John Chrysostom, On Isaiah

an unworthy manner. This, then, he now says, that for your sake I endured this, I myself did not need these things. You shall not continue to tread my court. He either foretells the captivity, or he forbids this to them as well, since they did not enter with a right mind. If you bring me fine flour, it is in vain. For of the commandments, some were commanded for their own sake, and others for the sake of other things; for example, to know God, not to kill, not to commit adultery, and all such things, were legislated for the benefit that comes from them; but to sacrifice, and to offer incense, and to keep the sabbath, and all such things again, not so that these things might simply happen, but so that from the practice of these things they might be drawn away from the worship of demons. Since, therefore, they were performing these things, but were not reaping the benefit from them, but were still devoted to demons, it is right that these things also are cast out; since one would rightly cut down a tree that has leaves and branches, but is devoid of fruit. For to the farmer, all his care for the plant is not for the bark and the trunk, but that he may enjoy the fruits. Incense is an abomination to me. Do you see that he did not delight in the nature of the things offered, but examined the disposition of those who offered them? For this very reason, he called the smoke and the savor from the sacrifice of Noah a sweet-smelling savor, but incense an abomination. For as I said, he does not seek the substance of the gifts, but the disposition of those who offer them. Your new moons, and sabbaths. It must be observed that he casts out none of the necessary things, but these things which Christ also abolished when he came. Therefore Paul also, using more vigorous language, when he contended against the Jews, setting forth not only these things but also many more, said that those who showed nothing from themselves gained nothing from there, speaking thus: But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law. And again: For circumcision is of value if you obey the law; but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. And he said that those who were entrusted with the law gained nothing from being entrusted with it, because they were unfaithful; which indeed David also said, hinting at it in another way: But to the sinner God has said: Why do you declare my statutes? For since they were very proud of hearing the law up and down, being devoid of practice, Paul also cast them out of their boasting, saying: You then who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? And David similarly saying: If you saw a thief, you ran with him, and with adulterers you cast your lot. And the great day I cannot endure. He means Pentecost, the feast of tabernacles, the passover and the other feasts. Fasting and idleness and your feasts my soul hates. He speaks to them in a more human way. You have become to me for satiety; for fullness, for hatred. For this shows his unspeakable long-suffering and that he bore with them when they sinned many times and did not proceed against them before, until the sinners themselves provoked him by the excess of their wickedness. I will no longer forgive your sins. I will no longer be long-suffering. This is the same as what was said by David: These things you did, and I was silent. When you stretch out your hands to me, I will turn my eyes from you; and if you make many prayers, I will not listen. From which it is clear that there is no benefit from prayer, even when it is long, when the one praying persists in his sins. For nothing is equal to virtue and the voice from deeds. For your hands are full of blood; that is, murderous; but he did not say murderous, but: full of blood, showing that they made a practice of sin, and everywhere with intensity.

1.6 And this too is part of his gentleness, that when threatening he makes an apology. For he gives the reasons for which he does not accept their prayer. Wash yourselves, be clean. How, after saying, I will no longer forgive your sins, does he give counsel, having also shown them to be incurably sick

τρόπος ἀνάξιος. Τοῦτο οὖν φησι νῦν, ὅτι δι' ὑμᾶς τοῦτο ἠνειχόμην, οὐκ αὐτὸς τούτων ἐδεόμην. Πατεῖν μου τὴν αὐλὴν οὐ προσθήσετε. Ἢ τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν προλέγει, ἢ ἀπαγορεύει καὶ τοῦτο αὐτοῖς, ἐπειδὴ οὐ μετ' ὀρθῆς εἰσῄεσαν γνώμης. Ἐὰν φέρητέ μοι σεμίδαλιν, μάταιον. Τῶν γὰρ ἐπιταγμάτων τὰ μὲν δι' ἑαυτά, τὰ δὲ δι' ἕτερα γίνεσθαι ἐκελεύετο· οἷον τὸ τὸν Θεὸν εἰδέναι, τὸ μὴ φονεύειν, μὴ μοιχεύειν, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, διὰ τὴν ἐξ αὐτῆς ὠφέλειαν ἐνομοθετεῖτο· τὸ μέντοι θῦσαι, καὶ θυμίαμα προσενεγκεῖν, καὶ τηρῆσαι σάββατον, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα πάλιν, οὐχ ἵνα αὐτὰ ταῦτα γίνηται ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἐκ τῆς τούτων μελέτης τῆς τῶν δαιμόνων ἀπάγωνται θεραπείας. Ἐπεὶ οὖν οὗτοι ταῦτα μὲν ἐπετέλουν, τὸ δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐκαρποῦντο κέρδος, ἀλλ' ἔτι τοῖς δαίμοσιν ἦσαν προσηλωμένοι, εἰκότως καὶ ταῦτα ἐκβάλλεται· ἐπεὶ καὶ δένδρον εἰκότως τις ἐκτέμνοι, φύλλα μὲν ἔχον καὶ κλάδους, καρπῶν δὲ ἔρημον ὄν. Καὶ γὰρ τῷ γηπόνῳ πᾶσα περὶ τὸ φυτὸν ἡ ἐπιμέλεια, οὐ διὰ τὸν φλοιὸν καὶ τὸ στέλεχος, ἀλλ' ἵνα τῶν καρπῶν ἀπολαύῃ. Θυμίαμα βδέλυγμά μοί ἐστιν. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι οὐ τῇ φύσει τῶν προσφερομένων ἔχαιρεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν γνώμην τῶν προσαγόντων ἐξήταζε; ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο τὸν μὲν καπνὸν καὶ τὴν κνίσσαν τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς θυσίας τοῦ Νῶε ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας ἐκάλεσε, τὸ δὲ θυμίαμα βδέλυγμα. Ὅπερ γὰρ ἔφην, οὐ τὴν οὐσίαν τῶν δώρων, ἀλλὰ τὴν διάθεσιν τῶν προσφερόντων ἐπιζητεῖ. Τὰς νεομηνίας ὑμῶν, καὶ τὰ σάββατα. Παρατηρητέον ὡς οὐδὲν τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἐκβάλλει, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα ἃ καὶ παραγενόμενος ὁ Χριστὸς κατέλυσεν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος εὐτονώτερον τῷ λόγῳ κεχρημένος, ἡνίκα πρὸς Ἰουδαίους ἐμάχετο, οὐ ταῦτα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερα πλείονα τούτων θείς, τοὺς οὐδὲν οἴκοθεν ἐπιδεικνυμένους οὐδὲν ἐκεῖθεν κερδαίνειν ἔφησεν, οὕτω λέγων· Εἰ δὲ σὺ Ἰουδαῖος ἐπονομάζῃ καὶ ἐπαναπαύῃ τῷ νόμῳ καὶ καυχᾶσαι ἐν Θεῷ καὶ γινώσκεις τὸ θέλημα καὶ δοκιμάζεις τὰ διαφέροντα, κατηχούμενος ἐκ τοῦ νόμου. Καὶ πάλιν· Περιτομὴ μὲν γὰρ ὠφελεῖ, ἐὰν νόμον πράσσῃς· ἐὰν δὲ παραβάτης νόμου ᾖς, ἡ περιτομή σου ἀκροβυστία γέγονε. Καὶ οὐδὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ πιστευθῆναι αὐτοὺς τὸν νόμον ἔφησέ τι τοὺς πιστευθέντας καρπώσασθαι, ἐπειδὴ ἠπίστησαν· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ ἑτέρως αἰνιττόμενος ἔλεγε· Τῷ δὲ ἁμαρτωλῷ εἶπεν ὁ Θεός· ἵνα τί σὺ ἐκδιηγῇ τὰ δικαιώματά μου; Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἄνω καὶ κάτω τῇ ἀκροάσει τοῦ νόμου μέγα ἐφρόνουν, τῆς πράξεως ὄντες ἔρημοι, καὶ ὁ Παῦλος αὐτοὺς ἐξέβαλε τοῦ καυχήματος εἰπών· Ὁ οὖν διδάσκων ἕτερον, σεαυτὸν οὐ διδάσκεις; καὶ ὁ κηρύσσων μὴ κλέπτειν, κλέπτεις; Καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ ὁμοίως λέγων· Εἰ ἐθεώρεις κλέπτην, συνέτρεχες αὐτῷ, καὶ μετὰ μοιχῶν τὴν μερίδα σου ἐτίθης. Καὶ ἡμέραν μεγάλην οὐκ ἀνέχομαι. Τὴν πεντηκοστὴν λέγει, τὴν σκηνοπηγίαν, τὸ πάσχα καὶ τὰς λοιπὰς ἑορτάς. Νηστείαν καὶ ἀργίαν καὶ τὰς ἑορτὰς ὑμῶν μισεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου. Ἀνθρωπινώτερον πρὸς αὐτοὺς διαλέγεται. Ἐγενήθητέ μοι εἰς πλησμονήν· εἰς κόρον, εἰς μῖσος. Τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτοῦ δείκνυσι τὴν ἄφατον μακροθυμίαν καὶ τὸ πολλάκις ἁμαρτόντας ἐνεγκεῖν καὶ μὴ πρότερον ἐπεξελθεῖν, ἕως αὐτὸν αὐτοὶ οἱ πεπλημμεληκότες τῇ ὑπερβολῇ τῆς πονηρίας ἐξεκαλέσαντο. Οὐκέτι ἀνήσω τὰς ἁμαρτίας ὑμῶν. Οὐκέτι μακροθυμήσω. Ταὐτόν ἐστι τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ ∆αυῒδ εἰρημένον· Ταῦτα ἐποίησας, καὶ ἐσίγησα. Ὅταν τὰς χεῖρας ὑμῶν ἐκτείνητε πρός με, ἀποστρέψω τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου ἀφ' ὑμῶν· καὶ ἐὰν πληθύνητε τὴν δέησιν, οὐκ εἰσακούσομαι. Ὅθεν δῆλον, ὅτι εὐχῆς ὄφελος οὐδέν, καὶ μακρᾶς γινομένης, ὅταν ἐπιμείνῃ τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν ὁ εὐχόμενος. Οὐδὲν γὰρ ἀρετῆς ἴσον καὶ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων φωνῆς. Αἱ γὰρ χεῖρες ὑμῶν αἵματος πλήρεις· τουτέστι, φονικαί· ἀλλ' οὐκ εἶπε φονικαί, ἀλλά· πλήρεις αἵματος, δεικνὺς ὅτι μελέτην ἐποιοῦντο τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, καὶ πανταχοῦ μετ' ἐπιτάσεως.

1.6 Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ τῆς ἡμερότητος αὐτοῦ, τὸ ἀπειλοῦντα ἀπολογεῖσθαι. Τίθησι γὰρ τὰς αἰτίας, δι' ἃς οὐ προσίεται τὴν εὐχήν. Λούσασθε, καθαροὶ γίνεσθε. Πῶς, εἰπών· Οὐκέτι ἀνήσω τὰς ἁμαρτίας ὑμῶν, συμβουλεύει καὶ δείξας ἀνίατα νοσοῦντας