John Chrysostom, On Lazarus

all of it, and having grasped the familiar parts, go over the unclear and obscure parts many times; and if you are not able by continuous reading to find what is said, go to one wiser, go to a teacher, consult about what is said, show great diligence; and if God sees you using such eagerness, He will not overlook your vigilance and care, but even if a man does not teach you what you seek, He himself will surely reveal it. Remember the eunuch of the queen of the Ethiopians, who, though a barbarian and pressed by countless cares, and surrounded on all sides by many affairs, not knowing what he was reading, nevertheless was reading while sitting in his chariot. If he showed such diligence while on the road, consider what he was like when staying at home; if he did not endure the time of his journey to be without reading, how much more so when sitting in his house; if, knowing nothing of what he was reading, he did not cease from reading, how much more so after he had learned. For that he did not know what he was reading, hear what Philip says to him: Do you understand what you are reading? And he, hearing this, did not blush nor was he ashamed, but confessed his ignorance, and said: For how could I, unless someone guides me? Since, therefore, not yet having a guide, he was reading thus, for this reason he quickly laid hold of one to lead him by the hand. God saw his eagerness, accepted his diligence, and immediately sent him a teacher. But is Philip not present now? But the Spirit that moved Philip is present. Let us not despise our salvation, beloved; All these things were written for us, for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. A great security against sinning is the reading of the Scriptures, a great precipice and a deep abyss is ignorance of the Scriptures, a great betrayal of salvation is to know nothing of the divine laws; this has also given birth to heresies, this has also introduced a corrupt life, this has turned things upside down. For it is impossible, impossible for one who constantly 48.996 enjoys reading with attention to go away unfruitful. See, then, how much one parable has benefited us? how it has made our soul better? For many, I know well, have departed having received lasting benefit from the hearing; but if there are some who did not profit so much, yet at least on the very day on which they heard, they certainly became better. It is not a small thing also to spend one day in compunction for sins, and to look up to the philosophy above, and to allow the soul to breathe even a little from the cares of life. But if we do this at every gathering, and do not fail, the continuity of hearing will work some great and noble good in us. 4. Come then, let us also again