the judgment of thoughts. For the Master has yoked us to such a body that it cannot subsist unless it share in it—only let it be shorn of intemperance. This is very important for us for 516 its health and our own well-being. Do you not see every day, from expensive tables and intemperate overeating, countless diseases result? Whence come pains in the feet? Whence headaches? Whence the redundancy of corrupted humors? Whence ten thousand other diseases? Is it not from intemperance, and from wine consumed more than is necessary? As a ship that has taken on so much water that it cannot be bailed out is quickly weighed down and sinks, so too does a man, when he gives himself over to excessive greed and drunkenness, head toward a precipice and cause his reason to sink, and he lies there thereafter like a dead man possessed of a soul; capable often of doing evil, but regarding all that is good, he behaves no better than a corpse. Drunkenness is such an evil that it can dull even the senses, and force a man endowed with reason, who has received dominion over all things, to lie like a useless corpse bound by certain indissoluble chains; nay, worse than a corpse, for while one is useless for both good and evil, the other is publicly exposed to the laughter of all. For friends indeed, regarding it as their own disgrace, are affected with shame and blush; but enemies insult, and mock, and revile, saying little less than these words: Is it fitting for this man even to live? Is it fitting for him to breathe the air, or [to be] the beast, the pig? and saying more grievous things than these. By avoiding these things, beloved, as much as we are able, let us strive to eat only as much as brings pleasure—true pleasure, I mean—and is able to nourish the body, and render it obedient to us and fit for the performance of the commandments of Christ, that we may both pass the present life easily and attain the good things to come, through the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.
Homily XIII
On Sickness and Physicians
When you fall into adversity, O man, remember the body of Job, and that holy flesh—for it was holy and pure, and yet bore such wounds. For who has ever been so sick? Who has received such a plague, or seen another receive one? There is no one, there is none. Little by little his body was consumed, and a fountain of worms swarmed everywhere from his members, and this flux was continuous, and there was an unbearable stench on every side, and his body was gradually being divided; rotting away with such putrefaction, it made his food unsavory. And his hunger was strange and unheard of; for he could not partake of the food offered to him. For, he says, I see my food as the sound of wind. But, you say, he had enough of consolation and relief in the fact that he knew God was inflicting these things upon him. But this is what most of all troubled and agitated him, that he thought a just God, whom he had worshipped in every way, was hostile to him, and he could find no reasonable cause for the things that were happening. But if you think this is enough for consolation, you will be able, indeed, to have this very relief yourself. For even if you suffer nothing on account of God, but from the vexation of men, and yet you give thanks and do not revile Him who is able indeed to forbid [it] but yet permits it for the sake of your probation—just as those who have suffered on account of God are crowned, so you too will obtain the same rewards because you bore the inconveniences brought upon you by men generously, and gave thanks to Him who was able, but willed not to forbid it. For there is no good person without sin, nor any evil person without justice; but there is compensation and remuneration for both. If there is a just man, and he has done something evil and has fallen ill, and is subject to punishment, do not be troubled, but say: This just man did some small evil at some point, and receives [the penalty] here, so that he may not be punished there. Again, if you see a sinner plundering, acting greedily, living pleasantly, while he does innumerable evil things, do not be troubled even then, but say: This sinner who commits countless evils did some good thing at some point, and receives good things here, so that he may not demand back his wage there. This, moreover, can be seen in the case of Lazarus; since it happened that he also had some sins, and the rich man again had some good, hear what Abraham says: You received your good things there, and Lazarus his bad things (Luke 16:25). What kind? Did you do some good? You received in return for it wealth, good health, delicacies, power, honor; and nothing is owed to you. What then of Lazarus? Did he sin at all? Truly: therefore he says, And Lazarus his bad things. For when you were receiving your good things, then Lazarus was also receiving bad things. When, therefore, you see a just man being punished, declare him blessed and say: This just man has some sin, and for it he pays the penalty, and he departs there clean. But if he is punished beyond what his sins deserved, it is reckoned to him as an increase of justice. Note, however, what I say: Job was just, irreproachable, truthful, pious; and his body was punished here, so that he might receive his reward there. For God says to him, Do you think I have answered you otherwise, except that you might appear just (Job 40:8)? Did he therefore pervert the counsel of his wife, that holy Job? Nay, he did the contrary, and raised him up to a greater degree, so that he even rebuked his wife. For he preferred to grieve and be afflicted, and to suffer innumerable adversities, rather than to find any exit from these evils by way of reviling. But the common crowd of men, when they fall into adversity, revile immediately, and they endure the misery of the disease; but they are defrauded of the gain which they were to receive from the disease through patience. Why do you do this, O man? In
A truth, if he sees someone blaspheming, he easily increases the pain and makes it greater, so that, being stung, you may again rebel. But if he sees one bearing it bravely, and the more the suffering is intensified, all the more does he give thanks to God, he departs immediately, as one who is lingering in vain and to no purpose. For on what account, O man, do you fret and blaspheme, if you should ever fall into something unexpected? For by blaspheming, do you make the affliction lighter? No, you actually intensify it, and you make the pain especially more grievous. "But I cannot keep silent, being stung by the pain." But instead of blasphemy, give thanks, speak well, glorify God. For if you blaspheme, you have both repelled the aid of God and have made the devil more fierce against you; but if you give thanks, you have both repelled the plots of the wicked demon and drawn to yourself the care of the protecting God. But does the tongue often hasten, through habit, to utter those wicked words? But as soon as it hastens, before bringing forth the word, bite it fiercely on all sides with your teeth. It is better for it to bleed now than for it to crave a drop on that day, and not be able to find any consolation, as was the case with the rich man; it is better for it to suffer short-lived pain than to be roasted B eternally and without end then. Whenever, therefore, you fall into a grievous disease, and many come by forcing—some with incantations, others with amulets, others with other such things to relieve the evil—if you, for the fear of God, bear the pain from the disease bravely and firmly, and would choose to suffer everything rather than submit to doing any of these things, this brings you a crown of martyrdom. And do not doubt: for just as that man bears the pains from the tortures bravely, so as not to worship the idol; so you also bear the pains from the disease, so as not to have need of anything from him, nor to do what he commands. "But those are more violent." But these are longer; so it comes to the same thing, and often even more violent. For when a feverish heat troubles you within and burns, and while others advise you to shake off the rebuke, do you not crown yourself with a crown of martyrdom? For when you cast the enchanters out of your house with great indignation, all who hear will praise and admire you, and will say to one another: "This man, being sick, although ten thousand people were calling upon and advising him and counseling him to use certain magic incantations, did not accept them, but said: 'It is better to die in this way than to betray piety.'" But if the praises are so great here, reflect on how great are the crowns you will receive there, when, with the angels and archangels present, Christ shall come forward and, taking you by the hand, lead you into the midst of that theatre and, with all listening, say: "This man, having once been seized by a fever, while ten thousand were advising him to be rid of the fever, for the sake of My Name and the fear of Me, so as not to stumble in anything, he rejected and dishonored those who promised to cure him in this way, and chose rather to die of the disease than to betray the affection toward Me." For if He brings into the midst those who gave Him to drink and fed Him and clothed Him, much more those who, for His sake, chose to endure a fever. For it is not the same to give bread and a garment, and to endure a long disease, but this is much greater than that; so the crown also will be brighter. Let us practice these things even while healthy, and let us say them to one another. Remember the blessed Timothy, that he never caught his breath from his infirmity, but was a companion to it throughout his body. If that righteous and holy man, who had been entrusted with the care of the world, and was raising the dead, and driving out demons, and had corrected ten thousand diseases in others, suffered such grievous things, what apology will you have, being troubled and distressed at temporary illnesses? And children, indeed, often are instructed to endure fathers who do not even justly punish them; and will you not bear God who is training you, who loves you more than fathers do, and who arranges everything for your benefit; but if there is a small disease, do you immediately flee from His mastery, and run to the demons? And what forgiveness will you find? How will you make an apology to Christ? How will you call upon Him in prayers? With what conscience will you henceforth enter the church? With what eyes will you see the priest? With what hand will you touch the holy table? With what ears will you hear the Scriptures read there, doing such lawless things against yourself? And how will you be able to call upon God again? Or rather, not even another, even if he possessed the boldness of Moses, will be able to pray for you. Or do you not hear what He says to Jeremiah concerning the Jews? "Pray not for this people; for if Moses and Samuel should stand, I will not listen to them" (Jer. 15.1). And just as kidnappers often put cakes and dessert and other such things before little children, and by enticing them, deprive them of their freedom and their life; so also the enchanters, promising relief from the limb, submerge the whole salvation of the soul. But many of those who have fallen into extreme folly, not only ask for wealth and power and all such things from the God of all, but they even curse their enemies, and supplicate that some punishment be brought upon them; and they pray that He be gentle and kind toward themselves, but want Him to become harsh and inhuman toward their enemies. And those who are sailing do not command the pilot to hold the rudder and guide the ship in such and such a way, but sitting on the decks, they tolerate his expertise, not only when the ship is carried by a fair wind, but even when it threatens the final danger; but they do not tolerate yielding to God alone, who manages what is for our benefit precisely, resembling the sick man who begs the physician to give him everything that does not loosen the disease, but everything that feeds the mother of the disease itself. But the physician will not yield to the supplication of the patient, but even if he sees him weeping and lamenting, he follows the law of his own profession more than he is swayed by his tears; and we call the disobedience not inhumanity, but philanthropy; for in yielding to the sick person, and granting what is for pleasure, he works the things of the enemy against him; but in resisting and fighting against his desire, he has used mercy and philanthropy. But even loving fathers do not tolerate reaching for swords or coals of fire for their very young children; for they know clearly that it is harmful to them C
A and by resisting their child’s desire, they use mercy and kindness. In the same way, parents of their children, who are lovers of their own offspring, by no means endure to give them knives or coals of fire if they ask for them; for they know well that the granting of these things is destructive to them. In the same way, God also does not endure to give to those who ask for harmful things as if they were beneficial, knowing that these things will be a source of ruin for them. I believe that it was not thoughtlessly and without cause that ancient physicians established a law that the instruments of various kinds should be displayed publicly; but it was done for this reason, that they might render those who were healthy cautious, by showing them how much they would have need of if they lived inordinately. It is necessary, therefore, for us to fear Christ more than Gehenna, and to desire Him more than the kingdom. And if we should labor under an illness, it is better to remain in the infirmity than, through a release from the sickness, to fall into impiety. For even if a sorcerer provides a cure, he has done more harm than good. He has benefited the body, which after a short while is altogether destined to die and rot, but he has harmed the soul, which is immortal. For it is better for the one who is not a physician not to have medicines. For he who has none neither heals nor destroys, but the one who possesses them destroys, not knowing how to use them; since salvation lies not in the nature of medicines, but in the art of the one administering them. It does not follow that because one has the name of a physician, he is a physician. You have heard what was said about Lazarus; how he grappled with hunger, disease, and solitude throughout his entire time; so that he even ended his life at the vestibule of the rich man, neglected, hungry, and exposed as food to the dogs. For his body was so weakened that he could not even drive away the dogs that were invading and licking his wounds; yet he did not seek a sorcerer, did not apply charms, did not practice magic, did not call conjurers to himself, and did not do anything else forbidden; but he preferred to die from those evils rather than to betray even a small part of piety. What defense, therefore, will be given to us, when that man suffered and bravely endured such adversities, if on account of a fever or wounds we summon sorcerers and conjurers into our homes? For many often fall ill, yet they do not lack necessary food; others live in extreme poverty, but enjoy good health. But Lazarus was so debilitated that he could not even drive away the dogs, but lay there breathing yet dead, seeing them invading but unable to ward them off; in such a way were his limbs weakened, in such a way were they wasting away from the bad health, in such a way was he consumed by the trial. But if, by itself, any one of these things is intolerable and bitter; when they are joined together simultaneously, how could he not have been a man of adamant who endured them? For if he had been placed in solitude and an uninhabited B place and had suffered these things and been neglected, he would not have grieved in this way; for this very fact, that no one was present, would have compelled even an unwilling person to bear what was happening; and in truth, that he lay in the middle of those whose affairs were prosperous, and was held worthy of no care, not even of a common kind, he was made to feel a more bitter sense of pain. Imagine how it was proper for him to be affected, watching the parasites, the flatterers, those descending, those ascending, those going out, those coming in, the ones making a tumult, the drunkards. We ourselves, indeed, even if we suffer innumerable adversities, still have the ability to look to him, whence we may receive comfort in abundance; for to find partners in one's own evils brings much consolation to those who are grieving: but he was able to see no other person who had suffered the same things that he himself was undergoing: indeed, he even thought that present matters were concluded with this life: for he was of those who were before grace. But if now, in our own times, after such knowledge of God and the good hopes of the resurrection, and the goods prepared for those who act righteously, some are of such faint heart that they are not corrected even by these expectations: how was it fitting for him to be affected? Let us imitate Lazarus, both the rich and the poor. For he underwent not one, or two, or merely three struggles of virtue; but much more: poverty, the solitude of helpers, and adversity of health; that he did not see these things for two or three days, but throughout his entire life, and he saw himself in these and the rich man in the opposite; that he had no other Lazarus to look to, that he could not philosophize about the resurrection; that with the aforementioned evils he had also gathered for himself an evil suspicion among the common crowd of men from those calamities. What defense, therefore, shall we have, if when he so bravely bore all these adverse things together, we do not bear even half? For you cannot, you cannot show or name any other person who has suffered such and so many evils. For this reason, Christ set him in the middle, so that into whatever sort of adversity we might fall, seeing an exuberance beyond that, we may receive clear consolation and relief from the philosophy of that man. For the Master of the whole world has been set forth as a teacher to all, whoever suffer any adverse thing, exhibiting himself for all to observe, and surpassing all by the intensity of his own evils. For when wise physicians are about to cut off rotting limbs, or to extract stones stuck in passages, or to correct some other defect of nature, they do not do so by taking the patient into a corner; but when they have C proposed him in the middle of the forum, and have constituted a theater from those passing by, only then do they apply the incision. And they do this, not because they wish to insult human miseries, but so that they may teach those watching to exercise much care for their own health through the bodies of others. When, therefore, you see a just man being oppressed and vexed, and ending his present life in ill health and countless other adversities, say to yourself: "If there were no resurrection and judgment, God would by no means allow a person who has suffered so many evils, and who has enjoyed no good, to depart from here." Whence it is clear that He has prepared another life for them, sweeter and much more tolerable than this present one. Indeed, by what reasoning would it consistent, that He allowed many wicked men to live this present life in luxuries, while He leaves many just men in innumerable evils; since He is and is called just, and knows how to give grace justly to each according to his merits? To Whom is due glory, power, honor, and adoration, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. D