John Chrysostom, On "Let a widow be chosen"

entering, do you not run to her, tell me, and hold her feet, and serve her in every way? And how are these things worthy of pardon? Of how much shame would this not be? Consider with whom you have fellowship, being puffed up, and being lifted up to arrogance, and being ashamed of the service of the stranger. With the devil, clearly; for pride is his disease. But if you run to her, consider whom you imitate. Your Master, and you do the work of Christ. What shame then, or what reproach is it to have fellowship with the Master, tell me? It is a shame, therefore, to be ashamed of these things, and to consider it a reproach, which Christ did; the feet of saints entering a house are capable of great things; they sanctify the very ground, they bring in a treasure of ten thousand good things, they correct a crippled nature, they end famine, they bring in great abundance. Thus also the feet of Elijah, having entered 51.334 into the house of the widow, demonstrated a certain new and paradoxical way of abundance. He made the house of the widow a field, and the jar a threshing floor. A certain new way of sowing and reaping came to be then; she sowed into the mouth of the righteous man, and what had been sown she reaped with great abundance from the jar; she sowed flour, and reaped flour; she had no need of oxen, and a team, and a plow, and a furrow, nor of rain and wind and sickle, nor of a threshing floor and sheaves, nor of winds separating the chaff from the fruit, nor of a grinding mill; but in a single moment of time she found the end of all these things at the jar; and the prophet's voice continually sent forth two springs, one of flour, the other of oil. 14. Such are the gifts of the saints, and they have great abundance and ease. For the things reaped from the earth are spent, but those springs, being drawn from daily, were not emptied, but the battle of the inflow was equal to the emptying. Such things the feet of saints bestow, or rather, even much more than these; and if I were not making my speech long, I would have enumerated many such gifts. But just as when honored they bring such gifts, so when dishonored they bring on great punishment and unceasing fire. From where is this clear? Hear Christ himself saying to his disciples: Into whatever city or house you enter, ask who in it is worthy, and stay there, and as you enter, say: Peace be to this house. For so that you might not say, "I am spending my money, I am using up my substance, setting a table for strangers," he prepares the one entering first to bring you gifts of hospitality and presents surpassing all abundance. What are these? The supply of peace. For nothing is equal to this. Do you see with what great abundance the holy one enters into the house? This word is bare, indeed, but it is the foundation of ten thousand good things. For what could be safer than a house enjoying peace? And the