Church Fathers Commentary Luke 18

Theophylact of Ohrid: Our Lord, having spoken of the coming trials and dangers, immediately adds their remedy: constant and earnest prayer.

St. John Chrysostom: He who has redeemed you has shown you what He wants you to do. He wants you to be persistent in prayer, to ponder in your heart the blessings you are praying for, and to ask and receive what His goodness is longing to impart.

He never refuses His blessings to those who pray, but rather stirs them up by His mercy not to grow weary in praying. Gladly accept the Lord’s encouragement; be willing to do what He commands and not to do what He forbids. Lastly, consider what a blessed privilege you are granted to talk with God in your prayers and make all your needs known to Him. While He does not answer in words, He answers by His mercy, for He does not despise petitions. He never grows tired, but only stops when you are silent.

The Venerable Bede: We should say that a person who never fails to pray at the canonical hours is always praying and does not grow weary. Or, all things that the righteous person does and says toward God should be considered prayer.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Our Lord tells His parables either for the sake of comparison—as in the instance of the creditor who, when forgiving his two debtors, was loved most by the one who owed him the most—or because of a contrast from which He draws His conclusion. For example: if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So it is here, where He presents the case of the unjust judge.

Theophylact of Ohrid: We may observe that irreverence toward man is a sign of a greater degree of wickedness. For many who do not fear God are still restrained by their shame before other people, and are to that extent less sinful. But when a person also becomes reckless toward others, the burden of his sins is greatly increased.

It follows, And there was a widow in that city.

St. Augustine of Hippo: The widow may be said to resemble the Church, which appears desolate until the Lord comes, who now secretly watches over her. But in the following words, And she came to him, saying, Avenge me of my adversary..., we are told the reason why God's elect pray to be avenged. We find this also said of the martyrs in the book of Revelation, though at the same time we are very plainly reminded to pray for our enemies and persecutors.

We must understand this "avenging" of the righteous, then, to mean that the wicked may perish. They perish in two ways: either by conversion to righteousness, or by punishment, having lost the opportunity for conversion. Even if all people were converted to God, the devil would still remain to be condemned at the end of the world. Since the righteous are longing for this end to come, it is not unreasonable to say they desire vengeance.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Or else, whenever people injure us, we must consider it a noble thing to forget the evil. But when they offend against the glory of God by taking up arms against the ministers of God's ordinance, we then approach God, imploring His help and loudly rebuking those who attack His glory.

St. Augustine of Hippo: If, then, the perseverance of the supplicant at last prevailed with the most unjust judge, leading to the fulfillment of her desire, how much more confident should those feel who do not cease to pray to God, the Fountain of justice and mercy? And so it follows when the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge says.

Theophylact of Ohrid: It is as if He said, "If perseverance could sway a judge defiled with every sin, how much more will our prayers incline God, the Father of all mercies, to be merciful!" But some have given a more subtle meaning to the parable, saying that the widow is a soul that has put off her "old man" (that is, the devil), who is her adversary. She approaches God, the righteous Judge, who neither fears anyone (because He is God alone) nor shows partiality, for with God there is no partiality. Therefore, God shows mercy to the widow—the soul ever pleading with Him against the devil—and is moved by her persistence.

After teaching us that we must resort to prayer in the last days because of the coming dangers, our Lord adds, Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?

St. Augustine of Hippo: Our Lord says this about perfect faith, which is seldom found on earth. Consider how full the Church of God is; if there were no faith, who would enter it? If there were perfect faith, who would not move mountains?

The Venerable Bede: When the Almighty Creator appears in the form of the Son of Man, the elect will be so scarce that the world's fall will be hastened not so much by the cries of the faithful as by the apathy of others.

Our Lord speaks, then, as if He were doubtful—not because He is actually in doubt, but to rebuke us. This is just as we sometimes use words of doubt in a matter of certainty, for instance, when scolding a servant: "Remember, am I not your master?"

