On Saint Andrew · §4 · Hesychius of Jerusalem

Repentance, and the Call by the Sea

…be made strong; you who are lame, run; you who run, hurry; and you who hurry, do not trust in yourselves, but in God who directs the race: 'For it depends not on the one who wills, nor on the one who runs, but on God who has mercy' (Romans 9:16). 'Repent': for there is no wickedness that conquers repentance, no venom that can quench the power of this honey. The devil wrestles with everyone, resists everyone, fights everyone; repentance alone he does not dare to wrestle. For she snatches the sheep out of his throat; she tears the captive from the tyrant's very hand.

'And as Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother' (Matthew 4:18). Many he saw and passed over, since they were unworthy of the Lord's eyes. 'He saw two brothers': brothers not in body only but also in soul, in nature and in grace, in way of life and in kinship. 'He saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter', not 'who will be called', for he had already been granted the name. For he knew that Christ had said to him: 'You are Simon; you shall be called Cephas, which means Peter' (John 1:42). See: before your confession you hold the wage; before you work in the vineyard you have received the denarius (Matthew 20:2); before you kindle the altar, your sacrifice has been accepted; before you preach, you were crowned; before you proclaim the gospel, the prize of theology came to meet you.

Andrew was the cause of this very thing, and for this reason Matthew added, 'and Andrew his brother', although he had already said once, 'He saw two brothers'. Yet see, he now takes it up a second time, because he wishes to proclaim Andrew as Peter's benefactor. That is why he says, 'Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother': Andrew, who fulfilled the command that Solomon wrote long before in Proverbs: 'Let brothers be useful in times of need' (Proverbs 17:17), that is, in matters of great benefit, of great importance, of pressing urgency; for these are what wisdom called needs, as necessary and unavoidable occasions. 'Let brothers be useful in times of need.' So Andrew did not overlook Peter when the call was pressing; for you have heard how he said to him, 'We have found the Messiah, who is called Christ' (John 1:41).

'Run, Peter,' he says, 'before other Peters get ahead of you, before others seize the first places. For he enlists his soldiers from wherever he wishes; he is the one who gathers from "the roads and the hedges" (Luke 14:23), who sets his seal on the sexually immoral and on tax collectors. Wherever he casts the seed, there the earth bears fruit; where he plants the cutting, the vine springs up at once; wherever he casts the net, it is found full of fish.'

'He saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen' (Matthew 4:18). Marvel at Christ's generosity: he has chosen the poor, the untaught, the unlettered, and fishermen. For Wisdom needs not advocates but servants. No one gives anything to her, but from her we all receive all things; no one lends to the rich, but we all borrow from him. What need, then, will there be of the wise in the preaching? For whoever is to share in true wisdom must become a fool (1 Corinthians 3:18).

Marvel at Christ's wisdom, and call blessed the choosing of the apostles. What did they receive, and in exchange for what? The words that follow make it plain, when he says to them: 'Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men' (Matthew 4:19). Forget all that is old; renounce your parents according to the flesh, so that you may receive the true Father. Let the whole world be small in your eyes, measured against its own Maker.

'Come after me', for I lead you up to life, I guide you by the hand to the light. 'Come after me', so that you may outstrip the patriarchs and receive the inheritance before the prophets; and though you are last you will become first (Matthew 20:16), so that you who come about the eleventh hour may rise above those hired at dawn (Matthew 20:1–9). 'Come after me', for if you follow me you will have a life free of toil: without silver you will be rich; without drugs you will be physicians of the world; without weapons you will be found stronger than your enemies. 'Come after me': 'For I am the light of the world' (John 8:12); 'I am the way and the life and the truth' (John 14:6); I lead you by the hand to the Father; to those who walk after me I grant 'to tread upon the asp and the basilisk, and to trample the lion and the dragon' (Psalm 91:13).

'And at once they left their nets and followed him' (Matthew 4:20). It is fitting, then, to call blessed the…

