John Chrysostom, On Psalm 50 Homily 2

but he was from Nazareth, he knew. If then He had said to him, that I am the Son of God, the Word in the beginning, the one who made heaven, he could have said, that that one is another, and another is the one whom I persecute. Do you understand what I have said? If He had said to him those great and lofty things, he could have said: He is another, he is not this one who was crucified. But that he might learn that he persecutes that one who was incarnate, the one who took on the form of a servant, the one who lived among us, the one who was crucified, the one who died, the one who was buried, the one who rose, the one from the place below, He says: I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you persecute, whom you have seen and know, the one who lived with you. For this reason he immediately confessed His lordship. The Master descended as much as the servant was able to ascend; and for this reason he was shown mercy. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your great mercy. And the Canaanite woman flees to this harbor: Have mercy on me; my daughter is grievously possessed by a demon. For where there is mercy, there is no examination; where there is mercy, a tribunal does not sit; where there is mercy, accounts are not demanded; where there is mercy, salvation is without examination; where there is mercy, a defense is permitted. I only seek to be shown mercy. For what reason do you demand accounts from me? I seek mercy at once, a salvation without scrutiny. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your great mercy. You said great, say how much? I do not know; that it is great, I know; to measure it I am not able, to comprehend it I do not have the strength. I do not know the quantity of the greatness, the mind does not grasp it, the tongue does not explain it. I see the fruit of mercy is great. For if it were not very great, few would have been saved. This mercy His Son also shows. For having come, He saved all by mercy. Have mercy on me, O God, the waveless harbor, full of calm. Great is the turmoil of my sins, but great is the security of my Master's love for mankind. He became a man; this is of mercy. He came into a virgin's womb; this is of love for mankind. He became what you were, so that you might become what you were not; this is of mercy. And having come, whom did He immediately call? Magi. After them, whom? A tax collector. After him? A prostitute. After her? A robber. After him, whom? A blasphemer. 3. Oh, new and paradoxical things! The first fruits of the calling, the tyranny of sin. Because the affairs of the world were in a bad state; for some were tyrannized by impiety, while others in Judaism and despair were held fast by sin; for this reason, therefore, having come, 55.578 from the very beginning He called the first fruits of those who had sinned before, so that no one after this might despair of his own salvation. Are you impious? Consider the Magi. Are you a plunderer? Consider the tax collector. Are you unclean? Consider the prostitute. Are you a murderer? Consider the robber. Are you lawless? Consider the blasphemer Paul, and after this an apostle; formerly a persecutor, and after this an evangelist; formerly an adulterer, and after this a bridesman; formerly a weed, and after this wheat; formerly a wolf, and after this a shepherd; formerly lead, and after this gold; formerly a pirate and a sinker of ships, and after this a pilot; formerly destroying the Church, and after this being entrusted with the Church; formerly cutting down the vines, and after this becoming a planter; formerly tearing down the temple, and after this becoming a builder. Have you seen surpassing evil? have you seen flourishing virtue? have you seen the madness of a servant? have you seen the love for mankind of a Master? Do not say to me, I am a blasphemer; do not say to me, I am a persecutor, I am unclean. You have the examples of all. Flee to whatever harbor you wish. Do you wish in the New? do you wish in the Old? In the New is Paul, in the Old is David. Give me no excuses, no hesitation.

δὲ ἀπὸ Ναζαρὲτ ἦν, ᾔδει. Εἰ οὖν εἶπεν αὐτῷ, ὅτι Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰμι, ὁ ἐν ἀρχῇ Λόγος, ὁ τὸν οὐρανὸν ποιήσας, εἶχεν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι Ἄλλος ἐστὶν ἐκεῖνος, καὶ ἄλλος ὂν ἐγὼ διώκω. Συνήκατε τί εἶπον; Εἰ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ἐκεῖνα τὰ μεγάλα καὶ ὑψηλὰ, εἶχεν εἰπεῖν· Ἄλλος ἐστὶν, οὐκ ἔστιν οὗτος ὁ σταυρωθείς. Ἀλλ' ἵνα μάθῃ, ὅτι ἐκεῖνον διώκει τὸν σαρκωθέντα, τὸν μορφὴν δούλου ἀναλαβόντα, τὸν μεθ' ἡμῶν ἀναστραφέντα, τὸν σταυρωθέντα, τὸν ἀποθανόντα, τὸν ταφέντα, τὸν ἀνα στάντα, τὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ κάτω χωρίου, λέγει· Ἐγώ εἰμι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος, ὃν σὺ διώκεις, ὃν εἶδες καὶ γνω ρίζεις, τὸν μετὰ σοῦ ἀναστραφέντα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο εὐθέως τὴν δεσποτείαν ὡμολόγησε. Κατέβη τοσοῦτον ὁ ∆εσπότης, ὅσον ὁ δοῦλος ἀναβῆναι ἠδύνατο· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἠλεήθη. Ἐλέησόν με, ὁ Θεὸς, κατὰ τὸ μέγα ἔλεός σου. Καὶ ἡ Χαναναία ἐπὶ τὸν λιμένα τοῦτον καταφεύγει· Ἐλέη σόν με· ἡ θυγάτηρ μου κακῶς δαιμονίζεται. Ὅπου γὰρ ἔλεος, ἐξέτασις οὐκ ἔστιν· ὅπου ἔλεος, δικαστήριον οὐ κάθηται· ὅπου ἔλεος, εὐθῦναι οὐκ ἀπαιτοῦνται· ὅπου ἔλεος, ἀνεξέταστος ἡ σωτηρία· ὅπου ἔλεος, συγχωρεῖται ἡ ἀπολογία. Ἐλεηθῆναι ζητῶ μόνον. Τίνος ἕνεκεν ἀπαι τεῖς με εὐθύνας; Ἅπαξ ἔλεον ζητῶ, ἀπερίεργον σωτη ρίαν. Ἐλέησόν με, ὁ Θεὸς, κατὰ τὸ μέγα σου ἔλεος. Εἶπες μέγα, εἰπὲ πόσον; Οὐκ οἶδα· ὅτι μέγα, οἶδα· καταμετρῆσαι οὐ δύναμαι, καταλαβεῖν οὐκ ἰσχύω. Οὐκ οἶδα τὴν ποσότητα τοῦ μεγέθους, οὐ καταλαμβάνει ἡ διάνοια, οὐχ ἑρμηνεύει γλῶσσα. Βλέπω τοῦ ἐλέους τὸν καρπὸν μέγαν. Εἰ μὴ γὰρ πολὺ ἦν μέγας, ὀλίγοι ἂν ἐσώθησαν. Τοῦτον τὸν ἔλεον καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς αὐτοῦ ἐπιδείκνυ ται. Ἐλθὼν γὰρ ἐλέῳ πάντας ἔσωσεν. Ἐλέησόν με, ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ λιμὴν ὁ ἀκύμαντος, ὁ γαλήνης γέμων. Μέγας ὁ θόρυβος τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων μου, ἀλλὰ πολλὴ ἡ ἀσφάλεια τῆς τοῦ ∆εσπότου μου φιλανθρωπίας. Ἐγένετο ἄνθρω πος· τοῦτο ἐλέους. Εἰς μήτραν ἦλθε παρθενικήν· τοῦτο φιλανθρωπίας. Ἐγένετο ὅπερ ἦς σὺ, ἵνα γίνῃ σὺ, ὅπερ οὐκ ἦς· τοῦτο ἐλέους. Καὶ ἐλθὼν εὐθέως τίνας ἐκάλεσε; Μάγους. Μετ' ἐκείνους τίνα; Τελώνην. Μετ' ἐκεῖνον; Πόρνην. Μετ' ἐκείνην; Λῃστήν. Μετ' ἐκεῖνον τίνα; Βλάσφημον. γʹ. Ὢ καινῶν καὶ παραδόξων πραγμάτων! Τὰ ἀκροθί νια τῆς κλήσεως, ἡ τυραννὶς τῆς ἁμαρτίας. ∆ιότι κακῶς διέκειτο τὰ τῆς οἰκουμένης πράγματα· οἱ μὲν γὰρ ὑπὸ ἀσεβείας ἐτυραννοῦντο, οἱ δὲ ἐν Ἰουδαϊσμῷ καὶ ἀπογνώσει ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας κατείχοντο· διὰ τοῦτο τοίνυν ἐλθὼν 55.578 ἐκ προοιμίων τὰ ἀκροθίνια τῶν προημαρτηκότων ἐκά λεσεν, ἵνα μηδεὶς μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπογινώσκῃ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ σωτηρίας. Ἀσεβὴς εἶ; Ἐννόησον τοὺς μάγους. Ἅρπαξεἶ; Ἐννόησον τὸν τελώνην. Ἀκάθαρτος εἶ; Ἐννόησοντὴν πόρνην. Ἀνδροφόνος εἶ; Ἐννόησον τὸν λῃστήν. Παράνομος εἶ; Ἐννόησον τὸν βλάσφημον Παῦλον, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπόστολον· πρότερον διώκτην, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα εὐαγγελιστήν· πρότερον μοιχὸν, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα νυμφαγωγόν· πρότερον ζιζάνιον, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα σῖτον· πρότερον λύκον, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ποιμένα· πρότερον μόλυβδον, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα χρυσόν· πρότερον πειρατὴν καὶ καταποντιστὴν, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα κυβερνήτην· πρό τερον πορθοῦντα τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα πι στευόμενον τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν· πρότερον ἐκκόπτοντα τὰς ἀμπέλους, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα φυτουργὸν γινόμενον· πρό τερον καθαιροῦντα τὸν ναὸν, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα οἰκο δόμον γινόμενον. Εἶδες ὑπερβάλλουσαν κακίαν; εἶδες ἀκμάζουσαν ἀρετήν; εἶδες ἀπόνοιαν δούλου; εἶδες φιλ ανθρωπίαν ∆εσπότου; Μή μοι λέγε, Βλάσφημός εἰμι· μή μοι λέγε, ∆ιώκτης εἰμὶ, ἀκάθαρτός εἰμι. Ἔχεις πάντων τὰ ὑποδείγματα. Εἰς οἷον θέλεις λιμένα κατά φυγε. Θέλεις ἐν τῇ Καινῇ; θέλεις ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ; Ἐν τῇ Καινῇ ὁ Παῦλος, ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ ὁ ∆αυΐδ. Μή μοι λέγε προφάσεις, μή μοι ὄκνον.