On Jeremiah (Homilies 12-20) On And you shall say to this people: Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Every wineskin will be filled with wine up

 Therefore He here named the punishments unmixed wine, which they drink who are worthy of unmixed wine, that is, of unmixed punishment. But there are a

 to have the preeminence of a more honorable name than the people, God spares him so that he might not be punished when he sins. But the things written

 that God, sparing many, does not spare one. I will also take the example of a physician, showing that in sparing the whole body he does not spare one

 Then after this he commands them not to be lifted up, and teaches what must be done. What then is it to hear and what is it to give ear, let us unders

 does darkness not happen? Work while the light is in you. <The light is in you>, if you have in you the one who said: I am the light of the world

 glory to God those who do things contrary to the glory of God through their sins. 12.12 “Give glory to the Lord our God before it grows dark, before y

 the prophets, lest we fall under the prophecy that says: but if you do not listen secretly, your soul will weep because of insolence. As many of you

 to cast a vote against the one who has sinned, each of the onlookers does not spare, does not look sad, does not pity, does not return to intercede fo

 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

 but not of pains that bring health to those being treated. 14.2 That people, therefore, was sick various diseases were among the people who were call

 spiritual riches, but they turned away from what was being said and did not present themselves receptive so that they might be indebted for this reas

 how often I wanted to gather your children together» and what follows. And these things are also clearly spoken by the Savior in the passage, “Woe is

 of the double-minded is judged. If you bear the image of the heavenly one having put off the image of the earthly one, you are not earth condemnin

 of their affliction, he says, that is against the enemy, I stood by you on their behalf. And who is the enemy but our adversary the devil, who affli

 to a land which he did not know. For a fire is kindled from my wrath, it will be burned against you. After this, <ὁ> he who prayed above completes t

 In the present case, it was necessary † for such a thing to happen in the church of God. The one who was condemned has been condemned, so-and-so † whi

 becomes inimitable, so that I become so great that no one is like me in character, in speech, in deeds, in wisdom, then I am able to say, because I al

 a limb, the physician tries to make a restoration of the dislocated part. When someone is outside his fatherland, whether justly or unjustly, and rece

 my Savior and Lord is about to stand before the Father, being judged with all of us men. And he is judged with all men. I say: he is judged, he himsel

 my dispensation did this and that, and for your salvation I endured. When the Savior says these things, what shall we do? For he is about to be judged

 uncleanness.” Having put these things to death, “he does not rely on the flesh of his own arm.” “Cursed is he who has his hope in man.” And at the sam

 to take the souls that are on the hills, those not lying below? And see if the prophet did not cry out mystically saying these things and presenting t

 my ‘Soul, you have good things laid up for many years rest, eat, drink, be merry.’” You see the one below the mountains, the one below the hills, th

 what awaits us, must be understood. If, then, we depart this life having sins, but also having virtues, will we be saved on account of the virtues, bu

 that the gentiles who sin receive their sins simply, but we receive our offenses doubly. For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge

 it is written with an iron pen, with a diamond point, engraved upon the breast of the heart ” but again, the word 'their' does not follow in that case

 simpler than the believers. “The partridge called,” therefore, “it gathered what it did not hatch, making its wealth not with judgment.” The partridge

 your names are written in the heavens”. Therefore one must rejoice, if one becomes such a person, so that his name may be inscribed in the heavens. Bu

 for “there shall be trouble in Jacob, nor shall toil be seen in Israel.” There is no labor for one following Jesus the very act of following removes

 has ascended far above the earthen vessels. Below are the earthen vessels, and the nature that administers the earthen vessels, condescending to the t

 into the potter's house and he recounts what he saw, saying: and behold, he was doing a work with his hands, and the vessel which he was making in th

 to be planted,” a whole nation and since this <the> nation being built up and planted has a good promise, but is able to sin, he says after speaking

 Christ, the mystery of the church, the one who comes to the synagogue and does not bear fruit. 18.6 At last I will speak against a nation or even aga

 speaking to the child in a childish way, or that I may speak more emphatically, in an infantile way, that you have borne with the manners of your son

 of the Lord saying through the prophet: And the Lord spoke to them. And to <us> now the Lord says through the scriptures, Let each one turn from hi

 Jews but since they did not thirst for Christ and the Holy Spirit, they cannot drink even from God. Those from the heresies seemed to have thirsted f

 Immer, and that he was a priest, and what rank he held among the people, that he was appointed leader of the house of the Lord at the time when Jeremi

