Sermon on the Mutual Love of Christians
The sermon of Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, serves as a timeless reminder of Christian ethics and social solidarity. Drawing from the description of the early Christian communities in the Book of Acts, the Saint analyzes the concept of "common ownership" not as a legal system, but as the fruit of absolute love and unity in Christ.
In an era where individualism and wealth often harden the human heart, the Saint’s words challenge our spiritual coldness. He contrasts fleshly kinship with spiritual brotherhood and warns of the dangers of avarice, using the tragic example of Ananias. The following text is an invitation to return to authentic Christian charity.
Sermon on the Mutual Love of Christians
by Saint Ambrose of Milan
In the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, we read that the piety of the people under the guidance of the Apostles was so great, and the first Christian community flourished so much, that having accepted the faith, no one kept their house for themselves nor considered anything as their own property. On the contrary, due to the bond of brotherhood, they held all things in common.
Those who confessed the same faith also shared a common life; that is, those who shared the same faith shared the same possessions. Those who held Christ in common held even their daily expenses in common. These pious people considered it a crime not to share their belongings with those who had shared the Divine Grace with them. Therefore, as true brothers, they shared everything.
Brotherhood in Christ is incomparably superior to brotherhood according to the flesh; for fleshly brotherhood is limited only to physical kinship, whereas brotherhood in Christ is rooted in harmony and oneness of soul, as it is written: "Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul" (Acts 4:32). Therefore, a true brother is one who resembles us not so much in body, but in soul. It is he who has the same spirit and the same will as his brother.
Brothers according to the flesh are sometimes at enmity with each other; yet brothers in Christ are always at peace. The former often divide common property with envy, while the latter always joyfully sacrifice themselves and their possessions for the other. The former often despise their own kin, while the latter receive even a stranger with love.
Such was the piety of the Christians in the time of the Apostles, that no one called their house their own and no one appropriated anything, as Saint Luke testifies: "Neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common" (Acts 4:32). Consequently, there was not a single poor person among them. Blessed is the people who, having wealth in Christ, left no one destitute in this world, and who, with their gaze fixed on eternal wealth, freed their brothers from temporal poverty. They sold, as the Scripture says, their lands and houses and laid the proceeds at the feet of the Apostles, so that they might provide to each according to their need.
Do you see the faith of those holy people? They abandoned everything for Christ and kept nothing for themselves. They did not worry about whether they themselves would go hungry, but took care so that their neighbor would not lack food.
Such was the piety then. But do we find anything similar today? Certainly, we have the same Christ. We have the same Christ, but not the same heart. People have the same faith, but the same generosity no longer exists. One is indifferent to the poverty of the other, resulting in the fulfillment of what the Apostle said: "One goes hungry while another gets drunk" (1 Corinthians 11:21). Many Christians today not only do not share their own, but even steal the possessions of others. Not only do they not bring their wealth to the priests for the poor, but they even drive away the brothers who visit them.
The hour has come of which the Apostle wrote: "In the last days lawlessness will abound and the love of many will grow cold" (Matt. 24:12). The sin of avarice has increased, and brotherly love, which once burned with the love of Christ, has frozen. In the time of the Apostles, love reigned and there was no poverty. But now there is such coldness that you can hardly find a rich man among Christians—rich not in property, but in works. For the Apostle said: "To be rich in good works" (1 Tim. 6:18).
Today many are rich in gold in their homes, but in the Church, they are poor in charity. When they do not help the poor as much as they can, then their offering is not pleasing to God. As the Lord said to Cain: "If you offer correctly, but do not divide correctly, have you not sinned? Be still" (Gen. 4:7). So you too, Christian, do not divide correctly when you keep more for your own pleasures than what you give to the Lord.
Remember Ananias in the Acts of the Apostles. He thought he offered correctly, but because he divided his property wrongly (hiding a portion), he lost both his money and his salvation. He was condemned for sacrilege and fraud: sacrilege because he lied to God about his promise, and fraud because he hid part of the gift. The Apostle Peter said to him: "You have not lied to men but to God" (Acts 5:4).
So, brothers, if Ananias was condemned because he did not give all that he had promised from his own, what will happen to the one who refuses to give even the necessities? Brothers, do not forget what you promised to God when you received the grace of faith. In our city, there are many strangers and people in need. Do what you promised, so that you too do not hear, like Ananias: "You did not lie to men, but to God."
Source:
Saint Ambrose of Milan, "Sermon on the Mutual Love of Christians" // Christian Reading Magazine. 1837. Part 4. pp. 28-34.
Christodoulos Molyvas
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