John Chrysostom, On Matthew

men should 57.230 say, but, When all men. For it is not possible for those who live in virtue to be well spoken of by all. And again He says: When they shall cast out your name as evil, rejoice and leap for joy. For not only for the dangers which they endured, but also for evil-speaking He appoints a great reward. For this reason He did not say, When they shall drive you out and kill you, but, When they shall reproach you, and say all manner of evil. For evil-speaking bites more grievously than the deeds themselves. For in dangers, there are many things to lighten the pain; for instance, to be spurred on by all, to have many who applaud and crown and proclaim you victor; but here in evil-speaking even this comfort is taken away. For the achievement does not seem to be anything great, and it bites the combatant more than dangers. At any rate, many have even gone to the halter, unable to bear an evil reputation. And why do you marvel at others? For that traitor, the shameless and defiled one, who had simply lost all sense of shame, this especially prepared him to rush to the halter. And Job, that man of adamant, and firmer than rock, when his possessions were taken away and he suffered incurable evils, and suddenly became childless, and saw his body gushing forth a fountain of worms, and his wife assailing him, he easily beat back all things; but when he saw his friends reproaching and trampling upon him, and holding an evil opinion of him, and saying that he was suffering these things for his sins, and paying the penalty for wickedness; then he was troubled, then was the noble and great man disturbed. ʹ. And David, too, setting aside all that he suffered, sought a reward from God for the evil-speaking alone. For let him curse, he says, for the Lord has bidden him, that the Lord may see my humiliation, and repay me for the curse on this day. And Paul too proclaims not only those who are in danger, nor those who are stripped of their possessions, but these also, saying thus: Call to remembrance the former days, in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great fight of afflictions; partly, whilst you were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and tribulations. For this reason, then, Christ has also appointed a great reward. Then, lest anyone say, Here you do not defend, nor do you shut their mouths, and there you give a reward? he has appointed the prophets, showing that not even there did God defend. But if where the rewards were at hand, He spurred them on with things to come; much more now, when this hope has become clearer, and the philosophy greater. But see also after how many commandments He has placed it. For He has not done this simply, but showing that it is not possible for one who is not furnished and arrayed with all those things to enter these contests. For this reason, always making a way from the preceding commandment to the one that follows, He has woven for us a golden chain. For the humble man will surely mourn his own sins; he who mourns will also be meek and righteous and merciful; the merciful, and righteous and 57.231 contrite, will also surely be pure in heart; and such a one, also a peacemaker. And he who has accomplished all these things will also be arrayed for dangers, and will not be disturbed when he hears evil spoken of him, and suffers countless terrible things. Having therefore advised what was fitting, He again refreshes them with praises. For since the commandments were lofty, and much greater than those in the Old Testament, so that they might not be troubled and disturbed, and say, How shall we be able to accomplish these things? hear what He says: You are the salt of the earth; showing that He necessarily commands these things; For not for your own life, but for the whole world, He says, will be your discourse. For I send you not to two cities, nor ten, nor twenty, nor to one nation, as the prophets, but to land and sea and the whole world, and it in an evil state. For in saying, You are the salt of the earth, He showed that all human nature had become foolish, and rotten from sins. For this reason He requires of them these virtues, which are most

εἴ 57.230 πωσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ἀλλ', Ὅταν πάντες. Οὐδὲ γὰρ δυνατὸν τοὺς ἐν ἀρετῇ ζῶντας παρὰ πάντων ἀκούειν καλῶς. Καὶ πάλιν φησίν· Ὅταν ἐκβάλωσι τὸ ὄνομα ὑμῶν ὡς πονηρὸν, χαίρετε καὶ σκιρτήσατε. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τῶν κινδύνων μόνον, ὧν ὑπέμενον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς κακηγορίας πολλὴν ὁρίζει τὴν ἀντίδοσιν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐκ εἶπεν, Ὅταν ἐλάσωσιν ὑμᾶς καὶ ἀποκτείνωσιν, ἀλλ', Ὅταν ὀνειδίσωσι, καὶ εἴπωσι πᾶν πονηρόν. Μάλιστα γὰρ τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτῶν χαλεπώτερον δάκνουσιν αἱ κακηγορίαι. Ἐν μὲν γὰρ τοῖς κινδύνοις πολλὰ τὰ κουφίζοντα τὸν πόνον ἐστίν· οἷον, τὸ παρὰ πάντων ἀλείφεσθαι, τὸ πολλοὺς ἔχειν τοὺς κροτοῦντας καὶ στεφανοῦντας καὶ ἀνακηρύττοντας· ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἐν τῇ κακηγορίᾳ καὶ αὕτη ἀνῄρηται ἡ παραμυθία. Οὐ γὰρ δοκεῖ τι μέγα εἶναι τὸ κατόρθωμα, καὶ μᾶλλον τῶν κινδύνων δάκνει τὸν ἁγωνιζόμενον. Πολλοὶ γοῦν καὶ ἐπὶ βρόχον ἦλθον, πονηρὰν οὐ φέροντες δόξαν. Καὶ τί θαυμάζεις ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων; Τὸν γὰρ προδότην ἐκεῖνον, τὸν ἀναίσχυντον καὶ μιαρὸν καὶ πρὸς πάντα ἀπερυθριάσαντα ἁπλῶς, τοῦτο μάλιστα ἐπὶ βρόχον ὁρμῆσαι παρεσκεύασε. Καὶ ὁ Ἰὼβ δὲ, ὁ ἀδάμας, καὶ πέτρας στεῤῥότερος, ἡνίκα μὲν τὰ χρήματα ἀφῄρητο καὶ τὰ ἀνήκεστα ἔπασχε δεινὰ, καὶ ἄπαις ἐξαίφνης ἐγένετο, καὶ πηγὴν σκωλήκων τὸ σῶμα ἀναβλύζον ἑώρα, καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα ἐπικειμένην, διεκρούσατο μετ' εὐκολίας ἅπαντα· ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἶδε τοὺς φίλους ὀνειδίζοντας καὶ ἐπεμβαίνοντας, καὶ πονηρὰν δόξαν περὶ αὐτοῦ ἔχοντας, καὶ λέγοντας ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτημάτων ταῦτα πάσχειν, καὶ κακίας διδόναι δίκην· τότε ἐθορυβήθη, τότε ἐταράχθη ὁ γενναῖος καὶ μέγας ἀνήρ. ʹ. Καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ δὲ ἅπαντα ἀφεὶς ἅπερ ἔπαθεν, ἀντὶ τῆς κακηγορίας μόνης ἀμοιβὴν ἐζήτει παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ· Ἄφες γὰρ αὐτὸν καταρᾶσθαι, φησὶν, ὅτι Κύριος ἐνετείλατο αὐτῷ, ὅπως ἴδῃ Κύριος τὴν ταπείνωσίν μου, καὶ ἀνταποδῷ μοι ἀντὶ τῆς κατάρας τῆς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ. Καὶ ὁ Παῦλος δὲ οὐχὶ τοὺς κινδυνεύοντας μόνον, οὐδὲ τοὺς ἀφαιρουμένους τὰ ὄντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτους ἀνακηρύττει, οὕτω λέγων· Ἀναμιμνήσκεσθε τὰς πρότερον ἡμέρας, ἐν αἷς φωτισθέντες πολλὴν ἄθλησιν ὑπεμείνατε παθημάτων· τοῦτο μὲν ὀνειδισμοῖς καὶ θλίψεσι θεατριζόμενοι. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ τὸν μισθὸν πολὺν τέθεικεν ὁ Χριστός. Εἶτα ἵνα μή τις λέγῃ· Ἐνταῦθα οὐκ ἀμύνεις, οὐδὲ ἀποῤῥάπτεις αὐτῶν τὰ στόματα, κἀκεῖ μισθὸν δίδως; τέθεικε τοὺς προφήτας, δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐκεῖ ἤμυνεν ὁ Θεός. Εἰ δὲ ὅπου παρὰ πόδας ἦσαν αἱ ἀντιδόσεις, ἀπὸ τῶν μελλόντων αὐτοὺς ἤλειψε· πολλῷ μᾶλλον νῦν, ὅτε τρανοτέρα αὕτη γέγονεν ἡ ἐλπὶς, καὶ μείζων ἡ φιλοσοφία. Θέα δὲ καὶ μετὰ πόσας ἐντολὰς αὐτὸ τέθεικεν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἁπλῶς αὐτὸ πεποίηκεν, ἀλλὰ δηλῶν ὅτι οὐκ ἔνι τὸν μὴ πᾶσιν ἐκείνοις κατεσκευασμένον καὶ συγκεκροτημένον πρὸς τούτους ἐκβῆναι τοὺς ἀγῶνας. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο ἀπὸ τῆς προτέρας ἀεὶ τῇ ἐπιούσῃ προοδοποιῶν ἐντολῇ, σειρὰν ἡμῖν τινα χρυσῆν ὕφηνεν. Ὅ τε γὰρ ταπεινὸς, καὶ τὰ οἰκεῖα πάντως πενθήσει ἁμαρτήματα· ὁ πενθῶν, καὶ πρᾶος ἔσται καὶ δίκαιος καὶ ἐλεήμων· ὁ ἐλεήμων, καὶ δίκαιος καὶ 57.231 κατανενυγμένος, πάντως καὶ καθαρὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ ὁ δὲ τοιοῦτος. καὶ εἰρηνοποιός. Ὁ δὲ ταῦτα πάντα κατωρθωκὼς, καὶ πρὸς κινδύνους ἔσται παρατεταγμένος, καὶ οὐ ταραχθήσεται ἀκούων κακῶς, καὶ μυρία πάσχων δεινά. Παραινέσας τοίνυν ἃ προσῆκε, πάλιν ἀναπαύει τοῖς ἐγκωμίοις αὐτούς. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὑψηλὰ τὰ ἐπιτάγματα ἦν, καὶ πολλῷ μείζονα τῶν ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ, ἵνα μὴ θορυβῶνται καὶ ταράττωνται, καὶ λέγωσι· Πῶς δυνησόμεθα ταῦτα κατορθοῦν; ἄκουσον τί φησιν· Ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ ἅλας τῆς γῆς· δεικνὺς ὅτι ἀναγκαίως ταῦτα ἐπιτάττε· Οὐ γὰρ ὑπὲρ τῆς καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ζωῆς, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τῆς οἰκουμένης, φησὶν, ἁπάσης ὁ λόγος ἔσται ὑμῖν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰς δύο πόλεις, καὶ δέκα, καὶ εἴκοσιν, οὐδὲ εἰς ἓν ἔθνος ὑμᾶς ἀποστέλλω, καθάπερ τοὺς προφήτας, ἀλλ' εἰς γῆν καὶ θάλατταν καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν, καὶ ταύτην κακῶς διακειμένην. Τῷ γὰρ εἰπεῖν, Ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ ἅλας τῆς γῆς, ἔδειξε μωρανθεῖσαν ἅπασαν τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην φύσιν, καὶ κατασαπεῖσαν ὑπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο ταύτας παρ' αὐτῶν ἐπιζητεῖ τὰς ἀρετὰς, αἳ μάλιστα