John Chrysostom, On Matthew

and He has allowed us to be as lamps in this world, that we might both restrain those who are dissolving through luxury, and give light to those who are darkened by the care of riches? When, therefore, we cast them into greater darkness, and make them more dissolute, what hope of salvation will there be for us? There is none; but wailing, and gnashing our teeth, and bound hand and foot we shall depart into the fire of Gehenna, after having been thoroughly enslaved by the cares of wealth. Considering all these things, then, let us break the bonds of such deceit, that we may not fall into those things that deliver us to the unquenchable fire. For he who serves money will be continually subject both to the chains here and to those there; but he who is freed from this desire will attain both freedoms; that we too may attain it, having broken the hard yoke of the love of money, let us give ourselves wings to heaven, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

57.207 HOMILY XIII. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil.

1. Then; when? After the descent of the Spirit, after the voice which came from above and said: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well 57.208 pleased. And the wonderful thing is, that it was by the Holy Spirit; for this, it says, led Him up there. For since He did and endured all things for our instruction, He endures also to be led up there, and to wrestle against the devil; that each 57.209 of those who are baptized, if after baptism he should endure greater temptations, might not be troubled, as if the thing were happening contrary to expectation, but might remain, bearing all things nobly, as if this were happening in due course. For indeed for this reason you have received arms, not that you should be idle, but that you should fight. For this reason God does not prevent the temptations from coming on; first, that you may learn that you have become much stronger; next, that you may remain moderate, and not be puffed up by the greatness of your gifts, since the temptations are able to keep you in check; in addition to these, that that wicked demon, who for a while is in doubt about your desertion of him, may be fully assured by the trial of temptations, that you have utterly forsaken and renounced him; fourth, that by this you may be made stronger and more robust than any iron; fifth, that you may receive a clear proof of the treasures entrusted to you. For the devil would not have attacked, had he not seen you brought to greater honor. Hence indeed even from the beginning he rose up against Adam, because he saw him enjoying much dignity. For this reason he arrayed himself against Job, because he saw him being crowned and proclaimed by the God of all. How then does he say: Pray that you may not enter into temptation? For this reason he does not show you Jesus simply going up, but being led up according to the plan of the economy, intimating by these things that we should not leap into them ourselves, but when drawn in should stand nobly. And see where the Spirit took Him and led Him up; not into a city and a marketplace, but into a wilderness. For since He wished to draw the devil to Him, He gives him an opportunity not only through hunger, but also through the place. For then especially does the devil attack, when he sees people isolated and by themselves. Thus also he attacked the woman in the beginning, taking her alone, and finding her apart from her husband. For when he sees them with others and gathered together, he is not so bold, nor does he approach. Wherefore it is necessary especially for this reason to flock together continually, so as not to be an easy prey to the devil. Finding Him then in the wilderness, and a pathless wilderness (for that the wilderness was such, Mark has indicated, saying, that He was with the wild beasts); see with how much craftiness and wickedness he approaches, and what a time he watches for. For he does not approach Him when He is fasting, but when He is hungry; that you may learn how great a good is fasting, and how it is a most powerful weapon against the devil, and that after the font you should not

