John Chrysostom, On Judas's Betrayal

their own prophets, and forbidding us, he says, to speak to the Gentiles, that they might be saved, so as to fill up their sins; but the wrath of God has come upon them to the uttermost. Do you see that it is especially just to mourn and lament for those who do evil? For this reason also the philanthropic Master, seeing the audacity of the disciple, was troubled and wept, showing his sympathy for the disciple, and demonstrating the magnitude of his love for humanity, that even up to the very betrayal he did not cease from providing for the disciple's correction. Therefore, weep bitterly and groan rather for this man, since the Master also was grieved on his account. For Jesus, he says, was troubled and said: One of you will betray me. O what great compassion, what great goodness of the Master! The one betrayed grieves for the betrayer. For seeing him persisting in wickedness, He was troubled and said: One of you will betray me. Consider, what great long-suffering! What great love for humanity! How he spares the ungrateful one, and does not wish to make him shameless, but brings all the disciples into fear and makes them anxious, in order to provide some opportunity for that one to repent of his madness! But when the soul becomes insensible, not receiving the seed of piety, it accepts neither exhortation nor counsel, but, being darkened by passion, goes headlong over a cliff; therefore, neither did this man gain anything from such great long-suffering. One of you will betray me, he says. For what reason was he troubled and grieved? Both demonstrating his own affection, and teaching us that we ought especially to mourn for those who work evil against their neighbor. For they bring wrath upon themselves; and it is just to mourn everywhere not for the one who suffers evil, but for the one who does evil. For to suffer evil procures for us the kingdom of heaven; but to do evil to someone becomes for us a cause of Gehenna and punishment. For blessed, he says, are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake. Do you see how suffering evil has a reward and a prize, the kingdom of heaven? Hear how doing evil also brings punishment and retribution. For Paul, having said concerning the Jews that they killed the Lord and persecuted the prophets, added: Whose end shall be according to their works. Do you see how those who are persecuted receive the kingdom of heaven; but those who persecute inherit the wrath of God? We do not raise these points simply for your love, but so that we may be taught not to be angry with our enemies, but rather that we may pity them, and weep and grieve for them. For they are the ones who suffer evil, who hate us in vain. If we so prepare our soul, so as not to be angry, but even to grieve for them, we will be able, according to the Lord's voice, to pray for them, and through this to draw down much assistance from above. For this reason, this is the fourth day 49.384 I have been discoursing to you concerning prayer for enemies, so that the word of teaching may become permanent through the continuity of the exhortation, so that it may be rooted in your minds. For this reason we continually pour out these words upon you, so that the swelling of anger may subside, and the inflammation be quelled, and so that one who approaches prayer may be pure of anger. For Christ does not exhort these things for the sake of our enemies only, but also for our sakes who forgive their sins. For you receive more than you give, by forgiving anger toward your enemy. And how do I receive more, he says? Pay close attention. If, then, you forgive the sins against an enemy, your offenses against the Master are forgiven you. Those are incurable and unpardonable, but these have much comfort and pardon. Hear, at any rate, what Eli says to his sons: If a man sins against a man, the priest shall pray for him; but if he sins against God, who will pray for him? So that one is a great wound, not even easily loosed by prayer. And by prayer, indeed, such a transgression is not loosed,

