THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
"Love never fails" (1 Cor 13:8). Do you see with what he concluded, and what is especially excellent in this gift? What precisely does "never fails" mean? It does not cease. It is not weakened by what it endures, because it loves all things. Whoever loves can never hate, whatever happens. In this lies the greatest good of love. Such was Paul. Therefore he said, "May I not provoke to jealousy those who are my kinsmen according to the flesh?" (Rom 11:14). He did not cease to hope. He exhorted Timothy thus: "The servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle to all, able to teach, forbearing, correcting opponents with meekness, if perhaps God may grant them repentance unto the knowledge of the truth" (2 Tim 2:24-25). What, you say? Must we not hate even enemies and pagans? We must hate, but not them. We must hate their teaching, not the man. We must hate the wicked life and the corrupt will. Man is the work of God, but error is the work of the devil. Therefore do not mix what is God's with what is the devil's. The Jews blasphemed, persecuted, and insulted Christ, and said many evil things about Him. But did Paul, who loved Christ more than all, hate them? No. On the contrary, he loved them and did everything for them. At one time he said, "My heart's desire and prayer to God" for them "is for salvation" (Rom 10:1). At another, "I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ" for them (Rom 9:3). So also Ezekiel, seeing their destruction, said, "Ah, Lord God! Will You destroy all the remnant of Israel?" (Ezek 9:8). Moses likewise said, "Forgive them their sin" (Ex 32:32). Why then does David say, "Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord, and loathe those who rise up against You? I hate them with perfect hatred; they have become my enemies" (Ps 138:21-22). Not everything in David's psalms was said by David himself. Thus it says in them, "I dwell among the tents of Kedar" (Ps 119:5). Again, "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept" (Ps 136:1). Yet he himself saw neither Babylon nor the settlements of Kedar. On the other hand, a higher spiritual wisdom is now required of us Christians. When the disciples asked that fire come down as in the time of Elijah, Christ said, "You do not know what manner of spirit you are of" (Lk 9:55). Then the Jews were commanded to hate not only impiety, but the impious themselves, lest friendship with them become an occasion for lawlessness. Therefore they were forbidden to enter into kinship with pagans or to mingle with them, and barriers were set between them on every side. But now, when God has brought us to higher spiritual wisdom and placed us above such danger, He commands us to enter into communion and converse with them. No harm comes to us from them, while benefit comes to them from us. What then, you say, should be done? We must not hate, but show mercy. If you hate, how will you convert the one in error? How will you pray for the unbeliever? That one must pray for him, hear how Paul says it: "First of all, then, I urge that prayers, supplications, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men" (1 Tim 2:1). At that time not all were believers, as everyone knows. And further, "for kings and all who are in authority" (1 Tim 2:2). Yet they were impious and lawless, as is also known. Then, showing the reason why one must pray, he adds, "For this is good and acceptable before God our Savior, Who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim 2:3-4). For this same reason, when a pagan wife happened to be married to a believer, he did not dissolve the marriage. Yet what is closer than husband and wife? "They shall be," Scripture says, "one flesh" (Gen 2:24). From this there comes great love and fervent attachment. If we begin to hate the impious and lawless, then, extending this further, we shall also hate sinners. Going by this path, little by little we shall separate ourselves from most of the brethren, or rather from all, since no one is without sin. If one must hate the enemies of God, then one must hate not only the impious, but sinners also. In that case we shall be worse than beasts, turning away from all and being puffed up with pride like the Pharisee. But Paul did not command this. What did he command? "Admonish the disorderly, comfort the fainthearted, support the weak, be long-suffering toward all" (1 Thess 5:14). How then, you say, does he say, "If anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that man and do not associate with him" (2 Thess 3:14)? True, this was said about brethren. Yet it was not said simply, but also with meekness. Do not pass over what follows. Add what is said next. After saying, "Do not associate," he added, "Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother" (2 Thess 3:15). Do you see how he commands us to hate the evil deed, not the man? It is the work of the devil to tear us away from one another. He strives greatly to destroy love, so as to cut off the path to correction. He holds the other in error and you in enmity, and thus blocks his path to salvation. If the physician hates and avoids the sick man, and the sick man turns away from the physician, can the sick man recover when he does not call the physician and the physician does not come to him? Tell me, then, why do you turn away and flee from him? Because he is impious? But for this very reason one must come and heal him, so as to restore the sick man. Even if he suffers from an incurable disease, you are commanded to do your own work. Judas also was possessed by an incurable disease, but God did not cease to heal him. Therefore do not grow weak. Even if, with all your effort, you cannot free him from impiety, you will still receive the reward as though you had freed him. You will dispose him to marvel at your meekness, and in this way God will be glorified in every respect. Even if you work miracles, raise the dead, or do something else of the kind, pagans will never marvel at you as much as when they see you meek, good, and courteous. This is no small matter, for in this way many may at last depart from vice. Nothing can attract as love does. Because of other things, that is, signs and wonders, they may envy you. Because of love, they will admire and love you. Loving you, they will little by little receive the truth. Yet if a pagan does not soon become a believer, do not be surprised. Do not hurry. Do not demand everything at once. Let him for the time being praise and love, and then little by little he will come even to this. [...] Love makes the harsh man meek and the incontinent man chaste. There is no need to bring examples of this, for it is known to all. Even if someone were fiercer than any beast, through love he becomes humbler than any lamb. Who, for example, was fiercer and more frenzied than Saul? Yet when his daughter let his enemy go, he did not say even a harsh word to her. He who killed almost all the priests because of David, when he learned how his daughter had let him out of the house, did not insult her even with a word, though the stratagem had been used against himself. This was because he was held back by the strongest bridle, love for his daughter. As love makes people meek, so also it makes them chaste. Whoever loves his wife as he ought to love, even if he is extremely sensual, will not look at another because of love for her. "Love," Scripture says, "is strong as death" (Song 8:6). Therefore wantonness comes from nothing other than a lack of love. Therefore, if love is the cause of every virtue, let us plant it with all care in our souls, so that it may bring us many good things. Then we shall constantly gather its abundant fruits, always blossoming and never fading. Then we shall attain the eternal good things. May we all be counted worthy of them by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, dominion, and honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.