Church Fathers Commentary Luke 9

St. Cyril of Alexandria: It was fitting that those appointed as ministers of holy teaching should be able to work miracles, and by these very acts be recognized as the ministers of God. Therefore, the scripture says, Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all devils. In this, He brings down the haughty pride of the devil, who once said, There is no one who will open his mouth against me.

Eusebius of Caesarea: And so that through them the entire human race might be reached, He not only gives them power to drive away evil spirits, but also to cure all kinds of diseases at His command, as it follows: And to cure diseases.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Observe here the divine power of the Son, which does not belong to a fleshly nature. For it was within the power of the saints to perform miracles, not by their own nature, but by participation in the Holy Spirit; yet it was completely beyond their power to grant this authority to others. For how could created beings have dominion over the gifts of the Spirit? But our Lord Jesus Christ, as God by nature, imparts graces of this kind to whomever He wills, not by calling down upon them a power that is not His own, but by infusing it into them from Himself.

St. John Chrysostom: But after they had been sufficiently strengthened by His guidance and had received sufficient proof of His power, He sends them out, as it follows: And He sent them to teach the kingdom of God. And here we must remark that they are not commissioned to speak of physical things, as Moses and the Prophets were. For they promised a land and earthly goods, but these apostles promised a kingdom and whatever is contained in it.

St. Gregory of Nazianzus: Now in sending His disciples to preach, our Lord instructed them in many things, the chief of which are that they should be so virtuous, so constant, so temperate, and, in short, so heavenly, that the teaching of the Gospel might be spread as much through their way of life as through their words. Therefore, they were sent without money, staves, or a single garment. He therefore adds, And He said to them, "Take nothing in the way, neither staves."

St. John Chrysostom: Indeed, He ordained many things by this command. First, it made the disciples above suspicion. Secondly, it kept them free from all care, so that they might devote their full attention to the word. Thirdly, it taught them their own particular virtue. But perhaps someone will say that the other commands are reasonable, but for what reason did He command them to have no scrip for their journey, nor two coats, nor a staff? In truth, it was because He wished to stir them to all diligence, freeing them from all the cares of this life so that they might be occupied with the single care of teaching.

Eusebius of Caesarea: Therefore, wishing them to be free from the desire for wealth and the anxieties of life, He gave this command. He took it as a proof of their faith and courage that when they were commanded to lead a life of extreme poverty, they would not shrink from what was ordered. For it was fitting that they should make a kind of exchange, receiving these saving virtues to reward them for their obedience. And as He was making them soldiers of God, He equipped them for battle against their enemies by telling them to embrace poverty. For no soldier of God entangles himself in the affairs of a secular life.

St. Ambrose of Milan: The kind of person who ought to preach the Gospel of the kingdom of God is defined by these Gospel precepts: he must not rely on the support of worldly aid. Clinging completely to faith, he must believe that the less he requires those things, the more they will be provided for him.

Theophylact of Ohrid: For He sends them out as absolute beggars, so that He wanted them to carry neither bread nor anything else that people generally need.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Alternatively, the Lord did not want the disciples to possess and carry these things with them—not because they were unnecessary for sustaining this life, but because He sent them this way to show that these provisions were owed to them by the believers to whom they proclaimed the Gospel. This was so that they would neither possess worldly security nor carry with them the necessities of this life, whether great or small.

Therefore, according to Mark, He excluded everything except a staff, showing that the faithful owe everything to their ministers, who require no non-essentials. But He mentioned this permission for a staff by name when He says, "They should take nothing in the way, but a staff only."

St. Ambrose of Milan: For those who wish, this passage can also be explained as representing a spiritual disposition, which seems to have cast off, as it were, a certain covering of the body—not only rejecting power and despising wealth, but also renouncing the pleasures of the flesh itself.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Some also understand the command for the Apostles not to carry a scrip, a staff, or two coats to mean that they must not lay up treasures (which a scrip, for collecting many things, implies), nor be angry and have a quarrelsome spirit (which the staff signifies), nor be false and double-hearted (which is meant by the two coats).

St. Cyril of Alexandria: But it may be asked, "How then will necessary things be provided for them?" He therefore adds, "And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart." It is as if He said, "Let the food from your disciples be enough for you; they, receiving spiritual things from you, will provide you with temporal things." But He ordered them to stay in one house so as neither to inconvenience their host nor to attract suspicion of gluttony and self-indulgence for themselves.

