On the Blind Man and Zacchaeus
De caeco et Zacchaeo
The Blindness of the Soul§1
1A discourse concerning the blind man whom Christ healed, and concerning Zacchaeus, and concerning judgment and almsgiving. Many and diverse are the teachings of the holy Scriptures, but one grace shines upon all, and one source of teaching is the Spirit of truth.
Whatever the law forbids, whatever the prophets teach, whatever the apostles proclaim, and whatever the Gospel of piety dictates, all flow from one generous and fruitful source, the Holy Spirit; and there is nothing solemn to say, nothing right to think, nor wonderful to do, without the Holy Spirit confirming the things said, thought, and done. For even if someone has a soul strengthened by a morsel of human wisdom and by human reasonings, but rejects the word of God, it is nothing, and it will be accounted as nothing. Therefore the prophet says: 'They have done away with the word of the Lord' (Isa 5:5). What wisdom is in them?
For us, then, the Scriptures of piety are the flowers of truth; and the flowers are many, but the meadow that feeds the flowers is one; the luminaries of the teaching are many, but the true light is one; the stars are many, but the heaven that carries the stars is one; the branches are many, but the root is one; the fingers are many, but the hand that writes through the fingers is one; the strings are many, but the lyre of the Spirit is one; the teachings are many, but the source of piety is one.
But I marvel how this blind man, not having read the law, not having passed through the prophets, not having encountered the Gospels, and not having been confirmed by the apostles, called upon the Savior of the inhabited world, saying, 'Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me' (Mk 10:47). From where did you learn to call these things, without having learned what you invoke? Deprived of sight, you did not read books; you did not occupy yourself with teachings, having one premise of life, the petition, rather than the addition; from where...
So he knew the light of the world, whom he neither saw in the heavens nor upon the earth, being deprived of sight. But truly that which was said by David was fulfilled in this: The Lord makes the blind wise (Psalm 146:8). There was a great crowd around Jesus, and the blind man did not know the light of truth, but he knew its operation; he seized it by intention, which the sight had not received.
What, he asks, does the crowd intend? They say to him, "Jesus the Nazarene is passing by" (Matthew 9:27). Oh, the wonder! Other things are being taught, and other things are being preached; he hears Jesus the Nazarene, but he does not call him Jesus the Nazarene, but Jesus the Son of David (Matthew 20:30). Those seeing from presumption were speaking, but the blind man was preaching from truth. "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Matthew 20:30).
Therefore, each one making the voice his own, let him pour out a confession from the heart, and let each one say this voice for himself, "Son of David, have mercy on me." And just as, brothers, when many go to mourning, and see a corpse lying there, and being wept over by its own kin, all weep—some sharing in the mourning, others searching out their own matters; and often a woman wails and laments, but indeed not for the one lying there (for he is a stranger), but for her own one who has passed before, and the stranger becomes a hypothesis for the remembrance of one's own evils—so each of you, brothers, when he learns the things being preached by the saints, let him make the word his own, speaking on behalf of his own wounds, "Son of David, have mercy on me."
And let each one say it now, being awakened from his own evils: one, because his intellect is blind; another, because his soul is mute; another, because his reasoning is lame; another, because his opinion is leprous. For the sufferings which Christ healed upon the bodies, these also happen upon the souls, and they need help from above. There is a blind soul, begging for a looking up; a blind soul, not seeing the wonders of the law; a blind soul, the...
Greek · §1
De caeco et Zacchaeo (olim sub auctore Joanne Chrysostomo) Εἰς τὸν τυφλὸν, ὃν ὁ Χριστὸς ἐθεράπευσεν, καὶ εἰς τὸν Ζακχαῖον, καὶ περὶ κρίσεως, καὶ ἐλεημοσύνης, ὁμιλία. Πολλαὶ καὶ διάφοροι τῶν ἁγίων Γραφῶν αἱ διδασκαλίαι, μία δὲ χάρις ἡ πᾶσιν ἐπιλάμπουσα, καὶ μία πηγὴ διδασκαλίας τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας. Καὶ ὅσα νόμος διαγορεύει, καὶ ὅσα προφῆται διδάσκουσιν, ὅσα ἀπόστολοι κηρύττουσιν, ὅσα τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τῆς εὐσεβείας ὑπαγορεύει, ἀπὸ μιᾶς ὥσπερ τινὸς εὐθαλοῦς πηγῆς καὶ γονίμου περιέρχεται, τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου· καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν οὔτε εἰπεῖν τι σεμνὸν, οὔτε νοῆσαι δεξιὸν, οὔτε πρᾶξαι θαυμαστὸν, μὴ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἐπιβεβαιοῦντος τὰ λεγόμενα, καὶ τὰ νοούμενα, καὶ τὰ πραττόμενα. Κἂν γάρ τις τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ σοφίᾳ κομᾷ, καὶ λογισμοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις ὠχυρωμένην ἔχῃ τὴν ψυχὴν, τὸν λόγον δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀποσείηται, εἰς οὐδέν ἐστι, καὶ εἰς οὐδὲν λογισθήσεται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησιν ὁ προφήτης· Τὸν λόγον τοῦ Κυρίου ἀπεποιήσαντο. Σοφία τίς ἐστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς; Ἡμῖν τοίνυν ἄνθη τῆς ἀληθείας αἱ Γραφαὶ τῆς εὐσεβείας· καὶ πολλὰ μὲν τὰ ἄνθη, εἷς δὲ ὁ λειμὼν ὁ τὰ ἄνθη τρέφων· πολλοὶ τῆς διδασκαλίας οἱ λαμπτῆρες, εἷς δὲ ὁ φωστὴρ ὁ ἀληθινός· πολλοὶ οἱ ἀστέρες, εἷς δὲ ὁ οὐρανὸς ὁ φέρων τοὺς ἀστέρας· πολλοὶ οἱ κλάδοι, μία δὲ ἡ ῥίζα· πολλοὶ οἱ δάκτυλοι, μία δὲ ἡ χεὶρ, ἡ διὰ τῶν δακτύλων γράφουσα· πολλαὶ αἱ χορδαὶ, μία ἡ κιθάρα τοῦ Πνεύματος· πολλαὶ διδασκαλίαι, μία ἡ πηγὴ τῆς εὐσεβείας. Ἀλλὰ θαυμάζω πῶς ὁ τυφλὸς οὗτος, οὐ νόμον ἀναγνοὺς, οὐ προφήτας διελθὼν, οὐκ Εὐαγγελίοις ἐντυχὼν, οὐκ ἀποστόλοις βεβαιωθεὶς, ἐπεκαλεῖτο τὸν Σωτῆρα τῆς οἰκουμένης, λέγων, Ἰησοῦ, υἱὲ ∆αυῒδ, ἐλέησόν με. Πόθεν ἔμαθες ταῦτα καλεῖν, μὴ μαθὼν ὃ ἐπικαλῇ; Οὐκ ἀνέγνως βίβλους, τῶν ὄψεων ἀπεστερημένος· οὐκ ἐσχόλασας διδασκαλίαις, μίαν ἔχων ὑπόθεσιν τῆς ζωῆς, τὴν αἴτησιν, μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ προσαιτεῖν· πόθεν οὖν ἔγνως τὸν φωστῆρα τοῦ κόσμου, ὃν οὔτε 59.600 ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἐθεάσω, οὔτε ἐπὶ γῆς, τῶν ὄψεων ἐστερημένος; Ἀλλ' ἀληθῶς ἐπὶ τούτῳ ἐπληροῦτο τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ ∆αυῒδ εἰρημένον· Κύριος σοφοῖ τοὺς τυφλούς. Ὄχλος πολὺς ἦν περὶ τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ ὁ τυφλὸς τὸν μὲν φωστῆρα τῆς ἀληθείας οὐκ ᾔδει, τῆς δὲ ἐνεργείας ᾔσθετο· ἥρπασε τῇ διαθέσει, ὃ μὴ παρέλαβεν ἡ ὄψις. Τί, φησὶ, βούλεται ὁ ὄχλος; λέγουσιν αὐτῷ, Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος παρέρχεται. Ὢ τοῦ θαύματος! ἄλλα διδάσκεται, καὶ ἄλλα κηρύττει· ἀκούει Ἰησοῦν Ναζωραῖον, οὐ καλεῖ δὲ αὐτὸν Ἰησοῦν Ναζωραῖον, ἀλλ' Ἰησοῦν υἱὸν ∆αυΐδ. Οἱ βλέποντες τὰ ἐξ ὑπονοίας ἔλεγον, ὁ δὲ τυφλὸς τὰ ἐξ ἀληθείας ἐκήρυττεν. Ἰησοῦ, υἱὲ ∆αυῒδ, ἐλέησόν με. Τοίνυν ἕκαστος τὴν φωνὴν ἰδιοποιούμενος, ῥήξῃ ἀπὸ τῆς καρδίας ἐξομολόγησιν, καὶ ἕκαστος ὑπὲρ ἑαυτοῦ ταύτην εἴπῃ τὴν φωνὴν, Υἱὲ ∆αυῒδ, ἐλέησόν με. Καὶ ὥσπερ, ἀδελφοὶ, ἐπειδὰν εἰς πένθος πολλοὶ ἀπέλθωσι, καὶ ἴδωσι σκήνωμα προκείμενον, καὶ δακρυόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν ἰδίων, πάντες δακρύουσιν, οἱ μὲν συνδιατιθέμενοι τῷ πένθει, οἱ δὲ τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἐρευνῶντες πράγματα· καὶ κλαίει πολλάκις γυνὴ καὶ ὀδύρεται, ἀλλ' οὖν οὐ τὸν προκείμενον (ἀλλότριος γὰρ), ἀλλὰ τὸν ἑαυτῆς τὸν προαπελθόντα, καὶ γίνεται ἡ ἀλλοτρία ὑπόθεσις ἰδίων κακῶν ὑπόμνησις· οὕτως ὑμῶν ἕκαστος, ἀδελφοὶ, ὅταν τὰ παρὰ τῶν ἁγίων κηρυττόμενα μανθάνῃ, ἰδιοποιείτω τὴν λέξιν, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἰδίων τραυμάτων λέγων, Υἱὲ ∆αυῒδ, ἐλέησόν με· καὶ λεγέτω καὶ νῦν ἕκαστος ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων κακῶν διεγειρόμενος, ὁ μὲν, ὅτι τυφλός ἐστι τὴν διάνοιαν, ὁ δὲ, ὅτι κωφὴν ἔχει τὴν ψυχήν· ἄλλος, ὅτι χωλὸν ἔχει τὸν λογισμὸν, ἕτερος, ὅτι λεπρὰν ἔχει τὴν γνώμην. Τὰ γὰρ πάθη, ἃ ἐθεράπευσεν ἐπὶ τῶν σωμάτων ὁ Χριστὸς, ταῦτα καὶ 59.601 ἐπὶ τῶν ψυχῶν γίνεται καὶ δεῖται τῆς ἄνωθεν βοηθείας. Ἔστι τυφλὴ ψυχὴ, δεομένη ἀναβλέψεως, τυφλὴ ψυχὴ, ἡ νόμου θαυμάσια μὴ βλέπουσα, τυφλὴ ψυχὴ, ἡ
The Capacity of Faith and Grace§2
2The soul is blind when it does not see the coming age, seeing the body of Christ but not knowing the divinity. That the soul is blind when it is ignorant of things concerning God, Isaiah testifies, saying: 'And the servants of God were blinded' (Isa 6:9). How were they blinded? For, he says, you have repeatedly failed to take heed, having open ears, and you did not hear. And who is blind, but my children? And who is deaf, but their rulers? And the Savior, desiring to show a blindness of the intellect, reproves the Pharisees who are blinding themselves concerning the truth, saying: 'Leave them, they are blind guides; and if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit' (Matt 15:14).
The soul is deaf when it does not obey the Law, ignoring the Lord's voice; this deafness is not by nature, but by choice. For this reason the Savior said: 'He who has ears to hear, let him hear' (Matt 13:9); not because those present lacked ears (for how could they have occupied themselves with teaching without the organ of hearing?), but he clearly shows that while the ear is fashioned for hearing, the perception of the soul is not joined to the hearing of the divine Law. Therefore, there is no profit in external hearing if the inner intellect is blinded.
Someone is a leper to the soul, not one whose body is darkened, but one whose soul is obscured. For what is leprosy in the body, if not a double color? What is leprosy in the soul? A divided mind. Woe to the sinner who treads upon two paths! Whenever one at times believes and at times is unbelieving, and at times leans toward almsgiving and at times toward inhumanity, he is a leper in the soul, not possessing a healthy color, but being divided in his intellect; and just as leprosy divides the body, so an evil thought divides the intellect.
