John Chrysostom, On Matthew

evils and things that have harmed the whole world entered out of despair; for the devil, not being such before this, thus became the devil; which Paul also declared, saying, "Lest being puffed up he fall into the condemnation of the devil"; and the first man, puffed up with these hopes by the devil, was cast down and became mortal; for expecting to be a god, he lost even what he had; which God also, reproaching him and mocking his folly, said; "Behold, Adam has become as one of us." And each of those after these things ran aground into impiety from this, imagining equality with God; since, therefore, this was the acropolis of evils, and the root and spring of all wickedness, preparing a suitable medicine for the disease, He laid down this law first as a certain strong and secure foundation. For when this is laid down, the builder lays on all the other things with security; but if this is taken away, even if one reaches to the heavens in his manner of life, all things are easily swept away, and come to a grievous end. Even if you gather fasting, or prayer, or almsgiving, or temperance, 57.225 or any other good thing whatever, without humility, all things flow away and are lost. Which is what also happened in the case of the Pharisee. For after reaching the very summit, he came down having lost everything, because he did not have the mother of good things. For just as despair is a spring of all malice, so humility is the beginning of all philosophy. Therefore He also begins from here, pulling up arrogance by the roots from the soul of His hearers. And what has this to do with the disciples, he says, who were humble in every way? For they had no occasion for any despair, being fishermen and poor, and obscure and unlearned. Even if these things were not for the disciples, they were at least for those present then, and for those who were going to receive them after these things, so that they might not despise them for these reasons; or rather, for the disciples too. For even if not then, yet later they would have need of this benefit, after the signs and the wonders, and the honor from the world, and their boldness toward God. For neither wealth, nor power, not even kingship itself was so able to lift one up, as the things that befell them. And besides, even before the signs it was likely that they would be puffed up then too, seeing the multitude and that theater surrounding the teacher, and to suffer something human. Therefore He immediately puts down their pride. And He does not introduce what is said in the manner of exhortations and commands, but in the manner of a beatitude, making the word less offensive, and opening the course of teaching to all. For He did not say, "So-and-so and so-and-so," but, "All who do these things are blessed." So that whether you are a slave, or poor, or a beggar, or a foreigner, or unlearned, there is nothing to prevent you from being blessed, if you will emulate this virtue. Beginning, therefore, from where it was most necessary, He proceeds to another commandment, which seems to be contrary to the world's judgment. For while all men consider the joyful to be enviable, but those in despondency and poverty and mourning to be wretched, He blesses these instead of those, saying thus; Blessed are they that mourn. And yet all count them miserable. For on this account He had worked signs beforehand, so that in legislating such things He might be credible. And here again He has not spoken of simply those who mourn, but those who do this for their sins; since the other kind is very much forbidden, that is, to lament over any of the things of this life. Which Paul also made plain, saying that "The sorrow of the world worketh death; but godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of." γʹ. These, therefore, He Himself also blesses here, those who sorrow in this way; and He has not spoken of simply those who sorrow, but those who do so with intensity. Therefore He did not say, "Those who sorrow," but, "Those who mourn." For this commandment again is a teacher of all philosophy. For if those who mourn for children, or a wife, or some other relative who has departed, do not desire money 57.226 or bodies while

