Homilies on Matthew, Homily 87

“Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters and gathered the whole company of soldiers around Him; and they stripped Him and put a purple robe on Him; and when they had woven a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt before Him and mocked Him, saying, Greetings, king of the Jews.” As though at some signal, the devil was then triumphantly entering them all. For even if the Jews, consumed with envy and jealousy, were raging against Him, where did the soldiers’ rage come from, and what could have caused it? Is it not clear that the devil was then furiously entering everyone’s hearts? Indeed, they took pleasure in insulting Him, savage and ruthless men that they were. I mean that when they should have been awestruck, when they should have wept, as even the people did, they did neither, but instead were malicious and insolent, perhaps also trying to please the Jews, or perhaps doing everything in keeping with their own evil nature. And their insults were many and varied. At one moment they punched that Divine Head, at another they insulted Him with the crown of thorns, at another they struck Him with the reed—unholy and accursed men! After this, what excuse will we have for being upset by injuries, when Christ suffered these things? For what they did reached the very limit of insolence. They subjected not just one part but His entire body to abuse: His head through the crown, the reed, and the punches; His face by spitting on it; His cheeks by slapping them with their hands; His whole body through the lashes, the robe they wrapped around Him, and the mock worship; His hand through the reed they gave Him to hold instead of a scepter; His mouth, again, by offering Him vinegar. What could be more painful than these things? What could be more insulting? For what they did goes beyond anything words can express. Having killed the prophets with their own hands, but this man through a judge’s sentence, they acted in every way as though afraid they might seem to fall short at all in their crime. They made it their own handiwork, condemning and sentencing Him both among themselves and before Pilate, saying, “His blood be on us and on our children.” They themselves insulted and abused Him, bound Him, led Him away, made themselves responsible for the malicious acts committed by the soldiers, nailed Him to the cross, reviled Him, spat at Him, and ridiculed Him. For Pilate contributed nothing to this, but they themselves did everything, becoming accusers, judges, executioners, and everything else. And these things are read among us when everyone gathers together. For the grace of the Spirit has arranged for all these things to be read at the height of the festival, when crowds of men and women are present—everyone, one might say—on the great eve of Passover. This keeps the pagans from saying that you display the glorious and illustrious things to peoples and nations, such as the signs and miracles, but hide these shameful things. When the whole world is present, all these acts are proclaimed in a clear voice. And with these things read and made known to everyone, Christ is believed to be God and, besides everything else, is worshiped for this very reason: that He was willing to stoop so low for us as actually to suffer these things and teach us every virtue. Let us therefore read these things continually, for we can gain so much, and benefit so much, from them. For when you see Him mocked through gestures and actions, worshiped with such ridicule, beaten, and subjected to the worst insults, even if you are made of stone, you will become softer than any wax and cast all arrogance out of your soul. Listen also to what follows. For after “they had mocked Him, they led Him to crucify Him,” it says, and when they had stripped Him, they took His clothes and sat down to watch Him until He died. And they divided His clothes among themselves, as is done with the most vile and degraded criminals, those who have no one belonging to them and are utterly abandoned. They divided the clothes through which such great miracles had been done. But they worked none now, because Christ held back His indescribable power. And this added considerably to the insult. For they dared to do everything to Him as though He were low and degraded, as I said, and the vilest of all men. At any rate, they did nothing of the kind to the thieves, but they dared to do it all to Christ. And they crucified Him between them so that He might share their reputation. And they gave Him gall to drink, doing this to insult Him, but He refused. But another says that after tasting it, He said, “It is finished.” And what does “It is finished” mean? The prophecy concerning Him was fulfilled. “For they gave me,” it says, “gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” But that evangelist does not indicate that He drank either, for merely tasting amounts to not drinking; the two mean the same thing. Yet even here their abuse did not stop. After stripping and crucifying Him and offering Him vinegar, they went still further. Seeing Him impaled on the cross, both they themselves and the passersby reviled Him. And this was more painful than everything else: that He suffered these things on the charge of being an impostor and deceiver, a boaster whose claims were empty pretense. That is why they crucified Him publicly, to make a spectacle of Him before everyone. That is also why they did it through the soldiers, so that the insult would be greater because these things were carried out even by a public court. 2. And yet who would not have been moved by the crowd following Him and mourning for Him? These wild beasts were not. That is also why He was willing to answer the crowd, but not these men. For after doing what they wanted, they also tried to damage His honor, fearing His resurrection. That is why they said these things publicly and crucified thieves with Him. And, wanting to prove Him a deceiver, they said, “You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross.” For when they told Pilate to remove the accusation (the inscription was “The king of the Jews”), they failed, and he kept saying, “What I have written, I have written.” So they then tried to show by ridiculing Him that He was not a king. That is why they said those things, and these as well: If “He is the king of Israel, let Him come down now from the cross. He saved others; He cannot save Himself.” By this they aimed to discredit even His earlier miracles. And again, “If He is the Son of God, and He wants Him, let Him save Him.” You accursed men, utterly accursed! What, were the prophets not prophets, or the righteous men not righteous, because God did not rescue them from their dangers? Surely they were, even though they suffered these things. What, then, could equal your foolishness? For if the dangers that came upon them did not diminish their honor in your eyes, how much more wrong was it for you to take offense at this man, when by both His actions and His words He was constantly correcting this suspicion of yours beforehand? Yet even when these things were said and done, they achieved nothing, even at that very moment. At any rate, the man who had sunk into such great wickedness and had spent his whole life in murders and burglaries confessed Him and spoke of a kingdom just when these things were being said; and the people mourned for Him. And although what was happening seemed to those who did not understand the mysterious divine plans to testify to the opposite—that He was weak and powerless—truth nevertheless prevailed even through things that seemed to contradict it. When we hear these things, then, let us arm ourselves against all rage, against all anger. If you feel your heart swelling, seal your chest by making the sign of the cross over it. Recall any one of the things that happened then, and by remembering what was done, you will sweep away all rage like dust. Consider the words, the actions; consider that He is Lord and you are a servant. He suffers for you, you for yourself; He on behalf of those who had benefited from Him and had crucified Him, you on your own behalf; He on behalf of those who had abused Him, while you often suffer at the hands of those who have been wronged. He suffered before the whole city, or rather the whole Jewish people, both visitors and local people, before whom He spoke those merciful words, while you suffer before only a few. And what insulted Him still more was that even His disciples abandoned Him. For those who had previously attended Him deserted Him, while His enemies and adversaries, with Him on the cross in their midst, insulted, reviled, mocked, ridiculed, and scoffed at Him: Jews and soldiers from below, and thieves from above on either side. For both thieves did indeed insult and reproach Him. How, then, does Luke say that one “rebuked”? Both things happened: at first both reproached Him, but afterward one stopped. For so that you would not think this had happened by some agreement, or that the thief was not a thief, his insolence shows you that he was a thief and an enemy up on the cross, and that he changed in an instant. Considering all these things, then, control yourself. For what do you suffer that resembles what your Lord suffered? Were you publicly insulted? But not like this. Are you mocked? Yet not in your whole body, not while being whipped and stripped like this. And even if you were punched, it was still not like this. 3. And add to this, I ask you, who did it, why, when, and who it was that suffered; and (the most painful thing) that while these things were being done, no one objected, no one condemned what was happening. Instead, everyone approved and joined in mocking and jeering at Him. They reviled Him as a boaster, impostor, and deceiver, unable to prove by His deeds the things He said. But He remained silent through it all, giving us the strongest incentives to patience. But although we hear such things, we are not patient even with servants. When we ourselves are wronged, we charge and kick worse than wild donkeys, savage and inhuman, while we take little account of wrongs against God. And we have the same attitude toward our friends: if anyone annoys us, we cannot bear it; if he insults us, we become more savage than wild beasts, even though we read these things every day. A disciple betrayed Him, the rest abandoned Him and fled, those who had benefited from Him spat at Him, the high priest’s servants slapped Him, the soldiers punched Him, the passersby jeered at Him and reviled Him, the thieves accused Him; and He did not say a word to anyone, but overcame everyone through silence. By His actions He teaches you that the more gently you endure, the more you will overcome those who harm you and win everyone’s admiration. For who will not admire someone who patiently endures insults from those who abuse him? For even if someone suffers justly, when he endures the harm gently, most people consider him to be suffering unjustly. In the same way, even if someone suffers unjustly, if he becomes violent, he will arouse the suspicion that he deserves to suffer and become an object of ridicule, dragged captive by his anger and losing his own nobility. We must not even call such a person a free man, even if he is master over ten thousand servants. But has someone provoked you terribly? What of it? That is precisely when self-control should be shown, since when no one is bothering them, we see even wild beasts being gentle. They are not always savage either, but become so when someone rouses them. So if we are calm only when no one is provoking us, what advantage do we have over them? For they are often justly angry and have plenty of excuse: they are roused by being stirred up and goaded, and besides, they lack reason and are savage by nature. But where, I ask you, can you find an excuse for being savage and fierce? What hardship have you suffered? Have you been robbed? That is the very reason you should endure it, so that you may gain all the more. But has your reputation been taken away? What does that matter? Your condition is no worse because of this, if you practice self-control. But if you suffer no harm, why are you angry with someone who has done you no harm, but has even benefited you? For those who honor people make them more conceited if they are not