Matthew 27:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Consider, those who think that by committing murder they are benefiting their neighbors, and in doing so place a price on souls—these are not merely favors of the Jews, but rather they are diabolical! Even today, there are some who, after robbing many, believe they have acted righteously if they donate a sum, whether ten or a hundred coins. Concerning them, the prophet states: "You make them pour tears on the altar" (Malachi 2:13). Christ does not desire to consume the fruits of greed, nor will He accept such offerings. Why do you insult the Lord with impure gifts? It is better to neglect the hungry than to partake of such tainted sustenance. That is the act of a callous individual, and it is both hard-hearted and offensive. It is better to give nothing than to offer what belongs to another. Tell me, if you witnessed two individuals, one without clothing and the other clad, and in undressing the latter you clothed the former, would you not consider that wrong? Everyone would agree. But if you, in your attempts to restore what you have taken from another, merely offend without showing mercy, then when you give only a small portion of what you have usurped and label it charity, what punishment do you not deserve? If those who brought a blemished offering faced judgment, you, who commit a greater wrongdoing, what pardon can you anticipate? If in the Old Testament a thief who returned what he stole still remained guilty, to the point where even repaying fourfold (Exodus 22:1) hardly absolved his offense, imagine the wrath that awaits one who not only steals but also inflicts harm, returning not even to the thief himself but instead giving to another, and who not only fails to return even half, living not under the Old Covenant but under the New. If such a thief goes unpunished, weep for him for he is gathering upon himself the gravest of judgments unless he repents. Do you believe, asked the Savior, that those upon whom the tower collapsed were the only sinners? "I tell you, no: but unless you repent, you too will all perish" (Luke 13:5). Therefore, let us repent and give generously from the fruits of our labor, not out of greed. Consider the Jews who sustained eight thousand Levites, along with widows and orphans, while fulfilling numerous other duties, even in times of war. The Church itself now maintains fields, homes, and provides land for shelters; it supports the chariots, stablemen, and mules, all for your benefit due to your stubbornness. These church treasures ought to have been in your stewardship, and your diligence should have enriched the Church. But now two issues arise from this: you find yourselves barren of fruit, and the priests of God are failing to fulfill their intended roles. Did not houses and fields remain with the apostles? Why did they sell everything and share it? Because that was deemed better. However, when you are obsessively preoccupied with earthly concerns, hoarding rather than sharing, your forebears were troubled by the plight of widows, orphans, and maidens, fearing that these destitute souls might perish from hunger; thus, they established this order. They had no desire to engage in such unseemly tasks; they desired that your diligence alone would be their legacy, enabling them to receive the fruits of it while remaining devoted to prayer. But now you compel them to mimic the worldly who are concerned with their households: hence everything is turned upside down. When both you and we do the same, who will intercede with God? We cannot even speak, for the Church is no different from those in the world. Do you not know how the apostles refrained from dividing property, even when it was amassed without effort? But our bishops have outdone the stewards, accountants, and tavern keepers in such matters, while they should be caring for your souls, they instead attend daily to the tasks of collectors, receivers, counters, and treasurers. I speak of this not in vain; I express my sorrow in hopes of seeing some correction and change. I long for us, burdened by such heavy oppression, to be shown mercy so that you might become again for the Church both a source of income and a treasure. But if you refuse, behold the needy before you. As many as we can care for, we will not stop providing for; yet those beyond our reach, we leave to your charity, lest you hear these words on that terrible day meant for the unmerciful: "I was hungry, and you did not feed Me." Your cruelty also brings ridicule upon us, as we leave prayer, teaching, and other sacred duties to struggle day and night with some dealing in wine, others in bread, and others in various trades. Hence arise quarrels and disputes, daily conflicts, insults, and mockeries. The priests are dismissed with titles more suited for worldly dealings, when they ought to be recognized for their true roles in charity—feeding the poor, safeguarding the oppressed, providing for the stranger, aiding the distressed, caring for orphans, interceding for widows, and protecting maidens. These are the ministries that should occupy their attention instead of the management of property and estates. These are the true treasures of the Church, bestowing great comfort, benefitting you, and more importantly, both comforting and benefiting you. I believe that by God's grace, the number of those gathered here has swelled to a hundred thousand; if each were to offer even one loaf to the less fortunate, all would have more than enough; or if each gave just a small coin, there would be no poor left, and we would not endure such scorn and ridicule for our stewardship. After all, when Christ said, "Sell your possessions and give to the poor, and then follow Me" (Matthew 19:21), it is a directive that rightly extends to the leadership of the Church concerning church wealth. No one can genuinely follow Christ unless they forsake all trivial and base matters. Currently, the priests of God are concerned with harvesting grapes and managing sales and purchases. The ministers of the Old Covenant were free from such worries, despite being tasked with bodily service; yet we, called into the very presence of heaven and entering the true holy of holies, take upon ourselves the concerns typical of merchants and tavern keepers. This leads to serious neglect of Scripture, prayer, and other vital duties. We cannot adequately dedicate ourselves to both pursuits. Therefore, I earnestly implore you to provide for us springs of abundance so that your efforts may serve as both our granary and millstone. In this way, the poor will be well-nourished, God will be silently glorified, and you, showing compassion to humanity, will one day receive eternal blessings, which may be granted to us all through the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

