Church Fathers Commentary Luke 3:10-14

"And the multitudes asked him, saying, What then must we do? And he answered and said unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath food, let him do likewise. And there came also publicans to be baptized, and they said unto him, Teacher, what must we do? And he said unto them, Extort no more than that which is appointed you. And soldiers also asked him, saying, And we, what must we do? And he said unto them, Extort from no man by violence, neither accuse [any one] wrongfully; and be content with your wages." — Luke 3:10-14 (ASV)

St. Gregory the Great: In John's preceding words, it is clear that the hearts of his hearers were troubled and that they sought his advice. As it is added, And they asked him, saying... etc.

Origen of Alexandria: Three classes of men are introduced as asking John about their salvation: one that Scripture calls the multitude, another that it names the Publicans, and a third that is identified as the soldiers.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Now to the publicans and soldiers he gives a command to abstain from evil. But to the multitudes, since they were not living in an evil condition, he commands them to perform a good work, as it follows: He that has two coats, let him give one.

St. Gregory the Great: Because a coat is more necessary for our use than a cloak, it is part of bringing forth fruit worthy of repentance that we should share with our neighbors not only our surplus but also what is absolutely necessary for us, such as our coat or the food with which we sustain our bodies. Therefore, it follows, And he who has food, let him do likewise.

St. Basil the Great: By this we are taught that we are obligated to give everything we have beyond our necessary daily support to the one who has nothing, for the sake of God, who has liberally given us all that we possess.

St. Gregory the Great: For since it was written in the law, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, he is shown to love his neighbor less than himself who does not share with him in his distress the very things that are necessary for himself. Therefore, the precept is given to share one of two coats with a neighbor, since if one coat is divided, no one is clothed. We must note in this how valuable works of mercy are, since of all the works worthy of repentance, these are commanded before all others.

St. Ambrose of Milan: For other commands of duty relate only to individuals, but mercy has a common application. It is therefore a command for everyone to give to the one who has nothing. Mercy is the fullness of virtues, yet even in mercy, a proportion is observed to match the capacity of a person's condition, in that each individual is not to deprive himself of everything, but to share what he has with the poor.

Origen of Alexandria: But this passage allows for a deeper meaning. For just as we ought not to serve two masters, neither should we have two coats, lest one be the clothing of the old man and the other of the new. Instead, we ought to cast off the old man and give to him who is naked. For one man has one coat and another has none at all; therefore, the strength of the two is exactly opposite. And just as it has been written that we should cast all our crimes to the bottom of the sea, so we ought to throw off our vices and errors and lay them upon him who has caused them.

Theophylact of Ohrid: But someone has observed that the two coats are the spirit and the letter of Scripture, and that John advises the one who has these two to instruct the ignorant and give him at least the letter.

The Venerable Bede: The great virtue in the Baptist's discourse is shown by this: that he compelled the publicans, and even the soldiers, to seek his counsel concerning their salvation, as it follows when the publicans came to him.

St. John Chrysostom: Great is the force of virtue that makes the rich seek the way of salvation from the poor—from him who has nothing.

The Venerable Bede: He therefore commands them to exact no more than what was appointed to them, as it follows: And he said to them, Do no more than what is appointed to you. Publicans are those who collect public taxes or farm the public revenue. Those who pursue this world's gain through business are also known by the same title. He forbids all of them, each in his own sphere, from practicing deceit, so that by first restraining themselves from desiring other people's goods, they might eventually come to share their own with their neighbors.

It follows that the soldiers also asked him. In the most just manner, he advises them not to seek gain by falsely accusing those whom they ought to benefit by their protection. Hence it follows, And he says to them, Strike no one, (that is, violently), nor accuse any falsely, (that is, by unjustly using arms), and be content with your wages.

St. Ambrose of Milan: He was thereby teaching that wages were attached to military duty, so that men seeking gain would not go about as robbers.

St. Gregory of Nazianzus: For by “wages” he refers to the imperial pay and the rewards assigned for distinguished actions.

St. Augustine of Hippo: For he knew that soldiers, when they use their arms, are not murderers but ministers of the law; not avengers of their own injuries but defenders of the public safety. Otherwise, he might have answered, “Put away your arms, abandon warfare, strike no one, wound no one, destroy no one.”

For what is it that is blamed in war? Is it that men die—who must die at some time or other—so that the conquerors might rule in peace? To blame this is the part of timid, not religious, men.

The desire to injure, the cruelty of revenge, a savage and pitiless disposition, the fierceness of rebellion, the lust for power, and similar things are the evils justly blamed in war. These wars are generally undertaken and carried on by good men—either by the command of God or some lawful authority—for the sake of punishing the violence of those who resist. This happens when they find themselves in a situation where their very position justly obliges them either to command such an action themselves or to obey when others command it.

St. John Chrysostom: But John’s desire, when he spoke to the publicans and soldiers, was to bring them to a higher wisdom. Since they were not yet ready for it, he revealed more common truths to them, lest if he put forward the higher truths, they would pay no attention and be deprived of the others as well.