{"severian-filio-prodigo/627":{"o":"Πρώην ἡμῖν ἡ μεγάλη καὶ θεοπρεπὴς τοῦ Σωτῆρος μενον κρατῆρα τῆς ἐνθέου φιλοσοφίας χεράσατα, ἅπαντα τὸν λαὸν, μᾶλλον ὃὲ πᾶσαν, ὡς εἰπεῖν, τὴν οἰκουμένην πιότητος οἵκου σου, καὶ χειμάῤῥουν τῆς τρυρῆς σου ποτιεῖς αὐτούς. Ὅταν δὲ ἡ θεία Γραφὴ λέγῃ μές θην, οὐκ οἶνον λέγει μεθύσχοντα, ἀλλὰ λόγο) σοφίζον τα. ὥραν Ν Παρηχολούθησε δὲ τῇ τοῦ Σωτῆρος παρουσίᾳ ὁ τῆς μετανοίας καρπός\" ἀκόλουθον γὰρ τῇ τὴ δωντρι: ἐπὶ μψε: ἀκολουθῆσαι τοὺς καρποὺς τῆς μετανοίας. Διὰ τοῦτο χθὲς ἡμῖν ὁ περὶ ταύτης ἐγυμνάζετο λόγος\" πολὺ μὲν τῆς ἀξίας τῶν προκειμένων ἀπολιμπανόμενος, τῆς δὲ οἰκείας δυνάμεως οὐκ ἀφιστάμενος περὶ μετανοίας ἐκινεῖτο λόνὴ ς ἐστι φάρμακον σωτηρίας\" καὶ ἰατρὴς ἐκηρύττετο χὼν τε καὶ σωμάτιυν, οὐ φαρμάκῳ ἐπιθεραπεύων, ἀλλὰ πνεύματι φιλανθρωπίας ἰώμενος. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἡ εὖὑαγγελιχὴ ἀνάγνωσις παρέδραμεν ἡμῶν τὴν διάνοιαν ὧδε κἀκεῖσε περισπωμένων, ἀναγκαῖον σήμερον εἰς ὑμᾶς βραχέα περὶ ταύτης διελθόντας, καταπαῦσαι τὸν λόγον. Ὁ Σωτὴρ καὶ λόγῳ τὴν εὐσέδειαν ὑποτιθέμενος, καὶ παραθολαῖς, καὶ αἰνίγμασι, καὶ διαφόροις τρόποις διδασκαλίας τὸ συμφέρον τοῖς πιστοῖς εἰσηγούμενος, εἶ τινα παραθολὴν, ἰσχυρὰν ἔχουσαν τῆς μετανοίας εἰκόνα. Αγθρωπος γάρ τις, φησὶν, εἶχε δύο υἱοὺς, ὧν ὁ νεώτερὸς προσελθὼν, ἐξίωτε τὸν πατέρα διελεῖν αὐτοῖς τὴν οὐσίαν. Ἕτυχεν ὧν ἤἥτησε, καὶ λαδὼν τὴν πατρῴαν οὐσίαν, κακῶς διέθηχε. Καὶ τὴν μὲν ὑπόθεσιν ἴστε\" τὴν δὲ θεωρίαν ἄξιον εἰσαγαγεῖν ἐνταῦθα, Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τοῖς πολλοῖς διαφόρως πάρεστι νοῆσαι, ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὴ ἑαυτὴν σαφηνίζει τοῖς εὐγνώμοσιν ἡ ἀλήθεια. Τί οὖν ἐνταῦθα ὑποτίθεκαι ἡ πηγὴ τῆς σοφίας; Ἰὸ πρῶτον τάγμα τῶν δικαίων, καὶ τὸ δεύτερον τάγμα τῶν ἐκ μετανοίας διχαιουμένων' τῶν μὲν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς πὸ δίκαιον τιλώντων. τῶν δὲ ἐκ εἶχε δύο υἱούς\" οὺς εἰ καὶ ἡ προαίρετις ἔτεμε, τὸν ἀσεδὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ εὐσεδοῦς, ἀλλ’ ἡ ἀλήθεια ἕν οἷδε πλάτμα τοῦ Δημιουργοῦ τοὺς πάντας\" καὶ πάντες υἱοὶ θεοῦ, εἰ καὶ τῇ διανοίχ τῇ Θμΐ τ ἀποσχοινίζονται τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἀξίας. Ὅθεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἂν ἡμεῖς διὰ ποντιρῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν ἀποστῶμὲν τῆς εὐσεδείας, αὐτὸς οὐκ ἀρνεῖται τὴν οἰχειότττα, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς ἀφηνιῶντας πατρῴαν φωνὴν ἀφίησιν' Ἐπιστράξητε πρός με, υἱοὶ ΤῊ ἀτή έν, καὶ ἐπιστραήσομαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι, ἂν ἀφεστῶσα ἧ ἡ διάνοια τοῦ ἁμαρτάνοντος, ὁ Θεὸς οὐκ ἀπαξιοῖ υἱοὺς καλεῖν τοὺς ἀφεστηχότας; Ἰδίαν γὰρ οἷδε τὴν πλάσιν, καὶ οὐκ ἀπαρνεῖται τὴν ἰδίαν εὐεργεσίαν. Διὰ τί οὖν ὁ νεώτερος κακῶς τοῖς δοθεῖσιν ἐχρήσατο; Αἴνιγμά ἐστι τὸ προκείμενον\" καὶ ὅπως, ἄκουε. ᾿Απ᾿ ἀρχῆς ἡ δικαιοσύνη ἦν, καὶ ἐφαίνετο, καὶ διέλαμπεν' ἡ δὲ ἁμαρτία νεωτέρα τις ἐπεισήχθη τῷ κόσμῳ καὶ πρόσφατος, Διὰ τοῦτο ὁ 'τρῶτος υἱὸς οὐ τίθεται ἐν χώρᾳ τοῦ κακῶς δαπανήσαντος. Ἡ γὰρ ἀρκαία δημιουργία ἀπηρτισμένην εἶχε τὴν εὐπρέπειαν, ὅτε καινὸς ἦν ὁ χότμο;, καινὴν χάριν ἐκλάμπων, καινὴν εὐπρέπειαν. Μαρτυρεῖ γὰρ Μωῦσῆς τῷ κάλλει τῆς δημιουργίας λέγων\" καὶ ἦν πάντα οὐκ ἁπλῶς; καλὰ, ἀλλὰ καὶ Λίαν κα.14. Ὥστε ἡ δικαιοσύνη πρώτη ἧν, καὶ τὸ καλὸν ἀρχαιότατον\" ἡ δὲ ἁμαρτία νεωτέρα ἧν' ἐπεισῆλθε γὰρ τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ, καὶ ἐδόχωσε τὴν εὐπρέπειαν. Διεῖλεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ἐπίσης τὰ ὑπάρχοντα. Διὰ τί ἐπίσης; Οὐδὲν γὰρ πλέον ἔχουσιν οἱ δίκαιοι ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ’ ἐπειδὴ Αγατέ.δι τὸν ἤιλιον ἐπὶ δικαίους καὶ ἀδίκους, καὶ βρέχει ἐπὶ ἀγαθοὺς καὶ πογηρούς. ᾿Ἀλλ᾽ ὁ μὲν εἰς τὴν χώραν τῶν δικαίων εἰχονογραφούμενος, οὐκ ἠθέλησε διελεῖν τὸν πατρῷον κλῆρον, ἀλλ᾽ ἔμςινεν ὑπὸ τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς αὐθεντίαν. Ὁ γὰρ δίκαιὸς πάντοτε τῷ Θεῷ ἀκολουθεῖ, καὶ εἰς οἰκείαν ἔξουσίαν οὐδὲν παρασπᾶται. Θέλεις δὲ μαθεῖν, ὅτι ὁ δίκαιος οὐδὲν θέλει λαδεῖν παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ μόνῃ τῇ οἶχονομὰ καὶ τῇ προνοίᾳ στοιχεῖ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πατρός; Βοᾷ Δαυῖδ ἐκ τοῦ τ' Ὑματος τῶν δικαίων’ Τί γάρ μοι ὑπάρχει ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ; καὶ παρὰ σοῦ τί ἠθέλησα ἐπὶ τῆς ἧς; Ὁρᾷς, ὅτι τὸ τάγμα τῶν δικαίων οὐ βούλεται εἰς αὐτὸ ἁρπάσαι τὴν ἐξουσίαν τῶν κτισμάτων’ ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὸ τὴν τοῦ Πατρὸς πρόνοιαν θέλει κεῖσθαι τὰ τῆς οἰκονομίας. Ὁ δὲ νεώτερος λαθὼν τὴν πατρικὴν οὐσίαν, ἀπεὔήμησεν εὶς χώραν μακρὰν, οὐ τόποις διειργομένην, ἀλλὰ τρόποις ἀπεσχοινισμένην. Ὁ γὰρ ἁμαρτάνων, Θεοῦ μακράν ἐστιν, ἀδελφοὶ, οὐ τόπῳ, ἀλλὰ τρόπιν, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον, ὅτι Ἰδοὺ οἱ μαχρύγοντες ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ σοῦ, ἀπολοῦνται. Λαθὼν δὲ τὴν οὐσίαν τὴν πατρικῆν, ἐσκόρπισεν αὐτὴν, ἀσώτως ζῶν ἐν αὐτῇ ἣν παρἥλιον εἰς ἀπόλαυσιν, καὶ τὸ δῶρον ὡς θεὸν προσεχύνη σιν᾿ ἔλαθε πηγὰς εἰς τρυφὴν, καὶ τὸ δῶρον θεὸν ἐνόμισεν\" ᾿γνοήθη ὁ χαῤίσάμένος, καὶ ἐτιμήθη τὰ χαρίσματα, ὡς ἀποδυσπετεῖ ἐῶν ὁ Παῦλος. τὰ Ῥρβλκϑοια τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα. Ἢ αὐτὴ κτίσις, ἢ αὐτῇ πατρικὴ οὐσία\" καὶ ὁ μὲν καλῶς αὐτῇ ἐχρήσατο, ὁ δὲ κακῶς. Τάγμα τοῦτο, κἀκεῖνο, καλῶς καὶ ἐναντίως. Ὁ εὐσεθὴς ὁρᾷ τὸ κάλλος τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ κάλλους τὸν γενεσιουργὸν ἔννοεξζ' Ὄψομαι γὰρ, φησὶ, τοὺς οὗαγοὺς ἔργα τῶν δακτύλων σου. Εἶδε τὸ κάλλος, καὶ εὐχαρίστησε τῷ τοιοῦτον κάλλος ἐργασαμένῳ- εἶδε τὸν κόσμον, καὶ εὐφήμησε τὸν χησμήσαντα. Ὁ γὰρ εὐσεδὴς τὴν μὲν κτίσιν ἐπαινεῖ, τὸν δὲ κτίστην προσκυνεῖ\" οἱ [154 νων, οὗ τὴν κτίσιν ὑδρίζουσιν, ἀλλὰ τῷ Δεσπότη τὴν τιμὴν ἀπονέμουσιν. Οὐ μισεῖ πιστὸς ἔλιον, ἐπειδὴ μὴ σέὅει τὸ φῶς μετὰ τῶν ἀσεδῶν' ἀλλὰ μέτρον ἐπιτίθτσι τῇ τιμῇ καὶ τᾷ καὶ ἀγαπᾷ, ὡς Θεοῦ δῶρα, τὰ φαινόὸμενα. Θέλεις ἰδεῖν, πῶς ὁρᾷ ὁ εὐσεδὴς καὶ θαυμάζει τὸ κάλλος, καὶ τὴν προσκύνησιν τῷ Κτίστῃ ταμιεύεται; Λέγε: τις τῶν σοφῶν, τῶν κατὰ τὴν εὐσέδειαν λέγω σοφῶν' Ἥλιος ἐκλάμπων ἐν ὑψίστοις Κυρίου, σκεῦος θαυμαστὸν, ἔργον ἰσχυρόν\" ἀχεῖνας πυροειδεῖς ἐχφυσῶν, καταάμπων τὸν οὐρανόν. Καὶ τί εὐθέως; Μέγας ὁ Κύριος ὁ ποιήσας αὐτέν. Καὶ τὸ κάλλος ἐκήρυξε, καὶ τὸν τεχνίτην οὐκ ἔκρυψεν. Ὁ δὲ ἀσεδὴς γαχῶς εἶδε τοὺς οὐρανοὺς δεηγουμένους δόξαν Θεοῦ, οὐ λόγοις, ἀλλὰ τῷ κάλλει τῆς δημιουργίας\" οὐ γὰρ φωνὴν ποτε ἔῤῥηξεν ὁ οὐρανὸς, ἀλλὰ φωνῆς ἐνεργεστέραν ε ἀφίησι μαρτυρίαν διὰ τῆς εὐπρεπείας. Καὶ σιωπῶν ὃ οὐρανὸς διηγεῖται δόξαν θεοῦ; Πάνυ μὲν οὖν. Τὰ σὰ γράμματα σιωπῶντα λαλεῖ, στοιχεῖα δὲ Θεοῦ σιωπῶντα οὐ φθέγγεται; “Ἔλαδες γὰρ τὸ γευμα τῆς εὐσεδείας\" ἀπὸ τοῦ γεύματος τὸ πᾶν λάμδανε τῆς ἀληθείας. ᾿Ἐξέτασον πὸ μέρος τοῦ ἀσεθοὺς, πῶς ἀπὸ τῶν αὐτῶν προσκόπτει, ἀ’᾽ ὧν καὶ ὁ εὑσεδὴς δικαιοῦται. Ὁρᾷ σελήνην, καὶ προσκυνεῖ: ὁρᾷ τὰ ἄστρα, καὶ σέδει\" ὁρᾷ τὴν θάλασπαν, καὶ θεοποιεῖ. Οἱ ἐπὶ τῆς Βαθδυλωνίας καμίνον, οἱ ἐν αὐτῇ εἰσελθόντες, μετὰ τῆς σωτηρίου καὶ καλῆς ὁμολογίας ὕμνουν τὸν θεὸν διὰ τῶν ἔργων, λέγοντες \" πάντα τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου, τὸν Κύριον. ᾿Αρχεῖ μὲν οὖν ταύτην εἰπόντας τὴν ῬληΣ παῦσαι τὸν ὕμνον. Οὐ γὰρ τῷ μήκει τῶν ὕμνων, ἀλλὰ τῇ προθέσει τῶν ὑμνούντων Θεὸς ἐπαναπαύεται. Διὰ τοῦ τοίνυν εἰπεῖν, Πάντα τὰ ἔργα, πάντα περιελαμθδάνετο, καὶ οὐ χρεία ἦν ἑτέρας προσθήκης. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἑαυτοῖς ἐχήρυττον, τὸν δὲ Θεὸν ὕμνουν, καὶ διὰ τοῦ ὕμνου τοὺς παρεστῶτας Χαλδαίους ἐπαίδευον, ἀναγκαίως διὰ πάσης αὐτῆς ὁδεύει τῆς κτίσεως ὁ ὕμνος\" ἵνα ἔλθωπῳ οἱ πεπλανημένοι Χαλδαῖοι, τί τὸ ὑμνούμενον, καὶ τίνα τὰ ὑμνοῦντα. ᾽Ἂλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ εἰς πολλὴν θεωρίαν ὁ λόγος ἡμᾶς ἐνέδαλεν, ἐκεῖνο τέω; ἀφέντες, εἰς τὸ προκείμενον ἐπανέλθωμεν᾽ ᾿Απεδήμησεν εἰς χώραν ἐ κεν ὁ νεώτερος υἱὸς, καὶ ἐδαπάνησε κακῶς τὴν οὐσίαν, καὶ ἤρξατο ὑστερεΐδὲ ἐκζητοῦντες τὸν Κύριον, οὐκ ἐαττωθήσονται παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ. Κύριος γὰδ Οὐ στερήσει τὰ ἀγαθὰ τοῖς πορευομένοις ἐν ἀχωκίᾳ. “Ἄρξατο ὑστερεῖσθαι. Καὶ προσῆήιῖθεν ἑνὶ τῶν ὀρχόντων τῆς χώρας ἐκεί- Βλέπετε, ὅσον ὕψος τῆς ἀρκαίας εὐγενείας\" ὅση ταπεῖσχεῖν χοίρους, τουτέστιν, ἡδοναῖς καὶ ἁμαρτίαις ἐμφύρεσθαι’ ὃ γάρ ἐστι βόρθορος χοίροις, τοῦτο ἀμαρτέα τοῖς ἀμφυρομένοις. Διὰ τοῦτο ὁ ἢρ τοὺς ἐν ἀκαθαρσίᾳ ζῶντας καὶ βορδόρου δίκην ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἐμφυρομένους αἰνιττόμενος ἔλεγε. Μὴ δῶτε τὰ ἅγια τοῖς κυσὶ, μηδὲ βάλλετε τοὺς μαργαρίτας ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν χοίρων. \"Ἔδοσχε χοίρους, Επεθύμει δὲ χορτασθῆναι ἀπὸ τῶν κερατίων, ὧν ἤσθιον οἱ χοῖροι\" καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐδίξον αὐτῷ. Πρόσεχε ἐνταῦθα ἀχριθὼς- Ὁ ἀποσχοινιζόμενος τῆς εὐσεθείας, οὐδὲ αὐτῶν ἔχει τῶν ἡδονῶν τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐνδείᾳ ὑποδάλλετσι, καὶ πτωχείᾳ καταδικάζεται, ὥστε μηδὲ τῶν αἱρεθέντων κακῶν ἔχειν τὴν ἀφθονίαν. Ὃ γὰρ ἄφρων, φησὶν, ἐν ἐνδείᾳ τελευτήσει. ᾿Απειχάζει τοίνυν τὰς ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἡδονὰς τὸ γὰρ κεράτιον πολλὴν μὲν ἔχει τραχύτητα, μικρὰν δὲ","t":"Recently the great and godlike … of the Savior … mixed a bowl of divine wisdom and … all the people, or rather, so to speak, the whole inhabited earth … “of the fatness of your house, and you will give them to drink of the torrent of your delight.” When the divine Scripture speaks of drunkenness, it does not mean wine that intoxicates, but a word that makes wise. The fruit of repentance followed upon the coming of the Savior; for it was fitting that the fruits of repentance should follow upon the … That is why yesterday our sermon was exercised on this subject; falling far short of the dignity of the matters before us, yet not abandoning its own power, it moved on repentance, … is the medicine of salvation; and he was proclaimed the physician of souls and bodies, healing not with medicine but by the spirit of love for humankind. But since the reading of the Gospel ran past our minds while we were distracted this way and that, it is necessary today to go through it briefly with you and then to end the sermon. The Savior, who lays down godliness by word, by parables, by riddles, and introduces what is profitable for the faithful by various manners of teaching, … a certain parable, which has a powerful image of repentance. “A certain man,” he says, “had two sons, of whom the younger came and asked his father to divide the property between them.” He obtained what he asked, and taking his father’s property he managed it badly. Now you know the story; but it is worth bringing in its meaning here. For even if the many can understand it in various ways, the truth makes itself clear to those who are well disposed. What, then, does the fountain of wisdom set before us here? The first order, of the righteous, and the second order, of those justified through repentance: the one practising righteousness from the beginning, the other from … “had two sons.” Even if their choice divided them, the ungodly from the godly, the truth knows all of them as one creature of the Maker; and all are sons of God, even if by their mind they cut themselves off from their own dignity. Hence God, if we depart from godliness through wicked desires, does not himself deny the kinship, but even to those who throw off the reins he utters a father’s voice: “Turn to me, sons … , and I will turn to you.” Do you see that, even if the mind of the sinner has departed, God does not disdain to call those who have departed sons? For he knows his own handiwork, and does not deny his own benefaction. Why, then, did the younger son use badly what was given? What is set before us is a riddle; hear how. From the beginning there was righteousness, and it appeared and shone forth; but sin was brought into the world as something younger and recent. That is why the first son is not placed in the position of the one who spent badly. For the ancient creation had its seemliness complete, when the world was new, shining with new grace, new seemliness. Moses bears witness to the beauty of creation, saying, “And all things were” not simply good, but “very good.” So righteousness came first, and the good is most ancient; but sin was younger; for it came in upon righteousness and defiled its seemliness. “He divided his property between them” equally. Why equally? Because the righteous have nothing more in the present life, since “he makes his sun rise on the righteous and the unrighteous, and sends rain on the good and the wicked.” But the one portrayed in the place of the righteous did not wish to divide his father’s inheritance, but remained under the father’s authority. For the righteous man always follows God and snatches nothing for his own control. Do you want to learn that the righteous man wishes to take nothing from God, but keeps in line only with the dispensation and providence of the same Father? David cries out from the order of the righteous: “For what have I in heaven? And besides you what have I desired on earth?” Do you see that the order of the righteous does not wish to snatch to itself control over the creatures, but wishes the affairs of the dispensation to lie under the Father’s providence? But the younger son, taking his father’s property, “went abroad into a far country”—not separated by places but cut off by ways of life. For the sinner, brothers, is far from God, not in place but in way of life, as it is said: “Behold, those who put themselves far from you shall perish.” Taking his father’s property, he “scattered it, living prodigally” in it. He received the sun for enjoyment, and worshipped the gift as a god; he received springs for delight, and thought the gift a god; the giver was unknown, and the gifts were honored, as Paul complains: … “to the creature rather than the creator.” The same creation, the same father’s property: and one used it well, the other badly. This order and that: well, and the opposite. The godly man sees the beauty of heaven, and from the beauty perceives the author of its being: “For I will see,” he says, “the heavens, the works of your fingers.” He saw the beauty, and gave thanks to the one who made such beauty; he saw the world, and praised the one who adorned it. For the godly man praises the creation but worships the creator; … they do not insult the creation, but render the honor to the Master. The believer does not hate the sun because he does not worship the light along with the ungodly; but he sets a measure to the honor, and … and loves the things that appear as gifts of God. Do you want to see how the godly man sees and admires the beauty, and reserves worship for the Creator? One of the wise—I mean the wise according to godliness—says: “The sun, shining in the heights of the Lord, a marvelous vessel, a mighty work, blowing out fiery vapors, shining over the heaven.” And what immediately? “Great is the Lord who made it.” He both proclaimed the beauty and did not hide the craftsman. But the ungodly man saw badly the heavens declaring the glory of God, not in words but by the beauty of the creation; for heaven never broke into a voice, but by its seemliness it sends forth a testimony more effective than a voice. And does heaven, though silent, declare the glory of God? Certainly. Your letters speak though silent, and do the elements of God not speak though silent? For you have received the taste of godliness; from the taste receive the whole of the truth. Examine the part of the ungodly man: how he stumbles at the very things by which the godly man is justified. He sees the moon and worships; he sees the stars and reveres them; he sees the sea and makes it a god. Those in the furnace of Babylon, who went into it, with the saving and noble confession hymned God through his