John 11:27Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He also showed that even if, after rising, Lazarus were to die again, he would suffer no harm. Therefore this death should not be feared. His words mean that neither he has died, nor will you die.

"Do you believe this?" Martha answers, "I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, who comes into the world."

It seems to me that the woman did not understand His words. She recognized that there was something great in them, but she did not comprehend the whole. Therefore, when asked one thing, she answers another.

Yet at least she gained this benefit: she put aside her grief. Such is the power of Christ's words.

For this reason Martha first went out to meet Christ, and Mary followed her. Love for the Teacher did not allow them to feel the present sorrow strongly. Thus, by the help of grace, the minds of these women also practiced true philosophy.

But at present, together with other vices, this sickness also prevails among women. They put themselves on display in weeping and lamentation, baring their shoulders, tearing their hair, and making cuts on their cheeks.

Some do this from grief. Others do it from the desire to show themselves and be distinguished. Still others bare their shoulders, even before the eyes of men, out of wantonness.

What are you doing, woman? Tell me, how can you, being a member of Christ, shamelessly expose yourself in the marketplace, especially when men are present there?

You tear your hair, rend your garments, wail aloud, and make a spectacle around yourself. You appear in the form of frenzied women, and do not consider that you offend God. How great is your madness!

Will not the pagans laugh at this? Will they not think that everything among us is fable? Yes, they will say, there is no resurrection, and the teaching of Christians is mockery, deceit, and invention.

Their women wail as though after this present life there were nothing more. They do not heed the words written in their books. By this they themselves show that all of it is fiction.

If they believed that the dead man had not died, but had passed over to a better life, they would not mourn him as though he no longer existed. They would not torment themselves so, nor utter words full of unbelief.

"I shall never see you again! You will never be with me again!" Everything among them is a fable. If they do not believe in the highest of blessings, then much less do they believe anything else held sacred among them.

The pagans themselves are not so faint-hearted. Many among them have practiced philosophy. For example, a pagan woman, hearing that her son had fallen in battle, immediately asked, "And what is the state of the city?"

One of the philosophers had been crowned with a wreath. When he heard that one of his sons had fallen for the fatherland, he removed the wreath and asked, "Which of the two?" As soon as he learned which had fallen, he at once put the wreath on again.

Many even gave their sons and daughters as sacrifices, out of reverence for demons. The Lacedaemonian women even urged their children either to bring back their shield from war, or to be brought back dead upon it.

Therefore I am ashamed that pagans practice such philosophy, while we behave indecently. Those who know nothing of the resurrection act as befits those who know. Those who know act as those who do not know.

Many often do for human shame what they do not do for God. Thus wealthy women do not tear their hair or bare their shoulders.

Yet even this deserves the severest condemnation. This is not because they do not expose themselves, but because they act thus not from piety, but to avoid appearing shameless.

So shame restrains grief, but the fear of God does not restrain it? How is this not worthy of the severest condemnation?

At least the poor should do through fear of God what wealthy women do because of their wealth. But now everything is the opposite. The wealthy practice philosophy from vainglory, while the poor act unbecomingly from faint-heartedness.

What is worse than such absurdity? Everything is done for men. Everything is done from earthly motives. Speeches are also delivered, full of madness and much laughter.

The Lord says, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted," Mt 5:4, meaning those who mourn over sins. Yet no one mourns with this mourning, and no one cares for the soul that is perishing.

This, by contrast, we have not been commanded to do, and yet we do it. What then, you say, is it possible for a person not to weep? I do not forbid this. I forbid only tormenting oneself and weeping without measure.

I am not a beast, nor am I inhuman. I know that nature is revealed in this, and that it seeks companionship and daily communion. It is impossible not to grieve.

Christ Himself showed this, for He wept over Lazarus. Do the same. Weep, but quietly, becomingly, and with fear of God.

If you weep in this way, it will be a sign not that you disbelieve the resurrection, but that separation is painful for you.

We also weep for those who set out on a journey and are separated from us. Yet we do not weep as those who despair. So you too may weep, as though seeing off one who is departing to a foreign land.

I say this not to establish a law for you, but by way of condescension.

