Chapter 1

Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on the Gospel of Mark

1 Theophylact, Archbishop of Bulgaria, Commentary on the Gospel according to Mark

¹ The Life of Mark, according to Sophronius. Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, according as he had heard Peter expounding, being requested at Rome by the brethren, composed a brief Gospel; which, when Peter had read it, he approved, and with his own authority published it to be read in the Church, as Clement writes in the sixth book of the Hypotyposes, and Papias bishop of Hierapolis makes mention of this Mark. And Peter, in his first Epistle, signifying Rome figuratively under the name of Babylon, says: She that is in Babylon, elect together with you, salutes you, and so does Mark my son. Taking, then, the Gospel which he himself had composed, he came to Egypt, and being the first to preach Jesus Christ in Alexandria, established a Church. With such instruction and austerity of life did he distinguish himself that he made all who followed Christ emulate his manner of conduct; whence also Philo, the most learned of the Jews, finding at Alexandria the first Church still Judaizing, as if in praise of his own nation, composed a book concerning their manner of life. And just as Luke relates that those who believed in Jerusalem had all things in common, so he too committed to memory what he saw being done at Alexandria under Mark the teacher. And having died in the eighth year of Nero, he was laid to rest in Alexandria, Ananias succeeding him.

² The Life of Mark, from the Synopsis of Dorotheus, martyr and bishop of Tyre. Mark the evangelist, and first bishop of Alexandria, preached the Gospel of the Lord to the Alexandrians and to all the surrounding country, and as far as Pentapolis, in the second year of the reign of Trajan; at Alexandria a rope was put about his neck, and he was dragged from the places called those of Boucolou as far as the places called those of the Angels, and there he was burned with fire by the idol-mad, on the twenty-fifth of the month Pharmuthi; and there he was buried, in the [places] of Boucolou.

³ The Chapters of the Gospel according to Mark. 1. On John, who baptized the Lord in the Jordan. On the calling of Peter and Andrew, and of the sons of Zebedee. On the demoniac. On the mother-in-law of Peter. On those healed of divers diseases. On the leper. 2. On the paralytic. On Jesus eating together with the publicans. On the disciples plucking the ears of grain on the Sabbath. 3. On him who had the withered hand. On the choosing of the apostles. On [his] mother and brethren. 4. The parable concerning the sower. On the rebuking of the waters. 5. On the legion. On the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue. On the woman with an issue of blood. 6. On the commissioning of the apostles. On John and Herod. On the five loaves and the two fishes. On the walking upon the sea. 7. On the disciples eating with unwashed hands. On the transgression of the commandment of God. On the Syrophoenician woman. On the deaf-mute. 8. On the seven loaves. On those seeking a sign. On the leaven of the Pharisees. On the blind man. On the questioning at Caesarea. On the rebuking of Peter. 9. On the Transfiguration of Jesus. On the lunatic. On those disputing who is greater. On the removing of the cause of stumbling. 10. On those who asked whether it is lawful to put away one’s wife. On the rich man who questioned Jesus. On the sons of Zebedee. On Bartimaeus. 11. On the colt. On the withered fig tree. On the money-changers driven out of the temple. On boldness toward God. On the not bearing of malice. On the chief priests and elders who questioned the Lord. 12. On the vineyard. On those who questioned the Lord concerning the tribute. On the Sadducees. On the scribe. On the Lord’s question. On being wary of the hypocrites. On the widow who cast in the two mites. 13. On the consummation. On the day and the hour. 14. On the woman who anointed the Lord with ointment. On the Passover. On the betrayal of Christ. On the denial of Peter. On the accusations laid against the Lord before the high priest. 15. On those things which he suffered before Pilate. On the custom. On the asking for the body of the Lord. On the burial. 16. On the Resurrection of Christ. To whom the Lord appeared after the rising. How he charged the apostles with the preaching of the Gospel.

⁴ Prologue. The Gospel according to Mark was written at Rome after the Ascension of Christ. For this Mark was a disciple of Peter, whom Peter names his spiritual son. And he was also called John; he was a cousin of Barnabas, but also a fellow-traveler of Paul; for the most part, however, he was together with Peter, and at Rome. The faithful at Rome, then, asked him not only to preach unwritten, but also to set forth for them in writing the polity according to Christ. Hardly, then, being persuaded, he composed it; and to Peter it was revealed by God that Mark had written a Gospel. Seeing it, then, and confirming it as true, he afterward sent him forth as bishop into Egypt; where indeed, having preached, and having established a Church at Alexandria, he enlightened all those toward the southern region. The character of the Gospel, then, is clear, and has nothing over-subtle; and the present evangelist runs together with Matthew in nearly all things, except that the one makes mention at the beginning of the Lord’s generation according to the flesh, while this one began from the prophet John. Whence some (even if it seem over-curious) have spoken of a deeper meaning concerning the evangelists: that God, who sits upon the Cherubim—which Scripture says are four-faced—has delivered to us the Gospel also four-formed, held together by one Spirit. For as each of the living creatures had one face of a man, another of a lion, another of a calf, and another of an eagle,[1] so he began from the kingly and lordly [aspect] of the Word, saying, The Word was God. But the [Gospel] according to Matthew is man-formed; for it began from the generation of the Word according to the flesh. And the [Gospel] according to Mark began from the prophet; the grace, set toward the winged symbol of the other living creatures, toward the being able to soar above the water. And like to a calf is the [Gospel] according to Luke, beginning from the priesthood, at the priesthood of Zacharias in the temple; of the one crying, and so forth. It is the word of the Lord; of the one crying, and so forth; this shall be your way. Hear, then, what he says.

⁵ Chapter 1. — On John, who baptized the Lord in the Jordan. On the calling of Peter and Andrew, and of the sons of Zebedee. On the demoniac. On the mother-in-law of Peter. On those healed of divers diseases. On the leper.

⁶ The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophets: Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who shall prepare your way before you. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Behold, I send my messenger, who shall prepare your way. The saying of Isaiah, namely, The voice of one crying, is uttered from the person of God and the Father; of one crying, and so forth, which is the word of God: your way shall be made [ready]. Whence is shown the kinship of the Forerunner to Christ; for indeed of kings also the closest kinsmen go before them. And the voice of one crying in the wilderness [signifies] perhaps both the wilderness of the Jordan, and perhaps the synagogue of the Jews, which was a wilderness of all good. And the way is the New Covenant; and the paths are the Old, as being worn out; toward the way, then, they ought to have made ready, and to have made the paths straight, having of old received [the law] as their own track.

⁷ John came baptizing in the wilderness, and preaching a baptism of repentance unto remission of sins; and there went out to him all the country of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized in the Jordan, confessing their sins. The baptism of John had not remission of sins, but only brought in repentance to those baptized. How then does Mark here say that it was a baptism of repentance unto remission? We say, then, that he preached a baptism of repentance; and this preaching of repentance prepared those about to believe in Christ, so that, coming to him, they might receive remission—that is, remission was about to be granted to those who through repentance had been made ready; for they were regenerated. Inasmuch as the Forerunner preached a baptism of repentance, those who repented, receiving Christ, received remission.

⁸ And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins, and ate locusts and wild honey. We spoke concerning these things in [the commentary] on Matthew, and now too we will say as much as was there left out: that the garment was a symbol of mourning, the prophet showing that he who repents must mourn. For sackcloth is [a token] of mourning; and the leathern girdle signifies the deadness of the Jewish people; and this mourning the robe declared, as the Lord also says, We have mourned unto you, and you did not lament, those who followed the conduct of the Forerunner furnishing the lamentation. For he says that John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said that he has a demon; but also the food of John is interpreted, and of itself declares his self-control. And the locust is a symbol of the people’s rational food, a symbol of the word of heaven, lofty, yet a word nourished, seeming to be borne aloft and again leaping up; for such is the locust, leaping as it were toward the height, then again falling down. As, then, the people also ate honey, that produced by the bees—[namely] the prophets—but not cultivated and tamed through being rightly understood and sought out and apprehended; for the Hebrews had the Scriptures as a kind of honey, but did not cultivate them, nor search them out.

⁹ And he preached, saying: There comes one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water, but he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit. I am not worthy, he says, to be even his lowest servant, so as to loose the latchet—that is, the bond made from the leather of the sandals. And it is understood thus also: All who came and were baptized by John were loosed, through repentance, from the bond of their sins, in believing in Christ. Of all the others, then, John loosed the latchets and the bonds of their sins. But the latchet of Jesus he was not able to loose, because neither did he find a latchet—that is, a sin—in him, nor the latchet of his sandals.

¹⁰ And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan; and immediately, coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens being rent, and the Spirit as a dove descending upon him; and there came a voice from the heavens: You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Neither for the remission of sins does Jesus come to the baptism, for he did no sin; nor to partake of the Spirit—for the baptism of John, as I said, not cleansing sins, how could it have given the Spirit? But neither does he come to be baptized in order to repent; for he was far better even than the Baptist. Why, then, does he come? Surely that he might be made manifest by John to the people. For since many flocked together, he was well pleased to come, that it might be witnessed before these many who he is; and at the same time that he might fulfill all righteousness—that is, all the commandments of the law; for since this too seems a commandment, to be persuaded by the prophet baptizing as one sent by God, he fulfills this also. And the Spirit comes down, not because Christ had need of this—for how should he have need of that which abides in him essentially?—but that you might learn that, whenever you are baptized, the Holy Spirit will also come upon you. And at the same time the descent of the Spirit wrought this also: for since the Father said from above, This is the Son, lest those who heard should suppose that he spoke concerning John, the Spirit comes down upon Jesus, as the purpose shows. Matthew said simply that he came from Galilee, but Mark more particularly added also the city in which he dwelt. Concerning this it has been said. And the heavens are rent at his baptism, that we may learn that, when we are baptized, they are opened to us also.

¹¹ And immediately the Spirit drives him out into the wilderness; and he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and was with the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to him. He teaches us not to be vexed if after baptism we fall into temptations; for this cause Jesus is led up into the wilderness to be tempted. Or rather, the temptations are not from without, but he is led up by the Holy Spirit. He teaches us, then, that we must not leap upon temptations, but receive them when they come. For this reason he is led up into the mountain, that the devil, taking courage from the desolation of the place, might draw near. For he is wont, whenever he sees the saints alone, then to assail them. The place was so untrodden that it was even full of wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him after the victory.

¹² And after John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of God, and saying that The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the Gospel. He withdraws into Galilee, having heard that John was delivered up into prison, that he might show us also that we must flee from temptations and give place to them, but if we fall into them, bear them. And it appears that the Lord, preaching the same things as John, says, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; the kingdom of God is at hand. But it is not the same; for John said Repent so as to withdraw from sins, but Christ says Repent so as to flee from the letter of the law. Wherefore he also added, Believe in the Gospel; for he who is about to believe through the Gospel has thereafter abolished the law. For the Lord says that the time of the law also is fulfilled; for until John, he says, the law was in force, but from this [time] the polity according to the Gospel is present, which is fittingly likened to the kingdom of heaven. For when you see one living according to the Gospel as though without flesh, would you not then say that this man already has the kingdom of heaven (where there is neither food nor drink), even though it seem to be far off?

¹³ And walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea (for they were fishermen), and Jesus said to them: Come after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And immediately leaving their nets, they followed him; and going on a little further thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets, and he called them. And leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, they went away after him. Peter and Andrew were disciples of the Forerunner. And seeing Jesus witnessed to by John, they came to him. Then, when John was delivered up, being grieved they withdrew again to their own craft. Whence Christ calls them a second time; for this is a second calling. And see them nourished from just labors, and not from unjust; for such are those worthy to become the first disciples of Christ. Leaving, then, straightway the things in their hands, they followed; for one must not delay, but follow immediately. And after these he draws into his net James and John, who, being themselves also poor, nevertheless supported their father in his old age. And they left their father, not because it is good to leave one’s fathers, but because he was about to hinder them from following. And there is a time when [the father] too runs ahead toward the good. It appears that Zebedee did not believe; but the mother of the apostles, however, did believe, and followed perhaps, after Zebedee had died. And know this also, that first the practical [life] is called, then the contemplative. Those, then, about Peter are a symbol of the practical; for he is most fervent, and leaps ahead of the others—such indeed as the practical is. And those about John signify the contemplative; for John is given to it.

¹⁴ And they go into Capernaum. And immediately on the Sabbath, entering into the synagogue, he taught; and they were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Whence do they go into Capernaum? On this day, then, of the Sabbath Christ also enters. For to this end he commanded [men] to rest on the Sabbath, that people might have leisure for reading, gathering together to the same place. The Lord, then, taught by way of reproof, not by flattery as the Pharisees. For exhorting unto the good, he threatened punishment to the disobedient.

¹⁵ And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying: Let be! what have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know you, who you are, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying: Be silenced, and come out of him. And the unclean spirit, having torn him and cried with a loud voice, came out of him. And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying: What is this, that with authority he commands the unclean spirits? And the report of him went out into the whole surrounding region of Galilee. The wicked spirits are called unclean, because they delight in all shameful deeds; and the demon considers it his own destruction not to be fed, having no nourishment when [the demons] do not dwell in a body; wherefore the Lord also said that the race of demons is hunted by fasting.[2] And the foul one said, You are the Holy One; for many of the prophets too were holy, but [their title was] not with the article the addition—[whereas this is] the only and determinate Holy One. The Lord permitted the spirit of the demon to throw [the man] down, but not to cry from the heart, only to be carried out of the mouth; he allowed it to cast down the man, that it might become plain that it is a demon that does these things, and not the man who spoke. It came out of him, doing him no harm; for not because it injured him somewhat was he therefore declared wounded; but the Lord permitted it to cast [him] down, that the vehemence of its convulsing him might be known, yet did not allow it [more], that to such crowds his strength might be made manifest. And Christ does not accept its witness, even though it speak true things; but the demon throws him down and convulses him, that the beholders, seeing from what evil the man is freed, might believe on account of the wonder.

¹⁶ And immediately, going out of the synagogue, he came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. And Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick of a fever, and immediately they tell him concerning her. And coming to her, he raised her up, taking hold of her hand; and the fever left her. When, then, the Lord had entered into the house of the disciples, she who ought to minister was held fast by sickness. But he healed her—the discourse showing that, if God heal you when you are held by a disease, you should use your health unto the service of the saints, and unto the ministry of God. And consider too how the angry man becomes, from his wrath, hasty with the hand; but if he master himself, and act not rashly, [the wrath] ceases. For the wrathful man, if the Word take hold of his hand, rises up, and then the wrath is brought to rest.

¹⁷ And when evening was come, when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick and those possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door, and he healed many that were sick of divers diseases; and he did not allow [the demons to speak]. Not without purpose is it added, When the sun had set, but because they thought it was not lawful for anyone to heal on the day of the Sabbath, wherefore they came in the evening. And he heals many; for the ‘all’ are ‘many’; or he did not heal all, but, as in the case of some, was hindered; for some were hindered from being healed through their unbelief, but he healed many of those brought before him—that is, those having faith. And he did not allow the demons to speak, as I said, teaching us all: let them be silent, since the unclean ought not to bear witness.

¹⁸ And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a desert place, and there prayed. And Simon pursued after him, and those with him; and finding him they say to him, All seek you; and he says to them: Let us go into the neighboring villages, that I may preach there also, for to this end have I come forth. And he was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out the demons. After he had healed the sick, he withdrew, teaching us not to seek the glory that is from men, but, even if we do some good, to be hidden. And he prays also, showing us how we must refer it to God if we do any good, and to say that the grace is good and from above, descending from you; for it is not as that other [proud] thought, but rather that All power is from you.[3] And entering the regions there, preaching, he preached everywhere, interweaving with his teaching the working of the wonders, and cast out demons; for one must, if you wish to be true, also confess [the truth]—yet not merely work wonders;[4] for unless Christ also did wonders, his word would not have been heard.

¹⁹ And there comes to him a leper, beseeching him and kneeling down to him, and saying to him, If you will, you are able to cleanse me. And Jesus, moved with compassion, stretching out his hand, touched him, and says to him: I will; be cleansed. And when he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed, and he was cleansed. Note that he did not say, If God will, but straightway, I will; and right-minded was the leper, who said, If you will—for he came to him not as to a servant or as to an angel, but worshipped him as Master and God. And having sternly charged him, he straightway sent him away, saying, Tell nothing to anyone. Through these things we are taught not to be fond of glory when we show some good to anyone. For behold, he himself also commands the one cleansed not to publish him abroad. And yet he knew that the man would not be persuaded, but would publish it; for, as I said, training us to be without boasting, he commands him not [to do so]. Yet the one benefited ought to remain grateful, even if the benefactor have no need of it. For indeed the leper, even though the Lord charged him, nevertheless himself spread abroad the benefaction. And he sends him to the priest, because the law commanded that, unless the priest declared the former leper to have become clean, it was not lawful for him to enter otherwise into the city, but he was to be driven away; and he charges him also to offer the gift, which those cleansed were accustomed by custom to bring forward, that it might be a testimony that he is not opposed to the law, but so cherishes it that he himself also commands the things commanded by the law. And many began to gather together to him, so that he could no longer openly enter into a city. And that he touches not as a servant but as a Master you may see from this: that the demons, even when they confessed him, he made [to be silent], not that they should speak truth while mingling it with falsehoods. So also Paul forbade the spirit of Python, which said, These men are servants of the Most High God; for the Lord did not wish to be commended and witnessed to by an unclean mouth.

2 Chapter 2. — On the paralytic. On Jesus eating with the publicans. On the disciples plucking the ears of grain on the Sabbath.

¹ That nothing is unclean. For the Law commanded that one keep away from the leper as unclean; but the Lord, showing that nothing is unclean by nature, and that the observances of the Law must be abolished, and how these prevail over men out of love, touches the leper—and yet Elisha so feared the Law that he would not even endure Naaman, who was a leper and in need of being healed. And having sternly charged him, he straightway sent him out, saying, Tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing the things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them; on every side.[5] And through these things we are taught not to seek glory whenever we show some good to anyone. For behold, he himself also charges the one cleansed not to publish him abroad. And yet he knew that the man would not be persuaded, but would publish it; for, as I said, training us to be free of boasting, he charges him notwithstanding. Yet the one who has been benefited ought to be grateful, and to persevere, even if the one who conferred the benefit has no need of it. For indeed the leper, even though the Lord charged him, nevertheless himself spread abroad the benefaction. And he sends him to the priest, because the Law commanded that, unless the priest pronounced the former leper to have become clean, it was not permitted for him to enter the city otherwise, but he was driven away; and he enjoins also that the gift be offered, which those who were cleansed were wont by custom to present, so that this might be a testimony that he is not set against the Law, but cherishes it so greatly that he himself also enjoins the very things commanded by the Law.

² And again he entered into Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that he was in a house. And straightway many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even about the door; and he spoke the word unto them. And they come unto him, bringing a paralytic, borne of four. And not being able to come near unto him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where he was, and having broken it up, they let down the bed whereon the paralytic lay. And Jesus, seeing their faith, says to the paralytic: Child, your sins are forgiven you. What is the meaning of, after some days? Instead of, when certain days had passed. And when he had entered, they, hearing that he was in a house, ran together, expecting to meet with him more easily. And great was the faith of the men, so as even to dig through the roof and let down the bed; wherefore the Lord also heals, seeing the faith of those who carried him, or even of the paralytic himself. For neither would that man have submitted to be lifted up, had he not believed that he would be healed. For often, on account of the faith of the one who brings, he heals those who are brought, though they be unbelieving; and often the contrary, on account of the faith of the one brought, though those who bring be unbelieving. And first he forgives the sins of the sick man, then also heals the disease. For indeed the more grievous of bodily ailments arise, for the most part, out of sins, even as the Lord says that the paralytic in John also was palsied out of sins. For the one in John and the one now mentioned are not one and the same, but the one and the other are different. For the one in John had no man; but the one now has four; and the one was at the sheep-pool, but the one now in a house; and the one in Capernaum, but the other in Jerusalem; and you would find yet other differences. Nevertheless know that the one in Matthew and the one now mentioned in Mark are one.

³ Now there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts: Why does this man so speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone? And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, said unto them: Why reason you these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, Your sins are forgiven you, or to say, Arise, and take up your bed, and walk? But that you may know that the Son of man has power on earth to forgive sins—he says to the paralytic: I say unto you, Arise, and take up your bed, and go unto your house. And immediately he arose, and having taken up the bed, went forth before them all, so that all were amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion. The Pharisees indeed slandered the Lord as a blasphemer, because he forgave sins; for to forgive sins belongs to God alone. But the Lord gives yet another proof of his being God—the knowing of their hearts; for God alone knows the inward things of each, as the prophet also says: You alone know the hearts. But they, although the things in their hearts had been laid bare, nevertheless remain insensible, not granting that he who knew their hearts could also heal sins. The Lord, however, gives assurance and confirmation, through the healing of the body, that he heals the soul also—confirming the unseen through the manifest, and the harder through the easier, even though to them it seemed not so. For the Pharisees thought the healing of the body to be harder, as being visible; but to say that the soul was healed [they thought] easy, because the healing was unseen. So that perhaps they reasoned even thus: Behold the deceiver, he has let go the healing of the body, the manifest thing, and heals the unseen soul, saying, Your sins are forgiven you. For surely, if he were able, he would have healed the body, and not taken refuge in the unseen. The Savior, then, showing them that he can do both, says: Which is easier, to heal body or soul? Assuredly to heal the body; but to you it seems the contrary. I therefore, through healing the body—which in truth is easy, but seems hard to you—will give assurance also of the healing of the soul, which is hard, but, because it is unseen and not open to testing, seems easy. Then, accordingly, he says to the paralytic: Arise and take up your bed, for fuller confirmation of the miracle, that it is not according to mere appearance; and at the same time that he might show that he not only healed him, but also put power into him. Thus, then, he does also in the ailments of the soul: he not only delivers us from our sins, but also puts in us power for the working of the commandments. I too, then, being palsied, am able to be healed. For even now Christ is in Capernaum, the house of comfort—that is, in the Church; for the house of the Comforter is the Church. And I am palsied, having the powers of my soul inactive and unmoved toward the good; but if I be lifted up by the four evangelists, and be brought to the Lord, then shall I hear: Child (for I become a son of God through the working of the commandments), and my sins shall be forgiven me. But how shall I be brought before Jesus? If they dig through the roof. And what is the roof? The mind, which lies above all that is in us. But this has much rubble and tiling—the earthly affairs, I mean; but if all these be cleared away, and the power of the mind in us be dug through and unburdened, then let me be let down—that is, be humbled; for one must not be lifted up because the roof of the mind has been unburdened, but after I am unburdened, I ought to be let down, that is, to be humbled. Then, accordingly, shall I be healed, and shall take up the bed—that is, the body—moving it to the working of the commandments. For one must not only rise from sin, and understand that we are sinning, but also take up the bed, that is, the body, unto the working of the good. Then, accordingly, shall we be able to attain even unto contemplation, so that all the thoughts within us say, We never saw it on this fashion—that is, we never so perceived. For he who has been cleansed of his sins, he it is that sees.

