ACC ~ Matthew 5 v21 - 26

OVERVIEW:

Christ’s commandment contains the law, but the law does not contain Christ’s commandment (ANONYMOUS). While the old law commands us not to murder, the gospel commands us not to get angry without reason, that we may remove every root of sin from our hearts (CHROMATIUS). It is as though Jesus were saying to a lethargic student, “You have spent enough time on these lessons. It is now time to press on to lessons higher than these” (CHRYSOSTOM).

One who reproaches someone who is filled with the Holy Spirit as empty-headed becomes liable to the council of holy men (HILARY). God, who looks at a person’s intentions, brings the one who is guilty of ridiculing his brother to the council of the holy, because ridicule aimed at one person redounds to the insulting of all (CHRYSOLOGUS). If no human being can tame the tongue, we must look to God who will tame it (AUGUSTINE). When the Lord himself justly terms as fools people who are in no way righteous, he does this not out of anger but for the sake of truth (THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA).

A gift offered to God is not acceptable unless the giver puts aside his or her anger and becomes reconciled to the brother (CHROMATIUS). One who hates is akin to a murderer (THEODORE OF HERACLEA). Jesus does not even receive the sacrifice of worship without the sacrifice of love. Not before or later but precisely while the very gift is lying there, when the sacrifice is already beginning, he sends you to be reconciled to your brother (CHRYSOSTOM). One who does not love one’s brother does not love the Lord (CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA). Let brotherly peace come first, before one approaches the altar (JEROME, AUGUSTINE). You be the first to ask pardon (ANONYMOUS). If you do not make peace with your opponent and you both die and go before Christ the judge, you will be quickly handed over to punishment (ANONYMOUS). When you ignore conscience you put yourself at grave risk (ORIGEN). The accuser is the Holy Spirit through conscience (CHROMATIUS). So do not delay settling with others until you are thrown into some enormous conflict (CHRYSOSTOM, JEROME). Cut off the intent to sin before you act to sin (ORIGEN).

5:21 | The Ancient Commandment Against Killing

IT WAS SAID TO THE PEOPLE OF OLD

CHRYSOSTOM: It was he himself who also gave those laws, but in an indirect manner. If on the one hand he had said, “You have heard that I said to those of ancient times,” the saying would have been hard for his present hearers to believe and would have been a roadblock for their understanding. If on the other hand, after Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times by my Father,” he had added, “But I say,” he still would have seemed to be taking yet more on himself.

So he simply states the commandment, attempting to make only one point: to demonstrate that at the right time he had come to clarify this requirement. For by the words “it was said to those of ancient times” he pointed out the length of time since they had received this commandment. He did this to shame those hearers who were still reluctant to advance to the higher levels of his teachings. Jesus spoke much like a teacher to a lazy student: “Don’t you know how much time you have spent learning syllables?” He also covertly intimates this through his use of the expression “those of ancient times.” For the future, Jesus summons his hearers to a loftier order of instruction. It is as though he had said, “You have spent enough time on these lessons. It is now time to press on to lessons higher than these.”

It is fitting that Jesus does not disturb the order of the commandments but begins with the earlier ones, those with which the law began, to point to the harmony between them. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 16.5. [1]

[1] PG 57:245; NPNF 1 10:108.

THE DEEPER MEANING OF THE LAW

CHROMATIUS: This is what the Lord said: “I have not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it.” In other words, to accentuate what was considered least; that is to say, to reform for the better the precepts of the law.

For this reason the holy apostle says, “Do we, then, overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.”… The law commands us not to murder. The gospel commands us not to get angry without reason, that we may remove every root of sin from our hearts, because anger can even lead to homicide. TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 21.1.1-2. [1]

[1] CCL 9a:295.

CHRIST CONTAINS THE LAW

ANONYMOUS: This fulfilling of the law, depending on the circumstances, fell naturally into place. As Christ did and taught these things, he fulfilled the law—he did not do away with it. For Christ’s commandment is not contrary to the law but broader than the law. Christ’s commandment contains the law, but the law does not contain Christ’s commandment. Therefore whoever fulfills the commandments of Christ implicitly fulfills the commandments of the law. For one who does not get angry is much less capable of killing. But one who fulfills what the law commands does not completely fulfill what Christ commands. Often a person will not kill because of the fear of reprisal, but he will get angry. Do you see then that the fulfilled law has the benefit of not being abolished? Consequently, without these commandments of Christ the commandments of the law cannot stand. For if the freedom to get angry is allowed, there are grounds for committing murder. For murder is generated by anger. Take away the anger, and there will be no murder. Therefore whoever gets angry without cause commits murder with respect to the will, even if he does not actually do so out of fear of reprisal. The remorse may not be the same as if he had committed the deed, but such a sin matches the one who gets angry. Thus John in his canonical epistle says, “Everyone who hates his brother without cause is a murderer.” [1] Consider the wisdom of Christ. Wanting to show that he is the God who once spoke in the law and who now commands by grace, he placed that commandment before all others in the law. And now he placed it at the beginning of his commandments. It was first written in the law: “You shall not murder.” [2] He immediately begins with murder, so that through a harmony between commandments he is found to be the author of the law and of grace. “Everyone who is angry with his brother without cause shall be liable to judgment.” [3] Therefore whoever gets angry with cause will not be liable. For if there is no anger, teaching will be of no use, nor will judgments be necessary, nor will criminal actions have to be held in restraint. Therefore just anger is the mother of discipline. Those who get angry with cause not only do not sin, but, unless they get angry, they do sin. Moreover, irrational patience sows the seeds of vice, nurtures negligence and encourages not only the wicked but also the good to do evil. Although a wicked person may be rebuked, he is not made to change his ways; but a good person, unless he is rebuked, will come to ruin because evil rather than good prevails in his body. Anger with cause is not anger but judgment. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 11. [4]

[1] 1 Jn 3:15.

[2] Ex 20:13.

[3] Mt 5:22.

[4] PG 56:689-90.

5:22 | Liable to Judgment

CHARGING EMPTY-HEADEDNESS

HILARY: “Whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ shall be liable to the council.” [1] One who reproaches with empty-headedness someone who is filled with the Holy Spirit becomes liable to the council of holy men and is to expiate this outrage against the Holy Spirit through punishment handed down by the holy judges. “Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be liable to the hell of fire.”…Thus whatever the law has not condemned as to a person’s works, the faith of the Gospels castigates because of one’s readiness simply to use insulting words. ON MATTHEW 4.17. [2]

[1] “Raca” is an insult referring to empty-headedness.

[2] SC 254:136.

TAMING THE TONGUE

AUGUSTINE: What are we to do? “Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be liable to the hell of fire.” But “no human being can tame the tongue.” Will everyone therefore go to the hell of fire? By no means. “Lord, you have become our refuge from generation to generation.” [1] Your wrath is just. You send no one to hell unjustly. “Where shall I go from your spirit? or where shall I flee from your presence,” [2] unless to you? Thus let us understand, my dearly beloved, that if no human being can tame the tongue, we must take refuge in God, who will tame it. Does your own human nature prevent you from taming your tongue? “No human being can tame the tongue.” [3]

Consider this analogy from the animals that we tame. A horse does not tame itself; a camel does not tame itself; an elephant does not tame itself; a snake does not tame itself; a lion does not tame itself. So too a man does not tame himself. In order to tame a horse, an ox, a camel, an elephant, a lion and a snake, a human being is required. Therefore God should be required in order for a human being to be tamed. SERMON 55.2. [4]

[1] Ps 90:1 (89:1 LXX).

[2] Ps 139:7 (138:7 LXX).

[3] Jas 3:8.

[4] PL 38:375; FC 11:234*. It takes God to tame the tongue, which humans cannot tame.

PUT ASIDE ANGER

CHROMATIUS: How greatly the Lord esteems fraternal love we know from this, for he makes clear that a gift offered to God is not acceptable unless the giver of a gift to his brother puts aside his anger and becomes reconciled to him.

