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spiritual, though deaf you spoke. These miracles are greatest; these signs are marvelous. If we continue to perform these signs, we ourselves shall also become great and wonderful through them, and we shall draw all the wicked to virtue, and we shall enjoy the life to come; which may it be granted to us all to obtain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

57.387 HOMILY 33. Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

1. Since He made them confident concerning their necessary food, and the

opened to them the houses of all, and invested their entrance with a dignified air, not bidding them to enter as vagrants and beggars, but as much more honorable than those who received them (for this He showed by what He said: The laborer is worthy of his hire; and by what He commanded them to ask, who is worthy, and to abide there, and He commanded them to salute those who received them, and by what He threatened those intolerable evils to those who did not receive them); since, then, He had in this way cast out their anxiety, and had armed them with the display of signs, and had made them of iron and of adamant, having rid them of all worldly things, and freed them from every care of the moment; He then tells them also the evils that were to befall them, not only those that would happen a little later, but also those that would be after a long time, from the beginning and long beforehand preparing them for the war against the devil. For many things were set right by this; and first, to learn the power of His foreknowledge 57.388; and second, that no one should suspect that these terrible things came upon them because of the weakness of the Teacher; third, that those who endured these things should not be dismayed by their coming unexpectedly and against hope; fourth, that hearing these things they should not be disturbed at the very time of the cross. For they did suffer this very thing then, when He also upbraided them, saying: Because I have said these things unto you, sorrow has filled your heart; and none of you asks Me, Where are you going? And yet He had as yet said nothing concerning Himself, such as that He would be bound and scourged and put to death, so as not to confound their mind in this way also; but for the time being He foretells the things that would happen to them. Then, that they might learn that this is a new law of war, and a marvelous manner of engagement, sending them naked, with a single tunic, and unshod, and without a staff, and without a belt and purse, and commanding them to be fed by those who received them, He did not stop His discourse here, but showing His unspeakable power, He says: And so going forth, show the gentleness of sheep, and this when you are about to go to wolves; and not simply to wolves, but even into the midst of wolves. And 57.389 He commands them not only to have the gentleness of sheep, but also the harmlessness of the dove. For in this way I shall best show my strength, when sheep get the better of wolves, and while being in the midst of wolves, and receiving countless bites, not only are not consumed, but also change them; which is far more wonderful and greater than to destroy them, to change their mind, and to reshape their understanding; and this when they were only twelve, while the whole world was filled with wolves. Let us be ashamed, then, who do the opposite, who attack our enemies like wolves. For as long as we are sheep, we conquer; and even if ten thousand wolves surround us, we overcome and prevail; but if we become wolves, we are defeated; for the help of the Shepherd departs from us. For He shepherds not wolves, but sheep, and He leaves you and goes away; for you do not allow His power to be shown. For if

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πνευματικοὺς, κωφὸς ὢν ἐλάλησας. Ταῦτα τὰ θαύματα μέγιστα· ταῦτα τὰ σημεῖα παράδοξα. Ἂν ταῦτα τὰ σημεῖα ποιοῦντες διατελῶμεν, καὶ αὐτοὶ μεγάλοι τινὲς καὶ θαυμαστοὶ διὰ τούτων ἐσόμεθα, καὶ τοὺς πονηροὺς ἐπισπασόμεθα ἅπαντας εἰς ἀρετὴν, καὶ τῆς μελλούσης ἀπολαυσόμεθα 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.

57.387 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΛΓʹ. Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω ὑμᾶς ὡς πρόβατα ἐν μέσῳ λύκων. Γίνεσθε οὖν φρόνιμοι ὡς οἱ ὄφεις, καὶ ἀκέραιοι ὡς αἱ περιστεραί.

αʹ. Ἐπειδὴ περὶ τῆς ἀναγκαίας τροφῆς ἐποίησεν αὐτοὺς θαῤῥεῖν, καὶ τὰς

πάντων ἀνέῳξεν αὐτοῖς οἰκίας, καὶ σεμνὸν τῇ εἰσόδῳ αὐτῶν σχῆμα περιέθηκεν, οὐχ ὡς ἀλήτας καὶ προσαίτας εἰσιέναι κελεύων, ἀλλ' ὡς τῶν ὑποδεχομένων πολλῷ σεμνοτέρους (τοῦτο γὰρ ἔδειξε δι' ὧν ἔλεγεν· Ἄξιος ὁ ἐργάτης τοῦ μισθοῦ αὐτοῦ· καὶ δι' ὧν ἐκέλευσεν ἐρωτᾷν, τίς ἄξιος, κἀκεῖ μένειν, καὶ ἀσπάζεσθαι τοὺς δεχομένους προσέταττε, καὶ δι' ὧν τοῖς μὴ δεχομένοις τὰ ἀνήκεστα ἐκεῖνα ἠπείλησε κακά)· ἐπειδὴ οὖν ταύτῃ ἐξέβαλεν αὐτῶν τὴν φροντίδα, καὶ τῇ τῶν σημείων καθώπλισεν ἐπιδείξει, καὶ σιδηροῦς τινας καὶ ἀδαμαντίνους εἰργάσατο, πάντων ἀπαλλάξας τῶν βιωτικῶν, καὶ πάσης ἐλευθερώσας ἐπικαίρου μερίμνης αὐτούς· λέγει λοιπὸν καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα συμπίπτειν αὐτοῖς κακὰ, οὐ τὰ μικρὸν ὕστερον συμβησόμενα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ μετὰ μακρὸν ἐσόμενα χρόνον, ἄνωθεν καὶ πρὸ πολλοῦ τῷ πρὸς τὸν διάβολον προπαρασκευάζων αὐτοὺς πολέμῳ. Καὶ γὰρ πολλὰ ἐντεῦθεν κατωρθοῦτο· καὶ πρῶτον, τὸ μαθεῖν τῆς προγνώσεως 57.388 αὐτοῦ τὴν δύναμιν· δεύτερον δὲ, τὸ μηδένα ὑποπτεύειν, ὅτι δι' ἀσθένειαν τοῦ διδασκάλου ταῦτα ἐπῄει τὰ δεινά· τρίτον, τὸ τοὺς ὑπομένοντας ταῦτα μὴ ἐκπλήττεσθαι τῷ ἀπροσδοκήτως καὶ παρ' ἐλπίδα ἐκβαίνειν· τέταρτον, τὸ μὴ παρ' αὐτὸν τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ σταυροῦ ταῦτα ἀκούοντας θορυβηθῆναι. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἔπαθον τοῦτο αὐτὸ τότε, ὅτε καὶ ὀνειδίζων αὐτοῖς ἔλεγεν· Ὅτι ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν, ἡ λύπη πεπλήρωκεν ὑμῶν τὴν καρδίαν· καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐρωτᾷ με, Ποῦ ὑπάγεις; Καίτοι οὐδὲν οὐδέπω περὶ ἑαυτοῦ ἦν εἰρηκὼς, οἷον, ὅτι δεθήσεται καὶ μαστιγωθήσεται καὶ ἀναιρεθήσεται, ὥστε μὴ καὶ ταύτῃ συνταράξαι αὐτῶν τὴν διάνοιαν· ἀλλὰ τέως τὰ αὐτοῖς συμβησόμενα προαναφωνεῖ. Εἶτα ἵνα μάθωσιν, ὅτι καινὸς οὗτος ὁ τοῦ πολέμου νόμος, καὶ παράδοξος τῆς παρατάξεως ὁ τρόπος, γυμνοὺς πέμπων, καὶ μονοχίτωνας, καὶ ἀνυποδέτους, καὶ χωρὶς ῥάβδου, καὶ χωρὶς ζώνης καὶ πήρας, καὶ παρὰ τῶν δεχομένων κελεύων τρέφεσθαι, οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα τὸν λόγον ἔστησεν, ἀλλὰ δεικνὺς αὐτοῦ τὴν ἄφατον δύναμιν, φησί· Καὶ οὕτως ἀπιόντες, τὴν προβάτων ἡμερότητα ἐπιδείκνυσθε, καὶ ταῦτα πρὸς λύκους ἰέναι μέλλοντες· καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς πρὸς λύκους, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς μέσους λύκων. Καὶ 57.389 οὐ προβάτων ἡμερότητα μόνον ἔχειν κελεύει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς περιστερᾶς τὸ ἀκέραιον. Οὕτω γὰρ μάλιστα τὴν ἐμὴν ἐνδείξομαι ἰσχὺν, ὅταν πρόβατα λύκων περιγένηται, καὶ ἐν μέσῳ τῶν λύκων ὄντα, καὶ μυρία λαμβάνοντα δήγματα, μὴ μόνον μὴ καταναλίσκηται, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκείνους μεταβάλλῃ· ὃ πολλῷ θαυμαστότερόν ἐστι καὶ μεῖζον τοῦ ἀνελεῖν, τὸ μεταθεῖναι τὴν γνώμην, καὶ μεταῤῥυθμίσαι τὴν διάνοιαν· καὶ ταῦτα δώδεκα ὄντες μόνον, τῆς οἰκουμένης τῶν λύκων ἐμπεπλησμένης. Αἰσχυνώμεθα τοίνυν οἱ τἀναντία ποιοῦντες, οἱ ὡς λύκοι τοῖς ἐχθροῖς ἐπιτιθέμενοι. Ἕως γὰρ ἂν ὦμεν πρόβατα, νικῶμεν· κἂν μυρίοι περιστοιχίσωνται λύκοι, περιγινόμεθα καὶ κρατοῦμεν· ἂν δὲ γενώμεθα λύκοι, ἡττώμεθα· ἀφίσταται γὰρ ἡμῶν ἡ τοῦ ποιμένος βοήθεια. Οὐ γὰρ λύκους, ἀλλὰ πρόβατα ποιμαίνει, καὶ καταλιμπάνει σε καὶ ἀναχωρεῖ· οὐδὲ γὰρ συγχωρεῖς αὐτοῦ δειχθῆναι τὴν δύναμιν. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