Lecture 1 Lectio 1 Healing of a leper Curatio leprosi ^8:1 And when he had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. [n. 681] ^8:1 Cum autem descendisset Iesus de monte, secutae sunt eum turbae multae. [n. 681] ^8:2 And behold a leper came and adored him, saying: Lord, if you will it, you can make me clean. [n. 682] ^8:2 Et ecce leprosus veniens adorabat eum, dicens: Domine, si vis, potes me mundare. [n. 682] ^8:3 And Jesus stretching forth his hand, touched him, saying: I will it, be made clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. [n. 685] ^8:3 Et extendens Iesus manum, tetigit eum dicens: volo, mundare. Et confestim mundata est lepra eius. [n. 685] ^8:4 And Jesus said to him: see that you tell no man: but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses commanded for a testimony unto them. [n. 688] ^8:4 Et ait illi Iesus: vide, nemini dixeris: sed vade, ostende te sacerdoti, et offer munus tuum quod praecepit Moyses in testimonium illis. [n. 688] 680. It could seem that the Lord spoke out of boasting; so he commends his authority by signs. 680. Posset videri quod ex iactantia loqueretur Dominus; ideo auctoritatem suam signis commendat. First, then, the signs are set out by which men are freed from bodily dangers; Primo ergo ponuntur signa, quibus liberantur homines a corporalibus periculis; second, from spiritual (Matt 9). secundo a spiritualibus, cap. IX. About the first, he does two things: Circa primum duo facit. first, he sets out the signs by which men are freed from dangers coming from intrinsic causes; Primo ponit signa quibus homines liberantur a periculis provenientibus ex intrinsecis causis; second, from extrinsic, such as a storm, there and when he entered into the boat (Matt 8:23). secundo ex extrinsecis, ut tempestate, ibi et ascendente eo in naviculam. He commends his authority, because he cures at once, because he cures while absent, because he cures perfectly, and because he cures many. Commendat auctoritatem, quia statim, quia absens, quia perfecte, quia multos. Because at once, in the leper; because while absent, in the centurion’s servant; because perfectly, in the mother of Peter’s wife; because many, in many others. Quia statim, in leproso; quia absens, in servo centurionis; quia perfecte, in socru Petri; quia multos, in aliis multis. Concerning the first, three things: Circa primum tria. first, the witnesses of the miracle are introduced; Primo testes miraculi introducuntur; second, the sick man is introduced, at and behold a leper; secundo infirmus inducitur, ibi et ecce leprosus; third, help is offered, at and Jesus stretching forth his hand, touched him, saying: I will it, be made clean. tertio auxilium praebetur, ibi et extendens Iesus manum, tetigit eum dicens volo, mundare. 681. It says then, and when he had come down from the mountain. That mountain is heaven; a mountain in which God is well pleased to dwell (Ps 67:17). Hence after he descended from heaven, great multitudes followed him; but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man (Phil 2:7). Or, by the mountain is understood high teaching; your justice is as the mountains of God (Ps 35:7). Since he was on the mountain, i.e., since he led a high life, his disciples followed him. And when he had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And I, brethren, could not speak to you as unto spiritual (1 Cor 3:1). 681. Dicit ergo cum autem descendisset Iesus de monte et cetera. Mons iste est caelum; Ps. LXVII, 17: mons in quo beneplacitum est Deo habitare in eo. Unde postquam descendit de caelo secutae sunt eum turbae; Phil. II, v. 7: exinanivit semetipsum formam servi accipiens, et habitu inventus ut homo et cetera. Vel per montem altitudo doctrinae; Ps. XXXV, 7: iustitia tua sicut montes Dei. Cum esset in monte, idest cum altam duxit vitam, secuti sunt eum discipuli sui. Et cum descendisset, secutae sunt eum turbae; I ad Cor. III, 1: non potui vobis loqui quasi spiritualibus. 682. Second, the sick person is introduced; and two things are set down: first, the sickness is shown; second, the anxiety is introduced. 682. Secundo, persona infirmi introducitur: et ponuntur duo. Primo infirmitas ostenditur; secundo sollicitudo adhibetur. The sickness, for he is a leper; and this signifies spiritual sicknesses. For some sicknesses are hidden within, such as fever; but some, although they are within, yet their effects are exteriorly clear, such as leprousy. So that man is a leper whose evil will is manifested by an evil act. We have thought him as it were a leper (Isa 53:4). Infirmitas, quia est leprosus: et hoc significat spirituales infirmitates. Quaedam enim infirmitates sunt intra latentes, ut febres: quaedam vero, etsi sunt ab intra, eius tamen effectus patet exterius, ut lepra. Ille ergo leprosus est, cuius mala voluntas manifestatur per malum actum; Is. LIII, 4: et nos putavimus eum quasi leprosum. But there is a question, because it is said that he cleansed the leper when he came down to Capernaum (Luke 4:31). Sed quaestio est, quia in Luca habetur, quod cum veniret Capharnaum mundavit leprosum. One should say that Matthew follows the history, because when he was going into Capernaum, the leper appeared to him in the road. Dicendum, quod Matthaeus sequitur historiam, quia cum iret in Capharnaum, in via apparuit ei leprosus. 