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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostom250“be lifted up,” they guessed that death was referred to. Then they said, “Who is this Son of Man?”This too they did deceitfully. “Think not, I pray,” saith one, “that we say this concerning thee, assertnot that we oppose thee through enmity, for, lo, we know not concerning whom thou speakest, andstill we declare our opinion.” What then doth Christ? To silence them, and to show that the Passionis no impediment to His enduring forever, He saith,Ver. 35 . “Yet a little while,” He saith, “is the light with you.”Signifying that His death was a removal; 1908 for the light of the sun is not destroyed, but havingretired for a while appears again.“Walk while ye have the light.” 1909Of what season doth He here speak? Of the whole present life, or of the time before theCrucifixion? I for my part think of both, for on account of His unspeakable lovingkindness, manyeven after the Crucifixion believed. And He speaketh these things to urge them on to the faith, asHe also did before, saying, “Yet a little while I am with you.” ( c. vii. 33 .)“He that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.”How many things, for instance, even now do the Jews, without knowing what they do, butwalking as though they were in darkness? They think that they are going the right way, when theyare taking the contrary; keeping 1910 the Sabbath, respecting the Law and the observances aboutmeats, yet knowing not whither they walk. Wherefore He said,Ver. 36 . “Walk in the light, 1911 that ye may become children of the light.”That is, “My children.” Yet in the beginning the Evangelist saith, “Were born, not of bloods,nor of the will of the flesh, but of God” ( c. i. 13 ); that is, of the Father; while here Himself 1912is said to beget them; that thou mayest understand that the operation of the Father and the Son isOne. “Jesus having spoken these things,” departed from them, and did hide Himself. 1913Why doth He now “hide Himself”? They took not up stones against Him, nor did they blasphemeHim in any such manner as before; why then did He hide Himself? Walking in men’s hearts, Heknew that their wrath was fierce, though they said nothing; He knew it boiling and murderous, andwaited not till it issued into action, but hid Himself, to allay their ill-will. Observe how the Evangelisthas alluded to this feeling; he has immediately added,Ver. 37 . “Though He had done so many miracles, 1914 they believed not on Him.”[2.] What “so many”? So many as the Evangelist hath omitted. And this 1915 is clear also fromwhat follows. For when He had retired, and given in, and had come to them again, He speakethwith them in a lowly manner, saying, “He that believeth on Me, believeth not on Me, but on Himthat sent Me.” ( Ver. 44 .) Observe what He doeth. He beginneth with humble and modestexpressions, and betaketh Himself to the Father; then again He raiseth His language, and when Heseeth that they are exasperated, He retireth; then He cometh to them again, and again beginneth1908i.e. temporary.1909“ Lest darkness come upon you, ” N.T.1910Savile reads κατηγοροῦντες , conject. τηροῦντες , which is the Ben. reading.1911“ While ye have light, believe in the light, ” N.T.1912i.e. Christ.1913“ departed and did hide Himself from them, ” N.T.1914“ before them, ” N.T.1915i.e. that Christ withdrew from the malice of the Jews.377