Fragments on John 77–115

As in a symbol, let it signify the death according to the history; but for the anagogical sense, let it present the death that those sometimes sleep who have not had the eyes of the soul enlightened by God. But not all who are not enlightened fall asleep unto death, but it is among the things that can happen; and for this reason the psalmist says: “Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep unto death.” And attend carefully to “lest.” He told the disciples, then, plainly (for at first he had spoken in figures, “Lazarus has fallen asleep”): “And I rejoice for your sake that I was not there.” For if he had been there, Lazarus would not have died; for it is impossible for anyone to die when Jesus is present. And so that the dead man may rise from the dead, Jesus must come to the dead man. For your sake, he says, I rejoice, as you believe from learning that he died when I was not with him, and so that you may be confirmed in the faith. He alone, then, wakes Lazarus, but it is for the disciples, his face too being bound with a cloth, to loose him who was bound with the bonds of the dead and to let him go, according to Jesus' command. And Thomas says: “Let us go, that we may die with him.” Thomas, having read the prophecies about the Savior, and having likely heard also that there remained for the Son of God the economy concerning souls, which he was to perform by going down to their place, so as to preach to the spirits in prison, going to those who were once disobedient, when he heard “I am going to wake him,” thought that Lazarus would not otherwise be awakened and rise from the dead except by Jesus' going down to the place of souls. … and the Savior having said, “No one takes my life from me, but I lay it down of myself,” and the like; then, as his true disciple, having decided to follow him wherever he might go, he wished, by the grace of Jesus, to lay down the body together with him, and the other disciples too. Perhaps he also knew this, that it would not otherwise be possible to live with Jesus without dying with him, as Paul too thinks. But those who do not wish him to have spoken for this reason will say that he said it suspecting the envy of the Jews that would come from Lazarus's rising, and the danger that would follow. “When Jesus came, then, he found that he had been four days.” The number four, being material and bodily, is evil-working, since the elemental bodies are four; hence those enslaved and afflicted suffer for four hundred years, according to what is said: “They will afflict them and humble them four hundred years.” And perhaps for this reason, for the cleansing of the sins that follow from the nature of the body, Moses fasts forty days, and likewise Elijah, and the Savior for our sins. And now Jesus, having come, found Lazarus already four days in the tomb, which is the dwelling of the dead; for to sinners the graves are houses. Hence the demoniacs too flee to the tombs as to their own place; and while they are inside, no one is able to go by that way; but when they come out, putting off their nakedness, they are adorned with clothing and are in their right mind, and sit at the feet of Jesus. But Jesus is laid in a new tomb and wrapped in a clean linen cloth, and does not reach the four days of being among the dead. Therefore he was “free among the dead,” and … an image that we must be baptized into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Spirit.

Bethany is interpreted “House of obedience,” and Jerusalem “Vision of peace”; (between them are) fifteen (stades), steps. And the number fifteen is divided into the seven of the sabbath and the eight of circumcision, to which alone the Preacher urges us to give a portion: “Give a portion,” he says, “to seven and also to eight.” And if Mary is a symbol of the contemplative life, and Martha of the (active), fittingly Mary and Martha mourn Lazarus, and mourning they need consolation about their brother, which the words of the Jews, (spoken) before the fullness of time, wish to offer them, but despair of being able to stop the dead man's sister from weeping over the dead. And Martha now seems to be more earnest than Mary, since Martha ran to Jesus while Mary remained at home, sitting. But there are some, like the centurion, who are not fit to receive Jesus, and others who are worthy, like the ruler of the synagogue: hence Martha, as the lesser, ran to Jesus, but Mary waits at home to receive him, as capable of containing his visit. And she would not have gone out of her house, if she had not heard her sister saying: “The teacher is here and is calling you.” And rising, she rose not simply but quickly, and falling at the feet of Jesus she said what she said, though Martha had not fallen down.

