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039 - Homily 22 - Romans 1214 · Homilies on Romans

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Speaker 1: Section thirty nine of Homilies on Romans by John Chrysostom,
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Speaker 1: translated by J. B. Morris. This LibriVox recording is in
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Speaker 1: the public domain. Homily twenty two Romans twelve, verse fourteen.
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Speaker 1: Bless them which persecute you, bless and curse not. After
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Speaker 1: teaching them how they ought to be minded towards one another,
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Speaker 1: and after joining the members closely into one, he next
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Speaker 1: proceeds to lead them forth to the battle, without, which
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Speaker 1: he makes easier as from this point, For as he
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Speaker 1: who hath not managed things well with those of his
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Speaker 1: own side, will find more difficulty in arranging affairs with strangers.
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Speaker 1: So he that has preached himself duly among these will,
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Speaker 1: with the more ease, have the advantage of those without. Also. Hence,
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Speaker 1: then Paul also, as he goes on in his journey
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Speaker 1: after the one places the other and says, bless them
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Speaker 1: that persecute you, he did not say, be not spiteful
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Speaker 1: or revengeful, but required something far better, for that a
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Speaker 1: man that was wise might do. But this is quite
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Speaker 1: an angel's part. And after saying bless, he proceeds and
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Speaker 1: curse not, lest we should do both the one and
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Speaker 1: the other, and not the former only, for they that
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Speaker 1: persecute us are purveyors of a reward to us. But
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Speaker 1: if thou art sober minded, there will be another reward
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Speaker 1: after that, one which thou wilt gain thyself. For he
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Speaker 1: will yield thee that for persecution, but thou wilt yield
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Speaker 1: thyself the one from the blessing of another, in that
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Speaker 1: thou bringest forth a very great sign of love to Christ.
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Speaker 1: For as he that curseth his persecutor showeth that is
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Speaker 1: not much pleased at suffering this for Christ, Thus he
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Speaker 1: that blesseth showeth a great love. Do not then abuse him,
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Speaker 1: that thou thyself mayst gain the greater reward, And mayst
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Speaker 1: teach him that the thing is matter of inclination, not
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Speaker 1: of necessity, of holiday and feast, not of calamity or dejection.
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Speaker 1: For this cause, Christ himself said, rejoice when men speak
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Speaker 1: all manner of evil against you falsely. Hence too it
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Speaker 1: was that the apostles returned with joy, not from having
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Speaker 1: been evil spoken of only, but also at having been scourged.
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Speaker 1: For besides what I have mentioned, there will be another gain,
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Speaker 1: and that no small one, that he will make both
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Speaker 1: the abashing of your adversaries hereby and instructing of them
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Speaker 1: by your actions, that you are traveling to another life.
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Speaker 1: For if he sees THEE joyous and elevated from suffering ill,
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Speaker 1: he will see clearly from the actions that thou hast
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Speaker 1: other hopes greater than those of this life. So that
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Speaker 1: if thou dost not so but weepest and lamentous, how
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Speaker 1: is he to be able to learn from that that
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Speaker 1: thou art tarrying for another life. And besides this thou
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Speaker 1: wilt come as yet another thing. For provided he sees
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Speaker 1: THEE not vexed at the affronts done THEE by even
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Speaker 1: blessing him, he will leave harassing THEE. See then, how
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Speaker 1: much that is good comes from this, both a greater
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Speaker 1: reward for thyself and a less temptation. And he who
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Speaker 1: is persecuting THEE will forbear, and God too will be glorified.
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Speaker 1: And to him that is in error, thy endurance will
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Speaker 1: be instruction in Godliness. For this reason, it was not
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Speaker 1: those that insult us only, but even those that persecute
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Speaker 1: us and deal despitefully with us, that he bade us
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Speaker 1: requite with the contrary. And now he orders them to
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Speaker 1: bless But as he goes on, he exhorts them to
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Speaker 1: do them good in deeds. Also use fifteen. Rejoice with
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Speaker 1: them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep,
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Speaker 1: since it is possible to bless and not to curse,
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Speaker 1: and yet not to do this out of love. He
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Speaker 1: wishes us to be penetrated with the warmth of friendship throughout.
