Jesus said unto them,
My food is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
Read Chapter 4
Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
Jesus saith, &c. Christ here tells the work of preaching, and man"s redemption, His, that Isaiah , His own special and sweetest food, because by it, as by the greatest dainties, He was fed and delighted. So Euthymius says, "The will of the Father, who had sent Him, and His work enjoined upon Christ, is the salvation of men, according to the words, I have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do."
Tropologically, let Christians, and specially preachers, learn from Christ that their spiritual food ought to be obedience and zeal for souls1. Because both sustain the life of the soul2. Because both, like food, cause the powers of the mind to become strong3. Because as food causes a child to grow up to be a perfect Prayer of Manasseh , so do these two virtues make us to grow to a virile state of spiritual strength.
Having wholly torn away the veil from His speech, He shewed them in full translucence the truth, and forthwith introduces Himself as a type unto future teachers of the world, of steadfast and most exceeding excellent zeal, to wit in respect of the duty of teaching, and on this account fitly keeping thought for the needful care of the body secondary. For in saying that it was to Himself most pleasant meat, to do the Will of Him that sent Him and to finish His Work, He limns the office of the Apostolic ministry and clearly shews, what manner of men they ought to be in habit. For it was necessary (as it seems) that they should be strung to taking thought for teaching only, and it behoved them to be so far removed from the pleasure of the body, as at times not even to desire the service necessary for the mere accomplishing its preservation from death.
And let this be said for the present, as tending to the type and pattern of Apostolic polity. But if we must in addition to what has been...
My meat is to do the will of him that sent me. Such ought to be the disposition of every one who, as a minister of Christ and his Church, is to take care of souls. (Witham)
He here calls the salvation of men meat, showing what an earnest desire He has of providing for us; for as we long for food, so He that we may be saved. And hear how in all places He reveals not all off-hand, but first throwes the hearer into perplexity, in order that having begun to seek the meaning of what has been said, and then being perplexed and in difficulty, he may when what he sought appears, receive it the more readily, and be made more attentive to listening. For wherefore said He not at once, My meat is to do the will of My Father? (though not even this would have been clear, yet clearer than the other.) But what says He? I have meat to eat that you know not of; for He desires, as I said, first to make them more attentive through their uncertainty, and by dark sayings like these to accustom them to listen to His words. But what is the will of the Father? He next speaks of this, and explains.
