John Chrysostom, On "I remembered God"

themselves held in unbreakable bonds, they cried out with a strong shout: You are terrible, and who will stand against you face to face?

Scourging souls, from heaven you hurled a just judgment upon us; for we did not judge justly; for this reason we are judged, for this reason we do not obtain mercy. For creation is merciless to the one who showed no mercy. He locked them in the storehouses of Hades, tormented by the stench of serpents, having bound them with unbreakable chains. But taking all the souls, the Lord gathered them, and fulfilled the prophecy of Jeremiah. A partridge gathered what it did not hatch. For those whom the enemy led down into Hades, these the Lord gathered; those whom the devil bore there, or rather scattered, these Christ gathered. Arise, said the Lord, and let us go up to heaven. All this happened to fulfill the riddle of the prophecy, Arise, and let us go up to the mountain; that is, to the heavenly Jerusalem. The gates below were opened, or rather, were shattered; it was necessary, then, for the upper gates of the heavens also to be opened; for the gatekeepers above, not knowing, were hindering. For when he descended, they did not know; for this reason they did not recognize him as he ascended, and for a time they attempted to handle him (for the Lord had with him the souls whom he had ransomed, and the thief, or rather, the disciple), saying: Who is this who comes with so great a company? But the angels who led the way indicated the dignity of his divinity. But they were not in a hurry, worn out by ignorance; And if it is the Lord who is ascending, how did we not know him when he descended? Did he not also descend at other times, and command the ark in the time of Noah? in the time of Abraham he came to the tent, in the time of Jacob on the ladder, in the time of Job he spoke through a whirlwind and a cloud, in the time of Moses on Mount Sinai, in the time of Joshua at Jericho, in the time of Elijah in the cave. And there is no generation where he did not descend, and it did not escape our notice.

And now, as it is said, if the Lord is present ascending, how did we not know him when he descended? Those leading the way answered: He is the one who was descending then; so that he would not be recognized ascending, he put on the form of a servant, so that you would not know the master's magnificence. And learn a masterly mystery, and a Lordly device, and do not hinder the purpose of his love for humanity. For if you had known him descending in great humility for the sake of his creation, you would have hindered the descent and deprived man of salvation, and of being crowned with the kingdom above. Now open, kneel. Then they themselves also answer: Unless we hear his divine voice, we will not open the gates. For no one unclean passes through here. For this, it says, is the gate of the Lord; the righteous will enter through it. Then the Lord spoke with a precious voice: I am the one who is sought, open to me the gates of righteousness; entering through them I will confess to the Lord; that is, what I have done and suffered, how many good things I have done and what evil things I have received. I will announce the proofs of the righteous, the gifts of healing, the accomplishments of my deeds. Open to me the gates of righteousness; entering through them I will confess to the Lord. Then those holding the gates, recognizing the undefiled, masterly voice, came out with fear to worship; We did not know you, Master, descending, we worship you ascending. Then he himself passed by undisputed, and his followers. But they hindered those entering behind, saying: These are the gates of the Lord; the righteous will enter through them; surely not also the unrighteous? Here are adulterers and tax collectors and robbers? Why is this done by your holiness? These gates you ratified, you appointed us as gatekeepers, you decreed a law for us, that 'These are the gates of the Lord; the righteous will enter through them.' Has it not been said of you, that 'He made a decree, and it will not pass away'? For you said, 'Only the righteous will enter'; surely not also the unrighteous? here adulterers and tax collectors are brought forward,

ἑαυτοὺς ἀλύτοις δεσμοῖς κατεχομένους, ἀνεβόησαν μετὰ ἰσχυρᾶς κραυγῆς· Σὺ φοβερὸς εἶ, καὶ τίς ἀντιστήσεταί σοι κατὰ πρόσωπον;

