Homilies on John, Homily 11

“And the Word became Flesh, and dwelt among us.” [1.] I want to ask all of you one favor before I turn to the words of the Gospel. Do not refuse my request, for I am asking nothing difficult or burdensome. And if you grant it, it will benefit not only me, who receive it, but also you, who grant it—and perhaps you much more. What, then, am I asking of you? That each of you take the section of the Gospels that will be read among you on the first day of the week, or even on the Sabbath, and, before that day comes, sit down at home and read it through. Carefully consider its contents again and again, and examine every part closely: what is clear, what is obscure, and what seems to support our opponents but really does not. In a word, examine every point, and then come to hear it read. Such eagerness will bring considerable benefit both to you and to us. We will not have to work hard to make the meaning clear, because your minds will already be familiar with what the words mean. And you will become sharper and more perceptive, not only in listening and learning, but also in teaching others. As it is, most people who come here listen in a way that forces them to absorb everything at once, both the words and our comments on them. Even if we continued like this for a whole year, they would gain little. How could they, when they treat what is said as a side activity, giving it time only in this place and only for this short time? If any blame their business, their worries, and their constant involvement in public and private affairs, first of all, that is itself a serious charge against them: they are surrounded by so much business and so constantly pinned down by the things of this life that they cannot find even a little time for what is more necessary than everything else. Besides, their meetings with friends, their lingering in theaters, and the outings they arrange to watch horse races prove that this is merely a pretext and an excuse. They often spend whole days at these things, yet then none of them ever complains about the pressure of business. So you can always find plenty of time for trivial things without making excuses. But when you ought to attend to the things of God, do these seem so completely unnecessary and worthless to you that you think you need not give them even a little time? How do people with such an attitude deserve to breathe or look upon this sun? These lazy people have another utterly foolish excuse: they do not own the books. As for the rich, it is ridiculous that we should have to address this excuse. But because I imagine that many poorer people continually use it, I would gladly ask whether every one of them does not have a full, complete set of tools for his trade, even if extreme poverty stands in his way. Is it not strange, then, that in that case they do not blame poverty, but do everything possible to remove every obstacle, while, when we could gain such a great benefit, we complain about our lack of time and our poverty? Besides, even if some are that poor, the continual reading of the holy Scriptures here makes it possible for them to know everything contained in them. Or if this seems impossible to you, you have reason to think so. For many do not come with an eager desire to listen to what is said, but, having made this one appearance merely as a formality for our sake, immediately return home. And if some stay, their attitude is no better than that of those who have left, since they are here with us only in body. But so that we do not overwhelm you with accusations and spend all our time finding fault, let us move on to the words of the Gospel. It is time to devote the rest of our discourse to the passage before us. Wake up, then, so that you miss nothing that is said. “And the Word became Flesh,” he says, “and dwelt among us.” After declaring that those who received Him were “born of God” and had become “sons of God,” he adds the cause and reason for this indescribable honor. It is that “the Word became Flesh,” that the Master took on the form of a servant. For He who was God’s own Son became Son of man so that He might make the sons of men children of God. For when what is high associates with what is low, it does not diminish its own honor at all, while it raises the other from its extreme lowliness. So it was with the Lord. By stooping to us, He did not diminish His own Nature in any way, but raised us, who had always sat in disgrace and darkness, to indescribable glory. In the same way, a king who speaks with interest and kindness to a poor, lowly man does not disgrace himself at all, yet makes the other a person everyone notices and honors. Now, if even with human dignity, which is something acquired, association with a humbler person does no harm to the more honored person, much less can it do so with that simple and blessed Essence, which has nothing acquired or subject to growth or decay, but has all good things unchanging and fixed forever. So when you hear that “the Word became Flesh,” do not be troubled or disheartened. For that Essence did not change into flesh (it is impious to imagine this), but, remaining what It is, It took on the form of a servant. [2.] Why, then, does he use the expression “became”? To silence the heretics. For some say that everything in the Dispensation was an appearance, a performance, an allegory. To rule out their blasphemy from the start, he used “became,” intending to show by it a taking on of real flesh, not a change of substance (reject that thought!). For when (Paul) says, “Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, becoming a curse for us,” he does not mean that His essence left Its proper glory and took on the very being of an accursed thing (not even devils could imagine this, nor could even the very foolish or those who have lost their natural understanding, because it is so full of impiety and madness). Just as (St. Paul) does not mean this, but means that He took on the curse pronounced against us and no longer leaves us under the curse, so here he (St. John) says that He “became Flesh,” not by changing His Essence into flesh, but by taking on flesh, while His Essence remained untouched. If they say that, being God, He is Omnipotent and therefore could lower Himself to the substance of flesh, we will reply that He is Omnipotent as long as He continues to be God. But if He can undergo change, a change for the worse, how could He be God? For change is utterly foreign to that simple Nature. That is why the Prophet says, “They will all grow old like a garment, and like a robe You will roll them up, and they will be changed; but You are the same, and Your years will not end.” ( Ps. cii. 27 , LXX.) For that Essence is beyond all change. There is nothing better than Him that He could progress toward and reach. Did I say better? No, there is nothing even equal to Him or remotely approaching Him. It follows, then, that if He changes, He must undergo a change for the worse; and this would not be God. But let the blasphemy fall back on the heads of those who utter it. Indeed, to show that he uses the expression “became” only to keep you from supposing a mere appearance, listen to how he clarifies the argument in what follows and overturns that wicked suggestion. For what does he add? “And dwelt among us.” He is all but saying, “Imagine nothing improper from the word ‘became’; I was not speaking of any change in that unchangeable Nature, but of Its dwelling and taking up residence. But what dwells cannot be the same as what it dwells in; it must be different. One thing dwells in another; otherwise it would not be dwelling, for nothing can inhabit itself. I mean different in essence, for through a Union and Conjoining, God the Word and the Flesh are One, not through any confusion or obliteration of substances, but through a certain union that cannot be expressed or understood. Do not ask how; for It came to be in the way He knows.” What, then, was the tabernacle in which He dwelt? Listen to the Prophet: “I will raise up the tabernacle of David that has fallen.” ( Amos ix. 11.) It had indeed fallen. Our nature had suffered an incurable fall and needed that mighty Hand alone. It could never have been raised again if He who first fashioned it had not stretched out His Hand to it and stamped it anew with His Image, through the regeneration of water and the Spirit. And consider, I ask you, how awe-inspiring and inexpressible this mystery is. He inhabits this tabernacle forever, for He clothed Himself with our flesh in order to keep it with Him always, not to leave it again. Had this not been so, He would not have considered it worthy of the royal throne, nor would He, while wearing it, have been worshiped by all the host of heaven: angels, archangels, thrones, principalities, dominions, powers. What word, what thought can express such great honor shown to our race, so truly marvelous and awe-inspiring? What angel, what archangel can express it? Not one anywhere, whether in heaven or on earth. For such are the mighty works of God, so great and marvelous are His benefits, that describing them adequately exceeds not only human speech, but even the power of angels. So we will end our discourse for a while and be silent, leaving you only this charge: repay this great Benefactor of ours with a return that will once again bring all the benefit to us. That return is to take the greatest care of the condition of our souls. For this too is the work of His lovingkindness: He who needs nothing from us says that He is repaid when we take care of our own souls. It is therefore an act of extreme folly, deserving ten thousand punishments, if, after such honor has been lavished on us, we will not even contribute what we can—especially when doing so brings the benefit back to us, and ten thousand blessings are offered to us on these conditions. For all these things let us give glory to our merciful God, not only in words, but much more in deeds, so that we may obtain the good things to come. May we all attain them through the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom and with whom, to the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory forever and ever. Amen.