John Chrysostom, On Lazarus i

indeed all things according to nature as Son; but he mentioned the honor, sending it up, so that he might show one harmony of Son and Father to those who are ignorant. And when he had secured the faith, and fortified the thoughts of those hearing, he then proceeds to the work. Lazarus, come forth. He did not repeat the word, so that only the one might rise, and not the multitude of the dead run a disorderly course. I seek one dead man, do not all of you come; for the time of that command is not yet. When the dead will hear the voice of the Son of man, and those who hear will live. Let one alone come for now, let one be loosed on account of the friendship of the one Only-begotten, I ask for one prisoner. Let none of those below oppose, not the unseen gatekeeper, not the heavy jailer, not the keyholders below who have all practiced taking. Learn first to give up those who are mine. And you, O Hades, be silent, be muzzled, 62.776 having suffered nothing strange, obeying a Master, pretending none of these things.

A man becomes a fugitive from your gateways. Lazarus, come forth; conquer death by my commands, conquer death having plundered the things below. I still remain bound, already being crowned against him. Lazarus came out bound and walking he came out completely bound, and moving as a whole; for he was bound fast all over, feet and hands, according to the local manner of burial. Nor was he for the future outside of death and the tomb. Again Jesus commands a new command; Loose him, he says, and let him go. Why is he not automatically loosed, the one who fled death, who overturned the guard below; You loose him, who formerly bound him, so that you may recognize the seals of your own bonds. And when the Pharisees heard these things, they convene a strange council, saying, What are we to do, for this man performs such signs? Great accusations; as the dead are being raised, death is put to death, and Lazarus rises from the dead; but the Jews are deadened in their mind. Do not therefore sit as an incomplete council, but add the reason for the accusation, and say; What are we to do, for after a few days the sun from above is darkened, the earth from below trembles, not bearing what has been done, the veil of the temple within is torn, a multitude of the dead returns to life? Again say: What are we to do, for the temple is destroyed, for the worship ceases, for the city is set on fire, for we are cast out, and others are established as heirs in our place? What are we to do, for all things are transferred, prophets, apostles, priesthood, fasting, festival, worship? and God will receive.

Consider these things, deliberate on these things; for the words of your speeches are useless to you, the intention remains; for whatever word you speak, it shall not remain in you. Therefore God has given once for all to whom he has given, to celebrate always, to feast always, each year to renew the reason for the festival, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

μὲν πάντα κατὰ φύσιν ὡς Υἱός· ἐμνημόνευσε δὲ τὴν τιμὴν ἀναπέμπων, ἵνα μίαν συμφωνίαν Υἱοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς ἐπιδείξηται τοῖς ἀγνοοῦσιν. Ὡς δὲ ἠσφαλίσατο τὴν πίστιν, καὶ τοὺς τῶν ἀκροωμένων λογισμοὺς ὠχύρωσε, λοιπὸν ἐπὶ τὸ ἔργον χωρεῖ. Λάζαρε, δεῦρο ἔξω. Οὐκ ἐδιπλασίασε τὸν λόγον, ἵν' ὁ εἷς μόνος ἀναστῇ, καὶ μὴ ὁ δῆμος τῶν νεκρῶν ἄτακτον δράμῃ δρόμον. Ἕνα ζητῶ νεκρὸν, μὴ πάντες ἔλθητε· οὔπω γὰρ ἐκείνου τοῦ νεύματος ὁ καιρός. Ὅτε ἀκούσουσιν οἱ νεκροὶ τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, καὶ οἱ ἀκούσαντες ζήσονται. Εἷς μόνος ἡκέτω τέως, εἷς λυέσθω διὰ τὴν τοῦ ἑνὸς Μονογενοῦς φιλίαν, ἑνὸς δέομαι δεσμώτου. Μηδεὶς ἀντιταττέσθω τῶν κάτω, μὴ πυλωρὸς ἀφανὴς, μὴ δεσμοφύλαξ βαρὺς, μὴ οἱ κάτω κλειδοῦχοι μελετήσαντες πάντες λαμβάνειν. Μάθε τοὺς ἐμοὺς πρῶτον διδόναι. Καὶ σὺ δὲ, ὦ ᾅδη, σιώπα, πεφίμωσο, 62.776 μηδὲν ξένον παθὼν, ∆εσπότῃ ὑπακούων, μηδὲν τούτων προσποιούμενος.

Ἄνθρωπος φυγὰς γίνεται τῶν σῶν προθύρων. Λάζαρε, δεῦρο ἔξω· νίκησον θάνατον τοῖς ἐμοῖς ἐπιτάγμασιν, νίκησον θάνατον συλήσας τὰ κάτω. Ἔτι μένω δεδεμένος, ἤδη κατ' αὐτοῦ στεφανούμενος. Ἐξῆλθεν ὁ Λάζαρος δεδεμένος καὶ βαδίζων ἐξῆλθε πάντα δεδεμένος, καὶ ὅλος κινούμενος· ὅλος γὰρ δι' ὅλου σφιγγόμενος ἦν πόδας καὶ χεῖρας, κατὰ τὸν ἐπιχώριον τῆς ταφῆς τρόπον. Οὐδὲ ἦν λοιπὸν ἔξω θανάτου καὶ τάφου. Πάλιν ἐπιτάσσει ὁ Ἰησοῦς καινὸν ἐπίταγμα· Λύσατε αὐτὸν, φησὶ, καὶ ἄφετε ὑπάγειν. ∆ιὰ τί αὐτομάτως οὐ λύεται ὁ θάνατον φυγὼν, ὁ τὴν κάτω φρουρὰν ἀνατρέψας· Ὑμεῖς λύσατε οἱ πάλαι δήσαντες, ἵνα τῶν οἰκείων δεσμῶν ἐπιγνῶτε τὰ σήμαντρα. Ὡς δὲ ἤκουσαν ταῦτα οἱ Φαρισαῖοι, ξένον βουλευτήριον συγκροτοῦσι λέγοντες, Τί ποιοῦμεν, ὅτι οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος τοιαῦτα σημεῖα ποιεῖ; Μεγάλα ἐγκλήματα· νεκρῶν ἐγειρομένων θάνατος θανατοῦται, καὶ Λάζαρος ἀνίσταται ἐκ νεκρῶν· οἱ δὲ Ἰουδαῖοι νεκροῦνται τῇ γνώμῃ. Μὴ ἀτελὲς τοίνυν κάθησθε βουλευτήριον, ἀλλὰ πρόσθετε τὸν τοῦ ἐγκλήματος λόγον, καὶ εἴπατε· Τί ποιοῦμεν, ὅτι μετ' ὀλίγας ἡμέρας ἄνωθεν ἥλιος σκοτίζεται, κάτωθεν γῆ τρέμει μὴ φέρουσα τὰ πεπραγμένα, ἔνδοθεν τοῦ ναοῦ τὸ καταπέτασμα διαῤῥήγνυται, νεκρῶν δῆμος πρὸς ζωὴν ἐπανέρχεται; Πάλιν εἴπατε· Τί ποιοῦμεν, ὅτι ναὸς λύεται, ὅτι λατρεία παύεται, ὅτι ἡ πόλις ἐμπίπραται, ὅτι ἡμεῖς ἐκβαλλόμεθα, καὶ ἕτεροι ἀνθ' ἡμῶν κληρονόμοι καθίστανται; Τί ποιοῦμεν, ὅτι πάντα μεταφέρεται, προφῆται, ἀπόστολοι, ἱερωσύνη, νηστεία, πανήγυρις, λατρεία; καὶ Θεὸς δέξεται.

Περὶ τούτων σκέψασθε, περὶ τούτων βουλεύσασθε· αἱ γὰρ τῶν λόγων λέξεις ἀνωφελεῖς εἰσιν ὑμῖν, ἡ γνώμη μένει· λόγον γὰρ ὃν ἐὰν λαλήσητε, οὐ μὴ ἐμμένει ἐν ὑμῖν. Ἅπαξ τοίνυν δέδωκεν ὁ Θεὸς οἷς δέδωκεν, ἀεὶ ἑορτάζειν, ἀεὶ πανηγυρίζειν, καθ' ἕκαστον ἔτος ἀνανεοῦσθαι τῆς πανηγύρεως τὸν λόγον, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.