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having gathered together, kindled the passion. For He had said to him: To you I will give the keys; and, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona; and here, Give it to them for me and you; and seeing his other great confidence, they were provoked. But if Mark says that they did not ask, but reasoned among themselves, this is not at all contrary to that. For it is likely that they did both this and that, and had felt this way before on another occasion, both once and twice, and then both spoke it out and reasoned among themselves. But do not you see only the charge against them, but consider this also; first, that they seek none of the things here; then, that they later put away this passion, and yield the first place to one another. But we are not even able to reach their failings, nor do we seek who is greater in the kingdom of heaven, but who is greater in the kingdom of the earth, who is wealthier, who is more powerful. What then does Christ do? He reveals their conscience, and answers their passion, not simply their words. For having called a little child, He said, he says: Unless you turn and become like this little child, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. For you, He says, are examining who is greater, and are contending for the first place; but I say that he who has not become more humble than all is not even worthy of entrance there. And He well brings forward the example; and not only does He bring it forward, but He also sets the child in the midst, both shaming them by the sight, and persuading them to be thus humble and artless. For a child is pure from envy, and from vainglory, and from the desire for the first place; and it possesses the greatest virtue, simplicity and artlessness 58.569 and humility. Therefore, there is need not only of courage, nor of prudence, but also of this virtue, I mean humility and simplicity. For even in the greatest things, our salvation is lame, when these are not present with us. The little child, whether insulted, or beaten, or honored, or glorified, is neither vexed and envious at the one, nor puffed up by the other. 3. Do you see how again He calls us to natural right actions, showing that it is possible to achieve these by choice, and muzzling the wicked madness of the Manichæans? For if nature is evil, for what reason does He draw the examples of philosophy from it? And it seems to me He set a very little child in the midst, one freed from all these passions. For such a child is freed from folly, and from love of glory, and from envy, and from contentiousness, and from all such passions, and having many virtues, simplicity, humility, unworldliness, it is not puffed up on account of any of these things; which is of a twofold philosophy, to possess these things, and not to be puffed up on account of them. For this reason He brought it forward, and set it in the midst; and He did not conclude His discourse just here, but also advances this exhortation further, saying: And whoever receives such a little child in My name, receives Me. For not only, He says, if you yourselves become such, will you receive a great reward; but even if you honor others who are such for My sake, I appoint a kingdom for you as the reward for the honor shown to them. Or rather He sets forth what is much greater, saying, Receives Me. So very desirable to me is the humble and artless. For here by a little child He means those people who are thus simple and humble, and cast aside by the many, and easily despised. Then, making the saying more acceptable, He establishes it not only from the honor, but also from the punishment, adding and saying: And whoever causes one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. For just as those who honor these, He says, for My sake, have heaven, or rather an honor greater than the kingdom itself; so also those who dishonor them (for this is what it means to cause them to stumble) will suffer the utmost penalty. And if He calls insult a stumbling block, do not be surprised; for many

