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

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, opposite to the deception about which he said, “You have deceived me, O Lord, and I was deceived.” And these who conspire against him say, “and we will prevail against him, and we will take our revenge on him.” Those who were reproved for their own sins think they have been wronged, and because they thought they were wronged, they say, “we will take our revenge on him.” Those who sawed Isaiah in two also did something like this; for as if they had been wronged (since the prophecies were turning them back and punishing them, reproving, rebuking) they sawed him in two and condemned him with a sentence of death. But Jeremiah says about these conspirators, “and the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior.” If we become what we ought to be, and if we accept that fire coming upon our sins as did Jeremiah and those like him, the Lord then becomes with us “like a mighty warrior.” And “for this reason they persecuted and could not understand” [the Jews who persecuted him; “they were greatly ashamed and did not understand their dishonors,” being dishonored for so long a time they do not speak of their own sins], because the Lord was with the one being persecuted, and being persecuted he cannot become subject to them. Perhaps then, as many things of Jeremiah are referred to the Savior, this can also be of such a kind? For “conspire” and “let us conspire against him” is said also of the Savior. And the “Lord” was with him “like a mighty warrior; for this reason they persecuted and could not understand,” the Jews who persecuted him; “they were greatly ashamed and did not understand their dishonors,” being dishonored for so long a time they do not speak of their own sins, “which will not be forgotten forever,” but they think that in this age their iniquities will be forgotten. But we see that their iniquities will not be forgotten forever, and seeing this we remember the saying, “Do not be haughty, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, how much more” will he “not spare” those contrary to nature? The “Lord” therefore “of hosts” is with us, “testing the righteous, understanding the reins and hearts.” The Lord tests the righteous things, but rejects the unrighteous things, and he is, so to speak, a money-changer of righteous and unrighteous things; and this Lord also “understands reins and hearts.” Here, then, it is written that he “understands reins and hearts.” I ask what is the difference in “understanding reins and hearts”; and perhaps “understanding reins and hearts” is one thing, and “examining hearts and reins” is another. He does not examine the hearts and reins of all, but of those who have sinned; for I consider the