John Chrysostom, On Lazarus

and there was a wailing of the city, and all were running to the church. Consider, if it had seemed good to God to bring everything down, what would we have suffered. But I say these things, so that the fear of what has happened may continually flourish in you, and may strengthen the mind of all. He shook, but did not cast down; for if He had wished to cast down, He would not have shaken; but because He did not wish to. The earthquake came beforehand like a 48.1028.20 herald, announcing to all the wrath of God, so that by becoming better through fear, we might ward off the punishment by deeds. So also He did in the case of the barbarians. Yet three days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown. And why do you not overthrow it? you threaten to destroy it, and why do you not destroy it? Because I do not wish to destroy it, for this reason I threaten. What then do you say? So that I might not do what I say, let the word come beforehand, and prevent the deed. ‘Yet three days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown,’ the prophet said then; today the walls utter a voice. And I say these things, and saying them I will not cease. both to the poor and to the rich; consider how great is the wrath of God, how all things are simple and easy for Him; and let us at some point desist from wickedness. In a brief moment of time He thus paralyzed the thought and mind of each one, and shook the foundations of the heart. Let us consider, if on that fearful day, when there is not one moment of time, but endless ages, and rivers of fire, and threat-bearing angers, and powers dragging to the judgment, and a fearful tribunal, and an impartial court of justice, and the deeds of each one stand before their eyes, and there is no one to help, neither neighbor, nor orator, nor relative, not brother, not father, not mother, not stranger, not anyone else, what shall we do then? tell me. I bring fear so that I may prepare salvation; I have made my teaching sharper than iron, so that each of you having rottenness, may put it away. Did I not always say, and now I say, and I will not cease saying, how long are you nailed to present things? I speak to all, but especially to those who are sick, and do not pay attention to what is said; or rather, the word is useful to both, to the sick one, that he may become well, and to the healthy one, that he may not become sick. How long money? how long wealth? how long splendors of buildings? how long madness for lifeless pleasure-seeking? Behold, the earthquake came; what good did wealth do? The labor 48.1029 of both was undone; for the one who possessed, the possession was destroyed with him, the house with the one who built it; the city became a common tomb for all, an improvised tomb, not made by the hands of artisans, but constructed by the disaster. Where is the wealth? where the acts of greed? Do you see that all things are more worthless than a spider's web? II. But you will say to me, and what good do you