Pride And Punishment

In illa hora accesserunt discipuli ad Iesum dicentes quis putas maior est in regno caelorum... Quia solverat Christus tributum pro solo Petro, indignati alii et putantes Petrum praeferri, quaeritur igitur quis sit major in regno coelorum? volens superbiam eorum contundere, proponit exemplum humilitatis, ne alii aliis velint praeferri. Et ideo statuit in medio puerum, ut innocentiam parvuli, quam ex natura habebat, et industria et virtute imitentur. Multi dicunt illum parvulum fuisse sanctum Martialem Lemovicensem. Multi etiam hoc credunt dictum esse de seipso, qui puer erat malitia et non aetate, et verus humilis, qui non venit ministrari, sed ministrare. Littera sic legitur: Amen dico vobis, nisi conversi fueritis, etc., ab hac elatione et indignatione, in qua nunc estis, et efficiamini ita innocentes et humiles per virtutem, sicut parvuli sunt per aetatem, non intrabitis in regnum coelorum. Quicunque autem humiliaverit se, etc. Quandoquidem aliter non intratur, ergo quicunque humiliaverit se, sicut parvulus iste, qui videns pulchram mulierem, non delectatur, qui non aliud cogitat, et aliud loquitur, intrabit in regnum coelorum. Et quanto humilior erit, tanto major efficietur. Et qui susceperit unum parvulum, etc. Quia apostoli de ambitione invicem murmurantes, per exemplum suum infirmos et simplices ad ambitionem possent incitare, ideo praecipit suscipi infirmos, et scandalizantibus eos poenam comminatur. Et hoc est: Qui susceperit unum parvulum talem in nomine meo, attrahendo ad eruditionem dulciter juxta Apostolum, Suscipite infirmos, me suscipit; vel qui susceperit hospitando, benefaciendo, me suscipit. Qui autem scandalizaverit unum de pusillis istis... Vel male instruendo, vel malo exemplo, sicut vos modo facitis qui malo exemplo ambitionis vestrae alios corrumpitis, expedit ei ut suspendatur mola asinaria in collo ejus, et demergatur, etc. Ad litteram sic exponitur: Haec poena turpissima erat, et erat criminosorum, quasi dicat: Expedit, hoc est, melius esset ei tam turpissima morte perire, quam fratrem scandalizare, quia fratrem scandalizare, peccatum est, mori vero non est peccatum. Vel aliter: Saeculares homines dicuntur esse dediti rotae hujus mundi, juxta illud: In circuitu impii ambulant. Per molam ergo asinariam saecularis vitae circuitus, et labor exprimitur: et per profundum maris, extrema damnatio designatur. Dicit ergo: Melius esset alicui contemplativo, ut volveret molam asinorum, id est saecularis esset, volvens sollicitudinem mundanorum, et per hoc demergeretur in profundum inferni, quam esset contemplativus scandalizans fratres suos, levior enim poena esset sibi in inferno. Vel aliter: In Scripturis asinus figuram gentilis populi designat, qui est alligatus ad molam, hoc est, ad lapideos deos, quos caecis oculis frequenti errore circumeunt, et sic in profundum inferni demergitur. Ac si diceret: Melius esset ei quod esset gentilis, ligatus ad lapideos deos, et periret in inferno, quam esset fidelis scandalizans fratres suos. Melius est enim non cognoscere veritatem, quam post agnitam retro ire. Anselmus Laudunensis, Enarrationes In Matthaeum, Caput XVIII Source: Migne PL 162.1405d-1406d

At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, 'Who is greater in the kingdom of heaven... 1 Because Christ paid the tribute for Peter only, 2 the others were indignant thinking that Peter was preferred, and thus they asked 'Who is greater in the kingdom of heaven?' Wishing to stamp down on their pride, He proposed an example of humility, lest any should wish to be preferred to others. And therefore he placed a child in their midst, that by effort and virtue they might imitate the innocence of a child, which it has by nature,  Many say that this child was Saint Martial of Limoges. 3 And many think that He said this of Himself, who was a child in wickedness and not age, and truly humble, and who did not come to be served but to serve. 4 According to the letter it then reads: 'Amen, I say to you, unless you turn...' from pride and the indignation in which you now are, and make yourselves innocent and humble through virtue, being as little children in age, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. For whoever humbles himself... In no other way shall it be entered, therefore whoever humbles himself like this child, who seeing the beauty of a woman does not lust, and does not think one thing and say another, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. And the more humble he is, the much more he shall achieve it. And he who receives one of these little ones... Because the Apostles are murmuring against one another on account of their ambition, so their example is liable to stir up ambition in the weak and simple, and therefore He commands them to take up the weak, and He warns them of the punishment of those who cause scandal. And this is: 'He who receives one of these little ones in my name,'  to draw them to understanding,  and according to the Apostle, 'Receive the weak,' 5 'He receives me.' Or whoever shall receive for the sake of hospitality and good deeds, he receives me. For he who shall scandalise one of these little ones... By bad teaching, or by bad example, as you do in your way who with the bad example of your ambition corrupt others, it is better for him to be have a millstone of an ass hung around his neck and to be drowned in the sea. According to the letter this is the most wretched and most infamous punishment, as if He said: 'It is better, that is, it is preferable, to perish by such a wretched death than to scandalise a brother, because to scandalise a brother is a sin, but it is not a sin to die.' Or otherwise: Worldly men are said to be bound to the wheel of this world, according to which: 'In a circle the impious walk.' 7 Therefore the millstone of the ass signifies the circle of the worldly life and its toil, and the depth of the sea signifies final damnation. Thus He says that it is better for any contemplative to circle around with the millstone of the ass, that is, to be worldly and circle around in worldly cares, and because of this to be drowned in the depths of hell, than to be a contemplative who is a cause of scandal to his brothers, for the punishment in hell shall be lighter for the former. Or otherwise: In the Scriptures the ass signifies the Gentile people, who are bound to the millstone, that is, to their gods of stone, about whom they circle around in endless error with blinded eyes, and so in the depths of hell they are drowned. As if He said: 'Better it would be for him to be a Gentile, bound to gods of stone and destroyed in hell, than to be one of the faithful who causes scandal to his brothers. Better it is not to know the truth, that to turn back after knowing it.' Anselm of Laon, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 18 1 Mt 18.1 2 Mt 17.24-27 3 Later forgeries claimed that this 3rd century Gaulish bishop was an original follower of Christ. 4 Mt 20. 8 5 1 Thes 5.14 6 Ps 11.9