John Chrysostom, On Matthew

101

living in luxury and wealth, stripping himself of all things, and taking wing, and being arrayed for famine and poverty, and for all hardship, and for dangers, and for blood, and for slaughter, and for all things that seem to be terrible, not to receive from this a clear proof of the things to come? But if we entangle ourselves in present things, and push ourselves deeper in, how will they be able to be persuaded that we are hastening toward another sojourn? What defense, then, will be left for us, when the fear of God does not have as much strength with us as human glory had with the Greek philosophers? For some of them both stripped themselves of their possessions and despised death, that they might make a show before men; for which reason also their hopes have become empty. What argument then will deliver us, when, with so many things set before us, and so great a philosophy opened to us, we are not able to do even the same as they, but destroy both ourselves and others besides? For a Greek practicing lawless things does not do as much harm as a Christian doing them; and very reasonably so. For their teaching is corrupt; but ours, through the grace of God, is venerable and illustrious even among the impious. Wherefore, when they especially wish to reproach us, and to increase the accusation, they add this, such as, 'The Christian;' which they would not say, unless they had a high opinion of the doctrine. Have you not heard how many and how great things Christ commanded? When then will you be able to fulfill one of those commandments, when, neglecting everything, you go about collecting interest, stitching together loans, arranging business deals, buying herds of slaves, crafting silver vessels, purchasing countless fields and houses and furniture? And would that it were only this. But when to these ill-timed pursuits you also add injustice, cutting off land, seizing houses, grinding down poverty, increasing famine, when will you be able to set foot on these porches? But there are times when you also take pity on the poor. I know it too; but there again the harm is great. For you do this either with arrogance or with vainglory, so that you gain nothing even in good things; than which what could be more wretched, than when you are shipwrecked even in the harbor? Therefore, that this may not happen, when you have done something good, do not seek the reward from me, so that you may have God as your debtor. For 'Lend,' He says, 'to those from whom you do not expect to receive.' You have a debtor; why, leaving him, do you demand it of me, a poor and miserable man? For is the debtor annoyed when asked to pay? Is he poor? Is he unwilling to pay? Do you not see his unspeakable treasures? Do you not see his indescribable munificence? Seize him, therefore, and demand payment; for he rejoices at being asked thus. Because if he should see another being asked for payment for what he himself owes, he will be disposed as one who has been insulted; and he no longer pays you, but even justly accuses you. 