John Chrysostom, On the Pharisee and the Harlot

let us luxuriate in its history, just as she luxuriated 61.728 in Christ. One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him. And having entered the house of the Pharisee, he reclined. Who has seen a king being invited by a soldier? Who has seen a master being fed by a slave? Who has seen such height descending to such humility? Oh, the exceeding astonishment! Oh, the divine condescension! He did not say to the Pharisee who had invited him: Do you invite me to a meal, I who invite all people to the heavenly meal? Do you invite me to a meal, I who satisfied a whole crowd with five loaves? Do you invite me to a meal, I who give food to all flesh?

The Savior said none of these things; but sitting down in silence in the house of the Pharisee, he reclined. For he knew what kind of meal he was about to eat; he knew how the prostitute was about to run to him, and be saved; and he sent his gaze everywhere, looking around for the prey, and all but crying out to those reclining with him. I have food to eat, which you will soon see; I have food to eat, the salvation of the woman who is about to approach me. For my food is the conversion of people; my food is the life of my servants; my feast is the repentance of sinners; my delight is the release of the condemned; my banquet is the redemption of captives. As the Savior spoke these things on the couch with his gaze and his bearing, "Behold," it says, "a woman in the city, who was a sinner." The prey coincided with the purpose of the heavenly king; the hunter had readily reclined, and the prey was hurrying to the hunter. And behold, a woman in the city, who was a sinner. Two difficult marks of wickedness. Tell us, evangelist, her name, write the name of the woman, let us learn what she was called.

Her name was sin, and her title was wickedness. She, seeing that Jesus was reclining in the house of the Pharisee, said to herself: Christ is within, who abounds in philanthropy, and springs forth with compassion; Christ is within, who speaks and gives healings, and utters cures; Christ is within, who is praised by angels, and dwells among men, as one of them; Christ is within, who is enthroned with the Father, and under the same roof as the Pharisee; Christ is within, who nourishes all by his divinity, and is nourished by his humanity; Christ is within, and he endures the table of a Pharisee, he who fills every table with every good thing; and he completely deigned to enter the tent of the Pharisee; the sinless one completely endured to dine with the sinner. I have good hopes concerning my evils. For he who appeared to be such toward the Pharisee will surely also be good and philanthropic toward me. I have found, as I wished, the common mercy seat, I have found him who finds those who seek him, I have found him who seeks out those who long for him, I have found him who runs to those who run and goes to meet those who approach him, I have found both the time and the place striving with me. Let me, who am muddied by pleasure, enter to the pure spring; let me not remain defiled, when such a spring has appeared; I will wash myself freely; for so the spring wishes. Let me, who have used even days as nights, enter to the eternal light; let me see the heavenly light in light; let me, who bring on the gloom of injustice, enter to the sun of righteousness.

For who, associating with light, does not partake of light? Let me enter to the king of the 61.729 heavens, who for my sake has come to me, and is occupying this house, and has long been awaiting, as it seems, my approach; let me, who have been despaired of by all, enter to the heavenly physician; let me, who am sick in health, enter to the heavenly physician; for so, seeing me, he is able to apply a remedy to my passions, one able to put all pain to sleep. I will show to him who knows the things

κατατρυφήσωμεν τῆς κατ' αὐτὴν ἱστορίας, ὥσπερ οὖν κατετρύ 61.728 φησεν αὕτη τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἠρώτησέ τις τῶν Φαρισαίων τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ἵνα φάγῃ μετ' αὐτοῦ. Καὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ Φαρισαίου, ἀνεκλίθη. Τίς εἶδε βασιλέα παρὰ στρατιώτου καλούμενον; τίς εἶδε δεσπότην παρὰ δούλου τρεφόμενον; τίς εἶδε τοσοῦτον ὕψος εἰς τοσαύτην ταπεινότητα κατερχόμενον; Ὢ τῆς ὑπερβαλλούσης ἐκπλήξεως! ὢ τῆς θείας συγκαταβάσεως! Οὐκ εἶπε πρὸς τὸν καλέσαντα Φαρισαῖον· Σὺ καλεῖς ἐπ' ἄριστον ἐμὲ, τὸν καλοῦντα πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἰς τὸ οὐράνιον ἄριστον; σὺ καλεῖς ἐπ' ἄριστον ἐμὲ τὸν πέντε ἄρτοις δῆμον ὁλόκληρον κορέσαντα; σὺ καλεῖς ἐπ' ἄριστον ἐμὲ τὸν διδόντα τροφὴν πάσῃ σαρκί;

