Lecture 2
Lectio 2
A perverse generation
Generatio perversa
11:16 But to what will I compare this generation? It is like to children sitting in the market place, who, crying to their companions, [n. 926]
11:16 Cui autem similem aestimabo generationem istam? Similis est pueris sedentibus in foro, qui clamantes coaequalibus [n. 926]
11:17 say: we have piped to you, and you have not danced: we have lamented, and you have not mourned. [n. 933]
11:17 dicunt: cecinimus vobis, et non saltastis; lamentavimus, et non planxistis. [n. 933]
11:18 For John came neither eating nor drinking; and they say: he has a devil. [n. 937]
11:18 Venit enim Ioannes neque manducans, neque bibens, et dicunt: daemonium habet. [n. 937]
11:19 The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say: behold a man who is a glutton and a wine drinker, a friend of publicans and sinners. And wisdom is justified by her children. [n. 938]
11:19 Venit Filius hominis manducans et bibens, et dicunt: ecce homo vorax, et potator vini, publicanorum et peccatorum amicus. Et iustificata est sapientia a filiis suis. [n. 938]
926. But to what. Here he breaks forth into a rebuke of the crowds. And
926. Cui autem hic prorumpit in increpationem turbarum. Et
first, he sets forth a question;
primo ponit quaestionem;
second, a certain likeness;
secundo quamdam similitudinem;
third, he explains it.
tertio eam exponit.
927. So he proceeds thus. John is compared to Elias this way by reason of office, but to what will I compare this generation?
927. Procedit ergo sic. Ita comparatur Ioannes Eliae ratione officii, sed cui comparabo hanc generationem?
And why does he say this here? He says this like a man who, when he did whatever good he could for someone, and the man was ungrateful, does not know to what to compare him; thus the Lord had done all good things for this generation; hence, what is there that I ought to do more to my vineyard, that I have not done to it? (Isa 5:4). To what therefore will I be able to compare such malice?
Et quare dicit hoc hic? Hoc dicit sicut aliquis quando alicui fecit quicquid boni potuit, et ipse est ingratus, nescit cui comparare eum; sic Dominus omnia bona fecerat generationi huic; unde Is. V, 4: quid ultra debui facere vineae meae, et non feci ei? Cui ergo potero comparare tantam malitiam?
928. One should notice that ‘generation’ is sometimes taken in Scripture for the congregation of the good, sometimes for the congregation of the bad, sometimes for that of both. For the congregation of the good, as in, the generation of the righteous will be blessed (Ps 111:2). For the evil congregation, below, where it says, an evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign (Matt 12:39). For both, where it says, one generation passes away, and another generation comes: but the earth standes forever (Eccl 1:4).
928. Notandum quod ‘generatio’ aliquando in Scripturis pro congregatione bonorum accipitur, aliquando malorum, aliquando utrorumque. Pro congregatione bonorum, ut in Ps. CXI, 2: generatio rectorum benedicetur. Pro congregatione mala, infra XII, v. 39, ubi dicitur generatio mala et perversa. Pro utrisque, Eccle. I, 4, ubi dicitur: generatio praeterit, generatio ventura est, terra autem in aeternum stat.
929. It is like to children sitting in the market place. Here he sets forth a certain likeness; and it can be explained according to the plain letter, or according to a mystical sense.
929. Similis est pueris sedentibus in foro et cetera. Hic ponit quamdam similitudinem; et potest exponi secundum planum litterae, vel secundum mysticum sensum.
First, he sets forth a likeness about children;
Primo ponit similitudinem de pueris;
second, he applies it, at for John came neither eating nor drinking.
secundo adaptat eam, ibi venit Ioannes neque manducans, neque bibens et cetera.
930. For one should notice that it is natural for man to seek pleasures, and he always seeks them, and unless he is drawn away by anxieties, he immediately falls into evil pleasures; but children do not have anxieties, so they are idle concerning those things which pertain to them. This is to play.
930. Notandum enim quod naturale est homini quaerere delectationes, et semper quaerit illas, et nisi abstrahatur per sollicitudines, statim ruit in malas delectationes, sed pueri non habent sollicitudines, ideo vacant circa illa, quae sibi competunt, hoc est ludere.
931. One should notice also that man is naturally social, and this is because one man naturally needs another, and so delights in intimacy. Hence the Philosopher, in Book I of the Politics: every man who is solitary is either better than a man, and is a god; or worse than a man, and is a beast. Hence it says, sitting in the marketplace, because no one wants to play by himself, but rather in the marketplace, where there is a gathering of many people.
931. Item notandum, quod homo naturaliter sociale est, et hoc quia naturaliter unus alio indiget, unde delectatur in convictu; unde Philosophus I Polit.: omnis homo qui solitarius est, aut est melior homine, et est Deus; aut peior homine, et est bestia. Unde dicitur sedentibus in foro, quia nullus per se vult ludere, sed in foro, ubi fit congregatio multorum.
