John Chrysostom, On Timothy

reverencing the master, not only do they not harm them, but also impart great honor; so also the fire, when it recognized that those children were friends of its Master, it both broke their bonds, and loosed them and let them go, and became a floor for them, and was trodden underfoot by them, reasonably so; for they had been cast in for the glory of God. As many of us as are in tribulations, let us hold fast to these examples. But behold, one says, those were delivered from the tribulation, but we are not. And reasonably so, since those men did not enter into the furnace as if they would be delivered, but as if they would completely die; for hear them saying: There is a God in heaven, who will deliver us; and if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, and the golden image, which you have set up, we do not worship. But we, as if trafficking with God's disciplines, also set a time, saying: If by such a time He has not shown mercy. For this reason we are not delivered. Since also Abraham did not go as one who would receive his son back alive, but as one who would sacrifice him; and beyond expectation he received him back alive. You also, when you fall into tribulation, do not hasten, do not rush to be delivered, prepare your mind for all patience, and you will quickly be delivered from the tribulation; for for this reason God brings it on, that He may discipline. When therefore from the outset we are disciplined to bear it, and are not distressed, He then lets up, as though the whole thing has been accomplished. I wish to tell you a useful story, and one having great benefit. What is this? When a persecution had once occurred, and a fierce war had been stirred up against the Church, two certain men were arrested; and the one was ready to suffer anything at all, while the other, though he too was ready and noble for having his head cut off, was fearful and trembling at the other tortures. See, therefore, the divine plan; When the judge sat down, the one who was ready to suffer anything at all, he ordered to have his head cut off; but the other he hung up and tore with hooks, and not once or twice, but leading him around all the cities. Why ever was this permitted? So that through the tortures he might recover the neglected part of his mind, that he might cast out all cowardice, that he might no longer be fearful nor hesitant nor trembling at the matter. And Joseph also, when he was most eager to get out, then most of all he remained behind; for hear him saying, I was indeed stolen from the land of the Hebrews; and, Remember me, he says, to the king. For this reason he remained, that he might learn that one ought not to trust, nor to place hope in men, but to cast everything upon God. Knowing these things, therefore, let us give thanks to God, and let us do all things that are for our benefit; that we may obtain the good things to come, in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father be the glory, with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

