The disciple is not above his teacher, nor the servant above his lord.
Read Chapter 10
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
The disciple is not above If we therefore are disciples of Christ, we ought to embrace with joy, opprobrious and evil language, willingly receive and bear with patience all those things which our noble Lord and Master underwent for us. But if we will not bear these things with patience, how shall we dare to call ourselves his followers, his disciples, his servants, his children, or his domestics. (St. Augustine)
Ord.: As much as to say, Be not indignant that ye suffer things, which I also suffer, because I am your lord, who do what I will, and your master, who teach you what I know to be profitable for you.
For the Lord, the Light eternal, the Captain of the faithful, the Parent of immortality, set before His disciples this solace of the sufferings that should come upon them, that we should embrace it as our glory when we are made like toour Lord in suffering; whence He says, “The disciple is not above his master, nor the slave above his lord.”
See how He discovers Himself to be the Lord and God and Creator of all things. What then? Is there not any disciple above his Master, or servant above his Lord? So long as he is a disciple, and a servant, he is not, by the nature of that honor. For tell me not here of the rare instances, but take the principle from the majority. And He says not, How much more His servants, but them of His household, to show how very near He felt them to be to Him. And elsewhere too He said, Henceforth I call you not servants; you are my friends. And He said not, If they have insulted the Master of the house, and calumniated Him; but states also the very form of the insult, that they called Him Beelzebub.
Then He gives also another consolation, not inferior to this: for this indeed is the greatest; but because for them who were not yet living strictly, there was need also of another, such as might have special power to refresh them, He states it likewise. And the saying seems indeed in form to be an ...
Because it should come to pass that His disciples among their other persecutions should suffer loss of character, which to many is the most grievous of all calamities, He consoles them from His own example, and those things that were spoken of Him; a comfort to which no other can be compared.
Understand, so long as he is a disciple or servant, he is not above his master or lord by the nature of honour. And do not here object to me such cases as rarely happen, but receive this according to the common course of things.
He said not here, ‘slaves,’ but “those of his household,” to show how dear they were to Him; as elsewhere He said, “I will not call you slaves, but my friends.” .
And He says not only, If they have reviled the master of the house, but expresses the very words of railing, for they had called Him Beelzebub.
He calls Himself master and lord; by disciple and servant He denotes His Apostles.
And because this sentence seemed not to agree with the foregoing words, Heshews what they mean by adding, “If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more they of his household?”.
As much as to say, Ye therefore will not seek worldly honours and human glory, while you see me pursuing the redemption of mankind through mocking and contumely.
