Commentary on the Gospel of John

In what precedes, the Evangelist showed the power of Christ's divinity through the things he did and taught in his life; but here he begins to show the power of his divinity as regards his passion and death: and first he treats of his passion and death; secondly of his resurrection, in chapter 20, where it says "Now on the first day of the week," and so on. The first part is divided into three. In the first he shows the causes or occasions of his passion and death; in the second is set down the preparation of the disciples, from whom he was about to depart bodily through death, in chapter 13, where it says "Before the feast of the Passover," and so on; in the third his very passion and death is treated, in chapter 18, where it says "When Jesus had said these things, he went forth," and so on. Now the cause, or occasion, of Christ's passion was twofold: namely, the glory of Christ himself, which stirred up envy, and the unbelief of the Jews, which blinded them. First he treats of the glory of Christ; secondly of the unbelief of the Jews, where it says "But though he had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in him." Concerning the first he does three things. First he shows how Christ was glorified by men; secondly how he was glorified by God, where it says "Now is my soul troubled," and so on. Concerning the first he does three things. First he shows how he was glorified by his intimates and household; secondly how he was glorified by the crowds of the Jews, where it says "A great crowd therefore knew," and so on; thirdly how he was glorified by the gentiles, where it says "Now there were certain gentiles," and so on. Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth the glory of Christ in the service shown to him by his intimates; secondly the zeal of the betrayer stirred up by this, where it says "Then one of the disciples said," and so on. Concerning the first he does three things. First he describes the time; secondly the place, where it says "Jesus came to Bethany," and so on; thirdly the homage shown to Christ, where it says "And they made him a supper," and so on.

He says therefore first: it was said that Christ, before the feast of the Passover, went away into a region near the desert, and that as the paschal solemnity drew near he was sought by the Jews. Therefore, as the paschal time drew near, in which the typical lamb was immolated, he himself, as the true lamb, approached the place of his passion, willing to be immolated for the salvation of the world: according to that word of Isaiah 53:7, "He was offered because he himself willed it." Now he says "six days before the Passover," so that you should understand that the day of the Passover was not indeed the fourteenth day of the first month, on which, toward evening, the paschal lamb was immolated, as is found in Exodus 12, but rather here the Passover is said to be the fifteenth day, which was wholly festive, and that year it fell on the sixth day of the week (Friday), on which the Lord suffered; so that the sixth day before the Passover was the first day of the week, that is, the Lord's Day, on which the Lord entered Jerusalem with palm branches, and on the preceding day, namely the Sabbath, Christ came to Bethany: and this is what is said, "six days before the Passover." Now this number is fitting to the mysteries. First indeed as to the number itself: for the number six is perfect, whence also God completed the works of creation in six days, as is said in Genesis 1. And on account of this it was fitting that the work of the passion, by which all things were restored, should in a certain way be completed in six days, according to that word of Colossians 1:20: "making peace through his blood, whether the things that are in heaven, or the things that are on earth," and so on. 2 Corinthians 5:19: "God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself." Secondly it fits the mystery as to the figure. For it is commanded in Exodus 12 that on the tenth day of the first month each man, by his family, should take a paschal lamb to be immolated. Whence the Lord too, on the tenth day of the first month, that is, the sixth day before the fifteenth day, willed to enter Jerusalem, as though approaching the place of immolation; as is clear from what is said further on in the same chapter: "On the next day, the great crowd that had come to the feast day, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him."

Then the place is described: "he came to Bethany," and so on. Now Bethany was a village near Jerusalem, and is interpreted "house of obedience": whence it fits the mystery. First indeed as to the cause of the passion, according to that word of Philippians 2:8: "he became obedient to the Father even unto death"; secondly as to the fruit of the passion, which only those obtain who obey him, according to that word of Hebrews 5:9: "he became, to all who obey him, the cause of eternal salvation," and so on. And it is significantly added, "where Lazarus had been dead, whom Jesus raised up," because in the house of obedience those who are spiritually dead in sins are raised up, led back to the way of righteousness. Romans 5:19: "by the obedience of one man, many shall be made righteous." But according to the letter this is said in order to show that Christ came to Bethany to recall the memory of the raising of Lazarus. Psalm 110:4: "The Lord, merciful and compassionate, has made a memorial of his wonderful works."

Then, when he says "And they made him a supper there," he sets down the homage shown to Christ by his intimates, and first in common as regards all; secondly in particular as regards each one, where it says "and Martha served." Now it fits the mystery that "there," that is, in Bethany, "they made him a supper," because the Lord is spiritually refreshed in the house of obedience, delighted in our obedience, according to that word of Revelation 3:20: "If any man shall hear my voice, and open to me the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Then three persons are set down as attending on him or serving him: namely Martha, Lazarus, and Mary. By Martha are signified the prelates, who are appointed to ministry in the churches, according to that word of 1 Corinthians 4:1: "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and the dispensers of the mysteries of God." Whence it is said, "and Martha served"; Luke 10:40: "But Martha was busy about much serving." By Lazarus, however, raised up, are signified those subject to the ministry of the prelates, led back from sins to the state of righteousness, who together with the other righteous feast spiritually with the Lord, whence it is said, "But Lazarus was one of them that were at table with him"; Psalm 67:4: "let the just feast, and rejoice before God, and be delighted with gladness." By Mary are signified the contemplatives. For it is said in Luke 10:39, that Mary, sitting beside the Lord's feet, heard his words.

Concerning her service three things are touched upon, so far as pertains to the letter. For first the ointment with which she performed her service is touched upon; secondly the service she rendered, where it says "and anointed the feet of Jesus"; thirdly the effect of the service, where it says "and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment." Concerning the first he touches three things. First the quantity of the ointment, because it was much, whence he says "a pound of ointment"; Tobit 4:9: "If you have much, give abundantly." Secondly the material, because it was made from spikenard; whence he says "of spikenard"; Song of Songs 1:11: "While the king was at his repose, my spikenard sent forth its odor." Now spikenard is a short, spiked, and dark herb, from which an ointment is made, which has the power of comforting from its aromatic quality. Thirdly the form of its composition, in that he says "of pistic nard, precious." And, according to Augustine, it is called "pistic" from the place in which the spikenard grew. But it is better that "pistic" be explained as "faithful," that is, not sophisticated by any admixture: for "pistis" in Greek is the same as "faith." Now he adds "precious," because it was made from the spike of the nard, from which a precious ointment is made, and perhaps with other precious things mixed in. In this we are taught that we ought to offer to God those things which are most precious among us, according to that word of Psalm 65:15: "I will offer up to thee holocausts, with burnt-offerings of rams." And Malachi 1:14: "Cursed is the deceitful man that hath in his flock a male, and making a vow, offereth to the Lord a thing that is feeble."

Concerning her service, first note the humility in what is said, "she anointed the feet of Jesus," falling down at his feet, according to that word of Psalm 131:7: "We will adore in the place where his feet stood." Secondly the devotion, because "she wiped them with her hair," so that she might in a certain way offer service from her very self. Romans 6:13: "present your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." The effect of the service is touched upon next, when he says "and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment": by which is suggested the goodness of the ointment, whose odor filled the whole house; Song of Songs 1:3: "we will run to the odor of thy ointments."

Now it is disputed whether this same woman was the one of whom it is said here that she anointed the Lord, and the one of whom it is said in Luke 7:37, and Matthew 26:7, and Mark 14:3. To many indeed it seems, following Jerome and Chrysostom, that the sinful woman of whom Luke tells is not Mary the sister of Lazarus, who is said to have anointed the Lord. Origen, moreover, adds that she is not the same as the one of whom Matthew and Mark tell either, but that she is a certain other, third woman: and this he wishes to prove from three points. First indeed from the time: for this woman anointed the Lord six days before the Passover; but the one of whom Matthew and Mark tell did so within two days before the Passover. For Matthew records beforehand that the Lord said: "You know that after two days shall be the Passover." Mark, however: "It was the Passover, and the unleavened bread after two days." Secondly from the place: for that woman is read to have anointed the Lord in the house of Simon the leper; but this event is gathered to have taken place in the house of Martha, from the fact that it is said that Martha served, as Augustine too says. Thirdly from the deed itself: for that woman is read to have anointed his head, but this woman his feet.

Augustine, however, and Gregory say that it was one and the same woman whom the four Evangelists tell of as having anointed the Lord, but that she did this twice. First indeed at the beginning of her conversion, in the intervening time of Christ's preaching, which Luke tells; secondly, however, she did this as Christ's passion drew near, which the three other Evangelists tell. Whence the same deed is narrated here as is found in Matthew 26 and Mark 14. To the first point, then, which is said about the discrepancy of time, it must be said, according to Augustine, that John himself keeps the order of the history; Matthew and Mark, by way of recollection, insert what had earlier been done, immediately before the betrayal of Judas, which is believed to have taken its occasion from this deed. To the second objection, made about the discrepancy of place, it can be understood that the house of Simon the leper is the same as that of Mary and Martha as well, such that Simon was the head of the household. Now he is called "leper" because he had first been a leper and had been cured by Christ. To the third objection, made about the discrepancy of deed, it must be said, according to Augustine, that the woman anointed both the feet and the head. And if anyone should object that Mark says that, having broken the alabaster jar, she poured it out over the head of him as he reclined, it can be answered in two ways. In one way, that it was not broken in such a way that nothing remained, whence the feet could still be anointed. In the other way, it can be said that she first anointed the feet, and afterward, having broken the alabaster jar, poured the whole out over the head.

Now according to the mystical sense, by the pound which Mary took is designated the work of righteousness: for it pertains to righteousness to weigh and balance each thing; Ezekiel 45:11: "according to the measure of the core shall be their weighing." Now the work of righteousness must be made perfect by a fourfold power joined to it. First indeed by piety: whence he says "of ointment," which, because it is soothing, signifies mercy; James 2:13: "judgment without mercy to him that hath not done mercy." Secondly by humility: whence he says "of nard," which, since it is a short herb, signifies humility; Ecclesiasticus 3:20: "The greater thou art, the more humble thyself in all things." Thirdly by faith: whence he says "pistic," that is, faithful. Habakkuk 2:4: "but my just man liveth by faith." Fourthly by charity: whence he says "precious," for charity alone furnishes the price of eternal life; 1 Corinthians 13:3: "And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor... and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."

Now by the work of righteousness the feet of Jesus are anointed, and his head. By the feet we understand the mystery of his humanity; by the head, however, his divinity, according to that word of 1 Corinthians 11:3: "the head of Christ is God": so that one is understood to anoint the head and feet of Christ who venerates his divinity and his humanity. Or by the head we can understand the very person of Christ, according to that word of Ephesians 1:22: "him he gave to be head over all the Church." By the feet, however, the faithful of Christ, of whom Matthew 25:40 speaks: "what you did to one of my least ones, you did to me"; Isaiah 52:7: "How beautiful upon the mountain are the feet of him that announceth and preacheth peace." Whence he anoints the head of Christ who venerates Christ himself; but he anoints the feet who renders service to his faithful. But because hair is generated from what is superfluous, the Lord's feet are wiped with hair when someone, from those things which are superfluous to himself, comes to the aid of his neighbors' want. Luke 11:41: "But yet that which remaineth, give alms." Whence Augustine says: if you have superfluous goods, give to the poor, and you have wiped the Lord's feet. Now by what is said, "and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment," it is signified that, because of works of righteousness, good fame fills the whole Church; 2 Corinthians 2:14: "he manifesteth the odor of his knowledge by us in every place: for we are the good odor of Christ."

Then, when he says "Then one of his disciples said," and so on, is set down the zeal of the betrayer, stirred up by the aforesaid service. And concerning this he does two things. First he shows the zeal of the betrayer; secondly is set down the repression of that zeal, where it says "Jesus therefore said to him," and so on. Concerning the first he does three things. First the person of the betrayer is described; secondly his words are set down, where it says "Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence?" and so on; thirdly his malicious intention is made manifest, where it says "Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief."

Now his person is made manifest from three things. First indeed from his dignity, when it is said "one of his disciples said": so that it may be shown that no one, constituted in whatever excellence, ought to presume of himself, because, as is said in Job 4:18, "in his angels he found wickedness." Secondly from his name, when he says "Judas Iscariot," by name. Now "Judas" is interpreted "confessing," so that it may be signified that, besides the virtuous confession, of which Romans 10:10 says, "confession is made unto salvation," there is a certain reprehensible and mercenary confession, of which it is said in Psalm 48:19: "he will praise thee when thou shalt do well to him." Thirdly he is described from his crime, when it is said "who was about to betray him"; Psalm 40:10: "he that did eat my bread, hath greatly supplanted me."

