Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.” (Matthew 13:44–52)

Now a man who comes to the field, whether to the Scriptures or to the Christ who is constituted both from things manifest and from things hidden, finds the hidden treasure of wisdom whether in Christ or in the Scriptures. For, going round to visit the field and searching the Scriptures and seeking to understand the Christ, he finds the treasure in it; and, having found it, he hides it, thinking that it is not without danger to reveal to everybody the secret meanings of the Scriptures, or the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ. And, having hidden it, he goes away, working and devising how he shall buy the field, or the Scriptures, that he may make them his own possession, receiving from the people of God the oracles of God with which the Jews were first entrusted. And when the man taught by Christ has bought the field, the kingdom of God which, according to another parable, is a vineyard, “is taken from them and is given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof,”—to him who in faith has bought the field, as the fruit of his having sold all that he had, and no longer keeping by him anything that was formerly his; for they were a source of evil to him. And you will give the same application, if the field containing the hidden treasure be Christ, for those who give up all things and follow Him, have, as it were in another way, sold their possessions, in order that, by having sold and surrendered them, and having received in their place from God—their helper—a noble resolution, they may purchase, at great cost worthy of the field, the field containing the treasure hidden in itself.

Now among the words of all kinds which profess to announce truth, and among those who report them, he seeks pearls. And let the prophets be, so to speak, the mussels which conceive the dew of heaven, and become pregnant with the word of truth from heaven, the goodly pearls which, according to the phrase here set forth, the merchantman seeks. And the leader of the pearls, on the finding of which the rest are found with it, is the very costly pearl, the Christ of God, the Word which is superior to the precious letters and thoughts in the law and the prophets, on the finding of which also all the rest are easily taken. And the Savior holds converse with all the disciples, as merchantmen who are not only seeking the goodly pearls but who have found them and possess them, when He says, “Cast not your pearls before swine.” Now it is manifest that these things were said to the disciples from that which is prefixed to His words, “And seeing the multitudes He went up into the mountain, and when He had sat down His disciples came unto Him;” for, in the course of those words, He said, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine.” Perhaps, then, he is not a disciple of Christ, who does not possess pearls or the very costly pearl, the pearls, I mean, which are goodly; not the cloudy, nor the darkened, such as the words of the heterodox, which are brought forth not at the sunrise, but at the sunset or in the north, if it is necessary to take also into the comparison those things on account of which we found a difference in the pearls which are produced in different places. And perhaps the muddy words and the heresies which are bound up with works of the flesh, are the darkened pearls, and those which are produced in the marshes, not goodly pearls.

Now, these things being said, we must hold that “the kingdom of heaven is likened to a net that was cast into the sea and gathered of every kind,” in order to set forth the varied character of the principles of action among men, which are as different as possible from each other, so that the expression “gathered from every kind” embraces both those worthy of praise and those worthy of blame in respect of their proclivities towards the forms of virtues or of vices. And the kingdom of heaven is likened unto the variegated texture of a net, with reference to the Old and the New Scripture which is woven of thoughts of all kinds and greatly varied. As in the case of the fishes that fall into the net, some are found in one part of the net and some in another part, and each at the part at which it was caught, so in the case of those who have come into the net of the Scriptures you would find some caught in the prophetic net; for example, of Isaiah, according to this expression, or of Jeremiah or of Daniel; and others in the net of the law, and others in the Gospel net, and some in the apostolic net; for when one is first captured by the Word or seems to be captured, he is taken from some part of the whole net. And it is nothing strange if some of the fishes caught are encompassed by the whole texture of the net in the Scriptures, and are pressed in on every side and caught, so that they are unable to escape but are, as it were, absolutely enslaved, and not permitted to escape from the net. And this net has been cast into the sea—the wave—tossed life of men in every part of the world, and which swims in the bitter affairs of life. And before our Savior Jesus Christ this net was not wholly filled; for the net of the law and the prophets had to be completed by Him who says, “Think not that I came to destroy the law and the prophets, I came not to destroy but to fulfill.” And the texture of the net has been completed in the Gospels, and in the words of Christ through the Apostles. On this account, therefore, “the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea and gathered of every kind.” And, apart from what has been said, the expression, “gathered from every kind,” may show forth the calling of the Gentiles from every race. And those who attended to the net which was cast into the sea are Jesus Christ, the master of the net, and “the angels who came and ministered unto Him,” who do not draw up the net from the sea, nor carry it to the shore beyond the sea,—namely, to things beyond this life, unless the net be filled full, that is, unless the “fullness of the Gentiles” has come into it. But when it has come, then they draw it up from things here below, and carry it to what is figuratively called the shore, where it will be the work of those who have drawn it up, both to sit by the shore, and there to settle themselves, in order that they may place each of the good in the net into its own order, according to what are here called “vessels,” but cast without and away those that are of an opposite character and are called bad. By “without” is meant the furnace of fire as the Savior interpreted, saying, “So shall it be at the consummation of the age. The angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the righteous and shall cast them into the furnace of fire.” Only it must be observed, that we are already taught by the parable of the tares and the similitude set forth, that the angels are to be entrusted with the power to distinguish and separate the evil from the righteous; for it is said above, “The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be the weeping and gnashing of teeth.” But here it is said, “The angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the righteous and shall cast them into the furnace of fire.”

