The City And The Height

Oὕτως εἶπεν Kύριος ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστρέψω τὴν ἀποικίαν Ιακωβ καὶ αἰχμαλωσίαν αὐτοῦ ἐλεήσω, Καὶ οἰκοδομηθήσεται ἡ πόλις ἐπὶ τὸ ὕψες αὐτῆς. Εἴποις δ᾽ ἂν, ὅτι Kαὶ τὴν ἰδίαν ἐπιδείχνυσιν ἀγαθότητα, δι᾽ ἣν kαὶ τὴν ἀποτομίαν ἐπάγει τοῖς αὐτῆς ἐν χρείᾳ τυγχάνουσι. Διὸ, μετὰ τὸ εἰς ἀλγεινὸν θεραπευθῆναι, οἰκοδομηθήσεται, φησὶν, ἡ πόλις ἐπὶ τὸ ὕψος αὑτῆς. Ποῖον ὕψος ; Οὐ δύναται πόλις ἐπάνω ὄρους κειμένη κρυδῆναι, ὁποία ἐστὶν, ἡ μηδὲν φρονοῦσα ταπεινὸν ἣ ἀνθρώπινον, ἡδονάς, φῆσι χαὶ πλοῦτον ἐν γῇ χαὶ δοξάρια. Συνηγέρθη γὰρ τῷ Χριστῷ, καὶ τὰ ἄνω ζητεῖ. Ταῦτά σου ποιοῦντος, οἰχοδομηθήσεται ἡ πόλις σου ἐπὶ τὸ ὕψος αὐτῆς. Ὠριγένης, Ἐκλογαι Εἰς Ἱερεμαιν Source: Migne PG 13.580b

Thus says the Lord, 'I will bring back the tent of Jacob and I will have pity on the ruins, and the city shall be built on her height.' 1 One may say that here His benevolence is manifested, because of which it was necessary to act severely with those who needed it. Therefore, after a painful cure, He says that 'the city shall be built up on her height.' On what height? It is not possible to hide a city built on a hill, 2 that is, it knows nothing base or human, and I speak here of pleasures and worldly wealth and glory. For rising with Christ it seeks the things which are above. 3 In the doing of such things the city shall be built on her height. Origen, Commentary On Jeremiah, Fragment 1 Jerem 30.18 2 1 Mt 5.14 3 Colos 3.1-2