κακῶν καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην λυμηνάμενα ἅπασαν ἐξ ἀπονοίας εἰσῆλθεν· ὅ τε γὰρ διάβολος οὐκ ὢν πρὸ τούτου τοιοῦτος, οὕτω διάβολος γέγονεν· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ Παῦλος δηλῶν ἔλεγεν· Ἵνα μὴ τυφωθεὶς εἰς κρῖμα ἐμπέσῃ τοῦ διαβόλου· ὅ τε πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος ταύταις παρὰ τοῦ διαβόλου φυσηθεὶς ταῖς ἐλπίσιν ἐξετραχηλίσθη καὶ θνητὸς ἐγένετο· προσδοκήσας γὰρ ἔσεσθαι θεὸς, καὶ ὅπερ εἶχεν ἀπώλεσεν· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ὀνειδίζων αὐτῷ, καὶ τὴν ἄνοιαν αὐτοῦ κωμῳδῶν, ἔλεγεν· Ἰδοὺ Ἀδὰμ γέγονεν ὡς εἷς ἐξ ἡμῶν. Καὶ ἕκαστος δὲ τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα ἐντεῦθεν εἰς ἀσέβειαν ἐξώκειλεν, ἰσοθεΐαν φαντασθείς· ἐπεὶ οὖν αὕτη τῶν κακῶν ἡ ἀκρόπολις ἦν, καὶ ἡ ῥίζα καὶ ἡ πηγὴ τῆς πονηρίας ἁπάσης, τῷ νοσήματι τὸ κατάλληλον κατασκευάζων φάρμακον, ὥσπερ θεμέλιον ἰσχυρόν τινα καὶ ἀσφαλῆ τοῦτον πρῶτον κατεβάλετο τὸν νόμον. Ταύτης γὰρ ὑποκειμένης, μετὰ ἀσφαλείας ἅπαντα τὰ ἄλλα ἐπιτίθησιν ὁ οἰκοδομῶν· ταύτης δὲ ἀνῃρημένης, κἂν μέχρι τῶν οὐρανῶν φθάσῃ πολιτευόμενος, ἅπαντα ὑποσύρεται ῥᾳδίως, καὶ εἰς χαλεπὸν καταστρέφει τέλος. Κἂν νηστείαν, κἂν εὐχὴν, κἂν ἐλεημοσύνην, κἂν σωφροσύ 57.225 νην, κἂν ἄλλ' ὁτιοῦν συναγάγῃς ἀγαθὸν, ταπεινοφροσύνης χωρὶς, διαῤῥεῖ καὶ ἀπόλλυται ἅπαντα. Ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Φαρισαίου γέγονε. Καὶ γὰρ μετὰ τὸ φθάσαι εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν κορυφὴν, πάντα ἀπολέσας κατέβη, ἐπειδὴ τὴν μητέρα τῶν ἀγαθῶν οὐκ εἶχεν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ ἀπόνοια πηγὴ κακίας ἁπάσης ἐστὶν, οὕτως ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη φιλοσοφίας ἁπάσης ἀρχή. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἄρχεται, πρόῤῥιζον ἀνασπῶν τὴν ἀλαζονείαν ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἀκουόντων ψυχῆς. Καὶ τί τοῦτο πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς, φησὶ, τοὺς πάντοθεν ὄντας ταπεινούς; Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶχον ἀφορμὴν ἀπονοίας τινὰ, ἁλιεῖς καὶ πένητες ὄντες, καὶ ἄσημοι καὶ ἰδιῶται. Εἰ καὶ μὴ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς ταῦτα, ἀλλὰ πρός γε τοὺς παρόντας τότε, καὶ τοὺς μετὰ ταῦτα μέλλοντας αὐτοὺς ὑποδέχεσθαι, ἵνα μὴ διὰ ταῦτα αὐτῶν καταφρονῶσι· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητάς. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ τότε, ἀλλ' ὕστερον ἔμελλον δεῖσθαι τῆς ὠφελείας ταύτης, μετὰ τὰ σημεῖα καὶ τὰ θαύματα, καὶ τὴν τῆς οἰκουμένης τιμὴν, καὶ τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν παῤῥησίαν. Οὔτε γὰρ πλοῦτος, οὔτε δυναστεία, οὐκ αὐτὴ ἡ βασιλεία οὕτως ἐπᾶραι ἦν ἱκανὴ, ὡς τὰ ἐκείνοις ὑπάρξαντα. Ἄλλως δὲ καὶ πρὸ τῶν σημείων εἰκὸς ἦν αὐτοὺς καὶ τότε ἐπαρθῆναι, τὸ πλῆθος ὁρῶντας καὶ τὸ θέατρον ἐκεῖνο τὸ περιεστηκὸς τὸν διδάσκαλον, καὶ παθεῖν τι ἀνθρώπινον. ∆ιόπερ αὐτῶν εὐθέως καταστέλλει τὸ φρόνημα. Καὶ οὐκ εἰσάγει ἐν τάξει παραινέσεων τὰ λεγόμενα καὶ ἐπιταγμάτων, ἀλλ' ἐν τάξει μακαρισμοῦ, ἀνεπαχθέστερον τὸν λόγον ποιῶν, καὶ πᾶσιν ἀνοίγων τὸ τῆς διδασκαλίας στάδιον. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ὁ δεῖνα καὶ ὁ δεῖνα, ἀλλ', Οἱ ταῦτα ποιοῦντες μακάριοι πάντες. Ὥστε κἂν δοῦλος ᾖς, κἂν πτωχὸς, κἂν πένης, κἂν ξένος, κἂν ἰδιώτης, οὐδέν ἐστι τὸ κωλύον σε ἔσεσθαι μακάριον, ἂν τὴν ἀρετὴν ταύτην ζηλώσῃς. Ἀρξάμενος τοίνυν ἐντεῦθεν, ὅθεν μάλιστα ἐχρῆν, πρόεισιν ἐφ' ἑτέραν ἐντολὴν, ἀπεναντίας δοκοῦσαν εἶναι τῇ τῆς οἰκουμένης ψήφῳ. Ἁπάντων γὰρ τοὺς χαίροντας ζηλωτοὺς εἶναι νομιζόντων, τοὺς δὲ ἐν ἀθυμίᾳ καὶ πενίᾳ καὶ πένθει ἀθλίους, αὐτὸς τούτους ἀντ' ἐκείνων μακαρίζει, λέγων οὕτω· Μακάριοι οἱ πενθοῦντες. Καίτοιγε ἅπαντες αὐτοὺς ταλανίζουσι. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο προλαβὼν τὰ σημεῖα εἰργάσατο, ἵνα τοιαῦτα νομοθετῶν ἀξιόπιστος ᾖ. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα δὲ πάλιν οὐχ ἁπλῶς τοὺς πενθοῦντας τέθεικεν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτημάτων τοῦτο ποιοῦντας· ὡς τό γε ἕτερον καὶ σφόδρα ἐστὶ κεκωλυμένον, τὸ ἐπί τινι τῶν βιωτικῶν θρηνεῖν. Ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἐδήλου λέγων, ὅτι Ἡ μὲν τοῦ κόσμου λύπη, θάνατον κατεργάζεται· ἡ δὲ κατὰ Θεὸν, μετάνοιαν εἰς σωτηρίαν ἀμεταμέλητον κατεργάζεται. γʹ. Τούτους τοίνυν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐνταῦθα μακαρίζει τοὺς οὕτω λυπουμένους· καὶ οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς τοὺς λυπουμένους τέθεικεν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς μετ' ἐπιτάσεως. ∆ιόπερ οὐδὲ εἶπεν, Οἱ λυπούμενοι, ἀλλὰ, Οἱ πενθοῦντες. Καὶ γὰρ αὕτη πάλιν ἡ ἐντολὴ πάσης ἐστὶ φιλοσοφίας διδάσκαλος. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ παῖδας, ἢ γυναῖκα, ἢ ἄλλον τινὰ τῶν προσηκόντων ἀπελθόντα πενθοῦντες, οὐ χρη 57.226 μάτων, οὐ σωμάτων ἐρῶσι κατ'