John Chrysostom, On "Do not fear"

to them the disease of theft. For if silver shining in the marketplace draws you, a free man and one who prides himself on his noble birth, to desire it, how much more the servant. And I say these things not to absolve from blame runaway servants and those who commit such evils, but to advise you not to set before them the nourishment for such diseases. But where shall we put them away? he says. Shall we bury them in the ground? By no means; but if you are willing to accept my advice, I will tell you a way by which you will be able to make the runaway grateful. 3. For wealth is a runaway, today with this one, tomorrow jumping to another; not only a runaway, but also a maker of runaways, often making fugitives of those who guard it. How then might this runaway be restrained? In the opposite way to other runaways. For the others, when guarded, stay; but this one, when guarded, flees; when scattered, it stays. And if what has been said seems new to you, learn this from the farmers. For they, if they lock up and hide the grain in a house, have handed it over to the moth and the worm and have lost it; but if they scatter it in the fields, they not only preserve it, but also make it more; so also wealth, while staying in chests, and being under doors and bolts, and being buried in the ground, quickly runs away; but if you scatter it, as the farmer the grain into the field, so into the stomachs of the poor, not only does it not run away, but it even becomes more from there. Knowing these things, then, do not hand it over to a servant, but make it to be held by countless hands, by those of the widows, by those of the orphans, by those whose bodies are maimed, by those who inhabit the prison. 55.516 For it would not be able to escape so many grips, but is held with security, and becomes more. And what shall I leave to my children? he says. First of all, then, I do not compel you to empty everything; but even if all, in this way you will make your children richer, leaving them God propitious instead of money, the wealth that comes from almsgiving, countless protectors and benefactors even among men. For just as we hate the greedy, even if we are not wronged by them; so we respect those who know how to be merciful, even if we ourselves do not enjoy their generosity, and we long for not only them, but also their children. Consider then how great an adornment it is for the children to be seen to have countless admirers, and for all to say these words, if the wealth is spent for the sustenance of the needy: the son of the philanthropist, of the merciful man. But you adorn the senseless thing vainly and to no purpose; for the stone is senseless, even if you put ten thousand talents of gold upon it; but him who has feeling and is wasting away with hunger you do not allow to partake even of necessary food. When, therefore, the dreadful judgment seat appears, and the rivers of fire, and we are required to give an account of our deeds, what will you say in defense of so much stupidity, of so much folly, and cruelty, and inhumanity? what reasonable excuse? For just as for each of the others there is some purpose and reason; and the farmer, if you ask him for an account, will say for what reason he both yoked the oxen, and cut furrows, and dragged the plough; and the merchant, for what reason he launched the ship, and hired workmen, and invested money; and the builder, and the shoemaker, and the coppersmith, and the baker, and each of those practicing any art whatsoever gives the reason and the cause so also you, who cover your couch with silver, who gild your horse and your stone, who prepare such skins, if you are required to give an account and

