Homilies on Matthew — Homily 12

St. John Chrysostom

1. 0. Greeting
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5

Matt. III. 13.

Then comes Jesus from Galilee to Jordan, etc.

With the servants the Lord, with the criminals the Judge, comes to be baptized. But be not troubled; for in these humiliations His exaltation does most shine forth. For He who vouchsafed to be borne so long in a Virgin's womb, and to come forth thence with our nature, and to be smitten with rods, and crucified, and to suffer all the rest which He suffered — why do you marvel if He vouchsafed also to be baptized, and to come with the rest to His servant. For the amazement lay in that one thing, that being God, He would be made Man; but the rest after this all follows in course of reason.

For this cause, let me add, John also by way of anticipation said all that he had said before, that he was not worthy to unloose the latchet of His shoe; and all the rest, as for instance, that He is Judge, and rewards every man according to his desert, and that He will bestow His Spirit abundantly on all; in order that when you should see Him coming to the baptism, you might not suspect anything mean. Therefore he forbids Him, even when He had come, saying,

I have need to be baptized by You, and You come to me. [[Matthew 3.14]] For, because the baptism was of repentance, and led men to accuse themselves for their offenses, lest any one should suppose that He too comes to Jordan in this sort of mind, John sets it right beforehand, by calling Him both Lamb, and Redeemer from all the sin that is in the world. Since He that was able to take away the sins of the whole race of men, much more was He Himself without sin. For this cause then he said not, Behold, He that is without sin, but what was much more, He that bears the sin of the world, in order that together with this truth you might receive that other with all assurance, and having received it might perceive, that in the conduct of some further economy He comes to the baptism. Wherefore also he said to Him when He came, I have need to be baptized by You, and You come to me?

And he said not, And are You baptized of me? nay, for this he feared to say: but what? And You come to me? What then does Christ? What He did afterwards with respect to Peter, this did He then also. For so he too would have forbidden Him to wash his feet, but when he had heard, What I do you know not now, but you shall know hereafter, and you have no part with me, [[John 13.7]]-8 he speedily withdrew from his determination, and went over to the contrary. And this man again in like manner, when he had heard, Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness, straightway obeyed. For they were not unduly contentious, but they manifested both love and obedience, and made it their study to be ruled by their Lord in all things.

And mark how He urges him on that very ground which chiefly caused him to look doubtfully on what was taking place; in that He did not say, thus it is just, but thus it becomes. For, inasmuch as the point unworthy of Him was in his m