John Chrysostom, On Judas's Betrayal

as a partner, you being an enemy and a foe. And Christ indeed gave His life for you; but you remain hostile to your fellow servant? And how will you be able to approach the table of peace? Your Master did not refuse to endure all things for your sake, but you do not tolerate even letting go of your anger? For what reason, tell me? Love is the root and fount and mother of all good things. He insulted me greatly, he says, he wronged me in countless ways, he hung over me the danger of my very life. And what of it? But he has not yet crucified you, as the Jews did the Lord. If you do not forgive your neighbor his offense, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your sins. With what conscience will you say, Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, and the rest? Likewise Christ has given even the blood, which they shed, for the salvation of those who shed it. What equal to this can you do? If you do not forgive your enemy, you have not wronged him, but yourself; for him you have often harmed in the present life, but for yourself you have made the punishment unforgivable on the day to come. For God hates and turns away from no one so much as a resentful man, as a swelling heart and an inflamed soul. Hear, then, what the Lord says: If you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. What are you saying? Shall I leave the gift there, that is, the sacrifice? Yes, he says; for it was for the sake of peace with your brother that the sacrifice itself came to be. If, therefore, the sacrifice is for the sake of peace toward your neighbor, but you do not achieve peace, even if you partake of the sacrifice, your participation has become useless to you without the achievement of 49.391 peace. Do that first, therefore, I mean peace, for the sake of which the sacrifice was also offered, and then you will enjoy it rightly. For this reason the Son of God came into the world, to reconcile our nature to the Father, as Paul also says somewhere: But now he has reconciled all things to himself, killing the enmity in himself through the cross. For this reason, not only did he himself come making peace, but he also blesses us who do such things, and makes us partakers of his own title. For blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. What Christ, the Son of God, did, therefore, you also do according to human ability, becoming an agent of peace both for yourself and for your neighbor. For this reason he also calls the peacemaker a son of God; for this reason at the time of the sacrifice he mentioned no other righteousness than reconciliation with one's brother, showing that love is greater than all virtues. I wished, then, beloved, to extend the discourse at greater length; but what has been said is sufficient for those who receive the seed of piety with attention and understanding, and are willing to heed what is said. Let us remember, therefore, I beseech you, these words always, and the most awesome kiss toward one another. For this kiss entwines our minds, and makes us all become one body, and members of Christ, since we all partake of one body. Let us become, therefore, in truth one body, not by mixing our bodies with one another, but by joining our souls to one another with the bond of love. For by so doing, we will be able to enjoy the table set before us with confidence, and to become vessels of the peace awarded by Christ at the end. For even if we have countless achievements, but are 49.392 resentful, we have worked all things rashly and in vain, and we will be able to reap none of these for the account of salvation. For when the Savior was about to ascend to the Father, instead of temporary glory and great wealth, he left this inheritance to his disciples, saying: My peace I give to you, my peace I leave to you. For what wealth, or what abundance of money could be more precious

