The Harvest

'Nonne vos dicitis quod adhuc quatuor menses sunt, et messis venit? Ecce dico vobis: Levate oculos vestros et videte regiones, quia albae sunt jam ad messem.' Hic tangit istius spiritualis manducationis explanationem. Dicit autem quatuor: in quorum primo, sumit signum a cibi istius maturitate : in secundo, dat signum a laborantium in cibo remuneratione: in tertio a fructus utilitate: in quarto, confirmat ista a communi proverbiali sermone. Dicit ergo in primo duo: in quorum primo, messis exterioris ponit signum maturitatis: in secundo, ostendit quod hoc tempus praevenit messis spiritualis. Dicit ergo: 'Nonne vos,' qui per rusticanam agricolarum peritiam de exteriori messe loquimini, 'dicitis quod adhuc quatuor menses sunt,' scilicet temporis, 'et messis' mature ecce 'venit,' antequam matura sit ad metendum. Et hoc fuit circa Martium vel Aprilem: quia in Junio vel Julio metitur in terra promissionis, quae est medii climatis. Et hoc ideo fuit, quia vicinum tempus hiemis ante hoc fieri impedit maturitatem. Isti autem quatuor menses sunt quatuor lunae renovationes, quae sunt lex naturalis, lex scripta, prophetia, et illuminatio facta per Joannem, Haec enim quatuor lumina ducunt ad messem gratiae. De prima illuminatione in Psalmo: Signatum est super nos lumen vultus tui, Domine. De secunda: Mandatum lucerna est, et lex lux, et via vitae increpatio disciplinae. De tertia: Habemus firmiorem propheticum sermonem, cui benefacitis attendentes, quasi lucernae lucenti in caliginoso loco, donec dies elucescat. De quarta, Illuminare his qui in tenebris et in umbra mortis sedent. Istis enim accensionibus lucis, lumen Domini convaluit in mundo usque ad Christum. Sub Christo autem quintus incepit mensis maturitatis ad metendum. Unde dicit: 'Ecce dico vobis,' Evidenti signo, Samaritana demonstrata: 'Levate oculos vestros,' spirituales, et considerate qualiter se ad maturitatem Gentiles exhibent: et nolite esse pigri, sed facite ut formica, quae parat in aestate cibum sibi, et congregat in messe quod comedat. Respicite, et levate capita vestra, quoniam appropinquat redemptio vestra: quod a servitute servilis legis liberamini, et alios liberabitis. Jam hiems transiit, imber abiit, et recessit. Flores apparuerunt in terra nostra ... vineae florentes dederunt odorem suum. 'Et videte regiones,' Dispositas ad fructum fidei, 'quia jam albae sunt,' candore veritatis et devotionis vestitae. Omni tempore sint vestimenta tua candida. Candore enim reconciliationis vestiuntur, quando jam per calorem charitatis decocto humore pietatis in semine verbi, semen aridum ab humore concupiscentiae seipsum exhibet maturum ad metendum in horreum Ecclesiae. Mitte falcem tuam, et mete: quia jam maturatur messis terrae. Et hoc est, sicut ibidem dicitur : Quia venit hora ut metatur. Messis quidem multa, operarii autem pauci. Et ideo Pater caelestis dicit de Filii laboribus in terra. Ecce odor filii mei sicut odor agri pleni, cui benedixit Dominus. 'Et qui metit, mercedem accipit.' Hic dat signum, scilicet laborantium remunerationem. Dicit ergo: 'Et qui metit,' ad horreum Ecclesiae congregando, 'mercedem accipit.' Unusquisque propriam mercedem accipiet secundum suum laborem. Voca operarios, et redde illis mercedem. Venientes autem venient cum exsultatione, portantes manipulos suos. Sic ergo messores sunt Apostoli: seges autem in Ecclesiam congreganda fideles: horrea autem congregationes Ecclesiarum. Implebuntur horrea tua saturitate. Sed contra hoc esse videtur quod dicitur, Messores Angeli sunt. Sed ad hoc dicendum, quod est messis Ecclesiae et fidelium : et in hac messores sunt Apostoli qui praecidunt falce verbi fideles de agro mundanae conversationis, et congregant in horreum Ecclesiae. Et est messis mundi, et sic messores sunt Angeli qui praecidunt fideles, et ponunt in horreum caeli. Triticum autem congregate in horreum meum. Sic ergo 'qui metit, mercedem accipit.' 