Homilies on Acts, Homily 35

And on the Sabbath we went outside the city beside a river, where prayer was usually (Chrys. was thought likely) offered; and we sat down and spoke to the women who gathered there. A woman named Lydia, a seller of purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, heard us. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul said. See Paul following Jewish practice again. Where prayer was expected, it says: both the time and the place suggested it. Outside the city, beside a river: we must not suppose that they prayed only where there was a synagogue. They also prayed outside the synagogue, but for this purpose they set apart a particular place, so to speak, because as Jews they were more focused on bodily things. And on the Sabbath, when a crowd was likely to gather. And we sat down and spoke to the women who gathered there. Notice again their freedom from all pride. And a certain woman: a woman of low social standing, as her trade also shows. But notice (in her) a woman with an elevated mind (φιλόσοφον). First, God's calling her testifies to her character. And when she was baptized, it says, along with her household—notice how he persuaded them all—she urged us, saying, If you have judged me faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay. And she pressed us to come. (v. 15.) Now look at her wisdom, how she presses (δυσωπεἵ) the Apostles, how humble her words are, how wise. If you have judged me faithful, she says. Nothing could be more persuasive. Who would not have been moved by these words? She did not simply request (or, claim), did not simply plead: she left the decision to them and (yet) pressed them very hard. And she pressed us to come, it says, with those words. And in another way too: see how she bears fruit at once and considers it a great gain. If you have judged me—that is, It is clear that you did judge me so, since you entrusted me with such (holy) mysteries (i.e. sacraments, see p. 225, note 3). She had not dared to invite them before this. But why were Paul and his companions at all reluctant, so that they needed to be pressed? Either to make her desire more earnest, or because Christ had said, Find out who is worthy, and stay there. (Luke x. 8.) (It was not that they were unwilling), but they acted this way for a purpose. And it happened, it says, as we were going to prayer, that a girl with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and us, crying out, These men are servants of the Most High God, who show us the way of salvation. (v. 16, 17.) Why did the demon say these things, and why did Paul forbid him? The one acted maliciously, the other wisely. The demon actually wanted to make himself credible. If Paul had accepted his testimony, he would have deceived many believers because Paul had accepted him. So he puts up with saying things against his own interests to establish what serves his interests. Even the demon adapts himself to others (συγκαταβάσει) in order to destroy them. At first Paul would not accept it, but disregarded it, unwilling to resort to miracles all at once. But when it kept doing this and pointed to their work (καὶ τὸ ἔργον ἐδείκνυ), who preach to us the way of salvation, he ordered it to come out. For it says, Paul, distressed, turned and said to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out that very hour. (a) And when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas. (v. 18, 19.) (d) So Paul did everything, both miracles and teaching, but Silas shared the dangers too. And why does it say, But Paul, distressed? It means that he saw through the demon's malice, as he says, For we are not ignorant of his schemes. (2 Cor. ii. 11.) (b) And when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone. Everywhere money is the cause of evils. What pagan cruelty! They wanted the girl to remain possessed so they could make money from her. They seized Paul and Silas, it says, and dragged them into the marketplace to the rulers, and brought them before the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, are causing great trouble in our city. (v. 20.) By doing what? Then why did you not drag them (hither) before this? Being Jews: the name had a bad reputation. And they teach customs that it is unlawful for us, as Romans, to accept or practice. (v. 21.) They turned it into a charge of treason (εἰς καθοσίωσιν ἤγαγον). (e) Why did they not say, By casting out the demon, they were guilty of impiety against God? Because that would have exposed their defeat. Instead, they resort to a charge of treason (ἐ πὶ καθοσίωσιν), like the Jews when they said, We have no king but Caesar; whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar. (John xix. 14, 12.) (c) And the crowd rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and ordered them beaten. (v. 22.) What irrational behavior! They did not investigate or let them speak. Yet after such a miracle you ought to have worshiped them, ought to have regarded them as saviors and benefactors. If money was what you wanted, why did you not rush to such great wealth when you found it? The power to cast out demons brings you greater fame than obeying them. Look: even with miracles, the love of money was stronger. (f) And after beating them severely, they threw them into prison—so great was their anger—ordering the jailer to keep them secure. (v. 23.) On receiving this order, he put them in the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. (v. 24.) Notice that he too put them in the inner prison. This also happened through providence, because a great miracle was about to take place. (Recapitulation.) Outside the city. (v. 13.) The place was suitable for hearing the word, away from troubles and dangers. (b) On the Sabbath. With no work going on, they paid closer attention to what was said. (a) And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple cloth. (v. 14.) Notice how the historian is not ashamed of the occupations (of the converts). (c) Besides, this city of the Philippians was not a great city either. Having learned this, let us too be ashamed of no one. Peter stays with a tanner (ch. ix. 43); (Paul) with a woman who sold purple cloth and was a foreigner. Where is pride? Whose heart the Lord opened. So we need God to open the heart; but God opens willing hearts, for we can also see hardened hearts. So that she paid attention to what Paul said. Opening her heart, then, was God's work; paying attention was hers. Thus it was both God's doing and the person's own. And she was baptized (v. 15), and welcomes the Apostles with such earnest pleading, even more than Abraham used. She mentions no other sign than the one by which she was saved. (Gen. xviii. 3.) She does not say, If you have judged me a great or devout woman. What does she say? Faithful to the Lord. If faithful to the Lord, much more to you. If you have judged me: if you do not doubt it. She does not say, Stay with me, but, Come into my house and stay. With great earnestness (she says it). A faithful woman indeed! A certain girl with a spirit of Python. (v. 16.) Tell me, what is this demon? The one they call the god Python: he takes his name from the place. Do you notice that Apollo too is a demon? And (the demon) wanted to lead them into temptation. (therefore) To provoke them, she followed Paul and us, crying out, These men are servants of the Most High God, who show us the way of salvation. (v. 17.) You cursed, detestable creature! If you know that what they show is His way of salvation, why do you not come out of your own accord? The demon wanted just what Simon wanted when he said, Give me this power, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit. (ch. viii. 19.) Seeing them become famous, he too plays the hypocrite. He thought this would let him remain in the body if he preached the same things. But if Christ does not accept testimony from a human being (John v. 34), meaning John, much less from a demon. Praise is not fitting in the mouth of a sinner⁠a (Ecclus. xv. 9), much less from a demon. For preaching comes not from human beings, but from the Holy Spirit. Because they did not act in a spirit of boasting. And Paul, distressed, etc. With their clamor and shouting, they thought they would frighten them (the magistrates), saying, These men are causing great trouble in our city. (v. 18–20.) What are you saying? Do you believe the demon? Why not in this case too? He says, They are servants of the Most High God; you say, They are causing great trouble in our city. He says, They show us the way of salvation; you say, They teach customs that it is unlawful for us to accept. (v. 21.) Notice how they pay no attention even to the demon, but focus on just one thing: their greed. But notice them (Paul and Silas), how they do not answer or defend themselves. (b) For when, he says, I am weak, then I am strong. My grace is enough for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. (2 Cor. xii. 9.) So their gentleness too should win admiration. (a) And the magistrates, etc., ordering the jailer to keep them secure. (v. 22.) So that they may bring about a greater miracle. (c) The tighter the security, the greater the miracle. The magistrates probably acted this way because they wanted to stop the disturbance. Seeing the crowd pressing its demands, they wanted to calm its anger at once, and so ordered the beating. At the same time they wanted to hear the case, which is why they threw them into prison and ordered them kept secure. And, it says, he fastened them in the stocks (v. 24), (το ξύλον), what we would call the nervum (νέρβον). What tears these things call for! (Think) what they suffer, while we (live) in luxury, we in theaters, we perishing and drowning (in dissolute living), always seeking idle amusement, unwilling to suffer for Christ even in words, even in conversation. I beg you, let us always remember these things: what they suffered, what they endured, how undaunted they were, how they were not shaken in faith. They were doing God's work and suffered like this! They did not say, Why do we preach this, and God does not take our side? Yet even apart from the truth, their suffering benefited them in itself: it made them more vigorous, stronger, fearless. Affliction produces endurance. (Rom. v. 4.) So let us not seek a life of laxity and self-indulgence. In the one case the good is twofold: those who suffer become strong, and their rewards are great. In the other the evil is twofold: people become weaker, and the outcome is no good, only evil. Nothing can be more worthless than someone who spends all his time in idleness and luxury. As the saying goes, someone who has not been tested has not been proved—not only in contests, but in everything else too. Idleness is useless. Even when it comes to luxury itself, nothing defeats its purpose like living luxuriously: overindulgence makes it tiresome, so neither the enjoyment of food nor the enjoyment of relaxation is as