voluntatem</i>)<i> </i>of another can be understood in two ways—one, by making him will it, and -second, by fulfilling what I know he wills—therefore, explaining what it means to do the will of -him who sent him, the Lord says, <span style="font-weight: bold">to accomplish his work, </span>that is, that I might complete the -work I know he wants: “I must do the works of him who sent me while it is day” (below 9:4).</p> -<p>If these two expressions are understood as different, then we should point out that Christ did two -things in this world. First, he taught the truth, in inviting and calling us to the faith; and by this -he fulfilled the will of the Father: “This is the will of my Father, who sent me: that everyone who -sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life” (below 6:40). Secondly, he -accomplished the truth by opening in us, by his passion, the gate of life, and by giving us the -power to arrive at complete truth: “I have accomplished the work which you gave me to do” -(below 17:4). Thus he is saying: <span style="font-weight: bold">My food is to do the will of him who sent me, </span>by calling men -to the faith, <span style="font-weight: bold">to accomplish his work, </span>by leading them to what is perfect.</p> -<p>642 Another interpretation, given by Origen, is that every man who does good works should -direct his intention to two things: the honor of God and the good of his neighbor: for as it is said: -“The end of the commandment is love” (1 Tim 1:5), and this love embraces both God and our -neighbor. And so, when we do something for God’s sake, the end of the commandment is God; -but when it is for our neighbor’s good, the end of the commandment is our neighbor. With this -in mind, Christ is saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">My food is to do the will of him who sent me, </span>God, i.e., to direct md -regulate my intention to those matters that concern the honor of God, <span style="font-weight: bold">to accomplish his work, -</span>i.e., to do things for the benefit and perfection of man.</p> -<p>643 On the other hand, since the works of God are perfect, it does not seem proper to speak of -accomplishing or completing them. I answer that among lower creatures, man is the special work -of God, who made him to his own image and likeness (Gn 1:26). And in the beginning God made -this a perfect work, because as we read in Ecclesiastes (7:30): “God made man upright.” But -later, man lost this perfection by sin, and abandoned what was right. And so, this work of the -Lord needed to be repaired in order to become right again; and this was accomplished by Christ, -for “Just as by the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one -man, many will be made just” (Rom 5:19). Thus Christ says, to <span style="font-weight: bold">accomplish his work, </span>i.e., to -bring man back to what is perfect.</p> -<p>644 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Do you not have a saying: There are still four months, and it will -be harvest time? </span>he makes use of a simile. Note that when Christ asked the Samaritan woman -for a drink, “Give me a drink,” he made use of a simile concerning water. But here, the the -disciples are urging the Lord to eat, and now he makes use of a simile concerning spiritual food.</p> -<p>There are some persons whom God asks for a drink, as this Samaritan woman; and there are -some who offer a drink to God. But no one offers food to God unless God first asks him for it: -for we offer spiritual food to God when we ask him for our salvation, that is, when we ask, “Your -will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt 6:10). We cannot obtain salvation of ourselves, -unless we are pre-moved by “prevenient grace,” according to the statement in Lamentations -(5:21): “Make us come back to you, O Lord, and we will come back” (Lam 5:21). The Lord -himself, therefore, first asks for that which makes us ask through “prevenient grace.”</p> -<p>In this simile, we have first, the harvest. Secondly, those who reap the harvest (v 36). He does -two things concerning the first. First, he states the simile concerning the natural harvest; +<blockquote> +<p style="text-align: justify">34 Jesus explained to them,</p> +<p style="margin-left: 0.5in">“My food is to do the will of +him<br /> +who sent me, to accomplish his work.<br /> +35 Do you not have a saying:<br /> +‘There are still four months, and it will be harvest +time’?<br /> +So I say to you: Lift up your eyes,<br /> +look at the fields, because they are<br /> +already white for the harvest!<br /> +36 He who reaps receives his wages<br /> +and gathers fruit for eternal life,<br /> +so that the sower can rejoice<br /> +at the same time as the reaper.<br /> +37 For here the saying is verified:<br /> +‘One man sows, another reaps.’<br /> +38 I have sent you to reap<br /> +what you have not worked for.<br /> +Others have done the work,<br /> +and you have entered into their labors.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>638 Since the disciples were slow to understand the Lord’s +figure of speech, the Lord now explains it. First, we have its +explanatiot; secondly, its application (v 35).</p> +<p>639 As to the first, we should note that just as Christ +explained to the Samaritan woman what he had told her in figurative +language about water, so he explains to his apostles what he told +them in figurative language about food. But he does not do so in +the same way in both cases. Since the apostles were able to +understand these matters more easily, he explains to them at once +and in few words; but to the Samaritan woman, since she Could not +understand as well, our Lord leads her to the truth with a longer +explanation.</p> +<p>640 It is perfectly reasonable for Christ to say, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">My food is to do the will of him who sent me, +to accomplish his work.</span> For as bodily food sustains a man +and brings him to perfection, the spiritual food of the soul and of +the rational creature is that by which he is sustained and +perfected; and this consists in being joined to his end and +following a higher rule. David, understanding this, said: +“For me, to adhere to God is good” (Ps 72:28). +Accordingly, Christ, as man, fittingly says that his food is to do +the will of God, to accomplish his work.</p> +<p>641 These two expressions can be understood as meaning the same +thing, in the sense that the second is explaining the first. Or, +they can be understood in different ways.</p> +<p>If we understand them as meaning the same, the sense is this: My +food is, i.e., in this is my strength and nourishment, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">to do the will of him who sent me;</span> +according to, “My God, I desired to do your will, and your +law is in my heart” (Ps 39:9), and, “I came down from +heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent +me” (below 6:38). But because “to do the will” +(<i>facere voluntatem</i>) of another can be understood in two +ways—one, by making him will it, and second, by fulfilling +what I know he wills—therefore, explaining what it means to +do the will of him who sent him, the Lord says, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">to accomplish his work,</span> that is, that I +might complete the work I know he wants: “I must do the works +of him who sent me while it is day” (below 9:4).</p> +<p>If these two expressions are understood as different, then we +should point out that Christ did two things in this world. First, +he taught the truth, in inviting and calling us to the faith; and +by this he fulfilled the will of the Father: “This is the +will of my Father, who sent me: that everyone who sees the Son and +believes in him should have eternal life” (below 6:40). +Secondly, he accomplished the truth by opening in us, by his +passion, the gate of life, and by giving us the power to arrive at +complete truth: “I have accomplished the work which you gave +me to do” (below 17:4). Thus he is saying: <span style= +"font-weight: bold">My food is to do the will of him who sent +me,</span> by calling men to the faith, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">to accomplish his work,</span> by leading them +to what is perfect.</p> +<p>642 Another interpretation, given by Origen, is that every man +who does good works should direct his intention to two things: the +honor of God and the good of his neighbor: for as it is said: +“The end of the commandment is love” (1 Tim 1:5), and +this love embraces both God and our neighbor. And so, when we do +something for God’s sake, the end of the commandment is God; +but when it is for our neighbor’s good, the end of the +commandment is our neighbor. With this in mind, Christ is saying, +<span style="font-weight: bold">My food is to do the will of him +who sent me,</span> God, i.e., to direct md regulate my intention +to those matters that concern the honor of God, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">to accomplish his work,</span> i.e., to do +things for the benefit and perfection of man.</p> +<p>643 On the other hand, since the works of God are perfect, it +does not seem proper to speak of accomplishing or completing them. +I answer that among lower creatures, man is the special work of +God, who made him to his own image and likeness (Gn 1:26). And in +the beginning God made this a perfect work, because as we read in +Ecclesiastes (7:30): “God made man upright.” But later, +man lost this perfection by sin, and abandoned what was right. And +so, this work of the Lord needed to be repaired in order to become +right again; and this was accomplished by Christ, for “Just +as by the disobedience of one man, many were made sinners, so by +the obedience of one man, many will be made just” (Rom 5:19). +Thus Christ says, to <span style="font-weight: bold">accomplish his +work,</span> i.e., to bring man back to what is perfect.</p> +<p>644 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Do you +not have a saying: There are still four months, and it will be +harvest time?</span> he makes use of a simile. Note that when +Christ asked the Samaritan woman for a drink, “Give me a +drink,” he made use of a simile concerning water. But here, +the the disciples are urging the Lord to eat, and now he makes use +of a simile concerning spiritual food.</p> +<p>There are some persons whom God asks for a drink, as this +Samaritan woman; and there are some who offer a drink to God. But +no one offers food to God unless God first asks him for it: for we +offer spiritual food to God when we ask him for our salvation, that +is, when we ask, “Your will be done on earth as it is in +heaven” (Mt 6:10). We cannot obtain salvation of ourselves, +unless we are pre-moved by “prevenient grace,” +according to the statement in Lamentations (5:21): “Make us +come back to you, O Lord, and we will come back” (Lam 5:21). +The Lord himself, therefore, first asks for that which makes us ask +through “prevenient grace.”</p> +<p>In this simile, we have first, the harvest. Secondly, those who +reap the harvest (v 36). He does two things concerning the first. +First, he states the simile concerning the natural harvest; secondly, concerning the spiritual harvest (v 35b).</p> -<p>645 <span style="font-weight: bold">Do you not have a saying: There are still four months, and it will be harvest time? </span>We -can see from this that, as stated in Matthew (4:12), Christ left Judea and traveled through Samaria -right after John was arrested, and that all this happened during the winter. So, because the -harvests ripen there more according to the season, there were four months froin that time till the -harvest. Thus he says, Do <span style="font-weight: bold">you not have a saying, </span>ahow the natural harvest, <span style="font-weight: bold">There are still four -months </span>that must pass, <span style="font-weight: bold">and it will be harvest time? </span>i.e., the time for gathering up the harvest. -So I say to you, speaking of the spiritual harvest, Lift up your eyes, <span style="font-weight: bold">look at the fields, because -they are already white for the harvest.</span></p> -<p>646 Here we should point out that harvest time is the time when the fruit is gathered; and so -whenever fruit is gathered can be regarded as a harvest time. Now fruit is gathered at two times: -for both in temporal and in spiritual matters there is nothing to prevent what is fruit in relation -to an earlier state from being seed in relation to something later. For example, good works are -the fruit of spiritual instruction, as is faith and other such things; but these in turn are seeds of -eternal life, because eternal life is acquired through them. So Sirach (24:23) says: “My -blossoms,” in relation to the fruit to follow, “bear the fruit of of honor and riches,” in relation to +<p>645 <span style="font-weight: bold">Do you not have a saying: +There are still four months, and it will be harvest time?</span> We +can see from this that, as stated in Matthew (4:12), Christ left +Judea and traveled through Samaria right after John was arrested, +and that all this happened during the winter. So, because the +harvests ripen there more according to the season, there were four +months froin that time till the harvest. Thus he says, Do +<span style="font-weight: bold">you not have a saying,</span> ahow +the natural harvest, <span style="font-weight: bold">There are +still four months</span> that must pass, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">and it will be harvest time?</span> i.e., the +time for gathering up the harvest. So I say to you, speaking of the +spiritual harvest, Lift up your eyes, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">look at the fields, because they are already +white for the harvest.</span></p> +<p>646 Here we should point out that harvest time is the time when +the fruit is gathered; and so whenever fruit is gathered can be +regarded as a harvest time. Now fruit is gathered at two times: for +both in temporal and in spiritual matters there is nothing to +prevent what is fruit in relation to an earlier state from being +seed in relation to something later. For example, good works are +the fruit of spiritual instruction, as is faith and other such +things; but these in turn are seeds of eternal life, because +eternal life is acquired through them. So Sirach (24:23) says: +“My blossoms,” in relation to the fruit to follow, +“bear the fruit of of honor and riches,” in relation to what preceded.</p> -<p>With this in mind, there is a certain gathering of a spiritual harvest; and this concerns an eternal -fruit, i.e., the gathering of the faithful into eternal life, of which we read: “The harvest is the end -of the world” (Mt 13:39). We are not here concerned with this harvest. Another spiritual harvest -is gathered in the present; and this is understood in two ways. In the first, the gathering of the -fruit is the converting of the faithful to be assembled in the Church; in the second, the gathering -is the very knowing of the truth, by which a person gathers the fruit of truth into his soul. And -we are concerned with these two gatherings of the harvest, depending on the different -expositions.</p> -<p>647 Augustine and Chrysostom understand the gathering of the harvest in the first way, as -follows. You say that it is not yet the time for the natural harvest; but this is not true of the -spiritual harvest. Indeed, <span style="font-weight: bold">I say to you: Lift up your eyes</span>, i.e., the eyes of your mind, by thinking, -or even your physical eyes, <span style="font-weight: bold">look at the fields, because they are already white for the harvest: -</span>because the entire countryside was full of Samaritans coming to Christ.</p> -<p>The statement that the fields are already white is metaphorical: for when sown fields are white, -it is a sign that they are ready for harvest. And so he only means to say by this that the people -were ready for salvation and to hear the word. He says, <span style="font-weight: bold">look at the fields, </span>because not only the -Jews, but the Gentiles as well, were ready for the faith: “The harvest is great, but the workers are -few” (Mt 9:37). And just as harvests are made white by the presence of the burning heat of the -summer sun, so by the coming of the Sun of justice, i.e., Christ, and his preaching and power, -men are made ready for salvation. Malachi (4:2) says: “The sun of justice will rise on you who -fear my name.” Thus it is that the time of Christ’s coming is called the time of plenitude or -fulness: “When the fulness of time had come, God sent his Son” (Gal 4:4).</p> -<p>648 Origen deals with the second gathering of the harvest, i.e., the gathering of truth in the soul. -He says that one gathers as much of the fruit of truth in the harvest as the truths he knows. And -he says that everything said here (v 35) was presented as a parable. In this interpretation, the Lord -does two things. First, he mentions a false doctrine held by some. Secondly, he rejects it, I say -to you.</p> -<p>Some thought that man could not acquire any truth about anything. This opinion gave rise to the -heresy of the Academicians, who maintained that nothing can be known as certain in this life; -about which we read: “I tested all things by wisdom. I said: ‘I will acquire wisdom,’ and it -became further from me” (Ecc 7:24). Our Lord mentions this opinion when he says, Do you not -have a saying: There are <span style="font-weight: bold">still four months and it will be harvest time? </span>i.e., this whole present -life, in which man serves under the four elements, must end, so that after it truth may be gathered -in another life.</p> -<p>Our Lord rejects this opinion when he says: This is not true, I say to you: Lift up your eyes. -Sacred Scripture usually uses this expression when something subtle and profound is being -presented; as, “Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things” (Is 40:26). For -when our eyes are not lifted away from earthly things or from the desires of the flesh, they are -not fit to know spiritual fruit. For sometimes they are prevented from considering divine things -because they have stooped to earthly things: “They have fixed their eyes on the earth” (Ps 16:11); -sometimes they are blinded by concupiscence: “They have averted their eyes so as not to look -at heaven or remember the judgments of God” (Dn 13:9).</p> -<p>649 So he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Lift up your eyes, look at the fields, because they are already white for the -harvest, </span>i.e., they are such that the truth can be learned from them: for by the “fields” we -specifically understand all those things from which truth can be acquired, especially the -Scriptures: “Search the Scriptures ... they bear witness to me” (below 5:39). Indeed, these fields -existed in the Old Testament, but they were not white for the harvest because men were not able -to pick spiritual fruit from them until Christ came, who made them white by opening their -understanding: “He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures” (Lk 24.45). -Again, creatures are harvests from which the fruit of truth is gathered: “The invisible things of -God are clearly known by the things that have been made” (Rom 1:20). None the less, the -Gentiles who pursued a knowledge of these things gathered the fruits of error rather than of truth -from them, because as we read, “they served the creature rather than the Creator” (Rom 1:25). -So the harvests were not yet white; but they were made white for the harvest when Christ came.</p> -<p>650 Next (v 36), he deals with the reapers. First, he gives their reward. Secondly, he mentions -a proverb. And thirdly, he explains it, i.e., applies it (v 38).</p> -<p>651 Concerning the first, we should note that when the Lord was explaining earlier about -spiritual water, he mentioned the way in which spiritual water differs from natural water: a -person who drinks natural water will become thirsty again, but one who drinks spiritual water -will never be thirsty again. Here, too, in explaining about the harvest, he points out the difference -between a natural and a spiritual harvest. Three things are mentioned.</p> -<p>First, the way in which the two harvests are similar: namely, in that the person who reaps either -harvest receives a wage. But the one who reaps spiritually is the one who gathers the faithful into -the Church, or who gathers the fruit of truth into his soul. Each of these will receive a wage, -according to: “Each one will receive his own wage according to his work” (1 Cor 3:8).</p> -<p>The two other points he mentions concern the ways the two harvests are unlike each other. First, -the fruit gathered from a natural harvest concerns the life of the body; but the fruit gathered by -one who reaps a spiritual harvest concerns eternal life. So he says, he who reaps, i.e., he who -reaps spiritually, <span style="font-weight: bold">gathers fruit for eternal life, </span>that is, the faithful, who will obtain eternal life: -“Your fruit is sanctification, your end is eternal life” (Rom 6:22). Or, this fruit is the very -knowing and explaining of the truth by which man acquires eternal life: “Those who explain me -will have eternal life,” as we read in Sirach (24:3 1). Secondly, the two harvests are unlike -because in a natural harvest it is considered a misfortune that one should sow and another reap; -hence he who sows is saddened when another reaps. But it is not this way when the seed is -spiritual, for <span style="font-weight: bold">the sower can rejoice at the same time as the reaper.</span></p> -<p>According to Chrysostom and Augustine, the ones who sow spiritual seed are the fathers and -prophets of the Old Testament, for “The seed is the word of God” (Lk 8:11), which Moses and -the prophets sowed in the land of Judah. But the apostles were the reapers, because the former -were not able to accomplish what they wanted to do, i.e., to bring men to Christ; this was done -by the apostles. And so both the apostles and the prophets rejoice together, in one mansion of -glory, over the conversion of the faithful: “Joy and gladness will be found there, thanksgiving -and the voice of praise” (Is 51:3). This refutes the heresy of the Manicheans who condemn the -fathers of the Old Testament; for as the Lord says here, they will rejoice with the apostles.</p> -<p>According to Origen, however, the “sowers” in any faculty [of the soul] are those who confer the -very first principles of that faculty; but the reapers are those who proceed from these principles -to further truths. And this is all the more true of the science of all the sciences. The prophets are -sowers, because they handed down many things concerning divine matters; but the apostles are -the reapers, because in preaching and teaching they revealed many things which the prophets did -not make known: “which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has -now been revealed to his holy apostles” (Eph 3:5).</p> -<p>652 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">For here the saying is verified, </span>we are given a proverb. As if to say: -<span style="font-weight: bold">For here</span>, i.e., in this fact, <span style="font-weight: bold">the saying is verified, </span>i.e., the proverb in current use among the Jews -is fulfilled: <span style="font-weight: bold">One man sows, another reaps. </span>This proverb seems to have grown out of a statement -in Leviticus (26:16): “You will sow your seed in vain for it will be devoured by your enemies.” -As a result, the Jews used this proverb when one person labored on something, but another -received the pleasure from it. This then is what our Lord says: The proverb is verified here -because it was the prophets who sowed and labored, while you are the ones to reap and rejoice.</p> -<p>Another interpretation would be this. <span style="font-weight: bold">For here the saying is verified, </span>i.e. what I am saying to -you, <span style="font-weight: bold">One man sows, another reaps, </span>because you will reap the fruits of the labor of the prophets. -Now the prophets and the apostles are different, but not in faith, for they both had faith: “But now -the justice of God has been manifested outside the law; the law and the prophets bore witness to -it” (Rom 3:21). They are different in their manner of life, for the prophets lived under the -ceremonies of the law, from which the apostles and Christians have been freed: “When we were -children, we were slaves under the elements of this world. But when the fulness of time came, -God sent his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem those who were under the -law, so that we could receive adoption as sons” (Gal 4:3). And although the apostles and prophets -labor at different times, nevertheless they will rejoice equally and receive wages <span style="font-weight: bold">for eternal life, -so that the sower can rejoice at the same time as the reaper. </span>This was prefigured in the -transfiguration of Christ, where all had their own glory, both the fathers of the Old Testament, -that is, Moses and Elijah, and the fathers of the New Testament, that is, Peter, John and James. -We see from this that the just of the New and of the Old Testaments will rejoice together in the -glory to come.</p> -<p>653 Then (v 38), he applies the proverb. First, he calls the apostles reapers. Secondly, he says -they are laborers (v 38b).</p> -<p>654 he says concerning the first: I say that it is one who reaps, because you are reapers, and -another who sows, for <span style="font-weight: bold">I have sent you to reap what you have not worked for. </span>He does not say, -“I will send you,” but I have sent you. He says this because he sent them twice. One time was -before his passion, when he sent them to the Jews, saying: “Do not go on the roads of the -Gentiles ... but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mt 10:5). In this case, they were -sent to reap that on which they did not work, that is, to convert the Jews, among whom the -prophets worked. After the resurrection, Christ sent them to the Gentiles, saying: “Go to the -whole world, and preach the good news to every creature,” as we find in Mark (16:15). This time -they were sent to sow for the first time; for as the Apostle says: “I have preached the good news, -but not where Christ was already known, so as not to build on another’s foundation. But as it is -written: ‘They to whom he was not proclaimed will see, and they who have not heard will -understand.’” (Rom 15:20). And so Christ says, I have sent you, referring to the first time they -were sent. This is the way, then, the apostles are reapers, and others, the prophets, are the sowers.</p> -<p>655 Accordingly, he says, Others have done the work, by sowing the beginnings of the doctrine -of Christ, <span style="font-weight: bold">and you have entered into their labors, </span>to collect the fruit: “The fruit of good labors -is glorious” (Wis 3:15). The prophets labored, I say, to bring men to Christ: “If you believed -Moses, you would perhaps believe me, for he wrote of me” (below 5:46). If you do not believe -his written words, how will you believe my spoken words? But the prophets did not reap the -fruit; so Isaiah said with this in mind: “I have labored for nothing and without reason; in vain I -have exhausted my strength” (Is 49:4).</p> -<p style="margin-bottom: 0.125in; margin-bottom: 0.125in"> </p> -<p style="text-align: center; margin-bottom: 0.125in"><span style="font-weight: bold">LECTURE 5</span></p> -<BLOCKQUOTE><p>39 Many Samaritans of that town believed in him on the testimony of the woman who said, “He -told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they begged him to stay -with them awhile. So he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed in him because of -his own words. 42 And they said to the woman, “Now we believe not just because of your story, -but because we have heard him ourselves, and we know that.here is truly the Savior of the -world.”</p></BLOCKQUOTE> -<p>656 Above, the Lord foretold to the apostles the fruit to be produced among the Samaritans by -the woman’s witness. Now the Evangelist deals with this fruit. First, the fruit of the woman’s -witness is given. Secondly, the growth of this fruit produced by Christ (v 41). The fruit of the -woman’s witness is shown in three ways.</p> -<p>657 First, by the faith of the Samaritans, for they believed in Christ. Thus he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Many -Samaritans of that town, </span>to which the woman had returned, believed in him, and this, <span style="font-weight: bold">on the -testimony of the woman, </span>from whom Christ asked for a drink of water, who said, <span style="font-weight: bold">He told me -everything I ever did: </span>for this testimony was sufficient inducement to believe Christ. For since -Christ had disclosed her failures, she would not have mentioned them if she had not been brought -to believe. And so the Samaritans believed as soon as they heard her. This indicates that faith -comes by hearing.</p> -<p>658 Secondly, the fruit of her witness is shown in their coming to Christ: for faith gives rise to -a desire for the thing believed. Accordingly, after they believed, they came to Christ, to be -perfected by him. So he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">So when the Samaritans came to him. </span>“Come to him, and be -enlightened” (Ps 33:6); “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you” -(Mt 11:28).</p> -<p>659 Thirdly, the fruit of her witness is shown in their desire: for a believer must not only come -to Christ, but desire that Christ remain with him. So he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">they begged him to stay with them -awhile. So he stayed there two days.</span></p> -<p>The Lord remains with us through charity: “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word” (below -14:23), and further on he adds, “and we will make our abode with him.” The Lord remains for -two days because there are two precepts of charity: the love of God and the love of our neighbor, -“On these two commandments all the law and the prophets depend” (Mt 22:40). But the third day -is the day of glory: “He will revive us after two days; on the third day he will raise us up” (Hos -6:3). Christ did not remain there for that day because the Samaritans were not yet capable of -glory.