XXI. But the Lord replies, “Because what is impossible with men is possible with God.” This again is full of great wisdom. For a man by himself working and toiling at freedom from passion achieves nothing. But if he plainly shows himself very desirous and earnest about this, he attains it by the addition of the power of God. For God conspires with willing souls. But if they abandon their eagerness, the spirit which is bestowed by God is also restrained. For to save the unwilling is the part of one exercising compulsion; but to save the willing, that of one showing grace. Nor does the kingdom of heaven belong to sleepers and sluggards, “but the violent take it by force.”24    Matt. xi. 12. [Elucidation III.] For this alone is commendable violence, to force God, and take life from God by force. And He, knowing those who persevere firmly, or rather violently, yields and grants. For God delights in being vanquished in such things.

Therefore on hearing those words, the blessed Peter, the chosen, the pre-eminent, the first of the disciples, for whom alone and Himself the Saviour paid tribute,25    Matt. xvii. 27. quickly seized and comprehended the saying. And what does he say? “Lo, we have left all and followed Thee.” Now if by all he means his own property, he boasts of leaving four oboli perhaps in all,26    The text is the reading on the margin of the first edition. The reading of the ms., τοῦ λόγου, is ammended by Segaar into τὸ τοῦ λὀγου, “as the saying is.” and forgets to show the kingdom of heaven to be their recompense. But if, casting away what we were now speaking of, the old mental possessions and soul diseases, they follow in the Master’s footsteps, this now joins them to those who are to be enrolled in the heavens. For it is thus that one truly follows the Saviour, by aiming at sinlessness and at His perfection, and adorning and composing the soul before it as a mirror, and arranging everything in all respects similarly.

21.1 Ὁ δὲ κύριος ἀποκρίνεται διότι "τὸ ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἀδύνατον δυνατὸν θεῷ". πάλιν καὶ τοῦτο μεγάλης σοφίας μεστόν ἐστιν. ὅτι καθ' αὑτὸν μὲν ἀσκῶν καὶ διαπονούμενος ἀπάθειαν ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὐδὲν ἀνύει, ἐὰν δὲ γένηται δῆλος ὑπερεπιθυμῶν τούτου καὶ διεσπουδακώς, 21.2 τῇ προσθήκῃ τῆς παρὰ θεοῦ δυνάμεως περιγίνεται· βουλομέναις μὲν γὰρ ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὁ θεὸς συνεπιπνεῖ, εἰ δὲ ἀποσταῖεν τῆς προθυμίας. καὶ τὸ δοθὲν ἐκ θεοῦ πνεῦμα συνεστάλη· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἄκοντας σῴζειν 21.3 ἐστὶ βιαζομένου, τὸ δὲ αἱρουμένους χαριζομένου. οὐδὲ τῶν καθευ δόντων καὶ βλακευόντων ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλ' οἱ "βιασταὶ ἁρπάζουσιν αὐτήν"· αὕτη γὰρ μόνη βία καλή, θεὸν βιάσασθαι καὶ παρὰ θεοῦ ζωὴν ἁρπάσαι, ὁ δὲ γνοὺς τοὺς βιαίως, μᾶλλον δὲ βεβαίως ἀντεχομένους συνεχώρησεν εἶξεν· χαίρει γὰρ ὁ θεὸς τὰ τοιαῦτα ἡττώ 21.4 μενος. τοιγάρτοι τούτων ἀκούσας ὁ μακάριος Πέτρος. ὁ ἐκλεκτός. ὁ ἐξαίρετος, ὁ πρῶτος τῶν μαθητῶν, ὑπὲρ οὗ μόνου καὶ ἑαυτοῦ τὸν 21.5 φόρον ὁ σωτὴρ ἐκτελεῖ, ταχέως ἥρπασε καὶ συνέβαλε τὸν λόγον. καὶ τί φησιν; "ἴδε ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν πάντα καὶ ἠκολουθήσαμέν σοι." τὰ δὲ "πάντα" εἰ μὲν τὰ κτήματα τὰ ἑαυτοῦ λέγει, τέσσαρας ὀβολοὺς ἴσως, τὸ τοῦ λόγου, καταλιπὼν μεγαλύνεται καὶ τούτων ἀνταξίαν 21.6 ἀποφαίνων ἂν λάθοι τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν· εἰ δέ, ἅπερ ἄρτι νῦν λέγομεν, τὰ παλαιὰ νοητὰ κτήματα καὶ ψυχικὰ νοσήματα ἀπορ ρίψαντες ἕπονται κατ' ἴχνος τοῦ διδασκάλου, τοῦτ' ἂν ἀνάπτοιτο 21.7 ἤδη τοῖς ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἐγγραφησομένοις. τοῦτο γὰρ ἀκολουθεῖν ὄντως τῷ σωτῆρι, ἀναμαρτησίαν καὶ τελειότητα τὴν ἐκείνου μετερ χόμενον καὶ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ὥσπερ κάτοπτρον κοσμοῦντα καὶ ῥυθμίζοντα τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ πάντα διὰ πάντων ὁμοίως διατιθέντα.