John Chrysostom, On John

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was of our nature, He was overcome by grief both once and twice. But what does Jesus do? For the sake of the accusations He makes no defense to them; for what need was there to silence with words those who were about to suffer this very thing immediately through deeds, which was less offensive, and more capable of shaming them? But He says, Take away the stone. But why did He not call him while absent and present him? or rather, why did He not make him rise while the stone was still upon him? For He who was able to move a dead 59.351 body with His voice, and to show it ensouled again, would have had much more power to move a stone with the same voice; He who by His voice made one bound with grave-clothes, and with these fettered, to walk, would have moved a stone much more. What am I saying? He could have done this even while absent. Why then did He not do it? So that He might make them witnesses of the miracle; so that they might not say this, which they also said in the case of the blind man, that This is he, this is not he. For their hands, and their having come to the tomb, testified that it was he. So that if they had not come, they might have thought it a phantom, or that they were seeing one person in place of another. But now, their coming to the place, and taking away the stone, and being permitted to loose the dead man from his wrappings, and the friends who had carried him out of the tomb recognizing from the grave-clothes that it was he, and the sisters not being absent, and this one saying: He already stinks; for he has been dead four days; all these things were now sufficient to silence the ungrateful who had become witnesses of the sign. For this reason He commands them to take away the stone from the tomb, showing that He is raising him; for this reason He also asks: Where have you laid him? so that those who said, Come and see, and who brought Him, might not be able to say that He raised another; so that both their voice and their hands might testify (the voice, saying, Come and see; and the hands, having taken away the stone, having loosed the grave-clothes); and sight and hearing (the latter, having heard the voice; the former, having seen him come out); and also the sense of smell, perceiving the stench; for she says: He already stinks; for he has been dead four days. Reasonably then did I say, that the woman understood nothing of what Christ said, that Though he were dead, yet shall he live. See, at least, what she says here, as if the thing were henceforth impossible because of the time. For it was a strange thing, to raise a dead man on the fourth day and already decomposed. And to His disciples He said: That the Son of God might be glorified, revealing about Himself; but to the woman, You shall see the glory of God, speaking about the Father. Do you see that the weakness of the hearers is the cause of the difference in what is said? And He reminds her of what He had said to her, almost rebuking her as if she had forgotten. Or also, since He did not wish for the time being to startle those present, He says quietly: Did I not say to you, that, if you would believe, you would see the glory of God? 3. Great then is faith, a great good, and the cause of many goods; so that it enables men to do the things of God in His name. For if you believe, He says, you shall say to this mountain, 'Be removed,' and it shall be removed; and again, He that believes in Me, the works that I do, he shall do also; and greater works than these shall he do. What greater works, you ask? Those which the disciples are seen doing after this. For even Peter's shadow raised a dead man. Thus was the power of Christ proclaimed even more. For it is not so wonderful for Him to work wonders while living, as that after His death others should be able to do greater things than He in His name. For this was an indisputable proof of the resurrection; it would not have been so 59.352 believed, not even if He had appeared to all. For they could have even said that it was a phantom; but one who sees far greater signs being done by His name alone than when He Himself conversed with men, would not have disbelieved, unless he were utterly senseless. Great, therefore, is the good of faith, when it comes from a fervent mind, from much affection and a burning soul. This shows us to be philosophers, this hides human worthlessness, and letting go of reasonings below, it philosophizes about things in heaven; or rather, what the wisdom of men cannot discover, this in abundance

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τῆς φύσεως ἦν τῆς ἡμετέρας, ὑπὸ τοῦ πένθους ἐκρατήθη καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ δεύτερον. Τί δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς; Τῶν μὲν ἐγκλημάτων ἕνεκεν οὐδὲν αὐτοῖς ἀπολογεῖται· τί γὰρ ἔδει διὰ ῥημάτων ἐπιστομίζειν μέλλοντας αὐτίκα διὰ τῶν ἔργων τοῦτο πάσχειν, ὅπερ ἀνεπαχθέστερον ἦν, καὶ μᾶλλον καταισχῦναι αὐτοὺς ἱκανόν· Φησὶ δὲ, Ἄρατε τὸν λίθον. Τί δήποτε δὲ οὐχὶ ἀπὼν ἐκάλεσε καὶ παρέστησεν αὐτόν; μᾶλλον δὲ διατί οὐχὶ τοῦ λίθου ἐπικειμένου ἐποίησεν ἀναστῆναι; Καὶ γὰρ ὁ δυνάμενος σῶμα 59.351 κινῆσαι νεκρὸν τῇ φωνῇ, καὶ ἐψυχωμένον πάλιν δεῖξαι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον λίθον κινῆσαι ἴσχυσεν ἂν τῇ αὐτῇ φωνῇ· ὁ τὸν δεδεμένον κειρίαις καὶ ταύταις συμπεποδισμένον διὰ τῆς φωνῆς βαδίζειν παρασκευάσας, πολλῷ μᾶλλον λίθον ἐκίνησεν ἄν. Τί λέγω; Καὶ ἀπὼν τοῦτο ἔπραξεν ἄν. Τί δήποτε οὖν οὐκ ἐποίησεν; Ἵνα αὐτοὺς μάρτυρας ποιήσῃ τοῦ θαύματος· ἵνα μὴ τοῦτο λέγωσιν, ὃ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ τυφλοῦ, ὅτι Οὗτός ἐστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν οὗτος. Αἱ γὰρ χεῖρες, καὶ τὸ παραγενέσθαι εἰς τὸ μνημεῖον, ἐμαρτύρουν ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν. Ὥστε εἰ μὴ παρεγένοντο, καὶ φάντασμα ἂν ἐνόμισαν, ἢ ἕτερον ἀνθ' ἑτέρου ὁρᾷν. Νῦν δὲ τὸ παραγενέσθαι εἰς τὸν τόπον, καὶ τὸν λίθον ἆραι, καὶ τὸ ἐσπαργανωμένον τὸν τεθνηκότα ἐπιτραπῆναι λῦσαι τῶν δεσμῶν, καὶ τὸ τοὺς φίλους τοὺς ἐξενεγκόντας τοῦ τάφου, ὡς αὐτός ἐστιν, ἀπὸ τῶν σπαργάνων ἐπιγινώσκειν, καὶ τὸ τὰς ἀδελφὰς μὴ ἀπολειφθῆναι, καὶ τὸ ταύτην εἰπεῖν· Ἤδη ὄζει· τεταρταῖος γάρ ἐστι· πάντα ἤδη ταῦτα ἱκανὰ ἐπιστομίσαι ἀγνωμονοῦντας μάρτυρας γενομένους τοῦ σημείου. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο αὐτοὺς κελεύει τὸν λίθον ἆραι ἀπὸ τοῦ τάφου, δεικνὺς ὅτι αὐτὸν ἐγείρει· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐρωτᾷ· Ποῦ τεθείκατε αὐτόν; ἵνα οἱ εἰπόντες, Ἔρχου καὶ ἴδε, καὶ ἀγαγόντες αὐτὸν, μὴ ἔχωσι λέγειν ὅτι ἕτερον ἤγειρεν· ἵνα καὶ ἡ φωνὴ, καὶ αἱ χεῖρες μαρτυρῶσιν (ἡ μὲν φωνὴ, λέγουσα, Ἔρχου καὶ ἴδε· αἱ δὲ χεῖρες, τὸν λίθον ἄρασαι, τὰ σπάργανα λύσασαι)· καὶ ἡ ὄψις καὶ ἡ ἀκοή (ἐκείνη, τῆς φωνῆς ἀκούσασα· αὕτη, ἰδοῦσα ἐξελθόντα)· καὶ ἡ ὄσφρησις δὲ, τῆς δυσωδίας ἀντιλαμβανομένη· φησὶ γάρ· Ἤδη ὄζει· τεταρταῖος γάρ ἐστιν. Εἰκότως ἄρα ἔλεγον, ὅτι οὐδὲν οὐ συνίει τὸ γύναιον ὧν εἶπεν ὁ Χριστὸς, ὅτι Κἂν ἀποθάνῃ, ζήσεται. Ὅρα γοῦν ἐνταῦθα τί φησιν, ὡς ἀδυνάτου τοῦ πράγματος ὄντος λοιπὸν διὰ χρόνον. Καὶ γὰρ ἦν ξένον, τὸ τεταρταῖον καὶ διεφθορότα ἀναστῆσαι νεκρόν. Καὶ τοῖς μὲν μαθηταῖς εἶπεν· Ἵνα δοξασθῇ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, περὶ ἑαυτοῦ δηλῶν· τῇ γυναικὶ δὲ, Ὄψει τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς λέγων. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι ἡ ἀσθένεια τῶν ἀκουόντων, τῆς διαφορᾶς τῶν λεγομένων αἰτία ἐστίν; Ἀναμιμνήσκει δὲ ὧν διελέχθη πρὸς αὐτὴν, σχεδὸν ἐπιτιμῶν ὡς ἂν ἀμνημονούσῃ. Ἢ καὶ ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἠβούλετο τέως ἐκπλῆξαι τοὺς παρόντας, ἠρέμα φησίν· Οὐκ εἶπόν σοι, ὅτι ἐὰν πιστεύσῃς, ὄψει τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ; γʹ. Μέγα ἄρα πίστις ἀγαθὸν, μέγα, καὶ πολλῶν ἀγαθῶν αἴτιον· ὥστε τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ δύνασθαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ποιεῖν ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τῷ ἐκείνου. Ἐὰν γὰρ πιστεύσητε, φησὶν, ἐρεῖτε τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ, Μετάβηθι, καὶ μεταβήσεται· καὶ πάλιν, Ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμὲ, τὰ ἔργα, ἃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ, ποιήσει, καὶ μείζονα τούτων ποιήσει. Ποῖα, φησὶ, μείζονα; Ἃ οἱ μαθηταὶ φαίνονται μετὰ ταῦτα ποιοῦντες. Καὶ γὰρ ἡ σκιὰ Πέτρου νεκρὸν ἤγειρεν. Οὕτως ἐκηρύττετο καὶ ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ μᾶλλον δύναμις. Καὶ γὰρ οὐχ οὕτω θαυμαστὸν ζῶντα αὐτὸν θαυματουργεῖν, ὡς θανόντος αὐτοῦ ἑτέρους ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι ἐκείνου μείζονα αὐτοῦ δυνηθῆναι. Ἀναμφισβήτητος γὰρ ἦν τοῦτο τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἀπόδειξις· οὐκ ἂν, οὐδὲ εἰ πᾶσιν ὤφθη, οὕ 59.352 τως ἐπιστεύθη. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ εἶχον ἂν καὶ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι φάντασμα ἦν· ὁ δὲ ὁρῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ μόνου πολλῷ μείζονα γινόμενα σημεῖα, ἢ ὅτε αὐτὸς συνανεστρέφετο μετὰ ἀνθρώπων, οὐκ ἂν ἠπίστησεν, εἰ μὴ σφόδρα ἀναίσθητος ἦν. Μέγα τοίνυν ἀγαθὸν πίστις, ὅταν ἀπὸ θερμῆς γίνηται διανοίας, ἀπὸ φίλτρου πολλοῦ καὶ ζεούσης ψυχῆς. Αὕτη φιλοσόφους ἡμᾶς δείκνυσιν, αὕτη τὴν εὐτέλειαν τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ἀποκρύπτει, καὶ τοὺς λογισμοὺς ἀφεῖσα κάτω, περὶ τῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς φιλοσοφεῖ πραγμάτων· μᾶλλον δὲ, ὅπερ ἡ τῶν ἀνθρώπων σοφία εὑρεῖν οὐ δύναται, ἐκ περιουσίας τοῦτο