John Chrysostom, On Matthew

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having a right to you, and many more other things. For he also made you a sharer of his own things, receiving nothing from you, but even initiating this ineffable benefit. How then is it not the utmost folly not even to be philanthropic with this gift, nor to give a return for a grace, and lesser things for greater? For he made you an heir of the heavens; but you do not share with him even of the things on the earth? He reconciled you when you had accomplished nothing, but were even an enemy; but you do not repay him when he is a friend and benefactor? and yet even before the kingdom, and before all other things, and for the sake of the giving itself, is it not just to have it for him? For even servants, when inviting their masters to a meal, consider themselves to be receiving, not giving; but here the opposite has happened. For not the servant the Master, but the Master first called the servant to his own table; and do you not call him even after this? He first brought you under his own roof; and you not even second? He clothed you when you were naked; and do you not even after this take in a stranger? He first gave you to drink of his own cup; and you do not even share a cup of cold water? He gave you the Holy Spirit to drink; and you do not even soothe bodily thirst? He gave you the Spirit to drink, when you were worthy of punishment; and you overlook even the thirsty, and this when you are about to do all these things from his own resources? 3. For do you not consider it a great thing to hold the cup from which Christ is about to drink, and to bring it to his mouth? Do you not see that it is lawful for the priest alone to give the cup of the blood? But I am not scrupulous about these things, he says; but even if you yourself give it, I accept it; even if you are a layman, I do not refuse. And I do not demand such as I gave; for I do not seek blood, but cold water. Consider whom you are giving drink to, and shudder. Consider that you become a priest of Christ, giving with your own hand, not flesh, but bread, not blood, but a cup of cold water. He clothed you with the garment of salvation, and he clothed you by himself; you, at least clothe him through your servant. He made you glorious in 58.475 the heavens; you, deliver him from shivering, and from nakedness, and from indecency. He made you a citizen with the angels; you, at least share only a roof, or give a dwelling as to your servant; I do not turn away from this lodging, and this though I have opened all heaven to you. I delivered you from a most harsh prison; I do not demand this, nor do I say, Deliver me; but if you only see me bound, this is enough for my consolation. I raised you when you were dead; I do not demand this of you, but I say, Only visit me when I am sick. When, therefore, the things given are so great, and the things required so very light, and we do not provide even these, of how great a Gehenna would we not be worthy? Rightly do we go into the fire prepared for the devil and his angels, being