John Chrysostom, To Demetrius on Repentance I

47.398 has made reconciliation a matter of such concern, as to endure His sacrifice to remain incomplete, and the service to be interrupted for the sake of putting an end to the enmity and anger toward one another; but we so disregard the matter, as to maintain our enmity for many days against our own heads. For Christ does not punish only those who bear a grudge, but also those who, while free from this passion, despise their brothers who have been struck. For since it is the part of the wronged to bear a grudge, and the one who does wrong would not easily be taken by this passion, for this reason He brought the latter to the former, showing that the one who provided the root of the sin is more liable to his punishment. But we are not even taught this way, but we grieve our brothers even for trivial things; then as if nothing terrible has happened, we so neglect and forget those who have been grieved by us, and we overlook the enmity extending for a long stretch of time, not knowing that we will pay a so much greater punishment, the more days we allow to come upon the grief, both by this very thing, and because reconciliation becomes more difficult for us thereafter. For just as, when friendship holds us together, nothing that divides will easily be able to prevail and be believed; so, when enmity has preoccupied our souls, all things are easy and very simple for those who wish to cause us further conflict, the good things being disbelieved, and only the evil things being believed. For these reasons He commands us to leave the gift at the altar and first be reconciled to our brother, so that we may learn that if at that time one must not put off this reconciliation, much more so at other times. But we hold on to the symbols of the things, but have fallen away from the truth itself, greeting one another when the gift is about to be offered, but doing this for the most part with lips and mouth only. But the Lord does not want this, but that we give the kiss from the soul, and the greeting from the heart to our neighbor. For this is to greet truly, but that is some kind of stage-play and hypocrisy, and one who loves in this way would sooner provoke God than reconcile Him. For He seeks from us sincere and rooted friendship, not this kind, of which we carry about much of the form and appearance, but have extinguished all its power, which is itself a proof of the iniquities that possess us. For because iniquity will be multiplied, he says, the love of many will grow cold. And we do these things as men, though commanded neither to be angry, nor to have any enemies, and if ever we should have them, for a day only; For, he says, let not the sun go down on your anger. And we do not even stop at this, but we also weave plots against one another, and through what we say and what we do, biting and devouring our own members; which is a sign of brilliant madness. For indeed we judge those who are incurably demon-possessed and mad especially from this. And what of the law concerning the adversary, and that concerning unseemly desire, and licentious eyes, and irrational and harmful friendship? For the right eye, and the right hand, signify to us nothing other than those who love us to our harm; and the law concerning divorced women, by whom has it not been annulled and trampled on many times?

47.399 4. For I am ashamed even to mention the laws laid down about not swearing, not only because of the oaths, but also because of the constant perjuries. For if even swearing, though one swears truly, is an accusation and a transgression of the commandment, where shall we place perjury? For if what is more than 'yes' and 'no' is from the Evil One, from whom will be what is more than this? Then again He says: If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and to the one who wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak also; and if anyone compels you to go one mile

καταλ 47.398 λαγῆς πεποίηται σπουδὴν, ὡς ἀνέχεσθαι τὴν αὐτοῦ θυσίαν μένειν ἀτέλεστον, καὶ τὴν ὑπηρεσίαν ἐγκόπτεσθαι ὑπὲρ τοῦ τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀπέχθειαν καταλῦσαι καὶ τὴν ὀργήν· ἡμεῖς δὲ οὕτω τοῦ πράγματος ἀλογοῦμεν, ὡς καὶ ἡμέρας πολλὰς τὴν ἔχθραν διατηρεῖν κατὰ τῆς ἑαυτῶν κεφαλῆς. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τοὺς μνησικακοῦντας κολάζει μόνον ὁ Χριστὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς τούτου μὲν ἀπηλλαγμένους τοῦ πάθους, πεπληγμένων δὲ καταφρονοῦντας τῶν ἀδελφῶν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τῶν ἠδικημένων ἐστὶ τὸ μνησικακεῖν, ὁ δὲ ἀδικῶν οὐκ ἂν ῥᾳδίως ληφθείη τούτῳ τῷ πάθει, τούτου χάριν τοῦτον ἤγαγε πρὸς ἐκεῖνον, δεικνὺς ὅτι τῆς τιμωρίας τῆς ἐκείνου μᾶλλον ὑπεύθυνός ἐστιν ὁ καὶ τὴν ῥίζαν τῷ ἁμαρτήματι παρασχών. Ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς οὐδὲ οὕτω παιδευόμεθα, ἀλλὰ λυποῦμεν καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν τυχόντων τοὺς ἀδελφούς· εἶτα ὥσπερ οὐδενὸς γενομένου δεινοῦ, οὕτως ἀμελοῦμεν καὶ ἐπιλανθανόμεθα τῶν λυπηθέντων παρ' ἡμῶν, καὶ τὴν ἔχθραν εἰς μακρὸν ἐκτεινομένην χρόνου μῆκος περιορῶμεν, οὐκ εἰδότες ὅτι τοσούτῳ μείζονα τίσομεν κόλασιν, ὅσῳ πλείονας ἂν ἀφῶμεν ἐπεισελθεῖν ἡμέρας τῇ λύπῃ, τούτῳ τε αὐτῷ, καὶ τῷ δυσκολωτέραν ἡμῖν γενέσθαι λοιπὸν τὴν καταλλαγήν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ, φιλίας συνεχούσης ἡμᾶς, οὐδὲν εὐκόλως τῶν διαιρούντων ἰσχῦσαι καὶ πιστευθῆναι δυνήσεται· οὕτως, ἔχθρας προκαταλαβούσης ἡμῶν τὰς ψυχὰς, πάντα εὔκολα καὶ ῥᾷστα τοῖς βουλομένοις ἡμῖν συγκρούειν ἐπιπλεῖόν ἐστι, τῶν μὲν χρηστῶν ἀπιστουμένων, πιστευομένων δὲ μόνων τῶν πονηρῶν. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα κελεύει τὸ δῶρον ἀφέντας ἐπὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, πρῶτον διαλλαγῆναι τῷ ἀδελφῷ, ἵνα μάθωμεν, ὅτι εἰ ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ καιρῷ ἀναβάλλεσθαι τὴν καταλλαγὴν ταύτην οὐ χρὴ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐν ἑτέροις. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τὰ μὲν σύμβολα τῶν πραγμάτων κατέχομεν, τῆς δὲ ἀληθείας αὐτῆς ἐκπεπτώκαμεν, ἀσπαζόμενοι μὲν ἀλλήλους μέλλοντος τοῦ δώρου προσφέρεσθαι, χείλεσι δὲ ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ καὶ στόματι τοῦτο ποιοῦντες μόνον. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος οὐ τοῦτο βούλεται, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς φίλημα, καὶ τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς καρδίας ἀσπασμὸν διδόναι τῷ πλησίον ἡμᾶς. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ἀσπάσασθαι ἀληθῶς, ἐκεῖνο δὲ σκηνή τις καὶ ὑπόκρισις, καὶ παροξύνειε μᾶλλον ἂν τὸν Θεὸν ἢ καταλλάξειεν ὁ οὕτω φιλῶν. Τὴν γὰρ εἰλικρινῆ καὶ ἐῤῥιζωμένην φιλίαν ἐπιζητεῖ παρ' ἡμῶν, οὐ ταύτην, ἧς τὸ μὲν σχῆμα πολὺ καὶ τὴν μόρφωσιν περιφέρομεν, τὴν δὲ δύναμιν πᾶσαν ἐσβέσαμεν, ὅπερ καὶ αὐτὸ τεκμήριον τῶν κατεχουσῶν ἡμᾶς ἀνομιῶν ἐστι. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τὸ πληθυνθῆναι τὴν ἀνομίαν, φησὶ, ψυγήσεται ἡ ἀγάπη τῶν πολλῶν. Καὶ ταῦτα πράττομεν ἄνθρωποι, μήτε ὀργίζεσθαι, μήτε ἐχθροὺς ἔχειν κελευσθέντες τινὰς, εἰ δέ ποτε καὶ σχοίημεν, ἐφ' ἡμέρας μόνον· Ὁ ἥλιος γὰρ, φησὶ, μὴ ἐπιδυέτω ἐπὶ τῷ παροργισμῷ ὑμῶν Καὶ οὐδὲ μέχρι τούτου ἱστάμεθα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιβουλὰς κατ' ἀλλήλων ῥάπτομεν, καὶ δι' ὧν λέγομεν καὶ δι' ὧν πράττομεν δάκνοντες τὰ οἰκεῖα μέλη καὶ κατεσθίοντες· ὅπερ λαμπρᾶς μανίας ἐστί. Καὶ γὰρ τοὺς ἀνιάτως δαιμονῶντας καὶ μαινομένους ἀπὸ τούτου μάλιστα δοκιμάζομεν. Τί δὲ ὁ περὶ τοῦ ἀντιδίκου νόμος, καὶ ὁ περὶ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τῆς ἀτόπου, καὶ τῶν ἀκολάστων ὀφθαλμῶν, καὶ τῆς ἀλόγου φιλίας καὶ ἐπιβλαβοῦς; Ὁ γὰρ δεξιὸς ὀφθαλμὸς, καὶ ἡ δεξιὰ χεὶρ, οὐδὲν ἡμῖν ἕτερον αἰνίττεται, ἢ τοὺς ἐπὶ βλάβῃ φιλοῦντας ἡμᾶς· καὶ ὁ περὶ τῶν ἀπολελυμένων δὲ γυναικῶν ὑπὸ τίνος οὐ κατελύθη καὶ κατεπατήθη πολλάκις;

47.399 δʹ. Τοὺς γὰρ περὶ τοῦ μὴ δεῖν ὀμνύναι κειμένους καὶ αἰσχύνομαι λέγειν, οὐ διὰ τὰς ὁρκωμοσίας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὰς ἐπιορκίας τὰς συνεχεῖς. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὸ ὀμνύναι, κἂν εὐορκῇ τις, ἔγκλημα καὶ ἐντολῆς παράβασις, ποῦ τὴν ἐπιορκίαν θήσομεν; Εἰ γὰρ τὸ περισσὸν τοῦ ναὶ καὶ τοῦ οὒ ἐκ τοῦ Πονηροῦ, τὸ καὶ τούτου περισσότερον τίνος ἔσται λοιπόν; Εἶτα πάλιν φησίν· Ἐάν τίς σε ῥαπίσῃ εἰς τὴν δεξιὰν σιαγόνα, στρέψον αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην· καὶ τῷ θέλοντί σοι κριθῆναι, καὶ τὸν χιτῶνά σου λαβεῖν, ἄφες αὐτῷ καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον· καὶ ἐάν τίς σε ἀγγαρεύσῃ μίλιον