dripping? Does he who spread out the folds of the heavens need writing tablets? Was it necessary for him who inscribed the tablets with his finger to hold a stylus? How does this man know letters, having never learned? Leaving behind the greater things, you come to the least; if you wish to search the unsearchable, tell me first how he gave sight to the man blind from birth. For did he bare a whetstone, or dissolve an eye-salve, or show a probe, or wet a sponge, or shave the head of the maimed one, in order to check the discharge? Did he regulate him with a light diet? Did he give him an antidote, to purge the bile beforehand? Did he perform a scraping for trachoma? Did he couch a cataract? No, but by a strange and harmful and contrary method, so far as men are concerned, he gave him sight; for he only anointed his eyes with clay. But clay blinds those who can see; it does not give sight to those who cannot see. Just as, therefore, O Jews, by healing the man blind from birth without medical art, he revealed the sovereign power of his divine might, so also here, without rhetorical mythology and sophistical intricacy and poetic futility and grammatical pedantry and astronomical babbling, he taught those present, so that, in the case of the blind man, those present might learn that he himself is the one who took dust from the earth and formed Adam from clay, and here they might learn most clearly after so much instruction, that he himself is the one who spoke through the prophet: Open your mouth, and I will fill it. What then does the Lord do? Answering the Jews, he said, as you just heard: Why do you seek to kill me? Did not Moses give you the law? And yet none of you keeps the law. But the Jews said to the Lord: Do we not keep the law? Is it not for this reason we wish to kill you, that you break the Sabbath by strengthening the paralyzed and giving sight to the blind? And you say we do not keep the law? But the Lord said to them: This is not to keep the law, but to insult the law. For if, he says, a man is circumcised on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because I made a whole man well on the Sabbath, and opened the blind windows of a rational being? What is more necessary on the Sabbath, O Jews, to circumcise flesh or to strengthen a paralytic? to cut off the foreskin or to deliver a soul from sins? to sharpen a sword or to give sight to a blind man? to assemble an unlawful tribunal or to multiply universal grace? If you circumcise a man on the Sabbath, so that the law may not be broken, are you angry with me because I made a whole man well on the Sabbath? Do not judge by appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. Oh, what paradoxical things! God says to men concerning himself: Judge righteous judgment for me. He draws his enemies as judges of his own wonder-working, saying to them: Do not judge by appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. Do not, as in the case of Susanna, condemn the innocent; for I also raised up Daniel there, that he might punish the guilty, and set free the blameless. Do not judge by appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. Do not, as in the case of Naboth, stone me unlawfully, lest as a reward for your lawlessness you endure, like Ahab, a harlot's bloody washing. Do not judge by appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. For you have always judged perversely; so now judge righteously. Was it not you whom the prophet Micah was reproaching when he said: Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who abhor justice and pervert all equity? Do not judge by appearance, but judge with righteous judgment; for the bones of men-pleasers will perish. Do not judge by appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. Why do you move your lips to slander? Why do you sharpen your tongue for accusation? Why do you forge your mouth against the blameless? Did I not tell you that you must be brought to justice even for an idle word? Why do you please the devil and

