Regarding those who were absent and an account of the contests and exploits of the blessed and righteous Job

Conversation of St. John Chrysostom “Concerning the Absent and the Exposition of the Contests and Deeds of the Blessed and Righteous Job” (5 chapters) was delivered in Constantinople in the Church of St. Anastasia in 398-399. At the beginning of his speech, the saint notes that there are fewer parishioners gathered in the church than usual. In this regard, “as the number of those gathered is smaller..., we will use greater zeal” so that those who are absent become more responsible in relation to church meetings. He invites those present to be attentive to the sermon: “There will be a double benefit for you: by conveying what is said to those who are absent, you will make them more diligent, and you will also make your soul more wise.” St. John, using the example of the suffering of the righteous Job, shows the power of virtue: “when it is struck, it becomes more powerful, and when it is treacherously attacked, it becomes more unshakable.” Job endured all the misfortunes characteristic of people - all together, without interruption, with great abundance and strength. Being rich, he lost absolutely everything. Being righteous, he “was not able to even think that he was being compensated for his trespasses and sins, and this especially confused his mind.” Job became a model of true humility, patience and love for God. Christians should imitate his struggle in order to “have consolation in sorrow and the teaching of the best wisdom” and achieve future blessings. *The title of the work in Latin is Adversus eos qui non adfuerant ac demonstratio de agonibus et certaminibus beati et justi Iobi. An admonishing conversation spoken in the church of St. Anastasia regarding those who were absent, and an account of the competitions and exploits of the blessed and righteous Job 1. To the extent that the number of people gathered is smaller than usual, we will use greater zeal. And it would be unfair for the negligence of those who are absent to insult our efforts, but because of this itself we will offer an even more generous meal, so that those who did not arrive, having learned the punishment by experience, will finally become more diligent regarding these meetings. Therefore, I also invite your love to be attentive to what is said; There will be a double benefit for you: by conveying what is said to those who are absent, you will make them more diligent, and you will also make your soul more wise. Just as the nature of the earth, which is neglected, produces poor herbs, but constantly nurtured by agricultural hands, gives ripe fruit, so the human soul, lying in laziness, gives birth to the thorns of sins, and using care brings the beautiful fruit of virtue. That is why someone wise exhorts, saying: “I passed by the field of a lazy man and by the vineyard of a foolish man: and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns, its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall collapsed” (Prov. 24:30-31). To prevent this from happening now, we constantly use the sickle of the word; and if anything bad grows, we always cut it out; and if something is ripe and bears fruit, we nourish, irrigate and bring it to color, constantly expressing our care. We need double care, or rather, even triple care: in one - so that we can be free from depravity, in the other - in order to acquire virtue for ourselves; and after that - to keep what was acquired; here even the most labor is needed, because that evil demon, envying our beauty, attacks the successful more; and just as pirates and sinkers pass by ships with sand, and if they see them somewhere with expensive luggage and the wealth stored in them, they attack them, drilling from below, striking from above, using all sorts of cunning, so the devil usually amazes, envyes and deceives especially against those who have collected a lot of virtue. There were so many people around the world under Job, and only against him did he arm himself and use all his cunning; however, he was not able to cause the shipwreck, but he made the luggage more complete and increased the goods. This is virtue: when it is struck, it becomes more powerful, and when it is treacherously attacked, it becomes more unshakable. So it was precisely with that blessed one, who, amazed from everywhere, became more unshakable, and did not give in to the hands of countless arrows, but emptied the quiver of the devil, and he himself did not fall, did not stumble, but, like an excellent helmsman, did not drown when the sea was raging and the waves rose, and did not become more careless when there was silence; He observed his art equally at both changes of time, and neither wealth overpowered him, nor poverty humiliated him. Neither when things were going favorably was he careless and did not grow cold, nor when almost the entire house was destroyed and complete destruction occurred, he was not indignant and did not disgrace his courage. Let the rich listen, let the poor listen! For both, this is a useful story; or rather, this story is useful for all people - both prosperous and distressed. The ascetic of piety, crowned with the universe, using both weapons, erected a victorious sign here and there, and, in every kind of struggle, when the demon rose up against him, he resisted in everything, and was victorious in everything; and just as a noble warrior knows how to fight at night, besiege walls, fight on the sea, fight on foot, shoot arrows, throw a spear, use a sling, a javelin, surpass the enemy in every kind of fight and gain the upper hand everywhere - so it was that noble one who, with great courage, endured every test: poverty, hunger, illness, sorrow, loss of children, (grief) from friends, from enemies, from his wife, from slaves. And there was no human misfortune that was not poured out on his body. However, he overcame all snares and became above the devil's bait; That’s what’s so special and surprising is that everything fell on him, everything in excess and everything at once. 2. Don’t just look at the fact that he suffered so much, but notice that not little by little, and not intermittently, but all at once and together. This is no small increase in testing; first of all, of all the rest of the people, perhaps there would not be anyone who could endure everything together, but - if someone struggles with poverty, then he enjoys health; if he suffers from poverty and illness, he is often consoled in enduring misfortune by the encouragement of his wife, who serves as a haven for him; if he is not consoled by such a wife, then by not giving such advice it is disastrous; if she advises so disastrously, then she does not lose all her children at once; and if immediately, then not by such a death; and if by such a death, then he has comforting friends; and if there are no comforters, then there are no shamers; if there are those who disgrace, then there are none who reproach slaves; and if they revile them, then they do not spit in his face; and even if they spit in the face, they do not suffer from such a disease; and if he suffers from such a disease, then he enjoys room and protection, and does not sit on a dung heap; and if he sits on a dung heap, then he has his hand stretched out; and if there are no ones stretching out their hands, then there are no ones disgracing them. He endured all this, and, as I said earlier, what is especially surprising is that everything together, and this gives the misfortune the appearance of double and triple, when it is the one who struggles that is not encouraged by stopping, but due to continuity, the confusion becomes greater and the confusion is stronger, which is what happened to him. The loss of sheep and burning was followed by the kidnapping of oxen, followed by the taking of donkeys, theft of camels and the beating of slaves, followed by the loss of children and that terrible, unheard of death, and even more terrible the coffin - because the same thing was death and the coffin - and the meal, which was now followed by a feast, and now mutilated bodies, and cups and goblets containing blood and wine along with mutilated parts (bodies). However, after this difficult, terrible story, another, even more difficult, awaits him, not at all rested. Sources of worms begin, currents of pus, staying on a dung heap, a shard scraping the sides, the stench of wounds, causing unheard-of hunger, but not allowing you to touch the bread that is before your eyes, and an exciting disgust, more painful than hunger; and this is not for two, ten, twenty, a hundred days, but for many months. But even here the struggle did not stop: when he was in this position, and was tormented from everywhere, from within and without, more intrigues of his wife followed. The concubine becomes a weapon of the demon and strikes her husband, blaming the devil with her tongue, strikes with arrows sharper and more fatal than what was said above. But even here the struggle did not end, but was again the beginning and entry into the competition. When there was no profit for the devil from here, a chorus of friends approached, expressing enmity under the guise of compassion - they attacked the one lying down, opened the wounds, replacing each other, not allowing (him) to breathe and standing in a circle many times, as if staging a painful round dance. Should I also talk about the unbearable test at night - the most unheard of and unusual? For all other people, even if they have undergone a huge number of misfortunes, even if they have lived in prison, even if they have been surrounded by chains, even if they have mourned misfortunes, even if they have endured bodily shame, even if they have been suppressed by poverty, even if they have been ill, even if they have been toils, even if they have been in adversity - however, the coming night brings the medicine of consolation, freeing the body from labor, removing the soul from worries; but then for him the pier became a cliff, medicine became a wound, consolation became something more painful than sorrow, and there was a terrible storm on the night, bringing silence to all people; he ran away from the day, as from the waves, due to those unbearable sorrows, and found disturbances, whirlwinds, abysses and rocks, to such an extent that the waves of the day became desirable. That’s why, talking about that unheard-of suffering, he cried out, saying: “When I lie down, I say: “When will I get up?”, and the evening lasts, and I toss and turn until the very dawn” (Job 7:4)? Why, tell me? Naturally, during the day you desire the night - after all, in the evening he calls on the night, as providing relief to everyone from the evils of the day - and being in the night, silence, oblivion of those sorrows and worries, why are you again looking for the day? Because for me the night is more painful than the day: it does not give me relief from labors, but an increase (in them), confusion and embarrassment; talking about this very thing, he said: “You frighten me with dreams and you frighten me with visions” (Job 7:14). And he was thrown into awe, seeing terrible visions at night, enduring unbearable fear, strong frenzy and horror. 3. Are you not tired of hearing about these misfortunes, one after another? But he did not tire of suffering. Therefore, it is I who urge your love to wait a little longer; We have not yet said everything, and we have not added any other excess. The first was that every misfortune characteristic of people was suffered by one person; the second - that everything was together, and he didn’t even have the usual break; but I want to say about the third. What is it? The fact is that each of the above-mentioned (misfortunes) fell not only together, but also with great excess and force: his poverty was more painful than any poverty, as well as illness, and imprisonment, and the loss of children and everything that happened to him. Consider: does anyone lose property? But not entirely, and not in this way. Will children be lost? But not all at once, and not so many, and not like that. Is it susceptible to illness? But not like this, but either fever, or injury, or some other ordinary suffering. That defeat was somewhat strange, and clear only to the sufferer. No word would be able to imagine the bitterness of those ulcers and the torment of the wounds, but it is enough just to say about the perpetrator and his uncontrollable rage to indicate the greatness of the defeat. That sitting was also unheard of and strange; no, truly there is not a single poor man who, having ever been planted in the open air, endured as much all the time as he did - without clothes, deprived of all cover, sitting with wounds on a dung heap. Often someone has an evil wife, but never has anyone been so evil that, in such misfortune, she would attack her husband, sharpen the sword against his soul and instill such advice. And the strangeness of friends and slaves, and the unheard-of hunger - that he did not partake of the meal presented? Should we still talk about the fourth excess? I mean his former wealth and prosperity. He who first lives in poverty endures it more easily, as he becomes accustomed to suffering; and whoever has been deprived of such prosperity endures the most acute sorrow and the greatest confusion, due to inexperience, unpreparedness and extreme painfulness of feeling. You can name a fifth one - what is it? That each of the other people, recognizing a lot of bad things behind them, knows the reason why they suffer - this serves a lot as encouragement - but he was not even able to think that he was being compensated for his sins and sins, and this especially confused his mind. When he looked at his life, at a conscience brighter than the sun, and at his many successes, he knew that he was worthy of crowns, praise and countless rewards; and when - on the body, the wounds and everything that happened, when he saw himself suffering more painfully than those who dared to commit extreme (crimes), - he could not find a reason for which he suffered so much; That’s why, having resorted to the immensity of divine governance, he said: “... The Lord gave, and the Lord has also taken away” (Job 1:21). And objecting to his wife as much as possible, he briefly expressed his thoughts, showing his special reverence, saying this: “... will we really accept good from God, and not accept evil?” (Job 2:10). Should we also talk about another excess, especially crowning, glorifying that fighter and showing his high soul reaching to the skies? What is it? There is a difference in time: he was wise before grace and before the law. This is not unimportant - you can also weave countless crowns. For the same successes, there are not the same rewards when one succeeded in this at an earlier time, and the other at the very last, but it is much greater for the first. It was not the same: to philosophize when Christ came, showed so much in Himself, exhorted and advised, and to reveal the same in oneself before His coming, before the law and before the prophets. That is why, having come, He demands greater application of virtue, saying: “... unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, then you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:20). The greater the teaching, the more just and the greater the measure of virtue. But this one, not having tasted the teachings, not having succeeded in literacy or book knowledge, not seeing (the example of) others, not having refuge in the past time to observe those who labored - because there was not yet Scripture or history conveying events - he was the only one and the first to pave this path of wisdom, along a path not yet paved, across a sea that had not yet sailed, in such darkness of evil, showing himself to be superior supreme in the essential of goods. It is a very great thing to succeed in the lesser parts of virtue, but it means much more to be supreme in the highest of all; and that patience is the most supreme of all, no one will dispute. Realizing this, even the devil himself said: “...skin for skin, and for his life a man will give everything that he has; but stretch out Your hand and touch his bone and his flesh...” (Job 2:4, 5). From this it is clear that this success is the most supreme of all, and requires a certain courageous and iron soul. 4. Did you see him in trials, as far as you could see? After all, I can’t imagine even the word itself exactly. Sorrow, torment, the power of despondency and the confusion that results from this cannot be explained to listeners by any power of words, as by actual experience itself. Here again I will show it to you - because this is also important, but also requires a very wise soul - I will show it to those who express a lot of wisdom in wealth and prosperity. So, what was he like when he was rich? He is the same haven for everyone, the same father for everyone, the same doctor, or rather, more than a doctor: listen to what he himself says: “I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame” (Job 29:15). Do you see how much bigger he is than a doctor? He was for the mutilated instead of nature, and what doctors were not able to correct with art, he achieved this through consolation, serving for them instead of members (of the body), due to his great concern for them. Like healthy people, with strong legs and eyesight, they were in the same position with mutilated members, without feeling lameness or injury, thanks to his great care. That’s why he didn’t even say that I comforted the lame and the blind, but that I was their foot and eye; and again: “I was a father to the poor...” (Job 29:16). And here he didn’t say: I consoled the orphans, but: I was a father for them, - hence making it obvious that he did not even allow the feeling of orphanhood, did not allow grief to appear, - with an excess of care, destroying the very feeling of grief, just like the injury of the sufferers. He did not only look after the mutilated, he did not compensate for orphanhood, being one instead of members (of the body), another instead of parents, but he even made himself a judge, and even more than a judge, because he says: “... and the litigation, which I did not know, I examined carefully. I broke the jaws of the wicked and plucked from his teeth the stolen goods” (Job 29:16, 17). There's a lot more to it than being a judge. The judges sit in anticipation of the offended, and the most skilled of the judges, after their request, provide their own assistance - but many do not do even that; he surpassed even the most skilled, and was far ahead. He did not expect the offended to come to him, and not after their request did he go to help, but he himself went around in advance, looking for the offended, and not just looking, but with great vigilance, with great care. And you will clearly learn about this by delving into the meaning of this saying, because he did not say: I was looking, but: “... and a lawsuit that I did not know...”, that is, I searched to the smallest detail, used all means to the end, so as to find out if anyone was secretly offended somewhere. Do you notice the vigilant soul? Do you see both courage and diligence? And “...I crushed the jaws of the lawless...”. I destroyed the power of the very thing with which they bite, he says, so as to make them unsuitable for other injustice in the future. So, I brought benefit to both those who endure evil and those who do evil, freeing and admonishing. Then (note) persistence and firmness: “...and from his teeth he pulled out what was stolen.” I did not neglect or refuse, even if the task was even started, but I also extracted what I had swallowed, expressing my concern for my fellow servants, characteristic of some excellent and vigilant shepherd. What about humility? Think how great it is: “If I neglected the rights of my servant and maidservant when they had a dispute with me, what would I do when God rebelled? And when He looked at me, what could I answer Him? Didn’t He, who created me in the womb, create him also and form us equally in the womb?” ( Job 31:13–15 ). Do you see the contrite spirit, which accurately examines human nature and knows what a slave is and what a free person is - a distinction that is used by many? Having rejected this inequality, he, on the basis of equality of birth, introduces the word about wisdom. And what is surprising about him is that, in doing this, he did not even think of being humble, but was fulfilling his duty. Therefore, he made a conclusion, convincing to all people, that no more than slaves should think to them, even if they were rulers countless times. These names - slave and free - are just bare words, devoid of action; slavery is determined by sin, and freedom by righteousness. So, is he only humble, and not amiable and pleasant? Yes, it's nice! Consider also the excess here. Just as in misfortunes he with all his strength endured what befell him, so in times of prosperity he succeeded in every virtue with much excess, not simply, and not as he had to, but having reached the very top. “Did not the men of my tent say, O that we were not filled with his meat?” (Job 31:31). Here he talks about the mad love the slaves had for him, becoming ardent lovers of him (the body), through which he appeared to them. So, he says, they hung around me, they held themselves like that, they were nailed down like that, they loved me so much that they even wanted to be fed on the flesh itself, to drink and eat, due to their strong love and passion. 5. What could anyone say about the contempt of wealth? And in this he was extremely successful. Not only did he not covet someone else’s, which is what many people do now, but he mostly alienated even his own, even him; That’s why he said: “Did I put my support in gold and say to the treasure: You are my hope? Did I rejoice that my wealth was great, and that my hand had gained much?” ( Job 31:24, 25 ). Therefore, precisely when (wealth) was taken away, he endured the deprivation with great ease - and when it was with him, he gave generous alms, stretching out his right hand to everyone and opening his house. And he did not do what the majority allows, being too busy and fussing about the recipients, but “I opened my doors to the passerby,” he says. The powerless, no matter what their need, did not fail; the stranger did not come out of my door with an empty bosom (Job 31:32). Do you see generosity? Do you see humanity, kindness, humility? Do you also want to learn about chastity? “I made a covenant,” he says, “with my eyes, so that I would not think about a stranger” (Job 31:1). What, having come after this, Christ commanded, in this he succeeded in practice. Do you see him in wealth, do you see him in poverty, do you see him in health, do you see him in illness, do you see him in the successful course of his affairs, do you see him deprived of everything, do you see how he treated children, slaves, the offended, orphans? “If I have walked in vanity, and if my foot hastened on wickedness, let them weigh me on the scales of righteousness...” (Job 31:5, 6), he says, that is, I did not even seek intercourse with mockers. And this is no small sign of chastity. He achieved every virtue and, surrounded by such (wealth), treated himself more strictly than those who had nothing; He who has nothing is not as free from the addiction to money as he who has much. Everywhere the mood of the soul is crowned. And he ascended to the very pinnacle of chastity, and excelled in every virtue with due diligence. Be jealous of this, beloved, imitate this and, having assimilated this inscribed image, introduce (it) into your conscience; If you are in despondency, run to him, or if you are rich, take medicine from here, so that you neither plunge into poverty nor become arrogant with wealth, if you lose your children, here is consolation for you, you will find misfortune and firmness here in abundance, if you fall into illness, think about the sources of worms with which his flesh was swarming, and endure everything meekly, if a friend plots against you, again remember the saint, and you will be above this passion, whether unworthy (people) will abuse him, think about what he suffered from slaves, and you will recover a lot, if some bad suspicion falls on you, think how they (friends) said about him, that he had not yet given Him (God) a worthy retribution for his sins, and how they reproached him, and you will also be above this passion. As I first said, there is no human misfortune that he, who was harder than any steel, would not endure - he suffered hunger, poverty, illness, loss of children, and the deprivation of such property at once; and after that, having been subjected to the machinations of his wife, insult from friends, attack from slaves - in everything he proved himself harder than any rock; and this is before law and grace. And we will not have the slightest excuse when, having enjoyed such a gift after the law and grace, we bring less than him, who showed so much wisdom at the beginning and on the eve of human life. So, so that we too may have consolation in sorrow and the teaching of the best wisdom - having imprinted this, let us depart in this way, be jealous of the fighter and imitate his struggle - in order to also achieve future blessings through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom be glory to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.