Homilies on John 42.1–42.4

“After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, to the region of Tiberias; and a great crowd followed him, because they saw the signs that he did on the sick. And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near.” Let us not come to close quarters with violent men, beloved, but let us learn, when it does no harm to our virtue, to give way to their wicked plots. For in this way all rashness ceases. And as arrows, when they strike something taut, hard and resistant, rebound with great force on those who shot them, but when the violence of the shot meets nothing to resist it, quickly slacken and stop, so too with insolent men: when we come to close quarters with them they grow wilder, but when [we give way, we easily dissolve] their madness. That is why Christ too, when he knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John, went into Galilee, quenching their envy and soothing by his withdrawal the anger that was likely to arise from these reports. But going into Galilee again, he does not go to the same places; for he did not go to Cana, but to the other side of the sea. That is why great crowds followed him, seeing the signs that he did. What signs? Why does he not tell them one by one? Because this evangelist above all was eager to spend most of his book on Christ's discourses and addresses. See, at any rate, how in a whole year, or rather now at the feast of the Passover, he has taught us nothing more in the way of signs than that he healed the paralytic only, and the royal official's son. For he was not eager to list everything, since that was not even possible; but out of many great things [he told a few]. “[And a] great [crowd followed him], because they saw the signs that he did.” The following was not that of a very steady mind. For having enjoyed so much teaching, they were drawn on rather by the signs, which was the mark of a duller judgment. “For signs,” it says, “are for unbelievers, not for those who believe.” But the people in Matthew were not like this; hear how: “They were all astonished at his teaching,” it says, “for he taught them as one having authority.” And why does he now go up into the mountain and sit there with his disciples? Because of the sign that was going to take place. And his taking up the disciples alone was an accusation of the crowd for not following him. And he does this, going up the mountain, not for this reason only, but also to teach us always to rest from the commotions and the turmoil of public life; for solitude is suited to wisdom. And often he goes up the mountain alone and spends the night and prays, teaching us that one who would draw near to God above all must be free of all turmoil and seek a time and place clean of commotion. “And the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near.” How then is it, someone says, that he does not go up to the feast, but while all were hastening to Jerusalem he goes into Galilee, and from there to Capernaum? He was now gently loosening the law, taking occasion from the wickedness of the Jews. “And lifting up his eyes, he sees a great crowd.” Here he shows that he never sat with the disciples idly, but perhaps discussing something with them exactly and teaching them, and turning them toward himself; from which especially one can learn his care, and his humility and condescension toward them. For they sat with him, perhaps looking at one another. Then [lifting up his eyes he saw the crowd coming toward] him. The other evangelists, then, say that the disciples came and asked and urged him not to send them away fasting; but this one introduces Philip being asked by Christ. And it seems to me that both are true, but did not happen at the same time; those things were earlier than these, so that the one set of events is different from the other. Why then does he ask Philip? [He knew which] of the disciples most needed [teach]ing. For this is the one who afterwards says, “Show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” That is why he trained him from the beginning. For if the sign had simply happened, the wonder would not have appeared so great; but as it is, he first forces him to confess the existing scarcity, so that, knowing in what state they were, he might learn more exactly the greatness of the miracle about to take place. And see what he says: “Where are we to get so many loaves, so that these may eat?” So too in the Old Testament he spoke to Moses. For he did not do the sign until he had asked him, “What is that in your hand?” For since strange things happening suddenly are wont to make us forget what went before, he first bound him by the confession of what was present, so that when the astonishment came he might not be able to cast out the memory of what had been confessed, and so might learn from the comparison the greatness of the sign too; which happens here too. And being asked, he answers, saying, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not enough for each of them to get a little.” “He said this to test him; for he himself knew what he was going to do.” What does “to test him” mean? Was he ignorant of what Philip would say? One cannot say this. What then is the meaning of the expression? One can learn it from the Old Testament. For there too it says, “And it came to pass after these words that God tested Abraham, and said, ‘Take your beloved son, whom you love, Isaac.’” There too he clearly does not say this as though he expected to see the outcome from the test, whether he would obey or not (for how could he, who knows all things before they come to be?); but both are said in human terms. For as when it says, “He searches the hearts of men,” it does not show a searching of ignorance but of exact knowledge, so when it says “tested,” it means nothing else than that he knew exactly. One can also say something else: that he was making him more approved, as Abraham then, so now leading this man by such a question to an exact knowledge of the sign. That is why the evangelist too, so that you might not remain at the weakness of the expression and suspect something absurd about what was said, added, “For he himself knew what he was going to do.” But one must observe this: how, whenever a suspicion is bad, the evangelist at once corrects it with great zeal. As here, so that the hearers might not suspect anything of the kind, he added the correction, saying, “For he himself knew what he was going to do,” so too there, when he said that the Jews persecuted him “not only because he broke the Sabbath, but also because he called God his own Father, making himself equal to God,” if this had not been Christ's own declaration confirmed by the works, he would have added this same correction there too. For if, in what Christ himself says, the evangelist is on his guard lest someone suspect something, much more would he have been on his guard in what others said about him, if he had not seen the fitting opinion about him prevailing. But he did not do so; for he knew that this was Christ's mind and unshakable verdict. That is why, having said, “making himself equal to God,” he used no such correction; for what was said was not a corrupt suspicion of theirs, but his own declaration ratified by the works. So when Philip had been asked, [Andrew says,] “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are these among so many?” Andrew is loftier than Philip, yet he did not reach the whole. I think he did not say this idly, but because he had heard of the miracles of the prophets, and how Elisha did the sign of the loaves. That is why he went up to some height, but was not able to reach the very summit. Let us learn from this, we who give ourselves to luxury, what those wonderful and great men ate, and let us see and imitate the plainness of their table in both the quantity and the quality of what was brought. What follows, at any rate, shows great weakness. For after saying, “He has five barley loaves,” he added, “But what are these among so many?” For he thought that the wonder-worker would make less from less and more from more; which was not so. For it was equally easy for him to make the nature of the loaves well up from more or from fewer. For he did not need underlying matter; but so that creation might not seem foreign to his wisdom—as those who later slandered it, sick with the disease of Marcion, said—he uses creation itself as the basis of the wonders. Since, then, both disciples had despaired, he then works the wonder; for in this way they gained more, having first confessed the difficulty of the thing, so that when it happened they might learn the power of God. For since a sign was going to happen that had also been achieved by prophets, though not in the same way, and he was going to do it after giving thanks first, so that they might not fall into some weak suspicion, see how by the very manner he exalted it throughout and showed the difference. For before the loaves had appeared, he works the wonder, so that you may learn that things that are not exist for him as though they were, as Paul says: “Who calls the things that are not as though they were.” For as though the table were ready and prepared, he ordered them to sit down at once. In this way too he roused the minds of the disciples. And that they gained from the questioning, they obeyed at once and were not troubled, nor said, “What is this? How do you order us to sit down when nothing appears in our midst?” So those who at the beginning disbelieved so much as to say, “Where shall we buy bread?” began to believe even before seeing the sign, so that they eagerly made the crowds sit down. But why, when he was about to raise up the paralytic, did he not pray, nor when raising the dead, nor when bridling the sea, but here, over the loaves, does he do so? Showing that those who begin a meal must give thanks to God. And besides, he does this especially in lesser matters, so that you may learn that he does not do it out of need. For if it were out of need, much more would he have done it in the greater matters. But one who did those by his own authority clearly did these too by condescension.

[3] Besides, there was also a great crowd present, and they needed to be persuaded that he had come according to the will of God. That is why, when he does a sign alone, he shows nothing of this kind; but when he does it before many, so that they may believe that he is not some enemy of God nor opposed to the one who begot him, he removes the suspicion by the thanksgiving. “And he gave to those who were reclining, [as much as they wanted.” Do you see the difference between servant] and master? They worked wonders having grace by measure; but God, acting by unlimited power, did everything with great abundance. “And he said to the disciples, ‘Gather the fragments that are left over.’ So they gathered them, and filled twelve baskets.” This was not a superfluous display, but so that the thing might not be thought an illusion; that is why he creates from underlying matter too. And why did he not give them to the crowds to carry, but to the disciples? Because he wished above all to train these, who were going to be the teachers of the world. For the multitude was not going to reap any great fruit from the wonders for the time being; at any rate they quickly forgot and asked for another wonder; but these were going to gain no ordinary benefit. And what happened was no ordinary condemnation for Judas too, as he carried the basket. And that this was done for the sake of their training is clear from what was said later, which he reminded them of, saying, “Do you not yet understand how many baskets you took up?” And the baskets of fragments being equal in number to the disciples happened for the same reason. Later, when they had been trained, there were no longer so many, but seven hampers. But I marvel not only at the quantity of loaves made, but besides the quantity also at the exactness of the surplus: that he made neither more nor less left over, but as much as he wished, foreseeing how much they would consume; which belonged to an unspeakable power. The fragments, then, confirmed what had happened, showing both that what was done was no illusion, and that they came from those loaves on which the people had fed. And that of the fish was done at that time from underlying matter; but later, after the resurrection, no longer from underlying matter. Why? So that you may learn that now too he used matter not from need nor as requiring a base, but so as to [stop the mouths of the heretics. “So the people, seeing the sign, said,] ‘This is truly the prophet.’” Oh, the excess of gluttony! He had done countless things more wonderful than these, and nowhere did they confess this, but only when they were filled. From this it is clear that they expected some exceptional prophet. For those said, “Are you the prophet?” and these, “This is the prophet.” “So Jesus, knowing that they were [about] to come and seize him to make him king, withdrew to the mountain.” Oh, how great is the tyranny of gluttony! How great the fickleness of their mind! They no longer care about the transgression of the Sabbath; they are no longer zealous for God; but everything was cast aside when their bellies were filled. And he was a prophet among them, and they were going to appoint him king; but Christ flees. Why? Teaching us to despise worldly dignities, and showing that he needs nothing on earth. For he who chose everything cheap—mother, house, city, upbringing, the clothing of his garments—was not going afterwards to be made illustrious by things on earth. The things from heaven were splendid and great—angels, a star, the Father crying out, the Spirit testifying, prophets proclaiming him from afar—but the things on earth were all cheap, so that in this way too his power might appear the greater. He came also to teach us to despise the things here, and never to be dazzled or astonished by the splendid things of life, but to laugh at all these and love the things to come. For one who admires the things here will not admire the things in heaven. That is why he said to Pilate too, “My kingdom is not from here,” so that he might not seem thereafter to have used human fear and power to persuade. How then did the prophet say, “Behold, your king comes to you, meek, and mounted on a beast of burden”? Because he speaks of that kingdom, the one in heaven, and not this one. That is why again he said, “I do not receive glory from man.”

