Homilies on the Gospel of John 68

'He that loveth his life shall lose it;'

'and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.'

'If any man serve me, let him follow me.'

Sweet is the present life, and brimming with much pleasure;

yet not to all, but only to those who are nailed fast to it.

But if one should gaze up into heaven and behold the good things there, he will speedily come to despise this life and make no account of it.

For the beauty of bodies too, so long as no other more radiant one appears, is admired;

but when the better appears, the former is despised.

If, then, we too are willing to look upon that beauty and to contemplate the comeliness of the kingdom there, we shall speedily loose ourselves from the bonds of the present.

For attachment to present things is a kind of bond.

And Christ, leading us to this very thing, hear what he says:

'He that loveth his life shall lose it;'

'and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.'

'He that serveth me, let him follow me;'

'and where I am, there shall my servant also be.'

The words seem to resemble a riddle.

But they are not; rather, they are filled with much wisdom.

And how does 'he that loveth his life lose it'? It is he who fulfils its unseemly desires,

he who indulges it beyond what is fitting.

For this reason a certain one exhorts, saying:

'Go not after the lusts of thy soul.'

For thus you will destroy it (since it leads away from the road that conducts to virtue);

just as, on the contrary, 'he that hateth it in this world shall save it.'

And what is 'he that hateth it'? It is he who does not yield to it when it commands things that do harm.

And he did not say, 'he who does not yield to it,' but 'he who hates it.'

For just as, of those we hate, we cannot bear even to hear their voice, nor gladly to look upon their face,

so also, when the soul enjoins things contrary to what seems good to God, we must turn away from it with vehemence.

For since he was now about to discourse to them concerning death—his own death—and foresaw that they were downcast and sinking in spirit, he spoke by way of hyperbole, saying:

What do I say—if you do not nobly bear my death? Nay, if you yourselves do not die, there will be no gain for you at all.

And observe how he softens the saying.

It was exceedingly burdensome and grievous to hear that a man who loves his life must die.

And why do I speak of ancient times? Seeing that even now we shall find many who patiently submit to learn anything at all, for the sake of enjoying the present life—and this though they profess belief concerning the things to come;

who, whenever they behold buildings and works of art and ingenious devices, burst into tears, remarking:

How many things man devises, and yet becomes dust!

So great is the craving for the present life.

Christ, then, dissolving these bonds, says:

'He that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.'

That He was speaking these things to exhort them, and to loosen their fear, hear what follows.

'If any man serve me, let him follow me.'

He speaks of death, and demands a following after Him by means of works.

For the servant must by all means follow the one whom he serves.

And observe at what time He discourses to them of these things.

Not when they were being persecuted, but when they had taken courage, when they thought themselves to be in safety, because of the honour and attentiveness of the multitudes;

when they were also able to rouse themselves and to hearken.

'And let him take up his cross and follow me.'

That is to say, 'Be thou ever ready,' He says, 'for dangers, for death, for departure from hence.'

Then, since He had spoken burdensome things, He also sets forth the reward.

And what was this? To follow Him, and to be where He is.

showing that a resurrection shall succeed the death.

'Where I am,' He says, 'there also shall my servant be.'

And where is Christ? In the heavens.

Even before the resurrection, therefore, let us remove thither in soul and in mind.

'If any man serve me, the Father will love him.'

Why said He not, 'I'? Because they did not yet hold the opinion concerning Him that was fitting, but a greater one concerning the Father.

For they who knew not even that He must rise again, how should they have imagined great things concerning Him? Wherefore also to the sons of Zebedee He says,

'It is not mine to give, but to those for whom it hath been prepared by my Father.'

and yet it is He Himself who judges.

But here He sets forth also the closeness of the kinship.

For as the servants of a true-born son, so shall the Father receive them.

'Now is my soul troubled.'

'And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour.'

And indeed this is no longer the language of one urging others to come to death.

Nay rather, it is most of all the language of one who urges.

For lest they should say, 'He, being Himself outside the pangs of humanity, easily philosophizes about death, and exhorts us from a position of no danger,' He shows that, though in anguish, He nevertheless does not shrink back, because of the benefit.

But these things belong to the dispensation, not to the Godhead.

'Now is my soul troubled.'

(Since, if this be not so, what consistency has the saying, and the words,

'Father, save me from this hour'?) And He was so troubled as even to seek deliverance, if indeed it were possible to escape.

These are the infirmities of human nature.

'But I have nothing to say,' He says, 'by way of asking deliverance.'

'For for this cause came I unto this hour.'

Even though we be in tumult, even though we be troubled, let us not flee from death;

since I too, being now troubled, do not say so as to flee.

'I do not say, Deliver me from this hour;'

but what? 'Father, glorify thy name.'

'And although the trouble constrains me to say' the opposite, 'I say, Glorify thy name;'

that is to say, 'Lead me now on to the cross.'

which shows much of the human, and that nature was unwilling to die, but clung fast to the present life;

showing that He was not outside human passions.

For as to hunger is no matter for accusation, nor to sleep;

so neither is it to desire the present life.

But Christ had a body pure from sins, yet not freed from natural necessities;

and by these things He taught yet another thing.

And what was this? That, if ever we be placed in conflict and in cowardice, we should not even so leap away from the things set before us.

'Father, glorify thy name.'

He shows that He dies for the truth, calling the matter a glory unto God.

And this came to pass after the cross.

The world was about to be converted, and to acknowledge the name of God, and to worship Him;

and not that of the Father alone, but also that of the Son.

