Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; who have eyes, and see not; who have ears, and hear not:
All Commentaries on Jeremiah 5:21 Go To Jeremiah 5
John Cassian
AD 435
One who does not carefully weigh every word of the opinions uttered cannot rightly discover the value of the assertion. For someone like this, who only possesses skill in disputation and ornaments of speech, cannot penetrate to the very heart of Scripture and the mysteries of its spiritual meanings. True knowledge is acquired only by true worshipers of God. And certainly this people does not possess it to whom it is said, “Hear, O foolish people, you who have no heart, you who have eyes but do not see and who have ears but do not hear.” And again, “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from acting as my priest.” It is said that in Christ “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.” So how can we hold the opinion that someone has acquired spiritual knowledge when that person has not even wanted to find Christ, or, when he does find him, blasphemes him with impious lips or at least defiles the catholic faith by his impure actions? “The Spirit of God will avoid deception and does not live in a body that is subject to sin.” There is then no way of arriving at spiritual knowledge but by this which one of the prophets has accurately described: “Sow to yourselves for righteousness. Reap the hope of life. Enlighten yourselves with the light of knowledge.”
