John Chrysostom, On Matthew

exhausting all its power, and making it useless for everything. For if someone, nurturing worms in his intestines, will not even be able to breathe, with all his insides being consumed, how shall we, having so great a serpent devouring all our insides—I mean anger—be able to bring forth anything noble? How then shall we be rid of this bane? If we drink a potion that can kill the worms and snakes within. And what would be the potion, he says, that has this power? The precious blood of Christ, if it be taken with confidence; for this will be able to quench every disease, and along with this, the careful hearing of the divine Scriptures, and almsgiving added to the hearing; for through all these, the passions that corrupt our soul will be able to be put to death. And then only shall we live; since for now we are in no better state than the dead; for it is not possible, while they live, for us to live also, but we must of necessity perish. And if we do not manage to kill them here, they will surely kill us there; or rather, even before that death, it will exact the ultimate penalty from us even here. For each of such passions is both cruel and tyrannical and insatiable, and eating us every day, it never stops. For their teeth are the teeth of a lion; or rather, even much more grievous. For the lion, once he is sated, departs from the body that fell in his way; but these passions are neither filled, nor do they depart, until they set the captured man near the devil. For their power is so great, as to demand from those they have captured the same servitude that Paul showed towards Christ, despising both Gehenna and the Kingdom 57.51 for His sake. For if someone falls into a lust for bodies, or for money, or for glory, he then laughs at Gehenna, and despises the Kingdom, in order to do the will of these passions. Let us not then disbelieve Paul when he says that he so loved Christ. For when some are found so enslaved to the passions, how will that seem unbelievable then? For this is why our desire for Christ is weaker, because all our strength is consumed in this lust, and we seize, and are covetous, and are enslaved to vainglory; than which what could be more worthless? For even if you become gazed at ten thousand times, you will be no better than the dishonored, but on this very account, even more dishonored. For when those who wish to glorify you and show you as splendid, laugh at you for this very reason, that you desire glory from them, how will not the results of such zeal be turned into the opposite for you? 10. For the matter is one of accusation. For just as one who praises and flatters a man who desires to commit adultery or fornication, by this very act becomes more of an accuser than a praiser of him who desires such things; so also, when we all praise one who desires glory, we are accusers rather than praisers of those who wish to be glorified. Why then do you pursue the thing, from which the opposite is wont to happen to you? For if you wish to be glorified, despise glory, and you shall be more splendid than all. Why do you suffer what Nebuchadnezzar suffered? For he too set up an image, thinking to provide for himself an addition of praise from the wood and the senseless form, and the living wanted to appear more splendid than the non-living. Do you see the excess of madness? For thinking to honor himself, he rather insulted himself. For when he is seen trusting in the lifeless thing more than in himself and the living soul within him, and for this reason brings the wood to such a place of honor, how would he not be worthy of laughter, hastening to be adorned not from his character, but from planks of wood? Just as if someone were to think himself worthy of pride more because of the pedestal in his house and because his staircase is beautiful, than because he is a man. Many among us imitate him now. For just as he from the image, so others from their garments, and others from their house, and from mules and carriages, and from the columns in their houses, they expect to be admired. For since the

