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TRACTATE 30 OnJohn 7.I9-24 ODAV'S READING, which has just been read, follows the reading of the holy Gospel about which we spoke to you, my beloved people, a few days ago. Both the disciples and the Jews were listening to the Lord speaking; both the truthful and the lying were listening to the Truth speaking. Both friends and enemies were listening to Love speaking; both the good and the evil were listening to the Good speaking. They were listening, but he was distinguishing [among them]; and he saw and foresaw to whom his sermon was and would be profitable. He saw it among those who were then there; he foresaw it among us who were yet to be. (2) And so let us listen to the Gospel just as if to the Lord if he were present; and let us not say, "Oh, those happy men who were able to see him!" For there were many among them who saw him and killed him; but there are many among us who have not seen him, and yet have believed. And the fact is, the preciousness which sounded forth from the Lord's mouth was also written down for our sakes, and preserved for us and recited for our sakes and will also be recited for the sake ofour descendants even until this age comes to its end. The Lord is on high, but the Lord, the Truth, is also here. For the body of the Lord in which he arose can be in one place; but his truth is spread out everywhere. Therefore, let us listen to the Lord and let us also say what he has bestowed concerning his words. 2 . He said, "Did not Moses give you the Law, and none of you keeps the Law? Why do you seek to kill me?" You seek to kill me precisely because none of you keeps the Law; for if you kept the Law, you would recognize Christ in its very letters and you would not kill him who is present. And they an22 TRACTATE 30 23 swered: "The crowd answered him." The crowd answered, as it were, not what pertained to order but to their disquiet; now see what the disquieted crowd answered. "You have a demon. Who seeks to kill you?" As if it were not a worse thing to say, "You have a demon," than to kill him. Why, it was said to him that he who exorcises demons had a demon! What else could the disturbed crowd say? What other odor could stirred-up mire give off? The crowd was disquieted. By what? By the Truth. The brightness of the light disquieted the crowd of the bleary-eyed. For eyes lacking good health cannot stand the brightness of light.1 3. But the Lord, obviously not disquieted, rather, tranquil in his truth, did not render evil for evil, nor abuse for abuse.2 And if he were to say to them, You have a demon, ofcourse he would say the truth. For they would not have said such things to that Truth unless the falsehood of the demon had provoked them. (2) What then did he reply? Let us listen tranquilly and drink the tranquil. "One work I have done and you all wonder." As if saying, What if you sawall my works? For all the things which they saw in the world were his and they did not see him who made all things. He did one thing and they were disquieted, because he made a man well on the Sabbath. Just as though, indeed, if some sick man were returned to health on the Sabbath, someone else had made him well rather than he who scandalized them because he had made one man well on the Sabbath. For what other man made other men well except Health himself, who gives that health which he gave to this man also to animals? For it was the health ofthe body. The health of the flesh both is restored and dies; and when it is restored, death is delayed, not taken away. (3) Nevertheless, brothers, even this health, through whomever it is given, is from the Lord. Although it is imparted through someone who takes care and ministers, it is given by him from whom is all health, to whom it is said in the psalm, "Men and beasts you will make well, 0 Lord, as you 1. Cf. Tractate 18.11. 2. Cf...

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