John Chrysostom, On Matthew

your God. And if he, putting forward glory and power, and an infinite multitude of riches, bids you worship, stand again nobly. For the devil has not done this only in the case of our common Master of all, but also every day against each one of His servants he brings these devices; not only in mountains and in deserts, nor by himself, but also in cities, and in marketplaces, and in courts, and through people who are our own kin. What then must we do? Distrust him completely, and stop up our ears, and hate him when he flatters, and when he promises greater things, then turn away from him the more. Since also in the case of Eve, when he most lifted her up with hopes, then he cast her down, and worked the greatest evils. For he is an implacable enemy, and has undertaken an undeclared war against us. And we are not so zealous for our own salvation, as he is for our destruction. Let us therefore turn away from him, not only in words, but also in deeds; not in thought, but also in actions; and let us do nothing of those things that seem good to him; for thus we will do all things that seem good to God. For he also promises many things, not that he may give, but that he may take. He promises out of plunder, that he may take away the kingdom and righteousness; and he places treasures in the earth like certain snares and traps, that he may deprive us both of these and of the treasures in the heavens; and he wishes us to be rich here, so that we may not be rich there. And if he is unable through wealth to cast us out from that inheritance, he comes by another road, that of poverty; which is what he did in the case of Job. For when he saw that wealth had not harmed him at all, he weaves his nets through poverty, expecting to overcome him from that quarter; than which what could be more foolish? For he who was able to bear wealth with self-control, will much more bear poverty nobly; and he who does not desire present riches, will not seek them when they are absent; just as then that blessed man did not, but from poverty became more illustrious again. For that 57.214 wicked demon was able to take away his riches; but not only was he unable to take away his love for God, but he even made it stronger, and having stripped him of all things, he made him abound with more good things; wherefore he was also at a loss. For the more plagues he inflicted, the stronger he then saw him becoming. Therefore, having gone through and tested everything, since he accomplished nothing more, he ran to his ancient weapon, the woman, and he puts on a mask of solicitude, and makes a tragedy of his misfortunes very piteously, and pretends to introduce that destructive counsel for the sake of deliverance from his evils. But not even so did he prevail; for that wonderful man saw through his bait, and with much understanding silenced the woman who was speaking from him. 5. Which is indeed what we also must do; if, having entered into a brother, or a genuine friend, or a wife, or any one of those most necessary to us, he should utter something of what is not fitting, we must not receive the counsel because of the person who says these things, but because of the destructive counsel, we must turn away from him who says these things. For even now he does many such things, and puts forward a mask of sympathy; and he seems to be benevolent, but he injects words that are destructive and worse than poisons. For to flatter for harm is his; but to discipline for benefit is God's. Let us not then be deceived, nor in every way seek the easy life. For whom the Lord loves, He chastens, it says. So that when we enjoy prosperity while living in wickedness, then especially let us be grieved. For it is necessary always to fear when we are sinning; but especially, when we suffer nothing terrible. For when God exacts the punishments in part, He makes the payment for these things light for us; but when He is long-suffering for each of our offenses, He reserves us who persist in such things for a great penalty. For if affliction is necessary for those who do right, much more for those who sin. See then how much long-suffering Pharaoh enjoyed, for the final

Θεόν σου. Κἂν ἐκεῖνος δόξαν καὶ δυναστείαν προβαλλόμενος, καὶ χρημάτων πλῆθος ἄπειρον, κελεύῃ προσκυνεῖν, στῆθι πάλιν γενναίως. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῦ κοινοῦ ∆εσπότου πάντων ἡμῶν τοῦτο πεποίηκεν ὁ διάβολος μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἐφ' ἑκάστου τῶν ἐκείνου δούλων ταύτας προσάγει τὰς μηχανάς· οὐκ ἐν ὄρεσι μόνον καὶ ἐν ἐρημίαις, οὐδὲ δι' ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν πόλεσι, καὶ ἐν ἀγοραῖς, καὶ ἐν δικαστηρίοις, καὶ διὰ τῶν συγγενῶν ἡμῖν ἀνθρώπων. Τί οὖν δεῖ ποιεῖν; Ἀπιστεῖν αὐτῷ καθόλου, καὶ τὰς ἀκοὰς ἀποφράττειν, καὶ κολακεύοντα μισεῖν, καὶ ὅταν μείζονα ἐπαγγέλληται, τότε μειζόνως ἀποστρέφεσθαι. Ἐπεὶ καὶ τὴν Εὔαν, ὅτε μάλιστα ἐπῆρε ταῖς ἐλπίσι, τότε κατέβαλε, καὶ τὰ μέγιστα εἰργάσατο κακά. Καὶ γὰρ ἐχθρός ἐστιν ἄσπονδος, καὶ πόλεμον ἀκήρυκτον ἀνεδέξατο πρὸς ἡμᾶς. Καὶ οὐχ οὕτως ἡμεῖς σπουδάζομεν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίας, ὡς ἐκεῖνος ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀπωλείας τῆς ἡμετέρας. Ἀποστραφῶμεν τοίνυν αὐτὸν, μὴ ῥήμασι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔργοις· μὴ διανοίᾳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πράξεσι· καὶ μηδὲν ποιῶμεν τῶν ἐκείνῳ δοκούντων· οὕτω γὰρ πάντα ποιήσομεν τὰ τῷ Θεῷ δοκοῦντα. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐπαγγέλλεται πολλὰ, οὐχ ἵνα δῷ, ἀλλ' ἵνα λάβῃ. Ἐπαγγέλλεται ἐξ ἁρπαγῆς, ἵνα ἀφέληται βασιλείαν καὶ δικαιοσύνην· καὶ τίθησιν ὥσπερ τινὰς παγίδας καὶ θήρατρα θησαυροὺς ἐν τῇ γῇ, ἵνα καὶ τούτων καὶ τῶν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἀποστερήσῃ θησαυρῶν· καὶ βούλεται ἐνταῦθα πλουτεῖν, ἵνα μὴ πλουτήσωμεν ἐκεῖ. Κἂν μὴ δυνηθῇ διὰ πλούτου τῆς ἐκεῖ λήξεως ἡμᾶς ἐκβαλεῖν, ἑτέραν ἔρχεται τὴν διὰ τῆς πενίας ὁδόν· ὅπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ πεποίηκεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶδεν, ὅτι οὐδὲν αὐτὸν ὁ πλοῦτος ἠδίκησε, διὰ τῆς πενίας πλέκει τὰ δίκτυα, ἐκεῖθεν αὐτοῦ περιέσεσθαι προσδοκῶν· οὗ τί γένοιτ' ἂν ἀνοητότερον; Ὁ γὰρ πλοῦτον δυνηθεὶς ἐνεγκεῖν σωφρόνως, πολλῷ μᾶλλον πενίαν οἴσει γενναίως· καὶ ὁ παρόντων οὐκ ἐπιθυμῶν χρημάτων, οὐδὲ ἀπόντα ζητήσει· ὥσπερ οὖν οὐδὲ ὁ μακάριος τότε ἐκεῖνος, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς πενίας λαμπρότερος ἐγίνετο πάλιν. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ χρήματα ἴσχυσεν ἀφελέσθαι ὁ 57.214 πονηρὸς δαίμων ἐκεῖνος· τὴν δὲ ἀγάπην τὴν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν οὐ μόνον ἀφελεῖν οὐκ ἠδυνήθη, ἀλλὰ καὶ δυνατωτέραν ἐποίησε, καὶ πάντων αὐτὸν γυμνώσας, πλείοσιν ἐποίησε κομᾷν ἀγαθοῖς· διὸ καὶ ἐν ἀμηχανίᾳ ἦν. Ὅσῳ γὰρ πλείους ἐπήγαγε πληγὰς, τοσούτῳ τότε δυνατώτερον ἑώρα γινόμενον. ∆ιὸ δὴ πάντα ἐπελθὼν καὶ διακωδωνίσας, ἐπειδὴ πλέον οὐδὲν ἤνυσεν, ἐπὶ τὸ παλαιὸν ὅπλον ἔδραμε, τὴν γυναῖκα, καὶ προσωπεῖον ὑποδύεται κηδεμονίας, καὶ τὰς συμφορὰς ἐκτραγῳδεῖ τὰς ἐκείνου σφόδρα ἐλεεινῶς, καὶ προσποιεῖται ὑπὲρ ἀπαλλαγῆς τῶν ἐκείνου κακῶν τὴν ὀλεθρίαν ἐκείνην εἰσάγειν συμβουλήν. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐκράτησε· καὶ γὰρ συνεῖδεν αὐτοῦ τὸ δέλεαρ ὁ θαυμαστὸς ἐκεῖνος ἀνὴρ, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς συνέσεως τὴν ἐξ ἐκείνου φθεγγομένην γυναῖκα ἐπεστόμισεν. εʹ. Ὃ δὴ καὶ ἡμᾶς χρὴ ποιεῖν· κἂν ἀδελφὸν, κἂν φίλον γνήσιον, κἂν γυναῖκα, κἂν ὁντιναοῦν τῶν ἀναγκαιοτάτων ἡμῖν ὑποδὺς, φθέγγηταί τι τῶν οὐ προσηκόντων, μὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου τοῦ ταῦτα λέγοντος δέχεσθαι τὴν συμβουλὴν, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς συμβουλῆς τῆς ὀλεθρίας τὸν ταῦτα λέγοντα ἀποστρέφεσθαι. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ νῦν πολλὰ τοιαῦτα ποιεῖ, καὶ συμπαθείας προβάλλεται προσωπεῖον· καὶ δοκεῖ μὲν εἶναι εὔνους, τὰ δὲ ὀλέθρια καὶ δηλητηρίων χαλεπώτερα ἐνίησι ῥήματα. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ βλάβῃ κολακεύειν, ἐκείνου· τὸ δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ συμφέροντι παιδεύειν, Θεοῦ. Μὴ δὴ παραλογιζώμεθα, μηδὲ ἐκ παντὸς τρόπου τὸν ἄνετον ἐπιζητῶμεν βίον. Ὃν γὰρ ἀγαπᾷ Κύριος, παιδεύει, φησίν. Ὥστε ὅταν εὐημερίας ἀπολαύωμεν ἐν πονηρίᾳ ζῶντες, τότε μάλιστα ἀλγῶμεν. Ἀεὶ μὲν γὰρ ἁμαρτάνοντας δεδοικέναι χρή· μάλιστα δὲ, ὅταν μηδὲν πάσχωμεν δεινόν. Ὅταν μὲν γὰρ κατὰ μέρος ἀπαιτῇ τὰς τιμωρίας ὁ Θεὸς, κούφην ἡμῖν ποιεῖ τὴν ὑπὲρ τούτων ἔκτισιν· ὅταν δὲ ἐφ' ἑκάστου τῶν πλημμελουμένων μακροθυμῇ, εἰς μεγάλην ἡμᾶς τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐπιμένοντας ταμιεύεται δίκην. Εἰ γὰρ τοῖς κατορθοῦσιν ἀναγκαῖον ἡ θλῖψις, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσιν. Ὅρα γοῦν πόσης μακροθυμίας ἀπολαύσας ὁ Φαραὼ, ἐσχάτην ὑπὲρ