The Letters of S. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan

by Bishop of Milan Saint Ambrose

9. Exod. xii. 4. The Passover too of the Lord, that is, the lamb, the fathers are ordered so to eat, that it might be according to the number of their souls, neither more nor less; that more should not be given to some, and less to others, but that it should be according to the number of their souls, lest the stronger should take more and the weaker less. For the grace, the gift, the redemption is distributed equally to all. And there ought not to be too many, lest any go away defrauded of his hope and redemption. Now there are too many, when any are beyond the number, for the saints are all S. Matt. x. 30. numbered, and the hairs of their heads; for the Lord knoweth them that are His. Neither can there be too few, lest any be too weak to receive the greatness of the grace.

10. Wherefore He hath commanded all to bring an equal faith and devotion to the Pasch of the Lord, that is, to the Passover. For it is the Pasch, when the mind lays down its senseless passion, and puts on good compassion, thatit may suffer together with Christ, and take His Passover into itself, so as that He may 2 Cor. vi. 16. dwell in it, and walk in it, and may become its God. Thus grace is equal in all, but virtue is diverse in each. Let each then take that portion which fits his strength, that neither the stronger may lack nor the weaker be burthened.

11. This you have in the Gospel; S. Matt. xx. 10. for the same wages are paid to all the labourers in the vineyard; but few attain to the prize, to the reward; few say, 2 Tim. iv. 8. There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness. For the gift of bounty and of grace is one thing; another the wages of virtue, the recompense of labour.

12. Therefore a shekel is our ransom, nay half a shekel. He has redeemed us from death, redeemed from slavery, that we may not be subject to the world, which we have renounced. Whence in the Gospel our Lord bids Peter S. Matt. xvii. 27. go to the sea, and cast an hook, and take the stater which he will find in the fish’s mouth, and give it to them who required of the Lord and of himself a shekel. This then is that shekel which was exacted by the Law, nevertheless it was not due from the King’s Son, but from strangers. For why should Christ ransom Himself from this world, when He came S. John i. 29. to take away the sin of the world? Why should He redeem Himself from sin, Who came down that He might remit to all their sins? Why should He redeem Himself from servitude, Who Phil. ii. 7. emptied Himself that He might give liberty to all? Why should He redeem Himself from death, Who took flesh, that by His Death He might obtain for all a resurrection?

13. Truly the Redeemer of all had no need of a redemption; but as He received circumcision that He might fulfil the Law, and came to be baptized that He S. Matt. iii. 15. might fulfil righteousness, so also did He not refuse to pay those who required of Him the shekel, but straightway commanded the stater to be given as the tribute for Himself and Peter. For He chose rather to give beyond the Law than to deny the Law’s due. At the same time He shews that the Jews acted contrary to the Law, in exacting a shekel from one person, whereas Moses had ordained that half a shekel should be required. On this account He commanded asit were single pieces to be paid both for Himself and for Peter in the stater. Good is the tribute of Christ, which is paid by the stater,for justice is the balance[14], and justice is above the Law. Again, Rom. x. 4. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. This stater is found in the fish’s mouth, of that fish which the fishers of men take, of that fish who weighs his words that Ps. xii. 6. they may be tried by the fire before they are uttered.

14. This stater the Jews knew not, giving Him up to the betrayer. But the Law exacts half a shekel for the redemption of a soul, and devotes it to God, for she cannot claim the whole. For in the Jew scarcely a portion of devotion could be found. But he who is free indeed, a true Hebrew, belongs wholly to God, all that he has savours of liberty. He has nothing in common with him who refuses liberty, saying, Exod. xxi. 5. I love my master, my wife, and my children, I will not go out free! Which refers not only to his lord, but to the weakness of that man who shall have subjected himself to the world, in that he loves the world as his own soul, that is, his intelligence, the author of his will. Nor does it refer only to his wife, but also to that delight which cares for household not eternal things. This man’s ear therefore his lord nails to his door or threshold, that he may remember these words whereby he chose servitude.

15. This man therefore, O Christian, imitate not; for thou art not commanded to offer half a shekel, but, S. Matt. xix. 21. if thou wouldest be perfect, to sell all thou hast, and give to the poor. Thou art not to reserve a part of thy service for the world, but to deny thyself altogether, and to take up thy Lord’s cross and follow Him.

16. Now we have learned that the half-shekel was required by the Law, because the other half was reserved for the generation of this world, that is, for secular life, and domestic use, and for posterity, to whom it was necessary that a portion out of the original inheritance should be transmitted. Wherefore our Lord answered the Pharisees, when they tempted Him by the crafty question whether He would advise that tribute should be paid to Cæsar, S. Matt. xxii. 18, 19. Why tempt ye Me, ye hypocrites, shew Me the tribute money.And they brought Him a penny on which was Cæsar’s image. He saith to them, Render unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s; shewing that they who thought themselves perfect were imperfect in that they paid to Cæsar before God. They with whom the world was their first care would first pay that which appertained to the world; wherefore He says Render, that is, render ye, the things which are Cæsar’s—ye, among whom the image and likeness of Cæsar is found.

17. Wherefore those Hebrew youths, Dan. iii. 18. and i. 8. Ananias, Azarias, Misael, and that wiser Daniel, who would not worship the image of the king, who received it not, nor any thing from the king’s table, were not bound to pay tribute. For they possessed nothing that was under the power of an earthly king. And so their followers, they whose portion is God, pay no tribute. And so the Lord says, Render, that is, Do ye render, who have brought forth the image of Cæsar, with whom it is found, but I owe nothing to Cæsar, because I have nothing in this world. S. John xiv. 30. The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me. Peter owes nothing, nor the Apostles, because S. John xvii. 11, 14, 18. they are not of this world though they are in this world. I have sent them into this world, but now they are not of this world, because with Me they are above the world.

18. So that which belongs to the Divine Law, not to Cæsar, is that which is commanded to be paid. Yet even this He that was perfect, that is, the preacher of the Gospel, no longer owed, for He had preached more. The Son of God owed it not, nor did Peter who was by grace an adopted son of the Father. S. Matt. xvii. 27. Notwithstanding, says He, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up, and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money, that take, and give unto them for Me and thee. O great mystery! He gives that half-shekel which the Law commanded, He refuses not what is of the Law, for He was Gal. iv. 4. made of a woman, made under the Law. ‘Made,’ I say, as regards His incarnation; ‘of a woman,’ as regards the sex; woman is the sex, virgin in the species; the sex relates to her nature, the virgin to her integrity. For wherein He came under theLaw, therein He was made of a woman, that is, in the body. On this account He commands a shekel to be paid for Him and Peter, for both were born under the Law. He commands it to be paid then according to the Law, that He might redeem those who are under the Law.