Let each one, then, cry out for his own wounds, and call upon Jesus, the healer of souls and bodies, just as the blind man cried out: 'Son of David, have mercy on me' (Mark 10:48). And some may go forward, rebuking him; but boldness is not hindered by those who obstruct. Faith knows how to fight against all things, and overcomes all things. Even if men rebuke, the believer does not shrink back, but follows the Lord, knowing that boldness for the sake of piety is beautiful. For if many are shameless for the sake of money, for the sake of the soul's salvation, there is nothing more beautiful than holy boldness.
Should he put on clothes? Jesus commands him to be brought. The voice of the one calling upon him with faith caused the Lord Jesus to stand. He commanded the one who previously approached him with faith to be brought, and to approach the body. He commanded him to be brought, and says, 'What do you want me to do for you?'
He does not ask idly; for it was possible even while sitting to send the healing, but the Jews, slandering the truth, were able to say, as if regarding one born blind, 'This is not such, but one like him.' Therefore, he calls the one being benefited into the midst of the ignorant as a theater, so that first he might show the protrusion of nature, and then recognize the authority of grace. 'What do you want me to do for you?' He asks him, but teaches those present. And he says, 'Lord, that I may receive sight.'
See how much he receives in his hands from the one receiving the cure, so as to shut away the slander of the wicked. He says therefore, 'Go, your faith has saved you.' Do you see how the previously mentioned thing is shown to us through their works? And that the benefits are not idle, but are sold by faith? Jesus does not give the benefits for silver, but sells them by faith. If you do not cast in faith, you do not receive the benefit; grace is spread out, but faith proceeds.
And just as there is one spring, but some draw from the spring with small vessels and others with large, and one draws a little water and another much, not the spring dividing the measures, but each drawing according to his own vessel; so grace is spread out like a spring, but the intention of the approaching vessel and implement becomes the measure of the grace. If therefore you bring forward a little faith like a small vessel, you draw a little grace; but if you bring forward a great mind, you draw a great benefit.
For this reason the Savior says, 'Do you believe that I am able to do this?' And he, 'Yes, Lord'; and the Savior, 'Let it be done to you according to your faith.' From here the Apostle exhorts the Corinthians, saying, 'Enlarge yourselves,' so that he may show that with an enlarged mind a wider grace enters; and the prophet, 'Open your mouth, and I will fill it.' There is no obstacle on the part of the benefit, but on the part of our own laziness. Jesus, the Light of righteousness, has risen; the ray of the intelligible sun is spread out everywhere; and the one...
Greek · §2
τὸν μέλλοντα αἰῶνα μὴ καθορῶσα, τυφλὴ ψυχὴ, ἡ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ βλέπουσα, τὴν δὲ θεότητα μὴ γνωρίζουσα. Ὅτι δὲ τυφλή ἐστιν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡ ἀγνοοῦσα τὰ περὶ Θεοῦ, μαρτυρεῖ Ἡσαΐας λέγων· Καὶ ἐτυφλώθησαν οἱ δοῦλοι τοῦ Θεοῦ. Πῶς ἐτυφλώθησαν; Εἴδετε γὰρ, φησὶ, πλεονάκις, καὶ οὐκ ἐφυλάξασθε· ἀνεῳγμένα τὰ ὦτα, καὶ οὐκ ἠκούσατε. Καὶ τίς τυφλὸς, ἀλλ' ἢ οἱ παῖδές μου; καὶ τίς κωφὸς, ἀλλ' ἢ οἱ κυριεύοντες αὐτῶν; Καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ βουλόμενος δεῖξαι τύφλωσιν διανοίας, Φαρισαίους τυφλώττοντας περὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐλέγχει λέγων· Ἐάσατε αὐτοὺς, ὁδηγοί εἰσι τυφλοὶ τυφλῶν· τυφλὸς δὲ τυφλὸν ἐὰν ὁδηγῇ, ἀμφότεροι εἰς βόθρον ἐμπεσοῦνται. Κωφὴ δέ ἐστιν ἡ ψυχὴ ἡ νόμου μὴ ὑπακούουσα, ἡ τὴν ∆εσποτικὴν φωνὴν παραγραφομένη, κωφὴ οὐκ ἐκ φύσεως, ἀλλ' ἐκ προαιρέσεως. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἔλεγεν ὁ Σωτήρ· Ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν, ἀκουέτω· οὐχ ὅτι τινὲς τῶν παρόντων οὐκ εἶχον ὦτα· (πῶς γὰρ ἂν ἐσχόλαζον τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ, τὸ ὄργανον τῆς ἀκοῆς οὐκ ἔχοντες;) ἀλλὰ δείκνυσι σαφῶς, ὅτι τὸ μὲν φαινόμενον οὖς πρὸς ἀκοὴν δεδημιούργηται, ἡ δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς αἴσθησις πρὸς τὴν ἀκοὴν τοῦ θείου νόμου οὐ συναρμόζεται. Οὐδὲν οὖν ὄφελος τῆς ἔξωθεν ἀκοῆς, ἀποκεκωφωμένης τῆς ἔσωθεν διανοίας. Λεπρός τίς ἐστι τῇ ψυχῇ, οὐχ ὁ τὸ σῶμα ἀμαυρούμενος, ἀλλ' ὁ τὴν ψυχὴν σκοτιζόμενος. Τί γάρ ἐστι λέπρα ἐν σώματι, ἀλλ' ἢ διπλοῦν χρῶμα; Τί ἐστι λέπρα ἐν ψυχῇ; ∆ιπλοῦς διαλογισμός. Οὐαὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ ἐπιβαίνοντι ἐπὶ δύο τρίβους! Ὅταν τις ποτὲ μὲν πιστεύῃ, ποτὲ δὲ ἀπιστῇ, καὶ ποτὲ μὲν πρὸς ἐλεημοσύνην ῥέπῃ, ποτὲ δὲ πρὸς ἀπανθρωπίαν, λεπρός ἐστι τὴν ψυχὴν, οὐκ ἔχων χρῶμα ὑγιὲς, ἀλλὰ μεριζόμενος τὴν διάνοιαν· καὶ ὥσπερ μερίζει λέπρα τὸ σῶμα, οὕτω μερίζει λογισμὸς πονηρὸς τὴν διάνοιαν. Ἕκαστος οὖν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ τραυμάτων βοήσῃ, καὶ ἐπικαλέσηται Ἰησοῦν τὸν ἰατρὸν ψυχῶν καὶ σωμάτων, καθὼς ἐβόα ὁ τυφλός· Υἱὲ ∆αυῒδ, ἐλέησόν με. Καὶ οἱ μὲν προάγοντες, ἐπετίμων· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐμποδίζεται ἡ παῤῥησία διὰ τῶν κωλυόντων. Οἶδεν ἡ πίστις πρὸς πάντα μάχεσθαι, καὶ πάντα νικᾷν. Ἐπετίμων ἄνθρωποι, καὶ ὁ πιστὸς οὐχ ὑποστέλλεται, ἀλλ' ἀκολουθεῖ τῷ ∆εσπότῃ, εἰδὼς, ὅτι καλὴ ἡ ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας ἀναίδεια. βʹ. Εἰ γὰρ ὑπὲρ χρημάτων ἀναιδεῖς πολλοὶ, ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας ψυχῆς οὐ κάλλιστον τὴν καλὴν ἀναίδειαν ἐνδύσασθαι; Κελεύει αὐτὸν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀχθῆναι. Ἔστησε τὸν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν ἡ φωνὴ τοῦ μετὰ πίστεως ἐπικαλουμένου· ἐκέλευσε πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀχθῆναι τὸν ἐγγίσαντα αὐτῷ τῇ πίστει πρότερον, καὶ πλησιάσαι τῷ σώματι. Ἐκέλευσεν αὐτὸν ἀχθῆναι, καί φησι, Τί σοι θέλεις ποιήσω, Οὐκ ἀργῶς ἐρωτᾷ· ἠδύνατο γὰρ καὶ καθημένῳ τὴν ἴασιν πέμψαι, ἀλλ' Ἰουδαῖοι οἱ τὴν ἀλήθειαν συκοφαντοῦντες, ἠδύναντο εἰπεῖν, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐκ γενετῆς τυφλοῦ, Οὐκ ἔστιν οὗτος, ἀλλ' ὅμοιος αὐτοῦ. Καλεῖ οὖν εἰς μέσον τῶν ἀγνωμόνων τὸ θέατρον τὸν εὐεργετούμενον, ἵνα πρῶτον δείξῃ τὸ πήρωμα τῆς φύσεως, καὶ τότε γνωρίσῃ τὴν αὐθεντίαν τῆς χάριτος. Τί σοι θέλεις ποιήσω; Ἐρωτᾷ ἐκεῖνον, διδάσκει δὲ τοὺς παρόντας. Ὁ δὲ, Κύριε, φησὶν, ἵνα ἀναβλέψω. Βλέπε, ὅσα λαμβάνει ἐνέχυρα παρὰ τοῦ τὴν θεραπείαν δεχομένου, ἵνα ἀποκλείσῃ τὴν συκοφαντίαν τῶν πονηρευομένων. Λέγει οὖν, Πορεύου, ἡ πίστις σου ἔσωσέ σε. Ὁρᾷς, πῶς τὸ προειρημένον ἡμῖν κατὰ τὴν προτεραίαν δι' αὐτῶν δείκνυται τῶν ἔργων; καὶ ὅτι ἄπρατοι αἱ εὐεργεσίαι, καὶ πωλοῦνται τῇ πίστει; Οὐ δίδωσιν ἀργυρίου τὰς εὐεργεσίας Ἰησοῦς, πωλεῖ δὲ αὐτὰς τῇ πίστει. Ἐὰν μὴ καταβάλῃς πίστιν, οὐ δέχῃ τὴν εὐεργεσίαν· ἡ χάρις ἥπλωται, ἡ δὲ πίστις προέρχεται. Καὶ ὥσπερ πηγὴ μία, ἀντλοῦσι δὲ ἐκ τῆς πηγῆς οἱ μὲν μικροῖς ἀγγείοις, οἱ δὲ μείζοσι, καὶ ὁ μὲν ὀλίγον ἀρύεται ὕδωρ, ὁ δὲ πολὺ, οὐ τῆς πηγῆς μεριζούσης τὰ μέτρα, ἀλλ' ἑκάστου πρὸς τὸ οἰκεῖον ἀγγεῖον ἀρυομένου· οὕτως ἡ χάρις ἥπλωται ὡς πηγὴ, ἡ πρόθεσις δὲ τοῦ προσερχομένου ἀγγεῖον καὶ σκεῦος γίνεται τῆς χάριτος. Ἐὰν οὖν προσαγάγῃς πίστιν ὀλίγην ὡς σκεῦος μικρὸν, μικρὰν ἀντλεῖς τὴν χάριν· ἐὰν δὲ μεγάλην προσαγάγῃς τὴν διάνοιαν, μεγάλην ἀντλεῖς τὴν εὐεργεσίαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁ Σωτὴρ λέγει, Πιστεύεις, ὅτι δύναμαι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι; Ὁ δὲ, Ναὶ, Κύριε· καὶ ὁ 59.602 Σωτὴρ, Κατὰ τὴν πίστιν σου γενηθήτω σοι. Ἐντεῦθεν ὁ Ἀπόστολος παρακελεύεται Κορινθίοις λέγων· Πλατύνθητε ὑμεῖς, ἵνα δείξῃ, ὅτι τῇ πλατυνομένῃ διανοίᾳ πλατυτέρα ἡ χάρις ἐπεισέρχεται· καὶ ὁ προφήτης, Ἄνοιξον τὸ στόμα σου, καὶ πληρώσω αὐτό. Οὐδὲν παρὰ τῇ εὐεργεσίᾳ τὸ κώλυμα, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ ῥᾳθυμίᾳ. Φωστὴρ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀνέτειλεν Ἰησοῦς, ἥπλωται πανταχοῦ ἡ ἀκτὶς νοητοῦ ἡλίου· καὶ ὁ μὲν
The Purpose of the Blind Man's Following§3
3receiving according to the measure of his intellect
It is inscribed as a preface. And the one who drives out demons proclaims all that God Jesus did for him. He sends one to proclaim, so that from the state of things he might show the magnitude of the benefit; but he allows the blind man to follow.
Why? Because he is going toward Jerusalem to complete the great mystery, and to receive the economy concerning the world, and the cross was to follow, and insolence, and all things innovated by the god-fighters; for this reason he makes the blind man follow, so that they might have a recent memory of the wonder, so that the memory of the healing might support the mind of those about to slip away. He makes the blind man follow so that no one might deny the wonder, because the mind of the apostles was about to be shaken as in winter, and the state of those seeing was about to become wintry, seeing the Only-begotten of God upon a cross. So that, lest they should stumble looking toward the passion, he permits the blind man to follow, so that having a recent memory of the benefit, they might have an unshakable calculation of the truth.
