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In quatriduanum Lazarum

ON LAZARUS, FOUR DAYS DEAD. Ninth Discourse.

48.779

1. Today Lazarus, being raised from the dead, grants us the resolution of many and various stumbling blocks. For I know not how this reading has given a handle both to the heretics and a pretext for contradiction to the Jews, not from the truth, God forbid, but from their malevolent soul. For many of the heretics say that the Son is not like the Father. Why? Because, he says, Christ needed prayer to raise Lazarus; for if he had not prayed, he would not have raised Lazarus. And how, he says, will the one who prayed be like the one who received the supplication? For the one prays, and the other received the prayer from the one who besought. But they blaspheme, not understanding that the prayer was an act of condescension and on account of the weakness of those present. For, tell me, who is greater, the one washing the feet, or he whose feet he washes?

Certainly he is greater whose feet the washer washed. But the Savior washed the feet of the traitor Judas; for he was with the disciples. Who then is greater, the traitor Judas or the Lord Christ, since Christ washed his feet? God forbid. But what is more humble, to wash the feet, or to pray? Certainly to wash the feet. He, therefore, who did not refuse to do the more humble thing, how would he have refused to do the more lofty thing? But everything happened because of 48.780 the weakness of the Jews who were present, as the discourse will show as it proceeds. But the Jews also, taking from this a pretext for contradiction, say: how do the Christians have this man as God, who did not even know the place where the dead Lazarus lay? since the Savior said to Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, Where have you laid him? Do you see, he says, the ignorance? Do you see the weakness? He who did not even know the place, is he God? But I will say to them, not holding this view myself, but wishing to confound their opposition. Christ was ignorant, you say, O Jew, because he said, Where have you laid him? Therefore the Father was also ignorant in paradise, where Adam was hidden; for he went about as if seeking him in paradise, saying: Adam, where are you? which is, where have you hidden?

Why did he not first mention the place, from where Adam spoke with boldness to God? Adam, where are you? And what did he say? I heard your voice as you walked in paradise, and I was afraid, because I am naked, and I hid myself. If you call this ignorance, O Jew, then call that other one ignorance too; for Christ said to Martha and Mary, Where have you laid him? Do you therefore call this ignorance? What then do you say, when you hear God saying to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? What do you say? If you call this ignorance, 48.781 call that one ignorance too. Take also another proof from the divine Scripture. God said to Abraham, The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah has come to me. I will therefore go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come to me; and if not, that I may know. He who knows all things before their beginning, God who searches the hearts and reins, he who alone knows the thoughts of men, said: I will therefore go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come to me; and if not, that I may know. If that is of ignorance, this is also to be ignorant. But neither was the Father ignorant according to the Old Testament, nor the Son according to the New Testament. What then does it mean, I will go down and see if according to their cry which is coming

1

In quatriduanum Lazarum

ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΤΕΤΡΑΗΜΕΡΟΝ ΛΑΖΑΡΟΝ Λόγος ἔνατος.

48.779

αʹ. Σήμερον ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγειρόμενος ὁ Λάζαρος πολ λῶν καὶ διαφόρων σκανδάλων τὴν λύσιν ἡμῖν χαρίζεται. Καὶ γὰρ οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως τὸ ἀνάγνωσμα τοῦτο καὶ τοῖς αἱρετικοῖς δέδωκε λαβὴν, καὶ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἀντι λογίας ἀφορμὴν, οὐκ ἐξ ἀληθείας, μὴ γένοιτο, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς ἐκείνων κακοτέχνου ψυχῆς. Πολλοὶ μὲν γὰρ τῶν αἱρετικῶν λέγουσιν, ὅτι οὐχ ὅμοιος ὁ Υἱὸς τῷ Πατρί. ∆ιὰ τί; Ὅτι ἐδεήθη, φησὶ, προσευχῆς ὁ Χρι-στὸς εἰς τὸ ἐγεῖραι τὸν Λάζαρον· εἰ μὴ γὰρ προσ ηύξατο, οὐκ ἂν ἤγειρε τὸν Λάζαρον. Καὶ πῶς ἔσται, φησὶν, ὅμοιος ὁ προσευξάμενος τῷ δεξαμένῳ τὴν ἱκεσίαν; ὁ μὲν γὰρ προσεύχεται, ὁ δὲ τὴν προσευχὴν παρὰ τοῦ ἱκετεύοντος ἐδέξατο. Βλασφημοῦσι δὲ μὴ νοοῦντες ὅπως συγκαταβάσεως ἦν καὶ τῆς τῶν παρόν των ἕνεκα ἀσθενείας ἡ προσευχή. Ἐπεὶ, εἰπέ μοι, τίς μείζων, ὁ νίπτων τοὺς πόδας, ἢ ἐκεῖνος, οὗ νίπτει τοὺς πόδας;

