Such is the difference between the power of the servant (angel) and the authority of the Lord. He healed one, and this one the whole world; the one is one a year, and this one is daily, if thousands enter the font, he makes everyone well; this one healed through the descent and disturbance of the waters, but this one did not, but it is enough to pronounce His name alone over the water to impart to it all the healing power; the one healed bodily injuries, but this one heals the infirmities of the soul. Do you see how in everything there is a great and boundless difference between them?

2. So there lay a multitude of sick people, waiting for the water to move; because this place was a spiritual hospital. As in the asylum one can see a multitude of people with a gouged out eye, and with an injured leg, and with a disease in another limb, sitting together and waiting for a doctor; so in this place one could see a multitude of people gathered. In those narthex "there was a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years. And when Jesus saw him lying down, and knew that he had been lying there for a long time, he said to him, Wilt thou be made well? The sick man answered Him, "Yes, Lord; but I have no man to lower me into the pool when the waters are troubled; but when I come, another already descends before me" (John 5:5-7). Why did Jesus, having passed over all the others, come to him? In order to show both His strength and love for mankind: strength, because the illness had already become incurable and the weakening of the sick was hopeless; love for mankind, because the Providence and Lover of mankind, above all others, looked upon the one who was especially worthy of mercy and beneficence. Let us not take this passage lightly, nor the number of thirty-eight years during which the sick man was paralyzed. Let all who struggle with constant poverty, or spend their lives in sickness, or are in straitened living circumstances, or have been subjected to the storm and whirlwind of unexpected calamities, hear. This paralytic is presented as a common harbor of human misfortunes. No one can be so faint-hearted, so pitiful and unhappy, that, looking at him, he will not endure everything that happens courageously and with all cheerfulness. If he had suffered for twenty years, or ten, or only five, would not they have been enough to crush the strength of his soul? And he remained in this position for thirty-eight years, and did not lose heart, but showed great patience. Perhaps it seems surprising to you because of the length of time; but when you listen to his own words, then you will especially see all his wisdom and patience. Jesus came and said to him, "Do you want to be well?" Who did not know that the paralytic wanted to be healthy? Why does He ask? Of course, not through ignorance: for Him Who knows the secret thoughts of men, how much more was known what was manifest and obvious to all. Why did He ask? As to the centurion He said: "I will come and heal him" (Matt. 8:7), not because He did not know his answer beforehand, but because, foreseeing and knowing the answer very accurately, He wished to provide this centurion with an occasion and an opportunity to reveal to everyone his piety hidden in the shadows, and to say: "Lord! I am not worthy that Thou should come under my roof," so the Lord asks this paralytic, about whom he knew that he would answer, whether he wanted to be healed, not because He Himself did not know it, but in order to give the paralytic a reason and an opportunity to express his misfortune and become a teacher of patience. If He had healed this man in silence, we would have suffered an important loss, not knowing the firmness of his soul. Christ not only arranges the present, but also vouchsafes great care for the future. He discovered in the sick a teacher of patience and courage for all living in the universe, putting him in the need to answer the question: "Do you want to be healthy?" What is it? I was not grieved, I was not indignant, I did not say to the questioner: "You see me paralyzed, you know the age of my illness, and you ask me if I want to be healthy, have you not come to laugh at my misfortunes and joke about the misfortunes of others?" You know how faint-hearted the sick can be if they lie in bed even for one year, and whoever has been sick for thirty-eight years, was it not natural for him to lose all wisdom, which had been exhausted for so long a time? However, the paralytic did not say or think anything of the kind, but gave an answer with great modesty and said: "Yes, Lord; but I have no man to lower me into the pool." See how many misfortunes have joined together and vexed this man: sickness, poverty, and the lack of helpers. "And when I come, another one descends before me." The ego is the most deplorable of all, and could touch the stone itself. It seems to me that I see this man crawling every year, and crawling to the entrance of the font, every year he stops at the very end of a good hope; And this is all the more difficult because he experienced it not for two years, not three, not for ten, but for thirty-eight years. He made every effort, but did not receive fruit; the feat was performed, and the reward for the feat went to another, in the course of so many years; and, what is even more difficult, he saw others being healed. You know, of course, that we feel our own calamities more strongly when we see that others, having fallen into the same calamities, have been freed from them. A poor person feels his poverty especially when he sees another rich; And the sick person suffers more when he sees that many of the sick have been delivered from their illness, and he has no good hope. In the midst of the well-being of others, we see our own misfortunes more clearly; It was the same with the paralytic. However, he had struggled for so long with illness, poverty, and loneliness, seeing that others were healed, and he himself, although he always tried, could never achieve, and, not hoping to be freed from his torment later, he did not retreat, but flowed in every year. And we, if one day we ask God for something and do not receive what we ask for, immediately begin to grieve and fall into extreme carelessness, so that we cease to pray and lose our zeal. Is it possible both to praise the paralytic and to condemn our negligence? What justification and forgiveness can we have if he has endured thirty-eight years, and we despair so soon?

