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Meats therefore, since they do not reach the soul, cannot in their own nature defile a man; but an
inordinate use of meats, which proceeds from a want of order in the mind, makes men unclean.
But that meats cannot reach the mind, He shews by that which He adds, saying, "But into the
belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats." This however He says, without referring
to what remains from the food in the body, for that which is necessary for the nourishment and
growth of the body remains. But that which is superfluous goes out, and thus as it were purges
the nourishment, which remains.
Augustine: For some things are joined to others in such a way as both to change and be
changed, just as food, losing its former appearance, is both itself turned into our body, and we
too are changed, and our strength is refreshed by it.
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[ed. note: The last words of this comment are not in St. Augustine, but in Bede, who took them
originally from St. Jerome's Commentary on Matthew, from whence most of Bede's remarks on
this passage are taken word for word. As the sentence marked Bede is not found in him, it
probably belongs to the Gloss, and his name has been transferred from the former sentence.]
Further, a most subtle liquid, after the food has been prepared and digested in our veins, and
other arteries, by some hidden channels, called from a Greek word, pores, passes through us,
and goes into the draught.
Bede: Thus then it is not meat that makes men unclean, but wickedness, which works in us [p.
137] the passions which come from within.
Wherefore it goes on: "And He said, That which cometh out of a man, that defileth a man."
Gloss.: The meaning of which He points out, when He subjoins, "for from within, out of the heart
of men, proceed evil thoughts."
And thus it appears that evil thoughts belong to the mind, which is here called the heart, and
according to which a man is called good or bad, clean or unclean.
Bede: From this passage are condemned those men who suppose that thoughts are put into
them by the devil, and do not arise from their own evil will. The devil may excite and help on evil
thoughts, he cannot be their author.
Gloss.: From evil thoughts, however, evil actions proceed to greater lengths, concerning which it
is added, adulteries, that is, acts which consist in the violation of another man's bed; fornications,
which are unlawful connexions between persons, not bound by marriage; murders, by which hurt
is inflicted on the person of one's neighbour; thefts, by which his goods are taken from him;
covetousness, by which things are unjustly kept; wickedness, which consists in calumniating
others; deceit, in overreaching them; lasciviousness, to which belongs any corruption of mind or
body.
Theophylact: An evil eye, that is, hatred and flattery, for he who hates turns an evil and envious
eye on him whom he hates, and a flatterer, looking askance at his neighbour's goods, leads him
into evil; blasphemies, that is, faults committed against God; pride, that is, contempt of God,
when a man ascribes the good, which he does, not to God, but to his own virtue; foolishness, that
is, an injury against one's neighbour.
Gloss. [ed. note: see Summa 2, 2, Q46, 1, and 1, 2, Q1, 1]: Or, foolishness consists in wrong
thoughts concerning God; for it is opposed to wisdom, which is the knowledge of divine things. It
goes on: "All these evil things come from within, and defile the man." For whatsoever is in the
power of a man, is imputed to him as a fault, because all such things proceed from the interior
will, by which man is master of his own actions.
24. And from thence He arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an
house, and would have no man know it; but He could not be hid. [p. 138]
25. For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of Him, and came
and fell at His feet:
26. The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought Him that He would
cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
27. But Jesus said unto her, "Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's
bread, and to cast it unto the dogs."
28. And she answered and said unto Him, "Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the
children's crumbs."
29. And He said unto her, "For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter."
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30. And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid
upon the bed.
Theophylact: After that the Lord had finished His teaching concerning food, seeing that the Jews
were incredulous, He enters into the country of the Gentiles, for the Jews being unfaithful,
salvation turns itself to the Gentiles.
Wherefore it is said, "And from thence He arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon."
Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: Tyre and Sidon were places of the Canaanites,
therefore the Lord comes to them, not as to His own, but as to men, who had nothing in common
with the fathers to whom the promise was made. And therefore He comes in such a way, that His
coming should not be known to the Tyrians and Sidonians.
Wherefore it continues: "and entered into a house, and would have no man know it." For the time
had not come for His dwelling with the Gentiles and bringing them to the faith, for this was not to
be, till after His cross and resurrection.
Theophylact: Or else, His reason for coming in secret was that the Jews should not find occasion
of blame against Him, as if He had passed over to the unclean Gentiles.
It goes on: "But He could not be hid."
Pseudo-Augustine, Quaest e Vet. et N. Test. 77: But if He wished to do so and could not, it
appears [p. 139] as if His will was impotent; it is not possible however that our Saviour's will
should not be fulfilled, nor can He will a thing, which He knows ought not be.
Therefore when a thing has taken place, it may be asserted that He has willed it. But we should
observe that this happened amongst the Gentiles, to whom it was not time to preach;
nevertheless not to receive them, when they came to the faith of their own accord, would have
been to grudge them the faith.
So then it came to pass that the Lord was not made known by His disciples; others, however,
who had seen Him entering the house, recognized Him, and it began to be known that He was
there. His will therefore was that He should not be proclaimed by His own disciples, but that
others should come to seek Him, and so it took place.
Bede, in Marc., 2, 30: Having entered also into the house, He commanded His disciples not to
betray who He was to anyone in this unknown region, that they, on whom He had bestowed the
grace of healing, might learn by His example, as far as they could, to shrink from the glory of
human praise in the shewing forth of their miracles; yet they were not to cease from the pious
work of virtue, when either the faith of the good justly deserved that miracles should be done, or
the unfaithfulness of the wicked might necessarily compel them. For He Himself made known His
entry into that place to the Gentile woman, and to whomsoever He would. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]