[4] Let us learn, then, beloved, to despise honor from men and not to desire it. For we have been honored with the greatest honor, compared with which this one is truly an insult, a mockery and a farce; just as this wealth compared with that is poverty, and this life without that is deadness (“Let the dead,” it says, “bury their own dead”), so too this glory compared with that is shame and mockery. Let us not, then, pursue it. For if those who give it are cheaper than shadows and dreams, much more is the glory itself; “for the glory of man is like the flower of grass.” And what could be cheaper than the flower of grass? And even if it were lasting, what could it profit the soul? Nothing; rather it ruins the greatest things, making slaves—slaves worse than those bought with silver, slaves obeying not one master only, but two and three and countless, giving different commands. How much better to be free and a slave—free from slavery to men, a slave of God's mastery! In short, if you wish to love glory, love glory, but the immortal kind. For its theater is more splendid and its gain greater. These men order you to please them at your own expense; but Christ entirely the opposite: he gives you a hundredfold of what you give, and adds eternal life to them. Which then is better—to be admired on earth or in heaven, by men or by God, to your loss or to your gain? To be crowned for one day, or for endless ages? Give to the one in need, and do not give to the dancer, so that you may not, along with your money, destroy his soul too. For you are the cause of his destruction through your untimely love of display. For if those on the stage knew that their pursuit would bring them no profit, they would long ago have stopped pursuing it; but when they see you applauding, running together, spending, using up all your substance, even if they do not wish to pursue it, they are held by the desire of gain. And if they knew that no one would praise their performances, they would quickly leave off their labors as unprofitable; but when they see the thing admired by many, the praise of others becomes a bait to them. Let us, then, give up this unprofitable spending; let us learn on what and when we ought to spend. Let us not provoke God on both sides, gathering from where we ought not and scattering on what we should not. For of what wrath would it not be worthy, when you give to the prostitute and pass by the poor man? For even if you gave from just labors, would not the thing be a crime—to give a wage for vice, and to honor what ought to be punished? But when you feed licentiousness by stripping orphans and wronging widows, consider how great a fire will be for those who dare such things. Hear what Paul says: “Not only do they do them, but they also approve of those who practice them.” Perhaps we have touched you severely; but even if we do not, the punishments in deeds await those who sin without amendment. What is the use, then, of gratifying in words those who are going to be punished in deeds? [Do you take pleasure in the dancer, praise and admire him?] Then you have become worse than he. For poverty gives him an excuse, even if it has no reason; but you are deprived even of this defense. If I ask him, “Why did you leave the other crafts and come to this accursed and foul one?” he will say that he can reap much with little labor. But if I ask you, “Why do you admire the one who lives in licentiousness and lives for the ruin of many?” you cannot take refuge in the same excuse, but must bow down and be ashamed and blush. And if, when called to account by us, you would have nothing to say, when that fearful and inexorable court comes, where we pay account for thoughts and deeds and everything, how shall we stand? With what eyes shall we look on the judge? What shall we say? What defense shall we make? What pretext, reasonable or unreasonable, shall we put forward? The expense? The enjoyment? Or the ruin of others, whom we destroy through that man's craft? There is nothing to say; we must be punished with a punishment that has no end, that knows no limit. So that this may not happen, let us from now on guard against everything, so that, departing with good hope, we may obtain the eternal good things; which may we all obtain, by the grace and love for humankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom be glory to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, now and always and to the ages of ages. Amen.