151

59.211 HOMILY 38. After these things Jesus finds him in the temple, and said to him: "Behold, you have become well; sin no more, lest something worse happen to you."

1. A fearful thing is sin, a fearful thing and a destruction of the soul; but often the evil, overflowing from its abundance, has also laid hold of bodies. For since, for the most part, when our soul is sick, we are insensible; but if the body receives even a small injury, we make every effort to free it from its infirmity, because we feel the infirmity; for this reason God also often punishes this for the sins committed by that, so that through the chastisement of the lesser, the better may also obtain some healing. Thus also Paul corrected the man who fornicated among the Corinthians, restraining the sickness of the soul by the destruction of the flesh. For by applying the knife to the body, he thus suppressed the evil; like some excellent physician, cauterizing from the outside a dropsy or a spleen that does not yield to internal medicines. This Christ also did in the case of the paralytic. And see how He Himself, making it plain, said: 'Behold, you have become well; sin no more, lest something worse happen to you.' What then do we learn from this? First, that his sickness was born of sins; second, that the doctrine of hell is trustworthy; and third, that the punishment is long and endless. Where then are those who say, 'In one hour I murdered, and in a brief moment of time I committed adultery, and I am punished immortally?' For behold, this man did not sin for as many years as he was punished, and yet he spent a whole human life in the length of his punishment. For sins are not judged by time, but by the very nature of the offenses. Along with these things, it is also possible to see this: that even if we pay a heavy penalty for former sins, then fall into the same ones, we will suffer far worse things again; and very rightly so. For he who is not made better even by punishment is then, as one insensible and contemptuous, led to a greater penalty. For the penalty by itself was sufficient to restrain, and to make more sober him who has once slipped; but since, not being made sober by the inflicted punishment, he dares the same things again, such a one will rightly suffer a penalty, calling it down upon himself. But if, even after being punished here, 59.212 falling into the same things again, we are punished more severely; when, having sinned, we undergo no punishment at all, how should we not greatly fear and tremble at this, as being about to endure incurable things? And for what reason, he says, are not all punished this way? For we see many of the wicked enjoying good health and vigor, and enjoying much prosperity. But let us not be confident, but rather let us weep for them for these things more than for all others. For their suffering nothing here becomes a provision for a greater punishment there. And Paul, declaring this, said: 'But now being judged by the Lord, we are chastened, that we may not be condemned with the world.' For the things here are for correction; but the things there are for punishment. What then? Are all sicknesses, he says, from sins? Not all, but the greater part; but some also come from carelessness. For gluttony and drunkenness and idleness also produce such sufferings. But it is necessary everywhere to observe one thing only, so as to bear every stroke with thanksgiving. But it also happens because of sins, just as in the Books of Kings we see someone afflicted with gout for this reason. And it also happens for proving, just as God says to Job: 'Do you think I have dealt with you in any other way than that you might be shown to be righteous?' But why is it that in the case of these paralytics Christ brings their sins into the open? For to that one also mentioned in Matthew He says: 'Take heart, child, your sins are forgiven you;' and to this one, 'Behold, you have become well, sin no more.' And I know indeed that some

151

59.211 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΛΗʹ. Μετὰ ταῦτα εὑρίσκει αὐτὸν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· «Ἴδε ὑγιὴς γέγονας· μηκέτι ἁμάρτανε, ἵνα μὴ χεῖρόν τί σοι

γένηται.»

αʹ. ∆εινὸν ἡ ἁμαρτία, δεινὸν καὶ ψυχῆς λύμη· πολλάκις δὲ ἐκ περιουσίας καὶ σωμάτων ἥψατο τὸ κακὸν ὑπερβλύσαν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὰ πολλὰ τῆς μὲν ψυχῆς ἡμῖν καμνούσης, ἀναλγήτως ἔχομεν· τὸ δὲ σῶμα κἂν μικρὰν δέξηται βλάβην, πᾶσαν ποιούμεθα σπουδὴν, ὥστε ἐλευθερῶσαι τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας αὐτὸ, διὰ τὸ τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας αἰσθάνεσθαι· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Θεὸς τοῦτο κολάζει πολλάκις ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐκείνῃ πεπλημμελημένων, ὥστε διὰ τῆς τοῦ ἐλάττονος μάστιγος καὶ τὸ κρεῖττον τυχεῖν θεραπείας τινός. Οὕτω καὶ παρὰ Κορινθίοις τὸν πορνεύσαντα ὁ Παῦλος διώρθωσε, τῷ τῆς σαρκὸς ὀλέθρῳ τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς νόσημα ἐπισχών. Καὶ γὰρ τῷ σώματι τὴν τομὴν ἐπαγαγὼν, οὕτω κατέστειλε τὸ κακόν· καθάπερ τις ἰατρὸς ἄριστος, ὕδερον ἢ σπλῆνα, τοῖς ἔνδοθεν φαρμάκοις οὐκ εἴκοντα, κατακαίων ἔξωθεν. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐποίησεν ἐπὶ τοῦ παραλύτου. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς δηλῶν αὐτὸς ἔλεγεν· Ἴδε ὑγιὴς γέγονας· μηκέτι ἁμάρτανε, ἵνα μὴ χεῖρόν τί σοι γένηται. Τί τοίνυν ἐντεῦθεν μανθάνομεν; Πρῶτον μὲν, ὅτι αὐτῷ ἐξ ἁμαρτιῶν ἐτέχθη τὸ νόσημα· δεύτερον δὲ, ὅτι πιστὸς ὁ τῆς γεέννης λόγος· καὶ τρίτον, τὸ μακρὰν εἶναι καὶ ἄπειρον τὴν τιμωρίαν. Ποῦ τοίνυν εἰσὶν οἱ λέγοντες, ὅτι Ἐν ὥρᾳ μιᾷ ἐφόνευσα, καὶ ἐν βραχείᾳ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ ἐμοίχευσα, καὶ ἀθάνατα κολάζομαι; Ἰδοὺ γὰρ καὶ οὗτος οὐκ ἐν τοσούτοις ἥμαρτεν ἔτεσιν, ἐν ὅσοις καὶ ἐκολάζετο, καὶ ὁλόκληρον ὅμως ἀνθρώπου βίον ἀνάλωσεν ἐν τῷ μήκει τῆς τιμωρίας. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐν χρόνῳ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα κρίνεται, ἀλλ' ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ φύσει τῶν πεπλημμελημένων. Μετὰ τούτων κἀκεῖνο ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, ὅτι, κἂν χαλεπὴν δῶμεν δίκην ὑπὲρ τῶν προτέρων ἁμαρτημάτων, εἶτα τοῖς αὐτοῖς περιπέσωμεν, χαλεπώτερα πολλῷ μᾶλλον πεισόμεθα πάλιν· καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. Ὁ γὰρ μηδὲ τῇ τιμωρίᾳ γενόμενος βελτίων, ὡς ἀναίσθητος λοιπὸν καὶ καταφρονητὴς ἐπὶ μείζονα ἄγεται κόλασιν. Ἤρκει μὲν γὰρ καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὴν ἡ κόλασις συστεῖλαι, καὶ ποιῆσαι σωφρονέστερον τὸν ὀλισθήσαντα ἅπαξ· ἐπεὶ δὲ τῇ ἐπενεχθείσῃ τιμωρίᾳ μὴ σωφρονισθεὶς, τὰ αὐτὰ πάλιν τολμᾷ, εἰκότως ἄν τινα δίκην ὁ τοιοῦτος ὑφέξει, ταύτην αὐτὸς ἐφ' ἑαυτὸν προκαλούμενος. Εἰ δὲ καὶ 59.212 ἐνταῦθα τιμωρηθέντες, πάλιν τοῖς αὐτοῖς περιπίπτοντες, χαλεπώτερον κολαζόμεθα· ὅταν μηδ' ὅλως ἁμαρτόντες τιμωρίαν ὑπόσχωμεν, πῶς οὐ σφόδρα χρὴ τοῦτο μάλιστα δεδοικέναι καὶ τρέμειν, ἅτε ἀνήκεστα μέλλοντας ὑπομένειν; Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν, φησὶ, μὴ πάντες οὕτω κολάζονται; Καὶ γὰρ πολλοὺς ὁρῶμεν, τῶν φαύλων εὐσωματοῦντας καὶ σφριγῶντας, καὶ πολλῆς ἀπολαύοντας εὐημερίας. Ἀλλὰ μὴ θαῤῥῶμεν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τούτοις μάλιστα πάντων αὐτοὺς δακρύωμεν. Τὸ γὰρ μηδὲν αὐτοὺς ἐνταῦθα παθεῖν, ἐφόδιον γίνεται μείζονος τῆς ἐκεῖ τιμωρίας. Καὶ τοῦτο δηλῶν ὁ Παῦλος ἔλεγε· Νῦν δὲ κρινόμενοι ὑπὸ Κυρίου, παιδευόμεθα, ἵνα μὴ σὺν τῷ κόσμῳ κατακριθῶμεν. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἐνταῦθα, νουθεσίας· τὰ δὲ ἐκεῖ, τιμωρίας ἐστί. Τί οὖν; πάντα, φησὶ, τὰ νοσήματα ἐξ ἁμαρτημάτων; Οὐ πάντα μὲν, ἀλλὰ τὰ πλείονα· ἔνια δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ ῥᾳθυμίας γίγνεται. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ γαστριμαργία καὶ μέθη καὶ ἀργία τὰ τοιαῦτα τίκτουσι πάθη. ∆εῖ δὲ πανταχοῦ διατηρεῖν ἓν μόνον, ὥστε εὐχαρίστως φέρειν πᾶσαν πληγήν. Γίγνεται δὲ καὶ δι' ἁμαρτήματα, ὥσπερ καὶ ἐν ταῖς Βασιλείαις ὁρῶμέν τινα ποδαλγίᾳ κατασχεθέντα διὰ τοῦτο. Γίγνεται δὲ καὶ δι' εὐδοκίμησιν, ὥσπερ τῷ Ἰώβ φησιν ὁ Θεός· Μὴ ἄλλως σοι οἴει με κεχρηματικέναι, ἢ ἵνα ἀναφανῇς δίκαιος; Ἀλλὰ τί δήποτε ἐπὶ τῶν παραλυτικῶν τούτων τὰς ἁμαρτίας εἰς μέσον φέρει ὁ Χριστός; Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκείνῳ τῷ παρὰ τῷ Ματθαίῳ κειμένῳ λέγει· Θάρσει, τέκνον, ἀφέωνταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι· καὶ τούτῳ, Ἴδε ὑγιὴς γέγονας, μηκέτι ἁμάρτανε. Καὶ οἶδα μὲν ὅτι τινὲς