John Chrysostom, On Almsgiving

De eleemosyna

On almsgiving. 60.707 Meadows have various and different flowers, some for the delight of the eyes, some for fragrance, and some for cultivation, and each of them is suitable for man; so also the Church has the reading of the divine Scriptures, evangelical and apostolic and prophetic, and the other sacred books; and each of them is suitable for Christ. But indeed, in the meadows outside, the sun rises and withers the flowers, and the beauty of their faces vanishes; but in this meadow the sun of righteousness rises, and one it makes wise, another it justifies, and another it pities. For it has risen for us today through the Gospel, saying: Inasmuch as you have done it to one of these my brethren, you have done it to me. Again a reminder for the poor, again a reproach for the rich. I do not slander status, may it not be so, but a dissolute mind; I do not slander wealth, but those who are wealthy in an evil way; for wealth is good for those who manage it well; poverty is good for those who endure it well. Since Abraham too was rich, and he despised no one, and Lazarus was poor, and he never despaired, and especially in such necessity. But why have I brought two persons as witnesses? Bring me here the blessed Job who has had experience of both. And when he was rich, he would say, My house was open to every man; and when he became poor, he would say: The Lord gave, the Lord has taken away; as it seemed good to the Lord, so it has come to pass. How many things did the devil wrestle with, and he did not break the just man? He emptied the quiver of arrows, and did not wound the soldier; he brought up the engines of war, and did not shake the tower; he shook the tree, and did not harvest the fruit; he broke off the branches, and did not pull up the root; he dug through the wall, and did not plunder the treasure. And by treasure I mean not gold and silver, but his unshakable faith; for this was the treasure the devil wanted to plunder. Have you seen the fruit multiplying? have you seen faith established as a rock? have you seen the tower standing unbreakable? have you seen the soldier drawn up for battle, have you seen the devil vanishing? have you seen God awarding the prize, have you seen the devil put to shame? What name to call the just man I do not know. Shall I call him an athlete? But he is a victor in many contests. Shall I call him a soldier? But he is more powerful in heart. Shall I call him a tower? But he is higher in spirit. Shall I call him a rock? But he is more solid. Shall I call him a tree? But he is more beautiful. Shall I call him a treasure? But he is more precious. What name I have to give the just man I do not know. Let the rich hear, and let the poor hear, how this blessed man in 60.708 his prosperity managed his own wealth, and in poverty, having endured such temptation, his hope in God was not loosed. Do you see that it is good to be rich for those who manage it well, and poverty is good for those who endure it well? Do not say to me, "I fear poverty." You fear poverty, and you do not fear God? You fear destitution, and you do not fear sin? Do not fear poverty, but sin, the mother of punishment. If you have the king as a friend, he will make you rich; and if you love Christ and the poor, he will make you rich. He makes rich and makes poor, he humbles and exalts, he raises the poor from the earth, and from the dunghill he lifts up the destitute. The Master asks for a command, and you do not give it to him? For when you hear him saying, Inasmuch as you have done it to one of these least, you have done it to me,

