John Chrysostom, On Lazarus

to punish, he would not have foretold these things; but since he does not wish to cast us into punishment, for this reason he foretells the punishment, so that, having been brought to our senses by the prediction, we might escape the experience of it in reality. But for what reason did he not say, "You have received your good things," but "You have received back"? For you remember, I know well, that from this I said that a vast and great sea of meanings was opened to us; for "You have received back" indicates and reveals a certain debt; for one receives back what is owed. If, therefore, this rich man was polluted, and utterly polluted, and cruel and inhuman, for what reason did he not say to him, "You have received your good things," but "You have received back," as things owed and due? What then do we learn from this? That even if some men are polluted and have reached the extreme of wickedness, they have often done one or two or three good things. And that I am not now saying these things by guesswork is clear from what follows. For what was more polluted than that judge of injustice? What more inhuman? What more impious? He neither feared God, nor 48.997 was he ashamed before men; but nevertheless, living with such great wickedness, he did something good, by having mercy on the widow who continually bothered him, and consenting to the favor, and granting her request, and proceeding against those who wronged her. So it happens that a person may be dissolute, but often merciful; or inhuman, but temperate; and even if he be both dissolute and cruel, yet he has often done one good thing in his life. The same, again, one must also suppose in the case of the good. For just as the most wicked often do something good, so also the earnest and virtuous often go astray in something. For who will boast, it says, that he has a pure heart, or who will be confident that he is clean from sin? Since, therefore, it was likely both that the rich man, even if he had reached the extreme of wickedness, had done some good, and that Lazarus, even if he had reached the summit of virtue, had sinned in some small way, see how the patriarch hinted at both these things, by saying, "And you have received back your good things in your life, and Lazarus likewise the bad." What he says is this: "If you did any good thing, and a reward was owed to you for it, you have received back all these things in that world, living in luxury, being rich, enjoying prosperity and great success; and if this man did any evil thing, he received it all back while suffering in poverty and hunger and the utmost evils; and each of you has arrived here stripped, he of sins, you of righteous deeds." For this reason he has pure consolation, and you endure unmitigated punishment. For when our good deeds are small and insignificant, and the mass of our sins is great and unspeakable, and then we enjoy success here, and suffer nothing terrible, we shall certainly depart destitute and naked even of the reward for our good deeds, having received everything back here. Just as, then, when our good deeds are great and many, but our sins are small and insignificant, and then we suffer something terrible, having laid aside here even those small things, we receive back there a pure and complete recompense for our good works. Therefore, when you see someone living in wickedness, but suffering nothing terrible here, do not call him blessed, but weep and lament, since he will undergo all terrible things there; just as this rich man did. Again, when you see someone who cultivates virtue, and endures countless trials, call him blessed, emulate him, since all his sins are dissolved here, and many rewards for his patience are being prepared there; just as happened in the case of this Lazarus. 5. For of men, some are punished only here, others suffer nothing terrible here, but receive back all their punishment there, and others are punished both here and there. Which then of these three do you call blessed? First, I know well, those who are punished here and put away their sins. And second after them, which ones? You perhaps say those who suffer nothing here, but endure all their punishment there; but I

κολάσαι, οὐκ ἂν ταῦτα προεῖπεν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐ βούλεται ἐμβαλεῖν εἰς τιμωρίαν, διὰ τοῦτο προλέγει τὴν τιμωρίαν, ἵνα τῇ προῤῥήσει σωφρονισθέντες τὴν διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων ἐκφύγωμεν πεῖραν. Ἀλλὰ τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἔλαβες τὰ ἀγαθά σου, ἀλλ', Ἀπέλαβες; Μέμνησθε γὰρ εὖ οἶδ' ὅτι ἐντεῦθεν ἔφην πέλαγος ἀχανὲς καὶ μέγα νοημάτων ἡμῖν ἀνοίγεσθαι· τὸ γὰρ, Ἀπέλαβες, ὀφειλήν τινα ἐνδεικνυμένου καὶ δηλοῦντός ἐστιν· ἀπολαμβάνει γάρ τις τὰ ὀφειλόμενα. Εἰ τοίνυν μιαρὸς, καὶ παμμίαρος, καὶ ὠμὸς καὶ ἀπάνθρωπος οὗτος ὁ πλούσιος ἦν, τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐκ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, Ἔλαβες τὰ ἀγαθά σου, ἀλλ', Ἀπέλαβες, ὡς χρεωστούμενα καὶ ὀφειλόμενα; Τί οὖν ἐντεῦθεν μανθάνομεν; Ὅτι κἂν μιαροί τινες ὦσι καὶ εἰς ἔσχατον κακίας ἐληλακότες, πολλάκις ἕν τι καὶ δύο καὶ τρία εἰργάσαντο ἀγαθά. Καὶ ὅτι οὐ στοχαζόμενος ταῦτα νῦν λέγω, δῆλον ἐκεῖθεν. Τί γὰρ τοῦ κριτοῦ τῆς ἀδικίας ἐκείνου μιαρώτερον γέγονε; τί δὲ ἀπανθρωπότερον; τί δὲ ἀσεβέστερον; Οὗτος οὔτε τὸν Θεὸν ἐφοβεῖτο, οὔτε 48.997 ἀνθρώπους ᾐσχύνετο· ἀλλ' ὅμως τοσαύτῃ πονηρίᾳ συζῶν, εἰργάσατό τι καλὸν, τὴν συνεχῶς ἐνοχλοῦσαν αὐτῷ ἐλεήσας χήραν, καὶ ἐπινεύσας τῇ χάριτι, καὶ δοὺς τὴν αἴτησιν, καὶ ἐπεξελθὼν τοῖς ἀδικοῦσιν αὐτήν. Οὕτω συμβαίνει τινὰ ἀκόλαστον μὲν εἶναι, ἐλεήμονα δὲ πολλάκις· ἢ ἀπάνθρωπον μὲν, σώφρονα δέ· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἀκόλαστος καὶ ὠμὸς εἴη, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἕν τι κατὰ τὸν βίον πολλάκις ἔπραξεν ἀγαθόν. Τὸ αὐτὸ δὴ πάλιν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν χρηστῶν ὑποπτεύειν χρή. Καθάπερ γὰρ οἱ φαυλότατοι ἐργάζονταί τι πολλάκις χρηστὸν, οὕτω καὶ οἱ σπουδαῖοι καὶ ἐνάρετοι διαμαρτάνουσί τι πολλάκις. Τίς γὰρ καυχήσεται, φησὶν, ἁγνὴν ἔχειν τὴν καρδίαν, ἢ τίς παῤῥησιάσεται καθαρὸς εἶναι ἀπὸ ἁμαρτίας; Ἐπεὶ οὖν εἰκὸς ἦν καὶ τὸν πλούσιον, εἰ καὶ πρὸς ἔσχατον ἐληλάκει πονηρίας, ἐργάσασθαί τι ἀγαθὸν, καὶ τὸν Λάζαρον, εἰ καὶ πρὸς ἄκρον ἀφίκετο ἀρετῆς, ἡμαρτηκέναι τι μικρὸν, ὅρα πῶς ἀμφότερα ταῦτα ᾐνίξατο ὁ πατριάρχης, εἰπὼν, ὅτι Καὶ σὺ ἀπέλαβες τὰ ἀγαθά σου ἐν τῇ ζωῇ σου, καὶ ὁ Λάζαρος ὁμοίως τὰ κακά. Ὃ δὲ λέγει τοῦτό ἐστιν· Εἴ τι καὶ σὺ ἀγαθὸν εἰργάσω, καὶ ὠφείλετό σοι τούτου ὁ μισθὸς, πάντα ταῦτα ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ κόσμῳ ἀπέλαβες, τρυφῶν, πλουτῶν, εὐημερίας ἀπολαύων καὶ εὐπραγίας πολλῆς· καὶ οὗτος εἴ τι κακὸν εἰργάσατο, πάντα ἀπέλαβεν ἐν πενίᾳ καὶ λιμῷ καὶ τοῖς ἐσχάτοις ταλαιπωρούμενος κακοῖς· καὶ γυμνὸς ἑκάτερος ὑμῶν ἐνταῦθα ἀφῖκται, ἐκεῖνος μὲν ἁμαρτημάτων, σὺ δὲ δικαιοσύνης κατορθωμάτων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ οὗτος καθαρὰν ἔχει τὴν παράκλησιν, καὶ σὺ ἀπαραμύθητον ὑπομένεις τὴν τιμωρίαν. Ὅταν γὰρ μικρὰ καὶ εὐτελῆ τὰ κατορθώματα ἡμῶν ᾖ, καὶ πολὺς καὶ ἄφατος ὁ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ὄγκος, εἶτα ἐνταῦθα εὐπραγίας ἀπολαύσωμεν, καὶ μηδὲν πάθωμεν δεινὸν, καὶ αὐτῆς τῶν ἀγαθῶν τῆς ἀμοιβῆς ἔρημοι καὶ γυμνοὶ πάντως ἀπελευσόμεθα, πάντα ἐνταῦθα ἀπολαβόντες· ὥσπερ οὖν ὅταν μεγάλα μὲν ᾖ τὰ κατορθώματα καὶ πολλὰ, μικρὰ δὲ καὶ εὐτελῆ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, εἶτα πάθωμέν τι δεινὸν, καὶ αὐτὰ τὰ μικρὰ ἐνταῦθα ἀποθέμενοι, καθαρὰν καὶ ἀπηρτισμένην ἐκεῖ τὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔργων ἀπολαμβάνομεν ἀντίδοσιν. Ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃς τινὰ ζῶντα μὲν ἐν πονηρίᾳ, μηδὲν δὲ ἐνταῦθα πάσχοντα δεινὸν, μὴ μακαρίσῃς, ἀλλὰ δάκρυσον καὶ θρήνησον, ὡς πάντα ἐκεῖ τὰ δεινὰ ὑποστησόμενον· καθάπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ πλούσιος οὗτος. Πάλιν ὅταν ἴδῃς τινὰ ἀρετῆς ἐπιμελούμενον, καὶ μυρίους ὑπομένοντα πειρασμοὺς, μακάρισον, ζήλωσον, ὡς καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων αὐτῷ πάντων ἐνταῦθα διαλυομένων, καὶ πολλῶν τῆς ὑπομονῆς ἑτοιμαζομένων ἐκεῖ τῶν μισθῶν· ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Λαζάρου τούτου γέγονε. εʹ. Τῶν γὰρ ἀνθρώπων οἱ μὲν ἐνταῦθα τιμωροῦνται μόνον, οἱ δὲ ἐνταῦθα μὲν οὐδὲν πάσχουσι δεινὸν, πᾶσαν δὲ ἐκεῖ τὴν τιμωρίαν ἀπολαμβάνουσιν, οἱ δὲ καὶ ἐνταῦθα καὶ ἐκεῖ κολάζονται. Τίνας οὖν ἐκ τῶν τριῶν μακαρίζετε τούτων; Πρώτους μὲν εὖ οἶδ' ὅτι τοὺς ἐνταῦθα κολαζομένους καὶ ἀποτιθεμένους τὰ ἁμαρτήματα. ∆ευτέρους δὲ μετ' ἐκείνους τίνας; Ὑμεῖς μὲν ἴσως τοὺς οὐδὲν ἐνταῦθα πάσχοντας, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖ πᾶσαν ὑπομένοντας τὴν τιμωρίαν· ἐγὼ δὲ