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TRACTATE 42 On John 8.37-47 UR LORD, promised freedom to those believing in him in the form of a servant certainly, but not a servant. Yet certainly the Lord was in the form of a servant,1 that form of the flesh was servile, but although there was a likeness of sinful flesh,2 there was not the sinful flesh. But the Jews, as if taking pride in their own freedom, disdained to become free, although they were the slaves of sin. But the reason why they said that they were free was that they were the seed of Abraham.3 We heard, then, when today's reading was read, what the Lord answered to them in regard to this. (2) "I know," he said, "that you are the children of Abraham; but you seek to kill me because my word takes no hold in you." I recognize you, he says, "you are the children of Abraham; but you seek to kill me." I recognize the origin of the flesh, but not the faith of the heart. "You are the children ofAbraham," but in the flesh. And so, he says, "you seek to kill me," for "my word takes no hold in you." If my word were taken hold of, it would take hold; if you were taken hold of, you would be enclosed with the nets of faith like fish. What does "takes no hold in you" mean? It does not take hold of your heart because it is not received by your heart. For so is the word of God, and so it ought to be for the faithful, like a hook for a fish; when it is taken hold of, then it takes hold. Harm does not come to those who are taken; for of course, they are taken for their salvation, not for their destruction. For this reason the Lord says to his Apostles, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men."4 These men, then, were 1. Cf. Phil 2.7. 3· Cf. In 8·33· 2. Cf. Rom 8.3. 4· Mt 4.19. 150 TRACTATE 42 151 not such, and yet they were children of Abraham; they were the children ofa man ofGod, they were wicked men. For they drew [from him] the generation oftheir flesh, but had become degenerate by not imitating the faith of that one whose children they were. 2. Surely you heard the Lord saying, "I know that you are the children of Abraham." Hear what he says afterwards: "I speak that which 1 have seen with my Father; and you do the things which you have seen with your father." He had already said, "I know that you are the children ofAbraham." But what do they do? What he said to them: "You seek to kill me." This they never saw with Abraham. The Lord, however, wants God the Father to be understood when he says, "I speak that which 1 have seen with my Father." 1 have seen truth, 1 speak truth because 1am Truth. For if the Lord speaks the truth which he has seen with the Father, he has seen himself. He speaks himself because he is himself the Truth of the Father which he saw with the Father; for he is himself the Word, the Word which was with God.5 The evil, then, which these men are doing, which the Lord rebukes and reproaches, where did they see it? With their father. (2) When in what follows6 we hear it said more clearly who their father is, we shall understand what kinds of things they saw with such a father; for he still does not name their father. A little before he mentioned Abraham, but as to the origin of their flesh, not from a likeness to their lives; he is going to speak of their other father who neither begot them nor created them to be human beings. But still they were his children in as much as they were evil, not as they were human beings, in what they imitated, not because they were created. 3. "They answered and said to him, 'Our father is Abraham .'" As if, what will you say against Abraham? Or, if you can do anything, dare to find fault with Abraham. Not because the Lord would not dare to find fault with Abraham, but Abraham was such a one who would not be faulted by the Lord, but rather praised. Nevertheless...

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