HOMILY LXXII. I al.' re 2 ÉVTEÛ 40. even a JOHN xiii. 20." Verily verily I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever GREAT is the recompense of care bestowed upon the turn' servants of God, and of itself' it yieldeth to us its fruits. θεν. For, he that receiveth you, It saith, receiveth Me, and he Mat. 10, that receiveth Me, receiveth Him that sent Me. Now what can be equal to the receiving Christ and His Father? But what kind of connection hath this with what was said before? What hath it in common with that which He had said, If ye do these things happy are ye, to add, He that receiveth you? al.'one A close connection, and very harmonious3. Observe how. may see When they were about to go forth and to suffer many dreadclose ful things, He comforteth them in two ways; one derived from Himself, the other derived from others. "For if," He since' saith, "ye are truly wise, ever keeping Me in mind, and bearing about all both what I said, and what I did, ye will easily endure terrible things. And not in this way only, but also from your enjoying great attention from all men." The first point He declared when He said, If ye do these things happy are ye; the second when He said, He that receiveth you receiveth Me. For He opened the houses of all men to thein, so that both from the sound wisdom of their manners, and the zeal of those who would tend them, they might have twofold connec tion, &c. a Ver. 19. omitted. Now I tell you pass ye may believe that I am. before it come, that when it is come to Christ is troubled: the beloved disciple. 627 XIII. 21. 22. comfort. Then when He had given these directions to them JOHN as to men about to run through all the world, reflecting that the traitor was deprived of both of these things, and would enjoy neither of them, neither patience in toils, nor the service of kind entertainers, He again was troubled. And the Evangelist to signify this besides, and to shew that it was on his11i. e. the account that He was troubled, adds, Ver. 21. When Jesus had thus said, He was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray Me. Again He bringeth fear on all by not mentioning (the traitor) by name. с traitor's Ver. 22. "But they are in doubt";" although conscious to themselves of nothing evil; but they deemed the declaration of Christ more to be believed than their own thoughts. Wherefore they looked one on another. By laying the whole upon one, Jesus would have cut short their fear, but by 2 al. "The laying, adding, one of you, He troubled all. What then? The rest &c. looked upon one another; but the ever fervent Peter beckoneth would' to John. Since he had been before rebuked, and when Christ desired to wash him would have hindered Him, and since he is every where found moved indeed by love, yet blamed; being on this account afraid, he neither kept quiet, nor did he speak, but wished to gain information by means of John. But it is a question worth asking, why when all were distressed, and trembling, when their leader was afraid, John like one at ease leans on Jesus' not only leans, but even (lies) on His breast? the only thing worthy of enquiry, but that also which follows. What is that? What he saith of himself, Whom Jesus loved. Why did no one else say this of himself? yet the others were loved too. But he more than any. And if no other hath said this about him, but he about himself, it is nothing wonderful. Paul too does the same1, when occasion 'i. e. speaks calls, saying thus, I knew a man fourteen years ago; yet of himin fact he has gone through other no trifling praises of self. b Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom He spake. N. T. c Ver. 23-25. Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His dis bosom, and 3 TPUφῶν. Nor is this ciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter 5 S. John 628 HOMIL. himself. LXXII. I not in but see Mat. 4, 21. Mat. 17, 1. 2 of Jai rus. 51. 3 Simon Jonas. 4 or 'Christ' this ac then.' 6 i. e. that Jesus loved him. 7 j. e. Of him who lay in Jesus' bosom. Seems it to thee a small thing that, when he had heard, Follow Me', he straightway left his nets, and his St.John, father, and followed; and that Christ took him alone with Peter into the mountain, and another time again when He went into a house? What high praise also has he himself passed on Peter without concealment, telling us that Christ said, Peter3, lovest thou Me more than these? and every Luke 8, where he sheweth him warm, and nobly disposed towards himself; for instance, when he said, Lord, and what shall son of this man do? he spake from great love. But why did no c.21,15, other say (this) concerning him? Because he would not himself have said it, unless he had come to this passage'. autóv. For if after telling us that Peter beckoned to John to ask, he had added nothing more, he would have caused considerable count doubt, and have compelled us to enquire into the reason. In order therefore himself to solve this difficulty, he saith, "He lay on the bosom of Jesus." Thinkest thou that thou hast learnt a little thing when thou hast heard that "he lay," and that their Master allowed such boldness to them? If in his thou desirest to know the cause of this, the action was of Gospel love; wherefore he saith, Whom Jesus loved. I suppose 8 Sav. also that John doth this for another reason, as wishing to conject. him.' shew that he was exempt from the charge; and so he speaks ἀγάπης openly and is confident. Again, why did he use these xwpiw words, not at any other point of time", but only when the chief of the Apostles beckoned? That thou mightest not deem that Peter beckoned to him as being greater, he saith that the thing took place because of the great love (which Jesus bare him). But why doth he even lie on His bosom? They had not as yet formed any high surmises concerning Him; besides, in this way He calmed their despondency; for it is probable that at this time their faces were overclouded. If they were troubled in their souls, much more would they be so in their countenances. Soothing them therefore by word and by the question, He makes a way before hand, and allows him to lean on His breast. Observe too his modesty; he mentions not his own name, but, whom He loved. As also Paul, when he said, I knew a man about fourteen years ago. Now for the first time Jesus convicted the traitor, but not even now by name; but how? history. 