Homilies on Genesis 46–67

Homily 56

HOMILY 56 "Now,jacob said to Laban, 'Give me my wife-after all, the time is up-so that I may live with her.'''l ESTERDAY [486] we digressed from the love Jacob showed for Rachel to the love of Paul, and, after learning the extent of his desire for Christ, we were unable to return to the theme of our sermon, as though swept away by some extremely powerful torrent. Hence, if you don't mind, let us today take up the sequel and complete the remainder so that we may gain sufficient benefit from what is said today and thus go off home. (2) When the period of seven years was completed, Scripture tells us, remember, "inJacob's eyes such a long period was but a few days when measured against his love for her. He said to Laban, 'Give me my wife-after all, the time is up-so that I may live with her.' Laban assembled all the men of the place and held the wedding. When evening came, Laban took his daughter Leiah and brought her in to Jacob:'2 Do you see with how much solemnity they conducted weddings in ancient times? Take heed, you who are swept up in the excitement of satanic rituals and besmirch the solemnity of marriage at its very beginnings . Surely there's no place for flutes? Surely there's no place for cymbals? Surely there's no place for satanic dances? Why is it, tell me, that you introduce such a nuisance into the house and call in people from the stage and the theater so as to undermine the girl's chastity with this regrettable expenditure and make the young person shameless? (3) I mean, it is much to be desired that at her age she might succeed in modestly surviving the onset of passion without 1. Gen 29.21. 2. Gen 29.20-23. 119 120 ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM fuel being added to the fire; but when such provocations in sight and [487] sound fan the flame and bring the furnace of passion to flashpoint, how could the young person's soul fail to be overwhelmed? In fact, from this cause everything perishes and is destroyed, by the inroads made from the outset into the chastity of the young couple about to live with one another. Often from the very first day the young man sustains a satanic wound to the soul by abandoning control of the eyes, and the maiden falls victim through hearing and sight; from that day on the wounds are aggravated and cause the evil to be compounded . I mean, the first stage is the undermining of the harmony of their relationship and the weakening of their love. You see, once he sets his heart on someone else, dividing his loyalties between the one and the other at the devil's whim, he fills the home with bitterness. If, on the other hand, she is found to be of the same disposition, everything is turned upside down, so to say, and they are then no longer honest with one another: he is suspicious of his wife; she, of her husband. Where there should be harmony and union and the two ought to be one ("The two will come to be one flesh;'3 Scripture says, remember), this couple are in fact so divided as to be cut in two, you might say. (4) You see, once the devil gains entry, he causes such harm to them that fighting and squabbling break out daily and there is no end to their troubles. I mean, who could guess the contempt of their servants for them and the mockery and ridicule of the neighbors? Just as when navigators fail to agree, all the voyagers run the same risk and, without exception, cannot avoid going down with the ship, in just the same way in this case, when husband and wife fall out, everybody else is probably caught up in their trouble. (5) Hence, I beseech you, let us foresee all these eventualities and discontinue this practice. I am aware, of course, that many people propose it to you and are not put off by our words; but we are obliged to say what is both useful and likely to snatch you from impending punishment. After all, where 3. Gen 2.24· HOMILY 56 121 such awful harm for the soul is involved, why...