John Chrysostom, On John

so as to obtain that enjoyment, and to be far from the river of fire that rushes with a great roar before the dreadful judgment seat. For one who has once fallen in there must remain forever, and there is no one who will deliver from the punishment, not a father, not a mother, not a brother. And the prophets themselves cry these things out, one saying, A brother does not redeem, shall a man redeem? And Ezekiel declared something even more than this, saying: If Noah and Job and Daniel stand, they shall not deliver their sons and their daughters. For there is only one protection there, that which is through works, and it is not possible for the one deprived of this to be saved from another source. Therefore, continually turning over and considering these things, let us cleanse our life, and make it bright, so that with confidence we may see the Lord and obtain the promised goods, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father be glory, together with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 59.85 HOMILY 13. John bears witness of him, and cried, saying: “This was he of whom I said, He that comes after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.” 1. Do we run and labor in vain? Do we sow on rocky ground? Do the seeds fall by the wayside and among the thorns without our noticing? For I am greatly anxious and fear lest our farming become unprofitable; and this, though I myself am not about to be harmed in the reward for this labor. For the case of teachers is not the same as that of farmers. For the farmer, after the year's many toils, and that hardship, and the sweats, if the land brings forth nothing worthy of his labors, will be able to find no comfort for his labors from any other source; but he returns with shame and dejection from the threshing-floor to his house, and his wife and children, having no one from whom to demand the recompense for his long labor. But in our case it will be nothing of the sort, but even if the cultivated land brings forth no fruit, though we have shown all labor, the Lord of it and of us will not overlook us departing with empty hopes, but will give the rewards. For, it says, Every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor, not according to the result of the things. And that it is so, hear: And you, it says, son of man, testify to this people, if perhaps they will hear, if perhaps they will understand. And through Ezekiel it is also possible to learn this: 59.86 for if the watchman warns what one ought to flee and what to choose, he has delivered his own soul, even if no one pays attention. But nevertheless, though we have this strong comfort, and are confident about our reward, when we see that your work does not advance, we are in no better state than those farmers who groan and lament, who cover their faces and are ashamed. For this is the sympathy of a teacher, this is the care of a father. Since even Moses, when it was possible for him to be freed from the ungratefulness of the Jews, and to receive the more glorious rule of another nation and a much greater one—For "Let me alone," He says, "and I will blot them out, and I will make of you a nation greater than this one"—because he was holy and a servant of God, and a very genuine and noble friend, he did not endure to even hear this voice, but chose rather to perish with those once allotted to him, than to be saved without them, and to be in a greater dignity. Such must be the one who presides over souls. For it is absurd for someone having worthless children not to wish to be called the father of others, but of those born from him; but for us, having been entrusted with disciples, to always be exchanging some for others, and now to snatch the leadership of these, then of those, and after these again of others, being affectionately disposed to no one. But may it never happen that we should suspect these things concerning you. For we are persuaded that you rather abound in the faith in our Lord Jesus 59.87 Christ, and in love toward one another and toward all. But we say these things, wishing that your zeal be intensified, and to a greater degree

