Lesson — Daniel 14:27-42
Cyril of Jerusalem
On 14:36
When they object by saying that the ascension of the Savior is impossible, it will be well for you to recall to your memory what I have said to you about the carrying away of Habakkuk: if it were possible for an angel to take Habakkuk away by the hair of his head and to transport him from one place to another, there is even all the more reason for it to be possible for the Lord of the prophets and the angels to go up on a cloud and to ascend by virtue of his own power and with more power from on high from the Mount of Olives to the sky.
Gospel — John 7:1-13
John Chrysostom
On 7:1
(Hom. xlviii. 1) That is to say, He displayed the attribute both of divinity and humanity. He fled from His persecutors as man, He remained and appeared amongst them as God; being really both.
On 7:1
(Hom. xlviii. 1, 2) It is striking to observe the great sincerity of the Evangelists; that they are not ashamed to mention things which appear to be to our Lord’s disadvantage, but take particular care to tell us of them. It is a considerable reflexion on our Lord, that His brethren do not believe on Him. The beginning of their speech has a friendly appearance about it: but there is much bitterness in it, thus charging Him with the motives of fear and vain glory; No man, say they, doeth any thing in secret: this was reproaching Him tacitly with fear; and was an insinuation too that His miracles had not been real and solid ones. In what follows, And he himself seeketh to be known openly, they taunt Him with the love of glory. Christ however answers them mildly, teaching us not to take the advice of people ever so inferior to ourselves angrily; Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.
On 7:1
(Hom. xlviii. 2) Or there seems to be another meaning concealed in the words; perhaps they intended to betray Him to the Jews; and therefore He says, My time is not yet come, i. e. the time of My cross and death: but your time is always ready; for though you are always with the Jews, they will not kill you, because you are of the same mind with them: The world cannot hate you; but Me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil: as if He said, How can the world hate them who have the same wishes and aims with itself? It hateth Me, because I reprove it. I seek not then glory from men; inasmuch as I hesitate not to reprove them, though I know that I am hated in consequence, and that My life is aimed at. Here we see that the hatred of the Jews was owing to His reproofs, not to His breaking the sabbath.
On 7:1
(Hom. xlviii. 2) This is to shew too, that, while He does not wish to humour them, He still allows them to observe the Jewish ordinances.
On 7:2
(Hom. xlviii. 1) It appears here, that a considerable time had passed since the last events. For when our Lord sat upon the mount, it was near the feast of the Passover, and now it is the feast of tabernacles: so that in the five intermediate months the Evangelist has related nothing but the miracle of the loaves, and the conversation with those who ate of them. As our Lord was unceasingly working miracles, and holding disputes with people, the Evangelists could not relate all; but only aimed at giving those, in which complaint or opposition had followed on the part of the Jews, as was the case here.
On 7:6
(Hom. xlviii. 2) i. e. not with you, for My time is not yet full come. It was at the next passover that He was to be crucified.
On 7:9
(Hom. xlix. 1) Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, Where is He? out of hatred and enmity; for they would not call Him by His name. There was not much reverence or religion in this observance of the feast, when they wanted to make it an opportunity of seizing Christ.
On 7:9
(Hom. xlix. 1) Observe, the corruption is in the rulers: the common people are sound in their judgment, but have not liberty of speech, as is generally their case.
On 7:10
(Hom. xlviii. s. 2) He goes up, not to suffer, but to teach. And He goes up secretly; because, though He could have gone openly, and kept the violence and impetuosity of the Jews in check, as He had often done before; yet to do this every time, would have disclosed His divinity; and he wished to establish the fact of His incarnation, and to teach us the way of life. And He went up privately too, to shew us what we ought to do, who cannot check our persecutors. It is not said, however, in secret, but, as it were in secret; to shew that it was done as a kind of economy. For had He done all things as God, how should we of this world know what to do, when we fell into danger?
On 7:12
(Hom. xlix. 1) The former, I think, was the opinion of the multitude, the one, viz. who pronounced Him a good man; the latter the opinion of the priests and rulers; as is shewn by their saying, He deceiveth the people, not, He deceiveth us.