ACC ~ Matthew 21 v8

THEY SPREAD THEIR GARMENTS ON THE ROAD

INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW: The garments are the divine teachings and spiritual grace. For just a garment covers the disgrace of nakedness, so the teachings of divine grace cover the evils of our flesh. “We were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” [1] Even Adam therefore saw himself naked as a sinner, and so he covered his own nakedness with leaves from a fig tree; that is, with the commands of a harsh law. God is promising his own justice, that he will take his kindness away from the nation of Judea, just as the Lord had said through the prophet Hosea: “And I shall take away my garments and linens, I will show your disgrace to the nations.” [2] Therefore they placed their garments over them—that is, they placed over the Jews and Gentiles commands and kindnesses they received from Christ. For Christ would not have been able to rest among them if his commands had not been with them. HOMILY 37.7. [3]

[1] Eph 2:3.

[2] Cf. Hos 2:9 (2:11 LXX).

[3] PG 56:837-38.

THEY CUT BRANCHES FROM THE TREES

INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW: “Most of the crowd spread their garments; others, however, cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.” Clearly these garments and trees would be trampled when he comes on the beast of burden. The garments are the commands, just as we said. The leaves, however, are the appearance of piety. Both the commands of the law and the appearances of the Jewish practice were ordered to be treaded upon by Christ on the road. So they spread them then under the feet of the beast of burden on the road. The apostles placed their garments over the beast of burden. The rest of the crowd placed them under the feet of the beast of burden. This means dated legalism is trampled, while the commands of the apostles are spread out… .

Yet an entirely different view of this passage is that those who deposited their garments upon the ass are the apostles and teachers. The garments, however, are the beauty and form of glory. Therefore the glory which Christ received from the Father, he gave to his disciples. The disciples, however, receiving it from Christ, gave it to the nations, so that Christ may pleasingly sit among us, just as he himself says: “And the glory which you gave to me I have given to them, so that they may be one, just as we also are one.” [1] The crowds, however, who spread their garments on the road, were trusting in circumcision and, upon seeing Christ, cast down the glory that they had from the law. [They are] humbling themselves and saying with the apostle Paul: “In accordance with the justice which is from the law, I was converted without complaint, but whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ, and I count it as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ as profit.” [2] HOMILY 37.8. [3]

[1] Jn 17:22.

[2] Phil 3:6-8.

[3] PG 56:838.