Homilies on Acts 20.1–20.4

“Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ And he said, ‘Here I am, Lord.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘Rise and go to the street called Straight, and look in the house of Judas for a man of Tarsus named Saul; for behold, he is praying. And he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hand on him so that he might regain his sight.’” Why ever did he neither call nor send any of the leading apostles to instruct Paul? Because he was not to be brought in through men, but through Christ himself; since this man too taught him nothing, but only baptized him. At any rate, as soon as he was baptized, he drew on himself much grace of the Spirit by his great zeal and eagerness. That Ananias too was one of the very distinguished is plain from the fact that the Lord appears and speaks to him, and again from what he himself answers, saying, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.” If then he spoke against the Lord, much more would he have done so if he had sent an angel. That is why Philip too, before this, does not hear what is to come, but only sees the angel; and so the Spirit commands him to approach and join the chariot. For the present, here he cuts short his fear, and all but says this by saying, “Behold, he is praying”: he is blind, and you are afraid? So Moses too is afraid; so the words are rather those of a man afraid, not of one who disbelieves. And hear their very words: “Lord, I have heard from many about this man.” What are you saying? God speaks, and you doubt? So far … they did not yet know the power of Christ. “And here he has authority from the high priests to bind all who call on your name.” How was this known? It is likely that, being in fear, they inquired closely. So he says this not as though Christ did not know it, but as one perplexed how, these things being so, it was possible for this to happen. So too elsewhere the disciples say, “Who can be saved?” But see how much is arranged so that he might trust the one who comes. He saw it in a dream; the Lord told him beforehand. “He is praying,” he says; so do not be afraid. And why does he not tell him of the good deed that had been done? Teaching us not to tell of our own good deeds; … and seeing him afraid. Not even so did he say, “You will not be disbelieved,” but what? “Rise and go.” For he has seen in a vision a man laying hands on him. “In a vision” for this reason, since he was blind. And not even the greatness of the wonder won the disciple over, so afraid was he. Nevertheless God made Paul, who was blind, see again by his means. “But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for this man is a chosen vessel of mine, to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.’” Not only will he be a believer, he says, but also a teacher, and he will use great boldness: “before Gentiles and kings.” So far will his teaching advance, he says, as to prevail over Gentiles and all kings. “And Ananias went away and entered the house, and laying his hands on him he said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord has sent me (Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came), so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’” At once he makes him his own by the name. “Jesus,” he says, “who appeared to you on the road.” And yet Christ did not tell him this; he learned it from the Spirit. “And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight at once, and he rose and was baptized. And taking food, he was strengthened.” He only laid his hands on him, and immediately the scales fell from his eyes. Some say that these were the cause of his blindness. And why did he not maim his eyes? This was more extraordinary; for though they were open, he did not see; which is what he suffered in regard to the law, until the name of Jesus was laid upon him. “And immediately,” it says, “he was baptized.” … he was [weak] from the journey, from the fear, from the hunger and despondency. Wishing then to deepen his despondency, he let him remain blind until Ananias came. And so that he might not think the blindness an illusion, for this reason there were the scales. So he needed no other teaching, but what happened to him became his teaching. “And he was with the disciples in Damascus for some days. And immediately in the synagogues he proclaimed Christ, that this is the Son of God.” See: at once he was a teacher in the synagogues. He was not ashamed of the change; he did not fear to overthrow the very things in which he had formerly been illustrious. He was not simply a teacher, but even in the synagogues. So, from the very outset, the man had been breathing death and ready for murders. Do you see what a clear sign took place in him? By this very thing he amazed everyone. That is why, to make this plain, he adds, saying: “And all who heard were amazed, and said, ‘Is not this … this name, and has he not come here for this very purpose, to bring them bound to the chief priests?’ … confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.” Being learned in the law, he silenced them and did not let them speak. They thought they had been rid of disputes of this kind when they were rid of Stephen, and … Stephen. [2] But let us look from the beginning at what concerns Ananias. The Lord did not say to him, “Discourse with him and instruct him.” For if by saying that he is praying, and that he has seen a man laying hands on him, he did not persuade him, much less would he have done so if he had said this. “He has seen,” he says, “in a vision,” so that he will not distrust you either; do not be afraid, then, but go. So too Philip then does not hear everything at once. “For this man is a chosen vessel of mine.” This is the word of one removing fear more than enough and persuading him to take courage, if indeed he was to be so minded on Christ's behalf as even to suffer much. Having said “vessel”, to show that his wickedness was not part of his nature, he added “chosen”, to make clear that he is also approved; for we choose what is approved. Let no one, hearing these things, think that Ananias says this because he disbelieves what was said, or thinks that Christ has been deceived. God forbid! But in fear and trembling he did not even attend to what was said, once he heard the name of Paul; so thoroughly had fear of his name seized his soul beforehand; and yet, hearing that the Lord had blinded him, he ought to have taken courage. “And here he has come for this very purpose,” he says, “to bind all who call on your name.” As if he said, “I am afraid lest he take me off to Jerusalem. Why do you throw me into the lion's mouth? Why do you betray me?” He is afraid and says these things, so that we may learn the virtue of Paul from every side. For that the Jews should say these things is nothing wonderful; but that … in the synagogues, and immediately, from the very outset; … and when he was so feared, this is shown to be the greatest proof of the power of God. “Brother Saul.” Here the fear becomes great, and the obedience after the fear greater. Then, since he said “vessel”, lest you say that the whole was God's doing, he leads you away from this and adds what