John Chrysostom, On John

to hate the other. And the very experience of things proclaims these truths. For those who have scorned the desire for money are the ones who most love God as they ought; just as those who admire that other rule are the ones who, most of all, have a duller love for Him. For a soul once captured by the love of money will not readily or easily refuse to do and say something that provokes God, being as it is a slave to another master, one who commands everything contrary to God. Return to your senses, therefore, and be aroused, and understanding whose servants we are, let us love His kingdom alone; let us weep, let us lament for the times past in which we served mammon; let us cast off his yoke once and for all, the unbearable and heavy one, and let us remain bearing Christ's, which is light and easy; for he commands us nothing like what mammon does. For this one commands us to be enemies to all; but Christ, the contrary, to embrace and love all. That one, having riveted us to clay and brick-making (for this is what gold is), does not even allow us to catch our breath a little at night; this one relieves us from this superfluous and foolish anxiety, and commands us to gather treasures in heaven, not from injustice to others, but from our own righteousness. That one, after much sweat and toil, is not able to stand by us when we are punished there and suffer evil on account of his laws, and he intensifies the flame; but this one, even if he commands us to give a cup of cold water, does not let us ever lose the reward and recompense for this, but repays with great abundance. How is it not, then, the utmost folly, to neglect a lordship so gentle and full of so many goods, and to serve an ungrateful and ungracious tyrant, who is able neither here nor there to benefit those who obey and attend to him? And not only is this the terrible thing, nor is this the only loss, that he does not help those who are being punished; but that, in addition to this, he also surrounds with countless evils, as I have already said, those who obey him. For one might see the greater part of those punished there being punished for this reason: that they served money and loved gold, and did not assist those in need. 59.69 That we may not suffer these things, let us scatter, let us give to the poor, let us free the soul both from the harmful anxieties here, and from the punishment laid up for us there on account of these things. Let us lay up righteousness in heaven, instead of earthly money let us gather imperishable treasures, treasures able to journey with us to heaven; able to stand by us in our perils, and make the jud 59.70 ge gracious then; whom may we all have gracious both now and on that day, and enjoy with much confidence the good things prepared in heaven for those who love him as they ought; by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father be glory, together with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

59.69 HOMILY 9. He came to His own, and His own received Him not. 1. If you remember the previous thoughts, with greater eagerness

we shall also build upon what follows, doing this as for a great gain. For thus the discourse will be easier for you to learn, remembering what has already been said, and we shall not need much labor, as you are able, through your great love of learning, to perceive the rest more keenly. For he who always loses what is given will always need a teacher, and will never know anything; but he who keeps what he receives, and so acquires the rest, will quickly become a teacher instead of a student, and not for himself

ἕτερον μισεῖν. Καὶ ταῦτα καὶ αὐτὴ τῶν πραγμάτων ἡ πεῖρα βοᾷ. Οἱ γοῦν τῆς τῶν χρημάτων ἐπιθυμίας καταγελάσαντες, οὗτοι μάλιστά εἰσιν οἱ τὸν Θεὸν ἀγαπῶντες ὡς χρή· ὥσπερ οὖν οἱ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐκείνην θαυμάζοντες, οὗτοι μάλιστα πάντων εἰσὶν οἱ ἀμβλυτέραν τὴν περὶ αὐτὸν ἀγάπην ἔχοντες. Ψυχὴ γὰρ καθάπαξ ὑπὸ φιλοχρηματίας ἁλοῦσα, οὐ ῥᾳδίως οὐδὲ εὐκόλως παραιτήσεται καὶ πρᾶξαι καὶ εἰπεῖν τι τῶν παροξυνόντων τὸν Θεὸν, ἅτε καὶ ἑτέρου γενομένη δεσπότου δούλη, καὶ πάντα ἀπεναντίας ἐπιτάττοντος τῷ Θεῷ. Ἀνανήψατε τοίνυν ποτὲ καὶ διεγέρθητε, καὶ ἐννοήσαντες τίνος ἐσμὲν οἰκέται, τὴν τούτου βασιλείαν ἀγαπήσωμεν μόνην· κλαύσωμεν, θρηνήσωμεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν χρόνων, ὧν ἐδουλεύσαμεν τῷ μαμωνᾷ· ῥίψωμεν αὐτοῦ καθάπαξ τὸν ζυγὸν, τὸν ἀφόρητον καὶ τὸν βαρὺν, καὶ μένωμεν φέροντες τὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τὸν κοῦφον καὶ ῥᾷστον· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐπιτάττει τοιοῦτον ἡμῖν οἷον ὁ μαμωνᾶς. Οὗτος μὲν γὰρ ἐχθροὺς κελεύει πᾶσι γίνεσθαι· ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς τοὐναντίον, ἅπαντας ἀσπάζεσθαι καὶ φιλεῖν. Ἐκεῖνος τῷ πηλῷ καὶ τῇ πλινθείᾳ προσηλώσας (τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν ὁ χρυσὸς), οὐδὲ τὰς νύκτας ἀφίησιν ἀναπνεῦσαι μικρόν· οὗτος τῆς μὲν περιττῆς ταύτης καὶ ἀνοήτου φροντίδος ἀπαλλάττει, κελεύει δὲ συνάγειν τοὺς θησαυροὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, οὐκ ἐκ τῆς εἰς ἑτέρους ἀδικίας, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς οἰκείας δικαιοσύνης. Ἐκεῖνος μετὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς ἱδρῶτας καὶ τὰς ταλαιπωρίας οὔτε δύναται παραστῆναι κολαζομένοις ἡμῖν ἐκεῖ καὶ κακῶς πάσχουσι διὰ τοὺς αὐτοῦ νόμους, καὶ ἐπιτείνει τὴν φλόγα· οὗτος δὲ κἂν ποτήριον ἡμῖν ἐπιτάξῃ δοῦναι ψυχροῦ, οὐδὲ τούτου τὸν μισθὸν καὶ τὴν ἀμοιβὴν ἀφίησιν ἡμᾶς ἀπολέσαι ποτὲ, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλῆς ἀντιδίδωσι τῆς δαψιλείας. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἐσχάτης ἀνοίας, τῆς οὕτω προσηνοῦς δεσποτείας καὶ τοσούτων γεμούσης ἀγαθῶν ἀμελοῦντας, ἀχαρίστῳ καὶ ἀγνώμονι δουλεύειν τυράννῳ, καὶ οὐδὲν οὔτε ἐνταῦθα, οὔτε ἐκεῖ δυναμένῳ τοὺς πειθομένους αὐτῷ καὶ προσέχοντας ὠφελεῖν; Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ δεινὸν, οὐδὲ αὕτη ἡ ζημία μόνον, ὅτι οὐκ ἀμύνει κολαζομένοις· ἀλλ' ὅτι πρὸς τούτῳ καὶ μυρίοις περιβάλλει κακοῖς, ὅπερ ἔφθην εἰπὼν, τοὺς πειθομένους αὐτῷ. Τοὺς γὰρ πλείονας τῶν ἐκεῖ κολαζομένων, ἀπὸ ταύτης ἴδοι τις ἂν κολαζομένους τῆς αἰτίας, ὅτι χρήμασιν ἐδούλευσαν καὶ τὸ χρυσίον ἠγάπησαν, καὶ τοῖς δεομένοις οὐκ ἐπήρκεσαν. 59.69 Ἅπερ ἵνα μὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς πάθωμεν, σκορπίσωμεν, δῶμεν τοῖς πένησιν, ἀπαλλάξωμεν τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ τῶν ἐνταῦθα φροντίδων τῶν βλαβερῶν, καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖ διὰ ταῦτα κειμένης ἡμῖν τιμωρίας. Ἀποθώμεθα δικαιοσύνην ἐν οὐρανοῖς, ἀντὶ χρημάτων τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς συλλέξωμεν θησαυροὺς ἀναλώτους, θησαυροὺς δυναμένους συναποδημῆσαι πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἡμῖν· δυναμένους ἡμῖν κινδυνεύουσι παραστῆναι, καὶ ποιῆσαι τὸν κρι 59.70 τὴν ἵλεων τότε· ὃν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς εὐμενῆ καὶ νῦν καὶ κατ' ἐκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν σχόντας, ἀπολαῦσαι μετὰ πολλῆς παῤῥησίας τῶν ἡτοιμασμένων ἀγαθῶν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, τοῖς ὡς χρὴ ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν· χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

59.69 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Θʹ. Εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἦλθε, καὶ οἱ ἴδιοι αὐτὸν οὐ παρέλαβον. αʹ. Ἂν τῶν προτέρων διαμνημονεύητε νοημάτων, μετὰ πλείονος προθυμίας

καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἐποικοδομήσομεν, ὡς ἐπὶ κέρδει τοῦτο ποιοῦντες μεγάλῳ. Οὕτω γὰρ ὑμῖν τε εὐμαθέστερος ἔσται ὁ λόγος, τῶν ἤδη λεχθέντων μεμνημένοις, καὶ ἡμεῖς οὐ πολλοῦ δεησόμεθα πόνου, δυναμένων ὑμῶν διὰ τῆς πολλῆς φιλομαθείας ὀξύτερον τοῖς λοιποῖς ἐνορᾷν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀεὶ τὰ διδόμενα ἀπολλὺς, ἀεὶ δεήσεται τοῦ διδάξοντος, καὶ οὐδέποτε εἴσεται οὐδέν· ὁ δὲ ἅπερ ἂν λάβῃ φυλάττων, καὶ οὕτω τὰ λοιπὰ προσλαμβάνων, ταχέως ἀντὶ μαθητοῦ διδάσκαλος ἔσται, καὶ οὐχ ἑαυτῷ