John Chrysostom, On John

they became superior to all, and just as some light eagles flying high, through their works they were drawn up to heaven itself, and through these things they received the unspeakable grace of the Spirit. Let us therefore also imitate these, and let us not quench 59.143 our lamps, but let us keep them bright through almsgiving. The light of this fire is so maintained. Let us therefore gather oil into vessels, while we are here. For it is not possible to buy this when we have departed there, nor to receive it from anywhere else, but only through the hand of the poor. Let us therefore now gather from here with much abundance, if we wish to enter with the bridegroom; but if not, it is necessary to remain outside 59.144 the bridal chamber. For it is impossible, impossible, even if we should accomplish ten thousand good things, to set foot on the threshold of the kingdom without almsgiving. Therefore let us show this with much abundance, so that we may enjoy the ineffable good things, which may it be for all of us to obtain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and power, always, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 59.143.10 HOMILY 24. Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in him. 1. Of the people of that time, some held to error, while others held fast to the truth; but even some of these, taking hold of it for a little while, again fell away from it. Christ also, alluding to these, compared them to seeds not lying deep, but having their roots above the surface of the ground, which he said also quickly perish. The evangelist also pointed these out to us here, saying thus, that When he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in him, when they saw the signs which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them. For those disciples were more exact, who approached not from signs only, but also from his teaching. For signs attracted the duller sort, but prophecies and teachings the more rational. At any rate, those who were held by teaching, these were more steadfast than those held by signs; whom Christ also blessed, saying, Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. But that these were not of the genuine sort, the following also shows; For, he says, Jesus did not commit himself unto them. Why? Because he knew all things, and needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. But what he says is of this sort: He did not attend to the outward words, entering into their very hearts, and going into their mind; and knowing clearly their temporary fervor, he did not trust them as perfected disciples, he did not entrust all his doctrines to them as to those who had already become firmly faithful. But to know the things in the heart of men, belongs to God who alone fashioned their hearts. For you, he says, alone know hearts. Therefore he did not need witnesses in order to learn the mind of his own creatures; whence neither did he trust them because of their temporary faith. For men, knowing neither the present nor the future, often both say and entrust all things without any reservation even to those who approach deceitfully, and to those who a little later will fall away; but Christ not so. For he knew all their secrets clearly. Many such there are now also, having the name of faith, but fickle and easily led. For this reason Christ does not entrust himself even now, but conceals the greater things. For just as we trust not simply friends, but genuine ones; so also God. Hear, at any rate, what Christ says to his disciples: Henceforth I call you not servants; for you are my friends. Whence, and why? Because all things that I have heard of my Father I have revealed to you. For this reason he did not give signs to the Jews 59.144 when they asked, because they asked tempting him. Therefore asking for signs belongs to those who are tempting, both then and now; For even now there are those who seek and say: Why do signs not happen now also? For if you are faithful, as one ought to be, and