If the one who died was a sinner and greatly offended God, then one should weep. Or rather, one should not merely weep, for this brings him no benefit. One should also do what can bring him some relief: almsgiving and offerings.

Yet even in this case one should rejoice, because the opportunity to sin has been taken from him. If he was righteous, then one should rejoice still more, because he is in safety and has already been delivered from the uncertainty of the future.

If he was young, rejoice that he was quickly freed from the evils surrounding us. If he was old, rejoice that he departed after having enjoyed to satiety what is considered desirable.

But you forget to think of this, and compel the maidservants to wail, as though thereby honoring the departed. Yet this is the greatest dishonor.

Honor for the dead consists not in weeping and lamentation, but in sacred hymns, psalmody, and a good life. Such a man, when he departs from here, will depart with angels, even if no one is present by his remains.

But a corrupt man, even if the whole city escorts him, will gain no fruit from it. Do you wish to honor the dead? Honor him in another way, by alms, acts of mercy, and liturgies.

What benefit is there in many lamentations? I have heard of another grievous evil as well. They say that many women even attract lovers to themselves through their mourning, gaining a reputation for loving their husbands by the excess of their cries.

What a diabolical invention! What a satanic contrivance! How long shall we be earth and ashes? How long shall we be blood and flesh?

Let us look toward heaven. Let us think of spiritual things. What opportunity will we have to rebuke the pagans, or to comfort them, when we ourselves behave in this way?

How shall we converse with them about the resurrection? How shall we speak of any other philosophy? How shall we ourselves live without fear?

Do you not know that death comes from sorrow? By darkening the eye of the soul, sorrow not only prevents it from seeing what it ought, but also causes great harm.

Indeed, when we give ourselves over to excessive grief for the dead, we both offend God and bring no benefit either to ourselves or to the departed. When we act otherwise, we please God and acquire a good opinion among men.

If we ourselves do not lose heart, then God quickly destroys even the remainder of our sorrow. But if we grieve greatly, He leaves us under the power of sorrow. If we give thanks, we will not grieve.

But how is it possible, you say, not to grieve when one has lost a son, a daughter, or a wife? I do not say not to grieve. I say not to grieve without measure.

If we consider that God has taken them, and that our husband and son were mortal, we will soon receive comfort. To grieve here means to demand something beyond nature.

If you were born a human being and mortal, why do you grieve over what has happened according to nature? You do not grieve because you sustain your life by food. You do not seek to live without food.

Act the same way toward death. Do not seek immortality before its time, when you were born mortal. This has been determined once for all.

Therefore do not grieve or be crushed, but bear calmly what has been laid down as law for all. Grieve rather over sins. This is good sorrow. This is the greatest philosophy.

Let us then grieve continually over this, so that there we may be counted worthy of joy, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory unto ages of ages. Amen.

In the words, "though he die, he shall live," the Savior does not abolish death in the present age. He assigns to it only a temporary power over believers, for He has preserved the grace of resurrection until the proper time.

Thus He says that one "who believes in Me" will not be without a share in bodily death, because of human nature. Yet nothing fearful will happen to him from this.

For God can easily give life to anyone He wills. The one who has believed in Him has, in the age to come, endless life in blessedness and entire incorruption.

Therefore let none of the unbelieving mock. Christ did not say, "from now on he shall not see death." He spoke generally and absolutely: "he shall never see death."

He spoke of the age to come, and referred the fulfillment of the promise to it. When He said to Martha, "Do you believe this?" He required a confession of faith, as mother and cause of life.

She readily agrees and confesses accurately. She does not merely believe that He is Christ and Son of God.

For a prophet may be called Christ because of anointing, and he may also be conceived as a son.

But by saying distinctly, with the article, ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, she thereby confessed the one, only, and true Son.

Therefore faith is in the Son, not in a creature. If the Son, as some think, were a thing made and created, and yet were Resurrection and Life, the Father also would deserve no special wonder for being such.

For what would be greater in Him than in a creature? But if, as far as we can know, He is separated from creatures by the essence of His nature and because He is Life, how can the Son be a creature?

For He Himself is Life by nature, as is the One who begot Him. No creature whatever is life. Rather, it participates in the life that is from the living God.

For "in God we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28), as Paul says.

