Homilies on the Gospel of John 29

'the land of Judaea, He and His disciples; and there He tarried with them, and baptized.'

Nothing could be more manifest or more mighty than the truth, just as nothing is weaker than falsehood, even though it be shrouded with ten thousand veils.

For even so it is easily detected, and readily falls to pieces.

But the truth lies naked before all who wish to gaze upon her beauty;

and she neither wishes to be hidden, nor fears danger, nor trembles at plots, nor covets the glory that comes from the many, nor is she answerable to any other of human things.

but stands above all things, receiving indeed ten thousand plots, yet remaining unconquered, and guarding those who flee to her, as in a safe fortress, by the exceeding greatness of her own power; turning aside from secret lurking-places, but setting forth openly to all what is her own.

This indeed Christ also made plain when conversing with Pilate, saying:

'I have always taught openly, and in secret have I said nothing.'

This He both said then, and now did.

'After these things came He into the land of Judaea, He and His disciples; and there He tarried, and baptized.'

For during the feasts He went up into the city, so as to set forth His doctrines in their midst, and the benefit that comes from the miracles;

but after the feasts were ended, He often came to the Jordan, since there too many flocked together.

And He ever took up the places thronged with crowds, not making a display nor seeking honor, but eager to afford to more people the benefit that comes from Himself.

And yet, going forward, the Evangelist says that 'Jesus baptized not, but His disciples';

whence it is plain that here too he means this, that they alone baptized.

And why, one asks, did He not baptize? John had said beforehand, 'He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire';

but the Spirit He had not yet given.

With reason therefore He baptized not;

but the disciples did this, wishing to bring many to the saving teaching.

And why then, while the disciples of Jesus were baptizing, did John not cease from doing this, but himself also continued baptizing, and kept doing so even until his being led into prison? For the saying, 'And John also was baptizing in Aenon';

and the added words, 'For John was not yet cast into prison,' showed that until then he did not cease from doing this.

And why, one asks, did he baptize until then? Indeed he would have rendered the disciples of Jesus more venerable, if, when those had begun, he himself had ceased.

For what reason then did he baptize? So as not to cast his own disciples into greater jealousy, and make them more contentious.

For if, though crying out ten thousand times, and ever yielding the first place to Christ, and so greatly abasing himself, he did not persuade them to run to Him;

if he had also added this, he would have made them far more contentious.

For this reason also Christ then most especially began to preach, when John was removed out of the way.

And I think that for this reason also the end of John was permitted and made to come to him very swiftly, so that all the disposition of the multitude might pass over to Christ, and that they might no longer divide themselves into opinions concerning the two.

And apart from these things, even while baptizing he did not cease continually exhorting, and showing forth the things of Jesus as great and venerable.

He baptized for no other reason than only for Him who was coming after him, that they might believe.

He then who was proclaiming this, how could he have rendered the disciples of Christ venerable? For if he had ceased, on the contrary he would have seemed to do this from jealousy or anger;

but by continuing to proclaim, he rendered these things stronger.

For he did not acquire the glory for himself, but sent his hearers on to Christ, and cooperated with Him not less than the disciples, but even much more, inasmuch as his testimony was above suspicion, and he had far greater glory in the eyes of all than they.

Which indeed the Evangelist also hinted at when he said that 'They went out, and were baptized unto him, all Judaea and the region round about Jordan.'

And even while the disciples were baptizing, many did not cease coming to him.

But if anyone should inquire, what more had the baptism of the disciples than that of John? we shall say, Nothing.

For both alike were without part in the grace that comes from the Spirit, and there was one and the same cause of baptizing for both, namely, the bringing of those baptized to Christ.

For in order that they might not always be running about and so gathering together those who ought to believe—as the brother did in the case of Simon, and Philip in the case of Nathanael—they established the practice of baptizing, so that through it they might draw all men without toil, and prepare the way for the faith that was to come.

But that the baptisms had nothing more than one another, what follows makes plain.

What then are these? 'There arose,' it says, 'a questioning from the disciples of John with a Jew about purifying.'

For since the disciples of John were always jealously disposed toward the disciples of Christ, and toward Christ Himself, when they saw them baptizing, they began to argue with those being baptized, as though the baptism among themselves had something more than that of the disciples of Christ.

And taking one of those who had been baptized, they attempted to persuade him, but did not persuade him.

For that it was they who ran up to him, and not that man who sought the questioning, hear how the Evangelist hinted at this.

For he did not say that a certain Jew questioned with them, but that 'there arose a questioning from the disciples of John with a certain Jew about purifying.'

And observe for me also the inoffensiveness of the Evangelist.

