Homilies

HOMILY XXIII. PART I. MATTHEW VII. I-XII JUDGE NOT THAT YE BE NOT JUDGED. What then? ought we not to blame them that sin? Because Paul also saith the selfsame thing, or rather, thereto it is Christ, speaking by Paul, and saying, Why dost thou judge thy brother? and thou, why dost thou set it not thy brother? and who art thou that judgest another man's servant? and again, Therefore judge nothing before the time until the Lord come. How then doth he say elsewhere, Reprove, rebuke, exhort? and Them that sin rebuke before all? and Christ too to Peter. Go, and tell him his fault, between thee and him alone. And if he neglect to hear, add to thyself another also. And if not even so, doth he yield, declare it to the church likewise. And how hath he set over us so many to reprove, and not only to reprove, but also to punish? For him that hearkens to none of these, he hath commanded to be as a heathen man and a publican. And how gave he them the keys also? since, if they are not to judge, they will be without authority in any matter, and in vain have they received the power to bind and to loose. And besides, if this were to obtain, all would be lost alike, whether in churches or in states or in houses. For except the master judge the servant, and the mistress the maid, and the father the son, and friends one another, there will be an increase of all wickedness. And why say I friends? unless we judge our enemies, we shall never be able to put an end to our enmity. But all things will be turned upside down. What then can this saying be? Let us carefully attend, lest the medicines of salvation and the laws of peace be accounted by any man laws of overthrow and confusion. First of all, then, even by what follows, he hath pointed out to them that have understanding the excellency of this law, saying, Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? But if to many of the less attentive it seem yet rather obscure, I will endeavour to explain it from the beginning. In this place, then, as it seems at least to me, he doth not simply command us not to judge any men's sins, neither doth he simply forbid the doing of such a thing, but to them that are full of innumerable ills, and are trampling upon other men for trifles. And I think that certain Jews too are here hinted at, for that while they were bitter accusing their neighbours for small faults, and such as came to nothing, they were themselves insensibly committing deadly sins. Herewith towards the end also he was upbraiding them, when he said, Ye bind heavy burdens and grievous to be born, but ye will not move them with your finger. And ye pay tithe of mint and anise, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith. Well then, I think that these are comprehended in his invective, that he is checking them beforehand as to those things wherein they were hereafter to accuse his disciples. For although his disciples had been guilty of no such sin, yet in them were supposed to be offences, as, for instance, not keeping the Sabbath, eating with unwashen hands, sitting at meat with publicans, of which he saith also in another place, Ye which strain at the gnat and swallow the camel. But yet it is also a general law that he is laying down on these matters. And the Corinthians too Paul did not absolutely command not to judge, but not to judge their own superiors, and upon grounds that are not acknowledged, not absolutely to refrain from correcting them that sin. Neither, indeed, was he then rebuking all without distinction. But disciples, doing so to their teachers, were the object of his reproof. And they who, being guilty of innumerable sins, bring an evil report upon the guiltless. This, then, is the sort of thing which Christ also in this place intimated, not intimated merely, but guarded it too with a great terror, and the punishment from which no prayers can deliver. For with what judgment ye judge, saith he, ye shall be judged. That is, it is not the other, saith Christ, that thou condemnest, but thyself, and thou art making the judgment see dreadful to thyself, and the account strict. As then in the forgiveness of our sins the beginnings are from us, so also in this judgment it is by ourselves that the measures of our condemnation are laid down. You see, we ought not to upbraid nor trample upon them, but to admonish, not to revile, but to advise, not to assail with pride, but to correct with tenderness. For not him but thyself dost thou give over to extreme vengeance by not sparing him, when it may be needful to give sentence on his offences. Seest thou how these two commandments are both easy and fraught with great blessings to the obedient, even as if evils on the other hand to the regardless? For both he that forgives his neighbour hath freed himself first of the two from the grounds of complaint, and that without any labour. And he that with tenderness and indulgence inquires into other men's offences, great is the allowance of pardon which he hath by his judgment laid up beforehand for himself. What, then, say you, if one commit fornication, may I not say that fornication is a bad thing? Nor at all correct him that is playing the wanton? Nay, correct him, but not as a foe, nor as an adversary exacting a penalty, but as a physician providing medicines. For neither did Christ say, Stay not him that is sinning, but judge not, that is, be not bitter in pronouncing sentence. And besides it is not of great things, as I have already observed, nor of things prohibited that this is said, but of those which are not even counted offences. Wherefore he said also, Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye? Yea, for many now do this. If they see but a monk wearing an unnecessary garment, they produce against him the law of our Lord, while they themselves are extorting without end, and defrauding men every day. If they see him but partaking rather largely of food, they become bitter accusers, while they themselves are daily drinking to excess and serviting, not knowing that besides their own sins they do hereby gather up for themselves a greater flame, and deprive themselves of every plea. For on this point, that thine own doings must be strictly inquired into, thou thyself hast first made the law, by thus sentencing those of thy neighbour. Account it not then to be a grievous thing, if thou art also thyself to undergo the same kind of trial. Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye. Here his will is to signify the great wrath which he hath against them that do such things. For so, wheresoever he would indicate that the sin is great, and the punishment and wrath in store for it grievous, he begins with a reproach. As then unto him that was exacting the hundred pence, he said in his deepest pleasure, Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt. Even so here also, thou hypocrite. For not of protecting care comes such a judgment, but of ill will to man. And while a man puts forward a mask of benevolence, he is doing a work of the utmost wickedness, causing reproaches without ground and accusations, to cleave unto his neighbours, and usurping a teacher's rank, when he is not worthy to be so much as a disciple. On account of this he called him hypocrite. For thou, who in other men's doings art so bitter, as is to see even the little things, how hast thou become so remiss in thine own, as that even the great things are hurried over by thee? First cast out the beam out of thine own eye. Seest thou that he forbids not judging, but commands to cast out first the beam from thine eye, and then to set right the doings of the rest of the world. For indeed each one knows his own things better than those of others, and sees the greater rather than the less, and loves himself more than his neighbour. Wherefore if thou doest it out of guardian care, I bid thee care for thyself first, in whose case the sin is both more certain and greater. But if thou neglect thyself, it is quite evident that neither dost thou judge thy brother in care for him, but in hatred, and wishing to expose him. For what if he ought to be judged? It should be by one who commits no such sin, not by thee. Thus, because he had introduced great and high doctrines of self-denial, lest any man should say, It is easy to practice it in words, he willing to signify his entire confidence, and that he was not chargeable with any of the things that had been mentioned, but had duly fulfilled all, spake this parable. In that, because he too was afterwards to judge, saying, Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! yet was not he chargeable with what hath been mentioned, for neither did he pull out a mote, nor had he a beam on his eyes. But being clean from all these, he so corrected the faults of all. For it is not at all meet, saith he, to judge others, when one is chargeable with the same things. And why marvel at his establishing this law, when even the very thief knew it upon the cross, saying to the other thief, Dost not thou fear God, seeing we are in the same condemnation, expressing the same sentiments with Christ? But thou, so far from casting out thine own beam, dost not even see it, but in others' mote thou not only seest, but also judgest, and essayest to cast it out. As if any one seized with a grievous dropsy, or indeed with any other incurable disease, were to neglect this, and find fault with another who was neglecting a slight swelling. And if it be an evil not to see one's own sins, it is a twofold and threefold evil to be even sitting in judgment on others, while men themselves, as if past feeling, are bearing about beams in their own eyes, since no beam is so heavy as sin. His injunction therefore in these words is as follows, that he who is chargeable with countless evil deeds, should not be a bitter censor of other men's offenses, and especially when these are trifling. He is not overthrowing reproof nor correction, but forbidding men to neglect their own faults, and exult over those of other men. For indeed this was a cause of men's going unto great vice, bringing in a twofold wickedness. For he whose practice it had been to slight his own faults, great as they were, and to search bitterly into those of others, being slight and of no account, was spoiling himself two ways. First, by thinking lightly of his own faults. Next, by incurring enmities and feuds with all men, entraining himself every day to extreme fierceness, and want of feeling for others. Having then put away all these things, by this his excellent legislation, he added yet another charge, saying, Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine. Yet surely further on it will be said, he commanded, Which ye have heard in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. But this is in no wise contrary to the former. For neither in that place did he simply command to tell all men, but to whom it should be spoken. To them he bade speak with freedom. And by dogs here he figuratively described them that are living in incurable ungodliness, and affording no hope of change for the better. And by swine, them that abide continually in an unchaste life, all of whom he hath pronounced unworthy of hearing such things. Paul also, it may be observed, declared this when he said, But a natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit, for