John Chrysostom, On Matthew

216

and I turn away. For I have been eager to correct them first, and drawing you away from all others, to these I send teachers and physicians. And not only do I forbid you to preach to others before these, but I do not even permit you to set foot on the road leading there, nor to enter such a city. 4. For the Samaritans also are hostilely disposed towards the Jews. And yet their case was easier; for they were much more disposed to the faith; but the case of these was more difficult. But nevertheless He sends them to the more difficult tasks, showing His care for them, and stopping the mouths of the Jews, and preparing the way for the teaching of the apostles, so that they might not again accuse them, that they went in to the uncircumcised, and might seem to have a just cause for shunning and turning away from them. And He calls them lost sheep, not run-away sheep, devising pardon for them from every side, and drawing their minds to Himself. And as you go, He says, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Do you see the greatness of the ministry? Do you see the dignity of the apostles? They are not commanded to say anything of the senses, nor such things as those around Moses and the prophets before them, but things new and paradoxical. For they did not preach such things, but earth, and the good things in the earth; but these, the kingdom of heaven, and all things there. But not from this alone are these men greater, but also from their obedience. For they do not shrink back, nor do they hesitate, like the men of old; but, though hearing of dangers and wars and unbearable evils, they receive what is commanded with great persuasion, since they are heralds of a kingdom. And what wonder is it, one might say, if, preaching nothing gloomy or difficult, they readily obeyed? What do you say? Were they commanded nothing difficult? Do you not hear of the prisons, the trials, the civil wars, the hatred from all, all of which He said they would undergo a little later? For He sent them to be agents and heralds of countless good things for others, but He said and foretold that they themselves would suffer incurable evils. Then, making them trustworthy, He says: Heal the 57.382 sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons: freely you have received, freely give. See how He takes care of their morals, and no less than of the signs, showing that without these, the signs are nothing. For He both restrains their pride by saying, Freely you have received, freely give; and prepares them to be clean from the love of money. Then, so that it might not be thought to be their own achievement, and they be lifted up by the signs that were happening, He says: Freely you have received. You bestow nothing on those who receive you; for you did not receive these things for a wage, nor by laboring; for the grace is Mine. Thus, therefore, also give to them; for it is not possible to find a price worthy of them. Then, immediately pulling up the root of evils, He says: Possess neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your belts, nor bag for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet a staff. He did not say, Do not take with you, but, Even if it is possible to receive it from another source, flee the evil disease. For through this He accomplished many things: first, making the disciples above suspicion; second, freeing them from all care, so that they might devote all their leisure to the word; third, teaching them His own power. This, at any rate, He also says to them after this: Did you lack anything, when I sent you naked and unshod? He did not immediately say, Possess not; but when He said, Cleanse the lepers, cast out demons, then He said, Possess nothing; freely you have received, freely give; providing through deeds what was expedient, and what was fitting for them, and what was possible. But perhaps someone might say that the other things might have a reason; but not to have a bag for the journey, nor two coats, nor a staff, nor shoes, for what reason did He command this? Wishing to train them in all strictness; since even above, He did not permit them to be anxious even for the next day. For indeed He was about to send them as teachers to the whole world. For this reason He also makes them angels out of men, so to speak, freeing them from all care

