Matthew 23

Therefore when he speaks "to the crowds and his disciples" he talks about "the scribes and Pharisees who sit upon the throne of Moses." I judge these statements to be referring to the following groups. Those who profess that they interpret the law of Moses and glory in this, or who know the law well and seek to profit by this knowledge—these sit upon the throne of Moses. Those who do not depart from the letter of the law are called scribes. Then there are those who profess to know even more, setting themselves apart because they think they are better than the masses. That is why they are called Pharisees, which interpreted means "to divide or segregate" (for Phares translated means "division").

Commentary on Matthew 9.3

The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat, as professing his Law, and boasting that they can interpret it. Those that do not depart from the letter of the Law are the Scribes; those who make high professions, and separate themselves from the vulgar as better than they, are called Pharisees, which signifies 'separate.' Those who understand and expound Moses according to his spiritual meaning, these sit indeed on Moses' seat, but are neither Scribes nor Pharisees, but better than either, Christ's beloved disciples. Since His coming these have sat upon the seat of the Church, which is the seat of Christ.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

2–3

(Chapter 23, Verses 1 and following.) Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying: The scribes and Pharisees have seated themselves on the chair of Moses. Therefore, whatever they tell you, observe and do it, but do not do their works. For they speak, but do not practice. What is gentler, what is kinder than the Lord? He is tempted by the Pharisees, their plots are crushed, and according to the Psalmist: The arrows of little children have become their wounds (Psalm 63:8). And nevertheless, because of their priesthood and the dignity of their office, he urges the people to submit to them, considering not their works, but their teaching. But when He says, 'The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat,' He shows that the seat represents the teaching of the Law. Therefore, we must also understand the teaching in the passages that say, 'He did not sit on the throne of pestilence' (Psalm 1:1) and 'He overturned the seats of those selling doves' (Matthew 21:12; Mark 11:15).

Commentary on Matthew

2–3

Poemen also said, ‘Teach your heart to follow what your tongue is saying to others.’ He also said, ‘Men try to appear excellent in preaching but they are less excellent in practising what they preach.’

The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks

But regard must be had to this, after what sort each man fills his seat; for not the seat makes the Priest, but the Priest the seat; the place does not consecrate the man, but the man the place. A wicked Priest derives guilt and not honour from his Priesthood.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

The scribes and the Pharisees have sat on the chair of Moses. The chair properly belongs to teachers; and therefore those are said to sit upon the chair who are successors of Moses; Sirach 24:33: Moses commanded a law in the precepts of justice. Hence those who taught the law of Moses sat upon the chair of Moses. And in the law were contained certain things pertaining to faith, and certain things pertaining to good morals. The things pertaining to faith were those in which Christ was prefigured; hence he himself says, John 5:46: if you did believe Moses, you would perhaps believe me also. Likewise, there were contained moral precepts; Sirach 24:33: Moses commanded a law in the precepts of justice. But it should be noted that upon the chair sit both the scribes, and the Pharisees, and the disciples of Christ: the scribes, who consider only the letter; the Pharisees, who grasp something of its inner meaning; the disciples of Christ, who weigh all of it. And they are not called disciples of Moses, but of Christ; Luke 24:27: beginning from Moses and the prophets, he expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things that were concerning him.

Commentary on Matthew

But if the Scribes and Pharisees who sit in Moses' seat are the teachers of the Jews, teaching the commandments of the Law according to the letter, how is this that the Lord bids us do after all things which they say; but the Apostles in the Acts forbid the believers to do according to the letter of the Law. (Acts 15:19.) These indeed taught after the letter, not understanding the Law spiritually. Whatsoever they say to us out of the Law, with understanding of its sense, that we do and keep, not doing after their works, for they do not what the law enjoins, nor perceive the veil that is upon the letter of the Law. Or by all we are not to understand every thing in the Law, many things for example relating to the sacrifices, and the like, but such as concern our conduct. But why did He command this not of the Law of grace, but of the doctrine of Moses? Because truly it was not the time to publish the commandments of the New Law before the season of His passion. I think also that He had herein something further in view. He was about to bring many things against the Scribes and Pharisees in His discourse following, wherefore that vain men might not think that He coveted their place of authority, or spoke thus out of enmity to them, he first puts away from Himself this suspicion, and then begins to reprove them, that the people might not fall into their faults; and that, because they ought to hear them, they should not think that therefore they ought to imitate them in their works, He adds, But do ye not after their works. What can be more pitiable than such a teacher, whose life to imitate is ruin, to refuse to follow is salvation for his disciples?

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(Hom. lxxii.) But that none should say, For this cause am I slack to practise, because my instructor is evil, He removes every such plea, saying, All therefore whatsoever they say unto you, that observe and do, for they speak not their own, but God's, which things He taught through Moses in the Law. And look with how great honour He speaks of Moses, showing again what harmony there is with the Old Testament.

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Look with what He begins His reproof of them, For they say, and do not. Every one who transgresses the Law is deserving of blame, but especially he who has the post of instruction. And this for a threefold cause; first, because he is a transgressor; secondly, because when he ought to set others right, be himself halts; thirdly, because, being in the rank of a teacher, his influence is more corrupting.

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He is tempted by the Pharisees and surrounded by their lies. According to the psalmist, “The arrows of children are their snares.” Nevertheless, on account of the dignity of the priests and their reputation, he encourages the people to obey them, considering not their works but their teaching. What he says is this: “The scribes and Pharisees sit upon the throne of Moses,” showing this as a throne of teaching about the law. And we ought to accept this because of what is said in the psalms: “He does not sit in the seat of scoffers” and “He overturned the seats of those who sold pigeons.”

Commentary on Matthew 4.23.3

But as gold is picked out of the dross, and the dross is left, so hearers may take doctrine and leave practice, for good doctrine oft comes from an evil man. But as Priests judge it better to teach the bad for the sake of the good, rather than to neglect the good for the sake of the bad; so also let those who are set under them pay respect to the bad Priests for the sake of the good, that the good may not be despised because of the bad; for it is better to give the bad what is not their due, rather than to defraud the good of what is justly theirs.

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Then he admonishes them to obedience with caution; and he does two things. First, he exhorts them to obey; secondly, to beware. All things whatsoever they shall say to you, observe, namely in the heart, and do, in deed; Deuteronomy 17:9: you shall come to the priests of the levitical race, and to the judge; and afterward: and you shall do whatsoever they shall say; and it follows: you shall follow their sentence. And the Apostle says: obey your prelates. And this is against the Manicheans, who said that the old law was not good. And it is clear that it is good, because the Lord commanded it to be observed. But someone can object: therefore we ought to observe the legal ceremonies, which is against the doctrine of the apostles, Acts 15:29. It should be known that the authority of the lawgiver is always to be maintained according to his intention; but the lawgiver says some things as always to be observed, and such things must always be observed; but he says other things that are like a shadow, as it says in Colossians 2:17: which are a shadow of things to come. Moral precepts, therefore, are commandments according to the intention of the lawgiver, to be observed always; but legal precepts only for a time, namely for the time before Christ. Hence before that time they ought to be observed, but not after: because whoever would observe them would do injury to Christ. And Augustine gives an example. If someone were to say, "I shall eat tomorrow," this utterance is a sign of this thing; and if, after he had eaten, he were to say the same thing, he would not speak rightly. So since these legal precepts were signs of Christ who was to come, after Christ came, whoever would observe them would not observe them rightly. Hence all things whatsoever they shall say to you, according to the intention of the lawgiver, do. But according to their works do ye not. Here he teaches caution. You should know that a prelate is placed in charge so as to teach not only by doctrine but also by his life. And we ought to be in agreement with him as regards what he teaches, because, as is said in Galatians 1:9, if anyone preach to you a gospel besides that which you have received, let him be anathema. Likewise, we ought to conform to him in life. For his life should be an example to us, as the life of Christ; hence 1 Corinthians 4:16: be imitators of me, as I also am of Christ. But these men were not at variance with the doctrine, but with the life; therefore their doctrine is to be attended to, but their life is to be avoided. For they say, and do not. Here he assigns the reason. And first he states the reason; secondly, he explains it, at for they bind heavy burdens, etc. You say, whatsoever they shall say to you, do, because they say: you ought to do good, but they do not; and therefore you ought not to act according to their works, because you who teach not to steal, do steal; Psalm 49:16: but to the sinner God has said: why do you declare my justices, and take my covenant in your mouth?

Commentary on Matthew

Therefore up until now the scribes and Pharisees among the Jews have been sitting on the throne of Moses. I am not saying this because only scribes and Pharisees will sit on the seat of Moses. They speak but do not do anything, laying heavy and unsupportable burdens on the shoulders of men.Yet they are not even willing to lift a finger to lighten those burdens. For I judge that those who rightly understand and explain Moses according to his spiritual power are the ones who will indeed sit on the throne of Moses. But these are not the scribes and Pharisees. They are much better. They are the beloved disciples of Christ who interpret his word through the grace of God. They are able to sort out different meanings in different words. Indeed, therefore, before the coming of Christ they sat well on the throne of Moses who interpreted the sayings of Moses well and according to reason. However, after the coming of Christ, they sit on the throne of the church, which is the seat and throne of Christ.

Commentary on Matthew 9

Just as the scribes and Pharisees wickedly sat upon the throne of Moses, so do some in the church who sit upon the ecclesiastical throne. There are some in the church who have the right understanding of the law and pass it on correctly. They say what each person needs to do, but they themselves do not do it. Some of them lay heavy burdens upon the shoulders of men, but they won’t even lift a finger to help. These are the ones the Savior is talking about when he says, “Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of God.” There are others, however, who sit on the throne, who act before they speak and speak wisely, restraining those who are disordered. They place merciful burdens on the shoulders of others. They themselves are the first to lift the heavy burden, for the exhortation of other listeners. It is these of whom the Lord speaks when he says, “He who does so and teaches others to do so, this man will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Commentary on Matthew 9

And together with these He mentions also another charge against them, that they are harsh to those accountable to them.

"For they bind heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders, but they will not move them with their finger." He mentions here a twofold wickedness, their requiring great and extreme strictness of life, without any indulgence, from those over whom they rule, and their allowing to themselves great security; the opposite to which the truly good ruler ought to hold; in what concerns himself, to be an unpardoning and severe judge, but in the matters of those whom he rules, to be gentle and ready to make allowances; the contrary to which was the conduct of these men.

For such are all they who practise self restraint in mere words, unpardoning and grievous to bear as having no experience of the difficulty in actions. And this itself too is no small fault, and in no ordinary way increases the former charge.

But do thou mark, I pray thee, how He aggravates this accusation also. For He did not say, "they cannot," but, "they will not." And He did not say, "to bear," but, "to move with a finger," that is, not even to come near them, nor to touch them.

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 72

(Verse 4.) However, they bind heavy and burdensome loads and lay them on people's shoulders; but they themselves are unwilling to move them with their finger. This applies generally to all teachers who command heavy things but do not do smaller things. However, it should be noted that both the shoulders, the finger, the burdens, and the chains with which the burdens are bound should be understood spiritually.

Commentary on Matthew

But all these things, the shoulders, the finger, the burdens, and the bands with which they bind the burdens, have a spiritual meaning. Herein also the Lord speaks generally against all masters who enjoin high things, but do not even little things.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

4–5

The Pharisees laid heavy burdens on men, forcing them to fulfill the commandments of the law which were detailed and difficult to observe. Indeed, they weighed them down with more than the commandments of the law by handing down certain traditions that went beyond the law; these traditions they did not move with even one of their fingers, that is, they themselves did not practice them, nor even dare to undertake such burdens. For whenever a teacher not only teaches but practices what he teaches, then he is seen to carry the burden and to labor along with those who are taught. But when he gives me a load to carry, but himself practices nothing, then indeed he weighs me down, showing by what he himself neglects to do that it is impossible to accomplish what he says. The Lord, therefore, is accusing the Pharisees of themselves not wanting to carry the weight of the commandments and to practice them. Not only do they not do anything good, but they pretend that they do good. Even if they had done something good, because they did it for the sake of appearance, any gain they might have derived from it would have fallen through their fingers. So indeed they are worthy of condemnation now, since they do not do good and yet they wish men to think that they do. What things do they practice? "They make broad their phylacteries and enlarge the borders of their garments." What this means is this: in the law it is said, "Thou shalt bind [the words of the law] to thy hand and they shall be immovable before thine eyes" (Deut. 6:8). So the Pharisees would inscribe on two pieces of leather the ten commandments of the law, and they would attach one to their forehead and suspend the other from their right hand. They would make borders on the ends of their garments, consisting of blood-red threads like a fringe. For this, too, they found a text in the law (Num. 15:38-40), so that when they saw these things they would not forget the commandments of God. But God did not desire this; rather, to have the phylactery upon the hand meant that one must labor in the commandments, and the blood-red fringe showed that we must be signed with the blood of Christ. But the Pharisees made large phylacteries and fringes, so that those who saw them would think that they were keepers of the law.

Commentary on Matthew

(interlin.) Or, bind burdens, that is, gather traditions from all sides, not to aid, but to burden the conscience.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

And to the Scribes and Pharisees of whom He is now speaking, heavy burdens not to be borne are the commandments of the Law; as St. Peter speaks in the Acts, Why seek ye to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear? (Acts 15:10.) For commending the burdens of the Law by fabulous proofs, they bound as it were the shoulders of the heart of their hearers with bands, that thus tied as though with proof of reason to them, they might not fling them off; but themselves did not in the least measure fulfil them, that is, not only did not wholly, but did not so much as attempt to.

Such also are they who lay a heavy burden upon those who come to penitence, so that while men would avoid present punishment, they overlook that which is to come. For if you lay upon a boy's shoulders a burden more than he can bear, he must needs cither cast it off, or be broken down by it; so the man on whom you lay too grievous a burden of penance must either wholly refuse it, or if he submit himself to it will find himself unable to bear it, and so be offended, and sin worse. Also, if we should be wrong in imposing too light a penance, is it not better to have to answer for mercy than for severity? Where the master of the household is liberal, the steward should not be oppressive. If God be kind, should His Priest be harsh? Do you seek thereby the character of sanctity? Be strict in ordering your own life, in that of others lenient; let men hear of you as enjoining little, and performing much. The Priest who gives licence to himself, and exacts the utmost from others, is like a corrupt tax-gatherer in the state, who to ease himself taxes others heavily.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

For they bind heavy and insupportable burdens, etc. For the Lord wishes to exaggerate their malice, because they say, and do not. If they simply said and did not do, this would still be tolerable; but this does not suffice them, because they add most grievous burdens to the precepts of God. And therefore their presumption is noted, because they bind other burdens upon the burdens imposed by God, because they make new observances, as it says in Mark 7:2, that they forbade eating bread unless the hands were frequently washed; against that passage in Isaiah 58:6: loose the bands of wickedness, undo the bundles that oppress. Likewise, their cruelty is noted, for they impose burdens, against that passage in 1 John 5:3: for the commandments of God are not heavy. For my yoke is sweet and my burden light, above at 11:30. Likewise, their indiscretion is noted, because if they imposed a heavy burden on a strong person, it would not be a great thing; but they impose insupportable burdens on the weak: for that cannot be carried which exceeds the strength of the one carrying it. In Acts 15:10: this is a burden which neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear. Likewise, their excessive severity is noted, because if they imposed a burden and gave indulgence, this would still be sufficient; but with a certain violence they command. They lay them on men's shoulders; hence they exceed in speaking. Likewise, they exceed in not doing, because there are some men who do not wish to accomplish everything, yet they wish to accomplish something. Likewise, there are some who, even if they do not wish to do something difficult, yet wish to do something light. Likewise, there are some who, even though they do not act, yet have the will to act. But he who wishes none of these things exceeds in malice; hence he says, but with a finger of their own they will not move them; hence they not only did not do them, but were unwilling even to move them with their finger, i.e., not even to begin them. Nor even to do light things, which are signified by a finger. Therefore you ought to do what they teach, but they are not to be followed as regards their works, because they do not even the least thing. Chrysostom says: such are those who speak great things and do small things; such are like tax collectors, who make others pay more than the taxes demand, but they themselves pay nothing. Let me not see you teaching great things but doing small things. Hence the Lord will spare you more if you incline to mercy than to severity.

Commentary on Matthew

But the modern laws are almost always laws made to affect the governed class, but not the governing. We have public-house licensing laws, but not sumptuary laws. That is to say, we have laws against the festivity and hospitality of the poor, but no laws against the festivity and hospitality of the rich. We have laws against blasphemy—that is, against a kind of coarse and offensive speaking in which nobody but a rough and obscure man would be likely to indulge. But we have no laws against heresy—that is, against the intellectual poisoning of the whole people, in which only a prosperous and prominent man would be likely to be successful. The evil of aristocracy is not that it necessarily leads to the infliction of bad things or the suffering of sad ones; the evil of aristocracy is that it places everything in the hands of a class of people who can always inflict what they can never suffer. Whether what they inflict is, in their intention, good or bad, they become equally frivolous. The case against the governing class of modern England is not in the least that it is selfish; if you like, you may call the English oligarchs too fantastically unselfish. The case against them simply is that when they legislate for all men, they always omit themselves.

Heretics, Ch. 19: Slum Novelists and the Slums (1905)

And their works likewise they do to be seen of men, using outward circumcision, taking away actual leaven out of their houses, and doing such like things. But Christ's disciples fulfil the Law in things secret, being Jews inwardly, as the Apostle speaks. (Rom. 2:29.)

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But wherein are they earnest, and vigorous? In the things forbidden. For, "all their works they do," He saith, "to be seen of men." These things He saith, accusing them in respect of vainglory, which kind of thing was their ruin. For the things before were signs of harshness and remissness, but these of the mad desire of glory. This drew them off from God, this caused them to strive before other spectators, and ruined them. For whatever kind of spectators any one may have, since it hath become his study to please these, such also are the contests he exhibits And he that wrestles among the noble, such also are the conflicts he takes in hand, but he among the cold and supine, himself also becomes more remiss. For instance, hath any one a beholder that delights in ridicule? he himself too becomes a mover of ridicule, that he may delight the spectator: hath another one who is earnest minded, and practises self-government? he endeavors himself to be such as he is, since such is the disposition of him who praises him.

But see again that here too the charge is with aggravation. For neither is it that they do some things in this way, some in another way, but all things absolutely this way.

Then, having blamed them for vainglory, He shows that it is not even about great and necessary things they are vainglorious (for neither had they these, but were destitute of good works), but for things without warmth or worth, and such as were certain proofs of their baseness, the phylacteries, the borders; of their garments. "For they make broad their phylacteries," He saith, "and enlarge the borders of their garments."

And what are these phylacteries, and these borders? Since they were continually forgetting God's benefits, He commanded His marvellous works to be inscribed on little tablets, and that these should be suspended from their hands (wherefore also He said, "They shall be immoveable in thine eyes"), which they called phylacteries; as many of our women now wear Gospels hung from their necks. And in order that by another thing again they may be reminded, like as many often do, binding round their finger with a piece of linen or a thread, as being likely to forget, this God enjoined them as children to do, "to sew a ribbon of blue on their garments, upon the fringe that hung round their feet, that they might look at it, and remember the commandments;" and they were called "borders."

In these things then they were diligent, making wide the strips of the tablets, and enlarging the borders of their garments; which was a sign of the most extreme vanity. For wherefore art thou vainglorious, and dost make these wide? what, is this thy good work? what cloth it profit thee at all, if thou gain not the good results from them. For God seeks not the enlarging of these and making them wide, but our remembering His benefits. But if for almsgiving and prayer, although they be attended with labor, and be good deeds on our parts, we must not seek vainglory, how dost thou, O Jew, pride thyself in these things, which most of all convict thy remissness.

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 72

They called those phylacteries “little pictures” of the Decalogue, because whoever had them had his own fortification and defense. But the knowledgeable Pharisees did not have them, because these things must be carried in the heart, not the body. They may have children and treasure boxes and granaries, but they do not have knowledge of God. Even today there are those superstitious ladies who have their “little Gospels.” In the absence of the true cross and other such things, they indeed have the zeal of God but no true knowledge of him. Even today, they too do these same kinds of things in front of us by liquefying gnats for drinking and gulping down honey. This is what some see as the small, short fringe mandated by the law. But a better case is the woman with the bloody flow who touched the fringe of the Lord’s garment. She was not motivated by the superstitious sentiments of the Pharisees. And what is more, she was healed at his touch. And so when they widened their phylacteries and lengthened their fringes, attracting the honor of the people, they were exposed in their hypocrisies, showing why they seek the first seats at dinners and the front chairs in synagogues. They point out gluttony and glory in public and are hailed by men as rabbi, which in colloquial Latin means “teacher.”

Commentary on Matthew 4.23.5

(Verse 5.) All their works they do to be seen by others. Therefore, whoever does anything to be seen by others, is a scribe and a Pharisee.

Commentary on Matthew

For the Lord, when He had given the commandments of the Law through Moses, added at the end, And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be ever before thine eyes; (Deut. 6:8.) the meaning of which is, Let my precepts be in thine hand so as to be fulfilled in thy works; let them be before thine eyes so as that thou shalt meditate upon them day and night. This the Pharisees misinterpreting, wrote on parchments the Decalogue of Moses, that is, the Ten Commandments, and folding them up, tied them on their forehead, so making them a crown for their head, that they should be always before their eyes. Moses had in another place given command that they should make fringes of blue in the borders of their garments, to distinguish the people of Israel (Numb. 15:39.); that as in their bodies circumcision, so in their garments the fringe, might discriminate the Jewish nation. But these superstitious teachers, catching at popular favour, and making gain of silly women, made broad hems, and fastened them with sharp pins, that as they walked or sat they might be pricked, and by such monitors be recalled to the duties of God's ministry. This embroidery then of the Decalogue they called phylacteries, that is, conservatories, because those who wore them, wore them for their own protection and security. So little did the Pharisees understand that they were to be worn on the heart and not on the body; for in equal degree may cases and chests be said to have books, which assuredly have not the knowledge of God.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Three brothers once came to a hermit in Scetis. One of them said to him, ‘Abba, I have memorized the Old and New Testaments.’ But the hermit answered, ‘And you have filled the air with words.’ The second said to him, ‘I have written out the Old and New Testaments with my own hand.’ But the hermit said, ‘And you have filled the window-ledge with manuscripts.’ The third said, ‘The grass is growing up my chimney.’ But the hermit answered, ‘And you have driven away hospitality.’

The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks

Every substance breeds in itself that which destroys it, as wood the worm, and garments the moth; so the Devil strives to corrupt the ministry of the Priests, who are ordained for the edification of holiness, endeavouring that this good, while it is done to be seen of men, should be turned into evil. Take away this fault from the clergy, and you will have no further labour in their reform, for of this it comes that a clergyman who has sinned can hardly perform penance. Also the Lord here points out the cause why they could not believe in Christ, because nearly all they did was in order to be seen of men; for he whose desire is for earthly glory from men, cannot believe on Christ who preaches things heavenly. I have read one who interprets this place thus. In Moses' seat, that is, in the rank and degree instituted by Moses, the Scribes and Pharisees are seated unworthily, forasmuch as they preached to others the Law which foretold Christ's coming, but themselves did not receive Him when come. For this cause He exhorts the people to hear the Law which they preached, that is, to believe in Christ who was preached by the Law, but not to follow the Scribes and Pharisees in their disbelief of Him. And He shows the reason why they preached the coming of Christ out of the Law, yet did not believe on Him; namely, because they did not preach that Christ should come through any desire of His coming, but that they might be seen by men to be doctors of the Law.

But after their example do many invent Hebrew names of Angels, and write them, and bind them on themselves, and they seem dreadful to such as are without understanding. Others again wear round their neck a portion of the Gospel written out. But is not the Gospel read every day in the Church, and heard by all? Those therefore who receive no profit from the Gospel sounded in their ears, how shall the having them hung about their neck save them? Further, wherein is the virtue of the Gospel? in the shape of its letters, or in the understanding its meaning? If in the characters, you do well to hang them round your neck; if in their meaning, they are of more profit when laid up in the heart, than hung round the neck. But others explain this place thus, That they made broad their teachings concerning special observances, as phylacteries, or preservatives of salvation, preaching them continually to the people. And the broad fringes of their garments they explain of the same undue stress upon such commandments.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

And all their works they do to be seen by men. Here he sets forth their intention; and he does two things. First, he reveals their intention; secondly, he warns the disciples to avoid them. And first he sets forth their intention; secondly, he explains it, at for they make their phylacteries broad, etc. What is the reason why they say and do not? Because they are incorrigible. Now the reason why a man is difficult to correct, or incorrigible, is that he seeks his own glory. Hence Chrysostom says: take vainglory away from the clergy, and without labor you will cut away all other vices. Hence he begins by saying: all their works they do to be seen by men; John 12:43: they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God. Hence he says, all their works they do, because not only one thing, but all things, to be seen by men, against what is said above at 6:16: be not as the hypocrites. Be not therefore like to them. There follows the explanation: for they make their phylacteries broad, etc. And he does two things. First, he says what they do; secondly, what they seek, at and they love the first places at feasts, etc. What do they do? They do not do burdensome things, but certain things that are outwardly apparent, they do well; hence Bernard says: they bear garments of sanctity, and this is not burdensome, which they displayed in phylacteries and in fringes. For it says in Deuteronomy 6:8: you shall bind them on your hand, and before your eyes. On the hand, i.e., in the completion of a work, and before your eyes, i.e., in your consideration. Therefore, these men, desiring glory, so that they might appear to be zealous for the commandments of God, would write the commandments on a strip and place them before their eyes, and they called this phylacteries, and they made these broader so that they might be more seen by men; hence it says, they make their phylacteries broad. Likewise, regarding the fringes, it is read in Numbers 15:38 that the Lord commanded them to make fringes, because he willed that the Jewish people be distinguished from other peoples. And these men, to show themselves more religious, made the fringes larger and bound thorns to them, so that they might seem to prick themselves, in order to remind themselves that they were Jews. Therefore they exhibit only external things; above at 7:15: they come to you in the clothing of sheep.

Commentary on Matthew

6–7

What are we to say about those who “love the places of honor at banquets and the front seats in synagogues and the highest respect in public places and to be called rabbi by everyone”? We must first admit that this kind of delight is found not only among the scribes and Pharisees but also in the church of Christ, and not only at dinner, while taking places at the table, but also the front seats in church. These are the deacons, or those who wish to become deacons, yet who “squander the savings of widows, praying for a good opportunity” and yet “will receive a greater judgment.” They covet even more avidly the highly visible “first seats” of those called priests. Indeed, however, even they do not put as much effort into their scheming as those who are called bishops, the ones who love “being called rabbi by men.” It is they who ought most clearly to understand that a bishop is to be “above reproach” and so on, so that he would be called “bishop” not by men [only] but rather before God.

Commentary on Matthew 12

6–7

But they not in these only, but in other little things, suffered from this disease.

For, "they love," He saith, "the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi." For these things, although one may think them small, yet are they a cause of great evils. These things have overthrown both cities and churches.

And it comes upon me now even to weep, when I hear of the first seats, and the greetings, and consider how many ills were hence engendered to the churches of God, which it is not necessary to publish to you now; nay rather as many as are aged men do not even need to learn these things from us.

But mark thou, I pray thee, how vainglory prevailed; when they were commanded not to be vainglorious, even in the synagogues, where they had entered to discipline others.

For to have this feeling at feasts, to howsoever great a degree, doth not seem to be so dreadful a thing; although even there the teachers ought to be held in reverence, and not in the church only, but everywhere. And like as a man, wherever he may appear, is manifestly distinguished from the brutes; so also ought the teacher, both speaking and holding his peace, and dining, and doing whatever it may be, to be distinguished as well by his gait, as by his look, and by his garb, and by all things generally. But they were on every account objects of ridicule, and in every respect disgraced themselves, making it their study to follow what they ought to flee. For they love them, it is said; but if the loving them be a matter of blame, what a thing must the doing them be; and to hunt and strive after them, how great an evil.

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 72

(Verse 6.) For they enlarge their phylacteries and magnify their fringes. They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called Rabbi by men. Woe to us, miserable ones, to whom the vices of the Pharisees have been passed on. When the Lord gave the commandments of the Law through Moses, He added at the end: Bind them upon your hand, and they shall be before your eyes (Deut. VI, 8). And the meaning is: Let my precepts be in your hand, so that they may be fulfilled in action: let them be before your eyes, so that day and night you may meditate on them. The Pharisees, by misinterpreting this, wrote the Ten Commandments of Moses on scrolls, folding them up and binding them on their foreheads, making them like a crown on their heads so that they would always be before their eyes. This is still done today by the Indians, Persians, and Babylonians, and those who do this are considered religious among the people. Moses also commanded (Num. XV) that the Israelite people should make blue tassels on the corners of their garments, to distinguish them as the chosen people, just as circumcision is a sign for the Jewish people's bodies, so their clothing should have some distinction. Superstitious teachers, seeking popular applause, and pursuing gains from women, made large phylacteries and bound the sharpest thorns in them so that, as they walked or sat, they would be punctured and, as it were, be drawn by this admonition to the duties of the Lord and to the ministries of his service. Therefore, because the Lord had said that they do all their works to be seen by men, which he had accused in general, he now divides them into parts. Those little tablets of the Decalogue were called phylacteries, which whoever had them would have as a safeguard and a reminder of themselves: the Pharisees not understanding that these things should be carried in the heart, not on the body; otherwise, even cabinets and chests have books, but do not have knowledge of God. This is done among us by superstitious women, in little Gospels, and in the wood of the cross, and in similar things (which indeed they have zeal for God, but not according to knowledge). (Romans 10) Even today, they strain out a gnat and swallow a camel (Below, in the same place). Such was the fringe, small and short, from the Law and the precepts, which was touched by the woman who was flowing with blood, in the cloak of the Lord (Luke 8, above). But she was not moved by the superstitious thorns of the Pharisees; rather, she was healed by touching it. And when they excessively enlarge their phylacteries and make large fringes, seeking glory from men, they are accused in the rest, why they seek the first places at dinners, and the first seats in synagogues; and in public they cut throats and glory; and they are called Rabbi by men, which is said in Latin language, teacher. Denique sequitur:

Commentary on Matthew

Seeing they thus make broad their phylacteries, and make them broad fringes, desiring to have glory of men, they are convicted also in other things; For they love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

6–7

It should be noted, that He does not forbid those to whom this belongs by right of rank to be saluted in the forum, or to sit or recline in the highest room; but those who unduly desire these things, whether they obtain them or not, these He enjoins the believers to shun as wicked.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

6–7

Alas! What is He saying? They are condemned even for loving these things. If he who only loves the place of honor is rebuked, what punishment does that man deserve who does everything to satisfy this love? In the very place where they ought to have taught others to be humble, that is, in "the chief seats in the synagogues," there they themselves were corrupted. For they did everything for the sake of glory, and they were not ashamed of doing these things, but wished all the more for men to call out to them, "Rabbi, Rabbi," which means "teacher."

Commentary on Matthew

For He rebukes not those who recline in the highest place, but those who love such places, blaming the will not the deed. For to no purpose does he humble himself in place who exalts himself in heart. For some vain men hearing that it was a commendable thing to seat himself in the lowest place, chooses so to do; and thus not only does not put away the vanity of his heart, but adds this additional vain ostentation of his humility, as one who would be thought righteous and humble. For many proud men take the lowest place in their bodies, but in haughtiness of heart think themselves to be seated among the highest; and there are many humble men who, placed among the highest, are inwardly in their own esteem among the lowest.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

And what do they seek? To be seen by men. Now this glory is shown in three things: in primacy, in the reverence shown, and in the praise of the name; for whoever seeks glory seeks one of these, or all of them. But these men sought primacy in a sacred place and in a public place; hence regarding the public place he says, and they love the first places at feasts. For they wished to sit at the head of tables, against that passage in Luke 14:8: when you are invited to a wedding, sit down in the lowest place. And he says they love, because it is not authority that is reprehended, but the disordered appetite. For some are in the first place bodily, who nevertheless in their heart sit in the lowest place; and conversely, someone sits in the lowest place so that it might be said, "Look, he is humble," and so forth, but he is in the first place in his heart, because from this he seeks glory. Likewise, they seek primacy in a sacred place, namely in the church; hence he says, and the first chairs in the synagogues, against that passage in Sirach 7:4: seek not of man the pre-eminence, nor of the king the seat of honor.

Commentary on Matthew

And herein they are not without fault, that the same men should be concerned in the litigations of the forum, who in the synagogue in Moses' seat, seek to be called Rabbi by men.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

They love the first salutations, first, that is, not in time only, before others; but in tone, that we should say with a loud voice, Hail, Rabbi; and in body that we should bow low our head; and in place, that the salutation should be in public.

That is, they wish to be called, not to be such; they desire the name, and neglect the duties.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Likewise, they desire reverence; hence he says, and salutations in the marketplace, i.e., that they be greeted and honored by men, that the hood be removed before them, and that knees be bent before them; and they desire to be called by men, Rabbi, i.e., that they be praised as masters. Origen refers this to those who desire dignities in the churches: for there is a certain dignity of archdeacons, deacons, priests, and bishops. Deacons are appointed to preside over tables, Acts 6:2ff. Hence those who desire the first places at feasts desire the position of deacons. Likewise, the chair properly belongs to priests; therefore those who love the chairs love the position of priests. But those who ought to be masters are properly the bishops; hence those who wish to be called Rabbi love to be bishops.

Commentary on Matthew

So, too, righteousness-for the God of righteousness and of creation is the same-was first in a rudimentary state, having a natural fear of God: from that stage it advanced, through the Law and the Prophets, to infancy; from that stage it passed, through the Gospel, to the fervour of youth: now, through the Paraclete, it is settling into maturity. He will be, after Christ, the only one to be called and revered as Master; for He speaks not from Himself, but what is commanded by Christ.

On the Veiling of Virgins

Therefore a wife, when her husband is dead, will not marry; for if she marry, she will of course be marrying (his) brother: for "all we are brethren." Again, the woman, if intending to marry, has to marry "in the Lord; " that is, not to an heathen, but to a brother, inasmuch as even the ancient law forbids marriage with members of another tribe.

On Monogamy

You are not “to be called rabbi” and especially “not by men,” nor are you to love to be called righteous by someone else. “For you have one teacher, and you are all brothers” to each other. For you have been born anew, not only from water but also from the spirit, and you have received the “spirit of adoption,” so that it might be said of you that you were “born not of the flesh, nor of the will of man” but from God. It is hard to imagine this being said of anyone or any son until now. You do not call anyone on earth “Father” in the sense that you say “our Father” of the one who gives all things through all ages and according to the divine plan. Whoever ministers with the divine word does not put himself forward to be called “teacher,” for he knows that when he performs well it is Christ who is within him. He should only call himself “servant” according to the command of Christ, saying, “Whoever is greater among you, let him be the servant of all.”

Commentary on Matthew 12

And in the Church of Christ are found some who take to themselves the uppermost places, that is, become deacons; next they aspire to the chief seats of those that are called presbyters; and some intrigue to be styled among men Bishop, that is, to be called Rabbi. But Christ's disciple loves the uppermost place indeed, but at the spiritual banquet, where he may feed on the choicer morsels of spiritual food, for, with the Apostles who sit upon twelve thrones, he loves the chief seats, and hastes by his good works to render himself worthy of such seats; and he also loves salutations made in the heavenly market-place, that is, in the heavenly congregations of the primitive. But the righteous man would be called Rabbi, neither by man, nor by any other, because there is One Master of all men.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

The other things then He carried no further than to accuse them, as being small and trifling, and as though His disciples needed not at all to be corrected about these matters; but what was a cause of all the evils, even ambition, and the violent seizing of the teacher's chair, this He brings forward, and corrects with diligence, touching this vehemently and earnestly charging them.

For what saith He? "But be not ye called Rabbi." Then follows the cause also; "For one is your master, and all ye are brethren;" and one hath nothing more than another, in respect of his knowing nothing from himself. Wherefore Paul also saith, "For who is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers?"

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 72

8–10

(Verse 8 onwards) But you must not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, who is in heaven. Nor are you to be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. But the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. Neither be called masters; for One is your Master, that is, Christ. And do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. Father, because from Him all things are. Teacher, because through Him all things: or because through the dispensation of His flesh, we all are reconciled to God. It is asked why the Apostle, the teacher of the Gentiles, declared himself to be against this precept (2 Corinthians 5; Colossians 1); or how, in the common language, especially in the monasteries of Palestine and Egypt, they call each other Fathers? This is resolved as follows: It is one thing to be a father or a teacher by nature, another thing by indulgence. If we call someone our father, we show honor to their age, not that they are the author of our life. Likewise, a teacher is called such from the fellowship of a true teacher. And to avoid endless repetition, just as one God and one Son do not prejudice others from being called gods and sons by adoption, so one father and one teacher do not prejudice others from being called fathers and teachers in an abusive manner.

Commentary on Matthew

(cont. Helvid. 15.) All men may be called brethren in affection, which is of two kinds, general and particular. Particular, by which all Christians are brethren; general, by which all men being born of one Father are bound together by like tie of kindred.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Christ does not prohibit one from being called "teacher," but rather He prohibits the passionate desire to be so called, and the eager pursuit of every possible means to acquire the name. For the dignity of the office of "teacher" belongs chiefly to God alone.

Commentary on Matthew

Be not ye called Rabbi, that ye take not to yourselves what belongs to God. And call not others Rabbi, that ye pay not to men a divine honour. For One is the Master of all, who instructs all men by nature. For if man were taught by man, all men would learn that have teachers; but seeing it is not man that teaches, but God, many are taught, but few learn. Man cannot by teaching impart an understanding to man, but that understanding which is given by God man calls forth

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

But be not you called Rabbi. In this part he forbids the imitation of glory; secondly, he invites to humility, at he that is the greatest among you shall be your servant. Now it should be noted that he who has primacy has the duty of instructing and governing; the first of these belongs properly to a master, the second to fathers. And therefore he first prohibits vainglory with respect to both; the second is at and call none your father upon earth. Regarding the first, he first sets forth the teaching; secondly, he assigns the reason. He says, then, but be not you called Rabbi; against which is that passage in 1 Timothy 5:17: let the priests that rule well be esteemed worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. It can be said, be not, i.e., do not seek it ambitiously. And he adds the reason: for one is your master, etc., namely God; Psalm 84:9: I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me. But what does he mean to say? It should be said that he is properly called a master who has his doctrine from himself, not one who disperses to others what he has received from another. And thus there is only one master, namely God, who properly has the doctrine; but by ministry many are masters. If you seek authority, you seek what belongs to God; but if you seek ministry, you seek what belongs to humility; hence it follows, he that is the greatest among you shall be your servant, i.e., he will consider himself a servant. Chrysostom says that just as there is one God by nature and many by participation, so also there is one master naturally and many ministerially. But how can a man know that he does not have doctrine from himself? It is clear, because if so, it would be in his power to give doctrine to whomever he wished, but he cannot; rather, this belongs to God alone, who illumines the heart from within. And there is a manifest example in health, because a physician heals by administering certain things externally; but nature principally heals, and the physician only provides certain aids; and the physician heals in the way nature does, namely by reducing to a mean. So it is with knowledge, because the principle is ours from nature, namely the intellect; the one who teaches provides certain helps for doctrine, as the physician does for health, but God alone operates in the intellect. Hence one is your master; hence you ought not to be called masters. Likewise, he shows that they should not love the authority of a father: but you are all brothers, and he shows this from the equal condition. In the matter of teaching he made no difference in the quality of condition, but in paternity he adds the condition; hence he says, you are all brothers, because from me your father; Malachi 4:5: behold, I will send you Elias the prophet; and afterward: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers. Likewise, you are my children through regeneration; 1 Peter 1:3: who has regenerated us unto a lively hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Hence one does not have authority over another.

Commentary on Matthew

Why not? He had found the son whom he had lost; he had felt him to be all the dearer of whom he had made a gain. Who is that father to be understood by us to be? God, surely: no one is so truly a Father; no one so rich in paternal love.

On Repentance

However, our Lord very frequently proclaimed God as a Father to us; nay, even gave a precept "that we call no one on earth father, but the Father whom we have in the heavens: and so, in thus praying, we are likewise obeying the precept.

On Prayer

To Abraham, in fine, they appeal; prohibited though they are to acknowledge any other father than God. Grant, now, that Abraham is our father; grant, too, that Paul is.

On Monogamy

But who calls no man father upon earth? He who in every action done as before God, says, Our Father, which art in Heaven.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

And that the disciples may ever remember that they are the children of one parent, and that by their new birth they have passed the limits of their earthly origin.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Not that when Christ is here said to be our Master, the Father is excluded, as neither when God is said to be our Father, is Christ excluded, Who is the Father of men.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Seest thou not those who adopt to themselves sons here, how they commit not the act to slaves, but are themselves present at the judgment-seat? Even so neither hath God committed His gift to angels, but Himself is present, commanding and saying, "Call no man Father on earth;" not that thou shouldest dishonor them that gave thee birth, but that thou shouldest prefer to all those Him that made thee, and enrolled thee amongst His own children. For He that hath given the greater, that is, hath set Himself before thee, much more will He not think scorn to distribute unto thee of His body.

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 50

And again, "Call not, father," not that they should not call, but they may know whom they ought to call Father, in the highest sense. For like as the master is not a master principally; so neither is the father. For He is cause of all, both of the masters, and of the fathers.

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 72

No one should be called teacher or father except God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. He alone is the Father, because all things are from him. He alone is the teacher, because through him are made all things and through him all things are reconciled to God.But one might ask, “Is it against this precept when the apostle calls himself the teacher of the Gentiles? Or when, as in colloquial speech widely found in the monasteries of Egypt and Palestine, they call each other Father?” Remember this distinction. It is one thing to be a father or a teacher by nature, another to be so by generosity. For when we call a man father and reserve the honor of his age, we may thereby be failing to honor the Author of our own lives. One is rightly called a teacher only from his association with the true Teacher. I repeat: The fact that we have one God and one Son of God through nature does not prevent others from being understood as sons of God by adoption. Similarly this does not make the terms father and teacher useless or prevent others from being called father.

Commentary on Matthew 4.23.10

It is a difficulty that the Apostle against this command calls himself the teacher of the Gentiles; and that in monasteries in their common conversation, they call one another, Father. It is to be cleared thus. It is one thing to be father or master by nature, another by sufferance. Thus when we call any man our father, we do it to show respect to his age, not as regarding him as the author of our being. We also call men 'Master,' from resemblance to a real master; and, not to use tedious repetition, as the One God and One Son, who are by nature, do not preclude us from calling others gods and sons by adoption, so the One Father and One Master, do not preclude us from speaking of other fathers and masters by an abuse of the terms.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

In saying "Call no man your father," He is not prohibiting the honor given to parents, since He desires that we should honor our parents and especially our spiritual fathers; rather He is inducing us to acknowledge the true Father, namely, God, for He is chiefly and essentially our Father. Fathers in the flesh are not the authors of procreation, but rather, servants and accessories.

Commentary on Matthew

And call no man your Father upon earth; because in this world though man begets man, yet there is one Father who created all men. For we have not beginning of life from our parents, but we have our life transmitted through them.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

And it follows, and call none your father upon earth: because you are children of the heavenly Father, therefore you should not have a father on earth. He is properly said to have a father on earth who seeks his inheritance on earth; and he has a father in heaven who seeks his inheritance in heaven; 1 Peter 1:4: who has regenerated us unto an incorruptible inheritance, and undefiled, and that cannot fade, reserved in heaven. Why then are the superiors in monasteries called fathers? It should be said that it is with respect to authority; Ephesians 3:4: you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, etc. For one is your father. Above at 6:9: our Father, who art in heaven.

Commentary on Matthew

And again He adds, "Neither be ye called guides, for one is your guide, even Christ;" and He said not, I. For like as above He said, "What think ye of Christ?" and He said not, "of me," so here too.

But I should be glad to ask here, what they would say, who are repeatedly applying the term one, one, to the Father alone, to the rejection of the Only-begotten. Is the Father guide? All would declare it, and none would gainsay it. And yet "one," He saith, "is your guide, even Christ." For like as Christ, being called the one guide, casts not out the Father from being guide; even so the Father, being called Master, doth not cast out the Son from being Master. For the expression, one, one, is spoken in contra-distinction to men, and the rest of the creation.

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 72

(non occ.) Because it was clear who was the Father of all, by this which was said, Which art in Heaven, He would teach them who was the Master of all, and therefore repeats the same command concerning a master, Neither be ye called masters; for one is your Master, even Christ.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Likewise, neither be ye called masters, for one is your master: Christ. Hence Christ attributes mastership to himself, because Christ is the Word; and therefore it belongs to him to teach, because no one teaches except through the Word. Likewise, he is master with respect to his human nature, because he was sent to teach; John 1:18: no man has seen God at any time. The only-begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him. Likewise, ibid. 13:13: you call me master and Lord.

Commentary on Matthew

11–12

Or otherwise; And if one minister the divine word, knowing that it is Christ that makes it to be fruitful, such a one professes himself a minister and not a master; whence it follows, He that is greatest among you, let him be your servant. As Christ Himself, who was in truth our Master, professed Himself a minister, saying, I am in the midst of you as one that ministers. (Luke 22:27.) And well does He conclude this prohibition of all vain-glory with the words, And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

I wish everyone might hear this, and most of all deacons, priests and bishops, especially those who think to themselves that these were not the words written: “He who exalts himself will be humbled.” On this basis, they then act as if they do not know that he said, “He who has humbled himself will be exalted.” They do not hear him who said, “Learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly of heart.” They thought themselves to be self-inspired and through this inspiration fell “into the judgment of the devil.” They had not thought of critically examining their false humility. They would have done better to have remembered the word of wisdom that says, “The greater you are, the more you must humble yourself, and you will find grace before God.” It was the Lord who provided the pattern for this process. No matter how great he was, he humbled himself. For “though he was in the form of God, [he] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name.”

Commentary on Matthew 12

11–12

Having warned them therefore against this grievous pest, and amended them, He instructs also how they may escape it; by humility. Wherefore He adds also, "He that is greatest among you shall be your servant. For whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased, and whosoever shall abase himself shall be exalted."

For nothing is equal to the practice of modesty, wherefore He is continually reminding them of this virtue, both when He brought the children into the midst, and now. And, when on the mount, beginning the beatitudes, He began from hence. And in this place, He plucks it up by the roots hereby, saying, "He that abaseth himself shall be exalted."

Seest thou how He draws off the hearer right over to the contrary thing. For not only doth He forbid him to set his heart upon the first place, but requires him to follow after the last. For so shalt thou obtain thy desire, He saith. Wherefore he that pursues his desire for the first, must follow after the last place. "For he that abaseth himself shall be exalted."

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 72

Since those who have arrived teaching new beliefs for the most part do so from conceit and arrogance, I will say something concerning the value of the teaching. The Lord cuts short this opinion and way as leading to destruction. He says, “You love glory and the places of first importance.” Meanwhile he desires the servant’s role and cultivates humility.

Fragment 255

Showing them what is to be gained by humility, He says that he who is great among you should be your servant and the least.

Commentary on Matthew

He that is the greatest among you shall be your servant. After he has drawn them back from pride, he exhorts them to humility. And first he sets forth the exhortation; secondly, he assigns the reason. And this can be continued as follows. Chrysostom says: you ought not to be called fathers, nor masters; hence you should not seek these things ambitiously, but rather humility. Hence, he that is the greatest among you shall be your servant, i.e., he ought to show himself a servant. Hence 1 Corinthians 4:1: let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ. Or in another way: he had said, be not called Rabbi; hence they might say to him: do you wish that there be no authority on earth? The Lord says: this I do not wish, but I wish that he who is the greatest among you be a servant, i.e., that he not consider himself as a superior, but as a servant; 2 Corinthians 4:5: ourselves your servants through Jesus. And this is what is said in Luke 22:27: which is greater, he that serves, or he that sits at table? etc.

Commentary on Matthew

A hermit said, ‘He who is praised and honoured above what he deserves suffers grievous loss. He who receives no honour at all among men, shall be glorified hereafter.’

The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks

Which means that every one who thinks highly of his own deserts, shall be humbled before God; and every one who humbles himself concerning his good deeds, shall be exalted with God.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

For he who exalts himself, presuming to be something, shall be humbled and abandoned by God.

Commentary on Matthew

Then he assigns the reason: and whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. Hence in the canticle of the Virgin, Luke 1:52: he has put down the mighty from their seat, and has exalted the humble.

Commentary on Matthew

The whole secret of the practical success of Christendom lies in the Christian humility, however imperfectly fulfilled. For with the removal of all question of merit or payment, the soul is suddenly released for incredible voyages. If we ask a sane man how much he merits, his mind shrinks instinctively and instantaneously. It is doubtful whether he merits six feet of earth. But if you ask him what he can conquer—he can conquer the stars. Thus comes the thing called Romance, a purely Christian product. A man cannot deserve adventures; he cannot earn dragons and hippogriffs. The mediaeval Europe which asserted humility gained Romance; the civilization which gained Romance has gained the habitable globe.

Heretics, Ch. 5: Mr. H. G. Wells and the Giants (1905)

For the truth is much stranger even than it appears in the formal doctrine of the sin of pride. It is not only true that humility is a much wiser and more vigorous thing than pride. It is also true that vanity is a much wiser and more vigorous thing than pride. Vanity is social—it is almost a kind of comradeship; pride is solitary and uncivilized. Vanity is active; it desires the applause of infinite multitudes; pride is passive, desiring only the applause of one person, which it already has. Vanity is humorous, and can enjoy the joke even of itself; pride is dull, and cannot even smile. ... Stevenson had found that the secret of life lies in laughter and humility. Self is the gorgon. Vanity sees it in the mirror of other men and lives. Pride studies it for itself and is turned to stone.

Heretics, Ch. 9: The Moods of Mr. George Moore (1905)

All real democracy is an attempt (like that of a jolly hostess) to bring the shy people out. For every practical purpose of a political state, for every practical purpose of a tea-party, he that abaseth himself must be exalted. At a tea-party it is equally obvious that he that exalteth himself must be abased, if possible without bodily violence. Now people talk of democracy as being coarse and turbulent: it is a self-evident error in mere history. Aristocracy is the thing that is always coarse and turbulent: for it means appealing to the self-confident people. Democracy means appealing to the different people. Democracy means getting those people to vote who would never have the cheek to govern: and (according to Christian ethics) the precise people who ought to govern are the people who have not the cheek to do it.

Tremendous Trifles, The Travellers in State (1909)

As a matter of fact, the strongest nations are those, like Prussia or Japan, which began from very mean beginnings, but have not been too proud to sit at the feet of the foreigner and learn everything from him. Almost every obvious and direct victory has been the victory of the plagiarist. This is, indeed, only a very paltry by-product of humility, but it is a product of humility, and, therefore, it is successful. Prussia had no Christian humility in its internal arrangements; hence its internal arrangements were miserable. But it had enough Christian humility slavishly to copy France (even down to Frederick the Great’s poetry), and that which it had the humility to copy it had ultimately the honour to conquer. The case of the Japanese is even more obvious; their only Christian and their only beautiful quality is that they have humbled themselves to be exalted.

Heretics, Ch. 12: Paganism and Mr. Lowes Dickinson (1905)

The wheel is an animal that is always standing on its head; only “it does it so rapidly that no philosopher has ever found out which is its head.” Or if the phrase be felt as more exact, it is an animal that is always turning head over heels and progressing by this principle. Some fish, I think, turn head over heels (supposing them, for the sake of argument, to have heels); I have a dog who nearly did it; and I did it once myself when I was very small. It was an accident, and, as delightful novelist, Mr. De Morgan, would say, it never can happen again. Since then no one has accused me of being upside down except mentally: and I rather think that there is something to be said for that; especially as typified by the rotary symbol. A wheel is the sublime paradox; one part of it is always going forward and the other part always going back. Now this, as it happens, is highly similar to the proper condition of any human soul or any political state. Every sane soul or state looks at once backwards and forwards; and even goes backwards to come on.

For those interested in revolt (as I am) I only say meekly that one cannot have a Revolution without revolving. The wheel, being a logical thing, has reference to what is behind as well as what is before. It has (as every society should have) a part that perpetually leaps helplessly at the sky and a part that perpetually bows down its head into the dust. Why should people be so scornful of us who stand on our heads? Bowing down one's head in the dust is a very good thing, the humble beginning of all happiness. When we have bowed our heads in the dust for a little time the happiness comes; and then (leaving our heads' in the humble and reverent position) we kick up our heels behind in the air. That is the true origin of standing on one's head; and the ultimate defence of paradox. The wheel humbles itself to be exalted; only it does it a little quicker than I do.

Alarms and Discursions, The Wheel (1910)

The mountain tops are only noble because from them we are privileged to behold the plains. So the only value in any man being superior is that he may have a superior admiration for the level and the common. If there is any profit in a place craggy and precipitous it is only because from the vale it is not easy to see all the beauty of the vale; because when actually in the flats one cannot see their sublime and satisfying flatness. If there is any value in being educated or eminent (which is doubtful enough) it is only because the best instructed man may feel most swiftly and certainly the splendour of the ignorant and the simple: the full magnificence of that mighty human army in the plains. The general goes up to the hill to look at his soldiers, not to look down at his soldiers. He withdraws himself not because his regiment is too small to be touched, but because it is too mighty to be seen. The chief climbs with submission and goes higher with great humility; since in order to take a bird's eye view of everything, he must become small and distant like a bird.

Alarms and Discursions, The High Plains (1910)

Christ is truly the Son of that God Who gave the Law; after the example of the blessings pronounced in the Law, did Himself pronounce the blessings of them that are saved; and also after the cursings of the Law, He now sets forth a woe against sinners; Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. They who allow that it is compatible with goodness to utter these denunciations against sinners, should understand that the purpose of God is the same in the cursings of the Law. Both the cursing there and the woe here fall upon the sinner not from Him who denounces, but from themselves who commit the sins which are denounced, and worthily bring upon themselves the inflictions of God's discipline, appointed for the turning of men to good. So a father rebuking a son utters words of cursing, but does not desire that he should become deserving of those curses, but rather that he should turn himself from them. He adds the cause of this woe, Ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for ye neither go in yourselves, nor suffer them that are entering to go in. These two commandments are by nature inseparable; because not to suffer others to enter in, is of itself enough to keep the hinderer out.

The Pharisees and the Scribes then would neither enter in, nor hear Him who said, By me if any man enter in he shall be saved; (John 10:9.) nor would they suffer those to enter in, who were able to have believed through the things which had been spoken before by the Law and the Prophets concerning Christ, but shut up the door with every kind of device to deter men from entering. Also they detracted from His teaching, denied all prophecy concerning Him, and blasphemed every miracle as deceitful, or wrought by the Devil. All who in their evil conversation set an example of sinning to the people, and who commit injustice, offending the weak, seem to shut up the kingdom of heaven before men. And this sin is found among the people, and chiefly among the doctors, when they teach men what the Gospel righteousness requires of them, but do not what they teach. But those who both teach and live well open to men the kingdom of heaven, and both enter in themselves, and invite others to enter in. Many also will not suffer those who are willing to enter into the kingdom of heaven, when they without reason excommunicate out of jealousy others who are better than themselves; thus they refuse them entrance, but these of sober spirit, overcoming by their patience this tyranny, although forbidden, yet enter in and inherit the kingdom. Also they who with much rashness have set themselves to the profession of teaching before they have learned, and following Jewish fables, detract from those who search out the higher things of Scripture; these do, as far as in them lies, shut out men from the kingdom of heaven.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

There are those who dare to say that God is not good because of the curses in his law that he places against their sin. And yet the one who is truly the Son of God who gave that same law is also the same one who put blessings into the law. The same God who provides blessings for those who are saved in a similar way applies curses which he placed in the law against sinners. “Woe,” he says. Woe to you and to those hearing these things who plead the God of the law and yet do not understand that these words were spoken by God in a kindly way. So we understand why Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees.” They believe that it is in fact a good thing to pronounce these curses against sinners. They consider the arrangement of the law’s curses to be a part of God’s design. The chiding father frequently urges his advice on his son for his improvement—advice that may seem to be a curse. He does not wish the curses to be actualized, however, but rather he desires to avert him from even more such curses.

Commentary on Matthew 13

“Woe” is a voice of sorrowing. For this reason he says that they close the kingdom of heaven, because they hide in the law the consolation of his truth. They lost sight of the advent expected by the prophets. Through deceptive teachings, they do not allow others to go to heaven either. They do not adorn the way of eternity.

Commentary on Matthew 24.3

"Woe unto you, for ye shut up the kingdom against men; for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." But if to profit no one be a charge against a man, even to hurt and hinder, what plea hath that? But what means, "them that are entering in?" Them that are fit for it. For when they were to lay injunctions on others, they used to make the burdens intolerable, but when they themselves were to do any of the things required, on the contrary, so far from doing anything, they went much beyond this in wickedness, they even used to corrupt others. These are they that are called pests, who make their employment the ruin of others, standing right contrary to teachers. For if it be the part of a teacher to save that which is perishing, to destroy that which is on the point of being saved is that of a destroyer.

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 73

13–14

(Ver. 13, 14.) But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people's faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive the greater condemnation. The scribes and Pharisees have knowledge of the Law and the Prophets, and they know that Christ is the Son of God; they are not ignorant that He was born of a Virgin. But while they seek to prey on the subject people, they themselves do not enter the kingdom of heaven, nor do they allow those who could enter to do so. This is what the Prophet Hosea accuses: The priests have hidden the way, they have murdered Shechem (Hosea 6:9). And again: The priests have not said, 'Where is the Lord?' (Hosea 4). Indeed, every teacher who scandalizes his disciples with evil deeds shuts the kingdom of heaven before them.

Commentary on Matthew

The scribes and Pharisees have the knowledge of the prophets and of the law. They know that Christ is the Son of God. They are not ignorant that he was born of the Virgin. Yet they did not seek to serve the people to whom they were accountable. They themselves were not entering the kingdom of heaven, nor did they permit others who were able to do so. Hosea the prophet declares of them, “The priests have stolen the way, they have killed the [people of] Shechem,” and again, “The priests did not ask where the Lord is.” Surely every teacher who misleads his students shuts the gate of the kingdom of heaven before them.

Commentary on Matthew 4.23.13

Which means that every one who thinks highly of his own deserts, shall be humbled before God; and every one who humbles himself concerning his good deeds, shall be exalted with God.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Not only, He says, are you unbelievers who lead a corrupt life, but you teach others not to believe in Me and you corrupt them by your life and example. For the people are apt to become like their rulers, especially if they see them inclined towards evil. See, therefore, that "woe" is the reward of every teacher and ruler whose evil life obstructs others in progress towards good.

Commentary on Matthew

By the kingdom of heaven is meant the Scriptures, because in them the kingdom of heaven is lodged; the understanding of these is the door. Or the kingdom of heaven is the blessedness of heaven, and the door thereof Christ, by Whom men enter in. The door-keepers are the Priests, to whom is committed the word of teaching or interpreting Scripture, by which the door of truth is opened to men. The opening of this door is right interpretation. And observe that He said not, Woe unto you, for ye open, but, for ye shut up; the Scriptures then are not shut up, though they are obscure.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

After he instructed the disciples and the multitudes about the caution they should have regarding the doctrine of the Jews, here he turns his discourse to the scribes, rebuking them. First, he rebukes them for the pretense of religion, when they were irreligious; secondly, for the pretense of purity, when they were impure; thirdly, for the pretense of piety, when they were impious. The second is at woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who make clean the outside of the cup, etc. The third is at woe to you who build the sepulchres of the prophets, etc. In those things that pertain to religion, certain things are owed by priests to the people, and certain things conversely. First, therefore, he sets forth their malice in those things that are owed by priests; secondly, in those things that are owed by the people, at woe to him that says: whosoever shall swear, etc. A priest owes something to one already converted, and something to one not yet converted. To one not yet converted, that he may convert him; to one converted, doctrine; Malachi 2:7: the lips of the priest teach wisdom. Likewise, he owes him prayers; Hebrews 5:1: for every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in the things that appertain to God. And they acted wickedly in both respects; hence he first rebukes them regarding the first; secondly, regarding the second, at woe to you who devour the houses of widows, etc. In all these rebukes he shows himself to be the Son of him who gave the old law. In Deuteronomy 26 and 28, curses are given to those who did not remain in the law, and afterwards blessings are given. But because he came to loose the curses of the law, therefore the blessings were given first above, where it was said, blessed are the poor, blessed are the meek, etc. But toward the end of his teaching he gives the curse. Therefore they reprove badly who reprove the old law because curses were contained in it, since just as in the old law, so also in the new. For just as in the law none were cursed except those who transgressed the law, so neither here; Proverbs 3:11: reject not the correction of the Lord. But what does it mean when he says, who shut the kingdom of heaven against men? The kingdom of heaven is called the beatitude of eternal life; above at 5:20: unless your justice abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Likewise, sacred Scripture is called the kingdom; above at 21:43: the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, i.e., the understanding of sacred Scripture. To both kingdoms Christ is the door; John 10:9: I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and he shall go in and go out, and shall find pastures. What then is it to shut the kingdom, if not that they were shutting it by bad doctrine and a bad life? Only what is open can be shut. The teachings about Christ were open, but they were shutting them, because they were making them obscure. It says in Isaiah 35:5: the Lord himself will come and will save us. Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. When the Lord was doing these miracles, this Scripture was open, but they were shutting it by saying, he casts out devils by Beelzebub the prince of devils, Luke 11:15. Likewise, they were shutting it by a bad life, when by bad example they led others to sin; Psalm 1:1: blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence. He properly sits in the chair of pestilence who takes the office of teaching and corrupts the people by a bad life. Also by an unjust sentence a judge slays a man, yet he hurls the unjust sentence to no effect. For power was given for binding and loosing unto edification, not unto destruction. Hence it can be said to them, woe to you (...) because you shut the kingdom of heaven against men. Likewise, whoever impedes entrance into the kingdom, there is no doubt that he acts wickedly; hence it follows, for you yourselves do not enter in, nor do you suffer those that are going in to enter, i.e., to be converted. Hence Malachi 2:8: you have departed out of the way, and have caused many to stumble.

Commentary on Matthew

The Pharisees and the Scribes then would neither enter in, nor hear Him who said, By me if any man enter in he shall be saved; (John 10:9.) nor would they suffer those to enter in, who were able to have believed through the things which had been spoken before by the Law and the Prophets concerning Christ, but shut up the door with every kind of device to deter men from entering. Also they detracted from His teaching, denied all prophecy concerning Him, and blasphemed every miracle as deceitful, or wrought by the Devil. All who in their evil conversation set an example of sinning to the people, and who commit injustice, offending the weak, seem to shut up the kingdom of heaven before men. And this sin is found among the people, and chiefly among the doctors, when they teach men what the Gospel righteousness requires of them, but do not what they teach. But those who both teach and live well open to men the kingdom of heaven, and both enter in themselves, and invite others to enter in. Many also will not suffer those who are willing to enter into the kingdom of heaven, when they without reason excommunicate out of jealousy others who are better than themselves; thus they refuse them entrance, but these of sober spirit, overcoming by their patience this tyranny, although forbidden, yet enter in and inherit the kingdom. Also they who with much rashness have set themselves to the profession of teaching before they have learned, and following Jewish fables, detract from those who search out the higher things of Scripture; these do, as far as in them lies, shut out men from the kingdom of heaven.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Or, because their observance of the kingdom of heaven proceeds hence, that they may keep up their practice of going about to widows' houses, they shall therefore receive the heavier judgment, as having their own sin and the ignorance of others to answer for.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

These are the poisoners of truth. They are reluctant to undertake the salvation of others. They bolt shut the kingdom of heaven. In their ambition they “devour widows’ houses and for pretense make long prayers.” By this acquaintance with heaven (achieved with those long prayers), they expect they will persevere in the merits of grace quietly, just as a rich person expects to receive the treasure stored up for him. However, they will receive ample judgment and punishment for their particular sins. They will be called to account for their strange and ignorant practices.

Commentary on Matthew 24.4

"Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: therefore ye shall receive greater damnation."

After this, next He derides them for gluttony: and the grievous thing was, that not from rich men's goods, but from the poor they indulged their own belly, and aggravated their poverty, which they should have relieved. For neither did they merely eat, but devoured.

Moreover also the manner of their overreaching was yet more grievous, "for a pretense making long prayers."

For every one is worthy of vengeance who doeth any evil thing; but he that is deriving even the reason for so doing from godliness, and is using this cloke for his wickedness, is justly liable to a far more grievous punishment. And wherefore did He not depose them? Because the time suffered it not as yet. So therefore He lets them alone for a time, but by His sayings, He secures that the people be not deceived, lest, through the dignity of those men, they be drawn on to the same emulation.

For as He had said, "Whatsoever they bid you do, that do;" He shows how many things they do amiss, lest from thence He should be supposed amongst the unwise to commit all to them.

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 73

He calls them hypocrites for professing piety and doing nothing worthy of what they profess, but instead, they would make pretence of long prayer and would devour the widows' means. Indeed they were mockers who deceived the simple and like leeches sucked them dry. "Therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation" because you have devoured everything the widows have, when instead you should have provided for them and relieved their poverty. There is yet another reason why their condemnation will be greater: they prayed pretending to do good while they were in fact doing something evil, that is, devouring the widows' means. For he who lures another into harm by pretending to be good deserves the greatest punishment.

Commentary on Matthew

(interlin.) Devour widows' houses, that is, your superstitions have this only aim, namely, to make a gain of the people that is put under you.

(interlin. Luke 12:47.) Or, because the servant that knew his Lord's will and did it not, shall he beaten with many stripes.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

The female sex is imprudent, as not contemplating with reason all that it sees or hears; and weak, as being easily turned either from bad to good, or from good to bad. The male sex is more prudent and hardy. And therefore pretenders to holiness practise most upon women, who are unable to see their hypocrisy, and are easily inclined to love them on the ground of religion. But widows they chiefly choose to attempt; first, because a woman who has her husband to advise her is not so readily deceived; and secondly, she has not the means of giving, being in the power of her husband. The Lord then, whilst He confounds the Jewish Priests, instructs the Christian that they should not frequent widows rather than others, for though their purpose may not be bad, it gives occasion to suspicions.

First, for that ye are wicked, and then because ye put on the cloak of sanctity. Your covetousness you dress up in the colour of religion, and use God's arms in the Devil's service, that iniquity may be loved while it is thought to be piety.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Woe to you (...) who devour the houses of widows, praying long prayers. This is the second woe, in which the pretense regarding prayer is touched upon. And first he rebukes their voracity, when he says, who devour the houses of widows, because whatever they did, they twisted entirely to gluttony, so that what is said in 2 Maccabees 6:4 applied to them, that the whole temple was full of debauchery and feasting. The houses of widows, i.e., the resources of widows. But why the houses of widows rather than of others? The reason is that they aimed more at seducing women, because men are wiser and more discreet, and are not so quickly deceived. Likewise, women have a more ready inclination toward giving; 1 Timothy 2:10: but that which becomes women professing godliness through good works. Likewise, the houses of widows, because a woman who has a husband has him as her head and counselor, and therefore is not so easily deceived. Likewise, a married woman does not have control of her house, but a widow does; therefore she can give more than a married woman, and therefore they made more profit from them than from others, when it was rather the case that they should have been giving to them; hence that passage in Psalm 93:6 applies well to them: they have slain the widow and the stranger. And this in prayer. Praying long prayers, on account of the pretense of sanctity: and so they twisted prayer toward profit, and profit toward glory. Hence they could be reproved because they were gluttonous, because they were despoilers, and likewise because they pretended sanctity; and therefore it follows, and for this you shall receive the greater judgment, i.e., you sin more greatly. And why? Because if someone robs by the weapons of the devil, he sins; and if by the weapons of God, he sins doubly, because he sins against God and against his neighbor. Or greater, etc., because you receive from those to whom you ought to be giving. Or greater, as it says in Luke 12:47: the servant who knew the will of his lord and did not do it shall be beaten with many stripes.

Commentary on Matthew

From this place we learn that there will be a difference of torment in hell, seeing one is here said to be singly a child of hell, another twofold. And we ought to consider here whether it is possible that a man should be generally a child of hell, as a Jew, suppose, or a Gentile, or whether specially so in consequence of some particular sins; that as a righteous man is increased in glory by the abundance of his righteousnesses, so a sinner's punishment is increased manifold by the number of his sins.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

That they compass sea and land signifies that throughout the whole world they shall be enemies of Christ's Gospel, and shall bring men under the yoke of the Law against the justification of faith. There were proselytes made into the Synagogue from among the Gentiles, the small number of whom is here denoted by what is said one proselyte. For after the preaching of Christ there was no faith left in their doctrine, but whoever was gained to the faith of the Jews became a child of hell.

And he becomes the child of a twofold punishment, because he has not obtained remission of his Gentile sins, and because he has joined the society of those who persecuted Christ.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

After this, again another charge: "Ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves;" that is, not even the fact that hardly ye have taken him, and with endless toils, induces you to be sparing towards him, although of the things we have hardly acquired, we are more sparing, but you not even this renders more gentle.

Here He lays to their charge two things; one, that they are unprofitable for the salvation of the many, and need much toil in order to win over even one; another, that they were remiss in the preservation of him whom they had gained, or rather that they were not only careless, but even traitors, by their wickedness in their life corrupting him, and making him worse. For when the disciple sees his teachers to be such as these, he becomes worse than they. For he stops not at his teacher's wickedness; but as when his teacher is virtuous, he imitates him, so when he is bad, he even goes beyond him, by reason of our proneness to what is evil.

And He calls him "a child of hell," that is, a very hell. And He said "twofold more than you," that He might both alarm those, and make these feel the more severely, because they are teachers of wickedness. And not this only, but because they labor to instill into their disciples a greater wickedness, hardening them to a much greater depravity than they have, and this is above all a mark of a depraved soul.

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 73

Or otherwise; The Scribes and Pharisees compassed the whole world to make proselytes of the Gentiles, that is, to mix the uncircumcised stranger with the people of God.

Or, because before while he was a Gentile he erred in ignorance, and was only a child of hell; but seeing the vices of his masters, and understanding that they destroyed in their actions what they taught in words, he returns to his vomit, and becoming a Gentile, he is worthy of greater punishment as one that has deserted his cause.

He is called a child of hell in the same way as one is said to be a child of perdition, and a child of this world; every man is called the son of him whose works he does.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

The scribes and the Pharisees were reviewing the whole world on account of the business and diverse profits taken by their disciples. These profits were taken under the pretense of sanctity.

Commentary on Matthew 4.23.15

(Verse 15.) Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel over sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. We do not serve with the same zeal with which we seek. Scribes and Pharisees, while traversing the whole world for the sake of gains or different profits to be sought both by attracting disciples and by the image of holiness, they had the intention to make a proselyte, that is, a stranger and uncircumcised, mix with the people of God. But he, who before, while he was an ethnick, simply wandered, and was once the son of Gehenna, seeing the vices of the masters, and understanding to destroy them by works, what they were teaching by words, returns to his vomit: and becoming a gentile, as if a transgressor, he will be worthy of a greater punishment. But he is called the son of Gehenna, just as the son of perdition, and the son of this age. For each one is called the son of him whose works he does.

Commentary on Matthew

(cont. Faust. xvi. 29. et cf. cont. Adimant. 16.) This He said not because proselytes were circumcised, but because they imitated the lives of those from following whom He had prohibited His disciples, saying, Do ye not after their works. Two things are observable in this command; first, the honour shown to Moses' teaching, (Matt. 23:3.) that even wicked men when sitting in his seat are compelled to teach good things; and that the proselyte is made a child of hell, not by hearing the words of the Law, but by following their doings. And twofold more than they for this reason, that he neglects to fulfil what he had undertaken of his own choice, having been not born a Jew, but of free will become a Jew.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

(Mor. xxxi. 9.) But forasmuch as hypocrites though they do ever crooked things, yet cease not to speak right things, and thus by their good instructions beget sons, but are not able to bring them up by good life, but the more they give themselves up to worldly works, the more willingly do they suffer those whom they have begotten to work the same. And because their hearts are hardened, these very sons whom they have begotten they do not own by any sign of the affection due. Wherefore it is here said of the hypocrites, And when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Not only, He says, do you corrupt the Jews, but also those who come to the Jewish religion from idolatry. These were called "proselytes." You are eager to convert someone to the Jewish way of life and to circumcision; but when they Judaize, they perish, corrupted by your wickedness. A "son of gehenna" means he who deserves gehenna and stands so close to it by disposition that he is kindled by its flames.

Commentary on Matthew

(interlin. Luke 12:47.) Or, because the servant that knew his Lord's will and did it not, shall he beaten with many stripes.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

And that not of compassion from desire to save him whom they taught, but either from covetousness, that the greater number of worshippers might increase the number of offerings made in sacrifice, or out of vain glory. For he who sinks himself in a slough of sins, how should he be desirous to rescue another out of them? Will a man be more merciful to another than to himself? By a man's actions therefore it may be known whether he seeks another's conversion for God's sake, or out of vain glory.

Or, because while he was a worshipper of idols, he observed righteousness even because of men; but when he became a Jew, prompted by the example of evil teachers, he became worse than his teachers.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte. And this is explained in two ways, as referring to the time after Christ, and to the time before Christ. If to the time after, then he speaks of things future and present. For he foresaw that the Jews would be scattered throughout the whole world, and that they would convert some to their law, and pervert from Christ whomever they could. And therefore it says, you go round about the sea and the land, etc. Proselytes are those who convert from the gentiles to their faith, or from Christians; and because he foresaw that they would convert some to their faith from among the Christians, therefore he says this. And he says one, because very few were converted. Therefore they entered into that curse found in Hosea 9:10: I found Israel like grapes in the desert. And when he is made, namely a Jew, you make him a child of hell twofold more than yourselves: because he is first a gentile and then a Jew, and then he has double sins, namely of gentilism and of the Jews, because as a Jew he becomes a partaker of the slaying of Christ; but if he was a Christian and afterward becomes a Jew, he becomes doubly worse, because he defiles the gift of the Holy Spirit which he had received in the sacraments. Likewise, he becomes a partaker of the sins of the Jews; John 8:44: you are of your father the devil. It can also be referred to the time before Christ, because before Christ they converted some to their faith. And this is clear, because everyone loves himself more than another; therefore if they were converting others for the salvation of souls, they ought to have cared more for their own salvation, but they did not care. But they did all this for profit, because they wanted the offerings to be increased; hence their doctrine was futile. And when he is made, you make him a child of hell twofold more than yourselves; because first he was converted to Judaism and was scandalized, and so afterward he converted again. Hence 2 Peter 2:21: it had been better for them not to have known the way of justice than, after knowing it, to turn back. Also in another way. Before he was a Jew, he abstained from evils, at least for the praise of men, but afterward, he did not; hence Romans 2:14: for when the gentiles, who have not the law, do by nature those things that are of the law, these, having not the law, are a law to themselves. Hence they took example from the wicked.

Commentary on Matthew

"I am becoming orthodox," I said, "because I have come, rightly or wrongly, after stretching my brain till it bursts, to the old belief that heresy is worse even than sin. An error is more menacing than a crime, for an error begets crimes. An Imperialist is worse than a pirate. For an Imperialist keeps a school for pirates; he teaches piracy disinterestedly and without an adequate salary.

Tremendous Trifles, The Diabolist (1909)

16–22

Now an oath is in confirmation of somewhat that has been spoken. The oath here then may signify testimony of Scripture which we produce in confirmation of that word which we speak. So that Divine Scripture is the temple of God, the gold is the meaning which it contains. As the gold which is outside the Temple is not sanctified, so all thoughts which are without divine Scripture, however admirable they may seem, are not hallowed. We ought not therefore to bring any speculations of our own for the confirmation of doctrine, unless such as we can show are hallowed by being contained in divine Scripture. The altar is the human heart, which is the chief thing in man. The offerings and gifts that are hid upon the altar, are every thing which are done in the heart, as to pray, to sing, to do alms, to fast. Every offering of a man then is sanctified by his heart, by which the offering is made. There cannot therefore be a more honourable offering than the heart of man, out of which the offering proceeds. If then one's conscience does not smite him, he has confidence towards God, not by reason of his gifts, but so to speak because he has rightly ordered the altar of his heart. Thirdly, we may say that over the temple, that is over every Scripture, and over the altar, that is over every heart, there is a certain meaning which is called the Heaven, the throne of God Himself, in which we shall be able to see the things that are revealed face to face, when that which is perfect is come.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

16–17

Jesus is saying that the gold in the temple, the gold objects dedicated in the temple to the glory of God, whether these be the gold cherubim or the gold jar containing the manna, were considered by the Jews to be worthy of much more honor than the temple. Therefore they were condemned by the Lord.… But the saying possesses a figurative meaning directed against them because they are not receiving the truth regarding Christ. Instead, they were judging Moses and the types given through him as more valuable than Christ.… They were rejecting the Christ who sanctifies Moses while simultaneously praising the law. Just as the law was praiseworthy, not because it possesses the types and the symbols but because it prefigures the true mystery of worship in Christ, in the same way the gold is precious because of the one who sanctifies the temple, and heaven is beautiful because of the God who sanctifies it and dwells within it.

Fragment 115.16

Jesus reproached those who by their inane observances detracted from the one who rightly should be honored in worship. He himself was the ground and source of the law. The law did not of itself suffice. The ornaments of the altar and temple were not the primary object of worship but were merely pointing the way for the future of true worship. Gold, silver, bronze, brass, pearl and crystal each embrace a particular meaning from their unique natures as metals. Jesus refuted the premise that the gold of the temple or the gifts of the altar could be venerated as if something in themselves rather than the greater one whom they honor. With the coming of Christ the massive structure of legal obligations became futile. Christ was not in the law, but the law was made holy in Christ. He had placed his seat and throne on the law. One who seeks to be religious should anchor himself rightly in the truth. They were stupid and blind who venerated gifts that were sanctified while they allowed sanctity itself to pass by.

16–17

As by making broad phylacteries and fringes they sought after the reputation of sanctity, and made this again a means of gain, so now He charges them with being teachers of wickedness by their fraudulent pretence of tradition. For when in any dispute or quarrel, or ambiguous cause, one swore by the temple, and was afterwards convicted of falsehood, he was not held guilty. This is what is meant by that, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing, that is, he owes nothing, But if he had sworn by the gold, or by the money which was offered to the Priests in the temple, he was immediately compelled to pay down that by which he had sworn.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

16–19

(Verse 16 onwards) Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the temple is nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by his oath.' Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? And, 'Whoever swears by the altar is nothing, but whoever swears by the gift that is on it is obligated.' Blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? Therefore, whoever swears on the altar, swears on it and on all things that are above it. And whoever swears in the temple, swears in it and in him who dwells in it. And whoever swears in heaven, swears on the throne of God and on him who sits on it. Above, as it seemed to us, we have explained what the tradition of the Pharisees meant, saying: Whatever gift is from me will benefit you: now the double tradition of the Pharisees, enticing to one occasion of greed, is condemned, so that they may be proved to do everything for gain and not for the fear of God. For just as in the phylacteries and fringes, by enlarged expectations of holiness, it was trying to capture glory, and was seeking gains through the opportunity of glory, so another tradition found fault with the teachers of impiety. If anyone were to swear in the temple during a dispute, or in some argument, or in a doubtful case, and later be convicted of lying, they were not held accountable for the crime. But if they were to swear on gold and money, which was offered to the priests in the temple, they were immediately compelled to fulfill what they had sworn. Again: If anyone swore upon the altar, no one held him guilty of perjury; but if he swore falsely on a gift, or on offerings, that is, on victims and on fine flour and on the rest, which are offered to God upon the altar, these were most diligently sought after. Therefore, the Lord reproached them both for foolishness and deceit, because the temple is much greater than the gold that is sanctified by the temple, and the altar is greater than the offerings that are sanctified by the altar. But they did it not out of fear of God, but out of greed for riches.

Commentary on Matthew

16–19

(Quæst. Ev. i. 34.) The temple and altar we may also understand of Christ Himself; the gold and the gifts, of the praise and sacrifice of prayer which we offer in Him and through Him. For not He by them, but they by Him, are sanctified.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

16–22

He calls them blind for not wanting to teach what was right, but instead valuing what was of lesser importance, and giving second place to that which was worthy of honor. For they valued the gold in the temple, the images of the Cherubim and the golden urn, more highly than they did the temple itself. Therefore they taught the people that it was of no consequence to swear by the temple, and instead they taught them to swear by the gold which is in the temple. This gold, however, was precious precisely because it was in the temple. And the Pharisees said that the gifts placed on the altar were more valuable than the altar itself. So the Pharisees even taught that if someone swore by the golden vessel, or the ox, or the sheep brought for sacrifice, and then broke his oath, he was sentenced to pay an equal amount. The Pharisees put a higher value on the gift upon the altar because of the profit they derived from sacrifices. But if some one swore by the temple and then broke his oath, he was absolved [and owed nothing, the Pharisees would say], as it was not possible to build [and pay] anything equal to the temple. And so the oath by the temple was considered to be of lesser consequence because of the Pharisees' love of money. Under the Old Covenant, Christ does not permit the gift to be greater than the altar, but for us it is just the opposite: the altar is sanctified by the gifts, for the loaves are changed by divine grace into the very Body of the Lord Himself. Therefore the altar is sanctified by them.

Commentary on Matthew

16–17

The temple pertains to God's glory, and to man's spiritual salvation, but the gold of the temple though it pertains to the glory of God, yet does it more so to the delight of man, and the profit of the Priests. The Jews then pronounced the gold which delighted them, and the gifts which fed them, to be more holy than the temple, that they might make men more disposed to offer gifts, than to pour out prayers in the temple. Whence the Lord suitably reproves them in these words. Yet have some Christians at present an equally foolish notion. See, they say, in any suit if one swear by God, it seems nought; but if one swear by the Gospel, he seems to have done some great thing. To whom we shall say in like manner, Ye fools and blind! the Scriptures were written because of God, God is not because of the Scriptures. Greater therefore is God, than what is hallowed by Him.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Woe to you, blind guides. In this he shows how they are pretenders of sanctity in those things that are owed to prelates. And first, regarding offerings; secondly, regarding tithes, at woe to you (...) who tithe mint, etc. See: first he sets forth their tradition; secondly, he argues against it with three reasons. The first part, where the tradition is set forth with the reason, has two parts. The second is at and whosoever shall swear by the altar, etc. They were drawing all religion toward profit, in order to induce men to make offerings. In the temple there was much gold placed: hence they said that if anyone swore by the temple, he owed nothing; but he who swore by the gold obligated himself to as much as the value of what he swore by. Likewise, the second tradition was that there was an altar and many things were offered upon the altar; hence they said that he who swore by the altar paid nothing, but he who swore by the offering obligated himself to the value of the offering. And why? So that they might profit from the penalties, and so that they might elevate the sanctity of the offering, and so that men might be incited to offer more. And first he sets forth the first part; secondly, the second. Regarding the first, he does two things. First, he proposes the tradition; secondly, the refutation, at you foolish and blind, etc. He says, then, woe to you, blind guides, etc. The same is said above at 15:14: they are blind and leaders of the blind; Isaiah 56:10: his watchmen are all blind. Who say, whosoever shall swear by the temple of God, it is nothing, because it is impossible that this man should build another temple; but he that shall swear by the gold of the temple, i.e., by the gold, is a debtor, namely of that gold.

Commentary on Matthew

For since Christ is come, reliance upon the Law is vain; for not Christ by the Law, but the Law by Christ, is sanctified, in whom it rests as on a seat or throne; so are they fools and blind, who, overlooking the sanctifier, pay honour to the things sanctified.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Then he sets forth the refutation: you foolish and blind; for which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? It is evident that what is in the temple is holy by reason of the temple; hence he who steals anything in the temple commits sacrilege. Hence it is greater to swear by the temple than by the gold. Chrysostom says: this is against certain people who say that to swear by God is nothing. Hence those who swear by God believe they swear by nothing; but when they swear by the holy Gospels of God, they believe it to be a great thing. Hence it can be said to them: which is greater, God or the Gospel? It is evident that it is God. And this is true absolutely; it is otherwise when some circumstance is added which aggravates the sin. Because he who swears by the holy Gospels of God has sworn with a certain deliberation and solemnity, and therefore sins more gravely.

Commentary on Matthew

Those who work in the fields of the gospel seek the hidden meaning of these passages of Scripture. We are not simply confiscating the higher parts of Scripture but rather looking toward its whole sense. As regards swearing, it is intended as a binding action, seeking to confirm the word concerning which something is sworn.Consider this analogy. Think of the altar as the heart and the temple as the whole of Scripture. The temple of God’s glory, spiritually understood, is the divinely inspired Scripture. The gold refers to the meanings it conveys. To swear is to witness to the Scriptures, as a validation and confirmation of the word we speak. Therefore we ought to profess the whole sense of Scripture as a confirmation of the sense which we invoke in all of our words. Gold found outside the temple is not sanctified. Rather, that gold which is found in the temple is the measure of that which is outside it. Similarly the meaning which is found outside of the Scriptures is not holy, but it is contained in the meaning of the Scriptures. Only that sense of Scripture is sanctified which can be seen from within the temple itself, that is, within the whole of Scripture. The temple, that is, the reading of the Scriptures, makes a great and venerable sense, just as consecrated gold is valuable. So we ought not to swear by our own intellects to confirm our beliefs, as if we were creating witnesses that could judge according to the truth. But let us explore further the analogy of the temple, the gold and the altar. The altar is the place where a vow is sanctified. The altar in this passage is the heart of a man. What happens in the heart happens deeply within a person. Vows and gifts placed on the altar are clearly those placed upon the human heart. When you begin to pray, you place the vow of your prayer upon your heart, as if you had placed something upon the altar, so that you might offer your prayer to God. Suppose you are ready to place an offering of psalms upon your heart, so as to offer to God an offering of psalms, accompanying yourself with a harp. Or suppose you are ready to give alms. You make an offering of alms upon your heart, just as if you had placed something on the altar, as you would offer your alms to God. Suppose you have proposed to fast in order to make an offering of your fasting upon your heart, as if you had placed something upon the altar. In this way the heart of a man makes vows in a holy and venerable way. It is from the heart, that is, the altar, that the vow is offered to God. Therefore it is not possible for the offering of a man to be more honorable than his heart from which the offering is sent up.

Commentary on Matthew 18

18–19

Again, if one swore by the altar, none held him guilty of perjury; but if he swore by the gift or the victims or the other things which are offered to God upon the altar, this they exacted most rigorously. And all this they did not out of fear of God, but out of covetousness. Thus the Lord charges them with both folly and fraud, inasmuch as the altar is much greater than the victims which are sanctified by the altar.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Then he sets forth the second part of the tradition: and whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, is a debtor.

Commentary on Matthew

Anyone who thinks that his own almsgiving, his own fasting, his own psalms and prayers are in themselves great and who, without good judgment, blesses them and does not reflect that it is just from such a heart that his almsgiving or psalms or prayers or fasting are offered—such a man is blind. For indeed his heart is the altar that sanctifies his offering which is the heart of the world. The heart and the conscience of such a man “do not feel remorse but have trust in God,” because his own heart has been rightly formed. He does not rely on his gifts as such or the words of his prayers or of his psalms—although they may seem well composed and chosen from the Scriptures—but on the heart rightly formed. Whoever places his own witness on the altar, that is, his own conscience and the center of his heart, such a man swears by the altar, embracing everything which is contained in it. One who swears according to what we attest to by the temple, that is, “through the whole sense of Scriptures,” such a man seems to swear according to the word and the will of God which is contained in it. Such a man in this sense swears upon the temple (upon all the Scriptures) and upon the altar (upon the whole heart), that is, an understanding of the sense of the whole of the Scriptures and upon the whole heart. The temple is the glory of God, which “we see as in a mirror darkly.” The heavens, however, are above the temple of God, in which sits the throne of God, on which we may look “with our face uncovered” when he comes.

Commentary on Matthew 18.21

For since Christ is come, reliance upon the Law is vain; for not Christ by the Law, but the Law by Christ, is sanctified, in whom it rests as on a seat or throne; so are they fools and blind, who, overlooking the sanctifier, pay honour to the things sanctified.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Then he sets forth the refutation: ye blind, which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? For the gift is not sanctified except by the altar.

Commentary on Matthew

One of the Pharisaical traditions regarded oath taking. Some were swearing by the temple, others by the gold of the temple; some by the altar, others by the gifts of the altar. The Pharisees were teaching that one who swore by the gold of the altar or by the gift of the altar was obligated, whereas one who swore by the temple or by the altar was not under obligation. Our Savior spoke against these traditions. He wished to call them back from human traditions to divine revelation. Those who hand on such traditions are blind and foolish. They do not see that what is placed in the temple is not sanctified through itself but through the Lord of the temple. That which is placed on the altar is judged already as a gift of God, which is why it is placed on the altar. It seems foolish to argue that one who swears in one way is bound and one who swears in another way is not bound. This assumes that what is sanctified is above the one who sanctifies. It seems foolish to argue that one who swears by heaven is less vulnerable than one who swears by God himself. Jesus showed them that it was equally as absurd to swear by heaven as to swear by the temple or by the altar. It is irrational to assume that one avoids punishment because he is not swearing by God but by the throne of God. Thus he spoke to the Jews prohibiting them to follow the Pharisaic tradition. Moreover, he clearly rejected the whole business of swearing at all, as if it were a superior way.

Commentary on Matthew 17

20–21

(non occ.) And lest their infatuation should go so far, that they should affirm that the gold was more holy than the temple, and the gift than the altar, He argues on another ground, that in the oath which is sworn by the temple and the altar is contained the oath by the gold or by the gift.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

He therefore that swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things that are upon it. Here he sets forth another reason. The temple contains the gold, and not conversely; similarly, the altar contains the gift, and not conversely. Hence he who swears by the temple swears by the gold that is in the temple; and he who swears by the altar, i.e., by the altar, swears by what is on it.

Commentary on Matthew

His hands, at all events, are ever unclean, eternally dyed with the blood of the prophets, and of the Lord Himself; and on that account, as being hereditary culprits from their privity to their fathers' crimes, they do not dare even to raise them unto the Lord, for fear some Isaiah should cry out, for fear Christ should utterly shudder.

On Prayer

Likewise, another reason follows: and whosoever shall swear by the temple, swears by it and by him that dwells in it. They said: he who swears by the temple swears by nothing. But he wishes to show that he who swears by the temple swears by God, because he does not swear by the temple except as sanctified, and it is not sanctified except by God. Therefore he who swears by the temple swears by God.

Commentary on Matthew

In like manner the custom which the Jews had of swearing by the Heaven He reprobates. For they did not, as they supposed, avoid the danger of taking an oath by God, because, Whose sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

(ord.) For whoso swears by the creature that is subject, swears by the Divinity that rules over the creation.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Then another reason is set forth: and he that swears by heaven, i.e., by heaven, does not swear by it except because it is the throne of God, and because the power of God is manifested there; hence he that swears by heaven swears by the throne of God, and by him that sits thereon. Psalm 10:5: God is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven. And this is introduced there according to a likeness. But mystically, according to Origen, he makes mention of the temple, the gold, and the altar, in which the contemplative and glorious life is signified. By the gold the contemplative life is signified, by which is signified the subtle sense excogitated from Scripture itself: because however reasonable it may appear, it is nothing unless it is in the temple, i.e., unless it is confirmed in sacred Scripture. By the altar is signified the heart, in which there ought to be the fire of devotion; Leviticus 6:12: the fire on my altar shall not go out. By the offerings are signified the services and offerings, which, unless they proceed from a holy heart, or from a holy altar, cannot have value; above at 6:22: if your eye be single, your whole body shall be lightsome. By the throne the glorious life is signified: there God is, who surpasses all things. Or by the altar and the temple we understand Christ: for he calls himself a temple; John 2:19: destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Likewise, he is called an altar; Hebrews 13:10: we have an altar, whereof they have no power to eat who serve the tabernacle. Hence whatever good we do, unless it is sanctified in this temple, i.e., Christ, it is of no value; hence everything is contemptible unless it is referred to Christ.

Commentary on Matthew

23–24

Not only among the Jews but among ourselves as well, we find people sinning in these ways. They are swallowing camels. People of this type frequently show off their religion even in the smallest of things. They are rightly called hypocrites for wanting to exploit their religiosity before men but being unwilling to undertake that very faith which God himself has justified. Therefore the imitators of the scribes and Pharisees must be dislodged and sent away from us, lest a woe touches us in the same way it touches them. The scribes could be described as those who valued nothing found in the Scriptures except its plain sense interpreted legalistically. Meanwhile they condemn those who look into the very depths of God himself. Mint and dill and cummin are only spices for food but are not themselves substantial food. What substantive food would mean in conversion would be that which is necessary for the justification of our souls—faith and love—unlike these legalisms, which are more like condiments and flavorings. It is as if a meal might be thought to consist more of condiments and flavorings than the food itself. The seriousness of judgment is neglected while great attention is given to minor matters. Spiritual exercises which in and of themselves are hardly justice are spoken of as justice and compassion and faith. It is lacking in justice to treat these small parts as the whole. When we do not offer to God the observance of all that is necessary for worship, we fail altogether.

Commentary on Matthew 19-20

But because it was possible that some, hearing the Lord speak thus, might thereupon neglect paying tithes of small things, He prudently adds, These things ought ye to have done, (i. e. justice, mercy, and faith,) and not to leave the others undone, i. e. the tithing of mint, anise, and cummin.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

23–24

And because it was much less guilt to omit the tithing of herbs than a duty of benevolence, the Lord derides them, Ye blind guides, which strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

23–24

God laughs at the superficial diligence of those who measure cucumbers. God laughs at our attempts to swallow camels, as if the sins of avoidance were less serious than the sins of consumption.

Commentary on Matthew 24.7

What is lost is the hidden dimension of the evil will. These hidden things of the mind bring about these distortions of the law. The law prescribes that a tenth be given, so they measure out a tenth of a measure of mint and dill but only in order that they might be thought by other men to fulfill the law. They abandon mercy and justice, faith and every form of benevolence. Yet these are the true duties of man.

Commentary on Matthew 24.7

23–24

Then He derides them for folly also, because they bade them disregard the greater commandments. And yet before He had said the opposite, that "they bind heavy burdens, and grievous to be borne." But these things too they did again and were doing everything for the corruption of those who were subject to them, in little things requiring strictness, and despising the great.

"For ye pay tithe," He saith, "of mint and anise, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, and mercy, and faith. These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the others undone."

Here then He naturally saith it, where it is tithe and almsgiving, for what doth it hurt to give alms? But not to keep the law; for neither doth it say thus. Therefore here indeed He saith, "These ought ye to have done;" but where He is speaking about clean and unclean, He no longer adds this, but makes a distinction, and shows that the inward purity is necessarily followed by the outward, but the converse is no longer so.

For where there is a plea of love to man, He passes it over lightly, for this very reason, and because it was not yet time expressly and plainly to revoke the things of the law. But where it is an observance of bodily purification, He overthrows it more plainly.

Then, to show that there is no harm arising from despising bodily cleansings, but very great vengeance from not regarding the purifications of the soul, which is virtue, He called these "a gnat," for they are small and nothing, but those other a camel, for they were beyond what men could bear. Wherefore also He saith, "Straining at the gnat, and swallowing the camel." For indeed the one were enacted for the sake of the other, I mean of mercy and judgment; so that not even then did they profit being done alone. For whereas the little things were mentioned for the sake of the great, and after that these last were neglected, and labor was spent on those alone, nothing was gained even then by this. For the greater followed not the lesser, but the lesser were sure to follow these greater.

But these things He saith to show, that even before grace was come, these were not among the principal things, or amongst those upon which men should spend their labor, but the matters required were different. But if before the grace they were so, much more when high commandments had come, were these things unprofitable, and it was not meet to practise them at all.

In every case then is vice a grievous thing, but especially when it does not so much as think it needs amendment; and it is yet more grievous, when it thinks itself sufficient even to amend others; to express which Christ calls them "blind guides." For if for a blind man not to think he needs a guide be extreme misery and wretchedness; when he wishes himself to guide others, see to what a gulf it leads.

But these things He said, by all intimating their mad desire of glory, and their exceeding frenzy concerning this pest. For this became a cause to them of all their evils, namely, that they did all things for display. This both led them away from the faith, and caused them to neglect what really is virtue, and induced them to busy themselves about bodily purifyings only, neglecting the purifications of the soul. So therefore to lead them into what really is virtue, and to the purifyings of the soul, He makes mention of mercy, and judgment, and faith. For these are the things that comprise our life, these are what purify the soul, justice, love to man, truth; the one inclining us to pardon and not suffering us to be excessively severe and unforgiving to them that sin (for then shall we gain doubly, both becoming kind to man, and hence meeting also ourselves with much kindness from the God of all), and causing us both to sympathize with them that are despitefully entreated, and to assist them; the other not suffering them to be deceitful, and crafty.

But neither when He saith, "These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the others undone," doth He say it as introducing a legal observance; away with the thought; neither with regard to the platter and the cup, when He said, "Cleanse that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also," doth He bring us unto the old regard for little things, but on the contrary indeed, He doth all things to show it to be superfluous. For He said not, Cleanse the outside of them also, but that which is within, and the outside is sure to follow.

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 73

23–24

The Lord had commanded, that for the maintenance of the Priests and Levites, whose portion was the Lord, tithes of every thing should be offered in the temple. Accordingly, the Pharisees (to dismiss mystical expositions) concerned themselves about this alone, that these trifling things should be paid in, but lightly esteemed other things which were weighty. He charges them then with covetousness in exacting carefully the tithes of worthless herbs, while they neglected justice in their transactions of business, mercy to the poor, and faith toward God, which are weighty things.

The camel I suppose to mean the weighty precepts, judgment, mercy, and faith; the gnat, the tithing of mint, anise, and cummin, and other valueless herbs. The greater of God's commands we swallow and overlook, but show our carelessness by a religious scrupulousness in little things which bring profit with them.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

(Verse 23.) Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. Many precepts are given in the law that foreshadow future events. But others are open, according to the Psalmist, saying: The commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes (Psalm 19:8), which are immediately to be desired. For example, thou shalt not commit adultery: thou shalt not steal: thou shalt not bear false witness, etc. But the Pharisees, because the Lord had commanded (let us for the present leave out the mystical understanding) tithes to be offered in the temple for the maintenance of the priests and Levites, whose portion was the Lord’s, were studious in this one thing, that the commands should be observed: but as to the other matters, whether a man should do them or not, they made little account. And from this chapter it accuses them of greed, because they eagerly demand tithes even of cheap vegetables, and neglect justice in the handling of business disputes, and mercy towards the poor, orphans, and widows, and faith in God, which are great.

Commentary on Matthew

“O Pharisees, you demand,” Jesus says, “perhaps the tithes of herbs and the smallest coins while you neglect the commandments, concerning which the violation is greater.” And what kind of commandments are these? Justice, that is, to judge uprightly and blamelessly; mercy, that is, genuineness toward God. For justice and mercy and faith toward God are better than the tithe and firstfruits. Therefore the God of all things says through the prophet, “And now, Israel, what does the Lord require from you but to do justice and to love and seek mercy and to be prepared to follow the Lord your God.” For the genuine faith of those being saved is seen in their exceeding readiness to follow.

Fragment 258.25

A hermit was asked by a brother, ‘How do I find God? With fasts, or labour, or vigils, or works of mercy?’ He replied, ‘You will find Him in all those, and also in discretion. I tell you many have been very stern with their bodies, but have gained nothing by it because they did it without discretion. Even if our mouths stink from fasting, and we have learnt all the Scriptures, and memorized the whole Psalter, we may still lack what God wants, humility and love.’

The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks

23–24

In these words the Lord shows that all the commandments of the Law, greatest and least, are to be fulfilled. They also are refuted who give alms of the fruits of the earth, supposing that thus they cannot sin, whereas their alms profit them nothing unless they are careful to keep themselves from sin.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

23–24

(Mor. i. 15.) Or otherwise; The gnat stings while it hums; the camel bows its back to receive its load. The Jews then strained off the gnat, when they prayed to have the seditious robber released to them; and they swallowed the camel, when they sought with shouts the death of Him who had voluntarily taken on Him the burden of our mortality.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

23–24

Again He reproaches them as foolish for disdaining the greater commandments while demanding strict observance of the lesser; nor do they overlook a tenth part of the cumin, but tithe that as well. And if anyone accused the Pharisees of nitpicking, they would cite the law in their defense. It would have been better and more God-pleasing if they had required discernment and mercy and faith from the people. What is discernment? To do nothing unjust or unreasonable, but rather to do everything with good judgement and with reason. Mercy follows immediately upon discernment. For he who does all things with discernment knows to whom one ought to give alms. And faith follows mercy, for he who is merciful and gives alms, has faith that he will lose nothing but will receive everything. Or, in another sense, one must show mercy but also believe in the true God. For there were many pagan Greeks who gave alms, but did not believe in the living God and did not have that faith that follows mercy. Every teacher, then, must tithe his people, that is, require from the ten senses, five bodily and five spiritual, the one tithe consisting of discernment, mercy, and faith. "These ought ye to have done," the Lord said, not to exhort them to tithe herbs, but so that He not appear to be in opposition to Moses. He calls them blind guides because by priding themselves in their teaching and extensive knowledge, they were of benefit to no one, but rather, they corrupted every one and cast them into the pit of unbelief. He says that they strain the gnat, meaning that they keep close guard over the slightest sin, while they swallow the camel, that is, disregard the great sins.

Commentary on Matthew

23–24

Or, because these covetous Priests, when any one did not bring his tithes of the smallest thing, made it a matter of grave reprehension; but when one injured his neighbour or sinned against God, they were at no pains to reprove him, careful only of their own profit, neglecting the glory of God, and the salvation of men. For to observe righteousness, to do mercy, and to have faith, these things God commanded for His own glory; but the payment of tithes He established for the support of the Priests, so that the Priests should minister to the people in spiritual things, and the people supply the Priests with carnal things. Thus is it at this time, when all are careful of their own honour, none of God's honour; they jealously protect their own rights, but will not bestow any pains in the service of the Church. If the people pay not their tithes duly, they murmur; but if they see the people in sin, they utter not a word against them. But because some of the Scribes and Pharisees, to whom He is now speaking, were of the people, it is not unsuitable to make a different interpretation; and 'to tithe' may be used as well of him who pays, as of him who receives, tithes. The Scribes then and Pharisees offered tithes of the very best things for the purpose of displaying their righteousness; but in their judgments they were unjust, without mercy for their brethren, without faith for the truth.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who tithe mint and anise and cummin. Here he rebukes them regarding tithes; and he does three things. First, he sets forth their custom; secondly, he introduces the teaching; thirdly, he sets forth a certain likeness. The second is at these things you ought to have done; the third is at blind guides, who strain out a gnat, etc. Hence he says, woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, and adds hypocrites, because the principal intention was pretense, who tithe mint, anise, and cummin. This can be understood either as "you give tithes" or "you who exact tithes"; hence very many were priests and Levites, to whom it pertained to exact the tithes that were owed them, as it says in Numbers 18:21 and Deuteronomy 14:22; therefore they were most diligent in exacting them, so that they exacted even down to the smallest things, such as cummin and anise. And have left the weightier things of the law: judgment, mercy, and faith. For certain things were owed to the priests for their own sake, as tithes, from which they were to live; but to certain things they were bound for God's sake, namely to exercise judgment and mercy; hence the Lord required these things of them, namely judgment and mercy; Psalm 100:1: mercy and judgment I will sing to you, O Lord. Likewise, he wills faith for his own glory. Hence those things to which they were bound for God's sake they did not care about; hence he says: and have left the weightier things of the law: judgment, mercy, and faith. But regarding tithes, to which they were bound for their own sake, they took good care, according to that passage in Philippians 2:21: all seek the things that are their own, not the things that are Jesus Christ's. Charity does the contrary, for it seeks not its own but the things that are Jesus Christ's, 1 Corinthians 13:5. Likewise, it can be said, woe to you, who give tithes, because you give from the least things, from mint and cummin and things of this sort, and this so that you may appear religious; but you do not care about interior things, because you love neither mercy, nor judgment, nor faith; above at 12:7: if you knew what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would never have condemned the innocent. Origen says that by mint and cummin, etc., certain things can be understood that pertain to the propriety of religion. Hence mercy, judgment, and faith are like foods, but the other least things are like seasoning. Hence just as they put more effort into the seasoning in preparing food than into the food itself, so also they put more effort into having knees bent before them than into the things that pertained to God. These things you ought to have done, and not to leave those undone. Because he had said, woe to you who tithe, someone could say that the Lord was forbidding the giving of tithes; therefore he says that, on the contrary, when he says, these things you ought to have done, and not to leave those undone; as if to say: you do not sin in these things, but in omitting those to which you are more bound. Therefore these things you ought to have done, i.e., to exact tithes, and those things, namely judgment, justice, and faith, not to leave undone. But here there can be a question about tithes. The Lord seems to set forth the necessity of paying tithes; hence in the whole New Testament no mention is made so expressly as here. But is it held by precept of the law? No: because in the law certain things are contained that are moral, certain things ceremonial, and certain things judicial. Moral precepts are to be observed at all times and by all; ceremonial precepts by certain men and at certain times, as circumcision, and these were only figurative; likewise, certain judicial precepts, as if someone stole a sheep, he should repay fourfold. Therefore the question is raised about tithes, whether tithes are a moral precept. And it seems not, because moral precepts are of the natural law. But only that is of the natural law which natural reason recommends. But reason does not recommend giving a tenth more than a ninth or an eleventh, etc. Therefore it is not of the natural law. Likewise, if tithes are ceremonial, then those who pay them sin. To this, those who came before us said that some things are purely moral, some purely ceremonial, and some have something of the moral and something of the ceremonial. You shall not kill is purely moral. Similarly, the Lord your God you shall adore, etc. If you say: on the fourteenth day of the moon at evening you shall offer a lamb, this is purely ceremonial. But if it is said: remember to keep holy the sabbath day, it has something natural, or moral, and something ceremonial. Moral, namely what natural reason suggests, namely that one should have some time in which one is free, or in which one is free to pray to God. But that it be on the sabbath day, or on Sunday, etc., is judicial. Hence they say that the precept about tithes is partly ceremonial and partly moral. For they are for the sustenance of the poor and of those who devote themselves to the service of God, or to preaching: for he who serves the community, it is fitting that he live from the community, and this is of the natural law; but that it be the tenth part, this is ceremonial. But are they obligatory now? I say that the determination belongs to whatever ruler has the power of establishing law; hence it is within the power of the Church to establish the tenth, or the ninth, or the like. Hence they are obligatory, not because it is of the natural law, but from the constitution of the Church.

Commentary on Matthew

It is not in the least desirable that everybody should be earnest. It is highly desirable that everybody should be honest, but that is a thing that can go quite easily with a coarse and cheerful character. But the ineffectualness of most protests against the abuse of the Press has been very largely due to the instinct of democracy (and the instinct of democracy is like the instinct of one woman, wild but quite right) that the people who were trying to purify the Press were also trying to refine it; and to this the democracy very naturally and very justly objected. We are justified in enforcing good morals, for they belong to all mankind; but we are not justified in enforcing good manners, for good manners always mean our own manners.

All Things Considered, Limericks and Counsels of Perfection (1908)

But henceforward I shall always understand with a darker and more delicate charity those who take tythe of mint, and anise, and cumin, and neglect the weightier matters of the law; I shall remember how I was once really tortured with owing half a crown to a man who might have been dead.

Tremendous Trifles, An Accident (1909)

Of all the marks of modernity that seem to mean a kind of decadence, there is none more menacing and dangerous than the exultation of very small and secondary matters of conduct at the expense of very great and primary ones, at the expense of eternal ties and tragic human morality. If there is one thing worse than the modern weakening of major morals, it is the modern strengthening of minor morals. Thus it is considered more withering to accuse a man of bad taste than of bad ethics. Cleanliness is not next to godliness nowadays, for cleanliness is made essential and godliness is regarded as an offence. A playwright can attack the institution of marriage so long as he does not misrepresent the manners of society, and I have met Ibsenite pessimists who thought it wrong to take beer but right to take prussic acid.

Tremendous Trifles, On Lying in Bed (1909)

[On the tendency to single out disreputable sins while ignoring weightier evils]

What Christian, in a society so worldly and cruel as that of Wyvern, would pick out the carnal sins for special reprobation? Cruelty is surely more evil than lust and the World at least as dangerous as the Flesh. The real reason for all the pother is, in my opinion, neither Christian nor ethical. We attack this vice not because it is the worst but because it is, by adult standards, the most disreputable and unmentionable, and happens also to be a crime in English law. The World will lead you only to Hell; but sodomy may lead you to jail and create a scandal, and lose you your job. The World, to do it justice, seldom does that.

Surprised by Joy, Chapter 7: Light and Shade

[On the danger of elevating any single virtue to an absolute while neglecting justice]

The most dangerous thing you can do is to take any one impulse of your own nature and set it up as the thing you ought to follow at all costs. There is not one of them which will not make us into devils if we set it up as an absolute guide. You might think love of humanity in general was safe, but it is not. If you leave out justice you will find yourself breaking agreements and faking evidence in trials 'for the sake of humanity', and become in the end a cruel and treacherous man.

Mere Christianity, Book 1, Chapter 2: Some Objections

Though I have had to speak at some length about sex, I want to make it as clear as I possibly can that the centre of Christian morality is not here. If anyone thinks that Christians regard unchastity as the supreme vice, he is quite wrong. The sins of the flesh are bad, but they are the least bad of all sins. All the worst pleasures are purely spiritual: the pleasure of putting other people in the wrong, of bossing and patronising and spoiling sport, and back-biting, the pleasures of power, of hatred.

Mere Christianity, Book 3, Chapter 5: Sexual Morality

Or, straining out a gnat, that is, putting from them small sins; swallowing a camel, that is, committing great sins, which He calls camels, from the size and distorted shape of that animal. Morally, The Scribes are those who think nothing else contained in Scripture than the bare letter exhibits; the Pharisees are all those who esteem themselves righteous, and separate themselves from others, saying, 'Come not nigh me, for I am clean.' Mint, anise, and cummin, are the seasoning, not the substantial part of food; as in our life and conversation there are some things necessary to justification, as judgment, mercy, and faith; and others which are like the seasoning of our actions, giving them a flavour and sweetness, as abstinence from laughter, fasting, bending the knee, and such like. How shall they not be judged blind who see not that it is of little avail to be a careful dispenser in the least things, if things of chief moment are neglected? These His present discourse overthrows; not forbidding to observe the little things, but bidding to keep more carefully the chief things.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

(Verse 24) Blind leaders, straining out a gnat but swallowing a camel. I believe the camel refers to the understanding of the present situation, the magnitude of the teachings, judgment, mercy, and faith. The gnat, on the other hand, represents the tithing of mint, dill, cumin, and other cheap herbs. We devour and neglect these great commandments of God, while showing diligence in matters of religion that bring profit and have little importance.

Commentary on Matthew

Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel. In this part he sets forth a likeness; hence he says, who strain out a gnat. He who strains swallows with difficulty. Hence he means to say that they put great care into the smallest things and little care into great things. Or by the gnat the smallest sins are understood, and by the camel, great sins; hence they make an issue of small sins; and this is what he says, but swallowing a camel.

Commentary on Matthew

But what reason is there in going to prayer with hands indeed washed, but the spirit foul?-inasmuch as to our hands themselves spiritual purities are necessary, that they may be "lifted up pure" from falsehood, from murder, from cruelty, from poisonings, from idolatry, and all the other blemishes which, conceived by the spirit, are effected by the operation of the hands. These are the true purities; not those which most are superstitiously careful about, taking water at every prayer, even when they are coming from a bath of the whole body.

On Prayer

25–26

This discourse instructs us that we should hasten to become righteous, not to seem so. For whoso seeks to be thought so, cleanses the outside, and has care of the things that are seen, but neglects the heart and conscience. But he who seeks to cleanse that which is within, that is, the thoughts, makes by that means the things without clean also. All professors of false doctrine are cups cleansed on the outside, because of that show of religion which they affect, but within they are full of extortion and guile, hurrying men into error. The cup is a vessel for liquids, the platter for meat. Every discourse then of which we spiritually drink, and all speech by which we are fed, are vessels for meat and drink. They who study to set forth well wrought discourse rather than such as is full of healthful meaning, are cups cleansed without; but within full of the defilement of vanity. Also the letter of the Law and the Prophets is a cup of spiritual drink, and a platter of necessary food. The Scribes and Pharisees seek to make plain the outward sense; Christ's disciples labour to exhibit the spiritual sense.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

25–26

This passage teaches us that we should hasten to be righteous, not merely to appear so. Whoever strives only to appear righteous will cleanse his exterior and will take great care of what can be seen by others but will neglect his heart and his conscience. He fails to realize that the one who is eager to purify his interior life and his thoughts will also naturally want to give a healthy outward appearance as well. Whoever works hard on the externals but neglects his interior life, however, will inevitably be filled with avarice, lust, malice, and many other kinds of evil. For the one who is solicitous of his own interior salvation also takes care of his external, public reputation. But not everyone who cares first about his public reputation is also solicitous of his interior salvation. In this connection, it is written that "whoever sees a woman and lusts after her has committed adultery with her in his heart." He who refrains from acts of fornication, therefore, but commits fornication by lusting in his heart is like the one who cleanses the outside of the cup and plate while the inside is left full of intemperance. Whoever performs acts of mercy for the purpose of earning human respect, doing his good deeds "to be seen by men," also seems to cleanse only the exterior of the cup and plate but is full of intemperance and lust for vainglory within.

Commentary on Matthew 21.28

25–26

If it is proper to regard everything in the gospel according to the moral sense … we can say that it is a sort of spiritual food and spiritual drink that we receive when we read the law and the prophets in Scripture. Indeed, the language through which we take our spiritual drink and the biblical narratives on which we are nourished are the plates and cups for our food and drink. This is why we are warned not to take as much care for their outside as we do for their inside, so that our hearts might be filled with pure understanding, not merely adorned with fine rhetoric and grammar. For "the Kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power." Whoever strives harder to dress his speech in elegant composition than to fill it with saving doctrine has cleaned only the outside, but the inside remains stained with vanity.…We can also say that the very words of the law and the prophets are the cups of spiritual drink for souls and that the plates or bowls of nourishing food for the faithful are their wise authors. The scribes and Pharisees work diligently at discerning only the external, literal meaning of these prophetic cups and plates and bowls, eager to demonstrate that the vessels themselves are pure and holy. The disciples of Christ … hasten to purify and sanctify the interior, spiritual meaning by means of knowledge and credible explanations, so that they might eat and drink the law and the prophets whose inside has been purified, desiring as they do to hear and understand the interior, mystical meaning and to go beyond the literal sense of the words.

Commentary on Matthew 22-23

25–26

He therefore is reproving those who, pursuing an ostentation of useless scrupulosity, neglected the discharge of useful morality. For it is the inside of the cup that is used; if that be foul, what profit is it to cleanse the outside? And therefore what is needed is purity of the inner conscience, that those things which are of the body may be clean without.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

25–26

The law of Moses taught through the use of symbols how to maintain purity throughout life’s activities. It was the custom of the Jews, passed on to them from their ancient traditions, to wash carefully their cups and the dish that contained their food. They observed these practices to maintain their purity and to avoid contact with “sinful people.” Their aim was that they might flee from fellowship with sinners.… How much more through such practices were they preparing themselves to flee from sin itself. And yet those who were carefully observing these practices were themselves acting like robbers and violently making a profit, becoming loathsome by doing so. Therefore Jesus says this: “Flee unrighteousness, O blind Pharisee. For you fail to perceive how you are acting. For what is in the cup and dish are clean if they are not gained in an unrighteous manner. Righteousness cleanses the vessel much better than water.”

Fragment 117

25–26

So, therefore, while with respect to alms He saith, "These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the others undone," touching purifications He speaks not on this wise, but what? "Ye make clean," He saith, "the outside of the cup and the platter, but within they are full of extortion, and injustice. Cleanse that which is within the cup, that the outside may be clean also." And He took it from a thing confessed and manifest, from a cup and platter.

And besides, neither is it concerning a cup and platter he is speaking, but of soul and body, by the outside meaning the body, by the inside the soul. But if with regard to the platter there be need of that which is within much more with regard to thee.

But ye do the contrary, saith He, observing things trifling and external, ye neglect what are great and inward: whence very great mischief arises, for that thinking ye have duly performed all, ye despise the other things; and despising them, ye do not so much as strive or attempt to perform them.

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 73

25–26

In different words, but to the same purport as before, He reproves the hypocrisy and dissimulation of the Pharisees, that they showed one face to men abroad, but wore another at home. He means not here, that their scrupulousness respecting the cup and the platter was of any importance, but that they affected it to pass off their sanctity upon men; which is clear from His adding, but inwardly ye are full of ravening and uncleanness.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

25–26

(Verse 25, 26.) Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and impurity. Blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and the plate, so that the outside also may be clean. In different words, with the same meaning as above, Jesus accuses the Pharisees of hypocrisy and deceit, because they pretend one thing to others outwardly, but do something different at home. Not that their superstition delayed them in the cup and dish; but that they displayed holiness to others, in their attire, in their speech, in their phylacteries, in the fringes, in the length of their prayers, and other such things, while internally they were full of the filth of vices.

Commentary on Matthew

25–26

(Mor. i. 15.) Or otherwise; The gnat stings while it hums; the camel bows its back to receive its load. The Jews then strained off the gnat, when they prayed to have the seditious robber released to them; and they swallowed the camel, when they sought with shouts the death of Him who had voluntarily taken on Him the burden of our mortality.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

25–26

Preserving the traditions of the elders, the Pharisees would wash the cups and the plates in which their food and drink were to be placed. But they drank wine and ate food gained by extortion, so they were all the more polluted. Therefore Christ says, do not obtain wine from injustice and the inside of the cup will be clean. Or, in another sense, He is speaking not of cups and plates, but of the bodily and external condition in contrast to the inner and spiritual. For, He says, you assume a most comely appearance on the outside of the cup, that is, in your external condition, while you are full of filth within, extorting and practicing injustice. But you must cleanse the inside, that is, the soul. For the radiance of a purified soul illumines the outward appearance of a man.

Commentary on Matthew

25–26

Or, He means that the Jews whenever they were to enter the temple or to offer sacrifice, or on any festivals, used to wash themselves, their clothes, and their vessels, but none cleansed himself from his sins; but God neither commends bodily cleanliness, nor condemns the contrary. But suppose foulness of person or of vessels were offensive to God, which must become foul by being used, how much more does He not abhor foulness of conscience, which we may, if we will, keep ever pure?

This He speaks not of the cup and platter of sense, but of that of the understanding, which may be pure before God, though it have never touched water; but if it have sinned, then though the water of the whole ocean and of all rivers have washed it, it is foul and guilty before God.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, who make clean the outside of the cup and of the dish. Above, the Lord rebuked the Pharisees for the pretense they outwardly displayed, which they did not have in their hearts, but twisted toward profit; here, for the pretense of purity which they outwardly showed. And this, first, with respect to the appetite for temporal goods, or with respect to carnal sins; secondly, with respect to spiritual sins. And first he treats of the first; secondly, of the second, at woe to you (...) because you are like whitened sepulchres. Regarding the first, he does two things. First, he rebukes their pretense; secondly, he sets forth the sound doctrine, at you blind Pharisee, etc. He says, then, woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who make clean the outside of the cup, etc. Note that this can be understood in two ways. In one way, that it is a proper expression; and he means to touch upon the custom of the Pharisees, who put great care into cleaning the exteriors, as is said above, that they observed the cleanliness of cups and vessels; hence woe to you, who put great care into cleaning vessels, but not hearts. Hence it follows, but within, i.e., in the heart, you are full of rapine and uncleanness. Jerome holds that it is a figurative expression; hence he holds that all the cleanliness that is shown outwardly is to be understood. Food is served in the dish, drink in the cup. But man is called a dish; and the food in which God delights are the good works that he does; John 4:34: my meat is to do the will of my Father. It is evident that the use of the cup and dish is not on the outer surface but the inner. He therefore who cleans the cup outwardly is he who prepares his body outwardly. But you are of this sort: within you are full of rapine and uncleanness. And he sets forth two things, rapine and uncleanness, because there are two kinds of sins: carnal sins, which are consummated in the delight of the flesh, such as gluttony and lust; and others which are consummated in the delight of the spirit, such as pride and avarice, because avarice with respect to its object holds itself with carnal sin; but with respect to its completion, because it is completed in the delight of the mind, namely in the desire for money, it holds itself with spiritual sin. Hence he reproves avarice when he says rapine. Now rapine properly refers to when what belongs to another is taken; so properly the avaricious man withholds what belongs to another: hence it is opposed to justice; Isaiah 3:14: the spoil of the poor is in your house. Likewise, full of uncleanness, with respect to gluttony and lust. The soul is rendered impure by passion, and no passion so depresses reason as gluttony and lust; Ephesians 5:3: let not fornication and uncleanness, or covetousness, be so much as named among you, as becomes saints.

Commentary on Matthew

We are not washed in order that we may cease sinning, but because we have ceased, since in heart we have been bathed already.

On Repentance

Then he brings them to sound doctrine: you blind Pharisee, first make clean the inside of the cup and of the dish. All exterior purity is from interior purity, as it says above at 6:22: if your eye be single, your whole body shall be lightsome, etc. Therefore he teaches that one should cleanse the heart, and so the whole will be clean. Hence he says, you blind Pharisee, etc. Wisdom 2:21: their own malice blinded them. Make clean the inside, because whatever is done outwardly, provided it is done from a good will, is entirely good; Proverbs 4:23: with all watchfulness keep your heart. Likewise, it can be explained of the word of a man: hence that which is interior can be understood as the understanding of sacred Scripture, Sirach 15:3: she fed him with the bread of life and understanding, in which wisdom is served. The bread of wisdom is the word of life. Hence some wish to adorn the word outwardly and do not care about the meaning. And these clean the outside.

Commentary on Matthew

Wherefore that also must be held to be the resurrection, when a man is reanimated by access to the truth, and having dispersed the death of ignorance, and being endowed with new life by God, has burst forth from the sepulchre of the old man, even as the Lord likened the scribes and Pharisees to "whited sepulchres." Whence it follows that they who have by faith attained to the resurrection, are with the Lord after they have once put Him on in their baptism.

On the Resurrection of the Flesh

This discourse instructs us that we should hasten to become righteous, not to seem so. For whoso seeks to be thought so, cleanses the outside, and has care of the things that are seen, but neglects the heart and conscience. But he who seeks to cleanse that which is within, that is, the thoughts, makes by that means the things without clean also. All professors of false doctrine are cups cleansed on the outside, because of that show of religion which they affect, but within they are full of extortion and guile, hurrying men into error. The cup is a vessel for liquids, the platter for meat. Every discourse then of which we spiritually drink, and all speech by which we are fed, are vessels for meat and drink. They who study to set forth well wrought discourse rather than such as is full of healthful meaning, are cups cleansed without; but within full of the defilement of vanity. Also the letter of the Law and the Prophets is a cup of spiritual drink, and a platter of necessary food. The Scribes and Pharisees seek to make plain the outward sense; Christ's disciples labour to exhibit the spiritual sense.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

After this, He again derides them for vainglory, calling them "whited sepulchers" and unto all adding, "ye hypocrites;" which thing is the cause of all their evils, and the origin of their ruin. And He did not merely call them whited sepulchers, but said, that they were full of uncleanness and hypocrisy. And these things He spake, indicating the cause wherefore they did not believe, because they were full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

But these things not Christ only, but the prophets also constantly lay to their charge, that they spoil, that their rulers judge not according to the rule of justice, and every where you may find the sacrifices indeed refused, but these things required. So that there is nothing strange, nothing new, neither in the lawgiving, nor in the accusation, nay not even in the comparison of the sepulchre. For the prophet makes mention thereof, neither did he call them merely a sepulchre, "but their throat an open sepulchre."

Such are many men now also, decking themselves indeed outwardly, but full of iniquity within. For now too there is many a mode, and many a care for outward purifications, but of those in the soul not so much as one. But if indeed any one should tear open each man's conscience, many worms and much corruption would he find, and an ill savor beyond utterance; unreasonable and wicked lusts I mean, which are more unclean than worms.

But that "they" should be such persons is not "so" dreadful a thing (although it be dreadful), but that "you," that have been counted worthy to become temples of God, should of a sudden have become sepulchers, having as much ill savor, this is extreme wretchedness. He in whom Christ dwells, and the Holy Spirit hath worked, and such great mysteries, that this man should be a sepulchre, what wretchedness is this? What mournings and lamentations doth this call for, when the members of Christ have become a tomb of uncleanness? Consider how thou wast born, of what things thou hast been counted worthy, what manner of garment thou hast received, how thou wast built a temple without a breach! how fair! not adorned with gold, neither with pearls, but with the spirit that is more precious than these.

Consider that no sepulchre is made in a city, so then neither shalt thou be able to appear in the city above. For if here this is forbidden, much more there. Or rather even here thou art an object of scorn to all, bearing about a dead soul, and not to be scorned only, but also to be shunned. For tell me, if any one were to go round, bearing about a dead body, would not all have rushed away? would not all have fled? Think this now likewise. For thou goest about, bearing a spectacle far more grievous than this, a soul deadened by sins, a soul paralyzed.

Who now will pity such a one? For when thou dost not pity thine own soul, how shall another pity him that is so cruel, such an enemy to himself? If any one, where thou didst sleep and eat, had buried a dead body, what wouldest thou not have done? but thou art burying a dead soul, not where thou dinest, nor where thou sleepest, but in the members of Christ: and art thou not afraid lest a thousand lightnings and thunderbolts be hurled from above upon thine head?

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 73

27–28

Sepulchres are whitened with lime without, and decorated with marble painted in gold and various colours, but within are full of dead men's bones. Thus crooked teachers who teach one thing and do another, affect purity in their dress, and humility in their speech, but within are full of all uncleanness, covetousness, and lust.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

27–28

(Verse 27, 28.) Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful to people, but inside are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. Just as he had shown with the cup and dish, that they were clean on the outside but dirty on the inside, he now repeats the same example with tombs: how tombs are whitewashed on the outside and decorated with marble and gold and different colors, but inside they are full of dead people's bones. This is how the perverse teachers, who teach one thing and do another, demonstrate cleanliness with their clothing and humility of speech, but inside they are full of all uncleanness and desire. Finally, this expresses more clearly the very thing itself, inferring: Thus you indeed appear just to men on the outside: but within, you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Commentary on Matthew

27–28

The monks praised a brother to Antony. Antony went to him and tested him to see if he could endure being insulted. When he saw that he could not bear it, he said to him, ‘You are like a house with a highly decorated outside, but burglars have stolen all the furniture by the back door.’

The Desert Fathers, Sayings of the Early Christian Monks

27–28

(Mor. xxvi. 32.) But before their strict Judge they cannot have the plea of ignorance, for by assuming in the eyes of men every form of sanctity, they witness against themselves that they are not ignorant how to live well.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

27–28

This analogy, too, has the same meaning as that of the preceding. For they were eager to appear comely in their external condition, just like tombs that are whitened with lime and chalk, but within they are full of every uncleanness, and of dead and rotting works.

Commentary on Matthew

27–28

Justly are the bodies of the righteous said to be temples, because in the body of the righteous the soul has dominion, as God in His temple; or because God Himself dwells in righteous bodies. But the bodies of sinners are called sepulchres of the dead, because the sinner's soul is dead in his body; for that cannot be deemed to be alive, which does no spiritual or living act.

But say, hypocrite, if it be good to be wicked, why do you not desire to seem that which you desire to be? For what it is shameful to seem, that it is more shameful to be; and what to seem is fair, that it is fairer to be. Either therefore be what you seem, or seem what you are.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Woe to you, (...) because you are like whitened sepulchres. Here he rebukes them with respect to spiritual sins. And first he sets forth the likeness; secondly, he explains it. A sepulchre is where a dead body rests. The dead bodies of the saints are the temple of God, in which God dwells; 1 Corinthians 3:17: the temple of God is holy, which you are. The body is the dwelling of the soul, and the soul is the throne of God: so just as the body is the dwelling of the soul, so the soul is the dwelling of God; Psalm 10:5: God is in his holy temple, etc. But the body of a sinner is a sepulchre, because it contains a dead thing, since the soul dies through sin; therefore the wicked are called a sepulchre; Psalm 13:3: their throat is an open sepulchre. In a sepulchre there is a dead body within, but sometimes outwardly there is some image that seems to live in appearance; Apocalypse 3:1: you have the name of being alive, and you are dead. And therefore he says, which outwardly appear to men beautiful, on account of the beauty outwardly applied, but within are full of dead men's bones and of all filthiness, i.e., of all putrefaction and of all uncleanness.

Commentary on Matthew

It is very beautiful, and, as you say, it is very English. Charles Dickens, who was almost more English than England, wrote one of his rare poems about the beauty of ivy. Yes, by all means let us admire the ivy, so deep, so warm, so full of a genial gloom and a grotesque tenderness. Let us admire the ivy; and let us pray to God in His mercy that it may not kill the tree.

Tremendous Trifles, XXXI. The Riddle of the Ivy (1909)

Brave men are vertebrates; they have their softness on the surface and their toughness in the middle. But these modern cowards are all crustaceans; their hardness is all on the cover and their softness is inside.

Tremendous Trifles, XXXIII. The Prehistoric Railway Station (1909)

But the difference lies precisely in this--that the Christ of Mr. Kennedy's play insists on really knowing all the souls that he loves; he declines to conquer by a kind of supernatural stupidity. He pardons evil, but he will not ignore it. In other words, he is a Christian, and not a Christian Scientist. The distinction doubtless is partly explained by the problems severally selected. Mr. Jerome practically supposes Christ to be trying to save disreputable people; and that, of course, is naturally a simple business. Mr. Kennedy supposes Him to be trying to save the reputable people, which is a much larger affair. The chief characters in The Servant in the House are a popular and strenuous vicar, universally respected, and his fashionable and forcible wife. It would have been no good to tell these people they had some good in them--for that was what they were telling themselves all day long. They had to be reminded that they had some bad in them--instinctive idolatries and silent treasons which they always tried to forget. It is in connection with these crimes of wealth and culture that we face the real problem of positive evil. The whole of Mr. Blatchford's controversy about sin was vitiated throughout by one's consciousness that whenever he wrote the word “sinner” he thought of a man in rags. But here, again, we can find truth merely by referring to vulgar literature--its unfailing fountain. Whoever read a detective story about poor people? The poor have crimes; but the poor have no secrets. And it is because the proud have secrets that they need to be detected before they are forgiven.

A Miscellany of Men, The Divine Detective (1912)

As the scribes and Pharisees were previously called “full of robbery and intemperance,” likewise here they are said to be “full of hypocrisy and iniquity” and are compared with “the bones of the dead and all uncleanness.” Hypocrisy, because it is a counterfeit of the good, possesses nothing vital of the good it simulates, but is only its dead bones, so to speak.… If we listen with wisdom to what the present passage wants to tell us, we will understand that every simulated righteousness is a dead righteousness, hence no righteousness at all. Just as a dead man can still have the appearance of a man, even though he is in fact no longer a man, so also a dead chastity is no chastity. For any virtue is dead when it is not practiced for God but feigned on account of men. He who feigns righteousness can give the appearance of being righteous even though what he has is not righteousness at all but only a figment of righteousness, much like impersonators who can take on the appearance of another individual without thereby actually becoming the other person. The same is true concerning chastity. Because of this, men who do such things are appropriately compared with “whitewashed tombs which look beautiful from the outside,” for they give every external appearance of righteousness, even though they are full of “the bones of the dead” within.

Commentary on Matthew 24

As above they are said to be full of extortion and excess, so here they are full of hypocrisy and iniquity, and are likened to dead men's bones, and all uncleanness.

For all feigned righteousness is dead, forasmuch as it is not done for God's sake; yea, rather it is no righteousness at all, any more than a dead man is a man, or an actor who represents any character is the man whom he represents. There is therefore within them so much of bones and uncleanness as are the good things that they wickedly pretend to. And they seem righteous outwardly, not in the eyes of such as the Scripture calls Gods, (Ps. 82:6.) but of such only as die like men.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

After this he explains: so you also outwardly indeed appear to men just, i.e., men judge you to be just, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. He comprehends the carnal sins, avarice and gluttony, as was said above, under which vainglory is contained; John 12:43: they loved their own glory more than the glory of God. Likewise, under iniquity, all spiritual sins.

Commentary on Matthew

Without just cause He seems to utter denunciations against those who build the sepulchres of the Prophets; for so far what they did was praiseworthy; how then do they deserve this woe?

And in the prophetic writings, the historical sense is the body, the spiritual meaning is the soul; the sepulchres are the letter and books themselves of Scripture. They then who attend only to the historical meaning, honour the bodies of the Prophets, and set in the letter as in a sepulchre; and are called Pharisees, i. e. 'cut off,' as it were cutting off the soul of the Prophets from their body.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

29–30

Not because they build, nor because they blame the others, doth He say, woe, but because, while both thus, and by what they say, they are pretending to condemn their fathers, they do worse. For in proof that the condemnation was a pretense, Luke saith, ye do allow because ye build; for, "Woe unto you," saith He, "for ye build the sepulchers of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Truly ye bear witness, and ye allow the deeds of your fathers, for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchers." For here He reproves their purpose, wherewith they built, that it was not for the honoring of them that were slain, but as making a show of the murders, and afraid, lest, when the tombs had perished by time, the proof and memory of such daring should fade away, setting up these glorious buildings, as a kind of trophy, and priding themselves in the daring deeds of those men, and displaying them.

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 74

29–31

By a most subtle syllogism He proves them to be the sons of murderers, while to gain good character and reputation with the people, they build the sepulchres of the Prophets whom their fathers put to death.

Though they speak not this in words, they proclaim it by their actions, in ambitious and magnificent structures to their memory.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

29–31

(Verse 29 onwards) Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' Thus you bear witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. In the most skillful syllogism, they are proven to be the offspring of murderers, while they themselves, by the opinion of goodness and glory among the people, build tombs for the prophets whom their forefathers killed, and they say, 'If we had lived in that time, we would not have done what our fathers did.' However, even if they do not say it in words, they speak through their actions by ambitiously and magnificently building monuments to the slain, whom they do not deny were killed by their forefathers.

Commentary on Matthew

29–31

He deplores them, not for building tombs for the prophets, for that is pleasing to God, but for doing these things in pretence, and for passing judgement on their fathers while doing worse things themselves, and exceeding them by far in malice. They lie brazenly when they say, "If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have killed the prophets," for they were rabid with desire to kill the Master of the prophets. Therefore Christ says:

Commentary on Matthew

29–30

But say, hypocrite, if it be good to be wicked, why do you not desire to seem that which you desire to be? For what it is shameful to seem, that it is more shameful to be; and what to seem is fair, that it is fairer to be. Either therefore be what you seem, or seem what you are.

Or, they said within themselves, If we do good to the poor not many see it, and then but for a moment; were it not better to raise buildings which all may see, not only now, but in all time to come? O foolish man, what boots this posthumous memory, if, where you are, you are tortured, and where you are not there you are praised? While He corrects the Jews, He instructs the Christians; for had these things been spoken to the former only, they would have been spoken, but not written; but now they were spoken on their account, and written on ours. When one, besides other good deeds, raises sacred buildings, it is an addition to his good works; but if without any other good works, it is a passion for worldly renown. The martyrs joy not to be honoured with money which has caused the poor to weep. The Jews, moreover, have ever been adorers of saints of former times, and contemners, yea persecutors, of the living. Because they could not endure the reproaches of their own Prophets, they persecuted and killed them; but afterwards the succeeding generation perceived the error of their fathers, and thus in grief at the death of innocent Prophets, they built up monuments of them. But they themselves in like manner persecuted and put to death the Prophets of their own time, when they rebuked them for their sins. This is what is meant, And ye say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Then when he says, woe to you, (...) who build the sepulchres of the prophets, he rebukes them for the pretense of piety, and he does two things. First, he sets forth their pretense; secondly, their cruelty, at wherefore you are witnesses against yourselves, etc. Likewise, they pretend in two ways, by deeds and by words. Hence he first rebukes them regarding their deeds; secondly, regarding their words. The second is at and you say: if we had been, etc. He says, then, woe to you who build the sepulchres of the prophets. But what is this? Were they doing wrong? Do we not do this well, who place the bodies of the saints in silver and gold caskets? Some say that they are not reproved for the deed but for the intention, because their intention was evil; for they did this so that the memory of the crime of their fathers might be brought back to men's remembrance: hence it was the custom that when something notable happened, something was made as a memorial of it. Hence they wanted the boldness of their parents, because they dared to kill the prophets, to be in the memory of all. But this exposition does not agree with the letter. Therefore it should be said otherwise, that they are not blamed for this, but because they did this only so as to show outward signs of piety, just as it is said above that they tithed mint and cummin. Likewise, they adorn the monuments of the just. They adorned the sepulchres, and yet had the intention of killing, on account of pretense. Similarly, Chrysostom says, it happens in our times that if someone does many good things, adorns sepulchres, has an open hand, and the like; if he builds in stone, and aims at vainglory, and does not walk in the ways of the Lord, it profits him nothing.

Commentary on Matthew

29–31

The best example of the cultured, but common, tripper is the educated Englishman on the Continent. We can no longer explain the quarrel by calling Englishmen rude and foreigners polite. Hundreds of Englishmen are extremely polite, and thousands of foreigners are extremely rude. The truth of the matter is that foreigners do not resent the rude Englishman. What they do resent, what they do most justly resent, is the polite Englishman. He visits Italy for Botticellis or Flanders for Rembrandts, and he treats the great nations that made these things courteously--as he would treat the custodians of any museum. It does not seem to strike him that the Italian is not the custodian of the pictures, but the creator of them. He can afford to look down on such nations--when he can paint such pictures.

That is, in matters of art and travel, the psychology of the cad. If, living in Italy, you admire Italian art while distrusting Italian character, you are a tourist, or cad. If, living in Italy, you admire Italian art while despising Italian religion, you are a tourist, or cad. It does not matter how many years you have lived there. Tourists will often live a long time in hotels without discovering the nationality of the waiters. Englishmen will often live a long time in Italy without discovering the nationality of the Italians. But the test is simple. If you admire what Italians did without admiring Italians--you are a cheap tripper.

The same, of course, applies much nearer home. I have remarked elsewhere that country shopkeepers are justly offended by London people, who, coming among them, continue to order all their goods from London. It is caddish to wink and squint at the colour of a man's wine, like a wine taster; and then refuse to drink it. It is equally caddish to wink and squint at the colour of a man's orchard, like a landscape painter; and then refuse to buy the apples. It is always an insult to admire a thing and not use it. But the main point is that one has no right to see Stonehenge without Salisbury Plain and Salisbury. One has no right to respect the dead Italians without respecting the live ones. One has no right to visit a Christian society like a diver visiting the deep-sea fishes--fed along a lengthy tube by another atmosphere, and seeing the sights without breathing the air. It is very real bad manners.

A Miscellany of Men, The Aristocratic 'Arry (1912)

Once the prophets had departed this life, their bodies were in the tomb but their souls and spirits were in the “realm of the living.” Accordingly, the historical narrative of the prophetic writings is to be regarded as the body but their spiritual meaning and the inner truth as the soul and spirit which inhabits history. It is not improper then for us to consider the “tombs of the prophets” to be the letters on the pages of their books, in which the narrative lays as though it were a body placed in a tomb. Those persons therefore who receive and understand the spiritual meaning of the prophetic writings and the truth hidden within them have the soul and spirit of the prophets and are themselves made into a sort of realm of the living prophets.… Those who neither seek nor accept the spiritual meaning but attend only to the simple, historical narrative study the bodies of the prophets in the letters and pages of the books, as though in so many tombs. Such persons were the Pharisees, who were rightly called Pharisees (that is, the “separated”) because they separated the spiritual meaning of the prophets from their bodily history, as though expelling the prophets’ souls from their bodies, killing them and rendering them devoid of soul and spirit. It was also right for the Pharisees to be called “hypocrites,” because they built and adorned only the tombs of the prophets which contained their bodily history, which is to say that they studied only the letter of their writings and books. They did not understand that those who study dead bodies (the historical narrative) may seem to act with reverence toward the memory of the prophets but are in fact being most irreverent. Their attempts to defend themselves against the charge of being associated with “those who killed the prophets” and to prove themselves innocent only add to the crimes of “those who killed the prophets,” thereby filling up the “measure” of the iniquity of their fathers by not believing in Christ, whom the prophets proclaimed not through the historical sense of their writings but through the spiritual sense.

Commentary on Matthew 27

30–31

For the things that ye now dare to do, show that ye do these things also in this spirit. For, though ye speak the contrary, saith He, as condemning them, as, for instance, "We should not, if we had been in their days, have been partakers with them;" yet the disposition is evident wherewith ye say these things. Wherefore also unfolding it, though darkly, still He hath expressed it. For when He had said, ye say, "If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets;" He added, "Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them that slew the prophets." And what blame is it to be a murderer's son, if one partake not in the mind of one's father? None. Whence it is evident, that for this same thing He brings it forward against them, hinting at their affinity in wickedness.

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 74

Likewise, they showed piety by their words: and you say: if we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been their partners in the blood of the prophets. It is common that in the deeds of others all are severe judges: hence if we see someone sinning, we judge it a great sin, but we diminish our own sin; therefore these sons recognized the malice of their fathers, but not their own; above at 7:5: cast out first the beam from your own eye, and then you shall see to cast out the mote from your brother's eye.

Commentary on Matthew

What kind of accusation is this, to Call one the son of a murderer, who partakes not in his father's disposition? Clearly there is no guilt in being so; wherefore this must be said in proof of their resemblance in wickedness.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

We will carefully investigate what the Savior says. The forefathers of the Jews killed the holy prophets who were transmitting the divine word to them in those times. They surely have become witnesses for some of them, because the prophets are now revered and honored. They have placed crowns on their heads or assign … honor to their tombs as to holy things, for believing the prophets to be holy men, they have become the judges of those who have killed them. For by honoring them in this way, they have spoken against those who killed them, and through these things they accuse them of having acted wickedly. But though they agreed to condemn the murders committed by their own forefathers, they were about to become threshing floors for the same kind of evils, indeed, to things even worse. They “killed the author of life” and added to their impieties against him other murders, those of his holy apostles. For while one scrutinizes the sins of others, making a decision according to one’s innate reason, one sees the wickedness and censures it.… He who is led into similar passions is like a blind man carried away.

Fragment 260.6

What they thought in their hearts, that they spoke by their deeds. Christ lays bare here the natural habit of all wicked men; each readily apprehends the other's fault, but none his own; for in another's case each man has an unprejudiced heart, but in his own case it is distorted. Therefore in the cause of others we can all easily be righteous judges. He only is the truly righteous and wise who is able to judge himself. It follows, Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that you are the children of them which killed the Prophets.

The character of the parents is a witness to the sons; if the father be good and the mother bad, or the reverse, the children may follow sometimes one, sometimes the other. But when both are the same, it very rarely happens that bad sons spring of good parents, or the reverse, though it be so sometimes. This is as a man is sometimes born out of the rule of nature, having six fingers or no eyes.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Then he sets forth their cruelty. And first, in general; secondly, in particular. And he sets forth the temporal punishment, at behold, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes. Regarding the first, he first describes the origin; secondly, the imitation of evil; thirdly, he threatens punishment. He says, wherefore you are witnesses against yourselves, that you are the sons of those who killed the prophets. But what evil was it for them, since it was not in their power? Therefore it seems that it ought not to be imputed to them. See: sometimes a son does not imitate the sins of his father, and sometimes he does imitate paternal malice. If he does not follow paternal malice, it is not imputed to him. Sometimes it happens that one has a good father and a bad mother, or conversely, and he follows the goodness of his father, or of his mother. But if both are wicked, it rarely happens that he does not imitate their malice. And the reason is that the children of the wicked become accustomed to evils from the beginning; and what they become accustomed to in youth they adhere to more strongly, and therefore they are more inclined to evil. Likewise, when evil parents see their children doing something evil, they do not correct them; for this reason their sin is aggravated, so that the sins of the parents redound to the children; Exodus 20:5: I am a jealous God, visiting the sins of the fathers upon the children. Therefore he says, you are the sons of those, who have their malice; Wisdom 3:12: their children are most wicked. Hence you are sons by imitation; and this is what follows:

Commentary on Matthew

And in the prophetic writings, the historical sense is the body, the spiritual meaning is the soul; the sepulchres are the letter and books themselves of Scripture. They then who attend only to the historical meaning, honour the bodies of the Prophets, and set in the letter as in a sepulchre; and are called Pharisees, i. e. 'cut off,' as it were cutting off the soul of the Prophets from their body.

