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JOHN i 41, 42.
" He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We
have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
And he brought him to Jesus."
1. WHEN God in the beginning made man, He did not suffer him to
be alone, but gave him woman for a helpmate, and made them to dwell
together, knowing that great advantage would result from this
companionship. What though the woman did not rightly employ this
benefit? still if any one make himself fully acquainted with the nature
of the matter, he will see, that to the wise great advantage arises
from this dwelling together; not in the cause of wife or husband only,
but if brothers do this, they also shall enjoy the benefit.
Wherefore the Prophet hath said, "What is good, what is pleasant,
but that brethren should dwell together?" (Ps. cxxxiii. 1,
LXX.) And Paul exhorted not to neglect the assembling of
ourselves together. (Heb. x. 25.) In this it is that we differ
from beasts, for this we have built cities, and markets, and houses,
that we may be united one with another, not in the place of our
dwelling only, but by the bond of love. For since our nature came
imperfect from Him who made it, and is not self-sufficient, God,
for our advantage, ordained that the want hence existing should be
corrected by the assistance arising from mutual intercourse; so that
what was lacking in one should be supplied by another, and the
defective nature thus be rendered self-sufficient; as, for instance,
that though made mortal, it should by succession for a long time
maintain immortality. I might have gone into this argument at greater
length, to show what advantages arise to those who come together from
genuine and pure intercourse with each other: but there is another
thing which presses now, that on account of which we have made these
remarks.
Andrew, after having tarried with Jesus and learned what He did,
kept not the treasure to himself, but hastens and runs quickly to his
brother, to impart to him of the good things which he had received.
But wherefore has not John said on what matters Christ conversed with
them? Whence is it clear that it was for this that they "abode with
Him"? It was proved by us the other day; but we may learn it from
what has been read today as well. Observe what Andrew says to his
brother; "We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted,
the Christ." You see how, as far as he had learned in a short
time, he showed the wisdom of the teacher who persuaded them, and
their own zeal, who cared for these things long ago, and from the
beginning. For this word, "we have found," is the expression of a
soul which travails for His presence, and looks for His coming from
above, and is made overjoyed when the looked-for thing has happened,
and hastens to impart to others the good tidings. This is the part of
brotherly affection, of natural friendship, of a sincere disposition,
to be eager to stretch out the hand to each other in spiritual things.
Hear him besides speak with the addition of the article; for he does
not say "Messias," but "the Messias"; thus they were expecting
some one Christ, having nothing in common with the others. And
behold, I beg of you, the mind of Peter obedient and tractable from
the very beginning; he ran to Him without any delay; "He brought
him," saith St. John, "to Jesus." Yet let no one blame his
easy temper if he received the word without much questioning, because
it is probable that his brother had told him these things more exactly
and at length; but the Evangelists from their care for conciseness
constantly cut many things short. Besides, it is not said absolutely
that "he believed," but that "he brought him to Jesus," to give
him up for the future to Him, so that from Him he might learn all;
for the other disciple also was with him, and contributed to this.
And if John the Baptist, when he had said that He was "the
Lamb," and that He "baptized with the Spirit," gave them over to
learn the clearer doctrine concerning this thing from Him, much more
would Andrew have done this, not deeming him self sufficient to
declare the whole, but drawing him to the very fount of light with so
much zeal and joy, theft the other neither deferred nor delayed at
all.
Ver. 42. "And when Jesus beheld him," saith the Evangelist,
"He said, Thou art Simon, the son of Jonas; thou shalt be called
Cephas, which is, by interpretation, a stone."
2. He begins from this time forth to reveal the things belonging to
His Divinity, and to open It out little by little by predictions.
So He did in the case of Nathaniel and the Samaritan woman. For
prophecies bring men over not less than miracles; and are free from the
appearance of boasting. Miracles may possibly be slandered among
foolish men, (" He casteth out devils," said they, "by
Beelzebub"--Matt. xii. 24), but nothing of the kind has ever
been said of prophecy. Now in the case of Nathaniel and Simon He
used this method of teaching, but with Andrew and Philip He did not
so. Why was this? Because those (two) had the testimony of John,
no small preparation, and Philip received a credible evidence of
faith, when he saw those who had been present.
"Thou art Simon, the son of Jonas." By the present, the future
is guaranteed; for it is clear that He who named Peter's father
foreknew the future also. And the prediction is attended with praise;
but the object was not to flatter, but to foretell something future.
Hear at least in the case of the Samaritan woman, how He utters a
prediction with severe reproofs; "Thou hast had," he saith, "five
husbands, and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband." (c. iv.
18.) So also His Father makes great account of prophecy, when
He sets Himself against the honor paid to idols: "Let them declare
to you," saith He, "what shall come upon you" (Isa. xlvii.
13); and again, "I have declared, and have saved, and there was
no foreign God amongst you" (Isa. xliii. 12, LXX.); and
He brings this forward through all prophecy. Because prophecy is
especially the work of God, which devils cannot even imitate, though
they strive exceedingly. For in the case of miracles there may be
delusion; but exactly to foretell the future belongs to that pure
Nature alone. Or if devils ever have done so, it was by deceiving
the simpler sort; whence their oracles are always easily detected.
