Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew 62.1–62.5

“And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these words, he departed from Galilee and came to the borders of Judea beyond the Jordan.” He had continually left Judea because of their envy; now at last he spends time there, since the Passion was about to take place. He does not yet go up to Jerusalem, however, but to the borders of Judea. “And when he came, great crowds followed him, and he healed them.” He does not continually spend his time either in teaching by words or in working signs, but does now this, now that, varying the means of salvation for those who waited on him and followed him, so that from the signs he might appear a trustworthy teacher in what he said, and from the teaching of his words he might heighten what came from the signs; and this was to lead them by the hand to the knowledge of God. But consider this too, I pray you: how the disciples pass over whole crowds in a single word, not reporting by name each of those who were healed. For they did not say “such a one and such a one,” but “many,” teaching us to avoid boasting. And Christ healed, benefiting both those people and through them many others; for the correction of their infirmity became for others an occasion for the knowledge of God. But not for the Pharisees: for this very reason they grow more savage and come to him testing him. For since they could not lay hold of what was being done, they put problems to him. “For they came to him, testing him, and said, ‘Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for any cause?’” O what folly! They thought to silence him by their questions, though they had already received proof of this power of his. When, for instance, they disputed much about the sabbath, when they said that he blasphemes, when they said that he has a demon, when they rebuked the disciples for walking through the grainfields, when they disputed about unwashed hands, everywhere he sewed up their mouths, stopped their shameless tongue, and so sent them away. Yet even so they do not desist. Such a thing is wickedness, such a thing is envy, shameless and reckless: even if it is silenced ten thousand times, ten thousand times it attacks again. But consider, I pray you, the malice in the very manner of the question. For they did not say to him, “You commanded not to put away a wife” (for he had already spoken about this law); yet they did not mention those words, but started from there, and thinking to make the snare greater, and wishing to drive him into the necessity of contradicting the law, they do not say, “Why did you lay down such and such a law?” but as though nothing had been said, they ask, “Is it lawful?” expecting that he had forgotten what he had said; and they were ready, if he said, “It is lawful to put away,” to set against him what he himself had said, and to say, “How then did you say the contrary?” and if he said the same as before, to set against him the law of Moses. What then does he do? He did not say, “Why do you test me, you hypocrites?” though he says this later; but here he does not say it. Why ever not? That along with his power he might show his gentleness as well. For he neither always keeps silent, lest they should think they escape notice, nor always rebukes, so that he may teach us to bear everything gently. How then does he answer them? “Have you not read that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” See the Teacher’s wisdom. For when asked, “Is it lawful?” he did not at once say, “It is not lawful,” lest they should be thrown into confusion and disturbed; but before the verdict he made this plain by his argument, showing that this too is his Father’s command, and that he enjoined these things not in opposition to Moses but in full agreement with him. And see him arguing strongly not only from the creation but also from God’s command. For he did not say only that he made one man and one woman, but that he also commanded this, that the one man be joined to the one woman. For if he had wished a man to put away this one and bring in another, after making one man he would have formed many women. But as it is, both by the manner of the creation and by the manner of the legislation he showed that one man must live with one woman always, and never break the bond. And see how he says, “He who made them from the beginning made them male and female”: that is, they came from one root and came together into one body; “for the two shall become one flesh.” Then, making it a fearful thing to find fault with this legislation, and fixing the law firm, he did not say, “Do not tear apart, then, or separate,” but, “What God has joined together, let no man separate.” “And if you put forward Moses, I tell you of Moses’ Master, and besides this I rely on the time also. For God from the beginning made them male and female; and this law is the older one, even if it seems to be introduced by me now, and it was laid down with great earnestness.” For he did not simply bring the woman to the man, but also commanded him to leave mother and father; and he did not legislate simply that he should go to the woman, but that he should be joined to her, by the very manner of the expression showing that they cannot be torn apart. And he was not content even with this, but sought a still greater union: “for the two,” he says, “shall become one flesh.” Then, after he had read out the old law, introduced both by deeds and by words, and had shown it worthy of trust because of the one who gave it, he himself from then on interprets and legislates with authority, saying, “So they are no longer two, but one flesh.” As then it is an accursed thing to cut flesh, so it is unlawful to separate a wife. And he did not stop at this, but brought in God as well, saying, “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate,” showing that what is done is both against nature and against the law: against nature, because one flesh is cut in two; against the law, because when God has joined them and commanded that they not be separated, you set yourselves to do this. [2] What then ought they to have done after this? Should they not have been silent and praised what was said? Should they not have marveled at his wisdom? Should they not have been astonished at his agreement with the Father? But they do none of these things; rather, as though contending for the law, they say, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce and to put her away?” And yet this was not for them to put forward now, but for him to put to them. Nevertheless he does not press his advantage, nor does he say to them, “I am no longer answerable for this”; but he resolves this too. And indeed, if he had been a stranger to the old covenant, he would not have contended on Moses’ behalf; he would not have argued from the things done once at the beginning; he would not have been eager to show that his own teaching agreed with the old. And yet Moses commanded many other things too, both about foods and about the sabbath; why then do they nowhere put him forward as here? Because they wished to rouse the mass of husbands against him. For this was a matter of indifference to the Jews, and all of them did it. For this reason, though so many things had been said on the mountain, they now remembered this commandment alone. Nevertheless the ineffable Wisdom makes a defense for these things too, and says, “Moses, because of your hardness of heart,” legislated so. And he does not let Moses remain under accusation either, since he himself had given him the law; but he frees him from the charge and turns the whole back on their own head, as he does everywhere. For when they blamed the disciples for plucking the ears of grain, he shows that they themselves are guilty; and when they charged them with transgression over not washing their hands, he shows that they are the transgressors; and in the matter of the sabbath, and everywhere, and here likewise. Then, since what had been said was hard to bear and brought great blame on them, he quickly leads his argument back again to the ancient law, saying what he had said before also: “But from the beginning it was not so”; that is, God from the beginning legislated the opposite to us by his deeds. For lest they should say, “How is it clear that Moses said this because of our hardness?” from there again he silences them. For if this law had been the primary one and beneficial, that other would not have been given from the beginning; God would not have fashioned as he fashioned, nor said such things. “But I say to you that whoever puts away his wife, except for a matter of sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” For since he had silenced them, he now legislates with authority, as in the case of foods, as in the case of the sabbath. For in the case of foods too, after he had routed them, he then addressed the crowds, saying that what goes in does not defile the man; and in the case of the sabbath, after silencing them, he says, “So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath”; and here he does this very thing. But what happened there happened here also. For as there, when the Jews had been silenced, the disciples were troubled and came to him with Peter and said, “Explain this parable to us,” so now too, being troubled, they said, “If such is the case of the man, it is better not to marry.” For now they understood what was said better than before. That is why they were silent then, but now, since there had been objection and answer, and question and inquiry, and the law had appeared more clearly, they question him. They do not dare to contradict him openly, but they bring forward what seemed heavy and burdensome in it, saying, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is not better to marry.” For it seemed very grievous to have a wife full of every vice, and to bear with an untamed wild beast shut up in the house forever. And that you may learn that this troubled them greatly, Mark, making it plain, said that they spoke to him privately. [3] But what does “if such is the case of the man with his wife” mean? That is, if he was joined to her for this, that they should be one; or this: if the husband will incur blame for these things, and in every case breaks the law by putting her away, it is easier to fight against the desire of nature and against oneself than against a wicked woman. What then does Christ say? He did not say, “Yes, it is easier, so do it,” lest they should think that the thing is a law; but he added, “Not all receive it, but those to whom it is given,” extolling the thing and showing that it is great, and in this way drawing them on and encouraging them. But see here a contradiction. He says that this is a great thing; they, that it is easier. For both had to happen: it had to be acknowledged by him as great, in order to make them more eager; and it had to be shown from what they themselves said to be easier, so that in this way too they might rather choose virginity and self-control. For since speaking of virginity seemed burdensome, by the constraint of this law he brought them to that desire. Then, showing that it is possible, he says, “There are eunuchs who were born so from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven,” by these words leading them secretly to choose the thing, and establishing that this virtue is possible, and all but saying, “Consider: if you were such by nature, or had suffered this very thing at the hands of those who commit such outrages, what would you have done, deprived of the enjoyment and without a reward? Give thanks to God, then, now, that you undergo with reward and crowns what those men undergo without crowns; or rather not even this, but something far lighter, upheld by hope and by the consciousness of your achievement, and not having desire surging in the same way.” For cutting off a member does not know how to calm such waves and make a calm so well as the bridle of reason; or rather, reason alone. For this reason, then, he brought those others in, in order to anoint these for the contest; since if he were not establishing this, what is the point of his speaking about the other eunuchs? And when he says that they made themselves eunuchs, he does not mean the cutting off of members (away with the thought!) but the destruction of evil thoughts. For the man who cuts off the member is even liable to a curse, as Paul says: “I wish those who unsettle you would even cut themselves off.” And very reasonably. For such a man dares the deeds of murderers, and gives an occasion to those who slander God’s creation, and opens the mouths of the Manichees, and commits the same lawlessness as those among the Greeks who mutilate themselves. For cutting off the members has from the beginning been a work of demonic activity and satanic plotting, in order that they might slander God’s work, in order that they might maltreat this living creature, in order that, reckoning everything not to the will but to the nature of the members, most people might sin without fear, as though they were not answerable, and might harm this living creature doubly, both by maiming its members and by hindering the will’s eagerness for good things. These things the devil legislated, introducing besides what has been said another evil doctrine as well, and from here preparing the way for the teaching about fate and necessity, and everywhere maltreating the freedom given us by God, and persuading people that evils are natural, and from this sowing secretly many other evil doctrines, even if not openly. Such are the devil’s poisons. Therefore I beg you to flee such lawlessness. For besides what has been said, the force of desire does not become gentler by this, but even harsher. For the seed in us has its springs elsewhere, and surges from elsewhere. And some say that that frenzy arises from the brain, others from the loins; but I would say that it comes from nowhere else than from an undisciplined mind and a neglected understanding: if this is self-controlled, there is no harm from the natural motions. Having spoken, then, of the eunuchs, those who are eunuchs idly and in vain unless they too are self-controlled in their thinking, and of those who keep virginity for the sake of heaven, he adds again, “He who is able to receive it, let him receive it,” making them more eager by showing that the achievement is surpassing, and not allowing the thing to be shut up within the compulsion of a law, because of his ineffable gentleness. And he said this when he had shown clearly that it was possible, so that the will’s ambition might be the greater.

And if it is a matter of the will, how was it that at the beginning he said, “Not all receive it, but those to whom it is given”? So that you might learn that the contest is great, not so that you might suspect some compulsory allotment. For it is given to those who are willing. He spoke so to show that much help from above is needed by one who enters this arena, help that the one who is willing will certainly enjoy. For it is his custom to use this expression whenever the achievement is great, as when he says, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries.” And that this is true is plain also from the present passage. For if it belongs to the gift from above alone, and those who keep virginity contribute nothing themselves, he promised them the kingdom of heaven needlessly, and needlessly distinguished them from the other eunuchs. But see, I pray you, how from what some do wickedly others gain. For the Jews went away having learned nothing (for they did not ask in order to learn), but the disciples gained even from this. “Then little children were brought to him, that he might lay his hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. But he said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.’ And he laid his hands on them and went away from there.” And why did the disciples drive the children away? For the sake of dignity. What then does he do? Teaching them to be modest and to trample on worldly pride, he both takes them and embraces them, and promises the kingdom to such as these, as he had said before also. Let us too, then, if we wish to become heirs of heaven, acquire this virtue with great care. For this is the summit of philosophy, to be guileless with understanding; this is the angelic life. For the soul of a little child is clean of all the passions. It bears no grudge against those who have hurt it, but goes to them as to friends, as though nothing had happened. And however often it is whipped by its mother, it seeks her and prefers her to all. Even if you show it a queen with a diadem, it does not prefer her to its mother clothed in rags, but would rather see her in these than the queen in her finery. For it knows how to tell what is its own from what is another’s not by poverty and wealth, but by love. And it seeks nothing beyond what is necessary, but only to be filled from the breast, and then it leaves the nipple. The little child is not grieved at what grieves us, such as loss of money and things of that kind; nor again does it rejoice at what we rejoice in, these perishable things; it is not excited by bodily beauty. That is why he said, “For of such is the kingdom of heaven,” so that we may achieve by choice what little children have by nature. For since the Pharisees did what they did from nothing else than malice and arrogance, for this reason he bids the disciples again and again to be simple, both hinting at those men and instructing these. For nothing so lifts one up to boastfulness as office and precedence. Since, then, the disciples were going to enjoy great honor throughout the whole world, he forestalls their mind, not allowing them to feel anything merely human, nor to demand honors from the crowd, nor to have people clear the way before them. For even if these things seem small, they are the causes of great evils. So at any rate the Pharisees, trained up in them, fell into the very crown of evils, seeking the greetings, the first seats, the places in the middle; for from these they ran aground on the mad love of glory, and then from there on ungodliness. For this reason, then, they went away having drawn a curse on themselves by testing him, but the children went away with a blessing, as being free of all these things. Let us too, then, become like the little children, and be infants in wickedness. For it is not possible, it is not possible, to see heaven otherwise; but the deceitful and wicked man must certainly fall into Gehenna. And even before Gehenna we shall suffer the worst things here. “For if you become evil,” it says, “you alone will drain the evils; but if good, it will be for yourself and for your neighbor.” Consider, at any rate, how this happened also in the case of those of old. For there was nothing more wicked than Saul, nor anything simpler and more guileless than David. Which, then, was the stronger? Did not David twice take him into his hands, and when he had the power to kill him, refrain? Did he not have him caught as in a net and a prison, and spare him? And this when others were urging him on, and when he himself had countless charges to bring against him; yet nevertheless he let him go away safe. And yet the one was pursuing him with his whole army, while the other was with a few desperate fugitives, wandering and changing from place to place; yet the fugitive overcame the king, because the one fought with simplicity, the other with wickedness. For what could be more wicked than that man, who tried to kill the one who commanded his armies and carried all his wars to success, who endured the toils of the victory and the trophies, but brought the crowns to him?