ἀποστάζων; ∆έλτων χρῄζει ὁ πτύχας οὐρανῶν ἁπλώσας; Γραφεῖον ἔδει κρατεῖν τὸν τὰς πλάκας δακτύλῳ ὑπογράψαντα; Πῶς οὗτος γράμματα οἶδε μὴ μεμαθηκώς; Τὰ μείζονα καταλιπόντες ἐπὶ τὰ ἐλάχιστα παραγίνεσθε· εἰ βούλεσθε ἐρευνᾶν τὰ ἀνεξερεύνητα, εἴπατε πρῶτον πῶς τὸν ἐκ γεννητῆς τυφλὸν ὠμμάτωσεν. Μὴ γὰρ ἀκόνην ἐγύμνωσεν, ἢ κολλύριον ἔλυσεν, ἢ μήλην ἐπέδειξεν, ἢ σπογγίον ἔβρεξεν, ἢ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ πηροῦ ἐξύρησεν, ἵνα τὸ ῥεῦμα προσαναχαιτίσῃ; Μὴ λεπτῇ διαίτῃ τοῦτον ἐρρύθμισεν; Μὴ ἀντίδοτον αὐτῷ δέδωκεν, ἵνα τὴν χολὴν προκαθάρῃ; Μὴ τραχώματος ξέσιν εἰργάσατο; Μὴ νεφελοχυσίαν παρεκέντησεν; Οὐχὶ ξένῃ καὶ ἐπιβλαβεῖ καὶ ἐναντίᾳ περιόδῳ ὅσον τὸ ἐπ' ἀνθρώποις τοῦτον ὠμμάτωσεν· πηλὸν γὰρ μόνον τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχρισεν. Πηλὸς δὲ καὶ τοὺς βλέποντας τυφλοῖ, οὐχὶ δὲ τοὺς μὴ βλέποντας ὀμματοῖ. Ὥσπερ τοίνυν, ὦ Ἰουδαῖοι, τὸν ἐκ γεννητῆς τυφλὸν ἄνευ τέχνης ἰατρικῆς θεραπεύσας τῆς θεϊκῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ ἐνεφάνισε τὸ αὐτεξούσιον, οὕτως καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἄνευ μυθολογίας ῥητορικῆς καὶ πλεκτάνης σοφιστικῆς καὶ ματαιοπονίας ποιητικῆς καὶ περιεργίας γραμματικῆς καὶ βαττολογίας ἀστρονομικῆς ἐδίδασκε τοὺς παρόντας, ἵνα καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ τυφλοῦ μάθωσιν οἱ παρόντες, ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ χοῦν λαβὼν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς καὶ τὸν Ἀδὰμ πηλοπλαστήσας, καὶ ὧδε μάθωσιν ἀριδήλως μετὰ τὴν τοσαύτην παίδευσιν, ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ εἰρηκὼς διὰ τοῦ προφήτου· Ἄνοιξον τὸ στόμα σου καὶ πληρώσω αὐτό. Τί οὖν ὁ κύριος; Ἀποκριθεὶς πρὸς τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἔφη,καθὼς ἀρτίως ἤκουες· Τί με ζητεῖτε ἀποκτεῖναι; Οὐ Μωσῆς ἔδωκεν ὑμῖν τὸν νόμον; Καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐξ ὑμῶν ποιεῖ τὸν νόμον. Οἱ δὲ Ἰουδαῖοι πρὸς τὸν κύριον· Οὐ ποιοῦμεν τὸν νόμον; Οὐ διὰ τοῦτο βουλόμεθά σε ἀποκτεῖναι, ὅτι λύεις τὸ σάββατον παραλύτους σφίγγων καὶ τυφλοὺς ὀμματῶν; Καὶ λέγεις οὐ ποιοῦμεν τὸν νόμον; Ὁ δὲ κύριος πρὸς αὐτούς· Τοῦτο οὐκ ἔστι ποιῆσαι τὸν νόμον, ἀλλὰ ὑβρίσαι τὸν νόμον. Εἰ γὰρ ἄνθρωπός φησιν ἐν σαββάτῳ περιτέμνεται, ἵνα μὴ λυθῇ ὁ νόμος Μωσέως, ἐμοὶ χολᾶτε ὅτι ὅλον ἄνθρωπον ὑγιῆ ἐποίησα ἐν σαββάτῳ, καὶ λογικοῦ τυφλὰς θυρίδας ἀνέῳξα; Τί ἀναγκαιότερον ἐν σαββάτῳ, ὧ Ἰουδαῖοι, σάρκας περιτέμνειν ἢ παράλυτον σφίγγειν; ἀκροβυστίαν ἀκρωτηριάσαι ἢ ψυχὴν ἁμαρτιῶν ἀπαλλάξαι; ξίφος ὀξῦναι ἢ τυφλὸν ὀμματῶσαι; δικαστήριον παράνομον συγκροτῆσαι ἢ χάριν οἰκουμενικὴν πληθῦναι; Εἰ ἄνθρωπον περιτέμνετε ἐν σαββάτῳ, ἵνα μὴ λυθῇ ὁ νόμος, ἐμοὶ χολᾶτε ὅτι ὅλον ἄνθρωπον ὑγιῆ ἐποίησα ἐν σαββάτῳ; Μὴ κρίνετε κατ' ὄψιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν δικαίαν κρίσιν κρίνατε. Ὢ τῶν παραδόξων πραγμάτων. Θεὸς ἀνθρώποις λέγει περὶ ἑαυτοῦ· Τὴν δικαίαν μοι κρίσιν κρίνατε. Τῆς ἑαυτοῦ θαυματουργίας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ κριτὰς ἐπισπᾶται λέγων πρὸς αὐτούς· Μὴ κρίνετε κατ' ὄψιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν δικαίαν κρίσιν κρίνατε. Μὴ ὡς ἐπὶ Σωσάννης τὸν ἀναίτιον καταδικάσητε· ἐγὼ γὰρ κἀκεῖ τὸν ∆ανιὴλ ἐξήγειρα, ἵνα τοὺς μὲν αἰτίους κολάσῃ, τὴν ἀνεύθυνον δὲ εὐλυτώσῃ. Μὴ κρίνετε κατ' ὄψιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν δικαίαν κρίσιν κρίνατε. Μὴ ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ Ναβουθὲ παρανόμως με λιθοβολήσητε, ἵνα μὴ μισθὸν τῆς παρανομίας ὡς ὁ Ἀχαὰβ αἱματολουσίαν πορνικὴν ὑπομείνητε. Μὴ κρίνετε κατ' ὄψιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν δικαίαν κρίσιν κρίνατε. Ἀεὶ γὰρ παρεκρίνατε, καὶ νῦν δικαίως κρίνατε. Οὐχ ὑμᾶς ὀνειδίζων ὁ προφήτης Μιχαίας ἔλεγεν· Ἀκούσατε δὴ ταῦτα, οἱ ἡγούμενοι οἴκου Ἰακὼβ καὶ οἱ κατάλοιποι οἴκου Ἰσραήλ, οἱ βδελυσσόμενοι κρίμα καὶ πάντα τὰ ὀρθὰ διαστρέφοντες; Μὴ κρίνετε κατ' ὄψιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν δικαίαν κρίσιν κρίνατε· ὀστᾶ γὰρ ἀνθρωπαρέσκων ἀπολοῦνται. Μὴ κρίνετε κατ' ὄψιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν δικαίαν κρίσιν κρίνατε. Τί τὰ χείλη πρὸς συκοφαντίαν κινεῖτε; Τί τὴν γλῶσσαν πρὸς δηλατόρευσιν ὀξύνετε; Τί τὸ στόμα κατὰ τοῦ ἀνευθύνου χαλκεύετε; Οὐκ εἶπον ὑμῖν ὅτι καὶ περὶ ἀργοῦ λόγου δεῖ ὑμᾶς δίκην εἰσπρα χθῆναι; Τί τὸν διάβολον τέρπετε καὶ