St John Chapter vii : Verses 31-40
 |
| The rulers and Pharisees sent ministers to apprehend him. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum. |
32 The Pharisees heard the people murmuring these things concerning him: and the rulers and Pharisees sent ministers to apprehend him.
33 Jesus therefore said to them: Yet a little while I am with you: and then I go to him that sent me.
34 You shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither you cannot come.
35 The Jews therefore said among themselves: Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?
36 What is this saying that he hath said: You shall seek me, and shall not find me; and where I am, you cannot come?
37 And on the last, and great day of the festivity, Jesus stood and cried, saying: If any man thirst, let him come to me, and drink.
38 He that believeth in me, as the scripture saith, Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
39 Now this he said of the Spirit which they should receive, who believed in him: for as yet the Spirit was not given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
40 Of that multitude therefore, when they had heard these words of his, some said: This is the prophet indeed.
31 ⸂ἐκ τοῦ ὄχλου δὲ πολλοὶ⸃ ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτόν, καὶ ⸀ἔλεγον· Ὁ χριστὸς ὅταν ἔλθῃ ⸀μὴ πλείονα ⸀σημεῖα ποιήσει ὧν οὗτος ἐποίησεν;
31 De turba autem multi crediderunt in eum, et dicebant : Christus cum venerit, numquid plura signa faciet quam quae hic facit?
32 Ἤκουσαν οἱ Φαρισαῖοι τοῦ ὄχλου γογγύζοντος περὶ αὐτοῦ ταῦτα, καὶ ἀπέστειλαν ⸂οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι ὑπηρέτας⸃ ἵνα πιάσωσιν αὐτόν.
32 Audierunt pharisaei turbam murmurantem de illo haec : et miserunt principes et pharisaei ministros ut apprehenderent eum.
33 εἶπεν οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ἔτι ⸂χρόνον μικρὸν⸃ μεθ’ ὑμῶν εἰμι καὶ ὑπάγω πρὸς τὸν πέμψαντά με.
33 Dixit ergo eis Jesus : Adhuc modicum tempus vobiscum sum : et vado ad eum qui me misit.
34 ζητήσετέ με καὶ οὐχ ⸀εὑρήσετέ, καὶ ὅπου εἰμὶ ἐγὼ ὑμεῖς οὐ δύνασθε ἐλθεῖν.
34 Quaeretis me, et non invenietis : et ubi ego sum, vos non potestis venire.
35 εἶπον οὖν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι πρὸς ἑαυτούς· Ποῦ οὗτος μέλλει πορεύεσθαι ὅτι ἡμεῖς οὐχ εὑρήσομεν αὐτόν; μὴ εἰς τὴν διασπορὰν τῶν Ἑλλήνων μέλλει πορεύεσθαι καὶ διδάσκειν τοὺς Ἕλληνας;
35 Dixerunt ergo Judaei ad semetipsos : Quo hic iturus est, quia non inveniemus eum? numquid in dispersionem gentium iturus est, et docturus gentes?
36 τίς ἐστιν ⸂ὁ λόγος οὗτος⸃ ὃν εἶπε· Ζητήσετέ με καὶ οὐχ ⸀εὑρήσετέ, καὶ ὅπου εἰμὶ ἐγὼ ὑμεῖς οὐ δύνασθε ἐλθεῖν;
36 quis est hic sermo, quem dixit : Quaeretis me, et non invenietis : et ubi sum ego, vos non potestis venire?
37 Ἐν δὲ τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ μεγάλῃ τῆς ἑορτῆς εἱστήκει ὁ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἔκραξεν λέγων· Ἐάν τις διψᾷ ἐρχέσθω πρός με καὶ πινέτω.
37 In novissimo autem die magno festivitatis stabat Jesus, et clamabat dicens : Si quis sitit, veniat ad me et bibat.
38 ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμέ, καθὼς εἶπεν ἡ γραφή, ποταμοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτοῦ ῥεύσουσιν ὕδατος ζῶντος.
38 Qui credit in me, sicut dicit Scriptura, flumina de ventre ejus fluent aquae vivae.
39 τοῦτο δὲ εἶπεν περὶ τοῦ πνεύματος ⸀οὗ ἔμελλον λαμβάνειν οἱ ⸀πιστεύσαντες εἰς αὐτόν· οὔπω γὰρ ἦν ⸀πνεῦμα, ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ⸀οὐδέπω ἐδοξάσθη.
39 Hoc autem dixit de Spiritu, quem accepturi erant credentes in eum : nondum enim erat Spiritus datus, quia Jesus nondum erat glorificatus.
40 ⸂Ἐκ τοῦ ὄχλου οὖν⸃ ἀκούσαντες ⸂τῶν λόγων τούτων⸃ ⸀ἔλεγον· Οὗτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ προφήτης·
40 Ex illa ergo turba cum audissent hos sermones ejus, dicebant : Hic est vere propheta.
Annotations
31. But of the people many believed in him, and said: When the Christ cometh, shall he do more miracles, than these which this man doth? For the people were more simple-minded, candid, and eager for their own salvation, than the priests, who hated Jesus, whom the people regarded as the Messiah, while they themselves were but little regarded; which greatly excited their hatred against Christ.
When the Christ cometh, shall he do more miracles, than these which this man doth? Why then should we not accept this man who is here as the Christ? For it is prudence to prefer a certainty to an uncertainty, and the present to the future. For they had seen many miracles wrought, of which S. John says nothing, as having been related at length by the other Evangelists. So says S. Chrysostom, “The people conjectured rightly, being led, as it were, on their own feet to proper belief, through the greatness of what they had seen, but waiting for the teaching of the rulers respecting Christ:” and further on, “the head (as is said) became the tail. For the rulers simply follow, and consenting to the wickedness of the Pharisees make a headlong attack on Christ.”
32. The Pharisees heard the people murmuring these things concerning him: and the rulers and Pharisees sent ministers to apprehend him. As though He were exciting the people to sedition (Euthymius); but more truly from envy. The Greek adds “the chief priests.” The Pharisees belonged to the Council, and accused Jesus before the chief priests, and drew them over to their resolve to kill Jesus.
33. Jesus therefore said unto them, &c., that is, to the officers of the chief priests, to win them over (says Chrysostom) by showing that He knew the cause of their coming, “and that they might tell it to their masters.” “Yet a little while.” I will not for long trouble your masters, for I am weary of dwelling with murderers. “I will fly from the ungodly,” says Cyril. “I will preach for six months more among you, till the Passover. For then will be My time, appointed by the Father, to die for the salvation of the world. It is in vain that ye now seek to kill Me. Ye can do nothing against God’s will. Ye are labouring in vain, and kicking against the pricks.” Christ here displays His greatness of mind, and His divine foreknowledge and power, wherewith He laughs their efforts to scorn, and disperses them as spiders’ webs. I go; that is, I shall soon go, signifying that His death was voluntary, says Theophylact, quoting S. Chrysostom. It was in vain that they attempted violence against Him. “I go” means “I will go of My own accord and give up myself to you for bonds, scourging and death.” To him that sent me. This signifies (1.) that He would go willingly, (2.) that the persecution of the rulers would do Him no hurt (so Chrysostom and Euthymius). (3.) He would alarm them, for, going to the Father, He would declare to Him their hatred towards Him, and demand punishment. So S. Chrysostom and S. Cyril. “In vain ye sharpen against Me the sword of wickedness. Ye will not make life subject to death; I shall ascend into heaven, bearing before angels and men the accusation of your wickedness. For the first will wonder at His return, and the others, going forth to meet Him, will ask ‘What are these wounds in Thy hands?’ And I will answer, ‘With these was I wounded in the house of My beloved’ ” (Zech. 13:6).
34. You shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither you cannot come. Ye will seek for another Messiah, but ye will not find Him, for there is no other Christ but Myself. So Toletus. But this is far from clear, and not to the point. It means more plainly and simply: When ye hear that I have risen, and by My disciples am working miracles, ye will seek to kill Me again, and thus utterly extirpate My name and My religion. But ye will not find Me, for I shall ascend with glory into heaven and though ye slay My Apostles, I will put others in their place to propagate My doctrine and Church through all the world. So Rupertus.
But (4.) Jansen and others explain thus. After My death and ascension many of you who despised Me, will by the preaching of the Apostles desire to see and hear Me, but will not find Me because I go up to heaven. So Cyril, who teaches that a blessing should be embraced when present, lest afterward we should seek for it in vain. For opportunity has locks (of hair) in front (as is said), but is bald behind.
Morally, Learn to admire and imitate Christ’s calmness and patience in answering. “For,” says S. Cyril, “a mind devoted to God ought to avoid all assaults of anger, and to take pleasure in gentle thoughts. Labour greatly to be versed in endurance, that thou mayest appear to all to bear adversities patiently, to have a gentle mind, and not to speak unseemly words even against thine enemies.”
35. The Jews therefore said among themselves: Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?
36. What is this saying that he hath said: You shall seek me, and shall not find me; and where I am, you cannot come? That is to the Gentiles scattered throughout the world. Hence the Epistles written to them are called Catholic or universal. The Jews scornfully termed the Gentiles “dispersed,” whereas they themselves were gathered together in one spot, and again because they were “dispersed” among many errors and superstitions, while the Jews were united in one orthodox faith and served the one true and only God with one mind.
The Jews did not understand Christ’s meaning, because they did not believe that He would go up again to heaven. And yet they spake the truth, for when the Jews rejected the faith, the Apostles transferred it to the Gentiles (see Acts xiii. 46).
37. And on the last, and great day of the festivity, Jesus stood and cried, saying: If any man thirst, let him come to me, and drink. This was called the day of the assembly or gathering, when the people in a body went to the temple. Christ therefore wished to implant in the people, as they were departing, not merely a longing for Himself, and doubts respecting His religion, but to bring it keenly home to them, just as a preacher should do at the end of his discourse “Since they were going home,” says S. Chrysostom, “He gives them saving food for their journey.”
Symbolically. The feast of tabernacles was joyful, and thus a type of the resurrection and joy of the blessed, to which Christ just before said He was going. So S. Cyril.
If any one thirst for his own salvation, and a happy and blessed eternity (for these we should especially thirst for and desire, as the highest good), “let him come to Me,” i.e., believe in Me, and draw from Me Gospel truth, yea the Holy Spirit Himself, with all His gifts and virtues, for He will lead him to heavenly glory, where all his desires will be fully satisfied (comp. Is. lv.1).
38. He that believeth in me, as the scripture saith, i.e., as he ought, by faith, moulded by love: he that so believeth as also to obey Me and My commands.
Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Where is this said? (1.) Rupertus, S. Thomas, and S. Jerome say in Prov. v. 16, “Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad.” (2.) F. Lucas in Is. lviii. 8, “Thou shalt be like a watered garden.” (3.) Others say that it is stated not in one place, but in many, for the prophets every where foretell that the abundance of spiritual gifts which Christ would give, would be like showers of water. See Joel ii. 28; Is. xli. 18, xliv. 3. See also Ezek. xxxvi. 25, and Ecclus. xxiv. 40, Vulg., “I wisdom poured forth rivers,” &c. (In Angl. verses 30, 31), and Cant. iv. 15, “A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.”
Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Rivers (say S. Ambrose and Theophylact), not a river, to denote the greatest abundance, force and efficacy of spiritual graces, as e.g., rivers of charity, of virginity, of martyrdoms and martyrs, of wisdom and of Christian eloquence. So S. Chrysostom, Rupertus, and others. S. Gregory (Hom. x. on Ezek.) saith: “Because holy teachings flow from the minds of the faithful, as streams of living waters from the belly of believers. For what is the belly, but the inner feelings of the mind, that is, right intention, holy desire, and a will which is humble towards God, and loving to its neighbour?”
“Consider,” says S. Chrysostom, “the eloquence of Peter, the vehemence of Paul, and the wisdom of Stephen, for nothing escapes them as they speak, but they all go on as hurried forward by impetuously rushing streams.” As was the case at Pentecost, when Peter poured forth the streams of his spirit, and by one discourse converted three, and by another five, thousand Jews to Christ. And hence S. Jerome (Ep. lxi. to Pammacheus) saith, “Paul was a chosen vessel, a trumpet of the Gospel, a roaring of a lion, a torrent of Christian eloquence: for as oft as I read him methinks I hear not words but thunders.” And S. Chrysostom saith, “Paul is the heaven which hath the sun of righteousness, being himself a most pure and most profound sea of wisdom” (Hom. iv. de laudibus S. Pauli). But observe that Christ is the fount of living water, that is of living and quickening grace, “For with thee is the fountain of life;” (Ps. xxxv. 10), and if we drink of this fountain (i.e., if we believe in Christ and obey Him), He will be in us a fountain of water springing up into eternal life (see John iv. 14). This fountain is the Holy Spirit, or His abundant and plenteous grace. And from this fountain dwelling in the soul, the countless and most perfect spiritual gifts and virtues flow, like rivers and streams, into the soul and body, into all their powers and acts, and reach even to those about them. For “the grace of the Spirit,” saith Chrysostom, “when it enters and waters the mind, fertilises it more than any stream; it never fails, never falls short, never stops.” He therefore speaks of its indefectible abundance, and its wondrous operation, as a fountain and stream.
“Faith, hope, and charity are streams of the Holy Spirit,” says S. Gregory, as S. John explains it below.
Out of his belly. That is, the heart and mind. “The belly” (says S. Augustine) “is the conscience of the heart, for purified by this water, it will be itself a fountain. But the fountain is benevolence, which seeks the good of its neighbour, and therefore is not dried up, but ever flows.
shall flow. Abundantly, in virtuous acts, by the operations and impulses of the Holy Spirit, to lead not only themselves but others also to heaven. For the spring of this spiritual stream is in heaven, and it flows back to its original source, and carries back thither spiritual men with it (see chap. iv. 14).
living water. Not stagnant waters, but flowing and springing up. Abundance of living waters. (1.) Charity (S. Augustine). (2.) Spiritual joy (see Ps. 46.) (S. Basil). (3.) Evangelical doctrine (S. Ambrose). (4.) Heavenly happiness and glory, which S. John compares to the river of the water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God, and of the Lamb (Rev. 22:1). (5.) A fount of all grace and glory, all gifts of the Holy Spirit (so S. Chrysostom, Cyril, Origen, &c.)
39. Now this he said of the Spirit which they should receive, who believed in him: After His death, and by His merits at Pentecost, for before that the Apostles had not received it so copiously and abundantly as at that time; and they at once watered the parched earth by the streams of their preaching and virtue, fertilised it by their good works, inebriated it by the love of God, and inundated it with all virtues, by means of the living water of Christian grace, life, and doctrine.
for as yet the Spirit was not given, because Jesus was not yet glorified, i.e., the Holy Spirit was not yet given so copiously, because Jesus was not yet glorified. But why was not the Holy Spirit given visibly and abundantly before His Ascension? (1.) S. Leo says, “In order that this gift and pouring forth of the Holy Spirit might be acknowledged as the fruit of His Passion, Ascension and Triumph. Just as kings give largesses to their people on occasions of great joy, as triumphs and so forth. (See Acts ii. 33.) “His Ascension” (says S. Leo) “was the cause of His giving His Holy Spirit.” (2.) The sending of the Spirit was the glorification of Christ. For the Spirit by the greatness of His gifts wondrously set forth the glory of Christ. For He wrought so many miracles by the Apostles, as to convert the whole world to Christ. (3.) Because the disciples before the Ascension were not able to receive so great a gift, having such carnal notions of Christ. (4.) S. Augustine (in loc), “He willed not to give the Spirit till after His Resurrection, in order that our charity might glow for the Resurrection, and being separated from the world may run wholly towards Him.” And S. Cyril, “Christ then became the Principle of our renewed nature, when, counting as nothing the bands of death, He rose again.” And again, “There was in the Prophets a certain rich brightness of the Holy Spirit, and a light shining before them, to guide them to the knowledge of things to come. But to those who believed in Christ, there was not only the Holy Spirit, as a light to lead them on the way, but He dwelt within them, as if in His temple.”
For then streams of grace not only flowed, but poured down from heaven, not merely on a few, but on very many of the faithful. From thence there flowed forth such thousands of martyrs, who nobly endured the rack, the flames and the lions; so many bands of virgins victoriously contending even to death for their Christian virginity; so many swarms of monks and anchorets who in monasteries and deserts lived separate from the world and for God, as men of heaven, and angels upon earth; so many orders of Pontiffs and Prelates, who governed most holily the churches committed to them, and moulded them to perfect sanctity; such bands of Doctors, Preachers and Confessors, who scattered on every side their streams of doctrine and holy living, by their teaching, preaching and writings, enlightening the whole world with the knowledge of God, and enkindling it by His love; of whom it is said, “He shall pour forth as showers his wise sentences” (Ecclus. xxxix. 6). And lastly, so many myriads of the faithful, both men and women, who living soberly, justly and godly in this world, eagerly looked, and still look for the glorious coming of our Great God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Is not this great and unending glory to Jesus Christ?
+ + +
SUB tuum præsidium confugimus, Sancta Dei Genitrix. Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus, sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper, Virgo gloriosa et benedicta. Amen.
The Vladimirskaya Icon. >12th century.
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
No comments:
Post a Comment