John Chrysostom, On Lazarus

of this continuous teaching and spiritual exhortation, you go away and suddenly demolish everything there, and bring it down to the ground, so to speak, what profit is there for us to show again from the beginning the things of the building, and for you again the things of demolition? Of how much folly and madness would this not be? For tell me, if you saw someone doing this in these perceptible buildings made of stones, would you not pay attention to him as one who is mad and toiling rashly and in vain, and spending all his own things on nothing necessary? Consider then in the same way also in the case of this spiritual building, and cast the same vote. For behold; we, since we were appointed to this by the grace of God, each day raise this spiritual building to a height, and are eager to lead you to the teaching of virtue; but some of those who run together here, in a single moment of time, with their own hands, so to speak, through this unspeakable carelessness, bring down to the ground the building that was raised with much labor, producing from this great despondency for us, but for themselves the greatest destruction and unbearable loss. 2. Perhaps we have made the rebuke too severe; too severe with respect to our affection, but with respect to the magnitude of the offense, not even its due. But nevertheless, since it is necessary to extend a hand even to those who have fallen, and to show fatherly goodwill toward those who have been so careless, not even so do we forbid them salvation; only if they wish no longer to fall into the same things again, but to put a stop to their carelessness at this point, and to forbid themselves the ascent to the horse races, and every such satanic spectacle. For we have a Master who is loving toward mankind and gentle 48.1047 and caring, who, since he knows the weakness of our nature, whenever we fall into some sin, tripped up by carelessness, seeks one thing only from us, not to despair, but to depart from the offense, and to hasten to confession. And if we do this, he promises us swift forgiveness; for he himself is the one who says: Does not the one who falls rise again, or the one who turns away not turn back? Knowing these things, therefore, let us not despise so loving a Master, but let us overcome the harmful habit; and let us not walk the wide gate and the broad way; just as today you heard the common Master of all exhorting in the Gospel, and saying: Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. Hearing "wide gate" and "broad way," do not be deceived by the beginnings, nor should you see this, that many enter through it, but consider that it ends in a narrow end. And consider that wisely too, that the discourse is not about a perceptible gate, nor simply about a road, but about our whole life, and the exhortation is about virtue and vice. For this reason also, beginning, he began to speak thus, Enter through the narrow gate, thus calling the gate of virtue. Then, having said, "Enter through the narrow gate," he teaches us then the reason for which he advises this. For even if this one is narrow, he says, and has much toil at the entrance, but if you toil a little, you will come out into a great width and much spaciousness able to provide you with relief. Therefore, do not see that it is narrow, he says, nor let the beginnings trouble you, nor let the narrowness of the entrance make you sluggish; for this wide gate and broad way ends in destruction. For which reason also many, being deceived by the beginning and the preludes, and foreseeing nothing of the things to come, give themselves over to destruction. For this reason he says, that Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. And well did he call it a wide gate, and a broad way the one to the

