Bad Fathers

Ubi tentaverunt me patres vestri; probaverunt me, et viderunt opera mea. Ubi, sicut superius dixit, significat in deserto; illic enim fragilitas humana Deum tentavit; sed statim virtus Divinitatis apparuit, quando esca venit ex aere, potus ex lapide. Sed petra produxit aquas; corda vero infidelium duruerunt in lapideam siccitatem. Sed quae dementia est adhuc sequi pravitates illorum in quibus tam vehementer cognoscitur vindicatum? Nam cum dicit, patres vestri, et eos quoque significat obstinatos, quia illum unusquisque habet patrem quem cognoscitur imitari, sicut Iudaeis in Evangelio ipse Dominus dicit: Vos ex patre diabolo estis. Sequitur, probaverunt me, et viderunt opera mea. Probaverunt utique, quando manna esurientibus pluit, quando illis coturnicum tributa est multitudo, quando irriguae aquae de saxorum siccitate fluxerunt. Nam quod addidit, et viderunt opera mea, infidelitas eorum arguitur, qui carnalibus oculis intuiti sunt, quod cordis lumine minime crediderunt; et ideo viderunt dixit, non, crediderunt. Cassiodorus, Expositio In Psalterium, Psalmus XCIV Source: Migne PL 70.674d-675

'When your fathers tested me, they tried me and they saw my deeds.' 1 'When,' as said above, is in the desert, for there human fragility tested God, and immediately the power of God appeared, when it sent food from the air, water from stone. But though the rock produced water, the hearts of the faithless remained as dry as stone. And what madness is it to still follow their depravities for which there is known to be such vehement punishment? For when it says here, 'your fathers' it also signifies those who are obstinate, because each of us has a father whom he is known to imitate, as the Lord Himself said to the Jews in the Gospel: 'You are from your father the devil.' 2 It follows, 'They tried me and they saw my deeds.' So they tried Him and He rained down manna for eating, and a multitude of quails were given to them, and water flowed forth from stone to wet the dust. For when is added, 'and they saw my deeds,' their unfaithfulness is reproved, which saw with carnal eyes, because they could not believe with the light of the heart. And therefore it says 'they saw' and not 'they believed.' Cassiodorus, Commentary On The Psalms, from Psalm 94 1 Ps 94.8 2 Jn 8.44