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sleep. But He prays fervently, that the matter might not seem to be a pretense. 58.746 And sweats flow down for the same reason again, and that heretics might not say this, that He is feigning the agony. For this reason also sweats as drops of blood, and an angel appeared strengthening Him, and countless proofs of fear, so that no one might say the words were feigned. For this reason also the prayer. Therefore, by saying, If it is possible, let it pass, He showed His humanity; but by saying, Nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou, He showed what is virtuous and philosophical, teaching us even when nature pulls back, to follow God. For since it was not enough for the foolish to show His person only, He adds words also. Again, words alone were not enough, but deeds were also needed; and He joins these to the words, so that even the very contentious might believe, that He both became man and died. For if even with these things existing, this is still disbelieved by some, how much more if these things had not been. Do you see by how many things He shows the truth of the economy? By what He utters, by what He suffers. Then coming, He says, it says, to Peter: So, could you not watch with me one hour? All were asleep, and He rebukes Peter, hinting at him, for what he had uttered. And the phrase, With me, is not put simply, as if He were saying: You could not watch with Me, and you will lay down your life for Me? And what follows also hints at this same thing. For watch, He says, and pray that you enter not into temptation. Do you see how again He teaches them not to be overconfident, but to be contrite in mind, and humble-minded, and to commit everything to God? And now He addresses Peter, and now all of them in common. And to him He says: Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you; and I have prayed for you; but to all in common, Pray that you enter not into temptation, everywhere cutting off their presumption and making them anxious. Then, so that He might not seem to make His speech entirely condemnatory, He says: The 58.747 spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. For even if you wish, He says, to despise death, yet you will not be able, until God stretches out His hand; for the carnal mind drags you down. And again He prayed the same thing, saying: Father, if this cannot pass from me unless I drink it, Thy will be done; showing here that He is very much in harmony with the will of God, and that one must always follow this, and seek this. And coming, He found them sleeping. For besides it being late at night, their eyes were also heavy from despondency. And a third time, going away again, He uttered the same thing, confirming that He had become man. For the second and third time is especially indicative of truth in the Scriptures; just as Joseph also said to Pharaoh: Did the dream appear to you a second time? This has happened for the sake of truth, and for you to be assured that this will certainly come to pass. For this reason He also uttered the same