St. Augustine of Hippo: Our Lord adds this to show that when faith fails, prayer dies. Therefore, to pray, we must have faith; and so that our faith does not fail, we must pray. Faith pours forth prayer, and the pouring out of the heart in prayer gives steadfastness to faith.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Since faith is a gift not for the proud but for the humble, our Lord goes on to add a parable about humility and against pride.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Pride, more than any other passion, disturbs the human mind, which is why there are such frequent warnings against it. It is also contempt for God; for when a person ascribes the good they do to themselves and not to God, what is this but a denial of God?

For the sake of those, then, who trust in themselves so much that they will not attribute everything to God—and therefore despise others—He puts forth a parable. This parable shows that while righteousness may bring a person to God, if that person is clothed with pride, it casts them down to hell.

Greek Expositors: In the parable of the widow and the judge, our Lord taught the lesson of being diligent in prayer. Now He instructs us how we should direct our prayers to Him, so that they may not be fruitless. The Pharisee was condemned because he prayed heedlessly, as it says, The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself.

Theophylact of Ohrid: It says he was standing to denote his arrogant disposition, for his very posture reveals his extreme pride.

St. Basil the Great: He prayed with himself—that is, not with God. His sin of pride sent him back into himself. It follows, God, I thank you.

St. Augustine of Hippo: His fault was not that he gave God thanks, but that he asked for nothing more. Because you are full and abounding, you feel no need to say, Forgive us our debts. What then must be the guilt of one who impiously fights against grace, when a person who proudly gives thanks is condemned? Let those listen who say, “God made me a man, but I made myself righteous.” Oh, how much worse and more hateful this is than the Pharisee, who, though he proudly called himself righteous, at least gave thanks to God for it.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Observe the order of the Pharisee’s prayer. He first speaks of what he is not, and then of what he is. As it follows, That I am not as other men are.

St. Augustine of Hippo: He might at least have said, “as many men.” For what does he mean by “other men” but everyone besides himself? He is saying, “I am righteous; the rest are sinners.”

St. Gregory the Great: The pride of self-confident people presents itself in different forms. They may imagine that the good in them comes from themselves. Or, while believing it is given to them from above, they think they have received it because of their own merits. Or, they may boast that they have what they do not actually possess. Or finally, by despising others, they aim to appear unique in possessing what they have. It is in this last respect that the Pharisee especially awards himself the merit for his good works.

St. Augustine of Hippo: See how he draws from the publican near him a fresh occasion for pride. It follows, Or even as this publican. It is as if he says, “I stand alone; he is one of the others.”

St. John Chrysostom: To despise the whole human race was not enough for him; he had to also attack the publican. He still would have sinned, but far less, if he had spared the publican. But now, in one phrase, he both assails those who are absent and wounds the one who is present. To give thanks is not to heap reproaches on others. When you return thanks to God, let Him be all in all to you. Do not turn your thoughts to other people or condemn your neighbor.

St. Basil the Great: The difference between the proud man and the scoffer is in the outward form alone. The one is engaged in insulting others, the other in presumptuously praising himself.

St. John Chrysostom: He who slanders others does much harm both to himself and to them. First, those who hear him are made worse; for if they are sinners, they rejoice in finding someone as guilty as they are, and if they are righteous, they are puffed up, being led by the sins of others to think more highly of themselves. Second, the body of the Church suffers, because those who hear him are not all content to blame only the guilty, but also attach the reproach to the Christian religion itself.

Third, the glory of God is spoken of evil, for just as our good deeds cause the name of God to be glorified, so our sins cause it to be blasphemed. Fourth, the one being reproached is shamed and becomes more reckless and hardened. Fifth, the one who speaks is himself made liable to punishment for saying things that are improper.

Theophylact of Ohrid: It is right for us not only to shun evil but also to do good. And so after saying, I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, he adds something by way of contrast: I fast twice in the week. They called the week “the Sabbath,” from its last day of rest. The Pharisees fasted on the second and fifth days. He therefore set fasting against the passion of adultery, for lust is born of luxury. Against the extortioners and usurers he opposed the payment of tithes, as it follows, I give tithes of all that I possess. It is as if to say, “I am so far from extortion or causing injury that I even give up what is my own.”

