Jerome — Commentary on Scripture

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.

The question is something like a priest who, while inwardly despising his bishop, yet continues to address him openly as “bishop.” Whereupon the bishop answers, “To you I am not the bishop; you may leave my presence.”

Mark 10:20

And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.

He who declared that he had observed all the commandments had already yielded to the power of riches from the very outset.

Mark 10:21

Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

This is why those who are rich find it hard to enter the kingdom of heaven. For it is a kingdom which desires for its citizens a soul that soars aloft free from all ties and hindrances. “Go your way,” the Lord said, “and sell” not a part of your substance but “all that you have, and give to the poor”;46 not to your friends or kinsfolk or relatives, nor to your wife or to your children.… When once you have put your hand to the plough, you must not look back. When once you stand on the housetop, you must think no more of your clothes within. To escape your Egyptian mistress, you must abandon the cloak that belongs to this world. Even Elijah, in his quick translation to heaven could not take his mantle with him, but left in the world the garments of the world.

Mark 10:46-52

And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.

The name of the city agrees with the approaching Passion of our Lord; for it is said, And they came to Jericho. Jericho means moon or anathema; but the failing of the flesh of Christ is the preparation of the heavenly Jerusalem. It goes on: And as he went out of Jericho with his disciples, and a great number of people, blind Bartimæus, the son of Timæus, sat by the wayside begging.

Mark 11:8

And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.

And others cut boughs … and strewed them in the way. They cut branches from the fruitbearing trees with which the Mount of Olives was planted, and spread them in the way; so as to make the crooked ways straight, and the rough ways smooth, that Christ the conqueror of sin might walk straightly and safely into the hearts of the faithful.… And when they had done all that was to be done by their hands, they offered also the tribute of their voices; and going before and following after they cry, not in a brief and wordless confession, but with all their might: “Hosanna to the son of David. Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord.”

Mark 11:9

And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:

The boys in the Gospel raised aloft their branches as the Savior entered Jerusalem. They kept on crying: “Hosanna.” … They borrowed these versicles from Psalm 117. Hosanna, moreover, is the Hebrew for “O Lord, grant salvation!”

Mark 12:42 · 2 passages

And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

The poor widow cast only two pennies into the treasury; yet because she gave all she had it is said of her that she surpassed all the rich in offering gifts to God. Such gifts are valued not by their weight but by the good will with which they are made.

I pass on to the widow in the gospel who, though she was but a poor widow was yet richer than all the people of Israel. [Mark 12:43] She had but a grain of mustard seed, but she put her leaven in three measures of flour; and, combining her confession of the Father and of the Son with the grace of the Holy Spirit, she cast her two mites into the treasury. All the substance that she had, her entire possessions, she offered in the two testaments of her faith. These are the two seraphim which glorify the Trinity with threefold song [Isa. 6:2-3] and are stored among the treasures of the church. They also form the legs of the tongs by which the live coal is caught up to purge the sinner's lips. [Isa. 6:6]

Mark 12:44

For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

There is an old saying that a miser lacks as much what he has as what he has not. The believer has a whole world of wealth; the unbeliever has not a single farthing. Let us always live "as having nothing and yet possessing all things." [2 Cor. 6:10] Food and raiment, these are the Christian's wealth. [1 Tim. 6:8] If your property is in your own power, [Cf. Acts 5:4] sell it: if not, cast it from you. "If any man... will take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also." [Matt. 5:40] You are all for delay, you wish to defer action: unless-so you argue-unless I sell my goods piecemeal and with caution, Christ will be at a loss to feed his poor. Nay, he who has offered himself to God, has given Him everything once for all. The apostles did but forsake ships and nets. [Matt. 4:18-22] The widow cast but two brass coins into the treasury [Mark 12:41-44] and yet she shall be preferred before Croesus with all his wealth. He readily despises all things who reflects always that he must die.

Mark 14:3 · 3 passages

And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.

Just as the grain of wheat, unless it falls into the ground and dies, does not bring forth any fruit, so, also, unless the alabaster jar be broken, we cannot spread its fragrance. HOMILIES OF ST.

This woman is outside the temple and carries with her a jar of ointment containing nard, genuine nard, from which she has prepared the ointment. This is why the faithful are called “genuine” or pure nard. The church, gathered from the nations, is offering the Savior the abounding faith of believers. The alabaster jar which had been sealed is broken that all may receive its perfume. Homilies of Saint , Homily

This woman has a very special message for you who are about to be baptized. She broke her alabaster jar that Christ may make you “christs,” his anointed. Hear what it says in the Canticle of Canticles: “Your name spoken is a spreading perfume, therefore the maidens love you. We will follow you eagerly in the fragrance of your perfume!” HOMILIES OF ST.

Mark 14:4

And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?

