5
mt 23, 25 For righteousness cleanses the vessel much more beautifully than water,
just as it was also in the case of men themselves. The righteous were pure in their bodies more than those cleansed with water, as David says: "I will wash my hands in innocence," so that the things of the Lord are also in harmony with those of the law. 46
mt 25, 14-18 He calls "a journey" the time in between from the ascension into heaven
until the time of his coming, in which he seems to be absent from us. And the "immediately" signifies the undelayed nature of the diligence, with which one must work the things of God. And the five and two talents and one [signify] the difference of ministry, of a bishop, so to speak, a presbyter, a deacon; for by the amount of the talent it indicates the greater or lesser [degree] of the ministry. Whence he well said "to each according to his own ability," in order to say: as each happened to be able to fulfill the ministry in proportion to what was entrusted; for he wishes to show that he both demands zeal from all and rewards it similarly. 47
mt 25, 20-25 He calls the doubling of what was given the demonstrating with diligence what is fitting and becoming a cause of benefit to others, for which things he says he will rightly obtain great rewards; for this is the "I will set you over many things." And by "to hide" he meant to demonstrate nothing of what was necessary, but to render unseen the grace given to him. 48
mt 26, 29 He named "the kingdom of the Father" the resurrection, from which both the kingdom
came to him and its fellowship to the rest of men. And what is "new" instead of "in a new way"—and incorruptible and not in need of nourishment. 51
mt 26, 37 Nor must one wonder at this, how the Lord appears to be in agony according to his humanity even though the disciples often rejoiced at what they were suffering. Just as, being able to deliver himself from death, he allowed himself to suffer for the salvation of the world, so also according to human nature he allowed himself to be in agony, persuading them to consider the passion not some appearance, but a reality, and especially since the swiftness of the resurrection was able to easily lead them to this suspicion.
5
mt 23, 25 Πολὺ γὰρ κάλλιον καθαίρει τὸ σκεῦος ἡ δικαιοσύνη παρὰ τὸ ὕδωρ,
ὥσπερ καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῶν τῶν ἀνθρώπων εἶχε. καθαροὶ τὰ σώματα ἦσαν οἱ δίκαιοι παρὰ τοὺς τοῖς ὕδασι καθαιρομένους, ὥς φησιν ὁ ∆αβίδ· «νίψομαι ἐν ἀθῴοις τὰς χεῖράς μου», ὥστε σύμφωνα τοῖς τοῦ νόμου καὶ τὰ τοῦ κυρίου. 46
mt 25, 14-18 Ἀποδημίαν καλεῖ τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἀναλήψεως ἐν μέσῳ
ἄχρι τῆς αὐτοῦ παρουσίας καιρόν, ἐν ᾧ ἀπεῖναι ἡμῶν δοκεῖ. τὸ δὲ εὐθέως τὸ ἀνυπέρθετον δηλοῖ τῆς σπουδῆς, ὅπως δεῖ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐργάζεσθαι. πέντε δὲ καὶ δύο τάλαντα καὶ ἓν τῆς λειτουργίας τὴν διαφοράν, ἐπισκόπου οἷον εἰπεῖν, πρεσβυτέρου, διακόνου· τῇ γὰρ ποσότητι τοῦ ταλάντου τὸ τῆς λειτουργίας πλέον ἢ ἔλαττον ἐμφαίνει. ὅθεν καλῶς εἶπεν ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν δύναμιν, ἵνα εἴπῃ· καθὸ ἕκαστος ἀναλόγως τοῖς ἐγχειρισθεῖσι δύναται τὴν λειτουργίαν ἐκπληροῦν συνέβαινε· βούλεται γὰρ δεῖξαι, ὅτι καὶ τὴν προθυμίαν παρὰ πάντων ἀπαιτεῖ καὶ ἀμείβεται ὁμοίως. 47 mt 25, 20-25 ∆ιπλασιασμὸν μὲν τῶν δοθέντων καλεῖ τὸ ἐπιδείξασθαι μετὰ σπουδῆς τὰ προσήκοντα καὶ ἄλλοις γενέσθαι ὠφελείας αἴτιον, ἀνθ' ὧν μεγάλων αὐτὸν τεύξεσθαί φησιν μισθῶν εἰκότως· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ ἐπὶ πολλῶν σε καταστήσω. τὸ δὲ κατακρύψαι εἶπεν τὸ μηδὲν ἐπιδείξασθαι τῶν δεόντων, ἀλλ' ἀφανῆ τὴν δοθεῖσαν αὐτῷ χάριν ἐργάσασθαι. 48
mt 26, 29 Βασιλείαν τοῦ πατρὸς ὠνόμασεν τὴν ἀνάστασιν, ἀφ' ἧς αὐτῷ τε ἡ
βασιλεία προσεγίνετο καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ ταύτης κοινωνία. τί δέ ἐστιν καινὸν ἀντὶ τοῦ καινῶς-καὶ ἄφθαρτον καὶ μὴ δεόμενον τροφῆς. 51 mt 26, 37 Οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνο δεῖ θαυμάζειν, ὅπως ἀγωνιῶν ὁ κύριος κατά γε τὸ ἀνθρώπινον φαίνεται καίτοι τῶν μαθητῶν χαιρόντων ἐφ' οἷς ἔπασχον πολλάκις. ὥσπερ δυνάμενος ἑαυτῷ ἐξελέσθαι τὸν θάνατον παθεῖν συνε χώρησεν ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου σωτηρίας, οὕτως καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην φύσιν ἀγωνιάσαι συνεχώρησεν πείθων αὐτοὺς μὴ δόκησίν τινα τὸ πάθος νομίζειν, ἀλλ' ἀλήθειαν καὶ μάλιστα τοῦ συντόμου τῆς ἀναστάσεως εὐκόλως αὐτοὺς εἰς ταύτην καταγαγεῖν δυναμένου τὴν ὑπόνοιαν.