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Homily 21
Complete historical editorial footnotes. These notes retain the original edition’s wording; individual note authors are unspecified.
English translation and editorial credits: Sir George Prevost, M. B. Riddle.
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τ ψυχ, “your soul.” [So Chrysostom interprets (see below); but the New Testament passage must refer to physical life. In the latter part of the verse the higher “life” is suggested. But to understand the argument of Chrysostom, ψυχ must be rendered “soul” throughout this passage.—R.]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 21, editorial note cite_note-8 · Original source
“Take no thoughtfor your life,what ye shall eat.”
καπηλεουσινἐμπορεονται: two words which in the New Testament are always used in a bad sense.
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 21, editorial note cite_note-18 · Original source
likewise sends to the bee, and to the ant,and to the turtle, and to the swallow. And neither is this a small sign of honor, when the same sort of things, which those animals possess by nature, those we are able to accomplish by an act of our choice. If then He take so great care of them which exist for our sakes, much more of us; if of the servants, much more of the master. Therefore He said, “Behold the fowls,” and He said not, “for they do not traffic, nor make merchandise,”for these were among the things that were earnestly forbidden. But what? “they sow not, neither do they reap.” “What then?” saith one, “must we not sow?” He said not, “we must not sow,” but “we must not take thought;” neither that one ought not to work, but not to be low-minded, nor to rack one’s self with cares. Since He bade us also be nourished, but not in “taking thought.”
See Sulpicius Severus, Dial. i. c. 14. “It is told of a certain holy man that he constantly and entirely abstained from all drink: and that by way of food, he lived upon seven figs only.”
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 21, editorial note cite_note-26 · Original source
Let us not therefore suppose His injunctions are impossible: for there are many who duly perform them, even as it is. And if thou knowest not of them, it is nothing marvellous, since Elias too supposed he was alone, but was told, “I have left unto myself seven thousand men.” Whence it is manifest that even now there are many who show forth the apostolical life; like as the “three thousand” then, and the “five thousand.” And if we believe not, it is not because there are none who do well, but because we are far from so doing. So that just as the drunkard would not easily believe, that there exists any man who doth not taste even water (and yet this hath been achieved by many solitaries in our time); nor he who connects himself with numberless women, that it is easy to live in virginity; nor he that extorts other men’s goods, that one shall readily give up even his own: so neither will those, who daily melt themselves down with innumerable anxieties, easily receive this thing.
[“More in number and more terrible.”—R.]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 21, editorial note cite_note-1 · Original source
For He was not contented with His former sayings, many and great as they were, but He adds others also, more and more alarming.
[Μ τοινυν περιττ φιλοσφει.]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 21, editorial note cite_note-5 · Original source
“What then? Was not this possible among the ancients?” By no means. “How then,” saith one, “did Abraham, how did Job obtain a good report?” Tell me not of them that are rich, but of them that serve riches. Since Job also was rich, but he served not mammon, but possessed it and ruled over it, and was a master, not a slave. Therefore he so possessed all those things, as if he had been the steward of another man’s goods; not only not extorting from others, but even giving up his own to them that were in need. And what is more, when he had them they were no joy to him: so he also declared, saying, “If I did so much as rejoice when my wealth waxed great:”wherefore neither did he grieve when it was gone. But they that are rich are not now such as he was, but are rather in a worse condition than any slave, paying as it were tribute to some grievous tyrant. Because their mind is as a kind of citadel occupied by the love of money, which from thence daily sends out unto them its commands full of all iniquity, and there is none to disobey. Be not therefore thus over subtle. Nay, for God hath once for all declared and pronounced it a thing impossible for the one service and the other to agree. Say not thou, then, “it is possible.” Why, when the one master is commanding thee to spoil by violence, the other to strip thyself of thy possessions; the one to be chaste, the other to commit fornication; the one to be drunken and luxurious, the other to keep the belly in subjection; the one again to despise the things that are, the other to be rivetted to the present; the one to admire marbles, and walls, and roofs, the other to contemn these, but to honor self-restraint: how is it possible that these should agree?
[R.V., more correctly, “Be not anxious,” and so throughout the chapter.—R.]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 21, editorial note cite_note-7 · Original source
“Take no thoughtfor your life,what ye shall eat.”
Prov. vi. 6–8, LXX. See before, Hom. XVII., 6, note.
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 21, editorial note cite_note-16 · Original source
likewise sends to the bee, and to the ant,and to the turtle, and to the swallow. And neither is this a small sign of honor, when the same sort of things, which those animals possess by nature, those we are able to accomplish by an act of our choice. If then He take so great care of them which exist for our sakes, much more of us; if of the servants, much more of the master. Therefore He said, “Behold the fowls,” and He said not, “for they do not traffic, nor make merchandise,”for these were among the things that were earnestly forbidden. But what? “they sow not, neither do they reap.” “What then?” saith one, “must we not sow?” He said not, “we must not sow,” but “we must not take thought;” neither that one ought not to work, but not to be low-minded, nor to rack one’s self with cares. Since He bade us also be nourished, but not in “taking thought.”
[ύμ γυμνζομεν, “we are exercising you.”—R.]
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 21, editorial note cite_note-28 · Original source
For this very reason we too are practising youin the inferior duties. Yes, because
So Aristippus: vid. Hor. Serm. 2, 3, 100.
Editorial footnote · Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew, Homily 21, editorial note cite_note-29 · Original source
as yet, we know, the burden of voluntary poverty is too great for you, and the heaven is not more distant from the earth, than such self-denial from you. Let us then lay hold, if it be only of the lowest commandments, for even this is no small encouragement. And yet some amongst the heathens have achieved even this, though not in a proper spirit, and have stripped themselves of all their possessions. However, we are contented in your case, if alms are bestowed abundantly by you; for we shall soon arrive at those other duties too, if we advance in this way. But if we do not so much as this, of what favor shall we be worthy, who are bidden to surpass those under the old law, and yet show ourselves inferior to the philosophers among the heathens? What shall we say, who when we ought to be angels and sons of God, do not even quite maintain our being as men? For to spoil and to covet comes not of the gentleness of men, but of the fierceness of wild beasts; nay, worse than wild beasts are the assailers of their neighbor’s goods. For to them this comes by nature, but we who are honored with reason, and yet are falling away unto that unnatural vileness, what indulgence shall we receive?