Then his own words are set down, from which it is shown that from the good odor of the ointment he was spiritually dead, according to that word of 2 Corinthians 2:15: "we are the good odor of Christ: to the one indeed the odor of death unto death, but to the other the odor of life unto life." For it displeased him that the ointment had not been sold, but poured out in homage to Christ: whence he says "Why was not this ointment sold" for three hundred pence? But as is said in 2 Corinthians 11:15, the ministers of Satan transform themselves as the ministers of righteousness. Whence he concealed his iniquity under the appearance of piety, saying "and given to the poor"; Isaiah 32:6: "his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to speak to the Lord deceitfully." Whence the Evangelist opens up his deceitful intention, adding "Now he said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief." For he was not concerned that they be helped, because, as Proverbs 12:10 says, "the bowels of the wicked are cruel," but "because he was a thief," having the habit of stealing, he grieved that the occasion for stealing had been taken away by the pouring out of the ointment, and by this avarice he was led on to betrayal: for it is said in Ecclesiasticus 10:9: "nothing is more wicked than a covetous man"; and above, in chapter 10:10: "the thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy."

Now he explains how he had been accustomed to steal, adding "and having the purse, carried the things that were put therein," that is, having been appointed keeper of the Lord's purse, the things that were sent, namely into the purses, given by the faithful for the use of Christ and the poor, he carried by ministry, but carried off by theft. Here two things are noted. First, that Christ, as a poor man, lived from alms; Psalm 39:18: "But I am a beggar and poor." Secondly, that it does not detract from perfection if alms are kept in reserve in purses: whence what is said in Matthew 6:34, "be not solicitous for tomorrow," is not to be understood to mean that nothing ought to be kept in reserve for tomorrow, since the Lord did this, who was the supreme model of perfection.

But it is asked why the Lord entrusted the keeping of the purse to Judas, whom he knew to be a thief? To which it must be answered in three ways. First indeed, according to Augustine, Christ did this so that his Church might learn to tolerate it when it suffers thieves: for he is not good who could not tolerate the bad, whence it is said in Song of Songs 2:2: "As the lily among thorns, so is my beloved among the daughters." Secondly, the Lord entrusted the purse to him so as to remove an occasion of his ruin, since he had, from the purse, a mitigation of his covetousness; but, as is said in Ecclesiastes 5:9, "a covetous man shall not be satisfied with money." Thirdly, according to others, so as to teach that spiritual things are to be entrusted to the greater, but temporal things to those less worthy; whence it is said in Acts 6:2, by the apostles: "It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables," but they entrusted this ministry to one of the deacons.

It is also asked how it is said here that Judas alone said this about the ointment poured out, when Matthew tells that the disciples said this. But it must be said that Matthew puts the plural number for the singular number; just as in Matthew 2:20 it is said: "for they are dead that sought the life of the child". Or it can be said that Judas murmured first, and that afterward the others were provoked by him to utter similar words, although not from the same intention.

Having set forth the indignation of the betrayer on account of the woman's service, here consequently is set forth the repression of that very indignation; and first the Lord repels the calumny which Judas had cast upon the woman; second, he excludes the pious cause which he had put forward, at the place "for the poor you will always have with you," and so on.

He says therefore, "Let her alone," that is, do not prohibit her. For it must be known that many good works are done, concerning which, if counsel were sought before they were done, we would not counsel that they be done, because perhaps better things could be done; nevertheless, after they begin to be done, provided they are already good, they are not to be prohibited. And, as Chrysostom says, perhaps Jesus, before the woman had poured out the ointment, would rather have chosen that it be given to the poor; but now, because it had already been done, he checks those who would prohibit it, saying, "Let her alone." Proverbs 3:27: "Do not forbid him who does good; if you are able, do good yourself as well."

And he adds, "that she may keep it for the day of my burial": where first he foretells that his death is imminent, and the service of this woman, which she was prepared to render to him at his burial, had she not been forestalled by the swift resurrection of Christ: for, as is read in Mark, Mary Magdalene with others bought spices, that coming they might anoint Jesus. Therefore he says, "that she may keep it for the day of my burial," namely not the same ointment that was poured out, but something similar in kind, or in genus, or even in the work; as if to say: do not forbid her to do for me while I am yet living what she will not be able to do for me dead: for, as has been said, she was forestalled by the swift resurrection of Christ. And this is expressed more fully in Mark 14:8, for there it is said: "She has forestalled the anointing of my body for burial."

But did she foreknow the death of Christ? It must be said that she did not: for she did not understand what she was doing; but she was moved to do this by a certain interior instinct. For frequently some are moved to do what they do not understand, as Caiaphas, above in chapter 11:49, when he was high priest of that year, said to them: "You know nothing." And things of this kind are called presages, inasmuch as they are done beforehand, before the events themselves.

Consequently, when he says "for the poor you will always have with you," and so on, he excludes the pious cause which Judas had put forward, saying: "Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and given to the needy?" Hence the Lord adds, "for the poor you will always have with you." Here it must be known that sometimes that which is less necessary is to be done, if there remains room for fulfilling that which is more necessary: and therefore the Lord, although it would have been more necessary that this ointment be given to the poor than that his feet be anointed with it; yet because this can still be done, since we always have the poor with us, therefore the Lord permitted this to be done, which is less necessary. Now in that he says, "the poor you will always have with you," it is given to be understood the familiarity which the rich ought to have toward the poor, and so on. Ecclesiasticus 4:7: "Make yourself affable to the congregation of the poor."

"But me you will not always have." But on the contrary, Matthew, last chapter, 20: "I am with you even to the consummation of the world." The response, according to Augustine: the Lord, saying "but me you will not always have," was speaking of the presence of his body, insofar as it appears in its own visible form, according to which he was about to go to heaven; below, 16:28: "again I leave the world." But as to the presence of his divinity, he is always with us; and also sacramentally in the Church.

Or otherwise: it must be said that the Lord, saying this, means it of the presence of his divinity. For some seem to have Christ spiritually, either in the sacrament, or in the confession of faith, who nevertheless will not always have him, since they belong to the Church only as to number, not as to merit: and such as these are servants. But sons will always have him: because, as is said above in 8:35, "the son abides in the house forever." He says therefore to Judas, "but me you will not always have": because you have made yourself unworthy of this. Now as Chrysostom says, in this the Lord rebukes Judas: for by the fact that he took ill the service rendered to Christ, he seems to be burdened by the presence of Christ: and therefore Christ says, "but me you will not always have," as if he were saying: I am grave and burdensome to you; but wait a little, and I will depart.

Consequently, when he says "a great crowd therefore of the Jews knew that he was there," and so on, he shows how Jesus was glorified by the crowds of the Jews; and first, how by the crowds visiting Christ; second, how by the crowds meeting him, at the place "but on the next day," and so on. Concerning the first he does two things. First is set forth the devotion of the visiting crowds; second is stirred up the roused zeal of the envying Pharisees, at the place "but the chief priests thought." The first part is divided into two. In the first is set forth the visitation of the crowds; in the second is added the occasion of the visitation.

As to the first, he says, "a great crowd therefore of the Jews knew that Jesus was there," in Bethany, "and they came," to which the Lord invites, Matthew 11:28: "Come to me all you who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you." And therefore where we know him to be, we ought to hasten to approach.

Now the cause of the visitation is set forth as twofold. One, that they might enjoy the sight and teaching of Christ; the other, that they might see Lazarus. And this for two reasons. First, because that which had been done concerning him, inasmuch as he, four days in the tomb, had been raised, was greatly marvelous; and this men desire to see. Psalm 138:14: "Wonderful are your works, and my soul shall know exceedingly"; that is, it shall labor to know. Second, because they hoped, by Lazarus's report, to weigh and hear something about the other life; the desire for which knowledge is innate in men. But this is against that which the foolish say, Wisdom 2:1: "Small, and with weariness, is the time of our life, and there is no refreshment at the end of man; and there is none who has been known to have returned from the dead." For behold, Lazarus, whom he raised from the dead, returned from the netherworld.

Now he sets forth the roused zeal of the envying Pharisees, saying, "but the chief priests thought to kill Lazarus also," in which they seemed to oppose God: for he had brought Lazarus to life, and these wished to kill him. Job 15:26: "He has run against him with his neck raised up, and is armed with a fat neck." Now the reason for their zeal is given: because many of the Jews were going away on account of him, and believing in Jesus.

But on the contrary: Christ had healed many, for instance the paralytic, above in 5:5ff., the man born blind, above in 9:1ff.; why then did they wish to kill Lazarus alone? To this Chrysostom assigns four reasons. One, because this miracle was more evident, done before many, and it was unimaginable to see a man four days dead walking and speaking. Another reason was, because Lazarus was a distinguished person, whereas the blind man was a person of no standing: hence they also cast him out of the temple. The third reason is, because this miracle was done with the feast imminent, when the whole people of the Jews, gathering for the feast day, marveled, and, leaving the festivities, came to Bethany. The fourth reason, because in Christ's other miracles they strove to accuse him of violating the Sabbath, and through this to draw the crowds away from him; but here they were able to do nothing of the sort. Hence, because they had nothing whereby to complain against Jesus, they make their effort against Lazarus, as though this were the surest way to conceal the miracle. Proverbs 1:16: "Their feet run to evil, and they hasten to shed blood."

Here is set down the devotion of the crowd going to meet Christ, and first is set down the meeting of the crowds; second, the zeal of the Pharisees, where it says "But the Pharisees said," etc. Concerning the first he does three things. First he sets down the crowd's meeting; second, the Lord's arrival, where it says "and Jesus found a young ass," etc.; third, the cause of the meeting, where it says "the crowd therefore bore witness." Now the meeting is described in four respects. First as to the time, because "on the next day," namely from that day of which he had spoken, "six days before the Passover," which is the tenth day of the month. And this agrees with the figure, Exodus 12:3ff., where it is said that the paschal lamb, which was to be immolated on the fourteenth day in the evening, was to be taken on the tenth day of the month.

Second, it is described as to the persons meeting him, because "a great crowd which had come together for the feast day," by which is signified the multitude of peoples who were to be converted to Christ; Psalm 7:8: "the synagogue of the peoples shall surround me." Now he says "for the feast day," because it is for this that the faithful are converted to Christ: that they may arrive at the feast day of the heavenly Jerusalem; Matthew 8:11: "many shall come from the east and the west, and shall recline with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven."

Third, it is described as to the motive for meeting him, which is the hearing about the coming of Jesus; hence he says "when they had heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem." For all the faithful are converted to Christ on account of the hearing of faith; Romans 10:17: "faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ"; Exodus 4:31: "the children of Israel heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and the people believed."

Fourth, it is described as to the manner of meeting him: and first as to what they did, because "they took branches of palms." For the palm, which preserves its greenness, signifies victory, whence also among the ancients it was given to those celebrating a triumph as a sign of victory. And of the martyrs triumphing it is read in Apocalypse 7:9, that "palms were in their hands." The branches of palms, therefore, according to Augustine, are praises, signifying victory, because the Lord was, by dying, about to overcome death, about to triumph in the trophy of the cross over the Devil, the prince of death. "And they went forth to meet him"; Amos 4:12: "prepare to meet your God, O Israel."

Second, as to what they said, because they cried out: "Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel." Here he sets down petition and praise. Petition indeed when they say "Hosanna," that is, as if they were saying "save, I beseech." "Hosy," which means "save," and "Anna," which means "I beseech." This, according to Augustine, is not a word, but an interjection of one entreating. Rightly do they seek salvation from the Lord Jesus, because it is said, Isaiah 35:4: "the Lord himself will come and will save us"; Psalm 79:3: "stir up your power and come."

Now they praise him as to two things, namely as to his coming, and as to the power of his kingdom. They praise his coming indeed, saying "blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." Whence it must be known that to bless is to speak good. But God blesses us in one way, and we bless God in another. For God, by blessing us, makes us good, for his "to speak" is his "to make": for "he spoke, and they were made," Psalm 148:5. We, however, by blessing God, confess his goodness; Psalm 117:26: "we have blessed you from the house of the Lord." Genesis 27:29: "whoever shall bless you, let him be blessed," etc.

"Blessed, therefore, is he who comes in the name of the Lord." For Christ operated in the name of God, because all the works that he did, he ordered to the glory of God. But because both the Father is Lord, and the Son is Lord, therefore this that is said "in the name of the Lord" can be understood in two ways. In one way, "blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord," that is, in the name of himself, as Lord; Isaiah 33:22: "the Lord is our lawgiver." Moses, therefore, did not come in this way in the name of the Lord, because he came as a servant. Hebrews 3:5: "Moses was in all his house as a faithful servant, for a testimony of those things that were to be said."