Origen, Commentary on Matthew 10.6, 8, 12

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. (Matthew 13:18–23)

Now to all that which is “by the wayside,” the words “those who do not understand” apply. But to the good ground these words apply: “This is he who hears the word and understands it.” Perhaps then those seeds that fall “on stony ground” and those that fall “among thorns” fall between the people without knowledge and those who understand. This then is an exhortation to meditate diligently upon the faculty of perception. If the seed of the one who is dense is snatched away, the seed of intellect ought to be taken up and covered in the ground of memory, so that it may spread forth roots and may not be found naked or snatched away by the spirits of wickedness.

“The deceitfulness of riches chokes,” and so does the speech of heretics. The rich are liars, contrasted with “the poor, righteous person,” who is poor in speech and knowledge but righteous in life. The “care of all the churches” of which the apostle speaks is distinguished from the “care of this world.” One suffers from these worldly cares when one does not rejuvenate one's own soil but receives the word without paying attention and sprouts up thorns, with which the earth was cursed because of the disobedience of Adam. He heard of the “thorns and thistles it shall produce for you,” “whose end is to be burned.” For these are not sown but spring forth of themselves. They “choke the word” of God through troubles and whims. One who knows truly both understands and bears fruit. But if anyone seems to understand without bearing fruit, one does not understand. If one seems to bear fruit without understanding, one does not bear fruit. This displays the variety of levels of virtue spoken of in the text: “sixty-fold and thirty-fold and a hundredfold.” Virtue's strictness is not exhibited by everyone to the same degree. Some care less about it, some more.

Origen, Fragments 291, 294–95.

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion;
        announce, O daughter of Jerusalem.
Behold, your king comes to you,
        righteous and able to keep alive;
he is humble and mounted upon a mule,
        even a young foal of an ass.
And he will utterly destroy chariots from Ephraim,
        and a horse out of Jerusalem,
and a warlike bow will be utterly destroyed,
        even a number of them;
and there will be peace from the nations,
        and he will rule waters to seas and rivers,
        the passageway of the land.
And you, in the blood of your covenant,
        sent away your prisoners from a pit that has no water.
Drop down in the strongholds,
        O prisoners of the assembly,
and in place of one day ⌊of your exile.
        I will repay you double. (Zech 9:9–12)

Be glad, therefore, O Jerusalem, since of such a kind is a king appointed for you by God, and he has come to you, capable of saving his own on account of the divine influence accruing to him and justly inflicting total punishment on the adversaries. While he is riding a lowly animal for the reason that he has just arrived back from captivity, he assumes great power through divine grace, and so from Ephraim and from Jerusalem he will remove all the chariots of the adversaries, every war horse and every battle bow—that is to say, he will drive off all enemies so that there will be no longer any adversary against the country of Judah. He will also wipe out a great multitude of the adversaries and completely deprive them of peace, crushed and destroyed in a war waged by him.

