The question of who might be the greater among them belongs to one who is contentious and desires to be preeminent over the others. But Christ, who knows how to save, clearly did not slumber; He saw in the disciple’s mind the reasoning on this very point, like some root of bitterness springing up, according to what is written, and before it could be lifted high, before it could mature, He digs up the evil from its very root; for the passions in us, when they are beginning, are easily overcome, but when they have matured, they are difficult to cast off and are immoderately shameless. How then does the physician of spirits shear off the passion for vainglory? He took a child, it says, and stood it beside Himself. And He made this act an occasion for benefit both for the holy apostles themselves and for us who are after them; for such a sickness generally feeds upon those people who might be in a position of superiority over others. Of what, then, was the child who was brought forward a type and an image? Of an innocent and unambitious life; for it has an uncorrupted mind, an unadulterated 89 heart, and is in simplicity of thoughts; it does not love vainglory, it does not know the way of superiority over anyone, nor does it even flee from seeming to be at a disadvantage. It has great calm in mind and heart, as from simplicity and guilelessness. And so the Savior Himself once said to the holy apostles, or rather to all who love Him: Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like these children, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God. But what it is to turn and be made like children, the blessed Paul clarifies by writing: Do not become children in your minds, but in malice be infants, and in your minds be mature. And another time, when women were bringing infants to Him, and the disciples were hindering them, He said: Let the children come to me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven. He receives and loves those who are such and deems them worthy to have them near, as it were, as those who have chosen to think His thoughts; for He said, Learn from me, for I am meek and humble in heart. ZU LK 9, 48 Then He says: Whoever receives this child in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives the one who sent me. Since, therefore, the reward for those who honor the saints is one and the same, whether one be perchance small or at least in surpassing honor and glory—for one receives Christ, and through Him and in Him the Father— how is it not utterly pointless to be contentious with one another and to seek to be preeminent over others? And He makes the purpose of this saying even clearer and says: For the one who is least among all of you, this one will be great, speaking of the modest-minded 90 person and the one who, out of reverence, thinks nothing lofty about himself. For it is written that Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted. ZU LK 9, 49φ Did the sting of envy strike the holy disciples? Do they begrudge those who are well-regarded? Do you forbid, tell me, the one who crushes evil demons in the name of Christ? And yet how should one not rather understand that it was not he himself who was the worker of the wonders, but the grace in him accomplishing the wonder by the power, clearly, of Christ? How then do you forbid the one who is distinguished in Christ? Yes, he says; for he does not follow with us. What then, if the one crowned with grace from Christ has not been numbered among the holy apostles? Many are the varieties of the gifts from Christ. And this the blessed Paul will teach, saying that To one is given a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, and to another faith, and to another gifts of healings. What then is this, He does not walk with us? The Savior has given authority to the holy apostles over unclean spirits, so as to cast them out and to heal every disease and every affliction among the people; and indeed they have put it to work. And so they returned rejoicing and saying: Lord, even the demons are subject to us in

