Who Will Show Us Good Things?

Πολλοὶ λέγουσι, Τίς δείξει ἡμῖν τὰ ἀγαθα; Ἐσημειώθη ἐφ' ἡμᾶς τὸ φῶς τοῦ προσώπου σου, Κύριε. Ἀπαρτίσας τὴν περὶ τῶν ἡθῶν παραίνεσιν, καὶ τῇ θεογνωσίᾳ πορσαγαγὼν, καὶ πὰντα κινήσας τρόπον τὸν δυνάμενον διαναστῆσαι τῶν πεπλανημένων τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ μάλιστα ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνακειμένων αὐτῷ καὶ τῆς εἰς αὐτοὺς προνοίας δείξας αὐτοῦ τὴν κηδεμονίαν, ἀντίθεσιν τινα παρὰ τῶν ἀσθενεστέρων καὶ παχυτέρων εἰσαγομένην τίθησι καὶ λέγει· Πολλοὶ λέγουσι, Τίς δείξει ἡμῖν τὰ ἀγαθα; Οὐκ οἱ ὀλίγοι, οἱ γνήσιοι καὶ δόκιμοι καὶ φιλοσοφεῖν εἰδότες ταῦτα λέγουσιν, ἀλλὰ τὸ κεχυμένον πλῆθος, τὸ ἀδιάκριτον, τὸ  ἀνοίᾳ προσηλωμένον. Τί δέ ἐστιν φησι; Τίς δείξει ἡμῖν τὰ ἀγαθα; Εἰσί τινες οἱ λέγοντες, οἱ μὲν τοῦ Θεοῦ διαβάλλοντες τὴν πρόνοιαν, οἵ δὲ ἡδονῆς ὄντες ἐρασταὶ, ἀνέσεως καὶ πλούτου, δόξης καὶ δυναστείας, οἵ καὶ ἐρῶντες αὐτῶν τοιαῦτά φασι· Ποῦ τὰ ἀγαθὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ; Ἐγὼ ἐν πτωχείᾳ καὶ νοσῳ, καὶ ταλαιπωρίᾳ, καὶ τοῖς ἐσχάτοις δεινοῖς, καὶ ἐπηρείαις, καὶ συκοφαντίαις· ἕτερος δὲ ἐν εὐημερίᾳ, καὶ τρυφῇ, καὶ δυναστείᾳ, καὶ δόξῃ, καὶ πλούτῳ. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ταῠτα μόνον ζητοῠσι τα ἀγαθὰ, τὰ ὄντως ἀγαθὰ παρατρέχοντες, ἀρετὴν λέγω καὶ φιλοσοφίαν· οἱ δὲ, ὅπερ ἔφθην εἰπὼν, καὶ τὴν τοῡ Θεοῡ πρόνοιαν ἐντεῡθεν διαβάλλουσι, λέγοντες· Ποῡ ἡ τοῡ Θεοῦ πρόνοια, τοσαύτης συγχύσεως ἐν τῷ βίῳ γινομένης, καὶ τῶν πλειόνων ἐν πτωχείᾳ καὶ πενίᾳ καὶ τοῖς ἐσχάτοις ὄντων κακοῖς; τί τεκμήριον αὐτοῦ τῆς κηδεμονίας; Ταύτὸν γὰρ ποιοῠσιν οἱ ταῦτα λέγοντες, ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις ἐν σταθερᾷ μεσημβρίᾳ καὶ καθαρᾷ τὸν ἥλιον ἰδεῐν ἐπιζητοίη, καὶ ἀμφιβάλλοι περὶ τοῦ φωτός. Ὅπερ δεικνὺς ὁ Προφήτης, καὶ ταχίστην ἐπάγων τὴν λύσιν, ἔλεγεν· Ἐσυμειώθη ἐφ' ἡμᾶς τὸ φῶς τοῦ προσώπου σου Κύριε. Οὐκ εἶπεν, ἐφάνη· οὐκ εἴπεν, ἔλαμψεν, ἀλλ'  Ἐσυμειώθη, δηλῶν ὅ τι ὥσπερ τὸ ἐν μετώπῳ σεσημειωμένον πᾶσι κατάδηλόν ἐστι, καὶ οὔκ ἔστιν οὐδένα αὐτὸ λαθεῖν, οὐδὲ ὄψιν φωτὸς γέμουσαν καὶ ἀφιεῖσαν ἀκτῖνας δύναται τις ἀγνοῆσαι· οὕτω, φησὶν, οὐδὲ τὴν πρόνοιαν τὴν σήν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ φῶς σεσημειωμένον, τουτέστιν, ἐντετυπωμένον καὶ ἐγκεχαραγμένον ἐν προσώπῳ, πᾶσιν ἐστι κατάδηλον· οὕτω καὶ ἡ πρόνοια τῆς φιλανθρωπίας τῆς σῆς. Φῶς γὰρ ἐνταῦθα τὴν ἀντίληψίν φησι, τὴν κηδεμονίαν, τὴν συμμαχίαν, τὴν πρόνοιαν. Εἴτα ἀποφηνάμενος τοῠτο, καὶ ἀπόδειχιν ἐπάγει. Ποίαν δὴ ταύτην; Ἔδωκας εὐφροσύνην εἰς τὴν καρδίαν μου· τουτέστι, Φιλοσοφεῖν με ἐπαίδευσας, ὑπερορᾷν τῶν βιωτικῶν πραγμάτων, εἰδέναι τὰ ἀληθῆ καὶ μένοντα· χρησταῖς ἐμετεώρηας ἐλπίσι, πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν ζωὴν ἐχειραγώγησας· πρὸ τῆς ἀπολαύσεως τῶν ἀγαθῶν τῇ προσδοκίᾳ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀνεπτέρωσας. Καλῶς οὕτως εἶπεν. Ἅγιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Χρυσόστομος , Εἰς Τον Δ' Ψαλμον

