In job (sermones 14) (olim sub auctore joanne chrysostomo)

 In ausitis, whose name was job. and that man was blameless, just, god-fearing, true, abstaining from every evil thing. such was adam also before he wa

 Rooted and founded, and secured up to the very arches of heaven. the first messenger came, and says to job: the yokes of oxen were plowing, and raider

 Your sons, he says, and your daughters were eating and drinking at the house of their eldest brother. see how the blessed job was filled with all unde

 In this job sinned not at all before the lord, but for all these things he offered a whole thanksgiving instead of a sacrifice to god, saying: blessed

 Having blossomed from the root, a judge of righteousness. that one warred against nature, and considered his brother a stranger this one considered e

 Those snatched away from polytheism, those gathered from wickedness, those assembled from fornication and adultery, he did not add the summit of virtu

 The sequence of theorems. and may it be granted to us to celebrate the feast genuinely, and having shared in the sufferings of the saints, to share al

 Rather in temporary wealth, but in that of piety. but some other wise man, taking the saying in a common sense, thinks that great works are vineyards

 Runners, called *cursores* in latin but when they drag some away in dishonor, do they send out other harsh and cruel soldiers? so also god sends mini

 Heaven because all earthly things have been trodden underfoot by him, because he has all men under his feet. having gone about, he said, the earth, an

 To the one who wronged you, why do you worship the one who consumes your possessions? fire fell from heaven. job heard, and again bore it nobly. for h

 A wife was left, not because the devil spared her, but because he kept the weapon for himself. for since he knew that through a woman he had overcome

 To contend peter was able to act bravely without a promise, the apostles were able to contend for virtue without receiving a promise of good things

 Of the one who knows all things. from where do you come? see the wisdom of god see the cunning of the devil. for god knew from where he had come, tha

 Job with a malignant sore from foot to head. he made his whole body one wound, one 56.578 bruise. for it was necessary for him, the combatant, to be c

 The magnitude, he insults inanimate things, and fulfills the full measure of his suffering, not daring against god, but accusing himself and the day

 He suffered also in the case of job. he destroyed martyrs, in order to extinguish the church, not knowing that after the martyrs the church would flou

 This not out of ambition, but out of guilelessness, when he says: i have not disregarded the judgment of my manservant, or of my maidservant, when the

 You were. did you, then, call to judgment the one more ancient than the ages, the creator of the creation? when i stretched a line upon the earth, whe

 Again on the day of the resurrection they will receive him from the tomb into the kingdom, and with one accord they will enjoy those ineffable and ete

He suffered also in the case of Job. He destroyed martyrs, in order to extinguish the Church, not knowing that after the martyrs the Church would flourish. Therefore, all were ignorant, except for God. The friends, being ignorant of the purpose of God, and being ignorant of Job's trial, chose, as in a comparison of ignorance, to condemn Job as suffering what he deserved, rather than to condemn God as having judged unjustly. Pay close attention; They chose to condemn a man as suffering things worthy of his own sin, rather than to say 56.580 against God, that He had judged unjustly. And on the one hand they were on the right track, speaking of God as beyond injustice; but on the other hand they erred, by condemning the innocent one. But ignorance makes an apology for those who are ignorant, and they are acceptable, because they philosophize in ignorance, and do not condemn, seeing the righteousness of God. They set aside the righteousness of Job, but they sing praises to the righteousness of God. Then Job begins to be reproved by his friends; and they say to him: When did the truly righteous perish root and branch? When did you see the righteous utterly destroyed? If you had not sinned, he says, and done things worthy of sin, the Righteous One would not have wronged you unjustly. Your sins are many. But if you did not sin, whence is this, unless your sons sinned? And you have often wronged the widow, you have afflicted orphans. And if these things have happened, God also has justly brought this sentence. Job was conscious in himself of having done no such thing, but he was also conscious of God as not judging unjustly. Since therefore Job saw that on the one hand he was condemned by men, but his conscience did not condemn him, and his God did not condemn him, since he could not persuade men, he transfers the discourse to the judge, and turns the eye of his soul upward, not blaspheming, but entreating, and says to him: You who know the mind of men, why have you made me an object of your complaint? You made me to encounter your righteousness; you know my heart. Then Job utters something great, not from malice, but from guilelessness; and, that I may cut many things short into a few (for the material of the defense is great), he says: Who will give a judge between me and you, that he may know how many my sins are, that you have judged me so? A fearsome saying, but from guilelessness. For God said beforehand, that "There is none like him, guileless"; and in the case of a guileless man, no one reckons the saying as wickedness. For always, brethren, all of us men, to say nothing of God, judge not by the deeds, but by the intention of those who do them. A son insults his father; and the deed is unbearable, both to the one who suffers it, and to the one who hears of it; and such a one is called a patricide, and a matricide, and unholy and lawless, because he uttered a defiant voice to his father, because he dared to slander his own root. But he who is of mature reasoning suffers these things and is condemned; but a guileless little child, even if he should strike his father, or his mother, or even insult them, is more desired than any gladness. Often mothers provoke their children, leading them to insolence, not glorying in the insolence, but in the guilelessness and innocence and simplicity of their character. Thus also God, knowing that he speaks not from malice, but from guilelessness (for He bears witness to him, saying, "And he still holds fast his guilelessness"), accepts the things from Job, being called to judgment by him. A fearsome saying, for a servant to call his Master to judgment; a man, God; the creation, the Creator; the clay, the one who fashioned it; but nevertheless, as I said before, the saying is of guilelessness, not of wickedness. Nevertheless, brethren, the guilelessness was not apart from understanding, but within all wisdom. For do you want to learn more precisely? Job asked for nothing that he had not done. He knew himself to be a servant of God, he knew God to be his Master. But since he himself, often entering into judgment with his own slaves, granted them the dignity of equal speech, and if ever a slave was examined before him, he did not silence him as a slave, but received his defense; what he had done, he asked for, being persuaded by the saying, that "With the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." And he says: Who will provide a judge? And when did you grant a slave equality of speech? Hear him when he enumerates his virtues, and

ἔπαθε καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰώβ. Ἀνεῖλε μάρτυρας, ἵνα σβέσῃ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, οὐκ εἰδὼς, ὅτι μετὰ τοὺς μάρτυρας ἀνθήσει ἡ Ἐκκλησία. Πάντες οὖν ἠγνόουν, πλὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Οἱ φίλοι ἀγνοοῦντες τὸν σκοπὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀγνοοῦντες καὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ τὴν δοκιμασίαν, εἵλοντο ὡς ἐν συγκρίσει ἀγνοίας μᾶλλον καταδικάσαι τὸν Ἰὼβ ὡς ἄξια πάσχοντα, ἢ καταγνῶναι τοῦ Θεοῦ ὡς ἀναξίως δικάσαντος. Πρόσεχε ἀκριβῶς· Εἵλοντο κατακρῖναι ἄνθρωπον ὡς ἄξια πάσχοντα τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτίας, ἢ εἰπεῖν 56.580 κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι ἀναξίως ἐδίκασε. Καὶ ἑνὶ μὲν μέρει κατὰ σκοποῦ ἐφέροντο, τὸν Θεὸν ἀδικίας ἐκτὸς λέγοντες· ἑνὶ δὲ μέρει διημάρτανον, κατακρίνοντες τὸν ἀθῶον. Ἡ δὲ ἄγνοια ἀπολογεῖται ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀγνοούντων, καὶ ἀπόδεκτοι, ὅτι ἐν ἀγνοίᾳ φιλοσοφοῦσι, καὶ οὐ καταψηφίζονται, βλέποντες τὴν Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην. Τὴν μὲν τοῦ Ἰὼβ δικαιοσύνην παραγράφονται, τὴν δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀνυμνοῦσιν. Εἶτα Ἰὼβ ἄρχεται παρὰ τῶν φίλων ἐλέγχεσθαι· καί φασι πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνοι· Πότε ἀληθινοὶ πρόῤῥιζοι ἀπώλοντο; πότε εἶδες δικαίους ὁλοῤῥίζους ἀπολλυμένους; Εἰ μὴ ἥμαρτες, φησὶ, καὶ ἄξια ἁμαρτίας ἐποίησας, οὐκ ἂν ἀδίκως ἠδίκησέ σε ὁ δίκαιος. Πολλαί σού εἰσιν ἁμαρτίαι. Εἰ δὲ σὺ οὐχ ἥμαρτες, πόθεν τοῦτο, εἰ μὴ οἱ υἱοί σου ἥμαρτον; Πολλάκις δὲ χήραν ἠδίκησας, ὀρφανοὺς ἔθλιψας. Εἰ δὲ ταῦτα γέγονε, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς δικαίως ταύτην τὴν ψῆφον ἐπήγαγεν. Ὁ Ἰὼβ συνῄδει μὲν ἑαυτῷ μηδὲν τοιοῦτον πεποιηκότι, συνῄδει δὲ καὶ τῷ Θεῷ μὴ ἀδίκως κρίνοντι. Ἐπεὶ οὖν εἶδεν ὁ Ἰὼβ, ὅτι παρὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις μὲν κατακέκριται, ἡ δὲ συνείδησις αὐτὸν οὐ κατακρίνει, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτοῦ οὐ καταγινώσκει, ἐπειδὴ οὐκ εἶχε πείθειν ἀνθρώπους, μεταφέρει τὸν λόγον ἐπὶ τὸν κριτὴν, καὶ στρέφει τὸ ὄμμα τῆς ψυχῆς πρὸς τὰ ἄνω οὐ βλασφημῶν, ἀλλὰ δυσωπῶν, καί φησι πρὸς αὐτόν· Ὁ ἐπιστάμενος τὸν νοῦν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἵνα τί με ἔθου κατεντευκτήν σου; Σὺ ἐποίησάς με κατεντυγχάνειν τῆς σῆς δικαιοσύνης· οἶδάς μου τὴν καρδίαν. Εἶτα μέγα τι φθέγγεται Ἰὼβ, οὐκ ἀπὸ κακίας, ἀλλ' ἀπ' ἀκακίας· καὶ, ἵνα