Homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew

⁷ Let us not then be savage, nor cruel, not without natural feeling, not implacable, not worse than wild beasts. For I know many to have gone even so far in brutishness, as for a little trouble to slight famishing persons, and to say these words: “I have no servant now with me; we are far from home; there is no money-changer that I know.” Oh cruelty! Did you promise the greater, and do you not fulfill the less? To save your walking a little way, does he perish with hunger? Oh insolence! Oh pride! Why, if it were ten furlongs to be walked, ought thou to be backward? Does it not even come into your mind that so your reward is made greater? For whereas, when you give, you receive reward for the gift only: when you yourself also go, for this again is appointed you a recompense.

Yea, the patriarch himself we admire for this, that in his own person he ran to the herd, and snatched up the calf, and that, when he had three hundred and eighteen servants born in his house. But now some are filled with so much pride, as to do these things by servants, and not to be ashamed. “But do you require me to do these things myself?” one may say. “How then shall I not seem to be vainglorious?” Nay, but as it is, you are led by another kind of vainglory to do this, being ashamed to be seen talking with a poor man.

But I am in no respect strict about this; only give, whether by yourself or by another you are minded to do so; and do not accuse, do not smite, do not revile. For medicines, not wounds, does he need who comes unto you; mercy, not a sword. For tell me, if any one who had been smitten with a stone, and had received a wound in his head, were to let go all others, and run unto your knees, drenched in his blood; would you indeed smite him with another stone, and add unto him another wound? I, for my part, think not; but even as it was, you would endeavor to cure it. Why then doest thou the contrary with respect to the poor? Do you not know how much power a word has, both to raise up, and to cast down? “For a word,” it is said, “is better than a gift.”

Do you not consider that you are thrusting the sword into yourself, and art receiving a more grievous wound, when he, being reviled, silently withdraws, with groans and many tears? Since indeed of God he is sent unto you. Consider then, in insulting him, upon whom you are causing the insult to pass; when God indeed sends him unto you, and commands you to give, but thou, so far from giving, dost even insult him on his coming.

And if you are not aware how exceedingly amiss this is, look at it as among men, and then you will fully know the greatness of the sin. As thus: if a servant of yours had been commanded by you to go to another servant, who had money of yours, to receive it, and were to come back not only with empty hands, but also with despiteful usage; what would you not do to him that had wrought the insult? What penalty would you not exact, as though, after this, it were yourself that had been ill used?

This reckoning do thou make in regard of God also; for truly it is He that sends the poor to us, and of His we give, if indeed we do give. But if, besides not giving, we also send them away insulted, consider how many bolts, how many thunders, that which we are doing deserves.

Duly considering then all these things, let us both bridle our tongue, and put away inhumanity, and let us stretch forth the hand to give alms, and not with money only, but with words also, let us relieve such as are in need; that we may both escape the punishment for reviling, and may inherit the kingdom which is for blessing and almsgiving, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might forever and ever. Amen.