Homilies on Hebrews 3 part 2/2

And that you may learn this, behold it clearly:

the blessed Paul took two summits of the virtues—rather, three—those in signs, those in knowledge, those in life;

and he declared that without this love these things are nothing.

But how these things are nothing, I will tell you:

'If I bestow all my goods to feed the poor,' he says, 'but have not love, I am nothing.'

For it is possible even for one who feeds the poor not to be loving, and for one who lavishes his money.

These things have been sufficiently spoken of by us in the passage concerning love, and thither we refer our readers;

meanwhile, as I said, let us be zealous for the gift, let us love one another, and we shall need nothing else for the perfecting of virtue, but all things shall be easy for us without toil, and we shall accomplish everything with great diligence.

'But behold,' one says, 'even now we do love one another;

for one man has two or three friends, and another has four.'

But this is not to love for God's sake, but for the sake of being loved in return;

whereas to love for God's sake does not have this as the beginning of love, but such a man will be disposed toward all men as toward brethren—loving those of the same faith as genuine brethren, and pitying the heretics and Greeks and Jews as brethren indeed according to nature, but who happen to be depraved and worthless, and wasting away over them and weeping for them.

In this we shall be like God, if we love all men, even our enemies—not if we work signs.

Since indeed we marvel at God both when He works wonders, but much more when He acts with loving-kindness, when He is long-suffering.

If then even in God's case that is worthy of great wonder, much more in the case of men is it plain that this is what makes us admirable.

And we shall have nothing less than Paul and Peter and those who raised ten thousand dead, even though we cannot drive away a fever;

but without that love, though we should work greater signs than the apostles themselves, though we should expose ourselves to ten thousand perils for the faith, it will be no advantage to us.

And these things I do not say of myself, but the very nursling of love knows them well;

we shall be able to attain the good things that have been promised;

of which may it be granted that we all partake, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, might, honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.