Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew 15.2–15.6

For there are many kinds of humility: one man is humble in moderation, another with every excess. This is the humility that the blessed prophet too praises, sketching for us not a mind simply subdued but one thoroughly crushed, when he says, “The sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; a contrite and humbled heart God will not despise.” And the three youths too offer this to God instead of a great sacrifice, saying, “But with a contrite soul and a spirit of humility may we be accepted.” This is what Christ now calls blessed. For since the greatest evils, those that have ravaged the whole world, came in from pride (for the devil, not being such before this, became the devil in this way, as Paul too showed when he said, “lest being puffed up he fall into the condemnation of the devil”; and the first man, puffed up with these hopes by the devil, was thrown headlong and became mortal, for expecting to become a god, he lost even what he had, which is what God too, reproaching him and mocking his folly, said: “Behold, Adam has become like one of us”; and each of those who came after ran aground from here into ungodliness, imagining equality with God), since, then, this was the citadel of evils and the root and spring of all wickedness, preparing the remedy suited to the disease, he laid down this law first, like a strong and secure foundation. For when this is laid beneath, the builder sets all the rest on it in safety; but when it has been removed, even if a man’s conduct reaches up to the heavens, it is all easily undermined and comes to a grievous end. Though you gather fasting, though prayer, though almsgiving, though chastity, though any other good thing whatever, without humility all of it flows away and perishes. This is what happened in the case of the Pharisee. For after reaching the very summit, he went down having lost everything, because he did not have the mother of good things. For as pride is the spring of all wickedness, so humility is the beginning of all philosophy. That is why he begins from here, pulling up arrogance by the roots from the soul of his hearers.

“And what has this to do with the disciples,” someone says, “who were humble on every count? For they had no occasion for pride, being fishermen and poor and obscure and unlearned.” Even if these words were not for the disciples, they were at least for those present then, and for those who were to receive them afterward, so that they might not despise them on this account; or rather, they were for the disciples too. For even if not then, later they were to need this help, after the signs and miracles and the honor of the world and their boldness before God. For neither wealth nor power, not even kingship itself, was able to lift men up as much as all that belonged to them. Besides, it was likely that even then, before the signs, they would be lifted up, seeing the multitude and that theater standing around their teacher, and would feel something human. That is why he at once subdues their pride. And he does not bring in what he says in the form of exhortations and commands, but in the form of a beatitude, making his word less burdensome and opening the arena of his teaching to all. For he did not say, “this man and that man,” but “those who do these things are all blessed.” So that even if you are a slave, even if poor, even if destitute, even if a stranger, even if unlearned, nothing hinders you from being blessed, if you emulate this virtue.

Having begun, then, from where he most needed to, he proceeds to another commandment, which seems to be contrary to the vote of the world. For while all think those who rejoice enviable, and those in dejection and poverty and mourning wretched, he calls the latter blessed instead of the former, saying thus: “Blessed are those who mourn,” although everyone pities them. That is why he worked the signs beforehand, so that in making such laws he might be trustworthy. And here again he has not put simply those who mourn, but those who do this for sins; since the other kind, mourning over some worldly thing, is strictly forbidden. Paul too showed this when he said, “The sorrow of the world works death, but godly sorrow works repentance to salvation, not to be regretted.” These, then, he too here calls blessed, those who grieve in this way; and he has not put simply those who grieve, but those who grieve intensely. That is why he did not say “those who grieve” but “those who mourn.” For this commandment in turn is a teacher of all philosophy. For if those who mourn children or a wife or some other relative who has departed do not, in that season of grief, love money or bodies, do not seek glory, are not provoked by insults, are not caught by envy, are not besieged by any other passion, being given over to mourning alone, much more will those who mourn their own sins, as they deserve to be mourned, show a greater philosophy than this.

