In Job (sermones 14) (olim sub auctore Joanne Chrysostomo)
On the just and blessed Job, Sermon 1. 1. The yearly athlete of the world has come to us today; the strange combatant, equal in honor to the angels, has come to us, he who was struck many times by the devil, and testified to many times by God; he who was smitten many times by the devil, and received many prizes from the angelic spectators; he who was scourged many times by the Enemy, and was shown forth to the world by God as a great victor. For thus speaking to him, He said: Do you think that I have dealt with you for any other reason than that you might be revealed as just? Who then is able to praise such a champion according to his worth? Who will dare to weave prizes worthy of his heroic deeds? Who will attempt to embark upon an infinite sea of encomiums? For just as no one of sound mind would ever dare to cross the expanse of the sea with human steps, so too no one, even of the wise and exceedingly great teachers, would ever attempt to recount to his listeners praises worthy of that noble and thrice-blessed soul. For his achievements surpass all human wisdom; his struggles surpass every victory crown. Therefore we require an angelic tongue, so that, touching that ointment box, so to speak, with our fingertips, we might fill the whole church together. For if we only attempt to touch the vessel of Job, and shake it a little, immediately the church is filled with the fragrance of the ointment. Let us hear, then, the history which says about him: In all these things that happened to him, Job did not sin with his lips before the Lord. Have you seen a testimony that stirs up the praise of angels? Have you seen a testimony that puts the devil and his attacks to shame? In all these things that happened to him, he did not sin. This testimony of God in every church, like a costly ointment, gladdens those who hear. O precious vessel laid away in one place in Arabia, and sending forth the fragrance of its ointment throughout the whole world! O vessel struck by the devil with countless stones and blows and darts, and yet not spilling its ointment! Great was the labor of the devil to shatter the vessel. and destroy the ointment of piety; and he was eager to obscure the fragrance of the ointment with the stench of the wounds. For indeed his body gave off a stench from the ulceration of the wounds; but the vessel remained wounded, and the ointment was not lost, so that we too might aptly say to him: Your name is ointment poured out. It is necessary, therefore, to raise up the athlete naked, as he wrestled, so that by looking at that wondrous image, we may be fully convinced through the nature of the events, that God, wishing to show the devil that He has just men on the earth, no longer deceived by flattery like Adam, but crowned through countless torments and scourges, allowed this drama to take place. Apostate, He says, you are proud because, having deceived Adam and flattered the woman, you cast them out of paradise; behold, a man who has lived without the commands of Scripture, and has fulfilled the unwritten law of nature in his mind. Bring on countless caresses, countless flatteries, countless torments, if you are able to shake this most excellent soul. Behold, you cast the first man out of paradise. See now, try, if you can, to trip up the athlete even from a dunghill. But, if you please, let us go back a little from the beginning to the story itself: There was a certain man in the land of
In Job (sermones 14) (olim sub auctore Joanne Chrysostomo)
