Letter 137: Whatever your office requires of you, whatever comes your way — measure it by piety and justice.

To Nilus. On the Lord's saying: "To sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to give." The Lord did not refuse the request of the mother of the sons of Zebedee as something impossible for Him — for He can do whatever He wills — but He dismissed it as improper. For she said, "Command that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." But the righteous rewarder, with a certain reasonable judgment, corrects what is improper. It is not mine, He says, to give simply to those who ask, but to provide reward to those who have labored. For it is not the part of a just judge to overlook toil and bestow the prize on the idle. If therefore they desire the seat of honor, they are well aware of the struggles of which that seat is the prize, prepared for those who compete lawfully.

ΡΑΖ'. - ΝΕΙΛΩ. Εἰς τὸ εἰρημένον ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου, « Τὸ δὲ καθίσαι ἐκ δεξιῶν καὶ ἐξ εὐωνύμων, οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὸν δοῦναι.» Τὴν αἴτησιν τῆς μητέρος τῶν υἱῶν Ζεβεδαίου οὐχ ὡς ἀδύνατον αὐτῷ παραιτ εἶται ὁ Κύριος· ὁ γὰρ βού- λεται δύναται· ἀλλ' ὡς ἄτοπον ἀπεπέμψατο. « Εἰπὲ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἵνα οἱ δύο υἱοί μου καθίσωσιν, εἷς ἐκ δεξιῶν σου, καὶ εἷς ἐξ εὐωνύμων σου ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου. » Ὁ δὲ δίκαιος μισθαποδότης, εὐλόγῳ τινὶ κρί- σει σωφρονίζει τὸ ἄτοπον (32). Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὸν δοῦναι ἁπλῶς τοῖς αὐτοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ παρασχεῖν μισθὸν τοῖς καμοῦσιν· οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ δικαίου κριτοῦ τοὺς ἰδρῶτας παριδεῖν, καὶ ῥᾳθύμοις παρασχεῖν. Εἰ τοίνων τῆς καθέδρας ἐρῶσι, τοὺς ἀγῶνας οὐκ ἀγνοοῦσιν, ὧν ἐκείνη βραβεῖον τοῖς νομίμως ἀθλοῦσιν ἡτοίμασται. eos cupiditas tenet, certamina illa minime ignorant, præparata est. ΡΝΔ΄. – ΘΕΟΔΩΡΩ Διορθοῦσθαι ἀμείνους γενέσθαι χρῆν.