Lecture 5
Lectio 5
Seek first the kingdom of God
Quaerite primum regnum Dei
6:19 Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth: where the rust and moth consume, and where thieves break through and steal. [n. 611]
6:19 nolite thesaurizare vobis thesauros in terra ubi erugo et tinea demolitur ubi fures effodiunt et furantur [n. 611]
6:20 But lay up to yourselves treasures in heaven: where neither the rust nor moth consumes, and where thieves do not break through, nor steal. [n. 613]
6:20 thesaurizate autem vobis thesauros in caelo ubi neque aerugo neque tinea demolitur et ubi fures non effodiunt nec furantur [n. 613]
6:21 For where your treasure is, there is your heart also. [n. 614]
6:21 ubi enim est thesaurus tuus ibi est et cor tuum [n. 614]
6:22 The light of your body is your eye. If your eye be sound, your whole body will be lightsome. [n. 614]
6:22 lucerna corporis est oculus si fuerit oculus tuus simplex totum corpus tuum lucidum erit. [n. 614]
6:23 But if your eye be evil your whole body will be darksome. If then the light that is in you is darkness: the darkness itself, how great will it be. [n. 614]
6:23 si autem oculus tuus nequam fuerit totum corpus tuum tenebrosum erit si ergo lumen quod in te est tenebrae sunt tenebrae quantae erunt. [n. 614]
6:24 No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. [n. 619]
6:24 nemo potest duobus dominis servire aut enim unum odio habebit et alterum diliget aut unum sustinebit et alterum contemnet non potestis Deo servire et mamonae [n. 619]
6:25 Therefore I say to you, be not solicitous for your soul, what you should eat, nor for your body, what you should put on. Is not the life more than the meat: and the body more than the raiment? [n. 622]
6:25 ideo dico vobis ne solliciti sitis animae vestrae quid manducetis neque corpori vestro quid induamini nonne anima plus est quam esca et corpus plus est quam vestimentum [n. 622]
6:26 Behold the birds of the air, for they neither sow, nor do they reap, nor gather into barns: and your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you of much more value than they? [n. 624]
6:26 respicite volatilia caeli quoniam non serunt neque metunt neque congregant in horrea et Pater vester caelestis pascit illa nonne vos magis pluris estis illis [n. 624]
6:27 And which of you by taking thought, can add to his stature one cubit? [n. 627]
6:27 quis autem vestrum cogitans potest adicere ad staturam suam cubitum unum [n. 627]
6:28 And for raiment why are you solicitous? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they labor not, neither do they spin. [n. 628]
6:28 et de vestimento quid solliciti estis considerate lilia agri quomodo crescunt non laborant nec nent [n. 628]
6:29 But I say to you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. [n. 629]
6:29 dico autem vobis quoniam nec Salomon in omni gloria sua coopertus est sicut unum ex istis [n. 629]
6:30 And if the grass of the field, which is today, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, God does so clothe: how much more you, O you of little faith? [n. 629]
6:30 si autem faenum agri quod hodie est et cras in clibanum mittitur Deus sic vestit quanto magis vos minimae fidei [n. 629]
6:31 Be not solicitous therefore, saying, what will we eat: or what will we drink, or with what will we be clothed? [n. 630]
6:31 nolite ergo solliciti esse dicentes quid manducabimus aut quid bibemus aut quo operiemur [n. 630]
6:32 For after all these things do the heathens seek. For your Father knows that you have need of all these things. [n. 630]
6:32 haec enim omnia gentes inquirunt scit enim Pater vester quia his omnibus indigetis [n. 630]
6:33 Seek you therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things will be added unto you. [n. 630]
6:33 quaerite autem primum regnum et iustitiam eius et omnia haec adicientur vobis [n. 630]
6:34 Be not therefore, solicitous for tomorrow; for the morrow will be solicitous for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own evil. [n. 630]
6:34 nolite ergo esse solliciti in crastinum crastinus enim dies sollicitus erit sibi ipse sufficit diei malitia sua. [n. 630]
611. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures. Above, the Lord prescribed that we not do works for the sake of glory; here he teaches that we should not set riches as our end in good works. For there are two evils: greed and vainglory, which follow upon each other. For many seek riches not for their needs but for ostentation.
