Jerome: Some think that the faith that is compared to a grain of mustard-seed is a little faith, whereas the Apostle says, "If I shall have such faith that I could remove mountains." [[1Co 13:13]] The faith therefore which is compared to a grain of mustard-seed is a great faith.
Greg., Mor., pref. c. 2: The mustard-seed, unless it be bruised, does not give out its qualities, so if persecution fall upon a holy man, straightway what had seemed weak and contemptible in him is roused into the heat and fervour of virtue.
Origen: Or, all faith is likened to a grain of mustard-seed, because faith is looked on with contempt by men, and shews as something poor and mean; but when a seed of this kind lights upon a good heart as its soil, it becomes a great tree. The weakness of this lunatic’s faith is yet so great, and Christ is so strong to heal him amidst all his evils, that He likens it to a mountain which cannot be cast out but by the whole faith of him who desires to heal afflictions of this sort.
Chrysostom: So He not only promises the removal of mountains, but goes beyond, saying, "And nothing shall be impossible to you."
Rabanus: For faith gives our minds such a capacity for the heavenly gifts, that whatsoever we will we may easily obtain from a faithful Master.
Chrysostom: If you shall ask, Where did the Apostles remove mountains! I answer, that they did greater things, bringing many dead to life. It is told also of some saints, who came after the Apostles, that they have in urgent necessity removed mountains. [Source note: ed. note: St. Augustine says, that he had never read or heard of a mountain being transported into the sea by faith. Sp. et lit. n. 62. St. Chrysostom appears to refer to the occurrence recorded in the history of Gregory of Neo-Caesarea, called Thaumaturgus, A.D. 260, whose miracles are reported to us by his namesake of Nyssa. Nyssen, however, speaks only of his moving a stone, (vol. ii. p. 982.) Pope Gregory, Dial. i. 7. calls it a rock, or even a mountain. He mentions it while relating the like miracle in the history of St. Benedict. In volcanic countries, changes in mountains and rivers occur even from natural causes, much more might prayer cause them. But St. Augustine’s remark shews that there is very little evidence for the fact.]
But if mountains were not removed in the Apostles’ time, this was not because they could not, but because they would not, there being no pressing occasion. And the Lord said not that they should do this thing, but that they should have power to do it.
Yet it is likely that they did do this, but that it is not written, for indeed not all the miracles that they wrought are written.
Jerome: Or; the mountain is not said of that which we see with the eyes of the body, but signified that spirit which was removed by the Lord out of the lunatic, who is said by the Prophet to be the corrupter of the whole earth
Gloss. interlin.: So that the sense then is, "Ye shall say to this mountain," that is to the proud devil, "Remove hence," that is from the possessed body into the sea, that is into the depths of hell, "and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible to you," that is, no sickness shall be incurable."
Augustine: Otherwise; That the disciples in working their miracles should not be lifted up with pride, they are warned rather by the humbleness of their faith, as by a grain of mustard-seed, to take care that they remove all pride of earth, which is signified by the mountain in this place.
Rabanus: But while He teaches the Apostles how the daemon ought to be cast out, He instructs all in regulation of life; that we may all know that all the heavier afflictions, whether of unclean spirits, or temptations of men, may be removed by fasts and prayers; and that the wrath also of the Lord may be appeased by this remedy alone; whence he adds, "Howbeit this kind is not cast out but by prayer and fasting."
Chrysostom: And this He says not of lunatics in particular, but of the whole class of daemons. For fast endues with great wisdom, makes a man as an Angel from heaven, and beats down the unseen powers of evil. But there is need of prayer as even still more important. And who prays as he ought, and fasts, had need of little more, and so is not covetous, but ready to almsgiving. For he who fasts, is light and active, and prays wakefully, and quenches his evil lusts, makes God propitious, and humbles his proud stomach. And he who prays with his fasting, has two wings, lighter than the winds themselves. For he is not heavy and wandering in his prayers, (as is the case with many,) but his zeal is as the warmth of fire, and his constancy as the firmness of the earth. Such an one is most able to contend with daemons, for there is nothing more powerful than a man who prays properly.
But if your health be too weak for strict fast, yet is it not for prayer, and if you cannot fast, you can abstain from indulgences. And this is not a little, and not very different from fast.
Origen: If then we shall ever be required to be employed in the healing of those who are suffering any thing of this sort, we shall not adjure them, nor ask them questions, nor even speak, as though the unclean spirit could hear us, but by our fasting and our prayers drive away the evil spirits.
Gloss. ord.: Or; This class of daemons, that is the variety of carnal pleasures, is not overcome unless the spirit be strengthened by prayer, and the flesh enfeebled by fast.
Remigius: Or, fasting is here understood generally as abstinence not from food only, but from all carnal allurements, and sinful passions. In like manner prayer is to be understood in general as consisting in pious and good acts, concerning which the Apostle speaks, "Pray without ceasing." [[1Th 5:5]]
Ver. 22. And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, "The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men.23. And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again." And they were exceeding sorry.
Remigius: The Lord often foretold to His disciples the mysteries of His passion, in order that when they come to pass, they might be the lighter to them from having been known beforehand.
Origen: This seems to be so like a warning He had given above, that a man might easily say that the Lord now repeated what He had said before; yet is it not so; He had not before said that He must be betrayed, but we hear now not only that He must be betrayed, but that He must be "betrayed into the hands of men." The Son of Man indeed was "delivered up" by God the Father according to the Apostle, [[Rom 8:32]] but different powers gave him up into the hands of men.
Jerome: Thus does He ever mix the joyful and the grievous; if it grieves them that He is to be put to death, they ought to be gladdened when they hear, "And shall rise again, the third day."
Chrysostom: For this is no long time that He speaks of continuing in death, when He says that He shall rise again on the third day.
