Homilies on the Gospel of John

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receives whomsoever I send, receives Me: and He that receives Me, receives Him that sent Me.”

1. Great is the recompense of care bestowed upon the servants of God, and of itself it yields to us its fruits. For, “he that receives you,” it says, “receives Me, and he that receives Me, receives Him that sent Me.” Now what can be equal to the receiving Christ and His Father? But what kind of connection has this with what was said before? What has it in common with that which He had said, “If you do these things happy are you,” to add, “He that receives you”? A close connection, and very harmonious. Observe how. When they were about to go forth and to suffer many dreadful things, He comforts them in two ways; one derived from Himself, the other derived from others. “For if,” He says, “you are truly wise, ever keeping Me in mind, and bearing about all both what I said, and what I did, you will easily endure terrible things. And not in this way only, but also from your enjoying great attention from all men.” The first point He declared when He said, “If you do these things happy are you”; the second when He said, “He that receives you receives Me.” For He opened the houses of all men to them, so that both from the sound wisdom of their manners, and the zeal of those who would tend them, they might have twofold comfort. Then when He had given these directions to them as to men about to run through all the world, reflecting that the traitor was deprived of both of these things, and would enjoy neither of them, neither patience in toils, nor the service of kind entertainers, He again was troubled. And the Evangelist to signify this besides, and to show that it was on his account that He was troubled, adds,