Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 11:7-10

"And as these went their way, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to behold? a reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out to see? a man clothed in soft [raiment]? Behold, they that wear soft [raiment] are in king`s houses. But wherefore went ye out? to see a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet. This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way before thee." — Matthew 11:7-10 (ASV)

St. John Chrysostom: Enough had now been done for John's disciples; they returned assured concerning Christ by the wonderful works they had seen. But it was necessary that the multitude also should be corrected, for they had formed many wrong ideas from the question of John's disciples, not knowing John's purpose in sending them. They might have been thinking, "He who bore such witness to Christ has now changed his mind and doubts whether this is He. Does he do this because he is jealous of Jesus? Has the prison taken away his courage? Or were the words he spoke before empty and untrue?"¹

St. Hilary of Poitiers: Therefore, so that this might not lead them to think of John as being offended with Christ, the text continues, "When they had gone away, Jesus began to speak to the multitudes concerning John."

St. John Chrysostom: He spoke "as they departed" so that He would not seem to be flattering the man. In correcting the error of the multitude, He does not openly expose their secret suspicions. Instead, by framing His words to address what was in their hearts, He shows that He knows hidden things.

He did not say to them as He did to the Jews, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?", although what they had thought was indeed evil. Yet it did not proceed from wickedness, but from ignorance. Therefore, He did not speak to them harshly but answered on John's behalf, showing that he had not fallen from his former opinion. He teaches them this not by His word only, but by their own witness—the witness of their actions and their words.

"What did you go out into the wilderness to see?" As if to say, "Why did you leave the towns and go out into the wilderness?" Such great multitudes would not have gone so quickly into the desert if they had not expected to see someone great and wonderful—someone more stable than a rock.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: They had not gone out at this time into the desert to see John, for he was no longer in the desert but in prison. But Jesus is speaking of the time when John was still in the desert, and the people flocked to him.

St. John Chrysostom: And note that, without mentioning any other fault, He clears John of the fickleness the multitude suspected, saying, "A reed shaken by the wind?"

St. Gregory the Great: He proposes this question not to affirm it, but to deny it. For if just a breath of air touches a reed, it bends it one way or another. This is a type of the carnal mind, which leans to either side depending on whether the breath of praise or detraction reaches it.²

John was not a reed shaken by the wind, for no change of circumstance bent him from his uprightness. The Lord's meaning, then, is this:

St. Jerome: "Was it for this that you went out into the desert? To see a man like a reed, carried about by every wind, who, out of fickleness, now doubts the One whom he once preached? Or perhaps he is stirred up against Me by the sting of envy and seeks empty honor from his preaching, so that he might profit from it. Why would he covet wealth? So that he could have dainty food? But his food is locusts and wild honey. So that he could wear soft clothing? But his clothing is camel's hair." This is why He adds, "But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment?"

St. John Chrysostom: To put it another way, you yourselves have shown that John is not a wavering reed by going out to him in the desert. Nor can anyone say that John was once firm but has since become willful and wavering. For just as some are prone to anger by their natural disposition while others become so through long weakness and indulgence, so it is with inconstancy: some are inconstant by nature, while others become so by yielding to their own whims and self-indulgence.

But John was not inconstant by natural disposition; this is what He means by saying, "What did you go out to see? A reed shaken by the wind?" Nor had he corrupted his excellent nature by self-indulgence, for the fact that he did not serve the flesh is shown by his clothing, his dwelling in the desert, and his imprisonment. If he had sought soft clothing, he would not have lived in the desert but in kings' houses: "Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses."

St. Jerome: This teaches that an austere life and strict preaching should avoid kings' courts and the palaces of the rich and luxurious.

St. Gregory the Great: Let no one suppose that there is nothing sinful in luxury and rich dress. If the pursuit of such things were blameless, the Lord would not have commended John for the coarseness of his clothing in this way, nor would Peter have checked the desire for fine clothes in women as he does: "not in costly raiment" (1 Peter 3:3).³

St. Augustine of Hippo: In all such things, we do not blame the use of the items, but the sinful desire of those who use them. For whoever uses the good things available to him more sparingly than is customary for those with whom he lives is either temperate or superstitious. Conversely, whoever uses them in a measure exceeding the practice of the good people among whom he lives either has a specific purposeⁱ in doing so, or else is simply self-indulgent.⁴

St. John Chrysostom: Having described John's habits from his dwelling place, his clothing, and the crowds of people who came to hear him, Jesus now introduces the fact that he is also a prophet: "But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet."

St. Gregory the Great: The office of a prophet is to foretell things to come, not to show them as present. John, therefore, is more than a prophet because the One whom he foretold by going before Him, he also revealed as present by pointing Him out.⁵

St. Jerome: In this he is also greater than the other prophets: to his prophetic privilege is added the reward of being the Baptist who would baptize his Lord.

St. John Chrysostom: Then He shows in what respect John is greater, saying, "This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my angel before your face.’"

St. Jerome: To add to this great worthiness of John, He brings a passage from Malachi (Malachi 3:1), in which John is spoken of as an Angel. We must suppose that John is called an "Angel" here not because he shares the angelic nature, but because of the dignity of his office as a forerunner of the Lord.

St. Gregory the Great: For the Greek word angelos is nuntius in Latin, meaning "a messenger." Therefore, he who came to bear a heavenly message is rightly called an Angel, so that he may preserve in his title the dignity that he fulfills in his office.

St. John Chrysostom: He shows that John is greater than the prophets because he is near to Christ, as He says, "I send...before your face"—that is, near You. Just as those who walk next to the king's chariot are more illustrious than others, so too is John because of his nearness to Christ.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Also, the other prophets were sent to announce Christ's coming, but John was sent to prepare His way, as it follows: "who will prepare your way before you."

Glossa Ordinaria: That is, he will open the hearts of Your hearers by preaching repentance and baptizing.⁶

St. Jerome: Mystically, the desert is that which is deserted by the Holy Spirit, where there is no dwelling place for God. The reed signifies a man who outwardly appears to live a pious life but lacks any real fruit within himself. He is fair on the outside but hollow within, moved by every breath of wind—that is, by every impulse of unclean spirits—having no firmness to remain still and being devoid of the soul's substance.

The garment with which his body is clothed shows that his mind is lost in luxury and self-indulgence. The kings are the fallen angels; they are the ones who are powerful in this life and the lords of this world. Thus, "Those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses"; that is, it is clear that those whose bodies are weakened and destroyed by luxury are possessed by demons.

St. Gregory the Great: Likewise, John was not "clothed in soft raiment"; that is, he did not encourage sinners in their sinful life by speaking smooth things to them. Instead, he rebuked them with sharpness and rigor, saying, "Brood of vipers!" and so on (Matthew 3:7).

1. Hom xxxvii
2. Hom in Ev. vi. 2
3. Hom in Ev., vi., 3
4. Doctr. Christ., iii, 12
5. Hom. in Ev., vi. 5
6. interlin.