do by speaking? I do good, if anyone hears me; I do my part; the sower sows. The sower went out to sow; and some fell by the wayside, and some on the rock, and some on the thorns, and some on the good ground; three parts were lost, and one was saved, and he did not desist from his farming, but since one was saved, he did not cease from his husbandry. And now also it is impossible that seed sown among so great a multitude should not bring me an ear of grain; even if not all listen, half will listen; and if not half, the third part; and if not the third part, the tenth; and if not the tenth, even if one from the multitude listens, let him listen. For it is no small thing for even one sheep to be saved; since that shepherd also, leaving the ninety-nine sheep, ran after the one that was lost. I do not despise a human being; even if it is one, it is a human being, the living creature earnestly sought by God; even if it is a slave, he is not to be despised by me; for I do not seek rank, but virtue; not lordship, not slavery, but a soul; even if it is one, it is a human being, for whom heaven was stretched out, and the sun shines, and the moon runs its course, and the air was poured out, and springs gush forth, and the sea was spread out, and prophets were sent, and the law was given; and why must I say everything? for whom the only-begotten Son of God became man. My Master was slain, and shed His blood for a human being; and can I despise him? and what excuse do I have? Do you not hear that

καὶ κωκυτὸς πόλεως ἦν, καὶ πάντες ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἔτρεχον. Ἐννοήσατε, εἰ ἔδοξε τῷ Θεῷ πάντα κατενέγκαι, τί ἂν ἐπάθομεν. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγω, ἵνα συνεχῶς ἀκμάζῃ ἐν ὑμῖν ὁ φόβος τῶν γενομένων, καὶ τὴν διάνοιαν πάντων στηρίζῃ. Ἔσεισεν, ἀλλ' οὐ κατέβαλεν· εἰ γὰρ ἐβούλετο καταβαλεῖν, οὐκ ἂν ἔσεισεν· ἀλλὰ ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἐβούλετο. προέλαβε καθάπερ 48.1028.20 κήρυξ ὁ σεισμὸς, προαναγγέλλων ἅπασι τὴν ὀργὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα τῷ φόβῳ βελτίους γενόμενοι, ἀποκρουσώμεθα τὴν διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων τιμωρίαν. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν βαρβάρων ἐποίησεν. Ἔτι τρεῖς ἡμέραι, καὶ Νινευὴ καταστραφήσεται. Καὶ διὰ τί οὐ καταστρέφεις; ἀπειλεῖς κατασκάπτειν, καὶ διὰ τί οὐ κατασκάπτεις; Ἐπειδὴ οὐ βούλομαι κατασκάπτειν, διὰ τοῦτο ἀπειλῶ. Τί οὖν λέγεις; Ἵνα μὴ ποιήσω ἃ λέγω, προλαμβανέτω ὁ λόγος, καὶ κωλυέτω τὸ ἔργον. Ἔτι τρεῖς ἡμέραι, καὶ Νινευὴ καταστραφήσεται, τότε ὁ προφήτης ἔλεγε, σήμερον οἱ τοῖχοι φωνὴν ἀφιᾶσι. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγω, καὶ λέγων οὐ παύσομαι. καὶ πρὸς πένητας καὶ πρὸς πλουσίους· ἐννοήσατε πόση τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ ὀργὴ, πῶς αὐτῷ πάντα ῥᾴδια καὶ εὔκολα· καὶ στῶμέν ποτε τῆς πονηρίας. Ἐν βραχείᾳ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ καὶ τὴν διάνοιαν καὶ τὸν νοῦν οὕτω παρέλυσεν ἑκάστου, καὶ τὰ θεμέλια τῆς καρδίας διέσεισεν. Ἐννοήσωμεν, εἰ κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην τὴν φοβερὰν, ὅτε οὐ μία καιροῦ ῥοπὴ, ἀλλ' ἄπειροι αἰῶνες, καὶ ποταμοὶ πυρὸς, καὶ ἀπειληφόροι ὀργαὶ, καὶ δυνάμεις ἐπὶ τὴν κρίσιν ἕλκουσαι, καὶ βῆμα φοβερὸν, καὶ δικαστήριον ἀδέκαστον, καὶ ἑκάστου τὰ πεπραγμένα πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἕστηκε, καὶ οὐδεὶς ὁ βοηθῶν, οὔτε γείτων, οὔτε ῥήτωρ, οὔτε συγγενὴς, οὐκ ἀδελφὸς, οὐ πατὴρ, οὐ μήτηρ, οὐ ξένος, οὐκ ἄλλος οὐδεὶς, τί ποιήσομεν τότε; εἰπέ μοι. Ἄγω τὸν φόβον ἵνα κατασκευάσω τὴν σωτηρίαν· σιδήρου τομωτέραν εἰργασάμην τὴν διδασκαλίαν, ἵνα ἕκαστος ὑμῶν σηπεδόνα ἔχων, ἀπόθηται. Οὐκ ἀεὶ ἔλεγον, καὶ νῦν λέγω, καὶ λέγων οὐ παύσομαι, μέχρι πότε τοῖς παροῦσίν ἐστε προσηλωμένοι; Πρὸς πάντας μὲν λέγω, ἐξαιρέτως δὲ πρὸς τοὺς νοσοῦντας, καὶ μὴ προσέχοντας τοῖς λεγομένοις· μᾶλλον δὲ, ἑκατέρῳ χρήσιμος ὁ λόγος, τῷ μὲν νοσοῦντι, ἵνα ὑγιάνῃ, τῷ δὲ ὑγιαίνοντι, ἵνα μὴ νοσήσῃ. Μέχρι πότε χρήματα; μέχρι πότε πλοῦτος; μέχρι πότε περιφάνειαι οἰκοδομημάτων; μέχρι πότε λύσσα περὶ τὴν ἄψυχον φιληδονίαν; Ἰδοὺ ἦλθεν ὁ σεισμός· τί ὠφέλησεν ὁ πλοῦτος; Ὁ πόνος 48.1029 ἑκατέρων παρελύθη τῷ κεκτημένῳ τὸ κτῆμα συναπώλετο, ἡ οἰκία τῷ κατασκευάσαντι· κοινὸς τάφος ἁπάντων ἡ πόλις ἐγίνετο, τάφος ἐσχεδιασμένος, οὐκ ἐν χερσὶ τεχνιτῶν, ἀλλὰ τῇ συμφορᾷ κατεσκευασμένος. Ποῦ ὁ πλοῦτος; ποῦ αἱ πλεονεξίαι; Ὁρᾶτε ὅτι ἀράχνης πάντα εὐτελέστερα; βʹ. Ἀλλ' ἐρεῖς μοι, καὶ τί ὠφελεῖς λέγων; Ὠφελῶ, ἐάν τίς μου ἀκούῃ· ἐγὼ τὸ ἐμαυτοῦ ποιῶ· ὁ σπείρων σπείρει. Ἐξῆλθεν ὁ σπείρων τοῦ σπεῖραι· καὶ τὰ μὲν ἔπεσε παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν, τὰ δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν, τὰ δὲ ἐπὶ τὰς ἀκάνθας, τὰ δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν τὴν καλήν· τρία μέρη ἀπώλετο, καὶ ἓν ἐσώθη, καὶ οὐκ ἀπέστη τῆς γεωργίας, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἓν διεσώζετο, οὐκ ἐπαύσατο τῆς γεηπονίας. Καὶ νῦν δὲ ἀμήχανον ἐν τοσούτῳ πλήθει σπόρον καταβαλλόμενον μὴ ἐνεγκεῖν μοι στάχυν· κἂν μὴ πάντες ἀκούσωσιν, οἱ ἡμίσεις ἀκούσονται· κἂν μὴ οἱ ἡμίσεις, ἡ τρίτη μοῖρα· κἂν μὴ ἡ τρίτη μοῖρα, ἡ δεκάτη· κἂν μὴ ἡ δεκάτη, κἂν εἷς ἐκ τοῦ πλήθους ἀκούσῃ, ἀκουέτω. Οὐ μικρὸν γὰρ τὸ καὶ ἓν πρόβατον διασωθῆναι· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ ποιμὴν ἐκεῖνος τὰ ἐννενηκονταεννέα πρόβατα καταλιπὼν, ἐπὶ τὸ ἓν τὸ πεπλανημένον ἔδραμεν. Οὐ καταφρονῶ ἀνθρώπου· κἂν εἷς ᾖ, ἄνθρωπός ἐστι, τὸ περισπούδαστον τοῦ Θεοῦ ζῶον· κἂν δοῦλος ᾖ, οὐκ ἔστι μοι εὐκαταφρόνητος· οὐ γὰρ ἀξίωμα ζητῶ, ἀλλ' ἀρετήν· οὐ δεσποτείαν, οὐ δουλείαν, ἀλλὰ ψυχήν· κἂν εἷς ᾖ, ἄνθρωπός ἐστι, δι' ὃν οὐρανὸς ἐτανύσθη, καὶ ἥλιος φαίνει, καὶ σελήνη τρέχει, καὶ ἀὴρ ἐξεχέθη, καὶ πηγαὶ βρύουσι, καὶ θάλαττα ἡπλώθη, καὶ προφῆται ἐπέμφθησαν, καὶ νόμος ἐδόθη· καὶ τί δεῖ πάντα λέγειν; δι' ὃν ὁ μονογενὴς Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος ἐγένετο. Ὁ ∆εσπότης μου ἐσφάγη, καὶ τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ ἐξέχεεν ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπου· κἀγὼ καταφρονῆσαι ἔχω; καὶ ποίαν ἔχω συγγνώμην; Οὐκ ἀκούετε ὅτι