Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew 52

'Then there come to Jesus the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem, saying:'

When? When He had wrought His countless signs, when He had healed the sick by the touch of the hem of His garment.

For it is on this account that the evangelist marks the time, that he may show forth their unspeakable wickedness, which yielded to nothing.

But what is the meaning of, 'The scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem'? Everywhere they were scattered among the tribes, and were divided into twelve parts;

but those who possessed the mother city were more wicked than the rest, inasmuch as they both enjoyed greater honour, and had acquired much arrogance.

But observe with me how even by their very question they are caught.

For they do not say, 'Why do they transgress the law of Moses?' but, 'the tradition of the elders.'

From which it is clear that the priests were making many innovations, and this although Moses, with much fear and with much threatening, had strictly charged them neither to add nor to take away.

'For you shall not add,' he says, 'to the word which I command you this day, neither shall you take away from it.'

Nevertheless they were innovating none the less; such indeed was this very thing also, namely, that one must not eat with unwashed hands, the washing of cups and of brazen vessels, and their washing of themselves as well.

For as time went on, so far from being freed from these observances, they then rather bound them with yet more numerous observances, fearing lest any should take away their authority, and wishing to be more formidable, as though they too were lawgivers.

To such a degree, then, did the matter advance in lawlessness, that their own commandments were kept, while those of God were transgressed.

And they so prevailed, that the thing came at length to be a matter of accusation.

Which was a twofold charge against them: both that they were making innovations, and that in this way they were vindicating their own concerns, while making no account of God.

And passing over the other matters they might have mentioned—the cups and the brazen vessels (for these were ridiculous)—they bring forward into the midst that which seemed to have more reason than the rest, doing so, as it appears to me, with the wish to provoke Him to anger.

For this reason also they made mention of the elders, that as though He were setting them at nought He might give them a handle against Himself.

But it is worth while first to inquire why it was that the disciples too ate with unwashen hands.

For what reason then did they eat thus? Not that they made a practice of it, but because from now on they despised the superfluous things, and gave heed to those that were necessary;

having as a law neither the washing nor the not washing, but doing either as it happened to fall out.

For those who despised even the necessary food itself, how were they likely to hold these things in earnest regard? Since then it often came to pass that this took place of its own accord—as when they were eating in the desert, and as when they were plucking the ears of corn—they put it forward as a matter of accusation, they who ever pass by the great things and make much account of the superfluous.

What then does Christ do? He did not stand His ground against this, nor did He make His defence, but at once brings a counter-charge, pulling down their boldness, and showing that one who sins in great things ought not to be scrupulous with others about small ones.

"For when it were fitting that you should be accused," He says, "do you yet accuse?" But do you observe how, whenever He would abolish any of the legal observances, He does it in the guise of a defence;

for neither does He proceed at once to the transgression, nor does He say, "It is nothing;"

for so He would have made them the more presumptuous;

but first He cuts off their audacity, bringing into the midst the far greater charge, and drawing it round upon their own head.

And He neither says that they do well in transgressing, that He might not give them a handle;

nor does He blame what was done, that He might not confirm the law;

nor again on the other hand does He accuse the elders as lawless and abominable;

for so they would have turned away from Him as a reviler and an insolent man;

but letting all these things go, He takes another way.

And He seems indeed to be rebuking those who had come to Him, but He lays hold on those who had laid down these ordinances;

nowhere making mention of the elders, but in His accusation against these He casts down those also, and shows that the sin is twofold: that they neither obey God, and that they do this for the sake of men;

"For this is what has ruined you, this—your obeying the elders in all things."

But He does not say so; rather He hints at this very thing, answering them in this way:

"Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded,"

"Honour your father and your mother;"

and, "He that curses father or mother, let him die the death."

"But whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, whatever you might have been profited by me—and he shall in no wise honour his father and his mother;"

"and you have made void the commandment of God because of your tradition."

And He said not, "Of the elders," but, "Of you;"

and, "You say," and He said not, "The elders say," so as to make His discourse less burdensome.

For since they wished to show the disciples as transgressors of the law, He shows these men themselves doing this, while the disciples are cleared of all charge.

For that which is enjoined by men is surely not law (wherefore also He calls it a tradition), and by men most lawless at that.

And since this was not contrary to the law—the commanding to wash the hands—He brings into the midst another tradition, one that is opposed to the law.

And what He says is of this kind:

They trained the young, under the guise of piety, to despise their fathers.