The Savior, not being ignorant whether Martha believes what is said or not, inquires, saying, “Do you believe this?”, but so that we, or those then present, might learn her disposition from her answer. But someone else will say that he does not even inquire, but declares, “You believe this.” Then Martha, completing the Savior's declaration, says: “Yes, Lord,” as if to say: I believe not only this which you say; but that you are the Christ I not only now believe, but have believed, and that you are the Son of God who comes into the world, and who comes to dwell in all who believe in you.

One might ask why she says “If you had been here,” examining the matter according to the anagogical sense: is there anywhere where Jesus is not? As where two or three are gathered in his name, he is there in their midst, and he stands in the midst of others who do not know him, so he was present to Mary and Martha. For they had not progressed so far as to know him present.

And “Where have you laid him?”: do not wonder if it is said as by one who does not know. For Scripture says that not only the Savior but also the Father does not know, in a certain sense, according to “If anyone among you is spiritual, let him acknowledge what I write to you, that it is of God; but if anyone does not know, he is not known.” He asks, “Where have you laid him?”, as he commands the disciples to leave the dead. And Jesus weeps if any of his friends comes to be in a tomb.

While he was far from the tomb he groaned in the spirit; but when he comes near to the dead man, he no longer groans in the spirit, but holds the groaning within himself. Therefore it is said: “Groaning in himself he comes to the tomb.” And again he rebukes the suffering, so that … not in some built tomb, but in a hewn one. And perhaps for this reason, woe to those who build graves or tombs; for one must build houses, and a temple, and whatever is useful to the living. Then he says: “Take away the stone.” Since the cave was a tomb, he did not himself touch the stone, but committed it to others fit for the work to take it away. But the stone lying on the mouth of the well in Genesis and hindering the sheep from drinking, from which the marked ones and the portion of Jacob were to come, Jacob himself had to take hold of, and coming up to the stone, roll it away. And Jacob himself had to come up to the well, but Jesus had to stand outside the cave.

It is not that, if someone prophesies, he is a prophet; but if someone is a prophet, he prophesies. For Balaam, being a soothsayer, prophesies. For it is not that, if someone has done something medical, he is already a physician, or, having done something of building, already a builder. And some wish that Caiaphas spoke not from the Holy Spirit, because David says, having sinned, (that it does not) dwell in a body subject to sin, but by the working of evil spirits. For they say that the demons are sometimes able to foretell, as in the case of Paul, the spirit of divination, and in the case of the Savior, “Ah, what have we to do with you, Son of God?” … [If someone is (a prophet), he surely prophesies; but not, if someone prophesies, is he surely a prophet. He, at any rate, who is righteous pursues the righteous thing; but not, if someone pursues the righteous thing, is he righteous, if “Righteously you shall pursue the righteous thing” is not said in vain. For those too who do the good so as to be glorified by men (do) something righteous …] And we learn that men do not say everything of themselves, but some things also being moved either by a better power or by a worse. Yet, as some of the heterodox misunderstand the sense of Scripture, so the Pharisees take what was said by Caiaphas according to their own sense.

And the word wishes to turn us from rushing too irrationally and hotly into dangers, even if they are for the truth, but (wishes us), when we are overtaken, to stand, and when (danger) is coming, to withdraw, because of the uncertainty of the outcome. And for the anagogical sense it must be said that [Jesus of old walked openly among the Jews through the prophets, but now no longer. For the word of God is not among them, but he went away from them into the desert, of which it is said that] many are the children of the desolate rather than of her who has a husband; … near Ephraim, which is interpreted “fruit-bearing,” being the brother of Manasseh the elder, who is “from forgetfulness”; for after the people “from forgetfulness” has been born the fruit-bearing from the nations. And there he remained with the disciples; for he is present to the fruit-bearing. And at the birth of Ephraim the one who begot him, our Lord, the measurer of grain, who humbled himself, might say: (“God has made me fruitful in the land) of my humiliation.”