Theodore of Mopsuestia, Commentary on Zechariah 9.8–10

The sun was darkened because of the Sun of justice. The rocks were rent because of “the spiritual rock.” Tombs were opened, and the dead arose, because of him who was “free among the dead.” He “sent forth his prisoners out of the pit, wherein there is no water.” Do not be ashamed, then, of the Crucified, but say with confidence, “He bears our sins and carries our sorrows, and by his bruises we are healed.” Let us not be ungrateful to our Benefactor. Again, “For the wickedness of my people was he led to death; and I shall give the ungodly for his burial, and the rich for his death.” And Paul says clearly “that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures.”

Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 13.34

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to “set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law”; and “a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.” He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. (Matt 10:34–39)

He did not say that he would separate child from parent but “against his parent,” because he does not mandate a physical separation but a spiritual one. Whoever is separated physically is separated from his parent but is not against him. But whoever is separated spiritually, he is with his parent in body but against his parent in the faith. For whoever is far away from his parent is not against him by back talking, flattering and arguing. One cannot believe that he is ordering us to leave our parent when he had said, “Honor your father and your mother.” Therefore, if you have an unbelieving parent, obey him, and you will find the reward for your respect, and he will have his own condemnation for his unbelief. And so he did not say, “Whoever loves his parent is not worthy of me,” but he said, “He who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Just as it is one’s duty to love parents after God, so it is a breach of duty to love them more than God. Therefore, if you have an unbelieving parent, obey him. But if he wants to plunge you into the same pit of unbelief in which he is, then love God more than your parent, because he is not the parent of your soul but of your flesh. But only God is the Father of all holy souls. Render to each person what belongs to him. Offer the obedience of the flesh to your parents in the flesh, but offer holiness of the soul to your spiritual parents.

And truly there is nothing that we ought to love more than God. Friends leave, parents fail, but Christ alone never leaves or fails at any time as long as we ourselves want to be with him. When we leave this world, every soul returns to its place, and nobody remembers the emotions of the flesh once the flesh has left—the parent does not remember his child nor the child his parent. Everything that we received from the earth will be released to the earth, and we will have nobody with us except our works; if they are good, they will redound to our glory; if they are bad, they will redound to our punishment.

One bears his cross, if he was prepared for every danger for God’s sake, even to the point of death, rather than leave Christ. Even if such a person escapes a cross by God’s mercy, he nonetheless is daily crucified as far as his intention is concerned. So even if he suffers no such thing, he nonetheless receives its reward. The will is rewarded, not the deed, because the will comes from our will, but the deed is accomplished by the grace of God.

It is better to die for God and to live forever than to live for yourself and to die forever. If he died for us, when he was not able to die unless he wanted to, how much more ought we to die for him, since we are mortal, even if we do not want to be? If the Lord died for his servants and this without a reward, it is more just that a servant should die for his Lord—especially when this is rewarded.

Anonymous, Incomplete Commentary on Matthew, Homily 25

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:21–33)

A student is not above his teacher nor a servant above his master. Knowledge of imminent events greatly helps us to endure, especially if our will is anticipated by a model of patience. Our Lord, Eternal Light, Leader of believers, and Parent of immortality, sent encouragement to His disciples in advance for their coming suffering, so that no disciple should imagine that he is better than his teacher, and no slave that he is above his master. For if they call the master of the house by the surname of a demon because of their jealousy, how much more will they commit all kinds of injury and outrage toward the household servants? But they do not at all frighten us with these insults if we, rather than grabbing a position of glory, place ourselves on the same level with our Savior when it comes to suffering.

There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed. He is referring to the day of judgment, which will reveal the hidden conscience of our will. Those things that they thought were covered up, he will uncover in the light of open acknowledgment. He tells us, therefore, that we should not be afraid of threats, schemes, or the power of our persecutors, because the day of judgment will reveal that those things were really of no account and unfounded.

And what I tell you in the dark, speak it in the light; and what you hear in your ear, proclaim on the rooftops. We read that the Lord was not accustomed to making pronouncements at night or teaching in the dark. In fact, every word of His is darkness to carnal persons, and His word is night to unbelievers. Whatever He has said must be spoken with a freedom of faith and confession by each one. For this reason, He commands that those words spoken in darkness should be proclaimed in the light. Whatever the Lord entrusted to their hearing in secret, let it be heard on the rooftops, and the speaker’s declamation may be heard from on high. For the knowledge of God must be faith fully announced, and the teaching of the Gospel’s hidden depths must be revealed in the light of the apostolic preaching. We do not fear those who, though they possess bodily abilities, have no law over the soul. Rather, we fear God who has power of destroying both soul and body in Gehenna.

Hilary of Poitiers, Commentary on Matthew 10.15–17

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Third Sunday after Pentecost

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Cananite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. (Matthew 9:35–10:8)

It is appropriate to examine the authority of His words no less than His deeds, because, as we said, there consists the same important significance in His words as in His actions. The Lord had compassion on the harassed and helpless crowd just as a flock is scattered about without a shepherd. And He said: The harvest is plentiful, the workers are few, pray that the Lord of the harvest send out many workers into the harvest. Once He called his disciples together, He gave them authority to drive out unclean spirits and to cure every kind of sickness and disability. While these events were pertinent to their present context, it is necessary to consider what significance they have for the future.

No troublemaker had stirred up the crowd, nor were they harassed or made helpless by some calamity or disturbance. Why did the Lord have pity on those who were harassed and helpless? Clearly, the Lord took pity on the people troubled by the oppressive violence of the unclean spirit and disabled by the weight of the Law because they still had no shepherd who would restore to them the guardianship of the Holy Spirit. Although the fruit of this gift was most abundant, nothing had yet been harvested. For the Spirit’s abundance surpasses the multitude of those who draw on Him. If everyone gathers as much as he needs, there is always enough to give generously. It is useful that the Lord ministers through many; He urged nonetheless that we ask the Lord of the harvest to send forth many workers into the harvest, that is, that we ask God to grant an abundance of harvesters who utilize the gift of the Holy Spirit which was prepared. Through prayer and supplication God pours His bounty upon us. In order to indicate that this harvest and the many harvesters would be drawn first from the twelve apostles, He gave to those gathered together the authority for expelling spirits and for healing every kind of sickness. By the powers of this gift they were able to expel the Troubler and cure illness. It is appropriate that we consider the significance of each point of this teaching.

At this point all authority of the Lord’s power is transferred to the apostles, those who in Adam had been formed in the image and likeness of God, and now shared in the perfect image and likeness of Christ. Their power differs in no way from that of the Lord, since they who were once earthbound are now of heaven. They preach the coming of the Kingdom of heaven; they have now acquired the image and likeness of God in the fellowship of truth—as all the saints, who are called of heaven, may reign with the Lord; they heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons; and, whatever Adam’s evils incited by Satan are brought against the body, they cleanse again because they share the Lord’s authority. So that they will completely realize the likeness of God according to the prophecy of Genesis, they are commanded to give freely as they have freely received. In other words, for a gracious gift let there be a gracious offering of service.

Hilary of Poitiers, Commentary on Matthew 10.1–2, 4

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Second Sunday after Pentecost

As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him. Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Matthew 9:9–13)

The name “publican” comes from the life of those who abandoned the works of the Law and preferred to comport themselves according to common and public practice. Thus it is from his house, that is, from the sins of the body, that the Lord called Matthew in order to enter his mind and recline at its “table.” This is the self-same writer of this Gospel, and, upon leaving the home of his sin, he accepted the Lord, who illuminated his innermost dwelling place. In this place, a dinner is richly prepared from the food of the Gospel for sinners and publicans. It was then that a spirit of jealousy agitated the Jews because of the Lord’s communion with sinners and publicans. He unveiled their talk about keeping the Law as but veiled coverings for unfaithfulness, showing that He was bringing aid for them because they were sick, and was providing medicine for them because they needed it, though they thought they were healthy and in no need of treatment. But so that they would understand that none of them were healthy, he warned them to learn what is meant: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” In other words, He means that because the Law is bound up with offering sacrifices it is not able to be of help. Salvation for all people is preserved through the gift of mercy.

If He had come for all people, why then did He say that He had not come for the righteous? Was it not necessary that He should come for those that were there? But no one is made righteous by the Law. He shows that it is a worthless display of justice, although mercy was necessary for all those who, placed under the Law, offered feeble sacrifices for salvation. In fact, if justice had come from the Law, forgiveness through grace would not have been necessary.

