432

we will remain begging, being in no better a condition than the poor in the streets, but rather much worse and more wretched? For those who are evilly rich are much worse than they, and it is better to beg than to seize by violence. For the one has pardon, but the other brings punishment; and the one does not offend God, but the other offends both men and God; and he endures the pains of his rapine, but others often have reaped all the enjoyment. Knowing these things, then, and putting away all covetousness, let us be covetous of the things above, seizing the kingdom with great earnestness. For it is not, it is not possible for anyone who is slothful to enter into it. But may we all, having become earnest and watchful, attain to this, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

58.655 HOMILY 70. Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how

they might entangle him in his talk.

1. Then, when? When they ought most to have been pricked in their hearts, when to have been amazed at His love for man, when to have feared the future, when from the past to have believed also concerning the future. For in the facts the things that had been said were crying aloud. For both publicans and harlots believed, and prophets and righteous men were slain, and from these things they ought not to contradict about their own destruction either, but both to believe and to be brought to a sober mind. But nevertheless, not even so does their wickedness cease, but it travails and goes on further. And since they could not seize Him (for they feared the multitudes), they came another way, as though to cast Him into danger, and to make Him liable for public offenses. For they send to him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Teacher, we know that you are true, and teach the way of God in truth, neither care you for any man: for you regard not the person of men. Tell us therefore, What do you think? Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? For they were now subject to tribute, their affairs having passed into the rule of the Romans. Since then they saw that those before this had died for this, they about Theudas and Judas, as having aimed at a revolt, they desired by these words to bring Him also into such suspicion. For this cause they send both their own disciples and Herod's soldiers, digging, as they thought, a precipice on both sides, and setting the trap on all sides, in order that, whatever He might say, they might take hold of it; and if He should answer in favor of the Herodians, they might accuse Him; but if in their favor, the others might charge Him. And yet He had given the didrachma; but they did not know this. And from both sides they expected to catch Him, but they desired more that He should say something against the Herodians. Wherefore they also send the disciples, by their presence pushing Him to this, that they might deliver Him to the governor as a usurper. For this Luke also signified, saying, that they asked also in the presence of the multitude, so that the testimony might be greater. But the very opposite came to pass; for in a greater theater they were giving the proof of their own folly. And see the flattery, and the hidden deceit. We know, it says, that you are true. How then did you say, that He is a Deceiver, and, He deceives the people, and, He has a demon, and, He is not from God? how a little while ago did you take counsel to kill Him? But all things are done, whatever the plot may suggest. For since a little while ago, having said with boldness, By what authority do you these things? they did not obtain an answer to their question, they expect to puff Him up with flattery, and to persuade Him to say something against the established laws, and contrary to the ruling power. Whence also they bear witness to the truth concerning Him, confessing what is; but not with a right mind, nor willingly; and they add, saying,

432

μενοῦμεν προσαιτοῦντες, τῶν ἐν ταῖς τριόδοις πτωχῶν οὐδὲν ἄμεινον διακείμενοι, μᾶλλον δὲ πολλῷ χεῖρον καὶ ἀθλιώτερον; Καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνων πολλῷ χείρους οἱ κακῶς πλουτοῦντες, καὶ βέλτιον ἐπαιτεῖν ἢ ἁρπάζειν· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἔχει συγγνώμην, τὸ δὲ κόλασιν φέρει· καὶ ὁ μὲν οὐδὲν προσκρούει Θεῷ, οὗτος δὲ καὶ ἀνθρώποις καὶ Θεῷ· καὶ τοὺς μὲν πόνους ὑφίσταται τῆς ἁρπαγῆς, τὴν δὲ ἀπόλαυσιν ἕτεροι πολλάκις ἐκαρπώσαντο ἅπασαν. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδότες, καὶ ἀποθέμενοι τὴν πλεονεξίαν πᾶσαν, πλεονεκτήσωμεν τὰ ἄνω, μετὰ πολλῆς σπουδῆς τὴν βασιλείαν ἁρπάζοντες. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστι ῥᾳθυμοῦντά τινα εἰς αὐτὴν εἰσελθεῖν. Γένοιτο δὲ πάντας σπουδαίους καὶ ἐγρηγορότας γεγονότας ταύτης ἐπιτυχεῖν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

58.655 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ Οʹ. Τότε πορευθέντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοι συμβούλιον ἔλαβον, ὅπως

αὐτὸν παγιδεύσωσιν ἐν λόγῳ.

