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has. For he who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet, will receive a prophet's reward. But he who, out of this inopportune meddlesomeness, runs past the admirable one, also pays the penalty. Therefore, do not be a busybody about lives and actions; for this is the utmost tastelessness, to scrutinize an entire life for the sake of one loaf of bread. For if this man is a murderer, if he is a robber, if he is anything whatever, does he not seem to you to be worthy of bread and a few pieces of silver? But your Master even makes his sun to rise on him; but you judge him unworthy even of daily food? And I propose even another exaggeration; for even if you should know clearly that this man is full of ten thousand evils, not even so will you have a defense for depriving him of daily food. For you are a slave of him who says, You do not know of what spirit you are? you are a servant of him who healed those who stoned him; or rather, of him who was crucified for them. And do not tell me that he killed another; for even if he is about to kill you yourself, do not even so overlook him when he is starving. For you are a disciple of him who longed for the salvation of those who crucified him, who said on the cross itself, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. You are a slave of him who healed the one who struck him, who crowned on the cross itself the one who insulted him; than which, what could be equal? For in the beginning both robbers were insulting him; but nevertheless to one of them he opened paradise. And he weeps for those who were about to kill him, and is troubled and confused seeing the betrayer, not because he was about to be crucified, but because that one was perishing. He was troubled, therefore, foreseeing the hanging and the punishment after the hanging. And knowing his wickedness, he bore with him until the last hour, and did not push him away, but even kissed the betrayer. Your Master kisses, and receives with his lips the one who is about to shed his precious blood immediately; but you do not even deem the poor man worthy of bread? and do you not respect the law which Christ established? For through these things he showed that we ought to turn away not only the poor, but not even those who lead us to death. Therefore, do not say this to me, that so-and-so has done terrible things to me, but consider what Christ did at the cross itself through the kiss, by which he was about to be betrayed, correcting the betrayer. And see how reproachfully. 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 adamant? But not that wretched one. Therefore do not say, that so-and-so murdered so-and-so, and for this reason I turn him away. For even if he is about to thrust the sword against you, and to dip his right hand into your very throat, kiss that right hand; since Christ also kissed that mouth which worked the slaughter. 5. And you, therefore, do not hate, but weep and pity the one who plots against you; for such a one is worthy to be pitied by us and to be wept for. For we are servants of him who even kissed the betrayer (for I will not cease continually turning this about), and who spoke words softer than the kiss. For he did not say, 60.608 O defiled one, and utterly wicked, and betrayer, are these the returns you give us for so great a benefit; but how? Judas, using his proper name, which was more that of one lamenting and calling him back, than of one being angry. And he did not say, Your teacher, your Master and benefactor, but, The Son of man. For if I were not a teacher nor a Master, him who is so gently, so unfeignedly disposed toward you, as even at the time of the betrayal to kiss you, and this though the kiss was a symbol of the betrayal, this one you betray? Blessed are you, O Lord; of how much humility, of how much long-suffering have you given us an example? But to that man he spoke thus; but to those who came with clubs and swords, not so. And what could be gentler than the words spoken to them also? For though he was able to make them all disappear at once, he did none of these things, but reasons with them reproachfully, saying; Why have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs? And

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ἔχει. Ὁ δεχόμενος γὰρ προφήτην εἰς ὄνομα προφήτου, μισθὸν προφήτου λήψεται. Ὁ δὲ ἐκ τῆς ἀκαίρου ταύτης πολυπραγμοσύνης τὸν θαυμαστὸν παρατρέχων, καὶ δίκην δίδωσι. Μὴ τοίνυν βίους καὶ πράξεις πολυπραγμόνει· καὶ γὰρ ἐσχάτης τοῦτο ἀπειροκαλίας ἐστὶν, ὑπὲρ ἑνὸς ἄρτου ζωὴν ὁλόκληρον περιεργάζεσθαι. Εἰ γὰρ ἀνδροφόνος οὗτος, εἰ γὰρ λῃστὴς, εἰ γὰρ ὁτιοῦν, ἄρτου καὶ ὀλίγων ἀργυρίων οὐ δοκεῖ σοι ἄξιος εἶναι; Ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ∆εσπότης σου καὶ ἥλιον αὐτῷ ἀνατέλλει· σὺ δὲ καὶ τῆς ἐφημέρου τροφῆς ἀνάξιον αὐτὸν κρίνεις; Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ ἑτέραν ὑπερβολὴν τίθημι· κἂν γὰρ ἐπιστάμενος ᾖς σαφῶς, ὅτι μυρίων οὗτος γέμει κακῶν, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀπολογίαν ἕξεις τῆς ἐφημέρας τροφῆς αὐτὸν ἀποστερῶν. Ἐκείνου γὰρ δοῦλος εἶ τοῦ λέγοντος, Οὐκ οἴδατε ποίου πνεύματός ἐστε; ἐκείνου εἶ οἰκέτης τοῦ θεραπεύσαντος τοὺς λιθάσαντας αὐτόν· μᾶλλον δὲ τοῦ σταυρωθέντος ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν. Καὶ μή μοι λέγε, ὅτι Ἕτερον ἀνεῖλε· καὶ γὰρ εἰ καὶ σεαυτὸν ἀναιρεῖν μέλλει, μηδὲ οὕτω λιμώττοντα παρίδῃς. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνου μαθητὴς εἶ τοῦ τῶν σταυρωσάντων τὴν σωτηρίαν ποθοῦντος, τοῦ λέγοντος ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ σταυρῷ· Πάτερ, ἄφες αὐτοῖς· οὐ γὰρ οἴδασι τί ποιοῦσιν. Ἐκείνου δοῦλος εἶ τοῦ τὸν ῥαπίσαντα αὐτὸν θεραπεύσαντος, τοῦ τὸν ὑβρίσαντα ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ σταυρῷ στεφανώσαντος· οὗ τί γένοιτ' ἂν ἴσον; Καὶ γὰρ ἀμφότεροι παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν οἱ λῃσταὶ ὕβριζον αὐτόν· ἀλλ' ὅμως θατέρῳ τούτων τὸν παράδεισον ἠνέῳξε. Καὶ δακρύει τοὺς μέλλοντας αὐτὸν ἀναιρεῖν, καὶ ταράττεται καὶ συγχεῖται ὁρῶν τὸν προδότην, οὐχ ὅτι σταυροῦσθαι ἔμελλεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ἀπώλλυτο. Ἐταράττετο τοίνυν προειδὼς τὴν ἀγχόνην καὶ τὴν μετὰ τὴν ἀγχόνην κόλασιν. Καὶ εἰδὼς αὐτοῦ τὴν πονηρίαν, μέχρις ἐσχάτης ὥρας αὐτὸν ἔφερε, καὶ οὐ διεκρούετο, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐφίλησε τὸν προδότην. Ὁ ∆εσπότης σου φιλεῖ, καὶ δέχεται χείλεσι τὸν μέλλοντα αὐτοῦ τὸ αἷμα τὸ τίμιον εὐθέως ἐκχεῖν· σὺ δὲ τὸν πένητα οὐδὲ ἄρτου ἀξιοῖς; καὶ οὐκ αἰδῇ τὸν νόμον, ὃν ἔθηκεν ὁ Χριστός; ∆ιὰ γὰρ τούτων ἔδειξεν, ὅτι οὐ μόνον τοὺς πένητας, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοὺς ἐπὶ θάνατον ἡμᾶς ἄγοντας ἀποστρέφεσθαι δεῖ. Μὴ τοίνυν μοι τοῦτο εἴπῃς, ὅτι ὁ δεῖνά μοι εἰργάσατο δεινὰ, ἀλλ' ἐννόησον τί ἐποίησεν ὁ Χριστὸς πρὸς αὐτῷ τῷ σταυρῷ διὰ τοῦ φιλήματος, ᾧ προδίδοσθαι ἔμελλε, τὸν προδότην διορθούμενος. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς ἐντρεπτικῶς. Ἰούδα, γάρ φησι, φιλήματι τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου προδίδως; Τίνα οὐκ ἂν ἐμάλαξε; τίνα οὐκ ἂν ἐπέκαμψεν αὕτη ἡ φωνή; ποῖον θηρίον, ποῖον ἀδάμαντα; Ἀλλ' οὐ τὸν δείλαιον ἐκεῖνον. Μὴ τοίνυν λέγε, ὅτι τὸν δεῖνα ἐφόνευσεν ὁ δεῖνα, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸν ἀποστρέφομαι. Κἂν γὰρ κατὰ σοῦ μέλλῃ τὸ ξίφος ὠθεῖν, καὶ τὴν δεξιὰν βαπτίζειν εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν λαιμὸν, αὐτὴν φίλησον τὴν δεξίαν· ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ στόμα ἐφίλησεν ἐκεῖνο τὸ τὴν σφαγὴν ἐργασάμενον. εʹ. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν μὴ μίσει, ἀλλὰ δάκρυε καὶ ἐλέει τὸν ἐπιβουλεύοντα· ἐλεεῖσθαι γὰρ παρ' ἡμῶν ἄξιος ὁ τοιοῦτος καὶ δακρύεσθαι. Ἐκείνου γάρ ἐσμεν οἰκέται τοῦ καὶ φιλήσαντος τὸν προδότην (οὐ γὰρ παύσομαι συνεχῶς αὐτὸ περιστρέφων), καὶ τοῦ φιλήματος ἁπαλώτερα φθεγξαμένου ῥήματα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπεν, 60.608 Ὦ μιαρὲ, καὶ παμπόνηρε, καὶ προδότα, τοιαύτας ἡ μῖν ἀποδίδως τὰς ἀμοιβὰς τῆς τοσαύτης εὐεργεσίας· ἀλλὰ πῶς; Ἰούδα, τὸ κύριον ὄνομα θεὶς, ὃ μᾶλλον ταλανίζοντος ἦν καὶ ἀνακαλοῦντος, ἢ ὀργιζομένου. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, Τὸν διδάσκαλόν σου, τὸν ∆εσπότην σου καὶ εὐεργέτην, ἀλλὰ, Τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ διδάσκαλος ἦν μηδὲ ∆εσπότης, τὸν οὕτως ἡμέρως, τὸν οὕτως ἀπλάστως πρὸς σὲ διακείμενον, ὡς καὶ ἐν καιρῷ τῆς προδοσίας σε φιλεῖν, καὶ ταῦτα τοῦ φιλήματος συμβόλου τῆς προδοσίας ὄντος, τοῦτον παραδίδως; Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, Κύριε· πόσης ταπεινοφροσύνης, πόσης ἀνεξικακίας ὑπόδειγμα ἡμῖν ἔδωκας; Ἀλλὰ πρὸς μὲν ἐκεῖνον οὕτω· πρὸς δὲ τοὺς ἐπελθόντας μετὰ ξύλων καὶ μαχαιρῶν οὐχ οὕτω. Καὶ τί γένοιτ' ἂν ἡμερώτερον τῶν ῥημάτων τῶν καὶ 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