How, and in what manner? If any of the parents said to his child,

"Give me this sheep that you have, or the calf, or some other such thing," they would say:

"This, whereby you wish to be profited from me, is a gift to God, and you cannot take it."

And from this a twofold evil came to pass.

For neither did they offer it to God, and they deprived their parents under the name of the offering, both dishonouring those who begat them for God's sake, and dishonouring God for the sake of those who begat them.

But He does not say this at once; rather He first reads out the law, whereby He shows that He greatly desires parents to be honoured.

For it says, 'Honor your father and your mother, that you may be long-lived upon the earth.'

And again, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him die the death.'

But He, passing over the former, that is, the reward laid up for those who honor their parents, sets forth the more fearful thing, I mean the punishment threatened against those who dishonor them, both wishing to strike them with terror and to draw to Himself those who have understanding.

And He shows from this that they are worthy of death.

For if he who dishonors merely in word is punished, much more shall you be who do so in deed;

and not only dishonoring them yourselves, but also teaching others to do this.

You then, who do not even deserve to live, how do you bring charges against the disciples? And what wonder is it if you heap such insults upon Me, who am as yet unknown to you, when you are plainly seen doing such things even against the Father? For everywhere He both says and shows that it was from that source that they began this madness.

But some explain otherwise the phrase, 'A gift, whatever you might have been profited by from me;'

that is to say, 'I owe you no honor, but I do you a favor if I should indeed honor you.'

But Christ would not have made mention of such an insult.

And Mark too makes this plainer, saying:

'Corban, whatever you might have been profited by from me;'

which is not a gift or a dowry, but is properly called an offering.

Having shown, then, that those who trample the law under foot would not be justified in accusing others of transgressing a tradition of the elders, He proves this very thing also from the prophet.

For since He had taken hold of them vehemently, He advances yet further;

which indeed He does everywhere, bringing the Scriptures into the midst, and by this means showing Himself to be in accord with God.

And what does the prophet say? 'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far removed from Me.'

'But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'

Do you see the prophecy agreeing precisely with the things spoken, and their wickedness proclaimed beforehand from of old? For that very thing which Christ now charged them with, this also Isaiah declared long before, namely, that they despise the things of God;

'For in vain do they worship Me,' He says;

but of their own things they make much account;

'For teaching as commandments the doctrines of men.'

Not without reason, therefore, do they fail to keep them.

Having then dealt them a mortal blow, and having heightened the accusation from the facts, from their own verdict, and from the prophet, He converses with those men no further, since they are now beyond correction, but turns His discourse to the multitudes, so as to introduce a doctrine that is lofty and great, and full of much true wisdom;

and taking occasion from that matter, He weaves in henceforth the greater thing, casting out also the observance concerning foods.

When He had cleansed the leper, when He had loosed the Sabbath, when He had declared Himself King of land and sea, when He had given laws, when He had forgiven sins, when He had raised the dead, when He had furnished them with many proofs of His Godhead, then does He discourse concerning foods.

For indeed the whole of Judaism is bound up in this;

and if you take this away, you have taken away the whole.

For from this He shows that circumcision too must be abolished.

But He Himself does not directly bring this in as the main point, since it was older than the other commandments and held in greater esteem;

but He appoints it as law through the disciples.

For so great a thing was it, that the disciples too, when after so long a time they wished to abolish it, first handled it gently, and only so did they do away with it.

But observe how He introduces the law.

'For having called the multitudes to Him, He said to them:'

For neither does He simply make His declaration to them, but by the honor and the attention He first makes the word readily acceptable (for this the evangelist indicated when he said

For after the refutation of those men and the victory over them, and the accusation from the prophet, then does He begin His lawgiving, when they would more readily receive the things spoken.

And not simply does He call them to Him, but He also makes them more attentive.

that is, 'Understand, rouse yourselves;'

for such is the law that is about to be written.

For if they themselves broke the law, and out of season too, for the sake of their own tradition, and you have heard it;

Much more ought you to hearken to me, who at the fitting time am leading you on to a greater and loftier wisdom.

And He did not say, 'The observance of meats is nothing,' nor that 'Moses commanded wrongly,' nor that 'he was making concessions to your weakness';

but in the manner of exhortation and counsel, and taking His witness from the very nature of things, He says:

'Not that which enters into the mouth defiles the man, but that which comes forth out of the mouth.'

having recourse to nature itself, laying down a law, and pronouncing His verdict.

