IN HOMILY ON FLEEING FICTITIOUS APPEARANCE
AThis homily has long been rightly banished to the category of spurious works; everything proclaims this—the style, the diction, the mode of figurative speech, the use of words—it is familiar neither to Chrysostom nor to any writers of a more refined literature.
HOMILY: THAT WE MUST FLEE FICTITIOUS APPEARANCE AND WHAT IS NOT TRUE
Again, it is necessary for us to take up the evangelical trumpet and to make known the Lord’s admonition to you: "Beware," He says, "of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves; by their fruits you will recognize them." For he says that a fictitious appearance is everywhere exposed by what is done in every instance; for deeds originate from the moral purpose; yet a grave appearance does not change the moral purpose. Therefore, the deceitful person is laboring in vain before the wise, before those who are able to hunt him out by his fruits and to recognize who he is and what he appears to be. Why, then, do you hide yourself in a foreign appearance? Why do you conceal the wolf under the fleece of a sheep? B For truth will expose you a little later, and by fleeing truth, you will be caught by the truth. Why do you put forward words of virtue, while covering up a bitter character? You will not escape being bitter, even if you pretend very much to be sweet. Why do you put on the appearance of friendship while being an enemy? We do not live in darkness; secret things are exposed, and the hatred which you were hiding is convicted. Why do you feign friendship? Why do you flatter when you do not love? Even the object of your flattery will become hateful, bringing harm as from an enemy, not benefit as from a friend. For you praise even evil things for the sake of flattery; but the one being flattered is not so senseless; for he ought to hate the one who praises him for his sins. Why do you mock the character of a just and temperate person while continuing in injustices and dissoluteness? Why do you cover pride with an appearance, and cloak envy with words of humility and piety? There is nothing covered that will not be revealed, C and secret that will not be known. A wicked slander against a man is a falsehood; let us flee the defamation based on a lie; do not make yourself untrustworthy to a friend, so that, even when you speak the truth, he may no longer believe you; for the man found once to be a liar is no longer worthy of being believed, not even if he should ever speak the truth. "For to speak just things," he says, "and to tell the truth is more pleasing to God than the blood of sacrifices." You will offer up faith and truth as a gift acceptable to God; and it is easy for you to speak of things that exist, and not to contrive things that do not exist. For you will not labor by forcing a lie into truth, nor will you fail in any way, saying things contrary to yourself, because a lying speech is not in harmony with itself; you will not be ashamed, having lied to others, while you are supposed to be guarding the truth. Friends will consider your word more trustworthy than an oath, and will accept your statement as stronger than any sworn testimony, if you are just and beyond dispute; since, when you come forward to testify, you will provide for yourself the fairest glory based on the truth, and will provide salvation for those in danger and benefit for the injured in a court of justice. "Righteous lips," he says, "establish true testimony; but the witness of the unjust is deceitful." A judge will see you and gladly release you from the investigation concerning the trial. But indeed, the success of humility is praiseworthy before the Lord, if we are able to attain it. Many, therefore, having attained some good, wish to belittle themselves beyond the truth, preferring rather to lie about themselves. D But I say to you, be humble toward the truth, O man; speak humble things about yourself into the ears of God, as Abraham said: "I am earth and ashes"; as Paul said: "I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God." Yet again, being truthful, he added: "But by the grace of God, I am what I am." Since these things are thus set before us for our instruction from every side, let us flee the fictitious appearance. Why do we put on masks for ourselves, and not being such as we demonstrate ourselves to be—dragging our garments down to the ground in the appearance of holy men, while in our manner of life we are savage; in word and attire holy, but in mind and works inhuman? Adornment does not lead into the kingdom of heaven, but works of righteousness. A human being will not look upon things as God will look upon them; a human being will look upon the face, but God looks upon the heart: "For God," he says, "examines hearts and reins..." and since He is coming to gather the thoughts of men: "For all things are naked and opened to His eyes; there is no hiding from His heat." The time will come when, having cast off this mask, you will be found naked, and then you will be ashamed to be seen by the face of God, like Adam having fallen. For there, appearance is no longer sought, but works. For here, we often deceive and escape examination, and through a grave appearance we appear as just, and are often praised; but there it is no longer possible to lie; there works are sought, not the grave appearance any longer; rather, we will have greater punishment and condemnation, having worn the grave appearance, but not having labored the works of the appearance. Hear the Savior speaking concerning the Jews, but offering instruction to us: "For they broaden their fringes, and they pray in the marketplaces, so that they may appear just to men; these will receive greater judgment." You desire the grave appearance, and you have longed for the name of Christianity; do not remain only at this, but as you have confessed to God, render the promise by the demonstration of works. Why are you hasty toward the promise, not confirming it with works? It is necessary, therefore, both to pray with security, and to render the debt of the promise with accuracy: "Pray and render to the Lord your God." A pure conduct should be offered to Him; that is, in body and soul and spirit; do not subtract from the promise, that you may not suffer the fate of Ananias and Sapphira. For those two, having embezzled from the price of the promised property,
