Homilies on the Gospel of John

“And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by smote Him with the palm of his hand.”

What could be more audacious than this? Shudder, O heaven, be astounded, O earth, at the long-suffering of the Lord, and the senselessness of the servants! Yet what was it that He said? He said not, “Why do you ask Me,” as if refusing to speak, but wishing to remove every pretext for senseless behavior; and being upon this buffeted, though He was able to shake, to annihilate, or to remove all things, He does not any one of these, but speaks words able to relax any brutality.