Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 20

Remigius of Auxerre: To establish the truth of the saying, “There are many who are first who will be last, and the last first,” the Lord adds a parable.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: The Master of the household is Christ, whose house is the heavens and the earth, and whose family are the creatures of the heavens, the earth, and what is beneath the earth. His vineyard is righteousness, in which are planted various kinds of righteousness as vines, such as meekness, chastity, patience, and the other virtues. All of these are called by the one common name of righteousness.

Men are the cultivators of this vineyard, from which it is said, “Who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.” For God placed His righteousness in our senses, not for His own benefit but for ours. Know then that we are the hired laborers. But just as no man gives wages to a laborer so that he should do nothing except eat, so likewise we were not called by Christ for that purpose, that we should labor only for things that pertain to our own good, but for the glory of God.

Just as the hired laborer looks first to his task and after to his daily food, so we should attend first to those things which concern the glory of God, and then to those which concern our own profit. Also, as the hired laborer occupies the whole day in his Lord's work and takes only a single hour for his own meal, so we should occupy our whole life in the glory of God, taking only a very small portion of it for the uses of this world. And as the hired laborer who has done no work is ashamed that day to enter the house and ask for his food, how should you not be ashamed to enter the church and stand before the face of God when you have done nothing good in the sight of God?

St. Gregory the Great: Or, the Master of the household, that is, our Maker, has a vineyard, that is, the universal Church. This Church has produced as many branches as the saints it has brought forth, from righteous Abel to the very last saint who will be born at the end of the world. To instruct His people, as if dressing a vineyard, the Lord has never ceased to send out His laborers. First through the Patriarchs, next through the teachers of the Law, then through the Prophets, and at last through the Apostles, He has toiled in the cultivation of His vineyard. Indeed, every person, who in any measure or degree has joined good action with right faith, has been a laborer in the vineyard. ¹

Origen of Alexandria: For this entire present life may be called one day—long to us, but short compared to the existence of God.

St. Gregory the Great: The morning is that age of the world which was from Adam and Noah, and therefore it is said, “Who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.” He adds the terms of their hiring: “And when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day.”

Origen of Alexandria: I suppose the denarius here means salvation.

Remigius of Auxerre: A denarius was a coin anciently equal to ten sesterces and bearing the king's image. The denarius, therefore, well represents the reward for keeping the Decalogue. And the phrase, “Having agreed with them for a denarius a day,” is well said, to show that every person labors in the field of the holy Church in hope of the future reward.

St. Gregory the Great: The third hour is the period from Noah to Abraham, of which it is said, “And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.”

Origen of Alexandria: The marketplace is all that is outside the vineyard, that is, outside the Church of Christ.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: For in this world, men live by buying and selling and gain their support by defrauding each other.

St. Gregory the Great: He who lives for himself and feeds on the delights of the flesh is rightly accused of being idle, since he does not seek the fruit of godly labor.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Or, the “idle” are not sinners, for they are called dead. But he is idle who does not do the work of God. Do you wish not to be idle? Do not take what is another's, and give what is your own, and you have labored in the Lord's vineyard, cultivating the vine of mercy. It follows, “And he said to them, ‘Go also into my vineyard.’” Observe that it is with the first group alone that He agrees upon the sum to be given, a denarius. The others are hired with no express stipulation, but, “Whatever is right I will give you.” For the Lord, knowing that Adam would fall and that all would hereafter perish in the deluge, made conditions with him, so that he could never say he neglected righteousness because he did not know what reward he would have. But with the rest He made no contract, seeing He was prepared to give more than the laborers could hope.

Origen of Alexandria: Or, He did not call upon the laborers of the third hour for a complete task but left it to their own choice how much they should work. For they might perform work in the vineyard equal to that of those who had worked since the morning, if they chose to apply to their task a working energy that had not yet been exerted.

St. Gregory the Great: The sixth hour is the period from Abraham to Moses; the ninth is from Moses to the coming of the Lord.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: These two hours are coupled together because it was in the sixth and ninth that He called the generation of the Jews and multiplied His testaments to publish among men, as the appointed time of salvation now drew near.

St. Gregory the Great: The eleventh hour is the period from the coming of the Lord to the end of the world. The laborer in the morning, at the third, sixth, and ninth hours, denotes the ancient Hebrew people. In its elect, from the very beginning of the world, this people zealously served the Lord with right faith and never ceased to labor in the cultivation of the vineyard. But at the eleventh hour, the Gentiles are called. For those who, through so many ages of the world, had neglected to labor for their living were the ones who had stood idle the whole day.

But consider their answer: “They say to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’” For neither Patriarch nor Prophet had come to them. And what is this but to say, “No one has preached to us the way of life”?

Pseudo-Chrysostom: For what is our hiring, and the wages of that hiring? The promise of eternal life; for the Gentiles knew neither God nor God's promises.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: These then are sent into the vineyard: “Go also into my vineyard.”

Rabanus Maurus: But when they had rendered their day's task, at the fitting time for payment, “When evening had come,” that is, when the day of this world was drawing to its close.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Consider, He gives the reward not the next morning, but in the evening. Thus the judgment will take place while this world is still standing, and each person will receive what is due to him. This is for two reasons. First, because the happiness of the world to come is to be itself the reward of righteousness, so the award is made before, and not in that world. Secondly, so that sinners may not behold the blessedness of that day. “The Lord says to his steward,” that is, the Son to the Holy Spirit.

Glossa Ordinaria: Or, if you choose, the Father says to the Son; for the Father worked through the Son, and the Son through the Holy Spirit, not that there is any difference of substance or majesty. ²

Origen of Alexandria: Or, “The Lord said to his steward,” that is, to one of the Angels who was set over the payment of the laborers, or to one of those many guardians, according to what is written, that “the heir, as long as he is a child, is under tutors and governors” (Galatians 4:1-2).

Remigius of Auxerre: Or, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is the master of the household and also the steward, just as He is the door and also the keeper of the door. For He Himself will come to judge, to render to each person according to what he has done. He therefore calls His laborers and gives them their wages, so that when they are gathered together in the judgment, each person will receive according to his works.

Origen of Alexandria: But the first laborers, though having witness through faith, have not received the promise of God, the lord of the household providing some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. And because we have obtained mercy, we hope to receive the reward first—we, that is, who are Christ's—and after us, those who worked before us. For this reason it is said, “Call the laborers and give them their hire, beginning from the last to the first.” ³

Pseudo-Chrysostom: For we always give more willingly where we give without return, seeing it is for our own honor that we give. Therefore God, in giving reward to all the saints, shows Himself just; in giving to us, merciful, as the Apostle speaks, “That the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy” (Romans 15:9). Hence it is said, “Beginning from the last even to the first.”

Or surely, so that God may show His inestimable mercy, He first rewards the last and more unworthy, and afterwards the first; for by His great mercy He did not regard the order of merit.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Or, the lesser are therefore taken as first, because the lesser are to be made rich. ⁴

St. Gregory the Great: They who have worked since the eleventh hour get a denarius, just as those who have worked since the first, for they sought it with their whole soul. That is, those who were called from the beginning of the world have received the same reward of eternal happiness as those who come to the Lord at the end of the world.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: And this is not unjust. For he who was born in the first period of the world lived no longer than the determined time of his life, and what harm was it to him that the world continued after he left it? And those who will be born towards its close will not live less than the days that are numbered to them. And how does it shorten their labor that the world ends quickly, when they have already completed their lifespan?

Moreover, it is not of man to be born sooner or later, but of the power of God. Therefore, he that is born first cannot claim a higher place for himself, nor should he who was born later be held in contempt. “And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, saying.” But if what we have said is true—that both first and last have lived their own time, and neither more nor less, and that each person's death is his consummation—what does it mean that they say, “We have borne the burden and heat of the day?” It is because knowing that the end of the world is at hand is a great force to make us practice righteousness. For this reason, Christ in His love for us said, “The kingdom of heaven shall draw nigh” (Matthew 4:2).

In contrast, it was a weakening for them to know that the duration of the world was to be yet long. So, although they did not indeed live through the whole of time, they seem in a manner to have borne its weight. Or, by the burden of the day is meant the burdensome precepts of the Law. The heat may be that consuming temptation to error which evil spirits contrived for them, stirring them to imitate the Gentiles. The Gentiles were exempt from all these things, believing on Christ and being saved completely by a concise path of grace.

St. Gregory the Great: Or, to bear the burden and heat of the day is to be worn down through a long life by the passions of the flesh. But it may be asked, how can they be said to murmur when they are called to the kingdom of heaven? For no one who murmurs will receive the kingdom, and no one who receives it can murmur.

St. John Chrysostom: But we should not pursue every particular circumstance of a parable. We should instead enter into its general scope and seek nothing further. This, then, is not introduced to represent some as moved with envy, but to exhibit the honor that will be given to us as so great that it might stir the jealousy of others.

St. Gregory the Great: Or, because the old fathers down to the Lord's coming, notwithstanding their righteous lives, were not brought to the kingdom, this murmur is theirs. But we who have come at the eleventh hour do not murmur after our labors, since, having come into this world after the coming of the Mediator, we are brought to the kingdom as soon as we depart from the body.

St. Jerome: Or, all who were called of old envy the Gentiles and are pained at the grace of the Gospel.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: And this murmur of the laborers corresponds with the rebelliousness of this nation, which even in the time of Moses was stiff-necked.

Remigius of Auxerre: By this one to whom his answer is given may be understood all the believing Jews, whom he calls friends because of their faith.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Their complaint was not that they were defrauded of their rightful recompense, but that the others had received more than they deserved. For the envious have as much pain at others' success as at their own loss. From this it is clear that envy flows from vainglory. A man is grieved to be second because he wishes to be first. He removes this feeling of envy by saying, “Did you not agree with me for a denarius?”

St. Jerome: A denarius bears the figure of the king. You have therefore received the reward which I promised you, that is, my image and likeness. What more do you desire? And yet, you seek not that you should have more, but that another should have less. “Take what is yours, and go your way.”

Remigius of Auxerre: That is, take your reward and enter into glory. “I will give to this last,” that is, to the Gentile people, according to their deserts, “as to you.”

Origen of Alexandria: Perhaps it is to Adam He says, “Friend, I do you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours, and go your way.” Salvation is yours, that is, the denarius. “I will give to this last also as to you.” A person might not improbably suppose that this last was the Apostle Paul, who worked but one hour and was made equal with all who had been before him.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Because that eternal life will be equal for all the saints, a denarius is given to all. But since in that eternal life the light of merits will shine differently, there are many mansions with the Father. So, under this same denarius bestowed equally, one will not live longer than another, but in the many mansions one will shine with more splendor than another. ⁵

St. Gregory the Great: And because the attainment of this kingdom is from the goodness of His will, it is added, “Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with my own?” For it is a foolish complaint of man to murmur against the goodness of God. Complaint is not when a man does not give what he is not bound to give, but if he does not give what he is bound to give. From which it is added, “Is your eye evil because I am good?”

Remigius of Auxerre: By the eye is understood his purpose. The Jews had an evil eye, that is, an evil purpose, seeing they were grieved at the salvation of the Gentiles. He shows what this parable pointed to by adding, “So the last shall be first, and the first last.” And so the Jews, from being the head, have become the tail, and we, from being the tail, have become the head.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Or, He says the first will be last and the last first, not that the last are to be exalted before the first, but that they should be put on an equality, so that the difference of time should make no difference in their station. That He says, “For many are called, but few are chosen,” is not to be taken of the elder saints, but of the Gentiles; for of the many Gentiles who were called, few were chosen.

St. Gregory the Great: There are very many who come to the faith, yet but few arrive at the heavenly kingdom. Many follow God in words but shun Him in their lives. From this, two things arise to be considered.

First, that no one should presume anything about himself; for though he is called to the faith, he does not know if he will be chosen for the kingdom. Second, that no one should despair of his neighbor, even if he sees him lying in vice, because he does not know the riches of the Divine mercy.

Or otherwise: the morning is our childhood. The third hour may be understood as our youth; the sun, as it were, mounting to its height is the advance of the heat of age. The sixth hour is manhood, when the sun is steady in its meridian height, representing, as it were, the maturity of strength. By the ninth is understood old age, in which the sun descends from its vertical height, as our age falls away from the fervor of youth. The eleventh hour is that age which is called decrepit and doting.

St. John Chrysostom: That He did not call all of them at once, but some in the morning, some at the third hour, and so forth, proceeded from the difference of their mindsⁱ. He called them, then, when they would obey, just as He also called the thief when he would obey. As for their saying, “Because no one has hired us,” we should not force a meaning out of every particular in a parable. Further, it is the laborers and not the Lord who speak thus. For that He, as far as it pertains to Him, calls all people from their earliest years is shown in this: “He went out early in the morning to hire laborers.”

St. Gregory the Great: Those, then, who have neglected to live for God until extreme old age have stood idle until the eleventh hour. Yet even these the master of the household calls, and often gives them their reward before others, since they depart from the body into the kingdom before those who seemed to be called in their childhood.

Origen of Alexandria: But this, “Why do you stand here idle all day?” is not said to those who, having “begun in the Spirit,” are now being “made perfect by the flesh” (Galatians 3:3), as if inviting them to return again and to live in the Spirit. We do not say this to dissuade prodigal sons—who have consumed their inheritance of evangelical doctrine in riotous living—from returning to their father's house, but because they are not like those who sinned in their youth, before they had learned the things of the faith.

St. John Chrysostom: When He says, “The first shall be last, and the last first,” He alludes secretly to those who were at first eminent and afterwards disregarded virtue, and to others who have been reclaimed from wickedness and have surpassed many. This parable, then, was made to quicken the zeal of those who are converted in extreme old age, so that they should not suppose they will have less than others.

St. John Chrysostom: Leaving Galilee, the Lord did not go up immediately to Jerusalem. He first performed miracles, refuted the Pharisees, and taught the disciples about the perfection of life and its reward. Then, as He was about to go up to Jerusalem, He again speaks to them about His passion.¹

Origen of Alexandria: Judas was still among the twelve. Perhaps he was still worthy to hear in private, along with the rest, the things which his Master would suffer.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: The salvation of humanity rests entirely on Christ's death, and there is nothing for which we are more bound to give thanks to God than for His death. He imparted the mystery of His death to His disciples for this reason: the more precious the treasure, the more it is entrusted to worthy vessels.

