Homilies on Hebrews 4.5–4.6

But it came to me to groan bitterly at where Christ has led us up and where we have brought ourselves down. For when I see the beatings of breasts in the marketplace, the wailings they make over those who depart this life, the shrieks, the other unseemly things, believe me, I am ashamed before the Greeks and Jews and heretics who see it, and before all in short who laugh at us for this. For whatever I may say after this, I shall say in vain when I discourse wisely about the resurrection. Why? Because the Greeks do not attend to what is said by me, but to what is done by you. For they will say at once, “When will any of these be able to despise death, who cannot even look on another man dead?” Beautiful are the things said by Paul, beautiful, and worthy of heaven and of God’s loving-kindness. For what does he say? “And might deliver those who through fear of death were all their life subject to slavery.” But you do not let these things be believed, fighting against them by your deeds. And yet God has built many things as defenses for this purpose, to do away with this evil custom. For tell me, what do the bright torches mean? Do we not escort them as athletes? And what do the hymns mean? Do we not glorify God and give thanks that he has at last crowned the one who departed, that he has freed him from his toils, that, delivering him from fear, he has him with himself? Are not the hymns for this? Is not the psalmody for this? All these belong to people who rejoice: for “Is anyone cheerful?” it says, “Let him sing psalms.” But the Greeks do not attend to these things. Do not tell me, one says, of the man who is wise when he is free of suffering; for this is nothing great or wonderful; but show me the man who is wise in the midst of suffering, and then I will believe in the resurrection. And for women of the world to do this is no wonder, though even this is terrible; for they too are required to show the same wisdom. That is why Paul too says, “But I do not want you to be ignorant concerning those who have fallen asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.” He wrote these things not to monks nor to perpetual virgins, but to women of the world who had lived in marriage, and to people in secular life. But even so this is not so terrible; but when someone, woman or man, who says he has been crucified to the world, tears out his hair, or she shrieks loudly, what is more unseemly than this? Believe me when I say it: if things were done as they should be, such people ought to be kept from the thresholds of the church for a long time. For those truly deserving of mourning are these, who still fear and shudder at death, who disbelieve the resurrection. “But I do not disbelieve the resurrection,” one says, “but I miss the companionship.” Why then, tell me, when he goes abroad, and on a long journey, do you not do the same? “But I weep then too,” she says, “and lament, missing him.” But that truly belongs to one who misses the companionship, while this belongs to one who has given up hope of the return. Consider what you sing at that time: “Return, my soul, to your rest, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you”; and again, “I will fear no evil, for you are with me”; and again, “You are my refuge from the affliction that surrounds me.” Consider what these psalms mean. But you do not attend; you are drunk with grief. Yet at others’ funerals at least consider them carefully, so that you may have a remedy at your own. “Return, my soul, to your rest, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you,” you say, and you weep? Is this not a stage play, is it not playacting? For if you truly believe what you say, you mourn needlessly; but if you are playing and acting and think these things are fables, why do you sing at all? Why do you put up with those who come? Why do you not drive away those who sing psalms? “But that would be the act of madmen,” one says. And this much more. For the present, then, I exhort; but as time goes on I shall deal with the matter more severely; for I fear greatly lest in this way some grievous disease creep into the church. This beating of the breast, then, we shall set right later; for the present I give charge and solemnly testify to rich and poor, to women and men. May it be that all of you depart this life without mourning, and that in the proper order fathers grown old may be escorted by their sons, and mothers by daughters and grandchildren and great-grandchildren, in a rich old age, and that untimely death may nowhere happen. May this be, and this I pray; and I exhort those who preside and all of you to entreat God for one another, and to make this a common prayer. But if (may it be far from us, and may it not happen) some bitter death occurs (bitter, I mean, not in its nature, for death is no longer bitter, since it differs in nothing from sleep, but bitter, I mean, in relation to our state of mind); if, then, this should happen, and some should hire these women who make lamentation, believe me when I say it (for I shall not say it otherwise, but as I hold it; whoever wishes, let him be angry), I will shut him out of the church for a long time, like the idolater. For if Paul calls the covetous man an idolater, much more the one who brings in the practices of idolaters over a believer. For why, tell me, do you call presbyters, and those who sing psalms? Is it not to console, is it not to honor the departed? Why then do you insult him? Why do you make a public example of him? Why do you play as on a stage? We come discoursing on the resurrection, teaching all, even those not yet struck, through the honor paid to him, to bear it nobly if anything of the kind should ever happen; and you bring in those who pull down our work, as far as in them lies?

What is worse than this laughter and mockery? What is heavier than this inconsistency? Be ashamed and put to shame; but if you will not, we will not tolerate the bringing of such ruinous customs into the church; for “those who sin,” it says, “rebuke before all.” And through you we forbid those miserable and wretched women ever to come to the funerals of the faithful, lest we compel them to lament their own evils in earnest, and teach them not to do these things at others’ misfortunes, but rather to bewail their own calamities. For an affectionate father too, when he has a disorderly son, not only exhorts him not to go near the wicked, but frightens them too. See, then, I exhort you, and those women through you, that you do not invite such women, nor they come. And may the word achieve something more, and the threat prevail; but if (may it be far from us) we are despised, we shall be compelled in the end to put the threat into effect, disciplining you with the laws of the church, and them as is fitting for them. And if anyone, in his arrogance, despises this, let him hear Christ saying even now, “If your brother sins against you, go, reprove him between you and him alone; and if he will not be persuaded, take with you one or two; and if he still contradicts, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as the Gentile and the tax collector.” And if he commands me so to turn away from one who sins against me, when he will not be persuaded, how ought I to regard one who sins against himself and against God? You judge. For you yourselves think lightly of us because we deal so gently with you. And if anyone despises the bonds we impose, let Christ again instruct him, saying, “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” For even if we are wretched and worthless and deserving of contempt, as indeed we are, yet we are not avenging ourselves, nor repaying anger, but [caring for] your salvation. For if one bears with a friend who attacks him more vehemently than he should, considering his aim, and that he does it out of goodwill and not out of arrogance, much more a teacher who rebukes, and a teacher who says these things not even on his own authority, nor in the rank of a ruler, but in the rank of a guardian. For we do not say these things wishing to display authority (how could we, who pray never even to come to the test of it?), but grieving and beating our breasts for you. Forgive us, then, and let no one despise the bonds of the church; for it is not a man who binds, but Christ, who has given us this authority and made men masters of so great an honor. For we wish to use the authority for loosing; or rather, we wish not even to be under necessity of this; for we wish no one to be in bonds with us; we are not so wretched and miserable, even if we are very worthless. But if we are compelled, forgive us; for not willingly or wishing it, but grieving more than you who are bound, do we lay the bonds on you. And if anyone despises them, the time of judgment will come, which will teach him. The rest I do not wish to say, lest I wound your minds. For we, first of all, pray not to come to necessity; but if we do come to it, we fulfill our own part, we lay on the bonds. And if anyone breaks them, I have done my part and am blameless from then on; but you will give account to him who commanded me to bind. For if, while the king sat presiding, one of the guards standing by were ordered to bind one of those in the ranks and to lay the bonds on him, and that man not only drove him off but also broke the bonds, it is not the guard who has suffered the insult, but much more the king who gave the order. For if he makes his own what is done to the believers, when you insult those appointed to teach, much more will he feel himself insulted. But may it not happen that any of those in this church come to the necessity of these bonds. For just as not sinning is good, so bearing rebuke is profitable. Let us bear the reproof, then, and be eager not to sin; but if we sin, let us bear the rebuke. For just as it is good not to be wounded, but if this happens, it is profitable for the remedy to be applied to the wound, so it is here too. But may none of you need such remedies. “But we are persuaded of better things concerning you, and things that belong to salvation, even though we speak thus.” We have spoken more vehemently for the sake of greater safety. For it is better that I be suspected by you of being bold and harsh and arrogant than that you do what does not please God. But we trust in God that this rebuke will not be without profit to you, but that you will be so changed that these words will be spent on praise of you and on commendations. And may it be that you live as pleases God, so that we may all be counted worthy to obtain the good things that God has promised to those who love him, in Christ Jesus our Lord …