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to be deemed worthy of the Godhead to prophesy again; and from this, silencing them, he said: How then does David in the spirit call him 57.344 Lord, saying: ‘The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand’? And what happened in the case of Moses, this also happened in the case of David. For just as God punished Miriam, even against Moses' will, for her insolence towards her brother, since He greatly loved the holy man; so also He swiftly defended this man when he was insulted by his son, and this against his will. These things are sufficient, then, or rather these things before all others are sufficient to show the man's virtue. For when God decrees, there is no need to inquire any further. But if you wish to learn his philosophy in detail, you can go through the history after his sin, and see his boldness toward God, his good will, his progress in virtue, his exactness to his last breath. Having these examples, therefore, let us be sober, and be eager not to fall; but if we should ever fall, not to lie prostrate. For I did not mention the sins of David to cast you into sloth, but to produce a greater fear. For if that righteous man, having been a little careless, received such wounds, what shall we suffer who are negligent every day? Therefore, do not see that he fell and become slothful; but consider how many things he did after this, how many lamentations he showed, how much repentance, adding the nights to the days, sending forth fountains of tears, washing his bed with tears, and in addition to these things, putting on sackcloth. But if he needed so much repentance, when shall we be able to be saved, who are unfeelingly disposed after so many sins? For he who has many right achievements could easily obscure his sins by them; but the one who is naked, wherever he receives a dart, receives a mortal wound. That this may not happen, therefore, let us arm ourselves with good works, and if any fault should be added, let us wash it away; so that we may be deemed worthy, having lived the present life to the glory of God, to enjoy the life to come; which may it be granted to us all to attain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen. 57.343 HOMILY 27. And when Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick and feverish; and he touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she arose, and ministered to him. a. But Mark also added, 'immediately,' wishing to indicate the time as well; but this one has set down only the sign, without noting the time. And the others say that she who was lying sick also besought him; but this one has been silent about this too. But this is not a discrepancy, but one is for the sake of brevity, the other for precise narration. But for what reason did he enter Peter's house? It seems to me, to take some food; at any rate he indicated this by saying: 'She arose, and ministered to him.' For he lodged with his disciples, as also with Matthew when he called him, honoring them and making them more eager by this. But consider for me here also Peter's reverence toward him. For having his mother-in-law at home lying with a high fever, he did not drag him into the house, but waited for the teaching to be finished, and for all the others to be healed, and then when he entered he besought him. Thus from the beginning 57.344.40 he was taught to put the things of others before his own. Therefore he does not even bring him in himself, but He himself went in of his own accord, after the centurion had said, 'I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof;' showing how much favor he granted to the disciple. And yet consider what the dwellings of these fishermen were like; but nevertheless he did not disdain to enter their humble huts, teaching you through all things to trample on human pride. And sometimes he heals by words alone, sometimes he also stretches out his hand, and sometimes he does both these things, bringing the cure into sight. For he did not wish to always work miracles with exaggeration. For it was necessary for the time being to remain hidden, and especially in the case of the disciples; for out of great joy they would have proclaimed everything. And this is clear from

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θεότητος ἀξιωθῆναι προφητεῦσαι πάλιν· καὶ ἐντεῦθεν αὐτοὺς ἐπιστομίζων ἔλεγε· Πῶς οὖν ∆αυῒδ ἐν πνεύματι Κύριον 57.344 αὐτὸν καλεῖ, λέγων· Εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου· Κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου; Καὶ ὅπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ Μωϋσέως γέγονε, τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ∆αυΐδ. Καθάπερ γὰρ τὴν Μαρίαν, καὶ ἄκοντος τοῦ Μωϋσέως, ἐκόλασεν ὁ Θεὸς διὰ τὴν εἰς τὸν ἀδελφὸν ὕβριν, ἐπειδὴ σφόδρα ἐφίλει τὸν ἅγιον· οὕτω καὶ τούτῳ παρὰ τοῦ παιδὸς ὑβρισθέντι ταχέως ἤμυνε, καὶ ταῦτα μὴ βουλομένῳ. Ἱκανὰ μὲν οὖν καὶ ταῦτα, μᾶλλον δὲ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ταῦτα ἱκανὰ δεῖξαι τὴν ἀρετὴν τοῦ ἀνδρός. Ὅταν γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ψηφίζηται, οὐδὲν δεῖ πλέον περιεργάζεσθαι. Εἰ δὲ βούλεσθε κατ' εἶδος αὐτοῦ τὴν φιλοσοφίαν μαθεῖν, ἔξεστιν ὑμῖν ἐπελθοῦσι τὴν ἱστορίαν τὴν μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ἰδεῖν αὐτοῦ τὴν παῤῥησίαν τὴν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, τὴν εὔνοιαν, τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐπίδοσιν, τὴν εἰς ἐσχάτας ἀναπνοὰς ἀκρίβειαν. Ταῦτ' οὖν ἔχοντες τὰ παραδείγματα, νήφωμεν, καὶ σπουδάζωμεν μὴ καταπίπτειν· εἰ δέ ποτε καὶ πέσοιμεν, μὴ κεῖσθαι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἵνα ὑμᾶς εἰς ῥᾳθυμίαν ἐμβάλω τὰ τοῦ ∆αυῒδ ἁμαρτήματα εἶπον· ἀλλ' ἵνα πλείονα φόβον ἐργάσωμαι. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ δίκαιος ἐκεῖνος ῥᾳθυμήσας μικρὸν τοιαῦτα ἐδέξατο τραύματα, τί πεισόμεθα ἡμεῖς καθ' ἑκάστην ὀλιγωροῦντες; Μὴ τοίνυν ὅτι ἔπεσεν ἴδῃς, καὶ ῥᾳθυμήσῃς· ἀλλ' ἐννόησον πόσα καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα εἰργάσατο, πόσους θρήνους ἐπεδείξατο, πόσην μετάνοιαν, τὰς νύκτας ταῖς ἡμέραις προστιθεὶς, πηγὰς δακρύων ἀφιεὶς, τὴν κλίνην λούων τοῖς δάκρυσι, πρὸς τούτοις σάκκον περιβαλλόμενος. Εἰ δὲ ἐκεῖνος τοσαύτης ἐδεήθη τῆς ἐπιστροφῆς, πότε δυνησόμεθα σωθῆναι ἡμεῖς, μετὰ τοσαῦτα ἁμαρτήματα ἀναλγήτως διακείμενοι; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ πολλὰ ἔχων κατορθώματα, ῥᾳδίως ἂν καὶ ἐντεῦθεν τὰ ἁμαρτήματα συσκιάσειεν· ὁ δὲ γυμνὸς, ὅπου ἂν δέξηται βέλος, καιρίαν δέχεται πληγήν. Ἵν' οὖν μὴ τοῦτο γένηται, ὁπλίσωμεν ἑαυτοὺς ἀγαθοῖς ἔργοις, κἂν προσγένηταί τι πλημμέλημα, ἀπονιψώμεθα· ἵνα καταξιωθῶμεν, εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ ζήσαντες τὸν παρόντα βίον, τῆς μελλούσης ἀπολαῦσαι ζωῆς· 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. 57.343 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΚΖʹ. Καὶ ἐλθὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν Πέτρου, εἶδε τὴν πενθερὰν αὐτοῦ βεβλημένην καὶ πυρέσ σουσαν· καὶ ἥψατο τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῆς, καὶ ἀφῆκεν αὐτὴν ὁ πυρετός· καὶ ἠγέρθη, καὶ διηκόνει αὐτῷ. αʹ. Ὁ δὲ Μάρκος καὶ, εὐθέως, προσέθηκε, βουλόμενος καὶ τὸν χρόνον δηλῶσαι· οὗτος δὲ μόνον τὸ σημεῖον τέθεικε, τὸν χρόνον οὐκ ἐπισημηνάμενος. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἄλλοι φασὶν, ὅτι καὶ παρεκάλεσεν αὐτὸν ἡ κατακειμένη· οὗτος δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ἐσίγησε. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἔστι διαφωνίας, ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν συντομίας, τὸ δὲ ἀκριβοῦς ἐξηγήσεως. Ἀλλὰ τίνος ἕνεκεν εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ Πέτρου; Ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ, τροφῆς μεταληψόμενος· τοῦτο γοῦν ἐδήλωσεν εἰπών· Ἀνέστη, καὶ διηκόνει αὐτῷ. Παρὰ γὰρ τοῖς μαθηταῖς κατήγετο, ὥσπερ καὶ παρὰ Ματθαίῳ, ὅτε αὐτὸν ἐκάλεσε, τιμῶν αὐτοὺς καὶ προθυμοτέρους ταύτῃ ποιῶν. Σὺ δέ μοι σκόπει καὶ ἐνταῦθα τοῦ Πέτρου τὴν αἰδῶ τὴν πρὸς αὐτόν. Ἔχων γὰρ τὴν πενθερὰν οἴκοι κειμένην καὶ πυρέσσουσαν σφοδρῶς, οὐχ εἵλκυσεν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν, ἀλλ' ἔμεινε καὶ τὴν διδασκαλίαν ἀπαρτισθῆναι, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους θεραπευθῆναι πάντας, καὶ τότε αὐτὸν εἰσελθόντα παρεκάλεσεν. Οὕτως ἐξ ἀρχῆς 57.344.40 ἐπαιδεύετο τὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἑαυτοῦ προτιθέναι. Οὐκοῦν οὐδ' αὐτὸς αὐτὸν εἰσάγει, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς αὐτομάτως ἐπέβη, μετὰ τὸ εἰπεῖν τὸν ἑκατόνταρχον· Οὐκ εἰμὶ ἄξιος, ἵνα μου ὑπὸ τὴν στέγην εἰσέλθῃς· δεικνὺς ὅσον ἐχαρίζετο τῷ μαθητῇ. Καίτοι ἐννόησον οἷα ἦν τὰ δώματα τῶν ἁλιέων τούτων· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἀπηξίου ὑπὸ τὰς καλύβας αὐτῶν εἰσιέναι τὰς εὐτελεῖς, παιδεύων σε διὰ πάντων τὸν ἀνθρώπινον καταπατεῖν τύφον. Καὶ ποτὲ μὲν λόγοις θεραπεύει μόνον, ποτὲ δὲ καὶ τὴν χεῖρα ἐκτείνει, ποτὲ δὲ ἀμφότερα ταῦτα ποιεῖ, εἰς ὄψιν ἄγων τὴν ἰατρείαν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐβούλετο ἀεὶ μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς θαυματουργεῖν. Ἔδει γὰρ τέως λανθάνειν, καὶ μάλιστα ἐπὶ τῶν μαθητῶν· καὶ γὰρ ἐκ πολλῆς ἡδονῆς πάντα ἂν ἐκήρυξαν. Καὶ τοῦτο δῆλον ἐξ