'There came therefore a voice out of the heavens,'

'I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.'

Where did He glorify it? In the things that had happened before these.

'And will glorify it again' after the cross.

What then says Christ? 'This voice hath not come for my sake, but for yours.'

But they thought that it was thunder, or that an angel had spoken to Him.

And whence did they think this? Was not the voice clear and distinct? But it quickly flew away from them, inasmuch as they were of grosser sort, and carnal, and slothful.

And some retained the sound;

while others knew that the voice was articulate;

What then says Christ? 'This voice hath not come for my sake, but for yours.'

Why said He this? Setting Himself against that which they were always saying, that He is not of God.

For He who is glorified by God, how is He not of God, whose name is glorified for His sake? For it was for this cause that the voice was borne forth.

Wherefore He also says, 'This voice hath not come for my sake, but for yours;'

not that I might learn from it something of which I am ignorant (for I know all the Father's things), but for your sake.

For since they were saying that an angel had spoken to Him, or that thunder had occurred, and they gave no heed, He says, 'It was for your sakes, that even so ye might be led to ask what was spoken.'

But they, being terrified, not even so inquired, though they heard that the matter concerned them.

For to him who knew not to what the words referred, naturally the voice did not seem distinct.

Do you see that the lowly things are done for their sake, and not because the Son is in need of help? 'Now is the judgment of this world.'

'And now shall the ruler of this world be cast down.'

What connection does this have with the words, 'I have glorified it, and will glorify it again'? A very great one, and in complete harmony.

For since He had said, 'I will glorify it,' He also shows the manner of the glorification.

And what is the manner? 'That one,' He says, 'shall be cast down.'

And what does 'Now is the judgment of this world' mean? It is as though He said: There shall be a tribunal and a vindication.

How, and in what manner? He slew the first man, having taken him as liable to sin (for through sin death entered in).

For what reason, then, did he leap upon Me and deliver Me to death? For what reason did he cast Me into the soul of Judas so as to slay Me? Do not now tell me that God ordained it;

for this belongs not to the devil, but to His own wisdom;

for now let the intent of that Evil One be examined.

How, then, is the world judged in Me? As though a tribunal were seated, it shall be said to him: Very well, you slew all men, because you found them liable through sin;

but Christ—why did you slay Him? Is it not plain that you did so unjustly? Therefore through Him the whole world shall be avenged.

And that it may be clearer, I will make it plain also by an example.

Suppose there is some violent tyrant who involves all who fall into his hands in countless evils.

If this man, encountering a king or a king's son, should slay him unjustly, that man's death will be able to avenge the others as well.

Suppose there is someone demanding payment from his debtors, and let him beat them and cast them into prison;

then out of the same madness let him drag under the same confinement even one who owes nothing.

This man will pay the penalty also for what he did to the others;

for that one will destroy him.

So also has it happened in the case of the Son.

For the things which the devil did against you, through what he dared against Christ, the penalty for them shall be exacted.

And that He hints at this, hear what He says:

'Now shall the ruler of this world be cast down'—through My death.

'And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto Myself';

that is, even those from among the Gentiles.

And lest anyone should say, 'How is he cast down, if he prevails even over You?' He says: He does not prevail;

for how could he prevail over One who draws even the others to Himself? And He does not speak of the resurrection, but of that which is greater than the resurrection: 'I will draw all men unto Myself.'

For if He had said, 'I shall rise again,' it would not yet be evident that they would also believe;

but by saying, 'They shall believe,' both truths are proven together—that He shall also rise again.

For if He had remained dead and were a mere man, no one would have believed.

'I will draw all men unto Myself.'

How then does He say that the Father draws? Because when the Son draws, the Father draws.

'I will draw,' He says, inasmuch as they are held fast by a tyrant, and of themselves are all but unable to come forward, and cannot escape his hands, since he holds them back.

Elsewhere He calls this a plundering.

'No one can plunder the goods of the strong man unless he first bind the strong man, and then plunder his goods.'

These things He said to set forth the forcefulness of it.

What therefore He there called a plundering, here He called a drawing.

Knowing these things, then, let us rouse ourselves and glorify God, not by faith alone, but also by our manner of life;

since otherwise it would not be glory, but blasphemy.

For God is not so blasphemed when a pagan is defiled, as when a Christian is corrupt.

Wherefore I beg you to do all things so that God may be glorified.

'For woe,' He says, 'to that servant through whom the name of God is blasphemed' (and where there is a 'woe,' at once all chastisement and punishment follow);

but blessed is he through whom the name is glorified.

Let us therefore not be as those in darkness;

but let us flee all sins, and especially those which pass over into common harm, since it is chiefly in these that God is blasphemed. For what pardon shall we have when, being commanded to give to others, we plunder what belongs to others? What hope of salvation shall we have? If you have not fed the hungry, you are punished;

but if you have even stripped one who was clothed, what pardon will you obtain? We shall not cease to say these things continually.

For perhaps those who do not hear today will hear tomorrow;

and those who give no heed tomorrow will be persuaded on the day after.

But even if some should be disobedient,

and remain so disposed, yet for us the tribunal shall be free of blame.

And may it come to pass that neither we be put to shame for the things we have said, nor you be made to hide your faces, but that all may be able to stand with boldness before the judgment seat of Christ, so that we too may be able to boast in you, and to receive some consolation for our own evils in your good repute, in Christ Jesus our Lord, with whom to the Father be glory, together with the Holy Spirit, unto the ages.