John Chrysostom, On Matthew

389

that evils are natural, and from this sowing many other evil doctrines, even if not openly. For such are the poisons of the devil. For this reason I beseech you to flee such lawlessness. For besides the things that have been said, the desires that arise from this are not tamer, but become even more grievous. For the seed in us has its springs from another source, and from another source it swells. And some say that frenzy springs forth from the brain, and others from the loins; but I would say from nowhere else than from an undisciplined will and a neglected mind, and if this be sound, there is no harm from the natural movements. Having therefore spoken of the eunuchs, those who are eunuchs randomly and in vain, unless they too become temperate by reason, and those who are virgins for the sake of the heavens, He adds again, saying: He who is able to receive it, let him receive it; both making them more eager by showing how vast the achievement is, and not allowing the matter to be shut up under the necessity of law, through His unspeakable gentleness. And He said this, when He had shown it to be very possible, so that the ambition of free will might become greater. 4. And if it is a matter of free will, he says, how is it that He said at the beginning, Not all can receive this, but only those to whom it is given? So that you may learn that the contest is great, not so that you should suspect some forced allotment. For it is given to those, to those who are willing. But He spoke thus, showing that much aid from above is needed for one who enters this arena, which the one who is willing will certainly enjoy. For it is His custom to use this expression, when the thing being achieved is great, as when He says: To you it has been given to know the mysteries. And that this is true, is clear also from the present passage. For if it is only of the gift from above, and those who are virgins contribute nothing themselves, in vain did He promise them the kingdom of heaven, and distinguish them from the other eunuchs. But consider, I pray you, how from that by which some are made evil, others gain. For the Jews went away, having learned nothing; for they did not ask in order to learn; but the disciples gained even from this. Then little children were brought to Him, that He might lay His hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them. But He said to them: Let the little children come to me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And having laid His hands on them, He went away from there. And for what reason did the disciples drive away the little children? On account of His dignity. What then did He do? Teaching them to be moderate, and to trample on worldly pride, He both takes them and embraces them, and promises the kingdom to such as these; which He had also said before. We too, therefore, if we would wish to become hei 58.601 rs of the heavens, let us acquire this virtue with much care. For this is the definition of philosophy, to be simple with understanding; this is the angelic life. For the soul of a child is pure from all passions. It does not bear a grudge against those who have wronged it, but approaches them as friends, as if nothing had happened. And however much it may be scourged by its mother, it seeks her, and prefers her to all. Even if you show it a queen with a diadem, it does not prefer her to its mother clothed in rags, but would rather choose to see her with these, than the queen with her adornment. For it knows how to distinguish what is its own and what is another's not by poverty and wealth, but by affection. And it seeks nothing more than what is necessary, but only enough to be filled at the breast, and it leaves the nipple. The child is not grieved at the things we are; such as the loss of money, and things like that; and again it does not rejoice at the things we do, at these ephemeral things; it is not startled by the beauty of bodies. For this reason He said: For of such is the kingdom of heaven; so that by choice we might accomplish these things, which children have by nature. For since the Pharisees did what they did from no other source than from malice and folly, for this reason He again and again commands the disciples to be simple, both hinting at them, and instructing these. For nothing so lifts one up to arrogance, as rule and precedence. Since, therefore, the disciples were about to enjoy much honor throughout the whole world,

389

φυσικὰ εἶναι τὰ κακὰ, καὶ πολλὰ ἕτερα ἐντεῦθεν ὑποσπείρων δόγματα πονηρὰ, εἰ καὶ μὴ προφανῶς. Τοιαῦτα γὰρ τοῦ διαβόλου τὰ δηλητήρια. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο παρακαλῶ φεύγειν τὴν τοιαύτην παρανομίαν. Μετὰ γὰρ τῶν εἰρημένων οὐδὲ τὰ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἡμερώτερα ἐντεῦθεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαλεπώτερα γίνεται. Ἑτέρωθεν γὰρ ἔχει τὰς πηγὰς τὸ σπέρμα τὸ ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἑτέρωθεν κυμαίνει. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἀπὸ ἐγκεφάλου, οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ ὀσφύος τὸν οἶστρον ἐκεῖνον φύεσθαι λέγουσιν· ἐγὼ δὲ οὐδαμόθεν ἄλλοθεν εἴποιμι ἂν, ἀλλ' ἢ ἀπὸ γνώμης ἀκολάστου καὶ διανοίας ἠμελημένης, κἂν αὐτὴ σωφρονῇ, τῶν φυσικῶν κινημάτων βλάβος οὐδέν. Εἰπὼν τοίνυν τοὺς εὐνούχους, τοὺς εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην εὐνούχους, εἰ μὴ τῷ λογισμῷ καὶ αὐτοὶ σωφρονοῖεν, καὶ τοὺς ὑπὲρ τῶν οὐρανῶν παρθενεύοντας, πάλιν ἐπάγει λέγων· Ὁ δυνάμενος χωρεῖν, χωρείτω· προθυμοτέρους τε ποιῶν τῷ δεῖξαι ὑπέρογκον ὂν τὸ κατόρθωμα, καὶ οὐκ ἀφιεὶς εἰς ἀνάγκην νόμου τὸ πρᾶγμα κατακλεισθῆναι, διὰ τὴν ἄφατον αὐτοῦ ἡμερότητα. Καὶ τοῦτο εἶπεν, ὅτε σφόδρα ἔδειξε δυνατὸν ὂν, ἵνα πλείων τῆς προαιρέσεως ἡ φιλοτιμία γένηται. δʹ. Καὶ εἰ προαιρέσεώς ἐστι, φησὶ, πῶς ἀρχόμενος ἔλεγεν, Οὐ πάντες χωροῦσιν, ἀλλ' οἷς δέδοται; Ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι μέγας ὁ ἆθλος, οὐχ ἵνα ἀποκλήρωσίν τινα ἠναγκασμένην ὑποπτεύσῃς. ∆έδοται γὰρ ἐκείνοις, τοῖς βουλομένοις. Εἶπε δὲ οὕτω, δεικνὺς ὅτι πολλῆς δεῖ τῆς ἄνωθεν ῥοπῆς τῷ εἰς τοῦτο εἰσελθόντι τὸ σκάμμα, ἧς ἀπολαύσεται πάντως ὁ βουλόμενος. Ἔθος γὰρ αὐτῷ ταύτῃ κεχρῆσθαι τῇ λέξει, ὅταν μέγα τὸ κατορθούμενον ᾖ, ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ· Ὑμῖν δέδοται γνῶναι τὰ μυστήρια. Καὶ ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀληθὲς, δῆλον καὶ ἐκ τοῦ παρόντος. Εἰ γὰρ τῆς ἄνωθεν δόσεως μόνης ἐστὶ, καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτοὶ συνεισφέρουσιν οἱ παρθενεύοντες, περιττῶς αὐτοῖς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐπηγγείλατο, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων αὐτοὺς διεῖλεν εὐνούχων. Σὺ δέ μοι σκόπει, πῶς ἐξ ὧν ἕτεροι πονηρεύονται, κερδαίνουσιν ἕτεροι. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ Ἰουδαῖοι μηδὲν μαθόντες ἀπῆλθον· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἵνα μάθωσιν ἠρώτων· οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἐκέρδαινον. Τότε προσηνέχθη αὐτῷ παιδία, ἵνα τὰς χεῖρας ἐπιθῇ αὐτοῖς, καὶ προσεύξηται· καὶ ἐπετίμησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῖς. Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ἄφετε τὰ παιδία ἔρχεσθαι πρός με· τῶν γὰρ τοιούτων ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. Καὶ ἐπιθεὶς αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας, ἐπορεύθη ἐκεῖθεν. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν οἱ μαθηταὶ ἀπεσόβουν τὰ παιδία; Ἀξιώματος ἕνεκεν. Τί οὖν αὐτός; ∆ιδάσκων αὐτοὺς μετριάζειν, καὶ τύφον καταπατεῖν κοσμικὸν, καὶ λαμβάνει καὶ ἐναγκαλίζεται, καὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις τὴν βασιλείαν ἐπαγγέλλεται· ὅπερ καὶ ἔμπροσθεν εἴρηκεν. Καὶ ἡμεῖς τοίνυν, εἰ βουλοίμεθα κλη 58.601 ρονόμοι γενέσθαι τῶν οὐρανῶν, τὴν ἀρετὴν ταύτην μετὰ πολλῆς κτησώμεθα τῆς ἐπιμελείας. Οὗτος γὰρ φιλοσοφίας ὅρος, μετὰ συνέσεως ἄπλαστον εἶναι· τοῦτο βίος ἀγγελικός. Καὶ γὰρ πάντων τῶν παθῶν καθαρεύει ἡ ψυχὴ τοῦ παιδίου. Τοῖς λελυπηκόσιν οὐ μνησικακεῖ, ἀλλ' ὡς φίλοις προσέρχεται, ὡς οὐδενὸς γενομένου. Καὶ ὅσα ἂν παρὰ τῆς μητρὸς μαστιχθῇ, ταύτην ἐπιζητεῖ, καὶ πάντων αὐτὴν προτιμᾷ. Κἂν βασιλίδα δείξῃς μετὰ διαδήματος, οὐ προτίθησι τῆς μητρὸς ῥάκια περιβεβλημένης, ἀλλ' ἕλοιτο ἂν μᾶλλον ἐκείνην ἰδεῖν μετὰ τούτων, ἢ τὴν βασιλίδα μετὰ κόσμου. Τὸ γὰρ οἰκεῖον καὶ ἀλλότριον οὐ πενίᾳ καὶ πλούτῳ, ἀλλὰ φιλίᾳ διαγινώσκειν οἶδε. Καὶ τῶν ἀναγκαίων οὐδὲν πλέον ἐπιζητεῖ, ἀλλ' ὅσον ἐμπλησθῆναι τοῦ μαστοῦ, καὶ ἀφίσταται τῆς θηλῆς. Τὸ παιδίον οὐ λυπεῖται ἐφ' οἷς ἡμεῖς· οἷον ἐπὶ ζημίᾳ χρημάτων, καὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις· καὶ οὐ χαίρει πάλιν ἐφ' οἷς ἡμεῖς, τοῖς ἐπικήροις τούτοις· οὐκ ἐπτόηται πρὸς κάλλη σωμάτων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἔλεγε· Τῶν γὰρ τοιούτων ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν· ἵνα τῇ προαιρέσει ταῦτα ἐργαζώμεθα, ἃ τῇ φύσει τὰ παιδία ἔχει. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι οὐδαμόθεν ἄλλοθεν, ὡς ἀπὸ κακουργίας καὶ ἀπονοίας ἔπραττον ἃ ἔπραττον, διὰ τοῦτο ἄνω καὶ κάτω τοὺς μαθητὰς ἀφελεῖς εἶναι κελεύει, ἐκείνους τε αἰνιττόμενος, καὶ τούτους παιδεύων. Καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲν οὕτως εἰς ἀλαζονείαν ἐπαίρει, ὡς ἀρχὴ καὶ προεδρία. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἔμελλον οἱ μαθηταὶ ἀπολαύειν τιμῆς πολλῆς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἅπασαν,