CHAP. XX.
1. The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early,
when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away
from the sepulchre.
2. Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the
other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away
the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
3. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple,
and came to the sepulchre.
4. So they ran both together: and. the other disciple did
outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.
5. And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen
clothes lying: yet went he not in.
6. Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into
the sepulchre, and seeing the linen clothes lie,
7. And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with
the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
8. Then went in also that other disciple, which came first
to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.
9. For as yet they knew not the Scripture, that he must
rise again from the dead.
10. Then the disciples went away again unto their own
home.
CHRYS. The Sabbath being now over, during which it was unlawful to be
there, Mary Magdalene could rest no longer, but came very early in the
morning, to seek consolation at the grave: The first day of the week
cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre. [Hom.
lxxxv.]
AUG. Mary
Magdalene, undoubtedly the most fervent in love, of all the women that
ministered to our Lord; so that John deservedly mentions her only, and says
nothing of the others who were with her, as we know from the other
Evangelists. [de Con. Evang. iii. 24.]
AUG. Una
sabbati is the day which Christians call the Lord's day, after our
Lord's resurrection. Matthew calls it prima sabbati. [Tr. cxx.]
BEDE. Una
sabbati, i.e. one day after the sabbath.
THEOPHYL. Or
thus: The Jews called the days of the week sabbath, and the first day,
one of the sabbaths, which day is a type of the life to come; for that
life will be one day not cut short by any night, since God is the sun there,
a sun which never sets. On this day then our Lord rose again, with an
incorruptible body, even as we in the life to come shall put on
incorruption.
AUG. What Mark
says, Very early in the morning, at the rising of the sun, does not
contradict John's words, when it was yet dark. [Mark 16, 1.] At
the dawn of day, there are yet remains of darkness, which disappear as the
light. breaks in. We must not understand Mark's words, Very early in the
morning, at the rising of the sun, to mean that the sun was above the
horizon, but rather what we ourselves ordinarily mean by the phrase, when we
want any thing to be done very early, we say at the rising of the sun, i.e.
some time before the sun is risen. [de Con. Evang. iii. 24.]
GREG. It is
well said, When it was yet dark: Mary was seeking the Creator of all
things in the tomb, and because she found Him not, thought He was stolen.
Truly it was yet dark when she came to the sepulchre. And seeth the
stone taken away from the sepulchre. [Hom. xxii. in Evang.]
AUG. Now took
place what Matthew only relates, the earthquake, and rolling away of the
stone, and fright of the guards. [de Con. Evang. iii. 24.]
CHRYS. Our
Lord rose while the stone and seal were still on the sepulchre. But as it
was necessary that others should be certified of this, the sepulchre is
opened after the resurrection, and so the fact confirmed. This it was which
roused Mary. For when she saw the stone taken away, she entered not nor
looked in, but ran to the disciples with all the speed of love. But as yet
she knew nothing for certain about the resurrection, but thought that His
body had been carried off. [Hom. lxxxv.]
GLOSS. And therefore she ran to tell the disciples, that they
might seek Him with her, or grieve with her: Then she runneth, and cometh
to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved.
AUG. This is
the way in which he usually mentions himself. Jesus loved all, but him in
an especial and familiar way. And saith unto them, They have taken away
the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid Him. [Tr.
cxx.]
GREG. She puts
the part for the whole; she had come only to seek for the body of our Lord,
and now she laments that our Lord, the whole of Him, is taken away. [iii.
Mor. ix.]
AUG. Some of
the Greek copies have, taken away my Lord, which is more expressive of love,
and of the feeling of an handmaiden. But only a few have this reading. [Tr.
cxx.]
CHRYS. The
Evangelist does not deprive the woman of this praise, nor leaves out from
shame, that they had the news first from her. As soon as they hear it, they
hasten to the sepulchre. [Hom. lxxxv.]
GREG. But Peter and John before the others, for they loved most;
Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the
sepulchre. [Hom. xxii. in Evang.]
THEOPHYL. But
how came they to the sepulchre, while the soldiers were guarding it an easy
question to answer, After our Lord's resurrection and the earthquake, and
the appearance of the angel at the sepulchre, the guards withdrew, and told
the Pharisees what had happened.