τὰ πολλὰ εἰς ὀλίγα συντέμω (πολλὴ γὰρ ἡ ὕλη τῆς δικαιολογίας), λέγει· Τίς δώσει κριτὴν ἀνὰ μέσον ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ, ἵνα γνῷ τὸ πόσαι εἰσὶν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι μου, ὅτι οὕτω με ἔκρινας; Φοβερὸν τὸ ῥῆμα, ἀλλ' ἀπ' ἀκακίας. Προλαβὼν γὰρ εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι Οὐκ ἔστι κατ' αὐτὸν ἄκακος· τῷ δὲ ἀκάκῳ οὐδεὶς τὸ ῥῆμα εἰς πονηρίαν λογίζεται. Ἀεὶ γὰρ, ἀδελφοὶ, πάντες ἡμεῖς οἱ ἄνθρωποι, μήτι γε Θεὸς, οὐ τοῖς πράγμασι δικάζομεν, ἀλλὰ τῇ προθέσει τῶν ποιούντων. Ὑβρίζει υἱὸς πατέρα· καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα ἀφόρητον, καὶ τῷ πάσχοντι, καὶ τῷ ἀκούοντι· καὶ πατραλοίας ὁ τοιοῦτος καλεῖται, καὶ μητραλοίας, καὶ ἀνόσιος καὶ παράνομος, ὅτι φωνὴν ἐναντίαν ἔῤῥηξε πατρὶ, ὅτι ἐτόλμησε δυσφημῆσαι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ῥίζαν. Ταῦτα δὲ πάσχει καὶ κατακρίνεται ὁ ἐπὶ τῶν τελείων ὣν λογισμῶν· παιδίον δὲ ἄκακον, κἂν τύπτῃ τὸν πατέρα, ἢ τὴν μητέρα, ἢ καὶ ὑβρίσῃ, πάσης εὐφροσύνης ποθεινότερον. Πολλάκις μητέρες ἐρεθίζουσι τὰ τέκνα εἰς ὕβριν φέρουσαι, οὐ τῇ ὕβρει, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἀκακίᾳ καὶ τῷ ἀκεραίῳ καὶ ἀφελεῖ τοῦ ἤθους ἐπαγαλλόμεναι. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς εἰδὼς, ὅτι οὐκ ἐκ κακίας, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἀκακίας φθέγγεται (μαρτυρεῖ γὰρ αὐτῷ λέγων, Ἔτι δὲ ἔχεται ἀκακίας), δέχεται τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Ἰὼβ, εἰς κρίσιν καλούμενος παρ' αὐτοῦ. Φοβερὸν τὸ ῥῆμα, οἰκέτην ∆εσπότην καλεῖν εἰς κρίσιν· ἄνθρωπον, Θεόν· τὸ πλάσμα, τὸν πλάσαντα· τὸν πηλὸν, τὸν κατασκευάσαντα· ἀλλ' ὅμως, ὡς ἔφθην εἰπὼν, ἀκακίας τὸ ῥῆμα, οὐ πονηρίας. Πλὴν ὅμως, ἀδελφοὶ, ἡ ἀκακία οὐκ ἦν ἐκτὸς συνέσεως, ἀλλ' ἐντὸς πάσης σοφίας. Θέλεις γὰρ τὸ ἀκριβέστερον μαθεῖν; Οὐδὲν ᾔτησεν ὁ Ἰὼβ ὧν μὴ ἐποίησεν. Ἤδει ἑαυτὸν οἰκέτην τοῦ Θεοῦ, ᾔδει τὸν Θεὸν ἑαυτοῦ ∆εσπότην. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ καὶ αὐτὸς πολλάκις κρινόμενος πρὸς τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ δούλους, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἰσηγορίας ἀξίαν, καὶ εἴ ποτε ἐδοκιμάζετο πρὸς αὐτῷ δοῦλος, οὐχ ὡς δοῦλον ἐπεστόμιζεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν δικαιολογίαν ἐλάμβανεν· ὃ ἐποίησεν, ᾔτησε, πειθόμενος τῷ λόγῳ, ὅτι Ὧ μέτρῳ μετρεῖτε, ἀντιμετρηθήσεται ὑμῖν. Καί φησι· Τίς δώσει κριτήν; Καὶ πότε δούλῳ ἐφύλαξας ἰσηγορίαν; Ἄκουε αὐτοῦ ὅτε τὰς ἀρετὰς ἀπαριθμεῖται, καὶ