Homilies on the Gospel of John 45

Jesus answered them and said:

'Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.'

'Work not for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures unto life eternal.' (1)

The mild and smooth is not everywhere useful, but there are times when the teacher has need also of the more cutting sort.

For when the disciple is sluggish and dull, one must thereafter use a goad upon him, so as to reach through his great sluggishness.

This the Son of God also did, both elsewhere in many places, and in the present passage.

For when the multitudes had come and found Jesus, and were flattering Him and saying,

'Rabbi, when did You come here?'—showing that He does not covet honor from men, but looks to one thing only, their salvation, He answers them with rebuke;

wishing to set them right not only in this way, but also by uncovering their thought and bringing it into the open.

For what does He say? 'Truly, truly, I say to you'—

with definiteness and confirmation—

'you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.'

He strikes indeed with the word and reproves, yet not abruptly and vehemently, but doing this with much forbearance.

For He did not say, 'O gluttons and slaves of the belly, I wrought so many wonders, and nowhere did you either follow Me or marvel at the things that were done';

but gently thus, in a way, and quietly, 'You seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled';

signifying not only concerning the things past, but also concerning the present sign.

For He all but says this, by the words with which He addresses them:

'It was not the wonder concerning the loaves that astounded you, but the being filled.'

And that He did not say this as guessing at their state, those men straightway showed.

For it was on this account that they came again, as expecting to enjoy the same things.

'Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness';

again dragging Him down to carnal food, which was a most grievous fault and accusation.

But He does not stop at the reproofs, but adds also teaching to these, saying:

'Work not for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures unto life eternal, which the Son of Man gives to you.'

'For Him has the Father sealed, even God.'

But what He means is this:

'Let none of you take account of this food, but of that spiritual food.'

But since some of those who wish to be fed in idleness have abused this saying, as though Christ were cutting off labor, it is seasonable to speak also to them.

For they slander, so to speak, the whole of Christianity, and contrive to make it mocked as a matter of idleness.

But first it is necessary to cite the saying of Paul.

And what does he say? 'Remember the words of the Lord, that He said:'

'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'

And yet, whence could it come that one who has not should give? How then did Jesus say to Martha:

'You are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is needful;

and [Mary] has chosen the good portion;'

and again, 'Do not be anxious for the morrow.'

For it is necessary now to resolve all these, not only that we may stop them from being idle, if they will, but also that we may not show the oracles of God to be introducing any contradiction.

For indeed the Apostle also says elsewhere:

'And we exhort you to abound and to be ambitious to be quiet and to do your own business, that you may walk becomingly toward those who are outside';

and again, 'Let him who steals steal no more;'

Rather let him labor, working with his own hands, that he may have something to share with him who is in need.

For here Paul did not simply bid men work, but to labor thus with toil, so as to have wherewith to share even with another.

And elsewhere again the same apostle says: 'These hands ministered to my necessities, and to those who were with me.'

And writing to the Corinthians he said:

'What then is my reward? That, in preaching the gospel, I may set forth the Gospel without charge.'

And when he was in that city, he abode with Aquila and Priscilla, and worked.

For they were by trade tentmakers.

But these things make the apparent contradiction the sharper, according to the letter.

It is necessary, then, henceforth to bring forward the solution.

What then shall we say to these things? That not to be anxious is not the same as not to work, but rather not to be nailed fast to the affairs of this life;

that is, not to take thought concerning tomorrow's ease, but to reckon it a matter of small account.

For it is possible both to work and to lay up nothing for the morrow, and it is possible to work and yet be anxious about nothing.

For anxiety and labor are not the same thing.

For a man does not work as though trusting in his work, but in order that he may share with him who is in need.

And that which was said to Martha was not about work and labor, but about the need to know the fitting time, and not to spend the season of hearing upon the more carnal concerns.

It was not, therefore, to cast her into idleness that He said these things, but to fasten her to the hearing.

'I came,' He says, 'to teach you the things that are needful;

but you are busy about a meal? Do you wish to receive Me, and to prepare a costly table? Prepare another feast: give Me your hearing with eagerness, and imitate your sister's longing.'

It was not, then, to forbid hospitality that He said these things—

how could it be?—but that one ought not, in the season of hearing, to be occupied with other matters.

And in saying, 'Work not for the food that perishes,' He did not hint at this, that one must be idle;

for this too is above all a perishing food;

(for idleness has been the teacher of all wickedness);

but rather that one should work and share.

For this is no longer a perishing food.

But if a man, being idle, gorges himself and gives heed to luxury, this man works for the food that perishes;

just as if a man, by his labor, should feed Christ, and give Him drink, and clothe Him, no one is so senseless and unlearned as to say that such a one works for perishing food—that food through which comes the promise of the coming kingdom and of those good things.

For this food abides continually.

But otherwise also, and at that time: since they took no account of faith, nor sought to learn who it was that wrought these things and by what power, but desired one thing only—to be fed while doing nothing—He fittingly called such nourishment perishing food.

'I fed your bodies,' He says, 'that from this you might seek after the other food, the food that abides, that nourishes your soul;

but you run again to the earthly food.'

For this reason you do not understand that I am not leading you to that imperfect food, but to that which affords a life not temporary but eternal, which nourishes not the body but the soul.

Then, since He had spoken so great a thing concerning Himself, and had said that He Himself would give it, lest the saying should again offend them, He, to make His word worthy of belief, refers the bestowal of it to the Father.

For having said, 'Which the Son of Man shall give you,' He added, 'For Him the Father sealed, even God;'

that is, upon this account He sent Him to bring you this food.

But the word admits also of another interpretation.

For indeed elsewhere too Christ says:

'He who hears My words, him the Father has sealed, because He is God;'

that is, He has demonstrated it incontrovertibly;

which indeed seems to me to be what the word here also hints at.

For 'the Father has sealed' is nothing else than that He has demonstrated, has revealed Him through His own testimony.

For He indeed also showed forth Himself;

but since He was discoursing with Jews, He brought forward the testimony of the Father into their midst.

Let us learn, then, beloved, to ask of God those things which are worthy to be asked of Him.

For those other things—the things of this life, I mean—however they may turn out, bring no harm.

For whether we grow rich, here only shall we enjoy the pleasure;

and whether we fall into poverty, we shall suffer nothing dreadful.

For neither the splendid things of the present life, nor its grievous things, have any real strength toward causing either despondency or pleasure, but both are contemptible, and flow past with great swiftness.

Wherefore it is fittingly called a road, inasmuch as these things pass by, and are not of a nature to remain for very long;

but the things to come, both of them, remain immortal—both those of punishment and those of the kingdom.

For those things, then, let us use great diligence, so as to flee the one and to choose the other.

For what is the profit of the luxury that is here? Today it is, and tomorrow it is not;

today a brilliant flower, and tomorrow scattering dust;

today a burning fire, and tomorrow ashes quenched.

But the spiritual things are not such; rather they remain ever shining, and blossoming, and growing brighter day by day.

That wealth never perishes, never departs, never fails, never brings care and envy and accusation; it destroys not the body, it corrupts not the soul, it has no envy, it heaps up no malice—all which things attend upon wealth.

That glory lifts not up into arrogance, makes not to swell with pride, never ceases, nor becomes dimmer.

The rest and the delight abide likewise in the heavens, and this is perpetual, ever unmoved and immortal;

for it is impossible to find any bound or end to it.

This life, I beseech you, let us long for.

For if we long for it, we shall make no account of things present, but shall despise them all and laugh them to scorn; and even if one bid us enter into royal courts, we shall not choose it, having that hope;

and yet nothing seems more blessed than this, but to those who are held by the love of the heavens, even this is small and paltry and worthy of no account.

For everything that has an end is not greatly to be sought after;

everything that ceases, and today is and tomorrow is not, even if it be very great, seems very small and contemptible.

Let us not, then, cling to the things that flee, nor to the things that flow past and depart, but to the things that abide and are unmoved, that we may be able to attain even to them, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom be glory to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of the ages. Amen.