John Chrysostom, On Timothy

one another; but these had one soul; For, it says, the heart and soul of all was one, and grace was upon them all, and they lived with great benefit. Do you see that from this too they profited? Tell me, which would you have wished to be, those who cast away their own things and had nothing, or those who received the things of others? See the fruit of almsgiving; the partitions and the hindrances were taken away, and immediately their souls were joined together; The heart and soul of all was one. So that even apart from almsgiving, to empty oneself of possessions has great gain. These things have been said by me, so that those who have not received an inheritance from their ancestors may not grieve nor be downcast, as having less than the rich 62.699 ones; for they have greater things, if they are willing. For they will also come to almsgiving with greater ease, like the widow, and will have no occasion for enmity toward their neighbor, and will be freer than all; no one will be able to threaten such a one with confiscation, but he is above suffering evil. And just as no one could quickly seize those who are naked and fleeing, but one could easily lay hold of those who are clothed in many things and dragging them along; so it is with the rich man and the poor man. For the one, even if caught, will be able to escape easily; but the other, even if not seized, is fettered by his own ropes, by countless cares, despondencies, angers, provocations. All these things bury the soul; and not these alone, but also many other things, which we drag after us from wealth. For it is more difficult for the rich man to be moderate than the poor man, and to live in simplicity, and it is more difficult for the former to be free from anger than the latter. Will he not therefore, one says, have a greater reward? By no means. Why, if indeed he accomplishes difficult things? Because he devised the difficulties for himself; for it is not commanded to be rich, but rather the opposite; but he constructs for himself countless stumbling blocks and hindrances. But others not only put away their possessions, but also waste away the excess of their body, as walking a narrow way; but you not only do not do this, but you also increase the furnace of passions, and put on other things. Therefore go to the broad place; for that is the one that receives such people; but the narrow way receives those who are afflicted, those who are straitened, those who carry nothing but these burdens, which can be borne through it: almsgiving, philanthropy, goodness, gentleness. If you carry these, you will be able to enter easily; but if you carry arrogance and inflammation of soul, and the burden of thorns, which is wealth, you need much broad space. For it is not even possible for you to enter into the crowd, so as not to strike others while being carried from above, but much distance was needed here. However, the one who brings forth gold and silver, I mean the achievements of virtue, not only does not have his neighbors fleeing, but also has them drawing near and joining with him. But if wealth itself is a thorn, what is covetousness? For what reason do you lead it there? so that you may make the flame greater, placing burdens on the fire? For is not the fire of Gehenna sufficient? Consider how the three youths overcame the furnace; consider that to be Gehenna; with affliction they fell into it, bound and fettered; but they found much broad space within; but not those standing around outside. 4. Something like this will also be now, if we are willing to stand nobly and bravely against the temptations brought upon us; if we have our hopes in God, we will be in safety and broad space, but those who cast us in will perish; For he who digs a pit, it says, will fall into it. Even if they bind the hands, even if they bind the feet, the affliction will be able to loose 62.700 them. For see the wonder; those whom men bound, the fire loosed. For just as if someone were to hand over certain men to the servants of his friends, and these the friendship

