April 19, 2023
Having read or heard the Pascha homily preached by Melito of Sardis around 175AD - let’s consider another famous Easter sermon preached some 300 years later by John Chrysostom. For those of you who do not know of him, John Chrysostom is arguably one of Christianity’s greatest preachers, his eloquence in preaching was so highly regarded, that it earned him the name “Golden-mouthed”. You will notice a few things in contrast to the message preached by Melito of Sardis. First and foremost, the homily is brief - not so brief that scripture is handled lightly, the parable of the laborers in the vineyard from Matthew 20:1-16 actually forms an outline of response in the context of the service, and an interesting reference to an ancient Greek translation of Isaiah 14:9 sets the stage for Christ’s defeat of death. There is some difference in how this message fits within the order of service around it - for many evangelical churches, the sermon is the high point of the service. But in its original setting, this homily would have served as a sort of explanation to the readings, prayers, and hymns sung both before and after it. In any case, I hope you enjoy this historical sermon.
—Matt Allhands