Οὐκ εἶπε τούτων οὐδὲν ὁ Σωτήρ· ἀλλὰ σιγῇ καθίσας εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ Φαρισαίου ἀνεκλίθη. Ἤδει γὰρ ποῖον ἄριστον ἔμελλεν ἀριστᾷν· ᾔδει πῶς ἤμελλε προστρέχειν αὐτῷ ἡ πόρνη, καὶ σώζεσθαι· καὶ τὸ βλέμμα πανταχοῦ περιέπεμπε, τὴν θήραν περισκοπῶν, καὶ μονονουχὶ πρὸς τοὺς ἀνακειμένους βοῶν. Ἐγὼ βρῶσιν ἔχω φαγεῖν, ἣν ἔχετε μετ' ὀλίγον κατιδεῖν· ἐγὼ βρῶσιν ἔχω φαγεῖν, τὴν σωτηρίαν τῆς μελλούσης προσιέναι μοι γυναικός. Ἡ ἐμὴ γὰρ τροφὴ, ἡ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπιστροφή· ἡ ἐμὴ τροφὴ, ἡ τῶν ἐμῶν δούλων ζωή· ἡ ἐμὴ εὐωχία, τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ἡ μεταμέλεια· ἡ ἐμὴ τέρψις, τῶν κατακρίτων ἡ λύσις· ἡ ἐμὴ ἑστίασις, τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ἡ λύτρωσις. Ταῦτα τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπὶ τῆς στιβάδος λαλοῦντος τῷ βλέμματι καὶ τῷ σχήματι, Ἰδοὺ, φησὶ, γυνὴ ἐν τῇ πόλει, ἥτις ἦν ἁμαρτωλός. Συνέδραμε τῷ σκοπῷ τοῦ οὐρανίου βασιλέως ἡ ἄγρα· ὁ θηρατὴς εὐτρεπὴς ἀνεκέκλιτο, καὶ τὸ θήραμα πρὸς τὸν θηρατὴν κατηπείγετο. Καὶ ἰδοὺ γυνὴ ἐν τῇ πόλει, ἥτις ἦν ἁμαρτωλός. ∆ύο χαλεπὰ κακίας γνωρίσματα. Εἰπὲ ἡμῖν, εὐαγγελιστὰ, τὴν προσηγορίαν αὐτῆς, γράψον τὸ ὄνομα τῆς γυναικὸς, μάθωμεν πῶς ὠνομάζετο.

Προσηγορίαν εἶχε τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τὸ πονήρευμα. Αὕτη ἰδοῦσα, ὅτι ἀνέκειτο ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ τοῦ Φαρισαίου ὁ Ἰησοῦς, εἶπεν ἐν ἑαυτῇ· Ἔνδον ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστὸς, ὁ βρύων φιλανθρωπίαν, καὶ πηγάζων οἰκτιρμούς· ἔνδον ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστὸς, ὁ λαλῶν καὶ διδοὺς ἰάσεις, καὶ φθεγγόμενος θεραπείας· ἔνδον ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστὸς, ὁ παρὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων ὑμνούμενος, καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐνδιαιτώμενος, ὡς εἷς ἐξ αὐτῶν· ἔνδον ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ τῷ Πατρὶ σύνθρονος, καὶ τῷ Φαρισαίῳ ὁμοῤῥόφιος· ἔνδον ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστὸς, ὁ τρέφων ἅπαντας τῇ θεότητι, καὶ τρεφόμενος τῇ ἀνθρωπότητι· ἔνδον ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ Φαρισαϊκῆς τραπέζης ἀνέχεται, ὁ πᾶσαν τράπεζαν πληρῶν παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ· καὶ ὅλως κατηξίωσεν εἰς τὴν τοῦ Φαρισαίου σκηνὴν εἰσελθεῖν· ὅλως ἠνέσχετο συνεστιαθῆναι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ ὁ ἀναμάρτητος. Χρηστὰς ἔχω περὶ τῶν ἐμῶν κακῶν ἐλπίδας. Ὁ γὰρ περὶ τὸν Φαρισαῖον τοιοῦτος φανεὶς, πάντως ἔσται καὶ περὶ ἐμὲ χρηστὸς καὶ φιλάνθρωπος. Εὗρον, ὡς ἠβουλόμην, τὸ κοινὸν ἱλαστήριον, εὗρον τὸν εὑρίσκοντα τοὺς ζητοῦντας αὐτὸν, εὗρον τὸν ἐπιζητοῦντα τοὺς ποθοῦντας αὐτὸν, εὗρον τὸν ἐπιτρέχοντα τοῖς ἐπιτρέχουσι καὶ προαπαντῶντα τοῖς προσιοῦσιν αὐτῷ, εὗρον συναγωνιζόμενόν μοι καὶ τὸν καιρὸν καὶ τὸν τόπον. Εἰσέλθω πρὸς τὴν καθαρὰν πηγὴν ἡ βεβορβορωμένη τῇ ἡδυπαθείᾳ· μὴ διαμένω ἐῤῥυπωμένη, τοιαύτης φανείσης πηγῆς· λούσομαι δωρεὰν ἑαυτήν· οὕτω γὰρ βούλεται ἡ πηγή. Εἰσέλθω πρὸς τὸ ἀΐδιον φῶς, ἡ καὶ ταῖς ἡμέραις ὡς νυξὶ κεχρημένη· ἴδω τὸ οὐράνιον φῶς ἐν φωτί· εἰσέλθω πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον τῆς δικαιοσύνης, ἡ τῆς ἀδικίας τὸν ζόφον ἐπαγομένη.

Τίς γὰρ φωτὶ προσομιλῶν οὐ μεταλαμβάνει φωτός; Εἰσέλθω πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα τῶν 61.729 οὐρανῶν, τὸν δι' ἐμὲ πρὸς ἐμὲ παραγενόμενον, καὶ τοῦτον καταλαμβάνοντα τὸν οἶκον, καὶ πάλαι τὴν ἐμὴν, ὡς ἔοικε, περιμένοντα πρόοδον· εἰσέλθω πρὸς τὸν οὐράνιον ἰατρὸν, ἡ παρὰ πάντων ἀπεγνωσμένη· εἰσέλθω πρὸς τὸν οὐράνιον ἰατρὸν, ἡ ἐν ὑγιείᾳ νοσοῦσα· οὕτω γάρ με ἰδὼν, δύναται τοῖς ἐμοῖς πάθεσιν ἐπιθεῖναι φάρμακον, πᾶσαν ὀδύνην κοιμίσαι δυνάμενον. Ὑποδείξω τῷ εἰδότι τὰ