Homilies on Matthew, Homily 1

Ideally, we should not even need the help of the written Word. We should live so purely that the grace of the Spirit takes the place of books for our souls, and just as books are written on with ink, our hearts should be written on with the Spirit. But since we have completely rejected this grace, come, let us at least embrace the second-best course. God has made it clear, both by His words and by His actions, that the first way was better. For He spoke to Noah, Abraham and his descendants, Job, and Moses too, not through writings, but personally and directly, because He found their minds pure. But after the whole Hebrew people had fallen into the very pit of wickedness, only then did the written word, the tablets, and the instruction they provide come into being. And we can see that this was true not only of the saints in the Old Testament, but also of those in the New. For God did not give the apostles anything in writing either. Instead of written words, He promised to give them the grace of the Spirit. For “He,” our Lord says, “will remind you of all things.” And to learn that this was far better, listen to what He says through the Prophet: “I will make a new covenant with you, putting my laws into their mind, and I will write them in their heart,” and, “they will all be taught by God.” Paul too, pointing out the same superiority, said that they had received a law “not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of flesh, of the heart.” But as time passed, they suffered shipwreck, some in matters of doctrine, others in their lives and conduct, so they again needed the written word to remind them. 2. Think, then, how great an evil it is that we, who ought to live so purely that we do not even need written words, but offer our hearts to the Spirit as books, should now, after losing that honor and coming to need these writings, fail again to make proper use of even this second remedy. For if we are to blame for needing written words and for not having drawn the grace of the Spirit down upon ourselves, consider how serious the charge is when, even after receiving this help, we choose not to benefit from it. Instead, we neglect what is written, as though it had been thrown out aimlessly and at random, and so bring an even greater punishment upon ourselves. To keep this from happening, let us pay close attention to what is written, and learn how the Old Law was given and how the New Covenant was given. 3. How, then, was that law given long ago, and when, and where? After the destruction of the Egyptians, in the wilderness, on Mount Sinai, with smoke and fire rising from the mountain, a trumpet sounding, thunder and lightning, and Moses entering the very depths of the cloud. But it was different with the new covenant. Everything took place, not in a wilderness or on a mountain, or with smoke, darkness, cloud, and storm, but at the beginning of the day, in a house, while everyone sat together in great quiet. Those people, being more unreasonable and hard to guide, needed an outward display: a wilderness, a mountain, smoke, a trumpet blast, and other things like these. But those of a higher character, who were obedient and had risen above merely bodily images, needed none of these things. And if there was a sound even in their case, it was for the Jews who were present, not for the apostles. The tongues of fire also appeared for their sake. For if even afterward some said, "they are filled with new wine," they would have been much more likely to say so if they had seen none of these things. And in the Old Testament, God came down when Moses went up. But here, when our nature has been carried up into Heaven, or rather to the royal throne, the Spirit descends. Now if the Spirit had been an inferior being, the results would not have been greater and more wonderful. For these tablets are far better, and the achievements more glorious. The apostles did not come down from a mountain like Moses, carrying stone monuments in their hands. Instead, carrying the Spirit in their minds and pouring out a kind of treasure and fountain of doctrines, gifts, and all good things, they went everywhere and, through that grace, became living books and laws. This was how they won over "the three thousand," how they won over "the five thousand," how they won over the nations of the world, as God spoke through their tongues to everyone who approached them. 4. Filled with the Spirit through Him, Matthew too wrote what he wrote—Matthew the Tax Collector, for I am not ashamed to name him by his occupation, either him or the others. For this shows in a very special way both the grace of the Spirit and their virtue. And He has rightly given His work a name (which signifies) good news. Yes, for what he came announcing to everyone—to enemies, to the perverse, to those sitting in darkness—was the removal of punishment, the forgiveness of sins, “righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption,” adoption, an inheritance of Heaven, and a relationship with the Son of God. What could ever equal this good news? God on earth, man in Heaven; and everything was brought together. Angels joined the choirs of men, and men shared fellowship with the angels and the other powers above. You could see the long war ended, God reconciled to our nature, the devil put to shame, demons fleeing, death destroyed, Paradise opened, the curse erased, sin removed, error driven away, truth returning, the word of godliness sown everywhere and growing vigorously, the commonwealth of those above planted on earth, those powers freely and safely associating with us, angels continually visiting the earth, and abundant hope for the things to come. That is why he called this history good news. All other things are surely words without substance: abundant wealth, great power, kingdoms, glories, honors, and whatever else people consider good. But what the fishermen proclaim can rightly and properly be called good news, both because these blessings are certain, unshakable, and beyond what we deserve, and because they are given to us with such ease. For we received what we received not through labor and sweat, not through exhaustion and suffering, but simply because God loves us. 5. And why was it that, although there were so many disciples, only two of the apostles and two of their followers wrote? (For a disciple of Paul and a disciple of Peter wrote the Gospels, along with Matthew and John.) It was because they did nothing for empty glory, but everything to be useful. “What then? Wasn't one evangelist enough to tell everything?” One was indeed enough. But when four write at different times and in different places, without meeting and consulting one another, and then say everything as though speaking with one mouth, this is very strong proof of the truth. 6. “But the opposite has happened,” someone may say, “for in many places they have been shown to disagree.” On the contrary, this very thing is powerful evidence of their truthfulness. For if they had agreed exactly in everything, down to the time, place, and very words, all our enemies would have believed that they had met and written what they wrote by some human agreement, because such complete agreement does not come from simple honesty. But as it is, even the apparent disagreement in small matters frees them from all suspicion and speaks clearly for the writers' character. And if they have described anything differently concerning times or places, this does not in any way harm the truth of what they have said. As we proceed, we will try, as far as God enables us, to explain these things too. Along with what we have already mentioned, we ask you to notice that on the main points, those that shape our life and establish our doctrine, none of them is ever found to disagree, even in the slightest. What are these points? They include the following: that God became man, that He performed miracles, that He was crucified, that He was buried, that He rose again, that He ascended, that He will judge, that He has given commandments leading to salvation, that He has introduced a law that does not contradict the Old Testament, that He is a Son, that He is only-begotten, that He is a true Son, that He is of the same substance with the Father, and all other things like these. On these matters we will find complete agreement among them. And if they have not all mentioned every miracle, but one mentions these and another those, do not let that trouble you. For if one had told everything, the rest would have been unnecessary. And if, on the other hand, all had written new things, each different from the others, the proof of their agreement would not have been clear. For this reason, they have both discussed many things in common, and each has also received and reported something of his own. In this way, each avoids seeming unnecessary, merely added to the pile for no purpose, while also making our test of the truth of their statements complete. 7. Luke also tells us why he proceeds to write: “so that you may hold,” he says, “the certainty of the words in which you have been instructed”; that is, so that through continual reminders you may hold to what is certain and remain certain yourself. As for John, he has said nothing himself about his reason. Yet (as a tradition handed down to us from the beginning, from the Fathers themselves, says) he too did not write without a purpose. Since the three had devoted their attention to the account of His incarnate life, and the doctrines of the Godhead were in danger of being left unspoken, he, moved by Christ, then and only then set out to compose his Gospel. This is clear both from the history itself and from the opening of his Gospel. For he does not begin from below, like the others, but from above, from the very point he was aiming at, and he composed the whole book with this in view. And not only at the beginning, but throughout the Gospel, he rises higher than the rest. Of Matthew, again, it is said that when believers from among the Jews came to him and begged him to leave them a written account of the same things he had spoken to them, he composed his Gospel in the language of the Hebrews. Mark too is said to have done this same thing in Egypt at the disciples' request. For this reason, Matthew, writing to Hebrews, aimed to show nothing more than that He descended from Abraham and David. But Luke, addressing everyone in general, traces the account further back, all the way to Adam. The one begins with His ancestry, because nothing was so comforting to a Jew as to be told that Christ was descended from Abraham and David. The other does not do this, but mentions many other things before proceeding to the genealogy. 8. We will establish their harmony both through the whole world, which has accepted their statements, and through the very enemies of the truth. For many sects have arisen since their time, holding opinions opposed to their words. Some have accepted everything they said, while others have cut certain portions of their statements away from the rest and kept those for themselves. But if their statements contradicted one another, the sects that uphold the opposing position would not have accepted everything, but only what seemed to agree with them. Nor would those that cut off a portion be completely refuted by that very portion. As it is, even the fragments cannot be hidden, but loudly proclaim their connection with the whole body. Just as, if you took any part from an animal's side, you would find even in that part all the things that make up the whole—nerves and veins, bones, arteries, and blood, and, one might say, a sample of the whole mass—so it is with the Scriptures. In each portion of what is said there, you can clearly see its connection with the whole. But if they disagreed, this could not have been shown, and the doctrine itself would have been destroyed long ago. For “every kingdom,” He says, “divided against itself will not stand.” But here too the power of the Spirit shines out: it enabled these men, occupied as they were with more necessary and very urgent matters, to suffer no harm at all from these small matters. As for where each was staying when he wrote, we should not make overly definite claims. But throughout this whole work we will try to prove that they do not contradict one another. And when you accuse them of disagreement, you are doing exactly what you would be doing if you insisted that they use the same words and forms of expression. 9. I will not yet point out that many of those who take great pride in rhetoric and philosophy have written many books on the same subjects, and have not merely expressed themselves differently, but have even contradicted one another (for speaking differently is one thing, and contradicting one another is another). I say none of this. I would never base our defense on those men's madness, nor am I willing to use falsehood to make a case for the truth. But I would gladly ask this: How were these differing accounts believed? How did they prevail? How was it that, while saying opposite things, their writers were admired, believed, and celebrated throughout the world? And yet there were many witnesses to what they said, and many opponents and enemies as well. For they did not write these things in a corner and bury them there. Everywhere, by sea and by land, they explained them for everyone to hear. These things were read in the presence of enemies, just as they are now, and nothing they said caused anyone to stumble. This was only natural, for a divine power ran through everything and made it succeed among all people. 10. For if this had not been so, how could the tax collector, the fisherman, and the uneducated have attained such wisdom? Things that those outside the faith have never been able to imagine, even in a dream, these men proclaim with great certainty and make convincing, not only during their lives but even after death. And they do this not for two people, or twenty, or a hundred, or a thousand, or ten thousand, but for cities, nations, and peoples, on both land and sea, in the lands of both Greeks and barbarians, in inhabited regions and deserts alike. And all this concerns things far beyond our nature. For leaving the earth behind, all their teaching concerns the things in heaven, as they introduce us to another principle of life, another way of living: wealth and poverty, freedom and slavery, life and death, our world and our commonwealth, all transformed. They are unlike Plato, who composed that ridiculous Republic, or Zeno, or anyone else who has written about a commonwealth or framed laws. For all these men have made it clear themselves that an evil spirit, some cruel demon at war with our race, hostile to modesty and good order and overturning everything, has made his voice heard in their souls. When, for example, they make their women common to everyone, strip virgins naked in the Palæstra and expose them to men's gaze, and establish secret marriages, mixing and confusing everything and overturning the boundaries of nature, what else can we say? Nature herself would testify that all these sayings of theirs are inventions of demons and contrary to nature, refusing to tolerate what we have mentioned. And this is so even though they write amid no persecutions, dangers, or battles, but in complete safety and freedom, dressing their work up with many ornaments from many sources. But the teachings of these fishermen, who were hunted, whipped, and in danger, have been gladly accepted by educated and uneducated, slaves and free, kings and ordinary soldiers, barbarians and Greeks alike. 11. And you cannot say that these teachings were easily accepted by everyone because they were trivial and low. No, these doctrines are far higher than theirs. For those men never imagined even the name of virginity, so much as in a dream, or voluntary poverty, or fasting, or any other such lofty things. But those on our side not only root out lust; they punish not only the act, but even an unchaste look, insulting language, unruly laughter, and improper dress, walk, and shouting. They extend their care to the smallest things, and have filled the whole earth with the plant of virginity. And concerning God and the things in heaven, they persuade people to pursue wisdom with a knowledge that none of those men has ever been able even to conceive. For how could they, when they made images of beasts, monsters that crawl on the earth, and still more vile things into gods? Yet these lofty doctrines were both accepted and believed, and they flourish and grow every day. The others have passed away and perished, disappearing more easily than spiders' webs. This is only natural, for demons proclaimed those things. So besides being unclean, they are very obscure, and the effort they require is even greater. For what could be more ridiculous than that “republic,” in which, besides what I have already mentioned, the philosopher spends countless lines trying to show what justice is, and adds great obscurity to all this wordiness? Even if it contained something useful, this would still make it utterly impractical for human life. For if the farmer and the metalworker, the builder and the ship's pilot, and everyone who earns a living by working with their hands must leave their trade and honest labor and spend so many years learning what justice is, they will often be utterly destroyed by hunger before they learn. They will perish because of this justice, having learned nothing else worth knowing and having ended their lives with a cruel death. 