ACC ~ Romans 12 v15

REJOICE WITH THOSE WHO REJOICE. ORIGEN: Here we must make a clear and appropriate distinction. For the joys of Christians are not to be linked with every sort of joy, nor are our tears to be connected with just any sort of tears. For if I see people rejoicing because they have made a lot of money, or acquired a lot of property, or gained worldly honor, I ought not to rejoice with them, because I know that sorrow and tears follow joys of that kind.

Therefore we ought to rejoice only with those whom we see doing a work which deserves to be written in heaven, whether it is a work of righteousness, of charity, of peace or of mercy. … Likewise, if we see people turn from error, leave the darkness of ignorance behind and come to the light of truth and the forgiveness of sins, we ought to rejoice with them.

Likewise, in weeping with those who weep we ought not to weep with those who are mourning their dead or losses in this world. … Our tears ought not to be joined with theirs; rather we should weep for someone who is weeping for his sins, who after doing wrong is converted to repentance and who is washing his error in tears. We ought to weep with someone who groans at finding himself in this position and wants to return to Christ, and his holy desire is consoled by an outpouring of tears. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

WEEP WITH THOSE WHO WEEP. AMBROSIASTER: If you weep with an unbeliever, you may provoke him to accept the Lord’s teaching.COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

FEELING COMPASSION. CHRYSOSTOM: Paul wants us to be penetrated with the warmth of friendship. This is why he goes on to say that we are not merely to bless but that we are to feel compassion for their pains and sufferings whenever we happen to see them fall into trouble. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 22.

THE TEARS OF OUR LORD. PELAGIUS: The Lord was brought to tears by the tears of Mary, to give us an example. For do not suppose that he wept for Lazarus, whom he would bring back to life, nor because of the unbelief of those who again and again did not believe him when he performed wonders. But now we do the opposite—we weep over those who rejoice and rejoice over those who weep. For if someone has been praised, we are unhappy. If someone has fallen, we leap for joy. When we behave in this way we show that we do not belong to the body of Christ, we who do not grieve for a member who has been cut off but are enemies of our own side and friends of the opposite side, who do not grieve when the strongest men of our battle line fall and do not rejoice if we see them fighting bravely, even though we ourselves are not mighty in battle. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

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