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those [called] to the kingdom, not bearing the harsh and laborious nature of the life according to virtue. For wickedness entices with the smoothness of pleasure; but virtue makes the life of its practitioners rough with hardships and toils. Because of the words of Your lips, I have kept to hard ways. He calls "hard ways" the Commandments given to us for the perfecting of our souls. What is harder than, after receiving a blow on the cheek, to turn to him the other also? than for one who is being robbed, not to ask for it back? than for one being dragged to court ... to give up his tunic as well? when reviled, to bless? when defamed, to entreat? to hate no one? to pray for those who persecute? But these hard things prepare for us the gentle bosom of our father Abraham for rest. For blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. And almost every suffering here is a source of eternal goods. For this reason, Going they went and wept, casting their seeds. For the present afflictions, which come about because of the law of God, will be a seed of the goods to come. But coming they shall come with rejoicing, carrying their sheaves. The nations therefore disobey the way of the people, saying: "You should not say, 'It is hard.' For whatever this people says, is hard." Examine therefore those who sit before idols, for what reason they do not approach the teaching of the proclamation. For the more sensible of them confess that they cannot bear the austerity. 8.215 Then he adds: But fear not his fear. This is understood in two ways; for he says to the nations, do not fear the fear which they now fear without instruction, not giving themselves over to the practice of better things; as if he were saying: do not fear moderation, do not fear courage; do not fear piety, fear none of the virtues. They are gentle, approachable, productive of good things, givers of life. Or, turning his discourse, he addresses the people: that they indeed have supposed these things about you, not accepting union with you through the way of the law. But you, do not fear the plots of the nations against you, but, understanding the Lord, sanctify him. And he shall be your fear. It is a very great thing for perfection, to fear with instruction and not to be terrified of everything, nor to be startled by noises, fearing things that are not to be feared. For the psalm condemns such people, saying: There they will be in great fear, where there was no fear. Therefore sanctify the Lord. And he shall be your fear. Await his coming, fear his judgment. To be feared is the one who repays each according to his works; to be feared is the one who is about to come from heaven with the voice of a trumpet with holy Angels; to be feared is he whose sentence is eternal punishment. If therefore you trust in the Lord, you will not encounter him as a stone of stumbling, nor as a rock of falling. Clearly the word calls to faith in our Lord Jesus. For concerning him it is said, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense." The blind and those unable to see what is at their feet, stumble on stones; and those whose footing is not secure, slip on rocks. He therefore who has taken no care for the insight of the soul, nor has recognized the coming of the Lord through the teaching of the Scriptures, stumbles against the proclamation of the Gospel; and he who is easily turned in faith, is scandalized by the rock, which is Christ. But you (he says), O people, if you are trusting and firmly fixed by perfect faith on the Lord, you will not encounter the word about him as a stone of stumbling, nor will you slip on him, as on a rock of falling. But perhaps the foolishness of the proclamation is a stumbling block to the Greeks, those who seek wisdom; and it is a rock of offense to the Jews, those who ask for signs. For this reason Paul said that the proclamation is to Jews a stumbling block,

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οἱ ἐπὶ τὴν βα σιλείαν, τὸ τραχὺ καὶ ἐπίπονον τοῦ κατ' ἀρετὴν βίου μὴ φέροντες. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ κακία δελεάζει τῷ λείῳ τῆς ἡδονῆς· ἡ δὲ ἀρετὴ σκληραγωγίαις καὶ πόνοις ἐκτραχύνει τὸν βίον τῶν ἀσκουμένων· ∆ιὰ τοὺς λόγους τῶν χειλέων σου, ἐγὼ ἐφύλαξα ὁδοὺς σκληράς. Σκληρὰς ὁδοὺς λέγει τὰς ἐπὶ τὸν καταρτισμὸν τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν δεδομένας ἡμῖν Ἐντολάς. Τί σκληρότερον τοῦ, λαβόντα πληγὴν κατὰ σιαγόνος, στρέ ψαι αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην; τοῦ ἀποστερούμενον, μὴ ἀπαιτεῖν; τοῦ ἑλκόμενον εἰς δικαστήριον ... ἐπαποδύεσθαι καὶ τὸν χι τῶνα; λοιδορούμενον εὐλογεῖν; βλασφημούμενον παρακαλεῖν; μηδένα μισεῖν; ὑπὲρ τῶν διωκόντων προσεύχεσθαι; Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα τὰ σκληρὰ τὸν ἁπαλὸν ἡμῖν κόλπον τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἀβραὰμ εἰς ἀνάπαυσιν εὐτρεπίζει. Μακάριοι γὰρ οἱ πεν θοῦντες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ παρακληθήσονται. Μακάριοι οἱ πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην, ὅτι αὐτοὶ χορτασθήσονται. Καὶ σχεδὸν πᾶσα ἡ ἐνταῦθα κακοπάθεια πρόξενός ἐστι τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο Πορευόμενοι ἐπορεύοντο καὶ ἔκλαιον, βάλλοντες τὰ σπέρματα αὐτῶν. Σπέρμα γὰρ ἔσται τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν αἱ νῦν, διὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμον ἐγγινόμεναι, θλίψεις. Ἐρχόμενοι δὲ ἥξουσιν ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει, αἴροντες τὰ δράγματα αὐτῶν. Ἀπειθοῦσιν οὖν τὰ ἔθνη τῇ πορείᾳ τοῦ λαοῦ, λέγοντες· Μήποτε εἴπητε σκληρόν. Πᾶν γὰρ ὃ ἐὰν εἴπῃ ὁ λαὸς οὗτος, σκληρόν ἐστιν. Ἐξέτασον οὖν τοὺς τοῖς εἰδώλοις προσκαθεζομένους, τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐ προσέρχονται τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ τοῦ κηρύγματος. Ὁμολογοῦσι γὰρ αὐτῶν οἱ εὐγνωμονέστεροι, ὅτι τὸ αὐστηρὸν οὐχ ὑποφέ ρουσιν. 8.215 Εἶτα ἐπάγει· Τὸν δὲ φόβον αὐτοῦ μὴ φοβηθῆτε. Τοῦτο δὲ διχῶς νοεῖται· καὶ γὰρ τοῖς ἔθνεσι λέγει, μὴ φο βεῖσθε τὸν φόβον, ὃν νῦν ἀπαιδεύτως φοβοῦνται, μὴ ἐπιδι δόντες ἑαυτοὺς τῇ ἀσκήσει τῶν βελτιόνων· ὡσανεὶ ἔλεγε· μὴ φοβοῦ τὴν σωφροσύνην, μὴ φοβοῦ τὴν ἀνδρίαν· μὴ φοβοῦ τὴν εὐσέβειαν, μηδεμίαν τῶν ἀρετῶν φοβηθῇς. Ἥμεροί εἰ σιν, εὐπρόσιτοι, ἀγαθῶν παρεκτικαὶ, ζωῆς πρόξενοι. Ἢ, μεταστρέψας τὸν λόγον, πρὸς τὸν λαὸν ἀποτείνεται· ὅτι ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ταῦτα περὶ ὑμῶν ὑπειλήφασι, τὴν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἕνωσιν διὰ τῆς τοῦ νόμου πορείας μὴ καταδεχόμενοι. Ὑμεῖς δὲ μὴ φοβηθῆτε τὰς καθ' ὑμῶν ἐπιβουλὰς τῶν ἐθνῶν, ἀλλὰ, νοήσαντες τὸν Κύριον, ἁγιάσατε αὐτόν. Καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται σου φόβος. Μέγιστον εἰς τελείωσιν, πεπαιδευμένως φοβεῖ σθαι καὶ μὴ πάντα καταπτήσσειν, μηδὲ ψοφοδεεῖς εἶναι, τὰ ἀδεᾶ δεδοικότας. Καταγινώσκει γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων ὁ ψαλμὸς, λέγων· Ἐκεῖ φοβηθήσονται φόβῳ, οὗ οὐκ ἦν φόβος. Κύριον οὖν ἁγίασον. Καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται σου φόβος. Ἐκείνου τὴν παρουσίαν ἐκδέχου, ἐκείνου φοβοῦ τὸ κριτήριον. Φοβερὸς ὁ ἀποδιδοὺς ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ· φοβερὸς ὁ ἐν φωνῇ σάλπιγγος μετὰ ἁγίων Ἀγγέλων ἐπι δημεῖν μέλλων ἐξ οὐρανῶν· φοβερὸς, οὗ ἡ ἀπόφασις κό λασις αἰωνία. Ἐὰν οὖν ᾖς πεποιθὼς ἐπὶ Κύριον, οὐ συναν τήσεις αὐτῷ, ὡς λίθου προσκόμματι, οὐδὲ ὡς πέτρας πτώ ματι. Σαφῶς ὁ λόγος εἰς τὴν πρὸς τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν προσκαλεῖται πίστιν. Περὶ τούτου γὰρ εἴρηται, ὅτι Ἰδοὺ τίθημι ἐν Σιὼν λίθον προσκόμματος καὶ πέτραν σκανδάλου. Οἱ τυφλοὶ καὶ μὴ δυνάμενοι τὰ ἐν ποσὶ καθορᾷν, προσπταίουσι τοῖς λίθοις· καὶ οἱ μὴ ἠσφαλισμένοι τὰς βάσεις, περιολισθαί νουσι ταῖς πέτραις. Ὁ τοίνυν μηδεμίαν ἐπιμέλειαν τοῦ διορατικοῦ τῆς ψυχῆς ποιησάμενος, μηδὲ διὰ τῆς διδασκα λίας τῶν Γραφῶν γνωρίσας τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου παρουσίαν, περιπταίει τῷ κηρύγματι τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου· καὶ ὁ κατὰ τὴν πίστιν εὐπερίτρεπτος, σκανδαλίζεται ἐν τῇ πέτρα, ἥτις ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστός. Σὺ δὲ (φησὶν) ὁ λαὸς, ἐὰν ᾖς πεποιθὼς καὶ τελείᾳ τῇ πίστει ἐρηρεισμένος ἐπὶ τὸν Κύριον, οὐχ ὡς λίθου προσκόμματι τῷ περὶ αὐτοῦ λόγῳ συναντήσῃ, οὐδὲ περισφαλήσῃ αὐτῷ, ὡς πέτρας πτώματι. Τάχα δὲ πρόσ κομμά ἐστιν Ἕλλησι, τοῖς τὴν σοφίαν ζητοῦσιν, ἡ μωρία τοῦ κηρύγματος· καὶ πέτρα ἐστὶ σκανδάλου τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, τοῖς τὰ σημεῖα αἰτοῦσι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἔλεγεν ὁ Παῦλος, τὸ κήρυγμα εἶναι Ἰουδαίοις μὲν σκάνδαλον,