馬太福音講道集 第 55 章

And Jesus, having gone out into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, asked his disciples, saying:

"Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"

For what reason did He name it the city of its founder? Because there is also another city, that of Strato.

And it is not there, but in this place, that He questions them, leading them far away from the Jews, so that, being freed from all fear, they might with boldness speak all that was in their mind.

And for what reason did He not immediately ask their own opinion, but that of the multitude? So that, after they had stated the opinion of those others, and were then asked, 'But whom do you say that I am?', they might by the very manner of the question be raised to a higher conception, and not fall into the same lowliness as the many.

For this very reason He did not inquire of them at the beginning of His preaching;

but when He had performed many signs, and had discoursed to them concerning many lofty doctrines, and had furnished many proofs both of His own Godhead and of His oneness of mind with the Father, then He brought this question to them.

And He did not say, 'Whom do the scribes and the Pharisees say that I am?'—and yet these often came to Him and conversed with Him—

but, 'Whom do men say that I am?'—inquiring into the unbiased judgement of the common people.

For even if it was far more lowly than it ought to have been, still it was free from malice;

whereas the other was laden with much wickedness.

And showing how greatly He desires that the divine dispensation should be confessed, He says, 'the Son of man,' thereby naming His Godhead, as He also does in many other places.

For He says, 'No one has ascended into heaven, except the Son of man who is in heaven';

'the Son of man ascending to where He was before.'

Then, since they had said, 'Some say John the Baptist, and some Elijah, and some Jeremiah, and some one of the prophets,'

and had brought forward into the midst their erroneous opinion;

'But whom do you say that I am?'—calling them forth by this second question to imagine something greater concerning Him, and showing them that the former verdict fell far short of His dignity.

Therefore He seeks from them another answer, and adds a second question, that they might not fall in with the multitude, who, since they saw the signs to be greater than belonged to a mere man, supposed indeed that He was a man, but one who had appeared from a resurrection, even as Herod also said.

But leading them away from this suspicion, He says:

'But whom do you say that I am?'—that is, 'You who are always with Me, and see Me working wonders, and have yourselves performed many mighty works through Me.'

What then does Peter, the mouth of the apostles, the one everywhere fervent, the leader of the apostolic band? When all were asked, he alone answers.

And when He asked the opinion of the people, all spoke the thing that was asked;

but when He asked their own, Peter springs forward and anticipates the rest, and says:

'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'

What then does the Christ? 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood did not reveal it to you.'

And indeed, if he had not confessed Him genuinely, and as begotten from the Father Himself, this would not have been the work of revelation;

if he had supposed Him to be one of the many, what was said would not have deserved a blessing.

Since even before this those in the boat, after the tossing which they had seen, said, 'Truly You are the Son of God,' and yet they were not pronounced blessed, although they spoke truly.

For they did not confess such a sonship as Peter did;

but they supposed Him truly to be one son among many—preeminent indeed above the many, yet not out of the very essence of God.

And Nathanael also said, 'Rabbi, You are the Son of God, You are the King of Israel';

and not only is he not pronounced blessed, but he is even rebuked by Him as having spoken something far short of the truth.

'Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these.'

For what reason then is this man pronounced blessed? Because he confessed Him to be a genuine Son.

For this very reason, in the case of those others He said nothing of the kind;

but in the case of this man He also points out the One who revealed it.

For lest it should seem to the multitude that, because Peter was a fervent lover of Christ, his words were those of friendship and flattery, and of a disposition seeking to gratify Him, He brings forward into the midst the One who had spoken these things within his soul;

that you may learn that Peter indeed uttered the words, but the Father prompted them;

and that you may no longer believe what was said to be human opinion, but a divine doctrine.

And for what reason does He not Himself declare it, nor say it outright,

but establishes this through the question, bringing them in as those who confess it? Because in this way it was at that time both more fitting for Him and necessary, and it the more drew them on to faith in the things spoken.

Have you seen how the Father reveals the Son, and how the Son reveals the Father? For 'no one knows the Father,' He says, 'except the Son, and he to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.'

It is not possible, then, to learn the Son from any other than from the Father;

nor to learn the Father from any other than from the Son.

So that from this too their equal honour and identity of essence is made plain.

What then does Christ say? 'You are Simon the son of Jonah.'

'Since you have proclaimed My Father,' He says, 'I too name Him who begot you;'

all but saying, that 'Just as you are the child of Jonah, so also am I of My own Father.'

