John Chrysostom, On Matthew

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of those who do harm, does He not draw us away from this desire which is here, and nail us to heaven, where all things are incorruptible? For if you transfer your wealth there, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not dig through nor steal, you will both ward off this disease and establish your soul in the greatest abundance. And besides what has been said, He also brings an example into the midst, to make you temperate. And just as the physician, frightening the sick man, says, "So-and-so died from using cold water," so also He brings in the rich man, sick indeed, and desiring life and health, but unable to obtain it, because of his longing for avarice, but departing empty. And after him, another evangelist shows you again another one, being tormented in the flame, and not master even of a drop of water. Then showing that His commands are easy, He says, "Look at the birds of the air." But being condescending, He does not permit even the rich to despair. "For the things which are impossible with men are possible with God," He says. For even if you are rich, the Physician is able 58.686 to heal you. For He did not abolish being rich, but being a slave to money, and a lover of avarice. How then is it possible for the rich man to be saved? By possessing his goods as common for those in need, as Job was, and by banishing the desire for more from his soul, and by nowhere transgressing necessary need. He shows you with these also this very publican, who was strongly possessed by the fever of avarice, quickly delivered. For what is more retail-like than a publican? But nevertheless the man became possessionless, from obeying the laws of the Physician. For He has such disciples, who have suffered these diseases that we have, and were healed quickly. And He shows us each of them, so that we may not despair. See then this publican. Consider again another chief publican; who promised to give fourfold for what he had seized, and half of all that he possessed, so that he might receive Jesus. But are you inflamed and do you strongly desire money? Have the things of all men instead of your own. "For I give you more than you seek," He says, "opening to you the houses of the rich throughout the world." "For whoever has left father, or mother, or fields, or house, will receive a hundredfold." Thus you will not only enjoy more, but you will also completely destroy this grievous thirst, and you will bear all things easily, not only not desiring more things, but often not even necessary things. Thus Paul hungers, and is more dignified than when he was eating. Since also an athlete competing and being crowned, would not choose to stop and be at ease; and a merchant, having engaged in seafaring gains, would not desire to be idle thereafter. So we too, then, if we taste as we ought the spiritual fruits, we shall henceforth not consider present things to be anything, being captured, as by a most beautiful intoxication, by the desire for the things to come. Let us taste, then, so that we may both be delivered from the tumult of present things, and may obtain the good things to come, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and power, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

58.685.40 HOMILY 75. And Jesus went out and departed from the temple. And His disciples came to Him to show Him the buildings of the temple. But He

answered and said to them, Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

For when He had said, "Your house is left to you desolate," and had foretold to them countless harsh things before;

then the disciples, having heard these things, as if marveling, came to show the beauty of the temple, and wondering if

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λυμαινομένων, ἀπάγει τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ταύτης τῆς ἐνταῦθα, καὶ προσηλοῖ τῷ οὐρανῷ, ὅπου πάντα ἀνάλωτα; Ἂν γὰρ μεταθῆτε τὸν πλοῦτον ἐκεῖ, ὅπου οὔτε σὴς, οὔτε βρῶσις ἀφανίζει, οὔτε κλέπται διορύττουσι καὶ κλέπτουσι, καὶ ταύτην ἀποκρούσεσθε τὴν νόσον, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἐν μεγίστῃ καταστήσετε εὐπορίᾳ. Μετὰ δὲ τῶν εἰρημένων καὶ παράδειγμα εἰς μέσον ἄγει, σὲ σωφρονίζων. Καὶ καθάπερ ὁ ἰατρὸς, φοβῶν τὸν ἄῤῥωστον, φησὶν, ὅτι Ὁ δεῖνα ψυχρῷ χρησάμενος ἀπώλετο· οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς εἰσάγει τὸν πλούσιον, κάμνοντα μὲν, καὶ ἐπιθυμοῦντα ζωῆς καὶ ὑγιείας, οὐ δυνάμενον δὲ ἐπιτυχεῖν, διὰ τὸ πλεονεξίας ἐφίεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἀπιόντα κενόν. Καὶ μετὰ τοῦτον ἕτερόν σοι δείκνυσι πάλιν ἕτερος εὐαγγελιστὴς, τὸν ἀποτηγανιζόμενον, καὶ οὐδὲ σταγόνος ὄντα κύριον. Εἶτα δεικνὺς ὅτι εὔκολα τὰ ἐπιτάγματα, φησὶν, Ἐμβλέψατε εἰς τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Συγκαταβατικὸς δὲ ὢν, οὐδὲ τοὺς πλουτοῦντας ἀπογινώσκειν ἀφίησι. Τὰ γὰρ παρὰ ἀνθρώποις ἀδύνατα, δυνατὰ παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ, φησί. Κἂν γὰρ πλούσιος ᾖς, δύναταί 58.686 σε θεραπεῦσαι ὁ Ἰατρός. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τὸ πλουτεῖν ἀνεῖλεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ δοῦλον εἶναι χρημάτων, καὶ πλεονεξίας ἐραστήν. Πῶς οὖν δυνατὸν τὸν πλουτοῦντα σωθῆναι· Κοινὰ τὰ ὄντα τοῖς δεομένοις κεκτημένον, οἷος ἦν ὁ Ἰὼβ, καὶ τὴν τοῦ πλείονος ἐπιθυμίαν ἐξορίζοντα ἀπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ τὴν χρείαν ὑπερβαίνοντα τὴν ἀναγκαίαν. ∆είκνυσί σοι μετὰ τούτων καὶ τοῦτον αὐτὸν τὸν τελώνην, τὸν σφόδρα κατεχόμενον τῷ πυρετῷ τῆς πλεονεξίας, ταχέως ἀπαλλαγέντα. Τί γὰρ τελώνου καπηλικώτερον; ἀλλ' ὅμως γέγονεν ἀκτήμων ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ἐκ τοῦ πείθεσθαι τοῖς τοῦ Ἰατροῦ νόμοις. Καὶ γὰρ τοὺς μαθητὰς τοιούτους ἔχει, ταῦτα νοσήσαντας τὰ νοσήματα ἅπερ ἡμεῖς, καὶ ὑγιάναντας ταχέως. Καὶ ἕκαστον αὐτῶν ἡμῖν δείκνυσιν, ὥστε μὴ ἀπογνῶναι. Ὅρα γοῦν τὸν τελώνην τοῦτον. Σκόπει πάλιν ἕτερον ἀρχιτελώνην· ὃς τετραπλασίονα μὲν ὑπέσχετο δώσειν, ὑπὲρ ὧν ἥρπασε, τὰ δὲ ἡμίση πάντων ὧν ἐκέκτητο, ὥστε ὑποδέξασθαι τὸν Ἰησοῦν. Ἀλλ' ἐκκαίῃ σὺ καὶ σφόδρα ἐπιθυμεῖς χρημάτων; Ἔχε τὰ πάντων ἀντὶ τῶν σῶν. Καὶ γὰρ πλείονα ὧν ζητεῖς δίδωμί σοι, φησὶ, τὰς τῶν πλουτούντων οἰκίας ἀνοίγων σοι κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην. Ὃς γὰρ ἀφῆκε πατέρα, ἢ μητέρα, ἢ ἀγροὺς, ἢ οἰκίαν, ἑκατονταπλασίονα λήψεται. Οὕτως οὐχὶ πλειόνων ἀπολαύσεις μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ χαλεπὸν τοῦτο δίψος ἀναιρήσεις παντάπασι, καὶ οἴσεις πάντα ῥᾳδίως, οὐ μόνον τῶν πλειόνων οὐκ ἐφιέμενος, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τῶν ἀναγκαίων πολλάκις. Οὕτως ὁ Παῦλος πεινᾷ, καὶ σεμνύνεται μᾶλλον, ἢ ὅτε ἤσθιεν. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ἀθλητὴς ἀγωνιζόμενος καὶ στεφανούμενος, οὐκ ἂν ἕλοιτο καταλῦσαι καὶ εἶναι ἐν ῥᾳστώνῃ· καὶ ἔμπορος τῶν ἐν θαλάττῃ πόρων ἁψάμενος, οὐκ ἂν ἐπιθυμήσειεν ἐν ἀργίᾳ εἶναι λοιπόν. Καὶ ἡμεῖς τοίνυν, ἂν γευσώμεθα ὡς χρὴ τῶν καρπῶν τῶν πνευματικῶν, λοιπὸν οὐδὲ ἡγησόμεθά τι τὰ παρόντα εἶναι, καθάπερ τινὶ μέθῃ καλλίστῃ τῇ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιθυμίᾳ ἁλόντες. Γευσώμεθα τοίνυν, ἵνα καὶ τοῦ θορύβου τῶν παρόντων ἀπαλλαγῶμεν, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιτύχωμεν ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

58.685.40 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΟΕʹ. Καὶ ἐξελθὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ τοῦ ἱεροῦ, ἐπορεύετο. Καὶ προσῆλθον οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, ἐπιδεῖξαι αὐτῷ τὰς οἰκοδομὰς τοῦ ἱεροῦ. Ὁ δὲ

ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Οὐ βλέπετε ταῦτα πάντα; Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐ μὴ ἀφεθῇ ὧδε λίθος ἐπὶ λίθον, ὃς οὐ καταλυθήσεται.

Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπεν, ὅτι Ἀφίεται ὁ οἶκος ὑμῶν ἔρημος, καὶ μυρία ἔμπροσθεν

προανεφώνησεν αὐτοῖς χαλεπά· εἶτα οἱ μαθηταὶ ταῦτα ἀκούσαντες, ὥσπερ θαυμάζοντες προσῆλθον ἐπιδεικνύντες τοῦ ναοῦ τὸ κάλλος, καὶ διαποροῦντες εἰ