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forgive; he, on the contrary, "Construct snares against those who do no wrong." Christ says, "Be philanthropic and gentle;" he, on the contrary, "Be cruel and harsh, and consider the tears of the poor to be nothing;" so that on that day he may make the judge severe for us. For then all our deeds will be set before our eyes, and those wronged and stripped bare by us will shut off every defense from us. For if Lazarus, though not wronged at all by the rich man, but not having enjoyed his possessions, stood then as a bitter accuser and did not allow him to obtain any forgiveness; what defense, tell me, will be found for those who, in addition to not showing mercy from their own means, also take what belongs to others and overthrow the houses of orphans? If those who did not feed the hungry Christ drew so much fire upon their own heads; those who seize what in no way belongs to them, and weave countless lawsuits, and unjustly encompass themselves with the property of all, what comfort will they enjoy? Let us then cast out this desire. And we will cast it out, if we consider those who have committed injustice among us, those who have been greedy and have departed. Do not others enjoy their money and labors, while they themselves are in punishment and torment and incurable evils? How then is it not the utmost folly, to toil and suffer, so that both while living we may be worn down by labors, and having departed we may endure unbearable punishments and torments, when we ought both to live in luxury here (for nothing so produces pleasure as almsgiving, a purified conscience), and having departed there, to be delivered from all evils, and to obtain countless good things? For just as wickedness is accustomed to punish those here who pursue it even before Gehenna; so also virtue, even before the kingdom, prepares those here who practice it to live in luxury, causing them to live with good hopes and continual pleasure. In order, then, that we may obtain this both here and in the life to come, let us take hold of good works. For thus we shall also obtain the crowns to come; of which may we all be counted worthy to obtain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father be glory, together with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. 59.233 HOMILY 41. "Search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and it is they that testify of me. And you are not willing to come to me, that you might have eternal life." 1. Let us make much account of spiritual things, beloved, and not think it sufficient for our salvation to pursue them in any chance way. For if in worldly matters one will not be able to reap any great benefit by using them as a by-work and in a haphazard way; much more will this happen in 59.234 spiritual things, since these require even greater diligence. For this reason also Christ, in referring the Jews to the Scriptures, referred them not to a simple reading, but to a precise and thoughtful investigation. For he did not say, "Read the Scriptures," but, "Search the Scriptures." For since the things said about him required much care (for they were profitably overshadowed from the beginning 59.235 for those of that time), for this reason he now commands them to dig with precision, so that they may be able to find what lies in the depths. For they were not spoken superficially, nor were they cast upon the surface; but like some treasure, they lay in great depth. And one who seeks what lies below, if he does not seek with precision and labor, will never be able to find what is sought. For this very reason, after saying, "Search the Scriptures," he added, "for in them you think you have eternal life." He did not say, "You have," but, "You think," showing that they were reaping nothing great or noble, expecting to be saved by reading alone, being destitute of faith. What he says, then, is this: Do you not admire the Scriptures? Do you not consider them to be the cause of all life? From these I also now make my argument. For these are they which testify of me, and you are not willing to come to me, that you may have eternal life