If the others had heard of Christ's passion, the men might have been troubled because of their weak faith, and the women because of their tender nature, as such matters commonly move them to tears.

St. John Chrysostom: He had indeed spoken of it to many, but obscurely, as when He said, Destroy this temple (John 2:19), and again, There shall no sign be given it but the sign of Jonas the Prophet (Matthew 12:39). But now He imparted it clearly to His disciples.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: The word “Behold” is used for emphasis, bidding them to store the memory of this moment in their hearts. He says, “We go up,” as if to say, “You see that I go to My death of My own free will.”

Therefore, when you see Me hanging on the cross, do not think that I am merely human. For although the ability to die is human, the willingness to die is more than human.

Origen of Alexandria: Meditating on this, we ought to know that often, even when a certain trial must be undergone, we should offer ourselves to it. But since it was said above, When they persecute you in one city, flee to another (Matthew 10:23), it is for the wise in Christ to judge when the time requires them to flee and when to go and meet dangers.

St. Jerome: He had often told His disciples about His passion. But because it might have slipped from their memory on account of the many things they had heard in the meantime, now, as He is going to Jerusalem with His disciples, He strengthens them against the trial so that they will not be scandalized when the persecution and shame of the Cross arrives.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: For when sorrow comes at a time we are expecting it, it is lighter than it would have been if it had taken us by surprise.

St. John Chrysostom: He also forewarns them so that they would learn that He comes to His passion knowingly and willingly. At first He had foretold only His death, but now that they are more disciplined, He reveals even more, such as, They shall deliver him to the Gentiles.

Rabanus Maurus: For Judas delivered the Lord to the Jews, and they delivered Him to the Gentiles—that is, to Pilate and the Roman power. For this reason, the Lord refused to be prosperous in this world, choosing instead to suffer affliction.

He did this to show us, who have yielded to pleasures, through what great bitterness we must return, from which follows the phrase, To mock, and to scourge, and to crucify.

St. Augustine of Hippo: In His Passion we see what we ought to endure for the truth, and in His resurrection what we ought to hope for in eternity. Hence it is said, And shall rise again the third day.²

St. John Chrysostom: This was added so that when they saw the sufferings, they would also look for the resurrection.

St. Augustine of Hippo: For one death, namely, that of the Savior in the body, brought us salvation from two deaths—of both soul and body. And His one resurrection gained for us two resurrections. This two-for-one ratio arises from the number three, for one and two make three.³

Origen of Alexandria: There is no mention that the disciples said or did anything upon hearing of the sufferings that would come upon Christ. Remembering what the Lord had said to Peter, they were afraid of receiving a similar or worse rebuke themselves.

And yet there are scribes who, supposing they know the divine writings, condemn Jesus to death, scourge Him with their tongues, and crucify Him by seeking to take away His doctrine. But He, vanishing for a time, rises again to appear to those who accepted His word that it could happen this way.

St. Jerome: The Lord, having concluded by saying, And shall rise again the third day, the woman thought that after His resurrection He would immediately reign. With womanly eagerness, she grasped at what was present, forgetting the future.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: This mother of the sons of Zebedee is Salome, as her name is given by another Evangelist,ⁱ herself truly peaceful and the mother of sons of peace. From this passage, we learn the eminent merit of this woman. Not only had her sons left their father, but she had also left her husband and followed Christ, for He could live without her, but she could not be saved without Christ.

Unless someone says that Zebedee had died between the time of the Apostles' calling and the suffering of Christ, and that she, helpless because of her sex and advanced in age, was following Christ's steps. For faith never grows old, and religion never feels weary.

Her maternal affection made her bold to ask, which is why it is said, She worshipped him, and desired a certain thing of him. That is, she revered Him, requesting that what she asked would be granted to her.

It follows, He said unto her, What wilt thou? He does not ask because He is unaware, but so that by her very statement, the unreasonableness of her petition might be shown. She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit...

St. Augustine of Hippo: What Matthew represents the mother as saying, Mark relates that the two sons of Zebedee said themselves, after she had presented their wish to the Lord. From Mark's brief account (Mark 10:35),ⁱ it would seem that they, and not she, said what was spoken. ¹

St. John Chrysostom: They saw the disciples honored before others and had heard that ye shall sit upon twelve thrones (Matthew 19:28), and for this reason, they sought to have the primary place on that seat. They knew that others were held in greater honor by Christ, and they feared that Peter was preferred over them. Therefore, as another Evangelist mentions, because they were now near Jerusalem, they thought that the kingdom of God was at the door—that is, something to be perceived by the senses. From this it is clear that they sought nothing spiritual and had no conception of a kingdom above.

Origen of Alexandria: If in an earthly kingdom those who sit with the king are thought to be in honor, it is no wonder that a woman, with a woman's simplicity or lack of experience, thought she could ask for such things. It is also no wonder that the brothers themselves, not yet being perfect and having no loftier thoughts about Christ's kingdom, conceived such things about those who will sit with Jesus.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Or, another way: We do not affirm that this woman's request was a lawful one, but we do affirm that she asked for heavenly, not earthly, things for her sons. For she was not like ordinary mothers, whose affection is for their children's bodies while they neglect their minds. They desire their children to prosper in this world, not caring what they will suffer in the next, thereby showing themselves to be mothers of their bodies only, and not of their souls.

And I imagine that these brothers, having heard the Lord prophesying of His passion and resurrection, began to say among themselves, since they believed: "Behold, the King of heaven is going down to the realm of Tartarus to destroy the king of death. But when the victory is complete, what remains but for the glory of the kingdom to follow?"

Origen of Alexandria: For when sin, which reigned in men's mortal bodies, is destroyed along with the entire dynasty of malignant powers, Christ will receive the exaltation of His kingdom among humanity; that is, His sitting on the throne of His glory. That God disposes all things on both His right and His left means that there will then be no more evil in His presence.

Those who are more excellent among those who draw near to Christ are on His right hand; those who are inferior are on His left. Or, by Christ's right hand, see if you can understand the invisible creation, and by His left hand, the visible and bodily creation. For of those who are brought near to Christ, some obtain a place on His right hand, like the intelligent creation, while some are on His left, like the sentient creation.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: He who gave Himself to humanity, how will He not also give them fellowship in His kingdom? The negligence of the petitioner is at fault, where the graciousness of the giver is beyond doubt. But if we ourselves ask our Master, perhaps we will wound the hearts of the rest of our brothers, who, though they can no longer be overcome by the flesh since they are now spiritual, may yet be wounded as if they were carnal.

Therefore, let us put our mother forward, so that she may make the petition for us in her own person. For though she is to be blamed for it, she will readily obtain forgiveness, with her sex pleading for her. For the Lord Himself, who has filled the souls of mothers with affection for their offspring, will more readily listen to their desires. Then the Lord, who knows secrets, answers not the words of the mother's petition, but the intention of the sons who suggested it. Their wish was commendable, but their request was inconsiderate. Therefore, though it was not right that it should be granted to them, the simplicity of their petition did not deserve a harsh rebuke, since it proceeded from love for the Lord.

Therefore, it is their ignorance that the Lord finds fault with: Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask.

St. Jerome: And it is no wonder if she is convicted of inexperience, since it is said of Peter, Not knowing what he said (Luke 9:33).

Pseudo-Chrysostom: For often the Lord allows His disciples to do or think something amiss, so that from their error He may take the opportunity to set forth a rule of piety. He knows that their fault does no harm when the Master is present, while His doctrine edifies them not only for the present, but also for the future.

St. John Chrysostom: He says this to show either that they sought nothing spiritual, or that if they had known what they were asking for, they would not have asked for something so far beyond their abilities.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: They do not know what they ask, because there was no doubt about the future glory of the Apostles; His previous discourse had assured them that they would judge the world.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Or, Ye know not what ye ask, as if to say, "I have called you to My right hand, away from My left, and now you willfully desire to be on My left." Perhaps this is why they did this through their mother. For the devil turned to his well-known tool, the woman, so that just as he made prey of Adam through his wife, he might sever these brothers through their mother. But now that the salvation of all had proceeded from a woman, destruction could no longer enter among the saints through a woman.

Or He says, Ye know not what ye ask, seeing we ought to consider not only the glory we may attain, but also how we may escape the ruin of sin. For in a secular war, the one who is always thinking of the plunder hardly wins the fight. They should have asked, "Give us the aid of Your grace, so that we may overcome all evil."

Rabanus Maurus: They did not know what they asked, for they were asking the Lord for a seat in glory which they had not yet merited. The honorable eminence pleased them, but they first had to practice the laborious path to it: Can ye drink of the cup that I shall drink of?

St. Jerome: By "the cup" in the divine Scriptures, we understand suffering, as in the Psalm, I will take the cup of salvation. And immediately it proceeds to show what the cup is: Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints (Psalm 116:13-15).

Pseudo-Chrysostom: The Lord knew that they were able to follow His passion, but He puts the question to them so that we may all hear that no one can reign with Christ unless he is conformed to Christ in His passion, for that which is precious can only be purchased at a costly price. We may call the Lord's passion not only the persecution by the Gentiles, but all the hardships we go through in struggling against our sins.

St. John Chrysostom: He says therefore, Can ye drink of the cup? as if to say, "You ask me for honors and crowns, but I speak to you of labor and hardship, for this is not the time for rewards." He draws their attention by the manner of His question, for He does not say, "Are you able to shed your blood?" but, Are ye able to drink of the cup? then He adds, that I shall drink of?

Remigius of Auxerre: He asks this so that by such a partaking they may burn with more zeal toward Him. But they, already sharing the readiness and constancy for martyrdom, promise that they would drink it. This is why it follows, They say unto him, We are able.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Or, they say this not so much out of reliance on their own fortitude as out of ignorance, for to the inexperienced, the trial of suffering and death seems slight.

