43. You have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thy enemy. 44. But I say to you, Love your enemies: do good to them that hate you: and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you: 45. That you may be the children of your Father who is in heaven, who maketh his sun to rise upon the good, and bad, and raineth upon the just and the unjust. 46. For if you love them that love you, what reward shall you have? do not even the publicans this? 47. And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more? do not also the heathens this? 48. Be you therefore perfect, as also your heavenly Father is perfect.
6—1
Mt 6:1-4
1. Take heed that you do not your justice before men, to be seen by them: otherwise you shall not have a reward of your Father who is in heaven. 2. Therefore when thou dost an alms-deed, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honoured by men. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. 3. But when thou dost alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth. 4. That thy alms may be in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret will repay thee.
(1) Take heed that you do not your justice . Above, the Lord fulfilled the Law with respect to the precepts; now he begins to fulfill it with respect to the promises. For in the Old Law temporal things were promised, as Augustine says, which were the two most desirable things, namely, worldly glory and an affluence of riches: "If you will hear the voice of the Lord your God, the Lord your God will make you higher than all the nations that dwell on the earth" (Dt 28:1). But the Lord teaches in this chapter not to do works of justice for temporal things, neither for the glory of the world nor for an affluence of riches. This chapter is divided into two parts. In the first part, he teaches that works of justice should not be done for the glory of the world; secondly, that they should not be done for riches, at the words Lay not up to yourselves treasures . Regarding the first, he does two things: first, he sets forth the teaching in general; secondly, he carries it out in detail, at the words Therefore when thou dost . Regarding the first, he does two things: first, he sets forth the instruction; secondly, he assigns the reason for the instruction, at the words otherwise .
He says, therefore, Take heed . He pointedly says "take heed" for three reasons:
First, because attention is needed where something is secretly implied. So it is with the appetite for human praise. Hence Chrysostom: "It enters secretly and imperceptibly carries away all that is within." "From the arrow that flies by day" (Ps 90:6).
Secondly, attention is needed against those things which are difficult to resist. Augustine in his Letter to Aurelius: "How great the virtues the desire for human glory can command, those do not easily know except those who have declared war upon them; for although it is easily not sought when it is denied, yet it is difficult to relinquish when it is offered." "For this reason they could not believe" (Jn 12:39).
Thirdly, because the greater the works, the less can a man be on his guard. Chrysostom: "Every evil vexes the children of the devil, but this one vexes the children of God." "Satan was sitting at the right hand" (Zech 3:1), i.e., the devil lying in ambush against good works.
And he did not say take heed until after he had removed anger of mind, concupiscence, and hatred. For a mind subject to passions cannot attend to what is taking place in the heart: "With all watchfulness keep your heart" (Pr 4:23), and afterward: "Let your eyes look straight ahead" (Pr 4:25).
That you do not your justice , i.e., the work of justice. "Justice" sometimes has a negative connotation, namely, when it is presumed from one's own powers: "Being ignorant of the justice of God" (Rom 10:3); but sometimes it has a positive connotation, as here, that you do not your justice , namely, that which is required of us. For the Lord had said: "Unless your justice abound" (Mt 5:20), and he determines how it could be observed; and if the whole were referred to the praise of men, it would be of no value. And therefore a right intention is necessary, and this is that you do not your justice , etc.
But Chrysostom asks: What if I take the poor man aside? It must be said that if one has glory in his heart and has the intention of glory, it is of no value. And therefore Gregory says: "Let the work be done in public so that the intention may remain hidden," and this is to be seen by them . But do we always seek glory when we wish to be seen by men? Augustine says that something is sought in two ways: in one way, as an ultimate end; in another, as necessary for the end. But we properly seek that which we will as our ultimate end; the other, however, we do not properly seek, which we will as necessary for the end, just as someone seeks a ship in order to go to his homeland — he does not properly seek the ship, but his homeland. Hence, if you wish to be seen by men in order to give them an example and for the glory of God, you are not forbidden, because above he said: "So let your light shine" (Mt 5:16). But it is forbidden that the intention be directed as toward its principal end, and this is to be seen by them alone; just as also pleasing men is sometimes blamed: "If I yet pleased men" (Gal 1:10); and sometimes praised (1 Cor 10:33).
Consequently, he assigns the reason for his instruction; hence, otherwise you shall not have a reward . No one merits anything before someone to whom he gives nothing. Hence, he who does something for the sake of men and not for the sake of God is said to give nothing. Chrysostom: "What wisdom is it to give alms and lose God's reward?" He speaks of this reward of which Genesis (15:1) says: "I am God, your reward," and above: "Your reward is very great" (Mt 5:12).
Consequently, he carries it out in detail when he says: Therefore when thou dost , and this with respect to almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. The second is at the words And when ye pray ; the third, when you fast . And he sets forth these three because, according to Chrysostom, the Lord wished to instruct against those things by which he was tempted, namely, gluttony, avarice, and vainglory, as is clear above in chapter 4; and against gluttony is fasting, against avarice almsgiving, and against vainglory prayer. For nothing can conquer vainglory, since it is even increased by good works.
It should be considered that these three are parts of justice in two ways. For it belongs to satisfactory justice that one who sins should make satisfaction. But sin is threefold: either against God, or against oneself, or against one's neighbor. Against God one sins by pride, and to this is opposed the humility of prayer: "The prayer of him who humbles himself" (Sir 35:21). Against one's neighbor by avarice, and therefore one makes satisfaction by almsgiving. Against oneself by concupiscence of the flesh, and therefore one makes satisfaction by fasting. Jerome: "By prayer the plagues of the mind are healed; by fasting, the plague of the body."
Likewise, these three are parts of the justice that is the proper act of religion. For religious persons ought to offer sacrifice to God. But there is a threefold good: exterior, namely, possessions; interior, the body and the soul. Through almsgiving, therefore, they offer exterior goods: "Do not forget to do good and to share what you have" (Heb 13:16). Through fasting, their own bodies: "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice" (Rom 12:1). Through prayer, the soul, for prayer is "the raising of the mind to God": "Let my prayer be directed" (Ps 141:2).
(2) Regarding almsgiving, therefore, which is the first, he does two things. First, he excludes the undue manner; secondly, he sets forth the due manner, at the words But when thou dost alms . Regarding the first, he excludes the undue manner; secondly, he assigns the reason, at the words Amen I say to you . He excludes the undue manner on three grounds: the sign, the place, and the end. As to the first, he says: Therefore when thou dost an alms-deed . The connection is: Take heed that you do not your justice , etc. Hence, since almsgiving is a part of justice, when thou dost an alms-deed, sound not a trumpet , etc. It was the custom among the Jews that when they gave public alms, they sounded trumpets so that the poor might be gathered together. Therefore, what was introduced from a certain necessity, the malice of men perverted to vainglory. And therefore the Lord forbids it; and according to Chrysostom, it is the same as sounding a trumpet when you desire to appear praiseworthy for any good whatsoever, even if it is done in secret: "Lift up your voice with strength" (Is 40:9).
As the hypocrites . Here he first speaks of hypocrites. Hence we should see what this name "hypocrite" properly means. It is derived and produced from the representation that was done in theatrical plays, where they brought in men wearing masked faces to represent the persons whose deeds they were portraying. Hence "hypocrite" was derived from "hypo," which is "under," and "crisis," which is "judgment." For he was one person and appeared another; and such is the hypocrite, who outwardly has the appearance of holiness and inwardly does not fulfill what he shows. Gregory says that it is not the case if someone sometimes falls through weakness; for those are properly hypocrites who have the appearance of holiness only in order to be seen.
Consequently, he excludes regarding the place, and this too is reproved if it is done with pretense, but not if for the sake of example. In the synagogues , as now in the church, and in the streets , as in a public place. That they may be honoured by men , and this is what he said above: before men, that they may be honoured , etc.: "How can you believe?" (Jn 5:44).
Consequently, he assigns the reason: Amen I say to you, they have received their reward . For each person's reward is that for which he works: "Did you not agree with me for a denarius?" (Mt 20:13).
(3) Consequently, he assigns the due and fitting manner, and afterward assigns the reason, at the words That thy alms may be in secret . He says, therefore: But when thou dost alms . This is expounded in many ways. For Chrysostom says that in the book of the Canons of the Apostles it is expounded thus: by the left hand is understood the unfaithful people; by the right, the faithful. Hence, he means that nothing should be done before unbelievers.
Against this, Augustine objects that when one gives alms for glory, then it ought not to be seen even by the faithful; or if for usefulness, then it ought to be done before unbelievers: this "is properly useful," that seeing your good works they may glorify your Father (Mt 5:16).
But others expound it that by the left hand he means a wife, who sometimes impedes her husband from works of mercy. Hence, he means that even a wife should not know, and the same should be understood of anyone else. And Augustine likewise objects against this, because this precept is given to all; therefore no one should say let not thy left hand know , etc. Hence Augustine expounds it differently, and Chrysostom also, and they come to almost the same thing: they say that in Scripture, by the left hand are understood temporal goods, and by the right, spiritual ones: "In her right hand is length of days" (Pr 3:16). Hence the Lord means that it should not be done for earthly glory. Or, in another way that comes to the same thing: by the right hand are sometimes understood works of virtue, and by the left, sins — as though when a work of virtue is done, it should not be done with any sin. Chrysostom, however, gives the literal sense and says that the Lord speaks by way of excess, as if someone were to say: if it were possible, I would not want even my foot to know this.
(4) The reason is given: That thy alms may be in secret , and in your conscience, which is hidden: "No one knows the things of a man" (1 Cor 2:11); and again: "Our glory is this, the testimony of our conscience" (2 Cor 1:12). For thus is that text understood: "For it is not he who is a Jew outwardly" (Rom 2:28).
And thy Father who seeth in secret will repay thee : "All things are naked and open" (Heb 4:13); "The heart of man is perverse" (Jer 17:9). Augustine says that in some manuscripts there is found "will repay thee openly," because just as the devil endeavors to lay open and publish what is in the conscience in order to cause scandal, so God for greater benefit and also as an example to the wicked will bring forth good things. Hence, many saints could not remain hidden: "He will bring forth your justice as the light" (Ps 37:6), which you held in secret. Yet this does not seem to be part of the text.