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for your salvation, having the last place 58.481 in the chorus of virtue. For the greatest thing, love and gentleness and almsgiving, has even surpassed virginity. So if you wish to become equal to apostles, there is nothing to hinder you. For it is sufficient to pursue this virtue only to have nothing less than they. Let no one then put it off for signs. For a demon is pained when he is cast out of a body; but much more so, when he sees a soul being freed from sin. For this is his great power. For this Christ died, that He might destroy this. For this brought in death; because of this things have been turned upside down. If then you destroy this, you have cut the devil's sinews, you have crushed his head, you have destroyed all his strength, you have scattered his army, you have displayed a sign greater than all signs. This saying is not mine, but that of the blessed Paul. For having said, *Covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way*, he did not bring forward a sign, but love, the root of all 58.482 good things. If then we practice this, and all the philosophy derived from it, we shall have no need of signs; just as if we do not practice it, we shall gain nothing from signs. Considering all these things, then, from which the apostles became great, let us emulate these things. From what then did they become great? Hear Peter saying: *Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?* Hear also Christ saying to them, that *You shall sit upon twelve thrones*; and that, *Everyone that has forsaken houses, or brethren, or father, or mother, shall receive an hundredfold in this present time, and shall inherit eternal life*. Having therefore removed ourselves from all worldly things, let us dedicate ourselves to Christ, that we may become equal to the apostles according to His own decree, and may enjoy eternal life; of which may we all be counted worthy to obtain, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 58.481 HOMILY 47. *All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake He not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world*. 1. But Mark says that, *As they were able to hear it, He spake the word unto them in parables*. Then showing that He was introducing nothing new, he brings in the prophet, also proclaiming beforehand this manner of teaching. And teaching us the mind of Christ, that it was not that they might be ignorant, but that He might lead them to questioning, that He so discoursed, he added, *And without a parable spake He nothing unto them*; and yet He said many things without a parable; but at that time, nothing. And yet no one questioned Him; although they often questioned the prophets, like Ezekiel, like many others; but these did nothing of the kind. And yet the things spoken were sufficient to cast them into distress, and to arouse them to questioning; for the parables threatened the greatest punishment; but nevertheless, not even so were they moved. Therefore also He left them, and departed. For *then*, he says, *having sent the multitudes away, Jesus went into His house*; and none of the scribes follows; from which it is clear that they followed for no other reason than to find fault. But since they did not understand the things being said, He left them henceforth. And His disciples come to Him, asking about the parable of the tares; although there were times when they wished to learn and were afraid to ask. Whence then did they get their boldness here? They had heard, that *Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven*, and they took courage. Therefore they also ask in private, not envying the multitude, but observing the Master's law. For to them, He says, it was not given. And why then do they leave aside the parable of the leaven and of the mustard seed, and inquire about this one? They left those as clearer; but this one, as having a kinship to the one spoken before, and indicating something more than that one, to learn

