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but having gone away, they did not find. Hear what Abraham says, that A chasm between us and you. Hear what Ezekiel says concerning that day, that Noah, and Job, and Daniel shall not deliver their sons. But may it not be for us to hear these words, but having received from here sufficient provisions for eternal life, to see our Lord Jesus Christ with boldness, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, might, honor, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

59.459 HOMILY 85. Then Pilate therefore delivered him to them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. And bearing his cross, he went out to the place called the place of a Skull,

which is called in Hebrew Golgotha, where they crucified him.

1. Prosperity is terrible at casting down and carrying away those who are not on their guard. Thus also the Jews from the beginning, enjoying God's favor, sought the law of the kingdom of the Gentiles, and in the wilderness after the manna they remembered the onions. In the same way then here also, rejecting the kingdom of Christ, they called for that of Caesar upon themselves. Therefore for this reason he set a king over them according to their own decision. When therefore Pilate heard these things, he delivered him to be crucified; very irrationally. For he ought to have asked, if Christ had indeed been eager to establish a tyranny, he brought the decision from fear alone; and yet so that this might not happen, Christ, anticipating, says, My kingdom is not of this world. But having given himself wholly to present things, he was not willing to philosophize about anything great; and yet his wife's dream was sufficient to strike him with awe. But by none of these things was he made better, nor did he look to heaven, but delivered him. And they placed the cross on him as on a condemned man. For they considered the wood an ill omen, and did not endure even to touch it. So also it happened in the type; for Isaac also bore the wood. But then the matter went only as far as the father's intention (for it was a type); but now it went forth even to the deeds; for it was the truth. And he came to the place of a Skull. Some say that Adam died and was buried there; and Jesus set up the trophy in the place where death had reigned. For he went out bearing the cross as a trophy against the tyranny of death; and just as victors do, so he also carried on his shoulders the symbol of victory. For what if the Jews commanded these things with another intention? 59.460 And they crucify him with robbers, unwillingly fulfilling the prophecy in this also. For the things they did in insolence, these contributed to the truth; so that you may learn how great its power is. For the prophet also foretold this from of old, that He was numbered with the transgressors. The demon, therefore, wished to obscure what was happening; but he was not able. For the three were crucified, but Jesus alone shone forth; so that you may learn that his power accomplished everything. And yet while the three were nailed to the cross, the miracles happened thus; but nevertheless no one attributed any of the things that happened to any of them, but to Jesus alone; so futile was the devil's plot, and it all turned back upon his own head. For one of these two was saved. Therefore, not only did it not harm the glory of the crucified one, but it also contributed not a little; for to convert a robber on the cross and lead him into paradise was no less than to shake the rocks. And Pilate also wrote a title, at once defending himself against the Jews and making a defense for Christ. For since they had given him up as a wicked man, and tried to confirm this verdict by the company of the robbers, so that it might no longer be possible for anyone to bring wicked accusations and

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ἀλλ' οὐχ εὗρον ἀπελθοῦσαι. Ἄκουσον τί φησιν ὁ Ἀβραὰμ, ὅτι Χάσμα μεταξὺ ἡμῶν καὶ ὑμῶν. Ἄκουσον τί φησιν ὁ Ἰεζεκιὴλ περὶ τῆς ἡμέρας ἐκείνης, ὅτι Νῶε, καὶ Ἰὼβ, καὶ ∆ανιὴλ τοὺς υἱοὺς αὐτῶν οὐ μὴ ῥύσονται. Ἀλλ' ἡμᾶς μὴ γένοιτο τούτων ἀκοῦσαι τῶν ῥημάτων, ἀλλ' ἀρκοῦντα τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς λαβόντας ἐντεῦθεν τὰ ἐφόδια, μετὰ παῤῥησίας ἰδεῖν τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

59.459 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΠΕʹ. Τότε οὖν παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν αὐτοῖς ὁ Πιλᾶτος, ἵνα σταυρωθῇ. Παρέλαβον δὲ τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καὶ ἤγαγον αὐτόν. Καὶ βαστάζων τὸν σταυρὸν ἑαυτοῦ, ἐξ ῆλθεν εἰς τὸν λεγόμενον Κρανίου τόπον,

Ἑβραϊστὶ δὲ Γολγοθὰ, ὅπου αὐτὸν ἐσταύρωσαν.

αʹ. Αἱ εὐπραγίαι τοὺς οὐ προσέχοντας δειναὶ καταβαλεῖν καὶ παρασῦραι. Οὕτως καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀπολαύοντες τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ῥοπῆς, τὸν νόμον τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν βασιλείας ἐπεζήτουν, καὶ ἐν ἐρήμῳ μετὰ τὸ μάννα κρομμύων ἐμέμνηντο. Κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν δὴ τρόπον καὶ ἐνταῦθα, τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Χριστοῦ παραιτούμενοι, τὴν τοῦ Καίσαρος ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἐκάλουν. Τοιγάρτοι διὰ τοῦτο ἐπέστησεν αὐτοῖς βασιλέα κατὰ τὴν αὐτῶν ἀπόφασιν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ταῦτα ἤκουσεν ὁ Πιλᾶτος, παρέδωκεν αὐτὸν ἵνα σταυρωθῇ· σφόδρα ἀλόγως. ∆έον γὰρ ἐρωτῆσαι, εἴ γε ἐσπούδασεν ὁ Χριστὸς ἐπιθέσθαι τυραννίδα, ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου μόνου τὴν ἀπόφασιν ἤνεγκε· καίτοι γε ἵνα μὴ τοῦτο πάθῃ, προλαβὼν ὁ Χριστός φησιν· Ἡ ἐμὴ βασιλεία οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου. Ἀλλὰ τοῖς παροῦσιν ἑαυτὸν ὅλον δοὺς, οὐδὲν μέγα φιλοσοφῆσαι ἠθέλησε· καίτοι τὸ τῆς γυναικὸς ὄναρ ἱκανὸν ἦν αὐτὸν καταπλῆξαι. Ἀλλ' οὐδενὶ τούτων ἐγένετο βελτίων, οὐδὲ πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἶδεν, ἀλλὰ παρέδωκεν αὐτόν. Οἱ δὲ ἐπέθηκαν αὐτῷ τὸν σταυρὸν ὡς καταδίκῳ λοιπόν. Καὶ γὰρ τὸ ξύλον οἰωνίζοντο, καὶ οὐδὲ θιγεῖν ἠνείχοντο. Οὕτω καὶ ἐν τῷ τύπῳ γέγονε· καὶ γὰρ ὁ Ἰσαὰκ τὰ ξύλα ἐβάστασεν. Ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν μέχρι τῆς γνώμης τοῦ πατρὸς ἔστη τὸ πρᾶγμα (τύπος γὰρ ἦν)· νῦν δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων ἐξῆλθεν· ἀλήθεια γὰρ ἦν. Καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν Κρανίου τόπον. Τινές φασιν ἐκεῖ τὸν Ἀδὰμ τετελευτηκέναι καὶ κεῖσθαι· καὶ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐν τῷ τόπῳ, ἔνθα ὁ θάνατος ἐβασίλευσεν, ἐκεῖ καὶ τὸ τρόπαιον στῆσαι. Καὶ γὰρ τρόπαιον ἐξῄει βαστάζων τὸν σταυρὸν κατὰ τῆς τοῦ θανάτου τυραννίδος· καὶ καθάπερ οἱ νικηταὶ, οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων ἔφερε τὸ τῆς νίκης σύμβολον. Τί γὰρ, εἰ καὶ ἑτέρᾳ γνώμῃ ἐπέταττον ταῦτα οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι; 59.460 Σταυροῦσι δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ μετὰ λῃστῶν, ἄκοντες καὶ ἐν τούτῳ τὴν προφητείαν πληροῦντες. Ἃ γὰρ ὑβρίζοντες ἐποίουν οὗτοι, ταῦτα τῇ ἀληθείᾳ συνετέλει· ἵνα μάθῃς ὅση αὐτῆς ἡ δύναμις. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ἄνωθεν προεῖπεν ὁ προφήτης, ὅτι Μετὰ ἀνόμων ἐλογίσθη. Ἐβούλετο τοιγαροῦν συσκιάσαι τὸ γινόμενον ὁ δαίμων· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἴσχυσεν. Ἐσταυρώθησαν μὲν γὰρ οἱ τρεῖς, ἔλαμψε δὲ μόνος ὁ Ἰησοῦς· ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι ἡ δύναμις αὐτοῦ τὸ πᾶν εἰργάσατο. Καίτοι τῶν τριῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ προσηλωμένων, τὰ θαύματα οὕτως ἐγένετο· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδεὶς οὐδὲν τῶν γινομένων ἐπέτρεψεν οὐδενὶ ἐκείνων, ἀλλ' ἢ μόνῳ τῷ Ἰησοῦ· οὕτως ἕωλος ἡ τοῦ διαβόλου ἐπιβουλὴ γέγονε, καὶ εἰς τὴν αὐτοῦ τὸ πᾶν περιετράπη κεφαλήν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκ τῶν δύο τούτων διεσώθη εἷς. Οὐ μόνον τοίνυν οὐκ ἐπηρέασε τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ σταυρουμένου, ἀλλὰ καὶ συνετέλεσεν οὐ μικρόν· τοῦ γὰρ κλονῆσαι τὰς πέτρας οὐκ ἔλαττον ἦν τὸ λῃστὴν ἐν σταυρῷ μεταβαλεῖν, καὶ εἰς παράδεισον εἰσαγαγεῖν. Ἔγραψε δὲ καὶ τίτλον ὁ Πιλᾶτος, ὁμοῦ μὲν τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἀμυνόμενος, ὁμοῦ δὲ ἀπολογούμενος ὑπὲρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὡς φαῦλον ἐξέδωκαν, καὶ τὴν ψῆφον ταύτην τῇ κοινωνίᾳ τῶν λῃστῶν βεβαιῶσαι ἐπεχείρουν, ἵνα μηδενὶ λοιπὸν ἐξῇ πονηρὰς ἐπιφέρειν αἰτίας καὶ