Cyril of Alexandria

What profit is there in fasting twice in the week if it serves only as a pretext for ignorance and vanity and makes you proud, haughty and selfish? You tithe your possessions and boast about it. In another way, you provoke God's anger by condemning and accusing other people because of this. You are puffed up, although not crowned by the divine decree for righteousness. On the contrary, you heap praises on yourself. He says, "I am not as the rest of humankind." Moderate yourself, O Pharisee. Put a door and lock on your tongue. You speak to God who knows all things. Wait for the decree of the judge. No one who is skilled in wrestling ever crowns himself. No one also receives the crown from himself but waits for the summons of the referee.… Lower your pride, because arrogance is accursed and hated by God. It is foreign to the mind that fears God. Christ even said, "Do not judge, and you shall not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned." One of his disciples also said, "There is one lawgiver and judge. Why then do you judge your neighbor?" No one who is in good health ridicules one who is sick for being laid up and bedridden. He is rather afraid, for perhaps he may become the victim of similar sufferings. A person in battle, because another has fallen, does not praise himself for having escaped from misfortune. The weakness of others is not a suitable subject for praise for those who are in health.

What is there in babies that is worthy of imitation? Is it their lack of firmness and intelligence? It is incredible to affirm or imagine anything like this. Christ, however, does not wish us to be without understanding but wants us perfectly to know everything that is useful and necessary for our salvation. Wisdom even promises that she will give cleverness to the simple and the beginning of sense and understanding to the young. … How someone might at once be both simple and clever, the Savior explains to us elsewhere, saying, "Be clever as serpents and simple as doves." Blessed Paul also writes, "My brothers, do not be children in your minds, but in wickedness be babies, and in your minds grown men."It is necessary to examine the meaning of being babies in wickedness and the way a person becomes a baby, but a grown person in mind. Knowing very little or nothing at all, a baby is correctly acquitted of the charge of depravity and wickedness. It is also our duty to attempt to be like them in the very same way. We must entirely put away from us habits of wickedness, that we also may be regarded as people who do not even know the path that leads to deception. Unconscious of spite and fraud, we must live in a simple and innocent manner, practicing gentleness and a priceless humility and readily avoiding wrath and spitefulness. These qualities are found in those who are still babies.

The rich man who has despised many things will naturally expect a reward, but he who possessing little resigns what he has, may fairly ask what there is in store for him; as it follows, Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all. Matthew adds, What shall we have therefore? (Matt. 19:27.)

It was necessary to say this, because those who forsake a few things, as far as regards their motives and obedience, are weighed in the same balance with the rich, who have forsaken all, inasmuch as they act from the like affections, in voluntarily making a surrender of all that they possess. And therefore it follows, Verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left house, &c. who shall not receive manifold more, &c. He inspires all who hear Him with the most joyful hopes, confirming His promises to them with an oath, beginning His declaration with Verily. For when the divine teaching invites the world to the faith of Christ, some perhaps regarding their unbelieving parents are unwilling to distress them by coming to the faith, and have the like respect of others of their relations; while some again forsake their father and mother, and hold lightly the love of their whole kindred in comparison of the love of Christ.

This then we say, that he who gives up all worldly and carnal things will gain for himself far greater, inasmuch as the Apostles, after leaving a few things, obtained the manifold gifts of grace, and were accounted great every where. We then shall be like to them. If a man has left his home, he shall receive an abiding place above. If his father, he shall have a Father in heaven. If he has forsaken his kindred, Christ shall take him for a brother. If he has given up a wife, he shall find divine wisdom, from which he shall beget spiritual offspring. If a mother, he shall find the heavenly Jerusalem, who is our mother. From brethren and sisters also united together with him by the spiritual bond of his will, he shall receive in this life far more kindly affections.

It says, "Peter said to him, 'Look, we have left all and followed you.' " …I imagine, to this some may reply, "What had the disciples given up? They were men who gained the necessities of life by their sweat and labor, being by trade fishermen, who perhaps owned a boat and nets somewhere. They did not have well-built houses or any other possessions. What did they leave, or for what did they ask a reward from Christ?" What is our answer to this? For this very reason, they made this most necessary inquiry. Since they possessed nothing except what was trifling and of slight value, they would learn how God will reward and gladden with his gifts those who likewise have left but little for the sake of the kingdom of God. They desired to be counted worthy of the kingdom of heaven because of their love for him. The rich man, one who has disregarded much, will confidently expect a reward. He who possessed little and abandoned it, how was it not right to ask what hopes he might entertain? For this reason, as representing those in the same condition of their having left little, they say, "Behold, we have left all and followed you."
It is further necessary to observe also this. Correctly considered, the pain of abandoning is the same whether one abandons much or little. Come and let us see the real meaning of the matter by a trivial example. Suppose two men had to stand naked. The one took off expensive clothes while the other put off only what was cheap and easy to get. Would not the pain of the nakedness be equal in both cases? What possible doubt can there be on this point? As far as regards obedience and good will, those who had different circumstances and yet practiced equal readiness and willingly sold what they had must be placed on an equal footing with the rich. The very wise Paul also takes up their cause. He wrote, "If there be a ready mind, it is accepted according to what a man has and not according to what he has not." Thus inquiry of the holy apostles was not unreasonable.

