Homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew

⁵ Then, bringing the likeness yet closer, He says,

“Because He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain upon just and unjust.”

“For He too, so far from hating,” so He speaks, “even pours benefits on those that insult Him.” Yet surely in no respect is the case parallel, not only because of the surpassing nature of His benefits, but also by reason of the excellence of His dignity. For thou indeed art despised by your fellow-slave, but He by His slave, who has also received ten thousand benefits from Him: and thou indeed givest words, in praying for him, but He, deeds, very great and marvellous, kindling the sun, and giving the annual showers. “Nevertheless, even so I grant you to be mine equal, in such wise as it is possible for a man so to be.”

Hate not then the man that does you wrong, who is procuring you such good things, and bringing you to so great honor. Curse not him that uses you despitefully; for so have you undergone the labor, but art deprived of the fruit; you will bear the loss, but lose the reward; which is of the utmost folly, having borne the more grievous, not to bear what is less than it. “But how,” says one, “is it possible for this to take place?” Having seen God become man, and descend so far, and suffer so much for your sake, do you still inquire and doubt, how it is possible to forgive your fellow-servants their injuriousness? Do you not hear Him on the cross, saying, “Forgive them, for they know not what they do?” Do you not hear Paul, when he says, “He who is gone up on high, and is sitting on the right hand intercedes for us?” Do you see not that even after the cross, and after He had been received up, He sent the apostles unto the Jews that had slain Him, to bring them His ten thousand blessings, and this, though they were to suffer ten thousand terrors at their hands?