XV. 126 Christians members one of another. HOMIL. earth. It was for this that He brought His teaching from heaven above, that He might remove our thoughts thither, that we might be imitators of our Teacher according to our power. But how may we become imitators of Christ? By acting in every thing for the common good, and not merely Rom. seeking our own. For even Christ, saith Paul, pleased not 15, 3. Ps.69,9. Himself, but as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached Thee fell on Me. Let no one therefore seek his own. In truth, a man (really) seeks his own good when he looks to that of his neighbour. What is their good is ours; we are one body, and parts and limbs one of another. Let us not then be as though we were rent asunder. Let no one say, "such a person is no friend of mine, nor relation, nor neighbour, I have nought to do with him, how shall I approach, how address him?" Though he be neither relation nor friend, yet he is a man, who shares the same nature with thee, owns the same Lord, is thy fellow servant, and fellow 1 μó- sojourner1, for he is born in the same world. And if besides tent- he partakes of the same faith, behold he hath also become a fellow' member of thee: for what friendship could work such union, 2 al. 'care' as the relationship of faith? And our intimacy one with another must not be such nearness only as friends ought to shew to friends, but such as is between limb and limb, because no man can possibly discover any intimacy greater than this sort of friendship and fellowship. As then you cannot say, "Whence arises my intimacy and connection with this limb? (that would be ridiculous ;) so neither can 1 Cor. you say so in the case of your brother. We are all baptized 12, 13. into one body, saith Paul. Wherefore into one body? That we be not rent asunder, but preserve the just proportions of that one body by our intercourse and friendship one with another. 29. but Let us not then despise one another, lest we be neglectful Eph. 5, of ourselves'. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, nourisheth and cherisheth it. And therefore God hath given to us but one habitation, this earth, hath distributed all things equally, hath lighted one sun for us all, hath spread 3 vñ above us one roof, the sky, made one table, the earth, bear3 food for us. And another table hath He given far better 1 al. let us then so care for our neighbours, as not neglecting each his own flesh. Pride and avarice separate, charity unites. 127 1 I. 18. τίμως than this, yet that too is one, (those who share our mysteries JOHN understand my words,) one manner of Birth He hath bestowed on all, the spiritual, we all have one country, that in the heavens, of the same cup drink we all. He hath not bestowed on the rich man a gift more abundant and more honourable, and on the poor one more mean and small, but He hath called all alike. He hath given carnal things with equal regard to all, and spiritual in like manner. Whence then proceeds the great inequality of conditions in life? From the avarice and pride of the wealthy. But let not, brethren, let not this any longer be; and when matters of universal interest and more pressing necessity bring us together, let us not be divided by things earthly and insignificant: I mean, by wealth and poverty, by bodily relationship, by enmity and friendship; for all these things are a shadow, nay less substantial than a shadow, to those who possess the bond of charity from above. Let us then preserve this unbroken, and none of those evil spirits will be 2 al. able to enter in, who cause division in so perfect union3; to sions' which may we all attain by the grace and loving-kindness of3 al. our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom and with Whom, to the with Father and the Holy Ghost, be glory, now and ever, and Him' world without end. Amen. 2 pas ' union HOMILY XVI. 1 Cor. 6, 7. JOHN i. 19. And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? A DREADFUL thing is envy, beloved, a dreadful thing and a pernicious, to the enviers, not to the envied. For it harms and wastes them first, like some mortal venom deeply seated in their souls; and if by chance it injure its objects, the harm it does is small and trifling, and such as brings greater gain than loss. Indeed not in the case of envy only, but in every other, it is not he that has suffered, but he that has done the wrong, who receives injury. For had not this been so, Paul would not have enjoined the disciples rather to endure wrong than to inflict it, when he says, Why do ye not rather take wrong? Why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Well he knew, that destruction ever follows, not the injured party, but the injuring. All this I have said, by reason of the envy of the Jews. Because those who had flocked from the cities to John, and had condemned their own sins, and caused themselves to be baptized, repenting as it were after Baptism, send to ask him, Who art thou? Of a truth they were the offspring of vipers, serpents, and even worse if possible than this. O evil and adulterous and perverse generation, after having been baptized, do ye then become vainly curious, and question about the Baptist? What folly can be greater than this of yours? How was it that ye came forth? that ye confessed your sins, that ye ran to the Baptist? How was it that you Christ in outward appearance inferior to the Baptist. 129 I. 19. asked him what you must do? when in all this you were JOHN acting unreasonably, since you knew not the principle and purpose of his coming. Yet of this the blessed John said nothing, nor does he charge or reproach them with it, but answers them with all gentleness. 11. 10, 7. It is worth while to learn why he did thus. It was, that their wickedness might be manifest and plain to all men. Often did John testify of Christ to the Jews, and when he baptized them he continually made mention of Him to his company, and said, I indeed baptize you with water, but Matt.3, there cometh One after me Who is mightier than I; He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. With regard to him they were affected by a human feeling; for, tremblingly attentive' to the opinion of the world, and looking to ixrmμένοι the outward appearance, they deemed it an unworthy thing 2 Cor. that he should be subject to Christ. Since there were many things that pointed out John for an illustrious person. In the first place, his distinguished and noble descent; for he was the son of a chief priest. Then his conversation, his austere mode of life, his contempt of all human things; for despising dress and table, and house and food itself, he had passed his former time in the desert. In the case of Christ all was the contrary of this. His family was mean, (as they often objected to Him, saying, Is not this the carpenter's Mat. 13, son? Is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren 55. James and Joses?) and that which was supposed to be His country was held in such evil repute, that even Nathanael said, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? c. 1, 46. His mode of living was ordinary, and His garments not better than those of the many. For He was not girt with a leathern girdle, not was His raiment of hair, nor did He eat honey and locusts. But He fared like all others, and was present at the feasts of wicked men and publicans, that He might draw them to Him. Which thing the Jews not understanding reproached Him with, as He also saith Himself, The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they Mat.11, say, Behold a gluttonous man and a wine bibber, a friend 19. of publicans and sinners. When then John continually sent them from himself to Jesus, who seemed to them a meaner person, being ashamed and vexed at this, and wishing rather K XVI. 130 Design of the Jews in questioning the Baptist : HOMIL. to have him for their teacher, they did not dare to say so plainly, but send to him, thinking by their flattery to induce him to confess that he was the Christ. They do not therefore send to him mean men, as in the case of Christ, for when they wished to lay hold on Him, they sent servants, and then Herodians, and the like, but in this instance, priests and Levites, and not merely priests, but those from Jerusalem, that is, the more honourable; for the Evangelist did not notice this without a cause. And they send to ask, Who art thou? Yet the manner of his birth was well known to all, so Luke 1, that all said, What manner of child shall this be? and the report had gone forth into all the hill country. And afterwards when he came to Jordan, all the cities were set on the wing, and came to him from Jerusalem, and from all Judæa, to be baptized. Why then do they1 now ask? Not because there- they did not know him, (how could that be, when he had been made manifest in so many ways?) but because they wished to bring him to do that which I have mentioned. 66. 1 al. 'these fore' [2.] Hear then how this blessed person answered to the intention with which they asked the question, not to the question itself. When they said, Who art thou? he did not at once give them what would have been the direct answer, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. But what did he? He removed the suspicion they had formed; for, saith the Evangelist, being asked, Who art thou? Ver. 20. He confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. Observe the wisdom of the Evangelist. He mentions this for the third time, to set forth the excellency of the Baptist, and their wickedness and folly. And Luke also says, that when the multitudes supposed him to be the Christ, he again removes their suspicion. This is the part of an honest servant, not only not to take to himself his master's honour, dango but also to reject it when given to him by the many. But the multitudes arrived at this supposition from simplicity and ignorance; these questioned him from an ill intention, εσθαι a Morel. in like manner one may see in Luke, (3, 16.) John saying to those who reasoned concerning him whether he was the Christ, that One mightier than I cometh, and by his answer again removing such a suspicion.' |