Origen: By this announcement of the Lord the disciples were made very sorrowful, not attending to that He said, "And shall rise again the third day," nor considering what He must be to whom the space of three days was enough to destroy death.
Jerome: That they were thus made exceeding sorrowful, came not of their lack of faith; but out of their love of their Master they could not endure to hear of any hurt or indignity for Him.
Ver 24. And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, "Doth not your master pay tribute?"25. He saith, "Yes." And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, "What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?"26. Peter saith unto him, "Of strangers." Jesus saith unto him, "Then are the children free.27. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee."
Gloss., non occ.: The disciples were exceeding sorrowful when they heard of the Lord’s passion, and therefore that none might ascribe His suffering to compulsion, and not to a voluntary submission, he adds an incident which instances Christ’s power, and His submission; "And when they were come to Capernaum, there came to Peter those who received the didrachma, and said unto him, Doth not your Master pay the didrachma?"
Hilary: The Lord is called upon to pay the didrachma, (that is, two denarii,) for this the Law had enjoined upon all Israel for the redemption of their body and soul, and the use of those that served in the temple.
Chrysostom: For when God slew the firstborn of Egypt, He then accepted the tribe of Levi for them. [[Numb 3:44]] But because the numbers of this tribe were less than the number of firstborn among the Jews, it was ordained that redemption money should be paid for the number that came short; and thence sprang the custom of paying this tax.
Because then Christ was a firstborn son, and Peter seemed to be the first among the disciples, they came to him. And as it seems to me this was not demanded in every district, they come to Christ in Capernaum, because that was considered His native place.
Jerome: Or otherwise; From the time of Augustus Caesar Judaea was made tributary, and all the inhabitants were registered, as Joseph with Mary his kinswoman gave in His name at Bethlehem. Again, because the Lord was brought up at Nazareth, which is a town of Galilee subject to Capernaum, it is there that the tribute is asked of Him; but for that His miracles were so great, those who collected it did not dare to ask Himself, but make up to the disciple.
Chrysostom: And him they address not with boldness, but courteously; for they do not arraign, but ask a question, "Doth not your Master pay the didrachma?"
Jerome: Or, They enquire with malicious purpose whether He pays tribute, or resists Caesar’s will.
Chrysostom: What then does Peter say? "He saith, Yea." To these then he said that He did pay, but to Christ he said not so, blushing perhaps to speak of such matters.
Gloss., ap Anselm: Otherwise; Peter answered, Yea; meaning, yea, He does not pay. And Peter sought to acquaint the Lord that the Herodians had demanded tribute, but the Lord prevented him; as it follows, "And when he had entered into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, Of whom do the kings of the earth receive custom or tribute," (i. e. head- money,) "of their children, or of strangers?"
Jerome: Before any hint from Peter, the Lord puts the question to him, that His disciples might not be offended at the demand of tribute, when they see that He knows even those things that are done in His absence.
It follows, "But he said, From strangers; Jesus said unto him, Then are the children free."
Origen: This speech has a twofold meaning. First, that the children of the kings of the earth are free with the kings of the earth; but strangers, foreigners in the land, are not free, because of those that oppress them, as the Egyptians did the children of Israel.
The second sense is; forasmuch as there be some who are strangers to the sons of the kings of the earth, and are yet sons of God, therefore it is they that abide in the words of Jesus; these are free, for they have known the truth, and the truth has set them free from the service of sin: but the sons of the kings of the earth are not free; for "whoso doth sin, he is the servant of sin." [[Joh 8:34]]
Jerome: But our Lord was the son of the king, both according to the flesh, and according to the Spirit; whether as sprung of the seed of David, or as the Word of the Almighty Father; therefore as the king’s son He owed no tribute.
Aug., Quaest. Ev., i, 23: For, saith He, in every kingdom the children are free, that is, not under tax. Much more therefore should they be free in any earthly kingdom, who are children of that very kingdom under which are all the kingdoms of the earth.
Chrysostom: But this instance were brought to no purpose if He were not a son. But some one may say, He is son indeed, but not an own son. But then He were a stranger; and so this instance would not apply; for He speaks only of own sons, distinct from whom He calls them strangers who are actually born of parents. Mark how here also Christ certifies that relationship which was revealed to Peter from God, "Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jerome: Howsoever free then He was, yet seeing He had taken to Him lowliness of the flesh, He ought to fulfil all righteousness; whence it follows, "But that they should not be offended, go to the sea."
Origen: We may hence gather as a consequence of this, that when any come with justice demanding our earthly goods, it is the kings of the earth that send them, to claim of us what is their own; and by His own example the Lord forbids any offence to be given even to these, whether that they should sin no more, or that they should be saved. For the Son of God, who did no servile work, yet as having the form of a slave, which He took on Him for man’s sake, gave custom and tribute.
Jerome: I am at a loss what first to admire in this passage; whether the foreknowledge, or the mighty power of the Saviour. His foreknowledge, in that He knew that a fish had a stater in its mouth, and that that fish should be the first taken; His mighty power, if the stater were created in the fish’s mouth at His word, and if by His command that which was to happen was ordered. Christ then, for His eminent love, endured the cross, and paid tribute; how wretched we who are called by the name of Christ, though we do nothing worthy of so great dignity, yet in respect of His majesty, pay no tribute, but are exempt from tax as the King’s sons. But even in its literal import it edifies the hearer to learn, that so great was the Lord’s poverty, that He had not whence to pay the tribute for Himself and His Apostle. Should any object that Judas bore money in a bag, we shall answer, Jesus held it a fraud to divert that which was the poor’s to His own use, and left us an example therein.
Chrysostom: Or He does not direct it to be paid out of that they had at hand, that He might shew that He was Lord also of the sea and the fish.