Commentary on Matthew, Tomus XVI
Zebedee’s mother asks for right and left seats§1
1On the request of the mother of Zebedee’s sons. The mother of the sons whom the Savior named Boanerges asked that one sit on his right and one on his left in his kingdom. To those who cannot search depths the petition looks simple; to deeper hearers Jesus’ answer also shows greatness. As in worldly kingship those seated with the king are honored, so the two apostles — still imperfect about Christ’s kingdom — supposed. But Jesus says: You do not know what you are asking and it is not mine to give, but for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.
Greek · §1
Περὶ τῆς αἰτήσεως τῆς μητρὸς τῶν υἱῶν Ζεβεδαίου. Προσελθοῦσα ἡ μήτηρ τῶν υἱῶν Ζεβεδαίου (οὓς Βοανεργὲς ἐκάλεσεν ὁ Σωτήρ) ᾐτεῖτο ἵνα εἷς ἐκ δεξιῶν καὶ εἷς ἐξ εὐωνύμων καθίσῃ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ. Τοῖς μὲν μὴ δυναμένοις βάθη ζητεῖν ἀπλότης δοκεῖ ἡ αἴτησις· τοῖς δὲ βαθυτέροις καὶ ἡ ἀπόκρισις τοῦ Ἰησοῦ μέγα τι ἐμφαίνει. Ὥσπερ ἐπὶ κοσμικῆς βασιλείας τιμῶνται οἱ συγκαθεζόμενοι τῷ βασιλεῖ, οὕτως ὑπέλαβον καὶ οἱ δύο ἀπόστολοι ἔτι ἀτελεῖς ὄντες περὶ τῆς βασιλείας Χριστοῦ. Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς φησίν· «Οὐκ οἴδατε τί αἰτεῖσθε» καὶ «Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὸν δοῦναι, ἀλλ’ οἷς ἡτοίμασται ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρός μου.»
What sitting at right and left means in Scripture§2
2Ask what sitting at Jesus’ right or left in the kingdom means. Gather the seats of God or Christ written elsewhere: Micaiah saw the Lord seated on his throne; Isaiah saw the Lord seated on a high throne; Daniel until thrones were set and the Ancient of Days sat; the Psalm Sit at my right hand; and the Gospels when the Son of Man sits on the throne of his glory. Perhaps the right are the intelligible unseen works, the left the visible and bodily — yet Christ reigns over all. Glory to Christ. Amen.
Greek · §2
Ζητητέον τί βούλεται τὸ καθέζεσθαι ἐκ δεξιῶν ἢ ἐξ εὐωνύμων Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ. Συνακτέον τὰ περὶ καθέδρας Θεοῦ ἢ Χριστοῦ γεγραμμένα· ἐν Βασιλείαις εἶδεν Μιχαίας τὸν Κύριον καθήμενον ἐπὶ θρόνου· παρὰ Ἠσαΐᾳ «εἶδον τὸν Κύριον καθήμενον ἐπὶ θρόνου ὑψηλοῦ»· ἐν Δανιὴλ «ἕως οὗ θρόνοι ἐτέθησαν, καὶ παλαιὸς ἡμερῶν ἐκάθισεν»· ἐν ψαλμῷ «Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου»· καὶ ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις «ὅταν καθίσῃ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ θρόνου δόξης αὐτοῦ.» Ἴσως τὰ δεξιὰ τὰ νοητὰ καὶ ἀόρατα δημιουργήματα, τὰ δὲ ἀριστερὰ τὰ ὁρατὰ καὶ σωματικά· Χριστὸς δὲ πάντων βασιλεύει. Δόξα Χριστῷ. Ἀμήν.
Fig tree and asking for the great things§3
3On the withered fig tree. Mark adds that seeing leaves from afar he came seeking fruit — it was not fig season — and said may no one ever eat fruit from you again. The fruit of the Spirit is sometimes given in its own season; better still if, when circumstances push the other way, one still bears fruit because the Word has so helped. Jesus told the disciples: ask for the great things and the small will be added; ask for the heavenly and the earthly will be added.
Greek · §3
Περὶ τῆς ξηρανθείσης συκῆς. Ὁ Μάρκος προστίθησιν ὅτι μακρόθεν ἰδὼν συκῆν ἔχουσαν φύλλα ἦλθεν εἰ ἄρα τι εὑρήσει ἐν αὐτῇ· καὶ μηδὲν εὑρὼν εἰ μὴ φύλλα μόνον (οὐ γὰρ ἦν καιρὸς σύκων) εἶπεν· «Μηκέτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἐκ σοῦ μηδεὶς καρπὸν φάγῃ.» Οἱ τοῦ πνεύματος καρποὶ — ἀγάπη, χαρά, εἰρήνη, μακροθυμία, χρηστότης, ἀγαθωσύνη, πίστις, πραΰτης, ἐγκράτεια — ποτὲ μὲν ἐν οἰκείοις ἀποδίδονται καιροῖς· βέλτιον δὲ εἰ καίπερ τῶν περιστάσεων ἐπὶ τοὐναντίον τῇ καρποφορίᾳ προκαλουμένων δυνηθείη τις διὰ τὸ πάνυ ὠφελεῖσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ λόγου οὐδὲν ἧττον καὶ τότε φέρειν τοὺς καρπούς. Εἶπε δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοῖς μαθηταῖς· «Αἰτεῖτε τὰ μεγάλα, καὶ τὰ μικρὰ προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν· καὶ αἰτεῖτε τὰ ἐπουράνια, καὶ τὰ ἐπίγεια προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν.»
Temple cleansing and the question of authority§4
4After the entry and the casting out of sellers from the temple, the chief priests ask by what authority. He counters with John’s baptism and exposes those unwilling to say whether it was from heaven or from humans. So the Word’s authority is plain to fruit-bearers and hidden to leaf-only trees. Glory to Christ. Amen.
Greek · §4
Μετὰ τὴν εἴσοδον εἰς τὴν πόλιν καὶ τὴν ἐκβολὴν τῶν πωλούντων ἐκ τοῦ ἱεροῦ ζητοῦσιν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιεῖ. Ὁ δὲ ἀντερωτᾷ περὶ τοῦ βαπτίσματος Ἰωάννου, καὶ ἐλέγχει τὴν ὑπόκρισιν τῶν μὴ θελόντων εἰπεῖν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἢ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων. Οὕτως ἡ ἐξουσία τοῦ Λόγου φανερὰ γίνεται τοῖς καρποφοροῦσιν, κρύπτεται δὲ τοῖς φύλλα μόνον ἔχουσιν. Δόξα Χριστῷ. Ἀμήν.