Homilies on Romans

Let us obey then, and knit ourselves to one another. For in this place it is not any longer the weak, but all that he is rousing. And were a man minded to break with you, do not thou break also. Nor give utterance to that cold saying, “Him I love that loves me; if my right eye does not love me, I tear it out.” For these are satanical sayings, and fit for publicans, and the little spirit of the Gentiles. But thou that art called to a greater citizenship, and are enrolled in the books of Heaven, art liable to greater laws. Do not speak in this way, but when he is not minded to love you, then display the more love, that you may draw him to you. For he is a member; and when by any force a member is sundered from the body, we do everything to unite it again, and then pay more attention to it. For the reward is the greater then, when one draws to one a person not minded to love. For if He bids us invite to supper those that cannot make us any recompense, that what goes for recompense may be the greater, much more ought we to do this in regard to friendship. Now he that is loved and loves, does pay you a recompense. But he that is loved and loves not, has made God a debtor to you in his own room. And besides, when he loves you he needs not much pains; but when he loves you not, then he stands in need of your assistance. Make not then the cause for painstaking a cause for listlessness; and say not, because he is sick, that is the reason I take no care of him (for a sickness indeed the dulling of love is), but do thou warm again that which has become chilled. But suppose he will not be warmed, “what then?” is the reply. Continue to do your own part. “What if he grow more perverse?” He is but procuring to you so much greater return, and shows you so much the greater imitator of Christ. For if the loving one another was to be the characteristic of disciples (“For hereby,” He says, “shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you love one another”), consider how great an one loving one that hates us must be. For your Master loved those that hated Him, and called them to Him; and the weaker they were, the greater the care He showed them; and He cried and said, “They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.” And He deemed publicans and sinners worthy of the same table with Him. And as great as was the dishonor wherewith the Jewish people treated Him, so great was the honor and concern He showed for them, yea, and much greater. Him do thou also emulate: for this good work is no light one, but one without which not even he that is a martyr can please God much, as Paul says. Say not then, I get hated, and that is why I do not love. For this is why you ought to love most. And besides, it is not in the nature of things for a man who loves to be soon hated, but brute as a person may be, he loves them that love him. For this He says the heathens and the publicans do. But if every one loves those that love him, who is there that would not love those who love while they are hated? Display then this conduct, and cease not to use this word, “Hate me as much as you may, I will not leave off loving you,” and then you will humble his quarrelsomeness, and cast out all coldness. For this disorder comes either from excessive heat (φλεγμονἥς, inflammation), or from coldness; but both of these is the might of love wont to correct by its warmth. Did you never see those who indulge a base love beaten, spit upon, called names, ill-treated in a thousand ways by those fornicatresses? What then? Do the insults break off this love? In no wise: they even kindle it the more. And yet they who do these things, besides being harlots, are of a disreputable and low grade. But they who submit to it, have often illustrious ancestors to count up, and much other nobility to boast of. Yet still none of these things break the tie, nor keep them aloof from her whom they love. And are we not ashamed then to find what great power the love of the devil (v. p. 520) and the demons has, and not to be able to display as much in the love according to God? Do you not perceive that this is a very great weapon against the devil? Do you not see, that that wicked demon stands by, dragging to himself the man you hate, and desiring to snatch away the member? And do you run by, and give up the prize of the conflict? For your brother, lying between you, is the prize. And if you get the better, you receive a crown; but if you are listless, you go away without a crown. Cease then to give utterance to that satanical saying, “if my eye hates me, I cannot see it.” For nothing is more shameful than this saying, and yet the generality lay it down for a sign of a noble spirit. But nothing is more ignoble than all this, nothing more senseless, nothing more foolish. Therefore I am indeed quite grieved that the doings of vice are held to be those of virtue, that looking down on men, and despising them, should seem to be honorable and dignified. And this is the devil's greatest snare, to invest iniquity with a good repute, whereby it becomes hard to blot out. For I have often heard men taking credit to themselves at their not going near those who are averse to them. And yet your Master found a glory in this. How often do not men despise (διέπτυσαν) Him? How often show aversion to Him? Yet He ceases not to run unto them. Say not then that “I cannot bear to come near those that hate me,” but say, that “I cannot bear to despise (διαπτύσαι) those that despise me.” This is the language of Christ's disciple, as the other is of the devil's. This makes men honorable and glorious, as the other does shameful and ridiculous. It is on this ground we feel admiration for Moses, because even when God said, “Let Me alone, that I may destroy them in Mine anger,” he could not bear to despise those who had so often shown aversion to him, but said, “If you will forgive them their trespass, forgive it; else blot out me also.” This was owing to his being a friend of God, and a copyer of Him. And let us not pride ourselves in things for which we ought to hide our faces. Nor let us use the language of these lewd fellows, that are the scum of men, I know how to scorn (καταπτύσαι, spit at) thousands. But even if another use it, let us laugh him down, and stop his mouth for taking a delight in what he ought to feel ashamed of. What say you, pray, do you scorn a man that believes, whom when unbelieving Christ scorned not? Why do I say scorned not? Why He had such love towards him, when he was vile and unsightly, as even to die for him. He then so loved, and that such a person, and do you now, when he has been made fair and admirable, scorn him; now he is made a member of Christ, and has been made your Master's body? Do you not consider what you are uttering, nor perceive what you are venturing to do? He has Christ as a Head, and a Table, and a Garment, and Life, and Light, and a Bridegroom, and He is everything to him, and do you dare to say, “this fellow I despise?” and not this only, but thousands of others along with him? Stay you, O man, and cease from your madness; get to know your brother. Learn that these be words of unreasonableness, and frenzy, and say on the contrary, though he despise me ten thousand times, yet will I never stand aloof from him. In this way you will both gain your brother, and wilt live to the glory of God, and wilt share the good things to come. To which God grant that we may all attain, by the grace and love toward man, etc.