Many say, 'Who shall show us good things? Sealed on us is the light of your face, O Lord.' 1 After giving admonition for morals and leading to thought of God and turning to every reason by which he is able to correct the minds of those who err, with regard for those who have been struck down and who would have God's providence against them, that he show that a certain objection is from drawn from ignorance and dullness, he says 'Many say who shall show us good things?' These, then, are not the few, the wonderers and the thinkers and those who know how to philosophise, who say these things, but the confused and mixed multitude who are fixed in ignorance and inanity. Who is it who says, 'Who shall show us good things? They who say this, those who accuse the providence of God, are lovers of pleasure, of indolence, of wealth, of glory, and of power, who lusting for these things, say such things as, 'Where are the good things of God? I am in beggary, and I am and sick, and I am beset by calamity and terrible evil, and I am insulted and maligned; and another fellow is happy and has  delights and power and glory and wealth.' And they seek only these things as goods, these things which truly are not of the good, which I say is virtue and desire for wisdom, but they, as I have said, accuse the providence of God, saying, 'Where is the providence of God, when there is such confusion in life and so many are in poverty and in want, and live amid grave evils? Where is the sign of His providence? Those who say these things are like someone who stands at bright noon and trying to see the sun doubts the light. Which the Prophet reveals, quickly bringing solution, saying, 'Sealed on us is the light of your face, O Lord.' He does not say, 'It appears' nor 'It shines,' but it is sealed, which means that it is as if it were signed on the forehead and manifest to all, not able to be hidden, nor can anyone ignore a face full with light and emitting rays. For like a seal of light it is, pressed and inscribed on the face, manifest to all, thus even the kindness of Your providence. Light he names it here, defense, citadel, help, providence. Then when he has declared these things, he subjects it to proof. How? 'You have given joy to my heart.' So after reprehending the thoughtlessness of the many by those who understand and are healed by the providence of God, he says, 'You have given joy to my heart.' You have taught me to philosophise, to spurn things which belong to this life and to know those things which are true and eternal, leading me in good hope by the hand to the future life, with prior revelation of good things raising me up to expectation of the good. And rightly he spoke. Saint John Chrysostom, Exposition of the Psalms, Psalm 4 1 Ps 4.6