meaning of “to examine,” which is said in this life of those who are tortured. In the courts some examine, others are examined, and others are in the most grievous pains. The punishers, therefore, examine the sides, they examine bodies; but the Lord alone has a new way of examination, for he examines hearts, and to the Lord alone belongs the examination of hearts and reins. Here robbers have their sides examined by order of a ruler, but there one’s reins and hearts are examined not by God’s order, but by the Lord himself, unless perhaps I say here that the one being commanded is the Son, and the one commanding is the Father, and that the Word is the one who examines hearts and reins. And I think that the torments from the Word, when it examines both hearts and reins, are heavier than all tortures, all pains. Therefore let us do everything, so that we may not be handed over to that examination. Of this examination I think that those handed over to the so-called tormentors in the Gospel suffer less; for they are handed over to many, perhaps to more tormentors in the beginning, not yet being worthy to be handed over to the one Word that examines hearts and reins. That rich man was not yet worthy to be handed over to the one who examines hearts and reins; for this reason he was being tormented by many. But later whether he suffers this or not, the one who is able

ἐπισυστῶμεν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄνδρες φίλοι αὐτοῦ· τηρήσατε τὴν ἐπίνοιαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπατηθήσεται». ἄλλην ἀπάτην ἐβούλοντο αὐτὸν ἀπατῆσαι ὀλέθριον, ἐναντίαν τῇ ἀπάτῃ περὶ ἧς εἶπεν· «ἠπάτησάς με, κύριε, καὶ ἠπατήθην». λέγουσι δὲ οὗτοι οἱ ἐπισυνιστάμενοι αὐτῷ· «καὶ δυνησόμεθα αὐτῷ, καὶ ληψόμεθα τὴν ἐκδίκησιν ἡμῶν ἐξ αὐτοῦ». οἴονται ἠδικῆσθαι οἱ ἐλεγχθέντες ἐπὶ ταῖς ἰδίαις ἁμαρτίαις καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οἰηθέντες ἠδικῆσθαι λέγουσι· «ληψόμεθα τὴν ἐκδίκησιν ἡμῶν ἐξ αὐτοῦ». τοιοῦτόν τι πεποιήκασιν καὶ οἱ τὸν Ἡσαΐαν πρίσαντες· ὡς ἀδικηθέντες γάρ (ἐπειδήπερ αἱ προ- φητεῖαι ἐπέστρεφον αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐκόλαζον αὐτούς, ἤλεγχον, ἐπετίμων) ἔπρισαν αὐτὸν καὶ κατεδίκασαν αὐτοῦ ψῆφον θανατικήν. Ἀλλά φησιν ὁ Ἱερεμίας ἐπὶ τούτοις τοῖς ἐπισυστᾶσι· «καὶ κύριος μετ' ἐμοῦ καθὼς μαχητὴς ἰσχύων». ἐὰν γενώμεθα ὁποίους ἡμᾶς εἶναι χρή, καὶ τὸ πῦρ ἐκεῖνο παραδεξώμεθα ἐπὶ ταῖς ἡμετέραις ἁμαρτίαις ἐρχόμενον ὡς τῷ Ἱερεμίᾳ καὶ τοῖς ὁμοίοις, κύριος γίνεται μετὰ ταῦτα μεθ' ἡμῶν «καθὼς μαχητὴς ἰσχύων». καὶ «διὰ τοῦτο ἐδίωξαν καὶ νοῆσαι οὐκ ἠδύναντο» [οἱ διώκοντες αὐτὸν Ἰουδαῖοι· «ᾐσχύνθησαν σφόδρα καὶ οὐκ ἐνόησαν ἀτιμίας αὐτῶν», ἐν τοσούτῳ χρόνῳ ἀτιμαζόμενοι οὐ λέγουσιν ἑαυτῶν τὰς ἁμαρτίας], ὅτι ὁ κύριος ἦν μετὰ τοῦ διωκομένου, καὶ οὐ δύναται ὑποχείριος αὐτοῖς γενέσθαι διωκό- μενος. μήποτε