3. For Christ does many such things, because he came to receive the economy concerning mankind. And so that no one might suppose him to suffer through weakness, and not to endure through philanthropy, before he enters into Jerusalem, he looks at a fig tree. And he went away, he says, seeking fruit from it, and did not find. And as he did not find, he rebuked, saying: 'May fruit never come from you for an age.' What sin did the fig tree commit? For does it not have fruitfulness by rational authority? Is it not that when the Creator wills, he provides energy to the fruitfulness? Furthermore, it was not the season of figs; for this the Gospel testifies. Which of these common men, or surely not God, demands fruit at an unseasonable time? Did you not establish the seasons, O Creator? Did you not give seasons and times to fruitfulness? What then do you demand beyond the season which you appointed? And if it were even the season of figs, but the fig tree did not bring forth fruit, was it a fault of nature? No, when he wills, he offers; does he not bring fruit when commanded? For whose sake then does he rebuke the fig tree? Because the passion was about to occur, so that they might not think him to suffer through weakness, his power is shown in the lifeless thing, so that he might show that he affects all.
Greek · §3
ἐλάττονος ἀπολαύει τῆς χάριτος, ὁ δὲ μείζονος, οὐ τῆς χάριτος μεριζούσης, ἀλλὰ τῆς διανοίας τὸ μέτρον ὑποβαλλούσης. Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἷς ἥλιος εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν, καὶ μία ἀκτὶς, καὶ μία αὐγὴ, οὐ πᾶς δὲ ὁ κόσμος ὁμοίως πεφώτισται, ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν λαμπρὸν ἔχει τὸ φῶς, ὁ δὲ ἔλαττον, ὁ δὲ μεῖζον, καὶ ὁ μὲν στενὸν, ὁ δὲ πλατύτερον, οὐ τοῦ ἡλίου μερίζοντος τούτῳ τῷ οἴκῳ τὸ μεῖζον, κἀκείνῳ τὸ ἔλαττον, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰς θυρίδας, ἃς ἠνέῳξαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες, χώραν λαμβανούσης τῆς ἀκτῖνος, καὶ οὕτως εἰσχεομένης· οὕτως ἐπειδὴ θυρίδες ἡμῶν τῆς ψυχῆς οἱ λογισμοὶ, ὅταν πλατυτέρους ἀνοίξῃς τοὺς λογισμοὺς, πλατυτέραν δέχῃ τὴν εὐεργεσίαν· ὅταν στενώσῃς τὴν διάνοιαν, στενοῖς τὴν χάριν. Ἀνακάλυψόν σου τὸν λογισμὸν, ἵνα δέξῃ τὴν αὐγήν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησιν ὁ Παῦλος περὶ ἑαυτοῦ, Ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν Κυρίου κατοπτριζόμεθα, μεταμορφούμενοι ἀπὸ δόξης εἰς δόξαν. Εἷς τυφλὸς ἐθεραπεύθη διὰ τῆς ἱστορίας, καὶ πολλῶν ὀφθαλμοὶ διανοίγονται διὰ τῆς διδασκαλίας. Κατὰ τὴν πίστιν σου γενηθήτω σοι. Ὁ δὲ τυφλὸς, φησὶν, Ἠκολούθει δοξάζων τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ οὐ κωλύει ὁ Ἰησοῦς. Ἐνταῦθα ἀναγκαῖον θεωρῆσαι, ὅτε τὸν δαιμονιῶντα ἐθεράπευσε, παρεκλήθη ὑπὸ τοῦ τὴν εὐεργεσίαν δεξαμένου, ὥστε ἀκολουθεῖν τῷ Ἰησοῦ· ἐβούλετο γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀκολουθεῖν. Ὁ δὲ Σωτὴρ κωλύει καὶ λέγει· Ὕπαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου, καὶ διάγγελλε, ὅσα ἐποίησέ σοι ὁ Θεός. Τίνος ἕνεκεν τὸν μὲν θελήσαντα ἀκολουθῆσαι κωλύει, τὸν δὲ οὐ κωλύει; διὰ τί τούτῳ μὲν ἐπιτρέπει τὴν ἀκολούθησιν, ἐκείνῳ δὲ οὐκ ἐπιτρέπει; Κἀκείνῳ χρησίμως, καὶ τούτῳ συμφερόντως. Τὸν μὲν ἀκολουθεῖν οὐ συνεχώρει δι' ἑτέραν αἰτίαν, ἐπειδὴ δαιμονιῶν ἦν· τοῦ δὲ δαιμονιῶντος καὶ ἡ λέξις καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα διέστραπτο. Ἀποστέλλει οὖν αὐτὸν κήρυκα, ἵνα ἐκ τῆς καταστάσεως κηρύξῃ τὸν εὐεργέτην. Ξένον γὰρ ἦν θέαμα ἰδεῖν τόν ποτε μὴ καθεστηκότα, καθεστηκότας κηρύττειν λόγους. Ποιεῖ οὖν αὐτὸ τὸ ὄργανον τοῦ εὐεργετηθέντος κήρυκα τοῦ σώσαντος. Καὶ βλέπε τὸ θαυμαστὸν, βλέπε τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ταπεινοφροσύνην, βλέπε τοῦ δαιμονιῶντος τὴν εὐγνωμοσύνην. Ὁ μὲν Σωτὴρ λέγει· Πορεύου, καὶ ἀνάγγελλε, ὅσα ἐποίησέ σοι ὁ Θεός. Οὐ λέγει, Ὅσα ἐποίησά σοι ἐγὼ, ἀλλὰ ταπεινοφρονῶν τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ προσηγορίᾳ ἐπιγράφει. Ὁ δὲ δαιμονιῶν περιῄει κηρύττων, ὅσα ἐποίησεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰησοῦς. Τὸν μὲν οὖν ἀποστέλλει κηρύττειν, ἵνα ἀπὸ τῆς καταστάσεως δείξῃ τὸ μέγεθος τῆς εὐεργεσίας· τὸν δὲ τυφλὸν ἐπιτρέπει ἀκολουθεῖν. ∆ιὰ τί· Ἐπειδὴ εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἀνῄει ἐπιτελέσων τὸ μέγα μυστήριον, καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ τοῦ κόσμου οἰκονομίαν ἀναδεξόμενος, καὶ σταυρὸς ἔμελλεν ἀκολουθεῖν, καὶ ὕβρις, καὶ πάντα τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν θεομάχων καινοτομηθέντα· διὰ τοῦτο ποιεῖ ἀκολουθεῖν τὸν τυφλὸν, ἵνα πρόσφατον ἔχωσι τὴν μνήμην τοῦ θαύματος, ἵνα ἡ μνήμη τῆς ἰάσεως στηρίξῃ τὴν διάνοιαν τῶν μελλόντων διολισθαίνειν. Ποιεῖ ἀκολουθεῖν τὸν τυφλὸν, ἵνα μή τις ἀρνήσηται τὴν θαυματουργίαν, ἐπειδὴ ἔμελλε σαλεύεσθαι ὡς ἐν χειμῶνι τῶν ἀποστόλων ἡ διάνοια, καὶ τῶν ὁρώντων ἡ κατάστασις ἔμελλε χειμάζεσθαι, ὁρώντων τὸν Μονογενῆ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπὶ σταυροῦ. Ἵνα οὖν μὴ πρὸς τὸ πάθος βλέποντες ὀκλάσωσι, συγχωρεῖ τῷ τυφλῷ ἀκολουθεῖν, ἵνα πρόσφατον ἔχοντες τὴν μνήμην τῆς εὐεργεσίας, ἀσάλευτον ἔχωσι τὸν λογισμὸν τῆς ἀληθείας. γʹ. Πολλὰ γὰρ τοιαῦτα ποιεῖ ὁ Χριστὸς, ἐπειδὴ ἦλθε τὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀνθρώπων οἰκονομίαν ἀναδέξασθαι. Καὶ ἵνα μή τις αὐτὸν ὑπολάβῃ δι' ἀσθένειαν πάσχειν, καὶ οὐ διὰ φιλανθρωπίαν ὑπομένειν, πρὶν εἰσέλθῃ εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, βλέπει συκῆν. Καὶ ἀπῆλθε, φησὶ, ζητῶν παρ' αὐτῆς καρπὸν, καὶ οὐχ εὗρεν. Ὡς δὲ οὐχ εὗρεν, ἐπετίμησε λέγων· Μηδέποτε ἐκ σοῦ καρπὸς γένηται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Τί ἥμαρτεν ἡ συκῆ; μὴ γὰρ ἐξουσίᾳ λογικῇ ἔχει τὴν καρποφορίαν; οὐχ ὅτε βούλεται ὁ κτίστης, παρέχει 59.603 ἐνέργειαν τῇ καρποφορίᾳ; Εἶτα οὔτε ὁ καιρὸς ἦν τῶν σύκων· τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπιμαρτύρεται τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον. Τίς δὲ οὕτω τῶν κοινῶν ἀνθρώπων, μήτι γε ὁ Θεὸς, ἐν ἀκαίρῳ καιρῷ καρπὸν ἀπαιτεῖ; τοὺς καιροὺς οὐ σὺ ἔπηξας, ὁ δημιουργός; οὐ σὺ ἔδωκας καιροὺς καὶ χρόνους τῇ καρποφορίᾳ; Τί τοίνυν ἀπαιτεῖς παρὰ τὸν καιρὸν, ὃν ἔταξας; Εἰ δὲ καὶ καιρὸς ἦν σύκων, μὴ ἤνεγκε δὲ ἡ συκῆ καρπὸν, ἔγκλημα ἦν τῆς φύσεως; μὴ, ὅτε βούλεται, προσφέρει; οὐχ, ὅτε κελεύεται, προσάγει καρποφορίας; Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἐπιτιμᾷ τῇ συκῇ; Ἐπειδὴ ἔμελλε τὸ πάθος ὑφίστασθαι, ἵνα μὴ νομίσωσιν αὐτὸν δι' ἀσθένειαν πάσχειν, ἐν τῷ ἀψύχῳ ἐνδείκνυται τὴν δύναμιν, ἵνα δείξῃ, ὅτι πάντας
The Net of Love and the Light of Righteousness§4
4He was able to dry up the objectors, to annihilate all the god-fighters. But because he did not come to judge the world, but to save, as he himself said, the power is demonstrated upon the soul, and philanthropy is stored up for men. Thus also here he continues to follow the blind man, so that the fresh memory might dissolve the stumbling block, so that they might have the miracle flashing out.
But he received another wonder; for after the lifting up of the blind man, another blind man lifted up his soul. Who is this? The architect of those blinding regarding money, the one having a blind soul through greed; for nothing so blinds the soul as money. Because of this Moses says: For they blindly strike the eyes of men, and he rejoices in righteous words. The architect has come, and Jesus gives, the one dissolving all sin, the one annihilating all evil, the one changing darkness into light, and bringing crooked things into a straight line.
Zacchaeus was short in age, but his desire was stretched out; short the body, but great the mind; for he sought to see Jesus, and he was not able because of the shortness of age; and having anticipated, by a device he makes up for the deficiency of age; for he runs up upon a sycamore, and passing Jesus, he saw him. But our Lord Jesus Christ, concerning whom Paul says, 'He who knows how to do exceedingly more than we ask or think' (Ephesians 3:20), did not give to him only as much as he desired, but more than he expected. For he only desired to see, but he was made worthy also of the receiving.
And he says to him, the one having seen his mind (for before he went up into the sycamore, he knew his mind): 'Zacchaeus, hurrying, come down.' A good fisherman is the Savior, bringing a soul from a tree. 'Zacchaeus, hurrying, come down.' He examined for him the rod of the word, he placed the hook of love, he took him from the wings of the mind, and he leads him under his own Church. And see, what he does. So that you may not think the word to be something forced, but that the word of God is as a fisherman, the blessed Zechariah says: 'And the Lord showed me a fisherman's vessel, and said to me: I will by no means pass by my people, until, he says, I fish them.' Thus truth having been testified, that the...
The word of God is a net, entangling souls with love as a net. And just as that glue cannot later separate the held thing from the holder, so also the souls united to the Savior are stuck like with a fisherman's glue.
For this reason, the beautiful young bird caught, David said: 'My soul clung to you behind you' (Ps 62:8). And again the Apostle: 'He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit' (1 Cor 6:17). He fishes for Zacchaeus, and brings him down from the tree, and brings himself into his house, which once he himself had known through sins, but today the light of piety has enlightened.
As therefore the Savior entered, the tax collector received him rejoicing. Oh, the much goodness of the Lord! The sinless one with sinners, the fountain of righteousness with the matter of injustice; for matter of injustice is greed. He entered into the house of the tax collector, not being insulted by the finger of greed, but by the ray of righteousness annihilating the greed.