3. What then is Christ? Having shown that the paralytic is worthy of healing, and that He has justly approached him in preference to others, Christ says to him: "Arise, take up thy bed, and walk" (John 5:8). Do you see that thirty-eight years did not harm the paralytic in the least, since he patiently endured what happened to him? During this long time his soul, as if purified by misfortune in a furnace, became more wise, and he received healing with greater glory: he was healed not by an angel, but by the Lord of the angels himself. Why then did He command him to take up his bed? The first and foremost reason was that Christ wanted to free the Jews from keeping the law (of the Sabbath); for when the sun appeared, it was no longer necessary to hold on to the lamp; when the truth was revealed, it was not necessary to care about its image. Therefore, if Christ sometimes broke the Sabbath, he performed the greatest sign on that day, in order to amaze the spectators with the greatness of the miracle, and little by little weaken and destroy the observance of inactivity. Secondly, Christ gave this command in order to stop the shameless lips of the Jews; since they maliciously distorted the meaning of Christ's miracles and tried to harm the glory of His works, He commanded that the bed be openly carried, as if it were a trophy and an indubitable proof of health, so that they would not say the same thing about the paralytic as they said about the blind man. And what did they say about the blind? Some said that it was he, others that it was not he, and still others that it was himself (John 9:9). Therefore, in order that they may not say the same about the paralytic, the accuser of their shamelessness is carried high on the bed. A third reason can be cited, no less than those indicated. In order that you might know that the healing was accomplished not by human art, but by Divine power, Christ commanded the healed man to carry his bed, presenting the greatest and clearest proof of true and perfect health, so that none of those blasphemers could say that the paralytic pretended to please Christ with a weak gait. For this reason Christ commands him to bear the burden on his shoulders. If his limbs had not been well strengthened and the compositions had not been corrected, he would not have been able to bear such a burden on his shoulders. In addition, by this he showed everyone that when Christ commands, then suddenly both the cessation of illness and the return of health are accomplished. Physicians, although they cure diseases, cannot suddenly restore the sick to health; And they still require a long time for the patient's strength to recover, so that the remnants of the disease are gradually erased and destroyed from the body. But Christ did not do so, but in an instant He both delivered from illness and restored health; there was no interval of time between the two, but as soon as the sacred words flew from His holy tongue, immediately the sickness left the body, the word became a deed, and the whole infirmity was completely healed. As some restless servant, seeing her master, immediately calms down and again accepts the proper decency; so also the bodily nature, which was then indignant like a servant girl and weakened, when it saw its Lord come, returned to its former decorum and to proper order. All this was done in one saying, because these were not simple words, but the words of God, of which it is said: "Mighty is the doer of His word" (Joel 2:11). If He created a man who did not exist, how much more could He correct the upset and paralyzed. Here I would gladly ask those who are investigating the essence of God how the limbs of the paralytic were united, how the bones were connected, how the disordered activity of the womb was strengthened, how the weakened nerves were again strained, how the weakened strength was restored and strengthened. But they couldn't answer that. Therefore, only marvel at the event, and do not investigate the way it was accomplished. When, in this way, the paralytic fulfilled the command and took up the bed, then the Jews, seeing him, said: "Today is the Sabbath; thou shalt not take up thy bed" on the Sabbath (John 5:10). It was necessary to bow down to the one who performed (the miracle), it was necessary to marvel at what was accomplished, but they speak of the Sabbath, truly driving away the gnat and devouring the camel. What about the paralytic? "He who healed me," he says, "said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk" (John 5:11). Do you see the gratitude of this man? He openly acknowledges the physician and says that the one who gave him this command is worthy of faith. Whatever reasoning the blind man gave them, so is this one. And how did the blind man reason? The Jews said to him, "This man is not of God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." What is he doing to this? "We know," he says, "that God heareth not sinners: but he hath opened my eyes" (John 9:16,30-31). The meaning of his words is as follows: if He had transgressed the law, He would have sinned; but if he had sinned, he would not have had such power, because where there is sin, there is no power, but He has shown power; therefore, having transgressed the law, He did not sin. Thus also the paralytic thinks; For His words, "Who healed me," mean, If He showed power, it would be unjust to accuse Him of iniquity. What about the Jews? "Who is the man who said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk" (John 5:12)? See how mad and insensible they are; See how their souls are filled with haughtiness! The eyes of haters do not look sensibly at anything, but only at what they would find a reason (for condemnation). In the same way, the Jews, when the healed man announced to them both of them, i.e. that the Lord had healed him and commanded him to take the bed, they did not mention the former, but said about the latter, they concealed the miracle, and exposed the violation of the Sabbath. They did not say, "Where is he who made you well?" But when they were silent about this, they said: "Who is the man who said to you, Take up your bed and walk? But he who was healed did not know who he was, for Jesus hid himself among the people who were in that place" (John 5:12-13). This is the greatest justification of this man; this is the proof of Christ's care! When you hear that the paralytic did not receive the Lord as the centurion did, and did not say: "Speak only the word, and my servant shall recover" (Matt. 8:8), then do not accuse him of unbelief, because he did not know Jesus; he did not know who He was; and how could he know him whom he had not seen before? Wherefore he said, I have no man to lower me into the pool; if he had known the Lord, he would not have mentioned the font and the descent into it, but would have asked to be healed as he had been healed; but he took Christ for one of many, for a simple man, and therefore he mentioned ordinary healing. The proof of Christ's care consists in the fact that He withdrew from the healed and did not reveal Himself to him. The Jews could no longer suspect that this was a false witness and that he spoke thus in the presence and under the inspiration of Christ; his ignorance and the absence of Christ removed such a suspicion, as the Evangelist also says: "He did not know who He was" (John 5:13).

