John Chrysostom, On "Do not fear"

fear, when a man becomes rich. Tell me then also the way, by which I ought not to fear the rich man. Or when the glory of his house is increased. 8. O nobility of language! how in narration and teaching he introduced philosophy; Fear not, when a man becomes rich, or when the glory of his house is increased! He did not say, And when his glory is increased, but, The glory of his house. For when you enter the house of some rich man, and see in his house columns exceeding in size, and golden capitals, and marbles fixed to the wall, and flowing fountains, and springs and promenades, and trees bending in the wind, and everything full of mosaics, and a herd of gold-bearing eunuchs, and a multitude of servants, and tapestries lying on the floor, and a table gleaming with gold, and decorated bedchambers; all these things are the glory of a house, not the glory of a man. For the glory of a man is reverence, gentleness, almsgiving, meekness, humility, peace, righteousness, unhypocritical love towards all. All these things are the glory of a man. Why do you fear the rich man. Therefore, fear his house rather. For that is the rich thing, not the one who dwells in it. But I do not fear this, he says. Why? Because gold is lifeless matter. But you fear the man? Yes. Why? for is the wealth his? The magnificence is of the house. The wall has marbles. What then is that to the one who dwells there? The ceiling is golden. What then is that to the one who possesses it? The capitals of the columns are golden. What then is that to his head that is defiled with sins? But the floor is clean? But the conscience is unclean. But the garments are of silk? But the soul is full of rags. The house is rich, but the one who possesses the house is poor. When the glory of his house is increased. And that you may learn that the glory is of the house, and not of the man, I refute you from your own words. Often entering into the house of someone which is beautiful, what do you say when you leave? I saw beautiful marbles. You do not say, I saw a beautiful man? The columns are marvelous, the windows are fine. You do not say, The one who dwells there is marvelous? There is much gold on the ceiling. You do not say, His almsgiving is much? The fountains are many, and the abundance is great. You do not say, The abundance of that possessor is great? Everywhere you talk about the walls, everywhere about the marbles, everywhere about the fountains, everywhere about the springs. Again you see a horse having a golden bridle, and you say: The bridle is fine. Therefore the praise is for the goldsmith. The garment is marvelous. Therefore the praise is for the weaver. The servants are fine. Therefore the praise is for the one who sold them. And so he remains uncrowned, but the things around him enjoy the praises. But when you see a good man, you say: A good man, beautiful, gentle, marvelous, merciful, kind, contrite, always attentive in prayers, always persevering in fasts, always at leisure in the church, he is always inseparable from the divine teaching. These are praises for him, these are crowns. Learn then what is the wealth of a man, and what is the wealth of a house, and Fear not. For if you learn to distinguish wealth well, you will no longer be afraid. Do you see that the one considered rich by you is poor and a beggar? Fear not, when a man becomes rich. And that you may learn that these things are this way, if he deceives you here, look at him at the time of his death. Does he take anything there from all these things, and depart? Then he has died and lies naked, he who was clothed in silken garments. He lies naked upon the bier, and the servants go and come, and no one cares for him; for the servants were not his. He has gone away, and nothing of his remains here. The wife is beside herself with grief, her hair

