John Chrysostom, On Matthew

that time of pain, they do not long for glory, they are not provoked by insults, they are not captured by envy, they are not besieged by any other passion, being possessed by mourning alone; much more will those who mourn their own sins, as is worthy of mourning, display a greater philosophy than this. Then, what is their reward? That they shall be comforted, He says. Where shall they be comforted? tell me. Both here and there. For since the command was very burdensome and heavy, He promised to give that which especially made it light. So if you wish to be comforted, mourn. And do not think what has been said is a riddle. For when God comforts, even if ten thousand snowstorms of sorrows should come upon you, you will be superior to all. For God always gives rewards much greater than the labors; which indeed He has also done here, declaring blessed those who mourn, not according to the worthiness of the matter, but according to His own love for mankind. For those who mourn, mourn for their sins; and for such people it is enough to enjoy pardon and obtain a defense. But since He Himself is exceedingly loving towards mankind, He does not stop the recompense at the removal of punishments, nor at the deliverance from sins, but also makes them blessed, and imparts great comfort. And He bids us mourn not only for our own sins, but also for those of others; such were the souls of the saints; such was that of Moses; such that of Paul, that of David; for all these too often mourned for the evils of others. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. What earth? tell me. Some say an intelligible one. But this is not so; for nowhere in Scripture do we find an intelligible earth. But what then is that which is said? He sets a sensible prize, just as Paul also does. For having said, Honor your father and your mother, he added, For so you shall be long-lived upon the earth. And He Himself again to the thief: Today you shall be with me in paradise. For He exhorts not only by future goods, but also by present ones, on account of the more dull of hearing who seek those things before the things to come. For this reason, then, He also went on to say: Be well-disposed toward your adversary. Then He sets the reward for such philosophy, and says: Lest your adversary hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer. Do you see from what He frightened them? From sensible things, from things happening at one's feet. And again: Whoever says to his brother, 'Raca,' shall be liable to the council. And Paul also is full of setting sensible prizes, and exhorting from present things; for instance when he discourses on virginity; for having said nothing there about the heavens, for the time being he urges from present things, saying: Because of the present distress; and, But I spare you; and, But I want you to be free from care. So also Christ mixed sensible things with spiritual things. For since the meek person is thought 57.227 to lose all that is his own, He promises the opposite, saying that this is the one who possesses what he has with security, the one who is not rash, nor boastful; but such a person will often be dispossessed of his paternal inheritance, and of his very soul. And otherwise, also because in the Old Testament the Prophet continually said, For the meek shall inherit the earth, He weaves His discourse from sayings familiar to them, so as not to seem everywhere to speak strangely. But He says these things, not limiting the rewards to the present, but providing those other things along with these. For if He says something spiritual, He does not take away the things in the present life; and if again He promises something of the things in this life, He does not limit the promise to this. For seek, He says, the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you; and again: Whoever has left houses, or brothers, shall receive a hundredfold in this age, and in the age to come shall inherit eternal life. -Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. What righteousness? He means either virtue in general, or this particular one which is opposed to covetousness. For since He is about to command concerning mercy, showing

ἐκεῖνον τῆς ὀδύνης τὸν καιρὸν, οὐ δόξης ἐφίενται, οὐχ ὕβρεσι παροξύνονται, οὐχ ὑπὸ βασκανίας ἁλίσκονται, οὐχ ὑπὸ ἄλλου πολιορκοῦνταί τινος πάθους, τοῦ πένθους γινόμενοι μόνου· πολλῷ μᾶλλον οἱ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα πενθοῦντες τὰ ἑαυτῶν, ὡς πενθεῖν ἄξιον, μείζονα ταύτης ἐπιδείξονται φιλοσοφίαν. Εἶτα, τί τὸ ἔπαθλον αὐτοῖς; Ὅτι αὐτοὶ παρακληθήσονται, φησίν. Ποῦ παρακληθήσονται; εἰπέ μοι. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα καὶ ἐκεῖ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸ ἐπίταγμα σφόδρα ἦν φορτικὸν καὶ ἐπαχθὲς, ὃ μάλιστα αὐτὸ κοῦφον ἐποίει, τοῦτο ὑπέσχετο δώσειν. Ὥστε εἰ θέλεις παρακαλεῖσθαι, πένθει. Καὶ μὴ νομίσῃς αἴνιγμα εἶναι τὸ εἰρημένον. Ὅταν γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς παρακαλῇ, κἂν μυρίαι νιφάδες ἐπέλθωσι λυπηρῶν, πάντων ἀνώτερος ἔσῃ. Καὶ γὰρ πολλῷ μείζους ἀεὶ τῶν πόνων δίδωσι τὰς ἀμοιβὰς ὁ Θεός· ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα πεποίηκε, μακαρίους ἀποφαίνων τοὺς πενθοῦντας, οὐ κατὰ τὴν τοῦ πράγματος ἀξίαν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν. Οἱ γὰρ πενθοῦντες, πλημμελήματα πενθοῦσι· τοῖς δὲ τοιούτοις ἀρκεῖ τὸ συγγνώμης ἀπολαῦσαι καὶ ἀπολογίας τυχεῖν. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ αὐτὸς σφόδρα ἐστὶ φιλάνθρωπος, οὐδὲ ἐν τῇ τῶν κολάσεων ἀναιρέσει, οὐδὲ ἐν τῇ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπαλλαγῇ τὴν ἀντίδοσιν ἵστησιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μακαρίους ποιεῖ, καὶ πολλῆς μεταδίδωσι παρακλήσεως. Πενθεῖν δὲ ἡμᾶς οὐχ ὑπὲρ τῶν οἰκείων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων κελεύει πλημμελημάτων· οἷαι τῶν ἁγίων ἦσαν αἱ ψυχαί· οἵα ἦν ἡ τοῦ Μωϋσέως· οἵα ἡ τοῦ Παύλου, ἡ τοῦ ∆αυΐδ· καὶ γὰρ καὶ οὗτοι πάντες ἀλλότρια πολλάκις ἐπένθησαν κακά. Μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν. Ποίαν γῆν; εἰπέ μοι. Τινὲς νοητήν φασιν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο· οὐδαμοῦ γὰρ εὑρίσκομεν ἐν τῇ Γραφῇ γῆν νοητήν. Ἀλλὰ τί ποτέ ἐστι τὸ εἰρημένον; Αἰσθητὸν τίθησιν ἔπαθλον, ὥσπερ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, Τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα σου, ἐπήγαγεν, Οὕτω γὰρ ἔσῃ μακροχρόνιος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Καὶ αὐτὸς τῷ λῃστῇ πάλιν· Σήμερον μετ' ἐμοῦ ἔσῃ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ. Οὔτε γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν προτρέπει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν παρόντων, διὰ τοὺς παχυτέρους τῶν ἀκροωμένων καὶ πρὸ τῶν μελλόντων ἐκεῖνα ζητοῦντας. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ προϊὼν ἔλεγεν· Ἴσθι εὐνοῶν τῷ ἀντιδίκῳ σου. Εἶτα τῆς τοιαύτης φιλοσοφίας τὸ ἔπαθλον τίθησι, καί φησι· Μή ποτέ σε παραδῷ ὁ ἀντίδικος τῷ κριτῇ, καὶ ὁ κριτὴς τῷ ὑπηρέτῃ. Ὁρᾷς πόθεν ἐφόβησεν; Ἀπὸ τῶν αἰσθητῶν, ἀπὸ τῶν παρὰ πόδας συμβαινόντων. Καὶ πάλιν· Ὃς ἐὰν εἴπῃ τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ, Ῥακὰ, ἔνοχος ἔσται τῷ συνεδρίῳ. Καὶ ὁ Παῦλος δὲ αἰσθητὰ τιθεὶς ἔπαθλα πολύς ἐστι, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν παρόντων προτρέπων· οἷον ὡς ὅταν περὶ παρθενίας διαλέγηται· οὐδὲν γὰρ περὶ τῶν οὐρανῶν εἰπὼν ἐκεῖ, τέως ἀπὸ τῶν παρόντων ἐνάγει, λέγων· ∆ιὰ τὴν ἐνεστῶσαν ἀνάγκην· καὶ, Ἐγὼ δὲ ὑμῶν φείδομαι· καὶ, Θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀμερίμνους εἶναι. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς τοῖς πνευματικοῖς τὰ αἰσθητὰ ἀνέμιξεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ νομίζεται ὁ πρᾶος ἅπαντα 57.227 ἀπολλύναι τὰ ἑαυτοῦ, τὸ ἐναντίον ὑπισχνεῖται λέγων, ὅτι οὗτος μὲν οὖν ἐστιν ὁ μετὰ ἀσφαλείας τὰ ὄντα κεκτημένος, ὁ μὴ θρασὺς, μηδὲ ἀλαζών· ὁ δὲ τοιοῦτος καὶ τῶν πατρῴων ἐκστήσεται πολλάκις, καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς ψυχῆς. Ἄλλως δὲ καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ συνεχῶς ὁ Προφήτης, Οἱ γὰρ πραεῖς κληρονομήσουσι γῆν, ἔλεγεν, ἀπὸ τῶν συντρόφων αὐτοῖς ῥημάτων ἐνυφαίνει τὸν λόγον, ὥστε μὴ πανταχοῦ ξενοφωνεῖσθαι. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγει, οὐ μέχρι τῶν παρόντων ἱστὰς τὰς ἀμοιβὰς, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τούτων κἀκεῖνα παρέχων. Ἄν τε γὰρ πνευματικὸν εἴπῃ τι, οὐκ ἀφαιρεῖται τὰ ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ· ἄν τε τῶν ἐν τῷ βίῳ τι πάλιν ὑπόσχηται, οὐ μέχρι τούτου τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν ἵστησι. Ζητεῖτε γὰρ, φησὶ, τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν· καὶ πάλιν· Ὅστις ἀφῆκεν οἰκίας, ἢ ἀδελφοὺς, ἑκατονταπλασίονα λήψεται ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσει. -Μακάριοι οἱ πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην. Ποίαν δικαιοσύνην; Ἢ τὴν καθόλου φησὶν ἀρετὴν, ἢ τὴν μερικὴν ταύτην τὴν ἀπεναντίας τῇ πλεονεξίᾳ κειμένην. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ μέλλει περὶ ἐλεημοσύνης ἐπιτάττειν, δεικνὺς