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Speaker 1: And this is why he goes on in these words,
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Speaker 1: that we are not only to bless, but even feel
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Speaker 1: compassion for their pains and sufferings whenever we happen to
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Speaker 1: see them fallen into trouble. Yes, it will be said,
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Speaker 1: but to join in the sorrows of mourners, one can
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Speaker 1: see why he ordered them. But why ever did he
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Speaker 1: command them the other thing, when it is no such
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Speaker 1: great matter? Aye, But that requires more of a high
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Speaker 1: Christian temper to rejoice with them that do rejoice than
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Speaker 1: to win deep with them that weep. For this nature
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Speaker 1: itself fulfills perfectly, and there is none so hard hearted
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Speaker 1: as not to weep over him that is in calamity.
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Speaker 1: But the other requires a very noble soul, so as
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Speaker 1: not only to keep from envying, but even to feel
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Speaker 1: pleasure with the person who is in esteem, And this
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Speaker 1: is why he placed it first. For there is nothing
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Speaker 1: that ties love so firmly as sharing both joy and
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Speaker 1: pain one with another. Do not, then, because thou art
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Speaker 1: far from difficulties, thyself remain aloof from sympathizing too, For
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Speaker 1: when thy neighbor is ill treated, thou oughtest to make
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Speaker 1: the calamity thine own. Take share then in his tears,
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Speaker 1: that thou mayst lighten his low spirits, take share in
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Speaker 1: his joy, that thou mayst make thee joy strike deep
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Speaker 1: root and fix the love firmly, and be of service
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Speaker 1: to thyself rather than to him, in so doing, by
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Speaker 1: thy weeping, rendering thyself merciful, and by thy feeling his pleasure,
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Speaker 1: purging thyself of envy and grudging. And let me draw
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Speaker 1: your attention to Saint Paul's considerateness. For he does not
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Speaker 1: say put an end to the calamity, lest thou shouldst say,
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Speaker 1: in many cases that it is impossible. But he has
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Speaker 1: enjoined the easier task, and that which thou hast in
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Speaker 1: thy power. For even if thou art not able to
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Speaker 1: remove the evil, yet contribute tears, and thou wilt take
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Speaker 1: the worst half away. And if thou be not able
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Speaker 1: to increase a man's prosperity, contribute joy, and thou wilt
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Speaker 1: have made a great addition to it. Therefore, it is
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Speaker 1: not abstaining from envy only. But what is a much
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Speaker 1: greater thing that he exhorts us to, namely adjoining in
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Speaker 1: the pleasure. For this is a much greater thing than
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Speaker 1: not envying Verse sixteen. Be of the same mind one
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Speaker 1: towards another, mind not high things, but condescend to men
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Speaker 1: of lower state. Here again he insists much upon lowliness
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Speaker 1: of mind, the subject he had started this exhortation with,
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Speaker 1: For if there was a probability of their being full
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Speaker 1: of high mindedness, both on account of their city and
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Speaker 1: from sundry other causes, He therefore keeps drawing off the
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Speaker 1: morbid matter and lowers the inflammation. For there is nothing
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Speaker 1: that makes such schisms in the churches as vanity does.
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Speaker 1: And what does he mean by be of the same
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Speaker 1: mind one towards another, as a poor man come into
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Speaker 1: thy house, be like him and thy bearing, do not
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Speaker 1: put on any unusual pompous air on account of thy riches.
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Speaker 1: There is no rich and poor in Christ. Be not
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Speaker 1: then ashamed of him because of his external dress, but
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Speaker 1: receive him because of his inward faith. And if thou
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Speaker 1: seest him in sorrow, do not disdain to comfort him,
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Speaker 1: Nor if thou see him in prosperity, feel abashed at
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Speaker 1: sharing his pleasure at being gladdened with him. But be
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Speaker 1: of the same mind in his case that thou wouldst
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Speaker 1: be of in thine own. For it says, be of
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Speaker 1: the same mind one towards another. For instance, if thou
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Speaker 1: thinkest thyself a great man, think him so likewise, dost
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Speaker 1: thou suspect that he is mean and little? Well, then
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Speaker 1: pass the same sentence upon thyself, and cast aside all unevenness.