Then what is their prize? “For they shall be comforted,” he says. Where shall they be comforted, tell me? Both here and there. For since the command was very burdensome and oppressive, he promised to give what would most of all make it light. So if you want to be comforted, mourn. And do not think that what is said is a riddle. For when God comforts, even if ten thousand snowstorms of sorrows come upon you, you will be above them all. For God always gives rewards much greater than the labors; and this he has done here too, declaring those who mourn blessed, not according to the worth of the thing, but according to his own love for mankind. For those who mourn are mourning offenses, and for such it is enough to enjoy pardon and obtain acquittal. But since he is exceedingly loving toward mankind, he does not stop his recompense at the removal of punishments or at release from sins, but even makes them blessed and gives them much comfort. And he bids us mourn not only for our own offenses but also for those of others. Such were the souls of the saints; such was that of Moses, such that of Paul, such that of David; for all these often mourned the evils of others.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” What earth, tell me? Some say a spiritual one. But this is not so; for nowhere do we find a spiritual earth in Scripture. But what then is meant? He sets forth a sensible prize, as Paul does too. For having said, “Honor your father and your mother,” he added, “for so you shall be long-lived on the earth.” And he himself again says to the thief, “Today you shall be with me in paradise.” For he exhorts not only from the good things to come, but also from the present ones, for the sake of the duller of his hearers, who seek those before the things to come. For this reason, at any rate, as he went on he said, “Be well disposed toward your adversary.” Then he sets the prize of such philosophy, and says, “lest your adversary hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer.” Do you see from where he made them afraid? From what happens close at hand. And again: “Whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ shall be liable to the council.” And Paul too is often found setting sensible prizes and exhorting from present things, as when he speaks of virginity; for having said nothing there about the heavens, for the time being he urges from present things, saying, “because of the present distress,” and “I would spare you,” and “I want you to be free from care.” So too Christ mixed sensible things with spiritual. For since the meek man is thought to lose all that is his, he promises the opposite, saying: rather, it is he who possesses his goods in safety, the man who is not rash or boastful; while the other kind will often lose even his patrimony, and his very soul. Besides, since in the Old Testament the prophet continually said, “The meek shall inherit the earth,” he weaves his discourse from words familiar to them, so as not to speak in a strange tongue everywhere. And he says these things not limiting the rewards to the present, but bestowing those as well as these. For whether he says something spiritual, he does not take away the things of the present life; or whether in turn he promises something of this life, he does not stop his promise there. “For seek,” he says, “the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you”; and again, “Whoever has left houses or brothers shall receive a hundredfold in this age, and in the age to come shall inherit eternal life.”

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” What righteousness? He means either virtue in general, or this particular righteousness that stands opposed to covetousness. For since he is about to give commands about almsgiving, showing how we must show mercy, namely not from robbery nor from covetousness, he calls blessed those who lay hold of righteousness.

And see with what intensity he puts it. For he did not say, “Blessed are those who hold to righteousness,” but, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,” so that we may pursue it not casually but with all desire. For since this is most characteristic of covetousness, and we do not love food and drink as much as acquiring and gathering more, he bade us transfer this desire to not being covetous. Then again he fixes a sensible prize, saying, “for they shall be filled.” For since covetousness is thought to make most people rich, he says that on the contrary it is righteousness that does this. So when you do what is just, do not fear poverty, nor tremble at famine. For it is those who seize that most of all lose everything; while he who loves righteousness possesses the goods of all in safety. And if those who do not covet others’ goods enjoy such abundance, much more those who give up their own.

“Blessed are the merciful.” Here he seems to me to speak not only of those who show mercy with money, but also of those who show it with deeds. For the manner of almsgiving is varied, and this commandment is broad. What then is its prize? “For they shall obtain mercy.” And it seems to be an equal recompense, but it is much greater than the good deed. For they show mercy as men, but they obtain mercy from the God of all. And human and divine mercy are not equal; but as great as the distance between wickedness and goodness, so far is the one removed from the other.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” See, again the prize is spiritual. By the pure he here means either those who have acquired virtue in general and are conscious of nothing evil in themselves, or those who live in chastity; for we need nothing so much in order to see God as this virtue. That is why Paul too said, “Pursue peace with all, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” He speaks here of such sight as it is possible for man to have. For since many show mercy, and do not seize nor covet, but commit sexual immorality and live in licentiousness, showing that the former is not enough, he added this too. This is what Paul testified of the Macedonians, writing to the Corinthians, that they were rich not only in almsgiving but in the rest of virtue as well; for after speaking of their generosity with money, he says that “they gave themselves to the Lord and to us.”

