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the crowd of affairs, both producing forgetfulness in us, and we need constant teaching. So that, therefore, we may not be gathered here in vain or to no purpose, let us provide the demonstration through works, so that we may also obtain the good things to 59.288 come, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father be the glory, together with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

59.287 HOMILY 52. Then the officers came to the chief priests and

Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “Never has a man spoken like this man.”

1. Nothing is clearer than truth, nothing simpler, unless

we act wickedly; just as, therefore, nothing is more difficult for those who act wickedly. For behold, the Pharisees and the scribes, who supposedly seemed to be wiser, being always with Christ, for the sake of plotting, and seeing miracles, and reading the Scriptures, gained nothing, but were even harmed; but the officers, having none of these things to speak of, were subdued by a single public speech, and having gone out to bind him, they returned bound by the wonder. One can marvel not only at their understanding, that they did not need signs, but were captured by his teaching alone (for they did not say, “Never has a man performed such miracles,” but what? “Never has a man spoken like this”); therefore one can marvel not only at their understanding, but also at their boldness, that they said these things to those who sent them, to the Pharisees, to those who were hostile, and doing everything on this account. For the officers, it says, came, and the Pharisees say to them: Why did you not bring him? But to have come was far greater than to have stayed. For then they would have been freed from their oppressiveness; but now they become heralds of the wisdom of Christ, and show their boldness more greatly; and they do not say, “We could not because of the crowd, because they regarded him as a prophet;” but what? “Never has a man spoken like this.” And yet they could have given that defense; but they show their own right judgment. For this was not only the act of those marveling at him, but also of those accusing them, because they sent them to bind him whom they ought to have heard. And yet they had not even heard a long discourse, but a short one. For when the mind is unbribed, there is no need of long speeches. For such is the truth. What then of the Pharisees? When they ought to have been pierced to the heart, they do the opposite, they reproach them, saying, “Have you also been deceived?” They still flatter them, and do not use harsh language, fearing they might be completely split off; but they show their anger, and speak with reserve. For when they ought to have asked what he said, and to have marveled at what was said, they do not do this; for they knew that they would be captured; but from a very foolish piece of evidence they reason with them. For why, it says, have none of the rulers believed in him? Do you then bring this charge against Christ, tell me, and not against those who disbelieved? But the crowd, it says, that does not know the law, they are accursed. For this is your greater accusation, that the crowd believed, but you disbelieved. And yet they were doing the things of those who know the law; how then are they accursed? For you are accursed, who do not keep the law; not they, who obey the law. But one ought not to slander the one who is disbelieved based on those who disbelieve. For this is not a right method. Since you also have disbelieved God, as Paul says: “For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the 59.288 faith of God of no effect? By no means.” For the prophets also always reproached them, saying: “Hear, you rulers of Sodom;” and, “Your rulers are disobedient;” and again, “Is it not for you to know judgment?” And

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πραγμάτων ὁ ὄχλος, καὶ λήθην ἡμῖν ἐμποιῶν, καὶ διδασκαλίας δεῖ ἡμῖν συνεχοῦς. Ἵν' οὖν μὴ μάτην μηδὲ εἰκῆ ἐνταῦθα συλλεγώμεθα, τὴν διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐπίδειξιν παρασχώμεθα, ἵνα καὶ τῶν μελ 59.288 λόντων ἐπιτύχωμεν ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

59.287 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΝΒʹ. Ἦλθον οὖν οἱ ὑπηρέται πρὸς τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ

Φαρισαίους, καὶ εἶπον αὐτοῖς ἐκεῖνοι· «∆ιατί οὐκ ἠγάγετε αὐτόν;» Ἀπεκρίθησαν οὖν οἱ ὑπη ρέται· «Οὐδέποτε οὕτως ἐλάλησεν ἄνθρωπος ὡς οὗτος ἄνθρωπος.»

