On Jeremiah (Homilies 12-20) On And you shall say to this people: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Every wineskin will be filled with wine up

 Therefore He here named the punishments unmixed wine, which they drink who are worthy of unmixed wine, that is, of unmixed punishment. But there are a

 to have the preeminence of a more honorable name than the people, God spares him so that he might not be punished when he sins. But the things written

 that God, sparing many, does not spare one. I will also take the example of a physician, showing that in sparing the whole body he does not spare one

 Then after this he commands them not to be lifted up, and teaches what must be done. What then is it to hear and what is it to give ear, let us unders

 does darkness not happen? Work while the light is in you. <The light is in you>, if you have in you the one who said: I am the light of the world

 glory to God those who do things contrary to the glory of God through their sins. 12.12 “Give glory to the Lord our God before it grows dark, before y

 the prophets, lest we fall under the prophecy that says: but if you do not listen secretly, your soul will weep because of insolence. As many of you

 to cast a vote against the one who has sinned, each of the onlookers does not spare, does not look sad, does not pity, does not return to intercede fo

 What follows also fits: You have turned me away, says the Lord, you will go backward. Because you have turned away from the Son of God, and because

 but not of pains that bring health to those being treated. 14.2 That people, therefore, was sick various diseases were among the people who were call

 spiritual riches, but they turned away from what was being said and did not present themselves receptive so that they might be indebted for this reas

 how often I wanted to gather your children together» and what follows. And these things are also clearly spoken by the Savior in the passage, “Woe is

 of the double-minded is judged. If you bear the image of the heavenly one having put off the image of the earthly one, you are not earth condemnin

 of their affliction, he says, that is against the enemy, I stood by you on their behalf. And who is the enemy but our adversary the devil, who affli

 to a land which he did not know. For a fire is kindled from my wrath, it will be burned against you. After this, <ὁ> he who prayed above completes t

 In the present case, it was necessary † for such a thing to happen in the church of God. The one who was condemned has been condemned, so-and-so † whi

 becomes inimitable, so that I become so great that no one is like me in character, in speech, in deeds, in wisdom, then I am able to say, because I al

 a limb, the physician tries to make a restoration of the dislocated part. When someone is outside his fatherland, whether justly or unjustly, and rece

 my Savior and Lord is about to stand before the Father, being judged with all of us men. And he is judged with all men. I say: he is judged, he himsel

 my dispensation did this and that, and for your salvation I endured. When the Savior says these things, what shall we do? For he is about to be judged

 uncleanness.” Having put these things to death, “he does not rely on the flesh of his own arm.” “Cursed is he who has his hope in man.” And at the sam

 to take the souls that are on the hills, those not lying below? And see if the prophet did not cry out mystically saying these things and presenting t

 my ‘Soul, you have good things laid up for many years rest, eat, drink, be merry.’” You see the one below the mountains, the one below the hills, th

 what awaits us, must be understood. If, then, we depart this life having sins, but also having virtues, will we be saved on account of the virtues, bu

 that the gentiles who sin receive their sins simply, but we receive our offenses doubly. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge

 it is written with an iron pen, with a diamond point, engraved upon the breast of the heart ” but again, the word 'their' does not follow in that case

 simpler than the believers. “The partridge called,” therefore, “it gathered what it did not hatch, making its wealth not with judgment.” The partridge

 your names are written in the heavens”. Therefore one must rejoice, if one becomes such a person, so that his name may be inscribed in the heavens. Bu

 for “there shall be trouble in Jacob, nor shall toil be seen in Israel.” There is no labor for one following Jesus the very act of following removes

 has ascended far above the earthen vessels. Below are the earthen vessels, and the nature that administers the earthen vessels, condescending to the t

 into the potter's house and he recounts what he saw, saying: and behold, he was doing a work with his hands, and the vessel which he was making in th

 to be planted,” a whole nation and since this <the> nation being built up and planted has a good promise, but is able to sin, he says after speaking

 Christ, the mystery of the church, the one who comes to the synagogue and does not bear fruit. 18.6 At last I will speak against a nation or even aga

 speaking to the child in a childish way, or that I may speak more emphatically, in an infantile way, that you have borne with the manners of your son

 of the Lord saying through the prophet: And the Lord spoke to them. And to <us> now the Lord says through the scriptures, Let each one turn from hi

 Jews but since they did not thirst for Christ and the Holy Spirit, they cannot drink even from God. Those from the heresies seemed to have thirsted f

 Immer, and that he was a priest, and what rank he held among the people, that he was appointed leader of the house of the Lord at the time when Jeremi

 God will do it». And such a high priest is superficially beautiful and a whitewashed wall, full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness on the ins

 of the disciples, as they were asking him, Where do you want us to prepare the Passover for you?, he said, As you are going, a man will meet you ca

 the sons of Jerusalem have departed and the city has been destroyed. But if you examine the matter and see the city not as stones, but as people, you

 burning in my bones, and I am weary on all sides and cannot bear it, because I heard the reproach of many gathering together round about,” and “saying

 For not only the adulterer is liable to the gehenna of fire, but also the one who says to his brother, fool. But if the one who says to his brothe

 you should think that his repentance has some kinship with the repentance of those who repent. For just as his word was something exceptional, his ang

 to the people, he hears God saying according to the scriptures: Whom shall I send, and who will go to this people? And he, it says, answered: Behol

 And I have insults as wood, I have drunkennesses as wood, thefts as wood, and I have built upon my structure ten thousand other pieces of wood. Do you

 to despise», see if it is not truly for this reason, since they did not think they were deceived, they stored up for themselves «wrath in the day of w

 a laughingstock, all the day I was derided”? What am I saying, Jeremiah? and my Jesus was mocked for it says, “the Pharisees, who were lovers of mone

 the unrighteous man “for it will be,” he says, “when you call upon me, I will not listen to you.” There, then, the unrighteous and it is clear that

 to discipline the body with fasts and to enslave it» «by abstaining from such foods,» and in every way «by the spirit to put to death the deeds of the

 in my bones, and I am exhausted on all sides and cannot bear it.” I fear lest such a thing is what is reserved for us, becoming a fire, as happened in

 let us all, his friends, conspire against him watch his intention, and he will be deceived.” They wanted to deceive him with another deadly deception

 let him examine. Nevertheless, what awaits us are tormentors and one who examines hearts and reins for our sins from which sins if we are not quickly

that God, sparing many, does not spare one. I will also take the example of a physician, showing that in sparing the whole body he does not spare one member. For example, let this be the task set before a judge: to create peace and to furnish what is advantageous for the nation under him. Let some murderer be brought forward, comely in appearance and beautiful to behold. Let his mother approach, offering pitiful words to the judge, that her old age might be pitied; let the wife of this man who is unworthy of pity plead; let his children standing around him beg for him. In these circumstances, what is advantageous for the community? Should this man be pitied or not be pitied? But if he is pitied, he will return to the same things; but if he is not pitied, he himself will die, but the community will be improved. Thus if God spares the sinner and has mercy on him, and pities him so as not to punish him, who will not be worn down? Those of the wicked, who cease from their sins because of the fears of punishments, will not be worn down, will not become worse? Such things can be seen happening also in the churches; someone has sinned, after the sin he has asked for communion. If he is quickly pitied, the community is worn down, the sin of others increases. But if with reason, not as unmerciful nor as cruel, the judge, but as providing for the one, and providing more for the many than for the one, he should consider the future harm to the community from the communion of the one and the forgiveness of his sin, it is clear that he will have the one cast out, in order to save the many. See for me also a physician, in what way, if he refrains from cutting what must be cut, if he refrains from cauterizing on account of the pains that follow such remedies, in what way the disease increases and becomes worse. But if he should approach the cutting and the burning more boldly, as it were, he will heal by not having mercy, by seeming not to pity the one being cauterized and the one being cut. Thus God also does not manage one man, but manages the whole world; he administers the things in heaven, the things on earth everywhere. He considers, therefore, what is advantageous for the whole world and for all beings; as far as possible he also considers what is advantageous for the one, not, however, that the advantage of the one should come at the expense of the world. For this reason also eternal fire has been prepared, for this reason also Gehenna has been made ready, for this reason there is also an outer darkness, of which there is need not only on account of the one being punished, but especially on account of the community. 12.6 But if you wish to take scripture as a witness, that sinners are punished also for the instruction of others, even if they themselves are sometimes despaired of with regard to healing, hear Solomon saying in the Proverbs: "When a pestilent man is scourged, a fool will be more cunning." He did not say that the one being scourged himself will be more cunning and more prudent because of the scourgings, but he says that the fool changes from foolishness to prudence because of the scourgings brought upon the pestilent man; for this is signified here by the word 'cunning'. And the fool changes by seeing others being scourged. Therefore the punishment of others is advantageous for us, if indeed we become worthy of salvation through others being punished. And just as the transgression of Israel contributed to the salvation of the nations, so will the punishment of some contribute to the salvation of others. For this reason God, being good, says: "I will not spare and I will not pity from their destruction." 12.7 Now that the one chapter has been outlined, let us see also what the other teaches us: "Hear and give ear, and do not be lifted up, because the Lord has spoken. Give glory to the Lord our God before it grows dark, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains; and you will wait for light, and there is the shadow of death, and they will be set in darkness. But if you do not hear in secret, your soul will weep because of insolence, and your eyes will bring down tears, because the flock of the Lord has been crushed." [του]He wishes the same people to hear and to give ear, not being satisfied with their merely hearing nor with their giving ear. For this reason he says: "Hear and give ear."