διαξαίνων τὴν δύναμιν αὐτῆς ἅπασαν, καὶ ἄχρηστον πρὸς πάντα τιθείς. Εἰ γὰρ σκώληκάς τις, ἐν τοῖς ἐγκάτοις τρέφων οὐδὲ ἀναπνεῖν δυνήσεται, πάντων τῶν ἔνδον αὐτῷ δαπανωμένων, πῶς ὄφιν ἡμεῖς τηλικοῦτον ἔχοντες κατατρώγοντα πάντα τὰ ἔνδον, τὸν θυμὸν λέγω, δυνησόμεθά τι γενναῖον τεκεῖν; Πῶς οὖν ταύτης ἀπαλλαγησόμεθα τῆς λύμης; Ἂν πίωμεν ποτὸν νεκρῶσαι δυνάμενον τοὺς ἔνδον σκώληκας καὶ τοὺς ὄφεις. Καὶ ποῖον ἂν εἴη τὸ ποτὸν, φησὶ, τὸ τὴν ἰσχὺν ταύτην ἔχον; Τὸ τίμιον αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, εἰ μετὰ παῤῥησίας ληφθείη· πᾶσαν γὰρ νόσον σβέσαι δυνήσεται τοῦτο, καὶ μετὰ τούτου τῶν θείων Γραφῶν ἡ μετ' ἀκριβείας ἀκρόασις, καὶ ἐλεημοσύνη τῇ ἀκροάσει προσγινομένη· διὰ γὰρ τούτων πάντων δυνήσεται νεκρωθῆναι τὰ λυμαινόμενα τὴν ψυχὴν ἡμῶν πάθη. Καὶ τότε ζησόμεθα μόνον· ὡς νῦν γε οὐδὲν τῶν τεθνεώτων ἄμεινον διακείμεθα· ἐπείπερ οὐκ ἔστι, ζώντων ἐκείνων, καὶ ἡμᾶς ζῇν, ἀλλ' ἀνάγκη ἡμᾶς ἀπολέσθαι. Κἂν μὴ φθάσωμεν αὐτὰ ἀποκτείναντες ἐνταῦθα, ἐκεῖ πάντως ἡμᾶς ἀποκτενεῖ· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πρὸ ἐκείνου τοῦ θανάτου τὴν ἐσχάτην ἡμᾶς καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἀπαιτήσει δίκην. Καὶ γὰρ ἕκαστον τῶν παθῶν τῶν τοιούτων, καὶ ὠμὸν καὶ τυραννικὸν καὶ ἀκόρεστον, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμᾶς ἐσθίον τὴν ἡμέραν οὐδέποτε ἵσταται. Ὀδόντες γὰρ λέοντος οἱ ὀδόντες αὐτῶν· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πολλῷ χαλεπώτεροι. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ λέων ὁμοῦ τε ἐκορέσθη, καὶ ἀπέστη τοῦ παραπεσόντος αὐτῷ σώματος· ταῦτα δὲ τὰ πάθη οὔτε ἐμπίπλαται, οὔτε ἀφίσταται, ἕως ἂν ἐγγὺς τοῦ διαβόλου στήσῃ τὸν ἁλόντα ἄνθρωπον. Τοσαύτη γὰρ αὐτῶν ἡ δύναμις, ὡς τὴν δουλείαν, ἣν ὁ Παῦλος περὶ τὸν Χριστὸν ἐπεδείκνυτο, καὶ γεέννης καὶ βασιλείας 57.51 δι' αὐτὸν καταφρονῶν, τὴν αὐτὴν καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἁλόντων ἀπαιτεῖν. Ἄν τε γὰρ σωμάτων ἔρωτι, ἄν τε χρημάτων, ἄν τε δόξης περιπέσῃ τις, καὶ γεέννης καταγελᾷ λοιπὸν, καὶ βασιλείας καταφρονεῖ, ἵνα τὸ θέλημα τούτων ἐργάσηται. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀπιστῶμεν Παύλῳ λέγοντι, ὅτι τὸν Χριστὸν οὕτως ἐφίλησεν. Ὅταν γὰρ εὑρεθῶσί τινες τοῖς πάθεσιν οὕτω δουλεύοντες, πῶς ἄπιστον ἐκεῖνο δόξει εἶναι λοιπόν; Καὶ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ὁ περὶ τὸν Χριστὸν πόθος ἀσθενέστερος, ἐπειδὴ πᾶσα ἡμῖν ἡ δύναμις εἰς τοῦτον καταναλοῦται τὸν ἔρωτα, καὶ ἁρπάζομεν, καὶ πλεονεκτοῦμεν, καὶ δόξῃ δουλεύομεν κενῇ· ἧς τί γένοιτ' ἂν εὐτελέστερον; Κἂν γὰρ μυριάκις γένῃ περίβλεπτος, οὐδὲν τῶν ἀτίμων ἔσῃ βελτίων, ἀλλὰ δι' αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο καὶ ἀτιμότερος. Ὅταν γὰρ οἱ βουλόμενοί σε δοξάζειν καὶ λαμπρὸν ἀποδεικνύναι, δι' αὐτὸ τοῦτό σε γελῶσιν, ὅτι τῆς παρ' αὐτῶν ἐπιθυμεῖς δόξης, πῶς οὐκ εἰς τὸ ἐναντίον περιτραπήσεταί σοι τὰ τῆς τοιαύτης σπουδῆς; ιʹ. Καὶ γὰρ τῶν κατηγορουμένων τὸ πρᾶγμά ἐστιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸν ἐπιθυμοῦντα μοιχεύειν ἢ πορνεύειν ἂν ἐπαινῇ τις καὶ κολακεύῃ, αὐτῷ τούτῳ μᾶλλον κατήγορος γίνεται ἢ ἐπαινέτης τοῦ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐπιθυμοῦντος· οὕτω καὶ τὸν δόξης ἐπιθυμοῦντα, ὅταν ἐπαινῶμεν ἅπαντες, κατήγοροι μᾶλλόν ἐσμεν ἢ ἐπαινέται τῶν βουλομένων δοξάζεσθαι. Τί τοίνυν ἐφέλκῃ τὸ πρᾶγμα, ἀφ' οὗ τὸ ἐναντίον σοι συμβαίνειν εἴωθεν; Εἰ γὰρ δοξάζεσθαι βούλει, καταφρόνει δόξης, καὶ πάντων ἔσῃ λαμπρότερος. Τί πάσχεις ὅπερ ἔπαθεν ὁ Ναβουχοδονόσορ; Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκεῖνος εἰκόνα ἔστησεν, ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου καὶ τῆς ἀναισθήτου μορφῆς προσθήκην νομίζων ἑαυτῷ πορίζειν εὐφημίας, καὶ ὁ ζῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ μὴ ζῶντος λαμπρότερος ἤθελε φαίνεσθαι. Εἶδες τῆς μανίας τὴν ὑπερβολήν; ∆οκῶν γὰρ ἑαυτὸν τιμᾷν, μᾶλλον ἐξύβρισεν. Ὅταν γὰρ φαίνηται τῷ ἀψύχῳ θαῤῥῶν μᾶλλον ἢ ἑαυτῷ καὶ τῇ ἐν αὐτῷ ζώσῃ ψυχῇ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὸ ξύλον ἐπὶ τοσαύτην ἄγῃ προεδρίαν, πῶς οὐκ ἂν εἴη γέλωτος ἄξιος, οὐκ ἀπὸ τρόπων, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ σανίδων καλλωπίζεσθαι σπεύδων; Ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις διὰ τὸ βάθρον τὸ ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ καὶ διὰ τὴν κλίμακα καλὴν οὖσαν ἀξιοῖ μᾶλλον, ἢ διὰ τὸ ἄνθρωπος εἶναι, ἐναβρύνεσθαι. Τοῦτον καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν πολλοὶ μιμοῦνται νῦν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ἀπὸ τῆς εἰκόνος, οὕτως ἀπὸ ἱματίων ἕτεροι, καὶ ἐξ οἰκίας ἄλλοι, καὶ ἐξ ἡμιόνων καὶ ὀχημάτων, καὶ ἀπὸ κιόνων τῶν ἐν ταῖς οἰκίαις ἀξιοῦσι θαυμάζεσθαι. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