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being high priest that year, said, being more shameless than the rest: You know nothing. What they were doubting, and were proposing in the manner of counsel, (for they said: What are we to do?) this man shamelessly and with a bare head, and with audacity cried out. For what does he say? You know nothing, nor do you consider that it is expedient that one man should die, and that the whole nation should not perish. This he said not of himself, but being high priest, he prophesied. Do you see how great is the power of the high priestly authority? For since he had been altogether deemed worthy of the high priesthood, although being unworthy of the office, he prophesied, not knowing what he was saying; and grace used only his mouth, but did not touch his defiled heart. Certainly many others also spoke of things to come, being unworthy, Nebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh, Balaam; and the cause of all is clear. But what he says is something like this: You sit still, you attend to the matter still more slothfully, and you know not how to disregard the safety of one man for the sake of the community. See how great is the power of the Spirit; from a wicked mind it had the strength to bring forth words full of wonderful prophecy. The evangelist calls the Gentiles children of God, from what was about to be; just as He Himself also says: And other sheep I have, He Himself also calling them from what was to come. But what is, Being high priest that year? Along with the other things, this also had been corrupted. For they no longer served as priests for the entire time of their life, but for a year, since the offices had become purchasable. Nevertheless, even so the Spirit was still present. But when they lifted their hands against Christ, then it abandoned them, and passed over to the apostles. And the veil being torn showed this, and the voice of Christ saying: Behold, your house is left to you desolate. And Josephus, who lived a short time after, said that certain angels who were still abiding, since those willed to depart, left them. For as long as the vineyard stood, all things were happening; but when they killed the heir, no longer so, but they were destroyed; and just as a splendid garment from a useless child, the Jews, God, taking it, gave to the well-disposed servants from the Gentiles, leaving them desolate and naked. And this was no small thing, that even their enemy prophesied these things. This was able to draw in the others also. For according to his own choice, it turned out the opposite way. For because he died, for this reason the faithful were delivered from the punishment to come. What is it, That he might gather together the near, and those far off? He made one body. He who sits in Rome considers the Indians to be a member 59.362 of himself. What is equal to this gathering? And Christ is the head of all. From that day the Jews took counsel that they might kill him. And yet they were seeking before. For it says: For this reason the Jews sought to kill him; and, Why do you seek to kill me? But then they were seeking, but now they also ratified the decision, and have treated the matter as a done deed. Jesus therefore no longer walked openly in Judea. Again he saves himself in a human manner, and does this continually. 2. I have stated the cause for which he often went away and withdrew. And now he stays near the wilderness in Ephrata, and there he remained with his disciples. How do you think the disciples were disturbed, seeing him being saved in a human way? No one else followed. For since the feast was near, all were running to Jerusalem; but they, when all were rejoicing and celebrating, then they are in hiding, then they are in danger; but nevertheless they remained. For also in Galilee, when it was Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles, they were hiding; and again after this, when the feast was on, by fleeing and hiding alone of all the others with their Teacher, showing their good will. Hence Luke says that he said, I have remained with you in the temptations. And he said these things, showing that they are strengthened by his influence. And many went up from the country to purify themselves. And the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders, that they might seize him. A wonderful purification, with

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ἀρχιερεὺς ὢν τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἐκείνου, εἶπεν, ἀναισχυντότερος ὢν τῶν λοιπῶν· Ὑμεῖς οὐκ οἴδατε οὐδέν. Ἅπερ ἐκεῖνοι ἀμφέβαλλον, καὶ ἐν τάξει βουλῆς προετίθεσαν, (ἔλεγον γάρ· Τί ποιοῦμεν;) τοῦτο οὗτος ἀναισχύντως καὶ γυμνῇ τῇ κεφαλῇ, καὶ μετὰ ἰταμότητος ἀνεβόησε. Τί γάρ φησιν; Ὑμεῖς οὐκ οἴδατε οὐδὲν, οὐδὲ διαλογίζεσθε ὅτι συμφέρει, ἵνα εἷς ἄνθρωπος ἀποθάνῃ, καὶ μὴ ὅλον τὸ ἔθνος ἀπόληται. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ εἶπεν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ προεφήτευσεν ἀρχιερεὺς ὤν. Ὁρᾷς πόση τῆς ἀρχιερατικῆς ἐξουσίας ἡ δύναμις; Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὅλως ἠξίωτο τῆς ἀρχιερωσύνης, καίτοι ἀνάξιος ὢν τοῦ πράγματος, προεφήτευσεν, οὐκ εἰδὼς ἅπερ ἔλεγε· καὶ τῷ στόματι μόνον ἐκέχρητο ἡ χάρις, τῆς δὲ μιαρᾶς καρδίας οὐχ ἥψατο. Πολλοὶ γοῦν καὶ ἄλλοι τὰ μέλλοντα εἶπον, ἀνάξιοι ὄντες, ὁ Ναβουχοδονόσορ, ὁ Φαραὼ, ὁ Βαλαάμ· καὶ πάντων ἡ αἰτία δήλη. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ὑμεῖς κάθησθε, ἔτι ὀκνηρότερον τῷ πράγματι προσέχετε, καὶ οὐκ ἴστε ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς σωτηρίας ὑπὲρ τοῦ κοινοῦ καταφρονῆσαι. Ὅρα πόση τοῦ Πνεύματος ἡ δύναμις· ἀπὸ διανοίας πονηρᾶς ἴσχυσε ῥήματα προενεγκεῖν προφητείας γέμοντα θαυμαστῆς. Τέκνα δὲ Θεοῦ τὰ ἔθνη καλεῖ ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς, ἀπὸ τοῦ μέλλοντος ἔσεσθαι· ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ αὐτός φησι· Καὶ ἄλλα πρόβατα ἔχω, καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπὸ τοῦ μέλλοντος αὐτὰ καλῶν. Τί δέ ἐστιν, Ἀρχιερεὺς ὢν τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἐκείνου; Μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τοῦτο διέφθαρτο. Οὐκέτι γὰρ τὸν χρόνον ἅπαντα τῆς ζωῆς ἱεράτευον, ἀλλ' ἐνιαυτὸν, ἐξ οὗ γεγόνασιν ὠνηταὶ αἱ ἀρχαί. Πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ οὕτω παρῆν ἔτι τὸ Πνεῦμα. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὰς χεῖρας ἦραν κατὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τὸ τηνικαῦτα αὐτοὺς ἐγκατέλιπε, καὶ μετῆλθεν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους. Καὶ τοῦτο τὸ καταπέτασμα ἐδήλου σχιζόμενον, καὶ ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ φωνὴ ἡ λέγουσα· Ἰδοὺ ἀφίεται ὁ οἶκος ὑμῶν ἔρημος. Καὶ Ἰώσηπος δὲ μετὰ βραχὺν γενόμενος χρόνον, ἔφη τινὰς ἀγγέλους τοὺς ἔτι παραμένοντας, εἰ μὴ βουληθεῖεν ἐκεῖνοι μεταστῆναι, καταλιπεῖν αὐτούς. Ἕως μὲν γὰρ ὁ ἀμπελὼν εἱστήκει, πάντα ἐγίνετο· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸν κληρονόμον ἀπέκτειναν, οὐκ ἔτι, ἀλλ' ἀπώλοντο· καὶ καθάπερ ἱμάτιον λαμπρὸν ἀπὸ παιδὸς ἀχρήστου, τῶν Ἰουδαίων, λαβὼν ὁ Θεὸς, τοῖς εὐγνώμοσι δούλοις ἔδωκε τοῖς ἐξ ἐθνῶν, ἐκείνους ἐρήμους ἀφεὶς καὶ γυμνούς. Οὐ μικρὸν δὲ τοῦτο ἦν, τὸ καὶ τὸν ἐχθρὸν προφητεῦσαι ταῦτα. Τοῦτο καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐπισπάσασθαι ἠδύνατο. Κατὰ μὲν γὰρ τὴν αὐτοῦ προαίρεσιν, ἐναντίως ἐξέβη. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀπέθανε, διὰ τοῦτο τῆς μελλούσης κολάσεως ἀπηλλάγησαν οἱ πιστοί. Τί ἐστιν, Ἵνα συναγάγῃ τοὺς ἐγγὺς, καὶ τοὺς μακράν; Ἓν σῶμα ἐποίησεν. Ὁ ἐν Ῥώμῃ καθήμενος τοὺς Ἰνδοὺς μέλος εἶναι νομίζει 59.362 ἑαυτοῦ. Τί ταύτης τῆς συναγωγῆς ἴσον; Καὶ πάντων κεφαλὴ ὁ Χριστός· Ἀπ' ἐκείνης τῆς ἡμέρας ἐβουλεύσαντο οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, ἵνα ἀποκτείνωσιν αὐτόν. Καὶ μὴν πρότερον ἐζήτουν. Λέγει γάρ· ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐζήτουν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι αὐτὸν ἀποκτεῖναι· καὶ, Τί με ζητεῖτε ἀποκτεῖναι; Ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν ἐζήτουν, νῦν δὲ καὶ ἐκύρωσαν τὴν γνώμην, καὶ ὡς ἔργῳ τῷ πράγματι κέχρηνται. Ἰησοῦς δὲ οὐκ ἔτι παῤῥησίᾳ περιεπάτει ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ. Πάλιν ἀνθρωπίνως ἑαυτὸν σώζει, καὶ συνεχῶς τοῦτο ποιεῖ. βʹ. Τὴν δὲ αἰτίαν εἶπον, δι' ἣν πολλάκις ἀπῆλθε καὶ ἀνεχώρησε. Καὶ νῦν ἐγγὺς τῆς ἐρήμου διατρίβει ἐν Ἐφρατὰ, καὶ ἐκεῖ ἔμενε μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ. Πῶς οἴει θορυβεῖσθαι τοὺς μαθητὰς, ὁρῶντας αὐτὸν ἀνθρωπίνως σωζόμενον; Οὐδεὶς λοιπὸν ἠκολούθησε. Τῆς γὰρ ἑορτῆς οὔσης ἐγγὺς, πάντες ἐπὶ τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα ἔτρεχον· αὐτοὶ δὲ, ὅτε πάντες ἔχαιρον καὶ ἐπανηγύριζον, τότε κρύπτονται, τότε ἐν κινδύνοις εἰσίν· ἀλλ' ὅμως παρέμενον. Καὶ γὰρ ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ, τοῦ Πάσχα ὄντος καὶ τῆς Σκηνοπηγίας, ἐκρύπτοντο· καὶ πάλιν μετὰ ταῦτα, τῆς ἑορτῆς οὔσης, τῷ φεύγειν καὶ τῷ κρύπτεσθαι μόνοι τῶν ἄλλων μετὰ τοῦ ∆ιδασκάλου, τὴν εὔνοιαν ἐπιδεικνύμενοι. Ἐντεῦθέν φησιν ὁ Λουκᾶς αὐτὸν εἰρηκέναι, Ἐγὼ παρέμεινα ὑμῖν ἐν τοῖς πειρασμοῖς. Ταῦτα δὲ ἔλεγε, δεικνὺς ὅτι παρὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ ῥοπῆς ἐνδυναμοῦνται. Πολλοὶ δὲ ἐκ τῆς χώρας ἀνέβησαν ἁγνίσαι ἑαυτούς. Καὶ ἔδωκαν παραγγελίας οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι, ἵνα πιάσωσιν αὐτόν. Θαυμαστὸς ἁγνισμὸς, μετὰ