21:9), or the gold from Egypt (Ex. 11:2), or the gold that David amassed from various nations and dedicated to the Lord (2 Sam. 8:11), or even the crown of jewels he wore while praising in the spirit (2 Sam. 12:30, Ps. 20:4), or the offerings of the Philistines that were permanently designated there? (1 Sam. 6:11) Did not Nebuchadnezzar seize all the sacred vessels and store them in the temple of his gods? (4 Sam. 25) The Philistines even brought the ark of the covenant into the temple of Dagon (1 Sam. 5:2). Who has the power to transform what is unclean into something holy and sanctified? If they acquired the field with this silver because He declared Himself as God, then it was fitting to adorn the altar with it. Yet, this was not what they truly intended; their aim was to obstruct the fulfillment of the prophecy.

Our downfall is caused by our transgressions, but His compassion restores us by renewing a steadfast spirit within us, as mentioned in Jeremiah 18:7-8.

The price of blood signifies the cost of Christ's suffering. Through this price, Christ redeems humanity, as indicated in St. Hidarius of Pictavia in his account of Matthew 32:6. His mission was to ensure that the world could attain salvation through Him, as articulated in John 3:17. As both the Creator and Lawgiver of all, He came to grant eternal grace to all who have died with Christ through baptism, as affirmed in Romans 6:4 and Colossians 2:12. However, burial does not apply universally to everyone. Despite the world's capacity to embrace all, it does not safeguard all souls. While the place of residence is shared by many, burial is only lawful for those who have become part of God's household through faith, even though, under the law, they may have been considered outsiders. It is written, “Remember that you who were once Gentiles according to the flesh were alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the covenants of promise” (Ephesians 2:11-12). Now, however, they are neither aliens nor strangers; through faith, they have attained the status of fellow citizens with the saints.

A generation later, Anne's residence was destroyed by an enraged mob, dragging his son through the streets, beaten and scourged, all the way to the site of the crucifixion. Some participants and spectators of that horrific scene, along with thousands of their descendants, endured the protracted horrors of the siege of Jerusalem, an event unmatched in its brutal ferocity. The Jews proclaimed, "We have no king but Caesar!" and, indeed, they had no king but Caesar. For a time, only the ghost of local, contemptible governance remained as the Caesars continued to insult, plunder, and oppress them until they finally revolted violently against the very Caesar they wished to honor as their king, causing Caesar to drown in the blood of the bravest defenders amid the ruins and ashes of their desecrated temple. They compelled the Romans to crucify their Christ, believing it the worst punishment, yet they and their children faced thousands of crucifixions by the Romans outside their city, where there was no room left for the condemned, prompting soldiers to devise new, cruel methods of execution. They traded thirty pieces of silver for the blood of their Savior and, in return, were themselves sold for an even lower price. They chose Barabbas over their Messiah, resulting in there being no more Messiah for them. They accepted the guilt of bloodshed, and the final chapters of their history are drenched in their own blood, spilled with relentless cruelty throughout the ages. Since that time, Jerusalem and the surrounding areas have become akin to one vast cemetery, Akeldama, a field of blood, a potter's field for the burial of wanderers.

This site would serve as a resting place for those pilgrims, both Jews and proselytes, who had died far from their homeland while fulfilling sacred commitments in Jerusalem. The zealous protectors of the community’s customs found it intolerable, even in death, to commingle the remains of those with questionable beliefs alongside those of devout Jews. Consequently, this new burial ground quickly became known as the field of blood, or Akeldama (Acts 1:19). In this way, the prophecy cited by the holy Apostle Peter was fulfilled in the fate of the betrayer (Acts 1:20), echoing the ancient words of the Psalms: "Let his dwelling place be desolate, and let there be no one to live in it" (Psalm 68:26), and "Let another take his office" (Psalm 108:8).