Metropolitan Anthony of Chkondidi (†1815)

Our Saviour and Lord teaches us, saying: “Provide neither gold, nor silver.” It is plain that He forbids evil gain, and does not forbid good gain. For if He forbade good gain, gold and silver would be of no use at all: if He forbade good gain, while the evil is in any case utterly rejected and forbidden, how then could they serve any need? Yet it cannot be that a created thing should serve no need in anything at all, as John of Damascus says: “There is nothing among created things into which the Creator has not put some usefulness.” And since every thing serves some need, He forbids the evil gaining of silver and gold, but does not forbid the good gaining of them.

Let us bring from the Holy Scripture an image and a word that confirm this. When Israel was to go out of Egypt, God commanded: let every Israelite ask of the Egyptians vessels of gold and of silver, and at their going out let them carry away with them all the vessels of the Egyptians, of gold and of silver. The Israelites did this commandment and carried away with them the glory of Egypt, as the prophet David proclaims: “And He brought them forth with silver and gold.” You see, God did not forbid good gain. And what this good gain was, if thou wouldest understand, understand thus. Pharaoh the king made the Israelites work and gave them no wages; and therefore in place of wages God gave the Israelites the gold and silver of Egypt. Look then whether God forbade good gain. Further, the Levites took the tithe, and God did not forbid it, but rather commanded them to receive the tithe, as the apostle proclaims: “And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law.” And again the same apostle Paul does not forbid due gain and says: “If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?”

Now let us bring one image of what kind of gain God forbids. Elisha's servant, Gehazi, without his master's will gained silver and was punished in soul and in body; so likewise every servant of Christ who takes such silver as is not the will and commandment of Christ will, like Gehazi, be punished in soul and in body. Further, God forbids such gain as this: thou wishest to take, and not to give. This is not the will of Christ God; Christ the Lord commands thee thus: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” I, unworthy, expound this word to thee so: all that thou wishest to receive from Christ God, so much must thou give to Christ — that is, to the poor man, as Christ commands thee: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” And if thou gainest in such a way that thou art unwilling to give, from such taking the Lord holds thee back; for in the Acts of the Apostles Luke writes what was commanded by Christ and says: “He said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Let us also say openly what gain God forbids. God forbids gain by theft, as He commanded Moses: “Thou shalt not steal.” Let us bring another example also. Among the Israelites Achar, the son of Carmi, stole gold and silver and was punished with death; so likewise he who gains gold and silver by theft will be given over to the death of the soul, that is, to eternal perdition. Again God forbids such gain as this: thou hast gained silver and gold and hast grieved some innocent and poor man — thou shalt be punished eternally, as Judas gained silver and gave the innocent Christ over to suffering; so likewise, if thou givest anyone, great or small, over to suffering and sorrow, thou shalt be punished like Judas, if for the sake of getting gold and silver thou hast given someone over to sorrow and suffering. Again God forbids such gain: certain men took silver of the Jews and hid the resurrection of Christ; so likewise thou, for silver and gold, hidest the mystery of Christ and dost not declare it well to the people — thou shalt be reckoned with him who for silver hid the resurrection of Christ! He too hid the wonder of Christ for silver, and thou hidest His wondrous works for love of silver and dost not teach the people well and dost not declare it to them. The Lord holds thee back from such gain also, as Ananias gained silver and gave a small part to the disciples and apostles of Christ and kept back the rest; for this “Ananias fell down and gave up the ghost.” So likewise thou wilt gain gold and silver, wilt give some small thing to the disciples of Christ and keep back the greater part — and, like Ananias, thou wilt fall spiritually; and as the spirit of life departed from Ananias, so from thee will depart the Spirit of life eternal (that is, the Holy Spirit). Thou wilt ask: must I then give Him everything, or what am I to do? If thou art a disciple of Christ, thou must do thus: what thou hast gained must be common to thee and to the other disciples of Christ. The disciples of Christ did so, as Luke writes in the Acts of the Apostles: “Neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own.” It may be that this matter will seem hard to someone; here we must remember the word of the Lord Jesus: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.” To him who counted the common use of possessions hard, Christ answered with an equal hardness, of like measure, standing right opposite.

The Lord holds us back from such gain also: as in the days of the poor man Lazarus there was a certain rich man who gained great riches, while the poor Lazarus who lay at his house was tormented with hunger — for this the rich man was condemned in hell and asked of Abraham a drop of water and did not obtain it. So likewise thou: thou hast much wealth and seest a poor man in sorrow and dost not give him sustenance out of thy wealth — like that rich man thou shalt be condemned in hell, and shalt not obtain from God's mercy even so small a thing as a drop. God holds us back also from gain by robbery, as the Lord Jesus teaches: “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” This word of the Lord is a merciful teaching and warning; and if thou wilt not hear the word of the Lord and wilt not depart from covetousness and robbery, mayest thou hear from the Lord, by the mouth of the apostle, the dread word of wrath: “Nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” How many unjust gainings of silver the Lord forbids has here been said but briefly and in small part. If thou hast not taken heed and hast not left off the unjust gaining of silver, a great guilt will befall thee; for want of mercy to the poor has been called an unjust gaining of silver. Look at this alone, what great harm follows it, and by this one thing learn the grievous harm of the rest and beware. If thou reignest in riches, and the poor man who is near thee grieves from want, and thou dost not lighten that poor man's sorrow over his bodily need, thou shalt be reckoned with the Jews who grieved Christ. How? The Jews, filled with riches and delight, made merry, and cried out, and shouted with authority; while Christ, being in sorrow, asked for water, and no one gave it Him. So likewise thou: thou makest merry in riches, and shoutest with authority, and seest a poor man grieving from poverty, and dost not lighten that sorrow for him — thou too shalt be reckoned with the Jews who grieved Christ; for the poor man too is reckoned as Christ by Christ Himself, as He says: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Seest thou, beloved, what harm follows the unjust gaining and holding of silver! Either thou must utterly loathe gold and silver, or else that seed and that passion which follow gold and silver thou must receive cleansed of that passion. How exactly — let us bring an example. If thou takest a serpent and eatest it, it is venomous and will give thee over to death. But if thou take from a physician theriac, which is that same serpent prepared, it will do thee no harm. So likewise silver and gold: if thou receive them by thine own seeking and by the desire of thy mind, they will become thy slayer, like a serpent; but if thou receive them from Christ, Who is the Physician of souls and bodies, what is received from Him will do thee no harm. Let us confirm this matter from the Holy Scripture. The Israelites who by the Lord's commandment received silver from the Egyptians at the exodus suffered no harm from it; but Elisha's servant Gehazi received silver against the Lord — and was punished in soul and in body. So likewise thou: if thou receive gold and silver according to the Lord's commandment — they will do thee no harm; but if thou receive them not according to the Lord's commandment and gather them in disobedience — thou shalt be punished in soul and body like Gehazi. But if thou hast erred and out of desire for riches hast gathered silver and gold unjustly, here too thou must act according to the example I shall set before thee: if thou hast taken venomous food, thou must go to a physician and learn from him the healing remedy; so likewise, if thou hast made a venomous unjust gathering of silver, thou must go to the Physician, Christ, and from Him learn and receive the healing remedy, which He teaches thee, saying: “Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.” In plain speech it is said thus: by the mammon of unrighteousness He means silver; by generous giving of silver we must gain the poor as friends, that when we depart hence by death, Christ may receive us into the Kingdom of Heaven. From what has been said above two remedies have appeared for the venom of silver: the first, that we must ask of Christ God and from Him receive healing; the second, that we must divide it among the poor. Now let us search out whether anyone has a reason for not doing these things. What reason can there be? If anyone says: “If we ask of Christ, He will not give us” — this is wholly untrue, for the word of Christ will not be a lie, as He Himself says: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away”; and these unlying lips of Christ say: “Ask, and it shall be given you.” And if thou sayest: “I asked, and He did not give me” — the cause of His not giving is thine own, for thou askest amiss, and He did not give, as the apostle James says: “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss.” But if thou ask well, who shall give thee like thy Jesus? None other can give thee like Him. If another gives thee, he will reproach thee; but thy Jesus will make thee no reproach and will give thee more fully than others, as He Himself tells thee: “Good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom.” The second remedy for the love of silver was named — giving to the poor. And if anyone say in excuse: we cannot scatter our riches, for we must live by them in this world, — then let us seek the answering word and say: beloved, thou dost not see that what thou callest gathering is rather scattering; but the love of silver has blinded the eye of thy mind, and thou dost not see how by gathering thou dost scatter the more. The love of silver blinded Judas: he thought to gather — and there came a greater scattering. It is said of him: “He scattered those thirty pieces of silver.” So likewise thou thinkest to gather — know then that thou dost scatter the more, as the Lord Jesus says: “He that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.” Since thou dost not divide thy riches with the poor man, neither dost thou gather with Christ — therefore thou scatterest. Thou countest thy treasure good, but it is not good: the moth, the thief and the robber — all touch thy treasure; how then shall it be a good treasure? This is what is wondrous: if thou hatest gold and silver, why dost thou not give them to the poor ungrudgingly? And if thou lovest them — why dost thou not keep them in such a treasure as neither moth nor thief can touch, as the Saviour commands thee: “Let your treasure be where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal”? But if you would know of this treasure, such a treasure is found among the poor; what is laid up among them no harm will touch, for Christ Himself will become its guard, as is plain from the words: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” But if you do not so, and gather in another way out of the love of silver, here too you are in error. How exactly — let us say. The apostle Paul says: “If a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.” According to this word he deceives himself: it seems to him that he is rich, while he has nothing but one linen cloth. Let us give this a firm proof. The apostle says: “We brought nothing into this world.” It is plain that neither can we carry anything out. When the rich man was born, he brought nothing into the world — and he will carry nothing out, save one linen cloth; and what kind of riches is one linen cloth? See in what error the lover of silver is! The lover of silver may say: how is it that I have nothing but one linen cloth; my treasury is quite full of gold and silver. Lover of silver, that is not thine! Hearest thou from the Master Jesus: “Other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.” Is not this word about thee: thou didst toil and gather, but into thy toil another will enter, and another will receive it, and thou wilt remain bare and empty. If thou wilt not believe this word, I shall show thee a rich man who had his riches neither in heaven nor upon earth. This I shall prove to thee by the word of Christ. Christ said to the rich man: “Sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and upon earth.” It is plain that he did not hold his possessions firmly; had he held them firmly, He would not have said “thou shalt have”, but would have said “thou hast”. But the lover of silver has nothing firm either in heaven or upon earth — this the word of Christ set forth above has shown. Let us say further that the lover of silver has no riches at all. To have riches is this: that when a man desires something, he may obtain it from his riches; but if he cannot obtain what he desires, he is not rich. Now let us look at that rich man who was rich in the days of the poor man Lazarus: he needed one drop of water, and with what great desire he asked it — and did not obtain it! If he was rich, where then is his wealth to be seen? Nowhere! And it is not to be seen because it was gathered unfittingly. Gold and silver are scattered in vain and to no purpose.

If thou seekest what riches have a good standing, I shall show thee by the word of Christ. The Lord Jesus says: “When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace.” When Christ keeps the court of thy riches, then thy possessions too are in peace; but if Christ does not keep them, they are altogether useless, as though thou hadst them not — as we showed above by the case of that rich man. Let us come and use as an example what was said by Christ and His disciples concerning the laying aside of the love of silver. Christ said: “Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, committeth adultery; and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.” The disciples said to Him: “If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.” Christ said to them: “All men cannot receive this saying.” So likewise, after this image, I, unworthy, say: he who gathers silver unjustly is a lover of silver; and he who does not share what he has gathered justly with the poor as is fitting, he too is reckoned a lover of silver; and if such is the guilt of silver, then it is not fitting even to gain it; but all men cannot receive this, for the better thing is not to gain it at all, as is the word of the Saviour: “Provide neither gold, nor silver.” Wouldest thou know how complete poverty is better than riches? I shall show thee: to the rich, woe has been proclaimed by Christ, as He says: “Woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation”; and to the poor, blessedness by Jesus: “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” See how much better the poor man has become than the rich: the poor man is in blessedness, and the rich man in woe. What plainer showing than this can there be? But let us bring one more image of the rich man and the poor, to show which is better. There is no doubt that the poor man is better: the poor Lazarus is in the Kingdom, and the rich man in hell. Here there is something wondrous also: with a soulless and senseless thing it is altogether fitting that thou shouldest be master over it; but since thou art a lover of silver, thou dost not appear to be the master of the silver; and if thou art the master, how is it that thou art bound by it hand and foot and enslaved to it? Thy hand is bound for almsgiving, so that thy hand makes not one motion for mercy's sake; thy feet are bound, and thou canst not go more often to church for fear that a thief take the silver; thine eye is darkened by it, and thou canst not look with kindly mercy upon a poor man who is like Christ.

A certain wise man, Kratistos, saw that silver bound and enslaved him, and therefore cast all his riches into the sea and did not enslave himself to silver. If thou too wouldest free thyself from slavery to silver, open thy hand and move it for mercy to the poor; free thy feet for going to church to pray; open thine eyes to look with mercy upon the poor. Kratistos scattered his riches into the sea; do thou also scatter them into the love of Christ, which is like the sea (that is, into mercy to the poor), that instead of what passes away and is corruptible thou mayest receive the unpassing and incorruptible eternal glory, now and unto the ages of ages, amen.

The sermons of Anthony of Chkondidi, Kutaisi, 1898