Homilies on Matthew, Homily 66

“And as they left Jericho, great crowds followed Him. And look, two blind men sitting by the roadside, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David.” Notice where He came from on His way to Jerusalem, and where He stayed before this. In connection with this, I think one question especially deserves investigation: why He did not leave that place for Galilee long before this, but went through Samaria. But we will leave this to those who love learning. For anyone willing to investigate the matter carefully will find that John clearly hints at it and states the reason. But let us stay with what is before us and listen to these blind men, who were better than many who can see. Although they had no guide and could not see Him when He came near them, they still struggled to reach Him and began to shout loudly. And when they were rebuked for speaking, they cried out all the more. For that is the nature of a persevering soul: the very things that stand in its way lift it up. But Christ allowed them to be rebuked so that their earnestness would become more evident, and so that you would learn that they deserved the blessing of their cure. That is why He does not even ask, “Do you believe?” as He does with many others. Their cries and their approach to Him were enough to make their faith clear. Learn from this, beloved, that even if we are utterly contemptible and outcast, if we approach God earnestly, we will be able, even on our own, to obtain whatever we ask. Look, for example, at these men. Although none of the apostles pleaded on their behalf, and many people tried instead to silence them, they were able to overcome the obstacles and reach Jesus Himself. Yet the evangelist gives no evidence that their lives gave them any claim to approach Him confidently; their earnestness alone was enough. Let us imitate them too. Even if God delays the gift, even if many people try to pull us away, let us not stop asking. For this is the best way to win God over to us. Look here, at least: neither poverty nor blindness, neither going unheard nor being rebuked by the crowd, nor anything else hindered their extraordinary earnestness. That is the nature of a fervent soul that keeps struggling. What, then, does Christ say? “He called them and said, What do you want Me to do for you? They say to Him, Lord, let our eyes be opened.” Why does He ask them? So that no one will think that they wanted one thing and He gave them something else. For on every occasion, His usual practice is first to reveal and make clear to everyone the virtue of those He is healing, and then to cure them. One reason is to encourage others to imitate them; another is to show that they deserved the gift they received. He did this, for example, with the Canaanite woman, with the centurion, and again with the woman who suffered from bleeding—or rather, that remarkable woman acted before the Lord could ask. Yet He did not pass her by on that account, but brought her to public attention even after the cure. On every occasion, He took such earnest care to proclaim the good deeds of those who came to Him and to show them to be much greater than they are. He does the same here. Then, when they said what they wanted, He had compassion on them and touched them. For this alone is the cause of their cure, and it is also why He came into the world. Yet although it is mercy and grace, it seeks those who are worthy. That they were worthy is clear both from what they cried out and from the fact that, once they received the gift, they did not hurry away, as many do, showing ingratitude after receiving blessings. They were not like that. They persevered before the gift and were grateful afterward, for “they followed Him.” “And when He came near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples, saying, Go into the village opposite you, and you will find a donkey tied up, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to Me. And if anyone says anything to you, you are to say, The Lord needs them; and immediately he sends them. And this was done so that what was spoken by Zechariah the prophet might be fulfilled: Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your King comes to you, meek and sitting on a donkey, and a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Yet He had often entered Jerusalem before, but never with so much ceremony. Why, then? Previously, it was the beginning of His work on earth. He was not yet very well known, and the time of His passion was not near. So He mingled with them less conspicuously, keeping Himself more hidden. For if He had appeared this way then, He would not have won their admiration, but would have stirred them to greater anger. But once He had given them enough proof of His power, and the cross was close at hand, He made Himself more conspicuous and did with greater ceremony everything likely to inflame them. It was certainly possible to have done this at the beginning too, but it would not have been beneficial or fitting. But please notice how many miracles are performed and how many prophecies are fulfilled. He said, “You will find a donkey.” He foretold that no one would stop them, but that everyone, on hearing this, would keep quiet. But this is no small condemnation of the Jews: people He had never known and who had never appeared before Him were persuaded through His disciples to give up their own property without objecting, while these men, who were present with Him as He performed His miracles, were not persuaded. 