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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom421What is meant by “he that considereth”? He that understandeth what it is to be a poor man, thathas thoroughly learned his affliction. For he that has learned his affliction, will certainly andimmediately have compassion on him. When thou seest a poor man, do not hurry by, but immediatelyreflect what thou wouldest have been, hadst thou been he. What wouldest thou not have wishedthat all should do for thee? “He that considereth” (he says). Reflect that he is a free-man like thyself,and shares the same noble birth with thee, and possesses all things in common with thee; and yetoftentimes he is not on a level even with thy dogs. On the contrary, while they are satiated, heoftentimes lies, sleeps, hungry, and the free-man is become less honorable than thy slaves.But they perform needful services for thee. What are these? Do they serve thee well? Supposethen I show that this [poor man] too performs needful services for thee far greater than they do.For he will stand by thee in the Day of judgment, and will deliver thee from the fire. What do allthy slaves do like this? When Tabitha died, who raised her up? The slaves who stood around or thepoor? But thou art not even willing to put the free-man on an equality with thy slaves. The frostis hard, and the poor man is cast out in rags, well-nigh dead, with his teeth chattering, both by hislooks and his air fitted to move thee: and thou passeth by, warm and full of drink; and how dostthou expect that God should deliver thee when in misfortune?And oftentimes thou sayest this too: ‘If it had been myself, and I had found one that had donemany wrong things, I would have forgiven him; and does not God forgive?’ Say not this. Him thathas done thee no wrong, whom thou art able to deliver, him thou neglectest. How shall He forgivethee, who art sinning against Him? Is not this deserving of hell?And how amazing! Oftentimes thou adornest with vestments innumerable, of varied colors andwrought with gold, a dead body, insensible, no longer perceiving the honor; whilst that which isin pain, and lamenting, and tormented, and racked by hunger and frost, thou neglectest; and givestmore to vainglory, than to the fear of God.[8.] And would that it stopped here; but immediately accusations are brought against theapplicant. For why does he not work (you say)? And why is he to be maintained in idleness? But(tell me) is it by working that thou hast what thou hast, didst thou not receive it as an inheritancefrom thy fathers? And even if thou dost work, is this a reason why thou shouldest reproach another?Hearest thou not what Paul saith? For after saying, “He that worketh not, neither let him eat” ( 2Thess. iii. 10 ), he says, “But ye be not weary in well doing.” ( 2 Thess. iii. 13 .)But what say they? He is an impostor. 2919 What sayest thou, O man? Callest thou him animpostor, for the sake of a single loaf or of a garment? But (you say) he will sell it immediately.And dost thou manage all thy affairs well? But what? Are all poor through idleness? Is no one sofrom shipwreck? None from lawsuits? None from being robbed? None from dangers? None fromillness? None from any other difficulties? If however we hear any one bewailing such evils, andcrying out aloud, and looking up naked toward heaven, and with long hair, and clad in rags, at oncewe call him, The impostor! The deceiver! The swindler! Art thou not ashamed? Whom dost thoucall impostor? Give nothing, and do not accuse the man.But (you say) he has means, and pretends. This is a charge against thyself, not against him. Heknows that he has to deal with the cruel, with wild beasts rather than with men, and that, even ifhe utter a pitiable story, he attracts no one’s attention: and on this account he is forced to assumealso a more miserable guise, that he may melt thy soul. If we see a person coming to beg in a2919ἐ πιθέτης607