ACC ~ Matthew 19 v28

YOU WILL SIT ON TWELVE THRONES

ORIGEN: In gift giving it is not the gift itself that God praises and approves but the will and sincerity of the giver. He excuses and holds more acceptable the one who gave less but gave it with more perfect sincerity than the one who gave more from a fuller store but with less pure affection. [1] Thus, from what is written about the gifts of the wealthy and from the two mites which the widow in the treasury sent for the poor, [2] it is clear that the same also happens to those who leave everything that they possess for the love of God so as to follow undistractedly the Christ of God. They will do everything according to his word. The one who leaves the greater wealth is not more acceptable than the one who leaves the lesser. This is especially so if he leaves the lesser with his whole heart. What Peter left, along with his brother Andrew, was small and of no value, but when they both heard, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men, immediately they left their nets and followed him.” [3] Yet they were not valued lightly by God, who knew that they had done this with great love. God knew that even if they had been endowed with much wealth they would still not have been distracted by it, nor would their desire to follow Jesus have been thwarted by it. … Those who follow the Savior, therefore, will sit on the twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel and will receive this power in the resurrection of the dead. For this is the regeneration, a new birth, when the new heaven and the new earth are established for those who renew themselves, and a New Testament with its chalice is given. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 15.21-22. [4]

[1] Mk 12:43-44; Lk 21:3-4.

[2] Mk 12:41-44.

[3] Mt 4:19-20.

[4] GCS 40:410-11, 416.

THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL

CHRYSOSTOM: But what does it mean that they will “judge the twelve tribes of Israel”? It means they will judge them insufficient and convicted. For they are not going to sit as jurymen. But just as he said that the queen of the south is to judge that generation [1] and the Ninevites will condemn them, [2] so will these too. For this reason he did not say “the nations and the world” but “the tribes of Israel.” The Jews and the apostles had been brought up in the same laws and customs and political system. When the Jews said that they were not able to believe in Christ because the law forbade them to receive his commandments, he brings forward these people who had received the same law and had believed, and thus he condemns all those others. That is why he had already said, “Therefore they shall be your judges.” [3] THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 64.2. [4]

[1] Mt 12:42.

[2] Mt 12:41.

[3] Mt 12:27.

[4] PG 58:610; NPNF 1 10:392.

YOU WHO HAVE FOLLOWED ME

INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW: On the day of judgment the Jews will reply, “Lord, we did not know that you were the Son of God incarnate. For what man could see the treasure hidden in the earth [1] or the sun hidden in a cloud? Who suspected that the morning star [2] was born upon earth? Who thought that the woman who shut us out from paradise and prevented us all from entering it should herself become the first door of paradise? Or that the light should go forth through her who had caused the darkness to enter? And so it was not obstinacy of heart that drove us to injure you, but we were deceived by consideration of the flesh.”

You will reply to them, “We too were men just like you, having a similar soul and the same carnal nature, and we lived in one and the same world. We were threatened by the same factions of worldly spirits, helped by the same safeguards of God. Further, you had this advantage over us: we were simple, unpolished men and sinners, and obscure in the crowd, while you were priests and scribes and leaders of the people. We, simple, rustic sinners, could recognize him. You, though priests and scribes, who had Scriptures before your eyes like beacons and pathways, still could not recognize him. Even before witnessing his miracles, we understood him. But you, even after witnessing all his powers, could not understand him? How could it be that almost the whole race was ignorant of him whom Twelve knew? You did not believe him. You did not know that he was the Son of God. What caused you to kill him when you did not find any fault in him? In us the goodwill of our rustic ignorance was like a lantern. But in you, the malice of your knowledge enveloped you like darkness.” HOMILY 33. [3]

[1] Mt 13:44.

[2] Rev 22:16.

[3] PG 56:813.