Thomas Aquinas Commentary John 20:10-13

"So the disciples went away again unto their own home. But Mary was standing without at the tomb weeping: so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she beholdeth two angels in white sitting, one at the head, and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him." — John 20:10-13 (ASV)

Having told how Mary Magdalene came to the opened tomb, the Evangelist now tells how she came to see the angels.

1. We see her devotion.
2. She sees the angels: and she saw two angels in white.
3. We have her conversation with them: they said to her: woman, why do you weep?

Her devotion, which made her fit to see the angels, is praised for three things.

First, it was constant, and it deserves praise, especially considering that the disciples left. The disciples therefore went back, not yet understanding the Scripture that he must rise from the dead (John 20:9), back to their homes, where they were staying and from where they had run to the tomb. Their fear was so great that they did not stay together: I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter (Zechariah 13:7); the holy stones lie scattered at the head of every street (Lamentations 4:1).

Furthermore, she stood there, lingering near the tomb: Mary stood outside the sepulchre weeping. The disciples had left, but a stronger and more burning affection kept the woman fixed to the spot.

A question arises here, because Mark says that the women went out and fled from the tomb (Mark 16:5–8). Therefore, they must have been inside it. Why then does John say that Mary stood outside?

I answer that the tomb of Christ was hewn out of rock and surrounded by a garden, as was stated before. Sometimes, therefore, the Evangelists call only the place where the body of Christ had been laid the tomb, and at other times the entire enclosure is called the tomb. Thus when the women are said to enter into the tomb (Mark 16:5), this should be understood to mean the entire enclosure. But when it says here that Mary stood outside, the Evangelist is referring to the tomb hewn out of rock. This rock-hewn tomb was within the enclosure they had already entered. Mary was standing here because of the unwavering love which had inflamed her heart: be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:58); our feet have been standing within your gates (Psalms 122:2).

Second, Mary’s devotion is admired because it overflowed in tears, for she stood there weeping: she weeps bitterly in the night (Lamentations 1:2).

There are two kinds of tears: tears of compunction, to wash away sins, every night I flood my bed with tears (Psalms 6:7), and tears of devotion, from a desire for heavenly things. He goes forth, hastening towards heavenly things, weeping, bearing the seed for sowing (Psalms 126:6). Mary Magdalene had copious tears of compunction at the time of her conversion, when she had been the sinner in the city. Then, in her love for the truth, she washed the stains of her sins with her tears: her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much (Luke 7:47). She also shed abundant tears of devotion over the passion and resurrection of Christ, as we see here.

Third, her devotion is admired because of her earnest search for Christ: as she was weeping she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre. This weeping of Mary came from the desire of love. For it is the nature of love to want its beloved present; and if the beloved cannot be really present, it at least wants to think of the beloved, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:21). Mary shed these bitter tears because the eyes which had sought her Lord and did not find him were now freed for tears, and she grieved all the more because he had been taken from the tomb. The life of such a teacher had been destroyed, but his memory remained. Since Mary could not have him present, she wanted at least to look at the place where he had been buried, so she stooped to look into the tomb.

We learn from this that we should look at the death of Christ with a humble heart: you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes (Matthew 11:25). She stooped and looked, giving us the example to look continually on the death of Christ with the eyes of our mind, for one look is not enough for one who loves. The force of love increases the desire to explore: looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame (Hebrews 12:2).

She stooped down and looked, pressed down by the love of Christ: the love of Christ presses us (2 Corinthians 5:14). Or again, according to Augustine, by a divine impulse in her soul she was made to look about, and saw something greater—the angels;Tractates on the Gospel of John 121.1. for all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God (Romans 8:14).

Next the Evangelist describes the sight of the angels: and she saw two angels in white, sitting. He mentions four things.

