The Lord demonstrated forbearance, each thing from him being divine: the cognitive in that he had seen the betrayer and by word separated him from those who were being saved, since by deed he did not wish to separate him, even to the point of washing his feet just like the others. It is of God to examine hearts and to foresee the things that will come from them. He revealed the divine quality of forbearance not by dishonoring the one plotting against him, but also by honoring him equally with the others and using that man's wickedness for the common good; for God also provides his gifts to both evil and good, as the Lord himself has also said: making "the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and" sending rain "on the just and on the unjust," and by the wickedness of the evil, he allows to be done for some useful purpose what he wills, while destruction is laid up for the wicked, who are in no way able to hinder the plan of providence, but rather even contribute to its service, just as those who plotted against Joseph (that we might take something similar to the matter at hand), through their plot contributed to Joseph's glory and to the salvation through him laid up for many in a time of famine. 96 Jo 13, 24 Also in the case of the Lord, the greatest of evils among men happen, so that it may also receive an end and no longer be able to advance further; for wickedness, having arrayed itself against Christ, is defeated, and having been defeated in the case of the Master, it loses its victory over

the servants. 97 Jo 13, 25-26 Leaning back on Jesus’ breast so as not to cry out within the hearing of the rest, he inquired, and about the very thing he himself was not eager to ask, being perhaps of a more patient disposition. For this reason he was loved more; for what is quieter and more patient is also more precious in the sight of God. Jesus therefore grants to the beloved the communication of the mysteries; for he says it is a mark of a friend also to know, and he makes manifest the things that are hidden with him. He therefore answers in word and shows by deed the one being indicated. And this not in vain; for the action by deed is more manifest and more able to be remembered. And he wished it to be remembered, because he had foretold the one betraying him, so that no one might think he was plotted against while being ignorant of it. And the sign for the indication is marvelous; for through this ungrateful fellow-dining he identifies him by giving the morsel to him, and by this he showed that he would be the betrayer, the very one whom he honored as a friend. Therefore, the betrayer is no longer able even to control himself, but from the moment the Lord pointed him out, the devil takes control of his thoughts and leads him to evil, having him given over on account of his wickedness and his condemnation to this. of which he has shown himself worthy. Since what he thought to hide was exposed by the glory of the morsel; not bearing the exposure, he hurried to put an end to it more quickly. The evangelist called this the entrance of Satan: the ratification of the thoughts that were in accord with the devil. 98 Jo 13,

34-35 From here, I think, the apostle also, having learned the power of love, calls it the "fulfillment" of the "law"; for it is clear that he who yields even his very soul to his friends will gladly give up all other things and will forgive much more; and when this is accomplished, there is no pretext for wickedness nor a need for individual precepts, since all are concisely contained in this one. 99 Jo 13, 36 He had said to all of them that they could not go where he is, not only because in the body they could not walk to heaven, but also because they had not completed "the race" of the apostolate, which was what made them worthy of following the Lord. And the saying suggests that souls follow the Lord to heaven and are no longer held below nor under the earth.

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ἀνεξίκακον ὁ κύριος ἐπέδειξεν θεῖον ὂν ἑκάτερον παρ' αὐτοῦ, τὸ μὲν γνωστικὸν ἐν τῷ τὸν προδότην ἑωρακέναι καὶ τῷ λόγῳ χωρίζειν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν σῳζομένων, ἐπειδὴ τῷ ἔργῳ χωρίζειν οὐκ ἐβουλήθη ἄχρι τοῦ καὶ νίψαι τοὺς πόδας ὥσπερ τῶν ἄλλων. θεοῦ δὲ τὸ τὰς καρδίας ἐξετάζειν καὶ τὰ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἐσόμενα προορᾶν. θεῖον δὲ τὸ τῆς ἀνεξι κακίας ἐνέφηνεν οὐχ ὅπως ἀτιμάζων τὸν ἐπιβουλεύοντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τιμῶν ἐξ ἴσου τοῖς ἄλλοις χρώμενός τε τῇ ἐκείνου κακίᾳ πρὸς τὸ κοινωφελές· θεὸς γὰρ καὶ τὰς παρ' ἑαυτοῦ δωρεὰς παρέχει πονηροῖς τε καὶ ἀγαθοῖς ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος εἴρηκεν· ἀνατέλλων "τὸν ἥλιον ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς καὶ" βρέχων "ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκου" καὶ τῇ κακίᾳ τῶν πονηρῶν εἴς τι χρήσιμον συγχωρῶν πράττει, ἃ βούλεται, ὀλέθρου μὲν τοῖς κακοῖς ἀποκειμένου, τῷ δὲ λόγῳ τῆς προνοίας οὐδαμῶς ἐμποδίζειν δυναμένων, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς ὑπουργίαν μᾶλλον συντελούντων, ὥσπερ οἱ τῷ Ἰωσὴφ ἐπιβουλεύοντες, ἵνα τι παραπλήσιον τῷ προκειμένῳ λάβωμεν, διὰ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς εἰς τὴν δόξαν τῷ Ἰωσὴφ συνῄραντο καὶ τὴν δι' ἐκείνου σωτηρίαν ἐν λιμῷ πολλοῖς ἀποκειμένην. 96 Jο 13, 24 Γίνεται καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ κυρίου μέγιστα τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις κακῶν, ἵνα καὶ τέλος λάβῃ καὶ μηκέτι πέρα προελθεῖν δυνηθείη· ἡττᾶται γὰρ κακία κατὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ παραταξαμένη, ἡττηθεῖσα δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ δεσπότου τὴν κατὰ

τῶν δούλων νίκην ἀπόλλυσιν. 97 Jο 13, 25-26 Ἀναπεσὼν ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ὥστε μὴ εἰς ἐξάκουστον βοῆσαι τῶν λοιπῶν ἐπύθετο καὶ ὅπερ αὐτὸς οὐκ ἔσπευδεν ἐρωτᾶν μακρο θυμότερον ἴσως διακείμενος. διὸ καὶ μᾶλλον ἠγαπᾶτο· τὸ γὰρ ἡσυχέστερον καὶ μακροθυμότερον καὶ παρὰ θεῷ τιμιώτερον. χαρίζεται τοίνυν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ τὴν τῶν μυστηρίων ἀνακοίνωσιν· φίλου γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸ εἶναί φησι τὸ γινώσκειν καὶ ἅπερ ἐστὶ παρ' αὐτῷ κεκρυμμένα ἐκδηλῶν. λόγῳ οὖν ἀπο κρίνεται καὶ ἔργῳ δείκνυσι τὸν μηνυόμενον. καὶ τοῦτο οὐ μάτην· ἐμφανεστέρα γὰρ ἡ δι' ἔργου κίνησις καὶ μᾶλλον δυναμένη μνημονεύεσθαι. μνημονευθῆναι δὲ ἐβούλετο, διότι προειρήκει τὸν προδιδόντα, ὡς ἂν μηδεὶς ἀγνοοῦντα αὐτὸν ἐπιβεβουλεῦσθαι νομίζοι. καὶ τὸ σημεῖον τὸ εἰς τὴν μήνυσιν θαυμαστόν· διὰ γὰρ ταύτης τῆς ἀγνώμονος συνεστιάσεως αὐτὸν καταμηνύει τὸ ψωμίον ἐπι διδοὺς αὐτῷ καὶ τούτῳ δείξας αὐτὸν προδότην ἐσόμενον, ὅνπερ ἐτίμα ὡς φίλον. οὐκέτι οὖν οὐδὲ αὐτοῦ κρατεῖν ὁ προδότης δύναται, ἀλλ' ἀφ' οὗπερ αὐτὸν ὁ κύριος ἐνέδειξεν, ὁ διάβολος ἐπικρατεῖ τῶν ἐκείνου λογισμῶν καὶ ἄγει πρὸς τὸ κακὸν ἔκδοτον ἔχων αὐτὸν διὰ τὴν πονηρίαν καὶ τὴν εἰς τοῦτο κατάκρισιν. οὗπερ ἄξιον ἑαυτὸν ἀποδέδειχεν. ἐπειδὴ ὃ κρύπτειν ἐδόκει, τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ ψωμίου ἐξη λέγχθη· μὴ φέρων τὸν ἔλεγχον θᾶττον ἐπιθεῖναι πέρας ἔσπευσεν. τοῦτο ἐκά λεσεν ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς εἴσοδον τοῦ σατανᾶ τὴν κύρωσιν τῶν καταθυμίων τῷ διαβόλῳ λογισμῶν. 98 Jο 13,

34-35 ἐντεῦθεν οἶμαι καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος μεμαθηκὼς τὴν τῆς ἀγάπης δύναμιν "πλήρωμα" αὐτὴν 'νόμου" ὀνομάζει· δῆλον γὰρ ὡς ὁ καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς ψυχῆς τοῖς φίλοις παραχωρῶν ἁπάντων γε τῶν ἄλλων ἡδέως ἐκστήσεται καὶ πολὺ μᾶλλον συγχωρήσει· τούτου δὲ ἐπιτελουμένου κακίας πρόφασις οὐδεμία οὐδὲ χρεία τῶν κατὰ μέρος παραγγελμάτων πάντων ἐν τούτῳ συντόμως περιειλημμένων. 99 Jο 13, 36 Πρὸς πάντας αὐτοὺς προειρήκει τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι ἀπελθεῖν ἔνθα ἐστὶν αὐτὸς οὐ μόνον διὰ τὸ τῷ σώματι μὴ δύνασθαι βαδίζειν εἰς οὐρανόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὸ μὴ τετελειωκέναι "τὸν δρόμον" τῆς ἀποστολῆς, ὅπερ αὐτοὺς ἀξίους ἐποίει τῆς ἀκολουθήσεως τοῦ κυρίου. ἀκολουθῆσαι δὲ τῷ κυρίῳ τὰς ψυχὰς εἰς οὐρανὸν ὑποφαίνει τὸ λόγιον καὶ μηκέτι κάτω μηδὲ ὑπὸ γῆς κατόχους γινομένας.

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