John Chrysostom, Against Theater

But that which is in hope grieves as many times as it is hoped for. The blessed man therefore sees from afar the place of the ministry, an ineffable voice having shown it to him, and the father takes only his son, leaving the servants behind with the donkey; he journeys therefore alone with Isaac alone, not as a father with a child, but as a priest with a victim. And he places on Isaac the wood for the sacrifice, himself carrying the knife and the fire. He weighs down the young man with the burden, so that the boy, sweating from the toil, and purified by the baths of nature, might become a more holy offering to God. But when the account reached this point, seeing the type, I was reminded of the truth. For seeing how Isaac carries for himself the wood of the sacrifice, I glorify Christ who for the salvation of men willed 56.550 to carry His own cross. For I see here the foreshadowing of the whole economy of Christ. As a sheep to the slaughter Christ was led; a type of this is Isaac being led to sacrifice. The slaughter is before his eyes, and Isaac does not disobey his father; for he was a type of Christ, Who was obedient to the Father unto death, even death on a cross. Isaac was at the same time both child and victim. Likewise, Christ too is the Son of God, and the lamb who takes away the sin of the world. The father does not spare Isaac, nor God Christ. For He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all. On the third day after the sacrifice the mother sees Isaac alive; on the third day the Church also sees the Savior incorrupt. And these things about types, as in passing. But Abraham already stood at the place of the ministry, being now within the struggle, in which nature and choice fight, but purpose is crowned against nature, and love for God justly bears the victor's prize against love for one's child. The father came with the child, the priest alone with the victim alone. And the boy was everything to the father, both a minister for service, and a victim for the holy rite.

6. But I marvel also at the understanding of the young man, how respectfully he approaches his father and says: Father, behold the fire, and the wood; where is the sheep? He does not mock his father's forgetfulness; for he saw the Canaanites enslaved because of the laughter of Ham; but he asks, Where? correcting the error of forgetfulness by the form of a question. Father, he says, behold the wood and the fire; where is the sheep? What word will suffice for the presentation of the man's magnanimity? The voice of the child did not move him to tears, he did not bewail the youth of the young man who was unaware of his own slaughter, but he remained throughout unwounded and adamantine, having forgotten his fatherly disposition. He says therefore to him steadfastly: God will provide himself a sheep, my child. He does not announce beforehand to the youth God's will concerning him, lest the youth, lamenting himself with his tender mind, should stain the victim with tears. How shall I relate to you, brothers, what follows without tears? I feel something in the narration of these deeds, as a father. For it was for the tongue of Abraham alone, I think, to relate what was happening without tears, and to show such magnanimity in words, as he showed steadfastness in deeds. For this is the