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the oracles of the prophets, which bear witness to Christ, in the way that Ezekiel, the great among the prophets, saw them; “A wheel,” he says, “within a wheel,” flying and running. Jesus saying to them: “Go into the village opposite”; for He sent them into the whole inhabited world of the Gentiles, because they were formerly opposed to the faithful church from the people. For at a fitting time He sent them “into the opposite village” of the Gentiles; for it was ready to receive the aforementioned two choirs of the apostles and prophets. “And to bring the colt to Him,” which are the Gentiles, so that He might mount and reign over them, as the psalmist says: “God has reigned over the Gentiles, the Lord sits upon His holy throne.” “On which no man has ever sat”; for they did not have God mounting and reigning over them, nor law, nor prophets. “Untying it,” he says, “bring it to me”; for the apostles loosed the Gentiles from the darkness, that is, from ignorance of God, from error, from sin, from the bondage of the alien one, from “the power of darkness,” “from the ruler of this age.” And they led them to their creator and maker, the Lord.

9 And behold, He sits on them and reigns as upon the cherubim, them crying out and saying: “Hosanna in the highest, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; peace in heaven and glory in the highest”; for so says Luke. “Peace in heaven,” for what reason does he say this? Did the angels not have peace in heaven? Yes, and they certainly had peace among themselves, “the peace which surpasses all understanding,” as the most wise Paul says. They had peace in heaven, but they did not have it with men; heaven, therefore, had peace in itself. But when the angels saw all of humanity being raised through the sign of Lazarus, and the Gentiles being loosed in the manner of the colt and coming to be ruled over by their creator, then heaven too was at peace with men, and with one accord they cried out and said: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, peace in heaven and glory in the highest.” “And they placed their garments upon the colt,” which signifies the grace given to them by Him among the Gentiles, and through it “they set Jesus upon them”; not only this, but also through their own virtues, as the evangelist signifies, saying: “And others spread their garments on the road.” In this he alludes to their own virtues, which they joined to grace, as the divine Paul clearly says: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, let us have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we also have had access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God.” So far concerning grace. “And not only this, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope; and hope does not put to shame, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” And the phrase “they spread on the ground” means that their virtues were seen bodily and openly and perceptibly before the Gentiles, as the apostle also says in another place regarding these things: “What things you have seen in me and heard and received, these do.” But let us return to the subject at hand.

10 “But the crowds that went before Him and those that followed were crying out,” with praises and branches of olive trees [and palms], which signify the practical work of the outer man, and with palm fronds, which reveal the spiritual [and practical] and gnostic and pure work of the inner man. “They cried out, saying: Hosanna in the highest.” For in truth all the crowds of the just and prophets and priests, who are those going before and those following, by faith

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προφητῶν λόγια, τὰ μαρτυροῦντα τῷ Χριστῷ, ὃν τρόπον ἐθεώρησεν αὐτοὺς Ἰεζεκιὴλ ὁ μέγας ἐν προφήταις· «Τροχός», φησίν, «ἐν τροχῷ», πετόμενος καὶ τρέ χων. Λέγοντος πρὸς αὐτοὺς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ· «Πορευθέντες εἰς τὴν κατέναντι κώμην»· ἀπέστειλεν γὰρ αὐτοὺς εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκου μένην τῶν ἐθνῶν, ὅτι ἐναντίοι ἦσαν τέως τῆς ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ πιστῆς ἐκκλησίας. Καιρῷ γὰρ εὐθέτῳ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτοὺς «εἰς τὴν κατέ ναντι κώμην» τῶν ἐθνῶν· ἑτοίμη γὰρ ἦν δέξασθαι τοὺς προει ρημένους δύο χοροὺς τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν. «Καὶ ἀγαγεῖν πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν πῶλον», οἵτινές εἰσι τὰ ἔθνη, τοῦ ἐπιβῆναι καὶ βασιλεῦσαι ἐπ' αὐτά, καθώς φησιν ὁ ψαλμῳδός· «Ἐβασίλευσεν ὁ θεὸς ἐπὶ τὰ ἔθνη, κύριος κάθηται ἐπὶ θρόνου ἁγίου αὐτοῦ». «Ἐφ' ᾧ οὐδείς ποτε ἀνθρώπων κεκάθικεν»· οὐδὲ γὰρ θεὸν εἶ χον ἐπιβαίνοντα καὶ βασιλεύοντα ἐπ' αὐτά, οὐδὲ νόμον οὐδὲ προ φήτας. «Λύσαντες αὐτόν», φησίν, «ἀγάγετέ μοι»· ἔλυσαν γὰρ τὰ ἔθνη οἱ ἀπόστολοι ἀπὸ τῆς σκοτίας, τουτέστι τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ ἀγνωσίας, ἀπὸ τῆς πλάνης, ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἀπὸ τῆς δουλείας τοῦ ἀλλοτρίου, ἀπὸ «τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ σκότους», «τοῦ ἄρχοντος τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου». Καὶ ἤγαγον πρὸς τὸν κτίστην καὶ δημιουργὸν αὐτῶν κύριον.

