Jerome

(Verse 6.) But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Note that whoever is scandalized is little: for the greater ones do not receive scandals.

Let him be hanged with a millstone around his neck, and let him be thrown into the depths of the sea. Although this general idea can be applied against anyone who causes scandal, it can also be understood in the context of the apostles, who seemed to be competing with each other over rank when they asked who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. If they had remained in this vice, they could have caused those whom they called to the faith to stumble through their scandal, as they saw the apostles fighting amongst themselves for honor. But when he said, 'It is expedient for him that a millstone be hung about his neck,' he speaks according to the custom of the province, with which the punishment for more grievous crimes among the ancient Jews was that they should be plunged into the deep with a stone fastened to them. It is expedient for him, because it is much better to receive a brief punishment for a fault than to be preserved for eternal tortures. For the Lord will not judge twice for the same thing (Nahum 1).

(Verse 8, 9) But if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. Indeed, it is necessary for scandals to come, but woe to the person through whom the scandal comes! Therefore, every affection is cut off and every proximity is amputated, so that no one of the believers may be exposed to scandals through the opportunity of piety. If, he says, someone is so connected to you like a hand, foot, eye, and is useful and caring, and sharp in discerning: but he causes scandal to you, and he drags you into hell because of the disparity of his behavior: it is better that you both avoid his proximity and carnal benefits, so that while you want to profit your relatives and necessary ones, you don't end up causing ruins. Therefore, neither brother, nor wife, nor children, nor friends, nor any affection that can exclude us from the kingdom of heaven, should be preferred to the love of the Lord. Each believer knows what harms themselves, what troubles their soul, and is often tested. It is better to lead a solitary life than to lose eternal life for the needs of this present life.

(Verses 10, 11.) See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. The Son of Man came to save what was lost. Above, he had said that all close relationships and connections that could cause scandal should be cut off by hand, foot, or eye. Therefore, he tempers the severity of the sentence with a subordinate command, saying: See that you do not despise one of these little ones. Thus, he said, I command severity, so that I may teach the mixing of mercy. As much as is in you, do not despise, but seek the health even of those. But if you see them persevering in sins, and serving vices, it is better for you to be saved alone than to perish with many. For their angels in heaven always see the face of the Father. Great is the dignity of souls, so that each one has been assigned a guardian angel from birth to watch over them. Where do we read in the Apocalypse of John: 'To the angel of the church in Ephesus, write...' (Rev. 2:1). The apostle also commands women to cover their heads in the churches, because of the angels (1 Cor. 11).

The Lord had said, under the type of hand, foot, and eye, that all kin and connection which could afford scandal must be cut off. The harshness of this declaration He accordingly tempers with the following precept, saying, Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; i. e. As far as you may avoid despising them, but next to your own salvation seek also to heal them. But if ye see that they hold to their sins, it is better that ye be saved, than that ye perish in much company.

High dignity of souls, that each from its birth has an Angel set in charge over it!

Others think that by the ninety and nine sheep are understood the number of the righteous, and by the one sheep the sinners, according to that said in another place, I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance. (Matt. 9:13.)

What follows, Even so it is not the will, &c. is to be referred to what was said above, Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; and so He shows that this parable was set forth to enforce that same saying. Also in saying, It is not the will of my Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish, He shows that so oft as one of these little ones does perish, it is not by the Father's will that it perishes.

(Vers. 12, 13.) What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine in the mountains, and goeth to seek that which is gone astray? And if it so be that he findeth it: Amen I say to you, he rejoiceth more for that than for the ninety and nine that went not astray. In conclusion he calls to clemency one who had despatched him, saying: See that you do not despise one of these little ones, and he adds the parable of the ninety and nine sheep left in the mountains, and of the one that went astray, which the good shepherd, because of its great weakness, could not go after, and so he brought it back on his shoulder to the rest of the flock. Some think that he, who was in the form of God, yet did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being obedient to the Father even unto death, even death on the cross (Philippians 2:6-8): and for this reason he descended to the earthly realm, to save the one lost sheep, that is, the human race. But others think that the number of ninety-nine sheep represents the righteous, and the one sheep, the sinner, as he said elsewhere: I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners: for it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick (Luke 5:32). This parable in the Gospel according to Luke is written with two other parables, the parable of the ten drachmas and the parable of the two sons (Luke 15).

What follows, Even so it is not the will, &c. is to be referred to what was said above, Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; and so He shows that this parable was set forth to enforce that same saying. Also in saying, It is not the will of my Father which is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish, He shows that so oft as one of these little ones does perish, it is not by the Father's will that it perishes.

If then your brother have sinned against you, or hurt you in any matter, you have power, indeed must needs forgive him, for we are charged to forgive our debtors their debts. But if a man sin against God, it is no longer in our decision. But we do all tho contrary of this; where God is wronged we are merciful, where the affront is to ourselves we prosecute the quarrel.

Thy brother is to be reproved in private, lest if once he has lost a sense of shame, he should continue in sin.

For in saving another, salvation is gained for ourselves also. Chrys What you should do if he does not yield is added, If he will not hear thee, take with thee one or two. For the more shameless and stubborn he shows himself, the more studious should we be of applying the medicine, and not turn to wrath and hate. As the physician, if he see that the disease does not abate, he does not slack, but redoubles his efforts to heal. And observe how this reproof is not for revenge, but for correction, seeing his command is not to take two with him at first, but when he would not amend; and even then he does not send a multitude to him, but one or two, alleging the law, That in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may stand. (Deut. 19:15.) This is that you may have witnesses that you have done all your part.