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συγχώρει· οὗτος ἔμπαλιν, Κατασκεύαζε πάγας κατὰ τῶν οὐδὲν ἀδικούντων. Ὁ Χριστὸς λέγει, Φιλάνθρωπος ἔσο καὶ ἥμερος· οὗτος ἀπ' ἐναντίας, Ὠμὸς ἔσο καὶ ἀπηνὴς, καὶ μηδὲν εἶναι νόμιζε δάκρυα πενήτων· ἵνα κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην αὐστηρὸν ἡμῖν κατασκευάσῃ τὸν δικαστήν. Τότε γὰρ ἡμῖν πάντα πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν στήσεται τὰ πεπραγμένα, καὶ οἱ ἠδικημένοι καὶ οἱ γυμνωθέντες παρ' ἡμῶν, πᾶσαν ἀπολογίαν ἡμῖν ἐκκλείοντες. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ Λάζαρος ἀδικηθεὶς μὲν οὐδὲν παρὰ τοῦ πλουσίου, μὴ ἀπολαύσας δὲ τῶν ἐκείνου, πικρὸς ἕστηκε τότε κατήγορος, καὶ οὐδεμιᾶς αὐτὸν ἀφῆκε τυχεῖν συγγνώμης· τίνος ἀπολογίας, εἰπέ μοι, τεύξονται οἱ πρὸς τῷ μὴ ἐλεεῖν οἴκοθεν, καὶ τὰ ἀλλότρια λαμβάνοντες, καὶ τὰς τῶν ὀρφανῶν ἀνατρέποντες οἰκίας; Εἰ οἱ μὴ θρέψαντες πεινῶντα τὸν Χριστὸν, τοσοῦτον ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῶν εἵλκυσαν πῦρ· οἱ τὰ μηδὲν αὐτοῖς προσήκοντα ἁρπάζοντες, καὶ μυρίας πλέκοντες δίκας, καὶ τὰ πάντων ἀδίκως περιβαλλόμενοι, ποίας ἀπολαύσονται παραμυθίας; Ἐκβάλωμεν τοίνυν τοῦτον τὸν ἔρωτα. Ἐκβαλοῦμεν δὲ, ἂν ἐννοήσωμεν τοὺς πρὸς ἡμῶν ἀδικήσαντας, τοὺς πλεονεκτήσαντας καὶ ἀπελθόντας. Οὐχὶ τῶν μὲν χρημάτων αὐτῶν καὶ πόνων ἀπολαύουσιν ἕτεροι, αὐτοὶ δὲ ἐν κολάσει καὶ τιμωρίᾳ καὶ τοῖς ἀνηκέστοις εἰσὶ κακοῖς; Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἐσχάτης ταῦτα ἀνοίας, κόπτεσθαι καὶ ταλαιπωρεῖν, ἵνα καὶ ζῶντες τοῖς πόνοις κατατεινώμεθα, καὶ ἀπελθόντες τὰς ἀφορήτους ὑπομένωμεν κολάσεις καὶ τιμωρίας, δέον καὶ ἐνταῦθα τρυφᾷν (οὐδὲν γὰρ οὕτως ἡδονὴν ἐργάζεται, ὡς ἐλεημοσύνη, συνειδὸς κεκαθαρμένον), καὶ ἀπελθόντας ἐκεῖ, πάντων ἀπηλλάχθαι κακῶν, καὶ μυρίων ἐπιτυγχάνειν ἀγαθῶν; Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ κακία καὶ πρὸ τῆς γεέννης τοὺς ἐνταῦθα αὐτὴν μετιόντας κολάζειν εἴωθεν· οὕτω καὶ ἡ ἀρετὴ καὶ πρὸ τῆς βασιλείας τοὺς ἐνταῦθα αὐτὴν ἐργαζομένους παρασκευάζει τρυφᾷν, ἐλπίσι χρησταῖς καὶ ἡδονῇ διηνεκεῖ συζῇν ποιοῦσα. Ἵν' οὖν ταύτης ἐπιτύχωμεν καὶ ἐνταῦθα καὶ κατὰ τὴν μέλλουσαν ζωὴν, ἐπιλαβώμεθα τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔργων. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιτευξόμεθα στεφάνων· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. 59.233 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΜΑʹ. Ἐρευνᾶτε τὰς Γραφὰς, ὅτι ὑμεῖς δοκεῖτε ἐν αὐ ταῖς ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἔχειν· κἀκεῖναί εἰσιν αἱ μαρτυροῦσαι περὶ ἐμοῦ· καὶ οὐ θέλετε ἐλθεῖν πρός με, ἵνα ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἔχητε. αʹ. Πολὺν ποιώμεθα τῶν πνευματικῶν, ἀγαπητοὶ, λόγον, μηδὲ ἀρκεῖν ἡμῖν νομίζωμεν πρὸς σωτηρίαν, τὸ καὶ ὁπωσοῦν αὐτὰ μετιέναι. Εἰ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς βιωτικοῖς οὐδὲν μέγα ἀπόνασθαι δυνήσεταί τις, παρέργως καὶ ὡς ἔτυχεν αὐτοῖς κεχρημένος· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐν 59.234 τοῖς πνευματικοῖς τοῦτο συμβήσεται, ἐπειδὴ καὶ πλείονος ταῦτα δεῖται σπουδῆς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς παραπέμπων τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ταῖς Γραφαῖς, οὐκ εἰς ἁπλῆν ἀνάγνωσιν, ἀλλ' εἰς ἔρευναν ἀκριβῆ καὶ κατανενοημένην αὐτοὺς παρέπεμπεν. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἀναγινώσκετε τὰς Γραφάς· ἀλλ', Ἐρευνᾶτε τὰς Γραφάς. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ λεγόμενα πολλῆς ἐδεῖτο τῆς ἐπιμελείας (συνεσκίαστο γὰρ ἄνω 59.235 θεν συμφερόντως τοῖς τότε), διὰ τοῦτο καὶ διασκάπτειν αὐτοὺς μετὰ ἀκριβείας κελεύει νῦν, ἵνα τὰ ἐν τῷ βάθει κείμενα δυνηθῶσι εὑρεῖν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐξ ἐπιπολῆς εἴρητο, οὐδὲ ὑπὲρ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν ἔῤῥιπτο· ἀλλ' ὥσπερ τις θησαυρὸς ἐν πολλῷ τῷ βάθει κατέκειτο. Ὁ δὲ τὰ κάτω κείμενα ζητῶν ἂν μὴ μετὰ ἀκριβείας ζητῇ καὶ πόνου, οὐδέποτε δυνήσεται εὑρεῖν τὸ ζητούμενον. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ εἰπὼν, Ἐρευνᾶτε τὰς Γραφὰς, ἐπήγαγεν· Ὅτι ὑμεῖς δοκεῖτε ἐν αὐταῖς ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἔχειν. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἔχετε· ἀλλὰ, ∆οκεῖτε, δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐδὲν ἐκαρποῦντο μέγα τι καὶ γενναῖον, ἀπὸ τῆς ἀναγνώσεως σωθήσεσθαι προσδοκῶντες μόνης, πίστεως ἔρημοι ὄντες. Ὃ τοίνυν λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Οὐχὶ θαυμάζετε τὰς Γραφάς; οὐχὶ πάσης ζωῆς νομίζετε αἰτίας εἶναι; Ἀπὸ τούτων καὶ αὐτὸς ἰσχυρίζομαι νῦν. Αὗται γάρ εἰσιν αἱ μαρτυροῦσαι περὶ ἐμοῦ, καὶ οὐ θέλετε ἐλθεῖν πρός με, ἵνα ζωὴν αἰώνιον