τοὺς ἰδίους προφήτας, καὶ κωλυόντων ἡμᾶς, φησὶ, τοῖς ἔθνεσι λαλῆσαι, ἵνα σωθῶσιν, εἰς τὸ ἀναπληρῶσαι αὐτῶν τὰς ἁμαρτίας· ἔφθασε δὲ ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς τέλος. Εἶδες, ὅτι ἐκείνους μάλιστα δίκαιον θρηνεῖν καὶ κόπτεσθαι τοὺς κακοποιοῦντας; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ φιλάνθρωπος ∆εσπότης ὁρῶν τοῦ μαθητοῦ τὴν τόλμαν, ἐταράττετο καὶ ἐδάκρυε, τὴν περὶ τὸν μαθητὴν συμπάθειαν ἐπιδεικνύμενος, καὶ δεικνὺς αὐτοῦ τῆς φιλανθρωπίας τὸ μέγεθος, ὅτι καὶ μέχρις αὐτῆς τῆς προδοσίας οὐκ ἐπαύετο τῆς τοῦ μαθητοῦ διορθώσεως προνοούμενος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτον οὖν δάκρυσον πικρὸν καὶ στέναξον μᾶλλον, ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ ∆εσπότης δι' ἐκεῖνον ἠθύμησεν· Ἐταράχθη γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν· Εἷς ἐξ ὑμῶν παραδώσει με. Ὢ πόση εὐσπλαγχνία, πόση ἀγαθότης ∆εσπότου! ὁ προδοθεὶς ὑπὲρ τοῦ προδότου ἀλγεῖ. Ὁρῶν γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐπιμένοντα τῇ πονηρίᾳ, Ἐταράχθη καὶ εἶπεν· Εἷς ἐξ ὑμῶν παραδώσει με. Σκόπει, πόση μακροθυμία! πόση φιλανθρωπία! πῶς φείδεται τοῦ ἀγνώμονος, καὶ οὐ βούλεται αὐτὸν ἀναίσχυντον ἐργάσασθαι, ἀλλὰ πάντας εἰς δειλίαν ἐνάγει τοὺς μαθητὰς καὶ ἐναγωνίους ποιεῖ, πρὸς τὸ ἀφορμήν τινα ἐκείνῳ παρασχεῖν τοῦ μεταγνῶναι τῆς μανίας! Ἀλλ' ὅταν ἀναίσθητος γένηται ἡ ψυχὴ μὴ δεχομένη τὸν σπόρον τῆς εὐσεβείας, οὐ παραίνεσιν δέχεται, οὐ συμβουλὴν, ἀλλὰ σκοτωθεῖσα ὑπὸ τοῦ πάθους κατὰ κρημνῶν ἄπεισι· διόπερ οὔτε οὗτος ἐκέρδανέ τι ἐκ τῆς τοσαύτης μακροθυμίας. Εἷς ἐξ ὑμῶν παραδώσει με, φησί. Τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐταράχθη καὶ ἠθύμησεν; Ὁμοῦ καὶ τὴν φιλοστοργίαν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἐπιδεικνύμενος, καὶ διδάσκων ἡμᾶς, ὅτι ἐκείνους μάλιστα δεῖ θρηνεῖν, τοὺς κακῶς τῷ πλησίον κατεργαζομένους. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι καθ' ἑαυτῶν τὴν ὀργὴν ἐπιφέρουσιν· οὐχὶ δὲ τὸν πάσχοντα κακῶς, ἀλλὰ τὸν ποιοῦντα κακὰ, τοῦτον θρηνεῖν πανταχοῦ δίκαιον. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ κακῶς παθεῖν, τὴν βασιλείαν ἡμῖν τῶν οὐρανῶν προξενεῖ· τὸ δὲ κακῶς ποιῆσαί τινι αἴτιον ἡμῖν τῆς γεέννης καὶ τῆς κολάσεως γίνεται. Μακάριοι γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης. Ὁρᾷς, πῶς τὸ κακῶς παθεῖν ἔχει μισθὸν καὶ ἔπαθλον, τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν; Ἄκουσον πῶς καὶ τὸ κακῶς ποιῆσαι κόλασιν φέρει καὶ τιμωρίαν. Εἰπὼν γὰρ ὁ Παῦλος περὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, ὅτι τὸν Κύριον ἀπέκτειναν, καὶ τοὺς προφήτας ἐδίωξαν, ἐπήγαγεν· Ὧν τὸ τέλος ἐστὶ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν. Εἶδες πῶς οἱ μὲν διωκόμενοι τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν λαμβάνουσιν· οἱ δὲ διώκοντες, τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ὀργὴν κληρονομοῦσι; Ταῦτα δὲ οὐχ ἁπλῶς κινοῦμεν ἐπὶ τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης, ἀλλ' ἵνα παιδευώμεθα πρὸς τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἡμῶν μὴ ὀργίζεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἵνα μᾶλλον ἐλεῶμεν αὐτοὺς, καὶ δακρύωμεν καὶ ἀλγῶμεν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν. Ἐκεῖνοι γάρ εἰσιν οἱ κακῶς πάσχοντες, οἱ ἐχθραίνοντες ἡμῖν μάτην. Ἂν οὕτω παρασκευάσωμεν ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχὴν, ὡς μὴ ὀργίζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀλγεῖν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, δυνησόμεθα κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου φωνὴν καὶ ὑπερεύχεσθαι αὐτῶν, καὶ πολλὴν διὰ τούτου τὴν ἄνωθεν ἐπισπάσασθαι ῥοπήν. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο τετάρτην ἡμέραν 49.384 ἔχω διαλεγόμενος ὑμῖν περὶ εὐχῆς τῆς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐχθρῶν, ἵνα μόνιμος γένηται τῆς διδασκαλίας ὁ λόγος τῇ συνεχείᾳ τῆς παραινέσεως, ἵνα ῥιζωθῇ ὑμῶν ταῖς διανοίαις. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο συνεχῶς ἐπαντλοῦμεν ὑμῖν τοῖς ῥήμασιν, ὥστε τὸ οἴδημα τῆς ὀργῆς ὑπονοστῆσαι, καὶ κατασταλῆναι τὴν φλεγμονὴν, καὶ καθαρὸν ὀργῆς εἶναι τὸν εὐχῇ προσιόντα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ταῦτα παραινεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τῶν ἀφιέντων ἐκείνοις τὰ ἁμαρτήματα. Μείζονα γὰρ λαμβάνεις ἢ δίδως, ἀφιεὶς τὴν ὀργὴν τῷ ἐχθρῷ. Καὶ πῶς μείζονα λαμβάνω, φησί; Πρόσεχε ἀκριβῶς. Ἐὰν ἀφίῃς τοίνυν τὰ εἰς τὸν ἐχθρὸν ἁμαρτήματα, συγχωρεῖταί σοι τὰ εἰς τὸν ∆εσπότην πλημμελήματα. Ἐκεῖνα ἀνίατά ἐστι καὶ ἀσύγγνωστα, ταῦτα δὲ πολλὴν ἔχει παραμυθίαν καὶ συγγνώμην. Ἄκουσον γοῦν τοῦ Ἠλὶ λέγοντος πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτοῦ· Ἐὰν ἁμαρτὼν ἁμάρτῃ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ἄνθρωπον, ὁ ἱερεὺς προσεύξεται περὶ αὐτοῦ· ἐὰν δὲ εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ἁμάρτῃ, τίς προσεύξεται περὶ αὐτοῦ; Ὥστε ἐκεῖνο μέγα τραῦμα, οὐδ' εὐχῇ ῥᾳδίως λύεται. Καὶ εὐχῇ μὲν οὐ λύεται τὸ τοιοῦτον παράπτωμα,