St. Gregory the Great: So it was pride that exposed the citadel of his heart to his cunning enemies, which prayer and fasting had kept closed, but in vain. All other fortifications are useless as long as there is one place that the enemy has left defenseless.

St. Augustine of Hippo: If you look into his words, you will find that he asked nothing of God. He goes up to pray, but instead of asking God, he praises himself and even insults the one who was asking. The publican, on the other hand, driven far off by his stricken conscience, is brought near by his piety.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Although reported to have stood, the publican still differed from the Pharisee in his manner and his words, as well as in having a contrite heart. For he feared to lift up his eyes to heaven, thinking those eyes that had loved to gaze upon and wander after earthly things were unworthy of the heavenly vision. He also struck his breast, striking it, as it were, because of his evil thoughts, and also rousing it as if it were asleep. And so he sought only that God would be reconciled to him, saying, God, be merciful to me a sinner.

St. John Chrysostom: He heard the words, that I am not as this publican. He was not angry, but convicted in his heart. The one uncovered the wound; the other sought its remedy. Let no one, then, ever offer such a cold excuse as, “I dare not, I am ashamed, I cannot open my mouth.” The demons have that kind of fear. The devil desires to close against you every door of access to God.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Why then do you wonder whether God pardons, since the man himself acknowledges his sin? The publican stood far off, yet he drew near to God. And the Lord was near to him and heard him, for the LORD is on high, yet He has regard for the lowly. He did not so much as lift his eyes to heaven; he did not look up, so that he might be looked upon. Conscience weighed him down; hope raised him up. He struck his own breast; he passed judgment on himself. Therefore the Lord spared the penitent one. You have heard the accusation of the proud man; you have heard the humble confession of the accused. Now hear the sentence of the Judge: Truly I say to you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other.

St. John Chrysostom: This parable presents to us two chariots on a race course, each with two charioteers. In one chariot, it places righteousness with pride; in the other, sin with humility. You see the chariot of sin outstrip that of righteousness, not by its own strength but by the excellence of the humility combined with it. The other is defeated not by a lack of righteousness, but by the weight and swelling of pride. For as humility by its own resilience rises above the weight of sin and, leaping up, reaches God, so pride by its great weight easily pulls righteousness down.

Therefore, even if you are earnest and constant in doing good, if you think you may boast, you are completely devoid of the fruits of prayer. But you who bear a thousand loads of guilt on your conscience, if you only think of yourself as the lowest of all people, will gain much confidence before God.

And then He goes on to give the reason for His sentence: For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

The word “humility” has various meanings. There is the humility of virtue, as in, A humble and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. There is also a humility that arises from sorrows, as in, He has humbled my life upon the earth. And there is a false humility derived from sin and the insatiable desire for riches. For can anything be more low and debased than those who grovel in riches and power and consider them great things?

St. Basil the Great: In a similar way, it is possible to be honorably elated when your thoughts are not lowly, but your mind is lifted up toward virtue by greatness of soul. This loftiness of mind is seen in cheerfulness amidst sorrow, a kind of noble fearlessness in trouble, a contempt for earthly things, and a life lived as if in heaven. This loftiness of mind seems to differ from the elevation produced by pride, just as the healthiness of a well-conditioned body differs from the swelling of the flesh that comes from dropsy.

St. John Chrysostom: This inflation of pride can cast down even from heaven the person who does not take warning, but humility can raise a person up from the lowest depth of guilt. The one (humility) saved the publican before the Pharisee and brought the thief into Paradise before the Apostles; the other (pride) caused the fall even of spiritual powers. But if humility added to sin has made such rapid advances as to surpass pride united to righteousness, how much swifter will its course be when you add righteousness to it? It will stand by the judgment-seat of God in the midst of the angels with great boldness.

Moreover, if pride joined to righteousness had the power to pull it down, to what a hell will it thrust people when it is added to sin? I do not say this so that we should neglect righteousness, but so that we should avoid pride.

Theophylact of Ohrid: But should anyone perhaps wonder that the Pharisee is condemned for uttering a few words in his own praise, while Job, though he poured forth many such words, is crowned, I answer that the Pharisee spoke these words while groundlessly accusing others. Job, however, was compelled by an urgent necessity to list his own virtues for the glory of God, so that people might not fall away from the path of virtue.