“Blessed are the peacemakers.” Here he not only does away with our quarreling and hating one another ourselves, but seeks something more besides: that we should also bring together others who are quarreling. And again he adds a spiritual prize. What is it? “For they shall be called sons of God.” For this became the work of the Only-begotten: to bring together what was divided and to reconcile what was at war. Then, so that you may not think that peace is good everywhere, he added, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,” that is, for virtue’s sake, for the protection of others, for godliness. For he is accustomed always to call the whole philosophy of the soul righteousness.

“Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you and say every evil word against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice and be glad.” As if to say: even if they call you sorcerers, even if deceivers, even if corrupters, even if anything else, “blessed are you,” he says. What could be more novel than these commands, when he says that what others shun is to be desired: I mean being poor, mourning, being persecuted, being ill spoken of? But nevertheless he both said it and persuaded, not two or ten or twenty or a hundred or a thousand men, but the whole world. And hearing what was burdensome and oppressive and contrary to the habit of the many, the crowds were astonished. So great was the power of the speaker.

However, so that you may not think that being ill spoken of simply makes men blessed, he has set two conditions: when it is for his sake, and when what is said is false. For if these are not present, the one ill spoken of is not only not blessed but even wretched. Then see the prize again: “for your reward is great in heaven.” And if you do not hear the kingdom bestowed in each of the beatitudes, do not lose heart. For even if he names the rewards differently, he brings all into the kingdom. For when he says that those who mourn shall be comforted, and the merciful shall obtain mercy, and the pure in heart shall see God, and the peacemakers shall be called sons of God, through all these he hints at nothing else than the kingdom; for those who enjoy these will certainly attain that. Do not think, then, that the prize belongs only to the poor in spirit, but also to those who hunger for righteousness, and to the meek, and to all the others without exception. For this is why he set the beatitude on all, so that you may expect nothing sensible. For he would not be blessed who is crowned with things that are dissolved with the present life and pass by quicker than a shadow.

And having said, “your reward is great,” he added another consolation too, saying, “For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” For since that, the kingdom, was in the future and lay in hope, he provides them consolation from this, from fellowship with those who suffered ill before them. “For do not think,” he says, “that you suffer these things because you are saying and legislating something contrary, or that you are going to be driven out by them as teachers of wicked doctrines. For the plots and dangers come not from the wickedness of what is said, but from the malice of those who hear it. That is why they do not slander you who suffer ill, but those who do the ill. And all past time bears witness to this. For they did not charge the prophets with lawlessness and a mind opposed to God when they stoned some, drove out others, and entangled others in countless other evils. Do not let this disturb you, then; for they do all the present things too from the same mind.” Do you see how he raised up their spirits, setting them near Moses and Elijah? So too Paul, writing to the Thessalonians, says, “For you became imitators of the churches of God that are in Judea; for you too suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out, and do not please God, and are contrary to all men.” This is what Christ too established here. And in the other beatitudes he said, “Blessed are the poor,” and “the merciful”; but here he has not put it without restriction, but turns his discourse to them, saying, “Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you and say every evil word,” showing that this is especially their special lot, and above all other teachers this is peculiar to them. At the same time he hints here at his own dignity too, and his equality of honor with the one who begot him. “For as they suffered for the Father’s sake,” he says, “so you too will suffer these things for mine.” And when he says, “the prophets who were before you,” he shows that they too have already become prophets. Then, showing that this most of all benefits them and makes them illustrious, he did not say, “They will speak ill of you and persecute you, but I will prevent it.” For he wants their safety to lie not in not being ill spoken of, but in bearing it nobly when they are ill spoken of, and in refuting them by their deeds; for this is much greater than that, just as to suffer no harm when struck is much greater than not to be struck.

