THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
Why this delay? “Until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” But perhaps someone will say: why did He not subject them at once? Because of the faithful who were to be born and reborn.
And how is it clear that they will be subjected? From the fact that He “sat down.” Here the apostle again recalls the testimony which says: “Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” His enemies are the Jews.
Then, after saying, “Until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet,” and these enemies were strongly resisting, he states all that follows concerning faith. Who are His enemies, if not all unbelievers, and also the demons? Indeed, not the Jews alone.
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To express the highest degree of their subjection, he did not say, “they will be subjected,” but “they will be made” beneath His feet. Let us not be among His enemies. His enemies are not only those people, unbelievers and Jews, but also those whose life is filled with uncleanness.
“The mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can it be” (Rom 8:7). What then, you will say, is this not a reproach? It is a reproach, and a severe one.
An evil man, while he remains evil, cannot be subject. But he can repent and become good. Let us then cast away fleshly thoughts. And what thoughts are fleshly? Those that fatten and delight the body, but harm the soul: wealth, luxury, glory, fleshly love, and all such things.
All these belong to the flesh. Let us therefore not love the increase of wealth, but always seek poverty. It is a great good. But you will say, it makes a man despised and miserable. This is precisely what we need, because it brings us great benefit.
“Poverty,” says the Wise One, “humbles a man” (Prov 10:4). Christ also says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Mt 5:3). Are you grieved because you stand on the path that leads to virtue? Do you not know that poverty grants us great boldness?
But you will say, “The wisdom of a poor man is despised” (Eccl 9:16). Elsewhere it is said, “Give me neither poverty nor riches” (Prov 30:8). And again: Deliver me from “the furnace of affliction” (Isa 48:10).
Can poverty or wealth be evil, if “poverty and wealth are from the Lord” (Sir 11:14)? Why then was this said? It was said in the Old Covenant, when wealth was considered very important and poverty was despised. One was a curse, and the other a blessing.
But now it is not so. Do you wish to hear the praise of poverty? Christ endured it: “The Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Mt 8:20). He also said to His disciples, “Take no gold, nor silver, nor copper in your belts” (Mt 10:9).
And Paul says in the epistle: “We have nothing, and yet possess all things” (2 Cor 6:10). Peter said to the man lame from birth, “Silver and gold I do not have” (Acts 3:6). Even in the Old Covenant, when wealth was admired, who, tell me, were the wondrous men?
Was it not Elijah, who had nothing but a cloak? Was it not Elisha? Was it not John? Therefore no one should be considered low because of poverty. Poverty does not abase a man, but wealth does. Wealth makes one need many things and impels him to please many people.
Tell me, who was poorer than Jacob, who said, “If God will be with me, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear” (Gen 28:20)? Did not Elijah and John, and those like them, have boldness? Did not one rebuke Ahab, and the other Herod?
John said, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife” (Mk 6:18). Elijah said to Ahab with boldness, “I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have” (1 Kgs 18:18). Do you see what boldness poverty gives?
The rich man is a slave. He is subject to losses and gives anyone who wishes the opportunity to harm him. But the man who has nothing fears no loss of property, whether by public auction or by judicial sentence.
If poverty deprived men of boldness, Christ would not have commanded poverty to His disciples when sending them to a work that required great boldness. The poor man is very strong. He has nowhere from which to receive injury or suffer harm.
The rich man is open to attacks from every side. The same happens to him as to someone dragging many long ropes behind him. Anyone can easily catch him. But a naked man is not easily caught.
So it is with the rich man. Servants, gold, fields, countless affairs, thousands of cares, circumstances, and needs make him easy for everyone to seize. Therefore let no one consider poverty a cause of dishonor.
Before virtue, all the wealth of the universe is worse than mud and less than a straw. Let us strive for virtue, if we wish to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. “Sell,” the Lord said, “what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Mt 19:21).
And again: “It is hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 19:23). Do you see that poverty must even be sought if one does not have it? Such a good it is. It is a guide on the path leading to heaven.
It is an anointing for combat, a great and wondrous school, and a safe harbor. But you will say, I need many things and do not want to receive alms from anyone. In this respect the rich man is lower than you.
You perhaps ask alms for food, but he shamelessly asks for countless things because of greed. The rich need many things. Why do I say many? Often they even need people unworthy of them. For example, they often need soldiers and slaves.
But the poor man does not need even the king himself. If he does need something, people admire him because he has placed himself in such a condition, though he could have been rich. Therefore let no one blame poverty as though it were the cause of countless evils.
Let no one contradict Christ, who called poverty the perfection of virtue when He said, “If you wish to be perfect” (Mt 19:21). He expressed this in words, showed it by deeds, and taught it through His disciples.
Let us therefore seek poverty. It is the greatest good for those who are attentive. Perhaps some of the listeners are prejudiced against this. I readily believe it. This disease is so strong in many people, and the power of wealth is so great.
Many cannot endure renunciation of it even in words, but approach it with a prejudiced mind. Let such a thought be removed from a Christian soul. There is no one richer than the man who has chosen poverty voluntarily and gladly.
Is it so? I affirm it. If you wish, I will explain that one who voluntarily chooses poverty is richer than the king himself. The king needs many things, and he is anxious and afraid lest there be a shortage for maintaining the army.
But the poor man has everything in abundance and fears nothing. If he does fear, it is not to the same degree. Tell me, who is rich? Is it the one who worries every day and strives to gather as much as possible, fearing that he may lack something?
Or is it the one who gathers nothing, lives in perfect contentment, and needs nothing? Virtue and the fear of God, not money, give boldness. Money leads even to slavery. “Feasts and gifts,” says the Wise One, “blind the eyes of the wise and, like a muzzle on the mouth, turn away reproofs” (Sir 20:29).
See how Peter, a poor man, punished the rich Ananias. Was not Ananias rich, and Peter poor? Yet see with what authority Peter addresses him and says, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And Ananias answers timidly, “Yes, for so much” (Acts 5:8).
But can I, you will say, be Peter? You too can be Peter, if you wish to cast away what you have. Distribute it, give it to the poor, follow Christ, and you will be the same. How, you will say, since he worked miracles?
Tell me, was it this that made Peter wondrous, or the boldness acquired through his life? Do you not hear what Christ says: “Do not rejoice that the spirits are subject to you” (Lk 10:20)? And again: “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Mt 19:20-21).
Listen also to what Peter says: “Silver and gold I do not have; but what I have, I give you” (Acts 3:6). Therefore he who has gold and silver does not have this. Why then, you will say, do many have neither the one nor the other?
Because they are not poor voluntarily. But those who choose poverty voluntarily have all good things. If they do not raise the dead or heal the lame, they have the good that is greater than all. They have boldness before God.
On the coming day they will hear the blessed words: “Come, blessed of My Father.” What is better than this? “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 welcomed Me. I was naked, and you clothed Me. I was sick, and you visited Me. I was in prison, and you came to Me” (Mt 25:34-36). Let us then flee covetousness, that we may receive the Kingdom of Heaven.
Let us feed the poor, that we may feed Christ, and become His fellow heirs, in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, and honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.