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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
"The Pharisees heard the people murmuring, and sent servants to take Him." Seest thou that the violation of the Sabbath was a mere pretense? and that what most stung them was this murmuring? For here, though they had no fault to find with Him for anything said or done, they desired to take Him because of the multitude. They dared not do it themselves, suspecting danger, but sent their hired servants. Alas! for their tyranny and their madness, or rather, I should say, for their folly. …
Cyril of Alexandria
How great the economy herein, and how fitly it hath followed after those things, is meet to see. For having before said that the Jews were seeking to take Him and to enclose Him by the meshes of their senselessness, into so cruel and unseasonably contrived danger, he shows the multitudes of them that believe, that the ill machinations of their rulers against Him may at length be acknowledged. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
Many believed in Him, saying: "Will the Christ perform more signs than this Man has done?" They speak of the wine at Cana, of the nobleman's son, of the paralytic, of the loaves, and generally of all the other signs which, on account of their multitude, the Evangelists did not mention by name. However, even if you hear that many believed, their faith was not true faith, but the kind characteristic of the common people, who easily change their minds.
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
"But many of the people believed on Him." The Lord made whole the humble and the poor. The rulers were mad, and therefore they not only did not acknowledge the Physician, but even were eager to slay Him. There was a certain crowd of people which quickly saw its own sickness, and without delay recognized His remedy. See what that very crowd, moved by His miracles, said: "When Christ cometh will He do more signs than these?" Surely, unless there will be two Christs, this is the Christ. …
Thomas Aquinas
Then he mentions the effect his teaching had on those who were favorable. First, he shows their faith: Many of the people, however, believed in him. He does not say, "of the leaders," because the higher their rank, the further away they were from him. So there was no room in them for wisdom: "Where there is humility, there is wisdom" (Prv 11:2). …
Bonaventure
"But many of the crowd believed in him." Here the building up of faith in the little ones is noted, whence he says: "But many of the crowd believed in him," not from the leaders and the greater ones; Matthew 11: "You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to little ones"; First Corinthians 1: "See your calling, brethren, that not many wise," etc. …
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