Homily I on the Presentation · §4 · Hesychius of Jerusalem

The sign of contradiction is the cross

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Hesychius is closing the homily by expounding Simeon's words about the sign of contradiction, interpreting it as the cross and its divisive effect on hearts.

And he says: “This child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign of contradiction” (Luke 2:34)—for the fall of those who persist in unbelief, and for the rising of those who turn from unbelief to faith. Christ was a stone set for building, but the blind stumbled as their eyes wandered. So we must not attribute the fall of those who have fallen to him, but rather the rising. For if they only fell and did not also rise, you would rightly suspect him of causing the fall. But if those who fall through carelessness rise when they choose to, then the fall belongs to the careless one, and the rising belongs to Christ. Did Judas and Peter not fall together—the one as having said, “What will you give me, and I will hand him over to you?” (Matthew 26:15), the other as having said, “I will lay down my soul for you” (John 13:37)? For he should have known that a mortal does not give his soul for immortality. And again: “Even if I must die with you, I will never deny you” (Matthew 26:35). He could have said: “If you strengthen me, I will never deny you. If you make me secure, I who am weak do not fear shipwreck. If you share in the battle, I do not shrink from death.” But the one was a matter of the tongue, and the other a sin of the heart. Therefore Peter fell and rose again, and became a guide for others who had fallen; but the other, led from the depths to the pit, threw away the silver, took the rope, and hanged himself.

The sign of contradiction is the cross. For when the Jews crucified him, the sun withdrew; the synagogue slandered him, and the earth shook. The crowd cried out, “Crucify him” (Luke 23:21), but the rocks, unable to bear the weight of the blasphemy, split apart. The elders and the scribes said, “We remember that this deceiver said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise’” (Matthew 27:63). But the centurion cried out, “Truly this was the Son of God” (Matthew 27:54). And even to this day the word of the cross is “a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to us who are called, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:23-24). “And a sword will pierce your own soul also, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:35). The sword is called division of mind, because just as a sword cuts and divides bodies, so division of mind leads souls to doubt. For even if she was a virgin, she was also a woman; even if she was the Mother of God, she was from our own clay. So the sword passed through her soul, “so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:35). What thoughts? The various thoughts about Christ at the time of the passion—sometimes calling him a prophet, sometimes not acknowledging him as the redeemer of Israel—and enduring great doubt about these things because of the turmoil of the passion. So the disciples with Cleopas came up and said to him, “Are you the only one staying in Jerusalem who does not know what has happened there in these days?” (Luke 24:18). Then, when asked “What things?”, they went on: “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a man, a prophet,” and so on (Luke 24:19). So they held him as a prophet and as the one who redeems Israel; but because of the passion, they were in danger of casting into doubt even this belief about him, that he redeems Israel. This did not happen in vain, but to show that “the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom” (1 Corinthians 1:25). For at the suffering of the cross, all were perplexed and shaken—not only the ordinary disciples, but also the chosen ones and his mother. This is what established the whole world, in Christ Jesus our Lord, through whom and with whom to the Father be glory, with the Holy Spirit, now and always and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Greek

Καί φησιν· «Οὗτος κεῖται εἰς πτῶσιν καὶ ἀνάστασιν πολλῶν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ εἰς σημεῖον ἀντιλεγόμενον», «εἰς πτῶσιν» τῶν ἐπιμενόντων τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ,

«εἰς ἀνάστασιν» τῶν ἐξ ἀπιστίας εἰς πίστιν μετατιθεμένων. Λίθος ἦν ὁ Χριστὸς εἰς οἰκοδομὴν κείμενος, ἀλλὰ προσέκοπτον οἱ τυφλοὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ῥεμβόμενοι. Οὐ τοίνυν αὐτῷ τὴν «πτῶσιν» τῶν πεπτω-κότων, ἀλλὰ τὴν «ἀνάστασιν» λογίζεσθαι χρή. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἔπιπτον μόνον, οὐχὶ δὲ καὶ ἀνίσταντο, δικαίως αὐτὸν τῆς «πτώσεως» ὑποπτεύεις αἴτιον. Εἰ δὲ τῶν ἐκ ῥαθυμίας πιπτόντων οἱ βουληθέντες ἀνίστανται, τὸ «πτῶμα» τοῦ ῥαθυμοῦντος γίνεται, τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἡ «ἀνάστασις». Οὐκ ἔπεσον Ἰούδας ἅμα καὶ Πέτρος, ὁ μὲν ὡς εἰπών· «Τί μοι θέλετε δοῦναι, κἀγὼ ὑμῖν παραδώσω αὐτόν;» ὁ δὲ ὡς εἰπών· «Τὴν ψυχήν μου ὑπὲρ σοῦ θήσω»; Ἐχρῆν γὰρ αὐτὸν εἰδέναι ὅτι θνητὸς τὴν ψυχὴν ὑπὲρ ἀθανασίας οὐ δίδωσι. Καὶ πάλιν· «Ἐὰν δέῃ με σὺν σοὶ 3 ἀποθανεῖν, οὐ μή σε ἀπαρνήσομαι.» Ἐξὸν εἰπεῖν· «Ἐάν με ἐνισχύσῃς, οὐ μή σε ἀπαρνήσομαι. Ἐὰν ἀσφαλίσῃ με, ὁ ἀσθενὴς οὐ δέδοικα τὸ ναυάγιον. Ἐὰν τῷ πολέμῳ κοινωνήσῃς, οὐκ εὐλαβοῦμαι θάνατον.» Ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν γλώττης ὑπῆρχεν, τὸ δὲ καρδίας ἁμάρτημα. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο <ὁ> μὲν Πέτρος πεσὼν ἀνέστη καὶ χειραγωγὸς ἑτέρων πεπτωκότων ἐγένετο· ὁ δέ, ἀπὸ βάθους πρὸς βόθρον ὁδηγηθείς, ἔρριψε τὸ ἀργύριον καὶ τὸ σχοινίον λαβὼν ἀπήγξατο. 8 «Σημεῖον ἀντιλεγόμενον» ὁ σταυρός· τῶν γὰρ Ἰουδαίων σταυρούντων, ἀνεχώρει ὁ ἥλιος· ἡ συναγωγὴ ἐσυκοφάντει καὶ ἡ γῆ ἐσαλεύετο. Ὁ λαὸς ἐβόα· «Σταύρωσον αὐτόν», ἀλλ' αἱ πέτραι μὴ φέρουσαι τὸν ὄγκον τῆς βλασφημίας ἐρρήγνυντο. Οἱ πρεσβύτεροι καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς ἔλεγον· «Ἐμνήσθημεν ὅτι ὁ πλάνος ἐκεῖνος εἶπεν ἔτι ζῶν ὅτι μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἐγείρομαι.» Ὁ δὲ ἑκατόνταρχος ἐβόα· «Ἀληθῶς θεοῦ υἱὸς ἦν οὗτος.» Ἀλλὰ καὶ μέχρι νῦν ὁ λόγος ὁ τοῦ σταυροῦ «Ἰουδαίοις μὲν σκάνδαλον, ἔθνεσι δὲ μωρία, ἡμῖν δὲ τοῖς κλητοῖς Χριστὸς θεοῦ δύναμις καὶ θεοῦ σοφία.» «Καὶ σοῦ δὲ αὐτῆς τὴν ψυχὴν διελεύσεται ῥομφαία, ὅπως ἂν ἀποκαλυφθῶσιν ἐκ πολλῶν καρδιῶν διαλογισμοί.» Ῥομφαία ἡ διχόνοια λέγεται ἐπειδὴ, καθάπερ ἡ ῥομφαία σχίζει καὶ μερίζει τὰ σώματα, οὕτως καὶ τὰς ψυχὰς πρὸς ἀμφιβολὴν ἡ διχόνοια· εἰ γὰρ καὶ παρθένος ἦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ γυνή· εἰ καὶ θεοτόκος, ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ ἡμετέρου φυράματος. Ῥομφαία τοίνυν αὐτῆς τὴν ψυχὴν διέβαινεν, «ὅπως <ἂν> ἀποκαλυφθῶσιν ἐκ πολλῶν καρδιῶν διαλογισμοί.» Ποῖοι διαλογισμοί; Οἱ περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ πάθους διάφοροι, ποτὲ μὲν αὐτὸν προφήτην, ποτὲ δὲ λυτρωτὴν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ οὐχ ὑπογράφοντες, πολλὴν καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις ἀμφιβολίαν διὰ τὸν σάλον τὸν ἐκ τοῦ πάθους ὑπομένοντες, ὥστε τοὺς περὶ Κλεόπαν μαθητὰς παριόντας καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγειν· «Σὺ μόνος παροικεῖς ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ οὐκ ἔγνως τὰ γενόμενα ἐν αὐτῇ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέ ραις ταύταις.» Εἶτα ἐρωτηθέντες «ποῖα;» ἐπήγαγον· «Τὰ περὶ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου, ὃς ἐγένετο ἀνὴρ προφήτης, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς.» Οὐκοῦν ὥσπερ προφήτην μὲν εἶχον καὶ λυτρούμενον τὸν Ἰσραήλ· διὰ δὲ τὸ πάθος καὶ ταύτην ἐμβάλλειν περὶ αὐτοῦ τὴν ὑπόληψιν ὅτι λυτροῦται τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἐκινδύνευον. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐ μάτην ἐγίνετο, ἀλλ' ὥστε δεῖξαι ὅτι «τὸ μωρὸν τοῦ θεοῦ σοφώτερον τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐστίν.» Τὸ γὰρ τοῦ σταυροῦ πάθος οἱ πάντες ἐσινιάσθησαν καὶ ἐσαλεύθησαν, οὐ μόνον οἱ ἁπλῶς μαθηταί, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ ἐκλεκτοὶ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ. Τοῦτο πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐστήριξεν, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα, σὺν ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. 4

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Hesychius preaches on the Presentation of Christ in the Temple as the feast of feasts, with Simeon's song and the sign spoken against as the Cross.

This homily was written by Hesychius of Jerusalem (fl. c. 412–450), a presbyter of the Church of Jerusalem known for his biblical commentary and preaching. He delivered it for the feast of the Presentation, when the Church commemorates the infant Christ being brought to the Temple and met by Simeon and Anna. Hesychius wrote to celebrate that feast and to explain why Christ, though above the Law, submitted to its purification rites.

The homily was preached on 14 February at the Martyrion, the church at Golgotha in Jerusalem. Hesychius presents the Presentation as the feast of feasts, recapitulating the whole mystery of Christ's incarnation. He argues that Christ, as the lawgiver, submitted to the Law's purification rites for our sake, not because Mary or the child needed cleansing. The reader will meet Mary, Joseph, Simeon, and Anna, and will hear the Gospel of Luke quoted at length, along with the prophets Ezekiel and Zephaniah.

A reader should know that the feast is called the Presentation, and that the purification rites are those prescribed by the Law of Moses after childbirth. Simeon's words, the Nunc Dimittis, are quoted directly. The homily closes by interpreting the sign of contradiction as the cross, which causes the fall of the faithless and the rising of those who turn to faith. Zephaniah is a prophet who speaks of God searching Jerusalem with a lamp. Annas and Caiaphas are the high priests warned not to fear for their priesthood. Cleopas is one of the disciples on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24.

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Translated from PG 93 (Greek)

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