In the Gospel for today’s Mass (Thursday of the First Week of Lent) Jesus says,
If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him? (Lk 11:13)
I received an e-mail once, regarding this verse:
“This line bugs me. I think I know the larger point that Jesus makes here, and/or perhaps it’s poorly translated, but it seems a bit harsh for Jesus to refer to mankind as ‘wicked’. Wicked? That’s tough stuff! But perhaps, to Jesus, we are evil.”
So what is going on here? Why does Jesus call us wicked?
First let’s make sure that the translation from the Greek is a good one. The Greek expression used is πονηροὶ ὑπάρχοντες (poneroi hyparchontes). Poneroi is defined “bad, of a bad nature or condition,” but it is also defined as “full of labors, annoyances, hardships.” Hyparchontes is defined as “from the very beginning” or “being inherently.”
Thus, the translation “you who are wicked” is likely accurate. However, there is a sort of sympathy contained in it as well, implying that this wickedness comes from the fact that we have inherited a fallen nature that is weighed down with the labors and hardships that come from living in this fallen world, this “paradise lost.”
What do the commentaries say? It is interesting that in the seven modern commentaries I consulted, not one of them mentions this expression. However, some of the ancient Fathers did:
Cyril of Alexandria wrote, When he says, “You who are evil” he means, “You whose mind is capable of being influenced by evil and not uniformly inclined to good like the God of all” (Commentary on Luke, Homily 79).
In one of his homilies, Bede had this to say: Any human mortal, weak and still burdened with sinful flesh, does not refuse to give the good things which he possesses, although they are earthly and weak, to the children whom he loves (Homilies on the Gospel 2.14).
Elsewhere, Bede is quoted as follows: He calls the lovers of the world evil, who give those things which they judge good according to their sense, which are also good in their nature, and are useful to aid imperfect life. Hence he adds, “[They] know how to give good gifts to [their] children.” The Apostles even, who by the merit of their election had exceeded the goodness of mankind in general, are said to be evil in comparison with Divine goodness, since nothing is of itself good but God alone (Quoted in the Catena Aurea at Lk 11:13).
Athanasius said, Now unless the Holy Spirit were of the substance of God, Who alone is good, He would by no means be called good, since our Lord [Jesus] refused to be called good, inasmuch as He was made man (Quoted in the Catena Aurea at Luke 11:13).
What, then, can we draw from the fact that the Lord calls us “wicked”?
Jesus seems to be speaking by comparison or degree. He may not mean that we are evil in an absolute sense, rather that we are evil in comparison to God, who is absolute good. The Hebrew and Aramaic languages have fewer comparative words, so the ancient Jews would often use absolute categories to set forth comparison or degree. For example, elsewhere Jesus tells us that we must hate our father, mother, children, and even our very self and that we must love Him (e.g., Luke 14:26). This does not mean that we are to literally despise our family and others. It means that we are to love Jesus more than we love them. Because of the paucity of comparative words available, the ancient Jews used a lot of what we would consider to be hyperbole. In modern English we might say, “If you, then, who are not nearly as holy as God and are prone to sin, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will God, who is absolutely good and not prone to sin, give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”
However, we ought to be careful not to discount Jewish hyperbole and simply rewrite the words; the point of the hyperbole cannot be completely set aside. Created things may share in God’s goodness, but God alone is absolutely good. So good is He, in fact, that everything else is practically evil in comparison. The hyperbole places the emphasis of God’s absolute goodness. We have no goodness apart from God’s goodness. If we do share in God’s goodness, it is infinitesimal in comparison. Hence, as Bede said, The Apostles even, who by the merit of their election had exceeded the goodness of mankind in general, are said to be evil in comparison with Divine goodness, since nothing is of itself good but God alone.
Even Jesus refused the title “good” for Himself in terms of His humanity. The Gospel of Mark contains the following dialogue: As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good except God alone (Mk 10:17-18). As God, Jesus is good—absolute good. One could also argue that in His sinless humanity, Jesus is also good; but Jesus, presuming the man merely regarded Him as ordinarily human, rebukes him and declares that God alone is good.
In the end, it’s time for us to eat some humble pie. Jesus probably does not mean we are absolutely evil and have nothing good in us, but God alone is absolutely good. He is so good that we can barely be thought of as anything but evil in the face of His immense goodness. Humble pie doesn’t have much sugar in it, does it!
Cross-posted at the Catholic Standard: Why Does Jesus Call Us Wicked?
Wonderful article. I can’t help but wonder what your source for the commentary by the fathers is. How are you able to gather appropriate commentary from the ancients as easily as you seem to be able to? I would love to know.
Thank you …also for bringing in that explanation of St.Athanasius, in the context of what God considers as good , how our trials and troubles , that they are willed by God only for our greater good .
Having seen ads on vehicles from non Christians , using this verse to try to show how our Lord is denying His divinity , good to see that it is just the opposite , that He desires to help us to overcome the weaknesses of our human nature ( which include lusts ,from the erroneous portrayal of heaven itself as a place where women are going to have to share a man with 71 others etc as well ) and instead , raise us up to be His children , in His Spirit .
Thus , the union in mind and heart to be such that , we might look back with loving compassion and gratitude , for every occasion in lives of us all , how His Spirit and love , through the holy angels and saints came to help us all , in the midst of all the wicked thoughts and deeds under the influences brought in by the enemy .
Blessed Feasts of St.Joseph and St. Patrick !
With all due respect, Our Lord calls us wicked because He is honest. Our Lord said many things that were confusing, like “But of that day or hour no man knoweth, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father;” this ain’t one of those things. Our Lord said things that require great faith and were hard to accept, such as “Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you;” this ain’t one of them things, neither. Look at the state of society and tell me there isn’t deeply ingrained wickedness in mankind in general. Look at the state of the Church and tell me that wickedness is not widespread among Catholics. Most frighteningly of all, examine your own conscience. There is a reason we are made to cry out “Crucify Him!” on Palm Sunday; we spend much of the rest of the year crying that out by our choices and actions.
Very good column, except for this statement: “Even Jesus refused the title “good” for Himself in terms of His humanity.”
Jesus did not in fact refuse the title “good” for himself. A question does not entail a refusal. Otherwise, by that logic, one would also have to say that he rejected the idea that the Son of Man must suffer (Mark 9:12) and that the Messiah is the Son of David (Mark 12:35)–which of course he did not!
Rather, Jesus was asking a question that invited his listener to deeper reflection, as he often does. He was asking the rich man to reflect on the basis for calling Jesus “good”–was it merely good deeds and wise teachings, or did he recognize in Him that absolute goodness that belongs to God alone?
Very good Mary!