Εἰς τὸν δίκαιον καὶ μακάριον Ἰὼβ, Λόγος αʹ. αʹ. Ἧκεν ἡμῖν ἐνιαύσιος σήμερον ὁ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀθλητής· ἧκεν ἡμῖν ὁ ξένος καὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων ὁμότιμος ἀγωνιστὴς, ὁ πολλὰ παρὰ τοῦ διαβόλου τυπτόμενος, καὶ πολλὰ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ μαρτυρούμενος· ὁ πολλὰ παρὰ τοῦ διαβόλου πληττόμενος, καὶ πολλὰ βραβεῖα παρὰ τῶν θεατῶν ἀγγέλων ὑποδεχόμενος· ὁ πολλὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἐχθροῦ μαστιζόμενος, καὶ μέγας στεφανίτης ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς τὴν οἰκουμένην ἀναδειχθείς. Οὕτω γὰρ αὐτὸς αὑτῷ διαλεγόμενος ἔλεγεν· Οἴει δέ με ἄλλως σοι κεχρηματικέναι, ἀλλ' ἢ ἵνα ἀναφανῇς δίκαιος; Τίς οὖν τὸν τοιοῦτον ἀριστέα κατ' ἀξίαν εὐφημῆσαι δύναται; τίς ἀντάξια τῶν ἀνδραγαθημάτων αὐτοῦ βραβεῖα πλέξαι κατατολμήσει; τίς ἐπιχειρήσει πρὸς ἄπειρον πέλαγος ἐγκωμίων ἀναβῆναι; Ὡς γὰρ οὐκ ἄν τις τῶν νοῦν ἐχόντων κατατολμήσειέ ποτε τῆς θαλάσσης τὸ πέλαγος βήμασιν ἀνθρωπίνοις διαπεράσαι, οὕτως οὐδέ τις τῶν σοφῶν καὶ λίαν διδασκάλων ἐπιχειρήσει ποτὲ τοὺς κατ' ἀξίαν ἐπαίνους τῆς γενναίας ἐκείνης καὶ τρισολβίου ψυχῆς τοῖς ἀκροαταῖς διηγήσασθαι. Πᾶσαν γὰρ ἀνθρωπίνην ὑπερβάλλει σοφίαν τὰ τούτου κατορθώματα· πᾶσαν ὑπερβάλλει στεφανηφορίαν τὰ τούτου παλαίσματα. Οὐκοῦν ἀγγελικῆς ἐπιδεόμεθα γλώσσης, ἵνα ἄκροις, ὡς εἰπεῖν, τοῖς δακτύλοις ἐφαψάμενοι τῆς μυροθήκης ἐκείνης, πᾶσαν ὁμοῦ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν πληρώσωμεν. Μόνον γὰρ ἐὰν ἐπιχειρήσωμεν ἅψασθαι τοῦ ἀγγείου τοῦ Ἰὼβ, καὶ μικρὸν αὐτὸ διασαλεύσωμεν, εὐθὺς τῆς εὐωδίας τοῦ μύρου ἡ ἐκκλησία πληροῦται. Ἀκούσωμεν τοίνυν τῆς ἱστορίας περὶ αὐτοῦ λεγούσης· Ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις τοῖς συμβεβηκόσιν αὐτῷ οὐδὲν ἥμαρτεν Ἰὼβ τοῖς χείλεσιν ἐναντίον Κυρίου. Εἶδες μαρτυρίαν τὴν εὐφημίαν τῶν ἀγγέλων διεγείρουσαν; εἶδες μαρτυρίαν τὸν διάβολον μετὰ τῶν ἐπιχειρημάτων αὐτοῦ καταισχύνουσαν; Ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις τοῖς συμβεβηκόσιν αὐτῷ οὐδὲν ἥμαρτεν. Αὕτη ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ μαρτυρία κατὰ πᾶσαν ἐκκλησίαν, ὡς μύρον πολυτίμητον, τοὺς ἀκούοντας εὐφραίνει. Ὢ ἀγγείου πολυτίμου εἰς ἕνα τόπον κατὰ τὴν Ἀραβίαν ἀποκειμένου, καὶ κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην τὴν εὐωδίαν τοῦ μύρου διαπεμπομένου! ὢ ἀγγείου μυρίοις λίθοις καὶ πληγαῖς καὶ βέλεσι παρὰ τοῦ διαβόλου τυφθέντος, καὶ τὸ μύρον μὴ ἐκχέαντος! Πολὺς ἐγένετο τῷ δια56.564 βόλῳ κάματος, ἵνα τὸ ἀγγεῖον συντρίψῃ. καὶ τὸ μύρον 56.564.20 τῆς εὐσεβείας ἀφανίσῃ· καὶ ἐσπούδαζε διὰ τῆς δυσωδίας τῶν τραυμάτων ἀμαυρῶσαι τοῦ μύρου τὴν εὐωδίαν. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἀπώζεσεν ἀπὸ τῆς ἑλκώσεως τῶν τραυμάτων· ἀλλ' ἔμεινε καὶ τὸ ἀγγεῖον τραυματιζόμενον, καὶ τὸ μύρον μὴ ἀπολλύμενον, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς προσφόρως εἴπωμεν αὐτῷ· Μύρον ἐκκενωθὲν ὄνομά σοι. ∆έον οὖν αὐτὸν γυμνὸν, ὡς ἐπάλαιεν, ἀναστῆσαι τὸν ἀθλητὴν, ἵνα εἰς ἐκείνην τὴν εἰκόνα τὴν θαυμασίαν ὁρῶντες, πληροφορηθῶμεν διὰ τῆς φύσεως τῶν πραγμάτων, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς δεῖξαι βουλόμενος τῷ διαβόλῳ, ὅτι ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἀνθρώπους δικαίους ἔχει, οὐκέτι διὰ κολακείας κατὰ τὸν Ἀδὰμ ἀπατωμένους, ἀλλὰ διὰ μυρίων βασάνων καὶ μαστίγων στεφανουμένους, ταύτην συνεχώρησε γενέσθαι τὴν δραματουργίαν. Ἀποστάτα, φησὶ, μεγαλοφρονεῖς, ὅτι τὸν Ἀδὰμ ἀπατήσας, καὶ τὴν γυναῖκα κολακεύσας, ἐξέβαλες τοῦ παραδείσου· ἰδοὺ ἄνθρωπος δίχα προσταγμάτων Γραφῆς βιώσας, καὶ τὸν ἄγραφον τῆς φύσεως νόμον διανοίᾳ κατορθώσας Προσάγαγε μυρίας θωπείας, μυρίας κολακείας, μυρίας βασάνους, εἰ δύνασαι τὴν ἀρίστην ταύτην παρασαλεῦσαι ψυχήν. Ἰδοὺ, τὸν πρῶτον ἄνθρωπον ἐξέβαλες τοῦ παραδείσου. Βλέπε νῦν, ἐπιχείρησον, εἰ δύνασαι, κἂν ἀπὸ κοπρίας τὸν ἀθλητὴν ὑποσκελίσαι. Ἀλλ', εἰ δοκεῖ, ἄνωθεν ὀλίγον εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν ἱστορίαν ἀναδράμωμεν· Ἄνθρωπός τις ἦν ἐν χώρᾳ τῇ