John Chrysostom, On John

we should continue to do, they will reap a great reward. For how, when they attend to what is said only superficially and here only for this brief moment? But if some allege business and cares, and the great occupation of both public and private affairs; first, this itself is no small charge, to be encircled by such a multitude of affairs, and to be so constantly riveted to the things of this life, as not even to afford a little leisure for the most necessary 59.78 of all things. Next, that these things are an excuse and a pretext, their gatherings with friends would accuse them, and their pastimes in the theaters, and the assemblies which they hold for the sake of watching the horse races, in which they often have spent whole days [and you have associated with friends for a long time], and in these no one ever alleged the occupation of business. Then, for trivial matters you are everywhere without excuse, and are able to have abundant leisure; but if it is necessary to attend to the things of God, these seem to you so much more superfluous and dishonorable than all things, that you think you ought not to grant them even a little leisure. And how is it worthy for those so disposed to breathe, or to see this sun? There is also another most unreasonable pretext for those who are so slothful: that they do not possess nor have books. And as for the wealthy, it is laughable for us to respond to this pretext; but since I think many of the poorer sort use it continually, I would gladly ask them this: whether each one does not have all the instruments of the craft of which he is an artisan, complete and entire, even if countless poverty should prevent it. How then is it not absurd, in that case not to blame poverty, but to do everything so that no hindrance may arise from any quarter; but when about to reap so great a benefit, to lament occupation and poverty? But nevertheless, even if some are so poor, it is possible from the continuous reading that takes place here to be ignorant of nothing contained in the divine Scriptures. But if this seems impossible to you, it seems so with good reason. For not many come with much eagerness to hear what is said, but having performed this one duty for the day, they immediately return home. And if some should linger, they are in no better state than those who have departed, being present with us in body only. But, that we may not burden you further with accusations, and spend the whole time in reproaches, let us go to the words of the Gospel; for it is time at last to bring down the discourse to the matters at hand. 59.79 But rouse yourselves, so that none of what is said may escape you. And the Word was made flesh, he says, and dwelt among us. Having said that those who received him were born of God, and have become children of God, he states the cause and the ground of this ineffable honor. And this is it: that the Word was made flesh, and the Master took on the form of a servant. For He became the Son of man, being the true Son of God, that He might make the sons of men children of God. For that which is high, conversing with the lowly, is not itself at all harmed in its own glory; but it raises the other from its great lowliness. This, therefore, is what happened in the case of Christ. For He in no way diminished His own nature by this descent, but us who were perpetually sitting in dishonor and darkness, He raised up to ineffable glory. Thus also a king, conversing with a poor and needy man with earnestness and goodwill, has in no way shamed himself, but has made that man to be admired and illustrious among all. And if, in the case of the acquired dignity of men, conversation with the more humble in no way harmed the more honorable, much more so in the case of that undefiled and blessed substance, which has nothing acquired, nor coming into being and passing away, but possesses all good things unmovable and fixed for ever. So when you hear, that the Word was made flesh, do not be disturbed, nor lose heart. For the substance was not changed into flesh (for it is truly impious even to think this), but remaining what it is, it thus took on the form of a servant. 2.

