Commentary on Matthew

Matthew 10

114 ST. JEROME that is, to both the great and the small. Thus he did not consider the power of the noble but the salvation of believers. “He was going about the cities.” This was the task that his Father had commanded for him. It was for this that he hungered, that he might save unbelievers by his teaching. Now he was teaching the Gospel of the Kingdom in the synagogues and villages. After preaching and teaching he would cure every kind of disease and infirmity, so that his works might persuade those whom his words had not persuaded.326 It is properly said of the Lord: “curing every kind of disease and infirmity”; for indeed nothing is impossible for him.327 9.36. But seeing the crowds, he was moved with compassion for those who were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. The harassment of a flock, whether of sheep or of crowds, is the fault of the shepherds and the sin of the teachers. This is why it says in what follows: 9.37. “The harvest indeed is great, but the workers are few.” The great harvest signifies the multitude of peoples; the few workers indicate the lack of teachers. He commands that they ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest. These are the workers of whom the Psalmist speaks: “Those who sow in tears will reap in joy. While going, they were going and weeping, carrying their seed, but in coming back, they will come in exultation , carrying their sheaves.”328 Let me speak more plainly: the great harvest is the whole crowd of believers; the few workers are the apostles and their imitators who are sent to the harvest.329 Chapter 10 10.1. And having summoned his twelve disciples, he gave them power over unclean spirits, that they might cast them out, and to cure every kind of disease and infirmity. The kind and clement Lord and Teacher330 does not jealously refuse to give his miraculous powers to his servants and disciples.331 On the contrary, just as he 326. See above on Mt 8.2. 327. Cf. Lk 1.37; 18.27; Mk 10.27. 328. Ps 126.5–6. 329. Cf. Origen, fragm. 189. 330. Cf. Jn 13.14. 331. Cf. Origen, fragm. 193. BOOK ONE (1.1–10.42) 115 had cured every kind of disease and infirmity,332 so too he gave to his apostles the power to cure every kind of disease and infirmity . But there is great difference between having and bestowing , between giving and receiving. Whatever he does, he does with the authority of the Lord; but when they do anything, they confess their own weakness and the power of the Lord, saying: “In the name of Jesus, rise and walk.”333 One should note that the power of working miraculous signs is conceded to the apostles in the twelfth place.334 10.2. Now these are the names of the twelve apostles. The list of apostles is recorded, so that those who beyond these are going to be false apostles may be excluded. 10.2. First, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother. It belonged to him who searches into the secrets of the heart to distribute the order of the apostles and the merit of each one. Simon is the first to be recorded. He was surnamed Peter to distinguish him from another Simon who is called the Cananean, from the village of Cana of Galilee, where the Lord turned water into wine.335 He also names James [the son] of Zebedee, because there follows also another James, [the son] of Alphaeus. He is grouping teams and pairs of apostles. He joins Peter and Andrew, brothers not so much in the flesh as in the spirit; James and John, who followed the true Father, after leaving behind their physical father;336 Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas too and Matthew the tax-collector. In the linking of names, the other evangelists put Matthew first and Thomas afterward,337 nor do they attribute to him the name of tax-collector. They wanted to avoid affronting the evangelist by recording his former manner of life. That man indeed refers to himself as a tax-collector , as we said above,338 and places himself after Thomas, so that “where sin abounded, grace might superabound.”339 10.4. Simon the Cananean. He is the one who is described 332. Cf. Mt 9...