For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which you hear, and have not heard them.
All Commentaries on Matthew 13:17 Go To Matthew 13
John Chrysostom
AD 407
Do you see that what has been given them is a free gift? Yet they would not have been blessed unless they had cooperated with the gift with well doing of their own. Do not tell me this is spoken obscurely. Those who did not hear might have come and asked him for further clarification, as the disciples did. But they did not will to do so, being careless and apathetic. Why do I say that they did not will to do this? They were doing the very opposite, not only disbelieving, not only not listening, but even waging war. They were disposed to be very bitter against all he said. So Jesus brings before them the charge of the prophet: “Their ears were unwilling to hear.” But the hearers were not like this, and this is why they were blessed. In yet another way he assures them again, saying, “Many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see and did not see it, and to hear what you hear and did not hear it,” that is, hear of my coming, my miracles, my voice, my teaching. Here he compares the hearers to the nonhearers. He affirms the hearers as blessed not only because they have seen what the prophets did not see but even what those of old desired to see but did not. For they indeed beheld by faith only, but these were beholding by sight too, and much more distinctly. Do you see once again how Christ connects the old dispensation with the new, signifying that those of old not only knew the things to come but also greatly desired them? But had they pertained to some strange and opposing God, they would never have desired them. The Gospel of Matthew, Homily
