Homilies

HOMILY XIX. II. MATTHEW VI. IX-XV After this manner, therefore, pray ye, saith he, Our Father which art in heaven. See how he straightway stirred up the hearer, and reminded him of all God's bounty in the beginning. For he who calls God Father, by him both remission of sins and taking away of punishment, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, and adoption, and inheritance, and brotherhood with the Only Begotten, and the supply of the Spirit, are acknowledged in this single title. For one cannot call God Father without having attained to all those blessings. Doubly, therefore, doth he awaken their spirit, both by the dignity of him who is called on, and by the greatness of the benefits which they have enjoyed. But when he saith, In heaven, he speaks not this, as shutting up God there, but as withdrawing him who is praying from earth, and fixing him in the high places, and in the dwellings above. He teaches, moreover, to make our prayer common, in behalf of our brethren also. For he saith not, My Father which art in heaven, but Our Father, offering up his supplications for the body in common, and nowhere looking to his own, but everywhere to his neighbor's good. And by this he at once takes away hatred, and quells pride, and casts out envy, and brings in the mother of all good things, even charity, and exterminates the inequality of human things, and shows how far the equality reaches between the king and the poor man, if at least in those things which are greatest and most indispensable we are all of us fellows. For what harm comes of our kindred below, when in that which is on high we are all of us knit together, and no one hath ought more than another, neither the rich more than the poor, nor the master than the servant, neither the ruler than the subject, nor the king than the common soldier, nor the philosopher than the barbarian, nor the skillful than the unlearned? For to all hath he given one nobility, having vouchsafed to be called the Father of all alike. When, therefore, he hath reminded us of this nobility, and of the gift from above, and of our equality with our brethren, and of charity, and when he hath removed us from earth and fixed us in heaven, let us see what he commands us to ask after this. Not but, in the first place, even that saying alone is sufficient to implant instruction in all virtue. For he who hath called God Father, and a common Father, would be justly bound to show forth such a conversation, as not to appear unworthy of this nobility, and to exhibit a diligence proportionate to the gift. Yet is he not satisfied with this, but adds also another clause, thus saying, Hallowed be thy name. Worthy of him who calls God Father is the prayer to ask nothing before the glory of his Father, but to account all things secondary to the work of praising him. For hallowed is glorified, for his own glory he hath complete, and ever continuing the same. But he commands him who prays to seek that he may be glorified also by our life, which very thing he had said before likewise. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Yea, and the Seraphim too, giving glory, said on this wise, Holy, holy, holy, so that hallowed means this, namely, glorified, that is, vouchsafe, saith he, that we may live so purely, that through us all may glorify thee. Which thing again appertains unto perfect self-control, to present to all a life so irreprehensible, that every one of the beholders may offer to the Lord the praise due to him for this, Thy kingdom come. And this again is the language of a right minded child, not to be riveted to things that are seen, neither to account things present some great matter, but to hasten unto our Father, and to long for the things to come. And this brings out of a good conscience, and a soul set free from things that are on earth. This, for instance, Paul himself was longing after every day. Wherefore he also said, that even we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, grown, waiting for an adoption, the redemption of our body. For he who has this fondness, can neither be puffed up by the good things of this life, nor abashed by its sorrows, but as though dwelling in the very heavens, is freed from each sort of irregularity. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Behold a most excellent train of thought, in that he bade us indeed long for the things to come, and hasten towards that sojourn. And till that may be, even while we abide here, so long to be earnest in showing forth the same conversation as those above. For ye must long, saith he, for heaven, and the things in heaven. However even before heaven, he hath bidden us make the earth a heaven, and do and say all things, even while we are continuing in it, as having our conversation there, insomuch that these too should be objects of our prayer to the Lord. For there is nothing to hinder our reaching the perfection of the powers above, because we inhabit the earth, but it is possible even while abiding here, to do all, as though already placed on high. What he saith therefore is this, as there all things are done without hindrance, and the angels are not partly obedient and partly disobedient, but in all things yield and obey. For he saith, Mighty in strength, performing his word. So vouchsafe that we men may not do thy will by halves, but perform all things as thou willest. Seest thou how he hath taught us also to be modest, by making it clear that virtue is not of our endeavours only, but also of the grace from above. And again, he hath enjoined each one of us who pray, to take upon himself the care of the whole world. For he did not at all say, Thy will be done in me or in us, but everywhere on the earth, so that error may be destroyed, and truth implanted, and all wickedness cast out, and virtue return, and no difference in this respect be henceforth between heaven and earth. For if this come to pass, saith he, there will be no difference between things below and above, separated as they are in nature, the earth exhibiting to us another set of angels. Give us this day our daily bread. What is daily bread? That for one day. For because he had said thus, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven, but was discoursing to men encompassed with flesh, and subject to the necessities of nature, and incapable of the same impassibility with the angels. While he enjoins the commands to be practised by us also, even as they have performed them, he condescends likewise in what follows to the infirmity of our nature. Thus perfection of conduct, saith he, I require is great, not, however, freedom from passions, no, for the tyranny of nature permits it not, for it requires necessary food. But mark, I pray thee, how even in things that are bodily, that which is spiritual abounds. For it is neither for riches, nor for delicate living, nor for costly raiment, nor for any other such thing, but for bread only, that he hath commanded us to make our prayer. And for daily bread, so as not to take thought for the morrow. Because of this he added daily bread, that is, bread for one day. And not even with this expression is he satisfied, but adds another two afterwards, saying, Give us this day, so that we may not, beyond this, wear ourselves out with the care of the following day. For that day, the interval before which thou knowest not whether thou shalt see, wherefore dost thou submit to its cares. This, as he proceeded, he enjoined also more fully, saying, Take no thought for the morrow. He would have us be on every hand, unencumbered, and winged for flight, yielding just so much to nature as the compulsion of necessity requires of us. Then forasmuch as it comes to pass, that we sin even after the washing of regeneration, he showing his love to man to be great even in this case, commands us for the remission of our sins to come unto God who loves man, and thus to say, Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. Seest thou surpassing mercy? After taking away so great evils, and after the unspeakable greatness of his gift, if men sin again, he counts them such as may be forgiven. For that this prayer belongs to believers, is taught us both by the laws of the church and by the beginning of the prayer. For the uninitiated could not call God Father. If then the prayer belongs to believers, and they pray, entreating that sins may be forgiven them, it is clear that not even after the labor is the profit of repentance taken away. Since had he not meant to signify this, he would not have made a law that we should so pray. Now he who both brings sins to remembrance, and bids us ask forgiveness, and teaches how we may obtain remission, and so makes the way easy, it is perfectly clear that he introduced this rule of supplication as knowing and signifying that it is possible even after the font to wash ourselves from our offenses. By reminding us of our sins, persuading us to be modest, by the command to forgive others, setting us free from all revengeful passion, while by promising in return for this to pardon us also, he holds out good hopes, and instructs us to have high views concerning the unspeakable mercy of God toward man. But what we should most observe is this, that whereas in each of the clauses he had made mention of the whole of virtue, and in this way had included also the forgetfulness of injuries, for so that his name be hallowed is the exactness of a perfect conversation, and that his will be done declares the same thing, and to be able to call God Father is the profession of a blameless life, in all which things had been comprehended also the duty of remitting our anger against them that have transgressed. Still he was not satisfied with these, but meaning to signify how earnest he is in the matter, he sets it down also in particular, and after the prayer he makes mention of no other commandment than this, saying thus, For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you. So that the beginning is of us, and we ourselves have control over the judgment that is to be passed upon us. For in order that no one, even of the senseless, might have any complaint to make, either great or small, when brought to judgment, on thee who art to give account, he causes the sentence to depend, and in what waysoever thou hast judged for thyself, in the same, saith he, do I also judge thee. And if thou forgive thy fellow-servant, thou shalt obtain the same favor from me, though indeed the one be not equal to the other. For thou forgivest in thy need, but God, having need of none, thou, thy fellow-slave, God, his slave, thou liable to unnumbered charges, God being without sin, but yet even thus doth he show forth his loving kindness towards man. Since he might indeed, even without this, forgive thee all thine offenses, but he wills thee hereby also to receive a benefit, affording thee on all sides innumerable occasions of gentleness and love to man, casting out what is brutish in thee, and quenching wrath, and in all ways cementing thee to him who is thy known member. For what canst thou have to say, that thou hast wrongfully endured some ill of thy neighbor? For these only are trespasses, since if it be done with justice the act is not a trespass. But thou too art drawing near to receive forgiveness for such things, and for much greater. And even before the forgiveness thou hast received no small gift, in being taught to have a human soul, and in being trained to all gentleness. And herewith a great reward shall also be laid up for thee elsewhere, even to be called to account for none of thine offenses. What sort of punishment, then, do we not deserve, when after having received the privilege we betray our salvation? And how shall we claim to be heard in the rest of our matters, if we will not, in those which depend on us, spare our own selves? And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Here he teaches us plainly our own vileness, and quells our pride, instructing us to deprecate all conflicts, instead of rushing upon them. For so both our victory will be more glorious, and the devil's overthrow more to be derided. I mean, that as when we are dragged forth, we must stand nobly. So when we are not summoned, we should be quiet, and wait for the time of conflict, that we may show both freedom from vainglory, and nobleness of spirit. And here he calls the devil the wicked one, commanding us to wage against him a war that knows no truce, and implying that he is not such by nature. For wickedness is not of those things that are from nature, but of them that are added by our own choice. And he is so called preeminently by reason of the excess of his wickedness, and because he in no respect injured by us, wages against us implacable war. Wherefore neither said he, Deliver us from the wicked ones, but from the wicked one, instructing us in no case to entertain displeasure against our neighbors, for what wrong soever we may suffer at their hands, but to transfer our enmity from these to him, as being himself the cause of all our wrongs. Having then made us anxious as before conflict, by putting us in mind of the enemy, and having cut away from us all our remissness, he again encourages and raises our spirit, by bringing to our remembrance the King under whom we are arrayed, and signifying him to be more powerful than all. For thine, saith he, is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Doth it not then follow, that if his be the kingdom, we should fear no one, since there can be none to withstand and divide the empire with him? For when he saith, Thine is the kingdom, he sets before us even him who was warring against us, brought into subjection, though he seemed to oppose, God for a while permitting it. For in truth he too is among God's servants, though of the degraded class, and those guilty of offense, and he would not dare set upon any of his fellow-servants, had he not first received license from above. And why, say I, his fellow-servants? Not even against swine did he venture any outrage, until he himself allowed him, nor against flocks nor herds, until he had received permission from above. And the power, saith he, therefore manifold as thy weakness may be, thou mayest of right be confident, having such a one to reign over thee, who is able fully to accomplish all, and that with ease, even by thee. And the glory for ever, Amen. Thus he not only frees thee from the dangers that are approaching thee, but can make thee also glorious and illustrious. For as his power is great, so also is his glory unspeakable, and they are all boundless, and no end to them. Seest thou how he hath by every means anointed his champion, and hath framed him to be full of confidence? Then as I said before, meaning to signify, that of all things he most loathes and hates bearing malice, and most of all accepts the virtue which is opposite to that vice, he hath after the prayer also again put us in mind of this same point of goodness, both by the punishment set, and by the reward appointed, urging the hearer to obey this command. For if ye forgive men, saith he, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not, neither will he forgive you. With this view he hath again mentioned heaven also, and their Father, to abash the hearer by this topic likewise, that he of all people, being of such a Father, should be made a wild beast of, and summoned as he is to heaven, should cherish an earthly and ordinary sort of mind. Since not by grace only, you see, ought we to become his children, but also by our works. And nothing makes us so like God as being ready to forgive the wicked and wrongdoers, even as indeed he had taught before when he spake of his making the sun to shine on the evil and on the good. For this same cause again in every one of the clauses he commands us to make our prayers common, saying, Our Father, and thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. And give us the bread, and forgive us our debts, and lead us not into temptation, and deliver us, everywhere commanding us to use this plural word, that we may not retain so much as a vestige of anger against our neighbor. How great punishment, then, must they deserve, who after all this, so far from themselves forgiving, do even entreat God for vengeance on their enemies, and diametrically, as it were, transgress this law, and this while he is doing and contriving all, to hinder our being at variance one with another. For since love is the root of all that is good, he removing from all sides whatever mars it, brings us together, and cements us to each other. For there is not, there is not one, be he father, or mother, or friend, or what you will, who so loved us as the God who created us, and this above all things, both his daily benefits and his precepts make manifest. But if thou tell me of the pains, and of the sorrows, and