For I say unto you, you shall not see me again, till you shall say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
All Commentaries on Matthew 23:39 Go To Matthew 23
John Chrysostom
AD 407
And this is the language of one that loves earnestly, earnestly drawing them unto Him by the things to come, not merely warning them by the past; for of the future day of His second coming does He here speak.
What then? Did they not see Him from that time? But it is not that hour which He means in saying, Henceforth, but the time up to His crucifixion.
For since they were forever accusing Him of this, that He was a kind of rival God, and a foe to God, He moves them to love Him by this, namely, by showing Himself to be of one accord with His Father; and He indicates Himself to be the same that was in the prophets. Wherefore also He uses the same words as did the prophets.
And by these He intimated both His resurrection, and His second coming, and made it plain even to the utterly unbelieving, that then most surely they should worship Him. And how did He make this plain? By speaking of many things that were first to be, that He should send prophets, that they should kill them; that it should be in the synagogues; that they should suffer the utmost extremities; that their house should be left desolate; that they should undergo things more grievous than any, and such as never were undergone before. For all these things are enough to furnish even to the most senseless and contentious a clear proof of that which should come to pass at His coming.
For I will ask them, Did He send the prophets and wise men? Did they slay them in their synagogue? Was their house left desolate? Did all the vengeance come upon that generation? It is quite plain that it was so, and no man gainsays it. As then all these things came to pass, so shall those also come to pass, and most surely they shall submit then.
But they shall derive thence no advantage in the way of defense, as neither will they who repent of their course of life then.
Wherefore let us, while it is time, practise what is good. For like as they henceforth derived no advantage from their knowledge, even so neither shall we ourselves from our repentance for our wickedness. For neither to the pilot, when the bark is sunk in the sea from his remissness, will there remain anything more; nor to the physician, when the sick man is gone; but each of these must before the end devise, and execute all things, so as to be involved in no danger, nor shame; but after this, all is unprofitable.
Let us also then, while in sickness, send for physicians, and lay out money, and exert unceasing diligence, that having risen up from our affliction, we may depart hence in health.
And as much care as we exert about our servants, when their bodies are sick, so much let us show forth upon ourselves, when our soul is diseased. And indeed we are nearer to ourselves than our servants, and our souls are more necessary than those bodies, but nevertheless it were well if we exert at least an equal diligence. For if we do not this now, when gone, thenceforth we may obtain nothing more in the way of plea.
Who is so wretched, one may say, as not to show even as much thought as this? Why this is the marvellous thing, that we are held in so little esteem with our ownselves, that we despise ourselves more than our servants. For when our servants are sick of a fever, we send for physicians, and make a separation in the house, and compel them to obey the laws of that art; and if these are neglected, we are displeased with them, and set persons to watch them, who will not, even should they wish them, suffer them to satiate their desire; and if they who have the care of these persons should say, that medicines must be procured at great cost, we yield; and whatsoever they may enjoin, we obey, and we pay them hire for these injunctions.
But when we are sick (or rather there is no time when we are not sick), we do not so much as call in the physician, we do not lay out money, but as though some ruffian, and enemy, and foes were concerned, so do we disregard our soul. And these things I say, not finding fault with our attention towards our servants, but thinking it meet to take at least as much care of our souls. And how should we do? One may say. Show it to Paul when ill; call in Matthew; let John sit by it. Hear from them, what we ought to do that is thus ill, they will surely tell, and will not conceal. For they are not dead, but live and speak. But does the soul take no heed to them, being weighed down by the fever? Do thou compel it, and awaken its reasoning power. Call in the prophets. There is no need to pay money to these physicians, for neither do they themselves demand hire for themselves, nor for the medicines which they prepare do they drive you to the necessity of expense, except for almsgiving; but in everything else they even add to your possessions; as, for instance, when they require you to be temperate, they deliver you from unseasonable and wrong expenses; when they tell you to abstain from drunkenness, they make you wealthier. Do you see the skill of physicians, who besides health, are supplying you also with riches? Sit down therefore by them, and learn of them the nature of your disease. For instance, do you love wealth, and greedy gain, like as the fevered love water? Listen at any rate to their admonitions. For like as the physician says to you, If you will gratify your desire, you will perish, and undergo this or that; even so also Paul: They that will be rich, fall into temptation, and a snare of the devil, and into foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 1 Timothy 6:9
But are you impatient? Hear him saying, Yet a little while, and He that comes will come, and will not tarry. Hebrews 10:37 The Lord is at hand, be careful for nothing; Philippians 4:5-6 and again, The fashion of this world passes away. 1 Corinthians 7:31
For neither does he command only, but also soothes, as a physician should. And like as they devise some other things in the place of cold things, so does this man draw off the desire another way. Do you wish to be rich, says he; let it be in good works. Do you desire to lay up treasure? I forbid it not at all; only let it be in Heaven.
And like as the physician says, that what is cold is hurtful to teeth, to nerves, to bones; so he too, more briefly indeed, as heedful of brevity, yet far more, clearly and more powerfully, says, For the love of money is the root of all evils. 1 Timothy 6:10
Of what then should one make use? He tells this also: of contentedness instead of covetousness. For contentment, he says, with godliness is great gain. 1 Timothy 5:6 But if you are dissatisfied, and desirest more, and art not yet equal to cast away all superfluous things, he tells also him that is thus diseased, how he ought to handle these things too. That they that rejoice in wealth, be as though they rejoiced not; and they that have, as though they possessed not; and they that use this world, as not abusing it. 1 Corinthians 7:30-31
Do you see what manner of things he enjoins? Will you call in also another physician besides? To me at least it seems well. For neither are these physicians like those of the body, who often, while vying one with another, overwhelm the sick man. But not so these, for they have regard to the health of the sick, not to their own vainglory. Be not then afraid of the number of them; one Master speaks in all, that is, Christ.
See, for instance, another again entering in, and saying severe things concerning this disease, or rather it is the Master by him; For you cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:24 Yea, says he, and how will these things be? How shall we cease from the desire? Hence may we learn this also. And how shall we know? Hear him saying this too: Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust does corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. Matthew 6:19
Do you see how by the place, by the things that waste there, He draws men off from this desire that is here, and rivets them to Heaven, where all things are impregnable? For if you transfer your wealth there where neither rust nor moth corrupts, nor thieves break through and steal, you will both expel this disease, and establish your soul in the greatest abundance.
And together with what we have said, He brings forward an example also to teach you moderation. And like as the physician, to alarm the sick man says, that such a one died from the use of cold water; so does He also bring in the rich man, Matthew 19:16 laboring indeed, and longing for life and health, but not able to attain thereto, because of having set his heart on covetousness, but going away empty. And besides this man, another is shown to you again by another evangelist, he that was in torment, Luke 16:24-26 and was not master so much as of a drop of water. Then showing that His injunctions are easy, He says, Behold the fowls of the air. Matthew 6:26 But being compassionate, He suffers not even the rich to despair. For the things which are impossible with men, are possible with God, Luke 18:27 says He. For though thou be rich, the physician is able to cure you. For neither was it wealth that He took away, but to be slave of riches, and a lover of greedy gain.
How then is it possible for the rich man to be saved. By possessing his goods in common with them that are in need, being such as Job was, and exterminating out of his soul the desire of more, and in no points going beyond real need.
He shows you together with these this selfsame publican also, that was grievously oppressed by the fever of covetousness, quickly set free from it. For what more sordid than a publican? Nevertheless, the man became indifferent to wealth from obeying the laws of the physician. For indeed He has for His disciples such persons as these, that were sick of the same diseases as we are, and have recovered their health quickly. And He shows us each, in order we may not despair. See at least this publican. Mark again another, a chief of the publicans, who promised four fold indeed for all that he had extorted, and the half of all that he possessed, that he might receive Jesus.
But are you on fire with exceeding desire for riches. Have the possessions of all men instead of your own. For indeed I give you, He says, more than you seek, in opening to you the houses of the wealthy throughout the world. For whosoever has forsaken father or mother, or lands, or house, shall receive an hundredfold. Matthew 19:29 Thus will you not enjoy more abundant possessions only, but you will even remove this grievous thirst altogether, and wilt endure all things easily, so far from desiring more, not seeking often even necessary things. Thus does Paul suffer hunger, and is held in honor more than when he ate. Forasmuch as a wrestler also, when striving, and winning crowns, would not choose to give up and to be in repose; and a merchant who has entered on sea voyages would not desire to be afterwards in idleness.
And we therefore, if we should taste as we ought of spiritual fruits, shall thenceforth not even account the things present to be anything, being seized by the desire of the things to come as with some most noble intoxication.
Let us taste of them, therefore, that we may both be delivered from the turmoil of the things present, and may attain the good things to come, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the might, now and ever, and world without end. Amen.