2. And do not consider what happened a small thing. For who persuaded them not to object when their own property was taken from them, especially when they may have been poor men and farmers? Why do I say not to object? They did not even ask—or, if they did ask, they kept quiet and gave it up. Both things were equally remarkable: that they said nothing when their animals were dragged away, or that, after speaking and hearing, “The Lord needs them,” they yielded without resistance, even though they saw only His disciples, not Him. Through these things He teaches them that He also had the power to stop the Jews completely, even against their will, when they moved to attack Him, and to make them speechless. But He chose not to. Along with this, He also teaches the disciples something else: to give whatever He asks, and even if He requires them to give up their very lives, to give these too without objecting. For if even strangers gave things up to Him, how much more should they give up everything they have. Besides what we have said, He was also fulfilling another prophecy, which had two parts: one in words and the other in deeds. The part in deeds was His sitting on the donkey; the part in words was Zechariah’s prediction, for he had said that the King would sit on a donkey. And after sitting on it and fulfilling the prophecy, He gave prophecy a new beginning: through what He was doing, He foreshadowed things to come. How, and in what way? He proclaimed beforehand the calling of the unclean Gentiles, that He would rest upon them, and that they would yield to Him and follow Him. And one prophecy followed another. But it seems to me that He sat on the donkey not only for this purpose, but also to give us a standard of self-denial. For He not only fulfilled prophecies and planted the doctrines of the truth; through these very things He also corrected our conduct, everywhere giving us rules we need and using every means to improve our lives. That is why, I say, even when He was about to be born, He did not seek a splendid house or a rich and distinguished mother, but a poor woman betrothed to a carpenter. He was born in a shed and laid in a manger. When choosing His disciples, He did not choose orators and wise men, rich men or men of noble birth, but poor men from poor families, without distinction of any kind. When providing His meals, at one time He set barley loaves before Himself, and at another He told the disciples to buy food at the market right then. When making His bed, He made it of grass; when dressing, He wore inexpensive clothes no different from those of ordinary people. He did not even own a house. If He had to go from place to place, He traveled on foot, walking until He grew tired. When sitting down, He required no throne or cushion, but sat on the ground, sometimes on the mountain and sometimes by the well. And He sat not merely by the well, but alone, and talked with a Samaritan woman. Again, He set a measure for sorrow: when He had reason to mourn, He wept in moderation, everywhere giving us rules, as I have said, and setting limits on how far we should go and where we should stop. For this same purpose now, since some people are weak and need animals to carry them, He sets a limit here too. He shows that we should not harness horses or mules to carry us, but use a donkey and go no further, keeping everywhere within the limits of need. But let us also look at the prophecy, both in words and in actions. What, then, is the prophecy? “Look, your King comes to you, meek and riding on a donkey, and a young colt.” He does not drive chariots like other kings, demand tribute, push people aside, or surround Himself with guards. Even in this He displays His great meekness. Ask the Jew, then, what King came to Jerusalem riding on a donkey? He could name no one but this King alone. But as I said, He did these things to signify beforehand what was to come. For here the colt signifies the church and the new people, who were once unclean but became clean after Jesus sat upon them. And see how the image is preserved throughout. I mean that the disciples untie the donkeys. For both they and we were called through the apostles; through the apostles we were brought near. But because our acceptance also stirred them to follow our example, the donkey appears following the colt. For after Christ has sat upon the Gentiles, they too will come, stirring us to follow their example. Paul declared this when he said, “Blindness has come upon Israel in part, until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in; and so all Israel will be saved.” That this was a prophecy is clear from what is said. For otherwise the prophet would not have taken care to state the donkey’s age so precisely. But what is said signifies not only these things, but also that the apostles would bring them easily. For just as no one here opposed them so as to keep the donkeys, so too, with the Gentiles, none of their former masters could stop the apostles. But He does not sit on the bare colt, but on the apostles’ garments. For after they had taken the colt, they gave up everything, just as Paul also said, “I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls.” But notice how easily the colt is handled. Although unbroken and never accustomed to the rein, it did not resist, but went along in an orderly way. This itself was a prophecy of the future, signifying the Gentiles’ submission and their sudden conversion to good order. For the command, “Untie him and bring him to Me,” accomplished everything, so that the unmanageable became orderly and the unclean became clean from then on. 3. But see the depravity of the Jews. He had performed so many miracles, yet they had never been this amazed at Him. But when they saw a crowd gathering, then they marveled. “For the whole city was stirred, saying, Who is this? But the crowds said, This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth in Galilee.” Even when they thought they were saying something great, their thoughts were still earthly and low, dragging along the ground. But He did these things without any display of pomp. As I have said, He was at once fulfilling a prophecy, teaching self-denial, and comforting His disciples, who were grieving over His death, by showing them that He willingly suffered all these things. And please notice the prophet’s precision, how he foretold everything. David proclaimed some things beforehand, and Zechariah others. Let us do the same: let us sing hymns and give our garments to those who carry Him. For what do we deserve when some clothe the donkey He sat on and others spread their garments even under her feet, while we, seeing Him naked and being asked only to spend from what we have stored up, without even being told to strip ourselves, still refuse to be generous? They attend Him in front and behind, but when He comes to us, we send Him away, push Him aside, and insult Him. How severe a punishment these things deserve, how great a vengeance! Your Lord comes to you in need, and you are unwilling even to listen to His plea. Instead, you blame and rebuke Him, even after hearing words like these. But if you are so stingy, arrogant, and reluctant about giving one loaf and a little money, what would you be like if you had to give up everything? Do you not see how much those who display their lavishness in the theater give away to prostitutes? Yet you do not give even half as much—often not even the smallest fraction. The devil urges you to give to just anyone, securing hell for us, and you give. But Christ urges you to give to the needy, promising a kingdom, and far from giving, you insult them instead. You choose to obey the devil and be punished rather than submit to Christ and be saved. What could be worse than this madness? One brings you hell, the other a kingdom, and you abandon the latter and run to the former. You send Christ away when He comes to you, and call the devil to you when he is far away. What you do is like refusing a king who brings a royal robe and offers you a crown, while choosing a robber who brandishes a sword at you and threatens you with death. Considering these things, then, beloved, let us finally recognize the truth, late though it is, and come to our senses. For I am now ashamed to speak about almsgiving, because although I have often spoken on this subject, I have accomplished nothing that measures up to my appeals. There has been some increase, but not as much as I wished. For I see you sowing, but without a generous hand. So I fear that you too may “reap sparingly.” To prove that we sow sparingly, let us ask, if you agree, who are more numerous in the city, the poor or the rich, and who are those who are neither poor nor rich, but somewhere in between. For example, a tenth are rich, a tenth are poor people who have nothing at all, and the rest are in the middle. Let us divide responsibility for the poor among the whole population of the city, and you will see how great the disgrace is. The very rich are few, but those just below them are numerous; the poor, in turn, are far fewer than these. Yet although so many people can feed the hungry, many go to sleep hungry—not because those with resources cannot easily help them, but because of their great barbarity and inhumanity. For if the wealthy and those just below them divided among themselves the people who need bread and clothing, there would scarcely be one poor person for every fifty or even a hundred people. Yet despite this great abundance of people able to help, the poor cry out every day. To understand the others’ inhumanity, consider how many widows and virgins the church supports every day, although her income is only that of someone near the bottom of the wealthy class, rather than one of the very rich. The number on her list has already reached three thousand. Along with these, she supports those in prison, the sick in the travelers’ lodging houses, the healthy, those away from home, those with bodily disabilities, and those who serve at the altar. She also provides food and clothing to those who happen to come each day, and her resources are not diminished at all. So if only ten men were willing to spend this way, there would be no poor. 4. And what, someone will ask, are our children to inherit? The principal remains, and the income becomes still more abundant, since these goods are stored up for them in Heaven. But are you unwilling to do this? Then at least give half, at least a third, at least a fourth, at least a tenth. For thanks to God’s favor, our city could feed the poor of ten cities. If you like, let us do some calculations to prove this—or rather, there is no need even to calculate, for it is obvious how easy it would be. Look, for example, at how much a single household has often readily spent on public occasions, barely even feeling the expense. If each rich person were willing to perform this service for the poor, he would seize Heaven in a moment. What excuse, then, will there be? What shadow of a defense, when we do not share even the things we will certainly be separated from when we are taken from here, giving to the needy as generously as others give to people on the stage, even though we stand to reap so many benefits? Even if we were going to remain here forever, we should still spend generously on this good purpose. But when, after a little while, we will be removed from here and dragged away stripped of everything, what defense will we have for failing to give the hungry and distressed even a portion of our income? For I do not even compel you to reduce your possessions—not because I do not want you to, but because I see how reluctant you are. So that is not what I am asking. Instead, spend from their yield and save none of it. It is enough for you to have the money from your income pouring in like water from a spring. Share it with the poor and become a good steward of what God has given you. But I pay taxes, someone may say. Is that why you treat this obligation with contempt, because no one demands payment from you here? You do not dare object to the other collector, who seizes and extorts payment whether the earth produces a crop or not. But to Him who is so gentle and asks only when the earth produces, you will not even say a word in reply? And who will rescue you from those unbearable punishments? No one. For if you are careful to pay in the other case because failing to give will bring you a very severe punishment, consider that here too there is a still more severe punishment: not being bound or thrown into prison, but going into eternal fire. For every reason, then, let us pay these taxes first. It is very easy, the reward is greater, the gain more abundant, and the punishments worse if we remain obstinate. For the punishment that comes upon us has no end. But if you tell me that the soldier fights the barbarians for you, here too there is a military camp, the camp of the poor, and a war that the poor wage for you. For when they receive, their prayers win God’s favor; and by winning His favor, they repel the assaults of demons instead of barbarians. They do not allow the evil one to rage or attack us continually, but weaken his power. 5. Since you see these soldiers fighting the devil on your behalf every day through their pleas and prayers, demand this good contribution from yourself: food for them. For this King is gentle and has appointed no one to demand it from you, but wants you to give willingly. Even if you pay little by little, He accepts it. Even if hardship means you pay only after a long time, He does not pressure someone who has nothing. So let us not despise His patience. Let us store up for ourselves salvation rather than anger, life rather than death, honors and crowns rather than punishment and vengeance. Here there is no need to pay a fee to transport what you contribute, no need to work at converting it into money. If you give it up, the Lord Himself transfers it to Heaven. He Himself makes the transaction more profitable for you. Here there is no need to find someone to carry in what you have contributed. Only contribute, and it goes up immediately, not to support others as soldiers, but to remain yours with great profit. For here you cannot recover whatever you have given, but there you will receive it back with great honor and earn greater, more spiritual gains. Here the gifts are a compulsory payment; there they are a loan, money earning interest, and a debt owed to you. What is more, God has given you written promises of repayment. For it says, “He who shows mercy to a poor person lends to the Lord.” He has also given you a deposit and a guarantee—and this from God! What kind of deposit? The things of this present life, visible things, spiritual things, the foretaste of things to come. Why, then, do you delay, and why are you reluctant, when you have already received so much and expect so much more? For these are the things you have received: He Himself made you a body; He Himself placed a soul within you; He honored you alone among the creatures on earth with speech; He gave you the use of everything you see; He granted you knowledge of Himself; He gave up His Son for you; He gave you a baptism full of so many good things; He gave you a holy table; He promised a kingdom and good things beyond description. Since you have received so many good things and will receive so many more, I ask the same thing again: are you counting every penny of perishable wealth? And what excuse will you have? But are your eyes fixed entirely on your children? Are you holding back for their sake? Instead, teach them too to earn gains like these. For if you had money lent out at interest and a grateful debtor, you would ten thousand times rather leave your child the written promise of repayment instead of the gold, so that he could receive its large income without having to go around looking for other people to borrow it. Now, then, give this written promise to your children, and leave God in their debt. You do not sell your lands and give the proceeds to your children; you leave them the lands so that the income will continue and their wealth will grow further from it. Yet you are afraid to leave them this promise of repayment, which is more productive than any land or revenue and bears so much fruit? What great foolishness and madness this is! And you know that even if you leave it to them, you yourself will also take it with you. That is the nature of spiritual things: their generosity is immense. So let us not be miserly or treat ourselves with inhumanity and savagery. Let us trade in that good merchandise, so that we may both take it with us when we depart and leave it to our own children, and attain the good things to come, by the grace and love for humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ. To the Father, together with Him and the Holy Spirit, be glory, might, and honor, now and always, forever and ever. Amen.