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by burying it, took advantage, but did not double it; nor are those who overlook the hungry punished because they seized what belonged to others, but because they did not distribute their own things, just like this servant. Let us hear, therefore, all of us who indulge our stomachs, all of us who spend on lavish dinners the wealth that in no way belongs to us, but belongs to those in need. For do not, because from great love for humanity you were commanded to give as if from your own things, for this reason think that these things are your own. He lent to you, so that you might be able to win approval. Therefore, do not consider them yours, when you give to Him His own things. For not even if you had lent to someone, so that he might be able to go and receive some starting-points for resources, would you have said the money was his. And so God gave to you, so that you might trade for heaven. Therefore do not make the excess of His love for humanity an occasion for ingratitude. Consider how worthy of prayer it was, to be able after baptism to find a way that absolves sins. If he had not said this, 'Give alms,' how many would have said, 'If only it were possible to give money, and be delivered from the evils to come?' But since this has become possible, they have again become careless. 'But I give,' he says. And what of that? For you have not yet given as much as she who put in the two mites; rather, not even half, nor the smallest fraction of what she gave, but you cast the greater part into useless expenditures, into banquets and drunkenness and extreme profligacy; now inviting, now being invited; now spending, now compelling others to spend; so that your punishment becomes double, both from what you do yourself, and from what you incite others to do. See, then, this very servant accused of this. For he eats, it says, and drinks with the drunkards. For He punishes not only the drunkards, but also those who are with them; and quite rightly, because along with their own corruption they also neglect the salvation of their neighbors. And nothing provokes God so much, as to have a disdainful attitude toward the things pertaining to one's neighbor. Therefore also, showing his anger, he commanded him to be cut in two. For this reason also He said that love is the mark of His disciples; since it is entirely necessary for the one who loves to care for the things of the one who is loved. Let us, therefore, hold to this way; for this especially is the one that leads up to heaven, the one that makes imitators of Christ, the one that makes us like God according to our ability. See, then, these virtues also being more necessary, which are pitched along this way. And if you wish, let us make an examination of them, and let us bring the votes from the judgment of God. 58.709 Let there be, therefore, two ways of the best life; and let the one of them make the one pursuing it good himself; and the other, his neighbor also. Let us see which one is more approved, and leads us to the summit of virtue. Therefore, he who seeks only his own things, will receive countless accusations from Paul; and when I say from Paul, I mean from Christ; but this one, praises and crowns. How is this clear? Hear what He says to this one, and what to that one. 'Let no one seek his own, but each one also that of his neighbor.' Do you see how He cast out the one, and brought in the other? Again, 'Let each of you please his neighbor for his good, for edification.' Then also the unspeakable praise with the exhortation: 'For Christ also did not please Himself.' These votes, then, are sufficient to show the victory; but so that this may be done from abundance, let us see which of the good deeds stops with us, and which passes from us also to others. Therefore, to fast, and to sleep on the ground, and to practice virginity, and to be self-controlled, these things bring the profit to those who practice them; but the things that pass from us to our neighbor are almsgiving, teaching, love. Therefore here too hear Paul saying, that 'Though I give away all my possessions, and though I give over my body to be burned, but have not love, I am profited nothing.' 2. Do you see it by itself being gloriously proclaimed and crowned? And if you wish, let us also compare from a third point. And let one fast, and be self-controlled, and bear witness, and

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κατορύξας ἐπλεονέκτησεν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐδιπλασίασεν· οὔτε οἱ πεινῶντας παριδόντες, ἐπειδὴ τὰ ἀλλότρια ἥρπασαν, κολάζονται, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὰ αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐσκόρπισαν, καθάπερ καὶ ὁ δοῦλος οὗτος. Ἀκούσωμεν τοίνυν ὅσοι γαστριζόμεθα, ὅσοι εἰς δεῖπνα πολυτελῆ τὸν πλοῦτον ἀναλίσκομεν τὸν οὐδὲν ἡμῖν προσήκοντα, ἀλλὰ τῶν δεομένων ὄντα. Μὴ γὰρ ἐπειδὴ ἀπὸ φιλανθρωπίας πολλῆς ὡς ἐκ τῶν σῶν ἐκελεύσθης διδόναι, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ σαυτοῦ νομίσῃς εἶναι ταῦτα. Ἔχρησέ σοι, ἵνα δυνηθῇς εὐδοκιμῆσαι. Μὴ τοίνυν σὰ εἶναι νόμιζε, τὰ αὐτοῦ αὐτῷ διδούς. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰ σὺ ἐδάνεισάς τινι, ἵνα ἀπελθὼν δυνηθῇ τινας ἀφορμὰς λαβεῖν πόρων, ἐκείνου τὰ χρήματα ἔφης ἂν εἶναι. Καὶ σοὶ τοίνυν ἔδωκεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα ἐμπορεύσῃ τὸν οὐρανόν. Μὴ τοίνυν τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς φιλανθρωπίας ὑπόθεσιν ἀγνωμοσύνης ποιήσῃς. Ἐννόησον ὅσης εὐχῆς ἄξιον ἦν, τὸ δυνηθῆναι μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα εὑρεῖν ὁδὸν λύουσαν ἁμαρτήματα. Εἰ μὴ τοῦτο εἶπε, ∆ὸς ἐλεημοσύνην, πόσοι ἂν εἶπον, Εἴθε ἦν δυνατὸν χρήματα δοῦναι, καὶ ἀπαλλαγῆναι τῶν κακῶν τῶν μελλόντων; Ἐπειδὴ δὲ δυνατὸν τοῦτο γέγονε, πάλιν γεγόνασιν ὕπτιοι. Ἀλλὰ δίδωμι, φησί. Καὶ τί τοῦτο; Οὐδέπω γὰρ ἔδωκας ὅσον ἡ τοὺς δύο ὀβολοὺς καταβαλοῦσα· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ τὸ ἥμισυ, οὐδὲ τὸ πολλοστὸν ἐκείνης, ἀλλὰ τὰ πλείονα εἰς ἀνονήτους ἐκβάλλεις δαπάνας, εἰς συμπόσια καὶ μέθην καὶ ἀσωτίαν ἐσχάτην· νῦν μὲν καλῶν, νῦν δὲ καλούμενος· νῦν μὲν ἀναλίσκων, νῦν δὲ ἑτέρους ἀναλίσκειν ἀναγκάζων· ὥστε καὶ διπλῆν σοι γενέσθαι τὴν κόλασιν, καὶ ἀφ' ὧν αὐτὸς ποιεῖς, καὶ ἀφ' ὧν ἑτέρους προτρέπεις. Ὅρα γοῦν καὶ τοῦτον αὐτὸν τοῦτο ἐγκαλούμενον τὸν οἰκέτην. Ἐσθίει γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ πίνει μετὰ τῶν μεθυόντων. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τοὺς μεθύοντας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς μετ' αὐτῶν ὄντας κολάζει· καὶ μάλα εἰκότως, ὅτι μετὰ τῆς οἰκείας διαφθορᾶς καὶ τῆς τῶν πλησίον ὑπερορῶσι σωτηρίας. Τὸν δὲ Θεὸν οὐδὲν οὕτω παροξύνει, ὡς τὸ ὑπεροπτικῶς ἔχειν τῶν τῷ πλησίον προσηκόντων. ∆ιὸ καὶ τὸν θυμὸν ἐνδεικνύμενος, διχοτομηθῆναι αὐτὸν ἐκέλευσε. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην γνώρισμα τῶν αὐτοῦ μαθητῶν ἔφησεν εἶναι· ἐπειδὴ πᾶσα ἀνάγκη, τὸν ἀγαπῶντα τὰ τοῦ ἀγαπωμένου μεριμνᾷν. Ταύτης τοίνυν ἐχώμεθα τῆς ὁδοῦ· καὶ γὰρ αὕτη μάλιστά ἐστιν ἡ πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνάγουσα, ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μιμητὰς ἐργαζομένη, ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ κατὰ δύναμιν ὁμοίους ποιοῦσα. Ὅρα γοῦν καὶ τὰς ἀρετὰς ταύτας οὔσας ἀναγκαιοτέρας, αἳ παρὰ ταύτην ἐσκήνωνται τὴν ὁδόν. Καὶ εἰ βούλεσθε, ποιήσωμεν αὐτῶν ἐξέτασιν, καὶ τὰς ψήφους ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐνέγκωμεν γνώμης. 58.709 Ἔστωσαν τοίνυν δύο ζωῆς ἀρίστης ὁδοί· καὶ ἡ μὲν μία αὐτῶν αὐτὸν κατασκευαζέτω καλὸν τὸν μετιόντα· ἡ δὲ ἑτέρα, καὶ τὸν πλησίον. Ἴδωμεν ποία μᾶλλον εὐδοκιμεῖ, καὶ πρὸς τὴν κορυφὴν ἡμᾶς ἄγει τῆς ἀρετῆς. Οὐκοῦν ἐκεῖνος μὲν ὁ τὰ ἑαυτοῦ μόνον ζητῶν, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Παύλου μυρίας δέξεται αἰτίας· ὅταν δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ Παύλου εἴπω, τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγω· οὗτος δὲ ἐγκώμια καὶ στεφάνους. Πόθεν τοῦτο δῆλον; Ἄκουσον τί μὲν τούτῳ διαλέγεται, τί δὲ ἐκείνῳ. Μηδεὶς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ζητείτω, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τοῦ πλησίον ἕκαστος. Ὁρᾷς πῶς τὸ μὲν ἐξέβαλε, τὸ δὲ εἰσήγαγε; Πάλιν, Ἕκαστος ὑμῶν τῷ πλησίον ἀρεσκέτω εἰς τὸ ἀγαθὸν πρὸς οἰκοδομήν. Εἶτα καὶ ὁ ἔπαινος ἄφατος μετὰ παραινέσεως· Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς οὐχ ἑαυτῷ ἤρεσεν. Ἱκαναὶ μὲν οὖν καὶ αὗται αἱ ψῆφοι δεῖξαι τὴν νίκην· ἵνα δὲ καὶ ἐκ περιουσίας τοῦτο γένηται, ἴδωμεν τί μὲν τῶν κατορθωμάτων μέχρις ἡμῶν ἵσταται, τί δὲ ἀφ' ἡμῶν καὶ εἰς ἑτέρους διαβαίνει. Οὐκοῦν τὸ μὲν νηστεῦσαι, καὶ χαμευνῆσαι, καὶ παρθενίαν ἀσκῆσαι, καὶ σωφρονῆσαι, ταῦτα αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἐργαζομένοις φέρει τὸ κέρδος· τὰ δὲ ἀφ' ἡμῶν εἰς τὸν πλησίον διαβαίνοντα, ἐλεημοσύνη, διδασκαλία, ἀγάπη. Οὐκοῦν κἀνταῦθα ἄκουσον Παύλου λέγοντος, ὅτι Κἂν ψωμίσω μου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα, κἂν παραδῶ τὸ σῶμα μου ἵνα καυθήσομαι, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, οὐδὲν ὠφελοῦμαι. ʹ. Ὁρᾷς αὐτὴν καθ' ἑαυτὴν λαμπρῶς ἀνακηρυττομένην καὶ στεφανουμένην; Εἰ δὲ βούλεσθε, καὶ ἐκ τρίτου συμβάλωμεν. Καὶ ὁ μὲν νηστευέτω, καὶ σωφρονείτω, καὶ μαρτυρείτω, καὶ