Fathers

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What the Fathers say

Matthew 13:17

Eastern Fathers

John Chrysostom

"For verily I say unto you, many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them;" my coming, He means; my very miracles, my voice, my teaching. For here He prefers them not to these depraved only, but even to such as have done virtuously; yea, and He affirms them to be more blessed even than they. Why can this be? Because not only do these see what the Jews saw not, but even what those of old desired to see. …

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 45 ↗

Irenaeus

Now in the last days, when the fulness of the time of liberty had arrived, the Word Himself did by Himself "wash away the filth of the daughters of Zion," when He washed the disciples' feet with His own hands. For this is the end of the human race inheriting God; that as in the beginning, by means of our first [parents], we were all brought into bondage, by being made subject to death; so at last, by means of the New Man, all who from the beginning [were His] disciples, having been cleansed and washed from things pertaining to death, …

Against Heresies (Book IV, Chapter 22), Section 1-2 ↗

Western Saints

Jerome

Truly I say to you, many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see; and to hear what you hear, and did not hear. Therefore, listen to the parable of the sower. It seems that this passage is contrary to what is said elsewhere: Abraham desired to see my day, and he saw it, and rejoiced (John 8:56). However, it is not said that all the prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, but many. …

Commentary on Matthew ↗

Hilary of Poitiers

Or, He is speaking of the blessedness of the Apostolic times, to whose eyes and ears it was permitted to see and to hear the salvation of God, many Prophets and just men having desired to see and to hear that which was destined to be in the fulness of times; whence it follows; Verily I say unto you, that many Prophets and just men have desired to see the things that ye see, and to hear the things that ye hear, and have not heard them.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas ↗

Thomas Aquinas

Then he sets down the sign: amen I say to you etc. Augustine says: blessed is he who has everything he wishes. Hence blessed are those to whom all things have been given which the ancients wished for, namely, the prophets and the just. For every just man is a king; hence Proverbs 20:8 says: the king who sits on the throne of judgment scatters away all evil. And this is because they desired to see the things which you see. …

Commentary on Matthew ↗