Translated by Qwen.
On the Errors of the Foolish and the Plot Against the Just One (Christological Exposition of Wisdom 2)
Introductory Note by the Author
"Opposites placed side by side become more clearly known." The author of this volume, having first presented a chapter containing wisdom teachings and intending to treat the subject more fully below, here interposes a chapter concerning the errors and sins of the foolish, saying:
Wisdom 2:1 "The impious said, reasoning among themselves—not rightly, that is, from perverse and faithless thought—they spoke unfaithful words [cf. Matt. 12:34], false words, because 'out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks,' and the things expressed in speech are signs and marks of the soul's conceptions and affections. Therefore, as the man is, so is his speech.
'Brief and wearisome is our time'—that is, short and mingled with weariness and afflictions—just as holy Job also declares [Job 14:1]: 'Man, born of woman, living for a brief time, is filled with many miseries.' Paul likewise writes [2 Cor. 4:17]: 'For that which is at present is momentary and light of our tribulation.'
'And there is no refreshment at the end of man'—that is, no rest or reward after death, nor, at the moment of death, does any hope of another life remain.
In accordance with this, the voice of such persons is represented through the unfaithful in Ecclesiastes [Eccl. 3:19]: 'One is the destruction of man and of beasts, and equal is the condition of both; man has nothing more than the beast.' And again Scripture records [Isa. 22:13]: 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die.'
'And no one known to have returned from the underworld.' As if they were to say: Nothing certain is known about the other life.
These impious ones easily persuade themselves of this, not considering the narratives of Sacred Scripture, the legends of the Saints, in which many are recorded as having been raised from the dead—indeed, even some who, having died among mortals and experienced the punishments of purgatory and hell, returned and narrated to the living what they had seen and perceived [cf. Mark 5; Luke 16; various hagiographical accounts].
Christological Exposition: The Plot Against the Just One (Wisdom 2:10-20).
Wisdom 2:12 "Let us lie in wait for the just one"
Therefore, interpreting this concerning Christ, this is the sense: "Let us lie in wait for the just one"—that is, for Jesus; "let us deceive him," because they laid many ambushes for him and frequently watched for opportunities, sending certain ones to seize him [cf. Luke sermon narratives].
And although Jesus, knowing all things, could not be deceived, nevertheless they presumed they could deceive him as a mere man, similar to others. Whence the Savior says in the Psalm [Ps. 34:7; 63:5]: "Because gratuitously they have hidden for me destruction, the snare of their... They have told so that they might hide the snares; they said: 'Who shall see them?'"
And although it is said here from their perspective, "Let us lie in wait for the just one," they themselves did not consider nor name Jesus as "just." But because he was most truly just, therefore, looking to the reality itself, the Scripture says "Let us lie in wait for the just one," since he concerning whom they thus deliberated was supremely just.
Similarly, in the Apocalypse, the ministers of the Antichrist are read as about to say: "Who is like the beast?" [Rev. 13:4]—although they will actually mean "Who is like Christ?" But because the one whom they will receive in place of Christ will be most bestial, therefore, looking to the reality, they are prophesied to say "Who is like the beast?"
Wisd 2:12 cont. Wisd 2:13"He is useless to us"
"He is useless to us"—insofar as it depended on them, Christ was most useful and salutary for them, instructing them by doctrines, examples, and miracles, and charitably correcting and advising them. But he was "useless" to them with respect to their perverse end in riches and honors, since Christ condemned these, commending humility and poverty by example and word.
In this manner it is narrated in 2 Kings [2 Sam. 17:14] that the counsel of Ahithophel was useful to Absalom and his followers, though it was most wicked.
"He opposes our works" (v. 14-15)
"And he opposes our works"—because his works were most holy, while theirs were most depraved.
"And he reproaches us with transgressions of the Law"—that is, he imputes and objects against us the sins which we commit against the Law of Moses, or sends us away [cf. John 8], as is copiously narrated in the Gospel.
"And he defames among us the sins of our discipline"—that is, he publicly rebukes us concerning certain statutes and regular observances, asserting them to be vicious and contrary to the divine law. Indeed, in the Gospel he says [Matt. 15:6; Mark 7:9]: "Well do you make void the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition," and again: "Why do you transgress the commandment of God that you may keep your tradition?"
Wis 2:13 "He promises that he has knowledge of God"
"He promises"—that is, he firmly asserts that he possesses knowledge of God, indeed that he is equal to God the Father in knowledge, saying [John 11:27; 7:28-29]: "No one knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone know the Father except the Son... My doctrine is not mine, but his who sent me... He is true who sent me, whom you do not know; but I know him, and if I should say that I do not know him, I shall be like you, a liar."
"And he calls himself the Son of God"—indeed, the natural, only-begotten Son, consubstantial [with the Father], saying [John 10:30; 17:24]: "I and the Father are one," and again: "The Father, what he has given me, is greater than all." Whence again in John it is recorded [John 5:17]: "My Father works until now, and I work." Therefore the Jews persecuted Jesus, because not only did he break the Sabbath, but he also called God his Father, making himself equal to God [John 10:36]. And elsewhere: "Him whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world, you say, 'You blaspheme,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God.'"
Wis 2:14 "He has become a burden to our very thoughts"
"He has become for us a refutation of our thoughts"—that is, not only did he rebuke and expose our external sins, but he also manifested the secret vices of our thoughts, according to that word [Matt. 9:4]: "When Jesus saw their thoughts, he said..." And elsewhere it is written [John 2:25]: "He had no need that anyone should bear witness concerning man, for he himself knew what was in man."
Wis 2:15 "He is grievous even to look upon"
"He is grievous to us even to behold"—on account of the rancor and displeasure which we have conceived against him, because his life is unlike that of others: in all things, without respect of persons, he zealously contends for truth, fears no one, spares no one.