they are foolishness unto him. And in many other places too he sayeth that corruption of life is the cause of men's not receiving the more perfect doctrines. Wherefore he commands not to open the doors to them, for indeed they become more insolent after learning. For as to the well-disposed and intelligent things appear venerable when revealed, so to the insensible when they are unknown rather. Since then from their nature they are not able to learn them. Let the thing be hidden, sayeth he, that at least for ignorance they may reverence them. For neither doth the swine know at all what a pearl is. Therefore since he knows not, neither let him see it, lest he trample underfoot what he knows not. For nothing results beyond greater mischief to them that are so disposed when they hear. For both the holy things are profaned by them, not knowing what they are, and they are the more lifted up and armed against us. For this is meant by, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again, and rend you. Nay, surely, sayeth one, they ought to be so strong as to remain equally impregnable after men's learning them, and not to yield to other people occasions against us. But it is not the things that yield it, but that these men are swine. Even as when the pearl is trampled underfoot, it is not so trampled because it is really contemptible, but because it fell among swine. And full well, did he say, turn again and rend you. For they feign gentleness so as to be taught. Then, after they have learnt, quite changing from one sort to another, they jeer, mock, and deride us as deceived persons. Therefore Paul also said to Timothy, Of whom be thou ware also? for he hath greatly withstood our words. And again in another place. From such turn away. And a man that is inheritic, after the first and second admonition, reject. It is not, you see, that those truths furnish them with armour, but they become fools in this way of their own accord, being filled with more willfulness. On this account it is no small gain for them to abide in ignorance. For so they are not such entire scorners. But if they learn, the mischief is twofold. For neither will they themselves be at all profited thereby, but rather the more damaged, and to thee they will cause endless difficulties. Let them hearken, who shamelessly associate with all, and make the awe-inspiring things contemptible. For the mysteries we too therefore celebrate with closed doors, and keep out the uninitiated, not for any weakness of which we have convicted our rights, but because the many are as yet imperfectly prepared for them. For this very reason he himself also discoursed much unto the Jews in parables, because they seeing saw not. For this Paul likewise commanded, To know how we ought to answer every man. Ask, and it shall be given you. Seek, and ye shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For inasmuch as he had enjoined things great and marvellous, and had commanded men to be superior to all their passions, and had led them up to heaven itself, and had enjoined them to strive after the resemblance, not of angels and archangels, but, as far as was possible, of the very Lord of all, and had bidden his disciples not only themselves duly to perform all this, but also to correct others, and to distinguish between the evil and them that are not such, the dogs and them that are not dogs, although there be much that is hidden in men, that they might not say, These things are grievous and intolerable. For indeed in the sequel Peter did utter some such things, saying, Who can be saved? And again, If the case of the man be so, it is not good to marry. In order, therefore, that they might not now likewise say so, as in the first place even by what had gone before he had proved it all to be easy, setting down many reasons one upon another of power to persuade men. So after all he adds also the pinnacle of all facility, devising as no ordinary relief to our toils, the assistance derived from persevering prayers. Thus we are not ourselves, saith he, to strive alone, but also to invoke the help from above, and it will surely come and be present with us, and will aid us in our struggles, and make all easy. Therefore he both commanded us to ask, and pledged himself to the giving. However, not simply to ask did he command us, but with much assiduity and earnestness. For this is the meaning of seek. For so he that seeks, putting all things out of his mind, is taken up with that alone which is sought, and forms no idea of any of the persons present. And this which I am saying they know, is many as have lost either gold or servants, and are seeking diligently after them. By seeking then, he declared this, by knocking, that we approach with earnestness and a glowing mind. Despond not, therefore, O man, nor show less of zeal about virtue, than they do of desire for wealth. For things of that kind thou hast often sought and not found. But nevertheless, though thou know this, that thou art not sure to find them, thou puttest in motion every mode of search. But here, although having a promise that thou wilt surely receive, thou dost not show even the smallest part of that earnestness. And if thou dost not receive straightway, do not even thus despair. For to this end he said knock, to signify that even if he should not straightway open the door, we are to continue there. And if thou doubt my affirmation, at any rate believe his example. For what man is there of you, saith he, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Because as among men, if thou keep on doing so, thou art even accounted troublesome and disgusting. So with