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"Now, it happened that in the region of Amarphath king of Sennaar, Arioch king of Alasar, Chodologomor king of Elam, and Tharthak king of the nations made war with the king of the Sodomites."
HE READING [321] OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, dearly beloved, is a great blessing. This it is that arouses the soul to an appreciation of wisdom, this directs the mind to heaven, this brings the man to a thankful attitude, this prevents our getting excited over any earthly reality, this brings our thinking to rest in the world beyond and ourselves to do everything with a view to reward from the Lord and to deal with the trials of virtue with great readiness. From this source, you see, you can gain a precise understanding of the providence of God's prompt retribution, the fortitude of good people, the Lord's goodness and the greatness of his rewards. From this source you can be stirred to ardent imitation of noble men's good sense in not fainting under the struggles of virtue but rather maintaining hope in God's promises before their realization.
(2) Hence, I beseech you, let us practice the reading of the holy Scriptures with great zeal. This, after all, is the way to fortify our knowledge, too, if we are assiduous in applying ourselves to their contents. I mean, it is not possible for the person who is in touch with the divine message in a spirit of zeal and fervent desire ever to suffer neglect; rather, even should a human teacher not come our way, the Lord himself
1. Gen 14.1-2. Commentators generally highlight the unique character of ch. 14 for its digression into world history and its amount of puzzling annalistic detail. Chrysostom has little antiquarian interest, and moves rapidly to Abraham and Melchizedek, so that—unusually—he deals with the whole chapter in one homily. Like his modern counterparts, however, he does feel the need to account for the atypical material.
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would come from on high to enlighten our minds, shed light on our thinking, bring to our attention what had slipped our notice, and act as our instructor in what we have no knowledge of—provided we are prepared to contribute what lies in our power. Scripture says, remember, "Do not call anyone on earth your teacher."? When therefore we take an inspired book in our hands, let us concentrate, collect our thoughts and dispel every worldly thought, and let us in this manner do our reading with great devotion, with great [322] attention so that we may be able to be led by the Holy Spirit towards the understanding of the writings and may gain great benefit from them.
(3) Even that pagan eunuch of the queen of Ethiopia,* remember, despite being in all his glory and riding along in his chariot, did not neglect that opportunity for reading; instead, with the inspired author in his hand he put much effort into reading, even without understanding the contents. Nevertheless, because he brought to bear all that lay within him—his enthusiasm, his earnestness, his attention—he chanced upon a guide. Consider, I ask you, what a great effort it was not to neglect reading even while on a journey, and especially while seated in a chariot. Let this be heeded by those people who don't even deign to do it at home but rather think reading the Scriptures is a waste of time: claiming as an excuse their living with a wife, conscription in military service, caring for children, attending to domestics, and looking after other concerns, they don't think it necessary for them to show any ine terest in reading the holy Scriptures. I mean, look at the case of the eunuch, a pagan to boot, both facts sufficient to induce indifference in him, and as well as that his public image and abundance of wealth, plus the fact that he was on a journey and traveling in a chariot (after all, it's not easy to pay attention to reading when you're traveling like that—quite the contrary, it's extremely difficult). Yet his desire and great enthusiasm made light of all these problems, and so he gave himself
2. Chrysostom's textual variant of Matt 23.8.
3. Cf. Acts 8.26—4o.
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to reading without muttering the words many people mutter these days: I don't understand the contents, I can't grasp the full sense of the words, why should I go to this trouble all to no purpose by reading without having someone capable of guiding me?
(4) None of these considerations counted for anything with that man, barbarian in language though he was, yet sage in his thinking; instead, he judged that, provided he gave evidence of all that lay within his power, he would not be overlooked but would rapidly enjoy grace from on high, and so he gave himself to reading. Hence the loving Lord, seeing his desire, did not ignore him, did not leave him unprovided for, but immediately sent him a mentor. In your case, on the other hand, I ask you, consider God's wisdom in waiting for the man first of all to bring to bear his own resources and only then he demonstrated his characteristic assistance.
