Gregory the Dialogist

But what the Lord did against the fury of those stoning Him is shown when it is immediately added: "But Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple." It is very remarkable, dearest brothers, why the Lord avoided His persecutors by hiding Himself, when if He had wished to exercise the power of His divinity, He could have bound them in their very blows by a silent command of His mind, or overwhelmed them with the punishment of sudden death. But because He had come to suffer, He did not wish to exercise judgment. Indeed, at the very time of His passion He both showed how much He could do, and yet endured that for which He had come. For when He said to His persecutors seeking Him, "I am He," by this voice alone He struck down their pride and laid them all flat on the ground. He who therefore could have escaped the hands of those stoning Him in this place without hiding Himself—why did He hide Himself, unless because our Redeemer, made man among men, speaks some things to us by word, other things by example? But what does He say to us by this example, except that even when we are able to resist, we should humbly avoid the wrath of the proud? Hence it is also said through Paul: "Give place to wrath." Let man consider with how great humility he ought to flee the anger of his neighbor, if God avoided the furies of the wrathful by hiding Himself. Let no one therefore raise himself up against insults received, let no one return reproach for reproach. For in imitation of God, it is more glorious to flee injury by keeping silent than to overcome it by responding.

But against this pride says in the heart: It is shameful that, having received an injury, you remain silent. Whoever observes that you receive an insult and remain silent does not think that you are showing patience, but that you are acknowledging guilt. But from where does this voice arise in our heart against patience, unless because we have fixed our thought on base things, and while we seek glory on earth, we do not care to please Him who watches us from heaven? Therefore, having received an insult, let us meditate in our work on the voice of God: I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks and judges. Moreover, what is written about the Lord, He hid himself, can be understood in another way. For He had preached many things to the Jews, but they mocked the words of His preaching. They also became worse from the preaching, who went so far as to throw stones. And what does the Lord signify by hiding Himself, except that the truth itself is hidden from those who disdain to follow His words? For truth flees the mind which it does not find humble. And how many are there today who detest the hardness of the Jews, because they refused to hear the preaching of the Lord, and yet such as they accuse those of having been toward the faith, such are they themselves toward works. They hear the precepts of the Lord, they recognize the miracles, but they refuse to turn from their depravities. Behold, He calls, and we do not wish to return. Behold, He waits, and we disregard His patience. Therefore, while there is time, brothers, let each one abandon his depravity, let him fear the patience of God, lest he whom one now despises as tranquil, one may by no means be able to escape when He is angry.

"If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pastures." For he will go in to faith, but will go out from faith to sight, from belief to contemplation, and will find pastures in eternal refreshment. His sheep therefore find pastures, because whoever follows him with a simple heart is nourished by the food of eternal greenness. But what are the pastures of these sheep, if not the inner joys of ever-verdant paradise? For the pastures of the elect are the present countenance of God, which when it is beheld without failing, the mind is satisfied without end by the food of life. In these pastures those have rejoiced in the fullness of eternity who have already escaped the snares of pleasurable temporality. There are the hymn-singing choirs of angels, there is the fellowship of the heavenly citizens. There is the sweet solemnity of those returning from the sad labor of this pilgrimage. There are the foreseeing choirs of prophets, there is the judging number of apostles, there is the victorious army of innumerable martyrs, the more joyful there as they were more harshly afflicted here; there is the constancy of confessors, consoled by the reception of their reward; there are faithful men whom the pleasure of the world could not soften from the strength of their manliness; there are holy women who conquered both the world and their sex; there are children who here transcended their years by their conduct; there are the elderly whom age rendered weak here, yet the power of good works did not abandon.

For behold, he who is good not by an accidental gift but essentially, says: "I am the good shepherd." And he adds the pattern of that same goodness for us to imitate, saying: "The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep." He did what he taught; he showed what he commanded. The good shepherd laid down his life for his sheep, so that in our sacrament he might transform his body and blood, and satisfy with the nourishment of his flesh the sheep he had redeemed. The way has been shown to us through contempt of death that we should follow; the pattern has been set before us upon which we should be formed. First it is ours to mercifully spend our external goods on his sheep; but finally, if necessary, even to offer our death for those same sheep. From that first and lesser thing one arrives at the final and greater. But since the soul by which we live is incomparably far better than the earthly substance we possess externally, when will someone who does not give his substance for his sheep give his life for them? And there are some who, because they love earthly substance more than the sheep, deservedly lose the name of shepherd.

(Hom. in Evang. xiv.) Some there are who love earthly possessions more than the sheep, and do not deserve the name of a shepherd. He who feeds the Lord's flock for the sake of temporal hire, and not for love, is an hireling, not a shepherd. An hireling is he who holds the place of shepherd, but seeketh not the gain of souls, who panteth after the good things of earth, and rejoices in the pride of station.

(Hom. in Evang. xiv.) But whether a man be a shepherd or an hireling, cannot be told for certain, except in a time of trial. In tranquil times, the hireling generally stands watch like the shepherd. But when the wolf comes, then every one shows with what spirit he stood watch over the flock.

(Hom. in Evang. xiv.) The wolf too cometh upon the sheep, whenever any spoiler and unjust person oppresses the humble believers. And he who seems to be shepherd, but leaves the sheep and flees, is he who dares not to resist his violence, from fear of danger to himself. He flees not by changing place, but by withholding consolation from his flock. The hireling is inflamed with no zeal against this injustice. He only looks to outward comforts, and overlooks the internal suffering of his flock. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. The only reason that the hireling fleeth, is because he is an hireling; as if to say, He cannot stand at the approach of danger, who doth not love the sheep that he is set over, but seeketh earthly gain. Such an one dares not face danger, for fear he should lose what he so much loves.