Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew 64.1–64.5

“Peter said to him, ‘Behold, we have left everything and followed you; what then will there be for us?’” What “everything,” O blessed Peter? The rod? The net? The boat? The craft? Is this what you call “everything”? “Yes,” he says; “but I do not say these things out of ambition, but in order by this question to bring in the multitude of the poor.” For since the Lord had said, “If you wish to be perfect, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven,” lest one of the poor should say, “What then? If I have no possessions, can I not be perfect?” Peter asks, so that you, the poor man, may learn that you are in no way the worse off for this. Peter asks, so that you may not be in doubt from having learned it from Peter (for he was still imperfect and without the Spirit), but may take courage, having received the verdict from Peter’s Teacher. For just as we often make others’ affairs our own when we speak on their behalf, so the apostle also did, bringing this question to him on behalf of the whole world. For that he knew his own case clearly is plain from what was said earlier: having already received from here the keys of heaven, he had far more reason to be confident about what is there. And see how exactly he answers, as Christ had required. For Christ had asked these two things of the rich man: to give his possessions to the poor, and to follow. For this reason Peter too sets down these two things, leaving and following: “Behold, we have left everything,” he says, “and followed you.” For the leaving came about for the sake of following, and the following was made easier by the leaving, and he was making them confident and joyful about the leaving. What then does Christ say? “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed me, in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of his glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” What then? Will Judas too sit there, someone says? By no means. How then, someone says, does he say, “You will sit on twelve thrones”? How will the promise be fulfilled? Hear how and on what principle. There is a law laid down by God, read out to the Jews through Jeremiah the prophet, which says this: “At last I will speak concerning a nation and a kingdom, to root up and destroy; and if that nation turns from its evils, I too will repent of the evils that I planned to do to them. And at last I will speak concerning a nation and a kingdom, to build up and to plant; and if they do evil before me, so as not to listen to my voice, I too will repent of the good things that I spoke of doing for them.” “For I keep the same custom in the case of good things too,” he says. “For even if I say I will build up, but they make themselves unworthy of the promise, I will no longer do it.” This happened in the case of the man who was formed: “The dread of you,” it says, “and the fear of you shall be upon the beasts”; and it did not come about, for he made himself unworthy of the rule; as also Judas did. For lest some should despair at the sentences of punishment and become harder, or simply grow more careless because of the promises of good things, he heals both by what has been said, saying this: “Even if I threaten, do not despair, for you can repent and undo my sentence, like the Ninevites; and even if I promise something good, do not relax because of the promise. For if you prove unworthy, my having promised will not help you at all, but will rather punish you; for I promise to one who is worthy.” For this reason then too, in speaking to the disciples, he did not promise simply; for he did not say “you” only, but added, “you who have followed me,” so as both to exclude Judas and to draw those who came after. For it was said neither to them alone, nor to Judas, who had by then become unworthy. To the disciples, then, he promised things to come, saying, “You will sit on twelve thrones,” for they were now more exalted and sought nothing of things present; but to the others he promises the things here too. “And everyone,” he says, “who has left brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or fields, or house for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold in this age, and will inherit eternal life.” For lest some, hearing the “you,” should think that this was a special privilege

of the disciples (I mean enjoying the greatest things and the first places in the world to come), he extended the saying, and spread the promise over the whole earth, and confirms the things to come by the things present. And with the disciples too, at the beginning, when they were in a more imperfect state, he spoke from the things present. For when he drew them away from the sea, and removed them from their craft, and bade them leave the boat, he did not mention heaven or thrones but the affairs of this world, saying, “I will make you fishers of men”; but when he had made them more exalted, then at last he speaks of the things there as well. [2] And what does “judging the twelve tribes of Israel” mean? That is, condemning. For they are not going to sit as judges; but just as he said that the queen of the South would condemn that generation, and the Ninevites too will condemn them, so too will these. For this reason he did not say “the nations and the world,” but “the tribes of Israel.” For since the Jews and the apostles had been brought up in the same laws and customs and way of life, when the Jews say, “We could not believe in Christ for this reason, that the law prevented us from receiving his precepts,” he will bring these men into the middle, men who received the same law and believed, and will condemn all those; as he had already said, “Therefore they shall be your judges.” “And what great thing did he promise them,” someone says, “if these too will have what the Ninevites and the queen of the South have?” Well, first, he promised them many other things before, and promises them afterward too, and this is not the only prize. And besides, he hinted at something more than those in this too. For of those he said simply, “The men of Nineveh will rise up and condemn this generation,” and, “The queen of the South will condemn it”; but of these, not simply so. But how? “When the Son of Man sits on the throne of his glory, then you also will sit on twelve thrones,” he says, showing that they will reign with him and share in that glory. “For if we endure, we shall also reign with him.” For the thrones do not mean sitting (for he alone is the one who will sit and judge), but by the thrones he indicated honor and unspeakable glory. To these men, then, he said this; but to all the rest, eternal life and a hundredfold here. And if to