But according to Augustine, it is better said "in the name of the Lord," namely, of the Father. For his own words direct our understanding to this. Above, John 5:43: "I have come in the name of my Father," etc. Now one is said to come in the name of the Father in two ways. First indeed insofar as he comes as Son, through which the Father is given to be understood; second insofar as he comes as manifesting the Father; below, John 17:6: "I have manifested your name to men."

But they praise the power of his kingdom when they say "King of Israel." For according to the letter the Jews believed that he had come to reign temporally over them, and to redeem them from the servitude of the Romans, and therefore they applauded him as a king; Jeremiah 23:5: "the king shall reign, and shall be wise"; Isaiah 32:1: "behold, the king shall reign in justice, and princes shall rule in judgment."

But it must be known that all the aforesaid words could be had from the Psalms. For since Psalm 117:22 had said: "the stone which the builders rejected," it adds: "O Lord, save me... blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." Where Jerome, according to the Hebrew truth, translated "hosanna" as "save." But this that they add, "King of Israel," is not in the Psalms, but there it is: "the Lord is God, and he has shone upon us." In which, out of their blindness, they diminish his praise, because the Psalm praises him as God, but they indeed as a temporal king.

Next, when he says "and Jesus found a young ass, and sat upon it," he sets down the Lord's arrival: and first he sets down the manner of his coming; second he adduces the prophecy; third he shows the disposition of the disciples concerning this deed.

It must be noted concerning the first that John the Evangelist wrote his Gospel after all the other Evangelists, whence he had diligently read through all the Gospels, and what had been said at length by the others, he himself handed down in summary; but what they had omitted, he himself supplied. But because it is found at length in the other Evangelists how the Lord sent two of his disciples to bring the ass, therefore John passed over this briefly, saying "and Jesus found a young ass, and sat upon it."

Now it must be known that the deeds of Christ are, as it were, a mean between the deeds of the Old Testament and the New: and therefore both the crowd that went before and the one that followed praised him, inasmuch as the deeds of Christ are the rule and exemplar of those things that are done in the New Testament, and were prefigured by the fathers of the Old Testament.

Now the young ass, which is an unrefined animal, signifies the people of the Gentiles, upon which he sat, to signify that he himself was to redeem the Gentiles; Isaiah 49:6: "I have given you as a light of the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation even to the end of the earth"; ibid. 32:20: "blessed are you who sow upon all waters, sending forth the feet of the ox and the ass," that is, joining into the unity of faith the people of the Jews and of the Gentiles.

But because Matthew wrote his Gospel for the Jews, he makes mention of the she-ass, by which is signified the synagogue of the Jews, which was, as it were, the mother of the Gentiles in spiritual things, because "the law shall go forth from Sion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem": Isaiah 2:3. The other Evangelists, however, because they wrote their Gospels for the Gentiles, make mention also of the colt, etc.

Next, when he says "as it is written," etc., he adduces the prophecy that is written in Zechariah 9:9, in which first he gives security; second he promises royal majesty; third he adds the usefulness of the king.

He gives security when he says "fear not, daughter of Zion." Zion was a citadel in Jerusalem, where the dwelling of the king was. The daughter of Zion, therefore, is the people of Jerusalem, and of the Jews who were subject to the king of Jerusalem. To the Jews, therefore, it is said "fear not," because the Lord is your defender; Isaiah 51:12: "who are you, that you should be afraid of a mortal man?" Psalm 26:1: "the Lord is the defender of my life: of whom shall I be afraid?" In which the Evangelist excludes worldly and servile fear.

Now he promises royal majesty, saying "behold your king comes," etc. Isaiah 9:6: "a little child is given to us." And below, ibid. 7: "he shall sit upon the throne of David and over his kingdom." Now he says "your," that is, taking flesh from you, because "nowhere did he take hold of the angels, but of the seed of Abraham": Hebrews 2:16. Again "your," that is, for your benefit, whence he adds "comes to you"; Luke 19:42: "if you also had known, even you, and indeed now the things that are for your peace: but now they are hidden from your eyes." But nevertheless, by resisting him, they themselves impeded their own benefit.

He comes, I say, to you, not for terror, but for liberation, whence he adds "sitting upon the colt of an ass": in which is signified the clemency of the king, which is greatly accepted by his subjects; Proverbs 20:28: "his throne is strengthened by clemency." And on the contrary it is said, Proverbs 19:12: "like the roaring of a lion, so also is the wrath of a king." As if he were to say: he does not come in royal pride, on account of which he could be hateful, but he comes in gentleness; Ecclesiasticus 32:1: "have they made you a ruler? do not be lifted up." Do not, therefore, fear the oppression of a kingdom. But the old law was given in fear, because the law generated servitude. Likewise the power of the king is signified in this, inasmuch as, coming in humility and weakness, he drew the whole world to himself. 1 Corinthians 1:25: "that which is weak of God is stronger than men."

Next, when he says "these things his disciples did not know at first," he sets down the disposition of the disciples toward the prophecy adduced, in which the Evangelist confesses the ignorance both of himself and of the disciples, because, as it is said, Proverbs 18:17, "the just man is at the outset his own accuser." Whence he says that these things, which have been foretold, "his disciples did not know at first," that is, before the passion, but "when Jesus was glorified," that is, when he showed forth the power of his resurrection, "then they remembered that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things to him."

But the reason they knew when he was glorified is that then they received the power of the Holy Spirit, from which they were made wiser than all wise men; Job 32:8: "the inspiration of the Almighty gives understanding." Now the Evangelist introduces this for this reason, to show that what was done was not seriously procured by the disciples.

Next, when he says "the crowd therefore bore witness," etc., he sets down the cause of the meeting, which was the giving of testimony that the crowd which was with him bore, concerning the resurrection of Lazarus; namely when he called Lazarus out of the tomb (...) "therefore also the crowd came to meet him"; 1 Corinthians 1:22: "the Jews seek signs." For this was a more evident sign, and more wonderful, and therefore he reserved it for the last, so that it might be more impressed upon their memory.

Next, when he says "the Pharisees therefore said among themselves," etc., he sets down the zeal of the Pharisees, which was stirred up from the frustration of their endeavor; whence they said "do you see that we are accomplishing nothing?" etc.: which indeed is the word of the envious Pharisees, so that they say "we are accomplishing nothing," namely in our malice, being unable to hinder him. "To accomplish" is taken in this way in 2 Timothy 3:13: "but evil men and seducers shall grow worse and worse, erring, and driving into error."

But why does the blind crowd envy? Because "the world has gone after him," by whom the world was made. But nevertheless it is signified by this that the whole world was to follow him; Hosea 6:3: "we shall live in his sight, and we shall follow, that we may know the Lord."

But Chrysostom holds that these are the words of Pharisees who believed, though secretly on account of fear of the Jews. And they say this in order to draw the others back from the persecution of Christ, as if they were to say: however much you lay snares for him, by so much the more is he increased, and his glory intensified. Why, then, do you not desist from such great snares? Which indeed is almost the same as the counsel of Gamaliel, concerning which we have in Acts 5:34ff.

Having set forth the glory which Christ had from the ministry of his own household and from the devotion of the crowds, the Evangelist here sets forth the glory which Christ had from the devotion of the Gentiles. And first the devotion of the Gentiles is set forth; second, the announcement of that devotion, at the place, "Philip cometh," etc.; third, the foretelling of Christ's passion, at the place, "But Jesus answered them: The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified." Now the devotion of the Gentiles is set forth as to two things. First as to the sacraments of the Old Testament; second as to Christ, at the place, "These therefore came to Philip." The devotion of the Gentiles toward the sacraments of the Old Testament is shown by the fact that they visited the temple. Hence he says, "Now there were certain Gentiles among them, who came up"—understand, to Jerusalem—"to adore on the festival day," as if to say: not only the crowd of Jews, but also the Gentiles themselves honored Christ. Now the reason why they went up, according to a certain interlinear gloss, is assigned thus: that they were proselytes, converted to the rite of the Jews through the preaching of the Jews, because the Jews dwelt throughout the world and strove to convert many to themselves: Matthew 23:15, "You go round about the sea and the land to make one proselyte." And therefore, according to the rite of the Jews, they went up with the others. But it is better to say, according to Chrysostom, that, as is found in 2 Maccabees 3:2ff., the temple of God which was in Jerusalem was held in veneration by all peoples and kings of the whole earth, so much so that they enriched that very temple with the greatest gifts. And therefore it happened that on festival days many Gentiles also went up to Jerusalem. A similar case is found in Acts 8:27, concerning the eunuch of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who had come to adore in Jerusalem. Hence also Isaiah 56:7 says: "My house shall be called the house of prayer for all nations, saith the Lord." Now these Gentiles, out of the devotion which they had, had gone up to the temple; in which was prefigured the conversion of the Gentiles to the faith. But the devotion of the Gentiles toward Christ is shown by the fact that they desired to see him; hence he says, "These therefore," namely the Gentiles, "came to Philip," etc. Now it must be known that Christ preached personally only to the Jews; Romans 15:8: "I say that Christ Jesus was minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers." But he preached to the Gentiles through the apostles; Isaiah, last chapter, 19: "I will send of them that shall be saved, to the Gentiles... and they shall declare my glory to the Gentiles"; Matthew, last chapter, 19: "Going, teach ye all nations," etc. This, then, was already being foreshadowed here, inasmuch as the Gentiles, wishing to see Christ, did not come immediately to him, but to one of his disciples, namely to Philip. And this fittingly, because he himself first preached to those who were outside the rite of the Jews, namely to the Samaritans, as is found in Acts 8:5: "But Philip going down into the city of Samaria, preached Christ unto them." And this suits him also according to the interpretation of his name: for Philip is interpreted "mouth of a lamp." Now preachers are the mouth of Christ; Jeremiah 15:19: "If thou wilt separate the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth." But Christ is a lamp; Isaiah 42:6: "I have given thee for a light of the Gentiles," etc. It suits him also as to the place, for he was from Bethsaida, which is interpreted "hunting," because preachers hunt those whom they convert to Christ; Jeremiah 16:16: "I will send them fishers, and they shall fish them." Likewise he was of Galilee, which is interpreted "transmigration," and the Gentiles were transmigrated by the preaching of the apostles from the state of Gentility to the state of faith; Ezekiel 12:3: "Son of man, make thee vessels of transmigration, and thou shalt remove by day in their sight." Now those coming to Philip express their desire, saying, "we would see Jesus," in which is signified that the Gentiles, who had not seen Christ in the body, having been converted to the faith by the ministry of the apostles, desire to see him glorified in the homeland; 3 Kings 10:24: "all the earth desired to see the face of Solomon."

Here is set forth the announcement of the devotion of the Gentiles toward Christ, in which indeed an order is observed, because, as it is said in Romans 13:1, "those things that are of God, are well ordered." Now this is the divine order, that lower things be led back to God through higher things: and Andrew was superior in the apostolate to Philip, because he was converted before him; and therefore Philip wished to bring these Gentiles to Christ not by himself alone, but through Andrew, mindful perhaps of what the Lord had said: "Go ye not into the way of the Gentiles." And this is what is meant when it says that Philip tells Andrew: "Andrew and Philip again told Jesus." In which an example is given to us, that all things ought to be done on the counsel of our superiors. Thus also Paul went up to Jerusalem and conferred with the apostles the Gospel which he preached among the Gentiles, as is found in Galatians 2:1. Now we can understand, in the names of these two, two things necessary for preachers, that they may lead men to Christ. The first is eloquence of ordered speech, which is noted in the name of Philip, which is interpreted "mouth of a lamp." The second is the power of good operation, which is noted in the name of Andrew, which is interpreted "manly." Psalm 32:6: "By the word of the Lord the heavens were established: and all the power of them by the spirit of his mouth."

Here the passion of Christ is foretold, and first Christ foretells that the time of his passion is at hand; second he intimates the necessity of the passion, at the place, "Amen, amen I say to you, unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die," etc.; third he introduces the necessity of the passion of others, at the place, "he that loveth his life shall lose it." He says therefore: "The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified." Here it must be noted that the Lord, seeing these Gentiles hastening to the faith, and understanding that in them the conversion of the Gentiles was in a certain way beginning, foretold that the time of his passion was at hand, by a similitude, just as one who sees a whitened field of grain says: "The hour is come that the sickle be put to the harvest"; above, 4:35: "Look at the countries, for they are white already to harvest." So then the Lord speaks here. "Since," he says, "the Gentiles seek to see me, the hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified." And indeed he was glorified in three ways. First in his passion; Hebrews 5:5: "he glorified not himself, that he might be made a high priest" (namely on the altar of the cross), "but he that said unto him: Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." And according to this he says, "the hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified," that is, that he should suffer, because before his passion the Gentiles would not be converted to him; and in that very passion he was made glorious both as to visible signs, such as in the darkening of the sun, in the rending of the veil, and other such things; and as to invisible signs, such as in the triumph by which he openly, in himself, triumphed over the princes of Tartarus, as is said in Colossians 2. And therefore above he said, "my hour is not yet come," because the devotion of the Gentiles was not yet prepared as it is now. Second, he was glorified in the resurrection and ascension. For it was necessary first that Christ rise, and ascend into heaven, and so, being glorified, send the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, through whom the Gentiles were to be converted. Above, 7:39: "as yet the Spirit was not given, because Jesus was not yet glorified"; Psalm 67:19: "Ascending on high, Christ led captivity captive." Third, he was glorified through the conversion of the Gentiles; Philippians 2:11: "every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father."

