John Chrysostom, On Matthew

that He who has done so many and so great things for you will overlook you at the critical moments, and will leave you when you die to lie with the donkeys and the swine, and having honored you with so great a gift, that of godliness, by which He made you equal to the angels, will disregard you after countless toils and sweats? And how 57.218 could this be reasonable? For these things, even if we are silent, the stones will cry out; so clear and manifest are they, and brighter than the sunbeam itself. Therefore, considering all these things, and persuading our own soul that after our departure from hence we shall both stand before a fearful tribunal, and give an account for all our deeds, and undergo an examination, and suffer punishment, if we continue sinning, and we shall enjoy crowns and ineffable good things, if we are willing to pay a little attention to ourselves, let us both silence those who speak against these things, and let us ourselves choose the way of virtue, so that departing to that judgment seat with fitting confidence, we may obtain the good things promised to us, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

57.217 HOMILY 14. Now when Jesus heard that John had been delivered up,

he withdrew into Galilee.

1. For what reason does He withdraw? Again, teaching us not to rush into temptations, but to yield and give way. For it is not a crime not to cast oneself into danger, but, having fallen into it, not to stand nobly. Teaching this, therefore, and soothing the envy of the Jews, He withdraws to Capernaum, at once fulfilling the prophecy, and also hastening to fish for the teachers of the world, since they were staying there practicing their trade. But consider, I pray you, how everywhere, when He is about to go to the Gentiles, He receives the occasions from the Jews. For here too, having plotted against the Forerunner, and having cast him into prison, they push Him into the Galilee of the Gentiles. For that He is neither speaking of the Jewish nation in part, nor alluding to all the tribes, consider how the prophet defines that region, saying thus: Land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light; calling darkness here not that which is perceptible, but error and impiety. Therefore He added: To those who sat in the region and shadow of death, light has dawned for them. For so that you may learn that He means neither perceptible light nor darkness, when speaking of the light, He did not simply call it light, but a great light, which elsewhere He calls true; and explaining the darkness, He named it a shadow of death. Then showing that they did not find it by seeking, but that God appeared to them from above, He says, Light has dawned for them, that is, the light itself rose and shone; they did not run to the light first. For human affairs were in the worst state before the coming of Christ. For they were not walking in darkness, but they were sitting in darkness; which was a sign of their not even hoping to be delivered; for just as if not even knowing where they must go, so being overtaken by the darkness they sat, being unable even to stand any longer. From that time Jesus began to preach and to say 57.218.20: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. From that time; when? From when John was cast in. And why did He not preach to them from the beginning? And why was there need of John at all, when the testimony of His works proclaimed Him? So that from this you might learn His worth, that just as the Father, so He too has prophets; which is what Zacharias also said: And you, child, shall be called the Prophet of the Most High; and so that He might leave no excuse for the shameless Jews; which therefore

ὅτι ὁ τοσαῦτα καὶ τηλικαῦτα ἐργασάμενος διὰ σὲ, ἐν τοῖς καιρίοις σε παρόψεται, καὶ μετὰ τῶν ὄνων καὶ τῶν χοίρων ἀφήσει τελευτήσαντα κεῖσθαι, καὶ δώρῳ σε τιμήσας τοσούτῳ, τῷ τῆς εὐσεβείας, ᾧ καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἐποίησεν ἴσον, περιόψεταί σε μετὰ τοὺς μυρίους πόνους καὶ ἱδρῶτας; Καὶ πῶς 57.218 ἂν ἔχοι ταῦτα λόγον; Ταῦτα γὰρ, κἂν ἡμεῖς σιγήσωμεν, οἱ λίθοι κεκράξονται· οὕτω σαφῆ καὶ δῆλα, καὶ τῆς ἀκτῖνος αὐτῆς ἐστι φανότερα. Ταῦτ' οὖν ἅπαντα λογισάμενοι, καὶ πείσαντες τὴν ἑαυτῶν ψυχὴν, ὅτι μετὰ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἀποδημίαν καὶ βήματι παραστησόμεθα φοβερῷ, καὶ λόγον δώσομεν τῶν πεπραγμένων ἁπάντων, καὶ εὐθύνας ὑφέξομεν, καὶ δίκην ὑποστησόμεθα, ἂν μένωμεν πλημμελοῦντες, καὶ στεφάνων ἀπολαυσόμεθα καὶ ἀγαθῶν ἀποῤῥήτων, ἂν μικρὸν ἑαυτοῖς προσέχειν βουληθῶμεν, τούς τε ἀντιλέγοντας ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐπιστομίζωμεν, καὶ αὐτοὶ τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς ὁδὸν ἑλώμεθα, ἵνα μετὰ παῤῥησίας τῆς προσηκούσης εἰς ἐκεῖνο τὸ δικαστήριον ἀπελθόντες, ἐπιτύχωμεν τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

57.217 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Ι∆ʹ. Ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ὅτι Ἰωάννης παρεδόθη,

ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν.

