Troparion to St. John Chrysostom, tone 8:

With thy lips, like the brightness of fire, shining grace, enlighten the universe; Not the love of money of the world is the treasure of the world, the height of humility is shown to us, but punishing us with your words, Father John Chrysostom, pray to the Word of Christ God to save our souls.

Kontakion, tone 6:

Thou didst receive Divine grace from heaven, and through thy lips thou didst teach all to worship in the Trinity the One God, the all-blessed John Chrysostom, the venerable one, we worthily praise thee: for thou art a teacher, as a divine one.

AGAINST JEWS.

Eight "sermons against the Jews" were pronounced by St. John Chrysostom in Antioch in two steps: the first three in the autumn of 386, and the last five in the autumn of 387. The reason for their pronunciation was the sad circumstance that many Christians, either out of old habit or out of ignorance and enthusiasm, took part in the feasts and fasts celebrated by the local Jews, and attended synagogues. It is against this folly that the words of Chrysostom are directed, who explains in them that Judaism has already lost its significance and therefore the observance of its rites is contrary to the will of God. The first word was spoken shortly after the first word against the Anomoeans. It is precisely this that is indicated in the opening lines of the first word.

FIRST WORD.

1

TODAY I wanted to tell you the rest of the subject about which I have recently talked with you, and to show you more clearly how incomprehensible God is. We talked about this at length last Sunday, when we cited testimonies from Isaiah, David, and Paul. The first cried out, "Who shall make known His generation" (Isa. LIII, 8)? The second thanked God for His incomprehensibility, saying: "Let us worship Thee, for Thou hast been terribly amazed: wonderful are Thy works" (Ps. CXXXVIII, 14); and again, "Thy mind shall be amazed at me: be strengthened, I shall not be able to do it" (v. 6). And Paul, not delving into the study of the very essence (of God), but having delved only into His providence, or rather embracing only a small part of this providence, revealed in the calling of the Gentiles, and as if seeing a vast and boundless sea, exclaimed: O depth of the riches and wisdom and understanding of God! For His judgment was not tried, and His way was not searched (Rom. XI, 33). Of course, these testimonies would have sufficed to prove it, but I was not satisfied with the prophets, nor did I stop at the apostles, but ascended into heaven, and showed you a choir of angels, saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:11). II, 14). You have also heard the seraphim, crying out with fear and trembling: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts: fill the whole earth with His glory (Isa. VI, 3). I also added the cherubim, crying, "Blessed is the glory of the Lord from His place" (Ezek. III, 12). Three witnesses on earth,1 and three in heaven,2 show the inaccessibility of the glory of God. The proof was at last indisputable; There was a lot of applause, the people were inspired, the assembly was on fire. And I rejoiced not because I was praised, but because my Lord was glorified; for these applause and praises proved the love of your soul for God. As loving servants, when they hear that someone praises their master, are inflamed with love for the one who praises, because they love the master; so did you then: by loud applause you showed great love for the Lord. I would like to engage in the same debate today: if the enemies of the truth can no longer be satisfied with blasphemy against the Benefactor, how much more should we be insatiable in glorifying the God of all. But what should I do? Another, even more grievous, illness calls our tongue to heal it, an illness that has affected the body of the Church. It must first of all be eradicated, and then take care of the external ones; one must first heal one's own, and then take care of others. What kind of disease is it? The miserable and unfortunate Jews have an uninterrupted series of feasts: trumpets, tabernacles, fasts; and many of those who are considered to be ours and say of themselves as if they believe according to ours, some go to see these feasts, and others even participate in the feasts and fasts (of the Jews). It is this evil custom that I now want to banish from the church. It is possible to speak against the Anomaeans at other times, and there will be no harm in delaying in this: but if we do not heal those infected with Judaism now, when the feasts of the Jews are near and at the door, then I fear that some (of the Christians), through irrepressible habit and great ignorance, will not take part in this impiety; then our words about this would have been in vain. For if they, having heard nothing from us today, fast with the Jews; then, after the sin has already been committed, it is in vain for us to apply medicine. That is why I hasten to warn (evil). Doctors do the same: they first of all use remedies against the strongest and most acute diseases. Moreover, the present word (against the Jews) is akin to the former (against the Anomoeans): just as the impiety of the Anomaeans and the Jews is akin to the former, so your present contests are akin to the former. The Anomoeans accuse (Jesus Christ) of the same thing for which the Jews accused Him. What did they accuse him of? Because (Jesus Christ) called God His Father, making Himself equal with God (John 2:10). V, 18). For the same reason the Anomoeans accuse Him, or rather, they do not accuse Him, but even completely erase the very words (Jesus Christ, John 2:10). V, 17) and their meaning, if not with hands, then with thought.

