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Explanation for:
Matthew
3
:
10
For now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that doth not yield good fruit, shall be cut down, and cast into the fire.
12
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{"arr":[{"author-name":"Jerome of Stridon","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88dcd3432c6dd41375498_Jerome%20of%20Stridon.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The proclamation of the Gospel, described as a two-edged sword, is likened to an axe by the prophet Jeremiah, who draws a comparison between the Lord's word and an axe that cleaves stone."},{"author-name":"John Chrysostom","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88ea76859f9f8e2ffd3ee_John%20Chrysostom.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"Notice how he amplifies their fear with the subsequent words, stirring them into anxiety. When he proclaimed that God could bring forth children for Abraham from these stones, he immediately added, “Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees.” His entire message was unsettling. By the very nature of his existence, he spoke with boldness, and they demanded a stern admonition, having long grown indifferent. “Shall I inform you,” he asks, “that you will lose your lineage with the patriarch and witness others emerging from the stones to take your honors?” Yet, this punishment will not stop there; it will reach even further. “Indeed,” he says, “the axe lies at the root of the trees.” Nothing could be more fearsome than this declaration. You do not see a sickle swinging, nor a hedge destroyed, nor a vineyard overrun, but rather a sharp axe, and what is even more ominous, it rests at your doorstep. Disbelieving the prophets, they often questioned, “Where is the day of the Lord?” and urged, “Let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel come, that we may understand” (Isaiah 5:19). Since many prophecies were fulfilled only after long periods, to strip them of this comfort, he warns them of an impending disaster, expressed with the word “already,” and additionally notes “at the root.” There is no longer any distance; it is at the very root. He did not say at the branches or the fruit, but at the root, indicating that should they remain careless, they would face inevitable disasters without hope of escape. This is because, he asserts, the one who has come is no longer a servant like those who preceded him, but the Lord of all, holding in his hand the dreadful retribution.\\n\\nYet, having instilled fear, he does not allow them to fall into despair. Just as he earlier stated that God could raise children of Abraham, crafting a message of both terror and comfort, here he does not declare that the axe has already struck the root but rather that it rests at the root, indicating no delay. However, although he acknowledges this close proximity, he places the act of cutting dependent on their own choices. If they repent and improve, this axe will be removed from the root without causing harm. But if they persist in their former ways, the axe will not hesitate to sever the tree from its roots. For this very reason, it remains beside the root, neither taking it away nor damaging it, so that you, on one hand, do not fall into negligence, and on the other, remain assured that salvation is still possible, albeit briefly, if you turn back. In this manner, he intensifies their fear to rouse them and encourage repentance. To abandon one’s forebears, to witness others rise in their stead, to stand on the brink of danger, and to be subject to irremediable evil—these notions, conveyed through the imagery of the root and the axe, are certainly enough to awaken even the most apathetic souls and spur them into action. Paul addresses this very theme, noting that “the word is brought low; the Lord will act throughout the earth.” But fear not; rather, let your fear lead you not to despair! Hope for a transformation still exists; the judgment has not yet been declared, and the axe has not yet begun its work (though what would stop it from acting when it is already at the root?). Instead, it lies there to bring about your reformation through fear, making you capable of bearing fruit. Therefore, he adds, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.” By stating “Every tree,” he again dispels hope in ancestral glory. “Be a descendant of Abraham, and even have a multitude of patriarchs as kin, yet if you do not produce fruit, you will face compounded judgment.” With these words, he strikes a chord of fear in the tax collectors and unsettles the hearts of the soldiers. However, he does not lead them into despair; rather, he redirects them away from carelessness. His messages, while evoking fear, also provide profound comfort, for the phrase “the tree that bears no good fruit” suggests that the tree yielding fruit is safeguarded from any punishment."},{"author-name":"Hilarius of Poitiers","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88cb92f12b3278598f946_Hilarius%20of%20Poitiers.