follows, saying, “to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel.” Ananias heard what he greatly desired, that Paul would also stand against the Jews; that is why he is filled not only with joy but also with courage. “For I,” he says, “will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” These words are said both to foretell and to shame him: if that man, who raged so, will suffer everything, while he himself is not even willing to baptize him that he may see. “It is well as it is,” he says; “let him remain blind; that is why he is gentle now, because he is blind. Why do you bid me open his eyes? So that he may bind people again?” But do not fear what is to come; he will use the opening of his eyes not against us but for us. To “that he may regain his sight” let this too be added: Do not be afraid; he will do you no harm, but will even suffer much himself. And the wonderful thing is that he will suffer first, and then plunge into the dangers. “Brother Saul, Jesus who appeared to you on the road has sent me.” He did not say, “He who blinded you,” but “who appeared to you”; so well did he know how to be moderate, and he nowhere utters anything boastful. Just as Peter said in the case of the lame man, “Why do you look at us as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk?”, so this man too says, “Jesus who appeared to you.” He spoke these words with his hands laid on him, and a double blindness was undone. By saying, “Taking food he was strengthened,” he made clear that he was exhausted from despondency over his blindness, from fear, and from hunger. For he would not consent to take food before he had been baptized and had at once received the great gifts. And he does not say, “Jesus who was crucified, the Son of God, who works signs,” but what? “Who appeared to you,” speaking from what was known to him; since Christ too added nothing more, nor said, “I am the one who was crucified, the one who was raised,” but, “whom you are persecuting.” He did not say, “the one persecuted,” so as not to seem to exult and mock. “Who appeared to you,” he says, “on the road.” And yet he was not seen; he was seen through what happened. And wishing to soften the harshness of the word, he immediately added, “so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” I have not come to rebuke what happened, he says, but to give the gift. It seems to me that both this man and Cornelius received the Spirit as soon as these words were spoken; and yet the one who gave it was not one of the Twelve. So nothing in all that concerned him was human, nor was it done through a man; but God was present, doing these things. At the same time he also teaches him to be moderate, by not bringing him to the leading apostles, and he shows that nothing here is human. Yet he was not counted worthy of the Spirit that works signs, so that in this way too his faith might be shown; for he did not work wonders. “And immediately,” it says, “in the synagogues he proclaimed Christ, that this is the Son of God.” He did not proclaim that he had risen, nor that he lives; but what? He set out the doctrine very exactly: “that this is the Son of God.” But they, on hearing these things, now turn to unbelief, when they ought not only to believe but also to be astonished. And why ever do they not say simply that he was a persecutor, but that he “destroyed those who call on this name”? By this they show his great frenzy. And they did not say “Jesus”: out of envy they could not bear even to hear the name, so savage had they become. “And he has come here for this purpose.” We cannot say, he says, that he had been with the apostles before. [3] See by how many enemies it is acknowledged what Paul had been. But he not only was not ashamed of these things, but did not let them say anything, “proving that this is the Christ.” Teaching, it means; for he was a teacher at once. “When many days had passed, the Jews plotted to kill him.” Again the Jews resort to the strong syllogism. For they no longer bring slanderers and accusers and false witnesses; they no longer bother with these; but what? From now on they do it themselves, by their own hands. For since they saw the thing increasing, not even a court … they watched the gates day and night in order to kill him. Why? Because this was more unbearable to them than all the signs that had already happened, the five thousand, the three thousand, everything in short. And see him for the present saved not by grace but by human wisdom, so that you may learn the man's virtue, which shines even without signs. “But the disciples took him by night.” Fittingly, so that the matter might arouse no suspicion. What then? Having escaped such danger, does he stay quiet? Not at all; he goes where he would inflame them more. For that he had truly believed was still not credible to the many. That is why this happens after many days. What does this mean? It is likely that for the present he did not wish to leave there, though many perhaps urged him; but when he learned of the plot, then he entrusted himself to his disciples; for he had disciples at once. Hinting at this he said, “The ethnarch of King Aretas guarded the city of the Damascenes, wishing to seize me.” And see how the evangelist says nothing to win honor for Paul, nor shows him as illustrious, but only that they stirred up the king. They sent him off alone, and no one with him. And this too was expedient, so that he might appear before the apostles in Jerusalem. Or rather, they sent him off so that from then on he might look after his own safety; but he did the opposite, and at once leapt into the midst of the raging. This is to be on fire; this above all is to be fervent. And consider how he follows, keeping from the first day the command that the apostles heard: “If anyone does not take up his cross and follow me.” So his coming later than the others made him more eager. And in deed that saying was fulfilled: “He to whom more is forgiven will love more.” So the later he came, the more he loved. That is why, holding up his former life to public view and often branding himself, he thought nothing enough to cover his former deeds. “Proving,” it says; that is, teaching with gentleness. And see, they do not say to him, “You are the destroyer; why have you changed?” For they were ashamed; but they said it among themselves. He would have said, with much more justice, “This above all ought to teach you”; since he makes his defense in this way before Agrippa too. Let us imitate him, I urge you, and let us too stand ready against all dangers. “And how,” someone says, “does he flee?” The thing was not cowardice; he was preserving himself for the preaching. If he had been cowardly, he would not have come to Jerusalem, he would not at once have taken up teaching; he would have relaxed his vehemence. But he was not cowardly; he was also prudent. He had been taught by the suffering of Stephen. That is why he did not think it a great thing to die for the preaching unless he could do so with much gain, being a man who did not even wish to see Christ, whom he longed to see above all things, since his ministry to men had not yet been completed. Such ought the soul of a Christian to be.

From the very start, from the starting line itself, Paul's character was shown; or rather even before this. For in what he did not according to knowledge, he acted moved by human reasoning. For if after so long a time he did not wish to depart, much less at the beginning of his trading, just out of harbor. Christ does not snatch him out of the danger, but lets it be, since he wishes many things to come about by human prudence too. He lets it be for another reason too, so that we may learn that they also were men, and that grace did not do everything everywhere; since, if this were not so, they would have been thought mere logs. That is why they themselves also arranged many things by practical means. Let us do this too, and so strive for our brothers' salvation. It is no less than martyrdom to refuse no suffering for the salvation of the many. Nothing so gladdens God. Again I will say what I have often said; and I say it because I want it very much. For Christ too did the same, exhorting about forgiveness and saying, “When you pray, forgive, if you have anything against anyone.” Again, speaking with Peter, he says, “I do not say to you, forgive up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven”; and by his deeds he forgave the offenses against himself. So we too, since we know that this is the defining mark of Christianity, speak about it continually. Nothing is colder than a Christian who does not save others. You cannot plead poverty here; for the woman who put in the two mites will accuse you. And Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have.” And Paul was so poor that he often went hungry and lacked necessary food. You cannot plead low birth; for they too were obscure and of obscure parents. You cannot put forward lack of education; for they too were unlettered. Even if you are a slave, even a runaway, you can do your part; for Onesimus too was such a one. But see where Paul calls him, and to what dignity he brings him: “so that he may share with me,” he says, “in my bonds.” You cannot plead illness; for Timothy too was such, having frequent illnesses. That he was sickly, hear: “Use a little wine for your stomach and your frequent illnesses.” Each can benefit his neighbor, if he is willing to do his part. Do you not see the fruitless trees, how strong they are, how fine, tall, smooth and lofty? But if we had a garden, we would much rather have pomegranates and fruitful olives than these; for those are for delight, not for use, and their use is small. Such are those who look only to their own interests; or rather, not even such, for they are fit only for burning, while those trees are useful both for building and for the safety of those within. Such too were those virgins, chaste and seemly and self-controlled, but useful to no one; that is why they are burned. Such are those who did not feed Christ. For see, none of these is charged for his own sins, not that he committed sexual immorality, not that he perjured himself, nothing at all, but that he was not useful to another. Such was the one who buried the talent: he presented a blameless life, but was not useful to another. How is such a man a Christian? Tell me, if leaven mixed with flour does not change the whole into its own state, is such a thing leaven? What then, if perfume does not fill those who come near with its fragrance, would we call it perfume? Do not say, “It is impossible for me to bring others in”; for if you are a Christian, it is impossible for this not to happen. For just as the things of nature cannot be gainsaid, so too these; for the thing lies in the very nature of a Christian. Do not insult God. If you say that the sun cannot shine, you have insulted it; if you say that a Christian cannot benefit others, you have insulted God and called him a liar. For it is easier for the sun not to warm or shine than for a Christian not to give light; easier for light to be darkness than for this to happen. Do not say, then, that it is impossible; for it is the opposite that is impossible. Do not insult God. If we order our own lives well, those things will certainly follow, and follow like something natural. The light of a Christian cannot escape notice; so bright a lamp cannot be hidden. Let us not be negligent, then. For just as from virtue the gain passes both to us and to those who are benefited, so again from vice the loss is double, passing both to us and to those who are harmed. Suppose, if you like, an ordinary man who has suffered countless evils from someone, and let him not avenge himself on him, but even do him good: how much stronger is this than teaching? Than how many words, how many exhortations? What anger is it not enough to quench and soften? Knowing these things, then, let us hold fast to virtue, since it is not possible to be saved otherwise than by spending the present life with these good deeds, so that we may also attain the good things to come, by the grace and love for humankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father together with the Holy Spirit be glory, might, honor, now and always and to the ages of ages.