Origen · a new plain-English translation from the Greek and Latin
When our Lord and Savior had drawn near to Jerusalem, seeing it he wept and said: “If you too had known, in this your day, the things that make for your peace; but now it is hidden from your eyes—for days will come upon you, and your enemies will surround you with a rampart.” These things that are spoken are mysteries, and we hope that what lies hidden can be opened by God. First
then, we must consider his weeping. All the beatitudes that Jesus spoke in the Gospel he confirms by his own example, and what he taught he proves by his own testimony. “Blessed,” he says, “are the meek.” Similar to this is what he says of himself: “Learn from me… for I am meek.” “Blessed are the peacemakers.” And who else is so, as my Lord Jesus, who “is our peace,” who “destroyed… in
his flesh”? “Blessed are those who suffer persecution for the sake of righteousness.” No one has suffered persecution for righteousness as the Lord Jesus did, who was crucified for our sins. The Lord, therefore, shows all the beatitudes in himself; and to this same pattern belongs also what he had said: “Blessed are those who weep”—he himself wept, so that he might lay the foundations of this beatitude as well,
its foundations. He wept over Jerusalem, saying: “If you too had known, in this your day, the things that make for your peace; but now it is hidden from your eyes,” and the rest, down to the place where he says: “because you did not know the time of your visitation.” Someone might say that these words are plain and have already been fulfilled in fact concerning Jerusalem: for the Roman army surrounded it and laid it waste
utterly, and a time will come when not one stone will be left upon another in it. I do not deny that that Jerusalem was indeed destroyed on account of the crimes of its inhabitants; but I ask whether this weeping may perhaps also pertain to this Jerusalem of ours. For we are the Jerusalem that is wept over, we who seem to ourselves to have greater insight. But if, after the mysteries of truth, after the word
of the gospel, after the church's teaching, and after the vision of the mysteries of God, one of us should sin, he will be lamented and wept over. For no pagan is wept over, but only he who belonged to Jerusalem and has ceased to be so. And this Jerusalem of ours is wept over because, after sins, hostile powers—namely, evil spirits—“surround” it, and send in around it a “rampart,” and besiege it, and
“leave not one stone upon another” in it—if, after much self-restraint, after some years of chastity, someone should be overcome and, enticed by the flattery of the flesh, should lose the endurance of purity. If you have committed fornication, “they will not leave in you stone upon stone.” He says in another place: “…none of his former righteous deeds; in the sin in which he is caught, in that very thing I will judge him.” Such, then,
is the Jerusalem that is wept over. After this it is said: “he entered the temple,” and, having entered, “he cast out those who were selling doves.” Not those who were buying; for whoever buys possesses what he has bought. Jesus cast out of his Father's temple those who sell and cast away what they had, in the likeness of that prodigal son, who received his substance from his father and squandered all of it excessively
...by drinking. If, then, someone sells, he is cast out, especially if he was selling doves. Why did he mention no other birds but doves? This creature is simple and comely. I fear that a fault of this kind may be found in us as well. For if I should sell for a price the things that have been revealed and entrusted to me by the Holy Spirit, so that I might carry them out to the common people, and should fail to teach them without payment
...what else am I doing but selling doves, that is, selling the Holy Spirit? And when I have sold him, I am cast out of the temple of God. Therefore let us ask the Lord that we may all rather buy than sell. For if we do not sell, we shall know and understand our salvation; otherwise enemies will surround our city. But if a hostile army should once encircle us, we shall not deserve the Lord's tears. Let us rise up
...then at dawn and beseech God that we may at least be able to eat the crumbs that fall from his table. Scripture marvels that the queen of Sheba journeyed from earth's farthest reaches to hear Solomon; and when she had seen the banquet and the furnishings and services of his house, she was astonished and was entirely caught up in wonder. If we do not
...gladly embrace such great riches of our Lord, such a wealth of speech and abundance of teachings, if we do not eat the bread of life, if we do not feed on the flesh of Jesus and drink his blood, if we despise the banquet of our Savior, we ought to know that God has both kindness and severity; we ought rather to pray for his kindness toward us, in Christ Jesus our Lord: to whom is glory and dominion for ages of ages. Amen.