Voices from the Past: Meditations on the Person and Work of Christ
John Chrysostom, the Bishop of Constantinople, was born in 347 into a wealthy aristocratic family in Antioch. His mother, who was widowed at the age of 20, refused to remarry so that she could devote all her time to her son’s education. He is most known for his Homilies. Over six hundred of them are still in existence, most of which are on the New Testament. In these he is exegetical, theological, and practical. In his preaching, Chrysostom’s passion for people and the less privileged is evident. His careful preparation for preaching was not only in the training of his natural gift of eloquence but in the careful study of Scripture, in prayer, and in meditation. He died in exile on 14th September 407 because of his attempts to reform the clergy.
Reading “Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?” Matthew 26:67–68
Wherefore did they these things, when they were to put Him to death? What need of this mockery? That thou mightest learn their intemperate spirit by all things, and that having taken Him like a prey they thus showed their intoxication, and gave full swing to their madness; making this a festival, and assaulting Him with pleasure, and showing their murderous disposition.
But admire, I pray thee, the self-command of the disciples, with what exactness they record these events. Hereby is clearly shown their disposition to love the truth, because they relate with all truthfulness the things that seem to be shameful, disguising nothing, nor being ashamed thereof, but rather accounting it very great glory, as indeed it was, that the Lord of the universe should endure to suffer such things for us. This shows both His unutterable tenderness, and the inexcusable wickedness of those men, who had the heart to do such things to Him that was so mild and meek, and was charming them with such words, as were enough to change a lion into a lamb. For neither did He fail in any things of gentleness, nor they of insolence and cruelty, in what they did, in what they said. All which things the prophet Isaiah foretold, thus proclaiming beforehand, and by one word intimating all this insolence. For “like as many were astonished at thee,” he saith, “so shall thy form be held inglorious of men, and thy glory of the sons of men” (Isaiah 52:14).
These things let us read continually, these things let us hear aright, these things let us write in our minds, for these are our honors. In these things do I take a pride, not only in the thousands of dead which He raised, but also in the sufferings which He endured. These things Paul puts forward in every way: the cross, the death, the sufferings, the revilings, the insults, the scoffs. And now he saith, “Let us go forth unto Him bearing His reproach.”
John Chrysostom, Homily LXXXV on Matthew’s Gospel
