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want to those who fear him." 24 all you the seed of Jacob, glorify him. But it can also be said literally that: since that people from the patriarchs was called to praise and serve God, it is fittingly commanded to all to do this. For since many of them became sinners, thus we take "all the seed of Jacob" not as the evil one—for it was said concerning it: "an evil seed"—, but when it is outside of all wickedness, just as he himself whose seed it is. And here we take Jacob the patriarch and say that: since he became a supplanter and from this right action received his name, all those who supplant wickedness, overcoming the opposing powers, which are evil adversaries, these are Jacob; for among his heroic deeds Hosea set this, saying that: "in the womb he supplanted his brother and he prevailed with God and was able." To prevail with God and to be able is a great heroic deed. Thus, at least, he counted together his having supplanted the brother in the womb. And the Savior in Isaiah was also called Jacob: "Jacob my servant, I will help him." And Matthew said that this saying was fulfilled by Christ. 24 let all the seed of Israel fear him. The passionate fear is not glory, but the fear of God which comes after many things to those who have been eager to have it. "My son, if receiving the word of my commandment you hide it with yourself, your ear will hearken to wisdom, and you will apply your heart to understanding." And after a little: "and if you seek her as silver and search for her as for treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord." See, after many according to 48 right actions and perfect virtues. But how is it that we say it simply. If you but know the heroic deeds and the feats of valor and the achievements of Elisha, you will see in what way the one who fears the Lord is not an ordinary person. 25 All you the seed of Jacob, glorify him, because he has not despised nor abhorred the prayer of the poor man. Here he calls poor the Savior who came to us, who for our sake became poor. And just as he became a curse, not simply, but "that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles"—but a curse that produces a blessing is not truly a curse. And the things that produce good things are good. The things that produce what is pleasing to God are themselves also pleasing to God. But the name of curse signifies the cross, as the apostle himself, who wrote this saying, has shown. He said: "for it is written: Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"—, and just as he became dead, so that he might show and make the dead alive, and he was in death, so that he might destroy death and free those held by it, so also he became poor, so that by his poverty they for whom he became poor might become rich. And see the difference: "you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, for your sakes he became poor." the becoming poor was for our sakes, the being rich was not for our sakes; for it is not said that he became rich as that he became poor, but "though he was rich, for our sakes he became poor." And just as, having the form of God and subsisting in the form of God, when he took the form of a servant of God, he did not cast off the form of God, so having become poor for others, he did not cast off his wealth; for we speak of his wealth not as with the holy men, their virtues; for he himself is the provider of virtues, it is he, by participation in whom the virtues subsist. Therefore, while remaining rich, he became poor. But he became poor for others, so that they might become rich. And when we remain in our former poverty and do not hasten to receive that wealth, which his poverty bestows, as far as it concerns us, he remains poor; for if he became poor for the sake of others, so that they might become rich, when they become rich, he is no longer poor. He became poor by becoming flesh. When we behold "his glory, glory as of
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ὑστέρημα τοῖς φοβουμένοις αὐτόν". 24 ἅπαν τὸ σπέρμα Ἰακώβ, δοξάσατε αὐτόν. δύναται δὲ καὶ πρὸς ῥητὸν λέγεσθαι ὅτι· ἐπειδὴ ἐκλήθη ὁ λαὸς ἐκεῖνος ὁ ἐκ τῶν πατριαρχῶν εἰς τὸ ὑμνεῖν καὶ δουλεύειν θεῷ, εἰκότως πᾶσιν προστάττεται τοῦτο ποιεῖν. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πολλοὶ γέγοναν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἁμαρτωλοί, οὕτω λαμβάνομεν "ἅπαν τὸ σπέρμα τοῦ Ἰακὼβ" οὐ τὸ πονηρόν-ἐλέχθη γὰρ περὶ αὐτοῦ· "σπέρμα πονηρόν"-, ἀλλ' ὅταν ἔξω πάσης πονηρίας ᾖ, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ οὗ σπέρμα ἐστίν. καὶ λαμβάνομεν ἐνταῦθα τὸν Ἰακὼβ τὸν πατριάρχην καὶ λέγομεν ὅτι· ἐπειδὴ οὗτος πτερνιστὴς γέγονεν καὶ ἐκ τούτου τοῦ κατορθώματος τὴν προσηγορίαν ἔσχεν, πάντες οἱ πτερνίζοντες τὴν κακίαν περιγινόμενοι τῶν ἀντικειμένων δυνάμεων, πονηρῶν ἀντιπάλων οὐσῶν, οὗτοι Ἰακώβ εἰσιν· ἐν τοῖς ἀνδραγαθήμασιν γὰρ αὐτοῦ ὁ Ὡσηὲ ἔταξεν τοῦτο λέγων ὅτι· "ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ ἐπτέρνισεν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐνίσχυσεν μετὰ θεοῦ καὶ ἠδυνάσθη". τὸ ἐνισχῦσαι μετὰ θεοῦ καὶ δυνηθῆναι μέγα ἀνδραγάθημά ἐστιν. οὕτω γοῦν συνηρίθμησεν τὸν ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ ἐπτερνικέναι τὸν ἀδελφόν. ἐλέχθη δὲ καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ ἐν Ἰσαίᾳ Ἰακώβ· "Ἰακὼβ ὁ παῖςμου, ἀντιλήμψομαι αὐτοῦ". καὶ ταύτην τὴν λέξιν πεπληρῶσθαι ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ ὁ Μαθαῖος εἶπεν. 24 φοβηθήτωσαν αὐτὸν ἅπαν τὸ σπέρμα Ἰσραήλ. οὐχ ὁ παθητικὸς φόβος δόξα ἐστίν, ἀλλ' ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ φόβος ὁ μετὰ πολλὰ παραγινόμενος τοῖς σπουδάσασιν αὐτὸν ἔχειν. "υἱέ, ἐὰν δεξάμενος ῥῆσιν ἐμῆς ἐντολῆς κρύψῃς παρὰ σεαυτῷ, ἐπακούσεται σοφίας τὸ οὖς σου, παραβαλεῖς δὲ τὴν καρδίαν σου εἰς σύνεσιν". καὶ μεθ' ὁλίγα· "καὶ ἐὰν ζητήσῃς αὐτὴν ὡς ἀργύριον καὶ ὡς θησαυροὺς ἐξερευνήσῃς αὐτήν, τότε συνήσεις φόβον κυρίου". ὅρα, μετὰ πολ̣λ̣ὰ κατ48 ορθ̣ώματα καὶ τελείας ἀρετάς. πώς ποτε δὲ ἡμεῖς ἁπλῶς λέγομεν. ἐὰν δε`̣ εἰδῇς τὰ ἀνδραγαθήματα καὶ τὰς ἀριστείας καὶ τὰ κατορθώματα τοῦ Ἐλισαίου, ὄψει τίνα τρόπον ὁ φοβ̣ούμενος τὸν κύριον οὐχ ὁ τυχών ἐστιν. 25 ἅπαν τὸ σπέρμα Ἰακώβ, δοξάσατε αὐτόν ὅτι οὐκ ἐξουδένωσεν οὐδὲ προσώχθισεν τῇ δεήσει τοῦ πτωχοῦ. πτωχὸν ἐνταῦθα λέγει τὸν ἐπιδημήσαντα σωτῆρα τὸν ἡμῶν ἕνεκα πτωχεύσαντα. καὶ ὥσπερ κατάρα γέγονεν οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' "ἵνα εἰς τὰ ἔθνη ἡ εὐλογία τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ γένηται"-ποιητικὴ δὲ εὐλογίας κατάρα οὔκ ἐστιν κατάρα τῷ ὄντι. τὰ δὲ ποιητικὰ τῶν καλῶν καλά ἐστιν. τὰ ποιητικὰ τῶν θεῷ ἀρεσκόντων καὶ αὐτὰ θεῷ ἀρέσκει. σημαίνει δὲ τὸ ὄνομα τῆς κατάρας τὸν σταυρόν, ὡς αὐτὸς ὁ ἀπόστολος ὁ τὴν φωνὴν ταύτην γράψας ἀπέδειξεν. εἶπεν· "ὅτι γέγραπται· ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὁ κρεμάμενος ἐπὶ ξύλου"-, καὶ ὥσπερ νεκρὸς γέγονεν, ἵνα τοὺς νεκροὺς ζῶντας ἀποδείξῃ καὶ ποιήσῃ, καὶ γέγονεν ἐν θανάτῳ, ἵνα τὸν θάνατον καταλύσῃ καὶ τοὺς κατεχομένους ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐλευθερώσῃ, οὕτω καὶ πτωχὸς γέγονεν, ἵνα τῇ αὐτοῦ πτωχείᾳ πλούσιοι γένωνται ὑπὲρ ὧν πτωχὸς γέγονεν. καὶ ὅρα γε τὴν διαφοράν· "γιγνώσκετε τὴν χάριν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅτι πλούσιος ὢν δι' ὑμᾶς ἐπτώχευσεν". τὸ πτωχεῦσαι δι' ἡμᾶς, τὸ πλούσιος εἶναι οὐ δι' ἡμᾶς· οὐ γὰρ εἴρηται γεγονέναι πλούσιος ὥσπερ γεγονέναι πτωχός, ἀλλὰ "πλούσιος ὢν δι' ἡμᾶς ἐπτώχευσεν". καὶ ὥσπερ μορφὴν θεοῦ ἔχων καὶ ὑπάρχων ἐν μορφῇ θεοῦ, λαβὼν τὴν δούλου θεοῦ οὐκ ἀπέβαλεν τὴν θεοῦ μορφήν, οὕτω πτωχὸς διὰ ἄλλους γενόμενος τὸν πλοῦτον οὐκ ἀπέβαλεν· πλοῦτον γὰρ αὐτοῦ λέγομεν οὐχ ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν ἁγίων α᾿̣ν̣δρῶν τὰς ἀρετάς· αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ χορηγὸς τῶν ἀρετῶν, αὐτός ἐστιν, οὗ τῇ μετοχῇ ὑφίστανται αἱ α᾿̣ρ̣εταί. μένων οὖν πλούσιος πτωχὸς γέγονεν. διὰ ἄλλους δὲ πτωχὸς γέγονεν, ἵνα πλουτήσωσιν ἐκεῖνοι. καὶ ὅταν ἡμεῖς ἐν τῇ προλαβούσῃ πτωχείᾳ μένωμεν καὶ μὴ σπεύδωμεν τὸν πλοῦτον ἐκεῖνον ἀναλαβεῖν, ὃν χαρίζεται ἡ πτωχεία ἐκείνου, τὸ ὅσον εἰς ἡμᾶς, μένει πτωχός· εἰ γὰρ ἄλλων ἕνεκα, ἵνα πλουτήσωσιν, πτωχὸς γέγονεν, ὅταν πλουτήσωσιν ἐκεῖνοι, οὐκέτι πτωχός ἐστιν. πτωχὸς γέγονεν γενόμενος σάρξ. ὅταν θεασώμεθα "τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς