Lectio 12 Lecture 12 48 Responderunt ergo Iudaei, et dixerunt ei: Nonne bene dicimus nos quia Samaritanus es tu, et daemonium habes? 48. Then answered the Jews, and said to him, Say we not well that you are a Samaritan, and have a devil? 49 Respondit Iesus: Ego daemonium non habeo: sed honorifico Patrem meum, et vos inhonorastis me. 49. Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honor my Father, and you do dishonor me. 50 Ego autem non quaero gloriam meam: est qui quaerat, et iudicet. 50. And I seek not mine own glory; there is one that seeks and judges. 51 Amen, amen dico vobis: si quis sermonem meum servaverit, mortem non videbit in aeternum. 51. Verily, verily, I say to you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. Chrysostomus in Ioannem. Cum aliquid altum dominus diceret, hoc apud Iudaeos, qui valde insensibiles erant, insania videbatur, ut ex eorum responsione colligitur; dicitur enim responderunt ergo Iudaei, et dixerunt ei: nonne bene dicimus nos, quia Samaritanus es tu, et Daemonium habes? CHRYS Whenever our Lord said any thing of lofty meaning, the Jews in their insensibility set it down madness: Then answered the Jews and said to Him, Say we not well that you are a Samaritan, and have a devil? Origenes in Ioannem. Sed dignum est quaerere quomodo, cum Samaritani saecula futura denegent, nec animae durabilitatem acceptent, ausi sunt Samaritanum dicere salvatorem, qui de resurrectione et iudicio tot et tanta edocuit. Sed forsan velut improperantes illi hoc dicunt, dum quae sentiunt ipsi non docet. ORIGEN But how, we may ask, when the Samaritans denied a future life, and the immortality of the soul, could they dare to call our Savior, Who had preached so much on the resurrection and the judgment, a Samaritan? Perhaps they only mean a general rebuke to Him for teaching, what they did not approve of. Alcuinus. Samaritani enim gens odiosa Israelitico populo, decem tribubus in captivitatem ductis, terram eorum possidebant. ALCUIN The Samaritans were hated by the Jews; they lived in the land that formerly belonged to the ten tribes, who had been carried away. Origenes. Convenit quoque quod aliqui de eo arbitrentur quod secundum Samaritanos sentiret, ut nihil post obitum reservetur hominibus, sed ficte ad placendum Iudaeis, de resurrectione et aeterna vita tractaret. Daemonium vero illum habere dicebant propter eius sermones transcendentes capacitatem humanam, quibus Deum patrem suum asserebat, et se de caelo descendisse, et cetera huiusmodi; vel propter suspicionem eorum, quia plures in Beelzebub principe Daemoniorum opinabantur ipsum eicere Daemones. ORIGEN It is not unlikely too, some may have thought that He held the Samaritan opinion of there being no future state really, and only put forth the doctrine of a resurrection and eternal life, in order gain to the favor of the Jews. They said that He had a devil, because His discourses were above human capacity, those, viz. in which He asserted that God was His Father, and that He had come down from heaven, and others of a like kind: or perhaps from a suspicion, which many had, that He cast out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of the devils. Theophylactus. Vel Samaritanum illum dicebant, tamquam ritus Hebraicos dissolventem, utpote sabbati; Samaritani enim non perfecte iudaizabant. Ex hoc vero quod eorum cogitationes revelabat, Daemonium ipsum habere suspicabantur. Quando vero eum Samaritanum dixerunt, nusquam Evangelista dicit: ex quo palam est quod multa praetermiserunt Evangelistae. THEOPHYL Or they called Him a Samaritan because He transgressed the Hebrew ordinances, as that of the sabbath: the Samaritans not being correct observers of the law. And they suspected Him of having a devil, because He could disclose what was in their thoughts. When it was that they called Him a Samaritan, the Evangelist no where says: a proof that the Evangelists left out many things. Gregorius in Evang. Ecce iniuriam suspiciens Deus, non contumeliosa verba respondet; sequitur enim respondit Iesus, et dixit: ego Daemonium non habeo. Ex qua re quid nobis innuitur, nisi ut eo tempore cum a proximis ex falsitate contumelias accipimus, eorum etiam vera taceamus mala, ne ministerium iustae correptionis in arma vertatur furoris? GREG See; when God suffers a wrong, He does not reply reproachfully: Jesus answered, I have not a devil. An intimation this to us, that when reproached by our neighbors falsely, we should not retort upon them by bringing forward their evil deeds, however true such charges might be; lest the vehicle of a just rebuke turn into a weapon of rage. Chrysostomus. Et attendendum, quod ubi eos docere oportebat et eorum superbiam subtrahere, asper erat: ubi vero exprobratum eum oportebat sufferre, multa mansuetudine utebatur; erudiens nos, quae quidem ad Deum vindicare, quae vero ad nos despicere. CHRYS And observe, when He had to teach them, and pull down their pride, He used roughness; but now that He has to suffer rebuke, He treats them with the utmost mildness: a lesson to us to be severe in what concerns God, but careless of ourselves. Augustinus in Ioannem. Et ut homo prius eius imitetur patientiam, ut perveniat ad potentiam. Sed quamvis maledictus maledicta non redderet, pertinuit tamen ad eum negare. Duo autem sibi fuerant obiecta: Samaritanus es, et Daemonium habes. Non dixit: non sum Samaritanus; Samaritanus enim interpretatur custos; noverat autem ille se nostrum esse custodem; non enim pertinuit ad eum ut redimeremur, et non pertinet ut servemur. Denique ipse est Samaritanus, qui accessit ad saucium, et misericordiam impendit. AUG And to imitate His patience first, if we would attain to His power. But though being reviled, He reviled not again, it was incumbent on Him to deny the charge. Two charges had been made against Him: You are a Samaritan, and have a devil. In reply He does not say, I am not a Samaritan: for Samaritan means keeper; and He knew He was a keeper: He could not redeem us, without at the same time preserving us. Lastly, He is the Samaritan, who went up to the wounded, and had compassion on him. Origenes. Aliter quoque dominus magis quam Paulus omnibus omnia fieri voluit, ut omnes nanciscatur; et ideo se non negavit esse Samaritanum. Aestimo autem solius Iesu fore vocem ego Daemonium non habeo etc., sicut et illud: venit princeps mundi huius, et in me non habet quidquam; quia etiam quae delictorum reputata sunt minima, Daemonibus adaptantur. ORIGEN Our Lord, even more than Paul, wished to become all things to all men, that He might gain some and therefore He did not deny being a Samaritan. I have not a devil, is what Jesus alone can say; as He alone can say, The prince of this world comes, and has nothing in Me. None of us are quite free from having a devil. For; even lesser faults come from him. Augustinus. Deinde post tale convicium hoc solum dixit de gloria sua: sed honorifico patrem meum; quasi dicat: ne vobis arrogans videar, habeo quem honorificem. AUG Then after being so reviled, all that He says to vindicate His glory, is, But I honor My Father: as if to say, That you may not think Me arrogant, I tell you, I have One, Whom I honor. Theophylactus. Honorificavit autem patrem, ulciscens eum, et non tolerans homicidas et mendaces se Dei veraces filios appellare. THEOPHYL He honored the Father, by revenging Him, and not suffering murderers or liars to call themselves the true sons of God. Origenes. Solus autem Christus verissime veneratus est patrem: nullus enim honorans quidquam ex his quae non honorantur a Deo, honorat Deum. ORIGEN Christ alone honored the Father perfectly. No one, who honors any thing which is not honored by God, honors God. Gregorius. Sed quia quisquis Dei zelo utitur, a pravis hominibus dehonestatur, in semetipso nobis dominus patientiae praebuit exemplum, qui ait et vos inhonorastis me. GREG As all who have zeal toward God are liable to meet with dishonor from wicked men, our Lord has Himself set us an example of patience under this trial; And you do dishonor Me. Augustinus. Quasi dicat: ego facio quod debeo, vos non facitis quod debetis. AUG As if to say, I do my duty: you do not do yours. Origenes. Non autem illis solum hoc dictum est, sed