John Chrysostom, On Matthew

and contending in the midst of the theater of the world. For do not see this, He says, that we are sitting here now, and are in a small corner; for you will be as conspicuous to all as a city set upon the top of a mountain, as a lamp shining in a house upon the lampstand. Where now are those who disbelieve in the power of Christ? Let them hear these things, and being astonished at the power of the prophecy, let them worship His strength. For consider what great things He promised to those who were not even known in their own country; that land and sea would know them, and they would reach the ends of the world in fame; or rather, not even by fame, but also by the working of their good deeds. For it was not fame carrying them everywhere that made them known, but the very demonstration of their works. For as if they had become winged, they traversed the whole earth more swiftly than a sunbeam, sowing the light of piety. And here He seems to me to be anointing them for boldness; for to say, ‘A city set on a hill cannot be hidden,’ is to manifest His own power; for just as it is impossible for that city to be hidden, so it is impossible for the preaching to be silenced and concealed. For since He had spoken of persecutions and evil reports and plots and wars, so that they might not think that these things would be able to silence them, He encourages them, saying, that not only will it not be concealed, but it will even illuminate the whole world; and for this very reason they will be brilliant and renowned. By this, then, He shows His own power; but in what follows He demands boldness from them, saying thus: Neither do they light 57.233 a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a lampstand, and it shines for all who are in the house. So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. For I have lit the light, He says; but that it remain burning, let that be your endeavor; not for your own sakes only, but also for the sake of those who are to enjoy this radiance, and to be led by the hand to the truth. For indeed evil reports will not be able to overshadow your brightness, if you are living with exactness, and so as to be about to convert the whole world. Therefore show forth a life worthy of grace, so that just as that is preached everywhere, so also this may run with it. Then He also puts forth another gain, besides the salvation of men, sufficient to make them strive, and to lead them to all diligence. For you will not only correct the world, He says, by living rightly, but you will also cause God to be glorified; just as, therefore, by doing the opposite, you will both destroy men and cause the name of God to be blasphemed. 8. And how, he says, will God be glorified through us, if men are going to speak ill of us? But not all; and even those themselves who do this out of envy will, in their conscience, admire and approve of you; just as, therefore, those who openly flatter those living in wickedness, in their mind slander them. What then? Do you bid us to live for show and for ambition? Far from it, I do not say this. For I did not say, ‘Strive to bring your good deeds into the open;’ nor did I say, ‘Show them;’ but, ‘Let your light shine;’ that is, let your virtue be great, and the fire abundant, and the light unspeakable. For when virtue is so great, it is impossible for it to be hidden, even if the one practicing it should obscure it ten thousand times. Provide them with a life beyond reproach, and let them have no true occasion for accusation; and, even if there are ten thousand accusers, no one will be able to overshadow you. And well did He say, ‘The light.’ For nothing makes a man so conspicuous, even if he wishes ten thousand times to be unnoticed, as the display of virtue. For just as if clothed with the sunbeam itself, so he shines more brightly than it, not sending his rays down to the earth, but even transcending heaven itself. From this He also comforts them more greatly. For even if you grieve, He says, at being blasphemed, yet you will have many who through you admire God. And from both sides the reward is gathered for you, and

καὶ ἐν μέσῳ τῷ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀγωνιζομένους θεάτρῳ. Μὴ γὰρ δὴ τοῦτο ἴδητε, φησὶν, ὅτι ἐνταῦθα καθήμεθα νῦν, καὶ ἐν μικρῷ γωνίας ἐσμὲν μέρει· οὕτω γὰρ κατάδηλοι ἔσεσθε πᾶσιν, ὡσανεὶ πόλις ὑπὲρ κορυφῆς ὄρους κειμένη, ὡσανεὶ λύχνος ἐν οἰκίᾳ ὑπὲρ τῆς λυχνίας φαίνων. Ποῦ νῦν οἱ τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Χριστοῦ διαπιστοῦντες; Ἀκουέτωσαν ταῦτα, καὶ τῆς προφητείας τὴν δύναμιν ἐκπλαγέντες, προσκυνείτωσαν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἰσχύν. Ἐννόησον γὰρ ἡλίκα ὑπέσχετο τοῖς οὐδὲ ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ γνωρίμοις οὖσι τῇ αὐτῶν· ὅτι γῆ καὶ θάλαττα αὐτοὺς εἴσεται, καὶ πρὸς τὰ πέρατα τῆς οἰκουμένης ἥξουσι τῇ φήμῃ· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ τῇ φήμῃ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἐνεργείᾳ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡ φήμη φέρουσα πανταχοῦ δήλους αὐτοὺς ἐποίησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴ ἡ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐπίδειξις. Καθάπερ γὰρ ὑπόπτεροι γενόμενοι, τῆς ἀκτῖνος σφοδρότερον τὴν γῆν ἐπέδραμον ἅπασαν, σπείροντες τῆς εὐσεβείας τὸ φῶς. Ἐνταῦθα δέ μοι αὐτοὺς καὶ πρὸς παῤῥησίαν ἀλείφειν δοκεῖ· τὸ μὲν γὰρ εἰπεῖν, Οὐ δύναται πόλις κρυβῆναι ἐπάνω ὄρους κειμένη, τὴν αὐτοῦ δύναμίν ἐστιν ἐμφαίνοντος· ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκείνην κρυβῆναι ἀμήχανον, οὕτω τὸ κήρυγμα ἀδύνατον σιγηθῆναι καὶ λαθεῖν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπε διωγμοὺς καὶ κακηγορίας καὶ ἐπιβουλὰς καὶ πολέμους, ἵνα μὴ νομίσωσιν ὅτι ταῦτα αὐτοὺς ἐπιστομίσαι δυνήσεται, θαῤῥύνων αὐτούς φησιν, ὅτι οὐ μόνον οὐ λήσεται, ἀλλὰ καὶ καταλάμψει τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν· καὶ δι' αὐτὸ μὲν οὖν τοῦτο ἔσονται λαμπροὶ καὶ ἐπίσημοι. Τούτῳ μὲν οὖν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δύναμιν ἐνδείκνυται· τῷ δὲ ἑξῆς τὴν παῤῥησίαν ἀπαιτεῖ τὴν παρ' αὐτῶν, οὕτω λέγων· Οὐδὲ καίουσι 57.233 λύχνον καὶ τιθέασιν ὑπὸ τὸν μόδιον, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὴν λυχνίαν, καὶ λάμπει πᾶσι τοῖς ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ. Οὕτω λαμψάτω τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅπως ἴδωσιν ὑμῶν τὰ καλὰ ἔργα, καὶ δοξάσωσι τὸν Πατέρα ὑμῶν τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ἧψα τὸ φῶς, φησί· τὸ δὲ μεῖναι καιόμενον, τῆς ὑμετέρας γενέσθω σπουδῆς· οὐ δι' ὑμᾶς αὐτοὺς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας τῆς αὐγῆς ἀπολαύειν ταύτης, καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν χειραγωγεῖσθαι. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ δυνήσονται αἱ κακηγορίαι συσκιάσαι ὑμῶν τὴν λαμπηδόνα, ἐὰν ὑμεῖς ἦτε μετὰ ἀκριβείας βιοῦντες, καὶ οὕτως ὡς μέλλοντες ἅπασαν ἐπιστρέφειν τὴν οἰκουμένην. Ἄξιον τοίνυν τῆς χάριτος ἐπιδείξασθε βίον, ἵν' ὥσπερ ἐκείνη πανταχοῦ κηρύττεται, οὕτω καὶ αὕτη ἐκείνῃ συντρέχῃ. Εἶτα καὶ ἕτερον κέρδος τίθησι μετὰ τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων σωτηρίας, ἱκανὸν αὐτοὺς ἐναγωνίους ποιῆσαι, καὶ εἰς πᾶσαν ἀγαγεῖν σπουδήν. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ τὴν οἰκουμένην διορθώσετε, φησὶ, μόνον, ὀρθῶς βιοῦντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν Θεὸν δοξάζεσθαι παρασκευάσετε· ὥσπερ οὖν τὰ ἐναντία ποιοῦντες, καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἀπολεῖτε, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ ὄνομα βλασφημεῖσθαι ποιήσετε. ηʹ. Καὶ πῶς, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς δοξασθήσεται δι' ἡμῶν, εἴγε μέλλοιεν ἡμᾶς κακηγορεῖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι; Ἀλλ' οὐ πάντες· κἀκεῖνοι δὲ αὐτοὶ οἱ ἐν βασκανίᾳ τοῦτο ποιοῦντες, κατὰ τὸ συνειδὸς ὑμᾶς θαυμάσονται καὶ ἀποδέξονται· ὥσπερ οὖν οἱ φανερῶς κολακεύοντες τοὺς ἐν πονηρίᾳ ζῶντας κατὰ νοῦν διαβάλλουσι. Τί οὖν; πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν ἡμᾶς κελεύεις ζῇν καὶ πρὸς φιλοτιμίαν; Ἄπαγε, οὐ τοῦτό φημι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπον, Σπουδάζετε ὑμεῖς εἰς μέσον φέρειν τὰ κατορθώματα ὑμῶν· οὐδὲ εἶπον, ∆είξατε αὐτά· ἀλλὰ, Λαμψάτω τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν· τουτέστι, πολλὴ ἔστω ἡ ἀρετὴ, καὶ δαψιλὲς τὸ πῦρ, καὶ τὸ φῶς ἄφατον. Ὅταν γὰρ τοσαύτη ᾖ ἡ ἀρετὴ, ἀδύνατον αὐτὴν λαθεῖν, κἂν μυριάκις ὁ μετιὼν αὐτὴν συσκιάσῃ. Ἄληπτον αὐτοῖς παράσχεσθε βίον, καὶ μηδεμίαν ἐχέτωσαν ἀληθῆ κατηγορίας ἀφορμήν· καὶ, κἂν μυρίοι οἱ κατηγοροῦντες ὦσιν, οὐδεὶς ὑμῖν ἐπισκιάσαι δυνήσεται. Καὶ καλῶς εἶπε, Τὸ φῶς. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἐπίσημον ἄνθρωπον ποιεῖ, κἂν μυριάκις λανθάνειν βούληται, ὡς ἀρετῆς ἐπίδειξις. Ὥσπερ γὰρ αὐτὴν τὴν ἀκτῖνα περιβεβλημένος, οὕτως αὐτῆς φαιδρότερος λάμπει, οὐκ εἰς γῆν τὰς μαρμαρυγὰς ἀφιεὶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸν ὑπερβαίνων τὸν οὐρανόν. Ἐντεῦθεν καὶ παραμυθεῖται αὐτοὺς μειζόνως. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἀλγεῖτε, φησὶ, βλασφημούμενοι, ἀλλ' ἕξετε πολλοὺς τοὺς δι' ὑμᾶς θαυμάζοντας τὸν Θεόν. Ἑκατέρωθεν δὲ ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῖν συλλέγεται, καὶ