ACC ~ Matthew 17 v14 - 23

OVERVIEW:

Every disease and weakness that our Savior cured corresponds to different symptoms in the soul (ORIGEN). Nothing is impossible to those who have total faith (CHRYSOSTOM). The mountains mentioned here are the hostile powers that have their being in a flood of great wickedness, such as are settled down, so to speak, in some souls. But when one has total faith such that one no longer disbelieves in anything found in holy Scripture, possessing faith like that of Abraham, then one has complete faith like a grain of mustard seed (ORIGEN). All power not only for defeating demons, but even for raising the dead, has been given to the faith of the apostles (HILARY OF POITIERS). If one can pray so that one may cast out another demon, how much more should one pray that one’s own demons be cast out (AUGUSTINE).

The disciples knew that the Son of man would die, having heard it continually. But what kind of death was to occur, that release from death would come quickly and that death would work innumerable blessings they did not yet understand (CHRYSOSTOM). Whenever the Lord speaks of future disaster, he always teaches its close connection with the happiness of redemption, so that when disasters suddenly come they do not terrify but may be borne by hearts that have premeditated them (JEROME). It was necessary for him to undergo his saving Passion for us (CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA).

17:14-15 | Lord, Have Mercy on My Son

THE BOY SUFFERS TERRIBLY

ORIGEN: If every disease and weakness which our Savior cured at that time among the people represents different symptoms in the soul, it stands to reason that by the paralytics are symbolized the palsied in soul, who keep it lying paralyzed in the body. By those who are blind are symbolized those who are blind in respect of things seen by the soul alone, [1] and these are really blind. And by the deaf are symbolized those who are deaf in regard to the reception of the word of salvation. On the same principle it will be necessary that the matters regarding the epileptic should be investigated. This disease attacks those who suffer from it at considerable intervals, during which time he who suffers from it seems in no way to differ from the man in good health, at the season when the epilepsy is not working on him. You will find some souls that are often considered to be healthy suffering from symptoms like these in their chastity and the other virtues. But there comes a time when they are attacked by a kind of epilepsy, and then they seem to fall from their solid foundation and are seized by the deceits and other desires of this world. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 13.4. [2]

[1] Cf. p. 33 n. 2.

[2] GCS 40:187-89; ANF 9:477.

17:16 | The Disciples Could Not Heal Him

HELP MY UNBELIEF

CHRYSOSTOM: The Scripture shows that this man is very weak in faith. This is evident from many things: from Christ’s saying, “All things are possible to him who believes,” [1] and from the fact that the man himself as he approached said, “Help my unbelief.” [2] And it is evident from Christ’s ordering the demon “never to enter him again” [3] and from the man’s saying again to Christ, “If you can.” [4] But you will say, “If his unbelief was the reason why the demon had not gone out of the boy, why does he blame the disciples?” To show that they can often cure the sick, even though no one brings them in with faith. For just as the faith of the one bringing in the sick was often sufficient for receiving a cure even from lesser ministers, so the virtue of the minister was also sufficient to achieve a miracle even without the faith of those bringing them in. Both of these are demonstrated in the Scriptures; for those around Cornelius drew to them the power of the Spirit by their faith. And in the time of Elisha, when no one believed, a dead man was raised. [5] THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 57.3. [6]

[1] Mk 9:23.

[2] Mk 9:24.

[3] Mk 9:25.

[4] Mk 9:22.

[5] 2 Kings 13:21.

[6] PG 58:561; NPNF 1 10:354.

17:17 | A Faithless and Perverse Generation

O PERVERSE GENERATION

ORIGEN: When the Savior says, “O faithless and perverse generation,” he shows that wickedness has entered us through perversity, that it is contrary to nature and makes us perverse. And I think that he was irked at the whole human race on earth for its wickedness. So he said, “How long am I to bear with you?” COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 13.7. [1]

[1] GCS 40:196-97; ANF 9:479.

HOW LONG AM I TO BEAR WITH YOU?

