ACC ~ Matthew 13 v53 - 58

OVERVIEW:

Having come back to his own country, Jesus is no longer so intent upon miracles, so as not to inflame his detractors into more envy or condemn them more grievously. Yet he presents his teaching, which has no less of wonder than does his miracles (CHRYSOSTOM). The synagogue was astonished at his wisdom and mighty works (PETER CHRYSOLOGUS). Whether “his own country” was Nazareth, Bethlehem or Capernaum was discussed by the fathers.

If we think of Judea as Jesus’ country, then we can truthfully say that all prophets have suffered dishonor in Judea (ORIGEN). The populace saw nothing in any of his relatives that would have given a clue to his remarkable accomplishments. They perceived little from his education and teaching that would lead to such wisdom and power (ORIGEN). The glory of a relative or neighbor often offends others nearby (PETER CHRYSOLOGUS, CHRYSOSTOM). He taught in their synagogue, neither separating from it nor disregarding it (ORIGEN). They did not believe that God was doing these things in a man (HILARY). Faith does not produce healing without divine power (ORIGEN).

13:53 | Jesus Left His Country

COMING TO HIS OWN COUNTRY

ORIGEN: We must therefore inquire whether by the expression “his own country” is meant Nazareth or Bethlehem. It might have been Nazareth, because of the saying “he shall be called a Nazarene.” [1] Or it might have been Bethlehem, since he was born there. Furthermore, I wonder whether the Evangelists could have said “coming to Bethlehem” or “coming to Nazareth.” They have not done so but have named it more simply “his country.” This is because of something being declared in a mystic sense in the passage about his country—namely, the whole of Judea—in which he was dishonored. This is according to the saying “A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country.” [2] Jesus Christ was considered “a stumbling block to the Jews,” [3] among whom he is persecuted even until now. But he was proclaimed among the Gentiles and believed in everywhere—for his word has run over the whole world. In his own country Jesus had no honor, but among those who were “strangers from the covenants,” [4] the Gentiles, he is held in honor. But the Evangelists have not recorded what things he taught and spoke in their synagogue. All we know is that they were so great and of such a nature that all were astonished. Probably the things spoken were too elevated to be written down. Only let us note that he taught in their synagogue, not separating from it or disregarding it. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 10.16. [5]

[1] Mt 2:23.

[2] Mt 13:57.

[3] 1 Cor 1:23.

[4] Eph 2:12.

[5] GCS 40:20-21; ANF 9:424.

IGNORED BECAUSE OF HIS PARENTAGE

CHRYSOSTOM: And what does he now call his country? As it seems to me, Nazareth. “For he did not do many mighty works there,” [1] it is said, but in Capernaum he did miracles. Thus Jesus also said, “And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.” [2] THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 48.1. [3]

[1] Mt 13:58.

[2] Mt 11:23.

[3] PG 58:487; NPNF 1 10:296.

13:54-56 | Astonished by His Teaching

HE TAUGHT THEM IN THEIR SYNAGOGUE

PETER CHRYSOLOGUS: The synagogues could not be his. A malicious and disbelieving crowd gathered there. A people full of hate rather than love came together. A group of ill-disposed and ill-mannered people assembled. “He began to teach in their synagogues, so that they were astonished.” They were astonished because of indignation and not because of grace. They were amazed because of envy and not because of praise. They raged because what the proud seated on the floor were unable to discern, humility on its feet was thoroughly teaching. SERMONS 48.2. [1]

[1] CCL 24:265.

THEY WERE ASTONISHED

PETER CHRYSOLOGUS: “So that they were astonished, and said, ‘Where did he get this wisdom?’” The one who speaks this way does not know God, from whom is wisdom and from whom are mighty works. Solomon points to that source of wisdom. While still young, he accepted the highest honor of the kingdom so he might rule the people entrusted to him with virtue and not with arrogance, with wisdom and not with pride, with his heart and not with his head. He wanted wisdom from God, earnestly asked for it and received it. “Where did he get this wisdom and these mighty works?” The mighty power that gives eyesight denied by nature, that restores hearing to those drowned in silence, that unscrambles the words of those who are mute, that enables the lame to walk again and that orders souls headed for the realm of the dead to return to their bodies is from God, unless someone envious of salvation should deny it. SERMONS 48.2. [1]

[1] CCL 24:265.

IS NOT MARY HIS MOTHER?

ORIGEN: And perhaps these things indicated a new doubt concerning him, that Jesus was not a man but something more divine. Yet he was thought to be the son of Joseph and Mary and the brother of four and of the others and the women as well. Yet they saw nothing in any of his relatives that would have given a clue to these gifts. They observed nothing from his education and teaching that would come to such elevated wisdom and power. For they also say elsewhere, “How does this man know letters, having never learned?” [1] which is similar to what is said here. Yet, though they say these things and are so perplexed and astonished, they did not believe but were offended by him. It is as if the eyes of their mind had been mastered by the powers that, in the time of the passion, he was about to lead in triumph on the cross. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 10.17. [2]

[1] Jn 7:15.

[2] GCS 40:22; ANF 9:424-25.

IS THIS NOT THE CARPENTER’S SON?

HILARY: The Lord is dishonored by his own. Although his wisdom in teaching and his mighty works excited admiration, their faithlessness held them back from true discernment. For they did not believe that God was doing these things in a man. Moreover, they referred to his father, his mother, brothers and sisters and took offense at him.

But clearly this was the son of the carpenter who was subduing iron with fire, melting away all the might of the world with good judgment and forming the mass into every work that was humanly useful. He was molding the formless material of our bodies into members for different ministries and for every work of eternal life. They all became irritated at these things. Among the many astonishing things he did, they were most deeply moved by his contemplativeness and his bodily self-control. The Lord said to them that a prophet is without honor in his own country, [1] because he was to be despised in Judea until the final fate of the cross. And since God’s power is only with those who are faithful, he abstained from all works of divine power while he was there, because of their unbelief. ON MATTHEW 14.2. [2]

[1] Mt 13:57.

[2] SC 258:10-12.

JUDGED BY PARENTAGE

CHRYSOSTOM: But having come to his own country, he is not so intent upon miracles. He does not want to inflame them into further envy or to condemn them more grievously by the aggravation of their unbelief. Yet he presents his teaching, which possesses no less wonder than his miracles. For these utterly senseless people, when they ought to have marveled and been amazed at the power of his words, instead disparaged him, because of the one thought to be his father. Yet we know they had many examples of these things in the former times, for many fathers of little note had produced illustrious children. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 48.1. [1]

[1] PG 58:487; NPNF 1 10:296.

13:57 | A Prophet Not Without Honor

EXCEPT IN HIS OWN COUNTRY

ORIGEN: We must inquire whether the expression has the same force when applied universally to every prophet. Does it mean that every one of the prophets was dishonored only in his own country? Or does it mean that every one who was dishonored was dishonored in his country? Or does it mean that because of the expression being singular, these things were said about only one? If these words are spoken about only one, then these things that have been said make sense insofar as they refer to what is written about the Savior. But if the point is generalized to indicate all prophets, then it is harder to defend historically. For Elijah did not suffer dishonor in Tishbeth of Gilead, nor Elisha in Abetmeholah, nor Samuel in Ramathaim, nor Jeremiah in Anathoth. But, figuratively interpreted, this saying is absolutely true. For we must think of Judea as their country and that famous Israel as their kindred, and perhaps of the body as the house. All suffered dishonor in Judea from the Israel that is according to the flesh while they were yet in the body. As it is written in the Acts of the Apostles, “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute, who declared beforehand the coming of the righteous One?” [1] And Paul says similar things in the first epistle to the Thessalonians: “For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judea; for you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all people.” [2] COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 10.18. [3]

[1] Acts 7:52.

[2] 1 Thess 2:14-15.

[3] GCS 40:23; ANF 9:425.

13:58 | Few Works Done

BECAUSE OF THEIR UNBELIEF

ORIGEN: It seems to me that the production of miracles is similar in some ways to the case of physical things. Cultivation is not sufficient to produce a harvest of fruits unless the soil, or rather the atmosphere, cooperates to this end. And the atmosphere of itself is not sufficient to produce a harvest without cultivation. The one who providentially orders creation did not design things to spring up from the earth without cultivation. Only in the first instance did he do so when he said, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation, with the seed sowing according to its kind and according to its likeness.” [1]

It is just this way in regard to the production of miracles. The complete work resulting in a healing is not displayed without those being healed exercising faith. Faith, of whatever quality it might be, does not produce a healing without divine power. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 10.19. [2]

[1] Gen 1:11.

[2] GCS 40:26.

WHY JESUS HELD BACK FROM DOING MIRACLES

CHRYSOSTOM: Luke says, “And he did not do many miracles there.” And yet it was to be expected he should have done them. For if the feeling of wonder toward him was growing (for indeed even there he was marveled at), why did Jesus not do them? Because he wasn’t concerned with the spectacle [of miracles] but with their usefulness. Therefore when this did not succeed, he overlooked what was of concern to himself to avoid aggravating their punishment.

Why then did he still do a few miracles? That they might not say, “Physician, heal yourself.” [1] Or to prevent them saying, “He is a foe and an enemy to us and overlooks his own.” Or that they might not say, “If he had performed miracles, we also would have believed.” Therefore he both performed them and ceased doing so: the one, that he might fulfill his own part; the other, that he might not condemn them the more.

And consider the power of Jesus’ words. Possessed as the Jews were by envy, they still admired him. And as with regard to his works, they do not find fault with what is done but invent causes that have no basis, saying, “By Beelzebub he casts out devils.” [2] Even so here too they find no fault with his teaching but take refuge only in the lowly stature of his ancestors. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 48.1. [3]

[1] Lk 4:23.

[2] Mt 12:24.

[3] PG 58:487; NPNF 1 10:297.

HE DID NO MIGHTY WORKS THERE

PETER CHRYSOLOGUS: Christ indeed came to his own country, because it was written, “He came among his own, and his own did not receive him.” [1] In plain fact, when he says, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country,” he is teaching that it is a painful situation to have influence among his own. To stand out among the local denizens is similar to an inflammation. A near relation’s glory burns the near relations. If neighbors have to pay homage to a neighbor, they consider it servitude. “And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.” [2] Power has no effect where unbelief does not deserve it. And while Christ does not demand a reward when he heals, he becomes indignant when injustice is shown to him instead of honor. SERMONS 48.6. [3]

[1] Jn 1:11.

[2] Mt 13:58.

[3] CCL 24:267-68.