St. Ambrose of Milan: He declares that it is inconsistent with the character of a preacher of the heavenly kingdom to run from house to house and violate the rights of sacred hospitality. But just as hospitality is expected to be offered, so also if they are not received, the dust must be shaken off, and they are commanded to depart from the city, as it follows: And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony, etc.

The Venerable Bede: The dust is shaken off from the Apostles’ feet as a testimony to their labors—that they had entered a city and the apostolic preaching had reached its inhabitants. Alternatively, the dust is shaken off when they receive nothing (not even the necessities of life) from those who despised the Gospel.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: For it is very unlikely that those who despise the saving Word and the Master of the household will be kind to His servants or seek further blessings.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Alternatively, a great return for hospitality is taught here: that is, we should not only wish peace to our hosts, but also, if any faults of earthly weakness obscure them, these faults might be removed by their receiving the footsteps of apostolic preaching.

The Venerable Bede: But if anyone, through treacherous negligence or even out of zeal, despises the word of God, their fellowship must be avoided. The dust of the feet must be shaken off, lest by their empty deeds, which are like dust, the path of a pure mind be defiled.

Eusebius of Caesarea: But when the Lord had equipped His disciples as soldiers of God with divine virtue and wise instructions, sending them to the Jews as teachers and healers, they then went forth, as it is written: And they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

St. John Chrysostom: It was not until a long time had passed that Herod took notice of the things Jesus did (to show you the pride of a tyrant), for he did not acknowledge them at first. As it is said, Now Herod heard...

Theophylact of Ohrid: Herod was the son of Herod the Great, who slew the children. The former was a king, but this Herod was a tetrarch. He inquired about Christ, asking who He was. Therefore, the text says, And he was perplexed.

St. John Chrysostom: For sinners are afraid both when they know and when they are ignorant. They fear shadows, are suspicious about everything, and are alarmed at the slightest noise.

Such is the nature of sin: when no one blames or finds fault, it betrays a person; when no one accuses, it condemns, making the offender timid and hesitant. The cause of Herod's fear is stated afterward in the words, Because it was said by some...

Theophylact of Ohrid: For the Jews expected a resurrection of the dead to a physical life of eating and drinking, but those who rise again will not be concerned with the deeds of the flesh.

St. John Chrysostom: When Herod heard of the miracles Jesus was performing, he said, John I have beheaded. This was not an expression of boasting, but a way of calming his fears and forcing his distracted soul to remember that he had killed John. And because he had beheaded John, he added, but who is this?

Theophylact of Ohrid: If John is alive and has risen from the dead, I will know him when I see him. As the text says, And he sought to see him.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Now Luke, though he follows the same order in his narrative as Mark, does not require us to believe that the course of events was identical. In his account, Mark testifies only that others (not Herod) said John had risen from the dead.

However, since Luke mentions Herod’s perplexity, we must suppose one of two things. The first is that after his initial perplexity, Herod came to believe what others were saying, since, as Matthew relates, he says to his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead. The second possibility is that Matthew's account must be interpreted in a way that shows Herod was still doubting.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Taking the opportunity from what had just occurred, Matthew and Mark relate here how John was killed by Herod. But Luke, who had given an account of John’s sufferings long before, immediately adds after mentioning Herod’s perplexity as to who our Lord was, And the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done.

The Venerable Bede: But they not only tell Him what they had done and taught, but also, as Matthew implies, the things which John suffered while they were busy teaching are now reported to Him either by His own disciples or, according to Matthew, by John’s disciples.

Isidore of Pelusium: Our Lord, because He hates men of blood and those who dwell with them as long as they do not depart from their crimes, left the murderers after the murder of the Baptist and departed. As it follows, And he took them, and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.

The Venerable Bede: Now Bethsaida is in Galilee, the city of the Apostles Andrew, Peter, and Philip, near the Lake of Gennesaret. Our Lord did not do this from fear of death (as some think), but to spare His enemies, so that they would not commit two murders, and also to wait for the proper time for His own sufferings.

St. John Chrysostom: He did not depart before, but only after He was told what had happened, manifesting in every detail the reality of His incarnation.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Our Lord went into a desert place because He was about to perform the miracle of the loaves, so that no one could say the bread was brought from the neighboring cities.

