Homily XVII.
Matt. V. 27, 28.
“Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time,Thou shalt not commit adultery; but I say unto you, that every one who looketh upon a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
now finished the former
commandment, and having extended it unto the height of self-denial, He, advancing in course and order, proceeds accordingly unto the second, herein too obeying the law.
“And yet,” it may be said, “this is
not the second, but the third; for neither is the first, “Thou
shalt not kill,” but “The Lord thy God is one
Lord.”
Wherefore it is worth inquiring too, why He did not
begin with that. Why was it then? Because, had He begun from thence, He
must have enlarged it also, and have brought in Himself together with
His Father.
But it was not as yet time to teach
any such thing about Himself.
And besides, He was for a while practising His moral
doctrine only, being minded from this first, and from His miracles, to
convince the hearers that He was the Son of God. Now, if He had said at
once, before He had spoken or done anything, “Ye have heard that
it was said to them of old time, “I am the Lord thy God, and
there is none other but me,” but I say unto you, Worship me even
as Him; this would have made all regard Him as a madman. For if, even
after His teaching, and His so great miracles, while not even yet was
He saying this openly, they called Him possessed with a devil;had He before all these attempted to say any such thing, what would they not have said? what would they not have thought?
But by keeping back at the proper season His teaching on
these subjects, He was causing that the doctrine should be acceptable
to the many. Wherefore now He passed it by quickly, but when He had
everywhere established it by His miracles, and by His most excellent
teaching, He afterwards unveiled it in words also.
For the present, however, by the manifestation of His
miracles, and by the very manner of His teaching, He unfolds it on
occasion, gradually and quietly. For His enacting such laws, and such
corrections of laws, with authority, would lead on the attentive and
understanding hearer, by little and little, unto the word of His
doctrine. For it is said, “they were astonished at Him, because
He taught not as their Scribes.”
2. For beginning from those passions, which most belong
to our whole race, anger, I mean, and desire (for it is these chiefly
that bear absolute sway within us, and are more natural than the rest); He with great authority, even such as became a legislator, both corrected them, and reduced them to order with all strictness. For He said not that the adulterer merely is punished; but what He had done with respect to the murderer, this He doth here also, punishing even the unchaste look: to teach thee wherein lies what He had more than the scribes. Accordingly, He saith, “He that looketh upon a woman to lust after her hath already committed adultery with her:” that is, he who makes it his business to be curious about bright forms, and to hunt for elegant features, and to feast his soul with the sight, and to fasten his eyes on fair countenances. For He came to set free from all evil deeds not the body only, but the soul too before the body. Thus, because in the heart we receive the grace of the Spirit, He cleanses it out first.
“And how,” one may say, “is it
possible to be freed from desire?” I answer, first, if we were
willing, even this might be deadened, and remain inactive.
In the next place, He doth not here take away desire
absolutely, but that desire which springs up in men from sight. For he
that is curious to behold fair countenances, is himself chiefly the
enkindler of the furnace of that passion, and makes his own soul a
captive, and soon proceeds also to the act.
Thus we see why He said not, “whosoever shall lust
to commit adultery,” but, “whosoever shall look to
lust.” And in the case of anger He laid down a certain
distinction, saying, “without a cause,” and “for
nought;” but here not so; rather once for all He took away the
desire. Yet surely both are naturally implanted, and both are set in us
for our profit; both anger, and desire: the one that we may chastise
the evil, and correct those who walk disorderly; the other that we may
have children, and that our race may be recruited by such
successions.