611. Nolite thesaurizare. Supra Dominus determinavit ne opera propter gloriam faceremus; hic docet quod non debemus in bonis operibus ponere divitiarum finem. Duo enim mala sunt: cupiditas et inanis gloria, quae se invicem consequuntur. Multi enim quaerunt divitias non ad necessitatem sed ad pompam.
Or it can be continued like this. Above, the Lord did not teach or admonish us to do almsgiving or prayers, but rather he taught the manner of doing them; now he wants to induce us to do these works. And first, almsgiving; second, praying, at ask and you shall receive; third, fasting, at the way is narrow.
Vel potest sic continuari. Dominus supra non docuit nec admonuit ut eleemosynas vel orationes faceremus, sed docuit modum faciendi; nunc vult inducere ad hoc quod ista opera faciamus. Et primo quod eleemosynas; secundo quod orationes, ibi petite; tertio quod ieiunium, ibi arta est via.
612. Or another interpretation. Above, he taught how we should do alms and fasting, and not for glory; here he wants to show completely that no man can serve two masters. But the first reading, from Chrysostom, is more consonant with the text.
612. Vel aliter. Supra docuit quod eleemosynas et ieiunium faceremus et non propter gloriam; hic vult universaliter ostendere quod nullus. Sed prima est magis consona litterae et est Chrysostomi.
Therefore according to this sense, for all men are, as it were, the same, he does two things: first, he teaches us to avoid excessive concern for riches, second, anxiety for necessities, at now I say to you. Concerning the first he does two things: first, he warns us not to amass excess riches. And he proves it by reason of its instability; second, from the harm that comes from it at where your treasure is. Concerning the first he does two things: first, he sets forth the instability of earthly riches; second, he sets down the stability of heavenly riches that we should amass, at lay up treasures in heaven.
Secundum igitur hunc sensum, quia omnes quasi idem sint, duo facit: primo docet vitare superfluam curam divitiarum, secundo sollicitudinem necessariorum, ibi iam dico vobis. Circa primum duo facit: primo monet non congregare superfluas divitias. Et probat ex ratione instabilitatis; secundo ex damno quod inde provenit, ibi ubi est thesaurus. Circa primum duo facit: primo ponit instabilitatem divitiarum terrenarum; secundo ponit stabilitatem divitiarum caelestium quas congregare debemus, ibi thesaurizate.
Therefore he says first: I say thus that you should not do good works for earthly glory, but also do not amass riches. And this is Do not lay up . . . treasures on earth, i.e., in any earthly thing. But according to this it seems that kings and bishops act against this precept. But it should be said that two things are understood in treasure, namely abundance, which is twofold, necessary or excess. For it is excessive for a private man to amass riches; but not for a king, who needs it for the care and defense of his kingdom. Hence this is forbidden, namely to amass riches beyond the needs of one’s person or office. The other thing that is understood by treasure is the trust that is placed in it; and this is also forbidden. And this is do not lay up treasure for yourselves: charge the rich of the present age not to be highminded . . . but to trust in God (1 Tim 6:17); those who laid up silver and gold . . . where is the trace of their works? (Bar 3:18).
Dicit ergo primo: ita dico quod non debemus facere bona opera propter gloriam terrenam, sed etiam nec divitias congregare. Et hoc est nolite etc., in terra, idest in quacumque re terrena. Sed secundum hoc videtur quod reges et episcopi faciant contra istud praeceptum. Sed dicendum quod in thesauro duo intelligere, scilicet abundantiam, quae est duplex, scilicet necessaria et superflua. Homini enim privato superfluum est congregare divitias; regi autem non, quia indiget ad regni custodiam et defensionem. Unde hoc prohibetur, scilicet congregare divitias ultra necessitatem personae vel officii. Aliud quod in thesauro intelligitur est fiducia quae habetur in eis; et hoc etiam prohibetur. Et hoc est nolite thesaurizare, I Tim. ult.17 divitibus huius saeculi, Baruc. III, 18: argentum thesaurizant et aurum.
