Homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew

³ “And the Pharisees and Sadducees came and desired Him to show them a sign from Heaven. But He says, When it is evening, you say, Fair weather, for the sky is red; and in the morning, Foul weather today, for the sky is red and lowering. You can discern the face of the sky, but can you not the signs of the times? A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And He left them, and departed.”

But Mark says, that when they had come unto Him, and were questioning with Him, “He sighed deeply in His spirit, and says, Why does this generation seek after a sign?”

And yet surely their inquiry was deserving of anger and great displeasure; yet nevertheless the benevolent and provident One is not angry, but pities and bewails them as incurably diseased, and after so full a demonstration of His power, tempting Him.

For not in order to believe did they seek, but to lay hold of Him. Since had they come unto Him as ready to believe, He would have given it. For He who said to the woman, “It is not meet,” and afterwards gave, much more would He have shown His bounty to these.

But since they did not seek to believe, therefore He also calls them hypocrites, because in another place they said one thing, and meant another. Yea, had they believed, they would not even have asked. And from another thing too it is evident that they believed not; that when reproved and exposed, they abode not with Him, nor said, “We are ignorant and seek to learn.”

But for what sign from Heaven were they asking? Either that He should say the sun, or curb the moon, or bring down thunderbolts, or work a change in the air, or some other such thing.

What then says He to all this? “You can discern the face of the sky, but can you not discern the signs of the times?” See His meekness and moderation. For not even as before did He refuse merely, and say, “There shall none be given them,” but He states also the cause why He gives it not, even though they were not asking for information.

What then was the cause? “Much as in the sky,” says He, “one thing is a sign of a storm, another of fair weather, and no one when he saw the sign of foul weather would seek for a calm, neither in calm and fair weather for a storm; so should you reckon with regard to me also. For this present time of my coming, is different from that which is to come. Now there is need of these signs which are on the earth, but those in Heaven are stored up against that time. Now as a physician am I come, then I shall be here as a judge; now to seek that which is gone astray, then to demand an account. Therefore in a hidden manner am I come, but then with much publicity, folding up the heaven, hiding the sun, not suffering the moon to give her light. Then 'the very powers of the heavens shall be shaken,' and the manifestation of my coming shall imitate lightning that appears at once to all. But not now is the time for these signs; for I have come to die, and to suffer all extremities.”

Heard ye not the prophet, saying, “He shall not strive nor cry, neither shall His voice be heard without?” and another again, “He shall come down as rain upon a fleece of wool?”

And if men speak of the signs in Pharaoh's time, there was an enemy then from whom deliverance was needed, and it all took place in due course. But to Him that came among friends there was no need of those signs.

“And besides, how shall I give the great signs, when the little are not believed?” Little, I mean, as regards display, since in power these latter were much greater than the former. For what could be equal to remitting sins, and raising the dead, and driving away devils, and creating a body, and ordering all other things aright?

But see their hardened heart, how on being told, that “no sign should be given them but the sign of the prophet Jonas,” they do not ask. And yet, knowing both the prophet, and all that befell him, and having been told this a second time, they ought to have inquired and learned what the saying could mean; but, as I said, there is no desire of information in these their doings. For this cause “He also left them, and departed.”

4. “And when His disciples,” so it is said, “had come to the other side, they forgot to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.”

And why said He not plainly, Beware of their teaching? His will is to remind them of what had been done, for He knew they had forgotten. But for accusing them at once there seemed to be no reasonable ground, but to take the occasion from themselves, and so to reprove them, would make the charge admissible. “And why did He not then reprove them, when they said, 'Whence should we have so many loaves in the wilderness?' for it seemed a good time then to say what He says here.” That He might not seem to rush hastily on the miracle. And besides, He would not blame them before the multitude, nor seek honor in their presence. And now too the accusation had greater reason, for that after repetition of the miracle they were so minded.

Wherefore also He works another miracle, and then and not till then He reproves; I mean, He brings forward what they were reasoning in their hearts. But what were their reasonings? “Because,” so it is said, “we have taken no bread.” For as yet they were full of trepidation about the purifications of the Jews, and the observances of meats.

Wherefore on all accounts He attacks them even with severity, saying, “Why reason ye in yourselves, O you of little faith, because you have brought no bread? Perceive ye not yet, neither understand? Have ye your heart hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? Having ears, hear ye not? Do ye not remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?”

Do you see intense displeasure? For nowhere else does He appear to have so rebuked them. Wherefore then does He so? In order again to cast out their prejudice about the meats. I mean that with this view, whereas then He had only said, “Perceive ye not, neither understand?” in this place, and with a strong rebuke, He says, “O you of little faith.”

For not everywhere is lenity a good thing. And as He used to allow them freedom of speech, so does He also reprove, by this variety providing for their salvation. And mark at once His reproof, how strong, and His mildness. For all but excusing Himself to them for His severe reproofs to them, He says, “Do ye not yet consider the five loaves, and how many baskets ye took up; and the seven loaves, and how many baskets ye took up?” And to this end He sets down also the numbers, as well of the persons fed as of the fragments, at once both bringing them to recollection of the past, and making them more attentive to the future.

And to teach you how great the power of His reproof, and how it roused up their slumbering mind, hear what says the evangelist. For Jesus having said no more, but having reproved them, and added this only, “How is it that you do not understand, that I spoke it not to you concerning bread that you should beware, but of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees;” He subjoined, saying, “Then understood they that He bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees,” although He had not uttered that interpretation.

See how much good His reproof wrought. For it both led them away from the Jewish observances, and when they were remiss, made them more heedful, and delivered them from want of faith;