John Chrysostom, Sermon on the Captive Eutropius

The servants became judges, the flatterers executioners; those who kissed his hands, they themselves dragged him from the church, and he who yesterday kissed his hand, today is an enemy. Why? Because not even yesterday did he love with truth. For the time came, and the masks were exposed. Did you not yesterday kiss his hands, and call him savior, and guardian, and benefactor? did you not weave countless praises? Why today do you accuse? Yesterday a praiser, and today an accuser? yesterday praises, and today you mix in charges? What is the change? what is the transformation? 5. But I am not such a one; but I, being conspired against, became a protector. I suffered countless terrible things, and I did not retaliate. For I imitate my own Master, who on the cross said: Forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing. But I say these things, so that you may not be corrupted by the suspicion of the wicked. How many changes have occurred, since I was placed over the city, and no one is brought to their senses? But when I say no one, I do not condemn all; may it not be so. For it is not possible for this fertile field, having received seeds, not also to bear a head of grain; but I am insatiable, I do not wish for a few to be saved, but all. Even if one is left behind perishing, I am perishing, and I think to imitate that shepherd, who had ninety-nine sheep, and ran after the one that had gone astray. How long money? how long silver; how long gold? how long wine poured out? how long the flatteries of servants? how long wreathed mixing-bowls? how long satanic banquets, and full of diabolical energy? 52.401 Do you not know that the present life is a journey abroad? For are you a citizen? You are a traveler. Did you understand what I said? You are not a citizen, but you are a traveler and a wayfarer. Do not say: I have this city, and I have that one. No one has a city. The city is above. The present things are a road. We travel therefore each day, as long as nature runs its course. Is there anyone who lays up money on a road; is there anyone who buries gold on a road. When, therefore, you enter an inn, tell me, do you adorn the inn? No, but you eat and drink, and you hurry to depart. The present life is an inn. We have entered, we lodge in the present life; let us hasten to depart with a good hope, let us leave nothing here, so that we may not lose it there. When you enter the inn, what do you say to the servant? See where you put the things, lest you leave something here, so that nothing may be lost, neither small, nor cheap, so that we may carry everything away to the house. So also we in the present life; let us see life as an inn, and let us leave nothing here in the inn, but let us carry everything away to the mother-city. You are a traveler and a wayfarer, or rather, even humbler than a traveler. And how? I will tell you. The traveler knows when he enters the inn, and when he goes out; for he is master of his going out, just as of his coming in; but I, when I enter the inn, that is, into the present life, I do not know when I will depart. And sometimes I prepare provisions for a long time, and the Master immediately calls me; Fool, the things which you have prepared, whose will they be? For this night they are requiring your soul. The departure is uncertain, possession is unstable, countless cliffs, waves from all sides. Why do you rave about shadows? why, having left the truth, do you run down after shadows? 6. These things I say, and I will not cease saying, working constant pain, and dressing the wounds, and not for the sake of those who have fallen, but for the sake of those who are standing. For they have departed, and have received their end; but those who are standing have become more secure in their misfortunes. And what, he says, shall we do? Do one thing only, hate money, and love your life. Cast away your possessions, I do not say all things, but cut off the superfluous. Do not desire what belongs to others, do not strip the widow, do not seize the orphan, the house

