Lecture 2 — Christ remains in the same place

^11:6^ When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he remained in the same place for two days. [n. 1481]

^11:7^ Then after that, he said to his disciples: let us go into Judea again. [n. 1482]

^11:8^ The disciples said to him: Rabbi, the Jews but now sought to stone you, and you would go there again? [n. 1484]

^11:9^ Jesus answered: are there not twelve hours of the day? If a man walk in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world: [n. 1485]

^11:10^ But if he walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him. [n. 1489]

1480. Here the Evangelist presents the raising of the dead Lazarus.

First, we see that Christ desired to do this;

and second, the sequence of events surrounding the raising are given, at Jesus therefore came (John 11:17).

We see three things related to the first.

First, our Lord allows death;

second, he states his intention to go to the place where Lazarus died, at then after that, he said;

and third, he reveals his intention to raise him, at these things he said, and after that he said to them (John 11:11).

1481. Christ allowed this death by prolonging his stay beyond the Jordan: when he had heard therefore that he was sick, he remained in the same place for two days. One may infer from this that Lazarus died on the very day that Jesus received the message from his sisters: for when Christ went to the place where he died, it was already the fourth day. After receiving the message, Christ then remained two days in the same place, and on the day after these two days, he went to Judea.

He delayed these few days for two reasons. First, so that the death of Lazarus would not be prevented by his presence; for where life is present, death has no entry. In the second place, in order to make the miracle more credible, and so that people would not say that Christ revived Lazarus, not from death, but only from a coma.

1482. Here our Lord declares his intention to go to the place where Lazarus died, at then after that, he said to his disciples: let us go into Judea again.

First, we see our Lord’s plan;

second, we see the fear in the disciples, at the disciples said to him.

and third, we have our Lord dispelling their fear, at Jesus answered: are there not twelve hours of the day?

1483. With respect to the first the Evangelist says, then after that, the prolonged delay, he said, Jesus did, to his disciples, let us go into Judea again.

One might ask here why Christ made a point of mentioning to the apostles that he was about to go into Judea again, since he had not done this on other occasions.

The reason for this was that the Jews had just recently persecuted Christ in Judea and had almost stoned him; indeed, that is why he had left. So it was to be expected that when Christ wanted to go there again, the disciples would become fearful. And because darts that are foreseen do not strike and foreseen evils are more easily borne, as Gregory says, our Lord mentioned his planned journey to them to calm their fears.

As to the mystical sense, we can understand by the fact that Christ is returning once again to Judea, that he will return again at the end of the world to the Jews, who will be converted to Christ: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the gentiles come in (Rom 11:25).

1484. The fear of the disciples is mentioned when the Evangelist says, the disciples said to him: Rabbi, the Jews but now sought to stone you, and you would go there again? This was like saying: it seems that you are deliberately going to your death. Yet their fear was unreasonable, because the disciples had God with them as their protector, and one who is with God should not fear: let us stand up together. Who is my adversary? (Isa 50:8) The Lord is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear? (Ps 26:2).

1485. Our Lord dispels this fear by strengthening them. The Evangelist says, Jesus answered his disciples, are there not twelve hours of the day?

First, we see something about the time;

second, what time is suited for walking;

third, what time is not.

The second, he explains at if a man walk in the day, he does not stumble; the third at but if he walks in the night, he stumbles.

1486. To understand this passage we should note that it has been explained in three ways. The first way is that of Chrysostom, and is this. Are there not twelve hours of the day? is like saying: you hesitate to go up to Judea because the Jews recently wanted to stone me; but the day has twelve hours, and what happens at one hour does not happen in another. So, although they would have stoned me before, they would not want to do this at another hour: for everything there is a season (Eccl 3:1); every matter has its time and way (Eccl 8:6).

1487. A literal question arises because he is speaking here either of the natural or of the artificial day. If he is speaking of the natural day, then what he says is false: because the natural day does not have twelve but twenty-four hours. Again, if he is speaking of the artificial day, his statement is false: because it is true only at the equinox, for not all artificial days have twelve hours.

I answer that we should understand this to refer to the artificial day, because all artificial days have twelve hours. For the hours of such days are distinguished in two ways. Some are equal in length and some are not. Those equal in length are distinguished according to the circle of the equator: and according to this not all days have twelve hours, but some have more and some less, except at the equator. The hour not equal in length are more distinguished according to the ascensions of the zodiac on account of its obliquity: because the zodiac does not ascend equally in all its parts, but at the equator equally. Now each artificial day has twelve of these unequal hours, because every day has six signs which ascend during the day, and six at night; but those which ascend in summer have a slower motion than those which ascend in winter, and of course the ascent of each sign makes up two hours.

1488. If a man walks in the day, that is, honorably, and without consciousness of any evil, let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in that day (Rom 13:13), he does not stumble, that is, he does not come upon anything that might harm him. And this is because he sees the light of this world, i.e., the light of righteousness is in him: light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart (Ps 97:11). It is like our Lord were saying: we can go securely because we are walking during the day.

1489. But if he walks in the night, that is, in the night of iniquities, he will easily find dangers. Concerning this night we read: those who sleep at night (1 Thess 5:7). But such a one, stumbles, that is, strikes against something, because the light, of righteousness, is not in him.

1490. A certain Greek, Theophylactus, explains this another way. Beginning at if a man walk in the day, he says that the day is the presence of Christ in the world, and the night is the time after Christ’s Passion. So the meaning is this: the Jews are not to be feared because as long as I am in the world it is not you, but I, who am in danger. Thus, when the Jews wanted to arrest Christ, he said to the crowd: if therefore you seek me, let these go their way. That the word might be fulfilled which he said: of them whom thou hast given me, I have not lost any one. (John 18:8–9). But if he walk in the night, that is, in the time after the passion, you should be afraid to go into Judea, because you will suffer persecution from the Jews: strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered (Zech 7:7).

1491. Augustine explains it another way, so that the day indicates Christ, at I must do the works of him who sent me while it is day (John 9:4), and as long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world (John 9:5). The twelve hours of this day are the twelve apostles: have I not chosen you twelve? (John 6:71).

But what should we say of what follows: and one of you is a devil? (John 6:71). Judas, therefore, was not an hour of this day because he gave no light. We should say that our Lord spoke these words not in reference to Judas, but to his successor, who was Matthias.

Thus, the sense of are there not twelve hours of the day? is as though he were saying: you are the hours, I am the day. Just as the hours follow the day, so you must follow me. So, if I wish to go to Judea you ought not to precede me or change my will, but you should follow me. He said something similar to Peter: get behind me, Satan! (Matt 16:23), i.e., do not go ahead of me, but follow me by imitating my will. If a man walk in the day is the same as saying: you should not fear any danger, because you are going with me who am the day. So just as one who walks in the day does not run into anything, that is, he does not stumble, so also you who walk with me: if God is for us, who is against us? (Rom 8:31). And this is because he sees the light of this world in me. But if he walks in the night, in the darkness of ignorance and sin, then he stumbles; and this is because the, spiritual, light is not in him, not because of a defect in the light, but because of his own rebellion: there are those who rebel against the light (Job 24:13).