Homilies on Matthew, Homily 47

“Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables, and He said nothing to them without a parable, so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled: I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things that have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.” But Mark says, “He spoke the word to them in parables as they were able to hear it.” Then, to show that He is not doing something new, he also brings in the Prophet, who foretold this manner of teaching. And to teach us Christ’s purpose—how He spoke this way to lead them to ask questions, rather than to keep them ignorant—he added, “He said nothing to them without a parable.” Of course, He did say many things without a parable, but at that time He said nothing without one. Yet even so, no one asked Him questions, although we know that they often questioned the Prophets—Ezekiel, for example, and many others. But these people did nothing of the kind. Surely His sayings were enough to puzzle them and stir them to ask questions, since those parables threatened a very severe punishment. Yet even that did not move them. That is also why He left them and went away. For, “Then,” he says, “Jesus sent the crowds away and went into His house.” And not one of the Scribes follows Him. This makes it clear that they followed Him for no other purpose than to find something to use against Him. But when they paid no attention to His sayings, He left them alone from then on. “And His disciples come to Him, asking Him about the parable of the weeds,” although at times they wanted to learn but were afraid to ask. Where did their confidence come from on this occasion? They had been told, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven,” and this gave them courage. That is also why they ask in private: they were following their Master’s rule, rather than begrudging the crowd anything. For He says, “To these it is not given.” And why might they have passed over the parables of the leaven and the mustard seed and asked about this one? They passed over those because they were clearer. But they wanted to learn about this one because it resembled the one told before it and presented something more than that one (since He would not have told them the same thing a second time). For they saw how severe the threat it contained was. So He does not blame them, but instead completes His earlier statements. And, as I am always saying, parables must not be explained word for word in every detail, since many absurdities would follow. He Himself teaches us this here by the way He interprets this parable. He does not say at all who the servants who came to Him are. Instead, implying that He introduced them to give the story some order and complete the picture, He leaves that part out and interprets the most important and essential parts, the ones for whose sake the parable was told, showing that He Himself is Judge and Lord of all. “And He answered,” it says, “and said to them, The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom, but the weeds are the children of the wicked one; the enemy who sows them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this world. The Son of Man will send His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom everything that causes offense and those who practice lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Since He Himself is the sower, sows His own field, and gathers out of His own kingdom, it is quite clear that the present world is His too. But notice His unspeakable love for humanity, His eagerness to be generous, and His reluctance to punish: when He sows, He does it in person, but when He punishes, He does it through others, that is, through the angels. “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” This does not mean that their brightness will be limited to that, but that nothing we know surpasses this star in brightness. He uses comparisons familiar to us. Yet surely elsewhere He says that the harvest has already come, as when He says about the Samaritans, “Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest.” And again, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” How, then, does He say there that the harvest has already come, while here He says it is still to come? He is using the word in a different sense. And how, after saying elsewhere, “One sows and another reaps,” does He say here that He Himself sows? Because there, again, He was distinguishing the apostles from the prophets, rather than from Himself, in speaking about the Jews and Samaritans. For certainly He was also the one who sowed through the prophets. And at times He calls the very same thing both harvesting and sowing, naming it in relation now to one thing, now to another. Thus, when He speaks of His converts’ conviction and obedience, He calls it “a harvest,” as though He had accomplished everything. But when He looks for the fruit of their hearing, He calls it seed, and calls the end the harvest. And how does He say elsewhere that “the righteous are caught up first”? Because they are indeed caught up first, but when Christ has come, the others are handed over for punishment, and then the righteous enter the kingdom of heaven. For they must be in heaven, but He Himself is to come and judge everyone here. After passing sentence on the others, He rises like a king with His friends, leading them to that blessed inheritance. Do you see that the punishment is twofold: first to be burned up, and then to lose that glory? 