For he did not use the word in a condemnatory way;

but as far as he was able, he softens the charge, saying simply that a questioning arose;

since that the things said were spoken from jealousy, what follows makes plain, which too he has set down without giving offense.

For they came, he says, to John and said to him:

'Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have borne witness, behold, this man is baptizing, and all are coming to him.'

That is to say, he whom you baptized.

For this is what they were hinting at when they said, 'To whom you have borne witness.'

As if to say: he whom you made illustrious and set forth as an object of universal regard now presumes to do the very same things as you do.

But they did not say, 'he whom you baptized';

for then they would have been compelled also to call to mind the voice that was borne down from above and the descent of the Spirit.

But what did they say? 'He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have borne witness.'

That is to say: he who held the rank of a disciple, who had nothing more than we, this man, having separated himself off, is baptizing.

And they thought to nettle him not only by this, but also by the fact that henceforth their own work was being outshone;

'For all,' he says, 'are coming to him.'

From which it is clear that they had not even prevailed over the Jew with whom they had had the dispute.

They said these things because they were still rather imperfectly disposed and not yet pure of the love of honour.

What then does John do? Neither does he rebuke them severely, fearing lest, being separated from him too, they might work some other evil;

but what does he say? 'A man can receive nothing, unless it be given him from heaven.'

And if he speaks in somewhat lowly terms concerning Christ, do not be amazed;

for it was not possible to teach the whole truth all at once and from the very outset to men so preoccupied with such a passion;

but for the present he wishes to strike them with awe and fear, and to show that they are warring not against any other, but against God, in warring against him.

Which is just what Gamaliel also said:

'You cannot overthrow it, lest haply you be found even to be fighting against God.'

This very thing he too here establishes covertly.

For in saying, 'No one can receive, unless it be given him from heaven,' he thereby declares nothing else than that they are attempting the impossible, and that hereby again they are found to be fighting against God.

What then? Did not those with Theudas take upon themselves of their own accord? They did, but they were straightway dissolved and perished;

the things of Christ, however, are not of that sort.

Hence too he gently consoles them, showing that it is not a man, but God, who is outshining them.

So that even if his deeds are splendid and all are coming to him, one need not be amazed;

for such are the things of God, and it is God who is bringing these things to pass;

for never did anything prevail so mightily. Now all human things are easily detected and rotten, and quickly crumble away and perish;

...to whom you have borne witness — then this very thing which they thought to bring forward for the pulling down of Christ, he turned back against themselves.

For having first shown that it was not from his own testimony that Christ's shining forth came about, thereafter he silences them from this very point, saying, 'A man cannot receive of himself even one thing, unless it be given him from heaven.'

What is this? 'If you hold at all to my testimony,' he says, 'and consider it to be true, learn that on account of this very testimony you ought most of all to prefer, not me to him, but him to me.'

'For what did I testify? I call you yourselves as witnesses of this.'

'You yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but I am sent before him.'

'If then, holding to my testimony, you put these things forward to me, saying, To whom you have borne witness — not only is nothing diminished by your receiving my testimony, but he is thereby exceedingly advanced;'

'and besides, the testimony was not mine, but God's.'

'So that, if I seem to you to be worthy of credence, along with the other things I said this too: I am sent before him.'

Do you see how little by little he shows the voice to be divine? For what he says is of this sort:

'I am a servant, and I speak the words of him who sent me, not flattering him with human favour, but ministering to his Father who sent me.'

'Not, therefore, did I bestow the testimony as a favour, but I said what I was sent to say.'

'Do not, then, on this account suppose me to be great.'

'For this shows him to be great.'

'For he is the Lord of these matters.'

Making this plain also, he again adds and says:

'He who has the bride is the bridegroom;'

'but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.'

And how is it that he who said, 'I am not worthy to loose the latchet of his sandal,' now says that he himself is his friend? He says this not to exalt his own position, nor out of boasting, but wishing to show that he himself is above all eager for this, and that these things come about not against his will nor to his grief, but according to his desire and endeavour, and that these are the very things for the sake of which he did all that he did;

which things he very wisely made plain by the appellation of 'friend.'

For the bridegroom's servants do not so rejoice and make merry in such matters as do his friends.

But wishing to set forth the greatness of his joy, and at the same time condescending to their weakness, he says that he is the bridegroom's friend.

Since he had also hinted at his ministry by saying, 'I am sent before him.'

For these reasons, and because they thought him to be stung by what was happening, he called himself the friend of the bridegroom, showing that he is not only not stung, but even exceedingly rejoices.

'Since, then, I came to accomplish this very thing, I am so far from grieving at what is being done, that I would then most of all have grieved, had this not come to pass.'