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συναγαγόντες, τὸ πάθος ἀνῆψαν. Καὶ γὰρ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Σοὶ δώσω τὰς κλεῖς· καὶ, Μακάριος εἶ, Σίμων Βὰρ Ἰωνᾶ· καὶ ἐνταῦθα, ∆ὸς αὐτοῖς ἀντὶ ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ· καὶ τὴν ἄλλην δὲ παῤῥησίαν αὐτοῦ τὴν πολλὴν ὁρῶντες, παρεκνίζοντο. Εἰ δὲ ὁ Μάρκος φησὶν, ὅτι οὐκ ἠρώτησαν, ἀλλ' ἐν ἑαυτοῖς διελογίζοντο, οὐδὲν τοῦτο ἐναντίον ἐστὶν ἐκείνῳ. Εἰκὸς γὰρ αὐτοὺς κἀκεῖνο καὶ τοῦτο ποιῆσαι, καὶ πρότερον μὲν ἐν ἑτέρῳ καιρῷ τοῦτο παθεῖν, καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ δεύτερον, τότε δὲ καὶ ἐξειπεῖν, καὶ ἐν ἑαυτοῖς διαλογίσασθαι. Σὺ δέ μοι μὴ τὸ ἔγκλημα μόνον ἴδῃς, ἀλλὰ κἀκεῖνο λογίζου· πρῶτον μὲν, ὅτι οὐδὲν τῶν ἐνταῦθα ζητοῦσιν· ἔπειτα, ὅτι καὶ τοῦτο ὕστερον τὸ πάθος ἀπέθεντο, καὶ τῶν πρωτείων ἀλλήλοις παραχωροῦσιν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐδὲ εἰς τὰ ἐλαττώματα αὐτῶν φθάσαι δυνάμεθα, οὐδὲ ζητοῦμεν τίς μείζων ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἀλλὰ τίς μείζων ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῆς γῆς, τίς εὐπορώτερος, τίς δυνατώτερος. Τί οὖν ὁ Χριστός; Ἀνακαλύπτει αὐτῶν τὸ συνειδὸς, καὶ πρὸς τὸ πάθος ἀποκρίνεται, οὐχ ἁπλῶς πρὸς τὰ ῥήματα. Προσκαλεσάμενος γὰρ παιδίον, φησὶν, εἶπεν· Ἐὰν μὴ στραφῆτε, καὶ γένησθε ὡς τὸ παιδίον τοῦτο, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν. Ὑμεῖς μὲν γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐξετάζετε τίς μείζων, καὶ περὶ πρωτείων φιλονεικεῖτε· ἐγὼ δὲ τὸν μὴ πάντων ταπεινότερον γενόμενον οὐδὲ τῆς εἰσόδου τῆς ἐκεῖ ἄξιον εἶναί φημι. Καὶ καλῶς καὶ τὸ ὑπόδειγμα παράγει· καὶ οὐ παράγει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ παιδίον εἰς μέσον ἵστησι, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ὄψεως αὐτοὺς ἐντρέπων, καὶ πείθων εἶναι ταπεινοὺς οὕτω καὶ ἀπλάστους. Καὶ γὰρ φθόνου καθαρὸν τὸ παιδίον, καὶ κενοδοξίας, καὶ τοῦ τῶν πρωτείων ἐρᾷν· καὶ τὴν μεγίστην κέκτηται ἀρετὴν, τὴν ἀφέλειαν καὶ τὸ ἄπλαστον 58.569 καὶ τάπεινον. Οὐκ ἄρα ἀνδρείας δεῖ μόνον, οὐδὲ φρονήσεως, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταύτης τῆς ἀρετῆς, τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης λέγω καὶ τῆς ἀφελείας. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐν τοῖς μεγίστοις χωλεύει τὰ τῆς σωτηρίας ἡμῶν, τούτων ἡμῖν οὐ παρουσῶν. Τὸ παιδίον κἂν ὑβρίζηται, κἂν τύπτηται, κἂν τιμᾶται, κἂν δοξάζηται, οὔτε ἐκεῖθεν δυσχεραίνει καὶ βασκαίνει, οὔτε ἐντεῦθεν ἐπαίρεται. γʹ. Εἶδες πῶς πάλιν ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὰ φυσικὰ κατορθώματα ἐκκαλεῖται, δεικνὺς ὅτι ἐκ προαιρέσεως ταῦτα κατορθοῦν δυνατὸν, καὶ τὴν πονηρὰν Μανιχαίων ἐπιστομίζει λύτταν; Εἰ γὰρ πονηρὸν ἡ φύσις, τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐκεῖθεν τῆς φιλοσοφίας τὰ παραδείγματα ἕλκει; Παιδίον δέ μοι δοκεῖ σφόδρα παιδίον ἐν τῷ μέσῳ στῆσαι, τῶν παθῶν ἁπάντων τούτων ἀπηλλαγμένον. Τὸ γὰρ τοιοῦτον παιδίον καὶ ἀπονοίας, καὶ δοξομανίας, καὶ βασκανίας, καὶ φιλονεικίας, καὶ πάντων τῶν τοιούτων ἀπήλλακται παθῶν, καὶ πολλὰς ἔχον τὰς ἀρετὰς, ἀφέλειαν, ταπεινοφροσύνην, ἀπραγμοσύνην, ἐπ' οὐδενὶ τούτων ἐπαίρεται· ὅπερ διπλῆς ἐστι φιλοσοφίας, τὸ κεκτῆσθαι ταῦτα, καὶ μὴ φυσᾶσθαι ἐπ' αὐτοῖς. ∆ιόπερ αὐτὸ παρήγαγε, καὶ ἔστησεν ἐν τῷ μέσῳ· καὶ οὐ μέχρι τούτου μόνον τὸν λόγον κατέκλεισεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ περαιτέρω προάγει τὴν παραίνεσιν ταύτην, λέγων· Καὶ ὃς ἐὰν δέξηται παιδίον τοιοῦτον ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου, ἐμὲ δέχεται. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνον, φησὶν, ἐὰν αὐτοὶ τοιοῦτοι γένησθε, μισθὸν λήψεσθε μέγαν· ἀλλὰ κἂν ἑτέρους τοιούτους τιμήσητε δι' ἐμὲ, καὶ τῆς εἰς ἐκείνους τιμῆς βασιλείαν ὑμῖν ὁρίζω τὴν ἀμοιβήν. Μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ πολλῷ μεῖζον τίθησιν, Ἐμὲ δέχεται, λέγων. Οὕτω μοι σφόδρα ποθεινὸν τὸ ταπεινὸν καὶ ἄπλαστον. Παιδίον γὰρ ἐνταῦθα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τοὺς οὕτως ἀφελεῖς φησι καὶ ταπεινοὺς, καὶ ἀπεῤῥιμμένους παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς, καὶ εὐκαταφρονήτους. Εἶτα εὐπαράδεκτον μειζόνως ποιῶν τὸν λόγον, οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς τιμῆς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς κολάσεως αὐτὸν συνίστησιν, ἐπάγων καὶ λέγων· Καὶ ὃς ἐὰν σκανδαλίσῃ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων, συμφέρει αὐτῷ, ἵνα κρεμασθῇ μύλος ὀνικὸς εἰς τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ, καὶ καταποντισθῇ ἐν τῷ πελάγει τῆς θαλάσσης. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ τούτους τιμῶντες, φησὶ, δι' ἐμὲ, τὸν οὐρανὸν ἔχουσι, μᾶλλον δὲ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτῆς μείζω τιμήν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ οἱ ἀτιμάζοντες (τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ σκανδαλίσαι) τὴν ἐσχάτην δώσουσι δίκην. Εἰ δὲ σκάνδαλον τὴν ὕβριν καλεῖ, μὴ θαυμάσῃς· πολλοὶ γὰρ