John Chrysostom, Letters

to mourn and to weep, because he who had so much wealth, was not worthy of a drop of water. For since he did not share crumbs with the poor man, he does not receive a drop of water. In the winter he did not sow mercy; the summer came, and he did not reap. And this is the Master's dispensation, that He made the punishment for the impious and the repose for the righteous opposite, 52.684 so that they might see one another, and recognize one another. For indeed then each martyr will recognize his own tyrant, and each tyrant his own martyr, whom he punished. And the words are not mine; listen to Wisdom saying: Then the righteous man will stand with great boldness before the face of those who afflicted him. For just as a traveler walking in the heat, when, burning with thirst, he finds a pure spring, and being seized by great hunger sits down beside a table having all kinds of dishes, but is prevented by someone more powerful from touching the table or enjoying the dishes, he has intense pain and punishment, because he sits beside the table and cannot enjoy the foods, and he who sits beside the spring cannot enjoy the water; so on the day of judgment, the impious see the saints rejoicing, and cannot enjoy the royal table. For indeed God, wishing to punish Adam, made him work the ground opposite paradise, so that every day and hour, seeing that longed-for place from which he came out, he might always have pain in his soul. But if even here we do not meet one another, yet there no one will prevent us from then spending time with one another; and we will see those who exiled us, just as Lazarus saw the rich man, and the martyrs the tyrants. Therefore, do not be disheartened, but remember the prophet saying: Do not fear the scorn of men, and do not be overcome by their contempt; for like wool by a moth, so shall they be eaten, and like a garment they shall grow old. But consider the Master, how right from His swaddling clothes He was persecuted, and cast out into a barbarian land, He who holds the world, having become for us an example not to lose heart in temptations. Recall the passion of the Savior, how many insults He endured for our sake. For some called Him a Samaritan, others one possessed by a demon and a glutton and a false prophet. For they say: Behold, a glutton and a winebibber, and, that By the ruler of the demons he casts out demons. And what of when they led Him to cast Him down a cliff, and when they spat in His face? What of when they put the cloak on Him, and when they crowned Him with thorns, and fell down before Him mocking, and bringing upon Him every kind of mockery, what of when they gave Him blows? when they gave Him vinegar and gall to drink? when they struck His head with the reed, and when those bloodthirsty dogs led Him about? what of when He was led naked to His passion, and all the disciples forsook Him, and the one betrayed Him, another denied Him, and the others fled, and He stood alone, naked, in the midst of those crowds? for it was the feast that gathered everyone then; and when as an evil-doer they crucified Him in the midst of criminals, and He hung unburied, and they did not take Him down 52.685 from the cross, until someone requested Him, in order to bury Him? Remember that He was not deemed worthy of burial, and that they pronounced evil blame against Him, that His disciples stole Him, and He did not rise. And be reminded of the apostles, that they were persecuted from all sides, and were hidden, not being able to appear in the cities; how Peter was hidden with Simon the tanner, and Paul with the woman who sold purple, because they did not have boldness among the rich. But later all things became smooth for them. So also now do not be disheartened. For I too have heard about that nonsense of Arsacius, whom the empress seated on the throne, that he afflicted all the brothers who did not want to have communion with him; and many of them on account of me also in prison