the rest, much more to these, both these things and the things in this age. And this at any rate came to pass. For after leaving rod and net, they held the possessions of all with authority, the prices of houses and lands, and the very bodies of the believers. For many often chose even to be slaughtered for them, as Paul bears witness for many when he says, “If possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.” And when he says, “Everyone who has left wife,” he does not mean that marriages should simply be torn apart; but as he said about the soul, “He who loses his soul for my sake will find it,” not that we should kill ourselves, nor that we should already here separate it from the body, but that we should prefer godliness to everything, so he says this of wife and brothers too. And he seems to me to be hinting at the persecutions here as well. For since there were many fathers dragging their children to ungodliness, and wives their husbands, “When they command these things,” he says, “let them be neither wives nor fathers”; as Paul too said, “But if the unbeliever separates, let him separate.” Having raised the minds of all, then, and persuaded them to be confident both for themselves and for the whole world, he added, “But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” And this, though it is said without limitation and about many others too, is said also about these, and about the Pharisees who disobeyed; as he said before also, “Many will come from east and west and will recline with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, but the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out.” Then he adds a parable too, anointing those who had come late for great eagerness. “For the kingdom of heaven,” he says, “is like a man, a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. And having agreed with them for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And at the third hour he saw others standing idle, and to them too he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ And about the sixth and ninth hour he did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he saw others standing idle, and he says to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle the whole day?’ And they say to him, ‘No one has hired us.’ He says to them, ‘You also go into my vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’ And when evening came, the lord of the vineyard says to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.’ And when those about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius. And the first thought that they would receive more, and they too each received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled against the householder, saying, ‘These last worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us who bore the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I do you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go; I wish to give to this last one as to you. Or is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ So the last will be first, and the first last; for many are called, but few chosen.” [3] What does this parable mean for us? For the beginning does not agree with what is said at the end, but shows quite the opposite. For in it he shows all enjoying the same things, and not some cast out and others brought in; yet both before the parable and after it he said the opposite, that the first will be last and the last first, that is, first even before the first themselves, the first not remaining first but becoming last. For to show that this is what he means, he added, “For many are called, but few chosen,” so as doubly both to sting the one group and to console and encourage the other. But the parable does not say this; it says that they will be equal to those who were approved and had toiled much. “For you have made them equal to us,” it says, “who bore the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” What then does the parable say? For this must first be made clear, and then we shall resolve that difficulty. By the vineyard he means God’s injunctions and commandments; by the time of working, the present life; by the laborers, those called in different ways to the commandments; by the early morning and the third, sixth, ninth and eleventh hours, those who came forward at different ages and were approved. But the question is this: whether the first, who had been brilliantly approved and had pleased God and had shone through the whole day by their labors, are held fast by the last of vices, malice and envy. For seeing the others enjoying the same things, they say, “These last worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us who bore the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” And though they were going to suffer no loss nor be diminished in their own wages, they were annoyed and indignant at others’ good things, which was the mark of envy and malice. And what is more, the householder, justifying himself to them and making his defense to the one who said these things, convicts him of wickedness and the utmost malice, saying, “Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go; I wish to give to the last as to you. Is your eye evil because I am good?” What then is established by these things? For one can see this same thing in other parables too. For the son who was approved is brought in suffering this very thing, when he saw his prodigal brother enjoying great honor, and more than he himself. For just as these enjoyed more by receiving first, so he too was honored more greatly by the abundance of what was given; and the approved son himself bears witness to these things. What then is there to say? There is no one in the kingdom of heaven who argues his rights in this way or makes such charges (away with the thought!); for that place is pure of envy and malice. For if while they are here the saints even give their lives for sinners, much more when they see them enjoying these things there do they rejoice and consider the good things their own. Why, then, did he shape the saying so? What was said was a parable; therefore one must not busy oneself over everything in the parables word for word, but learn the aim for which it was composed, gather that, and inquire no further. What then does it intend? To make more eager those who change and become better in extreme old age, and not to let them think they have less. For this reason he brings in others too, annoyed at their good things, not to show those men wasting away and stung (away with the thought!), but to teach that these had enjoyed such great honor as could even give birth to envy in others. We too often do this, saying, “So-and-so blamed me because I counted you worthy of such honor,” though we have neither been blamed nor wish to slander that person, but in this way to show the greatness of the gift that the other enjoyed. But why did he not hire them all at once? As far as it depended on him, he hired all; but if they did not all obey at the same time, the will of those called made the difference. For this reason some are called early in the morning, some at the third, some at the sixth, some at the ninth hour, and some at the eleventh, when they were going to obey. Paul too, making this plain, said, “But when it pleased him who set me apart from my mother’s womb.” And when was it pleasing? When he was going to obey. For he himself wished it from the beginning; but since Paul would not have yielded, it pleased him then, when he too was going to be persuaded. So also he called the robber, though he could have called him earlier too; but he would not have obeyed. For if Paul would not have obeyed from the beginning, much more the robber. And if these say, “No one has hired us,” first, as I said, one must not busy oneself over everything in the parables; and here it is not the householder who appears saying this, but they; and he does not refute them, so as not to perplex them but to draw them on. For that he called all, as far as depended on him, from the first hour, the parable too made plain, saying that he went out early in the morning to hire. [4] From every side, then, it is plain to us that the parable is addressed both to those who took hold of virtue from their earliest youth and to those who did so in old age and late: to the former, that they may not be arrogant nor reproach those of the eleventh hour; to the latter, that they may learn that it is possible to recover everything even in a short time. For since he had been speaking of earnestness, and of throwing away money, and of despising all one has, and this needed much vigor and youthful eagerness, kindling in them the flame of love and making their resolve strong, he shows that it is possible even for those who come later to receive the wage of the whole day. But he does not say it so, lest he again make them arrogant; but he shows that the whole is of his love for mankind, and that because of it they will not fall short, but they too will enjoy the unspeakable good things. And this above all is what he wishes to establish by this parable. And if he adds, “So the last will be first, and the first last; for many are called, but few chosen,” do not be surprised. For he does not say this as a conclusion drawn from the parable, but he says this: that just as this happened, so that will happen too. For here the first did not become last, but all enjoyed the same things beyond hope and beyond expectation. And just as this turned out beyond hope and expectation, and those who came after became equal to those before, so also what is more than this and more surprising will happen: the last will even come before the first, and the first after them. So the one thing is different from the other. And he seems to me to say these things hinting at the Jews, and at those of the faithful who shone at the beginning but later neglected virtue and were carried backward; and again at those who came up out of wickedness and outstripped many. For we see such changes happening both in faith and in life. Therefore, I beg you, let us take great pains both to stand in the right faith and to display the best life. For if we do not add a life worthy of the faith, we shall pay the utmost penalty. And blessed Paul showed this from the times of old, when he said, “All ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink,” and added that they were not saved, “for they were laid low in the wilderness.” And Christ showed it also in the Gospels, when he brought in some who had cast out demons and prophesied, and were led away to punishment. And all his parables too, such as that of the virgins, of the net, of the thorns, of the tree that bears no fruit, require the virtue that comes from works. For he speaks seldom about doctrines (for the matter needs no toil), but often, or rather everywhere, about life; for the war against this is continual, and so is the toil. And why do I speak of the whole of conduct? For even a part of it neglected brings great evils. For example, almsgiving neglected casts those who lack it into Gehenna; and yet this is not the whole of virtue, but a part of it. Yet even so the virgins were punished for not having this; and for this the rich man was roasted; and those who did not feed the hungry are condemned for this with the devil. Again, not reviling is a very small part of it; yet if it is lacking in us, many evils will follow, and it shuts us out of heaven; and so with almsgiving, and with not judging nor emulating transgressors; this too casts out those who have not achieved it. “For whoever says to his brother, ‘Fool,’ shall be liable to the Gehenna of fire.” Again, chastity too is a part; yet without it no one will see the Lord. “For pursue peace,” he says, “and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” And humility likewise is a portion of virtue; yet even if one accomplishes other good things but does not achieve this, he is unclean before God. And this is plain from the Pharisee, who, though abounding in countless good things, lost everything by this. And I have something more than these to say again. For not only does one of them neglected shut heaven to us, but even if it is done, yet not with the fitting exactness and abundance, it does this very thing again. “For unless your righteousness abounds,” he says, “more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” So even if you give alms, but not more than they, you will not enter. “And how much alms did they give?” someone says. This is the very thing I wish to say now, so that those who do not give may be roused to give, and those who give may not think highly of themselves but may make an addition. What then did they give? A tenth of all they had, and again another tenth, and after this a third; so that they gave nearly a third of their substance, for three tenths put together make this. And besides these, firstfruits too, and firstborn, and many other things, such as the offerings for sins, those for purifications, those at feasts, those in the jubilee, those in the cancelling of debts and the releasing of servants, and in loans free of interest. And if the one who gave a third of what he had, or rather a half (for with these, those other things put together make a half), if then the one who gives a half does nothing great, of what will the one who does not give even a tenth be worthy? With reason he said, “Few are those who are saved.”

