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he has undertaken the work, what need is there of care? He gathers everything together, and raises up the house. And not only is this wonderful, but that He so builds it as is pleasing to you; or rather, even beyond what is pleasing, and beyond what you wish. For He is the best craftsman, and greatly cares for your interests. Even if you are poor, and wish to build this house, it brings you no envy, nor does it beget malice toward you. For no one who knows how to envy sees it, but the angels who know how to rejoice at your good things; no one will be able to encroach upon its borders; for no one dwells near it who is sick with such things. You have neighbors there, the saints, those with Paul and Peter, all the prophets, the martyrs, the company of angels, of archangels. For all these reasons, let us empty out our possessions upon the poor, that we may obtain those tabernacles; which may it be granted for us all to obtain, 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, for ever and ever. Amen.

59.311 HOMILY 57. When Jesus had said these things, He spat on the ground, and made clay

from the spittle, and He anointed the clay on the eyes of the blind man, and said, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.

1. Those who are about to reap some fruit from what is read must not pass over even the smallest of the things said. For this is why we were commanded to search the Scriptures, because many things, though they seem easy on the surface, have much meaning hidden in their depth. For see what the present passage is like. For having said these things, it says, He spat on the ground. What things? That the glory of God might be made manifest, and that, I must work the works of Him that sent Me. For the evangelist did not simply remind us of what had been said, and then add that He spat; but was showing that He confirmed the word by the works. And why did He not use water, but spittle for the clay? He was about to send him to Siloam. Therefore, so that nothing might be attributed to the spring, but that you might learn that the power which came forth from His mouth, that same power both formed and opened the eyes, He spat on the ground. Indeed, the evangelist, noting this, said, And He made clay from the spittle. Then, so that the achievement might not seem to be of the earth, He commanded him to wash. For what reason, then, did He not do this immediately, but sent him to Siloam? So that you might learn the faith of the blind man; and so that the ungratefulness of the Jews might be silenced. For it was likely that all would see him going away, having the clay smeared upon his eyes. For by the strangeness of it, he would have turned everyone to himself, both those who knew him and those who did not, and they would have paid close attention to him. For since it is not easy to recognize a blind man who has regained his sight, He causes many to become witnesses beforehand through the long journey, and careful observers by the strangeness of the sight, so that having become more attentive they might no longer be able to say, This is he, or, this is not he. And in addition to these things He also wishes to establish that He is not alien to the Law and the Old Testament, by sending him to Siloam. For it was no longer possible to suspect that Siloam should get the glory. For many had often washed their eyes there and enjoyed no such benefit. For there too it was the power of Christ, which works all things. For this reason also the evangelist adds for us the interpretation. For having said, In Siloam, he added, Which is, sent; so that you might learn that there too Christ healed him, just as Paul says: For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. Just as, therefore, the Rock was a spiritual Christ, so also Siloam was spiritual. But it seems to me also that the sudden appearance of the water hints at a secret mystery for us. Which then

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τὸ ἔργον ἀναδέξηται, τίς χρεία φροντίδος; Ἐκεῖνος πάντα συνάγει, καὶ ἀνίστησι τὴν οἰκίαν. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ θαυμαστὸν, ἀλλ' ὅτι οὕτως αὐτὴν οἰκοδομεῖ, ὥς σοι ἀρεστόν ἐστιν· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ὑπὲρ τὸ ἀρεστὸν, καὶ ὑπὲρ ὃ βούλει. Τεχνίτης γάρ ἐστιν ἄριστος, καὶ σφόδρα σου κήδεται τῶν συμφερόντων. Κἂν πένης ᾖς, καὶ βουληθῇς οἰκοδομῆσαι τὴν οἰκίαν ταύτην, οὐ φέρει σοι φθόνον, οὐδὲ τίκτει σοι βασκανίαν· Οὐδεὶς γὰρ αὐτὴν ὁρᾷ τῶν ἐπισταμένων φθονεῖν, ἀλλ' οἱ ἐπιστάμενοι χαίρειν ἄγγελοι τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς τοῖς σοῖς· οὐδεὶς αὐτὴν παρορίσαι δυνήσεται· οὐδεὶς γὰρ αὐτὴν παροικεῖ τῶν τὰ τοιαῦτα νοσούντων. Γείτονας ἔχεις ἐκεῖ, τοὺς ἁγίους, τοὺς περὶ Παῦλον καὶ Πέτρον, τοὺς προφήτας ἅπαντας, τοὺς μάρτυρας, τὸν δῆμον τῶν ἀγγέλων, τῶν ἀρχαγγέλων. ∆ιὰ δὴ ταῦτα πάντα, τὰ ὄντα εἰς τοὺς πένητας κενώσωμεν, ἵνα ἐκείνων ἐπιτύχωμεν τῶν σκηνῶν· ὧν γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

59.311 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΝΖʹ. Ταῦτα εἰπὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ἔπτυσε χαμαὶ, καὶ ἐποίησε πηλὸν

ἐκ τοῦ πτύσματος, καὶ ἐπέχρισε τὸν πη λὸν ἐπὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῦ τυφλοῦ, καὶ εἶ πεν· Ὕπαγε, νίψαι εἰς τὴν κολυμβήθραν τοῦ Σιλωάμ.

