Verse 74-75. And cry out the loops. And I will remember the word of Jesus, which was spoken to him, "That he shall not even proclaim the loops first, but deny Me three times..." Mark (14:68, 72) said that when Peter denied for the first time, then a rooster crowed; and when he denied for the third time, then the rooster crowed for the second time. He noted this to show that the first crowing of the rooster did not remind him of this. And Luke (22:61) writes that after the rooster crowed, the Lord, turning around, looked at Peter in order to remind him with this gaze. Fear took possession of him so much that he almost died; and not only the first, but also the second crowing of the rooster he still did not notice and needed the Savior's gaze for this. Notice the weakness that in a short time he denied three times and pronounced three renunciations one after the other, not deliberately interrogated, but casually questioned in passing.

Verse 75. And he went out, weeping bitterly. He went out, fearing lest they should seize him as a weeping man; and he did not cry in any way, but bitterly. Mark (14:72) said that he began to weep. John omitted it as told by others. If you have seen sin, look at repentance. For this reason both the sins and the repentance of the saints are recorded, so that we, having sinned, may imitate their repentance. Peter's fall was allowed not only for the reasons indicated, but also in order that he might learn to forgive sinners, knowing their weakness from his own — since he was to be made a pastor — so that, in performing great miracles, he would be humble-minded and, remembering his fall, ascribe everything to God; [in the same way, the Apostle Paul, by God's permission, struggled with temptations, so that he would not be exalted, as he himself said (2 Corinthians 12:7)], but mainly so that there would be a wonderful example of repentance for those who sinned. If the first of the disciples, who saw and performed such miracles, fell to the point of renunciation, but after he had realized his crime and repented, not only washed it away in a short time, but was made shepherd of the other disciples and performed many and great miracles, then no sinner need despair, but immediately repent, looking at the riches of the Lord's mercy. And here it should be noted that, according to Matthew (26, 59, 67, 69) and Mark (14, 55, 65, 66), first there was an interrogation before the high priest, then the mockery of Jesus Christ of the Jews, and after that the denial of Peter; and according to Luke (22, 56, 63, 66), first the denial of Peter, then the mockery, and after that, when the day had already come, the interrogation took place. They not only related what had happened, but also paid attention to the order of events; and Luke, having occupied himself only with the narration of what had happened, did not pay attention to the very order of events.

CHAPTER XXVII

Verses 1-2. And in the morning, all the bishops and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus, that they might kill Him: and they bound Him, and delivered Him up to the hegemon of Pontius Pilate. Mark (15:1) and Luke (23:1) said the same; and John (18:28) says: "And Jesus was led from Caiaphas to the praetor." And it was morning, and they did not enter into the praetor, that they should not be defiled, but that they should eat the Passover. All night long they led Him and tortured Him. But, what madness! thirsting for blood, betraying to death, they did not consider themselves defiled, but considered it a defilement to enter the praetorium — straining out a mosquito, they swallowed a camel.

Verses 3-4. Then, seeing Judas betraying Him, as having condemned Him, repented, returned the thirty pieces of silver to the bishop and the elder, saying: "Having betrayed the innocent blood of those who have sinned...", seeing that Jesus Christ was condemned to death by the Jews. He should have repented to the point of betrayal; But such is the devil: before committing a sin, he does not allow evil to be seen, so that repentance does not follow, and after committing it, he gives this opportunity to plunge a person into sorrow and despair. "Sinners," said Judas, "giving up the innocent Blood to be shed.

Verse 4. And they decide, What have we to eat? You will see. Saying, "Those who have sinned, having betrayed the innocent blood," Judas testified that Jesus Christ was dying innocently, and the Jews, saying, "What have we eat? thou hast seen, and they have agreed with his testimony; Thus the truth was witnessed by the enemies. But prompted by anger, they laid all the blame on Judas, and, intoxicated with passion, hastened to murder.

Verse 5. And he threw down the pieces of silver in the church, and went away: and he went and hanged himself. To confess one's sin before everyone and throw away the pieces of silver was a matter of repentance, but to hang oneself is a matter of despair. Judas recognized all the evil, repented and confessed it, but did not ask forgiveness from Him Who could grant it. The devil did not allow him to repent before Christ, against Whom he had sinned, but removed him even before he repented, since he could not endure the pangs of his conscience. He should have had recourse to the merciful Christ, but he resorts to death in order to be freed from a sad and desperate life as soon as possible. And he did not immediately receive what he so much desired: noticed by some, he was taken off the noose; then he lived for some time in a solitary place, and having fallen down, that is, having risen higher and falling on his face, he sat in two, and all his swollen intestines were poured out, as the Book of Acts says (1:18). Although it is written in the same passage that Judas acquired the land with unrighteous reward, it was not after an attempt to hang himself, as some think. Explaining this, Chrysostom says that the land acquired by unrighteous reward is the potter's land, because the thirty pieces of silver with which it was bought were for Judas a reward for the unrighteousness which he had shown to the Teacher: what can be more unrighteous than His betrayal? Let us also, lovers of money, remember how Judas committed a sin, and did not use money, but destroyed his soul.

Verse 6. And the archbishop received the silver, deciding: it is unworthy to put them in the corban, since there is a price for blood. Without shame, they admit that this is the price of blood, or the price for killing. It was a treasury where the gifts were placed. I believe that this is the so-called treasure storehouse (γαζοφυλακιον), because the Romans call γαζα wealth.

Verses 7-8. And having made a council, having bought with them the village of the poor, for a strange burial: by the same name the village was called a village of blood, to this day. It would have been much better for them to put the pieces of silver in the korvana, because the matter itself would not have been so universally revealed; but they, in order to denounce their abominable murder, bought a land, the name of which proclaims it louder than a trumpet. They constantly hold a meeting so that no one remains innocent. The Book of Acts (1:19) says that the land was called Akeldama, i.e., the land of blood. Therefore, this was the same land that the book of Acts speaks of.

