ACC ~ Matthew 5 v17 - 20

OVERVIEW:

Jesus fulfilled the law (HILARY, ANONYMOUS) when he completed by his passion the once prefigured mystery of the paschal meal (CHROMATIUS). Those things considered least important by the unfaithful are not insignificant before God (ORIGEN, CHROMATIUS, ANONYMOUS). The law is summed up in the gospel (JEROME). Those called least in the kingdom are those who misunderstand God’s commands (CHRYSOSTOM), who teach but do not follow the Lord’s commands (ANONYMOUS). Whoever sets aside one of the least of the commandments of the law should expect to be set aside as an inventor of laws opposed to God (CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA). The scribes and Pharisees were less concerned with faith in the divine promise than with human praise (CHROMATIUS). Teachers’ learning, even if tainted by a small sin, demotes them from the highest degree. It does not profit them to teach a righteousness that they undermine by the slightest fault (JEROME). After the coming of Christ we are favored with a greater strength than law as such (CHRYSOSTOM).

5:17 | Fulfilling the Law and the Prophets

JESUS’ PASSION FULFILLED THE LAW

CHROMATIUS: The Son of God, who is the author of the law and the prophets, did not come to abolish the law or the prophets. He gave the people the law that was to be handed down through Moses, and he imbued the prophets with the Holy Spirit for the preaching of the things to come. Therefore he said, “I have come not to abolish the law and the prophets but to fulfill them.”

He fulfilled the law and the prophets in this way: He brought to pass those things that had been written about him in the law and the prophets. Hence, when he drank the vinegar offered him on the cross, he said, “It is finished,” [1] evidently to show that everything written about him in the law and the prophets had been completed, even including the drinking of vinegar. He fulfilled the law at any rate when he completed by the sacrament of his passion the once prefigured mystery of the paschal meal. Consequently the apostle says, “For Christ our paschal lamb has been sacrificed.” [2] TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 20.1.1-2. [3]

[1] Jn 19:30.

[2] 1 Cor 5:7.

[3] CCL 9a:291.

FULFILLING EVEN THE LEAST OF THE COMMANDMENTS

CHROMATIUS: While it is sinful to abolish the least of the commandments, all the more so the great and most important ones. Hence the Holy Spirit affirms through Solomon: “Whoever despises the little things shall gradually die.” [1]

Consequently nothing in the divine commandments must be abolished, nothing altered. Everything must be preserved and taught faithfully and devotedly that the glory of the heavenly kingdom may not be lost. Indeed, those things considered least important and small by the unfaithful or by worldly people are not small before God but necessary. For the Lord taught the commandments and did them. [2]

Even small things point to the great future of the kingdom of heaven. For this reason, not only words but also deeds are important; and you should not only teach, but what you teach, you should do. TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 20.2.1-3. [3]

[1] Sir 19:1.

[2] Cf. Mt 5:19.

[3] CCL 9a:292.

NOT TO ABOLISH

ANONYMOUS: For two reasons Christ says that he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. First, so he might persuade his disciples, whom he had instructed to excel in all good works, to follow his own example. Even as he fulfilled every law, they too must eagerly fulfill even the least part of the law. Second, because Jesus worked on the sabbath and touched lepers, other Jews accused him of attempting to abolish the law. Or at least so it seemed. He needed to respond to these false accusations. He said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish but to fulfill.” The Law and the Prophets are both in force. They prophesy concerning Christ and constitute the law of living. Christ fulfilled them both. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 10. [1]

[1] PG 56:687.

5:18 | Until All Is Accomplished

THE ONE DOT

ORIGEN: But the “one dot” is not only the iota of the Greeks but also that which among the Hebrews is called the yod. And the “one iota” or “one dot” can symbolically be said to be Jesus, since the beginning of his name is written not only by Greeks with an iota but also by Hebrews with a yod. So Jesus will be the one dot, the Word of God in the law which does not pass from the law until all is accomplished. But the iota might also be (as he himself says) the Ten Commandments of the law, for everything else passes away, but these do not pass away. But neither does Jesus pass away; if he “falls to the ground” [1] he does so willingly, in order to bear much fruit. Again, the “one iota” or “one dot” has mastery over things both in heaven and on earth. [2] FRAGMENT 99. [3]

[1] Jn 12:24.

[2] Lit., “above and below.”

[3] GCS 41.1:56.

LAW SUMMED UP IN THE GOSPEL

JEROME: We are promised a new heaven and a new earth, which the Lord God will make. If new ones are to be created, the old ones will therefore pass away. As for what follows, “Not one iota, not a dot, shall be lost from the law until all is accomplished,” this literally shows that even what is considered least important in the law is full of spiritual sacraments, and it is all summed up in the gospel. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 1.5.18. [1]

[1] CCL 77:27.

LAW FULFILLED THROUGH GRACE

CHROMATIUS: He fulfilled the law at the time by completing the sacrifices of the law and all the examples prefigured in himself … by accepting a body. Certainly he fulfilled the law at the time he confirmed with evangelical grace the precepts of the law he had given. He proceeds to demonstrate he had come to fulfill the law: “Until heaven and earth pass away, not one iota, not a dot, shall be lost from the law until all is accomplished.” Therefore we know from Christ’s teaching how true and divine is the preaching of the law. The Lord reveals that not a single iota or a dot will be lost. TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 20.1.3-4. [1]

[1] CCL 9a:291.

NOT ONE IOTA

ANONYMOUS: A man aware of what he has said does not leave hollow words behind. So how could divine words ever remain hollow? God punishes a man if he does not do what God teaches him. How could Christ not actually fulfill what was spoken through the prophets? Therefore he fulfilled the law even in its least requirements. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 10. [1]

[1] PG 56:688.

5:19 | Who Is Great in the Kingdom of Heaven

BEYOND THE LAW

HILARY: With a beautiful introduction Christ moves beyond the work of the law. He does not intend to abolish it but to enhance it by fulfilling it. He declares that his apostles will not be able to enter heaven unless their righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees. Therefore he bypasses what is laid down in the law, not for the sake of abolishing it, but for the sake of fulfilling it. ON MATTHEW 4.16. [1]

[1] SC 254:134.

LEAST IN THE KINGDOM

CHRYSOSTOM: For what reason then does he call some of these commandments “least,” though they are so magnificent and lofty? Jesus spoke this way because he was about to introduce his own teaching as a new law. As he humbles himself and speaks of himself with great modesty, so he refers to his own teaching in the same manner. In this way Jesus teaches us to practice humility in everything. And besides, since some suspected his teaching to be a new departure, he temporarily taught it in a more reserved way.

But when you hear “least in the kingdom of heaven,” you are to think of nothing but hell and punishment. For it was his practice to speak not only of the joy the kingdom brings but also of the time of the resurrection and the fearful event of the second coming. Think of one who calls a brother a fool. That one transgresses only one commandment, maybe even the slightest one, and falls into hell. Compare that one with another who breaks all the commandments and instigates others to break them. Do both have the same relation to the kingdom? This is not the argument Jesus is making. Rather, he means that one who transgresses only one of the commands will on the final day be the least—that is, cast out—and last, and will fall into hell. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 16. [1]

[1] PG 57:243; NPNF 1 10:106**.

SETTING ASIDE THE LEAST OF THE COMMANDMENTS

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: Whoever sets aside “one of the least of the commandments” of the law is set aside by God as God’s enemy and as an inventor of laws opposed to God. And now out of the law of the gospel that one receives the retribution which, under the ancient law, was not defined. For this reason Christ fittingly says, “I am not come to destroy but to fulfill.” For that which then was lacking, here is made full. [1] It is said in the law: “Stand in the presence of the elderly” [2] and “If you see the beast of your enemy fallen under its load, go help him lift it up.” [3] If anyone transgressed these commandments, there was no retribution specified under the law. So Christ makes up this lack when he says that in the kingdom of heaven such a person will be treated with scorn. FRAGMENT 48. [4]

[1] Or supplied. Note that the Greek verbs are active, not passive.

[2] Lev 19:32.

[3] Ex 23:5.

[4] MKGK 167.

