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 you have turned away from the Son of God you have turned away from God, what more is there to say? And since Jerusalem in Judea turned away from Christ, from whom, synecdochically, all the Jews are to be understood, for this reason "you will go backward." For there was a time when she did not go backward, but forward; but now she goes backward, "and they turned back in their hearts to Egypt," it is clear that they should go backward. As to what "you will go backward" means, or what it is to stretch forward to the things that are before, we will present it thus. The just man "stretches forward to what is before, forgetting what is behind." It is clear that one who is disposed contrary to the just man remembers what is behind and does not stretch forward to what is before. And he who remembers what is behind disobeys Jesus when he teaches and says: "let him not turn back to take his cloak," he disobeys Jesus when he says: "remember Lot's wife," he disobeys Jesus when he says: "no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." And it is also written in the Law that the angels said to Lot as he was leaving Sodom: "do not look back, nor stop anywhere in the surrounding plain; escape to the mountain, lest you be swept away." And this has a meaning worthy of an angelic spirit: "do not look back," always stretch forward to what is before. You have left Sodom, do not turn back to Sodom. You have left wickedness and sin, do not turn back to it, "nor stop anywhere in the surrounding plain." And even if you keep the first commandment which says, "do not look back," it is not enough for you to be saved, unless you also hear the second commandment which says, "nor stop anywhere in the surrounding plain." For one who has begun to make progress must not stand in the plain of Sodom, even if he has passed through Sodom, but having passed from standing in the plain, he is to be saved on the mountain, according to, "do not look back, nor stop anywhere in the surrounding plain; escape to the mountain, lest you be swept away." If you do not wish to be swept away with the Sodomites, never turn back, nor stand in the plain of Sodom, nor be anywhere else than on the mountain; for only there is it possible to be saved. And the mountain is the Lord Jesus, to whom is the glory and the power forever. Amen. 14.t On "Woe is me, mother," up to "Therefore thus says the Lord: if you return, then I will restore you." Homily 14. 14.1 Physicians of bodies, being present with the sick and always dedicating themselves to the therapy of the sick according to the will of the medical art, see terrible things and touch unpleasant things, and from the misfortunes of others they reap their own sorrows, and their life is always in a state of crisis. For they are never with the healthy, but always with the wounded, with those having sores, with those filled with pus, fevers, various diseases. And if someone wishes to practice medicine, he will not be annoyed nor neglect the will of the art he has undertaken, when he is with such people as we have said before. This introduction has been said by me because the prophets are also, as it were, physicians of souls and always spend their time where there are those in need of therapy; for "those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick." What physicians suffer from intemperate patients, this also the prophets and teachers suffer from those who do not wish to be healed. For from this they are hated, as prescribing contrary to the choice of the desire of the sick, as preventing those who, even in sickness, wish not to receive things worthy of their sicknesses from living luxuriously and taking pleasure. The intemperate among the sick therefore flee physicians, often reviling them and speaking ill of them and doing anything whatsoever that an enemy would do to an enemy. For these forget that they approach as friends, looking at the hardship of the regimen, at the hardship of the physicians' blow from the knife, not at the end which comes after the pain, and they hate them as fathers of pains only,
ἁρμόσει καὶ τὸ ἑξῆς· «σὺ ἀπεστράφης με, λέγει κύριος, ὀπίσω πορεύσῃ». ὅτι ἀπεστράφης τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ διὰ τὸ ἀπεστράφθαι τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ ἀπεστράφης τὸν θεόν, τί δεῖ καὶ λέγειν; καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἀπε στράφη ἡ Ἱερουσαλὴμ <ἡ> ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ τὸν Χριστόν, ἀφ' ἧς συνεκδοχικῶς πάντας τοὺς Ἰουδαίους νοητέον, διὰ τοῦτο «ὀπίσω πορεύσῃ». ἦν γὰρ ὅτε οὐκ ὀπίσω ἐπορεύετο, ἀλλὰ ἔμπροσθεν· νῦν δὲ ὀπίσω πορεύεται «καὶ ἐστράφησαν ταῖς καρδίαις εἰς Αἴγυπτον», δῆλον ὅτι ἵνα ὀπίσω πορευθῶσι. περὶ δὲ τοῦ τί ἐστι τὸ «ὀπίσω πορεύσῃ» ἢ τί τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτείνεσθαι, οὕτω παραστήσομεν. ὁ δίκαιος «τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτείνεται, τῶν ὄπισθεν ἐπιλανθάνεται». δῆλον ὅτι ὁ ἐναντίως τῷ δικαίῳ διακείμενος τῶν ὀπίσω μέμνηται καὶ τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν οὐκ ἐπεκτείνεται. τῶν δὲ ὀπίσω μεμνημένος παρακούει τοῦ Ἰησοῦ διδάσκοντος καὶ λέγοντος· «μὴ στραφήτω εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω ἆραι τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ», παρακούει τοῦ Ἰησοῦ λέγοντος· «μνημονεύετε τῆς γυναικὸς Λώτ», παρακούει τοῦ Ἰησοῦ λέγοντος· «οὐδεὶς βαλὼν τὴν χεῖρα ἐπ' ἄροτρον καὶ στραφεὶς εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, εὔθετός ἐστι τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ». καὶ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ δὲ γέγραπται, ὅτι εἶπον οἱ ἄγγελοι πρὸς τὸν ἐξελθόντα ἀπὸ Σοδόμων Λώτ· «μὴ περιβλέψῃ εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω μηδὲ στῇς ἐν πάσῃ τῇ περιχώρῳ· εἰς τὸ ὄρος σῴζου, μήποτε συμπαραληφθῇς». καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ἔχει διάνοιαν ἀξίαν ἀγγελικοῦ πνεύματος· «μὴ περιβλέψῃ εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω», ἀεὶ τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν ἐπεκτείνου. καταλέλοιπας Σόδομα, μὴ στρέφου εἰς Σόδομα. κατα λέλοιπας τὴν κακίαν καὶ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, μὴ ἐπιστραφῇς πρὸς αὐτὴν «μηδὲ στῇς ἐν πάσῃ τῇ περιχώρῳ». κἂν τηρήσῃς τὴν προτέραν ἐντολὴν τὴν λέγουσαν· «μὴ περιβλέψῃ εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω», οὐκ ἀρκεῖ σοι πρὸς τὸ σωθῆναι, ἐὰν μὴ καὶ τῆς δευτέρας ἐντολῆς ἀκούσῃς λεγούσης· «μηδὲ στῇς ἐν πάσῃ τῇ περιχώρῳ». οὐ δεῖ γὰρ ἀρξάμενον προκόπτειν ἑστάναι ἐν τῇ περιχώρῳ Σοδόμων, εἰ καὶ Σόδομα διαβέβηκεν, ἀλλὰ διαβάντα ἀπὸ τοῦ ἑστάναι ἐν τῇ περιχώρῳ σῴζεσθαι εἰς τὸ ὄρος κατὰ τὸ «μὴ περιβλέψῃ εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω μηδὲ στῇς ἐν πάσῃ τῇ περι χώρῳ· εἰς τὸ ὄρος σῴζου, μήποτε συμπαραληφθῇς». εἰ βούλει μὴ συμπαραληφθῆναι Σοδομίταις, μήποτε εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω στραφῇς μηδὲ στῇς ἐν τῇ περιχώρῳ Σοδόμων μηδὲ ἀλλαχοῦ γένῃ ἢ εἰς τὸ ὄρος· ἐκεῖ γάρ ἐστι μόνον σωθῆναι. ἔστι δὲ τὸ ὄρος κύριος Ἰησοῦς, ᾧ ἐστιν ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν. 14.t Εἰς τὸ «οἴμοι ἐγὼ μῆτερ» μέχρι τοῦ «διὰ τοῦτο τάδε λέγει κύριος· ἐὰν ἐπιστραφῇς, καὶ ἀποκαταστήσω σε». Ὁμιλία ιδʹ. 14.1 Οἱ ἰατροὶ τῶν σωμάτων παρὰ τοὺς κάμνοντας γινόμενοι καὶ ἀεὶ τῇ θεραπείᾳ τῶν καμνόντων ἑαυτοὺς ἐπιδιδόντες κατὰ τὸ βούλημα τῆς τέχνης τῆς ἰατρικῆς ὁρῶσι δεινὰ καὶ θιγγάνουσιν ἀηδῶν, <καὶ> ἐπ' ἀλλοτρίαις συμφοραῖς καρποῦνται ἰδίας λύπας, καὶ ἔστιν ἀεὶ ὁ βίος αὐτῶν ἐν περιστάσει. οὐδέποτε γάρ εἰσι μετὰ ὑγιαινόντων, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ μετὰ τῶν τραυματιῶν, μετὰ τῶν νομὰς ἐχόντων, μετὰ τῶν πεπληρω μένων πύων, πυρετῶν, νόσων ποικίλων. καὶ εἰ βούλεταί τις στείλα σθαι τὴν ἰατρικήν, οὐκ ἀγανακτήσει οὐδ' ἀμελήσει τοῦ βουλήματος τῆς τέχνης ἧς ἀνείληφεν, ἐπὰν ᾖ μετὰ τῶν τοιούτων ὡς προειρήκαμεν. Τοῦτο δέ μοι τὸ προοίμιον λέλεκται διὰ τὸ καὶ τοὺς προφήτας οἷον εἶναι ἰατροὺς ψυχῶν καὶ ἀεὶ προσδιατρίβειν ὅπου οἱ δεόμενοι θεραπείας· «οὐ» γὰρ «χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ὑγιαίνοντες ἰατροῦ ἀλλ' οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες». ὅπερ δὲ πάσχουσιν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀκολάστων καμνόντων ἰατροί, τοῦτο πάσχουσι καὶ οἱ προφῆται καὶ οἱ διδάσκαλοι ὑπὸ τῶν οὐ βουλομένων θεραπεύεσθαι. ἐκεῖθεν γὰρ μισοῦνται, ὡς διατασσόμενοι παρὰ τὴν προαίρεσιν τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τῶν καμνόντων, ὡς κωλύοντες τρυφᾶν καὶ ἥδεσθαι τοὺς καὶ ἐν νόσοις βουλομένους μὴ τὰ ἄξια τῶν νόσων λαμβάνειν. φεύγουσιν οὖν οἱ ἀκόλαστοι τῶν καμνόντων ἰατρούς, πολλάκις αὐτοῖς καὶ λοιδορούμενοι καὶ κακολογοῦντες αὐτοὺς καὶ πᾶν ὁτιποτοῦν ποιοῦντες ὃ ποιήσειεν ἂν ἐχθρὸς ἐχθρῷ. ἐπιλανθά νονται γὰρ οὗτοι ὅτι ὡς φίλοι προσέρχονται, ἀφορῶντες εἰς τὸ ἐπίπονον τῆς διαίτης, εἰς τὸ ἐπίπονον τῆς ἀπὸ σιδήρου ἰατρῶν πληγῆς, οὐκ εἰς τὸ τέλος τὸ μετὰ τὸν πόνον, καὶ μισοῦσιν ὡς πατέρας πόνων μόνον,