And blessed is he whosoever shall not be scandalized in me.
και μακαριος εστιν ος εαν μη σκανδαλισθη εν εμοι
13 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 21 commentaries
But we are then most raised up to Him when we are fallen into straits. John therefore, being cast into prison, takes the opportunity, when his disciples were most in need of Jesus, to send them to Christ. For it follows, And John calling two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come, &c.
These are also the words of Elias, saying, The Lord himself shall come and save us. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart. (Isa. 35:4–6.)
Certain of His disciples relate to the holy Baptist the miracle which was known to all the inhabitants of Judæa and Galilee, as it follows, And they told John, &c.
But we must altogether disallow such an opinion. For no where do we find the Holy Scriptures stating that John the Baptist foretold to those souls in hell the coming of our Saviour. It is also true to say, that the Baptist was not ignorant of the wonderful mystery of the incarnation of the Only-Begotten, and so also along with the other things had known this, that our Lord was about to preach the Gospel to those who were in hell, after He had tasted death for all living as well as dead.
But since the word of holy Scripture indeed declared that Christ would come as the Lord and Chief, but the others were sent as servants before Him, therefore was the Lord and Saviour of all called by the prophets, He who cometh, or Who is to come; according to that, Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord; (Ps. 118:26.) and, A little while, and he who is to come shall come, and will not tarry. (Hab. 2:3.) The blessed Baptist therefore, receiving as it were this name from Holy Scripture, sent certain of his disciples to seek whether it was indeed He who cometh, or, Who is to come.
Or he asks the question by economy. For as the forerunner he knew the mystery of Christ’s passion, but that his disciples might be convinced how great was the excellence of the Saviour, he sent the more understanding of them, instructing them to enquire and learn from the very words of the Saviour, whether it was He who was expected; as it is added, But when the men were come unto him, they said, John the Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou He, &c. But He knowing as God with what intention John had sent them, and the cause of their coming, was at the time performing many miracles, as it follows, And in the same hour he healed many of their infirmities, &c.
He said not positively to them I am he, but rather leads them to the certainty of the fact, in order that receiving their faith in Him, with their reason agreeing thereto, they might return to him who sent them. Hence He made not answer to the words, but to the intention of him who sent them; as it follows, And Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things you have seen and heard: as if He said, Go and tell John the things which ye have heard indeed through the Prophets, but have seen accomplished by Me. For He was then performing those things which the Prophets prophesied He would do; that is of which it is added, For the blind see, the lame walk.
Or else, He wished by this to shew that whatever was passing in their hearts, could not be hid from His sight. For they were those who were offended at Him.
When He states, "Blessed is he who is not offended by Me" (Mt. 11:6), the Lord is not admonishing John, but rather addressing his followers. They came to Him with the question: "Why do we and the Pharisees often fast, but your disciples do not fast?" (Matthew 9:14; Luke 5:33). They also spoke to John, saying: "Rabbi! The one who was with you at the Jordan, whom you acknowledged, is now baptizing, and everyone is going to Him" (John 3:26). In this statement, they revealed their bitterness over the remarkable works being performed. Their envy troubled them; they were perplexed as to how John, who had previously baptized Jesus, could now be baptizing Himself and attracting a far greater crowd than John had ever drawn.
But how could it come to pass, that Him of whom he said, Behold him who taketh away the sins of the world, he should still not believe to be the Son of God? For either it is presumption to attribute to Christ a divine action ignorantly, or it is unbelief to have doubted concerning the Son of God. But some suppose of John himself that he was indeed so great a prophet as to acknowledge Christ, but still as not a doubting, but pious, prophet disbelieved that He would die, whom he believed was about to come. Not therefore in his faith but in his piety, he doubted; as Peter also, when he said, Be it far from thee, Lord; this shall not be unto thee. (Mat 16:22.)
An ample testimony surely by which the Prophet might recognise the Lord. For of the, Lord Himself it was prophesied, that the Lord giveth food to the hungry, raiseth up them that are bowed down, looseth the prisoners, openeth the eyes of the blind, and that he who doeth these things shall reign for ever. (Ps. 146:7–10.) Such then are not the tokens of human, but divine power. But these are found seldom or not at all before the Gospel. Tobias alone received sight, and this was the cure of an Angel, not of a man. (Tob. 11.) Elias raised the dead, but he prayed and wept, our Lord commanded. (1 Kings 17) Elisha caused the cleansing of a leper: yet then the cause was not so much in the authority of the command as in the figure of the mystery. (2 Kings 5.)
But still these are but slight examples of the testimony to the Lord. The full assurance of faith is the cross of the Lord, His death and burial. Hence He adds, And blessed is he who shall not be offended in me. For the cross may cause offence, even to the elect. But there is no greater testimony than this of a divine person. For there is nothing which seems to be more surpassing the nature of man than that one should offer Himself for the whole world.
But we have before said, that mystically John was the type of the Law, which was the forerunner of Christ. John then sends his disciples to Christ, that they might obtain the filling up of their knowledge, for Christ is the fulfilling of the Law. And perhaps those disciples are the two nations, of whom the one of the Jews believed, the other of the Gentiles believed because they heard. They wished then to see, because blessed are the eyes that see. But when they shall have come to the Gospel, and found that the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, then shall they say, “We have seen with our eyes,” for we seem to ourselves to see Him whom we read of.
Or perhaps through the instrumentality (operatrice) of a certain part of our Body a we all seem to have traced out the course of our Lord’s passion; for faith comes through the few to the many. The Law then announces that Christ will come, the writings of the Gospel prove that He has come.
from sufferings and afflictions. All these concepts are elaborated within the same chapter. When speaking of wounds, it is essential to recognize that they denote suffering. Some afflictions exist without any pain, such as blindness, deafness, and numerous similar conditions.
These are the wonders that the Lord Jesus performed prior to His crucifixion. ‘She went, saith the Lord, and told John the things which were seen and heard: as the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead arise, the poor hear the good news: and blessed is he that shall not be tempted for me’ (Luke 7:22, 23). The multitude of miracles Christ worked reveals much. It is essential to understand that, in addition to their literal interpretation, each sign carries a deeper symbolic significance. When it says ‘blind men see,’ it indicates that those who cling to the fleeting pleasures of this world are spiritually blind; however, if they abandon these distractions and turn their gaze toward the eternal hope that lies ahead, they will gain true sight.
Similarly, the phrase ‘lame men walk’ conveys this truth: a person who yearns for God yet is attached to worldly desires is like a cripple; yet upon letting go of these desires and loving God wholeheartedly, they will begin to walk in righteousness. Likewise, when it states ‘the deaf hear,’ it refers to those who are caught up in trivial pursuits, for their attention is ensnared by external distractions and they forget what is truly essential; but if they detach themselves from such diversions, they will start to hear the call of God. Furthermore, the statement ‘lepers shall be cleansed’ alludes to the instruction in the law of Moses, which commands that no one unclean may enter the house of the Lord, meaning those who harbor animosity, hatred, envy, or condemnation; yet any individual who renounces these attitudes will be made pure.
Not, as it seems to me, in simpleness of heart, but provoked by envy. For in another place also they complain, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, behold the same baptizeth, and all men come unto him. (John 3:26.)
He says not, Art thou He that hast come, but, Art thou he that should come. The sense is, Tell me who am to be slain by Herod, and about to descend into hell, (ad inferna) whether I should announce Thee to the souls below as I have announced Thee to those above? or is this not befitting the Son of God, and Thou art going to send another for these sacraments?
And what is not less than these, the poor have the Gospel preached to them, that is, the poor are enlightened by the Spirit, or hidden treasures, that there might be no difference between the rich and the poor. These things prove the faith of the Master, when all who can be saved by Him are equal.
The Lord willingly responded to their inquiry by directing their attention to His deeds, His miracles, which He had performed both previously and in their immediate sight, along with the messages of the prophet who associated these acts with the coming of the Messiah. This was a sincere affirmation of prophecy and personal experience. After delivering this message, the Lord simply noted: Blessed is the one who does not stumble over Me.
According to Matthew, the reason for John the Baptist sending two of his disciples to Jesus was due to reports of His miraculous works reaching him. Luke recounts the miracle of raising the son of the widow from Nain, noting that "the word of this went out in all Judea and throughout the whole region." The disciples then relayed all these occurrences to John. Consequently, this mission stemmed from the news of Jesus' miraculous deeds in general, particularly the resurrection of the widow's son.
Even though the messengers inquired on behalf of their teacher and Jesus instructed them to inform John of what they had witnessed, it is important to recognize that this mission was intended for John's followers, not for him personally. John did not send his disciples to Jesus for his own sake; rather, they sought answers regarding Jesus from Him directly. It is unlikely that John doubted Jesus’ Messianic role after having received divine testimony from God the Father and having witnessed the Spirit of God descending upon Jesus at His baptism. Moreover, John had previously proclaimed Jesus as the Messiah with confidence.
John’s declarations illustrate a profound understanding of Jesus and His mission, suggesting that Jesus’ humiliated condition would not be a stumbling block for him. While John’s disciples were inquiring if Jesus was the expected one, the Lord was performing numerous miracles. In response to their question, Jesus highlighted these miracles as evidence affirming His own claims. He referenced the words of the prophet Isaiah to underscore His mission and to link it to Old Testament prophecies that validate His teachings.
The term “preached” is used to indicate that the good news was shared with the marginalized and downtrodden, referring to the Israelites who were suffering politically and socially. Jesus proclaimed that blessed is the one who is not offended by His humble state. In making this statement, Jesus demonstrated His awareness of the discussions that the disciples had with John, which led to their inquiries concerning His relation to the kingdom of God.
Jesus’ reply to the messengers sent by John’s disciples likely reminded them of Isaiah’s prophecies concerning the Messiah’s works: “Say to those with fearful hearts, 'Be strong, do not fear; your God will come with vengeance, with divine retribution; He will come to save you.’ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy” (Isaiah 35:4-6).
Rather than providing a straightforward response to John's inquiry, Jesus seemed to evoke Isaiah’s prophecy when He instructed them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, those afflicted with leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.” While Jesus’ reply was indirect, it should have been clear to John's disciples that they were to relate to John everything they witnessed and heard, echoing the words of Isaiah: “Be strong and courageous; do not fear; here is your God, and He will save you!” They should have grasped this message, especially since Jesus concluded with, “Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me,” implying that those who do not doubt His identity as the awaited Messiah are truly blessed.
However, it is uncertain whether John’s disciples interpreted Jesus’ words correctly. The Evangelists do not reveal their understanding. The multitude of healings and miraculous occurrences should have profoundly affected their hearts, which had not yet turned toward Jesus. Those who were healed of their ailments, those who received sight or regained the ability to speak, all those who struggled and the spiritually impoverished proclaimed the glory of Jesus. John's disciples had only to embrace this joyful message, and many likely did come to see Jesus as the true Messiah; yet, not all did. Some persisted in their disbelief, eventually forming a distinct sect after John's death.
Upon their departure, the disciples might have unintentionally sparked doubt among those around Jesus. Many could have speculated that John himself was questioning Jesus, asking, “Is He the One who is to come, or should we await another?” Such a question would cast doubt on John, suggesting that he had once misidentified Jesus at the Jordan and, being cautious in his imprisonment, now questioned His true identity as the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world. To counter these potential misgivings, it was vital to remind people of John’s influential role, how crowds flocked to him in the wilderness to hear his message of repentance and the coming kingdom, how he boldly scolded the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the responses he gave to those sent by the chief priests.
The disciples encountered Jesus Christ amidst remarkable demonstrations of His Divine compassion, and He explicitly highlighted His deeds. To uplift the spirits of the great prophet who was feeling disheartened, the Savior instructed His disciples to convey to John all that they had observed and heard, specifically that “the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the poor are preached to; And blessed is he that shall not be tempted concerning me.” This statement from Christ underscored that genuine faith in the Messiah shoul
d remain steadfast, even when personal expectations appear unmet, which may have been true for John, who likely harbored a hidden wish for some miracle to be performed by the Messiah he had witnessed, in the hopes of being liberated from his painful confinement.
When the messengers approached the Lord Jesus, He discerned John's thoughts and chose not to respond to the inquiry directly. Instead, He encouraged them to witness the miraculous works for themselves. At that time, as the blessed Evangelist Luke recounts, He cured many of their illnesses, healed their wounds, delivered individuals from the grip of evil spirits, and restored sight to numerous blind people. These remarkable acts, as foretold by the prophet Isaiah (35: 5-6; 61: 1), could only be attributed to the Messiah.
Thus, indicating the undeniable proof of His ministry, the Lord instructed those sent to share with the followers of John: "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by Me." With these concluding words, as St. John Chrysostom noted, He directed their attention, referring specifically to John's disciples.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 9 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS