Jerusalem; having the time of his passion already near, he was about to endure the drunken insolence of the Jews. Therefore, so that when they see him suffering, they might not be scandalized, understanding that he wishes them also to be forbearing, even if some insult them, he made the insult from the Samaritans, who did not receive the messengers, a kind of preliminary exercise for the matter. It was necessary for the disciples, following in the master's footsteps, to persevere rather in a holy manner and to say nothing against them out of anger. But they were not of such a sort; but overcome by a rather fervent zeal, they wished to bring down fire from heaven upon them, at least as far as it was up to them. ZU LK 9, 55 Therefore the master of all things speaks the truth, saying thus: For my counsels are not like your counsels, nor are my ways like your ways. But as the heaven is distant from the earth, so are my ways distant from your ways and your thoughts from my thoughts. He therefore usefully rebuked his own disciples, gracefully checking their quick temper and persuading them to be forbearing. And he also benefited them in another way. They were about to become mystagogues of the world under heaven, to travel through cities and countries proclaiming everywhere the evangelical and saving message; but it was necessary for those willing to do this also to encounter certain unholy men who would not endure the divine preaching nor indeed allow Jesus, as it were, to lodge with them. Therefore, so that they might learn that when ministering the divine preaching they ought rather to be full of forbearance and gentleness, not vengeful and wrathful and savagely attacking those who sin against them, they were taught by this 94 rebuke. And that the ministers of the divine preaching became forbearing, Paul will teach, saying: For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, as men doomed to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men. When reviled, we bless; when blasphemed, we entreat; we have become as the refuse of the world, the offscouring of all things, even until now. ZU LK 9, 57φ To love the gifts from above and from God is truly worthy of acquisition and would be the cause of every good. But the master of all, although a lavish giver, does not give simply to all and indiscriminately, but rather to those who would be worthy to receive. If, therefore, anyone should wish to be deemed worthy of such rewards, let him free his own soul from the defilements and faults leading to wickedness; for thus he will be acceptable. But one who is not of such a mind, let him depart far away. And this the power of the evangelical sayings set before us will teach us. For a certain man approached, saying to Christ the savior of us all: "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." But he did not accept the man, saying that the foxes have dens, but he himself has nowhere to lay his head. How then does he send away one who was urged to this, if following him is the cause of every good? For he said that he who follows him will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. What then do we say to these things? This was not his purpose. And this is to be seen by those who pay close attention, that first the approach has much that is uninstructed, then that it is full of the utmost shamelessness; for he was not seeking simply to follow Christ, as did also many others from the 95 Jewish multitude, but rather he was leaping at the apostolic dignities and was seeking to have this following, and he was self-appointed to this, although the blessed Paul writes that "No one takes the honor for himself, but is called by God," just as also Aaron and the divine disciples. And in another way also he justly sent him away; for it was necessary for him to take up his own cross, that is

