Homilies on Acts 45.1–45.3

“And now I commend you, brothers, to God and [to the word of his grace, which is able to build you] up and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” What he does when writing letters he does also when giving counsel: from exhortation he ends in prayer. For since he had frightened them greatly by saying that fierce wolves would come in among them, so as not to strike their minds with terror and destroy them, see the comfort. “And now,” he says. He spoke so, showing by this that it was as always. “I commend you, brothers, to God and to the word of his grace,” that is, to his grace. And he rightly spoke so; for he knows that grace saves. He continually reminds them of grace, making them more earnest, as debtors, and persuading them to take courage. “To him who is able to build you up further.” He did not say “to build,” but “to build further,” showing that they had already been built. Then he reminded them of the hope to come, saying, “and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Then exhortation again: “I coveted no one’s silver,” he says, “or gold or clothing.” He removes the root of evils, the love of money. “Silver,” he says, “or gold.” He did not say, “I did not take,” but, “I did not even covet.” This is not yet great; what follows is great: “You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my needs and to those who were with me. In all things [I showed you that by laboring like this one must help] the weak.” See him using work, and not simply working, but toiling. “These hands ministered to my needs and to those who were with me.” This he says to shame them. And see how worthily: for he did not say, “to be above money,” but what? “to help the weak”; not simply all, but the weak. “And to remember the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” So that no one might think it was said to them, and that he was giving them an example, as he says elsewhere, “giving you an example,” he added the declaration of Christ, who says, “It is more blessed to give than [to receive],” … the same by deed too. “And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all”; not simply, but with great compunction. Great is the encouragement; and by saying, “I commend you to the Lord,” he encourages them. “And there was much weeping on the part of all, and they fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, grieving most of all for the word he had spoken, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.” He said, “Fierce wolves will come in”; he said, “I am clean of the blood of all”; both were fearful and enough to grieve them; but what pained them most of all was to hear that they would see him no more; and this made the war hard. “And they accompanied him,” it says, “to the ship.” So much did they love him, so were they disposed toward him. “And when we had torn ourselves from them and set sail, we ran a straight course and came to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. And finding a ship [crossing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. When] we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre.” See: he came to Lycia, and crossing to Phoenicia, leaving Cyprus, he put in at Tyre; for there the ship was to unload its cargo. This was the reason for going to Tyre. “And finding the disciples, we stayed there seven days; and they told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.” See, they too prophesy the afflictions. It is arranged that it be said through them too, so that no one might think that Paul says these things idly and boasts. And again there, after praying, they part from one another. “When our days were ended, [we departed and went on our way,] all of them escorting us with wives and children until we were outside the city; and kneeling down on the beach we prayed. And having said farewell to one another, we went on board the ship, and they returned home. When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais, [greeted the brothers, and stayed] one day with them. On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and entering the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him.” “Coming to Caesarea,” it says, “we stayed with Philip, one of the seven. He had four daughters who prophesied.” But they do not foretell to Paul, although prophesying. “[While] we [were staying] many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea; and coming to us, he took Paul’s belt, and binding his own hands and feet he said, ‘Thus says the Holy Spirit: So will the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and they will deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” He who long ago announced the famine is the one who says, “So will they bind the man who owns this belt.” What the prophets did, sketching events before the eyes, when they spoke of captivity, as Ezekiel did, this man did too. And the hard thing is, “they will deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.” “When we heard this, we and the people there begged him not to go up to Jerusalem.” And many begged him not to go, and not even so did he obey. “Then Paul answered, ‘What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’ And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, saying, ‘The will of the Lord be done.’” [2] Do you see? So that you might not, on hearing “I am going bound in the Spirit,” think