Commentaries on Matthew

 it speaks of one who is uninitiated toward it, therefore the virgin has no thought of suspicion toward any other man. 8 Mt 1, 21 If he has a people ev

 flower, this name is found among many for Daniel calls him holy of holies. And Isaiah: a rod from the root of Jesse and a flower from it and the

 he was asking for he was unrepentant, but so that he might draw Christ into vainglory. Knowing this, the Savior did not obey him. 32 Mt 4, 3-4 Wishin

 making peace with him. Blessed are such as these, as having imitated the Son of God for they will be called sons, having partaken of immortality, tha

 which Luke, clarifying, named lepton. But let us be reconciled both with the enemy and avenger, that is, the devil, while we are on this way, and wi

 61 Mt 5, 31 He who casts out the chaste woman gives her permission to be married to another, which is a form of adultery as if the union were not diss

 6, 14 Jesus is also able as God to forgive sins, but as his disciples were still imperfect he had not yet clearly delivered the teaching concerning hi

 they condemn. For they sometimes say about someone: so-and-so is harsh, inhuman, greedy for gain, a lover of money, cruel, foolish, and then, attribut

 and 'the living bird' he sent out of the city into the field. Observe, therefore, how Christ is completely portrayed for us through the things tha

 having cast down the tyranny of the devil. You have come, they say, before the time for they knew in the word, that Christ was to come and that he ha

 if a profane person approaches a holy one, he must be turned away according to the saying: You shall not abhor an Edomite or an Egyptian. But in the

 what is not his, for suddenly those who bite him will rise up, and your plotters will awake, and you will become plunder for them· for Satan gathered

 He says the cities of Israel are also the assemblies of the faithful, which exist until the consummation of the age, and the teachers and the taught d

 rather from God. John indeed was born of a woman, but those who have accepted the faith are no longer called born of women, but were born of God. An

 in all my heart. But those of a twisted mind say, Behold, he gives thanks to the Father then how is he not less than him? To this, one of those wh

 the new covenant proclaimed through Jeremiah is alongside the first covenant, it is altogether necessary to use not the ancient laws, but the new ones

 to do. But they said this as if He was not able to do any of the things befitting God, being blinded in their mind for to open the eyes of the blind

 for those who have had a spark of intelligible light, but have turned to unintelligent knowledge, even the little gleam which they have will be exting

 having a sea-faring trade, they let down the net, not distinguishing, but whatever is caught in the meshes, this they drag completely and entirely to

 spiritual and able to sow seed and to teach the rest and strong enough to measure to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. 180 Mt 14

 The Lord calls them foolish who are concerned with the body, like the Pharisees, and who have not yet passed over to the inner man. Foods, therefore,

 to fall into weaknesses and, having thought of something like this, to say: How will someone deny himself? Or how, having lost his own soul, will he f

 and it was necessary for the father of the possessed one to go away grieving, not having obtained the favor, since he did not make his approach blamel

 of painful things and they feel more of these than of the most pleasant. 211 Mt 17, 24 And they cunningly ask Peter. Since, he says, it is his custom

 of those returning who once turned away from the desire for virtue, it is necessary to fear the voices of the saints, even if those who are defining i

 a reason for condemnation, who would not hereafter hold responsible the transgression against one thing, not even one who has fled? For not even the v

 times, and that some were found virtuous, but others despised the future age because of foolishness. But at the end of life, which is evening (for the

 being by nature also the Son of the Father became man and came in the name of the Lord, being called the Lord. This one therefore, as God by nature, i

 When the Jews were cast out of the temple with the typical sacrifices, the blind and the lame are healed, who are a type of the Gentiles. However, let

 a way and the fellowship with the Spirit, through which one obtains the kingdom of the heavens. 244 Mt 21, 42 The blessed David has marveled at this c

 they came into the midst and a certain lawyer, considered very learned among them, asks what is the great commandment in the law, thinking that he was

 having become their confessors, that the prophets have become revered and honored, they adorned for them the crowns, that is, the monuments, assigning

 it has an intelligible vision through faith for when the fullness of the gentiles has come in and they believe in Christ, then the Jews who believe

 the narrative and to try to be as precise as possible in detail. But if they should wish to learn excessively something beyond their own measure, to r

 for such a one is a partaker of the master's entire kingdom for this is what is meant by he will set him over all his possessions. He does not say