works, saying, “All you works of the Lord, bless the Lord.” It would have been enough to say this … and to stop the hymn. For God rests not on the length of hymns but on the intention of those who sing them. By saying, then, “All you works,” everything was included, and there was no need of any other addition. But since they were proclaiming not for themselves, but were hymning God and through the hymn instructing the Chaldeans who stood by, the hymn necessarily travels through the whole creation, so that the erring Chaldeans might learn what is hymned and what the things are that hymn. But since our sermon has thrown us into a long contemplation, let us leave that for a time and return to what is before us. The younger son went abroad into a … country, spent his property badly, and began to be in want … but “those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.” For the Lord “will not withhold good things from those who walk in innocence.” “He began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to one of the rulers of that country.” See how great the height of his ancient nobility, how great the lowliness … to feed swine, that is, to wallow in pleasures and sins; for what mud is to swine, sin is to those who wallow in it. That is why the Lord, hinting at those who live in uncleanness and wallow in sins like mud, said: “Do not give what is holy to the dogs, nor cast your pearls before swine.” He fed swine. “And he longed to fill himself with the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything.” Pay careful attention here. The one who cuts himself off from godliness does not even have the enjoyment of the pleasures themselves, but is subjected to want and condemned to poverty, so that he does not even have abundance of the evils he chose. “For the fool,” it says, “will die in want.” He compares, then, the pleasures in the world to pods; for the pod has much roughness but little","f":"Severian, <i>Prod.</i> 627 (PG 59:627; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/severian-filio-prodigo/627)."},"severian-filio-prodigo/629":{"o":"τὴν ἠδύτητα\" καὶ τὰ ἐν χόσ ιδρὰ καὶ ποθεινὰ, πολλοὺς μὲν ἔχει τοὺς με όρῃ ἢ, μΑ ίς, δὲ τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν. Δὐτὴ πᾶσα ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν πλείονι κόπῳ μᾶλλον ἢ εὐφροτύνῃ συνέζευκται, Αἱ ἡμέρα: γὰρ τῶν ἐτῶν ἡμῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἑδδομήχοντα ἔτη\" καὶ τὸ πλεῖον αὐτῶν, κόπος καὶ πόνος\" τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν, ἡ ἔνδεια αὐτὸν ἐπαιδαγώγῆσε, καὶ ἡ θλίψις ἐπέστρεψε. Παιδεύσει σε γὰρ ἡ ἀποστασία σου καὶ ἡ κακία σου ἐλέγξει σε. Εἰς ἑαυτὸν δὲ ἐλθών. Καλὸν τὸ, Εἰς ἑαυτόν. Ὅταν γὰρ ἐμαρτάνωμεν, ἐκτὸς αὑτῶν ἐσμεν, παραφρονοῦμεν, ἔξω τῶν οἰκείων λογισμῶν φερόμεθα\" ἰδ5, ὅταν δὲ δικαίως προάγωμεν, εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ἐπανερχόμεθα. Εἰς ἑαυτὸν γων;, εἶπεν. Ἐνταῦθα πρόσεχε ἀχριδῶς, πῶς ἀληθεύει ἡ προειρημένος λόγος, ὅτι ἰατροὶ μὲν φάρμακα ὑποτίθενἰαι ξένα καὶ ἀλλότρια, τὰ δὲ φάρμακα τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν ἰξ ἑαυτῶν ἔχομεν. Εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἐλθών. Οὐκ ἀλλοτρί ἰχρήσατο φαρμάκῳ, ἀλλὰ τοῖς οἰκείοις, τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς φύτέως πλεονεχτήμασι, τούτοις κέχρηται εἰς σωτηρίαν, καὶ ἐγει' Πόσοι μίσθιοι τοῦ πατρός μου περισσεύουσιν ἰεἰα Γραφὴ, τοὺς πάντη τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ εὐσεδείᾳ ἱναχειμένους\" μισθίους δὲ, τοὺς μὴ ὁλόκληρον ἔχοντας :ρὸς αὐτὸν διάθεσιν, μὴδὲ κατὰ τὴν τῆς πολιτείας ΄σχησιν πάντη τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ φρονοῦντας\" ἀλλὰ συνιέντας ἰὲν τὸ χαλὸν, καὶ πγεπῶντας τὸν λόγον, μὴ ὁλόκληρον ὃ τὴν διάνοιαν ἀναθέντας ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν. Καὶ τούτοις μὲν λόχληρον ἔχουσι τὸν πόθον, ὅλως δὲ τῇ εὐσεδείᾳ προσνέχουσιν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν μισθὸν δίδωσι κατὰ τὴν τῆς προθέἕω; ἀναλογίαν. Εἰκότως οὖν ἐκεῖνος, Πόσοι μίσθιοι οὔ πατρός μου περισσεύουσιν ἄρτου, ἐγὼ δὲ “ιμῷ πόλλυμαι; Ὑποστρέψω πρὸς τὸν πατέρα μου’ ὑποτρέψω κατὰ τὸν λέγοντα\" ᾿Επίστρεψον, ψυχὴ μου, 'ς τὴν ἀγάπαυσίν σου. Καὶ ἐρῶ, Πάτερ, ἥμαρτον 'ς τὸν οὐραγὸν καὶ ἐνώπιόν σου, καὶ οὐκ ἔτι εἰμὶ ξιος κιηθῆγαι υἱός σου\" ποίησόν μὲ ὡς ἔνα τῶν ισθίων σου. Αλλα τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ μετανοοῦντος, καὶ λλα τὰ δῶρα τοῦ δεχομένου τὴν μετάνοιαν. Ὁ ἀπὸ μαρτιῶν εἰς μετάνοιαν ἐρχόμενος, οὐ φαντάζεται βαλείαν οὐρανῶν, οὐκ ἄξιον ἑαυτὸν κρίνει ζωῆς αἰωου, ἀλλὰ μόνην μίαν ἔχει προσευχὴν ῥυσθῆναι ἀπὸ Ξέννης. Αὐτὸς \"ὦ οὖν μικρὰ προσδοκᾷ, ὁ δὲ Θεὸς φθονον αὐτῷ τὸν πλοῦτον τῆς εὐεργεσίας χαρίζεται. λλλ᾽ ὦ τοῦ θαύματος! ἐνενόησς μόνον τὴν μετάνοιαν, χὶ ὁ πατὴρ εὐθέως ἔφθασε τῇ φιλανθρωπίᾳ\" οὐκ ἀνκεινε δέξασθαι τὰ ῥήματα τῆς ἐξομολογήσεως, ἀλλὰ γοέλαθε τὴν αἴτησιν, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον \" Πρὶν ἐπιχαἢ με, ἐρῶ, Ἰδοὺ πάρειμι. Εἶδε τὸν υἱὸν μακρόθεν χ μενον, καὶ ὑπήντησεν αὐτῷ. Ὁρᾷς, πῶς φθάνει ἡ λανθρωπία τὴν μετάνοιαν; Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Δαυϊδ τοδυσάμενος τὴν νόσον τῆς ἁμαρτίας τῷ φαρμάκῳ τῆς ἰτανοίας, καὶ εἰδὼς, ὅτι φιλάνθρωπος ὧν προῦπαυτᾷ ἴς προσερχομένοις, παρακαλεῖ τὸν Θεὸν, λέγων\" Ἐξἔρθητε εἰς συνάντησίν μου, καὶ ἴδε, ὅτι γνησίως γὸς σὲ ἔρχομαι, ὅτι μετὰ ἀληθείας τὴν μετάνοιαν ἐν-ομαι. Ἐδέξατο ὁ πατὴρ τὸν παῖδα\" κἀκεῖνος πρὸς τὸν ιτέρα, Ἥμαρτον, οὐκέτι εἰμὶ ἄξιος κιιηθῆναι υἱός γυ \" ποίησόν με ὡς ἕνω τῶ» μισθίων σου. Ἑνταῦθα πατὴρ πρὸς αὐτὸν οὐδένα ποιεῖται λόγον \" οὐκ ἀποκρί-ται πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἀλλά φησι πρὸς τοὺς δούλους \" ᾽Εξἔγκατε αὐτῷ τὴν πρώτην στοϊήν. Τί βούλεται τὸ Ἴμα; Πολλὰ εὔχεται ὁ μετανοῶν \" ἀποχρίσξως δὲ διὰ γων οὐ τυγχάνει, ἀλλὰ δι᾽ ἔργου τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν ἃ. Ἐνταῦθα παιδευόμεθα, ὅτι. ἡμῶν μὲν ἡ μετάνοια ε ῥημάτων \" Θεοῦ δὲ ἡ φιλανθρωπία διὰ πραγμάτων. ᾽ τῆς παραθδάσεως\" Δότε αὐτῷ καὶ ὑποδήματα. Διὰ; Ἐπειδὴ ὁ ὄφις πρὸς τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας ἐκπεπογέται κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον\" Αὐτός σου τηρήσει κεφα- ». καὶ σὺ σεις αὐτοῦ πτέρναν. Ἵνα μὴ γυμνῷ δ προσέλθοι ὁ ὀλέθριος ὄφις, ἵνα μὴ πάλιν τὸν ἰὸν τῆς χρτίας, περιτίθησιν αὐτῷ τὰ ὑποδήματα πρὸς ἀσφά. αν. Ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ λάδῃ τὰ ὑποδήματα, οὐ δύναται παν ἐπάνω ὄφεων καὶ σκορπίων, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν δύιιν τοῦ ἐχθροῦ. Διὰ τοῦτο τὰ δήγματα τοῦ ὄφεως γαλιζόμενος ὁ Παῦλος. ἀρτίως ἐκήρυττε\" Φοδοῦμαι, πὼς ὡς ὁ ὄφις τὴν Εὔαν ἠπάτησεν, οὕτω φθαρείη γοήματᾳ ὑμῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀπιλότητος τῆς εἰς Χριστόν. ᾿Αλλ' ἐνταῦθα ἀνακύπτει οἷόν τι καινὸν δρᾶμα, τὸ πολυθρύλλητον ἐκεῖνο ζήτημα\" πολλοὶ γὰρ ἐπιλαμδάνονται τῆς δημιουργίας. Καὶ διὰ τί, φησὶν, ὁ ὄφις ἐν παραδείσιμ : διὰ τί τὸ δένδρον ὑπόθεσιν τοσαύτην κακῶν ἤνεγκε; διὰ τί ὁ Δημιουργὸς τοιοῦτον φυτὸν ἐφύτευσε; πῶς δὲ οὐκ ἄτοπον, ἄνθρωπον μὲν χκηπωρὸν σπουδάζειν ἐναντία σπέρματα καὶ τὰς βοτάνας τὰς ἀλλοτρίας ἑξορίζειν τῶν οἰκείων σπερμάτων, καὶ καθαρὰν Φυ ττιν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γῆν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων \" τὸν δὲ εὸν τοσοῦτον καὶ τηλικοῦτον ἑδράσαντα παράδεισον, φυτὸν κατασκευάσαι, ἀφ᾽ οὗ πηγάζειν ἔμελλεν ἢ τῶν κακῶν ὑπόθεσις : Ἐπὶ ταύτην ἡμᾶς ἄγει τὴν ἀκολουθίαν ὁ θεῖος Παῦλος λέγων \" Φοδοῦμαι, μή πως, ὡς ὁ ὄρις Εὔαν ἠπάτησεν, οὕτω φθαρῃ τὰ γοήματα ὑμῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἁπλότητος τῆς εἰς Χριστόν. Τί οὖν, ἀδελφοί; Τὰ πολλὰ καὶ περιττὰ τῶν κατὰ μέρος ἐξεταζομένων ἀφέντες, ἐπὶ τὸ σύντομον ἔλθωμεν. Ὁ Θεὸς πάντα χαλὰ ἐποίησε\" καὶ χαλὰ οὐκ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ Αίαν' καιά. Ἡ γὰρ ἐπαγωγὴ τὸ ἄκρον τοῦ κάλλους δείκνυσι τῶν γενομένων πάντων. Δίδωσιν οὖν ὁ Θεὸς τῷ ᾿Αδὰμ τὴν ἀφθονίαν, τὴν