John Chrysostom, On Lazarus

and narrating events, and one becomes a philosopher, though not being a philosopher, another becomes a king, though not being a king, but having the appearance through the stage-direction; another a doctor, not even able to handle a piece of wood, 48.1035 but clothed in a doctor's garments, another a slave, though being a free man, another a teacher, not even knowing his letters, they appear to be nothing of what they are, and what they are, they do not appear to be (for one appears a doctor, not being a doctor, and appears a philosopher with long hair in his mask, and appears a soldier clothed in a soldier's uniform; and the appearance of the mask deceives, but it does not falsify nature, whose truth it changes. And as long as the spectators sit, the masks remain; but when evening comes, and the theater is dismissed, and all depart, the masks are thrown off, and the one who was a king inside is found to be a bronze-worker outside. The masks were thrown off, the deception departed, the truth was shown; and he who was a free man inside is found to be a slave outside; for as I said, inside is the deception, but outside is the truth; and evening came; the theater was dismissed, the truth appeared); so also it is in life and at the end; the present things are a theater, the affairs are a play, wealth and poverty, and ruler and ruled, and all such things; but when that day is cast off, and that fearful night comes, or rather, that day, a night for sinners, but a day for the just; when the theater is dismissed, when the masks are thrown off, when each is tested and his works, not each and his wealth, not each and his authority, not each and his honor, not each and his power, but each and his works, both ruler, and king, and woman, and man, when He demands of us a life and good deeds, not the pretense of dignities, not the meanness of poverty, not the tyranny of contempt; Give me works, and though you are a slave, you are better than the free man, and though you are a woman, you are more courageous than the man; when the masks are thrown off, then both the rich man and the poor man appear; and just as here when the theater is dismissed, and one of us sitting up high sees the one who was a philosopher inside, a bronze-worker outside, he says: Woe, was not this man a philosopher inside? Outside I see a bronze-worker; was not this man a king inside? Outside I see some lowly person; was not this man rich inside? Outside I see a poor man; so also it happens there. 