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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom173saying, ‘I go not up’?” He said not, once for all, 1361 “I go not up,” but, “now,” that is, “not withyou.”“For My time is not yet fulfilled.”And yet He was about to be crucified at the coming Passover. “How then went He not up also?for if He went not up because the time was not yet come, He ought not to have gone up at all.” ButHe went not up for this purpose, that He might suffer, but that He might instruct them. “Butwherefore secretly? since He might by going openly both have been amidst them, and have restrainedtheir unruly impulses as He often did.” It was because He would not do this continually. Since hadHe gone up openly, and again blinded them, 1362 He would have made His Godhead to shine throughin a greater degree, which at present behooved not, but He rather concealed it. 1363 And since theythought that His remaining was from cowardice, He showeth them the contrary, and that it wasfrom confidence, and a dispensation, 1364 and that knowing beforehand the time when He shouldsuffer, He would, when it should at length be at hand, be most desirous of going up to Jerusalem.And methinks by saying, “Go ye up,” He meant, “Think not that I compel you to stay with Meagainst your will,” and this addition of, “My time is not yet fully come,” is the expression of onedeclaring that miracles must be wrought and sermons spoken, so that greater multitudes mightbelieve, and the disciples be made more steadfast by seeing the boldness and the sufferings of theirMaster.[3.] Learn we then, from what hath been said, His kindness and gentleness; “Learn of Me, forI am meek and lowly of heart” ( Matt. xi. 29 ); and let us cast away 1365 all bitterness. If any exalthimself against us, let us be humble; if any be bold, let us wait upon him; if any bite and devourus with mocks and jests, let us not be overcome; lest in defending ourselves we destroy ourselves.For wrath is a wild beast, a wild beast keen and angry. Let us then repeat to ourselves 1366 soothingcharms drawn from the holy Scripture, and say, “Thou art earth and ashes.” “Why is earth andashes proud?” ( Ecclus. x. 9 ), and, “The sway of his fury shall be his destruction” ( Ecclus. i. 22): and, “The wrathful man is not comely” ( Prov. xi. 25 , LXX.); for there is nothing more shameful,nothing uglier than a visage inflamed with anger. As when you stir up mud there is an ill savor, sowhen a soul is disturbed by passion there is great indecency and unpleasantness. “But,” saith someone, “I endure not insult from mine enemies.” Wherefore? tell me. If the charge be true, then thououghtest, even before the affront, to have been pricked at heart, and thank thine enemy for hisrebukes; if it be false, despise 1367 it. He hath called thee poor, laugh at him; he hath called theebase-born and foolish, then mourn for him; for “He that saith to his brother, Thou fool, shall be indanger of hell fire.” ( Matt. v. 22 .) Whenever therefore one insults thee, consider the punishmentthat he undergoeth; then shalt thou not only not be angry, but shalt even shed tears for him. For noman is wroth with one in a fever or inflammation, but pities and weeps for all such; and such athing is a soul that is angry. Nay, if even thou desire to avenge thyself, hold thy peace, and thouhast dealt thine enemy a mortal blow; while if thou addest reviling to reviling, thou hast kindled a1361καθάπαξ1362αὑτοὺς ἐπήρωσε1363al. “ He would have displayed greater signs of the Godhead, and revealed It in greater degree. ”1364al. “ at once a dispensation and a confidence. ”1365al. “ cut up. ”1366al. “ to it. ”1367al. “ laugh at. ”265