The Venerable Bede: Typologically, the Pharisee represents the Jewish people, who boast of their adornments because of the righteousness of the law. The publican represents the Gentiles, who, being at a distance from God, confess their sins. Of these, the one returned humbled because of his pride, while the other, for his contrition, was considered worthy to draw near and be exalted.

Theophylact of Ohrid: After what He had said, our Lord teaches us a lesson of humility by His own example; He does not turn away the little children who are brought to Him, but graciously receives them.

St. Augustine of Hippo: To whom are they brought to be touched, but to the Savior? And as the Savior, they are presented to Him to be saved, for He came to save that which was lost. But with regard to these innocents, when were they lost? The Apostle says, By one man sin entered into the world. Let the little children then come as the sick to a physician, the lost to their Redeemer.

St. Ambrose of Milan: It may seem strange to some that the disciples wished to prevent the little children from coming to our Lord, as it is said, when they saw it, they rebuked them. But we must understand this as either a mystery or the effect of their love for Him. For they did not do it from envy or harsh feeling toward the children, but they showed a holy zeal in their Lord’s service, so that He might not be pressed by the crowds. Our own interests must be given up when an injury is threatened to God. But we may also understand the mystery to be that they desired the Jewish people, from whom they descended according to the flesh, to be saved first.

They indeed knew the mystery that the call was to be made to both nations (for they pleaded for the Canaanitish woman), but perhaps they were still ignorant of the order. It follows, But Jesus called them to him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me... One age is not preferred to another; otherwise, it would be harmful to grow up.

But why does He say that children are better suited for the kingdom of heaven? It is because they are ignorant of guile, are incapable of theft, dare not return a blow, are unconscious of lust, and have no desire for wealth, honors, or ambition. But being ignorant of these things is not virtue; we must also despise them. For virtue consists not in our inability to sin, but in our unwillingness. Therefore, childhood itself is not meant here, but rather that goodness which rivals the simplicity of childhood.

The Venerable Bede: Hence, our Lord pointedly says, of such, not of these, to show that the kingdom is given based on character, not age, and that the reward is promised to those who have a childlike innocence and simplicity.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Lastly, our Savior expressed this when He said, Verily I say to you, Whoever will not receive the kingdom of God as a little child... What child were Christ’s Apostles to imitate but Him of whom Isaiah speaks, Unto us a Child is given? Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again. So there is in childhood a certain venerable antiquity, and in old age a childlike innocence.

St. Basil the Great: We will receive the kingdom of God as a child if we are disposed toward our Lord’s teaching as a child is under instruction, never contradicting or disputing with their teachers, but trustfully and teachably absorbing what is taught.

Theophylact of Ohrid: The wise men of the Gentiles, therefore, who seek for wisdom in a mystery—which is the kingdom of God—and will not receive this without the evidence of logical proof, are rightly shut out from this kingdom.

The Venerable Bede: A certain ruler, having heard our Lord say that only those who would become like little children could enter the kingdom of heaven, asks Him to explain openly, not by a parable, by what works he might merit eternal life.

St. Ambrose of Milan: That ruler, testing Him, said, "Good Master." He should have said, "Good God." For although goodness exists in divinity and divinity in goodness, by adding "Good Master," he uses "good" only in part, not in its whole. For God is good entirely, but man is good only partially.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Now he thought he could catch Christ blaming the law of Moses while introducing His own commands. So he went to the Master and, calling Him good, said that he wished to be taught by Him, for he sought to test Him. But He who catches the wise in their craftiness answers him appropriately: Why do you call me good? There is none good, save God alone.

St. Ambrose of Milan: He does not deny that He is good, but points to God. No one is good unless he is full of goodness. But if it strikes anyone that it is said, none is good, let this also strike them: save God. And if the Son is not excluded from being God, surely Christ is not excluded from being good. For how is He not good, who is born from good? A good tree brings forth good fruits.

