John Chrysostom, On John

was going to oppose the Master of the house and the one worshipped in it. Indeed, the former years, in which he lived according to the law, were sufficient to show his reverence for the lawgiver, and that he did not come to legislate against it; but since it was likely that those things would be given over to oblivion by time, as they were not known to all, because he was brought up in a poor and humble house, he now does this in the presence of all (for many were present, since a feast was near), and in a perilous manner. For he did not simply cast them out, but also overturned the tables, and poured out the money, giving them from these things to reason that one who threw himself into dangers for the good order of the house would not have despised the Master of the house. For if he were doing these things as a hypocrite, it would have been necessary only to advise; but to stand in dangers is very bold. For it was no small thing, both to give himself up to such anger of the merchants, and to provoke against himself a mob full of much irrationality of retail traders, insulting him, causing him loss; it was not of one who was a hypocrite, but of one who chose all sufferings for the good order of the house. For this reason, not only by what he does, but also by what he says, he shows his harmony with him; for he did not say, The holy house, but, My Father's house. Behold, he also calls him Father, and they are not angry; for they thought he was speaking simply. But when, as he went on, he spoke more clearly, so as to present that thought of equality, then they become savage. What then did they say? What sign do you show us, it says, that you do these things? O the utmost 59.141 madness! For was a sign needed to stop the things being done badly, and to deliver the house from so much shame? Was not having such zeal for the house of God the greatest sign of virtue? At any rate, the well-disposed were shown from this. For his disciples remembered then, it says, that it is written: The zeal of your house has consumed me. But they did not remember the prophecy, but, What sign do you show us? they said, both being pained that their own filthy lucre was being cut off, and expecting by this to hinder him, and wishing to call him forth to a miracle, and to find fault with what was happening. For this reason he does not give them a sign. Since also when they previously approached and asked, he answered the same: An evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it, except the sign of Jonah. But then more clearly, now more enigmatically. And he does this because of their extreme insensibility. For he who anticipates those who do not ask and gives signs would not have turned away those who ask, unless he saw that their mind was evil and deceitful, and their purpose was treacherous. For consider at once how much wickedness the question itself was full of. For it was necessary to approve of his earnestness and zeal, it was necessary to be astonished that he takes such care of the house, but they bring charges, saying it is permitted to trade, but it is not permitted to put an end to the trading, unless he shows some sign. What then does Christ say? Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. He utters many such things, which were not clear to those hearing then, but would be to those after these things. And for what reason does he do this? So that he might be shown to have foreknown from the beginning the things after these events, when the end of the prediction also came to pass; which indeed also happened in the case of this prophecy. For when, it says, he was raised from the dead, then his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. But when it was said, some were at a loss as to what the saying might be, while others doubted, saying: This temple was built in forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days? And they said forty-six years, indicating the later building; for the first was completed in a period of twenty years. 3. For what reason then did he not solve the riddle, and say, 'I am not speaking of this temple, but of my flesh,' but the evangelist, writing the Gospel later, interprets what was said, while he himself was silent then? For what reason then was he silent? Because he did not

