Thomas Aquinas Commentary Matthew 16:1-12

"And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and trying him asked him to show them a sign from heaven. But he answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, [It will be] fair weather: for the heaven is red. And in the morning, [It will be] foul weather to-day: for the heaven is red and lowering. Ye know how to discern the face of the heaven; but ye cannot [discern] the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of Jonah. And he left them, and departed. And the disciples came to the other side and forgot to take bread. And Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, We took no bread. And Jesus perceiving it said, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have no bread? Do ye not yet perceive, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not perceive that I spake not to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Then understood they that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees." — Matthew 16:1-12 (ASV)

Previously, the Lord demonstrated the sufficiency of the Gospel teaching, showing that it does not require legal observances and, furthermore, that it is necessary not only for one people. Here, He reveals its purity and excellence. Firstly, He shows that it must be kept pure from every tradition. Secondly, through the loftiness of the faith, it soars above all human opinions, as it is said, Jesus came into the quarters of Caesarea Philippi.

Regarding the first point, the following occurs:

1. The slanderous temptation is described.
2. He refutes it.
3. He teaches that one must be on guard against this.

The second part is introduced when it says, But he answered and said to them, etc.; the third part is introduced when it says, And when his disciples had come over the water, etc. Concerning the first of these (the slanderous temptation), he begins by mentioning the place, and second, the tempting question is recounted.

It should be noted that, just as previously, when He had fed the multitudes with the five loaves, He dismissed them, so too here. In this, an example is first given to preachers about when they should not engage themselves but should withdraw, as it is said in Job 39:5, concerning the wild ass: Who hath sent out the wild ass free, and who hath loosed his bonds? etc.

He went up into a boat, so that the multitude would not follow Him. Thus, an obstacle was placed by which they could not follow Him.

Hence, He went up into a boat—that is, into a mind agitated by the waves of this world. As it is written, For thou hast made a way even in the sea, and a path among the waves . He is showing that He must enter there, so that He might rest there.

And came into the coasts of Magedan. Magedan is interpreted as ‘apple,’ and this place signifies Sacred Scripture, where apples and other fruits grow: I went down, to see the fruits of the valleys (Song of Solomon 6:10).

The tempting question follows: And there came to him the Pharisees and Sadducees tempting: and they asked him. As it is written, There is one that humbleth himself wickedly, and his interior is full of deceit . They asked Him to shew them a sign from heaven. Indeed, they asked for a sign from heaven. It is stated: Your fathers did eat manna in the desert (John 6:49), and for this reason, He gave them bread from heaven. Also, The Jews require signs (1 Corinthians 1:22). And in Psalm 73:9, it is said: Our signs we have not seen, etc.

Then He rebukes them, and first, He rebukes them for their slothfulness in believing divine things. For if a man is defective due to the physical nature of his senses, he has an excuse; but when he has wisdom in earthly things and ignorance in spiritual things, he deserves to be rebuked: All men are vain, in whom there is not the knowledge of God .

First, He shows their diligence in regard to earthly things; and second, He shows their slothfulness in regard to spiritual things. He says, therefore: But he answered and said to them: When it is evening, etc. This has a literal and a mystical meaning. The literal meaning is that from certain atmospheric conditions they could recognize a sign of fair weather: When it is evening, you say, It will be fair weather, for the sky is red. Likewise, they could recognize a sign of stormy weather, because they say: Today there will be a storm, for the sky is red and lowering, because a storm denotes sadness. For when the air is turbulent, men are not so happy. Evening redness is a sign of fair weather.

The reason, according to the Philosopher, is that this is caused by the diffusion of the sun’s rays on the water vapors. For when the vapors are many, the rays cannot penetrate them, and then a dark color appears in the air; but when the vapors are dispersed, the rays penetrate. But when that which is fiery dominates, then a red color appears, as appears in a flame, because when it is more elevated, more redness appears in it. For that reason, it is indicated that the vapors are not many, and fair weather is indicated. But if in the morning that which is fiery turns into dew or rain, it is a sign of a storm.

In a mystical sense, the evening signifies Christ’s Passion. In the evening the sun sets, and so Christ suffered at the evening of the world: And who shall be able to think of the day of his coming? And who shall stand to see him? For he is like a refining fire (Malachi 3:2); and, In the evening weeping shall have place, and in the morning gladness (Psalms 29:6). Hence, when a red sky appears in the evening, it signifies fair weather: After a storm thou makest a calm, and after tears and weeping thou pourest in joyfulness (Psalms 3:22). In the resurrection, which is signified by the morning, redness will appear in the martyrs, and it signifies a storm for the sinners. Or, the morning signifies the morning of the judgment day, which redness will precede: A fire shall go before him (Psalms 96:3).

Hence, you have been instructed in these earthly matters. You know then how to discern the face of the sky: and can you not know the signs of the times? There are two times: one corresponds to His first coming, the other to His second coming. Certain signs preceded His first coming: Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just: let the earth be opened, and bud forth a saviour, etc. (Isaiah 45:8). And: Verily thou art a hidden God (Isaiah 45:15). But at the end of the world, God will come manifestly, and signs will not appear in the heavens. However, it is not now the time of the Judgment Day. Or it is otherwise: You know then how to discern the face of the sky, etc., as if He were saying, ‘You seek a sign of My coming. It is superfluous to ask for a sign when there are many signs.’ For example, The blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, etc. . This is the sign that Isaiah gave: God himself will come and will save you. Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened (Isaiah 35:4).

Certain men argue from this passage that we should try to know the time of His second coming. Augustine, however, expounds this passage as pertaining to His first coming. The first coming is most certain because it is for our salvation, and salvation is through faith, and faith is through knowledge; for that reason, it is necessary that it be known. But the second coming is for rewarding us; for that reason, it is hidden, so that men might be more careful.

Then He denies the sign they asked for. Hence, it is said, A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign. A generation is called wicked because it departs from God, for evil exists through departing from God. He forsook God who made him, and departed from God his saviour, as it is stated in Deuteronomy 32:15.

But it is an adulterous generation because they joined themselves to another. As it is written, If I shall have forsaken thee in my life (Psalms 26); and, Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unjust man his thoughts (Isaiah 55:7). This generation seeketh after a sign, and it should not have a sign, because a sign shall not be given it, but the sign of Jonah the prophet. This is because just as Jonah was in the whale’s belly three days and three nights, so, etc., as it was stated in chapter 12.

But why does He mention the sign of the Resurrection rather than another sign? It should be said that salvation came to us through the Resurrection. As Paul writes, If thou believe in thy heart that Christ hath risen up from the dead, thou shalt be saved (Romans 10:9). For by rising, He restored our life, because we will rise through Christ’s Resurrection.

Therefore, this sign was given to the faithful, and all others refer back to this one—for example, that He raised Lazarus, etc. Hence, a sign was not given to these men. To His disciples, however, He gave a sign from heaven when He showed them His glory, as it is stated below in chapter 17. In this way, therefore, He shows their slothfulness.

The next part describes how He confutes them by His action of departing from them: And he left them, and went away. For He does not dwell with the malignant; as it is written, He separates Himself from the perverse . After He confutes them, He teaches that they are to be avoided. In this teaching:

1. The occasion is presented.
2. His teaching is presented.
3. The disciples' misunderstanding is presented.
4. The rebuke of the disciples is presented.
5. The effect of His rebuke is presented.

He says: And when his disciples had come over the water, etc. In this, we should admire the disciples' priorities, because men are accustomed to forget only those things about which they care little. Hence, since they forgot the loaves of bread, they cared little about them and cared only about spiritual things.

Then, Who said to them: Take heed and beware, etc. Here His teaching is presented. By leaven, He means corrupt teachings. Thus, He does not mean the teachings of the Law, but the traditions of the Pharisees, which are called leaven because just as a little leaven corrupts the whole batch, so a little error corrupts one’s whole life. For instance, when a man departs a little from the path, he is afterwards widely separated from it. Hence, the Philosopher in Primo Coeli says that a small error in the beginning becomes a great error in the end.

Spiritual understanding is unleavened bread. Therefore, by bread, true doctrine is understood: With the bread of life and understanding, she shall feed him . Hence, it is said, Take heed and beware, because false doctrine is dangerous. For as long as faith remains in a man, there is no danger; but when the foundation is taken away, there is no hope. As the Psalm says, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof (Psalms 136:7). Faith is the foundation; A man that is a heretic, after the first and second admonition, avoid (Titus 3:10). Because false doctrine, at first glance, seems to have a solid basis, for that reason He says, Take heed—that is to say, examine carefully. As it is written, Let thy eyes look straight on, and let thy eyelids go before thy steps (Proverbs 4:25).

Afterwards, the disciples’ misunderstanding of these words is recounted: But they thought, etc. For because they had previously collected seven baskets of fragments and had not taken them with them, they supposed that He was saying, ‘You did not take up the bread; but I do not want you to take bread from the Pharisees, because they are animals.’ And, as it is written, The sensual man perceiveth not these things that are of the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:14).

In regard to this understanding, they could have been rebuked on two grounds: first, because they did not understand; and second, because they lacked confidence in God’s power. He did not rebuke them concerning the first point, but concerning the second. He says, therefore, Why do you think within yourselves, O ye of little faith, for that you have no bread? As if He were saying, ‘You understand carnally what you should understand spiritually.’

Do you remember the five loaves among five thousand men, and how many baskets you took up? ‘Cannot I, who have fed so many men, feed you?’ Why do you not understand that it was not concerning bread I said to you; that is to say, ‘I did not speak to you concerning material bread, but rather concerning spiritual bread’? This bread is called doctrine in John 6:64: The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

Then they understood, etc. Here the correction is shown: The declaration of thy words giveth light: and giveth understanding to little ones (Psalms 118:130).