John Chrysostom, On the Cross and the Thief II

Let us, therefore, examine each of the sayings, so that we may learn from this also the power of the cross. For He did not say to him, as to Peter and Andrew: Come, and I will make you fishers of men; nor did He say to him, as to the twelve disciples, that You will sit 49.411 on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. In short, He did not deem him worthy of a single word. Nor did he see miracles, not a dead man being raised, not demons being driven out, not the sea yielding to His command, nor did He discourse with him about a kingdom; whence then did he even know the name of the kingdom? Let us see his great understanding. The other thief, he says, was reviling him; for there was another thief crucified with him, so that what was said by the prophet might be fulfilled, that And He was numbered with the transgressors. For the ungrateful Jews wished also to slander His glory, and in every way they were abusive in what was happening; but through all things the truth increased, and through the very hindrances it became more brilliant. Therefore, the other thief was reviling him; but one of the evangelists says that both were reviling Jesus; and this is also true, which especially heightens this man's good judgment. For it is likely that he reviled at the beginning, but then suddenly showed such a change. Therefore, he says, the other thief was reviling him. Have you seen thief and thief? both on the cross, both from wickedness, both from a life of robbery, but not both in the same state; but one inherited a kingdom, while the other was sent to Gehenna. So also yesterday, disciple and disciples; but one was preparing for betrayal, while the others were getting ready for service; and that one was saying to the Pharisees: What will you give me, and I will deliver him to you? But these came to Jesus saying: Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover? So also here, thief and thief; but the one was reviled, while the other silences; the one blasphemes, the other reproaches, and this while seeing him crucified, condemned, the people below reviling, shouting loudly; but nevertheless none of these things turned him aside, nor led him away from his proper opinion, but he even vehemently confronts the other thief, and says to him: Do you not even fear God? 3. Have you seen the boldness of a thief? have you seen how not even on the cross does he forget his own trade, but through his very confession he plunders the kingdom? Do you not even fear God, he says? Have you seen boldness on a cross? have you seen philosophy, have you seen piety? For that he was in his right mind, that he possessed his senses completely while pierced with the nails, and enduring the unbearable pains from the nails, is he not worthy to be admired for his noble spirit? Indeed, I would rightly say that he is worthy not only to be admired, but also to be called blessed. For not only was he not turned towards his pains, but leaving aside his own affairs, he was concerned for another's, and was eager how he might snatch that man from error, and become a teacher on the cross. Do you not even fear God, he says? He all but says to him: Do not pay attention to the court below, do not judge from what is seen, do not look only at what is happening; there is another, invisible judge, that court is incorruptible, unable to be deceived. Therefore, do not see that he was condemned below; but the things above are not so. For here in the court below both the innocent are often condemned, and the guilty are released, and the just are condemned, and 49.412 the unjust escape. For many men pervert the affairs of those being judged, some willingly, some unwillingly; for either being ignorant of justice and deceived, or seeing it but being corrupted by money, they have betrayed the truth and have condemned the innocent. But above there is nothing of this sort. For God is a just judge, and the judgment