Consequently, when he says, "Amen, amen I say to you," etc., he intimates the necessity of his passion, and first he states it; second, its usefulness, at the place, "but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." Now the necessity of his passion is caused by the conversion of the Gentiles, which cannot be, unless the Son of man be glorified through the passion and resurrection: and this is what he says, "Amen, amen I say to you," that is, in truth, "unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, itself remaineth alone." Concerning which, as to the letter, it must be known that we use a grain of wheat for two things: namely for bread, and for seed. Now what is said here is understood of wheat according as it is seed, not as it is the matter of bread: because according to this it never sprouts, so as to bear fruit. Now he says "die," not that it loses its seminative power, but because it is changed into another species; 1 Corinthians 15:36: "that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die first." Now just as the word of God is a seed in the soul of man, according as it is clothed in a sensible voice, for the producing of the fruit of good operation, Luke 8:11: "the seed is the word of God"—so the word of God clothed in flesh is a seed sent into the world, from which the greatest harvest was to spring up: hence it is also compared to a grain of mustard seed, Matthew 13:31. He says therefore: "I have come as a seed for bearing fruit, and therefore I say truly to you, unless the grain of wheat falling into the ground die, itself remaineth alone," that is, unless I die, the fruit of the conversion of the Gentiles will not follow. Now he compares himself to a grain of wheat for this reason, that he came for this, to refresh and sustain human minds: and this bread of wheat especially effects; Psalm 103:15: "bread strengtheneth man's heart"; above, 6:52: "the bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world." But could not the multitude of the Gentiles have been converted except through the death of Christ? It could indeed, according to the power of God, but not according to the ordained determination of God, that it should come about in this way, inasmuch as this was more fitting. Hebrews 9:22: "without shedding of blood there is no remission"; below, 16:7: "if I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you."

Now the usefulness of the passion is set forth when he says, "but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit," as if to say: unless, falling into the ground through the humility of the passion, Philippians 2:8, "he humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death," no usefulness follows, since "itself remaineth alone." "But if it die," that is, if it is put to death and slain by the Jews, "it bringeth forth much fruit." And first indeed the fruit of the remission of sin; Isaiah 27:9: "this is all the fruit, that sin should be taken away." Which fruit indeed the passion of Christ brought forth, according to that word of 1 Peter 3:18: "Christ died once for our sins, the just for the unjust, that he might offer us to God." Second, the fruit of the conversion of the Gentiles to God. Below, 15:16: "I have appointed you, that you should go, and should bring forth fruit, and your fruit should remain." Which fruit the passion of Christ brought forth. Below, in the same place: "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself." Third, the fruit of glory. Wisdom 3:15: "glorious is the fruit of good labors." Above, 4:36: "he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life everlasting." And this fruit too the passion of Christ brought forth. Hebrews 10:19: "we have confidence in the entering into the holies by the blood of Christ, a new and living way which he hath dedicated for you a new way through the veil, that is to say, his flesh."

Here he sets forth the necessity of the death of others, who for love of Christ expose themselves to sufferings, and first he sets forth the necessity of this death; second he exhorts to that very death, at the place, "if any man minister to me, let him follow me." Concerning the first he does two things. First he premises that the necessity of death must be undergone for Christ's sake; second he adds the usefulness of this death, at the place, "and he that hateth his life in this world, keepeth it unto life eternal." He says therefore, as to the first, "he that loveth his life." And indeed every man loves his own life. But some simply, and some in a qualified sense. For to love someone is to will good to him; therefore he loves his own life who wills good to it. He therefore who wills to his own life that which is simply good, loves it simply; but he who wills to it some particular good, loves it in a qualified sense. Now the goods of the soul simply are those by which the soul is made good, namely the highest good, which is God. He therefore who wills to his own life the divine and spiritual good, loves it simply; but he who wills to it earthly goods, such as riches and honors, pleasures and the like, loves it in a qualified sense. Psalm 10:6: "he that loveth iniquity hateth his own soul"; Ecclesiasticus 18:31: "if thou give to thy soul her desires, she will make thee a joy to thy enemies." Now this text can be understood in two ways. In one way thus: "he that loveth his life"—understand, simply, unto eternal goods—"shall lose it," that is, shall expose himself to death for Christ's sake. But this is not the true sense. And therefore it is said: "he that loveth his life"—in a qualified sense, namely unto temporal goods—"shall lose it," namely simply. Matthew 16:26: "for what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul?" And the truth of this sense is clear from what follows: "he that hateth his life in this world, keepeth it unto life eternal." Therefore he who loves his life in this world, that is, unto worldly goods, shall lose it as to the eternal goods. Luke 6:25: "woe to you that laugh, for you shall weep"; and in the same place, chapter 16:25: "remember that thou didst receive good things in thy lifetime, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented." Now the usefulness of this death is added when he says, "and he that hateth his life in this world," that is, who denies to his soul present goods, and sustains for God's sake what seem to be evils in this world, "keepeth it unto life eternal"; Matthew 5:10: "blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"; Luke 14:26: "if any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother... yea and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."

Now it must be noted that what was said above concerning the grain of wheat applies to this teaching as well. For just as Christ was sent into the world as a certain seed for bearing fruit, so whatever is given to us temporally by God is not conferred on us as fruit, but through it we arrive at the fruit of eternal reward. Now our life is a certain temporal gift bestowed on us by God. He therefore who exposes it for Christ's sake brings forth much fruit. This, then, is he who hates his own life: that is, he who exposes his life, and sows it for Christ's sake unto life everlasting; Psalm 125:6: "going they went and wept, casting their seeds. But coming they shall come with joyfulness, carrying their sheaves." And likewise he who exposes his riches and the other goods which he has for Christ's sake, and shares them with others, unto life eternal; 2 Corinthians 9:6: "he who soweth in blessings shall also reap blessings."

But because it seems harsh that a man should hate his own life, therefore the Lord next exhorts to this, saying, "if any man minister to me, let him follow me," and first the exhortation is set forth; second the reason for the exhortation, at the place, "if any man minister to me, him will my Father honor." Concerning the first he does three things. First he describes the condition of his faithful; second he induces them to imitation of himself; third he adds the reward of those who imitate him. And indeed observe, as to the first, the dignity of the faithful of Christ, that they are ministers of Christ; 2 Corinthians 11:23: "they are the ministers of Christ, and I." Those, then, minister to Christ who seek the things that are Christ's; those who seek their own advantages are not ministers of Christ, but of themselves; Philippians 2:21: "all seek the things that are their own." Now prelates are ministers, inasmuch as they dispense his sacraments to the faithful; 1 Corinthians 4:1: "let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and the dispensers of the mysteries of God." Likewise, every faithful person who keeps the commandments of Christ is a minister; 2 Corinthians 6:4: "in all things let us exhibit ourselves as the ministers of God," etc. As to the second, observe the glory and nobility of the faithful of Christ, whence he says, "let him follow me"; as if to say: men follow their lords, to whom they minister; therefore "he that ministereth to me, let him follow me"; namely so that, just as I undergo death that I may bring forth much fruit, so also he. Now to follow Christ is a great glory; Ecclesiasticus 23:38: "it is a great glory to follow the Lord"; above, 10:27: "my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." As to the third, observe the beatitude of the faithful, for "where I am," not only in place, but also in the very participation of glory, "there also shall my minister be"; Matthew 24:28: "wheresoever the body shall be, there shall the eagles also be gathered together"; Apocalypse 3:21: "to him that shall overcome, I will give to sit with me in my throne."

Now the reason for the exhortation is added when he says, "if any man minister to me, him will my Father honor"; for whoever ministers to Christ, the Father honors him. But above, 5:23, it is said: "that all men should honor the Son, as they honor the Father." Therefore to honor the Son and to honor the Father is the same thing. Now the Father says, 1 Kings 2:30: "them that glorify me, I will glorify," etc. He therefore who ministers to Jesus, not seeking his own things, but the things of Jesus Christ, him will the Father of Jesus honor. Now he did not say, "I will honor him," but "my Father," because they did not yet hold the opinion of him that he was equal to the Father. Or it must be said that he says this as a sign of greater familiarity, inasmuch as they will be honored by the very one by whom the Son also is honored. For the honor which the Son has by nature, they themselves will have by grace. Hence Augustine says: the adopted son could not receive a greater honor than to be where the Only-begotten is. Romans 8:29: "whom he predestinated to be made conformable to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren, that he might be the firstborn amongst many brethren."

Above it was treated of the glory shown to Christ by various men; here he treats of the glory shown to Christ by God, and first the petition for this glory is set down; second the promise of glory is added, where it says, "there came therefore a voice from heaven," and so on. Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth the affection of his soul; second he proposes the petition, where it says, "and what shall I say?" and so on. But note, concerning the first, that it is a wonderful thing that he says, "now is my soul troubled." For above he had exhorted his faithful to hold their soul in hatred in this world, and now, with death imminent, we hear the Lord himself saying, "now is my soul troubled." On account of which Augustine says: Lord, you command my soul to follow, and I see your soul troubled: what foundation shall I seek, if the rock itself gives way? And therefore we must see, first, what this troubling is in Christ; second, why he willed to undergo it.

As to the first, it must be known that a thing is properly said to be troubled when it is stirred; hence we also say that the sea, when stirred up, is troubled. Whenever, therefore, something exceeds the measure of its quiet and tranquility, then it is said to be troubled. Now in the human soul there is a sensitive part and a rational part. In the sensitive part of the soul, indeed, troubling occurs when it is stirred by certain movements; as when it is contracted by fear, lifted up by hope, expanded by joy, or affected by some other passion. But this troubling sometimes remains under the rule of reason, and sometimes exceeds the limit of reason, namely when reason itself is thrown into disorder. This indeed happens frequently in us, but it has no place in Christ, since he is the very wisdom of the Father; nor even in any wise man — hence the opinion of the Stoics is that the wise man is not troubled, namely as regards reason. According to this, then, the sense is: "now is my soul troubled," that is, it was affected by the passions of fear and sadness as regards the sensitive part, by which passions, however, reason was not troubled nor did it abandon its order; Mark 14:33: "Jesus began to fear and to be weary."

Now passions of this kind are in us in one way, and were in Christ in another way. For in us they exist of necessity, inasmuch as we are moved and affected as it were from without; but in Christ they are not of necessity, but from the command of reason, since in him there was no passion except what he himself stirred up. For to such a degree were the lower powers subject to reason in Christ, that they could do and suffer nothing except what reason ordained for them; and therefore it is said above, John 11:33, that Jesus groaned in spirit, and troubled himself; Psalm 59:4: "you have shaken the earth" (that is, human nature) "and have troubled it." Thus, then, the soul of Christ was troubled in such a way that the troubling in him was not against reason, but according to the order of reason.

As to the second point, it must be known that the Lord willed to be troubled for two reasons. First, indeed, for the instruction of faith, namely that he might confirm the truth of human nature; and therefore, now drawing near to the Passion, he does everything in a human manner. Second, for the sake of example; for if he had done everything with unshaken constancy and had felt no passion in his soul, it would not have been a sufficient example to men for enduring death. And therefore he willed to be troubled, so that, when we are troubled, we might not refuse to endure death, nor fail; Hebrews 4:15: "we have not a high priest who cannot have compassion on our infirmities, tempted in all things, in the likeness of sin, without sin." Whence from this the continuity with what precedes appears. For because he had said, "he who hates his soul in this world keeps it unto life eternal," in which he had exhorted the disciples to the Passion, lest some should say: O Lord, you can safely dispute and philosophize about death, since you, being outside human sorrows, are not troubled on account of death — and therefore, that he might exclude this, he willed to be troubled.

This troubling of Christ, moreover, was natural; for just as the soul naturally loves union with the body, so also it naturally shrinks from separation from it, especially since the reason of Christ permitted the soul and the lower powers to act as was proper to them. On account of this also, that he says, "now is my soul troubled," and so on, the error of Arius and Apollinaris is destroyed, who said that in Christ there was no soul, but the Word in its place.