αʹ. Οὐδὲν τῆς ἀληθείας σαφέστερον, οὐδὲν ἁπλούστερον, ἐὰν μὴ

κακουργῶμεν ἡμεῖς· ὥσπερ οὖν κακουργούντων οὐδὲν δυσκολώτερον. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ οἱ μὲν Φαρισαῖοι καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς, οἱ δῆθεν δοκοῦντες εἶναι σοφώτεροι, συνόντες ἀεὶ τῷ Χριστῷ, ἐπιβουλῆς ἕνεκεν, καὶ θαύματα ὁρῶντες, καὶ Γραφὰς ἀναγινώσκοντες, οὐδὲν ἀπώναντο, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐβλάβησαν· οἱ δὲ ὑπηρέται, οὐδὲν τούτων ἔχοντες εἰπεῖν, ἀπὸ μιᾶς μόνης δημηγορίας ἐχειρώθησαν, καὶ ἀπελθόντες ὥστε αὐτὸν δῆσαι, ἐπανῆλθον δεθέντες τῷ θαύματι. Οὐ τὴν σύνεσιν δὲ αὐτῶν θαυμάσαι μόνον ἔστιν, ὅτι σημείων οὐκ ἐδεήθησαν, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς διδασκαλίας μόνης ἑάλωσαν (οὐ γὰρ εἶπον, ὅτι Οὐδέποτε ἐθαυματούργησεν ἄνθρωπος οὕτως· ἀλλὰ τί; Οὐδέποτε ἐλάλησεν οὕτως ἄνθρωπος)· οὐ τοίνυν τὴν σύνεσιν αὐτῶν μόνον ἔστι θαυμάσαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν παῤῥησίαν, ὅτι πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστείλαντας ταῦτα ἔλεγον, πρὸς τοὺς Φαρισαίους, πρὸς τοὺς πολεμοῦντας, καὶ πάντα ὑπὲρ τούτου πράττοντας. Ἦλθον γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ ὑπηρέται, καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτοῖς οἱ Φαρισαῖοι· ∆ιατί οὐκ ἠγάγετε αὐτόν; Τὸ δὲ ἐλθεῖν, πολλῷ μεῖζον ἦν τοῦ μεῖναι. Τότε μὲν γὰρ ἀπηλλάγησαν ἂν τῆς τούτων ἐπαχθείας· νυνὶ δὲ κήρυκες γίνονται τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ σοφίας, καὶ μειζόνως ἐνδείκνυνται τὴν παῤῥησίαν· καὶ οὐ λέγουσιν, Οὐκ ἠδυνήθημεν διὰ τὸν ὄχλον, ὅτι ὡς προφήτῃ προσεῖχον· ἀλλὰ τί; Οὐδέποτε ἐλάλησεν οὕτως ἄνθρωπος. Καίτοι γε ἠδύναντο ἐκείνην εἰπεῖν τὴν ἀπολογίαν· ἀλλ' ἐμφαίνουσιν ἑαυτῶν τὴν ὀρθὴν γνώμην. Τοῦτο γὰρ οὐχὶ θαυμαζόντων ἐκεῖνον μόνον ἦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων κατηγορούντων, ὅτι ἔπεμψαν δήσοντας αὐτὸν αὐτοὺς, οὗ ἀκούειν ἐχρῆν. Καίτοι γε οὐδὲ μακρᾶς ἤκουσαν δημηγορίας, ἀλλὰ βραχείας. Ὅταν γὰρ ἡ διάνοια ἀδέκαστος ᾖ, οὐδὲ μακρῶν λόγων δεῖ. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ ἡ ἀλήθεια. Τί οὖν οἱ Φαρισαῖοι; ∆έον κατανυγῆναι, τὸ ἐναντίον ποιοῦσιν, ἀντεγκαλοῦσιν αὐτοῖς, Μὴ καὶ ὑμεῖς πεπλάνησθε; λέγοντες. Ἔτι αὐτοὺς κολακεύουσι, καὶ οὐ καταφορικῶς κέχρηνται τῷ λόγῳ, δεδοικότες μὴ τέλεον ἀποσχισθῶσιν· ἀλλὰ τὸν θυμὸν ἐμφαίνουσι, καὶ μετὰ φειδοῦς φθέγγονται. ∆έον γὰρ ἐρωτῆσαι, τί ἐλάλησε, καὶ θαυμάσαι τὰ λεχθέντα, τοῦτο μὲν οὐ ποιοῦσιν· ᾔδεισαν γὰρ ὅτι ἁλῶναι εἶχον· ἀπὸ δὲ τεκμηρίου σφόδρα ἀνοήτου αὐτοὺς συλλογίζονται. ∆ιατί γὰρ οὐδεὶς, φησὶ, τῶν ἀρχόντων ἐπίστευσεν εἰς αὐτόν; Τοῦτο οὖν τῷ Χριστῷ ἐγκαλεῖς, εἰπέ μοι, καὶ οὐχὶ τοῖς ἀπιστήσασιν; Ἀλλ' ὁ ὄχλος, φησὶν, ὁ μὴ γινώσκων τὸν νόμον, ἐπικατάρατοί εἰσιν. Αὕτη γὰρ ὑμῶν ἡ μείζων κατηγορία, ὅτι ὁ μὲν ὄχλος ἐπίστευσεν, ὑμεῖς δὲ ἠπιστήσατε. Καὶ μὴν τὰ τῶν γινωσκόντων τὸν νόμον ἐποίουν ἐκεῖνοι· πῶς οὖν ἐπάρατοί εἰσιν; Ὑμεῖς γὰρ ἐπάρατοι, οἱ μὴ τηροῦντες τὸν νόμον· οὐκ ἐκεῖνοι, οἱ τῷ νόμῳ πειθόμενοι. Ἐχρῆν δὲ οὐκ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀπιστούντων διαβάλλειν τὸν ἀπιστούμενον. Οὐ γὰρ ὀρθὸς τρόπος οὗτος. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ὑμεῖς ἠπιστήσατε τῷ Θεῷ, καθὼς Παῦλός φησι· Τί γὰρ, εἰ ἠπίστησάν τινες; Μὴ ἡ ἀπιστία αὐτῶν τὴν 59.288 πίστιν τοῦ Θεοῦ καταργήσει; Μὴ γένοιτο. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ προφῆται αὐτοῖς ἀεὶ ἐνεκάλουν λέγοντες· Ἀκούσατε, ἄρχοντες Σοδόμων· καὶ, Οἱ ἄρχοντές σου ἀπειθοῦσι· καὶ πάλιν, Οὐχ ὑμῶν ἐστι γνῶναι τὸ κρῖμα; Καὶ