wonderful and precious thing about the man, that what he steadfastly wrought, we cannot bear to speak of even in words without emotion. But nevertheless I must try, even if we may not yet fully attain to the virtue of the forefather, having conquered our passions by the law of the love of God, to share with him in the sacrifice, in the portion of the narration. Having kindled therefore a bright fire on the altar, the father prepares the son for the sacrifice, according to the law of a victim, the beloved, the only-begotten, and having placed him on his knees as if for worship, he binds him behind along his back, putting the boy into the opposite posture; then having braced him from behind with his own knees, and having pulled back his hair towards himself, raising his right hand, he dares to bring down the slaughter from on high against his throat. O strength of the love of God! O invincible courage of soul! He bound his son for slaughter, and the bonds of nature were not loosened. The sword in his hands, and

τὸ δὲ ἐν ἐλπίσι λυπεῖ τοσαυτάκις, ὁσάκις ἂν ἐλπισθῇ. Ὁρᾷ λοιπὸν ὁ μακάριος πόῤῥωθεν τῆς λειτουργίας τὸν τόπον, ἀῤῥήτου φωνῆς προσδειξάσης αὐτῷ, καὶ μόνον παραλαμβάνει τὸν υἱὸν ὁ πατὴρ, ἀπολιπὼν μετὰ τῆς ὄνου τοὺς δούλους· μόνος ὁδεύει λοιπὸν μετὰ μόνου τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ, οὐχ ὡς πατὴρ μετὰ τέκνου, ἀλλ' ὡς ἱερεὺς μετὰ θύματος. Ἐπιτίθησι δὲ καὶ τῷ Ἰσαὰκ τῆς θυσίας τὰ ξύλα, αὐτὸς φέρων τὴν μάχαιραν καὶ τὸ πῦρ. Βαρύνει τῷ φορτίῳ τὸν νέον, ἵνα ἐφιδρώσας ὁ παῖς τῷ καμάτῳ, καὶ τοῖς τῆς φύσεως λουτροῖς καθηράμενος, εὐαγεστέρα γένηται τῷ Θεῷ προσφορά. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ γενομένου τοῦ λόγου, τὸν τύπον ἰδὼν, ἀνεμνήσθην τῆς ἀληθείας. Ἰδὼν γὰρ πῶς Ἰσαὰκ ἑαυτῷ βαστάζει τῆς θυσίας τὰ ξύλα, δοξάζω τὸν Χριστὸν τὸν διὰ τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων σωτηρίαν ἑαυτοῦ τὸν σταυρὸν βαστάσαι θε 56.550 λήσαντα. Ὅλης γὰρ τῆς κατὰ Χριστὸν οἰκονομίας τὴν σκιὰν ἐνταῦθα προλαβοῦσαν ὁρῶ. Ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη ὁ Χριστός· τούτου τύπος Ἰσαὰκ εἰς θυσίαν ἀγόμενος. Ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡ σφαγὴ, καὶ οὐκ ἀπειθεῖ τῷ γεννήσαντι Ἰσαάκ· τύπος γὰρ ἦν Χριστοῦ, Ὃς ὑπήκουσε Πατρὶ μέχρι θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ. Ἰσαὰκ καὶ τέκνον ἦν ἐν ταὐτῷ καὶ θῦμα. Ὁμοίως καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς Υἱὸς Θεοῦ, καὶ ἀμνὸς ὁ αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν τοῦ κόσμου. Οὐ φείδεται τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ ὁ πατὴρ, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ Θεὸς τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ὣς (sic) γὰρ τοῦ ἰδίου Υἱοῦ οὐκ ἐφείσατο, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πάντων παρέδωκεν αὐτόν. Τριήμερον μετὰ τὴν θυσίαν ἡ μήτηρ ὁρᾷ ζῶντα τὸν Ἰσαάκ· τριήμερον καὶ ἡ Ἐκκλησία ἄφθαρτον ὁρᾷ τὸν Σωτῆρα. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν περὶ τύπων, ὡς ἐν παρόδῳ. Ἀβραὰμ δὲ ἐφέστηκεν ἤδη τῷ τόπῳ τῆς λειτουργίας, εἴσω λοιπὸν τοῦ ἀγῶνος γενόμενος, ἐν ᾧ φύσις μὲν καὶ προαίρεσις μάχεται, στεφανοῦται δὲ γνώμη κατὰ τῆς φύσεως, καὶ φέρει φιλοθεΐα δικαίως κατὰ φιλοτεκνίας τὰ νικητήρια. Ἦλθεν ὁ πατὴρ μετὰ τοῦ τέκνου, μόνος ὁ ἱερεὺς μετὰ μόνου τοῦ θύματος. Πάντα δὲ ἦν ὁ παῖς τῷ πατρὶ, καὶ λειτουργὸς πρὸς ὑπηρεσίαν, καὶ θῦμα πρὸς ἱερουργίαν.