ἀνώτεροι πάντων ἐγένοντο, καὶ καθάπερ τινὲς ἀετοὶ κοῦφοι ὑψηλὰ πετώμενοι, διὰ τῶν ἔργων πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀφείλκοντο τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ διὰ τούτων ἔσχον τοῦ Πνεύματος τὴν χάριν ἄφατον. Τούτους τοίνυν καὶ ἡμεῖς μιμησώμεθα, καὶ μὴ σβέ 59.143 σωμεν τὰς λαμπάδας, ἀλλὰ διατηρήσωμεν φαιδρὰς δι' ἐλεημοσύνης. Τούτου τοῦ πυρὸς τὸ φέγγος οὕτω διακρατεῖται. Συνάξωμεν τοίνυν εἰς ἀγγεῖα τὸ ἔλαιον, ἕως ἐνταῦθά ἐσμεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔστι τοῦτο πρίασθαι ἀπελθόντας ἐκεῖ, οὐδὲ ἀλλαχόθεν αὐτὸ λαβεῖν, ἀλλ' ἢ διὰ τῆς τῶν πενήτων χειρός. Συλλέξωμεν τοίνυν ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς δαψιλείας, εἴ γε βουλόμεθα μετὰ τοῦ νυμφίου εἰσελθεῖν· εἰ δὲ μὴ, ἔξω 59.144 μένειν τοῦ νυμφῶνος ἀνάγκη. Ἀμήχανον γὰρ, ἀμήχανον, κἂν μυρία κατορθώσωμεν ἀγαθὰ, τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης χωρὶς ἐπιβῆναι τῶν τῆς βασιλείας προθύρων. ∆ιὸ μετὰ πολλῆς ταύτην ἐπιδειξώμεθα τῆς δαψιλείας, ὥστε ἀπολαῦσαι τῶν ἀποῤῥήτων ἀγαθῶν, ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος πάντοτε, καὶ νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. 59.143.10 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Κ∆ʹ. Ὡς δὲ ἦν ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐν τῷ Πάσχα ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ, πολλοὶ ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτόν. αʹ. Τῶν ἀνθρώπων τῶν τότε οἱ μὲν τῇ πλάνῃ προσεῖχον, οἱ δὲ τῆς ἀληθείας ἀντείχοντο· ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων ἔνιοι πρὸς ὀλίγον αὐτῆς ἀντιλαμβανόμενοι, πάλιν αὐτῆς ἐξέπιπτον. Τούτους καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς αἰνιττόμενος, σπέρμασι παρέβαλε τοῖς οὐ κατὰ βάθους κειμένοις, ἀλλὰ τὰς ῥίζας ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐπιφανείας τῆς γῆς ἔχουσιν, οὓς καὶ ταχέως ἀπολεῖσθαι ἔφη. Τούτους καὶ ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς ἐνταῦθα ἡμῖν ἐδήλωσεν, οὕτω λέγων, ὅτι Ὡς ἦν ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐν τῷ Πάσχα ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ, πολλοὶ ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτὸν, θεωροῦντες αὐτοῦ τὰ σημεῖα, ἃ ἐποίει. Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς οὐκ ἐπίστευεν ἑαυτὸν αὐτοῖς. Ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ ἀκριβέστεροι ἦσαν οἱ μαθηταὶ, ὅσοι μὴ ἀπὸ σημείων προσῄεσαν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς διδασκαλίας. Τοὺς μὲν γὰρ παχυτέρους τὰ σημεῖα ἐφείλκετο, τοὺς δὲ λογικωτέρους αἱ προφητεῖαι καὶ αἱ διδασκαλίαι. Ὅσοι γοῦν ἀπὸ διδασκαλίας κατεσχέθησαν, οὗτοι τῶν ἀπὸ σημείων ἦσαν βεβαιότεροι· οὓς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐμακάριζε λέγων, Μακάριοι οἱ μὴ ἰδόντες, καὶ πιστεύσαντες. Ὅτι δὲ οὐ τῶν γνησίων ἦσαν οὗτοι, δείκνυσι καὶ ἡ ἐπαγωγή· Αὐτὸς γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ Ἰησοῦς οὐκ ἐπίστευεν ἑαυτὸν αὐτοῖς. ∆ιατί; ∆ιὰ τὸ γινώσκειν πάντα, καὶ ὅτι οὐ χρείαν εἶχεν, ἵνα τις μαρτυρήσῃ περὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐγίνωσκε τί ἦν ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Οὐ προσεῖχε τοῖς ἔξωθεν ῥήμασι, ταῖς καρδίαις ἐμβατεύων αὐταῖς, καὶ πρὸς τὴν διάνοιαν εἰσιών· καὶ τὴν πρόσκαιρον αὐτῶν θερμότητα εἰδὼς σαφῶς, οὐκ ἐθάῤῥει αὐτοῖς ὡς μαθηταῖς ἀπηρτισμένοις, οὐκ ἐνεχείριζε πάντα τὰ δόγματα αὐτοῖς ὡς ἤδη βεβαίως πιστοῖς γενομένοις. Τὸ δὲ τὰ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων εἰδέναι, τοῦ πλάσαντος κατὰ μόνας τὰς καρδίας ἐστὶ Θεοῦ. Σὺ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐπίστασαι καρδίας μονώτατος. Οὐκ ἐδεῖτο τοίνυν μαρτύρων ὥστε τῶν οἰκείων πλασμάτων μαθεῖν τὴν διάνοιαν· ὅθεν οὐδὲ ἀπὸ τῆς προσκαίρου πίστεως αὐτοῖς ἐθάῤῥει. Ἄνθρωποι μὲν γὰρ οὔτε τὰ παρόντα, οὔτε τὰ μέλλοντα εἰδότες, πολλάκις καὶ τοῖς δολερῶς προσιοῦσι, καὶ τοῖς μικρὸν ὕστερον ἀποστησομένοις, ἅπαντα χωρίς τινος ὑποστολῆς καὶ λέγουσι καὶ ἐγχειρίζουσιν· ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς οὐχ οὕτως. Ἤδει γὰρ αὐτῶν τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα πάντα σαφῶς. Τοιοῦτοι πολλοὶ καὶ νῦν εἰσι, τὸ μὲν τῆς πίστεως ὄνομα ἔχοντες, εὐρίπιστοι δὲ καὶ εὐάγωγοι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ νῦν ὁ Χριστὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐμπιστεύει, ἀλλὰ τὰ πλείονα ἀποκρύπτεται. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἡμεῖς οὐ τοῖς ἁπλῶς φίλοις, ἀλλὰ τοῖς γνησίοις θαῤῥοῦμεν· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεός. Ἄκουσον γοῦν τί φησι τοῖς μαθηταῖς ὁ Χριστός· Οὐκ ἔτι ὑμᾶς λέγω δούλους· ὑμεῖς γὰρ φίλοι μου ἐστέ. Πόθεν, καὶ διατί; Ὅτι πάντα, ὅσα ἤκουσα παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἀπεκάλυψα ὑμῖν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ τοῖς Ἰου 59.144 δαίοις τὰ σημεῖα ἐδίδου αἰτοῦσιν, ὅτι πειράζοντες ᾔτουν. Ἆρα οὖν τὸ σημεῖα αἰτεῖν, πειραζόντων ἐστὶ καὶ τότε καὶ νῦν· Καὶ γὰρ καὶ νῦν εἰσιν οἱ ζητοῦντες καὶ λέγοντες· ∆ιατί μὴ καὶ νῦν σημεῖα γίνεται; Εἰ γὰρ πιστὸς εἶ, ὡς εἶναι χρὴ, καὶ