Homilies on the First Epistle of John

¹¹ “He that says he is in the light”— now he is making all clear that he has been saying— “he that says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness even until now.” What! My brethren, how long shall we say to you, “Love your enemies”? See whether, what is worse, you do not hate your brethren. If you loved only your brethren, you would be not yet perfect: but if you hate your brethren, what are you, where are you? Let each look to his own heart: let him not keep hatred against his brother for any hard word; on account of earthly contention let him not become earth. For whoso hates his brother, let him not say that he walks in the light. “He that says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness even until now.” Thus, some man who was a pagan has become a Christian; mark well: behold he was in darkness, while he was a pagan: now is he made henceforth a Christian; thanks be to God, say all joyfully; the apostle is read, where he says joyfully, “For you were sometime darkness, but now light in the Lord.” Once he worshipped idols, now he worships God; once he worshipped the things he made, now he worships Him that made him. He is changed: thanks be to God, say all Christians with joyful greeting. Why? Because henceforth he is one that adores the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost; one that detests demons and idols. Yet still is John solicitous about our convert: while many greet him with joy, by him he is still looked upon with apprehension. Brethren, let us gladly welcome a mother's solicitude. Not without cause is the mother solicitous about us when others rejoice: by the mother, I mean charity: for she dwelt in the heart of John, when he spoke these words. Wherefore, but because there is something he fears in us, even when men now hail us with joy? What is it that he fears? “He that says he is in the light”— What is this? He that says now he is a Christian—“and hates his brother, is in darkness even until now.” Which there is no need to expound: but to be glad of it, if it be not so, or to bewail it, if it be.

12. “He that loves his brother abides (manet) in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.” — I beseech you by Christ: God is feeding us, we are about to refresh our bodies in the name of Christ; they both are in some good measure refreshed, and are to be refreshed: let the mind be fed. Not that I am going to speak for a long time, do I say this; for behold, the lesson is now coming to an end: but lest haply of weariness we should hear less attentively than we ought that which is most necessary.— “He that loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no scandal,” or “none occasion of stumbling, in him.” Who are they that take scandal or make scandal? They that are offended in Christ, and in the Church. They that are offended in Christ, are as if burnt by the sun, those in the Church as by the moon. But the Psalm says, The sun shall not burn you by day, neither the moon by night: i.e., if you hold fast charity, neither in Christ shall you have occasion of falling, nor in the Church; neither Christ shall you forsake, nor the Church. For he that forsakes the Church, how is he in Christ who is not in the members of Christ? How is he in Christ who is not in the body of Christ? Those therefore take scandal, or, occasion of falling, who forsake Christ or the Church. Whence do we understand that the Psalm in saying, “By day shall the sun not burn you, nor the moon by night,” says it of this, that the burning means scandal, or occasion of stumbling? In the first place mark the similitude itself. Just as the person whom something is burning says, I cannot bear it, I cannot away with it, and draws back; so those persons who cannot bear some things in the Church, and withdraw themselves either from the name of Christ or from the Church, are taking scandal. For see how those took scandal as from the sun, those carnal ones to whom Christ preached of His flesh, saying, “He that eats not the flesh of the Son of Man and drinks His blood, shall have no life in him.” Some seventy persons said, “This is an hard saying,” and went back from Him, and there remained the twelve. All those the sun burnt, and they went back, not being able to bear the force of the Word. There remained therefore the twelve. And lest haply men should imagine that they confer a benefit upon Christ by believing on Christ, and not that the benefit is conferred by Him upon them; when the twelve were left, the Lord said to them, “Will you also go?” That you may know that I am necessary to you, not you to me. But those whom the sun had not burnt, answered by the voice of Peter: “Lord, You have the word of eternal life; whither shall we go?” But who are they that the Church as the moon burns by night? They that have made schisms. Hear the very word used in the apostle: “Who is offended, and I burn not?” In what sense then is it, that there is no scandal or occasion of stumbling in him that loves his brother? Because he that loves his brother, bears all things for unity's sake; because it is in the unity of charity that brotherly love exists. Some one, I know not who, offends you: whether it be a bad man, or as you suppose a bad man, or as you pretend a bad man: and do you desert so many good men? What sort of brotherly love is that which has appeared in these persons? While they accuse the Africans, they have deserted the whole world! What, were there no saints in the whole world? Or was it possible they should be condemned by you unheard? But oh! If you loved your brethren, there would be none occasion of stumbling in you. Hear the Psalm, what it says: “Great peace have they that love Your law, and there is to them none occasion of stumbling.” Great peace it says there is for them that love the law of God, and that is why there is to them none occasion of stumbling. Those then who take scandal, or, occasion of stumbling, destroy peace. And of whom says he that they take not and make not occasion of stumbling? They that love God's law. Consequently they are in charity. But some man will say, “He said it of them that love God's law, not of the brethren.” Hear what the Lord says: “A new commandment give I unto you that you love one another.” What is the Law but commandment? Moreover, how is it they do not take occasion of stumbling, but because they forbear one another? As Paul says, “Forbearing one another in love, studying to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” And to show that this is the law of Christ, hear the same apostle commending this very law. “Bear one another's burdens,” says he, “and so shall you fulfill the law of Christ.”