'Laetabuntur coram te, sicut qui laetantur in messe, sicut exsultant victores capta praeda, quando dividunt spolia.' 'Et congregat fructum in vitam aeternam.' Tangit hic fructus utilitatem. Haec autem utilitas est in duobus: in fructus dulcedine, et in fructus aeternitate. Primum tangit in hoc quod dicit: 'Et congregat fructum,' qui dicitur a fruor, frueris: quia dulcedine propria reficit: unde: Fructus autem Spiritus est charitas, gaudium, pax, etc. Et ibidem dicit Glossa Ambrosii: 'Has virtutes vocat fructus, quia sincera et sancta dulcedine suos delectant possessores. Ecce agricola exspectat pretiosum fructum terrae, patienter ferens donec accipiet temporaneum et serotinum. aeternitatem autem tangit cum dicit: Congregat fructum in vitam aeternam. Omnis enim qui in agro Domini laborat, congregat: et qui contra Dominum est, dispergit. Qui non est mecum, contra me est : et qui non colligit mecum, dispergit. Unde ei qui putabat se multa congregasse, quia cum Domino non congregavit, dicitur: Quae parasti, scilicet congregasti, cujus erunt? Congregat autem in vitam aeternam: Posui vos ut eatis,et fructum afferatis, et fructus vester maneat. Qui enim in gratia congregat, ille in vitam aeternam congregat: quia numquam excidet fructus ille, quamvis nos aliquando excidamus ab ipso. In haereditatem incorruptibilem, et incontaminatam, et immarcescibilem, conservatam in caelis in vobis, qui in virtute Dei custodimini. 'Ut et qui seminat simul gaudeat et qui metit.' In hoc enim est verbum verum: quia alius est qui seminat, et alius est qui metit. Hic determinat commune proverbium. Duo autem dicit: causam enim veritatis proverbii praemittit Dominus, dicens : 'Ut et qui seminat,' hoc est in agrum cordis primum semen verbi mittit, sicut legislator Moyses, et Prophetae. Exiit qui seminat, seminare, scilicet semen suum. Hoc enim primo fecit in Patriarchis, et Legislatore, et Prophetis. Illi enim euntes ibant et flebant, mittentes semina sua 1 Flentes quidem de Redemptore absente: mittentes tamen scientiam fidei de venturo Domino. Mane semina semen tuum, et vespere ne cesset manus tua: quia nescis quid magis oriatur, hoc aut illud: et si utrumque simul, melius erit. Mane quidem in Patriarchis: vespere autem in praedicatione Joannis, quae facta est in fine mundi. Utrumque autem in fidelibus est exortum, et utrumque periit in infidelibus. Sic ergo seminantes gaudent Patriarchae, Prophetae, et Joannes. 'Simul gaudeat,' in messe, 'et qui metit,' scilicet Apostolus qui fideles in Ecclesiam colligit. Quae enim seminaverit homo, haec et metet. Qui parce seminat, parce et metet: et qui seminat in benedictionibus, de benedictionibus et metet, scilicet vitam aeternam. Seminat enim Pater Propheta, et Patriarcha, et metet in Filio Apostolo. Et ideo simul gaudent in eadem fidelium congregatione Patriarchae, Prophetae, Apostoli. Unum enim gaudium fuit illorum trium. Unde unus Prophetarum dicit: Gaudens gaudebo in Domino, et exsultabit anima mea in Deo meo. Ut habeant gaudium meum impletum in semetipsis. De exsecratis autem qui ad fidem patrum non convaluerunt in frugem justitiae, dicitur: Seminastis multum, et intulistis parum, etc. Et post pauca sequitur: Et qui mercedes congregavit, misit eas in sacculum pertusum. Si autem objiciatur, quod etiam Apostoli seminaverunt. Dicendum, quod semen dicitur proprie et communiter. Proprie dicitur quod primum in agrum nudum jacitur : et sic soli Patriarchae et Prophetae seminaverunt. Aliquando dicitur semen quod superjacitur, ut aliud quod prius seminatum est, excitetur et inspissetur et adjuvetur, et quod perierat suppleatur: et hoc modo praedicatio Apostolorum dicitur semen. Semen est verbum Dei. Ager autem, hic mundus est. Hanc distinctionem probant opera rusticorum, qui quando vident non convalescere semina ante hiemem jacta, versus aestatem superseminant, ut spissentur antiqua et adjuventur. 