 God will do it». And such a high priest is superficially beautiful and a whitewashed wall, full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness on the ins

 of the disciples, as they were asking him, Where do you want us to prepare the Passover for you?, he said, As you are going, a man will meet you ca

 the sons of Jerusalem have departed and the city has been destroyed. But if you examine the matter and see the city not as stones, but as people, you

 burning in my bones, and I am weary on all sides and cannot bear it, because I heard the reproach of many gathering together round about,” and “saying

 For not only the adulterer is liable to the gehenna of fire, but also the one who says to his brother, fool. But if the one who says to his brothe

 you should think that his repentance has some kinship with the repentance of those who repent. For just as his word was something exceptional, his ang

 to the people, he hears God saying according to the scriptures: Whom shall I send, and who will go to this people? And he, it says, answered: Behol

 And I have insults as wood, I have drunkennesses as wood, thefts as wood, and I have built upon my structure ten thousand other pieces of wood. Do you

 to despise», see if it is not truly for this reason, since they did not think they were deceived, they stored up for themselves «wrath in the day of w

 a laughingstock, all the day I was derided”? What am I saying, Jeremiah? and my Jesus was mocked for it says, “the Pharisees, who were lovers of mone

 the unrighteous man “for it will be,” he says, “when you call upon me, I will not listen to you.” There, then, the unrighteous and it is clear that

 to discipline the body with fasts and to enslave it» «by abstaining from such foods,» and in every way «by the spirit to put to death the deeds of the

 in my bones, and I am exhausted on all sides and cannot bear it.” I fear lest such a thing is what is reserved for us, becoming a fire, as happened in

 let us all, his friends, conspire against him watch his intention, and he will be deceived.” They wanted to deceive him with another deadly deception

 let him examine. Nevertheless, what awaits us are tormentors and one who examines hearts and reins for our sins from which sins if we are not quickly

my dispensation did this and that, and for your salvation I endured. When the Savior says these things, what shall we do? For he is about to be judged in all the earth. 15.5 I want to see what follows. It can be referred both to the prophet according to one narrative <and> to the Savior. Let us see also what follows: “I did not owe, nor did anyone owe me.” “The ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in me.” And truly he did not owe. But each of us is a debtor by our sins and is a debtor holding a bond. After his bond was erased, † how many bonds have they made? “who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth,” did not make a bond. And what of “not even one owed me”? How shall we explain regarding the Savior the phrase “not even one owed me”? Even if we have read it thus, still one must also know that most of the copies of the Septuagint version do not have it this way, but later, having examined the other versions as well, we learned it to be a scribal error. And yet it is possible to explain the passage in either way. How, however, “not even one owed me”? So that “not even one” owed him, he forgave all their debts. “A certain creditor had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they had nothing with which to pay, he forgave them both.” Do you want to see the two debtors, the one who owed five hundred and the one who owed fifty? From two peoples they have believed in God: the people from the Jews, disbelieving in Christ, owe the fifty, perhaps we from the Gentiles, who have become the most impious of all, owe the five hundred, about whom is also said <the> saying concerning that repentant prostitute. And yet someone might say, how is the five hundred referred to her? From the phrase “and what sort of woman is this who is touching him,” to which he said to Simon: “A certain creditor had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, the other fifty” and so on. These things on account of “I did not owe, nor did anyone owe me,” which it was necessary to present to you. “I did not owe, nor did <anyone> owe me; my strength failed among those who curse me.” For even if he died “from weakness, yet he lives by the power of God.” 15.6 Then, after many sayings had been discussed, it was possible to speak about each of the things that were said, but it is not possible as time is pressing. Let us speak therefore on the next thing read, “Cursed is the man who has his hope in man.” From the † those who think that the savior, the son of God, was a man (for they dared among the many human evils to say also this, that “the only-begotten,” “the firstborn of all creation,” is not God): for “cursed is he who has his hope in man.” It is clear that those who have their hope in man are cursed. I would <say> that I do not have my hope in man; hoping in Christ Jesus, I do not know man. Not only do I not know man, but I know wisdom, righteousness itself, a man through whom “all things were created in the heavens and on the earth, whether visible or invisible, whether principalities or powers.” “Cursed is the man who has his hope in man.” And even if the Savior testifies that the one whom he wore was a man—but even if he was a man, yet now he is in no way a man. For “if even we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him so no longer,” says the apostle. Because of him I am no longer a man, if I follow his words; but he says: “I said: You are gods, and all of you sons of the Most High.” Therefore, just as he is “firstborn from the dead,” so he has become firstborn of all men, having been changed into God. “Cursed,” therefore, “is the man who has his hope in man, and will make flesh his arm,” whoever would confirm carnal things, whoever would acquire bodily strength, and would wage war according to the flesh. But the holy one is not so: for he “does not make flesh his arm,” for “always” he has “the dying of Jesus in his body,” and he puts to death “the members that are on the earth, fornication,

