Homilies on Matthew, Homily 15

“And Jesus, seeing the crowds, went up the mountain, and when He sat down, His disciples came to Him. And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying, Blessed,” etc. See how free He was from ambition and boasting: He did not lead people around with Him. When healing was needed, He Himself had traveled everywhere, visiting both towns and rural areas; now that the crowd has become very large, He sits in one place, and not in the middle of a city or marketplace, but on a mountain and in the wilderness. He teaches us to do nothing for show and to withdraw from the turmoil of ordinary life, especially when we are going to study wisdom and discuss what we need to do. But when He had gone up the mountain and “sat down, His disciples came to Him.” Do you see their growth in virtue, and how they became better men in a moment? The crowd merely watched the miracles, but from that moment these men also wanted to hear something great and lofty. This was what prompted Him to teach and made Him begin this teaching. For He was healing not only people's bodies but also restoring their souls; and from caring for their souls He would return to attending to their bodies. In this way He varied the help He gave, while also combining the instruction of His words with the revelation of His glory through His works. Besides this, He silenced the shameless mouths of the heretics, showing by His care for both parts of our being that He Himself is the Maker of the whole creation. So He also gave abundant care to each nature, restoring now one, now the other. This was what He was doing then. For we are told that “He opened His mouth and taught them.” And why is the clause “He opened His mouth” added? To tell you that He taught even in His silence, and not only when He spoke: at one time by “opening His mouth,” at another by speaking through the works He did. But when you hear that He taught them, do not think He was speaking only to His disciples, but rather to everyone through them. Since the crowd was like crowds always are, and was also made up of people who crawl along the ground, He draws the company of His disciples aside and addresses His teaching to them. By speaking with them, He makes His lesson in self-denial less difficult for the rest as well, who were still far below the level of His teaching. Luke indicated this when he said that He directed His words to them; and Matthew, making the same point clear, wrote, “His disciples came to Him, and He taught them.” For in this way the others, too, were sure to listen more eagerly than they would have if He had addressed everyone. 2. Where, then, does He begin? And what foundations does He lay for us for His new way of life? Let us listen very carefully to what is said. Although it was spoken to them, it was written for everyone who would come afterward as well. Accordingly, although He had His disciples in mind in His public preaching, He does not limit His sayings to them, but pronounces all His blessings without restriction. Thus He did not say, “Blessed are you, if you become poor,” but “Blessed are the poor.” And I may add that even if He had spoken specifically of them, the advice would still apply to everyone. So when He says, “Look! I am with you always, even to the end of the world,” He is speaking not only to them but also, through them, to the whole world. And when He pronounces blessed those who are persecuted, driven away, and subjected to every intolerable suffering, He weaves His crown not only for them but also for everyone who reaches the same excellence. But to make this still clearer, and to show you that His sayings deeply concern you, and indeed all humanity, if anyone chooses to pay attention, hear how He begins these wonderful words. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.” What does “the poor in spirit” mean? Those who are humble and contrite in mind. For here He uses “spirit” to mean the soul and the faculty of choice. That is, since many people are humble unwillingly, forced into it by difficult circumstances, He passes over these (for this deserves no praise) and first blesses those who choose to humble and lower themselves. But why did He say “the poor” rather than “the humble”? Because this means more than that. Here He means those who are awestruck and tremble at God's commandments. God also expressed His warm approval of them through His prophet Isaiah, saying, “To whom will I look, but to the one who is meek and quiet, and trembles at My words?” For there are many kinds of humility: one person is humble to a certain degree, another with the utmost lowliness. It is this last lowliness of mind that the blessed prophet praises, portraying a disposition that is not merely subdued but utterly broken, when he says, “The sacrifice for God is a contrite spirit; God will not despise a contrite and humble heart.” And the Three Children also offer this to God as a great sacrifice, saying, “Nevertheless, with a contrite soul and a spirit of lowliness, may we be accepted.” This is also what Christ now blesses. 3. For the greatest evils, those that devastate the whole world, entered through pride. The devil himself, who had not been a devil before, became one in this way, as Paul plainly declared when he said, “So that he does not become puffed up with pride and fall into the condemnation of the devil.” The first man, too, puffed up by the devil with these hopes, was brought down and became mortal (for by expecting to become a god, he lost even what he had; and God, reproaching him for this and mocking his folly, said, “Look, Adam has become like one of us”). And each of those who came afterward ruined himself in impiety in the same way, imagining some equality with God. Since, as I say, this was the stronghold of our evils and the root and fountain of all wickedness, He prepared a remedy suited to the disease and laid down this law first as a strong and secure foundation. Once this is firmly laid as a base, the builder can safely place everything else on it. But if it is taken away, even if someone's way of life reaches to the Heavens, everything is easily undermined and comes to a terrible end. Even if fasting, prayer, almsgiving, self-restraint, and every other good thing are gathered together in you, without humility they all collapse and perish. This is exactly what happened to the Pharisee. Even after reaching the very summit, he “went down” having lost everything, because he did not have the mother of virtues. For