ACC ~ John 20 v17a
PURIFICATION NEEDED AFTER BATTLE
ORIGEN: But after he had destroyed his enemies through his passion, the Lord, who is mighty in battle and strong, [1] required a purification that could be given to him by his Father alone. And this is why he forbids Mary to touch him. COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 6.287. [2]
[1] Ps 24:8 (23:8 LXX).
[2] SC 157:528; FC 80:246**.
PERFECTION OF THE RESURRECTION COMES WITH THE FATHER
ORIGEN: It belongs to the resurrection that one should be on the first day in the paradise of God, [1] and it belongs to the resurrection when Jesus appears and says, “Do not touch me. For I am not yet ascended to my Father,” but the perfection of the resurrection was when he came to the Father. COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 10.245. [2]
[1] Lk 23:43.
[2] FC 80:309**; SC 157:528.
JESUS SPEAKS ACCORDING TO HUMAN NATURE
THEODORET OF CYR: For the human being who died rises up on the third day. But when Mary strives with longing to touch his holy limbs, he objected and says to her, “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father; go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.’” God the Word, who comes from heaven and lives in the bosom of the Father, did not utter the phrase “I have not yet ascended to my Father.” The Wisdom that embraces all things that exists did not say it either. This was spoken by the very human being who was formed out of all kinds of limbs, who had been raised from the dead and who after death had not yet ascended to his Father but reserved for himself the firstfruit of his passage. DIALOGUE 3.12. [1]
[1] FC 106:225-26.
THE RELATIONSHIP HAS CHANGED
CHRYSOSTOM: Some assert that she asked for spiritual grace because she had heard him say to the disciples, “If I go to the Father, ‘I will ask him, and he shall give you another Comforter.’” [1] But how could she who was not present with the disciples have heard this? Besides, such an interpretation is far from the meaning here. And how should she ask such a thing when he had not yet gone to the Father? What, then, does it mean? I think that she still wanted to talk with Jesus like she used to and that in her joy she perceived nothing out of the ordinary in him, although he had become far more excellent in bodily appearance. To lead her therefore from this idea, and so that she might speak to him with more awe (for he no longer appears so familiar with the disciples either), he raises her thoughts so that she is more reverent toward him. To have said, “Do not approach me as you did before, for matters are not in the same state, nor shall I any longer be with you in the same way” would have been harsh and highsounding. But by saying, “I am not yet ascended to the Father,” it was not as painful to hear, although he was basically saying the same thing. For by saying, “I am not yet ascended,” he shows that he is hurrying and pressing on. He was saying that it was not right for one about to leave for [heaven] and who would no longer converse with human beings to be looked on with the same feelings as before. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 86.2. [2]
[1] Jn 14:3, 16.
[2] NPNF 1 14:324**.
APPROACHING THE KING
EPHREM THE SYRIAN: He said, “Do not touch me,” first of all, because this body was [like] a first-flowering fruit from Sheol that our Lord, as priest, was preserving carefully from contact with any [human] hand, so as to offer it to the [only] hand capable of receiving such a gift and capable of paying the price for an offering such as this. Second, [he did not want anyone to touch him] in order to show that this body was [already] glorified and magnified. Thus he showed them that, while he had been a servant, everyone had power over him, since even tax collectors and sinners used to come and touch him. But when he was made Lord, fear of him was over everyone like [the fear of] God. [1] Even kings and nobles convince us [of this], for those who see [them] are afraid to touch them. COMMENTARY ON TATIAN’S DIATESSARON 21.26. [2]
[1] The fear of God was one of the spiritual dispositions on which Syrian theologians insisted most.
[2] ECTD 329.
MARY LACKS SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING
LEO THE GREAT: The Son of man and Son of God, therefore, dearly beloved, then attained a more excellent and holier fame when he returned to the glory of the Father’s majesty. In an incomprehensible way, he began to be nearer to the Father in respect of his Godhead after having become distanced in respect of his manhood. A better instructed faith then began to draw closer to a conception of the Son’s equality with the Father without the necessity of handling the corporeal substance in Christ. As a result of this [substance], he is less than the Father, since, while the nature of the glorified body still remained, the faith of believers was called on to touch not with the hand of flesh but with the spiritual understanding the Only Begotten, who was equal with the Father. And this is why the Lord said to Mary Magdalene (who represents the church), [1] when she hurriedly approached and touched him, “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father,” that is, I would not have you come to me as to a human body or recognize me by fleshly perceptions. I want you to wait for higher things. I prepare greater things for you. When I have ascended to my Father, then you shall handle me more perfectly and truly, for you shall grasp what you cannot touch and believe what you cannot see. SERMON 74.4. [2]
[1] See also Augustine Sermon 5.7 (WSA 3 1:222).
[2] NPNF 2 12:188-89**.
TOUCH CHRIST BY FAITH
AUGUSTINE: What does this mean, “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father”? If she could not touch him as he was standing on earth, would she be able to touch him seated in heaven? As though he was saying, “Do not touch me now; touch me then, when I have ascended to the Father.” Your graces will recall yesterday’s reading, when the Lord appeared to the disciples and they thought they were seeing a spirit. But wishing to relieve them of this mistaken idea, he offered himself to their touch. What did he say? It was yesterday. There was a sermon about it. [1] “Why are you troubled, and why are thoughts coming up into your hearts? See my hands and my feet; feel and see.” [2] He had not already ascended to the Father, had he, when he said feel and see, offering himself to his disciples to be touched, not just touched but felt, to produce faith in the real flesh of his real body, to present the solid reality of truth even to the human touch? So he offers himself to the hands of the disciples to be felt, but he says to the woman, “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father.” What can it mean? Could men only touch him on earth, while women had to touch him in heaven, “for I have not yet ascended to my Father”?
So what can touching be, but believing? We touch Christ, you see, by faith, and it is better not to touch him with the hand and to touch him with faith than to feel him with the hand and not touch him with faith. It was not a great matter to touch Christ; the Jews touched him when they seized him, they touched him when they bound him, touched him when they hung him up; they touched him, and by touching him in a bad way, they lost what they touched. Just you touch by faith, O Catholic church; see that you touch by faith. If you have thought of Christ only as a man, you have touched him on earth. If you have believed Christ is Lord, equal to the Father, then you have touched him when he has ascended to the Father. SERMON 246.4. [3]
TOUCH ME AS GOD
AUGUSTINE:
What is “Touch me as I ascended to the Father”?
Touch me as equal to the Father.
What is “Touch me as equal to the Father”?
Touch me as God, that is believe in me as God.
SERMON 375C.4. [4]
[1] Here we see Augustine’s interaction with his audience characteristic of many of his sermons and tractates.
[2] Lk 24:38-39.
[3] WSA 3 7:104-5.
[4] WSA 3 10:342*.
Jn