Lecture 5 — The light of the world

^5:14^ You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. [n. 458]

^5:15^ Neither do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but upon a lampstand, that it may shine to all who are in the house. [n. 459]

^5:16^ So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. [n. 462]

^5:17^ Do not think that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. [n. 463]

458. A city . . . cannot be hidden. The city was the congregation of believers, namely, that very gathering of the apostles: glorious things are said of you, city of God (Ps 87:3). But it was situated on a mountain, namely, in Christ: the mountain of the house of the Lord (Isa 2:2); a stone was cut out of a mountain (Dan 2:34). Or, on a mountain, that is, in the perfection of justice: your justice like the mountains (Ps 36:6). But a city situated on a mountain cannot be hidden, and so it is with the apostles.

Chrysostom: if men in the lowest station should sin, they can escape notice, but if those in the highest station do, they cannot escape notice: the eyes of all Israel are upon you (1 Kgs 1:20). Hilary explains it another way, and the meaning is about the same: the city on a mountain is Christ, for on the part of his human nature in which he shares with us, he is the city: I have made you this day a fortified city (Jer 1:18); he is on the mountain because he is in divinity which is the mountain: the mountain of God is a fat mountain (Ps 68:15). And therefore Christ could not remain hidden: and thus you, apostles, should not hide me.

459. According to that neither do men light, as it were: ‘let us define what might remain hidden, although you should not hide yourselves.’ For no one receiving a benefit should do something against the intention of the one giving it. God gave you knowledge so that you might share it: as every man has received grace (1 Pet 4:9–11). And this is neither do men light a lamp, men indeed, or the Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit. By lamp can be understood first the Gospel teaching: a lamp to my feet (Ps 119:105), for a lamp has light as part of it; the light of truth is set down in Sacred Scripture, but it is lit by the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Or by lamp the apostles can be understood, in the fact that the light of grace is brought in to them: John . . . was a burning and a shining light (John 5:35); I have prepared a lamp for my anointed (Ps 132:17). Or by lamp can mean Christ, for just as a lamp is a light in a clay jar, so is his divinity in his humanity: you are my lamp (2 Sam 22:29).

460. If lamp is taken in this way, we can understand three things by bushel. First, according to Augustine, corporeal things, for two reasons: first, because a bushel is a measure, you will have a just and a true weight (Deut 25:15)); but what we do in the body will be rendered back to us: for we must all be manifested before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the proper things of the body (2 Cor 5:10). Or because all bodies are subject to measure, but divine things are infinite, since they are outside measure. Therefore, they set the lamp under a bushel who suit their teaching to temporal convenience, hence it is costly. Against which the Apostle says, we never came with words of flattery (1 Thess 2:5). In the second way, according to Chrysostom, secular men are called a bushel basket, for they are empty above and solid below: for above they are frenzied because they perceive nothing from the Holy Spirit: the sensual man perceives not these things that are of the Spirit of God (1 Cor 2:14); but below, namely in secular affairs, they are wise: the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light (Luke 16:8); and that is the more literal exposition. Therefore according to this a lamp is set under a bushel when the teaching is hidden in worldly fear: who are you that you should fear from a man? (Isa 51:12); I labor even unto chains (2 Tim 2:9). But if by the lamp is understood Gospel teaching or Christ, then the bushel can be understood as the synagogue: for Christ did not become incarnate in order to remain hidden in Judea, but so that he might reveal himself to the whole world, I have given you to be the light of the Gentiles (Isa 49:6).

461. But upon a lampstand. This is explained in three ways, for by the lampstand can be meant the body, and by the lamp, the Gospel teaching; hence the same thing is meant by the bushel and the lampstand, as it were: the Gospel teaching should not be subjected to temporal things, but they should administer all things to themselves: hence when you give things, your body and even your life up to death for the love of Christ, then you set your lamp upon a lampstand. Or, by the lampstand is understood a church, for those who are lamps are placed in high places, as the lamp shining upon the holy lampstand (Sir 26:22). But if lamp is understood to mean Christ, then the lampstand means the cross: through the blood of his cross (Col 1:20).

462. That it may shine to all. This is also explained in three ways. By the house can be understood the Church: so that you may know how you ought to behave in the house of God, which is the Church (1 Tim 3:15). Or the house is the whole world, for every house is built (Heb 3:4).

Following is set down how they should make themselves known. And first he sets down the mode, for they must shine before men, enlightening them: but to me, the least among all the saints is given this grace to preach among the gentiles (Eph 3:8); and the order, so that men may see: show me your faith without works and I will show you, by works, my faith (Jas 2:18); the end, for it is not for the sake of their own glory: for we are not as many, adulterating the word of God (2 Cor 2:17), and that is: and glorify: for on account of the glory of God we should do good works so that God might be glorified in a good life: whether you eat or drink . . . do all for the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31).

463. Do not think. Note here that the Lord has fulfilled the law in five ways: first, because he himself fulfilled those things that were prefigured: what is written must be fulfilled in me (Luke 22:37); second, by observing legal things: when the fullness of time was come, God sent his son (Gal 4:4); third, by working through grace, namely in sanctifying by the Holy Spirit, which the law was unable to do: God has done what was impossible to the law (Rom 8:3); fourth, by satisfying for the sins by which we had been made transgressors of the law: hence having borne the transgression, he fulfilled the law: *whom God proposed to be a propitiation (*Rom 3:25); fifth, by applying certain perfections to the law which either related to the understanding of the law, or to a greater perfection of justice. Note that there are three ways of doing away with the law: either by completely denying it, or by explaining it wrongly, or by not fulfilling its morals.