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Comfortable Words» Blog Archive » St John Chrysostom on applying ourselves to the cause of virtue

THE details in today’s first reading at Mattins (2 Chron 28; cf. 2 Kings 16) describe King Ahaz of Judah as a man who weakly capitulated to the King of Aram, and reformed Temple worship on the model of the pagan religion of the city of Damascus, capital of Aram.

Yet it was to Ahaz that one of the greatest of all prophecies was made, which unfortunately he met with an ill-timed flash of piety.

THE LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying, Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD.

And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Is 7:10-14)

And Ahaz’s own son Hezekiah (at the time of this prophecy already a young man) proved to be one of Israel’s greatest kings, restoring Temple worship and despite wavering under pressure from Assyria, eventually trusting in the Lord and in Isaiah, living to see Assyria defeated.

Despite the most unpromising upbringing imaginable, Hezekiah (some of whose siblings Ahaz sacrificed by fire) rose above his father’s weakness of character and evil environment, prompting St John Chrysostom to urge us to “make neither place, nor education, nor forefathers’ wickedness an excuse”.

FOR if we will take heed to ourselves, none of these things shall be an hindrance to us, since even Abraham had an ungodly father (Josh 24:2), but he inherited not his wickedness; and Hezekiah, Ahaz: yet nevertheless he became dear to God.

And Joseph too when in the midst of Egypt, adorned himself with the crowns of temperance; and the Three Children no less in the midst of Babylon, and of the palace, when a table like those at Sybaris was set before them, showed the highest self-denial; and Moses also in Egypt, and Paul in the whole world; but nothing was to any one of these an hindrance in the race of virtue.

Let us then, bearing in mind all these things, put out of the way these our superfluous pleas and excuses, and apply ourselves to those toils which the cause of virtue requires.

For thus shall we both attract to ourselves more favor from God, and persuade Him to assist us in our struggles, and we shall obtain the eternal blessings; unto which God grant that we may all attain, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and victory for ever and ever. Amen.

Homily VIII On Matthew, §7