The Pharisees also came unto him, testing him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
All Commentaries on Matthew 19:3 Go To Matthew 19
John Chrysostom
AD 407
But not so to the Pharisees, but even for this self-same thing they become more fierce, and come unto Him tempting Him. For because they could not lay hold of the works that were doing, they propose to Him questions.
O folly! They thought to silence Him by their questions, although they had already received certain proof of this power in Him. When at least they argued much about the Sabbath, when they said, He blasphemes, when they said, He has a devil, when they found fault with His disciples as they were walking in the grain fields, when they argued about unwashen hands, on every occasion having sewed fast their mouths, and shut up their shameless tongue, He thus sent them away. Nevertheless, not even so do they keep off from Him. For such is wickedness, such is envy, shameless and bold; though it be put to silence ten thousand times, ten thousand times does it assault again.
But mark thou, I pray you, their craft also from the form of their question. For neither did they say unto Him, You commanded not to put away a wife, for indeed He had already discoursed about this law; but never theless they made no mention of those words; but took occasion from hence, and thinking to make their snare the greater, and being minded to drive Him to a necessity of contradicting the law, they say not, why did You enact this or that? But as though nothing had been said, they ask, Is it lawful? expecting that He had forgotten having said it; and being ready if on the one hand He said, It is lawful to put away, to bring against Him the things He Himself had spoken, and to say, How then did You affirm the contrary? But if the same things now again as before, to bring against Him the words of Moses.
What then said He? He said not, do you tempt me, you hypocrites? although afterwards He says this, but here He speaks not thus. Why can this be? In order that together with His power He might show forth His gentleness also. For He does neither always keep silence, lest they should suppose they are hidden; nor does He always reprove, in order that He may instruct us to bear all things with gentleness.
