HOMILY XIX. 285 MATT. vi. 1. Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them. He roots out in what remains the most tyrannical passion of all, the rage and madness with respect to vainglory, which springs up in them that do right. For at first He had not at all discoursed about it; it being indeed superfluous, before He had persuaded them to do any of the things which they ought, to teach in which way they should practise and pursue them. But after He had led them on to self-command, then He proceeds to purge away also the alloy which secretly subsists with it. For this disease is by no means of random birth; but when we have duly performed many of the command ments. It behoved therefore first to implant virtue, and then to remove the passion which mars its fruit. And see with what He begins, with fasting, and prayer, and almsgiving for in these good deeds most especially it is wont to make its haunt. The Pharisee, for instance, was hereby puffed up, who saith, I fast twice a week, I give tithes of my substance1. And he was vainglorious too in his very prayer, making it for display. For since there was 18, 12. no one else present, he pointed himself out to the Publican", saying, I am not as the rest of men, nor even as this Publican. v. 11. Luke HOMIL. 1, 2. 286 Our Lord forbids Display, not Publicity. And mark how Christ began, as though He were speaking XIX. of some wild beast, hard to catch, and crafty to deceive him who was not very watchful. Thus, Take heed, saith He, as Phil. 3, to your alms. So Paul also speaks to the Philippians; Beware of dogs. And with reason, for the evil beast comes in upon us secretly, and without noise puffs all away, and unobservedly carries out all that is within. 2. 5, 45. Forasmuch then as He had made much discourse about Matt. almsgiving, and brought forward God, Who maketh His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and by motives from all quarters had urged them on to this, and had persuaded them to exult in the abundance of their giving; He finishes by taking away also all things that incumber this fair olive tree. For which same cause He saith, Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, for that which was before mentioned, is God's almsgiving. [2.] And when He had said, not to do it before men, He added, to be seen of them. And though it seems as if the same thing were said a second time, yet if any one give particular attention, it is not the same thing, but one is different from the other; and it hath great security, and unspeakable care and tenderness. For it may be, both that one doing alms before men may not do it to be seen of them, and again that one not doing it before men may do it to be seen of them. Wherefore it is not simply the thing, but the intent, which He both punishes and rewards. And unless such exactness were employed, this would make many more backward about the giving of alms, because it is not on every occasion altogether possible to do it secretly. For this cause, setting thee free from this restraint, He defines both the penalty and the reward not by the result of the action, but by the intention of the doer. That is, that thou mayest not say, "What? am I then the worse, should another see?"—" it is not this," saith He," that I am seeking, but the mind that is in thee, and the tone of what thou doest." For His will is to bring our soul altogether into frame, and to deliver it from every disease. Now having, as you see, forbidden men's acting for display, and having taught them the penalty thence ensuing, namely, to do it vainly, and for nought, He again rouses their spirits by putting them in mind of the Father, and of Heaven, that not How Display proves men Hypocrites. 287 VI. 3. by the loss alone He might sting them, but also shame them MATT. by the recollection of Him who gave them being. 1. For ye have no reward, saith He, with your Father which is in Heaven. Nor even at this did He stop, but proceeds yet further, by other motives also increasing their disgust. For as above He set forth Publicans and Heathens, by the quality of the person shaming their imitators, so also in this place the hypocrites. 2. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, saith He, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do. Not that they had trumpets, but He means to display the greatness of their frenzy, by the use of this figure of speech, deriding and making a show' of them hereby. And well hath He called them hypocrites; for the mask was of mercy, but the spirit of cruelty and inhumanity. For they do it, not because they pity their neighbours, but that they themselves may enjoy credit; and this came of the utmost cruelty; while another was perishing with hunger, to be seeking vain-glory, and not putting an end to his suffering.) It is not then the giving alms which is required, but the giving as one ought, the giving for such and such an end. Having then amply derided those men, and having handled them so, that the hearer should be even ashamed of them, He again corrects thoroughly the mind which is so distempered: and having said how we ought not to act, He signifies on the other hand how we ought to act. How then ought we to do our alms? 3. Let not thy left hand know, saith He, what thy right hand doeth. Η εκπομ Here again His enigmatical meaning is not of the hands, but He hath put the thing hyperbolically. As thus: "If it can be," saith He, " for thyself not to know it, let this be the object of thine endeavour; that, if it were possible, it may be concealed from the very hands that minister." It is not, as some say, that we should hide it from wrong-headed2 men, forexasoùs, He hath here commanded that it should be concealed from all. literally, And then the reward too; consider how great it is. For left after He had spoken of the punishment from the one, He on the hand. 288 The Time of Display, is the Day of Judgment. HOMIL. points out also the honour derived from the other; from XIX. either side urging them, and leading them on to high 2. v. 4. lessons. Yea, for He is persuading them to know that God is every where present, and that not by our present life are our interests limited, but a yet more awful tribunal will receive us when we go hence, and the account of all our doings, and honours, and punishments: and that no one will be hid in doing any thing either great or small, though he seem to be hid from men. For all this did He darkly signify, when He said, Thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Setting for him a great and august assemblage of spectators, and what He desires, that very thing bestowing on him in great abundance. "For what," saith He," dost thou wish? is it not to have some to be spectators of what is going on? Behold then, thou hast some; not angels, nor archangels, but the God of all." And if thou desire to have men also as spectators, neither of this desire doth He deprive thee at the fitting season, but rather in greater abundance affords it unto thee. For, if thou shouldest now make a display, thou wilt be able to make it to ten only, or twenty, or (we will say) a hundred persons: but if thou take pains to lie hid now, God Himself will then proclaim thee in the presence of the whole universe. Wherefore above all, if thou wilt have men see thy good deeds, hide them now, that then all may look on them with the more honour, God making them manifest, and extolling them, and proclaiming them before all. Again, whereas now they that behold will rather condemn thee as vain-glorious; when they see thee crowned, so far from condemning, they will even admire thee, all of them. When therefore by waiting a little, thou mayest both receive a reward, and reap greater admiration; consider what folly it is to cast thyself out of both these; and while thou art seeking thy reward from God, and while God is beholding, to summon men for the display of what is going on. Why, if display must be made of our love, to our Father above all should we make it; and this most especially, when our Father hath the power both to crown and to punish. And let me add, even were there no penalty, it were not Display in Prayer is Hypocrisy. 289 meet for him who desires glory, to let go this our theatre, MATT. VI.5,6. and take in exchange that of men. For who is there so wretched, as that when the king was hastening to come and see his achievements, he would let him go, and make up his assembly of spectators of poor men, and beggars? For this cause then, He not only commands to make no display, but even to take pains to be concealed: it not being at all the same, not to strive for publicity, and to strive for concealment. [3.] And when ye pray, saith He, ye shall not be as the v. 5, 6. hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret. These too again He calls hypocrites, and very fitly; for while they are feigning to pray to God, they are looking round after men; wearing the garb not of suppliants, but of ridiculous persons. For he, who is to do a suppliant's office, letting go all other, looks to him alone, who hath power to grant his request. But if thou leave This One, and go about wandering and casting around thine eyes every where, thou wilt depart with empty hands. For this was thine own will. Wherefore He said not, "such shall not receive a reward," but, they have it out: that is, they shall indeed receive one, but from those of whom they themselves desire to have it. For God wills not this: He rather for His part was willing to bestow on men the recompence that comes from Himself; but they seeking that which is from men, can be no longer justly entitled to receive from Him, for whom they have done nothing. But mark, I pray thee, the lovingkindness of God, in that He promises to bestow on us a reward, even for those good things which we ask of Him. Having then discredited them, who order not this duty as they ought, both from the place and from their disposition of mind, and having shewn that they are very ridiculous: He introduces the best manner of prayer, and again gives the reward, saying, Enter into thy closet. U |