61

You cannot serve God and mammon; and again, A rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven; and again, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. For these reasons He receives the rich, so that they may hear these words, so that they may long for eternal wealth, so that they may desire the things in the heavens. And why do you wonder if He does not disdain to seat such people at His entrance? For He does not disdain to call them to His spiritual table, and to give them a share of that feast; but the maimed and the lame, the old man clothed in rags and covered with filth and snot, along with the beautiful young man, and he who wears the purple robe and has the diadem on his head, comes to partake of the table, and is deemed worthy of the spiritual feast, and both enjoy the same things, and there is no difference. 5. Then Christ does not disdain to call them to the table with the king; for both are called together; but you perhaps disdain even to be seen giving to the poor, or even conversing with them? Alas for the folly and the pride! See that we do not suffer the same things as the rich man once did. That man disdained even to look at Lazarus, and gave him no part of his roof nor shelter, but he was cast out by the gate, nor was he deemed worthy of words from him. But see how, when he came to be in need and necessity of his help, he failed to obtain it. For if we are ashamed of those whom Christ is not ashamed of, we will be ashamed of Christ, 62.468 being ashamed of His friends. Let your table be filled with the lame, the crippled; through these Christ comes, not through the rich. Perhaps you laugh hearing this. Therefore, lest you think that the saying is mine, hear Christ Himself saying it, not that you may laugh, but that you may shudder: When you make a dinner or a supper, He says, do not call your friends, nor your brothers, nor your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid; but when you give a feast, call the poor, the crippled, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just. And a greater glory comes here, if indeed you desire it. For from those come envy and malice and accusations and reproaches, and great fear lest something go amiss; and as a servant to a master, so you stand by, if those who are called are greater, fearing their criticism and their mouths; but with these there is nothing of the sort, but whatever you bring them, they receive everything with pleasure; and from this comes great applause, a more splendid glory, a greater wonder. All who hear do not applaud those as much as these. But if you disbelieve, you who are rich, who call generals and governors, give it a try: call the poor also, and fill the table with them, and see if you are not applauded by all, if you are not loved by all, if all do not hold you as a father. For from those dinners there is no gain, but for these heaven is laid up, and the good things in the heavens; may we all attain to these, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