To him [Judas], it seemed to be wasting the ointment because the jar is broken, but, for us, it was a great good because the perfume spread throughout the world. Why are you indignant, Judas, because the alabaster jar is broken? God, who made you and all the nations, is blessing us with that precious perfume. You wanted to keep the perfume sealed up so that it would not reach others.

Mark 14:6

And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.

When the apostles pleaded that the ointment was being wasted, they were rebuked by the voice of the Lord. Christ did not need the ointment, nor do martyrs need the light of candles. Yet that woman freely poured out the ointment in honor of Christ, and her heart’s devotion was accepted.… Hence throughout the whole Eastern Church, even when there are no relics of the martyrs, whenever the gospel is to be read the candles are lighted although the dawn may be reddening the sky, not of course to scatter the darkness, but by way of evidencing our joy.

Mark 14:15

And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us.

[Daniel 6:10] "Now when Daniel learned of it, that is, of the law which had been enacted, he entered his house, and with the windows in his upper room opened up in the direction of Jerusalem, he continued to bow his knees three times a day and worshipped, and made confession before his God just as he was previously accustomed to do." We must quickly draw from our memory and bring together from all of Holy Scripture all the passages where we have read of domata, which mean in Latin either "walled enclosures" (menia) or "beds" or "sun-terraces," and also the references to anogaia, that is, "upper rooms." For after all, our Lord celebrated the passover in an upper room (Mark 14:15, Luke 22:12), and in the Acts of the Apostles the Holy Spirit came upon the one hundred and twenty souls of believers while they were in an upper room (Acts 1:13). And so Daniel in this case, despising the king's commands and reposing his confidence in God, does not offer his prayers in some obscure spot, but in a lofty place, and opens up his windows towards Jerusalem, from whence he looked for the peace . He…

[Daniel 6:10] "Now when Daniel learned of it, that is, of the law which had been enacted, he entered his house, and with the windows in his upper room opened up in the direction of Jerusalem, he continued to bow his knees three times a day and worshipped, and made confession before his God just as he was previously accustomed to do." We must quickly draw from our memory and bring together from all of Holy Scripture all the passages where we have read of domata, which mean in Latin either "walled enclosures" (menia) or "beds" or "sun-terraces," and also the references to anogaia, that is, "upper rooms." For after all, our Lord celebrated the passover in an upper room (Mark 14:15, Luke 22:12), and in the Acts of the Apostles the Holy Spirit came upon the one hundred and twenty souls of believers while they were in an upper room (Acts 1:13). And so Daniel in this case, despising the king's commands and reposing his confidence in God, does not offer his prayers in some obscure spot, but in a lofty place, and opens up his windows towards Jerusalem, from whence he looked for the peace . He prays, moreover, according to God's behest, and also according to what Solomon had said when he admonished the people that they should pray in the direction of the Temple. Furthermore, there are three times in the day when we should bow our knees unto God, and the tradition of the Church understands them to be the third hour, the sixth hour, and the ninth hour. Lastly, it was at the third hour that the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles (Acts 2:15) . It was at the sixth hour that Peter, purposing to eat, ascended to the upper room for prayer (Acts 10:9). It was at the ninth hour that Peter and John were on their way to the Temple (Acts 3:1).

Mark 14:31

But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.

One of twelve deserted; eleven remained loyal. The cross came; they fled; one remained—Peter, one with One. This one himself fled, and would that he had! He denied Christ. We may say, then, that the entire human race was lost. Because it had perished, the complaint of the Lord crucified is: “The wine press I have trodden alone, and of my people there was no one with me.” Then was the Psalm fulfilled: “Help, O Lord! For no one now is dutiful.” “There is none who does good, no not even one.” He who has promised: “Even if I should have to die with thee, or be imprisoned, I will not deny thee,” denied him.

Mark 14:70

And he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto.

“You have taken my friends away from me.” In the passion of the cross, even my apostles fled from me; so completely did they shun me that Peter himself said: “I do not know this man.”

Mark 15:32

Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.

The foal of Judah has been tied to the vine, and his clothes dyed in the blood of the grape, and the kids tear the vine, blaspheming Christ, and wagging their heads. Wherefore it is said: “And they that passedby railed on Him, wagging their heads and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple.”

Mark 16:14 · 2 passages

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.

In some copies, and especially in the Greek codices, it is written according to Mark at the end of his Gospel: “At length Jesus appeared to the eleven as they were at table.”

As he showed them real hands and a real side, so he really ate with his disciples;4 really walked with Cleophas; conversed with men with a real tongue;6 really reclined at supper; with real hands took bread, blessed and broke it, and was offering it to them. … Do not put the power of the Lord on a level with the tricks of magicians, so that he may appear to have been what he was not, and may be thought to have eaten without teeth, walked without feet, broken bread without hands, spoken without a tongue, and showed a side which had no ribs.