of the evils of life, consider in how many things thou offendest him every day, and thou wilt no longer marvel, though more than these evils should come upon thee. But if thou shouldst enjoy any good, then thou wilt marvel, and be amazed. But as it is, we look upon the calamities that come upon us, but the offenses whereby we offend daily we consider not. Therefore we are perplexed. Since if we did but reckon up with strictness our sins of one day only, in that case we should know well how great evils we must be liable to. And to let pass the other misdoings of which we have been guilty, each one for himself, and to speak of what have been committed this day, although of course I know not in what each of us may have sinned, yet such is the abundance of our misdoings, that not even he who knew all exactly would be able to choose from among these only. Which of us, for instance, hath not been careless in his prayers, which hath not been insolent or vainglorious, who hath not spoken evil of his brother, hath not admitted a wicked desire, hath not looked with unchaste eyes, hath not remembered things with hostile feeling, even till he made his heart swell? And if while we are in church, and in a short time we have become guilty of so great evils, what shall we be when we are gone out from hence? If in the harbor the waves are so high, when we are gone forth into the channel of wickedness, the forum, I mean, and to public business, and our cares at home, shall we indeed be able so much as to know ourselves again? But yet from our so great and so many sins God hath given us a short and easy way of deliverance, and one that is free from all toil. For what sort of toil is it to forgive him that hath grieved us? Nay, it is a toil not to forgive, but to keep up our enmity. Even as to be delivered from the anger, both works in us a great refreshment, and is very easy to him that is willing. For there is no sea to be crossed, nor long journey to be traveled, nor summits of mountains to be passed over, nor money to be spent, nor need to torment thy body, but it suffices to be willing only, and all our sins are done away. But if so far from forgiving him thyself thou makest intercession to God against him, what hope of salvation wilt thou then have, if at the very time when thou oughtest rather to appease God, even then thou provokest him, putting on the garb of a suppliant, but uttering the cries of a wild beast, and darting out against thyself those shafts of the wicked one? Wherefore Paul also, making mention of prayer, required nothing so much as the observance of this commandment, for he saith, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting, and if when thou hast need of mercy, not even then wilt thou let go thine anger, but art rather exceedingly mindful of it, and that, although thou knowest thou art thrusting the sword into thyself, when will it be possible for thee to become merciful, and to spew out the evil venom of this wickedness? But if thou hast not yet seen this outrageousness in its full extent, suppose it happening among men, and then thou wilt perceive the excess of the insolence. As thus, should one approach thee who are a man, seeking to obtain mercy, and then, in the midst of his lying on the ground, should see an enemy, and leaving off to supplicate thee, begin to beat him, wouldst thou not make thyself more angry with him? This do thou consider as taking place with regard to God also. For so thou likewise, making supplication unto God, leavest thy supplication in the midst, and smitest thine enemy with thy words, and insultest the laws of God. Him who made a law to dismiss all anger, thou art summoning against those that have vexed thee, and requiring him to do things contrary to his own commandments. Is it not enough for thee in the way of revenge, that thou thyself transgressest the law of God? But entreatest thou him likewise to do so? What, hath he forgotten what he commanded? What, is he a man who spake these things? It is God, who knowest all things, and whose will is, that his own laws be kept with the utmost exactness. And who, so far from doing these things which thou art requiring of him, doth even regard thee who sayest these things, merely because thou sayest them, with aversion and hatred, and exacts of thee the most extreme penalty? How then seekest thou to obtain of him things, from which he very seriously bids thee refrain? Yet some there are, who have come to such a point of brutishness, as not only to make intercession against their enemies, but even to curse their children, and to taste, if only it might be, of their very flesh, or rather they are even tasting thereof. For tell me not this, that thou hast not fixed thy teeth in the body of him that vexed thee, since thou hast done, at least as far as concerned thee, what is much more grievous, in claiming that wrath from above should fall upon him, and that he should be delivered over to undying punishment, and be overthrown with his whole house? Why, what sort of bites are as ferocious as this? What kind of weapons is bitter? Not so did Christ instruct thee, not so did he command thee to stain thy mouth with blood. Nay, mouths made bloody with human flesh are not so shocking as tongues like these. How then wilt thou salute thy brother? How wilt thou touch the sacrifice? How taste the Lord's blood, when thou hast so much venom upon thy mind? Since when thou sayest, Rend him in pieces, and overthrow his house, and destroy all, when thou art imprecating on him ten thousand deaths, thou art in nothing different from a murderer, or rather from a wild beast that