61

Οὐ δύνασθε Θεῷ δουλεύειν, καὶ μαμωνᾷ· καὶ πάλιν, ∆υσκόλως πλούσιος εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν· καὶ πάλιν, Εὐκοπώτερόν ἐστι κάμηλον διὰ ῥαφίδος τρυπήματος εἰσελθεῖν, ἢ πλούσιον εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα δέχεται τοὺς πλουσίους, ἵνα ταῦτα ἀκούσωσι τὰ ῥήματα, ἵνα τὸν αἰώνιον ποθήσωσι πλοῦτον, ἵνα ἐπιθυμήσωσι τῶν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Καὶ τί θαυμάζεις εἰ εἰς τὰ πρόθυρα αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἀπαξιοῖ τοὺς τοιούτους καθίζειν; ἐπὶ γὰρ τὴν τράπεζαν αὐτοῦ τὴν πνευματικὴν οὐκ ἀπαξιοῖ καλεῖν αὐτοὺς, καὶ μεταδοῦναι τῆς εὐωχίας ἐκείνης· ἀλλ' ὁ κυλλὸς καὶ ἀνάπηρος, ὁ γέρων καὶ ῥάκια ἠμφιεσμένος καὶ ῥύπον καὶ κόρυζαν ἔχων, ἅμα τῷ νέῳ τῷ καλῷ, καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ τὴν ἁλουργίδα περικειμένῳ καὶ τὸ διάδημα ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἔχοντι, ἔρχεται τῆς τραπέζης μεθέξων, καὶ ἀξιοῦται τῆς εὐωχίας τῆς πνευματικῆς, καὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ἑκάτεροι ἀπολαύουσι, καὶ οὐδεμία ἐστὶ διαφορά. εʹ. Εἶθ' ὁ μὲν Χριστὸς οὐκ ἀπαξιοῖ εἰς τὴν τράπεζαν αὐτοὺς καλεῖν μετὰ τοῦ βασιλέως· ὁμοῦ γὰρ ἀμφότεροι καλοῦνται· σὺ δὲ ἴσως ἀπαξιοῖς καὶ ὀφθῆναι, διδοὺς πένησιν, ἢ καὶ προσδιαλεγόμενος; Βαβαὶ τῆς ἀπονοίας καὶ τοῦ τύφου! Ὅρα μὴ τὰ αὐτὰ πάθωμεν τῷ ποτε πλουσίῳ. Ἀπηξίου ἐκεῖνος κἂν ἰδεῖν τὸν Λάζαρον, καὶ ὀροφῆς αὐτῷ οὐ μετέδωκεν οὐδὲ στέγης, ἀλλ' ἦν ἔξω παρὰ τὸν πυλῶνα ἐῤῥιμμένος, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ῥημάτων ἠξιώθη τῶν παρ' ἐκείνου. Ἀλλ' ὅρα πῶς ἐν ἀνάγκῃ καὶ χρείᾳ καταστὰς αὐτοῦ τῆς βοηθείας, ἀπέτυχεν. Εἰ γὰρ οὓς ὁ Χριστὸς οὐκ ἐπαισχύνεται, τούτους ἡμεῖς ἐπαισχυνόμεθα, τὸν Χριστὸν ἐπαισχυνόμε 62.468 θα, τοὺς φίλους αὐτοῦ ἐπαισχυνόμενοι. Πεπληρώσθω σου ἡ τράπεζα χωλῶν, ἀναπήρων· διὰ τούτων παραγίνεται ὁ Χριστὸς, οὐ διὰ τῶν πλουτούντων. Τάχα γελᾷς ἀκούων. Οὐκοῦν ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς ὅτι ἐμὸν τὸ ῥῆμα, ἄκουσον αὐτοῦ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος, ἵνα μὴ γελάσῃς, ἀλλ' ἵνα φρίξῃς· Ὅταν ποιῇς ἄριστον ἢ δεῖπνον, φησὶ, μὴ φώνει τοὺς φίλους σου, μηδὲ τοὺς ἀδελφούς σου, μηδὲ τοὺς συγγενεῖς σου, μήτε γείτονας πλουσίους, μήποτε καὶ αὐτοὶ ἀντικαλέσωσί σε, καὶ γένηταί σοι ἀνταπόδομα· ἀλλ' ὅταν ποιῇς δοχὴν, κάλει πτωχοὺς, ἀναπήρους, τυφλοὺς, καὶ μακάριος ἔσῃ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἀνταποδοῦναί σοι· ἀνταποδοθήσεται γάρ σοι ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει τῶν δικαίων. Καὶ δόξα δὲ μείζων ἐνταῦθα γίνεται, εἴ γε ταύτης ἐρᾷς. Ἐξ ἐκείνων μὲν γὰρ φθόνος καὶ βασκανίαι καὶ κατηγορίαι καὶ λοιδορίαι, καὶ πολὺς ὁ φόβος μή τι παρὰ τὸ δέον γένηται· καὶ ὡς οἰκέτης δεσπότῃ, οὕτω παρέστηκας, ἂν μείζους οἱ καλούμενοι ὦσι, δεδοικὼς τὴν παρ' αὐτῶν μέμψιν καὶ τὰ στόματα· ἐπὶ δὲ τούτων οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον, ἀλλ' ἅπερ ἂν αὐτοῖς ἐνέγκῃς, μεθ' ἡδονῆς πάντα δέχονται· καὶ πολὺς ἐντεῦθεν ὁ κρότος, λαμπροτέρα ἡ δόξα, μεῖζον τὸ θαῦμα. Οὐχ οὕτω κροτοῦσιν ἐκείνους ὡς τούτους ἅπαντες οἱ ἀκούοντες. Εἰ δὲ ἀπιστεῖς, πείρασον σὺ ὁ πλουτῶν, ὁ στρατηγοὺς καὶ ἡγεμόνας καλῶν· κάλεσον καὶ πένητας, καὶ ἀπὸ τούτων τὴν τράπεζαν πλήρωσον, ἂν μὴ παρὰ πάντων κροτηθῇς, ἂν μὴ παρὰ πάντων φιληθῇς, ἂν μὴ πάντες ὡς πατέρα ἕξωσιν. Ἐκείνων μὲν γὰρ τῶν δείπνων κέρδος οὐδὲν, ὑπὲρ τούτων δὲ οὐρανὸς ἀπόκειται, καὶ τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἀγαθά· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.