Homilies on the Gospel of John 27

'If I have told you earthly things, and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven, except He who descended from heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.'

What I have often said, this I will say now also, and I will not cease to say it.

And what is this? That Jesus, being about to touch upon lofty doctrines, on account of the weakness of His hearers often restrains Himself, and does not continually dwell on words befitting His majesty, but rather on those that carry a condescension to their level.

For that which is lofty and great, even when spoken but once, is sufficient to set forth that dignity, insofar as it is possible for us to hear it;

but the humbler things, near to the understanding of the hearers, unless they were spoken continually, would not readily hold fast the lofty truths in the earthbound hearer.

For this very reason the more numerous things spoken by Him are humbler than the lofty ones.

But lest this again should work some other harm by keeping the disciple down below, He does not simply set forth the lower things, unless He first states also the reason for which He speaks them;

which indeed He has done here also.

For since He had said concerning baptism the things He said, and concerning the birth by grace that takes place on earth, being minded to descend also to His own ineffable and unutterable birth, for a while He forbears, and does not descend to it;

then He states also the reason for which He does not descend to it.

And what is this? The grossness and weakness of the hearers.

And hinting at this, He added, saying:

'If I have told you earthly things, and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?' So that wherever He says anything moderate and lowly, it must be reckoned to the weakness of the hearers.

Now as to the 'earthly things' here, some say they were spoken concerning the wind;

that is to say, if I have given you an example even from earthly things, and not even so were you persuaded, how will you be able to learn the higher things? But if it be baptism—

that He here calls 'earthly,' do not marvel.

For either on account of its being accomplished on earth, or in comparison with His own most awesome birth, He so names and calls it thus.

For even though this birth is heavenly, yet compared with that true one which is of the Father's essence, it is earthly.

And well did He not say, 'You do not understand,' but, 'You do not believe.'

For when one is difficult about those things which it is possible to apprehend by the intellect, and does not readily receive them, he might reasonably be charged with folly;

but when he does not receive these things which cannot be grasped by reasoning, but by faith alone, the charge is no longer of folly, but of unbelief.

So then, drawing him away from seeking to test what was said by reasonings, He deals with him more severely, charging him with unbelief.

But if our own birth must be received by faith, of what treatment would those be worthy who curiously pry by reasonings into the birth of the Only-begotten? Yet perhaps one might say, And why then were these things spoken, if the hearers were not going to believe? Because, even if those did not believe, yet those after them were going to receive them and profit thereby.

So then, dealing with him most severely, He next shows that He not only knows these things, but also others far more and greater than these. Whence He made this plain also by way of addition, speaking thus:

'And no one has ascended into heaven, except He who descended from heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.'

And what is the connection here, one asks? A very great one indeed, and closely in harmony with what went before.

For since that man had said, 'We know that You have come as a teacher from God,' He corrects this very thing, as much as to say:

Do not think that I am a teacher such as the many of the prophets who were from the earth.

For I am now come from heaven.

For none of the prophets has ascended thither;

Do you see how even that which seems to be very lofty is very unworthy of His majesty? For He is not in heaven only, but also everywhere, and fills all things.

But He still speaks to the weakness of the hearer, wishing to lead him up little by little.

Now here He did not call the flesh 'Son of Man,' but named His whole self, so to speak, from the lesser essence.

For this too is His custom, often to name the whole from the Godhead, and often from the manhood.

'And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,' He says, 'so must the Son of Man be lifted up.'

Again this too seems to be disconnected from what went before, yet it too has much coherence with it.

For having spoken of the greatest benefit conferred upon men through baptism, He adds also the cause of it, no less than that other, namely the benefit that comes through the cross.

Just as Paul also, discoursing to the Corinthians, sets these benefits together, saying thus:

'Was Paul crucified for you, or were you baptized into the name of Paul?' For most of all these two things display His unspeakable love: that He suffered for enemies, and that, having died for enemies, He bestowed through baptism the entire forgiveness of sins.

But why did He not say plainly, 'I am about to be crucified,' but referred the hearers to the ancient type? First, that they might learn that the old things are akin to the new, and that those are not alien to these;

then, that you might know that He came to His passion not unwillingly;

and still further, that you might learn that neither does any harm come to Him from the deed, and that from it salvation is born for many.

For lest anyone should say, 'And how is it possible for those who believe in the Crucified to be saved, when He Himself was held fast by death?'—He leads us to the ancient history.

For if the Jews, by looking to a bronze image of a serpent, escaped death;

much more shall those who believe in the Crucified, with good reason, enjoy a far greater benefit.

For this comes to pass not because of the weakness of the Crucified, nor because the Jews prevailed, but because God loved the world; on this account His living temple is crucified.

'That everyone who believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.'

the cause, and the salvation that came from it? Do you see the kinship of the type to the truth? There the Jews escaped death, but a temporary death;

here it is the eternal death that those who believe escape.

There the hanging serpent healed the bites of serpents; here the crucified Jesus healed the wounds inflicted by the spiritual dragon.

There he who looked with these bodily eyes was healed; here he who sees with the eyes of the understanding lays aside all his sins.

There the thing hanging was bronze, fashioned into the shape of a serpent; here it is a lordly body prepared by the Spirit.

There a serpent bit, and a serpent healed;

so also here death destroyed, and death saved.

But the serpent that destroyed had venom;

while the one that saved was clean of venom.

And here again the very same thing holds true:

for the death that destroyed had sin, just as the serpent had its venom;

but the death of the Master was free from all sin, just as the bronze serpent was free from venom.

For it says, 'He did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.'

And this is what Paul says:

'Having put off the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.'