St. John Chrysostom: Or, He went into a desert place so that no one might follow Him. But the people did not turn back; instead, they accompanied Him, as it follows, And the people, when they knew it, followed him.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Some were asking to be delivered from evil spirits, while others desired Him to remove their diseases. Those who were delighted with His teaching also attended Him diligently.

The Venerable Bede: But He, as the powerful and merciful Savior, showed how pleased He was with their devotion by receiving the weary, teaching the ignorant, curing the sick, and feeding the hungry. As it follows, And he received them, and spoke to them of the kingdom of God, etc.

Theophylact of Ohrid: This is so you may learn that the wisdom within us is expressed in both word and deed, and that it is fitting for us to speak of what has been done and to do what we speak of. But when the day was wearing away, the disciples, now beginning to care for others, took compassion on the multitude.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: For, as has been said, they sought to be healed of various diseases. Because the disciples saw that what they sought could be accomplished by His simple consent, they said, "Send them away, so that they will not be distressed any longer." But notice the overflowing kindness of the One who was asked. He not only grants what the disciples ask, but to those who follow Him, He also supplies a bountiful provision, commanding that food be set before them. As it follows, But he said to them, Give you them to eat.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Now, He did not say this because He was ignorant of their answer, but because He wished to prompt them to tell Him how much bread they had. In this way, a great miracle would be revealed through their own confession when the amount of bread was made known.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: But this was a command the disciples were unable to obey, since they had with them only five loaves and two fish. As it follows, And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people.

St. Augustine of Hippo: In these words, Luke has indeed combined into one sentence both Philip’s answer—as John relates it, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little—and Andrew’s answer: There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes. When Luke writes, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes, he is referring to Andrew’s statement. But the part he added, except we should go and buy meat for all this people, seems to belong to Philip’s answer, except that Luke is silent about the two hundred pennyworth, although this might also be implied in Andrew’s own words.

For when Andrew had said, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes, he added, but what are they among so many? This is the same as saying, "...unless we go and buy food for all this people." From this diversity of words but harmony of events and opinions, it is sufficiently clear that we are given this wholesome lesson: we must not look for anything in the words except the meaning of the speaker. To explain this meaning clearly ought to be the concern of all truthful authors whenever they relate anything concerning man, angel, or God.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: To enhance the magnitude of the miracle even more, the number of men is stated to have been quite large. As it follows, And there were about five thousand men, besides women and children, as another Evangelist relates.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Our Lord teaches us that when we entertain anyone, we ought to make them sit down to eat and enjoy every comfort. Hence it follows, And he said to his disciples, etc.

St. Augustine of Hippo: The fact that Luke says here that the men were ordered to sit down by fifties, while Mark says by fifties and hundreds, is not a contradiction, since one spoke of a part and the other of the whole. If one had mentioned only the fifties and the other only the hundreds, they would seem to contradict each other greatly, and it would not be clear which was said. But who would not admit that one detail was mentioned by one Evangelist and the other by another, and that this becomes clear if considered more attentively? I have said this much because things of this kind often exist which, to those who pay little attention and judge hastily, appear to be contradictions when they are not.

St. John Chrysostom: And to make people believe that He came from the Father, Christ looked up to heaven when He was about to perform the miracle. As it follows, Then he took the five loaves, etc.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: He also did this intentionally for our sake, so that we might learn that at the beginning of a meal, when we are about to break bread, we ought to offer thanks for it to God and draw down the heavenly blessing upon it. As it follows, And he blessed, and broke.

St. John Chrysostom: He distributes the food to them by the hands of His disciples, honoring them in this way so that they might not forget the miracle after it was over. Now, He did not create food for the multitude out of nothing, in order to silence the Manichaeans who claim that created things are independent of Him. He did this to show that He Himself is both the Giver of food and the same One who said, Let the earth bring forth, etc. He also makes the fish increase, to signify that He has dominion over the seas as well as the dry land. But He performed a special miracle for the weak, at the same time that He also gives a general blessing in feeding all the strong as well as the weak. And they did all eat, and were filled.