2. But why, after the others have left, does He continue speaking to these disciples in parables too? His sayings had made them wiser, so that they could now understand. At any rate, He says to them afterward, “Have you understood all these things? They say to Him, Yes, Lord.” Along with its other purposes, the parable so fully accomplished this one too: it made them more perceptive. What, then, does He say next? “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field; when a man finds it, he hides it and, in his joy, sells everything he has and buys that field. Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls, who, when he found one pearl of great value, went and sold everything he had and bought it.” Just as the mustard seed and the leaven differ only slightly from each other in the earlier passage, so too do these two parables, the treasure and the pearl. Both, of course, mean that we should value the gospel above everything. The earlier parables, of the leaven and the mustard seed, spoke of the gospel’s power and its certain triumph over the world. These declare its worth and great value. For just as it spreads like mustard seed and prevails like leaven, it is precious like a pearl and provides complete abundance like a treasure. So we must learn not only to give up everything else and cling to the gospel, but also to do so with joy. When someone gives up his possessions, he should know that the transaction is a gain, rather than a loss. Do you see how the gospel is hidden in the world, and the good things are hidden in the gospel? Unless you sell everything, you cannot buy it; unless you have a soul like this, eager and searching, you cannot find it. So two things are necessary: abstaining from worldly affairs and staying watchful. For He says, “Someone looking for fine pearls, who, when he found one of great value, sold everything and bought it.” For truth is one, rather than divided into many parts. And just as the person who has the pearl knows that he is rich, while others often do not know that he is holding it in his hand (since it has no physical bulk), so it is with the gospel. Those who possess it know that they are rich, but unbelievers, unaware of this treasure, are also unaware of our wealth. 3. After this, so that we may not put our confidence merely in having the gospel preached to us, or think that faith alone is enough for our salvation, He tells another, terrifying parable. Which one is this? The parable of the net. “For the kingdom of Heaven is like a net cast into the sea that gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, they pulled it ashore and sat down, gathering the good into containers and throwing the bad away.” And how does this differ from the parable of the weeds? There too some are saved and others perish. But there they perish for choosing wicked doctrines, while those in the earlier parable perish for failing to pay attention to His sayings. These, however, perish for living wickedly. They are the most miserable of all: they have come to know Him and have been caught, yet even so they cannot be saved. Yet surely He says elsewhere that the shepherd Himself separates them, while here He says the angels do it, as He also does with the weeds. How, then, do we explain this? At one time He speaks to them in a way better suited to their dullness, and at another He speaks on a higher level. And He interprets this parable without even being asked. On His own initiative, He explained it through one part of it and heightened their fear. For so that, on hearing “They threw the bad away,” you would not suppose that this ruin involved no danger, He made the punishment clear in His interpretation, saying, “They will throw them into the furnace.” And He spoke of the gnashing of teeth and the anguish, showing that it is beyond words. Do you see how many ways there are to be destroyed? Through the rock, through the thorns, through the roadside, through the weeds, through the net. So He had good reason to say, “The road that leads to destruction is broad, and many go down it.” 4. After saying all this, concluding His teaching in a way that inspires fear, and showing that these are the majority of cases (for He spent more time on them), He says, “Have you understood all these things? They say to Him, Yes, Lord.” Then, because they understood, He praises them again, saying, “Therefore every Scribe instructed in the Kingdom of Heaven is like the head of a household who brings things new and old out of his treasure.” That is why He also says elsewhere, “I will send you wise men and scribes.” Do you see how, far from excluding the Old Testament, He even commends it and speaks publicly in its favor, calling it “a treasure”? So all who are ignorant of the divine Scriptures cannot be “heads of households.” They have nothing of their own and receive nothing from others, but neglect their own condition and perish from hunger. And not only these people, but heretics too, are excluded from this blessing. For they do not bring out things new and old. They do not have the old things, and therefore they do not have the new either, just as those who do not have the new do not have the old either, but are deprived of both. For these are bound together and interwoven with each other. Let all of us who neglect reading the Scriptures hear, then, what harm and poverty we are bringing on ourselves. For when will we devote ourselves to actually practicing virtue, if we do not even know the very laws that should guide our conduct? While the rich, those obsessed with wealth, constantly shake out their clothes to keep moths from eating them, do you neglect spending time with books when you see forgetfulness, worse than any moth, eating away at your soul? Will you not drive away this pest, adorn your soul, look continually at the image of virtue, and get to know her limbs and her head? For she too has a head and limbs more beautiful than any graceful and lovely body. What, then, someone asks, is the head of virtue? Humility. That is why Christ also begins with it, saying, “Blessed are the poor.” This head has no locks or ringlets, but a beauty that wins God’s favor. For He says, “To whom will I look, but to the one who is meek and humble and trembles at my words?” And, “My eyes are on the meek of the earth.” And, “The Lord is near to those with a contrite heart.” In place of locks and flowing hair, this head bears sacrifices acceptable to God. It is a golden altar and a spiritual place of sacrifice, “For a contrite spirit is a sacrifice to God.” This is the mother of wisdom. If someone has this, he will have the rest as well. Have you seen a head unlike any you had ever seen? Would you like to see the face too, or rather, examine it? For now, notice its color: how rosy, fresh, and very attractive it is. And consider what produces it. “Well, what does?” Modesty and blushing. That is why someone also says, “Favor will go before a modest man.” This also casts great beauty over the other limbs. Even if you mixed ten thousand colors, you could not produce such a bloom. And if you want to see the eyes too, look at them, precisely outlined with decency and self-control. That is also why they become so beautiful and keen-sighted that they can see even the Lord Himself. For He says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” And her mouth is wisdom and understanding and the knowledge of spiritual hymns. Her heart is familiarity with Scripture, adherence to sound doctrines, benevolence, and kindness. And just as there is no life without a physical heart, there is never any salvation without this heart of virtue. Indeed, all her excellences spring from it. Her feet and hands are the expressions of her good works. She also has a soul: godliness. She likewise has a chest of gold, firmer than the hardest stone: courage. Everyone could be taken captive more easily than that chest could be torn apart. And the spirit in her brain and heart is love. 5. Would you like me to show you her image in actual deeds too? Consider, please, this very evangelist. Although we do not have his whole life in writing, we can still see his image shine through even a few facts. First, to see that he was humble and contrite, listen to him calling himself a tax collector after his gospel. To see that he was also merciful, look at him giving up everything and following Jesus. His piety is evident from his teachings. His wisdom, too, is easy to see from the gospel he composed, as is his love (for he cared for the whole world). The expression of his good works is evident from the throne on which he is to sit, and his courage too, “by his leaving the presence of the council with joy.” Let us imitate this virtue, then, especially his humility and almsgiving, without which no one can be saved. The five virgins show this, and so does the Pharisee. For it is possible to see the kingdom without virginity, but it is impossible without almsgiving. This is one of the essential things that hold everything together. So we had good reason to call it the heart of virtue. But unless this heart supplies breath to every part, it is soon extinguished. Just as a spring grows stagnant if it keeps its streams to itself, so it is with the rich when they keep their possessions to themselves. That is why even in everyday speech we say, “There is a great wasting away of wealth with that man,” instead of saying, “He has great abundance, a great treasure.” For there really is a wasting away, both of the owners and of the riches themselves. Clothes stored away decay, gold corrodes, grain is eaten up, and their owner’s soul is corroded and corrupted by worries about them even more than all these things are. And if you were willing to bring a miser’s soul out into the open, you would find it like a garment eaten by countless worms, with no sound part left: full of holes on every side from worries, rotten and corroded by sins. But the poor man’s soul—I mean the soul of someone who is voluntarily poor—is different. It gleams like gold, shines like a pearl, and blooms like a rose. There is no moth there, no thief, no worldly worry; instead, they live as angels do. Would you like to see the beauty of this soul? Would you like to get to know the riches of poverty? He commands evil spirits rather than men. He has taken his place near God rather than standing at a king’s side. He is the companion of angels rather than men. He has no chests, two or three or twenty, but such abundance that he considers the whole world nothing. He has heaven rather than a treasure. He needs no slaves—or rather, he has his passions as slaves, and has as slaves the impulses that rule over kings. For the impulse that commands the man who wears royal purple shrinks before him and does not dare face him. He laughs at royalty, gold, and everything like them as children’s toys. He considers them all as contemptible as hoops, dice, heads, and balls. For he has a beauty that those who play with these things cannot even see. What, then, can be greater than this poor man? He has heaven itself for his floor. And if his floor is like this, imagine his roof! But does he have no horses or chariots? What need does he have for these, when he is to be carried on the clouds and be with Christ? With these things impressed on our minds, then, let all of us, men and women alike, seek that wealth and the abundance that cannot be plundered, so that we may also reach the kingdom of heaven, through the grace and love for humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might forever and ever. Amen.