just as pride is the fountain of all wickedness, humility is the source of all self-control. That is why He begins with this, pulling boasting out of His hearers' souls by its very root. “And what,” someone may ask, “does this have to do with His disciples, who were humble in every respect? They really had nothing to be proud of, since they were fishermen, poor, of low social standing, and uneducated.” Even if these things did not concern His disciples, they certainly concerned those present then and those who would later receive the disciples, so that they would not despise them on this account. But it would be truer to say that they did concern His disciples as well. Even if they did not need this help then, they would certainly need it later, after their signs and wonders, the honor they received from the world, and their confidence before God. For neither wealth nor power nor even kingship had as much power to puff people up as the things they possessed in all their fullness. Besides, even before the signs, it was natural that they might become proud at that very moment, when they saw the crowd and that whole audience surrounding their Master; they might feel some human weakness. So He immediately checks their pride. He introduces what He says not as advice or commandments but as a blessing, making His message less burdensome and opening the path of His discipline to everyone. For He did not say, “This or that person,” but “All who do this are blessed.” So even if you are a slave, a beggar, poor, a foreigner, or uneducated, nothing prevents you from being blessed if you strive to practice this virtue. 4. Having begun, as you see, where the need was greatest, He moves on to another commandment, one that seems opposed to the judgment of the whole world. Everyone considers those who rejoice enviable, and those who are dejected, poor, and mourning miserable; but He calls the latter blessed rather than the former, saying, “Blessed are those who mourn.” Yet surely everyone calls them miserable. This is why He performed the miracles beforehand, so that He would be believed when laying down rules like these. Here again He means not simply everyone who mourns, but everyone who mourns for sins. For that other kind of mourning, over anything belonging to this life, is certainly forbidden, and emphatically so. Paul also made this clear when he said, “The sorrow of the world produces death, but godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted.” These, then, are the people He Himself calls blessed: those whose sorrow is of this kind. Yet He means not simply those who grieve, but those who grieve intensely. That is why He did not say “those who grieve,” but “those who mourn.” For this commandment, too, is designed to teach us complete self-control. Those grieving for children, a wife, or any other relative who has died have no desire for gain or pleasure during their sorrow. They do not pursue glory, are not provoked by insults, are not taken captive by envy, and are not troubled by any other passion, because their grief completely occupies them. Much more, then, will those who mourn for their own sins as they should display even greater self-denial. Next, what is their reward? “For they will be comforted,” He says. Where will they be comforted? Tell me. Both here and there. Since what He commanded was extremely burdensome and painful, He promised to give what would do most to lighten it. So if you want to be comforted, mourn; and do not think this is an obscure saying. For when God comforts you, even if sorrows fall on you by the thousands like snowflakes, you will rise above them all. In truth, God's rewards always far exceed our efforts, and He has acted the same way here: He declares those who mourn blessed, not in proportion to what they do, but according to His own love for humanity. For those who mourn are mourning for their wrongdoing, and for such people it is enough to enjoy forgiveness and gain a defense for themselves. But because He is full of love for humanity, He does not limit His reward to removing our punishments or freeing us from our sins; He even makes them blessed and gives them abundant comfort. But He tells us to mourn not only for our own wrongdoing but also for other people's. This was the disposition of the saints' souls: of Moses, Paul, and David; indeed, all of them often mourned for evils that were not their own. 5. “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Tell me, what kind of earth? Some say a figurative earth, but that is not what He means, for nowhere in Scripture do we find any mention of an earth that is merely figurative. What, then, can the saying mean? He offers a tangible reward, just as Paul does when, after saying, “Honor your father and your mother,” he adds, “For then you will live long on the earth.” And He Himself says to the thief, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” So He encourages us not only through future blessings but also through present ones, for the sake of His more worldly hearers, who seek these before the blessings to come. For example, later He also says, “Come to terms with your adversary.” Then He specifies the reward for such self-control, saying, “So that the adversary does not at some point hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer.” Do you see what He uses to alarm us? Tangible things, things that happen before our eyes. And again, “Whoever says to his brother, Raca, will be liable to the council.” Paul, too, describes tangible rewards at length and uses present circumstances in his appeals, as when he discusses virginity. Having said nothing about the heavens there, for the moment he urges it on the basis of present circumstances, saying, “Because of the present distress,” and “But I spare you,” and “I want you to be free from anxiety.” In the same way, Christ combines tangible things with spiritual ones. Since the meek person is thought to lose everything he owns, He promises the opposite, saying, “No, it is this person who keeps his possessions safe: the one who is neither rash nor boastful. The other kind of person will often lose his inheritance and his very life.” Besides, since the prophet in the Old Testament continually said, “The meek will inherit the earth,” He weaves familiar words into His teaching, so that He does not speak in unfamiliar language at every turn. He says this without limiting the rewards to present things, but joins the other kinds of gifts to these as well. When He speaks of something spiritual, He does not exclude the things of this present life; and when He promises things belonging to our life here, He does not limit His promise to those. For He says, “Seek the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you.” And again, “Whoever has left houses or brothers will receive a hundredfold in this world, and in the world to come will inherit everlasting life.” 6. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” What kind of righteousness? He means either virtue as a whole or the particular virtue opposed to covetousness. Since He is about to give a commandment about mercy, He blesses those who embrace righteousness to show how we must show mercy: for example, not with the proceeds of robbery or covetousness. And see how forcefully He puts it. He did not say, “Blessed are those who hold firmly to righteousness,” but “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,” so that we may pursue it not casually but with all our desire. For this intense desire is especially characteristic of covetousness: we do not love food and drink as much as we love gaining possessions and surrounding ourselves with more and more. So He tells us to transfer this desire to a new object: freedom from covetousness. Then He specifies the reward, again in tangible terms, saying, “For they will be filled.” Because people think the rich generally become rich through covetousness, He says, “No, it is just the opposite: righteousness does this. So as long as you act righteously, do not fear poverty or tremble at hunger. For extortioners are the very people who lose everything, while the person who truly loves righteousness safely possesses everyone's goods.” But if those who do not covet other people's goods enjoy such abundance, much more will those who give away their own. “Blessed are the merciful.” Here He seems to me to speak not only of those who show mercy by giving money, but also of those who are merciful in their actions. For there are many ways to show mercy, and this commandment is broad. What, then, is its reward? “For they will receive mercy.” This seems to be an equal return, but it is far greater than the good deed. For they show mercy as human beings, but they receive mercy from the God of all. Human mercy and God's mercy are not the same: the distance between the two is as great as the distance between wickedness and goodness. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” See, again the reward is spiritual. Here He calls “pure” either those who have attained every virtue and are conscious of no evil in themselves, or those who live chastely. For there is nothing we need so much in order to see God as this last virtue. That is why Paul also said, “Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” He is speaking here of the kind of sight that is possible for a human being. For many people show mercy, commit no robbery, and are not greedy, yet are guilty of sexual immorality and impurity. To show that the former qualities alone are not enough, He adds this, much as Paul, writing to the Corinthians, testified that the Macedonians were rich not only in almsgiving but also in every other virtue. After speaking of the generosity they had shown with their possessions, he says, “They also gave themselves to the Lord and to us.” 7. “Blessed are the peacemakers.” Here He not only completely removes our own strife and hatred toward one another, but requires something more as well: that we reconcile others who are in conflict. Again, the reward He attaches is spiritual. What kind of reward is it? “For they will be called the children of God.” Yes, for this became the work of the Only Begotten: to unite those who were divided and reconcile those who were alienated. Then, so that you do not imagine peace is a blessing in every case, He adds, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake.” That is, for virtue, for helping others, and for godliness; for He always uses the name “righteousness” for the soul's entire practical wisdom. “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you for my sake. Rejoice and be very glad.” It is as if He said, “Even if they call you sorcerers, deceivers, pests, or anything else, you are blessed.” This is how He speaks. What could be more radically new than these commands? The very things everyone else avoids, He declares desirable: poverty, mourning, persecution, and a bad reputation. Yet He both affirmed this and convinced not two, ten, twenty, a hundred, or a thousand people, but the whole world. And when the crowds heard things so painful and distressing, so contrary to customary human ways, they “were astonished.” Such was the power of the One who spoke. But so that you do not think the mere fact of being spoken against makes people blessed, He sets two conditions: it must be for His sake, and what is said must be false. Without these, the person spoken against is miserable, far from blessed. Then see the reward again: “Because your reward is great in heaven.” But even though you do not hear a kingdom promised in every blessing, do not be discouraged. Although He gives the rewards different names, He brings everyone into His kingdom. When He says, “Those who mourn will be comforted,” “Those who show mercy will receive mercy,” “The pure in heart will see God,” and the peacemakers “will be called the children of God,” He points to nothing other than the Kingdom through all these sayings. Those who enjoy these blessings will surely attain it. So do not think this reward is only for the poor in spirit, but also for those who hunger for righteousness, the meek, and all the rest without exception. This is why He pronounces them all blessed: so that you will not look for anything tangible. For no one can be blessed whose crown consists of things that end with this present life and pass more quickly than a shadow. 