John Chrysostom, On Matthew

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that Do you think that I cannot destroy them? For this reason 58.753 he says: What do you think, that I cannot ask my Father? And this again He reports humbly, saying: He will furnish me with twelve legions of angels. For if one angel destroyed one hundred and eighty-five thousand armed men, what need was there of twelve legions for a thousand men? But He shapes his speech to their fear and weakness; for they were already dead with dread. For this reason He also fortifies them with the Scriptures, saying: How then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled? frightening them from this as well. For if this seems good to them, do you oppose it by fighting? 2. And to the disciples He says these things, but to those others He says: Have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to arrest me? Day by day I sat teaching in the temple, and you did not seize me. See how many things He does that are able to rouse them. He threw them on their backs, He healed the servant's ear, He threatened them with slaughter: For they that take the sword, He says, shall perish by the sword; and He confirmed this by the healing of the ear; from all sides, from present things and from future things, revealing His power, and showing that it was not the work of their strength to seize Him. Wherefore He adds: Day by day I was with you, and I sat teaching, and you did not seize me; thereby declaring that it was by His permission that they took Him. Passing over the miracles, He mentions His teaching, lest He seem to be boasting. When I was teaching, you did not seize me; when I was silent, you came against me? I was in the temple, and no one restrained me; but now at an unseasonable hour and in the middle of the night you have come with swords and clubs? What need was there of these weapons against one who was always with you? from these things teaching that unless He had willingly yielded, they would not then have had the strength. For neither would they who were unable to seize Him when He was in their hands, and having taken Him in their midst and not prevailed, have been able at that time either, unless He had willed it. Then He also solves the difficulty, why He willed it then. For this has come to pass, He says, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Do you see how up to the last hour, and in the very act of being delivered up, He did everything for their correction, healing, prophesying, threatening: For they shall perish by the sword, He says; showing that He suffers willingly: For day by day, He says, I was with you teaching; declaring His agreement with the Father: that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. But why did they not seize Him in the temple? Because they would not have dared to in the temple on account of the crowd. Therefore He also went out, and from the place and from the time He gave them leave, and up to the last hour He took away their defense. For He who, in order to obey the prophets, even gave Himself up, how could He teach contrary things? Then all His disciples, it says, forsook Him and fled. For when He was seized, they remained; but when He uttered these things to the crowds, they fled. For they saw at last that it was no longer possible to escape, since He was willingly giving Himself over to them, and saying that this was happening according to the Scriptures. 58.754 And when they had fled, they lead Him to Caiaphas; but Peter followed and entered, to see what the end would be. Great was the ardor of the disciple; seeing them flee, he did not flee, but stood and entered with them. And if John also, yet he was known to the high priest. And why did they lead Him there, where they were all gathered? So that they might do everything with the counsel of the chief priests. For he was high priest at that time, and they were all waiting for Him there; so they were spending the night and keeping watch for this purpose. For they did not eat the Passover at that time, he says, but for this reason they kept watch. For when John said that it was morning, he added: They did not enter into the praetorium, that they might not be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. What then is there to say? That they ate on another day, and broke the law, on account of their desire for this slaughter. For Christ would not have transgressed the time of the Passover, but they, who dared all things, and trampled on countless laws. For since they were boiling with wrath, and having often attempted to kill Him, they were not able; then having taken Him

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ὅτι ∆οκεῖτε, ὅτι οὐ δύναμαι αὐτοὺς ἀπολέσαι; ∆ιὰ τοῦτό 58.753 φησι· Τί δοκεῖτε, ὅτι οὐ δύναμαι παρακαλέσαι τὸν Πατέρα μου; Καὶ αὐτὸ πάλιν ταπεινῶς ἀπαγγέλλει εἰπών· Παραστήσει μοι δώδεκα λεγεῶνας ἀγγέλων. Εἰ γὰρ εἷς ἄγγελος ἑκατὸν ὀγδοηκονταπέντε χιλιάδας ἀνεῖλεν ὡπλισμένας, τί δώδεκα λεγεώνων ἔδει ἐπὶ χιλίους ἀνθρώπους; Ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν φόβον αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν ἀσθένειαν σχηματίζει τὸν λόγον· καὶ γὰρ ἀποτεθνηκότες ἦσαν τῷ δέει. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὰς Γραφὰς ἐπιτειχίζει λέγων· Πῶς οὖν πληρωθῶσιν αἱ Γραφαί; φοβῶν αὐτοὺς κἀντεῦθεν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐκείναις τοῦτο δοκεῖ, ὑμεῖς ἐναντιοῦσθε πολεμοῦντες; βʹ. Καὶ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς μαθητὰς ταῦτα, πρὸς δὲ ἐκείνους φησίν· Ὡς ἐπὶ λῃστὴν ἐξήλθετε μετὰ μαχαιρῶν καὶ ξύλων συλλαβεῖν με; Καθ' ἡμέραν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ἐκαθεζόμην διδάσκων, καὶ οὐκ ἐκρατήσατέ με. Ὅρα πόσα ποιεῖ τὰ δυνάμενα αὐτοὺς διαναστῆσαι. Ὑπτίους ἔῤῥιψε, τὸ ὠτίον τοῦ οἰκέτου ἰάσατο, ἠπείλησεν αὐτοὺς σφαγήν· Ἐν μαχαίρᾳ γὰρ ἀπολοῦνται, φησὶν, οἱ λαβόντες μάχαιραν· ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ ὠτίου θεραπείας καὶ ταῦτα ἐπιστώσατο· πάντοθεν ἀπὸ τῶν παρόντων, ἀπὸ τῶν μελλόντων ἐμφαίνων αὐτοῦ τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐ τῆς αὐτῶν ἰσχύος ἔργον γέγονε τὸ κρατῆσαι αὐτόν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπάγει· Καθ' ἡμέραν μεθ' ὑμῶν ἤμην, καὶ ἐκαθεζόμην διδάσκων, καὶ οὐκ ἐκρατήσατέ με· κἀντεῦθεν δηλῶν, ὅτι τῆς αὐτοῦ συγχωρήσεως ἦν τὸ ἑλεῖν. Τὰ θαύματα παραδραμὼν, τὴν διδασκαλίαν λέγει, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ κομπάζειν. Ὅτε ἐδίδασκον, οὐκ ἐκρατήσατέ με· ὅτε ἐσίγησα, ἐπήλθετε; Ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ἤμην, καὶ οὐδεὶς κατέσχε· νυνὶ δὲ ἀωρὶ καὶ μέσων νυκτῶν ἐπέστητε μετὰ μαχαιρῶν καὶ ξύλων; Τί τούτων ἐδέησε τῶν ὅπλων ἐπὶ τὸν μεθ' ὑμῶν ὄντα ἀεί; ἀπὸ τούτων διδάσκων, ὅτι εἰ μὴ ἑκὼν ἐνέδωκεν, οὐδ' ἂν τότε ἴσχυσαν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν οἱ τὸν ἐν χερσὶν ὄντα μὴ δυνηθέντες κατασχεῖν, καὶ μέσον αὐτὸν λαβόντες καὶ μὴ περιγενόμενοι, οὔτε τότε ἂν ἴσχυσαν, εἰ μὴ ἠθέλησεν. Εἶτα καὶ τὴν ἀπορίαν λύει, διατί τότε ἠβουλήθη. Τοῦτο γὰρ γέγονε, φησὶν, ἵνα πληρωθῶσιν αἱ Γραφαὶ τῶν προφητῶν. Εἶδες πῶς μέχρι τῆς ἐσχάτης ὥρας, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ παραδοθῆναι, πάντα ἐποίει πρὸς διόρθωσιν τὴν ἐκείνων, θεραπεύων, προφητεύων, ἀπειλῶν· Ἐν μαχαίρᾳ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀπολοῦνται· δεικνὺς ὅτι ἑκὼν πάσχει· Καθ' ἡμέραν γὰρ μεθ' ὑμῶν, φησὶν, ἤμην διδάσκων· τὴν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα συμφωνίαν δηλῶν· Ἵνα πληρωθῶσιν αἱ Γραφαὶ τῶν προφητῶν. ∆ιατί δὲ μὴ ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ αὐτὸν ἐκράτησαν; Ὅτι οὐκ ἂν ἐτόλμησαν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ διὰ τὸν ὄχλον. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἔξω ἐξῆλθε, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ καιροῦ διδοὺς αὐτοῖς ἄδειαν, καὶ μέχρις ἐσχάτης ὥρας ἀναιρῶν αὐτῶν τὴν ἀπολογίαν. Ὁ γὰρ ἵνα πεισθῇ τοῖς προφήταις, καὶ ἑαυτὸν παραδοὺς, πῶς ἐναντία ἐδίδασκε; Τότε πάντες οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, φησὶν, ἀφέντες αὐτὸν ἔφυγον. Ὅτε μὲν γὰρ κατεσχέθη, ἔμενον· ὅτε δὲ ἐφθέγξατο ταῦτα πρὸς τοὺς ὄχλους, ἔφυγον. Εἶδον γὰρ λοιπὸν, ὅτι οὐκέτι διαφυγεῖν ἔνι, ἑκόντος ἑαυτὸν παραδιδόντος αὐτοῖς, καὶ λέγοντος κατὰ τὰς Γραφὰς τοῦτο γίνεσθαι. 58.754 Φυγόντων δὲ αὐτῶν, Ἄγουσιν αὐτὸν πρὸς Καϊάφαν· ὁ δὲ Πέτρος ἠκολούθησε καὶ εἰσῆλθεν, ἰδεῖν τί τὸ τέλος. Πολλὴ ἡ θερμότης τοῦ μαθητοῦ· οὐδὲ φεύγοντας ἰδὼν ἔφυγεν, ἀλλ' ἔστη καὶ συνεισῆλθεν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ Ἰωάννης, ἀλλὰ γνώριμος ἦν τῷ ἀρχιερεῖ. Καὶ διατί ἐκεῖ ἀπήγαγον αὐτὸν, ἔνθα ἦσαν πάντες συνηγμένοι; Ἵνα μετὰ γνώμης πάντα ποιήσωσι τῶν ἀρχιερέων. Ἐκεῖνος γὰρ ἦν τότε ἀρχιερεὺς, καὶ πάντες ἦσαν αὐτὸν αὐτόθι ἀναμένοντες· οὕτω διενυκτέρευον καὶ ἠγρύπνουν ἐπὶ τούτῳ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔφαγον τότε τὸ πάσχα, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦτο ἠγρύπνουν. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, ὅτι πρωΐα ἐστὶν, ὁ Ἰωάννης, ἐπήγαγεν· Οὐκ εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὸ πραιτώριον, ἵνα μὴ μιανθῶσιν, ἀλλ' ἵνα φάγωσι τὸ πάσχα. Τί οὖν ἔστιν εἰπεῖν; Ὅτι ἐν ἑτέρᾳ ἡμέρᾳ ἔφαγον, καὶ τὸν νόμον ἔλυσαν, διὰ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τὴν περὶ τὴν σφαγὴν ταύτην. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν ὁ Χριστὸς παρέβη τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ πάσχα, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι οἱ πάντα τολμῶντες, καὶ μυρίους καταπατοῦντες νόμους. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ σφόδρα ἔζεον τῷ θυμῷ, καὶ πολλάκις ἐπιχειρήσαντες ἀνελεῖν, οὐκ ἴσχυσαν· τότε λαβόντες αὐτὸν