Catena Aurea on Matthew
Lecture 4
14. “Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.”
Chrys., Hom. lxxiii Next the Lord rebukes them for their gluttony, and what was the worst, that not from the rich but from widows they took wherewith to fill their bellies, thus burdening the poverty of those whom they should have relieved.
Gloss., interlin. “Devour widows’ houses,” that is, your superstitions have this only aim, namely, to make a gain of the people that are put under you.
Pseudo-Chrys. The female sex is imprudent, as not contemplating with reason all that it sees or hears; and weak, as being easily turned either from bad to good, or from good to bad. The male sex is more prudent and hardy. And therefore pretenders to holiness practise most upon women, who are unable to see their hypocrisy, and are easily inclined to love them on the ground of religion. But widows they chiefly choose to attempt; first, because a woman who has her husband to advise her is not so readily deceived; and second, she has not the means of giving, being in the power of her husband. The Lord then, whilst He confounds the Jewish Priests, instructs the Christian that they should not frequent widows rather than others, for though their purpose may not be bad, it gives occasion to suspicions.
Chrys. The manner of this plundering is grievous, for they make long prayers. Every one who does evil deserves punishment; but he who takes occasion for his offense from religion, deserves more severe punishment; “Therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.”
Pseudo-Chrys. First, for that ye are wicked, and then because ye put on the cloak of sanctity. Your covetousness you dress up in the colour of religion, and use God’s arms in the Devil’s service, that iniquity may be loved while it is thought to be piety.
Hilary Or, because their observance of the kingdom of heaven proceeds hence, that they may keep up their practice of going about to widows’ houses, they shall therefore receive the heavier judgment, as having their own sin and the ignorance of others to answer for.
Gloss., interlin. Or, because “the servant that knew his Lord’s will and did it not, shall be beaten with many stripes.” (Luke 12:47)
Lecture 5
15. “Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.”
Chrys. This the next charge against them is, that they are unequal to the salvation of many, seeing they need so much labor to bring one to salvation; and not only are they slack in conversion, but destroy even those whom they do convert, by corrupting them by example of evil life.
Hilary That they compass sea and land signifies that throughout the whole world they shall be enemies of Christ’s Gospel, and shall bring men under the yoke of the Law against the justification of faith. There were proselytes made into the Synagogue from among the Gentiles, the small number of whom is here denoted by what is said “one proselyte.” For after the preaching of Christ there was no faith left in their doctrine, but whoever was gained to the faith of the Jews became a child of hell.
Origen For all who Judaize since the coming of the Savior, are taught to follow the temper of those who cried at that time, “Crucify, crucify him.”
Hilary And he becomes the child of a twofold punishment, because he has not obtained remission of his Gentile sins, and because he has joined the society of those who persecuted Christ.
Jerome Or otherwise; The Scribes and Pharisees compassed the whole world to make proselytes of the Gentiles, that is, to mix the uncircumcised stranger with the people of God.
Pseudo-Chrys. And that not of compassion from desire to save him whom they taught, but either from covetousness, that the greater number of worshippers might increase the number of offerings made in sacrifice, or out of vain glory. For he who sinks himself in a slough of sins, how should he be desirous to rescue another out of them? Will a man be more merciful to another than to himself? By a man’s actions therefore it may be known whether he seeks another’s conversion for God’s sake, or out of vain glory.
Greg., Mor. xxxi, 9 But forasmuch as hypocrites though they do ever crooked things, yet cease not to speak light things, and thus by their good instructions beget sons, but are not able to bring them up by good life, but the more they give themselves up to worldly works, the more willingly do they suffer those whom they have begotten to work the same. And because their hearts are hardened, these very sons whom they have begotten they do not own by any sign of the affection due. Wherefore it is here said of the hypocrites, “And when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.”
Aug., cont. Faust., xvi, 29 (et cf cont. Adimant. 16): This He said not because proselytes were circumcised, but because they imitated the lives of those from following whom He had prohibited His disciples, saying, “Do ye not after their works.” (Matt 23:3) Two things are observable in this command; first, the honor shown to Moses’ teaching, that even wicked men when sitting in his seat are compelled to teach good things; and that the proselyte is made a child of hell, not by hearing the words of the Law, but by following their doings. And twofold more than they for this reason, that he neglects to fulfill what he had undertaken of his own choice, having been not born a Jew, but of free will become a Jew.
Jerome Or, because before while he was a Gentile he erred in ignorance, and was only a child of hell; but seeing the vices of his masters, and understanding that they destroyed in their actions what they taught in words, he returns to his vomit, and becoming a Gentile, he is worthy of greater punishment as one that has deserted his cause.
Pseudo-Chrys. Or, because while he was a worshipper of idols, he observed righteousness even because of men; but when he became a Jew, prompted by the example of evil teachers, he became worse than his teachers.
Chrys. For a disciple imitates a virtuous master, but goes beyond a vicious one.
Jerome He is called a child of hell in the same way as one is said to be a child of perdition, and a child of this world; every man is called the son of him whose works he does.
Origen From this place we learn that there will be a difference of torment in hell, seeing one is here said to be singly a child of hell, another twofold. And we ought to consider here whether it is possible that a man should be generally a child of hell, as a Jew, suppose, or a Gentile, or whether specially so in consequence of some particular sins; that as a righteous man is increased in glory by the abundance of his righteousness, so a sinner’s punishment is increased manifold by the number of his sins.