τῆς συνεχοῦς διδασκαλίας καὶ τῆς παραινέσεως ταύτης τῆς πνευματικῆς, ἀπελθὼν ἀθρόον ἐκεῖ πάντα καθέλῃς, καὶ εἰς ἔδαφος, ὡς εἰπεῖν, καταγάγῃς, ποῖον ὄφελος πάλιν ἡμᾶς ἄνωθεν τὰ τῆς οἰκοδομῆς ἐπιδείκνυσθαι, καὶ πάλιν ὑμᾶς τὰ τῆς καθαιρέσεως; πόσης τοῦτο ἀνοίας οὐκ ἂν εἴη καὶ παραπληξίας; Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, εἰ ἐθεάσω ἐν ταῖς αἰσθηταῖς ταύταις οἰκοδομαῖς ταῖς διὰ τῶν λίθων γινομέναις τοῦτό τινα ποιοῦντα, οὐχὶ ὡς μεμηνότι αὐτῷ προσέξεις καὶ εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην κοπτομένῳ, καὶ εἰς οὐδὲν δέον πάντα τὰ αὑτοῦ καταναλίσκοντι; Τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ τρόπον καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκοδομῆς ταύτης τῆς πνευματικῆς λογίζου, καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ἔκφερε ψῆφον. Ἰδοὺ γάρ· ἡμεῖς μὲν, ἐπειδὴ εἰς τοῦτο ἐτάχθημεν παρὰ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτος, καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν τὴν οἰκοδομὴν ταύτην τὴν πνευματικὴν εἰς ὕψος ἐγείρομεν, καὶ πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς διδασκαλίαν ὑμᾶς ἐνάγειν σπουδάζομεν· τινὲς δὲ τῶν ἐνταῦθα συντρεχόντων τὴν μετὰ πολλοῦ πόνου αὐξηθεῖσαν οἰκοδομὴν ἐν μιᾷ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ μονονουχὶ ταῖς οἰκείαις χερσὶ διὰ τῆς ἀφάτου ταύτης ῥᾳθυμίας εἰς ἔδαφος κατάγουσιν, ἡμῖν μὲν πολλὴν τὴν ἀθυμίαν ἐντεῦθεν τίκτοντες, ἑαυτοῖς δὲ μέγιστον τὸν ὄλεθρον καὶ τὴν ζημίαν ἀφόρητον. βʹ. Τάχα σφοδροτέραν τὴν ἐπιτίμησιν ἐποιησάμεθα· ὅσον μὲν πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν φιλοστοργίαν σφοδροτέραν, ὅσον δὲ πρὸς τὸ μέγεθος τοῦ πλημμελήματος οὐδὲ τὴν ἀξίαν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐπειδὴ δεῖ καὶ τοῖς πεπτωκόσι χεῖρα ὀρέγειν, καὶ περὶ τοὺς τοσοῦτον ἐῤῥᾳθυμηκότας τὴν πατρικὴν εὔνοιαν ἐπιδείξασθαι, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀπαγορεύομεν αὐτοῖς τὴν σωτηρίαν· μόνον ἐὰν βουληθῶσι μηκέτι τοῖς αὐτοῖς πάλιν περιπεσεῖν, ἀλλὰ μέχρι τούτου στῆσαι τὰ τῆς ῥᾳθυμίας, καὶ ἀπαγορεῦσαι ἑαυτοῖς τὴν ἐπὶ τὰς ἱπποδρομίας ἄνοδον, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν τοιαύτην σατανικὴν θεωρίαν. ∆εσπότην γὰρ ἔχομεν φιλάνθρωπον καὶ ἥμερον 48.1047 καὶ κηδεμονικὸν, ὃς, ἐπειδὴ οἶδε τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῆς φύσεως τῆς ἡμετέρας, ἐπειδὰν ἁμαρτήματί τινι περιπέσωμεν ῥᾳθυμίᾳ ὑποσκελισθέντες, ἓν μόνον ἐπιζητεῖ παρ' ἡμῶν, μὴ ἀπογνῶναι, ἀλλὰ ἀποστῆναι τοῦ πλημμελήματος, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἐξομολόγησιν ἐπειχθῆναι. Κἂν τοῦτο ποιήσωμεν, ταχεῖαν ἡμῖν τὴν συγχώρησιν ἐπαγγέλλεται· αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ λέγων· Μὴ ὁ πίπτων οὐκ ἀνίσταται, ἢ ὁ ἀποστρέφων οὐκ ἐπιστρέφει; Ταῦτα τοίνυν εἰδότες, μὴ καταφρονῶμεν τοῦ οὕτω φιλανθρώπου ∆εσπότου, ἀλλὰ περιγινώμεθα τῆς συνηθείας τῆς ἐπιβλαβοῦς· καὶ μὴ τὴν πλατεῖαν πύλην, καὶ εὐρύχωρον ὁδὸν βαδίζωμεν· καθάπερ σήμερον ἠκούσατε τοῦ κοινοῦ πάντων ∆εσπότου παραινοῦντος ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ, καὶ λέγοντος· Εἰσέλθετε διὰ τῆς στενῆς πύλης, ὅτι πλατεῖα ἡ πύλη καὶ εὐρύχωρος ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ἀπώλειαν, καὶ πολλοί εἰσιν οἱ εἰσερχόμενοι δι' αὐτῆς. Ἀκούσας πλατεῖαν πύλην, καὶ εὐρύχωρον ὁδὸν, μὴ τοῖς προοιμίοις ἀπατηθῇς, μηδὲ, ὅτι πολλοὶ εἰσέρχονται δι' αὐτῆς, τοῦτο ἴδῃς, ἀλλ' ἐννόει ὅτι εἰς στενὸν καταστρέφει τέλος. Κἀκεῖνο δὲ συνετῶς λογίζου, ὅτι οὐ περὶ αἰσθητῆς πύλης ἐστὶν ὁ λόγος, οὐδὲ περὶ ὁδοῦ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ περὶ πάσης τῆς ζωῆς τῆς ἡμετέρας, καὶ περὶ ἀρετῆς καὶ κακίας ἐστὶν ἡ παραίνεσις. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ ἀρχόμενος οὕτως ἤρξατο λέγων, Εἰσέλθετε διὰ τῆς στενῆς πύλης, τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς πύλην οὕτω καλῶν. Εἶτα εἰπὼν, ὅτι Εἰσέλθετε διὰ τῆς στενῆς πύλης, διδάσκει ἡμᾶς λοιπὸν τὴν αἰτίαν, δι' ἣν τοῦτο παραινεῖ. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ στενὴ, φησὶν, αὕτη, καὶ πολὺν ἔχει τὸν κάματον ἐν τῇ εἰσόδῳ, ἀλλ' ἐὰν μικρὸν κάμητε, εἰς πολὺ πλάτος ἐκβήσεσθε καὶ εὐρυχωρίαν πολλὴν τὴν ἄνεσιν δυναμένην ὑμῖν παρασχεῖν. Μὴ τοίνυν ὅτι στενή ἐστι, φησὶν, ἴδητε, μηδὲ τὰ προοίμια ὑμᾶς θορυβείτω, μηδὲ τὸ στενὸν τῆς εἰσόδου ὀκνηροὺς ἀπεργαζέσθω· ἡ γὰρ πλατεῖα αὕτη πύλη, καὶ ἡ εὐρύχωρος ὁδὸς εἰς ἀπώλειαν καταστρέφει. ∆ιὸ καὶ πολλοὶ τῇ ἀρχῇ καὶ τοῖς προοιμίοις ἀπατώμενοι, καὶ οὐδὲν τῶν μελλόντων προορώμενοι, εἰς τὴν ἀπώλειαν ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδιδόασι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι Πλατεῖα ἡ πύλη, καὶ εὐρύχωρος ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ἀπώλειαν, καὶ πολλοί εἰσιν οἱ εἰσερχόμενοι δι' αὐτῆς. Καὶ καλῶς αὐτὴν πλατεῖαν πύλην ἐκάλεσε, καὶ εὐρύχωρον ὁδὸν τὴν ἐπὶ τὴν