St. John Chrysostom: Or they offer this in the eagerness of their desire, expecting that for speaking this way they would receive what they desired. But He foretells great blessings for them, namely, that they would be made worthy of martyrdom. He saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup.

Origen of Alexandria: Christ does not say, "You are able to drink of My cup," but looking to their future perfection He said, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup.

St. Jerome: It is a question how the sons of Zebedee, James and John, drank the cup of martyrdom, since Scripture relates that only James was beheaded by Herod, while John ended his life by a peaceful death (Acts 12:2).

But when we read in ecclesiastical history that John himself was thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil with the intent to martyr him, and that he was banished to the isle of Patmos, we see that he did not lack the will for martyrdom. John had drunk the cup of confession, which the Three Children in the fiery furnace also drank, although the persecutor did not shed their blood.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: The Lord therefore commends their faith, in that He says they are able to suffer martyrdom with Him. But, He says, to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

Though indeed, as far as we can judge, that honor is so set apart for others that the Apostles will not be strangers to it, for they will sit on the thrones of the twelve tribes to judge Israel. Also, as can be gathered from the Gospels themselves, Moses and Elijah will sit with them in the kingdom of heaven, since it was in their company that He appeared on the mountain in His splendid apparel.

St. Jerome: But to me, this does not seem so. Rather, the names of those who will sit in the kingdom of heaven are not given, lest, if a few were named, the rest should think themselves excluded. For the kingdom of heaven does not belong to the one who gives it, but to the one who receives it.

It is not that there is partiality with God, but whoever shows himself to be worthy of the kingdom of heaven will receive it, for it is prepared not for one's station, but for one's conduct.

Therefore, if you are found to be fit for that kingdom of heaven which My Father has prepared for the conquerors, you will receive it. He did not say, "You will not sit there," so that He might not discourage the two brothers; nor did He say, "You will sit there," so that He might not stir the others to envy.

St. John Chrysostom: Or, another way: That seat seems to be unapproachable to all, not only humans but also angels. For Paul assigns it uniquely to the Only-Begotten, saying, To which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand? (Hebrews 1:13). The Lord therefore answers, not as though in reality there were any who would sit there, but as condescending to the understanding of the petitioners.

They asked for only this one grant—to be before others near Him. But the Lord answers, "You will die for My sake, yet that is not sufficient for you to obtain the first rank." For if another comes with martyrdom, and has virtue greater than yours, I will not, simply because I love you, put him out and give you precedence. But so that they would not suppose that He lacked power, He did not say absolutely, "It is not Mine to give," but rather, it is not mine to give to you, but to those for whom it was prepared—that is, to those who are made illustrious by their deeds.

Remigius of Auxerre: Or, another way: It is not mine to give to you—that is, to proud men such as you are—but to the lowly in heart, for whom it is prepared of my Father.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Or, another way: The Lord answers His disciples in His character as a servant, although whatever is prepared by the Father is also prepared by the Son, for He and the Father are one. ²

St. John Chrysostom: As long as Christ's judgment on this request was pending, the other disciples were not indignant. But when they heard Him rebuke the two brothers, they became sorrowful, which is why it is said, "And when the ten heard it, they were indignant with the two brothers."

St. Jerome: They do not blame the presumption of the mother who made the request, but her sons, who, not knowing their place, burned with such immoderate desires.

St. John Chrysostom: For when the Lord rebuked them, the others realized that this request came from the disciples. For though they were grieved in their hearts when they saw them so especially honored in the transfiguration, they still dared not express themselves this way, out of respect for their teacher.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: But just as the two had asked in a carnal way, so now the ten were grieved in a carnal way. For just as seeking to be above everyone is blameworthy, so having someone else above us is mortifying to our vanity.

St. Jerome: But the meek and lowly Master neither charges the two with ambition nor rebukes the ten for their anger and jealousy. Instead, "Jesus called them to him."

St. John Chrysostom: By calling them to Him and speaking to them face to face, He soothes them in their discomposure, for the two had been speaking with the Lord privately. But He does not do it now as He did before, by bringing forward a child, but proves His point by reasoning from opposites: "You know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them."

Origen of Alexandria: That is, not content merely to rule over their subjects, they are severe and oppressive. But among you who are Mine, it will not be so. For as all carnal things are done by compulsion, while spiritual things are done by free will, so spiritual rulers ought to base their power on the love of their subjects, not on their fears.

St. John Chrysostom: He shows here that it is a characteristic of the Gentiles to desire preeminence, and by this comparison to the Gentiles, He calms their troubled souls.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Indeed, to desire a good work is good, for it is within our will, and the reward is ours; but to desire a primacy of honor is vanity. For when we attain this, we are judged by God, because we do not know whether, in our position of honor, we deserve the reward of righteousness. For not even an Apostle will have praise from God simply because he is an Apostle, but only if he has faithfully fulfilled the duties of his apostleship. Nor was an Apostle placed in honor because of any previous merit of his own, but was judged fit for that ministry on account of the disposition of his mind.

For a high position seeks the one who flees from it and shuns the one who seeks it. Therefore, a better life, and not a more honored rank, should be our goal. The Lord, wanting to check the ambition of the two sons of Zebedee and the indignation of the others, points out this distinction between the leaders of the world and those of the Church, showing that primacy in Christ is neither to be sought by the one who does not have it, nor envied by the one who does.

For people become masters in this world so that they may exercise domination over their inferiors, reduce them to slavery, rob them, and use them even to the point of death for their own profit and glory. But people become governors in the Church so that they may serve those under them and minister to them whatever they have received from Christ; so that they postpone their own convenience, attend to that of others, and do not refuse even to die for the sake of those under their care. Therefore, to seek a position of command in the Church is neither righteous nor profitable. No prudent person will voluntarily subject himself to such slavery, or to stand in such peril where he will have to give an account for the whole Church—unless, perhaps, it is someone who does not fear God's judgment and who abuses his ecclesiastical primacy for a secular purpose, so that he converts it into a secular primacy.

St. Jerome: Lastly, He sets His own example before them, so that if they should give little weight to His words, His deeds might shame them, which is why He adds, "As also the Son of Man comes not to be ministered to, but to minister."

Origen of Alexandria: For though the angels and Martha ministered to Him, He did not come to be ministered to, but to minister;ⁱ indeed, His ministry extended so far that He fulfilled even what follows, "And to give his life a ransom for many"—that is, for those who believed in Him. And He gave it to death.

But since He alone was free among the dead and mightier than the power of death, He has set free from death all who were willing to follow Him. The leaders of the Church ought therefore to imitate Christ in being approachable, adapting Himself to women, laying His hands on children, and washing His disciples' feet, so that they also should do the same for their brethren.

But we are such that we seem to go beyond the pride even of the great ones of this world. As for the command of Christ, we either do not understand it or we disregard it. Like princes, we seek hosts to go before us; we make ourselves intimidating and difficult to approach, especially for the poor, neither approaching them nor allowing them to approach us.

St. John Chrysostom: However much you humble yourself, you cannot descend as far as your Lord did.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: As the proof of a farmer's industry lies in the abundance of his crop, so the fullness of the Church is the evidence of an industrious teacher. So it is said here, And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. No one was deterred by the difficulty of the journey, for spiritual love feels no fatigue. No one was kept away by the thought of sufferings, for they were going to take possession of the kingdom of heaven.

For he who has truly tasted the reality of heavenly good has nothing to attach him to the earth. At an opportune time, these blind men come before Christ so that, having their eyes opened, they may go up with Him to Jerusalem as witnesses to His power. They heard the sound of the passersby but did not see them, and having nothing free about them but their voice, they pursued Him with their voice because they could not follow Him with their feet: When they heard that Jesus passed by, they cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, you Son of David.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Mark relates this miracle but speaks of only one blind man. This difficulty is explained this way: of the two blind men whom Matthew introduced, one was well known in that city, as appears by Mark’s mentioning both his name and his father’s. Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, was well known for having fallen from great wealth and now sat not only blind but also as a beggar. For this reason, Mark chose to mention him alone, because the restoration of his sight brought fame to the miracle in proportion to how well-known his blindness was. Although what Luke relates was done in the same way, his accountⁱ must be understood as a different but similar miracle. The one he records happened as they drew near to Jericho; this one in the other two Gospels happened as they were leaving Jericho. ¹

And the multitude rebuked them, that they should hold their peace.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: For they saw how shabby their clothes were and did not consider how pure their consciences were. See the foolish wisdom of men! They think great men are harmed when they receive the homage of the poor. What poor man dares to greet a rich man in public?

St. Hilary of Poitiers: Or, they told them to be quiet, not from reverence for Christ, but because they were grieved to hear from the blind what they themselves denied—namely, that the Lord was the Son of David.

Origen of Alexandria: Or, those who believed rebuked them so that they would not dishonor Him by calling Him merely the Son of David, but should instead say, “Son of God, have mercy on us.”

Pseudo-Chrysostom: They were encouraged rather than repelled by this rebuke. For faith is quickened in this way when it is forbidden; for this reason, it is secure in the midst of dangers and endangered in the midst of security. As it follows, But they cried out the more, saying, “Have mercy upon us, Son of David.” They cried out at first because they were blind; now they cried out even more because they were forbidden to come to the Light.

St. John Chrysostom: Christ allowed them to be forbidden so that their desire might be more clearly shown. From this, learn that even if we are repulsed, we will obtain what we ask if we come to God earnestly on our own. ²

It follows, And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What do you want me to do for you?

St. Jerome: Jesus stood still because, being blind, they could not see their way. Around Jericho there were many pits, crags, and steep cliffs; therefore, the Lord stands still so that they might come to Him.

Origen of Alexandria: Or, Jesus does not pass by but stands still, so that by His standing still His goodness might not pass by, but that mercy might flow out to them as from a permanent fountain.

St. Jerome: He commands that they be called to Him so that the multitude might not hold them back, and He asks them what they want so that their answer might make their need apparent and His power might be shown in their healing.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Or, He asks them because of their faith, so that while the blind confess Christ to be the Son of God, those with sight might be shamed for considering Him only a man. They had indeed called Christ “Lord,” and in this they spoke truly; but by also calling Him the “Son of David,” they undermined their good confession.

While men are called “lords” through a misuse of words, none is truly Lord except God alone. Therefore, when they say, O Lord, you Son of David, they misapply the term to Christ, regarding Him as a man. Had they only called Him “Lord,” they would have confessed His divinity.

So when He asks them, What do you want? they no longer call Him “Son of David,” but only “Lord.” They say to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” For the Son of David cannot open the eyes of the blind, but the Son of God can.

As long as they cried, O Lord, you Son of David, their cure was delayed. But as soon as they said only, “Lord,” healing was poured out on them, for it follows, And Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes, and immediately they saw. He touched them physically as a man; He healed them as God.

St. Jerome: The Creator bestows what nature had not given, or at least mercy grants what weakness had withheld.

St. John Chrysostom: Just as they were persevering before this gift, so they were not ungrateful after receiving it.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Upon being healed, they rendered a great service to Christ, for it follows, And they followed him. For this is what the Lord requires of you, according to the Prophet: that you be careful to walk with the Lord your God (Micah 6:8).

St. Jerome: Those who had sat confined in Jericho, knowing only how to cry out with their voices, afterward follow Jesus—not so much with their feet as with their virtues.

Rabanus Maurus: But Jericho, which is interpreted as “the moon,” denotes the weakness of our fickle nature.

Origen of Alexandria: Figuratively, Jericho is understood to be the world, into which Christ came down. Those who are in Jericho do not know how to escape from the world’s wisdom unless they see not only Jesus coming out of Jericho, but also His disciples. When they saw this, great multitudes followed Him, despising the world and all worldly things, so that under His guidance they might go up to the heavenly Jerusalem.

We can interpret the two blind men as Judah and Israel. Before the coming of Christ, they were blind, not seeing the true Word that was in the Law and the Prophets. Yet, sitting by the wayside of the Law and the Prophets and understanding Him only according to the flesh, they cried out to Him who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.

St. Jerome: The two blind men are generally understood to be the Pharisees and Sadducees.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Alternatively, the two blind men sitting by the wayside represent certain people from both nations who are already, by faith, entering into that temporal dispensation in which Christ is the way. They are seeking to be enlightened—that is, to know something about the eternity of the Word. They desired to obtain this from the Lord as He passed by, because of the merit of that faith by which He is believed to be the Son of God, to have been born as a man, and to have suffered for us. For in this earthly dispensation, Jesus, as it were, “passes by,” because all such action belongs to this world. ³

It was also necessary that they cry out loud enough to overpower the noise of the multitude that opposed them. This means they had to fortify their minds through perseverance and prayer. They had to continually put to death the practice of fleshly lusts, which, like a crowd, always surrounds one who is striving to see eternal truth. By the most exacting discipline, they had to overcome the throng of carnal people who hinder spiritual aspirations.

For bad or lukewarm Christians are a hindrance to good Christians who are trying to follow God’s commandments. Nevertheless, these good Christians cry out and do not lose heart. Every Christian, when first setting out to live well and despise the world, must initially endure the criticism of cold Christians. But if he perseveres, those who just now opposed him will soon yield. ⁴

Jesus, therefore—the same one who said, To him that knocks it shall be opened—hears them, stands still, touches them, and gives them light. Faith in His temporal incarnation prepares us for the understanding of things eternal. By Jesus’ passing by, they are prompted that they should be enlightened; and when He stands still, they are enlightened. For temporal things pass by, but eternal things stand still. ⁵

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Some interpret the two blind men as the Gentiles: one descended from Ham, the other from Japheth. They sat by the wayside, meaning they walked very near to the truth but could not discover it; or, they were grounded in reason but had not yet received knowledge of the Word.

Rabanus Maurus: But, hearing the news of Christ, they desired to become partakers of Him. Many spoke against them: first the Jews, as we read in the Acts, and then the Gentiles, who harassed them with persecution. Yet they could not deprive of salvation those who were predestined to life.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Accordingly, Jesus touched the eyes of the Gentile mind, giving them the grace of the Holy Spirit, and when enlightened they followed Him with good works.

Origen of Alexandria: We also, now sitting by the wayside of the Scriptures and understanding in what ways we are blind, will find that if we ask with desire, He will touch the eyes of our souls. The gloom of ignorance will then depart from our minds, so that in the light of knowledge we may follow Him, who gave us the power to see for no other reason than that we should follow Him.