John Chrysostom, On John

to confess a Master. 59.129 For as to a king's true son, so the king's ministers went up and came down, now at the time of the cross, now at the time of the resurrection and the ascension, and before this, when they came and ministered to Him, when they announced the good tidings of His birth, when they cried, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace; when they came to Mary, when to Joseph. What He did in many cases, He does now also. He mentions two prophecies, and of the one He gives the proof already, while He confirms the one that is to come from the one that is present. For of the things that were said, some received proof, such as, Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree; while others were about to come to pass, and partly have come to pass, the descent and ascent of the angels, at the cross, at the resurrection, and the ascension; which also He makes credible by what has been said, even before the event. For he who has known His power in past events, and hears about future ones, would more easily receive this prophecy also. What then of Nathanael? He answers nothing to this. Wherefore also Christ brought His speech to him to this point, allowing him to reflect by himself on what had been said, and not wishing to pour out everything at once, but having cast the seeds into fertile soil, He leaves it to sprout at leisure hereafter. Which He showed also elsewhere, saying: The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed. And while he slept, the enemy comes, and sows tares among the wheat. On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee. And Jesus was invited to the wedding. And the mother of Jesus was there, and his brothers. I have said before, that He was better known in Galilee; for this reason they also call Him to the wedding, and He comes. For He looked not to His own dignity, but to our benefit. For He who did not disdain to take the form of a servant, much more would He not disdain to come to the wedding of servants; He who reclined with tax collectors and sinners, much more would He not refuse to recline with those present at the wedding. However, those who invited Him did not have a proper judgment concerning Him, nor did they call Him as someone great, but simply as one of the many and as an acquaintance. And the evangelist hinted at this, saying: And the mother of Jesus was there, and His brothers. So just as they invited her and the brothers, they invited Jesus also. And when the wine ran out, His mother says: They have no wine. It is worth inquiring here, whence it came to the mother to imagine something great about her Child. For He had not yet performed any sign. For this, it says, was the beginning of the signs that Jesus did in Cana of Galilee. 2. But if someone should say that this is not sufficient proof that this was the beginning of the signs, because it simply adds, In Cana of Galilee, implying that it might have been the first one done there, but not necessarily the first one of all (for it is likely that He had done others elsewhere); we will say to him what we have also said before. What is this? What John says: And I did not know Him; but that He might be revealed to Israel, for this reason I came baptizing. But if He had performed miracles from His early years, the Israelites would not have needed 59.130 another to reveal Him. For He who, when He came to manhood, and thus from His miracles was made known not only to those in Judea, but also to those in Syria and beyond, and having done these things in only three years, or rather not even needing these three to show Himself; for immediately and from the first the report of Him went out everywhere; He, therefore, who in a short time shone so brightly through the multitude of miracles, so that His name became well-known to all; much more if as a child He had performed miracles from His earliest years, He would not have remained hidden for so long a time. For the things done would have seemed more marvelous, being done by a youth, and the time was twice and three times and much more

ὁμολογῆσαι ∆εσπότην. 59.129 Ὡς γὰρ ἐπὶ υἱὸν βασιλέως γνήσιον, οὕτως ἀνῄεσαν καὶ κατῄεσαν οἱ διάκονοι οἱ βασιλικοὶ, τοῦτο μὲν παρὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ σταυροῦ, τοῦτο δὲ παρὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς ἀναστάσεως καὶ τῆς ἀναλήψεως, καὶ πρὸ τούτου δὲ, ὅτε προσῆλθον καὶ διηκόνουν αὐτῷ, ὅτε εὐηγγελίζοντο αὐτοῦ τὸν τόκον, ὅτε ἐβόων· ∆όξα ἐν ὑψίστοις Θεῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰρήνη· ὅτε πρὸς τὴν Μαριὰμ ἦλθον, ὅτε πρὸς τὸν Ἰωσήφ. Ὅπερ δὲ ἐπὶ πολλῶν ἐποίησε, τοῦτο καὶ νῦν ποιεῖ. ∆ύο λέγει προῤῥήσεις, καὶ τῆς μὲν ἤδη τὸν ἔλεγχον δίδωσι, τὴν δὲ μέλλουσαν ἀπὸ τῆς παρούσης βεβαιοῖ. Καὶ γὰρ τῶν λεχθέντων τὰ μὲν τὴν ἀπόδειξιν ἔλαβεν, οἶόν ἐστι, Πρὸ τοῦ Φίλιππον φωνῆσαί σε, ὑπὸ τὴν συκῆν εἶδόν σε· τὰ δὲ ἐκβήσεσθαι ἔμελλε, καὶ ἐκ μέρους ἐξέβη, ἡ τῶν ἀγγέλων κατάβασις καὶ ἀνάβασις, ἡ ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ, ἡ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως, καὶ τῆς ἀναλήψεως· ὃ καὶ αὐτὸ διὰ τῶν εἰρημένων ἀξιόπιστον ποιεῖ καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἐκβάσεως. Ὁ γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῖς παρελθοῦσιν αὐτοῦ τὴν δύναμιν γνοὺς, καὶ περὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἀκούων, εὐκολώτερον καταδέχοιτο ἂν καὶ ταύτην τὴν πρόῤῥησιν. Τί οὖν ὁ Ναθαναήλ; Οὐδὲν πρὸς τοῦτο ἀποκρίνεται. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς μέχρι τούτου τὸν λόγον ἔστησε τὸν πρὸς αὐτὸν, συγχωρῶν κατ' ἰδίαν ἀναλογίσασθαι τὰ λεχθέντα, καὶ οὐ βουλόμενος πάντα ἀθρόως ἐκχέειν, ἀλλὰ καταβαλὼν εἰς εὔφορον γῆν τὰ σπέρματα, ἀφίησιν αὐτὴν ἐπὶ σχολῆς βλαστῆσαι λοιπόν. Ὅπερ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ δεικνὺς ἔλεγεν· Ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἀνθρώπῳ σπείροντι καλὸν σπέρμα. Καὶ ἐν τῷ καθεύδειν αὐτὸν, ἐπέρχεται ὁ ἐχθρὸς, καὶ σπείρει ζιζάνια ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σίτου. Ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ γάμος ἐγένετο ἐν Κανᾷ τῆς Γαλιλαίας. Καὶ ἐκλήθη ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς τοὺς γάμους. Ἦν δὲ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐκεῖ, καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ. Εἶπον καὶ φθάσας, ὅτι ἐν τῇ Γαλιλαίᾳ μᾶλλον γνώριμος ἦν· διὸ καὶ καλοῦσιν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν γάμον, καὶ παραγίνεται. Οὐδὲ γὰρ πρὸς τὴν ἀξίαν ἑώρα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν εὐεργεσίαν τὴν ἡμετέραν. Ὁ γὰρ μὴ ἀπαξιώσας δούλου μορφὴν λαβεῖν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον οὐκ ἂν ἐπηξίωσεν εἰς γάμον ἐλθεῖν δούλων· ὁ τελώναις καὶ ἁμαρτωλοῖς συναναπεσὼν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον οὐκ ἂν παρῃτήσατο τοῖς ἐν τῷ γάμῳ παροῦσι συγκατακλίνεσθαι. Οὐ μὴν οἱ καλέσαντες τὴν προσήκουσαν περὶ αὐτοῦ κρίσιν εἶχον, οὐδ' ὡς μέγαν τινὰ ἐκάλουν, ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς ὡς τῶν πολλῶν ἕνα καὶ ὡς γνώριμον. Καὶ τοῦτο ᾐνίξατο ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς εἰπών· Ἦν δὲ ἡ μήτηρ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐκεῖ, καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐκείνην καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἐκάλεσαν, ἐκάλεσαν καὶ τὸν Ἰησοῦν. Καὶ ὑστερήσαντος οἴνου, λέγει ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ· Οἶνον οὐκ ἔχουσιν. Ἄξιον ἐνταῦθα ζητῆσαι, πόθεν ἐπῆλθε τῇ μητρὶ μέγα τι φαντασθῆναι περὶ τοῦ παιδός. Οὐδὲ γὰρ σημεῖον ἦν τι πεποιηκώς. Ταύτην γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀρχὴν ἐποίησε τῶν σημείων ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐν Κανᾷ τῆς Γαλιλαίας. βʹ. Εἰ δὲ λέγοι τις, μὴ εἶναι τοῦτο τεκμήριον ἱκανὸν τοῦ ταύτην ἀρχὴν εἶναι τῶν σημείων, διὰ τὸ ἁπλῶς προσκεῖσθαι, Ἐν Κανᾷ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, ὡς ἐγχωροῦν πρῶτον ἐκεῖ γεγενῆσθαι, μὴ μέντοι πάντως καὶ πρῶτον (εἰκὸς γὰρ αὐτὸν ἀλλαχοῦ πεποιηκέναι ἕτερα)· ἐκεῖνο πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐροῦμεν, ὃ καὶ ἔμπροσθεν εἴπομεν. Ποῖον δὴ τοῦτο; Ὅπερ Ἰωάννης φησίν· Ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ ᾔδειν αὐτόν· ἀλλ' ἵνα φανερωθῇ τῷ Ἰσραὴλ, διὰ τοῦτο ἦλθον βαπτίζων. Εἰ δὲ κατὰ τὴν πρώτην ἡλικίαν ἐθαυματούργει, οὐκ ἂν ἐδεήθη 59.130 σαν Ἰσραηλῖται ἑτέρου τοῦ φανερώσοντος αὐτόν. Ὁ γὰρ εἰς ἄνδρας ἐλθὼν, καὶ οὕτως ἀπὸ τῶν θαυμάτων οὐ τοῖς ἐν Ἰουδαίᾳ γνωρισθεὶς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς ἐν Συρίᾳ καὶ περαιτέρω, καὶ ταῦτα ἐν τρισὶν ἔτεσι μόνον ταῦτα πεποιηκὼς, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ τῶν τριῶν τούτων δεηθεὶς εἰς τὸ δεῖξαι ἑαυτόν· εὐθέως γὰρ καὶ ἐκ τῆς πρώτης πανταχοῦ ἡ ἀκοὴ αὐτοῦ ἀπῆλθεν· ὁ τοίνυν ἐν βραχεῖ καιρῷ οὕτω διὰ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν θαυμάτων ἐκλάμψας, ὥστε αὐτοῦ τὸ ὄνομα κατάδηλον γενέσθαι πᾶσι· πολλῷ μᾶλλον εἰ παῖς ὢν ἐκ πρώτης ἡλικίας ἐθαυματούργει, ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον χρόνον οὐκ ἔμελλε λήσεσθαι. Τά τε γὰρ γινόμενα παραδοξότερα ἂν ἔδοξεν εἶναι, ἅτε παρὰ μειρακίου γινόμενα, ὅ τε χρόνος διπλασίων καὶ τριπλασίων καὶ πολλῷ πλείων ἦν