In job (sermones 14) (olim sub auctore joanne chrysostomo)

 In ausitis, whose name was job. and that man was blameless, just, god-fearing, true, abstaining from every evil thing. such was adam also before he wa

 Rooted and founded, and secured up to the very arches of heaven. the first messenger came, and says to job: the yokes of oxen were plowing, and raider

 Your sons, he says, and your daughters were eating and drinking at the house of their eldest brother. see how the blessed job was filled with all unde

 In this job sinned not at all before the lord, but for all these things he offered a whole thanksgiving instead of a sacrifice to god, saying: blessed

 Having blossomed from the root, a judge of righteousness. that one warred against nature, and considered his brother a stranger this one considered e

 Those snatched away from polytheism, those gathered from wickedness, those assembled from fornication and adultery, he did not add the summit of virtu

 The sequence of theorems. and may it be granted to us to celebrate the feast genuinely, and having shared in the sufferings of the saints, to share al

 Rather in temporary wealth, but in that of piety. but some other wise man, taking the saying in a common sense, thinks that great works are vineyards

 Runners, called *cursores* in latin but when they drag some away in dishonor, do they send out other harsh and cruel soldiers? so also god sends mini

 Heaven because all earthly things have been trodden underfoot by him, because he has all men under his feet. having gone about, he said, the earth, an

 To the one who wronged you, why do you worship the one who consumes your possessions? fire fell from heaven. job heard, and again bore it nobly. for h

 A wife was left, not because the devil spared her, but because he kept the weapon for himself. for since he knew that through a woman he had overcome

 To contend peter was able to act bravely without a promise, the apostles were able to contend for virtue without receiving a promise of good things

 Of the one who knows all things. from where do you come? see the wisdom of god see the cunning of the devil. for god knew from where he had come, tha

 Job with a malignant sore from foot to head. he made his whole body one wound, one 56.578 bruise. for it was necessary for him, the combatant, to be c

 The magnitude, he insults inanimate things, and fulfills the full measure of his suffering, not daring against god, but accusing himself and the day

 He suffered also in the case of job. he destroyed martyrs, in order to extinguish the church, not knowing that after the martyrs the church would flou

 This not out of ambition, but out of guilelessness, when he says: i have not disregarded the judgment of my manservant, or of my maidservant, when the

 You were. did you, then, call to judgment the one more ancient than the ages, the creator of the creation? when i stretched a line upon the earth, whe

 Again on the day of the resurrection they will receive him from the tomb into the kingdom, and with one accord they will enjoy those ineffable and ete

having blossomed from the root, a judge of righteousness. That one warred against nature, and considered his brother a stranger; this one considered even strangers as brothers, the one who says: I became as a father to orphans, and as a husband to their mother. A cause which I did not know, I searched out, and I put a stop to the unjust. And he who bears the succession from Esau makes all that is foreign his own, he who considers what is foreign as his own. Esau in his mind plotted to kill Jacob; but Job offered sacrifices for his sons, thinking, Lest they have sinned in their mind. For since that one meditated murder in his mind, this great and noble athlete, fearing lest these too should receive the poison of sin in their mind, offered a sacrifice and one calf for sins. For Job said: ‘Perhaps my sons have thought evil things against God?’ Consider to what great exactness the instruction of his character had reached. And what does he do? Since Esau and Jacob, the ancestors, were at war with each other, not with Jacob consenting to wickedness, but with Esau beginning the wickedness, he dissolves the discord of his ancestors by feasting, and makes his sons feast with one another every day, so that the common table might dissolve the poison of wickedness. The sons of Job visited one another, being taught harmony from a young age, practicing peace, being taught concord, and they ate and drank with one another. And they took, it says, their three sisters also to eat and drink with them. And what is this for the benefit of the hearer? And why did he add the co-feasting of the sisters? So that it might be shown to what a degree of sobriety their banquet was carried, and that there was no disorderly and unrestrained laughter, and no licentiousness dishonoring the table, for this reason he introduces the virgins also feasting, to show that the character of the banquet was not dishonored by drunkenness, but crowned with harmony. 56.569 A certain man was in the land of Ausitis; a dove in the midst of hawks, a sheep in the midst of wolves, a star in the midst of the clouds, a lily in the midst of the thorns, the shoot of righteousness in the village of unrighteousness. And that man was blameless. 2. Pay close attention: Those from outside set a definition of man: What is man? Man is, he says, a rational, mortal animal. These are what the definitions of the philosophers want; but Scripture does not give such definitions; but what? A man blameless, just, true. If anyone should ask you, and demand a definition, ‘What is man?’ say to him, ‘Blameless, just, true, abstaining from every evil thing;’ as he who is not testified to by such achievements, is not even a man. For if he has the character of nature, but insults it by the wickedness of his will, he hears from the prophet: Man being in honor did not understand; he is compared to the senseless beasts, and is become like them. And that man was blameless. No small praise. Examine the word, that you may marvel at the intention. A charge is one thing, and blame is another; for a charge is brought for the most grievous of sins; but blame occurs for the lightest of stumblings. The writer wished therefore to show that the just man was far not only from charges, but also from blame. No one brought a charge against him for doing great wrongs, inasmuch as no one even blamed him for doing small ones. And this is a great proof, of one whose public life is without accusation. For one whom you cannot accuse of adultery, or of murders, such a one is free from accusation; but one to whom you bring blames of insolence, slander, or reviling, or drunkenness, such a one is outside of charges, but runs under blame. He wished therefore to show that he was far even from small and very slight stumblings, and says: He was blameless, just, true, God-fearing, abstaining from every evil thing. Wherefore God also, wishing to show to Abraham that the first thing in virtue is to be blameless, says to him: But you, be well-pleasing before me, and be blameless. The word, Blameless, is taken to mean perfection of character. But the apostle Paul, since he had toward the Gentiles those from

ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης ἀνθήσας, δικαιοσύνης βραβευτής. Ἐκεῖνος τῇ φύσει ἐπολέμησε, καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἀλλότριον ἡγεῖτο· οὗτος καὶ τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους ἀδελφοὺς ἐνόμιζεν, ὁ λέγων· Ἐγενόμην ὀρφανοῖς ὡς πατὴρ, καὶ ἀντὶ ἀνδρὸς τῇ μητρὶ αὐτῶν. ∆ίκην ἣν οὐκ ᾔδειν, ἐξιχνίασα, καὶ κατέπαυσα ἀδίκους. Καὶ πάντα τὰ ἀλλότρια ἰδιοποεῖται ὁ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἡσαῦ φέρων τὴν διαδοχὴν, τοῦ τὰ ἀλλότρια ἴδια τιθεμένου. Ἡσαῦ ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ ἐλογίζετο ἀνελεῖν τὸν Ἰακώβ· Ἰὼβ δὲ προσέφερε θυσίας ὑπὲρ τῶν υἱῶν, ἐννοῶν, Μή τι κατὰ διάνοιαν ἥμαρτον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος κατὰ διάνοιαν ἐμελέτησε τὸν φόνον, φοβηθεὶς οὗτος ὁ μέγας καὶ γενναῖος ἀθλητὴς, μὴ καὶ οὗτοι ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ παραδέξωνται τὸν ἰὸν τῆς ἁμαρτίας, προσέφερε θυσίαν καὶ μόσχον ἕνα περὶ ἁμαρτιῶν. Ἔλεγε γὰρ ὁ Ἰώβ· Μήποτε οἱ υἱοί μου κακὰ ἐνενόησαν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν; Ἐννόησον εἰς ὅσην ἀκρίβειαν αὐτῷ ἔφθασεν ἡ παιδαγωγία τοῦ τρόπου. Καὶ τί ποιεῖ; Ἐπειδὴ Ἡσαῦ καὶ Ἰακὼβ οἱ πρόγονοιἐξεπολεμώθησαν πρὸς ἀλλήλους, οὐ τοῦ Ἰακὼβ εἰς κακίαν συμφωνήσαντος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Ἡσαῦ εἰς κακίαν ἄρξαντος, τὴν διαφωνίαν τῶν προγόνων διαλύει τῇ ἑστιάσει, καὶ ποιεῖ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ καθ' ἡμέραν μετ' ἀλλήλων ἑστιᾶσθαι, ἵνα ἡ συνήθης τράπεζα διαλύσῃ τῆς κακίας τὸν ἰόν. Παρ' ἀλλήλους ἐφοίτων οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ, ὁμόνοιαν παιδευόμενοι ἐκ νέας ἡλικίας, εἰρήνην ἀσκούμενοι, συμφωνίαν παιδευόμενοι, καὶ μετ' ἀλλήλων ἤσθιον καὶ ἔπινον. Παρελάμβανον δὲ, φησὶ, καὶ τὰς τρεῖς ἀδελφὰς ἐσθίειν καὶ πίνειν μετ' αὐτῶν. Καὶ τί τοῦτο εἰς ὠφέλειαν τῷ ἀκροατῇ; καὶ διὰ τί προσέθηκε τῶν ἀδελφῶν τὴν συνεστίασιν; Ἵνα δειχθῇ, εἰς ὅσον σωφροσύνης ἠνέχθη αὐτῶν τὸ συμπόσιον, καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἦν γέλως ἄτακτος καὶ ἐκκεχυμένος, καὶ ἀκολασία τὴν τράπεζαν ὑβρίζουσα, διὰ τοῦτο παρεισάγει καὶ τὰς παρθένους εὐωχουμένας, ἵνα δείξῃ τὸ πρόσχημα τοῦ συμποσίου οὐ μέθῃ ὑβριζόμενον, ἀλλὰ συμφωνίᾳ στεφανούμενον. Ἄν56.569 θρωπός τις ἦν ἐν χώρᾳ τῇ Αὐσίτιδι· περιστερὰ ἐν μέσῳ ἱεράκων, πρόβατον ἐν μέσῳ λύκων, ἀστὴρ ἐν μέσῳ τῶν νεφελῶν, κρίνον ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἀκανθῶν, τὸ βλάστημα τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἐν τῇ κώμῃ τῆς ἀδικίας. Καὶ ἦν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος ἄμεμπτος. βʹ. Πρόσεχε ἀκριβῶς· Οἱ ἔξωθεν ὅρον ἔθεντο ἀνθρώπου Τί ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος; Ἄνθρωπός ἐστι, φησὶ, ζῶον λογικὸν, θνητόν. Ταῦτα βούλονται τῶν φιλοσόφων οἱ ὅροι· ἡ δὲ Γραφὴ οὐ τοιούτους ὅρους δίδωσιν· ἀλλὰ τί; Ἄνθρωπος ἄμεμπτος, δίκαιος, ἀληθινός. Ἐάν τίς σε ἐρωτήσῃ, καὶ ὅρον ἀπαιτήσῃ, Τί ἄνθρωπος; εἰπὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν, Ἄμεμπτος, δίκαιος, ἀληθινὸς, ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ πράγματος· ὡς ὅ γε τοῖς τοιούτοις κατορθώμασι μὴ μεμαρτυρημένος, οὐδὲ ἄνθρωπος ὑπάρχει. Ἐὰν γὰρ ἔχῃ μὲν τὸν χαρακτῆρα τῆς φύσεως, ὑβρίζῃ δὲ αὐτὸν τῇ κακίᾳ τῆς προαιρέσεως, ἀκούει παρὰ τοῦ προφήτου· Ἄνθρωπος ἐν τιμῇ ὢν οὐ συνῆκε· παρασυνεβλήθη τοῖς κτήνεσι τοῖς ἀνοήτοις, καὶ ὡμοιώθη αὐτοῖς. Καὶ ἦν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος ἄμεμπτος. Οὐ μικρὸν τὸ ἐγκώμιον. Βασάνισον τὴν λέξιν, ἵνα θαυμάσῃς τὴν πρόθεσιν. Ἄλλο ἐστὶν ἔγκλημα, καὶ ἄλλο μέμψις· ἔγκλημα μὲν γὰρ ταῖς βαρυτάταις ἐπάγεται τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν· ἡ δὲ μέμψις ἐπὶ τῶν κουφοτάτων γίνεται πταισμάτων. Ἠθέλησεν οὖν δεῖξαι ὁ συγγραφεὺς, ὅτι οὐ μόνον ἐγκλημάτων μακρὰν ἦν ὁ δίκαιος, ἀλλὰ καὶ μέμψεων. Οὐδεὶς αὐτῷ ἐνεκάλεσεν ὡς μεγάλα δράσαντι, ὅπουγε οὐδὲ ἐμέμψατο ὡς μικρὰ πράξαντι. Τοῦτο δὲ μέγα τεκμήριον, οὗ μέσος ὁ βίος, ἀνέγκλητος. Ὧ γὰρ μὴ ἔχῃς περὶ μοιχείας ἐγκαλεῖν, ἢ περὶ φόνων, ὁ τοιοῦτος ἀνέγκλητος· ᾧ δὲ μέμψεις προσάγεις ὕβρεως, διαβολῆς, ἢ λοιδορίας, ἢ μέθης, ὁ τοιοῦτος ἐγκλημάτων μὲν ἐκτὸς, ὑπὸ μέμψιν δὲ τρέχει. Ἠθέλησεν οὖν δεῖξαι, ὅτι καὶ τῶν μικρῶν καὶ ἐλαχίστων πταισμάτων μακρὰν ἦν, καί φησιν· Ἦν ἄμεμπτος, δίκαιος, ἀληθινὸς, θεοσεβὴς, ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ πράγματος. Ὅθεν καὶ ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Ἀβραὰμ βουλόμενος δεῖξαι, ὅτι τὸ πρῶτον κατ' ἀρετὴν τὸ ἄμεμπτόν ἐστι, λέγει αὐτῷ· Σὺ δὲ εὐαρέστει ἐνώπιόν μου, καὶ γίνου ἄμεμπτος. Τὸ, Ἄμεμπτος, εἰς ἀκρότητα τρόπων ἐκλαμβάνεται. Ὁ δὲ ἀπόστολος Παῦλος, ἐπειδὴ πρὸς τὰ ἔθνη εἶχε τοὺς ἀπὸ