watchful, while those who insult and despise people make them more steadfast if they pay attention to themselves. For the careless are harmed more by being honored than by being insulted. And if we are clearheaded, the one group helps us develop self-control, while the other stirs up our pride, fills us with boastfulness, vanity, and foolishness, and makes our soul weaker. Fathers bear witness to this: they rebuke their own children more than they flatter them, fearing that praise might harm them, and their teachers use the same remedy with them. So if we are to avoid anyone, it should be those who flatter us rather than those who insult us. For this bait does more harm than insult to those who are not careful, and this feeling is harder to control than the other. And enduring insults also brings a far greater reward and greater admiration. For indeed, it is more admirable to see someone insulted without being shaken than beaten and struck without falling. And how is it possible not to be shaken? someone may say. Has anyone insulted you? Make the sign over your chest, recall everything that happened then, and it all dies out. Consider not only the insults, but also whether the person who insulted you has ever done you any good, and you will immediately become gentle. Or rather, consider the fear of God before everything else, and you will soon become mild and gentle. 4. Along with these things, learn a lesson about this even from your own servants. When you see yourself hurling insults while your servant remains silent, consider that self-control is possible, and condemn yourself for being violent. In the very act of insulting, learn not to insult; then you will not be upset even when you are insulted. Consider that someone who is insolent is out of his mind and mad, and you will not feel indignant when insulted, since people possessed by demons strike us, and far from being provoked, we pity them instead. Do the same yourself: pity the person who is insolent toward you, for he is enslaved by a dreadful monster, rage, by a terrible demon, anger. Set him free, for a terrible demon is at work in him and he is quickly heading for ruin. For this disease is so severe that it takes no time at all to destroy the person it seizes. That is why someone also said, “The power of his fury will be his downfall.” This shows its tyranny most of all: that it works great evils in a short time and does not need to stay with us long. So if, in addition to its strength, it also tended to last, it would indeed be hard to fight against. I would like to show you what the person who insults is like, and what the person who practices self-control is like, and lay bare the soul of each before you. For you would see the one like a sea tossed by a storm, but the other like an undisturbed harbor. For it is not disturbed by these evil gusts, but easily calms them. Indeed, those who insult do everything they can to make their words sting. When that hope fails, even they become peaceful from then on and go away changed for the better. For it is impossible for an angry person not to condemn himself completely, just as, on the other hand, it is impossible for someone who is not angry to stand condemned by his own actions. For even if retaliation is necessary, it is possible to do it without anger (and it would be easier and wiser than doing it with anger) and without any painful feeling. For if we are willing, good things will come from ourselves, and with God’s grace we will be able to secure our own safety and honor. For why do you seek the glory that comes from someone else? Honor yourself, and no one will be able to insult you; but if you dishonor yourself, even if everyone honors you, you will not be honored. For just as no one else puts us in a bad state unless we put ourselves there, so no one else can put us to shame unless we insult ourselves. For suppose someone is great and admirable, and everyone calls him an adulterer, a thief, a grave robber, a murderer, a robber, and he is neither provoked nor indignant and knows himself to be guilty of none of these crimes. What disgrace will he suffer from this? None. What then, you may say, if many people have this opinion of him? Even then he is not disgraced, but they bring shame on themselves by thinking that someone is what he is not. For tell me, if someone thinks the sun is dark, does he give that heavenly body a bad name, or himself? Surely himself, earning a reputation for being blind or mad. In the same way, those who think wicked people are good, and those who make the opposite mistake, disgrace themselves. That is why we should take greater care to keep our conscience clear and give no grounds for accusations or evil suspicions against us. But if others insist on being mad even when this is our attitude, we should not care very much or grieve. For a good man who has gained a reputation for being wicked is in no way harmed by it in regard to what he actually is; but the person who has suspected another groundlessly and without cause suffers the greatest harm. On the other hand, a wicked man who is thought to be the opposite gains nothing from it, but will both face a heavier judgment and be led into greater carelessness. For someone who is wicked and is suspected of it may perhaps be humbled and acknowledge his sins; but when he escapes detection, he becomes numb to them. For if wrongdoers are barely stirred to remorse when everyone accuses them, when will those living in vice be able to open their eyes if, instead of accusing them, some people even praise them? Do you hear that Paul also blames the Corinthians for this: that (far from allowing the man guilty of sexual immorality to acknowledge his own sin) they applauded and honored him, and so instead encouraged him to continue in vice? Therefore, I ask you, let us leave aside the crowd’s suspicions, insults, and honors, and take care of just one thing: that we know ourselves to be guilty of no evil and do not insult ourselves. For in this way, both here and in the world to come, we will enjoy great glory. May God grant that we all attain it, by the grace and love for humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.