Furthermore, we learn that the gifts offered by Cain were rejected by God. He failed to observe charity toward his brother and harbored anger in his heart. Hence, not without good reason does the Lord in the Gospel indicate in many places the prime necessity of fraternal charity when he says, “A new commandment I give you, that you love one another.” [1]

And again: “By this will all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” [2] Rightly so, the Lord also spoke through Zechariah: “Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy each to his brother.” [3] Through David he likewise declared: “Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!” [4] TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 21.3.1-3. [5]

[1] Jn 13:34.

[2] Jn 13:35.

[3] Zech 8:16-17.

[4] Ps 37:8 (36:8 LXX).

[5] CCL 9a:297-98.

WITH AIRS OF SUPERIORITY

THEODORE OF HERACLEA: He has said two things: “Whoever says, ‘Raca,’ and whoever says, ‘You fool,’” referring foolishness to the soul, and “despicable” to things of the body. By this he describes one who assumes an air of superiority, exalts himself over his brothers in the faith. Such a one hates them and turns away from them or looks down upon them with disgust or, frequently, passes them by as not worthy of a single look. He derives this sense of superiority from advantages of either body or soul and, on this account, looks down on his brothers as inferior to him. Such a person, Jesus says, is not considered by me as immune from condemnation. For the one who hates is akin to a murderer; such a person ought especially to have had love for these others on account of their shared faith, even though their common human nature should have been reason enough to unite them in friendship. FRAGMENT 27. [1]

[1] MKGK 64.

TO RIDICULE A BELIEVER IS TO RIDICULE GOD’S WISDOM

PETER CHRYSOLOGUS: “Whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ shall be liable to the council.” The word raca, my brothers, is not simply an expression but the visceral reaction of a ridiculer as well as an insult. It usually manifests itself by a sidelong glance or a flaring of the nostrils or a rattle in the throat, so that one’s will concocts insults and the extent of the harm done is unknown. But God, who looks at a person’s intentions, sees his desires and judges his feelings, brings the one who is guilty of ridiculing his brother to the council of the holy, because ridicule aimed at one person redounds to the insulting of everyone; the condition of one limb spreads to the body, and the suffering of the body goes up to the head. Thus, as to what a ridiculer has inflicted on his brother, he will realize and regret in the heavenly council that his insight reached up to God.

“Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be liable to the hell of fire.” What the angry man concealed in his heart, what the ridiculer held in his throat, the backbiter has put into words. Thus the expressed insult will be reckoned with in the fire of hell. The judgment for hidden faults depends on the Savior’s decision, so that based on an examination of causes a just judgment is rendered. Clearly then a manifest crime will produce a punishment. But someone may ask, “Just how great is the force of a word, that whoever says to his brother, ‘You fool!’ will be accorded severe punishment?” Very great, my brothers, very great, for Christ is in your brother, and Christ is the wisdom of God. Therefore whoever says to his brother “You fool!” has ridiculed God’s wisdom. SERMONS 177.6-7. [1]

[1] CCL 24b:1076-77.

TRUTH MAY SPEAK OF FOOLS

THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: In speaking of the judgment and of the council and of the Gehenna of fire, Jesus refers to one and the same punishment. He does not indicate various things through the difference of the words, nor some different chastisement. But if it is not permissible to call somebody a fool, why does the Lord himself employ the expression fools? [1] It is not fitting to call one’s particular brother a fool, for such a word issues from anger and not from righteousness. It is even more impious when it is spoken against someone who is holy. But the Lord justly terms as fools people who are in no way righteous and in no way what he is. He does this not out of anger but for the sake of truth. Again, Gehenna is the place of eternal and infernal punishment. FRAGMENT 28. [2]

[1] E.g., Mt 23:17, 19.

[2] MKGK 106.

5:23 | Offering Your Gift at the Altar

THERE REMEMBER YOUR BROTHER

CHRYSOSTOM: What goodness! What all-surpassing love is shown to humanity! Showing no regard for the honor rightfully his, he calls us to pour forth love toward our neighbor. He explains that he did not speak his earlier threatening words out of hatred or desire to punish but from the most tender affection. For what can be more gentle than these words? “Interrupt the service you are offering me,” he says, “so that your love may continue. To be reconciled to your brother is to offer sacrifice to me.” Yes, this is the reason Jesus did not say “after the offering” or “before the offering.” Rather, precisely while the very gift is lying there, when the sacrifice is already beginning, he sends you at that precise time to be reconciled to your brother. Neither after removing nor before presenting the gift, but precisely while it lies before you, you are to run to your brother.

What is his motivation in making such an immediate command? It seems to me he has two ends in mind toward which he is hinting and preparing. First, as I have previously said, he desires to show how highly he values love and considers it to be the greatest sacrifice. So he does not even receive the sacrifice of worship without the sacrifice of love. Next, he is imposing such a necessity for reconciliation that it admits of no excuse. The person who has been commanded not to offer sacrifice to God before one is reconciled will hurry to the one who has been grieved and eradicate the enmity between the two. He does so that his sacrifice may not lie unconsecrated. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 16.9. [1]

[1] PG 57:250; NPNF 1 10:112**.

LOVING THE WOUNDED BROTHER

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: The statement “if you should bring your gift” shows that this is conceived as a means of salvation and as an escape from punishment for sinners. For this God invented repentance. One will avert punishment, however, who tends to the feelings of another who has been wounded. But one who does not love his brother does not love the Lord. Hence it is fitting that whoever bears hard feelings toward his brother is not accepted, since he does not approach the Lord in truth. [1] FRAGMENT 50. [2]

[1] Lit., whoever is in the brother’s grief. The ambiguity here is whether the ill feeling is to be ascribed to “whoever” or to the “brother.”

[2] MKGK 168.

5:24 | First Reconcile with Your Brother

CUTTING OFF THE INTENT TO SIN

ORIGEN: To give assent to sin is already a completed evil, even if someone does not actually commit the deed. And by this saying our Savior, hurling us away from the cause of sins, endeavors to cut sin off completely. For when this intention is not present in our souls, neither shall the action accompany it. FRAGMENT 103. [1]

[1] GCS 41.1:58.

LET BROTHERLY PEACE COME FIRST

JEROME: He did not say, “If you have anything against your brother” but “If your brother has anything against you,” so that a greater need for reconciliation is imposed on you. As long as we are unable to make peace with our brother, I do not know whether we may offer our gifts to God. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 1.5.23. [1]

[1] CCL 77:28.

LEAVE YOUR GIFT BEFORE THE ALTAR

AUGUSTINE: In the spiritual sense therefore we may understand faith as an altar in the inner temple of God, to which the visible altar symbolically points. Whatever gift we offer to God—whether it be prophecy, or doctrine, or prayer, or a hymn, or a psalm, or whatever other spiritual gifts of this kind may come to mind—cannot be acceptable to God unless it is held up by sincere faith and firmly and immovably fixed on it, so that our words may be pure and undefiled. SERMON ON THE MOUNT 1.10.27. [1]

[1] PL 34:42; FC 11:45*. The altar before which we are to leave our gifts and go first to be reconciled to our neighbor is the altar of faith within the inner temple of our own relation to God.

BE FIRST TO ASK PARDON

ANONYMOUS: Do not counter with “He offended me; I didn’t offend him. He ought to square up with me, and not I with him.” If for the sake of your salvation the Lord orders you to make friends, though you are the one who has been more offended, you must apologize, that you may have double credit: first, because you have been offended and, second, because you were the first to apologize. For if you have offended someone and then ask pardon of him, the Lord will forgive you for your offense because you were the first to ask pardon. You will have no reward, however, if you are found to be the guilty person and have asked pardon. But if one has done wrong by you and you are the first to apologize, you will have a great reward. Hurry therefore to be the first one to make friends. Otherwise, if you should delay, he may be the first to apologize and may snatch from your hands the reward of love. If he has offended you and asked your pardon, your friendship is fruitless. For what righteousness do you have before the Lord if you receive an apology and are thereby placated? Certainly the Lord does not want you to grovel for forgiveness, but he orders you to be the first to apologize. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 11. [1]

[1] PG 56:692.

5:25 | Make Friends with Your Accuser

DO NOT IGNORE CONSCIENCE

ORIGEN: In this life, this way traveled by all, you do well to accept and not ignore the suggestions of the conscience. But if you are inconsiderate and negligent in this life, conscience itself, assuming the role of a prosecutor, will accuse you before the judge. Conscience will subject to the juryman’s decision, and you will be handed over to incurable punishments. Such things you would not have suffered, if along the way you had in fact acquired goodwill toward your accuser, accepting his reproaches as offered out of goodwill. For this also the divine Evangelist John says in his letter: “If our conscience does not condemn us, we have confidence before God.” [1] FRAGMENT 102. [2]

[1] 1 Jn 3:21.

[2] GCS 41.1:58.

MAKE FRIENDS QUICKLY

CHRYSOSTOM: Having mentioned first the judgment, then the council, then hell, and having spoken of his own sacrifice, Jesus then adds, “Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court.” That is, don’t be saying, “What if I am the injured party? What if I have been plundered and dragged before the tribunal?” Even this kind of circumstance fails to qualify as an excuse or occasion for refusing to be reconciled. Jesus commands us even in these circumstances not to be at enmity with others. Then, since this command was so significant, he illustrates his counsel with examples drawn from daily affairs. Less intelligent people, after all, are more apt to respond to present realities than future ones. “What is that you are saying?” he asks. “So your adversary is stronger and has wronged you? He will wrong you even more if you don’t make it right and he ends up taking you to court. In the former case, by giving up some money, you keep yourself free. Once a judge has passed sentence, however, you will be thrown in jail and pay a stiff fine. If you stay out of court, you will reap two benefits.First, you won’t have to suffer anything painful. Second, the good you end up doing will be your own doing and not something you have been forced to do. But if you refuse to be convinced by these words, you are wronging yourself more than your opponent.” THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 16.10. [1]

[1] PG 57:252; NPNF 1 10:113**. Be ready for final judgment by settling unreconciled disputes here and now.

THE HOLY SPIRIT ACCUSES

CHROMATIUS: Others, who seem to have a more complete explanation, believe that the opponent here must be understood as the Holy Spirit, who opposes the vices and desires of the flesh. As the apostle points out,“The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you would.” [1]

The Spirit indeed desires heavenly things; the flesh lusts after earthly things. The Spirit rejoices over spiritual gifts; the flesh is attracted to bodily vices. Concerning this the apostle says, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you have been sealed for the day of redemption.” [2] Therefore, the Lord instructs us to listen to this adversary of sin and human error, upholding those things that are righteous and holy. We should obey him in all things while we are with him on the way, in the caravan of this present life. By doing so we will have peace and perpetual fellowship with him. TRACTATE ON MATTHEW 22.3.1-2. [3]

[1] Gal 5:17.

[2] Eph 4:30.

[3] CCL 9a:301.

DO NOT WAIT TO MAKE PEACE

ANONYMOUS: The Lord makes haste, that we may hasten to make friends with our enemies as long as we live in this life. This life common to all people is a casual life, through which both the good and the wicked pass. God knows the danger if either enemy should die before peace is made. Even if they wanted to make peace, they are unable to, since they have been separated by death. But if in the course of this life you do not make peace with your opponent whom you have offended and you should both die and go before Christ the judge, he will deliver you up to Christ, accusing you of guilt in his court, and the judge will hand you over to the guard (the angel of cruel punishments), and the latter will send you to the prison of hell. But if you had made peace in this world, you could have obtained pardon of the most serious act, as is written: “Charity covers a multitude of sins.” [1] Once you have been convicted and put in prison, punishment will be exacted from you not only for your serious sins but also for the idle words you spoke. For instance, if you said “Raca” to someone, your opponent will hand you over to the judge, even if he was the first one to apologize. As Solomon says, “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat … for you will heap coals of fire on his head.” [2] What does it mean to “heap coals of fire” if not to make him more accountable to God? If someone does good to his enemy, therefore, he will make him more culpable before God. Hence he who is the first to apologize to his enemy makes him guilty before God. INCOMPLETE WORK ON MATTHEW, HOMILY 11. [3]

[1] 1 Pet 4:8.

