John Chrysostom, On Matthew

crushed. Let us also emulate these. For even now a golden image is set up, the tyranny of mammon. But let us not pay attention to the drums, nor to the flutes, nor to the lyres, nor to the rest of the display of wealth; but even if it be necessary to fall into the furnace of poverty, let us choose it, so as not to worship that, and there will be dew whistling through the midst. Therefore, let us not shudder, when we hear of the furnace of poverty. For then, those who fell into the furnace were shown to be more glorious, but those who worshiped were destroyed. But then everything happened at once; now, however, some things will be here, some there, and some both here and in the day to come. For those who choose poverty so as not to worship mammon will be more glorious both here and then; but those who are unjustly rich here will then pay the ultimate penalty. From this furnace Lazarus also came forth, no less glorious than those children; but the rich man, in the rank of those who worshiped the image, was condemned in Gehenna. For the things spoken of are a type of those things. Therefore, just as here those who fell in suffered nothing, while those sitting outside were seized with great violence; so also will it be then; the saints, walking through the river of fire, will suffer nothing unpleasant, but will also appear joyful; but those who worshiped the image will see the fire leaping upon them, more terrible than any beast, and dragging them within. So if anyone disbelieves in Gehenna, having seen this furnace, let him believe in the things to come from the things present, and not fear the furnace of poverty, but the furnace of sin. For the one is flame and pain, but the other is dew and relief; and by that furnace stands the devil, but by this one, angels beating back the flame. 12. Let the rich hear these things, they who kindle the furnace of poverty. For they will in no way harm those, since dew will come to them; but they will make themselves an easy prey to the flame which they have kindled with their own hands. Then, indeed, an angel came down with those children; but now let us go down to those who are in the furnace of poverty, and through almsgiving let us create dew, and beat back the 57.54 flame, so that we may also become partakers of their crowns; so that the voice of Christ may also scatter the flame of Gehenna, saying; I was hungry, and you fed me. For this voice will then stand by us instead of dew, whistling through the midst of the flame. Let us go down, therefore, with almsgiving into the furnace of poverty; let us see the philosophers walking in it, and treading upon the coals; let us see the new and strange wonder, a man singing in a furnace, a man giving thanks in fire, bound by extreme poverty, and offering much praise to Christ. For those who bear poverty with thanksgiving become equal to those children. For poverty is more fearful than fire, and is wont to burn more intensely. But it did not burn those children, but because they gave thanks to the Master, their bonds were immediately loosed. So also now, if you fall into poverty and give thanks, the bonds are loosed, and the flame is quenched; and if it is not quenched, what is much more wonderful, it becomes a spring instead of a flame; which is indeed what happened then; and in the midst of the furnace they enjoyed pure dew. For the fire did not go out, but it was prevented from burning those who had been cast in. This can also be seen in the case of the philosophers; for even in poverty they are more fearless than the rich. Let us not, therefore, sit outside the furnace, being merciless toward the poor, lest we suffer what those others suffered then. For if you go down to them and stand with the children, the fire will no longer do you any harm; but if you sit above and look on them in the flame of poverty, the flame will burn you up. Go down, therefore, into the fire, that you may not be burned up by the fire; do not sit outside the fire, lest the flame seize you. For if it sees you with the poor, it will keep away from you; but if it sees you estranged from them, it will quickly run upon you and seize you. Do not

συντετριμμένον. Τούτους δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς ζηλώσωμεν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ νῦν ἕστηκεν εἰκὼν χρυσῆ, ἡ τοῦ μαμωνᾶ τυραννίς. Ἀλλὰ μὴ προσέχωμεν τοῖς τυμπάνοις, μηδὲ τοῖς αὐλοῖς, μηδὲ ταῖς κινύραις, μηδὲ τῇ λοιπῇ τοῦ πλούτου φαντασίᾳ· ἀλλὰ κἂν εἰς κάμινον ἐμπεσεῖν δέῃ πενίας, ἑλώμεθα, ὥστε μὴ προσκυνῆσαι ἐκείνῳ, καὶ ἔσται δρόσος ἐν μέσῳ διασυρίζουσα. Μὴ τοίνυν φρίττωμεν, πενίας ἀκούοντες κάμινον. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τότε οἱ μὲν ἐμπεσόντες εἰς τὴν κάμινον ἀπεδείχθησαν λαμπρότεροι, οἱ δὲ προσκυνήσαντες ἀνῃρέθησαν. Ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν ὁμοῦ πάντα ἐγένετο· νῦν δὲ τὰ μὲν ἐνταῦθα ἔσται, τὰ δὲ ἐκεῖ, τὰ δὲ καὶ ἐνταῦθα καὶ ἐν τῇ μελλούσῃ ἡμέρᾳ. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ προσκυνῆσαι τὸν μαμωνᾶν πενίαν ἑλόμενοι, καὶ ἐνταῦθα καὶ τότε ἔσονται λαμπρότεροι· οἱ δὲ πλουτοῦντες ἐνταῦθα ἀδίκως, τότε τὴν ἐσχάτην δώσουσι δίκην. Ἀπὸ ταύτης καὶ Λάζαρος τῆς καμίνου ἐξῄει, τῶν παίδων ἐκείνων οὐχ ἧττον λαμπρός· ὁ δὲ ἐν τῇ τάξει τῶν προσκυνησάντων τὴν εἰκόνα πλούσιος ἐν γεέννῃ κατεδικάζετο. Καὶ γὰρ τὰ εἰρημένα τύπος ἐκείνων. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐνταῦθα οἱ μὲν ἐμπεσόντες οὐδὲν ἔπαθον, οἱ δὲ ἔξω καθήμενοι μετὰ πολλῆς ἡρπάγησαν τῆς σφοδρότητος· οὕτω καὶ τότε ἔσται· οἱ μὲν ἅγιοι διὰ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τοῦ πυρὸς βαδίζοντες, οὐδὲν πείσονται ἀηδὲς, ἀλλὰ καὶ φαιδροὶ φανοῦνται· οἱ δὲ τὴν εἰκόνα προσκυνήσαντες, ὄψονται τὸ πῦρ αὐτοῖς θηρίου χαλεπώτερον παντὸς ἐπιπηδῶν, καὶ καθέλκον ἔνδον. Ὥστε εἴ τις διαπιστεῖ τῇ γεέννῃ, ταύτην ἰδὼν τὴν κάμινον, ἀπὸ τῶν παρόντων πιστευέτω τοῖς μέλλουσι, καὶ μὴ φοβείσθω πενίας κάμινον, ἀλλ' ἁμαρτίας κάμινον. Τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ φλὸξ καὶ ὀδύνη, ἐκεῖνο δὲ δρόσος καὶ ἄνεσις· κἀκείνῃ μὲν τῇ καμίνῳ παρέστηκεν ὁ διάβολος, ταύτῃ δὲ ἄγγελοι τινάσσοντες τὴν φλόγα. ιβʹ. Ταῦτα ἀκουέτωσαν οἱ πλουτοῦντες, οἱ τὴν κάμινον τῆς πενίας ἀνάπτοντες. Ἐκείνους μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν βλάψουσι, τῆς δρόσου παραγενομένης αὐτοῖς· ἑαυτοὺς δὲ εὐχειρώτους ἐργάσονται τῇ φλογὶ, ἣν ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων ἀνῆψαν χειρῶν. Τότε μὲν οὖν ἄγγελος συγκατέβη τοῖς παισὶν ἐκείνοις· νυνὶ δὲ ἡμεῖς τοῖς ἐν καμίνῳ πενίας οὖσι συγκαταβῶμεν, καὶ διὰ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης ἐργασώμεθα δρόσον, καὶ ἐκτινάξωμεν τὴν 57.54 φλόγα, ἵνα καὶ τῶν στεφάνων αὐτῶν γενώμεθα κοινωνοί· ἵνα καὶ τὴν φλόγα τῆς γεέννης ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ διασκεδάσῃ φωνὴ ἡ λέγουσα· Πεινῶντά με εἴδετε, καὶ ἐθρέψατε. Αὕτη γὰρ ἡ φωνὴ τότε ἀντὶ δρόσου παραστήσεται ἡμῖν, διὰ μέσης συρίζουσα τῆς φλογός. Κατέλθωμεν τοίνυν μετὰ ἐλεημοσύνης εἰς τὴν τῆς πτωχείας κάμινον· ἴδωμεν τοὺς φιλοσοφοῦντας βαδίζοντας ἐν αὐτῇ, καὶ τοὺς ἄνθρακας πατοῦντας· ἴδωμεν τὸ θαῦμα τὸ καινὸν καὶ παράδοξον, ἄνθρωπον ἐν καμίνῳ ψάλλοντα, ἄνθρωπον ἐν πυρὶ εὐχαριστοῦντα, πενίᾳ προσδεδεμένον ἐσχάτῃ, καὶ πολλὴν φέροντα τὴν εὐφημίαν τῷ Χριστῷ. Καὶ γὰρ τοῖς παισὶν ἐκείνοις ἴσοι γίνονται οἱ πενίαν μετ' εὐχαριστίας φέροντες. Καὶ γὰρ πυρὸς φοβερώτερον ἡ πτωχεία, καὶ μᾶλλον ἐμπιπρᾷν εἴωθεν. Ἀλλὰ τοὺς παῖδας οὐκ ἐνέπρησεν ἐκείνους, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ χάριτας ὡμολόγησαν τῷ ∆εσπότῃ, καὶ τὰ δεσμὰ εὐθέως αὐτοῖς διελύετο. Οὕτω καὶ νῦν, ἂν ἐμπεσὼν εἰς πενίαν εὐχαριστήσῃς, καὶ τὰ δεσμὰ λύεται, καὶ ἡ φλὸξ σβέννυται· κἂν μὴ σβεσθῇ, τὸ πολλῷ θαυμαστότερον, ἀντὶ φλογὸς πηγὴ γίνεται· ὃ δὴ καὶ τότε συνέβη· καὶ ἐν καμίνῳ μέσῃ δρόσου καθαρᾶς ἀπέλαυον. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ πῦρ οὐκ ἔσβεσε, τὸ δὲ καυθῆναι τοὺς ἐμβληθέντας διεκώλυσε. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν φιλοσοφούντων ἔστιν ἰδεῖν· καὶ γὰρ ἐν πενίᾳ τῶν πλουτούντων ἀδεέστερον διάκεινται. Μὴ τοίνυν ἔξω τῆς καμίνου καθεζώμεθα, ἀνηλεῶς πρὸς τοὺς πένητας ἔχοντες, ἵνα μὴ πάθωμεν ὅπερ ἔπαθον τότε ἐκεῖνοι. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ καταβὰς πρὸς αὐτοὺς στήσῃ μετὰ τῶν παίδων, οὐκέτι σε οὐδὲν ἐργάσεται δεινὸν τὸ πῦρ· ἐὰν δὲ ἄνω καθήμενος περιίδῃς αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ φλογὶ τῆς πενίας, κατακαύσει σε ἡ φλόξ. Κατάβηθι τοίνυν εἰς τὸ πῦρ, ἵνα μὴ κατακαῇς ὑπὸ τοῦ πυρός· μὴ καθίσῃς ἔξω τοῦ πυρὸς, ἵνα μή σε ἁρπάσῃ ἡ φλόξ. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ ἴδῃ σε μετὰ τῶν πενήτων, ἀποστήσεταί σου· ἂν δὲ ἀλλοτριούμενον αὐτῶν, ἐπιδραμεῖταί σοι ταχέως, καὶ ἁρπάσεταί σε. Μὴ