Let us not, then, neglect the care of our life. For if one part of it neglected brings such destruction, when we are liable on every side to the condemning sentence, how shall we escape the punishment? What penalty shall we not pay? “And what hope of salvation have we,” someone says, “if each of the things enumerated threatens us with Gehenna?” I say so too; yet if we pay attention, it is possible to be saved, preparing the remedies of almsgiving and healing our wounds. For oil does not strengthen the body so much as love for mankind strengthens the soul, and makes it unconquerable by all and impregnable to the devil. For wherever he takes hold, he slips off, since this oil does not allow his grips to settle on our backs. With this oil, then, let us anoint ourselves continually. For it is a ground of health, a supply of light, a source of cheerfulness. “But so-and-so,” someone says, “has so many and so many talents of gold, and gives nothing away.” And what is that to you? For so you will appear the more admirable, when out of poverty … admired, not because they gave, but because they gave even while in want. Do not look to these men, then, but to the common Teacher of all, who had nowhere to lay his head. “And why,” someone says, “does so-and-so and so-and-so not do this?” Do not judge another, but free yourself from the charge. For the punishment is greater when you both accuse others and do not do it yourself, when, judging others, you yourself are again liable to the same judgment. For if we are not permitted to judge others even when we are doing right, much less when we are stumbling. Let us not, then, judge others, nor look to others who are careless, but to Jesus, and let us take our examples from there. “Was it I who did you good? Was it I who redeemed you, that you should look to me? It is another who has given you these things. Why do you leave the Master and look to your fellow servant?” Have you not heard him saying, “Learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart”? And again, “Whoever wishes to be first among you, let him be the servant of all”; and again, “Just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.” And after this again, so that you may not stumble over the careless among your fellow servants and remain in negligence, drawing you away from them he says, “I have given you myself as an example, that as I have done, you also should do.” “But I have no teacher of virtue among those I live with, no one able to lead me to these things.” Then the praise is greater, the commendation higher, that without even having teachers you have become admirable. For this is possible and very easy, if we wish; and those who first achieved these things show it, such as Noah, Abraham, Melchizedek, Job, and all the men of their time; to whom we must look every day, and not to these men whom you never cease envying and carrying about in your gatherings. For I hear people saying nothing else everywhere but these words: “So-and-so has acquired so many acres of land; so-and-so is rich; he is building.” Why do you gape outside, man? Why do you look at others? If you wish to look at others, look at those who do right, who are approved, who fulfill the law with exactness, not at those who have offended and are dishonored. For if you look at these, you will gather many evils from it, falling into carelessness, into arrogance, into condemning others; but if you count up those who do right, you will lead yourself into humility, into earnestness, into compunction, into countless good things. Hear what the Pharisee suffered, because he left those who did right and looked at the one who had stumbled; hear and be afraid. See how David became admirable, because he looked to his forefathers who lived in virtue. “For I am a sojourner,” he says, “and a stranger, as all my fathers were.” For he and all those of his time left aside those who had sinned and considered those who had been approved. Do this too. For you do not sit as judge of what others have done amiss, nor as examiner of others’ sins; you were commanded to judge yourself, not others. “For if we judged ourselves,” he says, “we would not be judged; but when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord.” But you have overturned the order, demanding no account of yourself for great or small faults, while busily examining those of others with exactness. But let us no longer do this; rather, leaving this disorder, let us set up a court within ourselves for the sins committed within ourselves, becoming ourselves the accusers and judges and executioners of our offenses. And if you wish to busy yourself with others’ affairs too, examine their good deeds, not their sins; so that, both from the memory of our own offenses and from emulation of what others achieve, and from standing before the inexorable court, being pricked in conscience every day as by a goad, and leading ourselves into humility and greater earnestness, we may obtain the good things to come, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, might, honor, now and always and to the ages of ages. Amen.