That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
All Commentaries on Matthew 5:45 Go To Matthew 5
John Chrysostom
AD 407
For He too, so far from hating, so He speaks, even pours benefits on those that insult Him. Yet surely in no respect is the case parallel, not only because of the surpassing nature of His benefits, but also by reason of the excellence of His dignity. For thou indeed art despised by your fellow-slave, but He by His slave, who has also received ten thousand benefits from Him: and thou indeed givest words, in praying for him, but He, deeds, very great and marvellous, kindling the sun, and giving the annual showers. Nevertheless, even so I grant you to be mine equal, in such wise as it is possible for a man so to be.
Hate not then the man that does you wrong, who is procuring you such good things, and bringing you to so great honor. Curse not him that uses you despitefully; for so have you undergone the labor, but art deprived of the fruit; you will bear the loss, but lose the reward; which is of the utmost folly, having borne the more grievous, not to bear what is less than it. But how, says one, is it possible for this to take place? Having seen God become man, and descend so far, and suffer so much for your sake, do you still inquire and doubt, how it is possible to forgive your fellow-servants their injuriousness? Do you not hear Him on the cross, saying, Forgive them, for they know not what they do? Luke 23:34 Do you not hear Paul, when he says, He who is gone up on high, and is sitting on the right hand intercedes for us? Romans 8:34 Do you see not that even after the cross, and after He had been received up, He sent the apostles unto the Jews that had slain Him, to bring them His ten thousand blessings, and this, though they were to suffer ten thousand terrors at their hands?
6. But have you been greatly wronged? Nay, what have you endured like your Lord, bound, beaten with whips, with rods, spit upon by servants, enduring death, and that death, which is of all deaths the most shameful, after ten thousand favors shown? And even if you have been greatly wronged, for this very cause most of all do thou do him good, that you may both make your own crown more glorious, and set your brother free from the worst infirmity. For so too the physicians, when they are kicked, and shamefully handled by the insane, then most of all pity them, and take measures for their perfect cure, knowing that the insult comes of the extremity of their disease. Now I bid you too have the same mind touching them that are plotting against you, and do thou so treat them that are injuring you. For it is they above all that are diseased, it is they who are undergoing all the violence. Deliver him then from this grievous contumely, and grant him to let go his anger, and set him free from that grievous demon, wrath. Yea, for if we see persons possessed by devils, we weep for them; we do not seek to be ourselves also possessed.
Now let us do this too likewise with respect to them that are angry; for in truth the enraged are like the possessed; yea rather, are more wretched than they, being mad with consciousness of it. Wherefore also their frenzy is without excuse. Trample not then on the fallen, but rather pity him. For so, should we see any one troubled with bile, blinded and giddy, and straining to cast up this evil humor, we stretch forth a hand, and continue to support him through his struggles, and though we stain our garments, we regard it not, but seek one thing only, how we may set him free from this grievous distress. This then let us do with respect to the angry also, and continue to bear them up when vomiting and struggling; nor let him go, until he put from him all the bitterness. And then shall he feel toward you the greatest thankfulness; when he is at rest, then he will know clearly from how great trouble you have released him.
But why do I speak of the thanks from him? For God will straightway crown you, and will requite you with ten thousand honors, because you have freed your brother from a grievous disease; and that brother too will honor you as a master, ever reverencing your forbearance.
Do you see not the women that are in travail, how they bite those that stand by, and they are not pained? Or rather they are pained, but bear it bravely, and sympathize with them who are in sorrow and are torn by those pangs. These do thou too emulate, and prove not softer than women. For after these women have brought forth (for these men are more feeble minded than women), then they will know you to be a man in comparison. of Heaven?
