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Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord, as it is written in the law of the Lord. Where there is a bodily purification, "According to the law," it says, "of Moses;" where there is the presentation of the holy one, "As it is written," it says, "in the law of the Lord;" not that the law of Moses was not the law of the Lord; for whatever a prophet says, speaking by the Holy Spirit, he does not speak himself, but the Lord prompts him; nevertheless, since the purification had a bodily type, it says, the law of Moses; but since the firstborn was presented, it says, according to the law of the Lord, honoring the one being born; As it is written in the law of the Lord: "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord." Therefore this word and the whole law and the reason for the law were established on account of the one who was to open the womb. For all the firstborn of animals and of men never opened a womb, but were only firstborn; but he whom the Virgin bore, he alone opened the womb. See for me, then, the formulation of the whole law on account of the one who alone was to be born of a virgin.

How then was it possible for the Jews to understand this? For being carnal, they are very far from understanding the meanings of spiritual consequence. Then they go up to offer a sacrifice, "According to what is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons." And these things also happened typically according to the law, so that nothing would be lacking for the fulfillment of the law. These are legal riddles; but let us come to the evangelical explanation: "And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and that man was righteous and devout; and the Spirit of God was upon him." It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not finish his life before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Simeon was an old man, and he was awaiting the gospel; he remained in the temple, saying that within himself: "Wherever he is born, he will certainly meet here." He came in the Spirit into the temple at that hour, when the parents brought the child in. For he often came, but for his own reason; but then, led by the hand of the Holy Spirit, he comes at the right time for the fulfillment of the promise. He received Jesus into his arms, and blessed God, and said: "Now you are releasing your servant, Master, according to your word, in peace." From where are you releasing him? From the arena of life; for things are grievous, life is a prison. He, therefore, wished to be released; but if anyone considers the departure from here a loss, he is not yet perfect in faith. Nevertheless he said: "Now you are releasing your servant, Master, according to your word, in peace." For the one who was to make peace for the world had come; the peacemaker has come, the one joining heaven to earth, and making the earth heaven through the evangelical teaching, has come. Simeon cries out: "Now you are releasing your servant, Master, according to your word, in peace; for my eyes have seen your salvation," he says. What is it that he says?

For before I believed with the mind, and I knew with reason; but now my eyes have also seen; and what I expected in my heart, behold, my eyes have seen fulfilled. What then? "I have seen," he says, "your salvation." Which? "What you have prepared in the presence of all peoples," not of one people, nor of Israel alone, but in the presence of all peoples; for the one who was born is a universal teacher. "A light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel." Why a light? Because the Gentiles were in darkness; because the darkened Gentiles were being enlight 50.810 ened. "A light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel." Here glory, and there revelation; there the beginning of teaching, but here the subsequent learning. "The glory of your people Israel." But someone will surely say: "And where are the Israelites?" You have Peter, you have Paul, you have John, you have the three thousand, you have the five thousand, you have the Church of Jerusalem, you have those from the Jews who have believed; for in those who believed was the nation. If not

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Ἱεροσόλυμα, παραστῆσαι τῷ Κυρίῳ, καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν νόμῳ Κυρίου. Ὅπου καθαρισμὸς σωματικὸς, Κατὰ τὸν νόμον, φησὶν, Μωϋσέως· ὅπου παράστασις τοῦ ἁγίου, Καθὼς γέγραπται, φησὶν, ἐν νόμῳ Κυρίου· οὐχ ὅτι καὶ ὁ νόμος Μωϋσέως οὐκ ἦν νόμος Κυρίου· ὅσα γὰρ λαλεῖ προφήτης Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ διαλεγόμενος, οὐκ αὐτὸς λαλεῖ ἀλλ' ὁ Κύριος ὑποβάλλει· ὅμως δὲ καὶ ὁ καθαρισμὸς ἐπειδὴ τύπον εἶχε σωματικὸν, λέγει, Μωϋσέως νόμον· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸ πρωτότοκον παρίστατο, λέγει, κατὰ τὸν νόμον Κυρίου, τιμῶν τὸ γεννώμενον· Καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν νόμῳ Κυρίου· πᾶν ἄρσεν διανοῖγον μήτραν ἅγιον τῷ Κυρίῳ κληθήσεται. Ὁ λόγος οὖν οὗτος καὶ ὁ νόμος ὅλος καὶ ἡ αἰτία τοῦ νόμου διὰ τὸν μέλλοντα διανοίγειν μήτραν ἐτίθετο. Ὅλα γὰρ τὰ πρωτότοκα τῶν ζώων καὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων οὐδέποτε διήνοιξαν μήτραν, ἀλλ' ἦν πρωτότοκα μόνον· ὃν δὲ Παρθένος ἐγέννησεν, αὐτὸς μόνος διήνοιξε μήτραν. Ὅρα μοι τοίνυν ὅλου τοῦ νόμου τὴν διατύπωσιν διὰ τὸν μέλλοντα μόνον ἐκ παρθένου γεννᾶσθαι.

