John Chrysostom, On the Letter to the Colossians

for that one we do nothing, but for 62.359 this one we refuse nothing to endure. And what of the other laughter, ashes and soot and salt? and again the little old woman into the midst. Truly a laugh, and a shame. And an eye, he says, has seized the child. How long these satanic things? How will the Greeks not laugh? How will they not mock, when we say to them, Great is the power of the cross? How will they be persuaded, when they see men needing these things, which they themselves laugh at? For these things did God give physicians and medicines? What then, if they do not heal, but the child departs? Where does it go, tell me, you wretched and miserable one? Does it go to the demons? Does it go to some tyrant? Does it not go to heaven? Does it not go to its own Master? Why then do you grieve? Why do you weep? Why do you mourn? Why do you love the child more than your Master? Do you not have this one also through Him? Why are you ungrateful, loving the gift more than the Giver? But I am weak, he says, and I do not bear the fear of God. For if in bodily evils the greater conceals the lesser, much more in the soul if fear were present, fear would have dissolved fear, and grief grief. Was the child beautiful? But however he may be, he is not more beautiful than Isaac; he too was an only-begotten. Was he born to you in old age? He too. But is he comely? But however he may be, he is not more beautiful than Moses, who drew even a barbarian gaze to desire, and this at that time of life, when beauty is not yet apparent; but nevertheless his parents cast this beloved one into a river. You both see him lying there, and you give him over to burial, and go to the tomb; but they did not even know whether he would be food for fish, or for dogs, or for another beast feeding in the sea; and they did these things, not yet knowing anything about the kingdom, nor about the resurrection. But is it not an only-begotten, but after many has it too departed? But the calamity was not so sudden as in Job’s case, and more grim; not with the roof falling in, not in the midst of feasting, not with the calamities foretold. But was he loved by you? But not more than Joseph who was devoured by wild beasts; but nevertheless he bore the calamity, and the one after that, and the one after this. The father wept, but he was not impious; he mourned, but he did not despair, but stopped at these words, saying: 62.360 Joseph is not, Simeon is not, and you will take Benjamin? All these things have come upon me. Do you see how the tyranny of famine persuaded him to disregard his children; but with you does the fear of God not have as much power as famine? Weep, I do not forbid it, but neither say nor do anything blasphemous. Whatever the boy may be, he is not like Abel; but Adam said nothing of