ὅτι πολλῶν φειδόμενος οὐ φείδεται ἑνὸς ὁ θεός. λήψομαι δὲ παράδειγμα καὶ ἰατρόν, δεικνὺς ὅτι φειδόμενος τοῦ ὅλου σώματος οὐ φείδεται μέλους ἑνός. οἷον ἔστω δικαστῇ τὸ προκείμενον τοῦτο, τὴν εἰρήνην δημιουργῆσαι καὶ κατασκευάσαι τῷ ὑπ' αὐτὸν ἔθνει τὰ συμφέροντα. προσεληλυθέτω δέ τις προσαγόμενος φονεὺς ὡραῖος τὴν ὄψιν καὶ καλὸς ἰδέσθαι. μήτηρ προσεληλυθέτω ἐλεεινοὺς προσφέρουσα λόγους τῷ δικαστῇ, ἵνα ἐλεηθῇ αὐτῆς τὸ γῆρας, ἡ γυνὴ τούτου τοῦ ἀναξίου ἐλεηθῆναι παρακαλείτω, περὶ αὐτοῦ τέκνα περιεστηκότα δεέσθω. ἐπὶ τούτοις τί συμφέρει τῷ κοινῷ; ἆρα ἐλεηθῆναι τοῦτον ἢ μὴ ἐλεηθῆναι; ἀλλὰ ἐλεηθεὶς μὲν ἐπὶ τὰ αὐτὰ ἐπανελεύσεται· μὴ ἐλεηθεὶς δὲ αὐτὸς μὲν ἀποθανεῖται, τὸ δὲ κοινὸν βελτιωθήσεται. οὕτως ὁ θεὸς ἐὰν φείσηται τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ καὶ ἐλεήσῃ αὐτὸν, καὶ οἰκτειρήσῃ ὡς μὴ κολάσαι αὐτόν, τίς οὐκ ἐπιτριβήσεται; <τίς> τῶν φαύλων καὶ διὰ τοὺς φόβους τῶν κολαστηρίων παυομένων τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων οὐκ ἐπιτριβήσεται, οὐ χείρων ἔσται; τοιαῦτα καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις γινόμενα ἔστιν ἰδεῖν· ἥμαρτέ τις, ἐδεήθη μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν περὶ κοινωνίας. ἐὰν τάχιον ἐλεηθῇ, ἐπιτρίβεται τὸ κοινόν, αὔξεται ἡ ἁμαρτία ἑτέρων. ἐὰν δὲ λογισμῷ οὐχ ὡς ἀνελεήμων οὐδ' ὡς ὠμὸς <ὁ> δικαστής, ἀλλ' ὡς προνοούμενος καὶ τοῦ ἑνός, πλεῖον δὲ προνοούμενος τῶν πολλῶν παρὰ τὸν ἕνα σκοπήσῃ τὴν ἐσομένην ζημίαν τῷ κοινῷ ἐκ τῆς κοινωνίας τοῦ ἑνὸς καὶ τῆς συγχωρήσεως τοῦ ἁμαρτήματος αὐτοῦ, δῆλον ὅτι ποιήσει ἐκβαλεῖν τὸν ἕνα, ἵνα σώσῃ τοὺς πολλούς. Ἴδε μοι καὶ ἰατρόν, τίνα τρόπον ἐὰν φειδόμενος ᾖ τοῦ τέμνειν ὅ,τι χρὴ τέμνειν, ἐὰν φειδόμενος τοῦ καυτηριάζειν <ὅ,τι χρὴ καυτηρι άζειν> διὰ τοὺς πόνους τοὺς ἐπακολουθοῦντας τοῖς τοιούτοις βοη θήμασι, τίνα τρόπον ἡ νόσος αὔξει καὶ χείρων γίνεται. ἐὰν δὲ τολμηρότερον οἷον προσέλθῃ τῇ τομῇ καὶ τῇ καύσει, θεραπεύσει διὰ τοῦ μὴ ἐλεῆσαι, διὰ τοῦ δοκεῖν μὴ οἰκτείρειν ἐκεῖνον τὸν καυτηριαζό μενον καὶ τὸν τεμνόμενον. οὕτως καὶ ὁ θεὸς οὐχ ἕνα ἄνθρωπον οἰκονομεῖ, ἀλλ' ὅλον τὸν κόσμον οἰκονομεῖ, τὰ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ πανταχοῦ διοικεῖ. σκοπεῖ οὖν τί συμφέρει ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς οὖσι, κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν σκοπεῖ καὶ τὸ συμφέρον τῷ ἑνί, οὐ μέντοι ἵνα γένηται ἐπὶ ζημίᾳ τοῦ κόσμου τὸ τοῦ ἑνὸς συμφέ ρον. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ πῦρ αἰώνιον ἡτοιμάσθη, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ γέεννα ηὐτρέπισται, διὰ τοῦτο ἔστι τι καὶ σκότος ἐξώτερον, ὧν χρεία οὐ μόνον διὰ τὸν κολαζόμενον, ἀλλὰ μάλιστα διὰ τὸ κοινόν. 12.6 Εἰ δὲ θέλεις τὴν γραφὴν μάρτυρα λαβεῖν, ὅτι καὶ εἰς ἑτέρων παίδευσιν οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ κολάζονται, κἂν οὗτοί ποτε ἀπεγνωσμένοι ὦσι περὶ θεραπείας, ἄκουε Σολομῶντος ἐν ταῖς Παροιμίαις λέγοντος· «λοιμοῦ μαστιγουμένου ἄφρων πανουργότερος ἔσται». οὐκ αὐτὸν τὸν μαστιγούμενον εἶπεν ἔσεσθαι πανουργότερον καὶ φρονιμώτερον διὰ τὰς μάστιγας, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἄφρονά φησι μεταβάλλειν ἀπὸ ἀφροσύνης εἰς φρόνησιν διὰ τὰς προσαγομένας τῷ λοιμῷ μάστιγας· τοῦτο γὰρ σημαίνεται ἐκ τοῦ ὀνόματος ἐνταῦθα τῆς πανουργίας. καὶ μεταβάλλει διὰ τοῦ βλέπειν ἑτέρους μαστιγουμένους ὁ ἄφρων. οὐκοῦν συμφέρει ἡμῖν, ἐάν γε σωτηρίας ἄξιοι γενώμεθα δι' ἄλλων κολαζομένων, ἡ ἄλλων κόλασις. καὶ ὡς συνήνεγκεν τὸ παράπτωμα τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ τῇ σωτηρίᾳ τῶν ἐθνῶν, οὕτως συνοίσει ἡ κόλασίς <τινων> τῇ ἑτέρων σωτηρίᾳ. διὰ τοῦτο ἀγαθὸς ὢν ὁ θεός φησιν· «οὐ φείσομαι καὶ οὐκ οἰκτειρήσω ἀπὸ διαφθορᾶς αὐτῶν». 12.7 Περιγεγραμμένου δὲ τοῦ ἑνὸς κεφαλαίου ἴδωμεν καὶ τὸ ἕτερον τί ἡμᾶς διδάσκει· «ἀκούσατε καὶ ἐνωτίσασθε, καὶ μὴ ἐπαίρεσθε, ὅτι κύριος ἐλάλησε. δότε τῷ κυρίῳ θεῷ ἡμῶν δόξαν πρὸ τοῦ συσκοτάσαι, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ προσκόψαι τοὺς πόδας ὑμῶν ἐπ' ὄρη σκοτεινά· καὶ ἀναμενεῖτε εἰς φῶς, καὶ ἐκεῖ σκιὰ θανάτου, καὶ τεθήσονται εἰς σκότος. ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἀκούσητε κεκρυμμένως, κλαύσεται ἡ ψυχὴ ὑμῶν ἀπὸ προσώπου ὕβρεως, καὶ κατάξουσιν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ὑμῶν δάκρυα, διότι συνετρίβη τὸ ποίμνιον κυρίου». [του]τοὺς αὐτοὺς βούλεται ἀκοῦσαι καὶ ἐνωτίσασθαι, οὐκ ἀρκούμενος οὔτε τῷ ἀκούειν αὐτοὺς μόνον οὔτε τῷ ἐνωτίζεσθαι. διό φησιν· «ἀκούσατε καὶ ἐνωτίσασθε».