</p> -<p>660 Then (v 41), the Evangelist says that the fruit resulting from the witness of the woman was -increased by the presence of Christ; and this in three ways. First, in the number of those who -believed. Secondly, in their reason for believing. Thirdly, in the truth they believed.</p> -<p>661 The fruit was increased as to the number of those who believed because while many believed -in Christ on account of the woman, <span style="font-weight: bold">many more believed in him because of his own words, </span>i.e., -Christ’s own words. This signifies that although many believed becatise of the prophets, many -more were converted to the faith after Christ came, according to the Psalm (7:7): “Rise up, O -Lord, in the command you have given, and a congregation of people will surround you.”</p> -<p>662 Secondly, this fruit was increased because of the way in which they believed: for they say -to the woman: <span style="font-weight: bold">Now we believe not just because of your story.</span></p> -<p>Here we should note that three things are necessary for the perfection of faith; and they are given -here in order. First, faith should be right; secondly, it should be prompt; and thirdly, it should be -certain.</p> -<p>Now faith is right when it obeys the truth not for some alien reason, but for the truth itself; and -as to this he says that they said to the woman, Now we believe, the truth, <span style="font-weight: bold">not just because of -your story, </span>but because of the truth itself. Three things lead us to believe in Christ. First of all, -natural reason: “Since the creation of the world the invisible things of God are clearly known by -the things that have been made” (Rom 1:20). Secondly, the testimony of the law and the -prophets: “But now justification from God has been manifested outside the law; the law and the -prophets bore witness to it” (Rom 3:21). Thirdly, the preaching of the apostles and others: “How -will they believe without someone to preach to them?” as Romans (10:14) says. Yet when a -person, having been thus instructed, believes, he can then say that it is not for any of these -reasons that he believes: i.e., neither on account of natural reason, nor the testimony of the law, -nor the preaching of others, but solely on account of the truth itself: “Abram believed God, who -regarded this as his justification” (Gn 15:6).</p> -<p>Faith is prompt if it believes quickly; and this was verified in these Samaritans because they were -converted to God by merely hearing him; so they say: <span style="font-weight: bold">we have heard him ourselves, </span>and believe -in him, <span style="font-weight: bold">and we know that here is truly the Savior of the world, </span>without seeing miracles, as -the Jews saw. And although to believe men quickly is an indication of thoughtlessness, according -to Sirach (19:4): “He who believes easily is frivolous,” yet to believe God quickly is more -praisworthy: “When they heard me, they obeyed me” (Ps 17:45).</p> -<p>Faith should be certain, because one who doubts in the faith is an unbeliever: “Ask with faith, -without any doubting” (Jas 1:6). And so their faith was certain; thus they say, <span style="font-weight: bold">and we know. -</span>Sometimes, one who believes is said to know (<i>scire</i>),<i> </i>as here, because <i>scientia </i>[science, -knowledge in a more perfect state] and faith agree in that both are certain. For just as <i>scientia </i>is<i> -</i>certain, so is faith; indeed, the latter is much more so, because the certainty of scientia rests on -human reason, which can be decieved, while the certainty of faith rests on divine reason, which -cannot be contradicted. However they differ in mode: because faith possesses its certainty due -to a divinely infused light, while <i>scientia </i>possesses its certainty due to a natural light. For as the -certitude of <i>scientia </i>rests on first principles naturally known, so the principles of faith are known -from a light divinely infused: “You are saved by grace, through faith; and this is not due to -yourselves, for it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8).</p> -<p>663 Thirdly, the fruit was increased in the truth believed; so they say, <span style="font-weight: bold">here is truly the Savior -of the world. </span>Here they are affirming that Christ is the unique, true and universal Savior.</p> -<p>He is the unique Savior for they assert that he is different from others when they say, here is, i.e., -here he alone is who has come to save: “Truly, you are a hidden God, the God of Israel, the -Savior” (Is 45:15); “There is no other name under heaven given to men, by which we are saved” -(Acts 4:12).</p> -<p>They affirm that Christ is the true Savior when they say, <span style="font-weight: bold">truly. </span>For since salvation, as Dionysius -says, is deliverance from evil and preservation in good, there are two kinds of salvation: one is -true, and the other is not true. Salvation is true when we are freed from true evils and preserved -in true goods. In the Old Testament, however, although certain saviors had been sent, they did -not truly bring salvation, for they set men free from temporal evils, which are not truly evils, nor -true goods, because they do not last. But Christ is truly the Savior, because he frees men from -true evils, that is, sins: “He will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:21), and he preserves them -in true goods, that is, spiritual goods.</p> -<p>They affirm that he is the universal Savior because he is not just for some, i.e., for the Jews -alone, but is the Savior <span style="font-weight: bold">of the world. </span>“God did not send his Son into the world to judge the -world, but that the world might be saved through him” (above 3:17).</p> -<p style="margin-bottom: 0.125in; margin-bottom: 0.125in"> </p> -<p style="text-align: center; margin-bottom: 0.125in"><span style="font-weight: bold">LECTURE 6</span></p> -<BLOCKQUOTE><p>43 After two days he left that place and went to Galilee. 44 Jesus himself had testified that a -prophet has no honor in his own country. 45 When however he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans -welcomed him, because they had seen all the things he had done in Jerusalem on the festive day, -where they too had gone. 46a He therefore went to Cana in Galilee once more, where he had -made the water wine.</p></BLOCKQUOTE> -<p>664 Having described the conversion of the Gentiles due to teaching, their conversion due to -miracles is now given. The Evangelist mentions a miracle performed by Christ: first, giving the -place; secondly, describing the miracle; and thirdly, its effect (v 53). He does two things about -the first. First, he gives the general location of the miracle, that is, Christ’s own homeland. -Secondly, the specific place (v 46). With respect to the first he does two things. First, he -mentions the general place. Secondly, he tells how Christ was received there (v 45). Concerning -the first he does two things. First, he indicates the general place. Secondly, he gives a certain -reason, at (v 44).</p> -<p>665 He says first of all: I say that Jesus remained with these Samaritans for two days, and <span style="font-weight: bold">after -two days he left that place, </span>i.e., <span style="font-weight: bold">Samaria, and went to Galilee, </span>where he had been raised. This -signifies that at the end of the world, when the Gentiles have been confirmed in the faith and in -the truth, a return will be made to convert the Jews, according to: “until the full number of the -Gentiles enters, and so all Israel will be saved” (Rom 11:2 5).</p> -<p>666 Then he gives a certain reason, saying: <span style="font-weight: bold">Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no -honor in his own country. </span>There are two questions here: one is about the literal meaning; and -the other about the continuity of this passage with the first.</p> -<p>The problem about the literal meaning is that it does not seem to be true, as stated here, that a -prophet has no honor in his own country: for we read that other prophets were honored in their -own land. Chrysostom answers this by saying that the Lord is speaking here about the majority -of cases. So, although there might be an exception in some individual cases, what is said here -should not be considered false: for in matters concerning nature and morals, that rule is true -which is verified in most cases; and if a few cases are otherwise, the rule is not considered to be -false.</p> -<p>Now what the Lord says was true with respect to most of the prophets, because in the Old -Testament it is hard to find any prophet who did not suffer persecution, as stated in Acts (7:52): -“Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?”; and in Matthew (23:37): “Jerusalem, -Jerusalem, you kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you.” Further, this statement of -our Lord holds true not only in the case of the prophets among the Jews, but also, as Origen says, -with many among the Gentiles, because they were held in contempt by their fellow citizens and -put to death: for living with men in the usual way, and too much familiarity, lessen respect and -breed contempt. So it is that those with whom we are more familiar we come to reverence less, -and those with whom we cannot become acquainted we regard more highly.</p> -<p style="margin-bottom: 0.125in; margin-bottom: 0.125in"> </p> -<p>However, the opposite happens with God: lor the more intimate we become with God through -love and contemplation, realizing how superior he is, the more we respect him and the less do -we esteem ourselves. “I have heard you, but now I see you, and so I reprove myself, and do -penance in dust and ashes” (Jb 42:5). The reason for this is that man’s nature is weak and fragile; -and when one lives with another for a long time, he notices certain weaknesses in him, and this -results in a loss of respect for him. But since God is infinitely perfect, the more a person knows -him the more he admires his superior perfection, and as a result the more he respects him.</p> -<p>667 But was Christ a prophet? At first glance it seems not, because prophecy involves an obscure -knowledge: “If there is a prophet of the Lord among you, I will appear to him in a vision” (Nm -12:6). Christ’s knowledge, however, was not obscure. Yet he was a prophet, as is clear from, -“The Lord your God will raise up a prophet for you, from your nation and your brothers; he will -be like me. You will listen to him” (Dt 18:15). This text is referred to Christ.</p> -<p>I answer that a prophet has a twofold function. First, that of seeing: “He who is now called a -prophet was formerly called a seer” (I Sm 9:9). Secondly, he makes known, announces; Christ -was a prophet in this sense for he made known the truth about God: “For this was I born, and for -this I came into the world: to testify to the truth” (below 18:37). As for the seeing function of a -prophet, we should note that Christ was at once both a “wayfarer” and a “comprehensor,” or -blessed. He was a wayfarer in the sufferings of his human nature and in all the things that relate -to this. He was a blessed in his union with the divinity, by which he enjoyed God in the most -perfect way. There are two things in the vision or seeing of a prophet. First, the intellectual light -of his mind; and as regards this Christ was not a prophet, because his light was not at all -deficient; his light was that of the blessed. Secondly, an imaginary vision is also involved; and -with respect to this Christ did have a likeness to the prophets insofar as he was a wayfarer and -was able to form various images with his imagination.</p> -<p>668 Secondly, there is the problem about continuity. For the Evangelist does not seem to be right -in connecting the fact that <span style="font-weight: bold">After two days he left that place and went to Galilee, </span>with the -statement of Jesus that <span style="font-weight: bold">a prophet has no honor in his own country. </span>It would seem that the -Evangelist should have said that Christ did not go into Galilee, for if he was not honored there, -that would be a reason for not going there.</p> -<p>Augustine answers this by suggesting that the Evangelist said this to answer a question that could -have been raised, namely: Why did Christ return to Galilee since he had lived there for a long -time, and the Galileans were still not converted to him; while the Samaritans were converted in -two days? It is the same as saying: Even though the Galileans had not been converted, still Jesus -went there, for <span style="font-weight: bold">Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.</span></p> -<p>Chrysostom explains this in a different way: After two days he left, not for Capernaum, which -was his homeland because of his continuous residence there, nor for Bethlehem, where he was -born, nor for Nazareth, where he was educated. Thus he did not go to Capernaum; hence in -Matthew (11:23) he upbraids them, saying: “And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to -heaven? You will descend even to hell.” He went rather to Cana in Galilee. And he gives the -reason here [for not going to Capernaum] : because they were ill-disposed toward him. This is -what he says: <span style="font-weight: bold">Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.</span></p> -<p>669 Was Christ seeking glory from men? It seems not, for he says: “I do not seek my own glory” -(below 8:50). 1 answer that it is only God who seeks his own glory without sin. A man should -not seek his own glory from men, but rather the glory of God. Christ, however, as God, fittingly -sought his own glory, and as man, he sought the glory of God in himself.</p> -<p>670 Then he shows that Christ was received by the Galileans more respectfully than before, -saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">When however he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, </span>respectfully. The -reason behind this was <span style="font-weight: bold">because they had seen all the things he had done in Jerusalem on the -festive day, where they too had gone, </span>as the law commanded.</p> -<p>This seems to conflict with the fact that we did not read above of any miracles being performed -by Christ at Jerusalem. I answer, with the opinion of Origen, that the Jews thought it a great -miracle that Christ drove the traders from the temple with such authority (above 2:14). Or, we -could say that Christ performed many miracles which were not written down, according to, -“Jesus did many other signs ... which are not written down in this book” (below 20:30).</p> -<p>671 In its mystical sense, this gives us an example that if we wish to receive Jesus Christ within -ourselves, we should go up to Jerusalem on a festive day, that is, we should seek tranquility of -mind, and examine everything which Jesus does there: “Look upon Zion, the city of our festive -days” (Is 33:20); “1 have meditated on all Your works” (Ps 142:5).