saints pray for peace for those who receive them, not only that towards one another, but also that towards ourselves. Often, at least, we have war in our thoughts, and when no one is troubling us we are disturbed, and wicked desires continually rise up against us. And so that word of the saints quells this battle, and makes a great calm within. For as soon as he has spoken, every diabolical thought and absurd reasoning has fled from our soul; so that you receive greater things than you give. And if they receive you, he says, let your peace come upon them; but if they do not receive you, shake off the dust from your feet. Truly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on that day, than for that city. Do you see how much fire the feet of saints bring on when they are dishonored? For this reason he commands to wash them, so that being served, they might procure for us great confidence before God; and at the same time he also teaches us this through this exhortation, to perform all the works of hospitality by ourselves. Imitate Abraham, become his daughter, who, having three hundred and eighteen members of his household, himself with his wife shared the 51.335 fruit of hospitality; and he brought a calf, while she kneaded flour. You too these

εἰσιοῦσαν, οὐ προστρέχεις, εἰπέ μοι, καὶ τοὺς πόδας κατέχεις, καὶ παντὶ θεραπεύῃ τρόπῳ; Καὶ ποῦ ταῦτα συγγνώμης ἄξια; πόσης δὲ οὐκ ἂν εἴη τοῦτο αἰσχύνης; Ἐννόησον τίνι κοινωνεῖς φυσωμένη, καὶ πρὸς ἀλαζονείαν ἐπαιρομένη, καὶ τοῦ ξένου τὴν θεραπείαν αἰσχυνομένη. Τῷ διαβόλῳ δηλονότι· ἐκείνου γὰρ ἡ ὑπερηφανία νόσημα. Ἂν δὲ προσδράμῃς, ἐννόησον τίνα μιμῇ. Τὸν ∆εσπότην τὸν σὸν, καὶ τὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ποιεῖς ἔργον. Ποία τοίνυν αἰσχύνη, ἢ ποῖον ὄνειδος τῷ ∆εσπότῃ κοινωνεῖν, εἰπέ μοι; Αἰσχύνη μὲν οὖν τὸ ταῦτα ἐπαισχύνεσθαι, καὶ νομίζειν ὄνειδος εἶναι, ὅπερ ἐποίησεν ὁ Χριστός· μεγάλα δύνανται πόδες ἁγίων εἰς οἰκίαν εἰσιόντες· αὐτὸ τὸ ἔδαφος ἁγιάζουσι, θησαυρὸν μυρίων εἰσάγουσιν ἀγαθῶν, φύσιν πεπηρωμένην διορθοῦνται, λιμὸν λύουσι, πολλὴν εἰσάγουσι τὴν εὐπορίαν. Οὕτω καὶ οἱ πόδες τοῦ Ἠλίου εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τῆς χήρας εἰσ 51.334 ελθόντες καινόν τινα καὶ παράδοξον εὐετηρίας ἐπεδείξαντο τρόπον. Ἄρουραν τὴν οἰκίαν τῆς χήρας ἐποίησε, καὶ τὴν ὑδρίαν ἅλωνα. Καινός τις τρόπος σπόρου καὶ ἀμητοῦ ἐγίνετο τότε· ἔσπειρεν εἰς τὸ τοῦ δικαίου στόμα, καὶ τὰ καταβληθέντα μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀφθονίας ἐκ τῆς ὑδρίας ἐθέριζεν· ἔσπειρεν ἄλευρον, καὶ ἐθέριζεν ἄλευρον· οὐκ ἐδεήθη βοῶν, καὶ ζεύγους, καὶ ἀρότρου, καὶ αὔλακος, οὐδὲ ὑετοῦ καὶ ἀέρος καὶ δρεπάνης, οὐδὲ ἅλωνος καὶ δραγμάτων, οὐδὲ ἀνέμων διακρινόντων ἀπὸ τοῦ καρποῦ τὰ ἄχυρα, οὐδὲ μύλης τριβούσης· ἀλλὰ ἐν μιᾷ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ τούτων ἁπάντων τὸ τέλος εὗρεν ἐπὶ τῆς ὑδρίας· καὶ δύο πηγὰς, τὴν μὲν ἀλεύρου, τὴν δὲ ἐλαίου διηνεκῶς ἀνῆκεν ἡ τοῦ προφήτου φωνή. ιδʹ. Τοιαῦτα τῶν ἁγίων τὰ δῶρα, καὶ δαψίλειαν καὶ εὐκολίαν ἔχει πολλήν. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς δρεπόμενα δαπανᾶται, ἐκεῖναι δὲ αἱ πηγαὶ ἀντλούμεναι καθημέραν οὐκ ἐκενώθησαν, ἀλλ' ἦν ἰσοστάσιος πρὸς τὴν ἐκκένωσιν τῆς ἐπιῤῥοῆς ἡ μάχη. Τοιαῦτα χαρίζονται πόδες ἁγίων, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πολλῷ πλείονα τούτων· καὶ εἰ μὴ μακρὸν ἐποίουν τὸν λόγον, πολλὰς ἂν ἀπηριθμησάμην τοιαύτας δωρεάς. Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τιμώμενοι τοιαῦτα φέρουσι δῶρα, οὕτως ἀτιμαζόμενοι μεγάλην ἐπάγουσι κόλασιν καὶ πῦρ ἀπαραίτητον. Πόθεν τοῦτο δῆλον; Ἄκουσον αὐτοῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος τοῖς μαθηταῖς· Εἰς ἣν ἂν πόλιν ἢ οἰκίαν εἰσέλθητε, ἐρωτήσατε τίς ἄξιός ἐστιν ἐν αὐτῇ, κἀκεῖ μείνατε, καὶ εἰσερχόμενοι λέγετε· Εἰρήνη τῇ οἰκίᾳ ταύτῃ. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ λέγῃς, ∆απανῶ τὰ χρήματα, ἀναλίσκω τὴν οὐσίαν, τράπεζαν παρατιθεῖσα τοῖς ξένοις, αὐτὸν πρότερον τὸν εἰσιόντα παρασκευάζει σοι κομίσαι ξένια καὶ δῶρα πᾶσαν ὑπερβαίνοντα περιουσίαν. Ποῖα δὴ ταῦτα; Τῆς εἰρήνης τὴν χορηγίαν. Ταύτης γὰρ ἴσον οὐδέν. Ὁρᾷς μεθ' ὅσης εὐπορίας ὁ ἅγιος εἰσέρχεται εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν; Τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο ψιλὸν μέν ἐστι, μυρίων δὲ ἀγαθῶν ὑπόθεσις. Τί γὰρ ἀσφαλέστερον οἰκίας γένοιτ' ἂν εἰρήνης ἀπολαυούσης; Εἰρήνην δὲ ἐπεύχονται οἱ ἅγιοι τοῖς ὑποδεχομένοις, οὐ τὴν πρὸς ἀλλήλους μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς αὐτούς. Πολλάκις γοῦν πόλεμον ἐν τοῖς λογισμοῖς ἔχομεν, καὶ μηδενὸς ἐνοχλοῦντος ταραττόμεθα, καὶ ἐπιθυμίαι πονηραὶ συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ἐπανίστανται. Καὶ ταύτην οὖν καταστέλλει τὴν μάχην ἐκεῖνο τῶν ἁγίων τὸ ῥῆμα, καὶ πολλὴν ἔνδον ποιεῖ γαλήνην. Ὁμοῦ τε γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ἐφθέγξατο, καὶ πᾶσα ἐνθύμησις διαβολικὴ καὶ λογισμὸς ἄτοπος ἐδραπέτευσεν ἐκ τῆς ἡμετέρας ψυχῆς· ὥστε μείζονα λαμβάνεις ἢ δίδως. Κἂν μὲν δέξωνται, φησὶν, ὑμᾶς, ἐλθέτω ἡ εἰρήνη ἐπ' αὐτούς· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ δέξωνται, ἐκτινάξατε τὸν κονιορτὸν τῶν ποδῶν ὑμῶν. Ἀμὴν, λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀνεκτότερον ἔσται γῇ Σοδόμων καὶ Γομόῤῥας ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, ἢ τῇ πόλει ἐκείνῃ. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι ἀτιμαζόμενοι πόδες ἁγίων πόσον ἐπάγουσι πῦρ; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο κελεύει νίπτειν αὐτοὺς, ἵνα θεραπευόμενοι πολλὴν ἡμῖν προξενήσωσι παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ τὴν παῤῥησίαν· ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ ἐκεῖνο διὰ ταύτης ἡμᾶς παιδεύει τῆς παραινέσεως, τὰ τῆς φιλοξενίας ἔργα δι' ἑαυτῶν ἅπαντα ἐπιτελεῖν. Μίμησαι τὸν Ἀβραὰμ, γενοῦ θυγάτηρ ἐκείνου, ὃς τριακοσίους δέκα καὶ ὀκτὼ ἔχων οἰκογενεῖς, αὐτὸς μετὰ τῆς γυναικὸς διενείματο τῆς φιλοξενίας τὸν 51.335 καρπόν· καὶ ὁ μὲν δάμαλιν ἔφερεν, ἡ δὲ ἐφύρασεν ἄλευρον. Τούτους καὶ σὺ