John Chrysostom, On Blessed Abraham

De beato Abraham

A DISCOURSE ON THE BLESSED ABRAHAM.

50.737 Have you seen gray hair full of vigor, and old age flourishing? have you seen a noble athlete arrayed against nature and his own bowels? have you seen a man in extreme old age stronger than adamant? The tone of his flesh was relaxed, but the tone of his faith was strengthened. For such are the achievements of the Church, that the weakness of the body in no way harms the eagerness of faith; for the ornament of the Church is sober gray hair, and winged faith, and in this the Church rejoices all the more. For in external matters, an old man is useless, fit for nothing, but everywhere enjoys indulgence, being unable, through weakness, to be of service in necessary things. What I mean is this: An old man cannot be drawn up for battle, nor mount a horse, nor wield a spear, nor shake a shield, nor endure the sun's heat, nor bear the length of a journey, nor withstand the severity of famine, nor the press of tumults; but he sits in a quiet place, having his gray hair as his advocate. One might see this also on ships: an old man cannot sit at the rudder, nor cut the seas, nor pull an oar, nor hang a sail, nor contend with contrary winds, nor endure the sharpness of cold, nor can he do any other such thing; but he sits in the ship, having indulgence on account of his age. And this can be seen also among farmers: for he can neither draw a plough, nor cut a furrow, nor be a tamer of colts, nor withstand the strength of powerful oxen, nor the war of burning heat, nor the press of heat, nor the weight of a mattock, nor any other of the things useful for the land; but he sits in the house, having his gray hair as his advocate. But the things of the Church are not so, but when those who live in virtue grow old, then they become more useful; for not the vigor of the flesh, but the intensity of faith is sought. Such was Abraham, relaxed in the tone of his flesh, but strengthened in the tone of his faith. He was an old man, but in extreme old age he fought against nature, erecting great trophies of victory; he was an old man, but more vigorous than iron, and stronger than adamant. And when he was in his youth, he achieved none of these things; but when the time of his life had passed, then he set up the trophy of victory; he was in extreme old age, but his gray hair was not an impediment. Therefore God also, knowing his vigor, appears to him and says: "Go out from your country, and from your kindred, and from your father's house, and come into the land that I will show you." Abraham obeyed the word, although he was now an old man, and weak 50.738 in body, and he did not say to himself: "Where shall I go in extreme old age? Shall I leave the house of my father, and the land in which I was born, where there is an abundance of wealth, and distinction of parents; where there is costly possession, and the prosperity of friends?" But though he was grieved at the present, he did not disobey; for as a lover of his country he was distressed to leave it, but as a lover of God he was persuaded and obeyed; and the wonderful thing is, God did not even tell him to what place, but by the indefiniteness of the name he exercised his will. For if He had told him, "I will bring you to a land flowing with milk and honey," Abraham would have been found not obeying the voice of God, but preferring one land over another. So Abraham went out, not knowing where he was going. Have you seen gray hair glorified in its achievements? For such, as I said before, are our affairs; the weakness of old age does not cast them down, time does not make them wither; for gray hair is not in the body, but in the soul; wherefore it is also ageless. So Abraham went out, having received nothing, but still dwelling in tents; and not

De beato Abraham

ΛΟΓΟΣ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΜΑΚΑΡΙΟΝ ΑΒΡΑΑΜ.

50.737 Εἴδετε πολιὰν σφριγῶσαν, καὶ γῆρας ἀκμάζον; εἴδετε ἀθλητὴν γενναῖον πρὸς φύσιν καὶ σπλάγχνα παραταξάμενον; εἴδετε ἄνδρα ἐν ἐσχάτῃ πολιᾷ ἀδάμαντος στεῤῥότερον; Κεχάλαστο μὲν αὐτοῦ ὁ τόνος τῶν σαρκῶν, νενεύρωτο δὲ αὐτοῦ ὁ τόνος τῆς πίστεως. Τοιαῦτα γὰρ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τὰ κατορθώματα, ὅτι ἡ ἀτονία τοῦ σώματος οὐδὲν λυμαίνεται τὴν προθυμίαν τῆς πίστεως· κόσμος γὰρ Ἐκκλησίας πολιὰ κατεσταλμένη, καὶ πίστις ἐπτερωμένη, καὶ ἐν τούτῳ χαίρει ἡ Ἐκκλησία μᾶλλον. Ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἔξω πραγμάτων ὁ γέρων ἄχρηστος, εἰς οὐδὲν ἐπιτήδειος, ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ συγγνώμης ἀπολαύει, διὰ ἀτονίαν μὴ δυνάμενος χρησιμεῦσαι τοῖς ἀναγκαίοις. Οἷόν τι λέγω· Οὐ δύναται ὁ γέρων εἰς πόλεμον παρατάξασθαι, οὐχ ἵππῳ ἀναβῆναι, οὐ δόρυ κινῆσαι, οὐκ ἀσπίδα σεῖσαι, οὐχ ἡλίου θερμότητα ὑπενεγκεῖν, οὐχ ὁδοιπορίας μέγεθος βαστάσαι, οὐ λιμοῦ δεινότητα ὑπομεῖναι, οὐ θορύβων ὄγκον· ἀλλ' ἐν ἡσύχῳ τόπῳ καθέζεται, συνήγορον ἔχων τὴν πολιάν. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πλοίων ἴδοι τις ἄν· Οὐ δύναται ὁ γέρων ἐπὶ τῶν οἰάκων καθεσθῆναι, οὐ πελάγη τεμεῖν, οὐ κώπην ἐλάσαι, οὐχ ἱστίον κρεμάσαι, οὐκ ἐναντίοις ἀνέμοις παρατάξασθαι, οὐ κρύους δριμύτητα ὑπομεῖναι, οὐκ ἄλλο τι τῶν τοιούτων δύναται ποιῆσαι· ἀλλὰ καθέζεται ἐν τῇ νηῒ τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς ἡλικίας ἔχων συγγνώμην. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν γηπόνων ἔστιν ἰδεῖν· οὔτε γὰρ ἄροτρον ἑλκύσαι δύναται, οὔτε αὔλακα ἀνατεμεῖν, οὔτε πωλοδάμνης γενέσθαι, οὔτε βοῶν ἰσχυρῶν ὑπενέγκαι ἰσχὺν, οὔτε καύματος πόλεμον, οὔτε θερμότητος ὄγκον, οὔτε σκαπάνης βάρος, οὔτε ἄλλο τι τῶν πρὸς τὴν γῆν χρησιμευόντων· ἀλλὰ καθέζεται ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ, συνήγορον ἔχων τὴν πολιάν. Ἀλλ' οὐ τὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τοιαῦτα, ἀλλ' ὅταν γηράσωσιν οἱ ἐν ἀρετῇ διάγοντες, τότε μᾶλλον χρήσιμοι καθίστανται· οὐ γὰρ σαρκῶν εὐτονία, ἀλλὰ πίστεως ἐπίτασις ζητεῖται. Τοιοῦτος ἦν Ἀβραὰμ, κεχαλασμένος μὲν τῷ τόνῳ τῶν σαρκῶν, νενευρωμένος δὲ τῷ τόνῳ τῆς πίστεως. Γέρων ἦν, ἀλλ' ἐν ἐσχάτῃ πολιᾷ πρὸς φύσιν ἐμάχετο, τρόπαια νίκης μεγάλα στήσας· γέρων ἦν, ἀλλὰ σιδήρου εὐτονώτερος, καὶ ἀδάμαντος στεῤῥότερος. Καὶ ὅτε μὲν ἐν νεότητι ἦν, οὐδὲν τούτων κατώρθωσεν· ὅτε δὲ παρέδραμεν ὁ χρόνος τῆς ἡλικίας, τότε τὸ τρόπαιον τῆς νίκης ἔστησεν· ἐν ἐσχάτῃ ἦν πολιᾷ, ἀλλ' ἐμπόδιον ἡ πολιὰ οὐκ ἐγένετο. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς, εἰδὼς τὴν εὐτονίαν αὐτοῦ, ἐπιφαίνεται αὐτῷ, καί φησιν· Ἔξελθε ἐκ τῆς γῆς σου, καὶ ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας σου, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός σου, καὶ δεῦρο εἰς γῆν, ἣν ἄν σοι δείξω. Ὑπήκουσεν Ἀβραὰμ τῷ λόγῳ, καίτοι γέρων ὢν λοιπὸν, καὶ ἄτο 50.738 νος τῷ σώματι, καὶ οὐκ εἶπε πρὸς ἑαυτόν· Ποῦ ἀπέρχωμαι ἐν ἐσχάτῃ πολιᾷ; καταλίπω τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου, καὶ τὴν γῆν ἐν ᾗ ἐγεννήθην, ὅπου περιουσία χρημάτων, καὶ περιφάνεια γονέων· ὅπου κτῆσις πολυτελὴς, καὶ φίλων εὐημερία; ἀλλ' ἐλυπεῖτο μὲν πρὸς τὸ παρὸν, οὐ παρήκουε δέ· ὡς φιλότοπος γὰρ ἠγωνιᾶτο καταλιπεῖν, ὡς φιλόθεος δὲ ἐπείθετο καὶ ὑπήκουε· καὶ τὸ θαυμαστὸν, οὔτε εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς εἰς ποῖον τόπον, ἀλλὰ τῷ ἀδιορίστῳ τοῦ ὀνόματος ἐγύμνασεν αὐτοῦ τὴν προαίρεσιν. Εἰ γὰρ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, ὅτι εἰς γῆν σε ἔχω ἀπαγαγεῖν ῥέουσαν γάλα καὶ μέλι, εὑρίσκετο ὁ Ἀβραὰμ οὐ φωνῇ Θεοῦ ὑπακούσας, ἀλλὰ γῆν γῆς προκρίνας. Ἐξῆλθεν οὖν Ἀβραὰμ μὴ ἐπιστάμενος ποῦ ἀπέρχεται. Εἶδες πολιὰν σεμνυνομένην ἐν κατορθώμασι; Τοιαῦτα γὰρ, ὡς προεῖπον, τὰ ἡμέτερα· οὐκ ἀτονία γήρως αὐτὰ καταβάλλει, οὐ χρόνος αὐτὰ μαραίνει· οὐ γὰρ ἐν σώμασίν ἐστιν ἡ πολιὰ, ἀλλ' ἐν ψυχῇ· διὸ καὶ ἀγήρατά ἐστιν. Ἐξῆλθεν οὖν Ἀβραὰμ μηδὲν εἰληφὼς, ἀλλ' ἔτι ἐν σκηναῖς κατοικῶν· καὶ οὐκ