it a matter of necessity, nor that he fell into it unknowing, these things are foretold. But they wept, and he encouraged them, grieved at their tears. “For what are you doing,” he says, “weeping and breaking my heart?” Nothing is more affectionate than Paul: because he saw them weeping, he who did not suffer over his own trials grieved. You wrong me by doing this, he says; for do I grieve? They stopped then, when he said, “What are you doing, breaking my heart?” I weep over you, he says, not over the sufferings; for for those I am even willing to die. Let us look at what was said from the beginning. “I coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothing,” he says; “you yourselves know that these hands ministered to my needs and to those who were with me.” So it was not only in Corinth that those who corrupted the disciples did this, but in Asia too. Nowhere does he reproach the Ephesians with this when writing to them. Why? Because he did not fall into the necessity. But he also says to the Corinthians, “This boast of mine will not be silenced in the regions of Achaia.” And he did not say, “You did not give to me,” but, “I did not covet silver or gold or clothing,” so that the not giving might not seem to be theirs. And he did not say, “I coveted none of the necessities,” lest again it seem an accusation of them; but he hints at this, that he reasonably took nothing, since he was even feeding others. See how earnestly the man worked, who night and day was reasoning with tears, admonishing each one. “In all things I showed you that by laboring like this one must help the weak.” By saying this he frightened them again. What he means is this: You cannot take refuge in ignorance; I showed you by deeds that one must work, toiling like this. And he did not say that it is bad to take, but that it is better not to take. “And to remember,” he says, “the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” And where did he say it? Perhaps the apostles handed it down unwritten; or it is clear from things from which one might infer it. For he has shown his boldness toward dangers, his compassion toward those he ruled, his teaching with boldness, his humility, his poverty; and this is greater even than poverty. For if there he says, “Sell your possessions, if you wish to be perfect,” when someone, besides receiving nothing, also feeds others, what equals this? One step, then, is to throw away one’s own; a second, to provide for oneself; a third, for others too; a fourth, that one who preaches and has the right to receive should not receive; so that this man was far better than those who have no possessions. And he rightly said, “So one must help the weak.” For this belongs to compassion toward the weak, to give from one’s own labors; but to give from others’ is not only not good, but even risky. “And falling on his neck,” it says, “they wept.” This shows their disposition toward him. They fell on his neck, embracing him for the last time, and having received from the speech great love and affection. For if we groan when we simply part from one another, though we know we shall receive one another back, how could those men then be torn from Paul without feeling? I think Paul too wept. “Having torn ourselves away,” it says. By saying “having torn ourselves from them” he shows also the force used. And rightly; for otherwise they could not have put to sea. What is “we ran a straight course and came to Cos”? Instead of: We did not go around, nor did we stay in other places. “And the next day,” he says, “to Rhodes.” See him hastening. “And finding a ship crossing over to Phoenicia.” Perhaps it was staying there; so they board it, not finding another going to Caesarea. “… Cyprus, and leaving it on the left.” This is not said idly, but to show that he did not think it right even to come near it, sailing straight for Syria; so he hastened. Then, “and we landed at Tyre,” it says, “and finding disciples, we stayed with them.” When they were near Jerusalem, they no longer run, but even stay with the brothers seven days. Count the days with me now. After the days of Unleavened Bread they came to Troas in five days; then there seven: twelve in all; then to … and to Miletus: eighteen days in all. Then to Cos, to Rhodes, to Patara: twenty-one; then from there in five days to Tyre: twenty-six; then there seven: thirty-three; then to Ptolemais one: thirty-four; then at Caesarea he stays more days than elsewhere; and then the prophet brings them up from there. So Pentecost is completed, and he keeps it there. See him obeying when the Spirit did not hinder. They said, “Do not venture into the theater,” and he did not; often they brought him out, and he obeyed; through a window again he fled; and now, when, so to speak, ten thousand were begging him, those in Tyre and those in Caesarea, weeping and foretelling countless terrors, he does not give way. And yet they foretold the terrors not idly, but through the Spirit. If, then, the Spirit commanded it, why did they oppose him? Because they did not know what seemed good to the Spirit. And besides, they did not make the exhortation through the Spirit either. For they did not simply foretell the terrors to him, but said that he ought not to go up, sparing him. “But when our days were ended,” it says, that is, completed; and he means the appointed days; “all escorting us with wives and children.”

See how great the encouragement was; and again they part with prayer. And at Ptolemais they stay one day, but at Caesarea more. And when he heard that he was to suffer countless terrors, then he hastens on, not throwing himself into dangers, but thinking that the command was the Spirit’s. “After these days … to Jerusalem,” that is, having taken what was needed for the journey. “And some of the disciples from Caesarea went with us, bringing us to the house of Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple, with whom we were to lodge. When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly.” And see: Agabus did not say, “They will bind Paul,” so that he might not seem to speak by arrangement, but, “the man who owns this belt.” So he even had a belt. Since they could not persuade him, that is why they wept, and then fell silent. Do you see philosophy? Do you see affection? “We fell silent,” it says, “saying, ‘The will of the Lord be done.’” “Bringing us,” it says, “to the house of the one with whom we were to lodge.” So not to the church. For then, when they went up about the decrees, they are lodged in the church; but now with an early disciple. He shows that the preaching had by now gone on a long time; hence it seems to me that this writer cuts short many years in the Acts, telling only what was pressing. What is “The will of the Lord be done”? The Lord himself, he says, will do what is pleasing in his sight. And they fall silent, and do not compel him. Perhaps they perceived that it was God’s will, guessing this from Paul’s eagerness; for Paul would not have been so eager, nor would God, who always snatched him out of dangers, have allowed it. So they did not want to burden the church, since there was another to lodge them. “The brothers received us,” it says. By now affairs among the Jews were full of peace, and there was no war as before. “Bringing us,” it says, “to the house of the one with whom …” Perhaps one of you will say, “If someone had given me Paul to lodge, I would have done it readily and with great eagerness.” See, you may lodge Paul’s Master, and you do not want to: “For he who receives,” he says, “one of the least, receives me.” The more the brother is least, the more Christ comes through him. For one who receives a great man often does it from vainglory too; but one who receives a small one does it purely for Christ’s sake. You may lodge even Christ’s Father, and you do not want to: “For I was a stranger,” he says, “and you took me in”; and again, “Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me.” Even if he is not Paul, but is a believer and a brother, even if he is the least, Christ comes through him. Open your house; take him in. “He who receives a prophet,” he says, “will receive a prophet’s reward.” So too he who receives Christ will receive the reward of one who lodges Christ. Do not disbelieve his words, but be faithful. He himself said, “Through them I come”; and so that you may not disbelieve, he appoints punishments for those who do not receive, and honors for those who receive; he would not have done this unless he himself were the one honored and the one insulted. You received me, he says, into your lodging; I will receive you into the kingdom of my Father. You relieved my hunger; I will release your sins. You saw me bound; I make you seen released. You saw me a stranger; I make you a citizen of heaven. You gave me bread; I give you a whole kingdom, to inherit and possess. “For come,” he says, “inherit the kingdom prepared for you.” He did not say, “Take,” but “Inherit,” which is said of those who own a thing properly, as when we say, “I inherited this.” You did it to me in secret; I will proclaim it openly; and what you did I say was of grace, but what I do is of debt. For since you …, I am not ashamed to confess the benefits done to me, nor from what you freed me: from hunger and nakedness and wandering. You saw me bound; you will not see the fire of hell. You saw me sick; you will not see the torments or the punishments. O hands truly blessed, which serve such ministries, which are counted worthy to minister to Christ! Feet that walk to prisons for Christ’s sake will easily dare the fire; hands that saw him bound will not experience bonds. You clothed him with a garment, and you put on the garment of salvation; you were in prison with him, and you are in the kingdom with him. These things he confesses, not ashamed, but knowing that you visited him. The patriarch did not know that he was lodging angels, and he lodged them. Let us be ashamed, I beg you: he sat at noon, being in a foreign land, where he had not even a foot’s length; he was a stranger, and the stranger lodged strangers; for he was a citizen of heaven. That is why, though he was on earth, he was a stranger. We are more strangers than that stranger, since we do not receive strangers. He had no house, and his lodging was the tent. And see the lavishness: he killed a calf, and does this through his wife. Consider also his freedom from pride: he bows down … For one who lodges strangers must have all these: eagerness, cheerfulness, generosity. For the stranger’s soul blushes and is ashamed; and if one does not show joy in abundance, he goes away as one slighted, and to have been received so has become worse than not to have been received. That is why he bows down, that is why he welcomes them with words, that is why with a seat. For who would have been at a loss, knowing that this was his work? “But are we not in a foreign land?” But if we are willing, we shall be able to imitate