Fathers

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What the Fathers say

Luke 20:13

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

Now it was not accidentally but part of the purpose of the divine dispensation that Christ came after the prophets. For God does not pursue all things at once, but accommodates Himself to mankind through His great mercy; for if they despised His Son coming after His servants, much less would they have heard Him before. For they who listened not to the inferior commands, how would they have heard the greater?

Catena Aurea by Aquinas ↗

Cyril of Alexandria

But the lord of the vineyard considers with himself, saying, "What shall I do?" And we must carefully examine in what sense he says this. Does then the householder use these words because he had no more servants? Certainly not: for there were not wanting to Him other ministers of His holy will. But just as if a physician were to say of a sick man, What shall I do? …

Commentary On Luke, Homily 134 ↗

Theophylact of Ohrid

After the prophets had endured such terrible evil, the Son is sent. "Perhaps," He says, "they will be ashamed" before My Son. He says "they will be ashamed" not because He does not know the future — namely, that they will treat Him far worse than the prophets — but because this is how it should have been: they should have been ashamed before Him. …

Commentary on Luke ↗

Western Saints

Bede

But the Lord of the vineyard said: What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Perhaps when they see him, they will respect him. Though the Lord of the vineyard is said to speak doubtfully and not with deliberation, this does not come from ignorance. For what could the Lord of the vineyard, who is understood here to be God the Father, not know? But God is always said to waver so that free will may be reserved for man. …

On the Gospel of Luke ↗

Bonaventure

But the lord of the vineyard said, etc. After having described the perversity of the Jews before the coming of Christ against the persons of the servants, here he describes the malignity of their perversity after the coming, against the very Son of God, Jesus Christ. Concerning the description of this, three things are introduced, namely the gratuitous benefit of God, the perverse design of the Jews, and their flagitious deed. …

Commentary on Luke, Chapter 20 ↗