6. Do you not hear, as Paul says, that all these things are written "for our instruction" (1 Cor. 10:11)? And you, who do not dare to take up the Gospel with unwashed hands, do you not think that what is contained in it is extremely important? That's why everything goes upside down. If you want to know how great the benefits of the Scriptures are, observe what happens to you when you listen to the Psalms, and what happens to you when you listen to Satan's song; In what mood you spend time in church, and in what mood you sit in the theater. Then you will see the difference between the two states of the soul, although the soul is the same. That is why Paul said: "Bad talk[1] corrupts good morals" (1 Cor. 15:53). That is why we constantly need spiritual hymns. This is our superiority over dumb animals, although in other respects we are much inferior to them. This is the food of the soul, this is its adornment, this is its protection; on the contrary, not to listen to the Scriptures is hunger and destruction for the soul. I will give them, says the Lord, "not a hunger for bread, nor a thirst for water, but a thirst for hearing the words of the Lord" (Amos 8:11). Can there be anything more disastrous when you bring upon your own head the evil that God threatens as a punishment, torment your soul with a terrible hunger and make it the weakest in the world? Usually the word both corrupts the soul and heals it; the word also arouses anger in her, and it again tames her; a shameful word inflames lust, a decent word disposes to chastity. If the word has such power at all, then tell me, how do you despise the Scriptures? If mere exhortation is so powerful, much more so are exhortations accompanied by the action of the Spirit. A word spoken from the Divine Scriptures softens a hardened soul more than fire and makes it capable of everything beautiful. By this means Paul, when he learned of the Corinthians that they had become proud and haughty, humbled them and made them more humble. They exalted themselves with what they should have considered shame and disgrace. But listen to the change that took place in them when they received the message. The teacher himself testified to it when he said to them: "For the very fact that you have grieved for God's sake, see what zeal has produced in you, what apologies, what indignation [against the guilty], what fear, what desire, what jealousy, what chastisement!" (2 Corinthians 7:11). By this means we can control servants, children, wives, and friends; we can also make our enemies friends. In this way, great men, friends of God, attained perfection. Thus, David, after committing a sin, as soon as he heeded the word, immediately manifested in himself a most beautiful example of repentance (2 Samuel 12:13), and the apostles, with the help of the word, became what they were later, and by the word they converted the whole world. But what, you say, is it good when someone listens and does not do what is told to him? There will be no small benefit from one hearing. At least a person will recognize himself, grieve, and someday he will come to the point where he will fulfill what he has heard. And who does not even know that he is sinning, will he ever cease to sin? Can he come to know himself? Therefore, let us not neglect to hear the Holy Scriptures. It is the devil's plot not to allow us to see the treasures, lest we become rich. He is afraid that our hearing will turn into action; therefore he inspires us that hearing alone has no meaning. Therefore, knowing this evil plan of his, let us guard ourselves on all sides, so that, having defended ourselves with the weapon of the word of God, we ourselves will not only not fall into captivity, but also crush his head, and, thus crowned with signs of victory, we may attain future blessings through the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

[1] In the Synodal translation it is "community", but "conversations" or "communion" is more in line with the understanding of Chrysostom.

CONVERSATION 3

"The Genealogy of Jesus Christ, Son of David, Son of Abraham" (Matt. 1:1).

1. This is the third conversation, and we have not yet finished the preface. Thus, it is not in vain that I have said that these reflections, by their nature, are very profound. Today we will try to tell you what remains. What is our question now? About why the Evangelist presents the genealogy of Joseph, who had nothing to do with the birth of Christ. We have already indicated one reason; it is necessary to discover another, which is more mysterious and hidden than the first. What is this reason? The Evangelist did not want the Jews to know at his very birth that Christ was born of a Virgin. But do not be dismayed if what I have said is frightening to you; I am not speaking here my own words, but the words of our fathers, wonderful and famous men. If the Lord originally hid many things in darkness, calling Himself the son of man; if He did not everywhere clearly reveal to us His equality with the Father, then why should we be surprised if He concealed for the time being His birth from the Virgin, arranging something wondrous and great? What is wonderful about it, you say? The fact that Virgo is preserved and freed from bad suspicion. Otherwise, if this had become known to the Jews from the very beginning, they would have misinterpreted the words, stoned the Virgin and condemned her as a harlot. If even in such cases, examples of which they often encountered in the Old Testament, they revealed their shamelessness (for example, they called Christ possessed when He cast out demons, considered Him an adversary of God when He healed the sick on the Sabbath, despite the fact that the Sabbath had already been repeatedly violated), then what would they not say when they heard about it? They were also favored by the fact that nothing like this had ever happened in former times. If, even after His many miracles, they called Jesus the son of Joseph, how would they have believed, even before the miracles, that He was born of a Virgin? That is why the genealogy of Joseph is written, and the Virgin is betrothed to him.

Whoever once believed that Jesus is the Son of God would not doubt it. But who considers Him a flatterer and an adversary of God, if he would not be even more tempted by this and would not have had this suspicion? That is why the apostles do not speak from the very beginning of the birth of a virgin. On the contrary, they often and much talk about the resurrection of Christ, because there were examples of resurrection in former times, although not such; and His birth from a Virgin is seldom spoken of. Even His Mother herself did not dare to announce this. Look at what the Virgin says to Christ Himself: "Behold, Thy father and I... sought Thee" (Luke 2:48)! Considering Him to be born of a Virgin, they would no longer recognize Him as the son of David; and from this many other evils would have resulted. Wherefore the angels also proclaimed this to Mary and Joseph alone; but when they preached the news of the birth to the pastors, they did not add about it. But why does the Evangelist, after mentioning Abraham and saying that he begat Isaac, and Isaac begat Jacob, does not mention the latter's brother, while after Jacob he mentions both Judah and his brothers?

2. The reason for this is the wickedness of Esau, and the same is said of some other ancestors. But I will not say this: if this were so, then why does the Evangelist mention vicious wives a little later? Obviously, here the glory of Jesus Christ is revealed through the opposite, not through the greatness, but through the insignificance and baseness of His ancestors. For the lofty, this is the great glory if he can humble himself to the extreme. So, why did the evangelist not mention Esau and others? Because the Saracens and the Ishmaelites, the Arabs, and all those who were descended from those ancestors, had nothing to do with the people of Israel. For this reason he kept silent about them, but addresses himself directly to the ancestors of Jesus and the Jewish people, saying: "Jacob begat Judah and his brethren." Here the Jewish generation is already indicated. "Judah begat Perez and Zarah by Tamar."

What are you doing, God-inspired man, reminding us of the story of lawless incest? What's the matter? He answers. If we were to enumerate the genus of an ordinary man, it would be proper to keep silent about such a matter. But in the genealogy of the incarnate God, not only should it not be kept silent, but it should also be announced with a commanding voice, in order to show His providence and power. He came not to escape our shame, but to destroy it. Just as we are especially amazed not at the fact that Christ died, but at the fact that He was crucified (although this is reproachful, but the more reproachful, the more His love for mankind is shown), so we can say about birth: Christ should be amazed not only because He took upon Himself flesh and became man, but also because He vouchsafed wicked people to be His kinsmen, not in the least ashamed of our vices. Thus, from the very beginning of His birth, He showed that He did not disdain anything of ours, thereby teaching us not to be ashamed of the wickedness of our ancestors, but to seek only one thing – virtue. A virtuous person, even if he comes from a foreigner, even if he is born of a harlot or some other sinner, cannot receive any harm from this. If the fornicator himself, if he changes, is not in the least disgraced by his former life, how much more can a virtuous person, if he is descended from a prostitute or adulteress, in the least disgrace the depravity of his parents. However, Christ did this not only for our instruction, but also for the taming of the pride of the Jews. Since they, neglecting the virtue of the soul, on any occasion exalted themselves only by Abraham, and thought to be justified by the virtue of their ancestors, the Lord from the very beginning shows that it is not proper to boast of one's family, but of one's own merits. Moreover, He also wants to show that everyone, even the forefathers, are guilty of sins. Thus the patriarch, from whom the very name of the Jewish people was derived, turns out to be no small sinner: Tamar accuses him of fornication. And David begat Solomon by an adulterous woman. But if such great men have not fulfilled the law, how much more so are those who are inferior to them. And if they did not fulfill it, then everyone sinned, and the coming of Christ was necessary. For this reason the Evangelist also mentioned the twelve patriarchs, in order to humiliate the Jews, who were exalted by their illustrious ancestors. For many of the patriarchs were born of slave women, and yet the difference of those who gave birth did not make a distinction between those who were born. All of them were equally patriarchs and ancestors of the tribes. This is the advantage of the Church; this is the distinction of our nobility, which was already foreshadowed in the Old Testament. Even if you are a slave, even if you are free, it does you neither good nor harm; only one thing is needed - will and spiritual disposition.

3. In addition to what has been said, there is another reason why the Evangelist mentioned the story of Judas' incest. It was not without reason that Zara was annexed to Pharez. Apparently, it would be vain and superfluous after Pharez, from whom the genealogy of Christ was to be traced, to mention Zara again. What is the purpose of the above? When the time came for Tamar to give birth to them and illnesses began, Zara was the first to show his hand. The midwife, seeing this, in order to notice the firstborn, bound his hand with a red thread. And when the hand was bandaged, the child hid it, and then was born Pharez, and then Zara. Seeing this, the midwife said: "How hast thou broken thy barrier" (Gen. 38:29)? Do you notice the mysterious prefiguration? It is not without reason that this has been written for us, since it would not be worth while to relate what the midwife once said, and to tell that he who was born second was the first to put out his hand. So, what does this foreshadowing mean? First, the name of the infant resolves this question: Pharez means division and dissection. Secondly, the event itself: it was not in the natural order that the hand that had appeared, being bandaged, was again hidden. There was no rational movement or natural order. It may be natural for another to be born when one has shown his hand; but to conceal it in order to make way for another is already contrary to the law of those who are born. No, the grace of God was present here, arranging the birth of infants, and predestining for us through them a certain image of future events. What exactly? Those who have carefully studied this incident say that these babies prefigured the two peoples. Then, so that you may know that the existence of the second people precedes the origin of the first, the infant does not show himself completely, but only stretches out his hand, but hides it again, and only after his brother has come into the world, and he appears completely. And so it happened with both people. First, in the time of Abraham, the life of the church appeared, then, when it was hidden, the Jewish people came into existence with a life under the law, and after that a whole new nation appeared with its own laws. That is why the midwife says: "How did you break the barrier for yourself"? The law that came to power cut off the freedom of life. And the Scriptures usually call the law a barrier. Thus the Prophet David says: "Thou hast broken down her hedges, so that all who pass by the way cut her off" (Psalm 79:13). And Isaiah: "He enclosed it with a fence" (Isaiah 5:2). And Paul: "And he broke down the barrier that stood in the middle" (Ephesians 2:14).

4. Others say that the words, "How hast thou broken thy barrier"? spoken of a new people, because it abolished the law by its appearance. Do you see that it was not for a few and unimportant reasons that the evangelist mentioned the whole story of Judas? For the same reason Ruth and Rahab are mentioned, one of whom was a foreigner, and the other a harlot, i.e., to teach you that the Saviour came to destroy all our sins, came as a physician, and not as a judge. Just as they married harlots, so God combined with Himself an adulterous nature. The prophets of old applied this to the synagogue as well; but she turned out to be ungrateful to her husband. On the contrary, the Church, once freed from the vices of her fathers, remained in the arms of the Bridegroom. Look also at what in Ruth's adventures is similar to ours. She was a stranger and reduced to extreme poverty, and yet, when Boaz saw her, he did not despise her poverty, nor did he disdain her low birth. In the same way, Christ, Who took over the Church of a foreign tribe and was very impoverished, made it a partaker of great blessings. And just as she would never have entered into such a marriage if she had not left her father beforehand, and had not despised her home, clan, fatherland, and relatives, so the Church, when she left the manners of her fathers, then became pleasing to the Bridegroom. About this, the prophet, addressing the Church, says: "Forget your people and your father's house. And the King will desire your beauty" (Psalm 44:11,12). Thus did Ruth, and through this she became the mother of kings, as well as the Church, because David descended from her. Thus, the Evangelist compiled a genealogy and placed these women in it in order to shame the Jews with such examples and teach them not to be arrogant. Ruth was the ancestor of a great king, and David is not ashamed of it.

