THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
Why, you will say, did they have "favor with all the people"? Because of their deeds, because of their almsgiving. Do not look, then, at the fact that the chief priests rose against them through envy and hatred. Look instead at the fact that they had "favor with all the people. And the Lord added daily to the Church those who were being saved."
But see how they immediately receive their reward even here. The fact that they were "in favor with all the people" shows that they were loved and were worthy of love. And who would not marvel? Who would not admire a man simple in character?
Or who would not be attached to one in whom there is nothing deceitful? To whom else, if not to such men, does salvation belong? To whom, if not to them, do the great blessings belong?
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Were not the shepherds the first to hear the Gospel? Was not Joseph such a simple man, so that suspicion of adultery did not terrify him or move him to do any evil? Did not the Lord choose simple villagers as Apostles?
For it is said, "Every simple soul is blessed" (Prov 11:25). And again, "He who walks simply walks securely" (Prov 10:9). Yes, you will say, but prudence is also needed. Yet what else is simplicity if not prudence?
For when you suspect nothing evil, then you cannot devise evil. When you are grieved by nothing, then you cannot be resentful. Has someone wronged you? You were not saddened. Has he slandered you? You suffered nothing. Has he envied you? Even from this you suffered no harm.
Simplicity is a kind of path to the love of wisdom. No one is so beautiful in soul as the simple man.
With respect to the body, a sorrowful, gloomy, and sullen man loses much of his beauty, even if he is handsome. But a carefree man who smiles gently increases his beauty. So it is also with the soul.
The sullen man, even if he has thousands of good deeds, deprives them of all beauty. The open and simple man does the opposite. Such a man may safely be made a friend. If he becomes an enemy, it is not dangerous to be reconciled with him.
For such a man there is no need of guards or sentries, chains or fetters. He himself will enjoy great tranquility, and so will all who live with him.
What then, you will say, if such a man falls into the company of evil men? God, who commanded us to be simple, will stretch out His hand to him.
What was simpler than David? What was more cunning than Saul? Yet who remained the victor? What shall we say of Joseph? Did he not come to his mistress in simplicity of heart, while she had an evil intention? And yet, tell me, did he suffer any harm?
What was simpler than Abel? What was more deceitful than Cain? And again, did not Joseph deal simply with his brothers? Was he not glorified because he spoke everything in trust, while his brothers received it with an evil design?
He spoke once about his dreams, and then spoke again, and he did not take precautions. Again, he went to them to bring food and took no precautions, entrusting everything to God. The more they treated him as an enemy, the more he dealt with them as brothers.
God could have prevented him from falling into his brothers' hands. But He allowed it in order to show the wonder, and to show that, although they would treat him as enemies, he would be above them.
Thus, if the simple man receives a wound, he receives it not from himself, but from another. But the cunning man strikes first of all himself, and no one else. Thus he is an enemy to himself.
The soul of such a man is always full of sorrow, while his thoughts are always gloomy. If he must hear or say anything, he does everything with complaints and accuses everything. Friendship and concord are very far from such people. They have quarrels, enmity, and unpleasantness. Such people even suspect themselves.
Even sleep is unpleasant to them, as is everything else. If they have a wife, then, oh, they become enemies and adversaries to everyone: endless jealousy, constant fear.
The wicked man, πονηρός, is so called because he is in toil, παρὰ τὸ πονεῖν. Thus Scripture always calls wickedness toil, as when it says, "Under his tongue are toil and malice" (Ps 9:28). And elsewhere: "And the greater part of them is toil and sickness" (Ps 89:10).
If someone wonders why Christians were such in the beginning, and now are no longer so, let him know that the cause was affliction, the teacher of the love of wisdom and mother of piety. When there was distribution of property, there was no wickedness.
Yes, you will say, but that is precisely what I ask. Why is there such wickedness now? Why did those three and five thousand suddenly resolve to choose virtue, so that all became lovers of wisdom, while now scarcely one is found?
Why were they then so united? What made them zealous and stirred them up? What unexpectedly kindled them? It was because they approached with great reverence. It was because there were no honors then, as there are now. It was because they had moved their mind into the future and expected nothing present.
It belongs to an inflamed soul to live amid afflictions. They considered this to be Christianity, but we do not. We now seek a comfortable life here. Therefore we shall not attain their virtues, though we ought to.
"What shall we do?" they asked, considering themselves in a desperate state. But you, on the contrary, say, what shall we do, boasting before those present and thinking highly of yourselves?
