Resurrection and Envy
…As with the blind man who was healed at one time; 'This is he, he is not' (John 9:25).
Just as one intending to return a deposit observes the seals of the deposit so that the sight of the seals might convince the recipient, so Christ the Lord, returning Lazarus to the Jews, used the burial clothes as signs like certain seals for the four-day deposit among the dead, so that those loosening him might see that it was not simply someone else, but he himself whom they had buried.
But the hardness of unbelief remained uncorrected; for having known the dead man, they envied the miracle and were plotting evil intentions; for they said, 'Let them also kill Lazarus, because many among the Jews believed in Jesus because of him' (John 11:47-53).
Oh, the wickedness of the plot!
Is it true, O priests, what happened, or is it a lie?
If it is indeed true, why do you plot to slay the one who is able to rise again?
If the miracle is a fabrication, you are being overly curious about the height of the miracle.
If what happened is a rumor, let him who is falsely rumored to have been raised live more, so that all approaching the living might learn that he was not raised from the dead.
If you slay this man, you help the rumor by destroying the reputation, as the plot is double in both respects.
Oh, the agonizing disease!
The cure for those who envy is the wounding of the envious; the benefactor is envied like the one who harms; the savior is seen as an enemy like the one who kills.
It was right not to grieve at the rising of the dead.
A dead man rose; I shall take the occasion for joy, finding a doctor who has applied a plaster to the dead.
Prepare yourself, human, for the solution to the things distressing you.
Is a child of yours ill? Call upon the one who raised the dead against the disease.
Does a demon trouble the child? The remedy for the suffering is at hand.
Is a servant of yours at the point of death? You have near you the one who draws the dead away from death.
How many gifts have you given, seeking to find a helper in sorrowful things? You have found this one without payment, yet you close your eyes to the discovery.
Since you are fond of gain, allow those who are willing to have the profit, and permit Lazarus to live, lest you become more bitter to people than death, from which he released them, driving them away, lest you make coexisting with you more hopeless than a tomb.
The dead person had hope of life in the tomb and, not even being harmed by the burial clothes, came to life; but to you, living together…
Greek
ὡς ἐπὶ τῷ τυφλῷ θεραπευθέντι ποτέ· «Οὗτός ἐστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν οὗτος.» Ὥσπερ οὖν παρακαταθήκην ἀποδοῦναί τις μέλλων καὶ τὴν τοῦ παραθεμένου προορῶν ὑποψίαν τὰς τῆς παρακαταθήκης διαφυλάττει σφραγῖδας, ἵνα ἡ τῶν σφραγίδων ὄψις τὸν παραθέμενον πείσῃ, οὕτω καὶ ὁ δεσπότης Χριστὸς τὸν Λάζαρον ἀποδιδοὺς τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, τὴν τετραήμερον ἐν νεκροῖς παρακαταθήκην, τὰ τῶν σπαργάνων ὥσπερ τινῶν σφραγίδων αὐτῷ συνεξάγει σημεῖα, ἵνα λύοντες ἴδωσιν ὡς οὐκ ἄλλος ἁπλῶς ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ἦν ὃν κατέθαψαν. 7 Ἀλλ' ἡ τῆς ἀπιστίας ἔμεινεν ἀδιόρθωτος πήρωσις· γνωρίσαντες γὰρ τὸν νεκρὸν ἐφθόνουν τῷ θαύματι καὶ τυφλὰς διενοοῦντο βουλάς· «Ἐβουλεύσαντο» γάρ, φησίν, «ἵνα καὶ τὸν Λάζαρον ἀποκτείνωσιν ὅτι πολλοὶ δι' αὐτὸν ὑπῆγον τῶν Ἰουδίων καὶ ἐπίστευον εἰς τὸν Ἰησοῦν.» Ὢ τοῦ πονηροῦ βουλεύματος. Ἀληθές, ὦ ἱερεῖς, τὸ συμβὰν ἢ ψευδές; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀληθές, μάτην βουλεύεσθε σφάττειν τὸν πάλιν ἀναστῆναι δυνάμενον. Εἰ δὲ πλάσμα τὸ θαῦμα, περιεργάζεσθε τὸ τοῦ θαύματος ὕψος. Εἰ φήμη τὸ συμβάν, ζήτω μᾶλλον ὁ ψευδῶς φημισθεὶς ἐγηγέρθαι, ἵνα πάντες προσιόντες παρὰ ζῶντος μανθάνωσιν ὡς ἐκ νεκρῶν οὐκ ἐγήγερται. Ἐὰν δὲ σφάξητε τοῦτον, βοηθεῖτε τῇ φήμῃ τὸν τῆς φήμης ἀπολέσαντες ἔλεγχον, ὡς εἶναι τὸ βούλευμα διπλοῦν κατ' ἀμφότερα. 8 Ὢ τοῦ πολυστενάκτου νοσήματος. Ἡ θεραπεία τῶν φθονουμένων τραυματισμὸς τῶν φθονούντων, ὁ εὐεργέτης ὡς ὁ βλάπτων ἐπίφθονος, ὁ σῴζων ὡς ὁ φονεύων ἐχθρός. Χαίρειν ἐχρῆν οὐκ ἀλγεῖν ἐγειρομένων νεκρῶν. Ἀνέστη νεκρός· πρόφασιν ἐκτήσω χαρᾶς, εὑρὼν ἰατρὸν ἔμπλαστρον ἐπιτιθέντα νεκροῖς. Ἑτοίμην ἔχεις, ἄνθρωπε, τῶν λυπούντων τὴν λύσιν. Ἄρρωστος ὑπάρχει σοι παῖς; Τὸν ἐγείραντα τὸν νεκρὸν κατὰ τῆς νόσου κάλει. ∆αίμων ἐνοχλεῖ τῇ παιδί; Πάρεστί σοι τοῦ πάθους τὸ φάρμακον. Ψυχορραγῶν παρὰ σοί τις οἰκέτης; Ἔχεις ἐγγὺς τὸν τοῦ 2 θανάτου τοὺς νεκροὺς ἀποσπῶντα. Πόσα ἀνέδωκας δῶρα, ζητῶν εὑρεῖν ἐν λυπηροῖς βοηθόν; Ἀμισθὶ τοῦτον εὗρες καὶ τὸ βλέμμα πρὸς τὴν εὕρεσιν κλείεις. Οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὴ σὺ φιλοζήμιος, ἄφες τοῖς βουλομένοις τὸ κέρδος, συγχώρησον τὸν Λάζαρον ζῆν, μὴ γένῃ τοῦ θανάτου τοῖς ἀνθρώποις πικρότερος οὓς ἐκεῖνος ἀπέλυσε πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπελαύνων, μὴ ποιήσῃς τό σοι συζῆν ἀνελπιστότερον τάφου. Ἔσχεν ἐλπίδα ζωῆς ὁ νεκρὸς ἐν τῷ τάφῳ καὶ οὐδὲ τὰ σπάργανα ζημιωθεὶς ἀνεβίω· σοὶ δὲ συζῶν ἣν ἔσχε
About this text
Hesychius of Jerusalem, Homilia ii in sanctum Lazarum (Greek).
Original English Translation of Hesychius of Jerusalem’s Homilia ii in sanctum Lazarum — new OET from PG 93 Greek.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG 93 (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.