Since, therefore, the eunuch had discharged himself of all his capabilities, then the angel of the Lord appeared to Philip and said, "'Up now, and travel to the road that leads down from Jerusalem to Gaza (a desert road).' Lo, an Ethiopian, eunuch and minister of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who had gone to worship at Jerusalem, was on the return journey seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah."* See how precisely the writer of the book described things to us, saying "Ethiopian" so that we should know he was a barbarian; then he said "minister" to show he in fact enjoyed the highest rank and pomp. "Who had gone to worship at Jerusalem," he said: notice also the reason for his journey, sufficient to reveal his godfearing attitude of mind—I mean, how long a journey he undertakes so as to pay adoration to the Lord. You see, they were still of the mind that worship was conducted in one place only, and consequently traveled long distances to offer prayers there; for this reason, of course, he arrived at the place of the temple and [323]
Jewish cult so as to pay adoration to the Lord.
(5) After putting into effect what he had longed to do, the 4. A précis of Acts 8.26—28.
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text says, "he was on the return journey, seated in his chariot and reading." Then Philip approached him and said, "'Do you really understand what you're reading?'""> Do you see his spirit of devotion, persisting with his reading while not understanding the contents, and anxious to chance upon a mentor to guide him? You see, the apostle straightway stimulates his longing by the question he asks; the fact that he deserved to meet someone to guide him towards understanding of the contents emerges from his very reply. I mean, when the apostle said, "'Do you really understand?" and came close in his lowly condition, he was not put off, he made no objection, he did not consider himself disgraced in the way many foolish people react, often preferring to remain in unbroken ignorance through a sense of shame in admitting their ignorance and having to learn from those able to instruct them. This man, on the contrary, had none of those reactions; instead, he made his response with great restraint and discretion, showing his state of soul in the words, "'Well, how could I, unless someone shows me?'"® Not only did he reply with restraint and continue on as well, but he showed us the virtue in his own behavior by issuing an invitation in those words— the minister, the barbarian, seated in his chariot, inviting the man of lowly mien, despicable in attire, to mount and ride with him. Do you see his enthusiasm of spirit? Do you see the extraordinary degree of his piety? Do you see the barbarian's godfearing attitude in fulfilling that saying of a certain wise man, "If you see a man of understanding, pay him an early visit, and let your foot wear out his doorstep"?' Do you see how fitting it was he was not scorned? Do you see how fitting it was he enjoyed favor from on high? Do you see how he omitted nothing that was due to be performed on his part?
For that reason he chanced upon his mentor at that point and gained a precise knowledge of the efficacy of Scripture's contents, shedding light on his mind.
(6) Have you noticed how great a good it is to practice the 5. Acts 8.30.
6. Acts 8.31.
7. Sir 6.36.
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reading of the holy Scriptures with earnestness and zeal? The reason, in fact, that I have brought to your notice the story of this barbarian as well, is in case we are all ashamed to turn imitators of the Ethiopian, of the eunuch, of this person who did not neglect spiritual reading even on a journey. This barbarian is capable of proving a teacher of us all, those living a private life, those enlisted in military service, those who happen to be surrounded with pomp and circumstance, people in general, not only men also women as well, as much those who live the monastic life as those who spend all their time at home. From him we could learn that no time proves an obstacle to the reading of the divine sayings; rather, it is possible not only at home but also moving about in public, making a journey, being in the company of a crowd and involved in business affairs, to give oneself earnestly to these sayings so that by bringing our own resources to bear, we too may promptly chance upon a mentor. Our Lord, you see, discerning our enthusiasm for spiritual matters, far from ignoring us, supplies illumination from above and enlightens our mind. Accordingly, let us not neglect reading, I beseech you; rather, whether we recognize the efficacy of the contents
[324] or are unaware of it, let us apply ourselves to it assiduously. Constant attention to it, after all, creates an indelible memory; and it often happens that what we could not discover today in our reading we all of a sudden come across the next day in returning to the task as the loving God in unseen fashion sheds light on our mind.
