John Chrysostom, On the Pharisee and the Harlot

saying, if not only, have mercy on me? Shall I not have mercy on her who thus fled the devil, and fled to me? Why then did I come down from heaven? Why am I clothed with a visible body? Why did I come inside your house? If I was going to drive away the one who appeared and wished to be captured, why did I take the place of the hunt? But, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. For which reason I say to you, Her many sins are forgiven, for she loved much. But he who loves little, will be loved little. Having said these things to the Pharisee, Christ gave to the one who had poured herself out a glance and a voice that were gentle and kind, and leaning himself down a little toward the one who was hidden and in need, he gave her the longed-for decision, containing the forgiveness of sins. Your sins are forgiven. Receive then, O woman, the petition signed by your tears; receive the recompense of your faith, receive the rewards of your obedience, receive the gifts of your piety, receive the crown of your repentance, receive the sweetest fruit of your bitter groans, 61.733 receive the sweetest harvest of the somber sowing.

You sowed in tears, reap in joy. Your sins are forgiven. The chains of your evil life are broken, the bonds of wickedness are loosed; you are freed from the accusations and the charges, you have escaped the unquenchable furnace of fire, with a few tears you have extinguished so great a flame, you have trampled on the head of the evil enemy, you have gloriously conquered the adversary. Take heart, daughter, it is God who justifies, who is he that condemns? I, the judge, become the guarantor of the forgiveness; who else will overturn my judgment? I, the judge, acquit; who else will condemn? Take heart, daughter; consider how suddenly you have been exalted, how you came as one condemned, and were deemed worthy to be freed from condemnation, and to become the daughter of me, the king of heaven. You came as one wounded to receive medicine, and as a queen you have put on a royal crown. You have been born again without a womb, you have been refashioned without clay, you have been reforged without fire, you have been baptized without a font. You have mixed for yourself a font from your own tears; my word has become your baptism; my word is the illumination of your face. Take heart, daughter, your faith has saved you. As you have believed, you have drawn; as you have desired, you have received; as you have wished, you have reigned. You looked through the body, and you have become completely full of light. Your faith has saved you. For faith is the beginning of salvation, faith is the prelude to immortality, faith is the pure eye of the knowledge of God, faith sees the invisible. Your faith has saved you. Would that the Jews had also imitated your faith! Would that the Greeks had also emulated your mind! Would that all men might learn to believe as you do! Go in peace.

Since if you wish, you will have me always with you and beside you; if you remain thus pure, I will never be separated from your mind; if you keep this purity undefiled, I will always remain with you; if you remain a virgin bride, I will be to you a virgin bridegroom, a bridegroom guarding incorruptibility; if you do not violate the dowry agreements concluded between us today, I will not depart from your cohabitation; if you do not commit fornication against me, I will not cast you out of my intimacy; if you do not bring me an adulterous thought, as a heavenly suitor I will also give you heavenly gifts; if you keep your conscience toward me unwounded, you will enjoy my goodwill forever. Go in peace. Remember this present day, in which you enjoyed freedom; remember these good tears, through which you came to such brightness; remember this repentance, through which you found the dignity of a daughter. 61.734 Go in peace. I am reconciled to you, after a long time before this being grieved with you because of you. Do not break this good peace with wicked deeds; do not again wage war against me through your members; do not again braid your hair, like Satan; do not whitewash, like a wall,

λέγουσαν, εἰ μὴ μόνον, ἐλέησόν με; μὴ ἐλεήσω τὴν οὕτω φυγοῦσαν τὸν διάβολον, καὶ προσφυγοῦσαν ἐμοί; Τί οὖν κατῆλθον ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν; τί δὲ τὸ φαινόμενον περιβέβλημαι σῶμα; τί δὲ τῆς σῆς οἰκίας ἐγενόμην ἐντός; τὴν φαινομένην καὶ θηραθῆναι βουλομένην εἰ ἔμελλον ἀπελαύνειν, διὰ τί τὸν τόπον τῆς θήρας κατέλαβον; Ἀλλ', Οὐκ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους, ἀλλ' ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν. Οὗ χάριν λέγω σοι, Ἀφέωνται αὐτῆς αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αἱ πολλαὶ, ὅτι ἠγάπησε πολύ. Ὁ δὲ ὀλίγον ἀγαπῶν, ὀλίγον ἀγαπηθήσεται. Ταῦτα πρὸς τὸν Φαρισαῖον διαλεχθεὶς, ὁ Χριστὸς μετέδωκε τῇ περικεχυμένῃ βλέμματος καὶ φθέγματος ἡμέρου καὶ προσηνοῦς, καὶ πρὸς τὴν κατακεκρυμμένην καὶ δεομένην μικρὸν ἑαυτὸν ἐπικλίνας, μετέδωκεν αὐτῇ τὴν ποθουμένην ἀπόφασιν, ἔχουσαν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἄφεσιν. Ἀφέωνταί σοι ἁμαρτίαι. ∆έξαι λοιπὸν, ὦ γύναι, τῶν δακρύων ὑπογεγραμμένην τὴν δέησιν· δέξαι τῆς πίστεως τὴν ἀντίδοσιν, δέξαι τῆς εὐπειθείας τὰς ἀμοιβὰς, δέξαι τῆς εὐσεβείας τὰς δωρεὰς, δέξαι τῆς μετανοίας τὸν στέφανον, δέξαι τῶν πικρῶν στεναγμῶν τὸν γλυκύτατον καρπὸν, 61.733 δέξαι τοῦ σκυθρωποῦ σπόρου τὸ γλυκύτατον θέρος.

Ἔσπειρας ἐν δάκρυσιν, ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει θέρισον. Ἀφέωνταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι. ∆ιεῤῥάγησαν αἱ τοῦ κακοῦ βίου σειραὶ, διελύθησαν αἱ τῆς πονηρίας ἁλύσεις· ἀπηλλάγης τῶν ἐγκλημάτων καὶ τῶν εὐθυνῶν, ἔφυγες τὴν ἄσβεστον κάμινον τοῦ πυρὸς, ὀλίγοις δάκρυσι φλόγα τοσαύτην κατέσβεσας, κατεπάτησας τοῦ πονηροῦ ἐχθροῦ τὴν κεφαλὴν, ἐνίκησας περιφανῶς τὸν ἀντίπαλον. Θάρσει, θύγατερ, Θεὸς ὁ δικαιῶν, τίς ὁ κατακρίνων; Ἐγὼ ὁ κριτὴς γίνομαι τῆς ἀφέσεως ἐγγυητής· τίς ἕτερος τὴν ἐμὴν ἐπίκρισιν ἀνατρέψει; ἐγὼ ὁ δικαστὴς ἀπολύω· τίς ἕτερος καταδικάσει; Θάρσει, θύγατερ· λόγισαι ἐξαίφνης πῶς ὑψώθης, πῶς ἦλθες ὡς κατάκριτος, καὶ τῆς κατακρίσεως ἐλευθερωθῆναι κατηξιώθης, καὶ θυγάτηρ γενέσθαι ἐμοῦ ποῦ βασιλέως τῶν οὐρανῶν. Ἦλθες ὡς τετραυματισμένη φάρμακον λαβεῖν, καὶ βασιλικὸν ὡς βασίλισσα ἐφόρεσας στέφανον. Ἀνεγεννήθης ἄνευ μήτρας, ἀνεπλάσθης ἄνευ πηλοῦ, ἀνεχωνεύθης ἄνευ πυρὸς, ἐβαπτίσθης ἄνευ κολυμβήθρας. Σὺ σεαυτὴν ἐκ τῶν σῶν δακρύων κολυμβήθραν ἐκέρασας· τὸ ῥῆμά μου βάπτισμά σου γεγένηται· ὁ λόγος ὁ ἐμὸς φωτισμὸς τοῦ προσώπου σου. Θάρσει, θύγατερ, ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέ σε. Ὡς ἐπίστευσας, ἤντλησας· ὡς ἐπόθησας, ἔλαβες· ὡς ἠθέλησας, ἐβασίλευσας. Παρέκυψας διὰ τοῦ σώματος, καὶ φωτὸς ὅλη γέγονας ἔμπλεος. Ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέ σε. Πίστις γὰρ σωτηρίας ἀρχὴ, πίστις ἀθανασίας προοίμιον, πίστις θεογνωσίας καθαρὸς ὀφθαλμὸς, πίστις τὰ ἀόρατα καθορᾷ. Ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέ σε. Εἴθε καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι τὴν σὴν πίστιν ἐμιμήσαντο! Εἴθε καὶ Ἕλληνες τὴν σὴν γνώμην ἐζήλωσαν! Εἴθε πάντες ἄνθρωποι μάθοιεν πιστεύειν ὡς σύ! Πορεύου εἰς εἰρήνην.

Ἐπεὶ ἂν ἠβουλήθης, ἕξεις με διαπαντὸς μετὰ σοῦ καὶ σὺν σοί· ἐὰν οὕτω μείνῃς ἁγνὴ, οὐδέποτε χωρισθήσομαι τῆς σῆς διανοίας ἐὰν φυλάξῃς τὴν καθαρότητα ταύτην ἀμόλυντον, ἀεὶ σὺν σοὶ παραμενῶ· ἐὰν μείνῃς νύμφη παρθένος, ἔσομαί σοι νυμφίος παρθένος, νυμφίος ἀφθαρσίας φρουρός· ἐὰν μὴ ἀθετήσῃς τὰ μεταξὺ ἡμῶν σήμερον συντελεσθέντα προικῷα, οὐκ ἀναχωρήσω τῆς σῆς συνοικεσίας· ἐὰν μὴ πορνεύσῃς εἰς ἐμὲ, οὐκ ἐκβαλῶ σε τῆς ἐμῆς οἰκειότητος· ἐὰν μὴ ἐπαγάγῃς μοι μοιχὸν λογισμὸν, ὡς οὐράνιος μνηστὴρ καὶ τὰ οὐράνιά σοι δωρήσομαι· ἐὰν τηρήσῃς ἄτρωτον τὸ πρὸς ἐμὲ συνειδὸς, ἀπολαύσεις τῆς ἐμῆς εὐνοίας διαπαντός. Πορεύου εἰς εἰρήνην. Μέμνησο τῆς παρούσης ἡμέρας, ἐν ᾗ τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἀπήλαυσας· μέμνησο τῶν καλῶν τούτων δακρύων, δι' ὧν κατέστης εἰς τοσαύτην φαιδρότητα· μέμνησο τῆς μετανοίας ταύτης, δι' ἧς τὸ τῆς θυγατρὸς 61.734 εὗρες ἀξίωμα. Πορεύου εἰς εἰρήνην. Κατηλλάγην σοι, διὰ χρόνου πολλοῦ πρὸ τούτου λυπούμενος πρὸς σὲ διὰ σέ. Μὴ λύσῃς τὴν καλὴν εἰρήνην πράξεσι πονηραῖς· μὴ πάλιν διὰ τῶν σῶν μοι πολεμήσῃς μελῶν· μὴ πάλιν πλέξῃς, ὡς σατανᾶς, τὰς κόμας· μὴ κονιάσῃς, ὡς τοῖχον,