5. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Tell me, what kind of earth? Some say a figurative earth, but it is not this, for nowhere in Scripture do we find any mention of an earth that is merely figurative. But what can the saying mean? He holds out a sensible prize; even as
Paul also does, in that when he had said, Honor your father and your mother,
Ephesians 6:2 he added, For so shall you live long upon the earth. And He Himself unto the thief again, Today shall you be with me in Paradise.
Luke 23:43
Thus He does not incite us by means of the future blessings only, but of the present also, for the sake of the grosser sort of His hearers, and such as before the future seek those others.
Thus, for example, further on also He said, Agree with your adversary.
Matthew 5:25Then He appoints the reward of such self-command, and says, Lest at any time the adversary deliver you to the judge, and the judge to the officer.
Matthew 5:25 Do you see whereby He alarmed us? By the things of sense, by what happens before our eyes. And again, Whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council.
Matthew 5:22
And
Paul too sets forth sensible rewards at great length, and uses things present in his exhortations; as when he is discoursing about
virginity. For having said nothing about the heavens there, for the time he urges it by things present, saying, Because of the present distress, and, But I spare you, and, I would have you without carefulness.
Thus accordingly Christ also with the things spiritual has mingled the sensible. For whereas the meek man is thought to lose all his own, He promises the contrary, saying, Nay, but this is he who possesses his goods in safety, namely, he who is not rash, nor boastful: while that sort of man shall often lose his patrimony, and his very life.
And besides, since in the
Old Testament the
prophet used to say continually, The meek shall inherit the earth; He thus weaves into His discourse the words to which they were accustomed, so as not everywhere to speak a strange language.
And this He says, not as limiting the rewards to things present, but as joining with these the other sort of gifts also. For neither in speaking of any spiritual thing does He exclude such as are in the present life; nor again in promising such as are in our life, does He limit his promise to that kind. For He says, Seek the
kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 6:33 And again: Whosoever has left houses or brethren, shall receive an hundred fold in this world, and in the future shall inherit everlasting life.
6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness.
Matthew 5:6
What sort of righteousness? He means either the whole of
virtue, or that particular
virtuewhich is opposed to
covetousness. For since He is about to give commandment concerning mercy, to show how we must show mercy, as, for instance, not of rapine or
covetousness, He blesses them that lay hold of righteousness.
And see with what exceeding force He puts it. For He said not, Blessed are they which keep fast by righteousness, but, Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: that not merely anyhow, but with all desire we may pursue it. For since this is the most peculiar property of
covetousness, and we are not so enamored of meat and drink, as of gaining, and compassing ourselves with more and more, He bade us to transfer this desire to a new object, freedom from
covetousness.
Then He appoints the prize, again from things sensible; saying, for they shall be filled. Thus, because it is thought that the rich are commonly made such by
covetousness, Nay,says He, it is just contrary: for it is righteousness that does this. Wherefore, so long as you do righteously,
fear not poverty, nor tremble at hunger. For the extortioners, they are the very
persons who lose all, even as he certainly who is in
love with righteousness, possesses himself the goods of all
men in safety.
But if they who
covet not other men's goods enjoy so great abundance, much more they who give up their own.
Blessed are the merciful.
Matthew 5:7
Here He seems to me to speak not of those only who show mercy in giving of money, but those likewise who are merciful in their actions. For the way of showing mercy is manifold, and this commandment is broad. What then is the reward thereof? For they shall obtain mercy.
And it seems indeed to be a sort of equal recompence, but it is a far greater thing than the act of goodness. For whereas they themselves show mercy as men, they obtain mercy from the
God of all; and it is not the same thing, man's mercy, and God's; but as wide as is the interval between
wickedness and goodness, so far is the one of these removed from the other.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Matthew 5:8
Behold again the reward is spiritual. Now He here calls pure, either those who have attained unto all
virtue, and are not conscious to themselves of any
evil; or those who live in
temperance. For there is nothing which we need so much in order to see
God, as this last
virtue. Wherefore
Paul also said, Follow peace with all
men, and
holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
Hebrews 12:14 He is here speaking of such sight as it is possible for man to have.
For because there are many who show mercy, and who commit no rapine, nor are
covetous, who yet are guilty of fornication and uncleanness; to signify that the former alone suffices not, He has added this, much in the same sense as
Paul, writing to the Corinthians, bore
witness of the Macedonians, that they were rich not only in almsgiving, but also in all other
virtue. For having spoken of the noble spirit they had shown in regard of their goods, he says, They gave also their own selves to the Lord, and to us.
2 Corinthians 8:5
Saint John Chrysostom
