Homily VII.
Matt. II. 4, 5.
“And when he had gathered all the chief priests
and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ
should be born. And they said unto him, in Bethlehem of
Judæa.”
Seest thou how all things are done to convict the Jews? how, as long as He was out of their sight, the envy had not yet laid hold of them, and they rehearsed the testimonies of Him with truth; but when they saw the glory that arose from the miracles, a grudging spirit possessed them, and thenceforth they betrayed the truth.
However, the truth was exalted by all things, and
strength was the more gathered for it even by its enemies. See for
example in this very case, how wonderful and beyond
expectation are the results secretly provided
for. For both the barbarians and the Jews do the same time alike learn
something more of one another, and teach one another. Thus the Jews, for their part, heard from the wise men, that a star also had proclaimed Him in the land of the Persians; the wise men, in their turn, were informed by the Jews that this Man, whom the star proclaimed, prophets also had made known from a long time of old. And the groundof their inquiry was made to both an occasion of setting forth clearer and more perfect instruction; and the enemies of the truth are compelled even against their will to read the writings in favor of the truth, and to interpret the prophecy; although not all of it. For having spoken of Bethlehem, and how that out of it He shall come that should rule Israel, they proceed not afterwards to add what follows, out of flattery to the king. And what was this? That “His goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.”
2. “But why,” one may say, “if He was
to come from thence, did He live in Nazareth after the birth, and
obscure the prophecy?” Nay, He did not obscure it, but unfolded
it the more. For the fact, that while His mother had her constant
residence in the one place, He was born in the other, shows the thing
to have been done by a Divine dispensation.
And for this cause, let me add, neither did He remove
from thence straightway after His birth, but abode forty days, giving
opportunity to them that were disposed to be inquisitive to examine all
things accurately. Because there were in truth many things to move them
to such an inquiry, at least if they had been disposed to give heed to
them. Thus at the coming of the wise men the whole city was in a
flutter,and together with the city the king, and the prophet was brought
forward, and a court of high authority was summoned; and many other
things too were done there, all which Luke relates minutely. Such were
what concerns Anna, and Simeon, and Zacharias, and the angels, and the
shepherds; all which things were to the attentive sufficient to give
hints for ascertaining what had taken place. For if the wise men, who
came from Persia, were not ignorant of the place, much more might they, whose abode it was, acquaint themselves with these things.
He manifested Himself then from the beginning by many
miracles, but when they would not see, He hid Himself for a while, to
be again revealed from another more glorious beginning. For it was no
longer the wise men, nor the star, but the Father from above that
proclaimed Him at the streams of Jordan; and the Spirit likewise came
upon Him, guiding that voice to the head of Him just baptized; and
John, with all plainness of speech, cried out everywhere in Judæa, till inhabited and waste country alike were filled with that kind of doctrine; and the witness too of the miracles, and earth, and sea, and the whole creation, uttered in His behalf a distinct voice. But at the time of the birth, just so many things happened as were fitted quietly to mark out Him that was come. Thus, in order that the Jews might not say, “We know not when He was born, nor whereabouts,” both all these events in which the wise men were concerned were brought about by God’s providence, and the rest of the things which we have mentioned; so that they would have no excuse to plead, for not having inquired into that which had come to pass.
But mark also the exactness of the prophecy. For it does
not say, “He will abide” in Bethlehem, but “He will come out” thence. So that this too was a subject of prophecy, His being simply born there.