Homilies on the Gospel of John

“Lazarus, come forth.”

3. This is that of which He spoke, “The hour is coming, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live.” For, that you might not think that He received the power of working from another, He taught you this before, and gave proof by deeds, and said not, Arise, but, “Come forth,” conversing with the dead man as though living. What can be equal to this authority? And if He does it not by His own strength, what shall He have more than the Apostles, who say, “Why look ye so earnestly on us as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?” For if, not working by His own power, He did not add what the Apostles said concerning themselves, they will in a manner be more truly wise than He, because they refused the glory. And in another place, “Why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions as you.” The Apostles since they did nothing of themselves, spoke in this way to persuade men of this; but He when the like opinion was formed concerning Him, would He not have removed the suspicion, if at least He did not act by His own authority? Who would assert this? But in truth Christ does the contrary, when He says, “Because of the people which stand by I said it, that they might believe”; so that had they believed, there would have been no need of prayer. Now if prayer were not beneath His dignity, why should He account them the cause of His praying? Why said He not, “I do it in order that they may believe that I am not equal to You”; for He ought on account of the suspicion to have come to this point. When He was suspected of breaking the Law, He used the very expression, even when they had not said anything, “Think not that I have come to destroy the Law”; but in this place He establishes their suspicion. In fact, what need was there at all of going such a round, and of using such dark sayings? It had been enough to say, “I am not equal,” and to be rid of the matter. “But what,” says some one, “did He not say that, I do not My own will?” Even this He did in a covert way, and one suited to their infirmity, and from the same cause through which the prayer was made. But what means “That You have heard Me”? It means, “That there is nothing on My part opposed to You.” As then the, “That You have heard Me,” is not the saying of one declaring, that of Himself He had not the power, (for were this the case, it would be not only impotence but ignorance, if before praying He did not know that God would grant the prayer; and if He knew not, how was it that He said, “I go that I may awake him,” instead of, “I go to pray My Father to awake him?”) As then this expression is a sign, not of weakness, but of identity of will, so also is the, “You hear Me always.” We must then either say this, or else that it was addressed to their suspicions. If now He was neither ignorant nor weak, it is clear that He utters these lowly words, that you may be persuaded by their very excess, and may be compelled to confess, that they suit not His dignity, but are from condescension. What then say the enemies of truth? “He spoke not those words, You have heard me,” says some one, “to the infirmity of the hearers, but in order to show a superiority.” Yet this was not to show a superiority, but to humble Himself greatly, and to show Himself as having nothing more than man. For to pray is not proper to God, nor to the sharer of the Throne. Do you see then that He came to this from no other cause than their unbelief? Observe at least that the action bears witness to His authority.

“He called, and the dead man came forth wrapped.” Then that the matter might not seem to be an appearance, (for his coming forth bound did not seem to be less marvelous than his resurrection,) Jesus commanded to loose him, in order that having touched and having been near him, they might see that it was really he. And He says,