For just as a noble athlete, when he has lifted his adversary on high and dashed him down, makes his victory the more glorious;

so also Christ, in the sight of the whole world, cast down the opposing powers, and having healed those who were smitten in the wilderness, delivered all men from the beasts when he was hung upon the cross.

But he did not say 'must be hung,' but 'must be lifted up.'

For he set down that which seemed more auspicious for the hearer's sake, and which was closer to the type.

'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.'

And what he means is this:

Do not marvel that I am about to be lifted up, so that you may be saved.

For this pleases the Father also, and he himself so loved you that he gave up his Son for slaves—and for thankless slaves.

And yet no one would do this even for a friend, [nor readily even for a righteous man, which Paul also declared, saying:] 'For scarcely for a righteous man will one die.'

But he spoke more expansively, since he was conversing with believers;

here, however, Christ spoke in a more compressed manner, since the discourse was with Nicodemus, yet more emphatically.

For each word carries much emphasis.

For by saying 'so loved,' and 'God the world,' he shows the great intensity of the love.

For great and boundless was the distance between them.

For he who is immortal, without beginning, the Majesty that is limitless—it was these he loved: those made of earth and ashes, laden with countless sins, who through all time had given offense, the thankless ones.

And what follows likewise is emphatic, which he added, saying:

'That he gave his only-begotten Son.'

Not a slave, he says, not an angel, not an archangel.

And yet no one would have shown such earnestness for a child as God showed for his thankless household servants.

So then the Passion he sets down not too nakedly, but in a veiled manner;

but the gain that comes from the Passion he sets down clearly and openly, saying thus:

'That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.'

For since he had said 'must be lifted up,' and had hinted at his death, lest the hearer become downcast at these words, suspecting something merely human concerning him and supposing his death to be a passing into non-existence, observe how he sets it right, saying both that the one given is the Son of God, and that he is the cause of life—and of eternal life.

For he who through death bestows life on others could not himself remain forever in death.

For if those who believe in the crucified one do not perish, much more will he himself, having been crucified, not perish.

For he who takes away the destruction of others is much more himself delivered from it;

he who bestows life on others much more makes life to spring up for himself.

Do you see that everywhere there is need of faith? For he says the cross is a fountain of life—something which reasoning would not readily accept;

the Greeks even now bear witness to this by their mockery;

but faith, which transcends the weakness of reasonings, would readily both receive it and hold it fast.

But whence did God so love the world? From no other source whatever, but from goodness alone.

Let us therefore stand in awe of his love;

let us be ashamed before the surpassing greatness of his love for mankind.

For he did not spare even his Only-begotten for our sake;

but we spare even our money to our own hurt.

He gave his own true Son for us;

but we do not despise even silver for his sake—nor even for our own.

And how could these things be worthy of pardon? For if we see a man who has accepted dangers and deaths on our behalf, we set him above all, and reckon him among the foremost of our friends, and put all that is ours into his hands, and say that these things are more his than ours;

and yet even so we do not think that we are giving him a worthy recompense.

But in the case of Christ we do not keep even this measure of gratitude;

for he laid down his life for us, and poured out his precious blood for us who had become neither well-disposed nor good;

but we do not pour out even money for our own selves, but overlook him who died for us naked and a stranger.

And who will deliver us from the coming punishment? For if not God, but we ourselves were to punish ourselves, should we not have brought the verdict against ourselves? Should we not have condemned ourselves to the fire of Gehenna, as we overlook him who laid down his life for us, wasting away with hunger? And why do I speak of money? For if we had ten thousand lives, ought we not to have laid them all down for him? And yet even so we would have done nothing worthy of his benefaction.

For he who first bestows a benefit manifestly displays his kindness;

but he who has received the benefit, whatever he may give in return, is paying a debt, not laying up a favor;

and especially when the one who began was conferring benefits upon enemies, and when the one who makes return both accounts what is done as done to a benefactor, and himself again enjoys the fruit of it.

But not even these things draw us on;

but we are so thankless that, while we put golden collars around our household servants and mules and horses, we overlook the Master going about naked, passing from door to door, ever standing at the gateways and stretching out his hands, and often we even look upon him with a harsh eye;

and yet this very thing too he endures for our sake.

For gladly does he hunger, that you may be fed;

and he goes about naked, that he may furnish you with the foundation of the garment of incorruption.

But not even so do you give up any of your own;

but of your garments some are moth-eaten, others a burden to your chest, and a superfluous care to their owners;

while he who gave both these and all other things goes about naked.

But you do not lay them up in the chest—rather you adorn yourselves by wrapping them about you? Tell me, what is the greater gain to you from these things? That the throng of the market-place may gaze upon you? And what is that? For it is not you who wear them that they will admire, but him who gives to the needy.

So that, if you wish to be admired, by clothing others you will rather reap countless plaudits.

Then God also will praise you together with men.

But as it is, no one will praise you, and all will envy you, seeing the body adorned while the soul is left neglected.

This kind of adornment belongs even to harlot women;

and often the garments upon them are even more costly and more brilliant.

But the adornment of the soul belongs only to those who live in virtue.

These things I say continually, and in saying them I will not cease, caring not so much for the poor as for your souls.

For to those there will be some consolation, if not from us, yet nonetheless from another quarter;

and even if no consolation comes, but they perish of famine, the loss to them is nothing great.

For what harm did poverty and being wasted by hunger do to Lazarus? But no one will deliver you from hell, unless you obtain the help that comes from the poor.

But we shall say the same things to you as to the rich man, who was perpetually seared as in a frying-pan, yet obtained no consolation whatever.

But may it never be that anyone should ever hear these words, but rather that he should depart into the bosom of Abraham;

by the grace and love toward man of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father be glory, together with the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages.