Of those who come to the name of Jesus, those who know “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” might be called disciples; but those to whom such a thing “is not given” might be called crowds, who are inferior to the disciples. For pay close attention that to the disciples He said, “to you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven,” but concerning the crowds, “but to them it has not been given.” And in another place He leaves “the crowds,” but not the disciples, and comes “into the house”; and “into the house” “His disciples came to him,” not the crowds, “saying: Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” But also in another place, when “having heard” the things concerning John, “Jesus withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself,” “the crowds followed him,” when “going out He saw a great crowd and having compassion on them He healed their sick”—the sick of the crowds, not of the disciples; “and when evening had come, there came to him,” not the crowds, but “the disciples, saying,” as distinct from the crowds, “send the crowds away, so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” But also when “taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven He blessed and broke the loaves” He gave them not to the crowds but “to the disciples,” so that the disciples might give them “to the crowds,” who were not able to receive from Him but with difficulty receiving through the disciples the loaves of Jesus' blessing; and they do not eat all of these, for after being satisfied the crowds left behind “the surplus” in twelve baskets which were full ***. 11.5 The reason why we have introduced these things is the subject at hand, that Jesus, having separated the disciples from the crowds, compelled them to get into the boat and to go before Him to the other side, until He himself should send away the crowds. For the crowds were not able to go to the other side, as mystically Hebrews, who are interpreted as 'those who cross over,' are not; but this was the work of the disciples of Jesus, I mean <to> go to the other side and to pass beyond “the things which are seen” and are bodily as “temporal,” and to arrive at “the things which are not seen and are eternal.” Therefore, a sufficient benefit was given to the crowds from Jesus, for those who were unable, because they were crowds, to go to the other side, to be sent away from Jesus. Which sending away no one has authority to send away except Christ alone, and it is not possible for anyone to be sent away without first having eaten of the loaves which Jesus blesses, and it is not possible <for anyone> to eat of the loaves of the blessing of Jesus unless one has done as Jesus commanded and reclined “on the grass,” as we have explained. But not even this is it possible for the crowds to do, who have not followed Jesus from their own cities when He “withdrew to a deserted place by himself.” And before, being asked by the disciples to send away “the crowds,” He did not send them away, until He had fed them with the loaves of the blessing; but now He sends them away, the disciples having first been compelled to get into the boat, and He sends them away while they are somewhere below, for the desert is below; but He himself went up on the mountain to pray. And this also must be observed, that immediately after the five thousand were fed, Jesus compelled the disciples to get into the boat and to go before Him to the other side. However, the disciples were not able to go before Jesus to the other side, but having reached the middle of the sea, with the boat being tormented because the wind was against them, they were afraid, when Jesus came to them around the fourth watch of the night. And if Jesus had not gotten into the boat, neither would the wind which was opposing the sailing disciples have ceased, nor would the sailors “having crossed over, have come” to the other side. And perhaps wishing to teach them by experience that it is not possible to go to the other side without Him, He compelled them to get into the boat and to go before Him to the other side; and when they were not able to cross more than the middle of the sea, having appeared and done the things that are written, He showed that he who gets to the other side arrives there with Jesus sailing with him. And what is the boat into which He compelled
προσερχομένων τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ οἱ μὲν γινώσκοντες «τὰ μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν» μαθηταὶ χρηματίζοιεν ἄν· οἷς δὲ τὸ τοιοῦτον «οὐ δέδοται», ὄχλοι οἱ τῶν μαθητῶν ἥττους λέγοιντ' ἄν. Πρόσχες γὰρ ἐπιμελῶς ὅτι τοῖς μαθηταῖς εἶπε τὸ «ὑμῖν δέδοται γνῶναι τὰ μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν», περὶ δὲ τῶν ὄχλων τὸ «ἐκείνοις δὲ οὐ δέδοται». Καὶ ἐν ἄλλῳ τόπῳ ἀφίησι μὲν «τοὺς ὄχλους», οὐχὶ δὲ τοὺς μαθητάς, καὶ ἔρχεται «εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν»· καὶ «εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν» αὐτοῦ «προσῆλθον αὐτῷ», οὐχὶ οἱ ὄχλοι ἀλλ' «οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ λέγοντες· Φράσον ἡμῖν τὴν παραβολὴν τῶν ζιζανίων τοῦ ἀγροῦ». Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν ἄλλῳ τόπῳ, ἡνίκα «ἀκούσας» τὰ περὶ Ἰωάννου «ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀνεχώρησεν ἐν πλοίῳ εἰς ἔρημον τόπον κατ' ἰδίαν», «οἱ ὄχλοι ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ», ὅτε «ἐξελθὼν εἶδε πολὺν ὄχλον καὶ σπλαγχνισθεὶς ἐπ' αὐτοῖς ἐθεράπευσε τοὺς ἀρρώστους αὐτῶν», τῶν ὄχλων οὐχὶ τῶν μαθητῶν· «ὀψίας δὲ γενομένης προσῆλθον αὐτῷ», οὐχ οἱ ὄχλοι ἀλλ' «οἱ μαθηταί, λέγοντες», ὡς ἕτεροι τῶν ὄχλων, «ἀπόλυσον τοὺς ὄχλους, ἵνα ἀπελθόντες εἰς τὰς κώμας ἀγοράσωσιν ἑαυτοῖς βρώματα». Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡνίκα «λαβὼν τοὺς πέντε ἄρτους καὶ τοὺς δύο ἰχθύας, ἀναβλέψας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εὐλόγησε καὶ κλάσας τοὺς ἄρτους» οὐ τοῖς ὄχλοις ἀλλὰ «τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἔδωκεν», ἵνα οἱ μαθηταὶ δῶσι «τοῖς ὄχλοις», μὴ χωροῦσιν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ λαβεῖν ἀλλὰ μόγις διὰ τῶν μαθητῶν δεχομένοις τοὺς τῆς εὐλογίας Ἰησοῦ ἄρτους· καὶ οὐδὲ τούτους πάντας ἐσθίουσι, χορτασθέντες γὰρ οἱ ὄχλοι καταλελοίπασι «τὸ περισσεῦον» ἐν κοφίνοις οὖσι πλήρεσι δώδεκα ***. 11.5 Οὗ δὲ ἕνεκεν ταῦτα παρειλήφαμεν, ἐστὶ τὸ προκείμενον ὅτι χωρίσας ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῶν ὄχλων τοὺς μαθητὰς ἠνάγκασεν αὐτοὺς ἐμβῆναι εἰς τὸ πλοῖον καὶ προάγειν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ πέραν, ἕως οὗ ἀπολύσει αὐτὸς τοὺς ὄχλους. Οὐ γὰρ ἠδύναντο οἱ ὄχλοι εἰς τὸ πέραν ἀπελθεῖν, ὡς οὐ μυστικῶς Ἑβραῖοι οἵτινες ἑρμηνεύονται περατικοί· ἀλλὰ τοῦτο ἔργον ἦν τῶν Ἰησοῦ μαθητῶν, λέγω δὲ <τὸ> εἰς τὸ πέραν ἀπελθεῖν καὶ ὑπερβῆναι «τὰ βλεπόμενα» καὶ σωματικὰ ὡς «πρόσ καιρα», φθάσαι δὲ ἐπὶ «τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα καὶ αἰώνια». Εὐεργεσία οὖν αὐτάρκης ἦν τοῖς ὄχλοις ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ αὐτοῖς διδομένη, μὴ δυναμένοις διὰ τὸ ὄχλους εἶναι ἀπελθεῖν εἰς τὸ πέραν, ἀπολυθῆναι ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ. Ἥντινα ἀπόλυσιν οὐδεὶς ἔχει ἐξουσίαν ἀπολύειν ἢ ὁ Χριστὸς μόνος, καὶ οὐχ οἷόν τέ ἐστιν ἀπολυθῆναί τινα μὴ πρότερον φαγόντα ἄρτων ὧν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εὐλογεῖ, οὐχ οἷόν τε δὲ φαγεῖν <τινα> τῶν ἄρτων τῆς εὐλογίας Ἰησοῦ εἰ μὴ ὡς ἐκέλευσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ποιήσαντα καὶ ἀνακλιθέντα «ἐπὶ τοῦ χόρτου», ὡς ἀποδε δώκαμεν. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦτο οἷόν τε ποιῆσαι τοὺς ὄχλους μὴ ἀκολουθήσαντας τῷ Ἰησοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων πόλεων «ἀναχωρήσαντι εἰς ἔρημον τόπον κατ' ἰδίαν». Καὶ πρότερον μὲν ἀξιούμενος ὑπὸ τῶν μαθητῶν ἀπολῦσαι «τοὺς ὄχλους», οὐκ ἀπέλυσεν, ἕως ἔθρεψε τοῖς ἄρτοις τῆς εὐλογίας· νῦν δὲ ἀπολύει, τῶν μαθητῶν πρότερον ἀναγκασθέντων ἐμβῆναι εἰς τὸ πλοῖον, καὶ ἀπολύει αὐτοὺς κάτω που τυγχάνοντας, κάτω γὰρ ἡ ἔρημος· αὐτὸς δὲ ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὄρος προσεύ ξασθαι. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ παρατηρητέον, ὅτι εὐθέως μετὰ τὸ τραφῆναι τοὺς πεντακισχιλίους ἠνάγκασεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοὺς μαθητὰς ἐμβῆναι εἰς τὸ πλοῖον καὶ προάγειν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ πέραν. Πλὴν οὐ δεδύνηνται οἱ μαθηταὶ προάγειν τὸν Ἰησοῦν εἰς τὸ πέραν, ἀλλὰ μέχρι τοῦ μέσου τῆς θαλάσσης φθάσαντες, βασανιζο μένου τοῦ πλοίου τῷ τὸν ἄνεμον αὐτοῖς εἶναι ἐναντίον, ἐφοβήθησαν, περὶ τετάρτην φυλακὴν τῆς νυκτὸς ἐλθόντος πρὸς αὐτοὺς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ. Καὶ εἰ μὴ ἀναβεβήκει εἰς τὸ πλοῖον ὁ Ἰησοῦς, οὔτ' ἂν ὁ τοῖς πλέουσι μαθηταῖς ἐναντιούμενος ἐπαύσατο ἄνεμος, οὔτ' ἂν «διαπεράσαντες ἦλθον» εἰς τὸ πέραν οἱ πλέοντες. Καὶ τάχα βουλόμενος τῇ πείρᾳ αὐτοὺς διδάξαι ὅτι οὐχ οἷόν τέ ἐστι χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἀπελθεῖν εἰς τὸ πέραν, ἠνάγκασε μὲν ἐμβῆναι εἰς τὸ πλοῖον καὶ προάγειν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ πέραν· μὴ δυνηθεῖσι δ' αὐτοῖς πλέον τοῦ μέσου τῆς θαλάσσης διελθεῖν ἐπιφανεὶς καὶ ποιήσας τὰ γεγραμμένα, ἔδειξεν ὅτι ὁ εἰς τὸ πέραν γιγνόμενος Ἰησοῦ αὐτῷ συμπλέοντος φθάνει ἐκεῖ. Τί δὲ τὸ πλοῖον εἰς ὃ ἠνάγκασεν