Lecture 8
Lectio 8
Plotting of the chief priests
Conspiratio sacerdotium
11:54 After this, Jesus did not walk openly among the Jews, but he went into a country near the wilderness to a town called Ephraim, and he abode there with his disciples. [n. 1583]
11:54 Iesus ergo iam non in palam ambulabat apud Iudaeos, sed abiit in regionem iuxta desertum, in civitatem quae dicitur Ephrem, et ibi morabatur cum discipulis suis. [n. 1583]
11:55 And the Pasch of the Jews was at hand, and many from the country went up to Jerusalem, in order to purify themselves. [n. 1586]
11:55 Proximum autem erat Pascha Iudaeorum, et ascenderunt multi Ierosolymam de regione, ante Pascha, ut sanctificarent seipsos. [n. 1586]
11:56 They were looking for Jesus, and they talked with one another standing in the temple: what do you think that he has not come to the festival day? [n. 1587]
11:56 Quaerebant ergo Iesum, et colloquebantur adinvicem, in templo stantes: quid putatis, quia non venit ad diem festum istum? [n. 1587]
And the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders, that if any man knew where he was, he should tell, that they might apprehend him. [n. 1588]
Dederant autem Pontifices et Pharisaei mandatum, ut si quis cognoverit ubi sit, indicet, ut apprehendant eum. [n. 1588]
1582. Here the Evangelist sets down how Christ escaped from their malice:
1582. Hic Evangelista ponit quomodo Christus eorum malitiam declinavit, et
first, the way he escaped;
primo ponit modum declinationis ex parte Christi;
second, the effect this had on the people of making them question: and the Pasch of the Jews was at hand.
secundo effectum admirationis ex parte populi, ibi proximum autem erat Pascha Iudaeorum.
1583. The way he escaped was to hide himself and leave the presence of the Jews: for after their plan, he moved more cautiously and after this, Jesus did not walk openly among the Jews. He did not withdraw to a populated city, but into a remote region, a country near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and he abode there with his disciples.
1583. Modus autem declinationis fuit per occultationem, et recessum Christi a Iudaeis. Nam post consilium cautius se observans, non in palam ambulabat apud Iudaeos, sed nec ad aliquam civitatem abiit populatam sed in regionem remotam, iuxta desertum in civitatem quae dicitur Ephrem, et ibi morabatur cum discipulis suis.
1584. But did he lack the power by which, if he had wished, he could have lived publicly among the Jews and they would not do anything to him? Of course not. He did not do this because he did not have the power, but as an example for the disciples. This shows that it is not a sin if his faithful withdraw from the sight of their persecutors, choosing rather to evade the fury of the wicked by hiding, than kindle it more by showing themselves: when they persecute you in one town, flee to the next (Matt 10:23).
1584. Sed numquid defecerat potentia eius, in qua, si vellet, inter Iudaeos palam conversaretur, et nihil ei facerent? Absit. Sed hoc fecit non propter defectum potentiae sed ut exemplum discipulis demonstraret. In quo apparet non esse peccatum, si fideles eius, oculis persequentium se subtraherent, et furorem sceleratorum latendo potius evitarent, quam se ostendendo eis, magis accenderent: secundum illud Matth. X, 23: si vos persecuti fuerint in una civitate, fugite in aliam.
Moreover, Origen says that no one should place himself in danger; but when dangers are immediately threatening, it is very praiseworthy not to run from professing Christ or not to refuse to suffer death for the sake of the truth. No one should place himself in danger for two reason. First, because it is very presumptuous to place oneself in danger, both on account of a lack of experience of one’s own virtue, which is sometimes found to be fragile, and on account of the uncertainty about the outcome; let any one who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall (1 Cor 10:12). Second, lest by presenting ourselves to our persecutors, we give them the occasion to be more wicked and culpable: give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the Church of God (1 Cor 10:32).
Origenes autem dicit, quod nullus debet se periculis ingerere; tamen valde laudabile est quod quando iam pericula imminent, nec Iesu vitare confessionem, nec recusare subire mortem, gratia veritatis. Et hoc propter duas rationes. Primo, quia valde praesumptuosum est periculis se ingerere propter inexperientiam propriae virtutis, quae quandoque fragilis invenitur, et propter futuri eventus incertitudinem; I Cor. X, 12: qui se existimat stare, videat ne cadat. Secundo ne nos ingerentes persecutoribus, occasionem praestemus eis, ut magis impii et noxii fiant; I Cor. X, v. 32: sine offensione estote Iudaeis, et gentibus, et Ecclesiae Dei.
1585. Now the effect of his leaving, that the people questioned, is set down:
1585. Ponitur effectus admirationis in populo, et
first, the occasion for their questioning;
primo ponitur admirandi occasio;
second, their questioning;
secundo ponitur ipsa admiratio;
and third, the reason for their questioning.
tertio admirationis ratio.
1586. Two occasions for their questioning and wondering are mentioned.
1586. Occasio autem quaerendi et admirandi ponitur duplex.
The first was the nature of the time, because the Pasch of the Jews was at hand, when the flight of the Hebrews out of Egypt was recalled: it is the Lord’s Passover (Exod 12:11). He adds, of the Jews, because they celebrated their Passover in an unholy and unbecoming way: for when one celebrates the Passover in a devout way it is called the Passover of God: your assemblies I will not abide (Isa 1:13).
Prima quidem ex conditione temporis, quia proximum erat Pascha Iudaeorum: in quo recolitur memoria transitus Hebraeorum de Aegypto; Ex. XII, 11: est enim phase, idest transitus Domini. Addit autem Iudaeorum, quia ipsum Pascha Iudaei male et indebite celebrabant: nam quando devote Pascha celebramus, tunc dicitur Pascha Dei, Is. I, 13: solemnitate vestras non feram.