And see the wonderful thing: immediately Zacchaeus, standing before the door, says: 'Lord, I give half of my possessions to the poor' (Luke 19:8). You have not yet been taught, and you obey? You have not yet learned, and you have kept it? The Savior said nothing, nothing he taught, nothing about almsgiving he proposed, not love of the poor he commanded then, but he was silent, and by resting he enlightened; and just as a sun entering through the rays into a house, not by a word it enlightens, but by that energy it shines; so also the Savior, having entered, with the rays of righteousness cut off the path of injustice; 'For the light shines in the darkness' (John 1:5), as the evangelist says.
'Lord, I give half of my possessions to the poor' (Luke 19:8). Well he divides the greed, he cuts the injustice. 'The half of my possessions.' Everything whole is strong, but being cut is weak. 'The half of my possessions.' Oh, the beautiful voice, conquering nature, but rather conquering habit! For habit is a second nature. He cut off greed, he recognized the truth.
'I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have wronged or slandered anyone, I give back fourfold' (Luke 19:8). Here it is necessary to pay precise attention, because the wealth of Zacchaeus was not from injustice only, but also from paternal inheritance.
Greek · §4
ἠδύνατο ξηρᾶναι τοὺς ἀντιλέγοντας, πάντας ἀφανίσαι τοὺς θεομάχους. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἦλθε κρῖναι τὸν κόσμον, ἀλλὰ σῶσαι, ὡς αὐτὸς ἔφησε, τὴν μὲν δύναμιν ἐνδείκνυται ἐπὶ τῆς ἀψύχου, τὴν δὲ φιλανθρωπίαν ταμιεύεται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις. Οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα συνεχώρει τῷ τυφλῷ ἀκολουθεῖν, ἵνα νεάζουσα ἡ μνήμη διαλύσῃ τὸ σκάνδαλον, ἵνα ἔχωσι τὴν θαυματουργίαν ἀπαστράπτουσαν. Ἀλλὰ διεδέξατο τὸ θαῦμα ἕτερον· μετὰ γὰρ τὴν ἀνάβλεψιν τοῦ τυφλοῦ, ἀνέβλεψεν ἄλλος τυφλὸς τὴν ψυχήν. Τίς οὗτος; Ὁ ἀρχιτελώνης ὁ τυφλώττων περὶ τὰ χρήματα, ὁ τῇ πλεονεξίᾳ τυφλὴν τὴν ψυχὴν ἔχων· οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἀποτυφλοῖ τὴν ψυχὴν, ὡς τὰ χρήματα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησι Μωϋσῆς· ∆ῶρα γὰρ ἀποτυφλοῖ ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀνθρώπων, καὶ λυμαίνεται ῥήματα δίκαια. Ἦλθεν ὁ ἀρχιτελώνης, καὶ παρῄει ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ὁ πᾶσαν ἁμαρτίαν διαλύων, ὁ πᾶσαν κακίαν ἀφανίζων, ὁ μεταβάλλων τὸ σκότος εἰς φῶς, καὶ τὰ σκολιὰ εἰς εὐθεῖαν ἄγων. Ὁ Ζακχαῖος βραχὺς ἦν τὴν ἡλικίαν, ἐκτεταμένος δὲ τὸν πόθον· βραχὺς τὸ σῶμα, μέγας δὲ τὸ φρόνημα· ἐζήτει γὰρ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἰδεῖν, καὶ οὐκ ἠδύνατο διὰ τὸ βραχὺ τῆς ἡλικίας· καὶ προλαβὼν, μηχανῇ πορίζεται τὸ ἐλλεῖπον τῆς ἡλικίας· ἀνατρέχει γὰρ ἐπὶ συκομορέαν, καὶ παριόντα τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἑώρα. Ἀλλ' ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, περὶ οὗ φησιν ὁ Παῦλος, «Ὁ εἰδὼς ἐκ περισσοῦ ποιεῖν ὧν αἰτούμεθα ἢ νοοῦμεν,» οὐ τοσοῦτον αὐτῷ ἔδωκεν, ὅσον ἐπόθησεν, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ ὃ προσεδόκησεν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἰδεῖν μόνον ἐπόθησεν, ὁ δὲ καὶ τῆς δεξιώσεως αὐτὸν ἠξίωσε. Καί φησι πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ θεασάμενος αὐτοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν (πρὶν γὰρ ἀναβῇ εἰς τὴν συκῆν, οἶδεν αὐτοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν)· Ζακχαῖε, σπεύσας κατάβηθι. Καλὸς ἰξευτὴς ὁ Σωτὴρ, ἀπὸ δένδρου ψυχὴν καταφέρων. Ζακχαῖε, σπεύσας κατάβηθι. Ἐξέτεινεν αὐτῷ τὸν κάλαμον τοῦ λόγου, περιέθηκε τὸν ἰξὸν τῆς ἀγάπης, ἔλαβεν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν πτερύγων τῆς διανοίας, καὶ συνάγει αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ Ἐκκλησίαν. Καὶ ὅρα, τί ποιεῖ. Ἵνα δὲ μὴ νομίσῃς τὸ ῥῆμα εἶναι τὸ βιασάμενον, ἀλλ' ὅτι ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ὡς ἰξευτής ἐστι, λέγει ὁ μακάριος Ζαχαρίας· Καὶ ἔδειξέ μοι Κύριος ἄγγος ἰξευτοῦ, καὶ εἶπέ μοι· Οὐ μὴ παρέλθω τὸν λαόν μου, ἕως ἂν, φησὶν, ἰξεύσω αὐτόν. Οὕτως ἀλήθεια μεμαρτυρημένη, ὅτι ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἰξός ἐστι, τῇ ἀγάπῃ ὡς ἰξῷ τὰς ψυχὰς περιπλέκων· καὶ ὥσπερ ἐκείνη ἡ κόλλα οὐ δύναται λοιπὸν τὸ κατεχόμενον διαστῆσαι τοῦ κατέχοντος, οὕτω καὶ αἱ ψυχαὶ αἱ τῷ Σωτῆρι ἡνωμέναι κολλῶνται ὥσπερ τῇ κόλλῃ τοῦ ἰξευτοῦ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁ πιασθεὶς καλὸς νεοσσὸς ∆αυῒδ ἔλεγεν· Ἐκολλήθη ἡ ψυχή μου ὀπίσω σου· καὶ πάλιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, Ὁ δὲ κολλώμενος τῷ Κυρίῳ ἓν πνεῦμά ἐστιν. Ἰξεύει τὸν Ζακχαῖον, καὶ κατάγει αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ δένδρου, καὶ εἰσάγει ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν αὐτοῦ, ἣν ποτὲ μὲν αὐτὸς ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἐγνόφωσε, σήμερον δὲ ὁ φωστὴρ τῆς εὐσεβείας κατηύγασεν. Ὡς οὖν εἰσῆλθεν ὁ Σωτὴρ, ὑπεδέξατο αὐτὸν ὁ τελώνης χαίρων. Ὢ τῆς πολλῆς ἀγαθότητος τοῦ ∆εσπότου! ὁ ἀναμάρτητος μετὰ ἁμαρτωλῶν, ἡ πηγὴ τῆς δικαιοσύνης μετὰ τῆς ὕλης τῆς ἀδικίας· ὕλη γὰρ ἀδικίας, πλεονεξία. Εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ τελώνου, οὐ τῷ γνόφῳ τῆς πλεονεξίας ὑβριζόμενος, ἀλλὰ τῇ αὐγῇ τῆς δικαιοσύνης τὴν πλεονεξίαν ἀφανίζων. Καὶ ὅρα τὸ θαυμαστόν· Εὐθέως ὁ Ζακχαῖος στὰς πρὸ τοῦ προθύρου λέγει· Κύριε, τὰ ἡμίση τῶν ὑπαρχόντων μοι δίδωμι τοῖς πτωχοῖς. Οὐδέπω ἐδιδάχθης, καὶ ὑπακούεις; οὐδέπω ἔμαθες, καὶ ἐφύλαξας; Οὐδὲν εἶπεν ὁ Σωτὴρ, οὐδὲν ἐδίδαξεν, οὐ περὶ ἐλεημοσύνης ὑπέθετο, οὐ φιλοπτωχείαν ὑπηγόρευσε τότε, ἀλλ' ἐσιώπα, καὶ ἠρέμα κατηύγαζε· καὶ ὥσπερ ἥλιος εἰσχεόμενος διὰ τῶν ἀκτίνων εἰς οἶκον, 59.604 οὐ ῥήματι φωτίζει, ἀλλ' αὐτῇ τῇ ἐνεργείᾳ καταλάμπει· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ εἰσελθὼν, ταῖς ἀκτῖσι τῆς δικαιοσύνης τὸν δρόμον τῆς ἀδικίας ἐξώρισε· Τὸ γὰρ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει, ὥς φησιν ὁ εὐαγγελιστής. Κύριε, τὰ ἡμίση τῶν ὑπαρχόντων μοι δίδωμι τοῖς πτωχοῖς. Καλῶς μερίζει τὴν πλεονεξίαν, τέμνει τὴν ἀδικίαν. Τὰ ἡμίση τῶν ὑπαρχόντων μοι. Πᾶν ὁλόκληρον ἰσχυρὸν, τεμνόμενον δὲ ἀσθενές. Τὰ ἡμίση τῶν ὑπαρχόντων μοι. Ὢ τῆς καλῆς φωνῆς, νικώσης τὴν φύσιν, μᾶλλον δὲ νικώσης τὴν συνήθειαν! δευτέρα γὰρ φύσις ἡ συνήθεια. Ἐξώρισε τὴν ἀπληστίαν, ἐπέγνω τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Τὰ ἡμίση τῶν ὑπαρχόντων μοι δίδωμι τοῖς πτωχοῖς, καὶ εἴ τινός τι ἠδίκησα ἢ ἐσυκοφάντησα, ἀποδίδωμι τετραπλοῦν. Ἐνταῦθα προσέχειν ἀκριβῶς χρὴ, ὅτι ὁ πλοῦτος τοῦ Ζακχαίου οὐκ ἦν ἐξ ἀδικίας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ πατρικῆς
Abraham's rejection and the character of kinship§5
5Regarding possessions: if they were from injustice, how could he pay back fourfold what he took? For what does he say: 'If I have wronged anyone, I restore fourfold'? Even if he agreed with lawlessness, he also knew the law; for the law commands the thief to pay back the theft fourfold (Exodus 22:1). If anyone, he says, steals a sheep and is found out, he shall give four sheep. God quadruples the punishment, or rather the loss, so that even if one does not fear the law, the loss may be felt; for many, not respecting the law, respect the loss. He therefore condemns himself, not expecting the verdict of the law, but becoming a law unto himself; for law does not lie upon the righteous.
The Savior, having received this voice, says: 'Today salvation has come to this house' (Luke 19:9). He justified himself, not because he simply saw Christ, but because he obeyed the laws of Christ. Today salvation has come to this house, because this man also is a son of Abraham. Before doing the works of Abraham, he does not call him a son of Abraham, but calls him Zacchaeus by the bare appellation; but when he fulfilled the works of the patriarch, promising charity and the restitution of the injustice, then he says: 'And this man also is a son of Abraham.'
And we therefore, brothers, even if we are Christians and are called so, nothing demonstrates us as Christians in this way as the work of truth. Let us not therefore outdo the appellation with our works, but let us make the faith venerable with our works. We were called sons of Abraham through faith (Galatians 3:7); let us be called sons of Abraham through good works. For what he said, it is not the nobility of the body that is sought, but the following of the ways. For this reason Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the patriarchs rejected the synagogue, because they did not inherit the faith of the fathers; Abraham rejected his own kin because they did not follow the faith; Isaac, Jacob, and all the patriarchs rejected them too; the
For having denied God, nature also denies. And what word will testify that Abraham denied the Jews, so that we might not be bold as if against enemies, but as if reproving those who have sinned? The blessed Jeremiah says on behalf of the people: 'Lord, have mercy on us; the mountain and the city, which our fathers blessed, became consumed by fire; you, Lord, have mercy on us, because Abraham did not know us, and Israel did not recognize us; you, Lord, spare us' (Jeremiah 49:1). Because, he says, those on whom we take pride were alienated from us, and they denied our race, you have mercy on us, conquering all through philanthropy. Have mercy on us, because Abraham did not know us (Genesis 25:17-18). For if our things were his own, he would not have interceded for his own children. He interceded for the Sodomites, and he was heard; and for his own interceding, was he not heard? Abraham did not know us. Abraham denies the strangers in his ways, but he makes the strangers, as I said, to be strangers in race, yet kin in piety. For this reason the Scripture, desiring to show to the Jews that whoever adopts the ways of those, receives also their claim, says: 'Your father was an Amorite, and your mother a Hittite, and your sister a Sodomite' (Deuteronomy 7:3). See how he constructs kinship from the ways. Because he thought of the things of the Sodomites, a sister of Sodom heard, a daughter of the Canaanites heard; and thus it was being shown not the race that is righteous, but the character that is venerable. But I think that the Canaanite and the Amorite denies the kinship; and when he sees the god-fighters and those who approach him as strangers to piety, he denies, and the Canaanite does not accept to be called the father of the ungodly. Why does he deny? If you insult a Canaanite and say, 'Your father is a Canaanite,' he will say: 'Is this my son, having denied the faith of the fathers?' I am not faithless, even if I am a Canaanite; for the Canaanite woman crying out, 'Son of David, have mercy on me' (Matthew 15:22), will testify to my faith.
