John Chrysostom, On Matthew

454

I willed it even so, and not once or twice, but many times to draw you to myself. For how often, he says, would I have gathered your children together, as a hen her brood, and you would not? This He says, showing that they always scattered themselves through their sins. And He shows His tender love from the image; for the creature is warm towards its offspring. And everywhere in the prophets this image of the wings, both in the song of Moses and in the Psalms, shows His great shelter and providence. But you would not, He says. Behold, your house is left to you desolate; stripped of my help. So it was He who was also before them, presiding, and holding together, and sustaining; so it is He who is always punishing them. And He sets a punishment which they always exceedingly feared; for this signified the entire overthrow of their polity. 58.683 For I say to you, you shall not see me from now on, until you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. And this is the word of a strong lover, drawing them intensely also from things to come, not only shaming them from things past; for here He speaks of the future day of His second coming. What then? Did they not see him from that time? But He does not mean that hour when He says, From now on, but the time up until the cross. For since they always charged this, that He was some kind of adversary to God and an enemy to God, from this He persuades them to love Him, by showing Himself to be in agreement with the Father; and He shows Himself to be the one spoken of in the prophets. Therefore He also uses the same words as the prophet. And through these things He also alluded to the resurrection, and the second coming; and He showed even to the most unbelieving that they will surely worship Him then. And how did He show this? By saying many things beforehand that would come to pass: that He will send prophets; that they will kill them; that it will be in the synagogues; that they themselves will suffer the worst things; that the house will be made desolate; that they will endure things more grievous than all others, and such as never were before. For all these things were sufficient to provide even to the very foolish and contentious a proof of that which would happen at His coming. For I will ask them: Did He send prophets and wise men? Did they kill them in the synagogues? Was their house left desolate? Did all the things of the punishment come upon that generation? It is clear that no one will deny it. Therefore, just as all these things came to pass, so also will those things come to pass, and they will surely submit then. But there is no profit from this for their defense, just as there is none for those who repent then for the sake of their manner of life. Therefore, while there is time, let us do good things. For just as for them there is no longer any benefit from knowledge, so also for us there is none from repentance for wickedness. For neither for a pilot, when the sea has overcome the ship through his negligence, nor for a physician, when the sick person has departed, will there be any advantage; but each of these must contrive and manage everything before the end, so as not to fall into any danger, nor shame; for after these things, all is useless. And so let us, as long as we are in the sickness, both call upon physicians, and spend money, and apply continual diligence, so that rising from wickedness, we may depart from here healthy. And as much providence as we show for our slaves when their bodies are sick, let us show so much for ourselves when our soul is sick. And yet we are closer to ourselves than our servants, and our souls are more necessary than their bodies; but still it is desirable if we would at least apply equal diligence. For if we do not do this now, when we have departed there is nothing left to gain for our defense. 4. And who is so wretched, he says, as not to show even so much providence? For this is the wondrous thing, that we are so dishonored in our own eyes as to despise ourselves more than our servants. For when our servants are feverish, we both call physicians, and set apart a house 58.684, and compel them to obey the laws of that art; and when they are neglected

