Temptations to Sin
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung round his neck and he were thrown into the sea. And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. For every one will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its saltness, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another."
Bede - Because the Lord had taught us not to offend those who believe on Him, He now as next in order warns us how much we should beware of those who offend us, that is, who by their words or conduct strive to drag us into the perdition of sin; wherefore He says, "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off."
Chrys., Hom. in Matt., 59 - He says not this of our limbs, but of our intimate friends, whom as being necessary to us we look upon as our limbs; for nothing is so hurtful as mischievous society.
Bede - That is, He calls by the name of hand, our intimate friend, of whose aid we daily stand in need; but if such an one should wish to do us a hurt in what concerns our soul, he is to be driven away from our society, lest by choosing a portion in this life with one who is lost, we should perish together with him in that which is to come.
Wherefore there follows, "It is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to enter into hell."
Gloss. - By maimed He means, deprived of the help of some friend, for it is better to enter into life without a friend, than to go with him into hell.
Pseudo-Jerome - Or else, "It is better for thee to enter into life maimed," that is, without the chief place, for which you have wished, than having two hands to go into eternal fire. The two hands for high station are humility and pride; cut off pride, keeping to the estate of lowliness.
Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc. - Then He introduces the witness of prophecy from the prophet Isaiah, saying, "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." [Isaiah 65:24] He says not this of a visible worm, but He calls conscience, a worm, gnawing the soul for not having done any good thing; for each of us shall be made his own accuser, by calling to mind what he has done in this mortal life, and so their worm remains forever.
Bede - And as the worm is the pain which inwardly accuses, so the fire is a punishment which rages without us; or by the worm is meant the rottenness of hell, by the fire, its heat.
Augustine, de Civ. Dei, 21, 9 - But those who hold that both of these, namely, the fire and the worm, belong to the pains of the soul, and not of the body, say also that those who are separated from the kingdom of God are tortured, as with fire, by the pangs of a soul repenting too late and hopelessly; and they not unfitly contend that fire may be put for that burning grief, as says the Apostle, "Who is offended, and I burn not?" [2 Corinthians 11:29]
They also think that by the worm must be understood the same grief, as is said: "As a moth destroys a garment, and a worm wood, so grief tortures the heart of man." [Proverbs 25:20 Vulgate] All those who hesitate not to affirm that there will be pain both of body and soul in that punishment affirm that the body is burnt by the fire. But although this is more credible, because it is absurd that there either the pains of body or of soul should be wanting, still I think that it is easier to say that both belong to the body than that neither: and therefore it seems to me that Holy Scripture in this place is silent about the pains of the soul, because it follows that the soul also is tortured in the pains of the body.
Let each man therefore choose which he will, either to refer the fire to the body, the worm to the soul, the one properly, the other in a figure, or else both properly to the body; for living things may exist even in fire, in burnings without being wasted, in pain without death, by the wondrous power of the Almighty Creator.
It goes on: "And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched; where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."
Bede - A friend is called a foot, on account of its service in going about for us, since he is as it were ready for our use.
It goes on: "And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire; where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."
A friend who is useful, and anxious, and sharp in perception, is called an eye.
Augustine, de. Con. Evan., 4, 6 - Here truly it appears that they who do acts of devotedness in the name of Christ, even before they have joined themselves to the company of Christians, and have been washed in the Christian Sacraments, are more useful than those who though already bearing the name of Christians, by their doctrine drag their followers with themselves into everlasting punishment; whom also under the name of members of the body, He orders, as an offending eye or hand, to be torn from the body, that is, from the fellowship itself of unity, that we may rather come to everlasting life without them, than with them go into hell.
But the separation of those who separate themselves from them consists in the very circumstance of their not yielding to them, when they would persuade them to evil, that is, offend them. If indeed their wickedness becomes known to all the good men with whom they are connected, they are altogether cut off from all fellowship, and even from partaking in the heavenly Sacraments.
If however they are thus known only to the smaller number, whilst their wickedness is unknown to the generality, they are to be tolerated in such a way that we should not consent to join in their iniquity, and that the communion of the good should not be deserted on their account.
Bede - But because the Lord had three times made mention of the worm and the fire, that we might be able to avoid this torment, He subjoins, "For every one shall be salted with fire." For the stink of worms always arises from the corruption of flesh and blood, and therefore fresh meat is seasoned with salt, that the moisture of the blood may be dried off, and so it may not breed worms. And if, indeed, that which is salted with salt, keeps off the putrefying worm, that which is salted with fire, that is, seasoned again with flames, on which salt is sprinkled, not only casts off worms, but also consumes the flesh itself.