Here, then, he says, “your reward is great in heaven”; but Luke says that he said this more intensely and with more consolation. For he not only calls blessed those who are ill spoken of for God’s sake, but also calls wretched those who are well spoken of by all. “For woe to you,” he says, “when all men speak well of you.” And yet people spoke well of the apostles too, but not all. That is why he did not say, “when men speak well of you,” but “when all do.” For it is not possible for those who live in virtue to be well spoken of by all. And again he says, “When they cast out your name as evil, rejoice and leap for joy.” For he appoints a great recompense not only for the dangers they endured but also for the slander. That is why he did not say, “when they drive you out and kill you,” but “when they revile you and say every evil thing.” For slanders bite more grievously than the deeds themselves. For in dangers there are many things that lighten the toil: for example, to be anointed by all, to have many applauding and crowning and proclaiming one; but here, in slander, even this consolation is taken away. For the achievement does not seem to be anything great, and it bites the combatant more than dangers. Many, at any rate, have even gone to the noose, unable to bear an evil reputation. And why wonder at others? For that traitor, the shameless and foul man who had simply lost all shame before anything, was driven to rush to the noose most of all by this. And Job too, the adamant, firmer than rock, when he had been robbed of his money and suffered incurable calamities, and suddenly became childless, and saw his body bubbling up a spring of worms, and his wife pressing on him, repelled it all with ease; but when he saw his friends reproaching him and trampling on him, and holding an evil opinion of him, and saying that he suffered these things for his sins and was paying the penalty for wickedness, then he was disturbed, then he was troubled, that noble and great man.

And David too, passing over everything he suffered, sought a reward from God for the slander alone. “Let him curse,” he says, “for the Lord has commanded him, so that the Lord may see my humiliation and repay me for the cursing of this day.” And Paul too proclaims not only those in danger, nor only those robbed of their possessions, but these as well, speaking thus: “Remember the former days, in which, after you were enlightened, you endured a great contest of sufferings, partly being made a spectacle by reproaches and afflictions.” For this reason Christ too has set the reward as great. Then, so that no one may say, “Here you do not defend us, nor sew up their mouths, and there you give a reward?” he has set before them the prophets, showing that not even in their case did God take vengeance. And if, where the recompenses were close at hand, he anointed them for the contest from the things to come, much more now, when this hope has become clearer and the philosophy greater.

And see after how many commandments he has put this one. For he did not do it at random, but showing that it is not possible for one who has not been prepared and trained by all those to go out to these contests. That is why, always paving the way from the former commandment to the one that follows, he has woven for us a kind of golden chain. For the humble man will certainly also mourn his own sins; he who mourns will also be meek and righteous and merciful; he who is merciful and righteous and pricked to the heart will certainly also be pure in heart; and such a man will also be a peacemaker. And he who has achieved all these will also be arrayed against dangers, and will not be troubled when he is ill spoken of and suffers countless terrible things.

Having given them, then, the exhortations they needed, he again refreshes them with praises. For since the commands were lofty and much greater than those in the Old Testament, so that they might not be alarmed and troubled and say, “How shall we be able to achieve these things?” hear what he says: “You are the salt of the earth,” showing that he gives these commands of necessity. “For not for your own life,” he says, “but for the whole world will the account be required of you. For I am not sending you to two cities, or ten, or twenty, nor to one nation, as I sent the prophets, but to land and sea and the whole world, and that in a bad state.” For by saying, “You are the salt of the earth,” he showed that the whole of human nature had lost its savor and had rotted under sins. That is why he seeks from them these virtues, which are most necessary and useful for the care of the many. For the meek and gentle and merciful and righteous man does not shut up his good deeds in himself alone, but makes these good springs overflow for the benefit of others too. Again, the one who is pure in heart and a peacemaker and persecuted for the truth orders his life toward the common good. “Do not think, then,” he says, “that you are being drawn into ordinary contests, nor that the account you must give concerns small matters: you are the salt of the earth.”

What then? Did they set right what was rotten? Not at all. For it is not possible to benefit things already corrupted by sprinkling salt on them. This was not what they did; but things first renewed and handed over to them, and freed from that stench, they then salted, keeping and preserving them in the freshness they had received from the Master. For to be freed from the rot of sins was the achievement of Christ; but not to return to it again was the work of their zeal and toil. Do you see how little by little he shows them to be better even than the prophets? For he says that they are teachers not of Palestine but of the whole earth; and not simply teachers, but formidable ones. For the wonderful thing is this, that not by flattering nor by courting, but by stinging like salt, they became beloved of all. “Do not wonder, then,” he says, “if I leave the others and speak to you, and drag you into such great dangers. For consider over how many cities and peoples and nations I am going to send you as overseers. That is why I want you not only to be wise yourselves, but also to make others such. And such men must be very discerning, in whose hands the salvation of others is at stake, and must have such an abundance of virtue as to share the benefit with others as well. For if you do not become such, you will not suffice even for yourselves.”