ACC ~ John 4 v45

JESUS IS RECEIVED WITH HONOR IN GALILEE

THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: After he had spent two days there, he continued his journey into Galilee, as he had planned. Not only did he see this as an opportunity, but he also often said that a prophet has no honor in his homeland. He called Judea his homeland, which he had left for this very reason, that is, because obviously the Jews out of great envy wanted to persecute him in various ways. All that [the Evangelist] said about the Samaritans was clearly inserted into the plot of his narrative. Among other things, Samaria was not the homeland of the Messiah. Also, the words “has no honor” could not refer to the Samaritans because they believed in him and received him with great honor. However, the Galileans, the Evangelist says, received him with honor as well, since they knew and had seen those things done by him in Jerusalem. COMMENTARY ON JOHN 2.4.43-45. [1]

[1] CSCO 4 3:96.

CLEANSING THE TEMPLE PREPARED THE GALILEANS TO RECEIVE JESUS

ORIGEN: It is possible… that a Galilean happened to be in Jerusalem, where the temple of God is located, to celebrate the festival and saw everything that Jesus did there. He may have especially seen how he cast out all those selling cattle, sheep and doves, along with the sheep, the cattle, and the rest, with the scourge he made from cords. [1] For the feast in Jerusalem marks the beginning of the Galileans’ reception of the Son of God when he came to them. Otherwise, if they had not seen his deeds at the feast, they would not have received him. He also would not have visited them so eagerly, having left those who asked him “to remain with them,” [2] if the Galileans had not been previously prepared to receive him. COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 13.387-88. [3]

[1] See Jn 2:15.

[2] See Jn 4:40.

[3] FC 89:151; SC 222:246-48.

THE FAITH OF THE SAMARITANS AND THE GALILEANS

CHRYSOSTOM: Do you see that the people who have the worst things spoken about them are the ones found most often coming to him? For one said, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” [1] Another said, “Search and look, for out of Galilee arises no prophet.” [2] They said these things as an insult to him, because many people thought he was from Nazareth. They also reproached him with being a Samaritan; “You are a Samaritan,” said one, “and have a devil.” [3] Yet behold, both Samaritans and Galileans believe, to the shame of the Jews, and Samaritans are found better than Galileans, for the first received him through the words of the woman, the second received him when they had seen the miracles that he did. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 35.2. [4]

[1] Jn 1:46.

[2] Jn 7:52.

[3] Jn 8:48.

[4] NPNF 1 14:123**. But see Augustine, who is not as positive about the Galilean reception.