Mercy to the poor is service to Christ and will be rewarded
Basil is concluding his homily by showing that almsgiving and sharing with the poor are service to Christ himself, who will reward them at the judgment.
For this reason the Apostle urges us to share with those who have nothing not only from fields and revenues but also from the work of our hands. “Working,” he says, “the good with your hands, so that you may have something to share with the one in need” (Ephesians 4:28). To the one who wishes to follow him, the Lord also directed that he sell all his possessions for the benefit of the poor, and in this way follow him. For his followers and the perfect he commands the complete and immediate fulfillment of almsgivings, so that after completing the service that comes through money they may move on to the service that comes through word and spirit. For the rest he commands continual sharing and giving from what they have, so that through these things they may be found imitators of God’s kindness, showing mercy, sharing, and giving freely. “Give,” he says, “and it will be given to you” (Luke 6:38). Through these things he also promised them sharing with himself. These are the ones who stand at the Lord’s right hand, to whom the king will say when he comes: “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was naked, and you clothed me; I was a stranger, and you welcomed me; I was sick and in prison, and you came to me” (Matthew 25:34-36). When the righteous marvel and say, “When did we do these things for you, Lord?” he will say to them: “Amen, amen, I say to you, as much as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40). For eagerness toward the saints is reverence toward Christ, and the eager servant of the poor is found to be a sharer with Christ—not only if he shares something great because he has much, but even if he possesses little and brings that, and even if he gives only a cup of cold water to a disciple in the name of a disciple (Matthew 10:42). For the disciples’ poverty in the world is an occasion for true wealth for you, O rich man. Through these you are found a fellow worker with Christ. You feed Christ’s soldiers, and you feed them willingly, not under compulsion. For the heavenly king does not compel, nor does he demand tribute, but he receives those who are eager, so that by giving they may receive, by honoring they may be honored, and by sharing in temporary things they may be called to share in eternal things. Let these things be in our memory at every moment and before the eyes of our soul, so that we do not let the opportunity that falls to us pass by, nor put off the present and wait for another, lest while we wait and delay we be overtaken by the end. May the Lord grant that we be found fruitful and watchful, remembering his commandments, ready and unhindered for his glorious meeting, in Christ himself our God, with whom to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, power, and honor, now and always and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Greek
Διὰ τοῦτο οὐ μόνον ἐξ ἀγρῶν καὶ προσόδων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ τῆς τῶν χειρῶν ἐργασίας μεταδιδόναι τοῖς μὴ ἔχουσιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος παραινεῖ· Ἐργαζόμενοι φησὶ, τὸ ἀγαθὸν ταῖς χερσὶν, ἵνα ἔχητε μεταδιδόναι τῷ χρείαν ἔχοντι. Τῷ δὲ ἀκολουθεῖν βουλομένῳ, καὶ πᾶσαν πιπράσκειν τὴν οὐσίαν εἰς εὐεργεσίαν πενήτων ὁ Κύριος εἰσηγήσατο, καὶ οὕτως ἀκολουθεῖν αὐτῷ· τοῖς μὲν ἀκολουθηταῖς καὶ τελείοις τὴν ἀθρόον καὶ τελείαν τῶν ἐλεημοσυνῶν πλήρωσιν ἐπιτάττων, ἵνα, πληρώσαντες τὴν διὰ χρημάτων λειτουργίαν, ἐπὶ τὴν διὰ λόγου καὶ πνεύματος μεταβῶσι· τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς τὰς, ἐξ ὧν ἔχουσι, μεταδόσεις καὶ κοινωνίας διηνεκεῖς παραγγέλλων, ἵνα διὰ τούτων εὑρεθῶσι Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας μιμηταὶ, ἐλεοῦντές τε καὶ μεταδιδόντες καὶ χαριζόμενοι. Δίδοτε γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν. Διὰ τούτων δὲ καὶ τὴν πρὸς ἑαυτὸν κοινωνίαν ἑαυτοῖς ἐπηγγείλατο. Οὗτοι γάρ εἰσιν οἱ ἐκ δεξιῶν ἱστάμενοι τοῦ Κυρίου, πρὸς οὓς ἐρεῖ παραγενόμενος ὁ βασιλεύς· Δεῦτε, οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ Πατρός μου, κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου. Ἐπείνασα γὰρ, καὶ ἐδώκατέ μοι φαγεῖν· ἐδίψησα, καὶ ἐποτίσατέ με· γυμνὸς ἤμην, καὶ περιεβάλετέ με· ξένος, καὶ συνηγάγετέ με· ἀσθενὴς καὶ ἐν φυλακῇ, καὶ ἤλθετε πρὸς μέ. Θαυμασάντων δὲ τῶν δικαίων καὶ εἰπόντων· Πότε ταῦτα ἐποιήσαμεν εἰς σὲ, Κύριε; ἐρεῖ πρὸς αὐτούς· Ἀμὴν, ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐφ' ὅσον ἐποιήσατε ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου τῶν ἐλαχίστων, ἐμοὶ ἐποιήσατε. Ἡ γὰρ εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους προθυμία εἰς Χριστόν ἐστιν εὐσέβεια, καὶ ὁ πρὸς τὸν πτωχὸν πρόθυμος ὑπηρέτης εὑρίσκεται Χριστοῦ κοινωνός· οὐ μόνον, εἰ μεταδοίη τι μέγα ἔχων, ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ μικρὸν κεκτημένος, τοῦτο προσάγοι, καὶ εἰ ποτήριον ψυχρὸν μόνον ποτίσειε τὸν μαθητὴν εἰς ὄνομα μαθητοῦ. Ἡ γὰρ τῶν μαθητῶν ἔνδεια κατὰ τὸν κόσμον ἀληθινοῦ σοι πλούτου πρόφασις, ὦ πλούσιε. Διὰ γὰρ τούτων εὑρίσκῃ Χριστοῦ συνεργός· στρατιώτας τρέφεις Χριστοῦ, καὶ τρέφεις ἑκὼν, οὐκ ἀναγκαζόμενος. Ὁ γὰρ οὐράνιος βασιλεὺς οὐκ ἐπαναγκάζει, οὐδὲ ἀπαιτεῖ τελέσματα, ἀλλὰ δέχεται τοὺς προθυμουμένους, ἵνα διδόντες λάβωσι, καὶ τιμήσαντες τιμηθῶσι, καὶ κοινωνήσαντες τῶν προσκαίρων, εἰς κοινωνίαν τῶν αἰωνίων κληθῶσι. Ταῦτα ἡμῖν ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ διὰ μνήμης ἔστω, καὶ πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν τῆς ψυχῆς, ἵνα μὴ παραλίπωμεν τὸν ἐμπεσόντα καιρὸν, μηδὲ ὑπερθέμενοι τὸν παρ-όντα, ἕτερον ἀναμείνωμεν, μήποτε ἐν τῷ μένειν καὶ ἀναβάλλεσθαι τῷ τέλει καταληφθῶμεν. Δῴη δὲ ὁ Κύριος ἐγκάρπους ἡμᾶς καὶ γρηγοροῦντας καὶ τῶν ἐντολῶν αὐτοῦ μεμνημένους εἰς τὴν ἀπάντησιν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἔνδοξον ἑτοίμους καὶ ἀνεμποδίστους εὑρεθῆναι, ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ Χριστῷ καὶ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.