---
title: "Catena Aurea: The Four Gospels"
author: "Thomas Aquinas"
translator: "John Henry Newman (ed.)"
languages: [en]
shelf: "Commentaries"
section: 49 of 394
url: https://scriptura.si/works/thomas-aquinas-catena-aurea-the-four-gospels/49/
cite: "Thomas Aquinas, tr. John Henry Newman (ed.), Catena Aurea: The Four Gospels, section 49. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/thomas-aquinas-catena-aurea-the-four-gospels/49/"
---

# Catena Aurea: The Four Gospels

*Thomas Aquinas, tr. John Henry Newman (ed.)*

The four Gospels read through chains of quotations from the Church Fathers.

## 49. Matthew 8 · 3 of 5

Source: https://scriptura.si/works/thomas-aquinas-catena-aurea-the-four-gospels/49/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/thomas-aquinas-catena-aurea-the-four-gospels/49/#p-N

[¶0] Rabanus: Or; The gnashing of teeth expresses the passion of remorse; repentance coming too late and self-accusation that he had sinned with such obstinate wickedness.

[¶1] Remigius: Otherwise; By "other darkness," He means foreign nations; for these words of the Lord are a historical prediction of the destruction of the Jews, that they were to be led into captivity for their unbelief, and to be scattered over the earth; for tears are usually caused by heat, gnashing of teeth by cold. "Weeping" then is ascribed to those who should be dispersed into the warmer climates of India and Ethiopia, "gnashing of teeth" to those who should dwell in the colder regions, as Hyrcania and Scythia.

[¶2] Chrysostom: But that none might suppose that these were nothing more than fair words, He makes them credible by the miracles following, "And Jesus said to the centurion, Go, and be it done to thee as thou hast believed."

[¶3] Rabanus: As though He had said, According to the measure of thy faith, so be thy grace. For the merit of the Lord may be communicated even to servants not only through the merit of their faith, but through their obedience to rule. It follows, "And his servant was healed in the self-same hour."

[¶4] Chrysostom: Wherein admire the speediness, shewing Christ’s power, not only to heal, but to do it in a moment of time.

[¶5] Aug., Serm., 62. 3: As the Lord did not enter the centurion’s house with His body, but healed the servant, present in majesty, but absent in body; so He went among the Jews only in the body, but among other nations He was neither born of a Virgin, nor suffered, nor endured human sufferings, nor did divine wonders; and yet was fulfilled that which was spoken, "A people that I have not known hath served me, and hath obeyed me by the hearing of the ear." [[Psa 18:43]] The Jews behold, yet crucified Him; the world heard, and believed.

[¶6] Ver. 14. And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever.15. And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.

[¶7] Anselm: Matthew having in the leper shewn the healing of the whole human race, and in the centurion’s servant that of the Gentiles, now figures the healing of the synagogue in Peter’s mother-in-law. He relates the case of the servant, first, because it was the greater miracle, and the grace was greater in the conversion of the Gentile; or because the synagogue should not be fully converted till the end of the age when the fulness of the Gentiles should have entered in. Peter’s house was in Bethsaida.

[¶8] Chrys., Hom. xxvii: Why did He enter into Peter’s house? I think to take food; for it follows, "And she arose, and ministered to them." For He abode with His disciples to do them honour, and to make them more zealous. Observe Peter’s reverence towards Christ; though his mother-in-law lay at home sick of a fever, yet he did not force Him thither at once, but waited till His teaching should be completed, and others healed. For from the beginning he was instructed to prefer others to himself. Wherefore he did not even bring Him thither, but Christ went in of Himself; purposing, because the centurion had said, "I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof," to shew what He granted to a disciple. And He did not scorn to enter the humble hut of a fisherman, instructing us in every thing to trample upon human pride. Sometimes He heals by a word, sometimes He reaches forth His hand; as here, "He touched her hand, and the fever left her."

[¶9] For He would not always work miracles with display of surpassing power, but would sometimes be hid. By touching her body He not only banished the fever, but restored her to perfect health. Because her sickness was such as art could cure, He shewed his power to heal, in doing what medicine could not do, giving her back perfect health and strength at once; which is intimated in what the Evangelist adds, "And she arose, and ministered to them."

[¶10] Jerome: For naturally the greatest weakness follows fever, and the evils of sickness begin to be felt as the patient begins to recover; but that health which is given by the Lord’s power is complete at once.

