Homilies on 2 Corinthians 19.1–19.4

["For concerning the ministry to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you"] [2 Cor 9:1]. Having said so much about it, here he says, "It is superfluous for me to write to you." And his wisdom lies not only in saying, after saying so much, "It is superfluous for me to write to you," but in speaking about it again. For what he said a little before, he said about those who received the money, so that they might enjoy great honor; and what came before that, what he discussed about the Macedonians, that "their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their liberality," and all the rest, was about kindness and almsgiving. But nevertheless, having said so much before and being about to speak again, he says, "It is superfluous for me to write to you." And he does this so as to draw them on the more. For a man who has such a reputation as not even to need counsel is ashamed to appear below his repute and to fall short. So too in accusation he often does this, speaking by passing over; for it has great force. For the judge, seeing the magnanimity of the accuser, no longer even suspects him. For he reasons: how would one who could say much and did not say it invent what is not? And he gives room to suspect more than he says, and wraps himself in the reputation of a good character. He does this in counsel and in praise as well. For having said, "It is superfluous to write," see how he counsels: "For I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the Macedonians" [2 Cor 9:2]. It is a great thing that he himself knows it; but much more, that he has published it to others; for this has greater force, for they would not wish to be put to such shame. Do you see the wisdom of his purpose? He urged them on from others, the Macedonians: "For we make known to you," he says, "the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia." He urged them from themselves: "For you," he says, "began before, not only to do but also to be willing, a year ago." He urged them from the Lord: "For you know," he says, "the grace of our Lord, that for our sakes he became poor, though he was rich." Again he flies to the strong point, that drawn from others. For the human race is jealous. And the Lord's example ought rather to have drawn them, and after that the repayment; but since they were weaker, he draws them more by this. For nothing works so much as emulation. And consider how he introduces it in a newer way. For he did not say, "Imitate these people"; but what? "Your zeal has stirred up very many." What are you saying? A little before you said that they came of their own accord, "with much entreaty begging us"; how then "your zeal"? Yes, he says: we did not counsel, we did not entreat, we only praised you, we only boasted, and this was enough to urge them on. Do you see how he rouses them through one another, these through those and those through these, and has mingled the greatest praise with the emulation? Then, so as not to puff them up, he proceeds with restraint, saying, "Your zeal has stirred up very many." Consider, then, how great a thing it would be, after becoming the cause of this generosity to others, to fall short yourselves in this contribution. That is why he did not say, "Imitate them" (for that would not have had so much emulation), but how? They imitated you: do not you, the teachers, show yourselves inferior to the disciples. And see how, rousing and inflaming them the more, he pretends to stand with them, as if in some contest and rivalry he were taking their side. For as above he said that "of their own accord, with much entreaty, they came to us," so that "we urged Titus that, as he had begun before, so he would also complete this grace," so here too he says, "But I have sent the brothers, so that our boasting about you may not be made empty" [2 Cor 9:3]. Do you see him anxious and trembling, so that he may not seem to have said what he said only for the sake of urging them? But, "Because it is so," he says, "I sent the brothers"; I take such pains for you "so that our boasting may not be made empty." And throughout he seems to make himself one of the Corinthians' side, though he cares for all alike. What he says is this: I pride myself greatly on you ... so that if you fall short, the shame is shared. And this too in measure; for he added, "in this respect," not everywhere; "so that, as I said, you may be prepared." For I did not say that they are going to be, but that everything has been made ready and nothing is now lacking to them. This, then, I wish to be shown by deeds, he says. Then he heightens the anxiety too, saying, "Lest perhaps, if Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to say you) should be put to shame" [2 Cor 9:4].

