Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistle to the Hebrews

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom284have, when God promiseth heaven to us, and we will not even give Him bread? when He indeedfor thee maketh the sun to rise, and supplieth all the ministry of the Creation, but thou dost not evengive Him a garment, nor allow Him to share thy roof? But why speak I of sun and moon? He hathset His Body before thee, He hath given thee His Precious Blood; and dost thou not even impartto Him of thy cup? But hast thou done so for once? This is not mercy; as long as, having the means,thou helpest not, thou hast not yet fulfilled the whole duty. Thus the virgins who had the lamps,had oil, but not in abundance. Why, thou oughtest, even didst thou give from thine own, not to beso miserly, but now when thou givest what is thy Lord’s, why countest thou every little? Will yethat I tell you the cause of this inhumanity? When men get together their wealth through greediness,these same are slow to give alms; for one who has learnt so to gain, knows not how to spend. Forhow can a man prepared for rapine adapt himself to its contrary? He who takes from others, howshall he be able to give up his own to another? A dog accustomed to feed on flesh cannot guard theflock; therefore the shepherds kill such. That this be not our fate, let us refrain from such feasting.For these men too feed on flesh, when they bring on death by hunger. Seest thou not how God hathallowed to us all things in common? If amid riches He hath suffered men to be poor, it is for theconsolation of the rich, that they may be able by showing mercy towards them to put off their sins.But thou even in this hast been cruel and inhuman; whence it is evident, that if thou hadst receivedthis same power in greater things, thou wouldest have committed ten thousand murders, and wouldesthave debarred men from light, and from life altogether. 2221 That this might not take place, necessityhath cut short insatiableness in such matters.If ye are pained when ye hear these things, much more I when I see them taking place. Howlong shalt thou be rich, and that man poor? Till evening, but no farther; for so short is life, and allthings so near their end, 2222 and all things henceforth so stand at the door, that the whole must bedeemed but a little hour. What need hast thou of bursting 2223 storehouses, of a multitude of domesticsand house-keepers? Why hast thou not ten thousand proclaimers of thy almsdoing? The storehouseutters no voice, yet will it bring upon thee many robbers; but the storehouses of the poor will goup to God Himself, and will make thy present life sweet, and put away all thy sins, and thou shaltgain glory from God, and honor from men. Why then grudgest thou thyself such good things? Forthou wilt not do so much good to the poor, as to thyself, when thou benefitest them. Thou wilt righttheir present state; but for thyself thou wilt lay up beforehand the glory and confidence which shallbe hereafter. And this may we all obtain, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ,to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be the glory and the might for ever. Amen.Homily LXXVIII.2221lit. “ all life. ”2222Ben. omits “ all things so near their end. ”2223ἐ ρευγομένων428