αἰδούμενοι τοῦ δεσπότου, οὐ μόνον αὐτοῖς οὐ λυμαίνονται, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλῆς μεταδιδόασι τιμῆς· οὕτω καὶ τὸ πῦρ, ἐπειδὴ ἐπέγνω ὅτι φίλοι τοῦ ∆εσπότου αὐτοῦ εἰσιν οἱ παῖδες ἐκεῖνοι, καὶ διέῤῥηξεν αὐτῶν τὰ δεσμὰ, καὶ ἔλυσεν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀφῆκε, καὶ ἔδαφος αὐτοῖς ἐγίνετο, καὶ κατεπατεῖτο ὑπ' αὐτῶν, εἰκότως· ὑπὲρ γὰρ τῆς δόξης ἐνεβέβληντο τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὅσοι ἐν θλίψεσίν ἐσμεν, ταῦτα κατέχωμεν τὰ ὑποδείγματα. Ἀλλ' ἰδοὺ, φησὶν, ἐκεῖνοι ἀπηλλάγησαν τῆς θλίψεως, ἡμεῖς δὲ οὔ. Καὶ εἰκότως, ἐπειδὴ οὐχ οὕτως ἐνέβησαν εἰς τὴν κάμινον ἐκεῖνοι, ὡς ἀπαλλαγησόμενοι, ἀλλ' ὡς τεθνηξόμενοι τέλεον· ἄκουε γὰρ αὐτῶν λεγόντων· Ἔστι Θεὸς ἐν οὐρανοῖς, ὃς ῥύσεται ἡμᾶς· καὶ ἐὰν μὴ, γνωστὸν ἔστω σοι, βασιλεῦ, ὅτι τοῖς θεοῖς σου οὐ λατρεύομεν, καὶ τῇ εἰκόνι τῇ χρυσῇ, ᾗ ἔστησας, οὐ προσκυνοῦμεν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ ὡς πραγματευόμενοι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰς παιδείας, καὶ χρόνον ὁρίζομεν λέγοντες· Ἐὰν μέχρι τοσοῦδε μὴ ἐλεήσῃ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀπαλλαττόμεθα. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Ἀβραὰμ οὐχ ὡς σῶον ληψόμενος τὸν υἱὸν, οὕτως ἀπήρχετο, ἀλλ' ὡς σφαγιάσων· καὶ παρὰ προσδοκίαν σῶον ἔλαβε. Καὶ σὺ ὅταν ἐμπέσῃς εἰς θλῖψιν, μὴ ταχύνῃς, μὴ σπεύσῃς ἀπαλλαγῆναι, παρασκεύασον τὴν διάνοιάν σου πρὸς πᾶσαν ὑπομονὴν, καὶ ἀπαλλαγήσῃ ταχέως τῆς θλίψεως· διὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ ἐπάγει αὐτὴν ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα παιδεύσῃ. Ὅταν οὖν ἐκ προοιμίων παιδευθῶμεν φέρειν, καὶ μὴ ἀλύωμεν, ἀνίησι λοιπὸν, ὡς τοῦ παντὸς κατωρθωμένου. Βούλομαί τι διήγημα πρὸς ὑμᾶς εἰπεῖν χρήσιμον, καὶ πολλὴν ἔχον τὴν ὠφέλειαν. Τί δὲ τοῦτό ἐστι; ∆ιωγμοῦ ποτε κατειληφότος, καὶ πολέμου σφοδροῦ κατὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἀναῤῥιπισθέντος, δύο τινὲς συνελήφθησαν ἄνδρες· καὶ ὁ μὲν ἕτοιμος ἦν πᾶν ὁτιοῦν παθεῖν, ὁ δὲ πρὸς μὲν τὸ ἀποτμηθῆναι τὴν κεφαλὴν καὶ αὐτὸς ἕτοιμος καὶ γενναῖος, πρὸς δὲ τὰς ἄλλας βασάνους δεδοικὼς καὶ τρέμων. Ὅρα τοίνυν τὴν οἰκονομίαν· Ἐπειδὴ ἐκάθισεν ὁ δικαστὴς, τὸν μὲν ἕτοιμον ὄντα πᾶν ὁτιοῦν παθεῖν, ἐκέλευσεν ἀποτμηθῆναι τὴν κεφαλήν· ἐκεῖνον δὲ ἀναρτήσας κατέξαινε, καὶ οὐχ ἅπαξ οὐδὲ δεύτερον, ἀλλὰ πάσας περιάγων τὰς πόλεις. Τί δήποτε τοῦτο συνεχωρήθη; Ἵνα τὸ ἠμελημένον αὐτοῦ τῆς διανοίας ἀνακτήσηται διὰ τῶν βασάνων, ἵνα τὴν δειλίαν πᾶσαν ἐκβάλῃ, ἵνα μηκέτι ᾖ δεδοικὼς μηδὲ ὀκνῶν μηδὲ τρέμων πρὸς τὸ πρᾶγμα. Καὶ Ἰωσὴφ δὲ ὅτε μάλιστα ἠπείγετο ἐξελθεῖν, τότε μάλιστα ἐναπέμεινεν· ἄκουε γὰρ αὐτοῦ λέγοντος, Κλοπῇ ἐκλάπην ἐκ γῆς Ἑβραίων· καὶ, Μνήσθητί μου, φησὶ, πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐναπέμεινεν, ἵνα μάθῃ ὅτι οὐ χρὴ θαῤῥεῖν, οὐδὲ ἐπελπίζειν ἀνδράσιν, ἀλλὰ τὸ πᾶν ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν ῥίπτειν. Ταῦτα οὖν εἰδότες, χάριν ὁμολογῶμεν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ πάντα πράττωμεν τὰ πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον· ἵνα τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν ἐπιτύχωμεν, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα, σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.