4. For this reason He sends the healed man lonely, and leaves him to himself, so that the Jews, if they wished, may question him in private, investigate the event, and, having sufficiently ascertained the matter, cease their madness. He Himself says nothing, but presents them with proof by works, which always cry out more clearly and resonantly than any trumpet. In this way, no suspicion was aroused by the testimony: "He who healed me said to me, 'Take up your bed and walk.'" The paralytic becomes an evangelist, a teacher of the unbelievers, a physician and a preacher to their shame and condemnation - a preacher not by voice, but by deeds, not by words, but by events themselves; he presented clear and irrefutable proof, and showed on his own body what he was saying. "Then Jesus met him in the temple, and said to him, Behold, thou art healed; sin no more, lest something worse happen to you" (John 5:14). Do you see the wisdom of the Physician? Do you see His care? He not only delivered from the present disease, but also warns against the future; And very timely. When he was on his bed, Christ did not say anything to him, did not remind him of his sins, since the soul of the sick is irritable and sickly; and when He has banished sickness, when He has restored His health, when He has proved His power and care in deed, then He offers timely advice and exhortation, having already proved to be worthy of faith by His very deeds. Why then did the healed man go and announce Him to the Jews? He wanted them to accept the true doctrine. And for this they hated and persecuted Jesus, says the Evangelist. Now listen to me carefully, for here is the whole point of the matter. "And the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill him, because he had done these things on the Sabbath" (John 5:16). Let us see how He justifies Himself; for the manner in which he is justified shows us whether he is subject or free, servant or commanding. His action seemed to be the greatest iniquity; and he who once gathered wood on the Sabbath was stoned because he carried heavy loads on the Sabbath (Num. 15:32-36). Christ was accused of this great sin, namely, that He violated the Sabbath. Let us see, then, whether He asks forgiveness as a slave and a man under authority, or whether He appears as having authority and independence, as a Lord who stands above the law and Himself has given the commandments. How does He justify Himself? "My Father," he says, "worketh hitherto, and I work" (John 5:17). Do you see His authority? If He were inferior and less than the Father, then what He said would not serve to justify, but to greater accusation and the most grievous condemnation. If a man does that which is lawful only to him who is above him is lawful to do, and then, having been taken and judged, says, As the highest has done, so have I also done, not only does he not absolve himself from guilt by this method of justification, but exposes himself to greater rebuke and condemnation, because to take up that which is above his own dignity, is characterized by arrogance and pride. Therefore, if Christ were inferior to the Father, then what He said would serve not to justify, but to a greater accusation; but since He is equal to the Father, there is no fault in His words. If you like, I will explain what I have said with an example. Wearing a scarlet robe and having a diadem on his head is allowed only to the king, and no one else. Therefore, if any of the crowd appeared in such garments, and then, being brought to the judgment seat, said: Since the king is clothed in this garment, I also am clothed; then not only would he not have been delivered from the accusation, but in this way of justification he would have subjected himself to greater punishment and torment. Likewise, it is only the king's magnanimity that frees the meanest people from punishment and torment, for example, murderers, robbers, grave robbers, and other similar criminals. If, therefore, a judge were to release a condemned man without the king's permission, and being accused of it, were to say, "Since the king releases, I also let him go," he would not only not be spared punishment by this method of acquittal, but would arouse even greater anger against himself. And very fairly. It is not fair for the inferior, as if in intoxication, to appropriate to themselves the power of the higher and to justify it; for it is a great insult to those who have entrusted them with authority. Therefore the inferior will never be justified in this way: but the king and the one who is endowed with the same dignity with him will boldly say this; for where there is the same degree of authority, there can be the same authority in justice. And if any one thus finds himself justifying himself, he must necessarily have the same authority as the one whose authority he ascribes to himself. Thus, if Christ also justified Himself in this way before the Jews, He undoubtedly showed us that He has the same dignity as the Father. Let us apply, if you will, the examples given to the words of Christ and to the work that He did. Let the authoritative violation of the Sabbath be the same as the scarlet robe and the diadem and the absolution of the guilty. The latter is permissible only to the king, and to none of the subjects; but if anyone is found to be doing the same thing, and doing it justly, then surely he is also a king. So it is here: if Christ is found to do this with authority, and then, being accused, refers to the Father, and says, "My Father does it hitherto," then surely He is equal to Him who does it with authority; for if I were not equal to Him, I would not have used this method of justification. And in order that you may understand what has been said more clearly, remember that His disciples also broke the Sabbath at one time, plucking ears of corn and eating them on the Sabbath (Matt. 12:1); now He Himself has broken it; the Jews accused them, and they accused Him also. Let us see how He justifies them as Himself, so that from the difference between the one and the other you may understand the superiority of His justification. How did He justify His disciples? "Have you not read what David did when he hungered" (Matt. 12:3)? In justifying the slaves, He refers to the servant David who is like them, and in justifying Himself, He raises a speech to the Father: "My Father works, and I work." But perhaps someone will say: what activity is He talking about, if after six days He "rested on the seventh day from all His works" (Gen. 2:2)? About daily providence, because God not only created creation, but also preserves His creation. Whether you point to angels, or archangels, or higher powers, and in general to everything visible and invisible, everything is under His providence, and if it were to become outside of His activity, it would disintegrate, collapse, and perish. Thus, Christ, wishing to show that He is a provident, and not an object of providence, a doer, and not an object of activity, said: "My Father works, and I work," wishing to show His equality with the Father.

