Homily 18
CONTENTS Abbreviations Homily 18 Homily 19
Homily 20
Homily 21 Homily 22
Homily 23
Homily 24 Homily 25
Homily 26
Homily 27 Homily 28
Homily 29 Homily 30
Homily 31 Homily 32 ADT
Homily 33 Homily 34 Homily 35
Homily 36 o-4 Homily 37
Homily 38 5DO Homily 39
Homily 40 Vil
Vill CONTENTS Homily 41
Homily 42
Homily 43 Homily 44
Homily 45
ABBREVIATIONS
"Akribeia"
Hill, Robert C., "Akribeca: a principle of Chrysostom's exegesis," Colloquium 14 (October, 1981), pp. 32-36.
Corpus Christianorum. Series graeca. Turnhout: Brepols, CCG 1976-.
CPG Clavis Patrum Graecorum, Vol. Il. ed. M. Geerard.
Turnhout: Brepols, 1974.
DBS Dictionnaire de la Bible. Supplément, ed. L. Pirot. Paris, 1928— .
The Fathers of the Church. New York and Washington,
D.C., 1947-.
FOTC Hill, Robert C., "On giving up horses for Lent," Clergy Review 68 (March, 1983), pp. 105-106.
"horses"
"Tncarnation"
Hill, Robert C., "Saint John Chrysostom and the Incarnation of the Word in Scripture," Compass Theology
Review 14 (1980), pp. 34-38.
Hill, Robert C., Saint John Chrysostom's Teaching on Inspiration in his Old Testament Homilies. Sydney, 1981.
The Journal of Theological Studies. London, 18g9-.
Inspiration JThs ODCC The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2d ed. ed. F. L.
Cross and E. A. Livingstone. Oxford, 1984.
Patrologiae cursus completus: Series graeca, 161 volumes. ed.
J. P. Migne. Paris, 1857-1866.
PG SC Sources Chrétiennes, ed. H. de Lubac and J. Daniélou. Paris, 1942-.
Studia Patristica. International Conference on Patristic Studies at Oxford. (Berlin, and elsewhere)
SP Hill, Robert C., "On looking again at sunkatabasis,"
Prudentia 13, (1981), pp. 3-11.
"sunkatabasis"
Hill, Robert C., "Chrysostom's terminology for the inspired Word," Estudios Biblicos 41 (1983), pp. 367-373:
"terminology"
Theologische Realenzyklopdadie ne Abbreviations of Classical and Patristic texts follow OCD and ODCC.
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HOMILIES 18-45 Homilies 1-17 of Saint John Chrysostom are in Volume 74 of The Fathers of the Church series.
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HOMILY 18
"Adam gave his wife the name Zoe, because she was the mother of all the living. The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clad them in them. God said, 'Lo, Adam has become like one Of tis."
<q)1D [148] you SEE yesterday the loving kindness of the |, Judge? Did you see the examination conducted in a spirit of great goodness? Did you see the difference in the kinds of punishment—how the one who caused their downfall by means of deceit was punished, on the one hand, and how, on the other hand, the punishment inflicted on the fallen demonstrates God's great love? Did you see of how much benefit this proved to be the occasion for us, to be present in court and see how the examination proceeded? After all, they realized, Adam and Eve both, the degree and significance of the good things they had deprived themselves of through transgression of the command given them, stripped as they were of that ineffable glory and of the life that was scarcely inferior to the angels'. We saw the Lord's longsuffering, we learnt the gravity of indifference and how it renders us bereft of goods already in our possession and leaves us desolate, covering us in deep confusion.
(2) Hence, I beseech you, let us remain alert: may their lapses become an antidote for us, and their indifference prove to be a motive for caution on our part, especially as the punishment for those erring in the same way in the future will
1. Gen 3.20—22. In adopting Zoe as the woman's name, the LXX is translating the Hebrew havah rather than simply transliterating it as (H)eva, so as the better to reproduce the balance between name and function in the original; perhaps likewise the best English version of the name would be "Life," to balance "living." When at Tob 8.6 such balance is not required, the LXX is content with Eva. Chrysostom, however, in his commentary on the text settles at once for the latter, preferring tradition to philology.