ἕκαστον τοίνυν τῶν ῥημάτων ἐξετάσωμεν, ἵνα μάθωμεν καὶ ἐντεῦθεν τοῦ σταυροῦ τὴν δύναμιν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν, καθάπερ πρὸς Πέτρον καὶ Ἀνδρέαν· ∆εῦτε, καὶ ποιήσω ὑμᾶς ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων· οὐδὲ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὸν, καθάπερ πρὸς τοὺς δώδεκα μαθητὰς, ὅτι Καθίσεσθε 49.411 ἐπὶ δώδεκα θρόνους κρίνοντες τὰς δώδεκα φυλὰς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. Ὅλως δὲ οὐδὲ ῥήματος αὐτὸν ἠξίωσεν. Οὐδὲ θαύματα εἶδεν, οὐ νεκρὸν ἀνιστάμενον, οὐ δαίμονας ἐλαυνομένους, οὐ θάλατταν εἴκουσαν αὐτοῦ τῷ ἐπιτάγματι, οὐ περὶ βασιλείας αὐτῷ διελέχθη· πόθεν δὲ ᾔδει καὶ τῆς βασιλείας τὸ ὄνομα; Ἴδωμεν αὐτοῦ τὴν σύνεσιν τὴν πολλήν. Ἐλοιδόρει αὐτὸν, φησὶν, ὁ ἕτερος λῃστής· καὶ γὰρ ἕτερος ἦν λῃστὴς συνεσταυρωμένος, ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ παρὰ τοῦ προφήτου εἰρημένον, ὅτι Καὶ μετὰ ἀνόμων ἐλογίσθη. Ἐβούλοντο γὰρ καὶ τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ διαβαλεῖν οἱ ἀγνώμονες Ἰουδαῖοι, καὶ πανταχόθεν ἐπηρέαζον τοῖς γινομένοις· ἀλλὰ διὰ πάντων ἡ ἀλήθεια ηὔξανε, καὶ δι' αὐτῶν τῶν κωλυμάτων λαμπροτέρα ἐγίνετο. Ἐλοιδόρει τοίνυν αὐτὸν ὁ ἕτερος λῃστής· εἷς δέ τις τῶν εὐαγγελιστῶν φησιν, ὅτι ἀμφότεροι ἐλοιδόρουν τὸν Ἰησοῦν· καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ἀληθὲς, ὃ καὶ μάλιστα ἐπιτείνει τούτου τὴν εὐγνωμοσύνην. Εἰκὸς γὰρ αὐτὸν λοιδορῆσαι μὲν παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν, ἀθρόον δὲ τοσαύτην τὴν μεταβολὴν ἐπιδείξασθαι. Ἐλοιδόρει τοίνυν αὐτὸν, φησὶν, ὁ ἕτερος λῃστής. Εἶδες λῃστὴν καὶ λῃστήν; ἀμφότεροι ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ, ἀμφότεροι ἀπὸ πονηρίας, ἀμφότεροι ἀπὸ βίου λῃστικοῦ, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀμφότεροι ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς· ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν βασιλείαν ἐκληρονόμησεν, ὁ δὲ εἰς γέενναν παρεπέμπετο. Οὕτω καὶ χθὲς, μαθητὴς καὶ μαθηταί· ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν πρὸς προδοσίαν παρεσκευάζετο, οἱ δὲ πρὸς διακονίαν εὐτρεπίζοντο· καὶ ἐκεῖνος μὲν ἔλεγε τοῖς Φαρισαίοις· Τί θέλετέ μοι δοῦναι, καὶ ἐγὼ ὑμῖν παραδώσω αὐτόν; οὗτοι δὲ προσῆλθον τῷ Ἰησοῦ λέγοντες· Ποῦ θέλεις ἑτοιμάζωμέν σοι φαγεῖν τὸ Πάσχα; Οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα, λῃστὴς καὶ λῃστής· ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ἐλοιδορεῖτο, ὁ δὲ ἐπιστομίζει· ὁ μὲν βλασφημεῖ, ὁ δὲ ἐγκαλεῖ, καὶ ταῦτα ὁρῶν ἐσταυρωμένον αὐτὸν, κατακεκριμένον, τὸν δῆμον κάτωθεν λοιδορούμενον, ἐπιβοῶντα μεγάλα· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲν τούτων αὐτὸν παρέτρεψεν, οὐδὲ τῆς προσηκούσης δόξης ἀπήγαγεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ ἑτέρῳ λῃστῇ σφοδρῶς ἐπιτίθεται, καί φησι πρὸς αὐτόν· Οὐδὲ φοβῇ τὸν Θεὸν σύ; γʹ. Εἶδες παῤῥησίαν λῃστοῦ; εἶδες πῶς οὐδὲ ἐν σταυρῷ τῆς οἰκείας τέχνης ἐπιλανθάνεται, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς ὁμολογίας αὐτῆς λῃστεύει τὴν βασιλείαν; Οὐδὲ φοβῇ τὸν Θεὸν σὺ, φησίν; Εἶδες παῤῥησίαν ἐν σταυρῷ; εἶδες φιλοσοφίαν, εἶδες εὐλάβειαν; Ὅτι γὰρ ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἦν, ὅτι τὰς φρένας ὅλως εἶχε τοῖς ἥλοις ἐμπεπαρμένος, καὶ τὰς ἐκ τῶν ἥλων ὀδύνας ὑπομένων τὰς ἀφορήτους, οὐχὶ θαυμάζεσθαι ἄξιος τοῦ γενναίου φρονήματος ἕνεκα; Ἐγὼ μὲν οὐ θαυμάζεσθαι μόνον ἄξιον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μακαρίζεσθαι αὐτὸν δικαίως ἂν εἴποιμι. Καὶ γὰρ οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐπεστρέφετο πρὸς τὰς ἀλγηδόνας, ἀλλ' ἀφεὶς τὰ καθ' ἑαυτὸν, τὰ ἑτέρου ἐφρόντιζε, καὶ ὅπως ἐκεῖνον ἐξαρπάσῃ τῆς πλάνης, καὶ διδάσκαλος γένηται ἐν σταυρῷ, ἐσπούδαζεν. Οὐδὲ φοβῇ τὸν Θεὸν, φησὶ, σύ; Μονονουχὶ λέγει πρὸς αὐτόν· Μὴ τῷ κάτω δικαστηρίῳ πρόσεχε, μὴ ἀπὸ τῶν ὁρωμένων ψηφίζου, μὴ τὰ γινόμενα μόνον ὅρα· ἔστιν ἕτερος κριτὴς ἀόρατος, ἀδέκαστόν ἐστιν ἐκεῖνο τὸ δικαστήριον, παραλογισθῆναι μὴ δυνάμενον. Μὴ τοίνυν ἴδῃς, ὅτι κατεκρίθη κάτω· ἀλλὰ τὰ ἄνω οὐ τοιαῦτα. Ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ ἐν τῷ κάτω δικαστηρίῳ καὶ ἀνεύθυνοι πολλάκις καταδικάζονται, καὶ ὑπεύθυνοι ἀφίενται, καὶ δίκαιοι κατακρίνονται, καὶ 49.412 ἄδικοι διαφεύγουσι. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἑκόντες τῶν κρινομένων, τὰ δὲ ἄκοντες διαφθείρουσιν οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων· ἢ γὰρ ἀγνοοῦντες τὸ δίκαιον καὶ ἀπατηθέντες, ἢ ἰδόντες μὲν, ὑπὸ χρημάτων δὲ διαφθαρέντες προέδωκαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καὶ κατεψηφίσαντο τῶν ἀνευθύνων. Ἄνω δὲ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν. Ὁ Θεὸς γὰρ κριτὴς δίκαιος, καὶ τὸ κρῖμα