Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistle to the Hebrews

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom132case, He would have said, “Behold, thou hast suffered a sufficient punishment for thy sins, be thousteadfast for the future.” But now He spake not so, but how? “Behold, thou art made whole; sin nomore.” Let us continually repeat these words to ourselves, and if after having been chastised wehave been delivered, let each say to himself, “Behold, thou art made whole; sin no more.” But ifwe suffer not punishment though continuing in the same courses, let us use for our charm that wordof the Apostle, “The goodness of God leadeth [us] to repentance, but after [our] hardness andimpenitent heart, [we] treasure up unto [ourselves] wrath.” ( Rom. ii. 4, 5 .)And not only by strengthening 1009 the sick man’s body, but also in another way, did He affordhim a strong proof of His Divinity; for by saying, “Sin no more,” He showed that He knew all thetransgressions that had formerly been committed by him; and by this He would gain his belief asto the future.Ver. 15 . “The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus that had made him whole.”Again observe him continuing in the same right feeling. He saith not, “This is he who said,Take up thy bed,” but when they continually advanced this seeming charge, he continually putsforward the defense, again declaring his Healer, and seeking to attract and attach others to Him.For he was not so unfeeling as after such a benefit and charge to betray his Benefactor, and to speakas he did with an evil intention. Had he been a wild beast, had he been something unlike a man andof stone, the benefit and the fear would have been enough to restrain him, since, having the threatlodged within, he would have dreaded lest he should suffer “a worse thing,” having already receivedthe greatest pledges 1010 of the power of his Physician. Besides, had he wished to slander Him, hewould have said nothing about his own cure, but would have mentioned and urged against Him thebreach of the Sabbath. But this is not the case, surely it is not; the words are words of great boldnessand candor; he pro claims his Benefactor no less than the blind man did. For what said he? “Hemade clay, and anointed mine eyes” ( c. ix. 6 ); and so this man of whom we now speak, “It isJesus who made me whole.”Ver. 16 . “Therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay Him, because He haddone these things on the Sabbath day.” What then saith Christ?Ver. 17 . “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.”When there was need to make excuse for the Disciples, He brought forward David theirfellow-servant, saying, “Have ye not read what David did when he was an hungered?” ( Matt. xii.2 .) But when excuse was to be made for Himself, He betook Himself to the Father, showing intwo ways His Equality, by calling God His Father peculiarly, 1011 and by doing the same thingswhich He did. “And wherefore did He not mention what took place at Jericho 1012 ?” Because Hewished to raise them up from earth that they might no longer attend to Him as to a man, but as toGod, and as to one who ought to legislate: since had He not been The Very Son and of the sameEssence, the defense would have been worse than the charge. For if a viceroy who had altered aroyal law should, when charged with so doing, excuse himself in this manner, and say, “Yea, forthe king also has annulled laws,” he would not be able to escape, but would thus increase the weightof the charge. But in this instance, since the dignity is equal, the defense is made perfect on most1009σφίγξαι1010al. “ proofs. ”1011ἰ διαζόντως1012Jericho was taken on the seventh day by command of God. Josh. vi. 4, 15202