THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
Of what throne of grace does he speak? Of the royal throne, of which it is said: "The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies the footstool of Your feet" (Ps 109:1). It is as though he says: let us approach with confidence, because we have a sinless High Priest who conquers the universe. "Take courage," He said, "I have overcome the world" (Jn 16:33). This means to endure everything and be pure from sins.
But you will say, if we are under sin and He is sinless, how shall we approach Him with confidence? Because His throne is now a throne of grace, not of judgment. Therefore let us approach with confidence, that we may receive the mercy we desire. What we desire is precisely His mercy and royal gift.
"And find grace for timely help." He said well, "for timely help." If you approach now, he says, you will receive both grace and mercy, because you approach at the right time. But if you approach then, you will no longer receive, because then it will be untimely to approach. Then His throne will no longer be a throne of grace.
The throne of grace exists so long as the King who gives grace sits upon it. When the end comes, He will rise for judgment, for it is said: "Arise, O God, judge the earth" (Ps 81:8).
One may also say something else here. "Let us approach," he says, "with confidence," that is, having nothing evil on our conscience and not giving ourselves over to doubt. For such a doubting man cannot approach with confidence. Therefore it is said elsewhere: "In an acceptable time I heard You, and in the day of salvation I helped You" (Isa 49:8).
Even now, the forgiveness received through repentance by those who sin after the washing is a work of grace. And so that, on hearing that He is High Priest, you should not think that He stands before God, the Apostle here presents Him as sitting on the throne. A priest, meanwhile, does not sit, but stands.
Do you see that His high priesthood is not a consequence of His essence, but of grace, condescension, and self-emptying? It is timely for us also to say this now: let us approach and ask with confidence. Let us only bring faith, and He will give us everything.
Now is the time of the gift. Let no one despair. The time for despair will come when the bridal chamber is shut, when the King enters to see those reclining at table, and when the bosom of the patriarch receives those who will be worthy. But now this has not yet come, because the contests are not yet finished. The struggle still continues. The prize still lies ahead.
Let us hasten, then. Paul also says: "Therefore I run, not as uncertainly" (1 Cor 9:26). We must run, and run without slackening. The runner looks at nothing, whether he meets meadows or barren places.
The runner pays no attention to spectators, but to the prize. Whether they are rich or poor, whether someone laughs or praises, reviles or throws stones, plunders his house, whether he sees children, wife, or anything whatever, he never turns back. He cares for one thing only, to run and receive the prize.
The runner stops nowhere, because if he shows even a little negligence, he loses everything. The runner not only does not slacken before the end of the race, but then strives to run with special strength.
I have said this against those who say: "In youth we contended. In youth we fasted. Now we have grown old." Now especially it is necessary to increase piety. Do not count off to me your old contests. Now especially be young and flourishing.
One who engages in bodily contests truly cannot run as before when he reaches gray hair, because his whole contest was bodily. But why do you lessen your contests? Here a soul is needed, an alert soul. And the soul is strengthened in old age. Then it blooms more, then it is lifted higher.
When the body is seized by fever and other illnesses, even if it is strong, it is exhausted. But when it is freed from this calamity, it again regains its strength. So also the soul in youth is seized by fever. Then especially it is possessed by love of glory, gluttony, sensual pleasures, and many other enticements.
When old age comes upon it, all these passions are driven away, some by time and others by philosophy. Old age, by weakening the body's powers, prevents the soul of the aged from giving itself to passions, even if it wishes. It tames them like enemies, places the soul in a place free from waves, produces great stillness in it, and instills great fear.
For if no one else, at least the aged know that they will die, and in every way they stand near death. Thus, when worldly desires arise on one side and the expectation of the judgment seat appears on the other, taming the soul's disobedience, the soul becomes more attentive, if it wishes.
But do we not see, you say, old men who are worse than young men? You are pointing out to me extreme wickedness. We also see madmen throw themselves into abysses without any push from another. Extreme wickedness is precisely this: when an old man suffers the diseases of youth. He no longer has youth as an excuse. He cannot say, "Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions" (Ps 24:7).
By remaining wicked in old age, he shows that in youth he was such not through ignorance, inexperience, or age, but through negligence. Only he can say, "Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions," who behaves as befits an elder and has corrected himself in old age.
But if a man behaves disorderly in old age as before, can such a man even be called an elder, when he does not honor even his age? He who says, "Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions," says this as one living rightly in old age. Therefore by the deeds of old age do not deprive yourself of forgiveness even for the sins of youth.
Indeed, is it not absurd, and does it not pass beyond the bounds of forgiveness, when an old man gets drunk while sitting in taverns? An old man hurries to the horse races. An old man comes to spectacles, running with the crowd like a child.
It is truly shameful and ridiculous to be outwardly adorned with gray hair, yet inwardly to have the mind of a child. If some young man insults him, he immediately points to his gray hair. Be ashamed of it first yourself. If you are not ashamed of your gray hair, though you are an old man, how do you demand that a young man be ashamed before your gray hair?
You do not honor your gray hair, but disgrace it. God honored you with gray hair and granted you a great distinction. Why then do you surrender your own honor? How will the young man honor you, when you give yourself to pleasure more than he does?
Gray hair is honorable when the one adorned with it acts as befits gray hair. But when he behaves disorderly like the young, he becomes more ridiculous than the young. How can you, elders, exhort young men when you yourselves get drunk to the point of disorder?
I say this not to reproach elders, may it not be, but to correct the young. For those who act this way seem to me to be young men, even if they have entered their hundredth year. Likewise, young men, even if they are children in age, are far better than elders if they conduct themselves chastely.
These are not my words. Scripture makes such a distinction between them: "For honorable old age is not that which stands in length of time, nor is it measured by number of years" (Wis 4:8-9).
We honor gray hair not because we prefer white color to black, but because it is a sign of a virtuous life. Looking at it, we infer from it the inner grayness of wisdom. Therefore those who do deeds unworthy of gray hair become still more ridiculous.
We honor a king, and his purple robe and diadem, because they are signs of authority. But if we see him together with the purple robe being dishonored, insulted by guards, oppressed, cast into prison, and torn apart, tell me, shall we honor his purple robe and diadem? Shall we not rather lament his very adornment?
So do not demand honor for yourself because of gray hair, when you yourself expose it to dishonor. It too can demand an account from you, because you disgrace so bright and venerable an adornment.
We do not say this of all, and we do not simply direct our discourse against old age. I have not forgotten myself to such a degree. We speak against youthful souls that disgrace old age. We say this with grief not about elders, but about those who dishonor their gray hair.
An elder is a king, if he wishes to be one, and even more a king than the man clothed in purple, if he commands the passions and brings them down into the rank of guards. But if he is carried away and cast down from the throne, if he becomes the slave of covetousness, vainglory, finery, gluttony, drunkenness, anger, and sensual pleasure, if he anoints his hair with oil and openly dishonors his age by his whims, what punishment is such an elder not worthy of?
Yet do not be like this, you young men either. It is not pardonable for you when you sin. Why? Just as an elder can appear in youth, and those in old age can be young, so also the reverse is true. Just as there white hair saves no one, so here black hair is no obstacle.
If an elder is dishonored by the deeds I have mentioned, much more is a young man. For a young man, they cannot be excusable. A young man may receive pardon when, called to manage affairs, he proves inexperienced and needs time and experience. But he has no excuse when he must show chastity and courage, or when he must abstain from covetousness.
There are deeds in which a young man is condemned more than an elder. The elder needs greater care for himself, because old age weakens his powers. But the young man has strength, if he wishes, to satisfy his needs properly. Can he receive forgiveness when he does not wish to do this, when he seizes more than an elder, bears grudges, despises others, cares for them less than an elder, speaks much out of season, injures, slanders, and gets drunk?
If he thinks he cannot be condemned for violating chastity, then see here also how many means he has to preserve it, if he wishes. Although desire is stirred in him more strongly than in an elder, there is much that he can do more easily than an elder and so tame this beast. What is this? Labors, reading, all-night vigils, and fasts.
But why, you say, do you say this to us who are not monks? Are you saying this to me? Say it rather to Paul, who says, "Watch" with all perseverance and prayer (Col 4:2), and who says, "Make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its desires" (Rom 13:14). He wrote this not only to monks, but to all who live in cities.
The layman must differ from the monk in nothing except living with a wife. He has permission for this, but not for anything else. In everything he must act in the same way as the monk. And the beatitudes of Christ were not spoken only to monks. Otherwise everything in the world would be lost, and we could accuse God of cruelty.
If the beatitudes were spoken only for monks, and it is impossible for a layman to attain them, while God has permitted marriage, then He Himself has destroyed everyone. If in married life it is impossible to fulfill what belongs to monks, then all has been distorted and lost, and the circle of virtues has become narrow.
How will "marriage be honorable among all" (Heb 13:4), if it serves us as such an obstacle to virtue? What then must be said? It is possible, very possible, for those who have wives to be virtuous, if they wish.
How? If those who have wives are "as though they had none," if they do not "rejoice" in possessions, and if they use the world as though not using it (1 Cor 7:29-31). If some have found marriage an obstacle to virtue, let them know that marriage is not the obstacle, but the will that abuses marriage. Likewise, wine does not produce drunkenness, but an evil will and immoderate use.