Patristic Wisdom: Looking to Reformation Sunday

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. (Romans 3:21–28)

The law and the prophets then are witnesses of the righteousness of God; this righteousness is disclosed through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe, among whom there is no distinction whether they believe as Jews or as Gentiles. Notice, however, that he does not put down to faith alone the single cause of the disclosure of the righteousness of God, but he associates with it both the law and the prophets. The reason for this is that faith alone, apart from the law and the prophets, does not disclose the righteousness of God nor, on the other hand, do the law and the prophets disclose it apart from faith. Thus the one is rooted in the other so that perfection comes from both.

He says there is no distinction between Jews and Greeks since it is certain that all equally have come under sin, as became clear above. And he says that now the righteousness of God, which is supported by testimonies in the law and the prophets, has also been given equally to all through faith in Jesus Christ. But because all had come under sin, doubtless they were likewise estranged from the glory of God because they were able neither to receive it in any respect whatsoever nor to merit it. For how would a sinner dare to give glory to God, to whom the prophet says, “But God has said to the sinner: Why do you recite my righteous requirements?” And again another Scripture says, “Praise is unseemly in the mouth of a sinner.” Therefore the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ reaches to all who believe, whether they are Jews or Greeks. It justifies those who have been cleansed from their past crimes and makes them capable of receiving the glory of God; and it supplies this glory not for the sake of their merits nor for the sake of works, but freely to those who believe.

Origen, Commentary on Romans 3.7.12–13

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them; but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” (Luke 18:1–17)

For some one indeed may say, “What is there in babes that is worthy of emulation? Is it their lack of firmness and intelligence? And how then is it not incredible, to affirm or imagine anything of the kind?“ Christ however does not wish us to be without understanding, but would have us perfectly know everything that is useful and necessary for our salvation. For wisdom even promises that she will give “to them that are simple, craftiness, and to the young the beginning of sense and understanding.” And she is found also in the book of Proverbs like one that raises her voice on high and says, “You, O men, do I beseech, and utter my voice unto the sons of men: understand, O simple ones craftiness, and fools, put a heart within you.” It follows therefore, that the fool has no heart, and is deficient in craftiness; not in that which is blamable, how could that be? but in that which is praiseworthy. But how a man may at once be both simple and crafty, the Savior Himself elsewhere explains to us, saying, “Be crafty as serpents, and simple as doves.” And similarly the blessed Paul also writes, “My brethren, be not children in your minds: but in wickedness be babes, and in your minds grown men.”

It is necessary however to examine, what is the meaning of being babes in wickedness, and how a man becomes so, but in mind a grown man. A babe then, as knowing either very little, or nothing at all, is justly acquitted of the charge of depravity and wickedness: and so it is also our duty to endeavor to be like them in the very same way, by putting entirely away from us habits of wickedness, that we too may be regarded as men who do not even know the pathway which leads unto guile, but who, unconscious of malice and fraud, live in a simple and innocent manner, practicing gentleness, and a priceless humility, and readily forbearing from wrath and spitefulness. For such we affirm are the qualities found in those who are still babes.

Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Luke 121

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ” Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:1–8)

If the greatest of perfections is forgiveness—according to the Prophet Jeremiah, who sums up all the Law in the words: For I commanded not your fathers these things in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, but this I commanded them, that each should forgive his neighbor in his heart,—then, putting remembrance of evil behind us, when we come to pray we observe the command of the Savior who says: When you shall stand to pray, forgive if you have aught against any man. Clearly, if we dispose ourselves to pray in this way, we have already gained most excellent benefits.

All this has been said on the supposition, that even though we should gain nothing else by our prayer, we gain the most excellent benefits in understanding how to pray and disposing ourselves accordingly. It is evident that the man who prays thus, even while he is still speaking and contemplating the power of Him who is listening to him, will hear the words, Behold, I am here. He will have cast off any dissatisfaction about Providence before he prays. ...

The man who prays in this way and who has already received such benefits, becomes more fitted to be united with the Spirit of the Lord who fills the whole world and with Him who fills the whole earth and heavens and who speaks thus by the mouth of the prophet: Do not I fill heaven and earth? says the Lord. Moreover, because of the purification already mentioned, he shares in the prayer of the Word of God, who stands in the midst even of those who are not aware of it, who is not wanting to the prayer of anyone and prays to the Father with him whose mediator He is. For the Son of God is the High Priest of our offerings and our advocate with the Father, praying for those who pray and pleading with those who plead. He will not pray for us as His friends if we do not pray constantly through His intercession. Nor will He be an advocate with God for His followers if we do not obey His teaching that we ought always to pray and not to faint.

Origen, On Prayer 9.3–10.2

Patristic Wisdom: Looking to the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:11–19)

And why did He not rather say, “I will, be cleansed;” as he did in the case of another leper; but commanded them rather to show themselves unto the priests? It was because the law gave directions to this effect to those who were delivered from leprosy: for it commanded them to shew themselves to the priests, and to offer a sacrifice for their cleansing. He commanded them therefore to go, as being already healed, and, that they might, so to speak, bear witness to the priests, as the rulers of the Jews, and ever envious of His glory, that wonderfully, and beyond their hope, they had been delivered from their misfortune by Christ’s willing that they should be healed. He did not heal them first, but sent them to the priests, because the priests knew the marks of leprosy, and of its being healed. He sent them to the priests, and with them He sent also the healing. … The nine then, as being Jews, falling into a thankless forgetfulness, did not return to give glory to God: by which He shews that Israel was hard of heart, and utterly unthankful: but the stranger,—for as being a Samaritan he was of foreign race, having been brought thither from Assyria: for the phrase is not without meaning, “in the middle of Samaria and Galilee:”—returned with a loud voice to glorify God. It shews therefore that the Samaritans were grateful, but that the Jews, even when benefited, were ungrateful.

Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Luke Homilies 113–116