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not even after he had departed from this wicked trade, but He snatched him from the midst of his evils; just as He also converted the blessed Paul while he was raging and maddened and breathing fire; which he himself, making an example of the power of Him who called him, says to the Galatians: You have heard of my former manner of life in Judaism, that I persecuted the Church of God beyond measure; and the fishermen also He called while they were in the midst of their work. But that, on the one hand, was a trade not indeed disreputable, but of men rather rustically disposed, and unsociable, and possessing much simplicity; but this pursuit was full of shamelessness and insolence, and a profit 57.363 having no reasonable pretext, and a shameless business, and 57.363 a robbery having a lawful appearance; but nevertheless He who called was ashamed of none of these things. And why do I say, if He was not ashamed of a tax collector, when indeed He was not only not ashamed to call even a prostitute woman, but even permitted her to kiss His feet and to wet them with her tears? For He came for this reason, not to heal bodies only, but also to cure the wickedness of the soul. Which He also did in the case of the paralytic; and having shown clearly that He is able to forgive sins, He then comes to this man, so that they might no longer be disturbed on seeing a tax collector being enrolled in the choir of the disciples. For He who is Lord to forgive all transgressions, why do you marvel if He also makes this man an apostle? But just as you have seen the power of Him who called, so also consider the obedience of him who was called. For he neither resisted, nor did he say in doubt: What is this? Are you perhaps calling such a one as me with a deceitful call? for indeed, again, this humility would be untimely; but he immediately obeyed, and did not even think fit to go home and to communicate this to his own people, just as the fishermen did not; but in the way that they left the net and the boat and their father, so also this man, leaving his tax-office and his profit, followed, showing a will prepared for all things; and tearing himself away from all worldly things at once, he bore witness to the timeliness of Him who called through his perfect obedience. And for what reason, he says, has it not also told us concerning the others, how and in what manner they were called, but only concerning Peter and James and John and Philip, and nowhere concerning the others? Because these men especially were in the most unseemly and humble occupations. For there is nothing worse than tax collecting, nor more lowly than fishing. And that Philip also was among the very obscure, is clear from his hometown. For this reason they proclaim these men especially to us, along with their occupations, showing that one must believe them also in the glorious parts of the narratives. For those who choose to omit nothing of the things which seem to be reproachful, but before other things proclaim these with accuracy, both concerning the Master and concerning the disciples, how could they be suspected concerning the venerable things? and especially when they pass over many signs and wonders, but cry out with accuracy the things concerning the cross that seem to be reproaches; and reveal with a clear voice the occupations and failings of the disciples, and the ancestors of the Master who are renowned for their sins? From which it is clear that they made much account of the truth, and wrote nothing to give pleasure, nor for display. 2. Having therefore called him, He also honored him with the greatest honor, by immediately sharing His table with him; for by this He made him hopeful also for the things to come, and led him to greater confidence. For not after a long time, but at once He healed his wickedness. And He does not recline with him alone, but with many others also; and yet this also seemed to be an accusation against Him, that He did not drive away the sinners. But they do not hide this either, what sort of things they attempt to charge against the things done by Him. And the tax collectors come together as to one of the same trade; for taking pride in the coming of Christ, he called them all together. For indeed Christ employed every kind of healing, and not 57.364 only by discoursing, nor by healing, nor by refuting His enemies, but also by dining He was correcting many of the