οἱ θεράποντες δικασταὶ ἐγένοντο, οἱ κολακεύοντες δήμιοι· οἱ τὰς χεῖρας καταφιλοῦντες, αὐτοὶ αὐτὸν εἷλκον ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, καὶ ὁ χθὲς τὴν χεῖρα καταφιλῶν, σήμερον πολέμιος. ∆ιὰ τί; Ὅτι οὔτε χθὲς μετὰ ἀληθείας ἐφίλει. Ἦλθε γὰρ ὁ καιρὸς, καὶ ἠλέγχθη τὰ προσωπεῖα. Οὐ χθὲς τὰς χεῖρας κατεφίλεις, καὶ σωτῆρα ὠνόμαζες, καὶ κηδεμόνα, καὶ εὐεργέτην; οὐκ ἐγκώμια ὕφαινες μυρία; ∆ιὰ τί σήμερον κατηγορεῖς; Χθὲς ἐπαινέτης, καὶ σήμερον κατήγορος; χθὲς ἐγκώμια, καὶ σήμερον ἐγκλήματα μιγνύεις; Τίς ἡ μεταβολή; τίς ἡ μετάστασις; εʹ. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐγὼ τοιοῦτος· ἀλλ' ἐγὼ ἐπιβουλευόμενος, προστάτης ἐγενόμην. Μυρία ἔπαθον δεινὰ, καὶ οὐκ ἠμειψάμην. Τὸν γὰρ ∆εσπότην τὸν ἐμαυτοῦ μιμοῦμαι, ὃς ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ ἔλεγεν· Ἄφες αὐτοῖς· οὐ γὰρ οἴδασι τί ποιοῦσιν Ταῦτα δὲ λέγω, ἵνα μὴ τῇ ὑπονοίᾳ τῶν πονηρῶν παραφθείρησθε. Πόσαι μεταβολαὶ γεγόνασιν, ἐξ οὗ τῆς πόλεως ἐπέστην, καὶ οὐδεὶς σωφρονίζεται; Οὐδεὶς δὲ ὅταν εἴπω, οὐ πάντων καταγινώσκω· μὴ γένοιτο. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστι τὴν ἄρουραν ταύτην τὴν λιπαρὰν, δεξαμένην σπέρματα, μὴ καὶ στάχυν ἐνεγκεῖν· ἀλλ' ἐγὼ ἀκόρεστός εἰμι, οὐ βούλομαι ὀλίγους σωθῆναι, ἀλλὰ πάντας. Κἂν εἷς ἀπολειφθῇ ἀπολλύμενος, ἐγὼ ἀπόλλυμαι, καὶ οἶμαι τὸν ποιμένα ἐκεῖνον μιμεῖσθαι, ὃς ἐνενήκοντα ἐννέα εἶχε πρόβατα, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ἓν πεπλανημένον ἔδραμεν. Μέχρι πότε χρήματα; μέχρι πότε ἄργυρος· μέχρι πότε χρυσός; μέχρι πότε οἶνος ἐκχεόμενος; μέχρι πότε κολακεῖαι οἰκετῶν; μέχρι πότε κρατῆρες ἐστεμμένοι; μέχρι πότε συμπόσια σατανικὰ, καὶ διαβολικῆς γέμοντα ἐνεργείας; 52.401 Οὐκ οἶσθα, ὅτι ἀποδημία ὁ παρὼν βίος; Μὴ γὰρ πολίτης εἶ; Ὁδίτης εἶ. Συνῆκας τί εἶπον; Οὐκ εἶ πολίτης, ἀλλ' ὁδίτης εἶ καὶ ὁδοιπόρος. Μὴ εἴπῃς· Ἔχω τήνδε τὴν πόλιν, καὶ ἔχω τήνδε. Οὐκ ἔχει οὐδεὶς πόλιν. Ἡ πόλις ἄνω ἐστί. Τὰ παρόντα ὁδός ἐστιν. Ὁδεύομεν τοίνυν καθ' ἡμέραν, ἕως ἡ φύσις ἐπιτρέχει. Ἔστι τις ἐν ὁδῷ χρήματα ἀποτιθέμενος· ἔστι τις ἐν ὁδῷ χρυσίον κατορύττων. Ὅταν οὖν εἰσέλθῃς εἰς πανδοχεῖον, εἰπέ μοι, τὸ πανδοχεῖον καλλωπίζεις; Οὐχὶ, ἀλλ' ἐσθίεις καὶ πίνεις, καὶ ἐπείγῃ ἐξελθεῖν. Πανδοχεῖόν ἐστιν ὁ παρὼν βίος. Εἰσήλθομεν, καταλύομεν τὸν παρόντα βίον· σπουδάζωμεν ἐξελθεῖν μετὰ καλῆς ἐλπίδος, μηδὲν ἀφῶμεν ὧδε, ἵνα μὴ ἀπολέσωμεν ἐκεῖ. Ὅταν εἰσέλθῃς εἰς τὸ πανδοχεῖον, τί λέγεις τῷ παιδί; Βλέπε ποῦ ἀποτίθης τὰ πράγματα, μή τι καταλείπῃς ἐνταῦθα, ἵνα μή τι ἀπόληται, μήτε μικρὸν, μήτε εὐτελὲς, ἵνα πάντα εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν ἀπενέγκωμεν. Οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ· βλέπωμεν ὥσπερ πανδοχεῖον τὸν βίον, καὶ μηδὲν ὧδε καταλείπωμεν ἐν τῷ πανδοχείῳ, ἀλλὰ πάντα εἰς τὴν μητρόπολιν ἀπενέγκωμεν. Ὁδίτης εἶ καὶ ὁδοιπόρος, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ὁδίτου εὐτελέστερος. Καὶ πῶς; ἐγὼ λέγω. Ὁ ὁδίτης οἶδε τὸ πότε εἰσέρχεται εἰς τὸ πανδοχεῖον, καὶ πότε ἐκβαίνει· κύριος γάρ ἐστι τοῦ ἐξελθεῖν, ὥσπερ καὶ τοῦ εἰσελθεῖν· ἐγὼ δὲ εἰσερχόμενος εἰς τὸ πανδοχεῖον, τουτέστιν, εἰς τὸν παρόντα βίον, πότε ἐξέρχομαι οὐκ οἶδα. Καὶ ἐνίοτε παρασκευάζομαι πολλοῦ χρόνου διατροφὰς, καὶ ὁ ∆εσπότης παραχρῆμα καλεῖ με· Ἄφρων, ἃ ἡτοίμασας, τίνι ἔσται; Τῇ νυκτὶ γὰρ ταύτῃ λαμβάνουσι τὴν ψυχήν σου. Ἄδηλος ἡ ἔξοδος, ἄστατος ἡ κτῆσις, μυρίοι κρημνοὶ, πανταχόθεν κύματα. Τί μαίνῃ περὶ τὰς σκιάς; τί ἀφεὶς τὴν ἀλήθειαν κατατρέχεις ἐπὶ τὰς σκιάς; ςʹ. Ταῦτα λέγω, καὶ λέγων οὐ παύσομαι, συνεχῆ τὴν ὀδύνην ἐργαζόμενος, καὶ τὰ τραύματα καταστέλλων, καὶ οὐ διὰ τοὺς πεσόντας, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοὺς ἑστῶτας. Ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ ἀπῆλθον, καὶ τέλος ἔλαβον· οἱ δὲ ἑστῶτες ἐν ταῖς ἐκείνων συμφοραῖς ἀσφαλέστεροι γεγόνασι. Καὶ τί, φησὶ, ποιήσομεν; Ἓν μόνον ποίησον, μίσησον χρήματα, καὶ φίλει σου τὴν ζωήν. Ῥῖψον τὰ ὄντα, οὐ λέγω τὰ πάντα, ἀλλὰ τὰ περιττὰ περίκοψον. Τῶν ἀλλοτρίων μὴ ἐπιθύμει, τὴν χήραν μὴ γυμνώσῃς, τὸν ὀρφανὸν μὴ ἁρπάσῃς, τὴν οἰκίαν