683. There follows the anxiety, for first he came; second, he adored; hence it says, behold, a leper. Thus the sinner comes by faith, but adores through humility; he will save the humble of spirit (Ps 33:19). Similarly, he confesses the power of Christ, when he says, Lord, if you will it, you can make me clean. Similarly, he calls him Lord. If he is the Lord, he is able to save. Know that the Lord, he is God (Ps 99:3). Similarly, he had confidence in God’s mercy. It is not necessary to ask for mercy, but only to show him one’s need; so this man did, Lord, if you will it, you can make me clean. Hence, Lord, all my desire is before you, and my groaning is not hidden from you (Ps 37:10). Similarly, he shows the wisdom of Christ, because he asks nothing but his will; because he knows what is beneficial for you better than you yourself do. For this reason, he left it to Christ’s wisdom. 683. Sequitur sollicitudo, quia primo venit; secundo adoravit; unde dicit ecce leprosus. Sic peccator per fidem venit, sed adorat per humilitatem; Ps. XXXIII, 19: humiles spiritu salvabit Deus. Item confitetur Christi potentiam, cum dicit Domine, si vis, potes me mundare. Item vocat Dominum. Si Dominus est, potest salvare. In Ps. XCIX, 3: scitote, quoniam Dominus ipse est Deus. Item confidit de Dei misericordia. Misericordem non oportet petere, sed solum indigentiam ei monstrare; sic iste Domine, si vis, potes me mundare. Unde Ps. XXXVII, 10: Domine, ante te omne desiderium meum, et gemitus meus a te non est absconditus. Item ostendit sapientiam Christi, quia non petit nisi voluntatem suam: quia melius scit, quid opus sit tibi quam ipse. Ideo sapientiae Christi dimisit. 684. Then he touches upon the help. 684. Deinde tangit auxilium. First, he cures. Primo sanat. Second, he instructs. Secundo instruit. First, the work is touched upon; Primo tangitur opus; second, the effect, at and immediately his leprosy was cleansed. secundo effectus, ibi et confestim mundata est lepra eius. 685. Jesus does three things while curing. He extends his hand, when he lends help; put forth your hand from on high, take me out, and deliver me (Ps 143:7). Sometimes he extends his hand but does not touch; I have spread forth my hands all the day to an unbelieving people (Isa 65:2). Sometimes, he touches, and this is when he works a change, Lord, bow down your heavens and descend: touch the mountains, i.e., the proud, and they will smoke through remorse (Ps 143:5). 685. Christus tria facit curando. Extendit manum, quando auxilium impendit; Ps. CXLIII, v. 7: emitte manum tuam de alto, et eripe me. Aliquando extendit manum, sed non tangit; Is. LXV, 2: expandi manus meas tota die ad populum incredulum et cetera. Aliquando tangit; et hoc est quando immutat, ut in Ps. CXLIII, v. 5: tange montes, idest superbos, et fumigabunt, per compunctionem. But why did he touch the leper, since it was forbidden in the law? Sed quare tetigit, cum esset prohibitum in lege? He did this to show that he is above the law. It is written of Eliseus that he did not touch Naaman, but sent him to the Jordan. Hence this man who touches seems to break the law. But he did not break it in truth, because touching lepers was forbidden on account of infection. So since he could not be infected, he could touch. Similarly, he touched in order to show his humanity, because it is not enough for the sinner to be subject to God with respect to the divinity, but he must be subject also with respect to the humanity. Hoc fecit ut monstraret se esse supra legem.Legitur de Eliseo quod non tetigit Naaman, sed misit eum ad Iordanem. Unde iste qui tetigit, videtur solvere legem. Sed secundum veritatem non solvit, quia prohibitum fuit propter contagionem. Quia igitur infici non potuit, tangere potuit. Item tetigit, ut humanitatem monstraret; quia non sufficit peccatori subdi Deo quantum ad divinitatem, sed et quantum ad humanitatem. 686. I will it, be made clean. Jerome says that certain men explain this badly, for they would have it that mundare is in the infinitive mode. But this is not true, but rather because he had said, if you will it, he responded, I will it, and mundare is in the imperative mode. Hence he commands what he said, and it was done. 686. Volo, mundare. Hieronymus dicit, quod quidam male exponunt. Volunt enim quod ly mundare sit infiniti modi; sed hoc non est verum: immo quia dixerat, si vis, respondit, volo, et ly mundare est imperativi modi. Unde imperavit qui dixit, et facta sunt. Likewise, he touched that he might give a teaching about the power which is in the sacraments, because there is required not only touch, but words, because as Augustine says in his book On John: when the word approaches the element, the sacrament comes about. Item tetigit, ut daret doctrinam de virtute quae est in sacramentis, quia non solum requiritur tactus, sed verba: quia cum accedit verbum ad elementum, fit sacramentum. And by this he excludes three errors, when he touched. For he shows that the body is true, against the Manichees. When he says, I will it, he speaks against Apollinaris. By the words be made clean, he shows himself to be truly God, against Photinus. Et per hoc exclusit tres errores, quando tetigit. Ostendit enim corpus verum contra Manichaeos. Quod dicit volo, dicit contra Apollinarem. Per hoc quod est mundare, ostendit Deum verum contra Photinum. 687. And there follows the effect: and immediately his leprosy was cleansed, and he was cured. Chrysostom says that it happened faster than one can say the words be made clean, because these are said in time, but that happened in an instant. 687. Et sequitur effectus et confestim mundata est lepra eius, et curatus est. Chrysostomus dicit, quod citius quam posset dici hoc verbum, mundare: quia istud in tempore dicitur, illud vero in instanti.