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

NPNF (V1-14)St. ChrysostomHomily XLI.John v. 39, 40“Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify ofMe. And ye will not come to Me that ye might have [eternal 1126 ] life.”146[1.] Beloved , let us make great account of spiritual things, and not think that it is sufficient forus to salvation to pursue them anyhow. For if in things of this life a man can gain no great profitif he conduct them in an indifferent and chance way, much more will this be the case in spiritualthings, since these require yet greater attention. Wherefore Christ when He referred the Jews to theScriptures, sent them not to a mere reading, but a careful and considerate 1127 search; for He saidnot, “Read the Scriptures,” but, “Search the Scriptures.” Since the sayings relating to Him requiredgreat attention, (for they had been concealed from the beginning for the advantage of the men ofthat time,) He biddeth them now dig down with care that they might be able to discover what layin the depth below. These sayings were not on the surface, nor were they cast forth to open view,but lay like some treasure hidden very deep. Now he that searcheth for hidden things, except heseek them with care and toil, will never find the object of his search. For which cause He said,“Search the Scriptures, because in them ye think ye have eternal life.” He said not, “Ye have,” but“ye think,” showing that they gained from them nothing great or high, expecting as they did to besaved by the mere reading, without the addi tion of 1128 faith. What He saith therefore is of thiskind: “Do ye not admire the Scriptures, do ye not think that they are the causes of all life? By theseI confirm My claims now, for they are they which testify of Me, yet ye will not come to Me thatye may have eternal life.” It was thus with good reason that He said, “ye think,” because they wouldnot obey, but merely prided themselves on the bare reading. Then lest owing to His very tendercare He should incur among them the suspicion of vainglory, and because He desired to be believedby them, should be deemed to be seeking His own; (for He reminded them of the words of John,and of the witness of God, and of His own works, and said all He could to draw them to Him, andpromised them “life”; 1129 ) since, I say, it was likely that many would suspect that He spake thesethings from a desire of glory, hear what He saith:Ver. 41 . “I receive not honor from men.”That is, “I need it not”: “My nature,” He saith, “is not of such a kind as to need the honor whichis from men, for if the sun can receive no addition from the light of a candle, much farther am Ifrom needing the honor which is from men.” “Why then,” asks some one, “sayest thou these things,if thou needest it not?” “That ye may be saved.” This He positively asserted above, and the sameHe implied here also, by saying, “that ye might have life.” Moreover, He putteth another reason:Ver. 42 . “But I know you that ye have not the love of God in you.”1126not in G. T.1127al. “ inquisitive. ”1128al. “ being destitute of. ”1129al. “ and promised all those things so as to draw them to Himself. ”224