Church Fathers Commentary Luke 4

Theophylact of Ohrid: Christ is tempted after His baptism, showing us that temptations await us after we are baptized. This is why it is said, But Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit, and so on.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: God said in the past, My Spirit shall not always abide in men, because they are flesh. But now that we have been enriched with the gift of regeneration by water and the Spirit, we have become partakers of the Divine nature by participation of the Holy Spirit. The first-born among many brethren first received the Spirit—He who is Himself also the giver of the Spirit—so that through Him we might also receive the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Origen of Alexandria: Therefore, when you read that Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit, and it is written in the Acts concerning the Apostles that they were filled with the Holy Spirit, you must not suppose that the Apostles were equal to the Savior. For if you were to say, "These vessels are full of wine or oil," you would not by that statement affirm them to be equally full. In the same way, Jesus and Paul were full of the Holy Spirit, but Paul’s vessel was far smaller than that of Jesus, and yet each was filled according to its own measure.

Having received baptism, the Savior, full of the Holy Spirit which came upon Him from heaven in the form of a dove, was led by the Spirit. For, as many as are led by the Spirit, they are the sons of God. But He was above all others, and especially the Son of God.

The Venerable Bede: So that there might be no doubt by which Spirit He was led, while the other Evangelists say, "into the wilderness," Luke purposely added, And he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for forty days. This was so that no one would think an unclean spirit had prevailed against Him, who, being full of the Holy Spirit, did whatever He wished.

Greek Expositors: But if we order our lives according to our own will, how could He have been led about unwillingly? The words, "He was led by the Spirit," therefore have a meaning like this: He willingly undertook that kind of life so that He might present an opportunity to the tempter.

St. Basil the Great: For He seeks the wilderness not by provoking the enemy with words, but by rousing him with His actions. The devil delights in the wilderness; he is not accustomed to go into the cities, as the harmony of the citizens troubles him.

St. Ambrose of Milan: He was therefore led into the wilderness so that He might provoke the devil, for if the one had not contended, it seems the other would not have conquered. In a mystical sense, it was to deliver from exile that Adam who was cast out of Paradise into the wilderness. As an example, it was to show us that the devil envies us whenever we strive for better things, and that we must then use caution, so that the weakness of our minds does not cause us to lose the grace of this mystery. This is why it follows: And was tempted by the devil.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Behold, He is among the wrestlers, who as God awards the prizes. He is among the crowned, who crowns the heads of the saints.

St. Gregory the Great: However, our enemy was unable to shake the purpose of the Mediator between God and men. For He condescended to be tempted outwardly, yet in such a way that His soul, resting inwardly in its divinity, remained unshaken.

Origen of Alexandria: Jesus was tempted by the devil for forty days, and we do not know what the temptations were. They were perhaps omitted because they were too great to be committed to writing.

St. Basil the Great: Alternatively, the Lord remained untempted for forty days, because the devil knew that He was fasting yet did not hunger, and therefore did not dare to approach Him. This is why it follows: And in those days he did eat nothing. Indeed, He fasted to show that anyone who would prepare himself for struggles against temptation must be temperate and sober.

St. Ambrose of Milan: There are three things that, when united, contribute to a person's salvation: the Sacrament, the Wilderness, and Fasting. No one receives a crown who has not contended rightly, but no one is admitted to the contest of virtue unless he is first washed from the stains of all his sins and consecrated with the gift of heavenly grace.

St. Gregory of Nazianzus: In truth, He fasted for forty days, eating nothing (for He was God). But we regulate our fasting according to our strength, although the zeal of some persuades them to fast beyond their ability.

St. Basil the Great: However, we must not treat the flesh in such a way that our strength wastes away from lack of food, nor that our understanding grows dull and heavy from excessive mortification. Therefore, our Lord performed this work once, but during all the time that followed, He governed His body with proper order, and Moses and Elijah did likewise.