How is He not good, since the substance of His goodness, which He received from the Father, has not diminished in the Son, just as it did not diminish in the Spirit? As it is said, Your good spirit shall lead me into a land of uprightness. But if the Spirit who received from the Son is good, truly He who gave the Spirit is also good.

Because it was a lawyer who was testing Him, as is plainly shown in another Gospel, He therefore rightly said, None is good, save God, to remind him of what was written: You shall not tempt the Lord your God. A person should instead give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.

St. John Chrysostom: Or else, I will not hesitate to call this ruler covetous, for Christ reproaches him with this, but I do not say that he was a tempter.

Titus of Bostra: When he says, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? it is as if he is saying, "You are good; grant me, then, an answer to my question. I am learned in the Old Testament, but I see something far more excellent in you. For you make no earthly promises but preach the kingdom of heaven. Tell me, then, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

The Savior, then, considering his meaning, and because faith is the way to good works, passes over the question he asked and leads him to the knowledge of faith. It is as if a person were to ask a physician, "What shall I eat?" and the physician were to show him what must come before his food. And so He sends him to His Father, saying, Why do you call me good?—not because He was not good, for He was the good branch from the good tree, the good Son of the good Father.

St. Augustine of Hippo: It may seem that the account in Matthew is different, where it says, Why do you ask me about what is good? This might apply better to the question he asked: What good shall I do? In this account, he both calls Him good and asks a question about good. It is best, then, to understand that both were said: Why do you call me good? and Why do you ask me about what is good?—although the latter may be implied in the former.

Titus of Bostra: After instructing him in the knowledge of the faith, He adds, You know the commandments. It is as if He said, "Know God first, and then it will be time to seek what you are asking."

St. Cyril of Alexandria: But the ruler expected to hear Christ say, "Forsake the commandments of Moses and listen to Mine." Instead, He sends him back to the law, as it follows: You shall not kill, you shall not commit adultery.

Theophylact of Ohrid: The law first forbids those things to which we are most prone, such as adultery, the impulse for which is within us and part of our nature, and murder, because rage is a great and savage monster. But theft and bearing false witness are sins that people seldom fall into. Besides, the former are also the more grievous sins, so He places theft and bearing false witness in the second place, as they are both less common and of less weight than the others.

St. Basil the Great: Now, we must not understand "thieves" to mean only those who cut purses or commit robberies in the public baths. It also includes all those who, when appointed as leaders of legions or governors of states or nations, are guilty of secret embezzlement or violent and open extortion.

Titus of Bostra: But you may observe that these commandments consist of not doing certain things: if you have not committed adultery, you are chaste; if you do not steal, you are honest; if you do not bear false witness, you are truthful. We see, then, that virtue is made easy through the goodness of the Lawgiver, for He speaks of avoiding evil, not of practicing good. And ceasing from an action is easier than performing one.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Because sin against parents, although a great crime, happens very rarely, He places it last of all: Honor your father and mother.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Honor is concerned not only with paying respect but also with giving generously, for it is an act of honor to reward what is deserved. Feed your father, feed your mother; and when you have fed them, you have not repaid all the pangs and agony your mother underwent for you. To one you owe all you have; to the other, all you are.

What a condemnation it is if the Church must feed those whom you are able to feed! But it may be said, "What I was going to bestow upon my parents, I prefer to give to the Church." God does not seek a gift that comes from starving your parents. Scripture says that parents are to be fed, just as it says they are to be left for God's sake if they should hinder the love of a devout mind.

It follows, and he said, All these things have I kept from my youth up.

St. Jerome: The young man is speaking falsely. For if he had fulfilled the commandment, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, how is it that when he heard, Go and sell all that you have, and give to the poor, he went away sorrowful?

The Venerable Bede: Or, we must not think that he lied, but that he professed to have lived honestly—that is, at least outwardly. Otherwise, Mark could never have said, And Jesus, seeing him, loved him.

Titus of Bostra: Our Lord next declares that even if a man has kept the old covenant, he is not perfect, since he still lacks what is needed to follow Christ. You yet lack one thing: Sell all that you have... As if He is saying, "You ask how to possess eternal life? Scatter your goods among the poor, and you will obtain it. What you spend is a little thing; what you receive is a great thing."