8. But after saying, “Your reward is great,” He adds another comfort: “For this is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Since that first promise, the Kingdom, still lay in the future and was entirely a matter of expectation, He gives them comfort from this world: their fellowship with those who had been mistreated before them. For He says, “Do not think you suffer these things because of some inconsistency in your words and rules, or that they will persecute you because you teach evil doctrines. The plots and dangers arise not from any wickedness in your words, but from your hearers' malice. So they bring blame not on you who suffer wrong, but on those who do it. All the past bears witness to the truth of this. For they did not even bring charges against the prophets of breaking the law or holding impious beliefs when they stoned some, drove others away, and surrounded others with countless afflictions. So do not let this trouble you, for everything they do now comes from the very same disposition.” Do you see how He lifted their spirits by placing them close to the company of Moses and Elijah? Paul also writes to the Thessalonians in this way: “For you became followers of the Churches of God in Judea, for you too suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out; and they do not please God and are hostile to everyone.” Christ has established the same point here. In the other beatitudes He said, “Blessed are the poor,” and “the merciful”; here He does not speak generally but addresses them directly, saying, “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and say every evil word.” He indicates that this is their special privilege, and that teachers, more than anyone else, have this as their own. At the same time He also subtly indicates His own dignity and His equality in honor with Him who begot Him. For He says, “As they suffered these things for the Father's sake, so will you for me.” And when He says, “The prophets who were before you,” He implies that they, too, had by now become prophets. Next, to show that this benefits them most of all and makes them glorious, He did not say, “They will slander and persecute you, but I will prevent it.” For He intends their safety to rest not in escaping slander but in enduring it nobly and refuting their accusers by their actions. This is much greater than the other, just as being struck without being hurt is much greater than escaping the blow. 9. Here He says, “Your reward is great in heaven.” But Luke reports Him saying this emphatically and with even fuller comfort. For He not only, as you know, pronounces blessed those who are spoken against for God's sake, but also declares miserable those whom everyone praises. For He says, “Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you.” Yet the apostles were well spoken of, though not by everyone. That is why He did not say, “Woe to you when people speak well of you,” but “when everyone” does so. For it is simply impossible for those who practice virtue to be praised by everyone. Again He says, “When they reject your name as evil, rejoice and leap for joy.” For He makes the reward great not only for the dangers they undergo but also for the slander. That is why He did not say, “When they persecute and kill you,” but “When they insult you and say every kind of evil.” For people's malicious words certainly bite more sharply than their deeds. In our dangers, many things lighten the struggle: everyone's encouragement, the many people who applaud us, crown us, and proclaim our praise. But when we are disgraced, even this comfort is taken away, because we seem to have achieved nothing great. This pains the combatant more than all his dangers; many, at least, have even gone so far as to hang themselves because they could not bear a bad reputation. And why are you surprised at the others? Even that traitor, that shameless and accursed man who had stopped blushing at anything whatever, was driven chiefly by this to rush to the noose. And Job, though he was made entirely of diamond and firmer than a rock, easily withstood everything when he was robbed of all his possessions, suffered those incurable afflictions, suddenly became childless, saw his body pouring out worms like a fountain, and faced his wife's attacks. But when he saw his friends reproaching and trampling on him, thinking badly of him, and saying he suffered these things for some sins and was paying the penalty for wickedness, then even that great and noble-hearted man was shaken and troubled. David, too, passed over everything else he had suffered and asked God to repay him for the slander alone. For he says, “Let him curse, for the Lord has told him to, so that the Lord may see my humiliation and repay me for his cursing today.” Paul, too, proclaims the triumph not only of those who face danger or lose their possessions, but of these as well, saying, “Remember the former days, when, after you were enlightened, you endured a great struggle of afflictions, partly by being made a public spectacle through insults and afflictions.” For this reason Christ has also made the reward great. After this, so that no one would say, “You give no relief here and do not silence people, yet You assign a reward there?” He puts the prophets before us to show that God did not give relief in their case either. And if, when the rewards were close at hand, He encouraged them with things to come, much more does He do so now, when this hope has become clearer and self-denial has increased. Notice, too, how many commandments He places before this one. He certainly did not do this without reason, but to show that no one can enter these conflicts without being equipped and armed with all those other virtues. So you see, in each case He prepares the way for the next commandment through the previous one, weaving a kind of golden chain for us. First, the one who is “humble” will surely also “mourn” for his own sins. The one who “mourns” in this way will be “meek,” “righteous,” and “merciful.” The one who is “merciful,” “righteous,” and “contrite” will naturally also be “pure in heart.” Such a person will be “a peacemaker” too. And the one who has attained all these will also be equipped to face dangers and will not be troubled when people speak against him and he endures countless terrible trials. 10. Then, after giving them the encouragement they need, He refreshes them again with praise. The commands are lofty and far surpass those in the Old Testament. So that they will not be troubled and bewildered and say, “How can we possibly achieve these things?” hear what He says: “You are the salt of the earth.” He implies that He commands all this out of absolute necessity. For He says, “You will have to give an account not merely for your own life, but for the whole world. I am sending you not to two cities, or ten or twenty, or a single nation, as I sent the prophets, but to earth and sea and the whole world, and a world in a wretched condition.” For by saying, “You are the salt of the earth,” He indicated that all human nature had “lost its flavor” and had decayed through our sins. This is why, you see, He requires of them the virtues most necessary and useful for caring for ordinary people. In the first place, the meek, gentle, merciful, and righteous person does not keep his good deeds to himself, but sees to it that these good fountains overflow for others' benefit as well. Likewise, the one who is pure in heart, a peacemaker, and persecuted for the truth orders his life for the common good. “So do not think,” He says, “that you are being led into ordinary conflicts, or that you will give an account for trivial matters.” “You are the salt of the earth.” What, then? Did they restore what had decayed? Certainly not, for sprinkling salt on something already rotten cannot do it any good. So this was not what they did. Rather, they salted what had already been restored, entrusted to their care, and freed from that foulness, maintaining and preserving it in the freshness it had received from the Lord. For freeing people from the rottenness of their sins was Christ's good work; keeping them from ever returning to it was the aim of these men's care and labor. Do you see how He gradually indicates their superiority even to the prophets? He says they are teachers not of Palestine but of the whole world, and not merely teachers, but awe-inspiring ones as well. For this is the remarkable thing: they became dear to everyone not by flattering or soothing them, but by making them firm through salt's sharp, astringent effect. “Now do not be surprised,” He says, “if I pass over everyone else to speak to you and lead you into such great dangers. Consider how many cities, tribes, and nations I am going to send you to oversee. So I want you not only to be wise yourselves, but also to make others wise. Those on whom the salvation of others depends have a great need for understanding. They must have such abundant virtue that they can share its benefits with others as well. For if you do not become like this, you will not have enough even for yourselves. “So do not be impatient, as though my words were too burdensome. Others who have lost their flavor can be restored through you; but if this happens to you, you will destroy others along with yourselves. So the greater the responsibilities placed in your hands, the greater the care you need.” That is why He says, “But if the salt has lost its flavor, how will it be salted? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.” Other people, however often they fall, may possibly receive mercy; but if this happens to the teacher, he has no excuse and will suffer the severest punishment. So, to keep the words “When they insult you and persecute you and say every kind of evil against you” from making them too afraid to go out, He tells them, “Unless you are prepared to face all this, you have been chosen in vain.” For you should fear not a bad reputation, but becoming partners in hypocrisy. Then “you will lose your flavor and be trampled underfoot.” But if you continue to correct and strengthen them sharply, and then people speak against you, rejoice; for this is the very purpose of salt: to sting the corrupt and make them feel the pain. Their criticism naturally follows, and it does you no harm; instead, it testifies to your firmness. But if fear of it makes you give up the earnestness you ought to have, you will suffer much more severely, both slandered and despised by everyone. This is what “trampled underfoot” means. 11. After this He moves on to another, higher image. “You are the light of the world.” Again, “of the world”: not of one nation or twenty cities, but of the whole inhabited earth. And a light to the mind, far better than this sunbeam, just as they were also a spiritual salt. First they are salt, and now light, to teach you how much these strict commandments benefit you and how valuable that rigorous discipline is: how it restrains people and keeps them from becoming undisciplined, and gives clear sight, leading them toward virtue. “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do people light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket.” Again, through these words He trains them to live strictly, teaching them to make earnest efforts, since they are before everyone's eyes and competing in the middle of the world's amphitheater. For He says, “Do not focus on the fact that we are sitting here now, in this small, out-of-the-way spot. You will be as visible to everyone as a city set on a hilltop, as a lamp in a house giving light on the lampstand.” Where now are those who persist in disbelieving Christ's power? Let them hear these things and worship His might, amazed at the power of the prophecy. Consider how great the things were that He promised to men unknown even in their own country: that earth and sea would know them, and that their fame would reach the limits of the inhabited world; or rather, not their fame, but the effect of the good they did. For it was not fame alone, carrying them everywhere, that made them visible, but also the actual proof supplied by their works. As though they had wings, they swept across the whole earth more powerfully than a sunbeam, sowing the light of godliness. But here He also seems to me to be training them to speak boldly. For saying, “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden,” declares His own power. Just as that city cannot possibly be hidden, so it was impossible for what they preached to sink into silence and obscurity. Since He had spoken of persecutions and slanders, plots and wars, He encourages them so that they will not think these things could silence them. He says that, far from being hidden, their preaching would shine over the whole world, and that this very thing would make them distinguished and renowned. Through this, then, He declares His own power. In what follows He requires the boldness in speaking that they, for their part, owe, saying, “Nor do people light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. Let your light shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.” “I have indeed kindled the light,” He says, “but let your diligence keep it burning, not only for your own sake but also for the sake of those who will benefit from these rays and be guided to the truth. For slanders will certainly be unable to dim your brightness if you continue to live disciplined lives, as those who are to convert the whole world should. So display a life worthy of His grace, so that, just as it is preached everywhere, this light may accompany it everywhere. Next He sets before them another benefit besides humanity's salvation, enough to make them strive earnestly and make every effort. He says, “If you live rightly, you will not only reform the world but also give people reason to glorify God; just as, if you do the opposite, you will both destroy people and cause God's name to be blasphemed.” But how, someone may ask, will God be glorified through us if people are going to speak against us? They will not all do so, and even those who do so out of envy will admire and approve of you in their conscience, just as those who outwardly flatter people living wickedly accuse them in their minds. What, then? Do You command us to live for show and empty glory? Far from it; that is not what I am saying. I did not say, “Make an effort to put your own good deeds forward,” nor did I say, “Display them,” but “Let your light shine.” That is, “Let your virtue be great, your fire abundant, and your light beyond description.” For when virtue is so great, it cannot remain hidden, even if the person pursuing it conceals it under ten thousand coverings. Present a blameless life to them, and give them no true grounds for speaking against you. Then, even if there are thousands of slanderers, no one will be able to cast a shadow over you. And He rightly said, “Your light,” for nothing makes a person so radiant, however intensely he wishes to remain hidden, as the manifestation of virtue. He shines as though clothed in the sunbeam itself, yet more brightly than it, sending his rays not merely over the earth but even above Heaven itself. In this way He also gives them greater comfort. For He says, “Even if the slander hurts you, many will honor God because of you. And your reward accumulates in both ways: because God is glorified through you, and because you are slandered for God's sake.” So, to keep us from deliberately seeking disgrace when we hear that it brings a reward, first He does not state this without qualification, but sets two conditions: that what is said must be false, and that it must be for God's sake. Next He shows that not only this but also a good reputation has great value, since its glory passes on to God. And He holds out these gracious hopes to them. “For,” He says, “the slander of the wicked cannot even keep everyone else in the dark and prevent them from seeing your light. Only when you have ‘lost your flavor’ will they trample you underfoot, not when you are falsely accused while doing right. Indeed, then many will admire not only you but, because of you, your Father as well.” And He said not “God,” but “your Father,” already sowing the seeds of that noble birth that was about to be given them. Moreover, He indicates His equality in honor: just as He said above, “Do not grieve when people speak against you, for it is enough for you that they speak this way for my sake,” here He mentions the Father, revealing His equality everywhere. 12. Since, then, we know the benefit of this earnestness and the danger of laziness (for our Lord being blasphemed because of us would be far worse than our own destruction), let us “give no offense to the Jews, the Gentiles, or the Church of God.” And if the life we present to them is brighter than the sun, yet someone still speaks against us, let us grieve only if the slander is deserved, not merely because we are slandered. For if we live wickedly, even if no one speaks against us, we will be the most miserable of all people. But if we devote ourselves to virtue, even if the whole world speaks against us, we will be more enviable than anyone at that very moment. And we will draw everyone who chooses to be saved to follow us, because our good life, rather than the slander of the wicked, will attract their attention. For no trumpet is as clear as the evidence our actions give, nor is light itself as clear as a pure life, even if our slanderers are beyond counting. I mean, if all the qualities mentioned above are ours; if we are meek, lowly, and merciful; if we are pure and peacemakers; if, when insulted, we do not insult in return but instead rejoice, then we will attract everyone who observes us as much as miracles do. And everyone will be kindly disposed toward us, even if someone is a wild beast, a demon, or whatever you like. And even if some people speak against you, do not be troubled at all, or pay attention to their public insults. Look into their conscience, and you will see them applauding and admiring you and counting up ten thousand praises. See, for instance, how Nebuchadnezzar praises the children in the furnace, though he was certainly their opponent and enemy. When he sees them stand nobly, he proclaims their triumph and crowns them, for no other reason than that they disobeyed him and obeyed God's law. For when the devil sees that he is accomplishing nothing, he leaves, afraid that he may cause us to win more crowns. And when he has gone and that mist has lifted, even an abominable and depraved person will recognize virtue. Or if people still argue perversely, you will receive greater praise and admiration from God. So do not grieve, I beg you, or lose heart, since even the apostles were to some a “scent of death” and to others a “scent of life.” If there is nothing in you for them to seize on, you are free of all their charges; or rather, you have become more blessed. So shine through your life and pay no attention to those who speak against you. For it cannot, it cannot happen that someone devoted to virtue will not have many enemies. Yet this means nothing to the virtuous person, for through it his brightness will increase still more. Keeping these things in mind, let us focus on just one aim: how to live disciplined lives ourselves. In this way we will also guide those now sitting in darkness to the life there. For this light has the power not only to shine here but also to lead its followers there. When people see us despising all present things and preparing for what is to come, our actions will persuade them sooner than any spoken teaching. Who could be so senseless as to see someone who only a day or two ago was living in luxury and wealth now stripping himself of everything, putting on wings, and preparing to face hunger, poverty, every hardship, dangers, bloodshed, slaughter, and everything considered dreadful, without finding in that sight clear proof of the things to come? But if we entangle ourselves in present things and plunge into them more and more, how can they possibly be persuaded that we are eagerly heading off to live elsewhere? And what excuse will we have