3 But some one who hears me will say, “Can you then say this of Christ, that He either was not able to fulfil what He would, or that He did not know things to come?” You do well, good is your suggestion, right your hint; but, O man, share with me my anxiety. Dare we to say that He lies, Who we do not dare to say is weak in power? I for my part, to the best of my thinking, as far as according to my infirmity I am able to judge, would choose that a man should be deceived in any matter rather than lie in any.
For to be deceived is the portion of infirmity, to lie of iniquity. “You hate, O Lord,” says he, “all them that work iniquity.” And immediately after, “You shall destroy all them that speak a lie.” Either “iniquity” and “a lie” are upon a level; or, “You shall destroy,” is more than “You hate.” For he who is held in hatred, is not immediately punished by destruction. But let that question be, whether there be ever a necessity to lie; for I am not now discussing that; it is a dark question, and has many lappings; I have not time to cut them, and to come to the quick. Therefore let the treatment of it be deferred to some other time; for perhaps it will be cured by the Divine assistance without any words of mine.
But attend and distinguish between what I have deferred, and what I wish to treat of today. Whether on any occasion one may lie, this difficult and most obscure question I defer. But whether Christ lied, whether the Truth spoke anything false, this, being reminded of it by the Gospel lesson, have I undertaken today.
Source: Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament (New Advent)