5. Remember and observe this with all zeal, and combine wisdom in life with the righteousness of dogmas; Thus I have admonished you before, and now I exhort you, and I will not cease to exhort; and life and wisdom depend on nothing so much as on being here. As dry land, watered by no one, abounds in thorns and thistles, but cultivated by the hands of farmers blossoms, is beautiful, and bears much fruit; so the soul, watered by divine prophecies, blossoms, shines and bears abundant fruits of the spirit; but left in drought and neglect, and seldom receiving such irrigation, it becomes empty, overgrown with grass, and produces a multitude of thorns of sin. And where there are thorns, there are dragons, snakes, scorpions, and all the power of the devil. If you do not believe these words, then we will compare those who are absent and ourselves, and then you will see a great difference; or rather, let us look at ourselves, what we are like when we enjoy the divine teaching, and what we are like when we are deprived of this useful teaching for a long time. Let us not lose our usefulness. Staying here is the source of all blessings; Coming out of here, the husband seems more honorable to his wife, and the wife to her husband more dear, since it is not the beauty of the body that makes the wife acceptable, but the virtue of the soul, not rubbing and dyeing, not gold and precious clothes, but chastity, meekness, and the constant fear of God. This spiritual beauty develops nowhere more successfully than in this wondrous and divine place, where the apostles and prophets wash away, correct, erase the old age of sin, bring the flower of youth, destroy every stain, every "blemish," every "defilement" of our soul (Ephesians 5:27). Let us try, both husbands and women, to infuse ourselves with this beauty. Bodily beauty dries up and illness, and spoils the length of time, and extinguishes old age, and completely destroys the death that has come; On the contrary, the beauty of the soul cannot be destroyed by time, sickness, old age, death, or anything of the kind, but it always remains flourishing. Bodily beauty often arouses intemperance in those who look at it, and spiritual beauty disposes God Himself to love it, as the prophet says, addressing his speech to the church: "Hear, daughter, and see, and incline thy ear, and forget thy people and thy father's house. And the King will desire your beauty" (Psalm 44:11-12).