after this, if the fear of God has less influence over us than human glory had over the Greek philosophers? Some of them really did give up wealth and despise death to make a display before people; for that reason their hopes also came to nothing. What defense, then, will save us when, with such great things set before us and such a high standard of self-denial opened to us, we cannot even do what they did, but instead ruin both ourselves and others? For the harm is not as great when a pagan sins as when a Christian does the same. Certainly not: their reputation is already lost, while ours, through God's grace, is honored and glorious even among the ungodly. So when they want to insult us most and intensify their abuse, they add some taunt like “You Christian!” They would not use this taunt if they did not secretly hold our doctrine in high regard. Have you not heard how many great commandments Christ gave? When will you be able to fulfill even one of them while you abandon them all and go around collecting interest, piling loan upon loan at usurious rates, setting up business deals, buying herds of slaves, acquiring silver vessels, and purchasing houses, fields, and endless possessions? And I wish that were all. But when you add injustice to these ill-timed pursuits, wrongfully appropriating land, violently seizing houses, deepening poverty, and increasing hunger, when will you be able to set foot across these thresholds? 13. But sometimes you show mercy to the poor. I know that as well as you do. Yet even here, again, the damage is great. For you do this either out of pride or out of a desire for empty glory, so that you do not benefit even from your good deeds. What could be more miserable than suffering shipwreck in the harbor itself? To prevent this, when you have done something good, do not seek thanks from me, so that you may have God as your debtor. For He says, “Lend to those from whom you do not expect to receive.” You have your Debtor; why leave Him and demand payment from me, a poor and miserable mortal? What? Is that Debtor displeased when payment is demanded of Him? What? Is He poor? Is He unwilling to pay? Do you not see His treasures beyond description? Do you not see His indescribable generosity? Then hold on to Him and make your demand, for He is pleased when someone demands payment from Him in this way. If He sees someone else being asked to pay what He Himself owes, He will feel insulted and no longer repay you. Indeed, He rightly finds fault, saying, “Why, what ingratitude have you found me guilty of? What poverty do you know of in me, that you hurry past me and turn to others? Have you lent to One and demanded payment from another?” For although a human being received it, God commanded you to give it. And He wishes to be Himself, in the original sense, both debtor and guarantor, giving you ten thousand opportunities on every side to demand payment from Him. So do not let go of such ready access and abundance and seek payment from me, who have nothing. Why, what is the point of displaying to me the mercy you have shown the poor? What! Was I the one who told you to give? Did you hear this from me, that you should demand repayment from me? He Himself has said, “The one who has pity on the poor lends to God.” You have lent to God: charge it to His account. “But He does not repay everything now.” Well, He does this for your good too. For this is the kind of debtor He is. Unlike many who are anxious simply to repay what was lent, He arranges and does everything so that what has been given Him also remains safely invested. So, you see, He repays some here and sets some aside in the other place. 14. Knowing these things, then, let us show abundant mercy and great love for humanity, both in the use of our money and in our actions. If we see someone being mistreated and beaten in the marketplace, let us pay money if that will help; or if we can separate them with words, let us not hold back. For even a word has its reward, and sighs have still more. This is what blessed Job said: “But I wept for every helpless person, and I sighed when I saw someone in distress.” If tears and sighs have a reward, consider how great the reward becomes when words, earnest effort, and many other things are added. Yes, for we too were God's enemies, and the Only-begotten reconciled us, putting himself between us, receiving blows for us, and enduring death for us. Let us likewise make every effort to rescue those facing countless evils. Let us not act as we do now, when we see people beating and tearing at one another: we tend to stand by, enjoying other people's disgrace and forming a devilish amphitheater around them. What could be crueler than this? You see people being insulted, tearing each other to pieces, ripping their clothes, and striking each other's faces, and can you bear to stand quietly by? What! Is it a bear that is fighting? A wild beast? A serpent? It is a human being, someone who shares everything about your nature: a brother, a member. Do not watch; separate them. Do not enjoy it; put the evil right. Do not stir others up to watch this shameful sight; instead, drive away and separate those who have gathered. Taking pleasure in such calamities is for shameless people and born slaves, for human refuse, for mindless donkeys. You see someone behaving disgracefully, and do you not regard the disgrace as your own? Do you not step in, scatter the devil's troop, and put an end to people's misery? “So that I get beaten myself,” someone says. “Is that what you are telling me to do as well?” You will not have to suffer even this; but if you do, it will be a kind of martyrdom for you, because you suffered on God's behalf. And if you are reluctant to receive blows, consider that your Lord was not reluctant to endure the cross for you. For they are drunk in darkness, with anger as their tyrant and commander, and they need someone clearheaded to help them: both the wrongdoer and the injured person: the injured person needs to be freed from suffering evil, and the wrongdoer needs to stop doing it. So come near and reach out your hand, you who are sober, to the one who is drunk. For there is also a drunkenness of anger, and it is more terrible than drunkenness from wine. Do you not see how sailors, when they see someone suffering shipwreck, spread their sails and set out as quickly as possible to rescue their fellow sailors from the waves? If people who share a trade show such care for one another, how much more should those who