Consequently the Lord sets down the petition for glory, saying, "and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour": where the Lord transfers to himself the affection of a troubled man. In the manner of this he does four things concerning his petition: for first he sets down the question of one deliberating; second he proposes the petition, which proceeds from one movement; third he excludes that movement by reason; fourth he sets down another petition caused by another movement.

Now he proposes the question of one in doubt, because it is natural for men placed in straits to deliberate; hence the Philosopher says in the Rhetoric that fear makes men disposed to take counsel. Therefore Christ, after the manifestation of his troubling, at once adds, "and what shall I say?" As if he were to say: what is to be done after this troubling? A similar thing is found in Psalm 54:6: "fear and trembling have come upon me." And it follows at once: "who will give me wings like a dove, and I will fly away and be at rest?" For those who are in anguish and troubled by passion are weighed down, and seek a help by which they may be freed.

He sets down the petition caused by one movement, because when someone is in doubt as to what he ought to do, he ought to have recourse to God; 2 Chronicles 20:12: "when we know not what we ought to do, this only we have as a refuge, that we direct our eyes to you, our God"; Psalm 121:1: "I have lifted up my eyes to the mountains, whence help shall come to me." And therefore, having recourse to the Father, he says, "Father, save me," that is, free me from the tribulation which is imminent in the hour of the Passion; Psalm 69:2: "save me, O Lord, for the waters have come in even unto my soul." And, as Augustine says, it is the same thing that the Lord here says, "now is my soul troubled," and "Father, save me," as what is said in Matthew 26:38: "my soul is sorrowful even unto death." But it must be noted that this petition is not proposed from the proper movement of reason, but reason itself, as it were summoned as an advocate, speaks in the person of the natural affection, which desired not to die; and therefore reason marks the movement of natural affection in this petition.

From this is resolved the question that is customarily raised, because, as it is said in Hebrews 5:7, "he was heard in all things for his reverence." And yet in that which he asked, he was not heard. To which it must be said that he was heard in those things which reason itself, on its own part, was asking, and asking as things to be granted. But what he here asks he does not propose on his own part, nor as something to be granted, but as expressing natural affection; and therefore, according to Chrysostom, it is read as a question: "And what shall I say? Shall I say this: Father, save me from this hour?" As if he were to say, I will not say this.

He rejects this petition, which was proposed from the movement of natural appetite, saying, "for this cause I came unto this hour," as if he were to say: it is not just that I be freed from this hour of the Passion, because I came for this purpose, that I might suffer — not led by fatal necessity, not compelled by human violence, but offered up of my own accord; Isaiah 53:7: "he was offered because it was his own will"; above, John 10:18: "no man takes it from me," namely my soul, "but I lay it down of myself."

Reason then sets forth its own petition, when he says, "Father, glorify your name." Here by "your name" we can understand two things. Namely, the Son himself. For a name is so called from knowledge, as it were a mark of notice; hence a name is that by which a thing is made manifest; but the Son manifests the Father; below, John 17:6: "Father, I have manifested your name to men." And of this name it is said, Isaiah 30:27: "behold, the name of the Lord comes from afar." The sense, therefore, is: "Father, glorify your name," that is, your Son; below, John 17:5: "glorify me, Father, with the glory which I had, before the world was, with you." Or, the name of the Lord is the knowledge of the Father; and then the sense is: do this, Father, glorify your name, that is, do that which is the glory of your name. And it comes to the same thing, because when the Son is glorified, the name of the Father is glorified. He says this, moreover, because by the Passion the Son was to be glorified; Philippians 2:8: "he became obedient," to the Father, "unto death, even the death of the cross. For which cause God also has exalted him." As if he were to say: natural affection asks that I be saved, but reason asks that your name be glorified, that is, that the Son may suffer, because, namely, by the Passion of Christ the knowledge of God was to be made glorious. For before the Passion God was known only in Judea, and his name was great in Israel; but after his Passion his name was made glorious among the nations.

Consequently, where it says, "there came therefore a voice from heaven," and so on, the promise of glory is set down, and first the voice promising glory is introduced; second the opinion of the devout but doubting crowd is set down, where it says, "the crowd therefore that stood and heard said that it thundered"; third the exposition of the voice that was uttered is set down, where it says, "Jesus answered and said: this voice came not for me." He says, then, as to the first: "there came therefore a voice from heaven." This voice is the voice of God the Father, just as that which came above Christ when he was baptized, Matthew 3:17: "this is my beloved Son," and likewise that which came upon him when he was transfigured, Matthew 17:5. Although every such voice is formed by the power of the whole Trinity, it is nevertheless formed specially to represent the person of the Father, and hence it is called the voice of the Father: just as the dove was formed by the whole Trinity, to signify the person of the Holy Spirit; and likewise the body of Christ was formed by the whole Trinity, but was specially assumed by the person of the Word, because it was formed for this, that it should be united to him.

This voice, then, does two things. First it manifests the past, saying, "and I have glorified it," that is, I have begotten it glorious from eternity, because the Son is nothing other than a certain brightness and splendor of the Father; Wisdom 7:26: "she is the brightness of eternal light, and the unspotted mirror of the majesty of God"; Hebrews 1:3: "who being the brightness of his glory, and the figure of his substance." Or, "I have glorified it," at his nativity, when the Angels sang, "glory to God in the highest," Luke 2:14, and in the miracles done through him. Second it foretells the future: "and again I will glorify it," in the Passion, in which he triumphed over the Devil, and in the resurrection and ascension, and in the conversion of the whole world; Acts 3:13: "the God of our fathers has glorified his Son Jesus."

The opinion of the doubting crowd concerning the voice is set down, where it says, "the crowd therefore that stood, and heard, said that it had thundered." In this crowd, indeed — and in every crowd — some were of coarser and slower understanding, others of keener understanding, although all were imperfectly disposed toward the knowledge of the voice itself. For the slothful and carnal did not perceive the voice itself except as to its sound; and therefore they said that it had thundered. But they were not altogether deceived: for the voice of the Lord was indeed a thunder, both because it had a wonderful signification, and because it contained the greatest things; Job 26:14: "seeing we have heard scarce a little spark of his words, who shall be able to behold the thunder of his greatness?" Psalm 76:19: "the voice of your thunder in a wheel." Those of keener understanding, however, perceived of the voice itself that it was the sound of an articulate and significant voice; hence they said that it was a speaking. But believing Christ to be a mere man, they fell short, attributing that speaking to an Angel; hence they said, "an Angel has spoken to him"; and these indeed suffered something similar to the Devil, who believed that Christ needed the assistance of Angels; hence he said, Matthew 4: "he has given his Angels charge concerning you, and in their hands they shall bear you up." For he does not need the guardianship and help of Angels, but he himself glorifies and guards the Angels.

The exposition of the voice follows, where it says: "Jesus answered, and said," and so on, and first he expounds the voice that was uttered; second he sets down the contradiction, where it says, "the crowd answered him"; third he adds the Lord's response, where it says, "Jesus therefore said to them." Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets down the cause of the voice; second he adds its signification, where it says, "now is the judgment of the world," and so on.

It must be known, as to the first, that because they had said, "an Angel has spoken to him" — and an Angel speaks to someone by revealing something for the benefit of him to whom he speaks, as is clear in Apocalypse 1 and Ezekiel 1 — therefore the Lord, showing that he does not need any voice or the assistance of angelic revelation, says: "not for me," namely to be instructed, "did this voice come, but for you." For it signified nothing that he did not already know, since "in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge of God," Colossians 2:3, so that he knew all that the Father knows. "But for you it came," namely to be instructed. In which it is given to be understood that many things were done concerning Christ by way of dispensation for our sake, not because Christ needed them; Romans 15:4: "whatever things were written, were written for our instruction."

Consequently, where it says, "now is the judgment of this world," he sets down the signification of the voice, and first he sets down the judgment by which he was to be glorified; second he adds the effect of the judgment, where it says, "now shall the prince of this world be cast out"; and third the manner of the glorification, where it says, "and if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to myself." He says, then, "now is the judgment of this world." But if this is so, what then do we await, that the Lord should come again to judge? To which it must be said that he has already come to judge with the judgment of discernment, by which he would discern his own from those who are not his own; above, John 9:39: "for judgment I have come into this world." And of this he says, "now is the judgment of this world." But he is to come to judge with the judgment of condemnation, for which he did not come the first time; above, John 3:17: "for God sent not his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him."

Or it must be said that judgment is twofold. One by which the world is condemned, and of this it is not speaking here; the other is the judgment of the world by which judgment is rendered on behalf of the world, inasmuch as the world is freed from the servitude of the Devil. In this way is to be understood that saying in Psalm 34:1: "judge, O Lord, those that wrong me; overthrow them that fight against me," and so on. And these two come to the same thing: because by this very fact that judgment is rendered on behalf of the world, the Devil being excluded, the good are discerned from the evil.

The effect of the judgment is the exclusion of the Devil, hence he says, "now shall the prince of this world be cast out," by the power of the Passion of Christ. Hence his Passion is his glorification, so that by this he explains, as it were, what he said, "and I will glorify it," inasmuch, namely, as "the prince of this world shall be cast out," as though through the Passion he should have victory over the Devil; 1 John 3:8: "for this the Son of God appeared, that he might destroy the works of the Devil."

But concerning this there is doubt about three things. First, concerning his saying that the Devil is the prince of this world; from which the Manichaeans say that he is the creator and lord of all visible things. To this it must be said that the Devil is called the prince of this world, not by natural dominion, but by usurpation, inasmuch as worldly men, having despised the true Lord, have subjected themselves to him; 2 Corinthians 4:4: "the god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers." He is, therefore, the prince of this world, inasmuch as he rules among worldly men, as Augustine says, who are spread over the whole earth. For the name "world" is sometimes taken in a bad sense for men who love the world, above, John 1:10: "the world knew him not"; but sometimes in a good sense for good men who so live in the world that yet their conversation is in heaven; 2 Corinthians 5:19: "God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself."

Second, there is doubt concerning his saying "shall be cast out." For if he were cast out, he would not tempt now as he tempted before, since yet he has not ceased to tempt; therefore he is not cast out. To which it must be said, according to Augustine, that although the Devil tempts men who have ceased to be of the world, he does not tempt in the same manner as before. For then he tempted and reigned from within, but afterward only from without. For as long as men are in sin, then he reigns from within, and tempts; Romans 6:12: "let not sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey the lusts thereof." Thus, then, he is cast out, because the effect of sin in man is not from within, but from without.

Third, it is asked concerning his saying, "now shall the prince of this world be cast out": from which it seems to follow that before the Passion of Christ he was not cast out, and consequently, since he is cast out then when men are freed from sins, that Abraham, Isaac, and the others of the Old Testament were not freed from sin. To which it must be said, according to Augustine, that before the Passion of Christ he was cast out from individual persons, but not from the world, as afterward. For that which was then done in very few men, is now recognized to have been done, by the power of the Passion of Christ, in many and great peoples of Jews and Gentiles converted to Christ.

Or it must be said that the Devil is cast out by this, that men are freed from sin; but before the Passion of Christ, all the just were freed from sin, but not totally, because they were still detained from being brought into the kingdom; and as to this he still had some right over them, which, however, was totally taken away by the Passion of Christ, when the flaming sword was removed, when it was said to the man: "today you shall be with me in Paradise."

Now the manner of the Passion is by way of exaltation, hence he says, "and I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself." Concerning this it must be known that Chrysostom uses this example: that if some tyrant, who had been accustomed to oppress, strike, and cast into chains certain of his subjects, should then, out of the same madness, treat in the same manner even one who is in no way subject to him, dragging him too into the same prison, deservedly ought he also to be deprived of dominion over the others who were subject to him: so also did Christ act against the Devil. For the Devil, on account of the sin of the first parent, had some right over men, whence he was able in some way to rage justly against them. But because he dared to attempt the same things even against Christ, in whom he had no right — since the tempter attacked him in whom he had nothing, as is said below, John 13 — therefore it was fitting that he should be deprived also of dominion, through the death of Christ. And this is what he says: "if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to myself."

Here he first sets forth the manner of his death; second the Evangelist expounds what he says, where it says, "but this he said, signifying by what death he should die." Now the manner of death is by exaltation on the wood of the cross. The exposition, moreover, is that in this he signified by what death he was to die. It must be known, moreover, that the Lord willed to die the death of the cross for a twofold cause. One indeed on account of the disgracefulness of that death; Wisdom 2:20: "let us condemn him to a most shameful death." Hence Augustine also says: therefore the Lord willed to die in this manner, so that the very disgrace of death might not drive man back from the perfection of righteousness. Second, because in this way death is by way of exaltation; hence the Lord also says, "if I be lifted up." And this kind of death was indeed fitting to the fruit, the cause, and the figure of the Passion. Fitting to the fruit, indeed, because by the Passion he was to be exalted. Philippians 2:8: "he became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross: for which cause God has exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name." And therefore in Psalm 20:14 it was said: "be exalted, O Lord, in your own strength."

