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be reconciled, He says, through love for him you will have me also gracious, and you will be able to offer the sacrifice with great confidence. But if you are still inflamed, consider that I too gladly command my own things to be slighted, so that you may become friends; and let these things be a consolation for your anger. And he did not say, 'When you have been greatly wronged, then be reconciled;' but, 'Even if he has some trivial thing against you.' And He did not add, 'Whether justly or unjustly;' but simply, 'If he has anything against you.' For even if justly, not even so must you prolong the enmity; since Christ too was justly angry with us, but nevertheless gave Himself up for us to be slain, not counting those trespasses. 10. For this reason also Paul, urging us to reconciliation in another way, said: Let not the sun go down upon your wrath. For as Christ from the sacrifice here, so there Paul from the day urges us to this same thing. For he fears the night, lest having caught the wounded man alone, it make the wound worse. For in the day there are many who distract and pull one back; but at night, when he is alone and reflects by himself, the waves swell and the storm becomes greater. Therefore Paul, anticipating this, wishes to hand him over to the night reconciled, so that the devil may no longer have any opportunity from the solitude to kindle the furnace of anger and make it more fierce. So also Christ does not permit even a short delay, so that when the 57.252 sacrifice is completed, such a person may not become more careless, procrastinating day after day. For He knows the passion requires much speed; and just as a wise physician lays down not only preventatives for diseases but also correctives, so also does He. For forbidding to call someone a fool is a preventative of enmity; but commanding to be reconciled is a remedy for the diseases that arise after enmity. And see how each is laid down with vehemence. For there He threatened Gehenna, but here He does not accept the gift before reconciliation, showing great wrath, and through all these things destroying both the root and the fruit. And first He says, 'Do not be angry;' and after this, 'Do not revile.' For both these things increase through one another: from enmity, reviling; from reviling, enmity. For this reason, He now heals the root, now the fruit; preventing the evil from growing at the beginning, but if it should sprout and bear the most wicked fruit, burning it up from all sides more greatly. For this reason, having spoken of judgment, and the council, and Gehenna, and having discussed His sacrifice, He adds other things again, saying thus: 'Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are in the way with him.' For so that you may not say, 'What then, if I am wronged? What then, if I am robbed and dragged to court?' He has taken away this occasion and pretext also; for He commands not even so to be at enmity. Then, since this was a great commandment, He makes the counsel from present things, which are more accustomed to restrain the dull-witted than things to come. For what do you say? He says; that he is more powerful, and does wrong? Therefore he will wrong you more, if you do not settle, but are forced to go to court. For then, having given up money, you will have your body free; but having come under the judge's sentence, you will both be bound and pay the final penalty. But if you flee the fight there, you will reap two good things: both suffering nothing unpleasant, and the achievement then being yours, and no longer his by force. But if you do not wish to be persuaded by what is said, you wrong not him so much as yourself. See also here how He urges him: for having said, 'Agree with your adversary,' He added, 'Quickly;' and was not content with this, but also sought a further intensification of this speed, saying, 'While you are in the way with him;' through these things pushing and urging him with great vehemence. For nothing so subverts our life as hesitating and procrastinating in the working of good things. Often