613. Next, he shows the instability. Where rust, and he sets down three kinds of things by which riches are literally destroyed. For riches can be had as precious metals, or in clothing, or in precious stones; and thus metals are consumed by rust, clothes by moths, while thieves carry off jewels. Or otherwise, another text has at where moth also feasts are consumed and cleared away, and Chrysostom explains this. For temporal things are destroyed in three ways: on the part of the thing, for from clothing comes a moth; by the extravagance of the owner: hence he says feasts are consumed; and from outside causes, hence he says thieves. But it could be said that this does not always happen. And Chrysostom says that if it does not always happen, nevertheless it often happens and if not often, nevertheless it is possible. And the Lord wants to argue this, for he teaches us to set our hope on lasting and stable things: what was left, the locust has eaten (Joel 1:4).
613. Consequenter ostendit instabilitatem. Ubi erugo, et ponit tria genera quibus ad litteram divitiae destruuntur. Divitiae enim aut habentur in metallis aut in vestibus aut in lapidibus; et huiusmodi metalla consumuntur rubigine, vestes tinea, fures autem asportant lapides. Vel aliter, alia littera habet ubi tinea et comeduntur comestura exterminant, et istam exponit Chrysostomus. Temporalia enim tripliciter destruuntur ex parte rerum, quia de vestimento procedit tinea ex luxuria possidentis. Unde dicit commestura, ab extraneis. Unde dicit fures. Sed posset dici quia hoc non semper contingit. Et dicit Chrysostomus quod si non semper fiat, tamen frequenter contingit, et si non frequenter contingat tamen possibile est fieri. Et hoc Dominus vult argumentari quia docet ponere spem in perpetuis et stabilibus, Ioel. I, 4: residuum comedet locusta.
Mystically, rust appears but moth is hidden. Hence by rust can be understood carnal sins, but by moth spiritual ones: for some sins are committed against oneself, and this is understood as rust and moth; some sins are committed in scandal of another, and this is thieves. Or otherwise, tarnish blackens pretty things: hence it can be understood as pride which infiltrates good works so that they perish like corrosion in copper (Sir 12:10); the moth corrodes the clothes which are the external works that are consumed by envy: like a moth in clothing or a worm in wood, sorrow gnaws at the human heart (Prov 25:20). But demons, when they cannot deceive, stealthily drag someone into vainglory. And this is where thieves. Having shown earthly instability, he sets forth the stability of the heavenly treasure. Hence they store up treasure, i.e., they amass a multitude of rewards in heaven.
Mystice erugo apparet, sed tinea latet. Unde per erugo possunt intelligi peccata carnalia, per tinea spiritualia: quaedam enim peccata committunt in seipsum, et hoc intelligit per eruginem et tineam; quaedam in scandalum alterius, et hoc per fures. Vel aliter, rubigo efuscat decora: unde potest intelligi superbia quae bonis operibus insidiatur ut pereant, Eccli. XII, 10: quasi aeramentum; tinea corrodit vestimenta quae sunt exteriora opera quae consummuntur per invidiam, Prov. XXV, 20: sicut vermis ligno etc. Daemones autem quando non possunt decipere furtive trahunt ad inanem gloriam. Et hoc ubi fures. Posita instabilitate terrena, ponit stabilitatem thesauri caelestis. Unde thesaurizant idest congregant multitudinem praemiorum in caelestibus.
And it should be noted, according to Augustine, that it is not to be understood about the physical heavens, for we should fix our hearts on no physical thing, nor have our treasure there. Hence it is understood about heaven, i.e., in spiritual goods, i.e., in God himself: the heaven of heaven is the Lord’s (Ps 115:16). And he says lay up treasure, for if a fleshly man wishes to amass more and more on earth, it should not be enough for him that he have just any status in heavenly things, but that he have a greater reward. And thus he says lay up treasure, i.e., grow rich in rewards: and he says for yourselves because as is said: if you do justice, what more shall you give him? (Job 35:7).
Et notandum secundum Augustinum quod non est intelligendum de caelo corporeo, quia in nulla re corporali cor nostrum figere debemus nec thesaurum ibi habere. Unde intelligendum in caelo, idest in spiritualibus bonis, idest in ipso Deo, Ps. caelum caeli Domino. Ut dicit thesaurizate quia si homo carnalis vult magis et magis congregare in terra non debet ei sufficere quod qualemcumque statum habeat in re caelorum, sed quod habeat maiorem mercedem. Et ideo dicit thesaurizate, idest abundate praemiis; et dicit vobis quia, sicut dicitur Iob XXXV, 7: porro si iuste egeris.
614. But how treasures are to be laid up is shown: if you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give the money to the poor (Matt 19:21). Therefore treasure is laid up by giving alms. And thus Chrysostom says that here he induces us to give alms. This is the incorruptible treasure, for it can neither have corruption in itself nor rust on the part of its body: this corruptible body must put on imperishability (1 Cor 15:53); nor on the part of the soul: your people shall all be righteous (Isa 60:21); nor from outward causes, which lie in wait to attack, i.e., demons. And this is where thieves, for whether secretly or openly, they will not kill or harm in all my holy mountain (Isa 11:9).
614. Quomodo autem thesaurizandum sit ostenditur Luc. XIX, 21: si vis perfectus esse. Ergo per eleemosynam thesaurizatur. Et ideo dicit Chrysostomus quod hic inducit ad eleemosynam. Hic thesaurus incorruptibilis est quia nec ex se habet corruptionem, quia nec aerugo ex parte corporis, I Cor. XV, 53: corruptibile hoc induet; nec ex parte animae, Is. LX, 21: populus tuus omnes iusti; nec ab exterioribus, hoc est ab insidiatoribus, idest daemonibus. Et hoc est ubi fures, nec occulte nec manifeste, Is. XI, 9: non occident nec nocebunt.
Where your treasure is. Here he wants to show what we owe to heaven and not first because of the harm that comes from it. And this is for two reasons: first, the distraction of the heart; second,the alienation from God, at no one can serve two masters. Concerning the first he does two things: first, he sets forth the harm of a distracted heart; second, he shows the magnitude of its damage, at the light of your body. Therefore he says: I said that thieves pillage; but there remains something unfitting: hence where your treasure is. For where love is, there the eye is: we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen, for . . . what cannot be seen is eternal (2 Cor 4:18); and on the other hand, the eyes of a fool look to the end of the earth (Prov 17:24).
Ubi est thesaurus. Hic vult ostendere quod debemus in caelo et non primum propter nocumentum quod inde provenit. Et est duplex: primum distractio cordis, secundum alienatio a Deo, ibi nemo potest duobus. Circa primum duo facit: primo ponit nocumentum distractionis cordis; secundo ostendit huius damni magnitudinem, ibi lucerna. Dicit ergo: dixi quod fures effodiunt etc.; sed restat aliud inconveniens: Unde ubi est thesaurus. Ubi enim est amor ibi oculus, II Cor. IV, 18: non contemplantibus nobis; sed isti e converso, Prov. XVII, 24: oculi stultorum.
And because few consider this loss, namely the destruction of the heart, for this reason the Lord shows how great the danger is by a certain example; hence the lamp of your body: by sensible things he instructs us about intellectual things. So that this can be read two ways. First, as though the Lord proposes a likeness to the physical heavens, and afterward he modifies the comparison to spiritual things, at if the light in you is darkness. And this explanation is plain. And concerning this he does three things: first, he shows the role of the eye, second, the benefit of the good, and third, the damage in hidden evil.