Gregory of Nyssa: For them, the heavens did not rain manna, nor did the earth bring forth grain according to its nature; rather, the blessing was poured forth from the indescribable storehouse of divine power. The bread is supplied by the hands of those who serve it, and it increases even as it is eaten to fullness. The sea did not supply their needs with its fish; rather, it was He who placed the fish in the sea.

St. Ambrose of Milan: It is clear that the multitude was filled not by a meager meal, but by a constant and increasing supply of food. In an incomprehensible way, you could see the pieces multiplying in the hands of those who distributed them, pieces they did not break; the fragments, too, touched by the fingers of those breaking them, spontaneously increased.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Nor was this the end of the miracle. As the text continues, And there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets. This serves as a clear proof that a work of love for our neighbor will claim a rich reward from God.

Theophylact of Ohrid: And so that we might learn the value of hospitality and how much our own store is increased when we help those in need.

St. John Chrysostom: But He did not cause whole loaves to be left over, but fragments, to show that they were the remnants of the original loaves. And the number of baskets was made to be twelve, so there would be as many baskets as there were disciples.

St. Ambrose of Milan: After the woman who was a type of the Church was cured of her issue of blood, and after the Apostles were appointed to preach the Gospel of the kingdom of God, the nourishment of heavenly grace is imparted. But notice to whom it is imparted: not to the lazy, not to those in a city, not to those with rank in the synagogue or in high secular office, but to those who seek Christ in the desert.

The Venerable Bede: He Himself, having left Judea—which through unbelief had deprived itself of the source of prophecy—dispenses the food of the word in the desert of the Church, which had no husband. But many groups of the faithful, leaving the city of their former way of life and their various opinions, follow Christ into the deserts of the Gentiles.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But those who are not proud are received by Christ, and the Word of God speaks with them, not about worldly things, but about the kingdom of God. And if any have the ulcers of bodily passions, He willingly provides their cure. But everywhere the order of the mystery is preserved: first, the wounds are healed through the remission of sins, and afterward, the nourishment of the heavenly table abounds plentifully.

The Venerable Bede: Now, when the day was ending, He refreshes the multitudes. This signifies the time when the end of the world approaches, or when the Sun of Righteousness sets for us.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Although the multitude is not yet fed with stronger food. For first, like milk, there are five loaves; second, seven loaves; and third, the Body of Christ is the stronger food. If anyone is afraid to seek this food, let him leave everything that belongs to him and listen to the word of God.

Whoever begins to hear the word of God begins to eat, and the Apostles begin to see him eating. And if those who eat do not yet know what they are eating, Christ knows. He knows that they are not eating this world’s food, but the food of Christ. For they did not yet know that the food of a believing people was not to be bought or sold. Christ knew that we are, rather, to be bought with a ransom, but that His banquet is to be without price.

The Venerable Bede: The Apostles had only the five loaves of the Mosaic law and the two fish of the two covenants, which were hidden in the secret place of obscure mysteries, as if in the waters of the deep. But because humans have five external senses, the five thousand men who followed the Lord signify those who still live in worldly ways, knowing how to use the external things they possess. For those who entirely renounce the world are raised up to enjoy His Gospel feast. The different groupings of the guests indicate the different congregations of Churches throughout the world, which together compose the one Catholic Church.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But here, the bread that Jesus broke is, mystically, the word of God and the discourse concerning Christ, which increases when it is divided. For from these few words, He provided abundant nourishment to the people. He gave us words like loaves, which are doubled while they are tasted by our mouths.

The Venerable Bede: Now, our Savior does not create new food for the hungry multitudes; instead, He took what the disciples had and blessed it. Since He came in the flesh, He preaches nothing other than what was foretold, but He demonstrates that the words of prophecy are pregnant with the mysteries of grace. He looks toward heaven to teach us to direct the eye of our mind there and to seek the light of knowledge. He breaks the bread and distributes it to the disciples to be placed before the multitude, because He revealed to them the Sacraments of the Law and the Prophets so that they might preach them to the world.

St. Ambrose of Milan: It is not without meaning that the fragments left over after the multitudes had eaten were collected by the disciples, since you can more easily find divine things among the elect than among the people. Blessed is he who can gather the things that remain, which are beyond the grasp of even the learned. But why did Christ fill twelve baskets, if not to give meaning to that saying concerning the Jewish people: "His hands served in the basket"? That is, the people who before collected mud for making pots now, through the cross of Christ, gather up the nourishment of heavenly life. Nor is this the task of a few, but of all. For by the twelve baskets, representing each of the tribes, the foundation of the faith is spread abroad.

