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

those snatched away from polytheism, those gathered from wickedness, those assembled from fornication and adultery, He did not add the summit of virtue, but as He came into the world filled with fornication and adultery, He wished also to appoint shepherds for the world, since at that time the good things of virtue were rare, appointing bishops, He says to Titus: Appoint bishops, as I commanded you, if anyone is blameless. The word, Faultless, had no place then, because, as I said before, the things of piety were still scarce. Great is "faultless," but moderate is "blameless;" but great among evils is even a small good. For this reason He said: The husband of one wife. Not because this is now observed in the Church; for the priest must be crowned with complete purity and holiness; but because at that time it was a great thing for those in fornication, He says: Appoint bishops, as I commanded you, if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife; not because He made this a law, but because He condescended to their error. For He knew that as the word of piety blossomed, nature itself would readily possess the good, and the choice would be for the better things. Faultless, righteous. It is not possible, therefore, to become righteous without first having become faultless. True. What does "true" mean? One who does not put on a facade, while having a different disposition; one who does not feign self-control, but is clothed in licentiousness; one who does not show righteousness in his appearance, but carries injustice in his heart. This one is true, and immediately God-fearing. For when there is what is faultless, when there is what is righteous, when there is what is true, then true piety is perfected. Abstaining from every evil thing. Since many abstain from many sins, but do not abstain from all, wishing again to lay down the summit of virtue, he says: Abstaining from every evil thing. Whence also David says: You who love the Lord, hate evil. For it is not possible both to fear God and to practice evil. And it sets forth his substance, that he had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred she-asses. Why does it set these things forth? Not marveling at the wealth of Job, 56.570 but leaving for you the listener the magnitude of his substance, so that, when you see him afterwards stripped of his possessions, and not groaning, you may marvel, that being deprived of so many good things, he does not reject his benefactor, he does not insult the Creator. These things, therefore, were written, not so that you might marvel at his wealth, but so that you might praise the endurance and patience of the righteous man, and always have the fear of God before your eyes. But the sequel will reserve the contemplation for another time. For the devil, brethren, since he saw him growing rich with this temporary wealth, and from this temporary wealth storing up eternal wealth, thought that just as righteousness grew rich along with him as he grew rich, so too virtue would grow poor along with him as he grew poor. He tries, therefore, to strip him of his money, in order to strip him of his advantages as well. But here let those pay close attention who say: Was not Job rich? Was not Abraham rich? Why then do you commend poverty to us? And I will say to you: Become rich like Job, and I pray that you may acquire more; become like Abraham, and the whole earth will join in prayer for your wealth. Say also, like Job, My door has been opened to every one in distress; say, I have warmed the shoulders of the poor; say, From the shearing of my sheep the shoulders of the poor were warmed; say, And the mouth of the widow blessed me; and be rich with whatever wealth you wish. For you will be found to be rich not for yourself, but a steward for the poor. For my door, he says, has been opened to every one in distress. Imitate the height of this love for the poor; put on the zeal of patience; be courageous against adversaries; think the same things. But enough of these things. And may it be that we, having zeal and patience as our inspiration, may also have the sequence of the remaining things, and that you may demand from us the remaining things, and that we may pay to you the