2

Do not be surprised that I have called the Jews miserable. Truly pitiful and miserable are they, who have deliberately rejected and abandoned so many blessings that have come into their hands from heaven. The morning Sun of righteousness shone upon them: they have rejected His light, and sit in darkness, but we, who have lived in darkness, have drawn light to ourselves, and have been delivered from the darkness of error. They were branches of the holy root, but they broke off: we did not belong to the root, and bore the fruit of godliness. They read the prophets from childhood, and crucified Him of Whom the prophets had proclaimed: we have not heard the divine words, and Him of Whom it is foretold in them they have given worship. That is why they are pitiful; for while others admired and appropriated the blessings sent down to them (the Jews), they themselves rejected them. They, who were called to adoption, descended to kinship with dogs, but we, being formerly dogs, were able, by the grace of God, to put off our former foolishness and be exalted to the honor of the sons (of God). How can this be seen? It is not good to take away bread by a child, and to destroy it by a dog (Matt. XV, 26); Thus said Christ to the Canaanite woman, calling the Jews children and the Gentiles dogs. But see how the order changed afterwards: they (the Jews) became dogs, and we became children. "Beware of dogs," says Paul of them, "guard yourselves from evil workers, guard yourselves from being cut off." For we are circumcision (Phil. III, 2, 3). Do you see how those who were formerly children have become dogs? Do you want to know how we, who were formerly dogs, became children? And when the women received Him, says the Evangelist, He gave them the region to be children of God (Jn. I, 12). There is nothing more pitiful than the Jews: they always go against their own salvation. When it was necessary to keep the law, they trampled on it; and now that the law has ceased to apply, they persist in keeping it. What can be more pitiful than those people who irritate God, not only by transgressing the law, but also by keeping it? Therefore, says (St. Stephen), stiff-neckedness, and uncircumcised hearts and ears, ye ever resist the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:10). VII, 51), not only by violating the law, but also by an untimely desire to observe it. And rightly he called them stiff-necked, because they did not bear the yoke of Christ, although it was good and did not contain anything heavy and exhausting. Learn, says (Jesus Christ), from Me, that I am meek and lowly in heart; and again, "Take my yoke upon you: for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" (Matt. XI, 29, 30). Yet they did not bear (this yoke) because of their stiff-neckedness; and not only did they not bear it, but they crushed and tore it asunder. Wherefore, it is said, Thou hast broken thy yoke from all eternity, hast torn thy bands asunder. II, 20; Ch. V, 5 and Psalm. II, 3). It is not Paul who says this, but the prophet cries out, meaning by yoke and bonds the symbols of authority (of Christ); for (the Jews) rejected the dominion of Christ, when they said, "Not the imams of the king, but of Caesar" (John 1:11). XIX, 15). Thou (the Jew) hast broken the yoke, hast broken the bonds, hast been torn away from the kingdom of heaven, and hast submitted to the powers of men! And you (the listener) see how accurately the prophet indicated the unbridled nature of the Jews; He did not say, "You have rejected the yoke, but you have broken the yoke," which is the vice of zealous, unrestrained, and powerless animals. But from what did this stiffness originate? From satiety and drunkenness. Who is talking about this? Moses himself: "Jacob is satisfied, and the beloved is denied" (Deut. XXXII, 15). As animals, when they use abundant food, when they become fat, become violent and indomitable, do not allow themselves to be either a yoke, or a bridle, or the hand of a charioteer; so the Jewish people, having fallen into extreme impiety from drunkenness and satiety, galloped, did not take upon themselves the yoke of Christ, and did not draw the plough (of the Gospel) teaching. Pointing to this, another prophet also said: "As a young woman shook a sword, Israel is furious (Hos. IV, 16); and another calls the people of Judah a calf untaught (Jer. XXXI, 18). And such animals, being unfit for work, are fit for slaughter. This also happened to the Jews: having made themselves unfit for work, they became fit only for slaughter. For this reason Christ also said: "They are My enemies, who do not desire Me, but have a king over them: bring this, and cut them off before Me" (Luke 2:11). XIX, 27). You should have fasted, O Jew, when drunkenness caused you so much misery, when gluttony begot impiety, then, and not now, because now fasting is inappropriate and abominable. Who says this? Isaiah himself, crying out loudly: "I have chosen not this fast" (Isa. LVIII, 5). Why? For in judgment and in cooking, you fast, and beat the pasterns of the humble (v. 4). But if your fast was abominable when you beat slaves like you; then will he be pleasant then, since you have killed the Lord? How so? He who fasts should be meek, contrite, humble, and not intoxicate himself with anger: "Do you beat slaves like yourself?" At that time the Jews fasted in courts and cooks, but now (they fast) in immoderation and extreme intemperance, dancing with bare feet in the square; they are fasting in intention, but drunken in appearance! Listen to how the prophet commands fasting: sanctify, he says, fasting; He did not say, "Celebrate fasting loudly"; preaching the celibacy, gather together the elders (Joel. I, 14). And they, having gathered crowds of pampered people and a crowd of dissolute women, carry all this theater and actors to the synagogue; for there is no difference between the theater and the synagogue.