For neither did his brethren believe in him.

“After the Lord treated of spiritual life and nourishment, here he consequently treats of instruction or teaching, which is necessary for those spiritually regenerated, as was said above; and first he shows the origin of his teaching; second, he makes manifest its usefulness, from the eighth chapter onward. Concerning the first he does three things. First, the place is set down where he made manifest the origin of his teaching; second, the occasions of manifesting it are set down, at the place "The Jews therefore sought him," etc.; third, the manifestation itself is set down, at the place "Jesus answered them, and said: My doctrine is not mine," and so forth. Concerning the first he does three things. First, the incitement of Christ to go to the place is set down, where he published the origin of his teaching; second, the Lord's refusal is set down, at the place "Jesus therefore says to them," etc.; third, it is added how Christ arrived at that place, at the place "When he had said these things, he himself remained in Galilee." Concerning the first he does two things. First, he sets down the occasions why they incited Christ to go; second, he adds the incitement itself, at the place "His brothers therefore said to him." Now they were moved by three things to incite Christ to go into Judea: first indeed from his delay; second from his purpose; third from the fitness of the time. From his delay indeed in Galilee, in which Christ showed that he wished to remain: and therefore he says after these things — namely, the words which were spoken in Capernaum — Jesus walked in Galilee; that is, he had taken the journey from Capernaum, which was the metropolis of Galilee, so as to travel about through Galilee. The Lord dwells more frequently in Galilee for this reason, that he might show us that we must pass over from vices to virtues; Ezekiel 12:3: "Therefore, son of man, make thee vessels of removing, and thou shalt remove by day in their sight." From the purpose of Christ, moreover, which perhaps had become known to them through his words; and therefore he says: for he was not willing to walk in Judea. The reason for this is that the Jews sought to kill him; above, John 5:18: "The Jews sought to kill him: because he not only broke the sabbath, but also said that God was his Father, making himself equal to God." But could he not have gone there, and walked among the Jews, and not been killed by them, just as he did below, John 8:59? I answer that a threefold reason is assigned for this. The first is from Augustine: because it was going to happen that some faithful follower of Christ would hide himself lest he be found by persecutors. Therefore, lest flight be cast up against that one as a crime, the Lord willed, for our consolation, to show that this had gone before in himself: which he also taught by word. Matthew 10:23: "If they shall persecute you in one city, flee into another." Another reason indeed is that Christ was both God and man, and therefore by the power of his divinity he was able not to be harmed by his persecutors. But he did not wish to do this continually, because in that case his divinity would have been declared, yet his humanity would have come into doubt. And therefore, at one time fleeing persecutors as a man, he asserts his humanity, so as to confound all who say that he was not a true man. At another time, passing through them unharmed, he shows his divinity, confounding all who say that he was a mere man. And therefore Chrysostom has another reading, namely: "for he did not have the power, even if he wished, to walk into Judea": which is said according to the human manner; just as if it were said: someone cannot go somewhere, even if he wished, on account of ambushes. The third reason is that the time of the Passion was not yet at hand: for it was going to happen that he would suffer at the Passover, when the lamb was immolated, so that thus one victim might succeed another victim; below, John 13:1: "Jesus knowing that his hour was come, that he should pass out of this world to the Father." From the fitness of the time, indeed, because it was a fitting time to go into Jerusalem: and this is what he says: "Now the Jews' feast of Tabernacles was near." Now "Scenopegia" is a Greek word, composed from "scenos," which is shade, and "phagim," which is to eat; as if to say: it was the time in which they ate in tabernacles. For the Lord commanded the children of Israel, Leviticus 23:41, that in the seventh month, for seven days, they should dwell in tabernacles, in memory of the fact that for forty years they dwelt in tabernacles in the desert. And this feast the Jews were then celebrating. The Evangelist recalls this, in order to show that he passed over a great deal of time from the time when the foregoing things about spiritual food were said, up to this time. For when he worked the miracle of the loaves, it was near the day of the Passover; but this feast of Tabernacles is much after the Passover; and thus the Evangelist here recounts nothing of the things which were done by the Lord in the five intervening months: so that it may be understood that, although he unfailingly worked signs, as is clear below at the end, the Evangelists took special care to relate those things for which either complaint or contradiction from the Jews followed. Consequently, when he says "His brothers therefore said to him," the incitement of the Lord's brothers is set down; and first their admonition is set down; second the reason for the admonition is assigned, at the place "that thy disciples also may see thy works"; third, the cause of such a reason is assigned by the Evangelist, at the place "for neither did his brothers believe in him." Concerning the first, first those who incite him are set down; hence he says "His brothers therefore said to him" — not brothers by flesh and womb, as Helvidius blasphemed, which the Catholic faith abhors: that that most holy virginal womb, which brought forth God and man, should afterward have brought forth another mortal man. Therefore they were his brothers by kinship, because they were blood relations of the Blessed Virgin Mary; for this is the custom of Scripture, to call blood relations brothers, according to that saying of Genesis 13:8: "Let there be no quarrel, I beseech thee, between me and thee... for we are brothers"; although Lot was in fact the nephew of Abraham. And, as Augustine says, just as in the tomb where the Lord's body had been laid, no body lay either before or after, so the womb of Mary, neither before nor after, conceived anything mortal. But because some of the blood relations of the Blessed Virgin were apostles, such as the sons of Zebedee, and James the son of Alphaeus, and others, it is therefore not to be understood that these were among those who incited Christ; rather, those were other relatives of his, who did not love Christ. Second, their admonition is set down, when they say "Pass from hence" — namely from Galilee — "and go into Judea," where Jerusalem is, a solemn place, fitting for teachers; Amos 7:12: "Thou seer, go into the land of Judah: and there thou shalt eat thy bread, and there thou shalt prophesy." Then they add the reason, saying, "that thy disciples also may see thy works," where they show themselves, first, desirous of vainglory; second, suspicious; and third, unbelieving. They show themselves desirous of vainglory indeed, when they say "that thy disciples also may see thy works." For they were affected by something human toward Christ, and wished to catch at glory from the human honor that would be shown to Christ by the crowds; and therefore they were urging him to do his works in public. For it is proper to one desirous of vainglory that whatever is glorious in himself or in his own be shown in public; Matthew 6:5: "they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men"; of whom it is said below, John 12:43: "they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God." But they show themselves suspicious, and first they charge Christ with fearfulness; hence they say to him, "for no man doth anything in secret," as if they were saying: you say that you work miracles, but you do them in secret, and this out of fear — otherwise you would go into Jerusalem and do them there before the multitude. Yet the Lord says below, John 18:20: "in secret I have spoken nothing." Second, they charge him with love of glory; hence they say, "and he himself seeketh to be known openly," as if they were saying: you seek glory from the things you do, and yet out of fear you hide yourself. This is proper to evil men, that they believe others have passions of soul similar to their own. See how irreverently the prudence of the flesh was accusing the Word made flesh: against whom Job 4:3 says: "Thou reprovest him who is not like thee, and speakest what is not expedient for thee." They show themselves to be unbelieving, when they say, "If thou do these things, manifest thyself to the world"; as though they put in doubt whether he actually worked miracles; Isaiah 21:2: "he who is unbelieving acts unfaithfully." But the cause why they spoke in this way, the Evangelist adds, when he says, "for neither did his brothers believe in him." For it happens that carnal blood-relations are especially opposed to their own, and envy them their spiritual goods, and hold them in contempt. Hence Augustine says: they were able to have Christ as a blood-relation, but in that very kinship they disdained to believe in him. Micah 7:6: "a man's enemies are they of his own household"; Job 19:13: "He hath put my brethren far from me, and my acquaintance like strangers have departed from me: my kinsmen have forsaken me, and they that knew me have forgotten me." Consequently, when he says "Jesus therefore said to them: My time is not yet come," etc., the response of Christ is set down: and first he designates the unfitness of the time for going up; second he assigns the reason for what was said, at the place "the world cannot hate you"; third he sets down his refusal to go up, at the place "Go you up to this festival day," and so forth. Now it must be known that the whole following text is expounded in one way according to Augustine, and in another way according to Chrysostom. For, according to Augustine, the Lord's brothers were inviting him to human glory. Now there is a time in which the saints arrive at glory, namely the future time, which they reach through sufferings and tribulations. Wisdom 3:6: "As gold in the furnace he hath proved them, and as a victim of a holocaust he hath received them, and in time there shall be respect had to them." But there is another time in which worldly men acquire their glory, namely the present time. Wisdom 2:7-8: "let not the flower of the time pass by us: let us crown ourselves with roses before they be withered: let no meadow escape our riot," etc. The Lord therefore wished to show that he was not seeking the glory of this present time; but wished to arrive at the height of heavenly glory through his passion and his humility. Luke 24:26: "It behooved Christ to suffer, and so to enter into his glory." And therefore he says to them, namely to his brothers, "my time," that is, the time of my glory, "is not yet come": because it is necessary that sorrow be turned into joy. Romans 8:18: "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, that shall be revealed in us." But "your time," that is, the glory of the world, "is always ready." He assigns the reason for this diversity of time when he says, "the world cannot hate you; but me it hateth." For worldly men have the time of glory ready, because they love the same things that the world loves, and they consent with the world. But the saints, who seek spiritual glory, do not have this time ready, because they seek the things that displease the world, namely poverty, mourning, hunger, and the like. They also censure what the world loves; indeed, they hold the world itself in contempt; Galatians 6:14: "the world is crucified to me, and I to the world." And therefore he says, "the world cannot hate you"; as if he were saying: the time of your glory is ready for this reason, that the world does not hate you, who agree with it, and every animal loves its like. "But me it hateth"; and therefore my time is not always ready. And the reason for the hatred is, "because I give testimony of it" — namely, of the world — "that the works thereof are evil"; that is, I do not neglect to reprove worldly men, although I know that from this I incur hatred and that death is threatened. Amos 5:10: "They have hated him that rebuketh in the gate" — namely, those who love wickedness. And Proverbs 9:8: "Rebuke not a scorner." But are not some worldly men held in hatred by the world, that is, by another worldly man? The response must be given that, in a particular case, one worldly man indeed is held in hatred by another, insofar as he has those things which the other would wish to have, or impedes him in the things that pertain to the glory of the world; but insofar as he is worldly, no one is hated by the world. But the saints are universally hated by the world, because they are contrary to it; and if anyone belonging to the world loves them, this is not insofar as he belongs to the world, but insofar as there is something spiritual in him. The Lord, moreover, refuses to go up, when he says, "Go you up to this festival day; but I go not up." For just as there are two glories, so there are two different feasts. For worldly men have temporal feasts, namely to rejoice and to feast, and other such outward delights. Isaiah 22:12-13: "the Lord called to weeping, and to mourning, to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth: and behold joy and gladness, to kill calves, and slay rams, to eat flesh, and drink wine"; and again, Isaiah 1:14: "my soul hateth your solemnities." But the saints have spiritual feasts, which consist in the delights of the spirit. Isaiah 33:20: "Look upon Sion, the city of thy solemnity." And therefore he says: "you," who seek the glory of the world, "go up to this festival day," that is, to the feasts of temporal gladness; "but I will not go up" to this festival day, but to the festival day of eternal solemnity; and this, because my time — namely, of true glory, which will be a permanent joy without end forever, an eternity without labor, a brightness without cloud — "is not yet fulfilled." According to Chrysostom, the same division being kept, it is expounded thus: namely, that the Lord's brothers had conspired with the Jews for Christ's death, and hence were urging him to go, wishing to betray him and hand him over to the Jews. And therefore he says, "my time" — namely, of the cross and of death — "is not yet come," for me to go into Judea and be killed; "but your time is always ready," because you will be able to associate with them without danger. And the reason for this is, that they cannot hate you, who are zealous for the same things and love the same things as they do; "but me it hateth: because I give testimony of it, that the works thereof are evil." By which it is clear that the Jews hate me, not on account of the breaking of the sabbath, but on account of public reproof. "You therefore go up to this festival day," namely to the beginning of the feast (for it was celebrated for seven days, as was said); "but I will not go up" to this festival day, namely with you, that is, to the beginning of the feast, because "my time is not yet fulfilled," in which I am to suffer: for he was to be crucified at the Passover to come. The reason, then, he did not go up with them was so that he might more easily remain hidden, and so forth.”

“For neither did His brethren believe in Him. They so freely and boldly urged Jesus to come with them to Jerusalem, because they did not fully believe that He was the Christ For had they believed it, they would not have dared to speak to Him so freely. So says Euthymius. For though they saw Him work so many miracles, and did not doubt their truth, yet they doubt whether He were the Messiah and the Son of God. For though they wished it to be true, and partly believed it on account of His many miracles, yet on the other hand they doubted when they saw Him so poor and despised. To make certain they urge Christ to go with them to Jerusalem, where the Scribes and Priests could, on examination had, declare Him to be the Christ, and thus He, and they through Him, might gain honour and celebrity”

“For neither did his brethren believe in him. At first they might take to him, and embrace him as the Messiah, and expect he would set up a temporal kingdom; in which they might hope, on account of their relation to him, according to the flesh to enjoy great honours and privileges; but finding that he was not inclined to anything of that nature, and talked in a quite different way, they grew sick of him, and rejected him, as the Messiah; so, little regard is to be had, or confidence placed, in carnal descent from, or alliance to the best of men; as to Abraham, or any other true believer, if they have not the same grace, or the same faith as such have; and which comes not by blood, or natural generation, but by the free favour of God; for it matters not, if men have known Christ, or have been allied to him after the flesh, unless they are new creatures in him; they may be the one, and not the other; even the carnal brethren of Christ, and yet not believers in him; and it is only such who are so in a spiritual sense, that are regarded by him, Mat 12:49. . John 7:6 joh 7:6 joh 7:6 joh 7:6Then Jesus said unto them,.... In answer to their solicitations and arguments used with him, to go up to the feast: my time is not yet come; meaning, not the time of his death, or of his exaltation and glorification, or of the showing of himself forth unto the world; though all this was true; but of his going up to this feast; as appears from Joh 7:8; but your time is always ready; intimating, they might go at any time; their lives were not in any danger, as his was, and had nothing to consult about the preservation of them; it was all one to them when they went up, whether before the feast, that they might be ready for it, or at the beginning, middle, or end of it, as to any notice that would be taken of them, unless they should be guilty of an omission of their duty; but not on any other account; which was not his case.”

“Neither did his brethren believe in him - They did not receive him as the promised Messiah; but, having seen so many of his miracles, they could not but consider him as an eminent prophet. They supposed that, if he were the Messiah, he would wish to manifest himself as such to the world; and, because he did not do so, they did not believe that he was the salvation of Israel.”