By St. John Chrysostom
“Why are you pleased with your fatherland,” He says, once I command you to be a wanderer all through the complete universe, when you possibly can change into such that the entire world is not going to be worthy of you? The place you come from is so unimportant that the pagan philosophers themselves don’t connect any significance to it, name it exterior and provides it final place. Nevertheless, Paul permits this, you’ll say, when he says: “regarding election, beloved of God for the sake of the fathers” (Rom. 11:28). However inform me, when, about whom and to whom does he say this? Transformed pagans, who had been pleased with their religion, rebelled towards the Jews, and thereby alienated them much more from themselves. So, he says this to be able to carry down vanity in some, and to draw and excite others to comparable jealousy. When he talks about these noble and nice males, then hearken to what he says: “for individuals who communicate like this present that they’re searching for the fatherland. And if that they had of their ideas the fatherland from which they got here, they might have time to return; however they sought what was higher, that’s, what was heavenly” (Heb. 11:14-16). And once more: “all these died in religion, not receiving the guarantees, however solely noticed them from afar and rejoiced” (Heb. 11:13). In precisely the identical approach, John stated to those that got here to him: “Don’t suppose to say to your self, ‘We now have Abraham as our father’” (Matthew 3:9); additionally Paul: “Not all these Israelites who’re of Israel, not kids of the flesh, are kids of God” (Rom. 9:6,8). Actually, inform me, what profit did the kids of Samuel have within the the Aristocracy of their father, after they themselves didn’t inherit his advantage? What good is it for the kids of Moses who weren’t jealous of his strict life? They didn’t inherit his energy. They had been written by his kids, however the authorities of the individuals handed to a different who was his son in advantage. Quite the opposite, did it damage Timothy that he had a Gentile father? What profit once more did the son of Noah have from the advantage of his father if he grew to become a slave from a free man? Do you see how little safety kids have within the the Aristocracy of their father? The corruption of the desire overcame the legal guidelines of nature, and disadvantaged Ham not solely of the the Aristocracy of his mother and father, but in addition of freedom itself. Additionally, was not Esau the son of Isaac, who additionally interceded for him? Though his father tried and wished him to be a participant within the blessing, and he himself fulfilled all his instructions for this function, however since he was skinny, all this didn’t assist him. Even though by nature he was the first-born, and his father, along with him, tried in each doable solution to protect his benefit, he, nevertheless, misplaced the whole lot, as a result of he didn’t have God with him. However what am I saying about people? The Jews had been sons of God, and but they gained nothing from this dignity. So, if somebody, even being a son of God, is punished much more for not displaying advantage worthy of such the Aristocracy, then what about displaying off the the Aristocracy of his grandfathers and great-grandfathers? And never solely within the Outdated Testomony, but in addition within the New Testomony one can discover the identical factor. “And to those that,” it’s stated, “obtained Him, to those that believed in His identify, He gave energy to change into kids of God” (John 1:12); in the meantime, for a lot of of those kids, in line with Paul, it’s utterly ineffective that they’ve such a Father. “In case you are circumcised,” he says, “Christ will revenue you nothing” (Galatians 5:2).
If Christ is totally ineffective for individuals who don’t wish to hearken to themselves, then what’s the usage of human intercession? So, allow us to not be pleased with both the Aristocracy or wealth, however allow us to despise those that are overvalued with such benefits; Allow us to not be discouraged due to poverty, however allow us to search the wealth that lies in good deeds and flee the poverty that leads us into sin. For this final cause, the well-known wealthy man was certainly poor, which is why he couldn’t, regardless of intense requests, obtain even one drop of water. In the meantime, is there such a beggar amongst us who wouldn’t have water to chill himself? There’s none; and those that are melting away from excessive starvation could have a drop of water, and never solely a drop of water, however one other, a lot higher comfort. However this wealthy man didn’t even have that – he was so poor, and, what’s most painful of all, he couldn’t have any comfort in his poverty from wherever. So why will we covet cash when it doesn’t take us to heaven? Inform me, if any earthly king stated {that a} wealthy man couldn’t shine in his royal palaces, or obtain any honor, wouldn’t everybody throw away their possessions with contempt? So, if we’re able to despise property when it deprives us of honor from the king of the earth, then with the voice of the King of heaven, who each day cries out and says that it’s inconvenient to enter these sacred vestibules with wealth, we could not despise the whole lot and reject wealth? to freely enter His kingdom?
Supply: St. John Chrysostom, Interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew. Vol. 7. E book 1. Dialog 9.