ACC ~ John 11 v48

THE PHARISEES’ INSINCERITY

AUGUSTINE Insincerity speaks in the Pharisees: “If we let him go, the Romans will come and take away our nation and place.” It was not the reality of justice that they wished to have but its name, and they desired to hold on dishonestly to the honor owed to just men and women. SERMON 10.8. [1]

[1] WSA 3 1:288*; CCL 41:159.

THE FAILURE OF THE PLAN

CHRYSOSTOM But what is it that these leaders are planning to do? They want to stir up the people, as though they themselves would be in danger on suspicion of establishing a kingdom. “For if,” says one of them, “the Romans learn that this man is leading the multitudes, they will suspect us and will come and destroy our city.” Tell me, where did he teach revolt? Did he not permit you to give tribute to Caesar? Didn’t you want to make him a king and instead he fled from you? Didn’t he lead a normal and unpretentious life, homeless and having no possessions of his own? Therefore they said this, not from any such expectation but out of malice. And yet things happened contrary to their expectations, so much so that the Romans took their nation and city when they had killed Christ. For everything he did was beyond all suspicion. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 64.3. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 14:239**.

THE ROMANS DID DESTROY THEIR HOLY PLACE

ORIGEN The Romans did come and take away their place. For where is that which they call a sanctuary? And they also took away the nation, casting them out of the place and scarcely permitting them to be where they wish even in the Diaspora. COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 28.91-92. [1]

[1] FC 89:313.

AFRAID OF TEMPORAL LOSS

AUGUSTINE They were afraid of losing temporal things with no thought for that which is eternal and so lost both. For the Romans, after our Lord had suffered and was glorified, did come and take away their place and nation, reducing the one by siege and dispersing the other. … Or they were afraid that if all believed in Christ, none would remain to defend the city of God and the temple against the Romans, since they thought that Christ’s teaching was directed against the temple and their laws. TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 49.26. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 7:278**; CCL 36:432.

THE ROMANS REPRESENT THE GENTILES

ORIGEN The mystical meaning of these words is that the Gentiles occupied the place of those of the circumcision, “For by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles to stir them to envy.” [1] The Romans represent the Gentiles because they are the rulers of the Gentile world. But the nation also was taken away by the Gentiles because those who had been the people of God were made not a people, [2] and those of Israel are no longer Israel, and their seed did not attain the status of becoming children. [3] COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 28.93-94. [4]

[1] See Rom 11:11.

[2] See Hos 1:9; 1 Pet 2:10.

[3] See Rom 9:6-8; Jn 8:39.

[4] SC 385:110; FC 89:313**.