Homilies on the Gospel of John

“And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which sees the Son, and believes in Him, may have everlasting life.”

Is not then this Your will? And how sayest Thou, “I have come to send fire upon the earth, and what have I desired to see, if that be already kindled”? For if Thou also desirest this, it is very clear that Your will and the Father's is one. In another place also He says, “For as the Father raises up the dead and quickens them, even so the Son quickens whom He will.” But what is the will of the Father? Is it not, that not so much as one of them should perish? This Thou willest also. So that the will of the One differs not from the will of the Other. So in another place He is seen establishing yet more firmly His equality with the Father, saying, “I and My Father 'will come, and will make Our abode with him.'” What He says then is this; “I came not to do anything other than that which the Father wills, I have no will of My own different from that of the Father, for all that is the Father's is Mine, and all that is Mine is the Father's.” If now the things of the Father and the Son are in common, He says with reason, “Not that I might do My own will.” But here He speaks not so, but reserves this for the end. For, as I have said, He conceals and veils for a while high matters, and desires to prove that had He even said, “This is My will,” they would have despised Him. He therefore says, that “I co-operate with that Will,” desiring thus to startle them more; as though He had said, “What do you think? Do ye anger Me by your disbelief? Nay, you provoke My Father.” “For this is the will of Him that sent Me, that of all which He has given Me I should lose nothing.” Here He shows that He needs not their service, that He came not for His own advantage, but for their salvation; and not to get honor from them. Which indeed He declared in a former address, saying, “I receive not honor from men”; and again, “These things I say that you may be saved.” Since He everywhere labors to persuade them that He came for their salvation. And He says, that He obtains honor to the Father, in order that He may not be suspected by them. And that it is for this reason He thus speaks, He has more clearly revealed by what follows. For He says, “He that seeks his own will seeks his own glory; but He that seeks His glory that sent Him is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.” “And this is the will of the Father, that every one which sees the Son, and believes in Him, may have everlasting life.”

“And I will raise him up at the last day.” Why does He continually dwell upon the Resurrection? Is it that men may not judge of God's providence by present things alone; that if they enjoy not results here, they become not on that account desponding, but wait for the things that are to come, and that they may not, because their sins are not punished for the present, despise Him, but look for another life.

Now those men gained nothing, but let us take pains to gain by having the Resurrection continually sounded in our ears; and if we desire to be grasping, or to steal, or to do any wrong thing, let us straightway take into our thoughts that Day, let us picture to ourselves the Judgment-seat, for such reflections will check the evil impulse more strongly than any bit. Let us continually say to others, and to ourselves, “There is a resurrection, and a fearful tribunal awaits us.” If we see any man insolent and puffed up with the good things of his world, let us make the same remark to him, and show him that all those things abide here: and if we observe another grieving and impatient, let us say the same to him, and point out to him that his sorrows shall have an end; if we see one careless and dissipated, let us say the same charm over him, and show that for his carelessness he must render account. This saying is able more than any other remedy to heal our souls. For there is a Resurrection, and that Resurrection is at our doors, not afar off, nor at a distance. “For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” And again, “We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ”; that is, both bad and good, the one to be shamed in sight of all, the other in sight of all to be made more glorious. For as they who judge here punish the wicked and honor the good publicly, so too will it be there, that the one sort may have the greater shame, and the other more conspicuous glory. Let us picture these things to ourselves every day. If we are ever revolving them, no care for present things will be able to sting us. “For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” Continually let us say to ourselves and to others, “There is a Resurrection, and a Judgment, and a scrutiny of our actions”; and let as many as deem that there is such a thing as fate repeat this, and they shall straightway be delivered from the rottenness of their malady; for if there is a Resurrection, and a Judgment, there is no fate, though they bring ten thousand arguments, and choke themselves to prove it. But I am ashamed to be teaching Christians concerning the Resurrection: for he that needs to learn that there is a Resurrection, and who has not firmly persuaded himself that the affairs of this world go not on by fate, and without design, and as chance will have them, can be no Christian. Wherefore, I exhort and beseech you, that we cleanse ourselves from all wickedness, and do all in our power to obtain pardon and excuse in that Day.