290

for this reason he did this; 59.384 but he added a threat? Because that man would not have been persuaded. For if he had said, "Let it be, for by this I persuade you to be humble," he would have promised this ten thousand times, in order that the Master not do this. But now what does he say? What he most feared and trembled at, to be separated from him. For he is the one who continually asks, "Where are you going?" Therefore he also said, "I will give," he says, "even my life for you." For if, after hearing, "You do not know what I am doing, but you will know after these things," he did not stand down even so, much more so if he had learned. For he said this, "But you will know after these things," knowing that if he learned now, he would still oppose. And he did not say, "Teach me, then, so that I may permit it"; but what was much more vehement, he did not endure even to learn, but resists again, saying, "You shall never wash my feet." But when he threatened, he immediately relaxed his tone. And what is, "You will know after these things"? After these things, when? When in my name you cast out demons, he says; when you see me being taken up into the heavens; when you learn from the Spirit that I am seated at the right hand, then you will know what is now happening. What then of Christ? Since Peter said, "Not my feet only, but also my hands and my head," "He who has been washed," he says, "has no need except to wash his feet, but is entirely clean." And you are clean, but not all. For he knew the one who was betraying him. And if they are clean, for what reason do you wash their feet? So that we may learn to be humble. For this reason he did not come to another part, but to that which seems to be the least honorable of the others. And what is, "He who has been washed"? Instead of, "He who is clean." Were they then clean? who indeed had not yet been delivered from their sins, nor been counted worthy of the Spirit, since sin still prevailed, the curse of the bond remained, and the victim had not yet been offered? how then does he say they are clean? But lest you think them clean for these reasons, as delivered from sins, he added, "Now you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you"; that is, In this way you are for the time being clean. You have already received the light, you have already been delivered from the Jewish error. For the prophet also says, "Wash yourselves, become clean, take away wickedness from your souls." So such a one has been washed and is clean. Since, then, they cast all wickedness from their soul, and were with him with a sincere mind, for this reason he says according to the prophetic word, "He who has been washed is already clean." For there he does not speak of the Jewish washing by water, but the cleansing of the conscience. 3. Let us, therefore, also become clean; let us learn to do good. And what is the good? "Judge for the orphan, and do justice to the widow; and come, let us reason together," says the Lord. This word about widows and orphans is frequent in the Scriptures; but for us there is no account of it. And yet consider how great is the prize. "Though your sins," he says, "be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow; though they be as crimson, I will make them white as wool." For the widow is unprotected; for this reason he shows 59.385 great earnestness for her. For even when it is possible to enter into a second marriage, for the fear of God they endure the terrible things of widowhood. Let us all, therefore, both men and women, extend a hand to them, lest we ever suffer the terrible things of widowhood. And if we should suffer them, let us lay up for ourselves a great resource of benevolence. The power of a widow's tears is not small, but it is able to open heaven itself. Let us not, therefore, trample on them, nor make their 59.386 misfortune worse, but help in every way. If we do this, we will clothe ourselves with great security, both in the present and in the future age. For not only here, but there also they will stand by us, cutting off the greater part of our sins through kindness to them, and causing us to stand with boldness before the judgment seat of Christ; which may we all attain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

290

ἕνεκεν ἐποίει τοῦτο· 59.384 ἀλλ' ἀπειλὴν ἐνέθεικεν; Ὅτι ἐκεῖνος μὲν οὐκ ἂν ἐπείσθη. Εἰ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἔασον, διὰ γὰρ τούτου πείθω ὑμᾶς ταπεινοφρονεῖν, ὑπέσχετο ἂν μυριάκις τοῦτο, ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ τὸν ∆εσπότην τοῦτο ποιῆσαι. Νῦν δὲ τί φησιν; Ὃ μάλιστα ἐδεδοίκει καὶ ἔτρεμε, τὸ διασχισθῆναι αὐτοῦ. Αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ συνεχῶς ἐρωτῶν, Ποῦ ὑπάγεις; ∆ιόπερ καὶ ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν, φησὶ, δώσω ὑπὲρ σοῦ. Εἰ γὰρ ἀκούσας, ὅτι Οὐκ οἶδας ὃ ποιῶ ἐγὼ, γνώσῃ δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα, οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀπέστη, πολλῷ μᾶλλον, εἰ ἔμαθε. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο εἶπε, Γνώσῃ δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα, εἰδὼς, ὅτι ἐὰν νῦν μάθῃ, ἀντικείσεται ἔτι. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, ∆ίδαξον οὖν με, ἵνα ἀφῶ· ἀλλ' ὃ πολλῷ σφοδρότερον ἦν, οὐδὲ μαθεῖν ἠνέσχετο, ἀλλ' ἐνίσταται πάλιν, λέγων· Οὐ μὴ νίψῃς μου τοὺς πόδας. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἠπείλησεν, εὐθέως ἐχάλασε τὸν τόνον. Τί δέ ἐστι, Γνώσῃ μετὰ ταῦτα; Μετὰ ταῦτα, πότε; Ὅταν τῷ ἐμῷ ὀνόματι δαιμόνια ἐκβάλῃς, φησίν· ὅταν ἴδῃς εἰς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἀναλαμβανόμενον· ὅταν παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος μάθῃς, ὅτι ἐκ δεξιῶν κάθημαι, τότε εἴσῃ τὸ νῦν γινόμενον. Τί οὖν ὁ Χριστός; Ἐπειδὴ εἶπεν ὁ Πέτρος, Μὴ τοὺς πόδας μου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν, Ὁ λελουμένος, φησὶν, οὐ χρείαν ἔχει εἰ μὴ τοὺς πόδας νίψασθαι μόνον, ἀλλ' ἔστι καθαρὸς ὅλος. Καὶ ὑμεῖς καθαροί ἐστε, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ πάντες. Ἤδει γὰρ τὸν παραδιδόντα αὐτόν. Καὶ εἰ καθαροί εἰσι, τίνος ἕνεκεν νίπτεις τοὺς πόδας; Ὥστε ἡμᾶς μετριάζειν μαθεῖν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐφ' ἕτερον μέρος ἦλθεν, ἀλλ' ὃ τῶν ἄλλων ἀτιμότερον εἶναι δοκεῖ. Τί δέ ἐστιν, Ὁ λελουμένος; Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ὁ καθαρός. Ἆρ' οὖν αὐτοὶκαθαροὶ ἦσαν; οἵ γε οὐδέπω τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἦσαν ἀπηλλαγμένοι, οὐδὲ Πνεύματος ἠξιωμένοι, ἅτε τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἔτι κρατούσης, τῆς κατάρας τοῦ χειρογράφου μένοντος, τοῦ ἱερείου οὐδέπω προσενεχθέντος; πῶς οὖν αὐτοὺς καθαροὺς εἶναι λέγει; Ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ διὰ ταῦτα νομίσῃς αὐτοὺς καθαροὺς ὡς ἁμαρτημάτων ἀπηλλαγμένους, ἐπήγαγεν· Ἤδη ὑμεῖς καθαροί ἐστε διὰ τὸν λόγον ὃν ἐλάλησα ὑμῖν· τουτέστι, Ταύτῃ τέως ἐστὲ καθαροί. Ἤδη τὸ φῶς ἐδέξασθε, ἤδη τῆς πλάνης ἀπηλλάγητε τῆς Ἰουδαϊκῆς. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ προφήτης φησί· Λούσασθε, καθαροὶ γίνεσθε, ἀφέλετε τὰς πονηρίας ἀπὸ τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν. Ὥστε ὁ τοιοῦτος λέλουται καὶ καθαρός ἐστι. Ἐπεὶ οὖν πᾶσαν πονηρίαν ἔῤῥιψαν ἀπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐκεῖνοι, καὶ μετὰ εἰλικρινοῦς διανοίας συνῆσαν αὐτῷ, διὰ τοῦτό φησι κατὰ τὸν προφητικὸν λόγον, Ὁ λελουμένος ἤδη καθαρός ἐστι. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖ λουτρὸν οὐ τὸ δι' ὕδατος λέγει τὸ Ἰουδαϊκὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸν τῆς συνειδήσεως καθαρμόν. γʹ. Γενώμεθα τοίνυν καὶ ἡμεῖς καθαροί· μάθωμεν καλὸν ποιεῖν. Τί δέ ἐστι τὸ καλόν; Κρίνετε ὀρφανῷ, καὶ δικαιώσατε χήραν· καὶ δεῦτε, καὶ διαλεχθῶμεν, λέγει Κύριος. Πολὺς οὗτος ὁ λόγος ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς τῶν χηρῶν καὶ τῶν ὀρφανῶν· ἀλλ' ἡμῖν οὐδεὶς τούτου λόγος. Καίτοι γε ἐννόησον ἡλίκον τὸ ἔπαθλον. Ἐὰν ὦσι, φησὶν, αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ὑμῶν ὡς φοινικοῦν, ὡς χιόνα λευκανῶ· ἐὰν δὲ ὦσιν ὡς κόκκινον, ὡς ἔριον λευκανῶ. Καὶ γὰρ ἀπροστάτευτον ἡ χήρα· διὰ τοῦτο πολλὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς ποιεῖ 59.385 ται σπουδήν. Καὶ γὰρ παρὸν δευτέροις ὁμιλῆσαι γάμοις, διὰ τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον τὰ ἀπὸ τῆς χηρείας ὑπομένουσι δεινά. Ὀρέγωμεν τοίνυν αὐταῖς χεῖρα ἅπαντες καὶ ἄνδρες καὶ γυναῖκες, ἵνα μή ποτε ὑποστῶμεν τὰ τῆς χηρείας δεινά. Κἂν ὑποστῶμεν, πολλὴν ἀποθώμεθα φιλανθρωπίας ἡμῖν ἀφορμήν. Οὐ μικρὰ δύναμις τῶν δακρύων τῆς χήρας ἐστὶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν οὐρανὸν διανοῖξαι δύναται. Μὴ τοίνυν αὐταῖς ἐπεμβαίνωμεν, μηδὲ χείρονα ποιῶμεν τὴν 59.386 συμφορὰν, ἀλλὰ παντὶ τρόπῳ βοηθῶμεν. Ἂν οὕτω ποιῶμεν, πολλὴν ἑαυτοῖς περιβαλοῦμεν ἀσφάλειαν, καὶ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα καὶ κατὰ τὸν μέλλοντα αἰῶνα. Οὐ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκεῖ ἡμῶν προστήσονται, τὰ πλείονα τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἡμῶν διὰ τῆς εἰς αὐτὰς εὐεργεσίας ὑποτεμνόμεναι, καὶ μετὰ παῤῥησίας ποιοῦσαι παραστῆναι τῷ βήματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ· οὗ γένοιτο πάντας ἡμᾶς ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.