Lecture 3 — Persecution of the prophets

^23:34^ Therefore I say to you: behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes, and some of them you will put to death and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, [n. 1890]

^23:35^ that upon you may come all the just blood that has been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even to the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias, whom you killed between the temple and the altar. [n. 1894]

^23:36^ Amen I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. [n. 1896]

^23:37^ Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you, how often would I have gathered together your children, as the hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not? [n. 1897]

^23:38^ Behold, your house will be left to you, desolate. [n. 1901]

^23:39^ For I say to you, you will not see me from now on till you say: blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. [n. 1901]

1890. Therefore behold I send to you. In this part he sets out their cruelty, and adds a temporal punishment. And

first, he does the first;

second, he adds the punishment.

And

first, he sets out a benefit;

second, a fault;

third, the greatness of the punishment.

1891. Hence he says, therefore behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes. And it can be referred to what immediately follows, or to the whole of what follows. If to the whole, then it has a clearer meaning. I say thus that you will fill up your father’s measure, and that you are serpents, etc. Hence, therefore behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you will put to death, because you are the sort of men who are accustomed to kill.

Or in another way, such that it is referred to the whole. The Lord not only wills that judgment is just, but also that it appear just, that others may take example. Hence if someone has a good intention, the Lord rewards him for the good intention, and from there gives the will to execute the good work; thus on the other hand when someone has a bad intention, and is full of bad will, in accord with what it is written, I will hedge up your way with thorns (Hos 2:6), he arouses God’s anger, and out of God’s anger his malice is made manifest. Therefore behold I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and you will kill. And he says, behold, because it is close at hand, because he sent the apostles; hence, and you will be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8).

1892. But note that when he says, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes, he indicates different gifts of the Holy Spirit. To some the gift of wisdom is given, to others, various kinds of tongues (1 Cor 12:10). The apostles had all these gifts. They had the gift of prophecy in speaking the future; I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters will prophesy (Joel 2:28). Likewise, the gift of wisdom, for they knew all things; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries will not be able to resist and gainsay (Luke 21:15). Likewise, they were scribes, because they had understanding of Scripture; he opened their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures (Luke 24:45).

1893. And why did he predict this? That the disciples, thinking over what they had heard, might more easily bear it. Likewise, to establish their malice, because just as their fathers killed the prophets, so these men the apostles; hence, some of them you will put to death, as it is said, that Herod killed James the brother of John with the sword, seeing that it would please the Jews (Acts 12:2). Others were crucified; hence, and crucify. For this was the most vile death; this is why they killed Christ with this death, in accordance with, let us condemn him to a most shameful death (Wis 2:20). And some you will scourge. Acts says that after they had scourged them, they charged them that they should not speak at all in the name of Jesus (Acts 5:40). And persecute. This is clear, how they persecuted Paul. And above, **and when they will persecute you in this city, flee into another **(Matt 10:23).

1894. Last, the punishment is set out, which, since it seemed heavy, he confirms: amen I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

He says, that upon you may come all the just blood that has been shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just, even to the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias. It is known who this man Abel is, that he was killed by his brother Cain. But who this man Zacharias was is not known. It is written that there were three Zachariases.

One was the son of Barachias, who was the eleventh among the prophets. But it cannot be understood as about this man, because there was no altar at that time.

Another was the father of John, and whose son he was is unknown; but Chrysostom says that he was killed for the sake of Christ, because there was in the temple a place for virgins, and when the Virgin Mary sat in the virgins’ place, the Jews wanted to expel her from the place, which Zacharias forbade, defending her, and he was killed because of this.

Another Zacharias is called the son of Joiada, whom Joas killed in the court of the temple (2 Chr 24:20–22), and therefore between the temple and the altar; hence the place agrees, but the name disagrees. But Jerome says that the name Barachias means ‘blessed by the Lord,’ and indicates the holiness of his father Joiada the priest. And he says that he saw the Gospel of the Nazarenes, and it has there, the son of Joiada.

1895. But why he begins under this Zacharias can be a literal question. And the reason seems to be that, although the foregoing things were more frequent, yet these two men are found in Scripture. Or otherwise, because Abel was a shepherd and Joiada a priest, so these two signify laymen and clerics. Hence every punishment for the killing of men will come upon you. Or otherwise, because some are active and others contemplative; hence both are signified by these two men.