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Speaker 1: And how is this to be by thy casting aside
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Speaker 1: that reckless temper? Wherefore he proceeds mind not high things,
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Speaker 1: but condescend to men of low estate, that is, bring
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Speaker 1: thyself down to their humble condition, Ride or walk with them,
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Speaker 1: Do not be humbled in mind only, but help them also,
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Speaker 1: and reach forth thy hand to them, not by means
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Speaker 1: of others, but in thine own person, as a father
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Speaker 1: taking care of a child, as the head taking care
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Speaker 1: of the body, as he says, in another place, being
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Speaker 1: bound with them that are in bonds. But here he
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Speaker 1: means by those of low estate, not merely the lowly minded,
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Speaker 1: but those of a low rank, and which one is
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Speaker 1: apt to think scorn of. Be not wise in your
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Speaker 1: own conceits, that is, do not think that you can
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Speaker 1: do for yourselves, because the Scripture saith in another place. Besides,
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Speaker 1: woe to them that are wise in their own eyes
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Speaker 1: and prudent in their own sight. And by this again
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Speaker 1: he secretly draws off recklessness and reduces conceit and trigidity.
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Speaker 1: For there is nothing that so elates men and makes
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Speaker 1: them feel different from other people as the notion that
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Speaker 1: they can do by themselves. Whence, also God hath placed
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Speaker 1: us in need one of another. And though thou be wise,
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Speaker 1: thou wilt be in need of another. But if thou
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Speaker 1: think that thou art not in need of Him, thou
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Speaker 1: wilt be the most foolish and feeble of men. For
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Speaker 1: a man of this sort bears himself of all succor,
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Speaker 1: and run into what error he may, will not have
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Speaker 1: the advantage either of correction or of pardon, and will
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Speaker 1: provoke God by his recklessness, and will run into many errors.
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Speaker 1: For it is the case, aye, and often too, that
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Speaker 1: a wise man does not perceive what is needful, and
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Speaker 1: a man of less shrewdness hits upon somewhat that is applicable.
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Speaker 1: And this happened with Moses and his father in law,
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Speaker 1: and with Saul and his son, and with Isaac and Rebecca.
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Speaker 1: Do not then suppose that you are lowered by needing
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Speaker 1: another man, for this exalts you. The more. This makes
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Speaker 1: you the stronger, and the brighter too, and the more
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Speaker 1: secure Verse seventeen. Recompense to no man evil for evil.
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Speaker 1: For if thou findest fault with another who plots against thee,
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Speaker 1: why dost thou make thyself liable to this accusation? If
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Speaker 1: he did amiss, how comest thou not to shun imitating him?
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Speaker 1: And observe how he puts no difference here, but lays
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Speaker 1: down on one law for all. For he does not say,
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Speaker 1: recompense not evil to the believer, but to no man,
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Speaker 1: be he heathen, be he contaminated, or what not. Provide
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Speaker 1: things honest in the sight of all men. Verse eighteen.
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Speaker 1: If it be possible, as much as lieth in you
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Speaker 1: live peaceably with all men. This is that let your
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Speaker 1: life shine before men, not that we are to live
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Speaker 1: for vanity but that we are not to give those
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Speaker 1: who have a mind for it a handle against us.
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Speaker 1: Whence he says, also in another place, give none offense,
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Speaker 1: neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to
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Speaker 1: the Church of God. And in what follows he clears
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Speaker 1: his meaning well by saying, if it be possible, as
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Speaker 1: much as in you lieth, For there are cases in
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Speaker 1: which it is not possible, as for instance, when we
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Speaker 1: have to argue about religion, or to contend for those
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Speaker 1: who are wronged. And why be surprised if this be
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Speaker 1: not universally possible in the case of other persons, since
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Speaker 1: he has made the tie not to be binding, even
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Speaker 1: in the case of man and wife. When he says,
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Speaker 1: but if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. And his
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Speaker 1: meaning as nearly as follows, do thine own part, and
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Speaker 1: none give occasion of war or fighting, neither to jew
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Speaker 1: nor gentile. But if you see the cause of religion
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Speaker 1: suffering anywhere, do not prize concord above truth, but make
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Speaker 1: a noble stand even to death, And even then, be
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Speaker 1: not at war in soul, be not averse in temper,
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Speaker 1: but fight with the things only, For this is the
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Speaker 1: import of as much as in you life, be at
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Speaker 1: peace with all men. But if the other will not
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Speaker 1: be at peace, do not thou fill thy soul with tempest.
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Speaker 1: But in mind be friendly, as I said before, without
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Speaker 1: giving up the truth on any occasion verse nineteen, Dearly beloved,
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Speaker 1: avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath. For
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Speaker 1: it is written vengeance is mine. I will repay saith
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Speaker 1: a lord unto what wrath, to the wrath of God. Now,
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Speaker 1: since what the injured man desires most to see is
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Speaker 1: himself having the pleasure of revenge, this very thing, he
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Speaker 1: gives him in full measure that if thou dost not
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Speaker 1: avenge thyself, God will be thy avenger leave it. Then
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Speaker 1: he means to him to follow up thy wrongs, for
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Speaker 1: this is the force of give place under wrath. Then,
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Speaker 1: to give further comfort, he brings the quotation forward also,
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Speaker 1: and after winning him more thoroughly to himself in this way,
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Speaker 1: he demands more Christian heroism of him, and says verse
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Speaker 1: twenty and twenty one. Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him,
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Speaker 1: if he thirst, give him to drink, For in so
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Speaker 1: doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head.
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Speaker 1: Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
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Speaker 1: Why he means, am my telling you that he must
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Speaker 1: keep peace? For I even insist upon your doing kindness.
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Speaker 1: For he says, give him to eat, and give him
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Speaker 1: to drink. Then, as the command he gave was a
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Speaker 1: very difficult and a great one, he proceeds. For in
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Speaker 1: so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head.
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Speaker 1: And this he said, both to humble the one by fear,
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Speaker 1: and to make the other more ready minded through hope
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Speaker 1: of a recompense. For he that is wronged when he
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Speaker 1: is feeble, is not so much taken with any goods
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Speaker 1: of his own, with the vengeance upon the person who
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Speaker 1: has pained him, For there being nothing so sweet as
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Speaker 1: to see an enemy chastised. What he is longing for,
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Speaker 1: then that he gives him first, And when he has
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Speaker 1: let the venom go, then he again gives advice of
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Speaker 1: a higher tone, saying, be not overcome of evil. For
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Speaker 1: he knew that if the enemy were a very brute,
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Speaker 1: he would not continue an enemy when he had been fed.
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Speaker 1: And if the man injured be of ever so little
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Speaker 1: a soul, still in feeding him and giving him to drink,
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Speaker 1: he will not himself even have any farther craving for
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Speaker 1: his punishment. Hence, out of confidence in the result of
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Speaker 1: the auction, he does not simply threaten, but even dwells
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Speaker 1: largely upon the vengeance. For he did not say, thou
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Speaker 1: shalt take vengeance, but thou shalt heap coals of fire
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Speaker 1: upon his head. Then he further declares him victor by saying,
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Speaker 1: be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
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Speaker 1: And he gives a kind of gentle hint that one
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Speaker 1: is not to do it with that intention, since cherishing
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Speaker 1: a grudge still would be being overcome of evil. But
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Speaker 1: he did not say it at once, as he did
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Speaker 1: not find it advisable yet. But when he had disbodened
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Speaker 1: the man of his anger, then he proceeded to say,
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Speaker 1: overcome evil with good, since this would be a victory
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Speaker 1: for the combatant is rather then the conqueror, not when
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Speaker 1: he brings himself under to take the blows, but when
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Speaker 1: he withdraws himself and makes his antagonist waste his strength
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Speaker 1: upon the air. And in this way he will not
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Speaker 1: be struck himself, and will also exhaust the whole of
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Speaker 1: the other's strength. And this takes place in regard to affronts. Also,
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Speaker 1: for when you do affronts in return, you have the worst,
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Speaker 1: not as overcome by a man, but what is far
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Speaker 1: more disgraceful by the slavish passion of anger. But if
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Speaker 1: you are silent, then you will conquer and erect a
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Speaker 1: trophy of victory, and will have thousands to crown you
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Speaker 1: and to condemn the slander of falsehood. For he that
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Speaker 1: replies seems to be speaking in return as if stung,
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Speaker 1: and he that is stung is reason to suspect that
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Speaker 1: he is conscious of being guilty of what is said
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Speaker 1: of him. But if you laugh at it, by your laughing,
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Speaker 1: you do a w a with the sentence against you.
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Speaker 1: And if he would have a clear proof of what
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Speaker 1: has been said, ask the enemy himself when he is
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Speaker 1: most vexed, when you are heated and insult him in return,
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Speaker 1: or when you laugh at him as he insults you,
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Speaker 1: and you will be told the last rather, for he
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Speaker 1: too is not so much pleased with not being insulted
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Speaker 1: in return, as he is vexed with not being able
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Speaker 1: to gain any hold upon you. Did you never see
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Speaker 1: men in a passion, how they make no great account
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Speaker 1: of their own wounds, but rush on with much violence,
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Speaker 1: and are worse than very wild boars for seeking the
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Speaker 1: hurt of their neighbor, and look to this alone, and
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Speaker 1: are more given to this than to being on their
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Speaker 1: guard against getting harmed. When thou deprivest him of that
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Speaker 1: he desires most, thou bereavest him of everything by holding
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Speaker 1: him thus cheap, and ShoWest him to be easy to
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Speaker 1: be despised, and a child rather than a man. And
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Speaker 1: thou indeed hast gained the reputation of a wise man,
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Speaker 1: and him dost thou invest with the character of a
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Speaker 1: noisome beast. This too, let us do when we are struck,
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Speaker 1: and when we wish to strike, that are abstained from
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Speaker 1: striking again. But would you give a mortal blow? Turn
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Speaker 1: to him the other cheek also, and thou wilt smite
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Speaker 1: him with countless words, For they that applaud and wonder
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Speaker 1: at us are more annoying to him than men to
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Speaker 1: stone him would be. And before them, his conscience will
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Speaker 1: condemn him, and will exact the greatest punishment of him.
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Speaker 1: And so he will go off with as confused a
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Speaker 1: look as if he had been treated with the utmost rigor.
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Speaker 1: And if it is the estimation of the multitude that
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Speaker 1: you look for, this too, you will have in larger share.
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Speaker 1: And in a general way, we have a kind of
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Speaker 1: sympathy with those who are the sufferers. But when we
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Speaker 1: also see that they do not strike in return, but
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Speaker 1: even give themselves up to it, we not only pity them,
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Speaker 1: but even feel admiration for them. Here then I find
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Speaker 1: reason to lament that we, who might have things present,
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Speaker 1: if we listened to Christ's law as we should, and
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Speaker 1: also attain to things to come, are cast out of
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Speaker 1: both by not paying attention to what has been told us,
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Speaker 1: but give ourselves to unwarranted philosophizing about them. For He
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Speaker 1: has given us laws upon all these points for our good,
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Speaker 1: and has shown us what makes us have a good name,
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Speaker 1: what brings us to disgrace. And if it was likely
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Speaker 1: to have proved his disciples ridiculous, he would not have
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Speaker 1: enjoyed this. But since this makes them the most notable
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Speaker 1: of men, namely the not speaking ill when we have
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Speaker 1: ill spoken of us, the not doing ill when we
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Speaker 1: have ill done us, this was his reason for enjoying it.
