ACC ~ Matthew 3 v7

THE CLASH WITH RELIGIOUS LEADERS

CHRYSOSTOM: They did not continue to follow John. [1] This is what Christ meant when he later refused to disclose his own authority to the Pharisees. [2] When they refused to receive the very One of whom John was preaching, this was hardly a convincing expression of their faith. The Pharisees imagined that they had the highest regard for the prophets and Moses. But Jesus said they had disregarded Moses because they had not received the one foretold by him: “If you believed Moses, you would believe me.” [3] Then he confronted them: “I also will ask you a question: now tell me, Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?” They debated: “If we say, from heaven, he will say, why did you not believe him?” [4] From all this it was clear that they came indeed and were baptized by John, but they did not continue faithfully in the preaching of John. John’s Gospel also points out their corruptness, reporting how they sent representatives to the Baptist asking, “Are you Elijah? Are you Christ?” This is why it was added: “Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.” [5] THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 11.1. [6]

[1] Mt 21:32.

[2] Lk 20:1-8.

[3] Jn 5:46.

[4] Lk 20:5; cf. Mt 21:25-26.

[5] Jn 1:24.

[6] PG 57:191-92; NPNF 1 10:67-68**.

BROOD OF THE DEVIL

CHROMATIUS: John put it clearly to the Pharisees and Sadducees who had come to him for baptism when he said, “Brood of vipers! Who has shown you how to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore, produce fruit that matches genuine repentance.” [1] Those who for a long time were called God’s children are now by reason of their faults called a brood of vipers, because by doing the will of the devil, who from the beginning was called a snake, they made themselves the devil’s children. “The devil is your father, and it is your will to fulfill your father’s desires.” [2] TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 10.2. [3]

[1] Mt 3:7-8.

[2] Jn 8:44.

[3] cf. Eccles 10:2; Prov 4:27.

THE POISON OF MALICE

ANONYMOUS: “Offspring of vipers.” The nature of vipers is such that when a viper bites a person, it immediately heads for water. If it does not find water, it dies. [1] So too John called those persons the offspring of vipers who, committing grave sins, hastened to baptism so that, like vipers, through water they might avoid the danger of death. Also, the nature of a viper is that it ruptures its mother’s entrails in order to be born. Therefore, because the Jews who were doggedly persecuting the prophets ruptured their mother the synagogue, as the lamenting woman says in Canticles, “My mother’s children were angry at me,” [2] they are called the offspring of vipers. Further, vipers are beautiful on the outside and adorned as it were, but on the inside they are full of poison. Thus John calls both hypocrites and Pharisees the offspring of vipers, because the hypocrites showed the beauty of holiness on their face while they bore the poison of malice in their hearts. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 3. [3]

[1] Misconceptions of the strangest sort regarding animals abounded in the ancient world and were often included in literary works (Aelian, Pliny the Elder). Such misconceptions served as starting points for the allegorical interpretation of animals named in the Scriptures, as is evidenced here.

[2] Song 1:6.

[3] PG 56:651.