αʹ. Τίνος ἕνεκεν ἀναχωρεῖ; Πάλιν παιδεύων ἡμᾶς, μὴ ὁμόσε χωρεῖν τοῖς πειρασμοῖς, ἀλλ' εἴκειν καὶ παραχωρεῖν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔγκλημα τὸ μὴ ῥίπτειν ἑαυτὸν εἰς κίνδυνον, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐμπεσόντα μὴ στῆναι γενναίως. Τοῦτο τοίνυν διδάσκων, καὶ τὸν φθόνον τὸν Ἰουδαϊκὸν παραμυθούμενος, ἀναχωρεῖ εἰς τὴν Καπερναοὺμ, ὁμοῦ μὲν πληρῶν τὴν προφητείαν, ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ τοὺς διδασκάλους τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁλιεῦσαι σπεύδων, ἐπειδήπερ ἐκεῖ διέτριβον τῇ τέχνῃ χρώμενοι. Σὺ δέ μοι σκόπει, πῶς πανταχοῦ μέλλων ἐπὶ τὰ ἔθνη ἀπιέναι, παρὰ Ἰουδαίων λαμβάνει τὰς αἰτίας. Καὶ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα ἐπιβουλεύσαντες τῷ Προδρόμῳ, καὶ εἰς δεσμωτήριον ἐμβαλόντες, ὠθοῦσιν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν τῶν ἐθνῶν. Ὅτι γὰρ οὔτε ἀπὸ μέρους λέγει τὸ ἔθνος τὸ Ἰουδαϊκὸν, οὔτε πάσας αἰνίττεται τὰς φυλὰς, σκόπει πῶς διορίζει τὸ χωρίον ἐκεῖνο ὁ προφήτης, οὕτω λέγων· Γῆ Νεφθαλεὶμ, ὁδὸν θαλάσσης πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, Γαλιλαία τῶν ἐθνῶν· ὁ λαὸς ὁ καθήμενος ἐν σκότει, φῶς εἶδε μέγα· σκότος ἐνταῦθα οὐ τὸ αἰσθητὸν καλῶν, ἀλλὰ τὴν πλάνην καὶ τὴν ἀσέβειαν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπήγαγε· Τοῖς καθημένοις ἐν χώρᾳ καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου, φῶς ἀνέτειλεν αὐτοῖς. Ἵνα γὰρ μάθῃς ὅτι οὔτε φῶς, οὔτε σκότος αἰσθητόν φησι, περὶ μὲν τοῦ φωτὸς διαλεγόμενος, οὐχ ἁπλῶς φῶς ἐκάλεσεν, ἀλλὰ φῶς μέγα, ὃ ἀλλαχοῦ ἀληθινόν φησιν· τὸ δὲ σκότος ἐξηγούμενος, σκιὰν θανάτου ὠνόμασεν. Εἶτα δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐκ αὐτοὶ ζητήσαντες εὗρον, ἀλλ' ὁ Θεὸς αὐτοῖς ἄνωθεν ἐπεφάνη, φησὶ, Φῶς ἀνέτειλεν αὐτοῖς, τουτέστιν, αὐτὸ τὸ φῶς ἀνέτειλε καὶ ἔλαμψεν· οὐκ αὐτοὶ πρότεροι τῷ φωτὶ προσέδραμον. Καὶ γὰρ ἐν ἐσχάτοις τὰ ἀνθρώπινα ἦν πρὸ τῆς Χριστοῦ παρουσίας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐβάδιζον ἐν σκότει, ἀλλ' ἐκάθηντο ἐν σκότει· ὅπερ σημεῖον ἦν τοῦ μηδὲ ἐλπίζειν αὐτοὺς ἀπαλλάττεσθαι· ὥσπερ γὰρ οὐδὲ εἰδότες, ποῦ δεῖ προβῆναι, οὕτω καταληφθέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ σκότους ἐκάθηντο, μὴ δυνάμενοι μηδὲ στῆναι λοιπόν. Ἀπὸ τότε ἤρξατο ὁ Ἰησοῦς κηρύσσειν καὶ λέ 57.218.20 γειν· Μετανοεῖτε· ἤγγικε γὰρ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. Ἀπὸ τότε· πότε; Ἐξ οὗ ἐνεβλήθη Ἰωάννης. Καὶ διατί μὴ ἐξ ἀρχῆς αὐτοῖς ἐκήρυξε; τί δὲ ὅλως Ἰωάννου ἔδει, τῆς τῶν ἔργων μαρτυρίας αὐτὸν κηρυττούσης; Ἵνα κἀντεῦθεν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀξίαν μάθῃς, ὅτι καθάπερ ὁ Πατὴρ, οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς προφήτας ἔχει· ὅπερ καὶ ὁ Ζαχαρίας ἔλεγε· Καὶ σὺ, παιδίον, Προφήτης Ὑψίστου κληθήση· καὶ ἵνα μηδεμίαν τοῖς ἀναισχύντοις αἰτίαν καταλίπῃ Ἰουδαίοις· ὅπερ οὖν