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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostomplunderers and covetous?” Not by God’s giving; (away with the thought!) but by plundering, andtaking more than their due. 1240 “And how doth God allow them?” As He allowed that rich man,reserving him for greater punishment. ( Luke xvi. 25 .) Hear what (Abraham) saith to him; “Son,thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things, but now he iscomforted, and thou art tormented.” Therefore that we also come not to hear that voice, by livingsoftly and idly, and gathering together for ourselves many sins, let us choose the true riches andright wisdom, that we may obtain the promised good things; to which may we all arrive, throughthe grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom and with whom, to the Father andthe Holy Ghost, be glory, now and ever and world without end. Amen.Homily XLIV.John vi. 26, 27“Jesus answered them, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek Me, not because ye saw themiracles but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled. Labor not for the meat whichperisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life.”[1.] The mild and gentle is not always useful, but there are times when the teacher needs sharperlanguage. For if the disciple be dull and gross, then, in order to touch his dullness to the quick, wemust rouse him with 1241 a goad. And this the Son of God hath done in the present as well as inmany other cases. For when the crowds had come and found Jesus, and were flattering Him, andsaying, “Master, when camest Thou hither?” to show that He desireth not honor from men, butlooketh to one thing only, their salvation, He answereth them sharply, wishing to correct them notin this way only, but also by revealing and exposing their thoughts. For what saith He? “Verily,verily, I say unto you,” (speaking positively and with a confirmation,) “Ye seek Me, not becauseye saw miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled.” He chideth and reproveththem by these words, yet doth not so abruptly or violently, but very sparingly. For He saith not, “Oye gluttons and belly-slaves, I have wrought so many wonders, and ye never have either followedMe, or marveled at My doings”; but mildly and gently somewhat in this manner; “Ye seek Me, notbecause ye saw miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled”; speaking not onlyof the past, but also of the present miracle. “It was not,” He saith, “the miracle of the loaves thatastonished you, but the being filled.” 1242 And that He said not this of them by conjecture theystraightway showed, for on this account they came the second time, as being about to enjoy thesame (food) as before. Wherefore they said, “Our fathers did eat manna in the wilderness.” Againthey draw Him to (the subject of) carnal food, which was the chief accusation and charge against1240Ben. omits “ but by plundering, and taking more than their due. ”1241al. “ use towards him. ”1242al. For He all but saith this in what He directeth against them: “ It was not, ” &c.239