Lucas 8
Ephrem the Syrian · Comentário Patrístico (catena)
Lucas 8:12
"For it fell on the edge of the path." This is an image of the ungrateful soul, like the one who received one talent despised the goodness of him who gave it. Because this ground was tardy in receiving its seed, it became a public highway for all evil. Consequently there was no place in its ground for the Teacher to penetrate into it like a laborer, break up its hardness and sow his seed there. The Lord described the evil one in the imagery of a bird who snatches it away. He made known that the evil one does not forcefully snatch away from the heart the teaching entrusted to it. In the parable's imagery, he revealed the voice of the gospel standing at the door of the ears like the grain of wheat on the surface of the ground that has not hidden in its womb the seed which fell upon it. The birds were not permitted to penetrate the earth in search of the seed that the earth hid under its wings. — COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 11.13
Lucas 8:13
"That which fell on the rock …" The good Lord revealed his mercy. Although the hardness of the ground was not cultivated, he did not withhold its seed from it. This ground represents those who turn away from his teaching like those who said, "This word is hard; who can listen to it?" It is like Judas, who heard his word and flourished through his signs but was without fruit in the moment of testing. — COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 11.14
Lucas 8:18
"To the one who has, it will be given, and from him who has not, even what he has will be taken from him." This is like, "Let the one who has ears listen." This is for those who have spiritual ears within the bodily ears, so that they may listen to his spiritual words. He was increasing his teaching over and above what they already possessed. — COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 6.19
Lucas 8:23-25
He who was sleeping was awakened and cast the sea into a sleep. He reveals the wakefulness of his divinity that never sleeps by the wakefulness of the sea that was now sleeping. He rebuked the wind and it became still. What is this power, or what is this goodness of Jesus? See, he subjected by force that which was not his. Our Lord showed that he was the Son of the Creator by means of the wind of the sea and by the spirits and demons that he silenced. — COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 6.25
Lucas 8:32-33
The Gadarenes established a ruling for themselves that they would not come out or view the signs of our Lord. Consequently he drowned their swine so that they would have to come out against their will. "Legion," which had been chastened, is a symbol of the world. He commanded the demons to enter the swine and not the man. He, concerning whom they had said, "It is by Beelzebub that he casts out," engaged in battle against Satan on the mountain and against Legion, the chief of his force. When they entered the swine, he drowned them at that very moment. The force of the merciful One who was keeping watch over this man was known by this. They were begging him not to send them out of that region and not to send them to Gehenna. — COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 6.26
Lucas 8:41-42
When the woman with a hemorrhage learned that the Lord said to the leader of the synagogue, "Believe, and your daughter will live," she thought to herself that he who could bring back the soul of a little girl of twelve into her body would also be able to take away an illness of twelve years and expel it from the body. When she heard him say, "Believe firmly and your daughter will live," this woman reflected, "I can give the faith he requires as the price." The healing came forth from his mouth, and he negotiated as its price the faith expressed by the woman's mouth. He gave a clear healing and demanded a clear price. The healing that came out from his lips could be heard publicly, and he required from the lips a faith openly professed. Although the woman professed before everyone, they did not believe her, especially since her pains were hidden. When the Lord opened the eyes of the blind man, they called him a madman, and when he restored Lazarus to life, certain people, even among those who had seen for themselves, did not believe. This is why he restored the little girl of twelve years to life. He who was able to put the continued vitality of twelve years in the body back into its place was also able to arrest and banish from its place a flow of blood that continued for twelve years. He who was able to alleviate one illness was also able to banish another. He who was able to vivify all the dead members of this little girl was also able to heal the woman's womb. — COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 7.26
Lucas 8:43-48
If the woman once cured had withdrawn from him in secret, our Lord would have deprived her of a crown of victory. It was fitting that the faith that shined out brightly in hidden agony was publicly crowned. He wove an eloquent crown for her, because he said to her, "Go in peace." The peace he gave was the crown of her victory. When he said, "Go in peace," he did not end here but also added, "Your faith has saved you," so that they would know who was this crown's Lord. This would make known that the peace his mouth wove was the crown that crowned her faith. "Your faith has saved you." If it was faith that restored her to life, it is clear that he crowned her faith with a crown. This is why he cried out, "Who touched my garments?" He said this so all the people might know who touched more than anyone else did. She chose to honor him more than others do, first, by approaching from behind, and second, in that she touched the fringe of his cloak. It was also fitting that he would honor her before all of these, she who chose to honor him more than all these. — COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 7.10
Lucas 8:43-48
Glory to you, hidden offspring of Being, because the hidden suffering of her that was afflicted proclaimed your healing. Using a woman whom they could see, he enabled them to see the divinity that cannot be seen. The Son's divinity became known through his healing, and the afflicted woman's faith was revealed through her being healed. She caused him to be proclaimed, and she was proclaimed with him. Truth was being proclaimed together with its heralds. If she was a witness to his divinity, he in turn was a witness to her faith.She poured faith on him by way of reward, and he bestowed healing on her as the outcome of her reward. Since the woman's faith had become public, her healing also was proclaimed in public. The physicians were put to shame about their remedies because his power became resplendent and magnified the Son. It became evident how great faith surpasses the healing art and how hidden power surpasses visible remedies. — COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 7.1-2
Lucas 8:45-46
"Who touched me? For a power has gone forth from me." A detail such as this is not reported about our Physician in any other place. This is because in no other place did our Physician encounter an affliction such as this. This affliction was presented to many physicians, yet only one Physician encountered this affliction to heal it. Many physicians encountered and wearied her. Only one encountered her who was able to give her rest from the toil of many physicians. The art of healing encountered a shameful affliction but added pain after pain to it. The more they came, the worse the affliction got. The fringe of the Lord's cloak touched her and uprooted this suffering from its root. She perceived within herself that he healed her affliction.Since the art of healing clothed with all our practical wisdom was reduced to silence, the divinity clothed with garments was proclaimed. He clothed himself in the body and came down to humanity, so that humanity might loot him. He revealed his divinity through signs, so that faith in his humanity alone could not be explained. He revealed his humanity that the higher beings might believe that he was a lower being, and he revealed his divinity so that the lower beings would accept that he was a higher being. He took on a human body so that humanity might be able to attain to divinity, and he revealed his divinity so that his humanity might not be trampled under foot. — COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 7.16-17
Lucas 8:49-56
When the woman was healed, our Lord said, "Who touched me?" so that she could profess her healing before everyone. Also in the case of the little girl, he said, "She is sleeping" so that the spectators might testify that she was dead, and then seeing her restored to life, these who scorned would be converted into believers. The witness given by them concerning the death of the little girl and her restoration to life performed by the Lord was a witness in anticipation of his death. Those who would see that he was alive again would not deny it. — COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 7.27A