A Sheep For An Ass

Ἀλλάττεται δὲ προβάτῳ πᾶν διανοῖγον μήτραν ὄνου.  Καὶ τὶς ὁ λόγος; Ἀνίερον μὲν γὰρ καὶ βέβηλον κατὰ νόμον ἡ ὀνο; ἱερὸν δὲ τὸ πρόβατον· τοιγάρτοι καὶ ὑπὲρ ὄνου προσάγεται. Ὕπαινίττεται δὲ πάλιν ἡμῖν ὁ νόμος ἐν τούτοις, ὅτι καὶ τὸ βέβηλον ἅγιον ἐν Χριστῷ, καὶ τὸ ἀνίερον, καὶ δεκτὸν δι' αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ ἀπαράδεκτον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἧμεν ἁμαρτωλοὶ καὶ ἀκαθαρτοι, γέγονεν αὐτὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἅγιον θῦμα, καὶ εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας. Ἀπέθανε γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτωλῶν, δίκαιος ὑπὲρ ἁδίκων, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀκαθάρτων ὁ καθαρὸς, καθὰ καὶ πρόβατον ὑπὲρ ὄνου. Ἅγιος Κύριλλος Ἀλεξανδρείας, Γλαφψρων Εἰς Την Ἐξοδον, Βιβλιον Β' Source: Migne PG 69 440

'For every opening of the womb of an ass a sheep shall be given.' 1  What does this mean? For an ass according to the law is polluted and unclean, whereas a sheep is a clean animal, which is then offered for an ass. But again the law is a figure for us, that the profane is restored through the Holy Christ, the unclean by the clean, the reprobate receiving approval. For when we were sinners and unclean there was made for us a holy sacrifice and with an odour of good fragrance, because He died for sinners, the righteous for the unrighteous, the clean for the unclean, the sheep for the ass. Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Glaphrya on Exodus, Book 2 1 Exod 13.13