The Creator's Passion and the Guarded Tomb
Amphilochius continues his contrast between yesterday's cosmic upheaval at the crucifixion and today's hidden victory, now describing the paradox of the Creator suffering and the Jews' fearful guarding of the tomb.
Yesterday the earth was shaken and was deliberating about flight, threatening to split apart for its inhabitants. The mountains were being struck, and the rocks were being split. The temple was naked, just as a living being having torn its garment, showing through what it suffered that the holy things had been profaned. The lifeless things perceived the outrage, but those who dared it had unfeeling souls. The elements were indignant; they almost abandoned their order and worked confusion upon everything, had they not perceived the will of the Creator—that he was not being insulted unwillingly.
O strange and paradoxical events! The one who by a word stretched out the heaven is stretched out on wood. The one who bound the sea with sand is wrapped in bonds. The one who gave the springs of honey is given gall to drink. The one who crowned the earth with flowers is crowned with thorns. The one who struck Egypt with the ten plagues and covered the head of Pharaoh with the waters is struck on the head with a reed. The face that the cherubim cannot bear to look upon is spat upon.
And while suffering these things, he prayed for those who were crucifying him, saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). He conquers evil with goodness. He speaks in defense of those who killed Christ, saving them. He dissolves the charge by attributing it to ignorance. He is not angry at becoming the plaything of their drunken violence. He accepts the drunkenness and in love for humanity calls them to repentance.
Why say more? Having gained nothing from his goodness, they shut in a tomb the one whom nothing that exists can contain. They place seals, guarding our salvation for us, and fearing the resurrection they set soldiers as guards at the tomb. Who has ever seen a corpse under guard?
Greek
Χθὲς ἐδονήθη ἡ γῆ καὶ περὶ φυγῆς ἐβουλεύετο καὶ διαστῆναι τοῖς ἐνοικοῦσιν ἠπείλει καὶ τὰ μὲν ὄρη ἐκόπτετο, ἐσχίζοντο δὲ αἱ πέτραι· γυμνὸς δὲ ἦν ὁ ναὸς καθάπερ ἔμπνους τὸ ἱμάτιον διαρρήξας, δι' ὧν ἔπαθε
δεικνὺς ὡς ἐβεβηλώθη τὰ ἅγια. Τὰ ἄψυχα τοῦ τολμήματος αἴσθετο, οἱ δὲ ταῦτα τολμῶντες ἀναισθήτους εἶχον ψυχάς. Ἠγανάκτει τὰ στοιχεῖα καὶ μικροῦ τὴν τάξιν ἀπέλιπε καὶ σύγχυσιν εἰργάσατο τοῦ παντός, εἰ μὴ τοῦ δημιουργοῦ τῆς βουλήσεως ᾔσθετο, ὅτι μὴ ἄκων ὑβρίζετο. Ὢ καινῶν καὶ παραδόξων πραγμάτων! Ξύλῳ τανύεται ὁ λόγῳ τείνας τὸν οὐρανόν, καὶ δεσμοῖς περιβάλλεται ὁ δήσας ψάμμῳ τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ ποτίζεται χολὴν ὁ τὰς πηγὰς τοῦ μέλιτος χαρισάμενος, καὶ στεφανοῦται ἀκάνθαις ὁ τὴν γῆν στεφανώσας τοῖς ἄνθεσι, καὶ τύπτεται μὲν καλάμῳ τὴν κεφαλὴν ὁ πατάξας τὴν Αἴγυπτον ταῖς δέκα πληγαῖς καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ Φαραὼ καλύψας τοῖς ὕδασιν, ἐμπτύεται δὲ τὸ πρόσωπον ὃν ἰδεῖν οὐ φέρει τὰ χερουβίμ. Ταῦτα δὲ πάσχων ὑπὲρ τῶν σταυρούντων προσηύχετο λέγων· Πάτερ, ἄφες αὐτοῖς, οὐ γὰρ οἴδασι τί ποιοῦσιν. Ἀγαθότητι τὴν κακίαν νικᾷ, ἀπολογεῖται ὑπὲρ τῶν χριστοκτόνων εἰς σωτηρίαν αὐτοὺς σαγηνεύων, λύει τὸ ἔγκλημα τὴν ἄγνοιαν αἰτιώμενος, οὐ χαλεπαίνει τῆς ἐκείνων παροινίας γινόμενος παίγνιον, δέχεται τὴν μέθην καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ καλεῖ πρὸς μετάνοιαν. Τί δεῖ λέγειν τὰ πλείω; Οὐδὲν τῆς ἀγαθότητος ἀπωνάμενοι ἐγκλείουσι τάφῳ ὃν οὐδὲν τῶν ὄντων χωρεῖ καὶ σήμαντρα ἐπιτιθέασι ἡμῖν τὴν σωτηρίαν φυλάττοντες καὶ δεδιότες τὴν ἀνάστασιν στρατιώτας φύλακας ἐφιστῶσι τῷ μνήματι. Τίς εἶδε νεκρὸν φυλαττόμενον;