For such is envy: it always plots against its own good things, and wastes away the one who has it, and surrounds him with countless calamities. That wretched man, at any rate, until David withdrew, did not break out into that pitiable cry, lamenting and saying, “I am in great distress, and the foreigners are making war against me, and the Lord has departed from me.” Until he was separated from David, he did not fall in war, but was both in safety and in glory; for the general’s glory passed to the king. For the man was not given to tyranny, nor did he try to throw him from the throne, but achieved everything for him and was devotedly disposed toward him; and this is plain also from what came after. For while he was ranked under him, one of those who do not examine closely might perhaps reckon these things to the law of subordination; but when he had taken himself out of that man’s kingdom, what was there any longer to restrain him and persuade him to keep from war against him? Or rather, what was there that did not provoke him to the slaughter? Had not the other been wicked toward him once and twice and many times? Had he not been treated well by David? Had he not nothing to accuse him of? Were not his own safety and kingdom dangerous and insecure while Saul lived? Did he not have to wander continually and flee, and tremble for his very life, while that man lived and ruled? Yet none of these things compelled him to bloody his sword; but seeing him asleep, and bound, and alone, and in the midst of his own men, and touching his head, while many were rousing him and saying that such an opportunity was God’s verdict, he both rebuked those who urged him on and refrained from the murder, and sent him away safe and sound; and as though he were rather his bodyguard and shield-bearer, not his enemy, he even accused the army of betraying the king. What could equal this soul? What could equal that gentleness? This can be seen even from what has been said; but far more from what is done now. For when we learn our own worthlessness, then we shall know more exactly the virtue of those saints. Therefore I beg you to run to emulate them. For if you love glory, and for this reason plot against your neighbor, you will enjoy it all the more when you spit on it and keep from the plotting. For as the love of money is contrary to making money, so to obtaining glory the love of glory is contrary. And if you wish, let us examine each point. For since we have no fear of Gehenna, nor much thought for the kingdom, come, let us lead you on at least from things present. Who are the ridiculous? Tell me. Are they not those who do anything for the sake of the glory that comes from the many? And who are praiseworthy? Are they not those who spit on the praise that comes from the many? If, then, to love vainglory is shameful, and the vainglorious man cannot hide that he loves it, he will certainly be shameful, and his love of glory has become for him the cause of dishonor. And not only in this is he disgraced, but also in being compelled to do many shameful things, full of the utmost servility. And just as men are accustomed to be harmed in their gain most of all by the disease of the love of gain (they fall for many frauds, at any rate, and small gains bring great losses, which is why this saying has prevailed as a proverb), so also for the lustful man the passion becomes a hindrance to enjoying pleasure. Those, at any rate, who are very much given to it and are slaves to women, these above all women lead about like slaves, and would never deign to treat them as men, slapping them, spitting on them, leading them and dragging them about everywhere, giving themselves airs, and only ever giving orders. So also nothing is lower and more dishonored than the man who is arrogant, mad for glory, and thought to be lofty. For the human race is contentious, and sets itself against nothing so much as against a boaster, a man who looks down on others, a slave of glory. And that man himself, in order to keep up the show of his arrogance, displays the conduct of slaves toward the many, flattering, courting, serving a slavery harder than that of any slave bought with money. Knowing all these things, then, let us lay these passions aside, so that we may not both pay the penalty here and be punished there without end. Let us become lovers of virtue. For so we shall both reap the greatest good things here, even before the kingdom, and when we have departed there we shall share in the eternal good things; which may we all obtain, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the might to the ages of ages. Amen.