Greek · §5
περιουσίας· εἰ γὰρ ἦν ἐξ ἀδικίας, πῶς τετραπλασίονα ἠδύνατο ἀποδοῦναι, ἃ ἔλαβε; ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ λέγει, Εἴ τινός τι ἠδίκησα, ἀποδίδωμι τετραπλοῦν; Εἰ καὶ τῇ παρανομίᾳ συνέζησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν νόμον ἐγνώριζεν· κελεύει γὰρ ὁ νόμος τὸν κλέπτην εἰς τετραπλάσιον ἀποδιδόναι τὴν κλοπήν. Ἐάν τις, φησὶ, κλέψῃ πρόβατον, καὶ γνωρισθῇ, ἀποδῷ τέσσαρα πρόβατα. Τετραπλασιάζει τὴν τιμωρίαν ὁ Θεὸς, μᾶλλον δὲ τὴν ζημίαν, ἵνα κἂν ὁ νόμος μὴ φοβήσῃ, ἡ ζημία δυσωπήσῃ· πολλοὶ γὰρ πολλάκις νόμον μὴ αἰδούμενοι, ζημίαν αἰδοῦνται. Ἑαυτὸν τοίνυν καταδικάζει, οὐκ ἐκδεχόμενος τὴν ψῆφον τοῦ νόμου, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ἐφ' ἑαυτὸν νόμος γενόμενος· ∆ικαίῳ γὰρ νόμος οὐ κεῖται. Ὁ Σωτὴρ ταύτην δεξάμενος τὴν φωνὴν, φησί· Σήμερον σωτηρία τῷ οἴκῳ τούτῳ γέγονεν. Αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐδικαίωσεν, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ Χριστὸν ἁπλῶς εἶδεν, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τοῖς Χριστοῦ ὑπήκουσε νόμοις. Σήμερον σωτηρία τῷ οἴκῳ τούτῳ γέγονεν, ὅτι καὶ οὗτος υἱὸς Ἀβραάμ ἐστι. Πρὶν ποιῆσαι τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ, οὐ καλεῖ αὐτὸν υἱὸν Ἀβραὰμ, ἀλλὰ Ζακχαῖον ψιλῇ τῇ προσηγορίᾳ καλεῖ· ὅτε μέντοι ἐπλήρωσε τὰ ἔργα τοῦ πατριάρχου, φιλοπτωχείαν ἐπαγγειλάμενος, καὶ τῆς ἀδικίας τὴν ἀλλοτρίωσιν, τότε λέγει, Καὶ οὗτος υἱὸς Ἀβραάμ ἐστι. δʹ. Καὶ ἡμεῖς τοίνυν, ἀδελφοὶ, εἰ καὶ Χριστιανοί ἐσμεν, καὶ λεγόμεθα, οὐδὲν οὕτως ἡμᾶς δείκνυσι Χριστιανοὺς, ὡς τὸ ἔργον τῆς ἀληθείας. Μὴ τοίνυν ὑβρίσωμεν τοῖς ἔργοις τὴν προσηγορίαν, ἀλλὰ σεμνύνωμεν τοῖς ἔργοις τὴν πίστιν. Ἐκλήθημεν υἱοὶ Ἀβραὰμ διὰ πίστεως, κληθῶμεν υἱοὶ Ἀβραὰμ διὰ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔργων. Ὃ γὰρ ἔφθην εἰπὼν, οὐχ ἡ τοῦ σώματος εὐγένεια ζητεῖται, ἀλλ' ἡ τῶν τρόπων ἀκολουθία. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ καὶ οἱ πατριάρχαιπάντες ἠρνήσαντο τὴν συναγωγὴν, ἐπειδὴ τῶν πατέρων τὴν πίστιν οὐκ ἐκληρονόμησαν· ἠρνήσατο Ἀβραὰμ οἰκείους, ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἠκολούθησαν τῇ πίστει· ἠρνήσατο αὐτοὺς καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ καὶ οἱ πατριάρχαι πάντες· τὸν γὰρ ἀρνησάμενον Θεὸν καὶ ἡ φύσις ἀρνεῖται. Καὶ τίς μαρτυρήσει λόγος, ὅτι Ἀβραὰμ Ἰουδαίους ἠρνήσατο, ἵνα μὴ δόξωμεν ὡς ἐπὶ ἐχθρῶν θρασύνεσθαι, ἀλλ' ὡς ἡμαρτηκότας ἐλέγχειν; Λέγει ὁ μακάριος Ἱερεμίας ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ λαοῦ· Κύριε, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς· ἐγενήθη τὸ ὄρος καὶ ἡ πόλις, ἣν εὐλόγησαν οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν, πυρίκαυστος· σὺ, Κύριε, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, ὅτι Ἀβραὰμ οὐκ ἔγνω ἡμᾶς, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ οὐκ ἐπέγνω ἡμᾶς· σὺ, Κύριε, φεῖσαι ἡμῶν. Ἐπειδὴ, φησὶν, ἐκεῖνοι, ἐφ' οἷς σεμνυνόμεθα, ἠλλοτριώθησαν ἡμῶν, καὶ ἠρνήσαντο ἡμῶν τὸ γένος, σὺ ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς ὁ πάντας φιλανθρωπίᾳ νικῶν. Ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, ὅτι Ἀβραὰμ οὐκ ἔγνω ἡμᾶς. Εἰ γὰρ ᾠκειοῦτο τὰ ἡμέτερα, οὐκ ἂν ἐπρέσβευσεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἰδίων τέκνων. Ὑπὲρ Σοδομιτῶν ἐπρέσβευσε, καὶ ἠκούετο· καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἰδίων πρεσβεύων οὐκ ἠκούετο; Ἀβραὰμ οὐκ ἔγνω ἡμᾶς. Ἀρνεῖται Ἀβραὰμ τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους τοῖς τρόποις, οἰκειοῦται δὲ, ὡς ἔφην, τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους μὲν τοῦ γένους, οἰκείους δὲ τῆς εὐσεβείας. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἡ Γραφὴ βουλομένη δεῖξαι τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, ὅτι ὧν τις τοὺς τρόπους αἱρεῖται, τούτων καὶ τὴν προσηγορίαν δέχεται, λέγει· Ὁ πατήρ σου Ἀμοῤῥαῖος, καὶ ἡ μήτηρ σου Χετταία, ἡ ἀδελφή σου Σοδομῖτις. Βλέπε πῶς τὴν συγγένειαν ἀπὸ τῶν τρόπων κατασκευάζει. Ἐπειδὴ τὰ τῶν Σοδομιτῶν ἐφρόνησεν, ἤκουσεν ἀδελφὴ Σοδόμων, ἤκουσε θυγάτηρ Χαναναίων· καὶ οὕτως ἐδείκνυτο οὐ τὸ γένος δικαιῶν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἦθος σεμνύνων. Ἐγὼ δὲ νομίζω, ὅτι ὁ Χαναναῖος καὶ ὁ Ἀμοῤῥαῖος ἀρνεῖται τὴν 59.605 συγγένειαν· καὶ ὅταν ἴδῃ τοὺς θεομάχους, καὶ τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους τῆς εὐσεβείας προσχωροῦντας αὐτῷ, ἀρνεῖται, καὶ οὐ δέχεται ὁ Χαναναῖος κληθῆναι πατὴρ τῶν ἀσεβῶν. ∆ιὰ τί ἀρνεῖται; Ἐὰν ἐπιτρίψῃς Χαναναίῳ, καὶ εἴπῃς, ὅτι Ὁ πατήρ σου Χαναναῖος, καὶ ἐρεῖ· Οὗτός μου υἱὸς ἀρνησάμενος τὴν πίστιν τῶν πατέρων; Ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἄπιστος, εἰ καὶ Χαναναῖος· μαρτυρήσει γάρ μου τὴν πίστιν ἡ Χαναναία βοῶσα, Υἱὲ ∆αυῒδ, ἐλέησόν με. Μὴ
The Soul as Mother of Christ§6
6They shall be called sons of Canaanites, for they did not preserve the faith of the Canaanite; let them be called sons of stones and woods, those saying to the stone, 'You are my father,' and to the wood, 'You begat me.' But I think even the stones deny, and the woods forbid the kinship of the unbelievers.
A stone is able to deny and say: 'The son of impiety is not my child; the son of injustice is not my child; for I, even if I am a stone, have heard the Scripture saying: God is able even from these stones to raise up children to Abraham' (Matt 3:9). Then, 'Yes,' he says, 'he personifies from the person of the stone, and a stone speaks?' Listen to the prophet saying, that 'stones from a wall shall cry out those things,' and a reed from wood shall speak (Luke 19:40). Even if you keep silent, the stones shall cry out.
What then shall the race of the unbelievers be called, if not sons of Abraham, nor Canaanites because of the Canaanite-ness (for the brightness of the Canaanite faith reproached their unbelief), nor sons of stones? For even the stones deny the kinship. What name did Jeremiah set for them: 'Rejected silver, call them so, because the Lord rejected them' (Jer 6:30).
Let us then also fear, brothers. Does the nobility of Christ impress you? Let the justice of Christ frighten you. Concerning almsgiving it was preached yesterday, that it is necessary for all to set almsgiving second, that it is necessary for all to prefer the soul.
I marveled also at another ingratitude, how those not having children take others as adopted; one is made a father, and another is made a brother. You make an outsider a son, and you flee from the Master? To make a son of the one who pays you the wage: Christ becomes a son to you. 'The word is terrible,' he says. See what you say; lest by a pretext of the word you stray from the word, lest you be carried away into irrationality.
Do you call Christ a son of man? But I call him not only son, but also brother, not from myself, but following his own voices. They say to him once, 'Your mother and your brothers are seeking you.' The Savior says, 'Who is my mother, or who are my brothers?' (Matt 12:48). Whoever does the will of my Father, he is my brother and sister and mother (Matt 12:50). And if he is his mother, then the one who has honored righteousness by the designation is a son of the mother. Let every soul therefore...
A mother of Christ according to disposition. How a mother of Christ? Every soul labors in pain for him, the Christ; but if it is not transformed by piety, it cannot be called a mother of Christ.
When you receive the word of Christ and fashion it in your mind; just as you transform it in the mother of thought, so you are called a good mother of him. And so that you may know that in each one Christ is being formed and becomes a mother of Christ—I say indeed of the word of the Christ, that each of us is the soul, as Paul says: 'My children, whom I again labor for, until Christ is formed in you' (Galatians 4:19).
Did you work righteousness? You formed Christ in the soul. Did you grant alms? You formed the character of the truth. It is not that Christ is formed according to each one; for he calls the word of piety 'Christ', through which we receive the character of the truth. Did you grant alms? You formed Christ. Did you do righteousness? The character of the truth was formed.
Therefore it is necessary to attend to how one must make Christ a brother. Take him as a partner of your things. Do you not want to grant everything to him? Even if you give half, give it to him like Zacchaeus (Luke 19:8). For to him, he says, Zacchaeus gave, not to the poor. But listen: he who shows mercy to the poor lends to God (Proverbs 19:17). Giving to the poor, you have given to Christ (Matthew 25:40).
Do you not know that what is given to himself he receives back? Do you not know what a fearful judgment he has written, saying: 'When the Son of Man comes in the regeneration, he will set the sheep at the right hands, but the goats at the left; and he will say to those at the right hands, Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you, because I was hungry, and you gave me to eat' (Matthew 25:34-36)? See how he who lends through the poor acknowledges the debt: 'I was hungry, and you fed me; I was naked, and you clothed me.'
Surely, by clothing the naked in the apparent form, you clothe Christ in the truth. Clothe Christ, so that he may clothe you in the day of judgment; cover him, so that he may cover you in the day of wrath. Listen to David saying: 'Cover me in the secret of his tent' (Psalm 27:5). Covering is necessary; that fearful fire seizes, the unavoidable Gehenna; and if the hand of Christ does not cover, that foreign fire will make known. He knows how to take hold of what is foreign, he knows how to honor the holy, he knows how to respect piety, and he takes hold of impiety.
