179

John? For why did he not say, that the crowds, having crossed over the next day, went away? He wants to teach us something else. What is this? That even to the crowds, if not so openly, he at least nevertheless secretly gave them cause to suspect what had happened. For they saw, he says, that there was no other boat there, except one, and that Jesus did not get in with them, and having embarked in the boats from Tiberias, They came to Capernaum seeking Jesus. For what else was there to suspect, but that he had arrived by walking on the sea? For it is not possible to say that he crossed in another boat. For there was one, he says, into which his disciples embarked. But nevertheless, after coming upon such a great miracle, they did not ask him how he crossed, how he arrived, nor did they seek to learn of so great a sign; but what do they say? Rabbi, when did you get here? Unless one might say here that 'When' was said by them instead of 'How'. 2. But it is also worthwhile from this to perceive their fickle disposition, For those who said, This is the Prophet, those who were eager to seize him and make him king, on finding him, plan no such thing, but having cast out the miracle, as I at least think, they no longer marvel at the former things. For this reason, then, they were seeking him, wishing to enjoy a table again, 59.247 such as they had before. Now the Jews also crossed the Red Sea, with Moses leading, but here there is a great difference. For the one, praying and as a servant, did everything; but this one, with all authority. And there, when the south wind was blowing then, the water yielded, so as to make them pass over on dry land; but here the miracle was greater. For the sea, remaining in its own nature, thus carried the Master on its back, bearing witness to that saying which says, Who walks upon the sea as upon dry ground. And it was fitting that, when he was about to enter the hard and disobedient Capernaum, he performed the sign of the loaves; wishing to soften the disobedience of those in it, not only by the things happening within it, but also by the miracles wrought outside the city. For what stone was not the arrival of so many crowds to that city, having shown great eagerness, sufficient to soften? But they suffered no such thing, but again they desired bodily food; for which reason they are also reproached by Jesus. Knowing these things, therefore, beloved, let us give thanks to God, both for the sake of sensible things, and much more for spiritual things. For so he himself also wishes, and for the sake of these he also gives those, leading on and pre-instructing the more imperfect with them, since they still gaped after the world. But when, having received them, they remain in them, they are accused and rebuked. Since also in the case of the paralytic he wished to give that first, but those present could not bear it. For when he said, Your sins are forgiven, they said, This man blasphemes. Let us not, I beseech you, suffer any such thing, but let us have a greater account of those things. Why? Because when spiritual things are present, no harm comes from the absence of fleshly things; but when those are not present, what hope will be left for us? What consolation? Wherefore it is necessary always to beseech God concerning these things, and to ask for these things. For Christ also taught us to pray for such things. And if we unfold that prayer, we will find nothing carnal 59.248 in it, but all things spiritual. And even that small thing, that sensible thing, becomes spiritual by the manner. For to exhort to seek nothing more than our daily bread, that is, for the day, would be of a spiritual and philosophic mind. But see the things before this: Hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Then, having said that sensible thing, he quickly departed from it, and came again to the spiritual teaching, saying, Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. Nowhere rule, nowhere wealth, nowhere glory, nowhere power, but he put into the prayer all things that contribute to the benefit of the soul; nothing earthly, but all things heavenly. If, therefore, we are commanded to abstain from the things of this life and

179

Ἰωάννης; διατί γὰρ οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅτι Οἱ δὲ ὄχλοι τῇ ἑξῆς περάσαντες ἀπῆλθον; Ἕτερόν τι ἡμᾶς βούλεται διδάξαι. Ποῖον τοῦτο; Ὅτι καὶ τοῖς ὄχλοις, εἰ καὶ μὴ οὕτω φανερῶς, ἔδωκε γοῦν ὅμως λανθανόντως ὑπονοῆσαι τὸ γεγενημένον. Εἶδον γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅτι πλοιάριον ἄλλο οὐκ ἦν ἐκεῖ, εἰ μὴ ἓν, καὶ ὅτι Ἰησοῦς οὐ συνεισῆλθε, καὶ ἐμβάντες εἰς τὰ ἐκ Τιβεριάδος πλοιάρια, Ἦλθον ζητοῦντες τὸν Ἰησοῦν εἰς Καπερναούμ. Τί γὰρ ἦν ἕτερον ὑποπτεῦσαι, ἀλλ' ἢ ὅτι τὴν θάλασσαν πεζεύων παρεγένετο; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔνι εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἑτέρῳ πλοίῳ διέβη. Ἓν γὰρ ἦν, φησὶν, εἰς ὃ ἐνέβησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ. Ἀλλ' ὅμως μετὰ θαῦμα τηλικοῦτον ἐλθόντες, οὐκ ἠρώτησαν αὐτὸν πῶς διέβη, πῶς παρεγένετο, οὐδὲ ἐζήτησαν τὸ τοσοῦτον σημεῖον μαθεῖν· ἀλλὰ τί φασι; Ῥαββὶ, πότε ὧδε γέγονας; Πλὴν εἰ μὴ τὸ Πότε τις ἐνταῦθα λέγοι ἀντὶ τοῦ Πῶς εἰρῆσθαι παρ' αὐτῶν. βʹ. Ἄξιον δὲ καὶ ἐντεῦθεν συνιδεῖν τὴν εὔκολον αὐτῶν γνώμην, Οἱ γὰρ λέγοντες, Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ προφήτης, οἱ σπουδάζοντες ἁρπάσαι καὶ ποιῆσαι βασιλέα, εὑρόντες αὐτὸν, οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον βουλεύονται, ἀλλὰ τὸ θαῦμα ἐκβαλόντες, ὡς ἔγωγε οἶμαι, οὐκ ἔτι λοιπὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν προτέρων θαυμάζουσι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἄρα ἐπεζήτουν, βουλόμενοι πάλιν τραπέζης ἀπολαύειν, 59.247 οἵας καὶ πρότερον. ∆ιέβησαν μὲν οὖν τὴν ἐρυθρὰν θάλασσαν καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι, Μωϋσέως ἡγουμένου, ἀλλὰ πολὺ τὸ μέσον ἐνταῦθα. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ εὐχόμενος καὶ ὡς δοῦλος πάντα εἰργάζετο· οὗτος δὲ, μετὰ ἐξουσίας ἁπάσης. Κἀκεῖ μὲν, νότου τότε πνέοντος, εἶξε τὸ ὕδωρ, ὥστε ἐπὶ ξηρᾶς ποιῆσαι παρελθεῖν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ τὸ θαῦμα μεῖζον ἐγίνετο. Μένουσα γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς οἰκείας φύσεως ἡ θάλασσα, οὕτως ἔφερε τὸν ∆εσπότην ἐπὶ τῶν νώτων, μαρτυροῦσα ἐκείνῃ τῇ ῥήσει τῇ λεγούσῃ· Ὁ περιπατῶν ἐπὶ θαλάσσης ὡς ἐπὶ ἐδάφους. Εἰκότως δὲ μέλλων εἰς Καπερναοὺμ ἐμβαλεῖν τὴν σκληρὰν καὶ ἀπειθῆ, τὸ σημεῖον τῶν ἄρτων εἰργάσατο· οὐ μόνον τοῖς ἐν αὐτῇ γινομένοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἔξω τῆς πόλεως θαυματουργουμένοις, μαλάξαι βουλόμενος τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ τὴν ἀπείθειαν. Τὸ γὰρ ὄχλους παραγενέσθαι τοσούτους εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐκείνην, πολλὴν τεθειμένους σπουδὴν, ποῖον οὐκ ἦν ἱκανὸν μαλάξαι λίθον; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐκεῖνοι τοιοῦτον οὐδὲν ἔπαθον, ἀλλὰ πάλιν τροφῆς ἐπεθύμουν σωματικῆς· διὸ καὶ ὀνειδίζονται παρὰ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ. Ταῦτα οὖν εἰδότες, ἀγαπητοὶ, εὐχαριστῶμεν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τῶν αἰσθητῶν μὲν ἕνεκεν, πολλῷ δὲ μᾶλλον τῶν πνευματικῶν. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς βούλεται, καὶ διὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἐκεῖνα δίδωσι, τοὺς ἀτελεστέρους ἐνάγων τούτοις καὶ προπαιδεύων, ἐπειδὴ πρὸς τὸν κόσμον ἔτι κεχήνασιν. Ἀλλ' ὅταν αὐτὰ λαβόντες, ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐναπομείνωσιν, ἐγκαλοῦνται καὶ ἐπιτιμῶνται. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ παραλυτικοῦ πρῶτον ἐκεῖνο ἐβούλετο δοῦναι, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἠνείχοντο οἱ παρόντες. Εἰπόντος γὰρ, ὅτι Ἀφέωνταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι, ἔλεγον· Οὗτος βλασφημεῖ. Μὴ δὴ, παρακαλῶ, τοιοῦτον πάθωμέν τι ἡμεῖς, ἀλλ' ἐκείνων ἡμῖν πλείων ἔστω λόγος. ∆ιατί; Ὅτι τῶν πνευματικῶν παρόντων, οὐδεμία ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν σαρκικῶν ἀπουσίας γίνεται βλάβη· ἐκείνων δὲ οὐκ ὄντων, τίς ἔσται ἡμῖν λοιπὸν ἐλπίς; τίς δὲ παραμυθία; ∆ιὸ χρὴ περὶ τούτων ἀεὶ τὸν Θεὸν παρακαλεῖν, καὶ ταῦτα αἰτεῖν. Τοιαῦτα γὰρ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἡμᾶς εὔχεσθαι ἐδίδαξεν. Κἂν ἀναπτύξωμεν τὴν εὐχὴν ἐκείνην, οὐδὲν εὑρήσομεν ἐν αὐτῇ σαρ 59.248 κικὸν, ἀλλὰ πάντα πνευματικά. Καὶ αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ μικρὸν, ἐκεῖνο τὸ αἰσθητὸν, τῷ τρόπῳ γινόμενον πνευματικόν. Τὸ γὰρ παραινεῖν μηδὲν πλέον ἐπιζητεῖν τοῦ ἄρτου τοῦ ἐπιουσίου, τουτέστι, τοῦ καθημερινοῦ, πνευματικῆς ἂν εἴη καὶ φιλοσόφου διανοίας. Τὰ δὲ πρὸ τούτου ὅρα· Ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου· ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου· γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου, ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Εἶτα εἰπὼν τὸ αἰσθητὸν ἐκεῖνο, ταχέως ἀπηλλάγη αὐτοῦ, καὶ πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν πνευματικὴν ἦλθε διδασκαλίαν, Ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν, λέγων, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν. Οὐδαμοῦ ἀρχὴν, οὐδαμοῦ πλοῦτον, οὐδαμοῦ δόξαν, οὐδαμοῦ δυναστείαν, ἀλλὰ πάντα εἰς ψυχῆς ὠφέλειαν συντελοῦντα ἐνέθηκε τῇ εὐχῇ· οὐδὲν γήϊνον, ἀλλὰ πάντα οὐράνια. Εἰ τοίνυν κελευόμεθα ἀπέχεσθαι τῶν βιωτικῶν καὶ