St Cyril of Alexandria Commentary on John (Third Part)

St Cyril of Alexandria Resources Online and in Print

This Part: 128 Pages

Page 128

54 Jesus answered, If I glorify Myself, My glory is nothing,

The whole aim of the discourse looks in the direction of blessed Abraham and the Prophets, but the Saviour persuasively transforms to Himself what is expressed, not ignorant that prone to anger, even without any plea inviting thereto, is the Pharisee, and that he takes every one of the things uttered by Him, as an additional reason for more fiercely plotting His murder. For envy renders sin-loving those wherein it is, and persuades them more hotly to be vexed even at what they least ought. Something of this sort again does Christ will to signify. The Jews were springing upon and contradicting what was said by Him, perpetually speaking even to satiety, of Abraham and the Prophets and openly crying out, Art THOU greater than our father Abraham who died? and the Prophets died: in addition, they were accusing Him of springing upon the glory of the Saints and lifting up Himself exceeding far above them, saying to Him, Whom dost Thou make Thyself? It would then have behoved the Lord to answer in plain terms to these things and say clearly, I am superior and greater than Abraham and the prophets. But the mighty-minded Jew would not have tolerated the word, for he would forthwith have been indignant thereat and feigning to be a lover of the Father, and making believe to be advocating the glory of the saints, he would have attacked Christ more hotly and in his vexation would have seemed to be now rightly blood-thirsty: hence the Lord transferring to Himself the word says, If I honour Myself Mine honour is nothing; for He is all but saying. Let no one of those upon the earth think great things of himself; for if we would consider with ourselves what the glory of man is, we shall find it nothing at all; for all flesh is grass and every glory of man as flower of grass. No marvel is it then (He says) if Abraham has died and after him the prophets; for what is man's glory, when his nature tyrannized over by both death and decay is therefore likened to easily-fading grass? It seems likely that by skilfully transforming to Himself the measure pertaining to Abraham or the Prophets and saying, My glory is nothing, He is calling the Jew to the memory of Abraham saying most clearly of himself, I am earth and ashes, and of the blessed prophets crying to God, Remember that we are earth. And we do not say that by this He is accusing the glory of the saints, Who glorifies them: but it was necessary and the word of profit was inviting Him to shew how great the difference between His Divine and Ineffable Nature and them which are subject to death and decay.

Previous Page / First / Next Page of St Cyril - John Commentary

St Cyril of Alexandria Home Page / Works ||| More Church Fathers

Elpenor's Free Greek Lessons

Reference address : https://www.elpenor.org/cyril-alexandria/john-commentary-3.asp?pg=128