Matthew 12:48 Komentář

In this chapter, we have, I. Christ's clearing of the law of the fourth commandment concerning the sabbath-day, and vindicating it from some superstitious notions advanced by the Jewish teachers; showing that works of necessity and mercy are to be done on that day (Mat 12:1-13). II. The prudence, humility, and self-denial of our Lord Jesus in working his miracles (Mat 12:14-21). III. Christ's answer to the blasphemous cavils and calumnies of the scribes and Pharisees, who imputed his casting out devils to a compact with the devil (v. 22-37). IV. Christ's reply to a tempting demand of the scribes and Pharisees, challenging him to show them a sign from heaven (Mat 12:38-45). V. Christ's judgment about his kindred and relations (Mat 12:46-50).

At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn,.... That is, the corn fields, as the other evangelists express it. It being on a sabbath day, it is very probable, that Christ and his disciples were going to some public place of worship, the way to which lay through some fields of corn, which were now ripe: for Luke says, it was on the "second sabbath after the first", or rather "the first sabbath after the second"; that is, the first sabbath after the second day of the passover, when the sheaf of the first fruit was offered, and harvest was begun. And his disciples were an hungered; it being in the morning before they had broke their fast; and this circumstance is mentioned to show the reason of the following action, and to excuse it: at which the Pharisees were so much offended, and of which they accused them, as having done what was very criminal: and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat; Luke adds, "rubbing them in their hands"; and so here in the Syriac, Arabic, and Persic versions, it is rendered, "they began to rub": as they passed along, they plucked off the ears of corn, either barley or wheat, and rubbed them in their hands, to get the grain clear of the husk, or beard, and eat them; contenting themselves with such mean and unprepared food, when the Jews on that day fed on the best of dainties (e). (e) Vid. Maimon. Hilch. Sabbat, c. 30. sect. 7, 8, 9, 10.

They say that He testifies Himself to His not having been born, when He asks, "Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? " In this manner heretics either wrest plain and simple words to any sense they choose by their conjectures, or else they violently resolve by a literal interpretation words which imply a conditional sense and are incapable of a simple solution, as in this passage.

But whenever a dispute arises about the nativity, all who reject it as creating a presumption in favour of the reality of Christ's flesh, wilfully deny that God Himself was born, on the ground that He asked, "Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? " Let, therefore, Apelles hear what was our answer to Marcion in that little work, in which we challenged his own (favourite) gospel to the proof, even that the material circumstances of that remark (of the Lord's) should be considered.

And He cannot be held to have thought meanly of His mother, seeing that in His passion He evinced the most extreme carefulness for her.

That which I was lately saying, that when virtue is wanting all things are vain, this is now also pointed out very abundantly. For I indeed was saying, that age and nature, and to dwell in the wilderness, and all such things, are alike unprofitable, where there is not a good mind; but to-day we learn in addition another thing, that even to have borne Christ in the womb, and to have brought forth that marvellous birth, hath no profit, if there be not virtue. And this is hence especially manifest. "For while He yet talked to the people," it is said, "one told Him, Thy mother and Thy brethren seek Thee. But He saith, who is my mother, and who are my brethren?" And this He said, not as being ashamed of His mother, nor denying her that bare Him; for if He had been ashamed of her, He would not have passed through that womb; but as declaring that she hath no advantage from this, unless she do all that is required to be done. For in fact that which she had essayed to do, was of superfluous vanity; in that she wanted to show the people that she hath power and authority over her Son, imagining not as yet anything great concerning Him; whence also her unseasonable approach. See at all events both her self-confidence and theirs. Since when they ought to have gone in, and listened with the multitude; or if they were not so minded, to have waited for His bringing His discourse to an end, and then to have come near; they call Him out, and do this before all, evincing a superfluous vanity, and wishing to make it appear, that with much authority they enjoin Him. And this too the evangelist shows that he is blaming, for with this very allusion did he thus express himself, "While He yet talked to the people;" as if he should say, What? was there no other opportunity? Why, was it not possible to speak with Him in private? And what was it they wished to say? For if it were touching the doctrines of the truth, they ought to have propounded these things publicly, and stated them before all, that the rest also might have the benefit: but if about other matters that concerned themselves, they ought not to have been so urgent. For if He suffered not the burial of a father, lest the attendance on Him should be interrupted, much less ought they to have stopped His discourse to the people, for things that were of no importance. Whence it is clear, that nothing but vainglory led them to do this; which John too declares, by saying, "Neither did His brethren believe on Him;" and some sayings too of theirs he reports, full of great folly; telling us that they were for dragging Him to Jerusalem, for no other purpose, but that they themselves might reap glory from His miracles. "For if thou do these things," it is said, "show Thyself to the world. For there is no man that doeth anything in secret, and seeketh himself to be manifest;" when also He Himself rebuked them, attributing it to their carnal mind. That is, because the Jews were reproaching Him, and saying, "Is not this the carpenter's son, whose father and mother we know? and His brethren, are not they with us?" they, willing to throw off the disparagement caused by His birth, were calling Him to the display of His miracles. For this cause He quite repels them, being minded to heal their infirmity; since surely, had it been His will to deny His mother, He would have denied her then, when the Jews were reproaching Him. But as it is, we see that He takes so great care of her, as even at the very cross to commit her to the disciple whom He loved most of all, and to give him a great charge concerning her. But now He doth not so, out of care for her, and for His brethren. I mean, because their regard for Him was as towards a mere man, and they were vainglorious, He casts out the disease, not insulting, but correcting them. But do thou, I pray, examine not the words only, which contain a moderate reproof, but also the unbecoming conduct of His brethren, and the boldness wherewith they had been bold and who was the person reproving it, no mere man, but the only-begotten Son of God; and with what purpose He reproved; that it was not with intent to drive them to perplexity, but to deliver them from the most tyrannical passion and to lead them on by little and little to the right idea concerning Himself, and to convince her that He was not her Son only, but also her Lord: so wilt thou perceive that the reproof is in the highest degree both becoming Him and profitable to her, and withal having in it much gentleness. For He said not, "Go thy way, tell my mother, thou art not my mother," but He addresses Himself to the person that told Him; saying, "Who is my mother?" together with the things that have been mentioned providing for another object also. What then is that? That neither they nor others confiding in their kindred, should neglect virtue. For if she is nothing profited by being His mother, were it not for that quality in her, hardly will any one else be saved by his kindred. For there is one only nobleness, to do the will of God. This kind of noble birth is better than the other, and more real.

