John Chrysostom, On John

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John for this reason, having reclined on his breast, asks almost in his ear, so that the traitor might not become known; and Christ answered in this way, and not even then did he make him known; and He, though saying emphatically, Friend, what you do, do quickly; but they did not understand even so. And He said this, showing that the things spoken by Him to the Jews concerning His death were true. For to them He had said, I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again; and, No one takes it from me. So long as He held it, no one was able; but when He finally let it go, then the matter becomes easy. Therefore, hinting at all these things, He said, What you do, do quickly; and not even then did He make him manifest. For perhaps they would have torn him to pieces, perhaps Peter would even have killed him. For this reason, No one of those reclining knew. Did not even John? Not even he; for he would not have expected that a disciple would proceed to such a degree of transgression. For since they were far from such wickedness, they were not able to suspect such things concerning others. Just as then He said to them before, I do not speak of all, and nowhere did He reveal him; so also here they thought it was said about someone else. But it was night when he went out, he says. Why do you tell me the time? So that you might learn his rashness, that not even the time held him back from his impulse. But not even this made him manifest. They, at least, being possessed by fear and great anguish, were then troubled, 59.392 and did not know the true reason for the things said; but they suspected that He said these things so That he might give something to the poor. For He took great care of the poor, teaching us also to make great effort for this. And they thought this not without reason, but because he had the money box; and yet no one appears to have brought Him money; but that the female disciples supported Him from their own possessions, he has said; but this he has nowhere hinted. And how, when commanding them to carry neither bag, nor money, nor staff, did He carry a money box for the service of the poor? So that you might learn that even the one who is utterly without possessions and crucified must make great provision for this part. For He did many things, providing for our instruction. Therefore, the disciples also thought He meant that he should give something to the poor. And not even this shamed him, that to the last day He did not wish to make an example of him. This we must also do, and not parade the sins of our companions, even if they are incorrigible. For even after these things, when he came to betray Him, He gave him a kiss. and He accepted so great a matter, and went on to what was much more daring, the cross itself, the shameful death; and there again He demonstrated His love for mankind. And He calls the matter here glory, teaching us that there is nothing so shameful and reproachful, which does not make the one who undergoes it more glorious, when it happens according to God. So after Judas went out to betray Him, He says, Now is the Son of Man glorified; by this raising up the fallen thoughts of the disciples, and persuading them not only not to be downcast, but also to rejoice. For this reason He also rebuked Peter from the beginning. For to be in death and to overcome death is great glory. And this is what He said concerning Himself: When I am lifted up, then you will know that I am; and again, Destroy this temple; and again, A sign will not be given to you, except the sign of Jonah. For how is it not great glory, to be able to do greater things after death than before death. For so that the resurrection might be believed, the disciples worked greater things. But if He were not living, and was God, how did these men work so many things in His name? And God will glorify Him. What is, And God will glorify Him in Himself? That is, through Himself, not through another. And He will glorify Him straightway; that is, at the same time as the cross. For not after a long time, he says, nor will He await the long time of the resurrection, nor will He show him glorious then, but straightway on the cross itself the glorious things will appear. At least the sun was darkened, the rocks were rent, the veil was torn, many bodies of the sleeping saints were raised, the tomb

