Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistle to the Hebrews
Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistle to the Hebrews Homilies on the Gospel of St. John and the Epistle to the Hebrews
NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom183But wherefore after saying, “according to the Scriptures,” 1437 did He not add the testimony?Because their mind was corrupt; for,Ver. 40–42 . 1438 “Some said, This is the Prophet. Others said, He deceiveth the people; 1439others said, Christ cometh not from Galilee, but from the village of Bethlehem.”Others said, “When Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence He is” ( ver. 27 ); and there wasa difference of opinion, as might be expected in a confused 1440 multitude; for not attentively didthey listen to His words, nor for the sake of learning. Wherefore He maketh them no answer; yetthey said, “Doth Christ come out of Galilee?” And He had praised, as being “an Israelite indeed,”Nathanael, who had said in a more forcible and striking manner, “Can there any good thing comeout of Nazareth?” ( c. i. 46 .) But then these men, and they who said to Nicodemus, “Search andlook, for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet” ( ver. 52 ), said it not seeking to learn, but merely tooverturn the opinion concerning Christ. Nathanael said this, being a lover of the truth, and knowingexactly all the ancient histories; but they looked only to one thing, and that was to remove theopinion that He was the Christ, on which account He revealed nothing to them. For they who evencontradicted themselves, and said at one time, “No man knoweth whence He cometh,” at another,“From Bethlehem,” would manifestly even if they had been informed have opposed Him. For beit that they knew not the place of His birth, that He was from Bethlehem, because of His dwelling1441in Nazareth, (yet this cannot be allowed, for He was not born there,) were they ignorant of Hisrace also, that He was “of the house and lineage of David”? How then said they, “Doth not Christcome of the seed of David?” ( Ver. 42 .) Because they wished to conceal even this fact by thatquestion, saying all that they said with malicious intent. Why did they not come to Him and say,“Since we admire thee in other respects, and thou biddest us believe thee according to the Scriptures,tell us how it is that the Scriptures say that Christ must come from Bethlehem, when thou art comefrom Galilee?” But they said nothing of the kind, but all in malice. And to show that they spokenot enquiringly, nor as desiring to learn, the Evangelist straightway hath added, that,Ver. 44 . “Some of them would have taken Him, but no man laid his hand upon Him.”This, if nothing else, might have been sufficient to cause compunction in them, but they felt itnot, as the Prophet saith, “They were cleft asunder, and were not pricked in heart.” ( Ps. xxxv. 15, LXX.)[3.] Such a thing is malice! it will give way to nothing, it looks to one thing only, and that is,to destroy the person against whom it plotteth. But what saith the Scripture? “Whoso diggeth a pitfor his neighbor, shall fall into it himself.” ( Prov. xxvi. 27 .) Which was the case then. For theydesired to kill Him, to stop, as they thought, His preaching; the result was the opposite. For thepreaching flourishes by the grace of Christ, while all that was theirs is quenched and perished; theyhave lost their country, their freedom, their security, their worship, they have been deprived of alltheir prosperity, and are become slaves and captives.Knowing then this, let us never plot against others, aware that by so doing we whet the swordagainst ourselves, and inflict upon ourselves the deeper wound. Hath any one grieved thee, and1437“ as saith the Scripture, ” ver. 381438not verbally quoted.1439 ver. 121440al. “ not well ordered. ”1441al. “ bringing up. ”280
NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom184desireth thou to avenge thyself on him? Avenge not thyself; so shalt thou be able to be avenged;but if thou avenge thyself, thou art not avenged. Think not that this is a riddle, but a true saying.“How, and in what way?” Because if thou avenge not thyself on him, thou makest God his enemy;but if thou avenge thyself, no longer so. “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, saith the Lord.” ( Rom.xii. 19 .) For if we have servants, and they having quarreled 1442 with each other, do not give placeto us for judgment and for punishment, but take it upon themselves; though they come to us tenthousand times, we not only shall not avenge them, but shall even be wroth with them, saying,“Thou runaway, thou flogging-post, thou oughtest to have submitted all to us, but since thou hastprevented us and avenged thyself, trouble us no farther”; much more shall God, who hath biddenus commit all unto Him, say this. For how can it be otherwise than absurd, when we demand fromour servants so much minding of wisdom and obedience, but will not yield to our Master in thosematters in which we desire our domestics to yield to us? This I say because of your readiness toinflict punishment one upon another. The truly wise man ought not to do this even, but to pardonand forgive offenses, though there were not that great reward proposed, the receiving in returnforgiveness. For, tell me, if thou condemnest one who hath sinned, wherefore dost thou sin thyself,and fall into the same fault? Hath he insulted? Insult not thou again, or thou hast insulted thyself.Hath he struck? Strike not thou again, for then there is no difference between you. Hath he vexedthee? Vex him not again, for the profit is nothing, and thou wilt in thy turn be placed on an equalitywith those who have wronged thee. Thus, if thou bear with meekness and gentleness, thou shalt beable to reprove thine enemy, to shame him, to weary 1443 him of being wroth. No man cures evilwith evil, but evil with good. These rules of wisdom give some of the heathen; now if there be suchwisdom among the foolish heathen, let us be ashamed to show ourselves inferior to them. Manyof them have been injured, and have borne it; many have been maliciously accused, and not defendedthemselves; have been plotted against, and have repaid by benefits. And there is no small fear lestsome of them be found in their lives to be greater than we, and so render our punishment severer.For when we who have partaken of the Spirit, we who look for the Kingdom, who follow wisdomfor the sake of heavenly things, 1444 who fear (not) hell, and are bidden to become angels, who enjoythe Mysteries; when we reach not to the virtue unto which they have attained, what pardon 1445 shallwe have? If we must go beyond the Jews, (for, “Except your righteousness shall exceed therighteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven”—Matt. v. 20 ,) much more the heathen; if the Pharisees, much more the unbelievers. Since if whenwe go not beyond the righteousness of the Jews, the Kingdom is shut against us, how shall we beable to attain unto it when we prove ourselves worse than the heathen? Let us then cast out allbitterness, and wrath, and anger. To speak “the same things, to me indeed is not grievous, but foryou it is safe,” ( Philip. iii. 1 .) For physicians also often use the same remedy, and we will notcease from sounding the same things in your ears, reminding, teaching, exhorting, for great is thetumult of worldly things, and it causes in us forgetfulness, and we have need of continual teaching.Let us then, in order that we meet not together in this place uselessly and in vain, exhibit the proof1442al. “ disputed. ”1443or, “ hinder. ”1444al. “ the heavens. ”1445al. “ hope of p. ”281
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NPNF (V1-14)<strong>St</strong>. Chrysos<strong>to</strong>m183But wherefore after saying, “according <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> Scriptures,” 1437 did He not add <strong>the</strong> testim<strong>on</strong>y?Because <strong>the</strong>ir mind was corrupt; for,Ver. 40–42 . 1438 “Some said, This is <strong>the</strong> Prophet. O<strong>the</strong>rs said, He deceiveth <strong>the</strong> people; 1439o<strong>the</strong>rs said, Christ cometh not from Galilee, but from <strong>the</strong> village <strong>of</strong> Bethlehem.”O<strong>the</strong>rs said, “When Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence He is” ( ver. 27 ); <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>re wasa difference <strong>of</strong> opini<strong>on</strong>, as might be expected in a c<strong>on</strong>fused 1440 multitude; for not attentively did<strong>the</strong>y listen <strong>to</strong> His words, nor for <strong>the</strong> sake <strong>of</strong> learning. Wherefore He maketh <strong>the</strong>m no answer; yet<strong>the</strong>y said, “Doth Christ come out <strong>of</strong> Galilee?” And He had praised, as being “an Israelite indeed,”Nathanael, who had said in a more forcible <strong>and</strong> striking manner, “Can <strong>the</strong>re any good thing comeout <strong>of</strong> Nazareth?” ( c. i. 46 .) But <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong>se men, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>y who said <strong>to</strong> Nicodemus, “Search <strong>and</strong>look, for out <strong>of</strong> Galilee ariseth no prophet” ( ver. 52 ), said it not seeking <strong>to</strong> learn, but merely <strong>to</strong>overturn <strong>the</strong> opini<strong>on</strong> c<strong>on</strong>cerning Christ. Nathanael said this, being a lover <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> truth, <strong>and</strong> knowingexactly all <strong>the</strong> ancient his<strong>to</strong>ries; but <strong>the</strong>y looked <strong>on</strong>ly <strong>to</strong> <strong>on</strong>e thing, <strong>and</strong> that was <strong>to</strong> remove <strong>the</strong>opini<strong>on</strong> that He was <strong>the</strong> Christ, <strong>on</strong> which account He revealed nothing <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong>m. For <strong>the</strong>y who evenc<strong>on</strong>tradicted <strong>the</strong>mselves, <strong>and</strong> said at <strong>on</strong>e time, “No man knoweth whence He cometh,” at ano<strong>the</strong>r,“From Bethlehem,” would manifestly even if <strong>the</strong>y had been informed have opposed Him. For beit that <strong>the</strong>y knew not <strong>the</strong> place <strong>of</strong> His birth, that He was from Bethlehem, because <strong>of</strong> His dwelling1441in Nazareth, (yet this cannot be allowed, for He was not born <strong>the</strong>re,) were <strong>the</strong>y ignorant <strong>of</strong> Hisrace also, that He was “<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> house <strong>and</strong> lineage <strong>of</strong> David”? How <strong>the</strong>n said <strong>the</strong>y, “Doth not Christcome <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> seed <strong>of</strong> David?” ( Ver. 42 .) Because <strong>the</strong>y wished <strong>to</strong> c<strong>on</strong>ceal even this fact by thatquesti<strong>on</strong>, saying all that <strong>the</strong>y said with malicious intent. Why did <strong>the</strong>y not come <strong>to</strong> Him <strong>and</strong> say,“Since we admire <strong>the</strong>e in o<strong>the</strong>r respects, <strong>and</strong> thou biddest us believe <strong>the</strong>e according <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> Scriptures,tell us how it is that <strong>the</strong> Scriptures say that Christ must come from Bethlehem, when thou art comefrom Galilee?” But <strong>the</strong>y said nothing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> kind, but all in malice. And <strong>to</strong> show that <strong>the</strong>y spokenot enquiringly, nor as desiring <strong>to</strong> learn, <strong>the</strong> Evangelist straightway hath added, that,Ver. 44 . “Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m would have taken Him, but no man laid his h<strong>and</strong> up<strong>on</strong> Him.”This, if nothing else, might have been sufficient <strong>to</strong> cause compuncti<strong>on</strong> in <strong>the</strong>m, but <strong>the</strong>y felt itnot, as <strong>the</strong> Prophet saith, “They were cleft asunder, <strong>and</strong> were not pricked in heart.” ( Ps. xxxv. 15, LXX.)[3.] Such a thing is malice! it will give way <strong>to</strong> nothing, it looks <strong>to</strong> <strong>on</strong>e thing <strong>on</strong>ly, <strong>and</strong> that is,<strong>to</strong> destroy <strong>the</strong> pers<strong>on</strong> against whom it plotteth. But what saith <strong>the</strong> Scripture? “Whoso diggeth a pitfor his neighbor, shall fall in<strong>to</strong> it himself.” ( Prov. xxvi. 27 .) Which was <strong>the</strong> case <strong>the</strong>n. For <strong>the</strong>ydesired <strong>to</strong> kill Him, <strong>to</strong> s<strong>to</strong>p, as <strong>the</strong>y thought, His preaching; <strong>the</strong> result was <strong>the</strong> opposite. For <strong>the</strong>preaching flourishes by <strong>the</strong> grace <strong>of</strong> Christ, while all that was <strong>the</strong>irs is quenched <strong>and</strong> perished; <strong>the</strong>yhave lost <strong>the</strong>ir country, <strong>the</strong>ir freedom, <strong>the</strong>ir security, <strong>the</strong>ir worship, <strong>the</strong>y have been deprived <strong>of</strong> all<strong>the</strong>ir prosperity, <strong>and</strong> are become slaves <strong>and</strong> captives.Knowing <strong>the</strong>n this, let us never plot against o<strong>the</strong>rs, aware that by so doing we whet <strong>the</strong> swordagainst ourselves, <strong>and</strong> inflict up<strong>on</strong> ourselves <strong>the</strong> deeper wound. Hath any <strong>on</strong>e grieved <strong>the</strong>e, <strong>and</strong>1437“ as saith <strong>the</strong> Scripture, ” ver. 381438not verbally quoted.1439 ver. 121440al. “ not well ordered. ”1441al. “ bringing up. ”280