ACC ~ Mark 10 v19

COMMANDS THAT LEAD TO LIFE

AUGUSTINE: The rich man asked the good teacher what he should do to gain eternal life. [1] He regarded the good teacher as a man and nothing more (as distinct from the assumption that He is good as God incarnate). Hear the good teacher respond to him: if he wishes to enter into life, he should keep the commandments; that he should remove from himself the bitterness of malice and wickedness; that he should not kill, or commit adultery, or steal, or bear false witness, in order that dry land [2] may appear and bring forth the honor of mother and father and the love of our neighbor. [3] CONFESSIONS 13.19. [4]

[1] Cf. Mt 19:16; Mk 10:17; Lk 18:18.

[2] The allusion is to the dry land of the exodus (cf. Ex 14:29). Augustine’s reference to dry land is illumined by his earlier comment in the Confessions: “before the Lord says to us: Wash yourselves clean, spare me the sight of your busy wickedness, of your wrong-doing take farewell [Is 1:16-18], so that the dry land may appear.” See Augustine, Confessions (New York: Penguin, 1961), 326 (13.19). Cf. Neh 9:11; Ps 66:6; Heb 11:29.

[3] Cf. Mt 19:17-19; Mk 10:19; Lk 18:20.

[4] Cetedoc 0251, 13.19.6; FC 21:429**.

Mk