(7) Enough, however, of these present remarks of ours aimed at promoting your constant practice of the reading of the holy Scriptures. Listen to what is now said for you to learn, on the other hand, that in all other matters as well it is customary for the Lord, when we have contributed what we have to offer, to supply generously in his turn what comes from him, and that what he did in the case of Bible reading by dispatching with great promptness a mentor for the barbarian he likewise does in the case of people bent on practicing virtue. To make the point clearer for you, however, it would be appropriate to bring to your notice again the inci-
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dent concerning the patriarch and to make the connection at this point with what was said yesterday. You know, of course, from what has already been said how for the great instance of humility that he showed in Lot's favor by yielding pride of place to him he enjoyed a great reward from above, receiving a promise surpassing in great measure what had been done on his part. Let us now see as well, however, from the words read today another instance of the just man's virtue, so that proceeding in this way we may discover God's unspeakable providence shown in his regard. You see, with the intention of instructing us all through the patriarch's good sense, he allows him first of all to give evidence of the godfearing character of his own attitude on each occasion, and then confers the recompense on his part, so that we too may show zeal in imitating the patriarch by committing ourselves to efforts of virtue and thus putting ourselves in the way of its rewards.
(8) Now, however, it is time to propose for your consideration the contents of today's reading. In fact, it hardly requires commentary—the very reading of the text suffices to reveal the extraordinary degree of the good man's virtue.
"Now, it happened," the text reads, "that in the reign of Amarphath king of Sennaar, Arioch king of Alasar, Chodologomor king of Elam, and Tharthak king of nations made war with Balak king of Sodom, Barsak king of Gomorrah,
Sennaar king Adamah, Sumobor king of Seboim, and the king of Balak (that is, Segor). All the latter joined forces in the salt valley (that is, the Salt Sea)."* Note the precision of Scripture in recording the names of the kings and their peoples—not without purpose but for you to learn from their names their barbaric character. These men, it says, remember, made war on the king of Sodom and the others. Then it also teaches us the cause of the war, what gave rise to it. "For twelve years," the text says, remember, "they had been in thrall to Chodologomor king of Elam, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. In the fourteenth year, however, came
Chodologomor and those kings supporting him and they slew 8. Gen 14.1-3.
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the giants in Astaroth and Karnaim, the powerful nations along with them, the Ommaioi in the city of Shaveh, the Horites in the mountains of Seir as far as the terebinth of Pharan, which is in the wilderness. They reversed direction and came to the spring of judgment, which is [325] now Kadesh, and slew all the rulers of Amalek and the Amorites dwelling in Hazazontamar."® (g) Let us not idly pass these words by, dearly beloved, nor consider the account to be of no value. It was of set purpose that Sacred Scripture recounted everything 'to us with precision so that we should learn the might of these barbarians and the degree of valor they displayed and with how much ferocity they involved themselves in war so as to clash even with the giants—that is, men powerful in bodily stature—and put to flight all the peoples dwelling there. You see, just as a swollen torrent sweeps away everything in its path and destroys it, in just the same way the barbarians fell on these peoples and destroyed them completely with the result that they put to flight the rulers of the Amalekites and all the others. But perhaps someone may say, What good is it for me to know about the might of the barbarians? It was not idly or to no purpose that Scripture mixed these matters in with its account, nor is it without point that we are now bringing it to your attention and directing you in turn to recall their valor; rather, our purpose is that from the ensuing instruction you may learn both the extraordinary degree of God's power and also the patriarch's virtue.
(10) So, against these forces that had gained such power and had routed so many peoples, "There went out to do battle the kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Adamah, Seboim and Balak (that is, Segor); they took up battle positions in the Salt
Valley against Chodologomor, Tharthak, Amarphath and Arioch—four kings against five. Now, the valley is salty, pits of bitumen."!° Then, for us to learn how they were terrorgGen 14.4~7. Chrysostom's habitual reminder of the precision of Scripture in these verses is made with tongue in cheek, his obvious lack of interest in historical geography and legendary characters appearing in the unusual rapidity of commentary.
10. Gen 14.8-10.
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SI stricken at their boldness and the might of their power and were sent fleeing, Scripture says, "The kings of Sodom and Gomorrah took to flight and chanced upon the place of the bitumen pits, while the remainder took to the hill country."
Do you see how great was the might of these men? How they managed to terrify their enemies just by their very sight and caused them to be sent fleeing? Now see how with complete ease they put to flight all their foes, took all their possessions and departed. "Now, they seized the hill country, all the horses of the men of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their provisions, and departed. Now, they also seized Lot, Abram's nephew, and his accoutrements, and made off. He had, you see, been living in Sodom."!!
