ACC ~ Luke 17 v26 - 33
JUDGMENT WILL COME SUDDENLY
CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: To show that he will appear unexpectedly and with no one knowing it, the Lord says that the end of the world will come and be as it was in the days of Noah and Lot. He says, “They were eating and drinking, and were taking wives and being made the wives of men. They were selling and buying and building,” but the coming of the waters destroyed the one, while the others were the prey and food of fire and brimstone. What does this signify? It signifies that he requires us to be always watchful and ready to make our defense before the tribunal of God. COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 117. [1]
[1] CGSL 469**.
THE FLOOD WAS BAPTISM FOR BELIEVERS, DEATH FOR UNBELIEVERS
AUGUSTINE: In the days of Noah this preaching to them was futile because they did not believe when the patience of God waited for them for many years in which the ark was built. Its building was in a sense a kind of preaching. In the same way today, their imitators do not believe. They are shut up in the darkness of ignorance. They are like in a prison, looking in vain on the church being built throughout the whole world. Judgment threatens them as did the flood in which all the unbelievers perished. The Lord says, “As in the days of Noah, so will it be also in the days of the Son of man. They were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.” Since this signified a future event, the flood also signified baptism for believers and death for unbelievers. There is also a symbol in what was spoken and not done, where it is written about the stone that signifies Christ. Two effects were foretold. It is a stumbling block for unbelievers and a building for believers. LETTER 164. [1]
[1] FC 20:393**.
LEAVING A SPIRITUAL LIFE FOR A CARNAL ONE
AUGUSTINE: Regarding the saying, “He that is on the housetop, let him not come down to take anything out of his house, and he that is in the field, let him not go back to take his coat,” it can be suitably taken in a spiritual sense. In all our trials, each one must take care not to be overcome or to come down from a spiritual height to a carnal life. He who had progressed should not look back by turning toward the past or failing to reach out to the future. This is true of every trial. How much greater care must be prescribed in a trial such as that foretold for the city as “Such as has not been from the beginning, neither will be”? How much more this is true for that final tribulation which is to come on the world, that is, the church spread through the whole world? LETTER 199.32. [1]
[1] FC 30:381-82**.
THE RICH ARE THOSE ON THE ROOFTOPS
CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: The Savior … was speaking of the last day, that is, the end of this world. … Strengthening them to recall the last day and the end time, he commands them to disregard all earthly and temporary matters and look only to one end, the duty of everyone saving his soul. He says, “He that is on the housetop, do not let him go down to the house to carry away his goods.” In these words, he apparently means the one who is at ease, living in wealth and worldly glory. Those that stand on the housetops are always conspicuous in the eyes of those who are around the house. COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 118. [1]
[1] CGSL 470**.
THOSE WORKING IN THE FIELD ARE SOWING THE WORD OF GOD
AMBROSE: “He that will be on the housetop, do not let him go down. He that will be in the field, do not let him turn back.” How may I understand what is the field unless Jesus himself teaches me? He says, “No one putting his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.” [1] The lazy person sits in the farmhouse, but the industrious person plants in the field. The weak are at the fireplace, but the strong are at the plough. The smell of a field is good, because the smell of Jacob is the smell of a full field. [2] A field is full of flowers. It is full of different fruits. Plough your field if you want to be sent to the kingdom of God. Let your field flower, fruitful with good rewards. Let there be a fruitful vine on the sides of your house and young olive plants around your table. [3] Already aware of its fertility, let your soul, sown with the Word of God and tilled by spiritual farming, say to Christ, “Come, my brother, let us go out into the field.” [4] Let him reply, “I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride. I have gathered my vintage of myrrh.” [5] What is better than the vintage of faith, by which the fruit of the resurrection is stored and the spring of eternal rejoicing is watered? EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 8.43. [6]
[1] Lk 9:62.
[2] Gen 27:27.
[3] Ps 127:3 LXX.
[4] Song 7:11.
[5] Song 5:1.
[6] EHG 347*.
PERSEVERE IN THE FAITH
CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: He says, “Even if anyone is in the field, in the same way, do not let him turn back.” That means if anyone is found devoted to work and occupied in labor, earnestly desiring spiritual fruitfulness and gathering the wages of virtuous toil, let him hold firmly to this diligence. Let him not turn back. As Christ himself has again said somewhere, “No one that puts his hand to the plough and turns back is fit also for the kingdom of heaven.” [1] It is our duty to maintain our religious exertions without wavering and to persevere in them with undaunted wills or else we may suffer the kind of fate that befell the woman at Sodom. We take her as an example because he says, “Remember Lot’s wife. For when she was rescued from Sodom, but would afterward have returned, she became a pillar of salt.” That means she became foolish and stonelike. COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 118. [2]
[1] Lk 9:62.
[2] CGSL 471.
LOT’S WIFE LOOKED BACK AT HER POSSESSIONS
AMBROSE: For this reason, the Lord says, “Remember Lot’s wife,” who because she looked back, lost the function of her own nature. [1] Satan [2] and Sodom are behind. Flee excess and shun extravagance. Know that not everyone can flee to the mountain. Remember that the one who did not return to his old pursuits, as if to Sodom, [3] escaped because he came to the mountain. [4] She, who was weaker since she looked back, could not come to the mountain. She remained, although her husband’s help supported her. EXPOSITION OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 8.45. [5]
[1] Gen 19:26; Wis 10:7.
[2] See 1 Tim 5:15.
[3] Gen 13:10.
[4] Gen 19:30.
[5] EHG 348**.
THE SOUL GOING TOWARD SALVATION MUST NOT LOOK BACKWARD
ORIGEN: “The law is spiritual” [1] and the things that happened to the ancients “happened figuratively.” [2] Let us see if perhaps Lot, who did not look back, is the rational understanding and the courageous soul. His wife here represents the flesh. The flesh always looks to vices. When the soul is going toward salvation, it looks backward and seeks pleasures. Concerning this, the Lord also said, “No man putting his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.” He adds, “Remember Lot’s wife.” The fact that “she became a little statue of salt” appears to be an open indication of her foolishness. Salt represents the wisdom that she lacked. HOMILIES ON GENESIS 5.2. [3]
[1] Rom 7:14.
[2] 1 Cor 10:11 Vulgate.
[3] FC 71:114**.
TO LOSE YOUR LIFE YOU SAVE IT
CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: Whoever loses his life shall certainty save it. This is what the blessed martyrs did, enduring conflicts even to loss of blood and life and placing on their heads as their crown their true love for Christ. Those who, from weakness of resolution and mind, denied the faith and fled from the present death of the body, became their own murderers. They will go down to hell to suffer the penalties of their wicked cowardice. The judge will descend from heaven. He will call those who with all their heart have loved him and earnestly practiced a completely virtuous life, saying, “Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundations of the world.” [1] He will pass a severe and overwhelming sentence on those who have led careless and unrestrained lives or have not maintained the glory of faith in him, saying to them, “Depart, you cursed, into everlasting fire.” COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 118. [2]
[1] Mt 25:34.
[2] CGSL 471**.
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