πενθῆσαι καὶ κλαῦσαι, ὅτι ὁ τοσοῦτον πλοῦτον ἔχων, σταγόνος ὕδατος ἄξιος οὐκ ἐγένετο. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ψιχίων οὐ μετέδωκε τῷ πτωχῷ, σταγόνα ὕδατος οὐ λαμβάνει. Τῷ χειμῶνι οὐκ ἔσπειρεν ἔλεος· ἦλθε τὸ θέρος, καὶ οὐκ ἐθέρισε. Καὶ τοῦτο τοῦ ∆εσπότου οἰκονομία, ὅτι ἐξ ἐναντίας ἐποίησε τὴν κόλασιν τοῖς ἀσεβέσι, καὶ τὴν ἀνάπαυσιν τοῖς δικαίοις, 52.684 ἵνα βλέπωσιν ἀλλήλους, καὶ ἀλλήλους γνωρίζωσι. Καὶ γὰρ ἕκαστος τότε μάρτυς τὸν ἴδιον τύραννον ἐπιγνώσεται, καὶ ἕκαστος τύραννος τὸν ἴδιον μάρτυρα, ὃν ἐκόλασε. Καὶ οὐκ ἐμὰ τὰ ῥήματα· ἄκουσον τῆς Σοφίας λεγούσης· Τότε ἐν πολλῇ παῤῥησίᾳ στήσεται ὁ δίκαιος κατὰ πρόσωπον τῶν θλιψάντων αὐτόν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁδοιπόρος ἐν καύματι περιπατῶν, ἡνίκα εὕρῃ καθαρὰν πηγὴν τῇ δίψῃ φλεγόμενος, καὶ πολλῷ τῷ λιμῷ συνεχόμενος παρακαθέζηται τραπέζῃ ἐχούσῃ παντοῖα τὰ ἐδέσματα, παρά τινος δὲ δυνατωτέρου κωλύηται μὴ ἅψασθαι τῆς τραπέζης, μηδὲ ἀπολαῦσαι τῶν ἐδεσμάτων, σφοδρὰν ἔχει τὴν ὀδύνην καὶ τὴν κόλασιν, ὅτι τῇ τραπέζῃ παρακαθέζεται, καὶ τῶν βρωμάτων ἀπολαῦσαι οὐ δύναται, καὶ ὁ τῇ πηγῇ παρακαθεζόμενος, τοῦ ὕδατος ἀπολαῦσαι οὐ δύναται· οὕτως ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως, βλέπουσι τοὺς ἁγίους εὐφραινομένους οἱ ἀσεβεῖς, καὶ τῆς βασιλικῆς τραπέζης ἀπολαῦσαι οὐ δύνανται. Καὶ γὰρ τὸν Ἀδὰμ ὁ Θεὸς κολάσαι βουλόμενος, ἐποίησεν αὐτὸν ἐξ ἐναντίας τοῦ παραδείσου ἐργάζεσθαι τὴν γῆν, ἵνα καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν καὶ ὥραν βλέπων ἐκεῖνο τὸ ποθητὸν χωρίον, ὅθεν ἐξῆλθεν, ἔχῃ πάντοτε τὴν ὀδύνην ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ὧδε ἀλλήλοις μὴ συντύχωμεν, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖ οὐδεὶς ὁ κωλύων ἡμᾶς τότε μετ' ἀλλήλων διάγειν· καὶ ὀψόμεθα τοὺς ἐξορίσαντας ἡμᾶς, ὥσπερ ὁ Λάζαρος τὸν πλούσιον, καὶ οἱ μάρτυρες τοὺς τυράννους. Μὴ οὖν ἀθύμει, ἀλλὰ μνημόνευε τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· Μυκτηρισμὸν ἀνθρώπων μὴ φοβεῖσθε, καὶ τῷ φαυλισμῷ αὐτῶν μὴ ἡττᾶσθε· ὥσπερ γὰρ ἔριον ὑπὸ σητὸς, οὕτω βρωθήσονται, καὶ ὡς ἱμάτιον παλαιωθήσονται. Κατανόησον δὲ τὸν ∆εσπότην, πῶς εὐθὺς ἀπὸ τῶν σπαργάνων ἐδιώκετο, καὶ εἰς βάρβαρον γῆν ἀπεῤῥίπτετο, ὁ τὸν κόσμον κατέχων, τύπος ἡμῖν γενόμενος τοῦ μὴ ἐκκακεῖν ἐν τοῖς πειρασμοῖς. Ἀνάμνησαι τὸ πάθος τοῦ Σωτῆρος, ὅσας ὕβρεις δι' ἡμᾶς ὑπέμεινεν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸν Σαμαρείτην ἐκάλουν, οἱ δὲ δαιμονιῶντα καὶ γαστρίμαργον καὶ ψευδοπροφήτην. Λέγουσι γάρ· Ἰδοὺ ἄνθρωπος φάγος καὶ οἰνοπότης, καὶ, ὅτι Ἐν τῷ ἄρχοντι τῶν δαιμονίων ἐκβάλλει τὰ δαιμόνια. Τί δὲ ὅτε ἦγον αὐτὸν κρημνίσαι, καὶ ὅτε εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐνέπτυον; τί δὲ ὅτε τὴν χλαμύδα αὐτῷ περιετίθουν, καὶ ὅτε ἀκάνθαις αὐτὸν ἐστεφάνουν, καὶ προσέπιπτον αὐτῷ ἐμπαίζοντες, καὶ πᾶν εἶδος χλεύης αὐτῷ ἐπάγοντες, τί δὲ ὅτε ῥαπίσματα αὐτῷ ἐδίδουν; ὅτε ὄξος καὶ τὴν χολὴν αὐτὸν ἐπότιζον; ὅτε τῷ καλάμῳ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ ἔτυπτον, καὶ ὅτε περιῆγον αὐτὸν οἱ αἱμοβόροι ἐκεῖνοι κύνες; τί δὲ ὅτε ἐπὶ τὸ πάθος ἤγετο γυμνὸς, καὶ πάντες αὐτὸν κατέλιπον οἱ μαθηταὶ, καὶ ὁ εἷς μὲν αὐτὸν προέδωκεν, εἷς δὲ ἠρνήσατο, οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι ἐδραπέτευσαν, καὶ μόνος εἱστήκει γυμνὸς ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ὄχλων ἐκείνων; ἑορτὴ γὰρ ἦν ἡ ἅπαντας συνάγουσα τότε· καὶ ὅτε ὡς πονηρὸν ἐν μέσῳ κακούργων αὐτὸν ἐσταύρωσαν, καὶ ἄταφος ἐκρέματο, καὶ οὔτε κατήνεγ52.685 καν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ, ἕως οὗ τις αὐτὸν ἐξητήσατο, ἵνα αὐτὸν θάψῃ; Μνήσθητι ὅτι ταφῆς οὐκ ἠξιώθη, καὶ ὅτι ψόγον πονηρὸν κατ' αὐτοῦ ἀπεφήναντο, καὶ ὅτι οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἔκλεψαν αὐτὸν, καὶ οὐκ ἀνέστη. Ὑπομνήσθητι δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους, ὅτι πανταχόθεν ἐδιώκοντο, καὶ κατεκρύπτοντο, ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι μὴν δυνάμενοι φανῆναι· πῶς ὁ Πέτρος παρὰ Σίμωνι τῷ βυρσεῖ κατεκρύπτετο, καὶ ὁ Παῦλος παρὰ τῇ πορφυροπώλιδι γυναικὶ, ὅτι οὐκ εἶχον παρὰ τοῖς πλουσίοις παῤῥησίαν. Ἀλλ' ὕστερον πάντα ὁμαλὰ ἐγένετο αὐτοῖς. Οὕτω καὶ νῦν μὴ ἀθυμήσῃς. Ἤκουσα γὰρ κἀγὼ περὶ τοῦ λήρου ἐκείνου τοῦ Ἀρσακίου, ὃν ἐκάθισεν ἡ βασίλισσα ἐν τῷ θρόνῳ, ὅτι ἔθλιψε τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ὅλους μὴ θέλοντας αὐτῷ κοινωνῆσαι· πολλοὶ δὲ αὐτῶν δι' ἐμὲ καὶ ἐν τῇ φυλακῇ