ACC ~ Matthew 5 v22
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.
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