12. But our lessons are different. Christ has taught us what is just, what is proper, what is beneficial, and all virtue in general, summing it up in a few plain words. At one time He says, “on two commandments hang the Law and the Prophets,” that is, on love of God and love of our neighbor. At another, “Whatever you would have people do to you, do to them as well; for this is the Law and the Prophets.” All these things are plain to understand and easy to learn, even for a laborer, a servant, a widow, a little child, or someone who seems extremely slow to understand. For this is what the lessons of truth are like, and the actual results bear witness to it. At least, everyone has learned what they must do, and has not only learned it but eagerly tried to practice it, not only in cities and marketplaces, but also on the mountaintops. Yes, for there you will see true wisdom abounding, choirs of angels shining in human bodies, and the commonwealth of Heaven revealed here on earth. For these fishermen too wrote a commonwealth for us, without commanding that it be adopted from childhood, like those others, or making it a law that a virtuous person must be a certain age. Instead, they address every age alike. For those lessons are children's toys, but these teach the truth about things. They have designated Heaven as the place for this commonwealth, and presented God as its founder and the lawgiver of its statutes, as indeed they should. And the rewards in their commonwealth are not bay or olive leaves, a food allowance in the public hall, or bronze statues, these cold and ordinary things. They are a life without end, becoming children of God, joining the angels' choir, standing beside the royal throne, and always being with Christ. And the leaders of the people in this commonwealth are tax collectors, fishermen, and tentmakers, people who have not merely lived for a short time, but who now live forever. So even after their death, they can perhaps do the greatest good for those they govern. This republic wages war against demons and those incorporeal powers, rather than against human beings. That is why its warriors' commander is neither a man nor an angel, but God Himself. Their armor too suits the nature of the warfare, for it is made not of hides and steel, but of truth, righteousness, faith, and true love of wisdom in all its forms. 13. Since this republic is both the subject of this book and what we now propose to discuss, let us pay close attention to Matthew as he speaks plainly about it. For what he says is not his own, but all belongs to Christ, who made the laws of this city. Let us pay attention, I say, so that we may be eligible to enroll in it and shine among those who have already become its citizens and are awaiting those imperishable crowns. To many, however, this account seems easy, while the prophetic writings seem difficult. But this too is the view of people who do not know the depth of the thoughts stored within it. So I beg you to follow us very carefully, so that we may enter the very ocean of what is written, with Christ as our guide as we enter. But to make the word easier to learn, we ask and beg you, as we have also done with the other Scriptures, to read beforehand the passage of Scripture we are about to explain. Then your reading can prepare the way for your understanding (as was also the case with the eunuch), and so make our task much easier. 14. This is because the questions are many and arise frequently. Look, for instance, right at the beginning of his Gospel, at how many difficulties could be raised one after another. First, why is Joseph's genealogy traced when he was not Christ's father? Second, how can it be shown that He descends from David when the ancestors of Mary, who bore Him, are unknown, since the Virgin's genealogy is not traced? Third, why is Joseph's genealogy traced when he had nothing to do with the birth, while we are not shown the fathers, grandfathers, or ancestors from whom the Virgin, His actual mother, descended? Along with these things, it is also worth asking why he mentioned women when tracing the genealogy through the men. And once he decided to do this, why did he not mention them all? Why did he pass over the more distinguished women, such as Sarah, Rebekah, and others like them, and bring forward only those known for something bad—for instance, a prostitute, an adulteress, a mother through an unlawful marriage, a foreigner, or a barbarian? For he mentioned Uriah's wife, Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth. One was of a foreign race, another a prostitute, another was defiled by her close relative, not in marriage but through secret intercourse, after she had disguised herself as a prostitute. And everyone knows about Uriah's wife, because the crime is so notorious. Yet the evangelist passed over all the rest and included only these in the genealogy. But if women were to be mentioned, all should have been mentioned. If only some rather than all, then they should have been those known for virtue, rather than evil deeds. Do you see how much care we need right from the very beginning? And yet the beginning seems plainer than the rest, perhaps even unnecessary to many, since it is merely a list of names. After this, another point is worth asking about: why did he leave out three kings? For if he passed over their names in silence because they were extremely ungodly, he should not have mentioned the others who were like them either. And here is another question: why, after speaking of fourteen generations, did he fail to keep that number in the third division? And why did Luke mention different names—not all the same names, and many more of them—while Matthew has both fewer names and different ones, although he too ended with Joseph, where Luke also concluded? You see how much alert attention we need, not only to explain these things, but even to learn what we need to explain. For being able to identify the difficulties is no small matter. There is also