Homilies on Matthew, Homily 90

“Now as they were going, look, some of the guards came into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When they had assembled with the elders and discussed the matter, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, saying, Tell people, His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we were asleep. And if the governor hears about this, we will persuade him and keep you out of trouble.” That earthquake happened for the sake of these soldiers, to frighten them and get their testimony, which is exactly what happened. Their report was free from suspicion because it came from the guards themselves. Some of the signs were displayed publicly to the world, and others privately to those present at the spot: the darkness was public, for the world to see; the appearance of the angel and the earthquake were private. Then, when they came and reported it (for truth shines out when its enemies proclaim it), the chief priests again gave money so that they would say, as the text puts it, “that His disciples came and stole Him.” How did they steal Him? You most foolish of all men! The truth is so clear and obvious that they cannot even make up a lie. What they said was utterly unbelievable, and their lie did not even sound plausible. How, I ask, did the disciples steal Him, when they were poor, uneducated men who did not dare even to show themselves? What? Hadn't a seal been put on the tomb? What? Weren't so many guards, soldiers, and Jews stationed around it? What? Hadn't those men suspected this very thing, planned for it, lost sleep over it, and remained anxious about it? And why, moreover, did they steal it? To fabricate the doctrine of the resurrection? How would it even occur to men who were content simply to stay hidden and alive to invent such a thing? And how could they move the stone that had been secured? How could they escape the notice of so many people? No, even if they had scorned death, they would not have risked defying so many watchful men pointlessly and to no purpose. Besides, their earlier actions clearly showed their fear: when they saw Him arrested, they all rushed away from Him. If they did not dare even to stand their ground then, when they saw Him alive, how could they have failed to fear so many soldiers when He was dead? What? Was it just a matter of breaking open a door? Was it something one person could do unnoticed? A great stone lay over it, requiring many hands to move it. They were right to say, “So the last error will be worse than the first,” making this declaration against themselves. After so much madness, they should have repented; instead, they tried to outdo their earlier actions by inventing absurd stories. Just as they bought His blood while He was alive, so, when He was dead and had risen again, they again tried to use money to undermine the evidence of His resurrection. But notice, I ask you, how their own actions trap them at every turn. If they had not gone to Pilate or asked for the guard, they would have been better able to act so shamelessly; as it was, they could not. Indeed, everything they did was as though they were working to shut their own mouths. If the disciples could not stay awake with Him, even when He rebuked them, how could they have dared to do these things? And why didn't they steal Him earlier, instead of waiting until you came? If they had intended to do this, they would have done it on the first night, when the tomb was not yet guarded and they could have done it safely, without danger. For it was on the Sabbath that they came and asked Pilate for the guard and kept watch, but on the first night none of these men was at the tomb. 2. And what about the linen cloths stuck on with myrrh? Peter saw these lying there. If they had intended to steal the body, they would not have stolen it naked, not only because that would dishonor it, but also to avoid wasting time stripping it and giving anyone who might be inclined to do so a chance to wake up and seize them. This was especially true because myrrh is a substance that sticks so firmly to the body and clings to the clothes that it was not easy to remove the clothes from the body. Anyone doing this would have needed a great deal of time. So this, too, makes the story of the theft implausible. What? Didn't they know the Jews' rage, and that they would vent their anger on them? And what possible benefit was there for them if He had not risen again? So these men, knowing that they had invented this whole story, gave money and said, “Say these things, and we will persuade the governor.” They wanted the report to spread, fighting in vain against the truth. Through their very efforts to hide it, they made it clear, even against their will. Indeed, even their claim that the disciples stole Him establishes the resurrection. For these are the words of men admitting that the body was not there. So when they admit that the body was not there, while the claim that it was stolen is shown to be false and unbelievable by their watch over it, the seals, and the disciples' fear, even this makes the proof of the resurrection undeniable. Nevertheless, although there were so many things to shut their mouths, these shameless, brazen men said, “Say it, and we will persuade him and keep you out of trouble.” Do you see how corrupt they all are? Pilate, since he was persuaded? The soldiers? The Jewish people? But don't be surprised that money won over soldiers. If it showed such great power over His disciple, it had still greater power over these men. “And this story is widely circulated,” the text says, “to this day.” Do you see again the disciples' love of truth, how they are not ashamed to say even this—that such a report gained ground against them? “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, and some worshiped, and some, when they saw Him, doubted.” This seems to me to be the last appearance in Galilee, when He sent them out to baptize. And if “some doubted,” admire their truthfulness here again: they do not conceal even their shortcomings, right up to the last day. Nevertheless, even these are reassured by seeing Him. What, then, does He say to them when He sees them? “All power has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Again He speaks to them more in human terms, for they had not yet received the Spirit, who could lift them on high. “Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” One instruction concerns doctrine, the other commandments. He makes no mention of the Jews, does not bring up what had happened, and does not rebuke Peter for his denial or any of the others for their flight. Instead, having placed in their hands a summary of the doctrine, expressed in the baptismal formula, He commands them to spread out over the whole world. Then, because He had commanded them to do great things, He encourages them by saying, “Look! I am with you always, even to the end of the world.” Do you see again His own inherent power? Do you see how those other things, too, were said to accommodate their weakness? He promised to be not only with those men, but also with everyone who believes after them. Clearly, the apostles were not going to remain here until “the end of the world”; He speaks to believers as one body. For He says, Don't tell Me how difficult these things are, for “I am with you,” and I make everything easy. He also said this continually to the prophets in the Old Testament—to Jeremiah when he objected that he was young, and to Moses and Ezekiel when they shrank from their appointed task: “I am with you.” He says the same thing here to these men. And notice, I ask you, their excellence: the others often made excuses when sent to one nation, but these men said nothing of the sort, though they were sent to the world. He also reminds them of the final consummation, to spur them on still more and lead them to look beyond the present dangers to the endless good things to come. “For the hardships you will undergo,” He says, “will end with this present life, since even this world itself will come to an end. But the good things you will enjoy remain immortal, as I have often told you before.” Having strengthened and stirred their minds by reminding them of that day, He sent them out. For those who live by good works, that day is something to long for; for those who live in sin, on the other hand, it is terrifying, as it is for the condemned. But let us do more than fear and tremble. Let us also change while there is still time, and rise out of our wickedness, for we can if we are willing. If many did this before grace, we can do it all the more after grace. 3. What difficult things are we commanded to do? Split mountains apart? Fly into the air? Cross the Tyrrhenian Sea? Certainly not. We are commanded to follow a way of life so easy that it needs no equipment at all, only a soul and determination. What equipment did these apostles have, who accomplished such things? Didn't they travel with one garment and no shoes? And they overcame everyone. Which of the commands is difficult? Have no enemy. Hate no one. Speak ill of no one. In fact, doing the opposite brings greater hardships. But He said, you reply, Throw away your money. Is that, then, the difficult thing? In the first place, He did not command it, but advised it. Yet even if it were a command, what is difficult about no longer carrying burdens and needless worries around? But oh, greed! Everything has become a matter of money; this is why everything has been turned upside down. If anyone calls another person happy, he mentions money; if he calls him miserable, money is the basis of that description. Everyone's calculations revolve around this: how one person gets rich and another gets poor. Whether someone takes up military service, marriage, a trade, or anything else you like, he does not commit himself to it until he sees that riches are pouring in quickly. After all this, won't we come together and discuss how to drive away this plague? Won't we feel ashamed when we consider the good deeds of our fathers—of the three thousand, of the five thousand, who held everything in common? What good is this present life if we do not use it for our future gain? How long will you fail to enslave the mammon that has enslaved you? How long will you remain slaves to money? How long will you have no love for freedom and refuse to tear up the contracts of greed? If you had become slaves to men, you would do anything if someone promised you freedom. Yet as captives of greed, you do not even consider how to escape this bitter bondage. And yet the one would be nothing terrible, while the other is the bitterest tyranny. Consider the great price Christ paid for us. He shed His own blood; He gave Himself up. But even after all this, you have grown careless. And the worst thing of all is that you even delight in slavery, revel in dishonor, and have come to desire the very thing you ought to flee. But since we should do more than lament and blame, and should also put things right, let us see why this passion, this evil, has become something you desire. Where, then, where did this desire come from? Because, you say, it brings me honor and security. What kind of security, I ask you? The assurance that I will not go hungry or cold, be harmed, or be despised. Then if we promise you this security, will you give up being rich? If this is why you desire riches, and you can have security without them, what further need do you have for them? “And how is it possible,” you say, “for someone who is not rich to achieve this?” No, how is it possible if someone is rich? For I maintain the opposite. He has to flatter many people, rulers and subjects alike, beg countless people for favors, be a degraded slave, live in fear and trembling, watch the eyes of the envious with suspicion, and fear the tongues of false accusers and the desires of other greedy people. Poverty