John Chrysostom, Letters

our Christ, who does not overcome the storm by art, but by a nod resolves the squall. But if you have pleaded many times, and have not been heard, do not despair; for such is the custom of the philanthropic God. 52.682 For was He not able to deliver those three children, so that they might not fall into the fiery furnace? But when they were taken captive, when they were cast into a barbarian land, and fell from their paternal inheritance, and were despaired of by all, and nothing else remained, then Christ our true God worked the miracle, and scattered the fire. For the fire, not bearing the virtue of the righteous, leaped out and burned those of the Chaldeans whom it found around the furnace. And so the furnace was a church for them, and they called upon all creation, both visible and invisible, angels and powers, and thus taking all things together they said: Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord. Do you see how the patience of the righteous both changed the fire into dew, and put the tyrant to shame, and sends letters throughout the whole world? Great is the God, he says, of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And behold what severity he imposed, that if anyone should speak a word against them, his house should be confiscated, and his possessions plundered. Do not be discouraged, therefore, nor despair. For when I was being driven from the city, I was concerned about none of these things, but said to myself: If the 52.683 queen wishes to exile me, let her exile me; The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof. And if she wishes to saw me in two, let her saw me; I have Isaiah as an example. If she wants to cast me into the sea, I remember Jonah. If she wants to throw me into a furnace, I have the three children who suffered this. If she wants to throw me to the beasts, I remember Daniel cast into the lions' den. If she wants to stone me, let her stone me; I have Stephen the protomartyr. If she wants to take my head, let her take it; I have John the Baptist. If she wants to take my possessions, let her take them; Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I depart. The Apostle exhorts me: God shows no partiality; and, If, he says, I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. And David arms me, saying, I spoke of your testimonies before kings, and was not ashamed. They have contrived many things against me, and they say that I gave communion to some after they had eaten. And if I did this, let my name be blotted out from the book of bishops, and let it not be written in the book of the orthodox faith, for behold if I did such a thing, Christ will also cast me out from His kingdom. But if once and for all they say this to me, and are contentious, let them depose Paul also, who after supper baptized a whole household; let them depose the Lord Himself