De eleemosyna

Περὶ ἐλεημοσύνης. 60.707 Οἱ λειμῶνες ἔχουσι ποικίλα καὶ διάφορα ἄνθη, καὶ τὰ μὲν εἰς τέρψιν ὀφθαλμῶν, τὰ δὲ εἰς εὐωδίαν, τὰ δὲ εἰς ἐπιμέλειαν, ἕκαστα δὲ αὐτῶν ἁρμόττει τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ· οὕτω καὶ ἡ Ἐκκλησία ἔχει τῶν θείων Γραφῶν τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν, εὐαγγελικά τε καὶ ἀποστολικὰ καὶ προφητικὰ, καὶ τὰς λοιπὰς ἱερὰς βίβλους· ἕκαστα δὲ αὐτῶν ἁρμόττει τῷ Χριστῷ. Ἀλλὰ μὴν ἐπὶ τῶν ἔξω λειμώνων ἀνατέλλει ὁ ἥλιος, καὶ μαραίνει τὰ ἄνθη, καὶ ἡ εὐπρέπεια τῶν προσώπων αὐτῶν ἀφανίζεται· ἐν δὲ τῷ λειμῶνι τούτῳ ἀνατέλλει ὁ ἥλιος τῆς δικαιοσύνης, καὶ τὸν μὲν σωφρονίζει, τὸν δὲ δικαιοῖ, τὸν δὲ ἐλεεῖ. Ἀνέτειλε γὰρ ἡμῖν διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου σήμερον λέγων· Ἐφ' ὅσον ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου ἐποιήσατε, ἐμοὶ ἐποιήσατε. Πάλιν πενήτων ὑπόμνησις, πάλιν πλουσίων ὄνειδος. Οὐκ ἀξίωμα διαβάλλω, μὴ γένοιτο, ἀλλ' ἀκόλαστον γνώμην· οὐ πλοῦτον διαβάλλω, ἀλλὰ τοὺς κακῶς πλουτοῦντας· καλὸν γὰρ ὁ πλοῦτος τοῖς καλῶς διοικοῦσιν αὐτόν· καλὴ ἡ πενία τοῖς καλῶς ὑπομένουσιν αὐτήν. Ἐπεὶ καὶ Ἀβραὰμ ἦν πλούσιος, καὶ οὐδένα ὑπερηφάνησε, καὶ Λάζαρος πένης ἦν, καὶ οὐδέποτε ἐδυσπέτησε, καὶ μάλιστα ἐν τοσαύτῃ ἀνάγκῃ. Ἵνα τί δὲ δύο πρόσωπα μαρτύρων ἤνεγκα; Φέρε μοι ἐνταῦθα τὸν μακάριον Ἰὼβ ἑκατέρων τὴν πεῖραν εἰληφότα. Καὶ ὅτε πλούσιος ἦν, ἔλεγε, Παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ ἠνέῳκτό μου ὁ οἶκος· καὶ ὅτε ἐπένετο, ἔλεγεν· Ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκεν, ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλατο· ὡς τῷ Κυρίῳ ἔδοξεν, οὕτω καὶ ἐγένετο. Πόσα ἐπάλαισεν ὁ διάβολος, καὶ τὸν δίκαιον οὐκ ἔῤῥηξε; Τὴν φαρέτραν τῶν βελῶν ἐκένωσε, καὶ τὸν στρατιώτην οὐκ ἔτρωσε· τὰ μηχανήματα προσήνεγκε, καὶ τὸν πύργον οὐκ ἐσάλευσε· τὸ δένδρον ἐτίναξε, καὶ τὸν καρπὸν οὐκ ἐτρύγησε· τοὺς κλάδους ἔκλασε, καὶ τὴν ῥίζαν οὐκ ἀνέσπασε· τὸν τοῖχον διώρυξε, καὶ τὸν θησαυρὸν οὐκ ἐσύλησε. Θησαυρὸν δὲ λέγω οὐ χρυσοῦ καὶ ἀργύρου, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀσάλευτον αὐτοῦ πίστιν· τοῦτον γὰρ τὸν αὐτοῦ θησαυρὸν ἐβούλετο συλῆσαι ὁ διάβολος. Εἶδες τὸν καρπὸν πληθυνόμενον; εἶδες τὴν πίστιν ὡς πέτραν ἐστηριγμένην; εἶδες τὸν πύργον ἄῤῥηκτον ἑστῶτα; εἶδες τὸν στρατιώτην παραταττόμενον, εἶδες τὸν διάβολον ἀφανιούμενον; εἶδες τὸν Θεὸν βραβεύοντα, εἶδες τὸν διάβολον αἰσχυνόμενον; Ποῖον ὄνομα καλέσαι τὸν δίκαιον οὐκ οἶδα. Ἀθλητὴν αὐτὸν εἴπω; Ἀλλὰ πολύαθλος τοῖς παλαίσμασι. Στρατιώτην αὐτὸν εἴπω; Ἀλλὰ δυνατώτερος τῇ καρδίᾳ. Πύργον αὐτὸν εἴπω; Ἀλλ' ὑψηλότερος τῷ φρονήματι. Πέτραν αὐτὸν εἴπω; Ἀλλὰ στερεώτερος. ∆ένδρον αὐτὸν εἴπω; Ἀλλ' ὡραιότερος. Θησαυρὸν αὐτὸν εἴπω; ἀλλὰ πολυτελέστερος. Ποῖον ὄνομα ἔχω ἐπιθεῖναι τῷ δικαίῳ οὐκ οἶδα. Ἀκουέτωσαν οἱ πλούσιοι, ἀκουέτωσαν καὶ οἱ πένητες, πῶς ὁ μακάριος οὗτος ἐν 60.708 μὲν τῇ εὐημερίᾳ αὐτοῦ διῴκησε τὸν ἑαυτοῦ πλοῦτον, ἐν δὲ πενίᾳ πόσον πειρασμὸν ὑπομείνας, οὐκ ἐλύθη ἡ ἐλπὶς αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ Θεοῦ. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι καλὸν τὸ πλουτεῖν τοῖς καλῶς διοικοῦσι, καὶ καλὴ ἡ πενία τοῖς καλῶς ὑπομένουσι; Μή μοι λέγε, ὅτι Πενίαν φοβοῦμαι. Πενίαν φοβῇ, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν οὐ φοβῇ; Πτωχείαν φοβῇ, καὶ ἁμαρτίαν οὐ φοβῇ; Μὴ φοβηθῇς πενίαν, ἀλλ' ἁμαρτίαν τὴν μητέρα τῆς κολάσεως. Ἐὰν ἔχῃς φίλον τὸν βασιλέα, πλουτίσει σε· καὶ ἐὰν ἀγαπᾷς τὸν Χριστὸν καὶ τοὺς πτωχοὺς, πλουτίσει σε. Αὐτὸς πλουτίζει καὶ πτωχίζει, ταπεινοῖ καὶ ἀνυψοῖ, ἀνιστᾷ ἀπὸ γῆς πένητα, καὶ ἀπὸ κοπρίας ἀνυψοῖ πτωχόν. Ὁ ∆εσπότης αἰτεῖ ἐντολὴν, καὶ οὐ δίδως αὐτῷ; Ὅταν γὰρ ἀκούσῃς αὐτοῦ λέγοντος, ὅτι Ἐφ' ὅσον ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν ἐλαχίστων ἐποιήσατε, ἐμοὶ ἐποιήσατε,