7. Why His
Brothers are Not Called to the Wedding; And Why He Abides at Capernaum
Not Many Days.
But we must ask why His brothers are not called to the
wedding: they were not there, for it is not said they were; but
they go down to Capernaum with Him and His mother and His
disciples. We must also examine why on this occasion they do not
“
go in to
” Capernaum, nor “
go up
to
,” but “go down to” it. Consider if we
must not understand by His brothers here the powers which went down
along with Him, not called to the wedding according to the explanations
given above, since it is in lower and humbler places than those who are
called disciples of Christ, and in another way, that these brothers
receive assistance. For if His mother is called, then there are
some bearing fruit, and even to these the Lord goes down with the
servants and disciples of the Word, to help such persons, His mother
also being with Him. Those indeed who are called Capernaum appear
not to be able to allow Jesus and those who went down with Him to make
a longer stay with them: hence they remain with them not many
days. For the lower field of consolation does not admit the
illumination of many doctrines, but is only capable of a few. To
get a clear view of the difference between those who receive Jesus for
longer and for shorter time, we may compare with this, “They
abode there not many days,” the words recorded in Matthew as
spoken by Christ when risen from the dead to His disciples who were
being sent out to teach all nations,
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“Behold,
I am with you always, even to the end of the world.” To
those who are to know all that human nature can know while it still is
here, is said with emphasis, “I am with you;” and as the
rise of each new day upon the field of contemplation brings more days
before the eyes of the blessed, therefore He says, “All the days
till the end of the world.” As for those in Capernaum, on
the contrary, to whom they go down as to the more needy, not only
Jesus, but also His mother and His brothers and His disciples
“abode there not many days.”
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xxviii.
20
.