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| Why the Pharisees Asked a Sign from Heaven.
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2. Why the Pharisees Asked a Sign from Heaven.
Now, to this point we have come in our discourse,
because of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming together unto Jesus, who
disagreed in matters relating to the resurrection, but came, as it
were, to an agreement for the sake of tempting our Saviour, and asking
Him to show them a sign from heaven. For, not satisfied with the
wonderful signs shown among the people in the healing of all forms of
disease and sickness, and with the rest of the miracles which our
Saviour had done in the knowledge of many, they wished Him to show to
them also a sign from heaven. And I conjecture that they
suspected that the signs upon earth might possibly not be of God; for
they did not hesitate indeed to say, “Jesus casts out demons by
Beelzebub the prince of the demons;”5559
and it seemed to them that a sign from heaven could not spring from
Beelzebub or any other wicked power. But they erred in regard to
both, in regard to signs upon earth as well as to signs from heaven,
not being “approved money-changers,”5560
| 5560 The familiar saying so
frequently quoted as Scripture in the Fathers, sometimes ascribed to
Jesus by them, sometimes to Paul. See Suicer. | nor knowing how to distinguish between the
spirits that are working, which kind are from God, and which have
revolted from Him. And they ought to have known that even many of
the portents wrought against Egypt in the time of Moses, though they
were not from heaven, were clearly from God, and that the fire which
fell from heaven upon the sheep of Job was not from God;5561
for that fire belonged to the same one as he
to whom belonged those who carried off, and made three bands of
horsemen against, the cattle of Job. I think, moreover, that in
Isaiah—as if signs could be shown both from the earth and from
heaven, the true being from God, but “with all power and signs
and lying wonders”5562
those from the evil
one—it was said to Ahaz, “Ask for thyself a sign from the
Lord thy God in the depth or in the height.”5563
For, unless there had been some signs
in the depth or in the height which were not from the Lord God, this
would not have been said, “Ask for thyself a sign from the Lord
thy God in the depth or in the height.” But I know well
that such an interpretation of the passage, “Ask for thyself a
sign from the Lord thy God,” will seem to some one rather forced;
but give heed to that which is said by the Apostle about the man of
sin, the son of perdition, that, “with all power and signs and
lying wonders and with all deceit of unrighteousness,”5564
he shall be manifested to them that are
perishing, imitating all kinds of wonders, to-wit, those of
truth. And as the enchanters and magicians of the Egyptians, as
being inferior to the man of sin and the son of perdition, imitated
certain powers, both the signs and wonders of truth, doing lying
wonders so that the true might not be believed; so I think the man of
sin will imitate signs and powers. And perhaps, also, the
Pharisees suspected these things because of the prophecies concerning
Him; but I inquire whether also the Sadducees tempting Him asked Jesus
to show them a sign from heaven. For unless we say that they
suspected this, how shall we describe their relation to the portents
which Jesus wrought, who continued hard-hearted and were not put to
shame by the miraculous things that were done? But if any one
supposes that we have given an occasion of defence to the Pharisees and
Sadducees, both when they say that the demons were cast out by Jesus
through Beelzebub, and when tempting Him, they ask Jesus about a
heavenly sign, let him know that we plausibly say that they were drawn
away to the end that they might not believe in the miracles of Jesus;
but not as to deserve forgiveness;
for they did not look to the words of the prophets which were being
fulfilled in the acts of Jesus, which an evil power was not at all
capable of imitating. But to bring back a soul which had gone
out, so that it came out of the grave when already stinking and passing
the fourth day,5565
was the work of no
other than Him who heard the word of the Father, “Let us make man
after our image and likeness.”5566
But also
to command the winds and to make the violence of the sea cease at a
word, was the work of no other than Him through whom all things, both
the sea itself and the winds, have come into being. Moreover also
as to the teaching which stimulates men to the love of the Creator, in
harmony with the law and the prophets, and which checks passions and
moulds morals according to piety, what else did it indicate to such as
were able to see, than that He was truly the Son of God who wrought
works so mighty? In respect of which things He said also to the
disciples of John, “Go your way and tell John what great things
ye see and hear; the blind receive their sight,” etc.5567
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