Vigils Reading

“O KEY OF DAVID”

From a treatise by St John Chrysostom

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Christ had the power to set the human race free from all evils, not only

the Romans, but the Persians, and simply every race of barbarians. And he

succeeded in doing this with no force of arms, nor expenditure of money, nor

by starting wars of conquest, nor by inflaming men to battle. He had only

eleven men to start with, men who were undistinguished, without learning, ill-

informed, destitute, poorly clad, without weapons or sandals, men who had but

a single tunic to wear. …He was able to persuade so many nations of men to

pursue the true doctrine, not only in what concerns the present life but also the

life hereafter. He succeeded in winning over these men to drag down their

ancestral laws, to tear out their ancient customs, long and deeply rooted as they

were, and to plant in their place other ways, which led them from the easy-

going life to his own program of austerity. And he succeeded in doing this when

the whole world was waging war against him, when they jeered at him, and

forced him to endure the most shameful death of the cross.

These successes are not confined to the cities. They have spread to the

desert, the villages, the fields, the islands, the ship basins, and harbors. Not

only simple citizens and petty rulers but even those who wear the imperial

crown have shown great faith and served as subjects to him who was crucified…

I do not wish you to suspect that what I say had not been foretold.

Therefore, I must bring forward as evidence the books of the Jews, the

Scriptures, over which the Jews have kept such careful guard, and set before the

eyes of those who are still unbelieving the predictions and testimonies about

<how> Christ would become man and still stay God. “This is our God; no other

will be compared to him. He has discovered the whole way of understanding,

and has given it to Jacob, his servant, and to Israel, his well-beloved. Since

then he has appeared on earth and moved among men.”

Do you see how, in a few words, the prophet made it altogether clear that

Christ, still remaining God, became man, that he moved among men, and that

he is, himself, the Lawgiver of the Old Testament? For the prophet said: “He

has discovered the whole way of understanding and has given it to Jacob, his

servant, and to Israel, his well-beloved.” For here the prophet shows that,

before his coming in the flesh, he arranged and disposed all things, that he did

all things by giving the Law, by exercising his providence, and by granting to

men the blessings of his care.

Demonstration Against the Pagans That Christ is God. Trans. Paul W. Harkins, Fathers of the Church Series, vol. 73.

Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 1985. pp. 191ff.