Before us is the final verse of the tenth chapter: “And whoever gives to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, truly I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”
The great theologian of the Church, Saint Gregory of Nyssa, explains in an illuminating manner that the cup of cold water signifies that the Lord pays attention to us and does not ask of us anything that exceeds our capacities: “This commandment is small, yet the benefit of obedience is great, for God abundantly recompenses it. In this way, God asks for nothing beyond your strength; whether you do little or much, there follows a reward proportionate to your free will. For if you perform good deeds in the Name of God and in the fear of God, you will receive a radiant gift that will not be taken away from you.” These words of Saint Gregory bring peace to our souls, for we are often troubled by thoughts that our efforts are in vain, that our labour—being small and unnoticed—is entirely futile, since we cannot replicate the ascetic feats of the Saints.
Saint Hilary of Poitiers writes that, regardless of how great our shortcomings may be, if we are sincere in our relationship with God, the Lord will not despise even the smallest effort. This is how Saint Hilary writes: “Jesus considers that not even the smallest effort, which He designates as a cup of cold water, is in vain. For honour is not bestowed upon a person’s sins, but upon the name of a disciple. Thus, the shortcomings of one who is in error, yet obedient, do not diminish his honour when he strives for the reward with faith in Him who grants it and who is not deceitful.”
Saint Isidore of Pelusium explains that this verse does not mean that all people are required to strive to the same degree, but that each person is called to an ascetic struggle proportionate to the talents he possesses. He also emphasizes that the intention underlying our actions is of great importance in the eyes of the Lord. These are his words: “It seems that you deceive yourself and misinterpret the Divine Scriptures. For what is written about giving a cup of cold water refers to those who possess only this, and not to those who abound in wealth and are able to clothe people afflicted by hunger, illness, and nakedness. Do not be surprised if the one who gives water does not remain without a reward for this deed; for almsgiving is not judged by the magnitude of the offering, but by the disposition of the giver; thus even a simple word is deemed worthy of approval… For many give little out of much, while many give much out of little. It is not the measure of what is given that is assessed, but it is compared to the measure of abundance of those who give. For this very reason, the woman who offered two mites surpassed all those who brought much; they offered a portion, whereas she offered her entire livelihood.”
We now begin the eleventh chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew. The first three verses read:
“And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities. Now John, having heard in prison of the works of Christ, sent two of his disciples and said to Him, ‘Are You the One who is to come, or shall we look for another?’”
Saint John Chrysostom explains the reason why Christ sends the disciples away from Himself. Their training in preaching had begun, and the Lord withdraws in order to allow them to exert themselves. These are the words of Chrysostom: “Having sent the disciples, the Lord Himself withdrew from them, in order to grant them the place and the time to do what He had commanded them. For if He Himself were present with them and performing healings, no one would have wished to go to the disciples.”
Saint Demetrius of Rostov explains the circumstances of the moment in which the Holy Forerunner sent his disciples: “Saint John had already been in prison for a long time. His disciples would gather around him, and he often instructed them in a virtuous life, in accordance with the Law of God, and preached to them about the Messiah who had already come into the world.”
Blessed Jerome of Stridon speaks about the character of John’s question and the purpose of sending his disciples to the Lord. The Prophet perceived that his disciples did not nurture sympathy towards the Lord, and therefore decided upon such a course of action. Blessed Jerome explains it in the following way: “John asks not as one who is ignorant, for he himself had pointed out Christ to those who did not know Him with the words: Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (Jn 1:29). He had also heard the voice of the Father saying: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Mt 3:17). But just as the Saviour asks where Lazarus was laid, so that those who showed Him the place of burial might at the same time be prepared for faith and see Lazarus rise from the dead; in the same manner John the Baptist, who was about to be subjected to death by Herod, sent his disciples to Christ so that, when they saw the signs and wonders performed by Jesus, they might believe in Him and, through the question of their teacher, be instructed themselves. That John’s disciples exalted themselves in relation to the Lord and, out of ill will and envy, were dissatisfied, is also evident from this question of theirs: Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast? (Mt 9:14).”
Saint Hilary of Poitiers clarifies the thought and intention of the holy Forerunner with these words: “John is concerned not because of his own ignorance, but because of the ignorance of his disciples, for he himself foretold Christ’s coming for the redemption of sins. In order that they might know that John had foretold precisely the coming of Jesus and not that of someone else, he therefore sends his disciples to behold the works of Christ, so that his words might gain greater weight and that Christ might be awaited as the One to whom the deeds bear witness.”
Chrysostom, in his interpretation, adopts the perspective of an ordinary man of that time—a Jew perplexed by this action of Saint John. Chrysostom also reveals the character of the Forerunner himself: “Did you not, John, proclaim all this about Him even before the signs and wonders? How is it now, when Jesus has become known to all and is spoken of among the people, when even the dead have been raised and demons cast out, when so many miracles have been performed, that you send to ask about Jesus? What does this mean? Were all John’s words some deception, a fabrication, a fairy tale? And what reasonable person would say such a thing? … From this it is evident that John sent his disciples not out of doubt and did not ask out of ignorance. Nor can anyone say that John, although he knew Jesus, became fearful while in prison. He did not expect deliverance from prison; and even if he had expected it, he would not have betrayed his piety, being firmly resolved to accept any death. For he would not then have dared to denounce so harsh a tyrant as Herod with such boldness, in the midst of the city and the marketplaces, reproaching him like a small child, so that all might hear.” In the words of Saint John, the spiritual resolve of holy men is clearly seen, even in the proximity of inevitable death.
The next three verses read:
“And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Go and tell John the things which you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.’”
Chrysostom now explains in these verses the reason for Jesus’ healings in the presence of the disciples of Saint John the Forerunner. He speaks as follows: “Knowing the intention with which John had sent his disciples, Christ immediately healed the blind, the lame, and many others—not in order to persuade John, but to persuade the disciples who were doubting. He then added: Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me, thereby showing that He knew even their secret thoughts. For if Jesus had said, ‘Yes, I am the Christ,’ this could have been troubling for John’s disciples and might have led them to think—though they would not have said it aloud—as the Jews did: You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true (Jn 8:13). This is why He does not say this of Himself, but leaves them to draw the conclusion through the miracles, thus making His teaching indisputable and evident. At the same time, He also reproved them in secret. Since they were offended by Christ, by revealing their malady and leaving all of this to their conscience—without making anyone but themselves witnesses of this reproof, which only they understood—He all the more drew them to Himself, saying: Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.
Blessed Jerome explains whom the Lord has in mind when He says that the Gospel is preached to the poor: “Jesus says: Go and tell John what you see: the blind who receive their sight, the lame who walk, and the rest. He also says something that is equally important: the Gospel is preached to the poor. By this is meant either the poor in spirit or those who are poor in wealth and deeds, for in the spreading of the proclamation there is no distinction whatsoever between the poor and the rich, the well-known and the unknown. These words reveal the steadfastness of the Teacher and the truthfulness of the Instructor, because in Him all who are capable of salvation are equal.” Saint Ephrem the Syrian shows here that there is not the slightest arbitrariness in the order of words in the Gospel text: “The Lord began with what seemed easier, although in the realm of miracles the small and the great are of equal significance. The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear; and finally, as the seal of all, He said the following: the dead are raised, for this last was the principal work of the goodness of the Only-Begotten, by which the evil that Adam introduced into the world is destroyed and expelled.”
Saint Gregory the Dialogist explains the meaning of the Lord’s words about being offended because of Him. Here he speaks of that mystery which can be understood only by believers, the very mystery on account of which unbelievers are scandalized to this day. He writes as follows: Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me. The mind of unbelieving people was scandalized by Jesus when, even after such miracles, it saw Him die. For this reason Paul also says: But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness (1 Cor. 1:23). It seemed irrational to people that the Author of life should die for humankind; a person is scandalized by that which ought rather to provide an even greater incentive to consider oneself a debtor. For people ought all the more to honour God, who accepted greater humiliation upon Himself for the sake of humanity.
Adapted for the contemporary reader based on Patristic commentary by Stanoje Stanković