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Ἰωάννης διὰ τοῦτο παρὰ τὸ στῆθος ἀναπεσὼν, ἐρωτᾷ μονονουχὶ πρὸς τὸ οὖς, ὥστε μὴ γενέσθαι φανερὸν τὸν προδότην· καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς οὕτως ἀπεκρίνατο, καὶ οὐδὲ τότε αὐτὸν ἐποίησε φανερόν· καὶ ὁ μὲν καίπερ ἐμφαντικῶς εἰπὼν, Ἑταῖρε, ὃ ποιεῖς, ποίησον τάχιον· οἱ δὲ οὐδὲ οὕτω συνίεσαν. Τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγε, δεικνὺς ὅτι ἀληθῆ τὰ πρὸς τοὺς Ἰουδαίους εἰρημένα ἦν αὐτῷ περὶ τοῦ θανάτου. Καὶ γὰρ πρὸς ἐκείνους εἴρηκε τὸ, Ἐξουσίαν ἔχω θεῖναι τὴν ψυχήν μου, καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἔχω πάλιν λαβεῖν αὐτήν· καὶ, Οὐδεὶς αἴρει αὐτὴν ἀπ' ἐμοῦ. Ἕως γοῦν κατεῖχεν, οὐδεὶς ἴσχυσεν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀφῆκε λοιπὸν, εὔκολον τότε τὸ πρᾶγμα γίνεται. Ταῦτ' οὖν ἅπαντα αἰνιττόμενος εἶπεν, Ὃ ποιεῖς, ποίησον τάχιον· καὶ οὐδὲ τότε αὐτὸν δῆλον ἐποίησε. Τάχα γὰρ ἂν αὐτὸν καὶ διέσπασαν, τάχα ἂν ὁ Πέτρος καὶ ἀνεῖλεν αὐτόν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο Οὐδεὶς ἔγνω τῶν ἀνακειμένων. Ἆρα οὐδὲ ὁ Ἰωάννης; Οὐδὲ οὗτος· οὐ γὰρ ἂν προσεδόκησεν, ὅτι μαθητὴς ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον χωρήσει παρανομίας. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πόῤῥω τῆς τοιαύτης πονηρίας ἦσαν, οὐδὲ περὶ ἑτέρων τοιαῦτα ὑποπτεύειν εἶχον. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῖς εἶπεν, ὅτι Οὐ περὶ πάντων λέγω, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ ἐξεκάλυψεν· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἐνόμισαν περὶ ἑτέρου λέγεσθαι. Ἦν δὲ νὺξ ὅτε ἐξῆλθε, φησί. ∆ιατί μοι τὸν καιρὸν λέγεις; Ἵνα μάθῃς τὴν ἰταμότητα, ὅτι οὐδὲ ὁ καιρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπέσχε τῆς ὁρμῆς. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦτο αὐτὸν κατάδηλον ἐποίησε. Ἐκεῖνοι γοῦν φόβῳ κατεχόμενοι καὶ ἀγωνίᾳ πολλῇ τότε τεθορύβηντο, 59.392 καὶ τὴν μὲν ἀληθῆ τῶν εἰρημένων αἰτίαν οὐκ ᾔδεσαν· ὑπώπτευον δὲ, ὅτι Τοῖς πένησιν ἵνα τι δῷ, ταῦτα ἔλεγε. Πολλὴν γὰρ ἐποιεῖτο τῶν πτωχῶν τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν, διδάσκων καὶ ἡμᾶς πολλὴν ὑπὲρ τούτου ποιεῖσθαι σπουδήν. Ἐδόκουν δὲ οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὸ γλωσσόκομον εἶχε· καίτοι γε οὐδεὶς φαίνεται προσενεγκὼν αὐτῷ χρήματα· ἀλλ' ὅτι μὲν ἔτρεφον αὐτὸν ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αἱ μαθήτριαι, εἶπε· τοῦτο δὲ οὐδαμοῦ ᾐνίξατο. Πῶς δὲ, μὴ πήραν, μὴ χαλκὸν, μὴ ῥάβδον κελεύων ἐπιφέρεσθαι, γλωσσόκομον ἐπεφέρετο πρὸς τὴν τῶν πενήτων διακονίαν; Ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι καὶ τὸν σφόδρα ἀκτήμονα καὶ ἐσταυρωμένον τούτου δεῖ τοῦ μέρους πολλὴν ποιεῖσθαι τὴν πρόνοιαν. Πολλὰ γὰρ πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν οἰκονομῶν διδασκαλίαν ἔπραττε. Τοῦτο οὖν καὶ λέγειν ἐνόμισαν οἱ μαθηταὶ, ἵνα τοῖς πένησί τι δῷ. Καὶ οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἐνέτρεψε, τὸ μέχρις ἐσχάτης ἡμέρας μὴ θελῆσαι αὐτὸν παραδειγματίσαι. Τοῦτο καὶ ἡμᾶς δεῖ ποιεῖν, καὶ μὴ ἐκπομπεύειν τὰ τῶν συνόντων ἁμαρτήματα, κἂν ἀνιάτως ἔχωσι. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐλθόντι προδοῦναι φίλημα ἔδωκε. καὶ κατεδέξατο πρᾶγμα τοσοῦτον, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ πολλῷ τολμηρότερον προῄει, τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτὸν, τὸν θάνατον τὸν ἐπονείδιστον· καὶ πάλιν ἐκεῖ τὴν αὐτοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν ἐπεδείκνυτο. Καὶ δόξαν ἐνταῦθα τὸ πρᾶγμα καλεῖ, διδάσκων ἡμᾶς ὅτι οὐδὲν οὕτως αἰσχρὸν καὶ ἐπονείδιστον, ὃ μὴ λαμπρότερον ποιεῖ τὸν μετιόντα, ὅταν κατὰ Θεὸν γίνηται. Μετὰ γοῦν τὸ ἐξελθεῖν τὸν Ἰούδαν ἐπὶ τὸ παραδοῦναι, λέγει· Νῦν ἐδοξάσθη ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου· ταύτῃ πεπτωκότας τοὺς λογισμοὺς τῶν μαθητῶν ἀνιστῶν, καὶ πείθων μὴ μόνον μὴ κατηφεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ χαίρειν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ Πέτρῳ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐπετίμησε. Τὸ γὰρ ἐν θανάτῳ γενόμενον περιγενέσθαι θανάτου, δόξα μεγάλη. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ὃ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ ἔλεγεν· Ὅταν ὑψωθῶ, τότε γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι· καὶ πάλιν, Λύσατε τὸν ναὸν τοῦτον· καὶ πάλιν, Σημεῖον οὐ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν, εἰ μὴ τὸ σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ. Πῶς γὰρ οὐ δόξα μεγάλη, τὸ καὶ μετὰ θάνατον ἰσχῦσαι τῶν πρὸ τοῦ θανάτου μείζονα. Ἵνα γὰρ πιστευθῇ ἡ ἀνάστασις, μείζονα εἰργάσαντο οἱ μαθηταί. Εἰ δὲ μὴ ἔζη, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν, πῶς ἐν ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ τοσαῦτα εἰργάσαντο οὗτοι; Καὶ ὁ Θεὸς δοξάσει αὐτόν. Τί ἐστι, Καὶ ὁ Θεὸς δοξάσει αὐτὸν ἐν ἑαυτῷ; Τουτέστι, δι' ἑαυτοῦ, οὐ δι' ἑτέρου. Καὶ εὐθέως δοξάσει αὐτόν· τουτέστιν, ἅμα τῷ σταυρῷ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ διὰ χρόνου πολλοῦ, φησὶν, οὐδὲ τὸν μακρὸν τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἀναμενεῖ καιρὸν, οὐδὲ τότε δείξει λαμπρὸν, ἀλλ' εὐθέως ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ σταυρῷ τὰ λαμπρὰ φανεῖται. Ὁ γοῦν ἥλιος ἐσκοτίσθη, αἱ πέτραι ἐῤῥάγησαν, τὸ καταπέτασμα ἐσχίσθη, πολλὰ σώματα τῶν κεκοιμημένων ἁγίων ἠγέρθη, ὁ τάφος