κατά ίουδαίων - ζʹ

The Jews will say:

"Where is the evidence, that God has turned away front us?"

Does this still need proof in words? Tell me this. Do not the facts themselves shout it out? Do they not send forth a sound clearer than the trumpet's call? Do you still ask for proof in words, when you SEE the destruction of your city, the desolation of your temple, and all the other misfortunes which have come upon you?

"But men brought these things upon us, not God."

Rather it was God above all others who did these things.

If you attribute them to men, then you must consider that, even if men were to have the boldness, they would not have had the power to bring these things to accomplishment, unless it were by God's decree. If the things that happened were the work of men...

your misfortunes should have ended with the capture of Jerusalem, and your disgrace should not have gone beyond it. Let me grant, according to your argument, that men demolished the walls, destroyed the city, and overturned the altar...  

Was it the work of men that you have no more prophets? 

Men did not take away the grace of the Spirit, did they? 

Did men destroy the other things you held solemn? 

Such as the voice from the propitiatory... 

the power which came in the anointing...

the declaration made by the priest from the stones?

The Jewish religious way of life did not have all its origins from here below.

The greater number and the more solemn things càme from heaven above.

For example, God permitted the sacrifices. The altar was from here below as were the faggots [takkenbossen], the knife, and the priest. But the rite which was going to enter the sanctuary and consume the sacrifices had its source from on high.

No man carried the fire into the temple! 

But a flame came down from above...

and by this the ministry for the sacrifice was fulfilled.

And again...

if they ever had to know something...

a voice came forth from the propitiatory, or mercy-seat, from between the cherubim, and foretóld the future. Again from the stones which were on the breast of the high priest, which they called the declaration, there came a sort of flashing, which indicated the future.

Furthermore, whenever someone had to be chosen and anointed, the grace of the Spirit would wing its way down, and the oil would run on the forehead of the elect. Prophets fulfilled these ministries. And many a time a cloud of smoke obscured the sanctuary... 

To keep the Jews from continuing their shameless ways and attributing their desolation to men, God not only permitted the city to fall and the temple to be destroyed, but he also removed the things which had their source from heaven above: the fire, the voice, the flashing of the stones, and all other such things.

The Jews will tell you:

"Mén waged war on us, mén plotted against us."

When they say this, tell them...

that men would certainly not have waged war against them unless God had permitted it. Granted that men tore down your walls... Did a man keep the fire from coming down from heaven? Did a man stop the voice which was continually heard from the propitiatory? Did a man stop the declaration from the stones? Did a man put an end to the anointing of your priests? Did a man take away all those other things?

Was it not God who withdrew them?

Surely, this is clear to everybody.

Why then, did God take them away?

Is it not obvious that he hated you, and turned his back on you, once and for all?

The Jews will say: "By no means! The reason why we do not have these is because we do not have our mother-city."

But WHY do you not have your mother-city?

Is it not because God has abandoned you?

Let us, rather, stop their shameless mouths...

with still móre proof !

To do this, let me prove from the Scriptures themselves, that the destruction of the temple was not the reason for destroying the ritual given to the prophets. The real reason was the wrath of God. And he is much more provoked to anger now - because of the Jews' mad rage against Christ - than he was when they worshipped the calf.

Surely, when Moses was their prophet, there was neither temple nor altar. Even though they kept committing countless acts of ungodliness, his gift of prophecy did not desert him. To be sure, he was a great and noble man, but in addition to him, there were again seventy other men who, at that time, were proclaimed as prophets.

This was true not only in Moses' day, but also thereafter, when they had been given a temple and the rest of the ritual. Even after this temple was burned, and they all had been led off to Babylon, Ezechiel and Daniel saw no holy of holies, stood beside no altar. But even though they were in the middle of a barbarian land, and in the midst of unclean transgressors of the Law, they were filled with the Spirit and foretold the future, predicting events far more numerous and marvelous than those prophesied by their predecessors and they saw divine visions insofar as it was possible for them to see.

Tell me this...

WHY IS IT THAT YOU HAVE NO PROPHETS NOW?

Is it not clear that it is because God has turned his back on your religion? Why did he turn his back on you? It is again obvious, that he did so because of him whom you crucified, and because of your recklessness in committing that outrage.

What makes this so obvious? It is obvious from this: when you Jews lived the life of ungodliness before, you got everything. Now, after the cross, although you seem to be living a more moderate life, you endure a greater vengeance, and have none of your former blessings.


~chrysostomus~
against the jews
homily 6