more senseless than rocks. For of how great insensibility, tell me, is it, having received so much, being about to receive so much, to be slaves of money, from which a little later we shall be parted even unwillingly? And others indeed have given their soul, and have poured out their blood; but you do not even give up your surplus for the heavens, for so many crowns? And of what pardon would you be worthy, of what de 58.476 fense, when in sowing the earth you gladly part with everything, and in lending to men you spare nothing, but in feeding your Master through the needy you are cruel and inhuman? Therefore, considering all these things, and reckoning what we have received, what we are about to receive, what we ask for, let us show all diligence in spiritual things. Let us at length become gentle and philanthropic, that we may not draw down upon ourselves the unbearable penalty. For what is not sufficient to condemn us? To have enjoyed so many and so great things, to be asked for nothing great, to be asked for such things as we shall leave behind here even unwillingly, to show much ambition in the things of this life? For each of these is sufficient even by itself to condemn us; but when all of them come together, what hope will there be of salvation? In order, therefore, to escape all this condemnation, let us show some liberality towards the needy. For thus both of things here and

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δικαίωμα πρὸς σὲ ἔχοντα, καὶ πολλῷ πλείονα ἕτερα. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ μεριστήν σε ἐποίησε τῶν αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲν παρὰ σοῦ λαβὼν, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατάρξας τῆς ἀφάτου ταύτης εὐεργεσίας. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἐσχάτης ἀνοίας τὸ μηδὲ τῇ δωρεᾷ ταύτῃ γενέσθαι φιλάνθρωπον, μηδὲ ἀμοιβὴν ἀντὶ χάριτος δοῦναι, καὶ ἐλάττονα ἀντὶ μειζόνων; Αὐτὸς μὲν γάρ σε τῶν οὐρανῶν κληρονόμον ἐποίησε· σὺ δὲ αὐτῷ οὐδὲ τῶν ἐν τῇ γῇ μεταδίδως; Αὐτός σε οὐδὲν κατωρθωκότα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐχθρὸν ὄντα κατήλλαξε· σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ φίλον ὄντα καὶ εὐεργέτην ἀμείβῃ; καίτοιγε καὶ πρὸ τῆς βασιλείας, καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων, καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ τοῦ δοῦναι χάριν δίκαιον ἔχειν αὐτῷ; Καὶ γὰρ καὶ οἰκέται, δεσπότας ἐπ' ἄριστον καλοῦντες, οὐ παρέχειν, ἀλλὰ λαμβάνειν νομίζουσιν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ τοὐναντίον γέγονεν. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ οἰκέτης τὸν ∆εσπότην, ἀλλὰ ὁ ∆εσπότης τὸν οἰκέτην πρῶτος ἐκάλεσεν ἐπὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ τράπεζαν· σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ μετὰ τοῦτο καλεῖς; Πρῶτός σε εἰς τὴν αὐτοῦ στέγην εἰσήγαγε· σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ δεύτερος; Γυμνὸν ὄντα σε περιέβαλε· σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ μετὰ ταῦτα ξένον ὄντα συνάγεις; Πρῶτός σε ἐπότισε τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ποτήριον· σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ ψυχροῦ μεταδίδως ὕδατος; Ἐπότισέ σε Πνεῦμα ἅγιον· σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ τὴν σωματικὴν παραμυθῇ δίψαν; Ἐπότισέ σε Πνεῦμα, ἄξιον ὄντα κολάσεως· σὺ δὲ καὶ διψῶντα περιορᾷς, καὶ ταῦτα ἐκ τῶν αὐτοῦ μέλλων ἅπαντα ταῦτα ποιεῖν; γʹ. Οὐ γὰρ μέγα ἡγῇ τὸ ποτήριον κατασχεῖν, ἐξ οὗ πίνειν ὁ Χριστὸς μέλλει, καὶ προσάγειν τῷ στόματι; Οὐχ ὁρᾷς, ὅτι τῷ ἱερεῖ μόνῳ θέμις τὸ τοῦ αἵματος ἐπιδιδόναι ποτήριον; Ἐγὼ δὲ οὐδὲν ὑπὲρ τούτων ἀκριβολογοῦμαι, φησίν· ἀλλὰ κἂν αὐτὸς ἐπιδῷς, δέχομαι· κἂν λαϊκὸς ᾖς, οὐ παραιτοῦμαι. Καὶ οὐκ ἀπαιτῶ οἷον ἔδωκα· οὐ γὰρ αἷμα ζητῶ, ἀλλ' ὕδωρ ψυχρόν. Ἐννόησον τίνα ποτίζεις, καὶ φρίξον. Ἐννόησον ὅτι ἱερεὺς τοῦ Χριστοῦ γίνῃ σὺ, ἰδίᾳ χειρὶ διδοὺς, οὐ σάρκα, ἀλλ' ἄρτον, οὐχ αἷμα, ἀλλὰ ψυχροῦ ὕδατος ποτήριον. Ἐνέδυσέ σε ἱμάτιον σωτηρίου, καὶ ἐνέδυσέ σε δι' ἑαυτοῦ· σὺ κἂν διὰ τοῦ παιδὸς ἔνδυσον. Ἐποίησέ σε ἔνδοξον ἐν 58.475 οὐρανοῖς· σὺ τῆς φρίκης ἀπάλλαξον, καὶ τῆς γυμνότητος, καὶ τῆς ἀσχημοσύνης. Ἐποίησέ σε ἀγγέλων πολίτην· σὺ κἂν στέγης μετάδος μόνον, κἂν ὡς τῷ οἰκέτῃ τῷ σῷ δὸς οἰκίαν· οὐκ ἀποστρέφομαι τουτὶ τὸ καταγώγιον, καὶ ταῦτά σοι τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνοίξας ἅπαντα. Ἀπήλλαξά σε φυλακῆς χαλεπωτάτης· ἐγὼ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀπαιτῶ, οὐδὲ λέγω, Ἀπάλλαξόν με· ἀλλ' ἂν ἴδῃς με μόνον δεδεμένον, ἀρκεῖ τοῦτο εἰς παραμυθίαν ἐμοί. Νεκρὸν ὄντα ἀνέστησα· ἐγὼ τοῦτο παρὰ σοῦ οὐκ ἀπαιτῶ, ἀλλὰ λέγω, Ἐπίσκεψαί με μόνον ἀῤῥωστοῦντα. Ὅταν οὖν οὕτως ᾖ μεγάλα τὰ δεδομένα, καὶ πολὺ κοῦφα τὰ ἀπαιτούμενα, καὶ μηδὲ ταῦτα παρέχωμεν, πόσης οὐκ ἂν εἴημεν ἄξιοι γεέννης; Εἰκότως εἰς τὸ πῦρ ἄπιμεν τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ, πέτρας ὄντες ἀναισθητότεροι. Πόσης γὰρ ἀναισθησίας, εἰπέ μοι, τοσαῦτα λαβόντας, τοσαῦτα ληψομένους, χρημάτων εἶναι δούλους, ὧν μικρὸν ὕστερον ἀποστησόμεθα καὶ ἄκοντες; Καὶ ἕτεροι μὲν καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἐπέδωκαν, καὶ τὸ αἷμα ἐξέχεαν· σὺ δὲ οὐδὲ τὰ περιττὰ προΐεσαι ὑπὲρ τῶν οὐρανῶν, ὑπὲρ τῶν τοσούτων στεφάνων; Καὶ ποίας ἂν εἴης ἄξιος συγγνώμης, τίνος ἀπο 58.476 λογίας, ἐν μὲν τῷ σπόρῳ τῆς γῆς πάντα ἡδέως προϊέμενος, καὶ ἐν τῷ δανείζειν ἀνθρώποις οὐδενὸς φειδόμενος, ἐν δὲ τῷ τρέφειν σου τὸν ∆εσπότην διὰ τῶν δεομένων ὠμὸς καὶ ἀπάνθρωπος ὤν; Ταῦτ' οὖν ἅπαντα ἐννοήσαντες, καὶ λογισάμενοι ἅπερ εἰλήφαμεν, ἅπερ λαμβάνειν μέλλομεν, ἅπερ αἰτούμεθα, τὴν σπουδὴν ἅπασαν ἐν τοῖς πνευματικοῖς ἐπιδειξώμεθα. Γενώμεθά ποτε ἥμεροι καὶ φιλάνθρωποι, ἵνα μὴ τὴν ἀφόρητον δίκην ἐφ' ἑαυτοὺς ἑλκύσωμεν. Τί γὰρ ἡμᾶς οὐχ ἱκανὸν κατακρῖναι; τὸ τοσούτων καὶ τηλικούτων ἀπολαῦσαι, τὸ μηδὲν μέγα αἰτεῖσθαι, τὸ τοιαῦτα αἰτεῖσθαι ἃ καὶ ἄκοντες ἐνταῦθα ἀπολείψομεν, τὸ πολλὴν ἐν τοῖς βιωτικοῖς φιλοτιμίαν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι; Τούτων γὰρ ἕκαστον καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸ ἱκανὸν ἡμᾶς καταδικάσαι· ὅταν δὲ ὁμοῦ τὰ πάντα συνέλθῃ, τίς ἔσται σωτηρίας ἐλπίς; Ἵν' οὖν ἅπασαν ταύτην τὴν κατάκρισιν διαφύγωμεν, ἐπιδειξώμεθά τινα δαψίλειαν περὶ τοὺς δεομένους. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ τῶν ἐνταῦθα καὶ