216

καὶ ἀποστρέφομαι. Καὶ γὰρ πρώτους αὐτοὺς διορθῶσαι ἐσπούδακα, καὶ πάντων ὑμᾶς ἀπάγων τῶν ἄλλων, τούτοις πέμπω διδασκάλους καὶ ἰατρούς. Καὶ οὐ μόνον πρὸ τούτων ἄλλοις καταγγεῖλαι κωλύω, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ὁδοῦ ἅψασθαι τῆς ἐκεῖ φερούσης ἐπιτρέπω, οὐδὲ εἰς πόλιν τοιαύτην εἰσελθεῖν. δʹ. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ οἱ Σαμαρεῖται ἐναντίως πρὸς Ἰουδαίους διάκεινται. Καίτοιγε εὐκολώτερα τὰ ἐκείνων ἦν· πολλῷ γὰρ ἐπιτηδειότερον πρὸς τὴν πίστιν εἶχον· τὰ δὲ τούτων χαλεπώτερα. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐπὶ τὰ δυσκολώτερα πέμπει, τὴν κηδεμονίαν τὴν περὶ αὐτοὺς ἐνδεικνύμενος, καὶ τὰ στόματα τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐμφράττων, καὶ προοδοποιῶν τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ τῶν ἀποστόλων, ἵνα μὴ πάλιν ἐγκαλῶσιν, ὅτι πρὸς ἀκροβύστους εἰσῆλθον, καὶ δικαίαν δόξωσιν αἰτίαν ἔχειν τοῦ φυγεῖν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀποστρέφεσθαι. Καὶ πρόβατα αὐτοὺς καλεῖ ἀπολωλότα, οὐκ ἀποπηδήσαντα, πανταχόθεν συγγνώμην αὐτοῖς ἐπινοῶν, καὶ ἐφελκόμενος αὐτῶν τὴν γνώμην. Πορευόμενοι δὲ, φησὶ, κηρύξατε λέγοντες, ὅτι Ἤγγικεν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. Εἶδες διακονίας μέγεθος; εἶδες ἀποστόλων ἀξίωμα; Οὐδὲν αἰσθητὸν κελεύονται λέγειν, οὐδὲ οἷον οἱ περὶ Μωϋσέα καὶ τοὺς προφήτας τοὺς ἔμπροσθεν, ἀλλὰ καινά τινα καὶ παράδοξα. Οὐ γὰρ τοιαῦτα ἐκήρυττον ἐκεῖνοι, ἀλλὰ γῆν, καὶ τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ ἀγαθά· οἱ δὲ βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν, καὶ τὰ ἐκεῖ ἅπαντα. Οὐκ ἐντεῦθεν δὲ μόνον οὗτοι μείζους, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ τῆς ὑπακοῆς. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀναδύονται, οὐδὲ ὀκνοῦσι, καθάπερ οἱ παλαιοί· ἀλλὰ, καίτοι κινδύνους καὶ πολέμους καὶ τὰ ἀφόρητα ἀκούοντες κακὰ, μετὰ πολλῆς δέχονται τῆς πειθοῦς τὰ ἐπιταττόμενα, ἅτε βασιλείας κήρυκες ὄντες. Καὶ τί θαυμαστὸν, φησὶν, εἰ μηδὲν σκυθρωπὸν κηρύττοντες καὶ χαλεπὸν, εὐκόλως ὑπήκουσαν; Τί λέγεις; οὐδὲν χαλεπὸν ἐπετάγησαν; Οὐκ ἀκούεις τῶν δεσμωτηρίων, τῶν ἀναγωγῶν, τῶν πολέμων τῶν ἐμφυλίων, τοῦ παρὰ πάντων μίσους, ἅπερ ἅπαντα μικρὸν ὕστερον αὐτοὺς ὑποστήσεσθαι ἔλεγεν; Ἑτέροις μὲν γὰρ μυρίων ἐσομένους ἀγαθῶν προξένους καὶ κήρυκας ἔπεμπεν αὐτοὺς δὲ ἀνήκεστα δεινὰ πείσεσθαι ἔλεγε καὶ προανεφώνει. Εἶτα ποιῶν αὐτοὺς ἀξιοπίστους, φησίν· Ἀσθενοῦν 57.382 τας θεραπεύετε, λεπροὺς καθαίρετε, δαιμόνια ἐκβάλλετε· δωρεὰν ἐλάβετε, δωρεὰν δότε. Ὅρα πῶς τῶν ἠθῶν ἐπιμελεῖται, καὶ οὐκ ἔλαττον ἢ τῶν σημείων, δεικνὺς ὅτι τὰ σημεῖα τούτων χωρὶς οὐδέν ἐστι. Καὶ γὰρ τὸ φρόνημα αὐτῶν καταστέλλει λέγων· ∆ωρεὰν ἐλάβετε, δωρεὰν δότε· καὶ φιλοχρηματίας καθαρεύειν παρασκευάζει. Εἶτα ἵνα μὴ νομισθῇ αὐτῶν εἶναι κατόρθωμα, καὶ ἐπαρθῶσιν ἀπὸ τῶν γινομένων σημείων, φησί· ∆ωρεὰν ἐλάβετε. Οὐδὲν χαρίζεσθε τοῖς δεχομένοις ὑμᾶς· οὐ γὰρ μισθοῦ ταῦτα ἐλάβετε, οὐδὲ πονέσαντες· ἐμὴ γὰρ ἡ χάρις. Οὕτως οὖν καὶ ἐκείνοις δότε· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔστι τιμὴν αὐτῶν ἀξίαν εὑρεῖν. Εἶτα τὴν ῥίζαν τῶν κακῶν εὐθέως ἀνασπῶν, φησί· Μὴ κτήσησθε χρυσὸν, μηδὲ ἄργυρον, μηδὲ χαλκὸν εἰς τὰς ζώνας ὑμῶν, μὴ πήραν εἰς ὁδὸν, μηδὲ δύο χιτῶνας, μηδὲ ὑποδήματα, μηδὲ ῥάβδον. Οὐκ εἶπε, Μὴ λάβητε μεθ' ἑαυτῶν, ἀλλὰ, Κἂν ἑτέρωθεν ἐξῇ λαβεῖν, φύγε τὸ πονηρὸν νόσημα. Καὶ γὰρ πολλὰ διὰ τούτου κατώρθου· ἓν μὲν, ἀνυπόπτους ποιῶν τοὺς μαθητάς· δεύτερον δὲ, πάσης αὐτοὺς ἀπαλλάττων φροντίδος, ὥστε τὴν σχολὴν πᾶσαν τῷ λόγῳ παρέχειν· τρίτον, διδάσκων αὐτοὺς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δύναμιν. Τοῦτο γοῦν αὐτοῖς καὶ λέγει μετὰ ταῦτα· Μή τινος ὑστερήσατε, ὅτε ἔπεμψα ὑμᾶς γυμνοὺς καὶ ἀνυποδέτους; Οὐκ εὐθέως εἶπε, Μὴ κτήσησθε· ἀλλ' ὅτε εἶπε, Λεπροὺς καθαίρετε, δαιμόνια ἐκβάλλετε, τότε εἶπε, Μηδὲν κτήσησθε· δωρεὰν ἐλάβετε, δωρεὰν δότε· καὶ τὸ συμφέρον διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων, καὶ τὸ πρέπον αὐτοῖς, καὶ τὸ δυνατὸν παρεχόμενος. Ἀλλ' ἴσως εἴποι τις ἂν, ὅτι Τὰ μὲν ἄλλα λόγον ἂν ἔχοι· τὸ δὲ μὴ πήραν ἔχειν εἰς ὁδὸν, μηδὲ δύο χιτῶνας, μηδὲ ῥάβδον, μηδὲ ὑποδήματα, τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐπέταξεν; Εἰς πᾶσαν αὐτοὺς ἀκρίβειαν ἀσκῆσαι βουλόμενος· ἐπεὶ καὶ ἀνωτέρω, οὐδὲ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐπιούσης ἡμέρας μεριμνᾷν ἐπέτρεψε. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ διδασκάλους ἔμελλεν ἀποστέλλειν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἀγγέλους αὐτοὺς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων, ὡς εἰπεῖν, κατασκευάζει, πάσης ἀπολύων φροντίδος