devours men. Let us cease then from this disease and madness, and that kindliness which he commanded let us show forth towards them that have vexed us, that we may become like our Father which is in heaven. And we shall cease therefrom, if we call to mind our own sins, if we strictly search out all our misdeeds at home, abroad, and in the market, and in church. For if for nothing else, surely for our disrespectfulness here, we are worthy to undergo the utmost punishment. For when prophets are chanting, and apostles singing hymns, and God is discoursing, we wander without, and bring in upon us a turmoil of worldly business. And we do not afford to the laws of God so great stillness, even as the spectators in the theatres to the Emperor's letters, keeping silence for them. For there, when these letters are being read, deputies at once, and governors, and senate, and people, stand all upright, with quietness hearkening to the words. And if amid that most profound silence anyone should suddenly leap up and cry out, he suffers the utmost punishment, as having been insolent to the Emperor. But here, when the letters from heaven are being read, great is the confusion on all sides. And yet both he who sent the letters is much greater than this our King, and the assembly more venerable. For not men only, but angels too are in it. And these triumphs, of which the letters bear us the good tidings, are much more awesome than those on earth. Wherefore not men only, but angels also, and archangels, both the nations of heaven, and all we on the earth, are commanded to give praise. For bless the Lord, it is said, all his works, yea, for his are no small achievements, rather they surpass all speech, and thought, and understanding of man. And these things the prophets proclaim every day, each of them in a different way, publishing this glorious triumph. For one saith, Thou hast gone up on high, Thou hast led captivity captive, and hast received gifts amongst men. And the Lord strong and mighty in battle. And another saith, He shall divide the spoils of the strong. For indeed to this purpose he came, that he might preach deliverance to captives, and recovery of sight to the blind. And raising aloud the cry of victory over death, he said, Where, O death, is thy victory? Where, O grave, is thy sting? And another again, declaring glad tidings of the most profound peace, said, They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks. And while one calls on Jerusalem, saying, Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, for lo thy king cometh to thee meek, riding upon an ass and a young colt, another proclaims his second coming also, saying on this wise, The Lord whom you seek will come, and who will abide the day of his coming. Leap ye his calves set free from bonds. And another again, amazed at such things, said, This is our God, there shall none other be accounted of in comparison of him. Yet nevertheless, while both these and many more sayings than these are being uttered, while we ought to tremble, and not so much as account ourselves to be on the earth, still as though in the midst of a forum we make an uproar and disturbance, and spend the whole time of our solemn assembly in discoursing of things which are nothing to us, when therefore both in little things and in great, both in hearing and in doing, both abroad and at home, in the church we are so negligent, and together with all this pray also against our enemies. Whence are we to have any hope of salvation, adding to so great sins yet another grievous enhancement, and equivalent to them all, even this unlawful prayer? Have we then hereafter any right to marvel, if it ought befall us of the things which are unexpected and painful? Whereas we ought to marvel when no such thing befalls us. For the former is in the natural order of things, but the latter were beyond all reason and expectation. For surely it is beyond reason that they who are become enemies of God, and are provoking him to anger, should enjoy sunshine and showers and all the rest, who being men surpass the barbarity of wild beasts, setting themselves one against another, and by the biting of their neighbors staining their own tongues with blood, after the spiritual table and his so great benefits and his innumerable injunctions. Therefore, considering these things, let us cast up that venom, let us put an end to our enmities, and let us make the prayers that become such as we are. Instead of the brutality of devils, let us take upon us the mildness of angels. And in whatsoever things we may have been injured, let us, considering our own case, and the reward appointed us for this commandment, soften our anger. Let us assuage the billows that we may both pass through the present life calmly, and when we have departed thither, may find our Lord such as we have been towards our fellow-servants. And if this be a heavy and fearful thing, let us make it light and desirable, and let us open the glorious gates of confidence towards Him. And what we had not strength to effect by abstaining from sin, that let us accomplish by becoming gentle to them who have sinned against us. For this surely is not grievous, nor burdensome. And let us by doing kindnesses to our enemies lay up beforehand much mercy for ourselves. For so both during this present life all will love us, and above all others God will both befriend and crown us, and will count us worthy of all the good things to come, unto which may we all attain by the grace and love towards men of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might for ever and ever. Amen. End of Homily 19