Tuesday in Whitsun Week
GRANT, we beseech thee, merciful God, that thy Church, being
gathered together in unity by thy Holy Spirit, may manifest thy
power among all peoples, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus
Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same
Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
O GOD, who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful
people, by sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us
by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and
evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of
Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the
unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end.
Amen.
Acts viii. 14., Psalm 148, &
St. John x. 1.
Homilies
I am the door of the sheep
Acts viii. 14.
WHEN the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: for as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
St. John x. 1.
V ERILY, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice; and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.HOMILY
Homily LIX.
John Chrysoston
beginnig at John x. 1 .
the first part of the homily beginning at ix. 34 is at the
bottom.
Chap. x. ver. 1 . "Verily,
verily, I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the
sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and
a robber."
Observe the marks of a robber; first, that he doth not enter
openly; secondly, not according to the Scriptures, for this is the,
"not by the door." Here also He referreth to those who had been
before, and to those who should be after Him, Antichrist and the
false Christs, Judas and Theudas, and whatever others there have
been of the same kind. And with good cause He calleth the
Scriptures "a door," for they bring us to God, and open to us the
knowledge of God, they make the sheep, they guard them, and suffer
not the wolves to come in after them. For Scripture, like some sure
door, barreth the passage against the heretics, placing us in a
state of safety as to all that we desire, and not allowing us to
wander; and if we undo it not, we shall not easily be conquered by
our foes. By it we can know all, both those who are, and those who
are not, shepherds. But what is "into the fold"? It refers to the
sheep, and the care of them. For he that useth not the Scriptures,
but "climbeth up some other way," that is, who cutteth out for
himself another and an unusual way, "the same is a thief." Seest
thou from this too that Christ agreeth with the Father, in that He
bringeth forward the Scriptures? On which account also He said to
the Jews, "Search the Scriptures" ( c. v. 39 ); and brought forward
Moses, and called him and all the Prophets witnesses, for "all,"
saith He, "who hear the Prophets shall come to Me"; and, "Had ye
believed Moses, ye would have believed Me." But here He hath put
the same thing metaphorically. And by saying, "climbeth up some
other way," He alluded to the Scribes, because they taught for
commandments the doctrines of men, and transgressed the Law ( Matt.
xv. 9 ); with which He reproached them, and said, "None of you
doeth the Law." ( c. vii. 19 .) Well did He say, "climbeth up," not
"entereth in," since to climb is the act of a thief intending to
overleap a wall, and who doeth all with danger. Hast thou seen how
He hath sketched the robber? now observe the character of the
shepherd. What then is it?
Ver. 2-4 . "He that entereth in by the door, the same is the
shepherd of the sheep; to him the doorkeeper openeth, and the sheep
hear his voice, and he calleth his own by name. And when he hath
brought them out, he goeth before them."
[3.] He hath set down the marks of the shepherd, and of the evil
doer; let us now see how He hath fitted to them what followeth. "To
him," He saith, "the doorkeeper openeth"; He continueth in the
metaphor to make the discourse more emphatic. But if thou shouldest
be minded to examine the parable word by word, there is nothing to
hinder thee from supposing Moses to be the doorkeeper, for to him
were entrusted the oracles of God. "Whose voice the sheep hear, and
he calleth his own by name." Because they everywhere said that He
was a deceiver, and confirmed this by their own unbelief, saying,
"Which of the rulers hath believed on him?" ( c. vii. 48 .) He
showeth that they ought not on account of the unbelief of those
persons to call Him a spoiler and deceiver, but that they, because
they gave no heed to Him were consequently even excluded from the
rank of sheep. For if a shepherd's part is to enter through the
usual door, and if He entered through this, all they who followed
Him might be sheep, but they who rent themselves away, hurt not the
reputation of the Shepherd, but cast themselves out from the
kindred of the sheep. And if farther on He saith that He is "the
door," we must not again be disturbed, for He also calleth Himself
"Shepherd," and "Sheep," and in different ways proclaimeth His
dispensations. Thus, when He bringeth us to the Father, He calleth
Himself "a Door," when He taketh care of us, "a Shepherd"; and it
is that thou mayest not suppose, that to bring us to the Father is
His only office, that He calleth Himself a Shepherd. "And the sheep
hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep, and leadeth them out,
and goeth before them." Shepherds indeed do the contrary, for they
follow after them; but He to show that He will lead all men to the
truth, doeth differently; as also when He sent the sheep, He sent
them, not out of the way of wolves, but "in the midst of wolves." (
Matt. x. 16 .) For far more wonderful is this manner of keeping
sheep than ours. He seemeth to me also to allude to the blind man,
for him too, having "called," He "led out" from the midst of the
Jews, and the man heard "His voice," and "knew" it.
Ver. 5 . "And a stranger will they not follow, for they know not
the voice of strangers."
Certainly here He speaketh of Theudas and Judas, (for "all, as
many as believed on them, were scattered" [ Acts v. 36 ], It
saith,) or of the false Christs who after that time should deceive.
For lest any should say that He was one of these, He in many ways
separateth Himself from them. And the first difference He setteth
down is His teaching from the Scriptures; for He by means of these
led men to Him, but the others did not from these draw men after
them. The second is, the obedience of the sheep; for on Him they
all believed, not only while He lived, but when He had died; the
others they straightway left. With these we may mention a third
difference, no trifling one. They did all as rebels, and to cause
revolts, but He placed Himself so far from such suspicion, that
when they would have made Him a king, He fled; and when they asked,
"Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar?" He bade them pay
it, and Himself gave the two drachm piece. ( Matt. xvii. 27 .)
Besides this, He indeed came for the saving of the sheep, "That
they might have life, and that they might have more abundantly" (
ver. 10 ), but the others deprived them even of this present life.
They betrayed those who were entrusted to them and fled, but He
withstood so nobly as even to give up His life. They unwillingly,
and by compulsion, and desiring to escape, suffered what they
suffered, but He willingly and by choice endured all.
Ver. 6 . "This parable spake Jesus unto them, but they understood
not what things they were which He spake unto them."
And wherefore spake He obscurely? Because He would make them more
attentive; when He had effected this, He removes the obscurity,
saying,
Ver. 9 . "I am the door, by Me if any man enter in, he shall go in
and out, and find pasture."
As though He had said, "shall be in safety and security," (but by
"pasture," He here meaneth His nurturing and feeding the sheep, and
His power and Lordship,) that is, "shall remain within, and none
shall thrust him out." Which took place in the case of the
Apostles, who came in and went out securely, as having become lords
of all the world, and none was able to cast them out.
Ver. 8 . "All that ever came before Me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not hear them."
He doth not here speak of the Prophets, (as the heretics assert,)
for as many as believed on Christ did hear them also, and were
persuaded by them; but of Theudas and Judas, and the other exciters
of sedition. Besides, He saith, "the sheep did not hear them," as
praising them; now nowhere is He seen to praise those who refused
to hearken to the Prophets, but, on the contrary, to reproach and
accuse them vehemently; whence it is evident that the, "did not
hear," refers to those leaders of sedition.
Ver. 10 . "The thief cometh not but for to steal, and to kill, and
to destroy."
Which then took place when all (their followers) were slain and
perished.
"But I am come that they might have life, and that they might have
more."
And what is "more" than life, tell me? The kingdom of heaven. But
He doth not as yet say this, but dwelleth on the name of "life,"
which was known to them.
Ver. 11 . "I am the good Shepherd."
Here He next speaketh concerning the Passion, showing that this
should be for the salvation of the world, and that He came to it
not unwillingly. Then again He mentioneth the character of the
shepherd and the hireling.
"For the shepherd layeth down his life."
Ver. 12 . "But he that is an hireling and not a shepherd, whose
own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep
and fleeth, and the wolf cometh and catcheth them."
Here He declareth Himself to be Master even as the Father, if so
be that He is the Shepherd, and the sheep are His. Seest thou how
He speaketh in a more lofty tone in His parables, where the sense
is concealed; and giveth no open handle to the listeners? What then
doth this hireling? He "seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the
sheep, and the wolf cometh, and scattereth them." This those false
teachers did, but He the contrary. For when He was taken, He said,
"Let these go their way, that the saying might be fulfilled" ( c.
xviii. 8, 9 ), that not one of them was lost. Here also we may
suspect a spiritual wolf to be intended; for neither did Christ
allow him to go and seize the sheep. But he is not a wolf only, but
a lion also. "Because our adversary the devil," It saith, "walketh
about as a roaring lion." ( 1 Pet. v. 8 .) He is also a serpent,
and a dragon; for, "Tread ye on serpents and scorpions." ( Luke x.
19 .)
