John 7:12

Our Lord at first declares that He will not go up to the feast, (I go not up with you,) in order not to expose Himself to the rage of the Jews; and therefore we read, that, When He had said these words to them, He abode still in Galilee. Afterwards, however, He goes up; But when His brethren were gone up, then went He also up to the feast.

He went up, however, not to get temporary glory, but, to teach wholesome doctrine, and remind men of the eternal feast.

He goes up, not to suffer, but to teach. And He goes up secretly; because, though He could have gone openly, and kept the violence and impetuosity of the Jews in check, as He had often done before; yet to do this every time, would have disclosed His divinity; and he wished to establish the fact of His incarnation, and to teach us the way of life. And He went up privately too, to show us what we ought to do, who cannot check our persecutors. It is not said, however, in secret, but, as it were in secret; to show that it was done as a kind of economy. For had He done all things as God, how should we of this world know what to do, when we fell into danger?

Or, He went up in secret, because He did not seek the favor of men, and took no pleasure in pomp, and being followed about with crowds.

The mystical meaning is, that to all those carnal persons who seek human glory, the Lord remains in Galilee; the meaning of which name is, “passing over;” applying to those his members who pass from vice to virtue, and make progress in the latter. And our Lord Himself delayed to go up, signifying that Christ’s members seek not temporal but eternal glory. And He went up secretly, because all glory is from within: that is, from a pure heart and good conscience, and faith unfeigned.

Or the meaning is, that all the ceremonial of the ancient people was the figure of what was to be; such as the feast of tabernacles. Which figure is now unveiled to us. Our Lord went up in secret, to represent the figurative system. He concealed Himself at the feast itself, because the feast itself signified, that the members of Christ were in a strange country. For he dwells in the tents, who regards himself as a stranger in the world. The word scenopegia here means the feast of tabernacles.

Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, Where is He? out of hatred and enmity; for they would not call Him by His name. There was not much reverence or religion in this observance of the feast, when they wanted to make it an opportunity of seizing Christ.

And there was much murmuring in the people concerning Him. A murmuring arising from disagreement. For some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; out He seduces the people. Whoever had any spark of grace, said, He is a good man; the rest, Nay, but He seduces the people. That such was said of Him, Who was God, is a consolation to any Christian, of whom the same may be said. If to seduce be to decide, Christ was not a seducer, nor can any Christian be. But if by seducing be meant bringing a person by persuasion out of one way of thinking into another, then we must inquire from what, and to what. If from good to evil, the seducer is an evil man; if from evil to good, a good one. And would that we were all called, and really were, such seducers.

The former, I think, was the opinion of the multitude, the one, viz. who pronounced Him a good man; the latter the opinion of the priests and rulers; as is strewn by their saying, He deceives the people, not, He deceives us.

Howbeit no man spoke openly of Him, for fear of the Jews; none, that is, of those who said, He is a good man. They who said, He deceives the people, proclaimed their opinion openly enough; while the former only dared whisper theirs.

Observe, the corruption is in the rulers: the common people are sound in their judgment, but have not liberty of speech, as is generally their case.

14. But it may be asked, What is the difference when He says, “when men shall revile you,” and “when they shall say all manner of evil against you,” since to revile is just this, to say evil against? But it is one thing when the reviling word is hurled with contumely in presence of him who is reviled, as it was said to our Lord, “Say we not the truth that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?” and another thing, when our reputation is injured in our absence, as it is also written of Him, “Some said, He is a prophet; others said, Nay, but He deceiveth the people.” Then, further, to persecute is to inflict violence, or to assail with snares, as was done by him who betrayed Him, and by them who crucified Him. …

7. “The Voice of the Lord cutting short the flame of fire” ( ver. 7 ). The Voice of the Lord, without any harm to Himself, passing through all the excited ardour of them that persecute Him, or dividing the furious rage of His persecutors, so that some should say, “Is not this haply the very Christ;” others, “Nay; but He deceiveth the people:” and so cutting short their mad tumult, as to pass some over into His love, and leave others in their malice.

2. “The Lord reigneth, He is clothed with beauty; the Lord is clothed with strength, and is girded” ( ver. 1 ). We see that He hath clothed Himself with two things: beauty and strength. But why? That He might found the earth. So it followeth, “He hath made the round world so sure, that it cannot be moved.” Whence hath He made it so sure? Because He hath clothed Himself in beauty. He would not make it so sure, if He put on beauty only, and not strength also. Why therefore beauty, why strength? For He hath said both. Ye know, brethren, that when our Lord had come in the flesh, of those to whom He preached the Gospel, He pleased some, and displeased others. For the tongues of the Jews were divided against one another: “Some said, He is a good Man; others said, Nay, but He deceiveth the people.” Some then spoke well, others detracted from Him, tore Him, bit and insulted Him. …

