Commentary on Luke

76 { ZU LK 9, 23 f The noble generals sharpen the experts in tactics towards daring, not only promising them the honors from victory, but indeed also saying that to suffer itself is glorious and the cause of all good repute for them; for it is not possible for those wanting to be esteemed in battles not sometimes to endure the blows from their opponents. But to suffer will not be without reward for them; for they will be praised for having leaped upon the enemy, and suffering itself will surely bear witness for them that they have used a very youthful spirit. We see our Lord Jesus Christ himself teaching such a thing. The occasion for this kind of discourse for him was his announcing beforehand to the disciples that he must surely endure the attacks from the Jews and be mocked by them and spat upon and killed and rise on the third day. Therefore, so that they might not suppose that he himself will suffer the outrages from the murderers for the life of the world, but that it is permitted for them to live dissolutely, he necessarily shows that one must go through the same feats of courage those desiring to obtain the glory from him, all but testifying and saying the things set before them; for it was necessary, necessary for those who have been appointed to such a ministry to be very strong and youthful, so as to suspect none of the terrible things. Such a person will deny himself, all but renouncing the present life for the sake of 77 the good and of the love for Christ. Thus someone will follow Christ, all but crying out and saying to Christ the savior of all that "For your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." Such was the blessed Paul, saying: "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Therefore, he excellently commands to stand tall against every temptation and persecution, knowing well that those who wish to emulate his things will be companions and partakers of his glory. For if someone should become a despiser of the bonds of death, this person has not perished; for in losing his own soul he will rather find it, just as in finding it he will suffer destruction. {3Zu Lk 9, 25a }3 That it is incomparably better than the splendor and luxury in the world to be well-pleasing in the love that is according to Christ, he shows by saying: {3Zu Lk 9, 25b For when someone, looking more to the immediately pleasant than to the useful, refuses to suffer, and chooses to live splendidly, even if he should have wealth and an abundance of money, what profit is there from this for him, having lost his soul? For the form of this world is passing away, and its pleasures incline like shadows and wealth flies away from those who have it; for treasures will not profit the lawless, but righteousness delivers from death. 78 {3Zu Lk 9, 26a }3 And in order that he might also make clear the reward for being willing to toil, he adds to these things and says: {3Zu Lk 9, 26b And he accomplishes many useful and necessary things at the same time through these words. For first he shows that in every way and altogether it will follow for those who are ashamed of him and his words to receive the same. What could be equal to this in power of good cheer? For if the judge is ashamed of some as owing them the reward of obedience and the prizes for love toward himself and the crown of goodwill, how is it not possible to say without a doubt that in every way and altogether in unending honors and glories will be those of the

Commentarii in Lucam

76 { ZU LK 9, 23 f Οἱ γενναῖοι τῶν στρατηγῶν τοὺς τῶν τακτικῶν ἐπιστήμονας ἀκονῶσι πρὸς εὐτολμίαν οὐ μόνας αὐτοῖς τὰς ἐκ τοῦ νικῆσαι τιμὰς ὑπισχνούμενοι, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ παθεῖν εὐκλεὲς εἶναι λέγοντες καὶ πάσης αὐτοῖς εὐφημίας πρόξενον· οὐ γάρ ἐστι τῶν ἐνδεχομένων τοὺς ἐθέλοντας εὐδοκιμεῖν ἐν μάχαις μὴ οὐχὶ καὶ τὰς ἐκ τῶν ἀνθεστηκότων ὑπομένειν ἔσθ' ὅτε πληγάς. πλὴν οὐκ ἄμισθον ἔσται τὸ παθεῖν αὐτοῖς· ἐπαινεθήσονται γὰρ ὡς τοῖς πολεμίοις ἐπιπηδήσαντες, καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ πάθος μαρτυρήσει πάντως αὐτοῖς ὅτι φρονήματι κέχρηνται σφόδρα νεανικῷ. τοιοῦτο διδάσκοντα ὁρῶμεν καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν. ἀφορμὴ δὲ γέγονεν αὐτῷ τοῦ τοιοῦδε λόγου τὸ προαπαγγεῖλαι τοῖς μαθηταῖς ὅτι χρὴ πάντως αὐτὸν τὰς ἐκ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐφόδους ὑπενεγκεῖν ἐμπαιχθῆναί τε παρ' αὐτῶν καὶ ἐμπτυσθῆναι καὶ ἀποκτανθῆναι καὶ ἀναστῆναι τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ. ἵνα τοίνυν μὴ ὑπολάβωσιν ὅτι πείσεται μὲν αὐτὸς ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου ζωῆς τὰς ἐκ τῶν φονώντων ἐπηρείας, αὐτοῖς γε μὴν ἔξεστι διαβιοῦν ἀνειμένως, ἀναγκαίως δεικνὺς ὅτι διὰ τῶν ἴσων ἀνδραγαθημάτων ἰέναι χρὴ τοὺς τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ δόξης ἐπιθυμοῦντας τυχεῖν, μονονουχὶ καὶ διαμαρτύρεται λέγων τὰ προκείμενα· ἔδει γάρ, ἔδει τοὺς εἰς τοιαύτην λειτουργίαν προκεχειρισμένους εὐσθενεστάτους εἶναι καὶ νεανικούς, ὡς μηδὲν ὑφορᾶσθαι τῶν δεινῶν. ὁ τοιοῦτος ἑαυτὸν ἀρνήσεται μονονουχὶ καὶ ἀποταξάμενος τῇ παρούσῃ ζωῇ ὑπέρ γε τοῦ 77 ἀγαθοῦ καὶ τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν ἀγάπης. οὕτως τις ἀκολουθήσει Χριστῷ μονονουχὶ κεκραγώς τε καὶ λέγων πρὸς τὸν τῶν ὅλων σωτῆρα Χριστὸν ὅτι Ἕνεκα σοῦ θανατούμεθα ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν, ἐλογίσθημεν ὡς πρόβατα σφαγῆς τοιοῦτος ἦν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος φάσκων· Χριστῷ συνεσταύρωμαι· ζῶ δὲ οὐκέτι ἐγώ, ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός. ὃ δὲ νῦν ζῶ ἐν σαρκί, ἐν πίστει ζῶ τῇ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντός με καὶ παραδόντος ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ. ἄριστα δὴ οὖν κατευμεγεθεῖν ἐπιτάττει παντὸς πειρασμοῦ τε καὶ διωγμοῦ εὖ εἰδότας ὅτι οἱ τὰ αὐτοῦ ζηλοῦν ἐθέλοντες ἔσονται κοινωνοὶ καὶ μέτοχοι τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ. οὐ γὰρ εἴ τις γένοιτο τῶν τοῦ θανάτου δεσμῶν καταφρονητής, οὗτος ἀπόλωλεν· ἐν γάρ τοι τῷ ἀπολέσαι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν εὑρήσει μᾶλλον αὐτήν, ὡς ἔν γε τῷ εὑρεῖν ὑποστήσεται τὴν ἀπώλειαν. {3Zu Lk 9, 25a }3 Ὅτι δὲ κρεῖττον ἀπαραβλήτως τῆς ἐν κόσμῳ λαμπρότητος καὶ τρυφῆς τὸ εὐδοκιμεῖν ἐστιν ἐν ἀγάπῃ τῇ κατὰ Χριστόν, διαδείκνυσιν εἰπών· {3Zu Lk 9, 25b Ὅταν γάρ τις εἰς τὸ παραυτίκα ἡδὺ μᾶλλον ἢ τὸ χρήσιμον ἀποβλέπων παραιτήσηται μὲν τὸ παθεῖν, ἕληται δὲ τὸ διαβιῶναι λαμπρῶς, κἂν εἰ πλοῦτον ἔχοι καὶ περιουσίαν χρημάτων, τί τὸ ὄφελος ἐντεῦθεν αὐτῷ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπολέσαντι; παράγεται γὰρ τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου καὶ ἐν ἴσῳ σκιαῖς μετακλίνεται τὰ τερπνὰ καὶ ἀφίπταται τῶν ἐχόντων ὁ πλοῦτος· οὐ γὰρ ὠφελήσουσι θησαυροὶ ἀνόμους, δικαιοσύνη δὲ ῥύεται ἐκ θανάτου. 78 {3Zu Lk 9, 26a }3 Ἵνα δὲ καὶ τὸν τοῦ ἐθελῆσαι πονεῖν ἐναργῆ καταστήσῃ μισθόν, ἐπιφέρει τούτοις καί φησιν· {3Zu Lk 9, 26b Πολλὰ δὲ κατὰ ταὐτὸν ἐργάζεται χρήσιμά τε καὶ ἀναγκαῖα διὰ τούτων τῶν λόγων. πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ δείκνυσιν ὅτι πάντη τε καὶ πάντως ἕψεται τοῖς αἰσχυνομένοις αὐτόν τε καὶ τοὺς αὐτοῦ λόγους τὸ τῶν ἴσων τυχεῖν. τί δ' ἂν γένοιτο τούτῳ τὸ ἰσοστατοῦν εἰς δύναμιν εὐθυμίας; εἰ γὰρ ἐπαισχύνεταί τινας ὁ κριτὴς ὡς ἐποφείλων αὐτοῖς τὸν τῆς εὐπειθείας μισθὸν καὶ τῆς εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἀγάπης τὰ γέρα καὶ τὸν τῆς εὐνοίας στέφανον, πῶς οὐκ ἔστιν ἀναμφιλόγως εἰπεῖν ὅτι πάντη τε καὶ πάντως ἐν ἀτελευτήτοις ἔσονται τιμαῖς τε καὶ δόξαις οἱ τῶν