Homilies on John 82.1–82.4

“I have given them your word, and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” When we have become virtuous and are persecuted by the wicked, and when, striving after virtue, we are mocked by them, let us not be distressed or vexed. For this is the nature of the thing, and everywhere virtue is wont to beget hatred among the wicked. For, envying those who wish to live uprightly, and thinking to provide themselves with a defense if they cast down the good name of others, they hate them as men who pursue the opposite course, and they do everything to bring shame on their life. But let us not grieve; for this is a sign of virtue. This is why Christ too says, “If you were of the world, the world would love its own”; and elsewhere again, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you.” This is why here too he says, “I have given them your word, and the world has hated them.” Again he states the reason why they are worthy to receive much care from the Father: “For they have been hated because of you,” he says, “and because of your word,” so that they would be justly entitled to enjoy every providence. “I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.” Again he makes his speech clear, again he works it out more plainly; which shows nothing else than that he takes great care of them, by making his request for them with exactness. And yet he himself used to say that the Father would do all things whatever they asked. How then does he himself here make request for them? For no other reason, as I said, than to show his love. “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” How then does he say elsewhere, “Those whom you gave me out of the world were yours”? There he speaks of their nature, here of wicked deeds. And he composes a long commendation of them: first, that they are not of the world; then, that the Father himself gave them; and that they have kept his word, and that for this they are hated. And if he says, “just as I am not of the world,” do not be troubled. For the “just as” here does not express exact sameness. For as, when “just as” is said of him and the Father, there is great equality because of the kinship of nature, so when it is said of us and him, the distance is great, because the distance between the two natures is great, indeed infinite. For if “he committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth,” how could the apostles be made equal to him? What then is it that he says, “They are not of the world”? They look to another place; they have nothing in common with the earth, but have become citizens of heaven. By these words too he shows his love, when he praises them to the Father and commits them to the one who begot him. Having said, “Keep them,” he speaks not only of deliverance from dangers but also of continuing in the faith; and so he added, “Sanctify them in your truth”: make them holy through the gift of the Spirit and through right doctrines. Just as when he says, “You are clean through the word which I have spoken to you,” so now too he says the same: instruct them, teach them the truth. And yet he says that the Spirit does this. How then does he now ask it of the Father? That you may learn again the equality of honor. For right doctrines spoken about God sanctify the soul. And if he says that they are sanctified by the word, do not wonder. And to show that he speaks of doctrines, he added, “Your word is truth”; that is, there is no falsehood in it, and all that has been spoken must certainly come to pass; and again it signifies nothing figurative or bodily; as Paul too says of the church, that “he sanctified her by the word.” For he knows that the word of God also cleanses. But “sanctify them” seems to me to signify something else as well, namely, “Set them apart for the word and for preaching.” And this again is plain from what follows. “For as you sent me into the world,” he says, “so I have sent them”; which Paul too says: “Having entrusted to us the word of reconciliation.” For the purpose for which Christ came, for that same purpose these too took possession of the world. Here again the “as” is not used to express likeness between him and the apostles (for how else was it possible for men to be sent?); and it is his custom to speak of the future as already past. “And for their sake I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified in the truth.” What does “I sanctify myself” mean? I offer you a sacrifice. Now all sacrifices are called holy, and properly the things dedicated to God are called holy. For since of old the sanctification was in figure, in the sheep, but now it is not in figure but in the truth itself, he says, “that they may be sanctified in your truth.” For I dedicate them too to you, and make them an offering. He says this either because their head is being offered, or because they too are being sacrificed. For “present your members,” he says, “a living sacrifice, holy.” He makes them a sacrifice and an offering. That in saying “I sanctify” he hinted at his own sacrifice is plain from what follows. “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word.” For since he was dying for them (and he had said, “For their sake I sanctify myself”), so that no one might think that he was doing this for the apostles alone, he added, “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word.”

By this he again raised up their souls, showing that there would be many disciples. For since he had made common what they had as their special privilege, he again comforts them, showing that they themselves become the cause of the salvation of the others too. Having spoken about their salvation and about their being sanctified by faith and by the sacrifice, he speaks next about concord, and with this he closes his discourse, having begun from it and ended in it. For at the beginning he says, “A new commandment I give you”; and here, “that they may be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you.” Again the “just as” is not of exact likeness in their case; for it was not possible for them to be so much [one], but only as is possible for men; just as when he says, “Be merciful, as your Father is.” And what is “in us”? In faith in us. For since nothing scandalizes everyone so much as division, he provides that they may become one. What then? Did he accomplish it, someone says? Indeed he did accomplish it. For all who believed through the apostles are one, even if some of them have been torn away. For this did not escape him either; he even foretold it, and showed that it comes from men's carelessness. “That the world may believe that you sent me.” This is what he said at the beginning too: “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” And how were they to believe from this? Because, he says, you are a God of peace. If then they keep what they have learned, those who hear will know the teacher from the disciples; but if they fight, they will not say that they are disciples of a God of peace; and if I am not peaceable, they will not confess that I have been sent from you. Do you see how to the end he establishes his concord with the Father? “The glory which you gave me I have given them”: the glory through the signs, through the doctrines, and that they may be of one soul. For this is glory, that they be one, and it is greater than the signs. For as men marvel at God because there is no strife or fighting in that nature, and this is the greatest glory, so let these too, he says, become illustrious from this. And how, someone says, does he ask the Father to give them this, when he says that he himself gives it? For whether he is speaking about signs, or about concord, or about peace, he plainly himself provided these to them. From which it was plain that the request is made for the sake of their comfort. “I in them, and you in me.” How did he give the glory? By being in them, and having the Father with himself, so as to knit them together. But elsewhere he does not speak so; [he says] not that the Father comes through him, but that he and the Father come and make their dwelling with him: there removing the suspicion of Sabellius, here that of Arius. “That they may be perfected in one, so that the world may know that you sent me.” He says it continually, showing that peace can draw men more than a sign. For as strife breaks apart, so harmony knits together. “And I loved them, as you loved me.” Here again the “as” means as far as it is possible for a man to be loved; and the proof of the love is that he gave himself for them. Having said, then, that they will be in safety, that they will not be overthrown, that they will be holy, that many will believe through them, that they will enjoy great glory, that not he alone loved them but the Father too, he speaks finally also of what comes after their departure from here, of the prizes and the crowns laid up for them. “Father,” he says, “those whom you gave me, I desire that where I am, they also may be.” What they were always seeking, saying, “Where are you going?”, this you receive by request, and do not yet have? Then how did you say to them, “You will sit on twelve thrones”? How did you promise other things, more and greater? Do you see that he says all things for the sake of condescension? Otherwise, how did he say, “But you will follow me afterward”? But he says this for fuller assurance and to show his love. “That they may behold my glory, which you have given me.” Again this is a sign of his concord with the Father: loftier than what went before (“before the foundation of the world,” he says), yet having in it too some condescension, for he says, “You have given me.” If this is not so, I should gladly ask those who contradict: one who gives, gives to someone who already exists; did he then first beget him and afterward give him the glory, having first left him to be without glory? And how would that make sense? Do you see that “gave” here means “begot”? And why did he not say, “that they may share the glory,” but “that they may behold the glory”? Here he hints that the whole of rest is this: to behold the Son of God. This is what makes them glorified too; as Paul too says: “With unveiled face beholding the glory of the Lord.” For as those who look at the sun's rays and enjoy the finest air have their enjoyment from the sight, so then too, and much more, this will produce our delight. At the same time he shows that what is to be seen is not this [that was then visible], but some awesome essence. “O righteous Father, the world has not known you.” What does this mean? What connection does it have? He shows here that no one knows God except only those who have recognized the Son. What he says is something like this: I wished all men to have this, but they did not know you, although they have nothing to charge you with. For this is what “righteous Father” means. Here he seems to me to say these things with displeasure, that they would not recognize one so good and righteous. For since the Jews said that they knew God, but that he did not know him, he answers this, composing a defense against the Jewish accusations. For he who received glory, who was loved before the foundation of the world, who wishes to have them as witnesses of that glory, how was he opposed to the Father? So it is not as the Jews say, that they know you and I do not; but the opposite: I know you, but others have not known you. “And these have known that you sent me.” Do you see that he hints at those who say that he is not from God, and that he sums up his whole discourse against this? “And I have made your name known to them, and will make it known.” And yet you say that full knowledge belongs to the Spirit; but the things of the Spirit are mine. “That the love with which you loved me may remain in them, and I in them.” For if they learn who you are, then they will know that I am not cut off from you, but one of those greatly loved, and a true Son, and joined to you. And being persuaded of this as they should, they will keep exact their faith in me and their love. And when they love as they should, I shall remain in them. Do you see to what a fine end he has come, completing his discourse in love, the mother of all good things? Let us then believe, and let us love God, so that it may not be said of us too, “They profess to know God, but deny him by their works”; and again, “He has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever.” For when the unbeliever helps both household servants and relatives and strangers, while you do not care even for those who belong to you by family, what defense will you have left, when God is blasphemed and insulted because of you? For consider how many occasions of doing good God has given us. Have mercy on one, he says, as a relative, on another as a friend, on another as a neighbor, on another as a fellow citizen, on another as a human being. But if none of these holds you, and you break all the bonds, hear Paul saying that you are worse than an unbeliever; for that man, who has heard nothing about almsgiving or about the things in heaven, has surpassed you in kindness, while you, who were commanded to love even your enemies, look on your own people as enemies, and spare your money rather than their bodies. And yet the money that is spent will suffer no harm, but this man, if neglected, will perish. What then is this madness, to spare money and not spare relatives? From where did this desire come in? From where this inhumanity and this cruelty? For if anyone, seated as on the summit of a theater, should survey the whole world, or rather, if you please, for the present one …

If then someone, seated on a height, could look down on all human affairs, consider what folly he would condemn, how many tears he would shed, how much laughter he would laugh, how much hatred he would feel. For we do such things as deserve laughter, and folly, and tears, and hatred. One man keeps dogs to catch wild beasts, while he himself falls into beastliness; another keeps asses and oxen to carry stones, but neglects men wasting away with hunger. And he spends unlimited gold to make men of stone, but overlooks men who are truly men and have become like stone through their misery. Another, gathering golden tesserae with much toil, covers his walls with them, but seeing the bellies of the poor bare, he does not bend. And some devise further garments for their garments, while another has not even enough to cover his naked body. In the law courts again one man has swallowed up another; another has spent his money on prostitutes and parasites; another on mimes and dancing girls; another on splendid buildings, on purchases of fields and houses. Again, one counts interest, another interest on interest, another draws up contracts full of many murders, and does not even enjoy the rest that night brings, lying awake over the ills of others. And when day comes, one runs to unjust gain, another to licentious spending, others to theft made public. And for superfluous and forbidden things there is great zeal, but of necessary things no account at all. Those who judge have the name of judges but the work of robbers and murderers. And if one examines the lawsuits, or the wills, he will again find countless evils here too: frauds, thefts, plots. And all leisure goes on these things, while of spiritual things there is no account; and everyone troubles the church only to see it. But what is required is not this; we need works and a pure mind. If you spend the whole day in greed, and then come in and say a few words, you have not only not made God gracious, but have provoked him the more. For if you wish to reconcile your Master to you, show works; learn the heap of misfortunes; look at the naked, the hungry, the wronged: he has cut for you countless ways of kindness. Let us then not deceive ourselves, living at random and in vain; and let us not be careless because we are now in health; but considering that often, when we fell into sickness and came to the last extremity of weakness, we died through fear and the expectation of what was to come, let us expect that we shall fall into the same again, and let us acquire the same fear and become better; since things as they are now deserve countless accusations. For those in the law courts are like lions and dogs; those in the market places like foxes; and those who live a quiet life do not use their quiet as they ought either, spending all their leisure on theaters and the evils that come from them. And there is no one who rebukes what is done, but many who envy and are stung that they do not do the same; so that these too are punished, even though they do not do the wicked things. For they not only do them, but also approve of those who do them. For their will too is corrupted in the same way; from which it is plain that one pays the penalty for one's intention too. I say these things every day, and I shall not stop saying them. For if some listen, it is gain; but if there is no one who attends, then you will hear these things when there is no gain for you, and you will blame yourselves, and we shall be clear of the blame. But God forbid that we should have only this defense; may you rather become our boast before the judgment seat of Christ, so that together we may enjoy the good things, by the grace and love for humankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.