Μαστιγοῦντας ψυχὰς ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἠκόντισας κρίσιν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς δικαίαν· οὐ γὰρ ἐκρίνομεν δικαίως· διὰ τοῦτο κρινόμεθα, διὰ τοῦτο φειδοῦς οὐ τυγχάνομεν. Ἀνίλεως γὰρ ἡ κτίσις τῷ μὴ ποιήσαντι ἔλεον. Κατέκλεισεν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰ ταμιεῖα τοῦ ᾅδου, ὑπὸ ὀσμῆς δρακόντων κολαζομένους, δήσας αὐτοὺς δεσμοῖς ἀλύτοις. Λαβὼν δὲ τὰς ψυχὰς πάσας συνῆξεν ὁ Κύριος, καὶ τὴν προφητείαν Ἱερεμίου ἐπλήρωσε. Συνήγαγε πέρδιξ ἃ οὐκ ἔτεκεν. Ἃς γὰρ ὁ ἐχθρὸς κατήγαγεν εἰς τὸν ᾅδην, ταύτας ὁ Κύριος συνήγαγεν· ἃς ἐκεῖ ἔτεκεν ὁ διάβολος, μᾶλλον δὲ διεσκόρπισε, ταύτας συνήγαγεν ὁ Χριστός. Ἀνάστητε, εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος, καὶ ἀναβῶμεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν. Τοῦτο δὲ ὅλον γέγονε πληροῦν τῆς προφητείας τὸ αἴνιγμα, Ἀνάστητε, καὶ ἀναβῶμεν εἰς τὸ ὄρος· τουτέστιν, εἰς τὴν οὐράνιον Ἱερουσαλήμ. Αἱ κάτω πύλαι ἠνοίγησαν, μᾶλλον δὲ συνετρίβησαν· ἀνάγκη λοιπὸν ἀνοιγῆναι καὶ τὰς ἄνω πύλας τῶν οὐρανῶν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ οἱ ἄνω πυλωροὶ ἀγνοοῦντες ἐκώλυον. Ὡς γὰρ κατῆλθεν, οὐκ ἔγνωσαν· διὰ τοῦτο ἀνερχόμενον αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐγνώρισαν, καὶ τέως τρακτεύειν ἐπεχείρουν (εἶχε γὰρ μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ τὰς ψυχὰς ὁ Κύριος, ἃς ἐλυτρώσατο, καὶ τὸν λῃστὴν, μᾶλλον δὲ μαθητὴν), λέγοντες· Τίς ἐστιν ὁ μετὰ τοσαύτης παρατάξεως ἐρχόμενος; Οἱ δὲ προαγαγόντες ἄγγελοι ἐσήμαινον τῆς θεότητος τὸ ἀξίωμα. Οἱ δὲ οὐκ ἠπείγοντο, ἀγνοίᾳ τρυχόμενοι· Καὶ εἰ ὁ Κύριός ἐστιν ἀνερχόμενος, πῶς οὐκ ἔγνωμεν αὐτὸν κατερχόμενον; μὴ γὰρ καὶ ἄλλοτε οὐ κατέβη, καὶ τὴν κιβωτὸν διετάξατο ἐπὶ τοῦ Νῶε; ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν παρεγένετο, ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰακὼβ ἐν τῇ κλίμακι, ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ διὰ λαίλαπος καὶ νέφους ὡμίλησεν, ἐπὶ τοῦ Μωϋσέως εἰς τὸ ὄρος Σινᾶ, ἐπὶ Ἰησοῦ εἰς Ἱεριχὼ, ἐπὶἨλία εἰς τὸ σπήλαιον. Καὶ οὐκ ἔστι γενεὰ, ὅπου οὐ κατέβη, καὶ οὐκ ἔλαθεν ἡμᾶς.