AUG. After saying, come to the sepulchre, he goes back and tells us how
they came: So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun
Peter, and came first to the sepulchre; meaning himself, but he always
speaks of himself, as if he were speaking of another person. [Tr. cxx.]
CHRYS. On coming he sees the linen clothes set aside: And he
stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying. But he
makes no further search: yet went he not in. Peter on the other hand, being
of a more fervid temper, pursued the search, and examined every thing:
Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the
sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie, and the napkin, that was about
His head , not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place
by itself. Which circumstances were proof of His resurrection. For had
they carried Him away, they would not have stripped Him; nor, if any had
stolen Him, would they have taken the trouble to wrap up the napkin, and put
it in a place by itself, apart from the linen clothes; but would have taken
away the body as it was. John mentioned the myrrh first of all, for this
reason, i.e. to shew you that He could not have been stolen away. For myrrh
would make the linen adhere to the body, and so caused trouble to the
thieves, and they would never have been so senseless as to have taken this
unnecessary pains about the matter. After Peter however, John
entered: Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to
the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed. [Hom. lxxxv.]
AUG. i.e. That Jesus had risen again, some think: but what follows
contradicts this notion. He saw the sepulchre empty, and believed what the
woman had said: For as yet they knew not the Scripture, that He must rise
again from the dead. If he did not yet know that He must rise again
from the dead, he could not believe that He had risen. They had heard as
much indeed from our Lord, and very openly, but they were so accustomed to
hear parables from Him, that they took this for a parable, and thought He
meant something else. [Tract. cxxii.]
GREG. But this
account of the Evangelist [tam subtilis] must not be thought to be
without some mystical meaning. By John, the younger of the two, the
synagogue; by Peter, the elder, the Gentile Church is represented: for
though the synagogue was before the Gentile Church as regards the worship of
God, as regards time the Gentile world was before the synagogue. They ran
together, because the Gentile world ran side by side with the synagogue from
first to last, in respect of purity and community of life, though a purity
and community of understanding [pari sensu] they had not. The
synagogue came first to the sepulchre, but entered not: it knew the
commandments of the law, and had heard the prophecies of our Lord's
incarnation and death, but would not believe in Him who died. Then
cometh Simon Peter, and entered into the sepulchre: the Gentile Church
both knew Jesus Christ as dead man, and believed in Him as living God. The
napkin about our Lord's head is not found with the linen clothes, i.e. God,
the Head of Christ, and the incomprehensible mysteries of the Godhead are
removed from our poor knowledge; His power transcends the nature of the
creature. And it is found not only apart, but also wrapped together;
because of the linen wrapped together, neither beginning nor end is seen;
and the height of the Divine nature had neither beginning nor end. And it
is into one place: for where there is division, God is not; and they
merit His grace, who do not occasion scandal by dividing themselves into
sects. But as a napkin is what is used in labouring to wipe the sweat of
the brow, by the napkin here we may understand the labour of God: which
napkin is found apart, because the suffering of our Redeemer is far
removed from ours; inasmuch as He suffered innocently, that which we suffer
justly; He submitted Himself to death voluntarily, we by necessity. But
after Peter entered, John entered too; for at the end of the world even
Judaea shall be gathered in to the true faith. [Hom. xxii. in Evang.]
THEOPHYL. Or
thus: Peter is practical and prompt, John contemplative and intelligent, and
learned in divine things. Now the contemplative man is generally beforehand
in knowledge and intelligence, but the practical by his fervour and activity
gets the advance of the other's perception, and sees first into the divine
mystery.
GREG, Mary Magdalene, who had been the sinner in the city, and who had
washed out the spots of her sins by her tears, whose soul burned with love,
did not retire from the sepulchre when the others did: Then the disciples
went away again unto their own home. [Hom. xxv. in Evang.]
AUG. i.e. To
the place where they were lodging, and from which they had ran to the
sepulchre. But though the men returned, the stronger love of the woman
fixed her to the spot, But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping. [Tr.
cxxi. 1.]
