Speech And Understanding

Quare loquelam meam non cognoscitis? Nota, quod Dominus loquitur nobis aliquando per signa creaturae; aliquando per litteras Scriptarae; aliguando quasi per nuntios, et hoc in praedicatione; aliquando quasi voce viva, et hoc interna inspiratione. Loquitur ergo per signa creaiiirae; Proverbiorum primo: Sapientia foris praedicat, id est in creaturis; unde Proverbiorum sexto: Vade ad formicam, o piger , et considera vias eius. Loquitur per litteras Scripturae; unde Exodi vigesimo: Locutus est Dominus cunctos sermones hos; et leremiae trigesimo sexto: Tolle volumen et scribe in eo omnia verba, quae locutus sum tibi adversus Israel et ludam . Loquitur per nuntios in praedicatione, quibus dicitur Matthaei decimo: Non vos estis, qui loquimini, sed Spiritus Patris vestri, qui loquitur in vobis. Loquitur voce viva et interna inspiratione; unde in Psalmo: Audiam, quid loquatur in me Dominus Deus; et Osee secundo: Ducam eam in solitudinem et loquar ad cor eius. Cum igitur Dominus loquatur signis, litteris , nuntiis et verbis, recte improperat indoctis: Quare loquelam meam non cognoscitis? Quia non potestis audire sermonem meum. Nota, quod gravis fuit Christus malis ad audiendum; unde hic: Quia non potestis etc. Ad videndum; Sapientiae secundo: Gravis est nobis etiam ad videndum. Ad sustinendum; loannis undecimo: Quid facimus, quia hic homo multa signa facit? Si dimittimus eum sic, omnes credent in eum; hoc dicebant ludaei graviter ferentes Christum. Sanctus Bonaventura, Collationes In Evangelium Ioannem, Caput VIII, Collatio XXXV Source: Here, p577

'Why do you not understand what I say?' 1 Observe that the Lord sometimes speaks to us through the signs of created things, and something through the letters of Scripture, and sometimes through messengers, which is by preaching, and sometimes with the living voice, which is internal inspiration. Of the signs of created things it is said in the first chapter of Proverbs: 'Wisdom preaches outside,' that is, through created things, whence in the sixth chapter of Proverbs: 'Go to the ant, sluggard, and consider his ways.' 2 He speaks through the letters of Scripture in the twentieth chapter of Exodus: 'The Lord spoke all these words,' and in the thirty sixth chapter of Jeremiah: 'Take up the book and write in it all the words I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah.' 3 He speaks through messengers by preaching, concerning which it is said in the tenth chapter of Matthew: 'It is not you who speak but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.' 4 And He speaks with the living voice by internal inspiration, whence in the Psalm: 'I shall hear what the Lord God shall say in me.' And in the second chapter of Hosea: 'I shall lead her into solitude and I shall speak to her heart.' 5 When, therefore, the Lord speaks in signs and letters and messengers and words, rightly He reproves the unlearned with: 'Why do you not understand what I say?' 'Because you cannot hear my word.' Observe that hearing Christ was a burden to the wicked, whence here: 'You cannot...' and also in seeing, in the second chapter of Wisdom: 'It is burdensome for us even to see.' And in enduring, in the eleventh chapter of John, 'What shall we do, because this man makes many signs? If we leave him alone, everyone will believe in him.' 6 This they said who were bearing Christ as a burden. Saint Bonaventura, Observations On The Gospel Of Saint John, Chapter 8 1 Jn 8.43 2 Prov 1.20, Prov 6.6 3 Exod 20.1, Jerem 36.2 4 Mt 10.20 5 Ps 84.9, Hosea 2.14 6 Wisdom 2.15, Jn 11.47