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Translated by John Patrick.
Origen Resources OnLine & in Print
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128 Pages
Page 82
And consider whether it is not according to sound reason that there are also many fathers and many mothers corresponding to the fathers of Abraham to whom the patriarch went away, [5510] and to Jerusalem the "mother," as Paul says, concerning himself and those like to him. And it is probable that she of whom the Canaanitish woman was a symbol came out of the borders of Tyre and Sidon, of which the places on earth were types, and came to the Saviour and besought Him and even now beseeches Him saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou Son of David, my daughter is terribly vexed with a demon." [5511] Then also to those without and to the disciples when necessary He answers and says, "I was not sent;" [5512] teaching us that there are some lost souls pre-eminently intellectual and clear of vision, figuratively called sheep of the house of Israel; which things, I think, the simpler who are of opinion that they are spoken in regard to the Israel which is after the flesh will of necessity admit, namely, that our Saviour was sent by the Father to no others than to those lost Jews. But we, who can truthfully boast that "if we have once known Christ after the flesh, but now no longer do we know Him so," [5513] are assured that it is pre-eminently the work of the Word to save the more intelligent, for these are more akin to Him than those who are duller. But since the lost sheep of the house of Israel, with the exception of "the remnant according to the election of grace," [5514] disbelieved the Word, on this account "God chose the foolish things of the world," [5515] namely, that which was not Israel, nor clear of vision, that He might put to shame the wise ones of Israel; and He called "the things which are not," [5516] handing over to them an intelligent nation who were able to admit "the foolishness of the preaching," [5517] and of His good pleasure saved those who believe in this, that He might refute "the things which are," having perfected praise for Himself, "out of the mouths of babes and sucklings," [5518] when they became hostile to truth.
[5510] Gen. xv. 15.
[5511] Matt. xv. 22.
[5512] Matt. xv. 24.
[5513] 2 Cor. v. 16.
[5514] Rom. xi. 5.
[5515] 1 Cor. i. 27.
[5516] 1 Cor. i. 28.
[5517] 1 Cor. i. 21.
[5518] Ps. viii. 2.
Reference address : https://www.ellopos.net/Elpenor/greek-texts/fathers/origen/matthew-commentary.asp?pg=82