Perhaps many believers, not possessing firm and unshaken faith, are such that it may be said of them: they believe in Jesus, yet they receive death and have died at some time.

But having died, they will not remain in death. They will live again. If someone reached unshakenness and firmness, and possessed such a degree of faith, he could live and believe and never die.

Such was blessed Paul, who said, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" (Rom 8:35), and the rest.

"I am the resurrection and the life." Since Christ saw that she did not clearly understand what He was explaining to her, He says, "I am the life."

This means: "You do not need to ask anything else of Me. Nor must you hope that your brother's resurrection will come after a long time. I am present, calling him to this."

Life by nature is the Son, who calls all things into being and raises all things by His own power. He raises not simply, but unto life. For this reason life is joined to the name of resurrection.

But one must note that the Lord calls Himself "life" (ζωή), not "a living thing" (ζῷον), as some impiously dared to say of Him.

For there is a difference between a living thing and life. A living thing is one that receives life; life is that which grants living.

So it is with "wisdom" and "wise man." He receives, while she gives.

"He who believes in Me, though he die, shall live." Just as the ancient saints have not yet attained the resurrection and rewards, but waited for us, so believers also must await the general resurrection.

This is so that all may rise together with the ancient saints. As they waited because of us, not receiving the rewards due to them, so that all might taste them together, we also do not taste the resurrection alone.

Rather, rising together with the ancient saints, we shall obtain this good together.

If the Son, as some think, were a thing made and created, and yet were resurrection and life, then it would not be remarkable that the Father is also such.

For what advantage would He then have over creatures? But if, according to the logos of nature, He is so far removed from creatures, especially because He is life, how can the Son be a creature?

For the Son also is life by nature, as is the One who begot Him. No created thing whatever is life. Rather, created things are participants in life given from the living God.

For in God we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28), as Paul says.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (Jn 1:1, 14).

Attend, beloved, to the illumination of truth, and flee the darkness of error. "You are the Christ," she says, not a mere Christ who is man, but the Son of the living God.

He is the Word who became flesh for our sake, not changed, the one Son of the living God, the Logos who became flesh.

He is not one of the Jewish christs, and not one of the Jewish and false christs. But You, according to Paul, are the one Lord, blessed over all forever. Amen (1 Cor 8:6; Rom 9:5).

You are the one Christ and the only-begotten Son of the living God. "We beheld His glory," says the Evangelist, "glory as of the Only-begotten from the Father," the full Word of grace and truth (Jn 1:14).

You are firstborn and only-begotten, and one with the Holy Spirit. You are consubstantial with Him who begot You, equal in honor and equal in power.

You are without beginning and co-eternal with God the Father. You are the Christ, not one of the invisible created powers made by You and serving You.

By nature You are the Son of the living God. He says, "not an intercessor, nor an angel, but the Lord Himself," as Isaiah said (Is 63:9; 33:22), saved us, and saved them.

Thus the angels are not christs. You are the Christ, that is, not a man Christ, but God Christ, God become man.

You are not a man deified, but He who anointed (χρίσας) His own voluntary enfleshment (σαρκωσιν) with His Godhead.

Therefore it is said, "Your name is poured-out myrrh, and after the fragrance of Your myrrh we will run" (Song 1:2-4 LXX).

You are Christ, worshiped by every creature as the one Lord and God, as the one Son, as the one Master with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Let us return the word again to the most beautiful brotherhood of the pious and faithful siblings. O harmony of the friends and true servants of Christ Jesus, one of the Uncreated and Consubstantial Trinity.

O unbroken cord of trinitarian love! Nothing tore them away from love for the Teacher and Lord.

Neither the unbelief of the Jews, nor the obstinacy of the Pharisees, nor the hostility of the Sadducees, nor the scandals of the priests tore them away.

Having once been grafted by faith onto the good olive tree (Rom 11:24), they remained fruitful. They were not shaken or disturbed by any assault.

They acknowledged Christ as God. They confessed the Son of God as God and man, indivisibly and unconfusedly, and proclaimed Emmanuel.

Then Martha said to Him, "I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God." Lazarus himself confirmed this, for he had been buried with this faith and hope.

When he was still alive, and together with his sisters implored the Omnipresent One, his sisters asked for him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick" (Jn 11:3).