John Chrysostom, Expositions on the Psalms

follow after me; and many other things, which are written in the Testament. But let us also learn the time when we are to receive these things. For it is not the present, but the future; or rather, both the present and the future. For seek the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you; but the whole then. For since the present life is perishable, and we are still in an imperfect state, what the lawgivers of the world do, who hand over the paternal inheritance to those who have become of age, this God also does. When we attain to a perfect man and to the measure of the stature, and we pass over to the pure life, then he entrusts that inheritance to us. Meanwhile he has made the testament, and has left us the writings, and has said what we must do to obtain the inheritance, so that we may not fall from it, nor be disinherited. But if anyone is troubled that we are not yet perfect, and suspects what has been said, let them hear Paul saying: When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things; speaking about the present and the future age. And again: Until we all come to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature. For in the present life, he says, we are brought up by this creation as by a nurse; but when we are about to be led to the master's house, putting off the garments of corruption, and taking on incorruption, we are transferred to another portion. This testament has also threatened to make many disinherited, if they become unworthy of the choices written in it. But let us see what the inheritance is then. What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man. How then were we to receive the use of these things in the present life, the very knowledge of which surpasses our understanding? For this reason it has been stored up for us there. And see the great care. He has allotted the labors to the present life, so that the toil might be brought to an end with the shortness of the time; 55.62 but He has stored up the good things in the age to come, so that the rewards might be extended with what is ageless. He calls that portion also a kingdom. For although it surpasses description, nevertheless, so far as it is possible for us to hear, he has hinted at the things to come, now, as I have just said, calling it a kingdom, now a marriage, now a rule, opening to us the thought concerning those things by names of bright things among us, the eternal glory, the pure blessedness, the life with Christ, than which nothing could be equal. And what are the choices of the Church, or rather, of the inheritance? Having nothing burdensome. Whatever you wish, he says, that people would do to you, do so to them. Do you see how he has introduced nothing strange, but what nature has already legislated? Whatever you yourself, he says, wish to have done to you by your neighbors, do these things yourself. Do you wish to be praised? Praise. Do you wish not to be robbed? Do not rob. Do you wish to be honored? Honor. Do you wish to be pitied? Pity. Do you wish to be loved? Love. Do you wish not to hear evil? Do not speak it yourself. And see the precision. He did not say, "Whatever you do not want them to do, do not you do it either," but, "Whatever you wish." For since there are two roads leading to virtue, one the removal from vice, the other the practice of virtues, he puts this one forward, making the other one clear through this; and he hinted at the one by saying, "What you hate, do not do to another;" but he clearly showed the other by saying, "Whatever you wish that people would do to you, do so to them." B. There is also another choice. And what is this? To love your neighbor as yourself. What could be easier than this? For to hate is burdensome and causes disturbances; but to love is easy and simple. For if he had said, "Being men, love wild beasts,"

ἀκολουθῇ ὀπίσω μου· καὶ ἕτερα πλείονα, ἅπερ τῇ ∆ιαθήκῃ ἐγγέγραπται. Μάθωμεν δὲ καὶ τὸν χρόνον, καθ' ὃν μέλλομεν ταῦτα ἀπολαμβάνειν. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ παρών ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ὁ μέλλων· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ὁ παρὼν καὶ ὁ μέλλων. Ζητεῖτε γὰρ τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν· τὸ δὲ ὁλόκληρον τότε. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ παρὼν βίος ἐπίκηρος, καὶ ἀτελέστερον ἔτι διακείμεθα, ὅπερ ποιοῦσιν οἱ ἔξωθεν νομοθέται, καὶ τελείοις γενομένοις ἐγχειρίζουσι τὴν πατρῴαν οὐσίαν, τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἐργάζεται. Ἐπειδὰν εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον καὶ μέτρον ἡλικίας καταντήσωμεν, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἀκήρατον μεταστῶμεν βίον, τότε ἡμῖν ἐγχειρίζει τὸν κλῆρον ἐκεῖνον. Τέως δὲ διέθετο, καὶ τὰ γράμματα ἡμῖν κατέλιπε, καὶ τίνα πράττοντες ἐπιτευξόμεθα τῆς κληρονομίας εἶπεν, ὥστε μὴ ἐκπεσεῖν, μηδὲ ἀποκληρονόμους γενέσθαι. Εἰ δέ τινα θορυβεῖ τὸ μηδέπω τελείους ἡμᾶς εἶναι, καὶ ὑποπτεύει τὰ εἰρημένα, ἀκουέτωσαν Παύλου λέγοντος· Ὅτε ἤμην νήπιος, ὡς νήπιος ἐλάλουν, ὡς νήπιος ἐφρόνουν, ὡς νήπιος ἐλογιζόμην· ὅτε δὲ γέγονα ἀνὴρ, κατήργηκα τὰ τοῦ νηπίου· περὶ τοῦ παρόντος καὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος διαλεγομένου. Καὶ πάλιν· Μέχρις οὗ καταντήσωμεν οἱ πάντες εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον, εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας. Ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῷ παρόντι βίῳ, φησὶ, καθάπερ παρὰ τροφῷ τινι, τῇ κτίσει ταύτῃ ἀνατρεφόμεθα· ἐπειδὰν δὲ μέλλωμεν εἰς τὴν δεσποτικὴν ἄγεσθαι οἰκίαν, τὰ ἱμάτια ἀπαμφιεννύμενοι τῆς φθορᾶς, καὶ ἀφθαρσίαν ἀναλαμβάνοντες, πρὸς ἑτέραν μεθιστάμεθα λῆξιν. Αὕτη ἡ διαθήκη καὶ ἀποκλήρους πολλοὺς ἠπείλησε ποιεῖν, ἐὰν ἀνάξιοι γένωνται τῶν αἱρέσεων τῶν ἐγγεγραμμένων. Ἀλλ' ἴδωμεν τίς ἐστιν ὁ κλῆρος λοιπόν. Ἃ μήτε ὀφθαλμὸς εἶδε, μήτε οὖς ἤκουσε, μήτε ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου ἀνέβη. Πῶς τοίνυν ἐμέλλομεν τὴν χρῆσιν τούτων λαμβάνειν ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ, ὧν καὶ ἡ γνῶσις ὑπερβαίνει τὴν διάνοιαν τὴν ἡμετέραν; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἡμῖν ἐκεῖ τεταμίευται. Καὶ ὅρα τὴν κηδεμονίαν τὴν πολλήν. Τοὺς μὲν πόνους τῇ παρούσῃ συνεκλήρωσε ζωῇ, ὥστε τῇ βραχύτητι τοῦ χρόνου συγκαταλυ 55.62 θῆναι τὸ ἐπίμοχθον· τὰ δὲ ἀγαθὰ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι ἐταμιεύσατο αἰῶνι, ὥστε τῷ ἀγήρῳ συμπαρεκτείνεσθαι τὰς ἀμοιβάς. Ἐκείνην τὴν λῆξιν καὶ βασιλείαν καλεῖ. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὑπερβαίνει λόγον, ἀλλ' ὅμως κατὰ τὸ ἐγχωροῦν ἡμῖν ἀκοῦσαι, παρῃνίξατο τὰ μέλλοντα, νῦν μὲν, ὅπερ ἔφθην εἰπὼν, βασιλείαν καλῶν, νῦν δὲ γάμον, νῦν ἀρχὴν, ἀπὸ τῶν φαιδρῶν τῶν παρ' ἡμῖν ὀνομάτων παρανοίγων ἡμῖν τὴν περὶ ἐκείνων ἔννοιαν, τὴν αἰώνιον δόξαν, τὴν ἀκήρατον μακαριότητα, τὴν μετὰ Χριστοῦ διαγωγὴν, ἧς οὐδὲν ἂν γένοιτο ἴσον. Τίνες δὲ καὶ αἱ αἱρέσεις τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, μᾶλλον δὲ τῆς κληρονομίας; Οὐδὲν φορτικὸν ἔχουσαι. Ἃ θέλετε ἵνα, φησὶ, ποιῶσιν ὑμῖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ταῦτα καὶ ὑμεῖς ποιεῖτε αὐτοῖς. Ὁρᾷς πῶς οὐδὲν ξένον ἐπεισήγαγεν, ἀλλ' ἃ προλαβοῦσα ἡ φύσις ἐνομοθέτησεν; Ἅπερ αὐτὸς, φησὶ, γενέσθαι θέλεις παρὰ τῶν πλησίον εἰς σὲ, ταῦτα καὶ αὐτὸς ἔργασαι. Θέλεις ἐπαινεῖσθαι; Ἐπαίνει. Θέλεις μὴ ἁρπάζεσθαι; Μὴ ἅρπαζε. Θέλεις τιμᾶσθαι; Τίμα. Θέλεις ἐλεεῖσθαι; Ἐλέει. Θέλεις φιλεῖσθαι; Φίλει. Θέλεις μὴ ἀκούειν κακῶς; Μηδὲ σὺ εἴπῃς. Καὶ ὅρα τὴν ἀκρίβειαν. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ὅσα οὐ θέλετε ἵνα ποιῶσι, μηδὲ ὑμεῖς ποιεῖτε, ἀλλ', Ἃ θέλετε. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ δύο εἰσὶν ὁδοὶ πρὸς ἀρετὴν ἄγουσαι, μία μὲν ἡ ἀπαλλαγὴ τῆς κακίας, ἑτέρα δὲ ἡ ἐργασία τῶν ἀρετῶν, ταύτην προτίθησι, διὰ ταύτης κἀκείνην δήλην ποιῶν· καὶ τὴν μὲν ᾐνίξατο τῷ λέγειν, Ὃ μισεῖς, ἄλλῳ μὴ ποιήσῃς· τὴν δὲ σαφῶς ἐδήλωσεν εἰπὼν, Ὅσα θέλετε ἵνα ποιῶσιν ὑμῖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, καὶ ὑμεῖς ποιεῖτε αὐτοῖς. βʹ. Ἔστι καὶ ἄλλη αἵρεσις. Ποία δὲ αὕτη; Τὸ ἀγαπᾷν τὸν πλησίον, ὡς ἑαυτόν. Τί τούτου γένοιτ' ἂν εὐκολώτερον; Τὸ γὰρ μισεῖν ἐπαχθὲς καὶ θορύβους ἐμποιοῦν· τὸ δὲ φιλεῖν εὔκολον καὶ ῥᾴδιον. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ μὲν εἶπεν, Ἄνθρωποι ὄντες φιλεῖτε θηρία,