The same. — 'For he said, Lest perhaps my sons have sinned, and have blessed God in their hearts.' 31. How the stains contracted by preachers are to be washed away. — For to bless God, that is, to curse, is to take glory to oneself from His gift. Whence rightly did the Lord wash the feet of the holy apostles after their preaching (John xiii, 5); that clearly He might show that very often even in a good work the dust of sin is contracted, and thence are the footsteps of the speakers soiled, whence the hearts of the hearers are cleansed. For often some, while they utter words of exhortation, however slightly, exalt themselves inwardly, because through them the grace of purgation is derived to others;
and while by their word they wash away the works of others, they take, as it were from a good journey, the dust of evil thought. What then was it, after preaching, to wash the feet of the disciples, save, after the glory of preaching, to wipe away the dust of thoughts, and to cleanse the steps of the heart from inward elation? Nor does it stand against the wholly complete knowledge of the Mediator, that it is said, 'lest perhaps.' For, knowing all things, but in His speech taking upon Himself our ignorance, and while taking it upon Himself, teaching, He sometimes speaks as it were out of our doubt, just as He says: 'When the Son of man cometh, thinkest thou, shall He find faith upon the earth?' (Luke xviii, 8). The feasts therefore being accomplished, Job, offering a sacrifice for his sons, said:
'Lest perhaps my sons have sinned, and have blessed God in their hearts'; because our Redeemer, after He had washed His preachers from the evils that assailed them, defended them also, even amid the good things which they had done, from temptations. There follows: