But nevertheless, since the Lord was not first to shew Himself there, but sent word that He was to be seen in Galilee, where He was seen subsequently, it makes every faithful Christian on the look out, to find out in what mysterious sense it may be understood.
Gregory: For Galilee mean ’a passing over’ [transmigratio]; for our Redeemer had already passed from His Passion to His Resurrection, from death unto life, and we shall have joy in seeing the glory of His Resurrection, if only we pass over from vice to the heights of virtue. He then who is announced at the tomb, is shewn in ’passing over,’ because He who is first known in mortification of the flesh, is seen in this passing over of the soul.
Pseudo-Jerome: This sentence is but short in the number of syllables, but the promise is vast in its greatness. Here is the fountain of our joy, and the source of everlasting life is prepared. Here all that are scattered are brought together, and the contrite hearts are healed. There, he says, ye shall see Him, but not as ye have seen Him.
Augustine: It is also signified that the grace of Christ is about to pass over from the people of Israel to the Gentiles, by whom the Apostles would never have been received when they preached, if the Lord had not gone before them and prepared a way in their hearts; and this is what is meant by, "He goeth before you into Galilee, there shall ye see Him," that is, there shall ye find His members.
There follows: "And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre, for they trembled and were amazed."
Theophylact: That is, they trembled because of the vision of Angels, and were amazed because of the Resurrection.
Severianus, Chrysologus: The Angel sits on the sepulchre, the women fly from it; he, on account of his heavenly substance, is confident, that are troubled because of their earthly frame. He who cannot die, cannot fear the tomb, but the women both fear from what was then done, and still, as being mortals, fear the sepulchre as mortals are wont.
Pseudo-Jerome: This also is spoken of the life to come, in which grief and groaning will flee away. For the women prefigure before the Resurrection all that is to happen to them after the Resurrection, namely, they flee away from death and fear. There follows: "Neither said they any thing to any man, for they were afraid."
Theophylact: Either on account of the Jews, or else they said nothing because the fear of the vision prevented them.
Augustine, de Con. Evan., iii, 24: We may however enquire how Mark can say this, when Matthew says, "they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy, and did run to bring His disciples word," [[Mat 28:8]] unless we understand it to mean, that they did not dare to say a word to any of the Angels themselves, that is, to answer the words which they had spoken to them; or else to the guards whom they saw lying there; for that joy of which Matthew speaks is not inconsistent with the fear which Mark mentions. For we ought to have understood that both feelings were in their minds, even though Matthew had not mentioned the fear. But since he has also said that they came out with fear and great joy, he does not allow room for any question to be raised.
Severianus, Chrysologus: It is said also in a marked manner, that they said nothing to any one, because it is the part of women to hear, and not to speak, to learn, not to teach.
Ver. 9. Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils.10. And she went and told them that had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.11. And they, when they had heard that He was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.12. After that He appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.13. And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.
Augustine, de Con. Evan., iii, 25: Now we must consider how the Lord appeared after the Resurrection. For Mark says, "Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils."
Bede: John tells us most fully how and when this appearance took place. But the Lord rose in the morning from the sepulchre in which He had been laid in the evening, that those words of the Psalm might be fulfilled, "Heaviness may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." [[Psa 29:6]]
Theophyact: Or else put a stop at, "Now when Jesus was risen," and then read, "early the first day of the week He appeared," etc.
Gregory: For as Samson at midnight not only left Gaza, but also carried away the gates of it, so also our Redeemer rising before the light, did not only come out free from hell, but destroyed also the very gates of hell. [Hom. in Evan., 33] But Mark here testifies that seven devils were cast out of Mary; and what is meant by "seven devils" save all vices? for as by seven days is understood all time, so by the number seven a whole is fitly figured.
Theophylact: But Mary had seven devils, because she was filled with all vices. Or else, by seven devils are meant seven spirits contrary to the seven virtues, as a spirit without fear, without wisdom, without understanding, and whatsoever else is opposed to the gifts of the Holy Ghost.
Pseudo-Jerome: Again, He is shewn to her, out of whom He had cast seven devils, because harlots and publicans shall go before the synagogue into the kingdom of heaven, as the thief reached it before the Apostles.
Bede: In the beginning also woman brought man into sin, now she, who first tasted death, first sees the Resurrection, lest she should have to bear the reproach of perpetual guilt amongst men; and she who had been the channel of guilt to man, now has become the first channel of grace.
For it goes on: "And she went and told them that had been with Him as they mourned and wept."
Pseudo-Jerome: They mourn and weep because they had not yet seen, but after a short time they shall receive a consolation. For blessed are they that weep now, for they shall be comforted.
Bede: Fitly too is this woman, who was the first to announce the joy of our Lord’s Resurrection, said to have been cured of seven devils, lest any one worthily repenting of his sins should despair of pardon for what he had done, and that is might be shewn that "where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." [[Rom 5:20]]
Severianus, Chrysologus: Mary brings the news, not now as a woman, but in the person of the Church, so that, as above woman was silent, here as the Church she might bring tidings and speak.
There follows: "And they when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, believed not."
Gregory: That the disciples were slow in believing our Lord’s Resurrection was not so much a weakness of theirs as it is our strength. For the Resurrection itself through their doubts was manifested by many proofs; and whilst we read and acknowledge them, what do we but become firmer through their doubting?