οἰκονομία μου ἔπραξε τάδε καὶ τάδε, καὶ τῇ σωτηρίᾳ σου ὑπέμεινα. ταῦτα λέγοντος τοῦ σωτῆρος τί ποιήσωμεν; μέλλει γὰρ διακρίνεσθαι ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ. 15.5 Τὸ ἑξῆς θέλω ἰδεῖν. δύναται καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν προφήτην κατὰ μίαν διήγησιν ἀναφέρεσθαι <καὶ> ἐπὶ τὸν σωτῆρα. ἴδωμεν καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· «οὐκ ὠφείλησα οὐδὲ ὠφείλησέ μοι οὐδείς». «ἔρχεται ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, οὐκ ἔχει δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ οὐδέν». καὶ ἀληθῶς οὐκ ὠφείλησεν. ἕκαστος δὲ ἡμῶν ὀφειλέτης ἐστὶ ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις καὶ ὀφειλέτης ἐστὶν ἔχων χειρόγραφον. μετὰ τὸ ἐξαλειφθῆναι αὐτοῦ τὸ χειρόγραφον † πόσα πεποιήκασι χειρόγραφα; «ὃς ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἐποίησεν, οὐδὲ εὑρέθη δόλος ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ», οὐκ ἐποίησε χειρόγραφον. τί δὲ καὶ τὸ «οὐκ ὠφείλησέ μοι οὐδὲ εἷς»; πῶς διηγησόμεθα ἐπὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος τὸ «οὐκ ὠφείλησέ μοι οὐδὲ εἷς»; εἰ καὶ ἀνέγνωμεν οὕτως, ἀλλὰ καὶ δεῖ εἰδέναι ὅτι τὰ πλείονα τῶν ἀντιγράφων τῆς ἐκδόσεως τῶν Ἑβδομήκοντα οὐκ ἔχει οὕτως, ὕστερον δὲ ἐπισκεψάμενοι καὶ τὰς λοιπὰς ἐκδόσεις ἔγνωμεν γραφικὸν εἶναι ἁμάρτημα. καίτοιγε ἑκατέρως ἔστι διηγήσασθαι τὸν τόπον. πῶς μέντοι «οὐκ ὠφείλησέ μοι οὐδὲ εἷς»; ὥστε οὐκ ὠφείλησεν αὐτῷ «οὐδὲ εἷς», πᾶσι τὰ ὀφει λήματα αὐτῶν ἀφῆκεν. «ἀνθρώπῳ δανειστῇ χρεωφειλέται ἦσαν δύο· εἷς ὤφειλε δηνάρια πεντακόσια, ὁ δὲ ἕτερος πεντήκοντα. μὴ ἐχόν των αὐτῶν ἀποδοῦναι, ἀμφοτέροις ἐχαρίσατο». θέλεις ἰδεῖν τοὺς δύο χρεωφειλέτας, τὸν τὰ πεντακόσια ὀφείλοντα καὶ τὸν τὰ πεντή κοντα; ἀπὸ δύο λαῶν πεπιστεύκασιν εἰς τὸν θεόν· ὁ ἐκ τῶν Ἰου δαίων λαὸς ἀπιστῶν εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν ὀφείλει τὰ πεντήκοντα, τάχα ἡμεῖς οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν οἱ πάντων ἀσεβέστεροι γεγενημένοι τὰ πεντακόσια, ἐφ' οἷς καὶ λέγεται <τὸ> ἐπὶ τῇ πόρνῃ ἐκείνῃ τῇ μετα νοούσῃ. καίτοι εἴποι τις ἄν, πῶς τὰ πεντακόσια ἐπ' ἐκείνην ἀνα φέρεται; ἐκ τοῦ «καὶ ποταπὴ ἡ γυνὴ ἡ ἁπτομένη αὐτοῦ», πρὸς ὃ εἴρηκε τῷ Σίμωνι· «ἀνθρώπῳ δανειστῇ ἦσαν χρεωφειλέται δύο. εἷς ὤφειλε δηνάρια πεντακόσια, ὁ ἕτερος πεντήκοντα» καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. ταῦτα διὰ τὸ «οὐκ ὠφείλησα οὐδὲ ὠφείλησέ μοι οὐδείς», ὃ ἦν ἀναγ καῖον παραστῆσαι ὑμῖν. «οὐκ ὠφείλησα, οὐδὲ ὠφείλησέ μοι <οὐδείς>· ἡ ἰσχύς μου ἐξέλιπεν ἐν τοῖς καταρωμένοις με». εἰ καὶ ἀπέθανεν «ἐξ ἀσθενείας, ἀλλὰ ζῇ ἐκ δυνάμεως θεοῦ». 15.6 Εἶτα πολλῶν διελθόντων λόγων ἦν μὲν καὶ περὶ ἑκάστου τῶν εἰρημένων εἰπεῖν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐγχωρεῖ τοῦ χρόνου ἐπείγοντος. εἴπωμεν οὖν εἰς τὸ ἑξῆς ἀναγνωσθὲν τὸ «ἐπικατάρατος ἄνθρωπος ὃς τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχει ἐπ' ἄνθρωπον». ἐκ τοῦ † τοὺς νομίζοντας ὅτι ἄν θρωπος μὲν τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ υἱὸς ἦν ὁ σωτήρ (ἐτόλμησαν γὰρ μετὰ τῶν πολλῶν τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων κακῶν καὶ τοῦτο εἰπεῖν ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι θεὸς «ὁ μονογενής», «ὁ πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως»)· «ἐπικατάρατος» γὰρ «ὃς τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχει ἐπ' ἄνθρωπον». δῆλον ὅτι ἐπικατάρατοί εἰσιν οἱ ἐπ' ἄνθρωπον ἔχοντες τὴν ἐλπίδα. ἐγὼ εἴποιμι <ἂν> ὅτι οὐκ ἐπ' ἄνθρωπον ἔχω τὴν ἐλπίδα, ἐλπίζων ἐπὶ Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐγὼ ἄν θρωπον οὐκ οἶδα. οὐ μόνον ἄνθρωπον οὐκ οἶδα, ἀλλὰ σοφίαν οἶδα, τὴν αὐτοδικαιοσύνην, ἄνθρωπον δι' οὗ «ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, εἴτε ὁρατὰ εἴτε ἀόρατα, εἴτε ἀρχαὶ εἴτε ἐξουσίαι». «ἐπικατάρατος ἄνθρωπος ὃς τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχει ἐπ' ἄνθρω πον». κἂν μαρτυρῇ ὁ σωτὴρ ὅτι ὃν ἐφόρεσεν ἄνθρωπος ἦν-ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ἦν ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλὰ νῦν οὐδαμῶς ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος. «εἰ» γὰρ «καὶ ἔγνωμεν Χριστὸν κατὰ σάρκα, ἀλλὰ νῦν οὐκέτι γινώσκομεν», φησὶν ὁ ἀπόστολος. ἐγὼ δι' αὐτὸν οὐκέτι εἰμὶ ἄνθρωπος, ἐὰν ἀκο λουθῶ αὐτοῦ τοῖς λόγοις· ἀλλὰ λέγει· «ἐγὼ εἶπα· θεοί ἐστε καὶ υἱοὶ ὑψίστου πάντες». οὐκοῦν ὡς «πρωτότοκος» ἐστὶν «ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν», οὕτως γέγονε πρωτότοκος πάντων ἀνθρώπων εἰς θεὸν μεταβαλών. «ἐπικατάρατος» τοίνυν «ἄνθρωπος ὃς τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχει ἐπ' ἄνθρω πον, καὶ στηρίσει σάρκα βραχίονος αὐτοῦ», ὅστις ἂν κυρώσῃ τὰ σάρ κινα, ὅστις τὴν ἰσχὺν τὴν σωματικὴν ἐὰν κτήσηται, καὶ κατὰ σάρκα στρατεύσηται. ἀλλ' ὁ ἅγιος· οὐχ οὕτως ἐστίν· «οὐ γὰρ στηρίζει σάρκα βραχίονος αὐτοῦ», «πάντοτε» γὰρ «τὴν νέκρωσιν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐν τῷ σώματι» αὐτοῦ ἔχει, καὶ νεκροῖ «τὰ μέλη τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, πορ νείαν,