9 Καὶ ἰδοὺ κάθηται ἐπ' αὐτὰ καὶ βασιλεύει ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν χερου βίμ, κράζοντα καὶ λέγοντα· «Ὠσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις, εὐλογημέ νος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου· εἰρήνη ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις»· οὕτω γάρ φησιν ὁ Λουκᾶς. «Εἰρήνη ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ», τίνος ἕνεκεν λέγει; Οὐκ εἶχον οἱ ἄγγελοι εἰρήνην ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ; Ναί, καὶ πάνυ εἶχον ἐν ἑαυτοῖς τὴν εἰρήνην, «εἰρήνην τὴν ὑπερ έχουσαν πάντα νοῦν», καθώς φησιν ὁ σοφώτατος Παῦλος. Εἶχον εἰρήνην ἐν οὐρανῷ, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων οὐκ εἶχον· ὁ οὐ ρανὸς εἰρήνην λοιπὸν εἶχε καθ' ἑαυτόν. Ὅταν δὲ εἶδον οἱ ἄγγελοι πᾶσαν τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα ἐγειρομένην διὰ τοῦ σημείου τοῦ Λαζάρου, καὶ τὰ ἔθνη λυόμενα δίκην τοῦ πώλου καὶ ἐρχόμενα εἰς τὸ βασι λεύεσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ δημιουργοῦ αὐτῶν, τότε εἰρηνεύθη καὶ ὁ οὐ ρανὸς μετὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἔκραζον καὶ ἔλεγον· «Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου, εἰρήνη ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις». «Καὶ ἐπέθηκαν ἐπάνω τοῦ πώλου τὰ ἱμά τια», ἅτινα σημαίνουσι τὴν χάριν τὴν παρ' αὐτοῦ δοθεῖσαν αὐ τοῖς ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν καὶ δι' αὐτῆς «ἐπεβίβασαν τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐπ' αὐτά»· οὐ μόνον δὲ τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὰς ἰδίας ἀρετάς, καθὼς σημαίνει ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς λέγων· «Ἄλλοι δὲ ὑπεστρώννυον τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ.» Εἰς τοῦτο δὲ τὰς ἰδίας ἀρετάς, ἃς συνέ ζευξαν τῇ χάριτι, αἰνίττεται, ὡς φανερῶς λέγει ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦ λος· «∆ικαιωθέντες οὖν ἐκ πίστεως, εἰρήνην ἔχωμεν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ τὴν προσ αγωγὴν ἐσχήκαμεν τῇ πίστει εἰς τὴν χάριν ταύτην, ἐν ᾗ ἑστή καμεν, καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐπ' ἐλπίδι τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ.» Ἕως ὧδε τὰ τῆς χάριτος. «Οὐ μόνον δέ, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν ἡμῶν εἰδότες ὅτι ἡ θλῖψις ὑπομονὴν κατεργάζεται, ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ δοκιμήν, ἡ δὲ δοκιμὴ ἐλπίδα· ἡ δὲ ἐλπὶς οὐ κατ αισχύνει, ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκέχυται ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν διὰ Πνεύματος ἁγίου τοῦ δοθέντος ἡμῖν.» Τὸ δὲ «ἐν τῇ γῇ ὑπεστρώννυον», ὅτι σωματικῶς καὶ φανερῶς καὶ αἰσθητῶς ἐθεωροῦντο αἱ ἀρεταὶ αὐτῶν ἐνώπιον τῶν ἐθνῶν, καθὼς καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ τόπῳ φησὶ πρὸς ταῦτα λέγων ὁ ἀπόστολος· «Οἷα εἴδετε ἐν ἐμοὶ καὶ ἠκούσατε καὶ παρελάβετε, ταῦτα πράξατε.» Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὸ προκείμενον ἐπανίωμεν.

10 «Οἱ δὲ ὄχλοι οἱ προάγοντες αὐτὸν καὶ οἱ ἀκολουθοῦντες ἔκραζον», μετὰ αἴνων καὶ κλάδων ἐλαιῶν [καὶ βαΐων], οἵτινες σημαίνουσι τὴν πρακτικὴν ἐργασίαν τοῦ ἔξω ἀνθρώπου, καὶ βαΐων φοινίκων, οἵτινες μηνύουσι τὴν πνευματικὴν [καὶ πρακ τικὴν] καὶ γνωστικὴν καὶ καθαρὰν τοῦ ἔσω ἀνθρώπου ἐργασίαν. «Ἔκραζον λέγοντες· Ὠσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις». Ἐν ἀληθείᾳ γὰρ πάντες οἱ ὄχλοι τῶν δικαίων καὶ προφητῶν καὶ ἱερέων, οἵτινές εἰσιν οἱ προάγοντες καὶ οἱ ἀκολουθοῦντες, πίστει