On Lazarus and the Palm Branches · §4 · Hesychius of Jerusalem

Garments, Palms, and the Humble King

…angels saw all humanity being raised through the sign of Lazarus, and the nations being untied like the colt and coming to be ruled by their Creator, then heaven too was at peace with human beings, and with one accord they cried out and said: “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; peace in heaven and glory in the highest” (Luke 19:38).

“And they put the garments on the colt” (Matthew 21:7): these signify the grace He gave them among the nations, and through this grace “they set Jesus on them” (Luke 19:35). And not only through grace, but also through their own virtues, as the evangelist signifies when he says: “And others spread their garments on the road” (Luke 19:36). By this he hints at their own virtues, which they yoked to grace, as the inspired Paul says plainly: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, let us have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:1–2).

That much concerns grace. “And not only this, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance proven character, and proven character hope; and hope does not put us to shame, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3–5).

And “they spread them on the ground” means that their virtues were seen bodily, openly, and by the senses before the nations, as the apostle also says elsewhere on this point: “What you have seen in me, and heard, and received, these things do” (Philippians 4:9). But let us return to our subject.

“The crowds that went before Him and those that followed cried out” (Matthew 21:9) with praises and with olive branches, which signify the practical work of the outer man, and with palm fronds, which point to the spiritual, contemplative, and pure work of the inner man. “They cried out, saying: Hosanna in the highest” (Matthew 21:9). For in truth all the crowds of the righteous, the prophets, and the priests, who are those who go before and those who follow, cry out in faith and say: “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest” (Matthew 21:9).

As the evangelist says: “All this took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet, saying: Say to the daughter of Zion” (Matthew 21:4–5). To whom do you say “Say,” O prophet? Look, you proclaim it yourself; you say it yourself. “I,” he says, “longed to see and to hear, and not I alone, but many prophets and righteous men as well” (Matthew 13:17). But I speak also to those who are present and are made disciples, who see and hear the King of Zion, so that they may say and proclaim: “Say to the daughter of Zion: Behold, your King is coming to you” (Matthew 21:5).

And he did not say simply “is coming,” but “is coming to you,” that is, to become yours and to dwell in you. “Behold, your King is coming to you, righteous and saving” (Zechariah 9:9), saving from slavery to the enemy those who believe in Him.

“Gentle, and mounted on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden” (Matthew 21:5), that is, humble-minded, and in His humility “destroying the chariots of the kingdom of Ephraim” (Zechariah 9:10), that is, the kingdom of the devil, who reigned over Israel and over the nations. According to the letter, too, He destroyed the kingdom of the Jewish people; for the anointing and the kingdom of the Jews lasted until Christ, and then ceased. “And the horse,” he says, “from Jerusalem” (Zechariah 9:10), that is, all the pride of their rule, by means of His humble colt.

The patriarch Jacob, blessing Judah and revealing the blessing given to his fathers Abraham and Isaac, which is Christ, says: “Binding his colt to the vine” (Genesis 49:11). For to the vine that was moved out of Egypt and filled the whole land (Psalm 80:8–9) with the teaching of its prophets and righteous men, he bound the unclean nations; for the colt is unclean under the Law, and so are the nations.

“Binding his colt to the vine” (Genesis 49:11). Why? So that they might receive from it the Law and the Prophets and the knowledge of God in them, that is, Christ, who is the blessing and the cleansing of the nations. For he says: “and the foal of his donkey to the tendril” (Genesis 49:11). The tendril, that is, the shoot from the vine, is Christ, who sprang from the vine of the synagogue that came out of Egypt, as Jacob himself says to him: “From a shoot…” (Genesis 49:9)

Greek

ἄγγελοι πᾶσαν τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα ἐγειρομένην διὰ τοῦ σημείου τοῦ Λαζάρου, καὶ τὰ ἔθνη λυόμενα δίκην τοῦ πώλου καὶ ἐρχόμενα εἰς τὸ βασι λεύεσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ δημιουργοῦ αὐτῶν, τότε εἰρηνεύθη καὶ ὁ οὐ ρανὸς μετὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἔκραζον καὶ ἔλεγον· «Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου, εἰρήνη ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις». «Καὶ ἐπέθηκαν ἐπάνω τοῦ πώλου τὰ ἱμά τια», ἅτινα σημαίνουσι τὴν χάριν τὴν παρ' αὐτοῦ δοθεῖσαν αὐ τοῖς ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν καὶ δι' αὐτῆς «ἐπεβίβασαν τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐπ' αὐτά»· οὐ μόνον δὲ τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὰς ἰδίας ἀρετάς, καθὼς σημαίνει ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς λέγων· «Ἄλλοι δὲ ὑπεστρώννυον τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ.» Εἰς τοῦτο δὲ τὰς ἰδίας ἀρετάς, ἃς συνέ ζευξαν τῇ χάριτι, αἰνίττεται, ὡς φανερῶς λέγει ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦ λος· «∆ικαιωθέντες οὖν ἐκ πίστεως, εἰρήνην ἔχωμεν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι' οὗ καὶ τὴν προσ αγωγὴν ἐσχήκαμεν τῇ πίστει εἰς τὴν χάριν ταύτην, ἐν ᾗ ἑστή καμεν, καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐπ' ἐλπίδι τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ.» Ἕως ὧδε τὰ τῆς χάριτος. «Οὐ μόνον δέ, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν ἡμῶν εἰδότες ὅτι ἡ θλῖψις ὑπομονὴν κατεργάζεται, ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ δοκιμήν, ἡ δὲ δοκιμὴ ἐλπίδα· ἡ δὲ ἐλπὶς οὐ κατ αισχύνει, ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκέχυται ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν διὰ Πνεύματος ἁγίου τοῦ δοθέντος ἡμῖν.» Τὸ δὲ «ἐν τῇ γῇ ὑπεστρώννυον», ὅτι σωματικῶς καὶ φανερῶς καὶ αἰσθητῶς ἐθεωροῦντο αἱ ἀρεταὶ αὐτῶν ἐνώπιον τῶν ἐθνῶν, καθὼς καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ τόπῳ φησὶ πρὸς ταῦτα λέγων ὁ ἀπόστολος· «Οἷα εἴδετε ἐν ἐμοὶ καὶ ἠκούσατε καὶ παρελάβετε, ταῦτα πράξατε.» Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὸ προκείμενον ἐπανίωμεν. 10 «Οἱ δὲ ὄχλοι οἱ προάγοντες αὐτὸν καὶ οἱ ἀκολουθοῦντες ἔκραζον», μετὰ αἴνων καὶ κλάδων ἐλαιῶν [καὶ βαΐων], οἵτινες σημαίνουσι τὴν πρακτικὴν ἐργασίαν τοῦ ἔξω ἀνθρώπου, καὶ βαΐων φοινίκων, οἵτινες μηνύουσι τὴν πνευματικὴν [καὶ πρακ τικὴν] καὶ γνωστικὴν καὶ καθαρὰν τοῦ ἔσω ἀνθρώπου ἐργασίαν. «Ἔκραζον λέγοντες· Ὠσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις». Ἐν ἀληθείᾳ γὰρ πάντες οἱ ὄχλοι τῶν δικαίων καὶ προφητῶν καὶ ἱερέων, οἵτινές εἰσιν οἱ προάγοντες καὶ οἱ ἀκολουθοῦντες, πίστει 4 κράζουσι καὶ λέγουσιν· «Ὠσαννὰ τῷ υἱῷ ∆αυίδ· εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου· Ὠσαννὰ ἐν τοῖς ὑψίστοις.» Ὡς ὁ εὐαγγελιστής φησιν· «Τοῦτο δὲ ὅλον γέγονεν, ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· Εἴπατε τῇ θυγατρὶ Σιών.» Τίσι λέγεις «Εἴπατε», ὦ προφῆτα; Ἰδοὺ σὺ κηρύττεις, ἰδοὺ σὺ λέγεις. Ἐγώ, φησίν, ἐπεθύμουν ἰδεῖν καὶ ἀκοῦσαι, οὐκ ἐγὼ μόνος ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλοὶ προφῆται καὶ δίκαιοι. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς εὑρισκομένοις καὶ μαθητευομένοις, θεωροῦντας καὶ ἀκούοντας τοῦ βασιλέως Σιὼν λέγω, ἵνα εἴπωσιν καὶ κηρύξωσιν· «Εἴπατε τῇ θυγατρὶ Σιών· Ἰδοὺ ὁ βασιλεύς σου ἔρχεταί σοι.» Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε ψιλῶς «ἔρχεται», ἀλλ' «ἔρχεταί σοι», τουτέστι σοῦ γενέσθαι καὶ ἐν σοὶ οἰκῆσαι. «Ἰδοὺ ὁ βασιλεύς σου ἔρχεταί σοι, δίκαιος καὶ σῴζων», σῴζων ἀπὸ τῆς δουλείας τοῦ ἐχθροῦ τοὺς πιστεύοντας ἐπ' αὐτόν. 11 «Πραῢς καὶ ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἐπὶ πῶλον, υἱὸν ὑποζυγίου», τουτέστι ταπεινόφρων καὶ ἐν τῇ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ αὐτοῦ «ἐξολοθρεύων τὰ ἅρματα τῆς βασιλείας Ἐφραΐμ», τουτέστι τοῦ διαβόλου ὃς ἐβασίλευσεν ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ἔθνη. Ἐξωλόθρευσε δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὸ γράμμα καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ λαοῦ τῶν Ἰουδαίων· μέχρι γὰρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἦλθεν τὸ χρῖσμα καὶ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ ἐπαύθη. «Καὶ ἵππον», φησίν, «ἐξ Ἰερουσαλήμ», τουτέστι πᾶσαν τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν τῆς αὐτῶν ἀρχῆς, διὰ τοῦ ταπεινοῦ αὐτοῦ πώλου. Ὁ δὲ πατριάρχης Ἰακώβ, εὐλογῶν τὸν Ἰούδαν καὶ ἐκφαίνων τὴν εὐλογίαν τὴν πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας αὐτοῦ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαάκ, ἥτις ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστός, λέγει· «∆εσμεύων πρὸς ἄμπελον τὸν πῶλον αὐτοῦ». Πρὸς γὰρ τὴν ἄμπελον τὴν μεταστᾶσαν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου, τὴν πληρώσασαν πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἀπὸ τῆς διδαχῆς τῶν προφητῶν αὐτῆς καὶ δικαίων, ἐδέσμευσε τὰ ἀκάθαρτα ἔθνη· ὁ γὰρ πῶλος ἀκάθαρτός ἐστιν ἐν τῷ νόμῳ, οὕτω καὶ τὰ ἔθνη. «∆εσμεύων πρὸς ἄμπελον τὸν πῶλον αὐτοῦ.» ∆ιὰ τί; Ἵνα δέξωνται παρ' αὐτῆς τὸν νόμον καὶ τοὺς προφήτας καὶ τὴν ἐν αὐτοῖς θεογνωσίαν, τουτέστι τὸν Χριστόν, ὅς ἐστιν εὐλογία τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ κάθαρσις. Φησὶ γάρ· «Καὶ τῇ ἕλικι τὸν πῶλον τῆς ὄνου αὐτοῦ», ἕλικι τουτέστι τὸ βλάστημα τὸ ἐξ ἀμπέλου, ὅς ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός, ἐξ ἀμπέλου τῆς συναγωγῆς τῆς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου βλαστήσας, καθὼς αὐτὸς ὁ Ἰακώβ φησι πρὸς αὐτόν· «Ἐκ βλαστοῦ,

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About this text

Hesychius of Jerusalem's sermon on Lazarus and the palm branches, in a fresh English translation of the whole homily. The raising of Lazarus is the sign that Christ will raise all humanity; Zechariah's call to the daughter of Zion to rejoice is read phrase by phrase; and the hearers are urged to carry palms of faith, hope, and love and to become a holy temple for Christ.

Hesychius of Jerusalem (fl. c. 412–450) preached this homily on Lazarus and the palm branches. The Greek heading names him as priest of Jerusalem; the homily was once credited to Titus of Bostra. It is a different sermon from his Homily II on Saint Lazarus.

Hesychius reads the raising of Lazarus as the sign that Christ will raise all humanity, and so explains why men and angels hailed Christ as King when He entered Jerusalem. He then reads Zechariah’s call, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion,” phrase by phrase, together with the colt, the garments, and the branches of the Gospel story.

At the end he urges his hearers to bind themselves to Christ, to carry palm branches of faith, hope, and love, and to follow Him into the temple, so that He may drive out the sellers within them and make them a holy temple instead of a den of robbers.

Fresh English translation from the Greek text of PG 93.

Printed text used

Translated from PG 93 (Greek)

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