ἀπόλαυτιν, τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ἀπολαύειν μὲν τοῦ παραδείσου, ἄρχειν δὲ τῶν ὁρωμένων. Ποιήσωμεν: γὰρ ἄνθρωπον κατ᾽ εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθ᾽ ἐμοίωσιν \" καὶ ἀρχέτωσαν τῶν ἰχθύων τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ τῶν πετειγὼν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ τῶν θηρίων καὶ τῶν χτηγῶν, καὶ πάσης τῆς γῆς. Ἐνταῦθα δέδωκε τὴν ἐξουσίαν τοῦ παραδείσου, δέδωκε τὴν τρυφὴν καὶ τὴν ἀπόλαυτιν. Ἦν οὖν βασιλεὺς χειροτονητὸς, ἔχων καὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν τῶν ὁρωμένων καὶ τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν τοῦ παραδείσου. Ἐδέησεν οὖν ἐντολὴν δοθῆναι τῷ ᾿Αδὰμ, γυμνάζουσαν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ εἰς ὑπακοήν. Πολλοὶ δέ φασιν\" Οὐκ ἤδει ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι παραδήσεται ὁ ᾿Αδάμ; διὰ τί οὖν ἐνομοθέτησε τῷ παραδῆναι μέλλοντι; Παρακαλῶ τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην συναγωνίσασθαΐ μοι τῷ λόγῳ κόπον γέμοντι \" ἀπολογούμεθα γὰρ ὑπὲρ τῆς πλάσεως, ὑπὲρ ποῦ θεϊχοῦ δημιουργήματος, Ἐποίησε τὸν ἄνθρωπον, πάντων αὑτῷ δέδωκε τὴν ἀφθονίαν, ἐντέλλεται αὐτῷ ἀπὸ πάντων φαγεῖν. Καὶ εἰ μὲν ἦν ἡ ἐντολὴ στενὴ, Ἐπιτοέπουσα μὲν τῶν ὀλίγων ἄψασθαι, τῶν δὲ πλειόνων ἀπἐχεσθαι, εὐπρόσωπο: ἦν ἡ παράθασις, τῷ στενῷ τῆς σεως. Εἰ ὃὲ ἡ μὲν ἀφθονία πολλὴ, τὸ δὲ χεχωλυ μένον βραχὺ, τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐτίμησε διὰ τῆς ὑπακοῆς τὸν εὐεργέτην; ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἐνδέχεται εἰπεῖν, ὅτι τῶν πολλῶν μὲν ἔδωκε τὴν ἀφθονίαν, τοιοῦτον δὲ κάλλος οὐκ εἶδεν ἐν ἑτέρῳ δένδρῳ. Ὡραῖον γὰρ τοῦτο τῇ ὁράσει, καὶ καλὸν τῇ γεύσει. “ἵνα οὖν καὶ ταύτην περ'ἔλῃ τὴν εὑπρόσωπον ἀπολογίαν ὁ Θεὸς, ὃ δέδωκε κάλλος ἐκείνῳ τῷ δένδρῳ, τοῦτο καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις πᾶσιν ἐχαρίσατο. Λέγει γὰρ Μωῦαἧς Καὶ ἐξαγέτει(λεν ὁ Θεὸς ἔτι πᾶν ξύλον ᾧραϊον εἰς ὅρασιν, καὶ καλὸν εἰς βρῶσιν. Διὰ τί οὖν ἐδόθτ, ἡ ἐντολή; “ἵνα μάθῃ ὅτι ὑπὸ νόμον ἐστὶ καὶ Δεσπότην. Καὶ διὰ τί ταύτην, καὶ οὐκ ἑτέραν δέδωκεν; Οὐκ ἦν ἄλλης ὑπακοῆς γυμνάσιον. Τί γὰρ ἐχρῆν τὸν Θεὸν τῷ ᾿Αδὰμ εἰπεῖν; Μ λέ ς; Τὰ τίνος; τὶ ἐχρῆν τὸν θεὸν νομοθετῆσαι; Οὐ φονεύσεις: Τίνα; Οὐ μοιχεύσεις; Τὴν τίνος; Οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις; Τῶν τίνι διαφερόντων; Οὐκ εἶχεν ὕλην ἡ ἐντολὴ, οὐκ ἣν ὁ χότμος, οὐδὲ ἡ νῦν τῷ κόσμῳ παροῦσα σύγχυσις. ᾿Αλλ ἐχρῆν πάντως εἰπεῖν, οὐ συχοτες; ἣ τίνες οἱ κατηγορούμενοι; Δίδωσιν αὐτῷ ἐντολὴν ἀπὸ τῆς προκειμένης ἀπολαύσεως, πάντων μὲν ἔχειν τὴν ἀφϑονίαν, τούτου δὲ μόνου ἀπέχειν\" ἵνα τῶν ἁπάντων τὴν ἀπόλαυτιν ἔχων, προτεταγμένην ἔχῃ τὴν δεσποτείαν τὴν χωλύουσαν τοῦ δένδρου\" οὐκ ἐπειδὴ αὐτὸ τὸ δένδρον ἣν κακὸν, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ παράδασις ἣν μοχθηρά. Ὥσπερ γὰρ νόμος μὲν φύσεως βούλεται νυμφοστολεῖσθαι γάμῳ γομέμῳ παρθένον, ἐὰν δέ τις παρθένος φθάσασα τοῦ παπρὸς τὴν προθεσμίαν, ἣ τὴν ὥραν τοῦ γάμου, ἑαυτὴν ἐχδῷ πρὸς ἀσέλγειαν, ἀπαραίτητον ὑπέχει τοῖς νόμοις τὴν κιμωρίαν, οὐκ ὡς ξένον τι παθοῦσα παρὰ τὰς ἄλλας παρθένους, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς παρὰ τὸν νόμον τὸν ἀρέσκοντα τῷ πατρὶ ἑχυτὴν ἐχδοῦσο, πρὸς ἁμαρτίαν, καὶ τιμωρεῖται οὗ διὰ τὴν φύσιν τοῦ πράγματος, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν τρόπον τῆς παραθάσεως \" οὕτω καὶ ὁ ᾿λδὰμ ὑπεύθυνος γίνεται τῇ τιμωρίᾳ, οὐκ ὡς ἀπηγορευμένου τινὸς ἁψάμενος, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς τὸ τῇ ἐντολῇ ἀπηγορευμένον σφετερισάμενος. ᾿Ανάγνωθϑι τὰ ὑπομνήματα. Διὰ τί περὶ ὧν οὐκ οἶδας φιλονεικεῖς; “Ὅταν θέλῃς ἀρκαίων πραγμάτων ἱστορίαν ἣ δίκην ἐξιχνεῦσαι, οὐ τὰ ἀπο νηλτιη γεῖς τὰ ἀρχαῖα, καὶ μανθάνεις τίνα μὲν τὰ ῥήματα τῶν κατηγορουμένων, τίνα δὲ τῶν συνηγορούντων καὶ τῶν ἀπολογουμένων, τίνα δὲ τὰ τοῦ δικαστοῦ καὶ τὴν ψῆφον μνήμῃ τῆς ἀναμνήσεως; ᾿Ανάγνωθι οὖν τὰ ὑπομνήματα τῆς ἀρκαίας ἱστορίας. Ὅτε ἐκάθισεν ὁ κριτὴς τῆς ἀληθείας, μᾶλλον δὲ ὅτε πρὸς τὸν χατάχριτον ἦλθεν ἐν οὗν ματι φῇον ὁ ἰατρὸς τῶν ἡμετέρων πταισμάτων. τί φησι πρὸς αὐτόν; ᾿Αδὰμ, ποῦ εἶ; Καὶ τί εἶπεν ᾿Αδάμ; Τῆς ωνῆῇῆς σου ἤκουσα, καὶ ἐχρύθην, ὅτι γυμνός εἰμι. ἧϊ οὖν ὁ τὰ πάντα εἰδώς : Σχηματίζεται ἄγνοιαν, καὶ λέγει - Καὶ τίς σοι εἶπεν, ὅτι γυμγὸς εἴ\" εἰ μὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου, οὗ ἐνετειλάμην σοι τούτου μόνου μὴ φαγεῖν, ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἔφαγες; Δείκνυσιν, ὅτι πάντων, ὡς εἰπεῖν, ἔλαθε τὴν ἀφθονίαν, καὶ οὐ τὸ στενὸν τῆς ἀπολαύσεως ἤγαγεν αὑτὸν εἰς τὴν παράθδασιν. Τί οὖν πρὸς καῦτα ὁ ἐγκαλούμενος; Ἡ γυνὴ, ἣν ἔδωκας μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ, αὕτη μοι ἔδωκεν. Ὁ ᾿Αδὰμ, τῇ γυναικὶ ὑπογράφει τὸ ἁμάρτημα, καὶ σὺ τὸ δένδρον\" περιγράφεις τὴν χαττγορίαν Ὁ ἐγκαλούμενος οὐκ ἐδυνήθη τι ψεύσασθαι, οὖκ εὑρίσκει τινὰ ἑτέραν ἀποφυγὴν ἔξω τῆς ἀληθείας, οὐκ ἐπέγραψε τῷ Δημιουργῷ τὴν αἰτίαν, ἀλλὰ τῆς γυναικὸς κατηγόρησε\" καὶ σὺ κατηγορεῖ: πραγμάτων, ὧν οὐκ οἷδας τὴν δύναμιν; Καὶ τί πρὸς τὴν Εὔαν ὁ Θεός; Τί τοῦτο ἐποίησας; Ἢ δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἐρώτησιν τὴν αἰτίαν ἀποχρίνεται\" Ὃ ὄρις ἠπάτησέ με. Μὴ ἥψατο τῆς δημιουργίας; μὴ διέδαλε τὸν πλάσαντα; νὴ εἶπε, Διὰ τί γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἐποίησας; διὰ τί γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ δένδρου ἐκώλυσα; Ἢ ὑποκειμένη τοῖς ἐγκλήμασιν οὐκ εὑρίσκει τι ψεύσασθαι. Φίλον γὰρ τοῖς ἐγχαλουμένοις καὶ τὰ μὴ ὄντα πλάττεσθαι πρὸς ἀποφυγὴν τῶν γα ξατον: Η ὑποκειμένη οὖν τοῖς ἐγκλήμασιν οὐκ εὗρεν ἄλλην ἀποφυγήν᾽\" καὶ σὺ, ἃ μὴ προσήνεγκαν οἱ κατάδικοι, προσφέρεις εἰς Θεοῦ κατηγορίαν; ᾿Αλλὰ πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸ προκείμενον ὃπἀνάξω τὸν λόγον. ᾿Αδὰμ, ποῦ εἶ; Ἐπειδῇ εἶδεν, ὅτι τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι φράττεται τὰ στόματα, καὶ οὐκ ἔχει παῤῥησίαν ὁ ἁμαρτάνων. ἐν σχήματι τῆς ἐρωτήσεως ἀνοίγει αὑτῷ ὁδὸν ἀπολογίας. Παραδὰς ἐχρύθδην \" ἀκούσας τῆς φιλανθρωπίας τῆς σῆς, ἀἰδηοίς, πρὸς τὴν ἀπολογίαν προῆλθον. Καὶ βλέπε τὸν διχαιοχριτήν. Οὐκ ἐξετάξει εὐθέως τὴν ἀμαρτήσασαν, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἀπατηθέντα \" καὶ εἰκότως ᾿ βαρύτερον γὰρ ἂν ἐγένετο τὸ δικαστήριον, εἰ τῶν ὑπευθύνων πρῶτον ἥψατο. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἄρχεται ἀπὸ τοῦ δυναμένου χἂᾶν μικ ἵν εὑρεῖν ἀπολογίαν. ὅτι παρ᾽ ἄλλου προσώπου ἀπάτην ἐδέξατο. ᾿Απὸ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς οὖν ἐπὶ τὴν γυναῖκα χωρεῖ, καὶ λέγει\" Τί τοῦτο ἐποίησας; Ἢ δὲ πρὸς τὸν Δεσπότην\" Ὁ ὄξις ἠπάτησέ με. Ὁ ὄφις ἢπάτησε; Συδαν εἶχεν ἡ ἀπάτη, εἰ μὴ προλαδοῦσα ἡ ἐνπολὴ ἀπέκλεισε τὴν πλάνην᾽ εἰ μὴ ἔφθην εἰπὼν, ὅτι ἡ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγητε ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου, θανάτῳ ἀποθαγεῖσθε, εἶχε χώραν ἡ ἀπάτη. Διὰ τί μὴ ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἡκολούθει \" λόγος, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ τῆς ἀπάτης ἐδέχθη; Οὕτως ὁ Ἀπμιουργὺς ἀναίτιος ἦν, ὁ, δὲ παραβὰς ὑπεύθυνος. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἐπὶ τὸ προκείμενον ἐπανέλθωμεν. Ἡ μὲν ἐξέτασις τῶν πεπλημμελημένων ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀπατηθέντος ἐπὶ τὴν ἀπατηθεῖσαν, ἢ δὲ ἀπόφασις ἐπὶ τὸν αἴτιον τῶν κακών. Πρῶτὸν ἡ θεία δίχη κατ᾽ ἐχείνου φέρει τὴν ἔῆφον. Οὐ γὰρ ἀποφέρεται κατὰ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, οὐδὲ κατὰ τῆς γυναικὸς εὐθέως, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τοῦ ὄφεως. Καὶ ὅρα τὸ μακρόθυμον τῆς δίκης. Οὐ καλεῖ τὸν ὄφιν ὁ Θεὸς εἰς ἐξέτασιν \" οὐ γὰρ εἰς ἕτερον ἀναγαγεῖν τὴν αἰτίαν βούλεται, οὐδὲ εὖρεῖν ἀποφυγὴν ἑτέραν. Τί οὖν πρὸς αὐτόν; Ἐπικατάϑατος σὺ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν θηρίων τῆς γῆς. Ὁ ὄφις ὄργανον ἣν φαινόμενον, ὁ δὲ διάδολος ἀοράτως ὁ διὰ τοῦ ὄφεως ἀπατῶν. Ἰίνος ἕνεκεν κατὰ τοῦ ὀργάνου ἡ τιμωξ,» καὶ οὐ κατὰ τοῦ αὐθέντου τῆς Νηρ ας γίνεται ἣ εἰα δίχη; Καὶ κατὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας χωρεῖ, καὶ κατὰ τοῦ ὀργάνου τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Οἶδας, ὅτι καὶ τὸν λογισμὸν οὐκ ἔχοντι ταύρῳ, ἐὰν χερατίσῃ, ὁ Θεὸς θάνατον τ εἰ τὴν δίκην, καίτοι λογισμέν οὐκ ἔχοντι, ἀλλ᾽ {00} αὑτὴν ὅλως τὴν ὁρμὴν κολάζει. Οὕτω τοίνυν καὶ ἐνταῦθα κατὰ ποῦ ὄφεως ἀποφαίνεται, δεικνὺς, ὅτι εἰ τὸ ὄργανον τῇς ἁμαρτίας οὕτω τιμωρεῖται, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸν ἐνεργή- σαντα κολάζει. Διὰ τοῦτο ὁ μακάριος Ἤσχϊας τὴν ἀπειλὴν ταύτην τὴν κατὰ τοῦ ὄφεως καλῶς ἐχλαθόμενίς φησι\" Καὶ ἔσται ἐν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις, 'Επάξει ὁ ϑεὸς τὴν μάχαιραν τὴν ἁγίαν καὶ μεγάλην καὶ ἰσχιἂν ἐπὶ τὸν δι α, τὸν ὄριν τὸν φεύ. ἐκὶ τὸν δράκοντα τὸν ὄριν τὸν σχολιὸν, καὶ ἀνελεῖ τὸν δράκοντα τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ. Δράκοντα καλεῖ τὸν διάδολον, καὶ ὄφιν σχολιὸν, αὐτὸν τὸν τῶν δαιμόνων ἄρχοντα. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ ὁ Σωτήρ φησιν\" ᾿Ιδοὺ δέδωκα ὑμῖν τὴν ἐξουσίαν πατεῖν ἑνάνο ὄφεων καὶ σχορξίων. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ τὰ φαινόμενα ὑπολάδῃς, ἐπήγαγε - Καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ ἐχθροῦ. ᾿Αλλ' ὅταν ἀχούτ: οἱ Μανιχαῖοι. Οὐ γὰρ ἣν ῥίζα κακοῦ, οὐδὲ φύσις ποντίας, ἀλλὰ ῥοπὴ παρανομίας. Ὁρᾷς, φησὶ, τὴν Γραφὴν, πως αὐτὸν ὄφιν ἐχάλεσξ καὶ δράκοντα, καὶ ὥσπερ ξένην τινὰ φύσιν πονηρίας εἰσηγουμένην; ᾿Αλλὰ ταῦτα τῶν ἀσεδῶν τὰ ῥήματα κενὰ καὶ μάταια χαΐ λογεαμὰν οὐκ ἔχοντα. Καὶ γὰρ ὅταν πρὸς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους λέγη ὁ Κύριο: \" Ὅξεις, γεγγήματα ἐχιδγῶν, οὐ τὴν φύσιν διαθάλλει, ἣ τὴν προαίρεσιν διαμάχεται. υὕτως οὐ δεῖ λέξετι πείθεσθαι, ἀλλὰ ταῖς ἐννοίαις παιδεύεσθαι. γὴ ᾿ΑΛΛᾺ ἀντιτείνουσι πάλιν, καὶ ἕτερον ζητοῦσι ξήτημα. Διὰ τί, φησὶ, τὸ δένδρον ἐκάλεσε γνωστὸν καλοῦ καὶ πονηροῦ, εἰ μὴ πάντως φύσιν τινὰ τοιαύτην ἐ δούλετο ἔϑεῖται τοῦ φυτοῦ τὸ θεῖον γράμμα; Μὴ συκοφάντει πλώς, ἄνθρωπε, τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Τὸ γὰρ δένδρον τοῦ καλοῦ καὶ τω ῦ οὐ φύσιν ἐγέννησεν, ἀλλ᾽ ὑλρῥαυ τὴ νεγχε- καὶ ἐκαλεῖτο τῇ προσηγορίᾳ τοιαύτῃ. οὖκ ἐπειδ νν δ εἶχε κατὰ ὐλῆοι αν δν τοῦτο ἐπετίιι Ἵ τὴν ἀπότασιν. Τί γὰρ ἐδίδαξε τὸν ᾿Αδὰμ ἡ γεῦσις; Ὅτι χαλὸν ὑπακοῦσαι Θεοῦ, καὶ κακὸν τὸ παραχοῦται Θεοῦ. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ἡ γνῶσις καλοῦ καὶ ποντροῦ, καὶ οὐδὲν ἕτερον ὅλως. Ἑπεὶ ποίαν εὗρε γνῶσιν τῶν χαλῶν ἀναδλέψας εὐθέως; τί ἕτερον εἶδε χαλόν; τὴν ἐλεημοτύνην; Τίνες γὰρ ἦσαν ἐκεῖ πένητες; ᾿Αλλὰ τί εἶδεν; ὅτι χαλὸν ἡ φιλαυθρωπία; Ποίαν γὰρ εὗρεν ὑπόθεσιν ανθρωπίας; Τί οὖν εὗρεν; ὅτι καλὸν μὲν τὸ ὑπακούειν, κακὸν δὲ παρακούειν ποὗ εὐεργέτου. ἧς καῦτα στρτνίζει; ἯΙ Γραφὴ λέγει, Εἰ ἀπηγγέλη σοι, ἄνθρωξε, τί καλὸν, ἢ τί Κύριος ἐπιζητεῖ παρὰ σοῦ, ἀ..1\" ἣ τὸ φοβεῖσθαι τὸν Κύριον καὶ Θεόν σου; ᾿θρᾷς, ὅτι καλὸν ὁ φόδος τοῦ Θεοῦ, πονηρὸν δὲ τὸ παρακοῦσαι Θεοῦ; Ἔφριξε, φησῖν, οὐρανὸς, καὶ ἐξέστη ἡ γῆ. Ὅτι δύο καὶ πονηρὰ ἐποίησεν ὁ λαός μου\" ἐμὲ όλιπεν πηγὴν ὕδατος ζῶντος, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Διὰ τί οὖν, εἶπε, Μὴ ἅψῃ τοῦ δένδρου, ἐξ οὗ ἐὰν φάγῃς, μέλλεις ινώσχειν διὰ τῆς παραδάσεως τὸ χαλὸν καὶ πονηρόν; τὰ τί; Ἐγώ σοι σαφηνίσω καὶ σύντομον ἀποδώσω γον. Φίλον ἀεὶ τῇ θεὶς Γραφῇ τοιαύτας διδόνα: τοῖς πράγμασι προσηγορίας, οἵας ἂν καὶ τὰς ὑποθέσεις ἐνέγχωσιν, Οἷόν τι λέγω: Ὃ Ἰσαὰκ ὥρυξε φρέαρ- οἱ δ-λιστιαῖοι ἐλθόντες ἐμαχήσαντο περὶ τοῦ φρέατος, καὶ εἰς πόνους. Τί οὖν ὁ Ἰσαάκ, Ἐκάλεσε τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ λάκκου, ἐῶ νορα Οὐκ ὁ λάκκος τὴν ἐχθρίαν εἰργάσατο, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ ὑπόθεσις ἡ περὶ αὐτοῦ ἐχϑρίαν ἐποίησε, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο Φρέαρ ἐγένετο ἐχθρίας. Ἐποίησεν ἄλλο φρέαρ, καὶ ἀξρέθη καὶ τοῦτο καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸ Φρέαρ ἀδιχέας, οὐ τι τὸ φρέαρ ἦν ἀδικίας, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ ἢ ἀδικία περὶ φρέαρ ἔσχε τὴν ὕλην. Ὁμοίως καὶ οἱ ὑπηρέται τοῦ καὶ τοῦ ᾿Αδεννὴρ, περὶ τὴν χρήνην, ὡς ἴσασιν οἱ τὴν Γραφὴν ἐπιστάμενοι, ἀλλήλοις συγχροτούμενοι, ἀλλήλοις ἐπε εὐ τρό ἡμὰς ἜΤΗ ὁ τόπος Μερὶς τῶν οὐρα κϑῷ Πάλιν ἐνταῦθα οὐκ ὁ τόπος τὴν ἐπιδουλὴν ἀλλ᾽ ἡ ὑπόθεσις ὄνομα τῷ τόπῳ δέδωκεν. Οὕτως οὖν χεὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ᾿Αδάμ. Ἐπειδὴ ἐκ τῆς γενέσεως ἔμελλε λοιτὲν πεῖραν λαμθάνειν, ὅτι καλὸν τὸ ὑπακοῦσάι, κακὸν δὲ Ὁ παρακοῦσαι, ἔλαθε τὸ δένδρον ἐκ τῆς ὑποθέσεως τῷ προσηγορίαν. ᾿Αλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν εἰς τοσοῦτον. Γένοιτο ἢ ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλον ἐχείνου φυγεῖν, καὶ πιροϑδρερεν τῷ ξύλῳ τῆς ζωῆς, τῷ φυτῷ τοῦ σταυροῦ, τῷ ἐν θήσαντι καρποὺς δικαιοσύνης, τῷ παρθενίαν βλεστη σαντι καὶ ἁγιωσύνην πηγάσαντι, καὶ καρποὺς διαφόρου: εἐχτήμασι, τῷ ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ πήξει τῇ αἰσθητῇ τοῦ ξὴν τὴν μεγίστην ἐχείνην καὶ ξένην σωτηρίαν, οὖκ ἣν ὁ ξω- τὴρ μυστικῶς ὠκονόμησεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἣν ὁ ληστὴς ἐκεῖνος προφανῶς ἀπεσύλησεν, ἡμῖν πρυτανεύσαντι. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ ᾿Αδὰμ διὰ ξύλου ἐξωυρίσθη τοῦ παραδείσου ( Δίκαιος εἴ, Κύριδ, καὶ εὐθεῖς αἱ κρίσεις σου \" ὅτι διὰ μίαν ἁμαρτίαν ὁ 'Λδὰμ ἑξορίξεται, καὶ διὰ μίαν πιστὴν ὁμ’λογίαν εἰσάγεται ὁ λῃστὴς εἰς τὸν παράδεισον. Σταυροῦσαι μετὰ παρανόμων, καὶ σώζεις τοὺς παρανόμους. Λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ λῃστής: Κύριε, μνήσθητί μου. ὅταν δίθῃς ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου. Καὶ ὁ μὲν λγστὴς αὗτος οὐκ ἐπαύσατο λῃστεύειν, ἕως μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν βασιλείαν ἐσύλησεν. ᾿Λλλ᾽ ὁ ἕτερος λῃστὴς ὀνειδίζει τῷ Κυρίῳ, Εἰ Υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ σεαυτὸν σὥσον καὶ ἡμᾶς. Τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ λῃστοῦ ἀδελφά εἰσι τῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶν \" καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι ἔλεγον\" ΕἸ Υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, κατάδηθι ἀπὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ, καὶ πιστεύομέν σο:. Ὁρᾷς τὰ τέχνα τοῦ διαδόλου πῶς σύμφωνον ἔχει τὴν μάθησιν τῆς ἀσεδείας; Σῶσον., φησὶ, σαυτὸν καὶ ἡμᾶς. Τί οὖν ὁ μακάριος λῃστής; Συνηγορεῖ τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ λαμθάνει τάξιν χριτου ὁ κατάκριτος, καὶ ἄρχεται δικάζειν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ: Οὐδὲ φοδῇ σὺ τὸν Θεὸν, ὅτι ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ κρίματί ἐσμεν\" καὶ ἡμεῖς μὲν δικαίως \" ἄξιω γὰρ ὧν ἐπράξαμεν, ἀπολαμδάνομεν \" οὗτος δὲ τί ἐποίησεν; Εἰπέ μο:, ὦ λῃστὰ, ἐπὶ Πιλάτου διὰ τί μὴ συντόμως ὡμολόγησας; διὰ τί μετὰ μυρίας βασάνους τότε οὐκ εἶπας, ἃ ἐποίησας; τΑλλο ἣν ἄνθρωπος δικαστῆς, ἄλλο Θεὸς δικαστής. Ἐκείνῳ ἐπειρώμην κρύπτειν τῷ μὴ εἰδότι τὰ ἐγχάρδια, τούτῳ οὐ κρύπτω ἐμθατεύοντι ταῖς καρδίαις. Διὰ τί οὐκ ὡμολόγησας ἐπὶ Πιλάτου συντόμως; Ὅτι ἐκεῖ τῇ ὁμολογίᾳ εἴπετο ἡ τιμωρία \" ἐνταῦθα δὲ τῇ ὁμολογίᾳ ἕπεται ἡ σωτηρία. Λέγε γὰρ σὺ τὰς ἀνομίας σου πρῶτος, ἵνα δικαιωθῇς. Ἦν οὖν ἰδεῖν τὸν Σωτῆρα ἐν μέσῳ τῶν λῃστῶν ζυγὸν δικαιοσύνης \" ἦν ἰδεῖν ταλαντεύοντα πίστιν καὶ ἀπιστίαν, καὶ δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἀδικίαν. Εἴλχχυσε μέσον τὸ τῆς δικαιοσύνης χριτήἴον, καὶ ὁ μὲν τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ ἐμθαρυνόμενος δὲ τῇ πίστει μετεωριζόμενος ἀνήγετο. ᾿Ημεῖς δὴ, φησὶν, ἄξια ὧν ἐποιήσαμεν, ἀπολαμδάγομεν\" οὗτος δὲ τί; Καὶ νῦν βλέπω, φησὶν, ἀδικίαν καὶ ξένην, δίκαιον μετὰ ἀδίκων σταυρούμενον, καὶ τὴν εὐνομίαν τὰ τῆς παρανομίας χολαζομένην. Ἡμεῖς μὲν' ἄξια ὧν ἐπράξαμεν, ἀπολαμδάνομεν \" οὗτος δὲ τί ἐποίησεν; Ἡμεῖς ἐποιήσαμεν φόνους, καὶ ζῶντας ἐνεχρώσαμεν\" οὗτος νεκροὺς ἐζωοποίησε, καὶ θανάτου βίαν παρέλυσεν\" ἡμεῖς ἀλλότρια ἐσυλήσαμεν, οὗτος καὶ τὰ ἴδια διδόναι παρακελεύεται\" ἡμεῖς τοὺς οὐδὲν ἀδικήσαντας ἀπεχτείσὰ ναμεν, οὗτος καὶ τοὺς ἐχυροὺς ἀγαπᾷν ἐδίδαξεν. “Αδικος ἡ χρίσις. Εΐτα ἔργα τούτου κολάσεως ἄξια, τὰ ἡμέτερα ἀφέσεως ἄξια; Κρίνατε τ ἀλήθειαν. Ἡ κακία φευγέτον, ἡ δικαιοσύνη τιμάσθω. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἐγένετο μὲν ταῦτα ποντρίᾳ Ἰουδαϊκῇ, ἐπληροῦτο δὲ μνσταγωγία προφητικὴ διαῤἐλογίσθη ὁ δίκαιος. ᾿λλλ᾽ ὁ μὲν μακάριος στὴς οὕτως ἐφιλοσόφει, οὕτω τοὺς παρόντας ἐπαίδευε, δι' ὧν τὸν ἕτερον ὠνείδιζεν. Ὡς ὃξ εἶδε νεκρὰν τῶν παρόντων τὴν ἀκοὴν, στρέφεται λοιπὸν ἐπὶ τὸν εἰδότα τὰ ἐγχάρδια, καί φησι πρὸς τὸν Κύριον\" Κύριε, μνήσθητί μου ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου. Σταυρούμενον βλέπεις, καὶ Κύριον ὁμολογεῖς; καταδίχου σχῆμα ὁρᾶς, καὶ βασιλέως ἀξίαν χκηρύττεις; Καὶ τί δαύμ ομεν; ἀδελφοὶ, εἰ Παῦλος μετὰ ποσαύτην μυσταγωγίαν, μετὰ τοσαύτην πεῖραν θαυμάτῶν λέγει \" Εἰ γὰρ ἔγνωσαν, οὐκ ἂν τὸν Κύριον τῆς δόξης ἐσταύρωσαν; Τοῦτο κηρύττει ὁ Παῦλος, μετὰ τοσαύτην μυσταγωγίαν, μετὰ τὰ θαύματα, μετὰ τὰ σημεῖα, το: μυρίας ἐνεργείας, μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν, μετὰ ἣν ἀνάληψιν. Ὁ δὲ ληστὴς, ἀκμαζούσης τῆς φαινομένης ἀρμθ χαΐ φησι πρὸς αὐτόν Κύριε. μνήσθητί μου, ταῦ ἔλθῃς ἐν τῇ βασιείᾳ σου. Τί ἐποίησας ἄξιον μνήμης; τί δὲ οὐκ ἐποίησας ἄξιον τιμωρίας; οὐκ χοῖς ἐμπεφυρμένος ἀξιοῖς μνησδῆνα! σου τῆς ἀδικίας τὴν πηγὴν τῆς δικαιοσύνης; Ναὶ, Κύριε, δίκαιος εἴ, καὶ εὐθεῖς αἱ κρίσεις σου. ᾿Αντίδος μοι κατὰ τὴν δικαιοσύνην σου. Ἐγὼ εἶδόν σου τὴν φαινομένην ὕθριν, καὶ σταυρὸν, καὶ τὸ ὄνειδος τῶν παρανόμων\" καὶ οὐ βλέπω τὴν φαινομένην ὕδριν, ἀλλὰ τὴν κρυπτομένην βατιλείαν. Ἐγὼ, ἃ ὁρώ, παρορῶ \" σὺ οὐ παρορᾷς μου τὰ φαινόμενα πταίσματα, καὶ ἀποδέχῃ τὴν πίστιν τῆς δια νοίας; Μνήσθητί μου, Κύριε. Ὦ τῆς δικαίας κρίσεω.\" Μνήσθητέ μου ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου. Οὐκ ἔστι δέχαιου», Κύριξ, τὸν μὲν διάδολον ἕνα τῶν μαθητῶν ποιῆσαι προδότην\" ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν μαθητῶν τοῦ διαδόλου σε μὴ μεταθαλεῖν εἰς εὐαγγελιστήν. Τὸν μαθητὴν τῆς ἀληθείας ἥρπασεν ἡ ἀδικία, τὸν μαθητὴν τῆς ἀδικίας οὐ μεταύαλεῖ ἡ ἀλήθεια; Οὐ σὺ ΜᾺ Δέσποτα. ὁ μεταδάλλων τὸ σκότὸς εἰς ΣΙ τὰ τὰ τος εἰς εὐβείρα ταύ ὀρόσεα αὶ τὸν λῃστὴν εἰς εὐαγγελιστὴν, νίκησον ἀγαθότητι τὴν δόξαν τῇ σῇ φιλανθρωπίᾳ ἧ πρέπει δόξα καὶ ἡ προσκύνησις εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ᾿Αμήν.","t":"sweetness; and the things in the world that are sweet and desirable have many labors but little enjoyment. Our whole life is yoked more to toil than to gladness: “The days of our years are seventy years, and most of them are toil and trouble.” As for the rest: want trained him, and affliction turned him back; for “your apostasy will discipline you, and your wickedness will reprove you.” “But coming to himself.” “To himself” is well said. For when we sin we are outside ourselves, we are out of our minds, we are carried outside our own reasonings; but when we advance in righteousness we return to ourselves. “Coming to himself,” he said. Pay careful attention here to how the word spoken before is true: that physicians supply foreign and alien medicines, but the medicines of our life we have from ourselves. “Coming to himself.” He used no alien medicine but his own; the advantages that come from nature, these he used for salvation, and he says: “How many hired servants of my father have bread to spare!” … the divine Scripture calls … those who are wholly devoted to righteousness and godliness; and “hired servants” those who do not have an undivided disposition toward him, nor in the practice of their way of life think wholly the things of God, but who understand the good and approve the word without devoting their whole mind to him. And to those who have an undivided longing and give themselves wholly to godliness, … God gives the reward in proportion to their intention. Fittingly, then, that son says: “How many hired servants of my father have bread to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will return to my father”—I will return, according to the one who says, “Return, my soul, to your rest.” “And I will say, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired servants.” The words of the one who repents are one thing, and the gifts of the one who receives repentance another. The one who comes from sins to repentance does not imagine the kingdom of heaven, does not judge himself worthy of eternal life, but has only one prayer, to be delivered from Gehenna. He then expects little, but God ungrudgingly bestows on him the wealth of his benefaction. But O the wonder! He only thought of repentance, and the father at once anticipated it with love for humankind; he did not wait to receive the words of confession, but anticipated the request, as it is said: “Before you call upon me, I will say, Behold, I am here.” He saw the son coming from afar, and went to meet him. Do you see how love for humankind anticipates repentance? That is why David too, having washed off the disease of sin with the medicine of repentance, and knowing that, being a lover of humankind, he goes out to meet those who approach, entreats God, saying: “Rise up to meet me, and see,” that I am coming to you genuinely, that I am showing repentance in truth. The father received the boy; and he said to the father: “I have sinned; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired servants.” Here the father makes no reply to him; he does not answer him, but says to the servants: “Bring out the first robe for him.” What does the saying mean? The one who repents asks much, and does not receive an answer by words, but … the love for humankind by deed. Here we are taught that our repentance is through words, but God’s love for humankind through deeds. … of the transgression. “Give him sandals too.” Why? Since the serpent is let loose against sinners, as it is said: “He shall watch your head, and you shall watch his heel.” So that the deadly serpent may not approach him barefoot, so that he may not again … the poison of sin, he puts the sandals on him for safety. For unless he takes the sandals he cannot tread upon serpents and scorpions and upon all the power of the enemy. That is why Paul, guarding against the bites of the serpent, proclaimed just now: “I fear lest, as the serpent deceived Eve, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is toward Christ.” But here there emerges something like a new drama, that much-discussed question; for many find fault with the creation. “And why,” he says, “was the serpent in paradise? Why did the tree bring such an occasion of evils? Why did the Maker plant such a plant? How is it not absurd that a human gardener should take pains to drive out contrary seeds and alien weeds from his own seeds and keep his land clean of contrary things, while God, who founded so great and so fine a paradise, constructed a plant from which the occasion of evils was to spring?” The divine Paul leads us to this sequence, saying: “I fear lest, as the serpent deceived Eve, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is toward Christ.” What then, brothers? Let us leave the many superfluous points of detailed examination and come to the short answer. God made all things good, and not simply good but “very good”; for the addition shows the height of beauty of all that came to be. So God gives Adam abundance, enjoyment, authority: to enjoy paradise and to rule the things that are seen. “For let us make man according to our image and likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and the birds of heaven, and the wild beasts and the cattle, and all the earth.” Here he gave authority over paradise, gave delight and enjoyment. He was, then, an appointed king, with both authority over the things seen and the enjoyment of paradise. So it was necessary that a commandment be given to Adam, training his soul in obedience. But many say: “Did God not know that Adam would transgress? Why then did he give a law to one who was going to transgress?” I beg your