ACC ~ Matthew 20 v29 - 34

OVERVIEW:

Let us listen to these blind men, who see better than many. They were not able to see the Lord when he came near to them. They had no one to guide them. Yet they tried to come near to him. Such is the nature of a resolute soul. It is borne up by the very things that hinder it (CHRYSOSTOM). In his bodily, temporal, incarnate life, Jesus was passing by quickly, only for a short time, as is the case with all temporal events—they quickly come to pass. Through the incarnation the Lord passed by us for a brief time in human history. Now we can read about it and believe (AUGUSTINE). To those who view the two blind men symbolically as the Pharisees and Sadducees, let us remember that the apostle advises those of us who are Gentiles not to boast or be haughty against our own roots in the old covenant. For we were the wild olive tree grafted on to a good olive tree. So in no way should we begrudge the salvation of the prior people of the covenant, the Jews (JEROME). In touching their eyes, the Lord Jesus touched also the eyes of the mind of the nations, giving to them the grace of the Holy Spirit. Those nations, when enlightened, followed him with good works, never wholly abandoning him afterwards (INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW).

20:29-30 | Have Mercy on Us, Son of David!

CHRYSOSTOM: But let us keep to the things set before us. Let us listen to these blind men, who see better than many. They were not able to see the Lord when he came near to them. They had no one to guide them. Yet they tried to come near to him. … Such is the nature of a resolute soul. It is borne up by the very things that hinder it. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 66.1. [1]

[1] PG 58:625; NPNF 1 10:404.

THEY HEARD THAT JESUS WAS PASSING

AUGUSTINE: The Lord acted according to their faith. He restored their eyes. He has been healing sickness within, deafness within and deadness within. Now he is healing blindness within. The eyes of the heart are closed. Jesus is passing by so that we might shout to him.

What does it mean that Jesus was passing by? He is coming to us in time. Only for a short time is Jesus passing by us. [1] What does it mean that Jesus is passing by? He is acting in a moment that comes to pass. Note how many things he has now done which have already passed by. He was born of the Virgin Mary in time. Is he being born always? [2] As an infant he was nursed. Is he still being nursed? No, he matured through the successive ages of life [3] until he came to adulthood. Is he always growing physically? After infancy came boyhood, after boyhood came youth; after youth he came to full human stature in several developing stages of growth. Even the very miracles that he did have “passed by.” [4] Now we read about them and believe. They were written about so that they might be read later. But when they were occurring they were passing by like all temporal events. Finally, not to dwell long on this, he was crucified. Is he still hanging on the cross? In a similar temporal flow, he was buried, he rose again, he ascended into heaven. Now “he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.” [5] Now his divinity abides forever; yes, even the immortality of his body now shall never pass away. But nevertheless all those things that were done by him in time have passed by, and having passed by they were written down in order to be read and preached to be believed. In all these things then “Jesus was passing by.” SERMON 88.9. [6]

[1] The earthly Jesus passes by us just as any historical event passes by.

[2] The nativity is an event in time.

[3] Here Augustine echoes the recapitulation then so prominent in Irenaeus Against Heresies.

[4] Like all historical events.

[5] Rom 6:9.

[6] PL 38:544; NPNF 1 6:382* (Sermon 38).

EPIPHANIUS THE LATIN: We read in Genesis that Noah, a very just man, had three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, [1] with whom he entered into the ark at the time of the flood and departed. From these three sons diverse nations were scattered throughout the entire world. For from the first son of Noah descended the patriarch, Abraham, from whom proceeded, whether for good or ill, all the Jewish people. And from the two [other] sons diverse nations [2] were disseminated. Thus these two blind men had the form of the two sons of Noah. They heard that Jesus was passing by. Now is it not certain that the people of the Gentiles believed in the Savior not by seeing, as did the Jews, but by hearing? And what is the meaning of the phrase that he passed by? Does it not suggest that the messianic event was passing by from the Jews to the nations? Did not the Lord himself say, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see and those who see may become blind.” [3] INTERPRETATION OF THE GOSPELS 30. [4]

[1] Gen 5:32; 1 Chron 1:4.

[2] Apart from the Semites, or sons of Shem.

[3] Jn 9:39.

[4] PL Supp 3:873.

20:31 | They Cried Out More

THE CROWD TOLD THEM TO BE SILENT

CHRYSOSTOM: Christ permitted the crowd to rebuke them so that their earnestness might all the more appear and that we might learn how worthily they would receive the benefits of a cure. He does not so much as ask, “Do you believe?” as he did with many. For their cry and their struggling to come to him were sufficient to make their faith evident.

Learn this, beloved. Though we may be very vile and outcast, yet when we approach God with utter earnestness, we come closer to what we ask for. Just look at these men. They do not have any of the apostles to plead for them. Instead, here is the crowd trying to shut them up, telling them to be silent. Yet they were able to overcome all these obstacles and come to Jesus himself. Yet the Evangelist does not attest to any faith in them but only to their importunity. Their earnestness sufficed above all other factors. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 66.1. [1]

[1] PG 58:625-26; NPNF 1 10:404.

SON OF DAVID

JEROME: He calls them blind because they were not yet able to say, “By your light we shall see the light.” [1] They were ignorant of Christ’s way. They apparently had some knowledge of the law, however inadequately conceived. Some propose a spiritual interpretation here: that the two blind men are to be understood as the Pharisees and Sadducees. Others view one of them as symbolizing the people following natural law without Christ, hence blind, and the other as symbolizing people following the written law of the old covenant in a blinded way. [2] In any event, they were not able to see for themselves. Yet they heard the announcement of the Savior’s coming. They proclaimed him Son of David.

But let us suppose that each of the two blind men is blind with respect to the people of the Jews. What might it mean that the crowd rebuked them? It could suggest that the Gentile crowd was rebuking the Jews. Thus let us remember that the apostle advises those of us who are Gentiles not to boast or be haughty against our own roots in the old covenant. For we were the wild olive tree grafted on to a good olive tree. [3] So in no way should we begrudge the salvation of the prior people of the covenant, the Jews. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 3.20.31. [4]

[1] Ps 36:9 (35:10 LXX).

[2] The “people” discussed here were understood to mean the pagans. The episode of the two blind men was suited to a wide variety of allegorical interpretations, amply illustrated by the selected passages.

[3] Rom 11:17-18.

[4] CCL 77:180-81.

THEY SHOUTED ALL THE MORE

EPIPHANIUS THE LATIN: Christ is the way. Therefore, the two blind men [the Gentiles] were sitting on the way [yet without seeing the way]. By straying through idols, they had completely wandered from the way of truth. Degenerated in the obscurity of sins, they destroyed the eyes of the heart. Thus those sitting shouted, “Son of David, have mercy on us.” But the crowd rebuked them to become silent. But they shouted all the more: “Son of David, have mercy on us.” For with the Jews neither believing nor willing, the blinded nations were shouting all the more through faith, saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us.” And for us, dearly beloved, whether envy opposes a man or the devil holds him back in darkness, let us therefore shout the more through faith, “Son of David, have mercy on us.” INTERPRETATION OF THE GOSPELS 30. [1]

[1] PL Supp 3:873.

20:32 | Jesus Stopped and Called Them

WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU?

CHRYSOSTOM: Lest anyone might think that the blind men ask for one thing but Jesus gave them something else, we must examine why he asks them, “What do you want me to do?” It indeed was usual with him on many occasions that he first sought to discover all the highest moral excellences of one he was healing and only then to apply the cure. He did this in order that he might lead others to emulate their good qualities and that he might show that they were receiving the gift of healing in a worthy manner. He did this, for instance, in the case of the Canaanite woman, [1] and also in the case of the centurion [2] and with the woman suffering from bleeding. We especially remember that this marvelous woman even anticipated the Lord’s inquiry. [3] But recall that he did not pass her by. Even after her healing he kept looking around to see who had done it. [4] Such earnest care he had on every occasion. He wished to make known the good qualities of those who came to him and to show them to be much greater than they are. This he also does here.

Then, when they cried out what they desired, he had compassion on them and touched them. For this alone is the cause of their cure. It is the end for which he came into the world. Even though it is filled with mercy and grace, it seeks worthy recipients. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 66.1. [5]

[1] Mt 15:21-28.

[2] Mt 8:5.

[3] Mt 9:18-26; cf. Mk 5:21-43; Lk 8:40-56.

[4] Mk 5:32.

[5] PG 58:626; NPNF 1 10:404.

20:33-34 | Jesus in Pity Touched Their Eyes

THE GOD-MAN TOUCHES THEIR EYES

INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW: Therefore Jesus touched their eyes. As truly human, he touched them with the hands of his flesh. As truly God he healed them by the word. He touched them because they called him the Son of David. He healed them because they believed in his power. Thus in one and the same person, God and man, his work of healing both rewarded their faith and admonished their infidelity. HOMILY 36. [1]

[1] PG 56:834.

IMMEDIATELY THEY FOLLOWED HIM

CHRYSOSTOM: Note that they did not hasten away after their cure, as happened on numerous occasions, with those who were less than grateful after receiving benefits. [1] Not so with these two blind men, whose worthiness to receive is seen both in what they cried out and that they followed. They were persevering before the gift and grateful after the gift. For it says that they followed him. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 66.1. [2]

[1] E.g., Mt 9:6-7.

[2] PG 58:626; NPNF 1 10:404-5.

HE TOUCHED THE EYES OF THE NATIONS

INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW: While Christ did the healing, they received a good reward. Of what sort? They followed him. For what would a man give back in return to God worthy of his kindness, except that which God himself commends through his prophet: “He has showed you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” [1]

In touching their eyes, the Lord Jesus also touched the eyes of the mind of the nations. He was giving to them the grace of the Holy Spirit. For Christ’s touch gives the grace of the Holy Spirit. Those nations, when they were enlightened, followed him with good works, never abandoning him afterward. [2] HOMILY 36. [3]

[1] Mic 6:8.

[2] Unlike, he goes on to say, the periods of abandonment that sometimes have characterized some periods of Jewish history.

[3] PG 58:834.