Greek

δυναμώθητε, οἱ χωλοὶ τρέχετε καὶ οἱ τρέχοντες σπεύσατε καὶ οἱ σπεύδοντες ἑαυτοῖς μὴ θαρρήσητε, ἀλλὰ τῷ θεῷ τῷ τὸν δρόμον ἰθύνοντι· «Οὐ γὰρ τοῦ θέλοντος οὐδὲ τοῦ τρέχοντος ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐλεοῦντος θεοῦ.» «Μετανοεῖτε»· οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ κακία νικῶσα τὴν μετάνοιαν, οὐκ ἔστιν ἰὸς ὅστις δύναται τούτου τοῦ μέλιτος ἀποσβέσαι τὴν δύνα μιν· πᾶσιν ὁ διάβολος παλαίει καὶ πᾶσιν ἀνθίσταται καὶ πᾶσιν μάχεται· πρὸς μόνην οὐ τολμᾷ παλαῖσαι τὴν μετάνοιαν· αὐτὴ γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῶν φαρύγγων ἐκβάλλει τὸ πρόβατον, ἐξ αὐτῆς ἀπο σπᾷ τῆς χειρὸς τοῦ τυράννου τὸν αἰχμάλωτον. 7 «Καὶ περιπατῶν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν τῆς Γαλιλαίας εἶδεν δύο ἀδελφούς, Σίμωνα τὸν καλούμενον Πέτρον καὶ Ἀν δρέαν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ.» Πολλοὺς ἰδὼν παρεῖδεν, ἐπειδὴ τῶν δεσποτικῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἦσαν ἀνάξιοι. «Εἶδεν δύο ἀδελφούς», οὐ σώματι μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ψυχήν, τὴν φύσιν καὶ τὴν χάριν, τὴν πολιτείαν καὶ τὴν συγγένειαν. «Εἶδεν δύο ἀδελφούς, Σίμωνα τὸν καλούμενον Πέτρον», οὐ τὸν κληθησόμενον· περὶ γὰρ τῆς κλήσεως ἠξιωμένος ἐτύγχανεν. Ἤδει γὰρ ὅτι ὁ Χριστὸς πρὸς αὐτὸν εἰρηκὼς ἦν· «Σὺ εἶ Σίμων, σὺ κληθήσῃ Κηφᾶς ὁ λεγόμε νος Πέτρος.» Ἰδοὺ πρὸ τῆς ὁμολογίας τὸν μισθὸν ἔχεις καὶ πρὶν ἐργάσῃ τὸν ἀμπελῶνα τὸ δηνάριον ἔλαβες, πρὶν ἀνάψῃς τὸν βωμὸν τὴν θυσίαν προσδέδεξαι, πρὶν κηρύξῃς ἐστεφανώθης, πρὶν εὐαγγελίσῃ τὸ τῆς θεολογίας σοι βραβεῖον ὑπήντησεν. Αἴτιος δὲ αὐτοῦ τούτου ὁ Ἀνδρέας ἐγένετο καὶ τούτου χάριν ὁ Μαθθαῖος προσέθηκεν· «Καὶ Ἀνδρέαν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ», καίτοι ἦν ἅπαξ εἰρηκώς· «Εἶδεν δύο ἀδελφούς», ἀλλ' ὅμως ἰδοὺ νῦν ἀνα λαμβάνει καὶ δεύτερον, εὐεργέτην κηρύξαι τὸν Ἀνδρέαν τοῦ Πέτρου βουλόμενος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησιν· «Σίμωνα τὸν λεγόμενον Πέτρον καὶ Ἀνδρέαν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ», τὸν πληρώσαντα τὴν ἐντολὴν ἣν ἐν Παροιμίαις ὁ Σολομὼν προϋπέγραψεν· «Ἀδελφοὶ ἐν ἀνάγκαις ἔστωσαν χρήσιμοι», ἐν τοῖς ἄγαν συμφέρουσιν, ἐν τοῖς λίαν σπουδαίοις, ἐν τοῖς σφόδρα κατεπείγουσιν· τοῦτο γὰρ ὡς ἀναγκαίας καὶ ἀπαραιτήτους αἰτίας ἡ σοφία ἐκάλεσεν· «Ἀδελ φοὶ δὲ ἐν ἀνάγκαις ἔστωσαν χρήσιμοι.» Οὐ τοίνυν παρεῖδεν ὁ Ἀνδρέας τὸν Πέτρον κατεπειγούσης τῆς κλήσεως· ἀκήκοας γὰρ ὅπως πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔλεγεν· «Εὑρήκαμεν τὸν Μεσσίαν τὸν λεγό μενον Χριστόν.» ∆ράμε, Πέτρε, φησίν, πρὶν προλάβωσι Πέ τροι, πρὶν ἄλλοι τῶν πρωτείων ἐπιλάβωνται· οὗτος γὰρ ὅθεν θέλει στρατολογεῖ, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀπὸ «τῶν 4 ὁδῶν καὶ φραγμῶν» ἀθροίζων, ὁ πόρνους καὶ τελῶνας σφραγίζων. Ἔνθα ἂν ῥίψῃ τὸν σπόρον, ἐκεῖ ἡ γῆ καρποφορεῖ, ὅπου τὸ κλῆμα φυτεύσει ἡ ἄμπελος παραχρῆμα ἀνέρχεται, ἔνθα ἂν ῥίψῃ τὸ δίκτυον, πλῆρες ἰχθύων εὑρίσκεται. «Εἶδεν δύο ἀδελφούς, Σίμωνα τὸν λεγόμενον Πέτρον καὶ Ἀνδρέαν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, βάλλοντας ἀμφίβληστρον εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν· ἦσαν γὰρ ἁλιεῖς.» Θαύμασον τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὴν φιλοτιμίαν ὅτι τοὺς πτωχοὺς καὶ ἀπαιδεύτους καὶ ἀγραμ μάτους καὶ ἁλιεῖς ἐκλέλεκται. Ἡ σοφία γὰρ οὐ χρῄζει συνηγόρων ἀλλ' ὑπουργῶν· οὐδεὶς γὰρ αὐτῇ παρέχει, παρ' αὐτῆς δὲ πάντες τὰ πάντα λαμβάνομεν· οὐδεὶς γὰρ δανείζει τῷ πλουσίῳ, πάντες γὰρ παρ' αὐτοῦ δανειζόμεθα. Τί τοίνυν χρεία σοφῶν ἔσται ἐν τῷ κηρύγματι; ∆εῖ γὰρ γενέσθαι μωρὸν τὸν τῆς ἀληθοῦς σοφίας μεταλαμβάνειν μέλλοντα. 8 Θαύμασον τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὴν σοφίαν καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων τὴν ἐκλογὴν μακάρισον. Οἷα ἀνθ' οἵων ἠλλάξαντο; ∆ηλοῖ γὰρ τὰ ἐχόμενα τοῦ λέγειν αὐτοῖς· «∆εῦτε ὀπίσω μου καὶ ποιήσω ὑμᾶς ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων.» Τῶν ἀρχαίων ἁπάντων ἐπιλάθεσθε, ἀρνήσασθε τοὺς γονεῖς τῆς σαρκὸς ἵνα τὸν πατέρα τὸν ἀληθινὸν ἀπολάβητε. Μικρὸς ὑμῖν ὁ κόσμος ἔστω ὅλος, πρὸς τὸν ποιητὴν τὸν ἑαυτοῦ κρινόμενος. «∆εῦτε ὀπίσω μου»· πρὸς γὰρ ζωὴν ὑμᾶς ἀνάγω, πρὸς τὸ φῶς χειραγωγῶ. «∆εῦτε ὀπίσω μου», ἵνα πατριάρχας προλάβητε, ἵνα πρὸ τῶν προφητῶν τὸν κλῆρον ὑποδέξησθε· καὶ ἔσχατοι ὄντες γενήσεσθε πρῶτοι, ἵνα οἱ περὶ τὴν ἑνδεκάτην τῶν πρωῒ ἅμα μισθωθέντων ἀνώτεροι γένησθε. «∆εῦτε ὀπίσω μου»· ἐμοὶ γὰρ ἀκολουθοῦντες βίον ἕξετε ἄπονον· χωρὶς γὰρ ἀργυρίου πλουτήσετε, χωρὶς φαρμάκων ἰατροὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἔσεσθε, χωρὶς ὅπλων εὑρεθήσεσθε τῶν ἐχθρῶν δυνατώτεροι. «∆εῦτε ὀπίσω μου»· «Ἐγὼ γάρ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου», «ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ζωὴ καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια», ἐγὼ πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα χειραγωγῶ, «ἐπὶ ἀσπίδα καὶ βασιλίσκον ἐπιβαίνειν καὶ καταπατεῖν λέοντα καὶ δράκοντα» τοῖς ὀπίσω μου πορευομένοις δίδωμι. «Καὶ εὐθέως ἀφέντες τὰ δίκτυα ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ.» Μακαρίσαι τοίνυν προσῆκεν τὴν

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A fresh English translation of Hesychius of Jerusalem’s sermon in praise of the apostle Andrew, the first to be called, who brought his brother Peter to Christ.

Hesychius of Jerusalem (fl. c. 412–450), a priest of the church of Jerusalem, preached this homily in praise of the apostle Andrew. It opens with a call to sound the trumpet for the feast. Andrew, called before all the others, is the apostolic trumpet who gives all a share in grace.

Andrew told Peter, "We have found the Messiah" (John 1:41), though he had heard John say only "Behold the Lamb of God." Hesychius asks where the one found had been lost, and answers from the prophets. David took pride in seeking God, and Hosea foretold healing after two days and rising on the third day, fulfilled when Christ rose and the women found him at dawn.

Hesychius then turns to Christ's first preaching, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near" (Matthew 4:17), and to the call of Simon and Andrew by the Sea of Galilee. The fishermen left their nets without doubting the promise to make them fishers of men. The homily closes with a prayer that the apostles' light may shine into our minds, so that we may become fish in their heavenly net, choice fare for the Master's table.

Fresh English translation of Hesychius of Jerusalem's In sanctum Andream, made from the Greek of PG 93, the base text. No English version was used as wording.

Printed text used

Translated from PG 93 (Greek)

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