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Translated by John Patrick.
Origen Resources OnLine & in Print
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128 Pages
Page 76
15. Eating with Unwashed Heart Defiles the Man.
Next to this let us see how the things which proceed out and defile the man do not defile the man because of their proceeding out of the mouth, but have the cause of their defilement in the heart, when there come forth out of it, before those things which proceed through the mouth, evil thoughts, of which the species are--murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings. [5479] For these are the things which defile the man, when they come forth out of the heart, and going out from it proceed through the mouth; so that, if they did not come out of the heart, but were retained there somewhere about the heart, and were not allowed to be spoken through the mouth, they would very quickly disappear, and a man would be no more defiled. The spring and source, then, of every sin are evil thoughts; for, unless these gained the mastery, neither murders nor adulteries nor any other such thing would exist. Therefore, each man must keep his own heart with all watchfulness; [5480] for when the Lord comes in the day of judgment, "He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts," [5481] "all the thoughts of men meanwhile accusing or else excusing them," [5482] "when their own devices have beset them about." [5483] But of such a nature are the evil thoughts that sometimes they make worthy of censure even those things which seem good, and which, so far as the judgment of the masses is concerned, are worthy of praise. Accordingly, if we do alms before men, having in our thoughts the design of appearing to men philanthropic, and of being honoured because of philanthropy, we receive the reward from men; [5484] and, universally, everything that is done with the consciousness in the doer that he will be glorified by men, has no reward from Him who beholds in secret, and renders the reward to those who are pure, in secret.
[5479] Matt. xv. 18, 19.
[5480] Prov. iv. 23.
[5481] 1 Cor. iv. 5.
[5482] Rom. ii. 15.
[5483] Hos. vii. 2.
[5484] Matt. vi. 1, 2.
Reference address : https://www.ellopos.net/Elpenor/greek-texts/fathers/origen/matthew-commentary.asp?pg=76