St. John Chrysostom: Very wisely, He did not exceed their number of days. This was to prevent any thought that He had come in appearance only, and not in real flesh, or that His flesh was something beyond human nature.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But notice the mystical number of days. You remember that for forty days the waters of the flood were poured out. By sanctifying a fast of that same number of days, He brings before us the returning mercies of a calmer sky. By a fast of this many days, Moses also earned for himself the understanding of the Law. Likewise, our fathers, after being settled in the wilderness for this many days, obtained the food of angels.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Now, that number is a sacrament of our time and labor, in which we contend against the devil under Christ’s discipline, for it signifies our temporal life. For the periods of years run in courses of four, and forty contains four tens. In turn, the number ten is completed by the sum of the numbers one through four.

This plainly shows that the fast of forty days—that is, the humiliation of the soul—was consecrated in the Law and the Prophets by Moses and Elijah, and in the Gospel by the fast of our Lord Himself.

St. Basil the Great: But because not suffering hunger is beyond human nature, our Lord took upon Himself the feeling of hunger. He submitted Himself, as it pleased Him, to human nature, to both do and suffer those things that belonged to it. This is why it follows: And when they were ended, he afterward hungered. He was not forced by the necessity that overpowers nature, but was, as it were, provoking the devil to the conflict.

For the devil, knowing that weakness accompanies hunger, set out to tempt Him. As the inventor of temptations, and with Christ's permission, he tried to persuade Him to satisfy His appetite with stones, as it follows: And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command these stones that they be made bread.

St. Ambrose of Milan: We are taught that there are three primary weapons with which the devil is accustomed to arm himself to wound a person's soul: appetite, boasting, and ambition. He began with that by which he had already conquered, namely, Adam. Let us therefore beware of appetite and luxury, for they are weapons of the devil.

But what do his words, If thou be the Son of God, mean, unless he knew that the Son would come, but because of the weakness of His body, supposed He had not yet come? He first endeavors to identify Him, then to tempt Him. He professes to approach Him as God, but then tries to deceive Him as a man.

Origen of Alexandria: When a son asks his father for bread, the father does not give him a stone. But the devil, like a crafty and deceitful foe, gives stones for bread.

St. Basil the Great: He tried to persuade Christ to satisfy His appetite with stones—that is, to shift His desire from natural food to that which was beyond nature, or unnatural.

Origen of Alexandria: I suppose that even now, at this very time, the devil shows a stone to people to tempt them, saying, Command this stone that it be made bread. If you see heretics devouring their false doctrines as if they were bread, know that their teaching is a stone that the devil shows them.

St. Basil the Great: But Christ, while He vanquishes temptation, does not banish hunger from our nature as though it were the cause of evil. Hunger is, rather, the preservative of life. By confining nature within its proper bounds, Christ shows what kind of nourishment it requires, as it follows: And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone.

Theophylact of Ohrid: It is as if He said: Human nature is not sustained by bread alone; the word of God is sufficient to support the whole person. Such was the food of the Israelites when they gathered manna for forty years and when they delighted in eating quail. By divine counsel, Elijah had the ravens to feed him; Elisha fed his companions with the herbs of the field.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Alternatively, our earthly body is nourished by earthly food, but the rational soul is strengthened by the Divine Word for the right ordering of the spirit.

St. Gregory of Nazianzus: For the body does not nourish our immaterial nature.

Gregory of Nyssa: Virtue, then, is not sustained by bread, nor does the soul keep itself healthy and vigorous through fleshly food. Rather, the heavenly life is fostered and increased by other banquets than these. The nourishment of the good person is chastity, his bread is wisdom, his herbs are justice, his drink is freedom from passion, and his delight is to be truly wise.

St. Ambrose of Milan: You see, then, what kind of weapons He uses to defend humanity against the assaults of spiritual wickedness and the allurements of appetite. He does not exert His power as God (for how would that have profited me?), but as a man, He calls upon a common aid. In this way, while intent upon the food of divine reading, He can neglect the hunger of the body and gain the nourishment of the Word.

For one who seeks after the Word cannot feel the lack of earthly bread, because divine things doubtless make up for the loss of human things. At the same time, by saying, Man lives not by bread alone, He shows that it was man who was tempted—that is, our flesh which He assumed—and not His own divinity.

Theophylact of Ohrid: The enemy first assailed Christ with the temptation of the appetite, just as he did with Adam. He next tempts Him with the desire for gain, or covetousness, by showing Him all the kingdoms of the world. Therefore, the text continues, And the devil, taking him up...

St. Gregory the Great: Is it any wonder that He allowed Himself to be led by the devil into the mountains, when He even endured having His own body crucified?

Theophylact of Ohrid: But how did the devil show Him all the kingdoms of the world? Some say that he presented them to Him in his imagination, but I believe that he brought them before Him in a visible form and appearance.

Titus of Bostra: Or, the devil described the world with words and, as he thought, brought it vividly before our Lord’s mind as if it were a specific house.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Truly, in a moment of time, the kingdoms of this world are shown. This signifies not so much a rapid glance of the eye as it declares the frailty of mortal power. For in a moment all this passes by, and often the glory of this world has vanished before it has even arrived. It follows, And he said to him, I will give you all this power.

Titus of Bostra: He lied in two ways. For he neither had the authority to give, nor could he give, what he did not possess; he possesses nothing, but is an enemy compelled to fight.

St. Ambrose of Milan: For it is said elsewhere that all power is from God. Therefore, the bestowing of power comes from God's hands, while the lust for power is from the evil one. Power itself is not evil, but the one who uses it for evil is.

What then? Is it good to exercise power or to desire honor? It is good if it is bestowed upon us, not if it is seized. However, we must make a distinction within this good itself. There is one good use of the world, and another of perfect virtue. It is good to seek God, and it is a good thing that the desire to know God should not be hindered by any worldly affairs.

But if the one who seeks God is often tempted because of the weakness of his flesh and the narrowness of his mind, how much more is the one who seeks the world exposed to temptation? We are taught, then, to despise ambition, because it is subject to the devil's power.

Honor from the world is followed by danger at home. To rule others, a person must first be their servant, prostrating himself in obedience to be rewarded with honors. The higher he aspires, the lower he bends with false humility, which is why the devil adds, If you will fall down and worship me.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: And do you, whose fate is the unquenchable fire, promise the Lord of all what is already His own? Did you think you could make Him your worshiper—the very one before whom all creation trembles in fear?

Origen of Alexandria: Or, to look at the whole in another light, two kings are earnestly fighting for a kingdom: the king of sin who reigns over sinners (that is, the devil), and the king of righteousness who rules the righteous (that is, Christ).

The devil, knowing that Christ had come to take away his kingdom, shows Him all the kingdoms of the world—not the kingdoms of the Persians and the Medes, but his own kingdom by which he reigned in the world, through which some are under the dominion of fornication and others of covetousness. He shows them to Him in a moment of time, that is, in the present age, which is but a moment compared to eternity. For the Savior did not need to be shown the affairs of this world for long; as soon as He turned His eyes to look, He saw sin reigning and people enslaved to vice. The devil therefore says to Him, "Have you come to fight with me for dominion? Worship me, and I will give you the kingdom I hold."

Now, the Lord did indeed intend to reign, but being Righteousness itself, He would reign without sin. He would have all nations subject to Him so that they might obey the truth, but He would not reign over others in such a way that He Himself would be subject to the devil. Therefore, the scripture follows, And Jesus answering said to him, It is written, You shall worship the Lord your God.

The Venerable Bede: When the devil says to our Savior, If you will fall down and worship me, he receives the answer that he himself ought to worship Christ as his Lord and God instead.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: But how is it that the Son is worshiped, if He is a created being, as the heretics say? What charge can be brought against those who served the creature rather than the Creator, if we are to worship the Son as God, who (according to them) is a created being?

Origen of Alexandria: Or else, Christ is saying, "I would have all these people subject to me so that they might worship the Lord God and serve Him alone. But do you wish for sin, which I came here to destroy, to begin with Me?"

St. Cyril of Alexandria: This command struck him to the core, for before Christ’s coming, he was worshiped everywhere. But the law of God, casting him down from his stolen dominion, establishes the worship of Him alone who is truly God.

The Venerable Bede: But someone may ask how this command agrees with the word of the Apostle, which says, Beloved, serve one another. In Greek, one word for "service" signifies a general service (which can be given to God or man), and this is the service by which we are told to serve one another. However, another word refers specifically to the service of worship due to the Deity, and it is with this service that we are commanded to serve God alone.

St. Ambrose of Milan: The next weapon he uses is boasting, which always causes the offender to fall, for those who love to boast of the glory of their virtue descend from the high ground of their good deeds. Therefore, it is said, And he led him to Jerusalem.

Origen of Alexandria: He clearly followed as a wrestler, gladly setting out to meet the temptation and saying, as it were, “Lead me where you will, and you will find me stronger in everything.”

St. Ambrose of Milan: It is the nature of boasting that while a person thinks they are climbing higher, their pretense to lofty deeds brings them low. Therefore, it follows, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.”

St. Athanasius of Alexandria: The devil did not enter into a contest with God (for he dared not, and therefore said, “If you are the Son of God...”), but he contended with man, over whom he once had the power to deceive.

St. Ambrose of Milan: That is truly the devil’s language, which seeks to cast down a person’s soul from the high ground of their good deeds, while at the same time showing both his weakness and malice, for he can injure no one who does not first cast himself down. For whoever forsakes heavenly things to pursue earthly ones rushes, as it were, willfully down a self-made precipice into a fallen life.

As soon as the devil perceived his dart was blunted, he who had subdued all people to his own power began to think he was dealing with more than a man. But Satan transforms himself into an angel of light and often weaves his net for the faithful from the Holy Scriptures. Therefore, it follows: It is written, He shall give, etc.

Origen of Alexandria: How do you know, Satan, that these things are written? Have you read the Prophets, or the oracles of God? You have read them, indeed, but not so that you might be improved by the reading, but so that from the mere letter you might slay those who are friends of the letter. You know that if you were to speak from His other books, you would not be able to deceive.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Do not let the heretic entrap you by citing examples from the Scriptures. The devil uses the testimony of the Scriptures not to teach, but to deceive.

Origen of Alexandria: But notice how cunning he is even in this testimony. For he would gladly cast a slur upon the glory of the Savior, as though He needed the help of angels and would stumble if He were not supported by their hands. But this was said not about Christ, but about the saints in general; He does not need the help of angels, for He is greater than angels.

But let this teach you, Satan, that the angels would stumble if God did not sustain them; and you stumble because you refuse to believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But why are you silent about what follows: You shall walk upon the asp and the basilisk? Is it not because you are the basilisk, you are the dragon and the lion?

St. Ambrose of Milan: But the Lord, to prevent the thought that the things prophesied about Him were fulfilled according to the devil’s will and not by the authority of His own divine power, again foils his cunning in such a way that he who had used the testimony of Scripture is himself overthrown by Scripture. Therefore, it follows: And Jesus answering said, It is said, You shall not tempt the Lord thy God.

St. John Chrysostom: For it is characteristic of the devil to cast oneself into danger and test whether God will rescue us.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: God does not give help to those who tempt Him, but to those who believe in Him. Christ therefore did not show His miracles to those who tempted Him, but said to them, An evil generation seeks a sign, and no sign shall be given to it.

St. John Chrysostom: But notice how the Lord, instead of being troubled, condescends to dispute from the Scriptures with the wicked one, so that you, as far as you are able, might become like Christ. The devil knew the arms of Christ, beneath which he sank. Christ took him captive by meekness; He overcame him by humility.

You also, when you see a man who has become like a devil coming to meet you, should subdue him in the same way. Teach your soul to conform its words to those of Christ. For just as a Roman judge on the bench refuses to hear the reply of someone who does not know how to speak as he does, so also Christ, unless you speak in His manner, will neither hear you nor protect you.

Gregory of Nyssa: In lawful contests, the battle is finished either when the adversary surrenders of his own accord to the conqueror or is defeated in three falls, according to the rules of wrestling. Therefore, it follows, And all the temptation being completed, etc.

St. Ambrose of Milan: He would not have said that all the temptation was ended if the three temptations described did not contain the material for every kind of sin, for the causes of temptations are the causes of desire: namely, the delight of the flesh, the pomp of vainglory, and the greed for power.

St. Athanasius of Alexandria: The enemy came to Him as a man, but not finding in Him the marks of his ancient seed, he departed.

St. Ambrose of Milan: You see then that the devil is not obstinate on the field and is accustomed to yield to true virtue. And if he does not cease to hate, he still dreads to advance, for in this way he escapes a more frequent defeat. As soon as he heard the name of God, he retreated (it is said) for a season, because afterwards he does not come to tempt, but to fight openly.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Or, having tempted Him in the desert with pleasure, he retreats from Him until the crucifixion, when he was about to tempt Him with sorrow.

