CHAPTER 20 _The kingdom of heaven is like._ That is, God acts in the kingdom of Heaven like a master hiring labourers into his vineyard; for strictly speaking, the kingdom of Heaven is not like the householder himself, but like his house and family. Christ's purpose is by means of this parable to p... [ Continue Reading ]
_When he had agreed with the labourers._ Jovian and Calvin have asserted that all the just are equal in reward, _i.e._, in the denarius of eternal life, and that therefore they are equal in merit, and all good works are equal. But I have already answered that all are equal generally in eternal life;... [ Continue Reading ]
_But He answered_, &c. An evil eye is an envious eye. The sense is, Since I have bestowed a favour of grace on those who came at the eleventh hour by giving them a denarius, I have done thee no wrong. The Master might have made answer to the murmurer, Those who came at the eleventh hour worked with... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Jesus going up_, &c. This was the last journey of Christ to Jerusalem. From S. John 11:54., &c., it is clear that after raising Lazarus He had departed to the city of Ephraim, to escape the hatred of the Pharisees, and now from that city on the approach of that Passover, when He was put to deat... [ Continue Reading ]
_We go up_. That is, because Jerusalem, and especially the temple were on Mount Sion. Again, _we go up_, in order to submit to the Cross, according to that saying, "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, &c." Again He says " _we go up_ " to mark this stedfast purpose, as S. Chrysostom paraphrases, "Ye... [ Continue Reading ]
_And He said unto her_, &c. Christ wisely refuses the general petition, and would have her express it particularly, lest she should be asking for something foolish and unworthy, which He foresaw she would do, in order that He might teach us to do like He did. _She said to Him_, &c. S. Chrysostom sa... [ Continue Reading ]
_And He saith to them_, &c. Christ here foretells the martyrdom of James and John. For S. James, preaching Christ more fervently than the other Apostles, first suffered martyrdom for Him, being slain by Herod with the sword. S. John also drank of this cup when he was plunged by Domitian, at Rome, be... [ Continue Reading ]