John Chrysostom, On Perfect Charity

he has set forth things much greater than these; for he says, That neither death, nor life, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Hence nothing was able to separate that blessed one, being inflamed by love, not heaven, not earth, not sea, not the kingdoms in the heavens, not the punishments in Hades; for he looked down upon all things for Christ's sake. And if we were to examine the other saints, we would find them all to have been well-pleasing through love. 2. Love shows you your neighbor as yourself, and teaches you to rejoice in his good things as in your own, and to bear his faults as also your own. Love makes the many one body, and prepares their souls to be receptacles of the Holy Spirit; for the Spirit of peace will rest not on those who are divided from one another, but on those who are united in soul. Love makes the possessions of each common to all, as the book of Acts says: And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. What wall so unbreakable, fortified by a harmony of large stones, becomes impregnable to the assaults of enemies, as the company of those who love one another, and are bound together in one mind? It even repels the attacks of the devil; and very rightly. For those who are arrayed with one another against him, and not with him against one another, become invincible to his devices, raising up the splendid trophies of love. And just as the strings of a lyre, though they are many, but incline to one harmony, sound a most pleasing melody; so those blended into one mind strike up the harmonious sound of love. For this reason Paul advises to be of the same mind, and to say the same thing, and to esteem others better than themselves, so that love may not be dissolved by ambition, but by yielding honor to one another, they may live in harmony. And again he says: By love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. He who loves wishes not only to command, but also to be commanded; and rejoices more in being commanded than in commanding. He who loves wishes to give grace rather than to receive grace; for he wants to have his friend as a debtor, rather than to be in debt to him. He who loves both wishes to bestow a favor on the beloved, and does not wish to seem to bestow a favor, and to be the first himself in kindness, and not to seem to be the first in kindness. Perhaps some do not understand what has been said; therefore I will make it clear by an example. The benevolent Master was about to give his Son for us; but that he might not seem to be giving a favor, 56.282 but paying a debt, he commanded Abraham to give his son, so that in doing this himself, he might be found not as giving a favor, but as paying a debt, because of the exceeding riches of his goodness. I know that what has been said seems strange to many. And the reason is, that I am discoursing about a thing which now dwells in heaven. For just as if I were to speak about some plant born in India, of which no one has had experience, my account would not be able to represent it, even if I were to say countless things about it; so also now whatever I may say, I will speak in vain; for some do not understand the things being said. For in heaven, as I said, this plant has been planted. But if we wish, it is possible for it to be planted among us too. For this is why we have been taught to say to the Father in heaven: Thy will be done in heaven and on earth. 3. Let us not, therefore, think it impossible to acquire such a good.

