ACC ~ John 18 v4

THOSE WHO PERSECUTE JESUS ARE BLIND

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA: Jesus inquires of those who come to capture him. He asks them whom they have come in search of, not because he did not know (for how could that be?) but that he might prove that those who had come to capture him and were gazing on him were not even able to recognize the very person they were searching for, and thus confirming in us the true conviction that he would never have been taken if he had not of his own will gone to those who sought him. For observe, when he openly asks, “Whom do you seek?” they did not at once reply, “We are here to take you who have just spoken.” But rather, they reply, as though he was not present or before their very eyes, saying, “Jesus of Nazareth.” COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 11.12. [1]

[1] LF 48:569*.

NO SEEING UNLESS PERMITTED BY JESUS

CHRYSOSTOM: Do you see his invincible power, how being in the midst of them he disabled their eyes? For that the darkness was not the cause of their not knowing him, the Evangelist has shown by saying that they also had torches. And even had there been no torches, they ought at least to have known him by his voice. Or if they did not know it, how could Judas be ignorant, who had been so continually with him? For he too stood with them and knew him no more than they, but with them he fell backward. Now Jesus did this to show that not only could they not seize him but that they could not even see him when he was in their midst, unless he himself permitted. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 83.1. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 14:307*.

18:5-6 I Am

ONE LITTLE WORD CAN FELL THEM

AUGUSTINE: With no other weapon than his own solitary voice uttering the words “I am,” he knocked down, repelled and rendered helpless that great crowd, even with all their ferocious hatred and terror of arms. For God lay hidden in that human flesh, and eternal day was so obscured in those human limbs that he was looked for with lanterns and torches to be slain in the darkness. “I am,” he says, and throws the wicked to the ground. What will he do when he comes as judge, who did this when giving himself up to be judged? What will his power be like when he comes to reign, who had this kind of power when he came to die? And now even at the present time Christ is still saying through the Gospel, “I am.” And … the result is the same, as people go backward and fall to the ground because they have abandoned what is heavenly in favor of what is earthly. TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 112.3. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 7:417; CCL 36:634.

LIGHT LOOKS AT DARKNESS, AND IT FALLS DOWN

QUODVULTDEUS: They come with their torches, lanterns and weapons. The many seek the one, and the sons of darkness come, bearing in their hands light, through which they would reveal the true Light to others, the true Light that they themselves, blinded, were not able to hold in their heart. … Behold, the true Light, who lies hidden here under the cloud of flesh, looks at the darkness, and it fell to the ground. … In order that the Light might accomplish what it came for, however, the darkness gets back up. He gives [the darkness] power over himself. Darkness seizes the Light, not to follow but to kill it. The Light permits himself to be seized by darkness, to be led away, to be hung, to be killed, in order that, stripped of the cloud of flesh, he might restore the splendor of his majesty. THIRD HOMILY ON THE CREED 5.14-17. [1]

[1] ACW 60:75-76. See also Gregory the Great Homilies on Ezekiel 1.9.

Jn