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of this request. But what is it that they are asking? Listen to another evangelist clearly revealing this. For because they were near Jerusalem, he says, and because it seemed that the kingdom of God would immediately appear, they asked these things. For they thought that it was at the doors, and perceptible, and that having enjoyed what they asked, they would undergo nothing painful. For they sought it not for its own sake alone, but so as also to escape difficulties. Therefore Christ first leads them away from these thoughts, bidding them to await slaughters and dangers and the utmost terrors. For, “Are you able,” He says, “to drink the cup that I drink?” But let no one be disturbed, that the apostles were so imperfectly disposed. For the cross had not yet been accomplished, nor the grace of the Spirit given. But if you wish to learn their virtue, consider them after these things, and you will see them superior to all passion. For for this reason He reveals their faults, so that after these things you may know what they became by grace. That they were asking nothing spiritual, then, nor had any conception of the kingdom above, is clear from this. But let us see both how they approach, and what they say. “We want,” they say, “that whatever we ask you, you do for us.” And Christ to them, “What do you want?” not being ignorant, but so that he might compel them to answer, and uncover the wound, and so apply the remedy. But they, blushing and being ashamed, since they were moved to this by a human passion, taking him aside privately from the disciples asked him. For they went on ahead, he says, so that it might not be obvious to them, and thus they said what they wanted. And they wanted, as I at least think, since they heard, “You will sit on twelve thrones,” to receive the presidency of this seat. And that they had more than the others, they knew; but they were afraid of Peter, and say: “Say that one may sit at your right hand, and one at your left”; and they press him, saying, “Say.” What then does He do? Showing that they asked nothing spiritual, and that if they had known what they were asking, they would not have dared to ask so much, He says, “You do not know what you are asking”; how great, how wonderful, how surpassing even the powers above. Then He adds: “Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” Do you see how He immediately led them away from the suspicion, by discoursing to them from the opposite things? “For you,” He says, “are talking to me about honor and crowns; but I am talking to you about struggles and toils.” For this is not the time for prizes, nor will that glory of mine appear now; but the present time is of slaughter and wars and dangers. And see how by the manner of the question he both urges and draws them on. For He did not say, “Are you able to be slaughtered? Are you able to shed your blood?” but how? “Are you able to drink the cup?” Then, drawing them on, He