The second occasion was gathering of the people, and many from the country went up to Jerusalem. For as we see from Exodus, the children of Israel were to present themselves to the Lord three times a year on the three festivals, and the foremost of these was the Passover (Exod 23). And so a great number traveled to Jerusalem, where the temple was located.
Secunda vero ex concursu populi, quia ascenderunt multi Ierosolymam de regione: nam, ut legitur Ex. XXIII, tribus temporibus in anno, seu festivitatibus, filii Israel se debebant Domino praesentare, inter quae primum erat Pascha, et ideo magna multitudo ascendebat Ierosolymam, ubi erat templum.
But because it was not yet actually the Paschal time, when they were obliged to go, the Evangelist tells why they went then, adding, in order to purify themselves. For no one dared to eat the lamb if he was unclean, and so they went before the Passover so that, by purifying themselves in the meantime, they could fittingly eat the lamb on the Passover. This gives us an example that we should purify ourselves during Lent by fasts and good works, so that on the Passover we might receive the body of our Lord in a fitting manner.
Sed quia nondum erat tempus Paschae, quo debebant ascendere, ideo Evangelista consequenter causam ascensus assignat, subdens ut sanctificarent seipsos: nullus enim audebat comedere agnum nisi mundus, et ideo praeveniebant tempus Paschae, ut interim purificantes seipsos, possent in Pascha agnum rite comedere. In quo datur nobis exemplum, ut tempore quadragesimali ieiuniis et bonis operibus nos purificemus, ut in Pascha rite sumamus corpus Domini nostri.
1587. The reason for their questioning is mentioned as due to Christ’s absence: they were looking for Jesus, not to honor him, but to kill him, and they talked with one another standing in the temple: what do you think that he has not come to the festival day?
1587. Admiratio autem ponitur ex causa absentiae Domini: et hoc est quod dicit quaerebant ergo Iesum, non quidem ad honorandum, sed ad occidendum, et colloquebantur adinvicem in templo stantes: quid putatis, quia non venit ad diem festum istum?
But note that when a festival day is celebrated in a holy manner, Christ is always present: for where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Matt 18:20). And so let us, when we gather together in the house of God, seek Jesus by consoling each other and by praying that he come to our festival day. But Jesus does not come when a feast is not celebrated in a holy manner: your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates (Isa 1:4).
Sed notandum, quod quando dies festus agitur sancte, semper est in die festo; Matth. c. XVIII, 20: ubicumque fuerint duo vel tres congregati in nomine meo, ibi sum in medio eorum. Et ideo nos congregati in domo Dei, quaeramus Iesum, mutuo nos consolando et exorando ut veniat ad diem festum nostrum. Quando vero non sancte agitur festum, tunc non venit Iesus; Is. I, 14: Kalendas vestras et solemnitates vestras odivit anima mea.
1588. He adds the reason for their questioning and for the absence of Jesus, saying, the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders, that if any man knew where he was, that is, Jesus, he should tell, that they might apprehend him, to kill him. You will seek me, and you will die in your sin (John 8:21).
1588. Ratio autem admirationis et absentiae Iesu subditur quia dederant pontifices et Pharisaei mandatum, ut si quis cognoverit ubi sit, scilicet Iesus, indicet, ut apprehendant eum, scilicet ad occidendum. Supra VIII, 31: quaeritis me, et in peccato vestro moriemini.
As Augustine says, we who know where Christ is, that is, at the right hand of the Father, should tell them so that they may truly apprehend him by faith.
Sed, ut Augustinus dicit, nos qui scimus ubi Christus est, quia ad dexteram Patris, indicemus eis, ut sic utinam apprehendant eum per fidem.
Chapter 12
Caput 12
Christ’s Hour Comes
Hora Christi Advenit
Lecture 1
Lectio 1
Mary anoints Christ’s feet
Maria pedes Christi ungit
12:1 Jesus therefore, six days before the Pasch, came to Bethany, where Lazarus had been dead, whom Jesus raised to life. [n. 1590]
12:1 Iesus ergo ante sex dies Paschae venit Bethaniam, ubi Lazarus fuerat mortuus, quem suscitavit Iesus. [n. 1590]
12:2 And they made him a supper there, and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who was at table with him. [n. 1594]
12:2 Fecerunt autem ei coenam ibi. Et Martha ministrabat: Lazarus vero unus erat ex discumbentibus cum eo. [n. 1594]
12:3 Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. [n. 1596]
12:3 Maria ergo accepit libram unguenti nardi pistici pretiosi, et unxit pedes Iesu, et extersit pedes eius capillis suis: et domus impleta est ex odore unguenti. [n. 1596]
12:4 Then one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was about to betray him, said: [n. 1600]
12:4 Dixit ergo unus ex discipulis eius Iudas Iscariotis, qui erat eum traditurus: [n. 1600]
12:5 why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor? [n. 1602]
12:5 quare hoc unguentum non veniit trecentis denariis, et datum est egenis? [n. 1602]
12:6 Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and having the money-box, took what was put into it. [n. 1603]
12:6 Dixit autem hoc, non quia de egenis pertinebat ad eum, sed quia fur erat, et loculos habens, ea quae mittebantur portabat. [n. 1603]
1589. So far the Evangelist has been showing the power of Christ’s divinity by what he did and taught during his public life. Now he begins to show the power of his divinity as manifested in his passion and death.
1589. In praecedentibus Evangelista ostendit divinitatis Christi virtutem per ea quae in vita fecit et docuit; hic autem incipit ostendere virtutem divinitatis ipsius quantum ad passionem et mortem eius: et
First, he treats of Christ’s passion and death;
primo agit de passione et morte eius;