They fill up the measure of their fathers' sins by their not believing in Christ. And the cause of their unbelief was, that they looked only to the letter and the body, and would understand nothing spiritual in them.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

32–33

Because then they will fill up the measure of their fathers' purposes, therefore are they serpents, and an offspring of vipers.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

The form of judgment is perfect; the understanding and idea of equity are instilled in each of us by nature so that the more fully the ideal of equity is known, the less need there is for the forgiveness of iniquity. The people of the law killed all the prophets. They had become inflamed with hatred toward them because of the harshness of their reproaches, since the prophets had publicly called them thieves, murderers, adulterers and sacrilegious. Moreover, because they had denounced the Jews as unworthy of the kingdom of heaven and because they taught that the Gentiles would be the heirs of the covenant of God, they afflicted the prophets with a variety of other punishments. The descendants, however, repudiated the deeds of their fathers, honoring the prophets’ books, decorating their tombs, restoring their sepulchers and attesting by these forms of respect that they were not culpable of the crimes of their fathers.

Commentary on Matthew 24.8

32–36

Then, because He was searching their temper of mind, which is to the more part obscure, He doth, from those things also which they were about to perpetrate, which would be manifest to all, establish His words. For, because He had said, "Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets," making it evident, that of their affinity in wickedness He is speaking, and that it was a pretense to say, "We should not have been partakers with them," He added, "Fill ye up therefore the measure of your fathers," not commanding, but declaring beforehand, what was to be, that is, His own murder.

Therefore, having brought in their refutation, and having shown that they were pretenses which they said in their own defense, as, for instance, "We would not have been partakers with them," (for they who refrain not from the Lord, how should they have refrained from the servants), He makes after this His language more condemnatory, calling them "serpents, and generation of vipers," and saying, "How shall ye escape the damnation of hell," at once perpetrating such things, and denying them, and dissembling your purpose?

Then rebuking them more exceedingly from another cause also, He Saith, "I will send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes, and some of them shall ye kill and crucify, and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues." For that they should not say, "Though we crucified the Lord, yet from the servants we should have refrained, if we had been then;" "Behold," He saith, "I send servants also to you, prophets likewise themselves, and neither will ye spare them." But these things He saith, showing that it was nothing strange, that He should be murdered by those sons, being both murderous and deceitful, and having much guile, and surpassing their fathers in their outrages.

And besides what hath been said, He shows them to be also exceedingly vainglorious. For when they say, "If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been partakers with them," they spake out of vainglory, and were practising virtue in words only, but in their works doing the contrary.

Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, that is, wicked sons of wicked men, and more wicked than those who begat them. For He showeth that they are committing greater crimes, both by their committing them after those others, and by their doing much more grievous things than they, and this, while positively affirming that they never would have fallen into the same. For they add that which is both the end and the crown of their evil deeds. For the others slew them that came to the vineyard, but these, both the son, and them that were bidding them to the wedding.

But these things He saith, to separate them off from the affinity to Abraham, and to show that they had no advantage from thence, unless they followed his works; wherefore also He adds, "How can ye flee from the damnation of hell," when following them that have committed such acts?

And here He recalls to their remembrance John's accusation, for he too called them by this name, and reminded them of the judgment to come. Then, because they are nothing alarmed by judgment and hell, by reason of their not believing them, and because the thing is future, He awes them by the things present, and saith, "Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets and scribes: and some of them shall ye kill and crucify, and scourge; that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel, unto the blood of Zacharias the son of Barschias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, that all these things shall come upon this generation."

See by how many things He has warned them. He said, Ye condemn your fathers, in that ye say, "We would not have been partakers with them;" and this is no little thing to shame them. He said, While ye condemn them, ye do worse things, even ye yourselves; and this is sufficient to cover them with disgrace. He said, These things shall not be without punishment; and hence he implants in them fear beyond words. He hath reminded them at least of hell. Then because that was to come, He brought home to them the terrors as even present. "For all these things shall come," He saith, "upon this generation."

He added also unspeakable severity to the vengeance, saying, that they shall suffer more grievous things than all; yet by none of these things did they become better. But if any one say, And why do they suffer more grievously than all? we would say, Because they have first committed more grievous things than all, and by none of the things that have been done to them have they been brought to a sound mind.

Heardest thou not Lamech saying, "Of Lamech vengeance shall be taken seventy times sevenfold;" that is, "I am deserving of more punishment than Cain." Why could this be? Yet he did not slay his brother; but because not even by his example was he brought to a better mind. And this is what God saith elsewhere, "Requiting the sins of fathers upon children for the third and fourth generation of them that hate me." Not as though one were to suffer punishment for the crimes committed by others, but inasmuch as they who, after many sin and have been punished, yet have not grown better, but have committed the same offenses, are justly worthy to suffer their punishments also.

But see how seasonably he also mentioned Abel, indicating that this murder likewise is of envy. What then have ye to say? Know ye not what Cain suffered? Did God hold His peace at his deeds? Did He not exact the severest penalty? Heard ye not what things your fathers suffered, when they slew the prophets; were they not delivered over to punishments, and inflictions of vengeance without number? How then did ye not become better? And why do I speak of the punishments of your fathers, and what they suffered? Thou who thyself condemnest thy fathers, how is it thou doest worse? For moreover even ye yourselves have declared that "He will miserably destroy those wicked men." What favor then will ye have after this, committing such things after such a sentence?

But who is this Zacharias? Some say, the father of John; some, the prophet; some, a priest with two different names, whom the Scripture also calls, the son of Jehoiada.

But do thou mark this, that the outrage was twofold. For not only did they slay holy men, but also in a holy place. And saying these things, He did not only alarm them, but also comfort His disciples, showing that the righteous men also who were before them suffered these things. But these He alarmed, foretelling that like as they paid their penalty, even so should these too suffer the utmost extremities. Therefore He calls them "prophets, and wise men, and scribes," even hereby again taking away every plea of theirs. "For ye cannot say," He saith, "Thou didst send from among the Gentiles, and therefore we were offended;" but they were led on unto this by being murderous, and thirsting for blood. Wherefore He also said beforehand, "For this cause do I send prophets and scribes." This did the prophets also lay to their charge, saying, "They mingle blood with blood," and that they are men of blood. Therefore also did He command the blood to be offered to Him, showing that if in a brute it be thus precious, much more in a man. Which He saith to Noah likewise, "I will require all blood that is shed." And ten thousand other such things might one find Him enjoining with regard to their not committing murder; wherefore He commanded them not even to eat that which was strangled.

Oh the love of God towards man! that though He foreknew they would profit nothing, He still doeth His part. For I will send, He saith, and this knowing they would be slain. So that even hereby they were convicted of saying vainly, "We should not have been partakers with our fathers." For these too slew prophets even in their synagogues, and reverenced neither the place, nor the dignity of the persons. For not merely ordinary persons did they slay, but prophets and wise men, such that they had nothing to lay to their charge. And by these He meaneth the apostles, and those after them, for, indeed, many prophesied. Then, willing to aggravate their fears, He saith, "Verily, verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation;" that is, I will bring all upon your heads, and will make the vengeance sore. For he that knew many to have sinned, and was not sobered, but himself hath committed the same sins again, and not the same only, but also far more grievous, would justly deserve to suffer a far more grievous punishment than they. For like as, if he had been minded, he would have gained greatly, had he grown better by their examples, even so, since he continued without amendment, he is liable to a heavier vengeance, as having had the benefit of more warning by them who had sinned before and been punished, and having reaped no advantage.

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 74

He had said against the Scribes and Pharisees, that they were the children of those who killed the Prophets; now therefore He shows that they were like them in wickedness, and that that was false that they said, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets. Wherefore He now says, Fill ye up the measure of your fathers. This is not a command, but a prophecy of what is to be.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

And you, fulfill the measure of your fathers. Having proven with the previous words that they were the children of murderers and those who killed the prophets, he now concludes what he wanted and puts forth the final part of the syllogism. And you, fulfill the measure of your fathers. What was lacking for them, you complete. They killed the servants, you crucify the Lord. They killed the prophets, you kill him who was preached by the prophets.

Commentary on Matthew

32–33

He neither bids them nor impels them towards their plan to kill Him when He says, "Fill ye up also the measure of your fathers." Rather, this is what He means: since you are serpents and the offspring of such fathers, and have been plunged into such malice that you are incurable, in a short time you will be eager to outdo your fathers when you kill Me. For you shall have attained to the ultimate degree of malice when you fulfill and complete the bloodletting which your fathers omitted. Being such, how shall you escape eternal torments?

Commentary on Matthew

He foretels, that as their fathers killed the Prophets, so they also should kill Christ, and the Apostles, and other holy men. As suppose you had a quarrel with some one, you might say to your adversary, Do to me what you are about to do; but you do not therein bid him do it, but show him that you are aware of his manæuvres. And in fact they went beyond the measure of their fathers; for they put to death only men, these crucified God. But because He stooped to death of His own free choice, He does not lay on them the sin of His death, but only the death of the Apostles and other holy men. Whence also He said, Fill up, and not Fill over; for a just and merciful Judge overlooks his own wrongs, and only punishes those done to others.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Fill up then the measure of your fathers. This is not imperative, but declarative: fill up, i.e., you will fill up, as though a man were speaking, i.e., you will kill me; John 13:27: that which you do, do quickly. Or it can be permissive, i.e., you will not be prevented by me; i.e., at some time you wished to but I did not permit; hereafter I will not prevent you. Therefore fill up the measure of your fathers. But what does it mean when he says fill up? It should be seen that all things that come to pass come from the certain judgment of God. But in that judgment of God the punishment is not immediately exacted, until the guilt is totally accumulated and comes to a head: hence with respect to the judgment of God, their guilt was not yet filled up. Hence they killed the prophets, and the guilt is not yet filled up, but it will be completed in me. Therefore fill up the measure of your fathers. Isaiah 27:8: in measure against measure, when it shall be cast off, you shall judge it. Or fill up. The fathers sinned, but you fill up. Then one fills up when he arrives at as much as his fathers. Therefore your fathers killed the prophets, and you, fill up. Or it can be said that those sinned by killing servants, but these by killing the Son; hence they filled up the wickedness of their fathers. But the Lord willingly offered himself and did not oppose. Likewise, he does not reproach them for his own injury, but only for that of his own, because it belongs to a good shepherd to consider the injury of his own as his own.

Commentary on Matthew

And this is manifest too by what comes after; He adds at least, "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers." For as those beasts are like their parents, in the destructiveness of their venom, so also are ye like your fathers in murderousness.

Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, that is, wicked sons of wicked men, and more wicked than those who begat them. For He showeth that they are committing greater crimes, both by their committing them after those others, and by their doing much more grievous things than they, and this, while positively affirming that they never would have fallen into the same. For they add that which is both the end and the crown of their evil deeds. For the others slew them that came to the vineyard, but these, both the son, and them that were bidding them to the wedding.

But these things He saith, to separate them off from the affinity to Abraham, and to show that they had no advantage from thence, unless they followed his works; wherefore also He adds, "How can ye flee from the damnation of hell," when following them that have committed such acts?

And here He recalls to their remembrance John's accusation, for he too called them by this name, and reminded them of the judgment to come.

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 74

(v. 33) Serpents, ((Al. additur et)) offspring of vipers, how can you escape the judgment of Gehenna? This very thing John the Baptist also said (Luke III). Therefore, just as vipers give birth to vipers, so you, he says, are born of murderers fathers, are murderers.

Commentary on Matthew

The same had been said by John the Baptist. Wherefore as of vipers are born vipers, so of your fathers who were murderers are you born murderers.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

The punishment of all the murders committed in the past will fall on the last generation of murderers according to a certain pattern, although God speaking through the prophet does say that “the fathers will not die for the sins of the children” … and indeed, “each will die for his own sin.” What then should we think about this? How can a later generation be punished for the murders committed by others, concerning whom Christ says these things? Won’t Cain be punished for the murder of Abel?… How is it that these poor souls will be subjected to the punishment due to all these people? For God is not unjust but is the righteous judge, powerful and patient, according to the testimony of the Scripture. Therefore we think there is a certain intention contained within the things that have been spoken that applies to the present case and helps us to fit one thing to another. Let it be taken for granted then that this may be so in the present case. Let us say that they have become robbers in that land. These men were plundering the surrounding villages and killing their inhabitants. But the prince of the realm did not immediately strip them of the ruler’s sword. Rather, he was eager to teach them differently through the use of threats.… But I suppose someone of the last who have been cruelly punished will say that they have received the penalty due to all.… You will also understand something such as this concerning God. For God was extremely patient in the preceding times until he deemed it necessary to set a boundary on his longsuffering. For it was also necessary that the divine anger fall upon these. On the one hand, they continued to sin against people and their fellow servants. On the other hand, they killed the Lord of all. Not that it is for this reason that he harshly punished the last ones but that it is astonishing that he has borne patiently with them to the present time.

Fragment 261.13

33–34

He calls them offspring of vipers, because the nature of vipers is such that the young burst the womb of their dam, and so come forth; and in like manner the Jews condemned their fathers, finding fault with their deeds. He says, How shall ye escape the damnation of hell? By building the tombs of the saints? But the first step of piety is to love holiness, the next, to love the saints; for it is not reasonable in him to honour the righteous, who despises righteousness. The saints cannot be friends to those to whom God is an enemy. Shall ye be saved by a mere name, because ye seem to be among God's people! Forasmuch as an open enemy is better than a false friend, so is he more hateful to God, who calls himself the servant of God, and does the commands of the Devil. Indeed, before God he who has resolved to kill a worm is a murderer before the deed is done, for it is the will that is rewarded for good, or punished for evil. Deeds are evidence of the will. God then does not require deeds on His own account that He may know how to judge, but for the sake of other men, that they may perceive that God is righteous. And God affords the opportunity of sin to the wicked, not to make them sin, but to manifest the sinner; and also to the good He gives opportunity to show the purpose of their will. In this way then He gave the Scribes and Pharisees opportunity of showing their purposes, Behold, I send unto you Prophets, and wise men, and Scribes.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Then he adds concerning the punishment: you serpents, generation of vipers, etc. And it seems that he speaks fittingly about the guilt. A serpent is a venomous animal and kills by its venom: so they are called serpents because they killed the prophets. Of the viper it is also said that it dies in giving birth, for the offspring gnaws through the mother's innards: so since they themselves were wicked, they reviled their fathers. Hence, you who are such, how will you flee from the judgment of hell? According to the judgment of men you escape, but according to the judgment of God, how will you escape? Hence one must have a clean heart. Job 19:29: flee from the face of the sword.

Commentary on Matthew

The tremendous figure which fills the Gospels towers in this respect, as in every other, above all the thinkers who ever thought themselves tall. His pathos was natural, almost casual. The Stoics, ancient and modern, were proud of concealing their tears. He never concealed His tears; He showed them plainly on His open face at any daily sight, such as the far sight of His native city. Yet He concealed something. Solemn supermen and imperial diplomatists are proud of restraining their anger. He never restrained His anger. He flung furniture down the front steps of the Temple, and asked men how they expected to escape the damnation of Hell. Yet He restrained something. I say it with reverence; there was in that shattering personality a thread that must be called shyness. There was something that He hid from all men when He went up a mountain to pray. There was something that He covered constantly by abrupt silence or impetuous isolation. There was some one thing that was too great for God to show us when He walked upon our earth; and I have sometimes fancied that it was His mirth.

Orthodoxy, Ch. 9: Authority and the Adventurer (1908)

The unfruitful scribes of the law are different from the scribes who were sent by Christ on account of the gospel, in whose work the spirit vivifies but the letter does not kill, as does the letter of the law. Those who follow the letter of the law incur faithlessness and vain superstitions. Those who follow the letter of the gospel (i.e., its simple narrative), however, are saved. For the literal story of the gospel itself is sufficient for the salvation of the more simple among us. And if you see scribes of the law and Pharisees acting not only against “wise men” of the gospel and “prophets” of Christ but also against the “scribes” of the new covenant, you will see how (insofar as they are able) they kill the prophets of Christ and crucify the scribes and scourge them with slanderous speech in their synagogues. It is common to hear how the sects, the so-called spiritual men of the Pharisees, use their tongues like whips to scourge Christians with curses and to pursue them “from town to town,” sometimes bodily, sometimes spiritually, wanting to expel them from their own town, which is the law and prophets and the gospel and the apostles, and to drive them by deceitful means into another, foreign town, which is another gospel.

Commentary on Matthew 27

Or the Scribes who are sent by Christ, are Scribes according to the Gospel, whom the spirit quickens and the letter does not kill, as did the letter of the Law, which whoso followed ran into vain superstitions. The simple words of the Gospel are sufficient for salvation. But the Scribes of the Law do yet scourge the Scribes of the New Testament, by detracting from them in their synagogues; and the heretics also, who are spiritual Pharisees, with their tongues murder the Christians, and persecute them from city to city, sometimes in the body, sometimes also in the spirit, seeking to drive them from their own city of the Law, the Prophets, and the Gospel, into another Gospel.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

That is, the Apostles, who, as foretelling things to come, are Prophets; as having knowledge of Christ, are wise men; as understanding the Law, are Scribes.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

And to take away all excuse from them that they might not say, Because you sent them to the Gentiles thereat were we offended, He foretels that His disciples should be sent to them, and it is of their punishment that He adds, Verily I say unto you, all these things shall come upon this generation.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

(Verse 34.) Therefore, behold, I send to you prophets and wise men and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town. And so upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. At the same time, observe the Apostle writing to the Corinthians (1 Cor. VII), that there are various gifts of the disciples of Christ; some are prophets, who preach the coming things; some are wise, who know when they should speak; some are scribes, most learned in the Law, from whom Stephen was stoned, Paul was killed, Peter was crucified, the disciples were whipped in the Acts of the Apostles: and they were persecuted from city to city; driven out of Judea, so that they might migrate to the Gentile people.

Commentary on Matthew

Or, as the Apostle writes to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 12.) that there are various gifts among Christ's disciples; some Prophets, who foretel things to come; some wise men, who know when they ought to speak; others Scribes taught in the Law; of whom Stephen was stoned, Paul killed, Peter crucified, and the disciples of the Apostles beaten, in the Acts; and they persecuted them from city to city, driving them out of Judæa, that they might go to the Gentiles.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

He reproves them for saying falsely, "If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have killed the prophets." For "Behold," He says, "I send unto you prophets and wise men, and scribes," but you will kill them. He is speaking of the apostles, for the Holy Spirit adorned the apostles with teachings and made them scribes, that is, teachers of the people, and prophets filled with all wisdom. "I send," He says, thus showing His divine authority.

Commentary on Matthew

Behold I. In this part he sets forth their cruelty and adds the temporal punishment. And first he does the first; secondly, he adds the punishment. And first he sets forth the benefit; secondly, the guilt; thirdly, the magnitude of the punishment. Hence he says, behold, I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes, etc. And this can be referred to what immediately follows, or to all that follows. If to all, then it has a plainer sense. Thus I say that you are about to fill up the measure, and that you are serpents, etc. Hence I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes, and some of them you will put to death, because you are such as are accustomed to killing. Or in another way, so that it refers to the whole. The Lord wills that judgment be not only just, but that it appear just, so that others may take example. Hence if someone has a good resolution, the Lord rewards him for his good resolution, and then gives him the will to exercise a good work; so conversely, when someone has an evil resolution and is full of evil will, according to what is said in Hosea 2:6: I will hedge up your way with thorns, he excites the wrath of God, and from the wrath of God it comes about that his malice is made manifest. Therefore I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and you will kill them. And he says behold, because it is at hand, for he sent the apostles; hence Acts 1:8: and you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the uttermost part of the earth. But note that in saying I send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes, he signifies the diverse gifts of the Holy Spirit. To one is given the gift of wisdom, to another the gift of tongues, etc. 1 Corinthians 12:10. The apostles had all these gifts. They had the gift of prophecy in foretelling the future; Joel 2:28: I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Likewise, the gift of wisdom, because they knew all things; Luke 21:15: I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and gainsay. Likewise, they were scribes, because they had understanding of Scripture; Luke 24:45: he opened their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures. And why does he predict this? So that the disciples, thinking about what they had heard, might bear it more easily. Likewise, to convict them of malice, because just as their fathers killed the prophets, so they would kill the apostles; hence some of them you will put to death, as it says in Acts 12:2, because Herod killed James the brother of John with the sword, seeing that it pleased the Jews. Others were crucified; hence and you will crucify. For this was the most shameful death; therefore by this death they killed Christ, according to that passage in Wisdom 2:20: let us condemn him to a most shameful death. And you will scourge. Acts 5:40 says that having beaten them, they charged them that they should not speak at all in the name of Jesus. And you will persecute. This is manifest in how they persecuted Paul. And above at 10:23: when they shall persecute you in one city, flee into another.

Commentary on Matthew

Then there is a curious thing which seems to slip out almost by accident. On one occasion this Man is sitting looking down on Jerusalem from the hill above it and suddenly in comes an extraordinary remark—"I keep on sending you prophets and wise men." Nobody comments on it. And yet, quite suddenly, almost incidentally, He is claiming to be the power that all through the centuries is sending wise men and leaders into the world.

What Are We to Make of Jesus Christ?, from God in the Dock

A tradition has come down to us, that there was one place in the temple in which virgins were allowed to worship God, married women being forbidden to stand there. And Mary, after the Saviour's birth, going into the temple, stood to pray in this place of the virgins. And when they who knew that she had borne a Son were hindering her, Zacharias said, that forasmuch as she was still a virgin, she was worthy of the place of the virgins. Whereupon, as though he manifestly were contravening the Law, he was slain there between the temple and the altar by the men of that generation; and thus this word of Christ is true which He spake to those who were standing there, whom ye slew.

Zacharias is interpreted 'The memory of God.' Whosoever then hastes to obliterate the memory of God, seems to those to whom he gives offence to shed the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias. For it is by the blessing of God that we retain the memory of God. Also the memory of God is slain by the wicked, when the Temple of God is polluted by the lustful, and His altar defiled by the carelessness of prayers. Abel is interpreted 'mourning.' He then who does not receive that, Blessed are they that mourn, sheds the blood of Abel, that is, puts away the truth of wholesome mourning. Some also shed, as it were, the blood of the Scriptures by putting aside their truth, for all Scripture, if it is not understood according to its truth, is dead.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Then to show them that they should not do this without punishment, He holds out an unspeakable terror over them, That upon you may come all the righteous blood.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Moreover, He names Abel, to show that it would be out of envy that they would kill Christ and His disciples. He names Zacharias, because there was a twofold resemblance in his case, the sacred place, as well as the sacred person.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

35–36

(Verses 35, 36.) So that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation. Regarding Abel, there is no doubt that he is the one whom his brother Cain killed. But the righteousness of Zechariah is not only confirmed now by the judgment of the Lord, but also by the testimony of Genesis (Gen. IV), where the offerings accepted by God are narrated. We inquire who this Zacharias son of Barachiah is, because we have read of many Zachariases. And so that no opportunity for error might be given, it has been added: whom you have killed between the temple and the altar. Different things are read in different places, and I ought to present the opinions of different authors. Some say that it is Zacharias son of Barachiah, who is the eleventh among the twelve prophets, and that the name of the father agrees with him; but where he was killed between the temple and the altar, Scripture does not speak: especially since during his time there were hardly any ruins of the temple. Some suggest that Zacharias is the father of John, approving this based on certain apocryphal dreams, stating that he was killed because he preached the coming of the Savior. However, since this does not have authority from the Scriptures, it is dismissed with the same ease with which it is proven. Others believe this Zacharias to be the one who was killed by King Joash of Judah between the temple and the altar, as the history of the Kings narrates. But it should be noted that this Zacharias is not the son of Barachiah, but the son of Jehoiada the priest. And Scripture also reports: He did not remember the kindness Joash, his father, had shown him (2 Chronicles 24:22). Therefore, if we consider Zachariah and the place where he was killed, we wonder why he is called the son of Barachiah and not Joiada. Barachiah in our language means blessed by the Lord, and the righteousness of the priest Joiada is demonstrated in the Hebrew language. In the Gospel used by the Nazarenes, we find written that he is the son of Joiada instead of Barachiah. The simpler brethren among the ruins of the temple and the altar, or at the exits of the gates that lead to Siloam, pointing to the red stones, consider them to be polluted with the blood of Zechariah. We do not condemn the error that stems from hatred of the Jews and devotion to the faith. Let us briefly explain why the blood of the righteous Abel to the son of Barachiah is sought from that generation, even though neither of them killed him. The rule of the Scriptures is to present two generations, of the good or the evil, that is, one for each individual. Let us take examples of good things: Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord? or who shall rest in his holy mountain? (Ps. 23:3) And when he has described those who are going to ascend into the mountain of the Lord, who were of different ages, afterward he adds: This is the generation of them that seek the Lord, that seek the face of the God of Jacob. And in another place concerning all the saints: The generation of the righteous shall be blessed. (Ps. 112:2) But concerning the wicked, as in the present place: The generation of vipers. And all things will be required from this generation. And in Ezekiel, when he described the sins of the land, the prophetic word added: If Noah, and Job, and Daniel were found there, I will not forgive the sins of that land (Ezek. 14:14): All the righteous who would be like them in virtues, by Noah and Job and Daniel, wanting to be understood. Therefore, those who have done similar things to Cain and Joash against the apostles are referred to as being from the same generation.

Commentary on Matthew

Because we read about so many Zechariahs in Scripture, we need to inquire into the identity of this particular Zechariah, the son of Barachiah. Lest we mistake him for another, the Gospel specifies “whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar.” Yet there remains a variety of diverse opinions on this question, each of which ought to be considered. Some say that this Zechariah the son of Barachiah is the eleventh of the twelve minor prophets. Although their fathers share the same name, however, they cannot be the same persons because the prophet Zechariah was never said to have been killed between the sanctuary and the altar and especially because the temple had just recently been destroyed in the prophet’s time. Others want us to believe that this Zechariah is the father of John the Baptist, killed because he proclaimed the advent of the Savior on the basis of something he had dreamed. Because this theory doesn’t have the authority of Scripture, however, it can be disproven as easily as it can be proven. Still others maintain that this is the Zechariah who was killed between the sanctuary and the altar by Joash the king of Judah, as is chronicled in the book of Kings. But that Zechariah was the son of Jehoida the priest, not Barachiah, as the Scripture relates: “Joash did not remember the good which Jehoida, Zechariah’s father, had done for him.”

Commentary on Matthew 4.23.35

35–36

The rule of the Scriptures is only to know two generations, one of good the other of bad. Of the generation of the good it is said, The generation of the righteous shall be blessed. (Ps. 112:2.) And of the bad it is said in the present passage, Generation of vipers. These then, because they did against the Apostles like things as Cain and Joas, are described as of one generation.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Concerning the Abel here spoken of, there is no doubt that it is he whom his brother Cain murdered. He is proved to have been righteous, not only by this judgment of the Lord, but by the passage in Genesis, which says that his offerings were accepted by God. But we must enquire who is this Zacharias, son of Barachias, because we read of many Zachariases; and that we might not mistake, here it is added, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Some say that it is that Zacharias who is the eleventh among the twelve Prophets, and his father's name agrees to this, but when he was slain between the temple and the altar, Scripture does not mention; but above all, in his time there were scarce 'even the ruins of the temple. Others will have it to be Zacharias the father of John.

But as this has no Scripture authority, it is as readily despised as offered. Others will have it to be that Zacharias who was killed by Joas, king of Judah, between the temple and the altar, that is, in the court of the temple. (2 Chron. 24:21.) But that Zacharias was not the son of Barachias, but of Jehoiada the Priest. But Barachias in our language is interpreted 'Blessed of the Lord,' so that the righteousness of Joiada the Priest is expressed by this Hebrew word. But in the Gospel which the Nazarenes use, we find written 'son of Joiada' instead of son of Barachias.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

It should be enquired too how He says, to the blood of Zacharias, since the blood of many more saints was afterwards shed. This is thus explained. Abel a keeper of sheep was killed in the field, Zacharias a priest was slain in the court of the temple. The Lord therefore names these two, because by these all holy martyrs are denoted, both of lay and priestly order.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

That is, all the vengeance due for the shedding of the blood of the righteous.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

35–36

He says that upon the Jews then alive shall come all the blood shed unrighteously. For they shall be punished more severely than their fathers because they did not amend their lives after receiving such examples. For Lamech too was punished more than Cain, although he had not killed a brother, because he did not learn from the example of Cain (Gen. 4:23-24). All blood, He says, from Abel to Zachariah shall come upon you. It was appropriate that He mentioned Abel, for as Abel was slain out of envy, so Christ too was envied. Which Zachariah is mentioned here? Some say that it is he who is numbered among the twelve prophets; others say that he is the father of the Forerunner. For there is an account handed down to us, according to which Zachariah, when he was high priest, had Mary the Mother of God stand in the temple in the place of the virgins even after she had given birth to Christ. The Jews were vexed at this and killed him for ranking among the virgins a woman who had given birth. But it is nothing to be wondered at if the father of the Forerunner also had a father named Baruch, as did one of the twelve prophets who was called the son of Baruch. For it is likely that just as they shared the same name, so did their fathers.

Commentary on Matthew

35–36

As all the good things which had been merited by all the saints in each generation since the foundation of the world were bestowed upon that last generation which received Christ; so all the evil that all the wicked in every generation from the foundation of the world had deserved to suffer, came upon that last generation of the Jews which rejected Christ. Or thus; Assail the righteous of former saints, yea, of all the saints, could not merit that so great grace as was given to men in Christ; so the sins of all the wicked could not deserve so much evil as came upon the Jews, that they should suffer such things as these suffered from the Romans, and that in after time every generation of them to the end of the world should be cast off from God, and be made a mock by all the Gentiles. For what is there worse than to reject and in such sort to put to death the Son coming in mercy and lowliness! Or thus; Nations and states when they sin are not thereupon immediately punished by God, but He waits for many generations; but when He sees fit to destroy that state or nation, He then seems to visit upon them the sins of all former generations, and one generation suffers the accumulation of all that former generations have deserved. Thus this generation of the Jews seems to have been punished for their fathers; but in truth they suffered not for others, but on their own account.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Then the punishment is set forth, which, because it seemed severe, he therefore confirms: amen I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation. He says, that upon you may come all the just blood, from the blood of Abel the just, even unto the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias. Who this Abel is, is well known, because he was killed by his brother Cain. But who this Zacharias was is not established. It is read that there were three men named Zacharias. One was the son of Barachias, who was the eleventh among the prophets. But it cannot be understood of this one, because there was not yet an altar. Another was the father of John, and whose son he was is not found; but Chrysostom says that he was killed on account of Christ, because in the temple there was a place for virgins, and when the Virgin Mary was sitting in the place of virgins, the Jews wished to expel her from the place; Zacharias prevented this by defending her, and on account of this he was killed. Another is called the son of Joiada, whom Joash killed in the court of the temple, and therefore between the temple and the altar; hence the place agrees, but the name differs. Yet Jerome says that Barachias is interpreted "blessed of the Lord," and designates the holiness of his father Joiada the priest. And he says that he himself saw the Gospel of the Nazarenes, and there it was contained, the son of Joiada. But why he begins with this Zacharias can be a question of the literal sense. The reason, however, seems to be that although the preceding things were more frequent, these nevertheless were found in Scripture. Or in another way, that Abel was a shepherd and Joiada a priest; therefore by these two are signified the laity and the clergy. Hence all punishment for the slaying of men will come upon you. Or in another way, because some are active and some contemplative; hence both are signified by these two.

Commentary on Matthew

Otherwise; Because He delayed the punishment of hell which He had threatened them with, He pronounces against them threats of present evil, saying, All these things shall come upon this generation.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

For he who having seen many sinning yet remains uncorrected, but rather does the same or worse, is obnoxious to heavier punishment.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

(ord.) He means not only those there present, but the whole generation before and after, for all were one city and one body of the Devil.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

But amen I say to you, that all these things shall come upon this generation. But how can it be that all these things come upon this generation? Is one punished for another? Ezekiel 18:20: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father. How then upon this generation? Jerome solves this by saying that it is customary in Scripture that the whole generation of the good is taken as one generation, of which Psalm 111:2 says: the generation of the righteous shall be blessed. Of the generation of the wicked, above at 12:39: an evil generation seeks a sign. Chrysostom says thus: some sin, but God does not immediately punish; hence in Psalm 7:12: does he become angry every day? But some, when they sin, are never corrected, but change for the worse; 2 Timothy 3:13: but evil men and seducers shall grow worse and worse; and then the Lord waits until their malice is fulfilled. Hence these, in whom malice will be fulfilled, bear the weight of the whole as regards temporal punishment, yet as regards eternal punishment each bears his own. Hence it will be so great that it will seem as though they suffer for all; hence in Exodus 32:34 it says that this sin is to be reserved until the day of vengeance. Just as there was a fullness of goods for those who believe in Christ, so there was a fullness of evils for those who killed Christ; therefore he says, all these things shall come upon this generation. But what is this punishment? The destruction of the city of Jerusalem.

Commentary on Matthew

Admonition, then, is the censure of loving care and produces understanding. Such is Christ the Educator in his admonitions, as when he says in the Gospel, “How often would I have gathered your children, as a bird gathers her young ones under her wings, and you would not!” And again, the Scripture admonishes, saying, “And they committed adultery with wood and stone and burned incense to Baal.” For it is a very great proof of his love, that, though knowing well the shamelessness of the people that had kicked and bounded away, he notwithstanding exhorts them to repentance and says by Ezekiel, “Son of man, you live among scorpions. Nevertheless, speak to them. Perhaps they will hear.” Further, to Moses he says, “Go and tell Pharaoh to send my people forth; but I know that he will not send them forth.” For he shows both things: both his divinity in his foreknowledge of what would take place and his love in affording an opportunity for repentance to the self-determination of the soul. He admonishes also by Isaiah, in his care for the people, when he says, “This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” What follows is reproving censure: “In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of people.” Here his loving care, having shown their sin, shows salvation side by side with repentance.

The Instructor Book 1

He calls them children of Jerusalem, just as we call each generation of citizens the sons of the preceding generation. And He says, How often, though it is well known that once only did He teach the Jews in the body, because Christ was ever present in Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Angels, ministering to human salvation in every generation. Whosoever shall not have been gathered in by Him shall be judged, as though he had refused to be gathered in.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

He was soon to rain calamitous blows on Jerusalem because of its bloodthirsty nature. For that very reason Jesus accuses it of possessing a murderous disposition. For he says it kills the prophets and stones the ones sent to it. So often [the city] could have obtained mercy, but it does not desire it. How many times he demonstrated this, on many occasions and to many descendants, as when he brought back the people from captivity. But through their sins they continually scattered themselves. By speaking of wings and shelter Jesus teaches in a way appropriate for God and illustrates the meaning of Moses’ words through a human comparison. “He spread his wings and welcomed them.” And David: “But the children of men take refuge in the shadow of your wings.” For when Satan scattered them on one side into idolatry and on the other into a love for pleasure, he sent prophets to them. Then through himself he came that he might gather them together “into one.” But they could not bear to remain under his protection. “For I,” he says, “like a loving hen always held you to draw you to myself, but you had no desire for this. You scattered yourself through your constant sinning and drew away from God.” But this is a prolific hen who has many children. She ardently loves and cares for her children and willingly gives herself for them.

Fragment 121

Then He directs His speech unto the city, in this way too being minded to correct His hearers, and saith, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!" What meaneth the repetition? this is the manner of one pitying her, and bemoaning her, and greatly loving her. For, like as unto a woman beloved, herself indeed ever loved, but who had despised Him that loved her, and therefore on the point of being punished, He pleads, being now about to inflict the punishment. Which He doth in the prophets also, using these words, "I said, Turn thou unto me, and she returned not."

Then having called her, He tells also her blood-stained deeds, "Thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, and ye would not," in this way also pleading for His own dealings; not even with these things hast thou turned me aside, nor withdrawn me from my great affection toward thee, but it was my desire even so, not once or twice, but often to draw thee unto me. "For how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not." And this He saith, to show that they were ever scattering themselves by their sins. And His affection He indicates by the similitude; for indeed the creature is warm in its love towards its brood. And everywhere in the prophets is this same image of the wings, and in the song of Moses and in the Psalms, indicating His great protection and care.

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 74

(Verse 37.) Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you: how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling! Jerusalem, He calls not the stones and buildings of the city, but the inhabitants, whom He mourns for with a fatherly affection, as we also read in another place that He wept upon seeing her (Luke 19). And in saying, how often I have longed to gather your children together, He testifies that all the prophets sent by Himself were rejected. We also read in the song of Deuteronomy the image of a chicken gathering its chicks under its wings: As an eagle protects its nest and desires its young, spreading its wings, it receives and carries them on its feathers (Deut. XXXII, 11).

Commentary on Matthew

By Jerusalem He means not the stones and buildings, but the dwellers there, over whom He laments with the feeling of a Father.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

(Quaest. Ev. i. 36.) This species has the greatest affection for its brood, insomuch that when they are sick the mother sickens also; and what you will hardly find in any other animal, it will fight against the kite, protecting its young with its wings. In like manner our mother, the Wisdom of God, sickened as it were in the putting on the flesh, according to that of the Apostle, The weakness of God is stronger than men, (1 Cor. 1:25.) protects our weakness, and resists the Devil that he should not make us his prey.

(Ench. 97.) Where is that omnipotence, by the which He did whatsoever pleased Him both in heaven and in earth, if He would have gathered the children of Jerusalem and did not? Was it not that she would not that her children should be gathered by Him, and yet He did, notwithstanding, gather those of her children whom He would?

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

(non occ.) Let heretics then cease to assign to Christ a beginning from the Virgin; let them leave off to preach one God of the Law and another of the Prophets.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Twice He says the name Jerusalem, pitying and calling out to her with compassion. For as a lover vehemently justifies himself to his beloved, intending to punish her for having spurned him, so Christ accuses Jerusalem of being a murderess. And many times He desired to show mercy to her but she did not want it, but trusted in the devil who scattered her and led her away from the truth which unites, and she did not accept the Lord who gathers together. For there is nothing which disbands and scatters us from God so readily as does sin; just as there is nothing which gathers us back to God as readily as does a good conscience. He gave the example of the hen to show His affection.

Commentary on Matthew

Foreseeing the destruction of the city, and the blow it would receive from the Romans, He called to mind the blood of the saints which had been, and should yet be, shed in it. Thou killedst Esaias who was sent unto thee, and stonedst my servant Jeremias; thou dashedst out the brains of Ezechiel by dragging him over stones; how shalt thou be saved, which wilt not suffer a physician to come nigh thee? And He said not, Didst kill and stone; but, Killest, and Stonest; that is, This is a common and natural practice with thee to kill and stone the saints. She did to the Apostles the same things which she had once done to the Prophets.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

And since he intends to speak of the destruction of the city, he turns to address the city, saying, Jerusalem, Jerusalem. And first he sets forth the offense; secondly, he recalls the benefits; thirdly, he announces the punishment. The second is at how often would I have gathered together your children (...) and you would not? The third is at behold, your house shall be left to you desolate. He says, then, Jerusalem, Jerusalem; and this doubling designates the feeling of one who pities; hence it says in Luke 19:41 that seeing the city, he wept over it. You that kill the prophets; Acts 7:52: which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And he says, you that kill, not "you that killed," because they were still persevering in malice. This is that Jerusalem of which it says in Ezekiel 5:6: this is Jerusalem, I have set her in the midst of the nations, and the countries round about her, and she has despised my judgments. They could excuse themselves: we had no one to tell us; therefore he says, and you stone those who are sent to you; hence I sent prophets and many helps, and you did not recognize them. How often would I have gathered together your children, as the hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and you would not? In this is designated the perpetuity of his divinity, according to what he himself says, John 8:58: before Abraham was made, I am. Hence Christ himself sent prophets, patriarchs, and angels. Whenever he sent them, he wished to gather, etc. Those are gathered who are converted to the Lord, because in him sinners are united; those are scattered who are separated from unity. Hence, I would have gathered, as the hen gathers her chickens under her wings. It is said that there is no animal so compassionate toward its chicks as the hen. The hen defends them from the hawk and exposes her life for them and gathers them under her wings. So Christ has compassion on us: surely he has borne our infirmities, Isaiah 53:4. Likewise, he exposed himself to the hawk, i.e., the devil; Deuteronomy 31:27: while I am yet living, and going in with you, you have always been rebellious against the Lord. But there is an objection. The Lord willed, and they were unwilling; therefore their evil will prevailed over the will of God. Hence it should be said: as often as I willed, I acted, but against your will; I acted when I acted; hence your will prevented me from acting. Or the fact that he sent prophets was a sign that he willed to gather, and you would not.

Commentary on Matthew

The Poets are those who rise above the people by understanding them. Of course, most of the Poets wrote in prose--Rabelais, for instance, and Dickens. The Prigs rise above the people by refusing to understand them: by saying that all their dim, strange preferences are prejudices and superstitions. The Prigs make the people feel stupid; the Poets make the people feel wiser than they could have imagined that they were. There are many weird elements in this situation. The oddest of all perhaps is the fate of the two factors in practical politics. The Poets who embrace and admire the people are often pelted with stones and crucified. The Prigs who despise the people are often loaded with lands and crowned. In the House of Commons, for instance, there are quite a number of prigs, but comparatively few poets. There are no People there at all.

Alarms and Discursions, The Three Kinds of Men (1910)

Some begin to suspect that [love of country] is never anything but a demon. But then they have to reject half the high poetry and half the heroic action our race has achieved. We cannot keep even Christ's lament over Jerusalem. He too exhibits love for His country.

The Four Loves, Chapter 2: Likings and Loves for the Sub-human

The Impassible speaks as if it suffered passion, and that which contains in Itself the cause of its own and all other bliss talks as though it could be in want and yearning. ... "Oh Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not."

The Problem of Pain, Ch. 3

38–39

In like manner to all such as would not be gathered under His wings Christ speaks this threat; Behold, your house is left unto you desolate; i. e. your soul and your body. But if any one of you will not be gathered under the wings of Christ, from the very time when he shall have refused to be so gathered, (by a mental rather than a bodily act,) he shall no more see the beauty of the word, till repenting of his evil purpose he shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. And the word of the Lord then comes with a blessing upon a man's heart, when one is turned to God.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

"But ye would not," He saith. "Behold your house is left desolate," stripped of the succor which cometh from me. Surely it was the same, who also was before protecting them, and holding them together, and preserving them; surely it was He who was ever chastening them. And He appoints a punishment, which they had ever dreaded exceedingly; for it declared the entire overthrow of their polity.

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 74

Verse 38. Behold, your house shall be left desolate. This very thing Jeremiah had already said in the person of Jeremiah: I have forsaken my house, I have cast off my inheritance: my inheritance is become to me as a lion in the forest. We see with our eyes the house of the Jews left desolate, that is, that temple which shone more brightly, because it lost its inhabitant Christ, and, desiring to seize the inheritance, killed the heir.

Commentary on Matthew

But as you do not want My affection, I leave the temple empty and abandoned. From this let us learn that God inhabits the temples for our sake, but when we have forsaken God, then the temples are abandoned [by God] as well.

Commentary on Matthew

As the body, when the spirit departs, first becomes cold, and then decays and decomposes; so also your temple, when God's Spirit shall have withdrawn, shall be first filled with strife and anarchy, and after shall come to ruin.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

Then the punishment follows: behold, your house shall be left to you desolate. The whole people was honored on account of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem on account of the temple; therefore it says, your house shall be left, i.e., the temple, or the dwelling; Psalm 68:26: let their habitation be made desolate. Or a house is said to be desolate when it lacks its proper inhabitant; Psalm 10:5: the Lord is in his holy temple. Hence he is said to leave through habitation; therefore you shall not see me henceforth, etc., because I was with you by the power of divinity, and afterward I was corporally, but I shall depart from you. But now your house shall be left to you desolate, and you shall not see me henceforth, neither corporally, namely after the passion, nor spiritually.

Commentary on Matthew

"For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord." And this is the language of one that loves earnestly, earnestly drawing them unto Him by the things to come, not merely warning them by the past; for of the future day of His second coming doth He here speak.

What then? Did they not see Him from that time? But it is not that hour which He meaneth in saying, Henceforth, but the time up to His crucifixion.

For since they were forever accusing Him of this, that He was a kind of rival God, and a foe to God, He moves them to love Him by this, namely, by showing Himself to be of one accord with His Father; and He indicates Himself to be the same that was in the prophets. Wherefore also He uses the same words as did the prophets.

And by these He intimated both His resurrection, and His second coming, and made it plain even to the utterly unbelieving, that then most surely they should worship Him. And how did He make this plain? By speaking of many things that were first to be, that He should send prophets, that they should kill them; that it should be in the synagogues; that they should suffer the utmost extremities; that their house should be left desolate; that they should undergo things more grievous than any, and such as never were undergone before. For all these things are enough to furnish even to the most senseless and contentious a clear proof of that which should come to pass at His coming.

For I will ask them, Did He send the prophets and wise men? Did they slay them in their synagogue? Was their house left desolate? Did all the vengeance come upon that generation? It is quite plain that it was so, and no man gainsays it. As then all these things came to pass, so shall those also come to pass, and most surely they shall submit then.

But they shall derive thence no advantage in the way of defense, as neither will they who repent of their course of life then.

Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 74

(Verse 39) For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.' He is speaking to Jerusalem and to the people of Judaea. However, this verse, in which even infants and nursing babies used at the entrance of the Lord's Savior in Jerusalem, when they said, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, hosanna in the highest,' is taken from the 117th psalm, which clearly is written about the coming of the Lord. And what he says, he wants this to be understood: Unless you repent (Luke 13), and confess that I am the one about whom the Prophets sang, the Son of the almighty Father, you will not see my face. The Jews have been given a time of repentance: let them confess the blessed one who comes in the name of the Lord, and let them contemplate the face of Christ.

Commentary on Matthew

I say unto you, Ye shall not see Me, &c. That is to say, Unless ye shall do penitence, and shall confess that I am He of whom the Prophets have spoken, the Son of the Almighty Father, ye shall not see My face. Thus the Jews have a time allowed for their repentance. Let them confess Him blessed who cometh in the name of the Lord, and they shall then behold Christ's face.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas

That which has been spoken possesses an interpretation that comes through the vision of faith. For when “the fullness of the nations come in” and they believe in Christ, then the Jews who believe after these things see the beauty of the divine nature of Christ. They behold the Father in the Son and declare him to be the Redeemer proclaimed through the prophets, whom the prophets previously mentioned as coming in the name of the Lord. For the other prophets did not come in the name of the Lord. For they were saying, “The Lord says these things” and “I am the servant of the Lord, and I worship the God of heaven.”

Fragment 264.13

Therefore "Ye shall not see Me henceforth" until the second coming. But then, willing or not, you will fall prostrate before Him and say, "Blessed is He that cometh." Understand "henceforth" to mean "after the crucifixion" and not at that time at which He was speaking these things. For they saw Him many times after He said this, but after the crucifixion they did not see Him, nor would they see Him until the moment of His second coming.

Commentary on Matthew

But is this true, that none of the Jews saw him, since many were converted to him? Therefore he says, till you say: blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord, because when you confess, then you will see through faith. Or in another way, he designates in a hidden way the second coming: they saw him in the body, but they did not have this vision until the second coming, in which you will be able to say, and will recognize that I am he who is blessed, who comes in the name of the Lord.

Commentary on Matthew