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to obtain the things to come, we fall away from both, disobeying what has been said, and philosophizing needlessly. For He legislated all things for our benefit, and showed what makes men glorious, and what disgraceful. And He would not have commanded this, if He were going to make His own disciples ridiculous; but because this makes them more illustrious than all, not to speak evil when hearing evil, not to do evil when suffering evil, for this reason He commanded these things. But if this, much more so to speak well when hearing evil, to praise those who are insolent, to do good to those who plot against us. For this very reason He legislated these things also. For He both spares His own disciples, and knows clearly what it is that makes one small and great. If, then, He both spares and knows, why do you contend with Him, wishing to go another way? For to conquer by doing evil is of diabolical laws; for this very reason in the Olympian games which are held in his honor, thus all the combatants prevail. But in the stadium of Christ this is not the law of the crowns, but quite the contrary, it has been legislated that the one who is struck, not the one who strikes, is to be crowned. For such is His stadium; it has all things arranged in a contrary way; so that not by the victory only, but also by the manner of victory the wonder becomes greater; for when the things that elsewhere are of defeat, are shown to be productive of victory; this is the power of God, this is the stadium of heaven. this is the theater of angels. I know that you are now warmed, and have become softer than any wax; but having withdrawn you spew it all out. For this reason I am grieved, that we do not show in our works the things that are said, and this when we are about to gain the greatest things from hence. For if we show forth gentleness, we shall be unconquerable by all, and no one of men, neither small nor great, will be able to harm us in return. For if one speaks evil of you, he has harmed you in no way, but himself very greatly; and if he does wrong again, the harm rests with the wrongdoer. Do you not see also in the courts of justice, that the wronged are brilliant and stand with much confidence speaking freely, but the wrongdoers bend down with shame and fear? And what do I say of accusation and injustice? For even if he should sharpen his sword against you, even if he should plunge his right hand into your very throat, he has not harmed you at all, but has slaughtered himself. And the first one so slain by a brother's right hand would bear witness to this statement. For the one went away to the waveless harbor, having obtained immortal glory; but the other lived a life more wretched than any death, groaning and trembling, and carrying about in his body the accusation of what had been done. Let us not then pursue this, but that. For the one who suffers evil does not have the evil permanently at home; for he did not beget it himself, but having received it from another, he made it good through his endurance; but the one who has done evil has the wound of wickedness at home. Was not Joseph in a prison, while the harlot who plotted against him was in a splendid and conspicuous house? Which of them, then, would you have wished to be? And do not yet tell me of the retribution, but examine the events themselves in their own right; for even so you will prefer ten thousand times the prison with Joseph to the house which held the harlot. For if you could see the souls of both, you would see the one in spaciousness and much confidence, but that of the Egyptian woman in straits and shame, and dejection and turmoil, and much despondency; and yet she seemed to be victorious, but this was not victory. Knowing these things, then, let us prepare ourselves to suffer evil, so that we may both be delivered from suffering evil, and may obtain the good things to come; which may it be granted for us all to obtain, by grace and love for mankind, and the rest.

HOMILY 23.