They did what ought to be done, but we do the opposite. They accused themselves and despaired of their salvation. Therefore they became such as they were. They understood how great a gift they had received.
How, then, will you become such, when you do everything differently from them, and in the opposite way? As soon as they heard, they were immediately baptized. They did not say the cold words that we now say, nor did they think of delay.
They had not yet heard all the justifications, but only this: "Save yourselves from this generation." They did not delay on this account, but received these words. What they received they proved by deeds and showed what they were.
As soon as they entered the contest, they immediately stripped off their garments. But when we enter, we want to wrestle in our garments. Therefore our adversary has no need of labors, and we, entangled in our own garments, often fall.
We act as if someone saw a real wrestler, dusty, darkened, naked, covered with grime from dust and sun, anointed with oil and then with mud, and then went out to contend with him. Meanwhile, he himself gives off the scent of perfumes, wears silk garments, golden shoes, a robe falling to the feet, and golden ornaments on his head.
Such a man will not only hinder himself. By turning all his concern to not soiling or tearing his clothes, he will at once fall at the first assault. What he feared, he will immediately suffer, being struck in the vital parts.
The time of contest has come, and you dress in silk garments? It is the time of training, the time of struggle, and you adorn yourself as for a festival? How, then, will you remain victor?
Do not look at outward things, but at inward things. By concerns for outward things, as by heavy bonds, the soul is bound on every side. Then we can neither raise our hands nor rush upon the enemy, but become weak and effeminate.
It would be good if, even freed from all these things, we could defeat that unclean power. Therefore Christ, since it is not enough merely to reject possessions, see what He says: "Go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and come, follow Me" (Mk 10:21).
If even when we leave possessions we are still not safe, but need another kind of training and sleepless labors, then all the more, while possessing them, we shall do nothing great. We shall be laughed at both by the spectators and by the spirit of wickedness himself.
For even if there were no devil, even if no one warred against us, countless paths from every side would still lead the lover of money into Gehenna.
Where now are those who say, why was the devil created? Here the devil does nothing, but we do everything. Let those who live in the mountains say this, if they must. They, by chastity, contempt for wealth, and disregard of other goods, would resolve thousands of times to leave father, house, fields, wife, and children.
But they above all do not say this. Those say it who should never say it. There, truly, there is warfare with the devil. Here he need not even be introduced.
But this love of money, you say, is suggested by the devil. Then flee from him and do not receive it, O man. If you see someone throwing filth from behind a fence, and another, seeing that he is being drenched, stands and receives it all upon his head, you will not merely fail to pity him. You will even be indignant at him and say that he suffers justly.
Everyone will say to him, do not be senseless. They will not blame the one who throws as much as the one who receives. Meanwhile, you know that love of money is from the devil. You know that it is the cause of countless evils.
You see that the devil throws unclean and shameful thoughts like filth. Yet, receiving his filth with uncovered head, you do not think of it, though you ought to step aside a little and be free of all this.
As that man, if he stepped aside, would be delivered from the filth, so you must not receive such thoughts. Flee sin and reject desire.
And how, you will say, shall I reject it? If you were a pagan and valued only the present, perhaps this would be very difficult, though even pagans have done it. But you are a man who awaits heaven and the things in heaven, and you say, how shall I reject it?
If I were saying the opposite, then you ought to be perplexed. If I were saying, desire money, you could say, how can I desire money when I see such blessings?
Tell me, if gold and precious stones lay before you, and I said to you, desire tin, would that not be perplexing? You would certainly say, how can I desire this? But if I said, do not desire it, this would be easier.
I do not marvel at those who despise money, but at those who do not despise it. This is the sign of a soul filled with extreme laziness, a soul no different from flies and mosquitoes. It is attached to the earth, wallows in the mud, and imagines nothing great.
What are you saying? You wish to inherit eternal life, and you say, how shall I despise present things for its sake? Can these things even be compared?
You wish to receive a royal garment, and you say, how shall I despise rags? You expect to be led into the king's house, and you say, how shall I despise this poor hut?
Truly, we are to blame for everything, because we do not wish to rouse ourselves even a little. All who wished to do so acted as they should, and did this with great zeal and ease.
May God grant that you also, obeying our exhortation, be corrected and become zealous imitators of those who lived virtuously, by the grace and love for mankind of His Only-begotten Son. With Him, to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, dominion, and honor, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.