John Chrysostom, On John

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those who live for their belly; but of virtue and vice they are not able even to dream. Then if someone mocks you, because you do not know how to draw the irrigation channels, you will consider it nothing terrible, but will even laugh at the one who reproaches you for this inexperience; but wishing to practice virtue, do you set up as judges of these things those who know nothing of it? For this reason we never arrive at that art. For we entrust our affairs not to the experienced, but to the ignorant. And they judge not according to the principle of the art, but according to their own ignorance. Therefore, I beseech you, let us despise the many; or rather, let us not desire praise, nor money, nor wealth, nor let us consider poverty to be something evil. For poverty is our teacher of prudence and endurance, and of all philosophy. Since Lazarus also lived with poverty, and was crowned; and Jacob desired to obtain only bread; and Joseph was in extreme poverty, and was not only a slave, but also a prisoner, and for this reason we admire him more. And we do not praise him so much for when he distributed the grain, as for when he inhabited the prison; not when the diadem was around him, but when the chain was; not when he sat on the throne, but when he was plotted against, and sold. Therefore, considering all these things, and the crowns woven from these contests, let us not admire wealth, and honor, and luxuries, and power; but poverty, and chains, and bonds, and endurance for the sake of virtue. For the end of those things is full of turmoil and confusion, and is allotted to the present life; but the fruit of these is heaven and the good things in the heavens, which eye has not seen, nor ear heard; which may we all attain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

59.413 HOMILY 77. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you,

and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

a'. All good things have their reward then, when they come to a fitting end; but if it is cut off in the middle, it becomes a shipwreck. And just as a ship carrying ten thousand measures, if it does not manage to arrive at the harbors, but is sunk in the middle of the sea, has gained nothing from its long voyage, but has also wrought a greater disaster, inasmuch as it endured more toils; so also are the souls that fall back before the end of their toils and are undone in the midst of the contests. For this reason Paul also said that glory and honor and peace would meet those who run by patience in good work; 59.414 which is what Christ is now establishing for the disciples. For since he had received them, and they rejoiced in him; then the passion intervening, and the sorrowful words were about to interrupt their pleasure, after he had spoken enough to console them, he says; These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full; that is, That you may not be separated from me, that you may not interrupt your course. You rejoiced in me, and you rejoiced greatly, but despondency has fallen upon you. This therefore I take away, that your joy may come to its end; showing that the present things are not worthy of grief, but of pleasure. I saw you were scandalized; I did not despise you, I did not say; For why do you not remain noble? but I have spoken to you things that bring comfort. Thus I wish to always keep 59.415 you in the same love. You heard about the kingdom; you rejoiced. Therefore, that your joy might be full, I have said these things to you. But this is the commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Do you see the love of God intertwined with ours, and joined as a kind of chain? For this reason he sometimes says there are two commandments, and sometimes one; for it is not possible for one who has taken hold of the first, not to have the other. For sometimes he says, On this hang the law and the prophets;

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τοὺς τῇ γαστρὶ ζῶντας· ἀρετῆς δὲ καὶ κακίας οὐδὲ ὄναρ φαντάζεσθαι δύνανται. Εἶτα ἐὰν μέν τίς σε σκώπτῃ, ὅτι τοὺς ὀχετοὺς τῶν ἀμαρῶν οὐκ ἐπίστασαι ἕλκειν, οὐδὲν ἡγήσῃ δεινὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ καταγελάσῃ τοῦ τὴν ἀπειρίαν ταύτην προβαλλομένου· ἀρετὴν δὲ ἀσκεῖν βουλόμενος, τοὺς οὐδὲν ταύτης εἰδότας, δοκιμαστὰς τούτων καθίζεις; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐδέποτε φθάνομεν εἰς τὴν τέχνην ἐκείνην. Οὐ γὰρ τοῖς ἐμπείροις, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀμαθέσιν ἐπιτρέπομεν τὰ ἡμέτερα. Ἐκεῖνοι δὲ οὐ κατὰ τὸν τῆς τέχνης λόγον, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀμαθίαν δοκιμάζουσι. ∆ιόπερ, παρακαλῶ, καταφρονῶμεν τῶν πολλῶν· μᾶλλον δὲ μηδὲ ἐπαίνων ἐπιθυμῶμεν, μὴ χρημάτων, μὴ πλούτου, μηδὲ κακόν τι νομίζωμεν πενίαν. Καὶ γὰρ φρονήσεως καὶ καρτερίας, καὶ πάσης φιλοσοφίας διδάσκαλος ἡμῖν ἡ πενία. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Λάζαρος πενίᾳ συνέζη, καὶ ἐστεφανοῦτο· καὶ ὁ Ἰακὼβ ἄρτου μόνου ἐπιτυχεῖν ἐπεθύμει· καὶ ὁ Ἰωσὴφ ἐν ἐσχάτῃ πενίᾳ ἐγεγόνει, καὶ οὐχὶ δοῦλος μόνον ἦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ δεσμώτης, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μᾶλλον αὐτὸν θαυμάζομεν. Καὶ οὐχ οὕτως ἐπαινοῦμεν, ὅτε τὸν σῖτον διένεμεν, ὡς ὅτε τὸ δεσμωτήριον ᾤκει· οὐχ ὅτε τὸ διάδημα περιέκειτο, ἀλλ' ὅτε τὴν ἅλυσιν· οὐχ ὅτε ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου ἐκαθέζετο, ἀλλ' ὅτε ἐπεβουλεύετο, καὶ ἐπωλεῖτο. Ταῦτα οὖν ἅπαντα ἐννοοῦντες, καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἀγώνων τούτων πλεκομένους στεφάνους, μὴ πλοῦτον, καὶ τιμὴν, καὶ τρυφὰς, καὶ δυναστείαν· ἀλλὰ πενίαν, καὶ ἅλυσιν, καὶ δεσμὰ, καὶ καρτερίαν τὴν ὑπὲρ ἀρετῆς θαυμάζωμεν. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ τέλος ἐκείνων, θορύβων γέμει καὶ ταραχῆς, καὶ τῷ παρόντι συγκεκλήρωται βίῳ· ὁ δὲ τούτων καρπὸς, οὐρανὸς καὶ τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἀγαθὰ, ἃ μήτε ὀφθαλμὸς εἶδε, μήτε οὖς ἤκουσεν· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