It is impossible, absolutely impossible, through the virtues or vices of one's ancestors, to be honest or dishonest, famous or unknown. On the contrary, I must say, though my words may seem strange, that he is more famous who, being not born of good parents, has become good. Therefore, let no one be proud of his ancestors; but, thinking about the first parents of the Lord, let him put aside all vanity, and boast of his merits, or rather not boast of them. From self-boasting, the Pharisee became worse than the publican. If you want to show a great virtue, do not be arrogant, and then you will show an even greater one; Do not think that having done something, you have already done everything.

The Lord knows your merits much better than you. If you give me a cup of cold water, He will not despise even that. If you give one ox, if only you sigh, He will accept everything with great favor, and remember, and determine great rewards for it. Why then do you consider your virtues, and constantly expose them to us? Or do you not know that if you praise yourself, you will no longer be praised by God? Likewise, if you humble yourself, will He praise you unceasingly before all? He does not want to diminish the reward for your labors. What do I say: reduce? He does and arranges everything to crown you even for small things, and seeks all kinds of pretexts to deliver you from hell.

5. That is why, even if you work only at the eleventh hour of the day, the Lord will give you a full reward. "Though there is nothing to save thee," He will say, "I do it for myself, that my name may not be defiled" (cf. "I will not do this for you, O house of Israel, but for my holy name's sake. It is not for your sake that I will do this, saith the Lord God, let it be known to you." 36:22,32). If you only sigh, if you only shed tears, He Himself will immediately use all this as an opportunity for your salvation. Therefore, let us not be arrogant, let us call ourselves useless, that we may be useful. If you call yourself worthy of praise, then you are useless, even if you are really worthy of praise; on the contrary, if you call yourself useless, you will become useful, even if you are unworthy of praise. That is why one should forget about one's good deeds.

This is utter madness, and the greatest damage to the one who collects. Forgetting one's good deeds is their safest storehouse. And as clothes and gold, if we lay them out in the market, attract many evildoers, and if we clean and hide them in the house, they are kept in perfect safety, so if we constantly keep our good deeds in mind, we provoke the Lord to anger, and arm the enemy, and stir him up to steal, and if no one knows them besides this, Those who need to know will be safe. Therefore, do not constantly boast of your good works, lest someone deprive you of them, lest the same thing happen to you as happened to the Pharisee, who wore them on his tongue, whence the devil stole them. Although he remembered them with thanksgiving, and lifted up everything to God, this did not save him either, because it is not proper for one who gives thanks to God to revile others, to show his superiority over the majority, and to exalt himself before sinners. If you thank God, then be content with that; do not speak about these things to people, and do not condemn your neighbor, for this is no longer a matter of gratitude. Do you want to know how to express gratitude? Listen to what the three youths say: "We have sinned, and have done iniquity" (Dan. 3:29); "For thou art righteous in all that thou hast done unto us" (v. 27), "and all that thou hast brought upon us... He did according to the true judgment" (v. 31). To confess one's sins means to thank God; Whoever confesses his sins shows that he is guilty of innumerable sins, and only has not received a worthy punishment. It is he who gives thanks to God the most. Therefore, let us beware of praising ourselves for what is good, because this makes us hateful both before people and vile before God. Therefore, the more good we do, the less we will talk about ourselves. Only in this way can we gain the greatest glory both with God and with people; or rather, God has not only glory, but also reward and great recompense. Therefore, do not demand a reward in order to receive a reward; confess that you are saved by grace, so that God Himself will acknowledge Himself as your debtor, not only for your good works, but also for your gratitude. When we do good, He owes us only for our deeds; and when we do not think at all that we have done any good deed, then He remains indebted to us for our disposition, and moreover more than for our deeds - so that our disposition is equal to the virtues themselves, and without it even the deeds themselves are not important. In the same way, we show favor to our servants, especially when they, serving us with diligence in everything, think that they have not yet done anything important for us.