^[1] In the synagogue of the Jews was a man who had a withered hand. If he was withered in his hand, the ones who stood by were withered in their minds. And they were not looking at the crippled man nor were they expecting the miraculous deed of the one who was about to work. But before doing the work, the Savior ploughed up their minds with words. For knowing the evil of the mind and its bitter depth, he first softened them up in advance with words so as to tame the wildness of their understanding, asking Is it permitted to do good on the sabbath or to do evil; to save a life or to destroy one? For if he had said to them, Is it permitted to work? immediately they would have said, You are speaking contrary to the law. Then he told them what was intended by the law, for he spoke as the One who established the laws concerning the sabbath, adding,^[2] except this: that which will be done for the sake of a life. Again if a person falls into a hole on a sabbath, Jews are permitted to pull the person out.^[3] This not only applies to a person, but also an ox or a donkey. In this way the law agrees that things relating to preservation may be done, hence Jews prepare meals on the sabbath. Then he asked them about a point on which they could hardly disagree: Is it permitted to do good?^[4] But they did not even so much as say, Yes, because by then they were not in a good temper.

Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, Come here. Then he challenged the Pharisees as to whether it would be lawful to do good on the sabbath. Note the tender compassion of the Lord when he deliberately brought the man with the withered hand right into their presence.^[1] He hoped that the mere sight of the misfortune might soften them, that they might become a little less spiteful by seeing the affliction, and perhaps out of sorrow mend their own ways. But they remained callous and unfeeling. They preferred to do harm to the name of Christ than to see this poor man made whole. They betrayed their wickedness not only by their hostility to Christ, but also by their doing so with such contentiousness that they treated with disdain his mercies to others. GOSPEL OF ST.

If angry emotions which spring from a love of what is good and from holy charity are to be labeled vices, then all I can say is that some vices should be called virtues. When such affections as anger are directed to their proper objects, they are following good reasoning, and no one should dare to describe them as maladies or vicious passions. This explains why the Lord himself, who humbled himself to the form of a servant,^[1] was guilty of no sin whatever as he displayed these emotions openly when appropriate. Surely the One who assumed a true human body and soul would not counterfeit his human affections. Certainly, the Gospel does not falsely attribute emotions to Christ when it speaks of him being saddened and angered by the lawyers because of their blindness of heart.

Feelings cannot exist in anything but a living soul. These events show that just as Jesus had a human body he had a human soul. We read about the diversity of his feelings in the reports of the same Evangelists [who attested his divinity]: Jesus was astonished,^[1] was angered,^[2] was grieved,^[3] was elated,^[4] and similar emotive responses without number. Likewise it is clear that he experienced the ordinary fully human experience of interconnectedness between his body and his soul. He was hungry;^[5] he slept;^[6] he was tired from his journey.^[7]

I exhort you that you not carelessly slumber so as to leave everything to God. Nor, when diligent in your endeavors, imagine that by your own exertions the whole work is achieved. God does not will that we should be indolent. For God does not do the whole work by himself by fiat. Nor is it his will that we should be entirely self-sufficient. For God does not commit the whole work to us alone.^[1] THE GOSPEL OF ST.

^[1] But Jesus, deeply grieved in heart at the hardness of their hearts, said in effect Let the ones who see continue to see. Let the ones who refuse to hear do what they want to do. Let the ones who are hard in heart become stone. But let your right hand become full and tender. Rise, beg no longer.^[2] . . . In effect Jesus was saying: Do not continue to beg because of having a withered hand, but after you finally have received it healthy and whole and have begun to work, stretch out your hand to the poor.^[3] Rise up and stand in their midst. Become a marvel to those who see. In you the struggle concerning the sabbath is finally being contested. Stand in their midst, so that the ones who are lame in their legs might stand. . . . Stretch out your hand. I am not touching you so that they may not bring a charge against me. I am speaking with a speech so that they may not think that touching is an act of work. God did not say, ‘Do not speak on the sabbath.’ But if speech becomes an act of work, let the one who has spoken be an object of amazement. Stretch out your hand. . . . While the withered hand was restored, the withered minds of the onlookers were not. For they went out and immediately, according to the reading,^[4] were debating what they would do to Jesus. Are you debating what you will do? Worship him as God. Worship the wonder worker. Worship one who worked good things on behalf of another.^[5] He did not add plasters; he was not tenderizing with lotions. He did not apply medical ointments. He did this work openly, standing in their midst, and not in a hidden way, so that some might retort: He applied a plant; he added a plaster.

It is by faith that we touch Jesus. And far better to touch him by faith than to touch or handle him with the hands only and not by faith. It was no great thing to merely touch him manually. Even his oppressors doubtless touched him when they apprehended him, bound him, and crucified him, but by their ill-motivated touch they lost precisely what they were laying hold of. O worldwide church! It is by touching him faithfully that your faith has made you whole.^[1]

Both the devils and the faithful confessed Christ. Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God,^[1] said Peter. We know who thou art. Thou art the Son of God,^[2] said the devils. I hear a similar confession, but I do not find a similar charity. In one there is love, in another fear. He is lovely to those who are sons. He is terrible to those who are not sons.

The faith that works by love,^[1] is not the same faith that demons have. For the devils also believe and tremble,^[2] but do they love? If they had not believed,^[3] they would not have said: You are the holy one of God or You are the Son of God.^[4] But if they had loved, they would not have said: What have we to do with you?^[5]

A name^[1] is a designation that sums up and describes the particular character of the one named. . . . For when the character of Abram was changed, he was called Abraham.^[2] So when Simon was changed, he was called Peter.^[3] And when Saul stopped persecuting Christ, he was named Paul.^[4] In the case of God, however, whose character is eternally unchangeable and always remains unaltered, there is always a single name. It is that spoken of him in Exodus: I am.^[5]

Thunder here refers to the preaching of the gospel. For as a heavenly shout occurs like a voice of thunder, surpassing all human power, in the same way also the preaching of the gospel, which is a heavenly happening, does not consist of human strength. The gospel did not fill the world by human planning, but by divine power.

Thunder^[1] is produced when a dry and violent wind, closed up in the hollows of a cloud and violently hurled around in the cavities of the clouds, seeks a passage to the outside. The clouds, offering resistance under the excessive pressure, produce that harsh sound from the friction of the wind. But when, like bubbles distended by the air, they are unable to resist and endure any longer, but are violently torn apart and give the air a passage to the outer breeze, they produce the noises of the thunder. And this normally causes the flash of lightning. It is the Lord who is upon the waters and who arouses the mighty noises of the thunder, causing such an exceedingly great noise through the delicate medium of air.^[2] The eloquent teaching which leads from baptism to sanctification is like thunder to the soul. That the gospel is like thunder is made evident by the disciples who were given a new name by the Lord: sons of thunder.^[3]

James and John his brother he called sons of thunder.^[1] Why? To show that he was the same One who, in giving the old covenant, altered names, who called Abram Abraham,^[2] and Sarai Sarah^[3] and Jacob Israel.^[4] . . . It was also a custom of the patriarchs to give descriptive names to persons, as Leah did.^[5] This is not mere arbitrariness, but in order that they may have a hallmark to remind them of the goodness of God. By this means, a perpetual memory of the prophecy conveyed by the name sounds forth in the ears of those who receive it. HOMILIES ON ST.

We must not pass over the fact that Matthew had two names, for he was also called Levi, and that name too bears witness to the grace granted to him. Levi means added^[1] or taken up, signifying that he was taken up through being chosen by the Lord, and added to the number of the apostolic band. Mark and Luke generously chose to use this name alone, so as to not make glaringly conspicuous his former way of life, for he was now their companion in the work of the gospel.^[2] In setting down the list of the twelve apostles, they simply called him Matthew, not mentioning Levi.^[3] Matthew himself, on the other hand (in accord with what is written, The just man is the first accuser of himself; his friend came and searched him out),^[4] calls himself by his ordinary name when telling of being called from his tax-collector’s place, but adds pointedly the publican^[5]—Thomas, he says, and Matthew the publican. In this way he offers to publicans and sinners greater confidence in securing their salvation.