ACC ~ Luke 12 v4 - 7

IMITATING THE FAITH OF THE ANCESTORS

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: To put it in another light, as being his friends, we should not fear death but rather imitate the faith of the holy ancestors. When he was tempted, the patriarch Abraham offered his only-begotten son Isaac, considering that God was able to raise him up even from the dead. [1] What terror of death can assail us, now that life has abolished death? [2] Christ is the resurrection and the life. [3] COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 87. [4]

[1] Heb 11:19.

[2] 2 Tim 1:10.

[3] Jn 11:25.

[4] CGSL 353**.

FEAR THE ONE WHO CAN KILL THE BODY

ORIGEN: Notice that this commandment is not given to Jesus’ servants but to his friends. [1] “Do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.” The One to fear is he “who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” [2] He alone, “after he has killed,” has “power to throw into hell.” He throws into hell those who fear those who kill the body and do not fear “him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell.” We may suppose that no matter who else has the hair of his head numbered, the verse is obviously true of those who are cut off for Jesus. We will confess the Son of God before people and not before gods, that he who is confessed may confess us in turn before God and his Father, and confess in heaven the one who confessed him on earth. EXHORTATION TO MARTYRDOM 34. [3]

[1] Jn 15:15.

[2] Mt 10:28.

[3] OSW 64:66*.

NO HAIR LOSS IN THE WORLD TO COME

AUGUSTINE: When our Lord said, “not a hair,” he was not thinking of length but of the number of hairs, as we see from these words, “The hairs of your head are numbered.” I still think that nothing that was a natural part of the body should be lost. Ugly outgrowths, which have the purpose of reminding us of the penal condition of mortal life, will be integrated into the substance as a whole so that no deformity will appear in any one part. After all, a human artist can make a botch of a statue and then reshape it into beauty without a loss of any of his material. It is not a matter of chiseling away some paticular part that was ugly or out of proportion. He can break down and remold the same mass of material so that nothing but the blemish disappears. Of course, the omnipotent Artist can do this even better. There is no deformity of any human body, whether normal, exceptional or even monstrous, which he cannot so eliminate as to leave the total substance intact, while the ugliness disappears. Such outgrowths are not out of place among the other miseries of temporal existence, but they are incompatible with the happiness of the saints in the life to come. CITY OF GOD 22.19. [1]

[1] FC 24:468-69*.

COMFORT FOR THOSE WHO DOUBT GOD’S PROVIDENCE IN CHRIST

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: To bestow yet another means of comfort on our minds, he forcibly added that five sparrows are scarcely perhaps worth a penny, and yet God does not forget even one of them. He also said that the separate hairs of your head are all numbered. Consider how great care he takes of those that love him. The Preserver of the universe extends his aid to things so worthless and descends to the smallest animals. How can he forget those who love him, especially when he takes so great care of them? He condescends to visit them, to know exactly each particular of their state, and even how many are the hairs of their heads. …

Let us not doubt that with a rich hand he will give his grace to those who love him. He will not permit us to fall into temptation. If, by his wise purpose he permits us to be taken in the snare in order that we may gain glory by suffering, he will most assuredly grant us the power to bear it. COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 87. [1]

[1] CGSL 353-54**.