St. Maximus the Confessor: Or, the devil had prompted Christ in the desert to prefer the things of the world to the love of God. The Lord commanded him to leave Him (which was itself a mark of Divine love).

Afterwards, it was enough to make Christ appear to be a false advocate of love for His neighbors. Therefore, while He was teaching the paths of life, the devil stirred up the Gentiles and Pharisees to lay traps for Him so that He might be brought to hate them. But the Lord, out of the love He had for them, exhorted, reproved, and did not cease to bestow mercy upon them.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Matthew relates this entire narrative in a similar manner, but not in the same order. It is uncertain, therefore, which took place first: whether the kingdoms of the earth were shown to Him first, and He was afterwards taken up to the pinnacle of the temple, or whether the latter came first and the former afterwards. However, it matters little which it was, as long as it is clear that all these things did take place.

St. Maximus the Confessor: But the reason one Evangelist places this event first and another places that one first is because vainglory and covetousness, in turn, give birth to one another.

Origen of Alexandria: But John, who had begun his Gospel from God, saying, In the beginning was the Word, did not describe the temptation of the Lord, because God, about whom he wrote, cannot be tempted. But because the human genealogies are given in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and it is as a man that He is tempted in Mark, Matthew, Luke, and Mark therefore described the temptation of the Lord.

Origen of Alexandria: After the Lord overcame the tempter, power was added to Him—that is, as far as its manifestation was concerned. Therefore, it is said, “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit.”

The Venerable Bede: By “the power of the Spirit,” he means the displaying of miracles.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Now, He performed miracles not from any external power or from having, as it were, an acquired grace of the Holy Spirit, as other saints do. Rather, being by nature the Son of God and partaking of all things that are the Father’s, He exercises by His own power and operation the grace that is of the Holy Spirit. But it was right that from that time He should become known, and that the mystery of His humanity should shine forth among the descendants of Israel. Therefore, it follows, “And his fame went out.”

The Venerable Bede: And because wisdom belongs to teaching and power to works, both are joined here, as it follows, “And he taught in their synagogues.”

The word “synagogue,” which is Greek, is translated in Latin as congregatio (congregation). The Jews were accustomed to use this name not only for the gathering of people but also for the house where they met to hear the word of God, just as we use the name “Church” for both the place and the company of the faithful.

However, there is this difference between the synagogue (which is called a “congregation”) and the Church (which is interpreted as a “convocation”): flocks, cattle, and other things can be gathered together, but only rational beings can be “called together.” Accordingly, the apostolic teachers thought it right to call a people distinguished by the superior dignity of a new grace by the name “Church” rather than “Synagogue.” The fact that He was magnified by those present was also rightly proven by the evidence of His words and deeds, as it follows, “And he was glorified by all.”

Origen of Alexandria: But you must not think that only they were happy and that you are deprived of Christ’s teaching. For even now He teaches throughout the world through His instruments and is more glorified by all people than He was at that time, when only those in one province were gathered together.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: He communicates the knowledge of Himself to those among whom He was brought up according to the flesh. As it follows, “And he came to Nazareth.”

Theophylact of Ohrid: This was so that He might teach us to first benefit and instruct our brethren, and then to extend our kindness to the rest of our friends.

The Venerable Bede: They gathered on the Sabbath day in the synagogues so that, resting from all worldly occupations, they could set their minds quietly to meditate on the precepts of the Law. Therefore, it follows, “And he entered, as his custom was, into the synagogue on the sabbath day.”

St. Ambrose of Milan: The Lord so humbled Himself to obedience in everything that He did not despise even the office of a reader, as it follows, “And he stood up for to read, and there was delivered unto him the book…” He received the book to show that He is the same one who spoke in the Prophets and to stop the blasphemies of the wicked who claim there is one God of the Old Testament and another of the New, or who say that Christ’s beginning was from a virgin. For how could He begin from a virgin, when He spoke before that virgin existed?