The Venerable Bede: Or, the twelve baskets represent the twelve Apostles and all succeeding teachers, who are indeed despised by those outside, but are inwardly loaded with the fragments of saving food.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Our Lord retired from the multitude and, in a place apart, was engaged in prayer, as it is said: And it came to pass, as he was alone praying. He set Himself as an example of this, instructing His disciples by an easy method of teaching. For I suppose that the rulers of the people ought to be superior to those under them in good deeds, always conversing with them about necessary matters and discussing those things that delight God.

The Venerable Bede: Now the disciples were with the Lord, but He alone prayed to the Father, since the saints may be joined to the Lord in the bond of faith and love, but the Son alone is able to penetrate the incomprehensible secrets of the Father’s will. Everywhere, then, He prays alone, for human wishes do not comprehend the counsel of God, nor can anyone be a partaker with Christ in the deep things of God.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: His engaging in prayer might have perplexed His disciples, for they saw Him praying like a man, whom they had previously seen performing miracles with divine power. In order, then, to banish all perplexity of this kind, He asks them this question—not because He did not know the reports they had gathered from others, but so that He might rid them of the common opinion and instill true faith in them. Hence it follows: And he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?

The Venerable Bede: Rightly, when our Lord was about to inquire into the faith of the disciples, He first asked about the opinion of the multitudes. He did this so their confession would not seem to be shaped by popular opinion instead of their own knowledge, and so they would not be seen as believing based on hearsay, like Herod, who was perplexed by the different reports he heard.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Now, a question may be raised by the fact that Luke says our Lord asked His disciples, Whom do men say that I am? at the same time that He was praying alone, and they were also with Him. Mark, however, says that they were asked this question by our Lord on the way. But this is a difficulty only for someone who has never prayed on the way.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But it is no trivial opinion of the multitude that the disciples mention, as it is added: But they answering said, John the Baptist (whom they knew to have been beheaded), but some say, Elias (whom they thought would come), but others say that one of the old prophets is risen again. But to investigate this matter belongs to a different kind of wisdom than ours, for if it was enough for the Apostle Paul to know nothing but Christ Jesus and Him crucified, what more can I desire to know than Christ?

St. Cyril of Alexandria: But mark the subtle skill of the question. He directs them first to the opinions of outsiders so that, after setting those aside, He might instill in them the right opinion. So when the disciples had given the people's view, He asks for their own, as it is added: And He said to them, Whom say you that I am?

How significant is the word "you"! He separates them from the others so that they may avoid their opinions, as if He were saying, "You who by my decree are called to the apostleship, you who are witnesses of my miracles—whom do you say that I am?" But Peter, anticipating the rest, becomes the mouthpiece for the whole company. Launching forth with the eloquence of divine love, he utters the confession of faith, as it is added: Peter answering said, The Christ of God.

Peter does not say merely that He was a Christ of God, but the Christ of God, using the definite article as it is in the Greek. For many divinely appointed people are called "Christs" (or "anointed ones") in various ways, since some were anointed as kings and others as prophets. We too, through Christ, have been anointed by the Holy Spirit and have obtained the name of Christ.

But there is only one who is the Christ of God the Father, He alone having, as it were, His own Father who is in heaven. And so Luke agrees in substance with Matthew, who relates that Peter said, You are Christ, the Son of the living God. Speaking more briefly, Luke says that Peter answered, the Christ of God.

St. Ambrose of Milan: In this one name is the expression of His divinity and incarnation, and the belief in His passion. He has therefore comprehended everything, having expressed both the nature and the name in which all power resides.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: But we must observe that Peter most wisely confessed Christ to be one, against those who presumed to divide Immanuel into two Christs. For Christ did not ask them, "Whom do men say the divine Word is?" but the Son of Man, whom Peter confessed to be the Son of God. In this, then, Peter is to be admired and considered worthy of such high honor, seeing that He whom he marveled at in human form, he believed to be the Christ of the Father—that is to say, that the Word who proceeded from the Father’s substance had become man.