love to contend alongside me in a sermon full of toil; for we are making a defense on behalf of the creation, on behalf of the divine workmanship. He made man; he gave him abundance of all things; he commands him to eat of all. If the commandment had been narrow, permitting him to touch few things and to abstain from more, the transgression would have had a fair excuse in the narrowness of the … But if the abundance was great and what was forbidden small, for what reason did he not honor his benefactor by obedience? But one may say that he gave abundance of the many, but he did not see such beauty in any other tree; for this one was “beautiful to the sight and good to the taste.” So, to take away this plausible excuse too, God bestowed on all the others the beauty that he gave to that tree. For Moses says: “And God made to spring up also every tree beautiful to the sight and good for food.” Why, then, was the commandment given? So that he might learn that he is under law and under a master. And why did he give this one and not another? There was no other training ground of obedience. For what should God have said to Adam? “You shall not steal”? Whose things? What law should God have laid down? “You shall not murder”? Whom? “You shall not commit adultery”? With whose wife? “You shall not covet”? The things belonging to whom? The commandment had no material; the world was not as it is, nor the confusion that is now present in the world. But he should, by all means, have said, “You shall not bear false witness”? Or who were the accused? He gives him a commandment from the enjoyment at hand: to have abundance of all things, but to abstain from this alone, so that, having enjoyment of all things, he might have set before him the lordship that forbade the tree; not because the tree itself was evil, but because the transgression was wicked. For just as the law of nature wishes a virgin to be given away as a bride in lawful marriage, but if a virgin, anticipating her father’s appointed time or the season of marriage, gives herself up to licentiousness, she incurs an inexorable penalty under the laws—not as having suffered anything strange compared with other virgins, but as having given herself up to sin contrary to the law that pleases her father, and she is punished not because of the nature of the act but because of the manner of the transgression—so too Adam becomes liable to punishment, not as having touched something forbidden by nature, but as having appropriated what was forbidden by the commandment. Read the records. Why do you quarrel about what you do not know? When you want to trace out the history of ancient matters or a lawsuit, do you not … the ancient records, and learn what the words of the accused were, what those of the advocates and of those making the defense, what those of the judge, and the verdict, by the memory of the record? Read, then, the records of the ancient history. When the judge of truth sat—or rather when the physician of our failings came to the condemned man … —what did he say to him? “Adam, where are you?” And what did Adam say? “I heard your voice, and I hid, because I am naked.” What then did he who knows all things do? He feigns ignorance and says: “And who told you that you are naked, unless you have eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat, this alone?” He shows that he had received abundance of, so to speak, all things, and that it was not the narrowness of the enjoyment that led him to the transgression. What then does the accused say to this? “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave it to me.” Adam ascribes the sin to the woman, and you to the tree? You circumscribe the accusation … The accused could not lie in anything, finds no other escape outside the truth, did not ascribe the blame to the Maker but accused the woman; and do you accuse things whose power you do not know? And what does God say to Eve? “What is this that you have done?” And she answers the question with the cause: “The serpent deceived me.” Did she touch the creation? Did she slander the one who formed her? Did she say, “Why did you make us? Why did you forbid us the tree?” She who was subject to the charges found nothing to lie about. For it is dear to the accused to invent even things that do not exist in order to escape the … ; yet she who was subject to the charges found no other escape; and do you bring forward, to accuse God, what the condemned did not bring forward? But I will lead the sermon back again to what is before us. “Adam, where are you?” Since he saw that the mouths of sinners are stopped and the sinner has no boldness, in the form of a question he opens to him a road of defense: “Having transgressed I hid; hearing your love for humankind, … I came forward to make my defense.” And see the righteous judge. He does not examine first the woman who sinned, but the man who was deceived; and rightly, for the court would have been harsher if he had begun with the more liable. But he begins with the one who could find at least a small defense, that he received deception from another person. From the man, then, he passes to the woman and says: “What is this that you have done?” And she says to the Master: “The serpent deceived me.” The serpent deceived? The deception would have had … if the commandment had not shut out the error beforehand; if I had not said beforehand, “In the day you eat from the tree, you shall surely die,” the deception would have had room. Why was the word of God not followed, but the word of deception received? So the Maker was blameless, and the transgressor liable. But let us return to what is before us. The examination of the offenses went from the deceived man to the deceived woman, but the sentence went to the cause of the evils. First the divine justice brings its verdict against him. For it is not passed against the man, nor at once against the woman, but against the serpent. And see the long-suffering of the justice. God does not call the serpent to examination; for he does not want the blame referred to another, nor another escape found. What then does he say to it? “Cursed are you above all the wild beasts of the earth.” The serpent was the visible instrument, but the devil was the one deceiving invisibly through the serpent. For what reason is the punishment against the instrument and not against the author of the … ? The divine justice proceeds both against the sin and against the instrument of sin. You know that God appoints death as the penalty for a bull, which has no reason, if it gores; though it has no reason, he punishes the impulse itself altogether. So here too he pronounces against the serpent, showing that if the instrument of sin is punished thus, much more does he punish the one who worked through it. That is why blessed Isaiah, taking this threat against the serpent well, says: “And it shall be in the last days, God will bring the holy and great and strong sword upon the dragon, the fleeing serpent, upon the dragon, the crooked serpent, and he will slay the dragon on that day.” He calls the devil a dragon, and the ruler of the demons himself a crooked serpent. So too the Savior says: “Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions”; and so that you would not take it of visible things, he added: “and upon all the power of the enemy.” But when the Manichaeans hear … For there was no root of evil, nor a nature of wickedness, but an inclination to lawlessness. “Do you see,” he says, “how Scripture called him a serpent and a dragon, as though introducing some foreign nature of wickedness?” But these words of the ungodly are empty and vain and have no reason. For when the Lord says to human beings, “Serpents, brood of vipers,” he does not slander their nature, but fights against their choice. So one must not be persuaded by