1896. But amen I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. But how can it be that everything should come on that generation? Is one man punished for another? The son will not bear the iniquity of the father (Ezek 18:20). How then can all this come on this generation?

Jerome solves it, saying that it is a custom in Scripture that the whole generation of the good is taken for one generation, of which it says, the generation of the righteous will be blessed (Ps 111:2). About the generation of the bad, it says above, an evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign (Matt 12:39). Chrysostom speaks this way: some men sin, but God does not immediately punish them; hence, is he angry every day? (Ps 7:12). But some are never corrected when they sin, but grow worse and worse; but evil men and seducers will grow worse and worse (2 Tim 3:13); and then the Lord waits until their malice is complete. Hence these men, in whom malice will be completed, carry the weight of the whole as regards temporal punishment, yet as regards eternal punishment each man bears his own. Hence, what will be seen will be so great because it is suffered for all; hence Exodus says that this sin will be kept until the day of retribution (Exod 32:34). As there was a fullness of goods for those who believe in Christ, so a fullness of evils for those who killed Christ; so he says, all these things will come upon this generation.

1897. But what is this punishment? The destruction of the city of Jerusalem. And because he meant to speak about the overthrow of the city, he turned himself toward the city, saying, Jerusalem, Jerusalem. And

first, he sets out the crime;

second, he remembers benefits;

third, he foretells the punishment.

The second is at how often would I have gathered together your children . . . and you would not? The third, at behold, your house will be left to you, desolate.

1898. He says therefore, Jerusalem, Jerusalem; and this repetition indicates the affection of one who feels compassion; hence Luke says that seeing the city, he wept over it (Luke 19:41). You which kill the prophets; which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? (Acts 7:52). And he says, you which kill, not you who have killed, because they were still persisting in malice. This is that Jerusalem of which it says, this is Jerusalem, I have set her in the midst of the nations, and the countries round about her. And she has despised my judgments (Ezek 5:5–6). They could excuse themselves: we did not have anyone who spoke to us; so he says, and stones those who are sent to you. Hence I sent prophets and many aids, and you did not acknowledge them.

1899. How often would I have gathered together your children, as the hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not? In this is indicated the perpetuity of his divinity, in accordance with what he himself says, before Abraham was made, I am (John 8:58). Hence Christ himself sent the prophets, the patriarchs, and the angels. Whenever he sent someone, he would have gathered together. Those who are converted to the Lord are gathered together, for in him sinners are united; those who are separated from unity are dispersed. Hence, I have gathered together your children, as the hen gathers her chickens under her wings. It is said that there is no animal so compassionate to chicks as the hen. The hen defends them from the kite, and exposes her life for them, and gathers them under her wings. In the same way, Christ has pity on us: surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows (Isa 53:4). Likewise, he exposed himself to the kite, i.e., to the devil; while I am yet living, and going in with you, you have always been rebellious against the Lord (Deut 31:27).

1900. On the contrary. The Lord willed, and these men did not will: therefore their evil will was more powerful than God’s will.

Hence it must be said: as often as I willed, I have done; but with you unwilling, I did as I did; hence your will set up an impediment so that I did not do it. Or, that he sent the prophets was a sign that he willed to gather together and you would not.

1901. Then there follows the punishment: behold, your house will be left to you, desolate. The whole people was honored because of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem because of the temple; this is why it says, your house will be left, i.e., the temple, or dwelling-place. Let their habitation be made desolate (Ps 68:26). Or, a house is called desolate when it lacks its proper inhabitant; the Lord is in his holy temple (Ps 10:5). Hence, to leave is said through inhabitance; therefore, you will not see me from now, because I was with you by the power of the divinity, and afterwards I was with you bodily, but I will withdraw from you. But your house is already left deserted, you will not see me henceforth, neither bodily, namely after the passion, nor spiritually.

1902. But is it true that no Jews saw him, while yet many were converted to him?

For this reason he says, till you say: blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, for when you acknowledge me, then you will see by faith. Or in another way, he points to the second coming in a hidden way: they saw him in the body, but they did not have that vision until the second coming, in which you will be able to speak, and you will recognize that I am the blessed . . . who comes in the name of the Lord.