Jesus
saith unto her, Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh,
when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at
Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not
what; we know what we worship, for salvation is of
the Jews. (Jn. 4:23-27)
[1.] Everywhere, beloved, we have need of faith,
faith the mother of blessings, the medicine of salvation;
and without this it is impossible to possess any one of
the great doctrines. Without this, men are like to those
who attempt to cross the open sea without a ship, who for
a little way hold out by swimming, using both hands and
feet, but when they have advanced farther, are quickly
swamped by the waves: in like manner they who use their
own reasonings, before they have learnt anything, suffer
shipwreck; as also Paul saith, "Who concerning faith
have made shipwreck." ( 1
Tim. 1:19.) That this be not our case, let us
hold fast the sacred anchor by which Christ bringeth over
the Samaritan woman now. For when she had said, "How
say ye that Jerusalem is the place in which men ought to
worship?" Christ replied, "Believe Me, woman,
that the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in Jerusalem,
nor yet in this mountain, worship the Father." An
exceedingly great doctrine He revealed to her, and one
which He did not mention either to Nicodemus or Nathanael.
She was eager to prove her own privileges more honorable
than those of the Jews; and this she subtly argued from
the Fathers, but Christ met not this question.
For it was
for the time distracting to speak on the matter, and to
show why the Fathers worshiped in the mountain, and why
the Jews at Jerusalem. Wherefore on this point He was
silent, and having taken away from both places priority in
dignity, rouses her soul by showing that neither Jews nor
Samaritans possessed anything 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 honorable, 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.'"
How then did the Samaritans "know not"
what they worshiped? Because they thought that God was
local and partial; so at least they served Him, and so
they sent to the Persians, and reported that "the God
of this place is wroth with us" ( 2 Kings 26), 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
worshiped 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
showing that He doth not exalt 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 favor of any, but with truth and
prophetic power. When therefore He had for a while removed
her from such reasonings, say ing, "Woman, believe
Me," and what follows, then He addeth, "for
salvation is of the Jews." What He saith is of this
kind: neither, 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 God over
all." ( Rom. ix. 5.)
Seest thou how He commendeth the old Covenant, and
showeth that it is the root of blessings, and that He is
throughout not opposed to the Law, since He maketh the
groundwork of all good things to come from the
Jews?
Verse 23. But the hour cometh, and now is, when
the true worshipers 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.'"
[2.] For since what the Prophets said they said long
before the event, to show that here it is not so, He
saith, "And now is." Think not, He saith, that
this is a prophecy of such a kind as shall be accomplished
after a long time, the fulfillment is already at hand and
at your very doors, "when the true worshipers shall
worship the Father in spirit and in truth." In saying
"true," He excludeth Jews as well as Samaritans;
for although the Jews be better than the 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 meet for God.
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 condescension, and for this reason,
that He might bring them in also. Who then are "the
true worshipers"? 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 Gospel of His
Son": and again, "I beseech you that ye present
your bodies a living sacrifice, acceptable unto God, your
reasonable service." ( Rom.
1:9 and 12:1.) But when he saith,
Verse 24. God is a Spirit [God is 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 His discourse, and fainted in at
the sublimity of what He said, and, in her trouble, hear
what she saith:
Verse 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 He
revealed the Son. "Let Us make man in Our Image,
after Our Likeness" ( Gen.
1:26 ), was said to the Son. It was He who
talked with Abraham in the tent. (Gen. 18) And Jacob prophesying
concerning Him said, "A ruler shall not fail from
Judah, nor a leader from his thighs, until He come for
whom it is reserved, and He is the expectation of
nations." ( Gen.
xviii.) And Moses himself saith, "The
Lord thy God will raise up unto you a Prophet of your
brethren like unto me, unto Him shall ye
hearken." ( Deut. xviii.
15.) And 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
unpracticed 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 us if Thou art the Christ"
( c. 10:24 ), to them He
gave no clear answer, 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 circumstance we may observe the carefulness and
faith of the woman.
Verse 27. And upon this came His disciples,
(very seasonably did they come when the teaching was
finished,) "and marveled 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 a Samaritan. Still in their amazement they did
not ask Him the reason, so well were they taught to keep
the station 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 marvelous one, and paid Him much respect.
Yet they frequently are seen to act confidently; as when
John lay upon His bosom, when they came to Him and said,
"Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of
Heaven?" (Matt.
18:1), 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?
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 special 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 show kindness and compliance to
his fellow Apostle; for when 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. Yet Peter in many places
is moved, and speaks more warmly than John. And at the end
he hears Christ say, "Peter, lovest thou Me more than
these?" ( c. 21:15.)
Now it is clear that he who loved "more than
these" was also beloved. But this in his case was
shown by loving Jesus, in the case of the other by being
beloved by Jesus.
What then was it which caused this especial love? To
my thinking, it was that the man displayed great
gentleness and meekness, for which reason he doth not
appear in many places speaking openly. And how great a
thing this is, is plain also from the case of Moses. It
was this which made him such and so great as he was. There
is nothing equal to lowliness of mind. For which cause
Jesus with this began the Beatitudes, and when about to
lay as it were the foundation and base of a mighty
building, He placed first lowliness of mind. Without this
a man cannot possibly be saved; though he fast, though he
pray, though he give alms, if it be with a proud spirit,
these things are abominable, if humility be not there;
while if it be, all these things are amiable and lovely,
and are done with safety. Let us then be modest, beloved,
let us be modest; success is easy, if we be sober-minded.
For after all what is it, O man, that exciteth thee to
pride? Seest thou not the poverty of thy nature? the
unsteadiness of thy will? Consider thine end, consider the
multitude of thy sins. But perhaps because thou doest many
righteous deeds thou art proud.
By that very pride thou
shalt undo them all. Wherefore it behoveth not so much him
that has sinned as him that doeth righteousness to take
pains to be humble. Why so? Because the sinner is
constrained by conscience, while the other, except he be
very sober, soon caught up as by a blast of wind is lifted
on high, and made to vanish like the Pharisee. Dost thou
give to the poor? What thou givest is not thine, but thy
Master's, common to thee and thy fellow-servants. For
which cause thou oughtest especially to be humbled, in the
calamities of those who are thy kindred foreseeing thine
own, and taking knowledge of thine own nature in their
cases. We ourselves perhaps are sprung from such
ancestors; and if wealth has shifted to you, it is
probable that it will leave you again. And after all, what
is wealth? A vain shadow, dissolving smoke, a flower of
the grass, or rather something meaner than a flower. Why
then art thou high-minded over grass? Doth not wealth fall
to thieves, and effeminates, and harlots, and
tomb-breakers? Doth this puff thee up, that thou hast such
as these to share in thy possession? or dost thou desire
honor? Towards gaining honor nothing is more serviceable
than almsgiving. For the honors arising from wealth and
power are compulsory, and attended with hatred, but these
others are from the free will and real feeling of the
honorers; and therefore those who pay them can never give
them.
Now if men show such reverence for the merciful, and
invoke all blessings upon them, consider what return, what
recompense they shall receive from the merciful God. Let
us then seek this wealth which endureth forever, and never
deserts us, that, becoming great here and glorious there,
we may obtain everlasting blessings, through the grace and
lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the
Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, now and ever, and
world without end. Amen.
0 comments:
Post a Comment