great; everything becomes tasteless and goes to waste. So let us not seek this. If we consider who has the more pleasant life, someone who works hard or someone who lives in luxury, we will find that it is the former. First, the bodily senses of the latter are neither clear nor sound, but dull (χαὕναι) and sluggish. When these are not right, there is clearly no enjoyment even of health. Which horse is useful, the pampered one or the exercised one? Which ship is serviceable, the one that sails or the one that lies idle? Which water is best, running or stagnant? Which iron is best, the iron used often or the iron that does no work? Does not the one shine brightly like silver, while the other becomes covered in rust, useless, even losing some of its substance? The same thing happens to the soul through idleness: a kind of rust spreads over it, eating away its brightness and everything else. How can we rub this rust off? With the sharpening stone of afflictions. This will make the soul useful and ready for anything. Otherwise, tell me, how will it cut off the passions when its edge is turned (ἀ νακλώσης) and bends like lead? How will it wound the devil? And who could find such a man anything but disgusting—a man cultivating fatness, dragging himself along like a seal? I am not speaking of people naturally built this way, but of those naturally lean people who have brought their bodies into this condition by luxurious living. The sun has risen, sent its bright rays in every direction, and roused everyone to work. The farmer goes out with his spade, the smith with his hammer, every craftsperson with the appropriate tools; you will find each using the tools of the trade. The woman too takes up her spindle or her weaving. But he, like a pig, goes out at the first light of dawn to feed his belly, looking for a way to provide a lavish meal. Yet feeding from morning to night belongs only to irrational animals, and to them because their only use is to be slaughtered. Indeed, even animals that carry burdens and can work go out to work while it is still night. But this man gets out of bed when the (noon-tide) sun has filled the marketplace and people are tired from their work. Then he gets up and stretches like a pig being fattened, having wasted the finest part of the day in darkness. He sits on his bed for a long time, often unable even to lift himself up after the previous evening's drunken excess. Having wasted (still) more time in this (listlessness), he sets about dressing himself up and goes out, a disgraceful spectacle, with nothing human about him, looking in every way like an animal in human form. His eyes are watery from wine, * * * while his miserable soul, like someone who is lame, cannot rise, carrying around its mass of flesh like an elephant. Then he goes and sits in (various) places, saying and doing things that make it better for him to be still asleep than awake. If bad news is announced, he proves weaker than any girl; if good news, sillier than any child. His face is always yawning. He is a target for anyone wanting to harm him—if not for every human being, at least for every evil passion. Anger easily stirs him, as do lust, envy, and every other passion. Everyone flatters him, everyone courts his favor, making his soul weaker than it already is. Every day he goes on, adding to his disease. If he happens to face a difficult business situation, he turns to dust and ashes, and his silk clothes are no help. We have said all this for a purpose: to teach you that none of you should live idly and aimlessly. Idleness and luxury do not help with work, a good reputation, or enjoyment. Who will not condemn such a man? Family, friends, relatives (will say), He is nothing but a burden on the earth. A man like this has come into the world for no purpose—or rather, not for no purpose, but for harm to himself, his own ruin, and harm to others. But let us examine whether this is more pleasant, for that is the question. Well then, what could be less pleasant than (the condition of) someone with nothing to do? What could be more wretched and miserable? Is sitting in the marketplace, always gaping and yawning and watching people pass, not worse than all the chains in the world? The soul, whose nature is always to be moving, cannot bear to stay at rest. God made it active: work belongs to its nature; idleness goes against its nature. Let us not judge these things by people who are diseased; let us test the matter itself by experience. Nothing is more harmful than leisure and having nothing to do. That is why God has made work necessary for us: idleness harms everything. Inactivity harms even the parts of the body. The eye, if it does not do its work, and the mouth, the belly, and any other part you could name, fall into the worst disease; but none so much as the soul. Yet just as inactivity is an evil, so is activity in things we ought to leave alone. If someone does not eat, his teeth are harmed; if he eats unsuitable things, they ache and are set on edge. So it is here: whether the soul does no work or works at the wrong things, it loses its proper strength. Let us therefore avoid both: inactivity, and activity worse than inactivity. What sort of activity is that? Greed, anger, envy, and the other passions. In these things let us aim to be inactive, so that we may receive the good things promised to us, through the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, and honor, now and always, forever and ever. Amen.