It was fitting, moreover, to the cause of the Passion in two ways: both on the part of the Demon, and on the part of men. On the part of men, indeed, because he was dying for their salvation; but they had perished, because they had been cast down and sunk into earthly things; Psalm 16:11: "they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth." He willed, therefore, to die exalted, that he might lift up our hearts to heavenly things. For thus he himself is our way into heaven. On the part of the Demons, indeed, so that he, being lifted up in the air, might trample underfoot those who exercised principality and power in the air.

It was fitting also to the figure, because the Lord commanded that the bronze serpent be made in the desert, as is found in Numbers 21:9; above, John 3:14: "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up," and so on.

Thus, then, being exalted, "I will draw all things," by charity, "to myself"; Jeremiah 31:3: "with an everlasting love have I loved you, therefore have I drawn you, taking pity on you." In this also the charity of God toward man appears most greatly, inasmuch as he deigned to die for them; Romans 5:8: "God commends his charity toward us, because when as yet we were sinners, according to the time, Christ died for us." In this he fulfilled what the bride asks, Song of Songs 1:3: "draw me after you, we will run in the odor of your ointments." It must be noted, moreover, that the Father draws, and the Son also draws; above, John 6:44: "no man can come to me, except the Father, who has sent me, draw him." Therefore he says here, "I will draw all things," to show that the operation of both is the same. He says, however, "all things," not "all men," because not all are drawn to the Son. "All things," I say, "I will draw," that is, soul and body. Or, all kinds of men, namely Gentiles and Jews, slaves and free, males and females. Or, all things predestined to salvation. And it must be noted that this very thing, that he says he will draw all things to himself, is that the prince of this world shall be cast out: for there is no agreement of Christ with Belial, nor of light with darkness.

Having set forth the promise concerning the glorification of the Lord, and the explanation of the voice, here consequently the doubt of the crowd is set down, where first he introduces the authority of the law; second he raises a doubt from it, at the place "and how do you say" and so on. He says, therefore, as to the first: "the crowd answered him" — namely the Lord speaking about his death — "we have heard out of the law" (here "law" is taken commonly for the whole Scripture of the Old Testament) "that Christ remains forever." And this can be gathered from many places of the Old Testament, and especially Isaiah 9:7: "his dominion shall be multiplied, and of peace there shall be no end"; Daniel 7:14: "his power is an everlasting power, which shall not be taken away, and his kingdom that shall not be destroyed."

And from this authority they form two doubts: one concerning the fact, the other concerning the person. Concerning the fact, when they say: "How do you say: The Son of man must be lifted up?" But since Christ had not said "The Son of man must be lifted up," but rather "I, if I be lifted up," and so on, how do the Jews say "The Son of man must be lifted up"? But it must be said that the Jews were already accustomed to the words of the Lord, and so they kept in memory that he used to say he was the Son of man. Therefore when he said: "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself," they understood it as the same as if he had said: "if the Son of man were lifted up," as Augustine says. Or it must be said that, although here he made no mention of the Son of man, nevertheless above, in John 3:14, he said this: "the Son of man," I say, "must be lifted up." But it seems that what they say — "the Son of man must be lifted up" — is in no way contrary to what he had said, that Christ remains forever. But it must be said to this, that because the Lord was accustomed to speak to them in parables, therefore they understood many of the things that were said. Hence also this that the Lord said, they suspected the exaltation to mean into the death of the cross; above, John 8:28: "when you shall have lifted up the Son of man, then you shall know that I am he." Or it must be said that they understood this for the reason that they were already thinking of doing it. Hence the understanding of these words was opened to them not by the keenness of knowledge, but by a conscience feigned through malice.

But note their malice, because they do not say "we have heard out of the law" that Christ suffers nothing: for in many places his passion and resurrection are treated, as that saying of Isaiah 53:7: "he shall be led as a sheep to the slaughter," and that of Psalm 3:6: "I have slept, and taken my rest, and I have risen up." But they say that Christ remains forever. The reason for this is that in this there would have been no contrariety, since from his passion no impediment would have been made to the immortality of Christ. For they wanted to show that he was not the Christ for this reason, since Christ remains forever, as Chrysostom says.

But concerning the person they raise a question, when they say: "Who is this Son of man?" They ask this for the reason that in Daniel 7:13 it is said: "I saw, and behold one like the Son of man came, and he came even to the Ancient of days," because by that Son of man they understood Christ. As if they were saying: you say that the Son of man must be lifted up, and the Son of man, whom we understand to be Christ, remains forever — who then is this Son of man? If he does not remain forever, neither is he the Christ. In this, however, their slowness is to be reproved: because they still doubt, after so many things seen, so many things heard, whether he himself were the Christ; Ecclesiasticus 22:9: "He that telleth a fool wisdom speaketh to one that is asleep."

Consequently, when he says "Jesus therefore said to them," and so on, the Lord satisfies their doubt in some manner, and first he commends the good that they had; second he exhorts them to progress, at the place "walk whilst you have the light"; third he explains the admonition, saying "whilst you have the light, believe in the light." He said therefore to them: "Jesus therefore said to them: Yet a little light is among you." This indeed can be read in two ways. In one way, according to Augustine, namely that "a little" is an adjective determining what he says — "light" — as if he were saying: a certain light is in you, insofar as you recognize that Christ remains forever. For this is a certain truth: but every manifestation of truth is a certain light infused by God. But nevertheless this light that is in you is little, because, although you know the eternity of Christ, yet you do not believe his death and resurrection: in which it is clear that you do not have perfect faith. To these, therefore, applies what was said to Peter, Matthew 14:31: "O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt?" But according to Chrysostom it is said "yet a little," namely time remains, in which the light is among you — that is, I, who am the light; as if he were saying: for a little time I, the light, am with you; below, John 16:16: "a little while, and now you shall not see me."

And therefore consequently he exhorts them to the completion and progress of the good, and first he sets forth his exhortation; second he shows the imminent danger, unless they make progress, at the place "he who walks in darkness does not know where he goes." He says, therefore: I say that you have a little light, yet while you have it, walk — that is, draw near and make progress, so that together with his eternity you may understand that Christ was to die, and to rise again. And this according to the first exposition. Or "walk whilst you have the light," that is, while I am with you, make progress and strive so to have me that you may never lose me; Psalm 88:16: "Lord, they shall walk in the light of thy countenance." And this so that the darkness — of unbelief, of ignorance, and of perpetual damnation — may not overtake you, and thus you be unable to proceed any further. For then a man is overtaken by darkness when he is totally submerged in unbelief: which would be the case if you were to believe the eternity of Christ in such a way that you deny in him the lowliness of death; Job 3:23: "to a man whose way is hidden"; the same, 37:19: "for we are all wrapped up in darkness."

The danger imminent unless they make progress, he adds, saying: "and he who walks in darkness does not know where he goes." For light, whether exterior or interior, directs man. Exterior light indeed directs as to exterior bodily acts, but interior light directs the will itself. He, therefore, who does not walk in the light, not believing perfectly in Christ, but walks in darkness, does not know where he goes, that is, to what end he is directed; Psalm 81:5: "They have not known nor understood: they walk on in darkness." This indeed happens also to the Jews themselves, because they do not know what they are doing, but, as men walking in darkness, they think indeed that they are proceeding on the right way, and whereby they believe they are pleasing God, they displease him all the more. Likewise also heretics, erring, whereby they believe they merit the light of truth and grace, rather deserve to be deprived of it; Proverbs 14:12: "There is a way which seemeth to a man right: and the ends thereof lead to death."

Consequently, when he says "whilst you have the light, believe in the light," he explains what he had said, namely what it is to walk: and this in two ways, according to the two expositions given above. First, according to the first exposition, "whilst you have the light," that is, while you have something of the knowledge and light of truth, "believe in the light," that is, in the perfect truth, "that you may be children of light," that is, that you may be reborn to the truth; 1 Thessalonians 5:6: "We are not of the night, nor of darkness: therefore let us not sleep." Or, according to the other exposition, "whilst you have the light," that is, me, who am the light — above, John 1:9: "that was the true light, which enlighteneth every man coming into this world" — "believe in the light," that is, in me, that is, make progress in the knowledge of me: "that you may be children of light," because from the fact that you believe in me, you will be children of God; above, John 1:12: "he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name."

Here the Evangelist narrates a deed that Jesus did, namely that he hid himself. But whereas above, in John 8:59, we read that Christ did this same thing, the reason is at hand, because they took up stones to cast at him; but here no reason for his hiding is assigned, since they neither lifted up stones, nor blasphemed him: why then did he hide himself? To this it must be said that the Lord, searching their hearts, knew their fury and malice, which they had already conceived about killing him. Hence, wishing to forestall them, he did not wait for them to proceed to the deed, but by hiding himself, he mitigated their envy and wrath. In this he gave us an example, that when the malice of certain people is clear to us, we ought to flee even before they attempt to carry it out in deed. Nevertheless, however, the Lord showed by deed what he had said in word. For he had said: "walk whilst you have the light, that the darkness may not overtake you"; of what sort this darkness was, he made known through his hiding himself; Isaiah 8:17: "I will wait for him that hideth himself from the house of Jacob."

Above, the Evangelist treated in many ways of the glory of Christ, on account of which the Jews, moved by envy, were stirred up to kill him; here he treats of another occasion of his passion, namely of the unbelief of the Jews, and first their unbelief is touched upon; second it is itself reproved by the Lord, at the place, "But Jesus cried out," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he reproves the unbelief of those who did not believe at all; second, the unbelief of those who did believe, yet in secret, at the place, "Nevertheless even of the rulers many believed in him." Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth the wondrous hardness of their unbelief; second, lest it be believed that this happened irrationally or by chance, he adduces a prophecy, at the place, "that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled."

The Evangelist says, then, as though marveling: it has been said that the Lord worked many signs, namely that he changed water into wine, above in chapter 2, that he healed a paralytic, above in chapter 5, that he gave sight to a blind man, above in chapter 9, that he raised a dead man, above in chapter 11: and yet, although he had worked such great signs before them, they did not believe in him. They were accustomed, then, to say: "What sign do you show us, that we may believe you?" But behold what the Evangelist says: "although he had worked such great signs before them, they did not believe in him"; below, John 15:24: "If I had not done among them the works that no other man has done, they would not have sin." Hence they could not say that word of Psalm 73:9: "We have not seen our signs."

Consequently, when he says, "that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled," the testimonies of the prophets are introduced for this purpose; and first the prophecies are introduced; second it is shown that they speak of Christ, at the place, "These things said Isaiah," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he adduces the prophecy foretelling their unbelief; second he adds the prophecy foretelling the cause of their unbelief, at the place, "Therefore they could not believe."

He says, then: I say that they did not believe in him, "that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled" — where it must be known that the word "that" in sacred Scripture is sometimes taken causally, as in that passage above, John 10:10: "I have come that they may have life"; but sometimes it is taken consecutively, and signifies a future outcome: and it is taken in this way here. For they did not fail to believe because Isaiah had foretold it, but because they were not going to believe, therefore he foretold it: hence, from their not believing, the word of Isaiah is fulfilled; Luke 24:44: "It is necessary that all things be fulfilled which are written"; Matthew 5:18: "One iota or one tittle shall not pass from the law, until all things come to pass."

But if it was necessary that the word of Isaiah be fulfilled, it seems that the Jews are excusable for not having believed: for they could not act against the prophecy. Response. It must be said that it was prophesied in such a way that they made use of their own free choice. For God, foreknowing future things, foretold their unbelief through the prophecy; he did not cause it: for God does not for that reason compel anyone to sin because he already knows the future sins of men. That sin, therefore, which the Jews committed, the Lord, from whom nothing is hidden, foretold that they would commit.

But what the prophet says, he adds, saying: "Lord, who has believed our report, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" Here it must be known that there is a twofold manner of believing. Sometimes indeed through the instruction of another; and this is the common manner of believing; Romans 10:17: "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." But sometimes through divine revelation; and this is the singular manner, of which the Apostle says: "Neither did I learn it from man, nor did I receive it, but through the revelation of Jesus Christ." Isaiah 53:1, therefore, foretold indeed the rarity of believers, saying: "Lord, who has believed our report?"

And first, as to the common manner, which is through instruction, when he says, "Who has believed our report?" This indeed is found in the place cited, and can be understood in two ways. In one way, so that the sense is: "Who has believed our report?" — namely, what we have heard from you; Obadiah 1: "We have heard a report from the Lord of hosts," etc. Psalm 84:9: "I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me." As if they were to say: we have heard from you; but, Lord, who will believe us concerning the things we have heard, you speaking, about your birth and your passion? Hence also that whole chapter of Isaiah speaks of these things.

