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MATT. XXVI. 51--54.
And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched forth his
hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's,
and smote off his ear." Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy
sword unto his place, for all they that take the sword, shall perish
by the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot pray to the Father, and
He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? How
then should the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be?" Who
was this "one," who cut off the ear? John saith that it was
Peter. For the act was of his fervor. But this other point is worth
inquiry, wherefore they were bearing swords? For that they bore them
is evident not hence only, but from their saying when asked, "here
are two." But wherefore did Christ even permit them to have swords?
For Luke affirms this too, that He said unto them, "When I sent
you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye anything?" And
when they said, "Nothing," He said unto them, "But now, he
that hath a purse, let him take it, and a scrip, and he that hath no
sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one." And when they said,
"Here are two swords," He said unto them, "It is enough."
Wherefore then did He suffer them to have them? To assure them that
He was to be betrayed. Therefore He saith unto them, "Let him buy
a sword," not that they should arm themselves, far from it; but by
this, indicating His being betrayed.
And wherefore doth He mention a scrip also? He was teaching them
henceforth to be sober, and wakeful, and to use much diligence on
their own part. For at the beginning He cherished them (as being
inexperienced) with much putting forth of His power but afterwards
bringing them forth as young birds out of the nest, He commands them
to use their own wings. Then, that they might not suppose that it was
for weakness He is letting them alone, in commanding them also to work
their part, He reminds them of the former things, saying, "When I
sent you without purse, lacked ye anything?" that by both they might
learn His power, both wherein He protected them, and wherein He now
leaveth them to themselves by degrees.
But whence were the swords there? They were come forth from the
supper, and from the table. It was likely also there should be swords
because of the lamb, and that the disciples, hearing that certain were
coming forth against Him, took them for defense, as meaning to fight
in behalf of their Master, which was of their thought only.
Wherefore also Peter is rebuked for using it, and with a severe
threat. For he was resisting the servant who came, warmly indeed,
yet not defending himself, but doing this in behalf of his Master.
Christ however suffered not any harm to ensue. For He healed him,
and showed forth a great miracle, enough to indicate at once both His
forbearance and His power, and the affection and meekness of His
disciple. For then he acted from affection, now with dutifulness.
For when he heard, "Put up thy sword into its sheath," he obeyed
straightway, and afterwards nowhere doeth this.
But another saith, that they moreover asked, "Shall we smite?"
but that He forbade it, and healed the man, and rebuked His
disciple, and threatened, that He might move him to obedience.
"For all they that take the sword," He said, "shall die with the
sword."
And he adds a reason, saying, "Think ye that I cannot pray to my
Father, and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of
angels? But that the Scriptures might be fulfilled." By these
words He quenched their anger, indicating that to the Scriptures
also, this seemed good. Wherefore there too He prayed, that they
might take meekly what befell Him, when they had learnt that this
again is done according to God's will.
And by these two things, He comforted them, both by the punishment
of them that are plotting against Him, "For all they," He saith,
"that take the sword shall perish with the sword;" and by His not
undergoing these things against His will, "For I can pray, He
saith, "to my Father."
And wherefore did He not say, "Think ye that I cannot destroy them
all?" Because He was more likely to be believed in saying what He
did say; for not yet had they the right belief concerning Him. And a
little while before He had said, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful
even unto death," and, "Father, let the cup pass from me;"and
He had appeared in an agony and sweating, and strengthened by an
angel.
Since then He had shown forth many tokens of human nature, He did
not seem likely to speak so as to be believed, if He had said,
"Think ye that I cannot destroy them." Therefore He saith,
"What, think ye that I cannot pray to my Father?" And again He
speaks it humbly, in saying, "He will presently give me twelve
legions of angels." For if one angel slew one hundred and
eighty-five armed thousands,what need of twelve legions against a
thousand men? But He frames His language with a view to their terror
and weakness, for indeed they were dead with fear. Wherefore also He
brings against them the Scriptures, saying, "How then shall the
Scriptures be fulfilled?" alarming them by this also. For if this
be approved by the Scriptures, do ye oppose and fight against them?
