Gregory the Dialogist — Commentary on Scripture

John 6:19

So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.

It can also be asked why, when the disciples were laboring on the sea, the Lord stood on the shore after His resurrection, though before His resurrection He had walked on the waves of the sea before His disciples. The reason for this matter is quickly understood if the cause that was then present is considered. For what does the sea signify except the present age, which dashes itself against the tumults of affairs and the waves of corruptible life? What is figured by the solidity of the shore except that perpetuity of eternal rest? Because the disciples were still amid the waves of mortal life, they were laboring on the sea. But because our Redeemer had already passed beyond the corruption of the flesh, after His resurrection He was standing on the shore.

John 6:26

Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

(xxiii. Moral. [c. xxv.]) In their persons too our Lord condemns all those within the holy Church, who, when brought near to God by sacred Orders, do not seek the recompense of righteousness, but the interests of this present life. To follow our Lord, when filled with bread, is to use Holy Church as a means of livelihood; and to seek our Lord not for the miracle's sake, but for the loaves, is to aspire to a religious office, not with a view to increase of grace, but to add to our worldly means.

John 6:70

Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?

(Moral. 1. xiii. c. xxxiv.) One of you is a devil: the bodyb is here named after its head.

John 7:37-39

In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

(super Ezech. Hom. x.) When sacred preaching floweth from the soul of the faithful, rivers of living water, as it were, run down from the bellies of believers. For what are the entrails of the belly but the inner part of the mind; i. e. a right intention, a holy desire, humility towards God, mercy toward man.

John 7:38

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

When sacred preaching flows from the soul of the faithful, rivers of living water, as it were, run down from the bellies of believers. For what are the insides of the belly but the inner part of the mind; in other words, a right intention, a holy desire, humility toward God and mercy toward your fellow human beings.

John 8:1-11

Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.

For he who judges not himself first, cannot know how to judge correctly in the case of another. For though He know what the offence is, from being told, yet He cannot judge of another's deserts, who supposing himself innocent, will not apply the rule of justice to himself.

John 8:7

So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

For whoever does not judge himself first cannot know how to judge correctly in the case of another. For even though he knows what the offense is because he was told what it is, he cannot judge what another deserves when, supposing himself innocent, he will not apply the rule of justice to himself.

John 8:31-36

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

(iv. Mor. c. 42. in Nov. Ex. 21) Because whoever yields to wrong desires, puts his hitherto free soul under the yoke of the evil one, and takes him for his master. But we oppose this master, when we straggle against the wickedness which has laid hold upon us, when we strongly resist habit, when we pierce sin with repentance, and wash away the spots of filth with tears.

(xxv. Moral. c. 20. not in Nov. Ex. 14) And the more freely men follow their perverse desires, the more closely are they in bondage to them.

John 8:34 · 2 passages

Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

And the more freely people follow their perverse desires, the more closely they are in bondage to them.

Whoever yields to wrong desires puts his formerly free soul under the yoke of the evil one and takes him for his master. But we oppose this master when we struggle against the wickedness that has laid hold on us, when we strongly resist habit, when we pierce sin with repentance and wash away the spots of filth with tears.

John 8:44-47

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

(Hom. xviii. in Evang.) Observe here the condescension of God. He who by virtue of His Divinity could justify sinners, deigns to show from reason, that He is not a sinner. It follows: He that is of God heareth God's words; ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

(ut sup.) Let him then, who would understand God's words, ask himself whether he hears them with the ears of his heart. For there are some who do not deign to hear God's commands even with their bodily ears; and there are others who do this, but do not embrace them with their heart's desire; and there are others again who receive God's words readily, yea and are touched, even to tears: but who afterwards go back to their sins again; and therefore cannot be said to hear the word of God, because they neglect to practise it.

John 8:46

Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

Consider, dearest brothers, the gentleness of God. He had come to forgive sins, and yet he said: "Which of you can convict me of sin?" He did not disdain to show by reasoning that he was not a sinner, he who by the power of his divinity could justify sinners.

John 8:47

He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

But what follows is very terrifying: "He who is of God hears the words of God; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God." For if he who is of God hears the words of God, and whoever is not of him cannot hear his words, let each one ask himself whether he perceives the words of God in the ear of his heart, and he will understand where he is from. The Truth commands us to desire the heavenly homeland, to crush the desires of the flesh, to shun the glory of the world, not to covet what belongs to others, and to give away what is our own. Therefore let each one of you consider within himself whether this voice of God has taken hold in the ear of his heart, and he will recognize that he is already of God. For there are some who do not deign to receive the precepts of God even with the ear of the body. And there are some who indeed receive them with the bodily ear, but embrace them with no desire of the mind. And there are some who gladly receive the words of God, so that they are even moved to tears of compunction, but after the time of weeping they return to iniquity. These…

But what follows is very terrifying: "He who is of God hears the words of God; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God." For if he who is of God hears the words of God, and whoever is not of him cannot hear his words, let each one ask himself whether he perceives the words of God in the ear of his heart, and he will understand where he is from. The Truth commands us to desire the heavenly homeland, to crush the desires of the flesh, to shun the glory of the world, not to covet what belongs to others, and to give away what is our own. Therefore let each one of you consider within himself whether this voice of God has taken hold in the ear of his heart, and he will recognize that he is already of God. For there are some who do not deign to receive the precepts of God even with the ear of the body. And there are some who indeed receive them with the bodily ear, but embrace them with no desire of the mind. And there are some who gladly receive the words of God, so that they are even moved to tears of compunction, but after the time of weeping they return to iniquity. These certainly do not hear the words of God, who scorn to put them into practice by their deeds. Therefore, dearest brothers, call your life back before the eyes of your mind, and with profound consideration fear what sounds from the mouth of Truth: "Therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."

