Two Conversations on the words of the prophet David: “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich”

“Two Discourses on the words of the prophet David: “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich” were delivered by St. John Chrysostom in July 399 In the first conversation (8 chapters) St. John condemns not wealth itself, but those who misuse it: “Wealth with good works is good.” Using the example of the righteous Job and Abraham, the saint points out true wealth - the wealth of virtues, the wealth of alms, which brings joy to poverty and alleviates poverty: “Wealth is ruinous if you do not use it properly.” This conversation also contains an admonition for wives to adorn themselves with chastity, modesty, wisdom, meekness, and love. In the second conversation (4 chapters), said in Constantinople, St. John continues to denounce wealth, urges us to avoid vanity and give generous alms. He calls for practicing reading the Holy Scriptures, which “is a serene haven, an unshakable fortress, an indestructible weapon…. It drives away despondency..., makes the poor richer than the rich, brings security to the rich..., drives away anger, returns to virtue...". *The title of the work in Latin is In illud: Ne timueris cum dives factus fuerit homo. Conversation 1. On the words of the prophet David: “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, or when the glory of his house increases” (Ps. 49:17), and about hospitality Conversation 2, spoken in Constantinople in the great Church, after another spoke the word, in a small gathering, on the words: “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich” (Ps. 49:17), and about alms (probably pronounced in 400 A.D.). Conversation 1. On the words of the prophet David: “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, or when the glory of his house increases” (Ps. 49:17), and about hospitality Greetings to the listeners. – Which of the people is human only in name, and how to become a human in reality? – How to achieve not to be afraid of a rich man? – What is true wealth? – The pastoral responsibility of a preacher is difficult, but irreplaceable. - How can a rich man escape? – An example of hospitality and admonition to wives. – External wealth serves to decorate the house, not the person himself. 1. It is pleasant for the farmer to drag the plow to clear the field, hold the reins, pluck up the thorns, and then sow the seeds when there are no more thorns left that are harmful to the sowing; but it is much more pleasant for a preacher to teach divine suggestions to an ear free from confusion. Therefore, we begin to speak with pleasure, seeing this field cleared. Although we do not see your soul, your open eyes and intense hearing prove to me your inner peace. Although I cannot penetrate your conscience, your directed and raised gazes say that there is no turmoil within you, or better yet, with them you earnestly cry: sow the seeds, we will receive what is sown, in hope of fruit, because we have driven out all worldly cares from our souls. That is why I always touch my deepest thoughts, hoping for the kindness of the fields. Scripture requires not only a wise teacher, but also an intelligent listener; Therefore, I please you, and at the same time I consider myself blessed. “Blessed,” it says, “is he who... conveys it into the ears of those who listen” (Sir. 25:12), and again: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matt. 5:6). Thus we give instructions to you who have come here with zeal. All others are now in the marketplace and are exhausted by everyday worries, and you, having become higher than the earth, accept spiritual suggestions; they servile the slave, caring for the flesh, while you protect and adorn your noble and free soul. Where are you now, man? At the marketplace. What are you looking for? Dirt and dust. Come here and receive myrrh from me. Why do you collect perishable wealth, indulge in the love of money, this tyrant, seek fleeting power, worry about everyday things that exist today, but not tomorrow? Why do you pick flowers and leave the fruit? Why do you run after the shadow and not accept the truth? Why do you chase after what disappears, and not seek what remains? “All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field... The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God endures forever” (Isaiah 40:6–8). Do you have a lot of wealth? But what's in it for the soul? You are rich in money, but poor in soul; You adorn yourself with leaves, but have no fruit. What, tell me, is the benefit of this? You have acquired money that you will leave here later; acquired power, which is accompanied by intrigues. Come here, enjoy a wise conversation, blot out your sins, destroy your iniquities, clear your conscience, elevate your mind, be an angel and a man. Leave the bonds of the flesh, and take the light wings of life; renounce the visible and hold on to the invisible; ascend to heaven, rejoice with the angels, stand before the high, exalted throne; leave this smoke, this shadow, this hay, this cobweb. I don’t find a worthy name for the bustle here. I say this and will not stop saying it. Come and be a man, so that this name is not attributed to your being in vain. Did you understand what was said to you? He is said to be a man. Yes, he is a man, but often only in name, and not a man in his spiritual mood. When I see you living crazy, how can I call you a man and not an ox? When I see you stealing someone else’s property, how can I call you a man and not a wolf? When I see you committing fornication, how can I call you a man and not a pig? When I see you as treacherous, how can I call you a man and not a serpent? When I see you having poison, how can I call you a man and not an asp? When I see you reckless, how can I call you a man and not a donkey? When I see you committing adultery, how can I call you a man and not a wild horse? When I see you rebellious and insensitive, how can I call you a man and not a stone? You received nobility from God, why are you betraying the dignity of nature? Tell me what are you doing? Some people know how, as much as possible, to teach animals what is characteristic of humans: parrots are taught to speak in a human voice, conquering nature with art; The lions are made tame and led around the squares. So, you make a lion, an indomitable animal, meek, but you yourself turn out to be fiercer than a wolf? And - what’s even worse - each of the dumb animals has one drawback: the wolf is predatory, the serpent is treacherous, the asp is poisonous; but this is not the case with an evil person. A person often has more than one flaw, but he can also be predatory, insidious, and poisonous, uniting the passions of animals in his soul. How can I call you a man when you do not have royal distinction, do not have a diadem, do not have a scarlet robe? “Let us make,” said God, “man in our image [and] according to our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). Think, man, in what image you were created, and do not degrade yourself to the baseness of beasts. If you saw a king throwing away the scarlet robe and diadem, putting himself on an equal footing with the soldiers and betraying his rank, would you call him king? You are human. Do not prove to me that you have the soul of a man, but show me that you are a man in your spiritual mood. You are the ruler of dumb animals, and you yourself have become a slave to the insane passions that dwell within you? 2. But how, you say, will I become a man? If you curb the wisdom of the flesh, these crazy wisdoms, if you leave fornication, if you pluck out the immoderate passion for wealth, this evil tyrant, if you make your field clean. How can you become human? If you come here, where people are made. I will take you as a horse and make you a man; I will take you as a wolf and make you a man; I will take you as a serpent and make you a man, not by changing your nature, but by changing your will. But what are you saying? I have children, manage a house, take care of a wife, am oppressed by poverty, trying to acquire the necessary food. All these are excuses and pretexts. If I kept you here forever and did not allow you to have any time to engage in external affairs, then you could justify yourself to me and say: I have children, I run the house; then you could rightly say this, or better, and then you should not say this, because when you practice here, God can bring greater success to all your affairs. But I don’t force you to do anything like that, I don’t say: be here every day, but only twice a week. Is it difficult, is it unbearable? And moreover, come to church not for the whole day, but for a short time, receive spiritual instructions so that you do not receive wounds, not in order to reproach others, but in order to convert the marketplace to the church. Come, get a weapon, so that with a weapon you do not receive a mortal wound. Stand in ranks, only armed, stand in a holy place, only with pure eyes; enter the pier only while steering the ship carefully. You can learn this here; but you don’t want this, but you go out into the worldly ranks, without putting on the weapons of God’s commandments. Think about how great a thing it is to leave the church, having learned to despise everything human, to trample underfoot sorrows and rise above pleasures, not to be exalted by the latter and not to be exhausted by the former. This was Job. He did not lose heart from poverty and did not exalt himself with wealth, but despite all changes in circumstances, he kept his inner mood the same. Come, get a weapon from me. What weapon? One that can often bring you salvation. You go out and see a man sitting proudly on a golden-brown horse and surrounded by many spearmen; then you see a poor and humiliated man. Envy of the rich is born in you and disgust for the poor is aroused. But David appears, comes to you and says: “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich.” Go with the prophet, and do not be afraid; go where I show you, with a prophet, a teacher, a leader, a preacher. “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich.” But, you say, these are words of conviction, advice, indications of what should be; show me a way how I can not be afraid of such a person. Here it is: wealth is similar in nature to human nature; and what exactly, I will tell you. What is a person? The animal is weak, perishable, short-lived. So is wealth, or better yet, not so, but even more unreliable. It often ends not only with the person, but even before the person. You see in this city many examples of the premature destruction of wealth, and you know that wealth perished while the owner of it was still alive: the end of wealth is turning into poverty. Imagine how short-lived wealth is. The owner of it is still alive, but it has already perished; and, oh, if only it perished alone, and did not destroy the owner himself along with it! Therefore, you will not be wrong if you call wealth an ungrateful slave, a bloodthirsty and murderous slave, a slave who repays his master with destruction. And - what’s even worse - it not only exposes a person to danger when it leaves him, but even before leaving, it worries and confuses him. Do not look at the fact that he is dressed in silk clothes, anointed with incense, surrounded by servants; but look into his conscience, bare his soul while he is still rich, and you will see the storms and turmoil inside him. And when you see another falling by his own fall, then see in that your own misfortune. 3. Indeed, what could be more fickle than human affairs? Repeatedly I have said that they are like river streams that appear and immediately disappear, come and immediately go. “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich.” Take these words as a spiritual song; when envy is aroused in you, then let this verse come to mind, and its words will drive out passion. “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich.” This is my medicine, which means not money, but heaven; I do not heal the body, but the soul, and not only yours, but also mine, because although I am a teacher, I am also a person who has a common nature with everyone, and therefore I offer a common teaching. “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich.” Take these words as treasure and support; accept these words as a source of wealth and abundance. Wealth does not consist in getting rich, but in not desiring wealth. Did you understand what was said to you? Whoever wants to get rich needs property, money; and whoever does not want to get rich is always content. “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, or when the glory of his house increases.” Why, tell me, “don’t be afraid”? Since the rich are feared, the prophet describes their life. Why are you afraid of a person who is richly decorated with leaves, but has no fruit? Why are you afraid of a person who leads a bitter life? Why are you afraid of a person who himself is always in fear? Why are you afraid of a person who is in constant trepidation? Your servant is not afraid of you when you are away; but the rich man carries his master within himself; Wherever he goes, covetousness follows him, and makes enemies of everyone - relatives, family, friends, envious people, and benefactors. It arouses disgust in everyone. While the poor man spends his life fearing no one, because he is rich only in wisdom and patience, the rich man, who is devoted to greed, is hated by everyone and in public meetings walks around like a common enemy, whom people flatter in the face, but hate him inwardly. And that this is really the case can be seen from the following: when the wind blows and plucks the leaves, when circumstances change, then imaginary friends are revealed, then the pretense of flatterers is revealed, then the host of hypocrites and all outward deception are revealed. Then everyone openly says: worthless, treacherous, wicked! What are you saying? Weren't you the one who flattered him yesterday? Were you not the one who kissed his hands? That was, he says, a pretence; Time passed and I dropped the pretense and discovered my thoughts. Why, tell me, are you afraid of the one against whom there are so many accusers? But what is this compared to when he blames himself? I say this, condemning not wealth, as I have said a thousand times, but those who use a good thing badly. Wealth with good deeds is good. When is it good? When it brings joy to poverty, when it alleviates poverty. Listen to what Job says: “I was the eyes of the blind and the feet of the lame; I was a father to the poor” (Job 29:15, 