πολυθεΐας ἀπεσπασμένους, τοὺς ἀπὸ κακίας συνειλεγμένους, τοὺς ἀπὸ πορνείας καὶ μοιχείας συνηθροισμένους, οὐ προσέθηκε τὸ ἄκρον τῆς ἀρετῆς, ἀλλ' ὡς ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην πεπληρωμένην πορνείας καὶ μοιχείας, ἠθέλησε καὶ ποιμένας καταστῆσαι τῆς οἰκουμένης, ἐπειδὴ τότε ἐσπάνιζε τὰ καλὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς, καθιστῶν ἐπισκόπους, Τίτῳ λέγει· Κατάστησον ἐπισκόπους, ὡς ἐγώ σοι διεταξάμην, εἴ τίς ἐστιν ἀνέγκλητος. Τὸ, Ἄμεμπτος, οὐκ εἶχε τότε χώραν, ἐπειδὴ, ὡς προεῖπον, ἐσπάνιζεν ἀκμὴν τὰ τῆς εὐσεβείας. Μέγα τὸ ἄμεμπτον, μέσον δὲ τὸ ἀνέγκλητον· μέγα δὲ ἐν κακοῖς καὶ τὸ μικρὸν ἀγαθόν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο εἶπε· Μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρα. Οὐκ ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο νῦν φυλάττεται ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ· δεῖ γὰρ παντελεῖ ἁγνείᾳ καὶ ἁγιωσύνῃ ἐστέφθαι τὸν ἱερέα· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τότε πρὸς τοὺς ἐν πορνείᾳ μέγα ἦν, λέγει· Κατάστησον ἐπισκόπους, ὡς ἐγώ σοι διεταξάμην, εἴ τίς ἐστιν ἀνέγκλητος, μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἀνήρ· οὐκ ἐπειδὴ νόμον ἔθηκε τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τῇ πλάνῃ συνέγνω. Ἤδει γὰρ ὅτι ἀνθοῦντος τοῦ λόγου τῆς εὐσεβείας, εὐθαίρετον αὐτὴ ἡ φύσις ἕξει τὸ ἀγαθὸν, καὶ ἡ ἐκλογὴ γενήσεται τῶν κρειττόνων. Ἄμεμπτος, δίκαιος. Οὐ πρότερον οὖν ἔστι γενέσθαι δίκαιον, ἄμεμπτον μὴ γενόμενον. Ἀληθινός. Ὁ ἀληθινὸς τί βούλεται; Ὁ μὴ ἐσχηματισμένος τὴν ὄψιν, καὶ ἄλλην ἔχων τὴν κατάστασιν· ὁ μὴ σωφροσύνην σχηματιζόμενος, ἀκολασίαν δὲ ἐνδεδυμένος· ὁ μὴ τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἐν τῷ σχήματι δεικνύων, τὴν δὲ ἀδικίαν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ φέρων. Οὗτος ἀληθινὸς, καὶ εὐθέως θεοσεβής. Ὅταν γὰρ ἦ τὸ ἄμεμπτον, ὅταν τὸ δίκαιον, ὅταν τὸ ἀληθινὸν, τότε ἡ ἀληθὴς ἀπαρτίζεται θεοσέβεια. Ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ πράγματος. Ἐπειδὴ πολλοὶ ἀπέχονται ἀπὸ πολλῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, πάντων δὲ οὐκ ἀπέχονται, τὸ ἄκρον πάλιν τῆς ἀρετῆς βουλόμενος ὑποθέσθαι, φησίν· Ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ πράγματος. Ὅθεν καὶ ὁ ∆αυΐδ φησιν· Οἱ ἀγαπῶντες Κύριον, μισεῖτε πονηρά. Οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε καὶ θεοσεβεῖν καὶ πονηρεύεσθαι. Ἐκτίθεται δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ὕπαρξιν, ὅτι εἶχε πρόβατα ἑπτακισχίλια, καμήλους τρισχιλίας, ζεύγη βοῶν πεντακόσια, ὄνους νομάδας πεντακοσίας. ∆ιὰ τί ταῦτα ἐκτίθεται; Οὐ τὸν πλοῦτον θαυμάζων τοῦ Ἰὼβ, 56.570 ἀλλὰ σοὶ τῷ ἀκροατῇ καταλιμπάνων τὸ πλῆθος τῆς οὐσίας, ἵν', ὅταν αὐτὸν ἴδῃς μετὰ ταῦτα γεγυμνωμένον τῶν ὑπαρχόντων, καὶ μὴ στένοντα, θαυμάσῃς, ὅτι τόσων στερούμενος ἀγαθῶν, οὐκ ἀθετεῖ τὸν εὐεργέτην. οὐχ ὑβρίζει τὸν ∆ημιουργόν. Ταῦτα τοίνυν ἐγράφη, οὐχ ἵνα τὸν πλοῦτον θαυμάσῃς, ἀλλὰ ἵνα τὴν καρτερίαν καὶ τὴν ὑπομονὴν ἐπαινέσῃς τοῦ δικαίου, καὶ πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ἔχῃς πάντοτε τὸν φόβον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἡ δὲ ἀκολουθία τὴν θεωρίαν εἰς ἕτερον καιρὸν ταμιεύσεται. Ὁ γὰρ διάβολος, ἀδελφοὶ, ἐπειδὴ εἶδεν αὐτὸν πλουτοῦντα τούτῳ τῷ πλούτῳ τῷ προσκαίρῳ, καὶ ἐκ τούτου τοῦ πλούτου τοῦ προσκαίρου τὸν αἰώνιον πλοῦτον ταμιευόμενον, ἐνενόησεν, ὅθ' ὥσπερ πλουτοῦντι αὐτῷ συνεπλούτησεν ἡ δικαιοσύνη, οὕτω καὶ πτωχεύοντι συμπτωχεύσει καὶ ἀρετή. Πειρᾶται οὖν αὐτὸν γυμνῶσαι τῶν χρημάτων, ἵνα γυμνώσῃ καὶ τῶν πλεονεκτημάτων. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ προσεχέτωσαν ἀκριβῶς οἱ λέγοντες· Μὴ ὁ Ἰὼβ οὐκ ἦν πλούσιος; μὴ ὁ Ἀβραὰμ οὐκ ἦν πλούσιος; διὰ τί οὖν ὑποτίθης ἡμῖν ἀκτημοσύνην; Ἐρῶ κἀγὼ πρὸς σέ· Γενοῦ κατὰ τὸν Ἰὼβ πλούσιος, καὶ ἐπεύχομαί σοι πλείονα κτήσασθαι· γενοῦ κατὰ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ συνεύξεταί σοι τοῦ πλούτου. Εἰπὲ καὶ σὺ, ὡς Ἰὼβ, Ἡ θύρα μου ἀνέῳκται παντὶ θλιβομένῳ· εἰπὲ, Ὤμους πενήτων ἐθέρμανα· εἰπὲ, Ἐκ τῆς κουρᾶς τῶν προβάτων μου ἐθερμάνθησαν ὦμοι πενήτων· εἰπὲ, Καὶ στόμα χήρας εὐλόγησέ με· καὶ πλούτει πλοῦτον ὃν θέλεις. Εὑρεθήσῃ γὰρ οὐ σαυτῷ πλουτῶν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς πένησιν οἰκονομῶν. Ἡ θύρα μου γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀνέῳκται παντὶ θλιβομένῳ. Μίμησαι τὴν ἀκρότητα ταύτης τῆς φιλοπτωχίας· ἔνδυσαι τὸν ζῆλον τῆς ὑπομονῆς· ἄνδρισαι κατὰ τῶν ἐναντίων· τὰ ἴσα φρόνησον. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν εἰς τοσοῦτον. Γένοιτο δὲ ἡμᾶς τὸν ζῆλον καὶ τὴν ὑπομονὴν ἔχοντας ἔναυλον, ἔχειν καὶ τὴν ἀκολουθίαν τῶν λειπομένων, καὶ ὑμᾶς παρ' ἡμῶν ἀπαιτεῖν τὰ λειπόμενα, καὶ ἡμᾶς ὑμῖν τιννύειν τῶν