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has highly exalted him, it says, giving him the name that is above every name, that at his name every knee should bow." 2468 But you will understand these things according to the flesh. For the Son is God by nature, not laboring, not needing a reward in return for labors. Then again, using a human voice, he says that he was formed as a servant from the womb, not being formed insofar as he is Son, but insofar as he is a servant, wearing the servile flesh. For how could the Son, if he were a servant by nature, be said to be formed for |servitude? It is clear, then, that he is free by nature. For he also says this to Peter in the matter of the two-drachma tax, saying, "Then the sons are free." Therefore, he added "from the womb," so that both the time and manner of the servitude might be shown to be determined by the birth according to the flesh. And defining the reason for his servile formation, he added, "to gather Jacob." Therefore, if it were not for these, he would not have been formed, remaining in his unformed divinity. For Satan had scattered these along with the others from God, either practicing idolatry or teaching the commandments of men. But Christ reconciled them to the Father when they were enemies, to which Isaiah also called them, saying, "Let us make peace with him, let us who are coming make peace." And the disciples have also cried out: "We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us;" and again, "For God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself." But Israel and Jacob might be understood not only of those of the circumcision, to whom he also says he was sent, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles." But also everyone saved through faith. "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly," and what follows. Therefore, in the middle of the discourse, a persona of those being saved through faith is inserted, confessing that "I will be gathered to him," and the things that follow this. And they will be glorified, receiving the splendid boast of adoption, and they have him as strength for the accomplishment of what must be done. But some, taking "I will be gathered" and what follows it as about Christ, have omitted how it is fitting. And others have said that it can be understood as referring to the prophet, signifying the recall of Israel and the gathering of the dispersed. But anagogically, it refers also to the Savior, the fount of the just, just as the discourse about evils refers to the author of evil. But to the Savior the Father says, "It is a great thing for you to be called my child," or "my servant," according to the others. For it is truly a great deed for the Son, formed for servitude, to take the form of a servant for the salvation of the human nature which he created. For this reason he is also glorified, as one who did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. And otherwise it is great for a man, but small for God, "to establish," it says, "the tribes of Jacob." Therefore he first preached to them, who were captives in their souls, release, and to the blind, recovery of sight. But since they denied the grace, 2469 they consequently added: Behold, I have set you as a light to the Gentiles. And the others have also rendered it thus. Therefore, beginning the present prophecy, he said: "Listen to me, O isles, and pay attention, O nations;" for the nations had to hear this: Behold, I have set you as a light to the nations. For it was not right that so great a plan of salvation should fail, when Israel disobeyed and loved the darkness. And yet one of the prophets said to them: "Shine, shine, O Jerusalem. For your light has come," and what follows this; and another, "for you who fear me the sun of righteousness shall arise." Then, addressing the nations, he adds, "Thus says the Lord." But to those who do not know who the Lord is, he says: "The one who redeemed Israel." For you have heard how he saved them long ago from Egypt. But others say that this was said to those of the circumcision, as if "I who redeemed you long ago command you, that you might not stumble on the stumbling stone." Sanctify the one who despises his own soul. For by as much as he humbled himself to the point of death, even death on a cross, by so much glorify and sanctify him. But if it were said to the nations, it testifies that they should not suffer the same thing as the Jews. But "sanctify" means "consider him venerable and holy." For while we were still sinners, for the ungodly he suffered

