We continue with a patristic interpretation of the Gospel according to Matthew
St. John Chrysostom speaks here about the scandal that arises from a superficial approach. This is very relevant today, for example, when people see a clergyman in close contact with those who are evidently living sinful lives. They do not ask themselves what the purpose of such an action might be, but are quick to judge. St. John says: “Although everything that had been set upon the table had been acquired unjustly and by extortion, nevertheless Christ did not refuse to partake. Since His presence could bring great benefit, Jesus agreed to be in the same house and at the same table with great sinners, even though by doing so He drew upon Himself a bad reputation for eating with a tax collector in his house and with many publicans.” St. Tikhon of Zadonsk writes about the criterion by which a true righteous person can be recognized—that is, in his attitude toward sin and the sinner: “True holiness does not abhor any sinner. A true saint hates sin, but not sinners; he loathes sins, but he does not loathe the sinner.”
The following verses read:
And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners? But when Jesus heard it, He said to them, Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
St. John Chrysostom draws attention to the craftiness of the Pharisees, who used every opportunity to sow seeds of distrust between the Lord and His apostles. In this situation, the Pharisees reproach the Lord before His disciples, while in another situation, when it seemed that the disciples themselves had erred, they turn to the Lord with reproach. In this way, through slander, they sought to sow enmity between the apostles and Jesus. St. John continues: “See how the Lord draws from the words of the Pharisees a conclusion entirely opposite to their intent. They pointed to His association with tax collectors as His fault. The Lord, on the contrary, declares that it would not be fitting for Him to have no contact with them, that such would be inconsistent with His philanthropy, and that the correction of such people is a task that not only does not deserve reproach, but, on the contrary, is of the greatest importance, most necessary, and worthy of countless praises.”
Finally, we may read the reflection of St. Ignatius Brianchaninov concerning the inner state of the Pharisees. This is important for us as well, for it threatens especially those who strive to live a churchly life, but at some point forget what is essential. Whenever we begin to focus more on external observance while neglecting our own inner state, our spiritual sight becomes distorted. If such a condition endures without correction, we may imperceptibly adopt the very spiritual illness of which St. Ignatius speaks: “The Lord’s answer is an answer to every cause of the hidden sickness of the Pharisees, to the entire condition of their souls. That answer contains a dreadful condemnation and rejection, from the image of God, of every form of human righteousness that is merely apparent and is combined with the condemnation of one’s neighbour. ‘Those who are well,’ said the Lord, ‘have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’ … Dark and blind Pharisee! Hear what the Lord says to you: ‘I desire mercy.’ When you see the failing of your neighbour, be merciful towards him, for he is your member! The weakness you see in him today may become your weakness tomorrow. You take offence only because you are proud and blind! You observe some external rules of the law, and therefore you admire yourself; you despise and condemn your neighbour, in whom you perceive some small transgressions, yet you fail to notice the great, hidden virtues which God loves, unknown to your proud and cruel heart. You have not looked deeply enough into yourself; you have not truly seen yourself: only for this reason do you not acknowledge that you are a sinner. Therefore your heart has not softened, has not been filled with repentance and humility; therefore you have not understood that you, equally with all other men, are in need of God’s mercy and salvation. It is dreadful not to acknowledge that you are a sinner!”
We now come to verses 14 and 15:
Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast? And Jesus said to them, Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.
St. John Chrysostom here shows that the Lord Jesus dealt very gently with the disciples of John the Baptist, but at the same time He trained and prepared His apostles for what lay ahead—namely, His Passion. Chrysostom explains: “The Lord does not rebuke John’s disciples or call them vain and proud, but with all meekness He answers them: Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the Bridegroom is with them? By these words the Lord shows that this was not done for the sake of indulging the appetite, but for a wondrous providential reason. In responding to the words of His opponents, He simultaneously foretells His suffering, teaching and preparing His disciples to think of sorrowful events to come. If He had spoken of this only to them, it would have been grievous and heavy, for even later these words disturbed them. But when it was spoken to others, then it was less grievous for the disciples to hear. And since they themselves also highly esteemed John’s suffering, Christ’s words did not diminish that esteem. Yet of the Resurrection He does not yet speak, for the time had not come. That He should die, as a man whom they regarded Him to be, was not astonishing; but that He should rise again—this was beyond nature.” The delicate manner of Christ’s treatment of John’s disciples is further highlighted by the explanation of Blessed Jerome, who points out that they ought to have acted differently. Jerome writes: “John’s disciples who reproached Jesus cannot be without blame, for from the preaching of their teacher they knew of Jesus. Yet they attached themselves to the Pharisees, who, as they well knew, had already been condemned by John when he said: ‘You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?’”
Euthymius Zigaben explains why the Lord here calls Himself the Bridegroom: “Earlier Jesus had called Himself a physician, and here He calls Himself the Bridegroom—and this is entirely fitting. As a physician, because He heals sick souls; as a Bridegroom, because He unites to Himself those who live a virginal life. By wedding guests He refers to those who are able to be betrothed to God. He spoke thus, reminding John’s disciples of the words of John: ‘He who has the bride is the bridegroom; the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete’ (Jn 3:29). The meaning of Christ’s words is therefore this: I have come to betroth and to unite to Myself the Church. This time of betrothal is not a time of mourning, but of joy. Therefore those who are able to be betrothed cannot fast. Fasting is a sign of mourning and is fitting for the imperfect. My disciples must rejoice, for I am still with them, for they live with Me and hear My voice.”
We now move to the next two verses, 16 and 17:
No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.
St. Theophan the Recluse, in his explanation of these verses, emphasizes a very important matter in our spiritual life: “What does the Saviour wish to show by this comparison? The Lord showed that strict ascetic practices, without the spirit of true life, bring no benefit to the moral life, but rather disorder and ruin. To the man who repents, grace is given—the grace that forms within him the resolve to please the Lord without sparing his life. Whoever has such resolve, for him all ascetic practices are fitting. But he who does not have it may, for example, attempt once to fast strictly; he will try, he will falter, and he will abandon it. And his life thereafter will be worse than before.”
Blessed Theophylact of Ohrid also writes of Christ’s patience toward His apostles, who at that moment were still unable to bear the full weight of ascetic labour: “My disciples are not yet strong, He says; it is necessary to condescend to them and not to burden them with the heavy load of commandments. Jesus said this so that He might also teach His disciples themselves to be condescending when later they would instruct the whole world. The patch and the new wine signify fasting, while the old garment and the old wineskins signify the weakness of the disciples.” Applied to our spiritual life, these words of the saint may help us to have more patience with our neighbours and their weaknesses. It is important to keep in mind that the timing of when one speaks to people about the Lord, faith, and the commandments is crucial.
St. John Chrysostom here explains this important law of the spiritual life in the following way: “In speaking of the present, Christ at the same time proclaims the future—namely, that His disciples will in time be renewed; but until that occurs, no strict and heavy commandments are to be laid upon them. Whoever, before the right time, proposes lofty teaching to men, will find them incapable of following it even when the right time comes, having rendered them forever useless. This does not depend upon the wine, nor upon the wineskins, but upon the untimely haste of those who pour in the wine. By using these comparisons, the Saviour has also revealed the reason why in His conversations with His disciples He often spoke of Himself in humble terms. … In order for them not to think that this was all He was able to say, but rather that they might understand that He could say much greater and loftier things—Christ pointed to their weakness, promising to reveal more when they become stronger … Therefore, we too should not demand perfect understanding all at once from people, but only what they are able to comprehend, and they will soon attain the rest.”
St. Ignatius Brianchaninov points out how much discernment we need to have and how cautious we must be in the spiritual life. He writes: “It is not only sin that is ruinous for us, but even good itself when it is not done at the right time and in the right measure. Just as not only hunger but also excess of food, or food unsuited to one’s age, is harmful. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved. The Lord said this about works of virtue, which must necessarily correspond to the state of the man who performs them, otherwise they will ruin him and themselves perish. That is, the effort will be fruitless, to the harm and ruin of the soul, contrary to its very purpose.” This is an important counsel for people who, living in the world, read monastic literature and then attempt to implement what they have read in their own lives. For this reason, the same saint, Ignatius Brianchaninov, often said that those living in the world should not read books written for monks and hermits.
Adapted for the contemporary reader based on patristic commentary by: Stanoje Stanković.