2. And to His disciples He saith these things; but to the others,
"Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take
me? I sat daily teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me."
See how many things He doeth that might awaken them. He cast them to
the ground, He healed the servant's ear, He threatened them with
being slain; "For they shall perish with the sword," He saith,
"who take the sword." By the healing of the ear, He gave assurance
of these things also; from every quarter, both from the things
present, and from the things to come, manifesting His power, and
showing that it was not a work of their strength to seize Him.
Wherefore He also adds, "I was daily with you, and sat teaching,
and ye laid no hold on me;" by this also making it manifest, that the
seizure was of His permission. He passed over the miracles, and
mentions the teaching, that He might not seem to boast.
When I taught, ye laid no hold on me; when I held my peace, did ye
come against me? I was in the temple, and no one seized me, and now
do ye come upon me late and at midnight with swords and staves? What
need was there of these weapons against Him, who was with you always?
by these things teaching them, that unless He had voluntarily
yielded, not even then would they have succeeded o For neither could
they (who were not able to hold Him when in their hands, and who,
when they had got Him in the midst of them, had not prevailed) even
then have succeeded, unless He had been willing.
After this, He solves also the difficulty why He willed it then.
For, "this was done," He saith, "that the Scriptures of the
prophets might be fulfilled."See how even up to the last hour, and
in the very act of being betrayed, He did all things for their
amendment, healing, prophesying, threatening. "For," He saith,
"they shall perish by the sword." To show that He is suffering
voluntarily, He saith, "I was daily with you teaching;" to
manifest His accordance with the Father, He adds, "That the
Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."
But wherefore did they not lay hold on Him in the temple? Because
they would not have dared in the temple, on account of the people.
Wherefore also He went forth without, both by the place and by the
time giving them security, and even to the last hour taking away their
excuse. For He who, in order that He might obey the prophets, gave
up even Himself, how did He teach things contrary to them?
"Then all His disciples," it is said, "forsook Him, and
fled." For when He was seized, they remained; but when He had
said these things to the multitudes, they fled. For thenceforth they
saw that escape was no longer possible, when He was giving Himself up
to them voluntarily, and saying, that this was done according to the
Scriptures.
And when these were fled, "they lead Him away to Caiaphas; but
Peter followed, and entered in to see what the end should be."
Great was the fervor of the disciple; neither did he fly when he saw
them flying, but stood his ground, and went in with Him. And if
John did so too, yet he was "known to the high priest."
And why did they lead Him away there where they were all assembled?
That they might do all things with consent of the chief priests. For
he was then high priest, and all were waiting for Christ there, to
such a degree did they spend the whole night, and give up their sleep
for this object. For neither did they then eat the passover, but
watched for this other purpose. For John, when he had said that "it
was early," added, "they entered into the judgment hall, lest they
should be defiled, but that they might eat the passover."
What must we say then? That they ate it on another day, and broke
the law, on account of their eager desire about this murder. For
Christ would not have transgressed as to the time of the passover, but
they who were daring all things, and trampling under foot a thousand
laws. For since they were exceedingly boiling with rage, and having
often attempted to seize Him, had not been able; having then taken
Him unexpectedly, they chose even to pass by the passover, for the
sake of satiating their murderous lust.
Wherefore also they were all assembled together, and it was a council
of pestilent men,and they ask some questions, wishing to invest this
plot with the appearance of a court of justice. For "neither did
their testimonies agree together;"so reigned was the court of
justice, and all things full of confusion and disorder.
"But false witnesses came, and said, This fellow said, I will
destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it."And indeed
He had said, "In three days," but He said not, "I will
destroy," but, "Destroy," and not about that temple but about
His own body.
What then doth. the high priest? Willing to press Him to a
defense, that by that he might take Him, he saith, "Hearest Thou
not what these witness against Thee? But He held His peace."
For the attempts at defense were unprofitable, no man hearing. For
this was a show only of a court of justice, but in truth an onset of
robbers, assailing Him without cause, as in a cave, or on a road.