Καὶ νῦν, ὡς λέγεται, εἰ ὁ Κύριος πάρεστιν ἀνερχόμενος, πῶς οὐκ ἔγνωμεν αὐτὸν κατερχόμενον; Ἀπεκρίθησαν οἱ προάγοντες· Αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ τότε κατερχόμενος· ἵνα μὴ γνωρισθῇ ἀνερχόμενος, δουλικὴν εἰκόνα ἐφόρησεν, ἵνα μὴ γνῶτε δεσποτικὴν μεγαλοπρέπειαν. Καὶ μάθετε ∆εσποτικὸν μυστήριον, καὶ σόφισμα Κυριακὸν, καὶ μὴ κωλύσητε φιλανθρωπίας πρόθεσιν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐγνώκατε αὐτὸν ἐν ταπεινώσει πολλῇ κατερχόμενον χάριν τοῦ πλάσματος, ἐκωλύετε τὴν κατάβασιν καὶ ἀπεστερεῖτε τῆς σωτηρίας τὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ δίχα τῆς ἄνω βασιλείας λοφούμενον. Νῦν ἀνοίξατε, γονυπετήσατε. Εἶτα ἀποκρίνονται καὶ αὐτοί· Εἰ μὴ φωνῆς αὐτοῦ θείας ἀκούσωμεν, οὐκ ἂν τὰς θύρας ἀνοίξοιμεν. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ διαβαίνει ἔνθεν ἀκάθαρτος. Αὕτη γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡ πύλη τοῦ Κυρίου· δίκαιοι εἰσελεύσονται ἐν αὐτῇ. Τότε ὁ Κύριος φωνῇ τιμίᾳ ἐλάλησεν· Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ζητούμενος, ἀνοίξατέ μοι πύλας δικαιοσύνης· εἰσελθὼν ἐν αὐταῖς ἐξομολογήσομαι τῷ Κυρίῳ· τουτέστιν, Ἃ ἔπραξα καὶ πέπονθα, ὅσα ἐποίησα καλὰ καὶ ἀπείληφα κακά. Ἀπαγγελῶ τῶν δικαίων τὰ τεκμήρια, τῶν ἰάσεων τὰ χαρίσματα, τῶν πράξεων τὰ κατορθώματα. Ἀνοίξατέ μοι πύλας δικαιοσύνης· εἰσελθὼν ἐν αὐταῖς ἐξομολογήσομαι τῷ Κυρίῳ. Τότε γνόντες τοῦ ἀχράντου φωνὴν ∆εσποτικὴν, οἱ τὰς πύλας κατέχοντες, μετὰ φόβου εἰς προσκύνησιν ἐξήλθοσαν· Οὐκ οἴδαμέν σε, ∆έσποτα, κατερχόμενον, προσκυνοῦμέν σε ἀνερχόμενον. Εἶτα αὐτὸς παρερχόμενος ἀναντιῤῥήτως, καὶ οἱ ἀκόλουθοι. Οἱ δὲ τοὺς ὄπισθεν εἰσερχομένους ἐκώλυον λέγοντες· Αὗται αἱ πύλαι τοῦ Κυρίου· δίκαιοι εἰσελεύσονται ἐν αὐταῖς· μὴ καὶ ἄδικοι; ὧδε μοιχοὶ καὶ τελῶναι καὶ ἅρπαγες; ἵνα τί τοῦτο πράττεται παρὰ τῆς σῆς ἁγιότητος; Ταύτας τὰς πύλας σὺ ἐκύρωσας, σὺ πυλωροὺς ἡμᾶς κατέστησας, σὺ νόμον ἡμῖν ἐδογμάτισας, ὅτι Αὗται αἱ πύλαι τοῦ Κυρίου· δίκαιοι εἰσελεύσονται ἐν αὐταῖς. Οὐχὶ λέλεκται περὶ σοῦ, ὅτι Πρόσταγμα ἔθετο, καὶ οὐ παρελεύσεται; Εἶπας γὰρ, Μόνοι δίκαιοι εἰσελεύσονται· μὴ καὶ ἄδικοι; ὧδε μοιχοὶ καὶ τελῶναι προσάγονται,