St. Ambrose of Milan: But our Lord Jesus Christ was at first unwilling to be proclaimed, lest an uproar should arise, as it follows: And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man any thing. He commands His disciples to be silent for many reasons: to deceive the prince of this world, to reject boasting, and to teach humility. Christ, then, would not boast; do you boast, who are of ignoble birth? He also did it to prevent inexperienced and still imperfect disciples from being overwhelmed by the wonder of this awesome announcement. They are therefore forbidden to preach Him as the Son of God, so that they might afterward preach Him crucified.

St. John Chrysostom: Our Lord’s command that no one should tell that He was the Christ was also timely, so that when the stumbling blocks were removed and the sufferings of the cross completed, a proper opinion of Him might be firmly rooted in the minds of the hearers. For a plant that has once taken root and is then torn up will scarcely survive if it is replanted. But that which, once planted, continues undisturbed, grows up securely. For if Peter was offended merely by what he heard, what would the feelings have been of the many who, after hearing that He was the Son of God, saw Him crucified and spat upon?

St. Cyril of Alexandria: It was the duty of the disciples, then, to preach Him throughout the world, for this was the work of those chosen by Him for the office of the apostleship. But as Holy Scripture bears witness, There is a time for every thing. It was fitting that the cross and resurrection should be accomplished, and then the preaching of the apostles would follow, as it is spoken: The Son of man must suffer many things.

St. Ambrose of Milan: Perhaps because the Lord knew that the disciples would believe even the difficult mystery of the Passion and Resurrection, He wished to be the one to proclaim His own Passion and Resurrection.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Great and noble leaders provoke the mighty in arms to deeds of valor, not only by promising them the honors of victory, but by declaring that suffering is in itself glorious. Such, we see, is the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ. For He had foretold to His disciples that He must suffer the accusations of the Jews, be slain, and rise again on the third day. So that they would not think that Christ indeed was to suffer persecution for the life of the world, but that they might lead an easy life, He shows them that they must pass through similar struggles if they desire to obtain His glory. Therefore, it is said, "And he said to all."

The Venerable Bede: He rightly addressed all, since He discusses the deeper matters (concerning the belief in His birth and passion) separately with His disciples.

St. John Chrysostom: Now the Savior, in His great mercy and loving-kindness, wants no one to serve Him unwillingly or by compulsion, but only those who come of their own free will and are grateful for being allowed to serve Him. And so, not by compelling people and putting a yoke on them, but by persuasion and kindness, He draws to Himself everywhere those who are willing, saying, "If any man will," etc.

St. Basil the Great: But He has left His own life as an example of blameless conduct for those who are willing to obey Him. As He says, "Come after me," meaning by this not a physical following of His body—for that would be impossible for everyone, since our Lord is in heaven—but a proper imitation of His life according to their abilities.

The Venerable Bede: Now unless a person renounces himself, he does not come near to Him who is above him; therefore, it is said, "Let him deny himself."

St. Basil the Great: A denial of oneself is indeed a total forgetfulness of things past and a forsaking of one's own will and affections.

Origen of Alexandria: A person also denies himself when, by a sufficient change in behavior or by good conduct, he transforms a life of habitual wickedness. He who has long lived in lasciviousness abandons his lustful self when he becomes chaste, and in the same way, forsaking any crime is a denial of oneself.

St. Basil the Great: To desire to suffer death for Christ, to put to death one's members which are on the earth, to have a courageous resolution to undergo any danger for Christ, and to be indifferent toward the present life—this is what it means to take up one's cross. Therefore, it is added, "And let him take up his cross daily."

Theophylact of Ohrid: By the cross, He speaks of an ignominious death, meaning that if anyone wants to follow Christ, he must not, for his own sake, flee even from an ignominious death.

St. Gregory the Great: The cross is also taken up in two ways: either when the body is afflicted through abstinence, or when the mind is touched by sympathy.

Greek Expositors: He rightly joins these two, "Let him deny himself," and "let him take up his cross." For just as one who is prepared to ascend the cross conceives in his mind the intention of death and so goes on, thinking he has no more part in this life, so the one who is willing to follow our Lord must first deny himself, and then take up his cross, so that his will may be ready to endure every calamity.

