Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
First, Christ, borne upon a she-ass, enters Jerusalem with palms as the Messiah, King, and Triumphator. Second, at verse 13, He curses the fig tree lacking figs: whence it withered. Third, at verse 15, He drives the buyers and sellers out of the Temple. Fourth, at verse 22, He exhorts to great faith in God, because by it one obtains all things from Him. Fifth, at verse 27, to the Scribes asking by what authority He does these things, He closes their mouths, in turn questioning them by what authority John the Baptist baptized and preached.
Vulgate Text: Mark 11:1-33
1. And when they were approaching Jerusalem and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sendeth two of His disciples, 2. and saith to them: Go into the village that is over against you, and immediately at your coming in thither, you shall find a colt tied, upon which no man yet hath sat: loose him, and bring him. 3. And if any man shall say to you, What are you doing? say ye that the Lord hath need of him: and immediately he will let him come hither. 4. And going their way, they found the colt tied before the door without, in a place where two ways met: and they loose him. 5. And some of them that stood there, said to them: What do you loosing the colt? 6. Who said to them as Jesus had commanded them; and they let him go with them. 7. And they brought the colt to Jesus; and they laid their garments on him, and He sat upon him. 8. And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down boughs from the trees, and strewed them in the way. 9. And they that went before and they that followed, cried, saying: Hosanna: 10. Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord: blessed be the kingdom of our father David that cometh: Hosanna in the highest. 11. And He entered into Jerusalem, into the Temple; and having viewed all things round about, when now the eventide was come, He went out to Bethany with the twelve. 12. And the next day when they came out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13. And when He had seen afar off a fig tree having leaves, He came if perhaps He might find anything on it; and when He was come to it, He found nothing but leaves: for it was not the time for figs. 14. And answering He said to it: May no man hereafter eat fruit of thee any more forever. And His disciples heard it. 15. And they come to Jerusalem. And when He was entered into the Temple, He began to cast out them that sold and bought in the Temple; and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the chairs of them that sold doves. 16. And He suffered not that any man should carry a vessel through the Temple; 17. And He taught, saying to them: Is it not written: My house shall be called the house of prayer to all nations? But you have made it a den of thieves. 18. Which when the chief priests and the Scribes had heard, they sought how they might destroy Him. For they feared Him, because the whole multitude was in admiration at His doctrine. 19. And when evening was come, He went forth out of the city. 20. And when they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21. And Peter remembering, said to Him: Rabbi, behold the fig tree, which Thou didst curse, is withered away. 22. And Jesus answering, saith to them: Have the faith of God. 23. Amen I say to you, that whosoever shall say to this mountain: Be thou removed and be cast into the sea, and shall not stagger in his heart, but believe, that whatsoever he saith shall be done, it shall be done unto him. 24. Therefore I say unto you, all things whatsoever you ask when ye pray, believe that you shall receive; and they shall come unto you. 25. And when you stand praying, forgive if you have anything against anyone, that your Father also, who is in heaven, may forgive you your sins. 26. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father, who is in heaven, forgive you your sins. 27. And they came again to Jerusalem. And when He was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the Scribes and the elders came to Him, 28. and say to Him: By what authority do You do these things? and who gave You this authority to do these things? 29. But Jesus answering said to them: I will also ask you one word, and answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30. Was the baptism of John from heaven, or from men? Answer Me. 31. And they thought within themselves, saying: If we say, From heaven, He will say: Why then did you not believe him? 32. If we say, From men, we fear the people; for all held that John was truly a prophet. 33. And answering they said to Jesus: We do not know. And Jesus answering said to them: Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
Verse 10: Blessed Be the Kingdom of Our Father David That Cometh
10. BLESSED IS THE KINGDOM OF OUR FATHER DAVID WHICH COMES. — As if to say: By the blessing and beneficence of God, may "blessed," that is, happy, favored, flourishing, firm, enlarged and heaped with all good things, be "the kingdom of our father David," that is, the kingdom of Israel, which under David and Solomon his son was most extensive, most flourishing and most happy, "which," having collapsed in the Babylonian captivity and thereafter, now "comes," that is, returns, and is restored by this our Messiah, son of David, who will restore it to its pristine flower, beauty and strength, indeed will make it far more flourishing, more beautiful and more strong.
Verse 16: And He Suffered Not That Any Man Should Carry a Vessel Through the Temple
16. AND HE DID NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO CARRY A VESSEL THROUGH THE TEMPLE. — By "vessel" is meant a utensil or piece of furniture for profane uses, for example a basket, cooking pot, jar, bundle, etc. "To carry through the temple," that is, through the outermost court of the temple, which was the Court of the Gentiles, where namely the Gentiles could dwell and pray, and were accustomed to do. For those who from the cattle-market called "Bethesda," corruptly "Bethsaida," had to cross over into the upper city, or to the royal palace of Solomon, the shortest way was through this court and the portico of Solomon: otherwise they had to go round this whole outer court. Therefore it is no wonder that maidservants, male servants, and boys loaded with some burden, having entered this shortcut through the court, shunned the longer way outside the court. But Christ forbade them, both by commanding them with His voice, and by stopping them with His hand and compelling them to return. What then would He Himself have done regarding the Holy Place, what regarding our temple? See Villalpandus, tome II on Ezekiel, book III, chapter IX.
Verse 22: Have the Faith of God
22. HAVE THE FAITH OF GOD. — That is, faith in God that is full, perfect, ardent and efficacious, like a mustard seed. See what is said at Matthew chapter XXI, verse 21.