Appearance And Instruction

Οἱ δὲ ἕνδεκα μαθηταὶ ἐπορεύθησαν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν καὶ οἱ μὲν προσεκύνησαν, οἱ δὲ αὐτὸν ἐδίστασαν. Αὕτη μοι δοκεῖ ἐσχάτη ὅψις εἴναι ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ, ὅτε αὐτοὺς ἐξέπεμπε βαπτίσοντας. Εἰ δὲ ἐδίστασάν τινες, κάντεῦθεν πάλιν θαύμασον αὐτῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν, πῶς οὐδὲ τὰ μέχρις ἐσχάτης ἡμέρας ἐλαττώματα αὐτῶν ἀποκρύπτονατι. Ἀλλ' ὅμως και οὕτοι διὰ τῆς ὅψεως ἐβεβαυώθηαν. Τί οὐν φησιν ἰδῶν αὐτούς; Ἐδόθη μοι πᾶσα ἑξουσία ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς. Πάλιν ἀνθρωπινώτερον αὐτοῖς διαλέγεται· οὐδέπω γὰρ ἧσαν τὸ Πνεῦμα εἰληφότες τὸ δυνάμενον ὑψηλοὺς αὐτοὺς ποιῆται. Πορευθέντες μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ τοῦ Υἱου, καὶ τοῦ ἅγια Πνεύματος, διδάσκοντες αὐτοὺς τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμεν ὑμῖν· τὸ μὲν περὶ δογμάτων, τὸ δὲ περὶ ἐντολῶν παραγέλλων. Και Ἰουδαίων μὲν οὐδὲν μέμμνηται, ουδὲ εἰς μέσον φέρει τὰ γεγενημένα, οὐδὲ ὀνειδίζει Πέτρῳ τὴν ἂρνησιν, οὐδὲ τῶν ἄλλων οὐδενὶ τὴν φυγὴν· κελεύει δὲ εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐκχυθῆναι πᾶσαν, σύντομον διδασκαλίαν ἐγχειρίσας, τὴν διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος. Εἴτα ἐπειδὴ μεγάλα αὐτοῖς ἐπέταξεν, ἐπαίρων αὐτῶν τὰ φρονήματα, φησίν· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος. Εἴδες αὐθεντίαν πάλιν; εἴδες πῶς καὶ ἐκεῖνα συγκαταβάσεως ἕνεκεν εἴρηται; Οὐ μετ' ἐκείνων δὲ μόνον εἴπεν ἔσεσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετ' πάντων τῶν μετ' ἐκείνους πιστευόντων. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος οἱ ἀπόστολοι μένειν ἔμελλον· ἀλλ' ὡς ἐνὶ σώματι διαλέγεται τοῖς πιστοῖς. Μὴ γὰρ μοι τὴν δυσκολίαν, φησὶν, εἴπητε τῶν πραγμάτων· ἐγώ γάρ εἰμι μεθ' ὑμῶν, ὁ πάντα ποιῶν εὕκολα. Τοῦτο καὶ τοῖς προφήταις ἔλεγεν ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ συνεχῶς, καὶ τῷ Ἰερεμίᾳ νεότητα προβαλλομένῳ, καὶ τῷ Μωύσῇ καὶ τῷ Ἰεζεκιήλ ἀναδυομένοι· Ἐγὼ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰμι τοῦτο καὶ ἐνταῦθα τούτοις. Σκόπει δέ μοι κάναταῦθα τὴν τούτων διαφοράν. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ εἰς ἐν ἔθνος ἀποστελλόμενοι, πολλάκις παρῇτοῦντο· οὗτοι δὲ οὐδὲν τοιοὺτον ἐφθέγξαντο, εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην πεμπόμενοι. Ἀναμιμνήσκει δὲ αὐτοὺς καὶ τῆς συντελείας, ἵνα μᾶλλον αὐτοὺς ἐφελκύσηται, καὶ μὴ τὰ παρόντα ὀρῶσι μόνον δεινὰ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα ἀγαθὰ τὰ ἀπέεραντα. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ λυπηρὰ, φησὶν, ἂπερ ὑποστήσεσθε, τῷ παρόντι βίῳ συγκαταλύεται, ὅπου γὲ καὶ αὐτοὺς ὁ αἰων οὕτος εἰς συντέλειαν ἤξει· τὰ δὲ χρηστὰ, ὧν ἀπολαύσεσθε, ἀθάνατα μένει, καθάπερ πολλάκις ἔμπροσθεν εἴπον. Οὔτος ἀλείψας καὶ ἐγείρας αὐτῶν τὰ φρονὴματε καὶ τῇ μνήμῃ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης, ἐξέπεμψεν. Ἡ γὰρ ἡμέρα ἐκείνη τοῖς ἐν κατορθώμασι ζῶσι ποθεινὴ, ὥσπερ οὖν τοῖς ἐν ἁμαρτήμασι φοβερὰ, καθάπερ τοῖς καταδίκοις. Ἀλλὰ μὴ φοβώμεθα μόνον καὶ φρίττωμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μεταβαλλώμεθα ἕως ἐστὶ καιρὸς, καὶ ἀνενέγκμωεν ἐκ τῆς πονηρίας· δυνάμεθα γὰρ, ἂν ἰθίλωμεν. Εἰ γὰρ πρὸ τῆς χάριτες πολλοὶ τούτο ἐποίησαν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον μετὰ τὴν χάριν. Ἅγιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Χρυσόστομος Ὑμομνήμα εἰς τον Ἅγιον Ματθαιον Τον Εὐαγγελιστην, Ὁμίλια ϟ Migne PG 58.789-790

'Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, and some worshiped and some doubted Him.' 1 This seems to me to be the last appearance in Galilee, when He sent them forth to baptize. And if some doubted, here again let us wonder at their truthfulness, how they do not conceal their shortcomings even up to the last day. But even so, these are assured by the sight. What then does He say to them, seeing them? 'All power is given to me in heaven and on earth.' 2 Again He speaks to them in more human fashion, for they had not yet received the Spirit, which was able to raise them on high. 'Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all the things which I have commanded you;' which bears one charge for teaching, and another concerning commandments. And He makes no mention of the Jews, nor brings forward the things which had been done, nor reproves Peter for his denial, nor any of the others for their flight, but He commands them to pour forth over the whole world, having put into their hands a summary of the doctrine, expressed by baptism. Then, because He had enjoined on them great things, that He might lift up their hearts, He says, 'I am with you always, even to the end of the world.' 3 Do you see His power again? Do you see how those other things also were spoken for condescension? And He did not promise to be with them only, but even with all who believe after. For indeed the Apostles were not to remain here until 'the end of the world,' but He speaks to the believers as to one body. 'For tell me not of difficulty,' He says, 'for I am with you who make all things easy.' This He also continually said to the Prophets in the Old Testament. To Jeremiah protesting his youth, 4 to Moses and Ezekiel who would refuse 'I am with you,' and here also to these men. But note the difference, for the others, when sent to one people, often excused themselves, and these men said nothing of the sort, though sent out to the whole world. And He reminds them also of the consummation, that He may draw them on more, and that they may not look only at present dangers, but also to the good things to come that are without end. 'For the grievous things,' He says, 'you will suffer, finish together with the present life, as even this world will come to an end, but the good things which you shall enjoy are immortal, as I have often told you before.' Thus having anointed and roused their minds by the remembrance of that day, He sent them forth. For that day is to be desired by those who live in good works, even as it is terrible to those in sin, as to the damned. But let us not fear only, and shudder, but let us change too, while there is time, and let us rise out of wickedness; for we can do so, if we wish it. For if before with grace many did this, much more after with grace. Saint John Chrysostom, On The Gospel of Saint Matthew, from Homily 90 1 Mt 28.16-17 2 Mt 28.18 3 Mt 28.20 4 Jerem 1.6, 8