John Chrysostom, On Matthew

to care, a great and saving good is engendered in the soul. For we shall be able to please God, by caring for these things, and our mouths will be clean from insolence and foul language and revilings, when they practice spiritual sayings; and we shall be fearsome to demons, arming our tongue with such sayings; and we shall draw God's grace to us the more, and our eye will work more keenly. For it was for this reason that He placed in us eyes, and a mouth, and hearing, so that all our members might serve Him; that we might speak His words, that we might do His deeds, that we might sing to Him perpetual hymns, that we might send up thanksgivings, and through these things purify our conscience. For just as a body enjoying pure air will be healthier, so too a soul nourished by such practices will be more philosophic. 5. Do you not see that the eyes of the body, when they spend time in smoke, are constantly weeping; but when in thin air, and a meadow, and springs, and gardens, they become both sharper and healthier? Such is also the eye of the soul; for if it pastures in the meadow of the spiritual oracles, it will be pure and clear and sharp-sighted; but if it goes away into the smoke of worldly affairs, it will weep countless tears and lament, both now and then. For human affairs are like smoke. For this reason someone also said: My days have vanished like smoke. But he said this in regard to their short duration and lack of substance; but I would say that what was said should be understood not only in this way, but also in regard to their turmoil. For nothing so distresses and clouds the eye of the soul as the crowd of worldly cares, and the swarm of desires; for these are the wood of this smoke. And just as fire, when it takes hold of some damp and saturated matter, kindles a great deal of smoke; so also this vehement and fiery desire, when it takes hold of a damp and dissolute soul, itself also produces a great deal of smoke. For this reason, there is need of the dew of the Spirit, and of that breeze, to extinguish the fire, and to scatter the smoke, 57.30 and to make our reasoning winged. For it is not possible, it is not possible for one weighed down by so many evils to fly up to heaven; but it is a welcome thing if, being well-girded, we are able to cut this path; or rather, it is not even possible thus, unless we receive the wing of the Spirit. If, therefore, both a light mind and spiritual grace are needed, that we might ascend to that height, when we have none of these things, but rather drag along all the opposite things and a satanic weight, how shall we be able to fly up, being dragged down by so great a weight? For if someone should attempt to weigh our words as on just scales, among ten thousand talents of worldly words he will scarcely find a hundred denarii of spiritual sayings; or rather, not even ten obols. Is it not then a shame and the utmost ridicule that, having a servant, we use him for the most necessary things, but possessing a mouth, we do not treat our own member even as a servant, but contrariwise for useless and superfluous things? And would that it were only for superfluous things; but now it is for contrary and harmful things, and for what is of no use to us. For if the things we spoke were useful to us, then what was said would certainly also be dear to God. But as it is, whatever the devil suggests, we speak all of it; now laughing, now telling jokes; now cursing and insulting, now swearing and lying and perjuring; and now losing patience, now babbling, and talking more nonsense than old women, bringing into the open all things that are of no concern to us. For who among you, tell me, of those standing here, if asked, could recite one psalm, or any other part of the divine Scriptures? There is no one. And this is not the only terrible thing, but that while you are so listless toward spiritual things, you are more vehement than fire toward satanic things. For if someone should wish to examine you on diabolical songs, and on lewd and effeminate melodies, he will find many who know these things with precision, and who recite them with great pleasure.