God, when thou doest not so, then thou dost more entirely provoke him. And if thou continue asking, though thou receive not at once, thou surely wilt receive. For to this end was the door shut, that he may induce thee to knock. To this end he doth not straightway assent, that thou mayest ask. Continue, then, to do these things, and thou wilt surely receive. For that thou mightest not say, What then if I should ask and not receive? He hath blocked up thy approach with that similitude, again framing arguments, and by those human things urging us to be confident on these matters, implying by them that we must not only ask, but ask what we ought. For which of you is there, a father, of whom if his son shall ask bread, will he give him a stone? So that if thou receive not, thy asking a stone is the cause of thy not receiving. For though thou be a son, this suffices not for thy receiving, rather this very thing even hinders thy receiving, that being a son thou askest what is not profitable. Do thou also therefore ask nothing worldly, but all things spiritual, and thou wilt surely receive. For so Solomon, because he asked what he ought, behold how quickly he received. Two things now, you see, should be in him that prays, asking earnestly, and asking what he ought. Since ye too, saith he, though ye be fathers, wait for your sons to ask, and if they should ask of you anything inexpedient, ye refuse the gifts, just as, if it be expedient, ye consent and bestow it. Do thou too, considering these things, not withdraw until thou receive, until thou have found, retire not, relax not thy diligence, until the door be opened. For if thou approach with this mind, and say, Except I receive, I depart not, thou wilt surely receive, provided thou ask such things, as are both suitable for him of whom thou askest to give, and expedient for thee the petitioner. But what are these? To seek the things spiritual, all of them, to forgive them that have trespassed, and so to draw nigh asking forgiveness, to lift up holy hands without wrath and doubting. If we thus ask, we shall receive, as it is surely our asking is a mockery, and the act of drunken rather than of sober men. What then, saith one, if I ask even spiritual things, and do not receive? Thou didst not surely knock with earnestness, or thou madest thyself unworthy to receive, or didst quickly leave off. And wherefore, it may be inquired, did he not say what things we ought to ask? Nay, verily, he hath mentioned them all in what proceeds, and hath signified for what things we ought to draw nigh. Say not then, I drew nigh, and did not receive. For in no case is it owing to God that we receive not, God who loves us so much as to surpass even fathers, to surpass them as far as goodness doth this evil nature. For if ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more your Heavenly Father! Now this he said, not to bring an evil name on man's nature, nor to condemn our race as bad, but in contrast to his own goodness he calls paternal tenderness evil, so great is the excess of his love to man. Seeest thou an argument unspeakable, of power to arouse to good hopes even him that hath become utterly desperate? Now here indeed he signifies his goodness by means of our fathers, but in what proceeds by the chief among his gifts, by the soul, by the body. In nowhere doth he set down the chief of all good things, nor bring forward his own coming. For he who thus made speed to give up his son to the slaughter, how shall he not freely give us all things? Because it did not yet come to pass. But Paul indeed sets it forth, thus saying, He that spared not his own son, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things? But his discourse with them is still from the things of men. After this, to indicate that we ought neither to feel confidence in prayer while neglecting our own doings, nor when taking pains trust only to our own endeavors, but both to seek after the help from above and contribute with all our own part. He sets forth the one in connection with the other. For so after much exhortation he taught also how to pray. And when he had taught how to pray, he proceeded again to his exhortation concerning what we are to do. Then from that again to the necessity of praying continually, saying, Ask and seek and knock, and thence again to the necessity of being also diligent ourselves. For all things, saith he, whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them. Summing up all in brief, and signifying that, Virtue is compendious, and easy, and readily known of all men. And he did not merely say, All things whatsoever ye would, but therefore all things whatsoever ye would. For this word therefore he did not add without purpose, but with a concealed meaning. If ye desire, saith he, to be heard, together with what I have said, do these things also. What then are these? Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you. Seeest thou how he hath hereby also signified that together with prayer we need exact conversation? And he did not say, Whatsoever things thou wouldest to be done unto thee of God, those do unto thy neighbour. Lest thou shouldst say, But how is it possible? He is God, and I am man. But whatsoever thou wouldest to be done unto thee of thy fellow-servant, these things do thou also thyself show forth towards thy neighbour. What is less burdensome than this? What fairer? Then the praise also before the rewards is exceeding great. For this is the law in the prophets. Whence it is evident that virtue is according to our nature, that we all of ourselves know our duties, and that it is not possible for us ever to find refuge in ignorance.