Homilies on the Gospel of John

“Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end.”

1. “Be imitators of me,” said Paul, “as I also am of Christ.” For on this account He took also flesh of our substance, that by means of it He might teach us virtue. For (“God sending His own Son) in the likeness of sinful flesh,” it says, “and for sin condemned sin in the flesh.” And Christ Himself says, “Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.” And this He taught, not by words alone, but by actions also. For they called Him a Samaritan, and one that had a devil, and a deceiver, and cast stones at Him; and at one time the Pharisees sent servants to take Him, at another they sent plotters against Him; and they continued also insulting Him themselves, and that when they had no fault to find, but were even being continually benefited. Still after such conduct He ceases not to do well to them both by words and deeds. And, when a certain domestic smote Him on the face, He said, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil, but if well, why do you smite Me?” But this was to those who hated and plotted against Him. Let us see also what He does now towards the disciples, or rather what actions He now exhibits towards the traitor. The man whom most of all there was reason to hate, because being a disciple, having shared the table and the salt, having seen the miracles and been deemed worthy of such great things, he acted more grievously than any, not stoning indeed, nor insulting Him, but betraying and giving Him up, observe in how friendly sort He receives this man, washing his feet; for even in this way He desired to restrain him from that wickedness. Yet it was in His power, had He willed it, to have withered him like the fig-tree, to have cut him in two as He rent the rocks, to have cleft him asunder like the veil; but He would not lead him away from his design by compulsion, but by choice. Wherefore He washed his feet; and not even by this was that wretched and miserable man shamed.

“Before the feast of the Passover,” it says, “Jesus knowing that His hour had come.” Not then “knowing,” but (it means) that He did what He did having “known” long ago. “That He should depart.” Magnificently the Evangelist calls His death, “departure.” “Having loved His own, He loved them unto the end.” Do you see how when about to leave them He shows greater love? For the, “having loved, He loved them unto the end,” shows that he omitted nothing of the things which it was likely that one who earnestly loved would do. Why, then did He not this from the beginning? He works the greatest things last, so as to render more intense their attachment, and to lay up for them beforehand much comfort, against the terrible things that were about to fall on them. St. John calls them “His own,” in respect of personal attachment, since he calls others also “His own,” in respect of the work of creation; as when he says, “His own received Him not.” But what means, “which were in the world”? Because the dead also were “His own,” Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the men of that sort, but they were not in the world. Do you see that He is the God both of the Old and New (Testament)? But what means, “He loved them unto the end”? It stands for, “He continued loving them unceasingly,” and this the Evangelist mentions as a sure proof of great affection. Elsewhere indeed He spoke of another (proof), the laying down life for His friends; but that had not yet come to pass. And wherefore did He this thing “now”? Because it was far more wonderful at a time when He appeared more glorious in the sight of all men. Besides, He left them no small consolation now that He was about to depart, for since they were going to be greatly grieved, He by these means introduces also comfort to the grief.