αʹ. Τότε, πότε; Ὅτε μάλιστα κατανυγῆναι ἔδει, ὅτε ἐκπλαγῆναι τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν, ὅτε φοβηθῆναι τὰ μέλλοντα, ὅτε ἀπὸ τῶν παρελθόντων καὶ περὶ τῶν μελλόντων πιστεῦσαι ἐχρῆν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων τὰ εἰρημένα ἐβόα. Καὶ γὰρ τελῶναι καὶ πόρναι ἐπίστευσαν, καὶ προφῆται καὶ δίκαιοι ἀνῃρέθησαν, καὶ ἀπὸ τούτων ἐχρῆν καὶ περὶ τῆς ἀπωλείας ἑαυτῶν μὴ ἀντιλέγειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πιστεύειν καὶ σωφρονίζεσθαι. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ οὕτω λήγει τὰ τῆς κακίας αὐτῶν, ἀλλ' ὠδίνει καὶ πρόεισι περαιτέρω. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ κατασχεῖν αὐτὸν οὐκ εἶχον (ἐφοβοῦντο γὰρ τοὺς ὄχλους), ἑτέραν ἦλθον ὁδὸν, ὡς δὴ εἰς κίνδυνον ἐμβαλοῦντες, καὶ δημοσίων ποιήσοντες ἀδικημάτων ὑπεύθυνον. Ἀποστέλλουσι γὰρ αὐτῷ τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτῶν μετὰ τῶν Ἡρωδιανῶν, λέγοντες· ∆ιδάσκαλε, οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἀληθὴς εἶ, καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ διδάσκεις, καὶ οὐ μέλει σοι περὶ οὐδενός· οὐ γὰρ βλέπεις εἰς πρόσωπον ἀνθρώπων. Εἰπὲ οὖν ἡμῖν, τί σοι δοκεῖ; ἔξεστι δοῦναι κῆνσον Καίσαρι, ἢ οὔ; Καὶ γὰρ φόρου λοιπὸν ἦσαν ὑποτελεῖς, τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτοῖς εἰς τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴν μεταπεσόντων. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν εἶδον, ὅτι οἱ πρὸ τούτου διὰ τοῦτο ἀπέθανον, οἱ περὶ Θευδᾶν καὶ Ἰούδαν, ὡς ἀποστασίαν μελετήσαντες, ἐβούλοντο καὶ αὐτὸν διὰ τῶν λόγων τούτων εἰς τοιαύτην ὑποψίαν ἐμβαλεῖν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ τοὺς αὐτῶν μαθητὰς καὶ τοὺς Ἡρώδου στρατιώτας ἔπεμπον, διπλοῦν, ὡς ᾤοντο, τὸν κρημνὸν ἑκατέρωθεν ὀρύττοντες, καὶ πάντοθεν τιθέντες τὴν παγίδα, ἵν', ὅπερ ἂν εἴπῃ, ἐπιλάβωνται· κἂν μὲν ὑπὲρ τῶν Ἡρωδιανῶν ἀποκρίνηται, αὐτοὶ ἐγκαλέσωσιν· ἂν δὲ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, ἐκεῖνοι κατηγορήσωσι. Καίτοιγε ἦν δεδωκὼς τὰ δίδραχμα· ἀλλ' οὐκ ᾔδεσαν τοῦτο. Καὶ ἑκατέρωθεν μὲν αὐτὸν προσεδόκων αἱρήσειν, ἐπεθύμουν δὲ μᾶλλον κατὰ τῶν Ἡρωδιανῶν αὐτὸν εἰπεῖν τι. ∆ιὸ καὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς πέμπουσιν, εἰς τοῦτο ὠθοῦντας αὐτὸν τῇ παρουσίᾳ, ἵνα παραδῶσι τῷ ἡγεμόνι ὡς τύραννον. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ Λουκᾶς αἰνιττόμενος ἐδήλου λέγων, ὅτι καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ὄχλων ἠρώτων, ὡς μείζονα γενέσθαι τὴν μαρτυρίαν. Ἐγένετο δὲ τοὐναντίον ἅπαν· ἐν πλείονι γὰρ θεάτρῳ τῆς αὐτῶν ἀνοίας παρεῖχον τὴν ἀπόδειξιν. Καὶ ὅρα τὴν κολακείαν, καὶ τὸν ἐγκεκρυμμένον δόλον. Οἴδαμεν, φησὶν, ὅτι ἀληθὴς εἶ. Πῶς οὖν ἐλέγετε, ὅτι Πλάνος ἐστὶ, καὶ, Πλανᾷ τὸν ὄχλον, καὶ, ∆αιμόνιον ἔχει, καὶ, Οὐκ ἔστιν ἀπὸ Θεοῦ; πῶς πρὸ μικροῦ ἐβουλεύεσθε αὐτὸν ἀνελεῖν; Ἀλλὰ πάντα γίνονται, ἅπερ ἂν ἡ ἐπιβουλὴ ὑπαγορεύσῃ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πρὸ μικροῦ εἰπόντες μετὰ αὐθαδείας, Ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιεῖς; πρὸς τὴν ἐρώτησιν οὐκ ἔτυχον ἀποκρίσεως, προσδοκῶσιν αὐτὸν τῇ κολακείᾳ χαυνοῦν, καὶ πείθειν εἰπεῖν τι κατὰ τῶν καθεστώτων νόμων, καὶ τῇ κρατούσῃ πολιτείᾳ τὸ ὑπεναντίον. Ὅθεν καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν μαρτυροῦσιν αὐτῷ, ὁμολογοῦντες τὸ ὄν· πλὴν οὐκ ὀρθῇ γνώμῃ, οὐδὲ ἑκόντες· καὶ προστιθέασι λέγοντες·