He who follows him serves him by following him. And he who serves him is his servant; and for this reason, where the Word is, there he is too. And the promise must not be understood bodily and locally. But if, as in bodily places, there is some place of ether among the purest and the more transparent in fineness of light, one would not err (in saying) that those in the body who are distinguished, receiving in the resurrection, according to their worth, a body of surpassing and distinguished glory, come to be in those regions, as most fitted for the leisure of the contemplations of God the Word. And in concept it is one thing for the servant to be where God the Word is, but in reality it is the same as his being honored by the Father …

All the powers of Satan, together with their leader, (were drawn up) against (him) … the Savior's soul was troubled in human fashion, not fearing death, even if this is human, but (fearing) not to be defeated. For Christ allowed it sometimes to suffer what is proper to it; and since he was to become the cause of eternal salvation to those who obey him, for this reason one might think him overpowered by the trouble; but (it was) for an instant: for this is what “now” signifies, that it ceased as soon as it began, and was, so to speak, a point of time. And see whether he himself also prays that a contest may take place against the evil powers warring against him, so that the whole power of the evil one may be defeated.

His suffering on the cross was the judgment of this world, according to … “whether the things on earth or the things in heaven,” with the triumph on the wood over the principalities and powers which he stripped off, (when) he sat in the heavenly places, restoring all things to the end that fits and befits each. Since, then, the economy on the cross was what holds together the judgment concerning each of the beings, for this reason, when the time of his suffering drew near, he said: “Now is the judgment of this world.”

Since the suffering of our Savior took place for the cleansing of those foreknown, by whom the world was to be judged, for this reason it is said, “Now is the judgment of this world,” as if he said: The time has come for showing forth those who will judge the world. Or, since at the time of the saving passion the tyrant was to be overthrown, it is said, “Now the ruler of this world will be cast out,” or perhaps into the outer darkness. … They convict him of ignorance about the prophets and show their inexact knowledge of what is written. For that the Christ remains for ever they have taken from such sayings; but the mystery of death, coming in between, and the brief separation of the soul from the body, they did not understand nor examine … of the comings of Christ, the crowd of the Jews hoped for the more glorious one, which is to be at the consummation of the age, but the one before it they did not understand at all. Therefore their house is left (desolate).

Since, as to everyone who has it will be given and he will have abundance, so from him who does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him, if someone, having received the mina, binds it in a napkin, he will hear: “The light is among you yet a little while.” For as long as it has not yet been said, “Take the mina from him,” since “he who is unjust in a little is unjust also in much.” And one might also explain the passage thus: as the kingdom of God was among the Jews, so the light too was among them; and as, because they did not render the fruits due to the kingdom of God, they heard, “The kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation producing its fruits,” so, since, while the light was among them, they did not walk so that darkness should not overtake them, for this reason after the little time the light that was among them was taken from them and given to the nation that produces the fruits of the light, which has become like the stars of heaven and is called the light of the world, having received this from him who said, “I am the light of the world.”