the sort. And yet that calamity was grievous; for what is more grievous than a brother being killed? But indeed I was seasonably reminded of other slayers of brothers; as when Absalom killed Amnon the firstborn; and David the king loved the child, and sat in sackcloth and ashes. But he brought neither soothsayers nor enchanters, although they existed then; and Saul makes this plain; but he supplicated God. You do this also; what the righteous man did, you do also; say the same words when the child dies: I shall go to him, but he will not come to me. This is of philosophy, this of tender love. However you may love the child, you do not love him as much as he did then; for that blessed man the desire for the mother was at its height, even if he was from adulteries. For you know that the children share in the love of the parents. And so great was the love, that he even wished the one who was his accuser to live; but nevertheless he gave thanks to God. What do you think Rebecca suffered, when a brother threatened Jacob? she did not grieve her husband, but ordered him to be sent away. Consider things worse than these, when you suffer something terrible, and you will have sufficient consolation; and reckon, what if he had died in war? What if in fire? And of whatever

ὑπὲρ μὲν ἐκείνης οὐδὲν πράττομεν, ὑπὲρ δὲ 62.359 ταύτης οὐδὲν παραιτούμεθα ὑπομένειν. Τί δὲ καὶ ὁ ἄλλος γέλως, σποδὸς καὶ ἀσβόλη καὶ ἅλες; καὶ πάλιν τὸ γραΐδιον εἰς τὸ μέσον. Γέλως ὄντως, καὶ αἰσχύνη. Καὶ ὀφθαλμὸς, φησὶν, ἥρπασε τὸ παιδίον. Μέχρι τίνος ταῦτα τὰ σατανικά; πῶς οὐ γελάσονται Ἕλληνες; πῶς οὐ χλευάσουσιν, ὅταν αὐτοῖς λέγωμεν, Μεγάλη ἡ δύναμις τοῦ σταυροῦ; πῶς πεισθήσονται, ὅταν ὁρῶσι τούτων δεομένους, ὧν αὐτοὶ καταγελῶσι; διὰ ταῦτα ὁ Θεὸς ἰατροὺς ἔδωκε καὶ φάρμακα; Τί οὖν, ἂν μὴ θεραπεύωσιν ἐκεῖνοι, ἀλλὰ ἀπέρχηται τὸ παιδίον; Ποῦ ἄπεισιν, εἰπέ μοι, ἄθλιε καὶ ταλαίπωρε; πρὸς τοὺς δαίμονας ἄπεισι; πρός τινα τύραννον ἄπεισιν; οὐχὶ πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἄπεισιν; οὐχὶ πρὸς τὸν οἰκεῖον ∆εσπότην; τί οὖν ἀλγεῖς; τί κλαίεις; τί πενθεῖς; τί τοῦ ∆εσπότου σου πλέον τὸ παιδίον φιλεῖς; οὐχὶ δι' ἐκείνου ἔχεις καὶ τοῦτο; διὰ τί ἀχάριστος εἶ, τὸ δῶρον τοῦ δωρησαμένου πλέον ἀγαπῶν; Ἀλλ' ἀσθενής εἰμι, φησὶ, καὶ οὐ φέρω τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν φόβον. Εἰ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς σωματικοῖς κακοῖς τὸ μεῖζον τὸ ἔλαττον κρύπτει, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ φόβος εἰ προσῆν, φόβος φόβον ἂν ἔλυσε, καὶ λύπη λύπην. Καλὸν ἦν τὸ παιδίον; Ἀλλ' οἷον ἂν ᾖ, οὐκ ἔστιν ὡραιότερον τοῦ Ἰσαάκ· μονογενὴς ἦν κἀκεῖνος. Ἐν γήρᾳ σοι γέγονε; Κἀκεῖνος. Ἀλλ' ἀστεῖόν ἐστιν; Ἀλλ' οἷον ἂν ᾖ, οὐκ ἔστιν ὡραιότερον τοῦ Μωϋσέως, ὃς καὶ βαρβαρικὴν ὄψιν ἐπεσπάσατο πρὸς πόθον, καὶ ταῦτα ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῆς ἡλικίας τῷ καιρῷ, ἔνθα οὐδέπω φαίνεται ἡ ὥρα· ἀλλ' ὅμως τὸ φιληθὲν τοῦτο ἔῤῥιπτον εἰς ποταμὸν οἱ γονεῖς. Σὺ μὲν καὶ ὁρᾷς κείμενον, καὶ ταφῇ παραδίδως, καὶ εἰς τὸ σῆμα ἄπει· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ οὐδὲ ᾔδεσαν πότερον ἰχθύσιν ἔσται βορὰ, πότερον κυσὶ, πότερον ἑτέρῳ θηρίῳ τῶν κατὰ τὴν θάλατταν βοσκομένων· καὶ ταῦτα ἐποίουν, οὐδέπω περὶ βασιλείας οὐδὲν εἰδότες, οὐδὲ περὶ ἀναστάσεως. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστι μονογενὲς, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλοὺς καὶ αὐτὸ ἀπῆλθεν; Ἀλλ' οὐχ οὕτως ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἀθρόα ἡ συμφορὰ, καὶ σκυθρωποτέρα· οὐ στέγης κατενεχθείσης, οὐκ ἀριστώντων μεταξὺ, οὐ τῶν συμφορῶν προαγγελθεισῶν. Ἀλλ' ἐφιλεῖτο παρὰ σοῦ; Ἀλλ' οὐχὶ μᾶλλον τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ τοῦ θηριοβρώτου γενομένου· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἔνεγκε τὴν συμφορὰν, καὶ τὴν μετ' ἐκείνην, καὶ τὴν μετὰ ταύτην. Ὁ πατὴρ ἔκλαυσεν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἠσέβησεν· ἐπένθησεν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀπεδυσπέτησεν, ἀλλὰ μέχρι τούτων ἔστη τῶν ῥημάτων, λέγων· 62.360 Ἰωσὴφ οὐκ ἔστι, Συμεὼν οὐκ ἔστι, καὶ τὸν Βενιαμὶμ λήψεσθε; ἐπ' ἐμὲ ἐγένετο ταῦτα πάντα. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἐκεῖνον λιμοῦ τυραννὶς ἔπεισε καταφρονῆσαι τῶν παίδων· παρὰ δὲ σοὶ οὐκ ἰσχύει ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβος ὅσον ὁ λιμός; Κλαῦσον, οὐ κωλύω, ἀλλὰ μηδὲν βλάσφημον μήτε εἴπῃς, μήτε πράξῃς. Οἷος ἐὰν ᾖ ὁ παῖς, οὐκ ἔστι κατὰ τὸν Ἄβελ· ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον εἶπεν ὁ Ἀδάμ. Καίτοι χαλεπὴ ἐκείνη ἡ συμφορά· τί γὰρ χαλεπώτερον τοῦ τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἀνῃρηκέναι; Ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ ἀδελφοκτόνων εὐκαίρως ἄλλων ἀνεμνήσθην· οἷον ὅτε Ἀβεσσαλὼμ τὸν Ἀμνὼν ἀνεῖλε τὸν πρωτότοκον· καὶ ∆αυῒδ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἠγάπα τὸ παιδίον, καὶ ἐν σάκκῳ μὲν ἐκάθητο καὶ σποδῷ. Οὔτε δὲ μάντεις ἤγαγεν, οὔτε ἐπῳδοὺς, καίτοι ἦσαν τότε· καὶ δηλοῖ ὁ Σαούλ· ἀλλὰ τὸν Θεὸν ἱκέτευε. Τοῦτο καὶ σὺ ποίει· ὅπερ ὁ δίκαιος ἐποίησε, ποίησον καὶ σύ· τὰ αὐτὰ εἰπὲ ῥήματα, ὅταν ἀποθάνῃ τὸ παιδίον· Ἐγὼ μὲν ἀπελεύσομαι πρὸς αὐτὸ, αὐτὸ δὲ οὐχ ἥξει πρός με. Τοῦτο φιλοσοφίας, τοῦτο φιλοστοργίας. Ὡς ἂν φιλῇς τὸ παιδίον, οὐ φιλεῖς τοσοῦτον ὅσον ἐκεῖνος τότε· τῷ μακαρίῳ ἐκείνῳ ἤκμαζεν ὁ περὶ τὴν μητέρα πόθος, εἰ καὶ ἐκ μοιχειῶν ἦν. Ἴστε δὲ ὅτι κοινωνεῖ τὰ τικτόμενα τοῦ φίλτρου τῶν τικτόντων. Καὶ τοσοῦτος ὁ ἔρως ἦν, ὡς καὶ κατήγορον αὐτῷ ὃν βούλεσθαι ζῇν· ἀλλ' ὅμως ηὐχαρίστησε τῷ Θεῷ. Τί οἴει πάσχειν τὴν Ῥεβέκκαν, ὅτε ἀδελφὸς ἠπείλησε τῷ Ἰακώβ; οὐκ ἐλύπησε τὸν ἄνδρα, ἀλλ' ἐκέλευσεν ἀποπέμψαι. Ἐννόησον τὰ τούτων χείρω, ὅταν τι δεινὸν πάθῃς, καὶ ἱκανὴν ἕξεις παραμυθίαν· καὶ λογίζου, τί δὲ, εἰ ἐν πολέμῳ τεθνήκοι; τί δὲ, εἰ ἐν πυρί; Καὶ ὧν ἐὰν