Sitting at home at work, depriving themselves of social diversions and pleasures, and denying their senses customary delights, they were like prisoners. It seemed as if they were losing something, while the others appeared to be placed more advantageously. Of course, it could occur to some of them that such a life was rather tedious. The Apostle therefore encourages them: you who lead a good, orderly, and industrious life, having left the disorderly, idle, and empty one, do not be wearied or burdened by it. Do not envy those lovers of idleness. Do not be scandalized by their condition, as though it were more advantageous. If the second meaning is taken, the Apostle's instruction will be this: you who until now have shown charity even to these idle people, accustomed to eat another's bread, do not abandon this manner of acting. Do not change your relation to them. Continue to do them good, without weariness or burden. Do not admit the thought that your good is thereby spent in vain. Your good in no way ceases to be good because, in our view, they are unworthy of mercy. God makes His sun shine on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. Therefore be merciful, as your heavenly Father is merciful (Mt 5:45; Lk 6:35). One must see the need in the one who asks, and not fix attention on his lack of correction. The first meaning is not inappropriate, but the second is closer and preferable. This is because our holy interpreters understand the passage in this way. They limit, however, the circle of disorderly people to those who live by alms while having strength to work. They suppose that the Apostle feared lest Christians, hearing the strict rebuke of the idle and the command that they live by the labors of their hands, might stop showing them charity. Meanwhile, those people had not yet corrected themselves or become accustomed to work. If left without help, they might die of hunger. All that good Christians were to do was withdraw and not mix with them, thereby urging the unreformed toward correction. But they were not to cease showing them charity. "Do you see his fatherly compassion?" cries Oecumenius. "He did not extend strictness far, fearing that these disorderly people might die of hunger. Though he commands withdrawal from them and thus their instruction, he says: until they correct themselves, give to them, so that they may not be tormented by hunger. This punishment is enough for them, that you separate yourselves from them." Blessed Theophylact adds to this: "Even if one of them does not correct himself after this, still do not grow weary in doing good." Theodoret briefly expresses the force of this and the preceding text: "Having prescribed to one group, by law. Occupation with work and quietness, he advises the others to be guided by love for mankind: 'Do not grow weary in doing good.' Let their evil conduct not overcome your generosity." Chrysostom here answers the usual objection: "What then, someone will say: if he, the idle man, receives everything from us in abundance, will he not remain idle forever? Against this, he says, I have indicated an easy remedy for you: separate yourselves from such a man. That is, do not give him boldness. Show an appearance of being angry with him. Meanwhile, this instruction is not insignificant. For we ought to chastise a brother in this way, if we truly desire that he be corrected. We must know how we may chastise. Tell me, if you had a brother according to the flesh, would you leave him without help when he was dying of hunger? I do not think so. Rather, you would probably take care for his correction."
THEOSIS