John Chrysostom, On Matthew

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palace, where she lived, you say; but show me, who was conquered, who was defeated, who was in despair, who was in pleasure. For she was not only unable to master the just man, but not even her own passion; but he overcame both her and the grievous malady. But if you wish, hear their very words, and you will see the trophy. You have brought in a Hebrew servant here to mock us. It was not he who mocked, you wretched and miserable woman, but the devil, who said that you could break the adamant. It was not he who brought in to you a 58.757 Hebrew servant to plot against you, but the evil demon, the unclean wantonness; it was he that mocked you. What then of Joseph? He is silent, and so is condemned, just like Christ. For all those things were types of these. And he was in bonds, but she in a palace. And what of this? For he was more radiant than any victor, even while remaining in chains; but she was in a more wretched state than any prisoner, while living in royal chambers. And not from this alone can one see the victory and the defeat, but also from the end itself. For who did what he willed? The prisoner, but not the queen. For he 58.758 was eager to preserve his chastity, but she to take it away. Who then did what he willed? The one who suffered evil, or the one who did evil? It is clear that it was the one who suffered. Therefore, he is the one who has conquered. Knowing these things, therefore, let us pursue this victory, the one through suffering evil; and let us flee that one, which is through doing evil. For thus we shall both live the present life with all freedom from trouble and with great tranquility, and we shall attain to the good things to come, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

58.757 HOMILY 85. Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted

him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands, saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee? 1. Why did they do these things, when they were about to kill him? What need was there of this mockery

was there? That you might learn their wanton character in all things; and that as having found a prey, so they were exhibiting their drunken violence, and were sated with their madness, making this a festival, and attacking with pleasure, and showing their murderous character. But do you admire for me the disciples' love of wisdom, with what accuracy they report these things. From which their love of truth is shown, that they narrate things that seem to be reproachful with all truth, hiding nothing, nor being ashamed, but even considering it the greatest glory, as indeed it was, that the Master of the world endured to suffer such things for us. This showed both his unspeakable care for us, and their unpardonable wickedness, who dared these things against one so gentle and meek, and one who uttered such things as were sufficient to make even a lion a lamb. For neither did he omit anything of gentleness, nor they of insolence and cruelty, in what they did, in what they said. All of which the prophet Isaiah also foretold, thus proclaiming beforehand, and signifying all this insolence in a single word. For as many shall be astonished at you, he says, so shall your form be inglorious from men, and your glory from the sons of men. For what could be equal to this insolence? Upon that face, which the sea saw and was abashed, which the sun seeing on the cross turned away its rays, they spat and smote with the palms of their hands, and struck on the head, being sated with all abundance of their own madness. For they inflicted the most insolent of all blows, buffeting, smiting with the palm of their hands, and to these blows they added the insolence of spitting. And again they uttered words full of much mockery, saying, Prophesy unto us, thou Christ, who is he that smote thee? since they considered him a prophet

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βασίλεια, ἔνθα διέτριβεν ἐκείνη, λέγε· ἀλλὰ δεῖξόν μοι, τίς ὁ νικηθεὶς, τίς ὁ ἡττηθεὶς, τίς ὁ ἐν ἀθυμίᾳ, τίς ὁ ἐν ἡδονῇ. Ἐκείνη μὲν γὰρ οὐ μόνον τοῦ δικαίου, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦ οἰκείου ἴσχυσε κρατῆσαι πάθους· οὗτος δὲ καὶ αὐτῆς καὶ τοῦ νοσήματος περιεγένετο τοῦ χαλεποῦ. Εἰ δὲ καὶ βούλει, αὐτῶν ἄκουσον τῶν ῥημάτων, καὶ ὄψει τὸ τρόπαιον. Εἰσήγαγες ἡμῖν ὧδε παῖδα Ἑβραῖον ἐμπαίζειν ἡμῖν. Οὐχ οὗτος ἐνέπαιξεν, ἀθλία καὶ ταλαίπωρε, ἀλλ' ὁ διάβολος εἰπὼν, ὅτι δύνασαι κατακλάσαι τὸν ἀδάμαντα. Οὐχ οὗτος εἰσήγαγέ σοι παῖδα 58.757 Ἑβραῖον ἐπιβουλεύοντα, ἀλλ' ὁ πονηρὸς δαίμων τὴν ἀκάθαρτον ἀσέλγειαν· ἐκεῖνός σοι ἐνέπαιξε. Τί οὖν ὁ Ἰωσήφ; Σιγᾷ, καὶ οὕτω κατακρίνεται, καθάπερ καὶ ὁ Χριστός. Πάντα γὰρ ἐκεῖνα τύποι τούτων. Καὶ ὁ μὲν ἦν ἐν δεσμοῖς, ἡ δὲ ἐν βασιλείοις. Καὶ τί τοῦτο; Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἦν στεφανίτου παντὸς λαμπρότερος, καὶ ἐν ἁλύσει μένων· ἡ δὲ δεσμώτου παντὸς ἀθλιώτερον διέκειτο, ἐν βασιλικοῖς θαλάμοις διατρίβουσα. Οὐκ ἐντεῦθεν δὲ μόνον τὴν νίκην καὶ τὴν ἧτταν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ τέλους. Τίς γὰρ ὅπερ ἠθέλησεν, ἐποίησεν; Ὁ δεσμώτης, ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡ βασίλισσα. Ὁ μὲν 58.758 γὰρ ἐσπούδαζε διατηρῆσαι τὴν σωφροσύνην, ἡ δὲ ἀφελέσθαι. Τίς οὖν ἐποίησεν ὅπερ ἠθέλησεν; ὁ κακῶς παθὼν, ἢ ἡ κακῶς δράσασα; Εὔδηλον ὅτι ὁ παθών. Οὐκοῦν οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ νενικηκώς. Ταῦτα οὖν εἰδότες, ταύτην διώκωμεν τὴν νίκην, τὴν διὰ τοῦ πάσχειν κακῶς· ἐκείνην δὲ φεύγωμεν, τὴν διὰ τοῦ δρᾷν κακῶς. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ τὸν παρόντα βίον μετὰ ἀπραγμοσύνης ἁπάσης καὶ πολλῆς ἡσυχίας ζησόμεθα, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιτευξόμεθα ἀγαθῶν, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

58.757 ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΠΕʹ. Τότε ἐνέπτυσαν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκολά φισαν

αὐτόν· οἱ δὲ ἐῤῥάπισαν, λέγοντες· Προ φήτευσον ἡμῖν, Χριστὲ, τίς ἐστιν ὁ παίσας σε; αʹ. ∆ιατί ταῦτα ἐποίουν, ἀναιρεῖν μέλλοντες; τίς χρεία τῆς κωμῳδίας ταύτης

ἦν; Ἵνα μάθῃς αὐτῶν τὸν ἀκόλαστον τρόπον διὰ πάντων· καὶ ὅτι καθάπερ θήραμα εὑρόντες, οὕτω τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἐνεδείκνυντο παροινίαν, καὶ τῆς μανίας ἐνεφοροῦντο, ἑορτὴν ταύτην ποιούμενοι, καὶ μεθ' ἡδονῆς ἐπιόντες, καὶ τὸν φονικὸν αὐτῶν ἐνδεικνύμενοι τρόπον. Σὺ δέ μοι θαύμασον τῶν μαθητῶν τὴν φιλοσοφίαν, μεθ' ὅσης αὐτὰ ἀκριβείας ἀπαγγέλλουσιν. Ὅθεν τὸ φιλάληθες αὐτῶν ἦθος διαδείκνυται, ὅτι τὰ δοκοῦντα εἶναι ἐπονείδιστα ἐξηγοῦνται μετὰ ἀληθείας ἁπάσης, οὐδὲν ἀποκρυπτόμενοι, οὐδὲ ἐπαισχυνόμενοι, ἀλλὰ καὶ δόξαν ἡγούμενοι μεγίστην, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἦν, τὸ τὸν ∆εσπότην τῆς οἰκουμένης ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τοιαῦτα πάσχοντα ἀνέχεσθαι. Τοῦτο καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ κηδεμονίαν ἐδείκνυ τὴν ἄφατον, καὶ τὴν πονηρίαν ἐκείνων τὴν ἀσύγγνωστον, οἳ ταῦτα ἐτόλμων εἰς τὸν οὕτως ἥμερον καὶ πρᾶον, καὶ τοιαῦτα κατεπᾴδοντα, οἷα καὶ λέοντα ἀρνίον ποιῆσαι ἱκανὰ ἦν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ οὔτε αὐτὸς ἐνέλιπεν ἡμερότητος, οὔτε αὐτοὶ ὕβρεως καὶ ἀπηνείας, δι' ὧν ἐποίουν, δι' ὧν ἔλεγον. Ἅπερ ἅπαντα καὶ ὁ προφήτης Ἡσαΐας προὔλεγεν, οὕτω προαναφωνῶν, καὶ ἑνὶ ῥήματι πᾶσαν ταύτην ἐμφαίνων τὴν ὕβριν. Ὃν τρόπον γὰρ ἐκστήσονται πολλοὶ ἐπὶ σὲ, φησὶν, οὕτως ἀδοξήσει ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπων τὸ εἶδός σου, καὶ ἡ δόξα σου ἀπὸ υἱῶν ἀνθρώπων. Τί γὰρ τῆς ὕβρεως ταύτης ἴσον γένοιτ' ἄν· Εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον ἐκεῖνο, ὃ ἡ θάλασσα ἰδοῦσα ᾐδέσθη, ὃ ἐπὶ σταυροῦ θεασάμενος ὁ ἥλιος τὰς ἀκτῖνας ἀπέστρεψεν, ἐνέπτυον καὶ ἐῤῥάπιζον, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἔτυπτον, ἐμφορούμενοι μετὰ δαψιλείας ἁπάσης τῆς ἑαυτῶν μανίας. Καὶ γὰρ πληγὰς τὰς πασῶν ὑβριστικωτέρας ἐνέτεινον, κολαφίζοντες, ῥαπίζοντες, καὶ ταῖς πληγαῖς ταύταις τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐμπτύειν προσετίθεσαν ὕβριν. Καὶ ῥήματα πάλιν πολλῆς γέμοντα κωμῳδίας ἐφθέγγοντο λέγοντες· Προφήτευσον ἡμῖν, Χριστὲ, τίς ἐστιν ὁ παίσας σε; ἐπειδὴ προφήτην αὐτὸν