THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
If anyone thinks it untimely that these words were spoken at the tenth hour, for "it was about the tenth hour," verse 39, in my judgment he is gravely mistaken.
For many people enslaved to the flesh, the time after eating is not very suitable for serious matters, because the soul is weighed down by food.
But John was a man who did not even use ordinary food. He spent the evening with the same sobriety with which we spend the morning, or rather with much greater sobriety.
For with us the remains of the evening meal often fill the soul with dreams. But he burdened that vessel with nothing of the kind. It is therefore no wonder that John discussed such matters even in the evening.
Read more (1195 words)
Besides, he lived in the wilderness near the Jordan. All came there with great fear to be baptized, caring little at that time for worldly affairs. So too the people remained with Christ for three days without food.
The duty of a zealous preacher, like that of a careful farmer, is not to leave his work until he sees that the implanted word has taken root.
The sun was already declining toward the west, for it says, "it was about the tenth hour." Therefore Christ does not tell them the marks of His dwelling, nor does He appoint a place for conversation.
He only draws them more and more to follow Him, showing that He receives them to Himself.
For this reason He also did not say anything like this: "Now is not the time for you to come to My dwelling. Tomorrow, if you wish to hear something, come. But now go home."
Rather, He converses with them as with friends and with men who had already been with Him for a long time.
Why then does He say elsewhere, "The Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head," Lk 9:58, but here, "Come and see" where I dwell?
The words, "He has nowhere to lay His head," show that He had no dwelling of His own. They do not mean that He lived in no house at all. This is what the figurative expression indicates.
Then the Evangelist says that they remained with Him that day. He does not mention why, because the purpose is clear in itself.
They followed Christ, and Christ drew them to Himself, for no other reason than edification. In one night they enjoyed His teaching with such abundance and eagerness that both immediately went to draw others also to Christ.
From this let us also learn to prefer the hearing of divine teaching above all things. Let us consider no time unsuitable for it.
Even if one must enter another's house, or as a stranger become acquainted with distinguished men, or even if the time seems inconvenient, at any hour let us never miss such gain.
Food, suppers, baths, and the other affairs of life should have their appointed time. But the study of heavenly philosophy should have no fixed hours. Every time should belong to it.
"Preach the word, be urgent in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching," 2 Tim 4:2. And the prophet says, "On His law he meditates day and night," Ps 1:2.
Moses also commanded the Jews to do this at every time. Worldly affairs, I mean baths, even if they are necessary, weaken the body when they occur often.
But the edification of the soul, the more it increases, the stronger it makes the soul that receives it.
Now we spend all our time in empty and foolish talk. We gather for this at dawn, in the morning, at noon, and in the evening, and even appoint special places for it.
Yet when we hear the divine doctrines once or twice a week, we are weighed down and grow weary. Why? Because we dispose our soul badly. We completely destroy in it the appetite and zeal for such things.
Therefore there is in us no longing for spiritual food. Among other signs of illness, this strongly proves it: when one does not wish to eat or drink, but feels aversion to both.
If this, when it happens in the body, is a sign of grave disease and produces weakness, it is much more so when it happens in the soul.
How then shall we strengthen the soul when it is fallen and exhausted? By what deeds and what words? Let us turn to the divine words, prophetic and apostolic, and to all the rest.
Then we shall learn that it is far better to feed on these words than on unclean foods. This is what untimely gatherings and chatter must be called.
Tell me, which is better: to discuss public affairs, lawsuits, and wars, or heavenly things and what will be after our departure from here?
Which is better: to speak about a neighbor and his affairs, and in general to busy oneself with others' business, or to converse about angels and matters concerning our own profit?
Your neighbor's affairs do not concern you at all. Heavenly things concern you also.
But someone says, "One can say everything about these things in one sitting." Why then do you not think this about the empty and useless conversations you hold with one another?
You spend your whole life on them and never exhaust the subjects for such conversations.
I have not yet spoken of what is much worse. Modest people still speak among themselves about those matters. But the more idle and careless revolve in conversation around jesters, dancers, and runners.
They defile their hearing and corrupt the soul with such talk. They intoxicate their nature with sensual pleasure and, through such conversation, bring every kind of depraved image into their imagination.
As soon as the tongue pronounces the name of a dancer, the soul at once imagines his face, his hair, his thin clothing, and the man himself, softer than all these.
Another kindles the flame in the soul in another way, by bringing into conversation a wanton woman: her words, clothing, shameless eyes, lustful glances, braided hair, painted face, and darkened eyelashes.
Do you not already feel something dreadful merely from my speaking of this? Yet do not be ashamed and do not blush. This is already inevitable and natural: the power of speech has such an influence upon the soul.
If you feel something merely from my account while standing in church and far from such things, consider what must happen to those who sit at the spectacle itself.
They are there with complete freedom, outside this reverent and solemn assembly, and with great shamelessness they look at and listen to what takes place.
"Why then," some inattentive person may say, "why do you accuse us, overlooking that this is natural and, as you say, necessarily has such an influence on the soul?"
That the hearer is made soft by this is natural. But listening to it is not the work of nature. It is a sin of the will.
That someone who approaches fire must suffer harm is necessary and follows from the weakness of nature. Yet nature itself does not draw us to the fire and the harm arising from it.
This depends solely upon a perverted will. This is what I wish not to happen. I wish it to be corrected.
I wish you neither to fall willingly into the abyss, nor be cast into the depth of evil, nor run unwillingly into the fire. In this way you will not make yourselves liable to the flame prepared for the devil.
Therefore may we all be counted worthy, having been delivered from it, to pass into the bosom of Abraham, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ.
With Him be glory to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages. Amen.