the wording, but be taught by the sense. But they object again and seek another question: “Why,” he says, “did he call the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, unless the divine writing wished to indicate some such nature of the plant?” Do not simply slander the truth, man. For the tree of good and evil did not beget a nature, but brought … , and was called by such a name, not because it had … by nature … the transgression. For what did the taste teach Adam? That it is good to obey God, and evil to disobey God. And this is the knowledge of good and evil, and nothing else at all. Otherwise, what knowledge of good things did he find when he looked up at once? What other good did he see? Almsgiving? For who were the poor there? But what did he see? That love for humankind is good? For what occasion of love for humankind did he find? What then did he find? That it is good to obey and evil to disobey the benefactor. Who confirms this? Scripture says: “Has it been told you, O man, what is good, or what the Lord requires of you, but” to fear the Lord your God? Do you see that the fear of God is good, but disobeying God is evil? “Heaven shuddered,” he says, “and the earth was astonished; for my people have done two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water,” and the rest. Why then did he say, “Do not touch the tree, from which, if you eat, you will come to know good and evil through the transgression”? Why? I will make it clear to you and give a short account. It is always dear to the divine Scripture to give things such names as their occasions bring. As, for example: Isaac dug a well; the Philistines came and fought over the well, and … into troubles. What then did Isaac do? He called the name of the pit “Enmity.” The pit did not cause the enmity, but the occasion concerning it made enmity, and for this reason it became a well of enmity. He made another well, and this too was taken, and he called it “Well of Injustice”; not that the well was of injustice, but because the injustice had its material in the well. Likewise the servants of … and of Abner, by the pool, as those who know the Scriptures know, clashing with one another, … and the place was called “Portion of the …” Here again the place did not cause the plot, but the occasion gave the place its name. So it was too with Adam. Since from the event he was thereafter to gain experience that it is good to obey and evil to disobey, the tree received its name from the occasion. But so much for this. May it be granted us to flee from that tree and to run to the tree of life, the plant of the cross, which bore fruits of righteousness, which sprouted virginity and poured forth holiness as a spring, and fruits of various … ; which in this visible fixing of wood … that greatest and strange salvation—not the one that the Savior arranged in a mystery, but the one that that thief openly carried off by plunder—the cross that presided over it for us. For since Adam was banished from paradise through a tree … “You are righteous, O Lord, and your judgments are upright”: for one sin Adam is banished, and for one faithful confession the thief is brought into paradise. You are crucified with the lawless, and you save the lawless. The thief says to him: “Lord, remember me when you come in your kingdom.” And this thief did not cease thieving until along with everything else he stole the kingdom itself. But the other thief reproaches the Lord: “If you are the Son of God, save yourself and us.” The thief’s words are sisters of the Jews’ words; for they too said: “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross, and we will believe you.” Do you see how the children of the devil have a harmonious lesson of ungodliness? “Save yourself,” he says, “and us.” What then does the blessed thief do? He speaks in the Lord’s defense; the condemned man takes the place of a judge and begins to judge in truth: “Do you not even fear God, since we are under the same sentence? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of what we did; but what has this man done?” Tell me, thief, why did you not confess at once before Pilate? Why, after countless tortures, did you not then say what you had done? “A human judge was one thing, God as judge another. From that one, who did not know what was in the heart, I tried to hide; from this one, who enters into hearts, I do not hide.” Why did you not confess at once before Pilate? Because there punishment followed confession, but here salvation follows confession. For “first tell your iniquities, that you may be justified.” One could see the Savior between the thieves as a balance of righteousness; one could see him weighing faith and unbelief, righteousness and unrighteousness. He drew the standard of righteousness through the middle, and the one, weighed down by unbelief, … , while the other, lifted up by faith, was raised up. “We indeed,” he says, “are receiving the due reward of what we did; but what has this man done? And now I see a strange injustice: a righteous man crucified with the unrighteous, and good order punished with the penalties of lawlessness. We are receiving the due reward of what we did; but what has this man done? We committed murders and made the living dead; he made the dead alive and undid the violence of death. We plundered what belonged to others; he commands us to give even our own. We killed those who had done no wrong; he taught us to love even our enemies. The sentence is unjust. Are his works worthy of punishment, and ours worthy of pardon? Judge the truth. Let wickedness be banished, let righteousness be honored.” But these things happened through the wickedness of the Jews, and the prophetic mystery was fulfilled: “The righteous one was reckoned …” So the blessed thief reasoned thus, and taught those present by the words with which he reproached the other. But when he saw that the hearing of those present was dead, he turns at last to the one who knows what is in the heart, and says to the Lord: “Lord, remember me in your kingdom.” You see him crucified, and you confess him Lord? You see the guise of a condemned man, and you proclaim the dignity of a king? And why do we wonder, brothers, if Paul, after so great an initiation, after such experience of miracles, says, “For if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory”? Paul proclaims this after so great an initiation, after the miracles, after the signs, after countless works of power, after the resurrection, after the ascension. But the thief, while the visible … was at its height, says to him: “Lord, remember me when you come in your kingdom.” What have you done worthy of remembrance? What have you not done worthy of punishment? Are you, defiled with … , asking the fountain of righteousness to remember your unrighteousness? “Yes, Lord, you are righteous, and your judgments are upright. Repay me according to your righteousness. I saw your visible outrage, and the cross, and the reproach of the lawless; and I do not look at the visible outrage, but at the hidden kingdom. What I see, I overlook; do you not overlook my visible failings and accept the faith of my mind? Remember me, Lord.” O righteous judgment! “Remember me in your kingdom. It is not just, Lord, that the devil should make one of the disciples a traitor, and that you should not change one of the devil’s disciples into an evangelist. Injustice has snatched away the disciple of truth; will truth not change the disciple of injustice? Are you not, Master, the one who changes darkness into light, … and the thief into an evangelist? Conquer the glory … by goodness, by your love for humankind”; to which belong glory and worship to the ages of ages. Amen.","f":"Severian, <i>Prod.</i> 629 (PG 59:629; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/severian-filio-prodigo/629)."}}