 280 Mt 25, 1-13 He compares the leaders of the peoples to virgins the minister must be spotless in both soul and body, just as Paul says, that she m

 the present time is for work, but the future for reward. 281 Mt 25, 6-9 Souls that neglect virtue wither and are, as it were, extinguished and proceed

 of the blessed David he accused, saying: But you, a man of one soul, who together with me shared sweet morsels. And again: He who eats my bread has

 sending into the souls of those who worship him and distributing according to the measure of each but that we will be in spiritual joys, the divine D

 He said twelve legions: speaking instead of you, the twelve disciples, so that I do not need your assistance for I have not used my power, but I give

 foretold for one says: Woe to the lawless one evil will befall him according to his works. And another: as you have done, so it shall be to you

 to be renewed, even if the former, like one of the robbers, refused, saying we have no king but Caesar and asking for the innocent blood to be on hi

 against those who had transgressed against him. And the rending of the rocks signifies that the souls of the Gentiles were opened to receive the faith

 with proclamations, and the armies of the spirits above attend to the son as master and lord of all, and when he became flesh, that is, man. 318 Mt 28

the present time is for work, but the future for reward. 281 Mt 25, 6-9 Souls that neglect virtue wither and are, as it were, extinguished and proceed to folly, thinking that in the second coming of the Savior they can be saved without the working of virtues. For this reason they are also rejected by the wise, who say to them: Lest there not be enough for us and for you; for this signifies here that one can scarcely be saved through one's own virtue, but not through that of others; for it is foolish for one who has not worked to receive the wage of work. 282 Mt 25, 11-12 Therefore, because of the confidence of their virginity, they ask that it be opened to them. And he does not open, because in due season they did not take care of themselves. And this is the meaning of "I do not know you"; for he knows those who not only show faith, but also have works; but those who have lived by the one alone have never even come to the knowledge of the bridegroom. 283 Mt 25, 14-30 A man, a householder, is the creator and lord of this universe. The account of the parable likens to a journey abroad either the ascension of Christ into heaven or the unseen and invisible nature of the divine. God's possessions must be understood as those in every country and city who have believed in him. He calls his servants those whom from time to time Christ crowns with the boast of the priesthood; for the divine Paul writes: "No one takes the honor for himself, but he who is called by God." To these he hands over those who have come under him, giving to each a spiritual gift, according to his capacity and aptitude. This we say is the distribution of the talents, not being supplied in equal measure to the servants on account of the difference in their intellect. And immediately, having gone away, they worked, he says, with the "immediately" here signifying to us that it is fitting to work the things of God without any delay. But those held by sloth and idleness will be in the worst of evils. For he buried, it says, the talent given to him in the earth, that is, he kept the gift in himself inactive and useless to others. Therefore, the talent is taken away from him and will be given to the one who is rich; for the spirit will depart from such people, and the gift of divine charisms, but for those who love to work there will be a richer increase of charisms. The householder here is the Lord Christ as creator and lord of all. His journey abroad is his ascension into heaven. But it is also possible to say it otherwise: for as he is invisible to creation and not seen by us who are sinning, he is said in scripture to be away on a journey. His possessions are the faithful in every country. 284 Mt 26, 18 So that the betrayer would not hand him over to his murderers "before the feast of the Passover," the Savior did not reveal either the house or the man with whom he fulfilled the Passover. 285 Mt 26, 18 By saying "a certain man," he does not indicate a name specifically, but indirectly indicates one of the saints; for the saying also fits every saint, who first receives the disciples of the Lord, evangelists, apostles preparing his soul, and then thus also Christ himself, who, not being called but of his own accord, will come with the Holy Spirit to dwell with that one with whom he sees holy baptism; for this is what the man "carrying the jar of water" indicates, as Mark and Luke say. 287 Mt 26, 23 We shall surely not understand from this that none of the other disciples, but only Judas, dipped the morsel in the dish with him. But I think that what was said has such a meaning: for he wishes to say, in all likelihood, that the betrayer will be the one who dips his hand with me in the dish, that is, the one who dines with me and eats with me and is a sharer and partaker of my table and salt; for thus also him through the voice of the