Greek · §6
καλείσθωσαν δὲ υἱοὶ Χαναναίων· οὐ γὰρ ἐφύλαξαν τὴν πίστιν τῆς Χαναναίας· κληθήτωσαν υἱοὶ λίθων καὶ ξύλων, οἱ λέγοντες τῷ λίθῳ, Πατήρ μου εἶ σὺ, καὶ τῷ ξύλῳ, ὅτι Σύ με ἐγέννησας. Ἐγὼ δὲ νομίζω καὶ τοὺς λίθους ἀρνεῖσθαι, καὶ τὰ ξύλα ἀπαγορεύειν τὴν οἰκειότητα τῶν ἀπίστων. ∆ύναται καὶ λίθος ἀρνεῖσθαι καὶ λέγειν· Οὐκ ἔστι μου τέκνον ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀσεβείας· οὐκ ἔστι μου τέκνον ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀδικίας· ἐγὼ γὰρ, εἰ καὶ λίθος εἰμὶ, ἤκουσα τῆς Γραφῆς λεγούσης· ∆ύναται ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ἐκ τῶν λίθων τούτων ἐγεῖραι τέκνα τῷ Ἀβραάμ. Εἶτα, Ναὶ, φησὶν, προσωποποιῇ ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ λίθου, καὶ λίθος λαλεῖ; Ἄκουε τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος, ὅτι Λίθος ἐκ τοίχου φθέγξεται αὐτὰ, καὶ κάνθαρος ἐκ ξύλου λαλήσει. Κἂν ὑμεῖς σιωπήσητε, οἱ λίθοι κεκράξονται. Τί οὖν κληθῇ τὸ γένος τῶν ἀπίστων, εἰ μήτε υἱοὶ Ἀβραὰμ, μήτε Χαναναῖοι διὰ τὴν Χαναναίαν (ἤμβλυνε γὰρ αὐτῶν τὴν ἀπιστίαν ἡ αὐγὴ τῆς πίστεως τῆς Χαναναίας), μήτε υἱοὶ τῶν λίθων; Ἀρνοῦνται γὰρ καὶ οἱ λίθοι τὴν οἰκειότητα. Τί ὄνομα τοῖς ἀπίστοις· Ἱερεμίας αὐτοῖς ὄνομα ἔθετο· Ἀργύριον ἀποδεδοκιμασμένον καλέσατε αὐτοὺς, ὅτι ἀπεδοκίμασεν αὐτοὺς Κύριος. Φοβηθῶμεν τοίνυν καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἀδελφοί. Σεμνύνει σε ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ εὐγένεια; Φοβείτω σε ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ δικαιοκρισία. Περὶ ἐλεημοσύνης χθὲς ἐκηρύττετο, ὅτι δεῖ πάντα δεύτερα τίθεσθαι ἐλεημοσύνης, ὅτι δεῖ πάντων προτιμᾷν τὴν ψυχήν. Ἐθαύμασα καὶ ἑτέραν ἀγνωμοσύνην, ὅτι πῶς οἱ τέκνα μὴ ἔχοντες, υἱοποιητοὺς λαμβάνουσι· καὶ ὁ μὲν πατροποιεῖται, ὁ δὲ ἀδελφοποιεῖται. Υἱοποιῇ τὸν ἀλλότριον, καὶ φεύγεις τὸν ∆εσπότην; Υἱοποίησαι τὸν ἀντιδιδόντα σοι τὸν μισθόν· γένηταί σοι Χριστὸς υἱός. Φοβερὸν, φησὶ, τὸ ῥῆμα. Βλέπε τί λέγεις· μὴ προφάσει τοῦ λόγου ἐκτραπῇς τοῦ λόγου, μὴ εἰς ἀλογίαν κατενεχθῇς. Υἱὸν καλεῖς ἀνθρώπου τὸν Χριστόν; Ἐγὼ δὲ οὐ μόνον υἱὸν καλῶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀδελφὸν, οὐκ ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ ταῖς αὐτοῦ φωναῖς ἀκολουθῶν. Λέγουσιν αὐτῷ ποτε, Ἡ μήτηρ σου καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί σου ζητοῦσί σε. Λέγει ὁ Σωτὴρ, Τίς ἐστι μήτηρ μου, ἢ τίνες εἰσὶν ἀδελφοί μου; Ὃς ἂν ποιῇ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Πατρός μου, αὐτός μου ἀδελφὸς καὶ ἀδελφὴ καὶ μήτηρ ἐστίν. Εἰ δὲ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ, ἄρα υἱὸς τῆς μητρὸς ὁ τῇ προσηγορίᾳ τιμήσας τὴν δικαιοσύνην. Γενέσθω τοίνυν πᾶσα ψυχὴ μήτηρ Χριστοῦ κατὰ διάθεσιν. Πῶς μήτηρ Χριστοῦ; Πᾶσα ψυχὴ ὠδίνει ἐν αὐτῇ τὸν Χριστόν· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ μεταμορφωθῇ τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ, μήτηρ Χριστοῦ καλεῖσθαι οὐ δύναται. Ὅταν λάβῃς λόγον Χριστοῦ, καὶ πλάσῃς αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ σου· καὶ ὥσπερ ἐν μήτρᾳ τῷ λογισμῷ μεταμορφώσῃς, καλῇ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι ἐν ἑκάστῳ Χριστὸς μορφοῦται, καὶ μήτηρ Χριστοῦ γίνεται, λέγω δὴ τοῦ λόγου τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἑκάστου ἡμῶν ἡ ψυχὴ, λέγει Παῦλος· Τεκνία μου, οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω, ἄχρις οὗ μορφωθῇ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν. Εἰργάσω δικαιοσύνην; Ἐμόρφωσας ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ Χριστόν. Ἐπέδωκας ἐλεημοσύνην. Ἐμόρφωσας τὸν χαρακτῆρα τῆς ἀληθείας· οὐχ ὅτι καθ' ἕκαστον Χριστὸς μορφοῦται· Χριστὸν γὰρ καλεῖ τὸν λόγον τῆς εὐσεβείας, δι' οὗ τὸν χαρακτῆρα τῆς ἀληθείας ἀναλαμβάνομεν. Ἐπέδωκας ἐλεημοσύνην; Ἐμόρφωσας Χριστόν. Ἐποίησας δικαιοσύνην; Ἐμορφώθη ὁ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ἀληθείας. ∆εῖ οὖν προσέχειν πῶς χρὴ ἀδελφοποιῆσαι τὸν Χριστόν. Λάβε αὐτὸν κοινωνὸν τῶν σῶν πραγμάτων. Οὐ θέλεις αὐτῷ χαρίσασθαι πάντα; Κἂν τὰ ἡμίση δὸς αὐτῷ ὡς ὁ 59.606 Ζακχαῖος. Αὐτῷ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἔδωκεν ὁ Ζακχαῖος, οὐ τοῖς πτωχοῖς. Ἀλλ' ἄκουε, ὅτι Ὁ ἐλεῶν πτωχὸν, δανείζει Θεῷ. Πτωχοῖς διδοὺς, Χριστῷ δέδωκας. Οὐκ οἶδας, ὅτι τὰ δοθέντα εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἀναλαμβάνει; οὐκ οἶδας, πῶς φοβερόν σοι κριτήριον ἐνέγραψε λέγων· Ὅταν ἔλθῃ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐν τῇ παλιγγενεσίᾳ, στήσει τὰ μὲν πρόβατα ἐκ δεξιῶν, τὰ δὲ ἐρίφια ἐξ εὐωνύμων· καὶ ἐρεῖ τοῖς ἐκ δεξιῶν, ∆εῦτε, οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ Πατρός μου, κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν, ὅτι ἐπείνασα, καὶ ἐδώκατέ μοι φαγεῖν; εʹ. Βλέπε, πῶς ὁ διὰ τῶν πτωχῶν δανειζόμενος, ὁμολογεῖ τὸ χρέος. Ἐδίψησα, καὶ ἐποτίσατέ με· γυμνὸς ἤμην, καὶ περιεβάλετέ με. Οὐκοῦν τῷ μὲν φαινομένῳ σχήματι γυμνὸν ἐνδύεις, τῇ δὲ ἀληθείᾳ Χριστὸν περιβάλλεις. Ἔνδυσον Χριστὸν, ἵνα ἐνδύσῃ σε ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως· σκέπασον αὐτὸν, ἵνα σκεπάσῃ σε ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς· ἄκουε τοῦ ∆αυῒδ λέγοντος· Ἐσκέπασέ με ἐν ἀποκρύφῳ τῆς σκηνῆς αὐτοῦ. Χρεία σκέπης· καταλαμβάνει τὸ πῦρ ἐκεῖνο τὸ φοβερὸν, ἡ γέεννα ἡ ἀπαραίτητος· καὶ ἐὰν μὴ ἡ Χριστοῦ χεὶρ σκεπάσῃ, τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἀλλότριον γνωρίσει. Οἶδεν ἐπιλαβέσθαι ἀλλοτρίων, οἶδε τιμᾷν ἁγίους, αἰδεῖται τὴν εὐσέβειαν, ἐπιλαμβάνεται τῆς ἀσεβείας.
The Books of Life and Judgment§7
7the Christ's judgment seat
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matt 19:28). Books will be opened. Books, in which the worthless things are written, in which the good things are written, in which each person's life is recorded.
And it is called a book, not because it is skin before God and letters; but because, since the book of memory is an instrument for you, it records the memory of God just as in a book; for God has no need of a book; for to God, memory is the book. Not that we, humans, reading prophets, apostles, and Gospels, carry the memory in our heart without a book, yet the God of the book is in need; the source of memory has no need of a book. There the virtuous works are written, there the worthless things are written.
Do not fear the proverb; even if your evil works are recorded, they can be erased through good works; just as if someone's name is written through piety, but he denies it by his ways, the proverb does not make the writing stay; for it is erased. So that you may learn that the one written through piety and cast out through negligence is erased, David says concerning the Jews who were once written and later erased: 'Let them be blotted out from the book of the living, and let them not be written with the righteous' (Ps 69:6). Just as the unfaithful are blotted out, so the faithful are written. Listen to Paul saying: 'Greet the brothers whom we love, and Clement and the other fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life' (Phil 4:3).
Let us fear that book; fear, lest your sins be recorded; understand how you prepare yourself for judgment, if the memoranda against you are opened before a ruler, accusing you of injustice, charging you with madness; understand how much fear, how much trembling, how the limbs shake, how everything within seethes, of a man judging. If there is such fear from a man judging, who will be able to endure that fear, by which the Master of all is about to judge the inhabited world? We say these things, not that we may frighten, but that we may bring to sobriety. Let money not be preferred over Christ; let injustice and greed not be preferred over God. Have you heard of the things previously mentioned, that prosperity lasts only until the grave? These things were given to us yesterday.
Greek · §7
Ἐκεῖ οὐ πλοῦτος, οὐ χρήματα πείθει, οὐκ ἐξουσία, οὐ δυναστεία· πάντα ἐξ ἰσοτιμίας παρίσταται τῷ βήματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Κἂν γὰρ αἱ διαφοραὶ ὦσι περὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν ∆εσπότην ὁμότιμα πάντα, κἂν πολλὴν ἔχῃ τὴν διαφοράν. Ἀγγέλου καὶ ἀνθρώπου πόση διαφορά; Πολλὴ, καὶ οὐχ ἡ τυχοῦσα. Ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης καὶ ἀστέρων πόση διαφορά; Ἀλλ' εἰς τὸν νόμον τῆς προσκυνήσεως ὁμοῦ καλεῖται. Πόση διαφορὰ βοτάνης καὶ ἀγγέλων καὶ ζώων; Τὰ μὲν ἀθάνατα, τὰ δὲ θνητά· ἀλλ' ἕκαστον ἐν τῷ ζυγῷ τῆς δουλείας ἐπιγινώσκει τὴν δεσποτείαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ∆αυῒδ τὰ διῃρημένα τῇ τάξει συνάπτει τῇ συμφωνίᾳ, λέγων, Αἰνεῖτε τὸν Κύριον ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν, αἰνεῖτε αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις, αἰνεῖτε αὐτὸν, πάντες ἄγγελοι αὐτοῦ, πᾶσαι αἱ δυνάμεις αὐτοῦ, ἥλιος καὶ σελήνη. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὑποβέβηκε τῇ τάξει, ἀλλ' ἥνωται τῇ δουλείᾳ· καὶ ὥσπερ, ἀδελφοὶ, τὰ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἀξιώματα διῄρηται μὲν πρὸς ἑαυτὰ, ἥνωται δὲ πρὸς τὸν ζυγὸν τῆς δουλείας (πάντες γὰρ ὑποκύπτουσι τῷ Βασιλεῖ, πάντες τρέμουσι τὴν ἐξουσίαν· καὶ ἡ μὲν διαφορὰ περὶ τὰ ἀξιώματα, ἡ δὲ συμφωνία παρὰ τοῖς δούλοις)· οὕτω κἀκεῖ πάντες οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἴσοι, μόνοι δὲ ἄνισοι οἱ ὑπερέχοντες, οἱ τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ διαλάμποντες. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καλῶς ἔλεγεν ὁ ∆ανιὴλ, Ἐθεώρουν ἐν ὁράματι τῆς νυκτὸς, καὶ ἰδοὺ ὡς Παλαιὸς ἡμερῶν ἐκαθέζετο. Ἐνταῦθα πρόσεχε ἀκριβῶς, παρακαλῶ, πῶς τὸν κριτὴν τῆς ἀληθείας ἱστορεῖ ὡς ἐν εἰκόνι σωματικῇ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ἀσώματός ἐστι τὴν φύσιν, ὡς ἐν εἰκόνι τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς διαγράφει τὰ νοητά. Φησὶ γοῦν, Ὡς Παλαιὸς ἡμερῶν, οὐ χρόνῳ πεπαλαιωμένος, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἀρχαιότητι τετιμημένος· Ἡ στολὴ αὐτοῦ ὡς χιὼν λευκὴ, ἡ θρὶξ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ ἔριον καθαρόν· ὁ θρόνος αὐτοῦ φλὸξ πυρὸς, οἱ τροχοὶ αὐτοῦ πῦρ φλέγον. Ποταμὸς πυρὸς ἑλκόμενος ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ· χίλιαι χιλιάδες παρειστήκεισαν αὐτῷ, καὶ μύριαι μυριάδες λειτουργοῦσιν αὐτῷ. Ὢ φοβεροῦ κριτηρίου! ὢ μνήμης ἱκανῆς φοβῆσαι τοὺς ἀγνώμονας! Εἰ ἀκουόμενα οὕτω φοβερὰ, θεωρούμενα πόσῳ φοβερώτερα; Καὶ ἐθεώρουν ἐν ὁράματι τῆς νυκτὸς, καὶ ἰδοὺ βίβλοι ἀνεῴχθησαν, καὶ θρόνοι ἐτέθησαν. Θρόνοι, τίνων; Ἦ δῆλον ὅτι τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων, πρὸς οὓς ἔλεγεν ὁ Σωτήρ· Ὅταν ἔλθῃ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐν τῇ δόξῃ αὐτοῦ, καθίσεσθε καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐπὶ δώδεκα θρόνους, κρίνοντες τὰς δώδεκα φυλὰς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. Βίβλοι ἠνεῴχθησαν. Βί59.607 βλοι, αἷς ἐγγέγραπται τὰ φαῦλα, αἷς ἐγγέγραπται τὰ ἀγαθὰ, ἐν αἷς ἀναγέγραπται ὁ ἑκάστου βίος. Βιβλίον δὲ καλεῖ, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ δέρμα ἐστὶ παρὰ Θεῷ καὶ γράμματα· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ παρὰ σοὶ τὸ βιβλίον μνήμης ἐστὶν ὄργανον, τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ μνήμην ἱστορεῖ ὡς ἐν βιβλίῳ· βιβλίου γὰρ Θεὸς οὐ χρῄζει· βίβλος γὰρ Θεῷ ἡ μνήμη. Οὐκ, ἐπειδὴ ἡμεῖς οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἀναγινώσκοντες προφήτας, ἀποστόλους, Εὐαγγέλια, ἐν καρδίᾳ οὐ περιφέρομεν τὴν μνήμην ἄνευ βιβλίου, ὁ Θεὸς βιβλίου δεῖται· βιβλίου οὐ δεῖται ἡ πηγὴ τῆς μνήμης. Ἐκεῖ γράφεται τὰ ἐνάρετα ἔργα, ἐκεῖ γράφεται τὰ φαῦλα. Μὴ φοβηθῇς τὸ πρόκριμα· κἂν καταγραφῇ σου τὰ ἔργα τὰ πονηρὰ, δύναται ἐξαλειφθῆναι διὰ τῶν ἔργων τῶν ἀγαθῶν· ὥσπερ πάλιν ἐὰν γραφῇ τινος τὸ ὄνομα δι' εὐσέβειαν, ἀρνήσηται δὲ τοῖς τρόποις, πρόκριμα οὐ ποιεῖ τὸ γραφῆναι· ἀπαλείφεται γάρ. Ἵνα δὲ μάθῃς, ὅτι ἀπαλείφεται ὁ δι' εὐσέβειαν γραφεὶς, καὶ διὰ ῥᾳθυμίαν ἐκβληθεὶς, λέγει ∆αυῒδ περὶ Ἰουδαίων τῶν ποτε γραφέντων, καὶ ὕστερον ἐξαλειφθέντων· Ἐξαλειφθήτωσαν ἐκ βίβλου ζώντων, καὶ μετὰ δικαίων μὴ γραφήτωσαν. Ὥσπερ ἐξαλείφονται οἱ ἄπιστοι, οὕτω γράφονται οἱ πιστοί. Ἄκουε Παύλου λέγοντος· Ἀσπάζεσθε τοὺς ἠγαπημένους ἡμῖν ἀδελφοὺς, καὶ τὸν σύζυγον Μετὰ Κλήμεντος καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν συνεργῶν, ὧν τὰ ὀνόματα ἐν βίβλῳ ζωῆς. Φοβηθῶμεν τὴν βίβλον ἐκείνην· φοβήθητι, μὴ καταγραφῇ σου τὰ ἁμαρτήματα· ἐννόει, πῶς διατίθεσαι ἐπὶ κριτοῦ, ἐὰν ἀνεῳχθῇ κατὰ σοῦ τὰ ὑπομνήματα ἐπὶ ἄρχοντος, ἐλέγχοντά σου τὴν ἀδικίαν, στηλιτεύοντά σου τὴν μανίαν· ἐννόησον, ὅσος φόβος, ὅσος τρόμος, πῶς κλονεῖται τὰ μέλη, πῶς ἀναβράσσεται πάντα τὰ ἐντὸς, ἀνθρώπου δικάζοντος. Εἰ δὲ ἀνθρώπου δικάζοντος τοσοῦτος φόβος, τίς δυνήσεται τὸν φόβον ἐκεῖνον ἱστορῆσαι, καθ' ὃν μέλλει κρίνειν τὴν οἰκουμένην ὁ πάντων ∆εσπότης; Ταῦτα λέγομεν, οὐχ ἵνα φοβήσωμεν, ἀλλ' ἵνα σωφρονίσωμεν. Μὴ προτιμάσθω τοῦ Χριστοῦ χρήματα· μὴ προτιμάσθω τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀδικία καὶ πλεονεξία. Ἤκουσας τῶν προειρημένων, ὅτι μέχρι τοῦ τάφου ἡ εὐπραγία; Ταῦτα ἡμῖν χθὲς
The Judgment and the Heavenly Assembly§8
8He was training himself. What are you waiting for, that the tomb becomes the end of your life? Wait for the tomb to become the end of your life, so that through the present one you may be transformed into the coming one; love works of righteousness; it is a tomb in which we are being dissolved, a tomb in which the earthly vessel is being made to vanish.
Let us flee the coming judgment, brothers, I beg you. These things must be said by those suffering, and must be heard by those suffering; let us take up a longing for righteousness. See how the prophet cries out: 'Woe is me toward the day of the Lord, for the day of the Lord is near' (Zephaniah 1:15). If a prophet trembles remembering the day, shall we, who are responsible for myriads of sins, remember without fear?
Let us dissemble the judge through repentance, let us blot out our sins, let us fear that terrible voice saying, 'Whosoever denies me before men (not denying by word, but denying by ways/manner, denies), I will deny him' (Matthew 10:33), I too will deny him before my Father. Whosoever should confess me, I too will confess him before my Father. If the words being examined are fearsome, are the things being seen not rather more fearsome?
Consider, brother, the judge of the inhabited world sitting, angels standing by him, archangels guarding, the Cherubim glorifying, the super-cosmic powers, the super-celestial armies, and in all these, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, evangelists, martyrs, and the kings in the world, rulers, judges, the powerful, the rich, the poor, the commoners, the wise, all these standing before the tribunal, and speaking the judge before so many heavenly and earthly witnesses, and denying the others before the Father: 'For I will deny him,' he says, 'him who denies me, before my Father.'
Consider him saying: 'Father, this one has exhausted my faith, this one has persecuted my own, this one has insulted my Church, this one has pillaged my own, this one has twisted the Word, this one has trampled the proclamation.' He says these things, not teaching those who do not know the Father, but accusing the enemy through indictment. Consider the judge saying, when he calls those of the earth who are bound in fetters (For to bind, he says, the rulers...
(those in the fields, and the glorious ones in iron shackles), the judged ones standing with fear, the powerful ones, and the Savior saying: 'These perverted my word of truth, these wrote against my law, these invalidated my dogma, these killed my apostles, these tortured my martyrs.'
Consider, while the King speaks, how the standing angels cry out terribly, threaten frighteningly, already consuming the sinner with their gaze; consider the angels indignant, the archangels moved, the powers shaken, the Father indignant, the Holy Spirit being angry, Him being cast out with great shame, being cast out not only from salvation but also being exiled to condemnation. For it is not only fearful not to be saved, nor to reign, but also to be handed over to the fire (Matt 25:41). He who confesses in me, I will confess in him (Luke 18:14).
Consider how much glory, how much boasting, how much a crown, when the judge says: 'This one kept my word, this one proclaimed my faith, this one confirmed my word, this one did not overlook the poor, this one trampled greed and prized righteousness, this one laughed at the world as if it did not exist and loved the coming world, this one pursued my kingdom (Matt 6:33); this one honored my word'; honor him, Father. When we say these things in a figurative way, we do not divide the value, nor do we dissolve the authority, but the indignation of the Judge is shown by the form of the category; and all these things happen for the salvation of those confessing and for the condemnation of those being unfaithful.
