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pursuing. For such men tremble at shadows, are suspicious of friends, of enemies, of servants, of those who know them, of those who do not know them, and before the punishment, they pay the ultimate penalty here. And Christ, making all these things plain, said: And great was the fall of it; bringing these good commands to a fitting end, and persuading 57.328 the most unbelieving to flee from wickedness, even from present things. For if the account of the things to come is greater, yet this is more able to restrain the duller sort, and lead them away from wickedness. Therefore He also ended on this, so that the benefit would be fresh in their minds. Therefore, being conscious of all these things, both the present and the future, let us flee wickedness, let us be zealous for virtue, so that we may not labor in vain or to no purpose, but may also enjoy the security here, and partake of the glory there; which may we all attain, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

57.327 HOMILY 25. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings,

the people were astonished at his doctrine. 1. And yet it was natural for them to be distressed at the burden of what was said, and to be numb at the height of the commandments; but now the power of the one teaching was so great, that he both captivated many of them, and cast them into the greatest wonder, and persuaded them through the sweetness of what was said not to depart even when he stopped speaking. For not even when he came down from the mountain did the listeners depart, but even so the entire assembly followed; so great a love for what was said did he instill in them. But they were especially astonished at his authority. For he did not say what he said by referring to another, as the prophet and Moses did, but everywhere showing himself to be the one who has the authority. For when making laws he continually added, But I say to you. And when reminding them of that day, he showed himself to be the one who judges, both through the punishments and through the honors. And yet from this it was likely they would be disturbed. For if the scribes stoned and drove him away when they saw him demonstrating his authority through his works, where there were only words indicating this, how was it not likely they would be scandalized, and especially when these things were said in the beginnings, and before he had given proof of his own power? But nevertheless they suffered none of these things; for when a soul and mind are well-disposed, it is easily persuaded by the words of truth. For this reason, those men, even when the signs proclaimed his power, were scandalized; but these, hearing bare words, were persuaded and followed. Indeed, the evangelist, hinting at this, said, that great multitudes followed him; not any of the rulers, nor of the scribes, but as many as were free from wickedness and had an incorruptible mind. And throughout the whole Gospel you see these men devoted to him. For when he spoke, they listened in silence, not interjecting anything, nor interrupting the sequence, nor testing and desiring to find a handle, as the Pharisees did; and after the public address they followed again, marveling. But you, consider for me the intelligence of the Master, how he varies the benefit for those present, moving from miracles to words, and again 57.328 from the teaching of words transitioning to miracles. For before he went up into the mountain, he healed many, preparing the way for the things to be said; and after completing this long public address, he comes again to miracles, confirming by what was done what had been said. For since he taught as one having authority, so that this manner of teaching might not be thought to be a boast and arrogance, he does this very same thing also in his works,

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διώκοντος. Οἱ γὰρ τοιοῦτοι τὰς σκιὰς τρέμουσι, τοὺς φίλους ὑποπτεύουσι, τοὺς ἐχθροὺς, τοὺς οἰκέτας, τοὺς εἰδότας, τοὺς οὐκ εἰδότας αὐτοὺς, καὶ πρὸ τῆς κολάσεως ἐνταῦθα τὴν ἐσχάτην τίνουσι κόλασιν. Καὶ ταῦτα πάντα δηλῶν ὁ Χριστὸς ἔλεγε· Καὶ ἦν ἡ πτῶσις αὐτῆς μεγάλη· εἰς τὸ προσῆκον τέλος κατακλείων τὰ καλὰ ταῦτα παραγγέλματα, καὶ τοὺς 57.328 σφόδρα ἀπίστους πείθων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν παρόντων φεύγειν κακίαν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μείζων ὁ περὶ τῶν μελλόντων λόγος, ἀλλὰ τοὺς παχυτέρους οὗτος μᾶλλον ἱκανὸς κατασχεῖν, καὶ ἀπαγαγεῖν τῆς πονηρίας. ∆ιὸ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸ κατέληξεν, ὥστε ἔναυλον εἶναι τὴν ὠφέλειαν αὐτοῖς. Πάντα τοίνυν ταῦτα συνειδότες, καὶ τὰ παρόντα καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα, φύγωμεν κακίαν, ζηλώσωμεν ἀρετὴν, ἵνα μὴ μάτην μηδὲ εἰκῆ κάμνωμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἐνταῦθα ἀπολαύσωμεν ἀσφαλείας, καὶ τῆς ἐκεῖ μετάσχωμεν δόξης· ἧς γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

57.327 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΚΕʹ. Καὶ ἐγένετο, ὅτε ἐτέλεσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τοὺς λόγους τού τους,

ἐξεπλήσσοντο οἱ ὄχλοι ἐπὶ τῇ διδαχῇ αὐτοῦ. αʹ. Καὶ μὴν ἀκόλουθον ἦν ἀλγεῖν αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὸ φορτικὸν τῶν εἰρημένων,

καὶ ναρκᾷν πρὸς τὸ ὕψος τῶν ἐπιτεταγμένων· νῦν δὲ τοσαύτη ἡ ἰσχὺς τοῦ διδάσκοντος ἦν, ὡς πολλοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ ἑλεῖν, καὶ εἰς θαῦμα μέγιστον ἐμβαλεῖν, καὶ πεῖσαι διὰ τὴν ἡδονὴν τῶν εἰρημένων, μηδὲ παυομένου τοῦ λέγειν ἀποστῆναι λοιπόν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐπειδὴ ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους κατέβη, ἀπέστησαν οἱ ἀκροαταὶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ οὕτω τὸ θέατρον ἅπαν ἠκολούθησε· τοσοῦτον ἐνέθηκεν αὐτοῖς τῶν εἰρημένων ἔρωτα. Ἐξεπλήσσοντο δὲ αὐτοῦ μάλιστα τὴν ἐξουσίαν. Οὐ γὰρ εἰς ἕτερον ἀναφέρων, ὡς ὁ προφήτης καὶ Μωϋσῆς, ἔλεγεν ἅπερ ἔλεγεν, ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ ἑαυτὸν ἐνδεικνύμενος εἶναι τὸν τὸ κῦρος ἔχοντα. Καὶ γὰρ νομοθετῶν συνεχῶς προσετίθει· Ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν. Καὶ τῆς ἡμέρας ἀναμιμνήσκων ἐκείνης, ἑαυτὸν ἐδείκνυ τὸν δικάζοντα εἶναι, καὶ διὰ τῶν κολάσεων, καὶ διὰ τῶν τιμῶν. Καίτοι καὶ ἐντεῦθεν θορυβηθῆναι εἰκὸς ἦν. Εἰ γὰρ διὰ τῶν ἔργων ὁρῶντες ἐπιδεικνύμενον αὐτὸν τὴν ἐξουσίαν ἐλίθαζον οἱ γραμματεῖς καὶ ἤλαυνον· ὅπου ῥήματα ἦν μόνον τοῦτο ἐμφαίνοντα, πῶς οὐκ εἰκὸς ἦν αὐτοὺς σκανδαλίζεσθαι, καὶ μάλιστα ὁπότε ἐν προοιμίοις ταῦτα ἐλέγετο, καὶ πρὶν ἢ πεῖραν αὐτὸν δεδωκέναι τῆς ἑαυτοῦ δυνάμεως; Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲν τούτων ἔπασχον· ὅταν γὰρ ψυχὴ καὶ διάνοια εὐγνώμων ᾖ, ῥᾳδίως πείθεται τοῖς τῆς ἀληθείας λόγοις. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο ἐκεῖνοι μὲν, καὶ τῶν σημείων ἀνακηρυττόντων αὐτοῦ τὴν δύναμιν, ἐσκανδαλίζοντο· οὗτοι δὲ λόγων ψιλῶν ἀκούοντες, ἐπείθοντο καὶ ἠκολούθουν. Τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς αἰνιττόμενος ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ ὄχλοι πολλοί· οὐχὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων τινὲς, οὐδὲ τῶν γραμματέων, ἀλλ' ὅσοι κακίας ἦσαν ἀπηλλαγμένοι, καὶ γνώμην εἶχον ἀδέκαστον. ∆ιὰ παντὸς δὲ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου τούτους ὁρᾷς αὐτῷ προσηλωμένους. Καὶ γὰρ ἡνίκα ἔλεγε, μετὰ σιγῆς ἤκουον, οὐδὲν παρεμβάλλοντες, οὐδὲ διακόπτοντες τὴν ἀκολουθίαν, οὐδὲ ἀποπειρώμενοι καὶ λαβὴν ἐπιθυμοῦντες εὑρεῖν, καθάπερ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι· καὶ μετὰ τὴν δημηγορίαν ἠκολούθουν πάλιν θαυμάζοντες. Σὺ δέ μοι σκόπει τοῦ ∆εσπότου τὴν σύνεσιν, πῶς ποικίλλει τὴν ὠφέλειαν τῶν παρόντων, ἀπὸ θαυμάτων εἰς λόγους ἐμβαίνων, καὶ πάλιν 57.328 ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν λόγων διδασκαλίας εἰς θαύματα μεταβαίνων. Καὶ γὰρ πρὶν ἢ ἀναβῆναι εἰς τὸ ὄρος, πολλοὺς ἐθεράπευσε, προοδοποιῶν τοῖς λεγομένοις· καὶ μετὰ τὸ τὴν μακρὰν ταύτην ἀπαρτίσαι δημηγορίαν, πάλιν ἐπὶ θαύματα ἔρχεται, βεβαιῶν ἐκ τῶν γινομένων τὰ εἰρημένα. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὡς ἐξουσίαν ἔχων ἐδίδασκεν, ἵνα μὴ νομισθῇ κόμπος εἶναι καὶ αὐθαδιασμὸς οὗτος τῆς διδασκαλίας ὁ τρόπος, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ποιεῖ,