For that divine Scripture knows us to be free, blaming those who sin as blameworthy through themselves, and praising those who keep the divine commandment as praiseworthy through their own cause, [hear what it says in Deuteronomy: “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways and to love him and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, to keep the commandments of the Lord and his ordinances, which I command you today, that it may be well with you?” And in (Micah: “What does the Lord seek) from you but to do justice and love mercy, and be ready to walk with the Lord your God?”] As far, then, as lies in these things, it is possible for each of us to become righteous or unrighteous. You will understand, then, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts” as referring to the evil one, [as was said before, as having blinded the eyes of some and maimed their heart, so that they may not see with their eyes, and may not understand with their heart, and turn, and the Lord heal them. For it is not written, in the same way as he said, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart,”] so also “that they may not turn and he heal them.” The one who blinds the eyes and hardens the heart is one, and the one who heals those who turn is another, [and the broken-hearted and the blind. And the apostle too says this in the second to the Corinthians: “And if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled among those in whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that the illumination of the glory of the gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine on them.”] And it is not surprising if, submitting themselves through their sins to the evil one, they are blinded in their eyes by him and hardened in their heart according to his will, he doing everything so that they may not see with their eyes and understand with their heart and turn. And to “For this reason they could not believe” such things must be said: that, as in the case of the man blind from birth, whom our Savior later healed, if someone said, He cannot (see, because he is blind, he did not mean that it was impossible) for him ever to see; for it was possible, Jesus by opening the eyes [of the blind granting sight to the blind], for those who until then could not see to see afterward; so for those who once could not believe [because their eyes had been blinded by the evil one] it was not impossible to believe, coming to Jesus [and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us,” and asking to see again. And concerning the text in the gospel not being said in the very words in the prophet, it is not surprising, since those who ministered the oracles of the New Testament did this in many places, as we have observed elsewhere too. Yet the words of Isaiah are equivalent to those set down in the gospel.]

And this too must be noticed in the present passage, that two things are said about the Savior: the first, which also comes first, for believing in him is first; and second, what also comes second in order; for this is what is beyond believing, which is to behold the Word, and in beholding the Word to behold the Father. And believing extends to the multitude of those who come to godliness, but beholding the Word and perceiving the Father in him no longer extends to all who believe, but only to the pure in heart. And so I understand “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” For not he who directs the power of sight in the bodily eyes to the body of Jesus has seen his Father and God. And I think that he needed time and joint exercise to see Jesus so, and, seeing the Son, to behold the Father too. Therefore, when Philip said, “Show us the Father, and it suffices us,” Jesus said: “Have I been with you so long, and you have not known me? He who has seen me has seen the Father.” And attend whether, having looked into the difference between believing and beholding, you can understand also the reason why “And he who beholds me beholds him who sent me” is not said in the same way as “He who believes in me believes not in me but in him who sent me”; nor is “He who believes in me believes not in me but in him who sent me” said like “He who beholds me beholds him who sent me.” For one believing in the Son believes not in the Son but in the Father of all, God. But one beholding the Word and the Wisdom and the Truth beholds not this alone but also the Father. And I think that, to show that the mystery signified is great, first in believing in the Son and second in beholding him, before “He who believes in me” and “he who beholds me” it is said, “But Jesus cried out and said”; for great was the mystical voice about these things. And that it is possible to believe in contemplation and not to behold it, the evangelist will make clear, saying: “Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him: If you remain in my word, you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” For attend carefully that to those who had believed, as to those who had not yet recognized the truth but only believed it, he says: “If you remain in my word, you will know the truth.”

… my Savior; but they would not gaze at it, nor walk in the shining radiance of his teachings. Therefore, consistently, the darkness overtook them, exacting the penalty of the wickedness that had held them before. And this might rightly be called being blinded and hardened. And as knowing where he is going follows for one who has wished to walk in the light, so for one who has not wished to walk in the light it follows to be walking in darkness and wretchedly to complete the road of the blind and the hardened. And it was said before also how the lightning of the Master's and saving teaching branded the Jews as blind and hardened, and made more manifest and plain the harm and blindness that had been in the eyes of their souls before. For as the sensible sun, sending its bright rays upon them, convicts those whose eyes are sick, so too the intelligible sun, the light that never sets and knows no evening, having come to dwell in the world, and having flashed out the radiance of his divinity through miracles worthy of God and beyond reason, convicted the more the darkness and blindness that had held the eyes of the souls of the unfeeling Jews.

After this you will inquire, because “what to say and what to speak” is said together, whether “to say” and “to speak” differ, or whether it is the same thing said in parallel. You will set out, then, the words in which “he said” is written, and examine together with them those about which “he spoke” is said. … and you yourself will attend to (the saying) “I speak.” And see whether you can say that in “to say” the commanding (sense) from authority is signified, and in “he spoke” the teaching sense. “And I know that his commandment is eternal life.” About which one might inquire why it is not said that the commandment of God procures eternal life, but that it is itself, in its reality, eternal life, as also knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he sent. Each of them, then, is eternal life. If, however, the commandment of God is eternal life, and the commandment of God is in the righteous man, who lives blessedly through it, life is to be chosen.

It seems to be contrary to what was said before. For above he says that there is no need to prepare, but here: “If I go, I will prepare a place for you.” What he says, then, is this: as regards the abundance of the goods that the Father made ready according to foreknowledge, so that those who live well and with all exactness may dwell continually in the goods prepared, there is no need for them to be made ready for you by me, but for you to show the fitting disposition. Yet I become for you the preparer and provider of these things. For what is (the meaning of) “I come again and will take you to myself”? For when, he says, I have provided you with the occasion of the ascent into heaven and of the enjoyment of like things, so that the one who became the cause of these things for you may be seen, I myself will come again (and he means his second coming from heaven), and taking you I will go up into heaven, where I myself am, so that I may have you with me enjoying the same things as I. “For if we endure,” Paul says, “we shall also reign with him.”

Thomas seems to have had something exact and well examined, which is shown also from what he said; which I think he said not disbelieving those who said they had beheld the Lord, but taking care lest it be an apparition, and remembering “Many will come in my name, saying, I am he.” And I think the other apostles too experienced this, but Thomas pre-eminently. [And that the other apostles too thought something of the kind on seeing Jesus is clear from its being written that “they thought it was an apparition,” and he answered and said to them: “Handle me and see, for a spirit does not have bones and flesh as you see that I have.”] And concerning how it is said to him, “Do not be unbelieving but believing,” … and on the name of Thomas such things might be said: that of those who were to be counted worthy by the Savior of a greater vision concerning his transfiguration on the mountain, and of Moses and Elijah seen in glory, he changed the names; but the names of the others he did not change, since they were sufficient of themselves to present the character of each. About the other apostles, then, it is not now proposed to speak, but about Thomas, who is interpreted “Twin,” (he is so called) for this reason, that he was a twin in the word, recording divine things in two ways, and an imitator of Christ, who spoke to those outside in parables, but privately explained all things to his own disciples … (so) to achieve this twofold preparation in the word, which perhaps Thomas especially had from that time on. And someone might say that the interpretation of his name alone is recorded for this reason, that the evangelist wished the Greeks who read the gospel to attend to the peculiarity of the interpretation, the name alone being interpreted pre-eminently, so as to find the reason why his name is also set out in Greek.

He used fitting words: “became” of the (flesh) … is set down, but (of his) cooperation with the Father, and that none of the beings is excepted from being made through him.

For the life-giving power in him is sufficient not only to give life but also to fill the souls of men with knowledge … (Paul, not as one) persecuting, but, illumined by the light of life, knew the one he was persecuting; and the robber suffering on the cross, being enlightened, knew the life. For the Savior says: “No one can come to me …”

For the purpose of the one who sent him was that all should believe; but if not all believed, and did not receive the illumination of the sun, … For the prophets before John became witnesses of the light so that the Hebrews might believe through them; but John, coming after them, bears witness to the Savior's coming so that not the Hebrews only might believe, but also all those from the nations, as David too (says): “All the nations shall serve him.”

And “has come to be” must be taken instead of “will come to be”; for this is the custom of Scripture, as we have said; and “did not overtake” instead of “will not overtake.”

All who were present saw, but not all believed. But some say that not all beheld the Spirit, but John and those more kindly disposed. For even if they saw with the eyes of sense, yet it was not on that account manifest to all. And since the prophets and Moses beheld many other things, and at the transfiguration not all the disciples enjoyed (the sight) of the mountain, nor did all share in the sight at the resurrection, much more the Jews at the baptism.