Homilies on the Gospel of John

“He that speaks of himself seeks his own glory.”

That is, “He that desires to establish any doctrine of his own, desires to do so only that he himself may enjoy the glory. Now if I desire not to enjoy glory, wherefore should I desire to establish any doctrine of My own? He that speaks of himself, that is, who speaks anything peculiar or different from others, speaks on this account, that he may establish his own glory; but if I seek the glory of Him that sent Me, wherefore should I choose to teach other things?” Do you see that there was a cause wherefore He said there too that He “did nothing of Himself”? What was it? It was that they might believe that He desired not the honor of the many. Therefore when His words are lowly, “I seek,” He says, “the glory of the Father,” everywhere desiring to persuade them that He Himself loves not glory. Now there are many reasons for His using lowly words, as that He might not be deemed unbegotten, or opposed to God, His being clothed with flesh, the infirmity of His hearers, that He might teach men to be modest, and to speak no great thing of themselves: while for speaking lofty words one could only find one reason, the greatness of His Nature. And if when He said, “Before Abraham was, I am”, they were offended, what would have been their case if they had continually heard high expressions?