αὐτοῖς τὸ νόσημα τῆς κλοπῆς. Εἰ γὰρ σὲ τὸν ἐλεύθερον, καὶ ἐπ' εὐγενείᾳ μέγα φρονοῦντα, ἄργυρος ἐν ἀγορᾷ λάμπων ἐφέλκεται πρὸς τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸν οἰκέτην. Καὶ ταῦτα λέγω οὐκ ἀπαλλάττων ἐγκλημάτων τοὺς δραπέτας τῶν οἰκετῶν, καὶ τοὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα κακουργοῦντας, ἀλλὰ παραινῶν ὑμῖν μὴ παρατιθέναι τῶν τοιούτων νοσημάτων αὐτοῖς τὴν τροφήν. Ἀλλὰ ποῦ καταθώμεθα αὐτά; φησίν· εἰς γῆν κατορύξωμεν; Ἄπαγε· ἀλλ', εἰ βούλει τῆς ἐμῆς ἀνασχέσθαι συμβουλῆς, ἐρῶ σοι τρόπον, δι' οὗ τὸν δραπέτην εὐγνώμονα δυνήσῃ ποιῆσαι. γʹ. Καὶ γὰρ δραπέτης ἐστὶν ὁ πλοῦτος, σήμερον πρὸς τοῦτον, αὔριον πρὸς τὸν ἕτερον μεταπηδῶν· οὐ δραπέτης δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δραπετοποιὸς, τοὺς φυλάττοντας αὐτὸν πολλάκις φυγάδας ποιῶν. Πῶς ἂν οὖν ὁ δραπέτης οὗτος κατασχεθείη; Ἀπ' ἐναντίας τοῖς ἄλλοις δραπέταις. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλοι τηρούμενοι μένουσιν, οὗτος δὲ τηρούμενος φεύγει, σκορπιζόμενος μένει. Εἰ δὲ καινὸν τὸ εἰρημένον εἶναί σοι δοκεῖ, μάνθανε τοῦτο παρὰ τῶν γηπόνων. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι τὸν σῖτον ἐὰν μὲν ἐν οἴκῳ κατακλείσαντες χώσωσι, σητὶ καὶ σκώληκι παραδόντες ἀπώλεσαν· ἐὰν δὲ σκορπίσωσιν εἰς τὰς ἀρούρας, οὐ μόνον φυλάττουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλείονα ἐργάζονται· οὕτω καὶ ὁ πλοῦτος, μένων μὲν ἐν κιβωτίοις, καὶ ὑπὸ θύραις ὢν καὶ μοχλοῖς, καὶ εἰς γῆν κατορυττόμενος, δραπετεύει ταχέως· ἐὰν δὲ αὐτὸν, ὡς ὁ γηπόνος τὸν σῖτον εἰς τὴν ἄρουραν, οὕτως εἰς τὰς τῶν πενήτων σκορπίσῃς γαστέρας, οὐ μόνον οὐ δραπετεύει, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλείων ἐκεῖθεν γίνεται. Ταῦτα τοίνυν εἰδὼς, μὴ παραδῷς αὐτὸν οἰκέτῃ, ἀλλὰ μυρίαις αὐτὸν ποίησον κατέχεσθαι χερσὶ, ταῖς τῶν χηρῶν, ταῖς τῶν ὀρφανῶν, ταῖς τῶν τὰ σώματα λελωβημένων, ταῖς τῶν τὸ δεσμωτήριον οἰκούντων. 55.516 Οὐ γὰρ ἂν δυνηθείη διαδρᾶναι τοσαύτας λαβὰς, ἀλλὰ κατέχεται μετ' ἀσφαλείας, καὶ πλείων γίνεται. Καὶ τί καταλείψω τοῖς παιδίοις; φησί. Μάλιστα μὲν οὖν οὐ πάντα σοι ἀναγκάζω κενοῦν· εἰ δὲ καὶ πάντα, ταύτῃ μᾶλλον τοὺς παῖδας εὐπορωτέρους ποιήσεις, ἀντὶ χρημάτων τὸν Θεὸν αὐτοῖς καταλιμπάνων ἵλεω, τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης εὐπορίαν, μυρίους προστάτας καὶ εὐεργέτας καὶ ἐν ἀνθρώποις. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τοὺς πλεονέκτας, κἂν μὴ ἀδικηθῶμεν, μισοῦμεν· οὕτω τοὺς ἐλεεῖν εἰδότας, κἂν μὴ αὐτοὶ τῆς φιλοτιμίας ἀπολαύσωμεν, αἰδούμεθα, καὶ ποθοῦμεν, οὐκ ἐκείνους μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἐκείνων παῖδας. Ἐννόησον τοίνυν ἡλίκος κόσμος τοὺς παῖδας ὁρωμένους μυρίους ἔχειν ἐραστὰς, καὶ πάντας ταῦτα λέγειν τὰ ῥήματα, εἰ εἰς τὴν τῶν δεομένων διατροφὴν ἀναλίσκοιτο ὁ πλοῦτος· ὁ τοῦ φιλανθρώπου, ὁ τοῦ ἐλεήμονος υἱός. Ἀλλὰ σὺ τὸν μὲν ἀναίσθητον καλλωπίζεις εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην· ἀναίσθητος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ λίθος, κἂν μυρία τάλαντα αὐτῷ περιθῇς χρυσίου· τὸν δὲ αἰσθανόμενον καὶ λιμῷ τηκόμενον οὐδὲ τῆς ἀναγκαίας ποιεῖς μεταλαμβάνειν τροφῆς. Ὅταν οὖν τὸ φοβερὸν βῆμα φανῇ, καὶ οἱ τοῦ πυρὸς ποταμοὶ, καὶ τῶν πεπραγμένων τὰς εὐθύνας ἀπαιτώμεθα, τί ἐρεῖς ὑπὲρ τῆς τοσαύτης βλακείας, ὑπὲρ τῆς τοσαύτης ἀνοίας, καὶ ὠμότητος, καὶ ἀπανθρωπίας; ποίαν πρόφασιν εὔλογον; Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἑκάστου τῶν ἄλλων σκοπός τίς ἐστι καὶ λόγος· καὶ ὁ γεωργὸς, ἐὰν ἀπαιτήσῃς αὐτὸν εὐθύνας, ἐρεῖ τίνος ἕνεκεν καὶ βόας ἔζευξε, καὶ αὔλακας ἔτεμε, καὶ ἄροτρον εἵλκυσε· καὶ ὁ ἔμπορος, τίνος ἕνεκεν τὸ πλοῖον καθείλκυσε, καὶ ἐργάτας ἐμισθώσατο, καὶ χρήματα ἐναπέθετο· καὶ ὁ οἰκοδόμος, καὶ ὁ ὑποδηματοῤῥάφος, καὶ ὁ χαλκοτύπος, καὶ ὁ ἀρτοποιὸς, καὶ ἕκαστος τῶν ἡντιναοῦν μετιόντων τέχνην ἀποδίδωσι τὸν λόγον καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν οὕτω καὶ σὺ, ὁ τὴν κλίνην τῷ ἀργύρῳ περιβάλλων ὁ τὸν ἵππον καὶ τὸν λίθον χρυσῶν, ὁ τὰ δέρματα τοιαῦτα κατασκευάζων, ἂν ἀπαιτηθῇς εὐθύνας καὶ