τῷ τοῦ οἴκου ∆εσπότῃ καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ θεραπευομένῳ ἔμελλεν ἐναντιοῦσθαι. Ἦν μὲν οὖν ἱκανὰ καὶ τὰ πρότερα ἔτη, ἐν οἷς κατὰ τὸν νόμον ἐβίω, δεῖξαι τὴν πρὸς τὸν νομοθέτην αἰδὼ, καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἀντινομοθετῶν ἦλθεν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἰκὸς ἦν ἐκεῖνα λήθῃ παραδοθῆναι τῷ χρόνῳ, ἅτε οὐ πᾶσιν ὄντα γνώριμα, διὰ τὸ ἐν οἰκίᾳ τρέφεσθαι πτωχῇ καὶ εὐτελεῖ, παρόντων πάντων λοιπὸν (καὶ γὰρ πολλοὶ παρῆσαν, ἅτε ἑορτῆς πλησίον οὔσης), τοῦτο ποιεῖ, καὶ παρακεκινδυνευμένως. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ἐξέβαλεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς τραπέζας ἀνέτρεψε, καὶ τὸ ἀργύριον ἐξέχεε, διδοὺς αὐτοῖς ἐκ τούτων λογίσασθαι, ὅτι οὐκ ἂν ὁ εἰς κινδύνους ῥίπτων ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐκοσμίας τοῦ οἴκου, τοῦ ∆εσπότου τοῦ οἴκου κατεφρόνησεν ἄν· Εἰ γὰρ ὑποκρινόμενος ταῦτα ἐποίει, παραινέσαι ἐχρῆν μόνον· τὸ δὲ καὶ εἰς κινδύνους καταστῆναι, πάνυ τολμηρόν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τὸ τυχὸν ἦν, καὶ θυμῷ τοσούτῳ ἀγοραίων ἑαυτὸν ἐκδοῦναι, καὶ δῆμον πολλῆς γέμοντα ἀλογίας καπήλων ἀνθρώπων καθ' ἑαυτοῦ παροξύναι ὑβρίζοντα, ζημιοῦντα· οὐχ ὑποκρινομένου ἦν, ἀλλὰ πάντα αἱρουμένου πάθη, ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐκοσμίας τοῦ οἴκου. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ δι' ὧν ποιεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δι' ὧν λέγει, δείκνυσι τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν συμφωνίαν· οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπε, Τὸν οἶκον τὸν ἅγιον, ἀλλὰ, Τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Πατρός μου. Ἰδοὺ καὶ Πατέρα καλεῖ, καὶ οὐκ ὀργίζονται· ᾤοντο γὰρ ἁπλῶς αὐτὸν λέγειν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ προϊὼν τρανότερον ἐφθέγγετο, ὡς ἐκείνην παραστῆσαι τὴν διάνοιαν τὴν τῆς ἰσότητος, τότε ἀγριαίνουσιν. Τί οὖν ἐκεῖνοι; Τί σημεῖον δεικνύεις ἡμῖν, φησὶν, ὅτι ταῦτα ποιεῖς; Ὢ τῆς ἐσχάτης 59.141 μανίας! Σημείου γὰρ χρεία ἦν, ὥστε τὰ κακῶς γινόμενα παῦσαι, καὶ τὸν οἶκον ἀπαλλάξαι τοσαύτης αἰσχύνης; τὸ δὲ ζῆλον τοιοῦτον λαβεῖν ὑπὲρ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὐ μέγιστον σημεῖον ἀρετῆς ἦν; Οἱ γοῦν εὐγνώμονες καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἐδείκνυντο. Καὶ γὰρ ἐμνήσθησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ τότε, φησὶν, ὅτι ἔστι γεγραμμένον· Ὁ ζῆλος τοῦ οἴκου σου κατεφάγησέ με. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐκεῖνοι τῆς προφητείας ἐμνήσθησαν, ἀλλὰ, Τί σημεῖον δεικνύεις ἡμῖν; ἔλεγον, ἅμα μὲν ὑπὲρ τῆς αἰσχροκερδείας τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἀλγοῦντες ἐκκοπτομένης, καὶ προσδοκῶντες ταύτῃ κωλύειν αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐκκαλέσασθαι εἰς θαῦμα βουλόμενοι, καὶ ἐπισκῆψαι τοῖς γινομένοις. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ δίδωσιν αὐτοῖς σημεῖον. Ἐπεὶ καὶ πρότερον προσελθοῦσι καὶ αἰτοῦσι, τὸ αὐτὸ ἀπεκρίνατο· Γενεὰ πονηρὰ καὶ μοιχαλὶς σημεῖον ἐπιζητεῖ, καὶ σημεῖον οὐ δοθήσεται αὐτῇ, εἰ μὴ τὸ σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ. Ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν σαφέστερον, νυνὶ δὲ αἰνιγματωδέστερον. Ποιεῖ δὲ τοῦτο διὰ τὴν ἐσχάτην αὐτῶν ἀναισθησίαν. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν ὁ μὴ αἰτοῦντας προλαμβάνων καὶ σημεῖα διδοὺς, οὗτος αἰτοῦντας ἂν ἀπεστράφη, εἰ μὴ τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτῶν εἶδε πονηρὰν οὖσαν καὶ δολερὰν, καὶ ὕπουλον αὐτῶν τὴν προαίρεσιν. Αὐτὸ γὰρ εὐθέως τὸ ἐρώτημα ἐννόησον ὅσης κακίας μεστὸν ἦν. ∆έον γὰρ αὐτὸν ἀποδέξασθαι τῆς σπουδῆς καὶ τοῦ ζήλου, δέον ἐκπλαγῆναι, ὅτι τοσαύτην τοῦ οἴκου ποιεῖται πρόνοιαν, οἱ δὲ ἐγκαλοῦσι, καπηλεύειν ἐξεῖναι λέγοντες, λύειν δὲ τὴν καπηλείαν οὐκ ἐξὸν εἶναι, ἂν μὴ σημεῖόν τι ἐπιδείξηται. Τί οὖν ὁ Χριστός; Λύσατε τὸν ναὸν τοῦτον, καὶ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις ἐγερῶ αὐτόν. Πολλὰ τοιαῦτα φθέγγεται, τοῖς μὲν τότε ἀκούουσιν οὐκ ὄντα δῆλα, τοῖς δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα, ἐσόμενα. Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν τοῦτο ποιεῖ; Ἵνα δειχθῇ προειδὼς ἄνωθεν τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα, ὅταν ἐξέλθῃ καὶ τῆς προῤῥήσεως τὸ τέλος· ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς προφητείας ταύτης γέγονεν. Ὅτε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἠγέρθη ἐκ νεκρῶν, τότε ἐμνήσθησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ὅτι τοῦτο ἔλεγε· καὶ ἐπίστευσαν τῇ Γραφῇ, καὶ τῷ λόγῳ ᾧ εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς. Ὅτε δὲ ἐλέγετο, οἱ μὲν ἠποροῦντο τί ποτ' ἂν εἴη τὸ εἰρημένον, οἱ δὲ ἀμφέβαλλον, λέγοντες· Τεσσαράκοντα καὶ ἓξ ἔτεσιν ᾠκοδομήθη ὁ ναὸς οὗτος, καὶ σὺ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις ἐγερεῖς αὐτόν; Τεσσαράκοντα δὲ καὶ ἓξ ἔτη ἔλεγον, τὴν ὑστέραν οἰκοδομὴν δηλοῦντες· ἡ γὰρ προτέρα εἰς εἴκοσιν ἐτῶν ἀπηρτίσθη χρόνον. γʹ. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν οὐκ ἔλυσε τὸ αἴνιγμα, καὶ εἶπεν, ὅτι Οὐ περὶ τοῦ ναοῦ λέγω τούτου, ἀλλὰ περὶ τῆς σαρκὸς τῆς ἐμῆς, ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν εὐαγγελιστὴς ὕστερον γράφων τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, ἑρμηνεύει τὸ εἰρημένον, αὐτὸς δὲ ἐσίγησε τότε; Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἐσίγησεν; Ὅτι οὐκ