Homilies on John 87.1–87.4

“But Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples then said to him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said, ‘Unless I see, I will not believe,’” and so on. As believing simply and at random is the mark of credulity, so to inquire and be curious beyond measure is the mark of a very gross mind. That is why Thomas too is blamed. For when the apostles said, “We have seen the Lord,” he did not believe, not so much disbelieving them as thinking the thing impossible, that is, the resurrection from the dead. For he did not say, “I do not believe you,” but, “Unless I put my hand, I will not believe.” How then, when all were gathered, was he alone left out? It is likely that after the scattering that had taken place he had not yet come back. But when you see the disciple disbelieving, consider the Master's love for humankind, how even for one soul he shows himself with his wounds, and comes to save even the one, though he was grosser than the others. That is why he sought faith through the grossest sense, and did not even trust his eyes. For he did not say, “Unless I see,” but, “Unless I touch,” in case what was seen might be a phantom. And yet the disciples who reported these things were trustworthy then, and so was he himself who had promised; yet nevertheless, since he asked for more, [Christ did not deprive him] even of these things. And why does he not appear to him at once, but after eight days? So that, being instructed by the disciples in the meantime and hearing the same thing, he might be kindled to greater longing and become more ready to believe for the future. And how did he know that the side too had been opened? Having heard it from the disciples. How then did he believe one thing and not believe the other? Because this was very strange and wonderful. But consider the apostles' love of truth, how they do not hide failings, neither their own nor others', but record them with great truthfulness. Jesus stands among them again, and does not wait to be asked by him, or to hear anything of the kind; but when he had said nothing, he himself anticipates and fulfills what he desired, showing that he was present too when he spoke these words to the disciples. For he used the same words, both with sharp rebuke and with instruction for the future. For having said, “Bring your finger, and see my hands, and put your hand into my side,” he added, “and do not be unbelieving, but believing.” Do you see that the doubt came from unbelief? But this was before they received the Spirit; after that it was no longer so, but they were made perfect at last. And he rebuked him not only in this way, but also by what follows. For when he [had recovered and cried out, “My Lord] and my God,” he says, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” For this is the mark of faith, to accept what is not seen. “For faith is the substance of things hoped for, the proof of things not seen.” Here he calls blessed not the disciples only, but also those who would believe after them. And yet, someone says, the disciples saw and believed. But they sought nothing of the kind, but from the face-cloths at once accepted the doctrine of the resurrection, and showed all their faith before they saw the body. When then someone says now, “I wish I had lived in those times and seen Christ working miracles,” let him consider: “Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” It is worth asking how an incorruptible body showed the marks of the nails and could be touched by a mortal hand. But do not be troubled; what happened was a matter of condescension. For a body so fine and light that it entered when the doors were shut was free of all grossness; but this is shown so that the resurrection might be believed, and so that they might learn that it was the crucified one himself, and that no other rose in his place. This is why he rose having the marks of the cross, and why he eats. The apostles at any rate made this again and again a sign of the resurrection, saying, “We who [ate] and drank with him.” As then, seeing him walking on the waves before the cross, we do not say that his body was of another nature, but of ours, so, seeing him after the resurrection having the marks, we shall not say that he is any longer corruptible. For he showed these things for the disciple's sake. “And Jesus did many other signs.” For since this evangelist has related fewer than the others, he says that not even all the others related everything, but as much as was enough to draw the hearers to faith. “For if all things were written,” he says, “I suppose that not even the world could contain the books.”

From this it is plain that they said what they wrote not for the sake of display, but only for usefulness. For those who left out the greater part, how would they have written these things for display? Why then did they not go through everything? Chiefly because of the number; and then they also considered that one who did not believe what had been said would not attend to more either, while one who accepted these things would need nothing else for the purpose of faith. But it seems to me that here he is speaking for the moment of the signs after the resurrection; that is why he says, “in the presence of his disciples.” For as before the resurrection many things had to happen so that they might believe that he is the Son of God, so too after the resurrection, so that they might accept that he rose. That is why he added, “in the presence of his disciples,” since he was with them alone after the resurrection. That is why he said, “The world will see me no more.” Then, so that you may learn that what was done was done only for the disciples' sake, he added, “that, believing, you may have eternal life in his name,” speaking to human nature in common, and showing that he is granting the greatest gifts not to the one believed in, but to ourselves. “In his name,” that is, through him. For he is the life. “After this he revealed himself to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias.” Do you see that he does not live among them continually, nor as before? He appeared in the evening, at any rate, and was gone; then after eight days once more, and again was gone; then after this at the sea, and again with great fear. And what is “revealed”? From this it is plain that he was not seen unless he condescended, because the body was by now incorruptible and pure. And why did he mention the place? To show that he had removed most of their fear, so that they now even ventured out of the house and went about everywhere. For they were no longer shut up in the house, but were going to Galilee, avoiding the danger from the Jews. Simon then goes fishing. For since he himself was not with them continually, and the Spirit had not been given, nor had they yet been entrusted [with anything], having nothing to do, they followed their trade. And there were together Simon and Thomas and Nathanael, who had been called by Philip, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others. Having nothing to do, then, they went fishing, and they did this at night, because they were very much afraid. Luke too mentions this; but that is not this event, but a different one. And the other disciples followed because they were now bound to one another, and at the same time wishing to see the fishing and to make good use of their leisure. They are toiling, then, and as they labor Jesus stands by them, and does not show himself at once, so as to enter into conversation. He says then to them, “Have you anything to eat?” For the moment he speaks in a more human way, as one about to buy something from them. And when they signed that they had nothing, he told them to cast to the right; and casting, they made the catch. And when they recognized him, the disciples Peter and John again show the peculiarities of their characters. For one was more ardent, the other more lofty; one was quicker, the other more discerning. That is why John was first to recognize Jesus, but Peter first to come to him; for the signs that happened were no ordinary ones. And what were the things that happened? First, that many fish were caught; then, that the net was not torn; then, that before they landed the coals were found, and fish laid on them, and bread. For he no longer made things from material at hand, as he did before the cross for a certain dispensation. When then Peter recognized him, he threw down everything, both the fish and the nets, and girded himself. Do you see both his reverence and his longing? And yet they were two hundred cubits away; but not even so would he wait to come to him in the boat, but came swimming. What then does Jesus say? “Come,” he says, “have breakfast.” “And no one dared to ask him.” For they no longer had the same freedom, nor did they feel the same confidence, nor did they now come to him to talk, but sat in silence and great fear and reverence, attending to him. For they knew that it was the Lord. And so they did not ask, “Who are you?”; but seeing his form changed and full of great awe, they were greatly amazed and wished to ask something about it; but fear, and their knowing that it was no other but he himself, held back the question, and they only ate what he had created for them with greater authority. And here he no longer looks up to heaven, nor does those human things, showing that those too were done for the sake of condescension. And to show that he was not with them continually, nor in the same way, he says, “This was now the third time that he appeared to them after he was raised from the dead.” And he tells them to bring some of the fish, showing that what was seen was not a phantom. But here he does not say that he ate with them; but Luke elsewhere says that he was “eating with them.” How, it is not ours to say; for these things happened in a more wonderful manner, not as though his nature still needed food, but as an act of condescension to prove the resurrection. Perhaps, hearing these things, you have been warmed, and have called blessed those who were with him then, and those who will be with him on the day of the common resurrection. Let us then do everything so as to see that wonderful face. For if now, hearing, we are so kindled and long to have lived in those days when he spent his time on earth, and to have heard his voice and seen his face and come near and touched and served him, consider how great a thing it is to see him no longer in a mortal body, nor doing human things, but escorted by angels, ourselves too being in an incorruptible state, seeing him and enjoying the rest of that bliss that surpasses all words. Therefore, I beg you, let us do everything so as not to fall from such great glory. For nothing is hard if we are willing, nothing burdensome if we attend. “For if we endure, we shall also reign with him.” What then is “if we endure”? If we bear afflictions, if persecutions, if we walk the narrow road. For the narrow road is toilsome