454

ἠθέλησα καὶ οὕτως, καὶ οὐχ ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς, ἀλλὰ πολλάκις σε ἐπισπάσασθαι. Ποσάκις γὰρ, φησὶν, ἠθέλησα ἐπισυναγαγεῖν τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν, ὥσπερ ὄρνις τὰ νοσσία ἑαυτῆς, καὶ οὐκ ἠθελήσατε; Τοῦτο δὲ λέγει, δηλῶν ὅτι ἀεὶ ἑαυτοὺς ἐσκόρπιζον διὰ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων. Καὶ τὸ φιλόστοργον ἀπὸ τῆς εἰκόνος ἐνδείκνυται· καὶ γὰρ θερμὸν τὸ ζῶον περὶ τὰ ἔκγονα. Καὶ πανταχοῦ δὲ τῶν προφητῶν ἡ εἰκὼν αὕτη τῶν πτερύγων, καὶ ἐν τῇ ᾠδῇ Μωϋσέως, καὶ ἐν τοῖς Ψαλμοῖς, τὴν πολλὴν σκέπην καὶ πρόνοιαν ἐνδεικνυμένη. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἠθελήσατε, φησίν. Ἰδοὺ ἀφίεται ὁ οἶκος ὑμῶν ἔρημος· γυμνὸς τῆς παρ' ἐμοῦ βοηθείας. Ἄρα αὐτὸς ἦν ὁ καὶ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν προϊστάμενος, καὶ συνέχων καὶ διακρατῶν· ἄρα αὐτὸς αὐτούς ἐστιν ὁ κολάζων ἀεί. Καὶ τίθησι τιμωρίαν, ἣν ἀεὶ ἐδεδοίκεισαν μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς· αὕτη γὰρ πᾶσαν αὐτῶν τὴν ἀνατροπὴν τῆς πολι 58.683 τείας ἐδήλου. Λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν, οὐ μή με ἴδητε ἀπάρτι, ἕως ἂν εἴπητε, Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου. Καὶ τοῦτο ἐραστοῦ τὸ ῥῆμα σφοδροῦ, σφόδρα αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπισπωμένου, οὐκ ἀπὸ παρελθόντων μόνον ἐντρέποντος· τὴν γὰρ μέλλουσαν ἡμέραν τῆς δευτέρας αὐτοῦ παρουσίας ἐνταῦθα λέγει. Τί οὖν; οὐκ εἶδον αὐτὸν ἔκτοτε; Ἀλλ' οὐχὶ τὴν ὥραν ἐκείνην δηλοῖ λέγων, Ἀπάρτι, ἀλλὰ τὸν καιρὸν τὸν μέχρι τοῦ σταυροῦ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀεὶ αὐτοὶ τοῦτο ἐνεκάλουν, ὅτι ἀντίθεός τίς ἐστι καὶ ἐχθρὸς τῷ Θεῷ, ἀπὸ τούτου αὐτοὺς προτρέπει ἀγαπᾷν αὐτὸν, τῷ συμφωνοῦντα ἑαυτὸν δεικνύναι τῷ Πατρί; καὶ δείκνυσιν αὐτὸν ὄντα τὸν ἐν τοῖς προφήταις. ∆ιὸ καὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς κέχρηται ῥήμασιν, οἷσπερ καὶ ὁ προφήτης. ∆ιὰ δὲ τούτων καὶ τὴν ἀνάστασιν ᾐνίξατο, καὶ τὴν δευτέραν παρουσίαν· καὶ ἐδήλωσε καὶ τοῖς σφόδρα ἀπιστοῦσιν, ὅτι τότε πάντως αὐτὸν προσκυνήσουσι. Καὶ πῶς τοῦτο ἐδήλωσε; Πολλὰ εἰπὼν πρότερον ἐσόμενα· ὅτι ἀποστελεῖ προφήτας· ὅτι ἀναιρήσουσιν αὐτούς· ὅτι ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς· ὅτι πείσονται τὰ ἔσχατα αὐτοί· ὅτι ἐρημωθήσεται ὁ οἶκος· ὅτι ὑποστήσονται πάντων χαλεπώτερα, καὶ οἷα μηδέποτε πρότερον. Ταῦτα γὰρ πάντα καὶ τοῖς σφόδρα ἀνοήτοις καὶ φιλονείκοις ἱκανὰ ἦν παρέξειν καὶ ἐκείνου τοῦ ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ αὐτοῦ ἐσομένου ἀπόδειξιν. Ἐρήσομαι γὰρ αὐτούς· Ἀπέστειλε προφήτας καὶ σοφούς; ἀνεῖλον αὐτοὺς ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς; ἀφέθη ὁ οἶκος αὐτῶν ἔρημος; ἦλθε πάντα ἐπὶ τὴν γενεὰν ἐκείνην τὰ τῆς τιμωρίας; Εὔδηλον, ὅτι καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀντερεῖ. Ὥσπερ οὖν ταῦτα πάντα ἐξέβη, οὕτω κἀκεῖνα ἐκβήσεται, καὶ πάντως ὑποκύψουσι τότε. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ὄφελος ἐντεῦθεν εἰς ἀπολογίαν αὐτοῖς, ὥσπερ οὖν οὐδὲ τοῖς πολιτείας ἕνεκεν μετανοοῦσι τότε. ∆ιόπερ ἕως ἐστὶ καιρὸς, πράττωμεν τὰ ἀγαθά. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκείνοις τῆς γνώσεως λοιπὸν ὄφελος οὐδὲν, οὕτως οὐδὲ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς τῆς ἐπὶ τῇ πονηρίᾳ μετανοίας. Οὔτε γὰρ κυβερνήτῃ, τῆς θαλάσσης ὑπερενεχθείσης τοῦ σκάφους παρὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ ῥᾳθυμίαν, οὐκ ἰατρῷ, τοῦ κάμνοντος ἀπελθόντος, ἔσται τι πλέον· ἀλλ' ἕκαστον τούτων πρὸ τοῦ τέλους πάντα χρὴ μηχανᾶσθαι καὶ πραγματεύεσθαι, ὥστε μηδενὶ κινδύνῳ περιπεσεῖν, μηδὲ αἰσχύνῃ· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πάντα ἀνόνητα. Καὶ ἡμεῖς τοίνυν ἕως ἂν ὦμεν ἐν τῇ νόσῳ, καὶ ἰατροὺς παρακαλῶμεν, καὶ χρήματα ἀναλίσκωμεν, καὶ σπουδὴν διηνεκῆ εἰσφέρωμεν, ἵνα ἀναστάντες ἀπὸ τῆς κακίας, ὑγιεῖς ἐντεῦθεν ἀπέλθωμεν. Καὶ ὅσην περὶ τοὺς δούλους τοὺς ἡμετέρους ποιούμεθα πρόνοιαν, ὅταν αὐτῶν τὰ σώματα κάμνῃ, τοσαύτην περὶ ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐπιδειξώμεθα, τῆς ψυχῆς ἡμῶν νοσούσης. Καίτοι τῶν οἰκετῶν ἡμεῖς ἐγγύτεροι ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ τῶν σωμάτων τῶν ἐκείνων αἱ ψυχαὶ ἀναγκαιότεραι· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀγαπητὸν, κἂν τὴν ἴσην γοῦν σπουδὴν εἰσενέγκωμεν. Ἂν γὰρ μὴ νῦν τοῦτο πράξωμεν, ἀπελθόντας λοιπὸν οὐδὲν ἔνι καρπώσασθαι εἰς ἀπολογίας λόγον. δʹ. Καὶ τίς οὕτως ἄθλιος, φησὶν, ὡς μηδὲ τοσαύτην ἐπιδείκνυσθαι πρόνοιαν; Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ θαυμαστὸν, ὅτι οὕτως ἐσμὲν ἄτιμοι παρ' ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς, ὡς καὶ τῶν οἰκετῶν μᾶλλον ἑαυτῶν καταφρονεῖν. Τῶν μὲν γὰρ οἰκετῶν πυρεττόντων, καὶ ἰατροὺς καλοῦμεν, καὶ οἰκίαν 58.684 ἀφορίζομεν, καὶ τοῖς νόμοις πείθεσθαι τῆς τέχνης ἐκείνης καταναγκάζομεν· καὶ ἀμελουμένων