[¶11] Gloss., non occ.: And it is not enough that she is cured, but strength is given her besides, for "she arose and ministered unto them."

[¶12] Chrysostom: This, "she arose and ministered unto them," shews at once the Lord’s power, and the woman’s feeling towards Christ.

[¶13] Bede: Figuratively, Peter’s house is the Law, or the circumcision, his mother-in-law the synagogue, which is at it were the mother of the Church committed to Peter. She is in a fever, that is, she is sick of zealous hate, and persecutes the Church. The Lord touches her hand, when He turns her carnal works to spiritual uses.

[¶14] Remigius: Or by Peter’s mother-in-law may be understood the Law, which according to the Apostle was made weak through the flesh, i.e. the carnal understanding. But when the Lord through the mystery of the Incarnation appeared visibly in the synagogue, and fulfilled the Law in action, and taught that it was to be understood spiritually; straightway it thus allied with the grace of the Gospel received such strength, that what had been the minister of death and punishment, because the minister of life and glory.

[¶15] Rabanus: Or, every soul that struggles with fleshly lusts is sick of a fever, but touched with the hand of Divine mercy, it recovers health, and restrains the concupiscence of the flesh by the bridle of continence, and with those limbs with which it had served uncleanness, it now ministers to righteousness.

[¶16] Hilary: Or; In Peter’s wife’s mother is shewn the sickly condition of infidelity, to which freedom of will is near akin, being united by the bonds as it were of wedlock. By the Lord’s entrance into Peter’s house, that is into the body, unbelief is cured, which was before sick of the fever of sin, and ministers in duties of righteousness to the Saviour.

[¶17] Aug., De Cons. Evan., ii, 21: When this miracle was done, that is, after what, or before what, Matthew has not said. For we need not understand that it took place just after that which it follows in the relation; he may be returning here to what he had omitted above. For Mark relates this after the cleansing of the leper, which should seem to follow the sermon on the mount, concerning which Mark is silent. Luke also follows the same order in relating this concerning Peter’s mother-in-law as Mark; also inserting it before that long sermon which seems to be the same with Matthew’s sermon on the mount.

[¶18] But what matters it in what order the events are told, whether something omitted before is brought in after, or what was done after is told earlier, so long as in the same story he does not contradict either another or himself? For as it is in no man’s power to choose in what order he shall recollect the things he has once known, it is likely enough that each of the Evangelists thought himself obliged to relate all in that order in which it pleased God to bring to his memory the various events. Therefore when the order of time is not clear, it cannot import to us what order of relation any one of them may have followed.

[¶19] Ver.16. When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:17. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

[¶20] Chrysostom: Because the multitude of believers was now very great, they would not depart from Christ, though time pressed; but in the evening they bring unto Him the sick. "When it was evening, they brought unto him many that had daemons."

[¶21] Aug., De Cons. Evan., ii, 22: The words, "Now when it was evening," shew that the evening of the same day is meant. This would not have been implied, had it been only "when it was evening."

[¶22] Remigius: Christ the Son of God, the Author of human salvation, the fount and source of all goodness, furnished heavenly medicine, "He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all that were sick." Daemons and diseases He sent away with a word, that by these signs, and mighty works, He might shew that He was come for the salvation of the human race.

[¶23] Chrysostom: Observe how great a multitude of cured the Evangelist here runs through, not relating the case of each, but in one word introducing an innumerable flood of miracles. That the greatness of the miracle should not raise unbelief that so many people and so various diseases could be healed in so short a space, he brings forward the Prophet to bear witness to the things that were done, "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the Prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities."

[¶24] Rabanus: "Took" them not that He should have them Himself, but that He should take them away from us; "and bare our sicknesses," in that what we were too weak to bear, He should bear for us.

[¶25] Remigius: He took the infirmity of human nature so as to make us strong who had before been weak.

[¶26] Hilary: And by the passion of His body, according to the words of the Prophet, He absorbed all the infirmities of human weakness.

[¶27] Chrysostom: The Prophet seems to have meant this of sins; how then does the Evangelist explain it of bodily diseases? It should be understood, that either he cites the text literally, or he intends to inculcate that most of our bodily diseases have their origin in sins of the soul; for death itself has its root in sin.

