John Chrysostom, On Matthew

was happening, but by a certain divine providence and 57.83 in accordance with prophecy all these things were fulfilled. But what persuaded them to worship? For neither was the Virgin distinguished, nor the house conspicuous, nor anything else of what was seen sufficient to astonish and attract them. But they not only worship, but also opening their treasures, they offer gifts, and gifts, not as to a man, but as to God. For the frankincense and the myrrh were a symbol of this. What then persuaded them? That which prepared them to rise up from home and to come so great a journey; and this was both the star, and the illumination which came from God to their mind, leading them little by little to the more perfect knowledge. For if it were not for this, with all that appeared being humble, they would not have shown such great honor. For this reason none of the things perceptible there was great, but a manger, and a hut, and a poor mother; so that you might see the bare philosophy of the Magi, and learn that they approached not as to a mere man, but as to God and a benefactor. Wherefore they were not scandalized by any of the outward things they saw, but they both worshipped and offered gifts, free from Jewish grossness; for they did not sacrifice sheep and calves; but being near to ecclesiastical philosophy; for they offered to him acknowledgement and obedience and love. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed into their own country by another way. See from this too their faith, how they were not scandalized, but are well-reined and sensible, and are not disturbed, nor do they reason among themselves, saying: And yet if this child is great, and has some power, what need is there of flight and a secret departure? and why indeed does the angel send us away from the city as runaways and fugitives, we who came openly and with boldness, and stood against so great a people and against the madness of a king? But they neither said nor thought any of these things. For this is the chief thing of faith, not to seek the reasons for what is commanded, but only to obey the commands. And when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying: Arise and take the child and his mother, and flee into Egypt. It is worthwhile here to be perplexed both on behalf of the magi, and on behalf of the child. For even if they were not disturbed, but received everything with faith, it is worthwhile for us to inquire, why they and the child are not saved while present, but the one group is sent into exile to Persia, and the other to Egypt with his mother? But what? Was it necessary for him to fall into the hands of Herod, and having fallen, not to be cut to pieces? But he would not have been thought to have taken on flesh; the greatness of the economy would not have been believed. For if, when these things were happening, and many things were arranged in a human manner, some dared to say that the taking up of the flesh was a myth, to what depths of impiety would they not have fallen, if he had done all things in a manner befitting God and according to his own power? And he sends the magi away quickly, at the same time sending 57.84 teachers to the land of the Persians, and at the same time cutting short the madness of the tyrant, so that he might learn that he is attempting impossible things, and might quench his anger, and withdraw himself from this vain labor. For indeed not only to overcome enemies with boldness, but also to deceive them with ease, is worthy of his power. Thus, at any rate, he also deceived the Egyptians in the case of the Jews, and though able to transfer their wealth openly into the hands of the Hebrews, he commands this to be done secretly and with deceit, which made him no less formidable to his adversaries than the other signs. 2. The Ashkelonites, at any rate, and all the rest, when they took the ark, and were then smitten, advised their people not to make war, nor to stand in opposition, and along with the other wonders they brought this forward, saying: Why do you harden your hearts, as Egypt and Pharaoh hardened theirs? was it not when he had mocked them, that he then sent out his people and they departed? And they said these things, of the other signs that happened openly not