Ἱεροσόλυμα· τὸν τοῦ πάθους καιρὸν ἔχων ἤδη γείτονα ἔμελλε τῆς Ἰουδαίων ἀνέχεσθαι παροινίας. ἵνα τοίνυν, ὅταν παθόντα ἴδωσι, μὴ σκανδαλισθῶσιν, ἐννοοῦντες ὅτι καὶ αὐτοὺς ἀνεξικάκους εἶναι βούλεται, κἂν ὑβρίζωσί τινες, οἷόν τι προγύμνασμα τοῦ πράγματος τὴν ἐκ τῶν Σαμαρειτῶν ὕβριν ἐποιήσατο, οἳ οὐκ ἐδέξαντο τοὺς ἀγγέλους. ἔδει τοῖς δεσποτικοῖς ἴχνεσιν ἀκολουθοῦντας τοὺς μαθητὰς διακαρτερῆσαι μᾶλλον ἁγιοπρεπῶς καὶ μηδὲν ἐπ' αὐτοῖς τῶν ἐξ ὀργῆς εἰπεῖν. ἀλλ' ἦσαν οὐ τοιοῦτοι· θερμοτέρῳ δὲ ζήλῳ κεκρατημένοι πῦρ αὐτοῖς ἐξ οὐρανοῦ κατενεγκεῖν ἤθελον τό γε ἧκον ἐπ' αὐτοῖς. ZU LK 9, 55 Ἀληθεύει τοιγαροῦν ὁ τῶν ὅλων δεσπότης οὕτω λέγων· Οὐ γάρ εἰσιν αἱ βουλαί μου ὥσπερ αἱ βουλαὶ ὑμῶν, οὐδὲ ὥσπερ αἱ ὁδοί μου αἱ ὁδοὶ ὑμῶν. ἀλλ' ὡς ἀπέχει ὁ οὐρανὸς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, οὕτως ἀπέχουσιν αἱ ὁδοί μου ἀπὸ τῶν ὁδῶν ὑμῶν καὶ τὰ διανοήματα ὑμῶν ἀπὸ τῶν διανοημάτων μου. ἐπετίμα τοίνυν χρησίμως τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μαθηταῖς περιστέλλων ἀστείως τὴν ὀξυθυμίαν καὶ ἀναπείθων ἀνεξικακεῖν. ὠφέλησε δὲ καὶ καθ' ἕτερον τρόπον αὐτούς. ἔμελλον ἔσεσθαι τῆς ὑπ' οὐρανὸν μυσταγωγοί, πόλεις τε καὶ χώρας περιφοιτᾶν διακηρύττοντες πανταχοῦ τὸ εὐαγγελικὸν καὶ σωτήριον κήρυγμα· ἀλλ' ἦν ἀνάγκη τοῦτο δρᾶν ἐθέλοντας καὶ ἀνοσίοις τισὶ περιπίπτειν ἀνδράσιν οὐκ ἀνεχομένοις τοῦ θείου κηρύγματος οὔτε μὴν ἐῶσιν οἷον καταλῦσαι παρ' αὐτοῖς τὸν Ἰησοῦν. ἵνα τοίνυν μάθοιεν ὅτι τὸ θεῖον ἱερουργοῦντες κήρυγμα μεστοὶ μᾶλλον ὀφείλουσιν εἶναι ἀνεξικακίας καὶ ἡμερότητος, οὐκ ἀμυντικοὶ καὶ ὀργίλοι καὶ τοῖς πλημμελοῦσιν εἰς αὐτοὺς ἐπιπηδῶντες ἀγρίως, διὰ τῆς ἐπιτι 94 μίας ταύτης ἐδιδάσκοντο. ὅτι δὲ ἀνεξίκακοι γεγόνασιν οἱ τῶν θείων κηρυγμάτων ἱερουργοί, διδάξει λέγων ὁ Παῦλος· ∆οκῶ γάρ, ὁ θεὸς ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐσχάτους ἀπέδειξεν ὡς ἐπιθανατίους, ὅτι θέατρον ἐγενήθημεν τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ ἀγγέλοις καὶ ἀνθρώποις· λοιδορούμενοι εὐλογοῦμεν, βλασφημούμενοι παρακαλοῦμεν ὡς περικαθάρματα τοῦ κόσμου ἐγενήθημεν, πάντων περίψημα ἕως ἄρτι. ZU LK 9, 57φ Τὸ μὲν τῶν ἄνωθεν καὶ παρὰ θεοῦ χαρισμάτων ἐρᾶν ἀξιόκτητον ἀληθῶς καὶ τοῦ παντὸς ἂν γένοιτο πρόξενον ἀγαθοῦ. δίδωσί γε μὴν καίτοι πλουσιόδωρος ὢν ὁ πάντων δεσπότης οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἅπασι καὶ ἀδιακρίτως, ἐκείνοις δὲ μᾶλλον οἵπερ ἂν εἶεν ἄξιοι τοῦ λαβεῖν. εἰ τοίνυν βούλοιτό τις τῶν τοιούτων ἀξιωθῆναι γερῶν, ἀπαλλαττέτω τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν τῶν εἰς φαυλότητα ῥύπων τε καὶ αἰτιαμάτων· ἔσται γὰρ οὕτω δεκτός. γνώμης δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ἔχων ἀποχωρείτω μακράν. καὶ τοῦτο ἡμᾶς ἡ τῶν προκειμένων εὐαγγελικῶν ῥημάτων διδάξει δύναμις. προσῄει μὲν γάρ τις λέγων τῷ πάντων ἡμῶν σωτῆρι Χριστῷ· ∆ιδάσκαλε ἀκολουθήσω σοι ὅπου ἐὰν ἀπέρχῃ. ὃ δὲ τὸν ἄνθρωπον οὐ προσίετο τὰς μὲν ἀλώπεκας φωλεοὺς ἔχειν εἰπών, ἑαυτὸν δὲ μὴ ἔχειν ποῦ κλίνῃ τὴν κεφαλήν. πῶς οὖν ἀποπέμπεται τὸν εἰς τοῦτο παρωρμημένον, εἴπερ πρόξενόν ἐστι παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ τὸ ἀκολουθεῖν αὐτῷ; ἔφη γὰρ ὅτι ὁ ἀκολουθῶν αὐτῷ οὐ μὴ περιπατήσῃ ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ, ἀλλ' ἕξει τὸ φῶς τῆς ζωῆς. τί οὖν πρὸς ταῦτά φαμεν; οὐχ οὗτος ἦν ὁ σκοπὸς ἐκείνῳ. καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ἰδεῖν τοῖς ἀκριβῶς προσέχουσιν ὅτι πρῶτον μὲν πολὺ τὸ ἀπαίδευτον ἡ πρόσοδος ἔχει, εἶτα ὅτι τῆς ἐσχάτης ἀναισχυντίας ἐστὶ μεστή· οὐ γὰρ τὸ ἁπλῶς ἀκολουθεῖν ἐζήτει Χριστῷ καθὰ καὶ ἕτεροι τῶν ἐκ πληθύος 95 Ἰουδαϊκῆς πολλοί, ἐπεπήδα δὲ μᾶλλον τοῖς ἀποστολικοῖς ἀξιώμασι καὶ ταύτην ἔχειν ἐζήτει τὴν ἀκολούθησιν καὶ αὐτόκλητος ἦν εἰς τοῦτο καίτοι γράφοντος τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου ὅτι Οὐχ ἑαυτῷ τις λαμβάνει τὴν τιμήν, ἀλλὰ καλούμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, καθὼς καὶ Ἀαρὼν καὶ οἱ θεσπέσιοι μαθηταί. καὶ καθ' ἕτερον δὲ τρόπον δικαίως αὐτὸν ἀπόπεμπτον ἐποιήσατο· ἐχρῆν γὰρ αὐτὸν λαβεῖν τὸν ἑαυτοῦ σταυρόν, τουτέστιν