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ὑπερύψωσεν αὐτὸν, φησὶ, τὸ ὄνομα δοὺς τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα, ἵνα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ." 2468 Ταῦτα δὲ κατὰ σάρκα νοήσεις. Φύσει γὰρ Θεὸς ὁ Υἱὸς, οὐ κοπιῶν, οὐκ ἀμοιβὴν ἀντὶ κόπων δεόμενος. Εἶτα πάλιν ἀνθρωποπρεπεῖ κεχρημένος φωνῇ, δοῦλον ἑαυτὸν ἐκ κοιλίας πεπλάσθαι φησὶ, καθὸ μὲν Υἱὸς, μὴ πλαττόμενος· καθὸ δὲ δοῦλος, τὴν δούλην σάρκα φορῶν. Πῶς γὰρ ἂν, εἰ φύσει δοῦλος ἦν ὁ Υἱὸς, εἰς |δουλείαν ἐλέγετο πλάττεσθαι; ∆ῆλον οὖν ὡς κατὰ φύσιν ὑπάρχων ἐλεύθερος. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἐν τῇ τοῦ διδράχμου συνεισφορᾷ πρὸς τὸν Πέτρον φησὶν, "Ἄρα, λέγων, ἐλεύθεροί εἰσιν οἱ υἱοί." Τοιγαροῦν, τὸ ἐκ κοιλίας προσέθηκεν, ὡς ἂν δειχθῆ τῆς δουλείας ὅ τε χρόνος καὶ τρόπος τῇ κατὰ σάρκα γεννήσει διοριζόμενος. Καὶ τῆς δουλικῆς πλάσεως τὴν αἰτίαν διοριζόμενος, ἐπήγαγεν τοῦ συνάγειν τὸν Ἰακώβ. Οὐκοῦν εἰ μὴ διὰ τούτους, οὐκ ἂν ἐπλάσθη ἐν τῇ ἀπλάστῳ μένων θεότητι. Καὶ τούτους γὰρ μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ὁ Σατανᾶς ἐκ Θεοῦ διεσκέδασεν, ἢ εἰδωλολατροῦντας, ἢ ἐντάλματα ἀνθρώπων διδάσκοντας. Ἀλλ' ἐχθροὺς ὄντας ὁ Χριστὸς διήλλαξε τῷ Πατέρι, πρὸς ὅπερ αὐτοὺς καὶ Ἡσαΐας ἐκάλει, Ποιήσωμεν εἰρήνην, αὐτῷ λέγων, ποιήσωμεν εἰρήνην οἱ ἐρχόμενοι. Καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ δὲ κεκράγασιν· "Ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ πρεσβεύομεν, ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ παρακαλοῦντος δι' ἡμῶν·" καὶ πάλιν, "Θεὸς γὰρ ἦν Χριστῷ κόσμον ἑαυτῷ καταλλάσσων." Νοοῖτο δ' ἂν Ἰσραὴλ καὶ Ἰακὼβ οὐ μόνον ἐκ περιτομῆς, ἐφ' οὓς καὶ ἀπεστάλθαι φησὶν λέγων· "Εἰς ὁδὸν ἐθνῶν μὴ πορεύεσθε." Ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶς ὁ σωθεὶς διὰ πίστεως. "Οὐ γὰρ ὁ ἐν τῷ φανερῷ μόνον Ἰουδαῖος," καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Τοιγαροῦν καὶ μεταξὺ τοῦ λόγου παρεμβέβληται πρόσωπον τῶν διὰ πίστεως σωζομένων ὁμολογούντων, ὅτι Πρὸς αὐτὸν συναχθήσομαι, καὶ τὰ τούτοις ἑπόμενα. ∆οξάσονται δὲ καὶ τὸ λαμπρὸν αὔχημα τῆς υἱοθεσίας λαμβάνοντες, καὶ αὐτὸν ἰσχὺν ἔχουσι πρὸς τὴν τῶν πρακτέων κατόρθωσιν. Τινὲς δὲ καὶ τὸ, συναχθήσομαι, καὶ τὰ ἐπ' αὐτῷ, περὶ Χριστοῦ λαβόντες, τὸ πῶς ἁρμόττει παρέλιπον. Ἄλλοι δὲ καὶ εἰς τὸν προφήτην εἰρήκασι δύνασθαι νοηθῆναι, σημαῖνον ἀνάκλησιν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ τῶν διασπαρέντων ἐπισυναγωγή. Κατὰ ἀναγωγὴν δὲ, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν Σωτῆρα τὴν τῶν δικαίων πηγὴν, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ περὶ κακῶν λόγος εἰς τὸν ἀρχέκακον ἀναφέρεται. Πρὸς δὲ τὸν Σωτῆρά φησιν ὁ Πατὴρ, Μέγα σοί ἐστι τοῦ κληθῆναί σε παῖδά μου ἢ δοῦλόν μου, κατὰ τοὺς λοιπούς. Μέγα γὰρ ἔργον ὡς ἀληθῶς, τοῦ πρὸς δουλείαν πλασθέντος Υἱοῦ, τὸ μορφὴν δούλου λαβεῖν πρὸς σωτηρίαν ἧς ἐδημιούργησεν ἀνθρώπου φύσεως. ∆ιὸ καὶ δοξάζεται, ὡς οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγησάμενος τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ. Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ μέγα ὡς ἀνθρώπῳ, μικρὸν δὲ ὡς Θεῷ, τοῦ στῆσαι, φησὶ τὰς φυλὰς Ἰακώβ. ∆ιὸ καὶ πρώτοις ἐκήρυττεν αὐτοῖς αἰχμαλώτοις οὖσι τὰς ψυχὰς ἄφεσιν, καὶ τυφλοῖς ἀνάβλεψιν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὴν χάριν ἠρνή 2469 σαντο, ἀκολούθως ἐπήνεγκεν· Ἰδοὺ τέθεικά σε εἰς φῶς ἐνθῶν. Καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ δὲ οὕτως ἐξέδωκαν. ∆ιὸ τῆς παρούσης προφητείας ἀρχόμενος ἔλεγεν· Ἀκούσατέ μου, νῆσοι, καὶ προσέχετε, ἔθνη· ἔδει γὰρ ἀκοῦσαι τὰ ἔθνη τό· Ἰδοὺ τέθεικά σε εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐχρῆν τὴν τοσαύτην οἰκονομίαν ἀποτυχεῖν, ἀπειθήσαντος Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ τὸ σκότος ἠγαπηκότος. Καίτοι τῶν προφητῶν ὁ μέν τις ἔφασκε πρὸς αὐτούς· "Φωτίζου, φωτίζου, Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ἥκει γάρ σου τὸ φῶς," καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τούτῳ· ὁ δὲ, "ἀνατελεῖ ὑμῖν τοῖς φοβουμένοις με ἥλιος δικαιοσύνης." Λοιπὸν τοῖς ἔθνεσι προσφωνῶν ἐπάγει, Οὕτως λέγει Κύριος. Ἀγνοοῦσι δὲ τίς ὁ Κύριος, φησίν· Ὁ ῥυσάμενος τὸν Ἰσραήλ. Ἠκούσατε γὰρ πῶς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου πάλαι τούτους διέσωσεν. Ἄλλοι δὲ πρὸς τοὺς ἐκ περιτομῆς εἰρῆσθαι τοῦτό φασιν, ὡς ὁ πάλαι σε ῥυσάμενος ἐντέλλομαί σοι, ὡς ἂν μὴ προσκόψῃς τῷ λίθῳ τοῦ προσκόμματος. Ἁγιάσατε τὸν φαυλίζοντα τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ. Ὅσῳ γὰρ ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν μέχρι θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ· τοσούτῳ δοξάσατε, καὶ ἁγιάσατε αὐτόν· εἰ δὲ πρὸς τὰ ἔθνη λέγοιτο, διαμαρτύρεται μὴ ταυτὸ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις παθεῖν. Τὸ δὲ ἁγιάσατε, σεπτὸν καὶ ἅγιον ὑπολάβετε. Ἔτι γὰρ ὄντων ἡμῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, ὑπὲρ ἀσεβῶν ἔπαθεν ὁ