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But being accused, for this reason being afraid, he neither kept quiet, nor spoke, but wished to learn through John. But it is worth questioning, why on earth, while all were in agony, trembling, and the leader was afraid, John, as if luxuriating, reclines on the bosom of Jesus; and not only does he recline, but also upon his breast; and not only is this worth investigating, but also what follows. And what is this? What he says about himself, "Whom Jesus loved." For why did no one else say this about him, although the others were also loved? But this one more than the others. And if no one else said this about him, but he himself about himself, it is no wonder. For Paul also does this, when the occasion calls for it, saying thus: "I know a man fourteen years ago;" and yet other, not small praises of him have been recounted. Or does it seem a small thing to you that upon hearing, "Follow me," he immediately left his nets and his father and followed, and that He took him alone with Peter up to the mountain, and again elsewhere entering into a house? But he himself, what a great encomium of Peter he has recounted, and he did not hide it, saying that Christ had said: "Peter, do you love me more than these?" And everywhere he shows him to be fervent and genuinely disposed towards him. For when he said, "But what about this man?" he said this out of great longing. For this reason, then, no one else spoke of him; nor would he himself have said it, had he not come upon this passage. For if he had said that Peter nodded to John to ask, and had added nothing else, he would have caused great difficulty, and would have forced us to seek the reason; for this reason he himself resolves this, "He was reclining," he says, "on the bosom of Jesus." Or do you think it is a small thing to have learned, having heard that he was reclining, and that the Teacher granted them such boldness? And if you seek to learn the reason for this, the matter was one of love; for this reason he says, "Whom Jesus loved." But I think he does this for another reason also, wishing to show himself to be unconnected with the accusation. For this reason he speaks freely and is confident. For why did he not say this in another passage, but when the leader nodded? For lest you should think that he nodded to him as to one who was greater, he says that this happened on account of the great love. And why does he fall upon his breast? They did not yet suspect anything great about him; and besides, he was also calming their despondency. For it is likely that their countenances were also downcast then. For if they were troubled in their souls, 59.391 much more in their faces. Therefore soothing them both with his word and with the question, he prepares the way and allows him to fall upon his breast. But consider also his lack of boastfulness. For he did not say his name, but "Whom he loved;" just as Paul also, when he said: "I know a man fourteen years ago." Then indeed for the first time Jesus rebukes him, and not even then by name; but how? "He to whom I shall give the morsel when I have dipped it." And the manner was intended to produce shame; for he did not even respect the