Homilies on the Gospel of John 65

And Jesus lifted up his eyes on high, and said:

Father, I thank you that you have heard me.

And I knew that you always hear me;

but because of the multitude standing around I said it, and what follows.

What I have often said, this I will say now also, that Christ looks not so much to his own dignity as to our salvation;

nor how he may utter something great, but how he may say what is able to draw us to himself.

For this reason the lofty and great sayings are few, and even these are hidden;

but the lowly and humble sayings abound throughout his words.

For since they were more led on by these, in these also he lingers; and he neither utters them wholly, lest those who came after should be harmed, nor keeps silent about them, lest those of that time should be offended.

For those who have gone beyond lowliness will be able, from one lofty doctrine, to perceive the whole;

but those who are always lowly, unless they had often heard these things, would not have come at all.

Indeed, not even after so many things do they remain, but even stone him and persecute him, and attempt to slay him, and call him a blasphemer;

and when he makes himself equal to God, they speak thus;

and when he says, Your sins are forgiven you, they still call him one possessed by a demon;

as also when he says that the hearer of his words is stronger than death, or also when he says, I am in the Father, and the Father in me;

and again they are offended, when he says that he came down from heaven.

If, then, they could not bear these things when spoken but rarely, hardly would they have given heed to him if his discourse had been lofty throughout, and thus woven together.

At any rate, when he says, As the Father commanded me, so I speak;

and, that I came not of myself, then they believe.

And that it was then, is plain from the fact that the evangelist notes this and says, that While he was speaking these things, many believed on him.

If, then, to speak lowly things drew them to faith, but to speak lofty things drove them away, how is it not the utmost folly not to reckon that the whole cause of the lowly sayings is that they were spoken for the sake of the hearers? Since elsewhere too, when he wished to say something great, he kept silent, adding this reason, and saying:

But that we may not offend them, cast a hook into the sea.

I knew that you always hear me, he added;

But because of the multitude standing around I said it, that they might believe.

Are the words ours? Is it a human conjecture? When, then, someone will not consent to be persuaded from the Scriptures that they were offended at the lofty sayings, though he hears Christ saying that for this reason he spoke lowly things, that they might not be offended, how then will he further suspect that the humble words belong to the nature, and not to the condescension? So also elsewhere, when a voice was borne from above, he said:

'This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.'

And yet, while it is permitted to one who is exalted to say many lowly things concerning himself,

it is not lawful for one who is lowly to utter concerning himself anything great and exalted.

For the former proceeds from condescension, and has for its cause the weakness of those who are being taught;

or rather, the aim is to lead men to humility—both because He is clothed with flesh, and to instruct His hearers to speak nothing great about themselves; and there was the fact that He was thought to be a rival of God, that He was disbelieved to have come from God, that He was suspected of abolishing the law, that His hearers grudged Him and were hostilely disposed toward Him,

because He said that He was equal to God;

but for one who is lowly to say anything exalted about himself has no cause at all, neither reasonable nor unreasonable;

rather it would be only madness and shamelessness, and unpardonable audacity.

For what reason, then, does He utter lowly things, seeing that He is of that ineffable and great essence? Both for the reasons already stated, and that He might not be thought to be unbegotten.

For indeed Paul too appears to have feared something of this kind.

'Apart from Him who put all things under Him.'

For this it is impious even to imagine.

For if, being less than the One who begot Him and of another essence, He was nevertheless thought equal, would He not then have done everything so as not to be thus regarded? But now He does the very opposite, saying:

'If I do not the works of Him that sent Me, believe Me not.'

And His saying, 'I am in the Father, and the Father in Me,' hints to us at the equality.

But He ought, with great vehemence, to have overthrown it, if indeed He were inferior, and nowhere at all to have said, 'I am in the Father, and the Father in Me,' or, 'We are one,' or, 'He that has seen Me has seen the Father.'

For indeed, when His discourse was about power, He said,

and when His discourse was about authority, again He said,

'For as the Father raises up the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He will';

which it would not have been possible for one of another essence to do.

And even had it been possible, He ought not to have said this, lest they should suspect that the essence was one and the same.

For if, in order that they might not suspect that He is a rival of God, He often utters things that do not befit Him, much more ought He to have done so then.

But as it is, His saying, 'That they should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father,'

and His saying, 'The works which He does, these I also do in like manner,'

and His calling Himself the resurrection and the life, and the light of the world—this belongs to One who makes Himself equal to Him that begot Him, and who confirms the suspicion which those men had.

