Psalm LXIX
24“And they gave for My food gall, and in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink” (ver. 22). This was done indeed to the letter. And the Gospel declareth this to us. But we must understand, brethren, that the very fact that I found not comforters, that the very fact that I found not one that together should be made sorrowful, this was My gall, this to Me was bitter, this was vinegar: bitter because of grief, vinegar because of their old man. For we read, that to Him indeed gall was offered, as the Gospel speaketh; but for drink, not for food. Nevertheless, we must so take and consider that when fulfilled, which here had been before predicted, “They gave for My food gall:” and in that very action, not only in this saying, we ought to seek for a mystery, at secret things to knock, to enter the rent veil of the Temple, to see there a Sacrament, both in what there hath been said and in what there hath been done. “They gave,” He saith, “for My food gall:” not the thing itself which they gave was food, for it was drink: but “for food they gave it.” Because already the Lord had taken food, and into it there had been thrown gall. But He had taken Himself pleasant food, when He ate the Passover with His disciples: therein He showed the Sacrament of His Body. Unto this food so pleasant, so sweet, of the Unity of Christ, of which the Apostle maketh mention, saying, “For one bread, One Body, being many we are;” unto this pleasant food who is there that addeth gall, except the gainsayers of the Gospel, like those persecutors of Christ?
For less the Jews sinned in crucifying Him walking on earth, than they that despise Him sitting in Heaven. That which then the Jews did, in giving above the food which He had already taken that bitter draught to drink, the same they do that by evil living bring scandal upon the Church: the same do embittered heretics, “But let them not be exalted in their own selves.” They give gall after so delectable meat. But what doth the Lord? He admitteth them not to His Body. In this mystery, when they presented gall, the Lord Himself tasted, and would not drink. If we did not suffer them, neither at all should we taste: but because it is necessary to suffer them, we must needs taste. But because in the members of Christ such sort cannot be, they can be tasted, received into the Body they cannot be.
“And they gave for My food gall, and in My thirst they gave Me vinegar to drink.” I was thirsting, and vinegar I received: that is, for the faith of them I longed, and I found oldness.
25“Let the table of them be made in their own presence for a trap” (ver. 23). Like the trap which for Me they set, in giving Me such a draught, let such a trap be for them. Why then, “in their own presence”? “Let the table of them be made for a trap,” would have been sufficient. They are such as know their iniquity, and in it most obstinately do persevere: in their own presence there is made a trap for them. These are they that, being too destructive, “go down into Hell alive.” Lastly, of persecutors what hath been said? Except that the Lord were in us, perchance alive they had swallowed us up. What is alive? Consenting to them, and knowing that we ought not to consent to them. Therefore in their own presence there is made a trap, and they are not amended. Even though in their own presence there is a trap, let them not fall into it. Behold they know the trap, and thrust out foot, and bow their necks to be caught. How much better were it to turn away from the trap, to acknowledge sin, to condemn error, to be rid of bitterness, to pass over into the Body of Christ, to seek the Lord’s glory! But so much prevaileth presumption of mind, that even in their own presence the trap is, and they fall into it. “Let the eyes of them be darkened, that they see not,” followeth here: that whereas without benefit they have seen, it may chance to them even not to see. “Let the table of them,” therefore, “be made in their own presence for a trap.” It is not from one wishing, but from one prophesying: not in order that it may come to pass, but because it will come to pass. This we have often remarked, and ye ought to remember it: lest that which the prescient mind saith in the Spirit of God, it should seem with ill will to imprecate.…
Let it then be done to them, “both for a requital and for a stumbling-block.” And is this by any means unjust? It is just. Why? For it is “for a requital.” For not anything would happen to them, which was not owed. “For a requital” it is done, “and for a stumbling-block:” for they are themselves a stumbling-block to themselves.
“Let the eyes of them be darkened, that they see not, and the back of them alway bow Thou down” (ver. 24). This is a consequence. For they, whose eyes have been darkened that they see not, it followeth, must have their back bowed down. How so?
