THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
Since the Jews were especially troubled that before they had enjoyed privilege over the whole human race, while now, for the sake of faith, they were cast down from their throne and had no advantage over the rest, the Apostle repeatedly points to the prophets.
The prophets foretold to them such equality. "Everyone who believes in Him," it is said, "will not be put to shame." And again: "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
So that there might be no objection, the word everyone is placed in both passages.
There is nothing worse than vainglory. It was precisely this, more than anything else, that destroyed the Jews. Therefore Christ also said to them: "How can you believe, who receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?" (Jn 5:44).
Vainglory brings destruction and also provokes great ridicule. Even before the punishment to come, it brings innumerable miseries here.
If you wish to know this, let us for the moment leave aside heaven, from which vainglory brings us down, and Gehenna, into which it casts us. Let us examine what it produces here.
Indeed, what could be more harmful, shameful, and grievous than vainglory? That this sickness causes losses is proved by useless and vain expenditures on theaters, racecourses, and other equally needless entertainments.
It is also shown in the building of magnificent and splendid houses, and in every other excessive construction, which cannot now even be described.
Everyone knows that a wasteful man, who loves splendor and suffers from the sickness of vainglory, necessarily becomes a robber and a lover of gain. To feed this beast, he lays his hands on the property of others.
And why speak of property? This fire devours not only money, but souls. It prepares not only present death, but future death as well.
Vainglory is the mother of Gehenna. It strongly kindles the fire of Hades and the poisonous worm.
Everyone knows that it extends its power even over the dead. What could be worse than this? All other passions cease with death.
But vainglory continues its action after death. Even over the dead body it strives to display its nature.
When the dying are anxious that magnificent monuments be erected for them, on which all their property must be spent, they try to display extraordinary splendor even in the grave.
When during life they insulted beggars who approached them for a coin or a piece of bread, yet in dying prepare abundant food for the worm, what power could you find more tyrannical than this sickness?
From this same evil unclean love is also born. Many are drawn into adultery not by beauty of face, nor by desire for union, but by the wish to boast: I seduced such a woman and drew her into fornication.
Need I speak of the other vices that grow from this root? I would rather be a slave to many barbarians than to one vainglory.
Barbarians do not command captives to do what vainglory commands its subjects. Be a servant of all, it says, whether they are more noble than you or lower.
Have no care for the soul. Do not attend to virtue. Laugh at freedom. Sacrifice your salvation.
If you do any good, do it not to please God, but for display before men, so that from them you may receive a crown. If you give alms or fast, endure the labor, but take care to destroy the benefit.
What could be more inhuman than such demands? From this arise envy, arrogance, and love of money, the mother of all evils.
Crowds of slaves, barbarians clothed in gold, parasites, flatterers, silver-plated carriages, and many other things even more ridiculous are used not for pleasure or profit, but from vainglory alone.
Yes, you say, everyone knows that this passion is evil. But how we may escape it is what must be said.
First of all, if you fully persuade yourself that this sickness is grave, you will have made the best beginning toward correction. A sick man seeks a physician immediately when he first learns that he is sick.
If you seek another way to escape the evil that comes from it, then look continually upon God and be content with the glory that comes from Him.
If you notice that this passion incites you and urges you to tell your brethren about your merits, first consider that no benefit will come to you from this telling.
Extinguish the absurd passion and say to your soul: For how long did you suffer in order to tell of your merits? You could not keep silence, but announced them to everyone. What benefit came to you from this?
No benefit at all, but great harm to all: the loss of everything you had gathered with great labor.
After this, think also that the verdict and judgment of the people are mistaken and quickly vanish. For an hour they are amazed, and as soon as the time has passed they forget everything.
They have stolen from you the crown given by God, and they have been unable to preserve their own for you. Even if the human crown remained with you, it would be most pitiable to exchange it for God’s crown.
But when even that crown does not remain, what excuse shall we have for giving away the imperishable for the passing, and losing such great blessings for the praises of a few?
Even if many praise you, they all deserve pity, and the more so the greater the number of those who do it.
If you marvel at what has been said, listen to how Christ Himself confirms it: "Woe to you," He says, "when all men speak well of you" (Lk 6:26).
And rightly so. If in every art artists must be chosen as judges, why do you entrust the evaluation of virtue to the crowd, and not to Him Who knows it better than all?
He alone can both approve and crown. Therefore let us write the word of Christ on walls, on doors, and in the heart.
Let us constantly say to ourselves: "Woe to us when all men speak well of us." For those very people who speak well of you later condemn you, calling you vainglorious, ambitious, and attached to human praise.
God does not act this way. When He sees that you love His glory, then especially He will praise you, admire you, and proclaim you.
But a man does not do this. Considering you not free but a slave, and often pleasing you with false praise that consists of empty words, he usually robs you of the true reward.
He subjects you to himself more than a purchased slave. Masters have slaves so that they may obey what is commanded. But you serve even without commands.
You do not even wait to hear anything from them. As soon as you learn how you can please them, you do everything, even though they have not commanded it.
What Gehenna, then, shall we deserve, who delight wicked men and serve them before they command, yet do not listen to God at all, though He commands and exhorts us daily?
If you love glory and praise, flee human praise, and then you will acquire glory. Turn away from human approval, and then you will receive much praise from both God and men.
For we ourselves usually glorify most of all the one who despises glory. We usually praise and admire the one who counts praise and admiration as nothing.
If we act this way, how much more will the God of all? And when God praises and glorifies you, who can be happier than you?
Indeed, as great as the difference is between glory and dishonor, so great is the difference between heavenly and human glory. Better to say, it is much greater, even infinite.
If human glory is incomparable with anything, shameful and ugly, then consider how vile it will appear when we compare it with heavenly glory.
As a prostitute standing on a roof gives herself to everyone, so also do the slaves of vainglory. Rather, they are even more vile than prostitutes.
Prostitutes often reject some of those who desire them. But you offer yourself to everyone, to fugitives, robbers, and frauds.
By means of such and similar persons you arrange spectacles that provoke praise. Those very people, each one of whom, in your own opinion, is worth nothing, you prefer to your own salvation when they are gathered together.
By this you show that you are more dishonorable than each of them. How are you not more dishonorable, since you need their praises and are not content with yourself unless you acquire glory from others?
Besides all this, tell me: do you not understand that, being famous and known to all, you have countless accusers if you sin? But if you remain unknown, you will be safe.
Yes, you say, but countless people also admire my merits. But this is the misfortune: the sickness of vainglory harms you not only when you sin, but also when you show merits.
In the one case it subjects you to countless reproaches. In the other it deprives you of the whole reward.
It is destructive and full of every dishonor to love glory in civic affairs. But when the same passion possesses you in spiritual matters, what excuse remains for you?
You are unwilling to render God the same honor that you yourself demand from your household. A slave watches his master’s eyes.
A hired worker pays attention to the employer who must give him his wages. A disciple looks to his teacher.
But with you everything is reversed. Having left God and Master, Who hired you, you look to your brethren. Yet you yourself know that God will remember your merits afterward, while man remembers only in the present.
A spectacle has been prepared for you in heaven, but you gather spectators on earth. A wrestler awaits approval in the place where he struggles.
But you, struggling for things above, take care to receive your reward below. What could be worse than such madness?
Let us, if you please, look at the crowns themselves. One consists of arrogance, another of envy toward another, one of mockery and flattery, another of money, and another of servile attendance.
As children at play place garlands of grass on one another and often, after crowning someone without his noticing, laugh at him from behind, so now those who praise you often laugh among themselves.
They have placed grass upon you. And would that it were only grass. But their crown causes us great harm and destroys all our merits.
Therefore, considering its worthlessness, flee the harm. How many people, in your opinion, must praise you? A hundred, or twice as many, three times, four times, even ten times, a hundred times more?
Let there be, if you wish, two, four, or ten thousand applauding. They differ in no way from croaking crows. But if you imagine the spectacle of angels, those applauders will appear more worthless than worms.
Their approval will be weaker than a spiderweb, smoke, and a dream. Listen to Paul, who knew human glory exactly. He not only does not pursue it, but turns away from it, saying: "Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Gal 6:14).
Therefore you too be zealous for this praise, so that you may not anger the Lord. By seeking human praise, you dishonor not only yourself, but also God.
If you were a painter and had a student, you yourself would not calmly endure it if he did not show you the works of his art, but exhibited the painting for simple spectators.
If this is offensive among brethren, it is much more so before the Master. If you wish to know what other motives there are to despise human glory, be filled with lofty thoughts.
Laugh at visible things. Grow in love for true glory. Be filled with spiritual thoughts. Say to your soul what Paul said: "Do you not know that we shall judge angels?" (1 Cor 6:3).
Having stirred it by this, instruct it and say: You who will judge angels, do you wish to be judged by the unclean and praised as dancers, actors, beast-fighters, and riders are praised?
They strive after precisely such praises. But you must strive to be above these shouts. Imitate John, the dweller in the wilderness.
Learn how he despised the multitude of the people. Seeing flatterers, he paid no attention to them.
When all the inhabitants of Palestine gathered around him, admired him, and were astonished, he did not boast of such honor. Instead he rose up against them.
Addressing the numerous people as a child, he struck them with such reproaches: "Serpents, brood of vipers" (Mt 3:7).