ACC ~ Matthew 7 v21 - 29

OVERVIEW:

Jesus implied here that to do his Father’s will is to do his will, there being no other will of the Son than the will of the Father (CHRYSOSTOM). God knows those whom he loves and loves those who single-mindedly believe in him and do the things that please him (CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA). When the storm is most violent, the upheavals the greatest and the temptations continuing, such a person is not shaken even slightly (CHRYSOSTOM). This is the way the Lord builds his church—upon the rock, with steadfastness and strength, so the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (ORIGEN). Those who do evil cannot claim God as cause of their own wickedness and stupidity. They make themselves like fools when they withdraw from that which proceeds according to nature (CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA). When Jesus spoke he did not refer to someone else but showed that he was the One who had the authority to decide (CHRYSOSTOM).

7:21 | Doing the Will of the Heavenly Father

THE WILL OF THE FATHER

CHRYSOSTOM: He said “whoever does the will of my Father” shall enter, not whoever does my will. Why? Nothing is insufficient if they do the will of the Father. What he did say was itself a very difficult thing to accept in view of their weakness. He implied that to do his Father’s will is to do his will. There is no other willing of the Son than the will of the Father. This may apply in particular to those who commit themselves in detail to legal rules [1] yet take little thought for the actual embodiment of their better intentions. Elsewhere Paul confronts them directly when he says, “Consider this. You bear the name Jew, rely on the law, boast in God and know the will of God,” [2] but in all this you derive no benefit as long as the actual fruits of good living are not present. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 24.1. [3]

[1] The Mosaic law.

[2] Rom 2:17-18, slightly modified.

[3] PG 57:321; NPNF 1 10:167.

7:22-23 | Depart from Me, Evildoers

I NEVER KNEW YOU

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: There may be some who, in the beginning, believed rightly and assiduously labored at virtue. They may have even worked miracles and prophesied and cast out demons. And yet later they are found turning aside to evil, to self-assertive deception and desire. Of these Jesus remarks that he “never knew them.” He ranks them as equivalent to those who were never known by him at all. Even if they at the outset had lived virtuously, they ended up condemned. God knows those whom he loves, and he loves those who single-mindedly believe in him and do the things that please him. FRAGMENT 88. [1]

[1] MKGK 180.

7:24 | Building on Rock

LIVING WITH SECURITY

CHRYSOSTOM: Whereas his teaching has up to now largely focused on the future kingdom, its unspeakable rewards and its consolations, now he shifts his focus to the present life, its current fruits and how great is the strength of virtue within it. What then is its strength? It is living with security, not being easily overcome by any of life’s terrors and standing above all those who treat others maliciously. What could be as good as this? For not even the one who wears the royal crown would be able to furnish this for himself. But one who pursues the way of excellence can have this stability, for that one alone is possessed of this equilibrium in full abundance. In the crashing surf of the present circumstances such a one experiences a calm sea. This is amazing. It is when the storm is violent, the upheaval great and the temptations continual that such a person is not shaken in the slightest. This is not a way of living that applies to fair weather only. For he says, “The rain came down, the floods came, the winds blew, and they beat against that house. And it did not fall because it was founded upon the rock.”

In referring to rain, floods and winds Jesus is speaking about all those human circumstances and misfortunes, such as false accusations, plots, bereavements, deaths, loss of family members, insults from others, and all the horrid things in life about which one could speak. Jesus says that a soul that pursues the way of excellence does not give in to any of these potential disasters. And the cause of this is that this soul has been founded upon the rock.

Now “rock” refers to the reliability of Jesus’ teaching. For his commands are stronger than any rock. They place one quite above all the human waves of life. For the one who guards these commands with care will excel not only over human beings when treated maliciously but even over the demons themselves in their plots. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 24.2. [1]

[1] PG 57:323; NPNF 1 10:169. The gospel’s way of excellence enables greater stability in the present, even amid life’s hazards, than power or fortune can command.