St. Basil the Great: A person's perfection, then, consists in this: that he should have his affections hardened, even toward life itself, and always have about him the sentence of death, so that he should by no means trust in himself. Perfection begins with the relinquishment of things foreign to it, such as possessions, vainglory, or affection for things that do not profit.

The Venerable Bede: We are then instructed to take up the cross of which we have spoken above, and having taken it, to follow our Lord who bore His own cross. Therefore, it follows, "And let him follow me."

Origen of Alexandria: He gives the reason for this when He adds, For whosoever will save his life shall lose it. That is, whoever, in accordance with the present life, keeps his own soul fixed on worldly things, that person shall lose it, never reaching the realm of true happiness. But on the other hand, He adds, but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, shall save it. That is, whoever forsakes worldly things to look upon truth, and exposes himself to death—losing his life for Christ, as it were—will all the more save it.

If, then, it is a blessed thing to save our life (referring to the safety that is in God), there must also be a certain good surrender of one's life that is made by looking to Christ. It also seems to me, by analogy to the self-denial spoken of before, that we ought to lose a certain sinful life of ours in order to take up the life that is saved by virtue.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: But that incomparable discipline of the passion of Christ, which surpasses the world's delights and treasures, is alluded to when He adds, What is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? As if He says, "When a person, by pursuing present delights, gains pleasure and refuses to suffer, choosing instead to live splendidly in his riches, what advantage will he have then, when he has lost his soul?" For the fashion of this world passes away, and pleasant things depart as a shadow. For the treasures of ungodliness will not profit, but righteousness delivers a man from death.

St. Gregory the Great: Since the holy Church has times of persecution and times of peace, our Lord has addressed both situations in His command to us. For in a time of persecution, we must lay down our soul (that is, our life), which He indicated when He said, Whosoever shall lose his life... But in a time of peace, we must vanquish those things that have the greatest power to subdue us: our earthly desires. He indicated this when He said, What does it profit a man... etc.

Now, we commonly despise all fleeting things, but we are still so restrained by that feeling of shame so common to humanity that we are unable to express in words the uprightness we preserve in our hearts. But to this wound, the Lord applies a suitable remedy, saying, For whoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed.

Theophylact of Ohrid: A person is ashamed of Christ who says, "Am I to believe in One who was crucified?" He also is ashamed of His words who despises the simplicity of the Gospel. But the Lord will be ashamed of that person in His kingdom, just as a master of a household would have a bad servant and be ashamed to have him.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Now He strikes fear into their hearts when He says that He will descend from heaven, not in His former humility and state—which was suited to our capacity to receive Him—but in the glory of the Father, with the angels ministering to Him. For it follows, When he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels. How awful and fatal it will be, then, to be branded as an enemy and as lazy in service, when so great a Judge descends with the armies of angels standing around Him. From this you may perceive that even though He has taken our flesh and blood to Himself, the Son is no less God, seeing that He promises to come in the glory of God the Father and that angels will minister to Him as the Judge of all—He who was made man like us.

St. Ambrose of Milan: While our Lord always raises us to look to the future reward of virtue and teaches us how good it is to despise worldly things, He also supports the weakness of the human mind with a present reward. For it is a hard thing to take up the cross, to expose your life to danger, and your body to death. It is hard to give up what you are when you wish to be what you are not. Even the loftiest virtue seldom exchanges present things for future ones. The good Master, then, so that no one would be broken down by despair or weariness, immediately promises that He will be seen by the faithful, saying, But I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste of death till they see the kingdom of God.

Theophylact of Ohrid: That is, the glory in which the righteous will be. He said this about His transfiguration, which was a type of the glory to come. It is as if He said, "There are some standing here—Peter, James, and John—who will not die before they have seen at the time of My transfiguration what the glory of those who confess Me will be."

St. Gregory the Great: Or, the kingdom of God in this passage means the present Church, and some of His disciples were to remain alive in the body until that time when they would behold the Church of God built and raised up against the glory of this world.

St. Ambrose of Milan: If we also wish not to fear death, let us stand where Christ is. For only those who are able to stand with Christ cannot taste death. From the nature of the word itself, we may consider that those who are deemed worthy to obtain union with Christ will not experience even the slightest perception of death. Let us at least suppose that the death of the body is tasted by touch, while the life of the soul is preserved by possession. For here it is not the death of the body that is denied, but the death of the soul.