ποιοῦντες διατελοίημεν, μέγα τι καρπώσονται κέρδος. Πῶς γὰρ, ὅταν ἐκ παρέργου καὶ ἐνταῦθα μόνον κατὰ τὸν βραχὺν τοῦτον τοῖς λεγομένοις σχολάζωσι καιρόν; Εἰ δέ τινες πράγματα αἰτιῶνται καὶ φροντίδας, καὶ πολλὴν τήν τε τῶν πολιτικῶν καὶ τῶν ἰδιωτικῶν ἀσχολίαν· πρῶτον μὲν αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἔγκλημα οὐ μικρὸν, τὸ κυκλοῦσθαι τοσούτων πραγμάτων πλήθει, καὶ τοῖς βιωτικοῖς οὕτω προσηλῶσθαι διαπαντὸς, ὡς μηδὲ μικρὰν εἰς τὰ πάντων ἀναγκαιό 59.78 τερα ἄγειν σχολήν. Ἔπειτα ὅτι σκῆψις ταῦτα καὶ πρόφασις, κατηγορήσαιεν ἂν αὐτῶν καὶ φίλων συνουσίαι, καὶ αἱ ἐν τοῖς θεάτροις διατριβαὶ, καὶ τὰ συνέδρια, ἅπερ θέας ἕνεκεν τῆς τῶν ἵππων ἁμίλλης ποιοῦνται, ἐν αἷς πολλάκις ἡμέρας ἀνήλωσαν ὁλοκλήρους [καὶ φίλοις συνεγένεσθε ἐπιπολὺ], καὶ οὐδαμοῦ τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων ἀσχολίαν ᾐτιάσατό τις ἐν τούτοις αὐτῶν. Εἶτα ἐν μὲν τοῖς εὐτελέσιν ἀπροφάσιστοι πανταχοῦ, καὶ σχολὴν ἄγειν βαθεῖαν δύνασθε· εἰ δὲ τοῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ δέοι προσέχειν, τοσοῦτον ὑμῖν ταῦτα περιττότερα καὶ ἀτιμότερα πάντων εἶναι δοκεῖ, ὡς μηδὲ μικρὰν οἴεσθαι δεῖν ἀπονέμειν αὐτοῖς σχολήν. Καὶ πῶς ἄξιον οὕτω διακειμένους ἀναπνεῖν, ἢ τὸν ἥλιον τοῦτον ὁρᾷν; Ἔστι καὶ ἑτέρα πρόφασις τοῖς οὕτω ῥᾳθύμοις ἀλογωτάτη, τὸ μὴ κεκτῆσθαι μηδὲ ἔχειν βιβλία. Καὶ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς πλουτοῦντας, γέλως ὑπὲρ ταύτης ἡμᾶς ἀποτείνεσθαι τῆς προφάσεως· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τῶν πενεστέρων πολλοὺς οἶμαι κατακεχρῆσθαι αὐτῇ συνεχῶς, ἐκεῖνο ἂν ἡδέως ἐροίμην αὐτοὺς, εἰ μὴ πάντα τὰ τῆς τέχνης ὄργανα, ἧς ἕκαστός ἐστι δημιουργὸς, πλήρη καὶ ὁλόκληρα ἔχει, κἂν μυρία κωλύῃ πενία. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον, ἐκεῖ μὲν μὴ αἰτιᾶσθαι πενίαν, ἀλλὰ πάντα πράττειν πρὸς τὸ μηδὲν γενέσθαι ἐμπόδιον μηδαμόθεν· μέλλοντας δὲ τοσαύτην ὠφέλειαν καρποῦσθαι, ἀσχολίαν ἀποδύρεσθαι καὶ πενίαν; Πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ εἴ τινες οὕτω πένητες εἶεν, ἔνεστιν ἐκ τῆς συνεχοῦς ἐνταῦθα γινομένης ἀναγνώσεως μηδὲν ἀγνοεῖν τῶν ἐγκειμένων ἐν ταῖς θείαις Γραφαῖς. Εἰ δὲ ἀδύνατον ὑμῖν τοῦτο εἶναι δοκεῖ, εἰκότως τοῦτο δοκεῖ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ μετὰ πολλῆς πολλοὶ παραγίνονται τῆς προθυμίας τῶν λεγομένων ἀκροασόμενοι, ἀλλὰ αὐτὸ τοῦτο μόνον ἀφοσιωσάμενοι πρὸς τὴν ἡμέραν, εὐθέως ὑποστρέφουσιν οἴκαδε. Εἰ δέ τινες καὶ ἐνδιατρίψαιεν, τῶν ἀναχωρησάντων οὐδὲν ἄμεινον διάκεινται, τῷ σώματι μόνον ἐνταῦθα παρόντες ἡμῖν. Ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ ἐπιπλέον ταῖς αἰτίαις ὑμᾶς βαρύνωμεν, καὶ ἐν ταῖς μέμψεσι τὸν καιρὸν ἀναλώσωμεν ἅπαντα, ἴωμεν ἐπὶ τὰ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ῥήματα· ὥρα γὰρ λοιπὸν εἰς τὰ προκείμενα 59.79 καθεῖναι τὸν λόγον. Ἀλλὰ διανάστητε, ὥστε μηδὲν ὑμᾶς τῶν λεγομένων παρελθεῖν. Καὶ ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, φησὶ, καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν. Εἰπὼν ὅτι ἐκ Θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν οἱ λαβόντες αὐτὸν, καὶ τέκνα Θεοῦ γεγόνασι, τῆς ἀφάτου ταύτης τιμῆς τίθησι τὴν αἰτίαν καὶ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν. Αὕτη δέ ἐστι, τὸ γενέσθαι σάρκα τὸν Λόγον, καὶ τὴν τοῦ δούλου μορφὴν ἀναλαβεῖν τὸν ∆εσπότην. Ἐγένετο γὰρ Υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου, Θεοῦ γνήσιος ὢν Υἱὸς ἵνα τοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων υἱοὺς τέκνα ποιήσῃ Θεοῦ. Τὸ γὰρ ὑψηλὸν τῷ ταπεινῷ προσομιλοῦν, αὐτὸ μὲν οὐδὲν εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν παραβλάπτεται δόξαν· ἐκεῖνο δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς πολλῆς ἀνίστησι ταπεινότητος. Ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ γέγονε. Τήν τε γὰρ ἰδίαν φύσιν οὐδὲν ἀπὸ ταύτης ἠλάττωσε τῆς καταβάσεως, ἡμᾶς τε τοὺς διαπαντὸς ἐν ἀδοξίᾳ καθημένους καὶ σκότῳ, πρὸς δόξαν ἄφατον ἀνήγαγεν. Οὕτω που καὶ βασιλεὺς πτωχῷ καὶ πένητι διαλεγόμενος μετὰ σπουδῆς καὶ εὐνοίας, ἑαυτὸν μὲν οὐδὲν ᾔσχυνεν, ἐκεῖνον δὲ παρὰ πᾶσι περίβλεπτον ἐποίησεν εἶναι καὶ λαμπρόν. Εἰ δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς ἐπεισάκτου τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀξίας οὐδὲν τὸν ἐντιμότερον ἡ πρὸς τὸν εὐτελέστερον ὁμιλία παρέβλαψε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τῆς ἀκηράτου καὶ μακαρίας ἐκείνης οὐσίας, τῆς ἐπείσακτον μὲν ἐχούσης οὐδὲν, οὐδὲ γινόμενον καὶ ἀπογινόμενον, πάντα δὲ κεκτημένης ἀκίνητα καὶ πεπηγότα εἰς τέλος τὰ ἀγαθά. Ὥστε ὅταν ἀκούσῃς, ὅτι Ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο, μὴ θορυβηθῇς, μηδὲ καταπέσῃς. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡ οὐσία μετέπεσεν εἰς σάρκα (τοῦτο γὰρ ὄντως ἀσεβές ἐστι καὶ ἐννοῆσαι), ἀλλὰ μένουσα ὅπερ ἐστὶν, οὕτω τοῦ δούλου τὴν μορφὴν ἀνέλαβε. βʹ.