is nothing like this; it is the complete opposite. It is a refuge and a place of safety, a calm harbor, a wrestling ground and training school for learning self-control, an imitation of the life of angels. Listen to these things, all of you who are poor—or rather, all of you who desire to be rich as well. Poverty is not what you should fear; being unwilling to be poor is. Regard poverty as nothing to fear, and it will hold no fear for you. This fear does not come from the nature of poverty, but from the judgment of weak-minded people. Or rather, I am even ashamed that I need to say so much about poverty to show that it is nothing to fear. For if you practice self-control, it is even a fountain of countless blessings for you. And if someone offered you sovereignty, political power, wealth, and luxury, then set poverty beside them and let you choose whichever you wanted, you would immediately seize poverty, if you truly knew its beauty. 4. I know that many laugh when these things are said. But we are not troubled; we insist that you stay, and soon you will agree with our judgment. To me, poverty seems like a beautiful, lovely, attractive young woman, while greed seems like a woman shaped like a monster, some Scylla or Hydra, or another such monstrosity invented by writers of fables. Do not point, I ask you, to those who accuse poverty, but to those who have shone through it. Nurtured in poverty, Elijah was blessedly taken up. Through poverty Elisha shone; through it John shone; through it all the apostles shone. But through greed, Ahab, Jezebel, Gehazi, Judas, Nero, and Caiaphas were condemned. But if you like, let us look beyond those who have become glorious in poverty and examine the beauty of this young woman herself. Her eye is clear and piercing, with none of the cloudiness in greed's eye, which is sometimes full of anger, sometimes glutted with pleasure, and sometimes disturbed by lack of self-restraint. Poverty's eye is nothing like this. It is mild and calm, looking kindly on everyone, meek and gentle, hating no one and shunning no one. For where there are riches, there is fuel for hostility and countless wars. Greed's mouth, again, is full of insults, a certain arrogance, much boasting, curses, and deceit. But poverty's mouth and tongue are healthy, filled with constant thanksgiving, blessing, and words of gentleness, affection, courtesy, praise, and approval. And if you also want to see the proportions of her limbs, she stands tall and beautiful, far taller than wealth. If many run from her, don't be surprised: fools do the same with every other virtue. But the poor man, you will say, is insulted by the rich man. Again you are giving me a reason to praise poverty. For who, I ask you, is blessed: the one who insults or the one who is insulted? Clearly, the person who is insulted. Greed urges the one to insult; poverty persuades the other to endure. “But the poor man goes hungry,” you will say. Paul also went hungry and suffered famine. “But he has no rest.” Neither “did the Son of Man have anywhere to lay His head.” Do you see how far the praises of poverty have taken us, where it places you, what men it leads you to, and how it makes you a follower of the Lord? If it were good to have gold, Christ, who possesses blessings beyond words, would have given it to His disciples. But instead of giving it to them, He forbade them to have it. That is why Peter, far from being ashamed of poverty, even takes pride in it, saying, “I have no silver or gold; but what I have I give you.” And which of you would not have wanted to say this? Indeed, we all would, very much, someone may say. Then throw away your silver; throw away your gold. “And if I throw it away,” you will say, “will I receive Peter's power?” Tell me, what made Peter blessed? Was it raising the lame man? Certainly not. It was having none of these riches: this won him Heaven. For many who performed these miracles fell into hell, while those who did those good deeds attained a kingdom. You can learn this even from Peter himself. He said two things: “I have no silver or gold,” and, “In the name of Jesus Christ rise up and walk.” Which kind of thing, then, made him glorious and blessed: raising the lame man or giving away his money? You can learn this from the Master of the athletic contests Himself. What does He Himself say to the rich man seeking eternal life? He did not say, “Raise up the lame,” but, “Sell your possessions, and give to the poor, and come and follow Me, and you will have treasure in Heaven.” And Peter, again, did not say, “Look, in Your name we cast out demons,” although he was casting them out, but, “Look, we have left everything and followed You; what will we have?” And Christ, again, in answering this apostle, did not say, “If anyone raises up the lame,” but, “Whoever has left houses or lands will receive a hundred times as much in this world and will inherit everlasting life.” Then let us imitate this man too, so that we may not be put to shame, but may stand confidently at the judgment seat of Christ, and may win His presence with us, just as He was with His disciples. For He will be with us as He was with them, if we are willing to follow them and imitate their life and conduct. It is for these things that God crowns and praises people; He does not require you to raise the dead or cure the lame. These things do not make someone like Peter; giving away one's possessions does, for this was the apostles' achievement. But do you find it impossible to give them away? First, I say that it is possible. But I do not force you if you are unwilling, or compel you to do it. I ask only this: spend at least a part on those in need, and seek nothing for yourself beyond what is necessary. In this way we will live our life here peacefully and securely, and enjoy eternal life. May God grant that we all attain it, through the grace and love for humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.