ACC ~ Matthew 25 v34

INHERIT THE KINGDOM

CHRYSOSTOM: He commended them for doing what was right. He reveals how great is his bond of love for them and has been from the beginning. “Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’” To what other blessedness could this blessedness be compared? To be blessed of the Father! Why were they counted worthy of such a great honor? “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink.” What honor! What blessedness!

He did not say “take” but “inherit” as one’s own, as your Father’s, as yours, as due to you from the first. “For before you were,” he says, “these things had been prepared and made ready for you, because I knew you would be such as you are.” THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 79.2. [1]

[1] PG 58:719; NPNF 1 10:476.

FIRST THE RIGHT HAND

INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW: “Then he will say to those at his right hand …” And why will he not address first those at his left? Because God is always more willing to praise than to denounce. For he gives good things to those who are good according to his intentions because he is good; but to those who are bad, he reluctantly gives bad things against his intentions because he is a judge. Whatever humanity does against his nature, he does rather hesitantly. If indeed Christ delighted in the punishment of sinners, he never would have delivered himself up for them. “Come, O blessed of my Father,” he says, “inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” You who sowed one seed on earth will deservedly have a hundredfold in heaven. Indeed, the kingdom of heaven has not been created according to what human righteousness deserves but according to what God’s power can prepare. “I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink.” And many other acts of mercy, as we pointed out. HOMILY 54. [1]

[1] PG 56:943.

Mt