The Fish and the Lost Sheep

As it shows in parallel, having placed both as the Son of Man, saying and that he would appear in the glory of his Father. And he confirms what is being said also with his angels; for the angels are of God, and not of any creature, nor of man. Because of this, indeed, 'Lord of Powers' is a name for God. And a name of identity is a mark of knowledge. And he says that such one appearing gives to each according to his deed.

Regarding Matthew 17:5, the Father announcing the Son appears from the voice heard there, as if proclaiming and itself the testimony coming from above through all; for a voice of God is not to be considered heard by the ear, nor is the sensible from the incorporeal. And just as 'no one has seen God ever' (John 1:18), neither has anyone heard God. But what you hear of his dispensation has the power of necessity; for he says it is rather than the prophets introduced by Moses, that the time has already advanced and to depart from the introduction toward perfection, from the types toward the truth; for the law having been introduced through the appearance from above, it was not possible for the greater to prevail among men if not introduced by the appearance from above.

Regarding Matthew 17:22-23, he therefore says that what is going to happen in Jerusalem is not yet approaching, nor the time according to which it was necessary to suffer, so that he might reveal the divine foreknowledge being such, and that he was about to suffer voluntarily, not departing from where he was to be persuaded through ignorance. And it happened for the disciples' benefit so that they would not be troubled as if men had prevailed against him.

Regarding Matthew 17:24, this was a legal matter concerning the drachmas, having been determined by Moses saying: 'each will give a ransom for his own soul, the half of a drachma' (Exodus 30:13). These things indeed the Jews were collecting from everyone, and the drachma was being given as a ransom for two souls according to the law; neither was it being added to the rich one, as the law has said, nor was it being diminished for the poor one 'from the half of a drachma'. That is, he says, the holy thing is according to the drachma, nothing else being hinted at regarding the matter, or the true ransom, since all things were being shadowed toward this. And the true ransom was the Lord, having the Father in himself by power, as a divine character is, of which the giving of the drachma is a symbol, even though it is a drachma...

Regarding the redemption, no one can give more than half, even if they become rich. The mystery was that the Son could not be separated from the Father, nor could one understand anything lacking of perfection concerning Christ, whence it is said, 'all the fullness of deity dwells in him bodily' (Col 2:9).

He presents himself as creator and lord of the sea and those in it and every element, as the proper Son of God and Father. For this fish held a type of the church, which of old was seized by the salt and dread of unbelief and was deeply submerged in the depth, and was baptized and tossed by the storm and surge of worldly pleasures; but it was hauled up by the hook of the apostles, through teaching and fishing and the word that hunts, toward the knowledge of God, 'who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light' (1 Pet 2:9).

Because of this, it is fitting to adapt his coming into the world to the previously set parable as if it were a sheep that has become lost; that is, the man being among the hundred sheep, from the multitude of the heavenly powers, being similar to them as a rational being, being counted as a sheep among sheep, yet being the least compared to the great multitude, and therefore one hundred among sheep. But his wandering is the stumbling of Adam. It is sought appropriately that he also remain similar to those remaining with God, and for their replenishment it is necessary, so that the shepherd might not be lacking and be a stump, just as Paul said that they might 'recapitulate all things' in Christ (Eph 1:10), the recovery of the part that had flowed away, since the standing together of the whole in Christ is not complete due to what is missing and lacking.

It is peculiar to the parable to command that the woman and children and all that she has be sold and returned; for regarding human affairs this is possible, but regarding the judgment from Christ, things not owned are not being sold, nor would the repayment of debts occur. But the taking away of all things which someone has for pleasure and for enjoyment, and the repayment through sufferings, is shown; and regarding opposites, the opposite is released; thus, labors dissolve pleasures. Therefore also the...