The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looks not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
All Commentaries on Matthew 24:50 Go To Matthew 24
John Chrysostom
AD 407
What then is the purport of that which follows?
(He) shall inflict upon him extreme punishment. Do you see how even everywhere He puts this, the fact of their ignorance, indicating that it was profitable, and by this making them always earnest minded? For this is the point at which He labors, that we should be always on the watch; and since it is always in luxury that we are supine, but in afflictions we are braced up, therefore everywhere He says this, that when there is relaxation, then come the terrors. And as further back He showed this by the example of Noah, even so here He says it is, when that servant is drunken, when he is beating, and that his punishment shall be intolerable.
But let us not regard only the punishment appointed for him, but let us look to this other point too, lest we ourselves also be un awares to ourselves doing the same things. For to this servant are they like, who have money, and give not to the needy. For you too are steward of your own possessions, not less than he who dispenses the alms of the church. As then he has not a right to squander at random and at hazard the things given by you for the poor, since they were given for the maintenance of the poor; even so neither may thou squander your own. For even though you have received an inheritance from your father, and hast in this way all you possess, even thus all are God's. And then thou for your part desirest that what you have given should be thus carefully dispensed, and do you not think that God will require His own of us with greater strictness, or that He suffers them to be wasted at random? These things are not, they are not so. Because for this end, He left these things in your hand, in order to give them their meat in due season. But what means, in due season? To the needy, to the hungry. For like as you gave to your fellow-servant to dispense, even so does the Lord will you too to spend these things on what is needful. Therefore though He was able to take them away from you, He left them, that you might have opportunity to show forth virtue; that bringing us into need one of another, He might make our love for one another more fervent.
But you, when you have received, so far from giving, dost even beat. And yet if not to give be blame, what excuse is there for beating? But this, it seems to me, He speaks, hinting at the insolent, and the covetous, and indicating the charge to be heavy, when they beat them, whom they were commanded to feed.
5. But He seems to be here hinting also at those that live in luxury, since for luxury too there is laid up a great punishment. For He eats and drinks, it is said, with the drunken, pointing at gluttony. For not for this purpose did you receive, that you should spend it on luxury, but that you should lay it out on alms. What! Are they your own things which you have? With the goods of the poor have you been entrusted, though thou be possessed of them by honest labor, or though it be by inheritance from your father. What, could not God have taken away these things from you? But He does not this, to give you power to be liberal to the poor.
But mark thou, I pray you, how throughout all the parables He punishes them that lay not out their money upon the needy. For neither had the virgins robbed other men's goods, but they had not given their own; neither had he that buried the one talent embezzled, but he had not doubled; neither are they that overlooked the hungry punished, because they seized the possessions of others, but because they did not lay out their own, like as also this servant.
Let us hearken, as many as please the belly, as many as lay out on costly banquets the riches that pertain not at all to us, but belong to the needy. For do not, because out of great love to man you are commanded to give as of yours, therefore suppose these things to be indeed your own. He lent them to you, that you might be able to approve yourself. Do not then suppose them to be yours, when giving Him His own. For neither, if you had lent to any one, that he might go and be able to find means of gain, would you say the money was his. To you then also has God given, that you might traffic for Heaven. Make not then the exceeding greatness of His love to man a cause of ingratitude.
Consider of what prayer it were a worthy object, to be able to find after baptism a way to do away one's sins. If He had not said this, Give alms, how many would have said, Would it were possible to give money, and so be freed from the ills to come! But since this has become possible, again are they become supine.
But I give, you say. And what is this? You have not yet given as much as she, who cast in the two mites; or rather not so much as the half, nor a very small part of what she gave, but you lay out the greater part on useless expenses, on banquets, and drunkenness, and extreme extravagance; now bidding, now bidden; now spending, now constraining others to spend; so that the punishment is even rendered twofold for you, both from what yourself doest, and what you move others to do. See at any rate how He Himself blames His servant for this. For he eats, He says, and drinks with the drunken. For not the drunken only, but those that are with them, does He punish, and very fitly, because (together with corrupting their own selves) they make light also of the salvation of others. But nothing does so much provoke God, as for us to be inclined to overlook the things that concern our neighbor. Wherefore showing His anger, He commands him to be cut asunder. Therefore He also affirmed love to be a distinguishing mark of His disciples, since it is altogether necessary that he who loves should take thought for the things of his beloved.
To this way then let us hold, for this is especially the way that leads up to Heaven, which renders men followers of Christ, which makes them, as far as possible, like God. See at any rate how these virtues are more needful, which have their dwelling by this way. And, if you will, let us make an inquiry into them, and let us bring forth the sentences from the judgment of God.
Let there be then two ways of most holy life, and let the one secure the goodness of him that practises it, but the other of his neighbor also. Let us see whether is the more approved and leads us to the summit of virtue. Surely he, who seeks his own things only, will receive even from Paul endless blame, and when I say from Paul, I mean from Christ, but the other commendations and crowns. Whence is this evident? Hear what His language is to one, what to the other. Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth. 1 Corinthians 10:24 Do you see he rejects the one, and brings in the other? Again, Let every one of you please his neighbor for good to edification. Then comes also the praise beyond words with an admonition, For even Christ pleased not Himself. Romans 15:2-3
Even these judgments then are sufficient to show the victory; but that this may be done even superabundantly, let us see among good works, which are confined to ourselves, and which pass over from us to others also. Fasting then, and lying on the bare ground, and keeping virginity, and a self-denying life, these things bring their advantage to the persons themselves who do them; but those that pass from ourselves to our neighbors are almsgiving, teaching, charity. Hear then Paul in this matter also saying, Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, I am nothing profited. 1 Corinthians 13:3