Flesh and blood therefore breed worms, that is, carnal pleasure, if unopposed by the seasoning of continence, produces everlasting punishment for the luxurious; the stink of which if any man would avoid, let him take care to chasten his body with the salt of continence, and his mind with the seasoning of wisdom, from the stain of error and vice.
For salt means the sweetness of wisdom; and fire, the grace of the Holy Spirit.
He says, therefore, "Every one shall be salted with fire," because all the elect ought to be purged by spiritual wisdom, from the corruption of carnal concupiscence. Or else, the fire is the fire of tribulation, by which the patience of the faithful is proved, that it may have its perfect work.
Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc. - Similar to this is that which the Apostle says, "And the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." [1 Corinthians 3:13]
Afterwards he brings in a witness from Leviticus: which says, "And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt." [Leviticus 2:13]
Pseudo-Jerome - The oblation of the Lord is the race of man, which is here salted by means of wisdom, whilst the corruption of blood, the nurse of rottenness, and the mother of worms, is being consumed, which there also shall be tried by the purgatorial fire.
Bede - We may also understand the altar to be the heart of the elect, and the victims and sacrifices to be offered on the altar are good works. But in all sacrifices salt ought to be offered, for that is not a good work which is not purged by the salt of wisdom from all corruption of vain glory, and other evil and superfluous thoughts.
Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. in Cat. - Or else it is meant, that every gift of our victim, which is accompanied by prayer and the assisting of our neighbour, is salted with that divine fire, of which it is said, "I am come to send fire on earth." [Luke 12:49] Concerning which it is added: "Salt is good;" that is, the fire of love.
"But if the salt have lost his saltness," that is, is deprived of itself, and that peculiar quality, by which it is called, good, "where with will ye season it?" For there is salt, which has saltness, that is, which has the fulness of grace; and there is salt, which has no saltness, for that which is not peaceful is salt unseasoned.
Bede - Or the good salt is the frequent hearing of God's word, and the seasoning the hidden parts of the heart with the salt of spiritual wisdom.
Theophylact - For as salt preserves flesh, and suffers it not to breed worms, so also the discourse of the teacher, if it can dry up what is evil, constrains carnal men, and suffers not the undying worm to grow up in them.
But if it be without saltness, that is, if its virtue of drying up and preserving be gone, with what shall it be salted?
Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. in Cat. - Or, according to Matthew, the disciples of Christ are the salt, which preserves the whole world, resisting the rottenness which proceeds from idolatry and sinful fornication. For it may also be meant, that each of us has salt, in as far as he contains in himself the graces of God.
Wherefore also the Apostle joins together grace and salt, saying, "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt.: [Colossians 4:6]
For salt is the Lord Jesus Christ, Who was able to preserve the whole earth, and made many to be salt in the earth: and if any of these be corrupted, (for it is possible for even the good to be changed into corruption,) they are worthy to be cast out.
Pseudo-Jerome - Or otherwise; That salt is saltless which loves the chief place, and dares not rebuke others.
Wherefore there follows, "Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another." That is, let the love of your neighbour temper the saltness of rebuke, and the salt of justice season the love of your neighbour.
Greg., De cura past., iii, e.22 - Or this is said against those whom greater knowledge, while it raises above their neighbours, cuts off from the fellowship of others; thus the more their learning increases, the more they unlearn the virtue of concord.
Greg., De cura past., ii, 4 - He also who strives to speak with wisdom should be greatly afraid, lest by his eloquence the unity of his hearers be thrown into confusion, lest, while he would appear wise, he unwisely cut asunder the bonds of unity.
Theophylact - Or else, he who binds himself to his neighbour by the tie of love, has salt, and in this way peace with his neighbour.
Augustine, de. Con, iv. 6 - Mark relates that the Lord said these things consecutively, and has put down some things omitted by every other Evangelist, some which Matthew has also related, others which both Matthew and Luke relate, but on other occasions, and in a different series of events. Wherefore it seems to me that our Lord repeated in this place discourses which He had used in other places, because they were pertinent enough to this saying of His, by which He prevented their forbidding miracles to be wrought in His name, even by him who followed Him not together with His disciples.
- text taken from Catena Aurea - Gospel of Mark by Saint Thomas Aquinas, translated by William Whiston, 1842