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I snatched the prophetic word that had died in the mire of your pleasures, and I established it in the souls of those who obey me. Who then has a demon, I, or you? Tell me. Do not judge by appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. You killed Zechariah the great between the temple and the altar; and Zechariah is interpreted, remembrance of God; but I came, and this Zechariah, the remembrance of God, who was killed by you between the temple and the altar, that is, between the body and the soul—for the body is the temple of the soul, just as the soul is the altar of God, in which the offering of spiritual worship and the incense of prayers are sent up; I, having made this remembrance of God alive, have made it dwell in the hearts of men, so that all who receive it may serve as priests to God. Who then has a demon, I, or you? Tell me. Do not judge by appearance, but judge with righteous judgment.

And the disciples of the Lord also remember this saying. For when they were charged by the scribes and Pharisees not to teach in the name of Christ; Did we not strictly command you not to teach in the name of Jesus? and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching; then they answer, reminding them at the same time of judging unjustly, and saying: Whether it is right to listen to you rather than to God, you judge. See also the prophet, beloved, in the psalm just now sung to us, speaking most clearly about the Lord's coming in the flesh and about not judging unjustly: God stands, he says, in the congregation of the gods; in the midst he judges the gods. And who could this God be who stands in the congregation of the gods, if not indeed Christ, who stood in the synagogue of the Jews, who were once gods, to whom he answered, I said, You are gods? For as far as God's love for humanity is concerned, he called them gods; but as far as their own wickedness is concerned, they died like men, and fell like one of the princes; princes, however, not of earthly men, but those who fell from the heavenly vaults, about whom Paul also says: Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. God then stands in the congregation of the gods; in the midst he judges the gods. He judges gods from among the Jews who were once gods. And the Holy Spirit says to them: How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked? and the Lord says: Do not judge by appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. Then again the Holy Spirit: Judge for the orphan 60.765 and the poor. See for me how concerning Christ he introduces all things, teaches all things, wishing to expose the injustice committed by them: For judge, he says, for the orphan and the poor; vindicate the humble and needy.

But perhaps one of the listeners will say and show that we are at a loss that the Lord was called an orphan. For as to 'poor,' it is easy to understand from the Apostle's words: Who for our sake became poor, though he was rich; but who could be an orphan, if not indeed one who has neither father nor mother? But hear the Apostle saying about Christ: Without father, without mother, without genealogy. The Lord is without father on earth according to his humanity, and without mother in heaven according to his divinity. Judge for the orphan and the poor, for him who became poor for our sake. For he became all things to all men, more than the Apostle, that he might gain all. Vindicate the humble and needy. Learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart. But what does it say? They did not know, nor did they understand; they walk in darkness. They did not know God the Word who became flesh for our sake; for the Word became flesh, not by being changed, but in that he dwelt among us. They did not know the eternal form of the divinity in the image of a servant; they did not know; for if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But neither did they understand; for they did not understand the power of his miracles, of how many symbols it held

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βορβόρῳ τῶν ἡδονῶν ὑμῶν ἀποθανόντα προφητικὸν λόγον ἀπέσπασα, καὶ ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς τῶν ὑπηκόων μοι ἐνίδρυσα. Τίς οὖν ἔχει δαιμόνιον, ἐγὼ, ἢ ὑμεῖς; εἴπατε. Μὴ κρίνετε κατ' ὄψιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν δικαίαν κρίσιν κρίνετε. Ὑμεῖς Ζαχαρίαν τὸν μέγαν μεταξὺ τοῦ ναοῦ καὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου ἀπεκτείνατε· Ζαχαρίας δὲ ἑρμηνεύεται, μνῆμα Θεοῦ· ἐγὼ δὲ ἐλθὼν, τοῦτον τὸν Ζαχαρίαν, τὴν μνήμην τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὸν μεταξὺ τοῦ ναοῦ καὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου ὑφ' ὑμῶν ἀποκτανθέντα, τουτέστι, μεταξὺ σώματος καὶ ψυχῆς ναὸς γὰρ ψυχῆς σῶμα, ὡς καὶ θυσιαστήριον Θεοῦ ψυχὴ, ἐν ᾗ προσφορὰ τῆς λογικῆς λατρείας καὶ θυμιάματα τῶν προσευχῶν ἀναπέμπεται· ταύτην τὴν μνήμην τοῦ Θεοῦ ζωοποιήσας, ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐνῴκισα, πρὸς τὸ πάντας τοὺς δεξαμένους ἱερατεύειν Θεῷ. Τίς οὖν ἔχει δαιμόνιον, ἐγὼ, ἢ ὑμεῖς; εἴπατε. Μὴ κρίνετε κατ' ὄψιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν δικαίαν κρίσιν κρίνετε.

Μέμνηνται δὲ καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ τοῦ Κυρίου τοῦ ῥήματος τούτου. Ὅτε γὰρ ὑπὸ τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων ἐνεκαλοῦντο μὴ διδάσκειν ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ· Οὐ παραγγελίᾳ παρηγγείλαμεν ὑμῖν μὴ διδάσκειν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ; καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐπληρώσατε τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ τῆς διδαχῆς ὑμῶν· τότε ἀποκρίνονται, ὑπομιμνήσκοντες ἅμα τὸ κρίνειν ἀδίκως, καὶ λέγοντες· Εἰ δίκαιόν ἐστιν ὑμῶν ἀκούειν μᾶλλον, ἢ τοῦ Θεοῦ, κρίνατε. Ὅρα καὶ τὸν προφήτην, ἀγαπητὲ, ἐν τῷ ἀρτίως ἡμῖν ὑποψαλέντι ψαλμῷ φανερώτατα λέγοντα περὶ τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου ἐνσάρκου παρουσίας καὶ τοῦ μὴ κρίνειν ἀδίκως· Ὁ Θεὸς ἔστη, φησὶν, ἐν συναγωγῇ θεῶν, ἐν μέσῳ δὲ θεοὺς διακρινεῖ. Καὶ τίς ἂν εἴη ὁ Θεὸς ὁ σταθεὶς ἐν συναγωγῇ θεῶν, ἢ πάντως ὁ Χριστὸς, ὁ σταθεὶς ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, τῶν ποτὲ ὄντων θεῶν, πρὸς οὓς ἀπεκρίθη, Ἐγὼ εἶπα, Θεοί ἐστε; Ὅσον γὰρ ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίᾳ, θεοὺς αὐτοὺς ὠνόμασεν· ὅσον δὲ ἐν τῇ ἑαυτῶν κακίᾳ, ὡς ἄνθρωποι ἀπέθνησκον, καὶ ὡς εἷς τῶν ἀρχόντων ἔπιπτον· ἀρχόντων δὲ, οὐ τῶν ἐπιγείων τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῶν οὐρανίων ἁψίδων καταπεσόντων, περὶ ὧν λέγει καὶ Παῦλος· Οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰς ἀρχὰς, πρὸς τὰς ἐξουσίας, πρὸς τοὺς κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους τούτου, πρὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις. Ὁ Θεὸς οὖν ἔστη ἐν συναγωγῇ θεῶν, ἐν μέσῳ δὲ θεοὺς διακρινεῖ. Θεοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ποτὲ θεῶν διακρινεῖ Ἰουδαίων. Καί φησι πρὸς αὐτοὺς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον· Ἕως πότε κρίνετε ἀδικίαν, καὶ πρόσωπα ἁμαρτωλῶν λαμβάνετε; καὶ ὁ Κύριός φησι· Μὴ κρίνετε κατ' ὄψιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν δικαίαν κρίσιν κρίνετε. Εἶτα πάλιν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον· Κρίνατε ὀρφα 60.765 νῷ καὶ πτωχῷ. Ὅρα μοι πῶς περὶ Χριστοῦ πάντα εἰσηγεῖται, πάντα διδάσκει, βουλόμενος ἀνάψαι τὴν παρ' αὐτῶν γινομένην ἀδικίαν· Κρίνατε γὰρ, φησὶν, ὀρφανῷ καὶ πτωχῷ, ταπεινὸν καὶ πένητα δικαιώσατε.

Ἀλλ' ἴσως ἐρεῖ τις τῶν ἀκροατῶν καὶ ἀπορεῖν ἡμᾶς δεικνύναι τοῦ, ὅτι ὀρφανὸς ἀκήκοεν ὁ Κύριος. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ πτωχὸν, ῥᾴδιόν ἐστι καταμαθεῖν ἐκ τῶν τοῦ Ἀποστόλου ῥημάτων· Ὃς δι' ἡμᾶς ἐπτώχευσε πλούσιος ὤν· ἀλλὰ τίς ἂν εἴη ὀρφανὸς, ἢ πάντως ὁ μήτε πατέρα ἔχων μήτε μητέρα; Ἄκουε δὲ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λέγοντος περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ· Ἀπάτωρ, ἀμήτωρ, ἀγενεαλόγητος. Ἀπάτωρ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς κατὰ τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα ὁ Κύριος, καὶ ἀμήτωρ ἐν οὐρανοῖς κατὰ τὴν θεότητα. Κρίνατε ὀρφανῷ καὶ πτωχῷ, τῷ δι' ἡμᾶς πτωχεύσαντι. Τοῖς πᾶσι γὰρ τὰ πάντα γέγονε πλεῖον τοῦ Ἀποστόλου, ἵνα τοὺς πάντας κερδήσῃ. Ταπεινὸν καὶ πένητα δικαιώσατε. Μάθετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾶός εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ. Ἀλλὰ τί φησιν; Οὐκ ἔγνωσαν, οὐδὲ συνῆκαν· Ἐν σκότει διαπορεύονται. Οὐκ ἔγνωσαν τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον σάρκα γεγονότα δι' ἡμᾶς· ὁ Λόγος γὰρ σὰρξ ἐγένετο, οὐ τραπεὶς, ἀλλὰ καθὸ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν. Οὐκ ἔγνωσαν τὴν ἀΐδιον τῆς θεότητος μορφὴν ἐν τῇ τοῦ δούλου εἰκόνι· οὐκ ἔγνωσαν· εἰ γὰρ ἔγνωσαν, οὐκ ἂν τὸν Κύριον τῆς δόξης ἐσταύρωσαν. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ συνῆκαν· οὐ συνῆκαν γὰρ τῶν θαυματουργημάτων αὐτοῦ τὴν δύναμιν, ὅσων εἶχε συμβόλων