[¶28] Jerome: It should be noted, that all the sick were healed not in the morning nor at noon, but rather about sunset; as a corn of wheat dies in the ground that it may bring forth much fruit.

[¶29] Rabanus: Sunset shadows forth the passion and death of Him Who said, "While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." [[Joh 9:5]] Who while He lived temporally in the flesh, taught only a few of the Jews; but having trodden under foot the kingdom of death, promised the gifts of faith to all the Gentiles throughout the world.

[¶30] Ver. 18. Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.19. And a certain Scribe came, and said unto him, "Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest."20. And Jesus saith unto him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head."21. And another of his disciples said unto him, "Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father."22. But Jesus said unto him, "Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead."

[¶31] Chrysostom: Because Christ not only healed the body, but purified the soul also, He desired to shew forth true wisdom, not only by curing diseases, but by doing nothing with ostentation; and therefore it is said, "Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he commanded his disciples to cross over to the other side." This He did at once teaching us to be lowly, softening the ill-will of the Jews, and teaching us to do nothing with ostentation.

[¶32] Remigius: Or; He did this as one desiring to shun the thronging of the multitude. But they hung upon Him in admiration, crowding to see Him. For who would depart from one who did such miracles? Who would not wish to look upon His open face, to see His mouth that spoke such things? For if Moses’ countenance was made glorious, and Stephen’s as that of an Angel, gather from this how it was to have been supposed that their common Lord must have then appeared; of whom the Prophet speaks, "Thy form is fair above the sons of men." [[Psa 45:2]]

[¶33] Hilary: The name "disciples" is not to be supposed to be confined to the twelve Apostles; for we read of many disciples besides the twelve.

[¶34] Augustine: It is clear that this day on which they went over the lake was another day, and not that which followed the one on which Peter’s mother-in-law was healed, on which day Mark and Luke relate that He went out into the desert.

[¶35] Chrysostom: Observe that He does not dismiss the multitudes, that He may not offend them. He did say to them, Depart ye, but bade His disciples go away from thence, thus the crowds might hope to be able to follow.

[¶36] Remigius: What happened between the command of the Lord given, and their crossing over, the Evangelist purposes to relate in what follows: "And one of the Scribes came to him and said, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest."

[¶37] Jerome: This Scribe of the Law who knew but the perishing letter, would not have been turned away had his address been, ’Lord, I will follow Thee.’ But because he esteemed the Saviour only as one of many masters, and was a ’man of the letter’ [Source note: margin note: literator] (which is better expressed in Greek, ) not a spiritual hearer, therefore he had no place where Jesus might lay His head. It is suggested to us that he sought to follow the Lord, because of His great miracles, for the sake of the gain to be derived from them; and was therefore rejected; seeking the same thing as did Simon Magus when he would have given Peter money.

[¶38] Chrysostom: Observe also how great his pride; approaching and speaking as though he disdained to be considered as one of the multitude; desiring to shew that he was above the rest.

[¶39] Hilary: Otherwise; This Scribe being one of the doctors of the Law, asks if he shall follow Him, as though it were not contained in the Law that this is He whom it were gain to follow. Therefore He discovers the feeling of unbelief under the diffidence of his enquiry. For the taking up of the faith is not by question but by following.

[¶40] Chrysostom: So Christ answers him not so much to what he had said, but to the obvious purpose of his mind. "Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head;" as though He had said;

[¶41] Jerome: . . Why do you seek to follow Me for the sake of the riches and gain of this world, when My poverty is such that I have neither lodging nor home of My own?

[¶42] Chrysostom: This was not to send him away, but rather to convict him of evil intentions; at the same time permitting him if he would to follow Christ with the expectation of poverty.

[¶43] Aug., Serm., 100, 1: Otherwise; "The Son of man hath not where to lay his head;" that is, in your faith. "The foxes have hole," in your heart, because you are deceitful. "The birds of the air have nests," in your heart, because you are proud. Deceitful and proud follow Me not; for how should guile follow sincerity?

[¶44] Greg., Mor., xix. 1: Otherwise; The fox is a crafty animal, lying hid in ditches and dens, and when it comes abroad never going in a straight path, but in crooked windings; birds raise themselves in the air. By the foxes then are meant the subtle and deceitful daemons, by the birds the proud daemons; as though He had said; Deceitful and proud daemons have their abode in your heart; but my lowliness finds no rest in a proud spirit.