You see how, on the point that He does not abolish the law, He says so much and makes His defense;

but the glory of His equality with the Father He not only does not do away with, but even establishes? So also, when they said, 'You blaspheme, because You make Yourself God,' He confirmed it from the equality of His works.

And why do I say that the Son did this, when the Father also, who took not flesh upon Him, does this very same thing?

For He too endured that many lowly things should be spoken concerning Him, for the salvation of the hearers.

For the words, 'Adam, where are you?' and, 'That I may know whether they are being brought to completion according to their cry,'

and, 'Now I know that you fear God';

and, 'If perhaps they will hear';

and, 'Who will grant that the heart of this people should be so?' and the saying, 'There is none like unto You among the gods, O Lord';

and many other such things, if one should select them in the Old Testament, he will find to be unworthy of the dignity of God.

And concerning Ahab it is said:

'Who will deceive Ahab for Me?' And His constantly setting Himself forth in comparison with the gods of the heathen—all these are unworthy of God;

for so loving toward man is He, that for the sake of our salvation He overlooks even words befitting His own dignity.

For indeed the very fact of becoming man is unworthy, and taking the form of a servant, and uttering lowly words, and being clothed with lowly things—all this is unworthy, if one looks to that dignity;

but it is worthy, if one considers the unspeakable riches of His love toward man.

There is also another cause for the lowliness of the words.

What is this? That the Father they both knew and confessed, but Him they did not know.

For this reason He continually takes refuge in Him as one confessed, seeing that He Himself was not yet worthy of belief.

Not because of His own lowliness, but because of the folly and weakness of the hearers.

For this reason He both prays and says:

'Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.'

For if He gives life to whom He will, and gives life even as the Father does, for what reason does He entreat? But it is now high time to enter into the passage itself.

'So they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.'

'And Jesus lifted up His eyes, and said:'

'Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.'

'And I knew that You always hear Me;'

'but because of the crowd standing by I said it, that they might believe that You have sent Me.'

Let us then ask the heretic:

Did He receive assistance from the prayer, and so raise the dead? How then did He do the other things without prayer, saying:

'I say to you, demon, come out of him'; and, 'I will, be clean'; and, 'Take up your bed'; and, 'Your sins are forgiven you'; and to the sea, 'Peace, be still'? And in what does He at all excel the apostles, if He too acts by prayer? Or rather, not even those men did all things by prayer, but often even without prayer, by calling upon the name of Jesus.

But if His name had such power, how could He Himself have had need of prayer? And if He had need of prayer, His name would not have had power.

And when He made man altogether, of what prayer did He have need? Was there not there much equality of honor? For 'Let us make man,' He says.

But what is weaker, than if He had need of prayer? Let us see also what the prayer is.

'Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.'

Who then ever prayed in this way? For before saying anything, He says, 'I thank You,' showing that He has no need of prayer;

'And I knew that You always hear Me.'

This He said, not as though He were unable, but as being of one mind with Him.

But for what reason did He assume even the outward form of prayer? Hear it not from me, but from Himself, saying:

'Because of the crowd standing around, that they might believe that You have sent Me.'

He did not say, 'That they might believe that I am less';

'that I have need of assistance from above';

'that without prayer I am not able to act';

but, 'That You have sent Me.'

For all these things a prayer would indicate, if we were to take it simply.

He did not say, 'You sent Me who am weak, who have acknowledged servitude, who of Myself do nothing';

but, dismissing all these, that you might suspect none of them, He states the true cause of the prayer, that they might not think Me a rival of God.

that they might not say, 'He is not from God.'

that I might show the work to be done in accordance with thy will.

as though He were all but saying, 'If I were opposed to God, what is being done would not go forward.'

But the words 'Thou hast heard Me' are spoken even of friends, and of those of equal honor.

'And I knew that Thou hearest Me always.'

that is, 'For My will to be accomplished I have no need of prayer, but only to persuade them that Thou and I have one will.'

'Why then dost Thou pray?' For the sake of the weak.

And having said these things, He cried with a loud voice.

For why did He not say, 'In the name of My Father, come forth'? Why did He not say, 'Raise him up, O Father'? But, setting aside all these and assuming the posture of one who prays, He displays His authority through the deeds themselves. Because this too belonged to His wisdom: to show condescension through His words, but authority through His works.

For since they had nothing else to lay to His charge, save that He was not from God, and thus deceived the multitude,

for this reason He shows this very thing with abundant proof, both by what He says and in the manner which their weakness required.

For it was possible in another way also to show the concord together with His own dignity;

but the crowd was not able to rise up to so great a height.