Et quia hoc damnum, scilicet destructio cordis, pauci considerant, ideo Dominus ostendit quantum sit hoc periculum quodam exemplo; unde lucerna: per sensibilia instruit de intelligentibus. Ut potest hoc dupliciter legi. Primo ut Dominus proponat similitudinem de caelo corporali, et post adaptet similitudinem ad spiritualia, ibi si ergo lumen. Et haec expositio plana est. Et circa hoc tria facit: primo demonstrat officium oculi, secundo utilitatem boni, et tertio damnum mali occulti.
Therefore he says the lamp of the body is physically the eye, which directs like a lamp. If your eye be sound, i.e., strong at seeing, according to Jerome, otherwise it could not be understood as a physical eye; hence sound is strong in seeing. For when a man has a weak eye, one thing seems two. Hence if an eye can be fixed on one thing because of fortitude, the whole body will be lightsome: for by the light of the eye, light is caught for directing all the members in their acts. But if your eye is evil, i.e., disturbed, namely, by infection, also the body, i.e., all the members, will act as though in the dark.
Dicit ergo lucerna corporis est oculus, corporalis, qui sicut lucerna dirigit. Si oculus tuus fuerit simplex, idest fortis ad videndum, secundum Ieronimum, alias non posset intelligi de oculo corporali; unde simplex, id est fortis ad videndum. Homo enim quando habet oculum debile, una res videtur duae. Unde si oculus in uno figere potest propter fortitudinem, totum corpus tuum lucidum erit: per lumen enim oculi lux capitur ad dirigenda omnia membra in suis actibus. Si autem nequam fuerit, idest turbatus scilicet lippus, etiam corpus, idest membra omnia ita agent sicut in tenebris.
615. Accordingly he modifies therefore if the light that is in you, namely, the light of reason, be darkness, how great the darkness itself. About this light, a Psalm says: the light of your face is stamped upon us (Ps 4:6). Therefore he wants to say that if the heart which is the eye of the soul becomes darkened by training itself upon earthly things, the other eyes, which are darkened by their nature, for they cannot recognize any but corporeal things, will be in the greatest darkness. Hence if reason, which is capable of spiritual things, is directed to earthly things, then all the senses are directed to earthly things. And this is therefore if the light in you. Or another way. The Lord wants to speak here about the spiritual eye; and he brings up therefore if the light in you, to prove what has been said in this passage by a lesser example, and the rest is as before.
615. Consequenter adaptat si ergo lumen quod in te est, scilicet lumen rationis, tenebrae sunt, ipsae tenebrae. De hoc lumine, Ps. signatum est super nos. Vult ergo dicere quod si cor quod est oculus animae obtenebratur applicando se terrenis, alii oculi, qui secundum suam naturam sunt tenebrae, quia non possunt cognoscere nisi corporalia, erunt maximae tenebrae. Unde si ratio que potest in spiritualia dirigitur ad terrena, tunc omnes sensus ad terrena dirigentur. Et hoc est si ergo etc. Vel aliter. Dominus vult hic loqui de oculo spirituali; et hoc, si ergo lumen etc., inducere ad probandum praemissa per locum a minori et dicuntur sic prius.
Therefore he says the lamp of your body is your eye. This eye can be explained in four ways, namely, reason, as was said, and this is the interpretation of Chrysostom and Hilary. For as a lamp illuminates for seeing, so reason illuminates for acting: the human spirit is the lamp of the Lord, searching the innermost (Prov 20:27).
Dicit ergo lucerna corporis tui oculus tuus. Hic oculus potest quatuor modis exponi, scilicet de ratione sicut dictum est, et hoc secundum Chrysostomum et Hilarium. Sicut enim per lucernam illuminantur ad videndum, ita per rationem ad operandum. Prov. XX, 27: lucerna Domini spiraculum.
