Thursday of the 27th week after Pentecost

Jesus took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For he will be delivered to the Gentiles, and will be mocked, insulted, and spit upon. After they have scourged him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise again." Foreseeing that the suffering of his passion would trouble the spirits of his disciples, the Savior predicts to them long in advance both the punishment of his passion and the glory of his resurrection, so that seeing him die as it was predicted, they might not doubt that he would also rise again. He also foresaw that certain heretics would arise in the Church who would claim that Christ taught contrary to the law and the prophets, and that the God of the Old Testament was different from the God of the New Testament. He showed that the prophecies were directed to no one more than to himself and the mystery of his temporary dispensation for us, so that his passion and subsequent glory would be the fulfillment and perfect celebration of the prophecy. He also most clearly refuted the madness of the pagans who mock his cross, when he predicted the time of his imminent passion as if he were aware of the future, and approached the place of his death fearlessly.

And knowing that there would arise certain heretics, saying, that Christ taught things contrary to the Law and the Prophets, He shows already that the voices of the Prophets had proclaimed the accomplishment of His Passion, and the glory which should follow.

Now Jesus took the twelve etc. After he showed poverty to be commendable and desirable through the perfection of its merit, through the imperfection of its contrary, and through the consummation of its accumulated reward, here fourthly he shows it to be worthy of approval and worthy of choice by reason of the most perfect example, namely, of Christ crucified. And since that example could seem contemptible to some by reason of weakness, therefore in this part there is first set forth the example of Christ's condescension: secondly, for its confirmation there is added a miracle of power in the illumination of the poor blind man, at the passage: Now it came to pass, as he drew near to Jericho.

Concerning the example of condescension, which consists in the endurance of the cross, four things are introduced for its perfect description, namely: the kindness of the Master, the profundity of the mystery, the bitterness of the punishment, and the blindness of the human heart with respect to such an example.

First, therefore, as regards the kindness of the Master, he sets forth: Now Jesus took the twelve, that is, he took them intimately to himself, and this was of wondrous condescension and kindness; Deuteronomy thirty-two: "He spread his wings and took them up and carried them on his shoulders." He took them, moreover, so that by teaching he might console them and by consoling he might teach them.

Whence he adds: And he said to them: Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, namely, as to the place of the passion. The Gloss: "Foreseeing that his disciples would be disturbed by his passion, he foretells the place and the pain of the passion and the glory of the resurrection, so that, when they beheld him dying, they would not doubt that he would rise again." He foretells, moreover, that this would take place in Jerusalem. For, as was said above in chapter thirteen, "it cannot be that a Prophet perish outside Jerusalem." The reason for this is that Jerusalem was the place in which was the seat of the kingdom, the priesthood, of teaching, and of judgment: and therefore there ought to suffer he who is king and priest, master, and judge, so that from Jerusalem might go forth and begin the kingdom of Christ, according to that verse of the Psalm: "The Lord shall send forth the rod of thy power out of Sion," etc.; might go forth salvation or remedy; Isaiah sixty-two: "For Sion's sake I will not be silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her just one goes forth as a splendor"; might also go forth law and judgment: Isaiah two: "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord"; and after: "For out of Sion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem." Therefore Christ went up to Jerusalem, so that, suffering on the cross, he might give to the nations the kingdom of power, the priesthood of holiness, and the law of judgment and truth. On account of which Jerusalem itself also bears the type of the Church, of the holy soul, and of the heavenly Jerusalem. Whence Isaiah four: "Everyone who shall be left in Sion and who shall remain in Jerusalem shall be called holy to the Lord, everyone who shall be written in the book of life in Jerusalem."

Second, as regards the profundity of the mystery, there is added: And all things shall be accomplished which were written by the Prophets concerning the Son of man. In this appears the wondrous profundity of the mystery of the Lord's passion, because in it is the consummation of all prophetic revelation. For all the Prophets had as their principal aim the foretelling of Christ according to His threefold dignity, namely of kingship, teaching, and priesthood; and according to His threefold perfection, namely of power, truth, and goodness, according to what is said of Christ in Isaiah thirty-three: "The Lord is our king, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our judge: He shall come and save us." Inasmuch as He is king, He governs us through precepts and judgments; inasmuch as He is teacher, He instructs through mysteries and examples; inasmuch as He is priest, He sanctifies through sacrifices and Sacraments. Since, therefore, these six things were consummated on the cross, it is said that all things which were spoken by the Prophets were consummated. For the precepts were consummated on account of the exceeding charity, because "the end of the commandment is charity," First Timothy one; concerning which in the Psalm: "I have seen the end of all perfection; Your commandment is exceedingly broad." The judgments were consummated on account of the exceeding severity which He exercised upon Himself; Isaiah ten: "The consummation that is decreed shall overflow with justice"; and again, twenty-eight: "I have heard a consummation and a cutting short from the Lord," etc. The mysteries were consummated; Apocalypse ten: "In the days of the voice of the seventh Angel, the mystery of God shall be consummated, as He declared by His servants the Prophets." The examples were consummated; Hebrews two: "It became Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, who had brought many sons into glory, to consummate the author of their salvation through suffering," etc. The sacrifices were consummated; whence Hebrews ten: "By one offering He has consummated forever those who are sanctified"; therefore Second Maccabees one: "The priests made prayer while the sacrifice was being consummated," etc. The Sacraments were consummated; Hebrews eight: "I will consummate upon the house of Israel and upon the house of Judah a new testament"; and this testament was consummated in the blood of Christ; Hebrews nine: "This is the blood of the testament which He has commanded," etc. And from this the old testament was fulfilled, and all things were consummated. And therefore as a figure of this, above in chapter thirteen: "Behold, I perform healings today and tomorrow, and the third day I am consummated"; and therefore John nineteen: "Jesus, knowing that all things were now consummated, said: I thirst." "When therefore Jesus had received the vinegar, He said: It is consummated. And bowing His head, He gave up the spirit." And thus was verified that saying of Ecclesiasticus thirty-four: "Without falsehood the word of the law shall be consummated, and wisdom shall be made plain in the mouth of the faithful."