5:20 | Righteousness Exceeding That of the Scribes and Pharisees

THE FAULTS OF THE TEACHER TAINT THE TEACHING

JEROME: He therefore rebukes the Pharisees, who showed contempt for God’s commandments and set up their own traditions, for their teaching among the people is of no value if they destroy even a small part of what is in the law. We can understand this in another sense, namely, that a teacher’s learning, even if tainted by a small sin, demotes him from the highest place. It does not profit him to teach a righteousness that he undermines by the slightest fault. The Beatitude is perfected if what you teach with your words you practice with your works. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 1.5.18. [1]

[1] CCL 77:27.

EXCEEDING THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE SCRIBES

CHRYSOSTOM: Jesus speaks of righteousness here as virtue in its fullness. In speaking of Job, Jesus said, “He was a blameless man, righteous.” [1] According to the same meaning of the word, Paul even called that person righteous for whom, as he said, no law is laid down: “For the law is not made for a righteous person.” [2] One might find “righteous” in many other passages rendered as “virtuous in general.”

But I urge you to observe how grace has abounded under the new covenant. Jesus desires to have his prospective disciples considered as greater than the teachers under the old covenant. For by “scribes and Pharisees” here he meant the upright, not the lawbreakers. If they were not acting in a commendable fashion, he would not have spoken of them as righteous. Nor would he have compared the unreal to the real.

Note how Jesus also in this passage commends the old law. He does so by comparing it with the new, a comparison that implies that it is of the same family, so to speak. More or less, it does share many family resemblances. He does not find fault with the old law but in fact makes it more strict. Had it been evil, Jesus would not have accentuated it. Instead, he would have discarded it.

If the law is so commendable, how is it not adequate to bring us into the kingdom? After the coming of Christ we are favored with a greater strength than law as such. Those who are adopted as children are bound to strive for greater things. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 16.4. [3]

[1] Job 1:1 LXX.

[2] 1 Tim 1:9.

[3] PG 57:244; NPNF 1 10:107**.

SMUGNESS OF THE PHARISEES

CHROMATIUS: He finds fault with the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, for they were not concerned with faith in the divine promise but with human praise and worldly glory. We have an example of this in the puffed-up and proud Pharisee who seemed to prefer the merits of his own righteousness and shamelessly made himself conspicuous in God’s sight with his smugness and complacent words.

The scribes and Pharisees therefore stressed the appearance of righteousness, not that they might please God but that they might seek the fame of human glory and acquire earthly gain and material comforts. Hence the Lord urges us to give priority to the works of heavenly righteousness and the merits of faith over that detestable righteousness of human praise. TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 20.3.1-2. [1]

[1] CCL 9a:293.

LEAST IN THE KINGDOM DISTINGUISHED FROM ENTERING THE KINGDOM

ANONYMOUS: The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees is found in the commandments of Moses, whereas the fulfillment of those commandments is found in the commandments of Christ. So this is what he says: Unless a person, in addition to the commandments of the law, fulfills these precepts of mine that people may believe to be unimportant, he shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. The former may free a person from punishment imposed on transgressors of the law, but they do not bring a person into the kingdom. The latter free a person from punishment and introduce him into the kingdom. On this point of abolishing and not keeping the least of these commandments, he says about the lawbreaker: “Whoever does away with one of these least commandments shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven,” meaning that even if that person is least he is still in the kingdom. But why does he say concerning the nonobservant person that unless the righteousness of the Christian exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, that one shall not enter the kingdom of heaven? For whoever does not enter the kingdom of heaven will be outside the kingdom. On this, note that to be least in the kingdom is the same as not entering the kingdom. For to be someone in the kingdom is not the same as to reign with Christ but only to be among Christ’s people. It is as though he said, He who does not keep the law though he teaches it will indeed be among the Christians, but he will be the least Christian, or with the least of the Christians. But he who enters the kingdom will share in the kingdom with Christ, as is said elsewhere about the good servant: “Enter into the joy of your master”; [1] that is to say, rejoice together with your Lord. Hence that person who does not enter the kingdom of heaven will certainly not possess the glory of the kingdom of heaven with Christ, though he will be in the kingdom, that is, counted among those over whom Christ the king of heaven reigns. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 11. [2]

[1] Mt 25:21.

[2] PG 56:689.