Commentary on Matthew

Chapter Twenty-Four

240 CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR hen Jesus spoke to the crowd and to his disciples, saying, “On the seat of Moses sit the scribes and Pharisees,” 1 etc. He showed that the glory of the Law bears witness to himself ; the [same] Law revealed in him bore an image of truths to come. At every point, Christ’s advent was intended.2 Whatever is contained in the Law led to the advancement of the knowledge of Christ. This is the reason he commanded [his disciples] to submit to the Pharisees’ teaching.3 Because the latter sit in the seat of Moses, the Lord told the crowd and his disciples to obey all the commandments of the Law, while abstaining from the Pharisees’ deeds and works lest their human customs and unbelief nullify the teaching of the Law. For the Pharisees impose the heaviest burdens of the Law on the people who are subject to them. And yet, the Pharisees do not move their finger when confronted with these burdens.4 They prescribe that we should love the Lord with all of our heart and love our neighbor as ourselves,5 while they themselves oppose the testimony of the Law, which is well known to them, attacking God in Christ because of his sufferings.6 They likewise inflate the glory of their words by wearing phylacteries ,7 though they do not understand that God, the author of eternal life, is in Christ. They magnify themselves as emissaries of the honor of the Law, with tassels hanging from their garments , though they are unfamiliar with the whole Law and its works. Nor do they recognize the power of the same Law, placing more value on sitting at the head of the table at banquets.8 1. Mt 23.1. 2. meditabatur. 3. Mt 23.3. 4. Mt 23.4. 5. Mt 19.19. 6. Another reference, albeit indirect, to those who deny divinity to the Son on account of his incarnate suffering; see supra, 23.7. 7. Mt 23.5. 8. Mt 23.6. ON MATTHEW, CHAP. 24 241 They are appointed for eternal fire rather than banquets (banquets are where the pagans sit with Abraham); they love the important seats in the synagogues, though they do not know their teacher according to the testimonies of the Law and the prophets; they love to be greeted in the marketplace,9 though humility of heart and service is required for all to observe; they also desire to be called “teacher” by men,10 though they are unfamiliar with the teaching of the Law and reject the Teacher of eternal salvation. Because all of these are profane and perverse things, the Pharisees are condemned for their imitation of them. Rather, listening to the Law and obeying its words— which speak of Christ—are demanded. 2. For those who know they are indeed his disciples, the Lord fulfills his teaching of complete humility so that they may remember that they are all brothers;11 that is, they are the children of one Parent.12 Through the generation of a new birth, they have put the origin of their earthly beginning behind them,13 now having one teacher of heavenly teaching for everyone .14 They must take up the glory of eternal honor by an awareness of their lowliness, since God will humble the proud and exalt the humble in glory.15 3. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites, who close off the Kingdom of heaven.16 The Lord condemns their pretentiousness by referring to their punishment, seeing that “woe” is an expression of sorrow. He says that they close off the Kingdom of heaven because they hide the expression17 of the truth within the Law, which is found in Christ. By the pretentiousness of their teaching they hide the fact of his bodily advent preached by the prophets. They do not enter the way of eternity in Christ, nor do they allow others to enter. 9. Mt 23.7. 10. Mt 23.8. 11. Ibid. 12. Mt 23.9. 13. For the terminology of conversion as a “second” or “new birth” that supersedes one’s former life, see Cyprian, Ad Donat. 4; Tertullian, De carne Chr. 17. 14. Mt 23.10. 15. Mt 23.12. 16. Mt 23.13. 17. meditationem. 242 HILARY OF POITIERS 4. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites, who devour widows’ houses.18 With these people...