οὖν, ὡς πολλὰ τοῦ Ἱερεμίου ἀναφέρεται ἐπὶ τὸν σωτῆρα, καὶ τοῦτο δύναται τοιοῦτον εἶναι; «ἐπι<σύ>στητε» γὰρ «καὶ ἐπισυστῶμεν αὐτῷ» εἴρηται καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος. καὶ «κύριος» ἦν μετ' αὐτοῦ «καθὼς μαχητὴς ἰσχύων· διὰ τοῦτο ἐδίωξαν καὶ νοῆσαι οὐκ ἠδύναντο», οἱ διώκοντες αὐτὸν Ἰουδαῖοι· «ᾐσχύνθησαν σφόδρα καὶ οὐκ ἐνόησαν ἀτιμίας αὐτῶν», ἐν τοσούτῳ χρόνῳ ἀτιμαζόμενοι οὐ λέγουσιν ἑαυτῶν τὰς ἁμαρτίας, «αἳ δι' αἰῶνος οὐκ ἐπιλησθήσονται», ἀλλ' οἴον<ται> ὅτι ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ ἐπιλησθήσονται αὐτῶν αἱ ἀνομίαι. ἡμεῖς δὲ ὁρῶμεν ὅτι δι' αἰῶνος αὐτῶν αἱ ἀνομίαι οὐκ ἐπιλησθήσονται, καὶ ὁρῶντες μεμνήμεθα τοῦ «μὴ ὑψηλοφρόνει, ἀλλὰ φοβοῦ· εἰ γὰρ ὁ θεὸς τῶν κατὰ φύσιν κλάδων οὐκ ἐφείσατο, πόσῳ μᾶλλον» τῶν παρὰ φύσιν «οὐ φείσεται;» «Κύριος» οὖν «τῶν δυνάμεων» μεθ' ἡμῶν, «δοκιμάζων δίκαια, συνίων νεφροὺς καὶ καρδίας». ὁ κύριος δοκιμάζει μὲν δίκαια, ἀποδοκιμάζει δὲ ἄδικα, καὶ ἔστιν, ἵν' οὕτως ὀνομάσω, τραπεζίτης δικαίων καὶ ἀδίκων· οὗτος δὲ ὁ κύριος καὶ «συνίων» ἐστὶ «νεφροὺς καὶ καρδίας». ἐνθάδε μὲν οὖν γέγραπται ὅτι «συνίων» ἐστὶ «νεφροὺς καὶ καρδίας». ζητῶ τί διαφέρει τὸ «συνιέναι νεφροὺς καὶ καρδίας»· καὶ μήποτε ἄλλο ἐστὶ τὸ «συνιέναι νεφροὺς καὶ καρδίας», ἄλλο τὸ «ἐτάζειν καρδίας καὶ νεφρούς». οὐ πάντων ἐτάζει καρδίας καὶ νε- φρούς, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἡμαρτηκότων· ἐφίστημι γὰρ τῷ σημαινομένῳ τοῦ ἐτάζειν, ὅπερ λέγεται ἐν τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ ἐπὶ τῶν βασανιζομένων. ἐπὶ τοῖς δικαστηρίοις <οἱ μὲν> ἐτάζουσιν, οἱ δὲ ἐτάζονται, οἱ δέ εἰσι καὶ ἐν πόνοις βαρυτάτοις. οἱ μὲν οὖν κολασταὶ ἐτάζουσι πλευράς, ἐτάζουσι σώματα· κύριος δὲ μόνος καινὸν ἔχει τρόπον ἐτασμῶν, ἐτάζων γάρ ἐστι καρδίας, καὶ μόνῳ τῷ κυρίῳ πρόσεστι τὸ ἐξετάζειν καρδίας καὶ νεφρούς. λῃσταὶ ἐνταῦθα ἐτάζονται κατὰ πρόσταξιν ἡγουμένου τὰ πλευρά, ἐκεῖ δὲ οὐκ ἐκ προστάξεως θεοῦ, ἀλλ' ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἐτάζεταί τις νεφροὺς καὶ καρδίας, εἰ μὴ ἄρα ἐνταῦθα λέγω τὸν μὲν προστασσόμενον εἶναι τὸν υἱόν, τὸν δὲ προστάσσοντα εἶναι τὸν πατέρα, καὶ τὸν λόγον εἶναι τὸν ἐτάζοντα καρδίας καὶ νεφρούς. καὶ πασῶν γε νομίζω βασάνων, πάντων τῶν πόνων βαρύτερα τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ λόγου, ὅταν ἐτάζῃ καὶ καρδίας καὶ νεφρούς. διὸ πάντα πράττωμεν, ἵνα μὴ παραδοθῶμεν ἐκείνῳ τῷ ἐτασμῷ. οὗ ἐτασμοῦ οἴομαι ἔλαττον πάσχειν τοὺς παραδιδομένους τοῖς λεγομένοις ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ βασανισταῖς· πολλοῖς γὰρ παραδίδονται, τάχα πλείοσι βασανισταῖς κατὰ τὴν ἀρχήν, οὐδέπω ἄξιοι γινόμενοι παραδίδοσθαι ἑνὶ λόγῳ τῷ ἐτάζοντι καρδίας καὶ νεφρούς. ὁ πλούσιος ἐκεῖνος οὐ- δέπω ἄξιος ἦν παραδοθῆναι τῷ ἐτάζοντι καρδίας καὶ νεφρούς· διὰ τοῦτο ὑπὸ πλειόνων ἐβασανίζετο. ὕστερον δὲ εἰ καὶ ἐκεῖνος τοῦτο πάσχει ἢ μή, ὁ δυνάμενος