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

NPNF (V1-14)St. Chrysostomthat we should be catching at the charge now of these, then of those, then again of others, 320 havingno real affection for any one. May we never have cause to suspect this of you. We trust that yeabound more in faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and in love to one another and towards all men. Andthis we say as desiring that your zeal may be increased, and the excellence of your conversation 321farther advanced. For it is thus that you will be able to bring your understandings down to the verydepth of the words set before us, if no film 322 of wickedness darken the eyes of your intellect, anddisturb its clearsightedness and acuteness.What then is it which is set before 323 us to-day? “John bare witness of Him, and cried, saying,This was He of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me, for He was beforeme.” The Evangelist is very full in making frequent mention of John, and often bearing about histestimony. And this he does not without a reason, but very wisely; for all the Jews held the man ingreat admiration, (even Josephus imputes the war to his death; 324 and shows, that, on his account,what once was the mother city, is now no city at all, 325 and continues 326 the words of his encomiumto great length,) and therefore desiring by his means to make the Jews ashamed, he continuallyreminds them of the testimony of the forerunner. The other Evangelists make mention of the olderprophets, and at each successive thing that took place respecting Him refer the hearer to them. Thuswhen the Child is born, they say, “Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spokenby Esias the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with Child, and shall bring forth a Son” (Matt. i. 22; Isa. vii. 14 ); and when He is plotted against and sought for everywhere so diligently,that even tender infancy is slaughtered by 327 Herod, they bring in Jeremy, saying, “In Ramah wasthere a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children”( Matt. ii. 18; Jer. xxxi. 15 ); and again, when He comes up out of Egypt, they mention 328 Hosea,saying, “Out of Egypt have I called My Son” ( Matt. ii. 15; Hosea xi. 1 ); and this they doeverywhere. But John providing testimony more clear and fresh, and uttering a voice more gloriousthan the other, brings continually forward not those only who had departed and were dead, but onealso who was alive and present, who pointed Him out and baptized Him, him he continuallyintroduces, not desiring to gain credit for the master 329 through the servant, but condescending tothe infirmity of his hearers. 330 For as unless He had taken the form of a servant, He would not havebeen easily received, so had He not by the voice of a servant prepared the ears of his fellow-servants,the many (at any rate) of the Jews would not 331 have received the Word.[2.] But besides this, there was another great and wonderful provision. For because to speakany great words concerning himself, makes a man’s witness to be suspected, and is often an obstacle320 al. “and others again with these.”321πολιτείας .322λήμη , al. λύμη , “defilement.”323 al. “said to.”324 No such passage is extant in Josephus. Probably the place alluded to is Antiq. b. xviii. c. 5, § 2, where the destruction ofthe troops of Herod the tetrarch by Aretas is attributed to the death of John the Baptist.325 Ben. “the war through which the city of the Jews, which was once the mother city, is no city.”326 al. “raises.”327Morel. καὶ πάντα τὰ αὐτοῦ ὄντως ἀνεζήτη, ὡς καὶ περὶ τῆς ἀώρου ἡλικίας τῆς σφαττομένης .328 al. “produce.”329 Morel. inserts “hence, away with the thought.”330 al. “of babes.”331 al. “would not so.”71