For otherwise it would have been superfluous to say it;

but since he had said 'Son of God,' in order to show that He is Son of God in this very way, just as that man is son of Jonah, of the same essence as the one who begot Him, for this reason He added this.

'And I also say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church;'

that is, upon the faith of the confession.

Herein He shows that many were now about to believe, and He raises up Peter's spirit, and makes him a shepherd.

'And the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.'

And if they shall not prevail against it, much less against Me.

that you be not troubled when you are about to hear that 'I shall be betrayed and crucified.'

Then He speaks also of another honour;

'And I will give to you the keys of the heavens.'

But what is the meaning of 'And I also will give to you'? Just as the Father gave to you to know Me, so also I will give to you.

And He did not say, 'I will beseech the Father;'

and yet great was the display of His authority, and the greatness of the gift unspeakable;

'that whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in the heavens;'

'and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in the heavens.'

How then is it not His to grant the sitting on the right hand and on the left, when it is He who says, 'I will give to you'? Do you see how He too leads Peter up to a lofty conception concerning Himself, and reveals Himself, and shows that He is the Son of God through these two promises? For the things which belong to God alone—both to remit sins, and to make the Church unshaken amid so great an onset of waves, and to render a fisherman, a mere man, firmer than any rock while the whole world wars against him—these things He Himself promises to give;

even as the Father, discoursing with Jeremiah, said

that He would make him as a pillar of bronze and as a wall;

but that man to one nation, whereas this one throughout the whole world.

Gladly then would I ask those who wish to lessen the dignity of the Son:

Which are the greater gifts, those which the Father gave to Peter, or those which the Son gave? For the Father graciously granted to Peter the revelation of the Son;

but the Son sowed abroad the knowledge both of the Father and of Himself throughout the whole world, and committed to a mortal man authority over all things in heaven, giving him the keys—He who extended the Church throughout the whole world, and declared it stronger than heaven.

'For heaven and earth shall pass away;'

'but My words shall by no means pass away.'

How then is He the less, who bestowed such things, who accomplished such things? And I say this, not dividing the works of the Father and of the Son;

'For all things were made through Him, and without Him was made not even one thing;'

but rather stopping the shameless tongue of those who dare such things.

And behold His authority throughout all these things.

'I say to you, you are Peter;'

'I will build the Church;'

'I will give to you the keys of the heavens.'

And then, having said these things, 'He charged them that they should tell no one that He was the Christ.'

And for what reason did He charge them? So that, when those who caused offence were removed out of the way, and the cross was accomplished, and the rest of what He was to suffer had been brought to completion, and there was nothing left to interrupt and to trouble the faith of the many in Him, the fitting glory concerning Him might be stamped pure and immovable upon the mind of the hearers.

For as yet His power had not shone forth clearly.

For this reason He willed to be proclaimed by them at that time, when both the clear truth of the events and the power of the things that were happening bore witness together with the words spoken by the apostles.

For it was not the same thing to see Him now working miracles in Palestine, and now being insulted and driven out;

(and especially since the cross was about to follow upon the miracles that were being done;) and to behold Him worshipped and believed in throughout the whole world, no longer suffering any such things as He suffered.

For this reason He says to tell no one.

For that which has once been rooted, and then torn up, could with difficulty be planted again and take hold among the multitude;

but that which, after having once been fixed firmly, remains unmoved and is in no way assaulted, easily grows up and yields a greater increase.

For if those who had enjoyed many signs, and had partaken of so many ineffable mysteries, were offended by the mere hearing;

or rather, not they alone, but even Peter, the chief of them all;

consider what the multitude were likely to have suffered, who had learned indeed that He is the Son of God, but saw Him both crucified and spat upon, and knew not the ineffable meaning of these mysteries, nor had partaken of the Holy Spirit.

For if to the disciples He said:

'I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now;'

much more would the rest of the people have fallen away, if before the fitting time

the very summit of these mysteries had been revealed to them.

For this reason He forbids them to speak.

And that you may learn how great a thing it was afterwards to receive the teaching in its fullness, once those things that gave offence had passed away, learn it from this very chief of the apostles.

For this very Peter, who after so many signs appeared so weak as even to deny Him and to be afraid of a lowly serving-girl, once the cross had come to pass and he had received clear proofs of the resurrection, and there was nothing left to offend and trouble him, so unshakably held fast the teaching of the Spirit that he leaped upon the people of the Jews more fiercely than a lion, though dangers and countless deaths were threatened.

With good reason, then, did He command the multitude not to speak of it before the cross, seeing that not even into those who were destined to teach did He instil all things. He took courage before the cross.