CHRYSOSTOM: Note this man’s lack of sense in another instance: in full view of the crowd he pleads to Jesus against his disciples, saying, “I brought him to your disciples, and they could not cure him.” But Jesus dismissed these complaints before the people and blamed him the more, saying, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you?” He is not addressing this person alone, so as not to upset him, but he is addressing all the Jews. For it is likely that many had been offended and thought ill of the disciples.

But when he says, “How long am I to be with you?” he shows how welcome death is to him and his desire of passing on from here. He longs for his departure. It is being with them, and not so much the crucifixion, that is grievous.

He did not put up with their complaints, but what does he say? “Bring him here to me.” And he himself further asks him, “How long has this been this way?” He is thereby both defending the disciples and leading the man to a better hope, that he should believe that there will be an end to his troubles. And Jesus lets him be convulsed, not for display (for when the crowd gathered he rebuked the demon) but for the father’s sake, that when he saw the demon being put to flight at Christ’s mere call, so at least, if in no other way, he might be led to believe the coming miracle. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 57.3. [1]

[1] PG 58:561; NPNF 1 10:354.

17:18 | The Boy Cured Instantly

JESUS REBUKED HIM

JEROME: Note that it was not the suffering victim but the demon who had to be directly rebuked. It may be that he indirectly rebuked the boy and the demon went out of him because it was owing to his sins that the demon had oppressed him. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 3.17.18. [1]

[1] CCL 77:152.

17:19 | The Disciples Question Jesus Privately

WHY COULD NOT WE CAST IT OUT?

HILARY OF POITIERS: The disciples are surprised that they could not throw out the demon. All power, not only of besting demons but even of raising the dead, had been given them. [1] Furthermore, because the law was soon to be transcended, Jesus says, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long am I to be with you?” He does not seem to be saying this to those whom he had set apart. Those who did not have faith were going to lose the very law that they had. If they had had this faith within them, they would have been like the grain of mustard seed. By the power of the Word they would have thrown out this burden of sins and the heavy mass of their unbelief. They would have transferred it, like a mountain into the sea, to the activity of the pagans and secular people. ON MATTHEW 17.8. [2]

[1] Mt 10:8.

[2] SC 258:68.

PRAYING TO CAST OUT ONE’S OWN DEMONS

AUGUSTINE: In this chapter the Lord urged us to pray when he said, “Because of your little faith you could not cast out this demon.” For urging us to prayer he thus concluded, “This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” [1] If a man prays so that he may throw out someone else’s demon, how much more so that he may cast out his own avarice? How much more so that he may cast out his own drunkenness? How much more so that he may cast out his own dissipation? How much more so that he may cast out his own impurity? How great are the sins in human beings! If they persevere in them, they do not allow them to enter the kingdom of heaven! SERMON 80.3. [2]

[1] Cf. Mk 9:29; Augustine is quoting a variant from Mt 17:20.

[2] PL 38:495; NPNF 1 6:350 (Sermon 30).

17:20 | Because of Your Little Faith

FAITH AS A GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED

ORIGEN: The mountains here spoken of, in my opinion, are the hostile powers that have their being in a flood of great wickedness, such as are settled down, so to speak, in some souls of various people. But when someone has total faith, such that he no longer disbelieves in anything found in holy Scripture and has faith like that of Abraham, who so believed in God to such a degree that his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness, [1] then he has all faith like a grain of mustard seed. Then such a man will say to this mountain—I mean in this case the deaf and dumb spirit in him who is said to be epileptic—“Move from here to another place.” It will move. This means it will move from the suffering person to the abyss. The apostle, taking this as his starting point, said with apostolic authority, “If I have all faith, so as to remove mountains.” [2] For he who has all faith—which is like a grain of mustard seed—moves not just one mountain but also more just like it. And nothing will be impossible for the person who has so much faith.

Let us examine also this statement: “This kind is not cast out except through prayer and fasting.” [3] If at any time it is necessary that we should be engaged in the healing of one suffering from such a disorder, we are not to adjure nor put questions nor speak to the impure spirit as if it heard. But [by] devoting ourselves to prayer and fasting, we may be successful as we pray for the sufferer, and by our own fasting we may thrust out the unclean spirit from him. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 13.7. [4]

[1] Gen 15:6.

[2] 1 Cor 13:2.

[3] Mk 9:29 KJV.

[4] GCS 40:197-98; ANF 9:479.

SAY TO THIS MOUNTAIN:

MOVE

CHRYSOSTOM: The disciples seem to me to be in anxiety and fear that they had lost the grace with which they had been entrusted. For they had received power over unclean demons. So they approached him in private and asked him the question, not out of shame (for if the matter had got out and they were criticized, it would have been superfluous for the future to have been ashamed of admitting it in their words) but because what they were going to ask him was secret and of great moment.

What, then, does Christ say? “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.” But if you say “Where did they move a mountain?” I will say that they did things much greater than that in raising up innumerable dead. For moving a mountain and moving death from a body are not at all comparable. After them other saints, far inferior to the disciples, are said to have moved mountains when necessity demanded. It is clear that the disciples also would have done so had necessity demanded. But if there was never need at that time, do not find fault with them. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 57.4. [1]

[1] PG 58:562; NPNF 1 10:355.

17:22-23 | Jesus Speaks of His Death and Resurrection

THE DISCIPLES WERE GREATLY DISTRESSED

CHRYSOSTOM: In case they say “Why do we delay here so long?” again he tells them about his Passion. Hearing of it, they did not even want to see Jerusalem. … Peter had been rebuked, those around Moses and Elijah had spoken with him and had called the thing glory, and … the Father had spoken from above; after so many miracles had taken place and the resurrection was close by (for he said that he would not long remain in death but would rise on the third day)—not even thus could they endure it. But “they were distressed,” and not simply “distressed” but “greatly distressed.” This happened because they did not yet recognize the power of what he said. But Mark and Luke imply it; the former saying that “they did not understand the saying and they were afraid to ask”; [1] the latter saying that “it was concealed from them that they should not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.” [2] Yet if they did not know it, why were they distressed? Because they were not totally ignorant.

They knew that he would die, having heard it continually. But as yet they did not know clearly what kind of death this was to be, or that there would be a speedy release from it, or that it would work innumerable blessings, or what this resurrection might be. They did not know it, and so they were distressed, for they greatly adored their Master. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 58.1. [3]

[1] Mk 9:32.

[2] Lk 9:45.

[3] PG 58:565-66; NPNF 1 10:358.

HE WILL BE RAISED

JEROME: Whenever the Lord speaks of future disaster, he always teaches its close relation with the happiness of redemption, so that when disasters suddenly come they do not terrify the apostles but may be borne by hearts that have premeditated them. If it saddens them because he is going to be killed, it ought to make them rejoice that it says, “On the third day he will arise again.” Further, their distress, in fact their great distress, does not come from lack of faith—elsewhere also they knew that Peter had been rebuked because he did not consider what belonged to God but what belonged to men—but because their love of their Master does not let them hear anything ominous or humiliating. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 3.17.23. [1]

[1] CCL 77:153-54.

THE NECESSITY OF HIS PASSION

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: Therefore he brought the disciples to the mountain and showed them the glory with which he will shine on the universe in the future. Then coming down from the mountain he freed a person from a rough and evil spirit. It was altogether necessary for him to undergo his saving Passion for us and to suffer the violence of the Jews. When this happened, it was quite likely that the disciples would be alarmed and would ponder it and say among themselves: “He has raised so many from the dead by divine power, he commands the seas and winds, he overwhelms Satan with his words—how has he now been taken and fallen to the noose of his murderers? Then maybe we were deceived when we thought that he was God?” So that they should know the future fully and completely, therefore, he foretells to them the mystery of the Passion. FRAGMENT 209. [1]

[1] MKGK 221.

THEY WILL KILL HIM

ORIGEN: I think we have an obligation to examine this, too: that Jesus was delivered into the hands of men, not by men into the hands of men but by powers to whom the Father delivered his Son on behalf of us all. In the very act of being delivered and coming under the power of those to whom he was delivered, he “destroyed him who had the power of death.” For “through death he destroyed him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and delivered all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.” [1] COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 13.8. [2]

[1] Heb 2:15-16.

[2] GCS 40:203; ANF 9:479.