κοινωνὸν ἐχθρὸν ὄντα σε καὶ πολέμιον. Καὶ ὁ μὲν Χριστὸς τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐξέδωκεν ὑπὲρ σοῦ· σὺ δὲ τῷ συνδούλῳ μένεις ἐχθραίνων; καὶ πῶς δυνήσῃ βαδίζειν ἐπὶ τὴν τῆς εἰρήνης τράπεζαν; Ὁ ∆εσπότης σου οὐ παρῃτήσατο πάντα ὑπομεῖναι διὰ σὲ, σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ ὀργὴν ἀφιέναι ἀνέχῃ; Τίνος ἕνεκεν, εἰπέ μοι; Ἡ ἀγάπη ῥίζα καὶ πηγὴ καὶ μήτηρ ἐστὶ πάντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν. Ἐπηρέασέ μοι, φησὶ, τὰ μέγιστα, μυρία ἠδίκησέ μοι, τὸν περὶ τοῦ ζῇν ἐπεκρέμασέ μοι κίνδυνον. Καὶ τί τοῦτο; ἀλλ' οὐδέπω σε ἐσταύρωσε, καθάπερ τὸν Κύριον οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι. Ἐὰν μὴ ἀφῇς τῷ πλησίον σου τὸ ἀδίκημα, οὐδὲ ὁ Πατήρ σου ὁ οὐράνιος ἀφήσει σοι τὰ ἁμαρτήματά σου. Ποίῳ δὲ συνειδότι ἐρεῖς, Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς; Ὁμοίως ὁ Χριστὸς καὶ τὸ αἷμα, ὃ ἐξέχεαν ἐκεῖνοι, εἰς σωτηρίαν τῶν ἐκχεόντων δέδωκε. Τί τούτου ἴσον ἔχεις ποιῆσαι; Ἐὰν μὴ ἀφῇς τῷ ἐχθρῷ, οὐκ ἐκεῖνον ἠδίκησας, ἀλλὰ σαυτόν· ἐκεῖνον μὲν γὰρ πολλάκις εἰς τὸν παρόντα βίον ἔβλαψας, σαυτὸν δὲ ἀσύγγνωστον ἐποιήσω τὴν τιμωρίαν εἰς τὴν μέλλουσαν ἡμέραν. Οὐδένα γὰρ οὕτω μισεῖ καὶ ἀποστρέφεται ὁ Θεὸς, ὡς μνησίκακον ἄνθρωπον, ὡς οἰδαίνουσαν καρδίαν καὶ φλεγμαίνουσαν ψυχήν. Ἄκουσον γοῦν τί φησιν ὁ Κύριος· Ἐὰν προσφέρῃς τὸ δῶρόν σου ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον, κἀκεῖ μνησθῇς, ὅτι ὁ ἀδελφός σου ἔχει τι κατὰ σοῦ, ἄφες ἐκεῖ τὸ δῶρόν σου ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, καὶ ἄπελθε πρῶτον καὶ διαλλάγηθι τῷ ἀδελφῷ σου· καὶ τότε ἐλθὼν πρόσφερε τὸ δῶρόν σου. Τί λέγεις, Ἀφήσω ἐκεῖ τὸ δῶρον, ἤγουν τὴν θυσίαν; Ναὶ, φησί· διὰ γὰρ τὴν εἰρήνην τὴν πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφόν σου καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ θυσία ἐγένετο. Εἰ τοίνυν διὰ τὴν εἰρήνην τὴν εἰς τὸν πλησίον ἡ θυσία ἐστὶ, σὺ δὲ οὐ κατορθοῖς τὴν εἰρήνην, εἰ καὶ μετέχεις τῆς θυσίας, ἀνωφελής σοι ἡ μετάληψις γέγονεν ἅνευ τοῦ κατορθώματος τῆς 49.391 εἰρήνης. Ποίησον τοίνυν ἐκεῖνο πρῶτον, λέγω δὴ τὴν εἰρήνην, δι' ὅπερ καὶ ἡ θυσία προσενήνεκται, καὶ τότε αὐτῆς ἀπολαύσεις καλῶς. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα καταλλάξῃ ἡμῶν τὴν φύσιν τῷ Πατρὶ, ὥς που καὶ Παῦλός φησι· Νυνὶ δὲ ἀποκατήλλαξεν ἑαυτῷ τὰ πάντα, διὰ τοῦ σταυροῦ ἀποκτείνας τὴν ἔχθραν ἐν αὐτῷ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐχὶ αὐτὸς μόνον ἦλθε ποιῶν εἰρήνην, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμᾶς μακαρίζει τοὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα ποιοῦντας, καὶ ποιεῖ τῆς αὑτοῦ προσηγορίας κοινωνούς. Μακάριοι γὰρ οἱ εἰρηνοποιοὶ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ υἱοὶ Θεοῦ κληθήσονται. Ὅπερ οὖν ἐποίησεν ὁ Χριστὸς, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, τοῦτο καὶ σὺ ποίησον κατὰ δύναμιν ἀνθρωπίνην, εἰρήνης γενόμενος πρόξενος καὶ σαυτῷ καὶ τῷ πλησίον σου. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ υἱὸν Θεοῦ καλεῖ τὸν εἰρηνοποιόν· διὰ τοῦτο ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς θυσίας οὐδεμιᾶς ἑτέρας ἐμνημόνευσε δικαιοσύνης, ἀλλ' ἢ τῆς πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν καταλλαγῆς, δεικνὺς, ὅτι πασῶν ἀρετῶν μείζων ἡ ἀγάπη ἐστίν. Ἐβουλόμην μὲν οὖν, ἀγαπητοὶ, ἐπὶ πλεῖστον παρατεῖναι τὸν λόγον· ἀλλ' ἀρκεῖ καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα τοῖς μετὰ προσοχῆς καὶ συνέσεως δεχομένοις τὸν σπόρον τῆς εὐσεβείας, καὶ προσέχειν ἐθέλουσι τοῖς λεγομένοις. Μνημονεύωμεν τοίνυν, παρακαλῶ, διαπαντὸς τούτων τῶν ῥημάτων, καὶ τοῦ φρικωδεστάτου ἀσπασμοῦ τοῦ πρὸς ἀλλήλους. Οὗτος γὰρ ὁ ἀσπασμὸς συμπλέκει τὰς διανοίας ἡμῶν, καὶ ποιεῖ γενέσθαι σῶμα ἓν ἅπαντας, καὶ μέλη Χριστοῦ, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἑνὸς σώματος μετέχομεν ἅπαντες. Γενώμεθα οὖν κατ' ἀλήθειαν σῶμα ἓν, οὐ τὰ σώματα ἀλλήλοις ἀναφύροντες, ἀλλὰ τὰς ψυχὰς ἀλλήλαις τῷ τῆς ἀγάπης συνδέσμῳ συνάπτοντες. Οὕτω γὰρ ποιοῦντες, δυνησόμεθα μετὰ παῤῥησίας ἀπολαῦσαι τῆς προκειμένης τραπέζης, καὶ τῆς ὑπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πρὸς τῷ τέλει βραβευθείσης εἰρήνης δοχεῖα γενέσθαι. Κἂν γὰρ μυρία ἔχωμεν κατορθώματα, μνη49.392 σίκακοι δὲ ὦμεν, πάντα εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην εἰργασάμεθα, καὶ οὐδὲν ἐκ τούτων εἰς σωτηρίας λόγον καρπώσασθαι δυνησόμεθα. Μέλλων γὰρ ὁ Σωτὴρ ἀνελθεῖν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, ἀντὶ δόξης προσκαίρου καὶ πλούτου μεγάλου ταύτην τοῖς μαθηταῖς κληρονομίαν ἀφίησιν, εἰπών· Εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν, εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν ἀφίημι ὑμῖν. Ποῖος γὰρ πλοῦτος, ἢ πόση χρημάτων περιουσία γένοιτ' ἂν τιμιωτέρα