21. And he said to them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?
22. For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.
23. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
24. And he said to them, Take heed what you hear: with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you: and to you that hear shall more be given.
25. For he that has, to him shall be given: and he that has not, from him shall be taken even that which he has.
CHRYS. After the question of the disciples concerning the parable, and its explanation, He well subjoins, And he said to them, Is a candle brought, &c. As if he said, A parable is given, not that it should remain obscure, and hidden as if under a bed or a bushel, but that it should be manifested to those who are worthy. The candle within us is that of our intellectual nature, and it shines either clearly or obscurely according to the proportion of our illumination. For if meditations which feed the light, and the recollection with which such a light is kindled, are neglected, it is presently extinguished.
PSEUDO-JEROME; Or else the candle is the discourse concerning the three sorts of seed. The bushel or the bed is the hearing of the disobedient. The Apostles are the candlestick, whom the word of the Lord has enlightened; wherefore it goes on, For there is nothing hidden, &c. The hidden and secret thing is the parable of the seed, which comes forth to light, when it is spoken of by the Lord.
THEOPHYL. Or else the Lord warns His disciples to be as light, in their life and conversation; as if He said, As a candle is put so as to give light, so all will look to your life. Therefore be diligent to lead a good life; sit not in corners, but be you a candle. For a candle gives light, not when placed under a bed, but on a candlestick; this light indeed must be placed on a candlestick, that is, on the eminence of a godly life, that it may be able to give light to others. Not under a bushel, that is, in things pertaining to the palate, nor under a bed, that is, in idleness. For no one who seeks after the delights of his palate and loves rest can be a light shining over all.
BEDE; Or, because the time of our life is contained under a certain measurement of Divine Providence, it is rightly compared to a bushel. But the bed of the soul is the body, in which it dwells and reposes for a time. He therefore who hides the word of God under the love of this transitory life, and of carnal allurements, covers his candle with a bushel or a bed. But be puts his light on a candlestick, who employs his body in the ministry of the word of God; therefore under these words He typically teaches them a figure of preaching. Wherefore it goes on, For there is nothing hidden, which shall not be revealed, nor is there any thing made secret, which shall not come abroad. As if He said, Be not afraid of the Gospel, but amidst the darkness of persecution raise the light of the word of God upon the candlestick of your body, keeping fixedly in your mind that day, when the Lord will throw light upon the hidden places of darkness, for then everlasting praise awaits you, and everlasting punishment your adversaries.
CHRYS. Or else, There is nothing hid; as if He said, If you conduct your life with care, accusation will not be aide to obscure your light.
THEOPHYL. For each of us, whether he have done good or evil, is brought to light in this life, much more in that which is to come. For what can be more hidden than God, nevertheless He Himself is manifested in the flesh. It continues, If any man have ears to ear, let him hear.
BEDE; That is, if any man have a sense for understanding. the word of God, let him not withdraw himself, let him not turn his ear to fables, but let him lend his ear to search those things which truth has spoken, his hands for fulfilling them, his tongue for preaching them. There follows, And he said to them, Take heed what you hear.
THEOPHYL. That is, that none of those things which are said to you by me should escape you. With what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you, that is, whatsoever degree of application you bring, in that degree you will receive profit.
BEDE; Or else, If you diligently endeavor to do all the good which you can, and to teach it to your neighbors, the mercy of God will come in, to give you both in the present life a sense to take in higher things, and a will to do better things, and will add for the future an everlasting reward. And therefore it is subjoined, And to you shall more be given.
PSUEDO-JEROME; According. to the measure of his faith the understanding of mysteries is divided to every man, and the virtues of knowledge will also be added to them. It goes on: For he that has, to him shall be given; that is, he who has faith shall have virtue, and he who has obedience to the word, shall also have the understanding of the mystery. Again, he who, on the other hand, has not faith, fails in virtue; and he who has not obedience to the word, shall not have the understanding of it; and if he does not understand he might as well not have heard.
PSEUD-CHRYS Or else, he who has the desire and wish to hear and to seek, to him shall be given. But be who has not the desire of hearing. divine things even what he happens to have of the written law is taken from him.
BEDE; For sometimes a clever reader by neglecting his mind, deprives himself of wisdom, of which he tastes the sweetness, who, though slow in intellect, works more diligently.
CHRYS. Again it may be said, that he has not, who has not truth. But our Lord says that he has, because he has a lie, for every one whose understanding believes a lie, thinks that he has something.
Catena Aurea Mark 4