'For what ingratitude have you condemned in me?' he says; 'what poverty are you aware of in me, that passing me by you go to others?' Did you lend to one, and demand payment from another? For even if a man received it, yet God commanded you to deposit it; and He wishes to be both the original debtor and the guarantor, offering you countless occasions for demanding it from him from every side. 57.236 Do not then, leaving such ease and abundance, seek to receive from me who has nothing. For on what account do you make a show to me of pitying a poor man? For did I say to you, 'Give'? For did you hear it from me, that you should also demand payment from me? He Himself said: He that pities the poor, lends to God. You have lent to God; charge it to Him. But He does not repay it all now. And this He does on your behalf. For such a debtor is He; not as many who are eager only to return what was lent, but He contrives and does all things so as also to deposit what was given in safety. For this very reason He pays some things here, and stores up others there. 10. Knowing these things, therefore, let us show much mercy, and let us exhibit great love for mankind, both through money and through deeds. And if we see someone being ill-treated and beaten in the marketplace, if it is possible to pay money, let us do so; and if it is possible to resolve the matter with words, let us not hesitate. For there is a reward even for a word, and rather even for sighs; and this the blessed Job would say: But I

101

τρυφῶντα καὶ πλουτοῦντα, πάντα ἀποδυόμενον, καὶ πτερούμενον, καὶ πρὸς λιμὸν καὶ πενίαν, καὶ πρὸς σκληραγωγίαν ἅπασαν, καὶ πρὸς κινδύνους, καὶ πρὸς αἷμα, καὶ πρὸς σφαγὴν, καὶ πρὸς πάντα τὰ δοκοῦντα εἶναι δεινὰ παρατεταγμένον, μὴ σαφῆ λαβεῖν τῶν μελλόντων ἐντεῦθεν ἀπόδειξιν; Ἂν δὲ τοῖς παροῦσιν ἑαυτοὺς ἐμπλέκωμεν, καὶ ἐνδοτέρω ὠθῶμεν, πῶς δυνήσονται πεισθῆναι, ὅτι πρὸς ἀποδημίαν ἐπειγόμεθα ἑτέραν; Τίς δὲ ἡμῖν ἔσται ἀπολογία λοιπὸν, ὅταν ὅσον ἴσχυσεν ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη δόξα παρὰ τοῖς Ἑλλήνων φιλοσόφοις, μὴ ἰσχύῃ παρ' ἡμῖν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβος; Καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνων τινὲς καὶ χρήματα ἀπεδύσαντο, καὶ θανάτου κατεφρόνησαν, ἵνα ἀνθρώποις ἐπιδείξωνται· διὸ καὶ κεναὶ γεγόνασιν αὐτῶν αἱ ἐλπίδες. Τίς οὖν ἡμᾶς ἐξαιρήσεται λόγος, ὅταν τοσούτων προκειμένων, καὶ τοσαύτης φιλοσοφίας ἡμῖν ἀνοιχθείσης, μηδὲ τὰ αὐτὰ δυνηθῶμεν ἐκείνοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑαυτοὺς καὶ ἑτέρους προσαπόλλυμεν; Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτω βλάπτει Ἕλλην παράνομα πράσσων, ὡς Χριστιανὸς ταῦτα ποιῶν· καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. Ἐκείνων μὲν γὰρ διεφθαρμένη ἡ δόξα· ἡ δὲ ἡμετέρα διὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριν καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἀσεβέσι σεμνὴ καὶ περιφανής. ∆ιὸ ὅταν μάλιστα ἡμῖν ὀνειδίσαι βούλωνται, καὶ τὴν κατηγορίαν αὐξῆσαι, τοῦτο ἐπιλέγουσιν, οἷον, Ὁ Χριστιανός· οὐκ ἂν εἰπόντες, εἰ μὴ μεγάλην περὶ τοῦ δόγματος ἔσχον ὑπόνοιαν Οὐκ ἤκουσας πόσα ὁ Χριστὸς ἐπέταξε καὶ ἡλίκα; Πότε οὖν δυνήσῃ μίαν ἐκείνων ἀνύσαι τῶν ἐντολῶν, ὅταν πάντα ἀφεὶς περιέρχῃ τόκους συλλέγων, δανείσματα ῥάπτων, πραγματείας συντιθεὶς, ἀγέλας ἀνδραπόδων ὠνούμενος, ἀργυρᾶ σκεύη κατασκευάζων, ἀγροὺς καὶ οἰκίας καὶ ἔπιπλα ἀγοράζων μυρία; Καὶ εἴθε τοῦτο μόνον. Ὅταν δὲ ταῖς ἀκαίροις ταύταις σπουδαῖς καὶ ἀδικίαν προστιθῇς, γῆν ἀποτεμνόμενος, οἰκίας ἀποσπῶν, πενίαν ἐπιτρίβων, λιμὸν αὔξων, πότε δυνήσῃ τῶν προθύρων ἐπιβῆναι τούτων; Ἀλλ' ἔστιν ὅτε καὶ πένητας ἐλεεῖς. Οἶδα κἀγώ· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκεῖ πολλὴ πάλιν ἡ λύμη. Ἢ γὰρ μετὰ τύφου, ἢ μετὰ κενοδοξίας τοῦτο ποιεῖς, ἵνα μηδὲ ἐν τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς κερδάνῃς· οὗ τί γένοιτ' ἂν ἀθλιώτερον, ὅταν καὶ ἐν τῷ λιμένι ναυαγῇς; Ἵν' οὖν μὴ τοῦτο γένηται, ποιήσας τι καλὸν, μὴ ζήτει παρ' ἐμοῦ τὴν χάριν, ἵνα τὸν Θεὸν ἔχῃς ὀφειλέτην. ∆ανείζετε γὰρ, φησὶ, παρ' ὧν μὴ προσδοκᾶτε λήψεσθαι. Ἔχεις χρεώστην· τί ἐκεῖνον ἀφεὶς, ἐμὲ ἀπαιτεῖς, ἄνθρωπον πένητα καὶ ταλαίπωρον; Μὴ γὰρ ἀγανακτεῖ ὁ χρεώστης ἀπαιτούμενος; μὴ γὰρ πένης ἐστί; μὴ γὰρ οὐ βούλεται καταθεῖναι; Οὐχ ὁρᾷς αὐτοῦ τοὺς ἀφάτους θησαυρούς; οὐχ ὁρᾷς τὴν ἀνεκδιήγητον φιλοτιμίαν; Αὐτὸν τοίνυν κάτασχε καὶ ἀπαίτησον· οὕτω γὰρ ἀπαιτούμενος χαίρει. Ὅτι ἂν ἕτερον ἀπαιτούμενον ἴδῃ ἀνθ' ὧν αὐτὸς ὀφείλει, ὡς ὑβρισθεὶς οὕτω διακείσεται· καὶ οὐκέτι σοι ἀποδίδωσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐγκαλεῖ δικαίως. Ποίαν γάρ μου ἀγνωμοσύνην κατέγνως; φησί· ποίαν μοι πενίαν σύνοιδας, ὅτι παραδραμὼν ἐμὲ ἐφ' ἑτέρους ἔρχῃ; Ἄλλῳ ἐδάνεισας, καὶ ἄλλον ἀπαιτεῖς; Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἄνθρωπος ὑπεδέξατο, ἀλλ' ὁ Θεὸς ἐκέλευσε καταβαλεῖν· καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ πρωτότυπος ὀφειλέτης καὶ ἐγγυητὴς εἶναι βούλεται, μυρίας σοι παρέχων ἀφορμὰς τοῦ πάντοθεν 57.236 αὐτὸν ἀπαιτεῖν. Μὴ δὴ οὖν τοσαύτην εὐκολίαν καὶ εὐπορίαν ἀφεὶς, παρ' ἐμοῦ ζήτει λαβεῖν τοῦ μηδὲν ἔχοντος. Τίνος γὰρ ἕνεκεν ἐμοὶ ἐπιδείκνυσαι ἐλεῶν πένητα; Μὴ γὰρ ἐγώ σοι εἶπον, ∆ός; μὴ γὰρ παρ' ἐμοῦ ἤκουσας, ἵνα καὶ παρ' ἐμοῦ ἀπαιτήσῃς; Αὐτὸς εἶπεν· Ὁ ἐλεῶν πένητα, δανείζει Θεῷ. Θεῷ ἐδάνεισας· αὐτῷ περίθες. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀποδίδωσι τὸ πᾶν νῦν. Καὶ τοῦτο ὑπὲρ σοῦ ποιεῖ. Τοιοῦτος γάρ ἐστιν ὀφειλέτης· οὐχ ὡς πολλοὶ τὸ δανεισθὲν σπουδάζουσιν ἀποδοῦναι μόνον, ἀλλ' ὥστε καὶ τὸ δοθὲν ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ καταθεῖναι, πάντα πραγματεύεται καὶ ποιεῖ. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο τὰ μὲν ἐνταῦθα καταβάλλει, τὰ δὲ ἐκεῖ ταμιεύεται. ιʹ. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδότες πολὺν ποιῶμεν τὸν ἔλεον, καὶ πολλὴν τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν ἐπιδειξώμεθα, καὶ διὰ χρημάτων, καὶ διὰ πραγμάτων. Κἂν ἴδωμέν τινα κακῶς πάσχοντα καὶ τυπτόμενον ἐν ἀγορᾷ, κἂν ἀργύριον δυνατὸν καταβαλεῖν, ποιῶμεν· κἂν λόγοις δυνατὸν διαλῦσαι, μὴ ὀκνῶμεν. Ἔστι γὰρ καὶ λόγου μισθὸς, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ στεναγμῶν· καὶ τοῦτο ὁ μακάριος Ἰὼβ ἔλεγεν· Ἐγὼ δὲ