Because when they have ceased to take knowledge of things above, they must needs think of things below. He that well heareth, “lift up the heart,” a bowed back hath not. For with stature erect he looketh for the hope laid up for him in Heaven; most especially if he send before him his treasure, whither his heart followeth. But, on the other hand, they perceive not the hope of future life; already being blinded, they think of things below: and this is to have a bowed back: from which disorder the Lord delivered that woman. For Satan hath bound her eighteen years, and her that was bowed down He raised up: and because on the Sabbath He did it, the Jews were scandalized; suitably were they scandalized at her being raised up, themselves being bowed.
“Pour forth upon them Thine anger, and let the indignation of Thine anger overtake them” (ver. 25), are plain words: but nevertheless, in “overtake them” we perceive them as it were fleeing. But whither are they to flee? Into Heaven? Thou art there. Into Hell? Thou art present. Their wings they will not take to fly straight: “Let the indignation of Thine anger overtake them,” let it not permit them to escape.
26“Let the habitation of them become forsaken” (ver. 26). This is now evident. For in the same manner as He hath mentioned not only a secret deliverance of His, saying, “Give heed to My soul, and redeem her;” but also one open after the body, adding, “because of mine enemies deliver me:” so also to these men He foretelleth how there are to be certain secret misfortunes, whereof a little before He was speaking.…For the blindness of the Jews was secret vengeance: but the open was what? “Let their habitation become forsaken, and in their tabernacles let there not be any one to inhabit.” There hath come to pass this thing in the very city Jerusalem, wherein they thought themselves mighty in crying against the Son of God, “Crucify, Crucify;” and in prevailing because they were able to kill Him that raised dead men. How mighty to themselves, how great, they seemed! There followed afterwards the vengeance of the Lord, stormed was the city, utterly conquered the Jews, slain were I know not how many thousands of men. No one of the Jews is permitted to come thither now: where they were able to cry against the Lord, there by the Lord they are not permitted to dwell. They have lost the place of their fury: and O that even now they would know the place of their rest! What profit to them was Caiaphas in saying, “If we shall have let go this man thus, there will come the Romans, and take away from us both place and kingdom”? Behold, both they did not let Him go alive, and He liveth: and there have come the Romans, and have taken from them both place and kingdom. But now we heard, when the Gospel was being read, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered together thy sons, as a hen her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldest not? Behold there is left to you your house forsaken.” …
27Why so? “For Him whom Thou hast smitten they have themselves persecuted, and upon the pain of my wounds they have added” (ver. 27). How then have they sinned if they have persecuted one by God smitten? What sin is ascribed to their mind? Malice. For the thing was done in Christ which was to be. To suffer indeed He had come, and He punished him through whom He suffered. For Judas the traitor was punished, and Christ was crucified: but us He redeemed by His blood, and He punished him in the matter of his price. For he threw down the price of silver, for which by him the Lord had been sold; and he knew not the price wherewith he had himself by the Lord been redeemed. This thing was done in the case of Judas. But when we see that there is a sort of measure of requital in all men, and that not any one can be suffered to rage more than he hath received power to do: how have they “added,” or what is that smiting of the Lord? Without doubt He is speaking in the person of him from whom He had received a body, from whom He had taken unto Him flesh, that is in the person of mankind, of Adam himself who was smitten with the first death because of his sin. Mortal therefore here are men born, as born with their punishment: to this punishment they add, whosoever do persecute men. For now here man would not have had to die, unless God had smitten him. Why then dost thou, O man, rage more than this? Is it little for a man that some time he is to die?
Each one of us therefore beareth his punishment: to this punishment they would add that persecute us. This punishment is the smiting of the Lord. For the Lord smote man with the sentence: “What day ye shall have touched it,” He saith, “with death ye shall die.”
Out of this death He had taken upon Him flesh, and our old man hath been crucified together with Him. By the voice of that man He hath said these words, “Him whom Thou hast smitten they have themselves persecuted, and upon the pain of My wounds they have added.” Upon what pain of wounds? Upon the pain of sins they have themselves added. For sins He hath called His wounds. But do not look to the Head, consider the Body;
according to the voice whereof hath been said by the Same in that Psalm, wherein He showed there was His voice, because in the first verse thereof He cried from the Cross, “God, My God, look upon Me, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” There in continuation He saith, “Afar from My safety are the words of Mine offences.”…