John Chrysostom, On Matthew

how one should show mercy, for instance that it is not from plunder, nor from greed, he blesses those who lay claim to righteousness. δʹ. And see with what great hyperbole he puts it. For he did not say, Blessed are those who hold fast to righteousness, but, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; so that we may not pursue it simply, but with all desire. For since this is especially characteristic of greed, and we do not so love food and drink, as we love to acquire more and to surround ourselves with it; he commanded us to transfer this desire to not being greedy. Then again he defines the reward in a perceptible way, saying, For they shall be filled. For because many think that greed makes them wealthy, he says that the opposite is the case; for righteousness accomplishes this. Therefore, when you do righteous things, do not fear poverty, nor tremble at famine. For those who plunder are the very ones who lose everything; whereas he who loves righteousness possesses all things himself with security. And if those who do not desire what belongs to others enjoy such abundance, how much more those who give away their own things. Blessed are the merciful. Here it seems to me he speaks not only of those who show mercy through money, but also of those who do so through deeds. For the way of mercy is various, and this commandment is broad. What then is its reward? For they shall obtain mercy. And it seems to be an equal recompense; but it is much greater than the good deed. For they show mercy as men, but they receive mercy from the God of all. And human mercy and divine mercy are not equal, but as great as is the distance between wickedness and goodness, so great is the difference between the one and the other. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Behold, again a spiritual reward. And here he calls pure, either those who possess universal virtue, and are conscious of no evil in themselves, or those who live in chastity; for we need nothing so much for seeing God as this virtue. Wherefore Paul also 57.228 said, Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord. And by "sight" here he means that which it is possible for a man to see. For since many show mercy, and do not plunder or act greedily, but commit fornication and act licentiously; showing that the former is not enough, he added this also. Which indeed Paul also testified of the Macedonians, when writing to the Corinthians, that they were rich not only in mercy, but also in other virtue; for having spoken of their generosity in money matters, he says that they also gave themselves to the Lord and to us. - Blessed are the peacemakers. Here he removes not only their quarreling and hating one another, but he also seeks something more, that we should also bring together others who are at variance; and again he brings forward a spiritual reward. What is this? For they shall be called sons of God. For this became the work of the Only-Begotten, to bring together what was divided, and to reconcile those at war. Then, lest you should think that peace is everywhere a good thing, he added, Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake; that is, for the sake of virtue, for the protection of others, for piety. For he is accustomed to always call the entire philosophy of the soul "righteousness." Blessed are you, when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad. For example, Even if they call you sorcerers, or deceivers, or destroyers, or anything else, blessed are you, he says. What could be newer than these commandments, when he says that the things others flee from, these are to be desired; I mean being poor, and mourning, and being persecuted, and being spoken ill of? But nevertheless he both said it and persuaded, not two and ten and twenty and a hundred and a thousand people, but the entire inhabited world. And hearing things that were burdensome and heavy and contrary to the custom of the many, the crowds were astonished. Such was the power of him who spoke. εʹ. But lest you should think that being spoken ill of simply makes one blessed, he has set two conditions, when it is both for his sake, and

πῶς ἐλεεῖν χρὴ, οἷον ὅτι οὐκ ἐξ ἁρπαγῆς, οὐδὲ ἐκ πλεονεξίας, μακαρίζει τοὺς δικαιοσύνης ἀντιποιουμένους. δʹ. Καὶ ὅρα μεθ' ὅσης αὐτὸ τίθησιν ὑπερβολῆς. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε, Μακάριοι οἱ δικαιοσύνης ἀντεχόμενοι, ἀλλὰ, Μακάριοι οἱ πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην· ἵνα μὴ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ μετὰ ἐπιθυμίας ἁπάσης αὐτὴν μετίωμεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τοῦτο μάλιστα ἴδιον τῆς πλεονεξίας ἐστὶ, καὶ οὐχ οὕτως ἐρῶμεν σιτίων καὶ ποτῶν, ὡς τοῦ πλείονα κτᾶσθαι καὶ περιβάλλεσθαι· τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν ταύτην περὶ τὸ μὴ πλεονεκτεῖν μεταθεῖναι ἐκέλευσεν. Εἶτα πάλιν αἰσθητὸν τὸ ἔπαθλον ὁρίζει, λέγων· Ὅτι αὐτοὶ χορτασθήσονται. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τὸ νομίζεσθαι τὴν πλεονεξίαν εὐπόρους ποιεῖν τοὺς πολλοὺς, λέγει ὅτι τοὐναντίον μὲν οὖν ἐστιν· ἡ γὰρ δικαιοσύνη τοῦτο ἐργάζεται. Μὴ τοίνυν δίκαια πράττων φοβοῦ πενίαν, μηδὲ τρέμε λιμόν. Οἱ γὰρ ἁρπάζοντες, οὗτοι μάλιστά εἰσιν οἱ πάντων ἐκπίπτοντες· ὡς ὁ γοῦν δικαιοσύνης ἐρῶν, τὰ πάντων αὐτὸς ἔχει μετὰ ἀσφαλείας. Εἰ δὲ οἱ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων μὴ ἐφιέμενοι τοσαύτης ἀπολαύουσιν εὐπορίας, πολλῷ μᾶλλον οἱ τὰ ἑαυτῶν προϊέμενοι. Μακάριοι οἱ ἐλεήμονες. Ἐνταῦθα οὐ τοὺς διὰ χρημάτων ἐλεοῦντας μόνον ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ λέγειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς διὰ πραγμάτων. Ποικίλος γὰρ ὁ τῆς ἐλεημοσύνης τρόπος, καὶ πλατεῖα αὕτη ἡ ἐντολή. Τί οὖν αὐτῆς τὸ ἔπαθλον; Ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἐλεηθήσονται. Καὶ δοκεῖ μὲν ἀντίδοσις εἶναί τις ἴση· ἔστι δὲ πολὺ μεῖζον τοῦ κατορθώματος. Αὐτοὶ μὲν γὰρ ἐλεοῦσιν ὡς ἄνθρωποι, ἐλεοῦνται δὲ παρὰ τοῦ τῶν ὅλων Θεοῦ. Οὐκ ἔστι δὲ ἴσος ἀνθρώπινος ἔλεος καὶ θεῖος, ἀλλ' ὅσον πονηρίας καὶ ἀγαθότητος τὸ μέσον, τοσοῦτον οὗτος ἐκείνου διέστηκε. Μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν Θεὸν ὄψονται. Ἰδοὺ πάλιν πνευματικὸν τὸ ἔπαθλον. Καθαροὺς δὲ ἐνταῦθά φησιν, ἤτοι τοὺς καθολικὴν ἀρετὴν κεκτημένους, καὶ μηδὲν ἑαυτοῖς συνειδότας πονηρὸν, ἢ τοὺς ἐν σωφροσύνῃ διάγοντας· οὐδενὸς γὰρ ἡμῖν οὕτω δεῖ πρὸς τὸ τὸν Θεὸν ἰδεῖν, ὡς τῆς ἀρετῆς ταύτης. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος 57.228 ἔλεγεν· Εἰρήνην διώκετε μετὰ πάντων, καὶ τὸν ἁγιασμὸν, οὗ χωρὶς οὐδεὶς ὄψεται τὸν Κύριον. Ὄψιν δὲ ἐνταῦθά φησιν, ἣν ἀνθρώπῳ δυνατὸν ἰδεῖν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλοὶ ἐλεοῦσι μὲν, καὶ οὐχ ἁρπάζουσιν, οὐδὲ πλεονεκτοῦσι, πορνεύουσι δὲ καὶ ἀσελγαίνουσι· δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐκ ἀρκεῖ τὸ πρότερον, καὶ τοῦτο προσέθηκεν. Ὅπερ δὴ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος Μακεδόσιν ἐμαρτύρησε, Κορινθίοις ἐπιστέλλων, ὅτι οὐ μόνον ἐν ἐλεημοσύνῃ ἐπλούτουν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῇ ἄλλῃ ἀρετῇ· εἰπὼν γὰρ περὶ τῆς φιλοτιμίας αὐτῶν τῆς ἐν τοῖς χρήμασι, φησὶν, ὅτι καὶ Ἑαυτοὺς ἔδωκαν τῷ Κυρίῳ καὶ ἡμῖν. - Μακάριοι οἱ εἰρηνοποιοί. Ἐνταῦθα οὐ τὸ μὴ στασιάζειν αὐτοὺς μόνον καὶ ἀπεχθάνεσθαι πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀναιρεῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερόν τι πλέον ἐπιζητεῖ, ἵνα καὶ ἑτέρους στασιάζοντας συνάγωμεν· καὶ πάλιν πνευματικὸν ἐπάγει τὸ ἔπαθλον. Ποῖον δὴ τοῦτο; Ὅτι αὐτοὶ υἱοὶ Θεοῦ κληθήσονται. Καὶ γὰρ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς ἔργον ἐγένετο τοῦτο, συναγαγεῖν τὰ διεστῶτα, καὶ καταλλάξαι τὰ ἐκπεπολεμωμένα. Εἶτα ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς, ὅτι πανταχοῦ ἡ εἰρήνη καλὸν, ἐπήγαγε· Μακάριοι οἱ δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης· τουτέστι, τῆς ἀρετῆς ἕνεκεν, τῆς ὑπὲρ ἑτέρων προστασίας, τῆς εὐσεβείας. ∆ικαιοσύνην γὰρ εἴωθεν ἀεὶ τὴν ἅπασαν λέγειν τῆς ψυχῆς φιλοσοφίαν. Μακάριοί ἐστε, ὅταν ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶς καὶ διώξωσι, καὶ εἴπωσι πᾶν πονηρὸν ῥῆμα καθ' ὑμῶν ψευδόμενοι, ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ. Χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε. Οἷον, Κἂν γόητας, κἂν πλάνους, κἂν λυμεῶνας, κἂν ὁτιοῦν ἕτερον καλέσωσι, μακάριοί ἐστε, φησί. Τί τούτων καινότερον γένοιτ' ἂν τῶν ἐπιταγμάτων, ὅταν τὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις φευκτὰ, ταῦτα ποθεινὰ εἶναι λέγῃ· τὸ πτωχεύειν λέγω, καὶ πενθεῖν, καὶ διώκεσθαι, καὶ κακῶς ἀκούειν; Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ εἶπε, καὶ ἔπεισεν, οὐχὶ δύο καὶ δέκα καὶ εἴκοσι καὶ ἑκατὸν καὶ χιλίους ἀνθρώπους, ἀλλὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν. Καὶ ἀκούοντες τὰ φορτικὰ καὶ ἐπαχθῆ καὶ ἀπεναντίας τῇ τῶν πολλῶν συνηθείᾳ, ἐξεπλήττοντο οἱ ὄχλοι. Τοσαύτη ἡ τοῦ λέγοντος δύναμις ἦν. εʹ. Πλὴν ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς, ὅτι τὸ κακῶς ἀκούειν ἁπλῶς μακαρίους ποιεῖ, δύο τέθεικε διορισμοὺς, ὅταν καὶ δι' αὐτὸν, καὶ