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he taught indeed, and was unwilling to punish or take vengeance on any man. How then? So that the disciple might learn his power of punishment. For if he had punished someone, he would have seemed to contradict himself when he said: I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. Again, if he had punished no one, the disciple would have remained uncorrected, not learning through deeds his power of punishment. What then was to be done? So that the disciple might fear and, by not becoming contemptuous, become worse, and that no man might be struck, nor endure chastisement and punishment, Christ displays this power on the fig tree, saying, Let no fruit ever come from you again, and with a mere word withering it instantly. For in this way all men remained unharmed, and he himself demonstrated his own power, with the plant receiving the punishment. And if the disciple had paid attention, he would have reaped great bene48.969fit from this punishment; but nevertheless, he was not corrected even so. But Christ, foreknowing this also, did not only this, but also another thing along with it much greater than this. When, therefore, the Jews came against him, having armed their hands against him with swords and clubs, then he blinded them all; for his saying, Whom do you seek? was indicative of this. For since Judas was continually saying: What will you give me, and I will deliver him to you? the Lord, wishing to persuade the Jews and to teach him that he comes willingly to the passion, and that the whole thing is his own doing, not of his villainy being able to overcome him, with the traitor himself standing with them all, he says, Whom do you seek? Thus he did not know whom he was about to betray, but he blinded his sight; and not only this, but he also cast them all backward by means of this voice. And since not even this made them more reasonable, nor did it turn that defiled one from the betrayal, but he remained incurable, not even so did Christ again desist from his goodwill and care for him; but see how most reproachfully he rebukes the shameless soul, and utters words sufficient even to soften a stony mind. For when he rushed to kiss him, what does he say? Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss? Are you not ashamed even of the very form of the betrayal? And Christ said these things, rebuking him, and reminding him of their former intimacy. But nevertheless, though the Lord did and said so many things, that man did not become better, not because of the weakness of the one counseling, but because of his own indolence. But Christ, although foreknowing all these things, did not cease from beginning to end showing all the things that were from him. Therefore, since we know all these things, beloved, we must continually and always discipline and love the neglected among our brethren, even if no profit comes from the counsel. For if he who knew the end would be such, used so much foresight concerning the one who was going to reap nothing from this exhortation, of what pardon would we be worthy, when we, not even knowing the outcome of the matter, are so indolent about the salvation of our neighbors, abandoning them after the first and second counsel? And along with all that has been said, let us also consider the things concerning ourselves, that every day while God speaks to us through the prophets, through the apostles, we disobey every day; and yet he does not desist from speaking and exhorting always those who are rebellious and do not pay attention. And Paul cries out, saying: We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us, we beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For if one must say something astonishing, he who foreknows that the one receiving the counsel will certainly be persuaded, and thus gives counsel, is not as worthy of praise as he who has often spoken and counseled and failed, but does not desist even so. For in the former case, the hope that the hearer will be persuaded, even if he is the dullest of all, arouses him to the exhortation; but this one who

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μὲν ἐπαίδευσε, καὶ ἀνθρώπων οὐδένα κολάσαι οὐδὲ τιμωρήσασθαι ἠνέσχετο. Πῶς οὖν; Ἵνα μάθῃ τὴν τιμωρητικὴν αὐτοῦ δύναμιν ὁ μαθητής. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἐκόλασέ τινα, ἔδοξεν ἂν ἐναντιοῦσθαι ἑαυτῷ λέγοντι· Οὐκ ἦλθον ἵνα κρίνω τὸν κόσμον, ἀλλ' ἵνα σώσω τὸν κόσμον. Πάλιν, εἰ μηδένα ἐκόλασεν, ἀδιόρθωτος ἔμενεν ὁ μαθητὴς, οὐ μανθάνων διὰ τῶν ἔργων τὴν κολαστικὴν αὐτοῦ δύναμιν. Τί οὖν ἵνα γένηται; Ὥστε καὶ τὸν μαθητὴν φοβηθῆναι καὶ μὴ καταφρονήσαντα γενέσθαι χείρω, καὶ ἀνθρώπων μηδένα πληγῆναι, μηδὲ κόλασιν ὑπομεῖναι καὶ τιμωρίαν, εἰς τὴν συκῆν τὴν δύναμιν ταύτην ἐπιδείκνυται ὁ Χριστὸς, εἰπὼν, Μηκέτι ἐκ σοῦ καρπὸς γένηται, καὶ ῥήματι ψιλῷ ξηράνας αὐτὴν παραχρῆμα. Οὕτω γὰρ οἵ τε ἄνθρωποι πάντες ἔμενον ἀβλαβεῖς, αὐτός τε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δύναμιν ἐπεδείκνυτο, τοῦ φυτοῦ δεξαμένου τὴν τιμωρίαν. Καὶ ὁ μαθητὴς δὲ εἰ προσεῖχε, μεγάλην ἂν ἀπὸ τῆς κολάσεως ταύτης ἐκαρπώσατο τὴν ὠφέ48.969 λειαν· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ οὕτω διωρθώθη. Ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς καὶ τοῦτο προειδὼς, οὐχὶ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερον μετὰ τούτου πολλῷ μεῖζον τούτου ἐποίησεν. Ὅτε γοῦν ἐπέθεντο αὐτῷ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι μετὰ μαχαιρῶν καὶ ξύλων τὰς χεῖρας ὁπλίσαντες κατ' αὐτοῦ, τότε πάντας αὐτοὺς ἐπήρωσε· τὸ γὰρ εἰπεῖν, Τίνα ζητεῖτε; τοῦτο ἐμφαίνοντος ἦν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔλεγε συνεχῶς ὁ Ἰούδας· Τί θέλετέ μοι δοῦναι, καὶ ἐγὼ ὑμῖν παραδώσω αὐτόν; βουλόμενος ὁ Κύριος καὶ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους πεῖσαι, κἀκεῖνον διδάξαι, ὅτι ἑκὼν ἔρχεται ἐπὶ τὸ πάθος, καὶ τὸ πᾶν αὐτοῦ ἐστιν, οὐ τῆς ἐκείνου πανουργίας δυνηθείσης αὐτοῦ περιγίνεσθαι, αὐτοῦ τοῦ προδότου μετὰ πάντων ἑστῶτος, φησὶ, Τίνα ζητεῖτε; οὕτως οὐκ ᾔδει ὃν ἔμελλε παραδιδόναι, ἀλλ' ἐπήρωσεν αὐτοῦ τὴν ὄψιν· καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπτίους ἅπαντας ἔῤῥιψε διὰ τῆς φωνῆς ταύτης. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ μηδὲ τοῦτο αὐτοὺς ἐπιεικεστέρους ἐποίησε, μηδὲ τὸν μιαρὸν ἐκεῖνον τῆς προδοσίας ἀπέστησεν, ἀλλ' ἔμενεν ἀνίατος ὢν, οὐδὲ οὕτω πάλιν ὁ Χριστὸς ἀπέστη τῆς περὶ αὐτὸν εὐνοίας τε καὶ ἐπιμελείας· ἀλλ' ὅρα πῶς ἐντρεπτικώτατα τῆς ἀναιδοῦς καθάπτεται ψυχῆς, καὶ φθέγγεται ῥήματα ἱκανὰ καὶ λιθίνην μαλάξαι διάνοιαν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὥρμησεν αὐτὸν φιλῆσαι, τί φησιν; Ἰούδα, φιλήματι τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδως; οὐδὲ αὐτὸ τῆς προδοσίας αἰσχύνῃ τὸ σχῆμα; Ταῦτα δὲ ἔλεγεν ὁ Χριστὸς καθαπτόμενος αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς προτέρας ἀναμιμνήσκων συνηθείας. Ἀλλ' ὅμως τοσαῦτα τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ ποιήσαντος καὶ εἰπόντος, οὐκ ἐγένετο βελτίων ἐκεῖνος, οὐ παρὰ τὴν τοῦ συμβουλεύσαντος ἀσθένειαν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ ῥᾳθυμίαν. Ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς, καίτοι ταῦτα πάντα προειδὼς, οὐ διέλιπεν ἐξ ἀρχῆς μέχρι τέλους τὰ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ ἅπαντα ἐπιδεικνύμενος. Ἅπερ οὖν ἅπαντα καὶ ἡμᾶς εἰδότας, ἀγαπητοὶ, συνεχῶς καὶ διαπαντὸς τοὺς ἠμελημένους τῶν ἀδελφῶν τῶν ἡμετέρων ῥυθμίζειν καὶ φιλεῖν χρὴ, κἂν μηδὲν ἐκ τῆς συμβουλῆς γίνηται κέρδος. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ τὸ τέλος εἰδὼς τοιοῦτον ἐσόμενον, τοσαύτῃ περὶ τὸν οὐδὲν μέλλοντα καρποῦσθαι ἐκ τῆς παραινέσεως ταύτης ἐχρήσατο προνοίᾳ, ποίας ἂν εἴημεν ἄξιοι συγγνώμης ἡμεῖς, ὅταν μηδὲ τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων ἔκβασιν εἰδότες, οὕτω τῆς τῶν πλησίον σωτηρίας ῥᾳθυμῶμεν, ἐκ πρώτης καὶ δευτέρας αὐτοὺς συμβουλῆς ἐγκαταλιμπάνοντες; Μετὰ δὲ τῶν εἰρημένων ἁπάντων καὶ τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐννοήσωμεν, ὅτι καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸς ἡμᾶς διαλεγομένου διὰ τῶν προφητῶν, διὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων, καθ' ἑκάστην παρακούομεν τὴν ἡμέραν· καὶ ὅμως οὐκ ἀφίσταται καὶ διαλεγόμενος καὶ παρακαλῶν ἀεὶ τοὺς ἀφηνιῶντας καὶ μὴ προσέχοντας. Καὶ βοᾷ Παῦλος λέγων· Ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ πρεσβεύομεν, ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ παρακαλοῦντος δι' ἡμῶν, δεόμεθα ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ, καταλλάγητε τῷ Θεῷ. Εἰ γὰρ χρή τι καὶ θαυμαστὸν εἰπεῖν, οὐ τοσούτων ἐπαίνων ἄξιος ὁ προειδὼς, ὅτι πεισθήσεται πάντως ὁ δεχόμενος τὴν συμβουλὴν, καὶ οὕτω συμβουλεύων, ὡς ὁ πολλάκις μὲν εἰπὼν καὶ συμβουλεύσας καὶ ἀποτυχὼν, οὐκ ἀφιστάμενος δὲ οὐδὲ οὕτω. Τὸν μὲν γὰρ πρότερον ἡ τοῦ πεισθήσεσθαι ἐλπὶς τὸν ἀκούοντα, κἂν ἁπάντων νωθέστερος ᾖ, διεγείρει πρὸς τὴν παραίνεσιν· οὗτος δὲ ὁ