Or it is to be understood in this way; If he will not hear thee, take with thee one brother only; if he yet will not hear, take a third, either from your zeal for his amendment, that shame or admonition may move him; or for the purpose of meeting before witnesses.

If yet he will not hear them, then it must be told to many, that he may be held in abhorrence; so that he who could not be saved by his own sense of shame, may be saved by public disgrace; whence it follows, If he will not hear them, tell it to the Church.

That He says, As a heathen and a publican, shows that he is to be more abhorred, who under the name of a believer does the deeds of an unbeliever, than those that are openly gentiles. Those He calls publicans, who pursue worldly gain, and levy contributions by trading, cheating, and villainous frauds, and perjuries.

(Verse 15 and following) But if your brother sins against you, go and confront him between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two more with you, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every word may be confirmed. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. If our brother sins against us, and he harms us in any way, we have the power, indeed the necessity, to forgive our debtors as is commanded. But if someone sins against God, it is not within our power. For divine Scripture says: If a man sins against another man, the priest will pray for him. But if someone sins against God, who will pray for him? On the contrary, we are kind in the face of God's injustice, and in our own insults we exercise hatred. However, the brother must be rebuked privately, so that if he has once lost shame and modesty, he may not remain in sin. And if indeed he listens, we gain his soul, and through the salvation of another, we also acquire salvation for ourselves. But if he refuses to listen, let a brother be called in. And if he does not listen to him, let a third person be called in, either to correct him or to meet with witnesses. But if he refuses to listen to them as well, then it is necessary to bring in many people, so that he may be held in detestation, and let him who could not be saved by shame be saved by disgrace. However, when it is said, 'Let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector,' it is shown that there is a greater detestation for someone who acts as a faithful person under the title of an infidel than for those who openly identify as Gentiles. For publicans are called according to tropology, those who pursue worldly gains and demand taxes through dealings and frauds, thefts, and wicked perjuries.

If our brother has sinned against us and damaged us in anything, we have the power of dismissing it, in fact the obligation to do so, since we are commanded to forgive our debtors their debts. But if anyone sins against God, it is not in our control. Divine Scripture says, “If a man has sinned against a man, the priest will pray for him; but if he sins against God, who will speak for him?” But we, on the contrary, are lenient over a sin against God but act out our hatred when we ourselves are insulted. Yet we should immediately reprove our brother, if he has once lost his shame and innocence, so that he does not remain in sin. And if he listens, we profit his soul, and through the salvation of another we too acquire salvation. But if he refuses to listen, we should summon a brother; and if he does not listen to him either, yet a third should be summoned in the hope of either correcting him or meeting him with witnesses. Then if he refuses to listen even to these, the congregation must be told, so that they may curse him. Then the one who could not be saved through shame may be saved through their approbation. But since it is said, “Let him be to you as a heathen and a publican,” the person who under the name of faith does an infidel’s works is shown to be more cursed than those who openly are heathen. Publicans, figuratively speaking, are those who pursue the profits of the secular world and exact taxes by business, fraud, theft, crimes and false oaths.

Because He had said, If he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as a heathen, and a publican, whereupon the brother so contemned might answer, or think within himself, If you despise me, I also will despise you; if you condemn me, you shall be condemned by my sentence. He therefore confers powers upon the Apostles, that they may be assured that when any are condemned after this manner, the sentence of man is ratified by the sentence of God. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose upon the earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Or otherwise; All His foregoing discourse had invited us to union; now to make us embrace peace more anxiously, He holds out a reward, promising to be in the midst of two or three.

(vid. Origen. in loc.) We may also understand this spiritually; where our spirit, soul, and body are in agreement, and have not within them conflicting wills, they shall obtain from My Father every thing they shall ask; for none can doubt that that demand is good, where the body wills the same thing as the spirit.

(Verse 19, 20.) Again I say to you: if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. The above discourse has encouraged us towards harmony. Therefore, it promises a reward so that we may hasten eagerly towards peace, as it says that it will be present among two or three. Similar to the example of a tyrant, who wanted to prove that he had captured two friends (when one returned to see his mother and gave his friend as a surety for himself), so he wanted to test one, and release the other. And when he returned on the appointed day, marveling at the faith of both, he asked that they have a third. We can also understand this spiritually, that where the spirit and soul and body agree and do not have war between themselves of different desires (or pleasures); with the flesh desiring against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, they obtain from the Father whatever they seek about any thing. And there is no doubt that the request of good things is certain, where the body wants to have those things which the spirit wants.

(Verse 21, 22.) Then Peter came to him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him, I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. The Lord's words weighed heavily on him, and they could not be broken like a triple cord. Earlier, he had said, See that you do not despise one of these little ones; and he had added, If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. And he had promised a reward, saying, If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. The apostle Peter, provoked, asks how many times he should forgive his brother who sins against him, and when he proposes the question, should it be up to seven times? Jesus responds: Not up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven, that is, four hundred and ninety times, so that he should forgive his brother who sins against him as many times in a day as that brother cannot sin.