16). This is wealth: it was not a sin, but love of poverty! “The wanderer did not spend the night on the street; I opened my doors to the passerby” (Job 31:32). This is the use of wealth, wealth not in name, but in reality! Either wealth is the servant of this wealth, or it bears only the name of wealth without reality, but this, both in name and in fact, is true wealth. Which? The wealth of virtues, the wealth of alms. How? I'll tell you. There is a rich man who steals what belongs to others, and there is a rich man who gives his own to the poor; he gets rich by collecting, and this one by wasting; he sows the earth, and this one cultivates the sky; as much as heaven is better than earth, so much the acquisitions of the former are worse than the acquisitions of the latter; this one is loved by countless people, and that one is condemned by everyone; and, what is truly amazing, the predator and the covetous are hated not only by those who were offended by him, but also by those who did not suffer any harm from him, but only regret those who suffered, and the merciful is loved not only by those who benefited from him, but also by those who did not receive a benefit from him. So, brothers, virtue is better than vice. Vice makes enemies for a person even those who are not offended by him, and mercy acquires love from those who have not received benefits. Everyone says about a merciful man: may God reward him! What benefit did you receive from him? Not me, but my brother; not I, but my member; the good done to him, I attribute to myself. Do you see what virtue is, how desirable it is, how amiable, how beautiful? A merciful man is a common refuge, the father of all, the support of the elderly. For the merciful one, if any misfortune happens to him, everyone prays: have mercy on him, God, save him, endow him with goodness! But go to the house of a predator, and you will hear people say about him: worthless, treacherous, wicked! What kind of insult did you receive from him? I am nothing, but my brother. There are countless complaints about him every day. And when he falls, everyone attacks him. Is this life? Is this wealth? Isn't this much worse than the life of a convicted criminal? The convict is bound in his body, but this one is bound in his soul. You see him tied up and don't feel sorry for him? I turn away from him because he is bound not out of necessity, but out of choice, because he imposed the bonds on himself. 4. Again, they will tell me, are you against the rich? And you are again against the poor. Are you against predators again? And you are again against those from whom they are kidnapped. You are not satisfied by devouring and tormenting the poor, and I am not satisfied by correcting you. Are you constantly patronizing these people, constantly patronizing the poor? But get away from my sheep, get away from my flock, do not harm them. Do you harm my flock and condemn me for driving you away? If I were a shepherd of ordinary sheep, then you would condemn me whenever I did not drive away the wolf attacking them. I am the shepherd of intelligent sheep, I drive them away not with a stone, but with a word. Or better yet, I am not driving you away, but calling you: become a sheep, come, be in my flock. Why are you harming the herd, which you should have increased with yourself? I'm not driving you away, but I'm driving away the wolf. If you are not a wolf, then I do not drive you away, but if you become a wolf, then blame yourself. I am not against the rich, but for the rich, and when I say this, I am speaking for you, although you do not feel it. How do you speak for me? So: I remove you from sin, I deliver you from theft, I make you dear to everyone, desired by everyone. I constantly tell you: didn’t you steal, didn’t you seek gain? - come, and I will change you, change enmity into friendship, danger into safety; I will do this for you here, and there I will deliver the kingdom of heaven to you, so that you will not be subjected to endless torment, so that you will receive blessings, “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no one has entered into the heart of man” (1 Cor. 2:9). To whom is this characteristic, driving away or advising, loving or hating you? But you say you hate me. No, I love you. I have a commandment from my Lord: “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44). I will not stop healing you. Our Lord, being crucified, said: “Father! forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Am I stalking you? I pursue your passion. Am I fighting with you? With your vice. And you don’t consider me a benefactor, you don’t consider me a patron, you don’t consider me your protector above all others? Who else will tell you about this? Is it the boss? He won't tell you anything like that; he talks about misconduct, about malfunctions. Is it your wife? She talks about clothes, about gold. Is it your son? About inheritance, about will, about property. Is it a servant? About service, about freedom. Are they interlocutors? About feasts, about dinners, about lunches. Are they the ones for the spectacle? About shameful laughter, about unbridled lust. Is he the one who is at the judgment seat? About wills, about inheritance, about liberation - about what he does. Who will you hear this from if not from me? Everyone is afraid of you, but I don’t look at you, and as long as you are like that, I don’t fear you, I despise you, I despise your passion. I make a cut, you scream, but I am not afraid of your scream, but I want your salvation, because I am a doctor. If you, having a wound, call a doctor and see how he has sharpened the iron, then don’t you say to him: cut, although it will hurt me, hoping that the disease will be healed by the cut? And you are running away from me, me, who I do not cut, but I cleanse your soul with a word. Meanwhile, what is the doctor doing? Often he cuts, and the wound becomes worse; but I do not worse, but better, because there is weak nature and powerless medicine, but here is the power of words. The doctor does not vouch for your healing, but I vouch for your salvation - listen to me. For this reason, the Only Begotten Son of God descended to raise us up and place us above the heavens. There is only one thing I am afraid of - sin; everything else is bypassed, whether wealth, poverty, power, or whatever. I say this and will not stop saying it, because I want no one from my flock to perish. So, can a rich man be saved? Of course Job was rich and Abraham was rich. Have you seen his wealth? Look at his strangeness. Have you seen his meal? Look at his friendliness too. What about Abraham? He was rich. Am I arguing with you? Was Abraham rich? Yes, he was rich. Have you seen his wealth? Look at his way of life. At noon the Lord appeared to him as he sat by the oak tree of Mamre: “and behold, three men” (Gen. 18:2). He stood up (not knowing that the one who appeared was God - how could he know this?), bowed and said: if you find me worthy, come under the shadow of my tabernacle. Do you see what the old man was doing at noon? He did not sit under the roof, but invited wanderers and travelers who were completely unfamiliar to him, and, standing up, bowed to them, although he himself was rich and noble. Abundant in wealth, he left his house, his wife, his children, his slaves, of whom he had three hundred and eighteen, he left everyone, and went out to hunt, spreading the net of his love of love, so that some traveler, some wanderer would not pass by his house. Look what the old man is doing. He does not entrust this to the servant, although he had three hundred and eighteen of them, because he knew the usual laziness of slaves, fearing that the servant would oversleep, miss the wanderer and lose the spoils. Here is Abraham, here is the rich one! Do you even deign to look at the poor, even to answer him, even to talk to him? If you ever give him alms, it will be through a servant. But this is not what the righteous did. He sat under the scorching rays of the sun, sweating from the heat; the shadow for him was the love of hospitality; he sat collecting the fruits of his love of strangeness, although he was rich. Compare today's rich people with him. At noon where do they sit? In hell. Where are they sitting? Dead drunk. Where they sit. In the marketplace, prostrate, drunk, blinded by heart, the craziest of dumb animals. But this is not what the righteous did. 5. Do you want to imitate Abraham? Imitate, not only do I not forbid, but I also advise, although more is required from us than from Abraham. “For... unless,” said the Lord, “your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, then you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:20). But for now, try to compare at least with Abraham. What about Abraham? He was a stranger, he stood up and bowed to the strangers, without even knowing who they were. If he had known, he would not have done anything amazing by serving God, but ignorance of who the travelers were shows in him a great love for hospitality. He sat and showed them hospitality. How? Generously: he slain a calf, called Sarah, and made his wife a community of hospitality, who did not hide in her home, but stood under an oak tree. And this meal opened her womb and corrected the deficiency of nature. Abraham slain a calf and received Isaac; Sarah kneaded flour and received offspring like the stars of heaven and like the sand of the sea. But you, of course, will say: give me as many true sons as a reward. Poor, pitiful, despicable, are you looking for earthly things? I give you heaven, rejoicing with the angels, eternal pleasure, and you seek mortal and perishable things? I give you life that has no end. The highest reward, the greatest reward! Listen carefully to what I tell you so that you can see the opposite in actions. When it was necessary to show hospitality, what did Abraham say to his wife Sarah? “Knead quickly three sachets of fine flour” (Gen. 18:6). Let the wives listen to what is said. “Quickly knead three sats of the best flour.” Here is a sight common to us all; here is a school common to both sexes. Let the wives listen to what is said, let the husbands listen and imitate. “Quickly knead three sats of the best flour,” he said, and he hurried to the herd of oxen. They share the labor in order to share the crown; a common marriage, and acts of virtue must also be common. I took you, he says, as an assistant, so be my assistant in higher matters: “quickly, quickly.” He forces his wife so as not to upset the wanderers with his slowness. “Quickly knead three satas of the best flour.” Difficult task! Not an easy order! “Knead three sats of the best flour.” And Sarah did not say: What is this? Did I marry you so that I could knead and bake bread for a wife who has such wealth? You have three hundred and eighteen slaves, and you don’t want to give orders to them, but you entrust this service to me? She didn’t say anything like that or even think about it. She was Abraham's wife not only by a carnal union, but also by a union of virtue; That’s why he tells her: “Hurry”; and she eagerly accepts the order, because she knew the abundant fruits of hospitality. "Hurry, hurry." He knew his wife's zeal. What about current wives? Let's compare them with Sarah. Do they accept similar orders, similar activities? Show me the hand of a wife who loves jewelry, and you will see how this hand is covered with gold on the outside, but is under siege on the inside. How many poor people, tell me, does your hand carry? Stretch out your hand to me, show it: what is it burdened with? Covetousness. Look at Sarah's hand: what is it decorated with? Hospitality, almsgiving, love, love of poverty. O beautiful hand! Look at both hands; their appearance is the same, but there is a great difference between them. Here are streams of tears, and there are crowns and awards. I say this so that neither wives demand jewelry from their husbands, nor husbands listen to their wives who demand it. Here Sarah, here the rich wife, kneaded three measures of flour. What is the work like? But she did not feel any labor in the hope of fruition and reward. “Quickly knead three satas of the best flour.” And you, wife, what are you doing? Are you dressing up? To please who? To my husband? It’s a bad effort if you want to please your husband in this way, if you are in a hurry to please your husband in this way. How will he like me? Chastity. How can I please him? Modesty, wisdom, meekness, love, unanimity, harmony. Here, wife, are your jewelry. These virtues of yours produce unanimity; and those decorations not only do not make you pleasant, but even make you unbearable for your husband. When you tell him: take it from others and bring it to me, then for a short time he will like you, and then you will have an enemy in him. And so that you can be convinced that it is not your husband who is trying to please you, I’ll tell you this: at home you take off your jewelry, but in church you put it on; if you wanted to please your husband, you would wear them at home. But, as I said, you enter the church adorned with gold on your arms and neck. If Paul had come here, this terrible and at the same time desirable man - terrible for sinners and desirable for the pious - who calls and says this: “so that the women also... adorn themselves not with braided hair, not with gold, not with pearls, not with costly clothing” (1 Tim. 2:9); Then, if a pagan came here and saw women above wearing such jewelry, and below Paul preaching like this, would he not say that there is a theatrical spectacle and fabulousness here? No, our meeting is not a spectacle, although such things are done here. But the pagan is tempted and says: I entered the Christian church, heard Paul saying: “not with gold, not with pearls,” and saw a woman showing with her deeds the completely opposite. 6. What is the use of gold to you, wife? To appear beautiful and comely? But this does not in the least add beauty to your soul. Be beautiful in soul, then you will be pleasant in body. “A man’s wisdom makes his face bright” (Eccl. 8:1). And wisdom is a property of the soul. Nothing produces affection and affection like love. If your husband loves you, then, even if you are ugly, you seem pleasant to him; and if he hates you, then, even if you were pretty, he will not want to look at you. The hatred of the soul does not allow one to see the beauty of a face. When you begin to demand clothes and gold from him, then he will hate you and begin to run away from you, as from a person pestering him with demands in the marketplace. But that is why he can run away, but he cannot run away from you, since you are always with him and demand services that are inconsistent with reason. All this, wife, you should not only accept with your ears, but let your heart change too. My words are bitter medicine, bitter for a time, but bringing constant joy. I am a doctor, I clean wounds so that they, by becoming old, do not make the cut more severe. I heal, delivering health through words; others care only about the present, temporary, deceptive, despicable life. And what I said about Abraham - I have not forgotten the promise - let every wife inscribe his words: “quickly, knead” in her heart, and let every husband keep it in his conscience. Why, tell me, do you wear silk clothes, ride golden-brown horses and decorated mules? The hinny is decorated from below, gold lies on his coverlet, dumb hinnies wear jewelry, having a golden bridle, dumb hinnies are decorated, and the poor, tormented by hunger, sits at your door, and Christ is tormented by hunger. Oh, extreme madness! What justification, what forgiveness will you receive when Christ stands before your doors in the form of a poor man, and you are not at all moved? Who will deliver you from the punishment there? I gave, you say, alms. But give not as much as the poor person wants, but as much as you can. What, tell me, will you answer when unbearable punishments, local torments, executions, terrible forces come, when the river of fire boils, when a terrible throne appears, an incorruptible judgment seat, a beginningless Being, the end of human affairs, when neither father, nor mother, nor neighbor, nor king, nor traveler, nor wanderer will help you, but a man will stand alone with his deeds, condemned for them, or crowned for them them? What do you say then? Then you will remember my words, but what will it benefit you? No. So that rich man remembered and sought a time of repentance, but did not receive any benefit. “Send,” he said, “to Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame” (Luke 16:24). But Lazarus was not sent, not because one drop would cause damage to the great source of paradise, but because a drop of mercy is not mixed with cruelty. Since during his exploits the rich man despised him, during his crowns he did not honor the rich man with any consolation. 7. I say this so that neither the poor man weeps from poverty, nor the rich man rejoices over wealth. Are you rich? Wealth is disastrous if you do not use it properly. “Quickly knead three sats of the best flour,” said Abraham, and he himself “ran to the herd” and killed the calf (Gen. 18:6, 7). The old man fled quickly; the weakness of the body did not stop him, but the wise spirit strengthened him; zeal conquered nature. The master of three hundred and eighteen slaves carried the calf, and was not burdened with the burden, but inspired his soul with zeal. The elder took it upon himself to go hastily and serve a lot, and his wife took upon herself the labor and troubles. They treated the wanderers not only with generous donations of money and a hearty meal, but also with helpfulness and perfect pleasing, not through slaves, but with their own hands and other members. Then the wife stood in the form of a maid, and the strangers, strangers, reclined - I will not stop talking about this - they considered the strangers to be poor people, but did not look at it, but accepted them as strangers, and both stood at the same time, gathering clusters of strangers with good disposition, wisdom, helpfulness, affection, labors, pleasing, love, thoughtfulness, zeal, and complete consideration. The woman stood under the tree, using the tree as a bridal chamber, and having the shade of leaves as cover, and was not ashamed to stand in front of everyone. She stood, distinguished by her own beauty and collecting the fruits of service. What about the newcomer? “I will be with you again,” he said, “at this same time, and Sarah will have a son” (Gen. 18:10). What fruit did the meal produce, how beautiful, how quick, how ripe! What a juicy and ripe bunch! These words seemed to enter her womb, and a son was conceived. These are the fruits of hospitality! Listen carefully to what I have to say. Subsequently, when the son born from the meal grew up, when the fruit of hospitality became a man - it was not so much the womb that gave birth to him as the meal, but first of all the word of God - when he grew up and became a husband, and finally the time came for marriage - listen carefully to what I say - when the blessed old man, Patriarch Abraham was approaching death - and he lived among corrupt women and the most wicked people - then he called his servant and said: Here are the wicked Canaanite women. What do you want? Go, he says, to the land where I was born, and bring from there a wife for my son. Extraordinary and wonderful things! You know and know well: when someone wants to marry his son, the father and mother consult, go to other people’s houses, flatter one, please the other, and many matchmakers and matchmakers appear, promises of monetary rewards are made, and the father and mother take on all the troubles and negotiations, and are not ashamed, do not blush, do not entrust the servants; and when a stranger comes, they say to the servant: go, take him down, receive him. But Abraham did the opposite: when it was necessary to do a high and wise thing, he did it himself, did not entrust hospitality to a servant, but to his wife and himself; and when it came to finding a wife and marriage, he said to the servant: go away. But here the wives do the opposite. If they want to talk to a goldsmith, then they are not ashamed and go themselves and sit while he works, so that the gold is not stolen; the passion for wealth makes them despise shame and decency. But Abraham did not act this way: when it was necessary to receive strangers, he and his wife did it; and when it came to marriage, he acted through a servant. But, you say, why did you mention Abraham? Because he was rich. Remember this about Abraham, and you will never despise anyone. How did I come to talk about this? Taking as a guide the words of the prophet: “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich.” This verse produced all this; and behold, we found in it a treasure abundant in gold. “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich.” Take this staff, which can support a body trembling with weakness. Indeed, it is not so much the staff that supports the trembling body of people who are weak and old, as this verse will strengthen the wavering soul of young and old, besieged by lusts and sins. “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich.” Why are you afraid of a man who can be called a wolf rather than a man? Why are you afraid of a man who is full of wickedness and steeped in gold? Why are you afraid of a person who has lost his own benefits through untruth and constantly has an enemy within himself? But the prophet declared to me: “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich.” Now tell me how I can not be afraid of the rich man. “Or when the glory of his house shall increase.” 8. Oh, wonderful expression! What wisdom lies in this image and instruction! “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, or when the glory of his house increases.” He did not say: when his glory will increase, but: “the glory of his house.” So, when you enter the house of some rich man, and see huge columns, golden cornices, walls lined with marble, fountains, springs, porticoes, trees swayed by the wind, mosaics covering everything, a crowd of eunuchs dressed in gold, many servants, a carpeted floor, tables shining with gold, magnificent bedrooms, then all this is the glory of the house, and not the glory of the person. The glory of a person consists of: piety, modesty, mercy, meekness, humility, peace, truth, unfeigned love for everyone; all this is the glory of man. Why are you afraid of the rich? Rather fear its house, for it is the house that is rich, not the one who lives in it. But, you say, I'm not afraid at home. Why? Because gold is a soulless substance. Are you afraid of a rich man? Yes. Why? Is wealth his property? It is just a decoration for the house. The walls are lined with marble: what does it have to do with the person living in them? Ceilings in gold: what does their owner have to do with it? The heads of the columns are golden: what does it have to do with the head of the owner, desecrated by sins? Is the floor clean? But the conscience is not clear. Are the clothes silk? But the soul is covered with rags. Is the house rich? But the owner of the house is a beggar. "When the glory of his house increases." And so that you can be convinced that this is really the glory of the house, and not of a person, I will prove this to you in your own words. Often, when entering and leaving someone's magnificent house, what do you say? I have seen beautiful marbles. Don’t you say: I saw a wonderful man? Amazing columns, beautiful windows. Don’t you say: the person living there is amazing? Lots of gold on the ceiling. Don’t you say: there is a lot of mercy in the owner? Lots of fountains, lots of wealth. Don’t you say: there is a lot of wealth in the owner himself? You always talk about walls, always about marbles, always about fountains, always about springs. Again, when you see a horse adorned with a golden bridle, you say: beautiful bridle! This is the praise of a goldsmith. Wonderful clothes! This is a praise to the weaver. Beautiful slaves! This is praise to the one who bought them. Thus, the owner himself remains uncrowned, but the things located near him are praised. On the contrary, when you see a virtuous person, you say: he is a kind, wonderful, meek, amazing, merciful, philanthropic, humble person, constantly practicing prayer, constantly observing fasts, constantly attending church, constantly attentive to divine teaching. This is praise for the man himself; these are his crowns. Know therefore what is the wealth of a man, and what is the wealth of a house, and “fear not.” When you learn to distinguish well between the riches of both, you will not be afraid. Do you see how the one you thought was rich is poor and poor? “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich.” And to make sure that this is really so, if a rich man deceives you during his lifetime, then look at him at the time of his death. When he leaves here, does he take anything of his wealth with him? He dies, and the one who was clothed in silk clothes lies naked in the pit, and the slaves go away and pass by and none of them cares for him, because they were not his slaves. He walked away and there was nothing left after him. The wife is tormented, lets down her hair; everyone consoles, but she does not heed them; the children were left orphans, the wife a widow, all the outcasts - cupbearers, pourers, interlocutors, flatterers, eunuchs. When he leaves here, he cannot take anything from his utensils, but what? One is taken out. He is praised. But what does this do to him? Vanity glorifies him. For what? Could he get any benefit from it? None of this can help him on that terrible day. And so the one who plundered everything goes to the grave, is placed on three arshins of earth, and nothing more; before his face is the earth and the lid of the coffin. Then the wife leaves too. Where is the wealth? Where are the servants? Where is the splendor? Where is the spacious and beautiful house? Everything leaves him; The wife also leaves, even if she didn’t want to; the stench drives her away, heaps of worms force her to leave. And this is where it all ends? Yes, because he walked away without anything of his own. And in order for you to be convinced that he really departed without having anything of his own, look at the blessed martyrs. All their property remains with them, and therefore we do not leave their tomb. The wife cannot stay there either; and here the king puts off his diadem and stands at the tomb of the martyr, asking and begging to grant him deliverance from troubles and victory over his enemies. So, “do not be afraid when a man becomes rich.” Having imprinted this verse in our minds, let us sing praises to the Lord and thank Him for everything, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Discourse 2, spoken in Constantinople in the great Church, after another had spoken a word, in a small gathering, on the words: “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich” (Ps. 49:17), and about almsgiving (probably pronounced in 400 A.D.). There is great benefit in practicing the Divine Scripture. – Human affairs are like shadows. – What is the glory of a person and the glory of a house? – Wealth brings a person not glory, but disgrace and condemnation. Denunciation of luxury and vanity. - Wealth is a runaway slave. – An exhortation to avoid vanity and give generously. 1. The fruit of an eloquent preacher is not great, but it is ripe; the string is thin, but the sound is important; Not many words, but precious thoughts. In fact, he encouraged the whole people with praise, arousing greater zeal in the listeners with words of praise, and pointed out the Creator of agriculture, offered Him songs and thanksgiving according to the apostolic commandment, ending his speech with a doxology. If He shortened the meal, he did it not out of poverty, but out of humility; finished his speech not because he could not speak any more, but leaving us to offer instruction. So, having freed ourselves from the storm of former turmoil, let us clear our ears, as if by certain river streams, by reading the Scriptures. This is what seafarers do: when they, having rid themselves of a storm and crossed a wide sea, reach a quiet pier, then, lowering the sails, leaving the oars and disembarking from the ship, they strengthen their body with washing, food, drink, sleep and rest, in order to make it more capable of further navigation. Let us also imitate them, and, having gotten rid of the recent confusion, anxiety, excitement, we will introduce our soul, as if into some calm haven, into the reading of the Scriptures. Exercise in the divine Scriptures is a serene haven, an indestructible wall, an immovable fortress, an inalienable glory, an indestructible weapon, undisturbed prosperity, constant pleasure and every good thing that can be imagined. It drives away despondency, preserves complacency, makes the poor richer than the rich, brings security to the rich, makes the sinner righteous, places the righteous in a safe haven, purges existing evil, implants non-existent good, drives away malice, returns to virtue, and not only returns, but also roots it and makes it permanent, constituting spiritual medicine and some divine and ineffable song that mortifies passions. It plucks up the thorns of sins, cleanses the field, sows the seeds of piety and brings the fruit to maturity. Let us not neglect such blessings, let us not withdraw from meetings, but let us come here constantly in order to constantly receive medicine, and so that no one is tormented by envy when he sees a rich man, and is not burdened by his poverty, but, having learned the true properties of things, let everyone flee from the shadows and hold on to the truth. The shadow, although sometimes it seems larger than the body, is still a shadow; it is not really larger, but only seems so, and moreover, it appears when we are further from the sun's ray; at noon, when the ray falls directly on the head, it decreases on all sides, contracts and becomes insignificant. The same can be seen in human affairs. The further one becomes from virtue, the greater the objects of real life seem; and when he places himself in the most brilliant light of the divine Scriptures, then he will see the vanity, transience and insignificance of these perishable objects and will clearly be convinced that all this is no better than river streams, appearing and at the same time disappearing. Therefore, the prophet, reasoning wisely and wanting to correct people who are cowardly, pathetic, creeping on the earth, chasing the splendor of wealth, fearing and trembling before those who abound in these objects, and also to keep us from such a frenzy and teach us to despise them as insignificant things, said: Do not be afraid when a person becomes rich, or when the glory of his house increases, for at death he will not take anything, and will not come down His glory is with him (Ps. 48:17, 18). Do you see the precision of his expressions and the clearest distinction of objects? He did not say: when his glory will increase, but: “the glory of his house,” showing that one thing is the glory of a man, and another is the glory of a house. What is the glory of a man, and what is the glory of a house? One must distinguish this correctly so as not to accept dreams as truth. The glory of the house consists of porticoes, galleries, a golden roof, a floor decorated with precious stones, meadows, gardens, crowds of servants, rich furniture, none of which relates to man; and the glory of man is right faith, zeal for God, love, meekness, humility, zeal in prayer, wisdom in almsgiving, chastity, moderation and all other types of virtue. And that this is really so, you can be convinced from the fact that the one who has collected wealth does not receive glory from it, and no one is called good because he has a beautiful house, or a garden, or a meadow, or many servants, or expensive clothes. All accolades are specific to the property and not transferred to the owner. We are amazed at the house, the garden, the meadow and the beauty of the clothes; but this praises the art of those who did it, and not the virtue of those who own it, and even on the contrary, it serves as proof of the wickedness of the latter. 2. Riches, by their nature, not only do not give glory to those who possess them, but completely destroy it. Those who boast of their abundance are recognized by everyone as cruel, inhuman, worthless and alien to wisdom. This is not the glory of a person, as I said, but of a house; those who live in chastity, moderation, meekness, humility and serve God with zeal, we distinguish, praise, extol, because this is mainly the glory of man. Knowing this, do not consider happy the one who owns in abundance these things that have nothing in common with him. If you see a man sitting on a chariot, arrogant, proud, rising to the clouds, but in reality - for this is impossible - with spiritual thoughts or, better, nonsense, then do not call him glorious, high and great. It is not the horses that draw a chariot that makes a man high, but the height of virtue that lifts him to the vaults of heaven. If you see another person sitting on a horse, accompanied by many staff-bearers, dispersing the people in front of him in the square, do not please him for this either, but first get to know his soul and then form an opinion about him in accordance with its qualities. And what we see now is worthy of laughter. Why, tell me, are you dispersing people from the square? Why do you push those you meet and, being a man yourself, drive a person away? What pride! What madness! Have you become a wolf or a lion, so that when you enter a city you put everyone to flight? But the wolf never drives away the wolf and the lion never drives away the lion; on the contrary, they live together, respecting the unity of nature; And you, besides nature, having many other motives for meekness, humility and comparison of yourself with other people, why do you become fiercer than wild animals and for the sake of a dumb animal show contempt for rational beings? Your Lord raised man to heaven, and you do not even share the square with him? What am I saying: to heaven? The Lord placed him on the royal throne, and you even drive him out of the city? Why do you have a golden bridle adorning your horse? What excuse can you have, or what forgiveness, when you decorate a dumb animal, which does not feel the honor shown to it, beyond its needs - after all, both gold and lead are the same thing for it - and seeing Christ exhausted by hunger, you do not even provide Him with the necessary food? And why do you, being a man yourself, do not want to communicate with people, but are looking for deserts among the cities, do not you think that your Lord ate food with tax collectors, talked with a harlot, was crucified with thieves and spoke among people, but, indulging in pride and arrogance, you cease to be a man? Hence your great negligence about alms, hence your passion for acquisition, hence your cruelty and inhumanity. When you put a golden bridle on a horse, a golden necklace on a servant, a golden frame on a stone, golden thongs on yourself, golden clothes, a golden belt, golden shoes, and you impose on yourself so many needs of intemperance in order to satisfy an insatiable passion and provide food for the most ferocious beast, i.e. love of money, then you expose orphans, offend widows and are the common enemy of everyone, leading a vain life and choosing a path that does not lead to anything good. Why do you want to decorate your foreign slave with golden clothing? What's the profit from this? What is the benefit for the soul? What are the benefits for the body? What purchase for your home? On the contrary, it is a waste, reckless extravagance, a luxury item, a sign of wickedness, a reason for an empty and dissolute life, corruption of the soul, a path leading to countless evils. But boxes overlaid with silver and decorated with gold, footstools and pots made of the same metals, and many such ridiculous things, can they contribute to the improvement of your life? Have they improved you, or your wife, or anyone in your household? Isn’t this why there are so many robbers and thieves? Isn't that what causes runaway slaves? When they see shiny silver everywhere, the vice of theft develops in them. If in you, a free person and proud of your nobility, silver shining in the square arouses desire, then even more so in a slave. I say this not to justify fugitive slaves and similar criminals, but to convince you not to provide food for such diseases. But, you say, where can one hide wealth? Should I bury it in the ground? No; but, if you want to listen to my advice, then I will show you the way in which you can make this runaway slave faithful. 3. Wealth is a runaway slave, running to one person today, to another tomorrow; and not only is it itself a runaway slave, but it turns people into the same slaves, often making those who retain it fugitives. How can you keep this fugitive? The opposite of what they do with other fugitives. Others are held when they are guarded, but it flees when it is guarded, and is held when it is divided. If what has been said seems strange to you, then learn from the farmers. If they leave the wheat at home and bury it, they give it to moths and worms and destroy it; and if they scatter it across the fields, they not only preserve it, but also multiply it. So wealth that remains in chests, behind doors and locks, or buried in the ground, soon runs away; if you squander it on the poor, like a farmer throwing wheat into a field, then not only will it not run away, but it will even increase. So, knowing this, do not give it to a servant, but distribute it into countless hands, into the hands of widows and orphans, the poor, those imprisoned. Being in such hands, it cannot escape, but is held firmly and grows. But, you say, what will I leave for the children? I'm not forcing you to give everything away; and if you give everything away, then you will make your children even richer, leaving them instead of the money of a merciful God, the good fruits of mercy and among people many patrons and benefactors. Just as we hate selfish people, even if we ourselves have not suffered harm from them, so we respect and love merciful people, even if we ourselves have not received any mercy from them, and not only them, but also their children. Imagine what an honor it is to see children loved by many people and to hear how everyone says when wealth is used to feed the poor: this is the son of the philanthropic, this is the son of the merciful. Meanwhile, you decorate an insensitive thing in vain and in vain - because the stone remains insensitive, no matter how many talents of gold you put on it - and you do not even want to give the necessary food to someone who feels and is exhausted by hunger. But when the terrible judgment seat opens, rivers of fire flow and we are required to account for our deeds, then what will you say to justify such negligence, such madness, cruelty and inhumanity? What kind of thorough apology can you offer? Each of the other people has some goal and basis for his activity: the farmer, if you demand an account from him, will tell you why he harnessed the oxen, drew the furrows, pulled the plow; the merchant will tell you why he sailed the ship on the sea, hired workers, spent money; the builder, shoemaker, coppersmith, baker and each of the artisans will show the basis and reason for their actions; And you, decorating your bed with silver, gilding the horse and the stone, preparing the same skins, if we demand from you an account and a reason, what reason will you provide? What would you say is the reason? Is it possible to sleep more pleasantly on such a bed? You can't say it; on the contrary, if you say something unexpected, it may not even be more pleasant, because there are more worries and stronger anxiety. Is the building made safer from gold? No. Is a horse better for such a bridle, or a servant for such clothing? In this case, the opposite happens. Why do you show such ignorance in all this? You, of course, will say that through this you gain great glory. But didn’t you hear at the beginning of our conversation that all this is not the glory of a person, but on the contrary, his dishonor, disgrace, condemnation and humiliation? From here comes envy, slander and countless evils; and the greater the acquisitions, the longer the condemnation; these vast and magnificent houses, and after the death of the owners, speak loudly against them, like the most evil accusers. Their body was buried, but the appearance of the buildings does not allow the memory of their covetousness to be buried along with the body; Every passerby, looking at the height and grandeur of the vast and magnificent house, will say to himself or his neighbor: how many tears did it cost to build this house? How many orphans have been robbed? How many widows are offended? How many people are deprived of payment? Thus, the opposite turns out for you: you wanted to acquire fame during your lifetime, but even after your life ends you do not get rid of your accusers, and, like a copper pillar, this house conveys your name and forces even those who did not see you during your lifetime to shower you with countless reproaches. 4. So, if excessive ambition does not bring even such a benefit, then let us run away, beloved, let us run away from this disease and will not be more ferocious than dumb animals. They have everything in common - land, springs, pastures, mountains, and forests, and none of them has more than the other; and you, man, the meekest animal, become fiercer than the beast, confining in your one house the food of thousands and even many thousands of poor people, while we have one common nature and much more besides nature: a common sky, sun, moon, chorus of stars, air, sea, fire, water, earth, life, death, youth, old age, illness, health, the need for food and clothing; also common and spiritual benefits: the sacred meal, the body of the Lord, His honorable blood, the promise of the kingdom, the bath of regeneration, the cleansing of sins, truth, sanctification, redemption, unspeakable blessings, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered the heart of man” (1 Cor. 2:9). Therefore, is it not insane for those who have so much in common with each other, nature, grace, promises, and laws, to be so partial to wealth, not to observe equality in this, but to surpass the ferocity of animals, and, moreover, when the need to soon leave all this, and not only leave it, but also be exposed to extreme danger because of this? Death separates you from the enjoyment of earthly blessings, and then leads to accountability and eternal torment. So, to prevent this from happening to us, let us give generous alms; she is the queen of virtues; she will boldly intercede there and deliver her from punishment and torment, so that no one will stop the one who ascends to heaven with her. Light are her wings, great is the power of her intercession; she reaches all the way to the royal throne and safely carries her pets there. “Your prayers,” said (the angel to Cornelius), “and your alms have come as a memorial before God” (Acts 10:4). Why don’t we also ascend to this height, abandoning inappropriate covetousness, useless luxury and vanity? Let us make superfluous things useful to us by distributing our great wealth and handing it over to the right hand of the Judge, who can keep it safe, and for this on the day of judgment he will be meek and merciful to us, and even though we have committed thousands of sins, he will give us forgiveness and justification, which may we all be worthy of by the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.