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εἰς σωτηρίαν ὑμῖν, τὸ ἔσχατον τοῦ χοροῦ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἔχου 58.481 σαν μέρος. Τὸ γὰρ μέγιστον, ἀγάπη καὶ ἐπιείκεια καὶ ἐλεημοσύνη, ἢ καὶ παρθενίαν ὑπερηκόντισεν. Ὥστε εἰ βούλει ἀποστόλων γενέσθαι ἴσος, οὐδὲν τὸ κωλύον. Ἀρκεῖ γὰρ ταύτην τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐπελθόντα μόνον μηδὲν ἔλαττον ἐκείνων ἔχειν. Μηδεὶς τοίνυν εἰς σημεῖα ἀναβαλλέσθω. Ἀλγεῖ μὲν γὰρ, ὅταν ἐξελαθῇ σώματος δαίμων· πολλῷ δὲ μᾶλλον, ὅταν ἁμαρτίας ἀπαλλαττομένην ἴδῃ ψυχήν. Καὶ γὰρ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ δύναμις ἐκείνου ἡ μεγάλη. ∆ιὰ ταύτην ἀπέθανεν ὁ Χριστὸς, ἵνα ταύτην καταλύσῃ. Καὶ γὰρ αὕτη τὸν θάνατον εἰσήγαγε· διὰ ταύτην τὰ ἄνω κάτω γέγονεν. Ἂν τοίνυν ταύτην ἀνέλῃς, ἐξέκοψας τοῦ διαβόλου τὰ νεῦρα, συνέτριψας αὐτοῦ τὴν κεφαλὴν, κατέλυσας αὐτοῦ τὴν ἰσχὺν ἅπασαν, διέσπασας τὸ στρατόπεδον, ἁπάντων σημείων ἐπεδείξω σημεῖον μεῖζον. Οὐκ ἐμὸς οὗτος ὁ λόγος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, Ζηλοῦτε τὰ χαρίσματα τὰ κρείττονα, καὶ ἔτι καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ὁδὸν ὑμῖν δείκνυμι, οὐκ ἐπήγαγε σημεῖον, ἀλλὰ ἀγάπην τὴν πάντων ῥίζαν τῶν 58.482 ἀγαθῶν. Ἂν τοίνυν ταύτην ἀσκῶμεν, καὶ τὴν ἐκ ταύτης φιλοσοφίαν ἅπασαν, οὐδὲν δεηθησόμεθα σημείων· ὥσπερ οὖν ἐὰν μὴ ἀσκῶμεν, οὐδὲν κερδανοῦμεν ἀπὸ τῶν σημείων. Ταῦτ' οὖν ἅπαντα ἐννοοῦντες, ἀφ' ὧν ἐγένοντο οἱ ἀπόστολοι μεγάλοι, ταῦτα ζηλώσωμεν. Πόθεν οὖν ἐγένοντο ἐκεῖνοι μεγάλοι; Ἄκουσον λέγοντος Πέτρου· Ἰδοὺ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν πάντα καὶ ἠκολουθήσαμέν σοι· τί ἄρα ἔσται ἡμῖν; Ἄκουσον καὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγοντος αὐτοῖς, ὅτι Ἐπὶ δώδεκα θρόνους καθίσεσθε· καὶ ὅτι Πᾶς ὅστις ἀφῆκεν οἰκίας, ἢ ἀδελφοὺς, ἢ πατέρα, ἢ μητέρα, ἑκατονταπλασίονα λήψεται ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, καὶ ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσει. Ἀπάντων τοίνυν ἑαυτοὺς ἀποστήσαντες τῶν βιωτικῶν, ἀναθώμεθα ἑαυτοὺς τῷ Χριστῷ, ἵνα καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων γενώμεθα ἴσοι κατὰ τὴν ἀπόφασιν τὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς ἀπολαύσωμεν· 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. 58.481 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΜΖʹ. Ταῦτα πάντα ἐλάλησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐν παραβολαῖς τοῖς ὄχλοις, καὶ χωρὶς παραβολῆς οὐδὲν ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς· ὅπως πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· Ἀνοίξω ἐν παραβολαῖς τὸ στόμα μου, ἐρεύξομαι κεκρυμμένα ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου. αʹ. Ὁ δὲ Μάρκος φησὶν, ὅτι Καθὼς ἠδύναντο ἀκούειν, ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον ἐν παραβολαῖς. Εἶτα δεικνὺς οὐδὲν αὐτὸν καινοτομοῦντα, εἰσάγει τὸν προφήτην καὶ τοῦτον προαναφωνοῦντα τῆς διδασκαλίας τὸν τρόπον. Καὶ διδάσκων ἡμᾶς τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὴν γνώμην, ὅτι οὐχ ἵνα ἀγνοῶσιν, ἀλλ' ἵνα αὐτοὺς εἰς ἐρώτησιν ἄγῃ, οὕτω διελέγετο, ἐπήγαγε· Καὶ χωρὶς παραβολῆς οὐδὲν ἐλάλει αὐτοῖς καίτοιγε πολλὰ χωρὶς παραβολῆς εἶπεν· ἀλλὰ τότε οὐδέν. Καὶ ὅμως οὐδεὶς αὐτὸν ἠρώτησε· καίτοιγε τοὺς προφήτας πολλάκις ἠρώτων, ὡς τὸν Ἰεζεκιὴλ, ὣς ἑτέρους πολλούς· οὗτοι δὲ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ἐποίουν. Καίτοιγε ἱκανὰ τὰ εἰρημένα ἦν εἰς ἀγωνίαν αὐτοὺς ἐμβαλεῖν, καὶ διεγείρειν πρὸς τὴν ἐρώτησιν· καὶ γὰρ κόλασιν μεγίστην ἠπείλουν αἱ παραβολαί· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐκινήθησαν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἀφεὶς αὐτοὺς, ἀπῆλθε. Τότε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀφεὶς τοὺς ὄχλους, ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· καὶ οὐδεὶς ἕπεται τῶν γραμματέων· ὅθεν δῆλον, ὅτι δι' οὐδὲν ἕτερον εἴποντο, ἢ ὥστε ἐπιλαβέσθαι. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐ συνῆκαν τὰ λεγόμενα, εἴασεν αὐτοὺς λοιπόν. Καὶ προσέρχονται οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἐρωτῶντες περὶ τῆς παραβολῆς τῶν ζιζανίων· καίτοιγε ἔστιν ὅπου βουλόμενοι μαθεῖν καὶ δεδοικότες ἐρωτῆσαι. Πόθεν οὖν ἐνταῦθα γέγονεν αὐτοῖς ἡ παῤῥησία; Ἤκουσαν, ὅτι Ὑμῖν δέδοται γνῶναι τὰ μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ ἐθάῤῥησαν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἰδίᾳ ἐρωτῶσιν, οὐ τῷ πλήθει βασκαίνοντες, ἀλλὰ τὸν τοῦ ∆εσπότου τηροῦντες νόμον. Τούτοις γὰρ, φησὶν, οὐκ ἐδόθη. Καὶ τί δήποτε τὴν τῆς ζύμης καὶ τοῦ σινάπεως ἀφέντες παραβολὴν, περὶ ταύτης πυνθάνονται; Ὡς σαφεστέρας ἐκείνας ἀφῆκαν· ταύτην δὲ, ὡς ἔχουσαν συγγένειαν πρὸς τὴν προειρημένην, καὶ πλέον τι ἐνδεικνυμένην ἐκείνης, μαθεῖν