also, who after supper gave communion to the apostles. They say that I have slept with a woman. Strip my body, and you will find the deadness of my members. But all these things they did because of envy. But surely you are grieved, brother Cyriacus, that those who exiled us speak boldly in the marketplace, and a multitude of guards follows them? But again, remember the rich man and Lazarus, which one was afflicted in this present age, and which one enjoyed himself. How did poverty harm him? Was not the athlete and victor carried to the bosom of Abraham? And what did wealth profit that man who rested in purple and fine linen? Where are the lictors? where are the guards? where are the horses with golden bridles? where are the parasites, and the royal table? Was he not led away bound like a robber to the grave, bearing his soul naked from the world, and he cries out with a futile voice, Father Abraham, send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger, and cool my tongue, for I am terribly tormented in this flame? Why do you call Abraham father, whose life you did not imitate? He welcomed every man into his house, but you did not take care of one poor man. It is not

ἡμῶν Χριστὸν, ὃς οὐ τέχνῃ περιγίνεται χειμῶνος, ἀλλὰ νεύματι λύει τὴν ζάλην. Ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ πολλάκις παρεκάλεσας, καὶ οὐκ εἰσηκούσθης, μὴ ὀλιγωρήσῃς· τοιοῦτον γὰρ ἔθος ἔχει ὁ φιλάνθρωπος Θεός. Μὴ 52.682 γὰρ οὐκ ἠδύνατο ἐκείνους τοὺς τρεῖς παῖδας λυτρώσασθαι, ἵνα μὴ εἰς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρὸς ἐμπέσωσιν; Ἀλλ' ὅτε ᾐχμαλωτεύθησαν, ὅτε εἰς βάρβαρον χώραν ἀπεῤῥίφησαν, καὶ τῆς πατρῴας κληρονομίας ἐξέπεσον, καὶ παρὰ πάντων ἀπεγνώσθησαν, καὶ οὐδὲν λοιπὸν οὐκ ἀπελίπετο, τότε Χριστὸς ὁ ἀληθινὸς Θεὸς ἡμῶν τὴν θαυματοποιίαν εἰργάσατο, καὶ διεσκόρπισε τὸ πῦρ. Μὴ φέρον γὰρ τὴν ἀρετὴν τῶν δικαίων τὸ πῦρ, ἐξεπήδησεν ἔξω, καὶ ἐνεπύρισεν οὓς εὗρε περὶ τὴν κάμινον τῶν Χαλδαίων. Καὶ λοιπὸν ἐκκλησία αὐτοῖς ἦν ἡ κάμινος, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν κτίσιν προσεκαλοῦντο, τά τε ὁρατὰ καὶ τὰ ἀόρατα, ἀγγέλους καὶ δυνάμεις, καὶ οὕτω πάντα συλλαβόμενοι ἔλεγον· Εὐλογεῖτε, πάντα τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου, τὸν Κύριον. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἡ ὑπομονὴ τῶν δικαίων καὶ τὸ πῦρ εἰς δρόσον μετέβαλε, καὶ τὸν τύραννον ἐδυσώπησε, καὶ κατὰ πάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐκπέμπει γράμματα; Μέγας ὁ Θεὸς, φησὶ, Σεδρὰχ, Μισὰχ, καὶ Ἀβδεναγώ. Καὶ ἰδοὺ πόσην ἀποτομίαν ἐνέθηκεν, εἴ τις λόγον εἴπῃ κατ' αὐτῶν, τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ ταμιεύεσθαι, καὶ τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ διαρπάζεσθαι. Μὴ οὖν ἀθυμήσῃς, μηδὲ ὀλιγωρήσῃς. Καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ ὅτε ἐξηλαυνόμην ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως, οὐδὲν τούτων οὐκ ἐφρόντιζον, ἀλλ' ἔλεγον