7:25 | A Solid House

PERSECUTIONS ACCOMPLISH NOTHING

ORIGEN: “For neither death nor life nor angels nor other things can separate us from the love of Christ.” [1] Neither can the flooding of rivers, as in the lands of Egypt and Assyria, do harm. Only those are harmed who build on sand, who practice the wisdom of the world. [2] The winds that blow are like the false prophets. All these, coming together in one place, “beat upon” the house. If it is founded on rock, they do no harm. “The way of a snake upon a rock” is not to be found. [3] But in the form of temptations and persecutions, which may mount into a flood, they beat upon even the one who seems to be well-founded. The house falls if it does not have Christ as its basis and foundation. But the truly wise person builds one’s house “upon a rock.” This is the way the Lord builds his church—upon the rock, with steadfastness and strength. This is why “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” [4] All the persecutions that fall upon that house accomplish nothing. The house is founded upon the rock. FRAGMENT 153. [5]

[1] Rom 8:38-39.

[2] The rivers of Egypt and Assyria symbolize the wisdom of the world, an enemy of Christ. The sons of Abraham who build precariously on the sand are the Jews, based on the connection of the sand in Matthew 7:26 to the sand in Genesis 22:17; the descendants of Abraham would be as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore.

[3] Prov 30:19.

[4] Mt 16:18.

[5] GCS 41.1:76.

7:26 | Building on Sand

PUNISHMENT INSTEAD OF BENEFIT

CHRYSOSTOM: And he was right in calling this one a fool, because what could be more brainless than building a house on the sand? For such a one endures the work of building but deprives oneself of the fruit of one’s labor and of relaxation, experiencing punishment instead of benefit. For it is surely clear to everyone that even those who follow a wicked path have to sweat in labor. Even the robber, the adulterer and the false accuser have to work and strain so that they can bring their evil to completion. But they not only reap no benefit at all from these labors but also experience much loss. For Paul was implying this when he said, “The one who sows to one’s flesh will reap corruption from one’s flesh.” [1] Who are these persons who build on the sand? Those who are given up to fornication, debauchery, drunkenness and anger—they are building on sand. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 24.3. [2]

[1] Gal 6:8, slightly modified.

[2] PG 57:325; NPNF 1 10:170.

7:27 | Great Was Its Fall

THE FLOODS CAME

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: Spiritually understood, the one who rightly hears the word is contrasted with the builder who builds his house on sand. In time of temptation the house falls down. The onslaught of evil wind covers it with silt, and troubled waters flood into the soul. From this turbid flood stream of iniquity the house is shaken to its foundations. This should rouse us to become aware of the danger that comes in final judgment. Those who hear the Lord’s words are like a wise man building on rock. Those who do not follow the Lord’s words are likened to a foolish man building on sand. One who practices virtue is made thoroughly able “through Christ who strengthens him.” [1] We receive everything from God who puts things right. From him comes wisdom and insight and union with all that is good. The bad person cannot claim God as cause of his own wickedness and stupidity. He makes himself like the fool when he withdraws from that which proceeds according to nature. He then turns toward what is unnatural. FRAGMENT 89. [2]

[1] Phil 4-13.

[2] MKGK 180.

7:28-29 | Teaching with Authority

LOVE AND AUTHORITY

CHRYSOSTOM: Surely it was logical that they were in pain over the heavy weight of what he had said. They were stunned by the soaring level of the requirements that he had made. But now the strength of the one teaching was so great that he seized many of them and threw them into great amazement. Because of their pleasure in what he said, Jesus finally persuaded them not to leave as he finished speaking. For not even after he went down from the mountain did the hearers leave, but even then the whole audience followed him because of the great love that was shown in what he had said. But most of all they were astounded at his authority. For when he said these things, he did not refer to another, as even the prophet Moses did, but everywhere he showed that he himself was the One who had the authority to decide. For even when he was establishing laws Jesus continually added, “But I say to you.” [1] And when he was reminding them of the final day of judgment, he showed that he himself is the One who will bring justice, both through the punishments and through the honors. This is what made such a commotion among them. THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 25.1. [2]

[1] Mt 5:22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44.

[2] PG 57:327; NPNF 1 10:171-72.