share the same nature do all these things! For here too there is a shipwreck, one more terrible than that. Someone who is provoked may blaspheme and so throw everything away; or, ruled by his anger, he may swear falsely and fall into hell that way; or he may strike a blow and commit murder, and so again suffer the same shipwreck. So go and stop the evil. Pull out those who are drowning, even if you must descend into the very depths of the surging water. And after breaking up the devil's theater, take each person aside and urge him to quench the flame and calm the waves. But if the burning pile grows larger and the furnace fiercer, do not be terrified. You have many people who will help you and reach out a hand if you only make a start; and above all, you certainly have the God of peace with you. If you turn aside the flames first, many others will follow, and you yourself will receive the reward for what they do well. Hear the command Christ gave to the Jews, who crawled along the ground: “If you see your enemy's beast of burden falling down, do not hurry past, but lift it up.” You must see that separating and reconciling people who are fighting is much easier than lifting a fallen animal. If we ought to help lift our enemies' donkeys, how much more should we help lift our friends' souls, especially when the fall is more serious. For these fall not into mud but into the fire of hell, unable to bear the burden of their anger. Yet when you see your brother lying under the load and the devil standing beside him, kindling the pile, you run past cruelly and without mercy. Such conduct is not safe even when animals are involved. The Samaritan saw a wounded man, a stranger with no connection to him at all, yet stopped, put him on an animal, brought him to the inn, hired a physician, gave money, and promised more. But you see someone who has fallen not among thieves but among a band of demons and is beset by anger, not in a wilderness but in the middle of the marketplace. You need not spend money, hire an animal, or take him a long distance, but only say a few words. Yet are you reluctant to do it? Do you hold back and hurry past cruelly and without mercy? How do you ever expect to find God favorable to you when you call on Him? 15. But let me also speak to you who publicly disgrace yourselves: to the person behaving abusively and doing wrong. Are you striking blows? Tell me. And kicking and biting? Have you become a wild boar or a wild donkey? And are you not ashamed? Do you not blush at being changed into a wild beast in this way and betraying your own nobility? For although you are poor, you are free; although you are a working man, you are a Christian. Indeed, for this very reason, because you are poor, you should be peaceable. Fighting belongs to the rich, not to the poor: to the rich, who have many things driving them into conflict. But you, without enjoying wealth's pleasures, go around gathering its evils for yourself: enmities, quarrels, and fights. You seize your brother by the throat, try to strangle him, and throw him down publicly in everyone's sight. Do you not think you are the one being disgraced, imitating the violent passions of beasts, or rather becoming even worse than they are? For they share everything, herd together, and travel together. But we share nothing; everything is confusion: fights, quarrels, abuse, enmities, and insults. We respect neither the heaven to which we are all called together, nor the earth He has left freely available to us all, nor our very nature. Anger and the love of money sweep everything away. Have you not seen what great evils happened to the man who owed ten thousand talents and, after that debt was forgiven, seized his fellow servant by the throat for a hundred denarii? Have you not seen how he was handed over to endless punishment? Have you not trembled at the example? Are you not afraid that the same may happen to you? For we too owe our Lord many great debts. Nevertheless, He holds back and is patient; He does not press us as we press our fellow servants, or choke us and seize us by the throat. Yet surely, if He had wished to collect even the smallest part of those debts, we would have perished long ago. 16. Keeping these things in mind, then, beloved, let us be humble and feel grateful to those who owe us. For if we control ourselves, they become an opportunity for us to obtain the most abundant forgiveness, and by giving a little we will receive much. Why, then, demand payment violently, when even if the other person wanted to pay, you ought to release him voluntarily so that you may receive the whole amount from God? But as it is, you do everything possible, acting violently and quarrelsomely, to have none of your debts forgiven. While you think you are harming your neighbor, you are thrusting the sword into yourself and so increasing your punishment in hell. But if you show a little self-control here, you make your own accounts easy to settle. For God wants us to take the lead in this kind of generosity precisely so that He may have a reason to repay us more than we gave. So release everyone who owes you, whether money or a debt for wrongdoing, and ask God to repay such generosity. As long as they remain in your debt, you cannot have God as your debtor. But if you release them, you will be able to hold your God to His obligation and ask Him to repay such great self-restraint abundantly. Suppose someone came up, saw you arresting your debtor, and asked you to release him and transfer the other person's debt to himself. After such a release, he would not choose to act unfairly, since he had taken the entire obligation upon himself. How, then, could God fail to repay us many times over, indeed ten thousandfold, when, for the sake of His commandment, we press no claim, great or small, against those who owe us, but release them from every obligation? So let us think not of the temporary pleasure we get from collecting from our debtors, but rather of how great a loss we will suffer afterward, gravely harming our own eternal interests. Rising above all this, let us forgive those who must give an account to us, both their debts and their offenses, so that our own accounts may be treated mercifully, and so that what we could not attain through every other virtue we may obtain by bearing no malice toward our neighbors. Then we may enjoy the eternal blessings, by the grace and love for humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might now and always, forever and ever. Amen.