</p> -<p>672 Note that as men were lesser in dignity, they were better with respect to God. The Judeans -were superior in dignity to the Galileans: “Look at the Scriptures and see that the Prophet will -not come from Galilee” (below 7:52); and the Galileans were superior in dignity to the -Samaritans: “The Jews had nothing to do with the Samaritans” (above 4:9). On the other hand, -the Samaritans were better than the Galileans because more of them believed in Christ in two -days without any miracles than the Galileans did in a long period of time and even with the -miracle of the wine: for none of them believed in him except his disciples. Finally, the Judeans -were worse than the Galileans, because none of them believed in Jesus, except perhaps -Nicodemus.</p> -<p>673 Then he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">He therefore went to Cana in Galilee</span>. According to Chrysostom, this is -given as a conclusion from what went before; it is as though he were saying: Christ did not go -to Capemaurn because he was not held in honor there. But he was under an obligation to go to -Cana in Galilee: for on the first occasion he had been invited to the wedding, and now he goes -again without being invited. The two trips to Cana are mentioned by the Evangelist to show their -hardness of heart: for at the first miracle of the wine, only his disciples believed in Christ; and -at the second miracle, only the official and his household believed. On the other hand, the -Samaritans believed on Christ’s words alone.</p> -<p>674 In the mystical sense, the two visits to Cana signify the effect of God’s words on our minds. -First of all they cause delight, because they who hear the word “receive the word with joy” (Mt -13:20). This is signified in the miracle of the wine, which as the Psalm (103:15) says, “gladdens -the heart of man.” Secondly, the word of God heals: “It was neither a herb nor a poultice that -healed them, but your word, O Lord, which heals all things” (Wis 16:12). And this is signified -by the curing of the sick son.</p> -<p>Further, these two visits to Cana indicate the two comings of the Son of God. The first coming -was in all gentleness to bring joy: “Rejoice and give praise, people of Zion, for he is great who -is in your midst, the Holy One of Israel” (Is 12:6). So the angel said to the shepherds: “I bring you -good news of great joy ... this day a Savior has been born to you” (Lk 2:10). This is signified by -the wine. His second coming into the world will be in majesty, when he will come to take away -our weaknesses and our punishments, and to make us like his radiant body. And this is signified -in the cure of the sick son.</p> -<p style="margin-bottom: 0.125in; margin-bottom: 0.125in"> </p> -<p style="text-align: center; margin-bottom: 0.125in"><span style="font-weight: bold">LECTURE 7</span></p> -<BLOCKQUOTE><p>46b There happened to be a certain official, whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard -that Jesus had come to Galilee from Judea, he went to him, and begged him to come down and -heal his son, who was at the point of death. 48 But Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and -wonders, you do not believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Lord, come down before my child -dies.” 50 Jesus told him, “Go, your son lives.” The man took Jesus at his word, and started for -home. 51 While he was on his way down, his servants ran up to meet him with word’ that his son -was going to live. 52 He asked them at what time his boy got better. And they told him that -yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. 53 The father then realized that it was at that very -hour when Jesus told him, “Your son lives.” He and his whole household became believers. 54 -This was the second sign Jesus had performed on returning from Judea to Galilee.</p> -<p>675 Having told us the place of this miracle, the Evangelist now describes the miracle itself: -telling us of the person who was ill; the one who interceded for him; and the one who healed him. -The one who was ill was the son of the official; his father interceded for him; and it was Christ -who was to heal him.</p></BLOCKQUOTE> -<p>676 About the person who was ill, he first tells us of his status, a <span style="font-weight: bold">son</span> of an official; secondly, -where he was, at <span style="font-weight: bold">Capernaum; </span>thirdly, his illness, a <span style="font-weight: bold">fever</span>.</p> -<p>He says about the first, <span style="font-weight: bold">There happened to be a certain official, whose son lay sick. </span>Now one -can be called an official for a variety of reasons. For example, if one is in charge of a small -territory. This is not its meaning here for at this time there was no king in Judea: “We have no -king but Caesar” (below 19:15). One is also called an official, as Chrysostom says, because he -is from a royal family; and this is also not its meaning here. In a third way, an official is some -officer of a king or ruler; and this is its meaning here.</p> -<p>Some think, as Chrysostom reports, that this official is the same as the centurion mentioned by -Matthew (8:5). This is not so, for they differ in four ways. First, because the illness was not the -same in each. The centurion was concerned with a paralytic, “My servant is lying paralyzed at -home” (Mt 8:6); while this official’s son is suffering from a fever, <span style="font-weight: bold">yesterday at the seventh -hour the fever left him. </span>Secondly, those who are sick are not the same. In the first case, it was -a servant, “my servant”; but now we have a son, as it says, <span style="font-weight: bold">whose son. </span>Thirdly, what is requested -is different. For when Christ wanted to go to the home of the centurion, the centurion -discouraged him, and said: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say -the word and my servant will be healed” (Mt 8:8). But this official asked Christ to come to his -house, <span style="font-weight: bold">Lord, come down before my child dies. </span>Fourthly, the places are different. For the first -healing took place at Capernaum, while this one is at Cana in Galilee. So this official is not the -same as the centurion, but was from the household of Herod the Tetrarch, or some kind of a -herald, or an official of the Emperor.</p> -<p>677 In its allegorical sense, this official is Abraham or one of the fathers of the Old Testament, -in so far as he adheres by faith to the king, that is, to Christ, about which we read, “I was made -king by him over Zion” (Ps 2:6). Abraham adhered to him, for as is said below (8:56): “Abraham, -your father, rejoiced that he might see my day.” The son of this official is the Jewish people: “We -are the descendants of Abraham, and we have never been slaves to any one” (below 8:33). But -they are sick from evil pleasures and incorrect doctrines. They are sick at Capernaum, i.e., in the -abundance of goods which caused them to leave their God, according to, “The beloved grew fat -and rebellious ... he deserted the God who made him, and left God his Savior” (Dt 32:15).</p> -<p>678 In the moral sense, in the kingdom of the soul, the king is reason itself: “The king, who sits -on his throne of judgment” (Prv 20:8). But why is reason called the king? Because man’s entire -body is ruled by it: his affections are directed and informed by it, and the other powers of the soul -follow it. But sometimes it is called an official [not the king], that is, when its knowledge is -obscured, with the result that it follows inordinate passions and does not resist them: “They live -with their foolish ideas, their understanding obscured by darkness” (Eph 4:17). Consequently, -the son of this official, i.e., the affections, are sick, that is, they deviate from good and decline -to what is evil. If reason were the king, that is, strong, its son would not be sick; but being only -an official, its son is sick. This happens at Capernaum because a great many temporal goods are -the cause of spiritual sickness: “This was the crime of your sister Sodom: richness, satiety in -food, and idleness” (Ez 16:49).</p> -<p>679 Now we see the person making his request (v 47). First, we have the incentive for making -his request. Secondly, the request itself. Thirdly, the need for the request.</p> -<p>680 The incentive for making the request was the arrival of Christ. So he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">When he, </span>the -official, <span style="font-weight: bold">heard that Jesus had come to Galilee from Judea, he went to him. </span>For as long as the -coming of Christ was delayed, men’s hope of being healed from their sins was that much fainter; -but when it is reported that his coming is near, our hope of being healed rises, and then we go to -him. For he came into this world to save sinners: “The Son of Man came to seek and to save what -was lost” (Lk 19:22). Further, as Sirach says (18:23), we should prepare our soul by prayer, and -we do this by going to God through our desires. And this is what the official did, as we read, he -went to him. Amos (4:12) says, “Be prepared to meet your God, O Israel.”</p> -<p>681 The request of the official was that Christ heal his son. So the Evangelist says that he begged -him to come down, out of compassion: “O that you would rend the heavens, and come down” -(Is 64:1), <span style="font-weight: bold">and heal his son. </span>We, too, ought to ask to be healed from our sins: “Heal my soul, for -I have sinned against you” (Ps 40:5). For no one of himself can return to the state of justice; -rather, he has to be healed by God: “I cannot help myself” (Jb 6:13). The fathers of the Old -Testament interceded for the people of Israel in the same way; for as we read of one: “He loves -his brothers, because he prays much for the holy city and for the people of Israel, Jeremiah, the -prophet of God” (2 Me 15:14).</p> -<p>682 The need for this request was urgent, for the son <span style="font-weight: bold">was at the point of death. </span>When a person -is tempted, he is beginning to become sick; and as the temptation grows stronger and takes the -upper hand, inclining him to consent, he is near death. But when he has consented, he is at the -point of death and beginning to die. Finally, when he completes his sin, he dies; for as we read: -“Sin, when it is completed, brings forth death” (Jas 1:15). The Psalm (33:22) says about this: -“The death of sinners is the worst,” because it begins here and continues into the future without +<p>With this in mind, there is a certain gathering of a spiritual +harvest; and this concerns an eternal fruit, i.e., the gathering of +the faithful into eternal life, of which we read: “The +harvest is the end of the world” (Mt 13:39). We are not here +concerned with this harvest. Another spiritual harvest is gathered +in the present; and this is understood in two ways. In the first, +the gathering of the fruit is the converting of the faithful to be +assembled in the Church; in the second, the gathering is the very +knowing of the truth, by which a person gathers the fruit of truth +into his soul. And we are concerned with these two gatherings of +the harvest, depending on the different expositions.</p> +<p>647 Augustine and Chrysostom understand the gathering of the +harvest in the first way, as follows. You say that it is not yet +the time for the natural harvest; but this is not true of the +spiritual harvest. Indeed, <span style="font-weight: bold">I say to +you: Lift up your eyes</span>, i.e., the eyes of your mind, by +thinking, or even your physical eyes, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">look at the fields, because they are already +white for the harvest:</span> because the entire countryside was +full of Samaritans coming to Christ.</p> +<p>The statement that the fields are already white is metaphorical: +for when sown fields are white, it is a sign that they are ready +for harvest. And so he only means to say by this that the people +were ready for salvation and to hear the word. He says, +<span style="font-weight: bold">look at the fields,</span> because +not only the Jews, but the Gentiles as well, were ready for the +faith: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few” +(Mt 9:37). And just as harvests are made white by the presence of +the burning heat of the summer sun, so by the coming of the Sun of +justice, i.e., Christ, and his preaching and power, men are made +ready for salvation. Malachi (4:2) says: “The sun of justice +will rise on you who fear my name.” Thus it is that the time +of Christ’s coming is called the time of plenitude or +fulness: “When the fulness of time had come, God sent his +Son” (Gal 4:4).</p> +<p>648 Origen deals with the second gathering of the harvest, i.e., +the gathering of truth in the soul. He says that one gathers as +much of the fruit of truth in the harvest as the truths he knows. +And he says that everything said here (v 35) was presented as a +parable. In this interpretation, the Lord does two things. First, +he mentions a false doctrine held by some. Secondly, he rejects it, +I say to you.</p> +<p>Some thought that man could not acquire any truth about +anything. This opinion gave rise to the heresy of the Academicians, +who maintained that nothing can be known as certain in this life; +about which we read: “I tested all things by wisdom. I said: +‘I will acquire wisdom,’ and it became further from +me” (Ecc 7:24). Our Lord mentions this opinion when he says, +Do you not have a saying: There are <span style= +"font-weight: bold">still four months and it will be harvest +time?</span> i.e., this whole present life, in which man serves +under the four elements, must end, so that after it truth may be +gathered in another life.</p> +<p>Our Lord rejects this opinion when he says: This is not true, I +say to you: Lift up your eyes. Sacred Scripture usually uses this +expression when something subtle and profound is being presented; +as, “Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these +things” (Is 40:26). For when our eyes are not lifted away +from earthly things or from the desires of the flesh, they are not +fit to know spiritual fruit. For sometimes they are prevented from +considering divine things because they have stooped to earthly +things: “They have fixed their eyes on the earth” (Ps +16:11); sometimes they are blinded by concupiscence: “They +have averted their eyes so as not to look at heaven or remember the +judgments of God” (Dn 13:9).</p> +<p>649 So he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Lift up your +eyes, look at the fields, because they are already white for the +harvest,</span> i.e., they are such that the truth can be learned +from them: for by the “fields” we specifically +understand all those things from which truth can be acquired, +especially the Scriptures: “Search the Scriptures ... they +bear witness to me” (below 5:39). Indeed, these fields +existed in the Old Testament, but they were not white for the +harvest because men were not able to pick spiritual fruit from them +until Christ came, who made them white by opening their +understanding: “He opened their minds so they could +understand the Scriptures” (Lk 24.45). Again, creatures are +harvests from which the fruit of truth is gathered: “The +invisible things of God are clearly known by the things that have +been made” (Rom 1:20). None the less, the Gentiles who +pursued a knowledge of these things gathered the fruits of error +rather than of truth from them, because as we read, “they +served the creature rather than the Creator” (Rom 1:25). So +the harvests were not yet white; but they were made white for the +harvest when Christ came.</p> +<p>650 Next (v 36), he deals with the reapers. First, he gives +their reward. Secondly, he mentions a proverb. And thirdly, he +explains it, i.e., applies it (v 38).</p> +<p>651 Concerning the first, we should note that when the Lord was +explaining earlier about spiritual water, he mentioned the way in +which spiritual water differs from natural water: a person who +drinks natural water will become thirsty again, but one who drinks +spiritual water will never be thirsty again. Here, too, in +explaining about the harvest, he points out the difference between +a natural and a spiritual harvest. Three things are mentioned.</p> +<p>First, the way in which the two harvests are similar: namely, in +that the person who reaps either harvest receives a wage. But the +one who reaps spiritually is the one who gathers the faithful into +the Church, or who gathers the fruit of truth into his soul. Each +of these will receive a wage, according to: “Each one will +receive his own wage according to his work” (1 Cor 3:8).</p> +<p>The two other points he mentions concern the ways the two +harvests are unlike each other. First, the fruit gathered from a +natural harvest concerns the life of the body; but the fruit +gathered by one who reaps a spiritual harvest concerns eternal +life. So he says, he who reaps, i.e., he who reaps spiritually, +<span style="font-weight: bold">gathers fruit for eternal +life,</span> that is, the faithful, who will obtain eternal life: +“Your fruit is sanctification, your end is eternal +life” (Rom 6:22). Or, this fruit is the very knowing and +explaining of the truth by which man acquires eternal life: +“Those who explain me will have eternal life,” as we +read in Sirach (24:3 1). Secondly, the two harvests are unlike +because in a natural harvest it is considered a misfortune that one +should sow and another reap; hence he who sows is saddened when +another reaps. But it is not this way when the seed is spiritual, +for <span style="font-weight: bold">the sower can rejoice at the +same time as the reaper.</span></p> +<p>According to Chrysostom and Augustine, the ones who sow +spiritual seed are the fathers and prophets of the Old Testament, +for “The seed is the word of God” (Lk 8:11), which +Moses and the prophets sowed in the land of Judah. But the apostles +were the reapers, because the former were not able to accomplish +what they wanted to do, i.e., to bring men to Christ; this was done +by the apostles. And so both the apostles and the prophets rejoice +together, in one mansion of glory, over the conversion of the +faithful: “Joy and gladness will be found there, thanksgiving +and the voice of praise” (Is 51:3). This refutes the heresy +of the Manicheans who condemn the fathers of the Old Testament; for +as the Lord says here, they will rejoice with the apostles.</p> +<p>According to Origen, however, the “sowers” in any +faculty [of the soul] are those who confer the very first +principles of that faculty; but the reapers are those who proceed +from these principles to further truths. And this is all the more +true of the science of all the sciences. The prophets are sowers, +because they handed down many things concerning divine matters; but +the apostles are the reapers, because in preaching and teaching +they revealed many things which the prophets did not make known: +“which was not made known to the sons of men in other +generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles” +(Eph 3:5).</p> +<p>652 Then when he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">For here +the saying is verified,</span> we are given a proverb. As if to +say: <span style="font-weight: bold">For here</span>, i.e., in this +fact, <span style="font-weight: bold">the saying is +verified,</span> i.e., the proverb in current use among the Jews is +fulfilled: <span style="font-weight: bold">One man sows, another +reaps.</span> This proverb seems to have grown out of a statement +in Leviticus (26:16): “You will sow your seed in vain for it +will be devoured by your enemies.” As a result, the Jews used +this proverb when one person labored on something, but another +received the pleasure from it. This then is what our Lord says: The +proverb is verified here because it was the prophets who sowed and +labored, while you are the ones to reap and rejoice.</p> +<p>Another interpretation would be this. <span style= +"font-weight: bold">For here the saying is verified,</span> i.e. +what I am saying to you, <span style="font-weight: bold">One man +sows, another reaps,</span> because you will reap the fruits of the +labor of the prophets. Now the prophets and the apostles are +different, but not in faith, for they both had faith: “But +now the justice of God has been manifested outside the law; the law +and the prophets bore witness to it” (Rom 3:21). They are +different in their manner of life, for the prophets lived under the +ceremonies of the law, from which the apostles and Christians have +been freed: “When we were children, we were slaves under the +elements of this world. But when the fulness of time came, God sent +his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem those who +were under the law, so that we could receive adoption as +sons” (Gal 4:3). And although the apostles and prophets labor +at different times, nevertheless they will rejoice equally and +receive wages <span style="font-weight: bold">for eternal life, so +that the sower can rejoice at the same time as the reaper.</span> +This was prefigured in the transfiguration of Christ, where all had +their own glory, both the fathers of the Old Testament, that is, +Moses and Elijah, and the fathers of the New Testament, that is, +Peter, John and James. We see from this that the just of the New +and of the Old Testaments will rejoice together in the glory to +come.</p> +<p>653 Then (v 38), he applies the proverb. First, he calls the +apostles reapers. Secondly, he says they are laborers (v 38b).</p> +<p>654 he says concerning the first: I say that it is one who +reaps, because you are reapers, and another who sows, for +<span style="font-weight: bold">I have sent you to reap what you +have not worked for.</span> He does not say, “I will send +you,” but I have sent you. He says this because he sent them +twice. One time was before his passion, when he sent them to the +Jews, saying: “Do not go on the roads of the Gentiles ... but +go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mt +10:5). In this case, they were sent to reap that on which they did +not work, that is, to convert the Jews, among whom the prophets +worked. After the resurrection, Christ sent them to the Gentiles, +saying: “Go to the whole world, and preach the good news to +every creature,” as we find in Mark (16:15). This time they +were sent to sow for the first time; for as the Apostle says: +“I have preached the good news, but not where Christ was +already known, so as not to build on another’s foundation. +But as it is written: ‘They to whom he was not proclaimed +will see, and they who have not heard will +understand.’” (Rom 15:20). And so Christ says, I have +sent you, referring to the first time they were sent. This is the +way, then, the apostles are reapers, and others, the prophets, are +the sowers.</p> +<p>655 Accordingly, he says, Others have done the work, by sowing +the beginnings of the doctrine of Christ, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">and you have entered into their labors,</span> +to collect the fruit: “The fruit of good labors is +glorious” (Wis 3:15). The prophets labored, I say, to bring +men to Christ: “If you believed Moses, you would perhaps +believe me, for he wrote of me” (below 5:46). If you do not +believe his written words, how will you believe my spoken words? +But the prophets did not reap the fruit; so Isaiah said with this +in mind: “I have labored for nothing and without reason; in +vain I have exhausted my strength” (Is 49:4).</p> +<p style="margin-bottom: 0.125in; margin-bottom: 0.125in"> + </p> +<p style="text-align: center; margin-bottom: 0.125in"><span style= +"font-weight: bold">LECTURE 5</span></p> +<blockquote> +<p>39 Many Samaritans of that town believed in him on the testimony +of the woman who said, “He told me everything I ever +did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they begged him +to stay with them awhile. So he stayed there two days. 41 And many +more believed in him because of his own words. 42 And they said to +the woman, “Now we believe not just because of your story, +but because we have heard him ourselves, and we know that.here is +truly the Savior of the world.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>656 Above, the Lord foretold to the apostles the fruit to be +produced among the Samaritans by the woman’s witness. Now the +Evangelist deals with this fruit. First, the fruit of the +woman’s witness is given. Secondly, the growth of this fruit +produced by Christ (v 41). The fruit of the woman’s witness +is shown in three ways.</p> +<p>657 First, by the faith of the Samaritans, for they believed in +Christ. Thus he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">Many +Samaritans of that town,</span> to which the woman had returned, +believed in him, and this, <span style="font-weight: bold">on the +testimony of the woman,</span> from whom Christ asked for a drink +of water, who said, <span style="font-weight: bold">He told me +everything I ever did:</span> for this testimony was sufficient +inducement to believe Christ. For since Christ had disclosed her +failures, she would not have mentioned them if she had not been +brought to believe. And so the Samaritans believed as soon as they +heard her. This indicates that faith comes by hearing.</p> +<p>658 Secondly, the fruit of her witness is shown in their coming +to Christ: for faith gives rise to a desire for the thing believed. +Accordingly, after they believed, they came to Christ, to be +perfected by him. So he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">So +when the Samaritans came to him.</span> “Come to him, and be +enlightened” (Ps 33:6); “Come to me, all you who labor +and are burdened, and I will refresh you” (Mt 11:28).</p> +<p>659 Thirdly, the fruit of her witness is shown in their desire: +for a believer must not only come to Christ, but desire that Christ +remain with him. So he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">they +begged him to stay with them awhile. So he stayed there two +days.</span></p> +<p>The Lord remains with us through charity: “If anyone loves +me, he will keep my word” (below 14:23), and further on he +adds, “and we will make our abode with him.” The Lord +remains for two days because there are two precepts of charity: the +love of God and the love of our neighbor, “On these two +commandments all the law and the prophets depend” (Mt 22:40). +But the third day is the day of glory: “He will revive us +after two days; on the third day he will raise us up” (Hos +6:3). Christ did not remain there for that day because the +Samaritans were not yet capable of glory.</p> +<p>660 Then (v 41), the Evangelist says that the fruit resulting +from the witness of the woman was increased by the presence of +Christ; and this in three ways. First, in the number of those who +believed. Secondly, in their reason for believing. Thirdly, in the +truth they believed.</p> +<p>661 The fruit was increased as to the number of those who +believed because while many believed in Christ on account of the +woman, <span style="font-weight: bold">many more believed in him +because of his own words,</span> i.e., Christ’s own words. +This signifies that although many believed becatise of the +prophets, many more were converted to the faith after Christ came, +according to the Psalm (7:7): “Rise up, O Lord, in the +command you have given, and a congregation of people will surround +you.”</p> +<p>662 Secondly, this fruit was increased because of the way in +which they believed: for they say to the woman: <span style= +"font-weight: bold">Now we believe not just because of your +story.</span></p> +<p>Here we should note that three things are necessary for the +perfection of faith; and they are given here in order. First, faith +should be right; secondly, it should be prompt; and thirdly, it +should be certain.</p> +<p>Now faith is right when it obeys the truth not for some alien +reason, but for the truth itself; and as to this he says that they +said to the woman, Now we believe, the truth, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">not just because of your story,</span> but +because of the truth itself. Three things lead us to believe in +Christ. First of all, natural reason: “Since the creation of +the world the invisible things of God are clearly known by the +things that have been made” (Rom 1:20). Secondly, the +testimony of the law and the prophets: “But now justification +from God has been manifested outside the law; the law and the +prophets bore witness to it” (Rom 3:21). Thirdly, the +preaching of the apostles and others: “How will they believe +without someone to preach to them?” as Romans (10:14) says. +Yet when a person, having been thus instructed, believes, he can +then say that it is not for any of these reasons that he believes: +i.e., neither on account of natural reason, nor the testimony of +the law, nor the preaching of others, but solely on account of the +truth itself: “Abram believed God, who regarded this as his +justification” (Gn 15:6).</p> +<p>Faith is prompt if it believes quickly; and this was verified in +these Samaritans because they were converted to God by merely +hearing him; so they say: <span style="font-weight: bold">we have +heard him ourselves,</span> and believe in him, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">and we know that here is truly the Savior of +the world,</span> without seeing miracles, as the Jews saw. And +although to believe men quickly is an indication of +thoughtlessness, according to Sirach (19:4): “He who believes +easily is frivolous,” yet to believe God quickly is more +praisworthy: “When they heard me, they obeyed me” (Ps +17:45).</p> +<p>Faith should be certain, because one who doubts in the faith is +an unbeliever: “Ask with faith, without any doubting” +(Jas 1:6). And so their faith was certain; thus they say, +<span style="font-weight: bold">and we know.