ACC ~ Matthew 12 v38 - 42

OVERVIEW:

The Pharisees imagined that Jesus was not in control of his passions and that he could be at one moment moved to anger and in the next moment manipulated by flattery (CHRYSOSTOM). To seek from the Son of God a sign of his divinity was nothing else than to disbelieve his words, as if he is speaking falsely about himself unless he backs up his words with signs (ANONYMOUS). Those who wish to know the Son of God through a demonstration of signs but not through faith will remain trapped in their disbelief, falling on the stumbling block of his death, which is the sign of Jonah (ANONYMOUS). The three days of his death and resurrection refer to the end of Friday, all of Saturday and the beginning of Sunday of the passion week (THEODORE OF HERACLEA). Jonah prefigured the Son of Man (AUGUSTINE), and the people of Nineveh prefigured the believers (ANONYMOUS). Yet there are many limitations in the analogy between Jonah and Jesus (CHRYSOSTOM, CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA). The church fulfills the type of the queen of the south, providing not gifts of perishable things but faith, the incense of knowledge, the outpouring of an offering, the sweat of the virtues and the blood of martyrdom (ORIGEN, AUGUSTINE). Yet there remain many limits to this analogy as well (ANONYMOUS).

12:38 | Jesus Rejects the Demand for a Sign

FLATTERING THE TEACHER

CHRYSOSTOM: Then. When? Just when they ought to be kneeling before him, to admire, to be amazed and give way, then they refuse to cease from their wickedness. And note their words too, teeming with flattery and dissimulation. For they tried to draw him out in their deceptive way. First they insult, then they flatter him; now calling him a demoniac, now again Master, both out of an evil mind. No more self-contradictory words were ever spoken.

This is why he rebukes them severely. Note that when they were questioning him roughly and insulting him, Jesus reasoned with them gently. But when they were flattering him he reproached them with greater severity. They imagine that he is in control of neither passion and that he can be at one moment moved to anger and in the next moment softened by flattery. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 43.1. [1]

[1] PG 57:457; NPNF 1 10:273.

THEIR PERVERSITY

ANONYMOUS: When the demoniac had been healed, some of the Jewish bystanders blasphemed the Lord, saying, “This man does not cast out devils except by Beelzebub, the prince of devils.” And others tempted him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see you give a sign from heaven.” The form of those expressions may be different indeed, but they have a common perversity. To ascribe to the devil the works of the Son of God is to blaspheme the Son of God or the Holy Spirit. Likewise, to seek from the Son of God a sign of his divinity is to insult the Son of God, because to seek from him a sign of his divinity is nothing else but to disbelieve the words of him who is speaking, as it were, false things about himself unless he backs up his words with overt signs. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 30. [1]

[1] PG 56:787.

WE WISH TO SEE A SIGN

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: They say the miracles he has performed are from devils. He only conjures up imaginary images on the earth. So come then, by your power: perform a miracle from heaven. For another Evangelist says clearly that they wanted Jesus to perform a sign from heaven as an action befitting his divine power. [1] They said this, blinded in their minds, as though Jesus were unable to do anything befitting God. For to open the eyes of the blind and to raise the dead and to rebuke the winds and the sea—all these miracles could be accomplished only by a divine power. FRAGMENT 160. [2]

[1] 3.

[2] MKGK 204.

12:39 | No Sign Except the Sign of Jonah

AN EVIL AND ADULTEROUS GENERATION

ORIGEN: That generation was evil, on account of the influence that had come to be in it from the evil one. It was adulterous because it had left her natural husband—the word or law of truth—and had come to be wedded to a lie. The law which is “in the members” of our flesh wars against “the law of the mind.” [1] It is an adulterer of the soul. Every opposing power, when it has intercourse with the soul unfaithfully—the soul that has as its bridegroom the Word of God—causes the soul to commit adultery. FRAGMENT 274. [2]

[1] Rom 7:23.

[2] GCS 41.1:123.

A WISH FOR A SIGN

ANONYMOUS: Do you wish to see a sign? Where were you when the devil, chastised by me not with a whip but with a word, cried out, “What are we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come here to torment us before the time? We know that you are the Son of God.” [1] The devils became aware of my power, and how is it that you have failed to see the sign of my works? Where were you when the blind seated by the wayside cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on us,” [2] that we may see? INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 30. [3]

[1] Mt 8:29.

[2] Mt 20:30.

[3] PG 56:788.

THE SIGN OF JONAH

ANONYMOUS: What is the sign of Jonah? The stumbling block of the cross. So it is not the disputers of knowledge who will be saved but those who believe true teaching. For the cross of Christ is indeed a stumbling block to those who dispute knowledge but salvation to those who believe. Paul testifies to this: “But we, for our part, preach the crucified Christ—to the Jews indeed a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God.” [1] Why do the Jews seek signs and the Greeks seek wisdom? God pointed to the sign of the stumbling block of the cross to both the Jews and the Greeks. Thus those who wish to find Christ not through faith but through wisdom will perish on the stumbling block of foolishness. Those who wish to know the Son of God not through faith but through a demonstration of signs will remain trapped in their disbelief, falling on the stumbling block of his death. It is no small wonder that the Jews, considering the death of Christ, thought he was merely a man, when even Christians—as they purport to be but really are not—because of his death are reluctant to declare the only begotten, the crucified, as incomparable majesty. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 30. [2]

[1] 1 Cor 1:23-24.

[2] PG 56:788.

12:40 | Three Days and Three Nights

THE THREE DAYS OF JESUS’ DEATH AND RESURRECTION

THEODORE OF HERACLEA: Christ says he will spend “three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” He is referring to the end of Friday, all of Saturday and the beginning of Sunday [of the passion week], in keeping with the way people understood the beginning and ending of days. For we too commemorate the third day of those who have died, not when three days and three nights, completed in equal measure, have gone by. But we reckon as a single, complete day that day on which the person died, regardless of what hour the death occurred. We count as another day that on which we take our leave of the departed in hymns before the tombs. Following this same kind of sequence, then, the Lord announced that he would spend a full three days and nights under the earth. A clear indication of this is the fact that the women arrived at that very time, in order to fulfill those things that the law prescribed to be done for the dead upon the third day. FRAGMENT 90. [1]

[1] MKGK 81-82.

JONAH PREFIGURED THE SON OF MAN

AUGUSTINE: The Savior pointed out that Jonah the prophet, who having been tossed into the sea was caught in the belly of the whale and emerged on the third day, prefigured the Son of Man who would suffer and rise on the third day. The Jewish people were censured in comparison with the Ninevites, for the Ninevites, to whom Jonah the prophet had been sent by way of reproof, placated God’s wrath by repenting and gained his mercy. “And behold,” he said, “something greater than Jonah is here,” [1] the Lord Jesus implying himself. The Ninevites heard the servant and amended their ways; the Jews heard the Lord and not only did they not amend their ways but moreover they killed him. SERMON 72A.1. [2]

[1] Mt 12:41; Lk 11:32.

[2] MA 1:155-56; WSA 3 3:281.

CHRIST FORETOLD BY THE PROPHETS

ANONYMOUS: In the mystery of this analogy, Jonah was considered to have been a prophet through Christ. Through Jonah, Christ was shown to be the Son of God. What do I mean by this? Unless Christ had come into the world and fulfilled those things foretold by the prophets, it would not have been certain that these men were prophets. For those who are said to foretell the future are considered to be seers only when the things they foretold have come to pass. Thus Christ was indeed born after the prophets. Before that, however, he accorded the prophets a distinction, and later he accepted it from them. Christ therefore showed them to be prophets by his deeds, because they showed him to be the Son of God by their words. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 30. [1]

[1] PG 56:788.

12:41 | One Greater Than Jonah

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN JONAH AND JESUS

CHRYSOSTOM: For Jonah was a servant, but I am the Master; and he came forth from the great fish, but I rose from death. He proclaimed destruction, but I am come preaching the good tidings of the kingdom. The Ninevites indeed believed without a sign, but I have exhibited many signs. They heard nothing more than those words, but I have made it impossible to deny the truth. The Ninevites came to be ministered to, but I, the very Master and Lord of all, have come not threatening, not demanding an account, but bringing pardon. They were barbarians, but these—the faithful—have conversed with unnumbered prophets. And of Jonah nothing had been prophesied in advance, but of me everything was foretold, and all the facts have agreed with their words. And Jonah indeed, when he was to go forth, instead ran away that he might not be ridiculed. But I, knowing that I am both to be crucified and mocked, have come nonetheless. While Jonah did not endure so much as to be reproached for those who were saved, I underwent even death, and that the most shameful death, and after this I sent others again. And Jonah was a strange sort of person and an alien to the Ninevites, and unknown; but I a kinsman after the flesh and of the same forefathers. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 43.2. [1]

[1] PG 57:459; NPNF 1 10:274.

THE LIMITATIONS OF THE ANALOGY

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: If Jonah then is taken as a type of Christ, he is not so taken in every respect [1] —he was sent to preach to the Ninevites, but he sought to flee from the presence of God. [2] And he is seen to shrink from going to the east. The Son also was sent from God the Father to preach to the nations, but he was not unwilling to assume this ministry.

The prophet appeals to those sailing with him to throw him into the sea, [3] then he was swallowed by a great fish, then after three days he was given back up and afterwards went to Nineveh and fulfilled his ministry. But he was embittered beyond measure when God took pity upon the Ninevites. Christ willingly submitted to death, he remained in the heart of the earth, he came back to life and afterward went up to Galilee and commanded that the preaching to the Gentiles should begin. But he was not grieved to see that those who were called to acknowledge the truth were being saved.

Thus just as bees in the field, when flitting about the flowers, always gather up what is useful for the provision of the hives, so we also, when searching in the divinely inspired Scriptures, need always to be collecting and collating what is perfect for explicating Christ’s mysteries and to interpret the Word fully without cause for rebuke. FRAGMENT 162. [4]

[1] Jonah is a symbolic and prophetic prefigurement of Christ only for certain of his acts, such as his three-day sojourn in the stomach of the great fish (symbolic of Christ’s three days in the tomb), not for others mentioned here by Cyril.

[2] Jon 1:2-3.

[3] Jon 1:12.

[4] MKGK 205.

THE PEOPLE OF NINEVEH

ANONYMOUS: “The people of Nineveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it.” For they received the prophet, whereas the Jews rejected Christ, the Lord of the prophets. Nineveh, not having been instructed by the law or the prophets or admonished by the apostles, turned to the Lord, knowing their sins. The latter, having been imbued with so many commandments of the law and the prophets, turned away from the Lord. The former, who had turned to being the people of the devil, within three days became the people of God. The latter, who had always appeared to be the people of God, within three days after Christ was crucified became the people of Satan. The Ninevites, not knowing who the person was and hearing incredible things, might have sought from him the signs and wonders of their conversion, that by those things the worthy person of the preacher and the incontestable truth of his words might be shown. But hearing nothing of those things and seeing nothing, they were saved by faith alone. The Jews, however, saw heavenly nature working so many signs in witness. Yet not only did they turn a deaf ear to him, but they conspired to bring about his death. The Ninevites, repenting with great sorrow and remorse, received the forgiveness of their sins. But the Jews did not want to accept the forgiveness of sins offered them, because they thought that the gifts and the calling of the Messiah would be offered without repentance. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 30. [1]

[1] PG 56:789.

12:42 | One Greater Than Solomon

FROM THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

ORIGEN: The church of the Gentiles, which in truth is gathered “from the ends of the earth,” fulfills the place of the queen of the south, not providing gifts in “perishable things, silver” and spices, but faith, the incense of knowledge, the outpouring of an offering, the sweat of the virtues and the blood of martyrdom. For with such gifts the true Solomon is pleased, who is Christ, “our peace.” [1] For “Solomon” is interpreted as “peaceful.” FRAGMENT 277. [2]

[1] Eph 2:14.

[2] GCS 41.1:124.

GREATER THAN SOLOMON

AUGUSTINE: It was nothing strange for Christ to be more than Jonah and to be more than Solomon, for he is the Lord and they are the servants. But who are those who looked askance at the presence of the Lord, whereas foreigners listened to his servants? SERMON 72A.1. [1]

[1] MA 1:56; WSA 3 3:281.

THE QUEEN OF THE SOUTH

ANONYMOUS: “The queen of the south will rise up in the judgment with this generation and will condemn it.” Although she was gentle and a woman, she was not deterred by the weakness of her sex from completing so long a journey. For the desire of wisdom gave strength to her weakness. But these men and priests, whose task it was to love wisdom, showed contempt for the wisdom placed on their lap before their very eyes. She hastened to Solomon. The Pharisees withdrew from God. She came to him that she might hear his unadorned words just once. They, seeing the very works of his divinity that day, blasphemed him. She, merely hearing of Solomon’s repute, desired to see him. They, witnessing the truth of Christ, walked away. She offered many gifts so as to hear him. But they did not want to receive the rewards of the kingdom of heaven in order to believe. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 30. [1]

[1] PG 56:789.