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as having authority to heal, so that they would no longer be disturbed seeing him teaching in this way, since he also performed miracles in this way. For as he was coming down from the mountain, a leper approached him, saying: Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean. Great was the understanding and the faith of the one who approached. For he did not interrupt the teaching, nor did he cut through the crowd, but he waited for the opportune moment, and approached him as he was coming down. And not simply, but with great fervor, and he beseeches him on his knees, as another evangelist says, and with genuine faith, and with the proper opinion concerning him. For he did not say, If you ask God; nor, If you pray; but, If you are willing, you can make me clean. Nor did he say: Lord, make me clean; but he entrusts the whole matter to him, and makes him Lord of the healing, and testifies to his complete authority. What then, he says, if the leper's opinion was mistaken? It was necessary to refute it, and to rebuke, and to correct it. Did he then do this? By no means, but entirely the opposite, and he establishes and confirms what was said. For this reason he did not say, Be cleansed; but, I am willing, be cleansed; so that the doctrine might no longer be from that man's supposition, but from his own judgment. But the apostles did not act thus; but how? When all the people were astonished, they said: Why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or authority we had made him walk? But the Lord, although he often said many humble things, and things beneath his own glory, here, to establish the doctrine of those who were astonished at his authority, what does he say? I am willing, be cleansed. Although he performed so many and so great signs, nowhere does he appear to have said this word. Here, however, in order to confirm the supposition of both all the people and the leper concerning his authority, for this reason he added, I am willing. And he did not say this, and 57.329 not do it; but the deed immediately followed. But if he did not speak rightly, but what was said was blasphemy, the deed ought to have been stopped. But as it is, nature yielded when commanded, and with due speed, and with greater speed than the evangelist stated. For the word, immediately, is much slower than the speed with which the deed was done. But he did not simply say, I am willing, be cleansed; but he also stretched out his hand and touched him; which is indeed most worthy of investigation. For what reason, when cleansing him by will and by word, did he add the touch of his hand? It seems to me for no other reason, but that he might also show from this, that he is not subject to the Law, but above it; and that to the pure henceforth nothing is impure. For this reason, indeed, Elisha did not even see Naaman, but even seeing that he was offended because he did not come out and touch him, he, observing the strictness of the Law, remains at home, and sends him to the Jordan to wash. But the Lord, showing