2. For this reason I do not extend the discourse, so that I do not confuse the hearer with the multitude of things being said; but I wish to present the play of the theater with two masks. I have used two masks, cutting a path for you from these two, and giving you a starting point. I have broadened your mind with the narration of the present life, so that each may learn the difference of things. Two masks, therefore; one had the mask of a rich man, the other of a poor man; Lazarus had the mask of a poor man, and the rich man the mask of a rich man; the things that appear are masks, not the truth of things. Both went there, the rich man and the poor man; the angels took Lazarus; after the dogs, angels, after the gate 48.1036 of the rich man, the bosom of Abraham, after the famine, abundance without end, after the affliction, indestructible rest; but for that rich man, after wealth, poverty, after the rich table, punishment and torment, after rest, unbearable pains. And see what happens; They went there, and the theater was dismissed; the masks were unveiled, henceforth the faces appear. Both went there, and the rich man, being fried, sees Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham abounding, enjoying, delighting; and he says to him: Father Abraham, send Lazarus, so that with the tip of his finger he may drop water on my tongue, because I am being fried. What then does Abraham say? Child, you received your good things, and Lazarus his evil things; and now he is comforted, but you are in agony. Besides this also a chasm has been fixed between us and you, so that if anyone wishes to cross from here to you, he may not be able. Pay attention; for the discourse about these things is useful, frightening indeed, but cleansing, painful indeed, but correcting. Receive what is being said. Being then in torments, the

καὶ τὰ πράγματα διηγούμενοι, καὶ ὁ μὲν γίνεται φιλόσοφος, οὐκ ὢν φιλόσοφος, ὁ δὲ γίνεται βασιλεὺς, οὐκ ὢν βασιλεὺς, ἀλλὰ σχῆμα ἔχων διὰ τῆς ὑφηγήσεως· ὁ δὲ ἰατρὸς οὐδὲ ξύλον μεταχειρίσασθαι δυνάμενος, 48.1035 ἀλλὰ ἰατροῦ ἱμάτια περιβεβλημένος, ὁ δὲ δοῦλος ἐλεύθερος ὢν, ὁ δὲ διδάσκαλος οὐδὲ γράμματα ἐπιστάμενος, οὐδὲν ὧν εἰσι φαίνονται, ἃ δέ εἰσιν οὐ φαίνονται (φαίνεται γὰρ ἰατρὸς οὐκ ὢν ἰατρὸς, καὶ φαίνεται φιλόσοφος κόμην ἔχων ἐν τῷ προσωπείῳ, καὶ φαίνεται στρατιώτης στρατιώτου σχῆμα περιβεβλημένος· καὶ ἀπατᾷ ἡ ὄψις τοῦ προσωπείου, ἀλλ' οὐ ψεύδεται τὴν φύσιν, ἧς μεταβάλλει τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Καὶ ἕως μὲν καθέζονται οἱ τερπόμενοι, τὰ προσωπεῖα ἵσταται· ἐπειδὰν δὲ ἑσπέρα καταλάβῃ, καὶ λυθῇ τὸ θέατρον, καὶ πάντες ἀναχωρήσωσι, ῥίπτονται τὰ προσωπεῖα, καὶ ὁ ἔνδον βασιλεὺς εὑρίσκεται ἔξω χαλκότυπος. Ἀπεῤῥίφη τὰ προσωπεῖα, ἀπῆλθεν ἡ ἀπάτη, ἐδείχθη ἡ ἀλήθεια· καὶ εὑρίσκεται ὁ ἔνδον ἐλεύθερος, ἔξω δοῦλος· ὅπερ γὰρ εἶπον, ἔσω μὲν ἡ ἀπάτη, ἔξω δὲ ἡ ἀλήθεια· κατέλαβεν δὲ ἡ ἑσπέρα· ἐλύθη τὸ θέατρον, ἐφάνη ἡ ἀλήθεια)· οὕτω καὶ ἐν τῷ βίῳ καὶ ἐν τῷ τέλει· τὰ παρόντα θέατρον, τὰ πράγματα ὑπόκρισις, πλοῦτος καὶ πενία, καὶ ἄρχων καὶ ἀρχόμενος, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα· ὅταν δὲ ἀποβληθῇ ἡ ἡμέρα ἐκείνη, καὶ ἔλθῃ ἡ νὺξ ἐκείνη ἡ φοβερὰ, μᾶλλον δὲ ἡ ἡμέρα, νὺξ μὲν τοῖς ἁμαρτωλοῖς, ἡμέρα δὲ τοῖς δικαίοις· ὅταν λυθῇ τὸ θέατρον, ὅταν ῥιφῇ τὰ προσωπεῖα, ὅταν δοκιμάζηται ἕκαστος καὶ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ, οὐχ ἕκαστος καὶ ὁ πλοῦτος αὐτοῦ, οὐχ ἕκαστος καὶ ἡ ἀρχὴ αὐτοῦ, οὐχ ἕκαστος καὶ ἡ τιμὴ αὐτοῦ, οὐχ ἕκαστος καὶ ἡ δυναστεία αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' ἕκαστος καὶ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἄρχων, καὶ βασιλεὺς, καὶ γυνὴ, καὶ ἀνὴρ, ὅτε ἡμᾶς βίον ἀπαιτεῖ καὶ πράξεις ἀγαθὰς, οὐκ ἀξιωμάτων ὄγκον, οὐ πενίας εὐτέλειαν, οὐ καταφρονήσεως τυραννίδα· ἐμοὶ ἔργα δὸς, κἂν δοῦλος ᾖς, τοῦ ἐλευθέρου ἀμείνων, κἂν γυνὴ ᾖς, τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἀνδρειοτέρα· ἐπειδὰν ῥιφῇ τὰ προσωπεῖα, τότε φαίνεται καὶ ὁ πλούσιος, καὶ ὁ πένης· καὶ ὥσπερ ὧδε ἐπειδὰν λυθῇ τὸ θέατρον, καί τις ἡμῶν ἄνω καθήμενος ἴδῃ τὸν ἔσω φιλόσοφον, ἔξω χαλκότυπον, λέγει· Οὐὰ, οὗτος οὐκ ἦν ἔσω φιλόσοφος; ἔξω χαλκότυπον ὁρῶ· οὗτος οὐκ ἔσω βασιλεύς; ἔξω εὐτελῆ τινα ὁρῶ· οὗτος οὐκ ἦν ἔνδον πλούσιος; ἔξω πένητα ὁρῶ· οὕτως καὶ ἐκεῖ γίνεται. ʹ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἄγω τὸν λόγον εἰς πλάτος, ἵνα μὴ συγχέω τὸν ἀκροατὴν τῷ πλήθει τῶν λεγομένων· ἀλλ' εἰς δύο προσωπεῖα τὴν ὑπόκρισιν τοῦ θεάτρου παραστῆσαι βούλομαι. ∆ύο προσωπεῖα μετεχειρισάμην, ἀπὸ τῶν δύο τούτων τέμνων ὑμῖν ὁδὸν, καὶ διδοὺς ἀφορμήν. Ἐνεπλάτυνα ὑμῶν τὴν διάνοιαν τῇ διηγήσει τοῦ παρόντος βίου, ὥστε ἕκαστον καταμαθεῖν τὴν διαφορὰν τῶν πραγμάτων. ∆ύο τοίνυν προσωπεῖα· ὁ μὲν προσωπεῖον εἶχε πλουσίου, ὁ δὲ πένητος· ὁ Λάζαρος προσωπεῖον πένητος, ὁ δὲ πλούσιος προσωπεῖον πλουσίου· προσωπεῖα τὰ φαινόμενα, οὐ πραγμάτων ἀλήθεια. Ἀπῆλθον ἀμφότεροι ἐκεῖ, ὅ τε πλούσιος, καὶ ὁ πένης· ἔλαβον τὸν Λάζαρον οἱ ἄγγελοι· μετὰ τοὺς κύνας ἄγγελοι, μετὰ τὸν πυλῶνα 48.1036 τοῦ πλουσίου ὁ κόλπος τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ, μετὰ τὸν λιμὸν εὐθηνία πέρας οὐκ ἔχουσα, μετὰ τὴν θλῖψιν ἄνεσις ἀκατάλυτος· ἐκεῖνον δὲ τὸν πλούσιον μετὰ τὸν πλοῦτον πενία, μετὰ τὴν τράπεζαν τὴν πλουσίαν κόλασις καὶ τιμωρία, μετὰ τὴν ἄνεσιν ὀδύναι ἀκαρτέρητοι. Καὶ ὅρα τί γίνεται· Ἀπῆλθον ἐκεῖ, καὶ ἐλύθη τὸ θέατρον· ἀπεκαλύφθη τὰ προσωπεῖα, φαίνονται λοιπὸν αἱ ὄψεις. Ἀπῆλθον ἀμφότεροι ἐκεῖ, καὶ ὁρᾷ ὁ πλούσιος ἀποτηγανιζόμενος τὸν Λάζαρον ἐν κόλποις τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ εὐθηνούμενον, ἀπολαύοντα, τρυφῶντα· καὶ λέγει πρὸς αὐτόν· Πάτερ Ἀβραὰμ, πέμψον Λάζαρον, ἵνα ἄκρῳ τῷ δακτύλῳ αὐτοῦ ἐπιστάξῃ μου τῇ γλώττῃ, ὅτι ἀποτηγανίζομαι. Τί οὖν ὁ Ἀβραάμ; Τέκνον, ἀπέλαβες τὰ ἀγαθά σου, καὶ Λάζαρος τὰ κακὰ αὐτοῦ· καὶ νῦν οὗτος παρακαλεῖται, σὺ δὲ ὀδυνᾶσαι. Ἄλλως δὲ καὶ χάος μεταξὺ ἡμῶν καὶ ὑμῶν ἐστήρικται, ἵνα, ἐάν τις βούληται ἐντεῦθεν ἐκεῖ διαβῆναι πρὸς ὑμᾶς, μὴ δύνηται. Προσέχετε· χρήσιμος γὰρ ὁ περὶ τούτων λόγος, φοβῶν μὲν, καθαίρων δὲ, ὀδυνῶν μὲν, διορθούμενος δέ. ∆έχου τὰ λεγόμενα. Ὢν δὴ ἐν τοῖς βασάνοις ὁ