(11) Notice that what I said yesterday has come to be true, that Lot, far from being better off for his choice of the better parts, rather had learned from experience not to set his heart on the better parts. You see, not only did no benefit come to him from it but, lo, he was even led away into captivity and learnt the lesson through experience that it was much better for him to enjoy the just man's company than to be parted from him and undergo these great trials even if living independently. I mean, he parted from the patriarch and thought he enjoyed greater independence, had the good fortune to enjoy the better parts and experience great prosperity—and all of a sudden he becomes a captive, dispossessed, without hearth or home. The purpose was for you to learn what a great evil division is, and what a great good harmony is, and that we ought not hanker after pride of place but love to take second place instead. "Now, they seized Lot and his accoutrements," the text says, remember. How much better was it to be in the company of the patriarch and accept everything
[326] for the sake of not sundering the mutual harmony than be separated and while choosing the better parts be immediately beset with such awful perils and fall into the clutches of barbarians?
11. Gen 14.11-12, with an apparently inadvertent insertion of the hill country into the list of booty, under the influence of the previous verse—to judge from comparison with the Hebrew and LXX.
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(12) "One of those who escaped came and told Abraham the traveler. Now, he was camped near the oak of Mambre the Omorite, brother of Eschol and Aunan, who were confederates of Abram."!2 How was it that the patriarch had no knowledge that such forces of war were on the rampage? Perhaps he chanced to be at a great distance from the conflict, and for that reason knew nothing of it. "Now, someone came and told Abraham the traveler," the text says, to remind us that he got the news on his return from Chaldea. You see, because he had his camp across the Euphrates, consequently he was described also as traveler. Right from the outset his parents gave him this name, suggesting to him ahead of time his movement from there; in other words, he was also called
Abram because he would one day cross the Euphrates and enter Palestine.'* Notice how his parents, all unaware, and unbelievers to boot, gave the child the name under the influence of God's inventive wisdom, as was also the case with Lamech giving Noe his name. This, after all, is a characteristic of God's loving kindness, oftentimes to foretell even through unbelievers events due to happen a long time later. So, the text says, someone came and told the traveler what had happened, the capture of his nephew, the great power of those kings, the sack of Sodom and the shameful flight. "Now, he was camped near the oak of Mambre the Omorite, brother of Eschol and Aunan, who were confederates of Abram." Perhaps at this point, however, someone might wonder, Why was it that the just man Lot, alone of the fugitives from Sodom, was taken into captivity? Far from occurring idly or to no purpose, this was for Lot to learn through the events themselves the patriarch's virtue, and that others might also be saved, and that he might learn not to hanker after pride of place but yield to his betters.
12. Gen 14.13.
13. Chrysostom is thus taking issue, like his editor De Montfaucon and modern commentators after him, with a significant textual obscurity—the meaning of the word we have rendered "traveler" for perates in his LXX text, translating a Hebrew form based on the consonants hbr, which some would read as "Hebrew" and thus detect another sign that the strange ch. 14 came from a non-Israelite source. Cf. Speiser, Genesis 102-109.
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ols (13) Now, let us at this point hear the sequel so as to learn both the just man's virtue and God's assistance beyond all telling. Give careful heed, however, to what is said, and strain your attention to the utmost. Great, you see, are the benefits to be derived from this, especially to learn the lesson in this case from what happened to Lot that we need never be at a loss if, on the one hand, good people encounter trials while, on the other, scoundrels and rascals escape them, nor should we in any way hanker after pride of place nor regard anything preferable to association with good people; instead, even if it means servitude, we should consider association with men of virtue to be more desirable than being at liberty.
Along with these lessons, however, we can also learn from this incident the patriarch's great tolerance, the extraordinary degree of his affection, the greatness of his bravery, his scorn for wealth, the unspeakable power of God's assistance to him.
The text reads, "When Abram heard that his nephew Lot had been captured, he called up the retainers of his own household to the number of three hundred and eighteen and gave chase as far as Dan, falling upon them by night, himself and his retainers, and he continued to strike them as far as Chobal, which is west of Damascus. He recovered all the cavalry of the Sodomites, and rescued his nephew Lot, all his accoutrements, his people and his women."'*
(14) Consider in this case, I ask you, dearly beloved, [327] the greatness of heart exemplified in the just man's virtue: trusting in the power of God he was not cowed by the force of the enemy when he learnt of the rout they had caused, firstly by falling upon all the tribes and prevailing against the Amalekites and all the others, and then by engaging the Sodomites, putting them to flight and seizing all their property.
The reason, you see, why Sacred Scripture described all this to us ahead of time, as well as all they achieved through their bravery, was that you might learn that the patriarch prevailed against them, not by physical strength, but through faith in God, and achieved all this under the protection of help from 14. Gen 14.14-16, differing in details from the Hebrew.
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on high, not by wielding weapons and arrows and spears or by drawing bows or raising shields, but with retainers of his own household.
(15) Why was it, someone may ask, that he called up retainers of his own household to the number of three hundred and eighteen? For you to learn that he did not simply take everyone but only retainers of his own household, men raised by Lot, so that they might wreak their vengeance with much relish, like men entering this conflict for their own lord. "He fell upon them by night," the text says, "himself and his retainers, and continued to strike and pursue them." It was, you see, a hand from on high that joined in the attack and assisted in directing the battlk—hence they had no need of weapons or fighting machines; instead, he had only to heave into sight with his retainers to smite some and cause others to take to flight, doing both in complete security without harassment from anyone, and he recovered the cavalry of the king of Sodom, his nephew Lot, all his accoutrements and the women. Do you see why it was permitted that while the others fled Lot alone should be taken captive? For two reasons: so that the patriarch's virtue should become manifest, and that on his account many others also might find salvation. Then he returns bearing a great prize of distinction, Lot, and parading as well as him the cavalry, women and accoutrements, announcing in a clear voice and proclaiming more loudly than any trumpet that it was not by human power nor by force of numbers that he had won the prize and achieved victory but had done everything with aid from on high. Do you see in every event the just man being conspicuous and demonstrating to everyone on every occasion God's providence in his regard? Now you see him also zealous to prove a teacher of reverence for God to the Sodomites: "The king of Sodom," Scripture says, remember, "came out to meet him on his return from the slaughter of Chodologomor and the kings with him."!® Notice the extent of his virtue and his enjoyment of assistance from God; the king comes out to meet
15. Gen 14.17, omitting the place reference in 17b.
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Sip this stranger, advanced in years, and shows high regard for him. He had learnt, you see, that the advantage of kingship is as nothing to the person bereft of assistance from on high, and that nothing could be more efficacious than God's hand raised to assist.
(16) The text goes on, "Melchisedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine. Now, he was a priest of God the most high."!® What is conveyed to us by this comment, "king of Salem" and "priest of God the most high"? He was, for one thing, king of Salem, the text says; blessed Paul, after all, said the same in drawing attention to him when writing to the believers amongst the Hebrews, calling to mind both his name and his city of origin, and at the same time he plumbed the significance of his name [328] and employed some degree of etymology in saying, "Melchisedek, king of righteousness."!"
You see, in the Hebrew language the word Melchi means kingdom and Sedek righteousness; then, moving on to the name of the city he says, king of peace, Salem after all meaning peace.'* On the other hand, he was a priest, possibly selfappointed, this being the way with the priests of the time, you see; so in fact he had either been accorded the honor by his peers on account of his preeminence in age, or he had made it his business to act as a priest, like Noe, like Abel, like Abraham when they used to offer sacrifices. In a particular manner he was to prove a type of Christ.'? Hence Paul too understands him in this role in the words, "With no father, with no mother, with no family history, lacking beginning of days and end of life, he yet resembles the Son of God and remains a priest forever."*° How, you ask, is it possible for a 16. Gen 14.18.
7 a ebrr2.
18. The imperfect accuracy of these derivations suggests what we already know of Chrysostom's acquaintance with Hebrew, namely, that he had not been introduced to it by his teacher Diodore, and so was at the mercy of rough equivalents. See Introduction (3) and (15), in FOTC 74.
1g. A rare venture into typology by Chrysostom, the Antiochene, and only with the encouragement of Scripture itself. His school would discourage him from exploring other Scriptural senses than the literal in the manner of the great Cappadocians, and his commentary on the Psalms finds him embarrassed at times by these restraints. See my Inspiration, pp. 128-149.
S Onder 7.33
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person to have no father or mother, and to lack beginning of days and end of life? You heard that he was a type; well, neither marvel at this, nor expect everything to be found in the type. You see, he would not be a type if he were likely to contain every feature that occurs in reality. So what does the saying mean? It means that, just as the former is said to have no father or mother on account of there being no mention of his parents, and to have no family history on account of there being no history for him, so too Christ, on account of his having no mother in heaven nor father on earth, is said to have no family history and in fact has none.
(17) See how, in the respect he showed the patriarch, a mystery is suggested to us: he brought out bread and wine.
Now that you see the type, consider the truth, I ask you, and marvel at the force of Sacred Scripture in foretelling from the very outset things yet to happen. "He blessed Abraham," the text goes on, "in the words, 'Blessed be Abraham by God the most high, who created heaven and earth. Blessed be God the most high, who delivered your enemies into your hands.' "?!
He not only blessed him but also praised God; in the words, "'Blessed be Abraham by God the most high, who created heaven and earth,'" he also highlighted to us God's power from his creatures. If he in fact is God, creator of heaven and earth, those worshipped by human beings would not be gods;
Scripture says, remember, "Let those gods perish who did not make heaven and earth."2? The text reads, "'Blessed be God, who delivered your enemies into your hands.'" Notice, I ask you, how he not only celebrates the just man but also acknowledges God's assistance. After all, without grace from above he could not have prevailed over such might of those besetting him. "'Who delivered your enemies,'" the text says: he it is who caused everything, he it is who rendered the strong powerless, he it is who brought down the armed hordes
21. Gen 14.19-20. Chrysostom's text, though not the LXX generally, seems to slip into the fuller name Abraham at this point, at least for a while— though, predictably, Chrysostom will make great play of the formal name change when it occurs at Gen 17.5 in Homily go.
22 [eraOnul.
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B17 through those unarmed—from that source is the grace forthcoming that provides you with such power. "'Who delivered your enemies into your hands,'" the text says.
(18) Do you see how it shows his peaceableness and his love for Lot in indicating that even Abraham regarded his peers as enemies for what they had done to his nephew. "He gave him a tenth of everything,"** the text adds. Paul says this, too:
"Now, consider how great this man is, to whom the patriarch Abraham even gave a tenth of the spoils";?4 that is to say, from the spoils which he had acquired he rewarded Melchisedek, apportioning him a tenth of everything he had taken, thus already at that stage proving for everyone a teacher of the need to demonstrate great generosity and offer up the first fruits [329] of what has been provided us by God. Then the king of Sodom, struck by the patriarch's magnanimity, said to him: "'Return me my men, but keep the equipment for yourself.'"?> A fine gesture of gratitude on the king's part—but notice the just man's sound thinking: "Abram, however, said to the king of Sodom, 'I will raise my hand to swear before God the most high, who made heaven and earth, not to take even string or shoelace of all your goods, in case you were to say, I gave Abram his wealth.'"?° The patriarch's contempt for material wealth was intense. Why is it with an oath that he rejects the offer in the words, "'T will raise my hand to swear before God the most high, who created heaven and earth'"??' He wants to give the king of Sodom two lessons, that he is above the gifts offered by him and gives evidence of great wisdom, he is anxious to prove an instructor for him in reverence, as if to teach him in these
23. Gen 14.20b.
24.) Heb:
25. Gen 14.21.
26. Gen 14.22—-23. The future tense of the oath makes little sense, and again (cf. Homily 15, n. 8 above) arises from LXX misreading of Hebrew verb forms.
27. Again Chrysostom quotes the verse in a slightly different form from before, raising the question: is this the mark of a preacher whose recall is not always word-perfect (cf. Introduction (15), in FOTC 74), and is it irreconcilable with the view that the homilies represent a text prepared for delivery but not actually preached in their present form?
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words, I am calling him to witness that I will take nothing of yours—namely, the Creator of all—so that you may come to know the God over all and not regard as gods the things shaped by human hands. This, in fact, is the maker of heaven and earth, he also determined the course of this war and was the cause of victory. So don't expect me to be ready to take anything you've offered me. It was not, you see, for a reward that I wreaked vengeance; instead, in the first instance it was out of love for my nephew, and then from the very nature of a good man that I should wrest from the clutches of barbarians people wrongfully abducted.
