325

raving with awareness. But he did not answer her a word. What is this new and strange thing? He brings in the ungrateful Jews, and exhorts the blasphemers, and does not let go of those who test him; but this woman who runs to him and begs and beseeches him, who was not brought up in the law or the prophets, and who displays such reverence, this one he does not even deem worthy of an answer. Who would not have been scandalized by this, seeing things happening contrary to his reputation? For they had heard that he went about the villages healing; but this woman who came to him he puts off. And who would not have been moved by the suffering and the supplication which she made on behalf of a daughter so terribly afflicted? For she did not approach as one who was worthy, nor as demanding a debt, but she begged to be pitied, and only dramatized her own misfortune, and is not even deemed worthy of an answer. Perhaps many of those listening 58.520 were scandalized; but she was not scandalized. And why do I say, of those listening? For I think that even the disciples themselves felt something for the woman’s misfortune, and were disturbed and disheartened. But nevertheless, though disturbed, they did not dare to say: Grant her the favor; but, Coming to him, the disciples asked him, saying: Send her away, for she cries out after us. For we too, when we wish to persuade someone, often say the opposite. But Christ says: I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 2. What then of the woman, when she heard these things? Did she fall silent and depart? Or did she slacken in her eagerness? By no means; but rather she pressed on. But we are not so; but when we do not obtain, we withdraw, when we ought for this reason to press on the more. And yet who would not have been perplexed by what was then said? For the silence was enough to cast her into despair; but the answer did so much more. For to see her advocates with her perplexed, and to hear that the thing was impossible to be done, cast her into unspeakable difficulty. But nevertheless the woman was not at a loss; but when she saw her protectors had no power, she became shameless with a good shamelessness. For before this she did not even dare to come into his sight; For she cries out, it says, after us; but when it was likely that she, being perplexed, would go even further away, then she comes even nearer, and worships him, saying: Lord, help me. What is this, O woman? Do you have greater boldness than the apostles? Do you have greater strength? Boldness and strength, she says, by no means, but I am also full of shame; but nevertheless I put forward this very shamelessness in place of supplication: he will respect my boldness. And what of this? Did you not hear him say, I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel? I heard, she says, but he is Lord. Therefore she did not say, Exhort and beseech; but, Help me. What then of Christ? He was not satisfied even with this, but he intensifies her perplexity again, saying: It is not good to take the children's bread and give it to the little dogs. And when he deemed her worthy of a word, then he rebuked her more severely than through his silence. And no longer does he transfer the cause to another, nor say, I was not sent; but as much as she intensified her supplication, so much did he also intensify his refusal. And he no longer calls them sheep, but children, and her a little dog. What then of the woman? From his own words she weaves her plea. For if I am a little dog, she says, I am not a stranger. Rightly did Christ say: For judgment I have come. The woman shows wisdom, and displays all endurance and faith, and this while being insulted; but they, being healed and honored, repay him with the opposite. For that food is necessary for the children, she says, I also know; however, not even I am prevented, being a little dog. For if it is not right to take, it is not right to share even in the crumbs; but if one must share even a little, then not even I am prevented, even if I am a little dog; but for this reason especially I share, if I am a little dog. For this reason Christ delayed; for he knew she would say these things; for this reason he refused the gift, in order to show her wisdom. For if he were not going to give, not even after these things

325

μετὰ τοῦ εἰδέναι μαινομένη. Ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῇ λόγον. Τί τὸ καινὸν καὶ παράδοξον; τοὺς μὲν Ἰουδαίους καὶ ἀγνωμονοῦντας ἐνάγει, καὶ βλασφημοῦντας παρακαλεῖ, καὶ πειράζοντας οὐκ ἀφίησι· τὴν δὲ ἐπιτρέχουσαν αὐτῷ καὶ παρακαλοῦσαν καὶ δεομένην, καὶ οὔτε νόμῳ οὔτε προφήταις ἐντραφεῖσαν, καὶ τοσαύτην εὐλάβειαν ἐπιδεικνυμένην, ταύτην οὐδὲ ἀποκρίσεως ἀξιοῖ. Τίνα οὐκ ἂν τοῦτο ἐσκανδάλισεν, ὁρῶντα ἐναντία τῇ φήμῃ τὰ γινόμενα; Καὶ γὰρ ἤκουσαν, ὅτι περιῆγε τὰς κώμας θεραπεύων· ταύτην δὲ ἐλθοῦσαν διακρούεται. Τίνα δὲ οὐκ ἂν ἐπέκλασε τὸ πάθος καὶ ἡ ἱκετηρία, ἣν ἐποιεῖτο ὑπὲρ θυγατρὸς οὕτω κακῶς διακειμένης; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὡς ἀξία οὖσα, οὐδὲ ὡς ὀφειλὴν ἀπαιτοῦσα, οὕτω προσῆλθεν, ἀλλ' ἐλεηθῆναι ἐδεῖτο, καὶ τὴν συμφορὰν τὴν οἰκείαν ἐξετραγῴδει μόνον, καὶ οὐδὲ ἀποκρίσεως ἀξιοῦται. Τάχα πολλοὶ τῶν ἀκουόν 58.520 των ἐσκανδαλίσθησαν· ἐκείνη δὲ οὐκ ἐσκανδαλίσθη. Καὶ τί λέγω, τῶν ἀκουόντων· Καὶ γὰρ οἶμαι καὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοὺς παθεῖν τι πρὸς τὴν συμφορὰν τῆς γυναικὸς, καὶ διαταραχθῆναι καὶ ἀθυμῆσαι. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ ταραχθέντες ἐτόλμησαν εἰπεῖν· ∆ὸς αὐτῇ τὴν χάριν· ἀλλὰ, Προσελθόντες οἱ μαθηταὶ ἠρώτων αὐτὸν λέγοντες· Ἀπόλυσον αὐτὴν, ὅτι κράζει ὄπισθεν ἡμῶν. Καὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς ὅταν βουληθῶμέν τινα πεῖσαι, τἀναντία πολλάκις λέγομεν. Ὁ δὲ Χριστός φησιν· Οὐκ ἀπεστάλην εἰ μὴ εἰς τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἀπολωλότα οἴκου Ἰσραήλ. βʹ. Τί οὖν ἡ γυνὴ, ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα ἤκουσεν; ἐσίγησε καὶ ἀπέστη; ἢ καθυφῆκε τῆς προθυμίας; Οὐδαμῶς· ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἐπέκειτο. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡμεῖς οὕτως· ἀλλ' ὅταν μὴ τύχωμεν, ἀφιστάμεθα, δέον διὰ τοῦτο ἐπικεῖσθαι μᾶλλον. Καίτοι τίνα οὐκ ἂν ἐξηπόρησε τοῦτο τὸ τότε ῥηθέν; Ἱκανὴ μὲν οὖν καὶ ἡ σιγὴ εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν αὐτὴν ἐμβαλεῖν· ἡ δὲ ἀπόκρισις καὶ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐποίει. Τὸ γὰρ μεθ' ἑαυτῆς καὶ τοὺς συνηγόρους ἐξαπορηθέντας ἰδεῖν, καὶ τὸ ἀκοῦσαι, ὅτι καὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα γενέσθαι ἀμήχανον, εἰς ἄφατον ἀπορίαν ἐνέβαλεν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἠπορεῖτο ἡ γυνή· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ εἶδεν οὐδὲν ἰσχύοντας τοὺς προστάτας, ἀπηναισχύντησε καλὴν ἀναισχυντίαν. Πρὸ τούτου μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲ εἰς ὄψιν ἐλθεῖν ἐτόλμα· Κράζει γὰρ, φησὶν, ὄπισθεν ἡμῶν· ὅτε δὲ εἰκὸς ἦν αὐτὴν καὶ ποῤῥωτέρω ἀπελθεῖν ἐξαπορηθεῖσαν, τότε καὶ ἐγγυτέρω ἔρχεται, καὶ προσκυνεῖ λέγουσα· Κύριε, βοήθει μοι. Τί τοῦτο, ὦ γύναι; μὴ γὰρ μείζονα παῤῥησίαν ἔχεις τῶν ἀποστόλων; μὴ γὰρ πλείονα ἰσχύν; Παῤῥησίαν μὲν καὶ ἰσχὺν, φησὶν, οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ αἰσχύνης γέμω· ἀλλ' ὅμως αὐτὴν τὴν ἀναισχυντίαν ἀντὶ ἱκετηρίας προβάλλομαι αἰδεσθήσεταί μου τὴν παῤῥησίαν. Καὶ τί τοῦτο; οὐκ ἤκουσας αὐτοῦ λέγοντος, ὅτι Οὐκ ἀπεστάλην εἰ μὴ εἰς τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἀπολωλότα οἴκου Ἰσραήλ; Ἤκουσα, φησὶν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς Κύριός ἐστι. ∆ιόπερ οὐδὲ ἔλεγε, Παρακάλεσον καὶ δεήθητι· ἀλλὰ, Βοήθει μοι. Τί οὖν ὁ Χριστός; Οὐδὲ τούτοις ἠρκέσθη, ἀλλ' ἐπιτείνει τὴν ἐξαπόρησιν πάλιν λέγων· Οὐκ ἔστι καλὸν λαβεῖν τὸν ἄρτον τῶν τέκνων, καὶ δοῦναι τοῖς κυναρίοις. Καὶ ὅτε ἠξίωσεν αὐτὴν λόγου, τότε μειζόνως ἐπέπληξεν ἢ διὰ τῆς σιγῆς. Καὶ οὐκέτι ἐφ' ἕτερον μεταφέρει τὴν αἰτίαν, οὐδὲ λέγει, Οὐκ ἀπεστάλην· ἀλλ' ὅσῳ ἐπέτεινεν ἐκείνη τὴν ἱκετηρίαν, τοσούτῳ καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν παραίτησιν ἐπιτείνει. Καὶ οὐκέτι πρόβατα αὐτοὺς καλεῖ, ἀλλὰ τέκνα, καὶ αὐτὴν κυνάριον. Τί οὖν ἡ γυνή; Ἀπ' αὐτῶν τῶν αὐτοῦ ῥημάτων πλέκει τὴν συνηγορίαν. Εἰ γὰρ κυνάριόν εἰμι, φησὶν, οὐκ εἰμὶ ἀλλοτρία. ∆ικαίως ἔλεγεν ὁ Χριστός· Εἰς κρῖμα ἐγὼ ἦλθον. Ἡ γυνὴ φιλοσοφεῖ, καὶ καρτερίαν ἐπιδείκνυται πᾶσαν καὶ πίστιν, καὶ ταῦτα ὑβριζομένη· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ, θεραπευόμενοι καὶ τιμώμενοι, τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἀμείβονται. Ὅτι μὲν γὰρ ἀναγκαία ἡ τροφὴ τοῖς τέκνοις, φησὶν, οἶδα κἀγώ· πλὴν οὐδὲ ἐγὼ κεκώλυμαι, κυνάριον οὖσα. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ μὴ θέμις λαβεῖν, οὐδὲ τῶν ψιχίων μετασχεῖν θέμις· εἰ δὲ κἂν ἐκ μικροῦ δεῖ κοινωνεῖν, οὐδὲ ἐγὼ κεκώλυμαι, κἂν κυνάριον ὦ· ἀλλὰ καὶ ταύτῃ μάλιστα μετέχω, εἰ κυνάριόν εἰμι. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα ἀνεβάλλετο ὁ Χριστός· ἐροῦσαν γὰρ ταῦτα ᾔδει· διὰ ταῦτα ἠρνεῖτο τὴν δόσιν, ἵνα δείξῃ αὐτῆς τὴν φιλοσοφίαν. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ δοῦναι ἔμελλεν, οὐδ' ἂν μετὰ ταῦτα