For He said not, Go and say unto her, She is not My mother, but continues His discourse to him that had brought Him word; as it follows; But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? But had He desired to disown His mother, He would have done it at the time when the Jews cast His birth in His teeth.

Let us also expound in another way. The Saviour is speaking to the multitude—that is, He teaches the Gentiles the inward mysteries; His mother and His brethren, that is the synagogue and the Jewish people, stand without. And when they shall have asked and enquired, and sent a messenger, they shall receive for answer, that their will is free, and that they can enter in, if they will believe.

(Verse 46 and following) While he was still speaking to the crowds, behold his mother and brothers stood outside seeking to speak to him. But someone said to him: Look, your mother and brothers stand outside seeking you. But he answered the one who told him, saying: Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? And stretching out his hand towards his disciples, he said. The Lord was occupied with the work of speaking, teaching the people, and fulfilling the duty of preaching, while his mother and brothers came and stood outside, desiring to speak to him. Then someone announces to the Savior that his mother and brothers are standing outside, seeking him. It seems to me that this person who announces it is not doing so by chance and simply: but is setting a trap for the Savior, whether he prefers spiritual work over flesh and blood. Therefore, the Lord, not because he denied his mother and brothers, ignored their request to go out; but because he responded to the one laying a trap, extending his hand towards his disciples, he said:

That “his brothers” did not yet believe in him we learn from John, while from Mark we have also heard something else: for his own family tried to lay hands on him, as though he were beside himself. On account of their frame of mind, the Lord does not often mention them as his own family. He points instead to those who are obedient. To believers he applies all the terms of family relationship, those, namely, who had been joined to him in the kindred fellowship of obedience. Even if temporarily he had a quarrel with Mary, as Simeon had foretold when he had said “a sword shall pierce through your own soul,” she overcame these things, as was fitting, and the Lord graciously made mention of her at his passion and entrusted her to the beloved disciple.

For Jesus, our Creator and Redeemer, pretends not to know His mother, and indicates who is His mother and who are His relatives not through kinship of the flesh, but through union of the spirit, saying: "Who is my mother, and who are my brethren? For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother." By these words, what else does He suggest to us, except that He gathers many who are obedient to His commands from among the Gentiles, and does not acknowledge Judea, from whose flesh He was born?

He did not say this to offend His mother, but to correct this vainglorious and human thought of hers. For He did not say, "She is not My mother," but "Unless she does the will of God, that she bore Me is of no benefit to her." He does not deny the relationship by birth, but He adds to it the relationship by virtue. For no unworthy person derives benefit from a relationship by birth. When He had corrected the sickness of vainglory, He once again obeyed His mother who was calling Him. For the evangelist says:

But he replied... Here he gives Christ's reply and does two things: first, he replies; secondly, he commends his disciples (v. 49). He says, "Who is my mother and who are my brothers?" From these words some have denied that Christ truly assumed flesh, but only seemed to. Hence they explained: this is not my mother and these are not my brothers. But this is contrary to the Apostle to the Galatians (4:4): "God sent forth his Son, born of woman..." Again to the Romans (1:3): "Who was descended from David according to the flesh." Furthermore, the Lord acknowledged her at the foot of the cross: "Woman, behold your son" (Jn 19:26). Chrysostom: Why does the Lord ask, "who is my mother and who are my brothers"? And he says two things, one of which is sound and the other not. For he says that his mother and brothers experienced something human, for they were elated when they saw Christ preaching and the crowd following. Therefore, they wanted, as it were, to share the glory. Consequently, the Lord wanted to show that what he was doing did not stem from what he had received from the mother but from the Father. This position is partly sound, for it is sound in regard to the brothers, because John (7:5) says: "For even his brothers did not believe in him." But it is not sound in regard to the mother, because it is believed that she never sinned either mortally or venially; for it is said of her in Song of Songs (4:7): "You are all beautiful, my love, and there is no stain in you." And Augustine: When it comes to sin, I want no mention to be made of her. Jerome answers in another way, namely, he was so intent on spiritual matters, that he paid no attention to temporal. Therefore, he directs his answer to affection. Hence he would not have loved his mother more, unless she possessed more spiritually. So he says, who is my mother? He does not deny that she is his mother, but he intends to forbid undue affection. Hence above (10:37): "He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me."

PLUCKING CORN EARS ON THE SABBATH DAY. ( = Mar 2:23-28; Luk 6:1-5). (Mat 12:1-8) At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn--"the cornfields" (Mar 2:23; Luk 6:1). and his disciples were an hungered--not as one may be before his regular meals; but evidently from shortness of provisions: for Jesus defends their plucking the corn-ears and eating them on the plea of necessity. and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat--"rubbing them in their hands" (Luk 6:1).