table, having partaken of the same bread. Let it be so, the fellowship of salt did not turn him; but to receive the morsel even from him, whom would it not have won over? But not him. Wherefore also "Satan then entered into him," laughing at his shamelessness. For as long as he was of the band, he did not dare to leap upon him, but assaulted him from without; but when He had exposed him and separated him, he then leaped upon him with impunity; for it was not right that one who was such and incorrigible, should be kept within for a long time. For this reason He then cast him out, and that one then takes him, having been cut off, and leaving them, he went out by night. Jesus says to him: "Friend, what you are doing, do quickly." And no one of those reclining at the table knew. 2. Alas, how great the insensibility! How was he not softened, nor ashamed, but becoming more shameless went out! And the phrase, "Do quickly," is not that of one commanding, nor of one advising, but of one reproaching and showing that He himself wished to correct him; but since he was incorrigible, He lets him go. And this, "no one," he says, "of those reclining at table knew." One might find great difficulty here, if indeed, when the disciples asked who it was, he says, "He to whom I shall give the morsel when I have dipped it," and even so they did not understand; unless he spoke it secretly, so that no one heard. For the

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ἐγκαλούμενος δὲ, τούτου χάριν δεδοικὼς, οὔτε ἡσύχασεν, οὔτε ἐφθέγξατο, ἀλλὰ διὰ μέσου τοῦ Ἰωάννου βούλεται μαθεῖν. Ἐκεῖνο δὲ ἄξιον διαπορῆσαι, τί δήποτε πάντων ἀγωνιώντων, τρεμόντων, τοῦ κορυφαίου δεδοικότος, ὁ Ἰωάννης ὥσπερ ἐντρυφῶν ἀνάκειται εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ Ἰησοῦ· καὶ οὐκ ἀνάκειται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ στήθει· καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἄξιον ζητήσεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἑξῆς. Τί δὲ τοῦτό ἐστιν; Ὃ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ λέγει, Ὃν ἠγάπα ὁ Ἰησοῦς. ∆ιατί γὰρ μηδεὶς ἕτερος τοῦτο εἶπε περὶ αὐτοῦ, καίτοι καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι ἠγαπῶντο; Ἀλλ' οὗτος πλέον τῶν ἄλλων. Εἰ δὲ μηδεὶς ἄλλος τοῦτο περὶ αὐτοῦ εἶπεν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς περὶ ἑαυτοῦ, θαυμαστὸν οὐδέν. Ποιεῖ δὲ αὐτὸ καὶ Παῦλος, καιροῦ καλοῦντος, οὕτω λέγων Οἶδα ἄνθρωπον πρὸ ἐτῶν δεκατεσσάρων· καίτοι γε οὐ μικρὰ αὐτοῦ διῆλθεν ἐγκώμια ἕτερα. Ἢ μικρὸν εἶναί σοι δοκεῖ τὸ ἀκούσαντα, Ἀκολούθει μοι, εὐθέως ἀφέντα τὰ δίκτυα καὶ τὸν πατέρα, ἀκολουθῆσαι, καὶ τὸ μετὰ Πέτρου μόνον αὐτὸν λαβεῖν εἰς τὸ ὄρος, καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ πάλιν εἰς οἰκίαν εἰσελθόντα; Αὐτὸς δὲ ἡλίκον ἐγκώμιον τοῦ Πέτρου διῆλθε, καὶ οὐκ ἀπεκρύψατο, εἰρηκέναι τὸν Χριστὸν λέγων· Πέτρε, φιλεῖς με πλέον τούτων; Καὶ πανταχοῦ δὲ δείκνυσιν αὐτὸν θερμὸν καὶ γνησίως ἔχοντα πρὸς αὐτόν. Ὅτε γοῦν ἔλεγεν, Οὗτος δὲ τί; ἐκ πολλοῦ πόθου τοῦτο ἔλεγε. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὖν ἄλλος οὐδεὶς εἶπε περὶ αὐτοῦ· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ αὐτὸς εἶπεν ἂν, εἰ μὴ εἰς τοῦτο ἐνέπεσε τὸ χωρίον. Εἰ γὰρ εἰπὼν, ὅτι Πέτρος ἔνευσεν Ἰωάννῃ ἐρωτῆσαι, καὶ μηδὲν ἄλλο προσέθηκε, πολλὴν ἐποίει τὴν ἀπορίαν, καὶ ζητεῖν ἠνάγκαζεν ἡμᾶς τὴν αἰτίαν· διὰ τοῦτο λύων αὐτὸς ταύτην, Ἀνέκειτο, φησὶ, εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ Ἰησοῦ. Ἢ μικρὸν οἴει μεμαθηκέναι, ἀκούσας ὅτι ἀνέκειτο, καὶ τοσαύτης αὐτοῖς ὁ διδάσκαλος μετεδίδου παῤῥησίας; Εἰ καὶ τούτου τὴν αἰτίαν ζητεῖς μαθεῖν, ἀγάπης τὸ πρᾶγμα ἦν· διὰ τοῦτό φησιν, Ὃν ἐφίλει ὁ Ἰησοῦς Ἐγὼ δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ δι' ἄλλο οἶμαι τοῦτο ποιεῖν, βουλόμενον δεῖξαι ἀλλότριον ἑαυτὸν τοῦ ἐγκλήματος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο παῤῥησιάζεται καὶ θαῤῥεῖ. Ἐπεὶ διὰ τί μὴ ἐν ἄλλῳ χωρίῳ τοῦτο εἶπεν, ἀλλ' ὅτε ὁ κορυφαῖος ἔνευσεν; Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ νομίσῃς, ὅτι ὡς μείζονι ὄντι ἔνευσεν, λέγει, ὅτι διὰ τὴν πολλὴν ἀγάπην τοῦτο ἐγίνετο. Τί δὲ καὶ ἐπιπίπτει τῷ στήθει; Οὐδὲν οὐδέπω περὶ αὐτοῦ μέγα ὑπώπτευον· ἄλλως δὲ, καὶ τὴν ἀθυμίαν κατεπράϋνεν. Εἰκὸς γὰρ καὶ τὴν ὄψιν αὐτῶν εἶναι κατηφῆ τότε. Εἰ γὰρ ταῖς 59.391 ψυχαῖς αὐτῶν ἐταράχθησαν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ταῖς ὄψεσι. Μειλισσόμενος τοίνυν αὐτοὺς καὶ τῷ λόγῳ καὶ τῇ ἐρωτήσει, προοδοποιεῖ καὶ συγχωρεῖ ἀναπεσεῖν ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος. Σκόπει δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ ἀκόμπαστον. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε τὸ ὄνομα, ἀλλ' ὅτι Ὃν ἠγάπα· καθάπερ καὶ Παῦλος, ὅτε ἔλεγεν· Οἶδα ἄνθρωπον πρὸ ἐτῶν δεκατεσσάρων. Τότε δὴ πρῶτον αὐτὸν ἐλέγχει ὁ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ οὐδὲ τότε ὀνομαστί· ἀλλὰ πῶς; Ὧ ἐγὼ βάψας τὸ ψωμίον ἐπιδώσω. Καὶ ὁ τρόπος ἐντρεπτικός· οὐδὲ γὰρ τὴν τράπεζαν ᾐδέσθη, τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἄρτου κοινωνήσας. Ἔστω, ἡ κοινωνία τῶν ἁλῶν οὐκ ἐνέτρεψε· τὸ καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ δέξασθαι τὸ ψωμίον, τίνα οὐκ ἂν ἐπεσπάσατο; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐκεῖνον. ∆ιὸ καὶ Ὁ σατανᾶς τότε εἰσῆλθεν εἰς αὐτὸν, γελάσας αὐτὸν τῆς ἀναισχυντίας. Ἕως γὰρ ἦν τοῦ χοροῦ, οὐκ ἐτόλμα ἐπιπηδῆσαι, ἀλλ' ἔξωθεν προσέβαλλεν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ δῆλον αὐτὸν ἐποίησε καὶ ἀφώρισεν, ἐπεπήδησε λοιπὸν μετὰ ἀδείας· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔδει τοιοῦτον ὄντα καὶ ἀδιόρθωτον ἐπὶ πολὺ μένοντα κατέχειν ἔνδον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐξέβαλεν αὐτὸν λοιπὸν, καὶ ἀποτμηθέντα λαμβάνει τότε ἐκεῖνος, καὶ καταλιπὼν αὐτοὺς ἐξῆλθε νυκτός. Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ἑταῖρε, ὃ ποιεῖς, ποίησον τάχιον. Καὶ οὐδεὶς ἔγνω τῶν ἀνακειμένων. βʹ. Βαβαὶ, πόση ἡ ἀναισθησία! πῶς οὐκ ἐμαλάχθη, οὐδὲ ᾐσχύνθη, ἀλλὰ ἀναισχυντότερος γενόμενος ἐξῄει! Τὸ δὲ, Ποίησον τάχιον, οὐ προστάττοντός ἐστιν, οὐδὲ συμβουλεύοντος, ἀλλ' ὀνειδίζοντος καὶ δεικνύντος, ὅτι αὐτὸς μὲν ἐβούλετο διορθώσασθαι· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀδιορθώτως εἶχεν, ἀφίησιν αὐτόν. Καὶ τοῦτο οὐδεὶς, φησὶν, ἔγνω τῶν ἀνακειμένων. Πολλὴν ἄν τις ἐνταῦθα ἀπορίαν εὕροι, εἴ γε, ἐρωτησάντων τῶν μαθητῶν, τίς ἐστι, λέγει· Ὧ βάψας τὸ ψωμίον ἐπιδώσω, καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτω συνῆκαν· πλὴν εἰ μὴ λάθρα εἴρηκεν, ὥστε μηδένα ἀκοῦσαι. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