Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew 77

Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let him who is on the housetop not come down to take what is in his house;

and let him who is in his field not turn back to take his garments.

Having spoken of the evils that were to seize the city, and of the trials of the apostles, and that they would remain unconquered and would traverse the whole inhabited world, He speaks again of the Jewish calamities, showing that when these men are illustrious, having taught the whole world, then those others are in calamities.

And see how He describes the war, setting forth its intolerableness by means of the things that seem to be small.

For then, He says, let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

Then—when? When these things come to pass, when the abomination of desolation shall stand in the holy place.

Whence it seems to me that He is speaking of the armies.

Flee then at that time, He says;

for there is no longer any hope of salvation for you.

For since it had often happened that they recovered in grievous wars—as in the time of Sennacherib, and again under Antiochus—

(for indeed at that time too, when the armies had come in and the temple had been seized beforehand, the Maccabees banded together and turned matters to the opposite outcome;) therefore, lest even now they should suspect this, that there would be some such reversal, He forbids them all such expectation.

For it is a thing to be thankful for, He says, if henceforth one can be saved even with a naked body.

For this reason He does not even allow those on the housetops to enter into the house so as to take their garments, declaring the inescapable evils and the boundless calamity;

and that whoever falls into it must utterly perish.

For this reason too He adds the one in the field, saying, Neither let this man turn back to take his garments.

For if those who are within flee, much more ought not those who are outside to take refuge there.

But woe to those who are with child and to those who give suck;

to the former, because of their heaviness and their inability to flee easily, being weighed down with the burden of pregnancy;

and to the latter, because they are held fast by the bond of tender feeling for their children, and are not able to bring the nurslings safely away together with themselves.

For as to money, it is easy both to despise it and to provide for its safety, and likewise as to garments;

but the things that come from nature, how could one escape them? How could a pregnant woman become light? How shall a nursing mother be able to disregard the child she has borne? Then, again showing the greatness of the calamity, He says:

Pray that your flight may not be in winter, nor on a sabbath.

For then shall be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever shall be.

Do you see that His discourse is directed to the Jews, and that He is speaking about the evils that were to seize those people? For surely the apostles were not going to keep the sabbath, nor to be there, when Vespasian did these things.

For indeed the greater part of them had already departed beforehand;

and if any one was left behind, he was at that time sojourning in other parts of the inhabited world.

But why neither in winter nor on a sabbath? In winter, because of the difficulty arising from the season;

and on a sabbath, because of the authority arising from the law.

For since flight was needful, and a most speedy flight, and since neither on a sabbath did the Jews then dare to flee because of the law, nor on the other hand was such a thing easy in winter, for this reason He says, Pray.

For then shall be tribulation, such as has not been, no, nor ever shall be.

And let no one suppose that this was spoken hyperbolically;

but let him who has met with the writings of Josephus learn the truth of the things that have been said.

For neither could one say this, that being a believer the man exaggerated the tragedy in order to establish the things that had been foretold.

For indeed he was a Jew, and a Jew exceedingly, and a zealot, and one of those living after the coming of Christ.

What then does this man say? That those dread events surpassed every tragedy, and that no war ever seized the nation such as that.

For so great was the famine, that the very mothers fought over the devouring of their own children, and wars arose over this;

and he said that many, even after they were dead, had their bellies ripped open through the middle.

Gladly, then, would I ask the Jews: whence came upon them a wrath so God-sent and so unbearable, more grievous than all that had happened before, and that not in Judaea only but everywhere throughout the whole inhabited world? Is it not plain that it was because of the audacity of the cross and that verdict

which they pronounced? All would say so, and along with all men, and before all men, the very truth of the facts itself proclaims it.

But consider with me the exceeding measure of their calamities, seeing that they appear more grievous not merely when compared with the time before, but also when compared with all time to come.

For neither in the whole inhabited world, nor in all time, both that which has been and that which shall be, will anyone be able to say that such calamities have ever come to pass.

For no man ever dared, neither of those of former times nor of those that came after, a deed so lawless and so full of horror.

'There shall be tribulation, such as was not, neither shall be.'

'And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved;'

'but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.'

From these words He shows that they were deserving of a punishment more grievous than the one just mentioned, meaning by 'days' here the days of that war and of that siege.

And what He means is this:

'If the war of the Romans against the city had prevailed any longer,' He says, 'all the Jews would have perished' (for by 'all flesh' here He means the Jewish flesh);

for indeed they made war not only upon those in Judaea, but also those who were scattered everywhere they proscribed and drove out, because of their hatred toward them.

But whom does He here call 'the elect'? The faithful who were shut up in the midst of them.

For lest the Jews should say that these calamities befell them because of the preaching and the worship of Christ, He shows that not only were the faithful not the cause of these things to them, but that, had it not been for those very persons, all would have perished root and branch.

For if God had permitted the war to be drawn out, not even a remnant of the Jews would have remained;

but in order that those who from among them had become believers might not perish together with the unbelieving Jews, He speedily brought the conflict to an end, and set a limit to the war.

'But for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.'

Now He said these things leaving comfort to those of them who were shut up in the midst of it, and giving them breathing room, that they might not be afraid as though they too would perish along with the rest.

But if here there was so great a providence over them, that for their sake even others were saved, and a remnant of the unbelieving Jews came to be because of the Christians, how great will the honour be at the time of the crowns? From this too He was comforting them not to grieve over their own perils, seeing that even those men suffer such things, and that for no gain, but to the harm of their own head.

And He not only comforted them, but henceforth also led them away from the Jewish customs, in a hidden and unsuspected manner.

For if there shall henceforth be no restoration, and the temple shall not stand, it is evident that the law also shall be brought to an end.

But this He did not say openly; rather, through their utter destruction He hinted at it.

And He did not say it openly, so as not to smite them before the time.

Wherefore neither at the outset did He of Himself enter directly upon the discourse concerning these things;

but having first bewailed the city, He brought them to the necessity of pointing out the stones and of asking the question, so that, as though answering them in reply to their question, He might foretell all the things that were to come.

But do thou observe with me the dispensation of the Spirit, that John wrote none of these things, lest he should seem to be writing from the history of the events that had already come to pass;

(for indeed he lived a long time even after the capture of the city;) but those who died before the capture, and had seen none of these things, they are the ones who write, so that on every side the might of the prophecy might shine forth.

'Then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is the Christ, or there, believe it not.'

'For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall give signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if it were possible, even the elect.'

'Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth:'

'Behold, He is in the inner chambers; believe it not.'

'For as the lightning comes forth from the east, and shines even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.'

'For wheresoever the carcass shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together.'

Having completed the things concerning Jerusalem, He passes on henceforth to His own coming, and tells its signs, useful not to them only, but also to us, and to all who shall come after us.

Here, as I have often said, the word 'Then' does not belong to the sequence of time of the things spoken of before;

for whenever He wished to indicate a sequence, He added, 'Immediately after the tribulation of those days;'

but here not so, rather, 'Then;'

not signifying the things that come immediately after these, but the things that take place at the time in which these things were to come to pass—the very things He was about to speak of.

So too when He says, 'In those days comes John the Baptist,' He does not mean the time immediately following, but the time after many years, and the time during which these things came to pass, which He was about to relate.

For indeed, having discoursed of the birth of Jesus, and of the coming of the magi, and of the death of Herod, He immediately says:

'In those days cometh John the Baptist';

and yet thirty years had elapsed in the interval.

But it is the custom of Scripture to employ this manner in its narrative.

So then here too, passing over all the intervening time, that from the capture of Jerusalem until the beginnings of the consummation, He speaks of the time a little before the consummation.

'Then therefore,' He says, 'if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ, or there, believe it not.'

For the present He secures them by means of the place, telling them the distinctive marks of His

second coming, and the tokens of the deceivers.

For not as in the former coming, when He appeared in Bethlehem, and in a little corner of the world, and no one knew of it from the beginning, so also then, He says;

but openly, and with all conspicuousness, and in such a way as to need no one to announce these things.

And this is no small sign of His not coming secretly.

But observe how here He discourses nothing about war;

for He is making clear the word concerning His coming;

but about those who attempt to deceive.

For some, in the time of the apostles, were deceiving the multitudes;

'For they shall come,' He says, 'and shall deceive many';

and others before His second coming, who were even more bitter than those.

'For they shall show,' He says, 'signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if it were possible, even the elect.'

Here He speaks of the Antichrist, and shows also that there shall be some who minister to him;

concerning whom Paul also speaks thus.

For having called him the man of sin and the son of perdition, he added:

'Whose coming is according to the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceit of unrighteousness in them that perish.'

'Go not forth,' He says, 'into the wilderness; enter not into the secret chambers.'

He did not say, 'Go, and believe not';

but, 'Go not forth, neither depart.'

For great was the deception then, because signs of deception were also being wrought.

Having therefore said how that one comes, namely that it is in a place, He tells how He Himself also comes.

How then does He Himself come? 'As the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.'

'For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.'

How then does the lightning appear? It needs no one to announce it, it needs no herald, but even to those sitting in their houses, and to those in their inner chambers, it is shown in an instant throughout the whole inhabited world.

So shall that coming be, appearing everywhere at once through the outshining of its glory.

And He mentions yet another sign;

'Where the carcase is, there also are the eagles';

signifying the multitude of the angels, of the martyrs, and of all the saints.

Then He tells of fearful wonders.

And what are the wonders? 'Immediately after the tribulation of those days,' He says, 'the sun shall be darkened.'

Of what days does He speak the tribulation? Of the Antichrist and of the false prophets.

For then shall there be great tribulation, seeing that so many are the deceivers.

But it is not extended to any length of time.

For if the Jewish war was shortened for the elect's sake, much more shall this trial be cut short for the sake of these same ones.

For this reason He did not say, 'After the tribulation,' but, 'Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened';

For nearly all these things come to pass together at one and the same time.

For the false prophets and the false christs, when they appear, will throw all into confusion, and immediately He Himself will be present.

For no small tumult is destined at that time to lay hold of the whole inhabited world.

But how does He come? When the whole creation is being at last transfigured.

It shall be darkened—not that it is destroyed, but that it is overcome by the light of His presence.

For what further need will there be of them, when there is no night? 'And the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.'

And very reasonably so, seeing so great a change taking place.

For if, when the stars were made, they so shuddered and marveled—

(for it says, 'When the stars were made, all the angels praised me with a loud voice'), how much more, seeing all things being refashioned, and their fellow-servants giving an account, and the whole inhabited world standing before that fearful tribunal, and those who lived from Adam until His coming being required to give a reckoning of all that they did—how shall they not shudder and be shaken? 'Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven'—

that is, the cross, which is brighter than the sun—

since the one is darkened and hidden, while the other appears;

it would not have appeared, had it not been far brighter than the rays of the sun.

And for what reason does the sign appear? That out of great abundance the shamelessness of the Jews may be silenced.

For having the cross as His greatest vindication, Christ thus comes to that tribunal, displaying not only His wounds but also that ignominious death.

For there is no need of accusation, when they see the cross;

and they shall mourn, because they gained nothing by His death, because they crucified the One whom they ought to have worshiped.

Do you see how fearfully He portrayed His coming? How He raised up the spirits of the disciples? For this very reason He first sets forth the grievous things, and then the good, that by this also He may comfort and give them rest.

And concerning His passion too He again reminds them, and of the resurrection, and with a glorious appearance He makes mention of the cross, so that they should not be ashamed nor grieved, seeing that He comes then holding it forth in the place of a sign.

And another Evangelist says that 'They shall look on Him whom they pierced.'

For this reason indeed they shall mourn, seeing that this is that same One.

And since He had made mention of the cross, He added that 'They shall see the Son of Man coming,' no longer upon the cross, but upon the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory.

'For do not,' He says, 'because you have heard of the cross, suppose again that it is something mournful;'

for He shall come with power and great glory.

And He brings it forth, that their sin may become self-condemned;

just as if a man who had been struck with a stone were to display the very stone, or the garments stained with blood.

And He comes in a cloud, as He was taken up;

and seeing these things the tribes mourn.

Yet their calamities will not stop at mourning;

but the mourning shall be, in order that they may bring forth the verdict out of themselves, and condemn their own selves;

and then again 'He shall send forth His angels with a great trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.'

And when you hear this, consider the punishment of those who remain.

For they shall not pay that penalty only, but this one also.

And just as He said above, that they shall say, 'Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord';

so here, that 'They shall mourn.'

For since He had discoursed to them concerning grievous wars, in order that they might learn that, along with the terrors here, torments also await them there, He brings them in mourning, and being separated from the elect, and being delivered over to hell;

and hereby again He rouses the disciples, showing both from how many evils they shall be delivered, and how many good things they shall enjoy.

And why then does He call them by means of angels, if He comes so openly? Honoring them in this way also.

But Paul says that they shall be caught up in the clouds.

And he said this too, when he was discoursing concerning the resurrection.

'For the Lord Himself,' he says, 'shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel.'

So that, when they have risen, the angels shall gather them together, and when they are gathered the clouds shall catch them up;

and all these things take place in an instant, in a moment of time.

For He does not remain above and call them to Himself, but He Himself comes with a trumpet.

And what is the purpose of the trumpets and the sound? It is for the awakening, for gladness, for

the display of the astonishment at what is happening, and for the anguish of those who are left behind.

Woe is me because of that fearful day!

Though we ought to rejoice when we hear these things, we grieve, and we are downcast, and we are gloomy.

Or is it I alone who feel this, while you rejoice at the hearing of these things? For to me indeed a certain shuddering comes over me when these words are spoken, and I lament bitterly, and I groan from the very depths of my heart.

For none of these things concern me, but rather those things spoken afterward: the words to the virgins, the words to the one who buried the talent which he had received, the words to the wicked servant.

For these things I weep: from how great a glory we are about to fall, from how great a hope of good things; and this I do continually and forever, that we may not be found to have made but little effort.

For if the labor were great and the law heavy, even so we ought to do all these things;

and yet many of the slothful would seem to have some excuse—a cold one indeed, but still they would seem to have one—namely, the excessive weight of the commands, and that the labor is great, and the time endless, and the burden unbearable;

but as it is, there is nothing of the sort to put forward.

And this is precisely what, no less than hell itself, is going to gnaw at us in that time, when for a small turn of the scale and a little sweat we shall have lost heaven and the unutterable good things.

For indeed the time is brief, and the labor is small;

and yet we have grown slack and have collapsed.

On earth you contend, but in the heavens is the crown;

by men you are punished, but by God you are honored;

in two days you run the race, but the prizes are for infinite ages;

in a corruptible body is the wrestling, but in an incorruptible are the honors.

And apart from these things, this too we ought to consider: that even if we should not choose to suffer any of the painful things for Christ's sake, we must of necessity endure them in any case by another route.

For even if you do not die for Christ's sake, you will not be immortal;

and even if for Christ's sake you do not cast away your riches, you will depart still holding them.

These are the things He asks of you, which even without His asking you will give, because you are mortal;

these He wishes you to do by your own free will, which you must of necessity do in any case.

He requires only this much to be added: that it be done for His sake;

since the very happening of these things and their passing away comes about even from the necessity of nature.

Do you see how easy the contest is? The things which you must by all means suffer, choose to suffer for My sake;

let only this be added, and I count the obedience sufficient.

The gold which you are about to lend to another, lend it to Me, and on better terms, and with greater security;

the body with which you are about to serve as a soldier for another, enlist it for Me;

for indeed I outstrip your labors with My recompenses out of My great abundance.

But you, in all other matters, prefer the one who offers the more—both in loans, and in buying, and in military service;

yet Christ alone, who offers more than all, and infinitely more, Him you do not accept.

And what is this so great war? What is this so great hatred? Whence, then, will you have pardon and defense, if from the very grounds on which you prefer some men to other men, on these same grounds you will not endure to prefer God to men? Why do you commit your treasure to the earth? Give it into My hand, He says.

Does not the Lord of the earth seem to you more trustworthy than the earth? That earth gives back what was deposited in it—and often not even that;

but He gives back to you even wages for the safekeeping.

Therefore, if you wish to lend, He stands ready;

if you wish to sow, He Himself receives it;

if you wish to build, He draws you to Himself, saying, Build upon what is Mine.

Why do you run to the poor, to men who are themselves in want? Run rather to God, who for small things bestows on you great ones.

Yet even when we hear these things we cannot endure to heed them; but wherever there are brawls and wars and wrestling-bouts and lawsuits and false accusations, there we hasten.

Is it not then justly that He turns away from us and chastises us, when He offers Himself to us in all things, yet we resist Him? This surely is plain to everyone.

For if you wish to be adorned, He says, use My adornment;

if to be armed, My weapons;

if to be clothed, My garment;

if to be fed, My table;

if to journey, My way;

if to inherit, My inheritance;

if to enter into a homeland, into

the city whose craftsman and maker am I;

if to build a house, dwell in My tabernacles.

For of the things I give, I do not demand payment from you; rather, for this very thing I owe you a reward besides, if you will only consent to use all that is Mine.

What could equal such munificence? I am father, I am brother, I am bridegroom, I am dwelling, I am food, I am raiment, I am root, I am foundation; whatever you wish, I am.

You need be in want of nothing;

for I came to minister, not to be ministered unto.

I am both friend, and member, and head, and brother, and sister, and mother; I am all things;

only be intimately disposed toward Me.

On the cross for you, in the tomb for you;

above, I intercede for you with the Father; below, I have come from the Father as an ambassador on your behalf.

You are all things to Me: brother, and joint-heir, and friend, and member.

What more do you desire? Why do you turn away from Him who loves you? Why do you toil for the world? Why do you draw water into a leaking cask? For this is what it means to labor for the present life.

Why do you card wool into the fire? Why do you box against the air? Why do you run in vain? Does not every craft have an end in view? This surely is plain to everyone.

Show me, you too, the end of your worldly zeal.

For 'vanity of vanities, all is vanity.'

Let us go to the tombs: show me your father, show me your wife.

Where is he who was clothed in golden garments? he who sat upon the chariot? he who had armies, the girdle, the heralds? he who put some to death and cast others into prison? he who slew whom he pleased and released whom he willed? I see nothing but bones, and moth, and cobweb;

all those things are earth, all those things are a fable, all a dream and a shadow, a mere tale, and a painting;

for the painting we may at least behold in a picture;

And would that the terrible things stopped there!

But as it is, the things of honor, and of luxury, and of splendor, reach only as far as a shadow, only as far as words;

but the things that come from them no longer reach only as far as a shadow and words, but remain and will pass over yonder with us, and will be manifest to all;

the robberies, the acts of greed, the fornications, the adulteries, the countless terrible deeds;

these are not in a picture, nor in ashes, but written on high, both words and deeds.

With what eyes, then, shall we behold Christ? For if a man could not bear to look upon his father, being conscious to himself of having sinned against him, how shall we then look in the face of Him who is far gentler than any father? how shall we endure it? For we shall stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, and there shall be a strict examination of all things.

But if anyone disbelieves in the coming judgment, let him look at the things here present: those in the prisons, those in the mines, those on the dunghills, those possessed by demons, those out of their minds, those wrestling with incurable diseases, those boxing against unremitting poverty, those living with famine, those stricken with incurable griefs, those in captivity.

For these would not now be suffering such things, unless a retribution and chastisement were also awaiting all the others who have committed the like sins.

And if the rest have suffered nothing here, this very thing you ought to take as a sign that there is assuredly something after the departure hence.

For the same God who is God of all would not have punished some, while leaving others unpunished though they had committed the same or even worse offenses, unless He were going to bring some retribution upon them yonder.

From these reasonings, then, and these examples, let us also humble ourselves; and let those who disbelieve in the judgment now believe, and let them become better.

so that, having here lived worthily of the kingdom, we may attain unto the good things to come, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory unto the ages of ages.