Matthew Chapter 6, Verse 16
"And when ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance.
For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast."
Here it were well to sigh aloud, and to wail bitterly: for not only
do we imitate the hypocrites, but we have even surpassed them. For I know,
yea I know many, not merely fasting and making a display of it, but neglecting
to fast, and yet wearing the masks of them that fast, and cloaking themselves
with an excuse worse than their sin.
For "I do this," say they, "that I may not offend the many." What sayest
thou? There is a law of God which commands these things, and dost thou
talk of offense? And thinkest thou that in keeping it thou art offending,
in transgressing it, delivering men from offense? And what can be worse
than this folly?
Wilt thou not leave off becoming worse than the very hypocrites, and
making thine hypocrisy double? And when thou considerest the great excess
of this evil, wilt thou not be abashed at the force of the expression now
before us? In that He did not say, "they act a part," merely, but willing
also to touch them more deeply, He saith, "For they disfigure their faces;"
that is, they corrupt, they mar them.
But if this be a disfiguring of the face, to appear pale for vainglory,
what should we say concerning the women who corrupt their faces with colorings
and paintings to the ruin of the unchaste sort of young men? For while
those harm themselves only, these women harm both themselves and them who
behold them. Wherefore we should fly both from the one pest and from the
other, keeping at distance enough and to spare. For so He not only commanded
to make no display, but even to seek to be concealed. Which thing He had
done before likewise.
And whereas in the matter of almsgiving, He did not put it simply, but
having said, "Take heed not to do it before men," He added, "to be seen
of them;" yet concerning fasting and prayer, He made no such limitation.
Why could this have been? Because for almsgiving to be altogether concealed
is impossible, but for prayer and fasting, it is possible.
As therefore, when He said, "Let not thy left hand know what thy right
hand doeth," it was not of hands that He was speaking, but of the duty
of being strictly concealed from all; and as when He commanded us to enter
into our closet, not there alone absolutely, nor there primarily, did He
command us to pray, but He covertly intimated the same thing again; so
likewise here, in commanding us "to be anointed," He did not enact that
we positively must anoint ourselves; for then we should all of us be found
transgressors of this law; and above all, surely, they who have taken the
most pains to keep it, the societies of the monks, who have taken up their
dwelling on the mountains. It was not this then that He enjoined, but,
forasmuch as the ancients had a custom to anoint themselves continually,
when they were taking their pleasure and rejoicing (and this one may see
clearly from David and from Daniel); He said that we were to anoint ourselves,
not that we should positively do this, but that by all means we might endeavor,
with great strictness, to hide this our acquisition. And to convince thee
that so it is, He Himself, when by action exhibiting what He enjoined in
words, having fasted forty days, and fasted in secret, did neither anoint
nor wash Himself: nevertheless, though He did not these things, He most
assuredly fulfilled the whole without vainglory. It is this then that He
enjoins on us likewise, both bringing before us the hypocrites, and by
a twice repeated charge dissuading the hearers.
And somewhat else He signified by this name, this of hypocrites, I mean.
That is, not only by the ridiculousness of the thing, nor by its bringing
an extreme penalty, but also by showing that such deceit is but for a season,
doth He withdraw us from that evil desire. For the actor seems glorious
just so long as the audience is sitting; or rather not even then in the
sight of all. For the more part of the spectators know who it is, and what
part he is acting. However, when the audience is broken up, he is more
clearly discovered to all. Now this, you see, the vainglorious must in
all necessity undergo. For even here they are manifest to the majority,
as not being that which they appear to be, but as wearing a mask only;
but much more will they be detected hereafter, when all things appear "naked
and open."
And by another motive again He withdraws them from the hypocrites, by
showing that His injunction is light. For He doth not make the fast more
strict, nor command us to practise more of it, but not to lose the crown
thereof. So that what seems hard to bear, is common to us and to the hypocrites,
for they also fast; but that which is lightest, namely, not to lose the
reward after our labors, "this is what I command," saith He; adding nothing
to our toils, but gathering our wages for us with all security, and not
suffering us to go away unrewarded, as they do. Nay, they will not so much
as imitate them that wrestle in the Olympic games, who although so great
a multitude is sitting there, and so many princes, desire to please but
one, even him who adjudges the victory amongst them; and this, though he
be much their inferior. But thou, though thou hast a twofold motive for
displaying the victory to Him, first, that He is the person to adjudge
it, and also, that He is beyond comparison superior to all that are sitting
in the theatre,-thou art displaying it to others, who so far from profiting,
do privily work thee the greatest harm.
However, I do not forbid even this, saith He. Only, if thou art desirous
to make a show to men, also, wait, and I will bestow on thee this too in
fuller abundance, and with great profit. For as it is, this quite breaks
thee off from the glory which is with me, even as to despise these things
unites thee closely; but then shalt thou enjoy all in entire security;
having, even before that last, no little fruit to reap in this world also,
namely, that thou hast trodden under foot all human glory, and art freed
from the grievous bondage of men, and an become a true worker of virtue.
Whereas now, as long at least as thou art so disposed, if thou shouldest
be in a desert, thou wilt be deserted by all thy virtue, having none to
behold thee. This is to act as one insulting virtue itself, if thou art
to pursue it not for its own sake, but with an eye to the ropemaker, and
the brazier, and the common people of the baser sort, that the bad and
they that are far removed from virtue may admire thee. And thou art calling
the enemies of virtue to the display and the sight thereof, as if one were
to choose to live continently, not for the excellency of continence, but
that he might make a show before prostitutes. Thou also, it would seem,
wouldest not choose virtue, but for the sake of virtue's enemies; whereas
thou oughtest indeed to admire her on this very ground, that she hath even
her enemies to praise her,-yet to admire her (as is meet), not for others,
but for her own sake. Since we too, when we are loved not for our own,
but for others' sake, account the thing an insult. Just so I bid thee reckon
in the case of virtue as well, and neither to follow after her for the
sake of others, nor for men's sake to obey God; but men for God's sake.
Since if thou do the contrary, though thou seem to follow virtue, thou
hast provoked equally with him who follows her not. For just as he disobeyed
by not doing, so thou by doing unlawfully.
2 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth." Thus, after
He hath east out the disease of vainglory, and not before, He seasonably
introduces His discourse of voluntary poverty. For nothing so trains men
to be fond of riches, as the fondness for glory. This, for instance, is
why men devise those herds of slaves, and that swarm of eunuchs, and their
horses with trappings of gold, and their silver tables, and all the rest
of it, yet more ridiculous; not to satisfy any wants, nor to enjoy any
pleasure, but that they may make a show before the multitude.
Now above He had only said, that we must show mercy; but here He points
out also how great mercy we must show, when He saith, "Lay not up treasure."
For it not being possible at the beginning to introduce all at once His
discourse on contempt of riches, by reason of the tyranny of the passion,
He breaks it up into small portions, and having set free the hearer's mind,
instills it therein, so as that it shall become acceptable. Wherefore,
you see, He said first "Blessed are the merciful;" and after this "Agree
with thine adversary;" and after that again, "If any one will sue thee
at the law and take thy coat, give him thy cloak also;" but here, that
which is much greater than all these. For there His meaning was, "if thou
see a law-suit impending, do this; since to want and be freed from strife,
is better than to possess and strive;" but here, supposing neither adversary
nor any one at law with thee, and without all mention of any other such
party, He teaches the contempt of riches itself by itself, implying that
not so much for their sake who receive mercy, as for the giver's sake,
He makes these laws: so that though there be no one injuring us, or dragging
us into a court of justice, even so we may despise our possessions, bestowing
them on those that are in need.
And neither here hath He put the whole, but even in this place it is
gently spoken; although He had in the wilderness shown forth to a surpassing
extent His conflicts in that behalf. However He doth not express this,
nor bring it forward; for it was not yet time to reveal it; but for a while
He searches out for reasons, maintaining the place of an adviser rather
than a lawgiver, in His sayings on this subject.
For after He had said, "Lay not up treasures upon the earth." He added,
"where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and
steal."
For the present He signifies the hurtfulness of the treasure here, and
the profit of what is there, both from the place, and from the things which
mar it. And neither at this point doth He stop, but adds also another argument.
And first, what things they most fear, from these He urges them. For
"of what art thou afraid?" saith He: "lest thy goods should be spent, if
thou give alms? Nay, then give alms, and so they will not be spent; and,
what is more, so far from being spent, they will actually receive a greater
increase; yea, for the things in heaven are added unto them."
However, for a time He saith it not, but puts it afterwards. But for
the present, what had most power to persuade them, that He brings forward,
namely, that the treasure would thus remain for them unspent.
And on either hand He attracts them. For He said not only, "If thou
give alms, it is preserved:" but He threatened also the opposite thing,
that if thou give not, it perishes.
And see His unspeakable prudence. For neither did He say, "Thou dost
but leave them to others;" since this too is pleasant to men: He alarms
them however on a new ground, by signifying that not even this do they
obtain: since though men defraud not, there are those which are sure to
defraud, "the moth" and "the rust." For although this mischief seem very
easy to restrain, it is nevertheless irresistible and uncontrollable, and
devise what thou wilt, thou wilt be unable to check this harm.
"What then, doth moth make away with the gold?" Though not moth, yet
thieves do. "What then, have all been despoiled?" Though not all, yet the
more part.
3. On this account then He adds another argument, which I have already
mentioned, saying,
"Where the man's treasure is, there is his heart also."
For though none of these things should come to pass, saith He, thou
wilt undergo no small harm, in being nailed to the things below, and in
becoming a slave instead of a freeman, and casting thyself out of the heavenly
things, and having no power to think on aught that is high, but all about
money, usuries and loans, and gains, and ignoble traffickings. Than this
what could be more wretched? For in truth such an one will be worse off
than any slave, bringing upon himself a most grievous tyranny, and giving
up the chiefest thing of all, even the nobleness and the liberty of man.
For how much soever any one may discourse unto thee, thou wilt not be able
to hear any of those things which concern thee, whilst thy mind is nailed
down to money; but bound like a dog to a tomb, by the tyranny of riches,
more grievously than by any chain, barking at all that come near thee,
thou hast this one employment continually, to keep for others what thou
hast laid up. Than this what can be more wretched?
However, forasmuch as this was too high for the mind of His hearers,
and neither was the mischief within easy view of the generality, nor the
gain evident, but there was need of a spirit of more self-command to perceive
either of these; first, He hath put it after those other topics, which
are obvious, saying, "Where the man's treasure is, there is his heart also;"
and next He makes it clear again, by withdrawing His discourse from the
intellectual to the sensible, and saying,
"The light of the body is the eye."
What He saith is like this: Bury not gold in the earth, nor do any other
such thing, for thou dost but gather it for the moth, and the rust, and
the thieves. And even if thou shouldest entirely escape these evils, yet
the enslaving of thine heart, the nailing it to all that is below, thou
wilt not escape: "For wheresoever thy treasure may be, there is thine heart
also." As then, laying up stores in heaven, thou wilt reap not this fruit
only, the attainment of the rewards for these things, but from this world
thou already receivest thy recompence, in getting into harbor there, in
setting thine affections on the things that are there, and caring for what
is there (for where thou hast laid up thy treasures, it is most clear thou
transferrest thy mind also); so if thou do this upon earth, thou wilt experience
the contrary.