Hilary of Poitiers, Commentary on Matthew 9.2

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to Holy Trinity

For the end, on behalf of the winepress, a psalm of David.

O Lord, our Lord, how wonderful is your name in all the earth,
        because your magnificence was lifted up far above the heavens.
From the mouth of infants and nursing babies you created praise,
        on account of your enemies,
        to destroy the enemy and the avenger.
Because I will see the heavens,
        the works of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
        which you laid down.
What is a man that you remember him?
        Or a son of a man that you observe him?
You made him somewhat less than angels;
        you crowned him with glory and honor.
And you appointed him over the works of your hands.
        You arranged all things under his feet,
all sheep and oxen,
        and even still the livestock of the plains,
the birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
        the creatures that go through the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Lord, how wonderful is your name in all the earth. (Psalm 8:1–10 LXX)

Even the elements are sufficient, he is saying, to demonstrate your magnificence, O Lord—sky, earth, moon, sun, both the order and the beauty of them. Providence, which reaches to lowly human beings, however, proclaims your ineffable lovingkindness to a greater degree. Now, this has to do not with creation but with providence: he did not say “for you to form” but for you to be mindful and have regard. Elsewhere, on the other hand, he deplores with greater clarity the lowliness of our nature: “Man was made like futility, his days pass away like a shadow”; and again, “Man is like grass, his days like a flower of the field blossoming: a wind passed over him and he will not survive, nor will a trace of him be recognized any longer.” And you can find countless other such remarks in the divine Scripture to restrain human conceit. In this verse, accordingly, the inspired word expresses loud amazement, What is man for you to be mindful of him, or the son of man for you to have regard for him? After all, it is not simply that you brought them into being, but that you presented them with a privileged existence, you continue to keep them in mind and keep an eye on those badly disposed.

You have brought him a little lower than the angels. Here he adverted to the sentence following the Fall: by his mortality he was brought lower than the angels. With glory and honor you crowned him, and appointed him over the works of your hands. Now, it was after the Incarnation of our God and Savior that our nature received these privileges: “By grace it is, in fact, that you have been saved,” as the divine Apostle says, “and he raised us up with him and seated us in the heavenly places through Christ Jesus.”

You put all things under his feet, sheep and all cattle, and also the beasts of the field, birds of the air and fish of the sea, the creatures that travel the ways of the seas. And this is a precise demonstration of your loving-kindness and power, he is saying, imbuing the lowly nature of human beings with wisdom so that they might have control over not only the land creatures but those that fly and that swim and that do both, use their skills to hunt those in the heights and in the depths, and keep under control those that pass through the air and those hidden in the water.

You have therefore regaled all human beings with a common lordship over these creatures. But when the divine Word assumed our human first-fruits, declared it his own temple, named it his own flesh, and achieved the ineffable union, he took his seat above every principality, authority, and domination, and every name which is named, not only in this age but in the age to come; he put everything under his feet, not only sheep and all cattle but all creation, visible and invisible. The divine Apostle witnesses to this in his explicit cry, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor on account of the suffering of death”; and a little above, he says, “putting all things under his feet”; and in the letter to the Corinthians, “But when it says, ‘All things are put in subjection,’ it is clear that this does not include the one who put all things in subjection to him.” Uncreated nature alone, you see, is separate from this subjection as something free. The nature, which receives existence from it, however, is subject whatever it be—visible or invisible—to Christ the Lord, both as God and as man. Such is the honor human nature received from the God of all. Hence, as a conclusion he used the same verse as at the beginning: O Lord our Lord, how wonderful is your name in all the earth!