⁴ And he went forth again by the sea-side, and all the crowd came unto him, and he taught them. After the Lord had finished the miracle upon the paralytic, he goes forth by the sea, perhaps wishing to be alone; but the crowd comes together again, that you may learn that the more you flee from glory, the more it will pursue you. If, however, you pursue it, it will flee from you.

⁵ And as Jesus passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and says unto him: Follow me. And he arose and followed him. And it came to pass, as he sat at meat in his house, that many publicans and sinners sat together with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many, and they followed him. And the scribes and the Pharisees, seeing him eat with the publicans and sinners, said unto his disciples: How is it that he eats and drinks with publicans and sinners? And when Jesus heard it, he says unto them: They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. As it seems, the Lord too was fleeing by the sea, and again the crowd pursued him; nevertheless even thence he fled. And as he passed by, he took Matthew alive; for the Levi now spoken of in Mark is Matthew, since he had two names. Luke, then, and Mark name him Levi, veiling the name; but that very man himself is not ashamed, but reports the things concerning himself; for, he says, Jesus beheld Matthew the publican. So let us too not be ashamed to confess our own sins. Levi was sitting at the receipt of custom, as it seems, demanding dues of certain men, or reckoning accounts, or doing some other of the things which publicans are wont to do in their own places of business. But he was so awakened that, having left all, he followed; and, as one rejoicing, he called together many to a banquet. But the Pharisees find fault, making themselves out, forsooth, to be clean. But the Lord says, I came not to call the righteous—that is, you who justify yourselves (for this he says in irony), but sinners; and to call them, not that they should remain sinners, but unto repentance. For, that you may not suppose that he has called them for this only, that they should be turned, [he adds] that it is for this: unto repentance.

⁶ And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast; and they come and say unto him: Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples fast not? And Jesus said unto them: Can the sons of the bridechamber, while the bridegroom is with them, fast? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. And the disciples of John, being more imperfectly disposed, continued in the Jewish customs; whence certain ones come to Christ, bringing these forward as an example, and finding fault, [asking] why his disciples do not fast equally with them. And he says: Now indeed I am the Bridegroom, and they ought to be of good cheer, and not to fast; but when I shall be taken from this life, then, falling into trials, they will both fast and be afflicted. Now he names himself Bridegroom, not only as wedding to himself the virgin souls, but also because the season of his first coming is not one of mourning, nor of gloom, to those who believe in him, nor has it toils, but easily, and without the works of the Law, through baptism he gives us rest. For what toil is it to be baptized? Yet nevertheless through this easy thing we find salvation. And the sons of the bridechamber are the apostles, as being themselves also counted worthy of the joy of the Lord, and partakers of every heavenly good and of all delight. But understand it thus also, that every man, when he works virtue, is a son of the bridechamber. So long, then, as he has with himself the Bridegroom Christ, he fasts not—that is, he displays not the works of repentance. For how should he who does not stumble? But when the Bridegroom Christ is taken from him—that is, when he has clearly slipped into sin—then he fasts and repents, that he may heal the sin.

⁷ No man sews a piece of unfulled cloth on an old garment; else the new piece that fills it up takes away from the old, and a worse rent is made. And no man puts new wine into old wineskins; else the new wine bursts the wineskins, and the wine is spilled, and the wineskins perish; but new wine must be put into new wineskins. As if he should say: Just as, if a piece of unfulled—that is, new—cloth be laid upon an old garment, it tears it by its own stiffness, and new wine by its own heat bursts the old wineskins, so also my disciples are not yet become strong, so that if we weigh them down, we shall do them harm. For they are like old garments, because of the weakness of their judgment. One must not, then, lay upon them the heavy injunction of fasting. Or you may understand it thus also: The disciples of Christ, being new, cannot be in bondage to old customs and laws.

⁸ And it came to pass that he went through the cornfields on the Sabbath; and his disciples began, as they made their way, to pluck the ears of grain. And the Pharisees said unto him: Behold, why do they on the Sabbath that which is not lawful? And he said unto them: Have you never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungry, he and they that were with him? how he entered into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them that were with him? And he said unto them: The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath; so that the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath. The disciples of the Lord pluck the ears of grain, as being no longer constrained to live according to the Law; but the Pharisees, being indignant, are rebuked by Christ, who brings forward David as having, out of necessity, set aside the Law in the days of Abiathar the high priest. For the prophet David, fleeing from the face of Saul, came to this high priest, and deceived him, as having been sent by the king on some necessary military errand. And so he both ate the showbread, and took with himself the sword of Goliath, which had been dedicated to the Lord. Now twelve were the loaves set forth each day upon the table, six on the right and six on the left. But certain ones inquire how the evangelist now named the high priest Abiathar, whereas the book of Kingdoms names him Ahimelech. It is possible, then, to say that perhaps Abiathar had two names, the same being called also Ahimelech. Or also thus: the book of Kingdoms says that Ahimelech was at one time priest; but the evangelist says that Abiathar was high priest. So that these are not contrary; for Ahimelech was priest, but Abiathar high priest. And understand it also by way of anagogy: that the disciples of Christ are on the Sabbath—that is, in the rest of their souls (for “Sabbath” is interpreted “rest”). When, then, they have rest from the passions, not being warred upon by the demons, then they make a way—that is, they become guides to others also unto virtue, plucking and uprooting all the things that spring up from matter and from the lower imagination. But if one set himself in idleness, he would not make a way for others; rather, only if one first rest from the passions does he become a guide to others also unto the good.

3 Chapter 3. — On the man having a withered hand. On the choosing of the apostles. On [his] mother and brethren.

¹ And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there who had a withered hand. And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, that they might accuse him. And he says to the man who had the withered hand: Arise, into the midst. And he says unto them: Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good, or to do evil? to save a soul, or to kill? But they held their peace. And having looked round about on them with anger, being grieved at the hardness of their heart, he says to the man: Stretch forth your hand. And he stretched it forth; and his hand was restored whole, as the other. The disciples having been accused by the Jews, because on the Sabbath they plucked the ears of grain, the Lord indeed stopped the mouths of the accusers, and by the example of David told by what necessity he entered into the holy place; [and now] he works a wonder, showing that, So far are my disciples from sinning, that I myself also work on the day of the Sabbath, displaying a miracle; so that if to work a miracle be evil, then it is simply evil also to do the necessary things on the Sabbath; but indeed to work a miracle, for the salvation of a man, is divine; therefore he does not transgress the law who on the Sabbath works no evil thing. For this cause, then, he also asks them whether it is lawful to do good, putting them to shame as hindering him from doing good. And every man who does not the works of the right-hand portion has his right hand withered. To whom Christ says: Arise—that is, Rise up from sin; and stand into the midst—that is, into the mean of the virtues. For every virtue is a mean, inclining neither to deficiency nor to excess; then, accordingly, when he is set in the mean, his hand shall be restored whole. And mark also the word, It was restored. For there was a time when we had our hands whole—that is, the active energy—when there was not yet transgression; but from the time when our hand was stretched out unto the forbidden fruit, from then it was withered as to the working of the good. Let us, then, again stand in the midst of the virtues.

² And the Pharisees, going forth, straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him. And Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea; and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judea, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from beyond the Jordan, and they about Tyre and Sidon—a great multitude, having heard what things he did, came unto him. And he told his disciples that a little boat should wait upon him because of the crowd, lest they should throng him; for he had healed many, so that they pressed upon him to touch him, as many as had plagues. And the unclean spirits, when they beheld him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, You are the Son of God. And he charged them much that they should not make him known. Who were the Herodians? Either the soldiers of Herod, or a certain newly-arisen sect, teaching that Herod himself was the Christ, because in his time the succession of the Jewish kings had received its end. For the prophecy of Jacob declared that, when the rulers from Judah should fail, then Christ should come. Since, then, in the times of Herod there was no Jewish ruler, but he himself ruled, being of another race—for he was an Idumean—certain ones supposed him to be the Christ, and set up a sect. These, then, set their hands to destroy the Lord. But he withdraws; for it was not yet the season of the Passion. And at the same time, that he might benefit the more, for this cause he withdraws from the unfeeling ones; for indeed many followed him, and he healed them; and the men of Tyre and Sidon also, being of another race, were profited. But his kinsmen persecuted him. So there is no profit in kinship, unless the manner be good. And whereas men of another stock came to him from afar, the Jews persecuted him as he came to them. And mark also his freedom from love of glory; for, that the crowds might not trouble him, he seeks a little boat, that, having embarked in it, he might be kept undisturbed. And by “plagues” he means the diseases; for indeed in truth diseases contribute much to our chastening, God scourging us as a father his children. And understand also that the Herodians—the fleshly and the skin-clad—wish to kill Jesus. For Herod is interpreted “of skin.” But they who have gone forth from their own houses and from their own fatherlands—that is, from the relations toward the flesh—they follow him; whence also their plagues are healed, the sins, I mean, that scourge the conscience, and the unclean spirits are driven out. And take heed that Jesus charges his disciples that a little boat should wait upon him because of the crowds, that they might not throng him. For Jesus is the word within us, who charges that our little boat—that is, that it ride above the surge of the affairs of this life—lest it overwhelm us … Christ.[6]

³ And he goes up into the mountain, and calls unto him whom he himself would; and they came unto him. And he appointed twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, and to have power to heal diseases, and to cast out demons. And he gave to Simon the name Peter; and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and he gave them the name Boanerges, which is, Sons of thunder; and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him. He goes up into the mountain to pray. For since he had wrought miracles, after the display of the miracles he prays, teaching us all that we ought to give thanks to God whenever we have accomplished some good work, and to ascribe it to the power of God; or, since he was about to ordain the apostles, for this cause he goes up to pray, that we may learn that we also, whenever we are about to ordain certain ones, ought first to pray that the worthy one may be revealed to us, and that we may not partake in others’ sins. And he puts forward Judas also as an apostle, that we may learn that not on account of the coming wickedness of anyone does God turn away from him who is going to work the evil, but on account of the virtue which is now present in him he counts him worthy of honor, even though afterward he is going to turn out wicked. And he enumerates the names of the apostles, on account of the false apostles; he names the sons of Zebedee, as great heralds. And they come into a house, and a crowd comes together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. And when his own people heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him; for they said, He is beside himself. And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said that He has Beelzebul, and that by the prince of the demons he casts out the demons. Having heard, he says, those who were of him—that is, his own household, perhaps those from the same fatherland, or even his brethren—went out to lay hold on him. For they said, He is beside himself—that is, He has a demon. For hearing that he cast out demons, and healed diseases, out of envy they thought that he had a demon, and was beside himself; whence they wished to lay hold on him, that they might bind him as one demon-possessed. And his own people, then, [acted] thus; and likewise also the scribes from Jerusalem said that he had a demon. For since they could not gainsay the things that were done, in another manner they slander them, [saying] that they came to pass from demons.

⁴ And having called them unto him, he said unto them in parables: How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. No man can enter into the strong man’s house and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. From irrefutable examples he overturns the malignant Jews. For how, he says, is it possible for a demon to cast out a demon? Just as we see also in households: so long as those in them are at peace, they stand together; but when they are divided, they are dissolved. And how, he says, can one spoil the goods of the strong man, unless he first bind him? And what he says is of this kind: The strong man is the demon; and his goods are the men who contain him. If, then, one do not first bind the demon, and dissolve him, how shall he spoil his goods—the demon-possessed, I mean—out of him? So that, since I spoil his goods—that is, freeing the men from the demonic affliction—I have therefore already bound and dissolved the demons, and am their enemy. How, then, do you say that I have Beelzebul—that is, that, being a friend of demons and a sorcerer, I cast out the demons?

⁵ Truly I say to you, that all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and the blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme. But whoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit has no forgiveness unto the age, but is liable to eternal judgment; because they said, He has an unclean spirit. He says here something of this kind: Whatsoever other things men sin, they may have some excuse to plead, and may obtain pardon, God condescending to the weakness of men—for instance, they called the Lord a glutton and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners; for this they shall be counted worthy of pardon; but when, seeing him work extraordinary miracles, they blaspheme the Spirit—that is, the wonder-workings wrought through the Holy Spirit—then how shall they obtain forgiveness, unless they repent? For when they were offended at the flesh of Christ, even if they did not repent, they might be forgiven, as men offended; but when, seeing him do divine works, they yet blasphemed, how, remaining unrepentant, shall they be forgiven? There come, then, his brethren and his mother. Standing outside, they sent unto him, calling him; and the crowd sat about him, and they said unto him: Behold, your mother and your brethren outside seek you. And he answered them, saying: Who is my mother and my brethren? And having looked round about on those who sat about him, he says: Behold my mother and my brethren; for whoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother. The brethren of the Lord, in ignorance, came to lay hold on him as one beside himself and demon-possessed. And his mother, held by the passion of love of glory, came to draw him away from his teaching, and to show the crowds that she so leads about him whom they admired, as to draw him from his teaching. The Lord, then, shows that, It will profit my mother nothing to be my mother, unless she have the other virtue also; likewise neither does kinship profit my brethren; for those alone are truly kinsmen of Christ who do the will of God. He says these things, then, not denying his mother, but showing that she will be worthy of honor not on account of having borne him only, but also on account of all her other virtue; for if she should not have that, others would be preferred before her unto the kinship.

4 Chapter 4. — On the parable of the sower. On the rebuking of the waters.

¹ And again he began to teach by the sea-side; and a great crowd was gathered together unto him, so that he entered into the boat, and sat in the sea; and all the crowd was by the sea, upon the land. And he taught them many things in parables. He seemed to have sent his mother away, yet again he hearkens to her, for it is on her account that he goes forth by the sea. And he sits in the boat, that, having all before his face, he might speak in the hearing of all, and have none at his back. And he said unto them in his teaching: Hearken; Behold, the sower went forth to sow; and it came to pass, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside, and the birds of heaven came and devoured it. And another fell on the rocky ground, where it had not much earth; and straightway it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth; but when the sun was risen, it was scorched, and because it had no root, it withered away. And another fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And another fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit that sprang up and increased, and brought forth, one thirtyfold, and one sixtyfold, and one a hundredfold. And he said unto them: He that has ears to hear, let him hear. And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked him of the parable. And he said unto them: Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but unto those that are without, all things are done in parables; that seeing they may see, and not perceive, and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them. This first parable he sets forth, the one concerning the seed, that he may make the hearers more attentive. For since he is about to say that the seed is the word, and, falling among the heedless, is destroyed, for this cause before the rest he says such things, that the hearers may be earnest not to be made like to that earth which destroys the seed. Who, then, is the sower? Christ himself, who went forth from the bosom of the Father, in love for mankind and condescension, yet without departing thence. And he went forth, not that he might burn up the accursed earth, and the wicked hearts; nor that he might cut out the thorns, but that he might sow the seed. And what seed? That of Moses, perhaps? that of the prophets? No, but his own—that is, that he might preach his Gospel. He, then, sowed. And of the seeds, one fell into a soul trodden down by many; and the birds of heaven—the demons, I mean, who hold the air—devoured the seed. For such are the men-pleasers, a way trodden down by many; for whenever one does all things to please this man and that, he is trodden down by many. And mark: he did not say that He cast it upon the way, but, It fell. For the sower casts it as upon good ground; but that ground, being found wicked, destroys the seed, that is, the word. But certain ones gracefully understood the It fell by the wayside to mean that it fell into an unbelieving heart; for the way is Christ, and beside the way are the unbelievers, who are outside the way, that is, outside Christ. And another falls upon a rocky soul; he means those who easily receive, and then cast away; the rocky ones are in some small part like to the Rock, to Christ I mean, in that they received the word; but in that they receive it for a season, and then cast it away, they are unlike. And another into a soul full of cares; for the thorns are the cares. And the fourth, into good ground. Mark, then, how rare are the good, and how few they that are saved; for only the fourth part of the seed is found to be preserved. To the disciples, then, who asked him privately, he says that Unto you it is given to know the mysteries. Is it, then, by lot and by fate from nature that to some it is given, and to others not? God forbid! but it is given to those who seek. For ‘Seek,’ he says, ‘and it shall be given you.’ But the rest God blinded, that the understanding of the right and the not doing of it might not be unto their greater condemnation. In another way: Will you know that God made all to see the right? Hear. That seeing—this is of God; that they see not—this is of their own wickedness. For God made them seeing—that is, understanding the good; but they see not, willingly shutting their eyes, lest they should be converted and corrected; for they grudge, as it were, their own salvation and betterment. And it is possible also to understand it thus, that, To the rest I speak in parables, that, if seeing they see not, and hearing they understand not, they may yet, even from this, perhaps be converted and corrected.

² And he says unto them: Know you not this parable? and how then will you know all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are they by the wayside, where the word is sown; and when they have heard, straightway comes Satan, and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these likewise are they that are sown on the rocky ground, who, when they have heard the word, straightway receive it with gladness, and have no root in themselves, but are temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises for the word’s sake, straightway they are offended. And these are they that are sown among the thorns, such as hear the word, and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for the other things, entering in, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And these are they that were sown on the good ground, such as hear the word and receive it, and bring forth fruit, one thirtyfold, and one sixtyfold, and one a hundredfold. There are here three ranks of the perishing of the word. For those by the wayside are the heedless; those by the rock, the faint-hearted; those by the thorns, the pleasure-lovers. Of those, however, who received and preserved the seed, there are again three ranks: those bearing fruit a hundredfold are they who have the perfect and most exalted life; those sixtyfold, they who are of a middle state; and the thirtyfold, as many as bring forth little, yet they too according to their power offer it; for instance, some are virgins and solitaries, others mingled in life and in community, others laymen and in marriage. Yet the Lord receives all who bear fruit; and thanks be to his love for mankind. And he said unto them: Does the lamp come that it should be put under the bushel, or under the bed? Is it not that it should be set upon the lampstand? For there is nothing hidden, except it should be made manifest; neither was anything kept secret, but that it should come to manifestation. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. Here he exhorts the apostles to be bright in their life and conduct; for just as the lamp, he says, is set for shining, so also your life shall be conspicuous to all, and all shall look unto it; therefore be earnest to have a good life. For you sit not in a corner, but you are beacons. And the lamp is not hidden under a bed; set upon the lampstand it shines. And each of us also is a lamp, which ought to be set upon the lampstand—that is, upon the height of the godly life—that it may be able to shine to others also; but not under the bushel, that is, under gluttony and the care for food, nor under the bed, that is, ease. For no one who is earnest about food, and longs for repose, can be a lamp shining to all through his own life. For there is nothing hidden which shall not be made manifest. Whether one do some good thing, or some wicked thing in secret, it shall be made manifest both here, and much more in the age to come. For who is more hidden than God? yet nevertheless he also was made manifest in the flesh.

³ And he said unto them: Take heed what you hear. With what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you, and unto you that hear shall more be added. For he that has, to him shall be given; and he that has not, from him shall be taken even that which he has. He rouses the disciples to soberness. For take heed, he says, what you hear; let nothing of the things spoken by me escape you. For with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you—that is, how great a measure of attention you bring, so great also a benefit shall be given to you. For if the hearer attend very greatly and to the utmost, God gives him in return also much benefit; but if he be slack, according to the proportion is also the gain of the benefit. For he that has eagerness and earnestness, to him shall be given benefit also; but he that has not eagerness and earnestness, even that which he seems to have shall be taken from him. For through slackness even the little spark which he had before is quenched, just as by diligence it is kindled.

⁴ And he said: So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast the seed upon the earth, and should sleep and rise, night and day, and the seed should sprout and lengthen, he knows not how. For the earth bears fruit of herself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the fruit is yielded, straightway he sends forth the sickle, because the harvest is come. By the kingdom of God understand the dispensation of God concerning us. For the man is God himself, who became man for our sake. And he cast seed upon the earth, the preaching of the Gospel; and having cast this, he sleeps—that is, he went up into the heavens; but nevertheless he rises night and day. For even if God seems to sleep, yet he rises: by night, when through trials he raises us up unto the knowledge of him; and by day, when through pleasant and joyful things he orders our life. And the seed lengthens, he knows not how; for we are self-determining, and it lies in our own choice that the seed should grow or not. Since neither do we bring forth fruit by constraint, but of ourselves—that is, of our own selves we bear fruit, first putting forth the blade and showing the beginning of the good, when we are babes, and have not yet attained unto the measure of the stature according to Christ; then the ear, when we are able also to withstand trials. For the ear is now girt about with joints, and stands upright, and is more perfect. Then also the full grain in the ear, when one brings forth the perfect fruit. And when the harvest is yielded, then the sickle gathers the fruit. And by the sickle understand the word of God; and by the harvest, the season of the consummation.

⁵ And he said: To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what parable shall we compare it? It is as a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown upon the earth, is less than all the seeds that are upon the earth; but when it is sown, it grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts forth great branches, so that the birds of heaven can lodge under the shadow of it. And with many such parables he spoke the word unto them, as they were able to hear it. But without a parable he spoke not unto them; and privately to his disciples he expounded all things. Small indeed is the word of the faith. For, Believe in Christ, and you shall be saved. You see how great the word is—as great as the grain of mustard seed. But the preaching, when sown upon the earth, was spread abroad and increased, so that the birds of heaven—that is, all those who are lofty and high in mind and in knowledge—lodge upon it. For how many wise men, having left the Greek wisdom, found rest upon the preaching? Greater, then, than all became the preaching, and put forth great branches. For one of the apostles went to Rome, another to India, another to Achaia, and another into another part of the earth—they were divided abroad like branches. And he spoke to the crowds in many parables, fitting the parables to the capacity of the hearers. For since the crowd was rustic and unlearned, for this cause he makes mention of a grain of mustard seed, and of grass, and of seed, that from the names familiar and customary to them he might teach them something profitable, or at least might move them to come forward and ask, and through the asking to learn the things they knew not. For to the disciples he expounded all things privately, when they came forward, that is, and asked. And he solved all things, as many as they asked as not understanding. The things they learned by asking were clear to them, and familiar.

⁶ And he says unto them on that day, when evening was come: Let us pass over unto the other side. And having sent away the crowd, they take him even as he was in the boat. And there were also other little boats with him. And there arises a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was now filling. And he himself was in the stern, asleep upon the pillow; and they awake him, and say unto him: Master, do you not care that we perish? And having arisen, he rebuked the wind, and said to the sea: Be silent, be muzzled. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them: Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith? And they feared with a great fear, and said one to another: Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him? Matthew related these things in one way, and Mark in another; for the things which the one told more at large, this one abridged; and on the contrary, what the one abridged, this one enlarged. He takes, then, only the disciples, making them spectators of the wonder that was to be; and that they might not be lifted up because, having sent away the others, he kept them, he suffers them to be tossed by the surge, and at the same time that he might teach them to bear trials. And he sleeps, that the wonder might appear the greater to them, who were first troubled; for if, while Christ was awake, the surge had arisen, either they would not have feared, or they would not have entreated him. He suffers them, then, to fall into fear of danger, that they might come to a perception of his power. For since they saw the others being benefited, but themselves enjoyed nothing of the kind, there was danger that they should become more slothful. He permits, then, the tempest to come on; and he sleeps upon the pillow of the boat, which was assuredly of wood. And being awakened, he rebukes first the wind (for this it is that makes the sea to rage), then also the sea. And he rebukes the disciples also, as having no faith; for if they had had faith, they would have believed that even while sleeping he could keep them unharmed. And they said one to another: Who then is this? For they were still in doubt concerning him; for inasmuch as by a mere command he laid the sea to rest, and neither with a rod, as Moses, nor by invocation, as Elisha [parted] the Jordan, nor with the ark, as Joshua the son of Nun, for this cause he seemed to them above man.

