Homilies on the Gospel of John

“These things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go My way to Him that sent Me; and none of you asks Me, Where are You going? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow has filled your heart.”

1. Great is the tyranny of despondency, and much courage do we need so as to stand manfully against the feeling, and after gathering from it what is useful, to let the superfluous go. It has somewhat useful; for when we ourselves or others sin, then only is it good to grieve; but when we fall into human vicissitudes, then despondency is useless. And now when it has overthrown the disciples who were not yet perfect, see how Christ raises them again by His rebuke. They who before this had asked Him ten thousand questions, (for Peter said, “Where are You going?” [c. xiii. 36]; and Thomas, “We know not whither You go, and how can we know the way?” [<!--<span class="stiki"></span>-->100:xiv. 5 and 8]; and Philip, “Show us Your Father”;) these men, I say, now hearing, “they will put you out of the synagogues,” and “will hate you,” and “whosoever kills you will think that he does God service,” were so cast down as to be struck dumb, so that they spoke nothing to Him. This then He makes a reproach to them, and says, “These things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you; but now I go unto Him that sent Me, and none of you asks Me, Where are You going? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow has filled your heart.” For a dreadful thing is immoderate sorrow, dreadful and effective of death. Wherefore Paul said, “Lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up by overmuch sorrow.”

“And these things,” says He, “I told you not at the beginning.” Why did He not tell them at the beginning? That none might say that He spoke guessing from the ordinary course of events. And why did He enter on a matter of such unpleasantness? “I knew these things,” He says, “from the beginning, and spoke not of them; not because I did not know them, but 'because I was with you.'” And this again was spoken after a human manner, as though He had said, “Because you were in safety, and it was in your power to question Me when you would, and all the storm blew upon Me, and it was superfluous to tell you these things at the beginning.” “But did He not tell them this? Did He not call the twelve, and say unto them, 'You shall be brought before governors and kings for My sake,' and, 'they shall scourge you in the synagogues'?. How then says He, 'I told you not at the beginning'?” Because He had proclaimed before the scourgings and bringing before princes, still not that their death should appear so desirable that the action should even be deemed a service to God. For this more than anything was suited to terrify them, that they were to be judged as impious and corrupters. This too may be said, that in that place He spoke of what they should suffer from the Gentiles, but here He has added in a stronger way the acts of the Jews also, and told them that it was at their doors.

“But now I go to Him that sent Me, and no man of you says, Where are You going? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow has filled your heart.” It was no slight comfort to them to learn that He knew the excess of their despondency. For they were beside themselves from the anguish caused by their being left by Him, and from their awaiting the terrible things which were to come, since they knew not whether they should be able to bear them manfully. “Why then after this did He not tell them that they had been vouchsafed the Spirit?” That you might learn that they were exceedingly virtuous. For if, when they had not yet been vouchsafed the Spirit, they started not back, though overwhelmed with sorrow, consider what sort of men they were likely to be after having enjoyed the grace. If they had heard this at that time, and so had endured, we should have attributed the whole to the Spirit, but now it is entirely the fruit of their own state of mind, it is a clear manifestation of their love for Christ, who applies a touchstone to their mind as yet defenseless.