Homilies on John 76.1–76.3

“Arise, let us go hence. I am [the true vine, and my Father] is the vinedresser.” Ignorance makes the soul cowardly and unmanly, just as instruction in heavenly doctrines makes it great and lofty; for when it enjoys no care, a soul is somehow cowardly, not by nature but by choice. For when I see the brave man at one time daring and now cowardly, I no longer say the feeling belongs to nature; for what belongs to nature is unchangeable. Again, when I see those who are now cowardly suddenly becoming daring, I give the same verdict again, ascribing everything to choice. For the disciples too were very cowardly before they learned what they ought and were counted worthy of the gift of the Spirit; but afterward they became bolder than lions. And Peter, who could not bear the threat of a little maid, was crucified head downward and was scourged, and in countless dangers did not keep silent, but spoke freely as though what he suffered he suffered in a dream; but not before the cross. This is why Christ said, “Arise, let us go hence.” Why, tell me? Did he not know the hour at which Judas would come upon them? Or was he afraid that Judas would come there and seize them, and that the plotters would come upon them before he had completed his excellent teaching? Away with the thought! These things are far from his dignity. If then he was not afraid, why does he take them away, and after finishing, then lead them to the garden known to Judas? And even if Judas had come, could he not have blinded their eyes, as he did even when Judas was not present? Why then does he withdraw? He gives the disciples a little breathing space. For it was likely that, being in a conspicuous place, they trembled and were afraid, both because of the time and because of the place. For it was deepest night, and it was [not possible] even to attend to what was said, but they kept turning around and imagining those who would come upon them; especially since even the Teacher's word made them expect terrible things. For “Yet a little while,” he says, “and I am not with you,” and, “The ruler of this world is coming.” Since then on hearing these and such things they were troubled, as if they would be taken at any moment, he leads them to another place, so that, thinking they were in safety, they might henceforth listen without fear. For they were going to hear great doctrines. This is why he says, “Arise, let us go hence.” Then, having brought them there, he says, “I am the vine, you are the branches.” What does he mean to hint at by the parable? That one who does not attend to what is said cannot live, and that the signs to come take place by the power of Christ. “My Father is the vinedresser.” What then? Does the Son need help to work? Away with the thought! For the illustration does not show this. See, at any rate, with how much exactness he goes through the parable. For he says that not the root enjoys the vinedresser's care, but the branches. And the root is brought in here for no other reason than that they may learn that without his power they can do nothing, and that they must be united to him by faith as the branch to the vine. “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, the Father takes it away.” Here he hints at the way of life, showing that without works it is not possible to be in him. “And every one that bears fruit, he cleanses it”; that is, he makes it enjoy much care. And yet the root needs care before the branches, being dug around and laid bare; but he says nothing here about it, but all about the branches; showing that he himself is sufficient for himself, but the disciples need much help from the vinedresser, even if they are very virtuous. This is why he says, “The one that bears fruit he cleanses.” For the one, since it is fruitless, cannot even be in the vine; but the other, since it bears fruit, he makes more fruitful. One might say that this was also said with reference to the afflictions then coming upon them. For “he cleanses it” means he prunes it, which makes the branch more fruitful. From this it is shown that trials make them rather stronger. Then, so that they might not say, “About whom does he say these things?” and so that he might not again throw them into anxiety, he says, “You are already clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.” Do you see how he brings himself in as caring for the branches? For I have cleansed you, he says. And yet above he shows the Father doing this; but there is nothing between Father and Son. And now your part must be forthcoming. Then, to show that he did this not because he needed their service, but that they might advance, he adds, “As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, so neither can the one who does not abide in me.” For so that they might not be cut off through cowardice, he braces their soul, slackened by fear, and binds it to himself, and holds out good hopes henceforth. For the root remains; but being taken away or left belongs to the branches. Then, having urged them on from both sides, from good things and from painful ones, he demands our part first. “Whoever abides in me, and I in him.” Do you see the Son contributing no less than the Father to the care of the disciples? For the Father cleanses, but he holds them in himself. And abiding in the root is what makes the branches bear fruit. For the branch that is not cleansed, but abides in the root, bears fruit, even if not as much as it should; but the one that does not abide, none at all. Nevertheless, cleansing too was shown to be the Son's, and abiding in the root the Father's, who begot the root.

Do you see how all things are common, both the cleansing and the enjoying of the power from the root? It is a great loss, then, even to be able to do nothing; yet he does not stop the punishment at this, but carries his discourse further. “It is cast out,” he says, no longer enjoying the vinedresser's hand. “And it withers”; that is, whatever it had from the root it puts off; whatever grace, it is stripped of it, and is deprived of the help and life from there. And what is the end? “It is cast into the fire.” But such is not the one who abides with him. Then he shows what it is to abide, and says, “If my words abide in you.” Do you see that before this too I reasonably said that he seeks the demonstration through works? For having said, “Whatever you ask I will do,” he added, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments”; and here, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you.” And he said these things showing that those who plotted against him would be burned up, but they themselves would bear fruit. Having then transferred the fear from them to those others, and shown that they would be invincible, he says, “By this my Father is glorified, that you become my disciples and bear much fruit.” From this he makes his word credible. For if fruit-bearing redounds to the glory of the Father, he will not neglect his own glory. “And you will become my disciples.” Do you see that the one who bears fruit is the disciple? And what is “By this the Father is glorified”? That is, he rejoices when you abide in me, when you bear fruit. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.” Here at last he speaks in a more human way; for what is said as to human beings has its own force. For he who chose even to die, and counted those who were servants and enemies and adversaries worthy of such honor, and led them up to heaven, how great a measure of love did he display? If then I love you, be confident; if fruit-bearing is the Father's glory, suspect nothing evil. Then, so that he might not make them careless, see how he braces them again: “Abide in my love”; for you are masters of this. And how will this be? “If you keep my commandments,” he says, “as I have kept the Father's commandments.” Again the discourse proceeds in a human way. For surely the lawgiver was not going to be under commandments. Do you see that what I always say is shown here too, because of the weakness of the hearers? For he says much with a view to their suspicion, and through everything shows that they are in safety and that their enemies perish, and that all they have, they have from the Son, and that, if they show a pure life, no one will ever overcome them. And consider him speaking to them with greater authority. For he did not say, “Abide in the love of the Father,” but “in mine.” Then, so that they might not say, [“Having set us at war with all, you are leaving us,”] he shows that he does not leave them, but is joined to them, if they will, as the branch in the vine. And again, so that they might not become careless through confidence, he says that the good is not immovable if they are slothful. Then, so that he might not refer the matter to himself and so make them more prone to fall, he says, “By this the Father is glorified.” For everywhere he shows his own love and the Father's toward them. So the glory is not the things of the Jews, but these, which they were going to receive. Then, so that they might not say, “We have been cast out of our fathers' inheritance, we have been abandoned, we have become naked and bereft of all,” Look at me, he says: I am loved by the Father, and yet I suffer these things that lie before me. So neither am I now leaving you because I do not love you. For if I am being killed, and I do not take this as proof of not being loved by the Father, neither should you be troubled. For if you abide in my love, none of these terrible things will be able to harm you with respect to love.

Since then love is a great and invincible thing, and not a bare word, let us show it through deeds. He reconciled us when we were enemies; let us, having become friends, remain so. He began; let us at least follow. He loves not for his own gain (for he is without need); let us at least love for our own advantage. He loved us when we were enemies; let us at least love him who is a friend. As it is, we do the opposite. For every day God is blasphemed because of us, because of robberies, because of greed. And perhaps one of you will say, “Every day you speak about greed.” Would that one could say it every night too! Would that one could follow you about with it in the marketplace and at the table! Would that wives and friends and children and household servants and farmers and neighbors, and the very ground and the walls, could always break forth with this word, so that we might give way at least a little! For this disease has seized the whole world and holds the souls of all, and great is the tyranny of mammon. We were redeemed by Christ, and we serve gold. We proclaim the lordship of one, and obey another; and whatever that one commands we obey with eagerness, and for its sake we have ignored kinship and friendship and nature and laws and everything. No one looks up to heaven; no one considers the things to come. But there will be a time when not even these words will be of gain. “For in Hades,” it says, “who will confess you?” Gold is desirable and furnishes us much luxury and makes us honored; but not as heaven does. For many turn away from the rich man and hate him; but the one who lives in virtue they respect and honor. “But the poor man is laughed at, even if he is virtuous,” someone says. Not among human beings, but among the irrational; therefore one need not even turn around. For if asses brayed and jackdaws cawed at us, but all the wise praised us, we would not leave this theater and look to the cries of the irrational. For those who admire present things are like jackdaws and worse than asses. Then, if an earthly king admires you, you take no account of the multitude, even if all laugh at you; but if the Master of all [praises you, do you seek the praise of these]? For this is what these are compared with God; or rather not even this, but whatever is meaner than these. How long shall we wallow in mire? How long shall we seat dolts and gluttons as our spectators? They can judge well dice-players, drunkards, those who live for the belly; but of virtue and vice they cannot form a notion even in a dream. Then, if someone mocks you because you do not know how to dig the channels of the irrigation ditches, you think it nothing terrible, but even laugh at the one who taxes you with this inexperience; but when you wish to practice virtue, do you take as judges of that art those who know nothing of it? For we entrust our affairs not to the experienced but to the ignorant. But they judge not according to the principle of the art, but according to their own ignorance. Therefore, I beseech you, let us despise the multitude; or rather let us not even desire praise, nor money, nor wealth, nor think poverty an evil. For poverty is our teacher of prudence and endurance and all wisdom. For Lazarus too lived with poverty and was crowned; and Jacob desired to obtain bread alone; and Joseph came to the utmost poverty, and was not only a slave but also a prisoner, and for this we admire him the more. And we do not praise him so much when he was distributing the grain as when he dwelt in the prison; not when he wore the diadem, but when he wore the chain; not when he sat on the throne, but when he was plotted against and sold. Considering all these things, then, and the crowns woven from these contests, let us admire not wealth and honor and luxuries and power, but poverty and the chain and bonds and endurance for virtue's sake. For the end of those is full of tumult and confusion and is bound up with the present life; but the fruit of these is heaven and the good things in heaven, which eye has not seen nor ear heard; which may we all obtain, by the grace and love for humankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.