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οὐδὲ ἀποστάντα τῆς πονηρᾶς ταύτης καπηλείας, ἀλλ' ἐκ μέσων αὐτὸν ἀνέσπασε τῶν κακῶν· καθάπερ οὖν καὶ τὸν μακάριον Παῦλον μαινόμενον καὶ λυττῶντα καὶ πῦρ ἀφιέντα μετέστησεν· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ αὐτὸς δεῖγμα ποιούμενος τῆς τοῦ καλέσαντος δυνάμεως, φησὶ Γαλάταις· Ἠκούσατε τὴν ἐμὴν ἀναστροφήν ποτε ἐν τῷ Ἰουδαϊσμῷ, ὅτι καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ἐδίωκον τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ τοὺς ἁλιέας δὲ ἐν μέσοις τοῖς ἔργοις ὄντας ἐκάλεσεν. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο μὲν τέχνη τις ἦν οὐ διαβεβλημένη μὲν, ἀνθρώπων δὲ ἀγροικότερον διακειμένων, καὶ ἀμίκτων, καὶ πολὺ τὸ ἀφελὲς κεκτημένων· τοῦτο δὲ ἐπιτήδευμα ἀναισχυντίας γέμον ἦν καὶ ἰταμότητος, καὶ κέρδος 57.363 οὐκ ἔχον πρόφασιν εὔλογον, καὶ ἐμπορία ἀναιδὴς, καὶ 57.363 ἁρπαγὴ σχῆμα ἔχουσα ἔννομον· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲν τούτων ἐπῃσχύνετο ὁ καλέσας. Καὶ τί λέγω, εἰ τελώνην οὐκ ἐπῃσχύνετο, ὅπου γε οὐδὲ πόρνην γυναῖκα οὐ μόνον καλέσαι οὐκ ἐπῃσχύνθη, ἀλλὰ καὶ φιλῆσαι τοὺς πόδα, αὐτοῦ καὶ βρέξαι τοῖς δάκρυσι παρεῖχεν αὐτῇ; Καὶ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο παραγέγονεν, οὐχ ἵνα σώματα θεραπεύσῃ μόνον, ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ ψυχῆς κακίαν ἰάσηται. Ὃ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ παραλυτικοῦ πεποίηκε· καὶ δείξας σαφῶς, ὅτι δύναται ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας, τότε ἐπὶ τοῦτον ἔρχεται, ἵνα μηκέτι θορυβῶνται τελώνην ὁρῶντες εἰς τὸν τῶν μαθητῶν ἐγκρινόμενον χορόν. Ὁ γὰρ κύριος ὢν λῦσαι τὰ πεπλημμελημένα πάντα, τί θαυμάζεις εἰ καὶ τοῦτον ἀπόστολον ποιεῖ; Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ εἶδες τοῦ καλέσαντος τὴν δύναμιν, οὕτω καταμάνθανε καὶ τοῦ κληθέντος τὴν ὑπακοήν. Οὔτε γὰρ ἀντέτεινεν, οὐδὲ ἀμφισβητῶν εἶπε· Τί τοῦτο; ἆρα μὴ ἀπατηλῇ κλήσει ἐμὲ τὸν τοιοῦτον καλεῖς; καὶ γὰρ ἄκαιρος αὕτη πάλιν ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη· ἀλλ' εὐθέως ὑπήκουσε, καὶ οὐδὲ οἴκαδε ἀπελθεῖν ἠξίωσε, καὶ τοῖς αὐτοῦ περὶ τούτου κοινώσασθαι, ὥσπερ οὖν οὐδὲ οἱ ἁλιεῖς· ἀλλ' ὃν τρόπον ἐκεῖνοι τὸ δίκτυον καὶ τὸ πλοῖον καὶ τὸν πατέρα, οὕτω καὶ οὗτος τὴν τελωνείαν καὶ τὸ κέρδος ἀφεὶς εἵπετο, παρεσκευασμένην πρὸς ἅπαντα τὴν γνώμην ἐπιδεικνύμενος· καὶ πάντων ἀθρόως ἑαυτὸν ἀποῤῥηγνὺς τῶν βιωτικῶν, ἐμαρτύρει τῇ εὐκαιρίᾳ τοῦ καλέσαντος διὰ τῆς ἀπηρτισμένης ὑπακοῆς. Καὶ τί δήποτε, φησὶν, οὐχὶ καὶ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων εἶπεν ἡμῖν, πῶς καὶ τίνα τρόπον ἐκλήθησαν, ἀλλὰ περὶ Πέτρου καὶ Ἰακώβου καὶ Ἰωάννου καὶ Φιλίππου, περὶ δὲ τῶν ἄλλων οὐδαμοῦ; Ὅτι οὗτοι μάλιστα ἦσαν ἐν τοῖς ἀτόποις καὶ ταπεινοῖς ἐπιτηδεύμασιν. Οὔτε γὰρ τελωνείας τι χεῖρον, οὔτε ἁλείας εὐτελέστερον. Ὅτι δὲ καὶ Φίλιππος τῶν σφόδρα ἀσήμων ἦν, ἀπὸ τῆς πατρίδος δῆλον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τούτους μάλιστα ἡμῖν ἀνακηρύττουσι μετὰ τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων, δηλοῦντες ὅτι καὶ ἐν τοῖς λαμπροῖς τῶν διηγημάτων τούτοις πιστεύειν χρή. Οἱ γὰρ τῶν δοκούντων ἐπονειδίστων εἶναι μηδὲν αἱρούμενοι παραλιπεῖν, ἀλλὰ πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ταῦτα μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἀνακηρύττοντες, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ∆ιδασκάλου καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν μαθητῶν, πῶς ἂν εἶεν ἐπὶ τῶν σεμνῶν ὕποπτοι; καὶ μάλιστα ὅταν σημεῖα μὲν πολλὰ καὶ θαύματα παρατρέχωσι, τὰ δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ δοκοῦντα εἶναι ὀνείδη μετὰ ἀκριβείας βοῶσι· καὶ τῶν μαθητῶν τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα καὶ τὰ ἐλαττώματα, καὶ τοῦ ∆ιδασκάλου τοὺς προγόνους τοὺς ἐπὶ ἁμαρτήμασι βεβοημένους λαμπρὰ ἐκκαλύπτωσι τῇ φωνῇ; Ὅθεν δῆλον ὅτι πολὺν τῆς ἀληθείας ἐποιοῦντο λόγον, καὶ οὐδὲν πρὸς χάριν, οὐδὲ πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν ἔγραφον. βʹ. Καλέσας τοίνυν αὐτὸν, καὶ τιμῇ μεγίστῃ τετίμηκε, τραπέζης αὐτῷ κοινωνήσας εὐθέως· ταύτῃ γὰρ αὐτὸν καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν μελλόντων εὔελπιν ἐποίει· καὶ εἰς πλείονα παῤῥησίαν ἦγεν. Οὐ γὰρ χρόνῳ μακρῷ, ἀλλ' ἀθρόον ἰάσατο τὴν κακίαν. Καὶ οὐκ αὐτῷ συνανάκειται μόνῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέροις πολλοῖς· καίτοι καὶ τοῦτο ἐδόκει αὐτοῦ ἔγκλημα εἶναι, ὅτι οὐκ ἀπεσόβησε τοὺς ἁμαρτωλούς. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦτο κρύπτουσιν, οἷα ἐπισκήπτειν ἐπιχειροῦσι τοῖς παρ' αὐτοῦ γινομένοις. Συνέρχονται δὲ οἱ τελῶναι ὡς πρὸς ὁμότεχνον· ἐγκαλλωπιζόμενος γὰρ τῇ εἰσόδῳ τῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, πάντας αὐτοὺς συνεκάλεσε. Καὶ γὰρ πᾶν εἶδος θεραπείας ὁ Χριστὸς ἐκίνει, καὶ οὐχὶ 57.364 διαλεγόμενος μόνον, οὐδὲ θεραπεύων, οὐδὲ ἐλέγχων τοὺς ἐχθροὺς, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀριστῶν διώρθου πολλοὺς τῶν