Homilies on Matthew, Homily 12

“Then Jesus comes from Galilee to the Jordan,” etc. The Lord comes with the servants, the Judge with the criminals, to be baptized. But do not be troubled, for His exaltation shines most brightly in these humiliations. For He who was willing to be carried so long in a Virgin’s womb, to come out of it with our nature, to be beaten with rods, crucified, and suffer everything else He suffered—why are you amazed if He was also willing to be baptized and come with the others to His servant? For the astonishing thing was this alone: that, being God, He would become Man. After that, everything else follows logically. For this reason, let me add, John also anticipated this by saying everything he had said before: that he “was not worthy to untie the strap of His sandal,” and everything else—for example, that He is Judge, rewards everyone as they deserve, and will give His Spirit abundantly to all. He said this so that when you saw Him coming to be baptized, you would not think anything unworthy of Him. That is why he tries to stop Him, even when He has arrived, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” For because the baptism was “of repentance” and led people to accuse themselves of their offenses, John clears this up beforehand, so that no one will suppose that He too “comes to the Jordan” in this frame of mind. He calls Him both the Lamb and the Redeemer from all the sin in the world. For He who could take away the sins of the entire human race must surely have been without sin Himself. That is why he did not say, “Look, He who is without sin,” but something far greater: He “who bears the sin of the world.” He wanted you, along with this truth, to accept the other with complete confidence, and, having accepted it, to understand that He comes to baptism to carry out some further part of His saving plan. That is also why he said to Him when He came, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” And he did not say, “And are You baptized by me?” No, he was afraid to say that. What did he say instead? “And do You come to me?” What, then, does Christ do? He did then what He later did with Peter. For Peter too tried to prevent Him from washing his feet, but when he heard, “You do not understand what I am doing now, but you will understand afterward,” and “you have no part with Me,” he quickly abandoned his decision and took the opposite position. In the same way, when this man heard, “Allow it now, for it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way,” he immediately obeyed. For they were not being stubbornly argumentative; they showed both love and obedience and made every effort to be guided by their Lord in everything. And notice how He persuades him on the very ground that chiefly made him doubt what was happening: He did not say, “This is just,” but “This is fitting.” For since what chiefly seemed unworthy of Him in John’s mind was His being baptized by His servant, He emphasized, above everything else, precisely what contradicted that impression. It was as though He had said, “Isn’t it because you think this unfitting that you shrink from it and try to prevent it? No, for this very reason I tell you to allow it: because it is fitting, and fitting in the highest degree.” And He did not simply say, “Allow it,” but added, “now.” “For it will not be this way forever,” He says, “but you will see Me as you desire. For the present, however, bear with this.” Next He also shows how this is “fitting” for Him. How is it? “By our fulfilling the whole law.” To express this, He said, “all righteousness.” For righteousness is the fulfillment of the commandments. “Since, then, we have carried out all the other commandments,” He says, “and this alone remains, it too must be added, because I have come to remove the curse appointed for the transgression of the law. I must therefore first fulfill it all and, after freeing you from its condemnation, bring it to an end in this way. It is therefore fitting for Me to fulfill the whole law, for the same reason that it is fitting for Me to remove the curse written against you in the law. This is the very purpose of My taking on flesh and coming here.” 2. “Then he allows Him. And Jesus, when He was baptized, immediately came up out of the water; and look, the heavens were opened to Him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on Him.” For many supposed that John was greater than He. John had grown up entirely in the wilderness, was the son of a chief priest, wore clothing of that kind, called everyone to his baptism, and had been born to a barren mother. Jesus, on the other hand, was, first of all, born to a young woman of ordinary rank (for the virgin birth was not yet known to everyone). Besides, He had grown up in a house, associated with everyone, and wore ordinary clothing. Knowing nothing yet of those hidden things, they supposed Him to be inferior to John. Moreover, He happened to be baptized by John, which supported this assumption even if none of the things already mentioned had been true. For it would occur to them that this man was one of the crowd (for if He were not one of the crowd, He would not have come with the crowd to baptism), while John was greater than He and far more remarkable. So, to keep this opinion from prevailing among the people, the very heavens open when He is baptized, and the Spirit comes down, and with the Spirit a voice proclaiming the dignity of the Only Begotten. For the voice saying, “This is My beloved Son,” would have seemed to the people to refer instead to John. It did not add, “This One who is being baptized,” but simply “This,” and everyone listening would have understood it to refer to the baptizer rather than the One baptized, partly because of the Baptist’s own dignity and partly because of everything already mentioned. So the Spirit came in the form of a dove, directing the voice toward Jesus and making it clear to everyone that “This” was spoken of Jesus, who was baptized, and not of John, who baptized Him. And how was it, someone may ask, that they did not believe when these things happened? Because in the days of Moses, too, many wonderful works were done, although not such as these. And after all those things—the voices, the trumpets, and the lightning—they both fashioned a calf and “joined themselves to Baal-peor.” And those very people who were present and saw Lazarus rise, far from believing in Him who had done these things, repeatedly tried even to kill Him. Now if they were so wicked when they saw someone rise from the dead before their eyes, why be amazed that they did not accept a voice carried down from above? For when a soul is dishonest and perverse and gripped by the disease of envy, it yields to none of these things. But when it is honest, it accepts everything with faith and has little need of these signs. So do not say, “They did not believe,” but ask instead, “Didn’t everything happen that should have led them to believe?” For through the prophet, too, God offers this kind of defense of His ways in general. That is, when the Jews were about to be ruined and handed over to extreme punishment, He said, “What should I have done for this vineyard that I have not done?” so that no one would use their wickedness to slander His providence. Reflect in the same way here: “What should have been done that was not done?” And whenever arguments arise about God’s Providence, use this kind of defense against those who try to discredit it because of the wickedness of the many. See, for example, what astonishing things are done as preludes to what was to come: it is no longer paradise that opens, but Heaven. But let us leave our argument with the Jews for another time. For now, with God working with us, we will direct our discussion to what is immediately before us. 3. “And Jesus, when He was baptized, immediately came up out of the water; and look! the heavens were opened to Him.” Why were the heavens opened? To let you know that this happens at your baptism too: God calls you to your homeland above and urges you to have nothing to do with earth. And even if you do not see it, never doubt it. For at the beginnings of all wonderful and spiritual events, visible manifestations and signs like these always appear for the sake of those who are somewhat slow to understand, who need outward sight, and who cannot conceive of an incorporeal nature at all, but respond only to visible things. Then, even though nothing like this happens afterward, your faith can accept what those signs declared once for all at the beginning. For in the apostles’ case, too, there was a “sound of a mighty wind,” and fiery tongues appeared, but not for the apostles’ sake: it was because of the Jews who were present then. Nevertheless, even though no visible signs occur, we accept the things once revealed through them. For the dove itself appeared at that time to point out the Son of God to those present and to John, taking the place of a finger, so to speak. But this was not its only purpose. It was also to teach you that the Spirit comes upon you at your baptism just as surely. Since then, however, we have had no need of a visible manifestation; faith is enough in place of all these things. For signs are “not for those who believe, but for those who do not believe.” But why in the form of a dove? That creature is gentle and pure. Since the Spirit too is “a Spirit of gentleness,” He appears in this form. Besides, He is reminding us of an ancient story. For when a common shipwreck once overtook the whole world and our race was in danger of perishing, this creature appeared and signaled deliverance from the storm. Carrying an olive branch, it announced the good news that calm had returned to the whole world. All this was a type of what was to come. For in fact, people’s condition at the later time was much worse, and they deserved a far harsher punishment. To keep you from despairing, therefore, He reminds you of that story. For then too, when things were desperate, there was a kind of deliverance and renewal—but then through punishment, whereas now it is through grace and an indescribable gift. That is why the dove also appears, carrying no olive branch but pointing out to us our Deliverer from all evils and holding out hopes of grace. For when she appears, she does not lead just one man out of an ark, but leads the whole world up into heaven. And instead of an olive branch of peace, she brings adoption to all the world’s offspring alike. Reflect now on the greatness of the gift, and do not think His dignity any less because He appeared in such a likeness. For I actually hear some saying that “the difference between Christ and the Spirit is as great as the difference between a man and a dove, since the one appeared in our nature, and the other in the likeness of a dove.” What must we say to this? That the Son of God did indeed take on human nature, but the Spirit did not take on the nature of a dove. That is why the evangelist did not say, “in the nature of a dove,” but “in the form of a dove.” Accordingly, He never even appeared in this form again, but only at that moment. And if you claim that His dignity is less for this reason, then by this reasoning the cherubim too will turn out to be far superior to Him—as much as an eagle is superior to a dove—because they too were represented in that visible shape. And the angels will be superior too, for they have also often appeared in human form. But this is not so; indeed, it is not. For the reality of the incarnation is one thing, and the condescension of a temporary vision is another. Do not now, I ask you, become ungrateful to your Benefactor, or repay Him who has given you the fountain of blessedness with the very opposite. For where adoption is granted, evils are also removed and all good things are given. 4. For this very reason the Jewish baptism ends and ours begins. What happened with the Passover also happens with baptism. For in that case, too, He acted with both in view, bringing the one to an end and beginning the other. So here, having fulfilled the Jewish baptism, He also opens the doors of the Church’s baptism at the same time. Just as at one table then, so in one river now, He had outlined the shadow and now adds the truth. For this baptism alone has the grace of the Spirit; John’s lacked this gift. For this very reason, nothing like this happened when the others were baptized, but only in the case of Him who was to hand this down. This was so that, besides what we have said, you might also learn that it was the power of the One baptized, rather than the purity of the baptizer, that brought this about. Then, assuredly, the heavens were opened and the Spirit approached. For from this point on He leads us from the old order to the new, both opening the gates above to us and sending down His Spirit from there to call us to our homeland there—and not merely to call us, but also to confer the greatest honor. For He has made us neither angels nor archangels, but has caused us to become “sons of God” and “beloved,” and in this way He draws us toward our inheritance. With all this in mind, then, live a life worthy of the love of Him who calls you, of your citizenship in that world, and of the honor given to you. Since you are crucified to the world and have crucified it to yourself, show in every respect that you are a citizen of the heavenly city. And because your body has not been taken up into heaven, do not suppose that you have anything to do with earth, for your Head lives above. Indeed, this was the very purpose for which the Lord first came here, bringing His angels, and then returned there, taking you with Him: so that even before you go up to that place, you might understand that you can live on earth as though it were heaven. Let us, then, safeguard that noble birth we received at the beginning. Every day let us seek the palaces there more and more and regard everything here as a shadow and a dream. For if an earthly king had found you poor and begging and suddenly made you his son, you would never have thought about your cottage and its shabby furnishings. Yet surely in that case the difference is not great. So here too, pay no attention to any of your former circumstances, for you are called to far greater things. He who calls you is the Lord of the angels, and the good things given to you surpass all speech and thought. For He does not move you from earth to earth, as the king does, but from earth to heaven, from a mortal nature to an immortal one, and to indescribable glory, which can be fully revealed only when we actually enjoy it. Now, then, when you are to share in such blessings, do I see you preoccupied with money and clinging to the splendor here? And don’t you consider everything visible to be worth less than a beggar’s rags? And how will you prove worthy of this honor? What excuse will you have to offer? Or rather, what punishment will you escape, when after so great a gift you run back to your former vomit? For you are no longer punished merely as a man, but as a son of God who has sinned, and the greatness of your honor becomes a reason for bringing harsher punishment upon you. For we too do not punish slaves who do wrong and sons who commit the same offense equally, especially when they have received some great kindness from us. For if the man who received paradise as his portion suffered such dreadful things for a single act of disobedience after being so honored, what excuse will we have—we who have received Heaven and become joint heirs with the Only Begotten—for running to the serpent after the dove? For we will no longer hear, “You are dust, and to dust you will return,” and you “cultivate the ground,” and those former words, but things far more dreadful: the “outer darkness,” the bonds that cannot be broken, the venomous worm, and the “gnashing of teeth.” And with good reason. For anyone who is not made better even by so great a benefit would justly suffer the most extreme punishment, a punishment harsher still. Elijah once opened and shut Heaven, but that was to bring down rain and hold it back. For you, however, heaven is opened for a different purpose: so that you may ascend there. And more than that, not only ascend yourself, but lead others up as well, if you are willing. He has given you such great confidence and power in all that is His. 5. Since our home is there, let us store up everything there and leave nothing here, so that we do not lose it. For here, even if you secure it with a lock, doors, and bars, and set thousands of servants to guard it; even if you outwit all the schemers and escape the eyes of the envious, the worms, and the decay that comes with time—which is impossible—you will never escape death. In a single moment you will be deprived of all those things, and not merely deprived of them: you will have to hand them over, often to your very enemies. But if you transfer them to that home, you will be beyond the reach of all these things. For there is no need for a key, doors, or bars. That city is so powerful, and that place is so secure and by its nature inaccessible to decay and all wickedness. How, then, is it anything but utter folly to pile up everything where destruction and decay await all that is stored, while setting aside not even the smallest portion where things remain untouched and increase—and this when we are to live there forever? This is why the pagans themselves disbelieve what we say: our actions, rather than our words, are the proof they are willing to accept from us. And when they see us building fine houses for ourselves, laying out gardens and baths, and buying fields, they are unwilling to believe that we are preparing for a different kind of home away from our city. “For if that were so,” they say, “they would turn everything they have here into money and store it up there in advance.” They infer this from what happens in this world. For we see the very rich acquiring houses, fields, and everything else chiefly in the cities where they intend to stay. But we do the opposite: with the greatest eagerness we acquire the earth that we will soon leave, giving up not only money but even our own blood for a few acres and buildings. Yet to purchase Heaven, we cannot bear to give even what is beyond our needs, although we can purchase it at a small price and possess it forever once we have purchased it. That is why I say we will suffer the utmost punishment, going there naked and poor. Or rather, we will undergo these calamities beyond remedy not only because of our own poverty, but also because we have made others like ourselves. For when pagans see those who have shared in such great mysteries eagerly pursuing these things, they will cling to them all the more themselves, heaping much fire on our heads. For when we, who ought to teach them to despise everything visible, are ourselves the strongest encouragement to crave these things, how will we ever be saved, when we must give an account for the destruction of others? Don’t you hear Christ say that He left us to be salt and lights in this world, so that we might both strengthen those who are melting away in luxury and enlighten those darkened by anxiety over wealth? When, therefore, we plunge them into still deeper darkness and make them more unrestrained, what hope of salvation will we have? None at all. Instead, wailing and gnashing our teeth, bound hand and foot, we will depart into the fire of hell, after being thoroughly worn down by worries about wealth. Considering all these things, then, let us break the bonds of this deception, so that we do not fall at all into the things that hand us over to the unquenchable fire. For anyone enslaved to money will remain continually subject to chains both here and there, but anyone freed from this desire will gain freedom from both. So that we too may gain this freedom, let us shatter the crushing yoke of greed and make ourselves wings toward Heaven, through the grace and love for humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might forever and ever. Amen.