Foolish and senseless people act in the same way. When they see that a Christian disperses his property and gives to the poor, they laugh at this, thinking that he is destroying his possessions. These people think that only that property does not perish which is spent on what is visible, on the vanity and whims of this world. Therefore they themselves spend their possessions not on almsgiving but on fleshly lusts, and they laugh at those who disperse and give to the poor.
Laugh, man, laugh. But afterward you will weep bitterly and lament. You do not spare thousands or hundreds for your daughter's dowry, for building and adorning rich houses, for costly wines and sumptuous tables, for garments of silk and fine linen, for carriages and horses, for hunting dogs, and for other whims. Yet for Christ, who suffered and died for you, and who so loved you, His enemy, that He did not spare even Himself for your sake, you begrudge giving even a ruble or a half-ruble. I say, for the sake of Christ, so great and exalted a Benefactor to you, you begrudge giving even from His goods, which have been given to you. For whatever good we have is His. "The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness" (Ps 23:1).
Reason in this way, and you will certainly grieve and weep. But if you do not grieve and weep now, then at the Second Coming of Christ and on the day of recompense you will grieve and weep, but too late and uselessly.
Lazy peasants and revelers see farmers gathering the fruits of their sown seeds and rejoicing in them. They themselves mourn and grieve, seeing nothing in their own hands, because they did not labor and did not sow. Therefore they gather no fruit and remain without hope of sustenance.
So also Christians who love luxury, and revelers, at the end of the age and the resurrection from the dead, when the Christian harvest will come (Mt 13:30), will then be put to shame and confounded. They will weep and lament when they see good Christians reaping the fruits of their seeds, while they see themselves barren and in utter poverty.
Then they will truly know that wealth spent on whims and luxuries perishes, and casts the one who spent it into destruction. But wealth placed in the hands of the poor and needy for the name of Christ is preserved, and is returned far better and with great increase.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy" (Mt 5:7). The wretched unmerciful will be deprived of mercy, "for judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy" (Jas 2:13).
Then the merciful, who have done works of mercy, will hear from the Righteous Judge: "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me food. I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink. I was a stranger, and you took Me in. I was naked, and you clothed Me. I was sick, and you visited Me. I was in prison, and you came to Me."
But the unmerciful, the lovers of luxury and revelers, who squandered the good possessions of the Lord not on the needy but on their own whims, will hear as worthless servants and unfaithful stewards: "Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave Me no food. I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink. I was a stranger, and you did not take Me in. I was naked, and you did not clothe Me. I was sick and in prison, and you did not visit Me" (Mt 25:34-43).
Christ does not require our goods, but He Himself gives us everything. I say that Christ does not require them, but Christians, our brethren, require them. And what is given to Christians, Christ in His love for mankind reckons as given to Himself. For He says: "As you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me" (Mt 25:40).
And what is not done to Christians is not done to Christ Himself, according to what is said: "As you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me" (Mt 25:45). What is done to the members is done to the head. And what is not done to the members is not done to the head. Good is done to the members, and the head reckons it to Himself. Good is not done to the members, and it is not done to the head Himself.
Think on this, man, you who are stingy in giving alms and generous toward your own whims and luxuries. Blessed Christian, soul that loves Christ, do not look at the sons of this age, who strive in every way to please this world, and not Christ who died for them. Do not cease to do good, "for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart" (Gal 6:9).
Beloved, do not imitate evil, but imitate good. "He who does good is of God; he who does evil has not seen God" (3 Jn 1:11). Imitate the farmer, who sows at the proper time in hope of fruit. Sow your seeds also in the present time, and in the time of harvest you will reap with joy.
"Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. He who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap eternal life" (Gal 6:7-8). It will be desirable and sweet to hear: "Come, you blessed." Fearful and terrible it will be to hear: "Depart from Me, you cursed." Christians, let these two words always ring in your ears: "Come" and "Depart." Let us have mercy on our brethren, and we ourselves shall receive mercy. Let us give, and it shall be given to us. Amen.
THEOSIS