by nature, but by our choice it becomes light, through the hope of things to come. “For our light momentary affliction is working for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, while we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are not seen.” Let us then transfer our eyes to heaven, and continually picture those things and look at them. For if we always dwell among those things, we shall not be affected by the pleasures here, nor bear griefs heavily, but shall laugh at these things and the like, and nothing will be able either to enslave us or to puff us up, if only we stretch our longing there, if we look to that love. And why do I say that we shall not be pained by present troubles? We shall not even seem to see them any more. Such a thing is love. At any rate we picture every day those who are not with us but absent, if we long for them. For great is the tyranny of love: it draws away from everything, and binds the soul to the beloved. If we love Christ so, everything here will appear a shadow, an image and a dream. We too shall say, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Affliction or distress?” He did not say money or wealth or beauty (for these are very cheap and ridiculous), but set down the things that seem grievous: famines, persecutions, deaths. Then he spat on even these as nothing; but we, for money, are separated from our life and cut off from the light. And Paul prefers neither death nor life, nor things present nor things to come, nor any other creature to his love for him; but we, if we see a little gold, are inflamed, and trample on his laws. And if these things are intolerable to hear, much more are those things intolerable when they are done. For this is the terrible thing, that when we hear, we shudder, but when we do them we do not shudder, but swear easily and perjure ourselves, and seize, and demand interest, and neglect chastity, and have abandoned the most earnest prayer, and transgress most of the commandments, and for money's sake take no account of our own members. For the lover of money will do his neighbor countless evils, and himself with him. For he will easily be angry, and revile, and call his brother a fool, and swear, and perjure himself, and does not even keep the measures of the old law; for he who loves gold will not love his neighbor. And yet we are commanded to love even our enemies for the sake of the kingdom. For if by fulfilling the old commandments we shall not be able to enter the kingdom of heaven, unless our righteousness exceeds theirs, we who transgress even those, what defense shall we find? The lover of money not only will not love his enemies, but will treat even his friends as enemies.

And why do I say friends? Lovers of money have often disregarded nature itself. Such a man knows no kinship, remembers no intimacy, respects no age, has no friend, but will be hostile toward all, and before all others toward himself; not only by destroying his own soul, but also by straining himself with countless anxieties and toils and griefs. For he will undergo journeys abroad and enmities and dangers and plots and anything whatever, only so that he may keep with him the root of evils and count much gold. What then could be worse than this disease? For he is deprived of all luxury and pleasure, for whose sake men commit many sins, and of glory and honor. For the lover of money suspects countless people and has many accusers: those who envy him, those who slander him, those who plot against him. For those who are wronged hate him because they have suffered ill; those who have not yet suffered show the same hostility [fearing they will]; and the greater and more powerful, stung and indignant on behalf of the humbler, and envious besides, are likewise enemies and hate him. And why do I speak of men? When one has God too at war with him, what hope will he have left? What comfort? What consolation? The lover of money will never be able to use it, but will be its slave and guard, not its master. For always eager to make more, he will never be willing to spend; he will cut himself short and live poorer than all the poor, as one who never stops in his desire. And yet money exists not that we may guard it, but that we may use it. But if we are going to bury it for others, what could be more wretched than we, who run around eager to gather everything, so that we may shut it up inside and cut off its common use? There is another disease no less than this. For some bury it in the earth, others in the belly, and in pleasure and drunkenness, adding to the punishment for injustice that for licentiousness. And some minister to parasites and flatterers, others to dice and prostitutes, others to other such expenses, cutting for themselves countless roads leading to Gehenna, and leaving the straight and appointed one that leads to heaven. And yet this one has not only gain, but also pleasure greater than those mentioned. For the one who gives to prostitutes will be ridiculous and shameful, and will have many quarrels, and a brief pleasure, or rather not even brief; for whatever he gives to the courtesans, they will feel no gratitude to him. For “a strange house is a pierced jar.” And besides, that class is shameless, and Solomon compared its love to Hades; and it stops only when it sees the lover stripped of everything; or rather not even then does it stop, but adorns itself the more, and tramples on him as he lies there, and raises much laughter against him, and works him so many evils that no word can describe them. But the pleasure of those who are being saved is not of this kind. For here no one has a rival in love, but all rejoice and exult, both those who receive kindness and those who see it. No anger, no despondency, no shame and reproach besieges the soul of such a man; but great is the gladness of conscience, great the hope of things to come; splendid the glory and great the renown, and greater than all the goodwill and security from God; and not a single precipice, nor any suspicion, but a harbor without waves, and calm. Considering all these things, then, and comparing pleasure with pleasure, let us choose the better, so that we may also obtain the good things to come, by the grace and love for humankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and might for ever and ever. Amen.