πολλῷ τούτων μείζονα τέθεικε· φησὶ γὰρ, Ὅτι οὔτε θάνατος, οὔτε ζωὴ, οὔτε ἐνεστῶτα, οὔτε μέλλοντα, οὔτε ὕψωμα, οὔτε βάθος, οὔτε τις κτίσις ἑτέρα δυνήσεται ἡμᾶς χωρίσαι ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Θεοῦ τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν. Ἐντεῦθεν οὐδὲν ἠδύνατο χωρίσαι τὸν μακάριον ἐκεῖνον ὑπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης πυρπολούμενον, οὐκ οὐρανὸς, οὐ γῆ, οὐ θάλασσα, οὐ τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς βασίλεια, οὐ τὰ ἐν ᾅδου κολαστήρια· πάντων γὰρ ὑπερεώρα διὰ τὸν Χριστόν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐξετάσαιμεν ἁγίους, πάντας εὑρήσομεν δι' ἀγάπην εὐαρεστήσαντας. βʹ. Ἡ ἀγάπη δείκνυσί σοι τὸν πλησίον ὡς σεαυτὸν, καὶ χαίρειν σε διδάσκει ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐκείνου καλοῖς, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τοῖς σοῖς, καὶ φέρειν αὐτοῦ τὰ ἐλαττώματα, ὥσπερ καὶ τὰ σά. Ἡ ἀγάπη ἓν σῶμα τοὺς πολλοὺς ἀπεργάζεται, καὶ Πνεύματος ἁγίου δοχεῖα τὰς τούτων κατασκευάζει ψυχάς· οὐ γὰρ διῃρημένοις ἀλλήλων, ἡνωμένοις δὲ κατὰ ψυχὴν τὸ τῆς εἰρήνης ἐπαναπαύσεται Πνεῦμα. Ἡ ἀγάπη κοινὰ ποιεῖ πᾶσι τὰ ἑκάστου ὑπάρχοντα, καθώς φησιν ἡ βίβλος τῶν Πράξεων· Τοῦ δὲ πλήθους τῶν πιστευσάντων ἦν ἡ καρδία καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ μία· καὶ οὐδείς τι τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτῷ ἔλεγεν ἴδιον εἶναι, ἀλλ' ἦν αὐτοῖς ἅπαντα κοινά· καὶ διεδίδοτο ἑκάστῳ, καθότι ἄν τις χρείαν εἶχε. Ποῖον οὕτω τεῖχος ἀῤῥαγὲς, ἁρμονίᾳ λίθων εὐμεγεθῶν ὠχυρωμένον, ἀπόρθητον γίνεται ταῖς τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἐφόδοις, ὡς τὸ σύστημα τῶν ἀλλήλους ἀγαπώντων, καὶ ἐν ὁμοφροσύνῃ περιεσφιγμένων; Καὶ αὐτὰς τοῦ διαβόλου προσβολὰς ἀποκρούεται· καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. Οἱ γὰρ μετ' ἀλλήλων κατ' ἐκείνου παρατασσόμενοι, καὶ μὴ μετ' ἐκείνου κατ' ἀλλήλων ἱστάμενοι, ἀήττητοι γίνονται τοῖς αὐτοῦ μηχανήμασι, τὰ λαμπρὰ τῆς ἀγάπης ἐγείροντες τρόπαια. Καὶ καθάπερ αἱ τῆς λύρας νευραὶ, πολλαὶ μὲν οὖσαι, εἰς μίαν δὲ νεύουσαι συμφωνίαν, τερπνότατόν τι μέλος ἠχοῦσιν· οὕτως οἱ πρὸς μίαν συγκεκραμένοι γνώμην, εὔηχον ἀνακρούονται τῆς ἀγάπης τὸν φθόγγον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο συμβουλεύει ὁ Παῦλος τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν, καὶ λέγειν, καὶ ἀλλήλους ἡγεῖσθαι ὑπερέχοντας ἑαυτῶν, ὥστε μὴ τῇ φιλοτιμίᾳ διαλύεσθαι τὴν ἀγάπην, ἀλλὰ τὴν τιμὴν ἀντιπαραχωροῦντας ἀλλήλοις, ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ διάγειν. Καὶ πάλιν φησί· ∆ι' ἀγάπης δουλεύετε ἀλλήλοις. Ὁ γὰρ πᾶς νόμος ἐν ἑνὶ λόγῳ πληροῦται, ἐν τῷ, Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν. Ὁ ἀγαπῶν οὐκ ἐπιτάττειν βούλεται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιτάττεσθαι· καὶ χαίρει μᾶλλον ἐπιταττόμενος, ἤπερ ἐπιτάττων. Ὁ ἀγαπῶν χαρίζεσθαι βούλεται μᾶλλον, ἢ χάριν λαμβάνειν· θέλει γὰρ ὀφειλέτην ἔχειν τὸν φίλον, ἤπερ αὐτὸς ὀφείλειν ἐκείνῳ. Ὁ ἀγαπῶν καὶ βούλεται χαρίζεσθαι τῷ ἀγαπωμένῳ, καὶ οὐ βούλεται δοκεῖν χαρίζεσθαι, καὶ ἄρχειν αὐτὸς εὐεργεσίας, καὶ μὴ δοκεῖν ἄρχειν εὐεργεσίας. Τάχα τινὲς ἀγνοοῦσι τὸ λεχθέν· οὐκοῦν δι' ὑποδείγματος αὐτὸ ποιήσω σαφές. Ἔμελλεν ὁ φιλάνθρωπος ∆εσπότης τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ χαρίζεσθαι ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν· ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ χαρίζεσθαι, 56.282 ἀλλ' ὀφειλὴν ἀποδιδόναι, προσέταξε τῷ Ἀβραὰμ δοῦναι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, ἵνα τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς ποιῶν, μὴ ὡς χάριν διδοὺς, ἀλλ' ὡς χρέος ἀποδιδοὺς εὑρεθῇ διὰ τὸν ὑπερβάλλοντα πλοῦτον τῆς αὐτοῦ ἀγαθότητος. Οἶδα ὅτι ξένον φαίνεται τοῖς πολλοῖς τὸ λεχθέν. Τὸ δὲ αἴτιον, ὅτι περὶ πράγματος διαλέγομαι τὸν οὐρανὸν οἰκοῦντος νῦν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἰ ἔλεγον περί τινος φυτοῦ ἐν Ἰνδίᾳ τικτομένου, καὶ οὗ μηδεὶς πεῖραν ἔλαβεν, οὐκ ἂν ἴσχυσεν ὁ λόγος παραστῆσαι, κἂν μυρία περὶ αὐτοῦ ἔλεγον· οὕτω καὶ νῦν ὅσα ἂν εἴπω, μάτην ἐρῶ· οὐ γὰρ συνιοῦσί τινες τὰ λεγόμενα. Ἐν οὐρανῷ γὰρ, ὡς ἔφην, τοῦτο πεφύτευται τὸ φυτόν. Ἀλλ' ἐὰν θέλωμεν, καὶ παρ' ἡμῖν αὐτὸ φυτευθῆναι δυνατόν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ ἐδιδάχθημεν λέγειν πρὸς τὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς Πατέρα· Γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. γʹ. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀδύνατον εἶναι νομίσωμεν τὸ τοιοῦτον ἀγαθὸν κτήσασθαι.