him. How many of the brothers are strangers? There is a common house of the church; … at the doors, receive those who come; and if you do not want to receive them into your houses, then supply their needs in another way. “What then?” someone says. “Does the church not have means?” It has; but what is this to you? Can it benefit you that they are fed from the common funds of the church? If another prays, need you not pray? Why do you not say, “What then? Do the priests not pray? Why should I pray?” “But I give,” someone says, “to the one who cannot lodge there.” Give at least to him; for what we strive for is this, that you give at all. Hear what Paul says: “so that it may help those who are truly widows, and the church not be burdened.” Do it as you like; only do it. But I do not say, “so that the church not be burdened,” but, “so that you are not burdened”; for by this reasoning you will do nothing, entrusting everything to it. That is why there is a common house set apart by the church, so that you may not say these things. “But the church has expenses,” someone says; “it has money and revenues.” Tell me, does it not have outlays? Does it not have daily expense? “Yes,” he says. Why then do you not help the moderate means of the church? I am ashamed to say these things; but I compel no one. If anyone thinks that what is said is for the sake of gain, let him make himself a guest room in his own house: set a bed there, set a table there and a lamp. For is it not absurd that, if soldiers come, you should have rooms set apart for them, and take care of them, and supply them everything, because they defend you in this visible war, while strangers have nowhere to stay? … the church. Do you want to shame us? Do this: outdo us in generosity; have a room where Christ comes in; say, “This is Christ’s cell; this house is set apart for him.” Even if it is a lodging and humble, he does not disdain it. Christ goes about naked and a stranger, needing only shelter; give him at least this. Do not be cruel or inhuman; do not be so fervent in worldly things and cold in spiritual ones. Let the most faithful of your servants be entrusted with this, and let him bring in the maimed, the poor, the homeless. I say these things to shame you. For you ought to receive them upstairs in the house; but if you will not, then at least downstairs, at least where the mules are, at least where the servants are: receive Christ. Perhaps you shudder to hear it. What then, when you do not do even this? See, I exhort, see, I say: let this be your eager concern. But you do not want it so? Then do it another way. There are many poor men and poor women; appoint someone to stay there permanently; let the poor man at least be the guard of your house; let him be your wall and fence, your shield and spear. Where there is almsgiving, the devil does not dare to approach, nor any other evil. So let us not neglect so great a gain. But now there is a place set apart for the carriage, and another for the litters; but for Christ wandering about, not one. Abraham received strangers where he himself lived; and his wife stood in the rank of a maidservant, and they in the rank of masters. He did not know that he was receiving Christ; he did not know that they were angels; for if he had known, he would have emptied out everything. But we, though we know that we receive Christ, do not show even as much eagerness as that man who thought he was receiving men. “But many are impostors,” someone says, “and ungrateful.” And for this your reward is greater, when you receive them for the name of Christ. For if you know they are impostors, do not receive them into your house; but if you do not know, why do you accuse them idly? That is why I say, send them to the guest house. But what defense is there when we do not receive even those we know, but shut the doors against all? Let our house be Christ’s inn; let us ask them for a reward, not money, but that they make our house a receptacle of Christ; let us run about everywhere, … do good. I do not tell you to kill a calf: give bread to the hungry, clothing to the naked, shelter to the stranger. And so that you may not make excuses: there is the common house of the church; put him there, and you have received him; since that man too had the reward of what was done through his servants. So well trained were his servants too; they ran and did not grumble as ours do; for he had made them devout. He took them to war, and they did not grumble; so given to philosophy were they. For he cared for all alike, as for himself; he all but said, with Job, “We were formed alike in the same womb.” So let us too take thought for our own salvation, and take great care of our servants, that they may be good and careful; and let our servant be trained in the things of God. Virtue will no longer be hard for us if we form them. Just as in war, when the soldiers are well ordered, the general fights easily, while the opposite happens when this is not so; and when the sailors are of one mind, the helmsman handles the rudders easily; so too here: if the servants are so trained, you will not be provoked, you will not revile. Sometimes you will even be put to shame by your servants, if they are admirable; and they will help you, and give you good advice. And from all these things everything will be as God wills, and so the whole house will be filled with blessing, and, doing what pleases God, we shall enjoy much help from above, which may all of us obtain, by the grace and love for humankind 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.