"And his ways are changed"—that is, his actions, instructions, and institutions are unlike those of others. For just as similarity is a cause of union and complacency, so dissimilarity produces aversion and displeasure; and truth [when unwelcome] produces hatred.
Such scandals, however, are passive and "taken," not active and "given."
Wis 2:16 "We are considered as base by him"
"As base men we were considered by him"—that is, as vain, foolish, and false we were esteemed by him. Whence he speaks to them in the Gospel [John 8:44, 47, 54-55]: "You are of your father the devil... and in your sin you will die. He who is of God hears the words of God; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God... It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say that he is your God, and you have not known him; but I know him, and if I should say that I do not know him, I shall be like you, a liar."
"And he abstains from our ways as from uncleanness"—that is, from our works and traditions, as from impurities.
"And he prefers the final end of the just"—that is, he proclaims, praises, and sets before all present the final goods and rewards to be given to the just as their recompense, saying [Matt. 13:43; 25:46]: "The just shall shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father... The just shall go into life eternal... And they shall be like the angels of God," and many similar things.
"He boasts that he has God for his Father"
"And he boasts that he has God for his Father"—as has already been made clear. And this boasting was holy and true, not vain and false. See verse 13 above on "and he calls himself the Son of God."
Wis 2:17 "Let us see therefore if his words be true"—that is, let us inquire through the evidence of effects whether his words are true.
"And let us test what shall happen to him"—that is, let us endeavor to know experimentally what things will come to him amid the adversities inflicted upon him, that is, what shall finally befall him.
Wis 2:18 "For if he be truly the Son of God, he will defend him"—the Father will receive him, defending and hearing him, "and will deliver him from the hands of his adversaries"—that is, his enemies.
Augustine's Insight on the Jews' Reasoning
The Acumen of the Jewish Leaders
This, according to Augustine, was the entire acumen of the Jews: For they saw Jesus working many and most splendid miracles, leading a great crowd after him, and preaching contempt for all earthly things. And thus they saw their own principality—which they most eagerly coveted—being taken away by him. Therefore the chief priests and Pharisees gathered a council and said [John 11:47-48]: "What do we? For this man works many signs. If we let him thus, all will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our place and nation."
Thus on one hand they feared to let him go; on the other hand they feared to kill one working so many and such great wonders. Therefore they devised this middle course: that through adversities and most bitter torments they might test whether he truly was the Son of God, saying: "If he is the true Son of God, the Father will not permit him to be killed, but will rescue him from our hands. If he does this, we shall recognize that he is the Son of God and will believe in him. But if he permits him to be killed, it will be clear that he is nothing more than others, and not the true Son of the eternal Father."
To this consideration of Blessed Augustine the evangelical truth agrees: for when Christ was hanging on the cross, they said [Matt. 27:42; Luke 23:35]: "If he is the King of Israel... If this is the Christ, the Elect of God, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him."
Moreover, as Augustine testifies, they wished to appear immune from the death of Christ; for which reason they delivered him to Pilate that he might be adjudged to death by him, they only accusing. But when Pilate refused to do this, stirred by their own envy they were compelled and importunately demanded his crucifixion [Matt. 27:23]. Hence also they are read as saying to the Apostles [Acts 5:28]: "You have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and you wish to bring the blood of this man upon us!" As if to say: We are immune from his blood, whom the governor crucified through his ministers, and whom his own disciple betrayed.
The following words agree with these things.
Wis 2:19 "With insult and torture let us examine him"—that is, by inflicting upon him reproaches and torments, let us inquire and search out whether he is the Son of God and to be rescued from our hands; "that we may know his reverence"—that is, whether he truly is to be honored as the Son of God and the Messianic King; "and let us test his patience"—whether, namely, he fulfills in deed what he taught others concerning the showing of patience.
Wis 2:20 "Let us condemn him to a most shameful death"—that is, let us procure that he be adjudged to the gibbet, which was the most shameful death under the Law, according to that word of Deuteronomy [Deut. 21:23]: "Cursed is he who hangs on a tree."
As if they were to say: God the Father will by no means permit so most ignominious a death to be inflicted upon his Son. Therefore they add:
"For there will be regard had of his words"—that is, from his words we shall perceive and weigh what truth he possesses; because if we are able to extinguish him, we shall recognize that he falsely called himself the Son of God.
Wis 2:21 These things the aforesaid wicked ones thought, and they erred—since the passion of Christ was most openly foretold in the Prophets. Therefore their reasoning had no consequence at all: "If this is the Christ, let him come down from the cross," and "If he is the Son of God, he will deliver him from the hands of his adversaries." Indeed, if the Father had not permitted him to be killed, it would have followed that he was not the Christ, the Son of God, concerning whom it had been predicted that he would be killed and by his passion redeem the world.
"For their malice blinded them"—that is, the envy, impatience, bitterness, indignation, and pride which they had conceived against Christ so blinded them that the more and greater miracles he worked, the more gloriously he preached and showed himself to be the Christ, the more they were tormented; and they interpreted all things for the worse, ascribing them to the prince of demons [Matt. 12:24]. And that probable knowledge which they had for a time concerning Christ was, after these most wicked passions, extinguished and obscured.
Wis 2:22 "And they knew not the mysteries of God"—that is, his secret mysteries and counsels concerning the manner of saving the human race through the oblation of Christ; "nor did they hope for the reward of justice"—that is, eternal happiness to be repaid for acts of justice.
For it is certain that these impious Jews did not possess formed hope, which proceeds from the grace of God and good works. "Nor did they esteem the honor of holy souls"—that is, they did not recognize through formed faith, nor discern how gloriously holy souls are to be crowned by God; but they weighed only temporal things.
CONTINUE
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