59.413 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΟΖʹ. Ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν, ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ἡ ἐμὴ ἐν ὑμῖν μείνῃ,

καὶ ἡ χαρὰ ὑμῶν πληρωθῇ. Αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐντολὴ ἡ ἐμὴ, ἵνα ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους, καθὼς ἐγὼ ἠγάπησα ὑμᾶς.

αʹ. Πάντα τὰ ἀγαθὰ τότε ἔχει τὸν μισθὸν, ὅταν εἰς τέλος ἔλθῃ τὸ προσῆκον·

ἐὰν δὲ ἐκκοπῇ μεταξὺ, ναυάγιον γίνεται. Καὶ καθάπερ τὸ πλοῖον τὸ μυριαγωγὸν, ἐὰν μὴ φθάσῃ καταντῆσαι πρὸς τοὺς λιμένας, ἀλλ' ἐν μέσῳ βαπτισθῇ τῷ πελάγει, οὐδὲν ἀπώνατο τοῦ πολλοῦ πλοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ μείζονα εἰργάσατο τὴν συμφορὰν, ὅσῳ καὶ πλείους ὑπέμεινε πόνους· οὕτω καὶ αἱ πρὸς τὸ τέλος τῶν πόνων ἀναπεσοῦσαι ψυχαὶ καὶ ἐν μέσοις ἐκλυόμεναι τοῖς ἀγῶσι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος δόξαν καὶ τιμὴν καὶ εἰρήνην ἔλεγε συναντήσεσθαι τοῖς καθ' ὑπομονὴν ἔργων ἀγαθῶν τρέχουσιν· 59.414 ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν μαθητῶν ὁ Χριστὸς κατασκευάζει νῦν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀπεδέξατο αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἔχαιρον ἐπ' αὐτῷ· εἶτα τὸ πάθος παρεμπεσὸν, καὶ τὰ σκυθρωπὰ ῥήματα διακόπτειν ἔμελλε τὴν ἡδονὴν, μετὰ τὸ διαλεχθῆναι ἱκανὰ καὶ παραμυθήσασθαι αὐτοὺς, φησί· Ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν, ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ἡ ἐμὴ ἐν ὑμῖν μείνῃ, καὶ ἡ χαρὰ ὑμῶν πληρωθῇ· τουτέστιν, Ἵνα μὴ ἀποσχισθῆτέ μου, ἵνα μὴ διακόψητε τὸν δρόμον. Ἐχαίρετε ἐν ἐμοὶ, καὶ σφόδρα ἐχαίρετε, ἀλλ' ἐνέπεσεν ἀθυμία. Ταύτην οὖν ἐξαιρῶ, ἵνα πρὸς τὸ τέλος ἔλθῃ ἡ χαρά· δεικνὺς, ὅτι οὐ λύπης ἄξια τὰ παρόντα, ἀλλ' ἡδονῆς. Εἶδον ὑμᾶς σκανδαλισθέντας· οὐ κατεφρόνησα, οὐκ εἶπον· ∆ιατί γὰρ μὴ μένετε γενναῖοι; ἀλλ' ἐλάλησα ὑμῖν τὰ παράκλησιν φέροντα. Οὕτω βούλομαι ὑμᾶς διαπαντὸς ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἀγάπης τη 59.415 ρεῖν. Ἠκούσατε περὶ βασιλείας· ἐχάρητε. Ἵν' οὖν πληρωθῇ ἡ χαρὰ ὑμῶν, ταῦτα εἶπον ὑμῖν. Αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ ἐντολὴ, ἵνα ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους, καθὼς ἐγὼ ἠγάπησα ὑμᾶς. Ὁρᾷς τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἀγάπην συμπεπλεγμένην τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ, καὶ ὥσπερ σειράν τινα συνημμένην; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ποτὲ μὲν δύο φησὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς, ποτὲ δὲ μίαν· οὐ γὰρ ἔνι τῆς προτέρας λαβόμενον, μὴ τὴν ἄλλην ἔχειν. Ποτὲ μὲν γάρ φησιν· Ἐν τούτῳ ὁ νόμος καὶ οἱ προφῆται κρέμανται·