καὶ λαμπάδων ἀφῆκεν ἡμᾶς εἶναι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ, ἵνα καὶ τοὺς διαῤῥέοντας ὑπὸ τρυφῆς ἐπισφίγγωμεν, καὶ τοὺς τῇ μερίμνῃ τῶν χρημάτων ἐσκοτωμένους φωτίζωμεν; Ὅταν οὖν καὶ εἰς σκότος αὐτοὺς ἐμβάλλωμεν πλεῖον, καὶ χαυνοτέρους ποιῶμεν, τίς ἔσται σωτηρίας ἡμῖν ἐλπίς; Οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεμία· ἀλλ' οἰμώζοντες, καὶ τοὺς ὀδόντας βρύχοντες, καὶ δεδεμένοι πόδας καὶ χεῖρας εἰς τὸ τῆς γεέννης ἀπελευσόμεθα πῦρ, μετὰ τὸ κατεργασθῆναι καλῶς ταῖς τοῦ πλούτου φροντίσι. Ταῦτ' οὖν ἐννοήσαντες ἅπαντα, τὰ δεσμὰ λύσωμεν τῆς τοιαύτης ἀπάτης, ἵνα μηδὲ εἰς ἐκεῖνα ἐμπέσωμεν τὰ τῷ πυρὶ παραδιδόντα ἡμᾶς τῷ ἀσβέστῳ. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ χρήμασι δουλεύων, καὶ ταῖς ἐνταῦθα ἁλύσεσι καὶ ταῖς ἐκεῖ διηνεκῶς ἔσται ὑπεύθυνος· ὁ δὲ ταύτης ἀπηλλαγμένος τῆς ἐπιθυμίας, ἑκατέρας τεύξεται τῆς ἐλευθερίας· ἧς ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐπιτύχωμεν, τὸν χαλεπὸν τῆς φιλοχρηματίας συντρίψαντες ζυγὸν, πτερώσωμεν ἑαυτοὺς πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. 57.207 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΙΓʹ. Τότε ἀνήχθη ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὴν ἔρημον ὑπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος, πειρασθῆναι ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου. αʹ. Τότε· πότε; Μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος κάθοδον, μετὰ τὴν φωνὴν ἄνωθεν ἐνεχθεῖσαν καὶ λέγουσαν· Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητὸς, ἐν ᾧ ηὐδό 57.208 κησα. Καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστὸν, ὅτι ὑπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου· τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτὸν ἀνάγειν ἐνταῦθά φησιν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πάντα πρὸς διδασκαλίαν ἡμῶν ἔπραττε καὶ ὑπέμενεν, ἀνέχεται καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖσε ἀναγωγῆς, καὶ τῆς πρὸς τὸν διάβολον πάλης· ἵνα ἕκαστος 57.209 τῶν βαπτιζομένων, εἰ μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα μείζονας ὑπομείνειε πειρασμοὺς, μὴ ταράττηται, ὡς παρὰ προσδοκίαν τοῦ πράγματος γινομένου, ἀλλὰ μένῃ γενναίως πάντα φέρων, ὡς κατὰ ἀκολουθίαν τούτου συμβαίνοντος. Καὶ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ἔλαβες ὅπλα, οὐχ ἵνα ἀργῇς, ἀλλ' ἵνα πολεμῇς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ ἐπιόντας κωλύει τοὺς πειρασμοὺς ὁ Θεός· πρῶτον μὲν ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι πολλῷ γέγονας ἰσχυρότερος· ἔπειτα ἵνα μένῃς μετριάζων, μηδὲ τῷ μεγέθει τῶν δωρεῶν ἐπαρθῇς, τῶν πειρασμῶν συστέλλειν σε δυναμένων· πρὸς τούτοις, ἵνα ὁ πονηρὸς δαίμων ἐκεῖνος, ὁ τέως ἀμφιβάλλων περὶ τῆς σῆς ἀποστάσεως, ἀπὸ τῆς βασάνου τῶν πειρασμῶν πληροφορηθῇ, ὅτι τέλεον αὐτὸν ἐγκαταλιπὼν ἀπέστης· τέταρτον, ἵνα ἰσχυρότερος καὶ σιδήρου παντὸς εὐτονώτερος ταύτῃ κατασκευασθῇς· πέμπτον, ἵνα ἀπόδειξιν λάβῃς σαφῆ τῶν πιστευθέντων σοι θησαυρῶν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν ἐπῆλθεν ὁ διάβολος, εἰ μή σε ἐν μείζονι γενόμενον εἶδε τιμῇ. Ἐντεῦθεν γοῦν καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐπανέστη τῷ Ἀδὰμ, ἐπειδὴ πολλῆς αὐτὸν εἶδεν ἀπολαύσαντα τῆς ἀξίας. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο παρετάξατο πρὸς τὸν Ἰὼβ, ἐπειδὴ στεφανούμενον αὐτὸν καὶ ἀνακηρυττόμενον ἐθεάσατο παρὰ τοῦ τῶν ὅλων Θεοῦ. Καὶ πῶς οὖν φησιν· Εὔχεσθε μὴ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς πειρασμόν; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀνιόντα αὐτὸν ἁπλῶς δείκνυσί σοι τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ἀλλὰ ἀναγόμενον κατὰ τὸν τῆς οἰκονομίας λόγον, αἰνιττόμενος διὰ τούτων, ὅτι οὐκ αὐτοὺς ἐπιπηδᾷν χρὴ, ἀλλ' ἑλκομένους ἑστάναι γενναίως. Καὶ ὅρα ποῦ λαβὼν αὐτὸν τὸ Πνεῦμα ἀνήγαγεν· οὐκ εἰς πόλιν καὶ ἀγορὰν, ἀλλ' εἰς ἔρημον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸν διάβολον ἐπισπάσασθαι ἐβούλετο, οὐ διὰ τῆς πείνης μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τοῦ τόπου δίδωσιν αὐτῷ λαβήν. Τότε γὰρ μάλιστα ἐπιτίθεται ὁ διάβολος, ὅταν ἴδῃ μεμονωμένους καὶ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ὄντας. Οὕτω καὶ τῇ γυναικὶ παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐπέθετο, μόνην αὐτὴν ἀπολαβὼν, καὶ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς χωρὶς οὖσαν εὑρών. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ μεθ' ἑτέρων ὄντας ἴδῃ καὶ συγκεκροτημένους, οὐχ ὁμοίως θαῤῥεῖ, οὐδὲ ἔπεισι. ∆ιὸ χρὴ μάλιστα καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μετ' ἀλλήλων ἀγελάζεσθαι συνεχῶς, ὥστε μὴ εὐχειρώτους εἶναι τῷ διαβόλῳ. Εὑρὼν τοίνυν αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, καὶ ἐρήμῳ ἀβάτῳ (ὅτι γὰρ τοιαύτη ἡ ἔρημος ἦν, ὁ Μάρκος ἐδήλωσεν εἰπὼν, ὅτι Μετὰ τῶν θηρίων ἦν)· ὅρα μεθ' ὅσης προσέρχεται κακουργίας καὶ πονηρίας, καὶ ποῖον παρατηρεῖ καιρόν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ νηστεύοντι, ἀλλὰ πεινῶντι προσέρχεται· ἵνα σὺ μάθῃς, ἡλίκον ἡ νηστεία καλὸν, καὶ πῶς ὅπλον ἐστὶ κατὰ τοῦ διαβόλου μέγιστον, καὶ ὅτι μετὰ τὸ λουτρὸν οὐ