Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 19:10-12

"The disciples say unto him, If the case of the man is so with his wife, it is not expedient to marry. But he said unto them, Not all men can receive this saying, but they to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs, that were so born from their mother`s womb: and there are eunuchs, that were made eunuchs by men: and there are eunuchs, that made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven`s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it." — Matthew 19:10-12 (ASV)

St. Jerome: A wife is a grievous burden if one is not permitted to divorce her except for the cause of fornication. For what if she is a drunkard, has an evil temper, or evil habits—must she be kept? The Apostles, perceiving this burden, expressed what they felt: If this is the case for a man with his wife, it is not good to marry.

St. John Chrysostom: For it is an easier thing to contend with oneself and one's own lust than with an evil woman.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: And the Lord did not say it is good, but rather agreed that it is not good. However, He considered the weakness of the flesh, saying, Not all can receive this saying; that is, not all are able to do this.

St. Jerome: But let no one think, when He adds, save they to whom it is given, that either fate or fortune is implied, as though they were virgins only because chance led them to such a state. For it is given to those who have sought it from God, who have longed for it, and who have striven to obtain it.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: But not all can obtain it, because not all desire to obtain it. The prize is before them; whoever desires the honor will not consider the toil. No one would ever be victorious if everyone shunned the struggle. Therefore, because some have fallen from their commitment to continence, we ought not to lose heart in that virtue, for those who fall in battle do not kill the rest.

Therefore, when He says, save they to whom it is given, it shows that unless we receive the aid of grace, we have no strength. But this aid of grace is not denied to those who seek it, for the Lord says above, Ask, and you shall receive.

St. John Chrysostom: Then, to show that this is possible, He says, For there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men. This is as if to say: Consider that if you had been made that way by others, you would have lost the pleasure without gaining the reward.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: For just as a deed without the will does not constitute a sin, so a righteous act is not in the deed unless the will accompanies it. Therefore, honorable continence is not that which bodily mutilation necessarily enforces, but that which the will, with holy purpose, embraces.

St. Jerome: He speaks of three kinds of eunuchs: two are carnal, and one is spiritual. First are those born that way from their mother's womb. Second are those whom enemies or the luxury of a court has made so. Third are those who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven—who could have been men but became eunuchs for Christ. To them the reward is promised, for to the others, whose continence was involuntary, nothing is due.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: He assigns the cause in the first case to nature, in the second to violence, and in the last to personal choice—namely, in the one who determined to be so from hope of the kingdom of heaven.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: For they are born this way, just as others are born having six or four fingers. If God had unchangeably continued the same order by which He formed our bodies in the beginning, His work would have been forgotten among humanity. Therefore, the order of nature is at times changed from its usual course so that God, the framer of nature, may be remembered.

St. Jerome: Or we may say it differently. The eunuchs from their mothers' wombs are those whose nature is colder and not prone to lust. And those who are made so by men are those whom physicians have made so, or those whom the worship of idols has made effeminate, or those who, from the influence of heretical teaching, pretend to be chaste so that they may thereby claim truth for their doctrines.¹

But none of them obtain the kingdom of heaven except for the one who has become a eunuch for Christ's sake. From this it follows, He that is able to receive it, let him receive it. Let each one calculate his own strength, whether he is able to fulfill the precepts of virginity and abstinence. For continence in itself is sweet and alluring, but each person must consider his own strength, so that only the one who is able may receive it.

This is the voice of the Lord exhorting and encouraging His soldiers toward the reward of chastity, so that whoever can fight, may fight, conquer, and triumph.

St. John Chrysostom: When He says, Who have made themselves eunuchs, He does not mean the cutting off of limbs, but the putting away of evil thoughts. For he who cuts off a limb is under a curse, as such a person undertakes the deeds of murderers. He also opens a door to the Manichaeans, who devalue creation and cut off the same limbs as the Gentiles do.

To cut off limbs is from the temptation of demons. Furthermore, by this physical act, desire is not diminished but is actually made more urgent, for it has its source elsewhere—chiefly in a weak will and an unguarded heart. For if the heart is well-governed, there is no danger from natural impulses. Nor does the amputation of a limb bring such peace and immunity from temptation as does a bridle on the thoughts.

1. cf Origen in loc.