Romans 15:24Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Since even this still grieves them, he calms them with a consoling word: "when first I have been satisfied in part with your company." By the expression "as I pass by," he shows that he does not seek glory from them. By the word "satisfied," he expresses that he longs for them out of love, and not simple love, but strong love. Therefore he did not say, "when I am satisfied," but "when I am satisfied in part." No amount of time can satisfy me or give me satiety from being with you. Do you see how he proves his love? Though he is under every necessity to hasten, he will not leave them before he is satisfied. It is already a sign of his love that he uses expressions full of such warmth. He did not say, "I will see you," but "I will be satisfied," imitating the language of parents. At the beginning he said, "that I may have some fruit" (Rom 1:13). Here he says, "that I may be satisfied." Both reveal a strong movement of the heart. The first contains the highest praise for them, if by their obedience they are to give fruit to the Apostle. The second directly shows his sincere affection. He wrote in the same way to the Corinthians: "that you may send me on my way wherever I go" (1 Cor 16:6). In everything he expressed his incomparable love for his disciples. With this he always began and ended his epistles. As a child-loving father loves his only natural son, so he loved all the faithful. Therefore he said, "Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn?" (2 Cor 11:29). This is what a teacher needs before all else. Therefore Christ said to Peter, "If you love Me, feed My sheep" (Jn 21:16). Whoever loves Christ also loves His flock. God also appointed Moses as leader of the Jewish people after Moses had shown zeal for his kinsmen. Likewise David ascended to the kingdom after first showing affection for his fellow countrymen. Even in his youth he grieved so much for the people that he was ready to give his life when he killed the foreigner. Though he asked, "What shall be done for the man who kills that foreigner?" (1 Kgs 17:26), he did not say this because he sought a reward. He only wanted them to trust him and allow him to fight. Therefore, when after the victory he came to the king, he said nothing about this. Samuel also was distinguished by great love. Therefore he said, "Far be it from me to sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you to the Lord" (1 Kgs 12:23). In this way, or rather far more, Paul burned with love for all who were entrusted to him. Therefore he disposed his disciples toward himself so strongly that he said, "If possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me" (Gal 4:15). For this reason God reproaches the Jewish teachers most of all for lack of love, saying, "Woe to the shepherds of Israel. Do shepherds feed themselves? Should not shepherds feed the sheep?" But they did the opposite: "Behold, you eat the milk, clothe yourselves with the wool, and slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed My sheep" (Ezek 34:3). Christ, presenting the pattern of the most perfect shepherd, said, "The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (Jn 10:11). David also acted this way on many occasions, especially when terrible wrath threatened to destroy the whole people. Seeing the common destruction, he cried out, "I am the one who sinned. I, the shepherd, have done wrong. But these sheep, what have they done?" (2 Kgs 24:17). Therefore, when choosing punishments, he chose neither famine nor pursuit by enemies, but death sent from God. He hoped that it would spare the others and strike him first of all. When this did not happen, he wept and said, "Let Your hand be against me." If that is not enough, let it be "against my father's house. For I am the shepherd who has sinned." It was as though he said: Even if they had sinned, I would deserve punishment for not correcting them. But since the sin was properly mine, in all justice I should undergo punishment. Wishing to increase his own guilt, David calls himself the shepherd. Thus he stopped the wrath, and thus he entreated God to revoke the decree. Such is the confession of the righteous man: "The righteous man accuses himself in his first words" (Prov 18:17). Such is the care and compassion of the most perfect shepherd. The destruction of his subjects tore David's heart as much as the death of his own children. Therefore he asked God to turn the wrath upon himself. He would have done this at the very beginning of the plague, had he not hoped that, as it went on its way, it would reach him also. But when he noticed that this was not happening, and that the calamity was destroying only his subjects, he could not endure it. He was wounded more deeply than by the death of his firstborn Amnon. Then he did not ask death for himself. Now he wishes to fall before the others. Such must a ruler be, grieving more over others' misfortunes than over his own. David felt the same grief when he lost his son, and from this one can see that he did not love him more than his subjects. Though Absalom was an unrestrained youth and plotted parricide, David said, "Would that I had died instead of you" (2 Kgs 18:33). What are you saying, blessed one and gentlest of all men? Your son strove to kill you and surrounded you with countless troubles. Yet as soon as he is gone and the victory has been won, you pray for death for yourself? Yes, he answers. This victory was not won for me by the army. War boils within me more fiercely than before, and my heart is now torn more than before. Thus David and those like him cared for those entrusted to them. Blessed Abraham showed great care even for those not entrusted to him, and such care that he exposed himself to great dangers. He did what he did not only for his nephew's benefit, but also for the Sodomites. He did not cease pursuing the Persians until he had freed all the Sodomites. He could have returned after freeing Lot alone. Yet Abraham did not wish this, because he cared equally for all, as he later proved. When the Sodomites were threatened not by an invasion of foreign troops, but by God's wrath ready to destroy their cities to the foundation, there was need not of weapons, battle, or an army's array, but of prayer. Then Abraham interceded for them with such care as though destruction awaited him personally. Therefore he approaches God once, twice, three times, and many times. He even appeals to the weakness of human nature, saying, "I am dust and ashes" (Gen 18:27). Since he knew that the Sodomites had brought God's wrath upon themselves, he asks that they be saved for the sake of others. God said to him, "Shall I hide from Abraham My servant what I am doing?" (Gen 18:17). From this we may understand how full of love for mankind the righteous man was. Abraham would not have ceased entreating God if God had not first departed from him. Though he appeared to be praying for the righteous, in fact all this was for the Sodomites. The souls of the saints are filled with meekness and love for mankind, both toward their own and toward strangers. They even pity irrational creatures. Therefore the Wise One said, "A righteous man has mercy on the souls of his animals" (Prov 12:10). If he has mercy on animals, how much more on men? Since I have remembered animals, let us consider how many heavy labors shepherds of sheep endure in the land of Cappadocia while caring for irrational creatures. Often, covered with snow, they remain in such a condition for three full days. It is also said that shepherds in Libya endure no fewer calamities, wandering for whole months through that harsh desert filled with the fiercest beasts. If there is so much care for irrational creatures, what excuse shall we have when rational souls are entrusted to us and we sleep so deeply? Can one think of rest here? Can one seek repose? On the contrary, should we not go everywhere for these sheep and expose ourselves to thousands of deaths? Or do you not know the price of this flock? Was it not for this flock that your Master performed countless deeds and even shed His Blood? And you seek rest? What could be worse than such shepherds? Do you not understand that Christ's flock is also surrounded by wolves, worse and fiercer than the Libyan ones? Do you not imagine what kind of soul a man must have who undertakes leadership in the Church? Civic rulers, when deliberating over minor matters, spend days and nights in wakefulness. But we, who struggle for heaven, sleep even by day. Who after this will deliver us from punishment for such carelessness? Even if the body had to be cut, even if countless deaths lay before us, should we not hurry toward all this as to a festival? Let not only shepherds hear this, but also the sheep. They should make the shepherds more zealous and stir them to greater ardor by showing them every obedience and submission, and nothing else. Thus Paul also commanded, saying, "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give account" (Heb 13:17). By "keep watch" he means countless labors, cares, and dangers. The good shepherd, precisely such as Christ desires, contends in struggles with many martyrs. The martyr died once for Christ. But the shepherd, if he is what he ought to be, dies thousands of times for the flock. He can even die every day. Therefore you also, knowing his labor, help him by prayers, zeal, readiness, and love, so that we may be a boast for you and you for us. Therefore Christ, when entrusting His flock to the chief of the Apostles, who loved Him more than all, first asked, "Do you love Me?" (Jn 21:16). He did this so that you might understand that care for Christ's flock is the chief sign of love for Christ Himself, for this requires a courageous soul. But I have said this about perfect shepherds, not about myself or those like us. I mean a shepherd, if there is such a one, like Paul, Peter, or Moses. Therefore let us imitate them, both those who rule and those who are subject. Even one who is subject can in part be a shepherd of his house, friends, household, wife, and children. If we govern our affairs in this way, we shall attain all good things. May all of us receive them by grace and love for mankind, and so forth.

Now, having proclaimed the Gospel within the regions mentioned, he resolves to appear in Rome, yet only on the way to Spain. He expresses the hope that the Roman Christians will receive him joyfully and escort him onward with sympathy. As he himself was most warmly disposed toward the Romans, so he hoped to meet warmth from them. Explaining the words "on another man's foundation," Chrysostom says: "The foundation laid by other Apostles, Paul calls another man's not because the persons themselves were foreign to him, or because their preaching was different, but with respect to each man's reward. For the reward for labors borne by others was foreign to him." Then, pausing over the words, "I shall go to Spain, I shall come to you," Chrysostom says: "He wrote this so that they would not think too highly of themselves. He wishes both to show his love and to keep them from boasting. For the same reason, lest the Romans should say, 'He only wants to pass through us,' the Apostle added, 'and to be escorted by you.' That is, you yourselves will witness that I am hastening not out of contempt for you, but from urgent necessity. Since even this could have seemed offensive to them, he calms them with a consoling word: 'if first I may be somewhat filled with your company.'"

Since even this could have seemed offensive to them, he calms them with a consoling word: 'if first I may be somewhat filled with your company.' By the expression 'passing by,' he shows that he is not seeking glory from them. By the word 'filled,' he shows that he longs to see them from love, and not simply, but with intense longing. Therefore he did not say merely, 'I shall be filled,' but, 'I shall be somewhat filled.' However long I remain with you, I shall never be fully satisfied, nor will staying with you ever weary me. Do you see how he proves his love by this? Even though necessity compels him to hasten, he does not wish to leave them before being filled with them. This itself is a sign of his love, as also are the expressions he uses, full of such warmth. He did not say, 'I shall see you,' but, 'I shall be filled,' imitating the way parents speak to children. At the beginning he says, 'that I may have some fruit among you,' or, 'that I may be comforted together with you' (cf. Rom 1:13, 12). Here he says, 'that I may be filled.' Both expressions reveal the strong attraction of his heart toward them. In the former words there is the greatest praise for them, since the Apostle expects fruit from their obedience. Or, hoping to be comforted together by their faith, he places them on a level with himself. Here he directly shows sincere affection. He wrote in exactly the same way to the Corinthians: 'that you may send me on my journey wherever I go' (1 Cor 16:6). Thus in everything he expressed his love for his disciples, a love incomparable with anything. With this he always began his epistles and ended them. As a child-loving father loves his only child, so he loved all the faithful. Therefore he also said, 'Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn?' (cf. 2 Cor 11:29)" (Chrysostom).