Origen of Alexandria — Commentary on Scripture

Luke 19:29-30

And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples,

When the Savior had come "to Bethphage and Bethany near Mount Olivet, he sent two of his disciples" to untie "the foal of a donkey" that had been tied, "on which no man had ever sat." To me, this seems to apply more to the deeper sense than to the simple narrative. The donkey had been bound. Where was it bound? "Across from Bethphage and Bethany." "Bethany" means "house of obedience," and "Bethphage" means "house of jaws." Bethphage is a priestly place, because jawbones were given to priests, as the law commands. The Savior sends his disciples to the place where "obedience" is and where "the place given over to priests" is, to unbind "the foal of an ass, on which no man had ever sat."

Luke 19:30

Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither.

(sup. Joan. tom. ii.) Now I think this place is not without reason said to be a small village. For as if it were a village without any further name, in comparison of the whole earth the whole heavenly country is despised.

Luke 19:31

And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him.

There were then many masters of this colt, before that the Saviour had need of him. But as soon as He began to be the master, there ceased to be any other. For no one can serve God and mammon. (Matt. 6:24.) When we are the servants of wickedness we are subject to many vices and passions, but the Lord has need of the colt, because He would have us loosed from the chain of our sins.

Luke 19:35-36

And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.

(in Luc. 37.) The disciples next place their garments upon the ass, and cause the Saviour to sit thereon, inasmuch as they take upon themselves the word of God, and make it to rest upon the souls of their hearers. They divest themselves of their garments, and strew them in the way, for the clothing of the Apostles is their good works. And truly does the ass loosened by the disciples and carrying Jesus, walk upon the garments of the Apostles, when it imitates their doctrine. Which of us is so blessed, that Jesus should rest upon him?

Luke 19:37

And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;

As long as our Lord was in the mount His Apostles only were with Him, but when He began to be near the descent, then there came to Him a multitude of the people.

Luke 19:40

And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

When we also are silent, (that is, when the love of many waxeth cold,) the stones cry out, for God can from stones raise up children to Abraham.

Luke 19:41 · 2 passages

And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

All the blessings which Jesus pronounced in His Gospel He confirms by His own example, as having declared, Blessed are the meek; He afterwards sanctions it by saying, Learn of me, for I am meek; and because He had said, Blessed are they that weep, He Himself also wept over the city.

I do not deny then that the former Jerusalem was destroyed because of the wickedness of its inhabitants, but I ask whether the weeping might not perhaps concern this your spiritual Jerusalem. For if a man has sinned after receiving the mysteries of truth, he will be wept over. Moreover, no Gentile is wept over, but he only who was of Jerusalem, and has ceased to be.

When our Lord and Savior approached Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept.… By his example, Jesus confirms all the Beatitudes that he speaks in the Gospel. By his own witness, he confirms what he teaches. "Blessed are the meek," he says. He says something similar to this of himself: "Learn from me, for I am meek." "Blessed are the peacemakers." What other man brought as much peace as my Lord Jesus, who "is our peace," who "dissolves hostility" and "destroys it in his own flesh"? "Blessed are those who suffer persecution because of justice."No one suffered such persecution because of justice as did the Lord Jesus, who was crucified for our sins. The Lord therefore exhibited all the Beatitudes in himself. For the sake of this likeness, he wept, because of what he said, "Blessed are those who weep," to lay the foundations for this beatitude as well. He wept for Jerusalem "and said, 'If only you had known on that day what meant peace for you! But now it is hidden from your eyes,' " and the rest, to the point where he says, "Because you did not know the time of your visitation."

Luke 19:43-44

For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,

But our Jerusalem is also wept over, because after sin enemies surround it, (that is, wicked spirits,) and cast a trench round it to besiege it, and leave not a stone behind; especially when a man after long continency, after years of chastity, is overcome, and enticed by the blandishments of the flesh, has lost his fortitude and his modesty, and has committed fornication, they will not leave on him one stone upon another, according to Ezekiel, His former righteousness I will not remember. (Ezek 18:24.)

Luke 19:45

And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;

If any then sells, let him be cast out, and especially if he sells doves. For of those things which have been revealed and committed to me by the Holy Spirit, I either sell for money to the people, or do not teach without hire, what else do I but sell a dove, that is, the Holy Spirit?

Luke 20:24-25

Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar's.

Some people think that the Savior spoke on a single level when he said, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar"—that is, "pay the tax that you owe." Who among us disagrees about paying taxes to Caesar? The passage therefore has a mystical and secret meaning.There are two images in humanity. One he received from God when he was made, in the beginning, as Scripture says in the book of Genesis, "according to the image and likeness of God." The other image is of the earth. Man received this second image later. He was expelled from Paradise because of disobedience and sin after the "prince of this world" had tempted him with his enticements. Just as the coin, or denarius, has an image of the emperor of this world, so he who does the works of "the ruler of the darkness" bears the image of him whose works he does. Jesus commanded that that image should be handed over and thrown away from our face. He wills us to take on that image, according to which we were made from the beginning, according to God's likeness. It then happens that we give "to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what…

Some people think that the Savior spoke on a single level when he said, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar"—that is, "pay the tax that you owe." Who among us disagrees about paying taxes to Caesar? The passage therefore has a mystical and secret meaning.There are two images in humanity. One he received from God when he was made, in the beginning, as Scripture says in the book of Genesis, "according to the image and likeness of God." The other image is of the earth. Man received this second image later. He was expelled from Paradise because of disobedience and sin after the "prince of this world" had tempted him with his enticements. Just as the coin, or denarius, has an image of the emperor of this world, so he who does the works of "the ruler of the darkness" bears the image of him whose works he does. Jesus commanded that that image should be handed over and thrown away from our face. He wills us to take on that image, according to which we were made from the beginning, according to God's likeness. It then happens that we give "to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what is God's." Jesus said, "Show me a coin." For "coin," Matthew wrote "denarius." When Jesus had taken it, he said, "Whose inscription does it have?" They answered and said, "Caesar's." And he said to them in turn, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

Luke 20:25

And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's.

Now this place contains a mystery. For there are two images in man, one which he received from God, as it is written, Let us make man in our own image: (Gen. 1:26.) another from the enemy, which he has contracted through disobedience and sin, allured and won by the enticing baits of the prince of this world. For as the penny has the image of the emperor of the world, so he who does the works of the power of darkness, bears the image of Him whose works he doth. He says then, Render unto Cæsar the things which be Cæsar's, that is, cast away the earthly image, that ye may be able, by putting on the heavenly image, to render unto God the things which be God's, namely, to love God. Which things Moses says God requires of us. (Deut. 10:12.) But God makes this demand of us, not because He has need that we should give Him any thing, but that, when we have given, He might grant us this very same gift for our salvation.

Luke 20:27-28

Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,

The heresy of the Sadducees not only denies the resurrection of the dead, but also believes the soul to die with the body. Watching then to entrap our Saviour in His words, they proposed a question just at the time when they observed Him teaching His disciples concerning the resurrection; as it follows, And they asked him, saying, Master, Moses wrote to us, If a brother, &c.

Luke 20:34-35

And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:

But because the Lord says in Matthew, which is here omitted, Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, (Mat. 22:29.) I ask the question, where is it so written, They shall neither marry, nor be given in marriage? for as I conceive there is no such thing to be found either in the Old or New Testament, but the whole of their error had crept in from the reading of the Scriptures without understanding; for it is said in Esaias, My elect shall not have children for a curse. (Isai. 65:23.) Whence they suppose that the like will happen in the resurrection. But Paul interpreting all these blessings as spiritual, knowing them not to be carnal, says to the Ephesians, Ye have blessed us in all spiritual blessings. (Eph. 1:3.)

Luke 21:34-35

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

"But take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a snare." You heard the proclamation of the eternal King. You learned the deplorable end of "drunkenness" or "intoxication." Imagine a skilled and wise physician who would say, "Beware, no one should drink too much from this or that herb. If he does, he will suddenly be destroyed." I do not doubt that everyone would keep the prescriptions of the physician's warning concerning his own health. Now the Lord, who is both the physician of souls and bodies, orders them to avoid as a deadly drink the herb "of drunkenness" and the vice "of intoxication" and also the care of worldly matters. I do not know if any one can say that he is not wounded, because these things consume him.Drunkenness is therefore destructive in all things. It is the only thing that weakens the soul together with the body. According to the apostle, it can happen that when the body "is weak," then the spirit is "much stronger," and when "the exterior person is de…

