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Homily 4
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HOMILIES 43 when we seek only the approbation of God. For, 'Whosoever shall glorify me, him will I glorify,'25 Scripture says. Just as we most of all acquire riches when we despise them and seek wealth only from God, ('Seek ye first the kingdom of God,' He says, 'and all these will be added unto you,'26), so also with regard to glory. When the granting both of money and of honor is not dangerous to us, then God will grant the gift abundantly. It is not dangerous when it does not rule us, or possess us, or use us as slaves, but is with us as with masters and free men. It is on this account that He wishes us not to love them: that we may not be ruled by them. If we act rightly in this He will give them to us with great generosity, for what is clearer than the words of Paul: 'We do not seek glory from men neither from you, nor from others.'27 And who is richer than he who has nothing and so possesses all things? When, as I have said, we are not ruled by them, then we shall rule them, then we shall receive them. Well, then, if we desire to have glory, let us flee from glory; we thus shall be able, having kept the laws of God, to obtain possession of truly good things: both those here and those promised by the grace of Christ, with whom glory be to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen. Homily 4 (John 1.1-3) 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.' Teachers do not impose many tasks at one time upon those children who are just entering upon their education, nor do they assign the work only once. They repeat the same short les25 I Kings 2.30. 26 Matt. 6.33. 27 I Thess. 2.6. 44 SAINT JOHN CHRYSOSTOM sons to them many times, so that what is said is easily retained by their understanding; moreover, the children are not overwhelmed at the start because of the multiplicity of facts and the difficulty of remembering them. They are not retarded in accumulating the information imparted to them, as they would be if a certain lack of interest developed in them because of the difficulty of learning. Since I myself also wish to do what these teachers do, and to make your work light, selecting little by little the things on this divine table, I impart them to your souls in this way. That is why I shall take the same words once more, not in such a way as to repeat the same ideas, but only to add the points that have been left out. Come, then, let us once more bring our discussion to the opening words: 'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.' Why is it that, while all the other Evangelists begin from the Incarnation (for Matthew begins: 'The book of the origin of Jesus Christ, the Son of David';1 and Luke tells us in the beginning the facts he learned from Mary;2 and Mark uses a similar approach by recounting from this point of view the story of John the Baptist3 ), John merely hints briefly at the Incarnation by saying further on: 'And the Word was made flesh.'4 Why does he omit all the other details-His conception, His birth, upbringing, growth -and discourse to us about His eternal generation? What the reason for this is I shall tell you now. Since the other Evangelists had spent much time in outlining the details which pertain to His humanity, there would be cause to fear lest some earthly minded individuals might, in consequence, remain content with these teachings only, 1 Matt. 1.1. 2 Cf. Luke 1·2. !l Cf. Mark 1.1-1!l. 4 John 1.14. [54.152.216.170] Project MUSE (2024-03-29 10:09 GMT) HOMILIES 45 as indeed happened to Paul of Samosata.5 It was, then, to draw up from this striving after things of earth those who were likely to relapse into it, and to direct them upward to heaven, that he deliberately made the introduction of his narrative open from on high and from the eternal existence. While Matthew entered upon his narrative from King Herod, Luke from Tiberius Caesar, and Mark from the baptism...