Homilies on John 84.1–84.3

“[For this I have been born,] and for this I came …; everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.” Long-suffering is a wonderful thing, and it sets the soul as in a calm harbor, freeing it from waves and evil winds. And Christ taught us this everywhere, but especially now, when he is judged and led and led about. For when he was brought to Annas, he answered with great gentleness, and to the officer who struck him he spoke words able to bring down all pride; and from there coming to Caiaphas and then to Pilate, and spending a whole night in these things, through all he shows his meekness. And when they said that he was an evildoer and could not prove it, he stood silent; but when he was asked about the kingdom, then he spoke to Pilate, instructing him and leading him up to higher things. But why does Pilate not make the examination in their presence, but goes into the praetorium privately? He had some great suspicion about him, and wished to learn everything exactly without the Jews raising a tumult. Then, when he said, “What have you done?”, he made no answer about this; but about what Pilate most longed to hear, his kingdom, about this he answers, saying, “My kingdom is not of this world”; that is, I am a king, but not such as you suspect, but far more splendid; and by these words and those that follow declaring that nothing wrong had been done by him. For one who said, “For this I have been born, and for this I came, to bear witness to the truth,” shows that he had done nothing wrong. Then, saying, “Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice,” he draws him by these words and persuades him to become a hearer of what is said. For if anyone, he says, is true and longs for these things, he will certainly hear me. So he took hold of him by these brief words, so that he said, “What is truth?” But for the moment he attends to what was urgent. For he saw that this question needed time, and he wants to snatch him from the fury of the Jews. That is why he went out. And what does he say? “I find no fault in him.” And see how wisely. For he did not say, “Since he has sinned and is worthy of death, grant him to the feast”; but first clearing him of every charge, then, over and above, he asks that, even if they are unwilling to release him as innocent, they should at least grant him to the occasion as guilty. And so he added, “You have a custom that I release one man for you at the Passover.” Then [shaming] the Jews … “They all cried out, then, ‘Not this man, but Barabbas.’” O the foul intent! They ask for those of their own character and release the guilty, and command the innocent to be punished; for this was their law from of old. But in all these things consider the Master's love for humankind. Pilate scourged him, wishing perhaps to dissolve and soothe the zeal of the Jews. For since he had not been able to rescue him by the former means, eager to stop the evil at this point, he both scourged him and allowed what was done to be done, the robe and the crown to be put on him, so as to slacken their anger. This is why he also brought him out to them crowned, so that, seeing the insult done to him, they might take breath a little from their passion and vomit out their venom. And how did the soldiers do these things, if there was no order from the governor? To gratify the Jews; since at the beginning too they had not come in by night on his order, but, gratifying the Jews, they dared anything for money. Yet when so many and such things were done, he stood silent, as he had done at the examination too, and answered nothing. But do not only hear these things, but keep them continually in mind; and seeing the King of the world and of all the angels mocked by soldiers, with words and with deeds, and bearing all in silence, imitate him by your works. For since Pilate had said, “the King of the Jews,” they then put on him the dress of mockery. Then, bringing him out, he says, “I find no fault against him. Jesus then came out wearing the crown”; and not even so was their anger quenched, but they shouted, “Crucify, crucify him.” Pilate then, seeing that everything was done in vain, says, “Take him yourselves and crucify him.” From which it is plain that he had allowed the earlier things too because of their madness. “For I,” he says, “find no fault against him.”

