Church Fathers Commentary Luke 21:37-38

"And every day he was teaching in the temple; and every night he went out, and lodged in the mount that is called Olivet. And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, to hear him." — Luke 21:37-38 (ASV)

The Venerable Bede: What our Lord commanded in word, He confirms by His example. For He who bade us watch and pray before the coming of the Judge and the uncertain end of each of us, as the time of His Passion drew near, was Himself persistent in teaching, watching, and prayer. As it is said, And in the day time he was teaching in the temple. By this, He conveys through His own example that it is a thing worthy of God to be vigilant, or by word and deed to point out the way of truth to our neighbor.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: But what were the things He taught, if not those that transcended the worship of the law?

Theophylact of Ohrid: The Evangelists are silent about the greater part of Christ’s teaching. For while He preached for nearly three years, all the teaching they have written down would, one might say, scarcely be enough for a single day's discourse. Extracting a few things out of many, they have given only a taste, as it were, of the sweetness of His teaching.

Our Lord instructs us here that we ought to address God at night and in silence, but during the day to be doing good to others. We are to gather at night and, in the day, distribute what we have gathered. As it is added, And at night he went out and abode in the mount that is called Olivet. This was not because He had need of prayer, but He did this for our example.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Because His speech was with power, and with authority He applied to spiritual worship the things delivered in figures by Moses and the Prophets, the people heard Him gladly. As it follows, And the whole people made haste to come early to hear him in the temple. The people who came to Him before daylight could rightly say, O God my God, early do I wait upon you.

The Venerable Bede: Mystically, when we behave soberly, piously, and honestly in the midst of our prosperity, we are teaching in the temple by day, for we hold up to the faithful the model of a good work.

But at night, we abide on Mount Olivet when, in the darkness of anguish, we are refreshed with spiritual consolation. To us also the people come early in the morning, when, having either shaken off the works of darkness or scattered all the clouds of sorrow, they follow our example.