Πόθεν δὲ Ἰουδαίοις ταύτην νοῆσαι δυνατὸν ἦν; σαρκικοὶ γὰρ ὑπάρχοντες, τὰ νοήματα τῆς πνευματικῆς παρακολουθήσεως πλεῖστον ὅσον ἀπέχουσι νοῆσαι. Εἶτα ἀνέρχονται τοῦ δοῦναι θυσίαν, Κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ἐν νόμῳ Κυρίου, ζεῦγος τρυγόνων ἢ δύο νεοσσοὺς περιστερῶν. Ἐγένετο δὲ καὶ ταῦτα τυπικῶς κατὰ τὸν νόμον, ἵνα μηδὲν ἐλλείψῃ εἰς συμπλήρωσιν τοῦ νόμου. Ταῦτα αἰνίγματά εἰσι νομικά· ἔλθωμεν δὲ εἰς τὴν εὐαγγελικὴν ἐξήγησιν· Καὶ ἰδοὺ ἄνθρωπος ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ᾧ ὄνομα Συμεών· καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος δίκαιος καὶ εὐλαβής· καὶ ἦν Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἐπ' αὐτόν. Οὗτος ἦν κεχρηματισμένος ὑπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος μὴ πρότερον τελέσαι τὸν βίον, ἕως ἂν ἴδῃ τὸν Χριστὸν Κυρίου. Πρεσβύτης ἦν ὁ Συμεὼν, καὶ ἐξεδέχετο τὴν εὐαγγελίαν· ἔμενεν ἐν τῷ ναῷ, ἔσω ἐκεῖνο λέγων παρ' ἑαυτῷ· Ὅπου ἐὰν γεννηθῇ, πάντως ἐνταῦθα ἀπαντᾷ. Οὗτος ἦλθεν ἐν τῷ Πνεύματι εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν κατ' ἐκείνην τὴν ὥραν, ὅτε οἱ γονεῖς τὸν παῖδα προσῆγον. Πολλάκις μὲν γὰρ ἤρχετο, ἀλλὰ κατ' ἰδίαν πρόφασιν· τότε δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος χειραγωγηθεὶς εὐκαίρως ἔρχεται πρὸς τὴν ἀποπλήρωσιν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας. Οὗτος ἐδέξατο ἐν ταῖς ἀγκάλαις αὐτοῦ τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ εὐλόγησε τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ εἶπε· Νῦν ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου, ∆έσποτα, κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου, ἐν εἰρήνῃ. Πόθεν ἀπολύεις; Ἐκ τοῦ βιωτικοῦ σκάμματος· λυπηρὰ γὰρ τὰ πράγματα, δεσμωτήριον ὁ βίος. Ἐκεῖνος μὲν οὖν ἀπολυθῆναι ἤθελεν· εἴ τις δὲ ζημίαν ἡγεῖται τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἀναχώρησιν, οὗτος οὐδέπω τέλειός ἐστιν τὴν πίστιν. Ὅμως ἔλεγε· Νῦν ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου, ∆έσποτα, κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου, ἐν εἰρήνῃ. Ὁ γὰρ μέλλων ποιεῖν εἰρήνην τῷ κόσμῳ παρεγένετο· ὁ εἰρηνοποιὸς ἐλήλυθεν, ὁ συνάπτων τὸν οὐρανὸν τῇ γῇ, καὶ κατασκευάζων τὴν γῆν οὐρανὸν διὰ τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς διδασκαλίας, παραγέγονε. Συμεὼν βοᾷ· Νῦν ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου, ∆έσποτα, κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου, ἐν εἰρήνῃ· ὅτι εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου τὸ σωτήριόν σου, φησί. Τί ἐστιν ὃ λέγει;

Πρότερον μὲν γὰρ ἐπίστευον τῇ διανοίᾳ, καὶ τῷ λογισμῷ ἐγίνωσκον· νῦν δὲ εἶδον καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου· καὶ ὃ τῇ καρδίᾳ προσεδόκησα, ἰδοὺ εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου τετελειωμένον. Τί δέ; Εἶδον, φησὶ, τὸ σωτήριόν σου. Ποῖον; Ὃ ἡτοίμασας κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν λαῶν, οὐ τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ ἑνὸς, οὐδὲ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ μόνον, ἀλλὰ κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν λαῶν· καθολικῶς γὰρ ὁ τεχθεὶς διδάσκαλος. Φῶς εἰς ἀποκάλυψιν ἐθνῶν, καὶ δόξαν λαοῦ σου Ἰσραήλ. ∆ιὰ τί φῶς; Ἐπειδήπερ τὰ ἔθνη ἐν σκότει ὑπῆρχον· ἐπειδὴ τὰ ἐσκοτισμένα ἔθνη ἐφωτί 50.810 ζετο. Φῶς εἰς ἀποκάλυψιν ἐθνῶν, καὶ δόξαν λαοῦ σου Ἰσραήλ. Ὧδε δόξα, κἀκεῖ ἀποκάλυψις· ἐκεῖ διδασκαλίας ἀρχὴ, ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἀκόλουθος μάθησις. ∆όξαν λαοῦ σου Ἰσραήλ. Ἀλλὰ πάντως ἐρεῖ τις· Καὶ ποῦ εἰσὶν οἱ Ἰσραηλῖται; Ἔχεις Πέτρον, ἔχεις Παῦλον, ἔχεις Ἰωάννην, ἔχεις τοὺς τρισχιλίους, ἔχεις τοὺς πεντακισχιλίους, ἔχεις τὴν τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ Ἐκκλησίαν, ἔχεις τοὺς ἐξ Ἰουδαίων πεπιστευκότας· ἐν γὰρ τοῖς πεπιστευκόσιν ἦν τὸ ἔθνος. Εἰ μὴ