Tractates on the Gospel of John 55–111

Tractate 84

TRACTATE 84 On John 15.13 he fullness of love with which we ought to love one another, dearly beloved brothers, the Lord has specified, saying, “Greater love than this no one has, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Therefore, because he had said earlier, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you,”1 and to these words he added what you have just now heard, “Greater love than this no one has, that he lay down his life for his friends,” it logically follows from this what this same evangelist, John, says in his epistle, “So that, as Christ has laid down his life for us, so we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren,”2 loving one another, of course, as he himself, who has laid down his life for us, has loved us. (2) Without doubt, this is what one reads in the Proverbs of Solomon: “If you shall sit to dine at the table of a powerful man, consider and understand the things that are set before you, and so put forth your hand, knowing that it is necessary for you to prepare such like.”3 For what is “the table of a powerful man” except that one from which is taken the Body and Blood of him who has laid down his life for us? And what is to sit at it except to approach humbly? And what is to consider and understand the things that are set before you except to reflect worthily upon so great a grace? And what is to put forth your hand that you may know that it is 1. Jn 15.12. 2. 1 Jn 3.16. Augustine puts the quotation in the form of a result clause containing a subordinate comparative structure, although later in the section he rephrases the sentence in an indicative form. In Tr in Ep Io 5.11 his quotation of this text accords with both the Greek and the Vulgate texts. 3. Prv 23.1–2 (LXX). 133 134 necessary for you to prepare such like except what I have already said, that as Christ has laid down his life for us, so we also ought to lay down our lives for our brethren? For, as the Apostle Peter also says, “Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow his steps.”4 This is to prepare such like. (3) This is what the holy martyrs did with intense love; and if we do not celebrate their memories meaninglessly, and if we approach the table of the Lord in the banquet in which they themselves also were sated, it is necessary that we also, as did they, prepare such like. For we do not, at this very table, so commemorate them as [we do] others who rest in peace, so that we should also pray for them, but rather that they [may pray] for us, that we may stick close to their footsteps—[and we do so] for this reason, because they themselves have fulfilled the love than which the Lord said there can be no greater. For they have displayed to their brethren such as they have in like measure received from the Lord’s table. 2. And let [us] not [allege that] this has been said in such a way as if, for this reason, we can be equal with the Lord Christ, if for his sake we shall face martyrdom, even to the point of shedding our blood. He had the power of laying down his life and taking it up again;5 but we do not even live as long as we want, and we die even if we do not want to. He, by dying, thereupon slew death in himself; we are freed from death in his death. His flesh did not see corruption;6 ours after corruption, at the end of the world, through him, will put on incorruption.7 He had no need of us that he should effect our salvation; we can do nothing without him. He offered himself as the Vine to us the branches;8 we, apart from him, cannot have life.9 Finally, although brethren die for brethren, nevertheless the blood of no martyr was ST. AUGUSTINE 4. 1 Pt 2.21. 5. Cf. Jn 10.18. 6. Cf. Acts 2.31; also Ps 15.10. 7. Cf. 1 Cor 15.53. 8. Cf. Jn 15.1...