φοβοῦ, ὅταν πλουτήσῃ ἄνθρωπος. Εἰπέ μοι λοιπὸν καὶ τὸν τρόπον, δι' ὃν οὐκ ὀφείλω φοβεῖσθαι τὸν πλούσιον. Ἢ ὅταν πληθυνθῇ ἡ δόξα τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ. ηʹ. Ὢ εὐγένεια λέξεως! πῶς ἐν διηγήσει καὶ διδασκαλίᾳ φιλοσοφίαν εἰσήγαγε· Μὴ φοβοῦ, ὅταν πλουτήσῃ ἄνθρωπος, ἢ ὅταν πληθυνθῇ ἡ δόξα τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ! Οὐκ εἶπε, Καὶ ὅταν πληθυνθῇ ἡ δόξα αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ', Ἡ δόξα τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ. Ὅταν γὰρ εἰσέλθῃς εἰς οἰκίαν τινὸς πλουσίου, καὶ ἴδῃς ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ κίονας ὑπεραίροντας τῷ μεγέθει, καὶ χρυσᾶς κεφαλίδας, καὶ μάρμαρα τῷ τοίχῳ προσπεπηγότα, καὶ κρήνας ῥεούσας, καὶ πηγὰς καὶ περιπάτους, καὶ δένδρα τῷ ἀνέμῳ καμπτόμενα, καὶ πάντα ψηφίδων γέμοντα, καὶ εὐνούχων χρυσοφορούντων ἀγέλην, καὶ οἰκετῶν πλῆθος, καὶ τάπητας ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐδάφους κειμένους, καὶ τράπεζαν ἐκλάμπουσαν τῷ χρυσῷ, καὶ κοιτῶνας κεκοσμημένους· ταῦτα πάντα δόξα οἴκου ἐστὶν, οὐ δόξα ἀνθρώπου. ∆όξα γὰρ ἀνθρώπου εὐλάβεια, ἐπιείκεια, ἐλεημοσύνη, πραότης, ταπεινοφροσύνη, εἰρήνη, δικαιοσύνη, ἀγάπη ἀνυπόκριτος πρὸς πάντας. Ταῦτα πάντα δόξα ἀνθρώπου. Τί φοβῇ τὸν πλούσιον. Οὐκοῦν τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ μᾶλλον φοβοῦ. Ἐκείνη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ πλουτοῦσα, οὐχ ὁ οἰκῶν. Ἀλλ' οὐ φοβοῦμαι ταύτην, φησί. ∆ιὰ τί; Ὅτι ὁ χρυσὸς ἄψυχός ἐστιν ὕλη. Ἀλλὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον φοβῇ; Ναί. ∆ιὰ τί; μὴ γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ὁ πλοῦτος; Τῆς οἰκίας ἡ περιφάνεια. Μάρμαρα ἔχει ὁ τοῖχος. Τί οὖν πρὸς τὸν οἰκοῦντα; Χρυσοῦς ὁ ὄροφος. Τί οὖν πρὸς τὸν κεκτημένον; Αἱ κεφαλίδες τῶν 55.511 κιόνων χρυσαῖ. Τί οὖν πρὸς τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐκείνου τὴν ἁμαρτίαις βεβορβορωμένην; Ἀλλὰ καθαρὸν τὸ ἔδαφος; Ἀλλὰ ἀκάθαρτον τὸ συνειδός. Ἀλλὰ σηρικὰ τὰ ἱμάτια; Ἀλλὰ ῥακίων γέμουσα ἡ ψυχή. Ἡ οἰκία πλουσία, ἀλλ' ὁ κεκτημένος τὴν οἰκίαν πένης. Ὅταν πληθυνθῇ ἡ δόξα τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἵνα μάθητε, ὅτι τοῦ οἴκου ἐστὶν ἡ δόξα, καὶ οὐχὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ἀπὸ τῶν ῥημάτων ὑμῶν ἐλέγχω ὑμᾶς. Εἰσερχόμενος πολλάκις εἰς οἰκίαν τινὸς ὡραίαν οὖσαν, ἐξερχόμενος τί λέγεις; Ὡραῖα εἶδον μάρμαρα. Μὴ λέγεις, Ὡραῖον εἶδον ἄνθρωπον; Θαυμαστοὶ οἱ κίονες, θυρίδες καλαί. Μὴ λέγεις, Θαυμαστὸς ὁ οἰκῶν; Πολὺς ὁ χρυσὸς ἐν τῷ ὀρόφῳ. Μὴ λέγεις, Πολλὴ ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη; Πολλαὶ αἱ κρῆναι, καὶ δαψίλεια πολλή. Μὴ λέγεις, Πολλὴ ἡ δαψίλεια ἐκείνου τοῦ κεκτημένου; Πανταχοῦ περὶ τοὺς τοίχους, πανταχοῦ περὶ τὰ μάρμαρα, πανταχοῦ περὶ τὰς κρήνας, πανταχοῦ περὶ τὰς πηγὰς διαλέγῃ. Πάλιν ὁρᾷς ἵππον ἔχοντα χρυσοῦν χαλινὸν, καὶ λέγεις· Καλὸς ὁ χαλινός. Οὐκοῦν τοῦ χρυσοχόου τὸ ἐγκώμιον. Θαυμαστὸν τὸ ἱμάτιον. Οὐκοῦν τοῦ ὑφάντου ὁ ἔπαινος. Καλοὶ οἱ οἰκέται. Οὐκοῦν τοῦ πεπωληκότος ὁ ἔπαινος. Καὶ μένει μὲν ἐκεῖνος ἀστεφάνωτος, τὰ δὲ περὶ αὐτὸν ἐγκωμίων ἀπολαύουσιν. Ἀλλ' ὅταν ἴδῃς ἄνθρωπον καλὸν, λέγεις· Καλὸς ἄνθρωπος, ὡραῖος, ἐπιεικὴς, θαυμαστὸς, ἐλεήμων, φιλόφρων, συντετριμμένος, ἀεὶ ἐν εὐχαῖς προσέχων, ἀεὶ ἐν νηστείαις παραμένων, ἀεὶ ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ σχολάζων, ἀεὶ ἀχώριστός ἐστι τῆς θείας διδασκαλίας. Ταῦτα ἐγκώμια περὶ ἐκεῖνον, ταῦτα στέφανοι. Μάθε οὖν τί πλοῦτος ἀνθρώπου, καὶ τί πλοῦτος οἰκίας, καὶ Μὴ φοβοῦ. Ἐὰν γὰρ μάθῃς διαιρεῖν τὸν πλοῦτον καλῶς, οὐκέτι φοβηθήσῃ. Ὁρᾷς δὲ τὸν νομιζόμενον πλούσιον παρὰ σοὶ πένητα ὄντα καὶ πτωχόν; Μὴ φοβοῦ, ὅταν πλουτήσῃ ἄνθρωπος. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι ταῦτα τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον, εἰ ἐνταῦθά σε ἀπατᾷ, ἐν καιρῷ τῆς τελευτῆς αὐτοῦ βλέπε αὐτόν. Μὴ 55.512 λαμβάνει τι ἐκεῖ ἐκ τούτων ἁπάντων, καὶ ἀπέρχεται; Εἶτα ἀπέθανε καὶ κεῖται γυμνὸς ὁ τὰ σηρικὰ περιβεβλημένος ἱμάτια. Κεῖται γυμνὸς ἐπὶ τοῦ βάθρου, καὶ οἱ οἰκέται ἀπέρχονται καὶ ἔρχονται, καὶ οὐδεὶς αὐτοῦ φροντίζει· οὐ γὰρ ἦσαν αὐτοῦ οἱ οἰκέται. Ἀπεδήμησε, καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτοῦ λοιπὸν κεῖται. Ἡ γυνὴ κατακόπτεται, τὰς τρίχας