et omnibus iniuste agentibus qui iniuriam inferunt Christo, qui est iustitia; et inferentibus contumeliam sapientiae, eo quod Christus est sapientia, et similiter de aliis huiusmodi. ORIGEN And this was not addressed to them only, but to all who by unrighteous deeds inflict injury upon Christ, who is righteousness; or by scoffing at wisdom wrong Him who is wisdom: and the like. Gregorius. Sed quid nobis contra iniurias faciendum sit, suo exemplo nos admonet, cum subiungit ego autem gloriam meam non quaero: est qui quaerat et iudicet. GREG How we are to take injuries, He shows us by His own example, when He adds, I seek not Mine own glory, there is one that seeks and judges. Chrysostomus in Ioannem. Quasi dicat: ex honore quem ad patrem habeo, haec locutus sum vobis, et propter hoc dehonoratis me; sed nulla est mihi cura huius contumeliae: illi enim noxas debetis propter quem haec audio. CHRYS As if to say, I have told you this on account of the honor which I have for My Father; and for this you dishonor Me. But I concern not myself for your reviling: you are accountable to Him, for whose sake I undergo it. Origenes in Ioannem. Quaerit autem Deus gloriam Christi in quolibet suscipientium illum, quam quidem reperiret in operantibus secundum insitas virtutis causas. Cum autem non repererit, punit illos in quibus non reperit gloriam filii sui; unde dicit est qui quaerat, et iudicet. ORIGEN God seeks Christ’s s glory, in every one of those who receive Him: which glory He finds in those who cultivate the seeds of virtue implanted in them. And those in whom He finds not His Son’s glory, He punishes: There is one that seeks and judges. Augustinus in Ioannem. Quem autem vult intelligi nisi patrem? Quomodo ergo alio loco dicit: pater non iudicat quemquam; sed omne iudicium dedit filio? Sed videte, quod iudicium quandoque pro damnatione accipitur: hic autem secundum discretionem positum est; quasi dicat: est pater qui gloriam meam a vestra discernat: vos enim secundum hoc saeculum gloriamini, ego non secundum hoc saeculum. Discernit etiam gloriam filii sui a gloria omnium hominum: non enim quia homo factus est, iam comparandus est nobis. Nos homines cum peccato, ille sine peccato, et hoc secundum ipsam formam servi; nam illud quis digne loquatur: in principio erat verbum? AUG Meaning of course the Father. But is it then that He says in another place, The Father judges no man, but has committed all judgment to the Son. Judgment is sometimes put for condemnation, whereas here it only stands for trial: as if to say, There is one, even My Father, who distinguishes My glory from yours; you glory after this world, I not after this world. The Father distinguishes the glory of the Son, from that of all men: for that He has been made man, does not bring us to a comparison with Him. We men have sin: He was without sin, even when He was in the form of a servant; for, as the Word which was in the beginning, who can speak worthily of Him? Augustinus. Vel aliter. Si vere dictum est a salvatore: omnia mea tua sunt, palam est quoniam et ipsum iudicium filii, patris est. ORIGEN Or thus; If that is true which our Savior says below, All men are yours, it is manifest that the judgment itself of the Son, is the Father’s. Gregorius in Evang. Cum vero malorum perversitas crescit, non solum frangi praedicatio non debet, sed etiam augeri; unde dominus postquam Daemonium habere dictus est, praedicationis suae beneficia largius impendit, dicens: amen, amen, dico vobis: si quis sermonem meum servaverit, mortem non videbit in aeternum. GREG As the perversity of the wicked increases, preaching so far from giving way, ought even to become more active. Thus our Lord, after He had been accused of having a devil, imparts the treasures of preaching in a still larger degree: Verily, verily, I say to you, If a man keep My saying, he shall never see death. Augustinus. Videbit dictum est pro eo quod est experietur. Cum ergo morituris moriturus loqueretur, quid sibi vult quod ait qui sermonem meum servaverit, mortem non videbit in aeternum, nisi quia videbit aliam mortem, de qua nos liberare venerat, mortem aeternam, mortem damnationis cum Diabolo et Angelis eius? Ipsa est vera mors, nam ista migratio est. AUG See is put for experience. But since, about to die Himself, He spoke with those about to die, what means this, If a man keep My saying, he shall never see death? What, but that He saw another death from which He came to free us, death eternal, the death of the damned, which is shared with the devil and his angels! That is the true death: the other is a passage only. Origenes. Sic igitur intelligendum est si quis sermonem meum servaverit, mortem non videbit in aeternum, ac si diceret: si quis lucem meam custodierit, tenebras non videbit. Quod autem dicit in aeternum, communiter est sumendum, ut sit talis intellectus: si quis sermonem meum servaverit in aeternum, mortem non videbit in aeternum: quia eousque non videt aliquis mortem, quousque Iesu verbum custodit. Cum vero quis torpens in observantia sermonis, et circa sui custodiam negligens factus, eum cessat custodire, subinde mortem videt, non apud alium quam apud seipsum. Sic igitur a salvatore instructi, prophetae quaerenti: quis est homo qui vivet, et non videbit mortem? Respondere possumus: qui custodit verbum Christi. ORIGEN We must understand Him, as it were, to say, If a man keep My light, he shall not see darkness forever; forever being taken as common to both clauses, as if the sentence were, If a man keep My saying for ever, He shall not see death for ever: meaning that a man does not see death, so long as he keeps Christ’s word. But when a man, by becoming sluggish in the observance of His words, and negligent in the keeping of his own heart, ceases to keep them, he then sees death; he brings it upon himself. Thus taught then by our Savior, to the prophet who asks, What man is he that lives, and shall not see death? we are able to answer, He who keeps Christ’s word. Chrysostomus. Servaverit autem dicit non solum fide, sed etiam per vitam puram. Simul autem et occulte insinuat quoniam nihil possunt ei facere. Si enim qui sermonem eius servabit, non morietur in aeternum, multo magis et ipse non potest mori. CHRYS He says, keep, i.e. not by faith, but by purity of life. And at the same time too He means it as a tacit intimation that they can do nothing to Him. For if whoever keeps His word, shall never die, much less is it possible that He Himself should die. Lectio 13 Lecture 13 52 Dixerunt ergo Iudaei: Nunc cognovimus quia daemonium habes. Abraham mortuus est, et prophetae; et tu dicis: Si quis sermonem meum servaverit, non gustabit mortem in aeternum. 52. Then said the Jews to him, Now we know that you have a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and you say, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 53 Numquid tu maior es patre nostro Abraham, qui mortuus est? et prophetae mortui sunt. Quem teipsum facis? 53. Are you greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead; whom make you yourself? 54 Respondit Iesus: Si ego glorifico meipsum, gloria mea nihil est: est Pater meus, qui glorificat me, quem vos dicitis quia Deus vester est, 54. Jesus answered, If I honor myself, my honor is nothing; it is my Father that honors me; of whom you say, that he is your God: 55 et non cognovistis eum: ego autem novi eum. Et si dixero quia non scio eum, ero similis vobis, mendax. Sed scio eum, et sermonem eius servo. 55. Yet you have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like to you: but I know him, and keep his saying. 56 Abraham pater vester exsultavit ut videret diem meum: vidit, et gavisus est. 56. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Gregorius in Evang. Sicut bonis necesse est ut meliores etiam per contumelias existant, ita semper reprobi de beneficio peiores fiunt: nam accepta praedicatione, iterum Iudaei blasphemant; dicitur enim dixerunt ergo Iudaei: nunc cognovimus quia Daemonium habes. GREG As it is necessary that the good should grow better by contumely, so are the reprobate made worse by kindness On hearing our Lord’s words, the Jews again blaspheme: Then said the Jews to Him, Now we know you have a devil.