that he heals not as a servant, but as a master, also touches him. For his hand did not become unclean from the leprosy, but the leprous body was made clean by his holy hand. For he came not only to heal bodies, but also to lead the soul to wisdom. Therefore, just as he no longer forbade eating with unwashed hands, introducing that excellent law, the one concerning the indifference of foods; so also here he was henceforth teaching that one must care for the soul, and, having been freed from external purifications, to cleanse it, and to fear only its leprosy, which is sin (for being a leper is no hindrance to virtue); he himself is the first to touch the leper, and no one brings an accusation. For the tribunal was not corrupt, nor were the spectators possessed by envy. For this reason they not only did not attack him, but were also astonished at the miracle, and they made way, worshipping his irresistible power, both from what was said and from what was done. Having healed his body, therefore, he commands him to tell no one, but to show himself to the priest, and to offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony to them. Some therefore say that for this reason he commanded him to tell no one, so that they would not act maliciously concerning the judgment of the cleansing, this very foolishly

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ὡς ἐξουσίαν ἔχων θεραπεύειν, ἵνα μηκέτι θορυβῶνται ὁρῶντες αὐτὸν οὕτω διδάσκοντα, ὁπότε καὶ τὰ θαύματα οὕτως ἐποίει. Καταβάντι γὰρ αὐτῷ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄρους, προσῆλθε λεπρὸς λέγων· Κύριε, ἐὰν θέλῃς, δύνασαί με καθαρίσαι. Πολλὴ ἡ σύνεσις καὶ ἡ πίστις τοῦ προσελθόντος. Οὐ γὰρ διέκοψε τὴν διδασκαλίαν, οὐδὲ ἔτεμε τὸ θέατρον, ἀλλ' ἀνέμεινε τὸν προσήκοντα καιρὸν, καὶ καταβάντι αὐτῷ προσέρχεται. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς θερμότητος, καὶ πρὸ τῶν γονάτων αὐτὸν παρακαλεῖ, ὡς ἕτερός φησιν εὐαγγελιστὴς, καὶ μετὰ γνησίας τῆς πίστεως, καὶ τῆς προσηκούσης περὶ αὐτοῦ δόξης. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἐὰν ἀξιώσῃς τὸν Θεόν· οὐδὲ, Ἐὰν εὔξῃ· ἀλλ', Ἐὰν θέλῃς, δύνασαί μεκαθαρίσαι. Οὐδὲ εἶπε· Κύριε, καθάρισον· ἀλλ' αὐτῷ τὸ πᾶν ἐπιτρέπει, καὶ Κύριον ποιεῖ τῆς διορθώσεως, καὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν αὐτῷ μαρτυρεῖ ἅπασαν. Τί οὖν, φησὶν, εἰ ἐσφαλμένη ἡ δόξα τοῦ λεπροῦ ἦν; Καταλῦσαι αὐτὴν ἐχρῆν, καὶ ἐπιτιμῆσαι, καὶ διορθῶσαι. Ἆρ' οὖν τοῦτο ἐποίησεν; Οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὐναντίον ἅπαν, καὶ συνίστησι καὶ βεβαιοῖ τὸ εἰρημένον. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο οὐδὲ εἶπε, Καθάρθητι· ἀλλὰ, Θέλω, καθαρίσθητι· ἵνα μηκέτι τῆς ὑπονοίας τῆς ἐκείνου, ἀλλὰ τῆς γνώμης τῆς αὐτοῦ τὸ δόγμα γένηται. Ἀλλ' οὐχ οἱ ἀπόστολοι οὕτως· ἀλλὰ πῶς; Ἐπειδὴ ὁ δῆμος ἐξεπλήττετο ἅπας, ἔλεγον· Τί προσέχετε ἡμῖν, ὡς ἰδίᾳ δυνάμει ἢ ἐξουσίᾳ πεποιηκόσι τοῦ περιπατεῖν αὐτόν; Ὁ δὲ ∆εσπότης, καίτοι πολλὰ μέτρια φθεγξάμενος πολλάκις, καὶ καταδεέστερα τῆς αὐτοῦ δόξης, ὥστε πῆξαι τὸ δόγμα ἐνταῦθα τῶν ἐκπληττομένων αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ τί φησι; Θέλω, καθαρίσθητι. Καίτοι τοσαῦτα καὶ τηλικαῦτα ποιήσας σημεῖα, οὐδαμοῦ φαίνεται τοῦτο εἰρηκὼς τὸ ῥῆμα. Ἐνταῦθα μέντοι ὥστε κυρῶσαι τὴν ὑπόνοιαν καὶ τοῦ δήμου παντὸς καὶ τοῦ λεπροῦ τὴν περὶ τῆς ἐξουσίας, διὰ τοῦτο προσέθηκε, Θέλω. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε μὲν τοῦτο, 57.329 οὐκ ἐποίησε δέ· ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἔργον εὐθέως ἠκολούθησεν. Εἰ δὲ μὴ καλῶς ἔλεγεν, ἀλλὰ βλασφημία ἦν τὸ εἰρημένον, ἔδει διακοπῆναι τὸ ἔργον. Νυνὶ δὲ καὶ εἶξεν ἡ φύσις ἐπιταττομένη, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ προσήκοντος τάχους, καὶ μείζονος ἣ ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς εἶπε. Καὶ γὰρ τὸ, εὐθέως, πολὺ βραδύτερόν ἐστι τοῦ τάχους τοῦ κατὰ τὸ ἔργον γεγενημένου. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ εἶπε, Θέλω, καθαρίσθητι· ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν χεῖρα ἐκτείνας ἥψατο· ὃ δὴ μάλιστα ἄξιον ζητήσεως. Τίνος γὰρ ἕνεκεν θελήματι καθαίρων αὐτὸν καὶ λόγῳ, τὴν τῆς χειρὸς προσέθηκεν ἁφήν; Ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ δι' οὐδὲν ἕτερον, ἀλλ' ἵνα δείξῃ καὶ ἐντεῦθεν, ὅτι οὐχ ὑπόκειται τῷ νόμῳ, ἀλλ' ἐπίκειται· καὶ ὅτι τῷ καθαρῷ λοιπὸν οὐδὲν ἀκάθαρτον. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο Ἑλισσαῖος μὲν οὐδὲ ἑώρα τὸν Νεεμὰν, ἀλλὰ καὶ σκανδαλισθέντα ἰδὼν, ἐπειδὴ μὴ ἐξῆλθε καὶ ἥψατο, τηρῶν τοῦ νόμου τὴν ἀκρίβειαν, οἴκοι μένει, καὶ πέμπει πρὸς τὸν Ἰορδάνην αὐτὸν λουσόμενον. Ὁ δὲ ∆εσπότης, δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐχ ὡς δοῦλος, ἀλλ' ὡς κύριος θεραπεύει, καὶ ἅπτεται. Οὐ γὰρ ἡ χεὶρ ἀπὸ τῆς λέπρας ἐγένετο ἀκάθαρτος, ἀλλὰ τὸ σῶμα τὸ λεπρὸν ἀπὸ τῆς χειρὸς τῆς ἁγίας καθίστατο καθαρόν. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνον σώματα παρεγένετο θεραπεύσων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ψυχὴν εἰς φιλοσοφίαν ἐνάξων. Ὥσπερ οὖν χερσὶν ἀνίπτοις ἐσθίειν οὐκέτι λοιπὸν ἐκώλυσε, τὸν ἄριστον ἐκεῖνον εἰσάγων νόμον, τὸν περὶ τῆς τῶν βρωμάτων ἀδιαφορίας· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα λοιπὸν παιδεύων, ὅτι τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπιμελεῖσθαι χρὴ, καὶ τῶν ἔξωθεν ἀπαλλαγέντας καθαρμῶν ἐκείνην ἀποσμήχειν, καὶ τὴν αὐτῆς λέπραν δεδοικέναι μόνην, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἁμαρτία (τὸ γὰρ λεπρὸν εἶναι οὐδὲν κώλυμα εἰς ἀρετήν)· πρῶτος αὐτὸς ἅπτεται τοῦ λεπροῦ, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐγκαλεῖ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν διεφθαρμένον τὸ δικαστήριον, οὐδὲ ὑπὸ φθόνου κατεχόμενοι οἱ θεαταί. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐπέσκηψαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξεπλάγησαν τὸ θαῦμα, καὶ παρεχώρησαν, ἀπό τε τῶν εἰρημένων, ἀπό τε τῶν γινομένων τὴν ἀμήχανον αὐτοῦ δύναμιν προσκυνήσαντες. Θεραπεύσας τοίνυν αὐτοῦ τὸ σῶμα, κελεύει μηδενὶ εἰπεῖν, ἀλλὰ δεῖξαι ἑαυτὸν τῷ ἱερεῖ, καὶ προσενεγκεῖν τὸ δῶρον, ὃ προσέταξε Μωϋσῆς, εἰς μαρτύριον αὐτοῖς. Τινὲς μὲν οὖν φασιν, ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο ἐκέλευσε μηδενὶ εἰπεῖν, ἵνα μὴ κακουργήσωσι περὶ τὴν διάκρισιν τοῦ καθαρμοῦ, σφόδρα ἀνοήτως τοῦτο