Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew — Historical footnotes

What then doth the gentle and meek One? He withdrew, on being aware of it. “But when Jesus knew their devices, He withdrew Himself,” it is said, “from them.” Where now are they who say, miracles ought to be done? Nay, by these things He signified, that the uncandid soul is not even thereby persuaded; and He made it plain that His disciples too were blamed by them without cause. This however we should observe, that they grow fierce especially at the benefits done to their neighbors; and when they see any one delivered either from disease or from wickedness, then is the time for them to find fault, and become wild beasts. Thus did they calumniate Him, both when He was about to save the harlot, and when He was eating with publicans, and now again, when they saw the hand restored.

Then, to inform thee that this too is according to the purpose of the Father, in the beginning the prophet had assured us of this likewise, together with what had gone before; saying, “My well-beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased.” For of the well-beloved it is quite evident that He did these things also according to the mind of the beloved.

“What man is there among you that shall have one sheep, and if this fall into a pit on the Sabbath days, will he not lay hold of it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do wellon the Sabbath days.”

“What man is there among you that shall have one sheep, and if this fall into a pit on the Sabbath days, will he not lay hold of it, and lift it out? How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do wellon the Sabbath days.”

Thus, lest they have ground of obstinacy, and of accusing him again of transgression, He convicts them by this example. And do thou mark, I pray thee, how variously and suitably in each case, He introduces His pleas for the breaking of the sabbath. Thus, first, in the case of the blind man, He doth not so much as defend Himself to them, when He made the clay: and yet then also were they blaming Him; but the manner of the creation was enough to indicate the Lord and Ownerof the law. Next, in the case of the paralytic, when he carried his bed, and they were finding fault, He defends Himself, now as God, and now as man; as man, when He saith, “If a man on the Sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law should not be broken;” (and He said not “that a man should be profited”); “are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the Sabbath day?” As God again, when He saith, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.”

And here again; “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? Which of you shall have one sheep?” For He knew their love of wealth, that they were all

But do thou observe, I pray thee, how He neither desists from His tender care over the infirm, and yet allays their envy. “And great multitudesfollowed Him, and He healed them all; and He charged them that were healed, that they should make Him known to no man.” Because, while the multitudes everywhere both admire and follow Him, they desist not from their wickedness.

What then saith the prophet? Nay, it is subjoined: “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the Prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon Him, and He shall show judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive nor cry,neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench, till He send forth judgment unto victory. And in His name shall the Gentiles trust.”

“And all the people were amazed, saying, Is not this the Son of David? But the Pharisees said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils.”

“And all the people were amazed, saying, Is not this the Son of David? But the Pharisees said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils.”