St. John Chrysostom (c. 347 - 407)
Homily III: Matthew I. 1.
But what kind of marvel? it may be asked. That the
Virgin should be
preserved, and delivered from evil suspicion. For if
this had been
discovered by the Jews from the beginning, they would
have stoned the
Virgin, making the report a handle for mischief, and
would have
condemned her for adultery. For if in regard to the
other matters, for which
they had frequent precedents likewise in the old
dispensation, they were
quite shameless in their obstinacy (for so, because He
had cast out
devils, they called Him possessed; and because He
healed on the Sabbath
day, they supposed Him to be an adversary of God; and
yet oftentimes
even before this had the Sabbath been broken), what
would they not have
said, if this had been told them? Especially as they
had all time before
this on their side, in that it never had produced any
such thing. For if after
so many miracles
they still called Him son of Joseph, how before the
miracles would they
have believed that He was born of a virgin?
.
347-407