Wherefore "He held His peace," but the other continued, saying,
"I adjure Thee by the living God, that Thou tell us whether Thou
be the Christ, the Son of the living God. But He said, Thou
hast said. Nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the
Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming in the
clouds. Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath
spoken blasphemy."And this he did to add force to the accusation,
and to aggravate what He said, by the act. For since what had been
said moved the hearers to fear, what they did about Stephen,stopping
their ears, this high priest doth here also.
3. And yet what kind of blasphemy was this? For indeed before He
had said, when they were gathered together, "The Lord said unto my
Lord. Sit Thou on my right hand,"and interpreted the saying, and
they dared say nothing, but held their peace, and from that time forth
gainsaid Him no more. Why then did they now call the saying a
blasphemy? And wherefore also did Christ thus answer them? To take
away all their excuse, because unto the last day He taught that He
was Christ, and that He sitteth at the right hand of the Father,
and that He will come again to judge the world, which was the language
of one manifesting His full accordance with the Father.
Having rent therefore his clothes, he saith, "What think ye?" He
gives not the sentence from himself, but invites it from them, as in a
case of confessed sins, and manifest blasphemy. For, inasmuch as
they knew that if the thing came to be inquired into, and carefully
decided, it would free Him from all blame, they condemn Him amongst
themselves, and anticipate the hearers by saying, "Ye have heard the
blasphemy;" all but necessitating and forcing them to deliver the
sentence. What then say they? "He is guilty of death;" that
having taken Him as condemned, they should thus work upon Pilate
thereupon to pass sentence. In which matter those others also being
accomplices say, "He is guilty of death;" themselves accusing,
themselves judging, themselves passing sentence, themselves being
everything then.
But wherefore did they not bring forward the Sabbaths? Because He
had often stopped their mouths; and moreover they wanted to take Him,
and condemn Him by the things then said. And the high priest
anticipated them, and gave the sentence as from them, and drew them
all on by rending his vestments, and having led Him away as now
condemned unto Pilate, thus did all.
Before Pilate at any rate they said nothing of this kind, but what?
"Ifthis Man were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered Him
up unto thee;" attempting to put Him to death by political
accusations. And wherefore did they not slay Him secretly? They
were desirous also to bring up an evil report against His fame. For
since many had now heard Him, and were admiring Him, and amazed at
Him, therefore they endeavored that He should be put to death
publicly, and in the presence of all.
But Christ hindered it not, but made full use of their wickedness for
the establishment of the truth, so that His death should be manifest.
And the result was the contrary to what they wished. For they wished
to make a show of it, as in this way disgracing Him, but He even by
these very things shone forth the more. And much as they said, "Let
us put Him to death, lest the Romans come and take away our place and
nation;"and after they had put Him to death, this came to pass; so
also here; their object was to crucify Him publicly, that they might
injure His fame, and the contrary result took place.
For in proof that indeed they had power to have put Him to death,
even amongst themselves, hear what Pilate saith: "Take ye Him,
and judge Him according to your law."But they would not, that He
might seem to have been put to death as a transgressor, as an usurper,
as a mover of sedition. Therefore also they crucified thieves with
Him; therefore also they said, "Write not that this man is King of
the Jews; but that He said it."
But all these things are done for the truth, so that they might not
have so much as any shadow of a defense that is surely shameless. And
at the sepulchre too, in the like manner, the seals and the watches
made the truth to be the more conspicuous; and the mockings, and the
jeerings, and the revilings, wrought again this self-same effect.
For such is the nature of error: it is destroyed by those things
whereby it plots; thus at least it fell out even here, for they that
seemed to have conquered, these most of all were put to shame, and
defeated, and ruined; but He that seemed to be defeated, this man
above all hath both shone forth, and conquered mightily.
Let us not then everywhere seek victory, nor everywhere shun defeat.
There is an occasion when victory brings hurt, but defeat profit.