932. One should note that it is natural for man that his delight is in some representation; hence if we see something well sculpted, which represents well what it should, then we are delighted. Therefore the children who delight in games always make their games with some representation, either of war, or of some such thing.
932. Item notandum, quod naturale est homini quod delectatio eius sit in aliqua repraesentatione, unde si videamus aliquid bene sculptum, quod bene repraesentet quod debet, tunc delectamur; ideo pueri qui delectantur in ludis, semper ludos suos faciunt cum aliqua repraesentatione vel belli, vel huiusmodi.
Likewise, one should notice that all the affections of an animal come to a term in two passions, namely either at joy or at sorrow.
Item notandum, quod ad duas passiones terminantur omnes animi affectus, scilicet vel ad gaudium, vel ad luctum.
933. Who crying. This should be seen in this way. Let us set down that some children are on one side, and others on the other side, such that some play an instrument, and others dance; these do one thing, and the others respond to them. If these played, and those did not respond to them according to their form of game, they would be insulted by them; hence they say, we have piped to you, and you have not danced.
933. Qui clamantes et cetera. Hoc est ita videndum. Ponamus quod sint pueri ex una parte, et alii ex alia, ita quod quidam debeant cantare, alii saltare; unum isti facere, alii eis respondere. Si isti canerent, et illi eis non responderent secundum formam suam, iniuriarentur eisdem, unde dicunt cecinimus vobis, et vos non saltastis.
934. Now nothing so changes the soul as music; hence Boethius in On Music recounts the story of a certain man who was arguing with another man in front of Pythagoras, and others were speaking in song. Then Pythagoras made the music change, and the man quieted; hence all were trained in music.
934. Item nihil ita immutat animum, sicut cantus; unde computat Boetius in Musica sua de quodam qui coram Pythagora cum alio litigabat, et cantu alii loquebantur. Tunc Pythagoras fecit mutari cantum, et ille quievit; unde omnes exercebantur in musica.
935. So one should note that there is a certain song on account of joy, as is had, wine and music rejoice the heart (Sir 40:20); so it says, we have piped, i.e., we spoke with the song of joy, and you have not danced.
935. Ideo notandum, quod quidam cantus est propter gaudium, sicut habetur Eccli. XL, 20: vinum et musica laetificant cor; ideo dicitur cecinimus, idest cantum gaudii diximus, et non saltastis.
Likewise, it is usual that just as some are changed toward joy, so some are changed toward weeping; hence, call for the mourning women, and . . . let them hasten and take up a lamentation for us (Jer 9:17–18). So they say, we have lamented, i.e., we made the sorrowful song, and you have not mourned.
Item consuetudo est, quod sicut aliqui immutantur ad gaudium, ita quidam ad fletum; unde Ier. IX, 17: vocate lamentatrices, et assumant super nos lamentum et cetera. Ideo dicunt lamentavimus, idest cantus lugubres fecimus, et vos non planxistis.
936. Mystically, by the children are signified the people of the old law, among whom there were some who called men forth to joy, as David, rejoice in the Lord, O you just (Ps 32:1); some who called to sorrow, be converted to me with all your heart, in fasting, and in weeping, and in mourning (Joel 2:12). Hence they could say, we have piped, i.e., we invited you to spiritual joy, and you did not accept it; we have lamented, i.e., we invited you to penance, and you did not agree.
936. Mystice per pueros significatur populus veteris legis, inter quos quidam fuerunt provocatores ad gaudium spirituale, ut David Ps. XXXII, 1: exultate, iusti, in Domino, quidam ad luctum, ut Ioel II, 13: convertimini ad Dominum in toto corde vestro, in ieiunio, fletu et planctu et cetera. Unde possunt dicere cecinimus, idest incitavimus vos ad spiritualem laetitiam, et non suscepistis: lamentavimus, idest invitavimus ad poenitentiam, et vos non acquievistis.
937. For John came. Here he applies the likeness. And
937. Venit Ioannes et cetera. Hic adaptat similitudinem. Et
first, he applies it;
primo adaptat;
second, he gives the reasons.
secundo rationes assignat.
938. Men are drawn to a good life in two ways: for some are drawn by the appearance of holiness, and some by way of intimacy. The Lord and John divided the two ways between them. John, or rather the Lord through John, chose the way of austerity; he chose the way of leniency for himself; and yet they were not converted by either. Hence he says, for John came neither eating nor drinking, and this literally, because he practiced much abstinence, and they say: he has a devil, as hypocrites turn good into evil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, i.e., using food differently, and it did him no good, because you did not believe, but rather you say, behold a man who is a glutton and a wine drinker, a friend of publicans and sinners; contrary to, be not in the feasts of great drinkers (Prov 23:20).
938. Dupliciter homines attrahuntur ad bonam vitam: quidam enim per speciem sanctitatis, quidam autem per viam familiaritatis. Dominus et Ioannes diviserunt sibi duas vias. Ioannes, immo Dominus per Ioannem, elegit viam austeritatis; per se elegit viam lenitatis: et tamen per nullum sunt conversi. Unde dicit venit Ioannes non manducans, neque bibens: et hoc ad litteram, quia multum abstinens fuit, et dicunt: daemonium habet, sicut hypocritae bonum in malum convertunt. Venit Filius hominis manducans, et bibens, idest differenter utens cibis, et non valet ei, quia non creditis, immo dicitis ecce homo vorax, potator vini, publicanorum amicus; contra illud Prov. cap. XXIII, 20: noli esse in conviviis potatorum et cetera.
939. Here one should notice that one who paid attention to the sayings of men would never do anything good; he who observes the wind, will not sow: and he who consideres the clouds, will never reap (Eccl 11:4).
939. Hic notandum, quod qui observaret dicta hominum, numquam aliquid bene faceret; Eccle. XI, 4: qui observat ventos, non seminat, et qui considerat nubes, numquam metet.
940. But there is a question here. Why did the Lord choose for himself the more lenient way, and showed the severe way through John?
940. Sed hic est quaestio. Quare elegit Dominus per se vitam leniorem, et per Ioannem asperiorem monstravit?
The reason for this is that the Lord confirmed his own actions with miracles, but John did not work miracles. Therefore, if he had had no excellence, his testimony would not have been accepted, as we observe in the saints, because one has excellence in one thing, another in another; as Augustine has excellence in teaching, Martin in miracles.
Ista ratio est, quia Dominus confirmabat actus suos miraculis; Ioannes autem non faciebat: ideo si nullam haberet excellentiam, non approbaretur eius testimonium, sicut videmus in sanctis, quia unus habet excellentiam in uno, alius in alio; ut Augustinus habuit excellentiam in doctrina, Martinus in miraculis.
Likewise another reason, because John was a mere man, so he withheld himself from carnal desires; but Christ was God, so if he had led a life of austerity, he would not have shown himself to be a man. Therefore he took up more the human life.
Item alia ratio, quia Ioannes purus homo erat, ideo abstinebat se a carnalibus desideriis; Christus autem Deus erat: ideo si austeritatem duceret, non ostenderetur esse homo; ideo humanam vitam magis assumpsit.
Likewise, John was the end of the Old Testament, on which heavy burdens were laid; but Christ was the beginning of the new law, which proceeds by way of gentleness.
Item Ioannes fuit finis Veteris Testamenti, cui gravia imponebantur; sed Christus fuit initium novae legis, quae procedit per viam mansuetudinis.
941. And wisdom is justified. This can be read in two ways. One way, by referring back both to what was said about John and about Christ, and then the sense is this: when a man does what he should, and another is not corrected, then he saves his own soul, and is justified in his words. Wisdom is justified, this wisdom is the Son of God, or Christ, i.e., he appears just to his children, because he has shown the Jew what he should have, abstinence through John, gentleness through Christ.
941. Et iustificata est sapientia. Istud potest dupliciter legi. Uno modo retorquendo ad utrumque quod dictum est de Ioanne et Christo; et tunc est sensus: quando homo facit quod debet, et alius non corrigitur, tunc salvat animam suam, et iustificatur in sermonibus suis. Iustificata est sapientia, hoc est Filius Dei, sive Christus, idest iusta apparuit filiis suis, quia exhibuit Iudaeis quod debuit: abstinentiam per Ioannem, mansuetudinem per Christum.
Or it can be read in another way. The devil’s children say that he is a glutton and a wine drinker; but wisdom’s children understand that life is not in food and drink, but in evenness of soul, by using food in its place and time, and likewise by abstaining when it is becoming, such that they do not exceed in too much, nor fall short in too little, as the Apostle says, everywhere, and in all things I am instructed both to be full, and to be hungry; both to abound, and to suffer need (Phil 4:12). Therefore it does not seem to show full justice if one abstains totally, because he believes that the whole of justice is in abstinence; but it does not consist in this, but in evenness of soul.
Vel aliter potest dici. Ita dicant filii diaboli, quod vorax est et potator vini; sed filii sapientiae intelligunt quod non est vita in cibo et poto, sed in aequalitate animi, utendo cibo pro loco et tempore, et abstinendo similiter quando decet, ita quod non excedant in multo, nec deficiant in pauco, ut dicit Apostolus ad Phil. IV, 12: ubique, et in omnibus institutus sum, et satiari, et esurire, et abundare, et penuriam pati. Ideo plenam iustitiam non videretur ostendere, si totaliter abstineret, quia crederetur tota iustitia esse in abstinentia; sed in hoc non consistit, sed in animi aequalitate.