this other difficult point: how was Elizabeth, who belonged to the tribe of Levi, related to Mary? 15. But so that we do not overload your memory by stringing many things together, let us pause our discussion here for a while. Merely learning the questions is enough to wake you up fully. But if you also long for their answers, this too depends on you, even before we speak. For if I see you fully awake and eager to learn, I will try to add the answers as well. But if you are yawning and paying no attention, I will conceal both the difficulties and their answers, in obedience to a divine law. For He says, “Do not give holy things to dogs, or throw your pearls before pigs, so that they do not trample them under their feet.” But who tramples them underfoot? Whoever does not consider these things precious and worthy of reverence. And who, someone may ask, is so wretched that he does not consider these things worthy of reverence and more precious than everything else? Whoever does not give them as much time as he gives the prostitutes in Satan's theaters. For there the crowds spend the whole day, setting aside quite a few household concerns for this ill-timed pursuit, and remembering exactly everything they hear, even though remembering it harms their souls. But here, where God is speaking, they cannot bear to stay even a little while. So let me warn you: we have nothing in common with Heaven, and our citizenship amounts to no more than words. Yet because of this, God has threatened even hell, not to throw us into it, but to persuade us to escape this terrible tyranny. But we do the opposite, running every day along the road that leads there. And while God commands us not only to hear but also to do what He says, we will not even submit to listening. When, then, I ask you, will we do what is commanded and put our hands to the work, if we cannot even bear to hear the words about it, but grow impatient and restless over the time we spend here, even though it is extremely short? 16. Besides, when we are talking about unimportant matters, if we see that the people with us are not paying attention, we call their behavior an insult. But do we consider that we are provoking God if, while He is speaking about such things as these, we disregard what is said and look away? Why, someone who has grown old and traveled through many countries can tell us exactly how many stadia there are between places, where cities are located, and all about their layouts, harbors, and markets. Yet we ourselves do not even know how far we are from the city in Heaven. For surely we would have tried to shorten the journey if we had known the distance. If we are careless, that city is not merely as far from us as Heaven is from earth, but much farther. On the other hand, if we do our best, we will reach its gates in a single instant. For these distances are determined by our moral disposition, rather than by physical space. But you know the world's affairs exactly, both new and old, and even those of the distant past. You can list the princes under whom you served in earlier times, the organizer of the games, the prizewinners, and the commanders of armies—matters that are no concern of yours. But who became a ruler in this city, whether first, second, or third, how long each ruled, and what each accomplished and brought about, you have never imagined, even in a dream. And you cannot bear to hear the laws established in this city or pay attention to them, even when others tell you about them. How, then, I ask you, do you expect to receive the promised blessings when you do not even pay attention to what is said? 17. But even if we have never done so before, let us at least do so now. For we are about to enter a city (if God permits) made of gold, and more precious than any gold. Let us then take note of her foundations and her gates of sapphires and pearls, for in Matthew we have an excellent guide. We will now enter through his gate, and we must be very attentive. For if He sees anyone who is not paying attention, He throws him out of the city. Yes, for the city is supremely royal and glorious. It is unlike our cities, divided into a marketplace and royal courts, for there everything is the King's court. So let us open the gates of our minds, let us open our ears, and with great trembling, as we are about to set foot on the threshold, let us worship the King within. For the very first approach can immediately overwhelm anyone who sees it. For now we find the gates closed. But when we see them thrown open (for this is the solution to the difficulties), then we will recognize the greatness of the splendor within. For there too is someone to guide you with the eyes of the Spirit and offer to show you everything: this very Tax Collector. He will show you where the King sits, who among His host stands beside Him, where the angels are, where the archangels are, what place is set apart for the new citizens in this city, what kind of road leads there, and what sort of portion was given to its first citizens, to those who came next, and to those who followed them. He will show you how many ranks there are in these tribes, how many in the senate, and how many distinctions of honor. So let us enter without noise or commotion, but with a mystical silence. For if the king's letters are read in a theater only after everyone has fallen completely silent, much more must everyone in this city be composed, with soul and ears alert. For the letters about to be read are those of the Lord of angels, rather than any earthly master. If we conduct ourselves in this way, the grace of the Spirit itself will guide us to full perfection, and we will reach the very royal throne and receive all good things, through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ for humanity, to whom be glory and might, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, forever and ever. Amen.