See by how many means the judge defends himself, continually clearing himself of the charges; but none of this shamed the dogs. For “Take him and crucify him” is the word of one who is clearing himself, and pushing them toward a thing not permitted to them. They had brought him so that this might be done with the governor's judgment; but the opposite happened: by the governor's judgment he was rather acquitted. Then, since they were put to shame, they say, “We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.” How then, when the judge said, “Take him and judge him according to your law,” did you say, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” while here you take refuge in the law? And consider the accusation: “He made himself the Son of God.” Is it a crime, tell me, that one who does the works of the Son of God should say that he is the Son of God? What then does Christ do? While they were talking these things over with one another, he was silent, fulfilling that prophecy, “He does not open his mouth; in his humiliation his judgment was taken away.” Then Pilate is afraid, hearing from them that he made himself the Son of God, and fears that what is said may be true and that he may seem to act unlawfully; but they, who had learned this by deeds and words, do not shudder, but kill him for the very things for which they ought to have worshiped him. This is why he no longer asks him, “What have you done?”, but, shaken by fear, makes the examination again from the beginning, saying, “Are you the Christ?” But he did not answer. For he who had heard, “For this I have been born and for this I came,” and “My kingdom is not from here,” and who ought to have resisted and rescued him, did not do this, but followed the fury of the Jews. Then they, being silenced on every side, turn the matter to a public charge, saying, “Whoever makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” He ought then to have examined this with exactness, whether he had attempted usurpation and tried to cast Caesar out of the kingdom. But he does not make the examination with exactness. This is why he answered him nothing, since he knew that he was asking everything to no purpose. And besides, since his works bore witness for him, he did not wish to win by speech and compose a defense, showing that he goes to this willingly. Since then he was silent, Pilate says, “Do you not know that I have authority to crucify you?” Do you see how he condemned himself in advance? For if all lies in you, why, finding no fault, do you not release him? When then he had pronounced the sentence against himself, he then says, “He who handed me over to you has the greater sin,” showing that he too is answerable for sin. Then, pulling down his arrogance and pride, he says, “You would have no authority unless it had been given you,” showing that this was not happening simply and in the ordinary course of things, but was being accomplished in a mystery. And so that he might not, hearing “unless it had been given you,” think himself freed from all blame, he said, “He who handed me over to you has the greater sin.” And yet if it had been given, neither he nor they were answerable to the charges. You say this to no purpose; for “given” here means “permitted”; as if he said: he allowed these things to happen; yet not for this are you outside the wickedness. He struck him with these words, and gave a clear defense; whence Pilate too sought to release him. But they again cried out, “If you release this man, you are not Caesar's friend.” For since they had gained nothing by bringing charges from the law, they turn maliciously to the laws outside, saying, “Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar.” And where did this man appear as a usurper? From where can you show it? From the purple? From the diadem? From his dress? From soldiers? Did he not always walk alone with the twelve disciples, pursuing everything cheaply, food and clothing and dwelling? But O the shamelessness and the untimely cowardice! For Pilate, thinking that he would now be in danger if he overlooked these things, goes out as if to examine the matter (for his sitting down showed this), but without making any examination he hands him over, thinking to shame them. For that he did this with this intent, hear what he says: “Behold your King.” And when they said, “Crucify,” he again added, “Shall I crucify your King?” But they cried out, “We have no king but Caesar.” Of their own will they subjected themselves to punishment. This is why God too gave them up, since they themselves first cast themselves out of his providence and oversight. And since with one voice they denied the kingdom, he allowed them to fall under their own votes. And yet what was said was enough to stop their anger at last. But they were afraid that, if released, he might again lead the crowds, and they did everything to prevent this. For love of power is a terrible thing, terrible and able to destroy the soul. This is why they never listened to him. Pilate wished to release him on the strength of mere words; but they press on, saying, “Crucify.” And why did they try to kill him in this way? This death was a shameful one. Fearing then that some memory of him might remain afterward, they are eager to bring him to the accursed punishment, not knowing that through the obstacles the truth is exalted. For that they suspected this, hear what they say: “We heard, when that deceiver said, ‘After three days I rise.’” This is why they stirred up everything, turning it upside down, so as to spoil what would come afterward; and they shouted continually, “Crucify,” a disorderly people [corrupted] by its rulers …

