THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
For this reason, the Lord states: If you repent, I will lift you up, and you will stand in My presence. This means you should focus on Me rather than the judgments of men: If you turn, I will elevate you, and you shall be before Me. Since he distanced himself from prophecy, assuming the matter was settled, he ought to declare, ‘Change your resolution and see if you turn; prioritize what pertains specifically to being a prophet. There is still hope for some to be saved. Do not interpret My words as hopeless. I speak to instill a sense of reverence. There are cherished souls. If you repent, I will lift you up, and for them, says He, you shall stand before My face. This is not a minor dignity, but one of celestial honor. My presence promises both honor and safety.
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If you distinguish the honorable from the unworthy, you shall be My voice. What virtue can surpass this? Contrast it with anything else. Do not focus on those who take away; rather, if they do not take away, they have accomplished their task. If, through patient encouragement, someone is transformed, he imitates Me, striving to lead humanity toward righteousness. These individuals will turn to you, but you shall not be swayed by them. The declaration of honor would have been unnecessary if you did not ensure safety here; in other words, they will approach you, but you must not give way to them; they will seek you, they will call upon you. Thus, remain steadfast in godliness, aiming to transform them positively without changing yourself due to neglect of your own disposition.
When we serve such a Lord—so fully human, so benevolent, and so compassionate—let us tend to our own salvation and that of our neighbors. Our own salvation is furthered when we aid others and guide them toward truth. To appreciate how significant it is to help another while securing your own salvation, heed the prophet’s words on behalf of God: ‘If you take away the honest things from the unworthy, you shall be as My mouth’ (Jeremiah 15:19). What does this imply? He who guides his neighbor from falsehood to truth or from wickedness to righteousness is, according to the Lord, as closely resembling Me as is humanly possible. The Lord, in His divine nature, took on human flesh solely for the purpose of redeeming humanity. Consider how He embraced our humanity, experiencing the trials of life, even bearing the cross, to liberate us from the chains of sin and the ensuing curse. This is the cry of Paul when he proclaims, ‘Christ hath redeemed us from the lawful oath, being made an oath for us’ (Galatians 3:13). Therefore, if He, the incomprehensible God, accepted all of this for our salvation, what should we not undertake for our brothers and fellow believers to rescue them from the clutches of evil and guide them toward virtue? Just as the soul holds greater value than the body, those who diligently lead the negligent and misguided toward the righteous path through encouragement and instruction will receive higher rewards than those who simply provide for the poor, illuminating the ugliness of vice against the splendor of divine virtue.
And when you encounter someone suffering in body or soul, do not think, ‘Why didn’t someone else help him?’ Rather, relieve the afflicted and refrain from blaming others for their negligence. If you found gold lying around, would you say to yourself, ‘Why didn’t that person pick it up?’ Instead, wouldn’t you rush to seize it before anyone else? Consider the plight of your fallen brethren and view your care for them as a hidden treasure. For if you offer a word of wisdom like a soothing balm to a fallen person, if you comfort him with gentleness, if you restore him with patience, he will enrich you more than any material treasure. ‘If you bring forth,’ says the Lord, ‘the honest things from the unworthy, you will be as My mouth.’ What can surpass this? What fasting, prostration, night vigil, or any other act can equal the salvation of a brother? Reflect on how often your mouth has erred, how many shameful words have been uttered, how much blasphemy and cursing have been spoken; through your care for the fallen, you can redeem all of this. And what do I mean by redeem? Your mouth will become the mouth of God. What greater honor can there be? It is not just a promise from me; God Himself has declared that if you help another, your mouth shall be as His mouth, pure and sanctified. Let us therefore refrain from boasting about our brethren, and instead of lamenting over how many have fasted or how many have fallen, let us commit ourselves to their care.