The shame is greater when he sets many spectators over them, the very people who have heard. And he did not say, "For I am bringing Macedonians with me," or "Macedonians are coming with me," so as not to seem to do it on purpose; but how? "Lest perhaps, if Macedonians come with me": for this may happen, he says; it is among the things that are possible. For so he made his word free from suspicion; but if he had spoken in that other way, he would even have made them more contentious. See how he leads them on not only from spiritual motives, but also from human ones. For even if you make nothing great of me, he says, and are confident because I would forgive you, at least think of the Macedonians: "lest perhaps, if they come and find you"; and he did not say "unwilling," but "unprepared," not yet having filled up the whole. And if this is shameful, not to bring it quickly, think how shameful it is not to bring it at all, or to bring less than is fitting. Then he sets down what would follow from this mildly and yet with a blow, saying, "we (not to say you) should be put to shame." And again he restrains it, saying, "in this confident boasting," not making them more careless, but showing that those who are well approved in other things ought to have great boldness in this too.

"Therefore I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on before to you and arrange in advance this blessing of yours, so that it may be ready as a blessing and not as covetousness" [2 Cor 9:5]. Again he takes up the same thing in another way; and so as not to seem to say these things idly, he says the reason for the journey is none other than that they may not be put to shame. Do you see that "It is superfluous for me to write to you" was the beginning of counsel? Do you see, then, how much he discourses about this ministry? And besides this one may say that, so as not to seem to contradict himself, having called it superfluous and yet discussing it, he establishes that point too through these words, in addition to discoursing about speed, and bounty, and readiness. For he demands these three things, and he touched these heads at the beginning too. For when he says, "In a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded to the riches of their liberality," he says nothing else than that they contributed much, and with joy, and with speed, and that not only did the giving not grieve them much, but not even being in trials did, which is more burdensome than giving. And "they gave themselves to us" shows both their readiness and their great trust. And here again he handles the same things. For since these are opposed, generosity and readiness, and the one who gives much is often despondent, while the one who, so as not to be pained, gives less, see how he cares for both, and with the wisdom proper to him. For he did not say, "It is better to give a little and with free choice than much under compulsion," since he wished them to contribute both much and with free choice; but how? "That they may arrange in advance your blessing, so that it may be ready as a blessing, not as covetousness." He begins first with the sweeter and lighter point, not under compulsion: for it is a "blessing," he says. See how, in the very order of his exhortation, he at once shows the fruit sprouting and those who give filled with blessing. And by the name he drew them on; for no one gives a blessing with grief. And he was not content with this, but added, "not as covetousness." Do not think, he says, that we take it as men grasping for gain, but so as to become the cause of blessing to you. For covetousness belongs to the unwilling; so that one who gives alms unwillingly gives covetousness. Then from this he passed again to that other point, giving generously.

"But this I say" [2 Cor 9:6]. That is, along with this I say that as well. What? That "he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows with blessings will also reap with blessings." And he did not say "meanly," but put the name of the sparing man, which is more euphemistic. And he called the thing a sowing, so that you may at once look to the return, and, thinking of the harvest, learn that you receive more than you give. That is why he did not say "he who gives," but "he who sows"; and he did not say "if you sow," but makes the saying general. Nor did he say "bountifully," but "with blessings," which was much greater than that. And again he flies back to the earlier, sweeter point, saying, "Each one as he has purposed in his heart" [2 Cor 9:7]. For one does more when given liberty than when compelled. That is why he dwells on this too; for having said "as he has purposed," he added, "not grudgingly or under compulsion." And he was not content with this, but adds the testimony of Scripture as well, saying, "For God loves a cheerful giver" [Prov 22:8 LXX]. Do you see how continually he sets this down? "I do not speak by way of command"; and, "In this I give my opinion"; and, "as a blessing and not as covetousness"; and again, "not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." Here I think "cheerful" means "bountiful"; but he himself took it in the sense of giving with readiness. For since the example of the Macedonians and everything else was enough to produce lavishness, he does not say much about it, but about not giving unwillingly. For if it is a work of virtue, and everything done from compulsion cuts off the reward, he rightly works at this. And he not only counsels but also prays, as he always does, saying, "And God is able to make all grace abound to you" [2 Cor 9:8].

By the prayer he removes a thought that lurks beneath this generosity, which hinders many even now. For many are afraid to give alms, saying, "Lest perhaps I become poor, lest perhaps I need others." To dissolve this fear, then, he adds the prayer, saying, "to make all grace abound to you." Not simply "fill," but "abound." And what is "to make grace abound"? To fill you, he says, with so much that you can abound in this generosity. "So that, always having all sufficiency in everything, you may abound to every good work." See the great philosophy even in his prayer. He does not pray for wealth or abundance, but for "all sufficiency." And not only is this admirable in him, but that, just as he did not pray for superfluity, so he does not press them nor compel them to give out of their want, condescending to their weakness, but asks for sufficiency, and shows at the same time that the gifts of God must not be misused. "So that you may abound," he says, "to every good work." This is why I ask these things, he says, so that you may supply others as well. And he did not say "supply," but "abound." For in fleshly things he asks sufficiency for them, but in spiritual things abundance as well, not in almsgiving only, but in all other things too; for this is what "to every good work" means. Then he brings the prophet to them as a counselor, seeking a testimony that calls them to bounty, and says, "As it is written, He has scattered, he has given to the poor; his righteousness remains forever" [2 Cor 9:9; Ps 112:9]. This is "that you may abound." For "he has scattered" signifies nothing else than giving with bounty. For even if the things themselves do not remain, what comes of them remains. And this is the wonder, that when kept they are lost, but when scattered they remain, and remain forever. And by "righteousness" here he means kindness; for it makes men righteous, consuming sins like fire, when it is poured out with bounty.

Let us not, then, be exact in reckoning, but let us sow with a full hand. Do you not see how much others give to mimes and to prostitutes? Give Christ even half of what they give to dancers; as much as they give in their vanity to those on the stage, give that much at least to the hungry. For they clothe the bodies of courtesans with unspeakable gold, but you do not clothe the flesh of Christ even with a plain garment, and that though you see it naked. What pardon does this deserve, or rather, what punishment does it not deserve, when that man supplies so much to the woman who destroys and disgraces him, while you give not even the least to the one who saves you and makes you more glorious? But when you spend on the belly and drunkenness and profligacy, you never remember poverty; but if you must relieve poverty, you become poorer than anyone; and in feeding parasites and flatterers you rejoice, spending as from fountains; but if you see a poor man somewhere, then the fear of poverty seizes you. For this reason we shall be condemned then both by ourselves and by others, both by those who have done well and by those who have failed. For he will say to you: "Why were you not so magnanimous in the things that were fitting?" That man, giving to a prostitute, reckoned none of these things; but you, giving to the Master, who told you not to be anxious [Matt 6:25], are full of fear and trembling? And what pardon would you deserve? For if a man who has received will not overlook you, but will repay the favor, much more will Christ. For he who gives even without receiving, how will he not give after receiving?

"What then," someone says, "when some, having spent much, not only receive nothing back but even need others?" You speak of those who have spent everything, though you yourself do not give even an obol. Promise to empty out everything, and then ask about them; but as long as you are sparing and give little out of what you have, why do you put forward excuses? For we are not leading you to the highest peak of having nothing, but for the present we ask you to cut off superfluities and to love sufficiency alone. And sufficiency is defined by the need of those things without which it is not possible to live. No one drags you away from these, nor forbids your daily food: food, I say, not luxury; coverings, not ornaments. Or rather, if one examines it carefully, this is luxury above all. For consider: whom shall we say lives in luxury more, the man who feeds on vegetables and is healthy and suffers nothing unpleasant, or the man who has a Sybaritic table and is full of countless diseases? Plainly the former. Let us then seek nothing more than this, if we wish both to live in luxury and to live in health. And let the one who can be content with this and be healthy seek nothing besides; but let the weaker one, who needs to be cared for by more than vegetables, not be forbidden. And if anyone is weaker still and needs the moderate help that comes from meat, we shall not keep him from this either. For we do not give this counsel in order to kill and destroy people, but in order to cut off superfluities; and superfluous is whatever is more than need. For when we can live healthily and decently even without something, that thing when added is certainly superfluous.

Let us reason so about clothes too, and the table, and the house, and all other things; and let us seek need everywhere. For the superfluous is also useless. When you have practised sufficiency, then, if you wish to become an emulator of the widow, we shall lead you to greater things than these. For you have not yet attained to that woman's philosophy as long as you are concerned about sufficiency. For she went even above this; for what was to support her, all this she cast in. Will you still be in doubt about necessities, and are you not ashamed to be outdone by a woman, and not only not to emulate her, but to fall far behind her? For she did not say what is said by you: "What if, having spent everything, I need another?" but generously stripped herself of what she had. What would one say about the widow in the Old Testament, in the time of the prophet Elijah [1 Kgs 17:8–16]? For her the danger was no longer about poverty, but about death and dying, not her own only, but her children's as well. For she did not expect to receive from others, but to die at once. "But she saw the prophet," someone says, "and that is why she became generous." And do you not see countless saints? And why do I say saints? You see the Master of the prophets begging, and not even so do you become kind; but having storehouses that belch forth from this side to that, you do not share even out of your abundance. What do you say? Was it because a prophet was present that she was persuaded to such magnanimity? This very thing deserves great wonder, that she was persuaded that he was great and wonderful. For how did she not say, as a barbarian and foreign woman would be likely to reason, "If he were a prophet, he would not have needed me; if he were God's friend, God would not have overlooked him. Granted, the Jews are paying this penalty for their sins; but this man, from where and why?" But she thought none of these things, but opened her house to him, and before her house her mind, and set all she had before him, and, letting nature go and disregarding her children, honored the stranger above all. Consider, then, what punishment awaits us, when we bring less than a woman, a widow, poor, foreign, a barbarian, a mother of children, who knew none of the things we know, and when we are weaker. For it is not because we have a strong body that we are brave. For he alone has this virtue, even if he lies on a bed, who has strength from within; for without it, even if someone pulls up a mountain by the strength of his body, I would not say he is any stronger than a little girl or a wretched old woman. For the one wrestles with bodiless evils, while the other does not even dare to look them in the face. And so that you may learn that this is the definition of courage, gather it from this very example. For what could be braver than this woman, who stood nobly against the tyranny of nature, the violence of famine, and the threat of death, and became stronger than all? Hear, at any rate, how Christ proclaims her: "For there were many widows," he says, "in the days of Elijah, and to none of them was the prophet sent, but only to that one" [Luke 4:25–26]. Shall I say something great and paradoxical? This woman contributed more to hospitality than our father Abraham. For she did not run to the herd as he did [Gen 18:7], but by that handful she surpassed all who are famed for hospitality. For he excelled because he devoted himself to this; but she, because she did not spare even her children for the stranger's sake, and that without expecting the things to come. But we, though there is a kingdom, though hell is threatened, and, greatest of all, though God has done so much for us, [hang back.] Not so, I beg you; rather, let us scatter, let us give to the poor as we ought to give. For God measures much and little not by the amount of what is given, but by the means of the giver's substance. Often, at any rate, you who cast in a hundred [gave less] than the one who cast in only one copper coin; for you gave out of abundance. Yet even so, do this, and you will soon come to greater bounty as well. Scatter money, so that you may gather righteousness. For righteousness does not wish to come together with money, but through money, not with it, [it] stands beside us. For the desire of money and righteousness cannot dwell together; for they have separate tents. Do not strive, then, to bring together what cannot be mixed, but drive out the tyrant, love of money, if you wish to obtain the queen. For she is the queen, who makes free men out of slaves; the other does the opposite. Therefore let us flee the one with all earnestness and embrace the other, so that we may both obtain freedom here and attain the kingdom of heaven; which may we all attain, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, might, honor, now and always and to the ages of ages. Amen.