'Quid vult seminiverbius hic dicere?' Antique dictum proverbium, 'quia alius,' in persona et statu, quia Patriarcha 'est,' et Propheta, et Joannes, 'qui seminat.' Novale vobis novale, et nolite serere super spinas. Seminabo domum Israel et domum Juda semine hominum et semine jumentorum. 'Et alius,' persona et stata, 'est qui metit,' sicut Apostolus. Ille enim metit sicut diximus. Messui myrrham meam cum aromatibus meis. In nova enim Ecclesia metebantur fideles in mortificatione carnis et odoramento virtutis. 'Ego misi vos metere quod vos non laborastis: alii laboraverunt, et vos in labores eorum introistis.' Explanatio est et adaptatio proverbii. Dicit ergo : 'Ego,' qui Dominus sum areae, 'misi vos.' Posui vos ut eatis, et fructum afferatis, et fructus vester maneat. 'Metere quod vos,' in personis et statu Apostolico, 'non seminastis.' 'Multi cibi in novalibus patrum, et aliis congregantur absque judicio.' Patriarchae enim novalia fecerunt, Legislator seminavit, Prophetae ligaverunt, Apostoli messuerunt. Et hoc factum est sine judicio veri intellectus : quia tota Synagoga hoc non intellexit. Seram, et alius comedat, et progenies mea eradicetur. Hoc pro statu Synagogae dictum est. Qui operatur terram suam inaltabit acervum frugum: et qui operatur justitiam ipse exaltabitur. 'Alii,' Patriarchae et Prophetae, 'laboraverunt,' corda vertendo, semen primi verbi seminando, sicut et ipsa Samaritana patrum facta et instituta pro se induxit, et Prophetae revelationem quaesivit. 'Laborantem agricolam oportet primum de fructibus percipere.' 'Et vos in labores eorum introistis.' Quia verbis ipsorum pro testimonio utimini ad veritatis confirmationem. Ubi non sunt boves praesepe vacuum est: ubi autem plurimae segetes, ibi manifesta est fortitudo bovis. Boves arabant, et asinae pascebantur juxta eos. Sic enim Patriarchis arantibus, Moyse seminante, Prophetis irrigantibus, Deo dante incrementum et maturitatem, et Apostolis metentibus in horrea Ecclesiarum : sic fit hoc quod dicitur, Erit germen Domini in magnificentia et gloria, et fructus terrae sublimis, et exsultatio his qui salvati fuerint de Israel. Et illud: Qui egrediuntur impetu ad Jacob, florebit et germinabit Israel, et implebunt faciem orbis semine. Tam enim Patriarchae quam Legislator, et Prophetae, et Apostoli impetu Spiritus sancti egressi sunt ex Jacob: et ex illis et in illis floruit promissionibus, et germinavit sacramentis Israel, et tota orbis facies in gentibus semine Dei verbi est impleta. Sanctus Albertus Magnus, Commentarium in Joannem, Caput IV Source: Here, p90-92

'Do you not say: in four months and the harvest shall come? Behold, I say to you: lift up your eyes and look at the lands, because they are already white for harvest.' 1 This touches on the explanation of spiritual feeding. And He says four things, the first of which is the taking up of a sign from the ripening of this food. The second the giving of a sign for the reward from the labouring for food. The third the usefulness of the fruit. The fourth is His confirmation of this with a word from a common saying. Firstly, then, He says two things. Initially He gives a sign from the ripening of the exterior harvest, secondly He shows that this time comes before the spiritual harvest. Therefore He says, 'Do you' who speak from the rustic experience of farmers according to the exterior harvest, 'not say: in four months,' that is of time, 'and the harvest,' behold the ripening, 'shall come,' before there is the ripeness for reaping. And this was said around March or April, because in June or July what the earth promised is reaped, which is the height of the year. And so it was that the proximity of winter in the time before delayed the coming of ripeness. These four months are the four renewals of the moon, which are the natural law, the written law, the prophets and the enlightenment made through John. These four lights lead to the harvest of grace. Concerning the first illumination, in the Psalm: 'The light of your face is sealed on us, O Lord.' 2 Concerning the second: 'The commandment is a lamp and the law a light and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life.' 3 And we have a firmer prophetic word, referring to him who does good, 'as the light of a lamp in a dark place, until the day shines forth.' 