αʹ. Τοὺς μέλλοντάς τι παρὰ τῶν ἀναγινωσκομένων καρποῦσθαι, οὐδὲ τὸ

μικρὸν τῶν λεγομένων παρατρέχειν δεῖ. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐρευνᾷν τὰς Γραφὰς ἐκελεύσθημεν, ἐπειδὴ δοκεῖ τὰ πολλὰ, καίτοι γε αὐτόθεν ὄντα εὔκολα, πολλὴν ἐν τῷ βάθει διάνοιαν ἔχειν ἀποκεκρυμμένην. Ὅρα γὰρ οἷόν ἐστι καὶ τὸ παρόν. Ταῦτα γὰρ εἰπὼν, φησὶν, ἔπτυσε χαμαί. Ποῖα ταῦτα; Ἵνα φανερωθῇ ἡ δόξα τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ὅτι ∆εῖ με ἐργάζεσθαι τὰ ἔργα τοῦ πέμψαντός με. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ἀνέμνησεν ἡμᾶς τῶν εἰρημένων ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς, καὶ ἐπήγαγεν, ὅτι Ἔπτυσεν· ἀλλὰ δηλῶν ὅτι τὸν λόγον διὰ τῶν ἔργων ἐπιστώσατο. Καὶ διατί μὴ ὕδατι κέχρηται, ἀλλὰ πτύσματι εἰς τὸν πηλόν; Ἔμελλεν αὐτὸν πέμπειν εἰς τὸν Σιλωάμ. Ἵν' οὖν μηδὲν ἐπιγραφῇ τῇ πηγῇ, ἀλλὰ μάθῃς ὅτι ἡ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ἐξελθοῦσα δύναμις αὐτὴ καὶ διέπλασε καὶ ἀνέῳξε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, ἔπτυσε χαμαί. Τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς ἐπισημηνάμενος ἔλεγε, Καὶ ἐποίησε πηλὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ πτύσματος. Εἶτα, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ τῆς γῆς εἶναι τὸ κατόρθωμα, ἐκέλευσε νίψασθαι. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν οὐκ εὐθέως τοῦτο ἐποίησεν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὸν Σιλωὰμ ἔπεμψεν; Ἵνα μάθῃς τοῦ τυφλοῦ τὴν πίστιν· καὶ ἵνα ἐπιστομισθῇ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἡ ἀγνωμοσύνη. Εἰκὸς γὰρ ἦν ἅπαντας ὁρᾷν αὐτὸν ἀπιόντα, τὸν πηλὸν ἔχοντα ἐπὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς κεχρισμένον. Τῷ γὰρ παραδόξῳ πάντας ἂν ἐπέστρεψε πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, τούς τε εἰδότας αὐτὸν, τούς τε ἀγνοοῦντας, καὶ μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἂν αὐτῷ προσέσχον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐκ εὔκολον τυφλὸν ἀναβλέψαντα γνωρίσαι, πολλοὺς ποιεῖ γενέσθαι πρότερον μάρτυρας διὰ μακρᾶς τῆς ὁδοῦ, καὶ ἀκριβεῖς θεατὰς τῷ παραδόξῳ τῆς θέας, ἵνα προσεκτικώτεροι γενόμενοι μηκέτι δύνωνται λέγειν, Οὗτός ἐστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν οὗτος. Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις κἀκεῖνο βούλεται κατασκευάζειν, ὅτι οὐκ ἀλλότριός ἐστι τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῆς Παλαιᾶς, πέμπων εἰς τὸν Σιλωάμ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐκεῖνο λοιπὸν ὑποπτεῦσαι ἦν, μὴ ὁ Σιλωὰμ λάβῃ τὴν δόξαν. Καὶ γὰρ πολλοὶ πολλάκις ἐκεῖ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀπονιψάμενοι, οὐδενὸς ἀπήλαυσαν τοιούτου. Κἀκεῖ γὰρ ἡ δύναμις ἦν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἡ πάντα ἐργαζομένη. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὴν ἑρμηνείαν ἡμῖν προστίθησιν ὁ εὐαγγελιστής. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, Εἰς τὸν Σιλωὰμ, προσέθηκεν, Ὅ ἐστιν, ἀπεσταλμένος· ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι κἀκεῖ ὁ Χριστὸς αὐτὸν ἐθεράπευσε, καθάπερ ὁ Παῦλός φησιν· Ἔπινον γὰρ ἐκ πνευματικῆς ἀκολουθούσης πέτρας· ἡ δὲ πέτρα ἦν ὁ Χριστός. Ὥσπερ οὖν πέτρα ἦν ὁ Χριστὸς πνευματικὴ, οὕτω καὶ Σιλωὰμ ἦν πνευματικός. Ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ καὶ τὸ ἀθρόον τῆς τοῦ ὕδατος παρουσίας αἰνίττεσθαι μυστήριον ἡμῖν ἀπόῤῥητον. Ποῖον δὴ