John Chrysostom, Against the Jews

crowns, when with the angels present, and all the archangels, then Christ, having come forward, and having taken you by the hand, should lead you into the middle of that theater, and say in the hearing of all: This man, having once been seized by a 48.939 fever, while countless people were advising him to be rid of the disease, for the sake of my name, and the fear of me, so that he might not offend in any way, pushed away and scorned those who promised to heal him by that method, and chose rather to die in his sickness than to betray his good will toward me. For if he brings into the midst those who gave him drink and clothed him and fed him, much more those who for his sake chose to endure fevers. For it is not the same, to give bread and a garment, and to endure a long illness, but this is much greater than that; and by how much greater the pain, by so much also will the crown be more glorious. Let us meditate on these things both when we are healthy and when we are sick, and let us say them to others; and if ever we find ourselves in an unbearable fever, let us say this to ourselves: What then, if an accusation having been brought against us from somewhere, we were brought into a court of law, then, having been hung up, our sides were torn, would it not have been necessary to endure it completely, and without gain and without any reward? Let us consider this now as well; let the reward of patience therefore also be added, which is sufficient to anoint the fallen mind. But the fever is harsh. But set against the fever the fire of Gehenna, which you will certainly escape, if you choose to bear this with all patience; remember the apostles, how many things they suffered; remember the righteous, that they were always in tribulations; remember the blessed Timothy, that he never got a respite from his infirmity, but was a companion to a continual sickness. And Paul, making this clear, said: Use a little wine for the sake of your stomach, and your frequent weaknesses. But if that righteous and holy man, who had been entrusted with the care of the world, and was raising the dead, and driving out demons, and curing countless sicknesses in others, suffered so many terrible things, what defense will you have, who are troubled and distressed over temporary sicknesses? Have you not heard the Scripture saying, that "Whom the Lord loves, he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives?" How many have how often desired to receive the crown of martyrdom? This is a perfected crown of martyrdom. For it is not only being commanded to sacrifice, and then choosing to die rather than to sacrifice, that makes a martyr, but also when one, merely by observing any precept whatsoever, is able to bring on death, it is a clear martyrdom. 8. And so that you may learn that this is true, remember how John died, and for what reason and on what account, and how Abel died. For neither of these saw a burning altar, nor an idol standing, nor was commanded to sacrifice to demons; but the one, because he merely rebuked Herod, had his head cut off, and the other because he honored God with a greater sacrifice than his brother, was slain. Have they therefore been deprived of the crowns of martyrdom? And who would dare to say this? For indeed especially the very manner of their death itself is sufficient to persuade everyone, that they rank among the first of the martyrs. But if you also seek to see a divine verdict rendered on their behalf, hear what Paul says; for what he utters, it is clear that it is of the Spirit; "For I think," he says, "that I also have the Spirit of God." What 48.940 then does he say? Beginning from Abel, and saying, that "Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain," "and through it, though he is dead, he still speaks;" then coming down to the prophets, and going through to John, and saying: "They died by the slaughter of the sword, and others were tortured;" and having recounted many and various deaths, he added thus: Therefore we also, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight, let us run with patience. Do you see, that he called Abel a witness, and Noah, and Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. For some of them thus died for God; just as therefore Paul also says, "I die daily;"

στεφάνους, ὅταν τῶν ἀγγέλων παρόντων, τῶν ἀρχαγγέλων ἁπάντων, τότε παρελθὼν ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ τῆς χειρός σου λαβόμενος εἰς μέσον περιαγάγῃ τὸ θέατρον ἐκεῖνο, καὶ πάντων ἀκουόντων λέγῃ· Οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος πυρε48.939 τῷ ποτε ληφθεὶς, μυρίων αὐτῷ παραινούντων ἀπαλλαγῆναι τῆς νόσου, διὰ τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ἐμὸν, καὶ τὸν φόβον τὸν εἰς ἐμὲ, ἵνα ἐν μηδενὶ προσκρούσῃ, διώσατο καὶ ἠτίμωσε τοὺς ὑπισχνουμένους αὐτὸν θεραπεύειν ἐκείνῳ τῷ τρόπῳ, καὶ εἵλετο μᾶλλον ἐναποθανεῖν τῷ νοσήματι, ἢ προδοῦναι τὴν εἰς ἐμὲ εὔνοιαν. Εἰ γὰρ τοὺς ποτίσαντας αὐτὸν καὶ ἐνδύσαντας καὶ θρέψαντας εἰς μέσον παράγει, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοὺς δι' αὐτὸν ἑλομένους ἀνέχεσθαι πυρετῶν. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἴσον, ἄρτον δοῦναι καὶ ἱμάτιον, καὶ νόσον μακρὰν ὑπομένειν, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ μεῖζον τοῦτο ἐκείνου· ὅσῳ δὲ μείζων ὁ πόνος, τοσούτῳ καὶ ὁ στέφανος ἔσται λαμπρότερος. Ταῦτα καὶ ὑγιαίνοντες μελετῶμεν καὶ κάμνοντες, καὶ πρὸς ἑτέρους λέγωμεν· κἂν ἴδωμεν ἑαυτούς ποτε ἐν πυρετῷ γενομένους ἀφορήτῳ, ἐκεῖνο πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς εἴπωμεν· Τί δαὶ, εἴ ποθεν ἐπενεχθείσης ἡμῖν κατηγορίας, εἰς δικαστήριον εἰσηνέχθημεν, εἶτα ἀναρτηθέντες κατεξαινόμεθα τὰς πλευρὰς, οὐκ ἀνάγκη ἦν ὑπομεῖναι πάντως καὶ ἀκερδῶς καὶ χωρὶς μισθοῦ τινος; Τοῦτο καὶ νῦν λογιζώμεθα· προσκείσθω τοίνυν καὶ τῆς ὑπομονῆς ὁ μισθὸς, ἱκανὸς ὢν ἀλεῖψαι τὴν πεπτωκυῖαν διάνοιαν. Ἀλλὰ χαλεπὸς ὁ πυρετός. Ἀλλ' ἀντίστησον τῷ πυρετῷ τὸ τῆς γεέννης πῦρ, ὃ διαφεύξῃ πάντως, ἐὰν ἕλῃ τοῦτον μεθ' ὑπομονῆς ἁπάσης ἐνεγκεῖν· ἀναμνήσθητι τῶν ἀποστόλων, ὅσα ἔπασχον· ἀναμνήσθητι τῶν δικαίων, ὅτι διαπαντὸς ἦσαν ἐν θλίψεσιν· ἀναμνήσθητι τοῦ μακαρίου Τιμοθέου, ὅτι οὐδέποτε ἐκ τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας ἀνέπνευσεν, ἀλλὰ σύντροφος ἦν νοσήματι διηνεκεῖ. Καὶ τοῦτο ὁ Παῦλος δηλῶν ἔλεγεν· Οἴνῳ ὀλίγῳ χρῶ διὰ τὸν στόμαχόν σου, καὶ τὰς πυκνάς σου ἀσθενείας. Εἰ δὲ ὁ δίκαιος ἐκεῖνος καὶ ἅγιος, καὶ τὴν τῆς οἰκουμένης προστασίαν ἐγκεχειρισμένος, καὶ νεκροὺς ἐγείρων, καὶ δαίμονας ἐλαύνων, καὶ μυρία νοσήματα διορθούμενος ἐν ἑτέροις, τοσαῦτα ἔπασχε δεινὰ, τίνα ἕξεις ἀπολογίαν σὺ ὁ θορυβούμενος καὶ ἀσχάλλων ἐπὶ προσκαίροις νοσήμασιν; Οὐκ ἤκουσας τῆς Γραφῆς λεγούσης, ὅτι Ὃν ἀγαπᾷ Κύριος, παιδεύει, μαστιγοῖ δὲ πάντα υἱὸν, ὃν παραδέχεται; Πόσοι ποσάκις ἐπεθύμησαν μαρτυρίου στέφανον λαβεῖν; Τοῦτο ἀπηρτισμένος ἐστὶ μαρτυρίου στέφανος. Οὐ γὰρ τὸ κελευσθῆναι θῦσαι, εἶτα ἑλέσθαι μᾶλλον ἀποθανεῖν ἢ θῦσαι, ποιεῖ μάρτυρα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ὁτιοῦν φυλάττοντα μόνον δυνάμενον θάνατον ἐπισπάσασθαι, μαρτύριόν ἐστι σαφές. ηʹ. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀληθὲς, ἀναμνήσθητι πῶς μὲν ὁ Ἰωάννης ἀπέθανε, καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν καὶ διὰ τί, πῶς δὲ ὁ Ἄβελ. Οὐδέτερος γὰρ τούτων οὐ βωμὸν εἶδε καιόμενον, οὐ ξόανον ἑστηκὸς, οὐ θῦσαι ἐπετάγη δαίμοσιν· ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν, ἐπειδὴ μόνον ἤλεγξε τὸν Ἡρώδην, ἀπετμήθη τὴν κεφαλὴν, ὁ δὲ ἐπειδὴ τὸν Θεὸν ἐτίμησε θυσίᾳ πλείονι τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ, κατεσφάττετο. Ἆρ' οὖν ἀπεστέρηνται τῶν τοῦ μαρτυρίου στεφάνων; καὶ τίς ἂν τοῦτο τολμήσειεν εἰπεῖν; Μάλιστα μὲν γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ τοῦ θανάτου τρόπος ἱκανὸς ἅπαντας πεῖσαι, ὅτι εἰς τοὺς πρώτους τῶν μαρτύρων τελοῦσιν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ψῆφον ζητεῖς θείαν ὑπὲρ τούτων ἐξενηνεγμένην ἰδεῖν, ἄκουσον τί φησιν ὁ Παῦλος· ἃ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος φθέγγεται, δῆλον ὅτι τοῦ Πνεύματός ἐστι· ∆οκῶ γὰρ, φησὶ, κἀγὼ Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἔχειν. Τί 48.940 οὖν οὗτός φησιν; Ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἄβελ, καὶ εἰπὼν, ὅτι πλείονα θυσίαν Ἄβελ παρὰ Κάϊν προσήνεγκε τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ δι' αὐτῆς ἀποθανὼν ἔτι λαλεῖ· εἶτα καταβὰς εἰς τοὺς προφήτας, καὶ διελθὼν εἰς τὸν Ἰωάννην, καὶ εἰπών· Ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρας ἀπέθανον, ἕτεροι δὲ ἐτυμπανίσθησαν· καὶ πολλοὺς καὶ διαφόρους διηγησάμενος θανάτους, ἐπήγαγεν οὕτω· Τοιγαροῦν καὶ ἡμεῖς τοσοῦτον ἔχοντες περικείμενον ἡμῖν νέφος μαρτύρων, ὄγκον ἀποθέμενοι πάντα, δι' ὑπομονῆς τρέχωμεν. Ὁρᾷς, ὅτι καὶ τὸν Ἄβελ μάρτυρα ἐκάλεσε, καὶ τὸν Νῶε, καὶ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ τὸν Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ τὸν Ἰακώβ. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ αὐτῶν οὕτως ἀπέθανον διὰ τὸν Θεόν· ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ Παῦλός φησι, Καθ' ἡμέραν ἀποθνήσκω·