THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
"That you may not become sluggish" means only this: "that you may not be." Yet above he said, "you have become dull of hearing" (Heb 5:11). But notice that there he indicated only dullness in hearing. Here, though he uses a similar expression, he hints at something else. Instead of saying, "Do not remain lazy," he said, "that you may not become sluggish."
Again he moves their guilt into the future, saying, "that you may not become sluggish." Since the future does not yet exist, we cannot be guilty of it. One who is presently lazy, and is urged to be diligent now, may become still lazier. But this does not happen with one who is urged concerning the future.
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"That you may not become sluggish," he says. As inactivity harms the body, so lack of exercise in good makes the soul careless and weak.
"But imitate those who through faith and longsuffering inherit the promises." Who these heirs are, he explains further on. First he said, "Imitate your former good works." Then, lest they ask, "Which works?" he points to the forefather Abraham. He sets before them examples of good works in their own deeds, and as proof that they have not been forgotten, he gives the example of the forefather.
He does this so that they may not say they have been forgotten and abandoned as unworthy. Rather, they should know that to live amid temptations is the lot of especially valiant men. God always dealt in this way with wondrous and great men.
One must, he says, bear everything with longsuffering, because this is what it means to believe. If I said, "Here, I give this to you," and you immediately received it, what need would there be for faith? There would be no room for your faith. I would forestall it by giving according to the promise.
But if I say, "Here, I give this to you, but I will give it after a hundred years," and you do not despair, then you count me worthy of trust. You have the proper opinion of me. Do you see that unbelief often comes not only from hopelessness, but also from faintheartedness and impatience? It does not depend on the one who promised.
"For God is not unjust," he says, "to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in ministering to the saints, and continuing to minister." He gives great testimony about them. He points not only to their works, but to zealous works. So also he says elsewhere, "and not only as we had hoped, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and then to us" (2 Cor 8:5).
"Which you have shown toward His name, in ministering to the saints, and continuing to minister." See how he again comforts them by adding, "in ministering and continuing to minister." You still minister even now, he says. He encourages them and teaches that they did this not for men, but for God.
He says, "you have shown," not simply to the saints, but to God. This is what the words "toward His name" mean. It is as though he says: you did everything in His name. Therefore He who received such zeal and love from you will never despise you or forget you.
Hearing this, let us minister to the saints, I exhort you. Every believer is holy by the very fact that he believes. Even if he is a layman, he is holy. "For," says the Apostle, "the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the believing husband" (1 Cor 7:14). You see: faith brings sanctification.
If we see even a layman in distress, let us give him a helping hand. We must not care only for those who live in the mountains. They are, of course, holy both by life and by faith. Yet laypeople too are holy by faith, and many of them also by life.
Let us not act so that, when we see a monk in prison, we go to him, but when we see a layman, we do not go. The latter also is holy, and he also is our brother. But what, you say, if he is impure and corrupt? Listen to what Christ says: "Judge not, that you be not judged" (Mt 7:1). Do your work for God.
But what am I saying? Even if we see a pagan in misfortune, we must do good to him. In general, we must do good to every person in distress, and all the more to a believing layman. Listen to what Paul commands: "Let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith" (Gal 6:10).
I do not understand where the contrary opinion came from, or how the contrary custom gained strength among us. A man searches only for monks, and wants to do good to them alone. Even among them he makes distinctions and says, "If he is not worthy, if he is not righteous, if he does not work signs, I will not give him a helping hand." Such a man takes away the chief part of almsgiving, and in time he will destroy all the rest as well.
True almsgiving occurs precisely when it is shown to sinners or to the guilty. Mercy consists in showing mercy not to those who are sound, but to those who have sinned.
To convince you of this, listen to what Christ says in the following parable. "A certain man," He says, "went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves." They beat him and left him half dead on the road. By chance a Levite was going that way. Seeing him, he passed by. A certain priest did the same and passed by.
After them came a Samaritan, and he showed him great compassion. He bound up his wounds, poured oil on them, set him on his beast, brought him to an inn, and said to the innkeeper, "Take care of him." And notice the great love: "Whatever more you spend, I will repay you."
Then Christ asked, "Which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?" When the lawyer answered, "He who showed mercy on him," He said, "Go, and do likewise" (Lk 10:30-37).
Notice this parable spoken by the Lord. He did not say that a Jew showed mercy to a Samaritan, but that a Samaritan showed such mercy. From this we learn that we must care for all equally. We must not do good only to those of the household of faith and give no thought to others.
So you also, when you see someone suffering, ask nothing about him. He has a right to help simply because he suffers. If you help a donkey when you see it dying, and do not ask whose it is, much less should you ask this about a man. He belongs to God, even if he is a pagan, even if he is a Jew. Though he is an unbeliever, he needs help.
If you were permitted to investigate and judge, you might say this. But now his very misfortune does not allow you to investigate. If we must not judge the healthy or examine other people's affairs, much less may we do so with those who suffer.
Otherwise, what follows? Did you see him happy and prospering, so that you say he is evil and corrupt? He is suffering. If you see him suffering, do not say that he is corrupt. When we see a man prospering, perhaps we might say this about him. But when we see a man suffering and needing help, we should not say that he is corrupt. That is a sign of cruelty, inhumanity, and arrogance.
Tell me, who was more lawless than the Jews? God punished them, and punished them justly, very justly. Yet He showed favor to those who had compassion on them, and punished those who rejoiced over their misfortune. "You are not grieved," says the prophet, "over the affliction of Joseph" (Am 6:6).
In another place it is said: "Rescue those who are being led away to death" (Prov 24:11). It does not say, "Investigate and find out who they are." Those being led to death are usually corrupt. It simply says, "Rescue," whoever they may be. This is especially what mercy is.
One who benefits a friend certainly does not do so for God. But one who benefits a stranger does it solely for God. The Wise One says, "Do not spare" money. Even if you must spend everything, give it. Yet when we see men wasting away, tormented, and enduring sufferings harsher than a thousand deaths, often unjustly, we spare money and do not spare the brethren. We preserve what has no soul and do not think of the soul.
Meanwhile Paul commands us to "correct opponents with meekness, in case God may grant them repentance to the knowledge of the truth, and they may escape from the snare of the devil, who has taken them captive to his will" (2 Tim 2:25-26). "In case," he says. Do you see how full of longsuffering his words are?
Let us also imitate him and consider no one hopeless. Fishermen cast their nets into the sea and often draw out nothing. Yet after casting one last time, they gain everything. So we too do not despair. We hope that you will suddenly show us ripe fruits.
The farmer also, after sowing seed, waits one day and another, and waits a long time. Then suddenly he sees the fruits sprouted everywhere. We hope this will be so with you also, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ. With Him, to the Father and the Holy Spirit belong glory, dominion, and honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.