ςʹ. Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ τοῦ νέου θαυμάζω τὴν σύνεσιν, ὅπως αἰδεσίμως προσέρχεται τῷ πατρὶ, καί φησι· Πάτερ, ἰδοὺ τὸ πῦρ, καὶ τὰ ξύλα· τὸ πρόβατον ποῦ; Οὐ καταγελᾷ τῆς λήθης τοῦ πατρός· εἶδε γὰρ Χαναναίους δουλεύοντας διὰ γέλωτα Χάμ· ἀλλ' ἐρωτᾷ, Ποῦ; σχήματι πεύσεως λήθης διορθούμενος σφάλμα. Πάτερ, φησὶν, ἰδοὺ τὰ ξύλα καὶ τὸ πῦρ· τὸ πρόβατον ποῦ; Ποῖος ἀρκέσει λόγος πρὸς παράστασιν τῆς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς μεγαλοψυχίας; Οὐκ ἐχάλασεν αὐτὸν πρὸς δάκρυα τοῦ παιδὸς ἡ φωνὴ, οὐκ ὠλοφύρατο τὴν ἡλικίαν τοῦ νέου ἀναισθητοῦσαν τῆς οἰκείας σφαγῆς, ἀλλ' ἔμεινε διαπαντὸς ἄτρωτος καὶ ἀδαμάντινος, τῆς πατρικῆς διαθέσεως ἐκλαθόμενος. Φησὶν οὖν πρὸς αὐτὸν εὐσταθῶς· Ὁ Θεὸς ὄψεται ἑαυτῷ πρόβατον, τέκνον. Οὐ προαπαγγέλλει τῷ νέῳ τὸ ἐπ' αὐτῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ βούλημα, ἵνα μὴ ἁπαλῇ διανοίᾳ ἑαυτῷ ἐπιθρηνήσας ὁ νέος, δάκρυσι σπιλώσῃ τὸ θῦμα. Πῶς ὑμῖν, ἀδελφοὶ, ἀδακρυτὶ τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα διηγήσομαι; Πέπονθά τι πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἔργων διήγησιν, ὡς πατήρ. Μόνης γὰρ ἦν τῆς τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ γλώττης, ὡς οἶμαι, ἀδακρυτὶ τὰ γινόμενα διηγήσασθαι, καὶ τοιαύτην δεῖξαι ἐπὶ τῶν λόγων μεγαλοψυχίαν, οἵαν ἐκεῖνος ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων ἔδειξε τὴν στεῤῥότητα. Τὸ γὰρ δὴ θαυμαστὸν καὶ τίμιον τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, ὅτι ὃ ἐκεῖνος εὐσταθῶς εἰργάσατο, τοῦτο ἡμεῖς οὐδὲ τοῖς λόγοις εἰπεῖν ἀπαθῶς ὑπομένομεν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως πειρατέον, κἂν μὴ λίαν ἔτι που τῆς τοῦ προπάτορος ἀρετῆς ἐφικώμεθα, φιλοθεΐας νόμῳ τὰ πάθη νικήσαντας κοινωνῆσαι αὐτῷ τῆς θυσίας, τῷ μέρει τῆς διηγήσεως. Ἀνακαύσας τοίνυν λαμπρὸν ἐπὶ τῷ βωμῷ τὸ πῦρ, σχηματίζει πρὸς τὴν θυσίαν, ἱερείου νόμῳ, τὸν υἱὸν ὁ πατὴρ, τὸν ἀγαπητὸν, τὸν μονογενῆ, καὶ θεὶς ὡς εἰς προσκύνησιν ἐπὶ τὰ γόνατα, ὄπισθε κατὰ τὸν νῶτον περιειλεῖ, τὸ ἐναντίον σχῆμα περιτιθεὶς τῷ παιδί· εἶτα τοῖς οἰκείοις ἀντιστηρίξας γόνασιν ὄπισθεν, καὶ τὴν κόμην πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἀντανακλάσας, ἀνατείνας τὴν δεξιὰν, τολμᾷ φέρειν ἀφ' ὑψηλοῦ κατὰ τοῦ λαιμοῦ τὴν σφαγήν. Ὢ τόνος φιλοθεΐας! ὢ ψυχῆς ἀνίκητος ἀνδρεία! Ἔδησε πρὸς σφαγὴν τὸν υἱὸν, καὶ οὐκ ἐλύθησαν τῆς φύσεως οἱ ἁρμοί. Τὸ ξίφος ἐν χερσὶ, καὶ