thing once and twice and a third time, in order to confirm the economy. And for what reason did He come a second time? In order to convict them, that they were so overwhelmed by despondency, as not even to perceive His presence. Yet He did not convict them, but stood a little apart, showing their unspeakable weakness, that not even when rebuked could they persevere. But He does not wake them up and rebuke them again, so as not to strike those already stricken, but going away and praying and returning He says: Sleep on now, and take your rest. And yet then they ought to have been watchful; but showing that they will not even bear the sight of the terrible things, but will be put to flight and will stand aloof because of the agony, and that He needs none of their help, and that He must by all means be delivered up, Sleep on now, He says, and take your rest. Behold, the hour has drawn near, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. He shows again that what was happening was of the economy. 2. And not only this, but also by saying, Into the hands of sinners, He raises their spirits, showing that the deed was of their wickedness, not of His being liable for any sin. Rise, let us go from here; behold, he who betrays me has drawn near. For through all things them
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ὕπνος. Ὁ δὲ ἐκτενῶς εὔχεται, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ ὑπόκρισις εἶναι τὸ πρᾶγμα. 58.746 Καὶ ἱδρῶτες ἐπιῤῥέουσι διὰ τὴν αἰτίαν πάλιν τὴν αὐτὴν, καὶ ἵνα μὴ τοῦτο εἴπωσιν αἱρετικοὶ, ὅτι ὑποκρίνεται τὴν ἀγωνίαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἱδρῶτες ὡς θρόμβοι αἵματος, καὶ ἄγγελος ἐνισχύων αὐτὸν ἐφάνη, καὶ μυρία φόβου τεκμήρια, ἵνα μή τις εἴπῃ τὰ ῥήματα πεπλασμένα εἶναι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡ εὐχή. Τῷ μὲν οὖν εἰπεῖν, Εἰ δυνατὸν, παρελθέτω, ἔδειξε τὸ ἀνθρώπινον· τῷ δὲ εἰπεῖν, Πλὴν οὐχ ὡς ἐγὼ θέλω, ἀλλ' ὡς σὺ, ἔδειξε τὸ ἐνάρετον καὶ ἐμφιλόσοφον, παιδεύων καὶ τῆς φύσεως ἀνθελκούσης ἕπεσθαι τῷ Θεῷ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οὐκ ἤρκει τοῖς ἀνοήτοις τὸ πρόσωπον δεῖξαι μόνον, καὶ ῥήματα προστίθησι. Πάλιν ῥήματα οὐκ ἤρκει μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πραγμάτων ἔδει; καὶ ταῦτα συνάπτει τοῖς ῥήμασιν, ἵνα πιστεύσωσι καὶ οἱ σφόδρα φιλονεικοῦντες, ὅτι καὶ ἄνθρωπος γέγονε καὶ ἀπέθανεν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τούτων ὄντων, ἀπιστεῖται παρά τινων ἔτι τοῦτο, πολλῷ μᾶλλον εἰ μὴ ταῦτα ἦν. Ὁρᾷς δι' ὅσων δείκνυσι τῆς οἰκονομίας τὴν ἀλήθειαν; ∆ι' ὧν φθέγγεται, δι' ὧν πάσχει. Εἶτα ἐλθὼν, Λέγει, φησὶ, τῷ Πέτρῳ· Οὕτως οὐκ ἴσχυσας μίαν ὥραν γρηγορῆσαι μετ' ἐμοῦ; Ἅπαντες ἐκάθευδον, καὶ τῷ Πέτρῳ ἐπιτιμᾷ, αἰνιττόμενος αὐτὸν, ὑπὲρ ὧν ἐφθέγξατο. Καὶ τὸ, Μετ' ἐμοῦ δὲ οὐχ ἁπλῶς κεῖται, ὡσανεὶ ἔλεγε· Γρηγορῆσαι οὐκ ἴσχυσας μετ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν θήσεις; Καὶ τὸ ἑξῆς δὲ τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο αἰνίττεται. Γρηγορεῖτε γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ προσεύχεσθε μὴ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς πειρασμόν. Ὁρᾷς πῶς πάλιν αὐτοὺς παιδεύει μὴ ἀπαυθαδιάζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ συντετρῖφθαι τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ ταπεινοφρονεῖν, καὶ τῷ Θεῷ τὸ πᾶν ἀνατιθέναι; Καὶ νῦν μὲν πρὸς Πέτρον ἀποτείνεται, νῦν δὲ πρὸς πάντας κοινῇ. Κἀκείνῳ μέν φησι· Σίμων, Σίμων, ἐξῄτησεν ὁ Σατανᾶς σινιάσαι ὑμᾶς· κἀγὼ ἐδεήθην περὶ σοῦ· κοινῇ δὲ πᾶσιν, Εὔχεσθε μὴ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς πειρασμὸν, πανταχοῦ τὸ αὔθαδες αὐτῶν ἐκκόπτων καὶ ἐναγωνίους ποιῶν. Εἶτα ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ διόλου καταφορικὸν ποιεῖν τὸν λόγον, λέγει· Τὸ μὲν 58.747 πνεῦμα πρόθυμον, ἡ δὲ σὰρξ ἀσθενής. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ βούλει, φησὶν, ὑπεριδεῖν θανάτου, ἀλλ' οὐ δυνήσῃ, ἕως ἂν ὁ Θεὸς ὀρέξῃ χεῖρα· καθέλκει γὰρ τὸ φρόνημα τὸ σαρκικόν. Καὶ πάλιν ηὔξατο τὸ αὐτὸ, λέγων· Πάτερ, εἰ οὐ δύναται τοῦτο παρελθεῖν ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ἐὰν μὴ αὐτὸ πίω, γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου· δεικνὺς ἐνταῦθα, ὅτι σφόδρα συνᾴδει τῷ θελήματι τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ὅτι πανταχοῦ τούτῳ ἕπεσθαι δεῖ, καὶ τοῦτο ἐπιζητεῖν. Καὶ ἐλθὼν, εὗρεν αὐτοὺς καθεύδοντας. Μετὰ γὰρ τοῦ καὶ ἀωρὶ τῶν νυκτῶν εἶναι, καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτῶν ὑπὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας ἦσαν βεβαρημένοι. Καὶ ἐκ τρίτου πάλιν τὸ αὐτὸ ἀπελθὼν ἐφθέγξατο, βεβαιῶν ὅτι ἄνθρωπος γέγονε. Τὸ γὰρ δεύτερον καὶ τρίτον ἀληθείας μάλιστά ἐστιν ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς ἐνδεικτικόν· ὥσπερ καὶ ὁ Ἰωσὴφ ἔλεγε τῷ Φαραώ· Ἐκ δευτέρου ἐφάνη σοι τὸ ἐνύπνιον; ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας, καὶ τοῦ πιστωθῆναί σε ὅτι τοῦτο ἔσται πάντως, τοῦτο γέγονε. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς καὶ τρίτον τὸ αὐτὸ ἐφθέγξατο, ὑπὲρ τοῦ πιστώσασθαι τὴν οἰκονομίαν. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν ἦλθεν ἐκ δευτέρου; Ὥστε αὐτοὺς ἐλέγξαι, ὅτι οὕτως ἐβαπτίσθησαν ὑπὸ τῆς ἀθυμίας, ὡς μηδὲ τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ αἰσθέσθαι. Οὐ μὴν ἤλεγξεν, ἀλλὰ διέστη μικρὸν, δηλῶν τὴν ἄφατον αὐτῶν ἀσθένειαν, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐπιτιμηθέντες ἠδύναντο καρτερῆσαι. Οὐ διυπνίζει δὲ καὶ ἐπιτιμᾷ πάλιν, ὥστε μὴ πλῆξαι πεπληγότας, ἀλλ' ἀπελθὼν καὶ προσευξάμενος καὶ ἐπανελθών φησι· Καθεύδετε τὸ λοιπὸν, καὶ ἀναπαύεσθε. Καὶ μὴν τότε γρηγορῆσαι ἔδει· ἀλλὰ δεικνὺς, ὅτι οὐδὲ τὴν ὄψιν οἴσουσι τῶν δεινῶν, ἀλλὰ φυγαδευθήσονται καὶ ἀποστήσονται ὑπὸ τῆς ἀγωνίας, καὶ ὅτι οὐδὲν τῆς αὐτῶν δεῖται βοηθείας, καὶ ὅτι δεῖ πάντως αὐτὸν παραδοθῆναι, Καθεύδετε λοιπὸν, φησὶ, καὶ ἀναπαύεσθε. Ἰδοὺ ἤγγικεν ἡ ὥρα, καὶ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται εἰς χεῖρας ἁμαρτωλῶν. ∆είκνυσι πάλιν ὅτι οἰκονομίας ἦν τὸ γινόμενον. βʹ. Οὐ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ εἰπεῖν, Εἰς χεῖρας ἁμαρτωλῶν, ἀνίστησιν αὐτῶν τὰ φρονήματα, δηλῶν ὅτι τῆς ἐκείνων πονηρίας τὸ ἔργον ἦν, οὐ τοῦ αὐτὸν ὑπεύθυνον εἶναι πλημμελήματι. Ἐγείρεσθε, ἄγωμεν ἐντεῦθεν· ἰδοὺ ἤγγικεν ὁ παραδιδούς με. ∆ιὰ πάντων γὰρ αὐτοὺς