ACC ~ Matthew 25 v41 - 44

YOU IMPUTED IT TO YOURSELVES

CHRYSOSTOM: But to the others he says, “Depart from me, you cursed.” He does not say they are cursed by the Father, for the Father had not laid a curse upon them, but only their own works. He does not say that the eternal fire is prepared only for you but “for the devil and his angels.” For concerning the kingdom indeed, when he had said, “Come, inherit the kingdom,” he added, “prepared for you before the foundation of the world.” [1] But concerning the fire, he does not say this but “prepared for the devil.” I prepared the kingdom for you, he says, but the fire I did not prepare for you but “for the devil and his angels.” But you have cast yourselves in it. You have imputed it to yourselves. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 79.2. [2]

[1] Mt 25:34.

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

I WAS HUNGRY

CHRYSOSTOM: “For I was hungry, and you gave me no food.” For even though you should meet your enemy, is not his suffering enough to overcome and subdue your resistance to being merciful? And what about his hunger, cold, chains, nakedness and sickness? What about his homelessness? Are not these sufferings sufficient to overcome even your alienation? But you did not do these things for a friend, much less a foe. You could have at once befriended and done good. Even when you see a dog hungry you feel sympathy. But when you see the Lord hungry, you ignore it. You are left without excuse. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 79.2. [1]

[1] PG 58:719-20; NPNF 1 10:476.

YOU DID NOT VISIT ME

ORIGEN: He could have said to the unrighteous, “I was sick, and you did not visit me; I was in prison, and you did not come to me.” Instead he abbreviated his discourse and compressed both phrases into one, saying, “I was sick and in prison, and you did not visit me,” for it was proper for a merciful judge to embellish the good deeds of people but to skim over their evil deeds. The righteous, however, dwell on each word, saying, “When did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you drink?” And “when did we see you a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you?” Or “when did we see you sick or in prison, and come to you?” For it is characteristic of the righteous, out of humility, studiously to make light of each of their good deeds held up to them. It is as though to the Lord’s words, “This, that and the other good thing you did to me,” they disavowingly reply, “Neither this, that nor the other thing did we do to you.” The unrighteous do not treat each item individually but are quick to say, “When did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you, for we ministered the word to you.” They refer to everything they did and tend to play down their evil actions, which might appear worse if enumerated one by one, for it is characteristic of wicked people to mention their faults, by way of excuse, as being either nonexistent or few and far between. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 73. [1]

[1] GCS 38.2:173.

WHEN DID WE SEE YOU HUNGRY?

INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW: “Then they will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry … or thirsty?’” Oh, the invariable disobedience of sinners! Who does not realize that every evil we do is done not because we are corruptible but because we have a bad intention? Plainly then the corruptible flesh of sinners will die, but wickedness will live on. Did they not hear the Lord saying to the righteous, “As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me?” [1] Certainly they should have understood that what they fail to do to people, they fail to do to Christ. But those who hear, remain adamant; those who understand, pretend they do not understand. They stand in judgment, and yet they keep on sinning. This applies also to bad teachers … who did not clothe the naked, either by teaching justice or by baptizing in Christ; who did not welcome strangers in the world through the word or introduce them into the house of the church through faith; who did not heal the sick by their words; who did not lead out, through penance, those who were sitting in the prison of ungodliness. If it is ungodly not to offer material things to bodies, which cannot live forever even if they accept these things, can you imagine how ungodly it is not to administer spiritual things to souls that are in danger and could live forever if only these things were administered to them? Since the soul is more precious than the body, it is all the more sinful not to give spiritual alms to troubled souls rather than material alms to bodies. HOMILY 54. [2]

[1] Mt 25:40.

[2] PG 56:946.