172

commanding, and 63.786 to knock out a tooth for a tooth, and what was done was not a transgression; but David was so much a philosopher as not only not to transgress the law, but also from great abundance to go beyond it and to leap over the barriers. For he did not consider it sufficient for virtue, if he did not also surpass the commandments. But we are required not only to do this, not to retaliate, but also to do good; For, it says, pray for those who persecute you; do good to those who hate you. What excuse, then, should we have hereafter, what defense, if after the coming of Christ we do not reach the measures of those who lived under the Old Covenant, and that when we are required to have great abundance? For unless, it says, your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. For just as he who accomplishes the same things under the law is not equal to one before the law, so neither is he under grace equal to one before the law, or rather, to one under the law, but from the time there comes a great difference. Whenever I consider the goodness and the compassion and the tender love of our Lord Jesus Christ, I become dizzy and tremble and am seized with astonishment, how even on the cross He prayed for those who crucified Him; what could ever be equal to this? And both thieves at first reviled him, but when the grateful one came to his senses and said, "Remember me, Lord," He opened paradise to him before all others. And he weeps for those who were about to kill him, and he is troubled and disturbed seeing the betrayer, not because he was about to be crucified, but because that man was being lost. He was troubled, therefore, foreseeing the hanging, the punishment after the hanging, and knowing his wickedness, he cared for him and tried to dissuade him until the last hour. But he also kissed the betrayer, the good Master providing for us a type and an example of goodness and long-suffering. For, "Judas," he says, "are you betraying the Son of man with a kiss?" Whom would this voice not have softened, whom would it not have bent? What beast, what stony soul? But not that wretched man. For He did not say: "O abominable and utterly wicked one and betrayer, is this the reward you give us for such great beneficence?" but how? "Judas;" using his proper name, which was more that of one lamenting and calling him back, not of one being angry. And he did not say, your teacher, your master, your benefactor; but, "Are you betraying the Son of man with a kiss?" For even if he were not a teacher, nor a master, this one who is so gentle, so unfeignedly disposed toward you, as to even kiss you at the time of the betrayal, are you betraying him? And so to the betrayer, as has been said before; but to those who came with swords and clubs, how? And what could be gentler than the words spoken to them? For being able to destroy them all at once, he did none of these things, but speaks to them reproachfully, saying: "Have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs?" and having cast them on their backs, since they remained senseless, he willingly gave himself up again, and endured seeing them put bonds on his holy hands, being able to shake them all and cast them down. Who will declare the mighty acts of the Lord, or make all his praises to be heard? Let us also imitate, 63.787 brothers, his forbearance, his meekness, his humility. For "Learn from me," he says, "for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." For these reasons Paul also sets these things down and says: "Bless those who persecute you," that is, those who plot against you in any way whatever. And he did not say, "Do not bear a grudge," nor "Do not defend yourselves," but he sought much more than this, saying, "Bless." For the former, not bearing a grudge, nor defending oneself, is of a philosopher, but the latter is of an angel. Then, having said, "Bless," he added, "and do not curse," so that we might not do this and that, but only the former; for those who persecute are procurers of rewards for us. But if you are sober, and

172

κελεύων, καὶ 63.786 ὀδόντα ἀντὶ ὀδόντος ἐκκόπτειν, καὶ οὐκ ἦν παράβασις τὸ γινόμενον· ἀλλ' οὕτω φιλόσοφος ἦν ὁ ∆αυῒδ, ὡς μὴ μόνον μὴ παραβαίνειν τὸν νόμον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῦ περιόντος ὑπερβαίνειν καὶ ὑπὲρ τὰ σκάμματα πηδᾷν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐνόμιζεν αὐτῷ ἀρκεῖν εἰς ἀρετὴν, εἰ μὴ καὶ ὑπερακοντίσειεν τὰ προστάγματα. Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐ τοῦτο ἀπαιτούμεθα μόνον, τὸ μὴ ἀνταποδιδόναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ εὐεργετεῖν· Εὔχεσθε γὰρ, φησὶν, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐπηρεαζόντων ὑμᾶς· καλῶς ποιεῖτε τοῖς μισοῦσιν ὑμᾶς. Ποίαν οὖν σχοίημεν συγγνώμην λοιπὸν, τίνα δὲ ἀπολογίαν μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσίαν μὴ φθάνοντες εἰς τὰ μέτρα τῶν ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ πολιτευσαμένων, καὶ ταῦτα πολλὴν περισσείαν ἀπαιτούμενοι; Ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ περισσεύσῃ, φησὶν, ἡ δικαιοσύνη ὑμῶν πλέον τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν ἴσος ὁ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ τὰ αὐτὰ κατορθῶν τῷ πρὸ τοῦ νόμου· οὕτως οὐδὲ ὁ ἐν τῇ χάριτι τῷ πρὸ τοῦ νόμου, μᾶλλον δὲ τῷ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τοῦ καιροῦ πολλὴ ἡ διαφορὰ γίνεται. Ὅταν ἐννοήσω τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τὴν ἀγαθότητα καὶ τὸ συμπαθὲς καὶ φιλόστοργον, ἰλιγγιῶ καὶ τρέμω καὶ ἐκπλήξει συνέχομαι, πῶς καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ σταυρῷ τῶν σταυρούντων ὑπερηύχετο· οὗ τί γένοιτ' ἂν ἴσον; Καὶ οἱ λῃσταὶ δὲ ἀμφότεροι παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ὠνείδιζον αὐτὸν, ἀλλ' ἡνίκα ὁ εὐγνώμων εἰς συναίσθησιν ἐλθὼν εἴρηκε, Μνήσθητί μου, Κύριε, τὸν παράδεισον αὐτῷ πρὸ πάντων ἀνέῳξε. Καὶ δακρύει δὲ τοὺς μέλλοντας αὐτὸν ἀναιρεῖν, καὶ ταράττεται καὶ συγχεῖται ὁρῶν τὸν προδότην, οὐχ ὅτι σταυροῦσθαι ἔμελλεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἀπώλλυτο ἐκεῖνος. Ἐταράττετο τοίνυν προειδὼς τὴν ἀγχόνην, τὴν κόλασιν τὴν μετὰ τὴν ἀγχόνην, καὶ εἰδὼς αὐτοῦ τὴν πονηρίαν, μέχρις ἐσχάτης ὥρας αὐτὸν ἐθεράπευσε καὶ διεκρούετο. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐφίλησε τὸν προδότην, τύπον ἡμῖν καὶ ὑπογραμμὸν ἀγαθωσύνης καὶ μακροθυμίας παρέχων ὁ ἀγαθὸς ∆εσπότης. Ἰούδα γὰρ, φησὶ, φιλήματι τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδως; Τίνα οὐκ ἂν ἐμάλαξε, τίνα οὐκ ἂν ἔκαμψεν αὕτη ἡ φωνή; ποῖον θηρίον, ποίαν λιθώδη ψυχήν; ἀλλ' οὐ τὸν δείλαιον ἐκεῖνον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπεν· Ὦ μιαρὲ καὶ παμπόνηρε καὶ προδότα, ταύτας ἡμῖν ἀποδίδως τὰς ἀμοιβὰς τῆς τοσαύτης εὐεργεσίας; ἀλλὰ πῶς; Ἰούδα· τὸ κύριον ὄνομα θεὶς, ὃ μᾶλλον ταλανίζοντος ἦν, καὶ ἀνακαλοῦντος, οὐκ ὀργιζομένου. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, τὸν διδάσκαλόν σου, τὸν δεσπότην σου, τὸν εὐεργέτην· ἀλλὰ, Τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου φιλήματι παραδίδως; Εἰ γὰρ μὴ διδάσκαλος ἦν, μηδὲ δεσπότης, τὸν οὕτως ἡμέρως, τὸν οὕτως ἀπλάστως πρὸς σὲ διακείμενον, ὡς καὶ ἐν καιρῷ τῆς προδοσίας σε φιλεῖν, τοῦτον παραδίδως; Καὶ πρὸς μὲν τὸν προδότην οὕτως, ὡς προείρηται· πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἐπελθόντας μετὰ μαχαιρῶν καὶ ξύλων πῶς; Καὶ τί γένοιτο ἡμερώτερον τῶν ῥημάτων τῶν πρὸς ἐκείνους εἰρημένων; ∆υνάμενος γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἀθρόον ἀφανίσαι πάντας, τούτων μὲν ἐποίησεν οὐδὲν, ἐντρεπτικῶς δὲ αὐτοῖς διαλέγεται λέγων· Τί ἐξήλθετε ὡς ἐπὶ λῃστὴν μετὰ μαχαιρῶν καὶ ξύλων; καὶ ῥίψας αὐτοὺς ὑπτίους, ἐπειδὴ ἔμενον ἀναισθητοῦντες, ἑκὼν πάλιν ἑαυτὸν ἐξεδίδου, καὶ ἠνείχετο δεσμὰ περιβάλλοντας ταῖς ἁγίαις χερσὶν ὁρῶν, δυνάμενος πάντας κλονῆσαι καὶ ῥῖψαι κάτω. Τίς λαλήσει τὰς δυναστείας τοῦ Κυρίου, ἀκουστὰς ποιήσει πάσας τὰς αἰνέσεις αὐτοῦ; Μιμησώμεθα 63.787 καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἀδελφοὶ, τὴν ἀνεξικακίαν αὐτοῦ, τὴν πραότητα, τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην. Μάθετε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾶός εἰμι, καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ εὑρήσετε ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν. ∆ιὰ δὴ ταῦτα καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ταῦτα τίθησι καί φησιν· Εὐλογεῖτε τοὺς διώκοντας ὑμᾶς, οἱῳδήποτε τρόπῳ ἐπιβουλεύοντας δηλονότι. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, Μὴ μνησικακεῖτε, μηδὲ ἀμύνεσθε, ἀλλὰ τὸ πολλῷ πλέον τούτου ἐζήτησεν εἰπὼν, Εὐλογεῖτε. Ἐκεῖνο μὲν γὰρ, τὸ μὴ μνησικακεῖν, μηδὲ ἀμύνεσθαι, ἀνδρὸς φιλοσόφου, τοῦτο δὲ ἀγγέλου. Λοιπὸν καὶ εἰπὼν, Εὐλογεῖτε, ἐπήγαγε, Καὶ μὴ καταρᾶσθε, ἵνα μὴ τοῦτο κἀκεῖνο ποιῶμεν, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο μόνον· καὶ γὰρ μισθῶν ἡμῖν εἰσι πρόξενοι οἱ διώκοντες. Ἂν δὲ νήφῃς, καὶ