And upon hearing these things they made no reply, nor did they say:

'What sayest Thou? When God gave countless commandments concerning the observance of meats, dost Thou lay down such laws?' But since He had thoroughly stopped their mouths—not merely by refuting them, but also by bringing their guile into the open, by exposing what was secretly wrought among them, and by uncovering the hidden things of their mind—being put to silence, they departed.

But consider with me how He does not yet venture openly to make bold with the matter of meats.

For this reason He did not say, 'Meats,' but, 'Not that which enters in defiles the man';

which one might reasonably have supposed to be spoken concerning unwashed hands as well.

For He Himself was indeed speaking about meats, yet it might have been understood as concerning these things too.

For so great was the observance of meats, that even after the Resurrection Peter said:

'Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything common or unclean.'

For even though He said these things for the sake of others, and so as to leave Himself a defense against those who would accuse Him—that He might show that He had indeed objected, and yet even so was not permitted—nevertheless He shows how great was the suspicion attaching to the matter.

Wherefore He too from the outset did not speak plainly about meats, but, 'The things which enter into the mouth';

and again, when afterward He seemed to speak more plainly, He veiled it by means of the conclusion, saying:

'But to eat with unwashed hands defiles not the man.'

so that from this it might seem that He had taken His starting point here, and for the time being was discoursing concerning this.

But 'to eat meats defiles not the man';

yet as though discoursing about the former, that they might have nothing to say in reply.

'Having heard these things, then,' it says, 'the Pharisees were offended'—not the multitudes.

'For His disciples,' it says, 'came and said unto Him:'

'Knowest Thou that the Pharisees, when they heard this saying, were offended?' And yet nothing had been spoken against them.

What then does Christ do? He did not remove the offense from them, but rebuked them, saying:

'Every plant which My heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up.'

For He knows both how to despise offenses, and how not to despise them.

'But lest we should offend them, cast a hook into the sea';

'they are blind guides of the blind.'

'And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.'

Now the disciples said these things, not as grieving for those men alone, but being themselves also quietly troubled.

But since they did not dare to say this in their own person, they wished to learn it in the guise of an inquiry concerning others.

For that this is so, hear how afterward the ardent Peter, who was everywhere the first to press forward, came and said:

'Declare unto us this parable';

thereby disclosing the tumult in his soul, and not daring openly to say, 'I am offended,' but asking to be delivered from that tumult by means of the interpretation.

'Every plant which My heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up.'

Those who are sick with the doctrines of the Manichaeans say that this was spoken concerning the Law;

but the things said before stop their mouths.

For if He were speaking about the Law, how is it that above He defends it and contends on its behalf, saying:

'Ye transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition'? And how does He bring the prophet forward into the midst? Rather, it is concerning those very men and their traditions that He says these things.

For if God said, 'Honor thy father and thy mother';

How is that which was spoken by God not a planting of God? 4.

And what follows also shows that it was spoken concerning them and concerning their traditions.

They are blind guides of the blind.

But if He had been saying this concerning the Law, He would have said,

A blind guide is he of the blind.

But He did not speak thus; rather, 'They are blind guides of the blind,' thereby freeing the Law from the accusation, and drawing the whole charge upon these men.

Then, cutting off from them the multitude also, as being about to fall into the pit because of them, He says:

If a blind man guide a blind man, both shall fall into a ditch.

It is indeed a great evil even to be blind;

but for one who is such not even to have a hand to lead him, and yet to occupy the rank of a guide, is a double and triple charge.

For if it is perilous that the blind man should not have a guide, much more is it so that he should wish to be one for another also.

What then does Peter do? He does not say, 'What ever is this which You have said?' but asks as though it were full of obscurity.

'Why did You call it unlawful?' For he was afraid, lest he should be thought to have been offended;

but he says that this was a matter of obscurity.

But that it was not a matter of obscurity, but that he was being offended, is plain;

wherefore also He rebukes him, saying:

Are you also even yet without understanding? For the multitudes perhaps did not so much as comprehend what was spoken;

but these were the very ones who had been offended.

Therefore at the outset, as though inquiring on behalf of the Pharisees, they wished to learn;

but when they heard Him uttering a great threat and saying, that 'Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up,' and, 'They are blind guides of the blind,' they were subdued.

But he who was everywhere fervent does not even so endure to keep silence, but says:

Declare unto us this parable.

What then does Christ do? He answers very reprovingly:

Are you also even yet without understanding? Do you not yet perceive? These things He said and rebuked, so as to cast out their prejudice;

yet He did not stop at this, but adds further things, saying:

That everything which enters into the mouth goes into the belly, and is cast out into the drain;

but the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and those are what defile the man.

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, blasphemies, false witnessings;

and these are the things which defile the man.

But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.

Do you see how vehemently and reprovingly He has dealt with them? Then He establishes what was said, both from the common nature of things and with a view to their cure.

For when He says, 'It goes into the belly, and is cast out into the drain,' He is still answering after the manner of Jewish lowliness.

For He says that it does not remain, but passes out.

And yet, even if it did remain, it would not make one unclean.

But they were not yet able to hear this.

For this reason, then, the lawgiver also allows so much time as it may remain within;

at all events, he commands one to bathe in the evening and to be clean, measuring out the time of digestion and of excretion.

But the things of the heart, He says, remain within, and it is by coming forth that they defile, not merely by remaining.

And first He sets down the evil thoughts, which was a Jewish trait;

and He does not yet make His proof from the nature of the things themselves, but from the offspring of the belly and of the heart, and from the fact that the one remains while the other does not.

For the things which enter in from without pass out again;

but the things that are begotten from within, when they come forth, defile; and they defile all the more when they come forth.

For they were not yet able, as I said, to hear these things with the fitting seriousness of mind.

But Mark says that in saying these things He was cleansing all foods;

yet He did not make it plain, nor did He say, 'To eat such and such foods does not defile the man;'

for they could not bear to hear Him so plainly.

But 'to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.'

Let us then learn what the things are that defile the man;

for indeed in the Church too we see such a custom

prevailing among the many, who are diligent both to enter in clean garments and to wash their hands;

but as for presenting a clean soul to God, they make no account of it.

And I say this not to forbid the washing of hands, nor of the mouth;

but wishing that one should wash in the way that is fitting — not with water only, but instead of water with the virtues.

For the filth of the mouth is evil-speaking, blasphemy, reviling, angry words, foul talk, laughter, buffoonery.

If therefore you are conscious to yourself of uttering none of these things, nor of being defiled with this filth, draw near with boldness;

but if you have received these stains ten thousand times, why do you labor in vain, rinsing your tongue with water while carrying about in it the deadly and hurtful filth? 5.

For tell me, if you had dung and mire on your hands, would you have dared to pray? By no means.

And yet this is no harm at all;

How then are you scrupulous in things indifferent, but careless in things forbidden? What then? Ought one not to pray? he says.

One ought indeed, but not while defiled, nor having such mire.

What then, he says, if I am overtaken by it?

How and in what manner? Weep, groan, give alms, make your defense to the one you have insulted, be reconciled through these things, wipe your tongue clean, lest you provoke God the more.

For indeed, if someone with his hands full of dung were to clasp your feet in supplication, not only would you not have listened to him, but you would even have kicked him away with your foot;

how then do you dare to approach God in this manner? For the tongue is the hand of those who pray, and by it we lay hold of the knees of God.

Do not therefore defile it, lest He also say to you:

'Though you make many prayers, I will not hearken.'

For indeed, 'In the hand of the tongue are life and death;'

and, 'By your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.'

Guard your tongue therefore more than the pupil of your eye.

The tongue is a royal horse.

If then you put a bridle upon it and teach it to go in orderly measure, the King will rest upon it and be seated on it;

but if you let it run unbridled and leaping, it becomes the chariot of the devil and of the demons.

But you, after intercourse with your own wife, do not dare to pray, though this is no matter of blame;

yet while you are still in reviling and insult — which even brings on hell — before you have cleansed yourself well, you stretch out your hands? And how is it you do not shudder? Tell me.

Did you not hear Paul saying that 'Marriage is honorable, and the bed undefiled'? But if, when you rise from the undefiled bed, you do not dare to come to prayer, how, while you are on the devil's bed, do you call upon that awesome and dreadful Name? For to be steeped in insults and revilings is a devilish bed.

And like some wicked adulterer, wrath consorts with us amid much pleasure, casting into us its deadly seed, causing the devilish enmity to be brought to birth, and working all things contrary to marriage.

For marriage makes the two become one flesh;

but wrath divides those who are united into many parts, and rends and cuts asunder the very soul.

In order therefore that you may approach God with boldness, do not receive wrath when it comes upon you and wishes to consort with you;

but drive it away like a raging dog.

For thus also Paul gave command.

'Lifting up,' he says, 'holy hands, without wrath and disputing.'

Do not then put your tongue to shame;

for how shall it make petition on your behalf, when it has lost its own boldness of access? Rather, adorn it with gentleness and humility of mind;

make it worthy of the God whom you entreat;

fill it with blessing and with abundant almsgiving.

For it is possible to give alms even by means of words.

For 'a word is better than a gift';

and, 'Answer the poor man peaceably with meekness.'

And throughout all the rest of your time adorn it with the recounting of the divine laws.

For 'let all your discourse be in the law of the Most High.'

Having thus adorned ourselves, let us draw near to the King, and let us fall upon our knees, not with the body only, but also with the mind.

Let us consider whom we approach, and on behalf of what, and what it is we desire to accomplish.

We approach Him whom the Seraphim, when they beheld, turned away their faces, unable to bear the radiance;

we approach God, who dwells in unapproachable light.

And we approach for deliverance from hell, for forgiveness of sins, for the release from those punishments unbearable to us, for the attaining of the heavens and of the good things that are there.

Let us therefore fall down both with the body and with the mind, that He may raise us up when we lie prostrate;

let us discourse with gentleness and with all meekness.

And who, one might say, is so wretched and miserable as not to become gentle in prayer? He who prays with cursing, and fills himself with rage, and cries out against his enemies.

For if you wish to accuse, accuse yourself.

If you wish to whet and sharpen your tongue, do it against your own sins.

And do not tell what evil another has done to you, but what you have done to yourself;

for this is especially evil.

For neither can any other man be able to wrong you, unless you wrong yourself.

So that if you wish to be set against those who do wrong, first proceed against yourself;

for in proportion as you proceed against another, you go away having been the more wronged.

And what wrong at all can you tell of? That such a one insulted you, and plundered you, and cast you into perils? But this is not to have been wronged; rather, if we are sober, it is even to have been benefited in the greatest degree.

For it is the one who has done such things that is the wronged party, not the one who has suffered them.

And this above all is the cause of all evils, that we do not even know who it is that is being wronged, and who it is that does the wrong.

For if we knew this well, we would never wrong ourselves, nor pray against another, having learned that it is impossible to suffer evil at the hands of another.

For it is not to be plundered, but to plunder, that is the evil.

So that if you have plundered, accuse yourself;

but if you have been plundered, then pray also for the one who has plundered you, because he has profited you in the greatest degree.

For even though such was not the intention of the one who did it, yet you were benefited in the greatest degree, if you bear it nobly.

For him both men and the divine laws pronounce wretched;

but you, the one who has been wronged, they both crown and proclaim aloud.

For not even if a man in a fever should snatch from someone a vessel containing water, and gorge himself upon his harmful craving, would we say that the one robbed had been wronged, but rather the one who did the robbing;

for he increased his fever, and made his disease more grievous.

Reason then in this way also concerning the money-loving and silver-loving man.

For this man too, being in a fever far more grievous than the other, has kindled his own flame the more through this plundering.

And if some madman, having snatched a sword from whomever, were to do himself violence, who again was the one wronged? The one from whom it was snatched, or the one who snatched it? It is plain that it is the one who snatched it.

Therefore in the case of the plundering of money let us render this very same verdict.

For what a sword is to a madman, that also is wealth to the lover of money;

or rather, it is even more grievous.

For the madman, having taken the sword and thrust it through himself, is both released from his madness, and no longer receives a second blow;

but the lover of money receives, each and every day, wounds ten thousand times more grievous than his, not releasing himself from the madness, but rather intensifying it the more;

and the more wounds he receives, so much the more does he furnish occasion for other, still more grievous blows.

Considering these things, then, let us flee this sword, let us flee this madness, so that even if late at last we may come to our right mind.

For indeed this virtue also we must call temperance, no less than that other one which is so esteemed by all.

For there the struggle takes place against the tyranny of a single desire;

but here one must prevail over many and manifold desires.

For nothing, nothing is more senseless than the slave of money.

He seems to rule, while being ruled;

he seems to be master, while being a slave;

and putting bonds about himself, he rejoices;

making the beast more savage, he is glad;

and becoming a captive, he exults and leaps for joy;

and seeing a rabid dog raging and springing upon his soul, when he ought to bind it and waste it away with hunger, he instead furnishes it abundant food, so that it may spring the more and become the more terrible.

Considering all these things, then, let us loose the bonds, let us destroy the beast, let us drive away the disease, let us cast out this madness, so that we may enjoy calm,

and pure health, and with much pleasure, having sailed into the tranquil harbour, may attain the eternal good things;

which may it be granted to us all to attain, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the might, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.