There follows: "After this He appeared in another form unto two of them as they walked and went to a farm house."
Augustine: Luke relates the whole story respecting these two, one of whom was Cleophas, but Mark here touches but slightly upon it. That village of which Luke speaks may without absurdity be supposed to be what is here called a farm house, and indeed in some Greek manuscripts it is called, the country. But by this name are understood not only villages, but also boroughs and country towns, because they are without the city, which is the head and mother of all the rest.
That which Mark expresses by the Lord’s appearance "in another form," is what Luke means by saying that "their eye were holden that they could not know Him." For something was upon their eyes, which was allowed to remain there, until the breaking of bread.
Severianus, Chrysologus: But let no one suppose that Christ changed the form of His face by His Resurrection, but the form is changed when of mortal it becomes immortal, so that this means that He gained a glorious countenance, not that He lost the substance of His countenance. But He was seen of two; because faith in the Resurrection is to be preached and shewn to two people, that is, the Gentiles and the Jews.
There follows: "And they went and told it unto the residue, neither believed they them."
How are we to understand the words of Mark compared with the account of Luke, that they then said, "The Lord hath risen indeed, and hath appeared unto Simon," [[Luk 24:34]] if we do not suppose that there were some there who would not believe?
Theophylact: For he does not say this of the eleven, but of some others, whom He calls the residue.
Pseudo-Jerome: But in a mystic sense we may understand that faith here labours, leading the active life, but there it reigns secure in the contemplative vision. Here we see His face through a glass, there we shall see the truth face to face, wherefore He was shewn to them as they were walking, that is, labouring, in another form. And when it was told, the disciples did not believe, because they saw, like Moses, that which was not enough for them, for he said, "Shew me Thyself;" [[Exo 33:18]] forgetting his flesh, he prays in this life for that which we hope for in the life to come.
Ver. 14. Afterward He appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen Him after He was risen.15. And He said unto them, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature."16. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believed not shall be damned."17. "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;"18. "They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
Gloss: Mark, when about to finish his Gospel, relates the last appearance of our Lord to His disciples after His Resurrection, saying, "For the last time He appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat."
Gregory: We should observe that Luke says in the Acts, "As He was eating with them [convescens] He commanded that they should not depart from Jerusalem," [[Act 1:4]] and shortly afterwards, "while they beheld He was taken up." [[Act 1:9]] For He ate, and then ascended, that by the act of eating, the truth of the flesh might be declared.
Wherefore it is also here said that "He appeared to them for the last time as they sat at meat."
Pseudo-Jerome: But He appeared when all the eleven were together, that all might be witnesses, and relate to all men what they had seen and heard in common.
It goes on: "And upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them who had seen Him after His Resurrection."
Augustine: But how was this done "the last time?" The last occasion on which the Apostles saw the Lord upon earth happened forty days after the Resurrection; but would He then have upbraided them for not believing those who had seen Him risen, when they themselves had so often seen Him after His Resurrection? It remains therefore that we should understand that Mark wished to say it in few words, and said "for the last time," because it was the last time that He shewed Himself that day, as night was coming on, when the disciples returned from the country into Jerusalem, and found, as Luke says, [[Luk 24:33]] the eleven and those who were with them, speaking together concerning the Resurrection of our Lord.
But there were some there who did not believe; when these then were sitting at meat, (as Mark says,) and were still speaking, (as Luke relates,) "The Lord stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you;" [[Luk 24:36]] as Luke and John [[Joh 20:19]] say. The rebuke therefore which Mark here mentions must have been amongst those words, which Luke and John say, that the Lord at that time spoke to the disciples. But another question is raised, how Mark says that He appeared when the eleven sat at meat, if the time was the first part of the night on the Lord’s day, when John plainly says that Thomas was not with them, who, we believe, had gone out, before the Lord came in to them, after those two had returned from the village, and spoken with the eleven, as we find in Luke’s Gospel. But Luke in his relation leaves room for supposing that Thomas went out first, while they spoke these things, and that the Lord entered afterwards; Mark however from his saying, "for the last time He appeared to the eleven as they sat at meat," forces us to believe that he was there, unless indeed, though one of them was absent, he chose to call them, the eleven, because the company of the Apostles was then called by this number, before Matthias was chosen into the place of Judas.
Or if this be a harsh way of understanding it, let us understand that it means that after many appearances, He shewed Himself for the last time, that is, on the fortieth day, to the Apostles, as they sat at meat, and that since He was about to ascend from them, He rather wished on that day to reprove them for not having believed those who had seen Him risen before seeing Him themselves, because after His ascension even the Gentiles on their preaching were to believe a Gospel, which they had not seen.
And so the same Mark immediately after that rebuke says, "And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." And lower down, "He that believeth not shall be condemned." Since then they were to preach this, were not they themselves to be first rebuked, because before they saw the Lord they had not believed those to whom He had first appeared?
Gregory: Another reason also why our Lord rebuked His disciples, when He left them as to His bodily presence, was, that the words which He spoke on leaving them might remain more deeply impressed upon the hearts of His hearers.
Pseudo-Jerome: But He rebukes their want of faith, that faith might take its place; He rebukes the hardness of their stony heart, that the fleshy heart, full of love, might take its place.