'For I have many things to say to you,' He says, 'but you cannot bear them now.'

And of the things He had spoken they were ignorant of many, which He did not make plain before the cross.

At any rate, when He had risen, then they understood some of the things that had been said.

'From that time He began to show them that He must suffer.'

When? When He had fixed firmly in them the doctrine;

when He had brought in the beginning of the Gentiles.

But not even so did they understand what was said;

'For the saying,' it says, 'was hidden from them;'

and they were as it were in a certain obscurity, not knowing that He must rise again.

For this reason He dwells upon the difficulties and expands His discourse, that He may open their understanding, and that they may grasp what it is that is being said.

But 'they understood not, but the saying was hidden from them;'

'and they feared to ask Him;'

not whether He would die, but how and in what manner, and what this mystery could be.

For neither did they know what this very thing, to rise again, could be, and they thought it far better that He should not die.

For this reason, while the rest were troubled and perplexed, again Peter, being fervent, alone dares to discourse about these matters;

and even he not openly, but taking Him aside privately;

that is, separating himself from the rest of the disciples;

'Be it far from You, Lord: this shall never happen to You.'

What can this mean? He who had obtained the revelation, who had been pronounced blessed—did this man so quickly fall and stumble, as to be afraid of the passion? And what wonder is it that one who had not received a revelation concerning these things should suffer this? For that you may learn that not even those other words did he utter from himself, observe in these matters that were not revealed to him how he is troubled and turned about, and though hearing it countless times knows not what it is that is being said.

For that He is the Son of God, he had learned;

but what the mystery of the cross and of the resurrection might be, had not yet become plain to him.

For 'the saying,' it says, 'was hidden from them.'

Do you see that with justice He commanded the others not to speak of it? For if He so troubled those whom it was necessary should learn it, what would the rest not have suffered? He, however, showing that He was so far from coming unwillingly to the passion, both rebuked Peter and called him Satan.

Let those give ear who are ashamed of the passion of the cross of Christ.

For if the chief of the apostles, even before he had learned all things clearly, was called 'Satan' for suffering this fault, what pardon could they find who, after so great a demonstration, deny the dispensation? For when he who was so blessed, who had made such a confession, hears such words, consider what those shall suffer who after these things set aside the mystery of the cross.

And He did not say, 'Satan has spoken through you';

but, 'Get behind Me, Satan.'

For indeed it was the desire of the adversary that Christ should not suffer.

For this reason He rebuked him with so great vehemence, since He knew that both Peter himself and the others were especially afraid of this, and would not easily accept it.

For this reason also He lays bare the thoughts of his mind, saying:

'You do not mind the things of God, but the things of men.'

But what does this mean, 'You do not mind the things of God, but the things of men'? He, examining the matter by human and earthly reasoning, thought that this was shameful and unbecoming to Christ.

Reaching him home, therefore, He says:

'It is not unbecoming that I should suffer;

it is by a carnal judgment that you reckon these things thus;

for if you heard what is spoken according to God, freed from the carnal mind, you would know that this is most fitting for Me.'

'For you indeed suppose that to suffer is unworthy of Me;

but I tell you that for Me not to suffer belongs to the devil's mind';

by means of the opposites calming his anxiety.

For just as He persuaded John, who deemed himself unworthy to baptize Him, to baptize Him by saying, 'Thus it is fitting for us';

and this same Peter, when he hindered Him from washing his feet, by saying, 'You have no part with Me, unless I wash your feet';

so also here He restrained him by means of the opposites, and by the vehemence of the rebuke He quelled his fear over the suffering.

Let no one, therefore, be ashamed of the venerable symbols of our salvation, and of the sum of our blessings, through which we both live and are what we are;

but as a crown, so let us carry about the cross of Christ.

For indeed all things that concern us are accomplished through it.

Whether one must be born again, the cross is present;

whether one must be nourished with that mystical food, whether one must be ordained, whether one must do any other thing whatsoever, everywhere the symbol of our victory stands beside us.

For this reason also, upon our houses, and upon the walls, and upon the windows, and upon the forehead, and upon the mind, with much diligence we inscribe it.

For this is the sign of the salvation wrought on our behalf, and of the common freedom, and of the gentleness of our Master.

'For as a sheep He was led to the slaughter.'

Whenever, therefore, you sign yourself, call to mind the whole meaning of the cross, and quench wrath and all the other passions.

Whenever you sign yourself, fill your forehead with much boldness, make your soul free.

And you surely know what those things are that furnish freedom.

Wherefore Paul also, leading us on to this—I mean to the freedom that is proper to us—led us on thus, by reminding us of the cross and of the Master's blood.

'For you were bought with a price,' he says;

'do not become slaves of men.'

'Consider,' he says, 'the price that was paid for you, and you will be a slave to none of men';

For one ought not simply to trace it with the finger, but first with the will and with much faith.

And if you thus imprint it upon your countenance, none of the unclean demons will be able to stand near you, seeing the sword by which it received its wound, seeing the blade by which it took its mortal blow.

For if we, seeing the places where the condemned are beheaded, shudder, consider what the devil shall suffer, seeing the weapon by which Christ dissolved all his power, and cut off the head of the dragon.

Do not, therefore, be ashamed of so great a good, lest Christ be ashamed of you, when He comes with His glory, and the sign appears before Him, shining brighter than the very ray of the sun.

For indeed the cross comes then, uttering a voice through its very appearance, and making its defence before the whole world on behalf of the Master, and showing that nothing was left undone of what pertained to Him.

This sign, both in the days of our forefathers and now, has opened doors that were shut;

This has quenched deadly drugs;

this has dissolved the power of hemlock;

this has healed the bites of venomous beasts.

For if it has opened the gates of hell, and thrown wide the vaults of heaven, and made new the entrance into paradise, and severed the sinews of the devil,

what wonder is it if it has overcome deadly drugs, and wild beasts, and other such things? V.

This, then, engrave upon your mind, and embrace the salvation of our souls.

For this cross saved and converted the whole inhabited world, drove out error, brought back the truth, made earth into heaven, and wrought men into angels.

Because of this the demons are no longer fearful, but contemptible;

nor is death death, but sleep;

because of this all the things that war against us are cast down to the ground and trampled under foot.

If, then, anyone says to you, 'Do you worship the Crucified One?', answer with a bright voice and a joyful countenance:

'I worship, and I shall never cease to worship.'

And if he laughs, weep for him, because he is mad.

Give thanks to the Master, that He has bestowed on us such benefits as no one can even learn apart from revelation from above.

For it is on this account that this man too laughs, because 'the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit.'

Since even little children experience this, whenever they see something great and wonderful;

and if you bring a child into the mysteries, he will laugh.

Indeed, the Greeks resemble these little children;

or rather, they are even more imperfect than these, and therefore more wretched, because it is not at an immature age, but in full maturity, that they suffer the affections of infants;

wherefore they are not even worthy of pardon.

But let us, with a resplendent voice, crying out great and lofty things, shout aloud and say—and that, when all the Greeks are present, with all the greater boldness—that 'The cross is our boast, and the sum of all good things, and our confidence and our whole crown.'

I could wish to be able to say with Paul also, that 'Through it the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world';

but I am not able, being held fast by manifold passions.

Therefore I exhort both you, and before you myself, to be crucified to the world, and to have nothing in common with the earth, but to love the fatherland above, and the glory and the good things that are there.

For we are soldiers of the heavenly King, and we have put on spiritual armor.

Why, then, do we lead the life of peddlers and mountebanks, or rather of worms? For where the King is, there also must the soldier be.

For indeed we have become soldiers, not of those who are afar off, but of those who are near.

For the king who is upon the earth would not endure that all should be in the palace, nor at his own side;

but the King of the heavens wishes all to be near the royal throne.

'And how is it possible,' one may say, 'for those who are here to stand beside that throne?' Because Paul too, while upon the earth, was where the Seraphim were, where the Cherubim were, and nearer to Christ than these shield-bearers of the king.

For these turn their eyes about in many directions;

but nothing distracted him with fancies, nor drew him aside, but he kept his whole mind stretched toward the King.

So that, if we are willing, this is possible for us too.

For if He were separated by place, you might well be perplexed;

but if He is everywhere present, then to the one who is earnest and intent He is near.

For this reason also the Prophet said:

'I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me';

'I am a God who is near, and not a God afar off.'

As therefore our sins separate us from Him, so also our acts of righteousness bring us near to Him;

'For while you are still speaking,' He says, 'I will say, Behold, I am here.'

What father would ever heed his children in such a way? What mother is so ready and stands continually at hand, lest at some time her little ones should call her? There is no one, neither father nor mother;

but God stands continually, waiting to see if any of His household servants should at some time call upon Him; and never, when we have called as we ought, has He turned a deaf ear.

'I do not wait for you to finish,' He says, 'but I answer at once.'

Let us then call upon Him in the way He wishes to be called upon.

And how does He wish it? 'Loose,' He says, 'every bond of iniquity, undo the knots of oppressive dealings, tear apart every unjust bond.'