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καταλλαγῇς, φησὶ, διὰ τῆς εἰς ἐκεῖνον ἀγάπης καὶ ἐμὲ ἕξεις ἵλεων, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς δυνήσῃ τῆς παῤῥησίας τὴν θυσίαν προσαγαγεῖν. Εἰ δὲ φλεγμαίνεις ἔτι, ἐννόησον ὅτι κἀγὼ ἡδέως τὰ ἐμὰ καταφρονεῖσθαι κελεύω, ἵνα ὑμεῖς φίλοι γένησθε· καὶ ταῦτά σοι γενέσθω παραμυθία τῆς ὀργῆς. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, Ὅταν τὰ μεγάλα ἠδικημένος ᾖς, τότε καταλλάγηθι· ἀλλὰ, Κἂν τὸ τυχὸν ἔχῃ τι κατὰ σοῦ. Καὶ οὐ προσέθηκεν, Εἴτε δικαίως, εἴτε ἀδίκως· ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς, Ἐὰν ἔχῃ τι κατὰ σοῦ. Κἂν γὰρ δικαίως, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐπιτείνειν δεῖ τὴν ἔχθραν· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς δικαίως ἡμῖν ὠργίζετο, ἀλλ' ὅμως ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐξέδωκεν εἰς σφαγὴν, μὴ λογισάμενος ἐκεῖνα τὰ παραπτώματα. ιʹ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἑτέρῳ τρόπῳ πρὸς τὰς καταλλαγὰς ἐπείγων ἡμᾶς, ἔλεγεν· Ὁ ἥλιος μὴ ἐπιδυέτω ἐπὶ τῷ παροργισμῷ ὑμῶν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐντεῦθεν ἀπὸ τῆς θυσίας ὁ Χριστὸς, οὕτως ἀπὸ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκεῖ συνωθεῖ πρὸς τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ὁ Παῦλος. Καὶ γὰρ δέδοικε τὴν νύκτα, μή ποτε μόνον ἀπολαβοῦσα τὸν πεπληγότα, μεῖζον τὸ ἕλκος ἐργάσηται. Ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μὲν γὰρ πολλοὶ οἱ περισπῶντες καὶ ἀνθέλκοντες· ἐν νυκτὶ δὲ, ἐπειδὰν μόνος γένηται, καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἀναλογίζηται, ὀγκοῦται τὰ κύματα, καὶ μείζων ἡ ζάλη γίνεται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὖν προκαταλαμβάνων ὁ Παῦλος, καταλλαγέντα βούλεται παραδοῦναι τῇ νυκτὶ, ἵνα μηδεμίαν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐρημίας ἀφορμὴν ἔχῃ λοιπὸν ὁ διάβολος εἰς τὸ τὴν κάμινον ἀνάψαι τῆς ὀργῆς, καὶ ποιῆσαι σφοδροτέραν. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς οὐκ ἀφίησιν οὐδὲ μικρὸν ὑπερτίθεσθαι, ἵνα μὴ τῆς 57.252 θυσίας πληρωθείσης, ῥᾳθυμότερος ὁ τοιοῦτος γένηται, ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας ἀναβαλλόμενος. Οἶδε γὰρ τὸ πάθος πολλῆς δεόμενον τῆς ταχυτῆτος· καὶ καθάπερ σοφὸς ἰατρὸς οὐ μόνον τὰ προφυλακτικὰ τῶν νοσημάτων τίθησιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ διορθωτικά· οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς ποιεῖ. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ κωλύειν καλεῖν μωρὸν, προφυλακτικόν ἐστι τῆς ἔχθρας· τὸ δὲ κελεύειν καταλλαγῆναι, τῶν μετὰ τὴν ἔχθραν γινομένων νοσημάτων ἀναιρετικόν. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς ἑκάτερον μετὰ σφοδρότητος κεῖται. Ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ γέενναν ἠπείλησεν, ἐνταῦθα δὲ τὸ δῶρον οὐ δέχεται πρὸ τῆς καταλλαγῆς, πολλὴν ἐνδεικνύμενος τὴν ὀργὴν, καὶ διὰ πάντων τούτων καὶ τὴν ῥίζαν καὶ τὸν καρπὸν ἀναιρῶν. Καὶ πρῶτον μέν φησι, Μὴ ὀργίζου· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα, Μὴ λοιδόρει. Καὶ γὰρ ἀμφότερα ταῦτα δι' ἀλλήλων αὔξεται· ἀπὸ τῆς ἔχθρας ἡ λοιδορία, ἀπὸ τῆς λοιδορίας ἡ ἔχθρα. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο νῦν μὲν τὴν ῥίζαν, νῦν δὲ τὸν καρπὸν ἰᾶται· κωλύων μὲν καὶ φῦναι τὴν ἀρχὴν τὸ κακὸν, ἂν δ' ἄρα βλαστήσῃ καὶ καρπὸν ἐνέγκῃ τὸν πονηρότατον, πάντοθεν αὐτὸν κατακαίων μειζόνως. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ κρίσιν εἰπὼν, καὶ συνέδριον, καὶ γέενναν, καὶ περὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ θυσίας διαλεχθεὶς, καὶ ἕτερα προστίθησι πάλιν οὕτω λέγων· Ἴσθι εὐνοῶν τῷ ἀντιδίκῳ σου ταχὺ, ἕως ὅτου εἶ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ μετ' αὐτοῦ. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ λέγῃς· Τί οὖν, ἂν ἀδικῶμαι; τί οὖν, ἂν ἁρπάζωμαι, καὶ εἰς δικαστήριον ἕλκωμαι; καὶ ταύτην ἀνεῖλε τὴν ἀφορμὴν καὶ τὴν πρόφασιν· κελεύει γὰρ μηδὲ οὕτως ἐχθραίνειν. Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο μέγα ἦν τὸ ἐπίταγμα, ἀπὸ τῶν παρόντων ποιεῖται τὴν συμβουλὴν, ἃ τοὺς παχυτέρους μᾶλλον τῶν μελλόντων κατέχειν εἴωθε. Τί γὰρ λέγεις; φησίν· ὅτι δυνατώτερός ἐστι, καὶ ἀδικεῖ; Οὐκοῦν μᾶλλόν σε ἀδικήσει, ἐὰν μὴ καταλύσῃς, ἀλλὰ ἀναγκασθῇς εἰς δικαστήριον ἐλθεῖν. Τότε μὲν γὰρ χρημάτων ἀποστὰς, τὸ σῶμα ἕξεις ἐλεύθερον· ὑπὸ δὲ τῇ ψήφῳ γενόμενος τοῦ δικαστοῦ, καὶ δεσμευθήσῃ, καὶ τὴν ἐσχάτην δώσεις δίκην. Ἂν δὲ φύγῃς τὴν ἐκεῖ μάχην, δύο καρπώσῃ καλά· καὶ τὸ μηδὲν παθεῖν ἀηδὲς, καὶ τὸ σὸν γενέσθαι τὸ κατόρθωμα λοιπὸν, καὶ μηκέτι τῆς ἐκείνου βίας. Εἰ δὲ οὐ βούλει πεισθῆναι τοῖς λεγομένοις, οὐκ ἐκεῖνον ἀδικεῖς τοσοῦτον, ὅσον σαυτόν. Ὅρα δὲ καὶ ἐνταῦθα πῶς αὐτὸν ἐπείγει· εἰπὼν γὰρ, Ἴσθι εὐνοῶν τῷ ἀντιδίκῳ σου, ἐπήγαγε, Ταχύ· καὶ οὐκ ἠρκέσθη τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταύτης τῆς ταχυτῆτος ἑτέραν ἐζήτησεν ἐπίτασιν, εἰπών· Ἕως ὅτου εἶ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ μετ' αὐτοῦ· διὰ τούτων ὠθῶν αὐτὸν καὶ κατεπείγων μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς σφοδρότητος. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτω τὸν βίον ἀνατρέπει τὸν ἡμέτερον, ὡς τὸ μέλλειν καὶ ἀναβάλλεσθαι ἐν τῇ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐργασίᾳ. Πολλάκις