give you what follows of the parable. And what is it that follows? When the rich man said, Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger, and cool my tongue, let us hear what Abraham says: Child, remember that you received your good things in your life, and Lazarus the bad things; and now he is comforted, but you are in anguish. And besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that those who wish to pass from there to us cannot, nor may those from here cross over to there. The things spoken are burdensome, and have poured much pain upon us. I know it too; but as much as it bites the conscience, so much also does it benefit the mind of those who are bitten. For if these things were said to us there, as to the rich man, it would truly be necessary to lament and to mourn and to grieve, because no time for repentance would be left for us; but since we hear these things while we are here, where it is possible both to become sober, and to wash away our sins and to acquire much confidence, and, having been frightened by the evils that have happened to others, to change, let us give thanks to the philanthropic God, who through the punishment of others rouses our sluggishness, and awakens us as we sleep. For this is why these things have been said beforehand, that we might not suffer these things. For if He wished

ἅπασαν, καὶ τὰ γνώριμα κατασχὼν, τὰ ἄδηλα καὶ τὰ ἀσαφῆ πολλάκις ἔπελθε· κἂν μὴ δυνηθῇς τῇ συνεχείᾳ τῆς ἀναγνώσεως εὑρεῖν τὸ λεγόμενον, βάδισον πρὸς τὸν σοφώτερον, ἐλθὲ πρὸς τὸν διδάσκαλον, ἀνακοίνωσαι περὶ τῶν εἰρημένων, πολλὴν ἐπίδειξαι τὴν σπουδήν· κἂν ἴδῃ σε ὁ Θεὸς τοσαύτῃ κεχρημένον τῇ προθυμίᾳ, οὐ περιόψεταί σου τὴν ἀγρυπνίαν καὶ τὴν φροντίδα, ἀλλὰ κἂν ἄνθρωπος μὴ διδάξῃ τὸ ζητούμενον, αὐτὸς ἀποκαλύψει πάντως. Ἀναμνήσθητι τοῦ εὐνούχου τῆς βασιλίδος Αἰθιόπων, ὃς ἄνθρωπος βάρβαρος ὢν, καὶ μυρίαις συνεχόμενος φροντίσι, καὶ πανταχόθεν πολλοῖς περικυκλούμενος πράγμασιν, οὐκ εἰδὼς ἅπερ ἀνεγίνωσκεν, ὅμως ἀνεγίνωσκεν ἐπὶ τοῦ ὀχήματος καθήμενος. Εἰ δὲ ἐν ὁδῷ τοσαύτην σπουδὴν ἐπεδείκνυτο, ἐννόησον τίς ἦν οἴκοι διατρίβων· εἰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ὁδοιπορίας οὐκ ἠνείχετο χωρὶς ἀναγνώσεως μένειν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ καθήμενος· εἰ μηδὲν εἰδὼς ὧν ἀνεγίνωσκεν, οὐκ ἀφίστατο τῆς ἀναγνώσεως, πολλῷ μᾶλλον μετὰ τὸ μαθεῖν. Ὅτι γὰρ ἅπερ ἀνεγίνωσκεν οὐκ ᾔδει, ἄκουσον τί φησιν αὐτῷ ὁ Φίλιππος· Ἆρά γε γινώσκεις ἃ ἀναγινώσκεις; Κἀκεῖνος ταῦτα ἀκούσας οὐκ ἠρυθρίασεν οὐδὲ ᾐσχύνθη, ἀλλ' ὡμολόγησε τὴν ἄγνοιαν, καί φησι· Πῶς γὰρ ἂν δυναίμην, ἐὰν μή τις ὁδηγήσῃ με; Ἐπεὶ οὖν, οὐδέπω τὸν ὁδηγοῦντα ἔχων, οὕτως ἀνεγίνωσκε, διὰ τοῦτο ταχέως ἐπελάβετο τοῦ χειραγωγοῦντος. Εἶδεν αὐτοῦ τὴν προθυμίαν ὁ Θεὸς, ἀπεδέξατο τὴν σπουδὴν, καὶ ἔπεμψεν αὐτῷ διδάσκαλον εὐθέως. Ἀλλὰ οὐ πάρεστιν ὁ Φίλιππος νῦν; Ἀλλὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ κινῆσαν τὸν Φίλιππον πάρεστι. Μὴ καταφρονῶμεν τῆς σωτηρίας ἡμῶν, ἀγαπητοί· Ταῦτα πάντα ἐγράφη δι' ἡμᾶς πρὸς νουθεσίαν ἡμῶν, εἰς οὓς τὰ τέλη τῶν αἰώνων κατήντησε. Μεγάλη ἀσφάλεια πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν τῶν Γραφῶν ἡ ἀνάγνωσις, μέγας κρημνὸς καὶ βάραθρον βαθὺ τῶν Γραφῶν ἡ ἄγνοια, μεγάλη προδοσία σωτηρίας τὸ μηδὲν ἀπὸ τῶν θείων εἰδέναι νόμων· τοῦτο καὶ αἱρέσεις ἔτεκε, τοῦτο καὶ βίον διεφθαρμένον εἰσήγαγε, τοῦτο τὰ ἄνω κάτω πεποίηκεν. Ἀμήχανον γὰρ, ἀμήχανον ἄκαρπον ἀναχωρῆσαί τινα συνεχῶς 48.996 ἀναγνώσεως ἀπολαύοντα μετὰ ἐπιστασίας. Ἰδοὺ γοῦν μία παραβολὴ πόσα ἡμᾶς ὠφέλησε; πῶς ἡμῶν βελτίω τὴν ψυχὴν εἰργάσατο; Πολλοὶ μὲν γὰρ, εὖ οἶδ' ὅτι, διαρκῆ τὴν ὠφέλειαν ἐκ τῆς ἀκροάσεως λαβόντες ἀπῆλθον· εἰ δὲ εἰσί τινες, οἳ μὴ τοσοῦτον ἐκαρπώσαντο, ἀλλ' ὅμως τὴν γοῦν ἡμέραν αὐτὴν, καθ' ἣν ἤκουσαν, βελτίους ἐγένοντο πάντως. Οὐ μικρὸν δὲ καὶ τὸ ἡμέραν μίαν ἐν ἁμαρτημάτων κατανύξει διαγαγεῖν, καὶ διαβλέψαι πρὸς τὴν ἄνω φιλοσοφίαν, καὶ παρασχεῖν τῇ ψυχῇ μικρὸν γοῦν ἀπὸ τῶν βιωτικῶν ἀναπνεῦσαι φροντίδων. Ἂν δὲ καθ' ἑκάστην τοῦτο ποιῶμεν σύναξιν, καὶ μὴ διαλιμπάνωμεν, ἡ συνέχεια τῆς ἀκροάσεως ἐργάσεταί τι μέγα καὶ γενναῖον ἐν ἡμῖν ἀγαθόν. δʹ. Φέρε οὖν καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς πάλιν ἀποδῶμεν ὑμῖν τῆς παραβολῆς. Τίνα δέ ἐστι τὰ ἑξῆς; Εἰπόντος τοῦ πλουσίου, Πέμψον Λάζαρον, ἵνα ἐπιστάξῃ τῷ ἄκρῳ τοῦ δακτύλου αὐτοῦ, καὶ καταψύξῃ τήν μου γλῶτταν, ἀκούσωμεν τί φησιν Ἀβραάμ· Τέκνον, μνήσθητι, ὅτι ἀπέλαβες σὺ τὰ ἀγαθά σου ἐν τῇ ζωῇ σου, καὶ Λάζαρος τὰ κακά· καὶ νῦν οὗτος παρακαλεῖται, σὺ δὲ ὀδυνᾶσαι. Καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσι δὲ τούτοις χάσμα μέγα μεταξὺ ἡμῶν τε καὶ ὑμῶν ἐστήρικται, ὅπως οἱ θέλοντες ἐκεῖθεν διαβῆναι πρὸς ἡμᾶς, μὴ δύνωνται, μήτε οἱ ἐντεῦθεν ἐκεῖ διαπερῶσι. Φορτικὰ τὰ εἰρημένα, καὶ πολλὴν ἡμῶν κατέχεε τὴν ὀδύνην. Οἶδα κἀγώ· ἀλλ' ὅσον δάκνει τὸ συνειδὸς, τοσοῦτον καὶ ὠφελεῖ τὴν διάνοιαν τῶν δακνομένων. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐκεῖ ταῦτα ἐλέγετο ἡμῖν, καθάπερ τῷ πλουσίῳ, ὄντως θρηνεῖν ἔδει καὶ ὀδύρεσθαι καὶ πενθεῖν, ὅτι μετανοίας καιρὸς οὐκ ἔτι ἡμῖν ὑπελέλειπτο· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐνταῦθα ὄντες ταῦτα ἀκούομεν, ὅπου καὶ ἀνανῆψαι δυνατὸν, καὶ τὰ ἡμαρτημένα ἀπονίψασθαι καὶ πολλὴν κτήσασθαι τὴν παῤῥησίαν, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἑτέροις συμβάντων κακῶν φοβηθέντας μεταβαλέσθαι, εὐχαριστῶμεν τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ Θεῷ, τῷ διὰ τῆς ἑτέρων κολάσεως τὴν ἡμετέραν διεγείροντι νωθείαν, καὶ ἀφυπνίζοντι καθεύδοντας ἡμᾶς. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ταῦτα προείρηται, ἵνα μὴ ταῦτα πάθωμεν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐβούλετο