The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: S. John
Ver. 35. — Jesus therefore said unto them. Yet a little while is the Light with you, &c. “Christ would not answer their objections directly, as knowing that they deserved not a reply,” says S. Cyril. He therefore answers indirectly, that they should use Him as a light ; for that that light would be soon extinguished by death, when they would have to seek for Him in vain. But if they desired to use that light they would be enlightened by it, so as to find an answer to their objection, and know other things which were necessary for their salvation. The Latin commentators take the word “ modicum ” as referring to the light, thus, “ a little light” Ye have but little light in thinking that Christ will abide for ever. But ye know not that He will also die and rise again. Walk therefore while ye have the light Go on to investigate the truth. Ye will then learn how Christ will die, and yet rise again, and abide for ever. (So S. Augustine, S. Bernard, Serm. xlix. in Cant. Lyra, and others). But the word “modicum” does not refer to the light, but to the word “time” as is plain in the Greek. He calls Himself the light of the world for the reasons which are mentioned in notes to chap. i., and also
(1.) S. Chrysostom and Theophylact think that Christ here likened Himself to the Light, or Sun, because as the light of the sun is not extinguished by night, but is only hid for awhile, and rises again in the morning, and shines throughout the day, so He would die and rise again, and reign for ever, which was the very thing the Jews were inquiring about.
(2.) It may be explained more clearly and to the point in this way, — I, Christ, the Light of the world, enlightening it with the doctrine and knowledge of God, of salvation and of things eternal, shall be but a short time (only three days) with you in the body. And, therefore, if ye are wise, as long as you have Me with you, embrace and follow this light, believe in Me, hearken unto Me, question Me, I will resolve all your doubts, especially how Christ will die, and yet abide for ever. But if ye do it not now, the light will shortly be taken from you. I shall soon die, and then the darkness of error will overwhelm you. For though I shall leave the Apostles after Me, to carry on the light of the Gospel which I have brought ; yet ye will not value them, and will persecute them, and then ye will in vain seek for Me, who am the very source of light. Just as He spake to the same Jews, John vii. 33.
Christ calls Himself the Light. Wherefore S. Chrysostom, Theophylact , and Rupertus less appropriately understand by the light, the life of each faithful Christian, which is as it were to each one his own day. Believe in Me while the light of life lasts, for after it comes the darkness of death, when ye will not be able to believe, and do what is right.
Symbolically. Leontius by darkness understands sins ; Rupertus, the sufferings of the lost in outer darkness.
Ver. 36. — While ye have the light, walk as children of the light. Believe in Me, who am the light of the world ; believe that I am the Messiah, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world ; believe in Me and my Gospel (so S. Cyril and Theophylact), that ye may be my children, and consequently the children of grace, charity, virtue, and sanctity in this life, and the children of the Resurrection, of happiness, and glory in the next life (see notes on 1 John i. 5, John
Tropologically . When thou feelest the enlightenment, the emotions , the breath of the Holy Spirit, act on them at once, for they come and go like lightning. As S. Francis, when he heard the voice of God, stopped short even on a journey, that he might listen to it, and at once put it into practice.
These things spake Jesus , and departed , and did hide Himself from them. Because He knew that they wished to take Him before the time appointed of the Father. So S. Chrysostom, Theophylact, and others. He hid Himself, probably at night, for by day He taught in the temple, and at night He withdrew to Mount Olivet, and thence to Bethany (see Luke xxi. 37).
“He withdrew Himself not,” says S. Augustine and Bede, “from those who began to believe in Him and to love Him. Not from those who came out with palm branches and praises to meet Him. But from those who saw Him indeed, but with an evil eye ; because in truth they saw Him not, but in their blindness stumbled at that stone of offence.”
Symbolically . Rupertus says, “He hid Himself from them not in place but in grace ; because He left them in their unbelief, He blinded and hardened them.”
Ver. 37. — But though He had done so many (τοσαῦτα, so great) miracles before them , yet they believed not on Him . S. Chrysostom and Euthymius think that He wrought many miracles at this special time to lead the Jews to believe in Him, which S. John omitted for the sake of brevity. But others consider, more correctly, that S. John spoke of the many miracles Christ had wrought during the whole course of His ministry. As if Christ said, I have proved by so many miracles that I am the Messiah, why have ye not believed in Me ? Ye cannot expect more. I am about to die : believe on Me at once, before I go hence.
The reason why so few believed on Jesus, and the many did not, was partly their animal life, by which they were tied down to earthly desires, and did not understand the heavenly blessings and that contempt for worldly things which Christ taught : and partly their fear of the Scribes and Chief Priests, whom they knew to be opposed to Christ, for the people follow the belief of those above them : and partly the poverty, lowliness, and humility of Christ, which they themselves despised. For they hoped, and even now hope, that their Messiah would come with great pomp and wealth, as a second Solomon.
Ver. 38. — That the saying of Esaias, &c. The word “ that ” does not signify the end and purpose intended by God, but simply the result. The fulfilment of the prophecy resulted from the unbelief of the Jews. So S. Chrysostom, Cyril, and others.
The passage quoted is Is. liii. 1, on which see a full comment.
Our report. Our hearing, the Hebrew word scernaa , hearing, being put for that which was heard by an ordinary Hebraism.
The arm of the Lord. That is Christ. (1.) So called as being “of one Substance with the Father,” as the arm is of the same substance as the body. (2.) Because Christ, as God, is the “arm” of the Father, His virtue and strength, whereby He works all things mightily. (3.) Because as man He performed, in the flesh, the mighty and powerful works of God. (So S. Augustine, Maldonatus, and others, on this passage; and S. Jerome on Is. liii. and S. Athanasius, “De communi essentia Patris et Filii et Sp . Sancti opus dubium”) But it may be more simply understood of the Divine power which manifested itself in Christ’s miracles. The meaning being, How few Jews recognised the power of God, working as it did in Christ’s Person so many and great miracles. So Jansenius and Maldonatus.
Ver. 39. — Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again , &c. The words “therefore” and “because” signify not the cause of their unbelief, as Calvin supposes, but mark the necessary consequence. It could not but be so, because it had been foretold, and Scripture cannot lie. But God foretold it, because He foresaw that through their freedom of will, their obstinacy and malice, they would not believe in Christ. God therefore saw that they would not believe, because they, of their own free will, would not do so. But they did not refuse to believe, because God foresaw that they would not believe. For their unbelief was prior to God’s foreseeing. God foresees the future, because it will surely come to pass. For God cannot foresee anything, unless it is presupposed that it will really take place. For the object which is seen is prior to the act of seeing it. For nothing can be seen but that which either now is, or hereafter will be. So S. Chrysostom, Jansenius, Maldonatus, and others.
But S. Augustine, and after him Toletus, explain it thus : the Jews could not believe in Christ, because they were hardened and blinded, as Isaiah foretold. But then the words “could not” do not signify absolute necessity, but either a moral, that is a great, difficulty, or else a conditional difficulty. That is to say, the Jews could not believe in Christ, supposing they continued to hold fast to their sins, darkness, and ignorance ; and therefore blinded and hardened themselves by their own wickedness. For otherwise, though they were blinded and hardened, yet as having free will, and sufficient grace to enable them, they could (speaking abstractedly) give up their hardness of heart and turn to God.
He hath blinded their eyes , and hardened their hearts . Christ quotes Is. vi. 9, 10. Having fully explained this passage before, I will here briefly repeat what I there said. Observe then (1) that properly speaking the intellect is said to be blinded, but the affections and will to be hardened ; (2) that the direct and proper cause of a man’s blindness and hardening, is his own free will and wickedness. See Wisdom ii. 21. The Arabic and Syriac versions understand it in this way, “ their eyes are blinded, and their heart is hardened.” But yet God is said indirectly and in a less strict sense ( improprie ) to harden a man, because He gradually withdraws from him the light of truth and grace, and allows opportunities of error and sin to be presented to him by the world, the flesh, and the devil, in punishment for his former sins.
Moreover, in Isaiah we read “ blind thou the heart of this people,” these being the words of God to Isaiah. But it comes to the same meaning. For “blind thou,” is the same as “foretell that a man will, indirectly, be blinded by Me.” “ He blinded ” is then the same as “ He will blind.” The past is put for the future, to signify the certainty of the thing, that it will as surely come to pass as though it had already happened ; that the Jews will be as surely blinded, as though they had been blinded already.