And when they came to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
Read Chapter 17
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
And when he was come. Peter, by wishing to remain on the holy mount, preferred his own gratification to the good of many. But true charity seeketh not its own advantage only; what therefore appeared good to Peter, did not appear so to Christ, who descends from the mountain, as from his high throne in heaven, to visit man. (Origen)
This man the Scripture signifies to be exceedingly weak in faith; and this is many ways evident; from Christ's saying, All things are possible to him that believes; Mark 9:23 from the saying of the man himself that approached, Help my unbelief: Mark 9:24 from Christ's commanding the devil to enter no more into him; Mark 9:25 and from the man's saying again to Christ, If You can. Mark 9:22 Yet if his unbelief was the cause, it may be said, that the devil went not out, why does He blame the disciples? Signifying, that even without persons to bring the sick in faith, they might in many instances work a cure. For as the faith of the person presenting oftentimes availed for receiving the cure, even from inferior ministers; so the power of the doers oftentimes sufficed, even without belief in those who came to work the miracle.
And both these things are signified in the Scripture. For both they of the company of Cornelius by their faith drew unto themselves the grace of the Spirit; and in...
That this man is exceedingly faithless is clear from the words which Christ spoke in reply to him, O faithless generation, and from the fact that the man himself blamed the disciples. The moon was not the cause, but rather, the demon would take note when the moon was full, and then would set upon his victim, so that men would blaspheme the created works of God as maleficent. You, then, O reader, understand that it is a foolish man that changes as the moon, as it is written [Sirach 27:11], at times waxing great in virtue, at other times waning and vanishing altogether. Then the foolish man becomes deranged and falls down into the fire of anger and lust, and into water, that is, the waves of the many cares of life, in which Leviathan the devil dwells, he who reigns over the waters. For are not the cares of the rich like waves that follow each other in quick succession?