says: “which I am about to drink”; so that by fellowship with him they might become more eager. And again He calls it a baptism, showing the great purification for the world that would come from these events. They say to him, “We are able.” From their eagerness they immediately promised, not even knowing what they said, but expecting to hear what they had 58.620 asked. What then does He do? “You will indeed drink my cup, and you will be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized.” He prophesied great goods to them; that is, “You will be counted worthy of martyrdom, and you will suffer these things which I suffer; you will end your life by a violent death, and in these things you will have fellowship with me.” “But to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” 3. Having lifted up their souls, and made them more exalted, and rendered them unconquerable by grief, he then corrects their request. But what is it that has now been said? For there are two things being sought by many: one, whether it has been prepared for some to sit at his right hand; and the other, whether the Lord of all is not lord over granting it to those for whom it has been prepared. What then is the meaning of what was said? If we solve the first, then the second will also be clear to those who seek it. What then is this? No one will sit at his right hand, nor at his left. For that throne is inaccessible to all; I do not speak of men and saints and

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τῆς αἰτήσεως ταύτης. Ἀλλὰ τί ποτέ ἐστιν ὁ αἰτοῦσιν; Ἄκουσον ἑτέρου εὐαγγελιστοῦ τοῦτο σαφῶς ἐκκαλύπτοντος. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τὸ ἐγγὺς εἶναι, φησὶ, τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ δοκεῖν ὅτι ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ ἤδη ἀναφανεῖται, ταῦτα ᾔτουν. Ἐνόμιζον γὰρ, ὅτι ἐπὶ θύραις αὕτη, καὶ αἰσθητὴ, καὶ ἀπολαύσαντες ὧν ᾔτουν, οὐδὲν ὑποστήσονται τῶν λυπηρῶν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ δι' αὐτὴν μόνον αὐτὴν ἐζήτουν, ἀλλ' ὡς καὶ διαφευξόμενοι τὰ δυσχερῆ. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς τούτων πρῶτον αὐτοὺς ἀπάγει τῶν λογισμῶν, κελεύων σφαγὰς καὶ κινδύνους καὶ τὰ ἔσχατα ἀναμένειν δεινά. ∆ύνασθε γὰρ, φησὶ, πιεῖν τὸ ποτήριον ὃ ἐγὼ πίνω; Ἀλλὰ μηδεὶς θορυβείσθω, τῶν ἀποστόλων οὕτως ἀτελῶς διακειμένων. Οὔπω γὰρ ὁ σταυρὸς ἦν τελεσθεὶς, οὔπω Πνεύματος χάρις δοθεῖσα. Εἰ δὲ βούλει μαθεῖν αὐτῶν τὴν ἀρετὴν, μετὰ ταῦτα αὐτοὺς κατάμαθε, καὶ ὄψει παντὸς πάθους ἀνωτέρους. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἐκκαλύπτει αὐτῶν τὰ ἐλαττώματα, ἵνα μετὰ ταῦτα γνῷς, τίνες ἀπὸ τῆς χάριτος ἐγένοντο. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν οὐδὲν πνευματικὸν ᾔτουν, οὐδὲ ἔννοιαν τῆς ἄνω βασιλείας εἶχον, δῆλον ἐντεῦθεν. Πλὴν ἴδωμεν καὶ πῶς προσέρχονται, καὶ τί λέγουσι. Θέλομεν, φησὶν, ἵνα ὃ ἐὰν αἰτήσωμέν σε ποιήσῃς ἡμῖν. Καὶ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ Χριστός· Τί θέλετε; οὐκ ἀγνοῶν, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἀναγκάσῃ αὐτοὺς ἀποκρίνασθαι, καὶ ἀνακαλύψῃ τὸ ἕλκος, καὶ οὕτως ἐπιθῇ τὸ φάρμακον. Οἱ δὲ ἐρυθριῶντες καὶ αἰσχυνόμενοι, ἐπειδὴ ὑπὸ πάθους ἀνθρωπίνου πρὸς τοῦτο ᾔεσαν, κατ' ἰδίαν ἐκτὸς τῶν μαθητῶν λαβόντες αὐτὸν ἠρώτησαν. Προεπορεύθησαν γὰρ, φησὶν, ὥστε μὴ γενέσθαι αὐτοῖς κατάδηλον, καὶ οὕτως εἶπον ἅπερ ἐβούλοντο. Ἐβούλοντο δὲ, ὡς ἔγωγε οἶμαι, ἐπειδὴ ἤκουον, ὅτι Ἐπὶ δώδεκα θρόνους καθεδεῖσθε, τὴν προεδρίαν τῆς καθέδρας ταύτης λαβεῖν. Καὶ ὅτι μὲν τῶν ἄλλων πλέον εἶχον, ᾔδεσαν· ἐδεδοίκεσαν δὲ Πέτρον, καὶ λέγουσιν· Εἰπὲ, ἵνα εἷς ἐκ δεξιῶν σου καθίσῃ, καὶ εἷς ἐξ εὐωνύμων· καὶ κατεπείγουσι λέγοντες, Εἰπέ. Τί οὖν αὐτός; ∆ηλῶν, ὅτι οὐδὲν πνευματικὸν ᾔτουν, οὔτε εἰ ᾔδεσαν πάλιν ὅπερ ᾔτουν, ἐτόλμησαν ἂν τοσοῦτον αἰτῆσαι, φησίν· Οὐκ οἴδατε τί αἰτεῖσθε· πῶς μέγα, πῶς θαυμαστὸν, πῶς ὑπερβαῖνον καὶ τὰς ἄνω δυνάμεις. Εἶτα ἐπάγει· ∆ύνασθε πιεῖν τὸ ποτήριον, ὃ ἐγὼ μέλλω πίνειν, καὶ τὸ βάπτισμα, ὃ ἐγὼ βαπτίζομαι, βαπτισθῆναι; Εἶδες πῶς εὐθέως ἀπήγαγε τῆς ὑπονοίας, ἀπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων αὐτοῖς διαλεχθείς; Ὑμεῖς μὲν γὰρ περὶ τιμῆς καὶ στεφάνων μοι διαλέγεσθε, φησίν· ἐγὼ δὲ περὶ ἀγώνων ὑμῖν καὶ ἱδρώτων. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ τῶν ἐπάθλων καιρὸς, οὐδὲ νῦν ἡ δόξα μου φανεῖται ἐκείνη· ἀλλὰ σφαγῆς καὶ πολέμων καὶ κινδύνων τὰ παρόντα. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς τῷ τρόπῳ τῆς ἐρωτήσεως καὶ προτρέπει καὶ ἐφέλκεται. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε, ∆ύνασθε σφαγῆναι; δύνασθε τὸ αἷμα ὑμῶν ἐκχεῖν; ἀλλὰ πῶς; ∆ύνασθε πιεῖν τὸ ποτήριον; Εἶτα ἐφελκόμενός φησιν· Ὃ ἐγὼ μέλλω πίνειν· ἵνα τῇ πρὸς αὐτὸν κοινωνίᾳ προθυμότεροι γένωνται. Καὶ βάπτισμα αὐτὸ πάλιν καλεῖ, δεικνὺς μέγαν ἀπὸ τῶν γινομένων τὸν καθαρμὸν ἐσόμενον τῇ οἰκουμένῃ. Λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· ∆υνάμεθα. Ἀπὸ τῆς προθυμίας εὐθέως ἐπηγγείλαντο, οὐδὲ τοῦτο εἰδότες ὅπερ εἶπον, ἀλλὰ προσδοκῶντες ἀκούσεσθαι ὅπερ 58.620 ᾔτησαν. Τί οὖν αὐτός; Τὸ μὲν ποτήριόν μου πίεσθε, καὶ τὸ βάπτισμα, ὃ ἐγὼ βαπτίζομαι, βαπτισθήσεσθε. Μεγάλα αὐτοῖς προεφήτευσεν ἀγαθά· τουτέστι, Μαρτυρίου καταξιωθήσεσθε, καὶ ταῦτα πείσεσθε ἅπερ ἐγώ· βιαίῳ θανάτῳ τὴν ζωὴν καταλύσετε, καὶ τούτων μοι κοινωνήσετε. Τὸ δὲ καθίσαι ἐκ δεξιῶν καὶ ἐξ εὐωνύμων οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὸν δοῦναι, ἀλλ' οἷς ἡτοίμασται παρὰ τοῦ Πατρός μου. γʹ. Ἐπάρας αὐτῶν τὰς ψυχὰς, καὶ ὑψηλοτέρας ποιήσας, καὶ πρὸς λύπην ἀχειρώτους ἐργασάμενος, τότε διορθοῦται αὐτῶν τὴν αἴτησιν. Ἀλλὰ τί ποτέ ἐστι τὸ νῦν εἰρημένον; Καὶ γὰρ δύο ἐστὶ τὰ ζητούμενα παρὰ πολλῶν· ἓν μὲν, εἰ ἡτοίμασταί τισι τὸ καθίσαι ἐκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ· ἕτερον δὲ, εἰ ὁ πάντων Κύριος ἐκείνοις, οἷς ἡτοίμασται, κύριος οὐκ ἔστι παρασχεῖν. Τί οὖν ἐστι τὸ εἰρημένον; Ἂν τὸ πρότερον λύσωμεν, τότε καὶ τὸ δεύτερον τοῖς ζητοῦσιν ἔσται σαφές. Τί οὖν ἐστι τοῦτο; Οὐδεὶς ἐκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ καθεδεῖται, οὐδὲ ἐξ εὐωνύμων. Ἄβατος γὰρ πᾶσιν ὁ θρόνος ἐκεῖνος· οὐκ ἀνθρώποις λέγω καὶ ἁγίοις καὶ