Homilies on John, Homily 20

“The next day Jesus wanted to go out into Galilee and found Philip, and said to him, Follow Me. Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.” [1.] “Every careful thinker gains something” ( Prov. xiv. 23 , LXX.), says the proverb; and Christ implied more than this when He said, “He who seeks finds.” ( Matt. vii. 8.) So I no longer find myself wondering how Philip came to follow Christ. Andrew was persuaded when he heard from John, and Peter when he heard the same from Andrew; but Philip, who had learned nothing from anyone but Christ, who said only this to him, “Follow Me,” immediately obeyed. He did not turn back, but even began preaching to others. For he ran to Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him whom Moses wrote about in the Law, and whom the Prophets also wrote about.” Do you see what a thoughtful mind he had, how diligently he reflected on the writings of Moses and waited for the Advent? For the expression “we have found” always belongs to people who are searching in some way. “The next day Jesus went out into Galilee.” Before anyone had joined Him, He called no one; and He did this for a reason, guided by His own wisdom and understanding. For if He had drawn people to Himself when no one was coming to Him of their own accord, they might perhaps have pulled away; but as it was, having chosen this for themselves, they remained firm afterward. He calls Philip, who was better acquainted with Him; for Philip, having been born and raised in Galilee, knew Him better than others did. Having gathered these disciples, He next goes to catch the others, and draws Philip and Nathanael to Himself. Now in Nathanael’s case this was not so remarkable, because Jesus’ fame had spread throughout Syria. ( Matt. iv. 24 .) But what was remarkable about Peter and James and Philip was that they believed even before the miracles, and did so despite being from Galilee, where “no prophet arises,” nor “can any good thing come”; for the Galileans were somehow more uncouth and dull than others. But even in this Christ displayed His power, choosing His finest disciples from a land that bore no fruit. It is probable, then, that Philip followed after seeing Peter and Andrew and hearing what John had said; and it is also probable that Christ’s voice had some effect on him, for He knew those who would be useful. But the Evangelist passes over all these details. Philip knew that Christ was to come; he did not know that this was Christ, and I say that he heard this from either Peter or John. But John also mentions his village, so that you may learn that “God has chosen the weak things of the world.” ( 1 Cor. i. 27 .) Ver. 45. “Philip finds Nathanael and says to him, We have found Him whom Moses wrote about in the Law, and whom the Prophets also wrote about, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” He says this to make his preaching credible, as it must be if it also rests on Moses and the Prophets, and in this way to impress his hearer with their authority. For since Nathanael was a careful man who judged everything truthfully, as Christ also testified and the outcome showed, Philip rightly directs him to Moses and the Prophets so that he might accept the One being proclaimed. And do not be troubled because he called Him “the son of Joseph”; for He was still thought to be Joseph’s son. “And how, Philip, is it clear that this is He? What proof do you offer us? Simply asserting it is not enough. What sign have you seen, what miracle? It is dangerous to believe without grounds in matters like these. What proof, then, do you have?” “The same as Andrew,” he replies; for Andrew, although unable to display the wealth he had found or describe his treasure in words, led his brother to it once he had discovered it. Philip did the same. He did not explain how this was the Christ or how the prophets had proclaimed Him beforehand; instead, he draws Nathanael to Jesus, knowing that once he had tasted His words and teaching, he would not fall away afterward. Ver. 46, 47. “And Nathanael said to him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip says to him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him and says of him, Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.” He praises and approves of the man because he had said, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Yet should he not have been blamed? Certainly not; for these are not the words of an unbeliever, and they deserve praise, not blame. “How so, and in what way?” Because Nathanael had studied the writings of the Prophets more than Philip had. For he had heard from the Scriptures that Christ must come from Bethlehem, from the village where David had lived. At least, this belief prevailed among the Jews, and the Prophet had proclaimed it long before, saying, “And you, Bethlehem, are by no means the least among the princes of Judah, for from you will come a Ruler who will feed My people Israel.” ( Matt. ii. 6; Mic. v. 2.) And so, when he heard that He was “from Nazareth,” he was bewildered and doubtful, finding that Philip’s announcement did not agree with the Prophet’s prediction. But notice his wisdom and honesty even in his doubts. He did not immediately say, “Philip, you are deceiving me and speaking falsely. I do not believe you; I will not come. I have learned from the prophets that Christ must come from Bethlehem; you say ‘from Nazareth’; therefore this is not the Christ.” He said nothing like this. What does he do instead? He goes to Him himself. By refusing to accept that Christ was “from Nazareth,” he shows his precise knowledge of the Scriptures and that he is not easily deceived; and by not rejecting the man who brought the news, he shows how deeply he longed for Christ’s coming. For he thought to himself that Philip was probably mistaken about the place. [2.] And notice, please, how gently he expresses his objection, putting it as a question. He did not say, “Galilee produces nothing good.” What did he say? “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip, too, was very sensible; he does not become bewildered, angry, or annoyed, but persists, wanting to win the man over and showing us, from the very beginning of his preaching, the firmness appropriate to an Apostle. That is also why Christ says, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.” So there is such a person as a false Israelite; but this man is not one. For his judgment, Christ says, is impartial: he says nothing out of favoritism or ill will. Yet when the Jews were asked where Christ was to be born, they replied, “In Bethlehem” ( Matt. ii. 5 ), and supplied the evidence, saying, “And you, Bethlehem, are by no means the least among the princes of Judah.” ( Mic. v. 2.) Before they had seen Him, they gave this testimony; but when they saw Him, they maliciously concealed it, saying, “But as for this fellow, we do not know where He comes from.” ( c. ix. 29.) Nathanael did not do this, but continued to hold the view he had held from the beginning, that He was not “from Nazareth.” How, then, do the prophets call Him a Nazarene? Because He was brought up and lived there. And He refrains from saying, “I am not ‘from Nazareth,’ as Philip has told you, but from Bethlehem,” so that He will not immediately make the account seem doubtful. Besides, even if He had been believed, He would not have given enough proof that He was the Christ. For what would prevent Him from being from Bethlehem without being Christ, like the others born there? So He leaves this unsaid, but does what has the greatest power to win Nathanael over: He shows that He was present when they were talking. For when Nathanael had said, Ver. 48. “How do You know me?” He replies, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Notice how firm and steady this man is. When Christ said, “Here is a true Israelite,” this approval did not make him conceited; he did not chase after this public praise, but continued to seek and investigate more closely, wanting to learn something certain. He was still questioning Him as though He were a man, but Jesus answered as God. For He said, “I have known you from the beginning” (He knew him and the honesty of his character, not as a man who had followed him closely, but as God, from the beginning), “and just now I saw you by the fig tree”—at a time when no one was there except Philip and Nathanael, who said all these things in private. The account mentions that He saw him from a distance and said, “Here is a true Israelite,” to show that Christ spoke these words before Philip came near, so that His testimony would not fall under suspicion. This is also why He named the time, the place, and the tree; for if He had only said, “Before Philip came to you, I saw you,” He might have been suspected of sending Philip and saying nothing remarkable. But by mentioning the place where Nathanael was when Philip spoke to him, the name of the tree, and the time of their conversation, He showed that His foreknowledge was beyond question. And He did more than show him His foreknowledge; He also taught him in another way. For He reminded him of what they had said then, such as, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” And this, above all, was why Nathanael accepted Him: when Nathanael had spoken these words, He had praised and approved of him instead of condemning him. So Nathanael was convinced that this was indeed the Christ, both because of His foreknowledge and because He had precisely discerned his thoughts, as One who wished to show that He knew what was in his mind; and also because, when Nathanael seemed to speak against Him, He had praised him instead of blaming him. He said, then, that Philip had “called” him; but He left unsaid what Philip had said to him, or he to Philip, leaving that to Nathanael’s own conscience and not wishing to rebuke him further. [3.] Was it, then, only “before Philip called him” that He “saw” him? Did He not see him before this with His sleepless eye? He did see him, and no one could deny it; but this was what needed to be said at the time. And what did Nathanael do? Once he had received unquestionable proof of His foreknowledge, he hurried to confess Him, showing his caution by his earlier hesitation and his fairness by his subsequent assent. For, the Evangelist says, Ver. 49. “He answered and says to Him, Rabbi, You are the Son of God, You are the King of Israel:” Do you see how his soul is immediately filled with overwhelming joy, and how he embraces Jesus with his words? “You are,” he says, “the One we have been waiting for, the One we have been seeking.” Do you see how amazed he is, how he marvels? How he leaps and dances with delight? We too, who have been considered worthy to know the Son of God, ought to rejoice like this: to rejoice not just in our thoughts, but to show it in our actions as well. And what must those who rejoice do? Obey Him who has been made known to them; and those who obey must do whatever He wills. For if we are going to do what angers Him, how will we show that we rejoice? Do you not see how, in our homes, when someone entertains a person he loves, he gladly makes every effort, running around in every direction, and even if he must spend everything he has, spares nothing to please his visitor? But if a host neglects his guest and does nothing to make him comfortable, the guest could never believe him, even if he said ten thousand times that he was glad he had come. And rightly so; for this should be shown through actions. Since Christ has come to us, then, let us show that we rejoice, and do nothing that may anger Him. Let us decorate the home He has entered, for that is what people do when they rejoice; let us set before Him the meal He wishes to eat, for that is what people do when they celebrate a feast. And what is this meal? He tells us Himself: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me.” ( c. iv. 34.) When He is hungry, let us feed Him; when He is thirsty, let us give Him something to drink. Even if you give Him only a cup of cold water, He accepts it; for He loves you, and to someone who loves, the offerings of the beloved seem great, even when they are small. Just do not be lazy; even if you put in only two small coins, He does not refuse them, but accepts them as great riches. For since He needs nothing and does not accept these offerings because He needs them, it makes sense that their value should depend entirely on the giver’s intention, rather than the size of the gifts. Just show that you love Him who has come, that you are making every effort for His sake, that you rejoice at His coming. See how He feels toward you. He came for you, He laid down His life for you, and after all this He is even willing to plead with you. “We are ambassadors,” says Paul, “for Christ, as though God were pleading with you through us.” ( 2 Cor. v. 20.) “And who is so insane,” someone says, “that he would not love his own Master?” I say the same, and I know that none of us would deny this in words or intention; but someone who is loved wants love to be shown in deeds as well as words. For saying that we love without acting like people who love is ridiculous, not only before God, but even in the eyes of other people. Since confessing Him in words alone while opposing Him in our deeds is not only useless but also harmful to us, let us, I beg you, confess Him through our works as well, so that we too may receive His acknowledgment on that day when, before His Father, He will acknowledge those who are worthy, in Christ Jesus our Lord, through whom and with whom, to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, now and always, for all eternity. Amen.