Homilies on the Gospel of John 66

But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them:

'You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people,' and what follows.

'The nations were caught in the destruction which they made;

in this snare which they hid, their own foot was taken.'

This came to pass in the case of the Jews.

For they themselves said that they should slay Jesus, lest the Romans should come and take away both their nation and their city.

But when they had slain Him, these very things befell them;

and the very things which they did in order to escape them, these, once they had done them, they did not escape.

But He who was slain is in the heavens;

while those who slew Him inherit gehenna;

and yet they did not consider these things;

but what? 'They took counsel,' it says, 'to slay Him from that day forth.'

For they said, 'The Romans will come and take away our nation.'

'Being high priest that year, he said'—being more shameless than the rest.

What those men were still disputing, and were setting forth in the manner of deliberation (for they said,

'What are we to do?'), this man cried out shamelessly and with head uncovered, and with insolence.

For what does he say? 'You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient that one man should die, and not the whole nation perish.'

But this he said not of himself, but being high priest he prophesied.

Do you see how great is the power of the high-priestly authority? For since he had been altogether deemed worthy of the high priesthood, even though he was unworthy of the office, he prophesied, not knowing the things which he said;

and the grace made use of his mouth only, but touched not his defiled heart.

Indeed, many others also foretold things to come, being unworthy—Nebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh, Balaam;

But what he says is of this sort:

You sit still, you attend to the matter yet more sluggishly, and you do not know how to despise the safety of one man for the sake of the common good.

See how great is the power of the Spirit: out of a wicked mind it availed to bring forth words full of wondrous prophecy.

From a wicked mind it availed to bring forth words full of wondrous prophecy.

But the Evangelist calls the Gentiles children of God from that which was yet to come to pass;

just as He Himself also says:

'And other sheep I have,' He too calling them from that which was to come.

But what is the meaning of, 'being high priest that same year'? Together with the other things, this too had been corrupted.

For they no longer held the priesthood for the whole span of their life, but for a year, from the time the offices came to be bought and sold.

Nevertheless, even so the Spirit was still present.

But when they lifted up their hands against Christ, then at that time it forsook them, and passed over to the Apostles.

And this the veil made plain by being rent, as did the voice of Christ which said:

'Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.'

And Josephus too, coming a short while later, said that certain angels who yet remained forsook them, unless they should be willing to change their ways.

For as long as the vineyard stood, all things went forward;

but when they killed the heir, then no more, but they perished;

and just as one takes a splendid garment from a worthless child, so God, taking it from the Jews, gave it to the well-disposed servants from among the Gentiles, leaving those others desolate and naked.

And this was no small thing, that even the enemy prophesied these things.

This too was able to draw the others as well.

For as regards his own intent, it turned out contrariwise.

For because He died, therefore the faithful were delivered from the punishment to come.

What is the meaning of, 'that He might gather together those that are near and those that are far off'? He made one body.

He who dwells at Rome reckons the Indians to be members of himself.

What is equal to this gathering together? And the Head of all is Christ.

From that day forth the Jews took counsel together that they might kill Him.

For this cause the Jews sought to kill Him;

and, 'Why seek ye to kill Me?' But then indeed they only sought it, whereas now they have both confirmed the resolve and put the deed into effect as an accomplished work.

But Jesus no longer walked openly in Judaea.

Again He saves Himself after a human manner, and He does this continually.

And I have told the reason for which He often departed and withdrew.

And now He tarries near the wilderness in Ephraim, and there He remained with His disciples.

How think you the disciples were troubled, seeing Him saved after a human manner? Henceforth no one followed.

For the feast being near, all ran up to Jerusalem;

but they, when all were rejoicing and keeping festival, then hid themselves, then were in perils;

For indeed in Galilee, at the Passover and at the Feast of Tabernacles, they were in hiding;

and again after these things, when the feast came, by fleeing and hiding, alone of all the rest with their Teacher, showing their good will.

Hence Luke says that He said, 'I have continued with you in My temptations.'

And He said these things, showing that they were strengthened by His own aid.

And many went up from the country to purify themselves.

And the chief priests and the Pharisees gave commandment, that they might seize Him.

with murderous purpose, with man-slaying mind, with blood-stained hands.

'Think ye that He will not come to the feast?' By means of the Passover they were plotting, and they made the season of the feast a season of slaughter;

that is to say, Here He must fall into their hands, since the season summons Him.

at the very time when greater reverence was needed, and when even those apprehended for the gravest crimes ought to be released, then it is that they undertake to hunt down Him who had done no wrong.

And yet, having already done this, they not only gained nothing, but even became a laughing-stock.

Therefore, continually falling into their midst, He escapes, and holds in check those who take counsel to slay Him and makes them at a loss, willing by the demonstration of His power to prick their hearts;

and that, when they should take Him, they might learn that it was not of their own strength, but of His permission, that the thing came to pass.

For not even then were they able to seize Him, and that when Bethany was near;

and when they did seize Him, He cast them backward on the ground.

But six days before the Passover He came to Bethany, where Lazarus was;

and He was feasted among them, and Martha served, and Lazarus ate.

And this was a sign of the genuine resurrection, that after many days he both lived and ate.

Whence it is plain that the meal was in her house;

for inasmuch as they were friends and beloved, they receive Jesus.

But some say that this took place in another's house.

Here again she acts more spiritually.

For she did not serve as one merely bidden, nor did she make her ministry a common one;

but she bestowed the honour upon Him alone;

and she approached Him not as a man, but as God.

For on this account she poured out the ointment, and wiped Him with the hairs of her head, actions which did not belong to one who held concerning Him such an opinion as the multitude held.

But Judas rebuked her, under a pretence, forsooth, of piety.

What then says Christ? 'She hath wrought a good work upon Me for My burial.'

But why in the world did He not reprove the disciple before the woman, nor say that which the Evangelist said, namely, that he rebuked the woman on account of his own thievishness? Because by His great long-suffering He wished to bring him to shame.

For that He knew he was a traitor, He had reproved him from the beginning many times, saying:

and, 'One of you is a devil.'

He made it plain, then, that He knew him to be a traitor, yet He did not reprove him openly, but bore with him, wishing to call him back.

How then does another say that all the disciples uttered this? Both all of them, and he too;

but the rest did not do so with the same intent.

But if any should inquire why in the world He entrusted the bag of the poor to one who was a thief, and made him steward though he was covetous, we would say this: that the hidden reason God knows;

but if we must say something by way of conjecture, in order that He might cut off every pretext.

For he could not say that he did this out of a love for money (for he had ample solace for his desire from the bag);

but because of the great wickedness which Christ wished to restrain, He treated him with much condescension.

Therefore He did not reproach him for his thieving, though He knew of it, thus stopping his wicked desire and removing every excuse.

'For she has done this against the day of my burial.'

Again He reminded the traitor of it, by speaking of His burial.

Yet the rebuke does not touch him, nor does He soften the word, although it was enough to move him to compassion.

'I am burdensome and troublesome to you;'

'but wait a little, and I shall depart.'

For this too He was intimating in what He said.

But none of these things bent that savage and raving man, though indeed Christ said and did far more than this: He washed his feet on that very night, and shared table and salt with him;

a thing which is known to restrain even the souls of robbers (and He uttered other words, sufficient to soften even a stone);

and this not long before, but on that very day, so that not even time might cast it into oblivion.

For the love of money is a dreadful thing, dreadful indeed;

it maims both eyes and ears, and makes men worse than a wild beast, allowing no conscience,

no friendship, no fellowship, no thought for the salvation of one's own soul; but withdrawing men once for all from everything, it makes those it has captured into its slaves, like some cruel tyranny.

And the terrible thing about so bitter a bondage is this, that it persuades them even to be thankful for it;

and the more they serve it, the more their pleasure increases.

And by this above all the disease becomes incurable, by this the beast becomes hard to capture.

This made Gehazi a leper instead of a disciple and prophet;

this destroyed Ananias and his company;

this made Judas a traitor;

this corrupted the rulers of the Jews, who took bribes and became partners with thieves.

This has brought in countless wars,

filling the roads with blood, and the cities with lamentation and wailing.

This has made feasts unclean and tables accursed, and filled men's food with iniquity.

For this very reason Paul called it idolatry.

But why does he call it idolatry? Many possess wealth and dare not use it, but consecrate it, passing it on untouched to their children and their children's children, as though not daring to touch some votive offerings.

And if ever they are compelled to use it, they feel as though they had done something unlawful.

And in another way too: just as the pagan Greek tends his carved idol,

so you entrust your gold to doors and bolts, fashioning a chest instead of a temple, and storing it away in silver vessels.

But you do not bow down to it, as that man does to his idol? Yet you display every service toward it.

Again, that man would gladly give up his eyes and his soul rather than his idol.

And so likewise do those who love gold.

'But I do not worship the gold,' he says.

'Neither does that man worship the idol,' it may be said, 'but the demon that dwells within it.'

So you too, even if you do not worship the gold, yet worship the demon that, from the sight of the gold and from the desire, leaps upon your soul.

For the desire of the love of money is more grievous than a demon, and many yield to it more than others do to their idols.

For those men disobey their idols in many things, but here men yield in everything, and whatever it bids them do, they obey.

What does it say? 'Be an enemy,' it says, 'and a foe to all;

disregard nature, despise God, sacrifice yourself to me.'

And to their idols men sacrifice oxen and sheep;

but 'Sacrifice to me your own soul,' it says, and it prevails.

Do you see what altars it has, what victims it receives? 'The covetous shall not inherit the kingdom of God.'

And yet this desire is weaker than all others.

For it is neither inborn nor natural;

otherwise it would have been implanted from the beginning;

but as it is, in the beginning there was no gold, nor did anyone love gold.

But if you will, I shall tell you whence the evil entered in.

Each man, emulating the one before him, intensified the disease, and he who went before provoked even the one who was unwilling.

For when they see splendid houses, and a multitude of fields, and herds of slaves, and silver vessels, and a great heap of garments, they do everything to surpass them;

so that the first become the cause of the second, and those the cause of those who come after them.

But if they had been willing to be temperate, they would not have become teachers to the others; nay rather, not even for these is there any excuse.

For there are others who despise riches.

'And who,' one says, 'despises them?' For the dreadful thing is this, that through much wickedness the matter seems to have come to be impossible, and no one is even believed capable of doing right.

Let me tell you, then, of the many who are in the cities and of those in the mountains.

And what is the gain? For not even from these will you become better.

Besides, our discourse now is not about these things, so as to empty out your possessions;

yet, since your burden is greater than you can bear, I do not compel you;

but I exhort you not to covet what belongs to others, and to share out of what you have.

And we shall find many such men, content with their own, caring for their own affairs, and living by honest toil.

Why do we not emulate and imitate these? Let us consider those who lived before us.

Do not their possessions stand there, preserving only their names? So-and-so's bath, and so-and-so's suburban estate,

and lodging-place? Do we not at once, on beholding them, groan, considering how much toil he endured, how many rapacious seizures he committed, and now he is nowhere to be seen, while others revel in what was his—men whom he never expected, perhaps even his enemies—while he pays the uttermost penalty?

For we shall all assuredly die, we shall all undergo the same end.

How much wrath, tell me, how much expense, how many enmities did they undergo!

And what is the gain? Everlasting punishment, and to obtain no consolation;

and to be accused by all, not only while living, but even after they have departed.

And what of this? When we see the portraits of the great set up in their houses, do we not lament all the more? Truly the Prophet spoke well:

'Surely every living man walks in vain and is disquieted in vain.'

For the zeal about such things is indeed a disquiet;

a disquiet and a superfluous tumult.

But it is not so in the eternal mansions, nor in those heavenly tabernacles.

For here one man labors, and another enjoys the fruit of his toil;

but there each man shall be lord of his own labors, and shall receive a manifold recompense.

Let us therefore press on toward that possession;

let us there build ourselves dwellings, that we may find rest in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory to the Father unto the ages.