John Chrysostom, On John

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that I did a greater work than circumcision; but He refutes them out of abundance by saying: If a man receives circumcision. Do you see that the law is most established when one breaks it? do you see that the breaking of the Sabbath is a keeping of the law? as, if the Sabbath were not broken, the law would necessarily have to be broken; so that I also have established it. And He did not say, Are you angry with Me, because I have performed a work greater than circumcision; but having only stated the fact, He left the judgment to them, whether entire health is not more necessary than circumcision. In order that a man may receive a sign that contributes nothing to health, the law is broken, he says; in order that he may be freed from so great a disease, are you vexed and indignant? Judge not according to appearance. What is, "According to appearance"? Do not, because Moses has greater glory among you, cast your vote based on the dignity of persons; but from the nature of the things themselves; for this is to judge righteously. For why did no one accuse Moses? why did no one disobey him when he commanded the Sabbath to be broken by a commandment introduced to the law from outside? But he endures a commandment to be more authoritative than his own law, a commandment, 59.278 not introduced by the law, but from outside; which is most wonderful; but you who are not lawgivers, vindicate the law beyond measure, and defend it. But Moses is more trustworthy than you, who commands the law to be broken by a commandment that is not of the law. For in saying, "A whole man," He shows that circumcision is also a partial health. And what is the health of circumcision? Every soul, He says, which is not circumcised, shall be cut off. But I have raised up not one who was afflicted in part, but one who was wholly corrupt. Judge not, therefore, according to appearance. Let us be persuaded of this, that it was not spoken to them alone at that time, but also to us, so that we may not corrupt what is just for any reason, but do all things for its sake; whether a man be poor or rich, not to regard the persons, but to examine the facts. You shall not, it says, pity a poor man in judgment. What then is said? Be not broken, nor be bent, it says, if the one who does wrong happens to be poor. And if one should not show favor to a poor man, much more so to a rich man. But I say these things, not only to those who judge, but also to all men, that they may nowhere corrupt what is just, but everywhere keep it intact. The Lord, it says, loves righteousness. But he who loves iniquity, hates his own soul. Let us not then hate our own souls, nor love iniquity. For its gain is certainly small and nothing now; but for the future it causes great loss; or rather, we shall not even enjoy it here. For when we revel with an evil conscience, is this not a punishment and a torment? Let us therefore love what is just, and nowhere transgress this law. For what shall we be able to reap from the present life, if we depart without having received virtue? And what will stand for us there? Friendship and kinship and the favor of so-and-so? And why do I say the favor of so-and-so? For even if we had Noah, or Job, or Daniel as a father, this will not benefit us at all, when we have been betrayed by our own works. But we need one thing only, virtue of the soul. This will be able to save us, and deliver us from the eternal fire. This will escort us into the kingdom of heaven; may it be that we all attain to it, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father be the glory, together with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

59.277 HOMILY 50. Some therefore of the people of Jerusalem said: "Is not this He

whom they seek to kill? And behold, He speaks openly, and they say nothing to Him. Can it be

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ὅτι μεῖζον ἐποίησα τῆς περιτομῆς· ἀλλ' ἐκ περιουσίας ἐλέγχει τῷ εἰπεῖν· Εἰ περιτομὴν λαμβάνει ἄνθρωπος. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τότε μάλιστα ἵσταται ὁ νόμος, ὅταν αὐτὸν λύῃ; ὁρᾷς ὅτι ἡ τοῦ σαββάτου λύσις τήρησίς ἐστι τοῦ νόμου; ὡς εἰ μὴ ἐλύθη τὸ σάββατον, ἀνάγκη τὸν νόμον ἦν λυθῆναι· ὥστε καὶ ἐγὼ ἔστησα αὐτόν. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐμοὶ χολᾶτε, ὅτι μεῖζον περιτομῆς εἰργασάμην· ἀλλὰ τὸ γεγονὸς μόνον εἰπὼν, αὐτοῖς τὴν κρίσιν ἐπέτρεψεν, εἰ μὴ περιτομῆς ἀναγκαιότερον ὁλόκληρος ὑγίεια. Ἵνα σημεῖον λάβῃ ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὐδὲν πρὸς ὑγείαν συντελοῦν, λύεται νόμος, φησίν· ἵνα νόσου τοσαύτης ἀπαλλαγῇ, δυσχεραίνετε, καὶ ἀγανακτεῖτε; Μὴ κρίνετε κατ' ὄψιν. Τί ἐστι, Κατ' ὄψιν; Μὴ ἐπειδὴ Μωϋσῆς μείζονα παρ' ὑμῖν ἔχει τὴν δόξαν, ἀπὸ τοῦ τῶν προσώπων ἀξιώματος φέρετε τὴν ψῆφον· ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων φύσεως· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ δικαίως κρῖναι. ∆ιατί γὰρ οὐδεὶς ἐνεκάλεσε Μωϋσεῖ; διατί οὐδεὶς ἠπείθησε κελεύοντι τὸ σάββατον λύεσθαι ὑπὸ ἐντολῆς ἔξωθεν ἐπεισενεχθείσης τῷ νόμῳ; Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος μὲν τοῦ οἰκείου νόμου ἀνέχεται ἐντολὴν εἶναι κυριωτέραν, ἐντολὴν, τὴν 59.278 οὐκ ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου εἰσενεχθεῖσαν, ἀλλ' ἔξωθεν· ὅπερ ἐστὶ μάλιστα θαυμαστόν· ὑμεῖς δὲ οἱ οὐ νομοθέται, πέρα τοῦ μέτρου ἐκδικεῖτε τὸν νόμον, καὶ ἀμύνετε αὐτῷ. Ἀλλὰ ἀξιοπιστότερος ὑμῶν ἐστιν ὁ Μωϋσῆς, ὁ κελεύων λύεσθαι τὸν νόμον παρὰ ἐντολῆς οὐ νομίμης. Τῷ γοῦν εἰπεῖν, Ὅλον ἄνθρωπον, δείκνυσι καὶ μερικὴν ὑγείαν οὖσαν τὴν περιτομήν. Καὶ τίς ἡ ὑγεία τῆς περιτομῆς; Ψυχὴ, φησὶ, πᾶσα, ἥτις ἐὰν μὴ περιτμηθῇ, ἐξολοθρευθήσεται. Ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ ἀπὸ μέρους κεκακωμένον, ἀλλ' ὅλον διεφθαρμένον ἀνέστησα. Μὴ κρίνετε, τοίνυν κατ' ὄψιν. Τοῦτο πειθώμεθα μὴ τοῖς τότε εἰρῆσθαι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡμῖν, ὥστε μηδενὶ πράγματι διαφθείρειν τὸ δίκαιον, ἀλλὰ πάντα ὑπὲρ τούτου ποιεῖν· εἴτε πένης, εἴτε πλούσιος ᾖ τις, μὴ τοῖς προσώποις προσέχειν, ἀλλὰ τὰ πράγματα ἐξετάζειν. Οὐκ ἐλεήσεις, φησὶ, πένητα ἐν κρίσει. Τί δή ἐστι τὸ λεγόμενον; Μὴ κατακλασθῇς, μηδὲ ἐπικαμφθῇς, φησὶν, ἐὰν πένης ὁ ἀδικῶν τύχῃ. Εἰ δὲ πένητι χαρίζεσθαι οὐ χρὴ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον πλουτοῦντι. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγω, οὐ πρὸς τοὺς δικάζοντας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς πάντας ἀνθρώπους, ὥστε μηδαμοῦ διαφθείρειν τὸ δίκαιον, ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ ἀκέραιον φυλάττειν. Ἀγαπᾷ, φησὶ, δικαιοσύνην ὁ Κύριος. Ὁ δὲ ἀγαπῶν τὴν ἀδικίαν, μισεῖ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν. Μὴ δὴ μισήσωμεν τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχὰς, μηδὲ ἀγαπήσωμεν ἀδικίαν. Πάντως γὰρ αὐτῆς τὸ κέρδος νῦν μικρὸν καὶ οὐδέν· ἀλλ' εἰς τὸ μέλλον μεγάλα ζημιοῖ· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα αὐτῆς ἀπολαυσόμεθα. Ὅταν γὰρ μετὰ συνειδότος πονηροῦ τρυφῶμεν, ἆρα οὐχὶ κόλασις καὶ τιμωρία τοῦτο; Ἀγαπήσωμεν τοίνυν τὸ δίκαιον, καὶ μηδαμοῦ παραβλάψωμεν τοῦτον τὸν νόμον. Τί γὰρ δυνησόμεθα ἐκ τοῦ παρόντος καρπώσασθαι βίου, ἂν μὴ λαβόντες ἀρετὴν ἀπέλθωμεν; Τί δὲ ἐκεῖ ἡμῶν προστήσεται; φιλία καὶ συγγένεια καὶ ἡ τοῦ δεῖνος χάρις; Καὶ τί λέγω ἡ τοῦ δεῖνος χάρις; Κἂν γὰρ τὸν Νῶε, κἂν τὸν Ἰὼβ, κἂν τὸν ∆ανιὴλ ἔχωμεν πατέρα, οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς ὠφελήσει τοῦτο, ὅταν ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων ἔργων ὦμεν προδεδομένοι. Ἀλλ' ἑνὸς ἡμῖν δεῖ μόνου, ἀρετῆς τῆς κατὰ ψυχήν. Αὕτη ἡμᾶς διασῶσαι δυνήσεται, καὶ ἀπαλλάξαι τοῦ αἰωνίου πυρός. Αὕτη παραπέμψει εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν· ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

59.277 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Νʹ. Ἔλεγον οὖν τινες ἐκ τῶν Ἱεροσολυμιτῶν· «Οὐχ οὗτός

ἐστιν ὃν ζητοῦσιν ἀποκτεῖναι; Καὶ ἴδε παῤῥησίᾳ λαλεῖ, καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτῷ λέγουσι. Μή