[4.] Wherefore, I beseech you, let us remain pasturing beneath
this Shepherd; and we shall remain, if we obey Him, if we hear His
voice, if we follow not a stranger. And what is His voice? "Blessed
are the poor in spirit, blessed are the pure in heart, blessed are
the merciful." ( Matt. v. 3, 8, 7 .) If thus we do, we shall remain
beneath the Shepherd, and the wolf will not be able to come in; or
if he come against us, he will do so to his own hurt. For we have a
Shepherd who so loveth us, that He gave even His life for us. When
therefore He is both powerful and loveth us, what is there to
hinder us from being saved? Nothing, unless we ourselves revolt
from Him. And how can we revolt? Hear Him saying, "Ye cannot serve
two masters, God and mammon." ( Matt. vi. 24 .) If then we serve
God, we shall not submit to the tyranny of mammon. And truly a
bitterer thing than any tyranny is the desire of riches; for it
brings no pleasure, but cares, and envyings, and plottings, and
hatred, and false accusations, and ten thousand impediments to
virtue, indolence, wantonness, greediness, drunkenness, which make
even freemen slaves, nay, worse than slaves bought with money,
slaves not to men, but even to the most grievous of the passions,
and maladies of the soul. Such a one dares many things displeasing
to God and men, dreading lest any should remove from him this
dominion. O bitter slavery, and devlish tyranny! For this is the
most grievous thing of all, that when entangled in such evils we
are pleased and hug our chain, and dwelling in a prison house full
of darkness, refuse to come forth to the light, but rivet evil upon
ourselves, and rejoice in our malady. So that we cannot be freed,
but are in a worse state than those that work the mines, enduring
labors and affliction, but not enjoying the fruit. And what is in
truth worse than all, if any one desire to free us from this bitter
captivity, we do not suffer it, but are even vexed and displeased,
being in this respect in no better case than madmen, or rather in a
much more miserable state than any such, inasmuch as we are not
even willing to be delivered from our madness. What? was it for
this, O man, that thou wast brought into the world? Was it for this
that thou wast made a man, that thou mightest work in these mines,
and gather gold? Not for this did God create thee in His Image, but
that thou mightest please Him, that thou mightest obtain the things
to come, that thou mightest join the choir of Angels. Why now dost
thou banish thyself from such a relationship, and thrust thyself
into the extreme of dishonor and meanness? He who came by the same
birth pangs with thee, (the spiritual birth pangs I mean,) is
perishing with hunger, and thou art bursting with fullness: thy
brother goeth about with naked body, but thou providest garments
even for thy garments, heaping up all this clothing for the worms.
How much better would it have been to put them on the bodies of the
poor; so would they have remained undestroyed, would have freed
thee from all care, and have won for thee the life to come. If thou
wilt not have them to be moth-eaten, give them to the poor, these
are they who know how to shake these garments well. The Body of
Christ is more precious and more secure than the coffer, for not
only doth It keep the garments safe, not only doth It preserve them
unconsumed, but even rendereth them brighter. Oftentimes the coffer
taken with the garments causeth thee the utmost loss, but this
place of safety not even death can harm. With It we need neither
doors nor bolts, nor wakeful servants, nor any other such security,
for our possessions are free from all treacherous attacks, and are
laid up under guard, as we may suppose things laid up in heaven
would be; for to all wickedness that place is inaccessible. These
things we cease not continually to say to you, and you hearing are
not persuaded. The reason is, that we are of a soul which is mean,
gaping upon the earth, groveling on the ground. Or rather, God
forbid that I should condemn you all of wickedness, as though all
were incurably diseased. For even if those who are drunk with
riches stop their ears against my words, yet they who live in
poverty will be able to look clearly to what I say. "But what,"
saith some one, "hath this to do with the poor? for they have no
gold, or any such garments." No, but they have bread and cold
water, but they have two obols, and feet to visit the sick, but
they have a tongue and speech to comfort the bedridden, but they
have house and shelter to make the stranger their inmate. We demand
not from the poor such and such a number of talents of gold, these
we ask from the rich. But if a man be poor, and come to the doors
of others, our Lord is not ashamed to receive even an obol, but
will say that He hath received more from the giver, than from those
who cast in much. How many of those who now stand here would desire
to have been born at that time, when Christ went about the earth in
the flesh, to have conversed and sat at meat with Him? Lo, this may
be done now, we may invite Him more than then to a meal, and feast
with Him, and that to greater profit. For of those who then feasted
with Him many even perished, as Judas and others like him; but
every one of those who invite Him to their houses now, and share
with Him table and roof, shall enjoy a great blessing. "Come," it
saith, "ye blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for
you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungered, and ye
gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a
stranger, and ye took Me in; sick, and ye visited Me; I was in
prison, and ye came unto Me." ( Matt. xxv. 34-36 .) That then we
may hear these words, let us clothe the naked, let us bring in the
stranger, feed the hungry, give the thirsty drink, let us visit the
sick, and look upon him that is in prison, that we may have
boldness and obtain remission of our sins, and share those good
things which transcend both speech and thought. Which may we all
obtain, through the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus
Christ, to whom be the glory and the might forever. Amen.
First part of homily
"And they cast him out. And Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him?" And the rest.
[1.] They who for the sake of the truth and the confession of Christ suffer anything terrible and are insulted, these are especially honored. For as he who loseth his possessions for His sake, the same it is who most findeth them; as he who hateth his own life, the same it is who most loveth it; so too he who is insulted, is the same who is most honored. As fell out in the case of the blind man. The Jews cast him out from the Temple, and the Lord of the Temple found him; he was separated from that pestilent company, and met with the Fountain of salvation; he was dishonored by those who dishonored Christ, and was honored by the Lord of Angels. Such are the prizes of truth. And so we, if we leave our possessions in this world, find confidence in the next; if here we give to the afflicted, we shall have rest in heaven; if we be insulted for the sake of God, we are honored both here and there.
When they had cast him out from the Temple, Jesus found him. The Evangelist shows, that He came for the purpose of meeting him. And observe how He recompenseth him, by that which is the chiefest of blessings. For He made Himself known to him who before knew Him not, and enrolled him into the company of His own disciples. Observe also how the Evangelist describes the exact circumstances; for when Christ had said, "Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" the man replied, "Lord, who is He?" For as yet he knew Him not, although he had been healed; because he was blind before he came to his Benefactor, and after the cure, he was being worried by those dogs. Therefore, like some judge at the games, He receiveth the champion who had toiled much and gained the crown. And what saith He? "Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" What is this, after so much arguing against the Jews, after so many words, He asketh him, "Dost thou believe?" He spake it not from ignorance, but desiring to make Himself known, and showing that He gently valued the man's faith. "This great multitude," He saith, "hath insulted Me, but of them I make no account; for one thing I care, that thou shouldest believe. For better is one who doeth the will of God, than ten thousand transgressors." "Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" As having both been present, and as approving what had been said by him, He asketh this question; and first, He brought him to a state of longing for Himself. For He said not directly, "Believe," but in the way of an enquiry. What then said the man? "Lord, who is He, that I might believe on Him?" The expression is that of a longing and enquiring soul. He knoweth not Him in whose defense he had spoken so much, that thou mayest learn his love of truth. For he had not yet seen Him.
Ver. 37 . "Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee."
He said not "I am He," but as yet in an intermediate and reserved manner, "Thou hast both seen Him." This was still uncertain; therefore He addeth more clearly, "It is He that talketh with thee."
Ver. 38 . "He saith, Lord, I believe; and he worshiped Him" (straightway ).
He said not, "I am He that healed thee, that bade thee, Go, wash in Siloam"; but keeping silence on all these points, He saith, "Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" and then the man, showing his great earnestness, straightway worshiped; which few of those who were healed had done; as, for instance, the lepers, and some others; by this act declaring His divine power. For that no one might think that what had been said by him was a mere expression, he added also the deed. When he had worshiped, Christ said,
Ver. 39 . "For judgment I am come into the world, that they which see not might see, and that they which see might be made blind."
So also saith Paul; "What shall we say then? That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of the faith of Jesus; but Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness." ( Rom. ix. 30, 31 .) By saying, "For judgment I am come into this world," He both made the man stronger respecting the faith, and aroused those who followed Him; for the Pharisees were following Him. And the, "For judgment," He spake with reference to a greater punishment; showing that they who had given sentence against Him, had received sentence against themselves; that they who had condemned Him as a sinner, were themselves the persons condemned. In this passage He speaketh of two recoveries of sight, and two blindnesses; one sensible, the other spiritual.
Ver. 40 . "Some of them that followed Him, say unto Him, Are we also blind?"
As in another place they said, "We were never servants to any man"; and, "We be not born of fornication" ( c. viii. 33, 41 ); so now they gape on material things alone, and are ashamed of this kind of blindness. Then to show that it was better for them to be blind than seeing, He saith,
Ver. 41 . "If ye were blind, ye should have no sin."
Since they deemed the calamity a matter to be ashamed of, He turneth this back upon their own head, telling them, that "this very thing would have rendered your punishment more tolerable"; cutting away on every side their human thoughts, and leading them to a notion high and marvelous.
"But now ye say, We see."
As He saith in that other place, "Of whom ye said that He was your God" ( c. viii. 54 ); so too here, "Now ye say that ye see, but ye see not." He showeth that what they deemed a great matter for praise, brought punishment upon them. He also comforted him who was blind from his birth, concerning his former maimed state, and then speaketh concerning their blindness. For He directeth His whole speech to this end, that they may not say, "We did not refuse to come to thee owing to our blindness, but we turn away and avoid thee as a deceiver."
[2.] And not without a cause hath the Evangelist mentioned, that they of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things, and said, "Are we blind also?" but to remind thee that these were the men who first withdrew from and then stoned Him, for they were persons who followed Him superficially, and who easily changed to the contrary opinion. How then doth He prove that He is not a deceiver, but a Shepherd? By laying down the distinguishing marks both of the shepherd, and of him who is a deceiver and a spoiler, and from these affording them opportunity of searching into the truth of the matter. And first He showeth who is a deceiver and a spoiler, calling him so from the Scriptures, and saying,
End first part of Homily