πρὸς ἐμαυτόν· Εἰ μὲν βούλεται ἡ βασί52.683 λισσα ἐξορίσαι, ἐξορίσῃ με· Τοῦ Κυρίου ἡ γῆ, καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς. Καὶ εἰ βούλεται πρῖσαι, πρίσῃ με· τὸν Ἡσαΐαν ἔχω ὑπογραμμόν. Εἰ θέλει εἰς τὸ πέλαγος ἀκοντίσαι με, τὸν Ἰωνᾶν ὑπομιμνήσκομαι. Εἴ με θέλει εἰς κάμινον ἐμβαλεῖν, τοὺς τρεῖς παῖδας ἔχω τοῦτο πεπονθότας. Εἴ με θέλει τοῖς θηρίοις βαλεῖν, τὸν ∆ανιὴλ ἐν λάκκῳ τοῖς λέουσι βεβλημένον ὑπομιμνήσκομαι. Εἰ θέλει με λιθάσαι, λιθάσῃ με· τὸν Στέφανον ἔχω τὸν πρωτομάρτυρα. Εἰ θέλει τὴν κεφαλήν μου λαβεῖν, λάβῃ· ἔχω Ἰωάννην τὸν Βαπτιστήν. Εἰ θέλει τὰ ὑπάρχοντά μου λαβεῖν, λάβῃ αὐτά· Γυμνὸς ἐξῆλθον ἐκ κοιλίας μητέρος μου, γυμνὸς καὶ ἀπελεύσομαι. Ἐμοὶ παραινεῖ ὁ Ἀπόστολος· Πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπου ὁ Θεὸς οὐ λαμβάνει· καὶ, Εἰ ἔτι, φησὶν, ἀνθρώποις ἤρεσκον, Χριστοῦ δοῦλος οὐκ ἂν ἤμην. Καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ καθοπλίζει με λέγων, Ἐλάλουν ἐν τοῖς μαρτυρίοις σου ἐναντίον βασιλέων, καὶ οὐκ ᾐσχυνόμην. Πολλὰ κατ' ἐμοῦ ἐσκευάσαντο, καὶ λέγουσιν, ὅτι τινὰς ἐκοινώνησα μετὰ τὸ φαγεῖν αὐτούς. Καὶ εἰ μὲν τοῦτο ἐποίησα, ἐξαλειφθείη τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐκ τῆς βίβλου τῶν ἐπισκόπων, καὶ μὴ γραφείη ἐν τῇ βίβλῳ τῆς ὀρθοδόξου πίστεως, ὅτι ἰδοὺ ἐὰν τοιοῦτον ἐγὼ ἔπραξα, καὶ ἀποβαλεῖ με Χριστὸς ἐκ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ. Εἰ δὲ ἅπαξ καὶ τοῦτό μοι λέγουσι, καὶ φιλονεικοῦσι, καθελέτωσαν καὶ τὸν Παῦλον, ὃς μετὰ τὸ δειπνῆσαι ὁλόκληρον τὸν οἶκον ἐβάπτισε· καθελέτωσαν καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν Κύριον, ὃς μετὰ τὸ δειπνῆσαι τοῖς ἀποστόλοις τὴν κοινωνίαν ἔδωκε. Λέγουσιν, ὅτι μετὰ γυναικὸς ἐκοιμήθην. Ἀποδύσατέ μου τὸ σῶμα, καὶ εὑρήσετε τὴν νέκρωσιν τῶν μελῶν μου. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα πάντα διὰ τὸν φθόνον ἐποίησαν. Ἀλλὰ πάντως λυπῇ, ἀδελφὲ Κυριακὲ, ὅτι ἐκεῖνοι οἱ ἡμᾶς ἐξορίσαντες ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς παῤῥησιάζονται, καὶ πλῆθος ἀκολουθεῖ δορυφόρων αὐτοῖς; Ἀλλὰ πάλιν ὑπομνήσθητι τὸν πλούσιον καὶ τὸν Λάζαρον, ποῖος μὲν ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι ἐθλίβη, ποῖος δὲ ἀπήλαυσε. Τί ἔβλαψεν αὐτὸν ἡ πενία; Οὐχὶ ὁ ἀθλητὴς καὶ νικητὴς εἰς τοὺς κόλπους Ἀβραὰμ ἀπηνέχθη; Τί δὲ ὠφέλησεν ἐκεῖνον ὁ πλοῦτος τὸν ἐν πορφύρᾳ καὶ βύσσῳ ἀναπαυόμενον; Ποῦ οἱ ῥαβδοῦχοι; ποῦ οἱ δορυφόροι; ποῦ οἱ χρυσοχάλινοι ἵπποι; ποῦ οἱ παράσιτοι, καὶ ἡ βασιλικὴ τράπεζα; Οὐχὶ ὡς λῃστὴς δεδεμένος ἀπήγετο ἐν τῷ μνήματι, γυμνὴν τὴν ψυχὴν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου ἐκφέρων, καὶ κράζει κενῇ τῇ φωνῇ, Πάτερ Ἀβραὰμ, πέμψον Λάζαρον, ἵνα βρέξῃ τὸ ἄκρον τοῦ δακτύλου αὐτοῦ, καὶ καταψύξῃ τὴν γλῶττάν μου, διότι δεινῶς ἀποτηγανίζομαι; Τί πατέρα καλεῖς τὸν Ἀβραὰμ, οὗ τὸν βίον οὐκ ἐμιμήσω; Ἐκεῖνος πάντα ἄνθρωπον εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ ἐξένιζεν, σὺ δὲ ἑνὸς πτωχοῦ φροντίδα οὐκ ἐποιήσω. Οὐκ ἔστι