1. First, what Mary saw was that she saw two angels, which shows that all orders of angels, both assisting and ministering, were in service to Christ: let all God’s angels worship him (Hebrews 6:1). A question arises here because Matthew and Mark say that Mary and the other women saw one angel on the right side of the tomb (Matthew 28:2; Mark 16:5), while here we have two angels and they are inside. Each one is correct, for Matthew and Mark tell what occurred first, when the women first came and, believing that Christ was taken, returned to the disciples. But John recounts what happened after Mary returned with the disciples and remained after they had left.
2. Second, he mentions their clothing: in white. This shows the splendor of the resurrection and the glory of the risen Christ: they will walk with me in white (Revelation 3:4). Indeed, we read that the armies of heaven followed him and were clothed in white, that is, raised to heavenly glory (Revelation 19:14).
3. Third, we see that they were sitting. This indicates the calmness and power of Christ, who, being now at rest from all afflictions, reigns in immortal flesh and sits at the right hand of the Father: sit at my right hand (Psalms 110:1); he will sit upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom (Isaiah 9:7).
4. Fourth, we see how they were positioned: one at the head, and one at the feet. We can refer this to three things. First, to the two Testaments. The word ‘angel’ in Greek means messenger, and both Testaments brought messages about Christ: and the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted: hosanna to the Son of David! (Matthew 21:9). So the angel sitting at the head signifies the Old Testament, and the angel at the feet the New Testament. Second, we can relate this to those who preach Christ. There are two natures in Christ, the divine and the human; the head of Christ is God (1 Corinthians 11:3), and the feet of Christ are his human nature: we will adore in the place where his feet stood (Psalms 132:7). So, those who preach the divinity of Christ, as in in the beginning was the Word (John 1:1), are sitting at the head; those who preach his humanity, as in and the Word became flesh (John 1:14), are sitting at the feet. Third, this can refer to the time when the mysteries of Christ are announced. Then one angel sits at the head and the other at the feet because they signified that the mysteries of Christ would be announced from the head or beginning of the world to its end: you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes (1 Corinthians 11:26).

Next, the Evangelist gives the greeting of the angels: they said to her: woman, why do you weep?

• First, their question.
• And then, Mary’s answer.

Concerning the first, the angels knew that Mary was uncertain about the resurrection and so, as if starting over, they asked her the reason for her tears: they, the angels, said to her, woman, why do you weep? This was like saying: do not cry, for there is no need for it, because weeping may tarry for the night of the passion, but joy comes with the morning of the resurrection (Psalms 30:5); keep your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears; for your work will be rewarded (Jeremiah 31:16).

In this regard, we can recall what Gregory said: that the very same sacred words which excite our tears of love console those same tears when they promise us hope in our Redeemer: when the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul (Psalms 94:19).Forty Gospel Homilies 25.4.

Mary thought that they were questioning her because of their ignorance and regarded them not as angels but as men. So she gave the reason for her tears: they have taken away my Lord, that is, the body of my Lord. Here she was referring to a part by mentioning the whole, just as we profess that the Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God was buried, although only his flesh was buried, because his divinity was never separated from his flesh.The Divine Word, although inseparably united even to the dead body of Christ, cannot properly be said to have been buried because the Word is not properly a body—or a physical being—such as can be buried. Moreover, St. Thomas understands the death of Jesus in terms of a separation of Christ's body and soul such that, although both remained united to the Word in death, his soul was separated from his body (sojourning in hell, in fact) until his resurrection. If to be buried is to be located in a tomb or grave, then we can see in what sense the Word cannot be said to have been buried simply speaking, since, although he was with his body in the tomb, he was also with his soul, which was not. See also Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae 3.50.2–3. And I do not know where they have laid him. This was the reason for her desolation; she did not know where to go to find him to soothe her sorrow.

Is it a consolation for one who loves to have something that belonged to the beloved? According to Augustine, in his Confessions, this would be more a cause of sorrow.The Confessions 4.7.12. For this reason he said that he fled from all the places where he had formerly spent time with his friend. Still, Chrysostom says that this would be a cause of consolation.Commentary on Saint John 86.1.

Each of these is true. In all cases where there is a mixture of joy and sadness, the hope for the thing desired brings pleasure—rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation (Romans 12:12)—and also brings sorrow: hope deferred makes the heart sick (Proverbs 13:12). But hope does not cause these from the same point of view. Hope causes joy because it regards the thing loved as able to be obtained; but insofar as this thing is actually absent, it produces sorrow. It is like that here: something belonging to a friend, because it stands for the friend, is pleasant to the lover; while inasmuch as it recalls the absence of the one loved, it produces sadness.