A of Christ. But why do the unhappy ones not listen to the verse following this, written by the Apostle, so that they might learn that he is lesser than Christ? For he adds, saying, *Made like unto the Son of God*, just as we also were made in the image and likeness of Christ. But perhaps one of the listeners might ask and say: What then is it to be called "without father, without mother, without genealogy," concerning Melchizedek? To whom we shall reply, that the Jews have said that he was born of fornication, and for this reason he is not recorded in the genealogies by the Scripture. To whom we shall answer, "You have spoken wrongly; for we find others also born of fornication and recorded in the genealogies." Immediately Solomon, born of the wife of Uriah, was recorded in the genealogy, and Abimelech the son of Gideon, who was born of fornication, was recorded in the genealogy. For what reason then is Melchizedek not recorded in the genealogy? But since Melchizedek was a type of Christ, and bore the image of Christ. For this reason the Scripture passed over the father and the mother, and described him as without genealogy, so that in him, as in an image, we might behold Christ who is truly without father, without mother, and without genealogy. For Christ is without father on earth according to the flesh, and without mother in the heavens according to the Spirit, according to his divinity. Such too is he who has neither beginning of days nor end of life. For the Scripture did not record the genealogy of Melchizedek, but passed over both his birth and his passing, so that, as we said before, we might behold in him this true Melchizedek. For Melchizedek is interpreted as King of Righteousness, who is Christ, B having neither beginning of days nor end of life. For the Word of God had neither a beginning of days, nor did he ever cease or die; for Christ endures unto eternity. For the Melchizedekians argue against us, saying, "What then is that which the Father says to him, 'You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek'?" To whom we say that this Melchizedek was a just man, and truly bore the image of God in himself. Being moved, therefore, by a prophetic Spirit, and now perceiving the sacrifice about to be offered to God by Christ, he honored God with bread and wine, imitating the Christ who was to come. Since, then, the order of Aaron in the synagogue of the Jews offered sacrifice, not bread and wine, but calves and lambs, and glorified God with bloody sacrifices, God cries out to Jesus who was to be born of the Virgin Mary and says, "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek," not according to the order of Aaron, who worshipped with calves and lambs and bloody sacrifices, but, "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek," offering the sacrifice of the Gentiles in bread and wine unto the perpetual. But lest we seem, beloved, to be trifling by prolonging the discourse, we shall stop the discourse here and commend you to the fountain of the teachings of the Fathers, who shall both quench the thirst of your soul and make glad your hearts, filling them with the Holy Spirit, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory unto the ages of ages. Amen.
On the Mid-Pentecost
Wherever the Master is present as a fountain of life bodily, he pours forth many and various streams of philanthropy. He ascended into a mountain with the disciples, and puts forth the rewards of the beatitudes to those listening; he descended thence, and to those held by various diseases he bestowed the channels of healings; he came to the sheep-pool, and gave the paralytic the ability to walk; he entered into the house of Peter, and cooled his mother-in-law flaming with fever; he reached Bethany, and gave the drink of life to the four-day-dead Lazarus; he met the leper, and wiped away the scales of the affliction with the sponge of philanthropy; he came to the synagogue, and gave the withered member of the hand strength for active movement; he attended the wedding, and by a miracle poured out wine for the invited guests; and countless other things, which it is difficult to enumerate. He ascended also today into the temple, and put forth the rivers of his teaching to those listening. For you heard the evangelical lection, which the evangelist proclaimed to us loudly and in the middle of the feast, from a high pulpit, using the voice of the Levite like a certain trumpet. "Now, therefore," he says, "the feast being in the middle, Jesus went up into the temple, and C taught," the letter itself also full of philanthropy. For he did not say, of persecutions impending, or of grief present, or of despondency holding the disciples, and the instruction of other such things, about which the narrative of the Apostles constantly complained; but what does he say? "Now the feast being in the middle." Why the middle of the feast, tell me, John? Did Herod lay hands on him? Did the assembly of the Jews gather a wicked council, or was Judas again preparing for betrayal? "No," he says; "but what? Jesus went up into the temple, and taught." You have set before the Christ the things appropriate to Christ, you have attached to him the action suiting him. For it is the work of the Word to speak, and of the teacher to teach, and of Christ to put forth the messages of benefit to the needy. Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. O, the unsurpassable philanthropy! Where he was being stoned by degrees, there he enriched those stoning him with the teachings of his words. Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. Where the statutes of Moses were read, there he set before them the teachings of grace, not abolishing the law, but becoming the fulfiller of the law. For he himself also cried out in the Gospels, "I came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it"; and Paul, having the Master speaking through his mouth, says, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness." Now the feast being in the middle, Jesus went up into the temple, and taught, admonishing all of the place of prayer, there making his discourse of instruction as the Word, where also the assembly of those plotting wickedness was gathered. The priest according to the order of Melchizedek went up into the temple, and taught, with many listening, D but none of the Jews understanding. For the prophet says concerning them, having eyes they see not and ears they have not heard. Jesus went up into the temple, and taught, branding the madness of the God-fighters; he went up into the temple, so that, having spread the nets of the heavenly teaching, he might make a rational catch of humans; Jesus went up into the temple, he ascended, but the Jews descended from the faith. Now the feast being in the middle, Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. The Jews therefore wondered, saying: How does this man know letters, having not learned? They wondered, but they did not believe; they were amazed at the excess of wisdom, but they did not repent, being petrified by the keenness of their wickedness. They were watching the physician offering the medicines, and being sick they did not accept the therapy; they saw the saviour, and loved the captivity; having the meadow of good things in their midst, they were gathering thorns; the harbor being present, the wretched ones were shipwrecked; wisdom pouring forth divine teachings, they did not wish to wash away the filth of murders; Christ spreading the wings of philanthropy, the offspring of vipers did not endure to be sheltered. "For how often," he says in the Gospels, "have I wished to gather your children, as a hen her chicks; and you would not?" The Jews therefore wondered saying, "How does this man know letters, having not learned?" O, the absurdity of things! You are ignorant of the Law, O Jew, and you are ignorant of the instructions of the law? You say, "How does this man know letters, having not learned?" Tell me, O enemy of the truth, how the Word, having not learned letters, attached the proper names to the animals? You do not examine the slave, and you demand an account of the Master, saying, "How does this man know letters?" Jesus answered and said, "My teaching is not mine, but his that sent me, the Father." And when is God sent by changing location? And when does he who fills all things come where he is present? The discourse is to the Jews, the utterance is not to those who know how to learn [or, are learned]. "My teaching is not mine, but his that sent me, the Father," who granted also the witness from heaven upon you all.
testimony from heaven before you all, saying: *This is my beloved Son* (Matt. 3:17). Regarding me John cried out: *Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world* (John 1:29). For Christ is truly the Lamb, who today ascended into the temple; and John uttered the voice of truth concerning him. For since he was a voice, he praised the Word as was right; since he was a lamp, he displayed the sun’s rays; as a forerunner he indicated the coming one, as brightness he preached the dawn, as a soldier he proclaimed the King’s name. *Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.* The Lamb whom a lamb, the Virgin, conceived without seed and bore without any corruption; the manger took Him as green pasture, received Him as a child, washed Him, John baptized Him; Judas sold Him to the Jews, Pilate slaughtered Him, the tomb produced Him, and we have received you at the feast, and He received you all, those who have come from the transgression of Adam, clothing you in a cloak. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen.
ON THE SAMARITAN WOMAN. ON THE DAY OF MID-PENTECOST.
A Come then today, beloved, as divine grace grants, let us approach the evangelical treasures; for the desire to learn such things adorns the soul and extends earthly affection even unto heaven. For the desire to learn made that marvelous Samaritan woman a bearer of God from a water-carrier; for having found the treasure of teachings, she ran to it; or rather, she did not find it, but was found. For Christ did not ascend B so that He might be sought out by the cares of the needy, but He Himself was as if in labor to offer help to each one; with intent soul He was healing the paralyzed, sympathizing with those feverish, considering the calamity of the blind His own, bearing the care of the lepers, running to the aid of the demon-possessed, washing the filthy souls of all, a teacher of water-carriers. For then, tired from the journey, He was sitting by the well: *Jesus, it says, being tired from the journey, was sitting thus above the well.* C *And the hour was about the sixth* (John 4:6). An immense insatiability of kindness is shown; first, because being tired He was solicitously caring for the salvation of the Samaritan; second, because He was sitting, awaiting the salvation of the one approaching; third, because, intent on this matter, He was passing over the time for luncheon. *The hour was, it says, about the sixth.* For although He was God, that which appeared was surely involved in human affections: for He was growing weary, He was subject to sleep, He was vexed by hunger, because He had every affinity with us except sin. Yet in Him the eagerness D to confer salvation to men was overcoming the weariness of the body. But the one who needed the help of that weary One was delayed; nor was the latter, who had need of nothing, awaiting any the less willingly. He was burning with the midday heat; and observing the arrival of her who was to be saved. For He was sitting, it says, above the well; and He was not sitting reclined, awaiting prey, but desiring to confer salvation, He was ready to receive the Samaritan. But she was coming out of her house, with a slow, feminine, and relaxed step, carrying a water-jar, so that she might observe the fruits of the land, often halting her step. The tireless scout, whom she was not seeing before, that learned hunter, hiding His own benefit, appears as if needy: for, *Jesus says, it says, Woman, give me to drink.* He sows the voice, like a dove turning the grain: *Give me to drink.* He feigns thirst, He who had come to mix the cup of salvation for her; or rather, if someone might examine the voice more subtly, the thirst of the Lord was true: for He was thirsting for her salvation, and rightly was He crying out to her: *Give me to drink.* You have, He says, an occult fountain of probity within you; from the river let loose from there, give me a drink. But the woman was not grasping the riddles, and was attending only to the voice: *How do you, being a Jew, ask to drink from me, who am a Samaritan woman?* Because of the weariness of the journey, a doctrinal correction had already come to Christ; but since He had once decided to take up our things, what was happening had to be endured. Therefore He brings a rebuke to the Samaritan. For willingly He had lowered Himself according to dignity, so that He might raise the soul of the sinner from base sense. A certain common vileness of the sinner was detaining the Samaritan; she was stained by a meretricious life, she had admitted one lover after another, her nuptials were times of love, she was joined to paramours: always a widow and a new bride; or rather, neither purely a widow, nor purely a bride: for she had not been separated by death from the first, nor had she been joined to the following by legitimate nuptials. The Lord confirms this fact to her: *You have said well, That I have no husband: for you have had five husbands; and now whom you have, is not your husband* (John 4:17-18). This you have said truly. But there was a pearl submerged in mud; which such a merchant was not ignorant of: for He was displaying the rays of the soul in His words. *How do you, He says, being a Jew, ask to drink from me, who am a Samaritan woman?* How do you? In that, *You*, she is angry. How do you ask to drink from me? If indeed you feel the same as I do, I would assent to your petition, but if you desire Judaic things, do not seek a benefit from outsiders, do not demand a gift which you avoid. The Samaritan thinks that she is going to lead the Lord to the cult of the Samaritans on account of the necessity of thirst; but she did not know that she was tied by His words as if by chains; but she was being tied by her own response made to the Lord, or rather by the voices of the Lord addressing her: *If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, Give me to drink; you perhaps would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.* Who, it says, do you reproach my thirst, and call me a Jew not worthy of you; learn that you are far wide of the mark in your knowledge of me. You do not know my true generation, you do not know how great is the desire in me to bring forth goods, you do not know from how great a fountain the rivers flow from me: for if you knew, perhaps you would have asked; now indeed I do not rebuke the ignorant, I give to the one asking. He excites the non-thirsty to thirst; He leads the one giving drink to the necessity of drinking. Therefore the woman was wounded by the words, and taken by the desire for the water. For falling down before the Lord, she was saying, *Lord, give me this water, so that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.* She who before was being asked to give drink, now asks that drink be given to her: for well-born souls are easily instructed: such was the soul of this blessed Samaritan; such are the customs cleansed from the thorns of incredulity, and not detained by Judaic jealousy. For she who was awaiting the Messiah, having obtained His divine doctrine, believed sincerely: and not only did she obtain the gift, but she also persuaded her fellow citizens that they should run to Him, preaching in an apostolic manner: *Come, see a man, who told me all things whatsoever I have done: is not he the Christ?* (Ibid. v. 29). O wise woman! She knew that a woman’s testimony would not be admissible: therefore she draws forth the men of her city as witnesses, so that she might be the cause of salvation for many. Therefore the evangelist says: *Then from that city many of the Samaritans believed in him because of the word of the woman testifying: That he told me all things whatsoever I have done. When therefore the Samaritans had come to him, they asked him to stay with them. And he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his speech: and they were saying to the woman, That now we do not believe because of your speech: for we ourselves have heard and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world, Christ* (Ibid. v. 39-42). You see, beloved, the thirst of Christ, and how He had as food and drink the salvation of those believing in Him. For, *My food is, He says, to do the will of Him who sent me, the Father, and to complete His work* (Ibid. v. 34). Therefore, being thirsty Himself, He gives the drink of water to the Samaritan: she indeed, drawing it abundantly, poured out the Lord's gift to her fellow citizens. By this, the nation of Abraham is shown to be more inept at learning than the Samaritan; for not even those things which were being taught in the temple were helping the Jews: to this one, however, to the well