(19) "'I will not take even string or shoelace of all your goods'"—that is to say, not even a chance item, nothing worthless or anything thought beneath contempt. I mean, people are accustomed to call a shoelace the tip of the shoe because it comes to a point; in fact, barbarians normally use this kind. Then he states the reason for his refusal, "'In case you were to say, I gave Abram his wealth.'" I have on my side the supplier of countless goods, I enjoy much favor from on high, I have no need of wealth from you, I don't want human resources, I am content with the regard God pays me, I know the generosity of his gifts towards me. Having yielded to Lot worthless scraps, I have been granted great promises beyond telling, and now by not accepting wealth from you I earn for myself greater wealth and win further grace from him. This in my opinion, at any rate, was the reason why he took the oath in the words, "'I will raise my hand to swear before God the most high," namely, that the king should not think that he was simply putting up a pretence about what was likely to happen, but should rather be quite clear about his not taking the least bauble from him. He was honoring that command given by Christ to the disciples, "Freely you have received, freely give."°* In other words, he is saying, Surely I have contributed nothing to the course of the war other than consent and encouragement, whereas the victory and the spoils and everything else has been his work in his invisible might.
28. Matt 10.8.
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ong (20) Then, in case the king should think that it was out of scorn or contempt that he did not accept what was offered by him, and to show even in this the mildness and good sense of his thinking, he said, I will take nothing "'except what my young men consumed and the portion for the men who accompanied me, Eschol, Aunan and Mambre—they will take a portion.'"* These I will allow to take a portion, he says, since they have given evidence of deep friendship. [330]
AL bese cyou "see;.the: text says,*° "were Abram's confederates," that is, joined in friendship; this shows their option to share the perils with him. Hence, with the intention of rewarding them, he is even prepared to take some portion, and in this once again he fulfills the apostolic law in the words,
"The worker deserves his fare."?! I mean, he lets them take no more than their due: "'except what my young men consumed and the portion for the men who accompanied me,
Eschol, Aunan and Mambre—they will take a portion.'" Do you see the precision of the patriarch's virtue both in giving evidence as well of good sense in the matter of his disregard and scorn for wealth, and at the same time in doing everything so as not to appear to have acted from pretence or contempt and thus to have entertained grandiose notions about winning the victory?
(21) Well, let us in turn imitate this, I beseech you, and take pains to keep ourselves free of the temptation either to bask in a desperate glory on the pretext of virtue or to neglect virtue on the pretext of humility. Instead, let us in all cases keep to the middle course and base the good works done by us on humility as a kind of foundation and basis so that our practice of virtue may be established securely. This, after all, is real virtue when it has humility associated with it. I mean, the person who has laid down this foundation securely will be able to construct his edifice to whatever height he wishes.
This is the greatest security, this an impregnable fortification, 29. Gen 14.24.
30. Chrysostom's perhaps—unless De Montfaucon is misreading the MSS —but not the Hebrew or the LXX otherwise.
31. Matt 10.10.
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this an unassailable tower, this supports every structure, not allowing it to be toppled by force of winds nor by onset of hurricanes nor by assault from gales; instead, it renders it safe against every attack and equips it as if with steel. In this way humility preserves virtue from defeat and wins for us great reward from the generosity of the loving God. This was the way the patriarch received such an extent of God's wonderful promises. I mean, you will be aware from what follows in the text due to be read later how, with God's permission, even in this case he scorned the gifts made to him by the king of Sodom and thus was accorded wonderfully ineffable gifts of God. For this virtue he was not alone in being conspicuous, but along with him all other good people. To the extent that you are industrious in reading the holy Scriptures you will be able to discover this happening in every case. You see, whenever our loving Lord sees us scorning the things of this present life, he provides us generously with these as well, and also stores up for us the enjoyment of future goods. This you can observe happening also in the case of wealth, the glory of this present life and all perishable things.
