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of the sect of the Pharisees, who, by their own devices, taught many contrary things to those who obeyed them, as the Lord himself also appears above, clearly rebuking them. Therefore he says this, that their system, not having been established by the Father, but having been put together in a human way contrary to the ordinances of the law, which the Father established for men through Moses, will certainly be dissolved, even if they seem to fight against the truth in countless ways; but let not the multitude that follows them, he says, frighten you; for they too are led astray, as is likely, since it is not possible to be taught the truth by one who is led astray; so that it is fitting for those who examine the truth carefully not to pay attention to the multitude, but to despise both them and their teachers alike, considering the truth to be more honorable than all things. 82 Mt 15, 21-28 But the Lord, seeing the woman's faith and that she was a foreigner, seemingly postponed the healing, on the one hand, showing the Jews that he does not grant healing to them and to foreigners on equal terms, and on the other hand, making the woman's faith manifest to all. But see, if you wish, through her ordeal, her unworthiness and her faith. For to choose and to be counted in the rank of a dog for the Lord was a mark of piety; but to think that even the smallest part of his power—for this she calls a crumb—was sufficient to provide the healing of her daughter was a mark of surpassing faith. And to seize familiarity from the insult and make it a response was a mark of understanding. For what does she say? "I am grateful even to be in the rank of a dog to you; for then I am not a stranger, but one of the household eating from the master's table, if not of the bread, then at least of the crumbs." So great is the wealth of your table, that even crumbs are enough for me to enjoy what is sought. 83 Mt 15, 23-28 When the woman saw her advocates failing, then again she asks for herself and did not desist, but as to a lord she says "help me," not "pray for me." Then again the Savior says: "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." And he calls the Gentile a dog because of the impurity of her life and her greed concerning idolatry, and the Jews children because they seem to be consecrated to God, and he calls bread not only the teaching through words, but also that which nourishes the faithful through signs. The word was spoken for the condemnation of the Jews, since, when the life in the Lord was given to them as bread, they did not receive it. Then the woman, though insulted, is not indignant. What then of the Savior? He revealed the plan of the response from the beginning; for he postponed it for this reason, that the woman might cry out this word and show herself to be worthy of countless crowns; for he did not put it off as if not wanting to give her the grace, but taking care to reveal her faith. And he honors her with praises as a type of the church from the Gentiles. He did not say, "Let your child be healed," but, "Let it be to you as you wish," to show that the power of her faith compelled the healing; and if she was worthy of more, yet what she wanted, this was given to her. 84 Mt 15, 28 For if he had said this as soon as she approached, he would have seemed rather to be granting a favor; but now, with this being shown by the delay from the woman's words, the praise also followed accordingly, being in harmony with what was said, and the healing confirmed both; and for the Jews no pretext for accusation was left, but the refutation became greater. 85 Mt 15, 34 The question is not of one who is ignorant, but of one leading them to a perception of his own power. 86 Mt 15, 34 They did not yet understand his will, that the Lord wished to perform again the miracle concerning the loaves for the sake of faith; and yet the question prompts this very thing, as John teaches, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" And after a little; for he wished to exercise the soul of the disciples to believe in his divine power, that not only with words, but also with deeds those who follow

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Φαρισαίων αἱρέσεως, οἳ ταῖς οἰκείαις ἐπινοίαις πλεῖστα ἐναντία τοὺς πειθομένους αὐτοῖς ἐξεπαίδευον, καθὼς καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος ἀνωτέρω φαίνεται σαφῶς ἐλέγχων αὐτούς. τοῦτο οὖν φησιν, ὅτι τὸ τούτων σύστημα οὐ παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς καταστάν, ἀλλ' ἀνθρωπίνως συστὰν ὑπεναντίως ταῖς τοῦ νόμου διατάξεσιν, ἃς ἔθετο διὰ Μωσέως τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ὁ πατήρ, λυθήσεται πάντως, κἂν μυρία μάχεσθαι δοκῶσι πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν· ἀλλὰ μηδὲ τὸ ἑπόμενον αὐτοῖς πλῆθός φησιν πτοείτω ὑμᾶς· πλανῶνται γὰρ κἀκεῖνοι ὡς εἰκός, ἐπείπερ οὐκ ἔστιν ὑπὸ πλανωμένου τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐκπαιδεύεσθαι· ὥστε τὸ ἀληθὲς δοκιμάζοντας ἀκριβῶς οὐ τῷ πλήθει προσέχειν προσῆκεν, ἀλλὰ καταφρονεῖν ὁμοίως γε κἀκείνων καὶ τῶν διδασκόντων αὐτούς, προτιμοτέραν ἁπάντων τὴν ἀλήθειαν εἶναι νομίζοντας. 82 Mt 15, 21-28 Ὁ δὲ κύριος ἰδὼν τῆς γυναικὸς τὴν πίστιν καὶ ὅτι ἀλλόφυλος ἦν ἀνεβάλλετο τῷ δοκεῖν τὴν θεραπείαν, ὁμοῦ μὲν Ἰουδαίοις ἐνδεικνύμενος τὸ μὴ ἐπ' ἴσῳ αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις τὴν θεραπείαν χαρίζεσθαι, ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ τῆς γυναικὸς ἅπασι καταφανῆ τὴν πίστιν ἐργαζόμενος. ὅρα δέ, εἰ βούλει, διὰ πείρας αὐτῆς τὸ ἠγνωμονηκὸς καὶ τὴν πίστιν. τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἑλέσθαι καὶ ἐν κυνὸς τάξει καταλογισθῆναι τῷ κυρίῳ εὐλαβείας ἦν· τὸ δὲ οἰηθῆναι, ὅτι καὶ τὸ βραχύτατον αὐτοῦ τῆς δυνάμεως-τοῦτο γὰρ ψιχίον ὀνομάζει-ἱκανὸν τῆς θυγατρὸς αὐτῆς παρασχεῖν τὴν ἴασιν πίστεως ὑπερβαλλούσης. τὸ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς λοιδορίας ἁρπάσαι τὴν οἰκείωσιν κα ποιήσασθαι ἀπόκρισιν συνέσεως εἶχε γνώρισμα. τί γάρ φησιν; ὅτι χάριν ἔχω καὶ ἐν κυνὸς εἶναί σοι τάξει· τέως γὰρ οὐκ ἀλλοτρία, ἀλλά τις οἰκεία ἀπὸ τραπέζης ἐσθίουσα τῆς δεσποτικῆς, εἰ καὶ μὴ τοῦ ἄρτου, ἀλλὰ τῶν γοῦν ψιχίων. τοσοῦτος δέ σου τῆς τραπέζης ὁ πλοῦτος, ὥστε ἀρκεῖν μοι καὶ ψιχία πρὸς ἀπόλαυσιν τῶν σπουδαζομένων. 83 Mt 15, 23-28 Ὅτε εἶδεν τοὺς συνηγόρους ἑαυτῆς ἀποτυχόντας ἡ γυνή, τότε πάλιν δι' ἑαυτῆς αἰτεῖ καὶ οὐκ ἀπέστη, ἀλλ' ὡς κυρίῳ λέγει βοήθει μοι, οὐ μὴν δεήθητι ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ. εἶτα πάλιν φησὶν ὁ σωτήρ· οὐκ ἔστι καλὸν λαβεῖν τὸν ἄρτον τῶν τέκνων καὶ βαλεῖν τοῖς κυναρίοις. καὶ κύνα μὲν καλεῖ τὴν ἐθνικὴν διὰ τὸ τῆς ζωῆς ἀκάθαρτον καὶ τὴν περὶ εἰδωλολατρίας λιχνείαν, τέκνα δὲ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους διὰ τὸ δοκεῖν ἀνακεῖσθαι θεῷ, ἄρτον δὲ καλεῖ οὐ μόνον τὴν διὰ λόγων διδασκαλίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν διὰ σημείων τρέφουσαν τοὺς πιστούς. πρὸς κατάκριμα δὲ τῶν Ἰουδαίων προῆλθεν ὁ λόγος, ἐπείπερ δοθείσης αὐτοῖς τῆς ἐν κυρίῳ ζωῆς ὡς ἄρτου οὐ προσήκαντο. εἶτα οὐδὲ ὑβριζομένη ἀγανακτεῖ ἡ γυνή. τί οὖν ὁ σωτήρ; ἐφανέρωσε τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς οἰκονομούμενον τῆς ἀποκρίσεως· διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ ἀνεβάλλετο, ἵνα τοῦτο ἀναβοήσῃ τὸ ῥῆμα ἡ γυνὴ καὶ ἐπιδείξῃ αὐτὴν μυρίων οὖσαν στεφάνων ἀξίαν· οὐ γὰρ ὡς μὴ βουλόμενος δοῦναι αὐτῇ τὴν χάριν ὑπερετίθετο, ἀλλ' ἐκκαλύψαι αὐτῆς τὴν πίστιν προμηθούμενος. τιμᾷ δὲ τοῖς ἐπαίνοις αὐτὴν τύπον ἐπέχουσαν τῆς ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἐκκλησίας. οὐκ εἶπε δέ· ἰαθήτω ἡ παῖς σου, ἀλλά· γενηθήτω σοι ὡς θέλεις, ἵνα δείξῃ, ὅτι ἡ δύναμις τῆς πίστεως αὐτῆς ἐξεβιάσατο τὴν θεραπείαν· εἰ δὲ καὶ πλειόνων ἀξία ἦν, ἀλλ' ὃ ἤθελε τοῦτο ἐδόθη αὐτῇ. 84 Mt 15, 28 Εἰ μὲν γὰρ εὐθὺς προσελθούσης τοῦτο ἔφη, χαρίζεσθαι μᾶλλον ἐδόκει· νῦν δὲ τῇ ἀναβολῇ ἀπὸ τῶν ῥημάτων τῆς γυναικὸς τούτου δειχθέντος καὶ ὁ ἔπαινος ἀκολούθως ἐπήγετο σύμφωνος ὢν τοῖς λεχθεῖσι καὶ ἡ θεραπεία προσεβεβαίου ἀμφότερα· καὶ Ἰουδαίοις μὲν κατηγορίας οὐκ ἀπελιμπάνετο πρόφασις, ὁ δὲ ἔλεγχος μείζων ἐγίνετο. 85 Mt 15, 34 Οὐκ ἀγνοοῦντος ἡ ἐρώτησις, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὴν αἴσθησιν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ δυνάμεως ἐνάγοντος. 86 Mt 15, 34 Οὔπω τὴν βούλησιν συνῆκαν, ὅτι τὴν ἐπὶ ταῖς τροφαῖς αὖθις θαυματουργίαν ὑπὲρ τῆς πίστεως ὁ κύριος ἐβούλετο παρασχέσθαι· καίτοι ἡ ἐπερώτησις εἰς τοῦτο αὐτὸ διανίστησιν ὡς ὁ Ἰωάννης διδάσκει, τὸ πόθεν ἀγοράσωμεν ἄρτους, ἵνα φάγωσιν οὗτοι. καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· ἐβούλετο γὰρ διαγυμνάζεσθαι τὴν τῶν μαθητῶν ψυχὴν εἰς τὸ πιστεύειν τῇ θείᾳ αὐτοῦ δυνάμει, ὅτι μὴ λόγοις μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔργοις τοὺς ἀκολουθοῦντας