HOMIL. 404 The Healing of St. Peter's Wife's Mother. Therefore neither doth he himself bring Him in, but He entered of His own accord, (after the centurion had said, I 1, 2. v. 8. am not worthy that Thou shouldest come under my roof:) to shew how much favour He bestowed on His disciple. And yet consider of what sort were the houses of these fishermen; but for all that, He disdained not to enter into their mean huts, teaching thee by all means to trample under foot human pride. And sometimes He heals by words only, sometimes He even stretches forth His hand, sometimes He doeth both these things, to bring into sight His way of healing. For it was not His will always to work miracles in the more surpassing manner: it being needful for Him to be concealed awhile, and especially as concerned His disciples; since they out of their great delight would have proclaimed every thing. And this was evident from the fact, that even after coming to the Mount, it was needful to charge them that they should tell no man. Having therefore touched her body, He not only quenched the fever, but also gave her back perfect health. Thus, the disease being an ordinary one, He displayed His power by the manner of healing; a thing which no physician's art could have wrought. For ye know that even after the departing of fevers, the patients yet need much time to return to their former health. But then all took place at once. And not in this case only, but also in that of the sea. For neither there did He quiet the winds only and the storm, but He also stayed at once the swelling of the waves; and this also was a strange thing. For even if the tempest should cease, the waves continue to swell for a long time. But with Christ it was not so, but all at once was ended: and so it befel this woman also. Wherefore also the Evanv. 15. gelist, to declare this, said, She arose and ministered unto Him; which was a sign both of Christ's power, and of the disposition of the woman, which she shewed towards Christ. And another thing together with these we may hence observe, that Christ grants the healing of some to the faith even of others. Since in this case too, others besought Him, as also in the instance of the centurion's servant. Great abundance of our Lord's Miracles. 405 VIII. And this grant He makes, when there is no unbelief in him MATT. that is to be healed, but either through disease he cannot 16, 17. come unto Him, or through ignorance imagines nothing great of Him, or because of his immature age. [2.] When the even was come, they brought unto Him many v.16,17. that were possessed with devils: and He cast out the spirits from them with a word, and healed all that were sick: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet Esaias, that He took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. Seest thou the multitude, by this time growing in faith? For not even when the time pressed could they endure to depart, nor did they account it unseasonable to bring their sick to Him at eventide. But mark, I pray thee, how great a multitude of persons healed the Evangelists pass quickly over, not mentioning one by one, and giving us an account of them, but in one word traversing an unspeakable sea of miracles. Then lest the greatness of the wonder should drive us again to unbelief, that even so great a people and their various diseases should be delivered and healed by Him in one moment of time, He brings in the Prophet also to bear witness to what is going on indicating the abundance of the proof we have, in every case, out of the Scriptures; such, that from the miracles themselves we have no more; and He saith, that Esaias also spake of these things; He took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. He said not, "He did them away," but He took and bare them; which seems to me to be spoken rather of sins, by the Prophet, in harmony with John, where he saith, Behold the Lamb of God, that beareth the sin of the world1. 1 John 1, How then doth the Evangelist here apply it to diseases? 29. Either as rehearsing the passage in the historical sense, or to shew that most of our diseases arise from sins of the soul. For if the sum of all, death itself, hath its root and foundation from sin, much more the majority of our diseases also: since our very capability of suffering did itself originate there. 2 XXVII. 406 Why He bade depart to the other side. HOMIL. [3.] Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, 3,4. He gave commandment to depart unto the other side. v. 18. 1, 34. Luke Seest thou again His freedom from ostentation? in that as the others say, "He charged the devils not to say it Mark was He'," so this writer saith, He repels the multitudes from Him. Now in so doing, He was at once both training us to 4, 41. be moderate, and at the same time allaying the envy of the Jews, and teaching us to do nothing for display. For He was not, we know, a Healer to bodies only, but a Curer also of the soul, and a Teacher of self-restraint; by both disclosing Himself, both by putting away their diseases, and by doing nought for display. Because they indeed were cleaving unto Him, loving Him, and marvelling at Him, and desiring to look upon Him. For who would depart from One who was doing such miracles? Who would not long, were it only to see the Face, and the Mouth that was uttering such words? For not by any means in working wonders only was He wonderful, but even when merely shewing Himself, He was full gos. of great grace; and to declare this the Prophet said, Fair2 3 Ps. 45, in beauty beyond the children of men3. And if Esaias saith, He hath no form nor comeliness1, he affirms