Theodoret of Cyrus, Commentary on the Psalms 8.4–7

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to Pentecost

So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord, and he gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tabernacle. Then the Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again. But two men had remained in the camp: the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those listed, but who had not gone out to the tabernacle; yet they prophesied in the camp. And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.” So Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, one of his choice men, answered and said, “Moses my lord, forbid them!” Then Moses said to him, “Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!” And Moses returned to the camp, he and the elders of Israel. (Num 11:24–30)

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1–4)

This Spirit descended upon the seventy elders in Moses’ day; my object is to prove that He knows all things and works as He will. The seventy elders were chosen: “The Lord then came down in the cloud, and taking some of the spirit that was on Moses, he bestowed it on the seventy elders”; not that the Spirit was divided, but His grace was divided according to the vessels and the capacity of the recipients. Now there were sixty-eight present, and they prophesied; Eldad and Medad were not present. To make it clear that it was not Moses who bestowed the gift, but the Spirit who wrought, Eldad and Medad, who had been called but had not yet presented themselves, also prophesied.

Joshua, the son of Nun and successor of Moses, was amazed, and coming to Moses said to him: Have you heard that Eldad and Medad are prophesying? They were called and did not come forward; “Moses, my lord, stop them.” I cannot forbid them, he said, for the grace is from heaven. So far am I from forbidding them that I consider it a favor. But I think you have not spoken thus in envy. Be not overzealous on my account, because they have prophesied, and you do not yet prophesy. Await the proper time. “Would that all the people of the Lord might prophesy, whenever the Lord shall give them his spirit.” He spoke the words “whenever the Lord shall give,” prophetically. For He has not given it as yet; so you do not have it yet. Did not Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph have His spirit? Did not the men of old have it? It is clear that the words, “whenever the Lord shall give,” means “give to all”; now the grace is partial, then it shall be granted profusely. He intimated what was to come to pass among us on the day of Pentecost; for He Himself came down among us. He had come down before upon many, it is true; for it is written: “Now Josue, the son of Nun, was filled with the spirit of wisdom, since Moses had laid his hands upon him.” Note the same ceremonial everywhere, both in the Old and the New Testament. In Moses’ day the Spirit was given by the imposition of hands; and Peter imparted the Spirit by the imposition of hands. Upon you also, who are to be baptized, the grace will come. In what manner I do not say, for I do not anticipate the proper time.

Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures 16.25–26

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Seventh Sunday of Easter

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.” (John 17:1–11)

“Father, glorify Me with Yourself with the glory that I had with You before the world existed.” Now, where is that glory? For, granted that He was with good reason without glory in the eyes of men because of His being clad in the flesh, why did He seek to be glorified with God? What, then, did He mean here? His words concerned the Incarnation, since His human nature had not yet been glorified, nor did it as yet enjoy incorruptibility, nor share in the royal throne. That is why He did not say “on the earth,” but “with Yourself.”

We also shall enjoy this glory in our own measure, if we are watchful. That is why Paul said: “Provided we suffer with him that we also may be glorified with him.” Therefore, since such great glory is available to us, those who act as their own enemies by laziness and torpor are deserving of infinite pity. Even if there were no hell, they would be most wretched of all because, though they could reign and be glorified with the Son of God, they are depriving themselves of these blessings.

Indeed, if it were necessary to be slain, or to die ten thousand deaths, or to give up ten thousand lives and just as many bodies every day, ought we not to endure such great sufferings for the sake of obtaining such great glory? In actual fact, however, we do not even despise our wealth, though we shall later be deprived of it, even if we are unwilling. We do not despise our riches, though they remain in this world and are not our own. For we merely have the management of things that are not our own, even if we inherit them from our ancestors.

However, since in reality hell is in store, and the worm that dies not, and unquenchable fire, and gnashing of teeth, how shall we bear these, may I ask? Why are we not clear-sighted, but instead waste all our resources in daily strife and struggles and senseless discussions; feeding the earth, fattening our bodies, and taking no care of our souls; making no account of necessary things, but taking great thought for superfluous and vain matters? We build elaborate tombs, and purchase costly houses, and trail along with us crowds of all sorts of servants; we deliberate about different overseers: placing officials in charge of fields, houses, money—and officials in charge of these officials—but we do not confer about our desolate soul.

Now, what will be the end of all this? Do we not have only one stomach to fill? Do we not have only one body to clothe? Then, why this undue bustle about business matters? What in the world is it? And why do we divide up the soul which we have been allotted and tear it into pieces for the administering of such matters, conjuring up a harsh slavery for ourselves?

John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of John 80