John Chrysostom, On "The Pharisees going out"

was not strong enough to sink, but Jesus submerged it in the power of the Spirit, in the font of baptism. This ship also had iron anchors, but they were forged into the nails of Christ; this ship also had a mast, but the devil took it and hewed it into a cross; this ship also had ropes, but Judas took these and hanged himself. The Jews, embarking on this ship, struck against the rock and were shipwrecked concerning the faith. For this reason, until now the Jews swim in the abyss of ignorance. However, as many of them as are strong enough to grasp the Christ-bearing vessel are saved; but the others perish in the salty death of unbelief. And would that, being in the abyss, they might have run to Jonah in the sea monster; for perhaps, having learned from him the piety in Christ, living with him, they would have been cast out by the sea monster in Nineveh.

But now, having shut the eyes of their heart, neither seeing the light-bearer of piety standing in the midst of the earth and flashing with faith, do they take refuge in him; nor by taking refuge in John the herald of repentance do they live. And having gone out, it says, the Pharisees took counsel, how they might destroy him. And having gone out, it says, the Pharisees. From where? Not from envy, but from the law. For if they had not gone out from the law, they would not have insulted the Lawgiver of the law. And the Pharisees having gone out. From where? From the law that says: You shall not kill the innocent and the righteous. And the Pharisees having gone out. From where? From the commandment of God that enlightens the eyes of the heart. For the commandment of the Lord is far-shining, enlightening the 61.709 eyes. -And the Pharisees having gone out took counsel, how they might destroy him. And the Pharisees having gone out. From where? From the commandment, from the law, from life. For those who devise death for another are themselves the first to leave the light of life. And the Pharisees having gone out took counsel. And the writer did not say from whom, stirring our mind to inquiry. And the Pharisees having gone out took counsel. From whom? It is clear that it was from the murderer from the beginning, the devil. And the Pharisees having gone out took counsel, how they might destroy him. The, How, in what manner? with a stone? with a sword? with fire, or water? But their counselor, the devil, recalling the wood from the beginning, by which he put Adam to death, takes refuge in it again, and advises them to crucify Jesus on wood. But he did not know that that wood was destined both to undo the ancient transgression of the wood and to make life rise for men. And the Pharisees having gone out took counsel, how they might destroy him. O most wicked counsel sown through envy, and through envy exposed! O futile plan! For they are ignorant that God is not destroyed. For they will dissolve the earthen lamp of the body, but they are not able to extinguish the unquenchable torch of his divinity. And the Pharisees having gone out took counsel, how they might destroy him. O wonderful deed, and new mystery! Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, and these seek to destroy the finder of the lost.

For what reason, tell us, O Jews, do you plan such things against him? But they are ashamed to speak; let us expose their shame everywhere. For why, he says, does he raise the dead? and why does he heal the sick? why does he speak good things? why does he do good things? why does he teach good things? For all these accusations they plan to destroy him. When the infant children go forth holding palms, proclaiming his victory through the palms, and in his praise saying, Hosanna in the highest, they, being slain by their entrails, are goaded by envy; for the praises of the envied are arrows for the envious. And they come to Jesus, and say to him: Do you not hear what these

μὲν βυθίσαι οὐκ ἴσχυσεν, Ἰησοῦς δὲ αὐτὸ ἐν τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Πνεύματος, ἐν τῇ πηγῇ τοῦ βαπτίσματος κατεπόντισεν. Εἶχε τοῦτο τὸ πλοῖον καὶ ἀγκύρας σιδηρᾶς, ἀλλ' εἰς τοὺς ἥλους τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐχωνεύθησαν· εἶχε τοῦτο τὸ πλοῖον καὶ ἱστίον, ἀλλ' ὁ διάβολος λαβὼν αὐτὸ σταυρὸν ἐπελέκισεν· εἶχε τοῦτο τὸ πλοῖον καὶ σχοινία, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα λαβὼν Ἰούδας ἀπήγξατο. Εἰς τοῦτο τὸ πλοῖον ἐμβάντες οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, τῇ πέτρᾳ προσκρούσαντες περὶ τὴν πίστιν ἐναυάγησαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο μέχρι τοῦ νῦν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἐν τῷ βυθῷ τῆς ἀγνωσίας ἐννήχονται. Πλὴν ὅσοι αὐτῶν ἂν ἰσχύσωσι τῆς Χριστοφόρου ὁλκάδος κρατῆσαι, διασώζονται· οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι ἁλμυρῷ θανάτῳ ἀπιστίας ἀπόλλυνται. Καὶ εἴθε κἂν ἐν τῷ βυθῷ ὑπάρχοντες πρὸς Ἰωνᾶν εἰς τὸ κῆτος ἐξέτρεχον· ἴσως γὰρ ἂν παρ' αὐτοῦ μαθόντες τὴν ἐν Χριστῷ εὐσέβειαν, ζῶντες μετὰ τούτου, ὑπὸ τοῦ κήτους ἐν Νινευῒ ἐξεῤῥίπτοντο.

Νῦν δὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῆς καρδίας καμμύσαντες, οὔτε τὸν λαμπροφόρον τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐν μέσῃ τῇ γῇ ἑστῶτα, καὶ τὴν πίστιν ἀστράπτοντα ὁρῶντες, πρὸς αὐτὸν καταφεύγουσιν· οὔτε πρὸς τὸν τῆς μετανοίας κήρυκα Ἰωάννην καταφεύγοντες ζῶσι. Καὶ ἐξελθόντες, φησὶν, οἱ Φαρισαῖοι συμβούλιον ἔλαβον, ὅπως αὐτὸν ἀπολέσωσι. Καὶ ἐξελθόντες, φησὶν, οἱ Φαρισαῖοι. Πόθεν; Οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ φθόνου, ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ νόμου. Εἰ μὴ γὰρ ἐξῆλθον ἐκ τοῦ νόμου, οὐκ ἂν τὸν τοῦ νόμου Νομοθέτην ἐνύβριζον. Καὶ ἐξελθόντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοι. Πόθεν; Ἐκ τοῦ νόμου τοῦ λέγοντος· Ἀθῶον καὶ δίκαιον οὐκ ἀποκτενεῖς. Καὶ ἐξελθόντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοι. Πόθεν; Ἐκ τῆς ἐντολῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ τῆς φωτιζούσης τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῆς καρδίας. Ἡ γὰρ ἐντολὴ Κυρίου τηλαυγὴς, φωτίζουσα ὀφθαλ 61.709 μούς. -Καὶ ἐξελθόντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοι συμβούλιον ἔλαβον, ὅπως αὐτὸν ἀπολέσωσι. Καὶ ἐξελθόντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοι. Πόθεν; Ἐκ τῆς ἐντολῆς, ἐκ τοῦ νόμου, ἐκ τῆς ζωῆς. Οἱ γὰρ ἄλλῳ θάνατον μελετῶντες, αὐτοὶ πρῶτοι τὸ τῆς ζωῆς ἀπολείπουσι φέγγος. Καὶ ἐξελθόντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοι συμβούλιον ἔλαβον. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν ὁ γράψας παρὰ τίνος, τὸν ἡμέτερον νοῦν ἀνακινῶν πρὸς τὴν ζήτησιν. Καὶ ἐξελθόντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοι συμβούλιον ἔλαβον. Παρὰ τίνος; Ἦ δῆλον ὅτι παρὰ τοῦ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀνθρωποκτόνου διαβόλου. Καὶ ἐξελθόντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοι συμβούλιον ἔλαβον, ὅπως αὐτὸν ἀπολέσωσι. Τὸ, Ὅπως, ποίῳ τρόπῳ; ἆρα πέτρᾳ; ἆρα μαχαίρᾳ; ἆρα πυρὶ, ἢ ὕδατι; Ὁ δὲ σύμβουλος αὐτῶν διάβολος, ἀναπολήσας τὸ ξύλον τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς, δι' οὗ τὸν Ἀδὰμ ἐθανάτωσεν, εἰς αὐτὸ πάλιν καταφεύγει, καὶ συμβουλεύει ξύλῳ σταυρῶσαι τὸν Ἰησοῦν. Ἠγνόει δὲ ὅτι ἔμελλεν ἐκεῖνο τὸ ξύλον καὶ τὴν ἀρχαίαν τοῦ ξύλου παράβασιν παραλύειν, καὶ τὴν ζωὴν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἀνατεῖλαι. Καὶ ἐξελθόντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοι συμβούλιον ἔλαβον, ὅπως αὐτὸν ἀπολέσωσιν. Ὢ συμβουλία κακίστη διὰ φθόνου σπειρομένη, καὶ διὰ φθόνου ἐλεγχομένη! ὢ ματαία βουλή! Ἀγνοοῦσι γὰρ, ὅτι Θεὸς οὐκ ἀπόλλυται. Τὸν μὲν γὰρ ὀστράκινον λύχνον τοῦ σώματος διαλύσουσι, τὴν ἄσβεστον αὐτοῦ λαμπάδα τῆς θεότητος σβέσαι οὐ δύνανται. Ἐξελθόντες δὲ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι συμβούλιον ἔλαβον, ὅπως αὐτὸν ἀπολέσωσιν. Ὢ θαυμαστοῦ πράγματος, καὶ μυστηρίου καινοῦ! Ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀναζητῆσαι καὶ σῶσαι τὸ ἀπολωλὸς, καὶ οὗτοι τὸν τῶν ἀπολωλότων εὑρέτην ἀπολέσαι ζητοῦσι.

∆ιὰ ποίαν αἰτίαν, εἴπατε ἡμῖν, Ἰουδαῖοι, κατ' αὐτοῦ τοιαῦτα βουλεύεσθε; Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι μὲν αἰσχύνονται λέγειν· ἡμεῖς τὴν αὐτῶν αἰσχύνην πανταχῆ στηλιτεύσωμεν. ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ, φησὶ, νεκροὺς ἐγείρει; καὶ διὰ τί ἀσθενοῦντας ἰᾶται; διὰ τί καλὰ λαλεῖ; διὰ τί καλὰ πράττει; διὰ τί καλὰ διδάσκει; ∆ιὰ ταῦτα πάντα τὰ ἐγκλήματα βουλεύονται αὐτὸν ἀπολέσαι. Ὅταν ἐξέρχωνται νήπιοι παῖδες βαΐα λαμβάνοντες, διὰ τῶν βαΐων τὴν νίκην αὐτοῦ προαναφωνοῦντες, καὶ ἐν τῇ εὐφημίᾳ αὐτοῦ λέγοντες, Ὡσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις, ἐκεῖνοι ἀπὸ τῶν ζιβήνων σφαττόμενοι ὑπὸ τοῦ φθόνου κεντοῦνται· οἱ γὰρ ἔπαινοι τῶν φθονουμένων, βέλη εἰσὶ τῶν φθονούντων. Καὶ προσέρχονται τῷ Ἰησοῦ, καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· Οὐκ ἀκούεις, τί οὗτοι