ἐργασίας ὁ παρὼν καιρός, ὁ δὲ μέλλων ἀνταποδόσεως. 281 Mt 25, 6-9 Αἱ ψυχαὶ ἀμελοῦσαι τῆς ἀρετῆς μαραίνονταί τε καὶ οἱονεὶ κατα σβέννυνται καὶ εἰς παραφροσύνην χωροῦσιν οἰηθεῖσαι ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ παρουσίᾳ τοῦ σωτῆρος δύνασθαι σωθῆναι ἄνευ τῆς τῶν ἀρετῶν ἐργα σίας. διὸ καὶ ἀποδοκιμάζονται ὑπὸ τῶν φρονίμων λεγουσῶν πρὸς αὐτάς· μήποτε οὐκ ἀρκέσῃ ἡμῖν τε καὶ ὑμῖν· τοῦτο γὰρ ὑποσημαίνει ἐνταῦθα τὸ μόλις ποτὲ δύνασθαι σωθῆναί τινα διὰ τῆς οἰκείας ἀρετῆς, οὐ μὴν διὰ τῆς τῶν ἑτέρων· μωρὸν γὰρ τὸ μὴ ἐργαζόμενόν τινα μισθὸν εἰληφέναι τῆς ἐργασίας. 282 Mt 25, 11-12 ∆ιὰ οὖν τὴν παρρησίαν τῆς παρθενίας αἰτοῦσιν ἀνοιγῆναι αὐταῖς. καὶ οὐκ ἀνοίγει, ὅτι κατὰ καιρὸν οὐκ ἐπεμελήσαντο αὑτῶν. καὶ τοῦτ' ἔστιν τὸ οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς· τούτους γὰρ οἶδεν, οἵτινες οὐ μόνον πίστιν ἐνδείκνυνται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔργα ἔχουσιν· οἱ δὲ τῷ θατέρῳ πολιτευσάμενοι οὐδὲ ἐν γνώσει ποτὲ γεγόνασι τοῦ νυμφίου. 283 Mt 25, 14-30 Ἄνθρωπος μὲν οἰκοδεσπό της ὁ τοῦδε τοῦ παντὸς δημιουργός τε καὶ κύριος. ἀποδημίᾳ δὲ παρει κάζει τῆς παραβολῆς ὁ λόγος ἤτοι τὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνάβασιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἤγουν τὸ ἀφανές τε καὶ ἄποπτον τῆς θείας φύσεως. ὑπάρ χοντα δὲ νοητέον θεοῦ τοὺς ἐν ἑκάστῃ χώρᾳ τε καὶ πόλει πιστεύ σαντας εἰς αὐτόν. δούλους δὲ αὐτοῦ καλεῖ οὓς κατὰ καιροὺς ὁ Χριστὸς στεφανοῖ τῷ τῆς ἱερωσύνης καυ χήματι· ὁ γὰρ θεσπέσιος γράφει Παῦλος· "οὐχ ἑαυτῷ τις λαμβάνει τὴν τιμήν, ἀλλ' ὁ καλούμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ". τούτοις παραδίδωσιν τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτῷ γεγονότας χάρισμα πνευματικὸν ἑκάστῳ διδούς, ὡς ἂν ἔχῃ γνώμης καὶ ἐπιτηδειότητος. ταύτην εἶναί φαμεν τὴν τῶν τα λάντων διανομὴν οὐκ ἐν ἴσῳ μέ τρῳ τοῖς οἰκέταις χορηγουμένων διὰ τὸ τῆς διανοίας ἐξηλλαγμένον. εὐθὺς δὲ ἀπελθόντες εἰργάσαντο, φησίν, τοῦ εὐθὺς ἡμῖν ἐνθάδε ση μαίνοντος, ὅτι μελλησμοῦ τινος δίχα πρέποι ἂν ἐργάζεσθαι τὰ θεοῦ. οἵ γε μὴν ὄκνῳ καὶ ἀργίᾳ κατεσχη μένοι ἐν ἐσχάτοις ἔσονται κακοῖς. κατέχωσε γάρ, φησίν, τὸ δοθὲν αὐτῷ τάλαντον ἐν τῇ γῇ, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἄπρακτόν τε καὶ ἑτέροις ἀνωφελὲς ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἐτήρησεν τὸ χάρισμα. ἀφαιρεῖται τοιγαροῦν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τὸ τάλαντον καὶ τῷ πλουτοῦντι δοθήσεται· ἀπαναστήσεται γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ τῶν θείων χαρισμάτων ἡ δόσις, τοῖς δὲ φιλεργήσασι πλουσιωτέρα τις ἔσται χαρισμάτων ἐπίδοσις. Οἰκοδεσπότης ἐνταῦθά ἐστιν ὁ δεσπότης Χριστὸς ὡς δημιουργὸς πάντων καὶ κύριος. ἀποδημία δὲ αὐτοῦ ἡ εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀνάβασις. ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλως εἰπεῖν· ὡς γὰρ ἀόρατος τῇ κτίσει ὑπάρχων καὶ ὑφ' ἡμῶν ἁμαρτανόντων μὴ ὁρώ μενος ἀποδημῶν λέγεται παρὰ τῇ γραφῇ. ὑπάρχοντα δὲ αὐτοῦ εἰσιν οἱ ἐν ἑκάστῃ χώρᾳ πιστοί. 284 Mt 26, 18 Ἵνα μὴ "πρὸ τῆς ἑορτῆς τοῦ πάσχα" τοῖς φονεῦσιν αὐτὸν ὁ προ δότης παραδῷ, οὐ διαμεμήνυκεν ὁ σωτὴρ ἢ τὸν οἶκον ἢ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, παρ' ᾧ τὸ πάσχα πεπλήρωκεν. 285 Mt 26, 18 Εἰπὼν τὸν δεῖνα οὐ δηλοῖ ὄνομα ἰδικῶς, ἀλλὰ πλαγίως δηλοῖ τινα τῶν ἁγίων· ἁρμόζει γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ παντὸς ἁγίου ὁ λόγος, ὃς πρῶτον μὲν δέχεται τοὺς μαθητὰς τοῦ κυρίου, εὐαγγελιστάς, ἀποστόλους προομαλί ζοντας αὐτοῦ τὴν ψυχήν, εἶθ' οὕτως καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν Χριστόν, ὃς οὐ κληθεὶς ἀλλ' αὐτόματος ἥξει σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι οἰκῶν παρ' ἐκείνῳ, παρ' ᾧ ὁρᾷ τὸ ἅγιον βάπτισμα· τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῖ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ τὸ "κε ράμιον βαστάζων τοῦ ὕδατος", ὥς φησιν Μᾶρκος καὶ Λουκᾶς. 287 Mt 26, 23 Οὐ δήπου νοήσομεν ἐκ τούτου τῶν μὲν ἄλλων οὐδένα μαθητῶν, μόνον δὲ τὸν Ἰούδαν ἐμβάψαι τὸ ψωμίον ἐν τῷ τρυβλίῳ μετ' αὐτοῦ. οἶμαι δὲ ἔγωγε τοιαύτην ἔχειν διάνοιαν τὸ εἰρημένον· βούλεται γὰρ εἰπεῖν κατά γε τὸ εἰκός, ὅτι προδότης ἔσται ὁ ἐμβάψας μετ' ἐμοῦ τὴν χεῖρα ἐν τῷ τρυβλίῳ, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ὁ συνδειπνητὴς καὶ συνέστιος καὶ τραπέζης καὶ ἁλῶν κοινωνός τε καὶ μέτοχος· οὕτω γὰρ αὐτὸν καὶ διὰ φωνῆς τοῦ