Πάντως ὅτι ἐκεῖνος μείζων οὗ ἔνιψε τοὺς πόδας ὁ νίπτων. Ἀλλ' ὁ Σωτὴρ ἔνιψε τοὺς πόδας τοῦ προδότου Ἰούδα· μετὰ γὰρ τῶν μαθητῶν ἦν. Τίς ἄρα μείζων, ὁ προ δότης Ἰούδας τοῦ ∆εσπότου Χριστοῦ, ἐπείπερ ὁ Χρι στὸς ἔνιψε τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ; Μὴ γένοιτο. Τί δὲ τα πεινότερόν ἐστι, τὸ νίψαι τοὺς πόδας, ἢ τὸ προσεύ ξασθαι; πάντως ὅτι τὸ νίψαι τοὺς πόδας. Ὁ οὖν τὸ ταπεινότερον μὴ παραιτησάμενος ποιῆσαι, πῶς τὸ ὑψηλότερον παρῃτήσατο ἂν ποιῆσαι; Ἀλλὰ πᾶν διὰ 48.780 τὴν τῶν παρόντων ἀσθένειαν ἐγένετο Ἰουδαίων, ὡς προϊὼν ὁ λόγος ἀποδείξει. Ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι λαβόντες ἐντεῦθεν ἀντιλογίας ἀφορμὴν, λέγουσι· πῶς τοῦτον οἱ Χριστιανοὶ Θεὸν ἔχουσι, τὸν καὶ τὸν τόπον ἀγνοήσαντα, ἔνθα τεθνηκὼς κατέκειτο Λάζαρος; ἐπει δήπερ ἔλεγεν ὁ Σωτὴρ ταῖς περὶ Μάρθαν καὶ Μαρίαν ἀδελφαῖς Λαζάρου, Ποῦ τεθείκατε αὐτόν; Εἶδες, φησὶν, ἄγνοιαν; εἶδες ἀσθένειαν; ὁ καὶ τὸν τόπον ἀγνοήσας, οὗτος Θεός; Ἀλλ' ἐρῶ πρὸς αὐτοὺς, οὐχ οὕτως ἔχων, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἀντίθεσιν αὐτῶν καταισχῦναι βουλόμενος. Ἠγνόησε, λέγεις, ὁ Χριστὸς, ὦ Ἰουδαῖε, διὰ τὸ εἰ πεῖν, Ποῦ τεθείκατε αὐτόν; Οὐκοῦν καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἠγνόησεν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ, ποῦ κέκρυπτο ὁ Ἀδάμ· περιήρχετο γὰρ ὡς ἐπιζητῶν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ, λέγων· Ἀδὰμ, ποῦ εἶ; ἀντὶ τοῦ, ποῦ ἐκρύβης;

∆ιὰ τί τὸ πρότερον οὐκ εἶπε τὸν τόπον, ὅθεν μετὰ παῤῥησίας ὡμίλει τῷ Θεῷ ὁ Ἀδάμ; Ἀδὰμ, ποῦ εἶ; Κἀκεῖνος τί; Τῆς φωνῆς σου ἤκουσα περιπατοῦντος ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ, καὶ ἐφοβήθην, ὅτι γυμνός εἰμι, καὶ ἐκρύβην. Εἰ ταύτην, ὦ Ἰουδαῖε, ἄγνοιαν καλεῖς, κἀ κείνην κάλεσον ἄγνοιαν· ἔλεγε γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς ταῖς περὶ Μάρθαν καὶ Μαρίαν, Ποῦ τεθείκατε αὐτόν; Ταύτην οὖν ἄγνοιαν καλεῖς; Τί οὖν λέγεις, ὅταν ἀκούσῃς τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγοντος τῷ Κάϊν, Ποῦ Ἄβελ ὁ ἀδελφός σου; Τί λέγεις; εἰ ταύτην ἄγνοιαν καλεῖς, 48.781 κἀκείνην ἄγνοιαν κάλεσον. Λάβε καὶ ἑτέραν ἀπό δειξιν ἀπὸ τῆς θείας Γραφῆς. Εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Ἀβραὰμ, Κραυγὴ Σοδόμων καὶ Γομόῤῥας ἥκει πρός με. Καταβὰς οὖν ὄψομαι εἰ κατὰ τὴν κραυ γὴν αὐτῶν τὴν ἐρχομένην πρός με συντελοῦνται· εἰ δὲ μὴ, ἵνα γνῶ. Ὁ εἰδὼς τὰ πάντα πρὶν γενέσεως αὐτῶν, ὁ ἐτάζων καρδίας καὶ νεφροὺς ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ εἰδὼς τοὺς διαλογισμοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων μονώτατος, ἔλεγε· Καταβὰς οὖν ὄψομαι εἰ κατὰ τὴν κραυγὴν αὐτῶν τὴν ἐρχομένην πρός με συντελοῦνται· εἰ δὲ μὴ, ἵνα γνῶ. Εἰ ἐκεῖνο ἀγνοίας, καὶ τοῦτο ἀγνοῆσαί ἐστιν. Ἀλλ' οὔτε ὁ Πατὴρ κατὰ τὴν παλαιὰν ∆ιαθήκην ἠγνόησεν, οὔτε ὁ Υἱὸς κατὰ τὴν καινὴν ∆ιαθήκην. Τί οὖν ἐστι, Καταβὰς ὄψομαι εἰ κατὰ τὴν κραυ γὴν αὐτῶν τὴν ἐρχομένην