John Calvin Commentary Matthew 13:16

"But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear." — Matthew 13:16 (ASV)

But blessed are your eyes. Luke appears to represent this statement as having been spoken at another time; but this is easily explained, for in that passage he throws together a variety of our Lord’s sayings, without attending to the order of dates. We will, therefore, follow the text of Matthew, who explains more clearly the circumstances from which Christ took occasion to utter these words.

Having previously reminded them of the extraordinary favor that they had received, in being separated by our Lord from the common people and familiarly admitted to the mysteries of his kingdom, he now magnifies that grace by another comparison: that they excel ancient Prophets and holy Kings. This is a far loftier distinction than to be preferred to an unbelieving multitude.

Christ does not mean any kind of hearing, or the mere beholding of the flesh, but pronounces their eyes to be blessed, because they perceive in him a glory that is worthy of the only-begotten Son of God, so as to acknowledge him as the Redeemer; because they perceive shining in him the living image of God, by which they obtain salvation and perfect happiness; and because in them is fulfilled what had been spoken by the Prophets, that those who have been truly and perfectly taught by the Lord (Isaiah 54:13) do not need to learn every man from his neighbor (Jeremiah 31:34).

This provides a reply to an objection that might be drawn from another saying of Christ, that

blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed,
(John 20:29)

for there he describes that kind of seeing that Thomas desired as a consequence of his limited understanding.¹⁹⁰ But that seeing, of which Christ now speaks, has been enjoyed by believers in every age in common with the Apostles. We do not see Christ, and yet we see him; we do not hear Christ, and yet we hear him: for in the Gospel we behold him, as Paul says,

face to face, so as to be transformed into his image,
(2 Corinthians 3:18)

and the perfection of wisdom, righteousness, and life, that was previously exhibited in him, shines there continually.

¹⁹⁰ “Selon son apprehension carnale et grossiere;” — “according to his carnal and gross apprehension.”;” — “according to his carnal and gross apprehension.”