ὥστε ἐκείνης τυχεῖν τῆς ἀπολαύσεως, καὶ πόῤῥω γενέσθαι τοῦ ποταμοῦ τοῦ πυρὸς τοῦ συρομένου μετὰ πολλοῦ ῥοίζου πρὸ τοῦ βήματος τοῦ φρικτοῦ. Τὸν γὰρ ἅπαξ ἐμπεσόντα ἐκεῖ, χρὴ μένειν διὰ παντὸς, καὶ ὁ τῆς κολάσεως ἐξαιρησόμενος οὐδεὶς, οὐ πατὴρ, οὐ μήτηρ, οὐκ ἀδελφός. Καὶ ταῦτα αὐτοὶ οἱ προφῆται βοῶσιν, ὁ μὲν λέγων, Ἀδελφὸς οὐ λυτροῦται, λυτρώσεται ἄνθρωπος; ὁ δὲ Ἰεζεκιὴλ καὶ τούτου τι πλέον ἐδήλωσεν εἰπών· Ἐὰν στῇ Νῶε καὶ Ἰὼβ καὶ ∆ανιὴλ, τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς θυγατέρας οὐ μὴ ἐξέλωνται. Μία γὰρ προστασία μόνη, ἡ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐστὶν ἐκεῖ, καὶ τὸν ταύτης ἀπεστερημένον, ἑτέρωθεν σωθῆναι οὐκ ἔνι. Ταῦτα οὖν διηνεκῶς στρέφοντες καὶ ἀναλογιζόμενοι, ἐκκαθάρωμεν ἡμῶν τὸν βίον, καὶ λαμπρὸν ποιήσωμεν, ὥστε μετὰ παῤῥησίας ἰδεῖν τὸν Κύριον καὶ τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων τυχεῖν ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ δόξα ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. 59.85 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΙΓʹ. Ἰωάννης μαρτυρεῖ περὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ κέκραγε λέγων· «Οὗτος ἦν ὃν εἶπον, ὁ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος, ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν, ὅτι πρῶτός μου ἦν.» αʹ. Ἆρα μὴ εἰς κενὸν τρέχομεν καὶ κοπιῶμεν; μὴ κατὰ πετρῶν σπείρομεν; ἆρα μὴ παρὰ τὴν ὁδὸν καὶ τὰς ἀκάνθας ἡμῖν λανθάνει τὰ σπέρματα πίπτοντα; Ἀγωνιῶ γὰρ σφόδρα καὶ δέδοικα μὴ ἀνόνητος ἡμῖν ἡ γεωργία γένηται· καὶ ταῦτα οὐδὲ μέλλων αὐτὸς εἰς τὸν τοῦ κόπου τούτου παραβλάπτεσθαι μισθόν· οὐ γὰρ οἷα τῶν γηπόνων, τοιαῦτα καὶ τὰ τῶν διδασκόντων ἐστίν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ γεωργὸς μετὰ τοὺς ἐνιαυσίους πολλάκις μόχθους, καὶ τὴν ταλαιπωρίαν ἐκείνην, καὶ τοὺς ἱδρῶτας, ἂν μηδὲν ἐξενέγκῃ τῶν πόνων ἄξιον ἡ γῆ, παρ' οὐδενὸς ἑτέρου δυνήσεται τῶν πόνων τινὰ παραμυθίαν εὑρεῖν· ἀλλ' ὑποστρέφει μετ' αἰσχύνης καὶ κατηφείας ἀπὸ τῆς ἅλω πρὸς τὴν οἰκίαν, καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὰ παιδία, οὐδένα ἔχων ἀπαιτῆσαι τῆς φιλοπονίας τῆς μακρᾶς τὴν ἀντίδοσιν. Ἐπὶ δὲ ἡμῶν οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἔσται, ἀλλὰ κἂν ἡ γεωργουμένη γῆ μηδένα ἐξενέγκῃ καρπὸν, ἡμῶν ἅπαντα ἐπιδειξαμένων πόνον, ὁ καὶ ταύτης καὶ ἡμῶν Κύριος οὐ περιόψεται κεναῖς ἡμᾶς ἀπερχομένους ἐλπίσιν, ἀλλὰ δώσει τὰς ἀμοιβάς. Ἕκαστος γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸν ἴδιον μισθὸν λήψεται κατὰ τὸν ἴδιον κόπον, οὐ κατὰ τὸ τῶν πραγμάτων τέλος. Καὶ ὅτι οὕτως ἔχει, ἄκουε· Καὶ σὺ, φησὶν, υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, διαμάρτυρε τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ, ἐὰν ἄρα ἀκούσωσιν, ἐὰν ἄρα συνῶσι. Καὶ διὰ τοῦ Ἰεζεκιὴλ δὲ τοῦτο μαθεῖν 59.86 ἐστιν· ἐὰν ὁ σκοπὸς γὰρ προείπῃ, τί μὲν φυγεῖν τί δὲ ἑλέσθαι δέοι, τὴν ψυχὴν ἐξείλετο τὴν ἑαυτοῦ, κἂν ὁ προσέχων μηδεὶς ᾖ. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ ἰσχυρὰν παραμυθίαν ταύτην ἔχοντες, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰς ἡμᾶς ἀμοιβῆς θαῤῥοῦντες, ὅταν ὑμῶν τὸ ἔργον ἴδωμεν μὴ προκόπτον, οὐδὲν ἄμεινον ἐκείνων διακείμεθα τῶν γεωργῶν τῶν στεναζόντων καὶ θρηνούντων, τῶν ἐγκαλυπτομένων καὶ αἰσχυνομένων. Τοῦτο γὰρ διδασκάλου συμπάθεια, τοῦτο κηδεμονία πατρός. Ἐπεὶ καὶ Μωϋσῆς, ἐξὸν αὐτῷ τῆς ἀγνωμοσύνης ἀπαλλαγῆναι τῆς Ἰουδαϊκῆς, καὶ λαμπροτέραν ἀρχὴν ἔθνους ἑτέρου λαβεῖν καὶ πολλῷ μείζονος· Ἔασον γάρ με, φησὶ, καὶ ἐξαλείψω αὐτοὺς, καὶ ποιήσω σε εἰς ἔθνος μέγα ἢ τοῦτο· ἐπειδὴ ἅγιος ἦν καὶ Θεοῦ δοῦλος, καὶ σφόδρα φίλος γνήσιος καὶ γενναῖος, οὐδὲ ἀκοῦσαι ταύτην ἠνέσχετο τὴν φωνὴν, ἀλλ' εἵλετο μᾶλλον ἀπολέσθαι μετὰ τῶν ἅπαξ κληρωθέντων αὐτῷ, ἢ χωρὶς ἐκείνων διασώζεσθαι, καὶ ἐν ἀξιώματι εἶναι μείζονι. Τοιοῦτον εἶναι χρὴ τὸν προεστῶτα ψυχῶν. Καὶ γὰρ ἄτοπον παῖδας μὲν ἔχοντά τινα φαύλους μὴ ἐθελῆσαι ἑτέρων κληθῆναι πατέρα, ἀλλὰ τῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ φύντων· μαθητὰς δὲ ἐγχειρισθέντας ἑτέρους ἐξ ἑτέρων ἀμείβειν ἀεὶ, καὶ νῦν μὲν τούτων, αὖθις δὲ ἐκείνων, καὶ μετὰ τούτων πάλιν ἄλλων προστασίαν ἡμᾶς ἁρπάζειν, πρὸς οὐδένα οἰκείως διακειμένους. Ἀλλὰ περὶ ὑμῶν μὴ γένοιτο ταῦτα ὑποπτεῦσαί ποτε. Πεποίθαμεν γὰρ, ὅτι μᾶλλον περισσεύετε ἐν τῇ πίστει τῇ εἰς τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν 59.87 Χριστὸν, καὶ τῇ ἀγάπῃ τῇ εἰς ἀλλήλους καὶ εἰς πάντας. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγομεν βουλόμενοι τὴν σπουδὴν ἐπιταθῆναι τὴν ὑμετέραν, καὶ ἐπὶ μεῖζον