Origen of Alexandria: He does not open the book by chance and find a chapter containing a prophecy of Himself; rather, He does so by the providence of God. Therefore, it follows, “And when he had opened the book, he found the place…”

St. Athanasius of Alexandria: He says this to explain to us the reason for the revelation made to the world and for His taking upon Himself human nature. For as the Son, though He is the giver of the Spirit, does not refuse to confess as a man that He casts out demons by the Spirit, so also, inasmuch as He was made man, He does not refuse to say, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: In the same way, we confess that He was anointed, inasmuch as He took upon Himself our flesh, as it follows, Because he hath anointed me. For the divine nature is not anointed, but that which is related to us is. So also when He says that He was sent, we must understand that He is speaking of His human nature. For it follows, He hath sent me to preach the gospel to the poor.

St. Ambrose of Milan: You see the Trinity, co-eternal and perfect. Scripture speaks of Jesus as perfect God and perfect man. It speaks of the Father and of the Holy Spirit, who was shown to be a co-worker when He descended upon Christ in a bodily form like a dove.

Origen of Alexandria: By “the poor” He means the Gentile nations, for they were poor, possessing nothing at all—having neither God, nor Law, nor Prophets, nor justice, nor the other virtues.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Alternatively, He is anointed all over with spiritual oil and heavenly virtue, so that He might enrich the poverty of the human condition with the everlasting treasure of His resurrection.

The Venerable Bede: He is also sent to preach the Gospel to the poor, saying, Blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: For perhaps He declares in these words to the poor in spirit that, among all the gifts obtained through Christ, a free gift was bestowed upon them. It follows, To heal the brokenhearted. He calls those “brokenhearted” who are weak, have an infirm mind, and are unable to resist the assaults of the passions; to them He promises a healing remedy.

St. Basil the Great: Alternatively, He came to heal the brokenhearted, that is, to provide a remedy for those whose hearts have been broken by Satan through sin, because sin, more than anything else, lays the human heart prostrate.

The Venerable Bede: Alternatively, because it is written, A broken and a contrite heart God will not despise, He therefore says that He is sent to heal the brokenhearted, as it is written, Who heals the broken hearted.

It follows, And to preach deliverance to the captives.

St. John Chrysostom: The word “captivity” has many meanings. There is a good captivity, of which St. Paul speaks when he says, Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. There is also a bad captivity, of which it is said, Leading captive silly women laden with sins. And there is a physical captivity by our bodily enemies.

But the worst captivity is that of the mind, of which He speaks here. For sin exercises the worst of all tyrannies, commanding evil and destroying those who obey it. Christ frees us from this prison of the soul.

Theophylact of Ohrid: But these things may also be understood to refer to the dead, who, having been taken captive, have been loosed from the dominion of hell by the resurrection of Christ. It follows, And recovering of sight to the blind.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: For Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, has removed the darkness that the Devil spread over the human heart, making people, as the Apostle says, children not of night and darkness, but of light and the day. For those who once wandered have discovered the path of the righteous. It follows, To set at liberty them that are bruised.

Origen of Alexandria: For what had been so shattered and dashed about as humanity, which was set at liberty and healed by Jesus?

The Venerable Bede: Alternatively, to set at liberty them that are bruised means to relieve those who had been heavily burdened with the intolerable weight of the Law.

Origen of Alexandria: But all these things were mentioned first so that after recovering sight from blindness, after deliverance from captivity, and after being healed of various wounds, we might come to the acceptable year of the Lord. As it follows, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Some say that, according to the literal meaning, the Savior preached the Gospel throughout Judea for one year, and that this is what is meant by “preaching the acceptable year of the Lord.” Alternatively, the “acceptable year of the Lord” is the entire age of the Church, during which, while present in the body, it is absent from the Lord.

The Venerable Bede: For not only was that year acceptable in which our Lord preached, but so also is the one in which the Apostle preaches, saying, Behold, now is the accepted time. After “the acceptable year of the Lord,” he adds, And the day of retribution; that is, the final retribution, when the Lord will give to everyone according to his work.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Alternatively, by “the acceptable year of the Lord,” he means this day extended through endless ages, which knows no return to a world of labor and grants humanity everlasting reward and rest. It follows, “And he closed the book, and he gave it again.”

The Venerable Bede: He read the book to those who were present to hear Him, but after reading it, He returned it to the attendant. For while He was in the world He spoke openly, teaching in the synagogues and in the temple. But as He was about to return to heaven, He committed the office of preaching the Gospel to those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word.

He read while standing, because in explaining the Scriptures written about Him, He condescended to work in the flesh. But having returned the book, He sat down, because He restored Himself to the throne of heavenly rest. For standing is the posture of a worker, while sitting is that of one who is resting or judging. So also, let the preacher of the word rise up to read, work, and preach, and then sit down—that is, wait for the reward of rest.

He opens the book and reads because, by sending the Spirit, He taught His Church all truth. Having shut the book, He returned it to the attendant because not all things were to be said to all people; rather, He committed the word to the teacher to be dispensed according to the capacity of the hearers. It follows, “And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.”

Origen of Alexandria: And even now, if we are willing, our eyes can look upon the Savior. For when you direct your whole heart to wisdom, truth, and the contemplation of the only-begotten Son of God, your eyes behold Jesus.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Then He turned the eyes of all upon Him, as they wondered how He knew the writings which He had never learned. But since it was the custom of the Jews to claim that the prophecies spoken of Christ were fulfilled in certain of their leaders—that is, their kings—or in some of their holy prophets, the Lord made this announcement, as it follows, declaring that this Scripture was now fulfilled.

The Venerable Bede: This was because, as that Scripture had foretold, the Lord was in fact both doing great things and preaching even greater things.

St. John Chrysostom: When our Lord came to Nazareth, He refrained from miracles to avoid provoking the people to even greater malice. But He presented to them His teaching, which was no less wonderful than His miracles. For there was a certain ineffable grace in our Savior’s words that softened the hearts of His hearers. For this reason, it is said, And they all bore him witness.

The Venerable Bede: They bore witness that it was truly He, as He had said, of whom the prophet had spoken.

St. John Chrysostom: But foolish men, though wondering at the power of His words, held Him in low esteem because of His supposed father. For this reason, it follows, And they said, Is not this the son of Joseph?

St. Cyril of Alexandria: But what prevents Him from inspiring awe in people, even if He were the son of Joseph, as was supposed? Do you not see the divine miracles: Satan already defeated, and people released from their sickness?

St. John Chrysostom: For although He came to them after a long time, and after He had begun to perform His miracles, they did not receive Him but were again consumed with envy. For this reason, it follows, And he said to them, You will surely say to me this proverb, Physician, heal yourself.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: It was a common proverb among the Hebrews, invented as a reproach, for people used to cry out against sick physicians, Physician, heal yourself.

Glossa Ordinaria: It was as if they said, “We have heard that you performed many cures in Capernaum; cure yourself also”—that is, “Do the same in your own city, where you were raised and brought up.”

St. Augustine of Hippo: Since Luke mentions that great things had already been done by the Lord—things he knows he has not yet related—what is more evident than that he knowingly anticipated their telling? He had not progressed so far beyond the Lord's baptism that we should suppose he had forgotten that he had not yet related any of the events that took place in Capernaum.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But the Savior purposely excuses Himself for not working miracles in His own country, so that no one might suppose that love for one's country should be lightly esteemed by us. For it follows, But he says, Verily I say to you, that no prophet is accepted in his own country.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: It is as if He says, “You want me to work many miracles among you, in whose country I have been brought up, but I am aware of a very common failing in the minds of many.” It always happens to some extent that even the best things are despised when they are not scarce, but always available at one's will. The same happens with respect to people, for a friend who is always at hand does not receive the respect he is due.

The Venerable Bede: Now, that Christ is called a Prophet in the Scriptures is attested by Moses, who says, God shall raise up a Prophet to you from among your brethren.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But this is given as an example that you can expect the aid of divine mercy in vain if you begrudge others the fruits of their virtue. The Lord despises the envious and withdraws the miracles of His power from those who are jealous of His divine blessings in others.

For our Lord’s Incarnation is evidence of His divinity, and His invisible attributes are proven to us by what is visible. See, then, what evils envy produces. Because of envy, a country is deemed unworthy of the works of its citizen—the very country that was worthy of the conception of the Son of God.

Origen of Alexandria: As far as Luke’s narrative is concerned, our Lord is not yet said to have worked any miracle in Capernaum. Before He came to Capernaum, He is said to have lived at Nazareth. I cannot help but think, therefore, that a mystery lies concealed in these words, whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, and that Nazareth is a type of the Jews, and Capernaum a type of the Gentiles.

For the time will come when the people of Israel will say, “The things which you have shown to the whole world, show also to us.” Preach your word to the people of Israel, so that then at least, when the fullness of the Gentiles has entered, all Israel may be saved. Our Savior seems to me to have answered well, No prophet is accepted in his own country, but this is meant according to the type rather than the letter, though Jeremiah was not accepted in his country of Anathoth, nor were the rest of the prophets.

Instead, it seems to be meant that the people of the circumcision were the countrymen of all the prophets. The Gentiles, indeed, accepted the prophecy of Jesus Christ, esteeming Moses and the Prophets who preached of Christ far more highly than did those who would not receive Jesus from them.

St. Ambrose of Milan: By a very fitting comparison, the arrogance of the envious citizens is shamed, and our Lord’s conduct is shown to agree with the ancient Scriptures. For it follows, But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias—not because the days belonged to him, but because he performed his works during them.

St. John Chrysostom: He himself—an earthly angel, a heavenly man, who had neither house, nor food, nor clothing like others—carries the keys of the heavens on his tongue. And this is what follows: When the heaven was shut. But as soon as he had closed the heavens and made the earth barren, hunger reigned and bodies wasted away, as it follows, when there was a famine through all the land.

St. Basil the Great: For when he saw the great disgrace that arose from universal abundance, he brought a famine so that the people might fast, by which he restrained their sin, which was exceedingly great. But crows, which are accustomed to steal food from others, were made ministers of food to the righteous man.

St. John Chrysostom: But when the stream that filled the righteous man's cup was dried up, God said, Go to Sarepta, a city of Sidon; there I will command a widow woman to feed you. As it follows, But to none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And this was brought about by a particular appointment of God.

God made him go on a long journey, as far as Sidon, so that after seeing the famine in the country, he would ask the Lord for rain. There were many rich men at that time, but none of them did anything like the widow. For her riches consisted not of lands but of goodwill, which was shown in the respect she gave the prophet.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But he speaks of a mystery, saying, in the days of Elias, because Elijah brought the day to those who saw the light of spiritual grace in his works. And so heaven was opened to those who beheld the divine mystery, but it was shut when there was a famine, because there was no fruitfulness in acknowledging God. But in that widow to whom Elijah was sent, a type of the Church was prefigured.

Origen of Alexandria: For when a famine of hearing the word of God came upon the people of Israel, a prophet came to a widow, of whom it is said, For the desolate has many more children than she which has an husband. And when he came, he multiplied her bread and her nourishment.

The Venerable Bede: Sidon signifies a vain pursuit; Sarepta signifies fire or a scarcity of bread. By all these things, the Gentiles are signified. Given over to vain pursuits, like following after profit and worldly business, they were suffering from the flames of fleshly lusts and the lack of spiritual bread. This continued until Elijah (that is, the word of prophecy), now that the interpretation of the Scriptures had ceased because of the faithlessness of the Jews, came to the Church to be received into the hearts of believers, that he might feed and refresh them.

St. Basil the Great: Every widowed soul, deprived of virtue and divine knowledge, as soon as she receives the divine word, recognizes her own failings and learns to nourish it with the bread of virtue and to water the teaching of virtue from the fountain of life.

Origen of Alexandria: He also cites another similar example, adding, And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian, who indeed was not from Israel.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Now, in a mystery, one people pollutes the Church, so that another people might succeed it, gathered together from foreigners. This people is leprous at first, before it is baptized in the mystical stream, but after the sacrament of baptism, it is washed from the stains of body and soul and begins to be a virgin without spot or wrinkle.

The Venerable Bede: For Naaman, which means “beautiful,” represents the Gentile people, who are ordered to be washed seven times because the baptism that saves is the one which the seven-fold Spirit renews. After washing, his flesh began to appear like a child’s, because grace, like a mother, brings all to one childhood, or because he is conformed to Christ, of whom it is said, to us a Child is born.