ἐγίνετο, ἀλλὰ κατὰ πρόνοιάν τινα θείαν καὶ 57.83 προφητείας ἀκολουθίαν ταῦτα πάντα ἐπληροῦτο. Ἀλλὰ τί τὸ πεῖσαν αὐτοὺς προσκυνῆσαι; Οὔτε γὰρ ἡ Παρθένος ἐπίσημος ἦν, οὔτε ἡ οἰκία περιφανὴς, οὔτε ἄλλο τι τῶν ὁρωμένων ἱκανὸν ἐκπλῆξαι καὶ ἐπισπάσασθαι. Οἱ δὲ οὐ μόνον προσκυνοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνοίξαντες τοὺς θησαυροὺς αὐτῶν, δῶρα προσάγουσι, καὶ δῶρα, οὐχ ὡς ἀνθρώπῳ, ἀλλ' ὡς Θεῷ. Ὁ γὰρ λιβανωτὸς καὶ ἡ σμύρνα τούτου σύμβολον ἦν. Τί οὖν τὸ πεῖσαν αὐτούς; Τὸ παρασκευάσαν οἴκοθεν ἀναστῆναι καὶ τοσαύτην ἐλθεῖν ὁδόν· τοῦτο δὲ ἦν ὅ τε ἀστὴρ, καὶ ἡ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ γενομένη τῇ διανοίᾳ αὐτῶν ἔλλαμψις, κατὰ μικρὸν αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὴν τελειοτέραν ὁδηγοῦσα γνῶσιν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν, εἰ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν, τῶν φαινομένων εὐτελῶν ὄντων ἁπάντων, τοσαύτην ἐπεδείξαντο τιμήν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲν τῶν αἰσθητῶν μέγα ἐκεῖ, ἀλλὰ φάτνη, καὶ καλύβη, καὶ μήτηρ πτωχή· ἵνα γυμνὴν τῶν μάγων ἴδῃς τὴν φιλοσοφίαν, καὶ μάθῃς ὅτι οὐχ ὡς ἀνθρώπῳ ψιλῷ, ἀλλ' ὡς Θεῷ προσῄεσαν καὶ εὐεργέτῃ. ∆ιόπερ οὐδενὶ τῶν ὁρωμένων ἔξωθεν ἐσκανδαλίζοντο, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσεκύνουν καὶ δῶρα προσῆγον, τῆς μὲν Ἰουδαϊκῆς ἀπηλλαγμένα παχύτητος· οὐδὲ γὰρ πρόβατα καὶ μόσχους ἔθυσαν· τῆς δὲ ἐκκλησιαστικῆς ἐγγὺς ὄντα φιλοσοφίας· ἐπίγνωσιν γὰρ καὶ ὑπακοὴν καὶ ἀγάπην αὐτῷ προσῆγον. Χρηματισθέντες δὲ κατ' ὄναρ, μὴ ἀνακάμψαι πρὸς Ἡρώδην, δι' ἄλλης ὁδοῦ ἀνεχώρησαν εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτῶν. Θέα κἀντεῦθεν τὴν πίστιν αὐτῶν, πῶς οὐκ ἐσκανδαλίσθησαν, ἀλλ' εἰσὶν εὐήνιοι καὶ εὐγνώμονες, καὶ οὐ θορυβοῦνται, οὐδὲ διαλογίζονται πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς λέγοντες· Καὶ μὴν εἰ μέγα τὸ παιδίον ἐστὶ τοῦτο, καὶ ἔχει τινὰ ἰσχὺν, τίς χρεία φυγῆς καὶ λαθραίας ἀναχωρήσεως; καὶ τί δήποτε φανερῶς ἐλθόντας ἡμᾶς καὶ μετὰ παῤῥησίας, καὶ πρὸς δῆμον τοσοῦτον καὶ πρὸς βασιλέως μανίαν στάντας, ὡς δραπέτας καὶ φυγάδας ἐκπέμπει ὁ ἄγγελος τῆς πόλεως; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τούτων οὔτε εἶπον, οὔτε ἐνενόησαν. Τοῦτο γὰρ μάλιστα πίστεως, τὸ μὴ ζητεῖν εὐθύνας τῶν προστεταγμένων, ἀλλὰ πείθεσθαι τοῖς ἐπιταττομένοις μόνον. Ἀναχωρησάντων δὲ αὐτῶν, ἰδοὺ ἄγγελος Κυρίου φαίνεται τῷ Ἰωσὴφ κατ' ὄναρ, λέγων· Ἐγερθεὶς παράλαβε τὸ παιδίον καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ, καὶ φεῦγε εἰς Αἴγυπτον. Ἄξιον ἐνταῦθα διαπορῆσαι καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν μάγων, καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ παιδίου. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖνοι μὴ ἐθορυβήθησαν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πίστεως πάντα ἐδέξαντο, ἡμᾶς ἄξιον ζητῆσαι, διατί μὴ παρόντες σώζονται ἐκεῖνοι καὶ τὸ παιδίον, ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν εἰς Περσίδα, τὸ δὲ εἰς Αἴγυπτον φυγαδεύεται μετὰ τῆς μητρός; Ἀλλὰ τί; ἔδει αὐτὸν ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς τὰς χεῖρας τοῦ Ἡρώδου, καὶ ἐμπεσόντα μὴ κατακόπτεσθαι; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἐνομίσθη σάρκα ἀνειληφέναι· οὐκ ἂν ἐπιστεύθη τῆς οἰκονομίας τὸ μέγεθος. Εἰ γὰρ τούτων γινομένων, καὶ πολλῶν ἀνθρωπίνως οἰκονομουμένων, ἐτόλμησάν τινες εἰπεῖν ὅτι μῦθος ἡ τῆς σαρκὸς ἀνάληψις, ποῦ οὐκ ἂν ἐξέπεσον ἀσεβείας, εἰ πάντα θεοπρεπῶς καὶ κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ δύναμιν ἔπραττε; Τοὺς δὲ μάγους ἐκπέμπει ταχέως, ὁμοῦ μὲν διδασκάλους 57.84 ἀποστέλλων τῇ Περσῶν χώρᾳ, ὁμοῦ δὲ ἐκκόπτων τοῦ τυράννου τὴν μανίαν, ἵνα μάθῃ ὅτι ἀνηνύτοις ἐπιχειρεῖ πράγμασι, καὶ τὸν θυμὸν σβέσῃ, καὶ τῆς ματαιοπονίας ἑαυτὸν ἀπαγάγῃ ταύτης. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ τὸ μετὰ παῤῥησίας περιγίνεσθαι τῶν ἐχθρῶν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ μετ' εὐκολίας αὐτοὺς ἀπατᾷν, τῆς αὐτοῦ δυνάμεως ἄξιον. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους ἐπὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἠπάτησε, καὶ δυνάμενος φανερῶς τὸν ἐκείνων πλοῦτον εἰς τὰς τῶν Ἑβραίων μεταστῆσαι χεῖρας, λάθρα καὶ μετὰ ἀπάτης τοῦτο κελεύει ποιεῖν ὅπερ οὐκ ἔλαττον τῶν ἄλλων σημείων φοβερὸν αὐτὸν παρὰ τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἐποίησεν. βʹ. Οἱ γοῦν Ἀσκαλωνῖται καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ πάντες, ἡνίκα τὴν κιβωτὸν ἔλαβον, καὶ πληγέντες λοιπὸν παρῄνουν τοῖς οἰκείοις μὴ πολεμεῖν, μηδὲ ἐξ ἐναντίας ἵστασθαι, μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων θαυμάτων καὶ τοῦτο εἰς μέσον ἦγον λέγοντες· Ἵνα τί βαρύνετε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν, καθὼς ἐβάρυνεν Αἴγυπτος καὶ Φαραώ; οὐχ ὅτε ἐνέπαιξεν αὐτοῖς, τότε ἐξαπέστειλε τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπῆλθον; Ταῦτα δὲ ἔλεγον, τῶν ἄλλων σημείων τῶν φανερῶς γενομένων οὐκ