John 8:48 · 2 passages

Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

But what the Truth says about the reprobate, the reprobate themselves show about themselves by their own works. For it follows: "The Jews therefore answered and said to him: Do we not say rightly that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?"

(ut sup.) Let him then, who would understand God's words, ask himself whether he hears them with the ears of his heart. For there are some who do not deign to hear God's commands even with their bodily ears; and there are others who do this, but do not embrace them with their heart's desire; and there are others again who receive God's words readily, yea and are touched, even to tears: but who afterwards go back to their sins again; and therefore cannot be said to hear the word of God, because they neglect to practise it.

John 8:49 · 2 passages

Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.

(Hom. xviii. in Evang.) See; when God suffers a wrong, He does not reply reproachfully: Jesus answered, I have not a devil. An intimation this to us, that when reproached by our neighbours falsely, we should not retort upon them by bringing forward their evil deeds, however true such charges might be; lest the vehicle of a just rebuke turn into a weapon of rage.

(Hom. xliii. 3) As all who have zeal toward God are liable to meet with dishonour from wicked men, our Lord has Himself set us an example of patience under this trial; And ye do dishonour Me.

But having received such an insult, let us hear what the Lord responds: "I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you have dishonored me." For since "Samaritan" is interpreted as "guardian," and he himself is truly the guardian of whom the Psalmist says: "Unless the Lord guards the city, in vain do those who guard it keep watch"; and to whom it is said through Isaiah: "Guardian, what of the night? Guardian, what of the night?" — the Lord did not wish to answer: "I am not a Samaritan"; but rather, "I do not have a demon." For indeed two things were charged against him: one he denied, the other he conceded by remaining silent. For he had come as the guardian of the human race; and if he had said that he was not a Samaritan, he would have denied that he was a guardian. But he kept silent about what he acknowledged, and patiently repelled what he heard falsely spoken, saying: "I do not have a demon." In these words, what else is confounded but our pride? For if it is provoked even slightly, it returns more savage injuries than it received: it does the evils it can, and threatens…

But having received such an insult, let us hear what the Lord responds: "I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you have dishonored me." For since "Samaritan" is interpreted as "guardian," and he himself is truly the guardian of whom the Psalmist says: "Unless the Lord guards the city, in vain do those who guard it keep watch"; and to whom it is said through Isaiah: "Guardian, what of the night? Guardian, what of the night?" — the Lord did not wish to answer: "I am not a Samaritan"; but rather, "I do not have a demon." For indeed two things were charged against him: one he denied, the other he conceded by remaining silent. For he had come as the guardian of the human race; and if he had said that he was not a Samaritan, he would have denied that he was a guardian. But he kept silent about what he acknowledged, and patiently repelled what he heard falsely spoken, saying: "I do not have a demon." In these words, what else is confounded but our pride? For if it is provoked even slightly, it returns more savage injuries than it received: it does the evils it can, and threatens even those it cannot do. Behold, the Lord receiving an injury does not grow angry, does not answer with insulting words. If he had wished to respond to those saying these things: "You have a demon," he would certainly have spoken the truth, because unless they had been filled with a demon, they could not have spoken such perverse things about God. But having received the injury, Truth did not wish to say even what was true, lest he should seem not to have spoken truth, but to have returned insult when provoked. From this matter, what is suggested to us except that at the time when we receive insults from neighbors out of falsehood, we should also keep silent about their true evils, lest we turn the ministry of just correction into weapons of fury? But because whoever uses zeal for God is dishonored by wicked men, the Lord provided us an example of patience in himself, when he says: "But I honor my Father, and you have dishonored me."

John 8:50 · 2 passages

And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.

But what we should do in such matters, he still admonishes us by example, when he adds: "But I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks and judges." We know certainly that it is written that the Father has given all judgment to the Son, and yet behold the same Son, receiving injuries, does not seek his own glory. He reserves the insults inflicted for the Father's judgment, so that he might surely intimate to us how patient we ought to be, since he who judges does not yet wish to avenge himself.

(ut sup.) How we are to take injuries, He shows us by His own example, when He adds, I seek not Mine own glory, there is one that seeketh and judgeth.

John 8:51

Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

(Hom. xviii. in Evang.) As the perversity of the wicked increases, preaching so far from giving way, ought even to become more active. Thus our Lord, after He had been accused of having a devil, imparts the treasures of preaching in a still larger degree: Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep My saying, he shall never see death.