But he says that the prophets hear, in order to suggest the manner of the illumination of the prophets. For through sight a man receives knowledge immediately of the thing seen, but through hearing knowledge is not had immediately from the thing itself, but from some sign of that thing. Because, therefore, the prophets did not see the divine essence immediately, but certain signs of divine things, therefore he says that they hear. Numbers 12:6: "If there be among you a prophet of the Lord, I will appear to him in a vision, or I will speak to him through a dream"; as if through certain signs. But the Son sees the divine essence itself eternally; above, John 1:18: "No one has ever seen God: the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him." "Who, then, has believed our report?" That is, who has believed these things which we have heard and reported? Isaiah 21:10: "What I have heard from the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I have announced to you."

In another way: "Who has believed our report?" That is, the things which they hear from us; Ezekiel 33:31: "They hear my words from your mouth, and they do not do them: for they turn them into a song of their mouth." But as to the singular manner, which is through revelation, he says: "And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" The Son is called the arm, through whom the Father works all things, just as a man's arm is called that through which a man works. And if a man worked by his interior word alone, then his word could be called his arm. Thus, then, is it called the arm of God, not because God the Father is determined by the figure of human flesh, and has a bodily arm; but because through him all things were made: above, John chapter 2, verse 3. And Job 40:4: "Do you have an arm like God, and can you thunder with a voice like his?" Luke 1:51: "He has shown might in his arm, he has scattered the proud in the thought of their heart."

It must be noted, then, that from this word Sabellius took the occasion of his error, saying that the person of the Father and of the Son is the same; and Arius, saying that the Son is less than the Father. For a man and his arm are not two persons, but one; nor can the arm be said to be equal to the man. To which it must be said that in such matters there is not a sufficient likeness: for the things that are in creatures do not perfectly represent the things that are in God. Hence Dionysius says that symbolic theology is not argumentative. The Son, therefore, is not called the arm as though he were of the same person as the Father, or less than him, but because through him the Father works all things. He says, then, "And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" As if to say: to few, namely to the apostles themselves; 1 Corinthians 2:10: "But to us God has revealed it through his Spirit."

Consequently, when he says, "Therefore they could not believe," he sets down the prophecy foretelling the cause of their unbelief. And if we attend to these words of the Evangelist, they seem indeed, according to the surface of the letter, to have an obscure meaning. And first, because if it is said that "therefore they could not believe" because Isaiah said this, the Jews seem to be excusable. For what sin is it of a man who does not do what he cannot do? And, what is more serious, the fault is turned back upon God, because he blinded their eyes. But it would be tolerable if this were said of the Devil, since, as it is said in 2 Corinthians 4:4: "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers." But here it is said of our Lord. For Isaiah 6:1 says: "I saw the Lord sitting upon a high throne." And it follows: "Blind the heart of this people, and make his ears heavy, and shut his eyes; lest perhaps he see with his eyes, and hear with his ears, and understand with his heart, and be converted and I heal him."

But for the clarification of this, let us first explain what he says: "Therefore they could not believe." Here it must be known that something is said to be impossible or necessary in two ways: namely, absolutely, and on a supposition. Absolutely indeed, as it is impossible for a man to be a donkey; but on a supposition, as it is impossible for me to be outside the house while I am sitting inside it. According to this, then, it must be said that a man is excused if he does not do those things which are absolutely impossible for him; but if he does not do those things which are impossible for him on a supposition, he is not excused. As if it were granted that someone has a completely evil will to steal, and he says that it is impossible for him not to sin as long as he has that obstinate will, he is not excused; because an impossibility of this kind is not absolute, but on a supposition: for he is able to dispose his evil will otherwise. He says, then, "Therefore they could not believe," namely because they have a will darkened in its own malice; Jeremiah 13:23: "How, indeed, can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? So you also will be able to do good, when you have learned evil"; Matthew 12:34: "How can you do good things, when you are evil?" And it is similar to if I were to say of someone: "I can in no way love him"; but I hold him in hatred.

As to the second point, it must be known that the blinding and hardening by God is not understood as though God instills malice or impels toward sin, but through the fact that he does not infuse grace: which grace indeed he infuses out of his mercy; but the cause of his not infusing it is on our part, inasmuch as, namely, there is in us something repugnant to divine grace. For he himself, as far as is in him, enlightens every man coming into this world: above, John 1:9; 1 Timothy 2:4: "He wills all men to be saved." But because we withdraw from God, therefore he withdraws his grace from us; Hosea 4:6: "Because you have rejected knowledge, I will reject you"; the same, 13:9: "Your destruction, Israel, is from yourself; only in me is your help." And it is similar to if someone had shut the window of a house, and it were said to him: "You cannot see, because you are deprived of the light of the sun." But this would not be from a defect of the sun, but because he himself had shut off the sunlight from himself. And similarly here it is said that "they could not believe" because God blinded them: because, namely, they themselves had furnished the cause that they be blinded, according to that word, Wisdom 2:21: "Their own malice blinded them."

These things having been seen, then, the words of this prophecy must be considered, which indeed are found in Isaiah 6:10, not according to the same words, but according to the same sense. In these words, then, three things are contained. First, the hardening and blinding of the Jews; second, the effect of each, at the place, "that they may not see"; third, the end, at the place, "and be converted, and I heal them."

Concerning the first, it must be considered that the Lord led them to faith in two ways: namely by miracles and by teaching, whence he reproaches them for both, saying: "If I had not done among them the works which no other has done, they would not have sin." And again: "If I had not come, and had not spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin." For they despised both. Insofar, then, as they did not attend to the miracles of Christ with due diligence, he says "he blinded their eyes," namely of the heart: concerning which it is found in Ephesians 1:18: "the eyes of your heart enlightened" — if they were to consider, through the understanding, that such miracles could not come about except by divine power: Isaiah 42:20: "You who see many things, do you not consider?" And again, the same, verse 19: "Who is blind, but my servant? And who is deaf, but he to whom I have sent my messengers?" Because as to the teaching of Christ they were not moved, he adds, "and he hardened their heart." For that seems most hard which is not dissolved by a strong heat, and is not crushed by a divine blow. But the words of Christ are as it were fire, and like a hammer crushing rocks, as is said in Jeremiah 23:29. Fire indeed, because they inflame through charity; a hammer, however, because they terrify through threat, and break in pieces through most manifest truth. And yet the heart of the Jews did not attend to the word of Christ. Hence it is clear that it was hardened; Job 41:24: "His heart shall be hardened as an anvil of the hammerer"; Romans 9:18: "He has mercy on whom he wills, and he hardens whom he wills."

But the effect of the blinding is set down when he says, "that they may not see with their eyes," namely spiritual eyes, understanding the divinity of Christ; Psalm 113:5: "They have eyes, and they shall not see." On the contrary, it is said in Luke 10:23: "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see." The effect of the hardening is set down when he says, in turn, "nor do they understand with the heart": so that it should be understood as, "that they may not understand with the heart"; Job 4:20: "and because no one understands, he shall perish forever"; Psalm 35:4: "He was unwilling to understand, that he might do well." But it must be noted here that the word "that" is not put here causally, but consecutively.

But the end of the blinding and hardening is set down consequently, when he says, "and be converted, and I heal them." And it can be understood in two ways, as Augustine says in the book On the Questions of the Gospels. In one way, so that this word "not" is repeated, so that the sense is: "and let them not be converted, and let me not heal them." For the way of salvation from sin is conversion to God; Lamentations 5:21: "Convert us, O Lord, to you, and we shall be converted," and immediately it is added: "renew our days as from the beginning." But to those who have shown themselves unworthy to have their sins remitted, God does not grant the benefits by which they might be converted and healed, as is clear concerning all who are not approved.

In another way it can be understood, so that this word "not" is not repeated, so that the sense is: they were therefore blinded and hardened, that for a time they might neither see nor understand; and thus, not seeing and not understanding, that is, not believing in Christ, they would kill him, and afterward, being pricked with compunction, they would be converted and healed. For he sometimes permits some to fall into sin, so that, humbled, they may rise more firmly to righteousness. And each explanation has its place among different Jews. The first indeed applies to those who remained finally in their unbelief; the second, however, to those who after the passion of Christ were converted to Christ, namely those who, pricked in heart by the words of Peter, said to the apostles: "What shall we do, men and brethren?" As is said in Acts 2:37.

Then, when he says, "These things said Isaiah," etc., he shows that the aforesaid pertain to the matter at hand; hence he says, "These things said Isaiah when he saw the glory of God." For he saw at the same time both the glory of God and the blinding of the Jews, as is clear in Isaiah chapter 6: where first it is said, "I saw the Lord sitting upon a high throne," and afterward it is added, "Blind the heart of this people, and make his ears heavy, and shut his eyes: lest perhaps he see with his eyes, and hear with his ears, and understand with his heart, and be converted and I heal him." And because it was fitting that what he had seen should be testified to, as is said in 1 John chapter 1, therefore it follows, "and he spoke of him," namely of Christ, whose glory he saw; according to that word, Acts 10:43: "To him all the prophets bear witness"; Romans 1:2: "which he had promised before through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son."

Concerning the first two things touched on here, the error of the Arians must be guarded against, who say that only the Father is invisible to every creature, but that the Son was seen in the visions of the Old Testament. But since it is said below, John 14:9: "He who sees me sees also my Father," it is manifest that the Son is visible in one and the same way as the Father. Isaiah, therefore, seeing the glory of the Son, saw also the glory of the Father; indeed, of the whole Trinity, which is one God sitting upon a high throne, to whom the Seraphim proclaim: "Holy, holy, holy." Not, however, in such a way that Isaiah saw the essence of the Trinity, but by an imaginary vision, together with understanding, he expressed certain signs of majesty, according to that word, Numbers chapter 12:6: "If there be among you a prophet of the Lord, I will speak to him through a dream or in a vision."

But through that which is said second, "and he spoke of him," the error of the Manichaeans is excluded, who said that no prophecies in the Old Testament had gone before concerning Christ, as Augustine relates in the book Against Faustus; and of Theodore of Mopsuestia, who said that all the prophecies of the Old Testament were spoken concerning some other matter, but were brought in, through a certain accommodation, by the apostles and Evangelists to the ministry of Christ: just as things said concerning one matter can be adapted to another matter. But all these are excluded by what is said, "and he spoke of him" — of me, as concerning Moses, above, John 5:46, Christ said: "For he wrote of me."

Above, the Evangelist set forth the defect of those who did not believe at all; here he sets forth the defect of those who believed in secret, who were fainthearted, and first he sets forth their dignity; second he shows their defect, at the place "but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him"; third he hints at the root of the defect, at the place "for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God."

Now the dignity of those who believed in secret is great, because they were rulers; and as to this he says: "Nevertheless even of the rulers many believed in him." As if he were to say: I have said that although he had worked such great signs before them, they did not believe in him; which indeed is true for the greater part, yet not so that none of them believed in him, for "of the rulers," namely of the people, "many believed in him"; one of whom was Nicodemus, who came to Jesus by night, as is said above in chapter 3. Thus is fulfilled what is said in Psalm 46:10: "The princes of the peoples are gathered together with the God of Abraham." Thus too is shown to be false what the Pharisees said above in 7:48: "Doth any one of the rulers believe in him, or of the Pharisees?" The defect of these rulers is fainthearted timidity, whence he says "but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him": for as was said above in 9:22, the Pharisees had already agreed that if any man should confess him to be the Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Although they believed with the heart, yet they did not confess with the mouth. But their faith was insufficient, because, as is said in Romans 10:10, "with the heart we believe unto justice, but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation"; Luke 9:26: "For he that shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed." Now the root of their defect is empty glory; whence follows "for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God": for by publicly confessing they would have lost the glory of men, but by this they would have obtained the glory of God. But these men chose rather to be deprived of the glory of God, being unwilling to confess publicly, than to be deprived of the glory of men, desiring to glory in worldly things. Above, 5:44: "How can you believe, who receive glory one from another, and the glory which is from God alone, you do not seek?" Galatians 1:10: "If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."

Here he shows how Christ refuted the unbelief of the Jews, and first he shows the debt of believing; second he adds the fruit of faith, at the place "I am come a light into the world," etc.; third he threatens the unbelievers with punishment, at the place "and if any man shall hear my words, and not keep them, I do not judge him," and so on. But since vision follows upon faith, therefore as to the first point he first treats of faith; second of vision, at the place "and he that seeth me, seeth him that sent me." As to the first he says "And Jesus cried out," both on account of the greatness of the things to be said, and on account of the freedom of soul in rebuking sins: Isaiah 58:1: "Cry, cease not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their wicked doings." And he said: "He that believeth in me, believeth not in me, but in him that sent me," which indeed seems to imply a contradiction, for he says: "He that believeth in me, believeth not in me."

For the understanding of this it must be known, first, according to Augustine, that this was said by the Lord in order to distinguish in himself the divine nature and the human nature. For since the proper object of faith is God, we can indeed believe that a creature exists, but we ought not to believe in a creature, but in God alone. Now in Christ there is a created nature and an uncreated nature. It is required, therefore, for the truth of faith, that our faith should tend toward Christ as regards the uncreated nature; and according to this he says: "He that believeth in me," namely in the person, "believeth not in me," as I am man, "but in him that sent me," that is, in me as I am sent by the Father; above, 7:16: "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me."

But according to Chrysostom it must be noted that the Lord says this only to hint at his origin. And it is a similar manner of speaking, as if someone drawing water from a river should say: this water is not the river's, but the spring's — it is not, that is, originally the river's, and so forth. Thus, then, the Lord says: "He that believeth in me, believeth not in me, but in him that sent me"; as if he were to say: I am not the principle of myself, but my divinity is from another, that is, from the Father: whence "he that believeth in me, believeth not in me," except insofar as I am from the Father.

Next, when he says "and he that seeth me, seeth him that sent me," he treats of vision. Concerning which it must be known that just as the Father sent the Son to convert the Jews, so too Christ sent his disciples: below, 20:21: "As the Father hath sent me, I also send you." But none of the disciples dared to say, nor ought he to have said, that he was to be believed in; although he could have said that he was to be believed. For this could not have been without derogating from the one who sent him, because if they believed in the disciple they would cease to believe in the master. The Jews could therefore say that in the same way, since you are sent by the Father, he who believes in you ceases to believe in the Father. And therefore the Lord shows against this that he who does not believe in him does not believe in the Father: and this is what he says, "he that seeth me, seeth him that sent me." Vision is here spoken of not as bodily sight, but as the consideration of the true, which is through the intellect. Now the reason he that seeth the Son seeth also the Father is that he is in him through unity of essence. For a thing is said to be seen in another either because they are the same, or because they are altogether conformed. But the Father and the Son are the same in nature, and altogether conformed: for the Son is the image of the Father, unlike him in nothing; Colossians 1:15: "Who is the image of the invisible God"; Hebrews 1:3: "Who being the brightness of his glory, and the figure of his substance." And therefore, just as one believes in the Father, so too in me; below, chapter 14:9: "Philip, he that seeth me seeth the Father also. Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?" As if he were to say: this is the reason why he that seeth me seeth also the Father, because the Father is in me, and I in him. Thus, then, appears the debt of faith, namely that faith should tend toward Christ inasmuch as he is God, just as toward the Father.

He next shows the fruit of faith: and first he shows his own dignity and power, when he says "I am come a light into the world." How Christ is the light was explained above at 1:9: "It was the true light, which enlighteneth every man"; and at 8:12: "I am the light of the world." In this too he shows that he possesses the divine nature. For to be light is proper to God; other things are luminous, that is, participating in light; but God is light by essence; 1 John 1:5: "God is light, and in him there is no darkness." But because, as is said in 1 Timothy 6:16, he "inhabiteth light inaccessible, whom no man hath seen," we were unable to approach him: and therefore it was necessary that he himself should come to us. And this is what he adds, "I am come into the world"; namely, I am the inaccessible light, who snatch men from error, and dissolve the darkness of the intellect. Below, 16:28: "I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world"; above, 1:11: "He came unto his own," and so forth. Although the apostles are called light, Matthew 5:14: "You are the light of the world," yet not for the same reason as Christ: for they are light illuminated; although in some way, namely by ministry, they were illuminating. Nor was it fitting for any of the apostles to say "I am come a light into the world": because, when they came into the world, there was still darkness, and not light: for, as is said in Job 37:19, "we are all wrapped in darkness."

Second he adds, saying, "that whosoever believeth in me, may not remain in darkness." Illumination, then, is the effect of faith; above, 8:12: "that whosoever believeth in me may not walk in darkness." "May not remain in darkness," namely of ignorance, of unbelief, and of perpetual damnation: by which it is clear that all are born in the darkness of sin; Ephesians 5:8: "you were heretofore darkness, but now light in the Lord." Likewise in the darkness of ignorance; Job 3:23: "to a man whose way is hidden, and God hath surrounded him with darkness." And in the end, unless they are converted to Christ, they will be led into the darkness of perpetual damnation. He therefore who does not believe in me remains in darkness; above, chapter 3:36: "he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him." The punishment of unbelievers he hints at, saying, "and if any man shall hear my words, and not keep them, I do not judge him": which they will incur through the condemnation of judgment.

And first he sets forth the delay of judgment; second he pronounces that the judgment itself will come, at the place "he that despiseth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him"; third he shows the cause of the delay, at the place "the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." As to the first he does two things. First he sets forth the delay of judgment; second he assigns the reason for the delay. He says, then, as to the first, "and if any man shall hear my words, and not keep them, I do not judge him." It must be noted, then, that those are blessed who hear the word of God and keep it, believing inwardly in the heart, and carrying it out outwardly in work. But those who hear it and do not take care to keep it are made the more guilty by this; Romans 2:13: "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified"; and James 1:22: "Be ye doers, and not hearers only." And therefore, "if any man shall hear my words, and not keep them, I do not judge him."

But this seems contrary to what is said above at 5:22: "the Father hath given all judgment to the Son": and therefore "I do not judge him" must be understood as meaning, for now. For it might be thought a weakness on his part, if he lets go those who despise him; and therefore he says that such men will be judged, but not now: for, as is said in Ecclesiastes 12:14, "all things that God hath made, he will bring into judgment"; and Job 19:29: "Flee ye from the face of iniquity, for the sword is the avenger of iniquities: and know ye that there is judgment." The reason for the doubt about the delay he adds, saying, "I came not to judge the world, but to save the world." For the coming of the Son of God is twofold: one by which he comes as savior; the other by which he comes as judge. But since all were in sins, if he had come first as judge, he would have saved no one, for we were all children of wrath: and therefore it was necessary that he should come first to save believers, and afterward to judge both the faithful and sinners. And this is what he says: therefore I do not judge him now, because "I came not," namely in my first coming, "to judge the world, but to save the world"; above, 3:17: "For God sent not his Son into the world, to judge the world, but that the world may be saved by him."

Next, when he says, "he that despiseth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him," he foretells the judgment to come; as if he were to say: although those who do not keep my words are not judged now, nevertheless they will not escape unpunished, whoever they may be, because "he that despiseth me, and receiveth not my words," by believing and by fulfilling in work, "hath one that judgeth him." The reason for this is that if he does not receive his words, he despises the saying of God, whose word he himself is, just as one who does not obey the command of his lord. Job 19:29: "Flee ye from the face of iniquity, for the sword is the avenger of iniquities: and know ye that there is judgment"; Ecclesiastes 12:14: "All the works that God hath made he will bring into judgment, for every error"; Isaiah 33:1: "Woe to thee that despisest, shalt not thou thyself also be despised?"; 1 Kings 2:30: "But they that despise me, shall be despised."

Next, when he says, "the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day," he assigns the cause of the delay of judgment, and first the cause of the delay of judgment is set down; second the sufficiency of this cause is assigned, at the place "because I have not spoken of myself." He says, then: I say that whoever is such a one has one that judges him. But who will this be? "The word," he says, "that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." Which is as much as to say, as Augustine says, as if he had said: I will judge him in the last day. For Christ expressed himself in his own word, he announced himself. He himself, then, is the word that he spoke: because he spoke of himself; above, 8:14: "And if I give testimony of myself, my testimony is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go." As if he were to say: this very thing that I have spoken to them, and which nevertheless they despised, will judge them. Acts 10:42: "This is he who was appointed by God to be judge of the living and of the dead: to him all the prophets give testimony."

Now he shows the sufficiency of the cause, saying "because I have not spoken of myself," and first he shows it from the origin of the word; second from its dignity, at the place "and I know that his commandment is life everlasting." As to the first he does two things. First he excludes a falsehood; second he establishes the truth. Now the falsehood would be that the Son operates or speaks anything, or exists, from himself alone and not from another: for this would be to posit that the Son is not from the Father. And this is what he says: therefore I say that the word which I have spoken will judge them, because "I have not spoken of myself"; above, 5:19: "The Son cannot do any thing of himself"; and below, 14:10: "I speak not of myself." Now "I have not spoken of myself" means the same as: I was not born of myself, but of the Father, as if he were to say: I will judge him in the last day, appearing in the form of a servant; above, 5:27: "he hath given him power to do judgment, because he is the Son of man." But nevertheless I will not judge by human power, that is, because I am the son of man, but by divine power, because I am the Son of God. I will not, therefore, judge of myself, but from the Father, from whom I have the power of judging.

He establishes the truth, saying, "but the Father who sent me, he gave me commandment what I should say, and what I should speak." From these words indeed, unless they are understood piously, occasion is plainly given for a twofold error. First, because he who commands is greater than the one to whom he commands: the Father, then, is greater than the Son. Second, because that which is given to someone was not possessed by him before it was given to him; and consequently he did not know it. If, then, the Father gives a commandment to the Son, it follows that the Son at some time did not have it, and consequently was ignorant of it: therefore something was added to him. The Son, therefore, is not true God. To this it must be known that all the divine commandments are in the mind of the Father, since the commandments themselves are nothing other than the reasons of things to be done. Just as, then, in the mind of the Father are the reasons of all creatures that are produced by God, which we call ideas, so too in it are the reasons of all things to be done by us. Just as, then, the reasons of all things are derived from the Father into the Son, who is the wisdom of the Father, so too are the reasons of all things to be done. Thus, then, the Son says: "but the Father who sent me, he gave me," inasmuch as I am God, "commandment," that is, he communicated through eternal generation, "what I should say," inwardly, "and what I should speak," outwardly: just as also our own word (if we wish to confess the truth) brings forth those things which the mind suggests.

Chrysostom, however, expounds all this — namely, "if any man shall hear my words and not keep them, I do not judge him," etc. — differently, and more plainly, so that it is read: "if any man shall hear my words and not keep them, I do not judge him." For a man can be said to condemn another in two ways: either as judge, or as the cause of condemnation. For both the judge who pronounces sentence, and the homicide itself that was perpetrated, which is the cause of his condemnation, condemn the murderer to be hanged. He says, then, "I do not judge him," that is, I am not the cause of his condemnation, but he himself is; Hosea 13:9: "Destruction is thy own, O Israel" (that is, it is from thee); "thy help is only in me." And this is because "I came not to judge the world," that is, I was not sent to condemn, but to save. But shall not such a one be judged? Rather, yes, because "he that despiseth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him." Now who this one is that judges he shows, saying, "the word that I have spoken," heard by us, which will stand in the place of the accuser, "the same shall judge him in the last day"; below, 15:22: "If I had not come, and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin."

That it is the word that he spoke which will judge them, he shows by saying, "because I have not spoken of myself." This indeed is not set down causally, but as it were materially, so that the sense is: you say that your word will judge him; but what is this word? That, namely, which I said, "because I have not spoken of myself," that is, which I have spoken from the Father, and the things which he gave me to say and to speak: otherwise, if I had spoken something contrary to the Father, or things which I had not received from him, and they had not believed me, they would have an excuse; but because I have spoken thus, it is certain that they have despised not only me, but also my Father.

And according to this exposition, that which he said, "the Father who sent me, he gave me commandment what I should say and what I should speak," shows the sufficiency of the cause on the part of the dignity of the word itself. And first its dignity is set down, second the execution of the word itself is concluded. Its dignity indeed, when he says, "and I know that his commandment, I say, is life everlasting"; 1 John, last chapter, 20: "This is the true God, and life eternal." For the Son himself is the commandment of the Father. Or, it is life eternal, that is, leading to life eternal; Matthew 19:17: "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." Because, then, the Father gave me the commandment, which commandment indeed is life eternal, and I have come for this, that I might lead men into life eternal: therefore I carry out the commandment of the Father in all things. And this is what he says, "the things therefore that I speak, as the Father said unto me, so do I speak." Which, according to Chrysostom, is plain, so that the sense is: "the things that I speak," by preaching outwardly, "as the Father said unto me, so do I speak," that is, insofar as I have received knowledge from him: so that these words are understood of Christ according as he is man.

But if they are understood, according to Augustine, of Christ according as he is the Son of God: how does the Father speak to him, since he himself is the Word? To this it must be said that the Father did not speak to him as though he had spoken by words to his own unique Word, but the Father spoke to the Son in the same way that the Father begot him, and in the same way that he gave him to have life in himself; Psalm 2:7: "The Lord hath said to me: Thou art my son."