st. john of damascus (676-749 - Cristo Raul

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Il6 ST. JOHN OF DAMASCUS.
forth, cursed is the ground for thy sake ; in sorrow
shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life (c. iii).
As
an example of barren and ungrateful wordiness,
\vhich he compares to the profusion of leaves on the
unfruitful fig-tree rough leaves in place of sweet
fruit the preacher cites the harsh questions put to
Jesus shortly afterwards by the chief priests and
elders of the people (St. Matth. xxi. 23), who came
to Him in the temple, and said :
By what authority
doest thou these things ? and who gave thee this
authority ? Behold," he cries, their barrenness of
spirit
and unbelief !
They ought to have said, Well
done, good Master, for that Thou didst raise Lazarus
after being dead four days, didst make the lame to
walk, didst give the power of seeing to the blind,
didst heal the bruised and wounded, didst drive
away every infirmity, didst put the evil spirits to
flight,
and showedst the way
of salvation. But in
doest thou
place of this they ask, By what authority these
r
f . . .
things O wicked and faithless genera
tion."
The explanation which John of Damascus gives a
little later on of Christ s being the chief corner stone is
noticeable. Instead of His being so called as joining
and locking together in one the Jewish and Gentile
worlds, as adjacent walls, he regards Him as perform
ing that office for the two parts of the Church, the
visible and the invisible, angels and men. I will
join the two hosts together, the things that are now
separate, what is on earth and what is in heaven.
Through me shall there be formed one Church, of
angels and of men
(c. iv).