Matthew § 88

(Verse 43.) Therefore I say to you, that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and it will be given to a nation producing its fruits. I have said many times that the kingdom of God is to be understood as the holy Scriptures, which the Lord took away from the Jews and gave to us, so that we may produce their fruits. This is the vineyard that is entrusted to the farmers and winegrowers, and those who do not work in it, having only the name of the Scriptures, will lose the fruits of the vineyard.

By the kingdom of God, He means the mysteries of the kingdom of God, that is, the divine Scriptures, which the Lord committed, first to that former people who had the oracles of God, but secondly to the Gentiles who brought forth fruit. For the word of God is given to none but to him who brings fruit thereof, and the kingdom of God is given to none in whom sin reigns. Whence came it then that it was given to them from whom it was afterwards taken away? Remember that whatever is given is given of free gift. To whom then He let out the vineyard, He let it out not as to elect already and believing; but to whom He gave it, He gave it with a sentence of election.

The kingdom of God, that is, closeness with God, has been taken from the Jews and given to those who believed.

Then he explains; and he presents two conclusions. The first is drawn from what was said in the parable; the second is taken from what was said in the scriptural text. He says therefore "therefore I say to you, that the kingdom shall be taken from you," i.e., sacred Scripture, because you will lose the understanding of sacred Scripture. John 12:40: "He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart, that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them." Or the prelacy over the Church of the faithful, because their glory has been transferred. "And shall be given to a nation yielding the fruits thereof." Isa 55:4: "Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and a master to the Gentiles. Behold thou shalt call a nation which thou knewest not: and the nations that knew not thee shall run to thee." But how was it given to them? Above it was said that he leased it; but here that it is given. Because when it does not bear fruit, it is said to be hired or mercenary; but when it is given, then it bears fruit.

(Quaest. Ev. i. 30.) Or, Those that fall upon Him, are those that despise and afflict Him. These do not perish utterly, but are broken so that they walk not upright. But upon these He shall fall when He shall come from above in judgment with a punishment of destruction, and thence He says, Shall grind them to powder, because the wicked are like the dust which the wind scattereth abroad on the face of the earth. (Ps. 1:4.).

These jewels of God, the poor, are still treated as mere stones of the street; but as stones that may sometimes fly. If it please God, you and I may see some of the stones flying again before we see death. But here I only remark the interesting fact that the conquered almost always conquer. Sparta killed Athens with a final blow, and she was born again. Sparta went away victorious, and died slowly of her own wounds. The Boers lost the South African War and gained South Africa.

(Verse 44.) And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder. It is one thing to offend Christ through evil works, another to deny Him. Whoever is a sinner, yet believes in Him, falls indeed on the stone and is broken, but is not utterly crushed; for he is preserved through repentance for salvation. But on whomever the stone falls, that is, on whom the stone itself will crash down, and who completely denies Christ, it will grind him to powder, so that not even a shard remains, in which a little water could be poured.

Whoso sinneth, yet believeth on Him, falls indeed upon a stone and is broken, yet is not altogether crushed, but is preserved to salvation through endurance. But on whomsoever it shall fall, that is, whomsoever this stone shall itself assault, and whosoever shall utterly deny Christ, it shall so crush him, that not a bone of him shall be left in which a drop of water could be taken up.

Then, that they might know that the penalty is not limited to their being cast out, He added the punishments also, saying, "Every one that falleth on this stone, shall be broken; but upon whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder." He speaks here of two ways of destruction, one from stumbling and being offended; for this is, "Whosoever falleth on this stone:" but another from their capture, and calamity, and utter destruction, which also He clearly foretold, saying, "It will grind him to powder." By these words He darkly intimated His own resurrection also.

Now the Prophet Isaiah saith, that He blames the vineyard, but here He accuses in particular the rulers of the people. And there indeed He saith, "What ought I to have done to my vineyard, that I did not;" and elsewhere again, "What transgression have your fathers found in me?" And again, "O my people, what have I done unto thee? and wherein have I grieved thee?" showing their thankless disposition, and that when in the enjoyment of all things, they requited it by the contraries; but here He expresses it with yet greater force. For He cloth not plead, Himself, saying, "What ought I to have done that I have not done?" but brings in themselves to judge, that nothing hath been wanting, and to condemn themselves. For when they say, "He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out the vineyard to other husbandmen," they say nothing else than this, publishing their sentence with much greater force.

With this Stephen also upbraids them, which thing most of all stung them, that having enjoyed always much providential care, they requited their benefactor with the contraries, which very thing itself was a very great sign, that not the punisher, but the punished, were the cause of the vengeance brought upon them.

Christ is called A Stone, not only because of His strength, but because He mightily crushes His enemies; whence it follows, And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken, and on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder.

It is one thing to be broken, and another to be ground to powder. Of what is broken there remains something; but what is ground to powder is as it were converted into dust. And what falls upon a stone is not broken by any power of the stone, but because it fell heavily, either by reason of its weight, or of its fall from a great height. So a Christian in sinning, perishes, but not to the utmost that Christ can destroy; but only so far as he destroys himself, either by the greatness of his sin, or by his exalted rank. But the unbelievers perish to the utmost that Christ can destroy them.

Those who stumble against the Rock of Christ and take offence at Him will not only be crushed at the second coming, but already here in this life they have been scattered like powder by Christ. They have been scattered over all the earth, as we now see the pitiable Jews to be. Understand that he who is "crushed to powder to be scattered" is dispersed abroad and scattered in diaspora.

He presents a twofold punishment: "and whosoever shall fall on this stone, shall be broken." This is explained according to Jerome thus: he falls upon the stone Christ who holds the faith concerning him, i.e., concerning Christ, but falls through the sin which he commits against him. Therefore sinners fall, because they do not have charity. "But on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder." Christ falls upon the unbelieving. This is the difference: because when a vessel falls upon a stone, the vessel is not broken on account of the stone, but on account of the manner of the fall, according to how far it falls from a height; but when a stone falls upon a vessel, it breaks it according to the size of the stone. So when a man falls upon the stone Christ, he is broken according to the magnitude of his sin; but when he becomes unfaithful, he is utterly crushed. Or someone falls upon the stone when he sins by his own will; but then, namely, the stone falls upon him when Christ punishes him, and then he is entirely ground to dust. Ps 17:43: "I shall beat them as small as the dust before the wind."