'Break your bread for the hungry;'

'and bring the homeless poor into your house.'

'If you see the naked, clothe him, and do not overlook those of your own flesh and blood.'

'Then shall your light break forth as the morning, and your healing shall speedily spring up; and your righteousness shall go before you, and the glory of God shall enfold you.'

'Then you shall call, and I will hearken to you;'

'while you are still speaking, I will say, Behold, I am here.'

'And who,' one asks, 'is able to do all these things?'

But who is not able? Tell me.

For which of the things spoken of is hard? Which is laborious? Which is not easy? For so far are they not only possible but also easy, that many have even far surpassed the measure of what was commanded, not merely tearing up unjust contracts but even stripping themselves of all their possessions;

receiving the poor not merely under their roof and at their table, but even by the sweat of their body and by toiling for them;

doing good not only to their kinsfolk but even to their enemies.

But what, in a word, is difficult among the things commanded? For He did not say, Cross over the mountain, pass through the sea, dig up so many and so many acres of land, remain without food, gird yourself with sackcloth;

but rather, Share with your own household, share your bread, tear up the contracts unjustly drawn up.

What could be easier than these things? Tell me.

But if you still think them difficult, consider with me also the prizes, and they will become easy for you.

For just as kings, at the horse-races, set out before the competitors crowns and prizes and garments, so also Christ sets the prizes in the midst of the stadium, holding them out, as it were, through the many hands of the Prophet's words.

And the kings, even were they kings ten thousand times over, since they are but men, and possess wealth that gets spent and munificence that gets used up, are ambitious to make what is little appear great;

wherefore also, entrusting each single prize to each of their attendants, they in this way bring them out into the midst.

But our King does the very opposite;

having heaped all things together at once, since He is exceedingly rich and does nothing for mere display, He thus sets forth in the midst gifts which, when extended, will prove to be boundless and will need many hands to hold them.

And that you may learn this, examine each of them with all exactness.

'Then,' He says, 'shall your light break forth as the morning.'

Does this gift not seem to you to be some single thing? But it is not one;

for indeed it holds many things within it: prizes, and crowns, and other rewards.

And if you are willing, let us unfold it and display all the wealth, so far as it is possible for us to display it;

for neither did He say, 'It shall appear,' but, 'It shall break forth;'

thereby showing us its swiftness and abundance, and how earnestly He longs for our salvation, and how He travails, as in birth-pangs, that those good things themselves should come forth, and how He hastens, and how nothing shall hinder that unspeakable rush;

through all of which He points out their lavishness and the boundlessness of the abundance.

And what is meant by 'as the morning'? That is: not after you have come into trials, nor after the onset of evils, but He even anticipates them.

For just as in the case of fruits we call that which appears before its season 'early,' so also here, again indicating the swiftness, He spoke thus:

'While you are still speaking, I will say, Behold, I am here.'

But of what kind of light does He speak? And what ever is this light? Not this perceptible light, but another far better, which shows us heaven, the angels, the archangels, the Cherubim, the Seraphim, the thrones, the dominions, the principalities, the powers, the whole army, the royal courts, the tabernacles.

For if you are counted worthy of that light, you shall also see these things, and shall be delivered from Gehenna, and from the venomous worm, and from the gnashing of teeth, and from the bonds that cannot be loosed, and from the anguish, and from the tribulation, and from the lightless darkness, and from being cut asunder, and from the river of fire, and from the curse, and from the regions of torment;

and you shall depart to where pain and sorrow have fled away;

where there is abundant joy, and peace, and love, and delight, and gladness.

There is life eternal, and glory unspeakable, and beauty beyond all telling;

there are the eternal tabernacles, and the ineffable glory of the King, and those good things which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man;

there is the spiritual bridal-chamber, and the marriage-halls of the heavens, and the virgins who hold their bright lamps, and those who possess the wedding garment;

there are the many possessions of the Master, and the royal treasuries.

Hast thou seen how great are the prizes, and how much He set forth in a single saying, and how He gathered all things together? So too, if we unfold each of the sayings that follow, we shall find great abundance, and a boundless sea.

Shall we then still put it off, tell me, and shrink from showing mercy to those in need? Nay, I beseech you; but though we must cast away all things, though we must be flung into fire, though we must brave the sword, though we must leap upon knives, though we must suffer whatsoever it be, let us bear all things gladly, that we may attain the garment of the kingdom of heaven, and the glory unspeakable;

which may it be granted us all to attain, by the grace and love toward mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen.