3rd Sunday of Matthew--Epistle Reading
The Reading is from the Epistle of the holy Apostle Paul to the Romans (5:1-11)
St. John Chrysostom, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, Homily 9, vss. 4-5.
And endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us.
Tribulations, that is, are so far from confuting these hopes, that they even prove them. For before the things to come are realized, there is a very great fruit which tribulation has--endurance; and the making of the man that is tried, character. And it contributes in some degree too to the things to come, for it gives hope a vigor within us, since there is nothing that so inclines a man to hope for blessings than a good conscience. Now no man that has lived an upright life is untrusting about things to come, as of those who have been negligent there are many that, feeling the burden of a bad conscience, wish there were neither judgment nor retribution. What then? Do our goods lie in hopes? Yes, in hopes--but not mere human hopes, which often slip away, and disappoint him; when some one, who was expected to patronize him, dies, or has changed circumstances, though he lives. No such lot is ours; our hope is sure and unmovable. For he who has made the promise lives forever, and we who are to be the enjoyers of that promise, even though we should die, we shall rise again, and there is absolutely nothing which can disappoint us, as if we were elated at random and to no purpose upon unsound hopes. Having then sufficiently cleared them of all doubtfulness by these words of his, he does not let his discourse pause at the present time, but urges again in the time to come, knowing that there were men of weaker character, who looked too for present advantages, and were not satisfied with these mentioned. And so he offers a proof for them in blessings already given. For lest any should say, "But what if God is unwilling to give them to us? For that he is able, and that he remains and lives, we all know; but how do we know that he is also willing to do it?" From the things which have been done already. "What things done?" The Love which he has shown for us. "In doing what?" some may say. In giving the Holy Spirit. Therefore after saying "hope does not disappoint us," he goes on to the proof of this, as follows:
"Because, God's love has been," he does not say "given," but "poured out into our hearts," showing its profusion in this way. That gift, then, which is the greatest possible, he has given; not heaven and earth and sea, but what is more precious than any of these, and has rendered us angels from being humans, indeed children of God and brothers and sisters of Christ. But what is this gift? The Holy Spirit. Now had he not been willing to present us after our labors with great crowns, he would never have given us such mighty gifts before our labors. But now the warmth of his love is from now on made apparent, that it is not gradually and little by little that he honors us; but he has poured out the full fountain of his blessings, and this too before our struggles. And so, if you are not exceedingly worthy, do not despair, since you have that love of your Judge as a mighty pleader for you. For this is why he himself ascribed everything not to our well-doings, but to God's love.
Brothers and Sisters,
Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. While we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Why, one will hardly die for a righteous man--though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we are now justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
St. John Chrysostom, Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, Homily 9, vss. 4-5.
And endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us.
Tribulations, that is, are so far from confuting these hopes, that they even prove them. For before the things to come are realized, there is a very great fruit which tribulation has--endurance; and the making of the man that is tried, character. And it contributes in some degree too to the things to come, for it gives hope a vigor within us, since there is nothing that so inclines a man to hope for blessings than a good conscience. Now no man that has lived an upright life is untrusting about things to come, as of those who have been negligent there are many that, feeling the burden of a bad conscience, wish there were neither judgment nor retribution. What then? Do our goods lie in hopes? Yes, in hopes--but not mere human hopes, which often slip away, and disappoint him; when some one, who was expected to patronize him, dies, or has changed circumstances, though he lives. No such lot is ours; our hope is sure and unmovable. For he who has made the promise lives forever, and we who are to be the enjoyers of that promise, even though we should die, we shall rise again, and there is absolutely nothing which can disappoint us, as if we were elated at random and to no purpose upon unsound hopes. Having then sufficiently cleared them of all doubtfulness by these words of his, he does not let his discourse pause at the present time, but urges again in the time to come, knowing that there were men of weaker character, who looked too for present advantages, and were not satisfied with these mentioned. And so he offers a proof for them in blessings already given. For lest any should say, "But what if God is unwilling to give them to us? For that he is able, and that he remains and lives, we all know; but how do we know that he is also willing to do it?" From the things which have been done already. "What things done?" The Love which he has shown for us. "In doing what?" some may say. In giving the Holy Spirit. Therefore after saying "hope does not disappoint us," he goes on to the proof of this, as follows:
"Because, God's love has been," he does not say "given," but "poured out into our hearts," showing its profusion in this way. That gift, then, which is the greatest possible, he has given; not heaven and earth and sea, but what is more precious than any of these, and has rendered us angels from being humans, indeed children of God and brothers and sisters of Christ. But what is this gift? The Holy Spirit. Now had he not been willing to present us after our labors with great crowns, he would never have given us such mighty gifts before our labors. But now the warmth of his love is from now on made apparent, that it is not gradually and little by little that he honors us; but he has poured out the full fountain of his blessings, and this too before our struggles. And so, if you are not exceedingly worthy, do not despair, since you have that love of your Judge as a mighty pleader for you. For this is why he himself ascribed everything not to our well-doings, but to God's love.
Labels: Chrysostom, endurance, hope, Orthodox Lectionary, Romans, suffering
posted by Fr. Constantine | 1:59 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home