What excuse shall we have then, when feeding on such food, we commit such sins? when eating a lamb, we become wolves? when feeding on a sheep, we spoil by violence like the lions?
For this mystery He directs to be always clear, not from violence only, but even from bare enmity. Yea, for this mystery is a mystery of peace; it allows us not to cling to wealth. For if He spared not Himself for us, what must we deserve, sparing our wealth, and being lavish of a soul, in behalf of which He spared not Himself?
Now upon the Jews God every year bound in their feasts a memorial of His peculiar favors to them: but for thee, every day, as I may say, through these mysteries.
Be not therefore ashamed of the cross: for these are our venerable things, these our mysteries; with this gift do we adorn ourselves, with this we are beautified.
And if I say, He stretched out the heaven, He spread out the earth and the sea, He sent prophets and angels, I say nothing in comparison. For the sum of His benefits is this, that "He spared not His own Son," [1968] in order to save His alienated servants.
4. Let no Judas then approach this table, no Simon; nay, for both these perished through covetousness. Let us flee then from this gulf; neither let us account it enough for our salvation, if after we have stripped widows and orphans, we offer for this table a gold and jewelled cup. Nay, if thou desire to honor the sacrifice, offer thy soul, for which also it was slain; cause that to become golden; but if that remain worse than lead or potter's clay, while the vessel is of gold, what is the profit?
Let not this therefore be our aim, to offer golden vessels only, but to do so from honest earnings likewise. For these are of the sort that is more precious even than gold, these that are without injuriousness. For the church is not a gold foundry nor a workshop for silver, but an assembly of angels. Wherefore it is souls which we require, since in fact God accepts these for the souls' sake.
That table at that time was not of silver nor that cup of gold, out of which Christ gave His disciples His own blood; but precious was everything there, and awful, for that they were full of the Spirit.
Wouldest thou do honor to Christ's body? Neglect Him not when naked; do not while here thou honorest Him with silken garments, neglect Him perishing without of cold and nakedness. For He that said, "This is my body," and by His word confirmed the fact, "This same said, "Ye saw me an hungered, and fed me not;" and, "Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me." [1970] For This indeed needs not coverings, but a pure soul; but that requires much attention.
Let us learn therefore to be strict in life, and to honor Christ as He Himself desires. For to Him who is honored that honor is most pleasing, which it is His own will to have, not that which we account best. Since Peter too thought to honor Him by forbidding Him to wash his feet, but his doing so was not an honor, but the contrary.
Even so do thou honor Him with this honor, which He ordained, spending thy wealth on poor people. Since God hath no need at all of golden vessels, but of golden souls.
And these things I say, not forbidding such offerings to be provided; but requiring you, together with them, and before them, to give alms. For He accepts indeed the former, but much more the latter. For in the one the offerer alone is profited, but in the other the receiver also. Here the act seems to be a ground even of ostentation; but there all is mercifulness, and love to man.
For what is the profit, when His table indeed is full of golden cups, but He perishes with hunger? First fill Him, being an hungered, and then abundantly deck out His table also. Dost thou make Him a cup of gold, while thou givest Him not a cup of cold water? And what is the profit? Dost thou furnish His table with cloths bespangled with gold, while to Himself thou affordest not even the necessary covering? And what good comes of it? For tell me, should you see one at a loss for necessary food, and omit appeasing his hunger, while you first overlaid his table with silver; would he indeed thank thee, and not rather be indignant? What, again, if seeing one wrapped in rags, and stiff with cold, thou shouldest neglect giving him a garment, and build golden columns, saying, "thou wert doing it to his honor," would he not say that thou wert mocking, and account it an insult, and that the most extreme?
Let this then be thy thought with regard to Christ also, when He is going about a wanderer, and a stranger, needing a roof to cover Him; and thou, neglecting to receive Him, deckest out a pavement, and walls, and capitals of columns, and hangest up silver chains by means of lamps, [1971] but Himself bound in prison thou wilt not even look upon.
5. And these things I say, not forbidding munificence in these matters, but admonishing you to do those other works together with these, or rather even before these. Because for not having done these no one was ever blamed, but for those, hell is threatened, and unquenchable fire, and the punishment with evil spirits. Do not therefore while adorning His house overlook thy brother in distress, for he is more properly a temple than the other.
And whereas these thy stores will be subject to alienations both by unbelieving kings, and tyrants, and robbers; whatever thou mayest do for thy brother, being hungry, and a stranger, and naked, not even the devil will be able to despoil, but it will be laid up in an inviolable treasure.
Why then doth He Himself say, "The poor always ye have with you, but me ye have not always?" [1972] Why, for this reason most of all should we give alms, that we have Him not always an hungered, but in the present life only. But if thou art desirous to learn also the whole meaning of the saying, understand that this was said not with a view to His disciples, although it seem so, but to the woman's weakness. That is, her disposition being still rather imperfect, and they doubting about her; to revive her He said these things. For in proof that for her comfort He said it, He added, "Why trouble ye the woman?" [1973] And with regard to our having Him really always with us, He saith, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." [1974] From all which it is evident, that for no other object was this said, but that the rebuke of the disciples might not wither the faith of the woman, just then budding.
Let us not then bring forward these things now, which were uttered because of some economy, but let us read all the laws, those in the New and those in the Old Testament, that are set down about almsgiving, and let us be very earnest about this matter. For this cleanses from sin. For "give alms, and all things will be clean unto you." [1975] This is a greater thing than sacrifice. "For I will have mercy, and not sacrifice." [1976] This opens the heavens. For "thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God." [1977] This is more indispensable than virginity: for thus were those virgins cast out of the bridechamber; thus were the others brought in.
All which things let us consider, and sow liberally, that we may reap in more ample abundance, and attain unto the good things to come, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
[1952] [R.V., "distressed by the waves."]
[1953] Matt. xiv. 25.
[1954] Matt. xiv. 26. [R.V., "It is an apparition," but Chrysostom has the indirect form, "saying that it is an apparition." The Greek term is phntasma, not pnema.--R.]
[1955] Matt. xiv. 27.
[1956] Matt. xiv. 28.
[1957] John xxi. 7.
[1958] [So R.V. margin. The rec. text has elthen.--R.]
[1959] [R.V. text, with a few of the oldest authorities, omits "boisterous," isChurn, which Chrysostom accepts.--R.]
[1960] Matt. xiv. 29-31.
[1961] John vi. 21. [R.V., "They were willing to receive him into the boat: and straightway the boat was at the land whither they were going."]
[1962] Compare Acts iv. 13.
[1963] Matt. xiv. 32.
[1964] Matt. viii. 27.
[1965] Matt. xiv. 33.
[1966] Matt. xiv. 34-36. [In verse 34, R.V., following a different reading, as: "to the land, unto Gennesaret." In verse 36, Chrysostom omits "only," and reads esthesan for diesthesan .--R.]
[1967] Matt. xxiii. 9.
[1968] Rom. viii. 32.
[1969] Comp. Eph. v. 18.
[1970] Matt. xxv. 42, 45.
[1971] St. Jerome (ad Eustoch. Ep. 108 sec. 30) says, "Let others boast of their money, and coin cast into the treasury of God, Funalibusque aureis dona pendentia, and of their gifts hanging upon golden sconces,' or perhaps brackets for lamps, on which the Anathemata, or votive offerings, were suspended." See Bingh. 8, 8, 1.
[1972] Matt. xxvi. 11; John xii. 8.
[1973] Matt. xxvi. 10.
[1974] Matt. xxviii. 20.
[1975] Luke xi. 41.
[1976] Hosea vi. 6; Matt. ix. 18.
[1977] Acts x. 4.