5 Chapter 5. — On the legion. On the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue. On the woman with the issue of blood.

¹ And they came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he had come out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, because he had often been bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the fetters broken in pieces; and no one was strong enough to subdue him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. The more accurate of the copies have, into the country of the Gergesenes. Now Matthew says that there were two who were possessed by demons, but Mark and Luke [say] one; for, having selected the more grievous one, they recount concerning him. The demoniac comes, then, confessing him to be the Son of God. For since those in the boat were in doubt what manner of man this was, the testimony from his enemies becomes more trustworthy—I mean from the demons. And he dwelt among the tombs, wishing to put an evil supposition into men, that the souls of those who die become demons. May it never be that anyone should believe this. And when he had seen Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, and crying out with a loud voice, said: What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, torment me not. For he said to him: Come out of the man, you unclean spirit. And he asked him: What is your name? And he answered, saying: Legion is my name, for we are many. And he besought him much, that he would not send them out of the country. The demons account it a torment to come out of the man. Therefore they say, Torment us not, that is, do not lead us out of our dwelling-place, namely the man; and besides, they supposed that, because of the excess of the things daringly done by them, he would not bear it, but would deliver them straightway already to punishment; and for this cause also they beseech him not to torment them. But the Lord asks him, not that he himself might learn, but that the others might learn the multitude of the demons dwelling in him. For since he appeared to be one, Christ shows with how many enemies that pitiable man was wrestling. And there was there, near the mountain, a great herd of swine feeding. And all the demons besought him, saying: Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And straightway Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits, having gone out, entered into the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep place into the sea. And they were about two thousand, and were choked in the sea. And those who fed the swine fled, and told it in the city and in the fields. The demons indeed ask the Lord not to send them out of the country, but to release them into the herd of swine; and he permits this. For since our life is a wrestling-school, the Lord did not wish to release the demons outside of this life, in order that, wrestling with us, they might make us more fit. And he permitted them to enter into the swine, that we might learn that, just as they did not spare the swine, so neither would they have spared that man, had not a divine power been preserving him; for the demons, being enemies, would have cut us to pieces on the spot, had not God kept us. And learn that the demons do not have authority even over swine, and much more not over men, unless God permit; and understand that even into the men who live after the manner of swine, and wallow in the mire of pleasure, [they enter,] so as to carry them down the steep place of perdition into the sea of this life.

² And they went out to see what it was that was done. And they come to Jesus, and behold the one who had been possessed by the demon sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind—the one who had had the legion—and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how it had happened to the demoniac, and concerning the swine. And they began to beseech him to depart from their borders. And as he was entering into the boat, the one who had been possessed besought him that he might be with him. But Jesus did not permit him, but says to him: Go to your house unto your own, and tell them how great things the Lord has done for you, and has had mercy on you. And he departed, and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him; and all marvelled. The people of that city went out to Jesus, being astounded at the miracle; but when they had heard, they were the more afraid. For this cause also they beseech Jesus to depart out of their borders; for they were in dread lest they should suffer some yet greater thing. For having lost the swine, and being grieved at the loss, they decline even the presence of the Lord. But the one who had been possessed besought him that he might be with him; for he was afraid lest, the demons finding him alone, they should again come upon him. But the Lord releases him to his own house, showing him that, even if he himself be not present, yet his power and his oversight will guard him; and at the same time, that being seen he might profit others also. Behold, accordingly, he began to proclaim, and all marvelled. And mark also the freedom from vanity of the Saviour. He did not say, Tell how great things I have done for you, but, How great things the Lord has done for you. So also do you, whenever you do any good thing, ascribe the deed not to yourself, but to God.

³ And when Jesus had passed over again in the boat unto the other side, much people gathered together unto him; and he was beside the sea. And behold, there comes one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name. And when he saw him, he falls at his feet, and besought him much, saying: My little daughter is at the point of death; come and lay your hands on her, that she may be made whole, and she shall live. And he went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him. And a certain woman, who had been in an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather came to the worse, when she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind and touched his garment. For she said: If I but touch his garments, I shall be made whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she knew in her body that she was healed of the plague. After the miracle upon the demoniac, the Lord works another, raising up the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue. And he tells also the name of the ruler of the synagogue, on account of the Jews who knew what had come to pass. And the man is but half a believer; for in that he falls at his feet, he is a believer; but in that he beseeches him to come, he does not display as much faith as he ought. For he ought to have said, Speak the word. And as it were by the way, while the Lord is departing, the woman with the issue of blood also is healed; and most faithful was the woman, in that she thought to be profited even from his garments; wherefore also she obtains the healing. And you shall understand these things also with respect to human nature, which was [as one] with an issue of blood. For it brought in sin, which is the murder of the soul, and pours out the blood of our souls. And by many physicians—I mean the wise men of this world, and the law and the prophets—it could not be healed. But as soon as it touched the garments of Christ, that is, his flesh, it was healed. For he who believes that Christ was made flesh, this is he who touches his garments.

⁴ And straightway Jesus, knowing in himself the power that had gone out of him, turned about in the press and said: Who touched my garments? And his disciples said to him: You see the multitude thronging you, and you say, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had been done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And he said to her: Daughter, your faith has made you whole; go in peace, and be whole of your plague. A power goes out from Christ, not passing over locally, but distributed unto others, and remaining undiminished in Christ; just as branches of learning too are both with those who practice them, and are handed on to those who learn. And mark how the multitudes thronged him, yet no one touched him; but she who thronged him not, she touched him. For from this we learn a mystery, that no one of those who have crowds and tumults touches Jesus, but only throngs him. But if anyone throng not Jesus, nor cast about with tumults the reason that is in himself, that man touches him. For what cause does the Lord make the woman manifest? First, that he might glorify the faith of the woman; then, that he might also encourage the ruler of the synagogue, that his little daughter too should thus be saved; and at the same time, that he might release the woman also from her great fear; for indeed the woman was afraid, as having stolen the healing; wherefore the evangelist also says, Fearing and trembling she came. But the Lord says not, I have made you whole, but, Your faith. Go therefore in peace, that is, into rest; so that what is said is of this kind: Depart, be at rest, since up to the present you have been amid waves and tumults. While he was yet speaking, there come from the ruler of the synagogue, saying: Your daughter is dead; why do you trouble the Teacher any further? But Jesus, straightway hearing the word that was spoken, says to the ruler of the synagogue: Fear not, only believe. And he suffered no one to follow with him, save Peter and James and John the brother of James. And he comes to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and beholds a tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. And when he had entered, he says to them: Why do you make this commotion, and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeps. And they laughed him to scorn. But he, having put them all out, takes the father of the child and the mother, and those who were with him, and enters in where the child was lying; and taking the child by the hand, he says to her: Talitha cumi, which is, being interpreted: Damsel, I say to you, arise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked (for she was twelve years old); and they were amazed with a great amazement. And he charged them much that no one should know this; and commanded that something should be given her to eat. Those of the ruler of the synagogue’s house, supposing Christ to be one of the teachers, for this cause besought him to come and pray over the damsel; and thereafter, when she had died, they supposed there was no further need of him, because she was dead. But he encourages the father, and, Only believe, says he; for the lowly Jesus by no means wishes to do anything for display. And when he says that the damsel is not dead, but sleeps, they laugh him to scorn—so that they might not afterward be able to say that she had fallen into a coma, and that it was nothing wonderful if he raised her, but that they themselves, witnessing against themselves, might be convicted, that he truly raised her who had died; seeing that they even laughed him to scorn when he said that she was not dead. And he takes her by the hand, that he might put power into her. And he gives her to eat, that he might confirm the resurrection, that it truly came to pass and not according to fancy.

6 Chapter 6. — On the commissioning of the apostles. On John and Herod. On the five loaves and the two fishes. On the walking upon the sea.

¹ And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him. And when the Sabbath was come, he began to teach in the synagogue; and many hearing him were astonished, saying: Whence has this man these things? And what is the wisdom which is given to him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. He sets foot in his own country, not being ignorant that they will despise him, but that they might not afterward be able to say, If he had come, we should have believed; and at the same time, convicting their envious disposition. For whereas they ought rather to have gloried in the Lord, as adorning their own country both through his teaching and through his miracles, they instead set him at naught on account of the lowliness of his lineage. So great an evil is envy. For it ever casts a shadow over good things, and does not suffer those who envy to see them. And so even now many slander, as low-born, certain men who are otherwise worthy of honour, thinking evil and exceedingly basely.

² And Jesus said to them: A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and among his own kindred, and in his own house. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief. The Lord says universally that all the prophets are without honour in their own countries. For whether they have illustrious kinsmen, these envy them, and on this account dishonour them; or whether they be low-born, again on account of their low birth they are dishonoured. He could not, then, there do mighty works—not that he himself was weak, but that they were unbelieving. For sparing them, that the signs might not be unto their greater condemnation, since not even so would they believe, on this account he does no mighty works there. And besides, in the working of wonders there is need both of the power of him who works, and of the faith of those who receive. There, accordingly, the one being lacking—namely the faith of those to be healed—it was not possible for Jesus to do signs. For thus we ought to understand the He could not, instead of, It was not possible.

³ And he went round about the villages, teaching. And he calls unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth two by two; and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits, and charged them that they should take nothing for the way, save a staff only—no scrip, no bread, no money in the belt—but be shod with sandals; and, Put not on two coats. And he said to them: Wheresoever you enter into a house, there abide till you depart thence. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when you depart thence, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony unto them. Truly I say to you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom or Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. Not in cities only did the Lord teach, but also in the villages, that we might learn neither to despise the small, nor ever to seek out the great cities, but to sow the word even in the mean little hamlets. And not only does he himself teach, but he also sends forth the twelve two by two, that they might be the more eager. For if he had sent one, that one would have been without zeal; and again, if more than two, the number of the apostles would not have sufficed for many villages. Two, accordingly, he sends; for Two are better than one, says Ecclesiastes. And he charges them to take nothing—neither scrip, nor money, nor bread—training them by these things in freedom from the love of money, and that those who beheld them might be put to shame by them, who taught freedom from possessions out of the very things wherein they themselves had nothing. For who, seeing the apostle carrying neither scrip nor bread, the most necessary thing, would not have been put to shame, and have stripped himself for the life without possessions? And he bids them remain in one house, that they might not seem, through gluttony, to be unsettled, exchanging one host for another. And from those who receive them not, he bids them shake off the dust, showing that they had walked a long road for their sake, and had profited nothing; or that they had received nothing from them, not even dust, but had shaken off even this, so that this might be for a testimony unto them, that is, for a reproof. For Truly I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for Sodom or Gomorrha in the judgment, than for those who received you not. For the Sodomites, having been punished here, shall be punished there more bearably. And besides, neither were apostles sent unto them; whereas those who received not the apostles shall suffer harder things than they.

⁴ And they went out and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them. That the apostles anointed with oil, Mark alone recounts—which James also, the Brother of God, says in his catholic Epistle: Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil. The oil, then, is both profitable for toils, and a cause of light, and a procurer of gladness, and signifies the mercy of God and the grace of the Spirit, through which we are both delivered from toils, and receive light and joy and spiritual gladness.

⁵ And king Herod heard of him (for his name was made manifest), and said that John the Baptist was risen from the dead, and therefore the mighty works show forth themselves in him. Others said that it is Elijah; and others said that it is a prophet, as one of the prophets. But when Herod heard, he said: It is John, whom I beheaded; he is risen from the dead. This Herod was the son of the one who slew the infants. And though he was a tetrarch, Mark calls him king, using the name indifferently. He, then, hearing the miracles of the Lord, and knowing that he had slain John in vain, [John] being a righteous man, supposed that he had risen from the dead, and from the resurrection had received in addition the working of wonders. For formerly John did no sign; but from the resurrection Herod supposed that he had received in addition the working of the signs. And others said that it is Elijah; for he reproved the multitudes, as when he said, O faithless generation. But Herod is in dread; so pitiable, then, was he, as to fear the dead man.

⁶ For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold on John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her. For John said to Herod: It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife. Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him, but she could not. For Herod feared John, knowing him to be a just man and holy, and kept him safe; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly. And when a convenient day was come, when Herod on his birthday made a supper for his nobles, and the captains, and the chief men of Galilee; and when the daughter of the said Herodias came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat at table with him, the king said to the damsel: Ask of me whatsoever you will, and I will give it to you. And he swore to her: Whatsoever you shall ask of me, I will give it to you, unto the half of my kingdom. And she went out and said to her mother: What shall I ask? And she said: The head of John the Baptist. And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying: I will that you give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist. And the king was exceeding sorry; yet, for the sake of his oaths and of those who sat with him at table, he would not reject her. And straightway the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the damsel; and the damsel gave it to her mother. And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb. Here Mark inserts the account of the death of the Baptist, having seized the occasion. As for Herodias, some say that Herod tore her away while Philip was yet living, and that on this account he was reproved as transgressing the law, in putting asunder from his living brother his wife; but others [say] that Philip indeed had died, yet [had left] a daughter; and the daughter being alive, Herod ought not to have married his brother’s wife, not even after his death. For the law then commanded the brother to take the wife of his brother, when there was no child; but here the daughter was living, and therefore the marriage was unlawful. And mark how great is the strength of the madness of lust, so that it made even Herod—who had such reverence and fear toward John—to despise him, in order to gratify a single licentiousness. A drinking-bout is got up; and Satan dances by means of the damsel; and an oath is fulfilled, lawless and godless, or rather senseless. And the wicked woman, Give me, says she, at once—that is, immediately, in that very hour. And the senseless and love-stricken Herod is in dread of his oaths, and on this account murders the righteous man. But he ought here to have broken his oath, and not to have wrought so foul an abomination. For not everywhere is the keeping of an oath a good thing. And a speculator is what the executioner-soldier is called, who is appointed for the slaying. And by corpse he means the body; for after the beheading the body, having fallen, is called a corpse.[7] And it is possible to take these things also according to the higher contemplation. For Herod is the leathern people of the Jews; and he married a wife, the false and licentious opinion, whose daughter even now dances; and there is set in motion among the Jews the knowledge of the Scriptures that leads them astray. For they seem to know the Scriptures; but it is not so; for they beheaded John, that is, the prophetic word; for the head of the prophets was Christ, whom they received not; and so, even if they have the prophetic word, yet it is beheaded, without a head, that is, without Christ.

⁷ And the apostles gather themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. And he said to them: Come, you yourselves, apart, into a desert place, and rest a while. For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. And they departed into a desert place by boat, apart. And the people saw them departing, and many knew him; and ran together there on foot out of all the cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him. After the apostles had preached, they gather together unto Jesus; that we too may learn, whenever we are put forward unto any ministry, not to be restive and to exalt ourselves above him who put us forward, but to know him as head, and to turn back to him, and to report to him whatsoever we have either done or taught; for it behooves us not only to teach, but also to do. And Christ gives the disciples rest, that again those who preside may learn to count those who toil in word and teaching worthy of rest, and not ever to strain them with labours. And withdrawing into a desert place because of his freedom from the love of glory, nevertheless not even there does he escape the notice of those who seek him. But so watchful were they, lest he should escape them, that they even outwent him—that is, the multitudes outran the apostles, and went away to the place where Jesus was about to take his rest. So therefore do you also anticipate Jesus, not waiting for him to call you; but running, and rather yourself getting before him.

⁸ And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. And when the day was now far spent, his disciples came to him and say to him: This is a desert place, and now the hour is late; send them away, that they may go into the country and villages round about, and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat. But he answered and said to them: Give them to eat yourselves. And they say to him: Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? But he says to them: How many loaves have you? Go and see. And when they knew, they say: Five, and two fishes. And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass. And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties. The Pharisees, being ravening wolves, did not shepherd the people, but devoured them. For this cause [the people] gather together unto Christ, the true shepherd, fleeing those others; whence he gives them food—primarily the more profitable and more precious food, that through the word, and then also the bodily. And mark the disciples, how they advance unto greater love of men. For having had compassion on the multitudes, they come to Christ and make request concerning them. But the Lord, trying them, and proving whether they had recognized his power, that he is able to feed them, says: Give them to eat yourselves. But they even find fault with him, as not knowing how great their want was, and how great also the multitude of the crowd. For being weighed down they say, Shall we buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? Yet at the last he makes all sit down upon the grass in separate groups. For this is the meaning of, By companies, that is, in distinct tables. And this also is the meaning of, They sat down in ranks, that is, in distinct plots and divisions. For garden-beds is the name for the distinct plots in gardens, in which divers things are oftentimes planted.

⁹ And having taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven and blessed; and he broke the loaves, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and the two fishes he divided among them all. And they all ate, and were filled. And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments, and of the fishes. And they that ate of the loaves were five thousand men. He looks up to heaven, at once both teaching us to ask our food from God, and not from the devil—which they do who are nourished out of unjust gains—and at the same time then showing to the multitudes that he is not opposed to God, but calls upon God. And he gives to the disciples, that they might not forget the miracle, as having received the loaves with their own hands. And twelve baskets over and above abound, for this very purpose, that each one, taking up a basket upon his shoulders, might keep the miracle unforgotten. And it was a superabundance of power, not only to feed so many, but also to leave over what was superfluous. For Moses, even though he gave the manna, yet [gave] according to the need of each; for what was over and above bred worms. And Elijah, feeding the widow, supplied what was sufficient. But Jesus, as Master, makes [the food] even to abound. These things, then, according to the history. But according to the anagogical sense: the five loaves are the words of Moses. For five are the books of Moses—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. And the two fishes are the words of the fishermen, the Apostle and the Gospel. By these, then, are nourished our five senses, for these are the five thousand. Yet we are not able to eat all things, but many things are over and above, which the apostles are able to bear. For the more difficult of the conceptions of the Law and of the Gospel, we who still serve the five senses do not bear, but the apostles do.

¹⁰ And straightway he constrained his disciples to enter into the boat, and to go before unto the other side toward Bethsaida, while he sent away the people. And when he had taken leave of them, he departed into the mountain to pray. And when evening was come, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary to them. And about the fourth watch of the night he comes to them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them. But when they saw him walking upon the sea, they supposed it was an apparition, and cried out. For they all saw him, and were troubled. And straightway he talked with them, and says to them: Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And he went up to them into the boat, and the wind ceased. And they were exceedingly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marvelled. For they understood not concerning the loaves; for their heart was hardened. He constrained the disciples. For they did not wish to be torn away from him, but were parted by force, at once both because of their love toward him, and because of their being at a loss how he should come to them, there being no boat. Having dismissed the multitudes, then, he went up to pray apart; for prayer has need of leisure and freedom from disturbance. And he leaves the disciples to be tried, that they might learn to endure. For this cause he does not even straightway stand by them, but suffers them through the whole night to be tossed by the waves, that he might teach them to be patient, and not at the beginning of hardships to hope for relief. And mark another thing also, that whenever he is about to make the terrors cease, then rather he casts them into greater fear. For when they saw him, they cried out, being troubled as at an apparition; and straightway through his voice he heals them, saying: Be not afraid. Then also through his entering into the boat he procures for them a more perfect freedom from disturbance; for straightway the wind ceased. And it is a great miracle to walk upon the sea, and [the work] of God in very truth; but that, there being also a tumult and the wind being contrary, [he walked,] is a heightening of the miracle. And the apostles, not understanding concerning the loaves, understood from this miracle upon the sea. It seems, then, that Christ on this account also suffered them to be tried, that, since they had not recognized him from the loaves, they might recognize him from the sea.

¹¹ And when they had passed over, they came unto the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore. And when they had come out of the boat, straightway they recognized him, and ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick, wherever they heard that he was. And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or fields, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment; and as many as touched him were made whole. After an interval of time, as it seems, the Lord sojourned in the place. Wherefore the evangelist also says: Recognizing him, they brought the sick. For they no longer called him into the houses, but rather themselves brought those who were ill, beseeching him that they might touch if it were but the border [of his garment]. For the miracle concerning the woman with the issue of blood had laid hold of the ears of all, and had put greater faith into them.

7 Chapter 7. — On the disciples eating with unwashed hands. On the transgression of the commandment of God. On the Syrophoenician woman. On the deaf-mute.

¹ And the Pharisees gather together unto him, and certain of the scribes, having come from Jerusalem; and seeing some of his disciples eating bread with common, that is, with unwashed, hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they wash their hands with the fist, do not eat, holding the tradition of the elders; and on coming from the marketplace, unless they bathe, they do not eat; and there are many other things which they have received to hold, the washings of cups and pots and bronze vessels and couches. Then the Pharisees and the scribes ask him: Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands? The disciples of the Lord, having been taught to cling to virtue alone, and to busy themselves with nothing else besides, ate with unwashed hands, without fuss and simply. The Pharisees, therefore, wishing to find a pretext for mockery, lay hold of this; and they do not blame them as transgressing the law, but the tradition of the elders. For it is not written in the law to wash with the fist — that is, up to the elbow (for the term fist denotes the part from the elbow to the very tips of the fingers) — but they had this handed down to them from the elders.

² And he answering said unto them: Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. And in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, the washings of pots and cups, and many other such like things you do. And he said unto them: Full well do you set aside the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition. For Moses said: Honor your father and your mother; and, He that speaks evil of father or mother, let him die the death. But you say: If a man shall say to his father or his mother, Corban, which is, A gift, by whatsoever you might have been profited by me; and you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother, making void the word of God by your tradition which you have delivered; and many such like things you do. The Lord, reproving the Jews more weightily, brings forward the prophet also as accusing them. They, then, charged the disciples with transgressing the tradition of the elders; but the Lord brings against them a more vehement charge, namely, the transgressing of the law of Moses. For the law, he says, declares: Honor your father and your mother; but you teach the children to say to their parents that it is Corban — that is, A gift and a thing dedicated to God — which you seek from me. For the Pharisees, wishing to devour the goods of the simpler folk, taught the children, if they had, as it were, some private store [peculium] and the parents sought it, to say: I have already consecrated this to God, and seek it no longer, as a thing dedicated to the Lord. Thus, then, deceiving the children and prevailing on them to consecrate, forsooth, to God what they had, they made them despise their fathers, while they themselves devoured the things consecrated. This, then, is what the Lord charges them with, that for gain’s sake they transgress the law of God.