were condemned to death; and we too must fear these things. For one must know, and not be ignorant, that what we promise to God no longer belongs to us, but pertains to God. Our promise is a treasure of God; and if we draw back from these things, we are no longer receiving that which is our own, but we are stealing as if they were God’s treasures, and truly we shall be judged as temple-robbers. A And the promise is not only a matter of money, but extends even to word and intention; "For every idle word," He says, "you will give an account on the day of judgment." For the divine and great mystery does not have its subsistence in money, but in perfect intention and the faith according to God; for we have all made promises, and we are all debtors to our promises. So it is necessary to render that which one promised: the virgin, her virginity, just as she promised; the temperate person, his temperance; and the one in marriage, his chastity and mutual love. For whoever promises to live in virginity or temperance due to necessity, but then tells a lie concerning the promise and crosses over into marriage, has judgment, for he has set aside his first faith. B And rightly the priest ought to render the priesthood well-pleasing, and the deacon his ministry blameless, not pilfering the things of the ministry, lest he be condemned as Judas was for selling them. There is need, then, of great precision here, that one might not lie to God by not rendering that which is the promise—or rather, the deposit—which each of us has promised. It is no longer ours; but thus we ought to consider it, that we received a deposit from God, and that we must, having kept the promise un-pilfered with prayer, present it at the fearful judgment seat of Christ, so that the sentence might not overtake us as ungrateful persons, after the example of Ananias. Therefore, there is need here for great security, that we might not stumble in anything, nor shrink from the promise, C but strive to render the promise with precision. Let us not think that Christianity is merely an outward form, nor let us remain satisfied with this, but by remaining akin to the truth and justice through the confirmation of our works, let us obtain the honors that follow after justice from Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
MONITION
to deny God; but because he ignorantly thinks that monarchy, or the unity of a principle or sovereignty, hinders the plurality of persons, he therefore assumes that this monarchy must be attacked. We have rejected the Latin interpretation of a certain unknown person, as being less accurate and for the most part faulty, and have prepared a new one.
AGAINST THE JEWS
and Greeks and heretics; and on the passage, "Jesus was called to a wedding."
The nestlings of the swallows sit in the nest awaiting the presence of their parents, who bring them food; and when they see them coming, they take wing with the light wing of the mind. In the same way, I also, about to approach this spiritual nest, proclaim beforehand and give glory to God, that He has given me such 821 affectionate children. But indeed, among swallows the food is given from mouth to mouth, but with us it is not so, but from mouth to hearing. For that food proceeds toward corruption, but this toward incorruption; that feeds bodies, but this fattens the soul. And all these things I have not said simply or in vain; but since the passage of the Gospel read today leads us by the hand to this teaching, it is necessary to instruct you. "Jesus," he says, "was called to a wedding." But brace yourselves, I beg you, and pay attention to what is being said: Since some use marriage as an excuse, others children, others military service, others merchandise, others a craft, others slavery, others wealth, others poverty, and whatever other things there are; I wish, therefore, to show you that neither wealth hinders, nor poverty, nor military service, nor merchandise, nor marriage, nor children, nor slavery, nor a craft, nor anything of that sort at all. Jesus was called to a wedding; did He go, or did He not go? It is clear that He went. If, then, He went, how is marriage evil? Do you have no defense? I say that He not only went, but also brought gifts; for He changed the water into wine. Do not, therefore, use marriage as an excuse. Your Master came to a wedding and honored the wedding, and do you insult the wedding and say that marriage is an obstacle? There is no obstacle to piety. Do you wish to learn that having a wife and children does not hinder one in anything? Did not Moses have a wife and children? Was not Elijah a virgin? Did not Moses bring down manna from heaven? Did not Elijah bring down fire from heaven? Did not Moses cause the quail to fly down? Did not Elijah close the heaven by his word? Did not God speak to Moses? And did not God speak also to Elijah? Did not Moses divide the sea and lead the people through? Was not Elijah taken up in a chariot of fire? Did virginity hinder him in any way? Did a wife and children hinder him in any way? You have seen Elijah the charioteer of the air; you have seen Moses the traveler of the sea; look also at Peter the pillar of the Church, that he too had a wife. It is not written that Peter had a wife; whence then is it clear that he had a wife? I say: "Jesus," it says, "entered into the mother-in-law of Peter; and she was sick, and He touched her, and her fever fled, and she was serving." Do you see that Peter also had a wife? For where there is a mother-in-law, it is clear that there is also a wife. Do you see that Peter also had a wife? Do not slander marriage. I say these things so that no one might use as an excuse a wife, or children, or military service, or merchandise, or a craft, or slavery, or wealth, or poverty; these are excuses, these are pretenses, these are snares of the devil. You use military service as an excuse, and say, "I am a soldier, and I cannot be devout." Was not the centurion a soldier? And he says to Jesus, "I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof; but speak a word, and my servant shall be healed." And Jesus wondered, and says: "Amen, amen, I say to you, I have not found such faith even in Israel." Did military service hinder him in any way? But what are you? Are you a craftsman? Paul was also a tent-maker of the Churches, and after that he became a herald and an apostle. But what are you? Rich? And Abraham, even he had a wife and children; "And he believed," he says, "Abraham