ἀλλήλους· οὗτοι δὲ εἶχον ψυχὴν μίαν· Ἦν γὰρ, φησὶν, ἁπάντων ἡ καρδία καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ μία, καὶ χάρις ἦν ἐπὶ πάντας αὐτοὺς, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς ὠφελείας διῆγον. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἐκεῖνοι ἐκέρδαινον; Εἰπὲ δή μοι, τίνων ἂν ἠθέλησας εἶναι, τῶν τὰ αὐτῶν ῥιπτούντων καὶ οὐδὲν ἐχόντων, ἢ τῶν καὶ τὰ ἑτέρων λαμβανόντων; Ὅρα τὸν καρπὸν τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης· τὰ διαφράγματα καὶ τὰ κωλύματα ἀνῃρέθη, καὶ εὐθέως συνήφθησαν αὐτῶν αἱ ψυχαί· Πάντων ἦν ἡ καρδία καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ μία. Ὥστε καὶ χωρὶς τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης τὸ τὰ χρήματα κενοῦν πολὺ ἔχει τὸ κέρδος. Ταῦτα δέ μοι εἴρηται, ἵνα οἱ κλῆρον παρὰ προγόνων μὴ διαδεξάμενοι, μὴ ἀλγῶσι μηδὲ κατηφιῶσιν, ὡς ἔλαττον τῶν πλου 62.699 τούντων ἔχοντες· μείζονα γὰρ ἔχουσιν, ἂν ἐθέλωσι. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ πρὸς ἐλεημοσύνην μετὰ πλείονος ἥξουσι τῆς εὐκολίας, καθάπερ ἡ χήρα, καὶ τῆς πρὸς τὸν πλησίον ἔχθρας οὐδεμίαν ἕξουσιν ἀφορμὴν, καὶ πάντων ἔσονται ἐλευθερώτεροι· οὐδεὶς ἀπειλῆσαι δυνήσεται τῷ τοιούτῳ δήμευσιν, ἀλλ' ἔστιν ἀνώτερος τοῦ παθεῖν κακῶς. Καὶ καθάπερ τοὺς γυμνοὺς φεύγοντας οὐδεὶς ἂν ταχέως κατάσχοι, τῶν δὲ πολλὰ περιβεβλημένων καὶ ἐπισυρομένων ῥᾳδίως ἄν τις ἐπιλάβοιτο· οὕτω καὶ ὁ πλούσιος, καὶ ὁ πένης ἐστίν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ, κἂν ἁλῷ, εὐκόλως διαδρᾶναι δυνήσεται· ὁ δὲ, κἂν μὴ κατασχεθῇ, τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ σχοινίοις συμποδίζεται, φροντίσι μυρίαις, ἀθυμίαις, ὀργαῖς, παροξυσμοῖς. Ταῦτα πάντα καταχωννύει τὴν ψυχήν· καὶ οὐ ταῦτα μόνα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ, ἅπερ ἀπὸ τοῦ πλούτου ἐπισυρόμεθα. Καὶ γὰρ μετριάζειν δυσκολώτερον τὸν πλούσιον ἢ τὸν πένητα, καὶ ἐν εὐτελείᾳ ζῇν, καὶ θυμοῦ ἀπηλλάχθαι δυσκολώτερον τοῦτον ἢ ἐκεῖνον. Οὐκοῦν πλείονα, φησὶν, ἕξει μισθόν; Οὐδαμῶς. ∆ιὰ τί, εἴ γε τὰ δύσκολα κατορθοῖ; Ὅτι αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ τὰς δυσκολίας ἐπενόησεν· οὐ γὰρ ἐπιτέτακται πλουτεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὐναντίον· ἑαυτῷ δὲ μυρία σκάνδαλα καὶ κωλύματα κατασκευάζει. Ἄλλοι δὲ οὐ μόνον τὰ χρήματα ἀποτίθενται, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ σώματος τὸ πλέον κατατήκουσιν, ὡς στενὴν ὁδεύοντες ὁδόν· σὺ δὲ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὔξεις τὴν κάμινον τῶν παθῶν, καὶ ἕτερα περιβάλλεις. Οὐκοῦν εἰς τὴν εὐρύχωρον ἄπιθι· ἐκείνη γάρ ἐστιν ἡ τοὺς τοιούτους δεχομένη· ἡ δὲ στενὴ τοὺς θλιβομένους, τοὺς ἐστενωμένους, τοὺς οὐδὲν βαστάζοντας, ἀλλ' ἢ ταῦτα τὰ φορτία, ἃ δι' αὐτῆς κομίζεσθαι δυνατὸν, ἐλεημοσύνην, φιλανθρωπίαν, χρηστότητα, ἐπιείκειαν. Ἂν ταῦτα βαστάζῃς, εὐκόλως δυνήσῃ εἰσελθεῖν· ἂν δὲ ἀπόνοιαν καὶ φλεγμονὴν ψυχῆς, καὶ τὸ τῶν ἀκανθῶν φορτίον, τὸν πλοῦτον, πολλῆς σοι δεῖ τῆς εὐρυχωρίας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰς τὸν ὄχλον ἐμβῆναί σοι δυνατὸν, ὥστε μὴ ἑτέρους πλήττειν ἄνωθεν ἐπιφερόμενον, ἀλλ' ἔδει πολλῆς διαστάσεως ἐνταῦθα. Ὁ μέντοι ἀποφέρων χρυσίον καὶ ἀργύριον, τὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς λέγω κατορθώματα, οὐ μόνον φεύγοντας οὐκ ἔχει τοὺς πλησίον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλησίον γινομένους καὶ συνδυάζοντας. Πλὴν εἰ ὁ πλοῦτος αὐτὸς ἄκανθά ἐστι, τί ἡ πλεονεξία; τίνος ἕνεκεν ταύτην ἀπάγεις ἐκεῖ; ἵνα μείζονα τὴν φλόγα ἐργάσῃ, φορτία ὑποτιθεὶς τῷ πυρί; οὐ γὰρ ἀρκεῖ τὸ τῆς γεέννης πῦρ; Ἐννόησον οἱ τρεῖς παῖδες πῶς περιεγένοντο τῆς καμίνου· ἐκείνην νόμισον γέενναν εἶναι· μετὰ θλίψεως ἐνέπεσον εἰς αὐτὴν δεδεμένοι καὶ συμπεπεδημένοι· ἀλλὰ πολλὴν εὗρον ἔνδον τὴν εὐρυχωρίαν· ἀλλ' οὐχ οἱ ἔξωθεν περιεστῶτες. δʹ. Τοιοῦτόν τι ἔσται καὶ νῦν, ἐὰν βουλώμεθα γενναίως καὶ ἀνδρείως ἵστασθαι πρὸς τοὺς ἐπαγομένους πειρασμούς· ἂν εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ἔχωμεν τὰς ἐλπίδας, ἐσόμεθα μὲν ἡμεῖς ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ καὶ εὐρυχωρίᾳ, οἱ δὲ ἐμβάλλοντες ἡμᾶς ἀπολοῦνται· Ὁ γὰρ ὀρύσσων βόθρον, φησὶν, ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς αὐτόν. Κἂν τὰς χεῖρας δήσωσι, κἂν τοὺς πόδας, ἡ θλῖψις λῦσαι δυ 62.700 νήσεται. Ὅρα γὰρ τὸ θαυμαστόν· οὓς ἔδησαν ἄνθρωποι, τούτους ἔλυσε τὸ πῦρ. Καθάπερ γὰρ εἴ τις παραδοίη τινὰς τοῖς οἰκέταις τῶν φίλων, οὗτοι δὲ τὴν φιλίαν