τὸ τίς ἂν εἴη μείζων αὐτῶν, φιλονεικοῦντός ἐστι καὶ τὸ προεστάναι τῶν ἄλλων ἐπιθυμοῦντος. πλὴν οὐκ ἐνύσταξεν ὁ σώζειν εἰδὼς δηλονότι Χριστός· εἶδεν ἐν τῇ τοῦ μαθητοῦ διανοίᾳ τὸν ἐπ' αὐτῷ δὴ τούτῳ διαλογισμὸν ὥσπερ τινὰ ῥίζαν πικρίας ἄνω φύουσαν κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, καὶ πρὶν εἰς ὕψος ἀρθῆναι, πρὶν ἁδρυνθῆναι ἐκ ῥίζης αὐτῆς ἀναβοθρεύει τὸ κακόν· ἀρχόμενα γὰρ ἐν ἡμῖν τὰ πάθη νικᾶται ῥαδίως, ἁδρυνθέντα δὲ δυσαπόβλητά ἐστι καὶ οὐ μετρίως ἀναισχυντεῖ. πῶς οὖν ἄρα τὸ φιλόδοξον ἀποκείρει πάθος ὁ πνευμάτων ἰατρός; ἐπελάβετο παιδίου, φησί, καὶ ἔστησεν αὐτὸ παρ' ἑαυτῷ. ὠφελείας δὲ πρόφασιν ἐποιεῖτο τὸ χρῆμα καὶ αὐτοῖς τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις καὶ ἡμῖν δὲ τοῖς μετ' ἐκείνους· παραβόσκεται γὰρ ἡ τοιάδε νόσος ὡς ἐπίπαν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους οἵπερ ἂν εἶεν ἐν ὑπεροχῇ τῇ κατά τινων. τίνος οὖν ἄρα τύπον καὶ εἰκόνα τὸ παρενεχθὲν ἐποιεῖτο παιδίον; ἀπονήρου τε καὶ ἀφιλοδόξου ζωῆς· ἀκαπήλευτον γὰρ ἔχει τὴν γνώμην, ἀνό 89 θευτον τὴν καρδίαν καί ἐστιν ἐν ἁπλότητι λογισμῶν· οὐ φιλοδοξίας ἐρᾷ, οὐκ οἶδε τῆς καθ' ὁτουοῦν ὑπεροχῆς τὸν τρόπον, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ φεύγει τὸ μειονεκτεῖσθαι δοκεῖν. εὐδίαν ἔχει πολλὴν εἰς νοῦν καὶ καρδίαν ὡς ἐξ ἁπλότητός τε καὶ ἀκακίας. καὶ γοῦν αὐτὸς ὁ σωτὴρ ἔφασκέ ποτε τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις, μᾶλλον δὲ ἅπασι τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν· Ἀμήν, λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐὰν μὴ στραφῆτε καὶ γένησθε ὡς τὰ παιδία ταῦτα, οὐ δύνασθε εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλεῖαν τοῦ θεοῦ. τί δὲ τὸ στραφῆναι καὶ τοῖς παιδίοις ἐξομοιωθῆναι, διασαφεῖ γράφων ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος· Μὴ παιδία γίνεσθε ταῖς φρεσίν, ἀλλὰ τῇ κακίᾳ νηπιάζετε, ταῖς δὲ φρεσὶ τέλειοι γίνεσθε. ποτὲ δὲ πάλιν προσαγουσῶν αὐτῷ βρέφη γυναικῶν, εἶτα κωλυόντων τῶν μαθητῶν ἔφη· Ἄφετε τὰ παιδία ἔρχεσθαι πρός με· τῶν γὰρ τοιούτων ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν. τοὺς ὄντας τοιούτους προσίεται καὶ ἀγαπᾷ καὶ οἷον ἐγγὺς ἔχειν ἀξιοῖ ὡς τὰ αὐτοῦ φρονεῖν ἑλομένους· ἔφη γὰρ ὅτι Μάθετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾶός εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ. ZU LK 9, 48 Εἶτά φησιν· Ὃς ἂν δέξηται τὸ παιδίον τοῦτο ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί μου, ἐμὲ δέχεται· καὶ ὃς ἂν ἐμὲ δέξηται, δέχεται τὸν ἀποστείλαντά με. ὅτε τοίνυν τοῖς τιμῶσιν ἁγίους εἷς τε καὶ ὅμοιος ὁ μισθός, κἂν εἴτε μικρὸς εἴη τυχὸν ἢ γοῦν ἐν ὑπερκειμένῃ τιμῇ τε καὶ δόξῃ Χριστὸν γὰρ ὑποδέχεται καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τὸν πατέρα , πῶς οὐχ ἕωλον παντελῶς τὸ ἀλλήλοις φιλονεικεῖν καὶ τὸ προὔχειν ἑτέρων ἐπιζητεῖν; διατρανοῖ δὲ καὶ ἔτι μειζόνως τὸν ἐπὶ τούτῳ τῷ λόγῳ σκοπὸν καί φησιν· Ὁ γὰρ μικρότερος ἐν πᾶσιν ὑμῖν ὑπάρχων, οὗτος ἔσται μέγας, τὸν μετριό 90 φρονα λέγων καὶ οὐδὲν ὑψηλὸν περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λογιζόμενον δι' εὐλάβειαν. γέγραπται γὰρ ὅτι Πᾶς ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται καὶ ὁ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται. ZU LK 9, 49φ Ἆρα φθόνου κέντρον τοὺς ἁγίους ἔτυψε μαθητάς; ἆρα τοῖς εὐδοκιμοῦσι βασκαίνουσι; κωλύεις, εἰπέ μοι, τὸν ἐν ὀνόματι Χριστοῦ συντρίβοντα πονηρὰ δαιμόνια; καίτοι πῶς οὐκ ἔδει μᾶλλον ἐννοεῖν ὡς οὐκ αὐτὸς ἐκεῖνος ἦν ὁ τῶν παραδόξων ἐργάτης, ἀλλ' ἡ ἐν αὐτῷ χάρις ἀποπεραίνουσα τὸ παράδοξον ἐν δυνάμει δηλονότι Χριστοῦ; πῶς οὖν ἄρα κωλύεις τὸν ἐν Χριστῷ διαπρέποντα; Ναί, φησίν· οὐ γὰρ ἀκολουθεῖ μεθ' ἡμῶν. τί γάρ, εἰ μὴ γέγονεν ἐναρίθμιος τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις ὁ τῇ παρὰ Χριστοῦ χάριτι στεφανούμενος; πλεῖσται τῶν παρὰ Χριστοῦ χαρισμάτων εἰσὶν αἱ διαφοραί. καὶ τοῦτο διδάξει λέγων ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος ὅτι Ὧι μὲν δίδοται λόγος σοφίας, ἄλλῳ δὲ λόγος γνώσεως, ἄλλῳ δὲ πίστις, ἑτέρῳ δὲ χαρίσματα ἰαμάτων. τί οὖν ἐστι τὸ Οὐ περιπατεῖ μεθ' ἡμῶν; δέδωκε τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις ἐξουσίαν ὁ σωτὴρ κατὰ πνευμάτων ἀκαθάρτων, ὥστε ἐκβάλλειν αὐτὰ καὶ θεραπεύειν πᾶσαν νόσον καὶ πᾶσαν μαλακίαν ἐν τῷ λαῷ· καὶ δὴ καὶ ἐνηργήκασιν. ὑπέστρεψαν γοῦν χαίροντες καὶ λέγοντες· Κύριε, καὶ τὰ δαιμόνια ἡμῖν ὑποτάσσεται ἐν