In illud Nolite thesaurizare vobis thesauros in terra

(Codex of the collection of Hagios Sabba, folios 1–2) "Of the same author, on the text 'Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth' and the rest." The philanthropic Master, the only-begotten Son of God the Word, who is like in all things to the Father and to the all-holy Spirit, from those things which he himself bestows out of philanthropy, from these he also summons us to philanthropy; therefore he said, "Become compassionate, just as your heavenly Father is compassionate," "who causes his sun to rise upon the wicked and the good and rains upon the just and the unjust." When he says "of the Father," it is clear that he proclaims the nature of the Holy Trinity. For God is the Father, God is the Son; for the Son is not alien to the nature of the Father; it is clear that the Holy Spirit is also God. For how did Peter say to Ananias, "Why has Satan filled your heart to make you lie to the Holy Spirit?... You have not lied to men but to God"? Therefore, let us worship the divinity of the Trinity, lest we fall from divinity. Where, then, does he lead us by the hand, saying, "Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and decay destroy and where thieves dig through and steal; but store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor do thieves dig through and steal"? For he also piteously urges us, summoning us to philanthropy and saying: You asked and I gave; but when you are asked by the poor, grant. You sought little and I gave you much. And you, when asked for much, grant even a little. The earth has almost denied its hopes, the produce has failed, the heavenly milk.

Fear and trembling shook the hearts of men. I awaited the gift, so that you might seek the gift; I deferred the grace, so that you might advance in grace. I threatened for a short time, so that you might learn the one who rains and worship the one who nourishes, so that you might recognize the one who provides life for you. When I was recognized, I was entreated. You have given a more abundant offering. For He Himself is the one who does "more than we ask or think." The whole earth was filled with knowledge of the Lord through you who supplicate, like a great flood covering seas, or rather sheltering the crops. And the deeds cry out before the words. Therefore, those who have received great things from me, bestow even small things upon the poor. I bestow the great things; you give the small things from the great things which you received from me; give my things to me; I count the grace, and I will make them with much increase. For I called you, He says, to give also to others, so that you might hold them more securely; for as you hold them, you do not hold them even so, but when you give to others through me, then I will make them with every increase. Thus the friendship of God surpasses all. Let us therefore give to God who has given. For He who gave to us, receiving nothing from us, will give much more after receiving from Him. I poured out my blood for you; you, at least, give silver for me, not like Judas for betrayal, but to the poor out of philanthropy. I, being God, became man for you; you, bestow the bread for your own sake upon the poor, not only to feed the poor, but so that through the poor you may also feed and satisfy me, who said:

I hungered, and you gave me to eat," and "Insofar as you did this to one of these, my least brothers, you did it to me." Thus speaks God, the Master of all: "Because the poor man has been left to you." Just as if someone gives a child money, he commands him to keep it with all security, and the child, having received it, secures it with all haste, so God wishes: Give, He says, to the needy, deliver it into the more secure bosom of the poor man, so that no one may snatch it; give it into the inviolable treasury, so that no one may steal it; scatter it into the more fertile ground, so that you may receive a hundredfold. And where is the interest, tell me, He says, O Master? The interest, He says, is that you will inherit eternal life. But again, one of the foolish says: Teacher, who will be able to plunder my possessions from my treasuries? The locks are closed with all security. Many and faithful guards stand by, entrusted with my deposits. I have secured the wall and roof from every side: iron locks and much guard. O the folly! The wretched gold lies in a prison, having committed no sin, and is not even deemed worthy of light, though we consider it more valuable than any material. Yes, honor in dishonor with trustworthy guard. And who can snatch my possessions from mine, he says? But you have escaped your own notice, O man, while guarding the gold without guard, which never has trust. For it lies exposed, quickly passing from this one to that one for many, lies exposed to many rulers and informers and to the plots of the powerful and to thieves and robbers and housebreakers. I am eager to leave you and to pass into the hands of others.

For gold leaps about like a locust from place to place, from this one to that one. But when through all these it cannot leave you, then at your death it offers you nothing, nor does it even accompany you to the tombs, but it hastens to see the light after a long time and quickly leap into the hands of others. Therefore the prophet also cries out: "Do not fear when a man becomes rich or when the glory of his house is multiplied, for he will not take all things with him when he dies." But the foolish man says: My children have become rich; what is that to you, wretched one, who depart naked and poor? What is that to you, who will be called to account there for what you have left behind here? For you will be called to double account there, both for what you have wrongly amassed and for the occasion you have given to your heirs to squander your labors on profligacy, sorcery, fornication, and unlawful compacts. Therefore Scripture also says: "The sins of some men are manifest, leading to judgment"; for some they also follow through the unlawful expenditures made by your heirs. Hence Christ also said: "Do not amass treasures for yourselves on earth, but amass treasures for yourselves in heaven." Do you wish to learn the weakness and the strength of this? Set before yourself the treasures in the midst, and lying down, burning with fever, and being tightly constricted on all sides, and being dragged toward that inevitable departure. And set the gold in the midst and say: O gold, sharp for men toward sin; many times I have perjured myself because of you.

Often I have blasphemed because of you; often I have crossed dangers of the sea because of you; I have insulted my parents because of you; I have hated my friends because of you; I have turned away from my relatives because of you; I have become liable to countless evils; because of you I have sins. You, at least once, help me in return for my many evils; at least once, do me a kindness, lighten my fever, ease my sickness, ransom me from death. I bought a household slave for fifty gold coins. You go with ten thousand gold coins, or even that many more, and purchase relief for me. I do not ask you to ransom my death, for you cannot even do that. But at least purchase for me an extension of life of a few days. And that one answers you: Why, O man, do you delude yourself? Have you not learned my power, that only here for a short time do I cause turmoil? Have you not often seen the one who is rich today become poor tomorrow? Have you not often seen the one who is a judge today become a prisoner tomorrow? Have you not often seen the one who is today the highest master of all become tomorrow the lowliest servant of all? Have you not

You have often seen how we both enjoyed the same bonds, both I and the one who possessed me. For a short time I have the disturbance and the uproar here. Have you not seen me ever depart? Am I not considered by my master as this clay, unable to benefit anyone in distress, unless I am scattered to the hands of the poor? But do you wish me to help you, O man? Release me from the bonds here, and I will release you from the bonds there. Free me from prison, deliver me to the poor, scatter me to the needy: "He scattered, he gave to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." Allow me to feed the orphans, if you wish me to follow you at all. Allow me to cover the naked, and I will cover you on that day. "For blessed is he who attends to the poor and needy; on an evil day the Lord will rescue him." Do you wish me to help you? Allow me to help the poor; for by almsgivings and faiths are sins cleansed. I have double power and strength. If I am kept here, I become a judge there and condemn those who keep me. "For judgment is merciless to him who has not done mercy." If I am scattered here, I become almsgiving and I have mercy on those who have mercy on me. "For blessed are the merciful, for they themselves will be shown mercy." For this reason Christ said: "Make for yourselves friends from the mammon of injustice, so that they may receive you into their eternal abodes.

Therefore, allow me to change my nature, and I become almsgiving instead of gold, and I enter into the King of kings, and I become your advocate with great boldness, and I advocate for you just as I advocated for Cornelius. "For your prayers and your alms have ascended before God." Let us guard ourselves, brothers; let us become merciful, just as our heavenly Father is merciful; for to Him belong honor and power together with the Holy Spirit, now and always and to the ages of ages. Amen.