[2] Prov 25:21-22; Rom 12:20.

[3] 37.

5:26 | You Will Remain in Prison

YOU WILL NEVER GET OUT

JEROME: From what precedes and follows, we are given to understand that our Lord and Savior exhorts us to peace and harmony while we are pilgrims in this world. As the apostle says, “Strive for peace with all persons.” For in the previous section Jesus said, “If you are offering your gift and there remember that your brother has something against you,” he immediately goes on to say “make friends” or come to terms with “your opponent,” and so forth. Then he orders, “Love your enemies and bless those who hate you and pray for those who persecute you.” [1] This is clear from the explanation that follows. Many people, however, have a confused idea of the flesh and the soul or the soul and the spirit. [2] They wonder: How is the flesh to be sent to prison if the soul is at odds with it, for the soul and the flesh must be united and the flesh can do nothing unless the mind gives the order? And how can the Holy Spirit dwelling in us turn over to a judge the opposing flesh or soul when he himself is the judge? The epistle of Peter says, “Our adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion.” [3] Some interpret that the adversary is the devil. Then they draw the odd conclusion that they are being counseled by the Savior that as far as possible we should be kind toward the devil who is the enemy and avenger. Nor should we make him suffer for us—though he offers incentives to vice to us who sin through our own will—by consenting to have him who is the great troublemaker suffer punishment also for our sake. They say that each saint should be benevolent to this demonic adversary by not making him suffer torments on his account. Thus some people rashly reason that individuals make a covenant with the devil in baptism by saying, “I relinquish to you, Satan, your splendors and your vices and your world steeped in wickedness.” If we therefore keep that covenant, we will be benevolent and obliging toward our adversary and by no means deserving of imprisonment. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 1.5.25. [4]

[1] Mt 5:44.

[2] The interpretation rejected here by Jerome has an Origenist flavor. Perhaps he read it in the portion of Origen’s Commentary on Matthew that is no longer extant, which he drew on extensively.

[3] 1 Pet 5:8.

[4] CCL 77:29-30.

PAYMENT FOR SIN

JEROME: But the Lord says that if we have transgressed any of the things we pledged to the devil, we shall be handed over to the judge and the guard. We shall be put in prison and not be released until we have paid back the last farthing. A farthing is a type of coin consisting of two mites. On this point, the poor widow in one Gospel is said to have put a farthing into the treasury; in another Gospel, two mites. [1] There is no discrepancy here, for one farthing contains two mites. So this is what he says: You will not come out of prison until you have paid for the least of your sins. COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 1.5.25. [2]

[1] This clarification is pointless. In citing from memory Jerome has forgotten that whereas Luke 21:2 has only “two mites,” Mark 12:42 has “two mites, which make a farthing.”

[2] CCL 77:30.

THE LAST FARTHING

AUGUSTINE: But, with regard to paying the last farthing, the expression can be quite reasonably understood as the equivalent of saying that nothing is left unpunished—just as in ordinary parlance we use the expression “to the very dregs” when we wish to declare that something is so completely consumed that nothing is left. Or it can be understood in the sense that earthly sins could be designated by the last fourth or the earth is found to be the fourth and the last part of the distinct elements of this world. This assumes that you begin from the heavens, count the air second, the water third and the earth fourth. For this reason the expression “until you have paid the last penny” can be rightly understood as meaning until you have expiated earthly sins. For the sinner has also heard the expression “Earth you are, and to the earth you shall return.” [1] SERMON ON THE MOUNT 1.11.30. [2]

[1] Gen 3:19.

[2] PL 34:1243-44; FC 11:47-48*. The last farthing may mean either that nothing is left unpunished, or, since the last farthing or the “last fourth” may refer to the earth as the last of the four elements (heavens or fire, air, water, earth), the phrase may mean until all earthly sins are expiated.