XXXIII. 276 Jewish worship preferred to Samaritan: HOMIL. Jews at Jerusalem. Wherefore on this point He was silent, and having taken away from both places priority in dignity, rouses her soul by shewing that neither Jews nor Samaritans possessed any thing great in comparison with that which was to be given; and then He introduceth the difference. Yet even thus He declared that the Jews were more honourable, not preferring place to place, but giving them the precedence because of their intention. As though He had said, "About the place of worship ye have no need henceforth to dispute, but in the manner the Jews have an advantage over you Samaritans, for ye, He saith, worship ye know not what; we know what we worship." 26. How then did the Samaritans know not what they worshipped? Because they thought that God was local and partial; so at least they served Him, and so they sent to 2 Kings the Persians, and reported that "the God of this place is wroth with us," in this respect forming no higher opinion of Him than of their idols. Wherefore they continued to serve both Him and devils, joining things which ought not to be joined. The Jews, on the contrary, were free from this supposition, at least the greater part of them, and knew that He was God of the world. Therefore He saith, Ye worship ye know not what; we know what we worship. Do not wonder that He numbereth Himself among Jews, for He speaketh to the woman's opinion of Him as though He were a Jewish Prophet, and therefore He putteth, we worship. For that He is of the objects of worship is clear to every one, because to worship belongs to the creature, but to be worshipped to the Lord of the creature. But for a time He speaketh as a Jew; and the expression we in this place meaneth "we Jews." Having then exalted what was Jewish, He next maketh Himself credible, and persuadeth the woman to give the greater heed to His words, by rendering His discourse above suspicion, and shewing that He doth not exalt I al. 'fa- what belongs to them by reason of relationship' to those of His own tribe. For it is clear, that one Who had made these declarations concerning the place on which the Jews most prided themselves, and thought that they were superior to all, and Who had taken away their high claims, would not after this speak to get favour of any, but with truth and prophetic your' 2 al. at this rate' yet only a type of the true. IV. 23. 277 power. When therefore He had for a while removed her from JOHN such reasonings', saying, Woman, believe Me, and what follows, then He addeth, for salvation is of the Jews. What He saith is of this kind: either, that blessings to the world came from them, (for to know God and condemn idols had its beginning from them, and with you the very act of worship, although ye do it not rightly, yet received its origin from them,) or else, He speaketh of His own Coming. Or rather, one would not be wrong in calling both these things salvation which He said was of the Jews; which Paul implied when he said, of whom is Christ according to the flesh, Who is Rom. 9, God over all. Seest thou how He commendeth' the oldi Covenant, and sheweth that it is the root of blessings, and Kρoteî that He is throughout not opposed to the Law, since He maketh the groundwork of all good things to come from 2 úπÓthe Jews? Ver. 23. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father. We, O woman," He saith, "excel you in the manner of our worship, but even this shall henceforth have an end. Not the places only, but even the manner of serving God shall be changed. And this change is at your very doors. For the hour cometh, and now is." 5. συγ θεσιν [2.] For since what the Prophets said they said long before the event, to shew that here it is not so3, He saith, 3lit. ‘reAnd now is. "Think not," He saith," that this is a pro- this' moving phecy of such a kind as shall be accomplished after a long time, the fulfilment is already at hand and at your very doors, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. In saying true', He excludeth Jews as well al. as Samaritans; for although the Jews be better than the truth' Samaritans, yet are they far inferior to those that shall come, as inferior as is the type to the reality. But He speaketh of the Church, that she is the true worship, and such as is 5 meet for God. 5 For the Father seeketh such to worship Him. If then He in times past sought such as these, He allowed to those others their way of worship, not willingly, but from the Ms. in Bodl. 'not willing them to continue in those ancient (practices).' bal. removed (her) reasoning from such things.' The passage is read differently in or, 'this' XXXIII. I al.' by these means' HOMIL. condescension, and for this reason', that He might bring them in also. Who then are the true worshippers? Those who confine not their service by place, and who serve God in spirit; as Paul saith, Whom I serve in my spirit in the spirit. Gospel of His Son: and again, I beseech you that ye present in &c. your bodies a living sacrifice, acceptable unto God, your Rom. 1, reasonable service. But when He saith, 2 al.' in where ? 9. and 12, 1. Ver. 24. God is a Spirit, He declareth nothing else than His incorporeal Nature. Now the service of that which is incorporeal must needs be of the same character, and must be offered by that in us which is incorporeal, to wit, the soul, and purity of mind. Wherefore He saith, They that worship Him, must worship Him in spirit and in truth. For because both Samaritans and Jews were careless about the soul, but took great pains about the body, cleansing it in divers ways, " it is not,” He saith, "by purity of body, but by that which is incorporeal in us, namely the mind, that the Incorporeal One is served. Sacrifice then not sheep and calves, but dedicate thyself to the Lord; make thyself a holocaust, this is to offer a living sacrifice. Ye must worship in truth; as former things were types, such as circumcision, and whole burnt offerings, and victims, and incense, they now no longer exist, but all is truth. For a man must now circumcise not his flesh, but his evil thoughts, and crucify himself, and remove and slay his unreasonable desires." The woman was made dizzy by 3 árny- His discourse, and fainted at the sublimity of what He said, and, in her trouble, hear what she saith : ρευσε Ver. 25, 26. I know that Messias cometh, Which is called Christ, when He is come, He will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I am that speak unto thee. And whence came the Samaritans to expect the coming of Christ, seeing that they received Moses only? From the writings of Moses themselves. For even in the beginning Gen. 1, He revealed the Son. Let Us make man in Our Image, after Our Likeness, was said to the Son. It was He Who talked Gen. 18. with Abraham in the tent. And Jacob prophesying concerning Him said, A ruler shall not fail from Judah, nor a 26. a Ms. in Bodl. this is to worship e Ms. in Bodl. the law of Moses.' Why Christ revealed Himself to the woman. 279 IV. 27. ᾧ ἀπό κειται Deut.18, leader from his thighs, until He come for whom it is reserved', JOHN and He is the expectation of nations. And Moses himself saith, The Lord thy God will raise up unto you a Prophet of KEITAL your brethren like unto me, unto Him shall ye hearken. And 15. the circumstances attending the serpent, and the rod of Moses, and Isaac, and the sheep, and many other things they who chose might select as proclaiming His coming. "And why, pray," saith one," did not Christ lead on the woman by these means? why did He instance the serpent to Nicodemus, and mention prophecy to Nathanael, but to her say nothing of the kind? For what reason, and why?" Because they were men, and were versed in these things, she a poor ignorant woman unpractised in the Scriptures. Wherefore He doth not speak to her from them, but draweth her on by the water and by prophecy, and bringeth her to make mention of Christ, and then revealeth Himself; which had He at first told the woman when she had not questioned Him, He would have seemed to her to trifle and talk idly, while as it is by bringing her little by little to mention Him, at a fitting time He revealed Himself. To the Jews, who continually said, How long dost Thou make us to doubt? tell c.10,24. us if Thou art the Christ, to them? He gave no clear answer, 2 al. but to this woman He said plainly, that HE IS. For the woman was more fair-minded than the Jews; they did not enquire to learn, but always to mock at Him, for had they desired to learn, the teaching which was by His words, and by the Scriptures, and by His miracles would have been sufficient. The woman, on the contrary, said what she said from an impartial judgment and a simple mind, as is plain from what she did afterwards; for she both heard and believed, and netted others also, and in every circumstances rayhwe may observe the carefulness and faith of the woman. Ver. 27. And upon this came His disciples, (very seasonably did they come when the teaching was finished,) and marvelled that He talked with the woman, yet no man said, What seekest Thou? or, Why talkest Thou with her? [3.] At what did they marvel? At His want of pride and exceeding humility, that looked upon as He was, He endured with such lowliness of heart to talk with a woman poor, and 'this' νευσε 280 The beloved disciple to be imitated. HOMIL. a Samaritan. Still in their amazement they did not ask XXXIII. Him the reason, so well were they taught to keep the station 1. of disciples, so much did they fear and reverence Him. For although they did not as yet hold the right opinion concerning Him, still they gave heed unto Him as to some marvellous one, and paid Him much respect. Yet they frequently are seen to act confidently; as when John lay upon Mat. 18, His bosom, when they came to Him and said, Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, when the sons of Zebedee entreated Him to set one of them on His right hand, and the other on His left. Why then did they not here question Him? Because since all those instances related to themselves, they had need to enquire into them, while what here took place was of no such great importance to them. And indeed John did that a long time after towards the very end, when He enjoyed greater confidence, and was bold in the love of Christ; for he it was, he saith, whom Jesus loved. What could equal such blessedness? τον But, beloved, let us not stop at this, the calling the Apostle blessed, but let us do all things that we also may be of the blessed, let us imitate the Evangelist, and see what it was that caused such great love. What then was it? He left his father, his ship, and his net, and followed Jesus. Yet this he did in common with his brother, and Peter, and Andrew, and the rest of the Apostles. What then was the 1 aípe special1 thing which caused this great love? Shall we discover it? He saith nothing of this kind about himself, but only that he was beloved; as to the righteous acts for which he was beloved he has modestly been silent. That Jesus loved him with an especial love was clear to every one; yet John doth not appear conversing with or questioning Jesus privately, as Peter often did, and Philip, and Judas, and Thomas, except only when he desired to shew kindness and compliance to his fellow Apostle; for when 2 Kopu- the chief of the Apostles by beckoning constrained him, then he asked. For these two had great love each for the other. Thus, for instance, they are seen going up together into the Temple and speaking in common to the people. κορυ φαῖος f Ms. in Bodleian, for, saith the Evangelist, Peter looks on the disciple.' |