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Speaker 1: But if this be so much more the speaking of
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Speaker 1: good when we have ill spoken of us, and the
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Speaker 1: praising of those that insult us, and the doing good
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Speaker 1: to those that plot against us will make us so. This, then,
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Speaker 1: was why He gave these laws, for he is careful
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Speaker 1: for his own disciples, and knowing well what it is
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Speaker 1: that make us little or great. If then he both
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Speaker 1: careth and knoweth, why dost thou quarrel with him and
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Speaker 1: wish to go another road? For conquering by doing ill
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Speaker 1: is one of the Devil's laws. Hence, in the Olympic Games,
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Speaker 1: which were celebrated to him, it is so that all
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Speaker 1: the competitors longer. But in Christ's race, this is not
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Speaker 1: the rule about the prize, for on the contrary, the
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Speaker 1: law is for the persons smitten, and not the person's
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Speaker 1: smiting to be crowned, For such is the character of
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Speaker 1: his race. It has all its regulations the other way,
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Speaker 1: so that it is not in the victory only, but
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Speaker 1: also in the way of the victory, that the marvel
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Speaker 1: is the greater. Now when things which on the other
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Speaker 1: side are signs of a defeat, on this side are
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Speaker 1: shown to be productive of victory, this is the power
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Speaker 1: of God. This the race of Heaven. This the theater
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Speaker 1: of angels. I know that ye are warmed thoroughly now
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Speaker 1: and are become as soft as any wax. But when
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Speaker 1: ye have gone, hence, ye will spew it all out.
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Speaker 1: This is why I sorrow that what we are speaking
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Speaker 1: of we do not show in our actions. And this too, though,
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Speaker 1: we should be great at gainers thereby, for if we
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Speaker 1: let our moderation be seen, we shall be invincible to
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Speaker 1: any man. And there is nobody, either great or small,
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Speaker 1: who will have the power of doing us any hurt.
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Speaker 1: For if any one abuseth THEE, he has not hurt
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Speaker 1: THEE at all, but himself severely. And if again he
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Speaker 1: wronged THEE, the harm will be with the person who
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Speaker 1: does the wrong. Did you never notice that, even in
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Speaker 1: the courts of law, those who have had wrong done
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Speaker 1: them are honored and stand and speak out with entire freedom,
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Speaker 1: But those who have done the wrong are bowed down
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Speaker 1: with shame and fear. And why do I talk of
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Speaker 1: evil speaking and of wrong? For were he even to
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Speaker 1: wet his sword against THEE, and to stain his right
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Speaker 1: hand in thy life blood, it is not THEE that
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Speaker 1: he hath done any harm to, but himself that he
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Speaker 1: hath butchered, And he will witness what I say, who
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Speaker 1: was first taken off thus by a brother's hand, For
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Speaker 1: he went away to the haven without a billow, having
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Speaker 1: gained a glory that dieth not away. But the other
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Speaker 1: lived a life worse than any death, groaning and trembling,
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Speaker 1: and in his body bearing about the accusation of what
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Speaker 1: he had done. Let us not follow after this, then,
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Speaker 1: but that for he that hath ill done him has
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Speaker 1: not an evil that taketh up its constant abode with him,
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Speaker 1: since he is not the parent of it. But as
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Speaker 1: he received it from others, he makes it good by
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Speaker 1: his patient in durance. But he that doeth ill hath
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Speaker 1: the will of the mischief in himself, was not Joseph
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Speaker 1: in prison, but the harlot that plotted against him in
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Speaker 1: a fine and splendid house, which then wouldst thou wish
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Speaker 1: to have been. And let me not hear yet of
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Speaker 1: the requital, but examine the things that had taken place
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Speaker 1: by themselves, For in this way thou wilt rate Joseph's
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Speaker 1: prison infinitely above the house with the harlot in it.
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Speaker 1: For if you were to see the souls of them both,
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Speaker 1: you would find the one full of enlargement and boldness,
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Speaker 1: but that of the Egyptian woman in straitness, shame, dejection, confusion,
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Speaker 1: and great despondency. And yet she seemed to conquer. But
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Speaker 1: this was no real victory. Knowing all this, then, that
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Speaker 1: us fit ourselves for bearing ills, even that we may
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Speaker 1: be freed from bearing ills, and may attain to the
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Speaker 1: blessings to come, which that we may all attain to
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Speaker 1: guard grant by His grace and love towards Man et cetera.
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Speaker 1: End of Section thirty nine