And what is more fearful of all is when you consider Michael and Gabriel standing, and all the angelic hosts sitting, the sons of Zebedee sitting, Paul and Peter sitting, those from among men, while angels stand with fear, and men sit with boldness. Consider the standing angels and the fishermen and the tax collectors sitting, and let us say also with them: 'How great is the multitude of your kindness, Lord!' Zacchaeus sits (Luke 19:1-10), Paul and Peter sit, and Michael stands. We are not saying foreign names,
Greek · §8
ἐγυμνάζετο. Τί ἀναμένεις τὸν τάφον τέλος γενέσθαι σοι τοῦ βίου; Ἀνάμεινον τὸν τάφον τέλος γενέσθαι σοι τῆς ζωῆς, ἵνα διὰ τῆς παρούσης εἰς τὴν μέλλουσαν διαπορθμευθῇς· ἀγάπησον ἔργα δικαιοσύνης· τάφος ἐστὶν, ἐν ᾧ διαλυόμεθα, τάφος ἐν ᾧ ἀφανίζεται τὸ γήϊνον σκεῦος. Φύγωμεν τὴν μέλλουσαν κρίσιν, ἀδελφοὶ, δέομαι. Ταῦτα πάσχοντας δεῖ λέγειν, καὶ πάσχοντας ἀκούειν· ἀναλάβωμεν πόθον δικαιοσύνης. Βλέπε, πῶς βοᾷ ὁ προφήτης· Οἴμοι ἐγὼ εἰς τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ Κυρίου, ὅτι ἐγγὺς ἡ ἡμέρα Κυρίου. Εἰ προφήτης μεμνημένος τῆς ἡμέρας τρέμει, ἡμεῖς οἱ ὑπεύθυνοι μυρίοις ἁμαρτήμασιν, ἄνευ φόβου μνημονεύσομεν; ∆υσωπήσωμεν τὸν κριτὴν διὰ μετανοίας, ἐξαλείψωμεν ἡμῶν τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, φοβηθῶμεν ἐκείνην τὴν φοβερὰν φωνὴν τὴν λέγουσαν, Ὃς ἂν ἀρνήσηταί με ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων (οὐχ ὁ λόγῳ δὲ ἀρνούμενος, ἀλλ' ὁ τοῖς τρόποις ἀρνούμενος, ἀρνεῖται), ἀρνήσομαι αὐτὸν κἀγὼ ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Πατρός μου. Ὃς ἂν ἐξομολογήσειεν ἐμὲ, ὁμολογήσω κἀγὼ αὐτὸν ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Πατρός μου. Εἰ τὰ ῥήματα ἐξεταζόμενα, φοβερὰ, τὰ πράγματα ὁρώμενα, οὐ μᾶλλον φοβερώτερα; Ἐννόησον, ἀδελφὲ, τὸν κριτὴν τῆς οἰκουμένης καθήμενον, ἀγγέλους παρεστῶτας, ἀρχαγγέλους δορυφοροῦντας, τὰ Χερουβὶμ δοξάζοντα, τὰς ὑπερκοσμίους δυνάμεις, τὰς ὑπερουρανίους στρατιὰς, καὶ ἐν τούτοις πᾶσι πατριάρχας, προφήτας, ἀποστόλους, εὐαγγελιστὰς, μάρτυρας, καὶ τοὺς ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ βασιλεῖς, ἄρχοντας, κριτὰς, δυνάστας, πλουσίους, πένητας, ἰδιώτας, σοφοὺς, πάντας τούτους πρὸ τοῦ βήματος ἑστῶτας, καὶ ἐπὶ τοσούτων μαρτύρων οὐρανίων καὶ ἐπιγείων λέγοντα 59.608 τὸν κριτὴν, καὶ ἀρνούμενον τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους ἐπὶ τοῦ Πατρός· Ἀρνήσομαι γὰρ αὐτὸν, φησὶ, τὸν ἀρνούμενόν με, ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ Πατρός μου. ϛʹ. Ἐννόησον αὐτὸν λέγοντα· Πάτερ, οὗτός μου τὴν πίστιν ἐξουθένησεν, οὗτός μου τοὺς ἰδίους ἐδίωξεν, οὗτός μου τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ὕβρισεν, οὗτός μου τοὺς ἰδίους ἐστηλίτευσεν, οὗτός μου τὸν λόγον διέπτυσεν, οὗτός μου τὸ κήρυγμα κατεπάτησε. Λέγει δὲ ταῦτα, οὐκ ἀγνοοῦντα τὸν Πατέρα διδάσκων, ἀλλὰ τῇ κατηγορίᾳ τὸν ἐχθρὸν στηλιτεύων. Ἐννόησον λέγοντα τὸν κριτὴν, ὅταν καλέσῃ τοὺς ἐνδόξους τῆς γῆς δεδεμένους χειροπέδαις (Τοῦ δῆσαι γὰρ, φησὶ, τοὺς ἄρχοντας αὐτῶν ἐν πέδαις, καὶ τοὺς ἐνδόξους αὐτῶν ἐν χειροπέδαις σιδηραῖς), παρεστῶτας μετὰ φόβου τοὺς κρινομένους, τοὺς δυνάστας, καὶ τὸν Σωτῆρα λέγοντα· Οὗτοί μου τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας διέπτυσαν, οὗτοί μου τὸν νόμον παρεγράψαντο, οὗτοί μου τὸ δόγμα ἠκύρωσαν, οὗτοι τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐκόλασαν, οὗτοι τοὺς μάρτυρας ἐβασάνισαν. Ταῦτα λέγει καὶ ἐννόησον, Βασιλέως φθεγγομένου, πῶς οἱ παρεστῶτες ἄγγελοι νεύουσι φοβερὸν, ἀπειλοῦσι φρικτὸν, τῷ βλέμματι ἤδη τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν ἀναλίσκοντες· ἐννόησον τοὺς ἀγγέλους ἀγανακτοῦντας, ἀρχαγγέλους κινουμένους, τὰς δυνάμεις σαλευομένας, τὸν Πατέρα ἀγανακτοῦντα, τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ὀργιζόμενον, ἐκεῖνον μετὰ μεγάλης αἰσχύνης ἐκβαλλόμενον, ἐκβαλλόμενον δὲ οὐ τῆς σωτηρίας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς κατάκρισιν ἐξοριζόμενον. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐ φοβερὸν τὸ μὴ σωθῆναι μόνον, μηδὲ βασιλεῦσαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ πυρὶ παραδοθῆναι. Ὃς δ' ἂν ἐξομολογήσῃ ἐν ἐμοὶ, ὁμολογήσω ἐν αὐτῷ. Ἐννόησον, πόση δόξα, πόσον καύχημα, πόσος στέφανος, ὅταν εἴπῃ ὁ κριτής· Οὗτός μου τὸν λόγον ἐτήρησεν, οὗτός μου τὴν πίστιν ἐκήρυξεν, οὗτός μου τὸν λόγον ἐβεβαίωσεν, οὗτός μου τὸν πτωχὸν οὐ παρεῖδεν, οὗτος τὴν πλεονεξίαν ἐπάτησε, καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην προετίμησεν, οὗτος κατεγέλασε τοῦ κόσμου ὡς μὴ ὄντος, καὶ ἠγάπησε τὸν μέλλοντα κόσμον, οὗτός μου τὴν βασιλείαν διεπόρθμευσεν· οὗτός μου τὸν λόγον ἐτίμησε· τίμησον αὐτὸν, Πάτερ. Ὅταν δὲ ταῦτα λέγωμεν ἠθοποιοῦντες, οὐ μερίζομεν τὴν ἀξίαν, οὔτε λύομεν τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ἀλλὰ τῷ σχήματι τῆς κατηγορίας δείκνυται ἡ ἀγανάκτησις τοῦ Κριτοῦ· καὶ γίνεται ταῦτα πάντα εἰς σωτηρίαν μὲν τῶν ὁμολογούντων, εἰς κατάκρισιν δὲ τῶν ἀπιστούντων. Τὸ δὲ πάντων φοβερώτερον, ὅταν ἐννοήσῃς ἑστῶτα μὲν τὸν Μιχαὴλ καὶ Γαβριὴλ, καὶ πάσας τὰς ἀγγελικὰς στρατιὰς, καθεζομένους δὲ τοὺς υἱοὺς Ζεβεδαίου, καθεζόμενον Παῦλον καὶ Πέτρον, τοὺς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων, ἀγγέλους δὲ φόβῳ παρεστῶτας, καὶ ἀνθρώπους παῤῥησίᾳ καθεζομένους. Ἐννόησον παρεστῶτας ἀγγέλους καὶ τοὺς ἁλιεῖς καὶ τοὺς τελώνας καθεζομένους, καὶ εἴπωμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς μετ' αὐτῶν. Ὡς πολὺ τὸ πλῆθος τῆς χρηστότητός σου, Κύριε! Κάθηται Ζακχαῖος, κάθηται Παῦλος καὶ Πέτρος, καὶ παρέστηκεν ὁ Μιχαήλ. Οὐκ ὀνόματα ξένα λέγομεν,
Following the Scriptures over Angels§9
9But we align ourselves with what is written; for we have not learned the names of angels, but we follow what is written. There is no envy, no jealousy; for these are not earthly matters. Angels are not saddened because they stand while men sit; for they are partakers of the glory of the saints. Hear the Lord saying: Amen I say to you, that it is joy before all the angels over one sinner repenting (Luke 15:10). Let us therefore love the glory of Christ, but let us spread out the passing glory like a dream. For it was also said to you yesterday, how the prophet called the glory of the world a dream (James 4:4). For the wealth of the ungodly will be...
Greek · §9
ἀλλὰ τοῖς γεγραμμένοις στοιχοῦμεν· οὐ γὰρ ἀγγέλων ὀνόματα μεμαθήκαμεν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ἀκολουθοῦμεν. Οὐδεὶς φθόνος, οὐδεὶς ζῆλος· οὐ γάρ ἐστι γήϊνα πράγματα· οὐ λυποῦνται ἄγγελοι διότι μὲν αὐτοὶ ἑστήκασιν, ἄνθρωποι δὲ καθέζονται· κοινωνοὶ γάρ εἰσι τῆς δόξης τῶν ἁγίων. Ἄκουε τοῦ Κυρίου λέγοντος· Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅτι χαρά ἐστιν ἐνώπιον πάντων τῶν ἀγγέλων ἐφ' ἑνὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ μετανοοῦντι. Ἀγαπήσωμεν οὖν τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τὴν δὲ δόξαν τὴν παρερχομένην ὡς ὄναρ διαπτύσωμεν. Εἴρηται γὰρ καὶ χθὲς ὑμῖν, πῶς ὁ προφήτης τὴν δόξαν τοῦ κόσμου ἐνύπνιον ἐκάλεσεν. Ἔσται γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ πλοῦτος τῶν ἀσεβῶν
The Instability of Circumstances§10
10It is like a dream. For the present state does not differ from phantasms. He who was yesterday in health is today in sickness; he who was yesterday in power is today in humiliation; he who was yesterday in wealth is today in poverty; he who was yesterday in pride is today in contempt. Everything is shaken, everything is changed; and I do not say human things only, but also the heavens, he says, and the earth shall pass away (Matt 24:35), but my words shall not pass away (Matt 24:35). For this reason blessed are the Christians, those who also in their condition are humble-minded. Did you humble yourself in your condition? Humility does not wrong you; for such a thing...
Greek · §10
ὡς ἐνύπνιον. Οὐδὲν γὰρ διαφέρει φαντασμάτων ἡ παροῦσα κατάστασις. Ὁ χθὲς ἐν ὑγείᾳ, σήμερον ἐν νόσῳ· ὁ χθὲς ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ, σήμερον ἐν ταπεινώσει· ὁ χθὲς ἐν πλούτῳ, σήμερον ἐν πενίᾳ· ὁ χθὲς ἐν ὑπερηφανίᾳ, σήμερον ἐν ἐξουθενώσει. Πάντα σαλεύεται, πάντα μεταβάλλεται· καὶ οὐ λέγω τὰ ἀνθρώπινα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ὁ οὐρανὸς, φησὶ, καὶ ἡ γῆ παρελεύ59.609 σονται, οἱ δὲ λόγοι μου οὐ μὴ παρέλθωσι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο μακάριοι οἱ Χριστιανοὶ, οἱ καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀξίᾳ ταπεινοφρονοῦντες. Ἐταπεινοφρόνησας ἐν τῇ ἀξίᾳ; Ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη οὐδέν σε ἀδικεῖ· τοιοῦτον γὰρ
Preparation through Humility§11
11He finds you as you ought to become. If, having anticipated, you humble yourself before the humbling, the humbling will not innovate anything strange against you, but having been prepared, you prepare the mind for the battle.
Well therefore David was saying, 'I was prepared, and I was not troubled' (Ps 119:98). Let us flee therefore from arrogance, let us flee from vainglory, let us love Christ, and through Christ the poor, so that he who enriches all, he who shows mercy to all, may grant abundance to the Church, so that they may partake in piety, so that they may have.
Greek · §11
εὑρίσκει, οἷος ὀφείλεις γενέσθαι. Ἐὰν προλαβὼν ταπεινώσῃς σεαυτὸν πρὸ τῆς ταπεινώσεως, οὐδὲν ξένον καινοτομήσει κατὰ σοῦ ἡ ταπείνωσις, ἀλλ' ἑτοιμασθεὶς τὴν διάνοιαν παρασκευάζῃ πρὸς τὴν μάχην. Καλῶς οὖν ἔλεγεν ὁ ∆αυΐδ, Ἡτοιμάσθην, καὶ οὐκ ἐταράχθην. Φύγωμεν οὖν ἀλαζονείαν, φύγωμεν κενοδοξίαν, ἀγαπήσωμεν Χριστὸν, καὶ διὰ Χριστὸν πένητας, ἵνα ὁ πάντας πλουτίζων, ὁ πάντας 59.610 ἐλεῶν, χαρίζηται πλῆθος τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ, ὥστε κομᾷν ἐν εὐσεβείᾳ, ὥστε ἔχειν
The Spiritual Oversight of the Farmer§12
12The farmer of righteousness, who was left behind yesterday through another administration, but is with us through the spiritual oversight. For the people were not Jewish, so that I might say they were a people like sheep without a shepherd; rather, it was an apostolic people, having an evangelical shepherd saying, 'Even if I am absent in body, yet in spirit I am with you,' (1 Cor 4:29) rejoicing and seeing the steadfastness of the faith toward Christ (1 Thess 3:10); to whom belongs the glory and the power, now and always, and unto the ages of ages (Rom 16:27). Amen.
Greek · §12
τὸν γεωργὸν τῆς δικαιοσύνης, τὸν χθὲς ἀπολειφθέντα δι' ἑτέραν οἰκονομίαν, μεθ' ἡμῶν δὲ ὄντα διὰ τὴν πνευματικὴν ἐπιστασίαν. Οὐ γὰρ ἦν ὁ λαὸς Ἰουδαῖος, ἵνα εἴπω, ὅτι ἦν ὁ λαὸς ὡς πρόβατα μὴ ἔχοντα ποιμένα· ἀλλ' ἀποστολικὸς ἦν, ἔχων εὐαγγελικὸν ποιμένα λέγοντα, Εἰ καὶ τῷ σώματι ἄπειμι, ἀλλὰ τῷ πνεύματι σὺν ὑμῖν εἰμι, χαίρων καὶ βλέπων τὸ στερέωμα τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως· ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.