This then we say, that he who gives up all worldly and carnal things will gain for himself far greater, inasmuch as the Apostles, after leaving a few things, obtained the manifold gifts of grace, and were accounted great every where. We then shall be like to them. If a man has left his home, he shall receive an abiding place above. If his father, he shall have a Father in heaven. If he has forsaken his kindred, Christ shall take him for a brother. If he has given up a wife, he shall find divine wisdom, from which he shall beget spiritual offspring. If a mother, he shall find the heavenly Jerusalem, who is our mother. From brethren and sisters also united together with him by the spiritual bond of his will, he shall receive in this life far more kindly affections.

And to convince them that He foreknew His Passion, and of His own accord came to it, that they might not say, "How has He fallen into the hands of the enemy, who promised us salvation?" He relates in order the successive events of the Passion; He shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and scourged, and spitted on.

The disciples did not as yet know exactly what the Prophets had foretold, but after He rose again, He opened their understanding that they should understand the Scriptures. (Luke 24:25.)

He told them beforehand what would happen so that they might be aware that he foreknew his passion. Although it was in his power easily to escape, Christ still went ahead to willingly meet it. Saying, "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem," he urgently testified and commanded them to remember what had been foretold. He necessarily added that the holy prophets had foretold all these things. As in the person of Christ, Isaiah says, "I have given my back to scourging, and my cheeks to buffetings; and I have not turned away my face from the shame of spitting." In another place, the prophet says of him, "As a sheep he was led unto the slaughter, and was silent, as a lamb before its shearer." "All we like sheep have gone astray: every one has gone astray in his path, and the Lord has delivered him up because of our sins." In the twenty-second psalm, blessed David, painting as it were beforehand the sufferings upon the cross, set before us Jesus speaking as one already hanging on the tree. He says, "But I am a worm, and no man; scorned by men and despised by the people. All who see me mock at me, they make mouths at me, they wag their heads; 'He committed his cause to the Lord; let him deliver him, let him rescue him, for he delights in him!' " Some of the Jews did shake their wicked heads at him, deriding him and saying, "If you are the Son of God, come down now from the cross, and we will believe you." He said, "They divide my garments among them, and for my raiment they cast lots." In another place, Christ again says of those that crucified him, "They gave gall for my food, and for my thirst they made me drink vinegar."

Having been brought up a Jew, he was not ignorant that of the seed of David should God be born according to the flesh, and therefore he addresses Him as God, saying, Have mercy upon me. Would that those might imitate him who divide Christ into two. For he speaks of Christ as God, yet calls Him Son of David. But they marvel at the justice of his confession, and some even wished to prevent him from confessing his faith. But by checks of this kind his ardour was not damped. For faith is able to resist all, and to triumph over all. It is a good thing to lay aside shame in behalf of divine worship. For if for money's sake some are bold, is it not fitting when the soul is at stake, to put on a righteous boldness? As it follows, But he cried out the more, Son of David, & c. The voice of one invoking in faith stops Christ, for He looks back upon them who call upon Him in faith. And accordingly He calls the blind man to Him, and bids him draw nigh, that he in truth who had first laid hold on Him in faith, might approach Him also in the body. The Lord asks this blind man as he drew near, What will thou that I shall do? He asks the question purposely, not as ignorant, but that those who stood by might know that he sought not money, but divine power from God. And thus it follows, But he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.

From which it is clear, that he was released from a double blindness, both bodily and intellectual. For he would not have glorified Him as God, had he not truly seen Him as He is. But he also gave occasion to others to glorify God; as it follows, And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

The blind man must have understood that the sight of the blind cannot be restored by human means but requires, on the contrary, a divine power and an authority such as God only possesses. With God nothing whatsoever is impossible. The blind man came near to him as to the omnipotent God. How then does he call him the Son of David? What can one answer to this? The following is perhaps the explanation. Since he was born and raised in Judaism, of course, the predictions contained in the law and the holy prophets concerning Christ had not escaped his knowledge. He heard them chant that passage in the book of the Psalms, “The Lord has sworn in truth to David, and will not annul it, saying: ‘of the fruit of your loins I will set a king upon your throne.’ ” The blind man also knew that the blessed prophet Isaiah said, “There will spring up a shoot from the root of Jesse, and from his root a flower will grow up.” Isaiah also said, “Behold, a virgin will conceive and bring forth a son, and they will call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” He already believed that the Word, being God, of his own will had submitted to be born in the flesh of the holy Virgin. He now comes near to him as to God and says, “Have mercy on me, Son of David.” Christ testifies that this was his state of mind in offering his petition. He said to him, “Your faith has saved you.”

Zacchaeus was chief of the publicans, a man entirely abandoned to covetousness, and whose sole object was the increase of his gains: for such was the practice of the publicans, though Paul calls it "idolatry," possibly as being fit only for those who have no knowledge of God. But Zacchaeus continued not among their number, but was counted worthy of mercy at Christ's hands: for He it is Who calls near those who are afar off, and gives light to those who are in darkness.

But come then, and let us see what was the manner of Zacchaeus' conversion. He desired to see Jesus, and climbed therefore into a sycamore tree, and so a seed of salvation sprang up within him. And Christ saw this with the eyes of Deity: and therefore looking up, He saw him also with the eyes of the manhood, and as it was His purpose for all men to be saved, He extends His gentleness to him, and encouraging him, says, "Come down quickly." For he had sought to see Him, but the multitude prevented him, not so much that of the people, as of his sins; and he was little of stature, not merely in a bodily point of view, but also spiritually: and in no other way could he see Him, unless he were raised up from the earth, and climbed into the sycamore, by which Christ was about to pass.

Now the story contains in it an enigma: for in no other way can a man see Christ and believe in Him, except by mounting up into the sycamore, by rendering foolish his members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, etc.