But let us not only read these things, but also carry them in our mind: the crown of thorns, the robe, the reed, the blows, the strokes on the cheek, the spitting, the irony. For these things, continually turned over, are able to bring down all anger. Even if we are mocked, even if we suffer some wrong unjustly, let us continually say, “A servant is not greater than his master”; and let us bring forward the things said by the Jews, which they uttered in their madness, saying, “You have a demon,” and, “You are a Samaritan,” and, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul.” For this is why he endured all these things, that we might walk in his steps and bear mockery, which more than all revilings drives men out of themselves. Yet he not only bore these things, but also did everything to save those who did them and to free them from the punishment laid up for them. For he sent the apostles too for their salvation. You hear them saying, “We know that you did it in ignorance,” and by these words drawing them to repentance. Let us too imitate this. For nothing makes God so gracious as to love our enemies and to do good to those who mistreat us. When someone mistreats you, do not look at him, but at the demon that moves him, and empty all your anger on that one; but pity the man who is moved by him. For if falsehood comes from the devil, much more does groundless anger come from there. When you see someone making fun of you, consider that it is the devil who moves him. For mockery does not belong to Christians. For one who has been commanded to mourn, and hears, “Woe to you who laugh,” and then reviles and mocks and is inflamed, is worthy not to be reviled by us but to be wept over; since Christ too was troubled when he thought of Judas. Let us then practice all these things in our works. For if we do not achieve these things, we have come into the world at random and in vain, or rather even for evil. For faith is not able to bring us into the kingdom; rather, by this especially it can condemn those who show a worthless life. For “the servant who knew his master's will and did not do it will be beaten with many blows”; and again, “If I had not come and spoken to them,” he says, “they would not have sin.” What defense then shall we have, we who have come within the palace, and been counted worthy to peer into the inner sanctuary, and been made partakers of mysteries that free from sins, if we become worse than the pagans, who have shared in none of these things? For if they for empty glory showed such philosophy, much more ought we, for what pleases God, to pursue every virtue. But now we do not even despise money. They often disregarded even their own lives, and gave up their children in wars to the madness of the demons, and despised nature for the demons' sake; while we do not despise even silver for Christ's sake, nor anger for what pleases God, but … [are inflamed, and are in no better state than the feverish]. And as they, held by their illness, are inflamed, so we too, as though choked by some fire, can nowhere stop our desire, increasing both anger and love of money. For this I am ashamed and amazed, seeing among the pagans men who look down on money, but among us everyone mad for it. For even if we find some who despise these things, they are taken by other passions, by anger and envy; and it is a hard thing to find pure philosophy. And the cause is that we are not eager to take the medicines from the Scriptures, nor do we attend to them with compunction and pain and groaning, but carelessly, if ever we have leisure. This is why, when a great flood of worldly affairs comes, it washes everything away, and whatever gain there was, it destroys. For if someone who has a wound puts a medicine on it, and does not bind it carefully, but lets it fall off and gives his sore over to water and dust and filth and countless other things able to aggravate it, will he gain anything more? Not because of the weakness of the medicines, but because of his own carelessness. This is wont to happen to us too, when we attend a little to the divine oracles, but give ourselves wholly and continually to worldly things. For so the whole seed is choked, and everything becomes fruitless. So that this may not happen, let us look about us a little, let us look up to heaven, and let us look down on the tombs and coffins of the departed. For the same end awaits us too, and the same necessity of departure will often come upon us before evening. Let us then prepare for this departure. For we need many provisions, since there is great heat there, great drought, great desolation. One cannot put up at an inn any more; one cannot buy anything unless one takes everything from here. Hear what the virgins say: “Go to those who sell”; but when they went away they did not find. Hear what Abraham says: “There is a chasm between us and you.” Hear what Ezekiel says about that day: that Noah and [Job] and Daniel will not deliver their sons. But God forbid that we should hear these words; may we rather take from here sufficient provisions for eternal life, and see with boldness our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom be glory, might, and honor to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, now and always and for ever and ever. Amen.