616. If your eye be sound, i.e., if your reason is completely directed to one thing, namely, God, your whole body shall be; and if worthless, that is, trained on earthly things, your whole body shall be darkened. And this can be understood in two ways. For it will be full of light or darkness as to present works. Full of light, if all outward members work for God’s sake. And this happens if reason be directed to God, for then the members are preserved pure from sin, since sin does not occur except by the consent of the mind. But darkness, if reason was occupied by earthly things, for then the members were occupied by dark works: lay aside the works of darkness (Rom 13:12).
616. Si oculus tuus fuerit simplex, idest si ratio tua tota dirigatur in unum, scilicet in Deum, totum etc.; et si nequam, idest applicatur ad terrena, totum corpus etc. Et potest hoc intelligi dupliciter. Erit enim lucidum vel tenebrosum quantum ad praesentia opera. Lucidum, si omnia exteriora membra propter Deum operantur. Et hoc fit ratio dirigatur in Deum, quia tunc membra pura conservantur a peccato, cum peccatum non procedat nisi ex consensu mentis. Tenebrosum autem, si ratio fuit occupata terrenis, quia tunc membra occupabantur operibus tenebrosis, Ro. XIII, 12: abiciamus opera tenebrarum.
Or otherwise, according to Hilary, if your eye, i.e., if reason be simply directed to God, your whole body will be filled with light, for from the brightness of the soul, brightness overflows to the body: thus the just will shine like the sun (Matt 13:43). But if worthless . . . your whole body will be darkened.
Vel aliter, secundum Hilarium, si oculus, idest si ratio, simpliciter dirigatur in Deum, totum corpus tuum lucidum, quia ex claritate anime redundat claritas ad corpus: ita fulgebunt iusti. Si autem nequem etc.
617. In another way, according to Augustine. By the eye is understood the intention. For as a man first looks at the distance to his destination, and then he sets out, so also in working he first determines the end and from that end his intention proceeds to working. Therefore the eye directs: her lamp does not go out at night (Prov 31:18). Hence if the intention were pure, the work or the accumulation of works proceeding from this intention will also be pure. And this is to be understood of those thing that are good in themselves, for as Romans says: the condemnation is deserved (Rom 3:8) of those who said: let us do evil that good may come of it. But if the intention was perverse, the entire work is rendered dark. Nor should it seem strange if by works the body is signified, for in the same way it is said: mortify your earthly members (Col 3:5).
617. Aliter secundum Augustinum. Per oculum intelligitur intentio. Sicut enim homo primo respicit distantia ad terminum, postea procedit, ita in operando primo determinat finem et ex fine intentio procedit ad operandum ergo oculus dirigit, Prov. ult. non extinguetur in nocte lucerna. Unde si intentio fuerit pura, et opus, sive congeries operum ex illa intentione procedens, erit purum. Et hoc intelligendum est de his quae secundum se bona quia, sicut dicitur Ro. III, 8: damnatio iusta est illorum qui dixerunt: faciamus mala etc. Si autem intentio fuerit perversa tota operatio redditur tenebrosa. Nec debet videri extraneum si per opera corpus significatur, quia sicut dicitur Col. III, 5: mortificate membra vestra etc.
Third, he sets down: the eye of the soul is faith which directs the whole work: your word is a lamp to my feet (Ps 119:105). It is sound when it does not vacillate, but works by love (Gal 5:6). But if faith were corrupted, the whole body, i.e., the work, is full of darkness: all that is not of faith is sin (Rom 14:23).
Tertio ponit: oculus animae est fides quae dirigit totum opus. Ps. lucerna pedibus. Simplex est quando non vacillat sed per dilectionem operatur; si autem fides fuerit depravata totum corpus, idest opus est tenebrosum. Ro. XIV, 23: omne quod non est ex fide.