'The hour cometh, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live.'

For that thou mightest not suppose that He received the power from another, He taught thee this beforehand, and demonstrated it through His works.

but, 'Come forth,' conversing with the dead man as with one alive.

What could be equal to this authority? But if He does not do this by His own power, what will He have more than the apostles who said, 'Why fasten ye your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man to walk?' For if, not acting by His own power, He did not add that which the apostles said concerning themselves, then somehow those men will be the greater philosophers, in that they put away the glory.

'Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you.'

Then the apostles, since they did nothing of their own, said these things in order to persuade men of it;

but He, holding such an opinion of Himself, would not have removed the suspicion, had He not indeed acted by His own authority? And who would say this? Yet Christ does the very opposite, saying:

'Because of the multitude that stand around I said it, that they may believe.'

So that if they had believed, there would have been no need of the prayer.

But if it were not unworthy of Him to pray, why does He reckon the cause to them? And why did He not say, 'That they may believe that I am not equal to Thee'? For it was on account of the suspicion that He should have come to this.

But when He was suspected of destroying the law, He set down the very expression, though those men had said nothing:

'Think not that I came to destroy the law.'

but here He confirms the suspicion.

But altogether, what need was there of so great a circuit and of riddles? For it was enough to say, 'I am not equal,' and to be done with it. What then? 'Did He not say,' one asks, 'that I do not My own will'? But this too was spoken in a veiled manner, and in accommodation to their weakness, and from the same cause from which the prayer also arose.

And what is the meaning of 'Thou hast heard Me'? It is this: 'There is nothing in Me contrary to Thee.'

As therefore the words 'Thou hast heard Me' do not indicate that He Himself lacked power,

(for if this were so, there would be not only weakness, but even ignorance, if before praying He knew not that God was about to consent;

and if He knew not, how did He say, 'I go that I may awaken him,'

and not say, 'I go that I may pray to the Father, that He may awaken him'?) as therefore this was not a mark of weakness, but of oneness of mind;

so also is the phrase, 'Thou hearest Me always.'

Either then one must say this, or that it was spoken with reference to their suspicion.

But if He was neither ignorant nor weak, it is quite plain that for this reason He utters these lowly words: that even from the very excess of them thou mightest be persuaded and constrained to confess that they belong not to His dignity, but to His condescension.

What then say the enemies of the truth? He did not say 'Thou hast heard Me' with a view to the weakness of the hearers, they assert, but in order to show His pre-eminence.

And yet this was not to show pre-eminence, but rather to abase Himself exceedingly, and to declare Himself as having nothing more than a man.

For to pray is not befitting God, nor One who shares the throne.

Seest thou that from no other quarter did He come to this, but on account of their unbelief? Behold then also the deed bearing witness to His authority.

He called, and the dead man came forth, bound up.

Then, that the thing might not seem to be a phantom (for that one bound should come forth seemed no less marvellous than that he should rise), He commanded them to loose him, that by touching him and coming near they might see that it was truly he.

Sawest thou the absence of ostentation? He does not lead him about, nor bid him go around with Him, lest it should seem to some that He was making a display;

And when the sign had been done, some marvelled;

but others went and told the Pharisees.

What then did those men do? When they ought to have been astonished and to have marvelled, they take counsel to slay Him who had raised the dead.

Him who in the bodies of others had prevailed over death, they thought to deliver over to death.

'What do we, for this man doeth many signs?' They still call Him a man, they who had received so great a proof of His Godhead.

'What do we?' They ought to have believed and to have served Him, and to have worshipped Him, and no longer to have accounted Him a man.

'If we let Him thus alone, the Romans will come and take away both our nation and our city.'

What is it that they take counsel to do? They wish henceforth to stir up the people against Him, as though they were about to be in danger on suspicion of an attempt at tyranny.

'For if the Romans,' they say, 'learn that He is gathering crowds, they will suspect us, and will come and pull down our city.'

For did He teach revolt? Did He not permit tribute to be given to Caesar? Did ye not wish to make Him king, and He fled? Did He not exhibit a life plain and unencumbered, having neither house nor any other such thing? These things then they said, not because they expected them, but out of envy.

But it came to pass even though they did not expect it, and they lost both their nation and their city, because they slew Him.

For the things that were being done were far removed from all suspicion.

For He who healed the sick, and taught the best manner of life, and enjoined obedience to rulers, was not setting up a tyranny, but overthrowing it.

'But we conjecture from what has gone before,' one says.

'But those men taught revolt;'

Seest thou that what they said was mere pretence? For what such thing did He exhibit? Did He bring along spear-bearers driving off the crowd? Did He drag chariots after Him? Did He not rather haunt the deserts? But that they might not seem to speak out of their own passion, they say that the whole city is in danger, and that the commonwealth is being plotted against, and that their fear concerns matters of the utmost gravity.

It was not these things that became to you the cause of your captivity, but the very contrary; both of this captivity, and of that into Babylon, and of that under Antiochus which came after these:

it was not the presence among you of those who healed, but the presence in you of those who did wrong and provoked God, that made you a prey.

letting nothing that was needful be seen, having once for all maimed the soul.

Did He not teach men to be meek? Did He not teach that when smitten on the right cheek, one should turn the other also? Not to endure being wronged? To display a greater readiness for suffering ill than others have for doing ill? Tell me then, did these things belong to one setting up a tyranny, and not rather to one pulling a tyranny down? IV.

But, as I said, envy is a terrible thing, and full of hypocrisy.

This has filled the whole world with countless evils;

from this disease the law-courts are filled with those under judgment;

from this comes the love of glory and of money;

from this comes love of rule and arrogance;

hence the roads have their vile robbers, and the sea its pirates;

hence the murders throughout the world, hence our race is torn asunder.

Whatever evil thou seest, thou wilt see that it comes from this.

This too has burst its way even into the Churches;

this from of old has wrought countless evils;

this has given birth to the love of money;

this disease has turned everything upside down, and has corrupted justice (for it says, 'Gifts blind the eyes of the wise, and like a muzzle upon the mouth, they turn away reproofs');

this makes slaves in place of free men;

concerning this we discourse every single day, and yet nothing more comes of it.

We are becoming worse than wild beasts; we plunder orphans, we strip widows bare, we wrong the poor, we heap woe upon woe.

'For the godly man has perished from the earth.'

And it now remains for us but to lament;

or rather, this we ought to say every single day.

We accomplish nothing by prayers, nothing by counsels and exhortations.

This is what Christ Himself did;

for after He had exhorted those in Jerusalem much, when they gained nothing thereby—

when those men reaped no profit, He wept over their hardness of heart.

This too the prophets do;

this too let us now practise.

It is henceforth the time for lamentation, and for tears, and for wailing.

It is fitting that we too should now say: 'Call for the mourning women, and send to the wise women, and let them raise their voice.'

Perhaps in this way we shall be able to cast out the disease of those who build splendid houses, of those who enclose fields gotten by rapine.

But do you also join with me in the lamentations, you who have been stripped bare and wronged;

by your lamentations draw down my tears.

Yet in lamenting, let us bewail not ourselves, but those men;

they did not wrong you, but destroyed themselves.

For you indeed possess the kingdom of heaven in return for the wrong done you;

but they have gehenna in return for their gain.

For this reason it is better to be wronged and not to wrong.

Let us bewail them with a lamentation, not a human one, but one drawn from the divine Scriptures, such as the prophets also lamented.

Let us lament bitterly with Isaiah, and say:

'Woe to those who join house to house, and draw field near to field, that they may take away something from their neighbour;

will you dwell alone upon the earth? Great and fair houses there are, yet there shall be none to dwell in them.'

Let us lament with Nahum, and say together with him:

'Woe to him who builds his house on high!'

or rather, let us lament them, even as Christ also lamented those of that time, saying:

'Woe to you that are rich!

for you have received your reward, and your consolation.'

So then, I beseech you, let us too not cease from lamenting;

and if it be not unseemly, let us even beat our breasts over the sloth of the brethren.

Let us not weep for him who is already dead, but let us weep for the plunderer, the covetous man, the lover of money, the insatiable.

Why do we bewail the dead, for whom nothing more can be accomplished? Let us bewail these, for whom there is yet a change possible.

But while we lament, perhaps they themselves laugh.

But this too is worthy of lamentation, that they laugh over the very things for which they ought to mourn.

For if indeed they were affected by our wailings, we ought to cease from wailing, as though they were about to be set right;

but since they are in a state of insensibility, let us continue weeping—not over those who are rich simply, but over the lovers of money, the covetous, the plunderers.

Wealth is not an evil (for it is possible to use it also for what is needful, when we expend it upon those in want);

but covetousness is an evil, procuring undying torments.

For perhaps there will be some amendment;

or if even those who have fallen into it are not delivered, others at least will not fall into the calamity, but will guard themselves.

And may it come to pass that both those men be set free from the disease, and that none of us ever fall into it, that in common we all may attain to the good things that have been promised, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory unto the ages of ages.