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τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιτυγχάνειν, ἀμφοτέρων ἐκπίπτομεν, παρακούοντες τῶν εἰρημένων, καὶ περιττὰ φιλοσοφοῦντες. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος συμφερόντως πάντα ἐνομοθέτησε, καὶ ἔδειξε τί μὲν ποιεῖ ἐνδόξους, τί δὲ αἰσχρούς. Καὶ οὐκ ἂν, εἰ ἔμελλεν ἀποφαίνειν καταγελάστους τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ μαθητὰς, τοῦτο ἂν ἐπέταξεν· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο ποιεῖ λαμπροτέρους ἁπάντων, τὸ μὴ κακῶς λέγειν ἀκούοντας κακῶς, τὸ μὴ κακῶς ποιεῖν πάσχοντας κακῶς, διὰ τοῦτο ταῦτα ἐπέταξεν. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸ λέγειν καλῶς ἀκούοντας κακῶς, τὸ ἐγκωμιάζειν ὑβριζομένους, τὸ εὐεργετεῖν ἐπιβουλευομένους. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ ταῦτα ἐνομοθέτησε. Καὶ γὰρ φείδεται τῶν αὑτοῦ μαθητῶν, καὶ οἶδε σαφῶς τί ποτέ ἐστι τὸ ποιοῦν σμικρὸν καὶ μέγαν. Εἰ τοίνυν καὶ φείδεται καὶ οἶδε, τί αὐτῷ φιλονεικεῖς ἑτέραν ὁδὸν θέλων ἐλθεῖν; Καὶ γὰρ τὸ νικᾷν ἀπὸ τοῦ κακῶς ποιεῖν, διαβολικῶν ἐστι νόμων· διά τοι τοῦτο ἐν τοῖς ὀλυμπιακοῖς ἀγῶσι τοῖς ἐκείνῳ τελουμένοις, οὕτω κρατοῦσιν οἱ ἀγωνιζόμενοι πάντες. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐν τῷ σταδίῳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ οὗτος τῶν στεφάνων ὁ νόμος, ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον ἅπαν, τὸν πληττόμενον, οὐ τὸν πλήττοντα στεφανοῦσθαι νενομοθέτηται. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὸ στάδιον· ἀπεναντίας ἅπαντα ἔχει δια 60.614 τεταγμένα· ὥστε μὴ τῇ νίκῃ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ τρόπῳ νίκης τὸ θαῦμα γίνεσθαι μεῖζον· ὅταν γὰρ τὰ ἑτέρωθι ὄντα ἥττης, ταῦτα νίκης ποιητικὰ ἀποφανῇ· τοῦτο Θεοῦ δύναμις, τοῦτο οὐρανοῦ τὸ στάδιον. τοῦτο ἀγγέλων τὸ θέατρον. Οἶδα, ὅτι διεθερμάνθητε νῦν, καὶ κηροῦ γεγόνατε παντὸς ἁπαλώτεροι· ἀλλ' ἀναχωρήσαντες ἅπαντα ἀποβλύζετε. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἀλγῶ, ὅτι τὰ λεγόμενα ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων οὐ δεικνύομεν, καὶ ταῦτα μέλλοντες τὰ μέγιστα ἐντεῦθεν κερδαίνειν. Ἂν γὰρ ἐπιείκειαν ἐπιδειξώμεθα, ἀχείρωτοι πᾶσιν ἐσόμεθα, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀνθρώπων, οὐ μικρὸς, οὐ μέγας ἡμᾶς ἀντιβλάψαι δυνήσεται. Ἄν τε γὰρ κακῶς τις εἴπῃ, σὲ μὲν οὐδὲν, ἑαυτὸν δὲ τὰ μέγιστα ἔβλαψεν· ἄν τε ἀδικήσῃ πάλιν, ἡ βλάβη περὶ τὸν ἠδικηκότα ἵσταται. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς καὶ ἐν τοῖς δικαστηρίοις, ὅτι οἱ μὲν ἠδικημένοι λαμπροὶ καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς ἑστήκασι τῆς παῤῥησίας ἐλευθεροστομοῦντες, οἱ δὲ ἠδικηκότες κάτω κύπτοντες μετ' αἰσχύνης καὶ φόβου; Καὶ τί λέγω κατηγορίαν καὶ ἀδικίαν; Κἂν γὰρ τὸ ξίφος ἀκονήσῃ κατὰ σοῦ, κἂν εἰς τὸν λαιμὸν αὐτὸν τὴν δεξιὰν βαπτίσῃ, σὲ μὲν οὐδὲν παρέβλαψεν, ἑαυτὸν δὲ κατέσφαξε. Καὶ μαρτυρήσειεν ἂν τῷ λόγῳ ὁ πρῶτος οὕτως ἀναιρεθεὶς ὑπὸ δεξιᾶς ἀδελφικῆς. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἀπῄει πρὸς τὸν ἀκύμαντον λιμένα, ἀθάνατον δόξαν κτησάμενος· ὁ δὲ παντὸς θανάτου βίον ἀθλιώτερον ἔζη, στένων καὶ τρέμων, καὶ ἐν τῷ σώματι τὴν κατηγορίαν τοῦ γενομένου περιφέρων. Μὴ δὴ τοῦτο διώκωμεν, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ κακῶς πάσχων οὐκ ἔχει μόνιμον οἴκοι τὸ κακόν· οὐ γὰρ αὐτὸς αὐτὸ ἔτεκεν, ἀλλ' ἑτέρωθεν αὐτὸ δεξάμενος, ἐποίησεν ἀγαθὸν διὰ τῆς ὑπομονῆς· ὁ δὲ ποιήσας κακῶς, οἴκοι τὴν πληγὴν ἔχει τῆς κακίας. Οὐχ ὁ Ἰωσὴφ ἐν δεσμωτηρίῳ ἦν, ἡ δὲ ἐπιβουλεύσασα αὐτῷ πόρνη ἐν οἰκίᾳ λαμπρᾷ καὶ περιφανεῖ; Τίς ἂν οὖν ἠθέλησας γενέσθαι; Καὶ μήπω μοι τὴν ἀντίδοσιν εἴπῃς, ἀλλ' αὐτὰ καθ' ἑαυτὰ ἐξέτασον τὰ γεγενημένα· καὶ γὰρ οὕτω μυριάκις προτιμήσεις τὸ δεσμωτήριον μετὰ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ τῆς οἰκίας τῆς τὴν πόρνην ἐχούσης. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ τὴν ἀμφοτέρων ψυχὴν ἴδοις, τὴν μὲν ἐν εὐρυχωρίᾳ καὶ παῤῥησίᾳ ὄψει πολλῇ, τὴν δὲ τῆς Αἰγυπτίας ἐν στενοχωρίᾳ καὶ αἰσχύνῃ, καὶ κατηφείᾳ καὶ θορύβῳ, καὶ ἀθυμίᾳ πολλῇ· καίτοι γε αὐτὴ ἐδόκει νικᾷν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἦν αὕτη νίκη. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδότες, πρὸς τὸ κακῶς παθεῖν ἑαυτοὺς παρασκευάσωμεν, ἵνα καὶ τοῦ παθεῖν κακῶς ἀπαλλαγῶμεν, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιτύχωμεν ἀγαθῶν· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΚΓʹ.