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First, having stopped their ears, having closed their eyes, having made their heart gross. For not only did they not hear, but they heard with difficulty; and they did this, he says, "Lest they should be converted, and I should heal them;" speaking of their intense wickedness, and their turning away with diligence. 2. And this he says, drawing them on and provoking them, and showing that if they turn, he will heal them; just as if one were to say: He did not want to see me, and I am thankful; for if I had been deemed worthy, I was about to yield immediately. This he says, showing how he might be reconciled. Thus also he says here: "Lest they should turn, and I should heal them;" showing that it is both possible to turn, and that having repented they might be saved; and that he did all things not for his own glory, but for their salvation. For if he did not want them to hear and be saved, he should have been silent, not speaking in parables; but now by this very thing he moves them, by speaking in veiled terms. For God does not desire the death of the sinner, as that he should turn and live. For that sin is not of nature, nor of necessity and force, hear what he says to the apostles: "But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear;" not meaning this sight, nor this hearing, but that which is from the mind. For these also were Jews, and brought up in the same things; but nevertheless they were not harmed by the prophecy, since they had the root of good things well-disposed, I mean their choice and their judgment. Do you see that the words, "To you it is given," were not of necessity? For they would not have been called blessed, if the good deed had not been their own. For do not tell me this, that it was spoken obscurely; for they could have both approached and asked, like the disciples; but they were not willing, being lazy and supine. Why do I say, they were not willing? Indeed, they did the opposite things, for not only did they disbelieve, nor only did they not hear, but they also made war, and were very displeased with what was said; which the prophet introduces as an accusation, by saying, "They heard with difficulty." But those men were not such; which is why he also blessed them. And from another side he confirms them again, saying: "For amen I say to you, many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it;" my presence, he says, the miracles themselves, the voice, the teaching. For here he prefers them not to these corrupt ones, but also to those who had done right; for he says that they are even more blessed than those men. Why indeed? Because not only do these men see what the Jews did not see, but also what those men desired to see. For those men saw by faith alone; but these men also by sight, and much more clearly. Do you see how again he joins the Old to the New, showing that those men not only knew the things to come, but also greatly desired them? But they would not have desired them, if they were of some strange and opposing God. You therefore hear the para- 58.474 ble of the sower, he says; and he says the things previously said to us, concerning laziness and diligence, concerning cowardice and courage, concerning money and poverty; showing the harm from that and the benefit from this. Then he also introduces different kinds of virtue. For being philanthropic, he did not cut one way, nor did he say, Unless one produces a hundred, he has fallen out; but, He who produces sixty is also saved, and not this one alone, but also he who produces thirty. And this he did, making salvation easy. So you then, are you not able to practice virginity? Marry with self-control. Are you not able to become possessionless? Give from what you have. Do you not bear that burden? Share your possessions with Christ. Do you not want to yield all things to him? Give him at least half, at least a third part. He is your brother and joint-heir; make him a joint-heir here also. Whatever you give to him, you will give to yourself. Do you not hear what the prophet says? You shall not overlook those of your own seed. And if one must not overlook relatives, much more the Lord, along with his lordship and the relationship

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πρῶτον, τὰ ὦτα βύσαντες, τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς μύσαντες, τὴν καρδίαν παχύναντες. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον οὐκ ἤκουον, ἀλλὰ καὶ Βαρέως ἤκουον· ἐποίησαν δὲ τοῦτο, φησὶ, Μήποτε ἐπιστρέψωσι, καὶ ἰάσωμαι αὐτούς· τὴν ἐπιτεταμένην αὐτῶν λέγων πονηρίαν, καὶ τὴν μετὰ σπουδῆς ἀποστροφήν. βʹ. Καὶ τοῦτο λέγει, ἐφελκόμενος αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐρεθίζων, καὶ δεικνὺς ὅτι, ἐὰν ἐπιστρέψωσιν, ἰάσεται αὐτούς· ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις λέγοι· Οὐκ ἐβουλήθη με ἰδεῖν, καὶ χάριν ἔχω· εἰ γὰρ ἠξιώθην, εὐθέως ἐνδιδόναι ἔμελλον. Τοῦτο δὲ λέγει, δεικνὺς πῶς ἂν καταλλαγείη. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθά φησι· Μήποτε ἐπιστρέψωσι, καὶ ἰάσωμαι αὐτούς· δεικνὺς ὅτι καὶ τὸ ἐπιστραφῆναι δυνατὸν, καὶ μετανοήσαντας ἔνι σωθῆναι· καὶ ὅτι οὐκ εἰς τὴν αὐτοῦ δόξαν, ἀλλ' εἰς τὴν αὐτῶν σωτηρίαν ἅπαντα ἐποίει. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἐβούλετο αὐτοὺς ἀκοῦσαι καὶ σωθῆναι, σιγῆσαι ἔδει, οὐχὶ ἐν παραβολαῖς λέγειν· νῦν δὲ αὐτῷ τούτῳ κινεῖ αὐτοὺς, τῷ συνεσκιασμένα λέγειν. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς οὐ βούλεται τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ, ὡς τὸ ἐπιστρέψαι καὶ ζῇν αὐτόν. Ὅτι γὰρ οὐ φύσεως τὸ ἁμάρτημα, οὐδὲ ἀνάγκης καὶ βίας, ἄκουσον τί φησι πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους· Ὑμῶν δὲ μακάριοι οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ, ὅτι βλέπουσι, καὶ τὰ ὦτα ὑμῶν, ὅτι ἀκούουσι· οὐ ταύτην λέγων τὴν ὄψιν, οὐδὲ τὴν ἀκοὴν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀπὸ διανοίας. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ οὗτοι Ἰουδαῖοι ἦσαν, καὶ ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς τεθραμμένοι· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲν παρεβλάβησαν ἀπὸ τῆς προφητείας, ἐπειδὴ τὴν ῥίζαν τῶν ἀγαθῶν εἶχον εὖ διακειμένην, τὴν προαίρεσιν λέγω καὶ τὴν γνώμην. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι τὸ, Ὑμῖν δέδοται, οὐκ ἀνάγκης ἦν; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν ἐμακαρίσθησαν, εἰ μὴ αὐτῶν ἦν τὸ κατόρθωμα. Μὴ γάρ μοι τοῦτο εἴπῃς, ὅτι ἀσαφῶς ἐλέγετο· ἠδύναντο γὰρ καὶ προσελθεῖν καὶ ἐρωτῆσαι, καθάπερ οἱ μαθηταί· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἠθέλησαν, ῥᾴθυμοι ὄντες καὶ ἀναπεπτωκότες. Τί λέγω, οὐκ ἠθέλησαν; Καὶ τὰ ἐναντία μὲν οὖν ἐποίουν, Οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἠπίστουν, οὐδὲ μόνον οὐκ ἤκουον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπολέμουν, καὶ σφόδρα ἀηδῶς εἶχον πρὸς τὰ λεγόμενα· ὅπερ τὸν προφήτην εἰσάγει κατηγοροῦντα, τῷ λέγειν, Βαρέως ἤκουσαν. Ἀλλ' οὐ κἀκεῖνοι τοιοῦτοι· διὸ καὶ ἐμακάριζεν αὐτούς. Καὶ ἑτέρωθεν δὲ αὐτοὺς βεβαιοῖ πάλιν λέγων· Ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν, πολλοὶ προφῆται καὶ δίκαιοι ἐπεθύμησαν ἰδεῖν ἃ βλέπετε, καὶ οὐκ εἶδον, καὶ ἀκοῦσαι ἃ ἀκούετε, καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσαν· τὴν παρουσίαν τὴν ἐμὴν, φησὶ, τὰ θαύματα αὐτὰ, τὴν φωνὴν, τὴν διδασκαλίαν. Ἐνταῦθα γὰρ οὐχὶ τῶν διεφθαρμένων τούτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν κατωρθωκότων αὐτοὺς προτίθησι· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐκείνων μακαριωτέρους αὐτοὺς εἶναί φησι. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι οὐ μόνον ἅπερ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι οὐκ εἶδον, βλέπουσιν οὗτοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἅπερ ἐκεῖνοι ἐπεθύμησαν ἰδεῖν. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ τῇ πίστει μόνον ἐθεάσαντο· οὗτοι δὲ καὶ τῇ ὄψει, καὶ πολλῷ σαφέστερον. Εἶδες πῶς πάλιν τὴν Παλαιὰν συνάπτει τῇ Καινῇ, δεικνὺς οὐ μόνον εἰδότας ἐκείνους τὰ μέλλοντα, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα ἐπιθυμοῦντας; Οὐκ ἂν δὲ, εἰ ἀλλοτρίου τινὸς καὶ ἐναντίου Θεοῦ ἦσαν, ἐπεθύμησαν ἄν. Ὑμεῖς οὖν ἀκούσατε τὴν παραβο 58.474 λὴν τοῦ σπείροντος, φησί· καὶ λέγει τὰ ἔμπροσθεν ἡμῖν εἰρημένα, τὰ περὶ ῥᾳθυμίας καὶ σπουδῆς, τὰ περὶ δειλίας καὶ ἀνδρείας, τὰ περὶ χρημάτων καὶ ἀκτημοσύνης· δεικνὺς τὴν ἐκεῖθεν βλάβην καὶ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ὠφέλειαν. Εἶτα καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς εἰσάγει διαφόρους τρόπους. Φιλάνθρωπος γὰρ ὢν, οὐ μίαν ἔτεμεν ὁδὸν, οὐδὲ εἶπεν, Ἐὰν μή τις ἑκατὸν ποιήσῃ, ἐξέπεσεν· ἀλλὰ, Καὶ ὁ τὰ ἑξήκοντα ποιῶν σώζεται, καὶ οὐχ οὗτος μόνος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ τὰ τριάκοντα. Τοῦτο δὲ ἐποίησεν, εὔκολον κατασκευάζων τὴν σωτηρίαν. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν οὐ δύνασαι παρθενίαν ἀσκῆσαι; Γάμησον σωφρόνως. Οὐ δύνασαι γενέσθαι ἀκτήμων; ∆ὸς ἐκ τῶν ὄντων. Οὐ φέρεις ἐκεῖνο τὸ φορτίον; Μέρισαι μετὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὰ ὑπάρχοντα. Οὐ βούλει αὐτῷ παραχωρῆσαι ἁπάντων; Κἂν τὴν ἡμίσειαν, κἂν τὴν τρίτην ἐπίδος μοῖραν. Ἀδελφός σού ἐστι καὶ συγκληρονόμος· ποίησον αὐτὸν καὶ ἐνταῦθα συγκληρονόμον. Ὅσα ἂν ἐκείνῳ δῷς, σαυτῷ δώσεις. Οὐκ ἀκούεις τί φησιν ὁ προφήτης; Τοὺς οἰκείους τοῦ σπέρματός σου οὐχ ὑπερόψει. Εἰ δὲ συγγενεῖς ὑπερορᾷν οὐ χρὴ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸν ∆εσπότην, μετὰ τῆς δεσποτείας καὶ τὸ τῆς συγγενείας