Amen.

REASONING

against Jews and Gentiles that Jesus Christ is the true God.

The full title of this work is as follows: "Against Jews and Gentiles, the proof that Christ is God, borrowed from the repeated predictions of the prophets about Him." In all likelihood, it was not pronounced from the church pulpit, but was appointed for reading, and was written when St. John was not yet in Constantinople (Rev. 9) and when he was preparing the Homilies exclusively against the Jews (Rev. 17). Thus, the place of writing of this discourse can be considered the city of Antioch, and the time of writing or promulgation - 386 or 387 A.D. X.

T

I will begin the contest with the pagans. If a pagan asks: How can it be seen that Christ is God? (this must be offered in the first place, since everything else follows this), I will not point to heaven or anything else of the kind to prove it. If I tell him that he created the heavens, the earth, and the sea, he will not accept it; if I say that He raised the dead, healed the blind, and cast out demons, he will not accept this; if I say that He has promised a kingdom and unspeakable blessings, if I speak of the resurrection, he will not only not accept, but will even laugh. How are we going to convince him, especially if he is a commoner? What else but that which is equally and unquestioningly recognized by me and by him, and of which he cannot doubt? If I say beforehand that Christ created the heavens and the other things of which I have spoken, he will not soon agree to believe. What is it that even a pagan recognizes as the work of Christ, and which he will never contradict? That Christ planted Christianity; and a Gentile will certainly not contradict the fact that Christ founded churches throughout the universe. From this we shall borrow the proof of His power, and show that He is God, and say that it is impossible for a common man in a short time to traverse so vast a world, and a land, and a sea, and to attract so many people to Christianity, and moreover, preoccupied with bad customs, or, rather, given over to such vices. However, Christ managed to free the human race from all this, not only the Romans, but also the Persians and barbarian tribes in general. He did this without using arms, without spending money, without leading an army, without stirring up wars, but in the beginning through eleven men, ignoble, humiliated, unlearned, simple, poor, half-naked, unarmed, without shoes.

And the pagans, of course, will not contradict the fact that Christ was crucified by the Jews and endured innumerable tortures from them, and that the preaching (of the Gospel) increases from day to day. It is especially surprising that it flourishes not only here, but also among the Persians, although even now it is persecuted by them. Already among the pagans there are many martyrs, and those who were fiercer than the wolves, after receiving the sermon, have become more humble than sheep and are already inquiring about immortality, resurrection and ineffable blessings.

2. Moreover, such beneficent actions appeared not only in the cities, but also in the desert, and in the villages, and in the villages, and on the islands, and in the wharves of ships; and not only the commoners and their leaders, but also those clothed with diadems themselves submitted to the Crucified One with full faith. And that all this did not happen by chance, but was foretold long before the fulfillment, I will try to prove in the present reasoning; or rather, in order that my words may not be subject to suspicion, it is necessary to open the books of the Jews who crucified Him, and to set forth the testimonies of Him contained in these Scriptures, which are still preserved by them, before the eyes of unbelievers. Thus, Jeremiah is the first to proclaim that God will become man without ceasing to be God: "This is our God, and no one else can compare with Him. He found all the ways of wisdom and gave it to His servant Jacob and His beloved Israel. After that He appeared on earth and spoke among men." (Baruch 3:36-38). Do you see how clearly he depicted everything in a few words, and that God, without ceasing to be God, became man, and dealt with people, and that He Himself founded the Old Testament? "He hath found," says the prophet, "all the ways of wisdom, and hath bestowed it upon his servant Jacob, and unto his beloved Israel." With these words he shows that the Lord, even before His appearance in the flesh, Himself governed everything, Himself did everything: He gave laws, provided for Himself, preserved, and did good. And another prophet, listen to how he says that the Lord will not only be made man, but will also be born of a Virgin: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, which means, God with us" (Isaiah 7:14; Matt. 1:23). Then, in order to show that the Lord will not only be visible, but truly man, he adds: "He will feed on milk and honey, until he understands to reject evil and choose good; for before this child understands to reject evil, and to choose good" (Isaiah 7:15-16). And that the Lord will not only be made man and be born of a virgin, but will also come from the house of David, listen to how Isaiah foretold long ago, though not in his own words, but figuratively, yet he foretells thus: "And there shall come forth a sprout from the root of Jesse, and a branch shall spring forth from his root; and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and godliness; and shall be filled with the fear of the Lord" (Isaiah 11:1-3). Jesse was David's father. From this it is evident that the Lord came from this tribe, and not only from this tribe, but from the house of Jesse, as the prophet predicted in the words: "A sprout shall come forth from the root of Jesse," meaning not just a rod, but Christ and His kingdom. And that he did not say this about the rod, he himself explained in the following words; For when he said, "A sprout shall come," he added, "And the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, shall rest upon him." No one, even the most foolish, will say that the grace of the Spirit descended on the tree, but it is obvious that it dwelt in that most pure Temple. Why did the prophet not say, "He will come," but says, "He will rest"? Because the Spirit, having descended (upon Christ), remained in Him and did not depart from Him, as the Evangelist John clearly said: "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and abiding upon Him" (John 1:32). The Evangelists did not keep silent about the mood of the Jews at His very birth. Matthew says: "When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him" (Matt. 2:3). And Isaiah, listen to how long ago he predicted about this: "They shall be given to be burned, to be food for the fire. For unto us a child is born, a Son is given unto us; the dominion is on His shoulders, and they shall call His name Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:5-6). That this cannot be said of the common man is evident even to people who are very inclined to verbiage; for from time immemorial no man was called a mighty God, and the prince of such a world as the prophet says: "To the increase of His dominion and peace there is no end" (Isaiah 9:7). Experience has indeed shown that the peace of Christ has spread over all the earth, over all the sea, over all the world, inhabited and uninhabited, over mountains, and caves, and hills, from the day on which He, before His ascension, said to His disciples: "My peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth I give unto you" (John 14:27). Why did Christ say so? Because the human world is easily disturbed and subject to many changes; but His peace is firm, unshakable, strong, permanent, immortal, infinite, although innumerable persecutions are everywhere raised up against it, and many intrigues are daily plotted. His all-powerful word suited Him with all this, along with everything else.

3. And not only that the Lord would become man, but also the very image of His coming was foretold by the prophets. He came, not sending thunder and lightning from above, not shaking the earth, not shaking the heavens, and not producing any terrible manifestations, but being born without noise and in obscurity, in a carpenter's house, poor and ignoble; about which, listen, how David did not keep silent: "It will come down," he says, "like rain on a mown meadow" (Psalm 71:6), expressing with these words silence and tranquility. And not only about this, but also about how mercifully and meekly He will deal with everyone, see how clearly another prophet speaks. Being subjected to insults, spitting, backbiting, dishonor, scourging, and finally death on the cross, Christ did not take revenge on those who did this, but generously and meekly endured everything: reproaches, intrigues, fury and insane fury of the people, and other attacks; The prophet expressed all this in the words: "He will not break a bruised reed, nor quench a smoking flax; he shall execute judgment in truth, and shall not faint, nor faint, until he establish judgment on earth, and in his law the isles shall trust" (Isaiah 42:3-4). And another prophet also designated the place where the Lord was to be born: "And you," he says, "Bethlehem-Ephrathah, are you small among the thousands of Judah? from thee shall come forth a Leader, Who shall shepherd My people Israel, and Whose origin is from the beginning, from everlasting days" (Micah 5:2; Matt. 2:6). He points both to the Divinity and to humanity (Christ); for with the words, "From the beginning, from eternal days," he depicts the pre-eternal existence of the Lord; and with the words, "There shall come forth a Leader who shall shepherd my people Israel," His birth according to the flesh. Note here another clear prediction. The prophet said not only that the Lord would be born, but that the place of His birth, previously ignoble and unimportant, would become glorious: "Are you small among the thousands of Judah?" Indeed, the entire universe now flocks to Bethlehem to see the place where the newborn Lord was laid, and flocks for nothing else, but only for this. Another prophet also foretold the time in which the Lord was to appear: "He will not depart," he said, "the scepter from Judah, and the lawgiver from her loins, until the Mediator comes, and to Him is the obedience of the nations. He binds his colt to the vine, and to the vine of the best vine the son of his donkey; he washes his garments in wine, and his garments in the blood of the grapes; [his] eyes are shining with wine, and white teeth with milk" (Gen. 49:10-12). Note the correspondence of this prediction with the event itself. The Lord did come when the Jewish rulers had already lost their autocracy and were subject to the sceptre of Rome; thus were fulfilled the words of the prophecy: "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the lawgiver from his loins, until the Mediator comes," which were spoken of Christ. At the same time as His birth, the first census of the people was made, when the Romans began to rule over the Jews and subjected them to the yoke of their power. Another thing is signified by the words: "And to Him is the obedience of the nations" - that the Lord, having come, drew all nations to Himself. Herod, persecuting the newborn Jesus, gave orders to kill the infants who were in that place. And the prophets did not keep silent about this, but long ago they predicted thus: "A voice is heard in Ramah, a cry and bitter weeping; Rachel weeps for her children, and will not be comforted for her children, for they are not" (Jeremiah 31:15; Matt. 2:18). Likewise, they predicted His return from Egypt in the words: "Out of Egypt I called My Son" (Hos. 11:1). It was also foretold that soon after His appearance in open places Christ would perform signs and teach. Listen to what Isaiah says: "The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, on the way by the sea, beyond the Jordan, the Galilee of the Gentiles, a people sitting in darkness saw a great light, and light shone for them that sat in the land and in the shadow of death" (Isaiah 9:1-2; Matt. 4:15-16); by this he points to the appearance and teaching of the Lord in those places, and to the confession made in people by His miracles. Further, the prophet depicts other miracles and says how He will heal the lame, heal the blind, make the dumb speak: "Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be opened. Then shall the lame man leap up like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing" (Isaiah 35:5-6). Such miracles never happened before the coming of Christ. Some signs, in particular, were also foretold by the prophets. For example, when Jesus entered the temple, the children, still fed on milk and unable to speak articulately, sang sacred songs to Him, exclaiming, "Hosanna in the highest, blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord" (Matt. XXI, 9). The prophet foretold this long ago in the words: "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast ordained praise for the sake of Thy enemies, that Thou mayest make silent the enemy and the avenger" (Psalm 8:3). Do you see how innocent children who do not have an articulate voice, contrary to their nature, glorify the Creator and proclaim the apostolic gospel?