Verses 9-10. Then shall be fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "And I have received thirty pieces of silver, the price of the Precious One, whose value I have received from the children of Israel, and I have given to the village of the poor, as the Lord hath spoken unto me." In the book of the prophet Jeremiah, which we now read, this is not written; it means that it was written in the lost one (Perhaps from the book that we are now reading, it was afterwards thrown out by the Jews maliciously, as happened with other sayings). Thus, the chief priests took the price of the priceless Christ, Whom they valued from the children of Israel, i.e. the Israelites. He also calls them high priests, when Judas said to them, "What wilt ye give, and I will deliver Him unto you?" and they offered him thirty pieces of silver (Matt. 26:15). He commanded me, that is, the Lord told me.

Verse 11. And Jesus stood before the hegemon... John (18:29-31) says that when they brought Jesus Christ to the praetorium, Pilate came out to them and said, "Bring this speech against this man; And he answered and said to him, "If this wicked man had not been, they would not have delivered him up to thee." And Pilate said unto them, Take Him, and judge Him according to your law... They handed Jesus Christ over to Pilate to kill him, not to investigate the case. But he could not allow Jesus Christ to be killed before the case was investigated, and therefore he wants to know what the guilt of Jesus Christ is; but they, not trusting in themselves, do not say guilt, but only answer: If this evildoer had not been, they would not have delivered Him up to you, because we never do anything unjust. Pilate, indignant that they want to kill Jesus Christ without investigation, leaves it to them to kill himself. Deceived in hope, they accuse Him against their will, as Luke writes (23:2), who says: "And when Nan began to see, he said, "By this he has found our tongue, and forbidding Caesar to give tribute, declaring Christ the King to be unto Himself." Pay attention to their cunning. Wishing to arouse Pilate's wrath against Jesus Christ and thus quickly take Him to be killed, they accuse Him of rebellion and usurpation of royal power; they do this also so that Pilate, being afraid of Caesar, even if he wanted to, could not release Jesus Christ from death.

Verse 11. And the hegemon asked him, saying, Are you the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou speakest. Thou hast spoken, thou hast spoken, etc., an irreproachable and humble agreement. John (18:33-37) also told about this in more detail: "Come Pilate to the praetor, and invite Jesus, and say to Him: Are you the King of the Jews? Jesus answered him, "Do you say this about yourself, or do you speak to you about Me? Pilate answered: I am a Jew; Thy generation and the bishop delivered Thee unto me: what hast Thou done; And Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have striven, that they might not have been delivered up by a Jew: but now my kingdom is not from here. And Pilate said unto him, Thou art a king; Jesus answered, "Thou sayest that I am the King." Hearing about the indignation and usurpation of royal power and being frightened, Pilate asked Jesus Christ in private, wanting to learn something secret from Him. But Jesus Christ, in turn, asked him: "Do you speak these things about yourself, or do you speak about Me?" not because he did not know, but in order to reproach them for not immediately appointing accusers and forcing them to produce proofs of their indignation and arrogation of royal power to Himself, in order to shame them still more. In his defense, Pilate says that he did not say this on his own behalf: "Am I a Jew to know Thy works? Thy fellow-countrymen, and the most honorable ones at that, have delivered Thee to me, and they themselves say so. Then He asks: What have You done that they accuse You of this? Finally, Jesus Christ destroys the suspicion that He has appropriated royal power, saying that His Kingdom is not of this world, and frees Pilate from fear. To confirm this thought, He adds the following consideration: the kingdom of this world is strong in its servants, and His kingdom, as the heavenly kingdom, is strong in its own power. By saying, "My kingdom is not of this world," Jesus Christ did not exclude the world from His dominion, but showed that His Kingdom, like the kingdoms of this world, does not need servants, is not subject to fear, and has no end. Then, going out, Pilate tried to free Jesus Christ. Luke (23:4-7) says that he said to the chief priests and the people, "I do not find guilt in this man." And they were strong, saying, as he corrupts men, teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee to here. And Pilate, hearing Galilee, asked, Is there a man of Galilee; And when Pilate heard from Jesus Christ that His kingdom was not of this world, and having learned that He had no power-hungry plans or signs of an earthly kingdom, and recognizing the accusation as unproven, Pilate declared Him innocent. Since the Jews could not provide evidence for the accusations made, they moved on to another accusation, saying that he corrupts, that is, he stirs up people by teaching. They affirm only what He teaches, but they do not say what He teaches, so that they may not be ridiculed... Herod, having done what Luke says, sent Jesus Christ back to Pilate, while the chief priests and scribes followed Him and shouted loudly against Him (Luke 23:11). Pilate, having called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, said to them, as Luke relates (23:13-16): "Bring me this man, as a destroyer of men: and behold, I have tormented before you, and I find not one in this man the guilt of Nan: but not Herod, for he sent to him, and behold, nothing was done about him worthy of death: having punished him, I will let him go. By punishment he here means a little scourging to calm and stop their anger, so that, considering Jesus Christ defeated, they would soften their rage that had gone out of bounds. But for all this, they were no less brutal, unswervingly striving for one goal, that is, to kill Jesus Christ as soon as possible; So they bark again.

Verse 12. And when Nan spoke to the bishop and the elders, he did not answer you. Because they were madly hungry to kill Him, and nothing could deter them, the Savior knew that any answer would have been in vain.

Verse 13. Then Pilate said to Him, "Do you not hear, they bear witness to the colic against Thee?" He says this, urging Jesus Christ to defend himself and be free, because He knew that He could easily refute their calumnies.