John Chrysostom : "Wherefore it behooved Him in all things to be made like unto His brethren." What is this, "in all things"? He was born (he means), was brought up, grew, suffered all things necessary, at last He died. This is, "in all things to be made like unto His brethren." For after he had discoursed much concerning His majesty and the glory on high, he then begins concerning the dispensation. And consider with how great power he doth this. How he represents Him as having great zeal "to be made like unto us": which was a sign of much care. For having said above, "Inasmuch then as the children were partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself in like manner took part of the same"; in this place also he says, "in all things to be made like unto His brethren." Which is all but saying, He that is so great, He that is "the brightness of His glory," He that is "the express image of His person," He that "made the worlds," He that "sitteth on the right hand of the Father," He was willing and earnest to become our brother in all things, and for this cause did He leave the angels and the other powers, and come down to us, and took hold of us, and wrought innumerable good things. He destroyed Death, He cast out the devil from his tyranny, He freed us from bondage: not by brotherhood alone did He honor us, but also in other ways beyond number. For He was willing also to become our High Priest with the Father. — Homily on Hebrews 5 John Chrysostom : "That He might become a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God." For this cause (he means) He took on Him our flesh, only for Love to man, that He might have mercy upon us. For neither is there any other cause of the economy, but this alone. For He saw us, cast on the ground, perishing, tyrannized over by Death, and He had compassion on us. "To make reconciliation," he says, "for the sins of the people. That He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest." What is "faithful"? True, able. For the Son is a faithful High Priest, able to deliver from their sins those whose High Priest He is. In order then that He might offer a sacrifice able to purify us, for this cause He has become man. Accordingly he added, "in things pertaining to God," - that is, for the sake of things in relation to God. We were become altogether enemies to God, (he would say) condemned, degraded, there was none who should offer sacrifice for us. He saw us in this condition, and had compassion on us, not appointing a High Priest for us, but Himself becoming a High Priest. In what sense He was "faithful," he added, namely, "to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." — Homily on Hebrews 5 John Chrysostom : Why said he not, of the world, instead of "the people"? for He bare away the sins of all. Because thus far his discourse was concerning them, the Hebrews. Since the Angel also said to Joseph, "Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people." For this too ought to have taken place first, and for this purpose He came, to save them and then through them the rest, although the contrary came to pass. This also the Apostles said at the first, "To you God having raised up His Son, sent Him to bless you"; and again, "To you was the word of this Salvation sent." Here he shows the noble birth of the Jews, in saying, "to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." For a while he speaks in this way. For that it is He who forgives the sins of all men, He declared both in the case of the paralytic, saying, "Thy sins are forgiven"; and also in that of Baptism: for He says to the disciples, "Go ye and teach all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." — Homily on Hebrews 5 Oecumenius : "Therefore, he had to be made." Since he deemed it necessary to fully partake, from this point onward, he had to be in all respects made similar to humans. For he was born, he grew, he ate, he drank, he slept, he died, he rose again. "that he might be a merciful." These things, he says, were arranged for no other reason than that he may have mercy on those on earth and lift them up from the grave. "and a faithful high priest." Faithful, true.For it is the unusual function of the true and real high priest to free those of whom he is high priest from sins. Therefore, in order to offer a sacrifice capable of cleansing us, a man has come and offered himself. Then he explains how this has come to be, and why he is a faithful high priest. He says, to make atonement for the sins of the people. For this reason, he has come to atone for us and to cleanse us from our sins. "in the things pertaining to God." In matters that pertain to God. For in these, high priest has come to be, not to demand bodily tithes and first fruits, but he knew that we had become enemies and rejected before God, and having had mercy on us, he gave himself to us as a high priest. — The Pseudo-Oecumenian Catena on Hebrews Philoxenus of Mabbug : For in this manner Jesus also wrought marvellous things, so that He might also bring Himself down to those whom, by His grace, He called, His "brethren"; and that it might not be grievous unto them that they were not answered until they had prayed He humbled Himself and prayed, and was afterwards answered. For the Lord took upon Himself equality with His servants in order that that which is written might be fulfilled, "In everything it was meet that He should be like unto His brethren." He gave unto them dominion that they might speak with authority, and be answered, so that by this they might be known to be the servants of God; and He gave boldness to faith that it might do everything that it wished. — 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 2 -- On Faith