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
be the greater, the more they have been reluctant to profit from their example. You see, people who after these events sin in the same respect will not have the same sentence meted out to them, something we can briefly learn from the world's wise teacher—I mean [149] blessed Paul—when he says, "As many as sinned without the Law will perish without the Law, whereas as many as sinned with the Law in force will be judged by the Law."? What he means is this: those prior to the Law will not receive the same sentence as those after the Law; instead, those sinning after the giving of the Law will undergo heavier penalties. "As many as sinned without the Law will perish without the Law," that is to say, the fact of having no instruction or assistance from the Law makes the penalty milder for them. "Whereas as many as sinned with the Law in force will be judged by the Law"; these on the other hand, he is saying, having the Law as teacher and being so much the wiser yet sinning in the same way as the others, will receive the heavier penalty.
(3) But let us listen to what was read today also. "Adam called his wife Eve, which means life, because she was the mother of all the living." See the precision of Sacred Scripture, how it didn't pass over even this detail, but taught us that Adam named his wife as well. "He called his wife Eve, which means life," the text says, you see, "because she was the mother of all the living"—that is to say, she is the source of all those who will come from her, the root and foundation of the future race. Then, after teaching us the naming of the woman, it further shows us God's goodness, how he does not overlook them in their depth of shame and nakedness after being created by him. "The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife," the text says, "and clad them in them." In other words, take the case of a kindly father with a son of his own who was brought up with every care, who enjoyed every indulgence, had the run of a fine house, was clad in a silken tunic, and had free access to his father's substance and wealth; later, when he saw him tumble headlong
2. Rom 2.12.
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from this great indulgence into an abyss of wickedness, he stripped him of all those assets, subjected him to his own authority and, divesting him of his clothes, clad him in a lowly garment usually worn by slaves lest he be completely naked and indecent. Well, in just the same way the loving God, when they rendered themselves unworthy of that gleaming and resplendent vesture in which they were adorned and which ensured they were prepared against bodily needs, stripped them of all that glory and the enjoyment they were partakers of before suffering that terrible fall. He showed them great pity and had mercy on their fall: seeing them covered in confusion and ignorant of what to do to avoid being naked and feeling ashamed, he makes garments of skin for them and clothes them in them.
(4) What I mean is that the machinations of the devil are quite different: when he finds people ready to do his will, he proves their undoing through some slight enjoyment, then drags them down to the very depths of wickedness and covers them in utter shame and degradation, leaving them prostrate, a piteous spectacle for all to see—whereas the Guardian of our souls, seeing them in utter helplessness, doesn't allow himself to ignore their condition but devises a covering for them, while indicating to them through the frugality of the garment the sort of garments they have caused themselves to deserve. [150] "The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clad them in them." See the extent of the considerateness of Sacred Scripture. Still, what I've often said I say again now: let us understand everything in a sense befitting God. Let us understand "made" in the sense of "gave directions for": he ordered that they be clad in garments of skin as a constant reminder of their disobedience.
(5) Let the affluent pay heed, those who pamper themselves with cloth from the silkworm and are clad in silk, and let them learn how at the beginning from the outset the loving
Lord instructed the human race: when the firstformed man became liable to the punishment of death through the Fall and the Lord had to clothe him in a garment to hide his shame, he made them garments of skin, to teach us to shun
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
the soft and dissolute life, and not to pine for one that is lazy and characterized by inactivity, but rather strive for an austere life. Perhaps, however, the wealthy will react badly to our words and will say, What reason is there in that? do you bid us wear garments of skin? No, I'm not saying that; after all, not even Adam and Eve wore those garments all the time, the loving Lord always adding further kindnesses to his previous ones, you see. I mean, when he rendered them liable to bodily necessities for the future, stripping them of the angelic way of life and its freedom from suffering, he later arranged for clothes for human beings out of sheep's fleece for no other reason than that they should have covering and that this rational creature should not live his life in nakedness and ugliness just like brute beasts. Accordingly, let the wearing of clothes be a constant reminder to us of the loss of advantages and instruction about the punishment which the race of human beings received on account of disobedience. Accordingly, let those people who make use of such paraphernalia that they are no longer familiar with garments of sheep's wool, but are clad in silk and have been carried to such extremes that they even drape gold with covering, the female sex particularly demonstrating this kind of luxury—let them,
I say, tell us: Why do you dress up the body with these things and delight in clothing of that kind, not understanding that this covering was devised as severe punishment for the Fall?
I mean, why do you not heed Paul's words, "We will be content to have food and clothing'*? Do you see that it is necessary to be concerned with one thing only, that the body not be naked, and to have an eye only to this, that no further worry be had about variety of dress?
(6) Let us, however, move to what follows. "God said, 'Lo, Adam has become like one of us in knowing good and ill.
Now there is a risk that at some time he may put out his hand and pick fruit from the tree of life, eat it and live forever.'
The Lord God sent him out of the garden of delight to till the soil from which he was taken."* See again God's considFe tei 6,8.
4. Gen 3.22—293.
HOMILY 18
it erateness. "The Lord God said," the text says, "'Lo, Adam has become like one of us in knowing good and ill.'" Do you see how remarkable is the ordinariness of the expression? Let us, however, take it all in a sense befitting God.' You see, the intention at this point is to remind us through these words of the deception practiced on them by the devil through the instrumentality of the serpent. I mean, that was when that creature said, "'If you eat, you will be [151] like gods,'" and they presumed to taste it in the hope of achieving this equality.
Hence also God wanted again to make them ashamed, to bring them to a sense of their sins and to show them the gravity of their disobedience and the excess of the deception, said, "'Lo, Adam has become like one of us.'" Great is the reproach in this sentence, capable of touching the heart of the transgressor. Was this your reason, he is saying, for despising my command, that you had notions of equality? Lo, you have become what you expected—or rather, not what you expected but what you deserved to become. "'Lo,'" he says,
"'Adam has become like one of us in knowing good and evil.'" This, in fact, is what the guileful devil said to them through the serpent, that "'your eyes will be opened, and you will be like gods, knowing good and ill.'"
(7) "'Now there is a risk that at some time he may put out his hand and pick fruit from the tree of life, eat it and live forever." See here, I ask you, the Lord's loving kindness. I mean, we must study the saying precisely so that nothing concealed under the surface can escape us. When God gave
Adam the command, he bade him abstain from nothing, with the single exception of that tree, and when he presumed to taste it he received the sentence of death; he made this clear to him in giving him the command in case he should break it, though he had given him no express instructions about the 5. As remarked at many points in Vol. I (ROTC 74) and explained at length in Introduction (20), synkatabasis, "considerateness" (not "condescension"), is for Chrysostom characteristic of the divine Author of the Scriptures. Hence, the need in the commentator and reader/listener to respond by acknowledging both the "ordinariness," tapeindsis, of the language so considerately used, especially in the case of anthropormorphisms like the present, and divine transcendence, not to be put at risk.
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
tree of life. I mean, since he created him immortal, as I see it and you can understand, it would have been possible for Adam, if he had wanted, to partake of that tree along with the others, a tree that was able to provide him with endless life—hence he was given no instruction about it.
(8) If, however, someone of a meddling nature should enquire why it was called the tree of life, let him learn that it was not possible for human beings to discern all God's works precisely by following their own reasoning. The Lord, you see, decided that the human being created by him should have some practice in disobedience and obedience while living in the garden, and decided to provide examples there of these two trees, one of life, the other of death (so to say) in the sense that tasting it and breaking the command brought death on him. So when by partaking of this tree he became liable to death and subject in the future to the needs of the body, and the entry of sin had its beginnings as the result of which death also was fittingly provided for by the Lord, no longer did he allow Adam in the garden but bade him leave there, showing us that his sole motive in doing this was his love for him.
(g) To learn this precisely, we must read again the words of Sacred Scripture. "'Now there is a risk that at some time he may put out his hand and pick fruit from the tree, eat it and live forever.'" In other words, since he had given signs of considerable intemperance through the command already given him (he is saying) and had become subject to death, lest he presume further to lay hold of this tree which offers endless life and go on sinning forever, it would be better for him to be driven from here. And so the expulsion from the garden was a mark of care rather than necessity. Our Lord, you see, is like this: he reveals his care for us in punishing no less than in blessing, and even his punishment is inflicted for the sake of admonition. Because if in fact he knew that we would not get worse by sinning and escaping, he would not have punished us; but to check our decline into greater evil and to stem the tide of wickedness, he applies punishment out of fidelity to his own loving kindness—[152] which is exactly
HOMILY 18
what he did in this case: in his care for the firstformed human being he bade him be driven out of the garden. "The Lord
God sent him out of the garden of delight to till the soil from which he was taken." See here once again, I ask you, the precision of Sacred Scripture: "The Lord God sent him out of the garden of delight," the text says, "to till the soil from which he was taken." See, he puts the sentence into effect, driving him out of the garden of delight and obliging him to ull the soil from which he was taken. It was not without purpose that he said, "from which he was taken." It was that he might in this work have a constant reminder of his humiliation, and be in a position to know that his subsistence derived from that source, and the composition of his body originally came from the soil—hence, he says, till the soil from which he himself was composed. He had said as much also in the sentence, "'In the sweat of your brow may you eat your bread.'" Accordingly at this point also he says the same thing in the phrase, "'to till the soil from which he was taken.'"
(10) Then, so that we may learn how great was the distance he moved him from the garden, Sacred Scripture teaches us eee this further fact in the words, "The Lord God drove Adam out and situated him opposite the garden of delight.'® Notice how each of the events proved an occasion of loving kindness on the part of the common Lord of all, and each example of punishment abounds with goodness. I mean, the expulsion was not the sole mark of love and goodness: there was also his location opposite the garden so that he might have unending anguish in recollecting from what heights he had fallen and cast himself into such depths. Yet even if the sight of it was the cause of unbearable pain, it was nevertheless an occasion of no little benefit: the constant sight proved to be an encouragement for this grieving man to carefulness in the future lest he fall into the same sin again. Such, after all, is the habit of human nature by and large: since, while we are in a position to enjoy good things, we don't know how to use
6. Gen 3.24a in the LXX version, which by supplying the pronoun "him" has slightly altered the sense of the whole verse.
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
them as we ought, we come to our senses with the loss of these things by learning through experience and gaining a sense of our own indifference. In this way we are taught by the change of fortunes from what heights we have fallen and with what troubles we have tortured ourselves. And so the instruction that the one who had lost his place there should dwell nearby and opposite the garden was a sign of deep concern in order that he might have the constant reminder from the sight of it and feel a sense of loss from it and never presume to eat from the tree through lusting after life while finding himself outside. Thus, you see, Sacred Scripture describes everything to us in a manner that shows considerateness for our limitations.
(11) "He set the Cherubim and the flailing sword of fire to guard the approach to the tree of life."' Their indifference, which they had already demonstrated in regard to the command given them, proved the cause of the approach being barred against them with such precautions. Consider, I ask you, that the loving God was not content with their dwelling opposite the garden: he placed these powers, the Cherubim and the flailing sword of fire, to guard the way leading there.
It was not without purpose that "flailing" was added: the reason was to teach us that every way was barred to him since
[153] that sword was turning around and blocking every way leading there, sufficient to provide him with a reminder and fill him with constant fear.
(12) "Now, Adam had intercourse with his wife Eve."8 Consider when this happened. After their disobedience, after their loss of the garden, then it was that the practice of intercourse had its beginning. You see, before their disobedience they followed a life like that of the angels, and there was no mention of intercourse. How could there be, when they were not subject to the needs of the body? So, at the outset and from the beginning the practice of virginity was in force; but when through their indifference disobedience came on the scene and the ways of sin were opened, virginity took its leave
7. Gen 3.24b in the LXX version.
8. Gen 4.1.
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1] for the reason that they had proved unworthy of such a degree of good things, and in its place the practice of intercourse took over for the future. Accordingly, consider, I ask you, dearly beloved, how great the esteem of virginity, how elevated and important a thing it is, surpassing human nature and requiring assistance from on high. I mean, for proof that those who practice virginity with enthusiasm demonstrate in the body the characteristics of incorporeal powers, listen to the words of Christ to the Sadducees: when they were discussing the question of resurrection and wanted to learn his view, they asked, "Master, there were seven brothers of our acquaintance. The eldest married and died without children, leaving his wife to his brother. The second died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother; likewise with the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh. So at the resurrection to which of the seven will the wife belong? After all, she belonged to them all." So what reply did Christ make to them?
"You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God: at the resurrection, far from marrying or being given in marriage, they will be like angels."® Do you see how those who have followed the vocation to virginity for the love of Christ imitate the life of angels through treading the earth and being clad in a body? I mean, the greater and more elevated the task, so much and even greater the laurels, the rewards and the good things promised to those who give evidence of the practice of good works along with this vocation.
(13) "Now, Adam had intercourse with his wife Eve," the text says, "and she conceived and gave birth to Cain." Since sin had come on the scene through the act of disobedience, and the sentence had the effect of making them liable to death, for the future God in his inventiveness arranged for the continuance of the human race according to his wisdom by allowing for the propagation of the race through intercourse.
(14) "She said, 'I have gained a human being, thanks to g. A paraphrase of Matt 22.24—30, which has parallels in Mark 12.19-25 and Luke 20.28—36.
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God.'" See how the imposition of the punishment brought the woman to her senses? She attributes the child she bore not to a natural process but to God, and displays her own gratitude. Do you see how the punishment proved an occasion of admonition to them? The text says, remember, "'I have gained a human being, thanks to God.'" It was not nature, she is saying, that presented me with the child; [154] instead, grace from above has given him to me.
(15) "She proceeded to give birth to his brother Abel."!° Since she proved to be grateful for the birth of the first child and acknowledged the former kindness, she enjoyed the good fortune of the second. Our Lord is like this, you see: when we display gratitude for previous good deeds and acknowledge the benefactor, he lavishes his gifts upon us more generously. Accordingly, because she attributed the birth to God, for that reason she receives another child. You see, the generation of children was the greatest consolation from then on, once mortality had come on the scene. For this reason, of course, the loving God at once and from the beginning reduced the severity of their punishment and stripped away the fearsome visage of death by favoring them with the propagation of children, foreshadowing, as it were, in this event an image of resurrection and ensuring that others would rise up in place of the fallen.
(16) "Abel was a shepherd, whereas Cain was a tiller of the soil." Sacred Scripture taught us the occupations of each of the children and the fact that while one preferred tending flocks, the other tilled the soil. "In the course of time Cain brought an offering of the fruits of the earth to the Lord."!!
Consider how the Lord of nature added knowledge to conscience. After all, who brought this to our understanding? It was none other than knowledge associated with conscience.
The text says, "He brought an offering of the fruits of the earth to the Lord." He knew and understood that he should offer from his own possessions some produce to God as to his master, not because God needs them, but for the purpose
10. Gen 4.2.
Vin Genl4.3.
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of demonstrating his gratitude as being himself a beneficiary of such kindness. God, you see, is proof against need, and depends on nothing we have to offer; but in his ineffable love he shows considerateness for us, and for the sake of our salvation he allows these things to happen so that knowledge of the Lord may be for the human race a school of virtue.
(17) "Abel also for his part brought an offering of the firstborn of his flock."!? It was not idly or in vain that in beginning this sermon we taught your good selves that our Lord does not recognize differences in appearance but takes account of intentions and rewards the will. Here, too, to be sure, notice this happening. Accordingly, let us attend with precision, dearly beloved, to the text and see what Scripture says about Cain on the one hand and Abel on the other, and let us not pass it by heedlessly.'? I mean, Sacred Scripture says nothing idly or by chance; instead, even if it happens to be a syllable or a single jot, it has some treasure concealed in it. Such, after all, is the nature of all things spiritual. So what does the text say? "In the course of time Cain brought an offering of the fruits of the earth to the Lord, and Abel also for his part brought an offering of the firstborn of his flock, and in fact the fattest of them." The meaning of the verse is clear even from the reading to those already capable of following more closely. But since we should exercise our concern in general for everyone (spiritual teaching, after all, recognizes no distinction), come now, let us expose the meaning of the words more clearly and rehearse these same words again.
"Cain," the text says, "brought an offering of the fruits of the earth to the Lord"; then, wanting to teach us about Abel as well, Sacred Scripture says that he for his part also brought his offering [155] from his occupation and his shepherding.
"He, for his part, also brought an offering," the text says, 12. Gen 4.4.
; 13. Over and over again Chrysostom reminds his readers of the "precision," akribeia, of the text of Scripture—a gift of divine considerateness—and of the corresponding obligation to precision in the commentator/reader.
Hence the respect shown at Antioch for the literal sense of the sacred text.
See Introduction (21) (FOTC 74) and my article, "Akribeia."
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
remember, "of the firstborn of his flock, and in fact the fattest of them." Notice how it hints to us of the piety of this man's attitude, and the fact that he did not casually offer any one of his sheep, but "one of the firstborn," that is, from the valuable and special ones. In Cain's case, on the contrary, nothing of the kind is suggested; rather, the fact that he brought "an offering of the fruits of the earth," as if to say, whatever came to hand, without any display of zeal or precise care.
(18) I repeat, and I shall not cease to make the point: God accepts our offerings not because he needs 'what we have to offer but because he wants our gratitude to be demonstrated through them as well. In other words, the person who makes an offering to God and offers him something of his own, and who calls to mind the difference in nature and the fact that a human being has been granted such a great honor, should give as good an account of himself as possible and offer the choicest gifts. But notice in this case, I ask you, dearly beloved: here you have the opportunity to contemplate what behooves you, namely, that the person who through indifference betrayed his own welfare duly pays the penalty. I mean, it wasn't a case of one man having a teacher and the other having a counsellor and adviser: each had instructions from his own conscience, and being moved by the intelligence supplied to the human race from above he proceeded to make his offering, such as it was; but the difference in attitude that emerged and the mediocrity of choice caused one man's offering to be acceptable and the other's to be spurned.
(19) "God took notice of Abel and his gifts." See how in this case is fulfilled the saying in the gospel that the first will be last and the last first.'4 I mean, see how the one who enJoyed priority belonging to the firstborn and consequently made his offering first was shown to be inferior to his brother since he made it unworthily: as both presented their offerings, Sacred Scripture says, "God took notice of Abel and his gifts." What does that mean, "He took notice"? He accepted, he approved of the attitude, he rewarded the choice, he was
14. Cf. Mark 10.32; Matt 19.30; Luke 13.30.
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satisfied (so to say) with what was done. You see, we speak about God and presume to open our mouth about that pure nature, yet being human we would have no choice but to understand these things through language. Notice, however, this remarkable feature: "God took notice of Abel and his gifts," the text says; it calls the offering of sheep gifts on account of the importance, the choice quality, the untainted appearance of what was offered. Accordingly, God took notice of him for the reason that he had made the offering with a pure intention, and of his gifts for the reason not only that they were free of imperfection but that they were in every respect clearly precious, both from the viewpoint of the offerer's intention and from the fact of their being the firstborn and in fact specially selected from them, among the fattest of them and the very prize ones.
(20) "God took notice of Abel and his gifts," the text says, "whereas to Cain and his offerings he paid no heed." Since
Abel made his offering with a proper attitude and pure intention, "God took notice," the text says—that is, he accepted, he was satisfied, he approved of them; but it called the offerings gifts, by this means dignifying the attitude of the offerer.
