ACC ~ Matthew 2 v12

THEY DEPARTED ANOTHER WAY

ANONYMOUS: Oh, the faith of the magi! They did not speak disparagingly of the warning, saying, “We have come a long way, passing through a multitude of nations, feeling no fear. We did not tremble at all before the dread kings when we were there, but we stood our ground and faithfully foretold the king who had been born and, as if to a god, we brought him worthy gifts. And now like slaves you bid us flee further and return by a different route from that we would normally travel?”

No, having already faithfully stood their ground, they did not fear to become known, nor were they ashamed to withdraw in secret. It was not possible that those who had come from Herod to Christ would return to Herod. For those who, abandoning Christ, make their way to Herod still can readily return to Christ. But those who abandon Herod and come to Christ with all their heart do not wish to return to Herod. This is to say: the one who by sinning crosses over from Christ to the devil may readily return through repentance to Christ. But those who abandon the devil for Christ do not easily return to the devil. This is because the one who has never been involved in evil but has known only innocence, so long as evil has not been experienced, is easily deceived and crosses over to the devil. But when he has had experience of evil and has recalled the good that he has squandered, he quickly returns to God, from whom he strayed. The man who has been involved in evil, moreover, and has converted to good, so long as he rejoices in the goodness he has found and recalls the evil he has escaped, with difficulty is called back to evil. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 2. [1]

[1] PG 56:643.

THE WILES OF THE TYRANT OVERCOME

CHROMATIUS: This is an example to us of modesty and faith, that once we have come to know and adore Christ as King, we may abandon the path we were traveling before, which was the path of error. We may now proceed by the other path, on which Christ is our guide. We may return to our place, paradise, from which Adam was driven out. This place is mentioned in the psalm as one where we will please the Lord in the land of the living. [1] Thus it was that the magi, having been advised to follow another road, frustrated the tyrant’s cruel designs in their return. It was in this manner, through the magi, that the boy who was born a king became known, while at the same time the wiles of the tyrant Herod were overcome. It was predicted that our infant Lord and Savior would be triumphant even at the very beginning of his life in the flesh. This was foretold in advance by Isaiah when he said, “For before the child shall have knowledge to cry ‘father’ and ‘mother,’ the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the king of Assyria.” [2] By “riches of Damascus” is meant the gold that the boy, born the Son of God, received as offered to him by the magi. The “spoils of Samaria” represent the worship of idols, the superstitious error of Samaria from which he diverted those same magi. Those who previously were the prey of the devil because of their false religion became the plunder of God through their knowledge of Christ. The “king of the Assyrians” refers to Herod, or in fact to the devil, to whom the magi themselves became enemies, reverencing as they did the Son of God, our Lord and Savior. TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 5.2. [3]

[1] Ps 116:9 (114:9 LXX).

[2] Is 8:4.

[3] CCL 9a:217-18.

THE OTHER WAY HOME

GREGORY THE GREAT: The return of the magi “by another way” home suggests a spiritual interpretation: As they were advised to take another way, so are we. Our home country is the paradise from which we have fallen. We are forbidden to return to it. When we come to know Jesus, we can return along the way by which he returned. We left our paradise by our pride and disobedience, by overvaluing visible things, by succumbing to the tasting of forbidden fruit. We now can return only by weeping and obedience, rejecting visible things, and by curbing our bodily appetites. So let us, like the magi, return to our home country by another way than the way we left it. Our evil inclination led us away from the joys of paradise. Our turning around in repentance summons us to return by another way. In this way, dearly beloved, we are being awakened to the fear of God. Be vigilant. Set before the eyes of your heart the deceitfulness of your works. Take seriously the severity of the final judgment. Consider how strict a judge is coming. He threatens the impenitent with terror. Yet he still gives them time for repentance. He bears with us. He puts off coming for this reason, that he may find fewer to condemn. FORTY GOSPEL HOMILIES 10.7. [1]

[1] PL 76:1113-14; CS 123:59-60** (Homily 8). By returning home by another way, the magi suggested to Gregory a broader analogy: our return home to our original relation with God by means of repentance and faith.