But Peter makes no reply to these words; as yet he knew nothing
clearly, but still was learning. And observe, that not even the
prediction is fully set forth; for Jesus did not say, "I will
change thy name to Peter, and upon this rock I will build My
Church," but, "Thou shalt be called Cephas." The former speech
would have expressed too great authority and power; for Christ does
not immediately nor at first declare all His power, but speaks for a
while in a humbler tone; and so, when He had given the proof of His
Divinity, He puts it more authoritatively, saying, "Blessed art
thou, Simon, because My Father hath revealed it to thee"; and
again, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My
Church." (Matt. xvi. 17, 18.) Him therefore He so
named, and James and his brother He called "sons of thunder."
(Mark iii. 17.) Why then doth He this? To show that it was
He who gave the old covenant, that it was He who altered names, who
called Abram "Abraham," and Sarai "Sarah," and Jacob
"Israel." To many he assigned names even from their birth, as to
Isaac, and Samson, and to those in Isaiah and Hosea (Isa.
viii. 3; Hos. i. 4, 6, 9); but to others He gave them
after they had been named by their parents, as to those we have
mentioned, and to Joshua the son of Nun. It was also a custom of
the Ancients to give names from things, which in fact Leah also has
done; and this takes place not without cause, but in order that men
may have the appellation to remind them of the goodness of God, that a
perpetual memory of the prophecy conveyed by the names may sound in the
ears of those who receive it. Thus too He named John early, because
they whose virtue was to shine forth from their early youth, from that
time received their names; while to those who were to become great at a
later period, the title also was given later.
3. But then they received each a different name, we now have all one
name, that which is greater than any, being called "Christians,"
and "sons of God," and (His) "friends," and (His)
"Body." For the very term itself is able more than all those others
to rouse us, and make us more zealous for the practice of virtue. Let
us not then act unworthily of the honor belonging to the title,
considering n the excess of our dignity, we who are called Christ's;
for so Paul hath named us. Let us bear in mind and respect the
grandeur of the appellation. ( 1 Cor. iii. 23.) For if one
who is said to be descended from some famous general, or one otherwise
distinguished, is proud to be called this or that man's son, and
deems the name a great honor, and strives in every way so as not to
affix, by remissness of his own, reproach to him after whom he is
called; shall not we who are called after the name, not of a general,
nor any of the princes upon earth, nor Angel, nor Archangel, nor
Seraphim, but of the King of these Himself, shall not we freely
give even our very life, so as not to insult Him who has honored us?
Know ye not what honor the royal bands of shield-bearers and spearmen
that are about the king enjoy? So let us who have been deemed worthy
to be near Him, and much closer, and as much nearer than those just
named, as the body is closer to the head than they, let us, I say,
use every means to be imitators of Christ.
What then saith Christ? "The foxes have holes, and birds of the
air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head."
(Luke ix. 58.) Now if I demand this of you, it will seem
perhaps to most of you grievous and burdensome; because therefore of
your infirmity I speak not of such perfection, but desire you not to
be nailed to riches; and as I, because of the infirmity of the many,
retire somewhat from (demanding) the excess of virtue, I desire that
you do so and much more on the side of vice. t blame not those who have
houses, and lands, and wealth, and servants, but wish them to
possess these things in a safe and becoming way. And what is "a
becoming way"? As masters, not as slaves; so that they rule them,
be not ruled by them; that they use, not abuse them. This is why
they are called, "things to be used," that we may employ them on
necessary services, not hoard them up; this is a domestic's office,
that a master's; it is for the slave to keep them, but for the lord
and one who has great authority to expend. Thou didst not receive thy
wealth to bury, but to distribute. Had God desired riches to be
hoarded, He would not have given them to men, but would have let them
remain as they were in the earth; but because He wishes them to be
spent, therefore He has permitted us to have them, that we may impart
them to each other. And if we keep them to ourselves, we are no
longer masters of them. But if you wish to make them greater and
therefore keep them shut up, even in this case the best plan of all is
to scatter and distribute them in all directions; because there can be
no revenue without an outlay, no wealth without expenditure. One may
see that it is so even in worldly matters. So it is with the
merchant, so with the husbandman, who put forth the one his wealth,
the other his seed; the one sails the sea to disperse his wares, the
other labors all the year putting in and tending his seed. But here
there is no need of any one of these things, neither to equip a
vessel, nor to yoke oxen, nor to plough land, nor to be anxious about
uncertain weather, nor to dread a fall of hail; here are neither waves
nor rocks; this voyage and this sowing needs one thing only, that we
cast forth our possessions; all the rest will that Husbandman do, of
whom Christ saith, "My Father is the Husbandman." (c. xv.
1.) Is it not then absurd to be sluggish and slothful where we may
gain all without labor, and where there are many toils and many
troubles and cares, and after all, an uncertain hope, there to
display all eagerness? Let us not, I beseech you, let us not be to
such a degree senseless about our own salvation, but let us leave the
more troublesome task, and run to that which is most easy and more
profitable, that We may obtain also the good things that are to come;
through the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with
whom to the Father and the Holy and quickening Spirit be glory, now
and ever, and world without end. Amen.
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