(22) Accordingly, let us despise this world's wealth so as to be able to find the true wealth, let us scorn the empty glory of this life so as to enjoy that other genuine, dependable kind; let us mock this world's prosperity so as to attain to those other ineffable blessings; let us consider present realities of no value so as to be able to direct all our energies towards the desire for what lies ahead. You see, it is not possible for the person attached to present realities ever to entertain the desire for those other ineffable blessings; as though some film lies over his body's eyes, [331] so the longing for this world dulls his intellect and does not allow him to see at a glance anything that is to his advantage. Nor, on the other hand, could the person who has the desire for those other sure and dependable blessings set his heart on those perishable, decaying things that are whisked away even before they have taken form. I mean, the person consumed with longing for God and possessed of desire for what lies ahead sees the situation of this world with different eyes, and knows that this present
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oat life is all sham and deception and is no different from dreams. Hence blessed Paul too said as much in his letter,
"The form of this world is passing away,'*? to show us that every human thing only exists in appearance and passes away like a shadow or dream, having about it nothing true, nothing firm. So how could it be other than an infantile attitude to go after shadows and give importance to dreams, and cling to these things that shortly afterwards pass away? "The form of this world is passing away," he says, remember. When you hear it is "passing away," why do you still go after it any longer? When you hear that all human things only exist in appearance and are in fact destitute of true meaning, why do you willingly submit to a deception, and not rather consider their transient and insubstantial condition and bypass them, while transferring your desire to those other realities that are everlasting, fixed and dependable, susceptible of no change?
You see, if you are to understand the point of view of the world's teacher, observe him further in another place intending to demonstrate the worthlessness of all the glitter of this world by the kind of language he employs when he says, "Visible things," even if you cite abundance of wealth, glory, reputation, power and influence, even kingship itself and wearing a crown and a lofty throne—all these "visible things are transient,"** giving evidence of a short time's duration, not affording us enjoyment for long. So what do you want us to seek after if all these visible things are in fact transient?
Those others that are not visible, he says, not these visible ones but those that are not seen by these bodily eyes of ours.
And who would offer us this advice, you ask, to bypass visible things and seek after those that are not seen? Let the very nature of things, he says, instruct you that while the former, even if in fact visible, nevertheless rapidly pass away, the latter, even if in fact we cannot now see them, nevertheless are in reality everlasting, have an eternal duration, know no conclusion, suffer no ending, experience no change, remain solid and immovable. Perhaps I may even seem to be a nuisance
Bee Or gaat 33. 2 Cor 4.18.
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offering this advice day in day out to no purpose—but what am I to do? Great is the harm wrought by wickedness, great the tyranny of possessions, great the dearth of virtue. Hence
I am anxious to get the better of the disease if only by dint of frequency of exhortation and lead those attending here to complete recovery. You see, the reason that we take pains to engage in the explanation of the Scriptures, bring to your notice the virtues of the just, and never leave off echoing the same message is that we may be able through all these means to urge you on to imitation of these good people.
(23) At this late stage, at any rate, let us show some care for our own salvation and take proper advantage of the opportunity given us in light of the appointed day in our life; while there is yet time, let us make every effort in the direction of repentance and correction of our faults, let us use the abundance of our wealth for the betterment of our souls and spend the surplus on those in need. After all, why is it, tell me, that you allow your silver and gold to be consumed [332] by rust, whereas it ought.to be emptied into the bellies of the poor so that by lodging it in that safe deposit at the appropriate time you may enjoy assistance from it when you particularly need comfort from it, and that those who are nourished on it at your hands may on that dread day open the doors of confidence to you and welcome you into their eternal dwellings?** Let us, on the contrary, not allow our garments to be consumed by moths and rot away to no purpose in the cupboard while so many people are needy and go about naked; let us instead put the naked Christ ahead of moths and clothe him as he goes about naked for us and our salvation, so that having been deemed worthy to clothe him we may hear on that dread day, "I was naked and you clothed me."
His precepts aren't burdensome, are they? They are not excessive, are they? What is rotting away, he says, what is being consumed by moths, what is used up idly and to no purpose—this take pains to dispose of profitably, so that you may both escape the harm of the loss and also store up for your34. Cf. Luke 16.9.
35. Matt 25.36.
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B20 self the greatest advantage from them. It is, after all, a mark of excessive inhumanity after so much enjoyment to store up the surplus in chests and cupboards and not succeed in alleviating the neediness of our fellows but rather choose to have it destroyed by rust and moths and fall into the hands of robbers, and thus earn condemnation on this account rather than win a reward on their account by disposing of it properly. Let us not, indeed, I beseech you, deal so negligently with the salvation of our souls, but instead dispose of our surplus to those in need and so lay up for ourselves great confidence so that we may be found worthy to enjoy ineffable blessings, thanks to the grace and loving kindness of our
Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, power and honor, now and forever, for ages of ages. Amen.