μεριμνᾷν, μέγα τι τῇ ψυχῇ καὶ σωτήριον ἐγγίνεται ἀγαθόν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τῷ Θεῷ δυνησόμεθα ἀρέσαι, ταῦτα φροντίζοντες, καὶ ὕβρεων καὶ αἰσχρολογίας καὶ λοιδοριῶν τὰ στόματα καθαρὰ ἔσται, πνευματικὰ μελετῶντα ῥήματα· καὶ δαίμοσιν ἐσόμεθα φοβεροὶ καθοπλίζοντες ἡμῶν τὴν γλῶτταν τοιούτοις ῥήμασι· καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν χάριν ἐπισπασόμεθα μᾶλλον, καὶ διορατικώτερον ἡμῖν ἐργάσεται τὸ ὄμμα. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς, καὶ στόμα, καὶ ἀκοὴν διὰ τοῦτο ἡμῖν ἐνέθηκεν, ἵνα αὐτῷ πάντα δουλεύῃ τὰ μέλη· ἵνα τὰ αὐτοῦ φθεγγώμεθα, ἵνα τὰ αὐτοῦ πράττωμεν, ἵνα ᾄδωμεν αὐτῷ ὕμνους διηνεκεῖς, ἵνα εὐχαριστίας ἀναπέμπωμεν, καὶ διὰ τούτων τὸ συνειδὸς ἑαυτῶν ἐκκαθαίρωμεν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ σῶμα ἀέρος ἀπολαῦον καθαροῦ ὑγιεινότερον ἔσται, οὕτω καὶ ψυχὴ φιλοσοφωτέρα τοιαύταις ἐντρεφομένη μελέταις. εʹ. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς καὶ τοὺς τοῦ σώματος ὀφθαλμοὺς, ὅταν μὲν ἐν καπνῷ διατρίβωσι, διαπαντὸς δακρύοντας· ὅταν δὲ ἐν ἀέρι λεπτῷ, καὶ λειμῶνι, καὶ πηγαῖς, καὶ παραδείσοις, ὀξυτέρους τε γινομένους καὶ ὑγιεινοτέρους; Τοιοῦτος καὶ ὁ τῆς ψυχῆς ὀφθαλμός· ἂν μὲν γὰρ ἐν τῷ λειμῶνι τῶν πνευματικῶν βόσκηται λογίων, καθαρὸς ἔσται καὶ διαυγὴς καὶ ὀξυδορκῶν· ἂν δὲ εἰς τὸν καπνὸν τῶν βιωτικῶν ἀπίῃ πραγμάτων, δακρύσεται μυρία καὶ κλαύσεται, καὶ νῦν καὶ τότε. Καὶ γὰρ καπνῷ ἔοικε τὰ ἀνθρώπινα πράγματα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καί τις ἔλεγεν· Ἐξέλιπον ὡσεὶ καπνὸς αἱ ἡμέραι μου. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος μὲν πρὸς τὸ ὀλιγοχρόνιον καὶ ἀνυπόστατον· ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ εἰς τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τὸ ταραχῶδες εἴποιμι ἂν δεῖν ἐκλαμβάνειν τὰ εἰρημένα. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω λυπεῖ ψυχῆς ὀφθαλμὸν καὶ θολοῖ, ὡς ὁ τῶν βιωτικῶν φροντίδων ὄχλος, καὶ ὁ τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν ἑσμός· ταῦτα γὰρ τοῦ καπνοῦ τούτου τὰ ξύλα. Καὶ καθάπερ τὸ πῦρ, ὅταν ὑγρᾶς καὶ διαβρόχου τινὸς ἐπιλάβηται ὕλης, πολὺν ἀνάπτει τὸν καπνόν· οὕτω καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία ἡ σφοδρὰ αὕτη καὶ φλογώδης, ὅταν ὑγρᾶς τινος καὶ διαλελυμένης ἐπιλάβηται ψυχῆς, πολὺν καὶ αὐτὴ τίκτει τὸν καπνόν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο χρεία τῆς δρόσου τοῦ Πνεύματος, καὶ τῆς αὔρας ἐκείνης, ἵνα τὸ πῦρ σβέσῃ, καὶ τὸν καπνὸν διαχέῃ, 57.30 καὶ πτηνὸν ποιήσῃ ἡμῖν τὸν λογισμόν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστι τοσούτοις βαρυνόμενον κακοῖς πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναπτῆναι· ἀλλ' ἀγαπητὸν, εὐζώνους ἡμᾶς ὄντας δυνηθῆναι ταύτην τεμεῖν τὴν ὁδόν· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ οὕτω δυνατὸν, ἂν μὴ τοῦ Πνεύματος λάβωμεν τὸ πτερόν. Εἰ τοίνυν καὶ κούφης διανοίας καὶ πνευματικῆς χάριτος δεῖ, ἵνα ἀναβῶμεν εἰς τὸ ὕψος ἐκεῖνο, ὅταν μηδὲν τούτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἐναντία πάντα ἐφελκώμεθα καὶ βάρος σατανικὸν, πῶς δυνησόμεθα ἀναπτῆναι, τοσούτῳ βάρει καθελκόμενοι; Καὶ γὰρ εἴ τις ὥσπερ ἐν δικαίοις σταθμοῖς τοὺς λόγους ἡμῶν στῆσαι ἐπιχειρήσειεν, ἐν μυρίοις ταλάντοις βιωτικῶν λόγων μόλις εὑρήσει δηνάρια ἑκατὸν ῥημάτων πνευματικῶν· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ὀβολοὺς δέκα. Ἆρ' οὖν οὐκ αἰσχύνη καὶ γέλως ἔσχατος, οἰκέτην μὲν ἔχοντας, τὰ πλείονα εἰς τὰ ἀναγκαῖα κεχρῆσθαι αὐτῷ πράγματα, στόμα δὲ κεκτημένους, μηδὲ οἰκέτῃ ὁμοίως προσφέρεσθαι τῷ μέλει τῷ ἡμετέρῳ, ἀλλ' ἀντιστρόφως εἰς ἄχρηστα καὶ παρέλκοντα πράγματα; Καὶ εἴθε εἰς παρέλκοντα μόνον· νῦν δὲ εἰς ἐναντία καὶ βλαβερὰ, καὶ εἰς οὐδὲν ἡμῖν χρήσιμα. Εἰ γὰρ ἦν ἡμῖν χρήσιμα ἃ ἐφθεγγόμεθα, καὶ τῷ Θεῷ πάντως φίλα ἦν τὰ λεγόμενα. Νυνὶ δὲ ἅπερ ἂν ὁ διάβολος ὑποβάλλῃ, πάντα φθεγγόμεθα· νῦν μὲν γελῶντες, νῦν δὲ ἀστεῖα λέγοντες· νῦν μὲν καταρώμενοι καὶ ὑβρίζοντες, νῦν δὲ ὀμνύοντες καὶ ψευδόμενοι καὶ ἐπιορκοῦντες· καὶ νῦν μὲν ἀποδυσπετοῦντες, νῦν δὲ βαττολογοῦντες, καὶ γραϊδίων ληροῦντες πλέον, τὰ μηδὲν πρὸς ἡμᾶς πάντα εἰς μέσον φέροντες. Τίς γὰρ ὑμῶν, εἰπέ μοι, τῶν ἐνταῦθα ἑστηκότων, ψαλμὸν ἕνα ἀπαιτηθεὶς εἰπεῖν δύναιτ' ἂν, ἢ ἄλλο τι μέρος τῶν θείων Γραφῶν; Οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδείς. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ δεινὸν, ἀλλ' ὅτι πρὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ ἀναπεπτωκότες οὕτω, πρὸς τὰ σατανικὰ πυρός ἐστε σφοδρότεροι. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ βουληθείη τις ὑμᾶς ᾠδὰς ἐξετάσαι διαβολικὰς, καὶ πορνικὰ καὶ κατακεκλασμένα μέλη, πολλοὺς εὑρήσει μετὰ ἀκριβείας ταῦτα εἰδότας, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς αὐτὰ ἀπαγγέλλοντας τῆς ἡδονῆς.