³ And calling all the multitude unto him, he said unto them: Hear me, all of you, and understand. There is nothing from outside the man, entering into him, that can defile him; but the things that come out of him, those are they that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And when he entered into a house from the multitude, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. And he said unto them: Are you also so without understanding? Do you not perceive that whatsoever from outside enters into the man cannot defile him, because it enters not into his heart, but into the belly, and goes out into the privy, purging all the meats? And he said: That which comes out of the man, that defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetings, wickednesses, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things proceed from within, and defile the man. The Lord, teaching men that the law’s prescriptions about the observances of foods we ought not to understand carnally, begins here to disclose, in measure, the intent of the law. And he says that none of the things that enter in can defile — that is, pollute — anyone, but that the things proceeding from the heart, those are they that pollute; and he enumerates them. By an evil eye he means either envy or wantonness; for indeed the envious man casts an evil and malignant eye upon the one envied; and the wanton man, beholding the evil through the eye, pursues it. By blasphemy he means insolence toward God, as when one says that there is no providence — this is blasphemy; wherefore he joins to it pride; for pride is, as it were, a contempt of God, when a man, having wrought some good, ascribes it not to God but to his own power. And by foolishness understand insolence toward men. All these passions, then, defile the soul, springing up and coming forth out of it. To the multitude, then, the Lord spoke more obscurely, wherefore also he said: He that has ears to hear, let him hear — that is, He that understands, let him understand. But to the apostles, who supposed that the Lord was saying something deeper, and who came forward and asked concerning the parable, the dark saying, first he rebuked them, saying —[8]

⁴ And rising up from there, he departed into the borders of Tyre and Sidon; and entering into a house, he would have no man know it. And he could not be hid. For a woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having heard of him, came and fell down at his feet; now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race; and she besought him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter. But Jesus said unto her: Let the children first be filled; for it is not good to take the children’s bread and cast it to the little dogs. But she answered and said unto him: Yea, Lord; for even the little dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs. And he said unto her: For this saying, go your way; the demon is gone out of your daughter. And departing to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed. After the Lord had spoken concerning foods, and saw the Jews disobedient, he passes over to the borders of the heathen. For, the Jews having disbelieved, salvation was about to come to the nations. He himself, however, of set purpose strives to be hidden, that the Jews might not afterward have ground to accuse him of having run to the unclean nations. Yet he could not be hidden; for it was not possible for him to be hidden and not to be known by someone. The woman, then, having heard of him, displays a fervent faith. For this cause, therefore, the Lord does not at once hearken, but defers the gift, that he may show the woman’s persevering faith, and that, though sent away, she persists; that we too may learn not to leap away at once whenever, having prayed, we do not immediately obtain, but to persevere until we receive. By little dogs he names the heathen, as accounted polluted by the Jews; and by bread, the benefaction which God had set apart for the children, that is, for the Hebrews; for the benefactions he sent to the Hebrews. The Lord says, then, that the heathen ought not to partake of the benefaction which is set apart for the Jews; but since the woman answered wisely and faithfully, she obtained her desire. For the Jews, he says, have the bread — that is, you whole and entire, who came down from heaven — and your benefactions; but I ask for crumbs, that is, a partial benefaction. And mark the Lord also, how he said not, My power has saved you. But what does he say? For this saying — that is, for your faith — go your way; for your daughter has been cleansed. Learn, then, you also from here a profitable lesson. For each of us, whenever he sins, is a woman, that is, a weak soul; and a Phoenician woman, as having for her daughter a sin that is scarlet [phoenician] and bloody and murderous. Such a soul has the wicked deed, which it has as a demon. For wicked deeds are demons; being sinners, then, we are also named little dogs, full of uncleanness; for this cause we are not even worthy to receive the bread of God, that is, to partake of the undefiled mysteries; if, however, we recognize ourselves, and confess, and openly avow this — that is, the demoniac deed.

⁵ And again, going out from the borders of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one deaf, who had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to lay his hand upon him. And taking him aside from the multitude privately, he put his fingers into his ears; and spitting, he touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. And he charged them that they should tell no man; but the more he charged them, so much the more abundantly they proclaimed it, and were beyond measure astonished, saying: He has done all things well; he makes both the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak. He does not linger in the places of the heathen, but quickly removes, that, as I said, he might not give the Jews occasion to say that he transgresses the law by mingling with the heathen. Removing, then, from the borders of Tyre and Sidon, he draws near to Galilee. And seeing one deaf and with an impediment in his speech — and the affliction was from a demon — he heals him. Taking him aside privately; for he who had humbled himself even to our poverty was no lover of display, nor did he wish, for the most part, to work wonders before many, save only for the profit of the beholders. And spitting, he touched his tongue, that he might show that all the members of his holy flesh were divine and holy, even as the spittle also now loosed the bonds of the tongue. Taking him, then, privately, he put his fingers into his ears; one of the right hand into this ear, and one of the left into that. And spitting, and so forth; and although all spittle is a superfluity, yet in the Lord all things are newer and divine. Looking up to heaven he sighs — perhaps both as beseeching the Father to have mercy on the man, and teaching us, whenever we are about to work a wonder, to look toward God, and thence to ask for the power of wonders; and perhaps also as pitying human nature, how it was so delivered over to the devil as thus to be mocked and to suffer such things. Whence also, having healed him, he is proclaimed by those who were healed, even though he charges and commands them to say nothing. For we are taught from here that, when we do good, we ought not to demand applause and renown; but when we are benefited, to proclaim and to noise abroad those who have done us good, even though they wish it not.

8 Chapter 8. — On the seven loaves. On those seeking a sign. On the leaven of the Pharisees. On the blind man. On the questioning at Caesarea. On the rebuking of Peter.

¹ In those days, the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him and says unto them: I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with me three days, and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away fasting to their own homes, they will faint by the way; for some of them are come from afar. And his disciples answered him: Whence shall one be able to fill these men with bread here in the wilderness? And he asked them: How many loaves have you? And they said, Seven. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, having given thanks, he broke them, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude. And they had a few small fishes; and having blessed, he bade set these also before them. So they ate, and were filled; and they took up of the broken pieces that remained over seven baskets. Now they that had eaten were about four thousand; and he sent them away. Already before this the Lord had wrought some such wonder; but now he works it, having seized upon a reasonable occasion. And this was, that the multitude had remained three days, and the provisions of each had been consumed. For he did not always work wonders concerning food, lest the multitudes should seem to follow him for the sake of food. And now, then, had there not been an expected danger of want of nourishment coming upon the multitude, he would not have worked the wonder. And mark the disciples too, how they are still without understanding, not yet believing in his power from what had gone before. But he upbraids them with nothing, teaching us also not to rebuke too severely those who are untaught, but in some things even to bear with them in their want of understanding. And consider this also, that Christ wishes no one to be sent away fasting. For he wishes all to delight in his gifts of grace, and especially those who have remained with him three days — that is, the baptized. For since baptism is called illumination, and baptism is accomplished in three immersions, in three days are those who are illumined through baptism. He takes, then, the seven loaves — I mean the more spiritual words. For the number seven is a symbol of the Spirit. For it is the Spirit that perfects all things, and in the number seven our life is perfected, and this present age. And the illumined eat and are filled, and leave fragments over. For they cannot eat all the divine thoughts. But there, in the wonder of the five loaves, the fragments were twelve baskets; for they were five thousand, that is, men enslaved to the five senses. And for this cause they could not eat much, but were content with little; wherefore also the things left over were many. But here there are seven baskets, and few the remnants, because they were four thousand, that is, men exercised in the four virtues, and for this cause, as being stronger, they ate much and left little. For those things only they could not eat, which were more spiritual and deeper; for this is the seven baskets. And learn this also according to the history, that we ought to stand fast within our need, and to seek nothing more. For behold, the multitudes, having eaten and been filled, did not take with them the remnants of the loaves, but the disciples took these up, as also in the case of the baskets; thus, then, we too ought to be content with the due measure of our need.

² And straightway entering into the boat with his disciples, he came into the parts of Dalmanutha. And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. And sighing deeply in his spirit, he says: Why does this generation seek a sign? Amen I say unto you, no sign shall be given unto this generation. After the wonder concerning the loaves, he straightway withdraws to another place, fearing lest the multitude, on account of such a wonder, should rise up and make him king. But the Pharisees seek a sign from heaven — such as to stay the sun, or the moon, to bring down thunderbolts, to alter the air. For they thought that he would not be able to make a sign from heaven, inasmuch as, by Beelzebul, he could work only the signs that are on the earth. But he does not yield to them. For the time of the signs from heaven is another, namely that of the second coming, I mean, when the powers of the heavens shall be shaken, and the moon shall not give her light. But the time of the first coming has nothing of this kind, but all things full of meekness. So that there shall not be given to this generation such a sign, that is, one from heaven.

³ And leaving them, entering again into the boat, he departed to the other side. And the disciples had forgotten to take loaves, and they had not with them in the boat more than one loaf. And he charged them, saying: Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no loaves. And Jesus, knowing it, says unto them: Why do you reason, because you have no loaves? Do you not yet perceive, neither understand? Have you your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, do you not see? and having ears, do you not hear? and do you not remember, when I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments you took up? They say unto him, Twelve. And when the seven among the four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments you took up? And they said, Seven. And he said unto them: How is it that you do not yet understand? The Lord leaves the Pharisees, as past correction. For where there is hope of correction, there one ought to tarry; but where the evil is past correction, thence one ought to leap away. And by a [providential] dispensation the disciples forget to take loaves, that, being reproached, they might become better, and might come to a sense of the power of Christ. For when the Lord said to take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees — that is, of their teaching — they supposed that the Lord was forbidding them the leaven of [common] loaves. Whence with reason they are rebuked, as not understanding the power of Christ, that he can make loaves out of things that are not. And by leaven he names the teaching of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, as being rank and full of old malice. For everyone who is grown gross in malice, and can say nothing spiritual, so as to sweeten the throat of the hearer, such a one has leaven, a teaching of old malice that bites, and afterward brings the one persuaded to repentance. But who were the Herodians?

⁴ And he comes to Bethsaida; and they bring unto him a blind man, and beseech him to touch him. And taking hold of the blind man’s hand, he led him out of the village; and spitting upon his eyes, and laying his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw aught. And looking up, he said: I see men, for I behold them as trees, walking. After that he laid his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up; and he was restored, and saw all men clearly. And he sent him away to his house, saying: Neither enter into the village, nor tell it to any in the village. Bethsaida appears to have been sick with much unbelief, wherefore also Christ bewails it, as Matthew says: Woe unto you, Chorazin! woe unto you, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago. Hither, then, when the Lord came, they bring unto him a blind man. But the faith of those who brought him was not genuine, whence also the Lord leads the blind man out of the village, and thus heals him. And he spits upon the eyes of the blind man, and lays his hands upon him, that we may learn that the divine word, and the deed that follows the word, can accomplish wonders. For the hand is a symbol of action; the spittle, of the word, inasmuch as it is from the mouth. Nor yet did the blind man himself have perfect faith, for which cause neither does he make him see at once, but by degrees, as one not having entire faith; for according to the faith are the healings also wrought. And he charges him not to enter into the village, because, as I said, the people in Bethsaida being unbelievers, the man would have been harmed in his soul; but neither to tell to anyone what was done upon him, lest they, disbelieving, should draw upon themselves a worse judgment. And we too, then, are often blind in soul, being in the village — that is, in this world. Then, being led out of the village — that is, out of the world and its affairs — by Christ, we are healed. And after we are healed, he tells us no longer to return to the village, but to the house. And the house of each of us is heaven and the mansions there.

⁵ And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them: Whom do men say that I am? And they answered, John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but others, one of the prophets. And he says unto them: But whom do you say that I am? And Peter answering says unto him: You are the Christ. And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. Having led them far away from the Jews, he then asks concerning himself, that, fearing no one, they might confess the truth. They answer, then, that Some suppose you to be John, and others Elijah. For the many thought that John had risen, even as Herod also supposed, and that he had received from the resurrection the working of signs as well; for while John lived, he did no sign. After, then, he had asked them the suppositions of others, he asks them also their own opinion. As though saying this: They indeed think thus concerning me, being deceived, but do you say something else. What, then, does Peter? He confesses him to be the Christ proclaimed by the prophets. But what the Lord said in answer to Peter’s confession, and how he blessed him, Mark passed over, that he might not seem to be saying these things in favor of Peter, who was his teacher; but Matthew has spoken all things without omission. And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. For he wished the opinion concerning him to be kept in shadow, lest many should be offended at him, and on this account, disbelieving, should become liable to greater punishment.

⁶ And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he spoke that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. But he, turning about and looking on his disciples, rebuked Peter, saying: Get behind me, Satan; for you mind not the things of God, but the things of men. When he had held them fast in confessing that he is the true Christ, then he reveals to them also the mystery of the cross, though not altogether nakedly; for neither even so did they understand, he says, nor did they perceive what the rising again is, but they thought it better not to suffer at all. Wherefore also Peter begins to blame him, as casting himself into death when it was possible to suffer nothing. But the Lord, showing that his passion would be for salvation, and that Satan alone does not wish him to suffer, that he might not save mankind, names Peter Satan, as minding the things of Satan, and not wishing him to suffer, but being set against him. (For Satan is interpreted adversary.) And, Get behind me, he says — that is, Follow my will, and set not yourself against me, nor come opposite to me, but follow behind me. And he said that Peter minded the things of men, inasmuch as, minding certain lowly and carnal things, he wished the Lord to be at ease, and not to be crucified, and to fall into trial for the salvation of the world.

⁷ And calling the multitude unto him with his disciples, he said unto them: Whosoever will follow after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Since Peter had rebuked him as wishing to be crucified, he calls the multitude unto him, and in the hearing of all, addressing himself rather to Peter, he says: Do you blame me, Peter, that I choose the cross? But I say to you, that neither you nor any other shall be saved, unless he die for the good and for the truth. And mark that he said not, Even if one wish not, let him die, but, Whosoever will. For I compel no one, he says. For I call to good things, not to evil, that I should also constrain; so that he who wills not is not even worthy of these things. And what it is to deny oneself, we may thus learn, if we know what it is to deny another. He who denies another — a brother, it may be, or a servant, or a father — even though he see him scourged, even though slain, does not turn to him, does not suffer with him, as having once for all become estranged. Thus, then, he wishes us also to be unsparing of our own body, that even if they scourge us, even if they do whatever they will, we may not spare it. And let him take up the cross — that is, the death of reproach; for the cross seemed at that time a thing of reproach. And since many are crucified for being robbers, he adds that, together with being crucified, one must have the rest of virtue also. For this is the saying, And let him follow me. And since this seemed a grievous and harsh thing which he enjoined, to give oneself over to death, he says that, on the contrary, this is rather a thing of love for man. For whosoever shall lose his life — but for my sake, not being slain as a robber, or hanging himself (for this is not for my sake) — such a one, then, shall find his own life; even as, on the other side, he who thinks to gain shall lose it, he who in the time of martyrdom does not stand fast. For tell me not, But he gained life. For if you put with this that he gained also the whole world, there is no profit. For salvation is not to be bartered for money; whereas, if this were so, the man who gained the world but lost his soul might then, while frying in the flame, have given it and been set free. But there is no such ransom there. And from this, then, let us stop the mouths of the followers of Origen, who say that there will be a restoration of souls after they have been punished in proportion to their sins. For let them hear that it is not possible to give a ransom for the soul. Therefore neither is it possible to be punished so much as to counterbalance one’s sins.

⁸ For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. And he said unto them: Amen I say unto you, that there are some of them that stand here, who shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. He is not content with the faith that is in the mind, but demands also the confession through the mouth. For since man is twofold, let the sanctification also become twofold; the soul being sanctified through faith, and the body also being sanctified through confession. Whosoever, then, shall be ashamed to confess the crucified one as his God, him also will he be ashamed of, judging him a servant unworthy of himself, when he shall come — no longer lowly, nor such as he appeared here, mean, so that some are ashamed at him, but in glory and with the bodyguard of the angels. And since he had spoken concerning his glory, wishing to show them that he does not vainly boast, he says that There are some of them that stand here — that is, Peter and James and John — who shall not die, until I show them, in the transfiguration, with what glory I am about to come at the second coming. For the transfiguration was nothing other than a foreshowing of the second coming. For thus shall he too then shine forth, and the righteous also. And he named the generation adulterous, not because they commit adultery, but because they are addicted to the devil. And since, and so forth.

9 Chapter 9. — On the transfiguration of Jesus. On the lunatic. On those disputing who is greatest. On removing the cause of stumbling.

¹ And after six days Jesus takes Peter and James and John, and brings them up into a high mountain apart by themselves, and was transfigured before them; and his garments became shining, exceeding white as snow, such as no fuller on earth can whiten them. Luke indeed says, after eight days, not as contradicting this, but rather as fully agreeing. For the one reckoned in both the very day on which he spoke and that on which he led them up; but Mark only the days between these. Taking, then, the chief ones, he brings them up into a high mountain: Peter, as having confessed and as loving; John, as being loved; and James, as being himself also most loud-voiced and most theological. For he was so grievous to the Jews, that Herod also, wishing to please the Jews, killed him. And he brings them up into a high mountain, that the wonder might be the more glorious. And apart; for he was about to show a mystery. And understand the transfiguration, not as a change of his form, but that, the form remaining such as it was before, there came upon it an addition of unspeakable splendor.

² And there appeared unto them Elijah with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. And Peter answering says to Jesus: Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles, one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. For he knew not what to say; for they were sore afraid. And there came a cloud overshadowing them; and a voice came out of the cloud: This is my beloved Son; hear him. And suddenly, when they had looked round about, they saw no man any more, save Jesus only with themselves. Elijah and Moses appear talking with him, for many reasons; but two suffice. Since the disciples had said that the multitudes call him, some Elijah, and others one of the prophets, he shows them the chief ones of the prophets, that from this also they might learn the difference between the servants and the Master: this is one reason. And the other, since the many thought him opposed to God, as loosing the Sabbath and transgressing the law, he shows on the mountain the prophets — of whom the one was a lawgiver, and the other a zealot. For such prophets would not have conversed with one who seemed to loose the law, unless what he said pleased them. But Peter, fearing to go down from the mountain (for he dreaded the crucifying of the Lord), says: It is good for us to be here, and not to go down there into the midst of the Jews. For even if those who rage against you should come here, we have Moses, who drowned the Egyptians; we have Elijah, who brought down fire from heaven, and destroyed the captains of fifty. And what were the prophets talking with him? The things concerning his cross and his death. And Peter said what he said, not knowing what he was saying; for they had become sore afraid at the unspeakable light and glory. For he was not truly in his own mind, not wishing Jesus to go down to be crucified for our salvation, but rather to remain always on the mountain. And the saying is to be carried up also to contemplation. After the consummation of this world, which was fashioned in six days, Jesus will bring us up also, if indeed we are his disciples, into the high mountain — I mean heaven — and will manifest himself to us more resplendent. For now he appeared in dishonor, as crucified and the son of a carpenter; but then we shall see his glory as of the Only-begotten. And we shall see also the law and the prophets talking with him — that is, the things spoken concerning him by Moses and the prophets; then we shall understand and find them in concord with the facts, and then we shall truly hear the Father’s voice, the Father revealing to us the Son, and teaching that This is my Son. And how will he teach us? When the cloud overshadows us — that is, the Holy Spirit; for that is the fountain of wisdom.

³ And as they came down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, save when the Son of man were risen from the dead. And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead should mean. For what cause does the Lord charge the disciples to tell no man concerning the transfiguration? That men might not be offended, hearing such glorious things concerning Christ, and then afterward seeing him crucified. But after he had risen from the dead, it was seasonable to tell such glorious things concerning Christ as had come to pass before the cross. The apostles, then, kept the saying with themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead should be. For they did not yet know, he says, that he must rise from the dead.

⁴ And they asked him, saying, that, The scribes say that Elijah must first come? The apostles, then, kept the saying with themselves — the saying about his rising from the dead — telling it to no other; or else the saying about the transfiguration, questioning what the rising from the dead might be. For they did not yet know that he must rise from the dead; for, having seen one raise himself from the dead, yet not having heard it [explained], they supposed that this also was a parable, and inquired together what it signified, and asked him, saying, and so forth.

⁵ And he answering said unto them: Elijah indeed coming first restores all things; and how is it written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things and be set at naught? But I say unto you, that Elijah is indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they would, as it is written of him. Concerning Elijah a certain report prevailed among the Jews, that Elijah would come before the Christ. But the Pharisees, not interpreting as they ought the things concerning Elijah, but of evil will hid the truth. For there are two comings of Christ: this one which has taken place, and the one to come. Of the former, then, John became the forerunner; of the second, Elijah is about to become so. Elijah, then, Christ calls John, as being reproving and a zealot and a dweller in the wilderness. The Lord, then, withstands the opinion of the Pharisees, who supposed that Elijah is the forerunner of the former coming of Christ. And how does he withstand it? Elijah indeed coming restores all things; and how is it written of the Son of man, that he must suffer many things? And what he says is this: The Tishbite Elijah, when he is about to come, will make peace with the disobedient Jews, and will bring them to faith; so that he will be the forerunner of the second coming. For if the Tishbite, being the forerunner of the first coming, were the one about to restore all things, how then is it written that the Son of man must suffer thus and thus? Of the two, then, the one remains: either that Elijah is not the forerunner of the first coming, if indeed the Scriptures speak truly that the Christ must suffer; or that the Scriptures do not speak truly which say that the Christ shall suffer, if indeed we should believe, according to the word of the Pharisees, that the Tishbite shall be the forerunner of the former coming. For Elijah is about to restore all things, and there shall not be then any disobedient Hebrew, but all shall believe the preaching, as many as shall hear Elijah. Overthrowing, then, the supposition of the Pharisees, the Lord says that Elijah is already come — that is, John — and they did unto him whatsoever they would. For they disobeyed him, and at last he was beheaded, becoming the prize of a dance.

⁶ And coming to the disciples, he saw a great multitude about them, and scribes questioning with them. And straightway all the multitude, seeing him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him. And he asked the scribes: What do you question with them? And one of the multitude answered and said: Teacher, I brought my son unto you, who has a dumb spirit; and wheresoever it takes him, it tears him, and he foams, and gnashes with his teeth, and pines away. And I spoke to your disciples that they should cast it out, and they could not. Coming to the disciples — namely, the nine who had not gone up with him — he saw them being questioned by the Pharisees. For the Pharisees, seizing upon the absence of Jesus, were attempting to overturn the disciples. But the multitude, suddenly seeing him, saluted him; for they longed to see him, and, as having seen him after a long absence, they saluted him. And some say that his very countenance, of itself, the transfiguration being yet upon it intensely, drew the multitudes to salute him. And one of the multitude answering said: This man was weak in respect of faith, even as the Lord also testifies, saying, O faithless generation, and again, To him that believes all things are possible; and as the man himself says, Help my unbelief. And he accuses the disciples, being himself altogether without faith. For he ought not to have come and accused them before all, but privately.

⁷ And he answering him says: O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? Bring him unto me. And they brought him unto him; and seeing him, straightway the spirit tore him; and falling on the ground, he wallowed foaming. And he asked his father: How long a time is it since this has come unto him? And he said: From childhood; and ofttimes it has cast him both into the fire and into the waters, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, help us, having compassion on us. And Jesus said unto him: If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes. And straightway the father of the child cried out with tears, and said: I believe, Lord; help my unbelief. And Jesus, seeing that the multitude came running together, rebuked the unclean spirit, saying unto it: You dumb and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and enter no more into him. And the spirit cried, and tore him sore, and came out; and he was as one dead, so that many said, He is dead. But Jesus, taking him by the hand, lifted him up; and he arose. The man who came forward charged the disciples as not having had strength to heal. But Christ turns the charge back upon him, all but saying this: Being yourself without faith, you became the cause that your son was not healed. And he says this not to him alone, but makes the word common, as reproaching all the Jews in common for unbelief. For it was likely that many of those standing by were offended. And he shows death to be a thing desired by him, in saying, How long shall I be with you? — that is, I have been worn out among you who are without faith. But he also applies the healing, not undertaking to heal the child for display, but rather with much modesty. For mark how he ascribes the healing not to his own power, but to the man’s faith, saying, All things are possible to him that believes. And yet another thing: for seeing the multitude gathering together, he rebuked the spirit; for he did not wish to heal before a multitude, as one courting notice and given to display. And in rebuking it and saying, Come out, and enter no more, he hints at this, that on account of the man’s unbelief the demon would have entered again, had it not been hindered by his command. And he permits it to tear the child, that all might know the malignity of the demon, and that it would have slain the man, had it not been held back by the divine hand. And one is cast by a demon into the fire of wrath and of desire, and into the water, the surge of the affairs of life. And this demon is dumb and deaf: deaf, as not willing to hear the words of God; dumb, as not even able to teach others their duty; but if Jesus — that is, the Gospel word — takes hold of the hand, I mean the practical power, then we shall be set free from the demon. And mark that God indeed helps us, and then we ourselves are required to render the good; the help is of God, and that he arose, this is of the man. This man was weak in respect of faith, as is plain from many things: from Christ’s saying, O faithless generation, and from his saying, If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes; and from the man’s saying, Help my unbelief; and from his commanding the demon to enter no more into him. And if his unbelief was the cause that the demon was not cast out, why does he charge the disciples? Showing that even apart from the faith [of the sufferer] it is possible in many cases to heal.

⁸ And when he was come into a house, his disciples asked him privately: Why could we not cast it out? And he said unto them: This kind can come forth by nothing, save by prayer and fasting. The disciples feared lest they had lost the grace which the Lord had given them, and on this account could not cast out the demon. And mark also their reverence, how they come to him privately. But this kind — what kind? Either that of the lunatics, or simply every kind of the demons comes not forth in any other way, save by prayer and fasting; for both the sufferer must fast, and he who is about to heal. For there is need of both; but especially the word requires the fasting of the sufferer. One must not only fast, but also pray; nor only pray, but also fast. For thus is true prayer accomplished, if it have fasting joined with it. For then he who prays is not weighed down by the vapors that come from foods, but is light and aery.

⁹ And going forth from there, they passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it. For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, that, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and being killed, on the third day he shall rise again. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him. Always he intersperses the word concerning the passion among the wonder-workings, that it might not be thought that he suffered through want of power. Having said, then, the sorrowful thing, that they shall kill him, he adds also the joyful, that on the third day he shall rise again, that we may learn that joyful things ever follow the sorrowful, and that we should not be vainly grieved at things painful, but should hope also for the better things.

¹⁰ And he came to Capernaum; and being in the house he asked them: What was it that you disputed among yourselves by the way? But they held their peace; for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve, and says unto them: If any man desire to be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all. And he took a child, and set it in the midst of them; and taking it in his arms, he said unto them: Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receives me; and whosoever shall receive me, receives not me, but him that sent me. The disciples, minding things still too human, contended with one another which of them was greater and more honored with Christ. But the Lord does not forbid the desire of preferment. For he wishes us to desire the higher degree. He does not, however, wish us to snatch at the first places, but rather through humility to gain the height. For he set a child in the midst, and he wishes us also to become that. For the child neither covets glory, nor envies, nor bears a grudge. And not only, he says, if you yourselves become such, shall you receive a great reward, but even if you honor others who are such for my sake, you shall receive the kingdom of heaven in return. For you receive me; and receiving me, you receive him that sent me. You see, then, how much humility can do, and the artlessness and guilelessness of its manner. For it makes both the Son and the Father to dwell in us. And it is plain that the Holy Spirit also [dwells in us].

¹¹ And John answered him, saying: Teacher, we saw one casting out demons in your name, who follows not us; and we forbade him, because he follows not us. But Jesus said: Forbid him not. For there is no man who shall do a mighty work in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is for us. Not led by any jealousy or envy does the son of thunder forbid that man who was casting out the demons, but wishing that all who call upon the name of Christ should also follow him, and that all the disciples should be one body. For in the beginning of the preaching, certain men, mastered by a love of vainglory, wished themselves also to work signs. And seeing the name of Jesus to have great power, they would pronounce it, and indeed wrought signs, being otherwise unworthy of the divine grace. For the Lord willed that the preaching should be spread abroad, even through the unworthy. What, then, does the Savior? He does not allow John to forbid him who works the signs, but, Let him alone, he says; for no man who shall do a mighty work in my name can lightly speak evil of me. For how should he speak evil of me, who makes my name an occasion of glory, and by calling upon it works wonders? But the Lord seems to say things contrary to himself. For elsewhere, having said, He that is not with me is against me, now he says, He that is not against us is for us. These, then, seem contrary; but they are not. For the saying, He that is not with me is against me, was spoken concerning the demons, who strive to draw men away from God and to scatter the things of God. But the present saying is concerning men who rather bring some to God by working wonders.

¹² For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because you belong to Christ, amen I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. And whosoever shall cause one of the little ones that believe in me to stumble, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea. Not only, he says, do I not forbid him who works mighty deeds in my name, but even if anyone give you some very small thing for my name’s sake, and receive you for my sake — not for any human or worldly favor — he shall not lose his reward. And he said the cup of water, on account of those who plead poverty. For even if, he says, you give a cup of water, the meanest thing, not even this shall he lose. And as, if you honor one of the little ones, you please God, so, if you cause one of the little ones to stumble — that is, dishonor, supplant him — it is profitable for you that a millstone of an ass were hung about your neck; for we shall undergo, as it seems, a worse punishment. And he spoke of a sensible punishment, frightening us through this sensible example.

¹³ And if your hand cause you to stumble, cut it off; it is good for you to enter into life maimed, than having the two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched, where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched. And if your foot cause you to stumble, cut it off; it is good for you to enter into life lame, than having the two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched, where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched. And if your eye cause you to stumble, pluck it out; it is good for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into the hell of fire, where their worm dies not, and the fire is not quenched. For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Salt is good; but if the salt have lost its saltness, with what will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another. Having denounced those who cause to stumble, that it were profitable for them to be cast into the sea, now he exhorts those who are caused to stumble to guard themselves against those who are ready to cause stumbling and to supplant them. For whether it be foot, or hand, or eye, that causes you to stumble — that is, even if it be one of your nearest, even one of those close to you by blood and serviceable — cut him off; that is, renounce your friendship and intimacy with him. And the worm and the fire that punish sinners are the conscience of each, and the memory of the shameful things done in this life; which, like a worm, devours, and, like a fire, burns. For everyone, he says, shall be salted with fire — that is, shall be tried. Which Paul also says, that all things shall be tried by fire. And every sacrifice, he says, shall be salted with salt. And this he said from Leviticus. For there God says, Every gift of your sacrifice shall be salted with salt. It is good, then, for us to salt our sacrifices with the salt of God — that is, not to offer dissolute sacrifices, or even slothful ones, but pungent and savory. And by salt the Lord means also the apostles, and simply all who have the power that holds together and binds. For as salt holds together the flesh, and does not let it breed worms, so also the word of teaching, if it be pungent, binding together the carnal men, does not let the sleepless worm be bred in them. But if the teacher be saltless, and have not the pungent and binding quality, with what shall he be salted — that is, seasoned? Have, then, in yourselves salt — namely, the savory and cohesive grace of the Spirit — that you may be at peace with one another. For he who is bound fast to his neighbor by the bond of love, this man has salt, and so is at peace with his brother.

10 Chapter 10. — On those who asked whether it is lawful to put away one’s wife; and concerning children; and concerning Bartimaeus.

¹ And rising up from there, he comes into the borders of Judea by the farther side of the Jordan, and the multitudes resort to him again, and, as he was accustomed, he taught them again. And the Pharisees came and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. And he answered and said to them, What did Moses command you? And they said to him, Moses permitted to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. And Jesus answered and said to them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh; so that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put asunder. The Lord continually withdrew from Judea on account of the envy of those men; now, then, he sojourns there, since the Passion was about to be near. Yet he does not as yet go up to Jerusalem, but to the borders of Judea, that he might benefit the guileless multitude. For Jerusalem was the workshop of all wickedness, on account of the malice of the Pharisees. See, then, their wickedness, how they tempt the Lord, not suffering him, that the multitudes might believe in him, but ever coming forward and thinking to cast him into perplexity and to silence him by their questions. For they asked him a question having precipices on both sides: Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? So that if he should say that it is lawful to put her away, they might meet him with, How then did you say that, except for the matter of fornication, it is not lawful to put her away? But if he should say that it is not lawful, they might charge him as opposing the decrees of Moses. Christ, then, the very Wisdom, answers them an answer that escapes their snares. For he asks them what Moses commanded them. And when they had said that he commanded to put her away, he interprets the law to them. For Moses was not so harsh, he says, as to bring in such a law, but he wrote this for your hardness of heart. For God, knowing the inhumanity of the Hebrews, and that he who wished would readily murder his own wife once he had come to hate her, permitted the man who was not pleased with her to put away his wife. But from the beginning it was not so; rather, the counsel of God glues the spouses to one another, and makes them one, so that they neglect even their parents. And see what he says, that God does not will polygamy, so as to leave this one and take another wife, and again to leave her and cleave to another. For if this were so, he would have made one man, but many women. But now this has not come to pass; rather, he made them male and female, ordaining one to be joined to one. And perhaps we may also understand the present passage thus. The teaching word, casting good seeds into the soul of the faithful man, holds the place of a husband toward the soul that receives it. Often, then, the word, wishing to benefit the soul that receives it, leaves its own father—that is, a lofty mind—and its own mother—that is, an embellished diction. And it cleaves to its wife—that is, it teaches the things unto the benefit of that soul, condescending and preferring [to do so]. And thereafter the two become one flesh—that is, the soul is united in the knowledge and in the Word of God. And no human word shall separate them from one another, since they have become one through faith.

² And in the house his disciples asked him again concerning this matter, and he says to them, Whosoever shall put away his wife and marry another, commits adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she commits adultery. The disciples too were still being made to stumble; for this cause, then, they come to him again and ask, as though their reasoning had not yet been sufficiently healed. And he answers them, saying, Whosoever shall put away his wife and marry another is an adulterer against that second woman. Likewise, then, the woman also is an adulteress who has forsaken her own husband and joined herself to another.

³ And they brought young children to him, that he might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said to them, Suffer the little children to come to me, and forbid them not; for of such is the kingdom of God. Truly I say to you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And he took them up in his arms, and laid his hands upon them, and blessed them. Great was the faith of the multitudes, if indeed they thought that Christ blessed those brought to him even by the mere laying on of hands. But the disciples, thinking it unworthy of Christ that little children should be brought to him, hindered those who brought them. What, then, does Christ do? Teaching them to be modest-minded, and to trample down worldly conceit, he both takes them and embraces them. For he shows that he receives the guileless; wherefore also he says, For of such is the kingdom of God. Mark, he did not say, For of these is the kingdom, but, Of such—that is, of those who have by discipline the guilelessness which the children have by nature. For the child neither envies, nor bears malice, nor, when it is beaten by its mother, withdraws from her. But even though she wear rags, it prefers her to a queen. So also he who lives according to virtue prefers nothing to his mother—I mean the Church—nor the pleasure that reigns over the many. Wherefore also the Lord embraces such ones, saying, Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden. And he blesses them, saying, Come, you blessed of my Father. And by the kingdom of God he here means the preaching and the promise of good things. Whoever, then, shall receive the preaching of God as a little child—that is, doubting in nothing nor disbelieving—that man enters into the kingdom of God, and into the good things which he has already received by faith.

⁴ And when he was gone forth into the way, one came running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said to him, Why do you call me good? There is none good but one, that is, God. You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honor your father and mother. And he answered and said to him, Master, all these have I kept from my youth. Then Jesus, beholding him, loved him, and said to him, One thing you lack: go your way, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved; for he had great possessions. Some find fault with this young man, as being a sly fellow and wicked and a tempter. But this is not so; rather, the man was a lover of money, but not a tempter. For hear the evangelist, that Jesus, beholding him, loved him. Why, then, did Christ answer him thus, saying, There is none good? Because he came to him as to a man, and as to one of the many teachers. For this is what Christ says: If you suppose me to be good as a teacher, no man is good as compared with God; but if you suppose me to be good as God, why then do you name me teacher? So that by these words Christ wishes this—to make the man’s understanding loftier, unto recognizing him as God. But he accomplishes yet another thing also, namely, to teach him, whenever he is about to converse with anyone, not to converse flatteringly, but to know God as the root and the fountain of goodness, and to refer the honors to him. And I marvel at this young man, that, whereas all the rest came forward concerning the healing of diseases, he himself seeks the inheritance of eternal life, even though he was held fast by a most grievous passion, the love of money, on account of which, when he heard, Go, sell, and give to the poor, he went away grieved. And mark, he did not say, Go, sell what you have piecemeal and give, but, Sell it all at once, and give—and not to flatterers and prodigals, but to the poor. And, moreover, Come, follow me—that is, lay hold also of every other virtue. For many are without possessions, yet not humble-minded; or even humble-minded, yet drunkards or having some other vice. For this cause, then, the Lord says, Sell, and give to the poor, and follow me, taking up the cross—that is, having prepared yourself for the death that is on my behalf. But he, being sad at the saying, went away. For he had great possessions; and not in vain is this added, the word but. For neither are those who have many possessions and those who have few held fast in like manner, but more grievous and harder to loose are the bonds of many possessions. But even if one be a younger man, light in mind, and not settled in his wits, let him sell what he has—such as wrath and desire, and all the evils that spring from these—and let him give and cast these away to the demons, who are poor, being deprived of every good and fallen from the riches of the goodness of God. And then let him follow Christ. For he who has cast away the riches of his sins to the demons, that man is able to follow Christ. For depart from evil, that is, from the demons; and do good, that is

⁵ And Jesus looked round about, and says to his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answers again, and says to them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved? And Jesus, looking upon them, says, With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible. It is not riches that are evil, but those who possess them are worthy of blame; for one ought not to have them—that is, to hold them fast—but to use them unto what is needful. For riches (chrēmata) are so named from their being for the use (chrēsis) of men, not from their being held fast. Those, then, who possess these and shut them up, shall hardly enter into the kingdom of God. And the word hardly here understand instead of impossible. For it is impossible for a rich man to be saved. And this is plain from the example which the Lord sets down, saying that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man into the kingdom of God. For it is impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. And by camel understand either the animal itself, or a thick rope, such as the greatest of ships use. It is impossible, then, for a man, while he is rich, to be saved. With God, however, this is possible. For Christ said, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness. Do you see how, when we hearken to God, this becomes possible? But with men it is impossible—that is, whenever we are minded according to men, this is impossible. And for what cause were the disciples astonished at these words? For surely they themselves were not rich. It seems to me that they were in anguish on behalf of all men. For they had already begun to become lovers of mankind. But some here are perplexed how he said, With God all things are possible. We say, then, that whenever he says all things, he means the things that are; but sin is a thing that is not. For sin is a thing without substance and without subsistence; and besides, sin is not of power, but of weakness, as the Apostle also says, Christ, when we were yet without strength, died. And again David, Their infirmities were multiplied. So that sin, being a weakness, is not possible with God. Can God, then, they say, also make that which has happened as though it had not happened? We say, then, that God is truth. But to make that which has happened as though it had not happened is a falsehood. How, then, shall the truth make the falsehood? For first it would destroy its own nature; so that this is what those say who ask, Can God, then, not be God? For you see the absurdity of the question.

⁶ And Peter began to say to him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed you. And Jesus answered and said, Truly I say to you, There is no man that has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake and the Gospel’s, but he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions, and in the world to come eternal life. But many that are first shall be last, and the last first. Peter, even if he left but little, yet names all these things. For even the little things have a bond of attachment, so that he who has left even little is blessed. But when Peter alone had asked, the Lord makes the saying universal, saying, Everyone who has left either wife or father; and he says these things, not that we should leave our fathers without help, and separate ourselves from our wives, but teaching us to prefer godliness toward God to all carnal things. For since war was kindled by the preaching, and children were about to deny their fathers for the sake of godliness, he says, Whoever shall leave his carnal kindred, and simply all bodily things for the sake of the Gospel, shall receive all things a hundredfold in the present age, and in the age to come eternal life. Shall he, then, receive wives also a hundredfold? Yes; even though the accursed Julian made comedy of this. For tell me, what does the wife contribute to the man’s household? Surely she takes care of the man’s nourishment and clothing, and the man is led to be free of all care from these things. See, then, this also in the case of the apostles: how many women took thought for their clothing and their food, and ministered to them while they took thought for nothing save the word and teaching only. Likewise the apostles had also many fathers and mothers, those who loved them all and were tenderly affectionate toward them. But Peter too, having left one house, afterward had the houses of all his disciples. And now he has the temples throughout all the earth, in his name, as splendid houses; and what is greater, that with persecutions the saints inherit all these things—that is, being persecuted, and not faring softly, but afflicted. Whence also those who seem to be last in the present age, because they are afflicted and persecuted, shall be first on account of their hope toward God; but the Pharisees too, being first, became last. And those who left all and followed Christ became first.

⁷ And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went before them, and they were amazed, and as they followed they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen to him, saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles, and they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him; and the third day he shall rise again. For what cause does he foretell the things that should happen to him? In order to smooth out the disciples’ understanding beforehand, that having heard it in advance, they might bear it more easily, and not be struck down by its suddenness, and that they might know that he suffers willingly. For he who foreknows and is able to flee, yet flees not, plainly delivers himself up willingly to his sufferings. And taking the disciples apart, he speaks to them alone. For since the Passion was a mystery, it had to be revealed to the more intimate ones. For this cause, then, he also goes before all in the way, wishing to separate his disciples from the rest of the throng. At the same time, also, by going before all and outstripping them in the way, he shows that he runs toward the Passion, and does not flee the death that is on behalf of our salvation; only, even all the gloomy things are dissolved by this, And the third day he shall rise again.

⁸ And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come to him, saying, Master, we would that you should do for us whatever we shall ask. And he said to them, What would you that I should do for you? And they said to him, Grant to us that we may sit, one on your right hand, and one on your left hand, in your glory. But Jesus said to them, You know not what you ask. Can you drink of the cup that I drink of, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? And they said to him, We can. Another evangelist says that their mother came to Christ. And it is likely that both things happened: that the apostles, being ashamed, put their mother forward, and then came forward themselves privately; wherefore also the evangelist marks this, saying, They come to him, instead of, They come privately, having separated themselves from the rest. But let us learn what it was they asked. They supposed that this going up to Jerusalem was a going up to reign in a perceptible kingdom, and that after he had reigned, then he would suffer what he was about to suffer. Thinking these things, then, they ask for the seat on the right and on the left; wherefore the Lord rebukes them as seeking something foolish. For you know not, he says, what you ask. For you suppose my kingdom to be perceptible, and you ask for a perceptible seat. But it is not so; rather, all these things are above understanding. And to sit on my right hand is a great thing, surpassing even the angelic orders; and you indeed gape after glory, but I call you to death. For by cup and baptism he names the cross: a cup, as leading straightway to sleep, and as gladly received by him; and a baptism, as working a cleansing of sins. But they, not understanding what he said, made their promise, supposing that he spoke concerning a perceptible cup, and a baptism such as the Jews were baptized with, washing before they ate.

⁹ And Jesus said to them, You shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of, and with the baptism that I am baptized with shall you be baptized; but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared. The martyrdom, he says, you shall enter into, and you shall die the death that is on behalf of the truth. But to sit is not mine to give. And here two things are inquired into. The one is this: Is the sitting prepared for anyone? And the other, Can the Master of all not give this seat? We say, then, that no one shall sit on the right hand or on the left. But even though in many places of the Scripture you hear of seats, do not understand a seat, but a surpassing honor. And the saying, It is not mine to give, has this meaning: It is not mine, the just judge’s, to give you this honor by favor; for I should not be just; but to those who have striven, to those is this honor prepared—just as if a just king were presiding over some contest, and then certain friends of his came to him and said, Give us the crowns, he would say, It is not mine to give, but if anyone strive and conquer, for that one is the crown prepared; so that you also, sons of Zebedee, shall indeed bear witness for me, but if anyone be found, together with the martyrdom, having also every other virtue above you, that one shall take precedence of you.

¹⁰ And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John. But Jesus called them to him, and says to them, You know that they who are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you; but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister; and whosoever of you will be the first, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. The disciples were still disposed in a human way, and were assailed by envy. Wherefore also they are displeased with the two. But when? When they saw them not received beforehand by the Lord, but, as it were, thrust away, then they are displeased. For as long as they were honored by the Lord, they endured without being displeased, although they saw them being preferred; but since here these very ones asked for the honor, the rest no longer bear it. But now indeed they were thus imperfect, while later you will see them yielding even the chief places to one another. But Christ heals them, first by calming them through bringing them near to himself. For this is what is signified by, having called them to him. Then by showing that to snatch at honor, and to be enamored of the chief places, is a heathen thing. For the rulers of the Gentiles, those bear themselves authoritatively and tyrannically. But my disciples not so; rather, he who wishes to be great, let him minister to all, since this too is the mark of a great soul, to bear with all and to serve all. And the example is near at hand; for even the Son of man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many—which is greater than to minister; for whenever anyone not only ministers, but even dies on behalf of the one ministered to, what is greater or more wonderful than this? But nevertheless this ministry and this condescension became an exaltation and a glory both for him and for all. For before he became man, he was known to the angels alone. But since he became man and was crucified, he has not only that glory, but has also taken on another besides, and reigns over the whole world.

¹¹ And they come to Jericho, and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the wayside begging. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me. And many rebuked him, that he should hold his peace; but he cried so much the more, Son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called; and they call the blind man, saying to him, Be of good cheer, rise, he calls you. And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered and said to him, What do you want me to do for you? The blind man said to him, Rabboni, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said to him, Go your way; your faith has made you whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him in the way. But Matthew speaks of two blind men. And it is likely that there were two who were healed, but that the more notable of them was this one now mentioned by Mark. And see how the multitudes too honor Jesus, so as to rebuke the blind man for crying out, as though some king were passing by. And the Lord asks him, that no one might say that the Lord gives one thing to a man who wishes another. And of a noble disposition was the soul of the blind man; for after he was healed he did not leave the Lord, but followed him. And this may also be understood in an anagogical sense. Jericho is this place below. And the blind man sitting here is human nature, which was a son of God, who is above all honor. This nature, then, cried out to Jesus as he passed through Jericho—that is, through this life. And he had mercy on it, and saved it through faith, when it had put off the old garment of sin. And being saved, it followed him, working the commandments in the way—that is, in this life. For here it is possible to follow Christ; but after these things all are shut out from working the commandments.

11 Chapter 11. — On the colt. On the fig tree that was withered. On the moneychangers driven out of the temple. On boldness toward God. On the not bearing of malice. On the chief priests and elders who questioned the Lord.

¹ And when they came near to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sent forth two of his disciples, and said unto them: Go your way into the village over against you; and as soon as you enter into it, you shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat. Loose him, and bring him. And if any man say unto you, Why do you this? say that the Lord has need of him; and straightway he will send him hither. And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without, in a place where two ways met; and they loose him. And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do you, loosing the colt? And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded them; and they let them go. Often at other times also he came to Jerusalem, but never with such conspicuousness as now. For formerly he hid himself because of their envy; but now, since the time of the Passion was at hand, which he himself had appointed for himself, he comes more splendidly, that, if they should be willing, they might join in his glory, and from the prophecies concerning him being fulfilled might recognize that he is true God. But if they should not be willing to understand, it would be for them a greater condemnation, that not even after so many splendid miracles did they believe. For see how many signs there are here. He told them that they would find a colt. He told them that they would be hindered, and then, when they said that the Lord has need of him, they would be let alone. For neither is even this a small thing, that the apostles were permitted to lead away the colt—which would not have come to pass had not some divine necessity lain upon the owners of the colt, compelling them, poor men and perhaps farmers as they were, to give up the animal. But learn that not in vain did the Lord do this. For he had no need of the colt, who often went about all Galilee and Judea on foot; but he was showing that he would mount upon the Gentile people, who were disobedient and untaught, and were bound by their own sins in the place where two ways met—that is, in this life—by the door, that is, outside the Church. And it was loosed by the disciples through baptism and faith; and the Lord was carried upon it, when the apostles laid upon it their garments, that is, all the comeliness that comes from virtue. For formerly, being naked, those of the Gentiles were unseemly, doing lawless things. But when they were led by the apostles, then indeed, then did they learn to walk in seemly fashion, and for this reason Christ also is borne upon them, being carried. And who were the former masters of the colt? But the apostles become mightier even than these.

² And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. And many spread their garments in the way; and others cut down branches off the trees, and strewed them in the way. And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying: Hosanna; Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord; Blessed be the kingdom that comes in the name of the Lord, of our father David; Hosanna in the highest. The multitude, so long as it remains uncorrupted, recognizes what is fitting. Therefore they also honor Jesus, each according to his ability. But let us see what they sang. From David they took this hymn. And the word Hosanna, according to some, means, Save now; but according to others it means, A hymn. Yet the first is better. For in the hundred and seventeenth psalm it is written: O Lord, save now; which in the Hebrew is written Hosanna. And by the kingdom of David they meant the kingdom of Christ, both because the Lord was descended from the seed of David, and also because David is interpreted, mighty in hand, or sufficient in hand. And who else is sufficient in hand, save the Lord, whose hands wrought so many miracles? But let us also spread our garments, that is, our flesh (for the flesh is the garment of the soul), and let us subject it to the Lord. And let us strew the way of our life, cutting branches from the trees, that is, imitating the lives of the saints. For the saints are trees, from which he that imitates their virtue cuts branches. But let both our preceding and our following deeds be unto the glory of God. For some have shown a good beginning in their preceding life, but the following life—I mean the latter—was not such, nor unto the glory of God.

³ And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple; and when he had looked round about upon all things, the hour now being late, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve. And on the morrow, when they had come out from Bethany, he was hungry; and seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if perhaps he might find anything thereon; and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answering said unto it: Let no man eat fruit of you henceforward for ever. And his disciples heard it. Jesus entered into the temple, but again went out, showing that he now leaves it desolate and given over to plunder. And he goes out unto Bethany, which is interpreted, house of obedience. For leaving the unsubmissive and hard-hearted Jews, he comes with his disciples unto those who obey him. But let us also consider the matter of the fig tree; for many absurdities seem to arise. First, whether he was hungry in the early morning; then, whether, the time of figs not being come, he demanded fruit; and further, what reason there is that a senseless plant should be punished. They say, then, that all this is a dispensation. For since he often wrought miracles for the benefit of men, but the disciples had not seen his power exercised unto the harming of anything, for this cause, wishing here to show the disciples that he is able also to harm, and that, if he willed, he could in a single moment of time make away with those who were about to crucify him, he displays his power upon the senseless tree. And this too is a great marvel: how a tree so full of sap was suddenly withered. For the fig tree is well-nigh the most full of sap of all. And in the early morning he hungers, by dispensation yielding to the flesh, and seeks fruit from the tree that had not the season of fruit, in order that, as I said above, he might show the disciples that he is able also to punish. And this fig tree has also a figure of the Jewish Synagogue, who had leaves only, that is, a law affording them a shadow, but had no fruit at all. And Jesus hungered for their salvation. For my food, he says, is to do the will of my Father. And the will of God is to turn back those who sin. Since, then, the synagogue had no fruit, it was cursed and withered, having neither prophet nor teacher.

⁴ And they come to Jerusalem; and Jesus, having entered into the temple, began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of them that sold doves; and he would not allow that any man should carry a vessel through the temple. And he taught, saying unto them: Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations? but you have made it a den of thieves. And the scribes and the chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him; for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his teaching. That those who sold were cast out by Jesus, John also relates. But he places it at the beginning of the Gospel, this one near the end. It is likely, then, that this happened a second time, which is also a greater accusation against the Jews, seeing that, though the Lord had done the same thing many times, they were not turned. And he names the temple a den of thieves, because of their love of gain. For the race of thieves is set agog about gaining. Since, then, they too sold the animals brought for sacrifice for the sake of gain, he named them thieves. And the moneychangers (kollybistai) were those who exchanged the coinage. For the kollybos is a kind of small copper coin. And he sets over them as accuser the prophet Isaiah also, who says: My house shall be called a house of prayer. But may it not come to pass that we too be cast out of the temple. For many of us also enter into our temple, selling good things and buying worse. And there are also those who have tables full of small coin—those who manage and administer the affairs of the Church, but through love of money do everything. But the seats also of those who sell doves are overthrown—that is, the chief priests who sell the spiritual gifts (for the dove is a symbol of the Spirit) the Lord thrusts out of the high priesthood. For he who ordains for the giving of gold is deposed. But also whoever betrays to the devil the grace and purity that come of baptism, this man has sold his dove, and for this cause is cast out of the temple.

⁵ And when evening was come, he went forth out of the city. And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. And Peter, calling to remembrance, says unto him: Rabbi, behold, the fig tree which you cursed is withered. And Jesus answering says unto them: Have faith in God. Truly I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be removed, and be cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that the things which he says come to pass, it shall be unto him whatsoever he says. Even though Matthew says that the fig tree was withered immediately, and the disciples, seeing it, marveled, be not troubled now in hearing Mark say that on the morrow they saw the fig tree withered. For thus ought one to understand the passage in Matthew, namely that the fig tree was withered immediately. Stop, then, at this point; and then say, And the disciples, seeing it, marveled. When? When they saw it—not immediately, but on the morrow. Understanding it thus, nothing perplexing will meet you. And see how from this too Christ is shown to be God. For the Lord says through the prophets: I wither the green tree, and make the dry tree to flourish again. And marvel at the divine love for man, how to those also who are made like to him through faith he gives power to work miracles, which he himself has by nature, who is able even to remove mountains. And a mountain is also the high-minded disposition, being something lofty and hard. Whoever, then, sees the passion of pride dwelling within him, let him be diligent to cast it out of his own oversight and forethought (for that man is proud who says that he himself sets all things right, and not through God); such a one, then, ought to rebuke this mountain—the pride, I mean—and to say unto it: Be removed, and be cast into the sea, that is, into worldly men, who are in the sea of this life and are unbelieving. And let this man not doubt, that is, be not separated from God. For the proud man is separated from God, saying that, Nothing is from God, neither have I need of his alliance.

⁶ Therefore I say unto you, Whatsoever things you ask, praying, believe that you receive them, and they shall be unto you. And when you stand praying, forgive, if you have aught against any one, that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses; but if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses. He who believes without doubting has assuredly stretched up his heart unto God, according to the saying of David, he poured out his soul before God. And he that has stretched up his heart unto God is united to him, and his heart, being warmed through, is assured that he shall obtain his request. Whoever, then, has experienced this, that man shall know it. And I think that all experience this, at least those who attend even moderately. For this cause, then, the Lord says, that You shall receive all things, as many as you ask with faith. For he that believes gives his whole self to God, conversing with him with tears and, as it were, clasping the feet of the Master in prayer. But do you wish to receive what you ask in yet another way? Forgive if in anything your brother has sinned against you. Do you see the easiness of the gift of God?

⁷ And they come again to Jerusalem; and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests and the scribes and the elders, and they say unto him: By what authority do you these things? and who gave you this authority, that you should do these things? And Jesus answering said unto them: I will also ask you one thing, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men? answer me. And they reasoned among themselves, saying: If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did you not believe him? But if we shall say, From men—they feared the people; for all held John, that he was indeed a prophet. And they answered and say unto Jesus, We know not. And Jesus answering says unto them: Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things. Being maddened because he had cast out of the temple those who trafficked, they come to him, feigning to be at a loss, forsooth, by what authority he does these things. For they said to him all but this: Who are you that do these things? Have you been set up as a teacher? Have you been ordained a high priest? And these things they said, being eager to drive him into a strait, that they might lay hold of him. For if he should say that, By my own authority I do these things, they would stone him as an adversary of God. But if he should say that, By the authority of God, they would estrange from him the crowd, which deemed him to be God. The Lord, then, asks them concerning John, not in vain nor sophistically counterattacking. But since John bore witness concerning him, for this cause he asks the evildoers concerning him, in order that, if they should receive John as being from God, they might be compelled to receive also the testimony concerning Christ, which John bore. But since those men were willfully malicious, Neither do I, he says, tell you. He did not say that, Neither do I know what to say; but, Neither do I tell you—that is, Since you act maliciously, I will not count you worthy of an answer.

12 Chapter 12. — On the vineyard. On those who questioned the Lord concerning the tribute. On the Sadducees. On the scribe. On the Lord’s question. On being on guard against the hypocrites. On the widow of the two mites.

¹ And he began to speak unto them in parables: A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and dug a winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. And they took him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled. And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others, beating some, and killing some. Having yet therefore one beloved son of his, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son. But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. The vineyard is the people which the Lord planted. For Restore, he says, this vine, which your right hand has planted. And Moses says: Bring them in and plant them in your holy mountain. And the hedge is the law, hindering them from mingling with the other nations. The tower is the temple, being conspicuous. And the winefat is the altar, where the blood was poured out. And he let it out to husbandmen, the teachers and rulers of the Jews from time to time. And he sent one servant—perhaps the prophets about Elijah’s time, such as Micaiah, whom Zedekiah the false prophet smote. And a second servant, whom they stoned and wounded in the head, that is, they completed and brought to a head their insolence—the prophets such as Hosea and Isaiah. And a third servant, those in the captivity, those about Daniel and Ezekiel. And last God sent his Son, who was named man because of his love for man, saying, They will reverence my son. Not in ignorance of the future did he say this, but speaking of what was fitting and likely to be done. But the evil husbandmen, learning that this is the Son of God, cast him out of the vineyard, that is, outside Jerusalem, and killed him. For outside the city he was crucified. The lord of the vineyard, then, the Father of the murdered Son—or rather the murdered one himself—will destroy the husbandmen, delivering them up to the Romans. And he will let out the people to other husbandmen, that is, to the apostles. For do you wish to see how the apostles tilled the vineyard? Read the book of Acts, and you will find three thousand and five thousand believing all at once and bearing fruit unto God.

² Have you not read even this Scripture: The stone which the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner; this was from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes? And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the multitude; for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them. And leaving him, they went their way. Through all these things he shows the Jews to be cast off, and the nations received. For the stone is the Lord himself, and the builders are the teachers of the people. The stone, therefore, which the builders rejected, this became the head of the corner, having become the head of the Church. And the corner is the Church, as joining together and making one both Jews and Greeks, even as the corner also joins walls one to another, mediating between both. And this corner, that is, the Church, was from the Lord, and is marvelous in our eyes, the eyes of the faithful. For to the unbelieving even the miracles are lost. Marvelous, therefore, is the Church, as constituted out of miracles, the Lord working together with the apostles and confirming the word through the signs that followed.

³ And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, that they might catch him in his speech. And coming, they say unto him: Teacher, we know that you are true, and care for no one; for you regard not the person of men, but in truth teach the way of God. Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them: Why do you tempt me? Bring me a denarius, that I may see it. And they brought it. And he says unto them: Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar’s. And Jesus answering said unto them: Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s. And they marveled at him. We have spoken at another time also concerning the Herodians, that it was a certain newly-appeared sect of those who said that Herod was the Christ, because in his times the successions of the Jewish kings failed. But others say that the Herodians are here those soldiers of Herod whom the Pharisees took along, that they might be witnesses of the things to be said by Christ, and afterward might arrest him and lead him away. And see their malignity, how with flattery they attempt to deceive the Lord. We know that you regard not the person of man—so that you will not stand in awe of Caesar either. And the whole of this was a snare, having precipices on both sides, so that, if he should say it is lawful to pay to Caesar, they might slander him to the crowd, as one enslaving them; but if he should say not to pay, they might accuse him as one stirring up the people against Caesar. But the fountain of wisdom escapes their toils. Show me, he says, the coin. And seeing that it has the image of Caesar, he says, Render that which has the image to him whose image it is, that is, to Caesar. And the things of God to God, that is, nothing hinders, as regards piety toward God, the paying to Caesar. One may both pay tribute to Caesar, and render to God the things that are his. And Caesar is, for each of us, also the inescapable necessity of the body. The Lord, therefore, commands us to render to the body also its own things, food and necessary coverings, and the things of God to God—watchfulness, fitting prayer, and the rest. But to the devil also, who is a Caesar, cast back the things given you by him—anger, lust, and the rest. And the things of God, offer to God.

⁴ And there come unto him Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying: Teacher, Moses wrote unto us, that if any man’s brother die, and leave a wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. There were seven brethren; and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed; and the second took her, and died, neither did he leave any seed; and the third likewise. And the seven took her, and left no seed. Last of all the woman died also. In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife. And Jesus answering said unto them: Do you not therefore err, not knowing the Scriptures, neither the power of God? For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as angels which are in the heavens. And as touching the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spoke unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You therefore do greatly err. A sect of the Jews are the Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit. And approaching obliquely, as crafty men, they fabricate this tale, by it forsooth overturning the resurrection, putting forward a contrary supposition that never came to pass, nor perhaps ever will. And they compose seven men as having married the woman, that they might the more tear the resurrection to pieces. The Lord, then, since those men put forward the law of Moses, shows them to be ignorant of the Scriptures. For you are ignorant, he says, of what manner of resurrection the Scripture speaks. For you think that again there shall be such a condition, more bodily; but it is not so. Thus you are ignorant of the meaning of the Scripture; but you are ignorant of the power of God also. For you look to the difficulty of the matter, and therefore are at a loss how the dissolved bodies shall be able to come together with the souls. But to the power of God this is as nothing. There shall be, then, a resurrection—not bodily, but a more divine and angelic condition. For since we are not to be corrupted, but to remain the same, for this cause marriage also is no longer necessary; for now marriage comes to pass because of corruption, that, being maintained by the succession of the race, we may not be done away. But then, just as the angels, without succession of marriage, are the same, and never come to an end, so also those who rise, without marriage, remain undiminished. And in another way too they are convicted of not knowing the Scriptures. For if they had understood these, they would have understood also how that was said, I am the God of Abraham, as plainly of the living. For he did not say, I was; but, I am. As of those who stand fast, and have not perished. But should one say that the Lord said this concerning the soul of Abraham alone, and not also concerning the body, so that the bodies do not rise—I say, then, first, that Abraham means the two together, soul and body, so that he is God of the body also, it living with God, and not having gone wholly into non-being. Then, that the Sadducees were in doubt concerning the resurrection of the bodies; so that the Lord also spoke concerning the bodies, that they live with God, not concerning the souls. For this had already been acknowledged even among the carnal Sadducees. Then consider this also: the resurrection is the rising again of that which has fallen. And it was not the soul that fell, for it is immortal, but the body; this, then, shall also rise again, being once more interwoven with its yokefellow soul.

⁵ And one of the scribes came, having heard them disputing together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, that the first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second is like unto it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him: Well, Teacher, you have said in truth that there is one God, and there is none other but he; and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And Jesus, seeing that he answered sensibly, said unto him: You are not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that dared ask him any question. Matthew says that he came tempting him, but Mark here says that he answered sensibly. Do they then contradict one another? Not at all; but it is likely that at first he asked as one tempting, and then, being benefited by the answer of Christ and answering sensibly, was praised. And see the praise also, how it does not bear witness that he is perfect. For he did not say, You are within the kingdom of God, but, You are not far. And for what cause did this lawyer put forward this question at all to Christ? Thinking to take hold of Christ as one who would correct the law, and for this cause to accuse him as opposed to the law. But the Lord, showing him that it is from not having love but being melted with envy that he comes to such questions, says that the first and great commandment is to love God, and the second like unto it, to love one’s neighbor. And how is it like? Because they are held together by one another. For he that loves God loves also his creature; and the most intimate of his creatures is man; so that he that loves God will love also all men. And he that loves his neighbor much more loves God. For if he loves men, who often furnish occasions of stumbling and offenses, much more does he love God, who ever does him good. And hear the Lord also: He that loves me will keep my commandments. Do you see that from loving God we keep his commandments, and his commandments all treat of love toward one another? And again, By this shall all know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. Do you see again, how from loving one another there is constituted the having of friendship toward Christ, and the being his disciples and friends? And consider how he enumerated all the powers of the soul. For there is a power of the soul, the animal, which he hints at in saying, with all your soul. For he wills that anger and desire be given wholly to the love of God. There is also another power of the soul, the one called vegetative, which is termed nutritive and growth-giving. And this also must be given wholly to God. There is also a third, the rational. This too must be dedicated unto the mind. All the powers of the soul, then, we must dedi—[9]

⁶ And Jesus answered and said, teaching in the temple: How say the scribes that the Christ is the son of David? For David himself said in the Holy Spirit: The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit on my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool. David himself therefore calls him Lord; and whence is he his son? And the great multitude heard him gladly. And he said unto them in his teaching: Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, and love salutations in the marketplaces, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the chief places at feasts; who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these shall receive greater condemnation. Since the Lord was about to come to his Passion, he corrects the mistaken opinion of the scribes, who supposed that the Christ was the son of David, but not Lord. He demonstrates, then, that he is God, from the very words of David, and not simply, but striking fear by saying, Till I make your enemies your footstool. And they were assuredly his enemies, whom God and Father set as a footstool of the feet of Christ. And see also how he asks. For he did not say, What think you concerning me? but, concerning the Christ; so that they might not contend. But neither can you tell me that David said this apart from the Spirit, but in the Spirit he called him Lord, that is, breathed upon by the grace of the Spirit. How then is Christ the son of David, and not also his Lord and God? The crowd, then, heard him gladly. And he said unto them—I mean to those of the crowd—Guard yourselves against the scribes, who wear more solemn robes, and from these wish to be preferred, and accept the salutations and acclamations in the marketplaces, and whatever else they practice unto vainglory, who also devour the houses of widows. For they crept in upon the unprotected women, as though they would be their protectors, and on the pretext of praying at length, and under the guise of reverence and with hypocrisy deceiving the simpler sort, devoured the houses of the rich. These, then, shall be condemned more than the other Jews who sin. For the mighty shall be mightily put to the test. Then he teaches them not to live after the manner of the scribes, being earnest, and fittingly showing them concerning their manner of life as well.

⁷ And Jesus, sitting over against the treasury, beheld how the multitude cast money into the treasury; and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she cast in two mites, which make a farthing. And calling unto him his disciples, he says unto them: Truly I say unto you, that this poor widow has cast in more than all they that have cast into the treasury; for all they cast in of their abundance, but she of her want cast in all that she had, even all her living. A marvelous custom prevailed among the Jews, that those who had and wished might cast into the treasure in the temple (for this was called the treasury), so that from these the priests and the poor and the widows might be supported. While many, then, were doing this, a widow also, coming forward, displayed her purpose richer than her ability. Glory to you, Christ, who accept also the small things above the great oftentimes. May it come to pass that my soul also become a widow, casting off Satan, to whom it was joined, and cast into the sacred treasure two mites, the flesh and the mind, having made them thin—the flesh through abstinence, and the mind through humility—that I also may hear that I have made my whole life sacred, leaving no thought or motion to the world.

13 Chapter 13. — On the Consummation. On the Day and the Hour.

¹ And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples says to him: Teacher, see what manner of stones, and what manner of buildings! And Jesus answering said to him: Do you see these great buildings? There shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately: Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be about to be consummated? Since the Lord had spoken many things concerning the desolation of Jerusalem, saying that, Your house is left unto you desolate, his disciples, marveling, as though such great size and beauty of buildings should be made to vanish, point out to him the great seemliness of the temple. But he foretells that these things shall perish none the less, and to such a degree that not a stone shall be left upon a stone. And indeed some say that many remains of Jerusalem, the old city, were left behind, so that they attempt thereby to prove Christ false; but this is not so. For even if certain remains were left behind — which is not true — yet at any rate, until the universal consummation, not a stone shall be left upon a stone. Yet it is recorded that Aelius Hadrian dug down the city and the temple from their very foundations, so that this too was fulfilled in his time, namely, that not a stone should be left upon a stone. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, they came to him, asking, When shall these things be? — that is, when shall the things of Jerusalem be consummated? But he, before answering them concerning the things about which they asked, secures their understanding, lest they be led astray. For since, when the affairs throughout Judea began to sicken, certain men rose up calling themselves teachers, the Lord says: Take heed lest you be led astray.

² But Jesus, answering them, began to say: Take heed lest any man lead you astray; for many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and shall lead many astray. But when you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, be not troubled; these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there shall be earthquakes in divers places. And there shall be famines and tumults. These are the beginnings of sorrows. But take heed to yourselves; for they shall deliver you up to councils, and in synagogues you shall be beaten, and before governors and kings you shall stand for my sake, for a testimony unto them. And the Gospel must first be preached among all nations. Many shall come — such as was Judas, and Theudas, who said that they had been sent by God. And you shall hear of wars, he says, which Josephus also records to have come to pass before the capture. For indeed the nation rose up in revolt, and would not pay the tribute to the Romans. And they, being angered, came against them and made continual incursions; but it was not yet the end of Jerusalem, for the Romans dealt humanely with them. And not only did wars come to pass, but also God-sent plagues, famines and earthquakes, God plainly showing them that he himself was warring against them. And all these things are the beginning of sorrows — that is, of the evils about to befall them. But take heed to yourselves; for they shall deliver you up to councils. Opportunely he inserted the narration concerning themselves, that they shall deliver you up to councils, so that they might have some consolation, from the common calamities, amid their own. But in saying also, For my sake you shall be brought before governors and kings, he placed no small consolation in them, namely, that they are about to suffer for his sake. And the saying, For a testimony unto them — that is, unto their being without defense, and thenceforth already condemned; because those who racked you were not able to prevail over the truth. Then, lest they should think that the dangers and the afflictions hinder the preaching, he says that the Gospel must also be preached among all nations, and then shall Jerusalem be taken. For that the Gospel was preached before the capture, hear Paul: Their sound went out into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. And this too came to pass unto the greater condemnation of the Jews, namely, that it was preached everywhere before the capture. For they ought, seeing how in a short time the preaching ran out into all the world, to have recognized the power of God, and to have repented, and to have been freed from their misfortunes; but they understood not. Therefore their judgment too is the greater. But when they lead you, delivering you up, take no thought beforehand what you shall speak, neither premeditate; but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak. For it is not you that speak, but the Holy Spirit. And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and the father the child; and children shall rise up against parents, and shall put them to death. And you shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. But he that endures unto the end, the same shall be saved. For before the war was wholly kindled, what did the apostles not suffer at their hands, being set before tribunals, and led away before kings — Herod and Agrippa and Nero? Take no thought beforehand, then, what you shall answer in your defense, but in that very hour the Holy Spirit shall give you what you shall speak. And he foretells to them also the worst of all, that you shall be warred upon even by your nearest kin. And he says this, so that, hearing it beforehand, they may be prepared, and may thereafter bear the dreadful thing lightly. Then the consolation: the For my sake you shall be hated. For to be hated for his sake is enough to lighten all misfortunes. But the being saved for him that endures unto the end — this too is the greatest comfort.

³ But when you shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not — let him that reads understand — then let them that are in Judea flee unto the mountains. And let him that is upon the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter in to take anything out of his house; and let him that is in the field not turn back to take up his garment. But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days. The abomination of desolation is the statue of him that took the city. For every idol is called an abomination. And [it is the abomination] of desolation, because, when Jerusalem was taken and was suffering desolation, they set it up within the inmost sanctuary of the temple. But Pilate too, having brought in by night the images of Caesar into the temple, became the cause of much tumult to the multitude. From that time began both the war and the desolation of Jerusalem. Then, therefore, let those who are in Judea flee unto the mountains. And well did he say, those in Judea. For the apostles were not in Judea, but, as we have said, before the war they were driven out from Jerusalem; or rather, they themselves went out, moved by the divine Spirit. Let those, then, who are found in Judea flee; and let him that is upon the housetop turn back for none of the things in the house. And it is to be welcomed if one be saved even with naked body. But to them that have children and to them that are with child, woe. Why? Because they that have children, being held fast by their affection toward them, will not be able to flee; and they that are with child, by reason of the burden of pregnancy, neither will these have their flight easy. And I think that he signifies here also the devouring of children. For, being besieged in the famine, they laid hands even upon their own children.

⁴ But pray that your flight be not in winter. For those days shall be affliction, such as has not been the like from the beginning of the creation which God created until now, neither shall be. And except the Lord had shortened the days, no flesh should have been saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom he chose, he shortened the days. For if the flight should be in winter, by the difficulty of the season those who wish to flee will be hindered; and altogether there shall be affliction, more grievous than any that have ever come to pass or shall come to pass. And except God had shortened — that is, had quickly brought to an end — the war of the Romans, no flesh should have been saved — that is, no Jew should have been left; but for the elect’s sake — that is, those of the Hebrews who had believed, or who were yet about to believe — the war was quickly brought to an end. For God, foreknowing that many of the Hebrews would believe after the capture, for this cause did not permit the race to be utterly destroyed. And these things may also be raised to a more moral sense. The abomination of desolation is every satanic thought standing in a holy place, our mind. Then, therefore, let him that is in Judea flee unto the mountainous country — that is, let him that has made confession run up unto the mountains of the virtues. For Judea means confession; and let him that stands on high not go down. For when some passionate thought has stood within us, we must, through confession, run up unto the high places, and not go down from the height of virtue. And let him that works the good not turn back so as to take up the old conscience, which is the garment that he has put off. But woe to him that flees in winter; for we must flee from sin with warmth, and not coldly and without motion. For such is the thing that fleeing in winter darkly hints at.

⁵ Then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is the Christ; lo, there; believe it not. For false christs and false prophets shall arise, and shall give signs and wonders, to lead astray, if it were possible, even the elect. But take you heed; behold, I have foretold you all things. But in those days, after that affliction, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall be falling, and the powers that are in the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in clouds with great power and glory. He has now fulfilled the things concerning Jerusalem. And he begins thenceforth to speak concerning the coming of the Antichrist. And the word then do not understand to mean that, when the things said above concerning Jerusalem have come to pass, then, if any man say to you, Lo, here is the Christ, believe it not; but know that this is an idiom of Scripture, just as Matthew also, after the birth of Christ, says, In those days comes John. In what days? Surely the days immediately following the birth of Christ? No, but indefinitely. So therefore here too he says, then — not when Jerusalem is made desolate, but, in the times of the coming of the Antichrist, be not led astray. For many shall counterfeit the name of Christ, so as to lead astray even the elect. And after the coming of the Antichrist, all creation shall be altered, the stars being darkened by reason of the excess of the light of Christ. And the angelic powers shall be shaken — that is, they shall be astounded, beholding so great a change come to pass, and their fellow-servants being judged. And then shall they see a perfect body; for that which is beheld is altogether a body. But [they shall see him] of much power and glory.[10]

⁶ And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of earth to the uttermost part of heaven. Now from the fig tree learn the parable: when its branch is already become tender, and puts forth its leaves, you know that the summer is near. So you also, when you shall see these things come to pass, know that it is near, even at the doors. Truly I say to you, that this generation shall not pass away, until all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Do you see that the Son too sends the angels, even as the Father does? Where, then, are those who say that he is not equal to God the Father? The angels, then, shall come, gathering together the elect, that, caught up in the clouds, they may meet the Lord. And from the fig tree learn what I say: just as, when the fig tree already has leaves, straightway the summer is at hand, so also, after the affliction of the Antichrist, straightway, with nothing intervening, comes the coming of Christ, which is in very truth a summer to the righteous after winter, but to the sinners a winter after summer. Truly I say to you, that this generation — that is, of the faithful, of the Christians I mean — shall not pass away until all these things, both those concerning Jerusalem and concerning the coming of the Antichrist, be done. For surely he does not mean the generation of the apostles. Since the apostles do not live even until the consummation of the world — they, the greater part of whom did not even attain to live until the consummation of Jerusalem. The generation of the Christians, then, he means, consoling the apostles. For lest they should suppose that, when so many evils came to pass, the faith would perhaps fail, he says: Take courage, the generation of the faithful shall not pass away, neither shall it fail. For sooner shall these immovable elements — heaven, I mean, and earth — pass away, than my words be put to shame.

⁷ But of that day and that hour no one knows, neither the angels that are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you know not when the time is. As a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave to his servants the authority, and to each his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch therefore; for you know not when the lord of the house comes, at evening, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning; lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all: Watch. The Lord, wishing to restrain the disciples from asking concerning that day and that hour, says that neither the angels, nor the Son knows. For if he had said, I know indeed, but I do not wish to reveal it to you, he would have grieved them. But now he handles it more wisely, and altogether keeps them from seeking to learn and from troubling him, by saying that, Neither the angels, nor I know. And from a certain example you may understand what is said. Often little children see their fathers holding something in their hands, and they seek it. But the fathers will not give it. And they whimper, as not receiving it; at last, however, the fathers hide that which they hold, and, showing their hands empty to the children, make them cease from weeping. So also the Lord, dealing with the apostles as with children, hid the day. For if he had said, I know, but I do not tell it, they would have been vexed, as not learning it from him. But that the Lord knows the day and the hour is manifest. For he himself made the ages; that, then, which he made, how does he not know it? But indeed God also profitably hid the consummation of life — whether the universal, or that of each single one — that, the end being uncertain, we may ever strive, expecting it and fearing lest it come upon us unprepared. And let us consider also the words. At evening the end stands over one, when a man dies in old age. At midnight, when one is of middle age. At cockcrowing, when reason is made complete in us. For the cock is reason, which rouses us from the sleep of insensibility. When, then, the child begins to live according to reason and to be of understanding, then the cock crows in him. And morning is the wholly childish age. We must, then, all take forethought for the end. For even if it be an infant, forethought must be taken for this one too, lest it depart unbaptized. And the Lord enjoins these things upon all — both upon the more worldly and upon the more solitary. We ought, therefore, both to watch and to pray, these two things together. For many watch indeed, but spend the nights upon wicked things. And mark how he did not say, I know not when the time is, but, You know not. For he hid it for our profit. For if even now, the end being uncertain, we rage against one another, what would we not do if we were squandering the time before our death, and then in a single day [work] the worst of evils?[11]

14 Chapter 14. — On the woman who anointed the Lord with myrrh. On the Passover. On the betrayal of Christ. On the denial of Peter. On the accusations laid against the Lord before the high priest.

¹ Now after two days was the Passover, and the feast of unleavened bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be a tumult of the people.

² And being in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard, very precious; and she broke the box, and poured it on his head. And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, To what purpose was this waste of the ointment made? for it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and given to the poor. And they murmured against her. On the fourth day the council was formed. And for this reason we too fast on the fourth days. They, then, wished to put off the time of the feast; but they were not permitted, but he himself, keeping the time of his passion for himself, was well-pleased to be crucified at the Passover. For he himself was the true Passover. Whence one may marvel at his power. For when they wished to seize him, they were not able; but when they wished, on account of the feast, to defer it, then he himself willingly gave himself up. And as he was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, there came a woman. And all four make mention of the ointment. And it seems to some to be one woman, but it is not, but they are two. One, she that is in John, who was also the sister of Lazarus. And the other, she that is in the remaining three. Yet take heed, you will find these to be three. In John one, in Luke another, and in the two yet another single one. For she that is in Luke was both a harlot and appears about the middle of the preaching; whereas she that is in Matthew, near the time of the passion. And she was not confessedly a harlot; but the Lord accepts her purpose, as having spent so much upon the spikenard. And by pistic spikenard understand either a kind of spikenard so called, πιστική, or the genuine, unadulterated spikenard, prepared with faith (πίστις). And there were some that had indignation. But John says that it was Judas who had indignation. It is likely, then, that the other apostles also blamed the woman, as having heard Christ ever teaching concerning almsgiving; Judas, however, had indignation against the woman not with the same aim, but on account of his love of money and his shameful greed. For this reason, then, John also makes mention of him alone, as having blamed the woman with a treacherous aim. And they murmured against her — that is, they were indignant, reviled, and rebuked her.

³ But Jesus said: Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has wrought a good work on me. For you have the poor with you always, and whensoever you will you may do them good; but me you have not always. She has done what she could; she has come beforehand to anoint my body for the burying. And truly I say to you, Wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she has done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her. The Lord blames the apostles, as unseasonably hindering the woman’s ready — or rather divinely moved — purpose. For why, he says, do you trouble her, turning her away, after she had offered the gift, by the reproach? And at the same time he also strikes the betrayer, in saying that, She has done this for my burying, and convicts him as one without conscience. All but saying this to him: You, betraying me to death, do not convict yourself; but she, bringing the ointment for my burial, as though moved by God, is she worthy to be convicted by you? And here the Lord prophesies two prophecies: both that the Gospel shall be preached in all the world, and that the work of the woman shall be preached together with it. Let them, therefore, be ashamed, who prefer the poor to Christ. For I myself have heard goldsmiths saying that, If I melt down the sacred vessel and give it to the poor, and I myself live thereby, there is no condemnation. Let them hear, then, how Christ prefers his own service to the poor. And the body of Christ, properly, is that which is on the golden paten, and the blood that which is in the chalice. He, then, who takes away the precious paten, and compels the body of Christ to be set in a meaner vessel, putting forward the poor as a pretext, let him know of what portion he is.

⁴ And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went away unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them. And they, when they heard it, were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him. When the woman displayed her own generosity, then the disciple goes mad — the one of the twelve. For not idly is it set down, one of the twelve; but that he might show that this man too was one of the chosen and select. And what is, that he might betray him? — that is, that he might give them information when he should be alone; for they feared to fall upon him while teaching, on account of the crowd. He, then, promised to deliver him to them set apart and alone.

⁵ And on the first day of unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the Passover, his disciples say to him: Where will you that we go and prepare, that you may eat the Passover? And he sends two of his disciples, and says to them: Go into the city, and a man shall meet you bearing a pitcher of water; follow him, and wheresoever he shall go in, say to the master of the house, The Teacher says: Where is the guest-chamber, where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples? And he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us. By the first day of unleavened bread he means the fifth day, which was before the unleavened bread. For the unleavened bread was eaten on the day of preparation. The disciples, then, come, asking where they should eat the Passover. And from this it is plain that Christ had no lodging of his own, nor yet had the disciples houses. For if they had had them, they would have received him there. And he sends two of his disciples, Peter and John, as Luke says, to an unknown man, showing them that he was able not to suffer. For he who persuaded the mind of this unknown man to receive him, what would he not have wrought among the others? And he gives them also a sign for the finding of the house, namely, to follow a man bearing a pitcher of water. And these things may also be raised to a higher sense. He that has been baptized bears a pitcher of water. And he goes into a house, the condition befitting rational beings. For he that bears the baptism comes unto rest, living according to reason, and resting, as in a house, upon this condition — the mind, which shows a large upper room, the height of its own thoughts. But this upper room is also furnished — that is, even if it is lofty, yet it has nothing rough or proud, but is spread and made low with humble-mindedness. There, then, in such a mind I mean, the Passover is made ready for Christ by two disciples, Peter and John — of action, and of knowledge and contemplation. For Peter, as fervent, is the practical one, and John the contemplative, as a theologian.

⁶ And his disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found as he had said unto them, and they made ready the Passover. And when evening was come, he comes with the twelve. And as they reclined and ate, Jesus said: Truly I say to you, that one of you shall betray me, he that eats with me. And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to him one by one: Is it I? and another, Is it I? And he answering said to them: One of the twelve, he that dips with me in the dish. The Son of man indeed goes, as it is written of him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It had been good for that man if he had never been born. How did they recline, when the law commanded the Passover to be eaten standing? It is likely, then, that they first accomplished the legal Passover, and then reclined, being about to deliver his own Passover. And the disciples began to be sorrowful on account of the word of the Lord, which he had said, that “One of you shall betray me.” For although they were outside this passion, yet they were in anguish, trusting God, who knows the hearts, more than themselves. And mark also the word, He goes. For the death of Christ was as it were a journey abroad, not a death. And the saying, It had been good if he had not been born, was said with reference to the punishment which the betrayer shall undergo. For it is better not to have been born at all, than to have been born unto punishment. From the outcome, then, it appears better that Judas had not existed at all. For God indeed made him for good works. But since he himself fell away into so great a wickedness, it was, as it seems, better that he had not been born at all.

⁷ And as they ate, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave to them, and said: Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them; and they all drank of it. And he said to them: This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many. Truly I say to you, that I will no more drink of the fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God. Some say that Judas did not partake of the mysteries, but went out before the Lord delivered the mysteries. But others say that he imparted even to him, the thankless one, of the holy things. And having blessed — instead of, having given thanks — he broke the bread. Which we also do, adding prayers over it. This is my body — this which you now receive. For the bread is not a figure of the Lord’s body, but is changed into that very body of Christ. For the Lord also says: The bread which I will give is my flesh. He did not say, It is a figure of my flesh, but, It is my flesh. And again: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man… And how? he says; for flesh is not seen. On account of our weakness, O man. For since bread and wine are familiar to us, but, seeing blood and flesh set forth, we would not have borne it, but would have recoiled; for this reason the Lover of mankind, condescending to us, keeps the appearance of bread and wine, but transelements them into the power of flesh and blood. And he said blood of the New Testament, in contradistinction to the Old. For the Old Testament too, that also had blood, by which both the people and the book of the law were sprinkled. And I will not drink of the wine, he says, until the resurrection. For he names the resurrection a kingdom, as having then reigned over death. After the resurrection, then, he ate and drank with the disciples, giving assurance that he himself is the same who suffered. And he drinks it new — that is, in a new and strange manner; for he no longer had a passible body, needing nourishment, but an incorruptible and immortal one. And understand it also thus: the vine is the Lord himself, and the fruit of the vine the mysteries, and the hidden knowledge which he himself begets, who teaches man knowledge. In the kingdom of God, then — that is, in the eighth age — he will drink with his disciples the mysteries and the wisdom, teaching us certain new things, and revealing the things which are now hidden.

⁸ And when they had sung a hymn, they went out unto the mount of Olives. And Jesus says to them, that All you shall be offended in me this night; for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. But after I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee. But Peter said to him, Even if all shall be offended, yet not I. And Jesus says to him: Truly I say to you, that you today, this night, before the cock crow twice, shall deny me thrice. But he spoke the more vehemently: Rather, even if I must die with you, I will in no wise deny you. And likewise also said they all. They gave thanks both before drinking, and they gave thanks after drinking, that we too may learn that we ought to give thanks and to sing a hymn, both before food and after food. And at the same time he shows this also, that the death on our behalf is welcome to him, who, going forth to be betrayed, sings a hymn to God. And altogether he teaches us also, when we fall into grievous things for the salvation of many, not to be downcast, but to give thanks to God, who through our affliction saves the others.[12] [He went out of the city] that, having come upon him and seized him, they might not make so great a tumult. For if they had come upon him while he was in the city, perhaps the multitude would have been stirred up over him; and then the enemies, seizing on a plausible pretext, would have contrived to slay him justly, as a seditious man. And he prophesies to them that they shall also be offended. Then, lest such a thing should seem to be a manifest accusation of all, he brings forward also a testimony from the prophet Zechariah, that they shall be scattered. And lastly he adds also a consolation to them, that I will go before you into Galilee — that is, I will precede you. But Peter resists; wherefore you also hear that, Before the cock crow twice, you shall deny me thrice. And this is of such a kind. Peter denied once; then the cock crowed; and when he had denied the other two denials, then the cock crowed again. This, then, is what he says here: Before the cock crow twice, you shall deny me thrice. And likewise also all, displaying a cold fervor, made promises, making the very Truth a liar; wherefore the Lord also yields, and human nature displays the things that are its own. For altogether the Lord was able to keep them, and especially Peter; yet nevertheless he let them be, that we might not be confident in ourselves. And the saying, I will smite the shepherd, the Father says. For since he permitted him to be smitten, he himself is said to smite him who, by his own permission, was smitten. And the sheep he named the apostles, as guileless.

⁹ And they come to a place named Gethsemane; and he says to his disciples: Sit here, while I pray. And he takes Peter and James and John with him, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy. And he says to them: My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death; tarry here, and watch. And going forward a little, he fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said: Abba, Father, all things are possible unto you; take away this cup from me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will. And he comes, and finds them sleeping; and he says to Peter: Simon, do you sleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. And again he went away and prayed, speaking the same words. And returning, he found them asleep again; for their eyes were heavy, and they knew not what to answer him. And he comes the third time, and says to them: Sleep on now, and take your rest. It is enough; the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrays me is at hand. He was ever wont to pray alone, giving a pattern to us also, that we should seek stillness in our prayers. And he takes the three only, those who had also become beholders of his glory on Tabor, that they who had seen the glorious things might see also the sorrowful, and might learn that he was truly a man also, and is grieved and is heavy even as we. For since he took upon himself the whole man with the natural properties, altogether he will also be grieved and be heavy naturally. For we men are by nature ill-disposed toward death. By saying, then, Let the cup pass, he showed the human; but by saying, Not what I will, but what you will, he teaches us, that even when nature constrains us, we should think above it, asking for that which is pleasing to God. And when, having come after the prayer, he found the three sleeping, he rebukes Peter alone, all but saying such things to him: Are you not he that promised to die with me? You were not able to watch one hour, and will you despise death? But watch and pray, lest you enter into the temptation of denying me. For your spirit indeed is willing not to deny me; and for this cause you also promise me this; but the flesh is weak; so that, unless the Lord through prayer give power to the flesh, you will be in danger. And again he went away and prayed, speaking the same words, that, by praying a third time, he might give assurance that he was essentially and truly a man; and that he might teach us also to pray often, and not, having once said something, to desist. And finding them asleep again, he does not vehemently rebuke them; for they were weighed down with sleep. Whence learn the human lightness and weakness, how, not being able to hold out even against sleep, we often promise things impossible for us. Being a third time present, he prays, for the same causes as we said above. And he comes again, and says to them, not chiding — and yet he ought to have chided them, as men who not even after the rebuke had become better, but had given themselves over to sleep; what, then, does he say? Sleep on now and take your rest. And he says this to them ironically; for since he knew that the betrayer was coming, he says to them, Now is the time for sleeping, sleep on; behold, the enemy comes. And he said this, mocking their sleep. And that he said this ironically, hear how, going on a little, he says: Rise up, let us go — not that they might flee from dying, but because the Israelites, my own kinsfolk, are falling away from the kingdom of God.

¹⁰ And immediately, while he yet spoke, comes Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. And he that betrayed him had given them a sign, saying: Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely. And when he was come, immediately he went up to him, and says to him, Rabbi, Rabbi; and kissed him. And they laid their hands on him, and took him. And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. And Jesus answering said to them: Are you come out as against a robber, with swords and staves to take me? I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and you took me not; but this is that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. The phrase, One of the twelve, is not added in vain, but unto the accusation of the betrayer: that, being of the first choir, he raged against the Master. And one must mark also his senselessness, how he thought to escape the notice of the Lord by the kiss, as though he would be reckoned a friend. And if he was indeed a friend, for what cause did he come with the enemies? Truly wickedness is senseless. And one of them that stood by — this was Peter; and Mark suppresses his name, lest he should seem to praise his own teacher Peter, as having shown zeal for Christ. And well did he cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest. For it darkly hints that they were disobedient and unpersuaded, neglecting the Scriptures. For if they had had ears that hearkened to the Scriptures, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. And Peter smote no other servant, but the high priest’s. For the chief priests were the first to disobey the Scriptures, having become servants of envy and self-love. And he said to the crowds: Are you come out as against a robber? Daily I taught in the temple. And this shows his Godhead. For when he taught in the temple, they were not able to hold him, although he was in their hands, because the time of the passion was not yet. But when he willed, then he gave himself up, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled: when He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, neither striving nor crying out, but following willingly.