</span> Sometimes, one +who believes is said to know (<i>scire</i>), as here, because +<i>scientia</i> [science, knowledge in a more perfect state] and +faith agree in that both are certain. For just as <i>scientia</i> +iscertain, so is faith; indeed, the latter is much more so, because +the certainty of scientia rests on human reason, which can be +decieved, while the certainty of faith rests on divine reason, +which cannot be contradicted. However they differ in mode: because +faith possesses its certainty due to a divinely infused light, +while <i>scientia</i> possesses its certainty due to a natural +light. For as the certitude of <i>scientia</i> rests on first +principles naturally known, so the principles of faith are known +from a light divinely infused: “You are saved by grace, +through faith; and this is not due to yourselves, for it is the +gift of God” (Eph 2:8).</p> +<p>663 Thirdly, the fruit was increased in the truth believed; so +they say, <span style="font-weight: bold">here is truly the Savior +of the world.</span> Here they are affirming that Christ is the +unique, true and universal Savior.</p> +<p>He is the unique Savior for they assert that he is different +from others when they say, here is, i.e., here he alone is who has +come to save: “Truly, you are a hidden God, the God of +Israel, the Savior” (Is 45:15); “There is no other name +under heaven given to men, by which we are saved” (Acts +4:12).</p> +<p>They affirm that Christ is the true Savior when they say, +<span style="font-weight: bold">truly.</span> For since salvation, +as Dionysius says, is deliverance from evil and preservation in +good, there are two kinds of salvation: one is true, and the other +is not true. Salvation is true when we are freed from true evils +and preserved in true goods. In the Old Testament, however, +although certain saviors had been sent, they did not truly bring +salvation, for they set men free from temporal evils, which are not +truly evils, nor true goods, because they do not last. But Christ +is truly the Savior, because he frees men from true evils, that is, +sins: “He will save his people from their sins” (Mt +1:21), and he preserves them in true goods, that is, spiritual +goods.</p> +<p>They affirm that he is the universal Savior because he is not +just for some, i.e., for the Jews alone, but is the Savior +<span style="font-weight: bold">of the world.</span> “God did +not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the +world might be saved through him” (above 3:17).</p> +<p style="margin-bottom: 0.125in; margin-bottom: 0.125in"> + </p> +<p style="text-align: center; margin-bottom: 0.125in"><span style= +"font-weight: bold">LECTURE 6</span></p> +<blockquote> +<p>43 After two days he left that place and went to Galilee. 44 +Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own +country. 45 When however he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans +welcomed him, because they had seen all the things he had done in +Jerusalem on the festive day, where they too had gone. 46a He +therefore went to Cana in Galilee once more, where he had made the +water wine.</p> +</blockquote> +<p>664 Having described the conversion of the Gentiles due to +teaching, their conversion due to miracles is now given. The +Evangelist mentions a miracle performed by Christ: first, giving +the place; secondly, describing the miracle; and thirdly, its +effect (v 53). He does two things about the first. First, he gives +the general location of the miracle, that is, Christ’s own +homeland. Secondly, the specific place (v 46). With respect to the +first he does two things. First, he mentions the general place. +Secondly, he tells how Christ was received there (v 45). Concerning +the first he does two things. First, he indicates the general +place. Secondly, he gives a certain reason, at (v 44).</p> +<p>665 He says first of all: I say that Jesus remained with these +Samaritans for two days, and <span style="font-weight: bold">after +two days he left that place,</span> i.e., <span style= +"font-weight: bold">Samaria, and went to Galilee,</span> where he +had been raised. This signifies that at the end of the world, when +the Gentiles have been confirmed in the faith and in the truth, a +return will be made to convert the Jews, according to: “until +the full number of the Gentiles enters, and so all Israel will be +saved” (Rom 11:2 5).</p> +<p>666 Then he gives a certain reason, saying: <span style= +"font-weight: bold">Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has +no honor in his own country.</span> There are two questions here: +one is about the literal meaning; and the other about the +continuity of this passage with the first.</p> +<p>The problem about the literal meaning is that it does not seem +to be true, as stated here, that a prophet has no honor in his own +country: for we read that other prophets were honored in their own +land. Chrysostom answers this by saying that the Lord is speaking +here about the majority of cases. So, although there might be an +exception in some individual cases, what is said here should not be +considered false: for in matters concerning nature and morals, that +rule is true which is verified in most cases; and if a few cases +are otherwise, the rule is not considered to be false.</p> +<p>Now what the Lord says was true with respect to most of the +prophets, because in the Old Testament it is hard to find any +prophet who did not suffer persecution, as stated in Acts (7:52): +“Which of the prophets did your fathers not +persecute?”; and in Matthew (23:37): “Jerusalem, +Jerusalem, you kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to +you.” Further, this statement of our Lord holds true not only +in the case of the prophets among the Jews, but also, as Origen +says, with many among the Gentiles, because they were held in +contempt by their fellow citizens and put to death: for living with +men in the usual way, and too much familiarity, lessen respect and +breed contempt. So it is that those with whom we are more familiar +we come to reverence less, and those with whom we cannot become +acquainted we regard more highly.</p> +<p style="margin-bottom: 0.125in; margin-bottom: 0.125in"> + </p> +<p>However, the opposite happens with God: lor the more intimate we +become with God through love and contemplation, realizing how +superior he is, the more we respect him and the less do we esteem +ourselves. “I have heard you, but now I see you, and so I +reprove myself, and do penance in dust and ashes” (Jb 42:5). +The reason for this is that man’s nature is weak and fragile; +and when one lives with another for a long time, he notices certain +weaknesses in him, and this results in a loss of respect for him. +But since God is infinitely perfect, the more a person knows him +the more he admires his superior perfection, and as a result the +more he respects him.</p> +<p>667 But was Christ a prophet? At first glance it seems not, +because prophecy involves an obscure knowledge: “If there is +a prophet of the Lord among you, I will appear to him in a +vision” (Nm 12:6). Christ’s knowledge, however, was not +obscure. Yet he was a prophet, as is clear from, “The Lord +your God will raise up a prophet for you, from your nation and your +brothers; he will be like me. You will listen to him” (Dt +18:15). This text is referred to Christ.</p> +<p>I answer that a prophet has a twofold function. First, that of +seeing: “He who is now called a prophet was formerly called a +seer” (I Sm 9:9). Secondly, he makes known, announces; Christ +was a prophet in this sense for he made known the truth about God: +“For this was I born, and for this I came into the world: to +testify to the truth” (below 18:37). As for the seeing +function of a prophet, we should note that Christ was at once both +a “wayfarer” and a “comprehensor,” or +blessed. He was a wayfarer in the sufferings of his human nature +and in all the things that relate to this. He was a blessed in his +union with the divinity, by which he enjoyed God in the most +perfect way. There are two things in the vision or seeing of a +prophet. First, the intellectual light of his mind; and as regards +this Christ was not a prophet, because his light was not at all +deficient; his light was that of the blessed. Secondly, an +imaginary vision is also involved; and with respect to this Christ +did have a likeness to the prophets insofar as he was a wayfarer +and was able to form various images with his imagination.</p> +<p>668 Secondly, there is the problem about continuity. For the +Evangelist does not seem to be right in connecting the fact that +<span style="font-weight: bold">After two days he left that place +and went to Galilee,</span> with the statement of Jesus that +<span style="font-weight: bold">a prophet has no honor in his own +country.</span> It would seem that the Evangelist should have said +that Christ did not go into Galilee, for if he was not honored +there, that would be a reason for not going there.</p> +<p>Augustine answers this by suggesting that the Evangelist said +this to answer a question that could have been raised, namely: Why +did Christ return to Galilee since he had lived there for a long +time, and the Galileans were still not converted to him; while the +Samaritans were converted in two days? It is the same as saying: +Even though the Galileans had not been converted, still Jesus went +there, for <span style="font-weight: bold">Jesus himself had +testified that a prophet has no honor in his own +country.</span></p> +<p>Chrysostom explains this in a different way: After two days he +left, not for Capernaum, which was his homeland because of his +continuous residence there, nor for Bethlehem, where he was born, +nor for Nazareth, where he was educated. Thus he did not go to +Capernaum; hence in Matthew (11:23) he upbraids them, saying: +“And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will +descend even to hell.” He went rather to Cana in Galilee. And +he gives the reason here [for not going to Capernaum] : because +they were ill-disposed toward him. This is what he says: +<span style="font-weight: bold">Jesus himself had testified that a +prophet has no honor in his own country.</span></p> +<p>669 Was Christ seeking glory from men? It seems not, for he +says: “I do not seek my own glory” (below 8:50). 1 +answer that it is only God who seeks his own glory without sin. A +man should not seek his own glory from men, but rather the glory of +God. Christ, however, as God, fittingly sought his own glory, and +as man, he sought the glory of God in himself.</p> +<p>670 Then he shows that Christ was received by the Galileans more +respectfully than before, saying, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">When however he arrived in Galilee, the +Galileans welcomed him,</span> respectfully. The reason behind this +was <span style="font-weight: bold">because they had seen all the +things he had done in Jerusalem on the festive day, where they too +had gone,</span> as the law commanded.</p> +<p>This seems to conflict with the fact that we did not read above +of any miracles being performed by Christ at Jerusalem. I answer, +with the opinion of Origen, that the Jews thought it a great +miracle that Christ drove the traders from the temple with such +authority (above 2:14). Or, we could say that Christ performed many +miracles which were not written down, according to, “Jesus +did many other signs ... which are not written down in this +book” (below 20:30).</p> +<p>671 In its mystical sense, this gives us an example that if we +wish to receive Jesus Christ within ourselves, we should go up to +Jerusalem on a festive day, that is, we should seek tranquility of +mind, and examine everything which Jesus does there: “Look +upon Zion, the city of our festive days” (Is 33:20); “1 +have meditated on all Your works” (Ps 142:5).</p> +<p>672 Note that as men were lesser in dignity, they were better +with respect to God. The Judeans were superior in dignity to the +Galileans: “Look at the Scriptures and see that the Prophet +will not come from Galilee” (below 7:52); and the Galileans +were superior in dignity to the Samaritans: “The Jews had +nothing to do with the Samaritans” (above 4:9). On the other +hand, the Samaritans were better than the Galileans because more of +them believed in Christ in two days without any miracles than the +Galileans did in a long period of time and even with the miracle of +the wine: for none of them believed in him except his disciples. +Finally, the Judeans were worse than the Galileans, because none of +them believed in Jesus, except perhaps Nicodemus.</p> +<p>673 Then he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">He therefore +went to Cana in Galilee</span>. According to Chrysostom, this is +given as a conclusion from what went before; it is as though he +were saying: Christ did not go to Capemaurn because he was not held +in honor there. But he was under an obligation to go to Cana in +Galilee: for on the first occasion he had been invited to the +wedding, and now he goes again without being invited. The two trips +to Cana are mentioned by the Evangelist to show their hardness of +heart: for at the first miracle of the wine, only his disciples +believed in Christ; and at the second miracle, only the official +and his household believed. On the other hand, the Samaritans +believed on Christ’s words alone.</p> +<p>674 In the mystical sense, the two visits to Cana signify the +effect of God’s words on our minds. First of all they cause +delight, because they who hear the word “receive the word +with joy” (Mt 13:20). This is signified in the miracle of the +wine, which as the Psalm (103:15) says, “gladdens the heart +of man.” Secondly, the word of God heals: “It was +neither a herb nor a poultice that healed them, but your word, O +Lord, which heals all things” (Wis 16:12). And this is +signified by the curing of the sick son.</p> +<p>Further, these two visits to Cana indicate the two comings of +the Son of God. The first coming was in all gentleness to bring +joy: “Rejoice and give praise, people of Zion, for he is +great who is in your midst, the Holy One of Israel” (Is +12:6). So the angel said to the shepherds: “I bring you good +news of great joy ... this day a Savior has been born to you” +(Lk 2:10). This is signified by the wine. His second coming into +the world will be in majesty, when he will come to take away our +weaknesses and our punishments, and to make us like his radiant +body. And this is signified in the cure of the sick son.</p> +<p style="margin-bottom: 0.125in; margin-bottom: 0.125in"> + </p> +<p style="text-align: center; margin-bottom: 0.125in"><span style= +"font-weight: bold">LECTURE 7</span></p> +<blockquote> +<p>46b There happened to be a certain official, whose son lay sick +at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come to Galilee from +Judea, he went to him, and begged him to come down and heal his +son, who was at the point of death. 48 But Jesus said to him, +“Unless you see signs and wonders, you do not believe.” +49 The official said to him, “Lord, come down before my child +dies.” 50 Jesus told him, “Go, your son lives.” +The man took Jesus at his word, and started for home. 51 While he +was on his way down, his servants ran up to meet him with +word’ that his son was going to live. 52 He asked them at +what time his boy got better. And they told him that yesterday at +the seventh hour the fever left him. 53 The father then realized +that it was at that very hour when Jesus told him, “Your son +lives.” He and his whole household became believers. 54 This +was the second sign Jesus had performed on returning from Judea to +Galilee.</p> +<p>675 Having told us the place of this miracle, the Evangelist now +describes the miracle itself: telling us of the person who was ill; +the one who interceded for him; and the one who healed him. The one +who was ill was the son of the official; his father interceded for +him; and it was Christ who was to heal him.</p> +</blockquote> +<p>676 About the person who was ill, he first tells us of his +status, a <span style="font-weight: bold">son</span> of an +official; secondly, where he was, at <span style= +"font-weight: bold">Capernaum;</span> thirdly, his illness, a +<span style="font-weight: bold">fever</span>.</p> +<p>He says about the first, <span style="font-weight: bold">There +happened to be a certain official, whose son lay sick.</span> Now +one can be called an official for a variety of reasons. For +example, if one is in charge of a small territory. This is not its +meaning here for at this time there was no king in Judea: “We +have no king but Caesar” (below 19:15). One is also called an +official, as Chrysostom says, because he is from a royal family; +and this is also not its meaning here. In a third way, an official +is some officer of a king or ruler; and this is its meaning +here.</p> +<p>Some think, as Chrysostom reports, that this official is the +same as the centurion mentioned by Matthew (8:5). This is not so, +for they differ in four ways. First, because the illness was not +the same in each. The centurion was concerned with a paralytic, +“My servant is lying paralyzed at home” (Mt 8:6); while +this official’s son is suffering from a fever, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left +him.</span> Secondly, those who are sick are not the same. In the +first case, it was a servant, “my servant”; but now we +have a son, as it says, <span style="font-weight: bold">whose +son.</span> Thirdly, what is requested is different. For when +Christ wanted to go to the home of the centurion, the centurion +discouraged him, and said: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you +come under my roof; but only say the word and my servant will be +healed” (Mt 8:8). But this official asked Christ to come to +his house, <span style="font-weight: bold">Lord, come down before +my child dies.</span> Fourthly, the places are different. For the +first healing took place at Capernaum, while this one is at Cana in +Galilee. So this official is not the same as the centurion, but was +from the household of Herod the Tetrarch, or some kind of a herald, +or an official of the Emperor.</p> +<p>677 In its allegorical sense, this official is Abraham or one of +the fathers of the Old Testament, in so far as he adheres by faith +to the king, that is, to Christ, about which we read, “I was +made king by him over Zion” (Ps 2:6). Abraham adhered to him, +for as is said below (8:56): “Abraham, your father, rejoiced +that he might see my day.” The son of this official is the +Jewish people: “We are the descendants of Abraham, and we +have never been slaves to any one” (below 8:33). But they are +sick from evil pleasures and incorrect doctrines. They are sick at +Capernaum, i.e., in the abundance of goods which caused them to +leave their God, according to, “The beloved grew fat and +rebellious ... he deserted the God who made him, and left God his +Savior” (Dt 32:15).</p> +<p>678 In the moral sense, in the kingdom of the soul, the king is +reason itself: “The king, who sits on his throne of +judgment” (Prv 20:8). But why is reason called the king? +Because man’s entire body is ruled by it: his affections are +directed and informed by it, and the other powers of the soul +follow it. But sometimes it is called an official [not the king], +that is, when its knowledge is obscured, with the result that it +follows inordinate passions and does not resist them: “They +live with their foolish ideas, their understanding obscured by +darkness” (Eph 4:17). Consequently, the son of this official, +i.e., the affections, are sick, that is, they deviate from good and +decline to what is evil. If reason were the king, that is, strong, +its son would not be sick; but being only an official, its son is +sick. This happens at Capernaum because a great many temporal goods +are the cause of spiritual sickness: “This was the crime of +your sister Sodom: richness, satiety in food, and idleness” +(Ez 16:49).</p> +<p>679 Now we see the person making his request (v 47). First, we +have the incentive for making his request. Secondly, the request +itself. Thirdly, the need for the request.</p> +<p>680 The incentive for making the request was the arrival of +Christ. So he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">When he,</span> +the official, <span style="font-weight: bold">heard that Jesus had +come to Galilee from Judea, he went to him.</span> For as long as +the coming of Christ was delayed, men’s hope of being healed +from their sins was that much fainter; but when it is reported that +his coming is near, our hope of being healed rises, and then we go +to him. For he came into this world to save sinners: “The Son +of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Lk 19:22). +Further, as Sirach says (18:23), we should prepare our soul by +prayer, and we do this by going to God through our desires. And +this is what the official did, as we read, he went to him. Amos +(4:12) says, “Be prepared to meet your God, O +Israel.”</p> +<p>681 The request of the official was that Christ heal his son. So +the Evangelist says that he begged him to come down, out of +compassion: “O that you would rend the heavens, and come +down” (Is 64:1), <span style="font-weight: bold">and heal his +son.</span> We, too, ought to ask to be healed from our sins: +“Heal my soul, for I have sinned against you” (Ps +40:5). For no one of himself can return to the state of justice; +rather, he has to be healed by God: “I cannot help +myself” (Jb 6:13). The fathers of the Old Testament +interceded for the people of Israel in the same way; for as we read +of one: “He loves his brothers, because he prays much for the +holy city and for the people of Israel, Jeremiah, the prophet of +God” (2 Me 15:14).</p> +<p>682 The need for this request was urgent, for the son +<span style="font-weight: bold">was at the point of death.</span> +When a person is tempted, he is beginning to become sick; and as +the temptation grows stronger and takes the upper hand, inclining +him to consent, he is near death. But when he has consented, he is +at the point of death and beginning to die. Finally, when he +completes his sin, he dies; for as we read: “Sin, when it is +completed, brings forth death” (Jas 1:15). The Psalm (33:22) +says about this: “The death of sinners is the worst,” +because it begins here and continues into the future without end.</p> -<p>683 Now he deals with the request for Christ to heal the son of the official. First, our Lord’s -criticism is given. Secondly, the official’s request. Thirdly, the granting of the request.</p> -<p>684 Our Lord criticizes him for his lack of faith, saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">Unless you see signs and wonders, you -do not believe. </span>This raises a question, for it does not seem right to say this to this official, for -unless he had believed that Christ was the Savior, he would not have asked him to heal his son.</p> -<p>The answer to this is that this official did not yet believe perfectly; indeed, there were two defects -in his faith. The first was that although he believed that Christ was a true man, he did not believe -that he had divine power; otherwise he would have believed that Christ could heal one even -while absent, since God is everywhere, as Jeremiah (23:24) says: “I fill heaven and earth.” And -so he would not have asked Christ to come down to his house, but simply give his command. The -second defect in his faith, according to Chrysostom, was that he was not sure that Christ could -heal his son: for had he been sure, he would not have waited for Christ to return to his homeland, -but would have gone to Judea himself. But now, despairing of his son’s health, and not wishing -to overlook any possibility, he went to Christ like those parents who in their despair for the health -of their children consult even unskilled doctors.</p> -<p>685 In the second place, it does not seem that he should have been criticized for looking for -signs, for faith is proved by signs. The answer to this is that unbelievers are drawn to Christ in -one way, and believers in another way. For unbelievers cannot be drawn to Christ or convinced -by the authority of Sacred Scripture, because they do not believe it; neither can they be drawn by -natural reason, because faith is above reason. Consequently, they must be led by miracles: “Signs -are given to unbelievers, not to believers” (1 Cor 14:22). Believers, on the other hand, should be -led and directed to faith by the authority of Scripture, to which they are bound to assent. This is -why the official is criticized: although he had been brought up among the Jews and instructed in -the law, he wanted to believe through signs, and not by the authority of the Scripture. So the Lord -reproaches him, saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">Unless you see signs and wonders, </span>i.e., miracles, which sometimes are -signs insofar as they bear witness to divine truth. Or <span style="font-weight: bold">wonders </span>(prodigia), either because they -indicate with utmost certitude, so that a prodigy is taken to be a “portent” or some “sure -indication”; or because they portend something in the future, as if something were called a -<span style="font-weight: bold">wonder </span>as if showing at a great distance some future effect.</p> -<p>686 Now we see the official’s persistence, for he does not give up after the Lord’s criticism, but -insists, saying. <span style="font-weight: bold">Lord, come down before my child dies: </span>“We should pray always, and not lose -heart” (Lk 18:1). This shows an improvement in his faith in one respect, that is, in that he calls -him “Lord.” But there is not a total improvement, for he still thought that Christ had to be -physically present to heal his son; so he asked Christ to come.</p> -<p>687 His request is granted by the Lord, for persevering prayer is answered. Jesus said to him: <span style="font-weight: bold">Go, -your son lives. </span>Here we have first, the statement by Christ, who cured the boy, that the boy was -cured. Secondly, we ire told of the persons who witnessed the cure (v 51 ). Two things are -mentioned concerning the first: the command of the Lord and the obedience of the official (v -50b).</p> -<p>688 As to the first, the Lord does two things. First, he orders; secondly, he affirms. He orders the -official to go: hence he says, Go, i.e., prepare to receive grace by a movement of your free will -toward God: “Turn to me, and you will be saved” (Is 45:22); and by a movement of your free will -against sin. For four things are required for the justification of an adult sinner: the infusion of -grace, the remission of guilt, a movement of the free will toward God, which is faith, and a -movement of the free will against sin, which is contrition.</p> -<p>Then the Lord says that his son is healed, which was the request of the official: <span style="font-weight: bold">Your son lives</span>.</p> -<p>689 One may ask why Christ refused to go down to the home of this official as asked, while he -promised to go see the servant of the centurion. There are two reasons for this. One, according -to Gregory, is to blunt our pride; the pride of us who offer our services to great men, but refuse -to help the insignificant: since the Lord of all offered to go to the servant of the centurion, but -refused to go to the son of an official: “Be well-disposed to the poor” (Sir 4:7). The other reason, -as Chrysostom says, was that the centurion was already confirmed in the faith of Christ, and -believed that he could heal even while not present; and so our Lord promised to go to show -approval of his faith and devotion. But this official was still imperfect, and did not yet clearly -know that Christ could heal even while absent. And so our Lord does not go, in order that he may -realize his imperfection.</p> -<p>690 The obedience of this official is pointed out in two ways. First, because he believed what -Christ said; so he says, <span style="font-weight: bold">The man took Jesus at his word, </span>that is, <span style="font-weight: bold">Your son lives. </span>Secondly, -because he did obey the order of Christ; so he says, he <span style="font-weight: bold">started for home, </span>progressing in faith, -although not yet fully or soundly, as Origen says. This signifies that we must be justified by faith: -“Justified by faith, let us have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1). We -also must go and start out by making progress: because he who stands still runs the risk of being -unable to preserve the life of grace. For, along the road to God, if we do not go forward we fall -back.</p> -<p>691 Next we see the servants bringing news of the healing. First, the news of the healing is given. -Secondly, there is an inquiry about the time of the healing (v 52).</p> -<p>692 He says, <span style="font-weight: bold">While he was on his way down, </span>from Cana of Galilee to his own home, <span style="font-weight: bold">his -servants ran up to meet him</span>—which shows that this official was wealthy and had many -servants—<span style="font-weight: bold">with word that his son was going to live: </span>and they did this because they thought that -Christ was coming, and his presence was no longer necessary as the boy was already cured.</p> -<p>693 In the mystical sense, the servants of the official, i.e., of reason, are a man’s works, because -man is master of his own acts and of the affections of his sense powers, for they obey the -command and direction of reason. Now these servants announce that the son of the official, that -is, of reason, lives, when a man’s good works shine out, and his lower powers obey reason, -according to: “A man’s dress, and laughter, and his walk, show what he is” (Sir 19:27).</p> -<p>694 Because this official did not yet believe either fully or soundly, he still wanted to know -whether his son had been cured by chance or by the command of Christ. Accordingly, he asks -about the time of the cure. <span style="font-weight: bold">He asked them</span>, the servants, <span style="font-weight: bold">at what time his boy got better. </span>And -he found that his son was cured at exactly the same hour that our Lord said, <span style="font-weight: bold">Go, your son lives</span>. -And no wonder, because Christ is the Word, through whom heaven and earth were made: “He -spoke and they were made; he commanded and they were. created” (Ps. 148:5).</p> -<p>695 <span style="font-weight: bold">And they</span>, his servants, <span style="font-weight: bold">told him that yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. -</span>In the mystical sense, the seventh hour, when the boy is cured of his fever, signifies the seven -gifts of the Holy Spirit, through whom sins are forgiven, according to: “Receive the Holy Spirit; -whose sins you forgive, are forgiven” (below 20:22), and through whom spiritual life is produced -in the soul: “It is the Spirit that gives life” (below 6:64). Again, the seventh hour signifies the -appropriate time for.rest, for the Lord rested from all his work on the seventh day. This indicates -that the spiritual life of man consists in spiritual rest or quiet, according to: “If you remain at rest, -you will be saved” (Is 30:15). But of the evil we read: “The heart of the wicked is like the raging -sea, which cannot rest” (Is 57:20).</p> -<p>696 Next, we are given the effect of this miracle (v 53). First, its fruit is mentioned. Secondly, -this miracle is linked with another one (v 54).</p> -<p>697 He says, <span style="font-weight: bold">The father then realized, </span>by comparing the hour mentioned by the servants with -the hour of Christ’s affirmation, <span style="font-weight: bold">that it was at that very hour when Jesus told him, Your son -lives. </span>Because of this he was converted to Christ, realizing that it was by his power that the -miracle was accomplished. <span style="font-weight: bold">He and his whole household became believers, </span>that is, his servants -and his aides, because the attitude of servants depends on the condition, whether good or wicked, -of their masters: “As the judge of the people is himself, so also are his ministers” (Sir 10:2); and -in Genesis (18:19) we read: “I know that he will direct his sons.”</p> -<p>This also shows that the faith of the official was constantly growing: for at the beginning, when -he pleaded for his sick son, it was weak; then it began to grow more firm, when he called Jesus -“Lord” then when he believed what the Lord said and started for home, it was more perfect, but -not completely so, because he still doubted. But here, clearly realizing God’s power in Christ, -his faith is made perfect, for as Proverbs (4:18) says: “The way of the just goes forward like a -shining light, increasing to the full light of day.”</p> -<p>698 Finally, this miracle is linked with the previous one, <span style="font-weight: bold">This was the second sign Jesus had -performed on returning from Judea to Galilee. </span>We can understand this in two ways. In one -way, that our Lord performed two miracles during this one trip from Judea to Galilee; but the first -of these was not recorded, only the second. In the other way, we could say that Jesus worked two -signs in Galilee at different times: the one of the wine, and this second one about the son of this -official after he returned again to Galilee from Judea.</p> -<p>We also see from this that the Galileans were worse than the Samaritans. For the Samaritans -expected no sign from the Lord, and many believed in his word alone; but as a result of this -miracle, only this official and his whole household believed: for the Jews were converted to the -faith little by little on account of their hardness, according to: “I have become as one who -harvests in the summer time, like a gleaner at the vintage: not one cluster to eat, not one of the -early figs I desire” (Mi 7:1).</p> +<p>683 Now he deals with the request for Christ to heal the son of +the official. First, our Lord’s criticism is given. Secondly, +the official’s request. Thirdly, the granting of the +request.</p> +<p>684 Our Lord criticizes him for his lack of faith, saying, +<span style="font-weight: bold">Unless you see signs and wonders, +you do not believe.</span> This raises a question, for it does not +seem right to say this to this official, for unless he had believed +that Christ was the Savior, he would not have asked him to heal his +son.</p> +<p>The answer to this is that this official did not yet believe +perfectly; indeed, there were two defects in his faith. The first +was that although he believed that Christ was a true man, he did +not believe that he had divine power; otherwise he would have +believed that Christ could heal one even while absent, since God is +everywhere, as Jeremiah (23:24) says: “I fill heaven and +earth.” And so he would not have asked Christ to come down to +his house, but simply give his command. The second defect in his +faith, according to Chrysostom, was that he was not sure that +Christ could heal his son: for had he been sure, he would not have +waited for Christ to return to his homeland, but would have gone to +Judea himself. But now, despairing of his son’s health, and +not wishing to overlook any possibility, he went to Christ like +those parents who in their despair for the health of their children +consult even unskilled doctors.</p> +<p>685 In the second place, it does not seem that he should have +been criticized for looking for signs, for faith is proved by +signs. The answer to this is that unbelievers are drawn to Christ +in one way, and believers in another way. For unbelievers cannot be +drawn to Christ or convinced by the authority of Sacred Scripture, +because they do not believe it; neither can they be drawn by +natural reason, because faith is above reason. Consequently, they +must be led by miracles: “Signs are given to unbelievers, not +to believers” (1 Cor 14:22). Believers, on the other hand, +should be led and directed to faith by the authority of Scripture, +to which they are bound to assent. This is why the official is +criticized: although he had been brought up among the Jews and +instructed in the law, he wanted to believe through signs, and not +by the authority of the Scripture. So the Lord reproaches him, +saying, <span style="font-weight: bold">Unless you see signs and +wonders,</span> i.e., miracles, which sometimes are signs insofar +as they bear witness to divine truth. Or <span style= +"font-weight: bold">wonders</span> (prodigia), either because they +indicate with utmost certitude, so that a prodigy is taken to be a +“portent” or some “sure indication”; or +because they portend something in the future, as if something were +called a <span style="font-weight: bold">wonder</span> as if +showing at a great distance some future effect.</p> +<p>686 Now we see the official’s persistence, for he does not +give up after the Lord’s criticism, but insists, saying. +<span style="font-weight: bold">Lord, come down before my child +dies:</span> “We should pray always, and not lose +heart” (Lk 18:1). This shows an improvement in his faith in +one respect, that is, in that he calls him “Lord.” But +there is not a total improvement, for he still thought that Christ +had to be physically present to heal his son; so he asked Christ to +come.</p> +<p>687 His request is granted by the Lord, for persevering prayer +is answered. Jesus said to him: <span style="font-weight: bold">Go, +your son lives.</span> Here we have first, the statement by Christ, +who cured the boy, that the boy was cured. Secondly, we ire told of +the persons who witnessed the cure (v 51 ). Two things are +mentioned concerning the first: the command of the Lord and the +obedience of the official (v 50b).</p> +<p>688 As to the first, the Lord does two things. First, he orders; +secondly, he affirms. He orders the official to go: hence he says, +Go, i.e., prepare to receive grace by a movement of your free will +toward God: “Turn to me, and you will be saved” (Is +45:22); and by a movement of your free will against sin. For four +things are required for the justification of an adult sinner: the +infusion of grace, the remission of guilt, a movement of the free +will toward God, which is faith, and a movement of the free will +against sin, which is contrition.</p> +<p>Then the Lord says that his son is healed, which was the request +of the official: <span style="font-weight: bold">Your son +lives</span>.</p> +<p>689 One may ask why Christ refused to go down to the home of +this official as asked, while he promised to go see the servant of +the centurion. There are two reasons for this. One, according to +Gregory, is to blunt our pride; the pride of us who offer our +services to great men, but refuse to help the insignificant: since +the Lord of all offered to go to the servant of the centurion, but +refused to go to the son of an official: “Be well-disposed to +the poor” (Sir 4:7). The other reason, as Chrysostom says, +was that the centurion was already confirmed in the faith of +Christ, and believed that he could heal even while not present; and +so our Lord promised to go to show approval of his faith and +devotion. But this official was still imperfect, and did not yet +clearly know that Christ could heal even while absent. And so our +Lord does not go, in order that he may realize his +imperfection.</p> +<p>690 The obedience of this official is pointed out in two ways. +First, because he believed what Christ said; so he says, +<span style="font-weight: bold">The man took Jesus at his +word,</span> that is, <span style="font-weight: bold">Your son +lives.</span> Secondly, because he did obey the order of Christ; so +he says, he <span style="font-weight: bold">started for +home,</span> progressing in faith, although not yet fully or +soundly, as Origen says. This signifies that we must be justified +by faith: “Justified by faith, let us have peace with God, +through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1). We also must go and +start out by making progress: because he who stands still runs the +risk of being unable to preserve the life of grace. For, along the +road to God, if we do not go forward we fall back.</p> +<p>691 Next we see the servants bringing news of the healing. +First, the news of the healing is given. Secondly, there is an +inquiry about the time of the healing (v 52).</p> +<p>692 He says, <span style="font-weight: bold">While he was on his +way down,</span> from Cana of Galilee to his own home, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">his servants ran up to meet +him</span>—which shows that this official was wealthy and had +many servants—<span style="font-weight: bold">with word that +his son was going to live:</span> and they did this because they +thought that Christ was coming, and his presence was no longer +necessary as the boy was already cured.</p> +<p>693 In the mystical sense, the servants of the official, i.e., +of reason, are a man’s works, because man is master of his +own acts and of the affections of his sense powers, for they obey +the command and direction of reason. Now these servants announce +that the son of the official, that is, of reason, lives, when a +man’s good works shine out, and his lower powers obey reason, +according to: “A man’s dress, and laughter, and his +walk, show what he is” (Sir 19:27).</p> +<p>694 Because this official did not yet believe either fully or +soundly, he still wanted to know whether his son had been cured by +chance or by the command of Christ. Accordingly, he asks about the +time of the cure. <span style="font-weight: bold">He asked +them</span>, the servants, <span style="font-weight: bold">at what +time his boy got better.</span> And he found that his son was cured +at exactly the same hour that our Lord said, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">Go, your son lives</span>. And no wonder, +because Christ is the Word, through whom heaven and earth were +made: “He spoke and they were made; he commanded and they +were. created” (Ps. 148:5).</p> +<p>695 <span style="font-weight: bold">And they</span>, his +servants, <span style="font-weight: bold">told him that yesterday +at the seventh hour the fever left him.</span> In the mystical +sense, the seventh hour, when the boy is cured of his fever, +signifies the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, through whom sins are +forgiven, according to: “Receive the Holy Spirit; whose sins +you forgive, are forgiven” (below 20:22), and through whom +spiritual life is produced in the soul: “It is the Spirit +that gives life” (below 6:64). Again, the seventh hour +signifies the appropriate time for.rest, for the Lord rested from +all his work on the seventh day. This indicates that the spiritual +life of man consists in spiritual rest or quiet, according to: +“If you remain at rest, you will be saved” (Is 30:15). +But of the evil we read: “The heart of the wicked is like the +raging sea, which cannot rest” (Is 57:20).</p> +<p>696 Next, we are given the effect of this miracle (v 53). First, +its fruit is mentioned. Secondly, this miracle is linked with +another one (v 54).</p> +<p>697 He says, <span style="font-weight: bold">The father then +realized,</span> by comparing the hour mentioned by the servants +with the hour of Christ’s affirmation, <span style= +"font-weight: bold">that it was at that very hour when Jesus told +him, Your son lives.</span> Because of this he was converted to +Christ, realizing that it was by his power that the miracle was +accomplished. <span style="font-weight: bold">He and his whole +household became believers,</span> that is, his servants and his +aides, because the attitude of servants depends on the condition, +whether good or wicked, of their masters: “As the judge of +the people is himself, so also are his ministers” (Sir 10:2); +and in Genesis (18:19) we read: “I know that he will direct +his sons.”</p> +<p>This also shows that the faith of the official was constantly +growing: for at the beginning, when he pleaded for his sick son, it +was weak; then it began to grow more firm, when he called Jesus +“Lord” then when he believed what the Lord said and +started for home, it was more perfect, but not completely so, +because he still doubted. But here, clearly realizing God’s +power in Christ, his faith is made perfect, for as Proverbs (4:18) +says: “The way of the just goes forward like a shining light, +increasing to the full light of day.”</p> +<p>698 Finally, this miracle is linked with the previous one, +<span style="font-weight: bold">This was the second sign Jesus had +performed on returning from Judea to Galilee.</span> We can +understand this in two ways. In one way, that our Lord performed +two miracles during this one trip from Judea to Galilee; but the +first of these was not recorded, only the second. In the other way, +we could say that Jesus worked two signs in Galilee at different +times: the one of the wine, and this second one about the son of +this official after he returned again to Galilee from Judea.</p> +<p>We also see from this that the Galileans were worse than the +Samaritans. For the Samaritans expected no sign from the Lord, and +many believed in his word alone; but as a result of this miracle, +only this official and his whole household believed: for the Jews +were converted to the faith little by little on account of their +hardness, according to: “I have become as one who harvests in +the summer time, like a gleaner at the vintage: not one cluster to +eat, not one of the early figs I desire” (Mi 7:1).</p> +</blockquote> </body> - </html>