Luke — Chapter 6

And it came to pass on the second Sabbath after the first — On the second Sabbath. The Arabic version. What was this Sabbath ? 1. The eighth day of unleavened bread or the last day of the Passover. Epiphanius, Vetablus, and others. 2. The first day of unleavened bread or the second day of the Passover, and therefore both the first and second Sabbath or Feast-day. Isidore, Euthymius, and another. 3. The Feast of Pentecost. The second or next greatest to the Passover. Maldonatus. 4. I however consider that this Sabbath was not a feast, but a Sabbath in the strict sense of the word, i.e. a day on which the Jews were forbidden even to prepare their food (Ex. xxxv. 3), which they were permitted to do on other feasts (Ex. xii. 16). That this is the true interpretation is clear from the other Evangelists, who speak of this day as simply a Sabbath. (In accordance with A Lapide the Revised Version reads, “Now it came to pass on a Sabbath.”) VOL. vl m i 1 7* S. LUKE. C. VI. But why is this Sabbath called the second after the first? 1. Because it followed on a feast (Theophylact) ; or, as others hold, because it was followed by a feast, and thus became the first before the second, which was close at hand. 2. Scaliger considers it to be the first Sabbath after the Feast of the Passover, called the second after the first, because it was the first after the second day of unleavened bread, from which day was numbered the seven weeks to Pentecost So also Vasquez. 3. S. Chrysostom and others think the words imply a feast or Sabbath in a twofold sense, a day on which another feast-day falls, and that they convey the same meaning as the Latin word “ duplitia ; ” but to this interpretation Jansenius objects. 4. But it is most probable that the words mean the Sabbath which fell within the week of Pentecost or on the Feast-day itself. The Pascal Sabbath being distinguished as the first or principal Sabbath of the whole year. S. John xix. 31. (1.) This opinion is confirmed by the fact that what is here narrated of the disciples must have happened about the time of Pentecost, ue. when the com was ripe. Hence the command to the Jews to offer their firstfruits, Lev. xxiii. 17. (2.) And because, as I have showed, this was a Sabbath in the strict sense of the word, and was called second, in respect of some other Sabbath which held rank as the first, and not with any reference to the Passover or any other feast (3). Because, again, none of the other opinions seem to be prob- able. For, to sum up, the Feasts of the Passover and Pentecost are so nearly connected, that, although one is first in dignity and order, the second follows in all respects closely upon it. For this reason the Italians call Pentecost the Passover of the Holy Ghost The same may be said also of the Sabbaths which fall within these feasts ; therefore the Church numbers her Sundays from Easter to Pentecost, and from the latter festival to Advent. But you will object that the week of Pentecost was not a feast in the same sense as the week of the Passover 2 therefore that the THE SON OF MAN LORD OF THE SABBATH. 179 Sabbath which fell in it was not of more importance than any other. I answer that although the Pentecostal week was not com- manded by the law to be kept as a feast, it was so kept by the piety of the Jews. Genebrardus’ Hebrew Calendar, and on the Psalms. Figuratively , says S. Ambrose, we may understand this Sabbath to mean the Gospel, which is second to the law in point of time, but first in dignity and importance. He further adds, commenting on Ps. xlvii., the words 4< second Sabbath after the first” mean the Jewish Sabbath, for after the resurrection the Lord’s-day took its place. From that time there- fore it became second in dignity, yet at the same time it was rightly called first, because of its sanctity and the priority of its institution. Figuratively , Christ taught and worked His chief miracles on the Sabbath, not only to prefigure the spiritual Sabbath, when the mind, no longer taken up with evil lusts and passions, will be free to serve God alone, but because of the gathering together of the people, as they assemble now on the Lord’s-day. There was also another reason, viz., to teach the Jews the true observance of the Sabbath, and that they might no longer be offended at the wonderful works which Christ wrought on that day, as were the Scribes, who accused Him of transgressing the law, and gave Him up to that death by means of which God effected the redemption of mankind. Bede.

The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath. See S. Matt, xil 8.

And they were filled with madness, a niag, deprived of understanding, they could not answer Him a word ; they were filled with anger because they could not gainsay the reasoning of Christ, and with envy, as the Syriac renders it, which was the cause of their madness. Their eyes were blinded so that they could not see the truth ! Hence Francis Lucas adds, they communed one with another what they might do with Jesus, i.e. how they tnight make away with Him.

