Tractates on the Gospel of John

^2. He then goes on to say, “Yet a little while, and the world sees me no more.” How so? The world saw Him then; for under the name of the world are to be understood those of whom He spoke above, when saying of the Holy Spirit, “Whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knows Him.” He was plainly visible to the carnal eyes of the world, while manifest in the flesh; but it saw not the Word that lay hid in the flesh: it saw the man, but it saw not God: it saw the covering, but not the Being within. But as, after the resurrection, even His very flesh, which He exhibited both to the sight and to the handling of His own, He refused to exhibit to others, we may in this way perhaps understand the meaning of the words, “Yet a little while, and the world sees me no more; but you shall see me: because I live, you shall live also.”