The blessed prophet David has spoken one of those things which are of great importance for our benefit, especially as it refers to what is of constant occurrence, so to speak, to men's minds. "For I was prepared, he says, and was not troubled." For whatever happens unexpectedly, whenever it is of a serious character, exposes even courageous persons to agitation and alarm, and sometimes to unendurable terrors. But when it has been mentioned before that it will happen, its attack is easily averted. And this, I think, is the meaning of, "I was prepared, and was not troubled."

For this reason the divinely-inspired Scripture very fitly says to those who would attain to glory by leading a course of holy conduct, "My son, if you draw near to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for temptation. Direct your heart, and endure." For it does not so speak in order to produce in men an abject slothfulness which will win no reward, but that they may know that by practising patience and endurance, they will overcome the temptations which happen to all who would live virtuously, and prove superior to every thing that could harass them. And so here also the Saviour of all, to prepare beforehand the disciples' minds, tells them that He shall suffer the passion upon the cross, and death in the flesh, as soon as He has gone up to Jerusalem. And He added too, that He should also rise, wiping out the pain, and obliterating the shame of the passion by the greatness of the miracle. For glorious was it, and worthy of God, to be able to sever the bonds of death, and hasten back to life. For testimony is borne Him by the resurrection from the dead, according to the expression of the wise Paul, that He is God and the Son of God.

That they might therefore be aware both that He foreknew His passion, and though it was in His power easily to escape, that yet of His own will He advanced to meet it, He told them beforehand what would happen. In saying then, "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem," He, so to speak, testified urgently and commanded them to remember what had been foretold. And He added necessarily, that all these things had been foretold by the holy prophets. For Isaiah, as in the person of Christ, says; "I have given My back to scourgings, and My cheeks to buffetings: and My face I have not turned away from the shame of spittings." And again, in another place, He says of Him, "As a sheep He was led to the slaughter, and was silent, as a lamb before its shearer." And again, "All we like sheep have gone astray: every one has gone astray in his path: and the Lord has delivered Him up because of our sins." And again the blessed David also in the twenty-first Psalm, painting as it were beforehand the sufferings upon the cross, has set before us Jesus speaking as one that lo! already was hanging upon the tree, "But I am a worm, and not a man: the reproach of men, and a thing rejected of the people. All those that have seen Me, have derided Me: they have spoken with their lips, and shaken their heads; He trusted in the Lord: let Him deliver Him." For some of the Jews did shake their wicked heads at Him, deriding Him, and saying, "If You are the Son of God, come down now from the cross, and we will believe You." And again He said, "They parted My garments among them, and upon My vesture they cast the lot." And again in another place He says of those that crucified Him, "They gave gall for My food, and for My thirst they made Me drink vinegar."

Of all therefore that was about to happen to Him, nothing was unforetold, God having so ordered it by His Providence for our use, that when the time came for it to happen, no one might be offended. For it was in the power of one Who knew beforehand what was about to happen, to refuse to suffer altogether. No man then compelled Him by force, nor again were the multitudes of the Jews stronger than His might: but He submitted to suffer, because He knew that His passion would be for the salvation of the whole world.

And to convince them that He foreknew His Passion, and of His own accord came to it, that they might not say, "How has He fallen into the hands of the enemy, who promised us salvation?" He relates in order the successive events of the Passion; He shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and scourged, and spitted on.

Our Redeemer, foreseeing that the souls of the disciples would be troubled by His passion, foretold to them long beforehand both the suffering of that same passion and the glory of His resurrection, so that when they saw Him dying, as had been predicted, they would not doubt that He would also rise again.

(Hom. 2. in Ev.) The Saviour foreseeing that the hearts of His disciples would be troubled at His Passion, tells them long beforehand both the suffering of His Passion and the glory of His Resurrection.

I marvel at the folly of those who ask how Christ rose again before the three days. If indeed He rose later than he had foretold, it were a mark of weakness, but if sooner, a token of the highest power. For when we see a man who has promised his creditor that he will pay him his debt after three days, fulfilling his promise on that very day, we are so far from looking upon him as deceitful, that we admire his veracity. I must add, however, that He said not that He should rise again after three days, but on the third day. You have then the preparation, the Sabbath until sun set, and the fact that He rose after the Sabbath was over.

(Hom. 65. in Matt.) He speaks with His disciples apart, concerning His Passion. For it was not fitting to publish this word to the multitudes, lest they should be troubled, but to His disciples He foretold it, that being habituated by expectation, they might be the more able to bear it.

The Lord foretells His sufferings to the disciples for two purposes. First, to show that He would be crucified not against His will and not as a mere man unaware of His death, but that He knows of it beforehand and will endure it voluntarily. For if He did not wish to suffer, then as one who foresaw it, He would have avoided it. For to fall into the hands of others against one's will is characteristic of those who do not know of it in advance. Second, to persuade them to bear the coming events with ease, as things known to them beforehand and not happening to them suddenly. But if, Lord, what was long ago foretold by the prophets is to be fulfilled in You, then why do You go up to Jerusalem? For this very reason, that I may accomplish salvation. And so, He goes voluntarily.

Third, as to the bitterness of the punishment, he adds: For he shall be delivered to the Gentiles, as a stranger, according to what is foretold by David in the Psalm: "I was delivered up and did not go forth." The figure of this preceded in Joseph, of whom it is said in Genesis thirty-seven, that "his brothers delivered him to the Ishmaelites," and in Samson, of whom it is said in Judges sixteen, that his wife delivered him to the Philistines.

And he shall be mocked, as a fool: the figure of this preceded in Job, of whom Job thirty: "Now those younger in age deride me, whose fathers I would not have deigned to set with the dogs of my flock" etc.; and Mark fifteen: "They clothe him in purple and place upon him a crown of thorns they had plaited, and they began to salute him, saying: Hail, King of the Jews: and they struck his head with a reed." And he shall be scourged, as the lowest: whence in the Psalm: "And I was scourged the whole day"; and Isaiah fifty: "I gave my body to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who plucked them"; whence John nineteen: "Pilate took Jesus and scourged him."

And he shall be spat upon, as unclean, Isaiah fifty: "I did not turn my face from those who rebuked and spat upon me"; and Job thirty: "They have fled far from me and do not fear to spit in my face"; Matthew twenty-six: "They spat in his face and struck him with their fists."

(ubi sup.) Esaias prophesied of this when he said, I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. (Isa. 50:5.) The Prophet also foretold the crucifixion, saying, He hath poured out his soul unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors; (Isa. 53:12.) as it is said here, And after they have scourged him, they shall put him to death. But David foretold Christ's resurrection, For thou shalt not leave my soul in hell, (Ps. 16:10.) and so it is here added, And on the third day he shall rise again.

And after they have scourged him, they shall put him to death, as though he were wicked: whence it is said in Daniel nine: "After sixty-two weeks Christ shall be slain: and the people who are to deny him shall not be his"; and Isaiah fifty-three: "He shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter and shall be silent as a lamb before his shearer"; and Matthew twenty-seven: "After they had mocked him, they clothed him in his own garments and led him away to be crucified." "And they crucified with him two thieves." "And the Scripture was fulfilled which says: And he was reckoned among the wicked."

And on the third day he will rise again, as true God, which is said lest they be terrified by the passion. The figure of this resurrection was prefigured in Jonah; whence it is said in Matthew 12: "Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights, so will the Son of man be in the heart of the earth." Whence also Hosea 6: "He will revive us after two days, and on the third day he will raise us up"; and concerning this, John 2: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." "But he spoke this of the temple of his body." Now in these six things which were accomplished in our redemption—in the betrayal, the mocking, the scourging, the spitting upon, the killing, and the resurrection—the universality of the works of reparation is rightly enclosed at its root, so that, just as in six days the whole world was perfected, so also in these six the work of reparation consists; and finally there follows the giving of the Holy Spirit, as on the seventh day, in the mystery of which it is said in Genesis 2: "God completed on the seventh day all his work"; "and he blessed the seventh day and sanctified it." In this is understood the giving of sevenfold grace: John 7: "The Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified," etc.

(l. ii. Ep. 212.) I marvel at the folly of those who ask how Christ rose again before the three days. If indeed He rose later than he had foretold, it were a mark of weakness, but if sooner, a token of the highest power. For when we see a man who has promised his creditor that he will pay him his debt after three days, fulfilling his promise on that very day, we are so far from looking upon him as deceitful, that we admire his veracity. I must add, however, that He said not that He should rise again after three days, but on the third day. You have then the preparation, the Sabbath until sun set, and the fact that He rose after the Sabbath was over.