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The axe resting at the base of the trees symbolizes the supremacy of Christ's dominion. The severing and incineration of the unfruitful trees represent the eradication of the harmful treachery that is destined to face the fire of divine judgment."},{"author-name":"Anonymous Commentary (Opus Imperfectum)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":4,"exegesis-text":"The impending judgment is like a sharp axe poised to strike the world. But if the axe is already resting there, why does it not cut? And if it is not intended to cut, why is it positioned there? It is because trees, representing people, have the capacity for reason and can yield good fruit or none at all. When they see the axe at their roots, they are filled with dread over their potential destruction, prompting them to bear fruit. While fear may not correct the wicked, it can cause the righteous to perish if they lack it. Therefore, although the threat of judgment is ineffective on the wicked, it serves to delineate the righteous from the unrighteous. It is important to note that the axe is not said to lie in wait for the branches, allowing them to regrow when severed, but targets the roots for their ultimate removal. Why this distinction? Because when this world was entrenched in sin, it did not come to a conclusion; though sinners were punished, they were not permanently eradicated. This was for two reasons. First, it was appropriate for humans to exist within a corrupt world, as the world itself was unrighteous. Second, as long as peace prevailed, there was hope that the righteous might emerge from among the unrighteous. Now, however, as the end of this world approaches and the holy one draws near, the unrighteous are not simply punished but are instead being transformed. This is due to two reasons: it is no longer plausible to expect the righteous to arise from the lineage of the unrighteous, and it is inappropriate for unholy individuals to exist in a sacred world, as it is written, “For the holy shall inhabit the earth, and the unholy shall be cast out of it.”"},{"author-name":"Isidore of Pelusium","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88d94130e668938c9ae9d_Isidore%20of%20Pelusium.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"John observed the unfruitfulness of the Jewish people's intentions and compared them to trees that bear no fruit. He declared that an axe was positioned at their roots, symbolizing a swift and decisive division brought forth by the gospel. This gospel indicates that every tree failing to yield good fruit is destined for removal, but the roots—representing the law—remain intact as a new community is integrated."},{"author-name":"Chromatius of Aquileia","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88a3df6d7a747a33b4f4a_Chromatius%20of%20Aquileia.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"Indeed, the axe symbolizes the power of the divine Word, as the Lord expresses through the prophet Jeremiah, \\"Is not My word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer that shatters the rock?\\" (Jer. 23:29). This axe strikes at the very roots of genuine faith within the forest of humanity, constantly reminding us of the seriousness of God's judgment, which condemns unfruitful trees—representing those individuals devoid of the fruits of faith—to everlasting fire."},{"author-name":"Cyrill of Alexandria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88a8ea5c988a4fc073480_Cyrill%20of%20Alexandria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":5,"exegesis-text":"John refers to Christ as the axe, sharper than a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12), through whom the unfaithful Jews are to be severed from the honor and communion of the patriarchs. These patriarchs, known as the root, include the fathers who found favor with God in earlier times—Abraham and his descendants, along with the saints who preceded them. The faithless were removed from this lineage like unfruitful branches, yet the root remains intact, to which the Gentiles have been joined. Irenaeus of Lyons likens the Word of God to an axe, in line with Jeremiah’s words: \\"the word of the Lord is as a hammer that breaks the rock\\" (Jeremiah 23:29). Why should I say that you will fall away? God has not forsaken the root."},{"author-name":"Theophylact of Bulgaria","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c8989296bafed9104677d7_Theophylact%20of%20Bulgaria.png","category":"Holy Fathers and Teachers","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The herald refers to the judgment of Christ as an axe, and each of us as trees. Thus, those who lack faith are severed at their roots of disbelief and thrown into Gehenna. Every tree, regardless of its lineage from Abraham, fails to yield good fruit. He did not state: ‘that did not bear fruit,’ but rather “that does not bear fruit”; for it must continuously produce the harvest of righteousness. If you showed kindness yesterday but engage in theft today, you are offensive to God. Such a tree is chopped down and thrown into the fire, which represents the fire of Gehenna."},{"author-name":"Euthymios Zigabenos","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":11,"exegesis-text":"The axe symbolizes the evangelical severing of the Jews, who lack righteousness and faith, from the law, yet they are not entirely eliminated. The law serves as their root, to which believers are grafted in their place, and the trees represent the Israelites. Their fear is heightened by the warning that they risk being cut off from Abraham's lineage if they do not take heed. He emphasizes that not only will they forfeit this generation, but, remaining unhealed, they will be soon removed from this life and will face judgment in the age to come. Death, as he figuratively describes it, is the axe; the wood represents humanity; the root signifies life; and the fire denotes the flames of Gehenna. Some interpret the root as Abraham himself, the trees as the Jews descended from him, and the axe as Christ, who must sever them for being unfruitful in gospel faith, while welcoming the Gentile believers. Thus, after humbling their pride and softening their hardened hearts through fear of losing their heritage, he powerfully presents the message of Christ, urging them to hurry and meet Him upon His arrival."},{"author-name":"Abbot Panteleimon about the Trinity","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c96d263b8c22d9c467bdab_no-pic-theosis.png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Repent swiftly: now is the opportune moment for repentance; do not let it pass you by, for the fate of the unrepentant is imminent. The axe of Christ’s judgment is poised at the root of the tree, ready to strike; not just the branches will be severed, but the root will also be removed, and the entire unfruitful tree will be cast into the fire. No longer merely a prophet or a servant, but the Lord of all is approaching to pass judgment, wielding a fearsome and dreadful punishment. While there is still time, while the axe remains at the root, and before it makes contact, there is yet an opportunity to repent; act quickly, or be aware of this: every tree that does not yield good fruit is hewn down and thrown into the fire. Even if you claim to be a descendant of Abraham and are related to many patriarchs, should you fail to bear fruit, you will encounter the judgment that is fitting. St. John Chrysostom observes, “What a height of spirit! How strongly and boldly he addresses those who have long desired the blood of the prophets, people who are no better than serpents! With what freedom he condemns both them and their ancestors!” They thought John would be like a reed swaying before them, yet he stood firm as an unyielding oak. They were unable to confess their sins to the Forerunner and left without baptism. Nevertheless, the crowd, stirred by the fear of God's impending judgment, sought relief from their impending troubles, prompting John to underscore the necessity of the Holy Spirit for true inner transformation and revival, as he began to proclaim the message of Christ the Savior."},{"author-name":"Michail (Lusin)","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c89550c567e172d15b3055_Michail%20(Lusin).png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"The phrase \\"an axe at the root of the tree\\" serves as a powerful symbol, indicating the desire to entirely fell the tree rather than merely trim its overgrown branches. This represents a divine judgment upon the Jewish people, depicting a division between those deemed worthy of entering the kingdom of Christ and those who are not. Trees that bear good fruit—symbolizing righteous individuals—will remain, while those that do not produce good fruit—representing the unrighteous—will face destruction. Individuals who lack virtue, regardless of their lineage, including those who may pride themselves on being descendants of Abraham, will face condemnation as unworthy trees are removed. They will not only be cut down but also cast into the fire, signifying eternal punishment in the flames of Gehenna (cf. Matt. 25:41-46). It has been stated that no matter one's ancestry or the presence of esteemed forebears, if an individual fails to bear fruit, they will incur a double punishment. It is emphasized that it is not simply the absence of fruit that is at issue, but rather the continuous necessity of cultivating virtuous deeds. The overarching message is that the time of judgment for distinguishing the righteous from the unrighteous within the kingdom of Christ is imminent, as Christ has already arrived. Individuals will be evaluated based on their lives and spiritual condition; the wicked will be cast aside and subjected to punishment."},{"author-name":"Gladkow B.I.","author-image":"https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6864003fdf3714da6ff0b33a/68c88bf0ceef8c96e09a6521_Gladkow%20B.I..png","category":"Christian Authors","century":19,"exegesis-text":"Understand that a tree that fails to produce good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire, rendering it worthless. The same fate awaits those who commit wicked acts. Urgently seek repentance and embark on a transformed life before it is too late. The axe is already poised at the base of the trees. The One who wields this axe will execute the decree of His final judgment upon you, and He is swiftly approaching."}]}
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