John Chrysostom, On John

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we should guard them, but so that we might use them, they have been made; but if we were to bury them for others, what could be more miserable than we, who run about striving to seize everything, in order to lock it up inside, and cut off its common use? There is also another disease, no less than this one. For some bury them in the earth, others in their belly, and pleasure, and drunkenness, adding to themselves the punishment of licentiousness along with injustice. And some serve parasites and flatterers, others dice and harlots, others other such expenses, cutting for themselves countless roads leading to Gehenna, having abandoned the right and customary one, which leads to heaven. And yet it has not only profit, but also a greater pleasure than those mentioned. For he who gives to harlots will be ridiculous and shameful, and will have many wars, and a brief pleasure; or rather, not even a brief one; for however much he may give to women who keep company, they will have no gratitude for him. For a stranger's house is a leaky jar. And besides, that kind of person is rash, and Solomon compared her love to Hades; and it only stops then, when it sees its lover stripped of everything; or rather, it does not even stop then, but even adorns itself more, and tramples on him as he lies there, and raises much laughter against him, and works so many evils for him, as it is not even possible to recount in words. But the pleasure of those who are saved is not such; for here one has no rival in love, but all rejoice, and are glad, both those who are treated well, and those who see it. No anger, no despondency, no shame and reproach besieges the soul of such a person; but great is the joy of the conscience, and great is the hope of things to come; and brilliant is the glory and great the eminence, and greater than all is the goodwill and security from God; and there is not one precipice, nor suspicion, but a waveless harbor, and calm. Considering all these things, therefore, and comparing pleasure with pleasure, let us choose the better one, that we may also obtain the good things to come, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 59.477 HOMILY 88. So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou me more than these?" He saith unto him; "Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee." 1. There are many other things that can give us confidence toward God, and show us to be brilliant and approved; but that which above all provides us with goodwill from above is care for our neighbors; which is indeed what Christ requires of Peter. For when their meal had come to an end, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jona, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that 59.478 I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. And why indeed, passing over the others, does he converse with this one about these things? He was the chosen one of the apostles, and the mouth of the disciples, and the leader of the chorus; for this reason Paul also went up then to see him rather than the others. And at the same time, showing him that he must be of good courage from then on, as his denial had been driven out, he entrusts to him the leadership of the brethren. And he does not bring up the denial, nor does he reproach what happened; but he says, "If you love me, preside over the brethren," and "the fervent love, 59.479 which you showed through all things, and in which I rejoiced, show now," and "the soul which you said you would lay down for me, give this for my sheep." Since therefore having been asked once and a second time, he called as his witness Him who knows the secrets of the heart, then he was asked a third time, and was troubled, again fearing his previous experience (for then too, though he insisted, he was afterward convicted); for this reason he flees to him again. For to say, You know all things, is this: the present and the future. Do you see how he became better and more prudent, no longer being self-willed and contradicting? For he was troubled for this reason, Lest perhaps I think I love, but do not love; just as before, thinking and insisting on many things, I was later convicted. And he asks a third time,

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φυλάξωμεν, ἀλλ' ἵνα χρώμεθα, γεγόνασιν· εἰ δὲ μέλλοιμεν αὐτὰ κατορύττειν ἑτέροις, τί γένοιτ' ἂν ἡμῶν ἀθλιώτερον, οἳ περιτρέχομεν τὰ πάντα συλλαβεῖν σπουδάζοντες, ἵνα ἀποκλείσωμεν ἔνδον, καὶ τὴν κοινὴν ἐκκόψωμεν χρῆσιν; Ἔστι καὶ ἑτέρα νόσος ταύτης οὐχ ἥττων. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ εἰς τὴν γῆν κατορύττουσιν, οἱ δὲ εἰς τὴν γαστέρα, καὶ ἡδονὴν, καὶ μέθην, μετὰ τῆς ἀδικίας καὶ τὴν τῆς ἀσελγείας προστιθέντες ἑαυτοῖς κόλασιν. Καὶ οἱ μὲν παρασίτοις καὶ κόλαξιν, οἱ δὲ κύβοις καὶ πόρναις, οἱ δὲ ἑτέραις τοιαύταις λειτουργοῦσι δαπάναις, μυρίας τέμνοντες ἑαυτοῖς εἰς γέενναν φερούσας ὁδοὺς, τὴν ὀρθὴν καὶ νενομισμένην ἀφέντες, τὴν πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν φέρουσαν. Καίτοι γε οὐχὶ κέρδος μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡδονὴν μείζονα τῶν εἰρημένων ἔχει. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ πόρναις διδοὺς, καταγέλαστος ἔσται καὶ αἰσχρὸς, καὶ πολλοὺς ἕξει πολέμους, καὶ βραχεῖαν τὴν ἡδονήν· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ βραχεῖαν· ὅσα γὰρ ἂν δῷ ταῖς ἑταιριζομέναις γυναιξὶν, οὐδεμίαν χάριν αὐτῷ εἴσονται. Πίθος γὰρ τετρημένος ἐστὶν οἶκος ἀλλότριος. Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ, ἰταμὸν τὸ γένος ἐκεῖνο, καὶ τῷ ᾅδῃ προσεοικέναι αὐτῆς τὸν ἔρωτα παρέβαλεν ὁ Σολομῶν· καὶ τότε ἵσταται μόνον, ὅταν πάντων γυμνωθέντα ἴδῃ τὸν ἐραστήν· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ τότε ἵσταται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπικαλλωπίζεται μειζόνως, καὶ ἐπεμβαίνει κειμένῳ, καὶ πολὺν κατ' αὐτοῦ κινεῖ γέλωτα, καὶ τοσαῦτα αὐτὸν ἐργάζεται κακὰ, ὅσα οὐδὲ ἐπελθεῖν λόγῳ δυνατόν. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡ ἡδονὴ τῶν σωζομένων τοιαύτη· οὔτε γὰρ ἀντεραστὴν ἔχει τις ἐνταῦθα, ἀλλὰ πάντες χαίρουσι, καὶ ἀγάλλονται, οἵ τε εὖ πάσχοντες, οἵ τε ὁρῶντες. Οὐ θυμὸς, οὐκ ἀθυμία, οὐκ αἰσχύνη καὶ ὄνειδος τὴν τοῦ τοιούτου πολιορκεῖ ψυχήν· ἀλλὰ πολλὴ μὲν εὐφροσύνη τοῦ συνειδότος, πολλὴ δὲ ἡ τῶν μελλόντων ἐλπίς· λαμπρὰ δὲ ἡ δόξα καὶ πολλὴ ἡ περιφάνεια, καὶ πλείων πάντων ἡ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ εὔνοια καὶ ἀσφάλεια· καὶ κρημνὸς οὐδὲ εἷς, οὐδὲ ὑποψία, ἀλλὰ λιμὴν ἀκύμαντος, καὶ γαλήνη. Ταῦτα οὖν ἅπαντα ἐννοοῦντες, καὶ ἡδονὴν ἡδονῇ παραβάλλοντες, ἑλώμεθα τὴν βελτίω, ἵνα καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιτύχωμεν ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. 59.477 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΠΗʹ. Ὅτε οὖν ἠρίστησαν, λέγει ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῷ Σίμωνι Πέτρῳ, «Σίμων Ἰωνᾶ, ἀγαπᾷς με πλέον τούτων;» Λέγει αὐτῷ· «Ναὶ, Κύριε, σὺ οἶδας ὅτι φιλῶ σε.» αʹ. Πολλὰ μὲν ἔστι καὶ ἕτερα τὰ δυνάμενα δοῦναι παῤῥησίαν ἡμῖν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ δεῖξαι λαμπροὺς καὶ εὐδοκίμους· τὸ δὲ μάλιστα πάντων παρέχον ἡμῖν τὴν ἄνωθεν εὔνοιαν ἡ περὶ τοὺς πλησίον ἐστὶ κηδεμονία· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἀπαιτεῖ τὸν Πέτρον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τέλος εἶχεν αὐτοῖς τὰ τῆς ἐδωδῆς, Λέγει τῷ Σίμωνι Πέτρῳ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Σίμων Ἰωνᾶ, ἀγαπᾷς με πλέον τούτων; Λέγει αὐτῷ· Ναὶ, Κύριε, σὺ οἶδας ὅτι 59.478 φιλῶ σε. Λέγει αὐτῷ· Βόσκε τὰ πρόβατά μου. Καὶ τί δήποτε, τοὺς ἄλλους παραδραμὼν, τούτῳ περὶ τούτων διαλέγεται; Ἔκκριτος ἦν τῶν ἀποστόλων, καὶ στόμα τῶν μαθητῶν, καὶ κορυφὴ τοῦ χοροῦ· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ Παῦλος ἀνέβη τότε αὐτὸν ἱστορῆσαι παρὰ τοὺς ἄλλους. Ἅμα δὲ καὶ δεικνὺς αὐτῷ, ὅτι χρὴ θαῤῥεῖν λοιπὸν, ὡς τῆς ἀρνήσεως ἐξεληλαμένης, ἐγχειρίζεται τὴν προστασίαν τῶν ἀδελφῶν. Καὶ τὴν μὲν ἄρνησιν οὐ προφέρει, οὐδὲ ὀνειδίζει τὸ γεγονός· λέγει δὲ, ὅτι Εἰ φιλεῖς με, προΐστασο τῶν ἀδελφῶν, καὶ τὴν θερμὴν ἀγάπην, 59.479 ἣν διὰ πάντων ἐπεδείκνυσο, καὶ ἐφ' ᾗ ἠγαλλιάσω, νῦν δεῖξον, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν, ἣν ἔλεγες θήσειν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ, ταύτην ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων ἐπίδος τῶν ἐμῶν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἅπαξ ἐρωτηθεὶς καὶ δεύτερον, αὐτὸν τὸν τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα τῆς καρδίας εἰδότα μάρτυρα ἐκάλεσε, εἶτα ἠρωτήθη καὶ τρίτον, καὶ συνεταράχθη, πάλιν δεδοικὼς τὰ πρότερα (καὶ γὰρ τότε διισχυριζόμενος ἠλέγχετο μετὰ ταῦτα)· διὰ τοῦτο πάλιν ἐπ' αὐτὸν καταφεύγει. Τὸ γὰρ εἰπεῖν, Σὺ οἶδας πάντα, τουτέστι, τὰ παρόντα καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἐγένετο βελτίων καὶ σωφρονέστερος, οὐκ αὐθαδιαζόμενος λοιπὸν καὶ ἀντιλέγων; ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐταράχθη, Μήποτε ἐγὼ μὲν νομίζω φιλεῖν, οὐ φιλῶ δέ· ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον πολλὰ νομίζων καὶ διισχυριζόμενος, ἠλεγχόμην ὕστερον. Τρίτον δὲ ἐρωτᾷ,