'For if the bride had not come to the bridegroom, then I should have been stung;'

'but not now,' he says, 'when our task has been accomplished.'

'For as his cause advances, it is we who are held in honour;'

'for what we desired has come to pass, and the bride recognizes the bridegroom.'

'And you yourselves also bear witness, saying that All are coming to him.'

'For this was my earnest endeavour, and for this I did all things.'

'Wherefore, seeing this now come to pass, I rejoice and exult and leap for joy.'

But what is meant by 'He who stands and hears him rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice'? He carried over the discourse from the parable to the matter at hand.

For since he had made mention of bridegroom and bride, he shows how the leading of the bride takes place — namely, through voice and teaching.

For thus also is the Church joined to God.

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

'On account of this voice, therefore, I rejoice.'

And the phrase 'He who stands' he did not set down at random, but to make plain that his own work has ceased, and that henceforth it behooves him to stand and hear, having delivered the bride to him;

and that he is a minister and servant, and that the fruits of the good hope and of the gladness have come forth into deed for him.

Wherefore he also adds this to show it:

'This my joy therefore is fulfilled;'

that is: the work which had to be done has been accomplished by me, and more;

we can do nothing more henceforth.

Then, wishing to check not only the present but also the future growth of their passion, he pronounces likewise concerning things to come, confirming these too from what has already been said and done.

Wherefore he adds, saying, 'He must increase, but I must decrease';

that is to say, our part has come to a standstill and has now ceased, but his part is increasing.

This, then, which you dread, will not be so only now, but far more as time goes on.

For this is the very thing that most of all shows our own work to be glorious.

For this very purpose did I come, and I rejoice that his cause has received great advancement, and that these things have come to pass for the sake of which all that we did was done.

Do you see how gently and with great wisdom he soothed their passion, quenched their envy, and showed them that they were attempting the impossible—that by which malice is most of all put to rest? For it was on this account that it was arranged for these things to come about while he was still living and baptizing, so that they might have him as a witness of Christ's preeminence, and might have no excuse if they would not be persuaded.

For neither did he come to say these things of his own accord, nor because others questioned him;

for they themselves were both the ones who inquired and the ones who heard.

For they were not so persuaded by him speaking of his own accord, as they held a self-condemning verdict when, after their inquiry, they heard him answering;

just as the Jews too, for this very reason above all—that they sent to him from their own home, and heard what they heard, and yet were not persuaded—cast themselves out of every excuse.

What, then, are we taught from this? That vainglory is the cause of all evils.

For this it was that led them to jealousy;

this again roused them up when they had abated a little;

wherefore also, coming to Jesus, they say,

'Why do your disciples not fast?' Let us flee, then, beloved, from this passion.

For if we flee from this, we shall be delivered from hell.

For this most of all kindles the fire for them;

thus everywhere it has extended its dominion, and it holds every age and every rank in tyrannical grip.

This has thrown the Churches into confusion, up and down; this too ravages public affairs; this has overturned whole households, and cities, and peoples, and nations.

And why do you wonder, seeing that it has gone forth even into the desert, and there too displayed its great power? For those who have bidden a long farewell to riches, and to all the show of the world,

and who associate with no one, and who master the more tyrannical desire of the body—these very ones, often being captured by vainglory, have lost everything.

Because of this passion, he who had labored much departed with less than he who had labored nothing but had sinned ten thousand times—the Pharisee less than the Publican—because of this disease.

But to accuse the passion is no great task (for all cast the same vote against it); the thing sought, rather, is how we may get the better of it.

How, then, may we get the better of it? If we set glory against glory.

For just as we despise the wealth of the earth when we look to another wealth, and disdain this life when we consider the one far better than it;

so also we shall be able to spit upon the glory that is here, when we consider that which is by far more august than it—the glory that is real.

For the one is empty and vain, having a name void of any reality;

but that other is true, which is from the heavens, having as its praisers not men, but angels and archangels, and the Master of the archangels—nay rather, together with Him, men also.

If you look toward that theater, if you learn of the crowns there, if you transfer yourself to the applause from thence, the things here will never be able to hold you fast, nor will you deem them great when they come, nor seek them when they are absent.

For indeed, in these royal courts, none of the spearmen who stand beside the king, forsaking to please him who wears the diadem and sits upon the throne, busies himself with the cawings of jackdaws, or with the din of flies and gnats flitting about and buzzing;

for the praises of men are disposed in no way better than these.

Knowing, therefore, the worthlessness of human things, let us gather all into the treasuries that cannot be plundered, and seek after the abiding

and unshakable glory;

which may it be granted us all to attain, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father be glory, together with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages that have no end. Amen.