10 ἐφίλε 11 12 or, Christ. The giving of the sop: the traitor's insensibility. 629 Ver. 26. He it is, to whom I shall give a sop when I JOHN have dipped ita. Even the manner (of the rebuke) was calculated to put him to shame. He respected not the table, though he shared the bread; be it so; but the receiving the sop from His own hand, whom would not that have won over? yet him it won not. XIII. 26-28. Lafter the sop, forward' Ver. 27. Then' Satan entered into him. Laughing at him for his shamelessness. As long as he N. T. belonged to the band of disciples he dared not spring upon him, but attacked him from without; but when Christ made 2 al. 'put him manifest and separated him, then he sprang upon him without fear. It was not fitting to keep within one of such a character, and who so long had remained incorrigible. Wherefore He henceforth cast him out, and then that other seized him when cut off, and he leaving them went forth by night'. 3 al. out' Jesus saith unto him, Friend1, that thou doest, do quickly, forth Ver. 28. Now no man at the table knew with what intent sunto He spake this unto him®. him, That N. T. [2.] Wonderful insensibility! How could it be that he &c. was neither softened nor shamed; but rendered yet more shameless, went out. The do quickly, is not the expression of one commanding, nor advising, but of one reproaching, and shewing him that He desired to correct him, but that since he was incorrigible, He let him go. And this, the Evangelist saith, no man of those that sat at the table knew. Some one may perhaps find here a considerable difficulty, if, when the disciples had asked, "Who is it?" and He had answered, He to whom I shall give a sop when I have dipped it, they did not even so understand; unless indeed He spake it secretly, so that no man should hear. For John on this very account, leaning by His breast, asked Him almost close to His ear, so that the traitor might not be made manifest; and Christ answered in like manner, so that not even then did He discover him. And though He spake emphatically, al. And when He had dipped the sop, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. N. T. • Ver. 29, 30. For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that more Jesus had said unto him, Buy those plainly' LXXII. poor. 630 The traitor rebuked secretly: Christ's care for the HOMIL. Friend, that thou doest, do quickly, even so they understood not. But He spake thus to shew that the things were true which had been said by Him to the Jews concerning His c. 10,18. death. For He had said to them, I have power to lay down My life, and I have power to take it again: and, No man taketh it from Me. As long then as He would retain it, no man was able (to take it); but when He resigned it, then the action became easy. All this He implied when He said, That thou doest, do quickly. Yet not even then did He expose Judas him', for perhaps the others might have torn him in pieces, or Peter might have killed him. On this account no man at the table knew. Not even John? Not even he: for he could not have expected that a disciple would arrive at such a pitch of wickedness. For since they were far from such iniquity themselves, they could not suspect such things conv. 18. cerning others. As before He had told them, I speak not of you all, yet did not reveal the person; so here, they thought that it was said concerning some other matter. 2 al. gone 3 al. It saith' It was night, saith the Evangelist, when he went out. "Why tellest thou me the time?" That thou mayest learn his forwardness, that not even the time restrained him from his purpose. Yet not even did this make him quite manifest, for the others were at this time in confusion, occupied by fear and great distress, and they knew not the true reason of what had been said, but supposed3 that He spake 'thought thus, in order that Judas might give somewhat to the poor. For He cared greatly for the poor, teaching us also to bestow much diligence on this thing. But they thought this, not without a cause, but because he had the bag. Yet no one appears to have brought money to Him; that the female Luke 8, disciples nourished Him of their substance, It has said, but this It hath no where intimated. But how did He who carrying bade His disciples bear neither scrip, nor money, nor staff, of money Himself bear a bag to minister to the poor? That thou mayest 3. 4 the 5 oikoνομῶν learn, that it behoveth even him who is exceedingly needy and crucified, to be very careful on this point. For many things He did in the way of dispensation for our instruction. The disciples then thought that He said this, that Judas should give something to the poor; and not even this shamed him, His not being willing even to the last day to make him a |