4 Concerning the fourth: 'To enlighten those in darkness and sitting in the shadow of death.' 5 For with the kindling of these lights, the light of the Lord gives growth in the world, even to Christ. Until Christ there are five months of maturity until ripening. Whence He says: 'Behold, I say to you.' With a manifest sign, as given to the Samaritan woman: 'Lift up your eyes.' Spiritually, and consider in what manner the Gentiles exhibit ripening, and do not be lazy but work like the ant which prepares its food in summer and gathers at harvest that it may eat. 6 'Look, and lift up your heads, because your salvation comes near,' 7 you are being freed from the servitude of a servile law and you shall free others. 'Now winter has passed, the rain has gone and departed, flowers appear in our land...the flourishing vines give their scents.' 8 'And see the lands...' Inclined for the fruit of faith. 'Because now they are white,' with the brightness of truth and the garments of devotion. 'May your vestments always be pure.' 9 They are clothed in white for reconciliation, when now through the fire of love the melted moisture of piety wets the seed of the word, and by the moisture the dry word reveals its desire to ripen for reaping into the granary of the Church. 'Take your scythe and harvest, because now the harvest of the earth is ripe.' 10 And this is, as it says in the same place, 'Because the hour of reaping has come.' 'The harvest is many, but the workers few.' 11 And therefore the heavenly Father says of the labours of the Son on earth: 'Behold, the odour of my son is as the odour of the abundant field, which the Lord has blessed.' 12 'And he who reaps, receives the reward.' 13 And here He gives a sign of the remuneration of the labourer. Therefore He says, 'And he who reaps,' for the gathering into the granary of the Church, 'receives the reward.' 'Each one shall receive his reward according to his work.' 14 'Call the workers, and give them their pay.' 15 'Coming they shall come with joy, bearing their sheaves.' 16 So, then, the harvesters are the Apostles, and the faithful are crops gathered into the Church, for the granaries are the congregations of the Churches. 'Your barns shall be filled to satiety.' 17 But in opposition to this it seems to be said that 'The reapers are angels.' 18 But to this it must be said that there is a harvest of the Church and of the faithful, and in the former the reapers are the Apostles, who first cut with the scythe of word from the field of worldly life and gather into the granary of the Church. And there is a harvest of the world, and here the reapers are the angels who reap the faithful and place them in the granary of heaven. 'Gather wheat into my barn.' 19 So, then 'he who reaps, receives the reward.' 'They shall rejoice before you, like those who rejoice in the harvest, like victors exultant over captured spoil, when they divide the spoil.' 20 'And he gathers the crop to eternal life.' This touches on the usefulness of the fruit. And this utility is twofold. In the sweetness of the crop and in its eternity. First it touches on that which is said: 'And he gathers the crop' which says that what I enjoy, you shall enjoy, because its own sweetness refreshes, whence, 'The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love and joy and peace' 21 And it says in the Gloss on Ambrose: 'These virtues he calls fruits because with a sincere and holy sweetness they delight those who possess them.' 'Behold, the farmer hopes for the precious fruit of the earth, patiently enduring until it receives the early and late rains.' 22 And it touches on eternity when He says, 'And He gathers the crop to eternal life.' For all who labour in the field of the Lord gather and He who is against the Lord scatters. 'He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me, scatters.' 23 Whence to him who thought he had gathered much for himself, because he did not gather with the Lord, it is said: 'For whom have you prepared what you have gathered; for whom shall it be?' 24 For He gathers into eternal life: 'I chose you and appointed you that you should bear fruit, and your fruit will abide.' 25 For he who gathers in grace, He gathers into eternal life, because He never cuts off the fruit, though we sometimes cut ourselves off from Him. 'Into an incorruptible inheritance, undefiled and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are guarded by God's virtue.' 26 'So that even he who sows shall rejoice at the same time as he who reaps.' In this there is a true word. Because one is he who sows, another he who reaps. Here He gives exactitude to a common saying. He says two things: first the Lord gives the reason of the truth of the proverb, saying, 'So that even He who sows,' that is, first placing the seed of the word in the field of the heart, as the legislator Moses and the Prophets. 'A sower went out to sow,' 27 that is, His own seed.' This is first done with the Patriarchs and the Legislator and the Prophets. 'Going out, they went out weeping, sowing their seed.' 16 Weeping because of the absence of the Saviour, yet setting down knowledge of the faith of the Lord's coming, 'In the morning sow your seed, and at evening do not withhold your hand, because you do not know which will grow more, this one of that, and if both do so, it is better.' 28 In the morning were the Patriarchs, in the evening the preaching of John, because it was at the end of the age. Both indeed produced shoots among the faithful, and both perished among the faithless. So the sowers rejoice, the Patriarchs and the Prophets and John. 'At the same time they shall rejoice,' in the harvest, 'and he who reaps' that is, the Apostle who gathers the faithful into the Church. 'What a man has sown he shall reap.' 29 'He who sows little, reaps little, and he who sows bountifully, shall reap bountifully,' 30 that is, to eternal life. The Father sows in the Prophet and the Patriarch, and He shall reap in the Son with the Apostle. And therefore they rejoice at the same time, in that same gathering of the faithful, the Patriarchs and Prophets and the Apostles. For there was one joy for the three. Whence one of the Prophets says: 'Rejoicing I shall rejoice in the Lord and my soul shall exult in my God.' 31 'That they shall have my joy fulfilled in themselves.' 32 Concerning the curse of those who do not exert themselves in the faith of the fathers for the fruit of righteousness, it is said by Haggai: 'You have sown much, you have brought in little.' And a little after: 'And he who gathers his pay puts it into a sack full of holes.' 33 If it is objected that the Apostles sowed, it must be said that the seed is spoken of properly and generally. Properly it is said that first it is cast into the bare field, and so only the Patriarchs and Prophets sowed. Sometimes the seed is spoken of as thrown upon, so that which was previously sown be stirred and expand and grow, and that which was lacking supplied, and in this way the preaching of the Apostles is called seed. 'The seed is the word of God.' 34 For the field is this world. This distinction is confirmed by the work of farmers, who when they see that the seed sown before winter is not healthy, sow again toward summer, that the old gain weight and be helped. 'What does this word-seeder wish to say' 35 In this is a true word.' 36 An old saying is spoken, 'For one there is' in person and state, the Patriarchs, and the Prophets and John, 'who sows.' 'Go to your fallow field, and do not sow on thorns' 37 'I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of men and the seed of beasts.' 38 'There is another' in persons and state, 'who reaps,' so the Apostle. For he reaps, as we have said. 'I harvest my myrrh with my spices.' 39 For into the new gathering they reaped the faithful in the mortification of the flesh and the aroma of virtue. 'I send you to reap that for which you did not labour. Other laboured and you have entered into their labours.' 40 The explanation is an adaptation of the saying. Therefore He says. 'I' I who am the Lord of the threshing floor, 41 'send you.' 'I have chosen you that you might bear fruit and your fruit shall abide.' 42 'To reap what you,' in the person and state of an Apostle, did not sow.' 'Much food in the fields of the fathers, and by others it is gathered without justice.' 43 For the Patriarchs made the field, and the Legislator sowed it, the Prophets confirmed and the Apostles reaped. And this used to be done without the judgement of true understanding. Because the synagogue did not understand this. 'I sow and another eats, and my offspring perish.' 44 Which is said of the state of the Synagogue. 'He who works his earth shall heap up fruit, and he who works righteousness shall be exalted.' 45 'Others' the Patriarchs and Prophets, 'they laboured,' with hearts turned to the sowing of the first seed, as the Samaritan woman brought herself to something done and established by the fathers and sought the revelation of a prophet. 46 'First the farmer must labour for the gathering of fruit.' 47 'And you enter into their labours.' Because you use their words for testimony of the confirmation of truth. 'Where there are no oxen the manger is empty, where they are many crops there is seen the strength of the ox.' 48 'The oxen were ploughing and the asses feeding beside them.' 49 So the Patriarchs plough, Moses sows, the Prophets water, God gives the increase and ripening, and the Apostle reaps into the granary of the Church. So is done what is said: 'There shall be a shoot of the Lord magnificent and glorious, and great fruit of the land, and exultation in this by those of Israel who were saved.' 50 And 'With vigour they shall spring up in Jacob, and Israel shall flower and put forth shoots, and with seed they shall fill the face of the earth.' 51 For so the Patriarchs, like the Legislator, and the Prophets, and the Apostles with the vigour of the Holy Spirit, have gone out from Jacob, and from them and in them He brought to flower the promises and cast forth the seed of the mysteries of Israel, and all the face of the earth among the peoples was filled was the seed of the word of God. Saint Albert The Great, Commentary On The Gospel of St John, Chapter 4 1 Jn 4.35 2 Ps 4.7 3 Prov 6.23 4 2 Peter 1.19 5 Lk 1.79 6 Prov 6.8 7 Lk 21.28 8 Song 2.11 9 Eccles 9.8 10 Apoc 14.15 11 Mt 9.37, Lk 10.2 12 Genes 27.27 13 Jn 4.36 14 1 Cor 3.8 15 Mt 20.8 16 Ps 125.6 17 Prov 3.10 18 Mt 13.39 19 Mt 13.30 20 Isaiah 9.3 21 Galat 5.22 22 James 5.7 23 Lk 11.23 24 Lk 12.20 25 Jn 15.16 26 1 Pet 1.4-5 27 Mt 13.1 28 Eccle 11.6 29 Galat 6.8 30 2 Cor 9.6 31 Isaiah 61.10 32 Jn 17.13 33 Haggai 1.6 34 Lk 8.11 35 Act 17.18 36 Jn 4.37 37 Jerem 4.3 38 Jerem 31.27 39 Song 5.1 40 Jn 4.38 41 Lk 3.17 42 Jn 15.16 43 Prov 13.23 44 Job 31.8 45 Sirach 20.30 46 Jn 4.7-26 47 2 Tim 2.6 48 Prov 14.4 49 Job 1.14 50 Isaiah 4.2 51 Isaiah 27.6