He went out into a mountain to fray, and continued all i8o S. LUKE, C. VI. night in prayer to God — communing with God in prayer, asking the Father that He might choose for the ministry men fitted to be apostles, and would obtain for them an abundance of spiritual grace to enable them to fulfil the duties of their office ; and also that He might teach us to pray in like manner. So the Church at Ember-tide enjoins her children to fast and to pray that fitting persons may be chosen for the work of the ministry, and that those admitted to any holy function may be filled with grace and heavenly benediction ; for as with the priest so with the people. When a chief pastor is zealous and God- fearing, he is a blessing and a strength to his diocese, but if he be an evil liver or slothful, he becomes a stumbling-block and offence to believers. In like manner, also, a good priest makes a good parish, but an evil one is for a destruction to his people. Figuratively , Christ teaches us to pray in the night season that we may be the better able in silence and solitude to collect our thoughts and lift our hearts unto God ; that we may be preserved from terror by night and from the pestilence that walketh in dark- ness, and also that by our prayers during the night we may obtain spiritual graces for the profit of our fellow-men during the ensuing day. Hence Christ prayed by night and taught in the daytime. So did S. Paul, Acts xvi. 25 ; and many other saints ; 1 Tim. v. 5. For the same reason David so often commends prayer during the night time, “ Ye that by night stand in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary,” Ps. cxxxiv. 1, 2. “ At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto Thee,” Ps. cxix. 62. “ In the night I commune with mine own heart,” Ps. lxxvii. 6. “ My tears have been my meat day and night,” Ps. xlii. 3. See also Commentary on Deut vi. 7.

Blessed are ye poor ... in spirit (see S. Matt v. 3), for poorness of spirit is a rich and precious virtue. Therefore S. Ambrose rightly concludes that poverty, privations, and sorrow, which the world counts evil, not only are no hindrances, but on the contrary have been declared by Him who could neither deceive THE FOUR BEATITUDES. 181 nor be deceived, to be of great assistance towards the attainment of a holy and a happy life. The same writer goes on to give the reason why S. Luke has reduced the number of the beatitudes to four. He was content that they should include the four cardinal virtues. Justice, which, coveting not the possessions of others, rejoices in holy poverty; temperance, which had rather suffer want than be full; prudence, which chooses to sorrow here, in hope of the joy which shall be revealed ; and Fortitude, which for sake of Christ and His Gospel, endures persecution and so triumphs over every enemy. Hence we read that the poor, the temperate, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness (S. Matthew), the just, those who weep, the prudent who despise earthly things and seek heavenly, those hated of their fellowmen, not because of any misdeeds but for the Gospel’s sake, who, steadfast in the faith, seek for future happiness by pleasing God rather than men — that these are indeed blessed.

But woe unto you that are rich , for ye have received your consolation. To the four beatitudes Christ, by antithesis, opposes as many states of misery and unhappiness. The poor are blessed for all eternity, but the rich receive in this world their consolation ; the hungry shall be satisfied with good things, but those that are full now shall be sent empty away. They who weep here shall hereafter rejoice, but for those who laugh now there is reserved a future of mourning ; and those that are spoken well of by their fellow men, are laying up lor themselves an eternity of woe. For Oual, Latin vcc, as S. Gregory points out (Horn. ix. on Ezekiel), oftentimes in Scripture denotes the wrath of God and everlasting punishment. Hence this word is here used by Christ partly as a lament over the future and eternal misery of the worldly, (S. Chrysostom, Horn. 44 ad pop.)', partly as a prophecy of it (Titus) ; partly as threatening and decreeing such punishment against them (Tertullian, bk. iv. against Marcian). You that are rich. As by poor we understand those poor in spirit who love poverty because thereby they are the better able to 1 82 S. LUKE, C. VI. please God, so we may take the word rich to mean those who, greedy of gain, heap up riches by any means in their power, and look upon wealth as their sole happiness and the one object of their life. Hence mortal sin, robbery, extortion, unfair dealing, and other such like sins. Therefore the denunciation of Christ. But those who are rich by inheritance and honest labour, as long as they are not corrupted by their riches, but use them for the glory of God and the good of their fellow men, in reality are poor, as were the patriarchs, David, and many other of the saints of old. For it is not the amount he possesses, but the use a man makes of his riches which is accounted sin. So “they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil.” See i Tim. vi. 9. Ye have received your consolation, . Ye set your heart on your riches, use them for your own evil gratification, and put them in the place of your God. Therefore ye are allowed the enjoyment of them in this life, but in the life which is to come ye will, as Christ has here declared, come short of everlasting happiness, for those who have in this world received their consolation will lose their eternal reward. Hence S. Hieronymus ( Epist \ xxxiv.), when endeavouring to per- suade Julian, a rich nobleman, to give up the world and devote himself to a holy and religious life, uses this powerful argument “ It is difficult, if not impossible,” he says, “ to enjoy happiness in both worlds — to give ourselves up to our evil lusts and passions here, but to become spiritually minded after death — to pass from one state of happiness to the other— to acquire glory both in this world and in the next, . . . and to be distinguished equally in heaven and on earth. Hence Abraham returned none other answer to the rich man than this, ‘ Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things, but now he is comforted and thou art tormented.*” See