For, for instance, in the case of them that are angry; he that hath
been very outrageous seems to have prevailed; but this man above all is
the one subdued and hurt by the most grievous passion; but he that hath
endured nobly, this man hath got the better and conquered. And while
the one hath not had strength to overcome so much as his own disease;
the other hath removed another man's; this hath been subdued by his
own, that hath got the better even of another's passion; and so far
from being burnt up, he quenched the flame of another when raised to a
height. But if he had minded to gain what seems to be victory, both
he himself would have been overcome; and having inflamed the other, he
would have occasioned him to have suffered this more grievously; and,
like women, both the one and the other would have been disgracefully
and miserably overthrown by their anger. But now he that hath
exercised self-control is both freed from this disgrace, and hath
erected a glorious trophy over anger both in himself and in his
neighbor, through his honorable defeat.
4. Let us not then everywhere seek victory. For he that hath
overreached hath conquered the person wronged, but with an evil
victory, and one that brings destruction to him that has won it; but
he that is wronged, and seems to have been conquered, if he have borne
it with self-command, this above all is the one that hath the crown.
For often to be defeated is better, and this is the best mode of
victory. For whether one overreaches, or smites, or envies, he that
is defeated, and enters not into the conflict, this is he who hath the
victory.
And why do I speak of overreaching and envy? For he also that is
dragged to martyrdom, thus conquers by being bound, and beaten, and
maimed, and slain. And what is in wars defeat, namely, for the
combatant to fall; this with us is victory. For nowhere do we
overcome by doing wrongfully, but everywhere by suffering wrongfully.
Thus also cloth the victory become more glorious, when we sufferers
get the better of the doers. Hereby it is shown that the victory is of
God. For indeed it hath an opposite nature to outward conquest.
which fact is again above all an infallible sign of strength. Thus
also the rocks in the sea, by being struck, break the waves; thus
also all the saints were proclaimed, and crowned, and set up their
glorious trophies, winning this tranquil victory. "For stir not
thyself," He saith, "neither weary thyself. God hath given thee
this might, to conquer not by conflict, but by endurance alone. Do
not oppose thyself also as he does, and thou hast conquered; conflict
not, and thou hast gained the crown.Why dost thou disgrace thyself?
Allow him not to say that by conflicting thou hast got the better, but
suffer him to be amazed and to marvel at thy invincible power; and to
say to all, that even without entering into conflict thou hast
conquered."
Thus also the blessed Joseph obtained a good report, everywhere by
suffering wrong getting the better of them who were doing it. For his
brethren and the Egyptian woman were amongst those that were plotting
against him, but over all did this man prevail. For tell me not of
the prison, wherein this man dwelt, nor of the kings' courts where
she abode, but show me who it is that is conquered, who it is that is
defeated, who that is in despondency, who that is in pleasure. For
she, so far from being able to prevail over the righteous man, could
not master so much as her own passion; but this man prevailed both over
her and over that grievous disease. But if thou wilt, hear her very
words, and thou shalt see the trophy. "Thou broughtest in unto us
here an Hebrew servant to mock us."It was not this man that mocked
thee, O wretched and unhappy woman, but the devil that told thee that
thou couldest break down the adamant. This thy husband brought not in
unto thee an Hebrew servant to plot against thee, but the wicked
spirit brought in that unclean lasciviousness; he it was that mocked
thee.
What then did Joseph? He held his peace, and thus is condemned,
even as Christ is also.
For all those things are types of these. And he indeed was in bonds,
and she in royal courts. Yet what is this? For he was more glorious
than any crowned victor, even while continuing in his bonds, but she
was in a more wretched condition than any prisoner, while abiding in
royal chambers.
But not hence alone may one see the victory, and the defeat, but by
the end itself. For which accomplished his desired object? The
prisoner, not the high born lady? For he strove to keep his
chastity, but she to destroy it. Which then accomplished what he
desired? he who suffered wrong, or she who did the wrong. It is
quite plain, that it is he who suffered. Surely then this is the one
who hath conquered.
Knowing then these things, let us follow after this victory, which is
obtained by suffering wrong, let us flee from that which is got by
doing wrong. For so shall we both live this present life in all
tranquility, and great quietness, and shall attain unto the good
things to come, by the grace and love towards man of our Lord Jesus
Christ, to whom be glory and might world without end. Amen.
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