it either in Is. 53, 2. LXX. comparison of the glory of His Godhead, Which surpasses 2. LXX. all utterance and description; or as declaring what took place at His passion, and the dishonour which He underwent at the season of the cross, and the mean estate which throughout His life He exemplified in all respects. Further; He did not first give commandment to depart unto the other side, nor until He had healed them. For surely they could not have borne it. As therefore on the mountain they not only continued with Him while exhorting them, but also when it was silence followed Him; so here too, not in His miracles only did they wait on Him, but also when He had ceased again, from His very countenance receiving no small benefit. For if Moses had his face made glorious, and Stephen like that of an Angel; consider thou our common Lord, what manner of person it was likely He would appear at such a time. e i. e. 66 moderate, as receivers, in to all display, when we give in His what we expect from Him: and averse Name." His rejection of a voluntary Follower. 407 VIII. Many now perchance have fallen into a passionate desire MATT. of seeing That Form; but if we are willing we shall behold 19. One far better than That. For if we can pass through our present life with Christian boldness', we shall receive Him' rà παῤῥη in the clouds, meeting Him in an immortal and incorruptible is body. But observe how He doth not simply drive them away, lest He should hurt them. For He did not say, " withdraw," but gave commandment to depart to the other side, giving them to expect that He would surely come thither. [4.] And the multitudes for their part evinced this great love, and were following with much affection; but some one person, a slave of wealth, and possessed with much arrogance, approaches Him, and saith, Master, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest. Seest thou how great his arrogance? For as not deigning to be numbered with the multitude, and indicating that he is above the common sort, so he comes near. Because such is the Jewish character; full of unseasonable confidence. So too another afterwards, when all men were keeping silence, of his own accord springs up, and saith, Which is the first commandment?? v. 19. 2 Matt. Luke Yet nevertheless the Lord rebuked not his unseasonable 22, 36. confidence, teaching us to bear even with such as these. 10, 25. Therefore He doth not openly convict them who are devising mischief, but replies to their secret thought, leaving it to themselves only to know that they are convicted, and doubly doing them good, first by shewing that He knows what is in their conscience, next by granting unto them concealment after this manifestation, and allowing them to recover themselves again, if they will: which thing He doth in the case of this man also. For he, seeing the many signs, and many drawn after Him, thought to make a gain out of such miracles; wherefore also he was forward to follow Him. And whence is this manifest? From the answer which Christ makes, meeting not the question, as it stands verbally, but the temper shewn in its meaning. For, "What?" saith He, "dost thou look to gather wealth by following Me? Seest thou not then that I have not even a lodging, not even so much as the birds have?" XXVII. 408 Our Lord's way of speaking to Men's Thoughts. HOMIL. For the foxes, saith He, have holes, and the birds of the 4-6. air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head. v. 20. Now these were not the words of One turning Himself away, but of One who while putting to the proof his evil disposition, yet permitted him (if he were willing with such a prospect) to follow Him. And to convince thee of his wickedness, when he had heard these things, and had been proved, he did not say, I am ready to follow Thee. [5.] And in many other places also Christ is clearly doing this; He doth not openly convict, but by His answer He manifests the purpose of them that are coming unto Him. Thus to him again that said, Good Master, and had thought by such flattery to gain His favour, according to his purpose He made Matt. answer, saying, Why callest thou Me good? There is none good but One, that is, God'. 19, 16. 17. Luke 18, 18. 19. And when they said unto Him, Behold, Thy mother and Thy brethren seek Thee2; forasmuch as these were under 2 Matt. the influence of some human infirmity, not desiring to hear something profitable, but to make a display of their relationship to Him, and therein to be vain-glorious; hear what He saith: Who is My mother, and who are My brethren? 12, 47. 48. 7, 4. 6. 1, And again to His brethren themselves, saying unto Him, John Shew thyself to the world3, and wishing thence to feed their vain-glory, He said, Your time (so He speaks) is always ready, but My time is not yet come. 47. And in the opposite cases too He doth so; as in that of Nathanael, saying, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is John no guile. And again, Go and shew John again those Matt. things which ye do hear and sees. For neither in this did 11, 4. He reply to the words, but to the intention of him that sent them. And with the people again in like manner, He addresses His discourse unto their conscience, saying, What 6 Matt. went ye out into the wilderness to see? That is, because 11,7. they were probably feeling about John, as though he had been a sort of easy and wavering person; to correct this their suspicion, He saith, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? or, a man clothed with soft raiment? by both these figures declaring, that he was neither of himself a waverer, nor would be softened by |