"Whereas to Cain and his offerings he paid no heed." Notice [156] the precision of Sacred Scripture: by the phrase "he paid no heed" it shows us the rejection of what was offered, and by calling what was offered from the soil offerings he teaches us something else again. I mean, see how he shows us through the very events and terms that the Lord wants all these things to be done by us so that the kind of intention we have should be made clear through the actions we take, and so that we may be in a position to know that we are subject to a Lord and Creator who brought us from nothing to being.
In other words, in naming the sheep gifts and calling the things from the earth offerings, Sacred Scripture teaches us that neither the herding of sheep nor the collection of fruits of the earth is what is looked for by the Lord but simply the disposition of one's attitude. Hence in this case, too, one man proved acceptable with his gift on this score, whereas the other was rejected along with his gift on that account. The
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verse, "God took notice of Abel and his gifts, whereas to Cain and his offering he paid no heed," let us take in a sense befitting God. I mean, the intention in the words is that he communicated to them the awareness that while he was satisfied with one man's choice, he took umbrage at the other's attitude.
(21) Such, however, is the way God does things; let us now see what follows. "This annoyed Cain very much and his face fell.'"!5 What is the meaning of the words, "This annoyed Cain very much"? There were two reasons for his 'annoyance, not just that he alone had been rejected, but also that his brother's gift had been accepted. "This annoyed Cain," the text says, "and his face fell." What was it that annoyed him? Both things annoyed him, the Lord's ignoring his offering and his brother's gift being welcomed. So it was necessary that he recognize his guilt and adjust the error of his ways. After all, our Lord is loving, and when we err he does not turn away from us because of our error as if we continued in the error; on the contrary, he keeps no record of it. In order that you may learn this with precision and see the indescribable magnitude of the loving kindness, consider in these present events the exceeding degree of his goodness and the extent of his longsuffering. I mean, when he saw Cain annoyed unreasonably and, so to say, at the point of drowning in the waves of his annoyance, he did not ignore him; instead, that love which he had shown for his father in giving him the opportunity for excuse and opening the way to renewed confidence in the words, "Where are you?" despite that damaging fall—the very same love he now demonstrates towards the man who had proved so ungrateful, and stretches out his hand to this person who was at the point of tumbling down the cliff, as you might say, desirous as he was of offering him the opportunity to adjust the error of his ways. So he says to him, "'For what reason are you so annoyed? For what reason has your face fallen? Is it not true that, even if you make your offering correctly but fail to choose the offering correctly, you commit
15. Gen 4.5.
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sin? Be at peace, then: his movement is towards you, and you will be superior to him.'"!® (22) Consider, I ask you, dearly beloved, the ineffable considerateness in his care when he saw Cain under assault, so to speak, from the passion of envy, see how out of fidelity to his own goodness he applied various remedies to him so that he might be quickly plucked from the water and not be drowned.
"'For what reason are you annoyed? For what reason has your face fallen?'" Why on earth, he is saying, are you overcome with such resentment as to show the extent of your displeasure on your face? "'For what reason has your face fallen?'" Why has this event so affected you? Why have you not considered what your obligation was? [157] You weren't making your offering to a human being, capable of being deceived, were you? Did you not realize that I wasn't looking for some offering or other of yours, but for the pure intention of the offerer? "'For what reason are you annoyed? For what reason has your face fallen? Is it not true that, even if you make your offering correctly but fail to choose the offering correctly, you commit sin?" That is to say, while your having the idea of making an offering was commendable, still your not choosing the offering correctly led to the rejection of the offering. The one who makes an offering to God, you know, must show great care in the choice, and the greater the difference between the recipient and the offerer, the greater the distinction you should lend to your choice. You, however, gave no thought to these matters but simply offered whatever came to hand; hence they in turn could not be judged acceptable.
You see, just as your intention in making the offering did not make allowance for the difference in status, and so caused the offering presented by you to be rejected; in like manner, your brother's intention, which happened to be correct and revealed great care in the choice, caused his gifts to be ac16. Gen 4.6—7, a text that has always puzzled interpreters; Speiser observes that this LXX rendering almost perfectly adheres to the letters of the Hebrew text but divides words differently, yielding a different sense in the way Chrysostom takes the words here. Actually, Chrysostom allows for a still further interpretation when he opens the matter again in Homily 19.
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
ceptable. Still, I am not demanding a penalty for the error but merely highlighting the sin and offering you advice, provided you want to take it, mend your ways and not involve yourself in worse evils.
(23) So what is the upshot? You have sinned, and sinned grievously, but I am not imposing punishment for the sin; after all, I am loving, and "I do not want the death of the sinner, rather that he be converted and live."!" Since, then, you have sinned, be at peace, lend calm to your thinking and rid yourself of the onset of the waves crashing around your mind, settle the storm lest you add to the previous sin another more grievous one and set your mind on something beyond repair. Don't give yourself into the clutches of the wicked demon. "'You have sinned, be at peace.'" He knew right from the outset that the future attack against his brother would take place, and by these words he checks it beforehand. You see, since he was God and knew the unspoken intentions of Cain's mind, he was aware of the movements of his heart; so with this earnest exhortation and the considerateness of his words he applies the appropriate remedy to him, doing everything in his power in case this man should reject the medication and fall headlong into the abyss of fratricide. ""You have sinned, be at peace.'" Don't think, he says, even if I have turned away from your offering owing to your incorrect attitude and have welcomed your brother's gift because of his sound choice, that I have stripped you of your pride of place and removed you from the distinction of firstborn. "'Be at peace," even if he has been deemed worthy of my regard and his gifts have proved acceptable, nevertheless "'his movement is towards you, and you will be superior to him.'" And so even after this sin I permit you to have the privilege of being firstborn, and I bid him be subject to your authority and your control.
(24) See the Lord's loving kindness, how he wishes to defuse the wild frenzy and remove the anger by means of his words. You see, he observed the stages of his thinking and 17. Ezek 18.23.
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Ny realized the savagery of his deadly intention; so he intends at this early stage to sedate his thinking and bring repose to his mind by placing his brother subject to him and not undermining his authority. But even despite such great concern and such potent remedies, [158] Cain gained nothing from the experience. Such was the degree of difference in their attitudes and the excess of evil intent.
(25) Lest, however, we prolong the sermon unduly and thus seem to tax the patience of your good selves, and lest our homily bore you to tears and be considered an ordeal to you, let us bring the talking to a halt at this stage. Let us commend this point to your warm attention, to avoid imitating conduct of that kind, bid good riddance to evil, and devote yourself to the Lord's command with great attention and with your whole heart, especially in the wake of such examples and others like them. I mean, in future none of us will be able to take refuge in ignorance. After all, if that man—I mean
Cain—was not in a position to find anyone living before his time who did anything of that kind, and still was subjected to that severe and unbearable punishment, as you will later discover, what is it likely that we will suffer—we who have committed those sins and even worse ones despite such a generous measure of grace? Will it not assuredly be everlasting fire, the worm that does not die, gnashing of teeth, exterior darkness, a fiery hell and all those other ineluctable punishments awaiting us? I mean, there will be no grounds for excuse left for us, since we have been so much disposed to sloth and so remiss. Surely, after all, we are all aware of what is to be done, and the sorts of things that should not be done? and that those who practice the former will enjoy the choicest of rewards, while those who fall victim to the latter will undergo condemnation to the most extreme of penalties?
(26) Hence I beseech, entreat and implore you not to let our assembling here prove to be of no avail; instead, let attention to our words be followed by deeds, so that having the certainty that comes from a good conscience and being buoyed up already in our present situation with sound hope, we may be able to negotiate with ease this life's sea of prob-
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lems and put in at the harbor of God's loving kindness, thus attaining to those good things beyond all telling which the Lord has promised to those who love him, thanks to the grace and mercy of his only-begotten Son, to whom with the holy and adorable Spirit be glory, power and honor, now and forever, for all ages of ages. Amen.'®
18. A rare variant of the trinitarian doxology with which Chrysostom closes all the homilies.