Homilies on John, Homily 19

“He first finds his own brother Simon and says to him, We have found the Messiah, which, translated, means the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus.” [1.] When God made man in the beginning, He did not let him be alone, but gave him a woman as a helper and made them live together, knowing that this companionship would bring great benefits. What does it matter if the woman did not use this benefit rightly? Still, anyone who fully understands the matter will see that living together greatly benefits the wise—not only in the case of a wife or husband, but also when brothers live together. That is why the Prophet said, “What is good, what is pleasant, except for brothers to live together?” ( Ps. cxxxiii. 1 , LXX.) And Paul urged us not to neglect gathering together. ( Heb. x. 25.) This is how we differ from beasts; this is why we have built cities, marketplaces, and houses: so that we may be united with one another, not only by where we live, but by the bond of love. For since our nature came incomplete from Him who made it and is not self-sufficient, God arranged for our benefit that the resulting lack should be made up through the help we give one another in our relationships. In this way, another person supplies what one person lacks, and our incomplete nature becomes self-sufficient. For example, although made mortal, it can maintain immortality for a long time through successive generations. I could have developed this argument at greater length to show how much those who come together benefit from genuine and pure relationships with one another. But another matter now presses on us, the very reason we have made these remarks. After staying with Jesus and learning what He did, Andrew did not keep the treasure to himself, but hurried off and ran to his brother to share the good things he had received. But why has John not told us what Christ talked about with them? How is it clear that this was why they “stayed with Him”? We proved it the other day, but we can also learn it from what has been read today. Notice what Andrew says to his brother: “We have found the Messiah, which, translated, means the Christ.” You see how, through what he had learned in a short time, he showed both the wisdom of the teacher who persuaded them and their own zeal, since they had cared about these things long before, from the beginning. For the words “we have found” express a soul suffering labor pains as it longs for His presence, looking for His coming from above, overjoyed when what it has awaited happens, and eager to share the good news with others. This is what brotherly affection, natural friendship, and a sincere heart do: eagerly reach out a hand to one another in spiritual things. Listen, too, to how he adds the article: he does not say “Messiah,” but “the Messiah.” So they were expecting one particular Christ, who had nothing in common with the others. And notice, I ask you, how obedient and receptive Peter was from the very beginning: he ran to Him without any delay. “He brought him,” St. John says, “to Jesus.” Yet no one should criticize his readiness to accept the message without much questioning, because his brother had probably explained these things to him more precisely and at length. The Evangelists, in their concern for brevity, regularly shorten many things. Besides, the text does not simply say that “he believed,” but that “he brought him to Jesus,” to entrust him from then on to Him, so that he could learn everything from Him. For the other disciple was also with him and helped bring this about. And if John the Baptist, after saying that He was “the Lamb” and that He “baptized with the Spirit,” handed them over to learn the clearer teaching about this from Him, Andrew would have done so all the more. He did not consider himself able to explain everything, but drew his brother to the very fountain of light with so much zeal and joy that his brother did not put it off or delay at all. Ver. 42. “And when Jesus saw him,” the Evangelist says, “He said, You are Simon, the son of Jonah; you will be called Cephas, which, translated, means a stone.” [2.] From this time on, He begins to reveal the things that belong to His Divinity and to disclose It little by little through predictions. He did the same with Nathanael and the Samaritan woman. For prophecies win people over no less than miracles do, and they carry no appearance of boasting. Foolish people may slander miracles (“He casts out demons,” they said, “by Beelzebub”— Matt. xii. 24 ), but nothing like this has ever been said of prophecy. Now He used this way of teaching with Nathanael and Simon, but not with Andrew and Philip. Why? Because those (two) had John's testimony, which was no small preparation, and Philip received trustworthy evidence for faith when he saw those who had been present. “You are Simon, the son of Jonah.” The present guarantees the future, for clearly He who named Peter's father also knew the future beforehand. And the prediction comes with praise, but its purpose was to foretell something in the future, not to flatter. Listen, for example, to how He makes a prediction to the Samaritan woman with stern rebukes: “You have had,” He says, “five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.” ( c. iv. 18.) His Father likewise places great value on prophecy when He opposes the honor paid to idols: “Let them tell you,” He says, “what will happen to you” ( Isa. xlvii. 13 ); and again, “I have announced, and have saved, and there was no foreign God among you” ( Isa. xliii. 12 , LXX.). He brings this forward throughout prophecy. For prophecy is especially God's work, which demons cannot even imitate, however hard they try. Miracles may involve deception, but accurately foretelling the future belongs to that pure Nature alone. And if demons have ever done so, it was by deceiving the more gullible; that is why their oracles are always easily exposed. But Peter makes no reply to these words. He did not yet understand anything clearly and was still learning. Notice, too, that even the prediction is not given in full. Jesus did not say, “I will change your name to Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church,” but, “You will be called Cephas.” The first statement would have expressed too much authority and power. For Christ does not immediately declare all His power at the outset, but speaks for a while in a humbler tone. Then, once He has given proof of His Divinity, He speaks more authoritatively, saying, “Blessed are you, Simon, because My Father has revealed it to you”; and again, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church.” ( Matt. xvi. 17, 18.) So He gave him this name, and He called James and his brother “sons of thunder.” ( Mark iii. 17.) Why does He do this? To show that He was the one who gave the old covenant, the one who changed names, who called Abram “Abraham,” Sarai “Sarah,” and Jacob “Israel.” He assigned names to many even from birth, as He did to Isaac, Samson, and those in Isaiah and Hosea ( Isa. viii. 3; Hos. i. 4, 6, 9 ). But He gave others their names after their parents had named them, as with those we have mentioned and with Joshua the son of Nun. It was also an ancient custom to give names based on things, as Leah herself did. This happens for a reason: so that people may have their name to remind them of God's goodness, and so that the prophecy conveyed by their names may continually sound in their ears and keep its memory alive. This is also why He named John early: those whose virtue was to shine from their earliest youth received their names from that time, while those who were to become great later also received their titles later. [3.] But then each received a different name; now we all have one name, greater than any other, since we are called “Christians,” “sons of God,” (His) “friends,” and (His) “Body.” For the term itself can stir us more than all those others and make us more eager to practice virtue. So let us not act in a way unworthy of the honor this title carries. Let us consider our extraordinary dignity, we who are called Christ's, for that is what Paul has called us. Let us remember and respect the greatness of this name. ( 1 Cor. iii. 23.) For if someone said to be descended from a famous general or some other distinguished person is proud to be called that man's son, considers the name a great honor, and makes every effort to keep his own negligence from bringing disgrace on the man whose name he bears, should we not freely give even our very lives to avoid insulting Him who has honored us? We bear the name of no general, earthly ruler, Angel, Archangel, or Seraphim, but of their King Himself. Do you not know what honor the royal companies of shield-bearers and spearmen who surround the king enjoy? So let us, who have been considered worthy to be near Him—and much closer, as much closer than those just mentioned as the body is closer to the head than they are—let us, I say, do everything we can to imitate Christ. What, then, does Christ say? “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay His head.” ( Luke ix. 58.) Now if I demand this of you, perhaps most of you will find it hard and burdensome. So, because of your weakness, I do not speak of such perfection, but ask you not to be nailed to riches. And just as I step back somewhat from (demanding) the highest virtue because of the weakness of the many, I ask you to step back in the same way, and much further, from vice. I do not blame those who have houses, land, wealth, and servants, but I want them to possess these things safely and properly. And what does “properly” mean? As masters, not as slaves: ruling them, rather than being ruled by them; using them, rather than abusing them. That is why they are called “things to be used”: so that we may put them to necessary uses instead of hoarding them. Hoarding is a servant's job; using them is a master's. It is for the slave to keep them, but for the lord, the one with great authority, to spend them. You did not receive your wealth to bury it, but to distribute it. If God had wanted riches to be hoarded, He would not have given them to people, but would have left them as they were in the earth. But because He wants them to be spent, He has allowed us to have them so that we may share them with one another. And if we keep them to ourselves, we are no longer their masters. But if you keep them locked away because you want to increase them, even then the best course of all is to scatter them and distribute them in every direction, because there can be no income without an outlay, no wealth without spending. We can see this even in worldly affairs. This is how it is with the merchant and the farmer: one puts out his wealth, the other his seed. One sails the sea to distribute his goods; the other works all year sowing and tending his seed. But here none of these things is needed: no outfitting a ship, no yoking oxen, no plowing land, no worrying about uncertain weather, no fearing a hailstorm. Here there are neither waves nor rocks. This voyage and this sowing require only one thing: that we give away our possessions. That Farmer of whom Christ says, “My Father is the Farmer,” will do all the rest. ( c. xv. 1.) Is it not absurd, then, to be sluggish and lazy where we can gain everything without labor, yet be so eager where there are many hardships, troubles, and cares, and, after all that, only an uncertain hope? Let us not, I beg you, let us not be so senseless about our own salvation. Let us leave the more troublesome task and run to the one that is easiest and more profitable, so that we may also obtain the good things to come; through the grace and loving kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father and the Holy and life-giving Spirit be glory, now and forever, and for all eternity. Amen.