Homilies on Matthew, Homily 76

“Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. And let the one who is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house. And let the one who is in his field not turn back to take his clothes.” After speaking of the evils that would overtake the city, the trials of the apostles, and how they would remain undefeated and spread throughout the whole world, He returns to the Jews’ calamities, showing that when the apostles were glorious, having taught the whole world, the Jews would be suffering calamity. And see how He describes the war, using seemingly small details to show how unbearable it would be. For He says, “Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” Then—when? When these things happen, “when the abomination of desolation stands in the holy place.” From this, it seems to me that He is speaking of the armies. Flee then, He says, because from that point on there is no hope of safety for you. For they had often recovered during terrible wars, as under Sennacherib and again under Antiochus (for on that occasion too, when armies had invaded and the temple had already been seized, the Maccabees rallied and reversed their fortunes). So, to keep them from expecting another such turnaround now, He rules out every thought of it. From now on, He says, you will be fortunate to escape with nothing but your naked body. That is why He does not even allow those on the housetop to enter the house to take their clothes. He indicates that the evils are inevitable, the calamity endless, and anyone caught in it certain to perish. That is why He also adds the person in the field, saying that this man too must not turn back to take his clothes. For if those indoors are fleeing, those outdoors certainly must not take refuge inside. “Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing”—to the former because they are less able to move and cannot flee easily, weighed down by the burden of pregnancy; to the latter because their affection for their children holds them back, and they cannot save their nursing babies. Money and clothes are easy to disregard and easy to replace. But how could anyone escape the bonds of nature? How could a pregnant woman move quickly? How could a nursing mother abandon the child she had given birth to? Then, to show again how great the calamity will be, He says, “Pray that your flight is not in winter or on the Sabbath day. For then there will be great tribulation, such as there has not been from the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will be.” Do you see that His words are addressed to the Jews, and that He is speaking of the evils that would overtake them? For the apostles certainly were not going to observe the Sabbath day or be there when Vespasian did these things. In fact, most of them had already died. And if any remained, they were then living in other parts of the world. But why neither “in winter nor on the Sabbath day”? Not in winter because of the difficulties of the season; not on the Sabbath day because of the law’s absolute authority. They needed to flee, and to flee as quickly as possible, but the Jews would not dare flee on the Sabbath day because of the law, and such flight was not easy in winter. That is why He says, “Pray, for then there will be tribulation such as there has never been, nor ever will be.” And let no one suppose that this was an exaggeration. Let him study the writings of Josephus and learn the truth of these words. For no one can say that the man was a believer who exaggerated the tragic history to prove Christ’s words true. He was a Jew, a committed and very zealous Jew, and one of those who lived after Christ’s coming. What, then, does this man say? That those horrors surpassed every tragedy, and that nothing like them had ever overtaken the nation. For the famine was so great that the mothers themselves fought over eating their children, and wars broke out over this. And he says that many people had their bellies ripped open after they were dead. So I would like to ask the Jews: Why did such unbearable anger from God come upon them, more terrible than anything that had happened before, not only in Judea but anywhere in the world? Is it not perfectly clear that it was because of their act of crucifying Him and this rejection? Everyone would say so, and the truth of the events themselves would say so along with everyone and before everyone. But please notice how extraordinarily great these evils were: they appear more terrible not only when compared with the past, but also with all the time to come. For nowhere in the whole world, in all past or future time, will anyone be able to say that such evils have occurred. And this is only natural, for no one who has ever lived or will ever live has committed a deed so wicked and horrible. That is why He says, “There will be tribulation such as there has never been, nor ever will be.” “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” With these words He shows that they deserve a more terrible punishment than He has mentioned. He is now speaking of the days of the war and that siege. What He means is this: If the Romans’ war against the city had continued further, all the Jews would have perished (for by “no flesh” here He means no Jewish flesh), both those abroad and those at home. For the Romans fought not only against those in Judea; because of their hatred for them, they also outlawed and banished those scattered everywhere. 2. But whom does He mean here by the elect? The believers who were trapped among them. To keep the Jews from saying that these evils happened because of the gospel and the worship of Christ, He shows that the believers were so far from being the cause that, without them, everyone would have utterly perished. For if God had allowed the war to drag on, not even a remnant of the Jews would have remained. But to keep those among them who had become believers from perishing along with the unbelieving Jews, He quickly stopped the fighting and brought the war to an end. That is why He says, “But for the elect’s sake they will be shortened.” He said these things to encourage those believers trapped among them and give them room to breathe, so that they would not fear that they would perish with them. And if His care for them here is so great that others are saved for their sake, and remnants of the Jews were left for the sake of Christians, how great will their honor be when the time comes for their crowns? Through this He also encouraged them not to be distressed by their own dangers, since these others were suffering such things without any benefit, only bringing evil on their own heads. But He not only encouraged them; He also quietly led them away from Jewish customs without arousing their suspicions. For if there is to be no later reversal, and the temple is not to stand, it is perfectly clear that the law too will come to an end. Still, He did not say this openly, but hinted at it through their complete destruction. He did not say it openly because He did not want to alarm them before the time. That is also why He did not begin discussing these things on His own at the outset. Instead, after first lamenting over the city, He prompted them to show Him the stones and question Him, so that, as though simply answering their question, He could tell them beforehand everything that was to come. But please notice how the Spirit arranged this: John wrote none of these things, so that he would not seem to be writing from the history of what had already happened (for he lived a long time after the capture of the city). Instead, those who died before its capture and had seen none of these things wrote about it, so that the power of the prediction would shine out clearly in every way. “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is Christ,’ or ‘There,’ do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert,’ do not go out; ‘Look, He is in the secret rooms,’ do not believe it. For just as lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will gather together.” After finishing what concerned Jerusalem, He moves on to His own coming and tells its signs, for their benefit, for ours, and for everyone who will come after us. “Then.” When? Here, as I have often said, the word “then” does not connect these events chronologically with those mentioned before. When He wanted to express a connection in time, He added, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days.” But here He does not do that; He says “then,” meaning not what would follow immediately after these things, but what would happen at the time of the events He was about to describe. Likewise, when it says, “In those days John the Baptist comes,” it does not mean the time immediately afterward, but a time many years later, when the events it was about to describe took place. In fact, after speaking of Jesus’ birth, the coming of the magi, and Herod’s death, it immediately says, “In those days John the Baptist comes,” although thirty years had passed. But Scripture commonly uses this way of telling a story. So here too, passing over all the time between the capture of Jerusalem and the events leading up to the consummation, He speaks of the time just before the consummation. That is why He says, “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is Christ,’ or ‘There,’ do not believe it.” For the moment He safeguards them by speaking of place, mentioning the distinguishing marks of His second coming and the signs of the deceivers. At His first coming He appeared in Bethlehem, in a small corner of the world, and no one knew Him at first. But He says it will not be like that then. He will come openly, with everything accompanying His coming, so that no one will need to announce these things. And this is a strong indication that He will not come secretly. But notice that here He says nothing about war (for He is explaining the teaching about His coming), but speaks of those who try to deceive. Some deceived the crowds in the apostles’ days, “for they will come,” He says, “and deceive many.” Others will do so before His second coming, and they will be more dangerous than the earlier ones. “For they will show,” He says, “signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” Here He is speaking of Antichrist and indicates that some will also serve him. Paul too speaks of him this way. After calling him the “man of sin” and “son of perdition,” he added, “Whose coming is according to the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with every deception of unrighteousness among those who perish.” And see how He safeguards them: “Do not go out into the deserts; do not enter the secret rooms.” He did not say, “Go, and do not believe,” but “Do not go out, and do not go there.” For the deception will be great then, because even deceptive miracles will be performed. 3. After telling them how Antichrist comes—for instance, that he will be in a particular place—He tells them how He Himself comes. How, then, does He Himself come? “Just as lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there too the eagles will gather together.” How, then, does lightning shine? It needs no one to speak about it, no herald. In an instant it shows itself throughout the whole world, even to those sitting in houses and in their rooms. So will that coming be: it will reveal itself everywhere at once through the radiance of His glory. But He also mentions another sign: “Where the carcass is, there too the eagles will be,” meaning the multitude of angels, martyrs, and all the saints. Then He tells of terrifying wonders. What are these wonders? “Immediately after the tribulation of those days,” He says, “the sun will be darkened.” Which days of tribulation is He speaking about? Those of Antichrist and the false prophets? For there will be great tribulation, with so many deceivers. But it will not last long. For if the Jewish war was shortened for the elect’s sake, this trial will be limited even more for their sake. That is why He did not say simply “after the tribulation,” but “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened,” for everything happens almost at the same time. The false prophets and false Christs will come and cause confusion, and immediately He Himself will be here. For a great turmoil will then sweep over the world. But how does He come? Creation itself will then be transformed, for “the sun will be darkened”—not destroyed, but overwhelmed by the light of His presence. And the stars will fall, for what need will there be for them after that, when there is no night? And “the powers of Heaven will be shaken,” most likely at seeing so great a change take place. For if they trembled and marveled when the stars were made (“for when the stars were made, all angels,” it says, “praised Me with a loud voice”), how much more will they tremble and be shaken when they see everything changing, their fellow servants giving an account, the whole world standing before that terrifying judgment seat, and everyone who has lived from Adam until His coming being required to give an account of everything they did? “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in Heaven”—that is, the cross, brighter than the sun, since the sun will be darkened and hide itself, while the cross will appear at a time when it could not appear unless it were far brighter than the sun’s rays. But why does the sign appear? To silence the Jews’ shamelessness all the more completely. For Christ comes to that judgment seat with the cross as His strongest argument, showing not only His wounds but also His shameful death. “Then the tribes will mourn,” for no accusation will be needed when they see the cross. And they will mourn because His death has brought them no benefit, because they crucified Him whom they should have worshiped. Do you see how terrifying a picture He has given of His coming? How He has stirred the hearts of His disciples? Let me add that this is why He puts the sorrowful things first and then the good things, so that in this way too He may comfort and refresh them. He reminds them of His passion and His resurrection, and mentions His cross in a display of glory, so that they may feel neither shame nor grief, since He will then come displaying it as His sign. And another says, “They will look on Him whom they pierced.” That is why they will mourn when they see that this is He. And because He had mentioned the cross, He added, “They will see the Son of Man coming,” no longer on the cross, but “in the clouds of Heaven, with power and great glory.” His meaning is: Do not think that because you hear of the cross, this is something sorrowful again, for He will come with power and great glory. He brings it so that their sin will condemn itself, just as someone struck by a stone might show the stone itself or his bloodstained clothes. And He comes in a cloud, as He was taken up, and the tribes mourn when they see these things. Yet their terrors will not end with mourning. Rather, they will mourn so that they may pronounce their sentence from within and condemn themselves. And then again, “He will send His angels with a great trumpet, and they will gather the elect from the four winds, from one end of Heaven to the other.” But when you hear this, consider the punishment of those who remain. For they will suffer not only that earlier penalty, but this one too. And just as He said above that they would say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” so here He says that they will mourn. For He had spoken to them of terrible wars, and now, so that they may learn that along with the fearful things here, the torments there also await them, He presents them mourning, separated from the elect, and consigned to hell. Through this He again stirs the disciples and shows how many evils they will be delivered from and how many good things they will enjoy. 4. And why does He now summon them through angels, if He comes so openly? To honor them in this way too. But Paul says that they “will be caught up in clouds.” He also said this when speaking about a resurrection: “For the Lord Himself,” it says, “will descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel.” So once they have risen, the angels will gather them together; once they are gathered, the clouds will catch them up. And all these things happen in a moment, in an instant. For He does not remain above and call them; He Himself comes with the sound of a trumpet. And what do the trumpets and their sound mean? They awaken people, bring gladness, proclaim the astonishing nature of what is happening, and bring grief to those left behind. Woe to me because of that fearful day! For although we should rejoice when we hear these things, we feel pain and dejection, and our faces are sad. Or am I the only one who feels this way, while you rejoice to hear these things? At least for me, a kind of shudder comes over me when these things are spoken, and I lament bitterly and groan from the very depths of my heart. For I have no share in these things, but in those spoken of afterward, in what is said to the virgins, to the man who buried the talents he received, and to the wicked servant. That is why I weep, thinking of the glory we will be cast out of, the hope of blessings we will lose, continually and forever, to spare ourselves a little effort. For even if this required great toil and imposed a harsh law, we should still do everything required. Yet many of the negligent would at least seem to have some excuse—a poor excuse, certainly, but still some excuse—that the toil was great, the time endless, and the burden unbearable. But as things stand, we can raise no such objection. This fact above all will gnaw at us then no less than hell itself: that for lack of a slight effort and a little toil, we will have lost Heaven and its unspeakable blessings. For the time is short and the labor small, and yet we lose heart and lie idle. You struggle on earth, and your crown is in Heaven; you are punished by people and honored by God; the race lasts two days, and the reward lasts endless ages; the struggle takes place in a corruptible body, and the rewards in an incorruptible one. Besides these things, we should consider another point: even if we choose not to suffer anything painful for Christ’s sake, we will certainly have to endure such things in other ways. Even if you do not die for Christ, you will not be immortal; even if you do not give away your riches for Christ, you will not take them with you when you leave here. He asks you for things that, even if He did not ask for them, you would have to give up because you are mortal. He wants you to do by choice what you must do by necessity. He asks only this much more: that it be done for His sake, since natural necessity brings these things upon people and makes them pass away. Do you see how easy the struggle is? What you must inevitably suffer, choose to suffer for My sake. Add only this, and your obedience is enough for Me. The gold you intend to lend to someone else, lend to Me, with both greater profit and greater security. The body with which you are going to fight for someone else, make it fight for Me, for My rewards exceed your labors by an immeasurable amount. Yet in every other matter you prefer the one who gives you more, whether in loans, trade, or military service. Christ alone you refuse to accept, although He gives more, infinitely more than everyone else. What is this great hostility? What is this great enmity? What excuse or defense will you have left when the reasons you prefer one person over another cannot persuade you to prefer God over a human being? Why do you entrust your treasure to the earth? “Put it into My hand,” He says. Does the earth’s Lord not seem more trustworthy to you than the earth? The earth gives back what you put in it—though often it does not even do that—but He also rewards you for letting Him keep it. For He loves us so much. So if you want to lend, He stands ready; if you want to sow, He receives the seed; if you want to build, He draws you to Himself, saying, Build in My lands. Why do you run to poor, penniless people who cause you great trouble for small profits? Yet even after hearing these things, we still cannot make up our minds to do it. Instead, we hurry to wherever there are fights and wars, savage struggles, trials and lawsuits, and false accusations. 5. Is He not right to turn away from us and punish us when He offers Himself to us for everything, and we resist Him? Surely this is clear to everyone. For if you want to adorn yourself, He says, “Use My ornaments”; if you want to arm yourself, “Use My weapons”; if you want to clothe yourself, “Wear My clothing”; if you want to eat, “Eat at My table”; if you want to travel, “Travel on My road”; if you want to inherit, “Receive My inheritance”; if you want to enter a country, “Enter the city whose builder and maker I am”; if you want to build a house, “Build among My tabernacles.” “For I do not ask you to repay Me for what I give you; I even make Myself owe you a reward for this very thing, if you are willing to use everything I have.” What can equal this generosity? “I am Father, I am brother, I am bridegroom, I am dwelling place, I am food, I am clothing, I am root, I am foundation; whatever you want, I am.” “Lack nothing. I will even be a servant, for I came to serve, not to be served. I am friend and member and head and brother and sister and mother; I am everything. Only cling closely to Me. I was poor for you, a wanderer for you, on the cross for you, in the tomb for you. Above, I intercede for you with the Father; on earth, I have come for your sake as an ambassador from My Father. You are everything to Me: brother, joint heir, friend, and member.” What more do you want? Why do you turn away from Him who loves you? Why do you labor for the world? Why do you draw water into a broken cistern? That is what it means to labor for this present life. Why do you comb wool into the fire? Why do you “beat the air”? Why do you “run in vain”? Does not every craft have a goal? Surely that is clear to everyone. Then show me the goal of your eagerness for worldly things. But you cannot, for “vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” Let us go to the tombs. Show me your father; show me your wife. Where is the man who wore clothing of gold? The man who rode in a chariot? The man who had armies, who wore the belt of rank, who had heralds? The man who killed some and threw others into prison? The man who put to death whomever he wanted and set free whomever he chose? I see nothing but bones, a worm, and a spider’s web. All those things are earth, all a fable, all a dream and a shadow, a mere story and a picture—or rather, not even a picture. For in a picture we at least see a likeness, but here there is not even a likeness. And if only the evils ended there! As things stand, honor, luxury, and distinction end in a shadow, in words. But their consequences are no longer confined to a shadow and words. They remain and will travel with us to the other world and be revealed to everyone: the looting, the greed, the acts of sexual immorality, the adulteries, the countless dreadful things. These will not remain as a likeness or as ashes, but as words and deeds recorded above. With what eyes, then, will we look at Christ? For if someone could not bear to look at his father when he knew he had sinned against him, how will we then look at Him who infinitely surpasses a father in patience? How will we bear it? For we will indeed stand before Christ’s judgment seat, and everything will be examined rigorously. But if anyone disbelieves in the judgments to come, let him look at things here: those in prisons, those in the mines, those on dung heaps, the possessed, the insane, those struggling with incurable diseases, those fighting constant poverty, those living in famine, those pierced by suffering that cannot be relieved, and those in captivity. For these people would not suffer these things here unless vengeance and punishment also awaited all the others who have committed such sins. And if the rest have suffered nothing here, you should regard that very fact as a sign that something certainly awaits us after we leave here. For the same God of all would not punish some and leave others unpunished who have committed the same or more serious offenses, unless He intended to impose some punishments on them there. So let us too humble ourselves through these arguments and examples. And let those who stubbornly refuse to believe in the judgment believe it from now on and become better people, so that, having lived here in a way worthy of the kingdom, we may attain the good things to come, through the grace and love for humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.