St. Athanasius of Alexandria: For when we despise the world, we must not imagine that we have given up anything great, because the whole earth compared to heaven is but a hand's breadth. Therefore, even if those who renounce the world were lords of the whole earth, it would still be worthless in comparison to the kingdom of heaven.

The Venerable Bede: Whoever, then, wishes to be perfect must sell all that he has—not just a part, as Ananias and Sapphira did, but the whole.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Hence, when He says, All that you have, He impresses upon us the need for the most complete poverty. For if anything is left over or remains yours, you are its slave.

St. Basil the Great: He does not tell us to sell our goods because they are evil by nature, for then they would not be God's creatures. He therefore does not command us to cast them away as if they were bad, but to distribute them. Nor is anyone condemned for possessing them, but for misusing them. And so it is that distributing our goods according to God's command both blots out sins and bestows the kingdom.

St. John Chrysostom: God could indeed feed the poor without us taking compassion on them, but He wishes for the givers to be bound by ties of love to the receivers.

St. Basil the Great: When our Lord says, Give to the poor, it is no longer fitting for a person to be careless, but to dispose of all things diligently. This should be done first by himself, if he is able to any degree; if not, then by those who are known to be faithful and prudent in their management. For, cursed is he who does the work of the Lord negligently.

St. John Chrysostom: But it is asked, how does Christ acknowledge that giving all things to the poor is perfection, when Saint Paul declares this very act to be imperfect without charity? Their harmony is shown in the words that follow, And come, follow me, which signifies that it is done from love. For herein shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one toward another.

Theophylact of Ohrid: All the other virtues must exist together with poverty. Therefore He says, Come, follow me, which means, "In all other things be My disciples, always following Me."

St. Cyril of Alexandria: The ruler was not able to contain this new teaching, but, like an old wineskin, he burst with sorrow.

St. Basil the Great: When a merchant goes to the market, he is not reluctant to part with all that he has to obtain what he needs. But you are grieved at giving up mere dust and ashes to gain everlasting bliss.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Our Lord, seeing that the rich man was sorrowful when told to give up his riches, was amazed, saying, How difficult it is for those who have riches to enter into the kingdom of God! He does not say it is impossible for them to enter, but that it is difficult. For through their riches they might reap a heavenly reward, but it is a hard thing, seeing that riches are more tenacious than birdlime; it is very difficult for the soul, once seized by them, to be plucked away. But next, He speaks of it as impossible: It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye. The word in Greek can mean either the animal called the camel or a ship's cable. However we understand it, impossibility is implied. What must we say then? First of all, that the thing is positively true, for we must remember that the rich man differs from the steward, or dispenser of riches. The rich man is he who reserves his riches for himself; the steward or dispenser is one who holds them in his care for the benefit of others.

St. John Chrysostom: Abraham, indeed, possessed wealth for the poor. And all those who righteously possess it spend it as something received from God, according to the divine command. Those who have acquired wealth in an ungodly way, however, are ungodly in their use of it, whether in squandering it on prostitutes or parasites, or in hiding it in the ground while sparing nothing for the poor. He does not, then, forbid people to be rich, but to be slaves to their riches. He wants us to use them for what is necessary, not to guard them. It is a servant's role to guard, but a master's to distribute. If God had wished to preserve riches, He would never have given them to humanity, but would have left them to remain in the earth.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Again, observe that He says a rich man cannot possibly be saved, but one who possesses riches can be saved only with difficulty. It is as if He said: The rich man who has been taken captive by his riches, and is a slave to them, will not be saved; but he who possesses them, or is their master, will be saved with difficulty because of human weakness. For the devil is always trying to make us stumble as long as we possess riches, and it is a difficult matter to escape his schemes. Poverty, therefore, is a blessing and, as it were, free from temptation.

St. John Chrysostom: There is no profit in riches while the soul suffers poverty, and no harm in poverty while the soul abounds in wealth. But if the sign of growing rich is to need nothing, and the sign of becoming poor is to be in want, then it is clear that the poorer a person is, the richer he becomes. For it is far easier for one in poverty to despise wealth than for the rich. Nor is avarice ever satisfied by having more, for by this, people are only inflamed all the more, just as a fire spreads the more it has to feed upon. The apparent evils of poverty are also shared by riches, but the evils of riches are unique to them.

St. Augustine of Hippo: He here gives the name "rich" to one who covets temporal things and boasts in them. Opposed to such rich men are the poor in spirit, to whom the kingdom of heaven belongs. Now, mystically, it is easier for Christ to suffer for the lovers of this world than for the lovers of this world to be converted to Christ. For by the name of a camel, He intended to represent Himself, because He voluntarily humbled Himself to bear the burdens of our weakness. By the needle He signifies sharp piercings, and by this, the pangs received in His Passion; but by the shape of the needle He describes the constriction of the Passion.

St. John Chrysostom: These weighty words so far exceeded the capacity of the disciples that when they heard them, they asked, Who then can be saved?—not because they feared for themselves, but for the whole world.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Seeing that there is an incomparably greater number of poor people who might be saved by giving up their riches, they understood that all who love riches, even if they cannot obtain them, were to be counted among the rich. It follows, And he said to them, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. This must not be taken to mean that a rich man, full of covetousness and pride, might enter the kingdom of God, but rather that it is possible with God for a person to be converted from covetousness and pride to charity and humility.

Theophylact of Ohrid: For people, therefore, whose thoughts cling to the earth, salvation is impossible, but with God it is possible. For when a person has God for his counselor, and has received the righteousness of God and His teaching about poverty, as well as having invoked His aid, this will become possible for him.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: The rich man who has given up many things will naturally expect a reward, but he who possesses little and gives up what he has may fairly ask what is in store for him; as it follows, Then Peter said, lo, we have left all. Matthew adds, What shall we have therefore?

The Venerable Bede: It is as if he is saying, "We have done what you commanded us; what reward, then, will you give us?" And because it is not enough to have left all things, he adds that which made it perfect, saying, And have followed you.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: It was necessary to say this, because those who give up a few things, with respect to their motives and obedience, are weighed in the same balance as the rich who have given up everything, inasmuch as they act from similar motivations in voluntarily surrendering all that they possess. And therefore it follows, Verily I say to you, there is no man that has left house... who shall not receive manifold more... He inspires all who hear Him with the most joyful hopes, confirming His promises to them with an oath, beginning His declaration with "Verily." For when the divine teaching invites the world to faith in Christ, some, out of consideration for their unbelieving parents, are unwilling to distress them by converting, and have similar regard for other relatives. Others, in contrast, give up their father and mother, and hold the love of their entire family as insignificant in comparison to the love of Christ.

The Venerable Bede: The meaning, then, is this: He who, in seeking the kingdom of God, has despised all earthly attachments and has trampled underfoot all the riches, pleasures, and allurements of the world, will receive far greater things in the present time. On the basis of this declaration, some of the Jews build up the fable of a millennium after the resurrection of the just, when all things we have given up for God’s sake will be restored with abundant interest, and eternal life will be granted. Nor, in their ignorance, do they seem to be aware that even if a fitting promise of restoration might apply to other things, in the matter of wives—which, according to some Evangelists, would be restored a hundredfold—it would be obviously shocking, especially since our Lord declares that in the resurrection there will be no marrying. And according to Mark, He declares that those things which have been given up will be received in this present time with persecutions, which these Jews assert will be absent for a thousand years.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: This, then, is what we say: he who gives up all worldly and carnal things will gain for himself far greater things. Inasmuch as the Apostles, after leaving a few things, obtained the abundant gifts of grace and were considered great everywhere, we then will be like them. If a person has left his home, he will receive an abiding place above. If he has left his father, he will have a Father in heaven. If he has given up his family, Christ will take him as a brother. If he has given up a wife, he will find divine wisdom, from which he will beget spiritual offspring. If he has left a mother, he will find the heavenly Jerusalem, who is our mother. From brothers and sisters also, united with him by the spiritual bond of his will, he will receive in this life far more tender affections.