3. Dost thou see the abundance of resource belonging to God? His wisdom, His extraordinary power, His loving-kindness and care? Be not therefore dismayed or troubled but continue to give thanks to God for all things, praising, and invoking Him; beseeching and supplicating; even if countless tumults and troubles come upon thee, even if tempests are stirred up before thy eyes let none of these things disturb thee. For our Master is not baffled by the difficulty, even if all things are reduced to the extremity of ruin. For it is possible for Him to raise those who have fallen, to convert those who are in error, to set straight those who have been ensnared, to release those who have been laden with countless sins, and make them righteous, to quicken those who are dead, to restore lustre to decayed things, and freshness to those which have waxen old. …

Then, that they might learn that nothing was opposed to God’s will of the things doing, but that the event was even highly acceptable, and beyond expectation, and amazing every one of the beholders (for indeed the miracle was far beyond words), He added and said, “It is the Lord’s doing.” And by the stone He means Himself, and by builders the teachers of the Jews; as Ezekiel also saith, “They that build the wall, and daub it with untempered mortar.” But how did they reject Him? By saying, “This man is not of God; This man deceiveth the people;”and again, “Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil.”

And see their flattery, and their hidden craft. “We know,” their words are, “that Thou art true.” How said ye then, “He is a deceiver,” and “deceiveth the people,” and “hath a devil,” and “is not of God?”how a little while before did ye devise to slay Him?

And what again, tell me, did Paul? did he not ask even to be accursed in their stead? ( Rom. ix. 3 .) But the great pattern we must of necessity derive from the Lord, for thus doth He also Himself, where he saith, “For He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and the good,” ( Matt. v. 45 .) adducing the example from His Father; but we from Christ Himself. He came unto them, in His Incarnation, I mean, He became a servant for their sakes, “He humbled Himself, He emptied Himself, He took the form of a servant.” ( Philip. ii. 7, 8 .) And when He came unto them, He went not Himself aside “into any way of the Gentiles,” ( Matt. x. 5 .) and gave the same charge to His disciples, and not only so, but “He went about healing all manner of disease, and all manner of sickness.” ( Matt. iv. …

Ver. 12 . “And there was much murmuring among the people concerning Him.” I think they were exasperated by the place where the miracle had been wrought, and were greatly infuriated and afraid, not so much from anger at what had gone before, as from fear lest He should again work something similar. But all fell out contrary to what they desired, and against their will they rendered Him conspicuous. “And some said, He is a good man; others said, Nay, but He deceiveth the people.” Methinks the first of these opinions was that of the many, the other that of the rulers and priests. For to slander Him suited their malice and wickedness. “He deceiveth,” say they, “the people.” How, tell me? Was it by seeming to work, not really working miracles? But experience witnesses the contrary.

Ver. 40-42 . “Some said, This is the Prophet. Others said, He deceiveth the people; others said, Christ cometh not from Galilee, but from the village of Bethlehem.”

“There was therefore a division among them.” This division first began among the people, then later among the rulers also, and some said, “He is a good man”; others, “Nay, but he deceiveth the people.” ( c. vii. 12 .) Seest thou that the rulers were more void of understanding than the many, since they were divided later than they? and after they were divided, they did not exhibit any noble feeling, when they saw the Pharisees pressing upon them. Since had they been entirely separated from them, they would soon have known the truth. For it is possible to do well in separating. Wherefore also Himself hath said, “I am come not to bring peace upon the earth but a sword.” ( Matt. x. 34 .) For there is an evil concord, and there is a good disagreement. Thus they who built the tower ( Gen. xi. …

[5.] Wherefore let us also, whenever we suffer anything of this kind, before the Apostles consider Christ. Why? His whole life was full of insults. For He continually heard Himself called mad, and a deceiver, and a sorcerer; and at one time the Jews said, “Nay,” (it says) “but He deceiveth the people.” ( John vii. 12 .) And again, “That deceiver said while He was yet alive, after three days I will rise again.” ( Matt. xxvii. 63 .) As to sorcery too they calumniated Him, saying, “He casteth out the devils by Beelzebub.” ( Matt. xii. 24 .) And that “He is mad and hath a devil.” ( John x. 20 .) “Said we not well” (it says) “that He hath a devil and is mad?” ( John viii. 48 .)

I have read the document sent from the East by our friend and good brother to a distinguished member of the Senate, Pammachius, which you have copied and forwarded to me. It brought to my mind the words of the Prophet: “The sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword.” But for these wounds which men inflict on one another with the tongue we can hardly find a physician; so I have betaken myself to Jesus, the heavenly physician, and he has brought out for me from the medicine chest of the Gospel an antidote of sovereign power; he has assuaged the violence of my grief with the assurance of the righteous judgment which I shall have at his hands. The potion which our Lord dispensed to me was nothing else than these words: “Blessed are ye when men persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely. …