¹¹ And they all forsook him, and fled. And a certain young man followed him, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men lay hold on him. But he, leaving the linen cloth, fled from them naked. And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him are assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest; and he was sitting with the servants, and warming himself at the fire. The disciples fled. For it was not possible that the very Truth, nor that the prophets, should lie. And a certain young man followed him. And it is likely that this young man was of that house in which they ate the Passover. But some say that this was James the brother of God, who was surnamed the Just. For he used a single garment all his life; who also received the throne of Jerusalem from the apostles after the ascension of the Lord. This man, then, leaving the linen cloth, fled. And it is nothing strange if, when the chief disciples had fled, this man too forsook the Lord. But Peter follows, displaying a most fervent love toward the Teacher. And though the law commanded that there be one high priest for life, there were then many, who bought the office year by year from the Romans. By chief priests, then, he means those who had already fulfilled their appointed time, and were laying down the high-priesthood.

¹² And the chief priests and all the council sought for testimony against Jesus to put him to death; and found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimonies agreed not together. And certain ones rose up, and bore false witness against him, saying: We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. But neither so did their testimony agree. And the high priest rose up in the midst, and asked Jesus, saying: Do you answer nothing? What is it that these witness against you? But he held his peace, and answered nothing. A semblance, forsooth, of a tribunal the self-condemned fashion, that they might seem to slay him with judgment. For where is there an upright tribunal, when such witnesses are brought forward, saying nothing sound, but all things confused and contradictory? And even they that seemed to say something, spoke falsely. For the Lord did not say, I will destroy the temple, but, Destroy it. And neither did he say, made with hands, but simply, temple. And the high priest, rising up, asks Jesus, wishing to draw him into a defense, that from the defense he might lay hold of him. But he keeps silence, knowing that they will not attend to his words; and Luke says that, when asked, the Lord said: If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I ask, you will not answer.

¹³ Again the high priest asked him, and says to him: Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said: I am; and you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest, rending his garments, says: What further need have we of witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy; what think you? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death. And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say to him: Prophesy; and the servants struck him with the palms of their hands. The high priest asks again, not that he might learn and believe, but that he might lay hold of some occasion; and he adds to the, Are you the Christ, the, the Son of the Blessed. For there were many anointed ones — the kings, I mean, and the high priests — but none of these was Son of God, the ever-blessed and hymned one. And Jesus said, that I am. For he knew indeed that they would not believe; yet nevertheless he answers plainly, that they might not afterward be able to say, If we had heard him saying it clearly, we would have believed; for this reason their condemnation too is greater, because even now, having heard, they did not believe. And you shall see me, he says, as Son of man, sitting on the right hand of the power of the Father — for by power here he means the Father — for he will not come without a body, but such as to be beheld by those who crucified him, and to be recognized. The high priest, then, fulfills a Jewish custom; for whenever something dreadful and grievous befell them, they would rend their garments. And here too, then, as though the Lord had blasphemed, and a great calamity had come to pass, the high priest rends his garments. One might, then, opportunely say over these the word of David: They were rent asunder, and were not pricked in heart. And this too was a symbol — though that man understood it not — of the high-priesthood of the Jews being rent and brought to nothing. Since, then, the common vote of the chief priests condemned him, then the servants, covering him, struck him and said: Prophesy, who is it that struck you? How much, then, should we suffer, to render the like to the Master? These things are full of horror.

¹⁴ And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there comes one of the maids of the high priest; and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and says: You also were with Jesus of Nazareth. But he denied, saying: I know not, neither understand I what you say; and he went out into the porch; and the cock crew. And the maid, seeing him again, began to say to them that stood by, that This is one of them; but he denied it again. And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter: Truly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean, and your speech agrees thereto. But he began to curse and to swear, that I know not this man of whom you speak. And the second time the cock crew; and Peter called to mind the word that Jesus had said unto him, that Before the cock crow twice, you shall deny me thrice; and when he thought thereon, he wept. Peter became weak, though he was the more fervent, and denies the Lord, being thrown into confusion by fear; and this when a maidservant had frightened him. And this God permitted him to suffer by dispensation, that he might not be lifted up, and at the same time that he might be compassionate toward those who stumble, having been taught from himself the violence of human weakness. And it is a matter of indifference whether it was the same maidservant, or another, that convicted Peter. For Matthew says that this was another; but Mark, the same. But this is no hindrance to us with regard to the truth of the Gospel. For surely they do not disagree in some great matter that holds together our salvation? Did the one say that the Lord was crucified, and the other, not? Away with it. Peter, then, being thrown into confusion by fear, and having forgotten the word which the Lord said, namely, Him that denies me I also will deny before my Father, denied; but repentance again made him the Lord’s own, and his tears. For when he had thought thereon, it says, he wept — that is, having covered his head; or, instead of, having begun with vehemence. And that which Matthew said obscurely, that Before the cock crow, Mark interpreted, that Before it crow twice. For cocks are wont, in a single bout, to crow several times, then as it were to fall asleep, and again after some time to make another beginning of crowing. What, then, Matthew said is this, that Before the cock crow — that is, complete the cries of the first bout — you shall deny me thrice. And let the Novatians be ashamed, who do not receive those who sin after baptism and the partaking of the mysteries. For behold, Peter, even after partaking of the undefiled body and blood, and having denied, was through repentance received again. For let us be zealous to turn our very shortcomings into examples, and to hasten back through repentance.

15 Chapter 15. — On those things which He suffered before Pilate. On the custom. On the request for the body of the Lord. On the burial.

¹ And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried Him away, and delivered Him to Pilate. And Pilate asked Him, Are You the King of the Jews? And He answering said to him, You say it. And the chief priests accused Him of many things. But Pilate asked Him again, saying, Do You answer nothing? Behold how many things they testify against You. But Jesus yet answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled. Now at the feast he released to them one prisoner, whomsoever they asked. And there was one named Barabbas, bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection. And the multitude crying aloud began to ask him to do as he had ever done for them. But Pilate answered them, saying, Will you that I release to you the King of the Jews? For he knew that the chief priests had delivered Him for envy. But the chief priests stirred up the people, that he should rather release Barabbas to them. And Pilate answered and said again to them, What then will you that I do to Him whom you call the King of the Jews? And they cried out again, Crucify Him. Then Pilate said to them, Why, what evil has He done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify Him. And so Pilate, willing to content the multitude, released Barabbas to them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged Him, to be crucified. The Jews delivered the Lord to the Romans; and they too were delivered by the Lord into the hands of the Romans. And the Scriptures are fulfilled which say, Woe to the lawless one, for evil shall come upon him according to the works of his hands; and again, Give them according to the works of their hands; and again, As you have done, so shall your recompense be unto you. When Pilate asked, Are You the King of the Jews? the Lord gives an ambiguous answer. For the saying, You say it, can be understood to mean, You have spoken truly; you have said what I am; but it can also be understood thus: I do not say this, but you say it. And when He was questioned again and answered nothing, He brought Pilate to amazement; for he marveled that, though He was learned in the law and eloquent, and able by a defense to shake off the false accusations, He said nothing, but rather nobly endured the charges. Behold both the bloodthirstiness of the Jews and the moderation of Pilate—though he too is worthy of condemnation, because he did not zealously take his stand for the good. For they kept crying out that He should be crucified; but he, though weakly, nevertheless tries to snatch Jesus from condemnation; for this reason he asks again, What then shall I do with Jesus? giving them on every side occasions to release the Lord as guiltless, and for this cause delaying and putting it off. In the end, however, having bowed beneath their will, he scourged the Lord—that is, he flogged Him with plaited thongs—that they might think they had received Him already condemned from a tribunal; and he delivered Him to them to be crucified. For he willed what was enough to satisfy the multitude, not what was pleasing to the just man and to God.

² And the soldiers led Him away into the hall, which is the Praetorium; and they call together the whole band. And they clothe Him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about His head, and began to salute Him, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote His head with a reed, and spat upon Him, and bowing their knees worshipped Him. And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, and put His own garments on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him. And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear His cross. The tribe of soldiers, ever rejoicing in disorders and insults, displayed its own ways. For if the Jews, who had heard countless teachings, treated Him so—they who had been benefited much and often—what could we say concerning the Gentiles? They call together, then, the whole band—that is, the whole company—and clothe Him with purple, mocking Him as a king; and here the dancers of the devil take the crown instead of a diadem, and the reed instead of a scepter. And they compel a certain man to bear His cross, although another evangelist says that Jesus went forth bearing His own cross. Both, then, came to pass: for up to a certain point He Himself bore the wood; but when they found one to bear it, they compelled that man, and thereafter the cross was borne by him. And why did he say of what sons he was the father? For greater confirmation; for it is likely that the man was still living, and able to relate all the things at the cross. But let us also wear the purple, the royal robe. What do I mean? As kings we ought to walk, treading upon serpents and scorpions, and prevailing over sin; for we are called Christians—that is, anointed ones ourselves, just as the kings then were called christs (anointed). Let our life, then, be not servile and ignoble, but royal and free. And let us wear also the crown of thorns—that is, let us be eager to be crowned with the rough and continent and pleasureless life, not the soft and smooth and pleasure-loving one. And let us become Simon also, which is obedience, and let us take up the cross.

³ And they bring Him to the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. And they gave Him to drink wine mingled with myrrh; but He received it not. And when they had crucified Him, they parted His garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. And it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. And the superscription of His accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. And with Him they crucify two thieves, the one on His right hand, and the other on His left. And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, And He was numbered with the transgressors. There is a tradition that has come down to us from the holy Fathers, that Adam was buried there. The Lord, then, who heals the fall and the death of Adam, is crucified there, that where the beginning of death was, there also might be the undoing of death. And they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink; and myrrh is most bitter; so in mockery they gave such things to the Lord. Another evangelist says vinegar with gall, and yet another says that something else was offered to the Lord; and there is nothing contradictory in these things. For, there being disorder, different men offered different things; the one, vinegar and gall; the other, wine mingled with myrrh. And perhaps the wine was sour, and the myrrh bitter; and so they agree, both he who says wine mingled with myrrh, and he who says vinegar with gall; for the wine is the vinegar, and the myrrh the gall—the one because it was sour, the other because it was bitter. Nor again does he who says, They gave Him to drink, but He received it not, contradict him who says, And when He had tasted it, He would not drink. For altogether, in saying that He received it not, he showed that He did not drink it. And they cast lots also upon His garments, doing this too for mockery, as though dividing the garments of a king, although they were paltry. And they wrote a title, that is, the cause for which He was crucified, THE KING OF THE JEWS; that by this also they might mock His glory, as one who was nothing and yet had proclaimed himself a king, and that all who passed by might not pity Him, but rather trample upon Him as upon a tyrant. But how does Mark say that He was crucified at the third hour, while Matthew says that the darkness came at the sixth hour? It may be said, then, that at the third hour He was crucified, but the darkness began to come from the sixth hour until the ninth hour. And He is crucified with thieves, that men might conceive an evil opinion of Him, that He too was a malefactor; but this came to pass by [divine] dispensation. For the prophecy is fulfilled, He was numbered with the transgressors. And in another sense, the two thieves are a symbol of the two peoples, the Jewish and the Gentile. For both were lawless: the Gentile, as having transgressed the natural law; the Jewish, as having transgressed both this and the written law which God gave him; but the Gentile was the grateful thief, while the Jewish was blasphemous to the end. And the Lord is crucified in the midst of the two peoples; for He Himself is the stone that joins us together.

⁴ And they that passed by railed on Him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, You that destroy the temple, and build it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; Himself He cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with Him reproached Him. And they that passed by, he says—that is, those going along the road—these too blasphemed the Lord, as it were jeering at Him as a deceiver. Likewise also the chief priests said, He who saved others, does He not save Himself? And this they said in derision of His miracles, mocking them as though they had come to pass only in appearance; for by working wonders He had saved many. And the devil incited them to say, Let Him come down from the cross. For since the author of evil knew that salvation comes through the cross, he again tempted the Lord, that, if He should come down from the cross, he might be assured that He is not the Son of God, and so the salvation through the cross might be undone; but He was indeed truly the Son of God, and for this very reason all the more did not come down; for if He had been about to come down, He would not have gone up at all in the first place. But knowing that thus salvation would come to men, He endured both to be crucified and to suffer all the rest, and to complete His work. And they that were crucified with Him reproached Him—the two of them at the first; then one of them recognized Him as guiltless, as Luke says.[13]

⁵ And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, He calls Elijah. And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave Him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the spirit. Darkness came, not upon one place, but over the whole earth; and if it had been the season of an eclipse, one might say that the phenomenon was natural; but as it was, the moon was fourteen days old, when it is impossible for a natural eclipse to occur. And the Lord cries aloud in Hebrew the prophetic word, showing that even to His last breath He honors the things of the Hebrews. And the saying, Why have You forsaken Me? He speaks as from the person of human nature, as though saying this: Why have You forsaken Me the man, O God, that I should see God crucified for me? For we men were the ones who had been forsaken, but He was never forsaken by the Father. For hear what He says: I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. Or He says this also on behalf of the Hebrews, being Himself a Hebrew according to the flesh: Why have You forsaken Me—that is, the Hebrew people—that they should crucify Your Son? For just as we are wont to say that God has clothed Himself with me, instead of with human nature, so here too understand the saying, You have forsaken Me, instead of, My human nature, or My people the Jews. And one ran and gave Him vinegar to drink, that the sharpness of the vinegar might more quickly put Him to death. And Jesus, crying with a loud voice, gave up the spirit, as it were summoning death, as Master and dying by His own authority. And what the voice was, Luke declared: Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit. For this too the Lord accomplished for us, that the spirits of the saints should ascend into the hands of God; for formerly the souls of all were held in Hades, until He came who proclaimed release to the captives.

⁶ And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. And when the centurion, who stood over against Him, saw that He so cried out and gave up the spirit, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God. There were also women looking on from afar, among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome; who also, when He was in Galilee, followed Him, and ministered to Him; and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem. The veil was rent, God showing that the grace of the Spirit had departed from the temple, and that the Holy of Holies would be made visible and accessible to all—which also came to pass when the Romans entered—and that the temple too mourns. For what the Jews are wont to do in calamities, even to rend their garments, this the temple also, as though it were alive, displayed at the suffering of its Creator, rending its own garment. And another thing also is signified by this. This flesh is the veil of our temple—that is, of the mind; and so the power of the flesh, which it had against the spirit, was rent by the sufferings of Christ, from the top to the bottom—that is, from Adam to the last of men. For indeed Adam was sanctified by the sufferings of Christ, and no longer shall his flesh be accursed, nor subject to corruption, but we all have been honored with incorruption. And when the centurion—that is, the captain of a hundred (for the Romans call a hundred centum)—saw that He so gave up the spirit in a lordly manner, he marveled and confessed. And behold the order reversed: the Jews put to death, the Gentile confesses; the disciples flee, the women remain. For there were, he says, women also, among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and of Joses; and this was the Theotokos, who, inasmuch as she was betrothed to Joseph, was their stepmother; and the children of Joseph were James and Joses. She is called, then, their mother, instead of stepmother; just as she was also called the wife of Joseph, instead of betrothed. And Salome was the mother of the sons of Zebedee. And many others also. For he mentioned by name the more notable ones.

⁷ And now when the evening was come, because it was the Preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath, Joseph of Arimathaea, an honorable counselor, who also himself waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. And Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and calling the centurion, he asked him whether He had been any while dead. And when he knew it from the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph. And he bought fine linen, and took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen, and laid Him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre. And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where He was laid. The blessed Joseph, while still serving the law, yet recognized Christ as God, and therefore dares a praiseworthy daring; for he did not reckon, I am rich, and I shall fall from my wealth if I ask for the body of one condemned for tyranny, and I shall be slandered to the Jews; none of these things did he say within himself; but counting all things secondary, he asked that he might bury the body of the condemned. And Pilate marveled that He was already dead; for he supposed that He would hold out a long while, as the thieves also did. And he asked the centurion whether He had been long dead—that is, whether He had died before the [usual] hour. So Joseph, having received the body, bought fine linen. And taking Him down, he wrapped Him in the linen, burying the precious One preciously. For he too was a disciple of Christ, and knew how one ought to honor the Master; and he was honorable—that is, grave, reverent, blameless. And to be a counselor was a certain dignity, or rather a public office and burden, which those who held it were constrained to oversee the affairs of the market; and danger often came upon many from this, because of the misconduct of the market. Let the rich hear, and those occupied with public affairs, how in no way did the counselor’s dignity hinder Joseph toward virtue. And Joseph is interpreted addition; and Arimathaea, taking away that. May it come to pass, then, that we too become like Joseph, ever adding to the course of virtue, and taking away that—that is, what is truly good; and that we receive also the body of Jesus through communion, and lay it in a sepulchre hewn out of a rock—that is, in a soul that remembers and does not forget God. And let that soul be hewn out of a rock—that is, from Christ, who is the rock that gives stability; and let us wrap it in fine linen—that is, receive it in a pure body; for the linen of the soul, and as it were its garment, is the body. We must, then, receive the divine body of the Lord not only in a pure soul, but also in such a body; and we must wrap it—that is, fold and gather it together, and not spread it out; for the mystery is folded and hidden, and not spread abroad.

16 Chapter 16. — On the Resurrection of Christ. To whom the Lord appeared after His rising. How He arranged for the disciples the preaching of the Gospel.

¹ And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him. And very early in the morning, the first day of the week, they come to the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away; for it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he says to them, Be not affrighted; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified; He is risen; He is not here; behold the place where they laid Him. But go your way, tell His disciples and Peter that He goes before you into Galilee; there shall you see Him, as He said to you. And they went out, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed; neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid. The women, thinking nothing great nor worthy of the Godhead of Jesus concerning Him, sit by the tomb and buy myrrh-oils, that according to the custom of the Jews they might anoint the body, so that it might remain fragrant, and suffer no foul odor from decomposition; and at the same time the myrrh-oils, having a certain drying power, drink up the moisture of the body and keep it from decay. Such things the women thought. And very early—which Matthew calls late on the sabbath, and Luke, deep dawn—of the first day of the week (that is, of the first of the days of the week; for they named the days of the week sabbaths, and the first one, one), rising up, they come to the sepulchre, and they reason who shall roll away the stone; and while they were reasoning these things, an angel rolled away the stone without the women perceiving it. Which Matthew also says, that after the women had come, the angel rolled away the stone; but Mark passed over this in silence, since Matthew had told by whom the stone was rolled away. And if Matthew says that the angel sat upon the stone, while Mark says that after entering the sepulchre the women saw him sitting within, one need not be troubled. For it is possible that the one whom they saw sitting without upon the stone, as Matthew says, this same one they saw again within the sepulchre, he having gone before the women and entered. And some say that the women in Matthew were different from those in Mark; the Magdalene, however, accompanied them all, being one fervent and ardent in zeal. So that one who appeared said to the women, Be not affrighted. For first he frees them from fear, then also he brings them the good tidings of the resurrection. And he names Him; for he is not ashamed of the cross; for this is the salvation of men, and the sum of good things. He is risen. Whence is it plain? For He is not here; and would you be assured? Behold the place where they laid Him. For this very reason He had the stone lifted, that he might show the place. But go your way, tell His disciples and Peter. He separates Peter from the disciples, naming him pre-eminently as the chief, apart from them; or, since Peter had denied Him, had the women come and said, We were charged to tell the disciples, Peter would have said, I denied Him; therefore I am no longer His disciple; He has cast me off, He has abhorred me. For this cause, then, he adds, And Peter, that Peter might not be scandalized, as though he had not been deemed worthy of a word, as one who had denied, and for this reason not even worthy to be ranked with the disciples. And He sends them into Galilee, leading them away from the tumults and the great fear of the Jews. Yet fear and amazement—that is, astonishment—held the women, both at the sight of the angel and at the awfulness of the resurrection, and for this reason they said nothing to anyone. For they were afraid; either they feared the Jews, or they were out of their minds. And for this reason they said nothing to anyone.

² Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils. And she went and told them that had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And they, when they had heard that He was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. After that He appeared in another form to two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. And they went and told it to the rest; neither believed they them. Afterward He appeared to the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen Him after He was risen. Now when Jesus was risen: here put a stop, then say, Early the first day of the week He appeared to Mary Magdalene; for He did not rise early. For who knows when He rose? But He appeared early, on the Lord’s day; for this is the first of the sabbath—that is, of the week—which above he called one of the sabbaths. To Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils, that is, many; for Scripture is wont to take the number seven instead of a multitude; as the saying, The barren has borne seven; or seven devils, the opposites of the seven spirits of virtue; such as a spirit of fornication, a spirit of folly, a spirit of ignorance, a spirit of falsehood, and whatever else are adverse to the gifts of the Spirit. And after these things, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked; concerning whom Luke also speaks. And they told it to the rest; neither believed they them. And how does Luke say that, returning, they found the eleven gathered together, saying that the Lord is risen, while Mark here says that they did not believe even those who came from the country? We say, then, that the saying, They told it to the rest, does not speak of the eleven apostles, but of certain others; for these he named the rest.

³ For the eleven indeed saw Him on that same day, when those also who returned from the country found them saying that the Lord is risen. And He said to them, Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. Behold the commandment of the Lord, Preach to every creature. He did not say, Preach to those who obey, but, to every creature, whether they obey or not. He that believes—and this does not suffice, but also being baptized. For he that believes but is not baptized, but is still a catechumen, is not yet saved. And He says that signs shall follow them that believe: the casting out of devils, the speaking with new tongues, the taking up of serpents—that is, the doing away with serpents, whether the intelligible ones, as the saying, Tread upon serpents and scorpions, the intelligible ones, that is. But it may also be understood thus, They shall take up serpents, as Paul took up the viper in his hand, suffering nothing from it; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. And such things have come to pass; in the histories it is found that certain who drank poison were preserved through the grace of the Lord. And these things He says after [it is said] that He sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached every where; the Lord, he says, working with them and confirming the word through the signs that followed. Do you see—every where our part first, then the cooperation of God; for when we work and give a beginning, the Lord works with us; for if we give the occasion, then God will be present; therefore the occasion of words is the beginning of the work, and that of works is confirmed; just as in the case of the apostles then, the works and the signs that followed confirmed the word. And may it come to pass, O Word Christ, that our words also, which we speak concerning virtue, be confirmed through works and deeds; so that we may stand before You perfect, You working with us in all works and words; for to You belongs the glory through words and deeds. Amen.