"But take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a snare." You heard the proclamation of the eternal King. You learned the deplorable end of "drunkenness" or "intoxication." Imagine a skilled and wise physician who would say, "Beware, no one should drink too much from this or that herb. If he does, he will suddenly be destroyed." I do not doubt that everyone would keep the prescriptions of the physician's warning concerning his own health. Now the Lord, who is both the physician of souls and bodies, orders them to avoid as a deadly drink the herb "of drunkenness" and the vice "of intoxication" and also the care of worldly matters. I do not know if any one can say that he is not wounded, because these things consume him.Drunkenness is therefore destructive in all things. It is the only thing that weakens the soul together with the body. According to the apostle, it can happen that when the body "is weak," then the spirit is "much stronger," and when "the exterior person is destroyed, the interior person is renewed." In the illness of drunkenness, the body and the soul are destroyed at the same time. The spirit is corrupted equally with the flesh. All the members are weakened: the feet and the hands. The tongue is loosened. Darkness covers the eyes. Forgetfulness covers the mind so that one does not know himself nor does he perceive he is a person. Drunkenness of the body has that shamefulness.

Luke 22:3-5

Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.

Jesus Christ our Savior has been crucified. The author of this crime and father of this wickedness is, without doubt, the devil. It is written: "When, however, the devil had entered the heart of Judas Iscariot that he should betray him." The devil is the father of sin. He fathered Judas as his first son in this wickedness, but Judas alone could not execute the betrayal. What then is written? "Judas departed," Scripture says, "to the scribes and Pharisees and chief priests and said to them: 'What will you give me, and I will deliver him to you?' " The third and fourth generation of sin was born from Judas.

Luke 22:10-12

And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in.

(in Matt. 26:18.) But I think that the man who meets the disciples as they enter into the city, carrying a pitcher of water, was some servant of a master of a house, carrying water in an earthen vessel either for washing or for drinking. And this I think is Moses conveying the spiritual doctrine in fleshly histories. But they who follow him not, do not celebrate the Passover with Jesus. Let us then ascend with the Lord united to us, to the upper part in which is the guestchamber, which is shown by the understanding, that is, the goodman of the house, to every one of the disciples of Christ. But this upper room of our house must be large enough to receive Jesus the Word of God, who is not comprehended but by those who are greater in comprehension. And this chamber must be made ready by the goodman of the house, (that is, the understanding,) for the Son of God, and it must be cleaned, wholly purged of the filth of malice. The master of the house also must not be any common person having a known name. Hence He says mystically in Matthew, Go ye to such a one.

Luke 22:13

And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.

(ut sup.) But we should know that they who are taken up with banquetings and worldly cares do not ascend into that upper part of the house, and therefore do not keep the Passover with Jesus. For after the words of the disciples wherewith they questioned the goodman of the house, (that is, the understanding,) the Divine Person came into that house to feast there with His disciples.

Luke 22:42

Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Something in the passage has perhaps escaped our notice. You will find it out by noting how the cup is mentioned in the three Gospels. Matthew writes that the Lord said, "Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me." Luke writes, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me." Mark writes, "Abba, Father, all things are possible to you, remove this cup from me." Every martyrdom completed by death for whatever motive is called a cup. See whether you cannot say with him, "Let this cup pass from me." ... "The cup of salvation" in Psalms is the death of the martyrs. That is why the verse "I will take the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord" is followed by "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints."

Luke 23:18-25

And they cried out all at once, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas:

The word of the Lord is rich, and according to the opinion of Solomon, "it must be written on the heart" not once but also twice and "three times." Let us to the best of our ability also now attempt to add something to what was said long ago. Let us show how "as a type of things to come" this one male goat was sacrificed to the Lord as an offering and the other one was sent away "living." Hear in the Gospels what Pilate said to the priests and the Jewish people: "Which of these two do you want me to send out to you: Jesus, who is called the Christ, or Barabbas?" Then all the people cried out to release Barabbas and to hand Jesus over to be killed. Look, you have a male goat who was sent "living into the wilderness." He carried with him the sins of the people who cried out and said, "Crucify, crucify!" The first is a male goat sent "living into the wilderness." The second is the male goat that was offered to God as an offering to atone for sins. Christ made a true atonement for those who believe in him.